Chapter 27

Shi Jian: There’s a deal this good?

No way she was going to let it pass!

A female celebrity would never back down from this kind of PK invitation—unless it involved death or was terrifying.

Later, Shi Jian realized that just typing "p" wasn’t enough to start it. She had to scroll to the bottom of the notification and choose either [Yes] or [No].

“I’ll be back soon, don’t worry.” Shi Jian waved to Tang Tian. She couldn’t wait to go earn funds for her little dress and shoes!

Was this even an instance? This was more like a dress falling straight from the sky.

PK streams had a time limit. For low-level streamers, the PK would last no more than a day—much shorter compared to the time spent in standard instances.

Tang Tian didn’t stop Shi Jian. They were all adults and responsible for their own decisions.

Of course, Tang Tian really hoped Shi Jian would win.

...

“PK comes with risks. Please accept carefully. Are you ready? A flood of popularity and points awaits you ahead…”

As soon as Shi Jian confirmed the start, a familiar wave of dizziness hit. When she opened her eyes again, her surroundings had already changed.

She had entered the PK instance.

Shi Jian immediately looked around. The setup looked somewhat familiar—like a backstage area for the performing arts. She saw a large number of stage costumes piled messily on metal racks, some even scattered on the floor. In front of her was a large makeup mirror.

Shi Jian naturally admired her reflection.

Mm, nothing wrong here—another day of being stunning.

She continued to observe. The venue looked a bit rundown. The wall paint was peeling, and the yellowed air conditioner was letting out a feeble “wuuuuu,” like an old man gasping his last breath—about to break at any moment.

What kind of backstage venue was this? Had she lucked out and drawn something related to her own profession?

Many thoughts flashed through Shi Jian’s mind, but soon she found the answer—a card lay at her feet.

There was no one else in the room, so Shi Jian temporarily treated it like a task card from a variety show. Honestly, that mindset wasn’t wrong—variety shows had cameras pointed at Shi Jian; now, the cameras were just invisible.

Thinking that, the tension in her heart eased. She smiled slightly toward the void on instinct.

Engaging with the “audience.”

“I picked this up. It should be the storyline summary and my job info, right? Let’s take a look.”

Most people would feel awkward talking to thin air, but not Shi Jian—she could flirt in front of dozens of cameras without blinking. Awkwardness wasn’t in her vocabulary.

...

As it turned out, Shi Jian’s instincts were correct. From the moment the PK stream started, tens of thousands of viewers had already swarmed in.

Most of them were instantly drawn in by Shi Jian’s looks.

【Wow, this streamer is gorgeous!】

【So so so beautiful. With a face like that, how could life possibly have any problems?】

【I was just bored and looking for some excitement, wanted to check out a PK… and then I saw my destined wife. Wifey, wifey, I love you! Let’s be together forever!】【I really hate the current internet vibe. As soon as they see a pretty girl, they can't stop shouting “wife” like they're so close or something... Clearly, the streamer is my wife.】

【I know this beauty! Ahhh, I watched her game instance livestream! My friend strongly recommended her to me. (panicking, flailing jpg)】

Of course, alongside the enthusiastic viewers, there were also mocking and sarcastic ones.

【Pretty and useless, right?】

【I only tip streamers based on skill.】

【Yeah, she’s good-looking, but she’ll be crying soon enough—off to be someone else’s servant. Heh... Seen plenty who thought they were the lucky ones just because they were playing for points. In the end, they all lost miserably.】

【Maybe she never planned to win. Just came to leech off a high-point streamer? If you know, you know.】

A bunch of vulgar comments followed, but were quickly reported and rebutted by some viewers who couldn’t stand it.

Still, when Shi Jian began her invisible interaction with the audience, many in the stream were pleasantly surprised.

She’s so good at this! Is this pretty jiejie (or meimei) smiling at me?

Although streamers knew they were broadcasting, various factors—like not being able to see the chat, or the environment being too intense—often made it hard to engage. Real-time interaction like this, done naturally, was rare.

Only a few well-known high-tier streamers could pull it off naturally. But this low-tier streamer had done it.

Shi Jian—both a low-tier streamer and a trending celebrity—was now reading the words on the card aloud.

Her voice was just as pleasant—clear and crisp. “You are the assistant to a Z-list stage actress.”

Shi Jian was puzzled inside: Huh? Not the actress herself?

“You’re about to start an ordinary yet dangerous day. Your goal is to work hard and not get fired. Otherwise, you’ll unlock endings like having no salary, not being able to afford food, getting evicted by the landlord, and dying homeless on the streets.”

Shi Jian looked up from the card. As someone who had survived a week in Rose Castle, she felt the need to clarify, to avoid misleading the audience.

“That won’t happen. It’s talking nonsense. PK only lasts one day. You can survive 21 days without food if you just drink water.”

“As for dying from sleeping on the streets with no home—so what if I don’t have one? Can’t I just find a 24-hour store and stay the night there? This place should be a workplace anyway. I can make do here.”

“If it gets really bad, can’t I just use BorrowMePay or something?”

Livestream audience: ? She makes too much sense! Why does she sound so serious, like she can actually use that stuff? She’s too cute!

Shi Jian was a stunning, charming beauty. At first, everyone was calling her “wife,” but after hearing her say all that, some quickly switched to calling her “baby” or “daughter.”

Then Shi Jian noticed that the text on the card had actually changed.

Yes, just after she finished speaking, her current identity—【Assistant to a Z-list stage actress】—was magically crossed out and replaced with 【A Contrarian Troll】.

Put together, it now read: “You are a contrarian troll…”

Shi Jian: ????

Wait, now it changes text? It’s that humanized?

Also, who are you calling a troll?

If not for the fact that she was currently streaming, Shi Jian would’ve definitely flipped out. For now, she chose to act like nothing happened and quietly folded the card.

But some sharp-eyed viewers had already noticed her move.Quick, tell Us—what changed on the card?!

...

Before agreeing to the PK, Shi Jian had already learned that no other streamers would appear in the instance. That meant all other characters were NPCs.

Not long after, a woman entered the room. Her looks were above average, but she had a sharp and mean expression.

The moment she came in, she started bossing Shi Jian around without hesitation.

“Xiao Shi, get me a coffee from Z Café—hand-ground, piping hot… Get it ready quickly, and make sure it’s exactly how I want it, or I’ll fire you!”

After saying that, she pulled out her phone and started chatting away on a call, in a tone totally opposite to how she spoke to Shi Jian—sickly sweet and coy.

Shi Jian understood—this was the Z-list stage actress, her direct boss.

Both Shi Jian and the livestream audience knew that if she didn’t want to be fired in this instance, she had to keep the actress satisfied and win her favor.

The test came immediately, with the actress threatening to fire her as soon as she appeared.

Shi Jian’s head was already spinning from the barrage of demands about the coffee—this woman was seriously high maintenance.

Even if the Z Café was nearby, by the time Shi Jian rushed over and back, the coffee might no longer be "piping hot" like she wanted.

What’s more, when Shi Jian tried stepping out to test the way forward, she discovered the exit was blocked.

The stairway was covered with exposed wires, some of which were even crackling—and unbelievably, Shi Jian saw actual electrical sparks?

Shi Jian: “……”

She quickly pulled her foot back. No way she was going that route—she’d get electrocuted before she ever got fired!

Even if you couldn’t truly die in a PK instance, the pain was likely still real. And getting knocked out would mean immediate failure.

The worst part was, Shi Jian had just mocked how unrealistic the setting was—like, who would actually starve in a one-day instance? But now she was starting to feel a dull hunger in her stomach.

And she’d just had a deluxe vegetable salad not long ago.

It looked like this instance wasn’t like the usual ones.

...

The viewers in the livestream were starting to panic too—what was she going to do now?

Was the PK going to end just like that, right after it started?

【Told you this streamer’s just a pretty face.】

【Pfft, I just didn’t expect it to end this fast. What’s it been—twenty minutes?】

“Xiao Shi, is my coffee ready yet?”

The actress was already calling out to Shi Jian impatiently.

Assistant-mode Shi Jian replied, “Coming, coming!”

She walked over with graceful steps, trailed by several uniformed staff from Z Café. The baristas brought actual equipment to the location and prepared the coffee on-site for the actress, proving with action that it was freshly ground, completely legit, and made exactly to her strict standards.

From the time the coffee was made to when it was placed in the actress’s hand, only a few seconds passed.Since Shi Jian couldn’t get out or guarantee she could bring the actress the coffee she wanted, she made a phone call instead—and arranged this whole setup.

Shi Jian asked the stunned actress, “Well? Are you satisfied with your personalized service?”

The actress couldn’t find a single flaw, and her vanity had been thoroughly satisfied. Holding the coffee, she was clearly enjoying herself but still put on a tone of forced indifference. “It’s alright, I’m satisfied enough.”

This round, Shi Jian had clearly passed. I mean, the baristas and equipment came right to the room—how could she not pass?

“Xiao Shi, you did well this time. Actually, what I really wanted was Z Café staff to come serve me personally. I just wasn’t sure if that was allowed here. Back when I was abroad, this was my norm,” the actress said leisurely, blowing on her coffee.

“Keep it up next time. Don’t lower the standard or slack off. I’m a person with taste.”

【Okay, I take back what I said earlier. This streamer’s got something—she’s a whale.】

Shi Jian’s smile was graceful and perfectly appropriate, showing no trace of anger. She agreed cheerfully, “No problem. But before the next time—you’ll need to settle the bill first.”

The actress froze. “Settle the bill?”

“I’m paying?” Utter disbelief.

Shi Jian countered, “Who else?”

“Wasn’t the coffee for you to drink?”

Shi Jian hadn’t taken even a sip.

Sure, she could call in baristas to do on-site service. NPC staff weren’t affected by the electrical hazards—Shi Jian had even seen one of them hop over the wires doing a little electro-dance. But having them come cost money.

And even if Shi Jian had the money, there was no way she’d be paying for that.

The livestream chat paused for a few seconds—then instantly exploded:

【Taking back what I said AGAIN—this streamer’s really got it! She whales with other people’s money!】