When Yan Muyu carried Qiu Chao back to Boss Xiao Qing’s house on her back, Xuan Zhelu was already almost full.
She felt like she’d gone numb to it by now—after all, Yan Muyu’s double standards were glaringly obvious.
Even the way she set Qiu Chao down was gentle and tender.
It was truly enviable.
Xuan Zhelu huffed through her nose.
Ding Yingxue glanced at Xuan Zhelu, then at Yan Muyu, and asked softly, “Lulu, are you leaving today?”
Xuan Zhelu had a private habit of nibbling on her chopsticks, but with the cameras rolling, she still had some reservations. She set her chopsticks down and shot a glance at Yan Muyu, who had just sat down to eat. “Yeah. If I stuck around longer, some people might actually wish I wouldn’t.”
The jab was obvious, and even Wu Xiaoqing, sitting next to Hong Long, picked up on it.
She seemed about to say something, but Hong Long fed her a piece of chicken. Blissfully content, she kept on eating.
Yan Muyu rubbed her shoulder, completely unfazed by the insinuation. “I never said anything like that. You’re welcome to stay if you want—I just worry her manager might come after me with a vengeance.”
She even lifted her chin toward the off-screen manager, who looked like she was about to clutch her head and sob.
【Xuan Zhelu, say less lol.】
【I’m still immersed in that image of Yan Muyu piggybacking Qiu Chao—they actually look pretty good together.】
【Qiu Chao’s mahjong skills are insane. What else can this woman do?】
【Am I the only one who thinks the NPC group is super sweet? Wuwu, Boss Hong is such a gem.】
【This variety show could easily run for several seasons.】
【Yan Muyu, how are you this brutally honest…】
Xuan Zhelu turned to Yan Muyu. “Where’d you run off to earlier? Piggybacking Senior Qiu Chao all the way back, no less.”
The host, who had insisted on keeping her guests for dinner, was gnawing on a chicken leg. The pretty widow who had buried two husbands looked utterly carefree, as if she’d found the adoration she deserved in the second half of her life.
The cameras had caught villagers earlier commenting on how Boss Wu always kept people for meals, even when she didn’t have enough rice.
Folks in mountain villages were hospitable, though some struggled to make ends meet. Viewers could tell Wu Xiaoqing’s family was comfortably off—not wealthy, but not struggling either.
But everyone could see that the little boss chomping on her chicken leg loved a crowd.
Especially when guests came over—she seemed especially thrilled then.
Viewers noticed it, and Hong Long noticed it even more. She had cooked up a feast for the visitors and even poured Yan Muyu a glass of homemade village brew.
Yan Muyu asked her to pour less—she knew her own tolerance. Losing at mahjong today had been humiliating enough; getting drunk now might lead to even more mockery.
Xuan Zhelu pressed the question sharply, but before Yan Muyu could answer, Qiu Chao—who had also been handed a glass—spoke up. “She went to play mahjong.”
Xuan Zhelu: “Huh? Mahjong??”
She seemed to remember something and twitched her mouth. “With your skills.”
【So it’s common knowledge, huh?】
【Her ex-girlfriend knowing makes total sense.】
Qiu Chao asked Xuan Zhelu, “Have you played with her?”
Xuan Zhelu: “I don’t know how. I’ve seen her play before.”
Yan Muyu’s stomach hurt from hunger, and she dug into her food with relish. Between mouthfuls, she shot back, “I offered to teach you, and you said no.”
Xuan Zhelu: “Who’d want to learn your crappy technique?”
Her mind was still replaying the sight of Yan Muyu carrying Qiu Chao back.
The wooden doorframe was so high, yet Yan Muyu’s long legs cleared it effortlessly, her grip on Qiu Chao’s back steady as a rock.
From a looks standpoint alone, the pair was hard to fault—and with the backlight framing them, even Xuan Zhelu, nursing her personal grudge, had to admit the scene was stunning.
Damn it. If even I think so, the live chat must be shipping them hard!!
With her departure looming—this being her last meal—Xuan Zhelu threw caution to the wind. She struck a pose like she was ready to pick a fight with Yan Muyu.
But Yan Muyu didn’t take the bait. She knew her own mahjong prowess all too well. “I know, I know. Sorry to put you through it.”
【Lulu’s face perfectly captures getting a punch to cotton.】
【Yan Muyu is just so unflappably straightforward…】
【Her skills are that bad? And she studied it seriously? Emmm.】
【Just learn from Qiu Chao—pay a few tuition rounds.】
【Don’t y’all see what Ex-Sis-in-Law is really after? Sigh, Qiu Chao is just so badass, totally unfazed. I’ve seen people begging brands she endorses to drop her??】
They ate their fill, stomachs happy and wine flowing. Xuan Zhelu, perhaps saddened by her impending departure, drank a few extra glasses. When it was time to go, her steps wobbled—she had to be helped into the car by Ding Yingxue and Pei Wan.
Qiu Chao sat in the passenger seat, waving to Xiao Qing out the window.
Xiao Qing: “Are you all heading to the Fish Lantern Festival too?”
Qiu Chao hummed in affirmation. Yan Muyu, who had just buckled her seatbelt, asked, “Does Boss Hong go every year?”
Hong Long ignored the cameras outright—plenty of viewers pegged her as the most genuinely relaxed person there.
The live chat was still buzzing with tags like “best eyes on a civilian.”
The woman wore a faded T-shirt that had been washed threadbare, looking utterly plain.
She smiled. “Nah, we had family stuff last year, so we skipped it.”
Xiao Qing stood beside her and naturally leaned in after Hong Long slung an arm around her shoulder.
Their bond struck Yan Muyu as pure and serene, like flowing water.
No one could dislike that kind of easy, wholehearted contentment—at least Qiu Chao still envied it.
Qiu Chao: “What about your fish lamps?”
Xiao Qing: “Longlong made little ones! We’ll show you later.”
Hong Long smiled. “Not done yet. Been busy the last couple days.”
【This village is full of hidden gems.】
【Wuwu, wheat-toned skin can be so gorgeous.】
【They’ve got that solid happiness vibe…】
Yan Muyu hummed. “Alright, we’re off then.”
Ding Yingxue waved from the back too.
The rickety old van crested the hill, aerial shots making it feel like they were crossing rugged mountains.
Close-ups pulling in and out from the foreground gave an immersive sense of riding along.
Now and then, a bird roused from its night perch would flutter away in a rustle of wings.
Headlights swept over bushes, stirring waves of insect chirps.
Ding Yingxue stared out the window and suddenly said, “I feel like mountain village backdrops are perfect for ghost stories.”
The background music had been a faint, ethereal melody, but her comment prompted a switch—now the mood turned eerie in an instant.
Pei Wan: “What are you talking about?”
【Exactly! What do the editors do? Is this how you use it?】
【How’d Xuan Zhelu get that plastered? But that village brew looks pretty good…】
【Yan Muyu didn’t even flinch. Qiu Chao even more so…】
Qiu Chao: “What ghost stories? Like a hitchhiking ghost by the roadside?”
Ding Yingxue hesitated with an “uh,” but before she could respond, Yan Muyu chimed in. “Or the one where there’s an extra person in the car?”
【You guys are great at building tension—better build some CP instead lol.】
【Yan Muyu even checked the rearview mirror haha.】
Ding Yingxue: “Don’t scare me.”
Pei Wan seemed uneasy too.
The surroundings were deathly quiet, even though the production crew’s cars trailed behind and a lead vehicle was up front—plenty of people around.
But the atmosphere was so easy to stir. With Yan Muyu’s mischievous grin, she even let out an “oh” and pointed. “What’s that over there?”
Just then, headlights flashed across a white shadow flitting by.
Ding Yingxue shrieked and clutched Pei Wan. Xuan Zhelu remained blissfully oblivious, but Qiu Chao calmly said, “Just a plastic bag. No big deal.”
Yan Muyu: “Do you have anything you’re scared of?”
Her hand injury wasn’t fully healed, so Yan Muyu drove more carefully than usual. Her skills were solid, though—the van’s poor suspension made for a bumpy ride regardless.
Qiu Chao: “Of course. Being alone in an old house.”
She even peered at Yan Muyu in the dim cabin light. “You know.”
Yan Muyu: “You used to be scared of horror movies too.”
Qiu Chao: “Not as much anymore.”
Yan Muyu: “Grown up, huh.”
She always chatted with such easy familiarity. If you grabbed someone who’d just met Yan Muyu that day and had a third party eavesdrop, they’d swear the two had known each other forever.
In the back, Ding Yingxue still clung to Pei Wan, her mind swirling with ghostly tales, convinced spectral figures lurked outside the car.
Qiu Chao: “I used to think, even if ghosts were real, my mom wouldn’t be by my side.”
The quiet amplified every word, letting live viewers hear the guests clearly.
Qiu Chao rarely touched on this, and each time she did, it carried a heavy veil of sorrow.
Yan Muyu: “Wouldn’t be great even if she was. Dating with Mom watching? Total nightmare.”
【You’re pretty funny.】
【She says that like she knows from experience.】
【Some celebs drag their whole family onto shows once they’re famous. Qiu Chao’s situation feels… different.】
【What’s the deal with the Yan family? Saw a blogger say Yan Muyu’s mom is a total beauty.】
Ding Yingxue twitched her mouth from the back seat, but curiosity got the better of her.
She asked Yan Muyu, “Young Boss Yan, you mentioned a little niece before—is she your mom’s?”
Everyone knew Yan Kai had divorced, and Qiu Chao had practically lived at the Yan house back then. The chat was still trying to link her and Yan Muyu into a full “family” picture.
Yan Muyu: “Nah.”
Mentioning Yan Tianxing always made her smile, her eyes crinkling. To Qiu Chao, it evoked memories of them huddled together, dreaming up their futures.
Back then, Yan Muyu had imagined Yan Kai and Qiu Chao getting married someday, complete with a child of their own.
Qiu Chao, on the other hand, had wondered if she and Yan Muyu tied the knot, would they need to adopt a kid too?
She just had the feeling that Yan Muyu really loved children.
“My mom never got involved in anything like that. She’s always been hands-off,” Yan Muyu said.
She steered the car around a mountain, handling the rickety prop van with the ease of someone used to luxury rides. The rich girl made it look effortless, giving off the vibe that she could thrive anywhere without a care.
“My brother raised me, so his kids would be no problem for me to look after,” Yan Muyu added.
Ding Yingxue glanced at Qiu Chao in the passenger seat, tempted to say something, but Xuan Zhelu suddenly piped up from the side. “So, if Sister Qiu had married your brother back then, would you have liked their kid too?”
【Xuan Zhelu… you…】
【Amitabha, forgive the drunkard.】
Xuan Zhelu blurted it out just as Yan Muyu took a sharp turn on the mountain road. If Ding Yingxue hadn’t reacted fast, her head would’ve smacked hard against the glass.
“Can we cut this part?” Yan Muyu asked.
She let out a laugh. “Oh right, we’re live.”
