Gu Ran was stunned as she averted her gaze from Ji Shiyu's phone, feeling like she needed some time to process what she had just seen.
Her thoughts ran wild until she suddenly recalled how Ji Shiyu had looked in bed before.
Faced with those memories, her expression grew slightly awkward, and she quickly concluded that this must be some ridiculous misunderstanding.
There was absolutely no issue with Ji Shiyu's preferences.
...
Gu Ran started her livestream twenty minutes late that day and ended it twenty minutes later than usual. She spent the entire evening playing casual, lighthearted games, even teaming up with streamer "King Prawn" for a couple of duo matches.
As one of the top male gaming streamers, King Prawn was known for his fiery gameplay, a stark contrast to his awkward, starstruck demeanor when taking photos with idols. That night, his duo session with Gu Ran—famously dubbed "ClawPaw's No. 1 Beauty and No. 1 Noob"—drew countless viewers.
Everyone had assumed that with a pro like King Prawn carrying the team, even the most hopeless teammate could coast to victory. The audience expected ClawPaw's top beauty to finally enjoy the bliss of being carried—but none of the tens of thousands of viewers anticipated that the supposedly deadweight beauty would single-handedly drag King Prawn down to defeat.
Since the start of his streaming career, King Prawn had never lost a duo match with another streamer, earning him near-legendary status.
That was, until he encountered Gu Ran—someone who looked like she was trying her hardest but somehow managed to perform in ways that defied logic, single-mindedly sabotaging her teammates. Only then did he realize how naive his past assumptions had been.
The moment the match ended, the sight of King Prawn's utterly bewildered expression and Gu Ran's pitiful, helpless pout sent the entire chat into hysterics.
[Hahahaha legendary!]
[So this is what they mean by "the student has surpassed the master"—except in reverse.]
[Honestly, being able to drag King Prawn down is a kind of talent in itself.]
[Our Ran-jie is just built different. Losing with King Prawn is way harder than winning with him, okay?]
[Ughhh wifey Ran-Ran, let me pinch those cute little cheeks!]
Pouting, Gu Ran ended her stream and checked the monthly analytics report Ding Ze had sent her.
Her livestream metrics had remained consistently strong, and the "Idol Sports Day" event she participated in—after two days of live broadcasts—had recently been edited into a three-hour highlight reel and uploaded to a major streaming platform.
The archery competition segment, where ClawPaw's top beauty staged a dramatic comeback against Zhou Yufei, became the most electrifying moment of the entire event.
This marked Gu Ran's first official appearance outside of ClawPaw, showcasing both her skills and her beauty in a flawless performance.
Lately, rumors about Gu Ran's next moves had been swirling—some claimed she was set to co-host a variety show with a popular male celebrity, others said she was preparing to star in an idol drama, and a few even insisted she would join a major girl group survival show.
Reading a particularly vivid post about her supposedly joining a survival show, Gu Ran made the same face as the "confused old man staring at his phone" meme.
Seriously? Why would she give up being a top streamer to compete in some singing-and-dancing contest?
That said, she had been receiving more external offers lately. As ClawPaw's No. 1 female streamer, the platform was pushing her into the spotlight—her fame reflected on ClawPaw's reputation, and her success symbolized the booming livestreaming industry.
The company's vice president even held a business meeting about "leveraging streamer influence to build star power."
Traditionally, actors, singers, and TV hosts were considered celebrities—but ClawPaw aimed to elevate its streamers beyond the label of "internet personalities" and into true stardom.
The VP planned to test the waters by having Gu Ran appear as a guest on a variety show.
Gu Ran hesitated. Livestreaming was her comfort zone, and she worried she wouldn't perform well in other settings.
Ding Ze relayed the VP's words: "Your livestream growth has plateaued because ClawPaw's internal traffic is limited. To expand your reach, you need to step out of your comfort zone."
He then sent her an industry-standard rate sheet for appearances. Several of ClawPaw's top streamers had already dabbled in external events to boost exposure and diversify their content—even "Meng Miao Miao" had once performed alongside professional singers, though the comparison had been brutal and the attempt flopped.
Gu Ran counted the digits on the rate sheet and fell silent.
No wonder so many influencers clawed their way into showbiz. The earnings from top streamers hustling promotions and endorsements paled in comparison to what a third-tier celebrity could make from a two-hour commercial appearance.
Gu Ran: "I'm in."
The first show the VP lined up for her was "Stars Charge Forward," an outdoor reality series. Though a web production, it had strong viewership and was already in its second season. Thanks to ClawPaw's backing by its parent company, Xinbo, they secured a guest spot for their star streamer.
As an officially registered program, the show's Weibo announcement listed her as "ClawPaw's No. 1 Beauty (Real Name: Gu Ran)."
This was the first time Gu Ran's real name had been publicly revealed. Previously, whether at fan meets or the sports event, she had always gone by her ID. Fans only knew her name contained the character "Ran," hence calling her "Ran-Ran."
The reveal caused a minor stir in her fan group:
[So Ran-Ran's real name is Gu Ran!]
[Of course my wife has a name as gorgeous as she is, ughhh!]
[Perfect, now I know what to write on the marriage certificate.]
[Ahhhh can't wait for Gu Ran's variety show debut!]
[From now on, she's not just ClawPaw's No. 1—she's the universe's No. 1 streamer, Gu Ran!]
Though she had consented to the name reveal, Gu Ran still felt shy. Her ID had been like a little cloak she wore, and now even that last layer was gone—she stood completely exposed before the world.
Beyond "ClawPaw's No. 1 Beauty," she was now truly "Gu Ran"!
To prepare, Gu Ran binge-watched several episodes of the show's first season, memorizing the names and personalities of the main cast and even jotting down notes.
Filming was scheduled for Friday and Saturday, which wouldn't interfere with her usual five-day streaming schedule. According to the script, the first shoot would take place at a five-star hotel in City A.
The producers had shared the general format: "Stars Charge Forward" featured six male main cast members, and this episode would include three female guest stars. Teams would be formed through a draw, with challenges to follow.
Gu Ran looked at the names of the other two female guest stars on the show. One was Pei Yue, a former idol trainee who debuted through a survival show and had since gone solo, and the other was Sun Yuanni, a rising starlet known for her abundant resources but lacking a solid fanbase. In contrast, Pei Yue's fans seemed particularly fierce, flooding the show's official Weibo page with coordinated praise posts.
After the official Weibo account of the variety show Stars Charge Forward posted the promotional posters and names of the three female guests for this episode, Pei Yue's fans appeared dissatisfied.
"Our Pei Yue debuted as the center and is the queen of traffic. Having Sun Yuanni, a film-and-TV starlet, as a fellow guest is acceptable—even if she lacks fans, at least she has prestige and matches our idol's status. But why is a random internet streamer suddenly on the same level as Yueyue?"
Gu Ran shook her head as she read the complaints from Pei Yue's fans under the official post.
Some fans were obsessed with prestige and hierarchy, guarding their little territory as if everything had to be measured by whether it was "worthy" or "matched."
She had six million followers on her streaming platform, while Pei Yue only had five million on Weibo. By numbers alone, Gu Ran actually had more fans.
On the day of recording, Gu Ran woke up early and was driven to the set by Ding Ze.
Before parting ways, Ding Ze patted her shoulder and said, "Do your best."
The company's vice president was heavily promoting Gu Ran now, unaware that the rising star he was backing was actually the runaway wife of a certain domineering CEO. Securing a spot on Stars Charge Forward hadn’t been easy—many female celebrities had fought for it.
Gu Ran nodded solemnly, feeling the weight of her village’s hopes resting on her shoulders as she ventured into the big city. "Got it."
Once inside the recording set, she was on her own. After adjusting her microphone, she noticed the cameraman following her closely with his lens, and her nerves finally kicked in.
Before handing her phone to the production assistant, she checked her streaming platform’s fan group. Her fans knew it was her first time recording a variety show and had flooded the chat with messages cheering her on: "Go, Ran Ran!"
One fan had even privately sent her a detailed spreadsheet listing the names, fields, and personalities of all six male regular cast members—veterans in the industry—advising her to stay calm and perform well when meeting them.
Though Gu Ran had already done her homework beforehand, seeing the effort her fan had put into the document moved her deeply.
She replied to the message, handed her phone to the assistant, and prepared to step on stage.
The show didn’t arrange any pre-meeting with the regular cast. The six male hosts began filming first, joking around as usual before announcing the entrance of the three female guests.
Gu Ran exchanged greetings with Pei Yue and Sun Yuanni in the waiting area. When she heard the hosts cheerfully call out, "Welcome to the stage!" she put on a bright smile, and the three of them jogged out together.
The six regular hosts were familiar with Pei Yue and Sun Yuanni—some had even worked with them before—but Gu Ran was a new face. Upon seeing the streamer in person, they seemed surprised that she wasn’t a "screen beauty" who fell flat in real life, politely shaking her hand.
The first segment was team selection. The three female guests would pick from the six male hosts, with the order determined by rock-paper-scissors—the winner choosing first.
As soon as the selection was announced, Du Li, the resident comedian of the cast, immediately started pointing at himself and shouting, "Pick me! Pick me!"
Gu Ran couldn’t help but laugh.
Her luck with rock-paper-scissors wasn’t great today, and she lost the first round.
Pei Yue hesitated with a playful smile before selecting Yan Zhun, the visual and traffic king of the male hosts.
Yan Zhun stepped behind Pei Yue, and the sight of the two good-looking stars standing together drew exaggerated "Oooohs" from the other hosts.
Sun Yuanni chose the most senior and prestigious host in the lineup.
Du Li, who had been desperately promoting himself earlier, stomped his feet in exaggerated disappointment when neither of the first two female guests picked him. As the show’s designated comic relief, he wasn’t an idol type and often ended up as the leftover choice. But the next second, he heard Gu Ran call his name.
Du Li froze, pointing at himself in disbelief. "Me?"
Gu Ran nodded.
With a loud "YES!" Du Li rushed to stand behind her.
In the second round, Gu Ran’s luck didn’t improve—she lost again. The last addition to her team was Liu Xiaolin, a slightly chubby and introverted rookie singer.
Liu Xiaolin was shy, murmuring a quiet "Thank you" as he joined Gu Ran’s team. He and Du Li were usually the last ones picked in team games.
After the teams were finalized, the show’s director frowned at the lineup. The distribution felt unbalanced.
The popular idol and the most senior host were both on the other teams. While Gu Ran might have strong online popularity as a streamer, her status in the industry paled in comparison to the other two female guests. And now, her teammates were the two weakest male hosts, making her team seem unappealing to viewers.
The first game took place right there on the set.
It was a three-person high jump challenge—a recurring segment on the show. Two male teammates would lift the female guest and toss her over a horizontal bar. After clearing the obstacle, she would then navigate a path of acupressure mats to reach the finish line. The fastest team would win.
Before the game started, each team huddled to strategize.
Du Li and Liu Xiaolin were both meeting Gu Ran for the first time. During their discussion, Du Li reassured her, "We’ll do our best. Don’t worry if we come in last—it’s fine."
After all, the youngest and strongest male hosts were on the other teams, and this game heavily relied on physical strength.
The only one in their team with any real muscle was the slightly plump Liu Xiaolin. Du Li had played this game before but had never successfully tossed a female guest over the bar, eventually giving up in past attempts.
Gu Ran gulped as she eyed the spiky acupressure mats on the floor, then realized that Du Li, the comedian, was even half a head shorter than her.
Her barefoot height was 168.7 cm. After a fan meet, her followers had exaggeratedly claimed she was 172 cm, 175 cm in shoes, and nearly 180 cm in heels. Worried her "cute girl" image would be ruined if the rumors escalated, she had once livestreamed herself measuring her height to prove she was still "under 170 cm"—a sweet and petite figure.
On the field, Du Li had already resigned himself to last place, given their team’s disadvantage. But when he turned his head, he suddenly noticed a change in Gu Ran’s expression as she looked at him.
...
After a quick strategy session, the first game of Stars Charge Forward officially began.
The referee’s whistle blew.
All three teams rushed toward the high bar.
The set echoed with the alternating screams of the female guests.
Pei Yue was lifted by Yan Zhun and another male host, tossed over the bar after two attempts. At one point, her long hair got tangled in Yan Zhun’s jacket zipper, pulling them abruptly close—a moment ripe with romantic tension.
Sun Yuanni was flung over the high bar in one go by the two male MCs with the highest status and strongest abilities. After getting up, she stepped onto the acupressure mats, seemingly unprepared for how much it would hurt. She took a few steps to the side to catch her breath, all while maintaining her composure—making sure her expression didn’t twist too painfully—before screaming her way toward the finish line.
The first two groups had delivered excellent variety show material, earning nods and smiles from the producers. Their attention then shifted to the third group, wondering how many attempts they’d need.
Based on the performances so far, the script outlines were already taking shape. The first group’s storyline was the "fan-shipping-worthy chemistry between the popular idol and the rising heartthrob." The second group’s was the "unstoppable veteran guiding the rookie." As for the third group, the producers figured they’d go with an "against-all-odds, never-give-up sportsmanship arc"—a gloriously inspiring underdog story.
With that in mind, the producers smiled and turned to watch. But then, the pens jotting down notes in their clipboards suddenly paused. First came frowns, followed by collective wide-eyed disbelief—like koalas caught mid-chew on eucalyptus leaves.
There was no screaming from the female guest on the third group’s track.
Because the woman who was supposed to be shrieking while being tossed over the bar was instead rolling up her sleeves, grinning fiercely alongside Liu Xiaolin as they teamed up to heave their group’s smallest member, Du Li, over the horizontal pole.
Du Li somersaulted nimbly onto the mat after clearing the bar, then dashed into the fray of the other two screaming female guests. Racing across the now-familiar torture of acupressure mats, he sprinted full speed toward the finish line.
The moment Du Li struck the victory gong, the woman at the bar excitedly high-fived her teammates.
"We won!"
The producers: "…"
