When Ning Xiaoyu received an olive branch from Director Gong, she didn’t have strong feelings about it. As for how many people were envious behind the scenes, she couldn’t be sure. Shen Yueyue was the first to congratulate her.

Saying she wasn’t envious would be a lie, but Shen Yueyue maintained a good mindset. She quickly adjusted her emotions and reflected on her own performance to avoid making the same mistakes in the future.

Due to this small episode, Xu Cheng and several other male guests seemed eager to prove themselves, as if preparing for a big showdown. Clearly, they also hoped to receive special recognition.

But before the male guests began their performances, the director announced a piece of news— Director Gong had already ended his vacation and returned home with his family.

At that moment, Director Gong was most likely already on the plane.

The subtext of the director’s announcement was that they shouldn’t hold too high expectations to avoid greater disappointment later.

Xu Cheng had the closest relationship with the director and privately approached him to express his discontent.

The director waved his hand and hurriedly explained, “Don’t overthink it. The topic was something I came up with on the spot. I didn’t know Director Gong was watching our livestream, let alone that Xiaoyu would catch his eye. It’s all her own luck and has nothing to do with me.”

Xu Cheng had initially thought the topic had been set by Director Gong, but it turned out it wasn’t?

So, it really was Ning Xiaoyu’s good fortune?

The prompt for the male guests was, 「In a society where 80% of people have superpowers, you are one of the remaining 20%— a completely ordinary person. Please portray your daily life.」

Among the six male guests, three were not professional actors, so whose performance would have the most tension was obvious.

Those who hadn’t worked with Lu Jingdu before gained a clearer understanding of his professional abilities through this performance.

Watching the roles he played on screen couldn’t compare to the impact of seeing him act live.

Lu Jingdu’s role was that of a university lecturer dedicated to improving the social status of ordinary people.

In a society where the ratio of superpowered individuals to ordinary people was severely imbalanced, discrimination and prejudice were likely pervasive. The social status of ordinary people was also likely to be oppressed.

Thus, the university lecturer played by Lu Jingdu carried deeper, thought-provoking elements.

In every era, someone had to be a pioneer, doing what others didn’t want to do or didn’t dare to do.

The cold yet handsome movie king was clearly well-suited to portray an elegant, noble lecturer with lofty ambitions, dedicating his life to improving the social status of ordinary people.

────ρя


After the performance segment ended, while Lu Jingdu wasn’t present, the director smiled and said, “Jingdu’s birthday banquet is tomorrow. You can all start picking out gifts today.”

Not long ago, Shen Yueyue had mentioned this to Ning Xiaoyu.

After all, she was one of the twelve guests. Not giving a gift would seem inappropriate, so she had deliberately saved some friendship coins for this occasion.

The program team stipulated that the guests must use friendship coins to purchase their gifts rather than real money. The gift area was filled with a dazzling array of items, with the most expensive being a limited-edition men’s watch priced at 30 friendship coins.

Naturally, it wouldn’t do to give Lu Jingdu something too shabby.

The gift area also featured a men’s suit for 20 coins, a men’s tie for 15 coins, a belt for 10 coins, and cufflinks for 5 coins……

In short, the prices were equivalent to the cost of a few meals, so the guests could afford them. In reality, however, the men’s suit priced at 20 friendship coins would cost at least five figures outside.

The program team had subsidized the gifts out of pocket.

Ning Xiaoyu browsed the entire gift area and finally pointed at an item, asking, “How much for this?”

The staff member was momentarily stunned. That item…… didn’t seem to be part of the gifts prepared specifically for the movie king’s birthday.

How had it ended up in the gift area?

It was probably a mistake by some staff member.

He hesitated and was about to say it wasn’t for sale when Ning Xiaoyu handed him 5 friendship coins and said, “I’ll take it.”

After speaking, Ning Xiaoyu left with a satisfied smile while hugging her chosen item, leaving the staff member stunned.

Uh……

Was Ning Xiaoyu planning to give that as a birthday gift?

Could she really do that?

────ρя


Soon, the next day arrived.

Not only was it the day the program team left the hot spring resort, but it was also the day they returned to the capital to attend Lu Jingdu’s birthday banquet.

Lu Jingdu’s family had rented out the most luxurious hotel in the city for the occasion.

As the sole son of the second branch of the Lu family, Lu Jingdu’s birthday banquet would be attended by most of the prominent figures in the capital. The program team took the opportunity to tag along and bask in the grandeur of the event.

When Ning Xiaoyu learned they were heading to a hotel in the city, her enthusiasm waned.

She had thought they would just have some cake and light a candle, and that would be the end of Lu Jingdu’s birthday.

She hadn’t expected the Lu family to go all out, making the event a grand spectacle known to everyone.

Shen Yueyue, seated beside her, had grown more familiar with Ning Xiaoyu’s personality recently.

Smiling, Shen Yueyue said, “Being able to attend such a high-profile birthday banquet is a rare opportunity. Why do you think the program team went to such lengths to prepare gifts for the guests?”

Ning Xiaoyu slouched in her seat.

In her eyes, the Lu family’s elaborate birthday banquet was more of a hassle than anything. The more people attending, the greater the chances of small conflicts and disputes. Although the guests were all prominent figures who wouldn’t openly argue, their superficial harmony often hid deeper tensions.

Still, Ning Xiaoyu couldn’t shake the worry that some mishap might occur.

After all…… she was tied to a love system that loved stirring up trouble.

Love System: ……Innocent.jpg

────ρя


The group arrived at Jundu Hotel at five in the afternoon.

Near the entrance, staff members were in charge of collecting gifts.

Ning Yuwei had prepared the most expensive item— a limited-edition men’s watch. Xu Cheng had spent 20 friendship coins on the men’s suit, and the other valuable items had been chosen by the remaining guests.

So when Ning Xiaoyu took out a small transparent glass tank, all eyes instinctively turned to her gift.

When they saw the slowly crawling creature inside the tank, everyone fell silent.

Ning Xiaoyu, however, was quite pleased with her choice.

If there had been another one in the gift area, she might have bought it for herself.

She pointed at the turtle in the tank and said, “Turtles symbolize longevity, and they’re slow in everything they do. Modern life moves too fast. Giving this gift is a way to wish the movie king a long life and the leisurely pace of a turtle.”

Who wouldn’t want to live a long and carefree life like a turtle?

Ning Xiaoyu certainly did.

She had always liked turtles. As the saying goes, ‘A thousand-year-old turtle; a ten-thousand-year-old tortoise’.

A ten-thousand-year-old tortoise— what a wonderful blessing.

The program’s cameraman would stop filming at the entrance.

So when the guests finished presenting their gifts, the cameras wouldn’t capture anything further.

The cameraman had assumed there wouldn’t be any highlights today, but Ning Xiaoyu had proven him wrong in the most unexpected way.

【Live like a turtle? Haha, what a bizarre blessing!】

【If it were someone else, I’d probably think they were up to no good. After all, there’s even an insult involving turtles. But since the gift-giver was Xiao Yu, it’s fine. I’m sure she’s sincere. She genuinely loved turtles!】

【Such a simple and honest blessing!】

【Compared to the other guests’ gifts, Xiao Yu’s feels the most unique.】

【Yeah, the value of a gift isn’t determined by its price. After all, the movie king doesn’t lack material things.】

【Like Xiao Yu, I also wish the movie king a life as enduring and leisurely as a turtle’s!】

【May the movie king live a long, peaceful, and carefree life!】

【……】

The livestream chat was instantly flooded with this blessing.

The love system felt deeply moved.

〖 Love System: In the original timeline, the movie king didn’t even live to see his twenty-ninth birthday.〗

Ning Xiaoyu let out a small “Oh.” She had never believed that fate couldn’t be changed.

Neither she nor Lu Jingdu would ever become cannon fodder.

────ρя


The moment Ning Xiaoyu entered the banquet hall, she headed straight for the buffet area.

These crowded banquets weren’t great, but the food? Absolutely top-notch.

As she ate some salmon, she caught sight of President Shen and his current wife, Ms. Zhang.

It was impossible for the Shen family to miss an occasion like this.

Ning Xiaoyu had imagined countless scenarios of reuniting with her mother.

Perhaps they would resent each other.

Perhaps they would argue.

But she hadn’t expected that, when the day truly came, she would feel so calm.

So calm that it felt like she was merely facing a complete stranger.

Her mother hadn’t appeared during the seven years her father had been in a coma. So, in the future, there was no need for her to appear anymore either.

The bond between them had dissolved the moment Ms. Zhang chose to leave.

Ning Xiaoyu and Ms. Zhang locked eyes for three seconds before they silently and mutually looked away, both wearing calm expressions.

The birthday banquet was extravagantly decorated, emphasizing business deals over sentiment.

It lacked warmth and genuine human connection.

Not that any of that mattered to Ning Xiaoyu. She was content focusing on her food.

When Lu Jingdu stepped on stage to give his speech, she glanced up casually.

To her surprise, the couple standing beside him looked much older than him.

Could it be that his parents had him at an advanced age?

But Ning Xiaoyu dismissed the thought just as quickly as it came.

She took a sip of soda from the nearby table, enjoying it leisurely.

Indeed, soda is forever the best!

After comfortably eating until she was half-full, Ning Xiaoyu took a break and chatted with Shen Yueyue.

Shen Yueyue, looking gossipy, leaned in and whispered to her, “See that lady over there? She’s President Shen’s third wife. Gorgeous and unbelievably cunning.

And that man over there? Tons of illegitimate children, but a firm believer in not getting married.

Oh, and that engaged couple? The younger sister stole her older sister’s fiancé. Dirty tactics, I tell you.”

Ning Xiaoyu unwillingly overheard all this rich-family drama. Truthfully, she didn’t care much for it. Her desires were simple, and she didn’t belong in their world.

Just as she was about to find an excuse to sneak off and relax somewhere quiet, the love system’s furious voice echoed in her ear.

〖 Love System: Girl, the movie king’s father passed away early, and his mother remarried. He was raised single-handedly by his grandfather. Currently, the Lu family is run by his uncle^[1]father’s elder brother. However, the old master intends to leave most of the family’s assets to the movie king, making him a thorn in his uncle’s side.

The old master is aging and hasn’t revised his will in years.

The uncle is panicking. Right now, he’s forming an alliance with Ms. Zhang, aiming to pair the movie king with Ning Yuwei.

Their methods are crude and shameless. While it’s not a classy strategy, public opinion can sometimes be incredibly effective. At this moment, you can:

A: Beat Ning Yuwei to the punch! Take their path and leave them no way forward!

B: Inform the movie king of the truth so he can prepare in advance!

C: Pretend to be a couple with the movie king! Link arms with him, appearing close and intimate in front of his uncle and Ms. Zhang, making their schemes fall apart!〗

Ning Xiaoyu: “……”

Damn!

She really wanted to know— what kind of runaway prince was Lu Jingdu?

Why did he always need her, this Sleeping Beauty, to save him?