Chapter Forty-Eight: Does She Have Something Against Me?

Of course, the outcome wasn't simply due to the unexpected success with the New Year pig. Even more so, everyone had still been lost in admiration of Bai Ling's beauty before that. Although Bai Ling had previously shown impressive physical prowess, it seemed almost insignificant when compared to her looks.

But now, no one could ignore her any longer. The contrast in Bai Ling’s performance was simply too striking. It was beyond anyone’s imagination that a woman could possess both such captivating beauty and undeniable charisma, not to mention her remarkable talent. Whether it was her sword dance or her earlier rendition of "Under the Sea," both stood as proof.

Compared to the current crop of celebrities in the entertainment industry, Bai Ling seemed almost divine. Even some of the male artists might find themselves overshadowed by her presence—yes, that referred precisely to Zhuge Ming and Ouyang Ruofeng.

At this moment, the two of them were utterly dazed. When the unexpected chaos broke out, they’d both simply stood there, dumbfounded, unable even to dodge or run. Never in their lives had they encountered anything like this. It was only after everything had been resolved that they came to their senses. Though no one blamed them for their inaction, being men, their pride stung sharply.

Now, as they looked at Bai Ling, their gazes were tinged with a hint of awkwardness.

However, Zhuge Ming and Ouyang Ruofeng were not the same. Zhuge Ming kept his thoughts to himself; he cast Bai Ling a deep glance but betrayed nothing outwardly. Ouyang Ruofeng was different. Once the pig was secured again, he approached Bai Ling without hesitation.

"Miss Bai, that was amazing," he said. "Could you teach me how you did it? I never imagined you’d be so talented—not just gifted, but with such skills, too!"

He approached her, hoping to forge a connection. That was common practice in the industry; unless there was open enmity, people always tried to remain cordial. After all, more friends meant more opportunities.

Moreover, Ouyang Ruofeng genuinely admired Bai Ling’s style—it was simply off the charts. However, Bai Ling hadn’t acted for the sake of showing off. It was simply a desperate measure for self-preservation.

As for Ouyang Ruofeng, Bai Ling had no desire to get entangled with such smooth-talking types. So, she offered a polite smile. “You flatter me, truly. Ouyang, perhaps you should tend to your tasks; I believe you’re needed to help finish the pig and bring back the pork.”

With that, Bai Ling prepared to take her leave.

Ouyang Ruofeng was left feeling awkward. Zhuge Ming came up beside him and, glancing at him, asked in a low voice, “What’s going on? Does she have an issue with me?”

Zhuge Ming was equally puzzled—it did seem as though Bai Ling had a problem with both of them. But now was not the time to confess his own embarrassment. So he said, “You were the main culprit. It’s only natural if she’s upset with you.” Patting Ouyang Ruofeng on the shoulder, Zhuge Ming followed after Bai Ling, leaving Ouyang Ruofeng alone with his worries.

Back at the inn, Director Wang and the others hurried out to greet them.

“Bai Ling, we’ve all heard what happened,” Director Wang said. “You’re incredible. Are you alright? Were you frightened?”

Director Wang’s face shone with happiness and excitement as he looked at Bai Ling, full of admiration. Such a beautiful girl—not only talented but able to create such memorable moments for the show.

When Bai Ling had left Zhuge Ming behind on the mountain, Director Wang, as the show’s chief director, had already sensed something was amiss. At the time, he’d thought Bai Ling was being tactless, abandoning Zhuge Ming alone, and worried it might set off a negative reaction. Unexpectedly, the audience loved it; ratings soared and the feedback was positive.

This, of course, delighted Director Wang. In the end, only Zhuge Ming had been left wounded by the incident.

But who could have predicted that Bai Ling would elevate the show to new heights afterward? A delicate woman facing off against the pig all alone? Of course, the results proved Bai Ling was no weakling. The show’s effect, however, was explosive.

When Director Wang saw the backstage numbers, he couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear. He’d invited Bai Ling on the show because of her popularity, but even he hadn’t anticipated things would go this far.

Now, in Director Wang’s eyes, Bai Ling was nothing short of a treasure.

Bai Ling, however, was clearly uncomfortable with Director Wang’s enthusiasm. She gave an awkward smile and replied, “Director Wang, you overpraise me.”

At this moment, Lin Yubai emerged from inside the inn.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

He had immediately noticed something amiss with Bai Ling’s hand. Thanks to his keen observation, the others soon realized it as well. Indeed, Lin Yubai fit the character of the male lead from "Splendor": cold on the outside, warm within, seemingly aloof but attentive to every detail.

Bai Ling admitted, such a character worked well in a romance novel. But now, his “concern” made her uneasy—a chill ran down her spine.

She looked back and, to her surprise, Wen Yan had appeared, holding a basket of vegetables. It was hard to tell what they all were; she seemed to have picked a little of everything, and not very skillfully—some were only half-pulled from the earth. Bai Ling felt a pang of sympathy for the poor vegetables.

But that wasn’t the main point. The real issue was that when Lin Yubai showed concern, a dangerous glint seemed to flash in Wen Yan’s eyes, almost spilling over. Otherwise, Bai Ling wouldn’t have felt so unsettled. Of course, Wen Yan concealed it well—within a blink, even Bai Ling could no longer detect anything amiss.

Wen Yan stepped forward enthusiastically and said, “Sister Bai Ling, how did you get hurt? Did something happen while you were picking mushrooms on the mountain? It’s my fault—I should have gone with you to help. Here, let me put some medicine on your hand.”

She was playing the devoted sister once again.

Bai Ling withdrew her hand. She had used too much force and, forgetting the frailty of her own body, had scraped her palm, breaking the skin so that it bled. Still, it was nothing serious—just a minor injury, hardly worth mentioning. Yet Wen Yan was acting as if Bai Ling might need to be rushed to the hospital any moment. The exaggerated concern made Bai Ling’s skin prickle.

“It’s nothing, I’ll just put some iodine on it myself,” she said, declining Wen Yan’s display of sisterly affection.

“Please, don’t let me keep you from your work. I’m sorry for causing you all trouble.”

With that, Bai Ling gently nudged Wen Yan toward the camera and quickly made her way into the room to find some iodine.