Chapter 19 (3 in 1)

Song Yin’s response of “Great” directly stunned the netizens in the live stream who had been clamoring that Song Yin wouldn’t treat everyone equally. One moment she was scolding her grandson for barging into the room recklessly, and the next, she could say “Great” to Zhi Li’s ear-piercing sound.

[This double standard is indeed not treating everyone equally (dog head)]  

[Looking at it this way, Grandma doesn’t seem to dislike Zhi Li either. She even managed to praise such awful piano playing with a “Great.”]  

[Give it a rest. Xu Qingying’s fans shouldn’t try to save face here. She’s just being polite.]  

[Polite +1. She couldn’t exactly nitpick in front of the camera.]  

[First, Grandma’s expression showed subtle differences between her biological grandson and Zhi Li. Favoritism is still favoritism.]  

[Were there differences? They both seemed equally cold to me.]  

Xu Xia gritted her teeth as she read this comment floating across the live stream. “Stop pretending! If you think Zhi Li is so unrefined, why can’t you make it obvious in front of the camera?”  

The current bedroom was half the size of the one they used to live in.  

Xu Hongli still hadn’t found a job, spending his days drinking with no income. Qian Pei, too, was afraid of the gossip from the neighbors who had been questioned by the legal team, so they hastily moved.  

With nearly 200,000 yuan missing from their savings and no income from Xu Hongli, their living expenses had drastically shrunk. The new home was far smaller and less comfortable than their previous old neighborhood.  

At that moment, just beyond the door, Xu Xia could still hear Qian Pei and Xu Hongli blaming each other for how they had mistreated Zhi Li in the past.  

A pile of weekend homework lay scattered on the desk.  

Xu Xia had no intention of doing it—not because of the arguing at home, but because she was preoccupied with the developments in the live stream.  

Although in her past life, the camera had mostly focused on Xu Qingying, rarely showing Zhi Li, after Xu Qingying and Zhi Li were kicked out of the wealthy family, Xu Qingying had once ranted hysterically. She said the old lady looked down on Zhi Li for being unrefined, that the stepfather had always ignored Zhi Li and never spoke to her, and that the stepbrother had excluded Zhi Li during his birthday party.  

This time, the live stream confirmed it—the Jiang family matriarch had scheduled a pile of lessons for Zhi Li, clearly ashamed of her lack of sophistication. The stepbrother’s birthday party exclusion of Zhi Li had even made it to the trending searches. As for the stepfather—  

Sure, he had handed Zhi Li a card and told her to call him “Dad,” but later, he couldn’t even be bothered to eat with her. It just proved that for rich people like them, anything that could be solved with money wasn’t worth their time.  

Every detail matched her past life!  

Xu Xia reassured herself, renewing her confidence in finding that influential figure.  

Lately, she had spent her school days thinking about that person, rushing to that street after class to search. But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn’t find them, leaving her anxious—what if her rebirth had somehow altered their fate?  

Now, seeing that Zhi Li’s circumstances largely aligned with her past life, Xu Xia silently encouraged herself. Maybe that person was living somewhere else. She’d go back to that street in a few days and search more thoroughly.  

Steadying her emotions, Xu Xia turned her attention back to her phone screen.  

Based on her past life’s memories, in the first episode of the show, Xu Qingying and her stepson had clashed fiercely, earning her a storm of criticism online that landed her on the trending searches.  

—

In the reception room, Zhi Li finally noticed that besides Grandma, there were other people present—three uncles in total. She didn’t recognize the two in front, but the one at the back carrying a camera looked very familiar. It was Uncle Chen, the cameraman who had filmed her and Mom at the mall!

“Uncle Chen! We meet again!” Zhi Li greeted him with a bright, crescent-eyed smile.

Xiao Chen hadn’t expected Zhi Li to remember him. He gave a slight nod of the camera in response.

Last night in her bedroom, Zhi Li had watched the preview episode. Since Xu Qingying had turned off the comments beforehand, Zhi Li still hadn’t seen the online remarks about her being “calculating.”

Staring at the dark camera lens, she suddenly recalled what Uncle Chen had said during their last meeting at the mall—that his camera captured very clear footage. When she watched the preview with Mom under the covers at night, she noticed it too: Mom’s scenes at the mall were indeed clearer than the ones at home.

“Uncle Chen, wait for me a moment!” With that, Zhi Li turned and dashed upstairs, her two little ponytails bouncing adorably in the air.

[???]

[Why did Zhi Li run off?]

In the reception room, the director murmured in confusion, “Why did Zhi Li leave?”

“Maybe—” Xiao Chen speculated, “she’s looking for something to bribe us with.”

Director: ???

[Damn! I think I get it now!]

[Those who watched the preview know too!]

[What’s going on? Stop being so cryptic!]

Song Yin had been about to leave after closing her book, but seeing Zhi Li run off and hearing Xiao Chen mention “bribery,” she felt a rare flicker of curiosity and decided to stay, flipping through her book again.

*Thump thump thump.*

The sound of small footsteps grew closer.

Zhi Li ran even more recklessly than Jiang Yuexiao. One of these days, she’d scrape her knees and learn her lesson.

As Song Yin thought this, her gaze caught on the sharp corners of the coffee table in front of her, and she frowned slightly. The design was too harsh.

“I’m back!” Zhi Li’s tiny hands seemed to be clutching something as she ran straight up to Xiao Chen, who was still holding the camera, and raised both hands high. “Uncle Chen, these are for you!”

Under the bright light, nestled in Zhi Li’s small, snow-white palms, were handfuls of candy.

The director blinked. “Zhi Li, why are you giving Xiao Chen candy?”

Zhi Li smiled shyly. “I watched the preview! Uncle Chen made Mom look so beautiful! I wanted to thank him and ask him to make Mom even prettier this time!”

Noticing that Xiao Chen’s hands were full, she stood on tiptoe and carefully tucked the candies into his work jacket pocket, cheerfully adding, “These candies are super yummy! Especially the orange ones!”

In his three or four years as a cameraman, Xiao Chen had received plenty of compliments, but when he met Zhi Li’s sincere, clear almond-shaped eyes, he was genuinely moved.

He couldn’t accept the red paper money last time, but this time, the candies were okay.

“I promise I’ll make your mom look even more beautiful than before,” he assured her.

Zhi Li beamed. “Thank you, Uncle Chen!”

She turned and handed the remaining candies to the director and the others, emphasizing brightly, “These candies really are delicious!”

The director, receiving candy from a child for the first time, chuckled. “Thank you, little Zhi Li.”

“No need to thank me,” Zhi Li waved her hand. “All these candies were bought by Grandma with her own money!”

Song Yin fell silent.

Normally, the household’s candies and nama chocolates were handled by the butler. The only thing she ever did was provide the funds. Now that Zhi Li phrased it this way, it sounded as if she had personally gone out of her way to buy these sweets.

The key realization wasn’t that she needed to clarify the misunderstanding—instead, she felt an inexplicable twinge of guilt.

[Director, you’re slacking! The bribe got downgraded!]

[Hahahaha, last time when Xiao Chen was alone, Zhi Li bribed him with red paper money!]

[You’re all too naive. Zhi Li’s using the candies to prove how well-liked she is by the Jiang family—after all, these are candies Grandma bought.]

[Is this another one of Xu Qingying’s tricks?]

[This “being well-liked” is way too casual hahaha. I suggest everyone check out Yu Xinrou’s livestream to see how a real grandmother spoils her grandson. The family atmosphere is way better than the Jiangs’.]

[Yu Xinrou’s son is just mischievous and disobedient because he’s still young. In such a loving family, he’ll mature eventually.]

[Loving? Yu Xinrou acts like a meek little daughter-in-law around her mother-in-law.]

Meanwhile, the director, holding the candy Zhi Li gave him, recalled the pre-show footage.

Remembering Zhi Li’s response when Xiao Chen had asked her before, he repeated the question, “Now that you’ve given us candy, why aren’t you asking us to make you look prettier in the shots?”

Zhi Li smiled sweetly. “Last time, even though I didn’t ask Uncle Chen to make me look prettier, when we watched the video, Mommy said I looked very pretty in it! I don’t need to look prettier—just make Mommy look prettier.”

“What about your brother?” The director hesitated for a few seconds but decided to follow the program’s strategy. “Don’t you want us to make your brother look handsomer? Or do you think your brother is far less important than your mom in your heart?”

The production team wasn’t afraid of online arguments in the livestream—they feared a lack of topics. The relationship between Zhi Li and Jiang Yuexiao was undoubtedly a hot topic among viewers.

Song Yin’s expression turned icy when she heard the director’s question.

What was wrong with this program’s staff? A grown man in his forties didn’t even know what was appropriate to say in front of a child? What a waste of the candy Zhi Li gave him!

[Ahhhhhh the program team really went there!]

[Zhi Li won’t tell the truth, right? Not with her step-grandmother right there.]

[Even if she doesn’t, her actions speak for themselves.]

[Oh no, Xu Qingying’s tricks are backfiring! I’m so excited!]

[Quick, look! The step-grandmother’s face just got even colder!!!]

Other viewers, seeing the reminder, immediately glanced at Song Yin in the corner of the screen. Sure enough, the step-grandmother’s expression had chilled at least two more degrees compared to when they first met!

“Brother and Mommy are both family, so they’re equally important,” Zhi Li explained in a grown-up manner, her soft, chubby face tilted upward. “But Brother is a boy, and it’s okay if boys are a little rough around the edges!” Back when her uncle and aunt would fuss over her crying cousin, Grandma often said boys didn’t need to be so delicate!

At that moment, Song Yin looked up, her gaze toward the director frosty. Her tone was flat and cold. “But for an adult, being overly immature is a serious problem. Perhaps you should return to school for remedial education.”

Director: …

Viewers: …

Is Zhi Li really unwelcome in the Jiang family? Why does this step-grandmother seem to be standing up for Zhi Li?!

The director, already intimidated by Song Yin’s stern, school-principal-like demeanor, shrank into the corner of the sofa like a timid quail after being coldly reprimanded by her and didn’t dare utter another word.

About ten minutes later, Jiang Yuexiao came downstairs after showering and changing.

His freshly blow-dried short hair looked even fluffier. Dressed in a white T-shirt and khaki casual pants with a watch on his wrist, the young boy carried himself with such composure that viewers couldn’t help but think of one word: poised.

Zhi Li also noticed Jiang Yuexiao. When she saw his white T-shirt, her almond-shaped eyes beneath her bangs instantly lit up like two sparkling stars.

She immediately pointed at Jiang Yuexiao and blurted out, “Matching Family Outfits!”

Song Yin nearly choked on her tea.

Jiang Yuexiao almost stumbled down the stairs and couldn’t hold back a cold retort, “At most, it’s sibling outfits!”

“Huh? Right! Sibling outfits!” Zhi Li sheepishly rubbed her nose and earnestly added, “Only when big brother and Daddy wear them is it called Matching Family Outfits.”

Zhi Li trotted up to Jiang Yuexiao, her face breaking into a bright smile. “Big brother and I are wearing sibling outfits!”

Noticing the watch on his wrist, she thought excitedly—they even had Family watches too!

Jiang Yuexiao averted his gaze from Zhi Li’s face, struggling to maintain his cool expression in front of the cameras.

This little fool had actually learned to set traps—he hadn’t even thought about sibling outfits when picking his clothes! He’d just found the white T-shirt more appealing than the gray one.

Witnessing the entire interaction between Zhi Li and Jiang Yuexiao, the director stared in bewilderment, as did the live-stream viewers.

[He didn’t even invite Zhi Li to his birthday party—clearly ostracizing her.]

[You ostracize someone but wear matching outfits with them?]

[If he didn’t call them sibling outfits, would he admit they’re Matching Family Outfits?]

[Forget the outfits—they’re both wearing watches, the same Family watches Zhi Li bought in the preview!]

[I just noticed Grandma is wearing one too.]

[Don’t change the subject with watches! The birthday party snub is still a fact!]

After learning about the heated debate in the live chat from his colleague, the director nervously glanced at Song Yin and swallowed hard. Right now, he was weighing two options:

Left: A stern lecture from the school principal.

Right: The show’s KPI & his year-end bonus.

Between a scolding and his bonus, the director steeled himself and approached Zhi Li and Jiang Yuexiao, asking pointedly, “Yuexiao, I heard you held a birthday party at home last Friday. Did Zhi Li attend?”

Jiang Yuexiao frowned, his eyes instinctively darting toward Zhi Li.

If he said Zhi Li didn’t attend or that he hadn’t invited her, people would just claim she was disliked. But if he said she had attended, wouldn’t that be lying? Especially right in front of his grandmother.

“I didn’t go.”

To everyone’s surprise, it was Zhi Li—the one everyone online believed was being excluded and isolated—who answered the director’s question with complete honesty.

Her eyes crinkled into happy crescents as she cheerfully explained, “I’d just finished class that day and really wanted to watch *Boonie Bears*! Big brother was super considerate!”

Director: ???

Viewers: ???

In the camera frame, Zhi Li’s smile was bright and radiant, showing no signs of being excluded or isolated.

[Jiang Yuexiao didn’t invite Zhi Li to the birthday party because he didn’t want to disturb her watching *Boonie Bears*?]

[Hahahahaha, Xu Qingying finally came up with a decent excuse after pulling the hot search (dog head)]

[I kinda believe it. Look at Zhi Li’s expression—she clearly thinks so too!]

[If Zhi Li acted, she could totally win Best Child Star, lol.]

[Jiang Yuexiao is right beside her, and he didn’t refute it. I think Zhi Li’s right.]

[If Jiang Yuexiao had any manners, he wouldn’t refute her face-to-face, okay?]

[He’s polite enough not to refute Zhi Li but rude enough to exclude her from the birthday party? Doesn’t that sound contradictory?]

As the live-stream viewers debated, the camera shifted to Jiang Yuexiao. As the subject of attention, Jiang Yuexiao glared coldly at the director, his tone dripping with disdain, “Why are you so annoying? Are you in elementary school, always asking useless questions?”

First called childish, then labeled an elementary schooler, the director: “…”

What did he even do to deserve being assigned to Xu Qingying’s group?!

Just as he finished grumbling, he saw Zhi Li, standing in front of him, suddenly take two steps back, as if drawing a clear boundary.

Noticing the director had caught her little move, Zhi Li pursed her lips slightly and whispered honestly, “My brother said you’re annoying, so I have to stay away from you.”

“…” The director keenly heard the snicker from cameraman Xiao Chen.

Around nine o’clock, Xu Qingying came downstairs, followed by a servant carrying her luggage.

The program team had sent a seven-seater van. Besides the driver, the director, and two cameramen, there was just enough space for Xu Qingying, Zhi Li, and Jiang Yuexiao.

Jiang Yuexiao was instantly irritated at the sight of Xu Qingying. Without a word, he climbed into the car as soon as they reached it.

Zhi Li was about to get in when she suddenly heard Wei Liang’s voice behind her.

Jiang Yuexiao, already seated, pretended to casually glance toward the car door, silently scrutinizing Wei Liang as he ran over. He wondered if Wei Liang was about to say something divisive to Zhi Li again.

How had he never noticed before how annoying Wei Liang was?

“Happy birthday, Wei Liang!” Zhi Li’s face was always lit with a smile, her voice carrying a cheerful lilt. “Mom, brother, and I are about to go on a trip!”

Wei Liang handed her a plastic container, saying gently, “My mom was worried you might not be used to the food while traveling, so she made some solid soup base this morning. The flavors are labeled on the bags.”

Zhi Li gasped in delight at the flavors inside the box. “Thank you, Ning Yi! I love them!”

“Brother!” Zhi Li climbed into the car, opened the box, and showed the contents to Jiang Yuexiao. “Look! There are two spicy and sour flavors! Ning Yi must’ve specially made them for you and me.”

Jiang Yuexiao stared down at the box—filled with Zhi Li’s favorite tomato flavor, spicy and sour flavor, mushroom flavor, and his own preferred spicy and sour flavor—and fell silent.

Over the years, he’d spent holidays abroad with his birth mother or at school summer camps, equally unaccustomed to foreign food. Yet Ning Yi had never made him any solid soup base.

Jiang Yuexiao didn’t want to admit it, but—

It seemed, perhaps, he was benefiting from Zhi Li’s presence.

At eleven o’clock, the program crew’s car arrived at the gathering town.  

Zhi Li had just jumped out of the car when the scorching sun made it hard for her to open her eyes.  

“The sun is really strong today. Next time, Mom will definitely pack your hat and umbrella in the suitcase in advance,” Xu Qingying said, shielding Zhi Li’s forehead with one hand to block the glaring sunlight while pushing a suitcase with the other.  

She had woken up early and immediately called Zhong Wei to discuss shop matters. The sunglasses and hat she had prepared the night before were left in the walk-in closet. In the rush to leave, she only remembered to grab the suitcase but completely forgot the sunglasses and hat.  

Zhi Li was also pushing a small, pink suitcase with both hands, forming a stark contrast with the pure black suitcase Jiang Yuexiao was pushing.  

The sun was truly relentless. Even with Xu Qingying shielding her, Zhi Li, who had always been sensitive to sunlight, wilted like a dehydrated little vegetable. As she pushed her small suitcase forward, her head drooped listlessly.  

Suddenly, Jiang Yuexiao, who had been walking on Xu Qingying’s right, strode ahead with an annoyed expression, quickly overtaking Xu Qingying and positioning himself diagonally in front of Zhi Li.  

After passing Xu Qingying, however, he no longer hurried. Instead, he deliberately maintained a pace just one step ahead of her.  

Viewers in the live stream immediately seized the opportunity to mock him.  

**[Jiang Yuexiao didn’t say a single word to Xu Qingying in the car earlier, and now he won’t even walk beside her.]**  

**[If Jiang Yuexiao dislikes Xu Qingying this much, I refuse to believe he gets along with Zhi Li.]**  

**[When Zhi Li mentioned the flavors of the solid soup base in the car, Jiang Yuexiao gave her a cold look and clearly ignored her.]**  

Just as they were commenting, they unexpectedly saw Zhi Li quicken her steps toward Jiang Yuexiao.  

Xu Qingying gently tugged her little arm. “Why are you walking so fast?”  

“If I walk here, the sun won’t hit me anymore,” Zhi Li said cheerfully, pointing at Jiang Yuexiao ahead. “The sun is all blocked by big brother!”  

Xu Qingying raised an eyebrow, studying Jiang Yuexiao’s back thoughtfully. Could it be that this kid walked ahead not to block her path but to shield Zhi Li from the sun?  

“You’re walking too slow!” Jiang Yuexiao retorted without turning around.  

His hands gripped the suitcase handle tightly as he marched forward. Though his ears were flushed with suppressed embarrassment and his words contradicted Zhi Li’s, his pace didn’t speed up in the slightest.  

The live stream’s comments paused for a few seconds.  

Then—  

**[Is Jiang Yuexiao walking ahead to block the sun for Zhi Li, or is he just avoiding walking beside Xu Qingying?]**  

**[Definitely avoiding her. Have you ever seen Jiang Yuexiao smile at Zhi Li?]**  

**[Hmm, maybe he’s just tsundere?]**  

**[Regardless of his expression, the fact is he *is* blocking the sun!]**  

**[Am I the only one focused on Zhi Li? Is her world just that much more innocent, or is yours too cynical?]**  

Sheltered behind Jiang Yuexiao, no longer exposed to the direct sunlight, Zhi Li seemed to perk up like a well-watered plant, her steps noticeably lighter.  

Soon, Zhi Li spotted the others waiting ahead.  

There were many unfamiliar uncles and aunts, some carrying cameras, others holding notebooks, all crowded in a circle. In the center stood four people—two uncles, a little boy, and a little girl.  

Zhi Li’s big eyes sparkled with curiosity.

The others also noticed Zhi Li, a petite figure walking over like a little sticky rice dumpling. Her plump, fair cheeks had adorable dimples, and her large eyes sparkled brightly. Her long, fluttering eyelashes were as curly and thick as a doll’s.

When the three families met, the first thing they did was introduce themselves.

Yang Cheng nudged his thin, small son forward. “I’m Yang Cheng, an actor. This is my son, just five years old.”

Zhi Li blinked.

This Uncle Yang was so tall and sturdy, with slightly dark skin and short hair. His voice was especially booming when he spoke.

Zhi Li’s gaze shifted downward and landed on Yang Xingran, who was about the same age. His skin tone wasn’t as dark as Uncle Yang’s but not as fair as her brother’s either. However, he had large eyes and exceptionally thick eyebrows, looking like a mini version of Uncle Yang.  

Suddenly pushed forward by his dad, Yang Xingran was a bit flustered. When his eyes met Zhi Li’s, he quickly forced a smile and introduced himself softly, “My name is Yang Xingran.”  

Seeing him smile, Zhi Li happily greeted him in return, “Hello! My name is Zhi Li!”  

Yang Xingran hadn’t expected Zhi Li to respond so warmly and got so nervous that he stuttered, “H-Hello!”  

After that, he immediately retreated behind his dad, Yang Cheng, like a little turtle shrinking into its shell, leaving Yang Cheng utterly exasperated.  

[The tough guy on the big screen who blasts everything with a cannon—his son is actually this shy, hahaha!]  

[Not just shy, but the preview showed this father-son pair still seems a bit awkward!]  

Seeing that Zhi Li had already greeted him, Xu Qingying also spoke up, “Xu Qingying, actress. This is my daughter, Zhi Li, and my stepson, Jiang Yuexiao.”  

Zhi Li beamed, “I’m five years old! We can play together later!”  

Hearing this, Yang Xingran peeked out halfway from behind Yang Cheng and silently nodded in response.  

Compared to Zhi Li, Jiang Yuexiao was much more reserved, stating succinctly, “Eight.”  

Worried that others might mistake her brother’s reserved nature for dislike, Zhi Li quickly added, “My brother doesn’t smile much because he’s introverted! But he’s a genius who can do anything, and he’s super considerate!”  

Jiang Yuexiao: ???  

Since when was he introverted? Since when did he have a “genius” title? What kind of weird descriptions were these?  

After the first two groups introduced themselves, the third group’s introduction didn’t start with the parent. Instead, a chubby, doll-like girl with shoulder-length hair stepped forward and said in a soft voice, “My name is Wu Han. I’m seven years old.”  

After speaking, she patted her dad’s arm with her plump little hand and sighed, “This is my dad, Wu Shuai. If he causes any trouble for you all in the future, I hope you can be understanding.”  

Hearing this, the live-stream audience burst into laughter.  

Wu Shuai had debuted in a boy band and was famously known as the “master of unhelpfulness.” Even after going solo and transitioning into a respected figure in the music industry, this label stuck because he somehow always managed to make things worse.  

While netizens familiar with Wu Shuai’s persona found it amusing, Xu Qingying and Yang Cheng, being insiders, also understood. However, no one expected Zhi Li to raise her hand and ask earnestly, “Then do my brother, Xingran, and I also have to be understanding toward Uncle Wu?”  

Wu Shuai looked at Zhi Li in surprise and protested, “Little Zhi Li, even if I mess things up, I won’t cause trouble for you kids!” His own Hanhan had turned out plump and adorable under his care, after all.  

Zhi Li waved her hand with an air of worldly wisdom. “Uncle Wu, you shouldn’t say things like that so carelessly.”  

“???” Wu Shuai raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You looking down on me?”  

Zhi Li placed her small hands on the water bottle hanging around her neck and explained seriously, “People who say stuff like that in TV dramas always end up causing really, really, really big trouble for everyone!”

Afraid Wu Shuai wouldn’t believe her, Zhi Li stretched out her arms, drawing a large circle in the air, and nodded emphatically, “It was really huge!”

Wu Shuai: “…”

Wu Han looked up. “Dad, Zhi Li’s right. Please take back what you just said.”

Cornered by the two children, Wu Shuai tearfully mimed grabbing something from the air and stuffing it into his mouth, even exaggerating a swallow.

His comically exaggerated performance made Yang Cheng and Xu Qingying chuckle. Meanwhile, Zhi Li and Yang Xingran exchanged a glance, then reached out their little hands to mimic grabbing the air before looking at each other again, utterly confused.

What exactly had Uncle Wu just grabbed?

Netizens who saw this burst into laughter again. At this point, they didn’t care whether Zhi Li was being genuine or scheming—she had certainly brought them joy.

Just then, Zhi Li noticed a woman in sunglasses approaching, accompanied by an unfamiliar boy who looked about the same age as her brother.

Xu Qingying also spotted Yu Xinrou walking over and inwardly clicked her tongue.

In the show’s storyline, Yu Xinrou had uncharacteristically dropped her usual gentle persona to openly snipe at Xu Qingying. While some netizens criticized her for being tactless, others praised her for being authentic.

After all, who could possibly be polite to someone who “accidentally” liked a post about their husband’s affair?

As Yu Xinrou drew closer, her expression darkened, radiating the hostility of sworn enemies. This wasn’t an act—Yu Xinrou genuinely loathed Xu Qingying. In her plans, her family’s performance in the preview should have dominated discussions about parenting. She never expected to lose out to some bizarre topic like “a single ‘Dad’ worth 3 million.”

When Yu Xinrou had her agent hire trolls to stir up drama, it inadvertently boosted Xu Qingying’s livestream popularity. The thought of Xu Qingying’s soaring viewership made Yu Xinrou seethe with resentment.

Jiang Yuexiao coldly scrutinized Yu Xinrou, thinking, *So Xu Qingying has beef with this woman. Maybe I won’t even need to target Xu Qingying much on the show—this one will do it for me.*

Then, he frowned again.

He hadn’t interacted much with Xu Qingying at home these past few days, only seeing her during meals—always with Zhi Li present. He wasn’t sure if it was for Zhi Li’s sake, but Xu Qingying hadn’t been as obnoxious as when she first arrived.

Zhi Li was also watching Yu Xinrou and quietly shuffled forward to stand between Xu Qingying and the woman.

This auntie wasn’t smiling!

This auntie wasn’t family *and* wasn’t smiling—definitely not just “reserved”!

Yu Xinrou glanced down at the tiny Zhi Li before lifting her gaze to Xu Qingying, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “I got stuck in traffic and watched some of the livestream on the way. Qingying, I know being a stepmother is hard, but shielding your biological daughter from the sun while ignoring your stepson? That’s just cruel. You should treat them equally.”

[Ahhh! Yu Xinrou schooling Xu Qingying!]

[I was about to say—Jiang Yuexiao walked ahead because Xu Qingying only shielded Zhi Li!]

[Yu Xinrou’s being so blunt—isn’t that low EQ?]

[Since when is honesty low EQ? Your precious Xu Qingying has great EQ—liking a post about her husband’s affair one night and unliking it the next day.]

Xu Qingying wasn’t the least bit intimidated by Yu Xinrou’s provocation. Leaving aside the fact that she wasn’t the original owner of this body, even the accidental “liking” incident had been a setup where the original owner was used as a stepping stone.

So she replied with a careless smile, “Why don’t you teach me how to ‘balance the bowl’ after you become a stepmother yourself?”

Yu Xinrou froze in shock, hardly believing her ears.

How dare Xu Qingying suggest someone else become a stepmother?!

Just as she was about to retort, her hand, hanging at her side, was suddenly bumped. Following the motion, she saw Zhi Li, who had been standing between her and Xu Qingying, darting toward Jiang Yuexiao.

Then, Jiang Yuexiao was unexpectedly touched by Zhi Li.

“!!!”

Zhi Li’s small, fair hand pressed against Jiang Yuexiao’s chest through his white T-shirt. Blinking her big eyes, she asked, “Brother, does your heart hurt? Let me rub it for you!”

According to that auntie’s words, because Mommy didn’t shield Brother from the sun, it must have hurt his heart. That must be really painful! Putting herself in his shoes, if Mommy shielded Brother but not her from the sun—well, she could just run behind Mommy to block the sun herself!

“I’m not hurt.” Jiang Yuexiao coldly pushed her hand away, his expression unreadable. “If you don’t understand something, shouldn’t you ask me first? Believing whatever others say—what a little dummy.” Unlike delicate Zhi Li, who feared the sun, he was a man. What did it matter if he got a little sun?

Zhi Li tilted her head, replaying Jiang Yuexiao’s words in her mind. Then, she turned around, looked up at Yu Xinrou, and with exaggerated seriousness, lectured, “Auntie, if you don’t understand something, shouldn’t you ask Brother first? Believing whatever you see—what a little—”

Pausing at the word “little,” Zhi Li quickly stopped herself. Her gaze traveled from the top of Yu Xinrou’s head down to her shoes, then back up again before concluding firmly, “You’re such a big dummy!”

Everyone else: “…”

This kid’s mind worked scarily fast.

Jiang Yuexiao nearly burst out laughing. This little brat really knew how to parrot things on the spot.

Yu Xinrou was so furious she saw stars, but since it was just a child’s innocent remark, she couldn’t even lash out.

When she glanced back at her own son, who was standing idly by like it had nothing to do with him, her heart ached even more. Her own flesh and blood couldn’t even compare to Xu Qingying’s stepson!

[LOL, Yu Xinrou tried to lecture Xu Qingying but ended up getting schooled by Zhi Li instead.]

[Honestly, when you think about it, Zhi Li’s words make sense?]

[How do they make sense? Xu Qingying clearly didn’t shield Jiang Yuexiao from the sun.]

[Jiang Yuexiao himself said he didn’t need shielding. Why are you still harping on this?]

Afraid that Yu Xinrou and Xu Qingying might actually start arguing, the production team quickly had Yu Xinrou and her son, Wang Hanlin, introduce themselves before immediately prompting the host to move things along.

“These four envelopes each contain a photo of a building from the village where we’ll be filming the first episode,” the host explained. “Some photos are complete and easy to recognize, some are unique enough to identify the village at a glance, and others are just partial shots. After opening your envelope, you can briefly describe what’s in your photo to the other families, but you can’t show it to them.”

“Now, the order for drawing lots will be determined by each family’s average ranking on the Star Chart!”

The host announced matter-of-factly, “As of Friday, the parent rankings on the Star Chart from highest to lowest are Yu Xinrou, Wu Shuai, Yang Cheng, and Xu Qingying.”

Xu Qingying was inwardly surprised.

In the original plot of the book, *Shining Children* didn’t introduce the Star Chart until the second episode’s recording next weekend. Why did they implement it during the very first recording this time?

Upon hearing she ranked first, Yu Xinrou finally felt the stifling in her heart ease. Noticing Xu Qingying’s surprised expression, she said with humble yet pointed words, “What a pleasant surprise. I truly didn’t expect to take first place. Honestly, since my comeback to variety shows, I’ve often seen online comments saying I’m not as beautiful as Qingying and don’t have her popularity.”

All the adults present could tell Yu Xinrou was subtly criticizing Xu Qingying’s team for planting promotional articles and referencing Xu Qingying’s past marketing campaigns about outshining others in looks. Nowadays, netizens increasingly value acting skills over appearance comparisons.

The host and live-stream viewers instinctively turned to Xu Qingying, curious how she would respond this time.

However, before Xu Qingying could speak, Zhi Li and Jiang Yuexiao’s whispered conversation was accidentally broadcast through the cameras.

Zhi Li asked Jiang Yuexiao in an extremely soft voice, “So only people who aren’t pretty and not popular can get first place? Does that mean Mom will never have a chance to be number one?”

Though spoken quietly, their microphones picked up every word, allowing everyone present and the live audience to hear clearly.

Others: ???

What’s with that tone—equal parts astonishment, regret, and a hint of smug pride?!