After Ning Xiaoyu finished saying everything she needed to, she planned to leave and find a place to slowly learn how to ski.

Because of her sudden hug earlier, her livestream room was suddenly flooded with a bunch of haters.

【LMAO, no wonder she rose to fame so fast. Turns out she’s just a cheap, flashy seductress.】

【What now? How does it feel to ride on my idol’s popularity?】

【No wonder my Ruirui’s career has been lukewarm for years. Clearly, she just doesn’t have that green tea energy like you.】

【Hugging my idol out of nowhere…… only a shameless woman like you could do something like that.】

Ning Xiaoyu naturally couldn’t see the barrage of comments in the livestream. And even if she had seen them, she wouldn’t have cared. She was the type who was laid-back. Frankly speaking, she was someone who never took anything to heart.

Or, to put it another way, she had a very strong mental fortitude.

At the moment, Ning Xiaoyu just wanted to ski happily by herself and didn’t feel like wasting more time with Lu Jingdu. But just as she turned around, Lu Jingdu quietly held her from behind.

Ning Xiaoyu: “???”

The CP fans and solo stans who hadn’t been able to fight back against the haters earlier suddenly lit up with excitement at the sight.

Lu Jingdu stood over 186 centimeters tall, while Ning Xiaoyu was 168 centimeters.

For CP fans, that 18-centimeter height difference was absolutely the most adorable kind.

Adorable?

Absolutely!

Super adorable!

【Did you see that? How can this be called clout-chasing? This is clearly mutual affection!】

【One frontal hug, one back hug. As a CP fan, I won’t be able to sleep tonight!】

【Although our movie king has never played the male lead in an idol drama, in real life, he totally is one!】

【Who would’ve thought our movie king was this smooth?!】

【Haters, stay mad! You’re just jealous!】

【I’m happily shipping this!】

Ning Xiaoyu turned around with a confused look. “What?”

Lu Jingdu released her and smiled faintly. “Happy.”

She nodded along. “Happy.”

【Yes! Happiness is the most important thing!】

【Ahhh, I’m so happy I could go crazy!】

At this moment, the one who should have been the happiest was the love system.

After all, this was its favorite kind of moment.

But right now, the system was undergoing an upgrade and couldn’t connect to the outside world, completely unaware of what was happening. And so, it missed out on this precious, long-awaited sweet moment.

It didn’t know either that this piece of sugar had been offered willingly by the movie king himself.

────ρя


When Ning Xiaoyu went skiing alone later, she still hadn’t figured out why Lu Jingdu had suddenly hugged her.

Since she couldn’t figure it out, she decided not to bother thinking about it.

Anyway, Lu Jingdu had said ‘happy’ just now, and she really did feel quite happy at the moment.

Because the system had gone silent!

Normally, at a time like this, her ears would be tortured by its annoying voice.

But now, it was quiet. Peaceful.

She calmed down and gradually immersed herself in the joy of skiing.

Half an hour later, Ning Xiaoyu successfully blended in with the kids’ group aged 6 to 12, becoming the oldest one among the little skiers.

She also became what fans affectionately called the adorable ‘kid leader.’

This group of children had a professional coach teaching them.

Maybe it was because the coach noticed the cameraman following Ning Xiaoyu, he didn’t charge her at all and instead taught her patiently for free.

After all, they were filming a variety show, and it was like getting free advertising.

From a long-term perspective, it was a win-win.

And so, Ning Xiaoyu started learning to ski alongside a bunch of eight-year-olds.

Oddly enough, she didn’t seem out of place at all. Just like the other kids, whenever the coach gave a command, she followed with a clumsy move.

Awkward and chill— she looked exactly like a well-behaved primary schooler.

【Girls, did you notice the sugar?】

【Noticed it!】

【I noticed it too!】

【What are you all talking about?! Tell me! I’m dying here!】

【Babe, look to the right side of the screen.】

When some viewers shifted their gaze to the right side of the camera, they finally spotted Lu Jingdu. He had his arms crossed while leaning lazily against a tree trunk and watching Ning Xiaoyu ski with the children, his expression full of ease and amusement.

He wasn’t skiing.

Nor did he join any other group.

He just stood there and watched Ning Xiaoyu ski.

She was learning, and he was smiling.

【I ship it! I really ship it!】

【Wuuwuuwuu, our CP is giving us candy! I feel like it’s New Year!】

And once again, the love system— still upgrading— missed out on another sweet-as-sugar moment.

When the lesson ended, the kids reluctantly waved goodbye to Ning Xiaoyu.

“Big Sis, let’s learn together again next time!”

“Big Sis, the next class is on Saturday at three in the afternoon, don’t forget!”

“Big Sis……”

【As expected, the salted fish queen is super popular with kids.】

【Who wouldn’t like such an adorable salted fish queen?】

The children’s skiing lessons had come to an end, and the guests’ skiing trip was also wrapping up.

The other guests were chatting enthusiastically about their skiing experiences.

When it was Ning Xiaoyu and Lu Jingdu’s turn, the two had nothing much to share.

After all, one of them had been following the kids around learning the basics, while the other had simply stood by and watched the entire time without skiing even once.

Upon hearing that Ning Xiaoyu had been learning the simplest moves with a group of children, the other guests showed mixed reactions.

Xi Rui teased, “Take your time learning, Xiaoyu. If you need help, Big Sis can give you a hand!”

Ning Yuwei smiled gently. “I’m pretty good at skiing. I can teach you.”

Xu Cheng chimed in, “That’s right, Weiwei is truly skilled at skiing.” After speaking, he glanced at Ning Yuwei beside him. “I heard that you’ve been skiing in Switzerland with your family every winter since you were a teenager?”

Ning Yuwei nodded. “Yes. My dad really enjoys skiing. He also loves golf and flying helicopters.”

【Looks like Weiwei’s dad is pretty impressive.】

【Weiwei is so good at protecting her family. We’ve never even seen them!】

【But from what she’s shared, it’s obvious she’s from a wealthy family! She’s known the movie king for years. Their families are old friends.】

【Only a truly nice family could raise someone like Weiwei.】

Ling Zige looked surprised. “Uncle’s hobbies are really that diverse?”

Ning Yuwei’s smile grew even more radiant. “Yes, actually, what I just mentioned is only a small part. My dad also enjoys sea fishing, horseback riding, and all kinds of leisure activities.”

Ning Xiaoyu had always had a good temper. The variety show had been filming for quite some time now, and throughout it, she had been too lazy to deal with Ning Yuwei.

After all, she had long stopped viewing Ning Yuwei as family.

Earlier, when Ning Yuwei said ‘your father’, Ning Xiaoyu hadn’t argued.

But now, hearing her repeatedly say ‘my dad’ while praising CEO Shen like some flawless deity, even someone as easygoing as Ning Xiaoyu couldn’t hold it in anymore.

She couldn’t help but speak up, “Oh? Your father? That Mr. Shen?”

Ning Yuwei had never openly flaunted her family background, but her fans all knew she was a true rich second-generation.

However, none of them knew which family she actually came from.

Some industry insiders, like Shen Yueyue, knew everything about Ning Yuwei and her mother.

In fact, Shen Yueyue had once admired Zhang Xue a great deal.

In her eyes, Zhang Xue was practically a legend.

A divorced woman with a child from a previous marriage, yet she had managed to hold the position of Mrs. Shen for a full seven years.

Most people wouldn’t have been able to pull that off.

Industry insiders knew what was going on— but the audience didn’t.

They didn’t know that Ning Yuwei was only a stepdaughter.

They didn’t know that she and her mother had abandoned her biological father, resulting in him becoming a vegetative patient.

They definitely didn’t know that her mother had cheated during her marriage in pursuit of a better life.

And the man she had cheated with was the same ‘good father’ Ning Yuwei kept mentioning.

So, when Ning Xiaoyu made that statement, the audience was stunned.

Even the guests were stunned.

This……

Ning Xiaoyu’s sudden revelation was completely unexpected. Everyone was dumbfounded.

【What does that mean?】

【Ning Yuwei’s dad isn’t surnamed Ning?】

【Why does this smell like drama?】

【Take out the ‘like’— it is drama.】

【So, did she take her mom’s surname or what?】

【Well…… I heard her mom’s surname isn’t Ning either. Not totally sure, but pretty confident.】

【Wait— so is Father Shen just her godfather? That’s a very special kind of godfather.】

Ning Yuwei shot Ning Xiaoyu a sharp, vicious look. A few seconds later, she smoothed her expression back into something calm and harmless.

“Teacher Ning, what are you talking about? Did you hear some kind of baseless gossip?

Rumors are never reliable, you know.

You’re in the industry too, Teacher Ning. How can you believe such unfounded things?”

Even as she said those things, Ning Yuwei was filled with resentment.

Back then, when her mother remarried, CEO Shen refused to let Ning Yuwei change her surname.

Her mother had worked for years before CEO Shen’s attitude finally softened.

She was about to officially become his daughter.

And now— everything had been ruined by Ning Xiaoyu!

But Ning Xiaoyu understood the importance of moderation.

After Ning Yuwei tried to defend herself, she didn’t press the issue any further.

Zhang Xue and CEO Shen were still deeply in love. Even if some negativity came out about Ning Yuwei, CEO Shen would probably step in to protect her.

Let it be for now.

Ning Xiaoyu had always been a lazy salted fish and she never rushed anything.

But her sudden silence— this refusal to push further— left the issue hanging awkwardly, which made Ning Yuwei feel increasingly uneasy.

As soon as the day’s recording ended, Ning Yuwei immediately called Zhang Xue. After listening to Ning Yuwei, Zhang Xue didn’t seem concerned at all.

She casually blew on her fingernails, speaking with a lofty confidence. “Didn’t Ning Zhen recently wake up? I’ll go have a little talk with him. If she won’t listen to me, surely she’ll listen to her own father?”

Ning Zhen held a special place in Ning Xiaoyu’s heart.

Otherwise, Ning Xiaoyu wouldn’t have taken care of him for seven years. Most people would’ve walked away from such a burden ages ago.

Zhang Xue never tried to manipulate Ning Xiaoyu directly.

For her, manipulating a man was far more satisfying than dealing with another woman.

So she planned to control Ning Zhen, and through him, control Ning Xiaoyu— making sure she didn’t dare run her mouth outside.

In fact, she even intended to make Ning Xiaoyu apologize and take back what she said on the show.

Wearing a smug and confident smile, Zhang Xue said, “Don’t worry. Mom will take care of this for you. Just wait and see.”

Ning Yuwei finally relaxed completely. “Thank you, Mom.”

Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was Ning Xiaoyu’s birthday.