Chapter 19 Conflict.
Ling Wei couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly, but when she looked up, only a look of confusion remained on her face, and fine beads of sweat still clung to her forehead.
"Huh? What did you say?" She straightened up, looking puzzled, and even patiently added, "I'm sorry, Wanqing, I was so busy weeding that I didn't hear you clearly."
Bai Wanqing was taken aback by her reaction, and could only maintain a gentle smile under everyone's gaze, repeating the question: "I mean, Weiwei, you guys are a professional girl group, so you're probably used to this kind of... well, situation, aren't you already used to it?"
After listening, Ling Wei nodded seriously, and then asked in a humble and inquiring tone, "What specific situation do you mean? Do you mean weeding? That's not very common. I still need to learn more from Director He and everyone else."
As soon as she said this, a few suppressed laughs could be faintly heard from the surrounding area.
Bai Wanqing's smile froze, and her mouth moved unnaturally a couple of times, but she couldn't bring herself to directly point out in front of the camera that "it's just a case of taking off clothes to attract attention."
That would make her seem like she cares a lot, and might even openly make enemies.
Ling Wei's feigned ignorance extinguished the small flame that Bai Wanqing had tried to ignite.
The other teams around, whether boy groups or girl groups, also turned their attention away and continued with their work, no one responding to her words.
An unspoken silence filled the air.
Everyone knows perfectly well that you're an internet celebrity with your own built-in audience and fan base, giving you a significant advantage in this program and a level of attention that many people can only dream of.
Nowadays, others are merely using some legally permissible methods to gain screen time, and you're already rushing to kick them while they're down, trying to ruin their livelihood.
There's no such thing as a free lunch!
More realistically, if the matter is really escalated to the point that the production team has to intervene and order everyone to behave properly, wouldn't this originally tacitly understood little competitive tactic be completely labeled as deliberately skirting the line with negative connotations?
At that point, nobody will be able to use similar methods to create more buzz, and we'll all be eliminated together!
Nobody wants to see this situation.
Therefore, even if some people do not agree with the boy group's actions, they would never speak up and agree with Bai Wanqing at this moment.
With Bai Wanqing back down, Ling Wei was happy to continue her weeding spree.
The other groups gradually straightened up to rest. Ling Wei and her group still had enough stamina and were already ranked near the top. The most impressive one was Zhao Xiaohe. She seemed to switch modes instantly, bending over, identifying, hoeing, and cleaning in one smooth motion at an astonishing speed. In no time, she had cleared a small area.
Even He Tao, who was watching from the side, was stunned and couldn't help but exclaim, "Your technique is amazing! I've been here for years, and I'm not as good at weeding as you!"
He was a college graduate serving as a village official. When he first arrived, he was looked down upon by the villagers, who called him a "white-cut chicken" (a derogatory term for someone who is poorly trained and uneducated).
Zhao Xiaohe straightened up, wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, and said with a touch of pride, "Director, you flatter me! I'm just from the countryside, and I've always been used to being a boss."
A squinty-eyed boy in Shan Huai's team couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Wow! But you really can't tell that he grew up in the countryside."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiaohe straightened her back even more proudly: "I've never gotten tanned since I was little, I'm the village beauty."
This remark made everyone laugh, creating a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere.
Seeing her quick and efficient movements, many people came over to ask her for weeding tips, and Zhao Xiaohe answered every question. For a time, her popularity soared, and the atmosphere was harmonious and joyful.
This scene was even more irritating to Li Li, who had just been holding back her anger.
She felt indignant. "Ha, everyone says girls help girls, but when those boys were making those little moves, not a single one of them stood up to say anything."
Now look at her, chatting so enthusiastically with those guys, she's really... a heartbreaker!
The fire in her heart burned brighter and brighter. She saw that Ling Wei's area was adjacent to hers, and the two of them were almost back to back, both engrossed in clearing weeds from their respective fields.
A thought flashed through her mind, and she quietly approached.
The system also began to warn Ling Wei in her mind: "Weiwei, the person behind you has some ulterior motives."
Ling Wei, keeping an eye on the movements behind her, responded. She had just felt that the footage was a bit bland and lacked highlights, and now this was her chance.
She decided to cooperate with the other party in this charade.
Seeing that Ling Wei was bending down to shovel a clump of deep-rooted weeds, Li Li pretended to expand the area she was cleaning and "inadvertently" took a large step back.
"oops!"
Her buttocks slammed into Ling Wei.
Ling Wei was pushed forward by the force. She reacted quickly to protect her face and fell forward, performing a proper kneeling bow on the spot.
In the silence, she raised her head and said to He Tao, who was closest to her, in a serious tone, "...Happy New Year?"
She anticipated that the comments section would be filled with laughter; in any case, her quick-thinking reaction was flawless.
She was quite satisfied with her response, but before her smile could fully bloom, she was lifted up by a force.
Ye Zhen, who arrived quickly, picked her up, patted the mud off her trousers, and turned to Li Li, saying coldly, "Apologize."
Li Li wanted to apologize, since not apologizing after hitting someone would definitely affect her popularity with the audience, but Ye Zhen's pressure made her feel that admitting her mistake would only make her lose face.
She pouted and said, "Sorry, Sister Weiwei. I was cleaning up my own side and didn't notice you squeezed in here."
This ambiguous apology instantly wiped the smile off Ling Wei's face. She looked at Li Li with a half-smile, about to speak, when Zhao Xiaohe, who had just arrived, exploded first:
"You call this an apology? What do you mean by that?"
Li Li, who was already holding back her anger, was further enraged by this retort: "Didn't I already apologize? Do I have to kowtow and beg for forgiveness? Who pushed their way through first?!"
She had just noticed that none of the solo live stream cameras were pointing this way. She said the other party had crossed the line, but who could testify to that? Thinking about it this way, she became even more self-righteous.
Seeing this, Bai Wanqing wanted to say something, but Ling Wei glanced at her, and she inexplicably had a bad feeling, so she hesitated and shut her mouth.
Ling Wei secretly realized she had miscalculated. Although she wanted to create some interesting moments, it would be terrible if it turned into a negative argument. She decided to say a few words and let it go.
But Zhao Xiaohe was truly enraged. What if the captain had reacted any slower and his face had hit the ground? The soil was damp, but there were also dead branches on it!
Not only did the other party not sincerely apologize, but they also turned around and blamed the other party!
She suddenly moved closer to Li Li, pressing her forehead against the other's: "Apologize properly!"
"Get out of the way!"
"I won't allow it!"
The two girls started butting heads like bulls.
Ling Wei, who hadn't expected things to develop this way: "..."
The commotion here has already attracted everyone's attention.
Li Li's blood was boiling, and she couldn't even hear Bai Wanqing's advice. She leaned forward and her center of gravity sank.
At this point, what does an idol image matter? She's determined to teach this serious guy a lesson. She's practiced street dance mostly floor work, and her legs aren't made of dough...
Before she could finish her thought, Li Li suddenly noticed that the scenery around her was slowly moving backward.
Um? !
She didn't move at all!
The ground was damp and soft after the rain, and Li Li's feet sank deep into the mud. Zhao Xiaohe pushed her back ten meters away.
Li Li: ? ? ?
An eerie silence fell over the surroundings.
In the end, only one villager looked at the two newly plowed furrows on the ground and muttered to himself:
"It's so convenient... The land was just turned over the day before yesterday, so there's no need to plow it again."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com