`Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Shi Yin didn’t put the speaker on, but everyone knew that in an extremely quiet environment, even the earpiece’s sound would become unusually “loud.”

Moreover, Wen Jinhe, in full battle mode, didn’t hold back her voice at all.

At this moment, it was so quiet in the car that one could hear a pin drop. Only Zhou Yunfeng kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead, while Luo Wensheng in the passenger seat, though holding a tablet with a serious expression as if handling official business, from Shi Yin’s angled glance, hadn’t scrolled his screen even once for a long time. Clearly, his attention was on the phone conversation behind him.

The “most extreme” was Li Xuan. He supported his chin with one hand, looking at her calmly, listening openly and straightforwardly.

Too awkward.

Shi Yin’s toes instinctively tightened, slowly curling as if trying to dig out a small room.

On the other end of the phone, Wen Jinhe continued enumerating ridiculous online rumors one by one.

Shi Yin wanted to quietly turn the volume down two notches, her fingers already reaching for the side button, but she paused—what had she done wrong? These fabricated smears were thrown by others; why should she feel guilty? Why should she feel embarrassed?

The ones who should feel guilty were the trolls spreading rumors!

Thinking this, she suddenly found the courage to throw caution to the wind. She silently mouthed a question to Li Xuan sitting beside her: “Is it too loud?”

Li Xuan shook his head slightly.

Receiving his “silent approval,” Shi Yin squared her resolve and brazenly pressed the speaker button.

Let them listen. As long as she wasn’t embarrassed, the embarrassed ones would be others.

“Ahem!” She cleared her throat, interrupting Wen Jinhe’s recital. “Uh… Wen Jie, these exposures are ridiculously fake. How should I clarify? Should I post an official Weibo statement, or just show my student ID or transcript to slap them in the face?”

Wen Jinhe paused for a moment. When she spoke again, her tone was calm as if she had weathered countless storms: “No, you don’t post anything.”

“Why?” Shi Yin asked in confusion. “Shouldn’t we just let the rumors ferment?”

“In my experience, these little black rumors are just an appetizer. The other side definitely has a backup plan.” Wen Jinhe’s tone carried the sharp insight of someone familiar with schemes. “A formal team has to be meticulous with statements, fearing netizens’ scrutiny. If you, a free agent, step out to clarify, and even one sentence isn’t perfect, it’s precise landmines, jumping straight into the pit they dug for you. By then, climbing out will be impossible.”

“Then we can’t just sit and do nothing, right?”

“Who said we’re doing nothing?” Wen Jinhe snorted lightly. “We’re just washing it clean in another way.”

Shi Yin whispered, “…I’m already clean.”

“Fine, fine, you’re clean, the cleanest.” Wen Jinhe first chuckled, then shifted her tone: “Actually, since Chen Xiang went viral, the interviews and variety shows have never stopped. I’ve been keeping them off you. But now, this situation… there’s a variety show that suits you perfectly.”

“Variety show?” Shi Yin blinked, almost instinctively rejecting the idea. “No, Wen Jie, I just want to focus on acting. I don’t want to be so close to the audience, nor let them know my private life. They should remember the roles I play, and like the ‘me’ on screen.”

“And…” she said helplessly, “I’m actually a pretty boring person. I don’t have variety show talent.”

Shi Yin’s past life was so simple it was almost monotonous—just acting and school. Only in the past six months had she spent time playing with Prince. She excelled at becoming anyone in front of the camera, but was not skilled at ‘performing’ herself.

“You’re right. This is part of my long-term plan for you: focus on your work, maintain mystery, reduce unnecessary exposure.” Wen Jinhe affirmed her thoughts. “Frequent appearances on variety shows do consume an actor’s sense of conviction and make the audience break immersion.”

“Then why…”

“Don’t rush, listen to me first,” Wen Jinhe interrupted, guiding her. “Have you heard of Sleepless Night?”

“Yes, the new competitive reasoning variety show on Seagull TV last year? Each episode arranges an undercover role, right?”

“Correct. Season two is airing now, very popular. The new rules integrate real-life Werewolf mechanics. The key point is—” Wen Jinhe deliberately paused and emphasized, “Each guest draws a role card and identity card before starting, with a full story background and character setting. They cannot go OOC (out of character) at any point. So, just treat it as a scene requiring improvisation, and you’ll be a guest actor for an episode.”

Wen Jinhe smiled lightly. “I’ll send the info to your phone. Just acting should not be too hard for you, right?”

Shi Yin still had doubts: “But what does this have to do with clearing the rumors?”

“It has a lot to do with it.” Wen Jinhe said decisively. “Guests on Sleepless Night are a ‘tripartite alliance,’ from three sources: regular variety stars and mood-setters, responsible for comedy and control; reasoning experts and Werewolf masters, IQ-heavy, responsible for carrying the episode—producers love recruiting from top universities; finally, popular celebrities like you, responsible for attracting the audience and generating topics.”

Shi Yin began to guess her intention: “You want me to participate… as a university player?”

“Smart!” Wen Jinhe praised. “Seagull TV strictly vets the education of university guests. Right now, it’s your time to ride Chen Xiang’s wave. Since they’re sending you a ‘hopeless illiterate’ smear, we can use this top-level reasoning stage to receive it gracefully and flip it into attention, more effective than a thousand statements.”

Okay, Shi Yin was convinced.

This was indeed a risky move, but also a move that could directly checkmate.

“Oh, by the way,” Wen Jinhe seemed to suddenly remember something, “remember to catch up on classes these two days. I don’t expect you to carry the whole episode, but don’t mess up either. Keep a medium level. You’re here to ‘wash your name,’ not reinforce the ‘illiterate’ label!”

“And the most important thing,” she added anxiously, “this show is role-playing, with costume requirements. Go buy two decent outfits quickly. Don’t wear jeans. Chen Xiang’s pay should have arrived, right?”

Shi Yin looked down at her eternally unchanged jeans: “…Okay.”

If Wen Jinhe hadn’t said anything, she really would have gone like this—after all, there was no clothing sponsorship right now.

Shi Yin’s phone call had lasted a while, and Prince, who had been quietly lying at her feet, began to show displeasure at the continued neglect. First, he let out a low, pitiful whine. Seeing Shi Yin didn’t react, he lifted his furry front paws and gently pawed at her pant leg.

Wen Jinhe’s sharp ears picked up the sound: “What’s that noise? Who’s making dog noises over there?”

Shi Yin looked down at the large “source of interference” by her feet and answered honestly: “It’s not anyone… it’s really a dog…”

As if to confirm her words, Prince barked “Woof!” again at just the right moment, louder than before and with a bit of attitude.

“Shh! Prince, quiet.” Shi Yin quickly put her finger to her lips, signaling him to be silent.

However, the clever border collie misunderstood the gesture, thinking Shi Yin was finally going to play with him. Excited, he lifted his head to nuzzle, twisting his whole body with boundless energy, almost impossible to restrain.

As Shi Yin struggled, a hand with clearly defined bones reached over.

Li Xuan didn’t even change his sitting posture. Using his thumb and forefinger like a little clamp, he pinched Prince’s long muzzle up and down, closing the mouth that was about to bark again, leaving no room for refusal.

Prince: “…Whine.”

All sound stopped abruptly, leaving only a pair of round, innocent eyes blinking, full of confusion and grievance.

“A dog? Where did a dog come from?” Wen Jinhe’s suspicion deepened. “Weren’t you on the way back to the hotel?”

Shi Yin quickly petted Prince’s slightly ruffled head with her free hand, maintaining a calm face as she lied to the microphone: “Ah… just ran into it on the way, looked cute, played with it for a bit.”

“On the way? You still dare to play with dogs by the roadside? Where’s Tian Tian? Wasn’t she with you?” Wen Jinhe’s tone immediately carried the alertness of a manager.

“Wen Jie, the car I called is here. Signal’s bad, I’ll talk to you at the hotel!” Shi Yin found an excuse and quickly said goodbye.

After hanging up, the car returned to silence.

After a moment, Li Xuan spoke in his characteristic tone, emotionless: “Your work… has always been this dangerous?”

Shi Yin turned her head, noticing he was looking at her, and hurried to explain: “Not really, it’s just that recently ‘Reverse Scale’ is airing. More people are paying attention, so there are bound to be some disturbances. Once this wave passes, it’ll be fine.”

Li Xuan didn’t comment, only lowering his eyelids, his long fingers lightly tapping the blanket: “Yunfeng knows quite a few retired female soldiers. Their skills and backgrounds are reliable. If you need, he can help you select one or two.”

Shi Yin was slightly startled, quickly weighing in her mind. Although she herself knew Sanda and Wing Chun, the protection system given to her had an unverifiable source. Having an extra layer of security was always better, and she could afford the salary for a bodyguard.

“Okay,” she nodded, looking toward the driver’s seat. “Then please, Feng Ge, keep an eye out for me.”

“No problem.” Zhou Yunfeng replied steadily.

The topic paused, but Shi Yin’s thoughts drifted to side tasks. She secretly glanced at Li Xuan’s head, noticing the [Favorability +3], leaving her somewhat helpless. She should have reached +5 before pushing the broadcast of ‘Reverse Scale,’ but Li Xuan had helped her achieve it at +3, leaving her stuck now.

She needed to do something.

She looked out the window, identified the route, and said: “Feng Ge, when we pass my hotel, can we stop for a bit? I need to grab something.”

The car smoothly stopped at the hotel entrance. Shi Yin quickly ran upstairs and soon returned holding a paper bag. As soon as she sat down, she turned to the pair of amber eyes watching her intently: “Ta-da~ Little Prince, this is your New Year gift!”

She pulled out a pile of colorful fabric, shaped somewhat like two sleeves connected by a strap.

Shi Yin had bought knee protectors for Prince, designed to fit canine ergonomics perfectly. Border collies often wear down their front elbows, and the thick padding of these protectors would shield his elbows. Excited, she displayed them: “Look, which one do you like?”

Shi Yin picked several patterns suitable for boys: mesh, floral, polka dot… laying them on the seat for Prince to choose.

Prince tilted his head, sniffed lightly, and carefully chose one… a black-and-white maid-style knee protector.

Shi Yin picked it up and was instantly speechless: “…” This seemed to be a free gift from the store; she had forgotten to take it out!

Perhaps the other designs were too flashy, and in the border collie’s eyes, they weren’t appealing. The simple black-and-white one looked better?

“Ahem,” Shi Yin scratched her cheek awkwardly, trying to shift focus. She turned to the silent man beside her: “Oh, I also got a gift for you.”

Li Xuan, who was watching Prince excitedly try to wear the “maid sleeves,” lifted his eyes slightly, gaze falling on her face: “What is it?”

Shi Yin took a brand-new black thermos from the bag and handed it over, explaining: “I saw the one you used before had a dent at the bottom. I bought the same brand and model for you. You can switch between them. Uh… if you don’t like it, I’ll get you another next time.”

Li Xuan didn’t respond immediately, only reached out his hand, and Shi Yin instinctively placed the cup into his palm.

It was a large black thermos, heavy and substantial in texture. The most special feature was the custom hand-drawn design on the lid: a sleek, simple cartoon eagle soaring with wings spread, exuding an untamed coolness.

Li Xuan traced the outline of the eagle with his fingertip and spoke softly: “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Shi Yin smiled, her eyes curving, “you’ve helped me so much, it’s the least I can do.”

“A very unique gift,” Li Xuan said.

【Favorability +4】

Before Shi Yin could feel surprised, she noticed his gaze quietly sweep over to the still-bulging paper bag by her hand. Casually, he asked: “Anything else?”

Shi Yin’s heart skipped a beat.

She bit her tongue, suddenly afraid to take out the other three thermoses inside the bag—intended for Zhou Yunfeng, Luo Wensheng, and Master Cheng—which were the same brand but without custom designs and in different colors. A strong intuitive warning flashed in her mind: Stop! If Li Xuan realized she had bought them wholesale, the newly gained favorability could instantly drop to zero!

“No!” Shi Yin quickly denied it, hiding the paper bag behind her, forcing a natural smile on her face. “My assistant just slipped me some work documents, haha.”

Li Xuan looked at her deeply, unreadable as ever, but fortunately the +4 favorability didn’t drop.

~

Wen Jinhe’s efficiency was extremely high. On Friday, the “Sleepless Night II” production team sent the selection notification for the university-level contestants to Shi Yin’s email, marking the completion of the educational background verification.

“Sleepless Night II” adopted a “record-and-broadcast” tight schedule—usually recording one week, airing the next. For the episode Shi Yin participated in, due to the delayed schedule of another celebrity guest, the recording cycle was compressed. The weekend recording was just completed, and it would air urgently mid-next week.

On Friday night, the official account promptly released the new preview:

@SleeplessNight Official Weibo V:

The all-new “Shadow Witch Mystery” in Sleepless Night II is arriving with high energy! 8 regular guests are already in position, and 4 flying guests are about to drop in, joining the ultimate test of acting and deduction!

Welcome flying guest @ShiYinYin

She is the “Chen Xiang” in Reverse Scale that people both love and hate, and the cold, intelligent “Lin Yutong” in Saints in the Fog. When the “villainess” actress faces off against the “medium” and “mechanical wolf” in a dark duel, how will she use her extraordinary observational skills and disguise ability to break through?

Also welcoming three old friends returning:

@Singer-Meng Xuan

@Actor-Zhao Feifan

@Comedian-Tang Xiangxiang

New role setup: Medium + Mechanical Wolf

Lies and truth intertwine, trust and betrayal coexist. Who can see through the disguises, and who can deceive everyone?

Next Wednesday 20:00

Seagull Satellite TV + Galaxy Video joint broadcast

#SleeplessNightShadowWitchMystery #ShiYinJoinsSleeplessNight

Fans were overjoyed:

“Wow, little sister’s variety show debut! Looking forward to high-energy performance!”

“Let Chen Xiang play Werewolf? Isn’t it dangerous for her to give the wolf team golden clues?”

“From forensic expert to villainess, now onto a deduction variety show… little sister is committing to her intellectual persona fully?”

Core variety show fans were a bit worried:

“Only 2 high-level players this episode? Not many in the regulars can carry. Feels like a blood-pressure game.”

“Getting worse and worse, just inviting celebrities. Few actually know how to play!”

“Just hope the new guest doesn’t drag behind. I’ll be satisfied if they’re just a tool…”

“The mechanical wolf setup is demanding. Can the new guest keep up?”

Over the weekend, Shi Yin returned to Tan City to record the new episode of Sleepless Night II. She had received the script and schedule in advance. The general flow included: all guests entering, introducing themselves and their character’s story, engaging the audience, then issuing a local culture-themed exploration task. The core Werewolf game section started with drawing identity cards from the iconic “small dark room.”

This episode’s setup was “Medium + Mechanical Wolf.” The good camp consisted of 4 civilians and 4 special roles (Medium, Witch, Hunter, Guard). The Medium functioned as an upgraded prophet, with skills that allowed them to see one guest’s identity card directly in the small dark room. The werewolf camp consisted of 3 ordinary small wolves plus 1 mechanical big wolf. Ordinary small wolves knew each other’s identities and could recognize each other in the game. The mechanical wolf never met the small wolves, staying independent but capable of learning other guests’ skills.

When Shi Yin drew her identity card, the camera keenly captured the slightest raising of her eyebrow.

This subtle facial change was immediately recorded, becoming excellent material for creating suspense during post-production editing.

Author’s note: It’s okay if you don’t understand Werewolf rules; this is mainly a variety show, just watch the performance.

So, can you guess which identity card she drew?