【Xie Wei, do you even realize what you’re saying? You’re calling yourself a junior in front of someone who looks at least ten years younger than you?】
【I never thought I’d live to see Best Actor Xie acting so obsequious… Worth it.】
【WTF is going on? Just how compelling is the top star’s great-grandfather’s background to make Xie Wei bow down like this? This doesn’t make sense—Xie Wei himself is capital!】
【Crawling back from the grave after being utterly destroyed by my idol’s actions just to say: sorry for the embarrassment, everyone. Maybe Teacher Xie really is deep in the closet for our little ancestor…】
【Yueyueyue!! I thought Xie Wei was the only normal person on this show, but turns out he’s just as trashy. This garbage show is unwatchable. I’m out!】
The live stream chat had already exploded from best actor Xie’s baffling behavior. Meanwhile, in the tea room, the staff members exchanged bizarre looks with him, as if they were staring at a gorilla that had taken over his body. The host opened his mouth but hesitated to speak.
Su Ran grabbed the person next to him, Xiao Bai, in disbelief, seeking reassurance. “Has he lost his mind? Or did he just pull some new move I completely don’t understand?”
Bai Songyin stared mournfully at the teapot in Xie Wei’s hands. “…I don’t know. I only know that he took the tea I brewed and is using it to suck up to great-grandfather. That was my tea!”
Su Ran: “…Get lost, you little bootlicker.”
Amidst the chaos, only Su Weisheng remained composed, sitting calmly in his seat. Watching Xie Wei’s sudden 180-degree attitude shift, he raised an eyebrow and, graciously giving him face, accepted the teacup, taking a small sip. He then remarked, “The tea’s fragrance is just right today.”
Xie Wei, standing beside him, immediately and perceptively refilled his cup. He even took the initiative to say, “Brewing tea is undoubtedly Assistant Xiao Bai’s specialty. I should definitely learn from him in the future.”
Everyone stared at him, expressionless: …?
Teacher Xie, you’re a two-time Best Actor winner, a professor at the Drama Academy’s acting department, and the head of your own artist management studio—why are you suddenly switching careers to become great-grandfather’s personal tea servant?
Yes, in the industry, Teacher Xie held an extremely high status, possessed formidable skills, had extensive experience, and a vast network of connections. A man who had weathered countless storms, his ability to bend and adapt in critical moments was simply remarkable.
By contrast, his great-grandson was a walking cautionary tale—handsome, yes, but utterly brainless, unable to read the room or maneuver situations. Su Weisheng sighed inwardly with regret. But as his direct ancestor, he naturally had a duty to give his great-grandson more training, let him experience a bit more parental discipline, and personally ensure that life beat some wisdom into him.
Su Ran was still enjoying the show when he suddenly felt a chill creep up his spine, making him shudder involuntarily. Before he could even figure out why, he heard Su Weisheng’s calm reminder to the staff: “Host, it’s time to proceed with the program.”
“Ah—oh, oh, oh! Got it!” The host snapped back to reality, and at long last, the program returned to its intended track. “It’s the 17th day of cohabitation. By now, we’ve all learned a bit about each other’s experiences, hobbies, and families. But to truly deepen our bonds, we need to uncover more of each other’s strengths.
“So today’s activity is—Skill Swap!”
“Each guest will select one of their specialties and write it down on a slip of paper. The slips will be shuffled for a blind draw. Whoever picks your slip will receive a lesson from you, and in turn, you’ll have to accept and learn whatever skill you draw!”
The host carefully explained the activity rules.
Meanwhile, the livestream chat was already exploding:
【This has Director You’s signature chaos-inducing touch all over it.】
【When it comes to “teaching” each other but never actually sharing their full skills, this is guaranteed to turn into another round of mutual sabotage.】
【I can already picture how this “wholesome and reasonable” activity is going to create absolute havoc with these four.】
【LMAO, is there even any suspense? As per tradition, the Best Actor will claim his specialty is acting, then use his master-level skills to roast the top star. The top star will say he’s good at singing, then freestyle a rap on the spot to humiliate the Best Actor.】
【But with the Best Actor’s current mental state today… can he still bring his usual level of sarcasm?】
While the netizens were still fiercely debating, Xie Wei was the first to raise his hand, eagerly suggesting, “I have no other skills, but if I had to pick one specialty… I suppose acting would be it.”
【!!!】
The gossip-hungry viewers immediately lit up.
【It’s happening! Teacher Xie never disappoints—he’s kicking off the roasting segment first! I knew all that sucking up to great-grandfather was just a setup. He’s definitely plotting something!】
【Look at how wary the top star looks—he’s already bracing for a counterattack!】
But in the very next second, Xie Wei turned to Su Weisheng with a warm and amicable smile. “Great-grandfather, I remember you’ve always been troubled by Ranran’s poor acting skills. Why don’t I teach him from now on? Not just on the show—outside of it too. We can do one-on-one lessons anytime. Rest assured, I’ll give him everything I’ve got. I won’t claim I can make him a legend in the film industry, but as long as I’m here, he’ll always have movies to act in.”
Netizens: ?
Everyone on set: ?
Su Ran, who was fully prepared to fire back with a roast: ?
“You want to teach me?” Su Ran pointed at Xie Wei, then at himself in disbelief, repeating his words. “And as long as you’re here, I’ll always have a movie to act in?” He turned to Song Qing. “Are you sure you don’t want to take your husband to the hospital for a checkup?”
Song Qing, of course, knew his husband had probably been “educated” by Su Weisheng, but he couldn’t say that out loud. So, he simply scribbled on his slip of paper, pretending nothing had happened.
Xie Wei’s face darkened—again and again.
This little brat had zero emotional intelligence. Did he have to blurt out everything in public? It made him want to personally teach him a lesson!
Su Weisheng, who had just lifted his pen to write, paused slightly. Hearing Xie Wei’s words, he was momentarily surprised. After carefully weighing them, he sensed some sincerity in what Xie Wei had said. Then, seeing his great-grandson’s utterly dumbfounded expression, he couldn’t help but curve his lips in amusement.
“You want to teach him?” He chuckled, then remarked, “Interesting.”
His great-grandson was utterly stunned. “Great-grandfather, you actually think this is interesting?!”
Hearing Su Weisheng’s response, Xie Wei’s eyes instantly brightened. He couldn’t care less about bickering with the little brat now. Without hesitation, he casually grabbed the teapot and naturally refilled Su Weisheng’s cup. In an easygoing, conversational tone, he joked: “With a Drama Academy acting professor as a neighbor, Su Ran can have acting lessons anytime, anywhere—completely convenient, no hassle, and no tuition fees. Great-grandfather, wouldn’t it be a huge loss if you turned down such a great deal?”
His words weren’t fawning or servile; instead, they carried the effortless charm of an old friend, as if everything between them was naturally falling into place.
Once the best actor stopped fixating on childish squabbles with the top star, his mind suddenly became much clearer, and his actions quickly returned to their usual level of competence.
Su Weisheng even seriously considered his proposal. Maintaining a democratic approach, he asked his great-grandson, “Would you prefer Teacher Xie to teach you, or do you want to stick with your original teachers?”
Teacher Xie: A lifelong rival suddenly turning into his instructor—pure humiliation.
Original teachers: His dad, grandpa, and great-grandfather—three generations of relentless beatdowns.
Neither option was ideal! Su Ran screamed internally, his face twitching slightly. “…I don’t want to choose either.”
Su Weisheng nodded. “Got it.”
Su Ran grew wary. “What do you mean by ‘got it’?”
“If you don’t want to choose, that means you want both,” Su Weisheng interpreted smoothly, deciding on the spot without a second thought. Then, he turned to Xie Wei and asked, “Teacher Xie, what would you like to learn?”
“You’re my elder, you can just call me by my name.”
Xie Wei’s shift in identity was so seamless it was almost impressive. Compared to the arrogant, sharp-tongued Best Actor who had previously thrown harsh words at Su Weisheng, he was now practically a different person. With a bright, eager smile, he said, “I’ll learn anything! Great-grandfather, just write down whatever you like!”
With every “Great-grandfather” rolling off his tongue, Xie Wei sounded exceptionally affectionate.
Finally, the host couldn’t take it anymore and stepped in to correct them. “Um… our show requires the slips to be drawn randomly. You can’t just exchange them directly!”
Xie Wei remained utterly confident. “It’s fine. As long as Great-grandfather agrees, everything will work out.”
The host was this close to losing it: Haha. For god’s sake, can’t you people handle your shady deals in private? Why do you have to do this so blatantly? Does our production team have no dignity?!
【? Why has he suddenly turned into a Great-grandpa simp?】
【WTF, Xie Wei, wake up! Did someone cast a spell on you?!】
【I’m starting to think I missed several episodes—why the hell did his attitude change so drastically? I don’t get it.】
【You think you can just teach whoever you want? LMAO, don’t be ridiculous.】
But the most ridiculous part?
When the four shuffled slips were drawn and announced live—under an uncut, delay-free broadcast—everyone was left in stunned silence.
Su Ran had actually pulled the one slip he dreaded most: 【Acting Lessons by Xie Wei】
——”Bad luck!!!”
The host carefully examined the four slips of paper and confirmed there was no trickery, leaving them awkwardly frozen in place. “…Is it really such a coincidence?”
Netizens were completely dumbfounded, their worldview shattered.
【This has to be scripted, right? There’s no way something this coincidental could happen!】
【I watched every single frame of the livestream; there’s absolutely no way it’s scripted…】
【It’s definitely not staged. One thing we have to accept is that the top star has no acting skills—he couldn’t pull off something this convincing!】
【I’m losing my mind. Is it really just like great-grandpa said? Whatever he says goes?】
And the absurdity didn’t stop there.
Song Qing received Su Ran’s skill, which was clearly given half-heartedly: 【I’ll teach you how to sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star~】
Su Weisheng got Song Qing’s skill: 【Learn to draw a chibi character in three minutes.】
Meanwhile, Xie Wei excitedly opened the slip of paper he had been longing for, only to see a grand, flamboyant line of calligraphy written by Su Weisheng himself: 【”The Ultimate Guide to Naming Your Descendants”—Learn how to give your future generations the most prosperous names.】
Xie Wei: “???”
“I’m already gay! How am I supposed to have descendants?!”
Su Weisheng noticed his subtle expression and, for once, offered a gentle reassurance. “It’s fine. Even if you don’t need this skill yourself, you can always pass it on to your relatives or friends. There will always be families who need it.”
Xie Wei hesitated for a moment but couldn’t resist his curiosity. “Great-grandfather, do names really affect an elder’s fortune?”
“They do.” Su Weisheng replied matter-of-factly. “If you want wealth, you can name your child after gold, silver, or jewels. If you want a harmonious marriage, you can name them after animals like mandarin ducks. The more you use these names, the more effective they become.”
This sounded a bit far-fetched, but coming from his great-grandfather, it somehow seemed more convincing.
The host, unable to contain their curiosity, leaned in and asked, “Then what kind of name should you give a child if you want career advancement?”
“What kind of career?” Su Weisheng asked.
The assistant director jokingly chimed in, “For example, if I want to get promoted to head director, what name should I give my child?”
Su Weisheng pondered for a moment before replying seriously, “That would be difficult since your current director, Director You, is not easy to overthrow. Given your situation, naming your child alone might not be enough… but it’s not entirely impossible…”
“For example?”
Su Weisheng: “For example, you could steal Director You’s child and name them You Sangfu[mfn]You Lost Father[/mfn]. Then, give them a ‘father-dooming’ mole—double the effect. I guarantee Director You won’t make it to next year, and you’ll smoothly take his place.”
Assistant Director: What the hell.
Netizens: 【What the hell.】
Sounds logical, but absolutely unnecessary!!!
【I’ve realized something—Great-grandfather always has an endless supply of chaotic schemes. Good thing Director You is single, or he’d be doomed…】
【This whole ‘naming the next generation’ skill is way too funny. Help, I’m actually tempted!】
Meanwhile, Jiang Yimian was also watching the livestream.
Lately, he had been freeloading at his uncle’s place, enjoying good food and comfort. At this moment, he was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, barefoot, munching on snacks while staring at Su Ran in the livestream with envy, jealousy, and resentment.
“Great-grandfather really dotes on Zhaocai. Not only did he pick such a nice name for him, but he even made him custom ear cuffs. What kind of special treatment is this…” He sighed sourly. “So jealous of Zhaocai. If my uncle treated me this well, I wouldn’t even want to change my name anymore.”
Jiang Qiao entered in his wheelchair, casting a cold glance at his brainless disaster of a nephew. He reminded him icily, “If you were willing to put effort into learning mystic arts from me, you could support half the family on your own. Then you wouldn’t have to spend all day scheming about whose coattails to cling to.”
Jiang Yimian shook his head frantically. “No, no, no—mystic arts are way too hard. Uncle, I think I’m perfectly fine just being a professional freeloader…”
Jiang Qiao couldn’t be bothered to deal with him. Instead, he glanced at the livestream on his tablet and happened to spot the white jade ear cuff on Su Ran’s ear. Immediately, Grandmaster Zhao Yan’s words flashed through his mind—so this was the protective artifact that the little great-grandfather had given Su Ran?
He wheeled himself forward, picked up the tablet, and examined it carefully. His brows furrowed slightly. “It doesn’t seem like a highly offensive artifact… it looks more like a conduit of some sort. There’s an underworld aura on it.”
So what exactly is the function of this ear cuff? How did it manage to seriously injure Zhao Yan?
He sent a message to Zhao Yan, asking to meet up for a detailed discussion.
However, Grandmaster Zhao Yan was probably too busy to socialize anytime soon—he was completely swamped, running around like a headless chicken.
That day, when he left the divine messenger, he had been in high spirits. The deal was sealed, he had even made a friend in the messenger—an absolute win. But when he got home, something felt off.
Where was his wooden fish?
He had made 300,000 yuan, sure. But he had lost a mystical wooden fish worth several million!
Grandmaster Zhao Yan was utterly devastated.
He sulked for days, feeling like the ultimate fool. He had taken on that brainless Xie Wei’s job to exorcise evil spirits, only to end up personally delivering his precious artifact as a gift to the divine messenger… across a thousand miles.
Just as he was finally starting to move past his grief, Xie Wei contacted him again—this time, opening the conversation by calling him a fraud.
“You think I don’t know my great-grandfather’s identity? You fraud!” Xie Wei roared over the phone. “You actually thought you could suppress my great-grandfather? A scam artist like you?! I get it now! You must have been completely beaten down by my great-grandfather that day and fled in utter disgrace. Then, just to con me out of my money, you put a curse on my wife, making him hostile toward my great-grandfather—so you could trick me into thinking the job was done, right?!”
“I’m telling you, I don’t even care about the money anymore, but you must lift the curse on my husband! I can’t just stand by and watch him act like a complete idiot every day, picking fights with my great-grandfather and digging his own grave!”
“If you don’t lift the curse, I’ll ask my great-grandfather to wipe your pathetic little temple off the map!”
Each sentence was harsher than the last.
Grandmaster Zhao Yan’s forehead veins throbbed with fury. He wanted to scream back, Your husband keeps going after your great-grandfather no matter how much you try to stop him? That has nothing to do with any damn curse! He’s just doing his job properly because I took your money!
Was there anyone else in this world as unlucky as him—losing money and still taking the blame?!
Zhao Yan was so enraged he nearly spat blood. Gritting his teeth, he snapped into the phone, “I never cursed your partner! If you think there’s a problem with him, maybe you should look at him for the cause!” With that, he furiously hung up.
“He actually dared to hang up on me!”
Listening to the beeping sound of the call being disconnected, Xie Wei cursed angrily, “I haven’t even asked him for a refund yet, and he has the nerve to tell me to check if my wife is the problem? What problem could my Qing Qing have? At most, he’s just a little drama queen!”
He paced back and forth twice in the bathroom, suppressing his frustration. After thinking it over, he decided he couldn’t waste time on such trivial matters.
“No, I have more important things to do. To live up to great-grandfather’s expectations, I must properly teach that troublemaking great-grandson of his how to act. Even if he’s as dense as a rock, I’ll make sure he learns something and impresses the boss!”
With this thought, Teacher Xie was filled with determination. He pushed open the bathroom door and marched straight to the room opposite—time to grab Su Ran for class!
Inside the tool room, Su Weisheng had just finished crafting a small jade hammer.
The palm-sized hammer fit perfectly at his waist as a decorative accessory. When he walked, it made a crisp jingling sound, which was quite pleasing to the ear.
He had always liked shiny things, whether gold, silver, pearls, or gemstones. In particular, he enjoyed personally crafting small trinkets to carry with him. He had even personally selected the gemstones used to decorate his own coffin.
When he had woken up not long ago and found himself back at square one, Su Weisheng had been incredibly displeased. Now, as he fiddled with the newly made jade hammer, his mood finally improved a little.
Bai Songyin asked curiously, “Great-grandfather, is this little jade hammer just for decoration, or does it have another purpose?”
Su Weisheng chuckled lazily and said, “Of course not. For example, if you or my great-grandson misbehave, I can use this little hammer to knock on your heads.”
“This hammer is so small. It probably wouldn’t even hurt if you hit someone with it,” Bai Songyin muttered under his breath, thinking that getting smacked by such a tiny toy wouldn’t even sting.
As they spoke, Su Ran had already burst into the room.
He sneaked in like a thief, glancing around cautiously. After confirming the area was safe, he quickly locked the door behind him and gritted his teeth. “Great-grandfather, hurry up and send Xie Wei to a mental hospital! Get him off my back! I don’t need any damn acting lessons. If he keeps pestering me for another two days, I’m going to lose my mind!”
Su Weisheng gave him a sidelong glance. “You refuse to take Xie Wei’s lessons during the day, then claim you’re too busy with the recording studio at night to take your father’s lessons. Do you not want to act anymore?”
“I have to record my album first! Where would I find the time for this?” Su Ran argued loudly and self-righteously. “Didn’t you read the contract? You even had the company send the final payment to your bank account! So obviously, I need to focus on recording!”
“Producing an album is already a hassle, and my schedule is a mess. Sometimes I’m free during the day, sometimes at night…” He spread his hands in a shameless display. “Anyway, I can’t help it. The important stuff comes first. I don’t have time for those lessons!”
Su Weisheng didn’t bother arguing with his nonsense, nor did he engage in pointless debate. He simply said calmly, “If you don’t want to attend class, that’s fine. But wasting everyone’s time like this… there has to be a price to pay.”
Su Ran immediately perked up. “What price?”
Su Weisheng unfastened the small jade hammer from his waist. “Take three hits from me.”
Just this tiny hammer? Great-grandfather must be feeling sorry for him and giving him an easy way out!
His face lit up with relief, and he obediently stretched out his hand, ready to take the light taps. But the moment Great-grandfather’s hand pressed down on the handle—something was triggered.
The small jade hammer began to grow… and grow… and grow…
A massive jade hammer, twice the size of Su Ran’s head, materialized in midair.
“Holy sh—!?” Su Ran was completely dumbfounded.
Su Weisheng was no kind and doting ancestor. He was, without a doubt, the ultimate overlord who loved solving problems in the most direct and brutal way possible.
Horrified, Su Ran tried to flee.
But Great-grandfather had already swung the giant hammer down, delivering a lesson on responsibility with thunderous force.
“Great-grandfather, have mercy—!” Su Ran’s pitiful screams echoed through the entire garden.
Hearing the commotion, the others thought something terrible had happened and rushed over. The fastest among them was the best actor couple. Before they could even ask what was going on, they took one look at the scene and immediately shrank into the corner alongside Bai Songyin, too intimidated to interfere.
A long-haired beauty, dressed in a shirt and trousers exuding a scholarly aura, was now wielding a massive hammer. With a mix of elegance and sheer brutality, he swung it straight at the top star.
Thud!
A loud bang echoed, followed by the top star’s pitiful wails as he repeatedly begged for mercy…
Everyone watching was dumbfounded.
In just a few moments, the once-handsome face of the star had swollen into something resembling a pig’s head.
Gentle, dignified, and kind? What a joke! This violent hammer-wielding demon king—this was the true face of their so-called revered ancestor!
Xie Wei swallowed hard and leaned down to whisper to his wife, “If I hadn’t repented in time, would I be the one getting the hammer treatment alongside Su Ran right now?”
Meanwhile, little drama queen Song was still meticulously maintaining his persona for the sake of those precious 150,000 yuan. In a delicate, tea-drinking tone, he murmured, “Hubby, how could you bow down to violence like this? What great-grandfather did was just too much. I think we should expose him… Wuwuwu…”
In the past, it had always been the little drama queen who played along with Su Weisheng, but this time, it was finally Xie Wei’s turn to panic.
He hastily covered his wife’s mouth in horror.
“Shhh! Shhh! Keep your voice down—do you want to get hammered too?!” Xie Wei was on the verge of despair. “When is that damn monk going to lift your curse? Honey, please go back to normal already! I swear, I’ll never be jealous of great-grandfather again! From now on, we’ll both be his devoted grandkids, okay?!”
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