ALWARFC Chapter 14

The car sped along the highway.

You Sui was driving personally, while Su Ran sat in the passenger seat, absentmindedly playing with his phone. From time to time, his[mfn]Su Ran[/mfn] peripheral vision swept over the rearview mirror, his gaze lingering on the back seat—on Su Weisheng’s pale face and slightly bluish lips.

Su Weisheng was resting with his eyes closed. Suddenly, he raised a hand and rubbed his temples. His great-grandson thought he was about to open his eyes, so he quickly retracted his gaze, straightened his posture, and pretended to be casually looking out the window.

Su Weisheng didn’t open his eyes. He was still thinking about everything that had happened over the past day and night.

From the moment he sensed the Heavenly Tribulation, he had mentally prepared himself. Based on his understanding of “Job-change Quests”, this was most likely another test of human nature. So, when he found himself reliving significant memories from the past over and over, he wasn’t alarmed. He even had the leisure to make a few comments.

Finally, after grinding through all those dull memories, Su Weisheng thought the main event was about to begin. He was just about to focus when a new icon appeared in his mind—a watermelon with a bite taken out of it.

【Notification: The Underworld Live Streaming App module is loading… 1%… 10%… … 30%…】

Su Weisheng: “…”

This setup was indeed quite eerie—definitely not something an ordinary person would come up with.

Even now, the module is still loading. Staring at the icon of the bitten watermelon, Su Weisheng was starting to believe Si Ming’s claim—the new Lord of the Underworld really did have a bizarre personality.

At that moment, the car suddenly stopped.

Snapping back to reality, Su Weisheng asked, “We’re here?” But when he looked around, all he saw was a winding path where no cars were allowed. The surroundings were desolate, with no sign of the garden villa from the photos.

Behind them, He Heng’s car also came to a stop. He stuck his head out in confusion. “Why aren’t we moving?”

Su Weisheng glanced at You Sui, who met his gaze calmly and, with a smile, casually dropped a bombshell: “The first day of the show begins now. Guests must make their own way through the path and move into the villa on their own.”

“WTF?!”

Everyone exploded.

Especially Bai Songyin, who blurted out, “There are more than a dozen one-meter-tall packing boxes in the back! Are we supposed to carry all that in by ourselves?!”

“Of course. The guests will have to figure out a solution themselves.”

Su Weisheng stared at You Sui coldly and asked calmly, “An intimidation tactic for the first day of the show?”

You Sui had been watching him closely, seemingly wanting to see some sign of anger or frustration. Unfortunately, he was disappointed. There was none. Still smiling, he replied, “I wouldn’t call it intimidation. Just a fun little game. But look—our dear Young Master Su has already thought of a way to handle it, hasn’t he?”

The other teams faced the same challenge.

When the production team stopped the cars by the path and delivered the same announcement, even the veteran actor Xie Wei, who had been blindsided, looked completely dumbfounded.

“You’re telling us to figure out a way to move all this luggage in by ourselves? Are you guys insane? What kind of show is this? You’re obviously messing with me on purpose! Call Director You! I want to talk to him personally!” Xie Wei protested indignantly.

His anger was understandable—after all, he had brought more luggage than the other three groups of guests combined. Everyone had known this since the pilot episode was filmed. Back then, he had even shown off his love, saying that all these furniture and appliances were things his little drama queen was used to and absolutely had to bring along. Now, karma had come knocking.

But the assistant director remained completely indifferent. He simply shrugged and replied calmly, “This was all arranged by Director You. He said if you refuse, you can quit now, but it will be considered a breach of contract.”

Xie Wei’s expression twisted instantly. His manager hurriedly tried to calm him down, warning him not to go head-to-head with the production team over something so ‘trivial’. After all, this was You Sui they were dealing with.

It didn’t matter if you were an award-winning actor, a top-tier idol, or the reigning film emperor of the industry. In the face of absolute power and capital, even if they toyed with you, there was nothing you could do about it. Not to mention, they had voluntarily accepted this show in the first place.

You Sui truly lack moral decency!

Moments later, the production team dumped them and dozens of packed boxes by the roadside before driving off without a care, leaving behind only the cameraman, Xie Wei, his partner Song Qing, and his manager, all staring wide-eyed at the mountain of luggage.

“What do we do now? Can we hire some movers?”

“There aren’t any nearby. The closest moving company needs at least an hour and a half to get here. By then, the show will have already started. It’ll be too late.”

The group, lacking basic life skills, found themselves stuck. “So… what now?”

They had no choice but to start moving everything themselves.

Thus, under the cameraman’s diligent recording, Xie Wei and his manager were seen struggling to haul box after box like laborers. Meanwhile, the physically weak Song Qing followed behind with a guilty expression, wanting to help but getting firmly rejected by Xie Wei. In the end, he could only sigh dejectedly. “It’s all my fault… I’m useless and can’t help you.”

The manager glanced at Xie Wei’s arms, where veins were bulging, and asked in confusion, “Old Xie, what exactly are you carrying? Why is it so heavy?”

Song Qing, looking utterly sweet, explained, “They’re all my favorite books! No matter where we go, Ah Wei always makes sure to bring them for me.”

The manager: “……”

Trapped by his own actions, Xie Wei’s voice came out strained: “…I’m fine!”

The cameraman, who had faithfully captured the entire ordeal, couldn’t help but sigh emotionally. “Truly a love story that moves the soul.”

Finally, as they approached the villa gates, they caught sight of hope.

Xie Wei let out a long breath of relief, his mood improving significantly. He even comforted the others, “It’s fine. Every group had to go through this, so it’s definitely not just us. Honestly, just thinking about how everyone else is struggling makes me feel a lot better…”

He trailed off mid-sentence, unable to finish the last word.

Because he saw someone leisurely lounging under a large umbrella by the gate, sunbathing as if on a relaxing vacation. An assistant even handed him a drink, making the scene look even more like a holiday retreat. Meanwhile, Su Ran and He Heng were huffing and puffing as they used a small cart to transport one suitcase after another into the villa.

Some were on vacation, while others were doing hard labor.

Xie Wei’s face turned green. “Where did you get that cart? Weren’t we supposed to carry everything by hand? This is cheating!”

Su Ran glanced at him dismissively. “Did you really think everyone is as much of a fool as you? Carrying everything by hand? How dumb.”

Xie Wei shot back without hesitation, “Oh, so you’re not dumb? And yet, you’re still hauling luggage like a servant while someone else sits back and enjoys the ride?” He glanced at Su Weisheng, then looked again, as if something wasn’t quite right.

Su Ran responded matter-of-factly, “Of course I am. I’m a grandson—it’s only right for me to carry my great-grandfather’s luggage.”

Just moments ago, he had been grumbling about having to do all the heavy lifting while his ancestor lounged in the sun. But now, comparing himself to Xie Wei, his mindset unexpectedly improved.

With newfound pride, he shook his head as if carrying his great-grandfather’s luggage was an immense honor. This time, without needing any prompting from Su Weisheng, he swiftly carted the last suitcase into the villa.

The others: “…?” Was this really Su Ran?

Not only were Xie Wei and his group utterly dumbfounded, but even He Heng and the assistant were left speechless.

A moment later, He Heng hesitated before walking over to Su Weisheng and whispering, “Little Ancestor, how did you do that? You even managed to manipulate an egomaniac like Su Ran? That’s incredible!”

Su Weisheng pondered for a moment. “Maybe it’s the power of bloodline suppression.”

The assistant gave a big thumbs-up—reasonable, very reasonable!

—

Dong—

The clock on the tea room wall chimed, marking 4:30 PM.

Su Weisheng followed the sound and glanced up. There was only half an hour left until the live broadcast. Sitting at a corner of the tea table, he calmly flipped through the variety show’s itinerary.

According to the schedule, the fixed live broadcast would run from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM every day. Outside of those hours, guests were free to rest and move around, but the production team would occasionally film promotional footage in shared areas like the living room, tea room, game room, and dining hall, requiring the guests’ cooperation.

It all seemed normal, yet the more Su Weisheng read, the stranger it felt. Something about the wording in this handbook made him suspect there were hidden traps.

His gaze shifted thoughtfully to You Sui, who was adjusting a camera in the corner. Sensing his stare, You Sui looked up and playfully winked at him, his fox-like eyes twinkling mischievously with the promise of impending trouble.

Meanwhile, other guests began arriving at the tea room one after another.

Song Qing entered before Xie Wei. Like the others, he instinctively glanced at the clock, then coughed lightly. His pale face was tinged with an unnatural flush and his demeanor was weak and listless. Without much thought, he casually beckoned to the nearest person. “Could you get me a glass of milk?”

Bai Songyin, the one who had been ordered around, was a little dazed. But seeing that Song Qing wasn’t in good health, he still cooperated and went to the tea room to pour a glass of milk, handing it over.

Song Qing took a sip and immediately furrowed his brows. Just then, Xie Wei walked in, snatched the milk cup, and shoved it back into Bai Songyin’s hands. “He’s not feeling well. Don’t you know to warm the milk first?”

The little assistant, who was being scolded for no reason, looked completely baffled. “How would I know? You didn’t say anything beforehand.” He was a bit annoyed, but considering the other party’s status, he didn’t want to cause trouble for Su Ran and Su Weisheng, so he simply decided to exchange it for a warm glass and be done with it.

At that moment, Su Ran walked in and grabbed his arm, stopping him. With an irritated look at Xie Wei, he bluntly said, “He’s not on your payroll, of course, he won’t serve people as well as you do, Teacher Xie. If you want warm milk, get it yourself.”

With that, the milk cup was slammed onto the table with a loud thud.

Xie Wei’s face darkened immediately.

Tension filled the air as the two men locked eyes, neither willing to back down.

One was known as the most hot-tempered top-tier celebrity in the industry, the other the award-winning actor who loved pulling rank on juniors. Even with the show about to start, neither showed an ounce of restraint.

Bai Songyin wanted to step in but didn’t dare, instinctively looking toward Su Weisheng.

But Su Weisheng showed no intention of stopping them. He didn’t even seem to notice. He was absentmindedly fiddling with the program guide, his gaze fixed solely on You Sui—or rather, on the camera in You Sui’s hands.

The camera’s red recording light was on, glaringly bright, aimed straight at Su Ran and Xie Wei.

The clock on the wall read 4:45 PM.

The numbers on the camera screen flickered, displaying: 5:05 PM.

The trap had been laid from the very beginning and the foolish lambs had walked right into it, completely unaware that the livestream had already started.

The broadcast room exploded. The comment section was already flooded.

【Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! Starting off this strong? No wonder it’s «Another Side of Family Life»】

【Whether human or dog, put them on the show and let’s see the drama! Damn, what a juicy scandal. Director You, I love you!!!】

【Film Emperor Xie’s little pampered husband is just as insufferable as ever.】

【And that top-tier celeb isn’t any better. Opened his mouth just to pick a fight. No respect for his senior at all.】

Su Weisheng continued watching You Sui. The latter’s eyes curved into a smile, showing not the slightest hint of guilt. Instead, he gestured toward the quarreling pair and silently mouthed a question: Do you want to warn them?

Warn them?

Was it necessary?

Xie Wei mocked, “Truly, birds of a feather flock together. A rude celebrity like him would obviously raise a clueless assistant. It’s no surprise that he can’t even pour a cup of hot milk properly.”

Su Ran was about to snap back, but Su Weisheng suddenly tapped the table, interrupting their conversation.

The grandchild, his face full of displeasure, immediately quieted down, glancing over at him.

【Who just knocked on the table? This is effective? The top-tier celebrity isn’t saying anything anymore?】

【Holy shit, did you guys see that? When the top-tier celeb looked in that direction, his face showed both defiance and grievance, like a big dog being forced into silence by their parents…】

【Damn, that’s kind of cute.】

【Is it Great-Grandfather?】

【Tsk, to be honest, I want to see the top-tier celebrity get educated. But this time, it’s clearly not Su Ran’s fault. If Great-Grandfather asked him to shut up, I actually feel a little bad.】

【Ugh, why would they arrange for an elder to be on the show with the top-tier celebrity? I don’t want to see an old person lecturing.】

The camera didn’t immediately focus on Su Weisheng’s face.

Suddenly, a pair of hands appeared in the livestream, long and pale, quite beautiful. They spread out in the palm and subtly gestured to Su Ran, and then a cool voice sounded: “Bring that cup of milk over.”

“…Oh, got it, Great-Grandfather.” Su Ran instinctively passed it over.

The hands on the screen gently lifted, elegantly gripping the teapot handle, and slightly tilted it. Steaming hot green tea was poured into the milk, releasing a mist that filled the air.

Everyone was completely taken aback by this move.

Not only did Su Weisheng not stop the farce, but he calmly pushed the steaming “milk” back, saying lightly, “Hot milk. Drink it.”

【Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!!! This Great-Grandfather is something else!】

【Oh my god, I thought he was here to lecture, but wow, he’s actually the MVP of the show!】

【Wait? Doesn’t the voice sound off?】

【The hands are off too. Is this really Great-Grandfather’s hand? Did they make a mistake?】

The live stream was in chaos.

The camera suddenly focused on Su Weisheng sitting in the chair and Su Ran standing beside him.

Then, Director You, who was enjoying the spectacle, suddenly spoke up, “Su Ran, introduce him.”

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