Trending Again – Chapter 6
by Little PandaMom Fans Beg for a Debut
Si Meng had her luggage packed early in the morning and stood outside the villa waiting for Lu Qi. Lu Qi pulled up in a flashy red Ferrari, a massive pair of sunglasses covering half her face, decked head to toe in designer brands. Anyone who didn’t know better would’ve mistaken her for some nouveau riche heiress.
By contrast, Si Meng wore a simple athletic outfit, ERKE1 white sneakers, and a baseball cap scored from Pinxixi2. The most valuable thing on her person was probably her new Xiaomi phone. Si Meng hopped straight into Lu Qi’s sports car.
“Are you going to the set dressed like that?” they said in unison, both simultaneously scorning the other’s taste in fashion.
Lu Qi dropped Si Meng off at the venue and rushed off to discuss the shooting schedule with the director. Her role now was Si Meng’s manager, and per the director’s rules, even managers weren’t told the filming details in advance — let alone allowed to accompany the talent.
Si Meng didn’t mind. She was no rookie, after all. Given how fast the entertainment industry churned through faces, she’d been gone four years — the younger generation probably had no idea who she was anymore.
As Si Meng walked toward the entrance, about to pull out her printed invitation, she spotted a brawny young man ahead of her arguing with the gate guard. He had a buzz cut, a gold chain around his neck, and flip-flops on his feet. The two were locked in a red-faced shouting match, and the guard refused point-blank to let him through.
Si Meng stood to the side, watching the spectacle unfold. She couldn’t help thinking what a dope the guy was — showing up to a show without his invitation, no manager in sight, dressed like that. The guard had taken one look at his outfit and pegged him for a street loafer3.
The guy was out of options. He turned around, spotted Si Meng eating melon4 from the sidelines, and his eyes lit up.
He broke into a cheeky grin. “Hey miss, you’re here for the show too, right? I forgot my invitation. Mind sneaking me in with you? I, Zhang Biliang, thank you in advance!”
Si Meng crossed her arms, not inclined to stick her nose in someone else’s business. She played dumb. “How do I know you’re actually a contestant? What if you’re a bad guy?”
Zhang Biliang scratched his head and hastily dug through his backpack. Eighteen gold kitchen utensils spilled into view, and Si Meng recognized their origin at a glance.
“The gold award from the 18th Food Fashion Competition?”
Zhang Biliang had never met someone who actually knew their stuff. He couldn’t help eyeing her with newfound respect — he’d assumed she was just another celebrity, but turns out she was in the trade. “That’s right! I broke the International S-level Nutritionist’s winning streak. Your bro’s pretty impressive, huh?”
Si Meng’s face went deadpan. She was pretty sure she’d missed that competition because something came up. If she had entered, the outcome wouldn’t have been so certain.
Si Meng was a kitchenware collector herself — she had thousands of sets back abroad. Her interest was piqued. “Let me hold them, and I’ll get you in.”
Zhang Biliang wasn’t the stingy type. He handed them over for her to examine without hesitation. Si Meng hefted one — the weight was wrong. She should’ve known that cheapskate of a competition would never spring for solid gold.
Si Meng lost interest at once. She pulled out her invitation and led Zhang Biliang through the gate. He chattered nonstop the whole way in, while Si Meng wore a vacant expression the entire time. Zhang Biliang found himself staring at her profile, unconsciously swallowing. He’d been too busy showing off his kitchenware to notice — this girl was gorgeous!
Zhang Biliang sighed. Too bad his heart was already taken — he’d long since pledged himself to the account “Foodie Si Xiaomeng.” Otherwise, a girl this pretty would’ve stolen his heart in a heartbeat.
They entered the hotel one after the other. The actual filming at the seaside wouldn’t start until tomorrow, so everyone was relaxed — completely unaware that from the moment they’d stepped through the doors, hidden cameras had been live-streaming. More than a few celebrities’ most awkward moments were already being devoured by eagle-eyed fans.
Weibo＆+999
Leek Street: Hahahaha, as expected of the great Zhang Biliang — even dopier than in his livestreams. Didn’t they say huskies aren’t allowed to become spirits after the founding of the PRC5? [doge]
Doughball: Wow, the Movie Queen herself is so aloof! Can’t wait to see which food influencer gets to share a frame with the Big Iceberg.
Looks Are Justice: Am I the only one who spent the whole time swooning over the girl in the athletic outfit? Pi You6 — I’m absolutely obsessed!
But Bugs Are So Cute: +1. Begging the young lady to debut as center7. I’ve already bent into a mosquito coil8.
Meanwhile—
Si Meng was holed up in her room watching TV when a WeChat friend request from Lin Hanyue popped up. Si Meng hesitated for three seconds, decided she couldn’t afford to slip up, and tapped Accept. “The other person is typing…” appeared at the top immediately — but after waiting forever, not a single message arrived from Lin Hanyue. Si Meng gave up and ignored it.
In the next room, Lin Hanyue was agonizing over how to start the conversation. She’d been the one who’d impulsively blocked Si Meng back then — hadn’t even given her a chance to explain. How could she possibly swallow her pride now? But on second thought, her current role was Si Meng’s employer. She had every right to know what her employee was up to.
Lin Hanyue: That’s right. That’s exactly it. I’m not worrying about Si Meng. I’m simply exercising my employer’s rights.
By the time Lin Hanyue eagerly got ready to message Si Meng, she discovered Si Meng had already gone offline.
Si Meng was clutching a pillow, dead to the world. She slept straight through to eight in the evening. If a staff member hadn’t knocked on her door out of concern, she might have slept until dawn.
Si Meng opened WeChat. Lin Hanyue’s message was from six hours ago.
Si Meng: …
She rushed to reply while eating.
Si Meng: Um, Uncle Wang and I are at home. Focus on filming the show. Don’t worry, I’ll be good and wait for you at home. [well-behaved].jpg
Lin Hanyue: Good. Your salary is doubled while I’m away.
Si Meng saw the message, hugged her phone, and grinned like an idiot. What was she supposed to do when she suddenly didn’t want to work anymore!
The next day, Si Meng was startled awake by knocking. She stumbled to the door, eyes bleary, only then remembering she was already filming a show.
Si Meng rubbed her eyes, looking like a half-asleep bunny. She blurted out, “Good morning,” instantly melting the audience’s hearts. Whose adorable little cutie was this? Could they get a dozen of her?
Si Meng snapped back to reality. “Sorry, I forgot to do my makeup. Just a sec.”
She hurried back to get ready and put on the outfit Lin Hanyue had set aside for her — the clothes Lin Hanyue had bought her on their last outing, which she’d never had the heart to wear. A single piece cost half a month’s salary. Honestly, it suited her quite well — night and day compared to Lu Qi’s taste.
Si Meng was blindfolded and bundled into a car. When they arrived at the destination, she was left with nothing but a phone. The show had invited five groups of guests, randomly paired into teams of two — each team a mix of influencer and celebrity — who would work together to prepare ingredients and survive in the wild.
Si Meng’s clue was to find her matched teammate through the phone’s WiFi signal. If the pair’s chemistry was poor and another team’s streamer found their partner first, they’d be eliminated in the first round.
Si Meng only hoped her matched teammate had a functioning brain and wouldn’t drag her down.
On the other side of things, Lin Hanyue — who’d been taken to the jungle — was thinking the exact same thing. That damn competitive streak!
Footnotes
- ERKE is a Chinese sportswear brand known for affordable, patriotic-tinged activewear.
- A mocking nickname for Pinduoduo, a budget e-commerce platform; replacing 'duoduo' (many) with 'xixi' implies even cheaper, lower-quality goods.
- Northeastern slang for a loafer or petty hooligan who idles around the streets.
- Literally 'eating melon'; Chinese internet slang for spectating drama or gossip as a bystander.
- Internet meme referencing a fictional PRC rule that animals cannot become spirits; huskies ('er ha') are mocked as so derpy they'd qualify.
- A fan-coined nickname blending 'pi' (ruffian/edgy charm) and 'you' (young), suggesting a cool yet youthful appeal.
- To debut as the center position of a group — the most prominent spot. Used figuratively here to mean 'become a star.'
- Internet slang: 'bent' means gay; 'bent into a mosquito coil' is a playful exaggeration meaning completely, irreversibly attracted to the same sex.
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