On the way back, the two were silent.
With nothing to do, Mu Yanxi opened Weibo and patrolled her page.
With the announcement of several short-term endorsements these past few days, her anti-fans had started their business again, making their daily check-ins under her Weibo posts.
Mu Yanxi randomly picked a few to argue with for a while, not forgetting to sneak a peek at Yi Wulan beside her out of the corner of her eye. When she saw that the other woman was resting with her eyes closed, she breathed a small sigh of relief.
Actually, Mu Yanxi didn’t know if Yi Wulan had paid attention to her Weibo when she was handling matters for her before.
Although she was unmatched in taking on anti-fans online, for some reason, she just didn’t want Yi Wulan to know about the other side of her, the side with those nasty little tempers.
Mu Yanxi mulled it over and over, getting caught up in a small dilemma, even losing her enthusiasm for fighting with the anti-fans.
Perhaps Mu Yanxi’s conflicted glances were too intense, as the resting Yi Wulan finally opened her eyes and asked doubtfully, “What’s wrong?”
Caught in the act, Mu Yanxi couldn’t look away in time and quickly averted her gaze.
The driver today had been a bodyguard for the Yi family for many years. He had been in charge of Yi Wulan’s safety even before she took power, and he wasn’t as reserved as the other bodyguards:
“Miss, Miss Mu has been watching you this whole time. She even adjusted the air conditioning several times, afraid you’d catch a cold while you slept.”
Exposed, Mu Yanxi took only two seconds to compose herself and said calmly, “I’m the one with a weak constitution who’s afraid of the cold.”
Yi Wulan clearly hadn’t expected this strong-willed little ancestor to one day admit she had a weak constitution.
She sized Mu Yanxi up with great interest but didn’t expose her, merely acknowledging her with a sound.
Mu Yanxi quickly turned her head back and fixed her gaze out the window.
Even though the sun was high in the sky, their car was the only one on the suburban road, and there was hardly anyone in sight.
Her eyes were uncomfortable from looking at her phone for too long. Mu Yanxi blew a breath onto the car window, and the temperature difference between the inside and outside quickly caused fog to appear on the glass.
She slowly drew nameless shapes on it, suddenly thinking it wouldn’t be so bad if the car could just keep driving like this forever.
She was quite satisfied with her current life.
However, this leisureliness soon turned into a bit of awkwardness.
Just as they left the mountain road, a skidding car appeared at the intersection. In just a few seconds, the driver made a sharp turn to avoid it. At the same time, the force of the car’s momentum threw Mu Yanxi towards Yi Wulan.
Half of Mu Yanxi’s body was unexpectedly pressed against the left side of Yi Wulan’s chest, and she froze.
They both lifted their heads at the same time, their gazes meeting.
So close. Yi Wulan’s hair brushed lightly against her cheek, so close she could feel every breath Yi Wulan took.
Yi Wulan’s eyelashes were slightly lowered. Her pupils were very dark, and when those peach blossom eyes focused on someone, her usual coldness would dissipate, always giving the illusion of deep affection.
Yi Wulan was already leaning against the leather seat with no room to move, but Mu Yanxi, as if possessed, also forgot to pull away.
Thump, thump.
The only sound left in Mu Yanxi’s world was her own heartbeat.
It was common to encounter reckless non-motorized vehicles in the suburbs. Just as Mu Yanxi’s gaze shifted downward, the driver made another small, emergency swerve.
Mu Yanxi’s body swayed, and she hurriedly grabbed the armrest on Yi Wulan’s side, holding their positions firmly.
“Miss, Miss Mu, are you two alright?” The driver glanced at the back row through the rearview mirror and saw Mu Yanxi leaning against his Miss, looking like she was experiencing the first stirrings of love.
The tips of her ears were bright red.
The driver tactfully shut his mouth at once and even thoughtfully raised the partition between the front and back seats.
But he didn’t seem to notice how loud his voice was.
No matter how ambiguous the scene, his voice shattered it, leaving only a terrified Mu Yanxi, whose soul had practically flown out of her body.
Her mind went blank.
Yi Wulan didn’t understand why Mu Yanxi was embarrassed. As she saw it, it was normal for the driver to raise the partition; she would do the same when she occasionally made calls or had video conferences in the car.
But Mu Yanxi remained leaning on her without moving, which instead made Yi Wulan think she had been hurt somewhere. “Did you get hit?”
Mu Yanxi was dazed as Yi Wulan pulled her up to check her over. After her arms were lifted like a puppet’s a couple of times, the mortified Mu Yanxi completely regained her senses.
She stared at the hand Yi Wulan was using to hold her wrist and said faintly, “I’m fine.”
Yi Wulan thought of Mu Yanxi’s history of getting sick at the drop of a hat and naturally didn’t believe her. “Are you sure you weren’t hit? You were thrown over just now.”
Mu Yanxi was speechless.
Did she really have to emphasize what just happened?
With the petty thought that she couldn’t be the only one embarrassed, Mu Yanxi buried her head in the crook of Yi Wulan’s neck, her voice tinged with a faint teasing tone due to Yi Wulan’s concern. “Yi Wulan, if you want to touch me, just say so. Why do you always find an excuse?”
Yi Wulan’s hand, which was lifting Mu Yanxi’s arm, paused, and she quickly let go of Mu Yanxi’s hand.
Mu Yanxi’s now-free hand gently rested on Yi Wulan’s chest, slightly high up, where she could feel Yi Wulan’s heartbeat without being offensive.
Then, she looked up at Yi Wulan, her clear, bright fox eyes filled with amusement. “Yi Wulan, your heart is beating so fast.”
Yi Wulan was speechless.
Yi Wulan spoke with great composure, “Because you’re crushing me, and I can’t breathe.”
Mu Yanxi’s eyes widened in anger. Unwilling to give up, she took a deep breath and asked, “Is that the only reason?”
Yi Wulan nodded. “It’s normal for one’s heart rate to increase when a person’s weight is pressed on them.”
It was just that when Mu Yanxi was thrown over by the sharp turn, the familiar sweet fragrance that came with her had sent a numbing sensation through her entire body.
She tried to push Mu Yanxi off her.
But Mu Yanxi was holding on too tightly. The moment Yi Wulan moved, Mu Yanxi would hold on even tighter, as if on high alert.
Perhaps Yi Wulan’s action completely triggered Mu Yanxi’s rebellious streak. Mu Yanxi clung to her, looking her up and down with a meaningful gaze.
“Yi Wulan, have you forgotten what you said in front of my parents about taking good care of me?”
Yi Wulan froze, only then remembering their conversation at the cemetery. She said obscurely, “…I haven’t forgotten.”
Mu Yanxi raised an eyebrow and simply pressed her upper body against her, her arms wrapping around Yi Wulan’s neck as if they were boneless, and whispered close to her ear:
“I’m aching all over from the impact just now, so what’s wrong with you letting me lean on you for a bit?”
After saying that, she very considerately nuzzled the side of Yi Wulan’s cheek with the tip of her nose. The warm breath lingered between them as she added in a low, meaningful voice, “After all, you’re the only person in this world my parents approved of.”
Yi Wulan’s body stiffened, but she didn’t push her away again, only saying in a cold voice, “Then don’t move around.”
“Mm.”
Having successfully teased Yi Wulan, Mu Yanxi was extremely satisfied with her completely stiff reaction. She had finally gotten revenge for her own reddened ears and felt at ease.
A soothing female voice sang from the car stereo, adding a touch of sentiment to the quiet journey.
In this atmosphere, Mu Yanxi couldn’t help but want to turn her head to look at Yi Wulan. Just as she was about to ask what kind of music Yi Wulan usually liked, the driver in the front, who was usually very steady, slammed on the brakes again.
“What’s wrong?”
The driver got out of the car and said hurriedly, “Miss, Miss Mu, someone is drowning in the river next to us, I…”
Before the driver could finish, Mu Yanxi pushed open the door almost without thinking. “Someone’s drowning?”
Many people went on wild excursions in the summer, and the news was full of drowning victims, each one a precious life. Moreover, the suburbs were deserted, which could easily lead to tragedy.
The driver quickly followed Yi Wulan’s instructions and chased after her. “Miss Mu, it’s dangerous!”
After getting out of the car, Mu Yanxi immediately scanned her surroundings and found that apart from towering trees, there were no other means of rescue available.
Rescue time for a drowning person was a race against the clock, literally snatching time from the grim reaper. There was no time to wait for a call to the fire department.
The closer they got to the river, the clearer the cries for help became. The drowning victims were a boy and a girl, two half-grown children.
If they had been adults, Mu Yanxi might have considered her own physical strength, but upon seeing the two children in the river, she didn’t hesitate for a moment. She reached the riverbank, kicked off her high heels, and jumped in.
The driver, who had been a bodyguard for many years, saw this and quickly jumped in after her. He soon caught up to Mu Yanxi, emphasizing as he swam:
“Miss Mu, I used to be in the special forces and have rescued people from the water before. Just leave it to me in a moment.”
Mu Yanxi didn’t try to be a hero, but she still stressed, “Let’s each save one first. I won’t push myself if I run out of strength.”
The driver originally wanted to say more, but in just a few seconds, the cries for help from the middle of the river had grown much fainter, a sign that they were about to go under.
The situation was extremely urgent.
If they delayed for a few more minutes, both children might drown.
The driver didn’t argue further. Lives were at stake, and there was no room for delay. He cooperated with Mu Yanxi in the rescue.
As she swam closer, Mu Yanxi realized that the life-saving equipment the little boy was wearing had sprung a leak, and the little girl next to him was exhausted from trying to save him.
“Save us! Elder Sister!” The little girl’s face was also extremely pale. If they hadn’t happened to stop by the roadside, this drowning accident might have gone completely unnoticed.
Mu Yanxi reached out her hand to her. “Don’t cry, little sister, Elder Sister is here.”
Mu Yanxi had only ever swum in pools and specially designated beach areas before and didn’t have much experience. Fortunately, when she lent her strength to the little girl, the girl started to swim on her own, which made her breathe a small sigh of relief.
“Hold on tight to Elder Sister. It’s okay now, Elder Sister will take you back.” Mu Yanxi carefully supported the little girl and swam towards the shore.
At the same time, the driver had already grabbed the little boy, who was nearly unconscious. The boy couldn’t swim, and the situation was clearly much more difficult, as he was relying almost entirely on the driver for support.
It took them some time, but fortunately, they successfully rescued the two children who had been playing in the water.
After being rescued, the little girl who had survived the ordeal finally couldn’t help but cry. Mu Yanxi quickly wiped the girl’s face with her hand and asked, “Where are your parents? Do you want Elder Sister to help you make a call?”
The little girl couldn’t control her tears and nodded gratefully at Mu Yanxi. “Th-thank you, Elder Sister. M-mom and Dad are at w-work.”
Mu Yanxi had intended to take them home, but the few minutes of rescue had already attracted nearby villagers, who came running over in twos and threes.
Seeing this, Mu Yanxi didn’t linger. She quickly called out to the driver, picked up her high heels, and ran back towards the car. “More and more people are coming. Let’s go.”
If she were photographed in her current soaked state, although it wouldn’t be indecent, it would be enough to give her manager a headache.
She had finally had a few peaceful days. For the sake of her manager’s hair, she should probably be a little more careful.
The wind by the river brought a chill. By the time a soaked Mu Yanxi returned to the car, she was met with a pair of worried eyes.
She hadn’t thought too much about it when she was saving the person, but now, facing Yi Wulan, a trace of guilt inexplicably rose in her heart.
“I…”
“Shut up.” Yi Wulan’s face was pale, and a hint of anger was hidden between her brows. “Mu Yanxi, who told you to rush out like that?”
Her voice was a bit hoarse, clearly from shouting for her when she had rushed out, which had strained her throat.
“Don’t you know your own limits? You just rushed over like that? Have you ever swum in the wild in your entire life? Drowning people have a lot of strength. What if you were dragged down?”
Mu Yanxi lowered her head to listen to the lecture, then tugged at the collar of her soaked shirt. The sticky feeling made her extremely uncomfortable.
Yi Wulan’s gaze fell on Mu Yanxi, and deep, complex emotions swirled in her eyes.
Mu Yanxi was already beautiful, and now her hair was dripping wet. Water droplets occasionally rolled down her face, slid across her slender neck, and finally disappeared into her collar.
Paired with her slightly pale face, she looked like a fragile and beautiful porcelain doll.
The driver finally found a few blankets and towels in the trunk. Mu Yanxi handed one to him.
The partition between the front and back seats was still up. It hadn’t seemed like anything before, but now the spacious back seat suddenly felt cramped.
Coupled with Yi Wulan’s still-somber face, the air seemed to stagnate, making it slightly difficult to breathe.
Mu Yanxi looked at Yi Wulan cautiously. “I…”
As soon as the word left her mouth, Yi Wulan unfolded a blanket and roughly draped it over Mu Yanxi’s head, rubbing it vigorously a few times. “Dry yourself.”
“It’s almost dry already,” Mu Yanxi muttered in protest after taking it, but she shut her mouth under Yi Wulan’s gaze and began to carefully wipe herself through her clothes.
Fortunately, the summer temperature was high to begin with. By the time Mu Yanxi got back in the car, her clothes were already half-dry. After a few minutes of wiping and with the air conditioning on, the wet clothes were no longer so unbearable.
The driver in the front had already started the car and was continuing on the way home.
Mu Yanxi scooted closer to Yi Wulan and opened her arms to give her a tentative hug. “I made you worry this time, but I assessed my abilities before I went to save them. I won’t be reckless, I promise.”
Yi Wulan’s lips were tightly pressed together, but she didn’t push her away.
“You were the one who told the driver to come help me, right?” Mu Yanxi rubbed her chin against Yi Wulan’s shoulder. “Thank you.”
“I don’t object to you saving people, just be more careful.” Yi Wulan finally reached out and patted Mu Yanxi’s back. “After all…”
Yi Wulan looked down at her own legs and didn’t continue.
The image of watching Mu Yanxi jump into the river flashed through her mind. Her heart suddenly felt as if it were being squeezed by a large hand, and an unknown fear almost made her unable to breathe.
Just then, a hand suddenly reached out and grasped Yi Wulan’s wrist. “I know, I know. I still have to supervise your treatment. Don’t think I’ve forgotten.”
Mu Yanxi’s voice brought Yi Wulan back to her senses. She looked at the unharmed person before her and let out an imperceptible sigh of relief.
Mu Yanxi would occasionally look up at her, then immediately lower her head again, looking very hesitant.
She was afraid Yi Wulan was still angry. Hesitantly, she raised her head, met Yi Wulan’s eyes, and began to act cute in a small voice. “Actually, I was super scared just now. If only you were there.”
Yi Wulan’s originally stern expression faltered and gradually softened.
“So you have to work hard to get better, then you can be with me in the future, okay?”
In the blink of an eye, it was the end of August, and her manager had booked a new variety show for Mu Yanxi.
《Secret Room Rush Rush Rush》 was a major production by Blue Whale Entertainment, aiming to boost its KPI for the second half of the year. It was a puzzle-solving, escape room-style show that catered to the current generation’s love for puzzles and adventure.
On the night the permanent guests were confirmed, the official Weibo account of 《Secret Room Rush Rush Rush》 announced the news and tagged all the guests.
Mu Yanxi briefly scanned the list of invited guests. They were all artists who had recently gained some fame in the entertainment industry. In comparison, her ability to get on this show as an eighteenth-tier celebrity was all thanks to the wave of popularity Rongjia had given her before.
Looking through the list, she saw there was another artist who, like her, had no real achievements to their name: Jiang Tong, the fake rich second-generation that Bai Yu’an had mentioned some time ago.
Even her manager, upon seeing this name, specifically told Mu Yanxi to try to keep her distance during the recording.
She was genuinely worried that her little ancestor would offend the rich second-generation during the variety show recording.
Mu Yanxi vaguely placated her manager and then reposted the official announcement from 《Secret Room Rush Rush Rush》.
Mu Yanxi’s Weibo had been full of commercial ads recently. After nearly a month, she finally posted about actual work, and the comment section was quickly flooded:
【Yo, you’re finally not posting an ad today? So you do know you have to work, huh?】
【Is this really you? How come there are no mistakes in the caption this time? Did your manager post it?】
【Did the little vase run out of money from endorsements, so she’s starting to record shows to earn money?】
【Has anyone dug up her schedule? Hasn’t she been out of a film crew for several months? A little vase indeed.】
【Don’t think you have public appeal just because you went viral once. You need to be down-to-earth, you know?】
Mu Yanxi casually scrolled through, saw the familiar IDs of her anti-fans, and replied to one to prove she was the one posting: 【Just because you can bark loudly doesn’t mean you don’t need a leash. I told you to get lost from my happy internet, did you hear me?】
《Secret Room Rush Rush Rush》 was not the first escape room variety show in the country. After the success of 《Let’s Escape the Secret Room》 last year, similar shows popped up one after another.
Since its biggest rival, 《Let’s Escape the Secret Room》, had just announced the return of last year’s original cast to much acclaim from old fans, 《Secret Room Rush Rush Rush》 went all out with its marketing on the day of its announcement, shooting straight to the top of the hot search rankings.
The announced artists also followed suit, buying various hot searches to try and maximize the night’s popularity.
In just ten minutes, half of the top hot search spots were taken over, attracting passersby who had never even heard of the show.
Each artist’s fans were also working hard to control the comments, especially Jiang Tong’s page, which was the most active. It was hard to tell if they were real fans or paid water-army accounts:
【Newcomer Xiao Jiang reporting for duty, I ask all seniors for your guidance.】
【Wuwuwu, our baby is really participating in an escape room for us! You’re the best, gege!】
【Hahaha, Jiang Jiang has played so many escape rooms, it feels like a max-level boss returning to the novice village.】
【If our young master can’t pass an escape room, that escape room will be bought by our young master the next day (doge)】
【Aiya, with Jiang Jiang participating in a variety show, does he even have time to spend money? The fashion shows must be crying their eyes out, right?】
【A true tall, rich, and handsome! Love it, love it!】
This wave of comment control was remarkably effective, not only accumulating a large number of new fangirls for Jiang Tong but also attracting a lot of goodwill from passersby.
Jiang Tong looked at himself high on the hot search list with satisfaction and casually clicked to browse his page, feeling quite pleased with himself.
Furthermore, the other artists on this variety show were either newcomers or has-beens. In comparison, the others posed no competition at all.
However, Jiang Tong’s smugness didn’t last long before he received a call from his manager. “Xiao Jiang, our hot search has been suppressed by someone. Do we need to spend more money on it?”
The manager’s voice was a bit strange, as if he was hesitating to say something.
Jiang Tong sensed something was off. Since he was on the phone, he didn’t check the hot search. “What’s wrong? Not enough money? Do I look like I’m short on cash?”
When he was with the Jiang family, he was never valued because of his birth, but after entering the entertainment industry, he got whatever he wanted. This was the first time he had been outdone in anything, and a bit of resentment rose in his heart.
The manager said in a low voice, “It’s an eighteenth-tier starlet, seems like she’s also going to be on the show with you. What’s her name… Mu Yanxi?”
Hearing this, Jiang Tong’s hand paused slightly. “Mu Yanxi? The one who had dating rumors with Yi Jingming before?”
The manager finally remembered. “Yes, that’s her. I don’t know what kind of luck she’s had.”
“What’s the big deal? Just suppress her topic,” Jiang Tong said faintly, recalling how Yi Jingming had been inexplicably used by this starlet for clout.
He had recently connected with people from the Yi family. Since they were on the same side, suppressing Mu Yanxi a little would be a way to show his sincerity in their cooperation.
The manager opened his mouth and said with difficulty in a small voice, “Well, I’ll… I’ll do my best.”
Jiang Tong grew impatient. “What do you mean, do your best? I gave you so much money, and you can’t even handle something this simple?”
After hanging up, Jiang Tong opened the hot search list and finally understood his manager’s predicament.
Mu Yanxi, who hadn’t even made it onto the hot search during the official announcement, had suddenly surpassed his topic and was hanging high at number three.
#MuYanxiMostBeautifulRescueMoment# Such a positive hot search topic left Jiang Tong completely stunned.
Then he looked at his own topic, ranked fourth on the hot search: #JiangTongFastestEscaper#
Jiang Tong was speechless.
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