“Teacher Ye has been busy working on a concert outfit design. I took a wild guess—it had to be yours,” Cheng Youran said, pulling a plausible excuse out of thin air.

Ye Zhinan was Zhou Huiwen’s go-to designer for concert costumes, but Cheng Youran couldn’t admit that Ye Zhinan had told her directly. The two had a close relationship, and a single slip-up would blow her cover.

“Zhinan?” Zhou Huiwen’s lips curled into a faint smile. “You guessed pretty well.”

Zhou Huiwen’s hand, holding the cigarette, paused mid-air. “What is it?”

Cheng Youran looked at her earnestly. “You should cut back on smoking—it’s bad for your health. I’m sure your fans all want you to live the best, longest life possible.”

With that, she gave a polite nod and turned to leave.

Zhou Huiwen watched her retreating figure and let out a bitter laugh. “Someone like me… do I deserve it?”

Yet, despite her words, she stubbed out the cigarette.

On the way back, Cheng Youran couldn’t shake the unease. To be sure, she pulled out her phone and searched for “Zhou” and “diva.” The surname Zhou was common, but there were only two singers worthy of the title “diva.” One had long since retired, leaving only Zhou Huiwen.

Which meant the singer who took her own life at the concert… could only be Zhou Huiwen.

Cheng Youran closed her eyes briefly, the weight of the revelation settling on her shoulders. Knowing someone’s fate but being powerless to stop it—it wasn’t a good feeling.

She sighed heavily as she stepped into the room.

….

Meanwhile, Tian Xiaohé was watching the show intently. The other group of guests had just arrived on screen, and she couldn’t help but marvel. No wonder ” Mission Impossible” has stayed popular for so many years—the quality of its regular guests makes all the difference.

Meng Fei and his group had taken a long time to earn their travel money. If it had been younger, less experienced guests, they probably would’ve opted to rush over by taxi to save time. But instead, Meng Fei’s group had stopped by a mall beforehand to buy toys for the kids at the orphanage.

The toys weren’t expensive, but the thought behind the gesture was rare and heartfelt.

And they’d earned it with their own hard work.

Compared to Meng Fei and his group’s gifts, the expensive, thousand-yuan presents Feng Tiantian had bought from the mall instantly seemed less impressive. After all, who’s really lacking a few thousand yuan these days?

[Is this public humiliation?]

[Feng Tiantian’s face looks like a storm cloud. I bet she’s regretting coming on this show—how many times has she been outdone today?]

[Hahaha, the ‘money-bags squad’ got crushed!]

On screen, Cheng Youran suddenly squatted down, gently patting a child’s head. Her eyes were still slightly red. “Several of the seniors brought you gifts, and as it happens, I’ve brought something for you too.”

The chat instantly exploded:

[Um… is she going to run to the mall for more toys? Trying to steal the spotlight much?]

[The mall is the real winner here.]

[This is getting tiresome. What was once a heartfelt variety show now feels so fake.]

Tian Xiaohé furiously turned off the chat. Cheng Youran wasn’t like what they’re saying at all!

There were only six guests in total, and four had already brought gifts. If Cheng Youran hadn’t prepared anything, the next thing trending on Weibo would undoubtedly label her as cold-hearted and stingy.

….

“What kind of gift?”

Feng Tiantian was the first to ask. She was already upset that her gifts had been overshadowed by Meng Fei’s thoughtful gestures. Now, Cheng Youran chiming in only made her tone even sharper.

“Oh… just a little money,” Cheng Youran replied casually.

In truth, she thought directly saying she was donating ten million yuan sounded a bit pretentious. But Feng Tiantian’s questioning was like a perfect setup, so Cheng Youran decided to follow her lead.

“I’ll donate too.”

Feng Tiantian had a sudden idea upon hearing Cheng Youran’s words. Her family might not have much, but they definitely had plenty of money. She figured if she donated a million, she’d surely make the trending topics.

“You go ahead and donate first.” Cheng Youran kindly suggested.

“Why should I go first?” Feng Tiantian gave Cheng Youran a strange look, before quickly realizing. “Oh, I get it. You’re afraid that if you donate too little, it’ll look bad, so you want me to go first.”

The chat was abuzz with excitement.

[Never expected money donations… can be so materialistic these days. Anyone want to gift a poor soul like me something?]

[Send me the photo, please.]

[Feng Tiantian’s IQ peak moment right here.]

[The battle of the two big spenders—this is so thrilling to watch!]

Cheng Youran furrowed her brow slightly. “Your donation won’t be as much as mine.”

Yang Xixi almost laughed out loud. Cheng Youran’s statement was a bit too definitive.

Though Zhongyuan Group wasn’t as wealthy as the Lu family, everyone knew that Lu Zixiao didn’t care much for Cheng Youran. Feng Tiantian, on the other hand, was the apple of her father’s eye. Cheng Youran wasn’t necessarily richer than Feng Tiantian after all.

“Five million.”

Feng Tiantian was fired up upon hearing Cheng Youran’s words. What kind of tone was that—who was she trying to impress? “And you?”

The chat exploded.

[Holy crap, five million! I’m so jealous!]

[Just like that, five million? I’ll never make that much in my life.]

[Mostly it’s Cheng Youran’s tone that’s irritating. Feng Tiantian isn’t exactly lacking money. She’s about to get slapped in the face now.]

Cheng Youran sighed. “I’m not matching that.”

For the first time since the show started, Feng Tiantian felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. That five million was well spent!

She said smugly, “Is that so? What a shame…”

But before she could finish, Cheng Youran calmly interrupted her. “Because I’m donating ten million.”

Ten million…

A whole ten million…

Feng Tiantian stood up in disbelief, almost wanting to grab Cheng Youran by the collar and ask if she was out of her mind.

Who could casually donate ten million like that? Ten million!

For the first time, she understood how others saw her—exactly how she had been looking at Cheng Youran just now.

Feng Tiantian’s gaze was intense as she stared at Cheng Youran, completely different from her usual cold demeanor—it was almost like she was a different person, and Cheng Youran felt uneasy under her gaze.

Even the director was startled and came over to check if Cheng Youran had misspoken.

A moment later, Fang Liuyun walked over, handing Cheng Youran a pen and a check. Cheng Youran quickly filled out the check, wrote her name, and waved her hand. “Just a small amount, to show my intentions.”

Everyone in the room stared at Cheng Youran in shock. Cheng Youran completely understood the look, because when she first saw the blue folder saying she was supposed to donate ten million for charity on the show, her reaction was exactly the same.

Over at the computer, Tian Xiahe dropped her chips on the floor again. She couldn’t even understand what “just a small amount” meant anymore. She quickly opened the chat, and the comments were flooding in with that very phrase.

[Just a small amount, to show my intentions…]

[Just a small amount, to show my intentions…]

[Damn, rich beyond reason!]

[Cheng Youran, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have insulted you. From now on, you’re my father!]

[Go away, that’s my dad!]

The show hadn’t even ended, and “just a small amount, to show my intentions” quickly overtook the rumors about Gu Yao being pregnant, skyrocketing to the top of the trending list with rocket-like speed.

………

In the Lu Corporation building, CEO’s office.

“How long have you been working for my father?”

Lu Zixiao sat at his desk, flipping through some documents, asking the man in front of him with a calm but unquestionable tone.

“Fifteen years.”

The man answered nervously.

“Fifteen years, huh.” Lu Zixiao closed the document with a smile and continued, “Your youngest daughter is studying in the UK, and it costs one or two million a year, right? I’ve seen her photo—she’s a very gentle girl.

“Must be nice. She has a hardworking father.”

The man looked up in shock, “Mr. Lu…”

“Think it over.”

Lu Zixiao slid a check toward him.

The man hesitated for a long moment before finally taking it. He turned, slowly exiting the room and gently closing the door behind him.

With the last task completed, Lu Zixiao let out a small sigh of relief. He finally had a moment to relax, loosening the top two buttons of his shirt and opening the “Wife Training” app on his phone.

Name: Cheng Youran
Age: 27
Mood: 80 [Overjoyed]
Reputation: -3000 [Infamous]

Looks like someone had a lot of fun on the show.

Ten million had earned him over six thousand reputation points—still a decent deal. He raised an eyebrow, a hint of casualness in his expression. He stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The Lu Corporation building was the tallest in Donghai City. He looked down at the city below, watching as the lights slowly flickered on. A sudden wave of loneliness washed over him.

He returned to his desk, shifted his laptop slightly, and, almost instinctively, opened the ” Mission Impossible” website. He clicked on Cheng Youran’s cut.

…..

Hmm… Cheng Youran really did enjoy herself.

As soon as the show ended, Feng Tiantian dragged Cheng Youran to a private club for some conversation and dinner. In her words: “All the friends around me only hang out with me for money.”

“You’re different, though, because you’re even richer than me,” Feng Tiantian said, her voice choked with emotion.

Cheng Youran couldn’t help but open up as well. She gently patted Feng Tiantian’s shoulder and comforted her. “Actually, I’m broke too. Really.”

She had handed over all her assets to Lu Zixiao, and all she had left was a little over three hundred yuan. There was no way she could compare to Feng Tiantian.

“Is this even real?” Feng Tiantian cried harder. “If you’re poor, then there’s no such thing as rich people in this world!”

Cheng Youran: “……….”

She sighed and handed Feng Tiantian a tissue. How was it that no one believed she was genuinely poor?

Suddenly, the door to the private room opened.

A manager in a suit and glasses walked in, smiling faintly, and began speaking dramatically: “Have you ever cried alone in an empty house?”

“Have you ever tossed and turned in the lonely nights, unable to sleep? Do you carry a secret that’s hard to express? Bai Ma Club’s three thousand male models are here to solve all your worries!”

He clapped his hands, and immediately, over twenty handsome men, each with different styles, entered and lined up in two rows, standing in front of Cheng Youran and Feng Tiantian.

“All your worries?”

Cheng Youran asked, confused.

“Yes, all your worries~”

The manager hinted eagerly.

“I see.”

Cheng Youran nodded, realizing that this club not only operated as a restaurant, but also had quite a wide range of services.

She had been struggling the past few days, unable to fill enough members for the All Nations Cultivation guild, and it had kept her up at night, turning restlessly.

Thinking of that, she cleared her throat and said to the manager. “How about this? You guys play the next game, I’ll help you with quests, level up to level 15, and then add a guild. You just tell me how much it’ll cost.”

The manager’s expression turned strange, disbelief clearly visible in his eyes.

Seeing his reluctance, Cheng Youran thought it was just a matter of inconvenience, so she added proudly. “I’m a max-level expert, so it’ll be quick.”

“I’m sorry, we’re a legitimate duck restaurant, we don’t do games!” The manager, as if deeply offended, said with barely contained anger before walking out of the room.

Cheng Youran: Legitimate… duck restaurant? Is there such a thing as an illegitimate duck restaurant?

“Feng Tiantian, what kind of place did you bring me to?” Cheng Youran asked with a headache.

Feng Tiantian, still wiping away tears, answered blankly. “The Baiwu Club. It was highly recommended by a lot of people.”

About twenty or so handsome men, each with their own charm, began to leave the private room. One of them threw a playful glance at Cheng Youran and Feng Tiantian. “Sisters, this is Bai Ma Club. Baiwu Club is right across the street.”

Feng Tiantian gasped. “Holy crap… if my dad finds out, he’ll kill me!”

“Then don’t let him find out.”

Cheng Youran coughed and quickly pulled the stunned Feng Tiantian away from the scene, preparing to make their exit. As she looked up, she caught a glimpse of the last man walking toward the door. His bangs were so long they covered half of his eyes.

Cheng Youran froze, because his face looked just like someone…

=^_^=