Chapter 23

Fu Zhi was the first among everyone to notice that Ning Xi had changed her profile picture.

He immediately @’d Tian Xiaocao in the group chat:

“So ugly. This profile picture is seriously ugly.”

Ning Xi “didn’t see it,” as per usual.

The netizens were dying of laughter at their interaction.

[Fu Zhi: So what if Ning Xi ignores me? I’ll still play with her, I’ll still @ her persistently in the group, I just won’t smile at her anymore!]

[Our ‘Youai’ has its very own Cold-Face Laundry Literature [thumbs up]]

“I’m going to go rest!” Jiang Sheshe said, sitting on the swing in a huff, her intended words left unsaid.

Ning Xi checked the time and decided to head in as well.

Before leaving, Jiang Sheshe glanced at Wei Xuan again, as if expecting him to say something.

Wei Xuan, however, was completely oblivious.

A gentle smile played on his handsome, refined face. “Goodnight. See you tomorrow.”

Jiang Sheshe pouted, looking dejected.

Ning Xi offered some comfort: “Simp for one and you’re a dog; simp for a hundred and you’re a king. Simp when you want to, and when you don’t, just leave him hanging. As long as you hold the emotional initiative, you’re invincible.

“Look, Mingyue didn’t reply to my comment on her Moments, so I’ve decided to wait an extra half hour before commenting on hers tomorrow. That’ll make her anxious. See? Now the initiative is in my hands.”

Jiang Sheshe glared at her. “…What kind of crappy example is that? And besides, I am not a simp!”

Ning Xi sighed. “It’s fine to lie to your bros, but don’t lie to yourself. No simp in this world will ever admit they’re a simp, but that’s okay. The happiness of a simp is something the person being simped for will never have. They only have the trouble of being pestered, while we have infinite joy!”

Jiang Sheshe was dazed by Ning Xi’s logic, but she instinctively felt something was off. She scoffed:

“So you think ‘simp’ is a compliment?”

Ning Xi had been trying to persuade her for a while to no avail, and her expression cooled.

She flicked her eyes up. “Do you really think I like being a simp?”

Seeing this uncharacteristically cold side of Ning Xi, Jiang Sheshe’s momentum faltered. “Uh…”

Ning Xi became excited in a split second. “Of course I love it!”

To get rich, you’ve got to go crazy first!

Jiang Sheshe: …

Enough. She’d heard enough.

[Kid, you’re invincible.]

[I’ve been a fan of Ning Xi for four years, and sometimes I feel like I’m a bit weird too (facepalm).]

The two returned to their room, and the live stream ended right on time.

Jiang Sheshe sat on the bed, staring at Wei Xuan’s Moments on her screen, lost in thought for a long time.

The photo Wei Xuan had posted today was of the moon.

The caption read: Night after night, the flowing light shines pure and bright.

It was clearly written for Ning Mingyue.

Jiang Sheshe stared at it until her eyes began to sting.

Suddenly, she heard Ning Xi’s voice beside her, filled with regret: “This life is too short.”

Jiang Sheshe’s emotions surged instantly, and her eyes welled up.

Yes, life was too short. So even if the person she liked didn’t like her back, she couldn’t just give up easily.

“You’re right, I also feel like life is too short…”

“It doesn’t even cover my feet.”

Both sentences rang out at the same time.

Ning Xi turned to look at Jiang Sheshe, seeking agreement. “Right? You also think the blanket the Program Team provided is a bit too short.”

Jiang Sheshe: …

Jiang Sheshe closed her eyes. “Go to sleep. I’m done with you.”

Talking to Ning Xi was a complete waste of time!

Yet, miraculously, after Ning Xi’s antics tonight, she didn’t feel as sad as she had at the start.

*

In the blink of an eye, the show’s recording reached its third day.

This was also the day the three male guests would reveal their ages and professions.

Since it was a workday, the three male guests woke up very early. By the time they finished their workouts and ate breakfast, it was only seven-thirty.
Before leaving, Shen Yibai glanced at Fu Zhi, who was still eating breakfast.

“Want a ride?”

Their workplaces were on the same route, so they could head out together.

Fu Zhi paused and waved him off. “I still have some things to pack. You go ahead.”

After Shen Yibai left, Fu Zhi walked naturally into the kitchen and muttered to himself:

“I’ll make something to eat on the way.”

“This fried egg is a bit misshapen. Whatever, I’ll give it to Ning Xi.”

“I roasted too many potatoes; I can’t finish them all. Whatever, anyone can have them.”

“…”

Every single word was an attempt to justify his actions.

[Bro, stop talking. I’m dying of laughter.]

[You’re so stubborn, bro. If you want to make breakfast for Ning Xi, just say so. Why the act?]

[The only thing hard about Fu Zhi is his mouth, hahaha.]

[That’s not necessarily true [leering face]]

After “accidentally” making a lot of extra breakfast, Fu Zhi finally stopped, packed a small portion, and left.

But as he strolled to the villa entrance and saw the car waiting there, his expression froze.

The car window rolled down slowly.

Shen Yibai’s gaze lingered on the lunch bag in Fu Zhi’s hand for a moment, his presence somewhat oppressive.

After a long silence, he curled his lips. “Get in. I have something to say to you.”

Fu Zhi wasn’t happy about it, but his parents had drilled it into him since childhood to be good to Shen Yibai. Consequently, he never threw tantrums with Shen Yibai, especially regarding anything that might make him lose face.

“If you do this, everyone’s going to figure out we know each other,” Fu Zhi said indifferently after getting into the car.

Shen Yibai was noncommittal. “It’s not like we can keep it a secret anyway.”

Today’s livestream would capture their daily work routines. Although major company locations and logos would be avoided, once it was broadcast, it was inevitable that people would dig up their identities and family connections.

However, what Shen Yibai didn’t know was that even if he hadn’t revealed his real-world identity yet, his car was already speaking for him.

[A Rolls-Royce Phantom? A Rolls-Royce Phantom? A Rolls-Royce Phantom? Am I seeing things?]

[Can someone tell me how much this car costs?]

[This is the latest extended Phantom. It starts at 11 million out the door, and most rich people get them customized, so the sky’s the limit. Just think about that.]

[I heard there are a few 20-million-yuan ones in the country. Could one of them be Shen Yibai’s?]

[I suddenly feel like Shen Yibai looks a bit like my husband…]

[No wonder Ning Mingyue likes Shen Yibai so much. He’s rich, handsome, a man of few words, and devoted. He’s the perfect husband!]

[If Ning Mingyue can be friends with Shen Yibai, her family background definitely isn’t bad either.]

[I used to scoff at Ning Mingyue’s rich heiress persona, thinking it was just marketing, but now it seems like it’s the real deal.]

[Did you guys notice? Shen Yibai and Fu Zhi are really close! So are Fu Zhi and Ning Xi in the same circle as Shen Yibai and Ning Mingyue?]

The bullet comments were buzzing, and topics like #Shen Yibai Rolls-Royce Phantom#, #Shen Yibai Family Background#, #Ning Mingyue If She Doesn’t Work Hard She Has To Go Home And Inherit The Family Business#, #Ning Xi Fu Zhi Family Background#, and #Ning Xi Faking Poverty# all began trending.

The variety show You Are My Blessing had completely exploded in popularity!

Some knowledgeable netizens actually managed to confirm that Shen Yibai was the owner of the top-tier 20-million-yuan Rolls-Royce just by looking at the interior trim.

The netizens’ reactions shifted from shock to envy, finally landing on the trending topic: #Ning Xi Faking Poverty#.