A Max-Level Film Queen Takes on the Scumbag Alpha Script [Transmigration] - Chapter 55

“I’m so sorry for dragging you guys into this.”

After Xiang Meng and her group left, Ning Yu’an spoke to Jiang Baihe and Lin Yiqiu with a trace of apology.

Lin Yiqiu waved her hand. “It’s no big deal.” She then turned her head to look at Jiang Baihe and said jokingly, “I say, Baihe, what’s the plan? If we let Xiang Meng and the others get there first, I’m afraid the three of us will end up living in the latrine!”

Of course, in front of the cameras, Lin Yiqiu didn’t state that last part so bluntly.

Jiang Baihe shook the hand-drawn map in her hand, signaling them to look. “Look at this.”

“This map is just a mess of marks. There are no explanations, no routes—I can’t even tell which side is which.” Lin Yiqiu took a peek but failed to see any clues.

“Our phones were taken away, too,” Ning Yu’an sighed. “This is the first time I’ve realized the importance of GPS navigation.”

Jiang Baihe pulled out a marker from the backpack provided by the production crew and drew a circle over a specific mark on the map. “We are currently here…”

Ning Yu’an interrupted: “Wait, how do you even know that?!”

Lin Yiqiu was even more shocked. “Are you sure you didn’t get a script?”

“I just deduced it.” Jiang Baihe rubbed the tip of her nose with her index finger. Having experienced similar variety shows in her previous life, she couldn’t help but try to guess the production team’s design as soon as she encountered this situation. “On the entire map, only this mark is unique. These lines are rivers, and this is…”

Jiang Baihe explained based on her understanding: “Xiang Meng and the others are heading in that direction, following the bus route up the mountain. It’s a detour. But actually, there’s another path on this map…”

After a simple and clear explanation, Lin Yiqiu’s eyes lit up. “So, we found a shortcut?”

Jiang Baihe didn’t respond to Lin Yiqiu; instead, she looked at the cameraman following her with a beaming smile. “Am I right?”

Cameraman: “…”

To be honest, Jiang Baihe had indeed found the “Easter egg” route buried by the director’s team. Though he was shocked, he couldn’t say anything right now.

Jiang Baihe tucked the map away and tilted her head toward the other two. “So, do you want to take a gamble with me?”

Lin Yiqiu immediately stated her position: “I’m going with you!”

“No problem for me!” Ning Yu’an gritted her teeth. “I’ve rested enough. Let’s set off now!”

The three of them packed their things quickly and set off in a completely different direction from Xiang Meng’s group.

Qingya Village Entrance

The director’s crew arrived at the village in the bus with great fanfare. The village was bustling; the elderly residents had all come out to see the excitement, though they tactfully kept their distance. The production team had already settled things with the villagers: during the filming, no outsiders would disturb them. They set up their equipment on the ground, and once everything was ready, they waited for the six “lost lambs” to return home.

Before issuing this assessment task, they had estimated the guests’ arrival time—about half an hour after they finished setting up. If any problems arose, like someone getting truly lost, the follow-up cameramen had full GPS navigation and would provide clues—though this would obviously be edited out of the official broadcast. The production team wanted to capture the disheveled state of the guests after trekking over mountains and walking over ten kilometers.

So, when Jiang Baihe and her group arrived at the village before the estimated time, the entire production team was stunned. Upon learning that these three had actively dug out the hidden “route egg,” even the director couldn’t help but give them a thumbs-up.

Those who arrived first had priority in choosing rooms. After a quick tour, Jiang Baihe’s group felt extremely lucky they arrived early.

Of the three houses, the best one was a self-built two-story “Western-style” house. It looked equipped with water and electricity. Another was a common village house made of wood and red brick; it was simple but livable. As for the last one, it was even worse: four mud walls that looked shaky enough to be alarming. Furthermore, the adjacent empty lot was fenced for a brood of chickens; presumably, these chickens usually roamed free, as there was uncleaned chicken “poop” scattered nearby.

After assessing the three houses, the three made their choice. Since Jiang Baihe had provided the plan for the journey and had looked after Ning Yu’an several times, Ning Yu’an conscientiously chose the mid-tier house, leaving the better Western-style house for Jiang Baihe and Lin Yiqiu.

As for who would be assigned to the third house? The three looked at each other and silently “lit a candle” in their hearts for the latecomers.

Another half hour later, Xiang Meng and her group finally arrived. Seeing Jiang Baihe and the others sitting comfortably on chairs, they were all wearing expressions of utter disbelief. Upon seeing the remaining house, Xiang Xi’s eyes turned red with anger, and she even blurted out, “This is impossible! You guys must be cheating!”

“…”

The scene fell into a sudden silence. Even Jiang Baihe frowned slightly upon hearing that. The advantage of a non-live variety show was evident here; if something went wrong, the footage could be edited out later. If this were a live-streamed reality show, Xiang Xi would likely have been drowned in the spit of angry fans.

As soon as those words came out, Xiang Meng’s face also changed. She glared at her sister and hurriedly apologized to everyone. While the director’s team enjoyed conflict between guests, “genuine expression without a script” was the main tenet of the show; naturally, they couldn’t let Xiang Xi’s slander stand. They explained the little secret buried in the map to everyone. After hearing the explanation, Xiang Xi also apologized to Jiang Baihe’s group, but as for what she felt in her heart, no one knew.

Despite the reluctance, it was ultimately Xiang Xi and Ye Qing who moved into the third house, while Xiang Meng was lucky enough to stay with Ning Yu’an.

After the long hike and the room scramble, everyone was exhausted. They all stared longingly at the director, waiting for his next command. Unexpectedly, the director showed that “villainous” smile again. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving…”

“What did you prepare for us to eat, Director?”

The group responded weakly; even Jiang Baihe felt tired.

“It’s good that you’re hungry.” The director clapped his hands. “That makes you more proactive for work.”

Lin Yiqiu was incredulous. “? Director, are you sure you didn’t misspeak?” Why do we have to work after getting here?!

“Hard work is the most reliable provider. For the next few days, you will live in this village, and all your meals, vegetables, and fruits must be exchanged by helping the villagers.”

This news was like a thunderclap, leaving all six guests feeling “paralyzed.” For the entire afternoon, Jiang Baihe and the others hurried around every corner of the village for food. The neighbors chosen by the crew were random; they had to knock on doors one by one to find out if a family had a task.

The village consisted mostly of elderly folk; young people were rarely seen. Jiang Baihe was beautiful and spoke pleasantly, quickly coaxing several grandmothers into laughter and easily “shearing” some fresh fruit from them. Lin Yiqiu also put her dance talent to use, teaching several “aunties” how to do square dancing on the spot.

Jiang Baihe sat to the side, munching on an apple while watching the lesson, laughing uncontrollably. She could already imagine the fans’ reactions after the broadcast: “Shock! The dance the survival show champion loves most is actually…!” or “Let’s talk about my favorite idol who loves square dancing.” Overall, the scene was hilarious.

In exchange for her efforts, Lin Yiqiu brought back half a chicken and some scallions and garlic. The others also brought back varying amounts of rice and meat. Finally, they all cooked a meal at Jiang Baihe’s Western-style house, and the six managed to have a proper dinner.

At 9:00 PM, Jiang Baihe was boiling water to drink in the first-floor living room, while Lin Yiqiu was sprawled out on the sofa in boredom. There were no cameramen following them inside the house, but many fixed cameras were installed, recording continuously.

An evening without a phone was exceptionally dull. Both wanted to go back to their rooms to rest early, but just then, a scream suddenly came from outside the door.

“There’s a ghost—!!”

Jiang Baihe and Lin Yiqiu jolted, recognizing it as Xiang Meng’s voice. Immediately following that, chaos erupted outside. Xiang Xi and Ye Qing also seemed to scream.

Knowing something must have happened, Jiang Baihe and Lin Yiqiu shared a look and hurried out in their slippers. When they reached the door, Lin Yiqiu grabbed a broom on the way. Seeing this, Jiang Baihe shot her a questioning look.

Lin Yiqiu swallowed and said weakly, “Aren’t they all shouting that there’s a ghost? I’m holding this for self-defense, hehe…”

Jiang Baihe: “…” Can a physical broom hit a supernatural ghost? Jiang Baihe actually thought about it seriously for a second and decided having something was better than nothing. So, she picked up another broom by the door.

The two charged out with their brooms as if they were sweeping for mines. The three people outside ran toward them as if they had found their pillars of support.

“Aaaaaah—!”

The group hid behind Jiang Baihe and Lin Yiqiu. Their current positioning was very similar to the “eagle catching chicks” game, with a hen and her chicks.

“What happened?” Jiang Baihe asked.

Ye Qing’s lips trembled. “In… in a small alley in the village, there’s… there’s a ghost!”

Lin Yiqiu immediately shivered. “For real? You aren’t colluding with the director to prank us, are you?”

Jiang Baihe scanned the group. “Where’s Ning Yu’an?”

“I… I don’t know!” Xiang Meng replied, her voice trembling slightly. “Xi Xi and I went out for a walk and saw the village was pitch black. Except for our three houses, there wasn’t a single light! Then a small alley suddenly lit up. We were curious, so we went to look, and found…”

Xiang Xi added with a miserable face, “It was full of floating ghosts! We didn’t dare look any longer and ran back!”

Under the guise of the current situation, Xiang Meng secretly tried to move a bit closer to Jiang Baihe. However, Jiang Baihe seemed to have a radar installed on her back; she sensed it and immediately stepped aside to maintain distance. She was a married woman and had to protect her purity. Otherwise, when the episode aired, the “Falling in love due to a variety show” trending topic would likely be bought by these sisters.

Jiang Baihe’s move was so sudden that Xiang Meng, losing her support unexpectedly, stumbled slightly.

“…”

The tense atmosphere was broken by this move. Lin Yiqiu, who had been scared to death, felt her fear drop by half. “What do we do now?”

Jiang Baihe gripped her broom, scanned everyone, and said in a deep voice: “Whether it’s a person or a ghost, we’ll know once we go out and meet it.”