What To Do If The System Forces You To Exercise

This…we're going to start acting? Just like this? Wen Jiexi nervously glanced at the people around her and while some were calmly assessing the situation, most people were confused like her. 

However, at this moment, Bai Wei took out two boxes with holes on the top and pointed at them, 

"Come, come and draw a number. Your role will be on the back. Alright, don't just sit there, hurry up and draw."

With no other choice, Wen Jiexi walked forwards with the others and drew a ball with the number 8 on it. On the back, her role is a「Seriously Ill Patient」.

"Ok, now that everyone has picked a number, let's begin. Number one, you're up." Bai Wei moved to the open space in the back and waved. A young girl in a western-style dress hesitantly walked forward, 

"Please begin your performance."

"Huh? But…but there aren't any scripts…." The girl said in a puzzled tone. 

"Child, a superior actor can act at the drop of a hat and no matter the circumstance. This is called improv, do you understand? Acting is not a 'just for fun' profession. However, if you merely want to be a decoration, then please leave now. I will not stop you." Bai Wei was still smiling, but Wen Jiexi could feel the teacher's gaze sharpen as her eyes swept across the rest of the class. 

Wen Jiexi felt her heart pound, she never expected this class to be so…demanding. She had thought the teacher was going to slowly explain the basics of acting and not directly order them to perform. She contemplated her own topic, just how should she interpret her character?

The first girl's role was quite simple and all she had to do was act like a princess. However, as the first one to go on stage after Bai Wei's pointed words earlier, the girl's limbs were stiff and awkward as she moved about. There was even a little bit of trembling here and there. Halfway through her performance, Bai Wei stopped her and called her back to the group. Bai Wei then gave her a harsh critique, telling her what parts she was lacking in and what parts needed improvement. By the end of it, the girl was almost in tears as she fled to the back of the group. 

The following performers were a lot calmer and although their expressions and bodies were still quite stiff, they did not act as miserably as the first girl. Wen Jiexi watched them carefully, and after some observation, she realized that there was no logic to the roles, just a myriad of random roles. Some were playing elderly people, another a woman selling vegetables, a general, and even a royal concubine. The large diversity of roles seemed to have touched upon every single topic out there. 

"Number 8, it's your turn."

"Yes, yes!" Wen Jiexi promptly made her way to the center of the open space, 

"Uh, I'm number 8 and I'll be performing the role of a seriously ill patient."

After saying so, Wen Jiexi didn't hesitate to directly lie down onto the ground with her eyes closed. After a little while, her eyes slowly fluttered open. Her face did not have the usual energy and vitality a young person should have but was full of the serene calmness of someone who accepted their fate. She slowly propped up her body and pulled aside a nonexistent quilt as she looked up at something far away….

"The weather is good today too…." She looked down at her hands and gently rubbed them together.

"When will I finally be able to go outside…" The expression on her face was full of yearning but soon faded, 

"It's better to stay here obediently…lest my family worry…."

"Ok, that's good enough." Bai Wei clapped. 

"Thank you." Wen Jiexi stood up, slightly bowing. 

"The acting is not bad, however, there wasn't anything new added to the character. Although you were able to portray the mindset of a seriously ill patient and extend that feeling to the audience. Alright, next!" Bai Wei didn't pay attention to Wen Jiexi and only made a few notes on her clipboard before calling up the next person. 

"Huu…." Wen Jiexi retired to her original spot, her tense nerves calming back down. As for the role she just played, it can be said she had real-world experience on the subject matter. Although previously her illness wasn't as terminal or deadly as other seriously ill patients, she had the same wants and desires of them. She had yearned for the sun, and to feel it against her skin as she ran outside below its warm rays. That had always been her wish, a desire she always had. However, she would probably be only able to play this role once, seeing as everyone's roles were different. She couldn't keep relying on her experiences, she must find a way to improve her skills. 

And so the two-hour class ended. Li Lingmeng was already waiting for her around the corner with Xue Molin standing beside her. The two of them walked over when they saw Wen Jiexi coming out. 

"So, how was it?" Xue Molin was the first to open her mouth.

"It was more difficult than I thought." Wen Jiexi smiled bitterly. 

"That's a given. After all, people with Little Su's talents are rare. However, if you want to get that role you must become a master. I asked for Master Zheng to give you a proper test later and then from there we will see what you need to practice. Your character's weapons are not simple. Fighting, Jiexi! Good luck." Xue Molin encouraged her and patted Wen Jiexi on the shoulder. 

"Little Meng, why is your face so sour?" Wen Jiexi glanced at Li Lingmeng who was carrying a stack of papers in her arms while a sour expression adorned her face. 

"Wuwuwuwu...there are so many things I have to memorize. Other than teaching me how to be an assistant, I have to memorize all the information in our company and also the status and dynamics of other entertainment companies. That's a lot of information." Li Lingmeng said with a distressed face. One must know that there were hundreds of artists in Xingle alone and they were divided into many categories. Not to mention artists in other companies…that broad range of knowledge was hard to learn all in one go. She also had to understand important scandals are matters among certain artists so as to not inadvertently offend someone when you meet them. This networking was extremely complicated. 

"Every assistant had to do the same. If you wish to be Jiexi's assistant, then you must thoroughly know every single person that interacts with her and understand them in depth. Of course, you do not have to actually memorize every single artist's family up to the 18th generation or anything. That's impossible. Your teacher just gave you complete information but you have to choose which one is useful enough to memorize." Xue Molin patted Li Lingmeng's head. This little girl looks intelligent, but why is she so naive when it comes to this?

"Ah, so that's how it is!" Li Lingmeng looked down at the pile of materials in her hands and thought about which documents she should return. 

"Alright, come on, let's eat lunch first." Xue Molin dragged them to a restaurant near the company. They asked for a private room and after ordering a few dishes, Xue Molin placed a tablet in front of Wen Jiexi. 

"Take a look, this is the official account we registered for you. Also, because you shot that commercial before, it seems you already have a small fanbase."

Wen Jiexi looked at the Weibo account in front of her and the username 「Wen Jiexi (V)」was on the screen. Her account already had tens of thousands of followers and in her profile description, there was only one line that said, 'Please take care of me.' with a link to the HIOC commercial. Her profile picture was a screenshot from the commercial. It was a bare profile but already, there were many comments below. 

'Eh, I've seen this person before! So it turns out her name is Wen Jiexi!'

'Whaaa! Her basketball skills are the real deal! Look at that three-pointer!'

'She's rather pretty, I'm following her.'

'Eh, Fox Xue is taking in a newcomer? Looking at her pretty face, I'm following too!'

'Is what you said true? Fox Xue is returning to the fray?' 

...….

"Fox Xue?" Wen Jiexi looked up at Xue Molin and then back down at the tablet. 

"Of course that's me!" Xue Molin proudly puffed out her chest. 

"Other than me, who else deserves to be called Fox Xue?"

…Indeed, she resembles a fox…..a cunning fox….

"How did they know that I'm an artist under you?" Wen Jiexi asked. 

"That's because I'm following you!" Xue Molin clicked on her followers' list and there was 「Xue Molin (V)」among them. She clicked on it and they were taken to Xue Molin's page. Her account had millions of followers and, compared to Wen Jiexi, she was a mega bigshot. In addition to her personal photos in her profile, her latest status update stated she was taking on a newcomer and that newcomer is Wen Jiexi. 

"Later on Li Lingmeng will also need a Weibo. It's also better to separate your official account from your private one. As for your username, the assistant can choose whatever name they want so you can think about that later. When you do choose one, we'll announce it on the official forums. Also, Jiexi's current Weibo account is too empty. As you are not so well-known yet, we have to upload some photos to make up for it."

After thinking about it, Xue Molin suddenly leaned into Wen Jiexi's side and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. 

Ding! 

The tablet lit up for a brief moment and Xue Molin quickly typed something on the screen. Soon enough, a new photo appeared on Xue Molin's feed. 

#eating dinner with the cute little newcomer! # photo

'Whaaa! A new photo!'

'Who is this little sister? So beautiful!!!'

'Replying to the comment upstairs: it appears to be the new artist Fox Xue took in.'

'Eh, look at how her mouth is slightly open as if she was frightened by our Fox Xue. Whaaa! Hahaha! Like a sheep in the fox's den!

'A sheep in the fox's den +1'

'A sheep in the fox's den +2'

'A sheep in the fox's den + here's my 「ID」please follow me!'

"Hehe, that's more like it!" Seeing the reactions in the comments, Xue Molin nodded in satisfaction. Suddenly a notification of a certain username liking her picture caused her to shout out, 

"Goddamn!" 

The sudden excitement from this shout caused both Wen Jiexi and Li Lingmeng to stop eating as their eyes moved over to her, 

"Cough, cough….what's wrong?" Li Lingmeng patted her chest and poured herself a sip of water to wash down the food she almost choked on. 

"Little Su liked my picture." Xue Molin said in disbelief. One must know that other than reading the comments, Su Chenyu left everything else regarding her account to Wang Anyi. Even if she reads Xue Molin's profile or status messages, she usually wouldn't reply. However, today she actually likes something on Xue Molin's Weibo! The film princess first like is mine?! Whahahahaha! I suddenly have a feeling of being pleased with myself! 

Wen Jiexi and Li Lingmeng's eyes widened. Sister Xue's Little Su = Su Chenyu = Goddess Su!

Just like the three of them, the internet also exploded…

'F*ck me! Have my eyes gone bad or was that Goddess Su?!!'

'No, your eyes haven't gone bad, I saw it too!'

'There is evidence! There is evidence! (picture link)'

'This is the first time Goddess Su liked someone else's photo! Is this for the newcomer or for Fox Xue?' 

'I bet it's for the newcomer. Fox Xue has posted so many photos before and this was the only one she liked!' 

'What kind of deity is this newcomer?!'

'I must take a look at this newcomer!'

'I must take a look +1'

'I must take a look +2'

'I must take a look + here's my 「ID」please follow me!'

They returned to Wen Jiexi's account and found that a large number of people had followed her. The originally less than twenty thousand followers suddenly rose to the extent of hundreds of thousands of followers. From this one can see the extent of Film princess Su's power as just a single 'like' was enough to rally so many supporters,

"Jiexi, Jiexi! There is a yellow mission!" Dango yelled excitedly. 

What's the content?

"For every one million followers the contractor gains, 5,000 points will be given. However, for every 100,000 followers, the contractor loses, 3,000 points will be deducted. Furthermore, as long as the contractor stays in the entertainment industry, this mission is repeatable for an unlimited amount of time!"

The rewards are great! Wen Jiexi's eyes lit up. Although she was a newcomer and still a long way from the one million followers goal, it was almost impossible for her to lose 100,000 fans all of a sudden. After all, she is not some bigshot with millions of fans who could lose a bunch at once. She was not afraid of something like that when she still hasn't even reached one million yet!

Accept it! 

"Ok!" Dango replied. 

'Alright, Jiexi, we're going to have to properly run your Weibo. During your test later, I'll ask Master Zheng first, but we're going to take some pictures of you! Ah, Little Meng, if you have any photos on your phone, don't hesitate to contribute them." Xue Molin chuckled darkly, a mischievous look flashing in her eyes. 

Meanwhile, on the other end, Lin Yunxi stared anxiously at Su Chenyu who was leisurely scrolling through her phone while lying down on the sofa. 

"Little Su, this isn't right. What if something goes wrong, how are you going to explain yourself out of this mess?" Lin Yunxi nervously rubbed her hands and kept looking at the door. She knew that whenever a public figure does anything, it will be blown out of proportions and especially for someone with Su Chenyu's status. The paparazzi just couldn't wait to catch Su Chenyu in a scandal. After all, a star with a clean record just means that one can make a big profit if they find even a whiff of a scandal.

In the past, Little Su would only read through the comments made by the fans and nothing else! Why did she have to press the like button today? What kind of effect will this cause? 

Long ago, a first-rate star had done something similar where his hand accidentally slipped and ended up liking a post. The post just happened to be related to animal cruelty and when found out, he was condemned by the public. He even had to arrange a press conference and publicly apologize but he still lost so many followers and fans after that! Ahhhhh! Little Su, you can't do stupid things like that!!!

"Relax, this is nothing." Su Chenyu said lightly, a satisfied expression on her face when she read the netizens' reactions on the internet. At this moment, the door opened. 

"What's with that satisfied expression on your face?" Wang Anyi stormed in with a frown. 

"Sister….Sister Wang…." Lin Yunxi whispered softly. 

'Yunxi, didn't I tell you to look after Little Su? Why did you allow her to press that like button!" Wang Anyi scolded. 

Lin Yunxi: QAQ! The phone is in Little Su's hand, even if I was the fastest person alive I wouldn't be able to stop Little Su's finger! 

"It's alright, Sister Wang. Since I've already pressed it, there is nothing you can do to fix it. Anyways, it's just a photo." Su Chenyu propped herself up and grabbed the packet of cookies on the table. 

"Just a photo? How can it be just a photo, you know how she…." Wang Anyi began but was interrupted by Su Chenyu. 

"Sister Wang, she is only a small-time newcomer and has nothing to do with what happened back then. Furthermore, Wen Linshu asked me to take care of her and I see nothing wrong with this small show of support. What you are doing is bringing up your personal issues into this. Whatever personal problems you and Agent Xue have is your mess to deal with." Although Su Chenyu's expression was still indifferent as usual, Wang Qnyi felt a heavy pressure pulling her down. This side of Su Chengyu was only revealed when someone was crossing her bottom line. 

"…I have overstepped my boundaries." Wang Anyi said bitterly. 

Lin Yunxi frantically looked back and forth between the two. 

Unaware of the storm going on at Su Chengyu's place, Xue Molin happily took Wen Jiexi and Li Lingmeng out to visit the various food stalls and stores so they could take some pictures. 

Wen Jiexi patted her belly. She had eaten a lot and was already full as she looked at the bowl of shaved ice in front of her. She really couldn't eat anymore, even after Li Lingmeng had helped her eat half of it. She was currently in a half-dead state. 

"Sister Xue, is it really necessary to keep taking pictures of me eating food?" Wen Jiexi poked at the desert beside her. 

"Yes, of course, it is. In any case, you're the type that doesn't get fat easily, right? So setting up pictures of you eating is the easiest thing we can do." Xue Molin shook the phone in her hands and showed her the screen, with each photo having a caption underneath it. 

"I'll upload one or two photos a day for you."

"This…does it have to be me eating food…." Wen Jiexi mumbled, she felt all of this was quite silly. 

"Okay, then let's cooperate together as the fans said. A sheep in the fox's den, you wear a sheep costume and then I wear a fox costume. Apparently, dressing up as cute animals seems to be quite popular nowadays, and there are stores everywhere selling those types of pajamas, we should be able to get a set quite easily. I don't mind cooperating with you and sacrificing my reputation a little." Xue Molin smiled crookedly. 

But….I mind?

Wen Jiexi leaned back: "I guess, I'll settle for being the foodie instead…

"Hehe, that's better! Besides, being a foodie is the best! Oh! You can't waste any food if you can't finish it, we can take it home with us!" Xue Molin waved her hand.

Can you take ice home? Wen Jiexi looked at the big bowl of shaved ice in front of her. On top of the ice was an assortment of taro, tapioca, red beans, mung beans, and all sorts of ingredients. If Wen Jiexi was still hungry, maybe she'd be very happy, but right now? She felt like vomiting instead. Who will come and save me?!! QAQ!

Half an hour later, Xue Molin dragged the two half-dead creatures to their cottage, 

"Alright, we're home. I am very content with today's meal! And since I paid for everything, I believe you two should be satisfied as well. Remember to exercise after eating, you should probably run on the treadmill. Even if it's hard for you to get fat, you should exercise just in case."

Eh….you're the devil….

"Okay then, since there are no other activities scheduled today you guys can take a break." Xue Molin said as she started to leave. 

"Wait…wait…." Wen Jiexi struggled to stand up as she stopped Xue Molin from leaving. 

"En? Do you still have questions? I'll inform you of tomorrow's schedule if you want." Xue Molin turned and raised an eyebrow at Wen Jiexi. 

"N-no, I just wanted to ask if there is a way for me to improve my acting at home. I don't have much time to practice in class and so I wanted to practice during my free time." Wen Jiex resisted the urge to vomit and asked. 

"Heh…." Xue Molin rubbed her chin as she looked at Wen Jiexi and then walked upstairs. She became back down with a mirror and a laptop, setting them down in front of Wen Jiexi. Then she arrived in front of the TV and inserted a hard disk. Immediately the TV turned on and started playing a drama with Su Chenyu starring in it. Xue Molin pointed at the TV and then at the laptop which she proceeded to insert another hard disk into. A script appeared on the laptop's screen,

"You've probably watched this one before. Su Chenyu had played many roles and every script for every film she was in is on those files you see on the laptop. Now, I want you to study the script while studying Su Chenyu's expression and then try it yourself with that mirror. However, I don't mean for you to imitate her after all your temperament and your skills are completely different. You need to bring out that same outstanding acting but with a different feeling to it. Just try it for now and have Lingmeng help you out. Study the script together and you watch her while she practices. Good luck to you and I hope you'll see some good results."

Xue Molin walked out the door with a smile and then suddenly turned back to say, 

"I forgot to mention earlier, but the grocery store should be delivering the papayas today! Make sure to answer the door!'

Bang! 

The door slammed closed…

"I need to….my stomach…" Li Lingmeng stumbled into the kitchen while patting her stomach.

"Give me some medicine too!" Wen Jiexi called out behind her. 

After the two restored their health, they started studying the scripts. The two tediously worked and even directly fell asleep on the couch. 

The next day, Xue Molin honked outside but she received no response. She could only let herself in and walked into the living room to find the two girls sprawled across the floor. Scattered around them were pages of notes, and from this one could tell they were very serious about all this. 

Xue Molin's expression was a little completed. She had thought that Wen Jiexi was a relative of the President and so should be a rather spoiled young lady. Maybe she would've given up eventually and decided to become merely a decoration. If she relied on the President's status and her beautiful appearance, it would definitely be easy for her to walk that path. However, as she watched them work and their current state right now, Xue Molin understood that Wen Jiexi is not a pampered girl and was serious about entering the entertainment industry. Yet, even if her impression of them has changed, they will have to continue to endure. For most artists, a lot of them don't even sleep for days on end to prepare for an audition and even fainted from the exertion. What the girls have done so far was nothing compared to that. 

Clapping her hands, Xue Molin picked up the scattered pieces of paper and yelled, 

"Get up! Get up! You've overslept!"

"Wuuuuahhh!"

"Whaaa!"

The two girls jumped and their sleepy eyes were now wide open, 

"Wuu….my neck hurts…." Li Lingmeng wailed while clutching her neck. 

"My eyes hurt…." Wen Jiexi's eyes were a little swollen and looked bloodshot. Anyone could tell she was crying earlier. 

"Hey, hey, don't rub it! Grab a hot towel and gently press against it!" Xue Molin stopped Wen Jiexi's hands and extended her other hand towards Li Lingmeng's neck. A moment later, a clear snapping sound could be heard and a scream rang out in the room. Xue Molin impatiently slapped Li Lingmeng's head, 

"Alright, stop screaming already! You're fine now! Hurry up and get dressed, we have to go to the company soon!"

"Oh, it really is better now! There's no pain anymore!" Li Lingmeng tested her neck and then ran out of the room. 

"For goodness' sake." Xue Molin cracked her knuckles and then yelled up at the stairs, 

"You have ten minutes!"

"Ok!"

"Understood!'

Xue Molin walked into the kitchen and searched in the refrigerator. She took out two eggs, some ham, and some lettuce. Then she washed the vegetables and quickly boiled them, fried the eggs and ham, and put some toast into the toaster. She then took out the pre-sliced papaya and dumped it into the juicer with some milk. After blending it, she poured it into the waiting cups. Then finally she grabbed the toast and made sandwiches out of the fried eggs, ham, and lettuce.

When Wen Jiexi and Li LIngmeng came back downstairs, they saw plates of delicious-looking food and papaya milk waiting for them. With widened eyes, they looked at the charming Xue Molin and then at the breakfast on the table. They couldn't believe she made this with her own hands, it was just too amazing!

"Well, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and eat! It's a five-minute drive to the company and another five minutes to get to the classroom. You only have 10 minutes to finish breakfast." Xue Molin leaned against the wall, her arms crossed as she raised her wrist to look at the time.

"Hurry up and eat! 

"Yes, thank you, Sister Xue!"

"Hurry." Xue Molin wandered into the living room, looking at her watch from time to time and at the two people who were gulping down their food at the table. She sighed softly in her heart. Before she would never willingly enter the kitchen and her family prepared everything for her. But…for her, she had worked hard to learn how to cook and yet…she will never have the opportunity to show off in front of her again. Never would she think it would benefit these two little ancestors instead! [1] She didn't know if she should laugh or cry…even if she did know that I had learned cooking for her, I bet she'll just look at me with a mocking expression. Xue Molin tightly shut her eyes and in the next moment she opened them again, she returned to her usual state and shouted, 

"Ok, time's up! It's time to go!"

"Ok!"

"Coming!"

T/N notes:

[1] little ancestor: a term that essentially means 'brat' 

When Bai Wei used the word 'decoration' the Chinese slang written down translates directly to the word 'vase'. The slang in Chinese means someone who looks pretty on the outside but has nothing substantial on the inside.