Chapter 18: The Finale

The night of the StarMotion Gala was full of unexpected drama, and the ratings soared to a new high. Online discussions were endless.

But surprisingly, the breakout star of the night wasn’t one of the heavily styled actresses on the red carpet, nor was it Qin Shu, who had angrily assaulted a reporter backstage.

It was Ruan Yu—the newly signed artist, barely two months into her contract.

True to her reputation as a top-tier manager, An Zhuoqian immediately coordinated with the marketing department. They rolled out multiple PR strategies overnight, riding the wave of attention to boost Ruan Yu’s popularity.

Her name stayed on the trending list all night.

But Ruan Yu didn’t follow An Zhuoqian’s suggestion. That night, after leaving the hospital, she found a cheap motel to crash in. The next morning, she boarded the variety show crew’s bus headed for a construction site.

Just before she left, Lin Qing, still worried, said, “Who knows what kind of torture the show has in store at that worksite. The conditions are probably rough—what if your wound gets infected?”

Ruan Yu waved him off. “It’ll be fine.”

Lin Qing pressed, “Your injury was a production accident. Why not have Sister An talk to the team? Just take a couple of days to recover. They can edit the footage later—no one watching would know.”

Ruan Yu shook her head. “No.”

“It’s like playing a MOBA game,” she said, resting her chin against the bus window. “Once the game starts, I’m not surrendering. As long as the base isn’t destroyed, I’ll fight until the last second.”

Lin Qing was taken aback by the sudden motivational speech. “Wait, so… if you take a break?”

“That’s going AFK. And AFK players deserve to be struck by lightning!” she added bitterly.

Lin Qing: “…”

Ruan Yu waved goodbye. “See ya after the shoot!”

…

The bus left Beijing and headed for Yanjiao. The further they went, the bumpier the ride. After three hours, they arrived at their destination—a barren construction site where concrete buildings were rising from the dust, and the clamor of labor filled the air. Upon arrival, Ruan Yu was handed a safety helmet.

The bus dropped her off and left, leaving behind only two cameramen. Ruan Yu pulled up the guest locator app, planning to find Jiang Xingchun and the others.

Staring at the three green dots clustered together on the screen, she muttered, “Why are they all in the same place?”

The GPS pointed to an office building on-site.

Ruan Yu arrived at the building and sent a group message:

[I’ve arrived to carry bricks. But why are you all in the office building?]

Jiang Xingchun replied almost instantly, sending her a room number.

When she went upstairs and knocked on the door, Ruan Yu was stunned.

Jiang Xingchun and the other two were crammed into an office room—playing mahjong?!

A mahjong table sat in the middle of the room. Jiang Xingchun, Lu Han, and Qiu Xi each occupied a seat, and they’d even roped in a cameraman to make a full table. Seeing her, Lu Han’s face lit up.

“Finally! Ruan Yu, come quick! We’ve been short one player, waiting forever for you!”

Jiang Xingchun stood to ask, “How’s your injury?”

“It’s all taken care of. I’m fine.” Ruan Yu was still dazed. “Weren’t we supposed to be doing manual labor? How are you playing mahjong?”

Qiu Xi explained, “The mahjong table is a reward from a mission Lu Han completed. It’s lunch break now—he insisted we play a few rounds.”

After chatting a bit, Ruan Yu understood. During their time on-site, each guest had to complete a set amount of work daily. The production team would occasionally assign extra tasks, and anyone who completed them could make a reasonable request—like extra rest time, or a tube of hand cream or sunscreen.

Lu Han had asked for a mahjong table.

And that one table brought joy to the whole team.

Ruan Yu eagerly joined the game. They played for half an hour. There was no gambling involved—the loser had to share an embarrassing story from the shoot.

Naturally, Ruan Yu lost the most, and ended up recounting her stingy rise to fame. Even the nearby cameraman nearly dropped his gear from laughing too hard.

After finishing their game of mahjong, the group headed to the construction site cafeteria to collect their boxed lunches. Once they’d eaten, it was time to get to work.

The site supervisor assigned tasks on an open patch of ground:
“This afternoon, Jiang Xingchun and Lu Han will join the materials-hauling team. Ruan Yu and Qiu Xi will work with the painting crew.”

“Hauling” referred to manually carrying construction materials upstairs—like unpainted boards that weighed around 10 kilograms each. It was clearly a physically demanding task. Ruan Yu barely had time to worry about her little crush before she and Qiu Xi were led to the painting crew’s work area.

There, they were to mix cement and apply it to the walls.

Qiu Xi, already familiar with the process, applied hand cream, put on gloves and protective gear, and began slowly applying cement to the wall.

Of course, the show’s producers had informed the site supervisors in advance that the cast were not real construction workers. The workers were considerate and didn’t require the girls to mix cement themselves. They only needed to finish a small section of wall that afternoon. Even if the result wasn’t perfect, the workers would take care of the rest.

But Ruan Yu wasn’t one to just stand around.

While Qiu Xi goofed off and slowly dabbed at the wall, she turned to see Ruan Yu earnestly learning how to mix cement from one of the workers.

Qiu Xi felt conflicted.

On reality shows like Undercover Profession, outdoor challenge variety shows often relied on guest personas and buzz to attract viewers. The guests with the most appeal usually got more screen time in post-production.

Qiu Xi admitted Ruan Yu had talent for variety shows and a fun personality. But until recently, she was a complete unknown. Even if her character was likable, that didn’t guarantee more footage. After last night’s viral moment, though, Ruan Yu’s popularity had exploded. If she kept building a strong persona now, she’d undoubtedly get even more screen time.

Was she working this hard to earn more camera time?

Qiu Xi wasn’t naïve—she joined this show to gain fans, not to play second fiddle to another female guest. Taking a deep breath, she decided to play the role of the diligent worker too. Putting down her tool, she walked over, intending to learn how to mix cement.

As she got closer, she overheard Ruan Yu asking, “So I get twenty yuan for each batch of cement I mix?”

Worker: “Yep.”

“And a hundred yuan for finishing one wall?”

Worker: “Right. But if it’s not done well, you’ll only get thirty.”

Ruan Yu’s eyes lit up. “So if I do three good walls, I can make three hundred yuan this afternoon?”

She looked utterly inspired by the dream of getting rich.

Qiu Xi: “……”

She had totally misjudged her. Ruan Yu wasn’t chasing screen time—she was chasing money.

The whole afternoon, Ruan Yu worked with extraordinary focus. She really did finish three full walls. By the time work ended at dusk, her right arm felt like it was about to fall off—she could barely lift a finger. Thankfully, her injury from the previous night had been on her left arm, so working all afternoon hadn’t affected the wound.

The supervisor came by to check their work. Nodding in approval, he handed over 300 yuan to split between the two girls. Ruan Yu gave Qiu Xi a hundred.

That evening, they received the next challenge from the production team:

[Host a concert for the hardworking construction workers.]

“A concert?” Lu Han groaned. “But I can’t sing! Can I do stand-up comedy instead?”

Ruan Yu: “No worries, you can be the MC.”

Jiang Xingchun smiled, his dimples showing. “I can sing and dance. This is my thing.”

Qiu Xi asked, “But where are we supposed to hold it?”

Ruan Yu recalled something: “Didn’t we pass a stage in front of the workers’ dormitory earlier? I think that’ll work!”

The crew provided sound equipment, microphones, and other essentials. It wasn’t exactly a full-blown concert setup, but it was enough for them to perform. After the workers finished dinner and night fell, the impromptu, unrehearsed concert officially began.

The workers dragged out plastic chairs and gathered in front of the stage. They hadn’t even started singing yet, and the applause was already thunderous. Watching the scene, Ruan Yu felt like she was back at a college talent show. All her nerves vanished instantly.

Lu Han emceed: “Everyone, turn on your phone flashlights, hold them up, and sway with me—”

Ruan Yu followed up: “We’re the F4 of the construction site! Wishing you all a happy new year in advance!”

The atmosphere was electric. Qiu Xi took the stage first, singing a soft and sweet love ballad. Her voice was lovely, and she sang well. When she finished, the applause was deafening, and the crowd shouted for an encore.

Ruan Yu waited eagerly for Jiang Xingchun’s performance like a fangirl watching the stars align.

When her “little crush” took the stage, he seemed like a completely different person—handsome and confident. Ruan Yu’s inner “mom fan” almost short-circuited with joy. She felt so lucky to be filming this incredible show. Getting to see her idol and her crush in the same place—she could die happy now.

Sweet or cool, Jiang Xingchun had it all. Singing, dancing—he nailed it.

Though she held back on camera, Ruan Yu was mentally waving banners and screaming her lungs out for him.

If it weren’t being filmed, she would’ve totally lost her composure. When it was her turn, she restrained herself from singing a Ji Linhao song and modestly took the mic: “Then I’ll sing one song—Borrow Another 500 Years from Heaven.”

Jiang Xingchun, just off stage and drinking water, choked on a mouthful.

Ruan Yu waved to the sound engineer: “Cue the backing track, please!”

Jiang Xingchun, still holding his water bottle and sweat glistening on his lashes, looked up at her with wide eyes.

She really did sing Borrow Another 500 Years from Heaven. And not badly, either. She was fully committed, and when she sang the final line—“I truly wish to live another 500 years”—it was surprisingly heartfelt.

With just a single spotlight overhead, Ruan Yu stood on stage bare-faced, no makeup. Yet her presence held up just fine. Her voice wasn’t technically impressive, but it was clear and pleasant.

Energetic. Charming.

Jiang Xingchun licked his lips, lowered his gaze, and took another sip of water.

Ruan Yu, fully in the zone, wasn’t ready to stop: “One more song! Devotion to the Nation, this one’s for everyone!”

The crowd was completely hyped. Even Lu Han eventually jumped on stage to perform a short comedic folk song.

The four-person concert lasted an hour. The energy was off the charts, and the production team was thrilled—there was just too much great footage to work with.

The celebrity guests assigned to the construction site stayed in the same dormitory building as the workers—each with a private room. On the way back after finishing work for the day, Lu Han laughed and said, “Ruan Yu, you were hilarious tonight.”

“I was being totally serious when I sang, okay?” Ruan Yu was in an excellent mood, even humming softly, “I really want—to live another five hundred years—”

She meant it too. She really did want to live a little longer.

.

Ever since the concert, “Construction Site F4” became famous on the site. Workers who had previously been too shy to talk to the celebrities now approached them confidently, sometimes even asking for autographs.

The group enjoyed themselves, spending their days chatting, hauling bricks, completing tasks, eating, sleeping, and playing mahjong.

Four days later, the disguise period for Undercover Profession came to an end. The production team announced that only He Changyuan had successfully completed his disguise.

That afternoon, the show’s shuttle bus pulled up at the construction site entrance to take the “Construction Site F4” back to the TV station.

In the dressing room, Lu Han spotted He Changyuan and was full of admiration. “Changyuan, you actually pulled it off! You’re the only one out of the five of us who made it to the end!”

“You guys have no idea what I went through these past two weeks,” He Changyuan said. “Every day I was on edge, nearly gave myself a heart attack.” He looked them over and added, “You and Xingchun both got tanned. Qiuxi looks more or less the same. Oh, Ruan Yu—when did you cut your hair? I saw you trending and thought I was seeing things.”

“I cut it on the first day,” Ruan Yu replied.

After a bit of small talk, the five of them finished getting their hair and makeup done and headed to the studio to record the final segment.

Guan Hai appeared once again in his signature armor, but this time he wasn’t holding a sword and shield. Instead, he held a crown in his hands.

Guan Hai said, “Every job is hard in its own way. Over the past fourteen days, everyone here has endured hardship and exhaustion. Thank you for your perseverance. Now, we present the crown—symbol of the highest honor—to our final winner, a qualified street magician: Mr. Xu Laogen—also known as Mr. He Changyuan!”

The name “Xu Laogen” was so unexpectedly formal that the room burst into laughter.

“The production team will donate 800,000 yuan to the National Entrepreneurship and Employment Foundation in Mr. He Changyuan’s name. In addition, after the show airs, Mr. He will receive all the unedited behind-the-scenes footage from his two-week magician career, as a keepsake.”

Lu Han exclaimed, “So that’s the mystery prize they teased at the beginning!”

“Not bad at all. I want one too,” Jiang Xingchun chimed in.

Guan Hai gave a deep bow. “Thank you, everyone. Undercover Profession has officially come to a perfect close. Great work!”

The staff erupted in cheers, and the room filled with applause.

After the final taping, Ruan Yu was pulled aside by staff to film a behind-the-scenes VCR. The directors then invited all the guests to a wrap party that evening.

The production team had reserved a private room at a hotel in the city center. That night, the group gathered for dinner and conversation. As the evening wound down, the various assistants arrived one by one to pick up their stars.

Lu Han was the first to leave, clearly a little reluctant. “Hope we get to film together again sometime! I’m off—message me on WeChat if anything comes up.”

He Changyuan shooed him off. “Go on, and remember to cut that long hair.”

Lu Han laughed. “Alright, alright. I’ll cut it tomorrow.”

Not long after, Ruan Yu got a message from Lin Qing saying she was waiting outside. She got up to say her goodbyes and had just stepped out into the hallway when Jiang Xingchun called out to her.

“Ruan Yu.”

“Hm?” She turned around.

Jiang Xingchun smiled at her, revealing his little tiger tooth. “Our group’s holding a concert in Shanghai early next year. Want to come?”

Her heart skipped—her celebrity crush just invited her to his concert! Her eyes lit up. “Sure! If I don’t have any schedule conflicts, I’ll definitely be there.”

“Do you have any other gigs coming up?” he asked.

“Not sure yet. If I don’t, I’ll probably take a break. Just chill at home, watch shows, play games or something.” She didn’t mention her plans to vote for her beloved Haohuo and spend money on fan campaigns.

Jiang Xingchun’s puppy-dog eyes curved into a grin. “Then maybe we can play games together sometime.”

Every time he smiled, Ruan Yu couldn’t help grinning like an indulgent aunt. She agreed instantly, “Sounds good. You keep at it too!”

“I will… do my best,” Jiang Xingchun replied, slowly and deliberately, while looking straight at her.

On the way back to her apartment, Ruan Yu got a call from An Zhuoqian.

An Zhuoqian sounded thrilled. “I knew signing you was the right move. Taking Undercover Profession turned out to be a great call. You’ve gotten so many offers over the past few days—all because of how hot your name is right now. But the quality varies a lot. Take tomorrow off to rest, and come to the office the day after to go over everything.”

Ruan Yu replied cheerfully, “Got it!”

---

Author’s Note:

Xiao Yu, your “son” doesn’t want to play games with you—he wants to date you!!!

Duan Lin: ???