4:30 PM, main hall, the first day of the second episode.
With thirty minutes to go before the show officially starts, the guests have already arrived and are seated around the U-shaped sofa. The atmosphere is so quiet that even the sound of breathing is distinctly audible. This uncanny silence catches the attention of assistant director Chen Kang, who glances at the scene repeatedly with an alarmed expression. He even rushes to call out the host to give her a word of caution:
“Zhi Zi, once the show goes live, you should be careful—watch out for these guests causing trouble.”
Qiu Zhi, hearing this, is somewhat surprised and responds, “That’s unlikely, isn’t it? I hosted the Courtyard team last episode—Mr. Lu and his son were composed and polished investors, and Sunny and the cat were socially anxious; both groups were harmonious and didn’t create mischief, right?”
“But that was last episode,” Xie Kang says with a cold smirk. “Don’t forget what happened with the Villa team next door at the time. The livestream was bombarded and blown up multiple times. Xiao Chen, who hosted for just a month, still hasn’t recovered from the mental trauma, even with triple the salary. And now, those composed investors are about to face their explosive nemesis…”
As he says this, he glances inside meaningfully.
Qiu Zhi has heard about the neighboring team, though she believes the chaos was mostly because the top star and the best actor team were like powder kegs ready to blow. Without little drama queen Song stoking fires this time, things shouldn’t get too out of hand, right?
Plus, considering the program crew’s penchant for setting traps and stirring up drama, it’s a wonder if the guests don’t end up fending off the producers themselves…
She mutters quietly while following Chen Kang’s line of sight to peek inside.
Sunny, the renowned scriptwriter with black hair and emerald eyes, is sitting on the west side of the sofa, holding his cat and muttering something softly. The cat, impatient to leave, attempts to struggle free, only to be forcibly subdued by its annoying cat dad, Sunny. Glaring with a pair of emerald eyes, the cat hisses and grumbles in protest.
On the east side of the sofa sat the top star great-grandfather and great-grandson duo. Su Weisheng was quietly scribbling and sketching something in a notebook with a fountain pen, seemingly organizing some thoughts, while Su Ran, unusually subdued, sat there daydreaming. Occasionally, his eyes moved slightly, locking briefly with the show director, You Sui, who was adjusting equipment in the corner. As their gazes met, Su Ran’s pupils immediately contracted, carrying a hint of terror, as if he were witnessing something indescribable. He quickly averted his eyes.
On the south side of the sofa were the Lu father-and-son duo. Whether by coincidence or by the production team’s deliberate arrangement, Lu Huanjin’s seat was placed directly beside Su Ran’s. At this moment, Lu Huanjin keenly noticed the strange exchange between the top star and the director. Without making a sound, he slightly shifted closer and deliberately asked, “What’s wrong? Did you offend Director You?”
Su Ran stared at him expressionlessly. “Why, are you planning to kneel and apologize to him on my behalf?”
Lu Huanjin smiled faintly. “If you call me ‘big brother’, I wouldn’t mind apologizing for you.”
“Mind your own wild dad’s business. If you have so much free time, why don’t you worry about your real dad instead? He’s about to buy stock hitting the down limit from my great-grandfather. You’d better watch out before you lose your entire family fortune.” Since the livestream hadn’t started and their voices were kept low, Su Ran spoke without any restraint.
Lu Huanjin was caught off guard by this sudden remark, momentarily baffled. He turned his head in confusion and asked Old Lu, “Dad, are you buying stock hitting the down limit from great-grandfather Su?”
Old Lu replied, “I’m not buying stock hitting the down limit.” He paused, then had an epiphany. “Grandpa Su and I did discuss stocks, but what I’m planning to buy are trending, high-potential stocks. I also wanted to sell off the down-limit stocks I have, but unfortunately, Grandpa Su refused to take them.” He said this while glancing at Lu Huanjin with a mix of regret and disdain.
Lu Huanjin: “…”
Su Ran found the situation even stranger. He leaned close to Su Weisheng and whispered softly, “Great-grandfather, why is Uncle Lu saying he wants to buy potential stocks? Is there some misunderstanding between you two?”
Su Weisheng, busy jotting down clues and organizing his thoughts in a notebook, glanced briefly at his great-grandson and replied casually, “I’ve already said his taste differs from the norm. Stop picking at his scars—let him buy whatever he wants.”
“Alright, alright,” Su Ran muttered reluctantly. “Respecting others’ hobbies—I get it, I get it.”
Lu Huanjin: “…”
He sighed deeply while staring at Su Ran. Respect for hobbies? That feisty chicken hadn’t even realized they were throwing shade with thinly veiled remarks!
During their idle chatter, the show began—
Building on the tremendous success of the first episode, this second episode had already garnered widespread attention before its launch. Eager netizens flooded the livestream room, making it so packed that even with repeated server expansions, the app still experienced lag and faced overwhelming demand.
Ten minutes before the broadcast began, a highlight video from the previous session was finally released. Excited viewers clicked in, skipped the ads, and were immediately met with a tense confrontation between two individuals.
Standing on opposite sides of the bar counter were a defiant top star and a refined young man, locked in an intense standoff that heightened the atmosphere to the breaking point.
The top star made his move, delivering a sharp jab: “Great-grandfather prefers the cold brew tea I personally make. Don’t bother trying to curry favor!”
The refined young man smiled politely while delivering a sharp retort: “Then I really need to learn from my cousin.”
The video then sped up tenfold, showing the two busying themselves at the bar counter, spending ages brewing tea. The table ended up in chaos, strewn with mess, yet they accomplished absolutely nothing.
The refined young man questioned, “Do you even know how to brew tea?”
The top star countered, “I just don’t want you stealing my techniques!”
Meanwhile, the livestream viewers in the comments were already rolling with laughter:
【Familiar scenes of the Little Chicken squabble return—our Ran Bao is at it again! His expertise lies in dragging you into his turf and then, with his wealth of kindergarten-level arguing experience, utterly defeating you】
【Cousins? The top star has other relatives?】
【They look quite similar, definitely not fake. Now there’s one more contender for great-grandfather’s favoritism. Won’t the top star just die of jealousy?】
The cousins failed spectacularly in their battle to brew cold-brew tea for their great-grandfather, and the screen shifted. The assistant director laid out four photos of houses in front of Su Weisheng, inviting him to make a selection. Chen Kang asked curiously, “Great-grandfather, will you predict the groupings this time?”
Sitting leisurely on the sofa, Su Weisheng—whose aura was so commanding it inspired absolute confidence—casually crossed his legs, exuding an air of calm authority. Watching his handsome great-grandchildren fiercely competing for his attention, he merely beckoned to the refined young man. With the demeanor of someone weighing the abilities of juniors, he tasked him with predicting the group assignments.
The young man obediently sat across from Grandpa and confidently gave a name: “Sunny.”
The next moment, the camera cut—
Sunny was sitting there, staring hesitantly at the four photos in front of him, holding his cat and murmuring softly, “Son, where do you think we should live this time?”
The silver-tabby responded with a calm “Meow~.”
Sunny promptly picked up the photo of the Courtyard and declared, “My son said he’s used to living in the Courtyard and doesn’t want to change.”
The camera shifted again—
The other two teams revealed photos of a traditional Chinese garden.
It seemed the group assignments had been decided.
【This top star’s cousin is impressive—are we sure this isn’t scripted?】
【I thought the production team would arrange for the two rival teams to live together. What’s up with this outcome? No idea how pairing the top star group with the scriptwriter group makes sense!】
【Aw, I wanted to see the green tea youth and great-grandfather reconnect. Too bad that didn’t happen.】
【Honestly a bit disappointed…】
At this point, the final shot turned to Su Weisheng.
He looked at the refined young man who had predicted the accurate outcome and casually gave a score: “70 points.”
The young man froze.
The netizens were equally stunned. Why only 70 points? With such a precise result, shouldn’t it have been a perfect score?
At 5 PM sharp, the netizens guarding the two livestream rooms simultaneously turned their attention to their screens, holding their breath for the moment the streams began.
Suddenly, the screen for the Traditional Garden group’s livestream glitched. Just as the viewers thought it was a lag issue, the stream abruptly switched to the Courtyard livestream.
Before they could question whether this was a bug, the livestream gradually unfolded. The camera showed the main hall of the Courtyard, where three groups of guests were seated on a U-shaped white sofa. As the camera slowly panned, Su Weisheng’s figure came into view—focused on his notes, deeply engrossed in writing and drawing. The top star cocked his head with a haughty air; Lu Huanjin and his father smiled elegantly at the camera; Sunny waved at the viewers while holding his cat. Finally, the camera landed on the host.
“Hello, everyone! I’m Qiu Zhi, your host for this session. I regret to inform you of some bad news: due to last-minute personal matters, Teacher Xie and Teacher Song won’t be participating in this episode. As a result, we’ve canceled the Garden group’s livestream and adjusted the arrangement so that all three groups will now live together in the Courtyard.”
The host, with her exquisite features, sweet voice, and clear enunciation, delivered this bombshell right at the opening.
【?】
【What a plot twist!】
【OMG, your production team really knows how to stir things up!!!】
【So, this is what great-grandfather meant by 70 points?】
【Wow, this twist caught me completely off guard—I’m speechless.】
【The production team is bold! I’m now looking forward to seeing great-grandfather tearing into Lu Huanjin on behalf of his great-grandson.】
【Don’t underestimate the Lu father-and-son duo, okay? Better watch out, or your little great-grandfather’s dignity might get stomped to pieces.】
【Hilarious—he’s just an investor, and yet the boasts keep coming. Did everyone forget what happened to the EscapeStar group?】
【Uh, quick question from a curious passerby: how does Su Ran—a traffic star—and a financial investor manage to provoke such intense hatred? Their fans fight like rabid dogs!】
Host Qiu Zhi hadn’t even prepped herself for the chaos the guests might stir up, when the comment barrage—already spiraling into heated debates—hit her like a slap in the face. It wasn’t just Su Ran and Lu Huanjin who carried an air of mutual hostility; even their fan bases seemed like arch enemies, savaging one another like feral animals. Both sides had a menacing vibe as if they were eagerly waiting for their idols to annihilate the opposition and claim victory. The wholesome tranquility of last episode’s livestream felt like it belonged to an entirely different show.
Unable to bear the sight, Qiu Zhi quickly shifted her gaze and regained her professional composure. Once all the guests had finished introducing themselves, she swiftly moved on to cue the show’s flow. “How was everyone’s holiday week?” she asked while cautiously scanning the guests on the sofa. Finally, she landed on the seemingly calm Su Weisheng. “Great-grandfather, do you have any interesting stories to share with us?”
Su Weisheng lifted his eyelids slightly and replied in an even tone, “Not particularly well.”
Qiu Zhi: “…Ah?”
Su Weisheng said calmly, “If you have a husky at home that always wants to fight with the neighbor’s border collie and even resorts to using canned herring as a weapon to mutually torment each other, life must be rather miserable.” He paused, then corrected himself, “It doesn’t have to be a husky, though. Some say a Pomeranian might be more fitting—pretty but overly yappy.”
This statement was sharp and highly targeted.
The great-grandson, immediately feeling offended, was about to protest. However, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Bai Songyin frantically holding up a sign offstage, reminding him to rein himself in. The top star swallowed back his retort and begrudgingly said, “Great-grandfather is right. I wasn’t mature enough before, but I’ve been reflecting deeply during this period. From now on…”
This unexpected bout of self-reflection left the netizens completely dumbfounded:
【???】
【He can reflect? He can reflect? Meanwhile, I’m still blaming everything on the Earth every day.】
【OMG, has the top star been cursed or something?】
However, Su Ran didn’t get to finish his reflection.
Lu Huanjin glanced at Bai Songyin’s sign and read it aloud word for word: “Mature, steady, transformative—impress Great-grandfather.”
Completely sabotaging the moment.
In a swift motion, Bai Songyin yanked the sign back out of sight.
The top star glared at Lu Huanjin with a murderous intensity.
Sensing yet another impending showdown, Qiu Zhi looked utterly alarmed. Finally, she understood what the assistant director meant by warning her to watch out for troublesome guests. She quickly intervened to calm the situation and steer the show back on track: “Alright, alright. We can all see everyone’s holidays were colorful and eventful. Since today is the first day of living together in groups, how about we play a small game to strengthen neighborly bonds?”
The argument paused for the moment.
Qiu Zhi pulled out the program flow card and announced, “The game is called Truth or Dare…” She took a deep breath, silently cursed the production team a thousand times over. Barely avoiding an all-out guest war, she knew this kind of game was obviously intended to stir up more drama.
The three groups of guests were set to play by drawing cards. Whoever drew the Joker card must choose between “Truth” or “Dare”. If choosing “Truth”, they’d have to answer honestly; if choosing “Dare,” they’d have to comply with the challenge.
Su Weisheng raised an eyebrow and asked, “This little game was arranged by Director You, wasn’t it?”
You Sui, who was fiddling with a camera in the corner, seemed taken aback for a moment before he smiled and replied, “Is it that obvious, or do you know me too well?”
“Know your shamelessness, perhaps.” Su Weisheng assessed calmly, “After all, Truth or Dare should, logically, be a game where winners question losers. Yet, the program arranges it so that the production team poses questions or challenges to the guests instead. Such brazen behavior, done with such blatant confidence, could only be one of your cunning tricks.”
Su Ran opened his mouth to curse such shamelessness, but suddenly remembered the man’s status and swallowed his words.
Su Weisheng glanced at his great-grandson and casually warned, “Be careful. He’s petty and will definitely target you in the game on purpose.”
Su Ran stared at his great-grandfather in disbelief and frustration. What’s the point of warning me? Why don’t you do something about your buddy instead?
The livestream comments erupted with laughter:
【Legendary insult.jpg】
【This is hilarious. Everyone in the entertainment sector dislikes You Sui, but only Great-grandfather dares to blatantly roast him.】
You Sui remained utterly unfazed. Hearing Su Weisheng’s remark, he even comforted Su Ran with a smile, “Don’t worry. I know my limits. I won’t take it too far.”
Su Ran, exasperated, shouted, “Then you’re basically admitting you’ll use this as an opportunity for personal revenge!” He turned to Su Weisheng, pleading, “Great-grandfather, can’t you do something about him?”
Sitting in the corner, You Sui’s face was obscured by shadow except for his bright, fox-like eyes that curved mischievously. He smiled at Su Weisheng and said softly, “Yes, Great-grandfather, why don’t you manage me? I’ll be so obedient.”
His tone was gentle and sweet, akin to a monster retracting its claws and trying to gain favor from its master, affirming its place in their heart.
However, when such behavior came from the mischievous and domineering You Sui—a figure notorious for wreaking havoc—paired with the mysterious and authoritative Su Weisheng, this unusual interaction left everyone present exchanging puzzled glances. They couldn’t help but wonder whether they were overthinking things—or perhaps they’d just uncovered a hidden truth.
Despite being entangled in such a display of coaxing and soft pleading from the influential figure, Su Weisheng remained utterly unmoved. He calmly said, “Weren’t we supposed to play a small game? Let’s start and see how everyone’s luck turns out.”
The staff exchanged glances and, seeing that the director had no intention of continuing the conversation, began shuffling and distributing cards. Each guest was handed a card. Whoever held the Joker card would have to accept a penalty.
Wary of potential retaliation from his “Great-grandmother”, Su Ran was extremely cautious. Instead of immediately flipping his card, he pressed his hand on it and surveyed everyone else’s reactions.
Sunny sighed in relief, clearly spared the Joker card. Lu Huanjin gave Su Ran a meaningful smile and asked, “Want to swap cards?”
Su Ran retorted, “No need. With luck as bad as yours, there’s no way you’d have a good card.” Irritated, he shifted his gaze towards Great-grandfather.
Su Weisheng glanced at him and asked, “Want to swap?”
Suddenly, Su Ran’s eyes lit up as he realized this was an option. If his “Great-grandmother” truly intended to target him, his card would undoubtedly be the least secure, whereas Great-grandfather’s card would surely be the safest!
He quickly agreed, “Swap, swap, swap!” and eagerly grabbed Su Weisheng’s card, exchanging it with his own.
Without even glancing at the card Su Ran handed him, Su Weisheng casually tossed it onto the table and said, “Alright, choose: truth or dare?”
Wait—Great-grandfather didn’t even look at the card yet already knew who held the Joker? Su Ran flipped over the prized card he had just swapped for, only to find a multicolored Joker staring back at him with a broad grin.
The great-grandson: “…”
He stared at his great-grandfather in frustration, feeling utterly wronged and hurt.
Su Weisheng remained calm and said, “You chose this yourself.”
The crowd spontaneously applauded the top star, astonished by the way he deliberately swapped cards only to end up with the Joker—a self-inflicted disaster. Lu Huanjin, still piling on, added with fake regret, “I told you to swap with me, but you refused.”
Su Ran scowled, threw the card onto the table, and snapped, “Truth. Just ask already!”
The host picked up a card, checked it leisurely, and then said sweetly, “Apologies, Mr. Su. Since this is the very first round of the game, the rules dictate that you must choose Dare.”
In response to Su Ran’s intense glare, the host magnified the projection screen and pointed at the chat comments. “We will randomly select a viewer’s comment as the challenge for your dare.”
Su Ran didn’t even get a chance to protest before the random selection concluded.
【Viewer A: Everyone, stop fighting in the chat! Watching you tear into each other has reversed my opinion. Strongly recommending the most cursed ship ‘Lu-Su’—how about role-playing their street romance? Also, check out certain fanfics about this pairing!】
This comment froze on the screen.
Netizens: …???
【What kind of cursed ship is “Lu-Su”? OMG!】
【Wait, wait—do they have fanfic content? Let me see! Let me see!】
The dare left everyone utterly stunned.
No doubt, this was Great-grandmother’s revenge—brutal and merciless.
“What is this nonsense?” Su Ran exploded. “What even is ‘Lu-Su’? Lu Huanjin and I? Are you blind? How can you ship us like this?” Not only did he angrily protest, but he also tried to drag Lu Huanjin into his resistance. “Don’t you feel insulted and offended too? I’m giving you a chance to speak up together…”
Lu Huanjin’s expression turned subtly amused as he clapped lightly and praised, “The name of this ship is actually quite interesting.”
Su Ran’s face turned completely green.
To make matters worse, the production team had already contacted the viewer who posted the comment and retrieved the related fanfic. A staff member handed Su Ran a phone with the text file open and kindly said, “Mr. Su, please read the 300 words aloud. Once you’re done, the dare punishment will be complete.”
Su Ran, with a dark expression, lowered his head to glance at the text.
【Su Ran was pinned to the bed by Lu Huanjin, unable to move. His eyes were blindfolded with a black cloth, his hands cuffed to the bedpost, and his entire being emitted a sorrowful and powerless whimper…】
Su Ran looked, then looked again, his gaze sharpening. What was going on? Having such a bizarre ship was one thing, but why was he the one being dominated? This defied logic! Was the author’s brain clogged with Lu Huanjin’s vomit to write something like this?
No, absolutely not. How could he possibly be the one on the bottom?
The top star carefully flipped through the fanfiction, growing angrier the more he read.
The host urged him, “Mr. Su, hurry up and read it. Once you’re done, it’s over.”
Su Ran looked up at everyone, then down at his phone. Suddenly, he laughed coldly and said to Lu Huanjin, “Don’t regret this.”
Lu Huanjin: …?
Then everyone heard Su Ran loudly read from his phone: “Lu Huanjin was pinned to the bed by Su Ran, unable to move. His eyes were blindfolded, his hands cuffed to the headboard, his whole body weakly sobbing, begging Su Ran to let him go…”
The top star finished reading 300 words.
But he wasn’t satisfied.
He skipped ahead and continued reading: “Lu Huanjin, with a swollen belly, collapsed on the ground, desperately pleading with Su Ran. He said, ‘Ran Ran, please don’t leave me. I’m already carrying the child of your Su family. At the very least… at the very least… you have to stay with me until I give birth, Ran Ran, I beg you…’ Lu Huanjin cried his heart out, but Su Ran could only coldly kick him away and turn to leave…”
Netizens: ?
Guests: ?
Production team: ?
Wait a minute, Top Star, did you read something wrong?
The live broadcast screen displayed the fanfiction Su Ran was reading aloud, and there was almost no difference between the text and his reading. The only distinction was that Su Ran had swapped the two names, forcibly making himself the dominant one.
Not only that, but to retaliate against Lu Huanjin and prove he was the dominant one, Su Ran even created an additional storyline after finishing the fanfiction—one in which Lu Huanjin was pregnant and abandoned by him.
Everyone fell silent.
Goodness, goodness, goodness—was this the Top Star’s infamous competitive streak?
Writing fanfiction about me and my nemesis is fine, but I must be the dominant one, and I’ll even cruelly torment my rival in the story to showcase my superiority.
Classic childish Su Ran.
After finishing, Su Ran raised an eyebrow at Lu Huanjin and said, “I never expected that in this bizarre ship, you’d love me so humbly.”
Lu Huanjin was speechless. “If it makes you happy…”
As the night wore on, the farce gradually came to an end. The live broadcast concluded, the guests stretched and returned to their rooms to rest, and the staff turned off the equipment and left the main hall. After everyone had left, Su Weisheng remained seated on the sofa, unmoving.
One person sat opposite him.
The world fell silent again, becoming a space solely for the two of them.
Su Weisheng raised his eyes to look at him.
You Sui calmly picked up the cards on the table, drawing out a spade and a joker card, and smilingly gestured, “Just the two of us now. Shall we play a few rounds?”
Su Weisheng drew one card from the pair and, sure enough, it was the joker card.
He chuckled softly and said, “You’ve been holding back for so long. If you want to ask, just ask.”
You Sui’s smile faded as he stared at Su Weisheng with intense eyes, speaking each word with clarity, “Was what you said to them earlier true, or were you just deliberately baiting me?”
“Which part?” Su Weisheng smiled again, saying, “The part where I said if nothing had happened back then, I’d have given Le’er a title?”
You Sui’s pupils contracted sharply, and his jaw tightened.
Su Weisheng replied, “It’s true.”
You Sui’s hand trembled slightly as he held the spade card. He lowered his eyes, his expression dark and unclear, his voice hoarse, “…I thought you were just playing along at the time. It’s your turn to ask.”
“No need to ask. You’ve laid all your cards on the table—I can see it clearly. Your memories must have been restored.” Su Weisheng squinted at him, sizing him up, and suddenly said, “No, there’s one question I do need to ask.”
“If you’ve regained all your memories, it means the main soul is either within you or has already recovered its memories to synchronize with yours. But bug is clearly still a blank slate, knowing nothing. So, bug isn’t your main soul?”
You Sui, still immersed in the shock of Su Weisheng’s direct confirmation of love, froze at these words.
He looked up at Su Weisheng.
Su Weisheng pulled out a small jade hammer, smiling brightly at him.
“So, who is bug?” he asked.
You Sui: “…”
Su Weisheng: “Bug is Si Ming, isn’t it? You deliberately misled me, making me think Si Ming was your main soul, just to retaliate against your rival and have me beat him up—”
You Sui tried to explain, “Listen, let me explain!”
No listening.
Su Weisheng’s hammer came crashing down with unstoppable momentum.
Prepare to die, you scoundrel!
![President Huo Wants Me to Restore His Reputation [Entertainment Circle]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/03-cd6f642.jpg "President Huo Wants Me to Restore His Reputation [Entertainment Circle]")
Aaaaaaa my Si Ming!!!!
Oh! So bug was Si Ming but was definitely connected to Yuan Ling. My previous guesses were correct then.