Chapter 35

Yang Yuze’s expression shifted, it wasn’t fear, but more like trouble.

Wasn’t it just trouble? Now that she knew, he’d have to spend more time explaining the situation to her.

“Wife, what are you talking about? You’ve always been my only wife, who else could it be?”

Although what Qiao Chuchu said was true, she didn’t have any direct evidence to prove he was in the wrong.

Jiang Manrou’s deep love and tolerance for him far exceeded what she had for herself, and he wasn’t worried about what kind of bad reaction she might have after finding out.

So, there was no need for him to tell the truth.

Jiang Manrou kept looking into his eyes, those eyes deep and gentle, always carrying a smile and a stubborn determination.

She didn’t pursue the topic but instead asked, “Do you remember the first time we met?”

Yang Yuze thought to himself, just as he expected, she didn’t dig any deeper, and he couldn’t help but straighten up a little.

He nodded. “I remember.”

“That day, I went out for a part-time job. When I was crossing the street, your car suddenly came out and hit me. Fortunately, I’m tough, so I wasn’t injured. You insisted on taking me to the hospital for a check-up, and we ended up finding out that I had a mild concussion. We were both scared, and the doctor kept me for observation.”

Meanwhile, in the background, Qiao Chuchu and the other guests had taken their packaging boxes and walked out of the tent, watching from a distance.

Bai Yun noticed them right away. “Hey, Senior Yang and Sister Jiang are over there. Should we send the stuff to them?”

The packaging box in Ye Yu’s hand caught her attention. She glanced toward the couple and said, “Do you think we’d be disturbing their conversation if we went over?”

Bai Yun nodded. “I guess so.”

Qiao Chuchu also nodded.

【Of course, it would be a disturbance. They’re having a serious talk, they probably don’t want us there.】

Guests: Serious talk? Is this a confrontation?

Hearing this made them even more curious—what should they do if they wanted to go over?

The camera followed them, shifting toward Yang Yuze and Jiang Manrou in the distance. The distance was too far for the guests to hear their conversation clearly, but they could see their loving gazes exchanged.

【Oh my, Yang and Jiang couple really is a match made in heaven, they’re my ideal couple this year!】

【The most enviable loving couple in the entertainment industry, with the perfect blend of talent and beauty. They’re so compatible!】

【Their relationship is so sweet, even watching stars together on the grassland, it’s so romantic!】

—

But the reality wasn’t quite as the viewers had imagined.

Qiao Chuchu was quietly eating melon seeds.

【Yang Yuze and Jiang Manrou didn’t meet on the street where he hit her. That’s just what Yang Yuze wants her to believe. The real story is that before that, Yang Yuze had already set his sights on Jiang Manrou.】

【Back then, Yang Yuze was just a worker looking for any odd job. One day, while handing out flyers for a newly opened shopping mall, he saw Jiang Manrou attending the mall’s grand opening ceremony. After hearing the workers around him talk about her, he looked at the graceful, fairy-like Jiang Manrou and a bold thought crossed his mind.】

【That thought was—become her husband and inherit her family fortune.】

The Crowd: Oh no! This is completely different from the Yang Yuze we thought we knew! He’s so manipulative!

Since Qiao Chuchu and the others left the tent and were now standing on the same patch of grass as Jiang Manrou and Yang Yuze, they were part of the same scene, and the distance between them wasn’t more than ten meters, which allowed them to overhear Qiao Chuchu’s thoughts.

The voice carried over from a distance, causing Yang Yuze to freeze for a moment. He looked at Jiang Manrou, who was also looking at him. Her gaze was still gentle, but there was a hint of dimness in it.

Yang Yuze felt angry at Qiao Chuchu’s voice but couldn’t do anything about it. He could only calm Jiang Manrou first.

He continued, “I was held by the doctor for a month, lying in a hospital bed. The thing I looked forward to the most, do you know what it was?”

Jiang Manrou shook her head.

Yang Yuze spoke slowly, “It was your appearance.”

Jiang Manrou looked at him intently. “Why?”

“Because your appearance made me forget all the pain, and joy replaced it. I felt like I was the happiest person in the world at that moment.”

Yang Yuze took her hand, “So at that moment, I fell in love with you. Marrying you, becoming a member of the Jiang family, I never felt wronged.”

“My life now is all thanks to you. You are my everything, and I will always love you.”

Jiang Manrou’s expression shifted slightly. After all, he was the one she had loved for so many years, and her mind involuntarily leaned toward him, choosing to ignore Qiao Chuchu’s words.

Yang Yuze wanted to continue, but Qiao Chuchu’s voice came again.

【Yang Yuze does love Jiang Manrou—money.】

【He approached her for her wealth and status. With money, of course, he wouldn’t suffer. With money, of course, he would be happy and content. You wouldn’t feel wronged either, becoming the son-in-law of the wealthy Jiang family and earning billions on your first day. This is money you could never earn in your lifetime.】

【What love? Without money, do you think he would still love Jiang Manrou? The answer is no, because Yang Yuze is a cold, selfish person. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have abandoned his wife and child from his youth. For money, he would do things that ordinary people wouldn’t even dare to imagine.】

【Such a person certainly has more chances of success because they are ruthless.】

【But someone with such a bad heart won’t go far.】

The melon-eating crowd nodded in agreement: That makes sense. One shouldn’t be too cruel, you never know when karma will come for you.

Yang Yuze: “…”

Yang Yuze’s forehead veins throbbed with anger, “Don’t listen to the nonsense of others. I’m your husband, the person you love the most, and I love you the most too. It’s not because of your money and status, but because you are you. You need to believe me.”

He reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, his tone soft and affectionate.

Jiang Manrou seemed to be moved by his words and smiled lightly, asking, “Can you tell me, before you met me, what was the name of your first love?”

Yang Yuze hesitated. “You…”

Jiang Manrou reassured him, “Don’t worry, I won’t cause trouble for her. I just want to know what kind of girl you like.”

Her soft, gentle face didn’t show any sign of abnormality. Yang Yuze wasn’t sure whether she would care, but he still told her the name of his first love.

“Hua Zhihan, a very beautiful name,” Jiang Manrou asked softly, “She must have been a very beautiful girl, right?”

Yang Yuze wasn’t sure why she was asking these questions, but he didn’t want to answer. Instead, he tried to shift the conversation.

“It’s getting late. Let’s go back and rest.”

Jiang Manrou remained still. “This opportunity to be on a variety show was something I fought for myself. It’s been a long time since we’ve traveled alone together. Every time I try to see you, you’re always busy with work. I feel like our relationship isn’t as good as it used to be.”

She looked at him and asked, “What do you think?”

“I’m sorry. It’s probably because I’ve been so busy with work lately, and I haven’t been considerate of you.” Yang Yuze stepped forward and embraced her. “I’ll pay more attention in the future and make sure to spend more time with you.”

The sound of people gossiping reached them again.

【What do you mean, ‘too busy with work and no time’? There are only two reasons why people say this: one, they’ve fallen out of love, two, there’s someone else.】

【Unfortunately, Yang Yuze fits both reasons. He’s amazing—within his first year of success, he’s already messing around with other female celebrities.】

【Wow, not only celebrities, but also many young, beautiful female college students. He has a thing for pretty hands and especially likes girls with beautiful hands. Every girl he sets his sights on eventually falls into his gentle trap, and when they fall for him, he pulls away, sending them abroad so they never see him again.】

At this point, Bai Yun thought back and remembered that Yang Yuze had accidentally touched her hand a couple of times, so he…

Uh—

Bai Yun felt very uncomfortable. She rubbed her fingers against the paper as if trying to erase the image of Yang Yuze touching her hand.

It was so disgusting. How could this person, who was voted the nation’s ideal man online, be such a jerk!

Forget it!

【Saying he’s too busy with work? More like busy seducing other women.】

【Every time Jiang Manrou asked to visit him on set, he’d refuse. Of course, he’d refuse, because he’s off fooling around with other women. How could he let his legitimate wife come and see him?】

Qiao Chuchu, still eating the gossip, couldn’t help but sigh again.

【Jiang Manrou is such a good big sister, how did she get so unlucky? She’s been targeted by Yang Yuze, and he’s ruined so many years of her youth.】

【Such a scumbag. I hope Jiang Manrou can see through him soon and bravely say goodbye to him.】

The gossip crowd was now speechless, stunned by the continuous revelations. It seemed that Jiang Manrou was indeed unlucky—thinking her beloved husband also loved her, when in fact, he was just after her money.

Without money, he probably wouldn’t even give her a second glance.

Yang Yuze, seething with anger, thought, how annoying is Qiao Chuchu? Every time he says something, she picks it apart. She’s practically exposing all his secrets.

He hadn’t cared much when she first started spilling secrets, but as the revelations kept coming, he was starting to lose it.

He pulled Jiang Manrou into his arms, comforting her and saying, “Wife, the person I love the most is you, it’s always been you. You’re the most important person in my life, and you’re always my number one.”

The gossip voices came again.

【The women outside can’t compare to Jiang Manrou. She’s rich, beautiful, and influential. She’s the one who gave Yang Yuze everything in life.】

【But now this benefactor isn’t being treated with care. Instead, she’s being deceived and manipulated. It’s really pitiful.】

【It’s okay, Yang Yuze will eventually crash and burn.】

【Just wait.】

Yang Yuze sneered. Crash and burn? How could I ever crash and burn? Even if everyone in the entertainment industry crashes, I won’t.

Because he had Jiang Manrou. Even if she didn’t help him anymore, he now had the ability to handle things on his own.

But he was confident that Jiang Manrou wouldn’t treat him like that. He had faith.

Jiang Manrou’s heart slowly sank, and the light in her eyes gradually dimmed. It turned out that Yang Yuze had been hiding so many things from her.

She had already witnessed Qiao Chuchu’s sharpness at the wedding. Every word she said, every revelation, had been accurate.

And because it was all true, it hurt even more.

In fact, she had noticed the changes in Yang Yuze a long time ago.

But she didn’t want to admit that he had betrayed her. After all, he was the husband she had chosen, and she wanted to make their relationship work. She couldn’t let her parents worry, and she didn’t want those who cared about her to worry either.

She thought that as long as she treated him wholeheartedly, put him first in everything, and fulfilled all his demands, she would receive the same love in return. But now she realized just how wrong she was.

When it came to relationships, there was never such a thing as equality. It all depended on one’s conscience and character. Meeting a good person might be a lifetime of luck, but what about her?

She closed her eyes in Yang Yuze’s embrace, trying to feel the presence of his breath.

This trip was an opportunity she had worked hard to get. She didn’t want it to end just yet, thinking of it as fulfilling a wish from before.

It would only be this one time, wouldn’t it?

Yang Yuze noticed that she hadn’t reacted and couldn’t quite figure out what she was thinking.

“Wife, it’s getting late, and the temperature is dropping. Let’s go back to the tent and rest.”

Jiang Manrou slowly pulled away from his embrace and nodded. “Okay.”

Yang Yuze thought to himself: She’s still the same as before. That means I don’t need to worry. As expected, Jiang Manrou loves me deeply. Even if Qiao Chuchu exposed all my dirty secrets, so what? Jiang Manrou still loves me.

He was incredibly confident as he held Jiang Manrou’s hand and walked past Qiao Chuchu. He purposely stopped and said, “What are you all doing standing out here? Aren’t you cold?”

“Scumbag.”

Someone in the crowd muttered softly.

Yang Yuze heard it and narrowed his eyes. However, his expression didn’t change much. He turned to Jiang Manrou and said, “Ah, the grasslands are cold at night. When I’m not by your side, you should cover yourself with a blanket and don’t catch a cold.”

The people present all looked at him with contempt.

Meanwhile, the comments were flooding in with their own opinions on the couple.

【Ahhh! Yuze is so gentle, he really cares about his wife!】

【This real CP feels so much better! They’re about to be apart, one night without seeing each other, quick, kiss her!】

【The director really doesn’t know how to do his job, huh? Yuze and his wife are married, and with so many tents, why not arrange a couple’s tent for them?】

【@Director, hurry up and do your job!】

【Dude, this is a variety show, the conditions are already harsh, where would they get so many tents? As long as they have a place to stay, what more do they want? Yang fans really think they’re some big shots.】

【Hmm, I’ve been wanting to say this for a while now—Yang fans have been riding high on Yang Yuze’s fame for years, treating themselves like VIPs everywhere they go. But if one day Yang Yuze falls, let’s see how they act then.】

Unfortunately, this comment was quickly deleted, and the person who posted it was immediately attacked by Yang’s fans.

The director, who had just been gossiping in the corner and had returned to the backstage area, had a look on his face that was worse than if he had eaten something bad. He thought to himself, this is bad.

There were so many big secrets about Yang Yuze, and they couldn’t be exposed during the recording. While he wanted the traffic from these scandals, he didn’t want the third episode of the show to be suspended again.

The director hoped that Jiang Manrou wouldn’t confront Yang Yuze directly on the show. Even if she had to deal with him, it would wait until the variety show ended.

He also notified the crew to keep their mouths shut and swallow the juicy gossip they had just learned.

“Sigh, how is my luck so bad? Why do I keep running into all these messy things?”

The assistant, who had been gossiping with him in the corner, comforted him, “Director, you should look on the bright side. With so many scandals about Yang Yuze, even just a little being exposed will drive the variety show’s traffic through the roof.”

The director replied, “I’m worried it’ll be exposed on the show. If that happens, the variety show might have to be suspended again.”

“It probably won’t happen. From Jiang Manrou’s reaction, she seems pretty calm,” the assistant said. “And the other guests aren’t troublemakers, so they probably won’t stir things up.”

“Let’s hope so.” The director said, “If it doesn’t get exposed during filming, it’d be best if it comes out after the recording ends. Then our viewership ratings will hit a new high.”

Because of He Xuan’s situation, he had developed a strong aversion to scumbags who played with multiple people at once. He hoped Yang Yuze would be dealt with by fate soon.

As he was thinking about Yang Yuze, the man himself arrived.

The director was surprised, “Mr. Yang, what brought you here so late?”

Yang Yuze smiled gently, “I ate too much tonight and decided to take a walk. I didn’t even realize I’d come over here. I just wanted to wish for a smooth filming tomorrow. What do you think?”

The director immediately understood. Yang Yuze had come to give him a heads-up. He nodded, “I hope so too.”

—

The second day was very calm, with nothing noteworthy happening, but the guests’ behavior subtly confirmed the presence of the big gossip.

They all intentionally or unintentionally kept their distance from Yang Yuze. When he noticed, he simply smiled and didn’t mind.

His current success was something many people couldn’t achieve, and he was an existence that many people dared not offend.

For the next two days, Yang Yuze treated Jiang Manrou exceptionally well—very gently, very thoughtfully—like he was trying to make up for the lost time from before.

On the morning of the third day of filming, the director didn’t give the usual tasks but instead took the guests to the recreational area on the grassland.

Here, they could freely ride horses and experience the thrill of galloping.

They could also sit on the cable car, sliding down the tracks from the top of a grassy slope, enjoying the feeling of the wind brushing against their faces.

There were also many beautiful landscapes and cultural sights they had never seen before.

Qiao Cen immediately took a liking to a red, handsome horse grazing on the grass and eagerly pulled Qiao Chuchu over, asking her,

“Sis, do you want to ride a horse?”

Qiao Chuchu shook her head, “I don’t know how to ride.”

She had never participated in such activities and didn’t know how to ride a horse.

Qiao Cen said, “No problem! I know how to. I’ll teach you!”

He patted his chest confidently, “My riding skills are pretty good, I guarantee I can teach you.”

Qiao Chuchu replied, “I trust you.”

【Although Qiao Cen’s journey to learning how to ride a horse was tough, he was very strong-willed. He learned how to ride despite breaking a leg in the process.】

【The young man’s determination is admirable, but I think I’ll pass on learning from him—I’d rather keep both my legs intact.】

Qiao Cen: Hey, It was just breaking my leg accidentally, really!

His shout, however, went unheard by Qiao Chuchu. She chose a very small horse, one that wouldn’t cause much harm even if she fell off.

Qiao Cen was beside her, teaching her. When she managed to stay steady on the little horse and walk at a steady pace, she told Qiao Cen to go off and have fun without worrying about her.

Qiao Cen hesitated at first, but after seeing that she was not in any danger, he finally rode off on the red horse he had been eyeing and galloped across the grassland with Wen Yu and the others.

Only Qiao Chuchu was left behind, walking slowly at the back.

In front of her were Yang Yuze and Jiang Manrou, both riding the same horse, moving at a pace that was neither too fast nor too slow.

Comments from the livestream:

【Wow! The scenery of the grassland is so beautiful!】

【It looks so fun riding horses! I want to go too when I take my vacation this month!】

【Although Qiao Cen’s words aren’t that nice, he looks really cool riding a horse!】

【I still ship Yang-Jiang couple the most, they’re so sweet, the sweetest couple in the entertainment industry!】

【Hahaha, Chuchu looks so cute riding the little white horse.】

—

After the horseback riding, they also tried the 100-meter grassland slide, which was very thrilling and a great way to relieve stress—it was a super relaxing activity.

After the activities, they visited other scenic spots and made sure to check out all the famous landmarks on the Hahu grassland.

At lunch, the guests had a whole roasted lamb, and in the afternoon, filming wrapped up. Everyone returned to their tents, each heading back to their own separate spaces.

While Qiao Chuchu and Bai Yun were packing their luggage, Jiang Manrou came over.

“Chuchu, can I talk to you alone for a few minutes?”

“Chuchu, I’ll wait for you outside,” Bai Yun, very perceptively, left the tent to give them space.

Qiao Chuchu looked at her, then at Bai Yun who had just left, and nodded, “Sure, what’s on your mind?”

【I’m not really familiar with Jiang Manrou. What could she want to talk to me about?】

Jiang Manrou pinched her fingers nervously and asked, “Chuchu, can you tell me what your first impression of me and Yuze was? Do you think we can make it to the end?”

Qiao Chuchu was surprised, “Oh… this?”

【I thought she wanted to talk to me about something important? But it’s just this question. How should I answer? Should I tell her, my first impression of him was good, but my second impression is terrible?】

【You’re kind and considerate, a beautiful older sister, but you love Yang Yuze too deeply, pampering him without limits. You give him whatever he wants, and you’ve raised a scumbag who, with wealth and power, has turned into someone despicable.】

【The key is that even after learning what kind of person Yang Yuze really is, you still hesitate to leave him, trying to change him, hold onto his love for you, and even go so far as to let him trample all over you.】

【But you don’t know that by doing this, you’ll end up losing your family’s life and your family’s fortune. You’ll only realize too late that it’s all been in vain, and then you’ll do everything to get rid of the scumbag—but it’ll be too late.】

【I don’t want to become someone like Jiang Manrou.】

Qiao Chuchu thought for a moment before replying, “My first impression of you and Yuze was quite good.”

She continued, “I want to be honest with you, even though this might upset you. Honestly, I don’t think you two are very well-suited, and I’m not too optimistic about your relationship.”

She quickly finished speaking and observed Jiang Manrou’s expression. The forced smile on her face faded, leaving her looking pale and powerless, the light in her eyes disappearing.

In truth, Qiao Chuchu shouldn’t have interfered in this matter, but she just couldn’t stand it. Jiang Manrou, such a wonderful older sister, was being deceived by Yang Yuze, this scumbag, and it was too pitiful.

Qiao Chuchu thought Jiang Manrou would refute her words, but she didn’t. She took a deep breath and forced out a faint smile. “Thank you for your feedback. I’ll reassess the relationship between us.”

Qiao Chuchu replied, “You’re welcome.”

【What’s the use of reassessing? Yang Yuze’s thoughts and focus aren’t on you anymore. No matter how good you are to him, it’s all in vain. It would be better to love yourself more, that’s more practical.】

【But I have no evidence, and it’s not really something I should say to her. She’ll probably realize it on her own, but by then, it might be too late.】

Jiang Manrou got the answer, and she was extremely disappointed, heartbroken, and in pain.

She had come to speak with Qiao Chuchu with a lot of courage, still holding onto a sliver of hope—hope for Yang Yuze.

But now, that hope had been shattered.

In the end, Yang Yuze might not just hurt her, but also hurt her loved ones. These were her bottom lines.

“Well, you carry on, I’ll head out. Hopefully, we’ll meet again sometime.”

“Mm.”

As Qiao Chuchu saw her out, she casually checked the current storyline, her face full of surprise.

【Oh no, Yang Yuze’s downfall came three days earlier than expected, and the reason for his downfall is…】