Starlet Taotie Chapter 4
Chapter 4 Curses!
The host quickly wiped his sweat and immediately signaled the staff to take away the snake that had almost become someone’s next meal.
Jiang Tao glanced at it a little regretfully before returning to the challenge platform.
The remaining two Scream Boxes posed no difficulty. She retrieved the coins effortlessly.
At this time Tong Tong had finished purchasing Jiang Tao’s post meal snacks. While waiting for the elevator, she casually checked her phone. The moment she saw Jiang Tao’s name on the trending list, her heart nearly stopped.
Her first thought was: Did jie do something wrong again?!
But when she clicked in, she was confused.
#Jiang Tao manhandles snake#
A 52-second video had already surpassed 500,000 views and was rapidly climbing toward the top of the trending list.
Tong Tong was completely bewildered.
Was that really her artist catching a snake with her bare hands?
Since when did her jie have that kind of skill?!
Tong Tong opened Sweet Orange Network.
The livestream bullet comments were in chaos.
【LMFAO the snake probably didn’t expect it would be in mortal danger on a variety show】
【I can’t with Jiang Tao】
【Is she trying to build a “tough girl” persona? Feels a bit forced 】
【Didn’t Ann Lisa say Jiang Tao was timid? Does her face hurt yet[1]??】
Backstage, Ann Lisa’s expression twisted as she saw the last bullet comment.
Her manager carefully took the phone from her hand and tried to persuade her, “Forget it. It’s already happened. Just let it go…”
“Why should I?!” Ann Lisa stood up in anger.
Back when they debuted at the same time, Jiang Tao had relied on her face to land a commercial and instantly shot to fame, taking the best resources. Meanwhile, Ann Lisa could only take whatever Jiang Tao leftover, the things that Jiang Tao's already rejected.
Unacceptable!
Ann Lisa shot a resentful glare toward Jiang Tao.
At that moment, Jiang Tao was leaning back in a lounge chair while the makeup artist fixed her makeup. Suddenly, as if sensing something, she opened her eyes and looked straight in Ann Lisa’s direction.
The makeup artist was startled and almost drew the lipstick out of line. “W-What is it?”
Just now, Jiang Tao had felt a sharp, almost tangible surge of malice. Unfortunately, it had been too brief, and she couldn’t tell exactly where it had come from.
Pity.
She licked her lips slightly.
Such strong emotions… to her, was a very delicious treat.
Ann Lisa, who was instructing her manager, suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
…
After the commercial break, the second round began quickly.
The game was called ‘Jumping for Donuts’.
The production team hung donuts at different heights using strings. Each team had to wear inflatable costumes and use a trampoline underneath to bounce up and grab the donut using their mouths. Each eaten donut counted as one point.
At first glance, it looked fun, but it was anything but easy.
On a trampoline, it was already difficult to control one’s balance. Add an oversized inflatable costume on top of that, and movement became even more clumsy.
On top of that, the production team wasn’t just watching idly; they would actively interfere with various tricks, seemingly determined not to let the guests off easy.
The guests had already changed into sportswear and put on their inflatable costumes. With their figures completely obscured, the female celebrities could only rely on their hairstyles to compete in terms of appearance.
Compared to the rest, Jiang Tao’s hairstyle was far too casual—just a simple ponytail tied at the back of her head.
While the others were trying every possible way to stand out and show off their beauty, her eyes were fixed firmly on the donuts.
This round required all guests to participate at the same time.
The already small trampoline was now packed with a group of round, wobbling inflatable figures. People kept stumbling and falling over each other, creating a scene that was both funny and slightly tragic.
Let alone snatching a donut, even standing steadily was a challenge.
While most of the guests were still struggling to balance themselves, a figure in a bunny-shaped inflatable costume suddenly shot upward like a cannonball.
With incredible speed, she accurately bit down on a donut in mid-air.
After landing, she didn’t slow down at all. Using the rebound force from the landing, she immediately sprang up again and cleanly snatched another donut with pinpoint accuracy.
That agile posture.
That flowing, effortless movement.
And that perfectly precise little mouth that never missed a bite.
Compared to her, the other guests suddenly looked like clueless groundhogs.
【???】
【!!!】
【What just happened?! Did something just flash past?!】
【WTF where did that entire row of donuts go?!】
【Donut disappearance technique???】
【I demand a replay, I need to see which goddess ate those donuts!!】
Even the production team was stunned.
Was this how you f*cking play this game?!
In the slow-motion replay, everyone finally saw who that little white bunny was.
Jiang Tao?!
By now, she had already finished an entire row of donuts. She licked her lips in satisfaction and immediately moved on to the second row with the same precise efficiency.
At this rate, the second row of donuts wouldn’t even have five seconds of screen time.
It took a short moment before the production team finally reacted.
Don’t kid with me!
This round was originally designed for guests to create comedy moments. They had even allocated a full thirty minutes for it. At Jiang Tao’s current speed, she would probably finish eating in under ten minutes. How were they supposed to film anything like that?!
Fortunately, they had come prepared.
The host immediately announced, “Game difficulty upgraded. Water bombs will be dropped randomly above the trampoline. Anyone hit will be eliminated.”
The water bombs were controlled by staff and would drop every ten seconds.
Now, the guests not only had to jump for donuts, but also dodge unpredictable falling water bombs from above. Every movement became tense and cautious.
Even though they were wearing inflatable costumes, getting hit by a water bomb would still be extremely embarrassing.
In just a short moment, one of Team B’s guests was hit directly.
The impact was like a bucket of water being dumped straight onto his face. The originally handsome middle-aged man was instantly turned into a drenched mess.
Even worse, a wig piece slowly peeled off along with the water.
Too tragic!!
With that example right in front of them, the other guests became even more cautious.
Eating donuts was no longer important. Not getting hit was the priority.
But among them, there was one person whose behavior was completely out of sync with everyone else.
Jiang Tao kept repeating the same rhythm: jump, bite, jump, bite...
As if the water bombs had no effect on her at all.
Compared to the group of guests screaming and flailing around her, she looked like she was participating in an entirely different show.
Fang Yiran glanced at her with envy.
He also wanted to be as comfortable as Jiang Tao, instead of rolling around like a clumsy pig trying to dodge water bombs.
Another water bomb hit a guest, and the splash directly soaked the donut above his head.
Jiang Tao frowned.
A soaked donut would lose its texture. That wouldn’t do.
At that moment, another water bomb dropped.
Right below it was Fang Yiran, who had just fallen over. He tried desperately to get up, but his bulky inflatable costume made it nearly impossible. In despair, he could only shut his eyes and brace himself.
But just as the water bomb was about to hit him, a white figure flashed past.
Jiang Tao twisted mid-motion and kicked the water bomb away with the edge of her foot, just grazing Fang Yiran’s scalp.
The bomb exploded against the opposite wall instead.
【HOLY SHIT!!!】
【That kick was insane!! Jiang Tao is insane!!】
【Curses, I almost fell for her!】
【boohoohoo thank you for saving Ran Ran! jie jie is too cool!!】
Fang Yiran opened his eyes to the sound of screams.
The first thing he saw was Jiang Tao kicking a water bomb away, the huge white figure standing in front of him with an unshakable sense of safety.
For that brief moment, he actually felt a guilty flutter in his heart.
The rules had stated that a water bomb would “hit” a guest to eliminate them. But Jiang Tao had kicked it away entirely, sending it crashing into the wall before it exploded.
So the production team could only grit their teeth and declare her defense valid. She was not eliminated.
In past episodes of “Over Here!”, guests were usually the ones being tormented. This was the first time the production team found themselves completely outmaneuvered.
Many viewers actually felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
But as they kept watching, something felt increasingly wrong.
【All the water bombs are aimed at Jiang Tao. This is obviously targeted elimination】
【Trying to take her out like this? The production team is too petty】
【But…if none of them manages to hit her, wouldn’t that more embarrassing?】
Even the director realized what was happening. He grabbed the walkie-talkie and shouted, “Xiao Chen, what are you doing?! I said to ‘keep an eye’ on Jiang Tao, not to target her alone!”
A stuttering reply came through the walkie-talkie.
“Alright, be more mindful next time.” The director only thought he had misunderstood the instructions and let it go after a few scoldings.
The person on the other end finally breathed a sigh of relief.
In truth, he had accepted a bribe from Ann Lisa’s manager, instructing him to aim the water bombs at Jiang Tao and eliminate her as soon as possible.
At first, he thought it would be easy.
Who would have expected Jiang Tao to be such an anomaly? It was as if she had eyes on the back of her head. No matter how unpredictably he aimed, she always managed to dodge.
In the end, he had gotten desperate and started targeting her relentlessly, which was how he exposed himself.
After the warning, he no longer dared to openly target Jiang Tao.
With the water bomb threat gone, Jiang Tao’s donut-eating spree became even more carefree.
In a corner, Ann Lisa panted heavily, glaring at her with resentment.
She never expected that even this wouldn’t eliminate Jiang Tao.
Watching the entire round turn into Jiang Tao’s solo performance, the thought of her possibly making a comeback through this show made Ann Lisa’s chest feel like it was being fried in boiling oil.
She should have stayed down in the mud forever. She should never be allowed to climb back up.
Once again, Jiang Tao felt that intense wave of malice.
She subconsciously glanced over.
And at that exact moment, a water bomb was dangling precariously above her head.
Ann Lisa thought Jiang Tao hadn’t noticed the water bomb at all, and her heart surged with excitement.
She frantically prayed: Don’t move, don’t move!
As long as the water bomb hit, Jiang Tao would be eliminated.
Unfortunately, things never went as she wished.
Jiang Tao only paused for a moment before turning and jumping in another direction.
Seeing her escape elimination yet again, Ann Lisa lost her patience.
She could no longer care that this was being filmed live. Pretending to lose her balance, she ‘accidentally’ fell toward Jiang Tao, trying to force her into the path of a water bomb.
But the moment she fell, she saw Jiang Tao’s expression.
There was no panic.
Instead, she was smiling.
It was as if she had already seen through Ann Lisa’s plan from the very beginning, like a cat toying with a mouse it was about to catch.
Jiang Tao pushed off the support pillar with her feet, slid backward, then flipped lightly into the air, cleanly passing by Ann Lisa’s side.
For a split second, Ann Lisa felt something slip away from her and she fell into a momentary daze.
Splash!
The water bomb crashed directly onto Ann Lisa’s head, exploding into a wave of water that ruined her carefully styled hair and makeup.
【What is Ann Lisa doing? Is she sabotaging her team?】
【So dumb lol】
Jiang Tao let out a small satisfied burp and narrowed her eyes contentedly.
She suddenly found herself a little fond of Ann Lisa. After all, being able to provide such pure emotional food* was quite rare.
(TLN: Not sure how to translate this properly, but basically Jiang Tao is also able to feed off of a person’s emotions. The line ‘Ann Lisa felt something slip away from her’ should be the moment of feeding)
The water bombs hadn’t caused trouble for Jiang Tao as the production team had intended. Instead, it had conveniently cleared all the other contestants.
Now, only Jiang Tao remained on the trampoline.
【Jiang Tao = emotionless eating machine lelelel】
【Is she going to be the first guest to finish all the donuts?】
【Is she about to set a record??】
【omgomg suddenly I’m hyped up!!】
No one knew who started it, but someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, “Jiang Tao, you can do it!”
More and more viewers were infected by the energy and joined in.
The atmosphere became so heated that anyone who tuned in without context would think they had accidentally entered the Olympics.
After Jiang Tao finished the last donut, thunderous applause broke out.
Even the mischievous sound technician played “We Are The Champions.”
Only Jiang Tao remained completely calm, as if everything had nothing to do with her.
Before she even had time to take off the inflatable costume, the host already pushed the microphone toward her.
“Xiao Jiang, you are the first guest since our program started to finish all the donuts of this game. You’ve set a new record for our show. Do you have anything you’d like to say right now?”
The studio fell silent, everyone waiting for her victory speech.
Jiang Tao licked the crumbs from the corner of her lips. “It’s a bit dry. It would’ve been better if there was something to drink.”
The host: “...?”
Footnote:
[1] Does her face hurt yet - Similar to shooting oneself in the foot or to eating one's words, ‘face slapping (打脸)’ in Chinese primarily means to experience a public contradiction of one’s words or to be proven wrong in a humiliating way. It is a popular slang term used for exposing hypocrites or when arrogant boasts result in failure. This term gets used a lot, which is why I didn’t want to make an inserted note, but in case there’s a newcomer reading, this is for you xD
