Chapter 138: The Toyed-With Goddaughter (13)
The program’s announcement echoed through the villa. Su Mingxiu, discussing porcelain patterns with Dr. Tang in the study, looked up, then thanked her for rolling up her sleeve.
“Want to go see?” Tang Jiansue suddenly suggested, her melodious voice a gentle caress to Su Mingxiu’s ears.
“Do you want to see?” Su Mingxiu countered, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow.
Unlike Shao Chen’s directness, Tang Jiansue was subtle, even in competition.
She was like a tranquil lake, her beauty revealed only upon close observation.
“I didn’t know about this ‘date’ setup, I’m curious about the format.”
Even though she was clearly interested in who had received the date ball and whether they would invite Su Mingxiu, she only offered this seemingly innocent explanation.
Su Mingxiu appreciated all the contestants. Xu Wenbai, so shy, probably pressured by friends or family to join, perhaps having struggled to even acknowledge her own sexuality, yet having achieved a doctorate, clearly possessing inner strength.
Tracy, her fashion sense sometimes too avant-garde, yet undeniably cool.
Attorney Shao, sometimes overbearing, but confident and successful.
And Professor Rong, a social butterfly—
In short, Su Mingxiu was enjoying her stay… as long as she didn’t have to consider choosing a partner.
“Then let’s go see,” Su Mingxiu stood up, preparing to go to the living room with Dr. Tang.
Tang Jiansue followed, glancing at the painting on the desk. “If you received the date ball, who would you give it to?” she asked, feigning casual interest.
[Ooh! Dr. Tang is testing the waters!]
[Did you see her look? Did she want to give that painting to Su Meiren?]
Su Mingxiu’s expression was zoomed in on the live stream, as if the program team was trying to read her mind.
She paused, her hand on the doorknob, her rolled-up sleeve falling back down. Then, she smiled. “Whoever I see first. Didn’t they say this show is about finding both love and friendship?”
[Low EQ: I haven’t decided yet; High EQ: Let’s make friends.]
[Is this the legendary player’s handbook?]
She looked back at Tang Jiansue, who, seeing her smile, nodded. “Yes, we can also have fun with friends.”
The SuTang fans in the live stream chat cried out in disappointment, feeling sorry for the gentle Dr. Tang.
They entered the living room and saw the others gathered around the sofa, Shao Chen pouring tea.
Seeing them, Shao Chen was the first to speak. “Were you two in the study together?”
[Look! Shao Chen’s eyes are darting between Su Meiren and Dr. Tang, like an Alpha trying to detect another’s scent on their Omega!]
[Are we getting Alpha/Omega dynamics now?]
Tracy waved at Su Mingxiu, gesturing towards the empty seat beside her. “Come have some tea.”
[Tracy: See, I’m not like that jealous type, a mature top should be understanding, knowing that their wife will eventually return to their arms!]
[It’s Tracy, not Tony!]
Su Mingxiu accepted her invitation. Shao Chen, seeing that she hadn’t answered her question, poured the tea slowly, her gaze intense.
Tang Jiansue, glancing at the seating arrangement, sat beside Xu Wenbai and Rong Hua, as if nothing had happened, and asked Rong Hua: “Why are you all having tea together?”
Professor Rong, seeing that Tang Jiansue had moved away from Su Mingxiu, guessed something and smiled, spreading her hands. “They were asking who found the date ball, and I said I found it on the windowsill behind the curtains while cleaning…”
Xu Wenbai, holding her teacup, looked at her with admiration.
[Baibai, what are you doing! You’re here to find a partner, not to gossip! A worried mother.jpg]
[Xu Wenbai: I can be a foodie, a tea lover, a gossip enthusiast… This love triangle is their business, I know nothing.]
Shao Chen added: “Before you two arrived, we were asking Professor Rong who she’s going to give the date ball to.”
Su Mingxiu took the teacup from Shao Chen, thanking her, seemingly oblivious to the meaning in her gaze, and asked casually: “Oh? Do you know the answer?”
Tracy replied: “Not yet.”
“Didn’t the program team give us 24 hours?” Rong Hua, after finishing her conversation with Tang Jiansue, smiled at them, her gaze sweeping over them like a teacher about to hand out exam papers, deliberately increasing their anxiety. “I heard the recipient can’t refuse, they have to go on a date with me… Are you nervous?”
Shao Chen and Tracy instinctively looked at Su Mingxiu.
Xu Wenbai looked around, confused, while Dr. Tang sipped her tea calmly.
[Lol, Professor Rong is enjoying the drama a little too much.]
[If I were Shao Chen, I would be suffocating.]
Amidst the silence, Rong Hua chuckled, finishing her Pu’er tea. “I think this show is quite interesting, holding this date ball feels like holding the Emperor’s sword, I’m going to savor this.”
After several rounds of tea, the evening tea party was interrupted by an emergency call for Dr. Tang.
After she left, Su Mingxiu excused herself, saying she needed to get ready for bed and work the next day.
The villa had many rooms. The spacious master bedroom, to accommodate the show’s format, was divided into two areas with three beds and a bathroom with a bathtub, where Xu Wenbai, Tang Jiansue, and Rong Hua stayed.
Shao Chen and Tracy each chose a smaller room with a single bed and a wardrobe, but no private bathroom.
Su Mingxiu had a spacious guest room with another bed, currently empty, and a simple shower. Although there was no bathtub, there were outdoor hot springs and a spa in the complex.
The advantage of this kind of reality show was that it didn’t interfere with the contestants’ work schedules. Every morning, Xu Wenbai would carpool with Professor Rong, Tracy’s team would pick her up, and Dr. Tang and Attorney Shao had their own transportation. They only needed to return to the villa in the evening.
Sheng Qian had indeed sent Su Mingxiu a new job offer. Because of her excellent performance in commercials, major brands in the city were now seeking her out. With the rapid development of e-commerce, her career was blossoming.
“Ding-dong—”
10:30 PM.
Time for the daily text messages.
Tang Jiansue, due to her work, had to leave early and had entrusted her phone and a pre-written message to the program team.
In their respective rooms, the other contestants took out their phones and started writing their messages.
[It’s here! Hunting time! Last night, everyone sent their messages to Su Meiren, can our queen maintain her perfect record tonight?]
Amidst the excited speculations in the live stream chat, Su Mingxiu, freshly showered, in a thin bathrobe, was holding her phone, feeling conflicted. She had interacted with Shao Chen, Tracy, and Dr. Tang today, and she could sense their interest. Sending a message might give them the wrong impression.
The safer options were Rong Hua and Xu Wenbai.
She had sent her first message to Xu Wenbai, would sending another one be misleading?
But…
Rong Hua had the date ball.
Su Mingxiu was pondering this when her phone beeped with incoming messages.
One from Shao Chen: “There’s an old saying, ‘Bags cure all ills,’ have you heard it?”
One from Tang Jiansue: “I never understood the beauty of antiques before, but after our conversation today, I really want to turn that design into reality. Are you interested in working on it together?”
One from Tracy: “Yesterday, you were a white rose, the bright moonlight before my bed; today, you are a black rose, the beauty mark on my heart.”
After these three messages, her phone was silent for a while.
Last night, she had also received messages from Xu Wenbai and Professor Rong. Xu Wenbai had said that Su Mingxiu was the first person she had met, and Rong Hua had praised her beauty, expressing her hope to get along.
[Eh? Baibai didn’t send a message to Su Meiren tonight!]
[I’m more interested in who Su Meiren will send her message to, no matter who it is, I’m going to be fantasizing all night…]
[Here it comes, here it comes!]
On screen, Su Mingxiu started typing, but before she could finish, she received another message, this one from Rong Hua: “Are you interested in a date?”
“Uh…” Su Mingxiu deleted her message, her inner self donning a mask of suffering.
Finally, she decided to send her message to Shao Chen: “Thank you very much for your gift.”
[ShaoSu! ShaoSu! Tonight, we celebrate!]
[Aha! I told you lawyer x beauty is the perfect match!]
[Persistence pays off!]
“Knock, knock, knock.”
The next morning, she knocked on Shao Chen’s door, then adjusted her earrings, catching their reflection in the glass on the hallway wall.
The door opened. Shao Chen, seeing her, smiled faintly. “I was just about to look for you. I’m free today, where are you working? I can drive you—”
Her voice trailed off as she saw the bag in Su Mingxiu’s hand.
The gift she had given her yesterday.
Shao Chen’s gentle expression vanished. Not having put on her glasses yet, her eyes were even sharper, her eyebrows and the corners of her eyes giving her an imposing aura.
“You don’t like it?”
If she didn’t like it, why had she sent the text message last night, thanking her?
[Whoa, such drama early in the morning!]
[Yesterday I was laughing at SuTang, thinking ShaoSu was endgame, now I’m the clown.]
[Critical hit!]
[Having it all? No, having nothing.]
“No,” Su Mingxiu tucked her hair behind her ear. “It’s too expensive, we’ve only just met…”
Shao Chen interrupted: “It’s not expensive for me, and I don’t take back gifts I’ve given.”
In that moment, Su Mingxiu thought she and Yu Wanru, with their CEO-like pronouncements, would have a lot to talk about.
With Shao Chen’s expression, it was clear that returning the gift today was impossible.
The only way to repay this favor was with a gift of equal value. Su Mingxiu, holding the gift bag, her mind blank for a moment—
She had joined this show to earn money.
Yet, on the second day, half a month’s salary was gone.
One gift almost returned, one favor unrepaid, the atmosphere between them tense as they walked towards the entrance.
Su Mingxiu put on her high heels, about to say that she had a car, when the door opened, and Dr. Tang returned, looking tired.
“Were you at the hospital all night?” Su Mingxiu asked.
Tang Jiansue smiled and nodded, rubbing her temples. Despite her weary smile, her voice was still gentle. “So many emergencies last night, one surgery after another…”
“Should I bring you some apples after work tonight?” Su Mingxiu offered.
[The SuTang shippers are back!]
[The stock market of Heartthrob is open! ShaoSu shares plummeting, SuTang shares rising!]
Apples were a favorite among ER doctors, a comforting snack during night shifts.
Tang Jiansue, surprised by Su Mingxiu’s offer, smiled. “Okay.”
Although they were competitors, Dr. Tang was clearly the more passive one. Shao Chen, standing beside them, could only offer her concern: “Why don’t you have breakfast and rest first?”
While they were talking about breakfast, Su Mingxiu quickly excused herself, not giving Shao Chen a chance to offer her a ride.
After just one day, she had lost half a month’s salary. Su Mingxiu, recalling her cultivation skills, did a quick calculation and concluded that she couldn’t interact with Shao Chen anymore, it was bad for her finances.
“How’s it going?”
Half an hour later.
At the studio, Sheng Qian placed a breakfast he had bought nearby before Su Mingxiu and asked curiously.
He watched the live stream every day and had already guessed the drama that would unfold in the first episode, but he still wanted to hear Su Mingxiu’s thoughts.
Su Mingxiu, resting her chin on her hand, looked at him and sighed. “You only told me that this show pays well, but you forgot to mention the risk of… expenses.”
Sheng Qian: “?”
Sheng Qian: “Explain?”
Su Mingxiu poked the fried egg on her plate with her fork, then took a bite. “Relationships are expensive.”
Especially relationships on a dating show.
No longer interested in acting, Su Mingxiu was now thinking about how to minimize her screen time and avoid one-on-one interactions, so she wouldn’t have to receive or give gifts.
Sheng Qian: “emmm…”
He knew that Heartthrob season two was gaining popularity online, and many people were paying attention to Su Mingxiu, noticing that she hadn’t shown any clear preference for any of the contestants, even sending her first text message to Xu Wenbai.
And on the second day, she had sent a message to one of her admirers, only to return the gift the next morning.
Many people praised her for her masterful playing of the field, but only Sheng Qian knew how difficult it was for Su Mingxiu to maintain this balancing act while also trying to earn money.
He offered a dry comfort. “You’ve worked hard.”
“Not hard, just… a hard life.” Su Mingxiu thought about the original owner’s life. She hadn’t bothered earning money because she had relied on Yu Nian, thinking she could just coast along until Yu Nian inherited her mother’s fortune and took care of her.
And more importantly, although the system was currently trapped in her mental maze, it was just a projection, a small part of the actual system.
Su Mingxiu had experienced the consequences of OOC behavior, having paid a heavy price in Gui Mian’s world.
So she didn’t want to accumulate too many OOC points, lest the system take revenge in the next world.
But that didn’t mean she could accept her current financial struggles.
Sheng Qian was still trying to comfort her. “Don’t say that about yourself—”
“I’m talking about you,” Su Mingxiu glanced at him and said calmly, “If joining a variety show makes me lose money, I’ll have to consider going back to my old profession, and then you’ll be out of a job.”
“Hmm?” Sheng Qian was confused, wondering why he was suddenly facing unemployment. “What… what old profession?”
Su Mingxiu replied seriously: “Being a CEO.”
Sheng Qian: “??”
When Su Mingxiu had been living off Yu Wanru, he had advised her to use Yu Wanru’s resources to develop her own skills, but she hadn’t listened.
She had believed that there was no need to work hard when she had a mountain of gold to lie on.
And now… she was divorced.
He had known her for a while now. Although she seemed to be working harder after the divorce, her arrogance gone, her work ethic improved—
That didn’t mean she had the ability to run a company.
The gap between Su Mingxiu and a successful entrepreneur was… immeasurable.
He asked cautiously: “How much did you drink this morning? Did you have any peanuts with it?”
Su Mingxiu: “…”
This agent… should be fired.
After finishing the commercial shoot, having earned extra screen time due to the director’s favor, Su Mingxiu finally finished work at 5 PM. After parting ways with Sheng Qian, she drove towards One Mansion, stopping at a supermarket near the complex.
She remembered about the apples for Tang Jiansue. And since she was already out, she decided to call the others and ask if they needed anything.
Leaning slightly, her phone in one hand, the other tracing the various hot pot soup bases on the shelf, she said: “Hot pot tonight? Sure, I’m fine with that. One less tomato-flavored soup base? Let me see…”
Her red nails traced the rows of identical packages. Just as she was about to look at the next aisle, a long arm in a white shirt reached out and grabbed a tomato-flavored soup base. A calm voice beside her: “This one.”
About to thank the person, Su Mingxiu suddenly recognized the voice. She turned around and saw a person in a white shirt, a cat print at the hem, standing beside her.
But more importantly, that face.
She stared at the newcomer in surprise, about to ask what she was doing here, when the other person spoke first: “You’re Su Mingxiu, right? Nice to meet you, I’m… Yu Nian.”
“Hmm?” Su Mingxiu’s mind went blank for a moment, then she saw the camera crew behind Yu Nian.
Her lips parted slightly, her question still unasked, when Yu Nian took out a name tag from her pocket and attached it to her shirt.
The name tag looked familiar… the same ones the Heartthrob contestants wore. And Yu Nian’s was also blue.
“You—”
She suppressed her emotions and looked directly at Yu Nian, wanting to ask why she wasn’t at university, registering for classes, but she couldn’t ask in front of the cameras.
“Can I call you Susu?” Yu Nian asked, her light-colored eyes fixed on Su Mingxiu, an almost stubborn look in her gaze.
No one knew what she was feeling, joining this show. But seeing Su Mingxiu, every cell in her body seemed to be screaming, and she realized:
Coming here, I will never regret it.
She wouldn’t sit behind a screen anymore, anxiously guessing who Su Mingxiu would choose, when she would reject someone, when she would give someone hope…
She was tired of the viewers’ matchmaking and shipping!
The cameraman, behind Yu Nian, could only capture Su Mingxiu’s expression. So Su Mingxiu, using all her acting skills, maintained a blank expression, as if meeting a stranger on the street.
“That’s… inappropriate,” she finally said, her voice slightly hoarse from suppressing her emotions.
Does this little brat even know what kind of show this is? She’s barely an adult!
But Yu Nian stared at her, a strange smile curving her lips, very different from her usual expression. “Oh?”
“Then do you prefer to be called—”
She drew out her words, then mouthed silently: “Little Mom?”
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