Just a few seconds later, Xu Gui suddenly realized: Wait a minute, why am I feeling guilty? I clearly did a good deed, shouldn't everyone be praising me?
Thinking this, her back, which had slumped slightly due to guilt, straightened again.
She thought confidently: That's right, humans should praise me! The fact that
humans didn't praise me is their fault.
Xu Gui was indignant, Xu Gui felt wronged.
She glanced at the three people in front of her and muttered, "Didn't you humans say that as long as you do good deeds, you'll be praised? But I clearly did a good deed, why didn't you praise me, and instead suspect I did something bad?"
She muttered, ostensibly speaking to the cameraman, but her eyes were fixed on the two police officers, the expectation in her eyes almost tangible, the meaning completely self-evident.
That's right, Gui Gui was seeking praise! And it was a blatant, not-so-subtle attempt to get praise—in the past, whenever she did something good, the elders would shower her with compliments.
Xu Gui was always happy to be praised.
So, this was the praise she deserved, why shouldn't she get it?!
Seeing Xu Gui's expression, her fans in the live stream couldn't help but waile:
[!! Praise her! You guys better praise her as much as you can!! Have you guys ever quit drugs? How can you not praise her?!]
[Aww, baby, you're a sweet, soft, and pouty little bread roll, Mommy loves you to death!!]
[So cute, who understands? Mommy fans' hearts are melting at this scene!]
[??? What's going on in this live stream? The atmosphere wasn't like this last time I came. Before, a bunch of people were hurling insults at Xu Gui, calling her a slut and a homewrecker, saying she'd be forever blacklisted? Now, what's with all this "Mommy" stuff on the screen?]
[Bullshit!] My baby would never be a mistress, I believe there must be a reason.
[Ignore them, these women are crazy, they've gone from being Xu Gui's haters to being her mom fans.]
[You don't know anything! Our Gui Bao is so cute, look at that little face, like a glutinous rice ball.]
[Looks like you really are crazy...]
[6, Xu Gui actually has fans? You've lived long enough to see everything.]
*
Xu Gui's bright eyes glanced expectantly at the three people in front of her.
"...Ah, of course! Miss Xu, your actions absolutely deserve high praise." The police officers were the first to react, and she said in an exaggerated tone, "Your reaction was so timely, if it weren't for you, Mr. Li's family would definitely be in danger."
Another police officer also said, "That's right! If it weren't for Miss Xu, things would have been much worse today. Miss Xu, your actions completely deserve a banner!"
Their tone was very exaggerated, sounding unreal, but Xu Gui believed it, her lips curling up high, visibly delighted.
After her initial excitement, she silently glanced at the paparazzi.
The paparazzi: ...So you're saying I didn't praise you?
The paparazzi, somewhat amused and exasperated, clapped his hands, saying, "Yes, yes, yes, you did a fantastic job!"
Xu Gui was visibly happy; she was easily appeased.
Since it was all a misunderstanding, the two police officers didn't linger. Only Xu Gui and the paparazzi remained. The Li family of four had already been taken to the hospital by ambulance.
"What do we do now?" the paparazzi asked Xu Gui. "Should we go to the hospital to check on Mr. Li and his family?"
Xu Gui: "...No, I need to go back and rest." "
?" The paparazzi: "But it's only 2 PM."
The paparazzi earnestly advised, "Your popularity has just started to rise; shouldn't you strike while the iron is hot and keep pushing forward?"
Xu Gui replied seriously, "I've worked so hard these past two days! So, I should reward myself and rest for half a day!"
The paparazzi:
*
Xu Gui meant it. She returned to the overpass and neatly packed up her stall.
"What time is it? You're already closing up shop?" The old man glanced at the time.
Xu Gui replied, "I've been working so hard these past few days, I need to take a break."
The old man, hearing this, was like: ?
You mean sitting there waiting for customers to come in and then ripping them off?
Just then, Xu Gui sniffed, her gaze falling on the table in front of the old man, and asked, "Old man, what are you eating?"
"Mung bean cake..." the old man answered first, then frowned and said, "Don't keep calling me 'old man, old man.' I'm your elder, it's so impolite of you to call me that."
Xu Gui: ...But I'm older than you!
However, remembering she was only twenty-three, she thought for a moment and obediently said, "Then what should I call you?"
The old man pondered for a moment: "...Grandpa?"
He felt a chill run down his spine as he said this, and said, "Just call me old man." At least it sounds better.
Xu Gui nodded, "Okay."
She picked up her chair and said, "Then I'm leaving."
"Wait." The old man called after her, pulling a pair of disposable chopsticks from the table and pointing to the snacks in the lunchbox, "This mung bean cake was made by my grandson, would you like to try it?"
Hearing this, Xu Gui's face lit up with surprise, and she quickly moved closer.
"Really? Really, can I try it?" she said, not refusing at all, very enthusiastically, "Then I'll try it!"
She felt that there was a saying among humans that was very true: if you're not enthusiastic about eating, there's something wrong with your thinking. In the Xuan Turtle clan, she was usually the most enthusiastic eater. Now that she was human, she was even more enthusiastic about eating than before. After all, humans were really amazing, with so many delicious foods!
However, as a turtle who had just left her clan and arrived in human society, Xu Gui's culinary experience was quite limited. She had previously thought instant noodles were the best, then fruit salad, but now…
chewing on a mung bean cake, Xu Gui declared, "I've decided, mung bean cake is the best thing in the human world in my heart!" Well, only temporarily, as she didn't know what delicious food she would eat next.
Xu Gui exclaimed, "Grandpa, mung bean cake is so delicious!"
Watching her eat, the old man couldn't resist picking up another piece and putting it in his mouth, wondering suspiciously: Is it really that good?
After finishing it, the old man only thought: Hmm, it still tastes the same as before. But his grandson's cooking skills were truly excellent, comparable to their family's professional chef. If he didn't become a CEO, he could probably start a business from scratch by setting up a roadside stall.
Xu Gui ate two mung bean cakes and then stopped. It wasn't that she was being coy, but the old man's lunchbox only had a few left, and she couldn't let him eat them all.
"Next time I have something delicious, I'll bring it for you too!" she told the old man.
Old man: "Alright, then I'll be waiting for your delicious food."
Xu Gui smiled and nodded, then picked up her stall items and left.
She had planned to take a nice bath and get a good night's sleep when she got back to the hotel. However, she hadn't expected to encounter an uninvited guest in the hotel lobby.
Her manager… that's what the other person said.
Xu Gui rummaged through her memories; she didn't remember much about him. Aside from his initial pleasant demeanor, the images that appeared most often in her memory were his impatient and irritable expression.
Upon seeing Xu Gui, his first words were: "Who told you to stop broadcasting so easily? Do you know how much viewership you'll lose?"
His irritation was palpable from the moment he spoke, filled with impatience towards Xu Gui.
Xu Gui was still trying to figure out what kind of person this was when she felt his overwhelming hostility.
Xu Gui: I'm sure of it. Regardless of anything else, he's definitely not a good person.
Xu Gui didn't speak, and the agent wasn't surprised. He was already used to Xu Gui's silence. In his eyes, Xu Gui was a stupid and dull person who listened to whatever others said and didn't seem to have any concept of "thinking."
If it weren't for her pretty face...
the agent thought, and said, "I have something to tell you. Let's go to your room first."
Xu Gui's slightly round eyes looked him up and down. The agent felt a little awkward under her gaze. He couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong, but he felt that Xu Gui seemed to have changed.
"Okay," Xu Gui said, and still led him upstairs.
Seeing this, the agent chuckled inwardly, thinking: I must be crazy to think this person has changed. She seems just as obedient as before.
...
Xu Gui led this person who was nominally her agent to her room.
The agent looked her up and down in the room and commented, "...Your room is really small." His tone was somewhat disdainful.
Xu Gui looked at him and asked, "What do you want to tell me?"
When it came to business, the agent's expression finally became much more serious, and he was finally willing to look at Xu Gui properly.
"Tonight, go to Qiu Nai's room and have the paparazzi take pictures of you knocking on his door!" the agent said matter-of-factly.
Xu Gui: ?
"Why?" She looked at the agent in confusion.
The agent rolled his eyes and said, "What do you mean why? I'll tell you what to do, so do it, understand? Do you still want to make money? Do you still want to help your orphanage?"
"If you want to make money to help your orphanage, then listen to me! I'm your agent, would I harm you? Don't worry, as long as you listen to me, I guarantee it's only a matter of time before you become famous. By then, the money you earn will be enough to support not only your orphanage, but two orphanages!"
The agent was full of confidence, waiting for Xu Gui to agree.
Normally, if he said that, Xu Gui would agree whether he wanted to or not. But he didn't expect that this time, his tactic wouldn't work. He heard Xu Gui retort,
"I'm not going. Go yourself!"
This time, it was Xu Gui's manager who was questioning him. He looked at Xu Gui with shock and confusion, and blurted out, "
Why aren't you going?"