Chapter 140: The Toyed-With Goddaughter (15)
Heartthrob‘s live stream, with its high-quality guests and the drama surrounding Su Mingxiu’s breathtaking beauty, was attracting a growing audience, trending for two consecutive days even before the first episode aired.
Meanwhile, in a newly created group chat named “Rich Kids’ Club”…
Violent: Holy shit! Did you guys see the show Yu Nian’s stepmom is on? Come quick! Major gossip! It’s so fucking dramatic! [/link]
Never Buy a Bag Until I’m 90 lbs: !! Is she crazy?
I, Shangguan Nanbei: I left and rejoined this chat three times, what is this? Isn’t this a girls’ chat? Am I no longer considered a man in your eyes?
I, Shangguan Nanbei: Damn, Yu Nian is also on the show? Did I miss something? She hates her stepmom, why would she join?
Static Beauty: …
Violent: As expected, the best gossip comes from the rich, and the best rich gossip comes from the Yu family! Is this the power of bloodlines? Stepmom and daughter on the same dating show, this is… too exciting! @Static Beauty, Dai Yan, what do you think?
Static Beauty: Speechless.
I, Shangguan Nanbei: I want to post this on Douban, I just checked the show’s group, people are saying Su Mingxiu is a gold digger dumped by a rich woman, but they haven’t mentioned Yu Wanru… my gossip senses are tingling.
Static Beauty: @I, Shangguan Nanbei, Keep it to yourself, do you want to die? @Violent, kick him out.
Never Buy a Bag Until I’m 90 lbs: I remember Niannian has a close friend, the one you drove home, Ayan? She goes to the same school, she must know what’s going on between Niannian and her stepmom. Do you have her number? Should we add her to the group for some insider gossip? [/rubbing hands]
Dai Yan muted the group chat, pretending not to see the messages asking her to add Dong Lin. After a moment of thought, she texted Yu Nian: “What’s going on?”
In the live stream…
Rong Hua and Xu Wenbai returned to the villa, the aroma of hot pot greeting them. “Smells so good!” Rong Hua exclaimed.
Xu Wenbai handed her a pair of slippers. Rong Hua, pulling her towards the dining room, saw Shao Chen setting the table and Dr. Tang busy in the kitchen. “Eh? Aren’t they back yet?”
Tang Jiansue, taking off her apron, smiled. “There’s a new contestant, Mingxiu is showing her to her room.”
“A new contestant?”
Rong Hua leaned closer to the simmering hot pot, inhaling the aroma. Coming from a region known for its spicy food, she glanced at the double-sided hot pot, one side with tomato broth, and said with slight disappointment: “This spicy broth isn’t even that spicy, and they’re adding a mild broth too?”
Xu Wenbai, however, was curious about the new contestant.
Noticing her gaze, Tang Jiansue walked over, untying her apron. “A young lady who’s starting university in the capital this year, I think she’s just turned eighteen.”
As she spoke, she fumbled with the knot at her back, tied like a surgical knot out of habit. Shao Chen, finally looking away from the hallway, glanced at her. Just as Rong Hua was about to help, Shao Chen offered: “I’ll get it.”
[If Su Meiren doesn’t come out soon, the fish in her pond will pair up.]
[I have a question, Yu Nian taking a shower, what does that have to do with Su Mingxiu? Shouldn’t Su Mingxiu be outside? Why haven’t they turned on the camera in the room?]
[Is that much time even enough for them?]
As the live stream chat’s innuendos escalated, Shao Chen untied Tang Jiansue’s apron and walked towards the hallway. “I’ll go get them for dinner.”
[Shao Chen: If I don’t go now, will they have a baby by the time I get there?]
But after just two steps, she saw Su Mingxiu and the new contestant emerge, the latter’s hair still damp, now wearing a long, ink-colored dress.
Rong Hua waved them over. “Come, come, the pot’s boiling, we’re just waiting to add the meat—hello, little sister.”
Yu Nian nodded, greeting her and Xu Wenbai. But as she reached the dining table, seeing the white wooden benches, her throat tightened slightly.
She had been defiant in the room, refusing to apologize, thinking Su Mingxiu would continue punishing her.
But Su Mingxiu had simply stopped, put the tube away, and left the bathroom.
As if…
…she couldn’t be bothered anymore.
“Why aren’t you sitting? Don’t be shy,” Rong Hua asked, seeing Yu Nian hesitate behind Su Mingxiu’s chair.
Even Shao Chen glanced at her, then looked down again, wanting to tell Su Mingxiu about the handmade meatballs she had brought.
Feeling everyone’s gaze, Yu Nian sat down quickly, trying not to show her discomfort.
But as she settled onto the bench—
She wanted to jump up immediately.
She now truly understood the meaning of “like sitting on pins and needles.” Su Mingxiu’s punishment had been… thorough.
Every inch of her skin in contact with the hard wooden bench was throbbing.
Sweat beaded on her forehead. Just as she was about to stand up, Su Mingxiu’s hand landed on her shoulder, gently pressing her back down.
“Shao Chen said these beef balls are good, want to try some?”
She turned and saw Su Mingxiu’s gentle smile.
She seemed to have forgotten what had happened in the bathroom, welcoming Yu Nian warmly, her hand on Yu Nian’s shoulder a seemingly natural gesture, allowing Yu Nian to admire the elegant curve of her arm.
If it weren’t for the pressure on her shoulder, preventing her from standing up, Yu Nian would have believed that Su Mingxiu was simply recommending the food.
—What “not bothered,” she’s clearly holding a grudge.
The hot shower had already been unbearable, even after turning down the temperature, her skin still burning. Now, sitting on this hard bench, tears welled up again.
And Su Mingxiu, the culprit, seemed oblivious, even offering her food, asking if she liked it.
[Shao Chen’s face is as dark as the bottom of the pot.]
[This is the first time Su Meiren has been so attentive to someone, what happened in that room?]
[Shao Chen: Are you being polite?]
Because of Su Mingxiu’s excessive attention towards the newcomer, the other contestants also expressed their friendliness, forcing Yu Nian, her appetite gone from the pain, to eat through her tears.
After dinner, Yu Nian felt like she was half-paralyzed.
She didn’t want to stand up, her muscles aching. She even volunteered to wipe the table, but her awkward movements made Xu Wenbai, who was washing the dishes, ask: “Are you okay?”
In the living room, Tang Jiansue was asking Su Mingxiu if she was free to continue their earlier conversation, and Shao Chen, not giving up, invited her to her room to read together.
Yu Nian, gritting her teeth, suddenly said loudly: “Oh, it’s nothing, I just fell in the shower earlier, and it really hurts, I can’t stand up.”
Xu Wenbai was startled. “Should we take you to the hospital?”
Tang Jiansue, hearing about a patient, turned around and walked over. “What happened? Let me take a look.”
Yu Nian: “…”
Miscalculation, forgot there was a doctor.
Shao Chen also glanced over, but her attention was still on Su Mingxiu.
Unfortunately, Su Mingxiu didn’t seem interested in responding to her. She walked towards the dining table, a smile on her lips, as if enjoying the drama. “Dr. Tang is an excellent surgeon, don’t worry.”
“Hmm?” Yu Nian tried not to glare at her, wondering if Su Mingxiu was so angry that she wanted them both to be eliminated from the show.
She stood up abruptly, trying to prove her sudden recovery. Dr. Tang, seeing her movements, frowned, her usual smile gone. “Don’t be reckless, that’s dangerous. If you’ve injured your bones, sudden movements can worsen the injury—”
[Haha, Yu Nian doesn’t want to go to the hospital, relatable.]
[Every time I enter a hospital, I feel like I’ve recovered.]
[Damn, I love Dr. Tang’s serious expression even more! So caring!]
As she spoke, Tang Jiansue’s hand was already on Yu Nian’s spine, gently pressing down. Yu Nian, mortified, her face flushed, didn’t even dare to look at Su Mingxiu.
She felt like her life was over.
I want to live on another planet.
“No fractures,” Dr. Tang said, relieved, having confirmed that there were no serious injuries. Knowing that the cameras were everywhere, she didn’t ask Yu Nian to lift her shirt. “If you’re worried, you can get an X-ray. But I think you’ve just pulled a muscle. If it hurts, you can get some pain medication from the pharmacy, or apply a hot compress tomorrow.”
Yu Nian’s eyes were blank.
“Thank you, Dr. Tang.”
She felt like her soul had left her body, only a mechanical shell remaining.
10:30 PM.
Time for the text messages.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Yu Nian, sitting on the sofa with her phone, glanced over, thinking it was Tracy, the stylist. But it was Su Mingxiu.
She didn’t know when Su Mingxiu had left.
She glanced at Su Mingxiu, then looked down at her phone, her grip tightening, deliberately ignoring the bag in Su Mingxiu’s hand.
Staring at the message screen, she felt annoyed. Why did this stupid show require them to send messages? Weren’t they allowed to be uninterested in someone?
She stared blankly, thinking about what Su Mingxiu had done to her, feeling that even a polite message would be insincere. Until the program staff, seeing that time was running out, had the cameraman urge her to finish.
Even as investors, they had to follow the rules on the live stream.
Yu Nian grumbled, then wondered who Su Mingxiu would send her message to tonight—definitely not her, those words earlier… must have angered Su Mingxiu.
As she was thinking, her phone beeped with an incoming message.
She looked down and read: “Being young means endless possibilities, you’re still so young, no need to rush into decisions about the future.”
The sender…
Su Mingxiu.
Yu Nian lowered her head, hiding her face from the camera, overwhelmed by a mix of emotions.
After a moment, she replied: “This is my first day on the show, I’m glad to have met you.”
[Lol, others offer encouragement, Su Mingxiu is telling her to leave. Hahaha.]
[Wow! Professor Rong and Xiao Xu sent messages to each other! Finally, a mutual match!]
[Why is our “Persuade Her to Leave” CP not worthy?]
[Fun fact, Xu Wenbai and Su Mingxiu also exchanged messages on the first night.]
Returning to her room, Yu Nian thought Su Mingxiu was asleep, but the camera was off, and Su Mingxiu was sitting on the bed, reading the book Dr. Tang had given them.
And beside her, a bag.
Su Mingxiu, clearly having showered, was now in a bathrobe. Seeing Yu Nian silently walk towards the bed, she picked up the bag and handed it to her. “Do you want to do it yourself, or should I help you?”
What?
Yu Nian hesitated, then took the bag and opened it, finding a first-aid kit. After a moment, she blushed slightly.
“I’ll do it myself.”
The person reading didn’t even look up, as if having anticipated her answer.
Yu Nian walked towards the bathroom, her gait slightly awkward. After tending to her wounds, she climbed into bed, and the lights went out.
She paused, then turned to Su Mingxiu. “Why didn’t you choose a room with a bathtub?”
She remembered Su Mingxiu loved taking baths.
At Xiangjiang Huafu, Su Mingxiu would often bathe until late at night, even falling asleep in the bathtub, causing everyone to worry.
“I don’t like sharing a room with others.”
Oh.
Yu Nian pulled the blanket closer, then wanted to ask, What about me?
But she didn’t say anything. After a long silence, she said: “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said those things to you.”
No matter the truth, those words had been hurtful, and Su Mingxiu’s actions… weren’t entirely unjustified.
“I just… thought you had broken your promise, so I was angry, and I spoke without thinking.”
After saying this, she pulled the blanket over her head, prepared for Su Mingxiu’s silence.
But Su Mingxiu replied quickly: “I didn’t break my promise. I’m not here for love, my agent said this show pays well, so I’m just here for the money.”
Yu Nian listened quietly.
She thought those netizens praising Tang Jiansue’s voice were exaggerating… Su Mingxiu’s voice was also very pleasant.
After a long silence, just as Su Mingxiu was drifting off to sleep, she heard Yu Nian get out of bed. She was wondering if she should turn on the light when she heard the footsteps approaching.
Yu Nian stopped by the bed and asked: “Are you still angry?”
Su Mingxiu opened her eyes, their eyes now accustomed to the darkness, their faces barely visible. Her movement showed that she hadn’t been asleep.
Yu Nian squatted down, wanting to lie beside her, but remembering the pain, she climbed onto the bed instead, lying on top of the blanket, her voice muffled. “What do I have to do to earn your forgiveness?”
Su Mingxiu: “Get off.”
“I’ll get off if you forgive me.”
Yu Nian’s breath warmed Su Mingxiu’s chin. Oblivious, she hugged Yu Nian tighter, her eyes fixed on the figure above her.
Su Mingxiu chuckled softly, her voice like an electric current, sending shivers down Yu Nian’s spine. “It seems… you’re not hurting enough yet.”
“It hurts,” Yu Nian mumbled. “I didn’t apply any medicine, it would get messy, stain my clothes, so it hurts even more now.”
Seeing that Su Mingxiu didn’t respond, she raised a hand and caressed Su Mingxiu’s cheek, then poked her lightly, like a clingy puppy, whispering: “Can you… rub it for me?”
Rub it?
Su Mingxiu raised an eyebrow, even though it was too dark to see. She remembered the medicine she had bought for Yu Nian, it had a cooling, then warming effect.
Her voice, a hint of amusement in the darkness, “Get the medicine first.”
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