When the allotted time was up, Ye Fan and Tang Jin returned to the house.

As soon as Li Qiong saw Ye Fan, she immediately approached with concern. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Ye Fan had told her that if she didn’t make any money, she’d come back to her. Ye Fan hadn’t returned until now, but Li Qiong had kept that promise in mind all along.

Ye Fan smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I’ve made the money.”

Li Qiong visibly relaxed, about to say something, when Gu Yachen suddenly walked over, interrupting their conversation.

Li Qiong felt a bit displeased but didn’t show it.

Gu Yachen looked at Ye Fan, her tone somewhat off. “Ye Fan, I heard you play the violin too.”

She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy, knowing that everywhere she went, people were talking about Ye Fan.

Ye Fan replied coolly, “Yeah, I’ve learned a bit.”

Gu Yachen glanced at Tang Jin, then suddenly said, “Ye Fan, Tang Jin is over there singing, and you’re playing the violin.”

“How coincidental.”

On the surface, Gu Yachen’s words seemed to suggest that both girls had simply chosen similar ways to earn money. But the implication was clear—Ye Fan had deliberately chosen to play the violin to steal the spotlight from Tang Jin.

Gu Yachen knew full well that Ye Fan had once been Tang Jin’s stand-in. Her comment was calculated, meant to fuel Tang Jin’s dislike for Ye Fan and stir up conflict between them.

If Tang Jin got angry, Gu Yachen would have more chances to win her favor.

As expected, Tang Jin’s expression grew even more impatient upon hearing those words.

She looked at Ye Fan, her irritation building. She must have done it on purpose.

Ye Fan, of course, saw right through Gu Yachen’s attempt to provoke her. But she was not someone who could be manipulated so easily.

She glanced at Gu Yachen, her voice calm and composed. “Actually… it wasn’t a coincidence at all.”

“One was singing, the other playing violin. One at the end of the street, the other at the opposite end. Different methods, different locations.”

Ye Fan’s tone was calm and even. “If there’s any similarity at all, it’s probably that we both relied on our own abilities to earn money.”

With just a few light words, she clearly drew a line between herself and Tang Jin.

Gu Yachen was left speechless. Meanwhile, Tang Jin couldn’t help but remember how useless Gu Yachen had been during the money-making task. She let out a cold snort in her heart.

The livestream was still going, and the comment section exploded:

“Gu Yachen always came off as this sweet, innocent girl, but compared to Ye Fan, she just seems petty and insecure.”

“There were already posts exposing how calculating Gu Yachen was back in school. Now it all makes sense. Unfollowing, bye!”

“Let’s not dwell on that—how about we guess who made more money? My bet’s on Ye Fan. There were clearly more people watching her when she was playing the violin.”

“Tang Jin still has a good chance though. Don’t forget, she had the crowd in the beginning.”

The livestream audience buzzed with speculation, eager to see which team would come out on top. The viewers were split—half supported Ye Fan, the other half backed Tang Jin.

At that moment, the director spoke up:
“Now, please place the money on the table so we can see which group earned more.”

Ye Fan and Tang Jin stepped forward and laid their earnings on the table, then stood to the side.

Ye Fan remained calm and composed.

She knew the production team favored Tang Jin. The decision to livestream had clearly been made because they were certain Tang Jin would earn more than her—
a perfect setup to further elevate Tang Jin while pushing Ye Fan down.

Thanks to the way the show was set up, not only had she “lost” the money, but now she was at risk of earning less too. The contrast painted her in an unflattering light from the very beginning, leaving viewers with a poor impression.

Ye Fan let out a cold laugh.

They could prop up Tang Jin all they wanted—but only if Tang Jin had the skills to back it up. A person without real ability, no matter how carefully you orchestrate things for her, won’t get far.

They were playing a clever game.

But there was no way she was going to let them win that easily.

Ye Fan lowered her gaze, hiding the hint of mockery in her eyes.

The producers hadn’t expected she could play the violin. That was their first miscalculation.

She was skilled in all kinds of instruments—playing a few pieces on the violin was nothing to her. It was, quite honestly, the easiest thing she could’ve done.

Ye Fan was confident. From the moment she chose to earn money through violin performance, she knew she would win—and not just win, but surpass Tang Jin by a wide margin.

The director spoke: “I’ll count how much Tang Jin’s team earned first.”

The cameraman had already reported to him—Tang Jin’s performance had gone smoothly. All the hired extras had shown up as planned. There was no doubt her total earnings would be impressive.

As for Ye Fan, while her performance had been unexpectedly successful, she’d started much later. By the time she began playing, Tang Jin had already been performing and collecting money for a while.

The director wasn’t too concerned. Not yet.

The director finished counting. “Tang Jin’s team earned a total of 100 euros.”

Tang Jin lifted her chin slightly, casting a smug glance at Ye Fan. A look of pride flickered across her face.

A hundred euros in just half a day—how could Ye Fan possibly compete with that?

She looked over, expecting a reaction, but all she saw was Ye Fan’s profile.

Ye Fan didn’t even look at her. Her face remained calm, almost expressionless.

It was as if the number didn’t surprise her—nor did it stir any hint of jealousy.

Tang Jin fumed inwardly. Ye Fan always had that same look, as if nothing ever fazed her… as if everything was unfolding exactly as she planned.

Still, Tang Jin was certain—once they announced her as the winner, Ye Fan definitely wouldn’t stay so calm.

Meanwhile, the livestream chat exploded with comments of surprise:

“Did I see that right? 100 euros?! Tang Jin’s been hiding her skills—I think I’m gonna become a fan again!”

“Yeah, right. Keep dreaming. I bet what Tang Jin earned isn’t even a fraction of Ye Fan’s total. And with that much money, you can’t tell how much of it is legit.”

Then, the production crew began counting the money Ye Fan had made.

The director held the stack in his hands, flipping through the bills one by one. At first, he counted aloud—then slowly, his voice faded into silence.

His expression gradually froze.

Everyone present kept their eyes on the director, eager to hear the result.

What was going on? Why wasn’t he saying anything? Could it be that Ye Fan earned too little?

No—that couldn’t be it. Judging by his expression, something was clearly off.

The director finally looked up, staring into the camera. He spoke not only to the guests in the room, but also to the viewers watching the livestream:

“Ye Fan earned…”

The director paused for a moment, then slowly announced:

“300 euros.”

Oh. My. God.

The guests gasped in unison, then stood frozen in disbelief.

Gu Yachen blurted out, “Director, are you sure you didn’t miscount?”

“You heard me right.” The director glanced around at everyone. “Ye Fan really earned 300 euros.”

This livestream had been carefully planned by the production team from the start. They had even coordinated with Tang Jin’s team to gradually shift public opinion in her favor.

Yet, all their calculations had fallen apart.

They never expected Ye Fan to adapt so quickly and perform so brilliantly under pressure.

They never imagined that Ye Fan could earn 300 euros in such a short amount of time.

Ye Fan smiled, her expression warm but radiating an undeniable confidence.

Tang Jin, on the other hand, stood frozen, her lips slightly parted, her face filled with disbelief.

As a seasoned celebrity, this was the first time Tang Jin’s expression management completely failed her.

It took half a minute before she remembered they were live-streaming.

She forced a smile, but the stiffness at the corners of her mouth was unmistakable.

“Tang Jin was the one who started first, singing in a busy area with all the right advantages. Yet she still couldn’t compete with Ye Fan. This is so embarrassing.”

“I knew it. Tang Jin doesn’t stand a chance against Ye Fan. She got completely crushed.”

“Does anyone else think the timing of the money loss in that video yesterday was a little too convenient? Looking back, could it have been staged by the production team?”

“If that’s the case, then this production team is out of line. Who would ever want to be on their show after this?”

The skeptical comments were quickly wiped away.

Even the comments on the official program account that raised concerns were deleted. They tried to cover up the truth about the lost money, seizing the opportunity to sweep the issue under the rug.

Director: “Because Ye Fan won the competition, she will receive a ticket to Schönbrunn Palace provided by the production team.”

“According to the original rules, Ye Fan will also receive a 100-euro cash prize.”

The director had privately discussed with Tang Jin’s team to use this show to rehabilitate her image.

But unexpectedly, Tang Jin didn’t win this time; instead, it was Ye Fan who came out on top. He could already imagine that the public opinion had clearly slipped beyond the control of the production team.

He had planned to clean up Tang Jin’s image, but instead, he inadvertently provided Ye Fan with an opportunity, paving the way for her.

Ye Fan remained silent for a moment before speaking up, “Would it be possible for me to split these rewards with everyone?”

The director was momentarily stunned. “The prize money from the production team is yours to decide what to do with.”

Ye Fan’s eyes flickered slightly. “This show is called Let’s Travel, and it’s meant for us to experience traveling on a budget.”

“I believe travel should be about a group of people, not just one person.”

Ye Fan looked at the director with a calm gaze.

Her voice was cool, but there was an underlying sarcasm aimed at the production team. This reality show was nothing more than a platform to elevate Tang Jin at the expense of others.

Since it was live, the director was unable to respond.

However, after everything that had happened today, the production team was left with a deep impression of Ye Fan.

Ye Fan remained calm and composed, even when she knew the production team was making things difficult for her. She never lost her cool.

One couldn’t help but wonder how far such a temperament would take her in the entertainment industry.

…

On the other side, Baby Dudu was taking a nap.

Ye Fan’s violin performance video was already available for download online, and Aunt Li downloaded it to show to the baby.

Dudu had watched Ye Fan the entire day, wishing that his mom could suddenly appear before him.

Exhausted, Dudu fell asleep, and even in his dreams, he was thinking about his mom.

As he slept soundly, Dudu turned over in his little bed, rolling around as he hugged his pillow with his chubby little arm.

His soft baby voice murmured, as if he thought he was hugging his mom.

Mumbled words spilled from his rosy little lips.

“Mom, Mom…”

Dudu instinctively hugged his pillow tighter.

He mumbled in his soft, baby voice.

“Hold baby…”

His breathing was calm and steady, his little chubby face pressed against the soft pillow.

He rubbed the pillow, just like he would snuggle against his mom.

Suddenly, Dudu scrunched up his little nose.

Something felt off. It didn’t feel like Mom.

Dudu’s little face instantly scrunched up, looking like a tiny walnut.

He rolled over, his soft, chubby belly exposed to the air.

It was hard to tell what Dudu was dreaming about, but he mumbled in his sleep, his words slurring in a daze.

“Want to hug…”

Dudu’s small hand rested gently on his little belly.

The night was quiet and deep, and he dreamt peacefully throughout the entire night.

=^_^=