Starlet Taotie Chapter 34 (Part 2)
Chapter 34.2 Mukbang + Reaction
When Tong Tong received the magazine’s sales figures, she could hardly believe her eyes.
At first, she assumed the high sales were simply because the fans had driven them up. But according to the feedback from the department, this issue was also selling exceptionally well among the general public.
Some people had previously criticized Jiang Tao and, feeling guilty, decided to support the issue. Others were simply passersby who were stunned by the cover and bought a copy.
And it wasn’t just the sales. The cover had also earned plenty of praise from people in the fashion industry.
Qingli V: @Jiang Tao, you showed me what true female strength looks like. Bold and confident is feminine, gentle and sweet is feminine, but so is compassion and courage.
SUVI·J: I originally thought @MINA Official Weibo had also been corrupted by celebrity traffic and forgotten what fashion was truly about. Now, I’m just glad to say this is the best cover I’ve seen all year.
Era Style V: Beauty deserves to be admired by everyone. @Jiang Tao @He RanRan, you’ve done it.
The haters had originally wanted to mock Jiang Tao some more, but after seeing this, they could only quietly disappear.
...
Before this, Tong Tong had never imagined that Jiang Tao could make her way into the fashion industry. As for endorsements from luxury brands, with Jiang Tao’s current status, that had been completely out of the question.
She had been prepared to take things one steady step at a time.
She just hadn’t expected her jie to keep surprising her.
She quietly reflected on this. It seemed she had been too conservative.
Her jie wasn’t an ordinary person. From now on, she had to keep up with her jie’s pace too.
Jiang Tao gained more than a million new followers from this, pushing her total past the ten-million mark.
Her fans had been clamoring for some kind of fan benefit, so Tong Tong discussed it with Jiang Tao. They decided to do a livestream as a way of giving back to her fans.
As luck would have it, the fifth episode of 'Our Village' was airing around the same time, so Jiang Tao decided to combine the livestream with a mukbang and reaction session.
Once the news got out, it wasn’t just Jiang Tao’s fans who went wild. The various shippers started getting restless too.
The reason was simple.
After Le Hui left, the production team had wanted to bring in another female guest. After a round of selections, they ended up choosing none other than He RanRan.
Originally, 'Our Village' already had its ‘official ship’, the Jiang×Tang. Now He RanRan and Jiang Tao had also become the hugely popular Jiang×He.
It was practically a full-blown love triangle.
The two groups of shippers were arguing nonstop.
Each side insisted that their ship was the true one, and now they had the perfect opportunity to establish who really held the title.
Aside from them, there were also plenty of people who were simply there for the drama, as well as haters looking for an opportunity to stir things up.
So the moment the livestream started, the viewer count shot straight past ten million.
Jiang Tao was livestreaming from home.
She wore a simple beige sweater with casual trousers, the neckline revealing her slender collarbones and graceful neck.
She leaned toward the camera, apparently checking whether it was actually on.
The fans were instantly obliterated by the close-up.
The camera was practically pressed against her face, yet even without any beauty filter, her skin was completely flawless, with a healthy flush to her cheeks.
There wasn’t even a trace of the haggardness or sadness her fans had been worried about.
Yet her calm composure only made them feel even more protective of and proud of her.
Once Jiang Tao realized the camera was on, she sat back down.
She greeted the viewers with a beaming smile. “Hi, everyone! Have you eaten yet?”
【Good evening, Jiang Jiang~】
【Jiang Jiang looks so pretty today wuwuwu!】
【I ate I ate! How could I watch my baby’s livestream on an empty stomach? [doge]】
【Baby, why does the place you’re livestreaming from look so much like a kitchen...?】
Jiang Tao was indeed livestreaming from the kitchen.
She had placed the camera on the kitchen island, with a huge pile of snacks spread out in front of her.
Behind her, a pot of noodles was bubbling away.
【Oh yeah Jiang Jiang said she was doing a mukbang too…】
【oh shit who else came prepared with snacks?!】
【To avoid starving from temptation, I recommend ordering takeout and stocking up on snacks beforehand. That’s all I can do for you guys [doge]】
The haters dismissed these words. The fans had genuinely bought into Jiang Tao's public persona.
As the show’s broadcast time arrived, Tong Tong opened Sweet Orange Network.
After the familiar opening sequence of 'Our Village', the five regular guests appeared standing at the campsite.
Director Zou said mysteriously, “This time, we’re going to be welcoming a new guest. And she happens to be an acquaintance of another guest here. Anyone want to venture a guess?”
The other guests all had puzzled faces.
Director Zou turned to Jiang Tao. “Xiao Jiang, why don’t you take a guess?”
Jiang Tao twitched her nose. “It’s... caramel chestnut cake.”
Director Zou: “...?”
【HAHAHAHAHAHAHA】
【sos i came here for the love-triangle drama, what the hell is this opening? lololol】
【Director Zou: I SAID TO GUESS THE PERSON! PERSON!!!】
【LMAO classic Jiang Jiang】
Jiang Tao propped her chin on her hand. “Actually, I also mention red bean cream cheese bagels, taro paste sandwiches, coconut toast, and blueberry croissants. Looks like Director Zou edited those out.”
【I just swallowed a mouthful of saliva.】
【Why do I feel like this reaction stream is turning out very differently from what I imagined...?】
After Jiang Tao correctly guessed the caramel chestnut cake, Director Zou had no choice but to have He RanRan walk out carrying the cake.
He RanRan greeted everyone one by one and introduced herself as a loyal viewer of the show.
That much was obvious from her clothes, too.
She wasn’t wearing an elaborate or glamorous dress. Instead, she had gone with a simple, casual outfit, clearly aware of the show’s usual antics.
She had even prepared gifts for everyone.
The pastries were all Jiang Tao had guessed, but these were for the other guests. As for the largest gift, the caramel chestnut cake, that was naturally for Jiang Tao.
The haters immediately jumped in to stir up trouble.
【That cake looks so good. Our RanRan put so much thought into this! Jiang Jiang must be so touched. As expected, our RanRan is the one true love!】
【He RanRan is so shameless! She’s actually trying to seduce Jiang Jiang with food! Xia Xia is obviously the only one for her!】
As everyone knew, shippers were notoriously sensitive, and it was incredibly easy for them to turn into hardcore solo stans over something their bias did.
If things weren’t handled carefully, all three fandoms could end up getting dragged into a vicious war.
Yet Jiang Tao only pondered for a moment before saying, “The caramel chestnut cake really was delicious. The cake itself was so moist, and the chestnut cream was rich but not overly so...”
Hater: ???
You were supposed to be touched, not rate the cake!!!
【Is it really that good?】
【*quietly opens tubereats* u.u】
【wuwuwu I knew it! I really shouldn’t watch anything involving Jiang Jiang while on a diet.】
【Wow! The last dish Jiang Jiang praised was made by a chef who cooks for state banquets. Looks like our RanRan has some serious potential!】
【Damn it! We’ve been outdone! Next time Xia Xia goes on the show, she needs to bring at least two braised pig’s trotters!】
Hater: What is wrong with you people?
Weren’t you supposed to be sensitive, easily-triggered shippers?!!!
