For the second episode, the production team arranged for a renovated three-entry courtyard as the studio. The equipment and tools were placed in the first entry courtyard, while the recording location was set up in the main hall of the second entry courtyard. Naturally, the guests stayed in the east and west wing rooms.
The main hall featured a soft, spacious U-shaped sofa with a square coffee table in the center. On the first day of moving in, assistant director Chen Kang and three groups of guests each sat on one side to hold a temporary meeting. Due to the production team’s overly dramatic operations, the atmosphere was quite awkward, especially since they were immediately faced with a serious issue…
“How do you plan to allocate the two wing rooms for the three groups of guests? Are you just pulling off these ridiculous moves without considering logic?” Sitting cross-legged, Su Ran tossed the courtyard layout plan onto the table and laughed sarcastically. “Or are you planning to cram a last-minute guest into the side rooms?”
Lu Huanjin smiled calmly and responded with ease, “Truly a classic move from our dear Ran Bao. At a time like this, the first thing you care about is my accommodations. It really brings back fond memories of the time we used to eat and live together. So nostalgic! I think the east wing can accommodate two more people comfortably. How about reliving the old days?”
Disgusted to the point that his hair stood on end, Su Ran flatly refused without hesitation: “Cut it out. Who are you? I don’t even know you!”
“How can you say you don’t know me? Don’t forget, you once said that if I were a girl, you’d definitely marry me. We’re practically family!” Lu Huanjin shamelessly revealed this little piece of history without blinking.
Having his embarrassing past brought up, Su Ran turned green and cursed: “Stop talking nonsense! Even if you changed your gender, it’d be too late. My family doesn’t want demons or ghosts!”
The top star group and the investor group happened to be seated close by. While Su Ran and Lu Huanjin were still bickering and trying to disgust each other, the older Lu leisurely leaned over and asked Su Weisheng quietly:
“Hey, little grandmaster, if our family is willing to marry into yours, would you agree to let Huanjin join your family?”
Su Weisheng lounged lazily on the cloud-like sofa, enjoying the drama. When he heard Old Lu’s words, he even seriously pondered for a few seconds before saying, “If your family can provide a dowry, Zhaocai can marry into your family and even take your family name, Lu.”
Huh? This exchange instantly grabbed everyone’s attention. Even Sunny, who had been pretending to be invisible in a corner, poked his head out along with his cat to eavesdrop on the gossip.
Old Lu pressed further, “Are you serious?”
Su Weisheng countered, “Do I look like I’m joking?” His current mindset was that he wouldn’t mind listing the “money-losing grandson” on a second-hand platform to recover some losses.
Hearing this, Old Lu excitedly gave him a thumbs-up. “As expected of Ran Ran’s guardian—so open-minded. Then it’s settled, my family will provide the dowry…”
“Hey, you two, that’s enough!” With a darkened expression, Su Ran interrupted their backstabbing antics from the rear.
A collective sigh of regret echoed through the room as they missed out on the continuation of the juicy gossip.
The top star glared at everyone.
The crowd, acting as if nothing had happened, quickly shut their mouths and pretended they weren’t eavesdropping.
Su Ran righteously reminded them, “We’re supposed to be discussing room assignments right now. Be serious!”
Su Weisheng silently chuckled but didn’t expose his great-grandson’s embarrassment. He lazily remarked, “Didn’t you all carefully read the schedule the production team sent? Besides the east and west wing rooms, there’s also the rear chamber in the third courtyard. Anyway, I’m staying in the east wing. You can figure out the other two yourselves.”
Su Ran’s first reaction was to tell Lu Huanjin to move to the rear chamber. Unexpectedly, Sunny, who usually went unnoticed, suddenly shouted, “I’ll go!”
Everyone turned to look at him in unison.
Under their gaze, Sunny froze, his pale earlobes shyly turning pink. He quietly shrank back and lowered his voice further and further: “I mean, I’ll stay in the rear chamber. My fellow guest agrees, too.” While speaking, he even lifted his cat’s paw.
The white British Shorthair cat, compelled to cooperate, extended its dark paw pads with a soft “meow” to express agreement.
Lu Huanjin declared, “Then it’s settled. I’ll take the west wing.”
Grinding his teeth, Su Ran begrudgingly accepted the arrangement, unable to change the outcome.
With the room assignments finalized, the assistant director resumed planning: “This episode will not only feature changes to the living environment but also adjustments to daily life. First, to ensure everyone treats the courtyard as a home for the month, guests are not allowed to bring assistants to help. The cleaning of the front and rear courtyards must be resolved through mutual cooperation.”
What? No assistants allowed? The guests were in an uproar.
Chen Kang continued, “Furthermore, there will be no assigned chef this time, so guests must cook for themselves.” Mid-sentence, he could feel death glares coming from all directions. Yet, he braced himself to announce You Sui’s directive: “Guests may order takeout occasionally, but since this location is quite remote, delivery options are limited. Moreover, a curfew will be in place after 10 p.m…”
Lu Huanjin laughed in exasperation. “With all these rules, are they trying to force us to cook for ourselves?”
Su Ran, his face darkened, gritted his teeth and retorted, “Look at us—do any of us look like we know how to cook?”
While the younger ones were questioning the production team’s logic, the cunning older generation had already whipped out their phones, quickly devising solutions.
Old Lu, seizing the opportunity before nightfall, promptly ordered dinner takeout. He also made sure to include a few buckets of instant noodles for late-night snacking. After all, both father and son were hopelessly inept at domestic tasks, and this was their best solution.
As he placed the order, he couldn’t help but think about their “future in-law”, Su Weisheng. Just as he was about to ask what Su Weisheng wanted to eat, he noticed him calmly scrolling through videos on his phone. “What are you doing?” Old Lu asked curiously.
Su Weisheng replied leisurely, “I’m buying a few cooking classes for Zhaocai—something basic enough to learn at the last minute, like simple home-cooked dishes.”
Su Ran: “…” Why is it always me who gets the short end of the stick?
Old Lu was utterly impressed.
Since two elders and one cat were among the six guests, the cleaning duties were rotated among Su Ran, Lu Huanjin, and Sunny. However, the cooking situation remained unresolved, eventually devolving into everyone doing their own thing, eating separately, and minding their own business.
And with that, the impromptu meeting concluded. The show would officially begin the next day.
After everything was settled, the socially anxious group was the first to slip away. Su Ran and Lu Huanjin, the pair of sworn enemies, left the sofa from opposite sides in perfect unspoken coordination. Su Weisheng got up, ready to leave as well, but Old Lu quickly scribbled his phone number on a piece of paper and handed it to him, whispering mysteriously:
“In-law, let’s add each other as friends when you go back—it’ll make it easier to stay in touch. We can discuss the dowry later, but rest assured, our family is absolutely sincere about welcoming Ran Ran into the family!”
Su Weisheng took the paper without batting an eye, nodded at him, and gave a calm, no-problem look.
Su Ran was waiting at the door. As soon as he saw his great-grandfather coming out, he eagerly followed behind, cautiously whispering, “Great-grandfather, what did Lu Huanjin’s dad say to you just now?”
Su Weisheng answered with perfect composure, “He wants to buy my shares.”
“Buy shares?” Su Ran thought for a moment. It made sense, considering his great-grandfather’s recent viral success online, making a fortune through stock investments based on his “wealth mole”. Lu Huanjin’s father, Lu Rong, was a well-known investor in the financial world, and discussing stocks seemed perfectly reasonable.
Thinking about Old Lu, Su Ran remarked regretfully, “I’ve interacted with that uncle a few times. He’s a pretty kind man—it’s a shame he has such a shameless son like Lu Huanjin.”
Su Weisheng agreed, “Indeed, he’s a good person—except he has a habit of buying stocks destined to hit the limit down.”
Su Ran was puzzled, “Buying stocks that’ll hit the limit down?”
“Maybe it’s his personal preference,” Su Weisheng replied. “I’m still deciding whether to sell to him.”
Without fully grasping the underlying meaning of his great-grandfather’s words, Su Ran earnestly advised, “You should clarify everything before the transaction—don’t scam him.”
Su Weisheng gave his clueless great-grandson a meaningful look. “Absolutely,” he said, before disappearing into the east wing.
Su Ran, still as gleefully oblivious as ever, followed behind, happily trotting into the room. As he walked, he curiously asked, “Great-grandfather, is divination really that magical? Su Ning only predicted that we’d end up living with Sunny, but you just glanced at things and accurately foretold that the three groups would end up living together today. That’s amazing!”
Su Weisheng stepped into the east wing’s living room and replied leisurely, “It wasn’t divination.”
Su Ran froze in confusion. “Huh?”
Su Weisheng pulled out his phone, waved it casually, and looked at his great-grandson like he was an idiot. “Of course not. That little drama queen told me in advance that they didn’t renew their contract for the second season and went off on a honeymoon instead. Yesterday, when the assistant director called to ask what photos Sunny’s team chose, I knew the director was up to something shady again, tricking even the staff.”
Su Ran was dumbfounded. “…Damn!”
Su Weisheng patted his great-grandson’s head and reminded him to start learning to cook since dinner would depend on him. Then, he calmly returned to his room to rest.
Meanwhile, the impeccably dressed investor father-and-son duo were eating dinner in the dining room. Due to the limitations on takeout options, their meal was overly simple. Without batting an eye, Lu Huanjin picked up a piece of unsightly stir-fried pancake and slowly chewed it.
Old Lu sighed deeply and lamented, “At this hour, I should have been at a banquet, sipping wine and chatting with my business partners. Instead, here I am, participating in some ridiculous show, eating a seven-yuan bowl of salty, overly seasoned stir-fried pancakes.”
Unperturbed, Lu Huanjin calmly reminded him, “Dad, you’re here for Su Ran, not me.”
“As if you’re not here for him,” Old Lu scoffed. But the next moment, his eyes lit up as he glanced at the doorway. Raising his hand enthusiastically, he greeted, “Ran Ran! Ran Ran, you came to eat too? Uncle will order takeout for you!”
Su Ran paused mid-step as he headed toward the kitchen, realizing he’d been caught before even reaching his destination. He twitched the corner of his mouth and tried to maintain his composure as he calmly declined, “No need, Uncle Lu. I can cook. I’m making dinner for Great-grandfather.” With that, he threw a mocking glance at Lu Huanjin, who was eating stir-fried pancakes, and then turned to leave.
Old Lu admired Su Ran’s retreating figure as he entered the kitchen, sighing with pride. “Our boy has grown up—so filial and even knows how to cook. Truly heartwarming.”
Listening to his father’s fan-like praise, Lu Huanjin twitched the corner of his mouth and dryly reminded him, “Dad, that was clearly boasting.”
Old Lu refuted, “No way! Don’t maliciously defame my idol, alright?”
Ten minutes later, the smell of burnt food wafted out.
Old Lu: “…”
Twenty minutes later, Su Ran’s furious voice echoed, “I refuse to believe this—I can’t even cook a single dish?!”
Old Lu: “…”
Thirty minutes later, still no dish that had been successfully cooked. But Su Ran received a tip-off from Xiao Bai that Su Ning had arrived. The top star celebrity immediately tore off his apron and stormed out into the courtyard, only to meet Su Ning, who was dressed in casual clothes and radiating calm composure, along with Su Nan, who carried boxes of gourmet takeout behind him.
Su Ran asked irritably, “Who told you to come?”
Su Ning replied cheerfully, “It’s Great-grandfather’s first day moving in, so I came to warm up the house. I heard the production team dismissed the chef, so I specifically sent Su Nan to Songyuan Residence to buy dinner. Here, let’s eat together.” He confidently shared the meal with the air of a victor.
Su Ran responded coldly, “I personally cooked Great-grandfather’s dinner. We don’t need your useless act of goodwill.”
“You cooked it yourself?” Su Ning glanced at the flour and seasonings covering Su Ran, raising an eyebrow. “Cousin, it’s fine if you have issues with me, but making Great-grandfather eat your disastrous cooking just to compete for his favor is too much. Serving the elders is our duty as juniors. If you can’t do it well, naturally, someone else will. Step aside, and don’t make Great-grandfather suffer with you, you ungrateful grandson.” With that, Su Ning unceremoniously pushed Su Ran aside and entered the east wing, with Su Nan carrying the dinner following closely behind.
Su Ran was dumbstruck by the exchange. He turned to Bai Songyin and asked, “Did I make Great-grandfather suffer?”
“Uh…” Bai Songyin wanted to say no, but couldn’t bring himself to when thinking about the kitchen disaster. He ultimately gave a gentle suggestion: “Brother Ran, the dinner he brought today is from Songyuan Residence. I checked—the cold brew tea alone costs over ten thousand. This meal is worth at least thirty thousand; it’s a standard we really can’t achieve by cooking ourselves.”
“Only thirty thousand? It’s not like I can’t afford it!” Su Ran instinctively pulled out his phone but soon put it back with a sigh. For someone who used to be worth billions, it would have been easy. But after producing flop films, paying breach-of-contract fines, and generally sabotaging his career, he genuinely couldn’t afford it now.
Feeling overshadowed by Su Ning, he sat on the stone steps in frustration, starting to reflect. “Did I really make Great-grandfather suffer with me?”
He thought it over carefully. Ever since he returned from the mountain after paying respects and bringing back Great-grandfather, he realized he had never voluntarily handed over any support money. Even when it came to debt collection, it was always Great-grandfather who figured out ways to get the money from him—only made possible because of his own reckless behavior.
Later, to help him pay off debts, his Great-grandfather, a legendary high priest, had to accompany him on variety shows. As a celebrity, he didn’t mind the attention, but for someone of Great-grandfather’s stature to endure public commentary and scrutiny…
If it weren’t for the unfilial descendants, why would Great-grandfather awaken to such a humbled situation?
And now, he couldn’t even cook a proper meal. He truly had no grounds to stop other cousins from showing filial piety to Great-grandfather.
Frustrated, Su Ran scratched his head. Growing up, he had little interaction with his parents and didn’t really know how to get along with others. Even after living with Great-grandfather, he would simply follow instructions without much independent thought. Now, comparing himself to Su Ning, he suddenly felt woefully inadequate as a junior.
This realization sent his mood plunging to rock bottom.
Seeing the usually arrogant and rebellious top star looking so downcast, with his tense jawline even betraying a hint of grievance and confusion, those around him exchanged bewildered glances, feeling as if they were dreaming.
Lu Huanjin stood silently by the door, observing. After some time, he walked over, bent down, and gave Su Ran a light poke. With his usual smile and a teasing tone, he said, “Ran Bao, want me to lend you some money to help you show filial piety to Great-grandfather?”
Su Ran glared at him. “You? Being that kind?”
Lu Huanjin pulled out his phone and transferred ten thousand to Su Ran, teasingly saying, “Call me ‘Dad,’ and I’ll transfer you money as much as you want.”
“Get lost!” Su Ran immediately returned the money and blocked him. “I can earn money on my own—I don’t need you mocking me, you punk!” With that, he stormed off, grumbling curses, while Bai Songyin quickly chased after him.
Lu Huanjin stayed rooted in place, quietly watching Su Ran’s retreating figure. After a while, his gaze lowered slightly, accompanied by a faint sound of disapproval, “Tsk…”
Old Lu strolled out casually, taking in his son’s demeanor before remarking, “Stop pretending like you’ve got it all figured out. You’ve long forgotten how to get along with him properly. Admit it—some things back then were your fault, and stubbornly clinging to your pride won’t fix anything.”
Su Ran would never accept help from his rival.
Fuming, Su Ran rushed back to his bedroom. He turned around to see Bai Songyin’s concerned expression and raised his eyebrow slightly, saying, “Don’t worry. Your Brother Ran isn’t someone who’d be defeated so easily by a random cousin like Su Ning! He did have a point, though—I shouldn’t make Great-grandfather suffer because of me. But that doesn’t mean only he can give Great-grandfather a better life!”
“If he can do it, I’ll do it even better!”
Reinvigorated, Su Ran regained his fighting spirit and immediately texted his agent, notifying them that he was ready to take on advertising deals. He even searched his phone contacts for the directors he had blocked before—those who offered high prices for a theme song but refused to let him be the lead actor. The former top star, who had once been determined to act, had resolutely rejected them in the past. But now, driven by his need to earn money to show filial piety to Great-grandfather and outshine Su Ning, he messaged each of them:
—Send the deposit. I’ll deliver the theme song within a month. If you’re interested, respond quickly.
The renowned directors: ???!!!
What?! This isn’t some elaborate April Fools’ joke, right?
In no time, the top star’s few messages sent half the entertainment industry into a frenzy.
#Have you heard? The top star finally got his act together and returned to work—for the sake of supporting his Great-grandfather!#
Meanwhile, Su Ning was having dinner with Great-grandfather.
Having figured out the reason for his mere 70-point score, Su Ning’s respect for Great-grandfather deepened. At the same time, his desire to earn Great-grandfather’s favor grew even stronger.
Su Weisheng took a bite of squirrelfish to taste, then glanced at the cherry pork beside it. “Everything’s sweet?”
Su Ning gave an embarrassed smile and explained, “Maybe it’s because I like sweet flavors. Su Nan packed a typical menu from Songyuan Residence based on my preferences, but I’m not sure what flavor you like. Next time, I’ll make sure to ask beforehand.”
“No worries, my palate is quite diverse—I can eat anything.” Su Weisheng didn’t mind and gave a knowing smile as he commented, “Makes sense. Your branch of the family has a sweet tooth, after all.”
In his family, the eldest son loved spicy food, while the youngest adored sweets. These preferences seemed to have been inherited.
Su Ning casually added, “Not everyone in our family likes sweet flavors. For instance, my dad doesn’t. But what’s interesting is, according to him, most of the successful children in our family over recent generations have had a sweet tooth. Maybe it’s some sort of mysticism.”
Talking about family seemed to energize him as he enthusiastically said, “By the way, Great-grandfather, after our last conversation, I waited until my old man was in a good mood and got him drunk with a few bottles of wine. Then I snagged his keys and opened the forbidden room once to see if there were any family secrets I wasn’t aware of…”
Su Weisheng swallowed the cherry pork and asked, “So what did you see?”
“The forbidden area is filled with tombstones—every family head and elder is buried there. There’s nothing else, just a desolate place,” Su Ning replied. His eyes flickered with excitement, and he added, “But being the clever person I am, I still managed to discover something new through those tombstones…”
He paused dramatically before dropping a shocking revelation: “I discovered that my grandfather might actually have come from the womb of my great-grandfather, Su Laiyin.”
“Cough—!!” Su Weisheng was caught off guard, choking a few times in surprise. While he’d long suspected that his youngest son’s method of continuing the lineage might be unconventional, this claim seemed a bit too unconventional.
Startled, he asked, “Are you certain?”
Su Ning spread his hands lightly, adopting a casual tone: “Not certain. I just saw that on the tombstones of my grandfather and my granduncle, under the ‘parents’ section, only my great-grandfather, Su Laiyin, is listed. Both parents are him—no one else is mentioned. So I’m guessing my great-grandfather might have given birth himself.”
When it came to gossip about ancestors, Su Ning showed absolutely no restraint, letting his imagination run wild without an ounce of psychological burden. His tone even carried a hint of mischievous glee as he speculated further: “My dad’s still alive, so there’s no tombstone yet. But honestly, do you think it’s possible that my dad might also have been born by my grandfather himself? Could it be that all descendants in our family were self-birthed by the males?”
Filial piety—top-tier, mind-blowing filial piety indeed!
If the great elder Su were to hear his son speculating about him in such a way, he’d probably pass out on the spot, allowing Su Ning to confirm how many names would actually show up under the ‘parents’ section of his tombstone.
Su Weisheng shook his head as he looked at Su Ning, the self-proclaimed filial son. The discovery was indeed strange, and after a moment of contemplation, he analyzed, “It doesn’t necessarily mean self-birth. It could involve some kind of family secret method, or perhaps there’s a special reason why the mother’s name can’t be recorded. All of these are possibilities. By the way, why are you so excited about this?”
“If your branch of the family really has been self-birthing, doesn’t that mean your dad gave birth to you? And what about the future—are you supposed to give birth to one yourself?” Su Weisheng asked sharply, hitting the crux of the matter.
Su Ning’s mischievous smile froze instantly, as he suddenly thought of a serious question—he had truly never seen his mother. His father had once told him that his mother passed away due to complications during childbirth.
Thinking about it now… It was deeply unsettling and downright horrifying. Su Ning’s demeanor faltered.
But just at that moment, his mischievous Great-grandfather went in for the kill: “Ning Ning, if this is truly how your branch continues the lineage, then there’s no helping it. Someone has to carry on the line. Since I can’t rely on Zhaocai, it looks like I’ll have to count on you to ensure the bloodline continues.”
Su Ning: “…”
