Chapter 17: It Has Appeared! The Legendary Business Battle!

#Ji Jingchuan Praises Shang Que’s Singing#

Under this trending topic, someone posted a screenshot of Ji Jingchuan’s previous Weibo post where he criticized Shang Que’s singing.

“Sounds like my grandma sleep-talking at midnight.”

“Ji Jingchuan, I still prefer your rebellious attitude.”

“That slap from a month ago is now landing right on his face. Bet that hurts, hahaha.”

“That was Ji Jingchuan talking, what does it have to do with my Er Lang God?”

Of course, some people took this seriously.

“Clearly, Feng Ye sings the best. I don’t understand why he wasn’t chosen.”

“I agree. Among these contestants, only Feng Ye is a professional. Ji Jingchuan can’t possibly be unaware of how well his original song was written.”

“Maybe it was just a difficult choice. No matter who he picked as the best singer, someone else would be unhappy. So instead, he chose Shang Que, making it obvious that he was just randomly picking.”

“Come on, Ji Jingchuan isn’t someone who cares about others’ feelings. He didn’t choose Feng Ye precisely because he could tell the difference. Feng Ye’s songwriting isn’t even as inspired as what Ji Jingchuan wrote when he was seventeen.”

“Haha, fans, stop reaching for the stars. Are you talking about the same songs that flopped on the internet? Meanwhile, Ji Jingchuan’s first single won the Best Arrangement Award.”

“Ji Jingchuan was zoning out the whole time. He probably didn’t even hear what the others sang, just the last song by Shang Que.”

“But that dazed expression of his seriously looked like a villain remembering a childhood memory—when his older sister used to hold him and sing to him before their final battle with the protagonist.”

“And with Ji Jingchuan looking sickly and fragile, it completely fits the moment when the villain’s psychological defenses are shattered!”

“Thank you, I’m living for this.”

Meanwhile, Feng Ye sat in his room, scrolling through these comments, his expression growing darker.

It was always like this. Because they were in the same group, he was constantly compared to Ji Jingchuan. And because Ji Jingchuan’s early fame shone too brightly, no matter how hard he worked, how much effort he put in, in the eyes of the public, he would never be as talented as seventeen-year-old Ji Jingchuan.

As long as Ji Jingchuan was around, everyone else would have to live in his shadow.

Just like now—the trending topics were all about him. Even #Ji Jingchuan’s Flawless Er Lang God Cosplay# had effortlessly shot to number one, while Feng Ye’s carefully prepared original song barely made it onto the list, and even then, the highest-ranking trending topic related to him was just Shang Que saying, “Coming in last is still impressive!”

The difference between being popular and not was overwhelming.

---

Meanwhile, Ji Jingchuan was completely unaware of all this.

After the livestream ended, he went straight to sleep. Whether it was the medication or the cupping therapy Shang Que gave him, by the next morning, he was back to full strength—energetic enough to take down a bull.

Feeling much better, even the red mark on his nose didn’t bother him as much.

As he walked downstairs in high spirits, he saw Shang Que sitting at the table, eating breakfast.

Without looking up, she said, “There’s porridge in the kitchen.”

Ji Jingchuan paused mid-step, raising an eyebrow smugly. “Oh? You made porridge just for me?”

“As if.” Shang Que shot him a look that clearly said, ‘What nonsense are you imagining?’ “I didn’t make it. Don’t flatter yourself.”

Just then, Ning Sheng walked by carrying a bowl of porridge. Hearing their bickering, she couldn’t help but chuckle. “Feng Ye made the porridge. But Shang Que was planning to make some too—she just ended up making rice instead.”

Shang Que defended herself, “That was just lunch prep for everyone.”

Ji Jingchuan smirked, his tail practically wagging in delight. “Admit it, you care about me.”

Strutting into the kitchen, he emerged shortly after, holding two rice balls. He set one down in front of Shang Que and took her bowl of porridge without asking. “Stop drinking that. Porridge has no nutrition. Eat this instead.”

Shang Que didn’t move. “You used the rice I cooked?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Oh. Not eating it.” She knew herself well. “The rice was undercooked.”

She reached for her porridge, but Ji Jingchuan anticipated her move and held the bowl firmly in place. “You think such a simple problem can defeat a genius like me? I poked holes, added water, and steamed it longer. It’s perfectly cooked now.”

“I’m going to try this. My failed rice from yesterday might be salvageable!”

“Never thought I’d learn a cooking hack from Ji Jingchuan.”

“But honestly, those rice balls do look appetizing.”

Shang Que hesitated, then took a bite. The rice was indeed fully cooked, and inside, there was ham, pork floss, and mayonnaise.

Seeing this, Ning Sheng, who had been watching, reached out, and Shang Que split hers in half to share.

After tasting it, Ning Sheng gave a thumbs-up. “Delicious. You could set up a stall and start selling these.”

And, as it turned out, her words were prophetic.

---

That morning, when the variety show resumed filming, the director mysteriously announced, “Today, we’re going to a fair.”

“A fair? Are we going to play?” Jiang Yizhe asked.

“No, you’re going to run a stall.”

Hearing this, Ning Sheng’s eyes widened slightly, and she shot Shang Que a look that said, ‘I swear I didn’t read the script beforehand.’

The director continued, “In an hour, there will be a fair on the lawn southwest of the villa area. Each of your three teams will run a stall, and you can choose what to sell from the options we provide.”

“Every visitor will have one amusement token to spend at the stalls. At the end of the fair, the team that earns the most tokens will be crowned ‘Fair Star’ and receive a lifetime free admission pass to Huanhai Amusement Park. The total tokens earned by all teams will also be converted into donations for a charity.”

“Wow, this episode’s activity is so meaningful!”

“And Huanhai Amusement Park is sponsoring it?! That place is a childhood memory for so many in Jinghai!”

“I can’t believe Ning Sheng guessed it right. They really are going to run stalls.”

“Curious to see what they’ll sell.”

The director then explained the stall rules: each team would receive a basic stall, but they had to purchase ingredients from the production team using amusement tokens. Only after deducting the cost would their net earnings be calculated.

The staff handed out a list detailing stall rental prices and suggested selling prices:

[Ice Cream Stall: 50 tokens, selling price: 1 token per unit.]
[Ice Jelly Stall: 30 tokens, selling price: 1 token per unit.]
[Spicy Chicken Noodles Stall: 30 tokens, selling price: 1 token per unit.]

Ning Sheng was interested in the ice cream stall but hesitated at the high price. The director explained, “It comes with an ice cream machine, so you just have to dispense it into cones. Plus, it’s hot out—people will definitely want something cool.”

Sold, Ning Sheng said, “We’ll take the ice cream stall.”

Lin Jinyi and Jiang Yizhe quickly chose the ice jelly stall.

The director, smiling, turned to Shang Que’s team. “What about you guys?”

Feng Ye flipped through the list. “What should we sell?”

Instead of answering immediately, Shang Que narrowed her eyes. “I feel like the director is up to something.”

Ji Jingchuan scoffed. “Isn’t he always scheming?”

The director cleared his throat. “Speak louder if you’re going to badmouth me—I can hear you just fine.”

“Shang Que & Ji Jingchuan: Boldly talking trash to his face.”

Smirking, Ji Jingchuan made the decision. “We’ll sell rice balls.”

Feng Ye, though slightly confused, still agreed.

After the photo was taken, Ji Jingchuan leisurely strolled over to the staff printing the promotional standees, sneakily scheming something.

Not long after, their booth’s promotional sign appeared in front of them, and Feng Ye finally understood why Ji Jingchuan wanted to switch places with him.

On the three-person promotional poster, Ji Jingchuan stood on the left with four big, shining characters above his head: “Genius on the Left.” He was on the right, with the words “Madman on the Right.” In the middle, Shang Que had been photoshopped with a crown, accompanied by the caption: “I am in the middle. I am the Emperor.”

In the blank space below, their booth name and slogan were printed: “Emperor Rice Balls—Your Majesty, have a rice ball! You need energy to attend court!”

Feng Ye: ……

【Hahahaha, why is Feng Ye the madman?】
【Because our Chuan Chuan wants to be the genius!】
【Ji Jingchuan, you should open a shop! You’re truly a marketing genius.】
【He’s calling me Emperor—how can I not buy a rice ball? Where’s the sign-up link? Let me in!】
【Your Majesty, think twice! This is all Ji Jingchuan’s trickery.】
【Guards, bring me the poison! How dare you slander my beloved consort!】

The other two groups quickly finished their promotional signs as well.

Lu Zhixu and Ning Sheng made two ice cream cones, each holding one, and took a youthful, vibrant promotional photo. Lin Jinyi and Jiang Yizhe, on the other hand, focused on the ice jelly itself, shrinking themselves into tiny figures sitting atop taro balls.

Once the preliminary tasks were completed, everyone set off for the festival.

The massive lawn was decorated with floral wreath pillars, balloons, and colorful ribbons, giving it a whimsical, childlike feel.

After setting up their stall, there were still a few minutes before the festival began. Ji Jingchuan first shaped a small bird-shaped rice ball and handed it to Shang Que before giving instructions:

“Shang Que cooked the rice, so she’ll handle the cash. I’ll make the rice balls. As for you—go find a nice, cool place and stay there.”

Feng Ye’s expression changed slightly.

Seeing this, Shang Que quickly explained, “He means find a shady spot to call out to customers and bring them to our stall.”

【Is that really what he meant? I don’t believe it.】
【Standing next to Ji Jingchuan makes Shang Que seem like she has a much higher EQ.】
【Ji Jingchuan doesn’t lack emotional intelligence—he’s just purely mischievous, hahaha.】

Since they didn’t rent a stall from the production team, their group was placed in the farthest corner from the entrance. Each visitor only had one token, so if they didn’t actively attract customers, there was a high chance that people would spend their tokens at the ice cream and ice jelly stalls before even reaching them.

Feng Ye nodded. “Alright, I’ll go over there first. Just call me if you need help.”

Not long after he left, the festival officially began.

People started arriving—parents with children, groups of friends, young couples holding hands.

However, without exception, everyone stopped at the ice cream and ice jelly stalls, while their rice ball stand remained completely deserted.

Ji Jingchuan placed the tenth little bear-shaped rice ball into a box and frowned in frustration. “Why is no one coming? Is Feng Ye slacking off?”

【What’s going on? How could they leave our Emperor to guard the gates of an empty kingdom? Do you all not want to be Emperors?】
【It’s because no one has come over to see their sign yet.】
【LOL, Feng Ye just tried to attract customers. A girl asked what kind of rice balls they were, and he said ‘Emperor Rice Balls.’ She rolled her eyes at him.】
【Girl: ‘Are you insane?’】
【One attempt at socializing = a lifetime of introversion.】

Just then, a shadow suddenly loomed over their stall.

Ji Jingchuan immediately looked up. “Would you like to order—”

Seeing that it was Lu Zhixu, his brows furrowed in annoyance. “Why is it you?”

“You guys haven’t had a single customer for so long. It’s kind of pitiful,” Lu Zhixu said with a smirk, handing over a festival token. “I’ll take a rice ball.”

Ji Jingchuan was about to say, “Not selling,” but Shang Que quickly took the token. “What kind of rice ball do you want?”

“A rabbit-shaped one, with pork floss and crispy fried dough sticks.”

Shang Que shot Ji Jingchuan a glance. Ji Jingchuan pursed his lips in reluctance but still started making the rice ball.

After Lu Zhixu left, Ji Jingchuan pouted unhappily, only to see Shang Que tossing the token in her hand before waving him over.

A minute later, Ji Jingchuan appeared at the ice jelly stall. “One bowl of ice jelly.”

The ice jelly and ice cream stalls were equally popular, and Lin Jinyi’s team was swamped. Without even looking up, she immediately refused, “Not selling. Don’t come here to cause trouble.”

“What do you mean, cause trouble?” Ji Jingchuan protested. “If it weren’t for Shang Que wanting some, I wouldn’t even bother coming.”

Hearing that it was for Shang Que, Lin Jinyi’s attitude shifted. “Fine, token first.”

After receiving the token, Jiang Yizhe quickly prepared a generous bowl of ice jelly with plenty of taro balls and red beans. “Ask Shang Que what toppings she likes. If it’s not enough, she can come back for more.”

Ji Jingchuan muttered an “oh” and took a spoonful for himself.

Jiang Yizhe was caught off guard. “Wait, isn’t that for—”

Before he could finish, Ji Jingchuan’s expression suddenly changed. He clutched his stomach and dramatically collapsed, yelling, “Poisoned! There’s poison!”

Lin Jinyi’s eyes widened in horror. “Don’t try to scam us!”

At that moment, Shang Que rushed over like a gust of wind. She crouched beside Ji Jingchuan, shaking his arm anxiously, her face full of concern. “Ji Jingchuan, are you okay? What happened?”

Amid the chaotic crowd, someone muttered, “It looks like he ate the ice jelly!”

“I told you, eating something that cold on an empty stomach in hot weather isn’t good for you.”

Shang Que stuffed a rice ball into his mouth. “Hurry up and eat something solid to settle your stomach! I watched these rice balls being made myself—rich in ingredients, hygienic, suitable for both adults and children!”

【?????】
【HAHAHAHAHA that product placement was so awkward.】
【Shang Que’s commitment is incredible. She didn’t even break character.】
【It’s happening! The legendary business war!】