Starlet Taotie Chapter 3
Chapter 3 I’m hungry
Before the live recording began, the production team had all the guests draw lots.
There were six guests in total, split into two teams for a competition. The losing team would have to accept punishment from the production crew.
Jiang Tao drew Team A.
As luck would have it, one of her teammates was Ann Lisa, the other was a male idol from a boy group, Fang Yiran.
Fang Yiran had a slender build, and Jiang Tao herself had a thin waist and long legs.
Standing between them, Ann Lisa looked noticeably more sturdy in comparison.
Ann Lisa pressed a hand to her stomach and shot Jiang Tao a resentful glare.
It’s all Jiang Tao’s fault.
If not for her, she wouldn’t have eaten that boxed meal.
She hadn’t expected it to be so oily. Her stomach, which was used to salads, simply couldn’t handle the sudden shift. She had already rushed to the bathroom several times.
Her complexion had turned sallow, and she had to apply even more foundation to cover it up.
Not only that, she was horrified to discover that her once-flat stomach was now slightly protruding.
She had specifically chosen a tight-fitting outfit today to outshine Jiang Tao, but now she could only desperately suck in her stomach to keep it flat.
On the other hand, Jiang Tao, despite eating so much, looked completely fine. Not only was her waist as slim as ever, her complexion even looked more rosy and healthy than usual.
Jiang Tao was now rubbing her stomach as well. She looked at Tong Tong and said, “I’m hungry.”
Tong Tong: “……”
Jie, didn’t you just devour eight boxed meals?!
She could only tactfully try to stop her. “Jie, the recording is about to start. If you eat too much and bloat, it won’t look good on camera.”
Jiang Tao remarked expressionlessly, “But if I don’t get full, I get irritable, start conflicts, and then get dragged into trending scandals.”
Tong Tong: “……”
Is that a threat?
That must be a threat, right?!
She took a deep breath. “Okay, jie, I’ll go buy it right away.”
Not long after Tong Tong left, the clock stuck eight and the show officially began.
“Over Here!” had a stable audience base, plus fans attracted in by the guests themselves. So the moment the livestream started, the screen was already flooded with dense bullet comments.
【Yiran is so handsome!!】
【our baby looks amazing today!! That face is lethal!!】
【Jie jie is so cool I’m in love!!】
【Is it me or did Ann Lisa get a bit chubby? Now that she’s popular she’s getting complacent and not maintaining her figure anymore?】
【WTF is Jiang Tao doing here? They actually invited her? The production team really sold their integrity for views】
【tbh, Jiang Tao is ridiculously good-looking. in a livestream with no filters, she still looks that good. being in the same frame as her just makes all their flaws pop out way more 💀】
Ann Lisa kept sucking in her stomach while maintaining her smile.
Jiang Tao stared blankly into space, bored out of her mind.
Fang Yiran looked left and right helplessly, then said, “If you two don’t mind, I’ll go first for the first round.”
Just then, the host was explaining the rules of the game.
The show consisted of three rounds of competition. The first round was the Scream Box.
The guests had to take turns reaching into a box prepared in advance by the production team and retrieve the single coin placed inside amidst various other objects. If anyone screamed or pulled their hand out, they would be eliminated and the next person would continue. Within the time limit, the team that collected the most coins would win.
The host looked left and right. “Alright, both teams, please discuss your order.”
Fang Yiran stepped forward first. “I’ll go first for our team.”
Ann Lisa followed immediately, speaking gently, “Then I’ll go second.”
She paused, then added with a soft smile, “Tao Tao is a little timid, so she can go last. Don’t worry, I’ll try my best to get all the coins.”
A perfectly considerate older-sister image.
Jiang Tao didn’t care either way.
Without food involved, she was completely uninterested.
The competition began.
Fang Yiran and the first contestant from Team B stepped onto the challenge platform at the same time.
The studio instantly erupted into loud cheers and applause.
In front of both of them was a box covered with black cloth. Only the side facing the cameras and audience was open.
They couldn’t see what was inside. They could only reach in blindly and search for the coins placed by the production team.
The first three boxes contained strange objects, but Fang Yiran managed to push through and successfully retrieved the coins. Until the fourth box.
The moment the black cloth was lifted, a slight commotion spread through the audience.
Fang Yiran was already a little nervous, and seeing the reaction made his heart tighten even more.
His palms began to sweat, but he still forced himself to reach into the Scream Box.
On camera, the box was filled with lifelike rubber snakes of various shapes. Fang Yiran knew nothing about this. His fingertips slowly moved downward.
The moment he touched one of the fake snakes, his entire body trembled. But he clenched his teeth and refused to scream.
His face turned deathly pale as he looked into the box and tried a few more times, but in the end, he had no choice but to give up.
“Sorry, I did my best.” Fang Yiran bowed apologetically to the audience.
【It’s okay! You already did great!】
【Ran Ran mentioned in an interview before that he’s really afraid of scaly animals. Psychological fear is hard to overcome】
【Out of six boxes he already cleared half. The remaining two should be fine as long as the others get three coins】
The host had turned to Ann Lisa.
Ann Lisa made a cute little pumping-fist gesture. “Mm, I’ll definitely try my best to get all the coins!”
The host laughed. “Lisa looks very confident!”
Ann Lisa smiled but didn’t answer.
Of course she was confident. Her manager had already bribed a staff member in advance and learned all the game segments. The Scream Box only looked scary because of the unknown, but she already knew it contained inanimate toys. What was there to be afraid of?
Full of confidence, Ann Lisa stepped onto the challenge platform.
At that moment, a staff member suddenly handed a note to the host.
The host exaggeratedly covered his mouth. “Oh my god! We’ve just received breaking news—one of our staff members accidentally placed a real snake into a scream box.”
A line of text immediately appeared on the livestream screen: 【The snake is a harmless pet snake. Non-professionals, please do not imitate.】
【Here it comes, the production team’s signature chaos, never disappoints】
【the bonus twist of every episode lmao】
【I’m already ready to screenshot reactions】
The reason “Over Here!” stood out among similar competitive variety shows was precisely because of these constantly escalating, unpredictable production twists. Every episode delivered viral moments that kept viewers hooked.
However, the expressions of the guests on stage were far from calm.
They looked like their souls had just left their bodies.
Ann Lisa’s confident smile froze on her face.
These surprise twists were originally planned by the production team, with strict confidentiality. Even the staff on set didn’t know.
But she never expected they would use it in the very first round.
Ann Lisa hesitated.
But she had already made her grand declaration. If she backed out now, the netizens would tear her apart.
Though she knew backing out wasn’t an option, she still couldn’t bring herself to do it.
After all, it was a live snake!!
While she was still hesitating, the contestant from Team B had already reached into the screaming box with a ‘bracing for death’ expression.
There was no time left for Ann Lisa to think.
Gritting her teeth, she also reached her hand into the box.
Maybe the snake wasn’t in this particular box. Her luck couldn’t possibly be that bad!
Ann Lisa closed her eyes, groping around inside while silently praying over and over in her mind: there’s no snake, there’s no snake…
But as it often goes, the more you fear something, the more likely it is to appear.
In the corner of the box, the ‘rubber’ snake suddenly moved.
【Wait, is the snake in the lower left actually moving?】
【Holy crap, it really is moving!】
【omfg so scary, I’m getting goosebumps just watching this】
【Oh my god, Ann Lisa’s luck is unreal】
The studio was warm, and the small snake had already woken up, slowly slithering around the bottom of the box.
Ann Lisa’s fingers were getting closer and closer to it.
The snake tilted its head curiously, then moved toward her hand.
At the very moment Ann Lisa found the coin and moved to withdraw her hand in excitement, something cold and slick abruptly wrapped around her fingertip.
Ann Lisa: “——!!!”
She screamed as if she had been electrocuted and yanked her hand out violently.
Holding her finger, she cried and screamed for help, demanding to be taken to the hospital. Her manager rushed onto the stage as well, and the scene instantly descended into chaos.
The medical staff arranged by the production team immediately rushed on stage to check on her.
Her well-maintained finger showed no injury at all. Not even a mark.
The program team also promptly released the replay.
Everyone could clearly see that the snake had only touched her fingertip with its tail. It never bit her at all.
【LOL bitten my foot, I’m dying】
【Aww the snake is actually kinda cute, that scream must have scared it】
【Lisa is still a girl, no need to be so harsh. That’s a real snake, anyone would be scared. Fang Yiran was scared too】
【Exactly. Put Jiang Tao there and see if she dares】
Ann Lisa’s face turned red and white alternately.
She covered her face and ran off the stage.
The host seized the moment and turned the microphone toward Jiang Tao.
“Xiao* Jiang, you are the only one remaining in your team. Yiran and Lisa have both been eliminated, so your team is now behind by one screaming box. According to the rules, you must successfully retrieve the coin from this box before moving on to the next one. Do you think you can do it?”
(TLN: Xiao (小) means ‘little’, it’s an informal and, most the the time, cute honorific. Not sure if it's on purpose, but she’s the only one being called ‘Xiao’, but it can also mean she’s not very high in seniority.)
The camera focused on Jiang Tao.
Even under such a close-up shot, her skin remained pale, smooth, and flawless; not visible pores in sight. Her features were delicate, and her light-colored eyes carried a hint of confusion.
She stood quietly in place, like a fawn just stepping out of the forest, pure and harmless.
【*sobs* a fairy incarnate!!】
【Suddenly I don’t want her to get scared anymore】
【So pretty… she’d probably look amazing crying too… slurp】
【Hey pervert above, reported】
Jiang Tao nodded. “I think so.”
The host looked at her soft, seemingly fragile face and didn’t quite believe her.
At that moment, a directive came through his earpiece from the director.
He quickly adjusted and added, “Xiao Jiang, if you can take the snake out of the scream box, your team will get two extra coins!”
【WTF the production team is mean】
【Just surviving this box is already hard enough, and now they want her to take the snake out?!】
【Jiang Tao wouldn’t directly give up, would she?!】
Jiang Tao remained silent. Under everyone’s gaze, she followed the staff’s instructions and stepped onto the challenge platform.
No deep breath, no self-encouragement. She simply reached her hand in casually, as if she were picking candy from a jar.
However, the previously lively little snake reacted as if it had encountered a natural predator. With a whoosh, it shot into the farthest corner and coiled itself tightly, pretending to be nothing more than a rubber prop.
Jiang Tao, clearly impatient, rummaged around in the screaming box for a moment, then grabbed the snake and lifted it out.
The entire process took less than a minute.
In the waiting area, the host was still building suspense. “Let’s see whether Xiao Jiang can bravely reach into the scream box…”
Before he could finish, Jiang Tao was already walking toward him with the snake in hand.
The host paused. “Xiao Jiang, why did you take out our prop?”
Jiang Tao blinked. “Aren’t you looking for it?”
“…Huh?”
The snake happened to lift its head at that moment and flick its tongue at the host. Jiang Tao glanced down at it, and it immediately retracted its head.
So well-behaved it seemed almost ingratiating.
The livestream fell silent for a moment.
Then a flood of 【???】 filled the screen.
【What just happened… did I hallucinate??】
【This is insane. Did I actually see hesitation, grievance, and forced submission on a snake’s face??】
【WTF Jiang Tao is actually a hidden boss】
【She looks so pure and soft but is actually ruthless and low-profile. This gap-moe is killing me, I’m in love】
The host was completely stunned on the spot. After a long pause, he stammered, “Uh… Xiao Jiang, that was very brave of you. Do you have anything you want to say right now?”
Jiang Tao rubbed her stomach.
“Can this snake be eaten?”
Everyone: “???”
TL Note: Again, still looking for a proofreader, please reach out if you have time to help me with this novel. Thank you 🙏
