【Whoa, am I seeing things? Why do I see the top star wielding the sword so handsomely when swinging it? Is this even scientifically possible?】
【I still remember in “The Legend of the High Priest”, his fight scenes were all done with slow motion plus CGI. Was he acting as me back then?】
【It’s great-grandfather! Great-grandfather taught him!! Ahhhh, last month there was a trending topic saying Great-grandfather found a master to teach Ranbao acting, swordsmanship, and training—it’s true! It’s really true! Our Ranbao has made progress!!!】
【Wasn’t it said that the two of them are mortal enemies? When Lu Huanjin got into trouble, Su Ran’s expression was way worse than when he got the Golden Broom Award.】
【Didn’t Lu Huanjin say sorry? Whoa whoa whoa, those two definitely have something going on!】
【I’m crying out loud. Those who didn’t live through the Ruby audition era won’t understand how close they were back then.】
Ten minutes later, the chaos gradually settled.
The family doctor at the old castle was bandaging Lu Huanjin’s wounds. Fortunately, he hadn’t fallen all the way down, so he only suffered some superficial injuries. All this was thanks to the top star’s quick action that prevented a disaster.
However, it was precisely because the rescuer was the top star that it felt especially shocking.
At this moment, everyone sat around Lu Huanjin’s bedroom, their eyes darting strangely between the two of them. Finally, a staff member came upstairs and broke the awkward silence, sighing, “Mr. Su’s martial arts are really impressive. We thought that the monkey who got knocked down would definitely run away, but your strike hit right at the vital spot. When he fell, his head actually burst open…”
Su Ran still hadn’t recovered. He instinctively looked around for Su Weisheng’s figure, “Great-grandfather, I…”
Su Weisheng smiled softly and affirmed, “You have come into your own.”
The top star was stunned, not with the proud and triumphant expression expected, but rather somewhat at a loss for how to respond.
Su Weisheng said, “Zhaocai, this month-and-something special training was not in vain. Look, you smoothly passed through your tribulation.”
Su Ran didn’t understand, “My tribulation was because that fool got hit by a monkey?”
“That’s for you to dig out the truth yourself. Not my business,” Su Weisheng said with an implied meaning.
Su Ran looked at Lu Huanjin, who was wrapping his bandages, full of suspicion. Suddenly, he realized something: “Did you just apologize and admit your fault?”
Seeing him about to get riled up and challenge him again, Lu Huanjin didn’t respond with their usual teasing and provocation. Instead, he answered straightforwardly, “Yes, I apologized.”
Su Ran looked at him, shocked and doubtful.
Su Anyao, watching the awkward and strange behavior between the two, couldn’t hold back his urgent question, “What’s wrong with you two? Clearly, you care about each other so much, why can’t you just clear up the misunderstanding?”
“There’s no misunderstanding. It’s my fault,” Lu Huanjin sighed.
It was like he had undergone a great awakening after a calamity. Or perhaps finally confirmed that the other person still had him in their heart, he finally let go of all pride and arrogance and calmly and honestly told that part of the past.
Lu Huanjin came from a good family. His father was a well-known investor in the financial world. But even a refined, well-educated noble son had his rebellious youth. Back then, he accidentally and unknowingly joined the Ruby boy group audition just to try something different, becoming a backup member.
He and the leader, Su Ran, had completely opposite personalities.
Su Ran was unruly and rebellious, terrible at studying, bad-tempered, low in emotional intelligence, easily losing his cool, but had an exceptional stage talent and a voice that could sing like heaven’s melody.
Lu Huanjin was gentle and refined, excelling academically and socially since childhood, with a good character that made working with him a breath of fresh air, but his singing was poor and his stage performance barely passable. His only possible advantage was writing good lyrics.
Two completely different people, yet they ended up playing together, so close that no one could separate them.
Lu Huanjin smiled and said, “Actually, I’m two years older than Su Ran, but he always felt like he was the leader, my protector. Back then, my skills weren’t good, and I was often mocked. So he would glare like a little lion defending his pride and go looking for fights. Because of that, he got a reputation of bullying team members. No matter how we tried to explain later, it just didn’t clear up.”
Su Ran heard this and snorted disdainfully, turning his face away while stubbornly insisting, “Protector, my foot. I just felt sorry for you and dealt with it casually.”
Lu Huanjin smiled at him, his voice growing softer, “Right, because you felt sorry for me, you stayed up late at night dragging me to practice dance, correcting my singing tone note by note. Even though you could’ve easily won the championship solo, you insisted on teaming up with me, even if it meant lowering your own score…”
No one expected these two to have such a romantic side, and everyone was amazed.
The live comments were already flooding wildly.
【Only old Ruby fans remember how real Lu and Su were back then.】
【Whoa whoa whoa, their relationship was so good, how did it end up such a mess later?】
【Lu fans are stunned.】
【Little sparks are stunned, too.】
Yeah, how did such a good relationship fall apart?
Lu Huanjin faced his mistake calmly. He said, “There was less than a week until the finals. I betrayed him, betrayed the promise between us, and silently withdrew from the competition.”
Su Ran sneered, his mockery clear without words.
Su Anyao was shocked, “What were you thinking?”
Lu Huanjin sighed and said, “A week before I withdrew from the competition, I talked with Su Ran about our visions for the future. That’s when I learned he had a dream of becoming an actor. But since he wasn’t formally trained and had never acted before, he only started singing after being persuaded by the manager. His dream was that once he became a big star, he could freely choose whatever roles he wanted to play.”
“I didn’t want to be a burden that kept him from winning the championship, so without consulting him, I took it upon myself to quietly withdraw. I wanted to tell him I was going back to take over the family business. Once I became a famous investor, I would invest in his films and shows one by one, so he could act in whatever he wanted.”
Grant was bandaging the wound while curiously asking, “And then? Didn’t you explain to him why you withdrew?”
Lu Huanjin looked at Su Ran and smiled bitterly, “I wanted to explain, but he wouldn’t accept it. He blocked me and treated me like a mortal enemy. I thought, if we can’t be friends, then being enemies is fine, too. When he drifted farther away, he’d still occasionally turn back to mock me—that at least meant he still remembered me. So…”
Everyone nodded with meaning, “Oh~”
“What the hell do you think I could accept?” Su Ran suddenly roared angrily. He stood up and glared fiercely at Lu Huanjin, his chest heaving violently with rage. “If you wanted to compete, compete! If you wanted to quit, quit! Did you ever ask how I felt? Do you know what I was doing at the time? I was not only practicing singing but also demanding that He Heng keep you!”
He ground his teeth and said, “Back then, the company had already made up their minds: even if I brought you to win the finals, they would eliminate you in the end. I asked you what your dream was. You said you wanted to walk this path with me. Because of that one sentence, I signed a 20-year death contract with the company’s top management. A full twenty years!”
Lu Huanjin stared at him, stunned.
Obviously, he had no idea about this.
Su Ran sneered, “I even signed the contract just to keep you here, and you, traitor, ran away. What face do you have to see me again now?”
“Whoa…” Everyone was stunned by this last bombshell.
【Holy shit holy shit holy shit】
【I always thought Su Ran stayed with the company all these years despite the drama because he had feelings for the agency—turns out he signed a twenty-year contract】
【Top star really lives up to his “no brains” persona. Who signs that kind of contract in advance? Clearly got screwed over. Tsk, suddenly feeling a bit sorry for him.】
【I-I thought he just enjoyed being the one who carried the whole team, the thrill of being the solo caregiver, debuting on the spot with six useless members】
【Both of them walked into a cage and trapped themselves for the sake of each other’s dreams, offering up flowers exchanged for freedom, only to end up tearing each other apart because they never learned to talk. I’m devastated】
【Su Ran probably never had feelings for any other team member. He gave them all to President Lu, and President Lu didn’t hold on】
【Fun fact: Top star lost his parents early, had a really tough life, never had a proper education, or experienced warmth. So for Lu Huanjin, it was the first time he learned how to care about someone…】
【No wonder he clung to Great-grandfather so desperately—anyone who competed for affection, he bit. He’d already lost once because of his innocence, so he couldn’t bear to lose a second time】
【Great-grandfather, please be good to Ranbao. He has only you in his world (tears)】
The live chat was blazing hot, but at the scene itself, things fell into a dead silence after that last line. What had seemed like a lighthearted comedy now, upon closer reflection, turned out to carry a touch of heartbreak. For a moment, everyone sank into a shared heaviness.
Su Anyao looked at Lu Huanjin, who was now clearly shocked and at a loss, then turned to Su Ran, whose thin lips were pressed tightly together, his side profile tense and cold, as if pushing everyone a thousand miles away. It was obvious that this hidden truth was a painful scar he found hard to speak of.
Thinking this, she let out a soft sigh. If Su Ran’s world didn’t have Great-grandfather in it, then he really had nothing left. No wonder he couldn’t accept Lu Huanjin, who had once betrayed him.
This CP was just too tragic.
Lu Huanjin clearly felt the same way. He stared fixedly at Su Ran, his voice slightly hoarse and helpless: “I… I didn’t know you did so much for me…”
Everyone collectively sucked in a breath. Just imagining the kind of deep wounds hidden under the top star’s seemingly carefree exterior made their hearts ache with sympathy.
But then—
Su Ran suddenly let out a loud “Ha!”, raised his brows, and grinned with a look of smug confidence: “Trying to compete with me on who gave more? You lost, didn’t you? This round, I win for sure!”
He looked so proud, as if he didn’t see himself as pitiful at all. On the contrary, he was brimming with pride over winning the “sacrifice contest” against Lu Huanjin.
That unbeatable drive to win.
The room fell completely silent.
Lu Huanjin’s guilty expression turned blank. The emotional atmosphere vanished in an instant—there was just no salvaging it now.
“So that twenty-year contract with the company… It’s real?” someone asked.
The top star was still riding his high: “Of course it’s real! Thank god I gave more back then, or else how could I beat him now?”
Su Anyao broke down: “What’s there to compete about? You two gave so much for each other and still completely misunderstood each other’s feelings… You lost all those years. Don’t you regret it?”
“What’s there to regret?” Su Ran looked genuinely confused, replying righteously: “We didn’t miss each other all these years. We fought every day, didn’t we? Even if we didn’t debut on stage together, we’ve always been in each other’s worlds, never really left.”
Lu Huanjin clearly agreed with that. He nodded slowly. “That’s true.”
Everyone: “…” No wonder you two ended up together. Your logic is equally absurd.
Su Ran cleared his throat, raised his chin toward Lu Huanjin, and declared, “Seeing as you explained the reason you quit the competition, this team leader forgives all your past wrongdoings. But since I gave more, I still win this round.”
That statement was essentially a truce—a sign they’d made up.
Lu Huanjin looked up at him, eyes brimming with soft, unhidden warmth. He said, “Alright. Thank you, Captain, for your generosity. From now on, I’ll follow your lead and repay your sacrifices for me… and today’s life-saving favor.”
【LuSu street moments are real!!!】
【Ahhhh, I don’t care, this is a HE[mfn]happy ending[/mfn]!!!】
The livestream comments exploded in a frenzy, wildly shipping the pair. The very next moment, Su Ran gave a light hum of approval, seemingly satisfied, then thought for a moment and added, “Not just following my lead—your mission is to assist the legitimate eldest great-grandson of the Su family in defeating those wild and ambitious great-grandsons out there, and to solidify my status in Great-Grandfather’s heart.”
As he spoke, he even shot a provocative glance at Su Ning, clearly declaring war.
Lu Huanjin looked at Su Ran, who was now fully brainwashed by family drama, with an expression that said words fail me, but he still accepted it with the eager obedience of a schoolkid: “…Okay.”
The barrage paused for a second before erupting into helpless commentary.
【……】
【Lu Huanjin is love-brained, but Su Ran is grandpa-brained. They’re doomed.】
【Why am I even shipping this elementary-school level romance? I can’t with myself.】
Su Ning, for his part, didn’t seem to view the legitimate heir as a threat at all. As he was leaving, he patted Su Ran’s shoulder with a bright, teasing smile and encouraged him, “Good luck, cousin.”
Successfully turning the legitimate heir’s face dark with irritation.
Once the drama had settled, the crowd began dispersing after saying a few goodbyes, leaving the pair to rest. Grant didn’t forget to call out a reminder, “Go get some good sleep—tomorrow’s the final act of the script!” He said this as he tapped at his buzzing phone and hurried out.
After stepping outside, Su Ran still glanced around, hoping to find Great-Grandfather and ask why it was Lu Huanjin who had come to face his tribulation. Unfortunately, Su Weisheng was nowhere to be seen. Su Ran had no choice but to give up with regret.
At this moment, Su Weisheng and You Sui had already come downstairs.
The staff was clearing the vines off the castle walls while reinforcing the safety features inside and outside the manor to prevent another dangerous incident. Su Weisheng and You Sui were following the path toward the back mountain, planning to meet the group of unruly, harmful monkeys.
But before they could see the monkeys, they spotted Su Ning from afar, leaning against a tree with an unlit cigarette between his lips, smiling casually as he faced off against a very guarded Grant.
Suddenly remembering the reason for Su Ning’s presence here, Su Weisheng asked You Sui, “Grant is the owner of the manor? His character in the game is named Grant, but what’s his real name?”
“Jiang Chou, nickname Jiang Qiuxin,” You Sui answered without blinking, selling out his friend in a heartbeat. “He’s from the Jiang family, the older cousin of that lucky charm, little sidekick Jiang Jinbao. Why, did he do something? I can help you analyze it.” He asked with clear interest.
Su Weisheng mused thoughtfully, “Have you ever seen who he sleeps next to?”
The moment he said that, You Sui’s expression turned strange. “Where would an eternal bachelor get a bed partner?”
Su Weisheng examined Jiang Qiuxin’s facial features carefully and nodded in agreement. “He really does have the look of someone doomed to be single for life.”
If this guy really was the one the wisher specified as the dream’s recipient, then the credibility of that wish came into serious question.
As the two spoke, things progressed on the other side as well.
Jiang Qiuxin was clearly still shaken by being locked in the surveillance room by Su Ning and wanted nothing to do with him. As soon as he hung up the phone, he turned to head back, clearly refusing to be left alone with Su Ning.
Su Ning looked at his retreating back and suddenly asked, “Mr. Jiang, if there were a vengeful ghost who died many years ago but still insisted on seeing you, who do you think would be so obsessed with you?”
Jiang Qiuxin spun around and glared at him furiously. “What’s wrong with you? Locking you up in the murder mystery game was just part of the script, and you already locked me back in return! Must you keep hounding the DM and trying to scare me? You’ve lost it!”
Su Ning studied Jiang Qiuxin’s expression—it was pure anger, without a hint of guilt. Clearly, he too was starting to suspect that the information given by the wisher might be unreliable. But on the surface, he remained calm and composed as he said evenly, “I’m not trying to scare you. Mr. Jiang, you must have someone from the past who’s already passed away, or someone you’ve let down. Don’t you want to see them one last time?”
“I don’t have any dead friends I want to see. Quit playing these spooky mind games!” Jiang Qiuxin snapped irritably. “Tomorrow’s the last day. Finish the game and get lost. If I weren’t worried that having a player rage quit would mess with the experience for others, I’d have kicked you out long ago!”
“You’re sure there’s no one from the past who’d want to see you again?”
“Positive!” Jiang Qiuxin stormed off, shouting as he walked, “If you’ve got the guts, call the ghost out and let them talk to me face-to-face! Quit spouting this creepy nonsense—so annoying!”
Jiang Qiuxin had already walked off into the distance.
Su Ning held an unlit cigarette between his lips, deep in thought.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching. When he looked up and saw who it was, his eyes lit up instantly. He yanked the cigarette from his mouth and greeted them with a cheerful smile, “Great-grandfather, what brings you here?”
Su Weisheng asked, “Have you found the answer?”
“I have a vague idea, but it’s still pretty fuzzy,” Su Ning replied. “We’re leaving tomorrow, so I want to wrap this up tonight—quick and clean.”
Su Weisheng nodded. “Since he claims there’s no one from his past he wants to see, then while I’m still here tonight, summon the wisher and let them confront him face-to-face. That way, if anything happens, we can handle it.”
If he weren’t around, he’d worry that Su Ning might not be able to handle an unexpected situation alone.
Su Ning clearly understood the thoughtful intention behind his great-grandfather’s words. He immediately smiled and agreed, then teased, “Looks like that protection fee really paid off. With Great-grandfather around, I get carried through everything, in-game and out.” The “protection fee” referred, of course, to the prop he’d given yesterday when working together with his great-grandfather.
You Sui gave him a half-smile and asked, “You still dare to bring up how you two teamed up to set me up? Aren’t you afraid Great-grandmother will get mad?”
Su Ning cleared his throat and replied solemnly, “You’re the elder, of course you wouldn’t hold it against a junior like me. Besides, I hardly played any role in it at all. Everything that happened was just some playful scheming between you and Great-grandfather.”
You Sui narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing him.
Su Ning immediately put on a pitiful, pleading expression in response.
Su Weisheng teased, “Does this count as the apprentice starving the master?”
You Sui sighed. “More like lifting a rock and dropping it on my own foot.”
Su Ning blinked in confusion, not understanding the hidden meaning in the exchange between his great-grandparents. Still, he stood obediently off to the side, playing the role of a respectful companion.
Just before leaving, Su Weisheng patted his head meaningfully and said, “Don’t rush. You’ll understand eventually.”
Meanwhile, Jiang Qiuxin had briskly walked away, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the spooky, cryptic Su Ning. Within a few minutes, he was back in the safety of his bedroom, finally able to breathe a little easier.
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that Su Ning had a screw loose.
Someone dead trying to contact him? Seeking revenge? Bah! Just more of that creepy mystical nonsense!
Still cursing in his mind, Jiang Qiuxin touched the bandaged wound on his arm and couldn’t help feeling a little uneasy. Something about all this felt off lately. Thinking of that, he pulled out his phone and made a call:
“Uncle, it’s me, Qiuxin. Yeah… I’ve already sent people to deal with those monkeys on the back hill. You know I only opened the shop because I genuinely enjoy it…”
He hesitated, but then continued, “There’s been some trouble at the shop. Someone’s been saying all this weird supernatural stuff about me being haunted. They’re leaving tomorrow, but I still feel uneasy.”
On the other end of the line, Jiang Qiao’s voice came through—calm and cool: “Did you do anything you’d be ashamed of?”
“Of course not!” Jiang Qiuxin shouted back, his voice loud and firm. “I’ve never done anything shameful, and I’ve never wronged anyone. Even if there really is a ghost, I’m not afraid!”
“Then that’s that. So what are you panicking for?”
“Yeah… you’re right…” Jiang Qiuxin’s emotions gradually calmed down. “That Su Ning is clearly just spouting nonsense and trying to be all mysterious. Just because I locked him up once at the beginning of the game, he’s been clinging to me ever since—so petty and vindictive.”
Jiang Qiao caught the key point right away. “Su Ning?”
“Yeah, that player’s name is Su Ning.”
There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Jiang Qiao’s voice: “As it happens, I’m also in A City right now. I’ll come by your place tonight.”
“Oh, okay. I’m not in any real danger, right, Uncle?”
“There won’t be any problems,” Jiang Qiao replied with certainty. He had the confidence to protect his own family.
“That’s great.” Jiang Qiuxin responded happily. After hanging up, not only was he no longer worried, but he was actually in a pretty good mood. With his uncle coming, there really wasn’t anything to be afraid of.
Ghost or not, fake or real…
“No, wait, it’s better if it is a real ghost,” Jiang Qiuxin thought smugly. “I’d like to see just what kind of wronged soul or fierce spirit thinks I betrayed them and won’t let go of me…”
“If it’s all fake, that’d be boring—and it would’ve been a waste for Uncle to come all this way.”
Suddenly, a wave of inexplicable drowsiness washed over him.
Jiang Qiuxin yawned. Though night had only just fallen, he was already so sleepy he couldn’t keep his eyes open. Dazed and disoriented, he slipped from the chair and collapsed to the ground, fast asleep.
Less than half an hour later, the castle welcomed a new guest.
A pale-skinned, strikingly handsome man with a cold, sharp presence stepped through the front doors. As soon as he entered, a staff member who recognized him hurried over and greeted him, “Mr. Jiang, are you here to see the boss?”
“Mm.” Jiang Qiao’s expression was cool, his words succinct: “Take me to him.”
The staff member led him up to the third floor and then left.
Just as Jiang Qiao was about to enter, his fingers brushing the doorknob, his expression suddenly turned grave. He could sense a powerful presence enveloping the space within. When did the Su family acquire such a formidable expert?
Realizing that Jiang Qiuxin might be in danger, Jiang Qiao immediately tried to force his way in. But just then, a hand grabbed hold of his wrist. He turned his head sharply, gaze cold and fierce, only to be met with Su Ning’s handsome face, smiling pleasantly.
Su Ning said, “No need to rush, Mr. Jiang. We mean no harm. It’s just that someone—an old acquaintance who may have been wronged by Jiang Qiuxin—died with lingering resentment and wishes to see him one last time.”
Jiang Qiao glanced at Su Ning and immediately sensed that the powerful presence wasn’t coming from him. Curling his lips in a mocking smile, he said, “Jiang Chou hasn’t done anything shameful, let alone wronged any old acquaintance. I think you’ve got the wrong person.”
“Whether we’ve got the wrong person or not, shouldn’t we at least let them meet and find out?”
“That’s not for you to decide.”
With that, Jiang Qiao roughly pushed the door open and entered. Inside, a faint white mist drifted through the room. Two vaguely familiar silhouettes sat calmly in a corner, watching in silence, while Jiang Qiuxin lay unconscious on the floor.
Jiang Qiao’s gaze narrowed. Just as he was about to wake his nephew, the white mist thickened. From within it, a hazy figure seemed to be emerging.
Was this the old acquaintance Jiang Qiuxin had supposedly wronged?
Everyone held their breath, whether in wariness or curiosity, waiting to see the final answer revealed.
Out of the thick mist, a fierce figure suddenly leapt forth—a large Maine Coon cat over a meter long, lion-like in appearance, burst into everyone’s view. With snow-white paws pounding the ground, it strutted aggressively up to Jiang Qiuxin, then nimbly jumped onto his body. Without the slightest regard for his condition, it slammed a fluffy paw pad squarely onto his face.
“Meow—!” It sounded suspiciously like a curse.
Jiang Qiuxin groggily opened his eyes, grimacing as he rubbed his swelling cheek. His blurry vision slowly came into focus—right in front of him was the scowling face of a Maine Coon cat, muttering angrily.
It looked a bit familiar.
Jiang Qiuxin blinked, hesitantly called out, “Naitang…?”
The Maine Coon, Jiang Naitang, swatted him right on the bridge of the nose. “Meow~!”
Jiang Qiuxin’s vision went black.
Then the Maine Coon roared out in human speech, furious: “Jiang Qiuxin! Your ancestor Naitang only died two years ago, and you already dared to adopt another cat? Have you lost your damn mind?!”
Everyone: “……”
So this was the kind of betrayal?
Stand-in vs. the original drama?
Seven-year itch and cheating drama?
Chasing away suitors and imprisoning them in a forced love play?
Though everyone had already suspected that the wisher’s story might have issues, the moment they saw the wisher was actually a cat, they were still stunned, especially when combined with all those melodramatic tropes.
Absurd—yet oddly fitting. Every complaint Jiang Naitang had cried out before lined up perfectly. Not a single word had been a lie.
Dang, these unexpected twists are really unexpected! 😂😂😂