Three minutes later, Su Weisheng returned to the living room. He fished out the remote control from the sofa and turned the volume of the TV drama to the maximum. Coincidentally, the screen was showing a dual-female-lead coming-of-age drama. The sweet and gentle girl and the bold and fiery one each had their own charm, and with both actresses delivering natural performances, it was undeniably captivating.
The cameraman, who had just helped him find some digestive medicine, was surprised to see him return so quickly and asked with concern, “Mr. Song, are you feeling better?”
As they spoke, a series of loud thumping sounds came from the guest bathroom as if something heavy was slamming against the wall. Even with the TV volume turned up to the maximum, the banging was still audible.
The cameraman glanced in that direction with curiosity. “What’s going on?” he asked, taking a step forward as if to investigate.
Su Weisheng calmly stopped him. “It’s nothing. Probably just someone not feeling well and needing to vent by pounding on the wall. It’ll be over soon, no need to bother.”
“…Really?” The cameraman still seemed doubtful.
Fortunately, the pounding soon stopped.
Then, a wailing sound erupted, accompanied by desperate cries of, “Let me die! I want to leave this planet!”
Horrified, the cameraman turned to Su Weisheng and asked, “Is this also from stomach pain?”
“Mm.” Su Weisheng didn’t even blink as he cooperated smoothly. “That’s why diet is important. Having diarrhea is really this painful.”
“…Alright then.”
Five minutes later, Song Qing, his face blank with stupefaction, staggered out with an unsteady gait as if he were floating. The moment he locked eyes with Su Weisheng, who was casually watching a drama in the living room, a flood of socially crippling memories crashed into his mind. His barely regained composure instantly crumbled like a volcanic eruption, and his face twisted, alternating between green and purple.
—Why is his idol-dad still here?!
He screamed internally.
Su Weisheng calmly pointed to the digestive medicine on the table, his expression indifferent, as if he wasn’t doing this on purpose. He said, “I forgot to remind you to take your medicine earlier.”
“…Oh, so that’s why.” Song Qing scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed. So he stayed up late out of concern for him.
Su Weisheng, still unfazed, added, “Also, the guest bathroom isn’t very soundproof. Keep it down next time.”
“……” Song Qing’s face turned completely green.
He did it on purpose! He definitely did it on purpose! What “forgot to remind him to take medicine”—he totally stayed behind just to tease him! He’s so evil!!!
Feeling both furious and mortified to death, Song Qing puffed up like an angry pufferfish, stomping in circles on the spot. He wanted to leave, but he was unwilling to back down. Yet, when he glanced at Su Weisheng, who still looked nonchalant but couldn’t quite hide the amused curve at the corner of his lips, Song Qing simply shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and surrendered.
“Great-grandpa, you’re still watching TV this late?” He plopped down on the couch as if nothing had happened, casually grabbing the pills and swallowing them with water.
Su Weisheng tilted his head at him. “Oh? Changing how you address me again? Wasn’t it ‘idol-dad’ before?”
Song Qing’s face instantly turned bright red. He scratched the sofa cushion in embarrassment, still stubbornly holding on with a tough front. “If you don’t mind, of course, I can keep calling you that. After all, it still puts me a generation above Su Ran—what a bargain!”
Su Weisheng nodded seriously and then added with an air of authority, “I don’t mind, but it seems like Teacher Xie doesn’t really want to acknowledge his father-in-law.”
Awooo! Song Qing’s embarrassment skyrocketed. He buried his head into a pillow, utterly unable to maintain a perfect act of nonchalance in front of Su Weisheng. Taking a deep breath, he struggled to change the subject, pointing at the lead actress on the big screen and commenting, “What a coincidence, I’ve seen this drama too. The lead actress is Su Anyao. I heard about her from Ah Wei—she used to have terrible resources and clawed her way up purely with her acting skills. Recently, there’s been talk of a major novel adaptation called «The Rise of the Cannon Fodder Comparison Group». Rumor has it that she’s been cast as the female lead. But when I visited the set that day, wasn’t I using my dad’s name to break through security loopholes? He was really optimistic about «The Rise of the Cannon Fodder Comparison Group» at the time. If that’s the case, this project might run into trouble.”
He paused, realizing they were still on a show, and quickly turned to the cameraman, giving a reminder, “Don’t air this part when editing the footage. This is way too offensive.”
Su Weisheng seemed thoughtful. “That name sounds familiar.”
“Su Anyao?”
“No, «The Rise of the Cannon Fodder Comparison Group».”
Su Weisheng picked up his phone and searched for it. Then it clicked—this was the IP he had once predicted on Weibo would run into problems with its rights holder. Turns out, it hadn’t happened yet. But it would soon.
He casually followed Su Anyao.
The next evening, as the livestream was about to begin, discussions simultaneously ignited on Weibo, forums, and chat groups.
Title: Today’s Gossip Is a Must-Eat 5.0
Main Post:
«Another Side of Family Life» daily discussion thread—Villa Group. Casual gossip and entertainment. Viewers who pay for the show have the right to ship any CP they want; no fandom moral policing is allowed. Regular insanity within the thread. Posts are ephemeral—what happens in the thread stays in the thread.
1L: Restarting the livestream, day two. Checking in.
12L: This is so weird. The other group next door has already released several daytime clips, but aside from the door charm incident on the first day, our group hasn’t gotten any casual footage at all. Why?
15L: Don’t panic. Director You definitely won’t play favorites. I think the production team is just brewing something big.
30L: Ahhh, I want to see their daily life so bad! I want to see Grandpa Su (losing it) and the cold, aloof beauty training his dog (writhing in anticipation).
55L: Isn’t the Best Actor Group busy feuding with the Top Star Group? What was up with Song Qing yesterday? Why did Xie Wei only need to throw a little jab for him to start acting all delicate with his “husband”?
56L: He didn’t tease Best Actor Xie today, but why is he suddenly avoiding Little Grandpa Su like he’s holding something over him? Feels suspicious…
60L: Suspicious +1.
66L: xswl. Xie Wei is the only one who doesn’t think anything is weird. He actually feels like everything is finally back on track and has resumed showing off his love, putting on the perfect devoted couple act.
75L: Makes sense. Xie Wei loves flaunting his family, especially in front of top-tier celebrities. Back when he first started showing off his family life, a certain top star clapped back, saying, “What’s the point of having loving parents? You’re still single at your age.” And then, not even two months later, Best Actor suddenly had Song-little drama queen-Qing by his side. Who knows if it was true love or just to prove a point?
111L: Speaking of which, did Song Qing’s face actually change? He still looks good, but something about his aura feels different.
123L: A big-name blogger dug into it. Apparently, he has a new mole on his face that wasn’t there before the show went on hiatus. I saw the comparison photos, and it’s true.
170L: Every mole has a meaning. You can’t just randomly add them…
211L: Some blogger claimed it’s a father-dooming mole. No idea if that’s legit.
269L: 【EscapeStar】 is here just enjoying the drama and tagged a metaphysics expert for an explanation. Wonder what they’ll say.
311L: No need to be superstitious. 【Lucky Money, You’d Better Behave】. That so-called expert only ever got one prediction right—about the top star’s scandal. After that, they disappeared. It could just be a lucky guess. Didn’t both A and B, whom they predicted trouble for, turn out fine?
352L: If we’re talking metaphysics, all these online bloggers are low-level. The true elites in high society believe in the masters from the Jiang, Zhao, Qin, and Su clans. For example, Jiang Yimian’s uncle is one of them.
400L: No solid evidence? Then, let’s drop this topic and talk about something else.
Questions about the mole frequently appeared in the live stream comments, with people asking whether it was a father-dooming mole and even speculating whether Su Weisheng was raising ghosts. Some even joked, “Is your show’s theme this season all about the supernatural?”
But since there was no concrete evidence and it was all just hearsay, most of these questions were quickly drowned out in the flood of comments, barely noticeable.
Su Weisheng, however, didn’t mind. He already had plenty of so-called “black material” on him—what’s a few more? Maybe one day, he’d even surpass the top star, Su Ran, in terms of negative rumors. Now, that would be hilarious.
Xie Wei, on the other hand, clearly cared when people badmouthed him and his wife. So after the live stream ended and they got home, he still took the time to advise Song Qing,
“That whole ‘mole brings bad luck to the father’ thing is just feudal superstition. Don’t take their words seriously, Xiao Qing. Let’s book a beauty clinic tomorrow and have it removed. That way, we can stop giving netizens material for wild speculation and malicious rumors.”
Song Qing instinctively covered his face. “No way! This is my fortune mole! If some random netizens want to speculate, let them. If they don’t like it, they can hang themselves on my doorstep. Even if they all drop dead, I’m still not getting rid of my fortune mole!”
Xie Wei: “……Xiao Qing, did you just curse?”
“I did not!” Song Qing coughed twice, looking at his husband with innocent eyes, then softened his voice to explain, “I just got really mad about people maliciously speculating about me. Ah Wei, you wouldn’t mind, would you?”
“…I wouldn’t,” Xie Wei hesitated before answering, focusing on comforting his angry wife. But deep down, something still felt off. Strange, wasn’t there something weird about this whole situation?
Never mind. This was all the fault of that grandfather-grandson duo! Not only were they spreading feudal superstitions, but they were also trying to corrupt his wife! Ptui! One day, he would expose their true colors!
Late at night, Su Ran was on the phone with his confidant, Jiang Yimian.
On the other end, Jiang Yimian was still concerned, asking, “How’s the book I sent you last time, Haunted Soul? Do you like it? I haven’t heard your review yet. Have you been too busy to read?”
Recalling the cover with those blood-red eyes, Su Ran’s expression twisted slightly, and he hurriedly changed the subject. “Didn’t you say the film rights for that book were being negotiated? Any updates?”
“Not yet. Three companies are interested—one offered too little, and the other two won’t let me be the screenwriter. I’ve been busy refining the original manuscript, still deciding which deal to take. You know me—it’s not really about the money. I just want to create a hit drama to prove my ability!”
Su Ran immediately felt a sense of camaraderie. “Of course, I get you! I left my album on hold just to act in a drama—same reason, proving myself! Oh, right, you’re coming tomorrow to meet Grandpa Su for a reading, right?”
Last time, Su Weisheng forcibly accepted an offering, so Jiang Yimian was still owed a divination.
“Yeah… Does Grandpa Su have any favorite things? I should bring a gift that suits his tastes so he won’t have a bad impression of me,” Jiang Yimian said, a little guilty—after all, he and Su Ran had pulled quite a few stunts together before.
Su Ran thought for a moment. His Grandpa seemed to like a lot of things.
Gaming, reading, gossip, bullying people… Oh, and debt collecting. Thinking back to how Su Weisheng had been in a terrible mood when his tomb was looted and all the burial treasures were taken, Su Ran finally had a rare moment of genius.
“Great-grandfather probably likes rare treasures the most—the more valuable, the better!”
“OKKK, got it. Just wait for my good news.” Jiang Yimian understood in an instant.
Su Ran was skeptical. “Do you even have money to buy an expensive gift?”
Jiang Yimian sneered. “I don’t, but my little uncle does!”
Other people might scam their fathers, but his father was off-limits. Fortunately, he had an uncle to take advantage of!
The next morning, Jiang Yimian rushed to his uncle’s residence and ransacked the study. The Four Treasures of the Study… musical instruments, board games, calligraphy, and paintings… rare porcelain… No, none of it felt valuable enough!
A voice suddenly sounded from behind him. “What are you looking for?”
“Of course, I’m looking for my uncle’s collection. I remember you have a very precious Amazonite prayer bead bracelet. You even take it out to worship on holidays, but where do you usually hide it…”
Halfway through his sentence, Jiang Yimian abruptly turned around and saw the man sitting in a wheelchair. He instantly choked. “Uncle.”
Jiang Qiao’s face was dark as he commented, “You can guard against outsiders day and night, but a family thief is the hardest to prevent.”
The “family thief” looked aggrieved. “A few days ago, you told me to come over for a ritual. After I arrived, you and your so-called star lord tricked me out of all my savings. Between us, who’s the real thief?”
Jiang Qiao glanced at him sideways. “You’re unconvinced? If you hadn’t provoked the wrong people, why would you have needed to hand over all your savings as an offering to Star Lord just to settle the matter?”
As he spoke, he slowly wheeled himself to a corner of the study and opened a hidden compartment. Inside was a carefully enshrined box. Jiang Qiao took it out, tracing the patterns on its surface with care, but he didn’t open it. He simply said, “You little troublemaker, this Amazonite bead bracelet holds a special spiritual power. It’s far more valuable than you.”
“Of course, I know it’s precious. Otherwise, why would I have specifically chosen it to gift to Great-Grandfather?”
“You even dare to use my belongings to make a grand gesture at someone else’s expense!”
“Of course!” Jiang Yimian said smugly. “After this whole ordeal, I’ve figured things out. Since Su Ran’s great-grandfather can not only predict our future but also take the Star Lord’s offerings straight from your hands, he must be stronger than you! If you can’t beat them, join them—that’s the ultimate survival rule!”
“Uncle, from now on, I’m no longer your Jiang Yimian. Please call me Jiang Jinbao. I am now officially part of Great-Grandfather’s fortune-bringing team—Jiang Jinbao!” As he spoke, he even made a “V” sign just to further annoy his uncle.
Since he already knew there was no way he could steal his uncle’s beloved treasure, he might as well take full advantage of the opportunity to get on his nerves.
Sure enough, Jiang Qiao’s face darkened. “Spineless little brat!” He placed the box on the table with an irritated scowl and snapped, “Take it and get lost!”
Jiang Yimian froze, then looked down at the box before glancing back at his uncle. “…You’re really giving it to me?”
Jiang Qiao immediately reached out to snatch it back.
Jiang Yimian quickly tightened his grip and opened the box for a look. The deep blue beads shimmered with a stunning radiance in the dim room—elegant, pure, and so mesmerizing that just one glance seemed to shake the very soul.
—It really was his uncle’s treasured Amazonite bead bracelet.
He hurriedly closed the box and carefully held onto it, then hesitated and glanced at his uncle. “You’re really giving this to me? Why?” Could his uncle actually be this generous?
Jiang Qiao stared at him blankly.
Seeing that his uncle was about to explode, Jiang Yimian wisely decided to quit while he was ahead. Clutching the box, he bolted out of the room at lightning speed, afraid that if he lingered even a second longer, he’d be dragged back for a beating.
Jiang Qiao slowly shut the study door and then got up from his wheelchair. He bathed, changed his clothes, washed his hands, and lit incense. Standing before Star Lord’s portrait, he bowed slightly, his usually sharp and cold face showing a rare moment of hesitation.
When he performed the ritual for that ungrateful nephew and his little companion, he had actually received a response from Star Lord, hadn’t he? It wasn’t just his imagination.
Had Star Lord already awakened?
And judging by the situation, he had even started paying attention to the mortal world. He seemed to have a favored, direct believer—this so-called “Great-Grandfather” that Su Ran spoke of.
Perhaps in the future, this person would become the Star Lord’s messenger, the bridge between the divine and humanity.
He had given away the Amazonite bead bracelet partly as a way to test the waters—to see if he could curry favor with that person. If he could use his useless nephew to establish a connection with Star Lord’s divine messenger, that would be ideal.
Logically, this was a calculated move. But deep down, Jiang Qiao couldn’t help but feel a little bitter.
They were both devout followers, so why did Star Lord favor only that man? Why couldn’t he spare even a glance at him? What made that so-called Great-Grandfather more deserving? Damn it.
—
Early in the morning, Su Weisheng was just about to play a couple of rounds of a game to wake himself up when his ears suddenly started itching.
He rubbed them, but it didn’t help. Soon, he realized the cause—though he hadn’t fully transitioned into his role as Star Lord yet and his spiritual power was still somewhat weak, if a particularly devoted believer prayed sincerely enough, their thoughts could indeed reach him.
Gradually, he began to hear one of his followers bombarding him with messages—like spamming a chat box.
Jiang Qiao: Offering incense to Star Lord, praying for his blessing to improve my cultivation.
Jiang Qiao: Star Lord, look at me QAQ! I am your most loyal believer! Please notice me! QAQ
Jiang Qiao: Damn it, why can’t I be one of Star Lord’s direct disciples? I can’t help but feel jealous of the divine messenger.
Jiang Qiao: AAAAHHH, if I can’t receive Star Lord’s blessing, what’s the point of living?! (distorted) (crawling) (writhing) (dark jealousy toward the divine messenger) (biting blanket) (squirming) (screaming) (Star Lord) (Star Lord) (Star Lord)
Jiang Qiao’s actual prayers were composed and respectful.
But what he didn’t know was that Star Lord wasn’t hearing the words he recited aloud—he was hearing his wildly chaotic internal monologue instead.
Thus, Su Weisheng’s ears ached from the coquettish prayers of his own devoted follower, who sounded like a resentful wife acting spoiled.
Jiang Qiao was kneeling on a cushion, praying with unwavering dedication. He had been at it for a full hour without stopping—a display of utmost piety! (Proud!)
However, just as he resigned himself to yet another day of praying in vain, just like the past few decades, he suddenly caught a faint trace of divine presence.
!!!
Jiang Qiao’s eyes widened in disbelief. He nervously lifted his head, holding his breath, his voice trembling with excitement. “S-Star Lord…”
The Star Lord finally noticed me!
I’ve finally gained the attention of a god!!!
He held his breath, anxiously preparing to receive divine teachings.
The next second, a long, translucent finger, icy cold, brushed against his soft lips.
A clear and distant voice echoed faintly in his ears. “Shut up. Too noisy.”
Chatterbox believer has been muted for 24 hours.
Jiang Qiao was completely stunned: …? QAQ
Jiang Yimian, clutching the benefits he had shamelessly reaped from his little uncle, excitedly arrived at the address Su Ran had sent him—a suburban villa district. Just as he stepped into the reception hall downstairs, he ran into Xie Wei.
“Teacher Xie, long time no see!” Jiang Yimian greeted him enthusiastically.
Xie Wei was momentarily stunned upon seeing him. “Jiang… Yimian? It’s you.”
“You still remember me, Teacher Xie?”
“…Hard to forget.”
Jiang Yimian had written a wildly popular novel in his early years, which was later adapted into a film. Xie Wei had been cast as the male lead.
It’s worth mentioning that despite his best efforts and exceptional acting skills, even the box office king himself couldn’t save that movie. No matter how hard he worked, the film still flopped miserably.
It was the most catastrophic failure in Xie Wei’s decades-long career. How could he possibly forget the screenwriter responsible for his downfall? Absolutely unlucky.
“You’re here to see Su Ran?” Xie Wei’s expression was a bit complicated. “Planning to collaborate again? Well… good luck.”
Jiang Yimian shook his head and solemnly declared, “I’m here to see my great-grandfather. He said he could help me make my new drama a massive hit! If you’re interested, we can work together again when the time comes!”
“Absolutely not!”
Xie Wei rejected him outright. “I have zero interest in your new drama and even less interest in that superstitious great-grandfather of yours.”
His biggest wish right now was to rescue his wife, who had been completely brainwashed by this absurd grandfather-grandson duo!
Jiang Yimian noticed the contempt in Xie Wei’s attitude toward his great-grandfather. He shook his head, even showing a hint of pity. “Teacher Xie, as someone who’s been through it, let me give you a word of advice: don’t speak too soon, don’t be too stubborn, and don’t be too hard-headed. Crashing into a brick wall really hurts.”
After saying that, he even patted Xie Wei’s shoulder, looking every bit like he was sincerely looking out for him.
Xie Wei: ???
“Alright, I’m off to see Great-Grandfather. See you later, Teacher Xie!” With that, Jiang Yimian dashed upstairs and disappeared.
Xie Wei didn’t even have time to retort. His head buzzed with frustration. He paced a few steps in place, then finally couldn’t hold back and turned to complain to the cameraman. “Tell me, is he out of his mind? Or has he been brainwashed, too? Has he gone completely insane?”
The cameraman scratched his head, glanced at the footage they had just recorded, and—unlike the utterly clueless Xie Wei—had a slightly clearer mind. He mumbled under his breath, “I can’t put my finger on it, but something about what he just said seemed… off?”
What was it that Jiang Yimian said just now…? A word of advice from someone who’s been through it?
Completely unaware that he had just let slip a jaw-dropping revelation, Jiang Yimian cheerfully went upstairs, greeted his good friend Su Ran, and was quickly led to Su Weisheng’s study.
Inside, Su Weisheng was researching modern sculpting tools, planning to purchase jade and carve it himself once the funds arrived. But before he could make sense of all the information, he heard a knock at the door.
Moments later, a fluffy head peeked in. A bright smile lit up a delicate face, showing not a trace of shyness at meeting a stranger—completely disregarding the fact that, not long ago, this same person had been arrogantly talking smack about Great-Grandfather online.
Right now, Jiang the Social Butterfly was eagerly holding his precious offering as he stepped forward. The first thing out of his mouth was: “Great-Grandfather, I’ve finally met you! Let me introduce myself. My former name was Jiang Yimian—it was given to me by my little uncle. But now, I have a new name—”
The moment Su Ran heard this, a bad feeling crept over him. He had a hunch this brat was about to stab him in the back. He rushed forward to cover his mouth—but it was too late.
Jiang Yimian casually slung an arm around his dear brother and enthusiastically introduced him to their great-grandfather.
“He’s Su Zhaocai, and of course, I’m Jiang Jinbao. Great-Grandfather, from now on, we’re your perfect Zhao Cai Jin Bao duo—your number one lucky grandsons!”
The person in question, who absolutely despised the utterly ridiculous name Su Zhaocai, was on the verge of exploding. His fists clenched tightly, veins popped on his forehead, and an enraged roar erupted:
“JIANG YIMIAN, GET THE HELL OUT! You show up just to stab me in the back?! I’M GONNA KILL YOU!!!”
Another grandson, get!