Chapter 24
[Ning Xi, you rascal! You were keeping such a low profile before, and now you’re telling us you, Shen Yibai, and Fu Zhi are all wealthy elites?]
[I’m gonna die. You wouldn’t even buy a four-yuan starch sausage before, insisting on the ‘one for three yuan, two for five’ deal. You made me feel like we were in the same boat, but it turns out I’m the only poor one!]
[Goddammit, I’m going to war with all you rich people!]
As for Ning Xi herself, she had no idea she had already been unwittingly labeled a “wealthy heir.”
After a quick tidy-up, she headed downstairs to make breakfast.
However, when she reached the dining room, she found a table overflowing with food prepared by someone.
Six fried eggs, three sandwiches, three cheese buns, three sausages, three black coffees, roasted potatoes…
The viewers in the livestream were also baffled.
When the stream started today, they had only seen the male guests finishing their own breakfast before Fu Zhi took over the kitchen.
But Fu Zhi had only made three fried eggs, sausages, and roasted potatoes. Where did the rest of the food come from?
“I love sandwiches and black coffee. This must have been made by Brother Xuan!”
Jiang Sheshe felt happy again the moment she saw the breakfast.
Then Ning Mingyue added, “The cheese buns should be Yibai’s work; I remember him mentioning them before. With so much food, we can all eat together.”
As she said that last part, Ning Mingyue looked at Ning Xi with a smile.
After all, everyone assumed Fu Zhi loathed Ning Xi, so they certainly wouldn’t think he had considered her for breakfast.
[Poor Fu Zhi. He was busy all morning, yet not a single person knows he cooked too.]
The sunlight and scenery in the villa’s courtyard were lovely, and the tables and chairs used for yesterday’s barbecue were still there.
Jiang Sheshe had a sudden whim. “Why don’t we eat on the lawn? We can treat it like a picnic.”
Once they were in the courtyard, Ning Xi took a selfie with the breakfast and the lawn as a backdrop and posted it to Weibo:
“Hey Auntie, we’re havin’ lunch out in the fields again today.”
Jiang Sheshe’s hand jerked as she was taking her own photo.
The romantic picnic atmosphere she had worked so hard to create by carefully plating the food was ruined again! Argh!
Since neither Jiang Sheshe nor Ning Mingyue liked fried eggs, Ning Xi polished off three of them in one go.
As she ate a cheese bun, she couldn’t help but wonder:
Shen Yibai actually likes this stuff?
She remembered that Shen Yibai used to hate sweets.
After keeping the audience in suspense all morning, the Program Team finally released the footage of the male guests in the kitchen before the livestream began:
Wei Xuan had made sandwiches and black coffee for all the Guests.
Shen Yibai had specifically made three cheese buns and fried eggs for the female guests, but he didn’t eat any himself.
As for Fu Zhi, after the other two male guests stepped out, he silently made three fried eggs, sausages, and roasted potatoes.
[Hahaha, Shen Yibai specifically made fried eggs for Ning Mingyue, but she doesn’t like them, so Ning Xi ended up eating them all. What a bizarre turn of events!]
[I’m so frustrated! Fu Zhi, you have to say it! You have to say you specifically made breakfast for Ning Xi, or she’ll never know!!!]
[It would be fine if he just did it without saying anything, but he just had to be stubborn and claim he only gave them to Ning Xi because they were burnt. Sometimes I really want to poison Fu Zhi so he stays mute.]
[No wonder we as viewers can feel that Fu Zhi likes Ning Xi, but Ning Xi can’t see it herself. All she ever sees is his stubbornness, meanness, sharp tongue, bad temper, and him saying the opposite of what he feels.]
[Sigh.]
After breakfast, Ning Mingyue went to a film set for an audition, showcasing her daily life as an actress.
Jiang Sheshe met up with her manager at a cafe to discuss her new songs.
Ning Xi, meanwhile, was scrolling through her work email to see if there were any new opportunities.
Her contract with Shengshi was about to expire, and she had already made it clear she wouldn’t renew, so she had to find her own way forward.
However, Shengshi was a giant in the music industry. If Ning Xi wanted to sign with another label as a singer, she would inevitably face pressure from Shengshi, which might even implicate her collaborators…
Just then, a new email caught her eye.
“Hello, Teacher Ning Xi. I am Xiaomi, the casting director for Sunshine Studio. Our studio is currently preparing a short drama, and there is a role that would suit you very well. If you are interested, you can contact me on WeChat: 163xxxxxxxx.”
A short drama?
Although Shengshi had recently established a film and television department and given all its acting resources to Ning Mingyue, as a company primarily focused on music, it was only just starting out in the film industry.
So, she could try developing her career in film and television first. Once she made some money, she could start her own records and studio!
Ning Xi instantly had a new direction.
She contacted Xiaomi and arranged to meet at Sunshine Studio at 1:00 PM.
On the other side, in Shen Yibai’s car.
After the cameraman finished capturing the desired shots, he got out early to film the exterior of the club Fu Zhi was visiting today.
The car fell silent for a moment.
Shen Yibai’s gaze swept over the bento box next to Fu Zhi, and he spoke up abruptly. “I didn’t know you could cook.”
Fu Zhi looked out the window. “I just threw something together.”
Shen Yibai didn’t say anything else for a long time. Finally, he spoke in a raspy voice:
“Tell me, what would happen if I broke off the engagement with Ning Xi?”
Fu Zhi whipped his head around to look at Shen Yibai, struggling to suppress the corners of his mouth from curling upward.
“You’ve finally come to your senses? I told you a long time ago that Ning Xi is a brat who throws tantrums every day; she’s not right for you at all. Ning Mingyue is the one who can give you more support…”
After Fu Zhi rambled on, his words amounted to nothing more than praising how well-matched Ning Mingyue and Shen Yibai were.
Shen Yibai listened indifferently, appearing as calm as if it had nothing to do with him.
Eventually, Fu Zhi’s voice grew quieter.
“Brother, are you unhappy?”
Shen Yibai was slightly stunned, but only for a second before he returned to normal.
As if trying to convince himself, he murmured, “I’m happy. Of course I’m happy. Everyone will be happy.”
Fu Zhi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But in the next second, he heard Shen Yibai say:
“But as long as I haven’t broken off the engagement with Ning Xi, she is still your sister-in-law.”
Fu Zhi froze, his breath hitching instantly.