Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

The cameraman was a sharp guy. One look at the innkeeper’s expression told him exactly what she was thinking.

So, he pulled Pei Jin aside and sighed before saying,

”It looks like it’s going to snow tonight, and finding a place to stay will be tough. We two guys can make do in a bathhouse for the night, but since she has a roof over her head, it’s better if she doesn’t come with us, right?”

Pei Jin wasn’t an idiot, either. He knew the show would get much better content if Ni Bingyan stayed here, so he quickly nodded his head.

”Right, right! Bingyan, let’s keep in touch. We’ll come pick you up tomorrow morning.”

The innkeeper heard this and thought it made perfect sense.

Two grown men could hole up anywhere for a night, but a delicate young lady shouldn’t have to struggle to find a place when she already has one.

Ni Bingyan understood why they were saying this and rubbed her hands together, a little embarrassed.

”I’m so sorry to cause you all this trouble. It’s my fault for not preparing. I thought I could just show up and find a place anytime, but I had no idea the tourism industry here had taken off and that it’s peak season.”

”It’s no problem at all. You can’t buy foresight, after all. When you’re traveling, you run into all sorts of situations. We’ll head out now, or it’ll be even harder to find a place.”

After a few more words, Pei Jin and the cameraman left.

Knowing the rest of the crew wasn’t far away, Ni Bingyan wasn’t worried about them. She took a thermos out of her bag, pulled down her scarf, and drank half a cup of water.

”It’s still early, and people are always going in and out of the storage room to get things. I’ll have to wait until later to make up a bed for you. Keep your valuables on you, but you can put your heavy luggage under this counter. Why don’t you come on in and sit for a while? Rest your feet.”

The innkeeper’s offer was clearly well-intentioned. Ni Bingyan accepted graciously, thanked her, and stepped behind the counter to put down her backpack.

The innkeeper tore open a bag of spiced sunflower seeds, pushed half of them toward her, and started cracking them open as she spoke.

”So, where are you from, dear? I saw your camera. Are you here to film our terraced fields in the snow?”

These days, the terraced fields of Wutong County were famous nationwide. To grow the tourism industry while maintaining quality, the county government was very strict.

They not only cracked down on illegal soliciting and price gouging but also put a strong emphasis on public safety and local conduct.

Business owners like the innkeeper were already conscious of their role in protecting the area’s reputation.

Whenever they learned someone was there to film, they became especially enthusiastic.

They just hoped these visitors would help promote their hometown.

Ni Bingyan placed the running camera on the counter. Once she saw she was in the frame, she began to speak.

”I came from Beijing. I’m not necessarily here for the snow, though. I visited once last year but didn’t get to see everything I wanted, so I decided to come back.”

Then, she pointed to the camera to let the innkeeper know, ”I’ve got this on to get some footage. Don’t worry, I’ll only film myself, not you.”

The show had originally planned to livestream, but for the Wutong County episode, their itinerary needed to be kept secret, so they’d scrapped the idea.

Later, if they went abroad, livestreaming would be a toss-up anyway, due to restrictions from internet access and local laws.

’The Iron Triangle will eventually learn about the gap between ideals and reality,’ Ni Bingyan thought. ’They’ll understand that plans can’t always keep up with change.’ So she didn’t bother playing the bad guy by raising objections.

”Haha, I’d love for you to film me! We’re poor out here! Transportation is a hassle, and the government doesn’t have money for publicity. If this gives outsiders one more way to see how wonderful our home is, I couldn’t be more grateful!”

Ni Bingyan quietly adjusted the camera to include the innkeeper in the shot. Then she picked up a couple of sunflower seeds and began to slowly shell them.

As she shelled them, she chatted with the innkeeper. ”Do a lot of people come here to film the terraced fields?”

The innkeeper wasn’t busy and was enjoying the conversation. At the question, she lit up and began to explain enthusiastically.

”You don’t know? The big Huabiao Award winner from last year, *Children of the Mountains*, was filmed right here in our county! Ever since that movie came out and everyone saw our beautiful scenery, people from all over the country have been flooding in. Lao Gua Village has turned into a major tourist spot! I don’t mind telling you, in the past year alone, my little inn has hosted at least fifty different groups of internet celebrities and production crews.”

The woman spread her hands wide as she spoke, emphasizing that she wasn’t exaggerating the number. In front of the camera, Ni Bingyan had no idea what to say, so she just made a few noncommittal ”uh-huh” sounds, hoping to move on.

But the innkeeper was just getting warmed up, growing so excited that she even forgot about her sunflower seeds.

”You know who Ni Bingyan is, right?”

Ni Bingyan’s hand, in the middle of shelling a seed, froze.

She quickly shrank back, pulling her scarf up to the tip of her nose to feel a little more hidden.

”Mmm-hmm!”

The innkeeper was on a roll. Seeing the girl remain quiet, she actually thought it showed a good sense of propriety and liked her even more.

”I mean, who doesn’t know her, right?

”She’s as beautiful as she is kind. Genuinely beautiful! And genuinely kind!

”You might not believe me, but I’ve seen her in person! She even stayed here at my inn for a good long while.

”She loves noodles for breakfast. I’d make her a big bowl of my braised beef noodle soup”—she gestured to show the size—”and she’d drink every last drop of the broth!

”My broth is made with real bones, you know. Her family is in the restaurant business, so she has a real palate! After a while, she knew what my best dishes were!

”While she was staying here, I’d get up early every single morning to make her a bowl of noodles so she could go to the film set with a full stomach.”

Ni Bingyan didn’t remember this at all. Her hands, still holding the seeds, had unknowingly stopped moving.

She didn’t want to be recognized, so even though she’d shelled a small pile of seeds, she hadn’t eaten a single one.

Huddled in her scarf, her voice came out a bit muffled.

”Why are you so nice to her? She’s just an actress, busy with her own stuff all day. And she doesn’t really like talking to people. Everyone says she’s pretty cold and aloof.”

The innkeeper did not like the sound of that at all.

”What do you mean, cold? She’s just busy! She has the softest heart! Some people smile all day and talk a whole lot of nonsense, but when you actually need them to do something? They’re as slippery as an eel, always trying to get out of it. Our Bingbing isn’t like that.

”Last summer, when she was here filming, you know? She was incredibly busy every day, but she gritted her teeth and pulled all-nighters just to finish her scenes so she could make time to livestream and sell potatoes for us locals.

”After all the potatoes were sold, she even did another livestream to teach us how to make a whole potato feast. And she didn’t take a single penny for any of it.

”When she left, everyone went to see her off with gifts. Heh, her car was so packed we could barely shut the doors!”

Ni Bingyan blushed as she listened, feeling the woman was embellishing the story.

’This innkeeper meets people from all over the world every day. How embarrassing would it be if she gushed like this to everyone she met!’

So Ni Bingyan tried to gently correct her. ”She’s really not that amazing. I’m sure she only agreed to help because she had free time. It’s unlikely she made such a huge sacrifice...”

But before she could finish, the innkeeper became visibly annoyed.

”What is your problem? Why do you keep speaking ill of her? I get it, you’re both young women, a little jealousy is normal! But is it that hard to admit someone else is outstanding?! You’d better stop talking like that. It’s really ticking me off!”

If it weren’t for the heavy snow outside and the fact that she was just a young woman, the innkeeper would have thrown her out right then and there.

’And I’m supposed to let her stay in my storage room for free?’

’What a waste of that thick cotton quilt I just fluffed up for her!’

”No, that’s not it. I just think you might be seeing her through rose-colored glasses. You should try to be a little more objective...”

’She’s obviously just jealous, yet she’s trying to act all high and mighty!’ The innkeeper was absolutely livid.

”Go on, get out! My great-aunt is from Lao Gua Village! She saw with her own two eyes how that girl stayed up past midnight filming. Do you think I’m lying?

”And putting that aside, she built a school for the children in my family’s home village! You can’t stand here in my inn and say a bad word about her!

”Get out! You are not welcome here!”

The weather was cold, and the inn had filled up early. To keep anyone else from wandering in, the innkeeper had already put up the ”No Vacancy” sign.

By now, all the guests were in their rooms, leaving just the two of them at the front desk.

The innkeeper was a tall, strong woman hardened by years of manual labor. When she flew into a rage, Ni Bingyan was completely outmatched.

”It’s so warm in here, aren’t you hot?! Hiding your face like that, you’re obviously up to no good! I want to see what you look like! How can you have the gall to slander someone with a clear conscience!”

Ni Bingyan tried to fend her off, but she couldn’t stop the furious woman. In the blink of an eye, her hat and scarf were yanked off.

”Stop, stop, stop!”

When the struggle finally stopped, Ni Bingyan’s hair was a total bird’s nest. She was huddled in the corner of the counter like a frightened quail, looking so pathetic she was on the verge of tears.

’Good thing I’m not wearing any makeup,’ she thought. ’Otherwise, after all that, my lipstick would be smeared all over my face.’

”Huh? Why do you look so familiar?”

The innkeeper, one hand clutching the hat and the other the scarf, stared at her without blinking.