Top-tier Auntie in the Entertainment Industry

31 - 40

Chapter 31

Pei Kuang bro.

Long time no see.

This form of address, this opening line, really makes one wonder.

The gossip vibe was strong, and the livestream chat exploded instantly.

【Holy crap! Why does this seem like two ex-lovers meeting again?】

【What's going on here? Could there be something between Pei Kuang and Xie Yin?】

【Tsk tsk, I'm getting a strong whiff of juicy gossip here】

【Ahhhhh, why is it Xie Yin again!!!】

【Xie Yin go away! So pretentious, just looking at you is annoying】

【Xie Yin again? She really latches on whenever there's a chance, tsk, clinging to fame when she's not even popular!】

【Just what exactly happened here? Judging from Pei Kuang fans' reactions there's definitely drama here】

【Ahhhhh what to do, I really wanna know the gossip, someone who knows please explain!】

【Pei Kuang fans, instead of just getting angry, come tell us what's going on here?】

【I can't take it, I'm too curious, I'm exiting the stream to go search online, I need to get to the bottom of this gossip】

【Sisters upstairs, we'll wait for you, once you get the gossip come back and share with everyone in stream】

【Waiting for the gossip+1】

【Waiting for the gossip+10086】

...

The livestream chat was blowing up with gossip talk, and the studio atmosphere was equally intense.

Song Anan's eyes were wide, her gaze shifting back and forth between Pei Kuang and Xie Yin.

The other guests were also deep in thought.

Especially Li Yu and Shi Qing, the two women exchanged a look, both detecting strong gossip vibes from each other.

As expected, everyone loves gossip.

All focus was centered on the two involved.

Pei Kuang glanced at Xie Yin, an ambiguous smile playing on his lips. "It has been a while."

Xie Yin's eyes lit up, looking at Pei Kuang as if she wanted to say something but held back.

Just as she was about to speak, she heard Pei Kuang's indifferent voice. "But it seems we haven't met more than a few times."

His words seemed to be muttering to himself, but when spoken had instantly set off a storm.

Xie Yin's expression froze as she stood stunned, clearly not expecting this response from Pei Kuang.

The atmosphere instantly turned rigid.

Yet Pei Kuang looked completely unfazed, the detached smile mixed with obvious aloofness still on his face.

【Dang, after following this show so long, the last time it was this awkward and someone got slapped in the face was Jiang Kai's 'sibling duo', this is dangerous】

【Wow Mama, this is intense, isn't this Pei Kuang openly slapping her face?】

【Yeah...how is it not?】

【Hahahaha, too satisfying, this is what happens when some people shamelessly latch on, serves them right!】

【Um...isn't Pei Kuang being a bit ungentlemanly here? No matter what, she's a female guest, even if she greeted him, he shouldn't make her lose face like this】

【I always thought Pei Kuang was really mild-mannered from watching him on shows, his public image is of someone with high EQ too. There must be a reason for him to act like this】

【Sigh, all the recent drama and gossip has been full of reversals, without knowing the full context I won't judge】

【Yeah yeah, with all the online gossip lately I really have ptsd, better not jump to conclusions】

Jiang Kai stepped forward to stand in front of Xie Yin, tone unfriendly. "Pei Kuang, aren't you going overboard!"

"Overboard?" Pei Kuang raised a brow, an expression of incomprehension. "Explaining something to avoid misunderstanding is going overboard? Should I have let them misunderstand instead, is that not overboard?"

Jiang Kai tried to argue. "It was just a normal greeting, what's there to misunderstand?"

Pei Kuang let out a meaningful "Oh", "And I simply told the truth, how is that overboard?"

【Pei Kuang has a point, if there's a misunderstanding and he doesn't explain it, does he have to let a scandal break out before explaining?】

【Pfft, Jiang Kai is deliberately feigning ignorance here. A normal greeting he says, does he himself believe that?】

【When dealing with Jiang Kai, Pei Kuang's approach is clearly the only way. You pretend to be oblivious, then I'll pretend to be oblivious, let's see who can keep it up】

Jiang Kai was rendered speechless, only able to glare angrily at Pei Kuang.

He had to admit, compared to the hot-tempered Song Linchuan, he had always been quite wary of Pei Kuang.

This guy's words were always velvet gloves, it was basically impossible to take advantage of him.

Li Yu watched from the side, inwardly clucking in amazement.

She had collaborated with Pei Kuang a few times before and had always been quite interested in him.

There was a saying that was spot on, the gentler a person is, the stronger their boundaries.

That was the vibe Pei Kuang gave her, seeming gentle and modest, very easy to get along with, but actually quite hard to get close to.

Looking harmless, but actually the hardest to take advantage of.

Like right now, without getting red-faced or angry, he had fed Xie Yin and Jiang Kai two solid velvet gloves.

People like him are good to befriend, not good to make enemies of.

Pei Kuang ignored Jiang Kai and Xie Yin, and turned to look at Song Anan who was spacing out to the side.

He nudged Song Anan's arm and asked, "Having to catch the early flight this morning without breakfast, are you hungry?"

Snapped out of her thoughts, Song Anan blinked blankly. "Huh? What's up?"

【Hahaha, she must have been secretly eating gossip just now!】

【Song Anan really cracks me up, how can she zone out when everyone else is fighting】

【Little Sis Song: Suddenly got called out, feeling a bit panicked.jpg】

Seeing Song Anan's clueless reaction, Pei Kuang couldn't help but smile.

She could still space out at a time like this, impressive.

Meeting Pei Kuang's amused gaze, Song Anan awkwardly scratched her nose.

Actually it wasn't her fault for spacing out just now. She had just suddenly thought of something very important.

Ever since finding out this was a world inside a book, Song Anan had been focused solely on Song Linchuan's cannon fodder death. But she had overlooked something else the whole time.

And that was that Pei Kuang had also appeared in the book before.

But only once, which was at the wedding of the male and female leads, where he sat in the audience.

At first, Song Anan assumed Pei Kuang was attending as a friend of the male lead, which made sense.

After all, the entire book was written from the female lead's perspective, Pei Kuang had never appeared before, so that meant he likely had no connection to the female lead.

But there was one line in the original book that had left Song Anan very confused.

- As Pei Kuang looked at the bride and groom on stage and their families, a trace of melancholy and pain flashed through his eyes.

Back then, as she couldn't make sense of it, Song Anan had dismissed it as a bug in the original book.

But now, it seems Pei Kuang and Xie Yin did know each other before, so what other plot points might be hidden there?

"I said, are you hungry or not?" Pei Kuang repeated again.

She was about to say she was fine, but suddenly seemed to recall something and hit the brakes: "Yeah, I'm a bit hungry."

Hearing this, the director immediately took the cue and said lunch was ready, they could go eat at the restaurant next door.

Seafood was naturally indispensable at restaurants on an island resort, so for their first meal the show had prepared a seafood feast.

At the table, Li Yu and the others tried their best to liven up the atmosphere, and everyone ate with great enjoyment.

After the meal, the guests headed together towards the lodging arranged by the crew.

All guests would be staying together this time, in a large villa. The rooms were already arranged by the crew, no need for guests to choose.

Each pair of guests got a suite, Song Anan and Pei Kuang were assigned a suite on the west side of the 3rd floor. It was a two bedroom one living room layout, each bedroom had its own bathroom, very convenient.

Everyone returned to their rooms with their luggage.

According to the crew's arrangements, after the afternoon break guests could freely move around the island.

To first get familiar with the surroundings.

This was an island resort, and the crew had splurged to book the entire island for filming.

So it was quite convenient for the guests to move around without worrying about spectators interfering with filming or causing congestion.

Pei Kuang sent Song Anan to her room entrance. "Let me know if you need anything."

Song Anan nodded. "Got it, you go do your thing."

After Pei Kuang returned to his room, Song Anan also closed her door.

Cameras were installed in all the guest rooms this season, but could be switched off anytime.

Other times it was fine, but for naps even if just half an hour, Song Anan felt it necessary to switch them off.

But she had just turned off the cameras when she received a WeChat message from Li Sirui, who was clearly camped out in the livestream room.

One look and Song Anan understood everything that had happened.

Li Sirui: "Wahhh Sis Anan, please please protect our Pei Pei, don't let Xie Yin get close to him!"

Song Anan was confused. "Why?"

It wasn't like Xie Yin was some ferocious beast, even if she was the original book's female lead, and Pei Kuang wasn't a cannon fodder side character like Song Linchuan, so there shouldn't be an issue right?

Plus Li Sirui didn't even know Xie Yin was the original female lead.

Li Sirui's reply this time came slowly. At first Song Anan found it odd, but upon seeing the essay-length message understood immediately.

Typing so much would of course take some time.

But from this essay, Song Anan learned the whole story.

So Pei Kuang and Xie Yin had been involved in a scandal before!

Two years ago, Xie Yin had been participating in an idol talent competition. Back then her singing and dancing were average, with just her looks considered passable enough for her to make the top 10.

But relying solely on looks, she was completely lacking in skills and unable to make the cut. She could only stop at top 10.

But right when Xie Yin was about to face elimination, a scandal suddenly broke out about her and Pei Kuang. The two had been photographed by paparazzi appearing at the same private kitchen restaurant.

From the photos exposed by the paparazzi, Pei Kuang had left the restaurant first, and Xie Yin rushed out after him. The two seemed to be pulling at each other quite intimately.

To take advantage of the hype and headlines, the show miraculously kept Xie Yin until the final 5.

Then, in subsequent interviews, Xie Yin openly admitted to the camera that she knew Pei Kuang, and claimed that there were some connections between the two. But she refused to elaborate on what kind of connection it was.

This ambiguous response instantly sparked a wave of high interest online.

Plus, both Xie Yin and Pei Kuang were from T City, so all kinds of versions of love affairs filled the internet, such as childhood sweethearts, reuniting after initially breaking up, and so on.

Although Pei Kuang's team quickly denied the relationship and clearly stated that there was not and would never be anything between them, past or future, they did not explain what the connection was either.

Although Xie Yin never mentioned this again after that, and didn't even bring up Pei Kuang in public, the exposure she gained from this was tremendous.

So naturally, Pei Kuang's fans deeply resented Xie Yin, feeling that she had deliberately ridden on Pei Kuang's popularity to gain attention.

Shameless!

After reading Li Sirui's message, Song Anan was instantly confused.

How come this was never mentioned in the original book? How strange.

But she soon felt at ease again.

There were also many inconsistencies regarding Song Linchuan's character in the original book, so it was nothing major for Pei Kuang's story arc to have this plot hole.

Just as Song Anan was about to put down her phone and take a nap, Li Sirui sent another message.

"Also, friendly reminder, even though you guys are both my nephews, I don't expect you to be biased towards my Pei Kuang, but you have to be fair."

Song Anan: "???"

What does she mean?

Li Sirui immediately replied: "Go check the hot search, you'll understand after reading it."

So Song Anan exited WeChat with a confused look, and clicked into Weibo.

The hashtag "#Little aunt gains a new nephew, Song Linchuan's status threatened#" was prominently displayed in the hot search.

The first Weibo she saw after clicking in was Song Linchuan's.

@SongLinchuan: Hmph, my status feels threatened? How contemptible. [photo]

The first reply in his comments was unexpectedly from Pei Kuang.

- @PeiKuang: Raring to go. [photo]

Then, Song Linchuan replied to him in the comments.

- @SongLinchuan: Whetting my knife. [photo]

Then, the two of them started bickering with each other using reaction memes.

Looking at their exchanges, Song Anan was somewhat exasperated.

It was one thing for Song Linchuan to be childish, but for Pei Kuang to play along with him too...

And did they think she didn't know that despite acknowledging their aunt-nephew relationship, Pei Kuang didn't actually see her as an elder at all, clearly still treating her like a kid.

Hmph!

The more she thought about it, the more upset she felt, so Song Anan decided to find an opportunity to get back at them.

This Weibo account was created earlier by Jiang Han, who said fans were urging her to make one. Song Anan didn't see the point but agreed anyway.

When verifying the account, the name 'Song Anan' was already taken by someone else, so they ended up going with 'Little Auntie Song Anan'.

However, she really had no habit of posting on Weibo, and didn't even read it regularly, so the account had gone unused.

She went straight to Song Linchuan's Weibo post and found a fan comment: @FirstRowMelonEatingGirl: Stop arguing, let me ask the little aunt first - what's your standard for favorite nephew? You guys work hard.

@LittleAuntieSongAnan: I like the filial ones!

Chapter 32

After Song Anan sent the message, she instantly felt relieved. Whether the scene could be found back or not, she didn't know, but she had let out a breath at least,

Song Anan casually exited Weibo, and didn't bother with this matter anymore. She even turned her head and forgot about it completely. But she didn't know that her reply had caused huge waves on the internet.

The first one to react was the netizen she had replied to. They continued to reply under Song Anan's comment:

@First Row Melon Eating Girl: WTF! Is this real or fake?!

Because this netizen's comment was already near the top, it quickly attracted other people's attention.

[Ahhhhhhhh, caught a real little auntie!]

[WTF! WTF! Is this really Song Anan herself? Does anyone know, please give a reply!]

[Oh my god, is this little auntie's Weibo? Let me give her a big hug!]

[Wuwuwuwu, finally found home, little auntie wait for me, going to follow you right away!]

[Everyone don't get too excited first, what if it's just a high imitation account? Confirm first, don't follow the wrong one.]

[Yes yes, don't give those ill-intentioned imitation accounts any traffic!]

[@Song Linchuan, hurry and take a look, is this little auntie's account?]

[I've sent a friend request, @Song Linchuan please reply as soon as possible.]

...

The comments started @ Song Linchuan in a long thread, some people even went straight to the comment thread where Song Linchuan and Pei Kuang were arguing to catch him.

- Forget about arguing for now! Hurry over, little auntie needs you, her eldest nephew, to verify this friend request.

- What's the use of you as the eldest nephew, hurry look and see if @Little Auntie Song Anan is really little auntie herself!

Song Linchuan was online to begin with, noticing such a big commotion of course very quickly.

Regarding the Weibo account that Jiang Han made for Song Anan, he had known about it from the very start. He had even wanted to be the first one to follow his little auntie.

But because Song Anan had never posted anything, he thought she didn't want to use it, which was why he didn't follow. He was afraid it would bring unnecessary trouble to his little auntie.

He didn't know how it got suddenly exposed, Song Linchuan was very puzzled.

He scrolled around on the internet for a while before finally figuring out the whole story.

Seeing his little auntie's "I like obedient ones!" comment, Song Linchuan didn't even think before directly replying below Song Anan's response with "Got it."

Then, he followed her back with a flip of his hand.

Well now, the netizens who had been doubting the account's authenticity instantly had no more reservations, and happily followed her.

The follower count on Song Anan's Weibo account grew like a rocket, making who knows how many people in the industry green with envy.

After confirming Song Anan's identity, the netizens continued their antics.

After all, since Song Linchuan had obediently replied "Got it", then the other eldest nephew naturally could not fall behind.

And so, Pei Kuang who was also online, was led over by the netizens as well.

Looking at Song Anan's reply on Weibo, Pei Kuang couldn't help but chuckle.

He could imagine little auntie's annoyed look when she sent the message through the screen.

Like obedient ones?

With just this one line of hers, she really put him in an awkward spot. Didn't even need to think to know that everyone would use this to tease their relationship in the future.

Pei Kuang helplessly shook his head.

But this was fine too, it could also be counted as a blessing in disguise that aligned with his plans.

In fact, the hot search today was something Pei Kuang had asked Li Dong to intentionally push up.

Including the back and forth he had with Song Linchuan, it was something the two of them discussed beforehand.

The goal was to put the netizens' attention on the aunt-nephew relationship between them, so that it could also reduce some of the gossip.

Pei Kuang was very clear about these kinds of matters in the entertainment industry, which was why he directed and acted out this play today, also to better protect Song Anan.

After waking up from her afternoon nap, Song Anan had just walked out of her room when Qi Mushishi came.

"Little auntie, I specially brought these for you, they're all my favorite snacks, try them."

He directly handed over a bag of snacks.

The snacks that Pei Kuang had brought Song Anan last time were later shared by her with Qi Mushishi.

And that was when Qi Mushishi first realized that Song Anan really loved eating snacks.

Therefore, this time before coming over he specially went to buy a bunch of snacks that he liked to share with Song Anan.

[I'm going! Qi Mushishi really is a little sweetheart, he actually brought snacks for little auntie.]

[Qi Mushishi this kid's pretty good, last time I thought he was just saying it casually, didn't think he really took it to heart. Reliable.]

[Ahhhhhhh, is no one shipping this nurturing series CP?]

Song Anan happily thanked him as she accepted the bag of snacks.

She suddenly recalled that she had also prepared a gift for Qi Mushishi, which she had her sister-in-law accompany her to buy just yesterday.

"Mu Shi, wait a moment, I also have a gift for you." Song Anan said.

After putting the snacks down on a table nearby, Song Anan turned and ran towards her room.

Leaving Pei Kuang and Qi Mushishi staring blankly at each other.

[Uh...does anyone else feel like there's some deja vu here?]

[Last time when Song Anan gave Pei Kuang the red envelope, it was also like this right, just that Song Linchuan is now Qi Mushishi instead.]

[Whoa! I'm suddenly really looking forward to little auntie's gift now.]

After a few minutes, Song Anan's figure appeared again in the living room.

In her hands she held a bag, unclear what was inside.

But it seemed to have the logo of some bookstore printed on it.

Could it be that she was giving books?

That would be quite fitting too, giving some world classics between students wasn't too bad.

Song Anan handed the bag over. Qi Mushishi was naturally also very happy to receive a gift, "Little auntie, what did you get for me?"

Song Anan replied, "These are a few exercise books that I specially picked for you. Didn't you finish the last homework I gave you? You can continue with these."

Qi Mushishi instantly felt like the bag in his hands weighed a thousand pounds.

Exercise books? And a few of them!

He looked at Song Anan with grievance across his face.

Wuwuwuwu, little auntie you must be joking right.

[I'm done! I'm really about to die, little auntie really lives up to her reputation when it comes to gifting. You've never let the audience down!]

[Oh my god, how can little auntie be so cute, she actually gifted homework exercise books. Is she for real?]

[Hahahaha, can't stop laughing, little auntie are you a demon?]

[Hahahahaha, Qi Mushishi's smile is about to crack his face, please calculate the area of this child's psychological damage.]

[Let's have a moment of silence for Qi Mushishi, that last homework he somehow managed to finish with great difficulty.]

[Isn't this counted as avenging kindness with hatred from little auntie? Qi Mushishi gave her favorite snacks, and she gifted him exercise books, hahahaha, did little auntie forget that Qi Mushishi is an academically weak student?]

[Hahahahaha, how can you say it's avenging kindness with hatred? Exercise books are also little auntie's favorites!]

[Little auntie: The flowers of the motherland need the nurturing of homework!]

[Qi Mushishi: Is there really no one speaking up for me?!]

[I'm dead! The problem is little auntie doesn't seem to realize at all that gifting exercise books is inappropriate in any way. Is this the generation gap between good and bad students?]

Song Anan looked at Qi Mushishi's face that seemed on the verge of tears, also a bit confused.

How come he looks a little unhappy?

Pei Kuang watched the entire process from the side, he really had to try hard to hold in his laughter.

Every time little auntie gifted someone, she was always so unique.

Last time the red envelope she gave back to him, and now exercise books to Qi Mushishi.

There's no comparison without experience. Pei Kuang suddenly felt that the red envelope he received was simply incomparable.

It was practical, and also auspicious.

Better than exercise books by who knows how many times!

"What's wrong?" Song Anan looked completely puzzled, "Didn't you say last time that the homework I gave you wasn't enough, and you wanted more?"

Moreover, Qi Mushishi had confidently told her back then that he would definitely study properly in the future, and take the exams for B University.

Song Anan gave it no further thought, and having understood Qi Mushishi's level a bit during the time they recorded the show, she thought to pick out a few suitable exercise books to help him.

Didn't he say he wanted to test into B University? Then he would definitely need to work hard.

Qi Mushishi: "......"

How could he say that he was just boasting casually at the time!

[Whoa! I've been busy with work and didn't keep up with the livestream, what did I miss here?]

[I was there at the time. This Qi Mushishi brat was simply outrageously arrogant. He even said stuff like that homework was nothing much, if you gave me a few more books that'd be great. And now he's getting his wish fulfilled.]

[Hahahahaha, I remember Shi Qing was next to him at the time, her eyes were about to roll to the heavens already.]

[I'm dead, I was there that day too. The entire bullet screen area was telling Shi Qing to hurry up and sign up Qi Mushishi for more classes. It was time to let the child get a taste of the dangerous society.]

[My god, this even happened? Then Qi Mushishi really did have this round of retribution coming.]

Seeing Qi Mushishi's forced smiley expression, even if Song Anan was slow on the uptake, she realized by now that she might have chosen the wrong gift.

"It's fine if you don't like it, forget it then. I'll get you something else next time." Song Anan said.

Qi Mushishi hurriedly waved his hands, "No need, no need. It's just in time for me to consolidate what I've learned."

A man should bear responsibility for his own boasting. Even if he had to kneel, he would finish writing all of these!

"When are we leaving?" Qi Mushishi only wanted to quickly end this sad topic. They were going out to play this afternoon anyway.

They had already agreed during lunch that the two of them would take a stroll by the beach this afternoon.

Song Anan looked towards Pei Kuang.

Pei Kuang held in his laughter and replied, "Let's go, we can leave now."

After speaking, he lifted his footsteps and walked outside.

He was truly afraid that if they left even one step late, he would burst out laughing on the spot.

Little auntie really was direct to the point of being cute.

Shi Qing didn't come because she was afraid of the strong UV rays on the islands and didn't want to get sunburnt.

Pei Kuang brought Song Anan and Qi Mushishi to wander the island for the entire afternoon, only starting to head back to the villa after 5pm.

They didn't know if the other guests just didn't come out, or if the island was too big so they missed each other, but they didn't run into anyone else the entire afternoon.

When Song Anan returned to the villa, she found that everyone was gathered neatly in the living room.

"You guys are finally back, let's quickly discuss what to have for dinner," Li Yu said.

According to the show's requirements, the guests had to cook their own meals this episode, but they would provide the ingredients.

For something like cooking, Qi MuShi, this little brat, and Song Anan, the kitchen killer, were directly excluded by everyone.

The others gathered around and discussed the menu for dinner.

The first floor of the villa was spacious enough, divided into three areas - the living room, dining room and kitchen.

Everyone made use of their specialties and prepared a few of their signature dishes, which when combined made quite a sumptuous feast that filled up a large table.

They all sat around the table and ate with great delight.

As they were eating, they realized that Pei Kuang's cooking skills were truly excellent, especially his grandma's braised pork, which was very authentic.

With a mouthful of oil, Qi MuShi said, "Brother Pei Kuang, you're so awesome, this braised pork is too delicious!"

Song Anan has always been generous with her praise for Pei Kuang's cooking skills, but right now her mouth was stuffed full of food, so she could only give him a big thumbs up.

Pei Kuang smiled and told them to eat more if they liked it.

The others were also eating happily. Li Yu couldn't help but jokingly said, "Pei Kuang, you're so handsome, and you understand romance, plus you can cook so well, I really envy your future girlfriend!"

As soon as she said this, there was a sudden stagnation around the dinner table, and everyone subconsciously looked at Xie Yin.

Xie Yin's face flushed red, and she looked at Pei Kuang as if wanting to explain something but was unable to speak.

The atmosphere on the scene became ambiguous and awkward.

The other guests scratched their noses awkwardly. It was very embarrassing for everyone.

But they really didn't mean it, it was just a subconscious reaction.

Clearly, after spending half a day together, everyone at the table had already understood the past scandal between Pei Kuang and Xie Yin.

After all, it was still trending on the hot search.

【Oh my god! I'm laughing to death, so celebrities surf the Internet just like us】

【Hahaha, we're all eating melons from the same field, but eating melons on the spot is more exciting!】

At this moment, Qi MuShi suddenly exclaimed, "Strange, why did you guys look at auntie when talking about Brother Pei Kuang's girlfriend?"

Song Anan happened to be sitting next to Xie Yin. From Qi MuShi's perspective, this misunderstanding was understandable.

【Hahaha, we still have to look to Qi MuShi for these conversation killers】

【Other guests: We were looking at auntie? We were clearly eating melons!】

Other guests: "......"

With which eyes did he see them looking at Song Anan?

Wait a minute!

This was actually not a bad excuse.

"We were afraid that the elder wouldn't approve, your Brother Pei Kuang's future girlfriend wouldn't be allowed in the door. After all, auntie likes filial nephews," Guo Xiu slowly continued.

Song Anan was stunned for a moment, a little confused.

A few seconds later, she suddenly realized what Guo Xiu was talking about.

Likes filial nephews, wasn't that what she replied to netizens on Weibo?

The little auntie's face turned red from being teased, she could only lower her head and dig at the rice in her bowl.

【Oh my god! Guo Xiu is indeed an amazing comedian, his situational reaction skills are awesome, he actually smoothed this over】

【Hahaha, I'm laughing to death, so the other guests were also browsing auntie's Weibo】

The others clearly also knew about this meme, and they all laughed uncontrollably.

Only Qi MuShi was completely confused, what was so funny again?

Just as he was about to say something, Shi Qing suddenly stuffed a big piece of braised pork into his mouth, "Talk less during meals, it's impolite!"

Qi MuShi: "......"

At this time, Li Yu also realized the inappropriate nature of her earlier remarks. Her mind raced to think of how to give Pei Kuang an explanation.

So she pretended to casually look at Pei Kuang and said, "Come on, Pei Kuang, tell us what kind of girl you like. Shi Qing and I will keep an eye out for you in the future."

Shi Qing also nodded.

Pei Kuang didn't waste the opportunity given by Li Yu. He pretended to ponder for a moment, then said, "I still prefer focusing on work."

Idol artists losing jobs for dating, this was common knowledge in the entertainment industry.

With this remark, it at least indicated that Pei Kuang's current focus was still on work and that he had no plans to date. So those so-called scandals could be left unaddressed.

Li Yu glanced at Pei Kuang appreciatively. Working with smart people was so relaxing.

With a seemingly casual joke, he had clearly stated his attitude.

After dinner, everyone chatted for a while and then returned to their rooms after the livestream ended.

Before going to bed, Song Anan went to the kitchen on the first floor and microwaved a cup of milk.

She had just put one foot out of the kitchen when she happened to see Xie Yin and Pei Kuang coming in from outside. Song Anan reflexively backed into the kitchen again.

Xie Yin's voice came over, "Brother Pei Kuang, auntie actually misses you quite a bit. There are no overnight hatreds between mother and son. No matter what she says, she's still your mother."

Pei Kuang seemed to scoff and said coldly, "Mind your own business, don't do useless things."

Xie Yin wanted to say something more, but Pei Kuang immediately noticed the light in the kitchen was on and walked over.

Song Anan was originally hugging the cup and shrinking away when she suddenly saw Pei Kuang at the kitchen door and was startled for a moment.

"I, I'm heating up some milk..."

Pei Kuang lightly hmm-ed and beckoned to her, "Going back?"

Song Anan obediently nodded.

Pei Kuang nodded slightly, "Let's go then."

Song Anan oh-ed and followed behind Pei Kuang like a child who had done something wrong.

When passing Xie Yin, she didn't even dare to look up.

After all, eavesdropping and getting caught was really embarrassing.

After returning to the room, Song Anan called out to Pei Kuang, "I didn't intentionally eavesdrop just now, don't get the wrong idea."

She didn't even know why she reflexively retreated back into the kitchen after seeing them.

Pei Kuang replied, "Mm, I know."

Song Anan was half believing.

Pei Kuang chuckled, "I really don't misunderstand. You were going to heat up milk, of course you were in there before me. I still have that much logic."

Hearing him say this, Song Anan felt relieved.

Pei Kuang raised his brow, "If there's nothing else, I'll go back to my room first?"

Song Anan hesitated for a moment before finally nodding, "Nothing else."

Pei Kuang lightly nodded his head and left.

Song Anan looked at the door for a moment then also returned to her room.

She had originally wanted to ask about his relationship with Xie Yin, but on second thought didn't ask.

Not talking meant he didn't want to talk about it. Why make things difficult for him?

After returning to the room, Song Anan sat on the bed and started spacing out.

She didn't know how much time had passed when she picked up her phone and her fingers flew quickly over the keyboard.

"Li Sirui, I want to ask you something."

Li Sirui was clearly on her phone. She replied almost immediately, "What?"

Song Anan sent her a passage: "The man looked at the bride and groom on stage, as well as their family members, with a trace of sadness and pain flashing through his eyes."

"What do you feel when you see the passage above?"

Li Sirui: "Damn, isn't that the male second lead's lines? Little Anan, where did you see this?"

Song Anan frowned.

The male second lead's lines?

Li Sirui: "Oh wait, you don't read novels right?"

Song Anan: "What novel?"

Li Sirui: "I'm currently reading a novel where the male second lead has that description at the female lead's wedding scene."

She immediately sent over a link, "It's this one. It's supposed to be pretty good, the writing and plot are not bad. The male second lead is portrayed really well, he tricked me into shedding quite a few tears for him. If you want to read it, you can just use my account, no need to buy it again."

Song Anan thought for a moment before replying: "Why don't you first give me a general overview of what this novel is about?"

Although Li Sirui didn't know why Song Anan was suddenly curious about this stuff, she still patiently told her about it.

The novel was about the female lead and the male second lead who were childhood sweethearts. Their families were also old friends. When they grew up, the male second lead fell in love with the female lead, but was rejected when he confessed. The female lead only treated him like a brother.

Because the male second lead didn't get along well with his family, he left in anger the city where they lived. The female lead chased after him to persuade the male second lead to return home, but he refused. So the male second lead stayed in that city.

In the new city, the female lead met the male lead and the two fell in love.

In the end, the male second lead's ending was that he never married, and willingly stood in the background to watch the female lead live happily ever after with the male lead and have children and grandchildren. But the male second lead never knew that he was a backup that the female lead didn't even know about.

Up until the male second lead died, he always felt that it was because he was not good enough that the female lead didn't love him.

Song Anan listened in a daze.

The male second lead and the female lead were childhood sweethearts.

Pei Kuang and Xie Yin were from the same city, and from their conversation tonight, their families also knew each other, so they should also be childhood sweethearts.

The male second lead was estranged from his family, and the female lead went to the new city to persuade him to return home.

From Xie Yin's persuasion to Pei Kuang just now, it was clear that something unhappy had happened between Pei Kuang and his mother.

And that description of the male second lead at the female lead's wedding scene.

Moreover, Xie Yin right now seemed to be the female lead who met the male lead, Ji QiuBai, on this show. So if her original purpose in coming here was to persuade Pei Kuang...

Wasn't this too much of a coincidence? It actually aligned so well!

Could it be that Pei Kuang was really some deeply in love male second lead?

In the end, Song Anan still clicked on the link.

This was the first time she read this kind of novel. Especially after substituting Pei Kuang into the male second lead, she strangely got hooked on it and unknowingly read until late into the night before falling asleep.

The next morning, Song Anan got up with a groggy head and two big dark circles under her eyes after staying up late.

When she opened the door, she happened to bump into Pei Kuang who was coming out of his room.

Song Anan was startled at first, then walked over and patted him on the shoulder. With utmost seriousness, she said, "Pei Kuang, you're great, you really are great!"

So, don't ever be some pitiful, self-deprecating male second lead for others.

It's too miserable!

Pei Kuang: "???"

Chapter 33

Pei Kuang was stunned for a moment.

Why was little auntie doing this so early in the morning?

Suddenly sending him a 'good person card' out of the blue?

But when he met her worried, concerned gaze, Pei Kuang suddenly understood.

She already knew about it all.

Well, it wasn't that surprising that she found out, since it had caused quite a stir online.

Last night before going to bed, several negative hashtag trends about him suddenly popped up on Weibo, repeating the usual old claims - that he was unworthy of his position, had low education and poor acting skills, and bad character, etc.

In summary, that he was no good, unworthy of his top status or so many fans, and would crash and burn sooner or later.

As for who was behind it, it could have been rival agencies, or industry competitors.

Over the years, Pei Kuang had long grown used to this, and didn't take it too seriously. Li Dong would handle it.

No one else could judge whether he deserved it or not. He didn't need to prove anything to anyone, just focus on improving himself.

To some extent, that was simply the nature of the industry. If you couldn't change it, you just had to adapt. Pei Kuang had never had the habit of fretting over things pointlessly.

So, was Song Anan subtly trying to comfort him about the online drama?

Telling him directly: you're great, you really are great!

Little auntie's way of comforting was really clumsy yet direct.

It was kind of cute in a silly way.

Pei Kuang laughed softly and asked, "Am I really that good?"

Song Anan nodded heavily, completely serious.

Pei Kuang raised an eyebrow. "Compared to Song Linchuan?"

Song Anan was taken aback. Why was he suddenly bringing up Song Linchuan?

But she considered it carefully before replying, "I think you two are pretty evenly matched."

Evenly matched?

Pei Kuang laughed out loud.

Not bad water-carrying skills.

"Oh?" Pei Kuang continued asking. "How exactly are we 'evenly matched'?"

Song Anan was confused for a few seconds, then started counting off seriously on her fingers, "Specifically, you and Linchuan are both very outstanding and motivated, and good-looking too."

Outstanding, motivated, and handsome.

He didn't expect his standing to be so high in little auntie's eyes, on the same level as Song Linchuan.

Tsk, if Song Linchuan found out about this, he'd probably come hopping over on one leg.

Pei Kuang raised an eyebrow, feeling pleased. "Anything else?"

Song Anan frowned.

Anything else?

Wasn't that enough praise already?

"Uh...also, you're both very thoughtful!"

Seeing little auntie's completely earnest expression, Pei Kuang was overcome by a wave of amusement.

Thoughtful?

Alright, the feeling of déjà vu was getting stronger.

"Are you really being honest, or just trying to flatter me?" Pei Kuang laughed.

Song Anan didn't hesitate at all. "Of course it's true!"

Pei Kuang let out a meaningful "oh". "Then why don't you follow me?"

Song Anan was taken aback. "Huh?"

Follow what?

Pei Kuang smiled. "I mean, why do you only follow Linchuan on Weibo, and not me?"

Song Anan blinked blankly, not quite understanding.

Where did this suddenly come from?

Pei Kuang shrugged. "No choice, the netizens are all laughing at me."

Song Anan was still confused. "Laughing at what?"

Pei Kuang faltered.

What else could they laugh at, other than him being unfilial?

But he really couldn't bring himself to say the word 'filial' out loud.

Pei Kuang directly took out his phone and opened a page, then handed it to Song Anan.

"See for yourself."

Song Anan took the phone, baffled. When she saw the huge number of unread messages in his Weibo DMs, her eyes widened in shock.

It triggered her OCD.

What Song Anan didn't know was that her own Weibo DMs were also blowing up massively, she just hadn't noticed yet.

[Hahahaha, Pei Kuang you're hopeless. You're both auntie's nephews, yet she only follows Song Linchuan on Weibo and not you!]

[Still a long road ahead to succeed as auntie's nephew. Pei Kuang, you gotta work harder. Let's start with the small goal of getting auntie to follow your Weibo!]

[You know why auntie doesn't follow you right, tsk tsk, obviously because you're unfilial!]

...

Seeing the messages on Pei Kuang's phone, Song Anan strangely felt a little guilty. After all, she was the one who started this whole filial issue.

But if she said she didn't even follow Song Linchuan, would he believe her?

She barely paid any attention to Weibo in the first place. It was just for show.

As for why she followed Song Linchuan, it was because Jiang Han had set up the account for her and happened to follow him on her behalf.

"It's not too late if I follow you now, right?" Song Anan asked earnestly.

Maybe she could salvage his reputation for being unfilial a little?

Pei Kuang raised his eyebrows. "I think late is better than never."

Song Anan immediately understood. She turned and went back to her room to grab her phone.

Right in front of Pei Kuang, she clumsily navigated to his Weibo profile.

Then decisively tapped 'Follow'.

--

For this leg of the island show, the production team had made some adjustments compared to before.

For example, cameras were installed in the celebrities' suite living rooms instead of camera crew following them around.

At 7:30am, the cameras in each suite living room were remotely controlled to turn on by the broadcasting room.

The five suites became five livestream rooms, going live simultaneously.

Viewers who received notifications from the backstage rushed over excitedly.

But the celebrities woke up at different times, so some were already up while others still slept.

Song Anan and Pei Kuang had already gone out for a walk.

The Jia brothers had changed into workout clothes, preparing to go jogging.

In Jiang Kai and Xie Yin's livestream, Jiang Kai seemed to still be asleep.

But Xie Yin was already doing yoga in the living room.

[Ahhhh, our YinYin is so beautiful, what a great figure, love it!]

[Uwuwuwu, her skin is so nice too, super model-level bare face!]

[Um...isn't it kind of inappropriate for Xie Yin to wear that and do yoga in the living room? They're not real siblings after all.]

[Shut up! What era are you from? What's wrong with her yoga clothes?]

[Yeah! Get out with your nitpicking!]

[I feel like Xie Yin is being deliberately performative. She bothered to bring a yoga mat on a variety show? If you want to exercise, just go running outside or something.]

[Ha! Look who's acting all high and mighty just because they live by the beach. Mind your own business if she wants to do yoga!]

...

Li Yu and Guo Xiu, the married couple, were still asleep. Their livestream was empty.

The loyal viewers who always tuned in weren't surprised. These two were known for sleeping in late.

But there was one person whose behavior went against everyone's expectations - Qi MuShi.

As soon as his livestream started, the viewers saw him sitting properly at the living room table, a pen in hand, seeming to write something on paper.

From the looks of it, he had been up for a while already.

[Huh? Why is Qi MuShi up so early today? I thought he liked sleeping in late.]

[Frowning and chewing on his pen, don't tell me he's doing homework?]

[Whoa! It's raining cherry blossoms! How is this lousy student Qi MuShi studying so hard!]

[My guess is that it's the exercise book auntie gave him yesterday. I thought Qi MuShi just took it to be tactful at the time. He's actually doing it?]

[No need to speculate, lol. Qi MuShi didn't bring any homework on this trip after all.]

[Hahaha, I'm dying. Look at Qi MuShi's struggling expression. Those questions auntie picked must be really difficult.]

...

Oblivious to shocking so many people, Qi MuShi was indeed working on the exercise books Song Anan had given him yesterday.

After playing all day yesterday, he was filled with guilt before bedtime for letting down auntie's good intentions and trust in him.

In reality, even his own mother didn't take him seriously when he casually said he wanted to test for B University.

But Song Anan had laughed at him and even carefully chosen exercise books to help him.

No matter what, Qi MuShi didn't want to fail that trust. Even if he didn't make it into B University later, he was determined to finish all these books.

Half an hour later.

The door next door opened and Shi Qing walked out gracefully in elegant sleepwear, stifling an elegant yawn.

She had intended to go wake up Qi MuShi, but was taken aback when she passed the living room. "What are you writing?"

Without even lifting his head, Qi MuShi heaved a deep sigh. "Writing down auntie's intentions."

Shi Qing: "???"

What the heck!

[Qi MuShi is really a great kid. Calling it 'auntie's intentions' shows he has good upbringing.]

[Suddenly feeling moved by this little brat Qi MuShi.]

[He's playful but not badly behaved. Shi Qing and her husband raised him well.]

[Hahahaha, I'm dying. Shi Qing's gobsmacked expression is priceless, totally a mother's reaction!]

[Wait! Doesn't it seem like Shi Qing misunderstood? She looks unaware that auntie gave Qi MuShi exercise books.]

[Writing down auntie's intentions? Sounds a bit ambiguous. Don't tell me Shi Qing thinks Qi MuShi is writing a love letter to auntie!]

[Holy crap! That could be it judging by her expression!]

To some degree, the netizens were on the same wavelength as Shi Qing.

She stood frozen in the doorway, her mind full of the phrase 'writing down auntie's intentions'.

As Shi Qing looked at Qi MuShi, she still felt it was unbelievable.

This sudden development from a clueless brat to writing love letters?

And brazenly telling his own mother about it!

It was also a bit outrageous.

After thinking for a few seconds, Shi Qing still felt they should talk it out properly.

But out of respect for her son's privacy, she purposefully avoided looking directly as she walked over and sat down across from Qi MuShi.

However, if she had taken a look, the misunderstanding that followed would not have happened.

"Mu Shi, although your mother is very open-minded, you must understand one thing. The most powerless thing for a man is to meet a girl who wants to take care of him for life when he is at his most helpless age," Shi Qing said solemnly.

[Hahahaha, I'm really going to die of laughter, Shi Qing's mind is really different from ordinary people]

[Oh my God! What does meeting a girl who wants to take care of you for life when you are at your most helpless age mean? Shi Qing is so funny]

[I can't stop laughing, Shi Qing must have read too many youthful sentimental novels]

[Qi MuShi: Mom, are you okay?]

[Before watching this show, I always thought Shi Qing was an aloof fairy untainted by the mundane world, I didn't expect her to be so silly and funny in real life]

[Shi Qing: I can't help it, who told me to give birth to a troublesome son]

Qi MuShi lifted his head from the sea of exercise books, looking at Shi Qing with a face full of question marks.

What's going on here?

"Mom, I'm busy doing exercise books, if you haven't woken up properly you can go back to sleep."

Don't make it more confusing.

This question is really difficult.

Shi Qing: "???"

Doing exercise books?

Not writing love letters!

"You're doing exercise books?!" Shi Qing instinctively looked at the desk

She did see several exercise books on it.

Qi MuShi nodded, "Yes, what else?"

Shi Qing paused first, then couldn't help but roll her eyes.

What else could it be other than exercise books, why insist on saying 'writing my sister-in-law's feelings', causing misunderstandings.

Oh wait!

"Didn't you finish your homework already?" Shi Qing asked puzzledly.

She clearly remembered that Qi MuShi didn't bring any homework when he came this time.

Qi MuShi couldn't help but sigh, and told Shi Qing the whole story of Song Anan giving him the exercise books.

Shi Qing: "..."

Let him brag.

Serves him right!

Shi Qing flipped through the exercise books on the table, "You're not planning to do them all, are you?"

Qi MuShi replied, "Yes, my aunt specially went to select them for me, if I don't do them, wouldn't I be letting her down?"

Shi Qing nodded as well, "That makes sense, with Linchuan injured this time, Anan must have been busy, yet she still took the time to go to the bookstore and choose exercise books for you, you should do them properly."

Qi MuShi nodded heavily.

Seeing her son's diligence, Shi Qing felt a sense of gratification.

Just before leaving, she suddenly asked, "By the way, where did you get this pen?"

Qi MuShi replied, "I went next door to the villa to borrow it from the crew this morning."

Shi Qing: "..."

Is this still the brat who would yell that he couldn't do homework without a pen even if it wasn't handed to him!

You see, learning does require motivation.

*

Since everyone wakes up at different times, we agreed last night to have lunch and dinner together, and prepare breakfast on our own.

Because Song Anan really didn't sleep well, she was yawning hard enough to almost flip the sky when she went out for a walk with Pei Kuang this morning.

As soon as they got back to the villa, Pei Kuang sent her back to her room to sleep.

Although she returned to her room, Song Anan didn't actually fall asleep. She lay on the bed, her mind full of Pei Kuang and Xie Yin's affair.

Sigh, she had never been so distressed in this life.

No! Not even in her previous life.

Although Song Linchuan's situation looked more serious than Pei Kuang's at the time, she had a way to deal with it back then.

If Song Linchuan met Xie Yin, she just had to prevent them from meeting and pull the storyline apart.

But Pei Kuang's situation was clearly different! Their story had been going on for so long, it wasn't something she could pull him back from just by trying to give him a hand.

But if she did nothing, Song Anan felt bad about it too.

Let alone anything else, Pei Kuang was Song Linchuan's good friend and had treated her well too, she really couldn't just stand by and watch.

But if not standing by, then what should she do? Song Anan didn't have a clue.

Until Pei Kuang came to call her for breakfast, she still hadn't figured it out.

Seeing the breakfast on the table, Song Anan's heart sank a few more points.

Xie Yin had just said at dinner yesterday that she preferred Western food, and he had made sandwiches first thing in the morning today.

She looked gloomily at Pei Kuang.

Sigh, Li Sirui was right after all.

Affectionate people are often easily disappointed.

Pei Kuang was puzzled, but didn't think much of it, only assuming that she hadn't slept well.

But if he knew Song Anan's mental activity, he would definitely have laughed out loud on the spot.

It was someone last night who said she wanted sandwiches for breakfast!

Chapter 34

After eating an absent-minded breakfast, Song Anan finally came to a conclusion.

She really was powerless!

Although Song Anan had never liked anyone, she could probably imagine how painful it would be to love someone and not have that love returned.

So, Song Anan decided she would take good care of Pei Kuang on the show.

As for how to take care of him, it was nothing more than paying more attention to his emotions and cheering him up.

Of course, more importantly, she had to try her best to keep him away from Xie Yin to avoid him being reminded of his unrequited love!

After breakfast, as Song Anan and Pei Kuang came downstairs from the second floor, they walked into the living room on the first floor and saw Xie Yin and Ji QiuBai sitting on the sofas.

The two seemed to be chatting happily.

Song Anan couldn't help but stop in her tracks and stared blankly.

The male and female leads were already moving towards the storyline of the original novel?

It seemed like they weren't very familiar with each other yesterday, barely exchanging a few words, but after just one night, the two were able to chat so affectionately.

How could it be so fast!

Pei Kuang noticed that Song Anan had suddenly stopped and couldn't help but feel puzzled. "What's wrong? Something happen?"

Song Anan shook her head: "...No."

Ah!

What could have happened to her? It was clearly him who had something going on!

Unrequited love was already painful enough, and he had to watch the person he liked fall in love and sweet talk someone else.

Seeing Song Anan's appearance, Pei Kuang subconsciously frowned.

She had sighed so many times this morning.

Did she have something on her mind?

It seemed like she did. Little sister was really bad at hiding things, her little face was all scrunched up like a bitter melon.

Just as he was about to ask her more, Qi MuShi's voice suddenly came from behind.

"Little auntie, Brother Pei Kuang, what are you two doing here? Why don't you go in?"

Pei Kuang looked at Qi MuShi with a smile as he walked over and replied, "Waiting for you."

Qi MuShi first responded with an "Oh," then realized something and opened his eyes wide in bewilderment, "Hey, that's not right. How did you know I was here?"

Pei Kuang raised his eyebrows a little and pretended to be mysterious. "Guess?"

Guess? Qi MuShi frowned, and really started thinking about it seriously.

Shi Qing walked over behind Qi MuShi and couldn't help poking his forehead. "You silly thing!"

Qi MuShi covered his forehead and protested with an aggrieved look, "Mom, why are you calling me silly again? That won't work. People online all say that derogatory education is not advisable!"

Shi Qing sneered, "You've been singing all the way down the stairs, your voice almost blew the roof off this house, and you still have the nerve to ask how they knew it was you?"

Having said that, she was too lazy to pay any more attention to the enlightened Qi MuShi. She walked into the living room.

As she walked, Shi Qing muttered to herself, "I've never seen someone so tone deaf who loves singing so much."

【Hahahaha, Madam Shi please leave the child some dignity】

【It's true that Qi MuShi is sensible, but his singing really isn't very nice to listen to, it tortures the ears】

【I'm really laughing to death at this mother and son duo Shi Qing and Qi MuShi. Really, if they don't bicker one day, I'll feel weird】

【Qi MuShi is clearly a foodie】

【Laughing all the way to the bank, a mother's sarcasm really is the most lethal!】

【Shi Qing: What did I give birth to?】

Qi MuShi touched his head, looking embarrassed at Song Anan, "Little auntie, is my singing really that bad?"

Song Anan was stunned for a moment. She hadn't actually noticed earlier, but most people's singing shouldn't be that bad, right?

So she said a little uncertainly, "...I don't think so."

Pei Kuang turned his head to look at Song Anan in complete disbelief.

Song Anan blinked her big doe eyes, full of innocence.

It couldn't be that bad, could it?

But Qi MuShi immediately regained his spirit and energetically chased after his mother shouting, "Mom, you have no taste, little auntie said my singing is very nice..."

Song Anan: "???"

Did she say that?

【Oh my! This is the first time little auntie's communication skills have met their Waterloo. Qi MuShi's comprehension skills--no it's not that bad = it's very nice!】

【Hmm... I can only say, Song Anan understands encouraging education】

【Qi MuShi you rascal, you know how to twist words】

【Little auntie: I didn't, it wasn't me, don't wrong me!!】

【Laughing to death, did you notice Pei Kuang's reaction? His completely shocked expression seemed to say, little auntie do you really mean that?】

【Hahahaha, laughing so hard, this is the first time seeing Pei Kuang so surprised on the show】

...

After the guests gathered in the living room, the production team staff gave a simple briefing, then everyone went out together.

According to the shooting arrangements for today, the theme was beach shooting, so everyone paid a little attention to what they wore.

The male guests were still alright, but you could also clearly see that everyone had put in some effort.

Even with simple beach pants and T-shirts, they still chose some stylish colors so they would look fashionable and eye-catching on the beach.

The female guests didn't even need to be said.

Shi Qing wore a white dress, which matched her cold temperament very well.

Li Yu wore a bohemian style long dress, matching couple's outfits with Guo Xiu.

And of all of them, Xie Yin was the most eye-catching.

She wore a bright and gorgeous red strapless dress, with the skirt short in the front and long in the back, showing off her slender legs.

Most importantly, this dress was also made of that kind of floaty material that would flutter beautifully in the wind.

You could imagine that with a light sea breeze, the red skirt would flutter dramatically, fiery and gorgeous!

In comparison, Pei Kuang and Song Anan's outfits were a bit too simple.

Pei Kuang wore a white shirt and black shorts, while Song Anan wore a white T-shirt and light blue denim shorts.

But simplicity also had its advantages--overflowing youthful spirit.

Li Yu looked them up and down several times, amazed in her heart.

How did they make such simple, common clothes look so good?

The answer was undoubtedly because of their faces!

Pei Kuang's face was widely recognized in the entertainment industry, often jokingly called "Nüwa's show-off work".

Song Anan's appearance was also very eye-catching, with two little dimples at the corners of her mouth, looking very cute and well-behaved.

The two of them standing together were very pleasing to look at.

"I have to say, you two are really matching today..." 'Couple outfit', Li Yu barely swallowed the words back down.

"Sis Li, if you wanted to say 'parent-child outfit', that would be going too far." Pei Kuang said with a laugh.

Li Yu reacted quickly, immediately putting on an "I've been seen through" expression.

"I didn't say that, you're the one who said it."

【Oh my god! Parent-child outfit? I'm laughing to death at Pei Kuang, what kind of thought process is this!】

【Hahahaha, laughing so hard, I didn't feel it before, but with what they said, it really does seem like 'parent-child outfit'】

【Hmm...is it just me, or does it feel like what Li Yu was about to say earlier wasn't 'parent-child outfit'?】

Not only did some sharp-eyed netizens notice this subtlety, the other guests present also took note of it.

But Song Anan, as one of the parties involved, was completely oblivious.

She looked down at her clothes, then looked at Pei Kuang, confused.

How was it anything like the "parent-child outfits" she had previously worn with her sister-in-law?

This small island was not particularly big. After leaving the villa, they strolled and enjoyed the scenery of the island along the way. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the beach.

Unexpectedly, the program team went against convention this time and did not set up any tasks, allowing everyone free time.

So the guests went about on their own, but their activities were still within this beach area.

Song Anan was pulled by Qi MuShi to build sandcastles. Before coming, the child had somehow found small shovels and insisted on building Song Anan a castle.

Jiang Kai, Xie Yin and the Ji brothers went to play beach volleyball, while Li Yu took Shi Qing to take pictures, with Guo Xiu as their photographer.

As for Pei Kuang, he first followed Song Anan and Qi MuShi, watching them build sandcastles for a while.

Maybe finding it boring, he happened to see the production team had set up sun shades with beach chairs underneath not far away, so he went straight over to rest.

In fact, Song Anan was also not very interested in building sandcastles. She just didn't have anything else she wanted to do for now, and seeing Qi MuShi so enthusiastic, she accompanied him to play for a while.

The two didn't know how long they had been building, but Song Anan got a little tired from squatting and stood up to stretch.

But when she turned around, she happened to see Pei Kuang sitting on a beach chair not far away, his gaze facing forward.

Song Anan followed the direction he was looking in, and saw the Ji brothers and Jiang Kai and Xie Yin over there playing beach volleyball.

She didn't know how they divided up, but Ji QiuBai and Xie Yin seemed to cooperate quite well as a team.

Song Anan's eyebrows furrowed slightly. She hesitated for a few seconds, then turned and trotted over.

"Pei Kuang, can you help me take pictures?" Song Anan was a little out of breath from running over.

Pei Kuang was surprised. "Take pictures?"

Song Anan nodded, "Yes, I want to send them to Lin Chuan to see."

Pei Kuang responded with an "Oh," slowly getting up from the chair. "Okay, where do you want to take them?"

Song Anan looked around, then chose a place far enough from the beach.

"There!"

Pei Kuang looked at the shallow water area not far away. The rocks by the seaside there were a bit messy, clearly not very easy to walk on.

"Are you sure you want to go there?" he asked.

Song Anan nodded heavily, "Yes, I want to go there."

Pei Kuang nodded lightly, "Let's go."

Having said that, he strode towards that direction. Song Anan hurried to follow along.

Soon the two arrived at the shallow waters. Pei Kuang found a relatively stable place, then took Song Anan's phone.

"Strike a nice pose first." he said.

Song Anan blinked. "A nice pose?"

Pei Kuang nodded lightly. "Yes, you look for one that you think is good."

Song Anan frowned with a troubled look on her face, as if faced with some huge dilemma.

Pei Kuang did not rush her, thinking the young miss was just overwhelmed by too many posing options for the photo shoot.

After about a minute, Song Anan finally made a move.

She suddenly stood at attention, standing straight like a soldier.

Then, she obediently raised both hands and struck a scissor hands pose for the camera.

Pei Kuang: "......"

[OMG, I'm going to laugh my head off at little miss, how can she be so retro with her poses at such a young age?]

[Hahaha, I'm dying, little miss is such a silly beauty, and she thought hard for so long just to come up with a pose like this?]

[Hmm, is my filter too strong? Why do I feel like little miss is actually kind of cute like this?]

[My god, little miss is so relatable like this, isn't this exactly me when posing for photos? Scissor hands is the only pose I can think of too!]

[Ahhhhhhh, I'm the same as little miss, scissor hands is the only pose I can do for photos!]

[Still not the same, we don't have little miss's face, her scissor hands pose looks silly and cute, ours would just look silly!]

[Waa waa waa, the sister upstairs really knows how to cut deep!!]

[Pei Kuang: Umm... are you sure this is the pose you came up with after thinking so hard?]

Chapter 35

When Pei Kuang saw Song Anan's reaction, a trace of embarrassment flashed across Song Anan's face.

She reluctantly put down the two scissors hands.

She really didn't know how to pose for photos.

In Song Anan's memory, the most frequent age of taking photos was when she was very young. For a period of time, her sister-in-law was suddenly interested in photography and often pulled her to take pictures.

At that time, the pose she made the most for taking pictures seemed to be the scissors hands.

"Don't put it down yet, I haven't taken it yet." Pei Kuang's words contained laughter, and his expression was completely unabashed.

The undisguised smile on his face was just short of writing the word "mockery" on his face.

It looked very annoying!

Song Anan's ears gradually became hot.

If it wasn't for distracting Pei Kuang, how could she, who usually doesn't even take selfies, take the initiative to ask for a photo?

As a result, he actually laughed at her, which made her so angry.

But for Pei Kuang's reaction, Song Anan didn't know how to refute it. She could only angrily puff up her cheeks and glare at him.

【Oh! Pei Kuang is so bold to openly ridicule the little auntie. You should hide it a bit more!】

【Laughing to death, Pei Kuang's sudden impulse to run away from home】

【Wu wu wu, the little auntie's angry look is so cute, I really want to rub her~】

【Pei Kuang: Sorry, I don't want to laugh, but I really can't help it.】

【Little Auntie: The unfilial eldest nephew who I picked up for free still can't be kept after all!】

【I feel like the little auntie is going to get angry next second. Based on the little auntie's vengeful personality, Pei Kuang is going to suffer terribly. 】

【I'm looking forward a little to the little auntie making her move】

Just as everyone was looking forward to seeing Song Anan's counterattack, she suddenly sighed as if deflating.

Forget it, laugh if you want to laugh.

Seeing how miserable he is, she won't fuss over it with him. Song Anan thought.

Besides, she had just decided to cheer him up this morning, so she had also achieved her goal.

"Okay, I admit I'm not very good at taking pictures," Song Anan said good-temperedly, "Then what pose should I make?"

Facing Song Anan's indulgent gaze mixed with a hint of benevolence, Pei Kuang suddenly felt a lump in his throat.

Sometimes, he really wanted to ask Song Anan how she managed to be so young yet so mature at the same time.

Pei Kuang lightly coughed and put down his phone. He came to Song Anan and started teaching her poses hands-on.

"How about this, you stand facing the sea, you don't need to deliberately pose your hands, just relax them at your sides or however you want. Anyway, just relax, leave the rest to me."

Although Song Anan listened in a daze, she still obediently followed Pei Kuang's instructions.

However, her body was still a little stiff.

Pei Kuang patiently coached her at the side: "Don't think about posing for a photo, just pretend you're simply looking at the sea and scenery. First take a deep breath, then slowly relax..."

Like this, Song Anan gradually relaxed, and her state was indeed much better.

With his phone in hand, Pei Kuang walked around her looking for angles, taking both close-ups and long shots.

"Done." Pei Kuang waved at Song Anan, "Come, let's take a look at the photos first. If you're not satisfied we'll reshoot."

Song Anan was stunned for a moment, not reacting yet.

The cameraman happened to walk over to Pei Kuang at this time, and the lens was aimed right at the screen of the phone in his hand.

It was a side profile shot of Song Anan.

Whether it was the atmosphere, composition, or proportions of this photo, there was nothing to pick on.

【Oh my god! I feel like Pei Kuang is really good at taking photos. The artistic conception is so beautiful!】

【It turns out Pei Kuang is good at everything. Li Yu was right, his future girlfriend will be very blessed!】

【Ahhhhh, the photos my brother took for the little auntie look so good! I love it, I love it!】

【Hahaha, I feel like the status of Song Linchuan's eldest nephew has been threatened a bit again. Pei Kuang took such nice photos of the little auntie, the little auntie must be very happy!】

【Sob sob~ This is exactly the ideal boyfriend I envisioned! Who can tell me what I need to do to catch up to Pei Kuang!】

【When will my brother take photos for me? I've already posed and everything】

【Sister upstairs, hurry up and go wash up and sleep. You can have anything in your dreams】

【Guys who can take photos are really extra attractive. Not like my boyfriend, who always takes dead-angle photos whenever we travel】

【After looking at Pei Kuang, then looking at my useless boyfriend lying on the sofa, I really couldn't help but give him a kick!】

At this moment, Shi Qing, Li Yu and the others also walked over.

Song Anan was just about to look at the photos, so the three of them looked together.

"Wow! Pei Kuang, you're too good at taking photos!" Li Yu exclaimed, "I thought Guo Xiu was pretty decent, but there's no harm in comparison, huh."

Shi Qing also nodded approvingly, "Your composition is very professional. Did you specifically study photography before?"

Pei Kuang smiled humbly, "I did study it for a period of time before."

【I'm a little surprised that Pei Kuang studied photography! His hobbies are quite extensive】

【Ahhhhh, I know this one! My brother played the role of a photographer before, so he must have studied it back then】

After Shi Qing and Li Yu saw the photos Pei Kuang took for Song Anan, they decisively abandoned their original designated photographer Guo Xiu and extended an invitation for Pei Kuang to photograph them.

Pei Kuang smiled and agreed.

He took individual photos for Shi Qing and Li Yu respectively, and took couple photos for Li Yu and Guo Xiu.

Halfway through, Shi Qing also called Qi MuShi over and took some mother and son photos.

It turned out that Pei Kuang's photography skills were actually very good, much better than Guo Xiu's, and he also had a high success rate.

Looking at the photos on her phone, Li Yu and Shi Qing were extremely satisfied.

The guests had a great time at the seaside this morning.

As lunchtime approached, everyone returned to the villa together.

The weather was hot, and it was easy to sweat a little at this time of day, so everyone went back to their rooms to take a shower and freshen up before coming down to cook.

Although Song Anan didn't know how to cook, she still habitually tried to help out in the kitchen.

When she came over, there were already quite a few people in the kitchen.

The kitchen in this villa was very large, with several stoves, so everyone worked on their own and didn't get in each other's way.

The group quickly cooked a table full of dishes.

After a busy morning, everyone was quite hungry and didn't chat anymore, just buried their heads to eat.

"Little Auntie, are you going to read books after your nap?" Qi MuShi asked.

In the previous period, he had followed Song Anan all day, so he was somewhat familiar with her habits.

Song Anan nodded, "Um, what's up?"

The seaside UV rays were strong. It was a bit hot in the afternoon during this time period, so everyone planned to go out again later.

So after their nap, they had about an hour of free time.

Qi MuShi asked, "Can I come find you to study together?"

Song Anan didn't answer right away, but looked at Pei Kuang, obviously asking for his opinion.

They were sharing a suite. If Qi MuShi came, they would have to study in the living room, and she was afraid it would disturb Pei Kuang.

Pei Kuang smiled. "I don't have a problem with it."

Only then did Song Anan turn her head and nodded at Qi MuShi.

Guo Xiu was quite surprised to see this. "Wow, MuShi loves studying so much now?"

In his impression, Qi MuShi was still in the image of a poor student in elementary school. To see him become so proactive all of a sudden, he really couldn't get used to it.

Shi Qing arched her brows, rather proud, "Of course! As his mother, I almost don't recognize him anymore."

She briefly recounted how Qi MuShi had gotten up early in the morning to do workbooks, and everyone's attention immediately focused on Qi MuShi.

They first chatted about studying, but later somehow, as they chatted, Shi Qing began to talk about Qi MuShi's childhood.

The guests at the table listened with great interest, including Song Anan.

Seeing that Song Anan was only listening to others and hadn't eaten much rice in her bowl, Pei Kuang reached out and tapped her arm.

Song Anan turned her head to look at him.

Pei Kuang lightly lifted his chin towards her rice bowl, signaling her to eat.

Song Anan "oh"ed and obediently shoveled a big mouthful of rice.

This scene happened to fall into Xie Yin's eyes across from them.

She looked at Song Anan, then Pei Kuang, with an obscure expression flashing through her eyes.

Seeing Pei Kuang being so attentive to Song Anan these past two days, even a friend's relative, a girl next door, he could take such good care of her, so why was he like that to her...

"Little Auntie," Xie Yin suddenly called out.

Everyone couldn't help but be stunned, and looked over together.

Especially Pei Kuang, his gaze towards Xie Yin contained some examination.

In this situation, Xie Yin's cry of "Little Auntie" did seem a bit abrupt.

Song Anan was also surprised for a moment.

This was the first time Xie Yin took the initiative to speak to her. Although they had greeted each other yesterday, at the time they had merely nodded at each other.

"Yes, is there something?" Song Anan looked at Xie Yin and asked.

Xie Yin's smile was a little forced. "Nothing, I just suddenly felt emotional."

Song Anan was puzzled. Felt emotional about what?

Xie Yin said a little embarrassedly, "It's a bit shameful to say this, but seeing how hardworking the little auntie is, I feel like I was too lazy in college. Maybe because high school wore me out. Back then, as long as it was vacation, I wouldn't even think of looking at books for the entire break."

【Yo, what Xie Yin said is exactly like me! As a current college student, I've had such a long summer break, and I really haven't cracked open a book even once】

【Laughing to death, me too. Based on previous experience, I didn't even bring books home this summer break. I'm just being realistic】

On the surface, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with Xie Yin's words, so everyone didn't pay too much attention.

After all, they had already gotten used to Song Anan's top student status.

So the other guests also chimed in to recall their own college days.

Xie Yin glanced at Song Anan and asked curiously, "By the way, little auntie, have you ever skipped class before?"

Song Anan blinked. "Skip class?"

Song Anan smiled and said, "Everyone says that a college experience without skipping classes is incomplete, right?"

Her tone and expression seemed to imply that she assumed Song Anan had also skipped classes before.

Song Anan shook her head and answered truthfully, "No, I haven't."

Skipping classes wasn't a good thing, so why did she have to do it?

Song Anan didn't really understand.

【Hmm...why do I feel like Xie Yin is becoming a little inappropriate?】

【Could it be that I'm the only one who feels her words are passive aggressive?!】

【Oh my god! What does Xie Yin mean? Is she trying to throw shade at me?!】

【Some fans are too sensitive. Our Xie Yin was just sharing her thoughts, don't read too much into it.】

【I've wanted to say this for a while - isn't Song Anan being fake? My cousin went to the same university but she wasn't like Song Anan, who acts like she needs to study all the time.】

【I've had the same thought! Does Song Anan want to create anxiety? She acts like she can't be separated from her books. Come on, you're in college, do you need to be like this?】

【Damn! What's wrong with this society? If you don't work hard yourself, you can't stand seeing someone else work hard!】

The others were not fools either. Even if they didn't think much of it at first, after Xie Yin brought up Song Anan multiple times, they realized something was off.

If it was someone else, skipping a few classes in college wasn't a big deal.

But their impression of Song Anan had always been of a good student. If she said she skipped classes, it would seem out of character.

If she said she didn't skip any, it might seem unbelievable.

After all, when wrongdoing becomes commonplace, innocence becomes a sin.

Pei Kuang's mouth curved up in a cold smile. He looked at Xie Yin and asked, "An incomplete college experience without skipping classes? What, if you don't skip classes the school won't let you graduate?"

"Or are you encouraging students to skip class?"

Xie Yin was taken aback and quickly waved her hands. "Sorry, I might have expressed myself poorly. That's not what I meant."

"Oh? Then what did you mean?" Pei Kuang continued questioning her. "Sorry, I didn't go to college so I really don't understand much about this."

Xie Yin was left speechless.

What did she mean? She didn't even know why she had that impulse to make things difficult for Song Anan earlier.

Song Anan pursed her lips and looked between Pei Kuang and Xie Yin, feeling a little awkward.

She wasn't stupid. She sensed Xie Yin's hostility towards her earlier.

But Song Anan was confused - she didn't think they had any conflicts before, they didn't even really know each other. So why was Xie Yin targeting her?

Just as she was deep in thought trying to figure it out, Pei Kuang stood up for her and confronted Xie Yin.

But Song Anan didn't want Pei Kuang to feel embarrassed later. He really liked Xie Yin after all.

So Song Anan decided to resolve this issue herself.

She looked at Xie Yin earnestly and explained, "It's true I've never skipped class. I don't know about other majors, but for clinical medicine, almost all the classes are always full."

Except for the occasional excused absence.

Hearing Song Anan's words, everyone suddenly understood.

That's right, Song Anan was a medical student!

Students in other majors might be able to skate by, but not medical students.

Because they dealt with lives, and needed to be responsible for their future patients.

【I suddenly understand why little sister always has her nose in a book, even during holidays - because she knows the weight of responsibility she carries.】

【As a medical student myself, I can tell you studying medicine is difficult. High school was nothing compared to this.】

【Right, if even medical students don't study diligently, how could we trust them to treat us in the future?】

【Waaah, little sister will definitely become an outstanding doctor in the future! Keep at it, you're worth it!】

Chapter 36

In fact, many people, like Xie Yin, have raised doubts about Song Anan always having a book with her on the show.

They think that since she has already attended university, there's no need to be so studious.

It's as if no one else has ever been to university.

But they conveniently forget what Song Anan has studied. Her words on the show have successfully silenced many people.

At the same time, they have resonated with many medical students and earned the admiration of numerous netizens.

In life, no one can guarantee that they won't get sick.

If even medical students don't take their studies seriously, who would dare to entrust their lives to doctors when they fall ill?

After an unpleasant lunch, the guests went back to their rooms.

After waking up from her nap, Song Anan continued with her plan of reading for an hour, undeterred by what happened during lunch.

The viewers in the live stream couldn't help but marvel at Song Anan's self-discipline and emotional control. She truly is extraordinary.

The truth is, Song Anan didn't pay any attention to Xie Yin's hostility towards her.

Although she didn't know why Xie Yin targeted her, she was certain that after this show, they wouldn't have any further interactions.

Compared to that, Song Anan was more concerned about Pei Kuang. With a few more days of recording for the show, can he handle being around Xie Yin and Ji QiuBai every day?

She remembered a phrase that Li Sirui often mentioned.

Ah, don't get too close to love, or it will bring unhappiness!

In the afternoon, when Song Anan and Pei Kuang came downstairs, the other guests were already in the living room, except for Xie Yin and Jiang Kai.

They probably haven't come down yet, and Song Anan didn't pay much attention to it.

"Auntie, we're going surfing at the beach later. Are you and Brother Pei coming with us?" Qi MuShi asked.

Song Anan was taken aback, "Surfing?"

Qi MuShi nodded excitedly, "Yes, Ji An-ge said Ji Da-ge is really good at surfing. I want Ji Da-ge to teach me."

Upon hearing this, Song Anan instinctively looked at Ji QiuBai.

It was mentioned in the original book that Ji QiuBai was excellent at surfing and even knew how to ride a motor yacht.

There was a scene in that extreme variety show where Ji QiuBai showed off his superb surfing skills in front of Xie Yin.

Moreover, Ji QiuBai personally taught Xie Yin how to surf, creating quite a romantic scene that won over many of their fans.

Song Anan wasn't sure if Ji QiuBai would teach Xie Yin to surf again later, but one thing was certain: with his surfing skills, he would definitely impress everyone.

If they also went surfing, Pei Kuang would feel embarrassed again.

"We won't go!" Song Anan replied quickly.

She glanced around and explained, "Um, yesterday I think I saw a stray cat on the island, and I want to go check on it again today."

Qi MuShi was a bit surprised, "There are stray cats on this island?"

Song Anan's eyes flickered slightly, "I... I'm not sure."

That's why she wanted to go and make sure.

Qi MuShi just said, "Oh," and didn't ask any further.

He wasn't particularly interested in cats. Instead, he preferred to go surfing. So, he eagerly ran off to seek advice from the Ji brothers about surfing.

After sending Qi Mushi away, Song Anan suddenly remembered that she had acted on her own without consulting Pei Kuang about separating from the others.

She turned to Pei Kuang beside her, using her eyes to ask him for his opinion.

Pei Kuang raised an eyebrow, indicating that he had no objections. For him, it didn't matter where they went.

Since they were taking different paths, Song Anan and Pei Kuang didn't wait for the others. After they finished packing up, they left the villa directly.

The idea of looking for stray cats was just an excuse Song Anan made up on the spot. Once they were actually out, she felt a bit clueless about where to look.

Song Anan glanced at Pei Kuang secretly and saw that he didn't suspect anything. She breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Pei Kuang noticed Song Anan's subtle gesture and raised the corner of his mouth slightly.

The little missy couldn't lie at all.

Maybe she hadn't even realized it herself, but every time she told a lie, her eyes would involuntarily shift, accompanied by a slight stammer.

So, from the beginning, Pei Kuang knew that Song Anan didn't really come out to look for stray cats. He guessed that she just didn't want to go surfing.

As for why, he speculated that it might be because she was unhappy.

Unhappy about what happened at noon.

Leading Pei Kuang, Song Anan aimlessly wandered around the island. Forget about stray cats, they didn't even catch sight of any animals.

The viewers in the livestream chat shifted their focus from finding cats to enjoying the island's scenery.

And also, appreciating the beauty of Pei Kuang and Song Anan together.

Well, the cameraman really had some skills. The angles he found were absolutely stunning.

The two of them walking side by side, their figures perfectly blending with the island scenery...

Every frame was beautifully composed.

[Oh no, I'm guilty! How did I suddenly start shipping these two in this setting?]

[Sister upstairs, wake up, and repeat after me loudly, the little missy is underage! The little missy is underage!]

Song Anan grew more and more guilty as they walked. "Let's go over there and look again. I'm not sure if I saw it correctly."

Pei Kuang nodded lightly and smiled. "It's alright, no rush. We'll take our time."

However, although they said that, neither of them actually searched seriously.

After all, they both knew deep down that whether there were stray cats or not, it didn't really matter.

As they continued walking, they arrived near a resort hotel on the island.

As they passed by a patch of bushes, a dark figure suddenly darted out from within.

"Be careful!" Pei Kuang quickly pulled Song Anan over and stood in front of her.

Song Anan held onto the hem of Pei Kuang's clothes and asked nervously, "What is it?"

Pei Kuang shook his head. "I don't know."

With that, he pointed to a certain spot ahead. "It should be over there."

They exchanged a glance and took a tentative step forward, only to see a dusty little bundle curled up in the bushes.

"Meow~"

It was a cat.

Song Anan was stunned. She had actually encountered a cat.

What a coincidence!

Looking at the dusty figure not far away, Song Anan asked uncertainly, "Is that a stray cat?"

Pei Kuang stared at the cat for a moment and, judging by its breed, determined that it was a purebred Golden Gradient. It should be someone's domesticated pet.

It looked filthy all over, with innocent and melancholic eyes, and indeed resembled a neglected stray cat.

"It's probably someone's lost pet," Pei Kuang said.

Considering the proximity to the vacation hotel, it was very likely that it had followed one of the hotel guests.

Pei Kuang glanced at the hotel next to them and said, "Why don't you wait here while I ask the hotel staff?"

Although the program had reserved the entire island, it still had basic staff members on the island.

When they passed by the hotel entrance earlier, he noticed that there were personnel on duty inside.

Song Anan nodded. "Okay, you go ahead. I'll stay here with it."

Pei Kuang made a soft "Hmm" before leaving and reminded her anxiously, "Don't touch it until I come back."

Although the cat didn't appear aggressive, one could never be too careful. He was worried that Song Anan might get hurt.

After Pei Kuang left, the cat seemed to relax. It unexpectedly approached Song Anan on its own.

Then, it tilted its head and stared at Song Anan.

So adorable.

Song Anan's heart instantly melted, and she squatted down, gently making eye contact with the cat.

"Little kitty, don't be afraid. We won't harm you, and we'll help you find your owner."

[Aww, Auntie is so gentle.]

[This cat seems to really like Auntie. It was cautious when Pei Kuang was here, but now it's approaching her on its own.]

The cat seemed to understand Song Anan's words and took a few more steps forward.

Song Anan didn't dare to move, fearing that it might startle the cat.

The cameraman beside them held his breath, and everyone watched to see what it would do.

The cat circled around Song Anan, sniffed the air, and then, after letting out a "meow," it leaned against Song Anan's feet and lay down.

Song Anan was a bit confused.

What was going on?

The cameraman found it amusing and said, "Auntie, looks like it's taking advantage of you."

Taking advantage.

Song Anan looked down at her feet, and it did seem quite fitting.

[Hahaha, indeed it's taking advantage. This kitty is so cunning.]

[Hilarious! Auntie never dreamed that one day she would be claimed by a cat.]

[Aww, the kitty seems to really like Auntie. Look, it even exposed its belly to her.]

[Fun fact! If a cat rolls over and shows you its belly, it means it trusts you. It knows you won't harm it, so it's showing its vulnerable side to you.]

[Yes, that's right. It's also a way for a cat to express love. Aww, Auntie should cherish it.]

[By the way, this cat is definitely sly. It feels like every step it takes is carefully planned, and there's not a single unnecessary movement.]

[Kitty: Woman, you are this cat's chosen poop servant!]

[Shocking! Scheming cat that's fishing for attention, targeting Auntie!]

Song Anan also felt that the cat had no ill intentions towards her.

Not long after, Pei Kuang came with a hotel staff member.

When he first saw the cat lying by Song Anan's feet, he couldn't help but be taken aback.

Song Anan quickly explained, "I didn't touch it, it came on its own."

She remembered the promise she made to Pei Kuang and didn't touch it.

Pei Kuang looked at her with a face that said, "I didn't do it, you have to believe me," and suddenly chuckled, "Hmm, I know."

Song Anan breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he didn't misunderstand her.

[Oh my goodness! Little sister is so obedient. She promised not to touch the cat because of Pei Kuang, and she really didn't touch it.]

[I was just curious why little sister didn't pet it. So it's because of this.]

[Oh... Am I the only one who noticed how charming Pei Kuang's smile was just now?]

[Ah, my older brother is so charming, I can't handle it!]

Pei Kuang suppressed his laughter and turned to the staff member next to him, "Can you confirm if this is the cat?"

He had just asked if the hotel had any guests who had lost a cat before.

The staff member looked closely and nodded, "Yes, it's this cat. I took care of it for a while for that guest. It was clean back then."

Pei Kuang asked, "Are you sure?"

The staff member replied, "I'm sure. That guest was the last wave of guests before you arrived. We rarely have people bringing pets here, so I remember it well."

With that, he took out his phone and showed them a photo, saying, "Take a look, is this the cat? I thought it was cute and took a picture with it."

Song Anan and Pei Kuang double-checked and it did indeed look very similar.

The last group of guests left the island a few days ago, so if the cat was lost during that time, it would have been wandering around the island, and it's normal for it to be a bit dirty.

Song Anan asked, "Can you contact its owner?"

The staff member nodded, "Yes, we have the guest's phone number at the front desk. Wait here."

With that, he turned and went back to the hotel.

After a few minutes, the staff member returned with a slip of paper.

"This is the phone number. The guest is a foreigner. You can call and ask."

Song Anan nodded, "Okay, thank you."

She took the slip of paper and dialed the number on it, and the call was quickly connected.

"Hello, are you Mr. **?"

"Yes, when you were on vacation at ** hotel before, did you bring a pet cat with you..."

Song Anan spoke in fluent British English right from the start, stunning everyone watching the live stream.

[Wow! Little sister is so good at English, that's amazing!]

[As third-year students starting a new semester, the difference between me and a top student is clear. I'm still struggling with my English proficiency test, while a top student can already communicate with foreigners without any barriers.]

[Sigh! It's true that there's no comparison without feeling inferior.]

After confirming the information with the other party, Song Anan began to discuss how to return the cat to them.

But I don't know what the other person said, she suddenly frowned, looking surprised, and said, "Are you saying that you don't want this cat anymore?"

After speaking, she instinctively turned to Pei Kuang and directly said in Chinese, "He said he doesn't want this cat, what should we do?"

Pei Kuang furrowed his brows slightly and pondered for a few seconds before saying to Song Anan, "Give me the phone, I'll talk to him."

Without thinking much, Song Anan handed him the phone.

Pei Kuang put the phone on speaker and fluently spoke in English, saying, "Sir, hello. I need to confirm with you again, are you sure you want to abandon this cat?"

A man's voice came from the other side, "Yes, I'm sure. Please understand clearly and don't contact me again."

After saying that, the man hung up the phone directly.

"What the heck, he's abandoning it!"

"Damn it! Can't he have some morality? If you decide to keep it, you should take responsibility. Otherwise, don't keep it!"

"Wuwuwu, the poor little thing doesn't even know its owner doesn't want it anymore."

"What the hell! Am I the only one who noticed? How did Pei Kuang become so good at English? Didn't he drop out of high school?"

"I really think education doesn't represent everything. As long as you can maintain the habit of learning, it's impressive."

After confirming that the other party indeed didn't want the kitten, Song Anan felt uneasy.

She truly couldn't understand why, if they had decided to keep it, they couldn't take responsibility until the end.

It was unfair to the little cat.

Song Anan touched the cat's head with pity. The cat was very obedient and even leaned forward on its own.

The hotel staff, seeing the cat being affectionate towards Song Anan, was surprised and said, "This cat is usually aloof. No matter how I tried to play with it before, it ignored me. It seems to really like you."

After saying that, he looked at Song Anan and suggested, "If you also like cats, why don't you keep it? You two seem to have a good connection."

This cat had been on this island for several days, and it happened to encounter Song Anan, and it seemed to really like her.

Isn't that fate?

Song Anan really liked cats. She had raised a tabby cat in her hometown when she was young. It would run around the yard all day and even sneak into the neighbor's house to steal fish.

But Zhao Ya was allergic to cat fur, so she hadn't kept one since then.

Song Anan shook her head, looking troubled, and said, "My sister-in-law is allergic to cat fur, so we can't have cats at home, and it's not allowed in the dormitory either."

She really had no place to keep it. It was also not possible with Song Linchuan. He would be away from home for several months when filming, and there was no one to take care of it at home.

Moreover, Song Anan knew that Song Linchuan wasn't really fond of cats.

Upon hearing this, the hotel staff also felt regretful. Allergic to cat fur at home, there was really no solution.

"How about you wait for me? Let me go back and ask my colleagues if anyone likes to have a cat," the hotel staff suggested.

It shouldn't be difficult to find someone willing to adopt such a good-looking pet cat.

Song Anan hurriedly said, "Please, if possible, find a good adopter for it. I beg you."

At least it shouldn't be abandoned again.

After the hotel staff left, Song Anan looked at the dirty and melancholic little cat in front of her, her eyes filled with reluctance and concern.

There was also a deep sense of powerlessness.

[It seems Auntie really loves cats.]

[Sigh, it's true that some family members are allergic to cat hair. Hugs for Auntie.]

[Oh, meow meow, this cat seems so well-behaved. If no one else wants to take care of it, I can.]

[Auntie, look at me. I can take care of it too, don't worry. I will never abandon it!]

Pei Kuang looked at Auntie's appearance, thought for a moment, and said, "If you trust me, you can leave it to me to take care of. I actually quite like cats."

Song Anan was taken aback and raised her head abruptly to look at Pei Kuang. "But don't you live alone? Wouldn't it be inconvenient?"

Pei Kuang smiled and said, "It's fine. I can bring it along when I'm filming. And if it's really inconvenient, I can ask my agent to take care of it."

He added, "In that case, if you want to see it in the future, you can always find me."

Song Anan's eyes lit up but she still asked with concern, "What about your agent? Does he like cats?"

"Don't worry," Pei Kuang smiled, "He really likes cats."

Meanwhile, Li Dong, who was thousands of miles away, looked utterly confused.

When did he start liking cats?

And he really likes them?!

Chapter 37

After Pei Kuang adopted this cat, things became much easier.

Looking at the dirty little thing, the two decided to take it to the pet hospital for a checkup first.

However, there was no pet hospital on this island. They would have to go to the city on the mainland.

Seeing there was still time in the afternoon, Pei Kuang borrowed a boat from the TV crew.

The hotel staff somehow found a cat carrier backpack for them. After informing the TV crew, the two got on the boat and left the island with the cat.

At the pet hospital, the kitten received a full physical exam and was given a clean bill of health, much to Song Anan's relief.

They also got the kitten vaccinated, bathed, and bought some cat food and canned cat food before taking the boat back to the island.

After all this hassle, by the time they got back to the villa, it was already after 5 pm.

Strangely, none of the other guests had returned yet, so they went upstairs directly with the cat.

Back in the room, Song Anan took the kitten out of the backpack and gently placed it on the sofa to let it get used to the new environment.

The cat tentatively stretched its paws a few times on the sofa before jumping onto Song Anan's lap and curling up.

Seeing the little auntie so attached to the cat, Pei Kuang's mouth curved up slightly.

"You give it a name," he said to Song Anan.

Song Anan's hand stroking the cat paused. She looked up at Pei Kuang in surprise. "Let me name it?"

Pei Kuang lightly murmured yes.

Song Anan was taken aback. Pei Kuang was letting her name the kitten, which must've made her very happy. He was too thoughtful!

Well, I officially announce that Pei Kuang has passed his trial period as the favorite nephew. He really dotes on the little auntie!

The little auntie is also very good to Pei Kuang.

I don't know whether to envy the little auntie or Pei Kuang!

Song Anan thought for a moment, hesitating, "Why don't you name it, since it's your cat after all."

Pei Kuang smiled. "It's fine. I'm not good with names. If I had to name it, it would be a real headache."

He then added, "Besides, you found this cat. Like the hotel staff said, it's fate that brought you two together."

Hearing Pei Kuang say this, Song Anan didn't refuse anymore.

At the pet hospital, the vet had told them this was a male cat, so they couldn't give it a girl's name.

But what kind of name should she give it? She was stumped for a moment.

Pei Kuang seemed to be thinking hard too and didn't rush Song Anan, just telling her to take her time before returning to his room.

This left the living room for the cat and her alone.

About half an hour later, Song Anan came to Pei Kuang's room door.

His door was open. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding his phone and replying to messages.

Hearing the sound at the door, he looked up and saw Song Anan leaning against the door frame holding the cat.

"Thought of a name?" Pei Kuang asked.

Song Anan nodded. "What about Qiū Qiū? Do you think that works?"

Qiū Qiū, what a cute name! Sounds good!

I'm jealous of the kitty getting its name picked by the little auntie. How nice!

"Qiū Qiū?" Pei Kuang raised his brow. "Any particular meaning?"

Song Anan scratched her head, embarrassed. She actually wasn't very good at naming either. As a child, she had directly called her tabby cat Mī Mī.

"No real meaning. I just think its head is round like a ball."

Pei Kuang: "..."

He unconsciously glanced at the cat in Song Anan's arms. Its head was quite round.

But was that simple reason worth her lengthy contemplation?

Hahaha, I didn't expect that. Why not just call it Yuán Yuán if its head is round?

I'm dying of laughter! So the little auntie is bad at naming too!

Lalala, I've discovered another thing I have in common with the little auntie!

Seeing Pei Kuang's reaction, Song Anan thought he was unsatisfied with the name. A flash of inspiration hit her. "Or we could crowdsource a name for it online?"

That afternoon at the pet hospital, while waiting for the kitten's exam, she had briefly logged into her Weibo. She originally wanted to check her DMs, having just realized recently that her Weibo followers had suddenly exploded.

That long list of unread DMs was triggering her OCD.

But upon opening Weibo, she first saw that their finding the cat had somehow become a hot search topic. Many people really liked this kitty.

Pei Kuang waved his hand with a light laugh. "No need. Qiū Qiū is good. Let's go with Qiū Qiū."

Yes, yes! Let's go with Qiū Qiū! Such a catchy name!

I also like the name Qiū Qiū, I vote for it!

Ahhh, my brother is a cat owner too now! Qiū Qiū, come look at auntie!

Come, Qiū Qiū, aunties will buy you cans!

Seeing Pei Kuang didn't dislike the name, Song Anan felt relieved.

She went to Pei Kuang's side and handed Qiū Qiū to him. "Hold it for a bit, get familiar with each other."

After all, Qiū Qiū would be his cat from now on, so they needed to bond first.

Pei Kuang nodded lightly and took Qiū Qiū into his arms.

Qiū Qiū was very docile, blinking its big round eyes while looking back and forth between Pei Kuang and Song Anan.

Song Anan reached out and stroked its head. "Qiū Qiū, be good and listen to your brother from now on."

Pei Kuang arched his brow. "Brother?"

Was she referring to him?

Song Anan hesitated. "Or call you daddy?"

Pei Kuang: "..."

Having suddenly gained a cat son was still taking some getting used to.

Hahaha, seeing Pei Kuang's dumbfounded expression makes me want to laugh!

Wow! My brother has finally been promoted to daddy, congratulations!

Pei Kuang: I'm a dad now?

To better foster the bond between Qiū Qiū and Pei Kuang, Song Anan brought them to the living room and had Pei Kuang open a can of food for Qiū Qiū.

Sure enough, after eating, Qiū Qiū was more attached to Pei Kuang.

Song Anan watched very satisfied.

Great, seeing them get along so harmoniously put her mind at ease.

But Song Anan suddenly remembered something else she saw on Weibo that day.

She pursed her lips, giving Pei Kuang a look like she wanted to say something.

Noticing Song Anan's gaze, Pei Kuang raised a brow. "What's wrong?"

Song Anan took a deep breath and looked Pei Kuang in the eyes. She said solemnly, "What I said that day came completely from my heart."

Pei Kuang was puzzled. That day?

What did she say?

Seeing his confusion, Song Anan elaborated, "That day when I said 'you're a good person'."

Pei Kuang suddenly understood she meant the day she gave him the "good person card".

So she knew about that? Why bring it up again today?

Song Anan glanced at the camera and continued rambling, "I heard Lin Chuan say you like reading a lot and have a whole wall of books at home."

"Lin Chuan also said you learn quickly, work diligently, and are very capable. He rarely admires anyone, and you're one of the few."

"Also, your photography skills today were really good. Shi Jiejie and Sister Li Yu all praised how professional you were. And this afternoon, your English on the phone with the cat's previous owner was very good too, showing you've put in a lot of effort over time."

"So I feel academic background doesn't represent everything. Pei Kuang, believe me, you really are outstanding."

Song Anan said this whole lengthy speech in one breath, sneaking another peek at the camera afterwards.

Pei Kuang was stunned for a moment, suddenly understanding Song Anan's intention.

At noon, because of his retort of having not attended university during the confrontation with Xie Yin, he had been blacklisted on hot search again for "not graduating high school" and "low education".

The little auntie was speaking up and restoring his reputation in front of the live studio audience.

Pei Kuang suddenly felt a warmth in his heart.

After so many years, he was long used to the group mockery online.

But to have someone standing before you, using such firm eyes and tone to tell you:

- Pei Kuang, please believe me, you really are outstanding.

Such sincere recognition was something he'd never experienced in his life.

"Is everything you said true?" Pei Kuang suddenly asked.

Song Anan swore definitively. "Of course!"

Pei Kuang arched his brow. "You just said Lin Chuan personally told you he admires me?"

Song Anan blanked out.

Did she say that earlier?

Speaking too hastily, she couldn't quite remember.

She must have said it, or Pei Kuang wouldn't have asked. Song Anan thought.

Whether Lin Chuan had actually said in person that he admired Pei Kuang, she really couldn't recall.

But denying it now would make everything she just said seem fake.

No!

That would ruin all her previous efforts.

Song Anan brazened it out and admitted those words on Lin Chuan's behalf. "Yes, he said that."

Pei Kuang made an inscrutable "oh" sound and suddenly laughed.

Wha-! Pei Kuang, you're too much. I was about to cry just now. Good one, his one line instantly pulled me back!

Hahaha, dying of laughter! Pei Kuang's random competitiveness!

Pei Kuang, be serious! The little auntie is praising you, obediently accept it and don't change the subject!

Speaking of which, with Lin Chuan as a friend holding Pei Kuang in such high esteem, it seems Pei Kuang is quite decent.

Whoa! Pei Kuang cares that much about Lin Chuan's opinion? Hmm... I'm strangely detecting something different here...

Hey sisters, look here! Pei-Song CP waiting for you!

After saying this, Song Anan was also feeling guilty.

While silently apologizing to Lin Chuan in her heart, her phone suddenly vibrated.

Checking it, it was actually a video call invite from Lin Chuan!

Song Anan's eyes shook. What...how coincidental was this?

He can't be calling to interrogate her!

Song Anan was about to decline the call but her hand slipped and she hit accept by accident.

As soon as the video connected, Lin Chuan's annoyed voice came through, "I didn't!"

Song Anan immediately hung up and looked at Pei Kuang. She pursed her lips. "He...he's just shy."

"Um, he definitely said it. Just too shy to admit it."

Pei Kuang stared into Song Anan's eyes, smiling as he spoke: "That's right, just like that."

[Oh my god! Little auntie is so cute, her awkwardness is just too funny!]

[Laughing to death, with Song Linchuan's tsundere personality, he would never openly admit admiration for Pei Kuang, I'd die before believing that.]

[Wahhh, Pei Kuang is so sly, feels like he gradually led little auntie into his trap, too wicked.]

[Fuck! Song Linchuan must have been in the livestream room, otherwise how did the video call connect so quickly?]

[Song Linchuan: So just because I wasn't there in person, you all felt free to gossip about me?!]

Chapter 38

Because of what happened at lunch, Xie Yin was in a bad mood all afternoon.

When the other guests were still surfing at the beach, she made up an excuse halfway through and went back to the villa alone.

After returning to her room, Xie Yin didn't turn on the room's camera. The first thing she did was look at her agent's message on her phone.

Only after seeing that the negative trending topic about her being scolded had been taken down did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.

After what happened at lunch, Xie Yin was immediately trended on social media, with people calling her things like a green tea b*tch, shady, and a hypocritical lotus flower.

Her agent had also called and lectured her for a long time, telling her not to confront Song Anan, and that Song Anan's popularity and hype were too high right now, so she should avoid provoking her.

Xie Yin understood this reasoning, but she was still unwilling to accept it.

Two years ago, in order to advance in the talent competition show she was participating in, she had gone to Pei Kuang, hoping to leverage his red hot popularity at the time to create some hype for herself and secure a spot to advance.

But he had rejected her without even thinking about it. Why was it okay for Song Anan to do it but not her?

She hated how everyone was focused on Song Anan, whether it was the livestream audience or the guests at the scene. They liked Song Anan simply because Song Anan had high popularity right now.

In Xie Yin's opinion, the only reason Song Anan had such high online popularity was entirely due to the popularity of top stars Song Linchuan and Pei Kuang.

The more she thought about it, the more unwilling she felt. She randomly clicked into Song Anan and Pei Kuang's livestream room.

At this time, Song Anan and Pei Kuang were playing with a cat in the living room.

[Hahaha, Pei Kuang is so bad, he's swung that cat toy until it was smoking, and the poor kitty is dizzy from it spinning around so much!]

[Little auntie, stop just laughing on the side, hurry and go save the child!]

[Wahhh, kitty is so cute, little auntie is even cuter~]

[This scene is too harmonious, two people and one cat, feels just like a family ahh]

A family?

Seeing the barrage comments in the livestream room, a trace of abnormal emotion flashed across Xie Yin's eyes.

Her agent was right. Nowadays netizens really ate up this type of familial pairing, especially fans of top stars like Song Linchuan and Pei Kuang.

Forget about Song Linchuan. After all Song Anan really was his aunt.

But why did Pei Kuang have to butt in and accompany Aunt Anan to participate in the show after Song Linchuan got injured, otherwise Aunt Anan would have already withdrawn from the recording.

Most importantly, in Xie Yin's opinion, even if Pei Kuang wanted to participate in this variety show, he should have come with her, not Song Anan.

After all, his mother had married into her Xie family, so in a way, she and Pei Kuang could be considered siblings.

At the very least that was more justified than his current pairing with Jiang Kai as so-called siblings.

Most importantly, Pei Kuang was much more popular than Jiang Kai.

Xie Yin had been spoiled growing up, so she really disliked her current lukewarm status in the entertainment industry.

She wanted to make it big, urgently so.

If her relationship with Pei Kuang was exposed now, wouldn't that...

No!

Xie Yin suddenly recalled Pei Kuang's warning to her two years ago, and immediately dropped that train of thought.

Just as she was lost in certain memories, the room door was opened from outside.

Jiang Kai walked in from outside.

"Yinyin, are you not feeling well? Why did you come back alone without telling me?" Jiang Kai walked to Xie Yin's side, looking concerned.

Xie Yin glanced at him, her attitude somewhat cold. "It's nothing."

Hmph!

Now he's here trying to curry favor, where was he earlier?

At lunch when Pei Kuang and Song Anan were interrogating her aggressively, she didn't see him stand up for her.

With so many people at the table back then, she was the only one made to feel ashamed. She had looked to Jiang Kai several times, but he had deliberately played dead, not saying a word.

Thinking of this, Xie Yin felt extremely resentful.

Of course, Jiang Kai could also tell that Xie Yin held some resentment towards him, but at that time he really had no choice.

To be honest, deep down he was actually quite intimidated by Pei Kuang.

How to put it, if it was against Song Linchuan, Jiang Kai dared to confront him openly, but with Pei Kuang, he didn't dare.

Pei Kuang was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

He seemed harmless on the surface, but actually had very deep schemes, and acted unpredictably, giving off a somewhat grey morality vibe.

Either he wouldn't make a move, or if he did, he would definitely grab you by the throat. Back when they were in a group together, Jiang Kai had suffered badly at Pei Kuang's hands several times.

This was also why Pei Kuang had brought Song Anan to record the show, and Jiang Kai didn't dare make trouble in front of him.

Of course, there was another important reason. Jiang Kai was wary of the boss behind him, Sister Li.

If he openly defended Xie Yin on the show and his intentions were seen through, then it would be hard to resolve the situation later.

As for what intentions, yes, he truly did quite like Xie Yin.

Otherwise, after what happened with his sister, he wouldn't have taken the initiative to invite her to participate in this show.

After all, with Xie Yin's popularity, she couldn't possibly have gotten the resources for this show on her own.

No one would be willing to tag along with an old woman. Someone Jiang Kai's age would naturally prefer a beautiful, well-born young woman like Xie Yin.

When he had filmed with Xie Yin before, Jiang Kai had already inquired clearly that Xie Yin came from a business family, supposedly quite wealthy and well-known locally.

If he could pursue Xie Yin, it would be like climbing a high branch for Jiang Kai.

"Yinyin, I know you're angry with me for not speaking up for you at lunch, but I truly did it for your own good," Jiang Kai said.

Xie Yin glanced at him without speaking.

Jiang Kai sighed, putting on a dejected appearance. "You know what happened with my sister before. Now many people are quite hostile towards us siblings, especially when facing Song Anan, I simply can't gain any advantage."

"I don't care about myself, but I was afraid that speaking up for you would cause the audience to resent you, which would make things even more difficult for you."

Xie Yin was taken aback. She really hadn't considered this reasoning.

But what Jiang Kai said did make quite a bit of sense. The grievances between the Jiang siblings and Song family aunt and nephew were overwhelmingly favored towards the Song family online.

So in confronting Song Anan, if Jiang Kai rashly spoke up for her, it might backfire.

Moreover, although Xie Yin had come to participate in the show with Jiang Kai, she had always been very careful to avoid being associated with the Jiang siblings.

She absolutely didn't want to get implicated.

"Jiang Kai, you're overthinking. I'm not angry with you," Xie Yin said. "I just feel a bit guilty. I really didn't mean what happened at lunch."

Jiang Kai smoothly said, "I know, it's fine. This matter isn't hard to resolve either. Tonight at dinner, just sincerely apologize to Song Anan in front of everyone, and this matter will be written off."

Xie Yin lightly hmm-ed. She did indeed plan to do so.

Her agent had said the current circumstances were very disadvantageous to her. Although the negative trending topic had been temporarily taken down, the show was still filming. As long as she and Song Anan appeared on camera together, this matter wouldn't settle down in the short term.

Rather than let things drag on, she might as well sincerely apologize to the other party. As long as she appeared genuine, if the other side still held it against her after that, it would only make them look bad instead.

To be honest, deep down Xie Yin actually hoped that Song Anan wouldn't let it go so easily.

*

The few guest groups who went surfing at the beach really hit it off and ended up playing until nighttime before coming back.

After spending so long in the ocean, everyone needed to shower and clean up when they returned, and if they cooked dinner too it would drag on endlessly.

The director team simply ordered takeout from the resort hotel on the island for convenience.

Song Anan and Pei Kuang didn't need showers since they had come back earlier. Not long after, the other guest groups gradually returned as well, and everyone gathered in the living room to chat while waiting for the food.

Upon hearing that the two had really brought a cat back, Qi Mushi's childish curiosity was piqued, and so Song Anan went upstairs to bring Ball Ball down.

Ball Ball was a pet cat to begin with. Although it had wandered the island for a few days, it hadn't suffered any injuries, so it was still very friendly towards humans.

Cute little cats like this were catnip for women. Li Yu and Shi Qing fell for it instantly, fawning over it endlessly.

After hearing about Ball Ball's experiences, the two felt heartbroken and both said they could adopt it into their families.

Song Anan was a bit surprised. She had worried at first about not being able to find a good adopter for Ball Ball, but it turned out her worries were unnecessary.

She still told them truthfully that Pei Kuang had already adopted Ball Ball. Li Yu and Shi Qing could only express regret.

But deep down, Song Anan still hoped that Pei Kuang would keep Ball Ball.

That way, it would be more convenient for her to visit Ball Ball in the future, since Pei Kuang and Song Linchuan lived in the same complex.

While feeding Ball Ball a snack, Qi Mushishi curiously asked, "If Ball Ball is Uncle Pei's son, what should it call little auntie?"

Shi Qing glanced at her silly son and explained, "What else could it be, little aunty grandma of course."

This remark rendered everyone momentarily stunned, before bursting into laughter.

Sorry, they could laugh at these generational jokes for a long time.

As for this, Pei Kuang was quite helpless, but also powerless.

Song Anan scratched her head in confusion, somewhat at a loss.

How did she suddenly become a grandma generation?

[Hahaha I'm dying, little auntie's bewildered expression is too funny]

[Little auntie: I'm only 17, how did I become a grandma generation already?]

[Ball Ball: Whoops, careless, gotta investigate properly before recognizing a dad in the future, otherwise I'll end up someone's grandson!]

[Pei Kuang: Whoops, careless, gotta investigate properly before making friends in the future, otherwise I'll end up someone's grand-nephew]

Everyone chimed in with teasing remarks, having fun at their expense, while those being teased weren't annoyed either. The atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious.

However, just then, Jiang Kai and Xie Yin walked over.

The laughter in the living room instantly died down, and the smiles froze on everyone's faces.

[Damn, my awkwardness on others' behalf is acting up!]

[Ugh, these people are deliberately ostracizing our Yinyin who's a newbie!]

[Hmph, ostracizing the new guest? Trying to form cliques and factions while filming a variety show, speechless!]

【Um... I don't think it's about excluding them, everyone seemed to react subconsciously, no one intended to isolate them】

【Can't blame the others either, everyone came down early, but Xie Yin and Jiang Kai chose to hide in their room instead of actively integrating with everyone. Now it's awkward, who can we blame?】

【Let me meekly ask, am I the only one who feels like Jiang Kai and Xie Yin are completely redundant in this group?】

After a few seconds of silence, Li Yu was the first to speak up and break the awkward atmosphere: "You came down now, come over here and sit, we still have to wait a bit for dinner."

Xie Yin felt extremely awkward inside, but had to maintain composure on the surface.

"Alright, thank you sister Li Yu." Xie Yin said, "But first, I'd like to apologize to An'an."

She then walked over to Song An'an in a few steps, looking utterly sincere.

"An'an, I'm sorry about what happened at noon, I didn't mean it. Please don't be angry at me or avoid me anymore, okay?"

After saying that, Xie Yin even bowed to Song An'an, her attitude was exceptionally low.

Making everyone present a bit stunned.

【Wuwuwuwu, my heart aches for my darling Yin'yin, being excluded as a newcomer, and can only apologize and beg for forgiveness】

【Hug my Yin'yin tight, some people put up a facade of being simple and kind, but are rotten to the core】

【Yin'yin you don't have to be so compromising, you're the best, we'll always be with you】

Xie Yin's fans were the first to react in the bullet screen comments, crying grievance and selling misery in large amounts.

Although Xie Yin wasn't hugely popular, she had accumulated some loyal fans since the beginning of the show, plus she was quite good at maintaining relationships with fans. Over the past two years she also gained a batch of diehard fans.

But the audience in the livestream weren't naive fools either. People reacted very quickly.

【Yo Xie Yin, aren't you being a bit of a green tea here? What do you mean don't avoid her, making it sound like the girls isolated her】

【Right, Xie Yin's words are quite ambiguous, making it sound like the girls isolated her】

【Uh... Is Xie Yin sure she's apologizing, and not "forcing the palace"? Never seen an apology go like this before, truly an eye-opener】

As more and more doubts about Xie Yin emerged, her fans immediately became restless, and started flooding the livestream comments with unified wording, clearly an organized effort.

Livestream Audience: ???

【Wtf is going on above, is this the legendary fans controlling comments?! 】

【Pfft, impressive Xie Yin fans indeed, trying to shut everyone up】

【Truly disgusting, she's not popular, but has plenty of water armies, must be spending lots huh】

【Exactly, top stars like Pei Kuang and Song Linchuan had nonstop scoldings in livestreams before, but never saw their fans flood comments to censor】

...

Song An'an blinked, also confused.

She looked at Xie Yin and said in earnest: "I didn't avoid you, this afternoon we went looking for cats."

Then Song An'an raised the furball in her hands as evidence.

She really didn't avoid Xie Yin ah, if anything, she was helping Pei Kuang avoid Qi Yao Bai.

"Also, I'm really not angry, you're overthinking."

Song An'an didn't want to guess Xie Yin's motives for this. She didn't have so many twists and turns in her heart, so she chose the simplest method.

To frankly express her attitude and thoughts is enough. As for how the other party would think, she didn't care too much.

After all, in Song An'an's heart, as long as her conscience is clear, then it's good.

Because of Xie Yin's interlude of apology, dinner was once again spent in an awkward atmosphere.

After the livestream ended that day, the guests didn't stay long either, returning to their respective rooms.

Halfway, Pei Kuang came out to pour some water for the furball, but was stopped by Xie Yin in the hallway.

"Brother Pei Kuang, let's talk." She said.

Pei Kuang glanced at her indifferently. "We've got nothing to talk about, move aside."

Seeing Pei Kuang's attitude towards her, Xie Yin felt extremely aggrieved inside. "Pei Kuang, you treating me like this, aren't you afraid it'd be hard for mom at the Xies?"

"Are you threatening me?" Pei Kuang seemed to have heard some colossal joke, "You think I'd care?"

Xie Yin choked.

He really wouldn't care, this was something Xie Yin knew better than anyone.

This Pei Kuang looked mild, but was utterly cold-blooded at the core. He could deny and disown even his own kin, let alone her.

"Xie Yin, I remember telling you guys two years ago, don't come provoke me. We could each mind our own business peacefully. Otherwise..." There was no smile on Pei Kuang's face, his gaze cold to the point of containing not a shred of warmth.

Xie Yin's voice shook a little. "Otherwise what?"

Pei Kuang lightly raised his brows, and chuckled.

His eyes were chilling, yet he was still smiling, strangely attractive, unable to tear one's gaze away.

Xie Yin watched, entranced. She had always known how alluring Pei Kuang's face was, yet would still be stunned every time.

Just like that afternoon many years ago, when she saw that teen at her own doorstep. He looked wretched and disheveled, yet his spine remained upright, arrogance to the point of being aloof still in his bones.

"Nothing much. As you all know, I'm always one to avenge grievances. Whoever makes me unhappy, I'll pay back double."

After saying that, Pei Kuang didn't even give her another glance, and left without looking back.

Xie Yin stared at his back, expression complicated and unclear.

Perhaps even she herself hadn't noticed, she now harbored some inexplicable feelings towards Pei Kuang.

Pei Kuang didn't return to his room directly. His mood wasn't great right now, afraid it'd affect Song An'an.

The little girl was quite perceptive in this aspect.

There was a very large lawn and garden behind the villa.

Pei Kuang wandered around randomly, arriving at a flower bush. Right then, his phone rang.

It was Li Dong.

He hit answer. "What's up?"

"Nothing much, just heard that I'm apparently a huge cat lover." Li Dong's voice came through.

He deliberately emphasized 'huge', clearly taking an interrogative stance.

"What, you don't like them?" Pei Kuang didn't seem guilty at all, asking lightly.

Li Dong asked in return: "Do I like them?"

Pei Kuang let out an indifferent "oh", "Then I remembered wrong."

Li Dong: "..."

Alright, this skill of redirecting the conversation, only Pei Kuang could make him resign himself to it.

"Then I guess I don't have to help take care of your cat overlord from now on huh." Li Dong said.

Pei Kuang placed a hand in his pocket, gazing into the night. "Come on, you didn't lose out this round. The little girl did you a huge favor today."

Indeed, Li Dong couldn't refute this.

What Song An'an said in praise of Pei Kuang during the livestream, directly responded to those "didn't graduate high school" and "low education, undeserving of so much popularity" malicious posts about him.

The little girl's words were logical and sincere, plus that final interaction with Song Linchuan, undoubtedly directly shot her onto hot search.

Strangely, compared to their usual efforts in deleting hot search posts and sending out manuscripts to clear searches, netizens seemed more willing to buy it this time.

To quote a netizen's commentary: If it were someone else saying this, I wouldn't really believe it, but for some reason, hearing it from this little girl Song An'an, I just believed it somehow.

Indeed, Song An'an really did have some element of metaphysics about her.

In just one night, Pei Kuang's reputation had improved significantly. At least people were now willing to get to know him, rather than blindly believing the words of antis.

It was the same with Song Linchuan before, and now Pei Kuang too.

One show helped clear the names of two top stars, this was absolutely the entertainment world's reputation cleansing artifact!

Pei Kuang continuing this show to help Song Linchuan, this was something Li Dong would never have imagined, and it even came with this unexpected benefit!

It could be said to have solved the urgent need for positive public opinion, which was still very important for Pei Kuang who was currently undergoing his transition.

After all, excessive malicious rumors, again and again, those people were tirelessly finding ways to attack him. His fans had long stopped buying into it all.

So what was their aim in doing this? Wasn't it to ruin the artist's reputation among the general public?

If an artist had poor public reputation, it would become an important criterion for some major productions and films too. After all, no one wished for the collective fruits of so much hard work to end up boycotted during release right.

"Oh right, wasn't it the little girl helping you instead?" Li Dong suddenly realized.

Pei Kuang lowered his eyes. "She helped me, but who was the anxious one?"

Li Dong choked.

Alright, he couldn't refute this either.

The artist and agent relied on each other. Interests were also interlinked.

Although Li Dong couldn't completely see through Pei Kuang, his evaluation was that he was a great boss. He knew how to utilize people, giving ample benefits and trust, achieving cooperation and mutual benefit.

All these years Li Dong had wanted to do some clarification marketing, but the various attempts showed little effect.

Everyone around Pei Kuang knew his capabilities far exceeded what his education represented.

As his agent, he was even clearer on Pei Kuang's efforts and unknown achievements over the years.

Moreover, there were reasons he entered the industry so young back then.

Li Dong called now to ask if they should take this opportunity to do some marketing.

Pei Kuang thought for a moment. "No need, too much could be detrimental."

Of course, he didn't want anyone accusing Song An'an of deliberately building his public image either.

Li Dong agreed after thinking it through.

"Keep to what we discussed before, control public opinion." Pei Kuang added.

Li Dong was stunned for a second before he understood what Pei Kuang meant by controlling public opinion.

No CP, they could appropriately guide to a niece-uncle relationship.

Song An'an was still a minor. It would be bad for their side to push it. Pei Kuang didn't emphasize this, but Li Dong would still be prudent.

Li Dong said: "Don't worry, I've had people keeping watch."

Then he laughed and said: "You've got quite a capable little auntie, netizens are all joking you can officially recognize the relationship now. So you've got to treat her as a close little auntie and be filial to her in the future."

Pei Kuang: "..."

*

After hanging up, Pei Kuang felt his mood had stabilized somewhat, so he didn't linger and turned back towards the villa.

As he thought about Little Sister-in-law still waiting in the room for him to fetch water and feed the cat, he couldn't help but walk a little faster.

The villa's yard was quite big, and he had unknowingly wandered quite far just now.

Pei Kuang directly circled back via a small path.

However, when he was passing by a corner, he suddenly heard Jiang Kai's voice, and his footsteps involuntarily halted.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I've already scouted a good location, and I'm standing right here watching - there definitely aren't any security cameras, we won't get caught. I can handle Sis Li's side, this will definitely go off without a hitch."

"Yeah, I'm planning to do it tomorrow. It's getting late, Xie Yin is just a spoiled young miss, confessing to her first will stroke her vanity."

"Women like sweet nothings and being pursued, I don't expect her to agree right away. I'll have to ardently chase her for a while after, then suddenly act cold to string her along for a bit. Don't worry, I'm more experienced with chasing women than you..."

In the night, the corners of Pei Kuang's mouth raised slightly.

Alright, he had clearly overestimated Jiang Kai. It looked like he didn't need to frame him after all.

Before leaving, Pei Kuang took one more look at the corner where Jiang Kai was.

No security cameras huh...

Chapter 39

Early in the morning before the alarm clock rang, Song Anan was woken up by the cat lying on top of her.

She groggily opened her eyes and happened to meet the innocent big eyes of Qiuqiu.

The two stared at each other, one human and one cat.

Song Anan suddenly remembered that last night before going to bed, Li Sirui had video called her and insisted on seeing the cat. So she went to the cat bed in the living room and brought it over.

Later as they were chatting, she was so tired that she forgot to bring the cat back out, which led to this scene early in the morning.

Judging by its posture, it was probably hungry.

Song Anan resigned herself to getting out of bed and carrying Qiuqiu to the living room to find some food.

Pei Kuang was already up. Seeing her come out, he asked, "Do you want to go out for morning exercise?"

Song Anan nodded, "Wait for me, I'll put out some cat food and then go change."

Pei Kuang took Qiuqiu from her hands, "I'll do it, you go change."

After Song Anan had changed, Pei Kuang had already put out food and water for the cat.

The two of them went out as usual and jogged a lap around the island.

When they came back, the program team's breakfast had already been delivered. They were going out to film today, so to save time, the guests were not asked to make their own breakfast.

At the dining table, a staff member came over and began to announce today's filming schedule.

Today they were going to play an escape room. On the neighboring island there was a famous escape room attraction with the theme of "Deserted Island Horrors".

Just hearing this creepy name, Song Anan instantly felt a chill down her back.

Qi MuShi, on the other hand, was very excited, "Wow! Just the name sounds so thrilling!"

Escape rooms were the most popular activity for boys this age.

Shi Qing gave him a sideways glance, "It does sound exciting, I wonder if it's the same escape room you got scared crying in last time."

Having been exposed, Qi MuShi glared at Shi Qing, "That was just an accident!"

"Besides, last time it was because you and dad only cared about running away yourselves, leaving me behind. I was angry, not scared!"

Shi Qing casually "oh"-ed, clearly not believing him.

Qi MuShi had no recourse, he could only vow to prove himself this time.

【Hahaha, scared crying in an escape room, this Qi MuShi is a wimp who loves dangerous play】

【Laughing my ass off, the parents abandoned their child to save themselves in an escape room, such a Shi Qing and husband thing to do】

【Qi MuShi: You guys are heartless, only caring about your own escape and leaving me behind!】

【My god, this mother and son combo is too funny, I love scenes where they expose each other's embarrassing histories】

Everyone was clearly very excited about today's arrangements. Just hearing the name "Deserted Island Horrors" gave a thrilling feeling, and it had a nice regional touch.

Throughout breakfast, everyone was actively discussing and even guessing what the scenes might be.

For example, Deserted Island Horrors, there was sure to be a 'ghost' element.

Li Yu turned to Song Anan and asked, "Anan, are you afraid of ghosts?"

Before Song Anan could respond, Qi MuShi confidently answered for her, "Little auntie is so capable, she must not be scared!"

Song Anan: "..."

No, she was a little afraid!

Pei Kuang saw Song Anan's reaction from the side and was giggling inside.

He certainly hadn't forgotten the secret Song Linchuan had previously told him.

- My little auntie is afraid of ghosts, but she also loves horror films.

- She's too embarrassed to admit she's afraid of ghosts and always pretends not to be.

"Brother Pei Kuang, have you played escape rooms before? Are you very brave?" Qi MuShi looked at Pei Kuang curiously and asked.

Just now everyone else had been talking about escape rooms they played. Only Song Anan and Pei Kuang were silent.

Pei Kuang tugged at the corner of his mouth and replied, "Me? I've never played one. My courage is on the smaller side."

After speaking, he turned his head to look at Song Anan, "Later when we go in, can I follow you?"

Song Anan blinked, a little hesitant.

Him following her...

Well, it wasn't unreasonable. Two people were better than one, they could bolster each other's courage.

That way, with someone even more cowardly beside her, others might not notice her as much.

Song Anan nodded, "Alright, make sure to stick close to me later."

【Damn! Pei Kuang is awesome, I'd never have imagined he would get little auntie to protect him】

【Laughing to death, how did this grown man shamelessly ask a girl for protection so matter-of-factly】

【Pei Kuang: Wahh~ Little auntie, please protect me!】

【Little auntie: This useless nephew, forget it!】

Because of the special nature of today's activity, everyone was dressed relatively casually.

The program team had rented a large boat from somewhere, and after everyone got on, the boat set off for the "deserted island".

Drifting on the sea, everyone chatted and laughed on the boat, and soon arrived at their destination.

After disembarking, everyone stood on this small island, with the first impression that it was desolate.

Compared to the touristy island they had been staying at, this was like heaven and earth. This island looked as if it had never been developed at all.

Looking all around, there was not a soul in sight. The so-called "Deserted Island Horrors" theme was executed perfectly.

Following the program team's instructions, the group followed the signs on the island until they finally arrived in front of a large mansion.

Qi MuShi asked in puzzlement, "Isn't the theme Deserted Island Horrors? The escape room can't just be inside this mansion right?"

A staff member from the director team walked over, "That's right, this mansion is the entire escape room. We'll blindfold you guys later and someone will bring you inside."

Everyone: "..."

So it really was just that.

Initially hearing the theme, they had thought the range of activities would be all over the island.

So this was false advertising!

Especially Guo Xiu, he was a veteran escape room player who had experienced many different themes, but he had never played a so-called deserted island theme before.

So on the way here, he had been highly anticipating it, thinking they would play something novel. Who knew in the end they'd be brought here.

He had to ask, what was the difference between this and the "Haunted Mansion" themes they had played before!

Guo Xiu indignantly said, "You guys are false advertisers!"

Bad review! He would definitely give a bad review!

The staff member smiled and replied, "Teacher Guo, you can't say that. This is on a deserted island to begin with, calling it Deserted Island Horrors is not wrong, right?"

Guo Xiu: "..."

Unlike Guo Xiu's outrage, the other guests didn't have much issue with it.

Soon, people in black came over to blindfold them, then led the group inside the mansion.

With a heavy 'thud', the sturdy wooden door was shut from the outside, and Song Anan reflexively shuddered.

Countless scenes from horror movies instantly flashed through her mind.

Fortunately Pei Kuang had been by her side before they entered. Thinking of this gave Song Anan a lot more peace of mind.

The people in black led them for some time until finally seeming to bring them into a room, then left.

Immediately after, an electronic voice came from the room's speakers: "You have entered the first room. Players please remove your blindfolds."

Everyone removed their blindfolds as instructed and saw that all the guests were together. Only then did they slightly relax.

Especially Song Anan, whose first reaction was to look at the person beside her, meeting Pei Kuang's eyes directly.

"Are you alright?" Pei Kuang asked.

Song Anan shook her head.

With her eyes covered, her mind had gone out of control. Just now all the way here, she had been so frightened that she broke out in a cold sweat.

There was a saying that was indeed true, the scariest thing was scaring yourself.

Song Anan touched her nose, feeling a little guilty, and said in a low voice, "You're the one who's afraid. Stick close to me."

Pei Kuang couldn't help tugging the corner of his mouth into a slight smile, "Got it."

The others had also calmed down by now. After exchanging a few words about their experiences just now, they started looking around at their surroundings.

It was an antiquated room that looked like someone's study. Based on the furnishings, this should be someone's study.

Dim lighting, creepy environment, everyone shuddered instinctively.

To create a horrific atmosphere, escape room temperatures were generally kept very low. The jackets the program team staff had given them before entering now came into use.

Everyone quickly put on the jackets they were holding in their hands.

The program team had prepared jackets that were all the same style, just different sizes.

For some reason, just this simple jacket when worn by Pei Kuang made one take notice involuntarily.

【Am I seeing things? The jackets are all the same, so why does Pei Kuang's look more fashionable than the other guys' to me?】

【Um... He made this plain old jacket look like designerwear】

【Slurp! My brother's wide shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs make him a natural clothes hanger. He looks good in anything!】

Li Yu looked at Pei Kuang and joked, "Cheating! Don't think you can get special treatment from the NPCs just because you look so handsome in that."

Pei Kuang smiled, "What if it works?"

Qi MuShi immediately raised his hand and followed up, "Right, what if Big Boss takes a liking to Brother Pei Kuang? We'll just leave him here."

Everyone laughed at that, and the scary atmosphere in the escape room dissipated quite a bit.

Next, they officially started the theme and began looking for clues to solve puzzles.

The first room was fine. Everyone methodically found clues and with escape room veteran Guo Xiu there, they quickly opened the door to the first room.

Getting through three consecutive rooms, finally in the fourth room, individual missions opened up.

The first to draw an individual mission was Xie Yin.

Her mission was that she had to go through a long corridor alone to find clues in the innermost room.

Xie Yin kept waving her hands, looking like she was about to cry, "I can't do it, I really can't."

Faced with her reaction, whether it was the live studio audience or guests on site, no one felt it was inappropriate.

Given the "Deserted Island Horrors" theme, while there might be false advertising in the "deserted island" part, the "horrors" was real. This escape room had clearly put in effort into being terrifying and creepy.

The vastness and gloominess of the old mansion, along with the props that popped up from time to time, would have made even the bravest person uneasy if not for the fact that so many guests were together.

Xie Yin had explicitly said earlier that she was very timid.

"Then you can switch with someone," Guo Xiu said. "If we don't get this clue back, we can't get out of this escape room."

According to the rules of the escape room, single clue tasks could be switched between people.

By taking the initiative to say this, Guo Xiu was indicating that he was willing to switch with Xie Yin.

But unexpectedly, after hearing Guo Xiu's words, Xie Yin walked directly over to Song Anan.

"Anan, can you switch with me?" she asked.

Song Anan was taken aback. Switch with her?

She glanced at the creepy hallway outside and couldn't help but shudder inwardly.

[Is Xie Yin crazy? She doesn't dare to go herself but thinks her little auntie does?]

[To be honest, I understand why Xie Yin doesn't dare to go. Even watching through the screen, I'm scared by this creepy environment in the escape room. But doesn't she know the saying "don't impose on others what you yourself do not desire"?]

[Isn't Guo Xiu's meaning very clear? What is Xie Yin thinking, is she really dumb or just pretending to be?]

"It's better to find someone else. Anan is a young auntie, she would be scared to go too," Li Yu frowned and said.

Xie Yin smiled at Li Yu and said, "Sis Yu, I know Anan is not afraid, that's why I asked her to switch with me."

"Have you all forgotten what happened at breakfast?"

Everyone was stunned for a few seconds before recalling the incident at breakfast.

Song Anan felt caught in an awkward situation.

When Qi Mushishi said she was fearless, Song Anan did not refute it.

So in a way, Xie Yin was not wrong in her understanding.

The reason why Song Anan did not take the initiative to say she was afraid of ghosts was because she felt it was a little embarrassing and was too shy to talk about it.

But now in this situation, Song Anan was very self-aware. Even if she forced herself to go over there bravely now, she probably wouldn't be able to find the clue smoothly.

She didn't want to drag everyone down because of herself.

Just as Song Anan was thinking of explaining things clearly to everyone, Pei Kuang beside her suddenly spoke up, "No!"

Everyone was startled and turned to look at him puzzlingly.

Why was he getting so agitated? It wasn't asking him to switch.

Pei Kuang's face was calm as he said, "I'm scared."

Then he lifted his clothes and nudged Song Anan, letting her grab on to it.

He also put on an expression that said 'Who will protect me if you leave?'

Other guests: "..."

[Pfft! I'm really going to laugh to death because of Pei Kuang. His pretend 'weak and asking for protection' look is really unbearable.]

[Alright, although he's my male lead, even I can't bear to watch this~ covering face.jpg]

[Oh my god! I thought Pei Kuang was joking at first, but he really is afraid, I can't stop laughing]

[Sorry for everyone to see this, my 'weak and helpless' older brother!]

[Huh? As a fan of Pei Kuang for many years, I've never heard he was timid!]

[Uh...I haven't heard about it either. Have any other sisters heard about this?]

[He probably was too embarrassed to talk about it. After all, being timid isn't something worth bragging about.]

[Laughing to death, does he look embarrassed at all? He's completely shameless!]

In the end, under Pei Kuang's firm and matter-of-fact attitude, Xie Yin had no choice but to go find Guo Xiu to switch tasks.

But after this single clue task, it seemed to flip some switch in the escape room. The path forward became truly thrilling and exciting one escape room after another.

Screams from the guests echoed throughout the escape rooms, overlapping with each other, to the point where you couldn't even distinguish who was screaming.

The guests were so frightened they didn't even care about keeping up appearances anymore. Li Yu had practically become an accessory hanging on Guo Xiu, Qi Mushishi was also clinging tightly to her mother's arm, and Ji An was no longer trying to act cool, following his brother wherever he went.

Compared to the other three teams, Jiang Kai and Xie Yin were especially eye-catching.

The two were really too intimate, even hugging each other more tightly than the real married couple Guo Xiu and Li Yu.

The most ordinary team was Song Anan and Pei Kuang.

Although Song Anan was afraid, she kept up a brave front.

After all, she was hanging by a thread the whole time, constantly reminding herself that she had to protect the timid Pei Kuang.

If she was afraid, Pei Kuang would be even more afraid!

Therefore, Song Anan could only grip Pei Kuang's clothes tightly. At most when she was very frightened, she would grab his arm, and that was only when Pei Kuang took the initiative to offer her his arm.

[Uh...Jiang Kai and Xie Yin are too intimate, holding hands, hugging, embracing - how should I put it, after all they're not blood siblings, it doesn't seem appropriate.]

[Oh my god! Just now Xie Yin suddenly jumped onto Jiang Kai, wow, even siblings don't hug like that!]

[Speechless, our Xie Yin is just timid! When people are scared, who can still care about all these things!]

[That can't be said, the little auntie and Pei Kuang are quite careful, they didn't do that either.]

[The little auntie is bold, she's different from our Xie Yin. The situations are different, there's no comparability at all!]

[The little auntie is bold but Pei Kuang is timid. He didn't pounce on the little auntie either.]

[That's right, from beginning to end Pei Kuang didn't touch the little auntie at all. Even when he was that scared he didn't go grab the little auntie's arm, but offered his own arm for the little auntie to hold onto instead.]

[Wuwuwu, Pei Kuang's damn propriety, what a gentleman!]

[Ahhhh, this man is really attractive!!]

...

Although Jiang Kai and Xie Yin could not see the bullet screen comments, they gradually became aware that something was inappropriate from the looks of the other guests.

Both were concerned, so they slowly began to pay more attention.

They even deliberately kept some distance, but this seemed a bit like trying to cover things up.

Soon, they came to another new escape room.

This escape room was very spacious with a large area, so the clues were correspondingly harder to find.

Therefore, after discussing, everyone split up to look for clues.

To avoid suspicion, Xie Yin did not stay too close to Jiang Kai, but stood next to the Ji brothers instead.

The lighting in the room was too dim. Xie Yin accidentally tripped over something on the ground.

Ji QiuBai was right next to her and reflexively reached out to steady her.

Then Xie Yin fell into Ji QiuBai's arms.

Song Anan happened to see this scene. Her first reaction was - the male and female leads are having a romantic moment in the original book!

The wire in her brain instantly tightened and she grabbed Pei Kuang, suddenly pointing in another direction and shouting, "Look over there!"

Pei Kuang turned and looked in the direction she was pointing.

Qi Mushishi, who was beside them, also reflexively looked over.

But coincidentally, right in the direction Song Anan was pointing, a long-haired female ghost with blood dripping from her eyes suddenly dropped down from above.

Qi Mushishi's screams echoed throughout the escape room.

Song Anan was also scared silly, staring with wide eyes as the female ghost 'floated' towards them.

In a split second, Pei Kuang reached out and covered Song Anan's eyes.

Suddenly, all the lights in the room went out with a clunk, and eerie crying sounds came from all four corners of the room.

Song Anan's legs started trembling, her body shaking uncontrollably.

The more she shook, the more severe it became.

In the darkness, Pei Kuang turned around with his back to the camera, loosely putting one arm around Song Anan.

With his other hand he took off his microphone.

The next second, his low voice sounded by Song Anan's ear,

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Chapter 40

Under the dual impact of sight and hearing, Song Anan's heart almost jumped to her throat. In the darkness, her whole body was covered in cold sweat, her scalp tingled, and she couldn't see anything around her clearly, as if she was in a huge abyss.

It seemed like she would be completely swallowed up in the next second.

However, just as she was about to be swallowed up, suddenly a hand grabbed her and pulled her into his arms.

The faint warmth slowly lingered around her, and the cold she felt before also gradually dissipated.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

It was Pei Kuang's voice.

Song Anan slowly calmed down.

Her forehead rested on Pei Kuang's chest, and her whole body was loosely held in his arms.

She could hear his light breathing beside her ear.

It gave her an inexplicable sense of security.

The sudden change caused chaos in the secret room.

After a few minutes, click, the lights in the room suddenly turned on.

Her vision instantly lit up.

Song Anan reflexively looked up and her eyes met Pei Kuang's directly.

The two of them were really close at this moment, close enough to hear each other's breathing.

At this moment, she felt like something in her chest was suddenly ignited with a 'boom'.

Song Anan instinctively covered her chest, her heart thumping.

Seeing her reaction, Pei Kuang's eyebrows furrowed tightly, his face full of concern, and asked, "What's wrong? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"

Song Anan was also a little confused.

Maybe she was too frightened.

She avoided Pei Kuang's eyes slightly awkwardly and replied, "No...nothing."

She had promised to protect him, but she was the one who got so scared instead.

It was quite embarrassing.

Pei Kuang could see the embarrassment of the little auntie, and didn't expose her. He just laughed and took two steps back, widening the distance between them.

He held out one hand in front of her, "Here you go."

Song Anan looked at the thing in Pei Kuang's hand and was startled for a moment.

The microphone she had clipped to her collar before was now being held in his hand somehow.

Song Anan let out an "oh", and didn't think too much of it. She just assumed it must have been pulled off during the chaos earlier.

After taking the mic from his hand, Song Anan re-clipped it to her collar.

Pei Kuang also took this time to readjust the mic on himself.

Their situation did not attract the attention of the other guests on the scene, after all, everyone was too busy taking care of themselves after the chaos just now.

As for the audience in front of the live studio, other than Pei Kuang's back, everything else was a blind spot.

Plus, the performances of the other guests on the scene were a bit too exciting, and everyone was already dazzled.

For example, Li Yu jumped directly onto Guo Xiu, Shi Qing hugged a pillar directly, and Xie Yin pounced directly onto Ji QiuBai...

But the most noteworthy was Qi MuShi, the kid cried so miserably.

With one hand covering his eyes and the other still clutching the woman in red fiercely.

"Ahhhhhh, hurry, hurry, someone save me. I caught her... Wuuuuuu, you scared me to death, I'm dying, I'm dead..."

His cries filled the whole room, mixed with some hiccups in between.

The scene was somewhat ridiculous for a moment.

【Hahahahaha, forgive me for laughing so loudly, Qi MuShi is just too funny】

【I'm laughing to death, how can this kid be so cowardly yet brave at the same time】

【Let's be fair, Qi MuShi is still awesome. He actually dared to grab this female ghost. If it were me, I would have been scared to death】

But it had to be said, Qi MuShi was just a blind cat running into a dead mouse. The woman in red he grabbed happened to be an important figure they had gotten clues about earlier.

She was also the key to unlocking this secret room.

So, led by Guo Xiu, everyone began to rack their brains and ask the woman in red for more clues.

However, while everyone else was surrounding the woman in red and questioning her in various ways, only Qi MuShi was squatting in a corner, drawing circles on the floor gloomily.

He didn't have the joy of someone who had just accomplished something.

"MuShi, why don't you come over?" Song Anan walked over and asked.

Qi MuShi glanced up at Song Anan, looking completely dejected.

"Auntie, will you look down on me?" he asked in a muffled voice.

Song Anan frowned, "Of course not, why do you ask that?"

Qi MuShi sighed silently.

He had just made a complete fool of himself by screaming so loudly.

What's more, he even cried from fear.

Qi MuShi said, "Auntie, you're a girl yet you're not afraid. I just feel like I'm too much of a coward."

Song Anan pursed her lips and said, "I'm scared too."

Qi MuShi was startled. "You're scared too?"

Song Anan nodded heavily.

If it hadn't been for Pei Kuang just now, she probably would have cried from fear too.

She might have even cried louder than Qi MuShi.

Qi MuShi obviously didn't believe it. "Auntie, I know you're not afraid. You don't have to comfort me."

After all, he didn't hear her scream during such a terrifying scene.

How could she possibly be afraid?

Song Anan shook her head and said, "I really am afraid, not comforting you."

She took a deep breath and explained seriously, "Actually, I'm not very brave and I'm also very afraid of ghosts. Earlier when you misunderstood that I'm not afraid of ghosts, I didn't explain because I felt it was a bit embarrassing."

"Sorry for letting you misunderstand."

Qi MuShi let out an "ah", and repeatedly waved his hands.

But as if thinking of something, he suddenly said, "No, didn't you say before that you like watching horror movies?"

Song Anan paused for a moment, "Well, no one has made a rule that if you're afraid of ghosts, you can't like watching horror movies."

Qi MuShi scratched his head. Indeed, no one had made such a rule.

But still, it felt a little strange somehow.

Song Anan thought for a moment, then gave another example, "Just like you, you're clearly very cowardly, but you were still able to grab that 'woman in red'. There's no conflict."

Qi MuShi: "..."

There really was no need to use this example in particular.

【Oh my god! What kind of logic genius is this auntie, what do you mean no one made a rule? This is obviously someone who sucks at something but loves doing it】

【Hahahaha, Qi MuShi's expression is just too funny, it vividly demonstrates what it means to be utterly defeated in an instant】

【Qi MuShi: Actually, if there are no examples, we don't have to give any】

【Speaking of which, is the auntie really afraid or pretending to be afraid? Could she just be comforting Qi MuShi? I didn't notice anything earlier at all】

【I think she explained it very seriously, so she should really be afraid】

【Indeed, this auntie Song Anan is clearly not the type to tell lies, everything shows on her face】

【I'm speechless, this warm-hearted auntie, love her love her】

Although the process was a bit convoluted, the result was still good. Qi MuShi was indeed comforted.

In his mind, even such an amazing auntie was afraid, so he didn't seem to have lost too much face either.

While they were making smooth progress here, the group of people interrogating the 'woman in red' over there had also obtained important clues.

This secret room was the final level after all. Next, following the clue prompts, everyone finally solved the final mystery.

It turned out that there was a secret passage in the mansion that led directly to the seaside. This was their only way out of the mansion.

The passage was very dark and narrow, only allowing one person through at a time. So everyone lined up and walked forward one by one.

Such an enclosed space was quite scary. Song Anan followed right behind Pei Kuang the whole time, not even daring to breathe loudly.

After walking for about ten minutes or so, everyone made it out of the mansion through the passage, achieving the final victory.

After coming out, Song Anan sat right down on a rock.

The others weren't much better off either. That last stretch had really been nerve-wracking.

They were afraid the program team would suddenly make some scary NPC pop out without warning. In such a narrow passage, there would be nowhere to hide.

Fortunately they managed to get through without incident in the end.

Pei Kuang got a bottle of water from the director and after twisting open the cap, he walked over and handed it to Song Anan, "You okay?"

Song Anan shook her head. After saying thanks and taking a big gulp of water, she suddenly looked up at Pei Kuang.

It was only now, later than she should have, that she finally reacted to something.

Pei Kuang wasn't timid at all. He hadn't been afraid at all just now.

Also, earlier when he said he was afraid, it seemed that apart from saying it, there were no substantive actions.

For example, when facing the 'woman in red', Qi MuShi would scream in fear, but Pei Kuang didn't have any reaction at all. He even covered her eyes first, protecting her.

There was only one explanation. He knew about her fear of ghosts but didn't want to admit it.

So he pretended to be afraid of ghosts himself, and let her protect him, when he was actually protecting her in a roundabout way.

Just like Song Linchuan had done before.

Song Anan glanced at Pei Kuang.

She went silent.

Without even thinking about it, she knew this embarrassing thing must have been told to him by Song Linchuan.

After all, no one else knew about it.

Sigh!

It seemed even more embarrassing now.

The live studio audience also finally caught on at this point.

【Wait a minute! I think we overlooked something. It's confirmed that the auntie is timid, but what about Pei Kuang?】

【Oh my god, you're right. Pei Kuang seemed to show no reaction at all the entire time, didn't seem afraid at all】

【Yes yes, I wanted to say this earlier too. Pei Kuang faced the NPC directly several times, he clearly didn't even blink!】

【I remember earlier Pei Kuang's fans also said they didn't know anything about him being timid at all. So this...】

【Hmm... Auntie was afraid of losing face so she pretended not to be scared, while Pei Kuang clearly wasn't scared but still pretended to be, and then asked Auntie to protect him. I think I'm starting to understand a little】

【Oh my god, Pei Kuang is so affectionate with Auntie!】

【Ahhhhhhhh, Pei Kuang is so smooth, I'm obsessed again!】

【Wahhhh, for the first time I'm looking forward to Auntie growing up quickly, I really want to ship this couple!】

【Okay, I'm a good girl, I won't ship them now, but I'm reserving my spot at the bottom of this pit】

【What spot are you reserving, be careful or Song Linchuan will be waiting at the bottom of that pit with his 80 meter long giant ax!】

...

After returning from the secret room on the island, everyone was exhausted, though not because the activities were tiring, just emotionally drained.

So everyone went back to their rooms early.

Although the room cameras were still on, it felt like everyone's souls had left their bodies, and they just sprawled limply without doing anything.

In contrast to the lifelessness of the livestream, the internet was bustling.

The "Dearest Family" program team seemed to have rented out all the hot search topics tonight, with multiple hashtags occupying the top spots.

Especially Xie Yin, she was absolutely the top trending topic queen today. First she was too intimate with Jiang Kai in the secret room, sparking heated discussion amongst netizens.

Then after switching tasks with Song Anan and being rejected by Pei Kuang, her past rumors with Pei Kuang were brought up again, angering his fans.

Finally, after physical contact with the newly popular actor Ji QiuBai, she was suspected of starting new affair rumors, and ended up tearing up the hot searches of Ji QiuBai's fans.

At 9pm, the livestream ended on time.

Xie Yin sat on the bed browsing through her phone, and was very satisfied seeing the hot search terms related to her. After all, this kind of popularity didn't come often.

In fact, she and her team had orchestrated some of the waves behind the scenes.

Just as Xie Yin was gloating, there was a sudden knock at her door.

"YinYin, are you sleeping?" It was Jiang Kai's voice.

"Not yet," Xie Yin got up and opened the door, "It's so late, is something the matter?"

Jiang Kai stood at the door, "I have something I want to discuss with you, can you come out with me for a bit?"

Xie Yin was taken aback for a moment, "Now?"

Jiang Kai nodded, "Yes, just in the yard of the villa, not far."

Xie Yin felt confused inside.

What was so important that couldn't be said indoors, why did they have to go out? The livestream wasn't on now anyway.

But she didn't show it on her face, and readily agreed.

The two went downstairs directly and walked to the yard behind the villa, finally stopping in an inconspicuous corner.

"Jiang Kai, what did you want to tell me?" Xie Yin asked, puzzled.

Jiang Kai produced a bouquet of flowers from somewhere and held it out to Xie Yin.

Xie Yin wasn't dumb, she immediately realized what was happening. "Jiang Kai, you..."

Jiang Kai directly stopped her words, "YinYin, please listen to me first, okay?"

Xie Yin thought for a moment, and didn't reject him anymore.

Jiang Kai said earnestly: "YinYin, do you know, I want to take care of you. You are the woman who captivated me at first sight. After meeting you, no other woman can catch my eye."

"In my heart, you will forever be the most elegant, special, and attractive woman. After meeting you, I realized what I needed most is you, I need you."

As he spoke, Jiang Kai knelt down on one knee, holding the fresh flowers out to Xie Yin.

"YinYin, I love you, let's date, I want to be your boyfriend!"

Xie Yin looked at Jiang Kai silently, not speaking.

In fact, all along she had guessed at his feelings for her.

Those ambiguous late night texts, the occasional small gifts sent in the name of friendship, and now personally giving her such a good variety show opportunity.

Xie Yin had to admit, although she didn't like Jiang Kai, she enjoyed being pursued by him and the benefits she could get from him.

Therefore, after thinking it over, she decided not to reject him outright.

"Jiang Kai, I'm sorry, my career is still the priority for me now, I don't want to and can't date."

Jiang Kai was fully prepared for Xie Yin's rejection.

He still put on a lovelorn appearance, "YinYin, you never need to apologize to me. I understand your difficulties. Can we still be friends?"

Xie Yin said moved: "Jiang Kai, no matter what happens, we will always be friends!"

The two harbored ulterior motives as they acted out this scene, but neither noticed that in the corner, a newly installed camera was broadcasting everything live.

【Wait what's going on, I thought they were going to livestream the night view of the sea?】

【I know right, I came to see the night island but ended up watching this whole confession scene】

【To be fair, Jiang Kai's confession has got to be one of the most awkward ones I've ever seen】

【Too true, what's with the whole "let's date, I want to be your boyfriend", awkward and a little funny】

【Hahahaha I feel like Jiang Kai's confession lines are going to go viral, damn, they're just too funny】

【I'm curious how Xie Yin managed to keep listening with a straight face, she even looked moved??】

【Um...is it just me or did it sound like Xie Yin rejected him, but still gave him some hope? So what exactly does she mean?】

【What else could she mean, just stringing him along, don't you know how mermaids operate】

【Weren't they supposed to be siblings? Is it really okay for them to confess like this?】

【It's probably fine, they aren't real siblings】

This video of the two was quickly spread online.

Although Jiang Kai and Xie Yin weren't hugely popular celebrities, they did have some topicality recently due to the show's popularity.

Plus the content of the video was quite explosive, so it wasn't long before the video started spreading amongst netizens.

Netizens even started parodying Jiang Kai's confession lines.

- You're the woman who captivated me at first sight, I want to take care of you.

- After meeting you, I realized what I needed most is you, I need you.

- Let's date, I want to be your boyfriend!

...

Xie Yin was woken by a phone call from her agent early next morning.

"What's going on, can't a person even sleep in the morning?" Xie Yin had always been bad-tempered, especially when woken up.

The agent anxiously said: "How can you still sleep, go check the hot searches!"

Xie Yin was startled and quickly took out her phone, opening Weibo.

#JiangKai confesses to XieYin#

Seeing this hashtag, Xie Yin was first stunned.

"Didn't I tell you before to keep some distance from Jiang Kai, why didn't you listen at all." The agent said resentfully.

Xie Yin casually replied: "It's not a big deal, I didn't agree to him anyway, how can you call this a relationship."

The agent was too lazy to argue with her, and directly told her about Jiang Kai's backer.

He had just found out about this.

Hearing this, Xie Yin shook with anger.

Jiang Kai had a backer and still confessed to her.

He was treating her as a backup!

The agent couldn't help but roll his eyes: "You should worry that his backer won't make trouble for you!"

Rather than imagined grievances over being a "backup"!

Xie Yin finally realized the gravity of the situation. She directly went to find Jiang Kai, wanting to ask what was going on.

But when she got to the living room she realized Jiang Kai's door was wide open with no one inside, even his luggage was gone.

Upon hearing this, the agent immediately told her to ask the director what was happening.

But the director said that Jiang Kai had been taken away early in the morning by his own staff.

And they had received notice from Jiang Kai that he was leaving the show.

Jiang Kai was gone, taken away by who knows.

Xie Yin couldn't contact him, and had no way to film the show alone.

She was eventually dejectedly picked up by her agent.

After sending off Xie Yin and her agent, the director prepared to go out for a smoke break.

Having taken so many calls from the station this morning, he really was worn out.

He had just stepped out when he happened to run into Pei Kuang, who was coming out of the villa next door.

"Director Li, good morning." Pei Kuang smiled in greeting.

The director looked at Pei Kuang, deep in thought.

Yesterday morning, Pei Kuang had suddenly come to him, saying he had a suggestion for the show. He wanted to install a camera facing the sea behind the villa, and proposed leaving the livestream on at night, saying the viewers could also enjoy the night view of the island.

At the time, although he felt it a bit odd, it didn't seem like a big deal, he could do Pei Kuang a favor.

After all, when they had invited Pei Kuang on the show, he had really given them face by agreeing to a friendship price.

But he never imagined that very night the business with Jiang Kai and Xie Yin would happen.

Pei Kuang allowed the inspection, completely at ease.

"You've heard about Jiang Kai's matter?" the director asked.

Pei Kuang nodded slightly. "Mm, I just saw the hot searches."

The director didn't beat around the bush either. "That was you?"

"Director Li, you're joking. I don't have that kind of power." Pei Kuang smiled and said, "It's just a coincidence."

As he finished speaking, he nodded slightly to the director, "Sorry, in any case I still gave you extra trouble this time. Please let me know if you need anything in the future."

Watching Pei Kuang's departing figure, the director silently lit a cigarette.

There were no such things as so many coincidences in this world.

But in the end, Jiang Kai wasn't someone their production team had wanted anyway.

So whether it was a coincidence or not, he didn't care at all.

On the contrary, he couldn't help showing some admiration in his gaze towards Pei Kuang.

Smart but not arrogantly so, cunning yet not treating others like they were stupid. He was interesting.

*

Song Anan only found out about Jiang Kai and Xie Yin's departure at breakfast.

Her first reaction was bewilderment.

Xie Yin left?

But she hadn't sparked anything with Ji QiuBai yet, so...

Oh well, this lousy storyline would probably lead to them encountering each other again in some other setting.

Song Anan wasn't interested in any of it anyway, it had nothing to do with her.

She only glanced at Pei Kuang, who was drinking congee.

Well, at least with them gone, it'd be out of sight, out of mind.

*

Jiang Kai and Xie Yin's departure barely made any waves.

Whether it was the guests on site or the audience in the live room, it seemed that no one was affected at all.

The leisurely life on the island made everyone reluctant to leave.

Soon, the third season of "My Dearest Family" was about to end, and the guests were about to welcome their "relatives and friends groups".

Since Pei Kuang's uncle and nephew group's relatives and friends had already come last time, they didn't need to invite anyone this time.

The remaining three groups will have people coming, which means there will be three flight guests coming this time.

Early in the morning, all the guests were taken to the seaside to pick up people.

In order to show sincerity, the program team even laid out a simple red carpet on the seaside.

Before long, a boat drove over from not far away and finally stopped at the shore.

Then three people walked down from the boat, who were the three flight guest relatives and friends of the three groups this time.

For the mother and son group Shi Qing and Qi MuShi, the person who came was Shi Qing's husband Qi Dao.

For the Li Yu and Guo Xiu couple group, they invited their niece who was in high school.

For the Ji QiuBai and Ji An brothers group, they invited Ji An's bandmate.

After everyone greeted each other, they chatted for a while, and then it was time to get down to business and go eat.

After all, everyone got up early and hadn't eaten breakfast yet.

The program team announced last night that today they would go to the only five-star hotel on the island for a breakfast buffet.

Just as everyone was about to leave, the staff stopped them, "Wait, we still have a relative and friend guest who hasn't arrived yet."

Everyone was stunned, there was still someone?

They subconsciously looked at Pei Kuang and Song Anan, after all, the people from the other three groups had already arrived.

The two of them were also confused. The program team didn't ask them to invite anyone either.

Who could it be?

Just as everyone was puzzled, another person suddenly came down from the boat that was supposed to leave. What's more, this person was helped down.

It turned out to be Song Linchuan!

He was seen leaning on a crutch, standing there with indomitable spirit, waving at the guests.

It was somewhat triumphant.

【I'll go! It really is Song Linchuan. I would never have imagined he could come back】

【Wuwuwuwu, my brother actually came back, so good, this can be regarded as a satisfactory ending】

【Hahaha, Song Linchuan was afraid of losing his position as the number one nephew in Auntie's heart, so he came back with a crutch!】

【That's right, these days Pei Kuang has been more and more respectable as the eldest nephew, who wouldn't be anxious】

【Hahahaha, suddenly looking forward to the head-on confrontation between Pei Kuang and Song Linchuan】

【Song Linchuan: I'm back, this time, I'm going to take back everything that belongs to me!】