Chapter 24 – Hic!

[Hiss— I don’t know which to address first. It took the Big Shot’s reminder for me to remember Ganzhi is married!]

[Friends, emergency situation. My underpants flew up to the ninth floor. Please help me get them back.]

[Don’t ask. I just lost my underpants, and now I’m too embarrassed to go outside.]

[Damn it! I was just acting like a shameless flirt. Is it too late for surgical reattachment?]

[Thank you, Big Shot, for pulling us back from the brink. Sisters! We must hold the line. The Universally Disliked CP isn’t so bad after all!]

[But what if Ganzhi’s partner is an old, ugly man? Should we still ship it?]

[…It can’t be that bad, right? They’re only five years apart.]

[But I heard that greedy, power-hungry men age particularly fast…]

[Sisters, don’t be like that! We have to respect Ganzhi’s choice!]

[I suddenly want to cry~]

The old man, Yan Shengping: Thanks, but he’s the one who should be crying right now.

For the first time, Yan Shengping’s world contained something he couldn’t comprehend.

At 7:30 PM, with half an hour left until the live stream ended, Director Fang gathered the guests who had just finished dinner to complete the Q&A session from before.

The guests, who had been beaten down all day, looked exceptionally grim, especially Zhong Jingyi’s group. They had only caught three fish in the morning. After trading two, the three of them had to share one fish for lunch. In the afternoon and evening, they had to build a shelter, and for dinner, they each had one coconut. For three grown men, it wasn’t even enough to fill their stomachs.

Luo Tingzhou’s group had a better run later on, catching a large 2.5-kilogram fish, so the three of them had meat for both lunch and dinner.

“Ganzhi! Are you guys done eating over there?” Director Fang called out.

Not far away, Lin Ganzhi’s trio was squatting by the fire, finishing the last bite of charcoal-grilled coconut. Lin Ganzhi’s mouth was half-full of grilled fish and half-full of coconut meat, looking like a hoarding hamster. It was Que Jin who answered for him.

“Isn’t this a survival show? Why is there a village-square heart-to-heart session?” Wenren Yi asked bluntly as she patted her pants.

Lin Ganzhi chewed his food, not forgetting to give Wenren Yi a thumbs-up. That’s what he was thinking too!

By the time the three of them walked over, they naturally sat down next to Qi Lan’s group. Zhong Jingyi glanced at Lin Ganzhi out of the corner of his eye, and his stomach ached even more.

“Which team should we start with?” Director Fang asked.

Zhong Jingyi was eager to start. Suddenly,

“Hic!”

A sudden burp echoed through the scene. All eyes swiveled over.

The culprit buried his head shyly. “Sorry, that was a bit unseemly… hic!”

Who the hell eats so much on a survival show that they start burping?!

Bi Wu gave a bitter smile. For the first time, the veteran Film Emperor humbly revealed his true feelings. “If I had a choice, I’d rather be as unseemly as you.”

For a moment, the guests were on the verge of tears.

The live stream chat was about to die from laughter.

“Well then, shall we start with Ganzhi’s group?” After all, Lin Ganzhi was the undisputed winner this time.

Lin Ganzhi looked up blankly, a rebellious tuft of unkempt pink hair sticking up and swaying foolishly in the wind. “…Hic!”

This conversation was really going nowhere.

“Um, let’s ask the other groups first. Ganzhi can take a moment to adjust,” Que Jin, the most considerate member of their team, stepped forward. The main reason was that everyone’s jealous glares were more intense than when she was giving an award acceptance speech.

“Alright, let’s ask Ting Zhou’s group then.” Director Fang’s gaze fell on Luo Tingzhou.

Luo Tingzhou could be described as a humble and refined gentleman. In the dog-eat-dog world of the entertainment industry, he dedicated himself to writing and releasing songs, with every album being a masterpiece. He was also a skilled pianist, rumored to have been the champion of the National Youth Competition in his year. For some unknown reason, he suddenly chose to debut as a singer. However, after three years, his brilliance gradually made people forget his talent for the piano.

He was thirty years old this year. At twenty-five, he had already semi-retired from the entertainment industry, rarely participating in any shows other than releasing music. The fact that he was on this show now made Director Fang himself doubt that his relationship with Luo Tingzhou was actually that good.

“I see a lot of fans in the bullet comments asking why you suddenly decided to participate in a variety show, Ting Zhou. They’re also asking if your next album is ready, since they haven’t seen you release a new song in a year.”

Luo Tingzhou smiled. “The second question is easier to answer. My new album will be released at the end of this year. Thank you to all the fans who have supported me all these years. As for the first,” Luo Tingzhou paused for a moment.

“Firstly, I wanted to support a variety show produced by a good friend who has returned to the country. Secondly, I wanted to apologize to my little niece. I was abroad writing songs and looking for inspiration, and for some reason, I couldn’t make it to her first formal concert. I knew she was interested in survival shows, so I came. I hope that seeing her uncle, who can’t tell his grains apart and is a complete klutz, still forging ahead under this burden, she’ll accept my apology gift.”

Alright, case closed. So he had offended his precious disciple. Director Fang snorted haughtily. He knew that man treasured his wife so much, there was no way he would easily let someone come to a place like this to suffer!

“Hmph!”

Next to Lin Ganzhi, Wenren Yi let out a very soft snort, drawing circles in the sand with her gaze.

“I’m so envious of Mr. Luo’s niece~” Lin Ganzhi sighed quietly, and then, “Hic!”

Wenren Yi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I told you not to eat so much. It’s a survival show, why are you acting like a reincarnated hungry ghost? Next time we’re out, I’ll treat you. I’ll show you what real delicacies are!”

Lin Ganzhi’s eyes lit up, then he looked a little embarrassed. “Won’t that be too expensive for you?”

Wenren Yi: …The look in your eyes says you could eat me into bankruptcy, thank you very much.

Next, they questioned Qi Lan and Bi Wu, asking mostly about their married life.

Lin Ganzhi was getting sleepy after being full, but he still perked up to listen. It wasn’t until the questions turned to Luan Yuanzhou that he turned back to chat with his bestie.

When the topic of food came up again, Lin Ganzhi shook his little pink-haired head and said, “You don’t understand. When a person has been hungry for a long time, they develop a kind of obsession with food. But don’t worry, I’ve tested it. I don’t gain weight.”

One second they were feeling sorry for him, the next, Wenren Yi and Que Jin were stunned. Tui!

By the time Luan Yuanzhou finished his emotional story about pursuing Zhong Jingyi, ten minutes had passed. Director Fang had to repeatedly point at his watch from behind the camera to speed things up, otherwise it would have taken even longer.

“Alright, now for Jingyi. A lot of fans are saying the clothes you’ve been wearing these past two days are beautiful, and many are asking for a link.”

The light that had been missing from Zhong Jingyi’s eyes for a whole day and night finally returned.

“This outfit? It’s because I’ve recently taken a liking to this androgynous style. I really like the designer’s philosophy: beauty that isn’t defined by others.”

[Ahhhhhh! I’ve been wanting to say it, Yi looks absolutely stunning in this~]

[Yi, your beauty never needs to be defined by others!!!]

[Who’s the designer? I need to order seven or eight pieces right now!]

Wenren Yi raised her eyes and nudged Lin Ganzhi. “Why does this look so familiar? Weren’t you wearing this before you got on the ship?” Wenren Yi didn’t lower her voice. She just couldn’t stand seeing some people get cocky. She didn’t think it looked as good on him as it did on Lin Ganzhi. Why was he so eager to put on such a thick jacket as soon as the sun went down? Wasn’t he hot?

Zhong Jingyi’s gaze immediately locked onto Lin Ganzhi.

Lin Ganzhi: ??

“Ganzhi has this one too? The designer of this piece is named F. I hear he has a unique personality, and it’s very difficult for ordinary people to buy his new designs from him. Ganzhi,” Zhong Jingyi said, his eyes showing a troubled look.

Lin Ganzhi’s mind recalled the Analects. I reflect on myself three times a day: Have I eaten enough? Have I earned enough money? Do I need to deal with this jackass?

“I don’t think ours are the same. A friend of mine took me to a clothing store to buy mine. The owner designed it himself. He’s a really nice guy, anyone can go and buy from him,” Lin Ganzhi admitted generously, even taking the opportunity to advertise for Feibai. “By the way, they’re having a sale right now. You get a 10% discount if you spend over a thousand.”

The listeners chuckled. Everyone here bought haute couture and trendy brands. They would probably never set foot in the kind of store Lin Ganzhi was talking about.

Wenren Yi realized she had misunderstood and thrown her brother under the bus. A wave of guilt washed over her. “Why buy something that’s a thousand for a 10% discount? Next time, I’ll just gift you a few sets from the LV brand.”

Now, Zhong Jingyi’s fans online felt vindicated. They laughed mockingly at Lin Ganzhi, saying he was exposed for wearing a fake.

Sensing the traffic, Zhong Jingyi’s agency quickly compiled a nine-square photo grid of him wearing the outfit. The most stunning one was from the airport, where he looked like a walking clothes hanger.

The tag “Lin Ganzhi fake goods” also shot up the Weibo Hot Search.

“That’s all for today. Everyone should be clear on the chip release schedule. There can be no mistakes.”

“Yes, CEO Yan!” everyone on the computer replied in unison.

Yan Shengping ended the video conference and rubbed his temples. A sharp pain shot through his stomach again.

“Mr. Yan.”

“Come in.”

Yan Shengping looked up, his expression returning to its usual coldness.

Uncle Yan brought in a large bowl of soup and a small bowl of white porridge.

“CEO Yan, you didn’t eat much for dinner today,” Uncle Yan sighed. When Mr. Yan got busy, he still neglected his health just like before. “This soup was made by Ganzhi before he left. He told me to have you drink some with porridge when you have no appetite.”

Uncle Yan placed the soup on the table. The milky white broth emitted an alluring aroma, with a few pieces of sea cucumber floating on top. Uncle Yan had never messed up porridge before. There were a few small pieces of shrimp in the porridge, and the smell actually whetted his appetite.

That little foolish fox had thought of everything related to his eating problems before he left.

“Just leave it there, Uncle Yan. I’ll eat it. You should get some rest too.”

Uncle Yan left with a smile. A married man finally had a wife to look after him. This way, he could retire sooner.

Yan Shengping picked up the spoon and first took a sip of the soup. A wave of warmth soothed his agitated stomach. Before he could take a second bite, his phone rang.

“CEO Yan, have you seen the Weibo Hot Search?” Tian Nini’s voice was indignant.

“Hm? What’s wrong?” Yan Shengping replied, taking another sip of soup while opening the live stream app on his tablet.

“Sigh, it’s just Zhong Jingyi leading his fans to falsely accuse Ganzhi of wearing a fake again. Does that person have nothing better to do all day? If Feibai hadn’t gone into seclusion in some godforsaken corner since yesterday, he could have stood up and proven Ganzhi’s innocence in a minute.”

“Send me the full video.” Yan Shengping looked at the milky white soup on the table, a flicker of emotion finally stirring within him. He closed the live stream app he had just opened and first opened the video Tian Nini had sent him.

Zhong Jingyi.

Yan Shengping was finally starting to wonder if he had been too merciful to this person, leading him to believe he could bully the person by his side whenever he pleased.