The four-day recording flew by under the live-streaming cameras.
The daily interactions of friendship in the cottage appeared fragmented to the audience.
Most of the guests, led by Qiao Xi, engaged in frequent banter and laughter.
However, in the corner, Su Qianqian remained quiet, dressed in the simple and elegant outfits styled by Amy. She spent her time reading books, studying sheet music, watching dance training videos, or simply hugging a pillow while gazing out the window in a daze.
She rarely spoke up on her own. When someone approached her with friendly gestures, she would either blink her clear, innocent eyes as if unable to grasp the underlying meaning,
or respond in a soft, hoarse voice, pointing to her throat to signal a "sore throat" or "difficulty speaking."
Her aloofness wasn’t coldness—it was a natural shyness, paired with politeness, never showing irritation.
Qiao Xi tried several times to provoke Su Qianqian into displaying impatience on camera or uttering something that could be misinterpreted.
For instance, she deliberately laughed loudly while Su Qianqian was reading or subtly excluded her during group activities.
Yet Su Qianqian’s reactions were always the same: either lifting her head in mild confusion before retreating back into her own world,
or slightly furrowing her delicate brows, her doe-like eyes glistening with silent bewilderment before lowering her gaze again—so quiet that no one could fault her.
Qiao Xi’s efforts felt like punching cotton—frustrating and futile.
Her agent even called, sternly warning, "Xi Xi, tone it down!"
"Stop fixating on Su Qianqian. Some viewers already think you're being overly aggressive toward her."
"Her 'mute beauty' persona is too well-established. If you keep pushing, you’ll just come off as the bully."
Qiao Xi gritted her teeth but had to admit her agent was right.
Watching Su Qianqian’s serene, breathtaking presence—and the growing flood of supportive comments in the livestream—Qiao Xi knew she was losing ground.
Suppressing her anger, she temporarily abandoned her targeted efforts and refocused on bonding with the other guests, reinforcing her leading role.
Meanwhile, the online world had already taken a different turn.
Under the management of Brother Wang, the seasoned agent, Su Qianqian’s Weibo followers skyrocketed, surpassing a million in just a few days.
Brother Wang avoided overexposure, instead releasing carefully timed snapshots of Su Qianqian’s daily life in the cottage.
For example, on the second day: a morning shot by the window—the girl in a simple white cotton dress, her silhouette bathed in sunlight, her hair cascading softly.
Caption: "Morning light, a new day. Wishing you peace."
The comments overflowed with admiration:
"A goddess at dawn! Stunning!"
"The vibes are immaculate!"
"So tranquil, so healing."
On the third day: a candid of her reading—Su Qianqian curled up in a wicker chair, a pillow on her lap, her hair partially veiling her face, revealing only the delicate curve of her nose and her focused eyes as she turned a page.
Caption: "Within books lie houses of gold."
Comments poured in:
"That profile is lethal!"
"Book recs! What’s our fairy reading?"
Every post reinforced Su Qianqian’s persona—quiet, pure, shy, and cultured—a "mute fairy" image.
Paired with her poised manners on the livestream and occasional displays of innocent confusion, her public appeal soared.
However, Qiao Xi’s camp, unable to tolerate Su Qianqian’s overwhelming popularity, finally struck back.
On the evening of the fourth day, a seemingly neutral gossip account published a hit piece:
"Observations from 'Friendship Cottage': A Friendship Show or a Silent Drama? New Guest Skates Through, Isolated and Unsocial—Can She Even Make Real Friends?"
The article feigned objectivity but dripped with venom.
It accused Su Qianqian of remaining silent throughout the friendship-themed show, refusing to engage with the group.
It questioned her motives—was she just there to leech off the show’s exposure?
How could such antisocial behavior align with the theme of friendship?
It even insinuated that her team was pushing a "mute beauty" gimmick while she coasted through the show unprofessionally.
The moment the article dropped, Qiao Xi’s fans and hired trolls amplified it, trying to steer the narrative.
But Brother Wang was no amateur. A veteran of the entertainment industry, he had anticipated smear campaigns.
Before Qiao Xi’s hit piece gained traction, Brother Wang’s countermeasures were already trending.
Even better, the hashtags #SuQianqianShy and #SuQianqianSoreThroat, fueled by fans captivated by her ethereal beauty, soared into the top five trending topics.
Unexpected, yet inevitable.
