Chapter 33: Accompanying You Under a New Identity

"You have no idea what you're talking about. How could I possibly be as cunning as Teacher Yu? Even the illustrious President Ning showed special favor to Teacher Yu the moment they first met, didn't he?"

Xia Shuang was too foolish—so foolish that Yu Zhi didn't even have the heart to spar with her. Someone who strutted around arrogantly the moment they gained a tiny bit of leverage wasn't worth the effort. Once the people behind her pulling the strings were gone, she would vanish from the industry just as quickly.

The look of disdain on Yu Zhi's face was far too obvious. Annoyed, Xia Shuang tugged hard on Shen Jiayu's sleeve. Every time they crossed paths, Shen Jiayu would put on this same "dead pig isn't afraid of boiling water" act—who was he trying to impress? Did he really think Yu Zhi would let bygones be bygones and get back together with him?

"Jiayu, didn't you say you had questions to ask Teacher Yu?"

Like a puppet following instructions, Shen Jiayu snapped back to reality. "Yu Zhi, when you joined this show, did you know who the other guests would be?"

[Wow, this is the showdown I've been waiting for!]
[Yu Zhi is fickle, but she never wronged Shen Jiayu. Why does this jerk look so heartbroken?]
[It’s obvious that Shen Jiayu was dumped by Yu Zhi, and now the wealthy heiress is just his new fling. This scene is probably just him bringing his new toy to mock his ex, right?]
[No, no, this new fling doesn't even have the upper hand compared to the ex!]
[That’s a sharp question, too! If Yu Zhi says yes, who knows who gets the satisfaction? If she says no, they definitely have something else up their sleeves.]

"None of your damn business!"

Yu Zhi was usually lenient with women, but for shameless, lowly men, there was no need to show any mercy.

"What do you mean by that, Yu Zhi? We were kind enough to try and help you out, and this is the attitude we get?"

"You're noisy!"

Xia Shuang cast a subtle glance at the camera behind Yu Zhi, a plan forming in her mind. Who didn't have a few "white lotus" tricks up their sleeves? She would wait for Yu Zhi to be forced off the show in disgrace! President Ning certainly wouldn't offend 'Shanming' for her. Once she had offended the big shots in the industry, she’d like to see how Yu Zhi managed to survive!

While Xia Shuang plotted, Yu Zhi had already turned and walked deeper into the horror-themed park. Xia Shuang might not believe it, but her acting was so clumsy that any intelligent person could see through it instantly. Could a few retorts really erase everything? She underestimated her own haters; even if she did nothing... expecting a debate to wipe away past wounds was impossible.

A sudden rumble behind her pulled Yu Zhi’s focus back to reality. The NPCs wandering through the horror zone caught her eye. Cute yet eerie dolls stood in perfectly chosen spots, greeting everyone who passed by. Some were startling, others were charming.

A loyal little tail followed behind Yu Zhi. Throughout the walk, it ignored everyone else, only pretending to be docile around her. The pale gray, flame-shaped doll was covered in dark brown stains, with a large hole in the center of its head; it was hard not to imagine the story behind it.

"Are you my exclusive NPC?"

The doll was molded in one piece, with no distinct head. It extended an arm and gently bent the flame flickering on its head—it was incredibly cute.

"Does everyone get one?"

The flame flickered a few times.

"Are you following me because I'm pretty?"

It nodded.

After teasing it for a while, Yu Zhi felt much better. She stepped forward and gave the doll a hug, her smiling eyes reflecting a mood far brighter than before. "Thank you, Little Flame."

Netizens who had tuned in for the drama now found themselves distracted by this horror doll. The sight of an NPC snatching a lollipop from a passing child—all because Yu Zhi glanced at it—was truly hilarious.

[Stealing from a kid? You've got nerve! Even if you bought them another one, the kid isn't going to forgive you!]
[Yu Zhi seems to have let go of something suddenly. Who is this 'Little Flame'? Someone she knows?]
[Why don't the other groups have exclusive NPCs? Is the production team giving Yu Zhi special treatment?]
[Yu Zhi is covered in scandals right now; why would the production team give her special treatment? I’m more inclined to believe this is a staff member who’s a fan of hers and is just spoiling their idol.]
[At the end of the day, isn't that still special treatment? Don't the other groups have fans too? Why does Yu Zhi get to skip tasks and have it easier than everyone else?]
[The comments are so toxic, did you all just come back from the dark ages?]

Netizens who witnessed how fun the NPCs were quickly pushed the 'Fanxing' Amusement Park NPCs to the top of the trending list.

#ExclusiveNPC#
#Lollipop? Hand it over!#
#Yu Zhi and the NPC: A new way to whitewash a reputation?#
#The Missing Ning Qi'er#

Zhao Liheng knew the truth of the situation, but he couldn't bypass certain people to play the hero saving Yu Zhi. He could only keep arranging for people to control the narrative, though the results were minimal.

And so, in a corner no one noticed, a highly visible trending topic dropped out of nowhere. Through his sheer charisma, President Ning made all the viewers realize he had been missing from the cameras for a very, very long time.

After parting ways, the cameraman specifically assigned to Ning Qi'er returned to Yu Zhi’s side. Yu Zhi assumed he had had his fill of fun and no longer wanted to participate in the rest of the filming, so she didn't give it another thought. Having not been out to relax in a long time, she dragged 'Little Flame' to ride several attractions. Thanks to the park's size, she didn't run into any other annoying guests.

In the blink of an eye, the sky turned a fiery orange, rapidly consuming half the horizon. It was time for them to leave.

Yu Zhi tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and turned to bid the doll farewell. But Little Flame seemed not to understand; it tugged at her arm, pulling her in a direction she hadn't visited yet.

The cameraman had been signaling for her to leave for minutes. Yu Zhi lowered her eyes, thought for a few seconds, and finally decided to follow it for one last look. As the price for it humoring her today.

In the cameraman's earpiece, the director’s voice crackled. "Leave them be. The live stream has been cut. You can come back to the meeting point."

Having had their fill of gossip, the two cameramen exchanged a look, raised their eyebrows, and left. It was best to stay out of business that wasn't theirs. People who spoke less lived longer.

Yu Zhi didn't notice that no one was following her anymore. Although Little Flame was encased in a doll suit, it didn't walk slowly. Finally, they reached their destination.

A familiar yet strange scene appeared before Yu Zhi's eyes. Was this not the plaza where she had parted ways with Ning Qi'er that morning?

Little Flame took off the complicated costume, revealing the face she had seen thousands of times. The suit was thick, and light sweat beaded on his forehead, his eyes bright.

Yu Zhi suddenly laughed.

Disguising himself as a park staff member just to spend the whole day playing with her?

"Ning Qi'er, aren't you bored?"