Chapter 22

On the first day after making her decision, Ruan Xizhi stayed in bed until dawn.

Before rising to greatness, she allowed herself to be lazy just this once.

Xing Xiaochi watched his stepmother sprawled out on the bed in a large “X” shape, breathing evenly, her cheeks flushed pink. She was even smacking her lips in her sleep, lost in some unknown dream.

Meanwhile, he had been pushed to the very edge of the bed, clinging to just a tiny corner of the blanket. He was freezing.

“……”

Feeling indignant, he tugged at the blanket hard, but he was too small, and Ruan Xizhi didn’t budge. He tried kicking her with his soft little feet, but instead, she rolled over and completely stole his last bit of warmth.

Due to the force of her movement, he was flung off the bed entirely.

Xing Xiaochi: “……”

(ó﹏ò｡) Wuwuwuwu, he hated this stepmother!

He opened his mouth, ready to cry and wake her up. But then he remembered the cave incident—this trick didn’t work on her at all.

With no other choice, Xing Xiaochi rubbed his sore bottom, huffed in frustration, and tried to open the door.

But he was too short to reach the lock.

He glanced at Ruan Xizhi, who was still sound asleep, and stomped his foot angrily.

Just then, a voice came from outside the door.

“Is this the place? Are we supposed to wait here for them?”

Ruan Miaorui had spoken with the production team and agreed to let Su Tongtong have daily video calls with her family. That was the only reason they managed to get her back.

“Yes, we’re all supposed to gather here.”

Ruan Miaorui wasn’t too happy about Su Tongtong constantly talking about Ruan Xizhi and Xing Xiaochi, but the little girl was undeniably adorable.

Yesterday, after finishing her chores—feeding the ducks and shoveling manure—she had been completely exhausted. But the moment she saw Su Tongtong running toward her, all her fatigue vanished instantly.

Perhaps that was the healing power of a sweet little girl.

However… this house in front of her was way too luxurious.

It was even grander than the one she had struggled to earn through hard work. Living here would be such a dream.

But then she remembered that Ruan Xizhi was still living in a cramped little mud hut, and her mood balanced out again.

People should learn to be content—at least this house wasn’t occupied by Ruan Xizhi.

Zhong Qianwen walked in gracefully, holding Lu Fei’er’s hand. “Are we gathering here? I didn’t expect to find such a building in this desolate village.”

She examined the villa, which was made almost entirely of glass. The craftsmanship was exquisite, the design had a Western aesthetic, and from the second floor, you could even see the ocean. Living here must be a dream.

Ruan Miaorui looked around. “True, maybe this is where the directors are staying.”

[Director: I don’t have that kind of privilege. You’re overestimating me.]

[Hahaha, exactly! The director probably just found out about this villa yesterday.]

[Here’s a secret: the richest person in this village is actually the old granny in that tiny mud hut. Sister Zhi completely lucked out without even trying!]

[I also want to stay in a house like this for a night!]
[Hold on, I heard a big investor wants to buy the desolate village and turn it into a resort!]
[Whoa, seriously?!]
[Please, make it a resort already! I want to pick my own fruits!]

After watching the video Ruan Xizhi shot yesterday, everyone was eager to know if the resort rumors were true. They flooded the official Weibo of the Mom’s Back show with messages.

However, at this moment, director Wang Mingdong had no time to deal with the netizens—he was busy negotiating with investors.

“Yes, yes, I think this is a great idea!”

The director thought of Ruan Xizhi’s lazy demeanor on the island and hesitated. “But… not all of our guests are athletic. Teachers, please be sure before you place your bets.”

After ending the video meeting, the director was still in shock.

He never expected his small variety show, with a budget of only 20–30 million, to land a billion-dollar deal!

And the popularity was skyrocketing beyond his imagination. So, he made a bold decision—to go all out today!

A variety show thrives on conflict and unexpected twists, so, in true merciless fashion, the director scheduled the gathering at the villa.

He wanted to see the same shocked expressions on the guests’ faces that he had last night.

At that moment, Song Sangyue arrived at the villa, holding Gu Chengcheng’s hand.

The three mothers were exhausted from yesterday, but at least the rewards were worth it. Their current accommodations weren’t as luxurious as this villa, but at least they had soft beds to sleep in.

Looking around and not seeing Ruan Xizhi, Song Sangyue asked, “Has Ruan Xizhi not arrived yet?”

Ruan Miaorui, remembering something, answered, “She’s staying in the small mud house. Maybe she didn’t sleep well, so it’s normal for her to be late.”

“She should have just done the tasks with us,” Zhong Qianwen chimed in, clearly annoyed with Ruan Xizhi. Ever since Xing Xiaochi stopped playing with her precious daughter, she had been harboring resentment—her daughter got eaten alive by mosquitoes yesterday.

Implying that Ruan Xizhi was inconsiderate, she commented, “Not thinking of herself is one thing, but she should at least think about the kids.”

The group had been so caught up in their exhausting tasks yesterday that they had no idea Ruan Xizhi had trended on social media.

Especially Ruan Miaorui, who was convinced that after working so hard carrying dung yesterday, she must have gained a ton of fans.

Feeling quite pleased with herself, she teased, “Well, she was livestreaming, unlike us.”

Only an idiot like Ruan Xizhi would deliberately make herself a target.

She probably didn’t dare to show up now—she must have been torn apart by the netizens, right?

Maybe they were about to announce her withdrawal from the show.

As the two went back and forth, Song Sangyue rolled her eyes. She couldn’t stand their passive-aggressive remarks.

“Yes, yes, of course, she’s different from you.” Song Sangyue fired back at Ruan Miaorui, “After all, you’re the number one dung carrier—the Dung King of the Desolate Village.”