Chapter 16

Chapter 16

At first, the people Liu Datou brought thought his claims were exaggerated, but now, seeing Wen Zhi's confident aura, they mostly believed him.

Both sides set up their chess pieces and dueled.

The director told the others to continue recording the show. Liu Yiru was about to resume cutting wheat when Wen Zhi called over to her, "Just rest over there. Someone will take care of the wheat later."

This remark got Liu Datou’s crew riled up, making them itching for a fight.

Liu Yiru hesitated for a couple of seconds before actually standing aside with Sen Sen and Mu Mu to watch.

Lin Jiyao, wearing a straw hat, started cutting wheat. Wen Bingchun, still confused, held her sickle and glanced between Wen Zhi and him, asking in confusion, "Aren’t we going to watch?"

Lin Jiyao replied, "Wen Zhi isn’t on your team. Why do you care if she wins?"

Wen Bingchun: "..."

It really didn’t.

Clenching her jaw, Wen Bingchun began cutting wheat.

Xiao Xiao, with her short legs, darted around Lin Jiyao. Every time she received a bundle of wheat, she had a blast running to the open area, busy and delighted. As she ran, she cheered, "Go for it! Brother Jiyao, go for it! Brother Xiao Wen, go for it! Sister Bing, go for it..."

Her adorable little voice melted the crew’s hearts.

Xiao Wen ran back and forth with armfuls of wheat, his chubby face jiggling with each step, moving so fast that Wen Bingchun couldn’t pass him wheat fast enough.

The wheat swayed in the wind, and shouts rang out now and then from the center of the field. Lin Jiyao and Wen Bingchun’s side had already cut a small portion, while Liu Yiru’s team hadn’t lifted a finger.

Liu Yiru fretted, "Mu Mu, can your mom win?" Maybe she should start harvesting wheat first.

Mu Mu, his eyes glued to the chessboard, answered seriously, "Yes. Mom is really good at chess. She can hold her own against her teacher." Usually, she went easy on her father.

The live-stream audience was getting antsy too.

"She’s taking forever to make a move—can Wen Zhi really do it?"

"Lin Jiyao’s team has already cut a lot."

"Like I said, it was just luck before."

Amateurs watch for fun; experts watch for skill. While the audience only saw Wen Zhi playing slowly, Liu Datou, sitting across from her, was breaking a sweat.

He placed a piece and gritted his teeth. "You—you’re messing with me! Why hold back when you could’ve taken my pieces outright several times?"

Wen Zhi rubbed her wrist. "Just being polite to my elders, gramps."

Liu Datou scoffed. "Tch, what mental preparation? Just play seriously."

Wen Zhi slammed a piece down. "Checkmate!"

Liu Datou: "..."

Wen Zhi: "Thanks for the game."

Suddenly, he felt like cursing.

Liu Datou glared at Wen Zhi. The old man behind him grew impatient, rubbing his hands and urging, "Ah, if you lost, go help cut wheat. Move aside—let me get payback."

Liu Datou reluctantly took the sickle from Liu Yiru and headed to the wheat field. Glancing at the other team, which had already cut a good chunk, he grumbled under his breath, "The old guy lost at chess, but surely he can't lose at harvesting wheat."

Five minutes later, two more elderly men joined him.

Wen Xiaowen kept looking up anxiously. Seeing the old-timers who grew up working these fields swiftly catching up, he stomped his feet in frustration. "Sister, hurry! They're almost catching up to us!"

Wen Bingchun, already unskilled, grew even more flustered under her brother's urging. Lin Jiyao didn't look up but noticeably sped up his movements.

Yet no matter how fast they were, they couldn't outpace the old-timers who had spent their lives in the fields.

Liang Sensen tugged at his mother excitedly. "Mom, we're about to win! I knew Mu Mu and his mom were amazing!"

[livestream comments]

"Hahaha, Wen Bingchun and Lin Jiyao must be envying Liu Yiru now, just as much as they pitied her earlier."

"OGs stay OGs. No matter how hard Lin Jiyao tries, he'll lose in this field."

"Is this the difference between mental and physical labor? Our Ji-ge is breaking his back while Wen Zhi just uses her brain and harvests wheat effortlessly—facepalm.jpg."

"Aww man, I’ll never call Wen Zhi useless again. She’s clearly a secret OP!"

"Pssh, what secret OP? Being good at chess doesn’t put food on the table. Dead weight gets cut loose."

"GTFO with that. Chess can absolutely put food on the table. There are world championships for chess—do champions win for nothing? Wen Zhi has looks and brains, so what if she’s a bit useless otherwise!"

An hour later, Liu Datou and over a dozen others had all fallen to Wen Zhi. Two hours later, her team had finished harvesting, threshing, and drying the wheat.

Liu Yiru got carried to victory alongside Wen Zhi!

Wen Xiaowen threw down his wheat and started wailing. Xiao Xiao, exhausted and already asleep, scratched her ear, turned over, and continued her soft snoring.

Wen Bingchun, irritated by the crying, nearly cut her hand. She stood up, her straw hat long gone, her wavy hair sticking to her forehead in disarray. She glanced back at Wen Zhi, who had already left, feeling a sickening frustration.

Production wasn't calling it, and Lin Jiyao was still working diligently. She couldn’t just walk away.

What could she do? Keep working.

As she labored, she thought: Lin Jiyao isn’t just cold—he’s mad sus. We’ve already lost, why is he going so hard?

As the sun set, the livestream displayed a bold caption: "The sun is setting, yet they're persisting despite knowing they've lost. This is the sense of responsibility passed down through generations; this is the never-say-die attitude of our farmers. Let’s cheer them on."

[livestream comments]

"Lol, as if. Didn’t Liu Yiru offer to help earlier, only for production to stop her? Stop with the 'responsibility' and 'spirit' nonsense."

"Hahaha, forget the caption—just play some sad violin music instead."

"Thought they had this locked up, only to lose so badly. My poor Ji-ge."

"Whoever bet on spicy strips earlier, better send some to Wen Zhi as an apology!"

"Too harsh, guys. Can’t you see how miserable Bing-mei is? And you’re laughing? Wen Zhi's being such a tryhard—she didn’t even show solidarity!"

Newly converted fans of Wen Zhi fired back.

"Bing's fans are hilarious. The old men agreed to help Wen Zhi, not Bing-mei. Asking Wen Zhi to intervene would be mad sus."

"GTFO with that. Where was this 'team spirit' BS earlier? It’s a competition—why should anyone help? Besides, this was clearly production's arrangement. Blaming Wen Zhi is absurd!"

The live comments were in heated chaos when someone suddenly shouted, "Stop arguing! Check WEIBO—Wen Zhi is trending!"

Without a second thought for the two still toiling in the wheat field, the audience immediately switched to WEIBO to join the frenzy.

Upon entering, they saw a video posted by the official account of *Baby!*—*Wen Zhi's Rural Chess Showdown: 1 vs. 13!*—rocketing straight to the top of the trending list.

The hashtags *#Wen the Landlady is Back at Work* and *#Grandmaster Duan Chengsi Calls Out Wen Zhi* ranked fifth and tenth, respectively.

The top-trending video captured Wen Zhi playing chess against thirteen elderly villagers from every angle. Throughout the match, she remained calm and composed, executing moves like *Muffled Palace Kill*, *Twin Horses Drinking from the Spring*, and *Fishing the Moon from the Sea Bottom* with effortless mastery. The old men across from her were left scratching their heads in frustration, sacrificing pieces left and right, even blurting out a torrent of colorful curses.

The typically laid-back Wen Zhi, now radiating brilliance as she strategized, was mesmerizing—impossible to look away from.

"Sis, I’m done—Wen Zhi’s my queen now!"

"AHHHHH, she's so cool! Our Sister Zhi, cool as ice while wrecking everyone!"

"AHHHHH, not only is she brilliant, but she's also drop-dead gorgeous—total package!"

"Hahaha, I always said Mu Mu was smart—how could Wen Zhi be useless?"

The audience then clicked on the second trending topic, *#Grandmaster Duan Chengsi Calls Out Wen Zhi*. It featured a screenshot of Duan Chengsi, China's grandmaster and world chess champion, commenting under the first trending post. He praised Wen Zhi's steady yet versatile playing style, calling her a rare talent, and tagged the show’s official account, asking if she’d be interested in joining China's national chess team.

The comment was quickly upvoted to the homepage by netizens and pinned by *Baby!*’s official account.

The audience was electrified, all asking for Wen Zhi’s WEIBO handle and tagging her. But after searching high and low, no one could find it—until someone left a comment:

"Wen Zhi is a regular person—seems she doesn’t have WEIBO. But there’s an anti-fan page for her where everyone gathers: @‘Ice Beauty’s Iron Fans.’"

People immediately clicked in and discovered the page had already surpassed a million followers.

"Can someone explain why it’s an anti-fan page (lol)? And why is the admin a fan of Wen Bingchun?"

"Replying to above: This page started as a hub for Wen Zhi’s antifans, but now it’s a mix of Gardenias and antifans."

"WTF?! How bizarre! Wen Zhi’s fans are something else—sharing a page with antifans? Ridiculous!"

"The tenth trending topic seems to be posted by this page. Go check it out—it’s hilarious! It was meant to criticize Wen Zhi, but the more you watch, the more you like her. HAHAHAHA!"

"Shh, keep it down. The admin is about to cry. What if she rage-deletes the account? HAHAHA!"

Curious, many clicked into the tenth trending topic.

‘Ice Beauty’s Iron Fans’ had posted an edited video: Wen Zhi lounged in a rocking chair, casually fanning herself with a double-sided embroidered silk fan, with endless wheat fields stretching behind her. As a voice declared "Checkmate," the scene cut to villagers wiping sweat, Lin Jiyao gritting his teeth while harvesting, Wen Bingchun taking over, then the old villagers stepping in—all set to a ridiculously addictive background track. The video ended with Wen Xiaowen whining and a freeze-frame of Wen Zhi flashing a smug grin.

The video’s title: *The Savage Landlady is Back at Work—All Antifans, Come Attack Wen Zhi!*

The admin, ‘Ice Beauty’s Iron Fans,’ rallied troops to attack Wen Zhi, but the comments were flooded with "HAHAHAHA," making her lose it.

Ugh, being an antifan admin was so unfair!

"I’m staying for the drama! Keep it up, admin—more ‘Landlady Wen’ content, please!"

"HAHAHAHA, the admin must be crying in the bathroom by now."

"Quick, spam the show’s hotline! Tell them to make Wen Zhi open a WEIBO account so she can clap back at ‘Ice Beauty’s Iron Fans.’ HAHAHAHA!"

These netizens were ruthless. Not content with just laughing, they actually called the show’s production team. The staff, overwhelmed by calls, slowly typed out a pleading face emoji on screen: "Director Fang’s on it—he’ll ask!"

The scene returned to the farmhouse at the village committee, where Wen Zhi, Liu Yiru, Mu Mu, and Liang Sensen were taking inventory of the feast, small electric fans, bamboo mats, bamboo rocking chairs... and floor cushions sent by the elderly villagers.

Liu Datou smiled kindly, "Got everything here for ya. Let’s play a few more rounds of chess when you have time!"

"You got it," Wen Zhi replied with a smile. "When we leave, we’ll return anything useful to you."

Liu Datou pouted, "Cut the formalities! We’re chess buddies—no need for such talk. These things aren’t valuable anyway. Later!"

As soon as Liu Datou stepped out, he bumped into Lin Jiyao, Wen Bingchun, and the others. He gave Lin Jiyao a friendly slap on the back with a hearty laugh, "Hey, you young folks work fast!"

Lin Jiyao staggered, nearly dropping Xiao Xiao in his arms.

Liu Datou caught sight of Wen Bingchun behind him and gasped, "Whoa, what hit ya? You look like you got dragged through a wheat field backwards!"

Wen Bingchun stood there disheveled—her hair tangled, wheat leaves stuck to her flushed face, clothes covered in dust, and pant legs torn in several places. None of her earlier elegance remained.

She managed a strained smile.

Before Liu Datou could say more, a quick-thinking buddy pulled him away from the doorway.

The two siblings went inside to clean up. By the time they came out, Wen Zhi and the others were already seated around the table, waiting.

Wen Zhi waved at Xiao Xiao and Wen Xiaowen, "Come on over, y'all! Uncle brought us a feast—let’s eat together!"

It was just dinnertime, and the dishes sent by the villagers were still warm. The roasted chicken, grilled ribs, braised fish, and soy-braised pork trotters on the table smelled amazing, while the fresh green vegetables made the children’s mouths water.

Xiao Xiao grinned, revealing little baby teeth, and asked in her little voice, "Can my brother join us too?"

Wen Zhi nodded, "Of course! Xiao Xiao is Mu Mu’s good friend, so your brother is our good friend too. That's what friends do - share!"

She winked at Mu Mu, who hesitated for a moment before walking over to take Xiao Xiao’s hand. Xiao Xiao happily led her brother to the table.

After pulling Xiao Xiao along, Mu Mu turned back to grab Wen Xiaowen. Wen Xiaowen, still red-eyed with his curls sticking up every which way, yanked his hand away from Mu Mu and glared. Fortunately, Mu Mu barely kept his balance—he swayed slightly but stayed steady.

Everyone in the room watched silently. Xiao Xiao blinked and whispered, "Brother Xiaowen, aren’t you going to eat?"

Wen Bingchun forced a smile and tried to explain for her brother, "Xiaowen wants to—"

"NO! Real men choose honor over food! I said if I lost, I’d only eat porridge. I won’t touch your feast!" Wen Xiaowen huffed, convinced the competition had been unfair. He refused to eat Mu Mu’s food.

"That chubby little guy is so rude! Mu Mu kindly invited him, and he even pushed him!"

"Hahaha, what a principled chubby! Sounding like a mini philosopher! Seems like sneaking books at night paid off!"

"Wen Bingchun is so gentle—how come her brother has such a temper? Are they really raised by the same parents? She can't handle him at all."

"Xiaowen..." Wen Bingchun crouched down, intending to persuade her brother.

Wen Zhi was playing the generous host—if they refused, people would surely think they were being rude.

Besides, after working all afternoon, she was starving. Just porridge would be torture.

But before she could speak, Wen Xiaowen cut in, "My sister won’t eat either! She’d rather starve than eat!"

Gah!

Wen Bingchun wanted to scream!

But he'd already said it—she couldn't back down now.

Thus, while Wen Bingchun, Lin Jiyao, and Liu Yiru indulged in a lavish meal with the three children, Wen Bingchun and her strong-willed brother settled for watery porridge and pickled vegetables.

It was the saddest sight ever!

Yet, with every bite of meat Xiao Xiao took, she would ask, "Brother Xiaowen, are you really not going to eat this meat? It’s so delicious!"

Wen Xiaowen swallowed hard but firmly shook his head.

Wen Bingchun took a sip of porridge and said with a smile, "Xiaowen is a little chubby anyway. Eating porridge is good for losing weight."

"I’m not chubby! Mom and Dad both say I’m not! I’m just cute!" Wen Xiaowen snapped like a firecracker, tears welling up in his eyes. He jumped off his stool and ran straight to his room.

In his haste, he knocked over the bowl of porridge on the table, splashing it onto Wen Bingchun’s wrist. She winced in pain but held back a yelp.

Wen Zhi and the others were startled, and staff quickly rushed over to help. Wen Bingchun stood up calmly, saying, "It’s fine. I wasn’t burned. No need for any treatment."

As she wiped her hands with a tissue, she explained, "Xiaowen wanted to compete with Mu Mu, but Mu Mu won without even competing with him. He’s just throwing a tantrum. I’ll go comfort him." With that, she smiled at everyone and headed toward the room.

"Ugh, Wen Bingchun’s being so fake! Mu Mu never agreed to compete with him. It’s Mu Mu’s first time winning thanks to his mom—shouldn’t he get to enjoy it? Why’s the kid so sensitive?"

"The kid clearly got mad because his sister called him fat, but she made it sound like it was Mu Mu’s fault. Her name might mean ‘pure ice,’ but she’s so passive-aggressive. I was neutral toward her before, but now I dislike her."

"Exactly! She usually acts so caring toward her brother, but then she publicly calls him fat? Don’t kids have self-esteem?"

"Hey, that’s too harsh! She’s just telling it like it is. Wen Zhi’s team cheated their way to winning—can’t she point that out?"

"Right! Her hands are blistering! What did Wen Zhi do? Played two rounds of chess, lounged in a rocking chair all afternoon drinking tea and eating melon. Just because she has stomach issues, does she get to act all precious?"

"Stop fighting! You’re both surnamed Wen—why be so harsh on each other?"

"Get lost!"

"SCREW OFF!!!"

Liu Yiru glanced toward Wen Bingchun’s room, then at Wen Zhi. Across the table, Wen Zhi continued eating and drinking, messing with her kid, totally unbothered by Wen Bingchun’s words.

Liu Yiru couldn’t help but feel that Wen Bingchun always stared her down, her gaze lingering on her intentionally or not. Yet Wen Zhi remained not too friendly, not too distant to everyone except Mu Mu.

"Mom, I want ribs," Liang Sensen reached his tiny hand out, trying to reach the plate.

A small hand pushed the ribs toward him. Liang Sensen looked up and met Mu Mu’s big, dark eyes, immediately breaking into a smile. "Thank you!"

Mu Mu’s eyes curved slightly. "You’re welcome."

Xiao Xiao blinked at the two older boys, then copied with a giggle, "Thank you, you’re welcome!"

Liu Yiru turned to Wen Zhi, too curious not to ask. "Wen Zhi, seriously, who taught you to play chess? How’d you get so good so fast?" According to official records, Wen Zhi was only 24—how’d she master it?

Wen Zhi stabbed a shrimp with her fork, thinking for a moment. "Someone once secretly gave me a chess manual and gave me some pointers. Technically, I taught myself!"

Liu Yiru was stunned. "Chess is so complex—how did you have the patience to learn it?"

Wen Zhi smiled faintly. "When your life depends on learning, you can master anything."

Liu Yiru: ...Okay, that went over my head.

*Thud!*

A chopstick clattered onto the table, drawing everyone's attention. Lin Jiyao's hand holding the other chopstick trembled slightly, the utensil dangling precariously from his fingers.

"Hahaha! Wen Zhi putting on airs scared our Ji-ge so much he dropped his chopsticks!"

"Putting on airs? Wen Zhi's eyes hold stories—Aaaah! Suddenly I really want to know more about Sister Zhi!"

"Who cares about that? Focus on Lin Jiyao first—his hand won't stop shaking!"

Xiao Xiao stared at her Big Brother's hand for a long moment before asking innocently, "Big Brother, why is your hand shaking?"

Liang Sensen chimed in, "Big Brother, are you cold?"

"How could anyone be cold in this heat?" Mu Mu observed before concluding, "Big Brother's hand looks like it's cramping."

Lin Jiyao's usually aloof face flushed red, but he clammed up completely.

"Hahaha, Is Lin Jiyao getting farmhand cramps from harvesting wheat for the first time?"

"Stop laughing! Our Ji-ge is such a tryhard—why work so hard? He even finished cutting Wen Bingchun's wheat for her."

"No, I feel bad for the hottie too, but I just want to see how he handles these three kiddos."

"Hahahaha, with Lin Jiyao's aloof personality, he'd never admit his hands cramped from manual labor!"

The three kiddos were eyeballing him hard, literally making his scalp tingle with discomfort.

Just then, Director Fang entered from outside and approached Wen Zhi: "So, Wen Zhi, do you have a Weibo account?"

Everyone's attention shifted to Director Fang, allowing Lin Jiyao to secretly exhale in relief.

Wen Zhi looked puzzled: "Weibo? No, why?"

Director Fang: "Our first episode is edited and ready for promotion on Weibo. All other guests followed back the show's account—only you haven't."

Wen Zhi responded with an "Oh": "I don't have a phone!"

The next second, Director Fang pulled out her phone: "Just this once—set one up right now."

The parents exchanged glances: Why does Director Fang seem so urgent?

"Hahaha, Director Fang's such an old schemer—not mentioning Duan Chengsi's call-out or the flood of angry comments, just tricking our Sister Zhi into signing up."

"Ahhhhh, register quickly! I want to be Sister Zhi's first follower!"

"Wuwuwu... I'm torn about whether to change my favorite..."

As Wen Zhi followed Director Fang's instructions to register, Mu Mu stage-whispered to Xiao Xiao: "Does your Big Brother have Weibo too?"

Xiao Xiao nodded vigorously: "Uh-huh! My Big Brother has tens of millions of followers!"

Mu Mu gasped: "Tens of millions of people like your Big Brother?"

"Yes! They all love him. Whenever he goes live, so many people send him virtual gifts!"

Mu Mu pressed: "What do the virtual gifts do?"

Sensen interjected: "I know! When my mom goes live, people send her virtual gifts too. Dad says it's actual cash and tells her to stream more, but she refuses."

"Sensen!" Liu Yiru's face went sheet-white, her voice turning sharp.

Liang Sensen was startled, nervously twisting his chopsticks and glancing at his mother.

"Ew, so Liu Yiru came back just to make money?"

"I used to like her movies, but now she's exploiting her kid for clout and money. Total turnoff."

"Chill with the hate! Movie Queen Liu hasn’t done any livestreams in the six years she was away. Since her comeback, she’s only done two, and both times she refunded all the gifts from fans. How’s that grifting?"

"Movie Queen Liu’s husband has always been a mystery. People used to guess he was some high-profile outsider, but now it seems he’s not much to write home about—especially his character."

"Do you think the show invites guests for free? Should Movie Queen Liu work for free?"

"Exactly! By that logic, Lin Jiyao, Wen Bingchun, and Wen Zhi are also here just to make money."

"Leave Sister Zhi out of this! My Sister Zhi is here to retire!"

"LMAO, ruthless."

"Done." Wen Zhi finished registering and immediately handed the phone back to Director Fang.

Without her knowing, her blank account (no posts) started blowing up with followers.

Just as Director Fang was about to ask if she had followed the show’s official account, someone outside suddenly called Wen Zhi’s name.

Everyone curiously looked outside. A delivery truck was parked on the cement driveway, and the courier stepped out, peeking in to ask, "Who’s Wen Zhi? There’s a package for you."

The courier carried in a giant box (like, person-sized). "Which one is Wen Zhi? Come check the package and sign if everything’s okay."

Wen Zhi froze. "I didn’t order anything!" Could it be from Uncle Zhong? She had specifically told him not to worry about her.

"Not my call—I just deliver," the courier shrugged.

"This isn’t a bomb, right?" Wen Zhi asked skeptically.

"LOL, Wen Zhi thinks she’s public enemy #1?"

"Girl, what? China’s super safe—no way it’s a bomb."

"LMAO, I know what it is."

"What? Spill the tea!"

"Yeah, spill!"

The courier side-eyed her. "We scan everything. No prohibited items allowed."

Wen Zhi walked over and checked the shipping info, surprised. "Food?"

The trio’s eyes went wide, and they darted around the box excitedly.

Even stoic Lin Jiyao stood up.

Under everyone’s curious gazes, Wen Zhi opened the box—revealing a whole crate of spicy strips, stunning everyone into silence.

Mu Mu frowned first, unhappy. "Mom, you sneaky bought more spicy strips?"

"Nuh-uh! I swore I’d quit sneaking them," Wen Zhi quickly raised her hand in oath.

Everyone stared at Wen Zhi, especially Mu Mu, giving his mom the side-eye.

Wen Zhi shook her head repeatedly: "I’m innocent! I really didn’t buy those snacks."

The courier handed her a pen: "Sign for the package, please."

Everyone: "Yeah, keep lying."

Wen Zhi felt like there was no way to prove her innocence now.

Director Fang's earpiece buzzed, and after a moment of surprise, he finally cleared Wen Zhi’s name: "These spicy strips were sent by viewers who lost a bet—specifically for you."

Wen Zhi: "Haters, huh?!"

A whole big box of spicy strips—were they trying to kill her with food?

How much did they hate her?!

"Hahahaha, she’s quite self-aware."

"Hahahaha, that’s brutal! Someone actually sent spicy strips? They’re putting Little Dumpling in a tough spot. He has to study while keeping an eye on his mom sneaking snacks."

"Hahahaha, whoever sent the spicy strips, own up—I swear I won’t kill you. Who even comes up with such a devious idea?"

"Gardenias, from now on, our fan club’s background image will be spicy strips, and our password will be spicy strips too!"

"Hahahaha, I’m dying of laughter. Every time I see Wen Zhi, I just can’t stop grinning."

Wen Zhi glanced at Little Dumpling and refused to sign: "I won’t take a single thing from the audience. Send it back."

The courier: "..."

"But... this is prepaid delivery. The shipping fee..."

Everyone stared at Wen Zhi, biting back laughter.

In an unnoticed corner, Wen Bingchun’s door cracked open slightly. She stood there, clutching her reddened wrist, her expression gloomy.

It was always like this. Whenever Wen Zhi appeared, everyone’s attention revolved around her.

Even playing chess could get her trending.

Behind her, Wen Xiaowen was sound asleep under the blankets. The iPad beside him displayed the trending topic about Wen Zhi’s chess game.

With their phones and wallets held by production, it was ultimately the director who paid to send the courier away. Wen Zhi originally wanted to distribute the spicy strips among the staff, but Director Fang wouldn’t allow it—probably afraid the whole crew would end up with stomachaches.

But if they gave it all to Wen Zhi, they worried she might actually eat herself sick. In the end, they gave in and let her have two packs as a token, keeping the rest under lock and key.

The small fan in the room hummed loudly as Wen Zhi carried the two packs of spicy strips upstairs. Little Dumpling sat at the desk, poring over a dictionary.

His cheeks puffed out, his face sulky and clearly annoyed.

Wen Zhi pulled out her hidden stash of snacks from the wardrobe and spread them on the bed, counting them with a grin. "Ah, one door closes, another opens—so many snacks again!" Little Dumpling shot a glance but quickly turned away, ignoring her.

"Should I eat the chocolate first or the spicy strips?"

Little Dumpling still ignored her. Wen Zhi made a show of rustling the spicy strip bag, pretending to tear it open. Finally, Little Dumpling couldn’t stay calm. He marched over, stretched out his hand, and said angrily, "Mom promised not to eat junk food!"

Wen Zhi pretended to think: "But these snacks are tempting me. My stomach’s growling for them. How about Little Dumpling helps me eat them?"

Little Dumpling wrestled with the idea: "A leader must resist temptation..."

The royal rules of Great Yong: Don’t overeat, don’t indulge—just three bites per dish.

Screw restraint—what kid doesn’t love snacks?

Wen Zhi tore open a chocolate bar and made a show of stuffing it into her mouth. "Then I’ll eat it."

Mu Mu panicked and snatched the chocolate, shoving it into his own mouth. The rich sweetness burst on his tongue. He gaped at her in disbelief.

Wen Zhi grinned. "Is it good?"

It was delicious—a taste he’d never experienced before.

Mu Mu nodded honestly. Once he finished, Wen Zhi grabbed a handful and stuffed it into his pocket. "If you like it, have more."

Mu Mu hesitated. "But..."

Wen Zhi: "But what? It’s just you and me here." No Great Yong nonsense here.

"Are we ghosts?! We all saw Wen Zhi tricking the kid into eating snacks!"

"Is Wen Zhi’s parenting even okay? Too much chocolate will rot a child’s teeth."

"It’s already dark, and she’s stuffing the kid with so much. Wen’s useless except at chess, huh?"

"I’m a Gardenia, but this feels off."

"Did no one remember what Wen Zhi said when she first arrived? She didn’t want Mu Mu to work so hard—just do what kids should do. Isn’t eating snacks what kids do? Ugh, Wen Zhi probably faked being sick just so Mu Mu would eat snacks willingly."

"Now that you mention it, I think so too. Since the show started, we’ve never seen Mu Mu eat snacks. He’s always so rigid. If it were my kid, I’d want him to be livelier, to indulge a little."

"Gardenias are so full of themselves. It’s just a clueless, useless mom making it sound noble."

The moment the antifans spoke, the Gardenias attacked.

"Beat it, trolls! This is Wen Zhi’s livestream. You bash Sister Zhi nonstop but still sneak in for drama!"

The antifans didn’t want to, but Wen Bingchun’s stream wrapped early, Lin Jiyao and Xiao Xiao were already asleep from exhaustion, and Liu Yiru was deep in a mom-talk with her son. Out of all of them, Wen Zhi’s side was the most entertaining.

Mu Mu fidgeted with his pocket, torn.

Wen Zhi: "You have friends, right? You can share with Xiao Xiao and Sen Sen."

Mu Mu nodded. "Alright, I’ll share with my good friends tomorrow."

While he spoke, Wen Zhi slipped another piece of chocolate into his mouth. Little Dumpling mumbled incoherently, his speech slurred, cheeks puffed out, lips moving as he chewed. His dark, glossy eyes made him look like a tiny hamster—soft and stupidly cute.

"God, Mu Mu’s too cute! Mama adores you!"

Little Dumpling chewed his chocolate, his face flushing pink.

"Ugh, I wanna stuff him with treats!"

"The little rule-follower is so cute when he eats, like a stuffed bun. If only he’d smile, he’d be even cuter."

Wen Zhi was relieved: Her kiddo finally caved.

Chips, bear-shaped cookies, cupcakes—all queued up.

Wen Zhi ate a cookie herself. Mother and son sat facing each other, munching and grinning.

The scene was simply a feast for the eyes and so heartwarming.

The live stream viewers also seemed to have eaten a whole bag of chocolates, their eyes lit up like stars.

A rapid-fire knocking abruptly shattered this cozy moment.

Wen Zhi called out, "Come in," and a staff member pushed the door open, peeked in, and whispered, "Miss Wen, your phone."

Before Wen Zhi could move, Mu Mu immediately jumped off the bed, dashed over to take the phone, and politely said, "Thank you."

Everyone loves a polite child, and the staff member smiled before heading downstairs.

Mu Mu handed the phone to Wen Zhi, who remembered the social media account she had registered earlier in the day and decided to check it.

Just as she picked up the phone, it started buzzing like crazy—an unfamiliar number.

Her quick fingers pressed the answer button.

A pissed-off baritone came through the phone: "You actually blocked me? Are we even married anymore?"

Wen Zhi was momentarily stunned and was about to ask if he had the wrong number when the caller went off on a rant.

"Before we got married, I told you my family comes from an old-money literati family. Even though we’ve fallen on hard times, we still value status. After marriage, your priority should be the family. I’ll handle earning money. The company is tight right now, but once things stabilize, I’ll pay you *back*. Why couldn’t you just be a dutiful Mrs. Liang? Instead, you had to go on some show and drag Sen Sen along with you. If you really wanted to work, you could’ve just streamed from home. The show hasn’t gotten you anywhere anyway, and now you’ve made my mom so angry she’s hospitalized. No matter what, once this episode is over, you’re quitting the show, and Sen Sen will be raised by my mom from now on."

Wen Zhi finally understood—this was a leech of a husband. Using Liu Yiru’s money while restricting her with his so-called "old-money literati" standards.

Men like this deserve to rot.

Furious, Wen Zhi got out of bed and abruptly ended the live stream, letting loose a string of expletives that left the caller speechless.

She ended with, "The *hell* are you? Why do you have Yiru’s phone?"

"Try *grandma*, asshole!" Wen Zhi hung up with a *click*, only to look up and see Liu Yiru standing at the door.

She froze for a second, then calmly stood up and handed the phone to Liu Yiru as she approached. "Your husband... sorry, I couldn’t help myself."

They exchanged phones, and Liu Yiru’s face cycled through emotions.

Wen Zhi explained, "Our phones look the same. The staff must’ve mixed them up. I’ll put a label on mine later."

Liu Yiru’s lips pressed tight, lost in thought.

Wen Zhi winced for answering the call without permission. "I’m sorry..."

Liu Yiru glanced at the live stream feed, confirming it was off, then said, "Don’t apologize. That was well said—it was damn cathartic." This marriage had her caged like an animal, always feeling something was off but being suppressed by her husband time and again.

Hearing Wen Zhi’s outburst had somehow given her a sense of relief.

Wen Zhi awkwardly watched as Liu Yiru turned to leave. But just as she reached the door, Liu Yiru suddenly turned back and stared at her. A beat, then she asked, "Pathetic, right?"

Wen Zhi: "..."

Liu Yiru continued, "Is it bad for a child not to have a father?"

Why *her* of all people?

Wen Zhi didn’t answer. Meanwhile, Mu Mu, sitting on the bed, blinked his dark eyes and asked earnestly, "Why do we need a father? Things are fine as they are." To his imperial father, he was just one of many sons—screw up, and you’re beaten—or worse.

He had seen brothers executed before.

For him, being free from Great Yong and his imperial father was a huge relief.

Mu Mu's eyes were clear and bright, glowing with quiet happiness.

Liu Yiru paused, her dull eyes brightening a little before she suddenly smiled and said to them, "Turn in early."

She walked slowly downstairs and spotted Wen Bingchun at a hidden spot near the stairs. Wen Bingchun was holding a cup of water, as if she’d just stepped out to get it.

Wen Bingchun asked curiously, "Sister Liu, are you going to congratulate Wen Zhi?"

Liu Yiru was puzzled, "Congratulate her for what?"

Wen Bingchun smiled, "Oh, you don’t know yet? Wen Zhi is trending #1 on hot searches. I figured you or Ji Yao would’ve been first."

That sounded kinda weird.

Liu Yiru didn’t comment but instead asked, "You got a problem with Wen Zhi?"

Author's Note:

Thanks to all you awesome readers for supporting the official version!