Because she had to meet with a reporter today, Song Wuli spent a little extra time on makeup to avoid being recognized.
Not only did she darken the skin tone on her face, but most parts of her body were also darkened.
She curled her eyelashes slightly to add a touch of charm.
She also applied eyeliner to look more mature.
In short, she made herself look a little uglier, like she usually did.
Yao Ruoning’s character was that of a short JK girl, looking about sixteen or seventeen years old, with decent looks—enough to be considered a pretty girl.
Her character image was akin to a typical “loser” second-female lead in anime.
Her looks were just slightly worse than the heroine.
After heavy makeup, the difference between her and Yin Lin’s look today was even greater.
At most, she could only be called a pretty girl who slightly resembled Yin Lin.
Anyone familiar with her probably wouldn’t notice any change today.
After all, they saw Yao Ruoning every day and were used to her look.
Wearing casual clothes and layered wigs, she arrived at the milk tea shop.
From a distance, she could already see people lining up, along with local TV station staff conducting interviews at the door.
That reporter was a familiar face—often seen on local TV.
What was his name again?
Oh right, Yu Wubo.
Seeing the main character arrive, the cameraman, quite experienced, immediately started filming Yao Ruoning walking into the milk tea shop in her casual outfit.
During this time, Yu Wubo continued interviewing people in line outside, digging into the origin and rise of the shop’s popularity.
He was a seasoned reporter, good at building narrative and atmosphere.
Once Yao Ruoning had changed into her cosplay outfit and walked out from the back room, the cameraman quickly shot footage of her stepping into position behind the counter through the large glass door.
Through the glass, there was a sense of dreamy beauty—or voyeurism, depending how you looked at it.
After Yao Ruoning had worked for ten minutes, and the cameraman had filmed enough footage of her at work, reporter Yu Wubo finally came in.
He started with a close-up of Yao Ruoning behind the counter.
But there was a problem—Yao Ruoning was too short.
The cameraman had to hold the camera high up just to get a proper shot.
Pretty tiring.
Seeing the girl up close, Yu Wubo couldn’t help but marvel.
She really looked like the character—especially the height.
Practically a perfect match.
Sensing it was about time, Yu Wubo signaled the planted actor, who nodded and got ready.
Then Yu Wubo began the interview.
He started with a short self-introduction, talked about the street, the shop, and shot some customer footage.
Then, with his back to the bar where Yao Ruoning stood, he said:
“The reason this place is so popular is largely thanks to the sharp business sense of the store owner. He…”
The cameraman kept signaling for him to change position.
Yao Ruoning was just too short—there was no way to get the reporter, the bar, and Yao Ruoning all in one frame.
Yu Wubo immediately got the hint.
He continued speaking as he moved to the side, where the bar was more visible in the shot.
The cameraman gave an OK sign and kept filming.
After wrapping up the basic info, Yu Wubo made a signal.
The planted actor understood immediately and stood up, walking toward the bar and shouting:
“Meeting far from home, enjoying deliciousness together!”
Yu Wubo quickly explained:
“Here, customers and staff aren’t just buyer and seller. They’re more like friends. A simple and warm phrase connects them all…”
Blah blah blah.
Then the real interview began.
Yu Wubo asked:
“Hello, we’d like to ask you a few questions—is that okay?”
Microphone held up to Yao Ruoning.
“Sure.”
Yu Wubo: “What’s your name?”
“Yao Ruoning.”
“Young lady, how old are you?”
“Under 40.”
Yu Wubo chuckled: “Quite a funny girl. How long have you worked here?”
Yao Ruoning continued cutting lemons as she replied: “Less than a year.”
Yu Wubo wiped his sweat and gave an awkward smile.
He started wondering—maybe they didn’t pay her enough? This girl didn’t seem easy to handle.
But his expression quickly returned to normal.
A professional reporter must know how to keep cool.
Next question: “Do you like this job?”
Yao Ruoning thought for a moment and nodded: “Quite like it. I wish I could live here.”
Yu Wubo looked pleased and followed up:
“Is it because this job brings people closer, helps them appreciate the value of life, offers hope and happiness? That’s why you chose this job—by cosplaying magical girl Yin Lin, you let people feel how approachable magical girls can be?”
Yao Ruoning looked at the smiling Yu Wubo.
She thought for a moment—didn’t understand what he was saying.
Shook her head: “Nope. Just ‘cause the boss pays well.”
“Uh…”
Reporter Yu Wubo looked embarrassed for a moment but quickly recovered.
He continued: “So you chose to cosplay magical girl Yin Lin because you admire this symbol of destruction and hope?”
Yao Ruoning shook her head again: “Nope. Like I said—boss pays well. Couldn’t say no.”
Yu Wubo signaled the cameraman: Cut this part.
Cameraman gave an OK sign.
He understood.
Then the reporter switched to easier questions, like: what did she think about this street becoming a well-known anime culture hotspot?
She answered: “Otaku money is super easy to scam.”
He asked: Did she have any words of encouragement for the milk tea shop?
She replied: “Hope it doesn’t die so fast. Be nice if it lasts a bit longer.”
Yu Wubo was now sweating like crazy.
The more he talked, the more he felt something was off.
This girl was too hard to deal with.
Was she really here to vent because the payment wasn’t enough?
But then he looked into her sincere eyes—and didn’t think that was it.
Yao Ruoning, at this moment, felt pretty proud.
She had answered most questions honestly.
This 70,000 yuan—earned with a clear conscience.
She didn’t lie to make money.
Didn’t sell her body to make money.
She made this money through honesty.
Proud!
The interview ended quickly.
The reporter left and had a long conversation with the store manager outside.
No one knew what they were talking about, but the manager’s face looked pretty bad.
Yao Ruoning only worked one hour at noon.
She left on time and went back to the company.
Coming down from the rooftop, she sensed something was off the moment she entered the office.
A few younger employees were secretly working—hunched over, scribbling marketing copy.
Whenever someone came in, they’d stop immediately and pretend to be taking a break.
The afternoon flew by, and the younger folks kept up this weird vibe.
After work, they left right on time.
Only three old guys stayed behind to work overtime.
Huang Yijun suddenly came over and started chatting with Song Wuli:
“Hey, Old Song, we’ve known each other for years, right? I’ve always looked after you, haven’t I?”
Song Wuli: “Yeah, what’s up?”
Felt like Huang Yijun had something to say.
But he kept beating around the bush.
Kept chatting, talking about daily life, rambling about astronomy, geography, military affairs, politics…
Chatted like this for about ten minutes—topics were getting spacey.
Then suddenly, Huang Yijun dropped this line:
“Oh right, Old Song—lend me some money.”