CHAPTER 36 (PART 1)

Xu Dazhi heard that Zhao Qiuying was bringing a family member, and that this family member was a fan of Jiang Su. So, he immediately prepared a bag of gifts as a token of appreciation.

The gift bag had a dreamy unicorn pattern on it and contained a custom perfume made exclusively for Jiang Su, along with some cookies and chocolate sticks.

The moment Zhao Qiuying got out of the car, Xu Dazhi handed it over.

Zhao Qiuying looked at the bag, confused. “What’s this?”

“A gift for your family member,” Xu Dazhi said with a smile.

Zhao Qiuying got out of the car, steadied himself, and met Jiang Su’s gaze. With a helpless smile, he said, “This is your fan.”

As soon as he spoke, everyone saw an elderly man step out of the car.

He was dressed quite properly—button-up shirt, trousers, an army-green vest. His hair was neatly combed, and he even carried a small water bottle with him.

A tiny flag was sticking out of the water bottle, featuring Jiang Su’s face. Next to it were the words: “Go, my girl, go!”

Xu Dazhi: …?

Jiang Su: …?

After standing still for a moment, the elderly man took out a pair of reading glasses, carefully put them on with slightly trembling hands, and finally fixed his gaze on Jiang Su. He reached out his hand and said, “Young comrade, my name is Xiang Yu. I’m your fan… Is that the right term? It’s fan, right?”

The last part was directed at Zhao Qiuying for confirmation.

Xu Dazhi opened his mouth, then closed it again.

That form of address was quite… old-fashioned.

“Yes,” Zhao Qiuying responded before introducing, “This is my grandfather.”

Xu Dazhi, still in a daze, led them inside. They gathered around a small round table, where the assistant had already set out fruit and snacks.

Jiang Su readily took a photo with Mr. Xiang and signed an autograph for him.

Zhao Qiuying discreetly observed her but couldn’t detect any trace of disappointment on her face.

Her expressions were always minimal—like a comedian who had exhausted too many emotions in the past. Once she stepped off the stage, she became reserved and quiet.

Jiang Su took a sip of lemon water before lifting her gaze. “About appearing on the show together…”

Zhao Qiuying parted his lips.

He could step in.

Jiang Su, however, turned to Mr. Xiang and asked, “Would you like to participate?”

Her tone was calm.

Zhao Qiuying swallowed back his words, slightly taken aback.

Xu Dazhi, on the other hand, was so shocked that his face nearly changed color. He was just short of blurting out, “Are you crazy?!” If this elderly man were to go on the show and accidentally get hurt, who would take responsibility? This was Zhao Qiuying’s grandfather! Wouldn’t that cause a major fallout? There was no need for this!

And besides, elderly people usually didn’t make such decisions for themselves. There was no point in asking!

Mr. Xiang was momentarily surprised as well. Then, he widened his wrinkled eyes and carefully examined the young girl sitting in front of him.

On TV, he couldn’t see clearly.

She was too far away on the stage—he couldn’t make out her face.

Only now was he truly seeing his “idol” up close.

Such a young girl. She looked so thin—if this were the old days, his wife would have chased her around, insisting she eat eighteen pieces of braised pork.

But her expression was incredibly composed. Despite the slight frailty in her brows and eyes, she didn’t seem weak. On the contrary, there was a sharpness and strength etched deep in her bones—this was a girl who would never admit defeat!

That’s why she could play the erhu, blow the suona, pluck the pipa, and beat the drums… with such power and force.

Mr. Xiang couldn’t hold back his smile. “People just can’t afford to grow old. Once they do, no one really asks for their opinions anymore. It’s not that the younger generation is wrong—they mean well. But when they start making every decision for you, it feels like… life gradually loses its meaning.”

He muttered on, the smile on his face growing. “But this young girl actually asked me! She doesn’t seem worried at all that I might hold her back.” He patted his chest. “I don’t even know what kind of show you’re doing, but listen, forget the easy stuff—even if it means climbing mountains, this old man can still keep up for three hundred miles!”

Jiang Su glanced at his fingers. “…Alright then, we should go over the show format a bit.”

Mr. Xiang was beyond excited. He immediately leaned in, and the two of them—both newcomers—clumsily figured out the show’s structure together.

Zhao Qiuying stared at them in a daze, sighing softly.

At this moment, he felt like Jiang Su understood his grandfather better than he did himself…

That night, Mr. Xiang went home, ate well, drank well, and had a good night’s sleep. The next morning, he even went for a walk around their courtyard. Midway through, he got so energized that he ran two extra laps—only to be helped back inside by Zhao Tai-tai.

“Just what nonsense are you up to every day?”

“Xiao Qiu isn’t seriously taking you to some show, is he? What’s the fun in hanging around with those young entertainers? Wouldn’t you rather go to the Cheng family and play chess with Second Master Cheng?”

Zhao Qiuying opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn’t tell them that his grandfather had already decided to go on the show.

Just like Mr. Xiang had told Jiang Su at the table.

When people grow old, they lose the right to make decisions for themselves… Even if they know their family means well, it still leaves them feeling disappointed.

When the day of the recording arrived, Zhao Qiuying had his manager drive them to the filming location.

The manager, upon hearing what they were about to do, couldn’t stop his hands from shaking.

Mr. Xiang!

Xiang!

That surname alone carried serious weight!

“Are you sure this won’t go wrong?” the manager asked, voice trembling.

“It’ll be fine. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

Zhao Qiuying stayed behind the cameras the entire time. The production crew, unaware of the real reason, just assumed he was acting as a dedicated mentor, watching over his students.

What a pity, though—Zhao Qiuying himself wouldn’t be appearing on screen!

The production team quickly shifted their focus, however, because what truly surprised them was the elderly gentleman standing beside Jiang Su.

When the camera panned over, even without looking at the live comments, they could already imagine the audience’s bewildered reactions.

[Wait, this is Jiang Su’s friend?!]

[Uh… did the production team invite him? This? Really?]

The host quickly stepped in. “Jiang Su, please introduce the friend you’ve invited.”

[This is so awkward, I don’t even know how to watch this.]

The comment had barely been posted when—

Jiang Su straightened her mic and said, “His surname is Xiang. He is the grandfather of someone I know… and also my fan.”

The live comments froze. Then, the tone of the conversation instantly shifted.

[A fan?]

[Oh, if he’s a fan, then that’s totally fine.]

[Haha, our girl is amazing—not only does she have fans from all different professions, but now she’s got fans across generations too! Grandpa is so adorable, but please take care of your health!]

[Wait, does this mean… to Jiang Su, all her fans are her friends?]

[Damn, as a fan, I actually feel kinda touched.]

Those secretly waiting to laugh at her were suddenly left speechless.

[I swear, did Jiang Su buy bots?]

[She’s totally just crafting a persona. Have you ever seen an idol from a talent show market themselves like this? Who the hell promotes having elderly fans? But Jiang Su spotted the opportunity—this kind of angle is guaranteed to trend. Just watch, tomorrow’s top search will probably be something like #ElderlyFanChasingJiangSuLive#. Think about it—doesn’t that just grab attention?]

[+1, Maybe this old man is just a hired extra. If something funny happens during the live broadcast today, it’ll be entertaining.]

At this point, even the secretary beside Cheng Yue couldn’t help but stare at the barrage of comments in amazement.
“Miss Jiang has a lot of fans… but just as many haters. These people are really reveling in schadenfreude.”

But Cheng Yue had just recognized who that old man was.

“Xiang Yu,” he said in a deep voice.

The secretary, unfamiliar with the name, was momentarily stunned. “What did you say?”

Cheng Yue pointed at the person on the screen and said casually, “He often visits the Cheng family’s old residence to play chess with my father’s second uncle.”

Perhaps because the comment section had already ridiculed Jiang Su enough, Cheng Yue, for once, didn’t add to the mockery. Instead, his slightly narrowed eyes carried a sharp and disdainful glint as he stared at the flood of comments.

The secretary pieced the relationship together.

Mr. Cheng’s father’s second uncle… If this old gentleman could sit and play chess with him, he certainly wasn’t an ordinary person.

Just then, the secretary heard Mr. Cheng’s voice drop to an even lower register.

“He is Zhao Qiuying’s grandfather, Zhao Hu’s father-in-law, and Xiang Shengfeng’s father.”

The secretary swallowed hard.

The names Zhao Hu and Xiang Shengfeng were well-known.

When the secretary glanced back at the comment section, he suddenly felt like he was the only one sober in a room full of drunk people.

…These comments were actually pretty funny.

On screen, after the guests exchanged greetings, the first game segment began.

[Wait, wasn’t this supposed to be a chill variety show? Wasn’t it meant to be a slow-paced program?]

[A sand pit, barbed wire, and wooden beams… Did they accidentally switch to a military training show?]

The production team announced the rules.

The guests had to make their way through an obstacle course to the finish line. The faster they completed it, the more points they earned. At the finish line, they had to submerge their heads in a basin of water and hold their breath for as long as possible. The longer they held it, the more points they gained.

The total points they accumulated would determine how many ingredients they could choose later for their meal. The time taken would decide the picking order.

Some of the male guests saw this as an opportunity to showcase their skills and quickly volunteered.
“I’ll do it. I can handle it alone.”

“Yeah, yeah, girls are little princesses. You can just sit and wait.”

Li Mo’er’s brother muttered under his breath, “Setting me up, huh?” Then, he also took on the challenge by himself.

For those like Yu Xinyan and Wu Qingqing, who had invited female guests, they had no choice but to split the tasks among themselves.

“What about Jiang Su?” Yu Xinyan turned to ask.

The comment section immediately voiced their concerns:

[This is basically the “elderly and infirm” team.]

[Jiang Su probably didn’t expect the production team to throw this at her.]

[Didn’t they get the script in advance?]

[Jiang Su better not mess up her persona, or she’ll end up like Dong Jiayu, who just crashed and burned.]

The secretary, watching the barrage of comments, couldn’t help but grumble, “Even though Mr. Xiang has an impressive background, there’s not much he can do here… As for Miss Jiang, let’s not even mention it. She’s so delicate. Her hands are made for playing the pipa, not for this kind of thing.”

Cheng Yue wordlessly spun the lighter in his hand.

She should have asked Zhao Qiuying for help.

Even Zhao Qiuying himself wouldn’t be able to clear that high platform.

But I could.

The thought suddenly popped into Cheng Yue’s mind before he impatiently dismissed it.

Then, he spoke in an indifferent tone. “Zhao Qiuying’s grandfather was in the military.”

Even if he was old now…

“These obstacles should be the easiest ones for him.”

The secretary froze.

At that moment, the host asked, “Miss Jiang, who from your team will be competing?”

Jiang Su and Mr. Xiang exchanged a look. “Both of us.”

Cheng Yue’s hand paused mid-spin with his lighter, lips pressing together.

Huh?

Jiang Su was going to compete too?

Would she fall?

Sprain her ankle again?

She had always been uncoordinated in the past, tripping in front of Cheng Yue every few steps, then turning to look at him with teary eyes.

Back then, Cheng Yue found it annoying.

Why look at me?

Didn’t she have hands? Couldn’t she just get up herself?

But now, the image of Jiang Su tumbling off the metal frame flashed through his mind…

And for some reason, his fingers itched.

He actually wanted to catch her.

If he did, maybe she’d be so touched she’d cry… No, crying wasn’t great.

Maybe she’d soften her voice, get all delicate and coy… Actually, never mind, Cheng Yue couldn’t quite imagine that.