Back to Three Years Old: Crushing Scumbags on a Parenting Reality Show 194

Chapter 194

Lush greenery, a boundless beach, crystal-clear seawater, the midday sun gilding the scene with a brilliant golden edge.

Rows of barbecue grills smoked and sizzled, creating a lively market atmosphere. A long, white-clothed table, laden with steaming dishes, stretched as far as the eye could see.

Golden skewers of grilled meat were clutched in hands, seafood stew overflowed from pots, and roasted lobsters, larger than an adult’s arm, lay waiting.

And the key was…

Those people… Qin Sichao, Jiang Heye, Shi Dingshan, Shen Jianghe, and… He Rongzheng.

Cheng Rongrong bit her lip, clutching her phone, refreshing Wen Dongyu’s social media feed, each photo a searing brand, burning her eyes.

Why, they were all from the same variety show, why did they go without her?!

She knew it, those hateful people must have a group chat without her!

A rumbling in her stomach, but her hunger wasn’t just for food.

Cheng Rongrong threw her phone aside and ran to the kitchen, but the cupboards and refrigerator were empty, mocking her with their gaping emptiness.

Bai Lei, who had returned after a tasteless meal at the Bai family’s house, barely touching her food, opened the door to a tear-streaked face.

“What, are you hungry?” Bai Lei asked, looking at the open cupboards in the living room, she closed a few as she walked past. “You’re playing a beggar girl; if you get fat during the New Year, how are you going to continue filming? You don’t even have this much self-control?”

“I don’t want to act anymore!” Cheng Rongrong cried, having been hungry since 6 PM last night. “Aunt He is in jail; what’s the point of me acting well!”

The original novel didn’t mention how tiring and difficult acting was! It only wrote about Cheng Tingyan’s success, how every drama and film made her more famous. But for her, the few films she painstakingly acted in barely made a splash, stuck playing child roles, without He Lanxi, she couldn’t even get a decent script.

Although nothing happened to Zhang Shilan, and He Lanxi didn’t expose them, the He family was still angry at their meddling because of the Lu Shijin incident, let alone offering her more resources, they were probably trying to suppress her.

Acting, all effort, no reward, she didn’t want to do it anymore!

“If you don’t act, then what else can you do?” Bai Lei asked, glancing at Cheng Rongrong impatiently.

There was no point, truly no point. But this thing, if she couldn’t even handle this, then what use was she?

Lying in bed every day, “dreaming,” then spouting useless “prophecies”?

Although Bai Lei’s relationship with He Lanxi was more about mutual benefit than genuine friendship, she still felt a sense of… commiseration.

Especially since she had offended that stubborn He Rongzheng, if the Bai family wasn’t trying to control her, they would have abandoned her already.

She couldn’t command the people working for the Bai family anymore. She even had to hire outsiders to investigate, spending her own money. How efficient and convenient her own people were, those outsiders only cared about money, they hadn’t even sent her a proper update!

And why? It was all because of Cheng Rongrong’s “dream” about the He family.

He Lanxi, who should have had eight or nine years of peace, her story ended abruptly. And she, Bai Lei, was implicated.

Bai Lei, already in a bad mood, didn’t hide her disdain for Cheng Rongrong.

But Cheng Rongrong, latching onto her disdainful words, said, “If I don’t act, I can go to school. I can skip kindergarten and go straight to elementary school.” She continued, her face full of longing, “I’ll be a good student, I can skip grades, I’ll quickly go to middle school, high school, university, I can even…”

Competing with Cheng Tingyan in acting was too tiring, she didn’t want to compete anymore. For Bai Lei, as long as she was better than Liu Qiongfang’s daughter, it was enough, then studying was much better. She, an adult, wouldn’t it be easy to surpass that elementary school student!

“…“ Bai Lei, after thinking about it, clicked her tongue, her disdain growing. “Then you’ll just be an ordinary person.”

She did dream correctly, but they were all useless dreams.

And now she even wanted to live an ordinary, boring school life…

Where was the promised miracle?

The words “ordinary person” struck Cheng Rongrong.

Just a year ago, no, just a few months ago, she was still dreaming of replacing the female lead and becoming the center of the world…

But acting was truly too difficult. If she could see results, she could find joy in the hardship, but the things she filmed were just fillers, it made her suffer even more.

“Without Aunt He, we can only find web dramas…” Cheng Rongrong mumbled. “Or ask Dad…”

Bai Lei frowned, just as she was about to retort sarcastically, her phone rang.

It was one of those inefficient outsiders she hired.

This past year, Bai Lei, after opening the long-awaited blind box that was Cheng Rongrong and obtaining the detailed content of her “dreams,” had focused most of her energy on supporting Cheng Rongrong, hoping she would crush Liu Qiongfang’s daughter. She had heard that Cheng Feiying went to see Liu Qiongfang, but before she could even react, she saw Cheng Feiying’s defeated look.

At that time, Bai Lei didn’t think much about it, she just assumed it was Liu Qiongfang’s capable mother and daughter who made it difficult for him.

Then there was the He family incident; she didn’t have time to dwell on Cheng Feiying’s failure.

Last month, on that person’s death anniversary, Bai Lei saw a fresh bouquet of flowers at his grave. She had seen similar bouquets a few times this year, but they were always withered when she arrived, she just assumed someone had placed them at the wrong grave, or they were cleared from other graves and dumped there. She even complained to the cemetery staff. She hadn’t seen any fresh ones until that day, it didn’t seem like a coincidence.

That grave, that person, she was the only one who knew about it.

The cemetery’s surveillance cameras were barely functional, but when she saw the wheelchair being unloaded from the car, Bai Lei felt uneasy. Although the pixelated image couldn’t clearly capture the woman’s face, Bai Lei could only think of one person.

Liu Qiongfang knew? How did she know? When did she know? How much did she know?

Bai Lei’s mind was filled with questions, but she couldn’t command the Bai family’s people anymore, she had to hire outsiders.

Those useless people, they followed her for so long, they only knew that Liu Qiongfang was either at home or at the hospital, the other places she frequented were temples. And as for what she did at the hospital and the temples, they just told her “seeing a doctor” and “praying.” Their efficiency was a world apart from the Bai family’s people, they were so useless.

Before the New Year, she gave them an ultimatum, if they didn’t make any progress, she would hire someone else, only then did they start working seriously.

The investigation finally yielded results, but Bai Lei, after seeing the photo… lost it.

His memorial tablet, Liu Qiongfang actually set up a memorial tablet for him at a temple! She even dared to inscribe [Wife, Liu Qiongfang]!

What wife! Were they even married?! Shameless!

The engraved words were like sharp blades piercing Bai Lei’s eyes, she clutched her phone, her hand trembling with anger, she wanted to smash the phone, destroy this world filled with bastards!

Some were like arrows, strung tight, ready to be released.

And some, clueless, dared to pull the string.

“Without Aunt He, if we want better scripts, we’ll need Dad’s help. I… I called him and asked him to come back today. Don’t fight with Dad this time, we have to be united… Cough… cough… Let… go… Cough, cough…” Cheng Rongrong said, her eyes wide with terror as she looked at the enraged Bai Lei, she grabbed the hands that were around her neck.

What did she say wrong?!

The sudden violence, the pain in her neck, the inability to breathe, Cheng Rongrong’s mind went blank, she didn’t care if she angered Bai Lei further, she instinctively grabbed and pulled at the hands around her neck.

The grip tightened, Bai Lei’s face contorted in rage, Cheng Rongrong didn’t know what she did wrong, she wanted to apologize, but she couldn’t even speak, only gasping for air.

“Family, who wants to be family with you?!” Bai Lei said, her fingers digging into Cheng Rongrong’s skin, drawing blood, but she felt no pain, she just tightened her grip. “You useless trash, I’m his wife!”

Bai Lei regretted it.

She should have gone with him that year, they could have been buried together, her name inscribed next to his on the same tombstone.

Cheng Feiying, that piece of trash, without her, Liu Qiongfang wouldn’t be happy either.

She was wrong, she shouldn’t have wasted her time on him, and on this thing that wasn’t even a miracle.

He lied to her, to make her live, he lied.

There was no miracle waiting for her, only this… thing… she gave birth to, with another man.

She would correct her mistakes, starting with this thing.

Cheng Feiying, Liu Qiongfang, Cheng Tingyan… all the mistakes, she would correct them. Then she could go and be with him, her name inscribed next to his on the tombstone she had visited for so many years.

At Chiji Forest Park in Luhai City, He Rongzheng, who had just dozed off in his tent, was startled awake by the ringing of his phone, the urgent voice on the other end jolting him fully awake.

“Boss! What should we do? That child is about to be strangled to death, should we intervene?”

His subordinate’s anxious voice.

He Rongzheng’s eyes darkened, a flash of coldness.

That Cheng Rongrong, she always seemed to know too much.

He Rongzheng, at his current position, he had everything, he wasn’t interested in so-called prophecies, especially since Cheng Rongrong harbored so much hostility towards Yan Yan and had schemed against him during his search for his daughter.

A hostile prophet was like a poisoned chicken rib, more trouble than it was worth.

Bai Lei strangling Cheng Rongrong, it would eliminate a potential threat he was wary of. And Bai Lei would be brought to justice, a perfect solution.

As long as he… didn’t interfere.

The clumsily built tents were barely functional, a slight distraction from He Rongzheng, and the playful sea breeze blew the unzipped tent flap open, revealing a corner of the lively scene outside.

He Rongzheng stopped the flapping tent flap, his gaze softening as he watched Little Maomao, her chubby face flushed, chasing the giant pig on the grassy field.

What did that fortune teller say? It was because of his good deeds that he was fated to meet her.

“Boss, Boss! Boss!”

The voice on the other end of the phone, like a broken record.

“I understand, go and handle it. Record everything and call the police.” He Rongzheng said calmly.

“No, it’s Cheng Feiying’s car, he just entered the parking garage, should we…”

“Follow him if you can, if not, just go and save the child. Your safety is the priority, and make sure you call the police, send Bai Lei to jail.” He Rongzheng said, lifting the tent flap, he hung up the phone and shouted at his granddaughter in the distance with a smile, “Little Maomao, slow down!”