Ch 16: The Cannon Fodder Won’t Play Along Anymore [QT]

For more than a week, Mu Xing hadn’t done anything except livestream picking persimmons. He’d become an oddity among all the streamers on Yunduo Video.

He didn’t shill products for others, didn’t try to “manage” his fandom, didn’t put on performances or tricks to please viewers — he just quietly picked persimmons. Yet somehow, a huge group of loyal fans tuned in every single day. His popularity was higher than many actual celebrities who had officially joined Yunduo Video.

It wasn’t as if no other streamers tried to copy him, but even Mu Xing himself felt his sudden fame was baffling — it just couldn’t be replicated.

That afternoon—

“I’ve got good news for everyone: this year’s persimmon sales for our Xiaoxi Village are already completely solved. Thank you for your support.” Mu Xing wiped his sweat and jumped down from the tree, his happiness obvious to anyone watching.

[No wonder it told me ‘out of stock’ when I tried to order just now.]
[Nooo, I was just about to buy more.]

The persimmons had sold out quickly — partly thanks to Mu Xing’s consistently high-traffic livestream, and partly because more and more people were posting photos online after receiving the first batch.

His super-topic used to be full of entertainment-industry fans and gossip. Now it was nothing but persimmons.

If a passerby clicked in, they’d never guess it had once been dedicated to a fresh-faced idol.

“We’ll get all the persimmons packed and sent to everyone as soon as possible,” Mu Xing said to the camera. Just then, a fellow villager helping out walked past, and Mu Xing greeted him.

Over the past week, these helpers had often appeared on camera. Viewers were familiar with their faces now — but today, their focus was elsewhere:

[I’ve been watching every day for over a week — everyone’s been out under the blazing sun picking persimmons, and everyone’s gotten two shades darker… except the streamer.]
[I was going to say the same thing — how are you still this pale after all that sun?]
[If I hadn’t seen you livestream from dawn to dusk, I’d never believe someone could stay white without tanning.]
[I heard he doesn’t even use sunscreen!]
[As someone who’s tried every whitening method without success, I’m crying.]

Mu Xing glanced at the chat, saw all the questions about whitening, and shook his head. “No tricks, I’m just naturally fair-skinned. Early to bed, early to rise. Plus the mountains and water here are good for the body.”

Once again, he praised his hometown: “Since I came back home, I’ve been feeling much healthier overall.”

[Jealous, jealous.]
[Does nature really nurture people like that? Can I go stay in Xiaoxi Village for a while?]
[Wake up — look at Uncle Fang and Uncle Zhao, do they look any different from us?]

[Xingxing, do you ever think about MRC?]
[As an MRC fan, I really miss the days when you were all together.]
[You guys were so close — is there no chance of a reunion?]
[We’ll call your manager garbage for you, just please come back!]

Suddenly, the stream was flooded with similar comments, leaving Mu Xing momentarily stunned.

Other viewers were confused too:

[What’s MRC?]
[I know, I know — it’s the boy group Xingxing used to be in, right?]

[Do you want to return to the industry? I’d support it — I want to see you shining under the spotlight again!]

“Why are you all asking me that out of nowhere?” Mu Xing was bewildered, then shook his head. “I’ve said this many times — I have no intention of returning to the entertainment industry. I don’t want to be a celebrity. I wasn’t happy back then.

If you like me, you can watch my livestreams here, but please don’t bring up that topic again. Thank you.”

[Alright… we get it.]
[But will you ever have a reunion with the other members?]
[Yeah, you were such good friends — even if you’re not in the group anymore, you’re still close, right?]
[We really want to see all four MRC members on the same stage again.]

Mu Xing was baffled.

He had no idea what they were talking about.

Frowning, he asked outright, “What exactly are you all saying? I don’t understand a word of this.”

Something felt off. Since it was about time for a lunch break, he told the viewers, ended the stream, and headed down the mountain.

On the way home, he asked Liu Xue, “Brother Liu, has there been any news about me online lately?”

Liu Xue nodded. “Yeah — not just you, even our Xiaoxi Village persimmons hit the hot search every few days.”

“…Oh,” Mu Xing replied.

Back home, after a shower, his neighbor Aunt Xiu brought over lunch. She’d had back surgery last year and couldn’t pick persimmons, so she and a few other women cooked for everyone working in the hills.

After thanking her, Mu Xing logged into Weibo on a side account and started searching his own name and “MRC.”

By the time he finished reading, he understood.

They were trying to use his name for clout.

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