Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Wen Zhi acted like she didn't see her, but Wen Bingchun was the first to say hello.

"Xiao Zhi, you and Sister Liu came too? I didn’t spot you earlier." Her gaze swept over Lin Jiyao’s assistant, and she immediately understood.

Lin Jiyao had probably just given her a ticket out of politeness. Wen Zhi and Liu Yiru, on the other hand, had VIP tickets and even an assistant clearing the way for them—the favoritism was plain as day.

Recently, the relationship between Wen Bingchun and Wen Zhi had been blowing up online, with most people siding with Wen Zhi. But with so many people around, Liu Yiru was kinda worried that Wen Zhi was ignoring her.

She took over the conversation: "The place was jam-packed, so no surprise we missed you. Why are you backstage?"

Wen Bingchun raised the bouquet in her hand. "To congratulate Ji Yao, of course."

The little ones came running to greet her, asking why Wen Xiaowen hadn’t come.

Wen Bingchun explained, "Xiao Wen’s foot hasn’t fully healed yet, so Mom and Dad made him stay home." Her folks were the kind who'd sooner carry him around all day than let him walk.

The group headed in together without fuss. Staff members greeted all three of them warmly, though their eyes lingered a little longer on Wen Zhi and Wen Bingchun, hoping to catch some tea.

Lin Jiyao was getting his makeup taken off when the three kids kept yelling "Brother!" over and over.

Lin Jiyao responded to each of them before turning to wave at Wen Zhi and Liu Yiru.

Once his makeup was off, Wen Bingchun stepped forward and handed him the bouquet. "Ji Yao, congratulations on a successful concert."

Lin Jiyao nodded slightly, and his assistant quickly came over to take the flowers. "Thank you, Miss Wen."

Liu Yiru also presented a bouquet, which Lin Jiyao accepted naturally—you could tell who he was closer to in a heartbeat.

Wen Bingchun put on a smile.

"Xiao Zhi didn’t bring a gift?"

Wen Zhi glanced at Liu Yiru and then at Wen Bingchun, puzzled. "Why are you all giving flowers?"

Liu Yiru teased, "It’s standard practice—just a token gesture. Right, Ji Yao?"

Lin Jiyao’s lips curled slightly. "Mhm. Surely someone wouldn’t skip even a token gesture?"

The backstage staff were surprised—Lin Jiyao, who's normally so standoffish, was actually joking.

"Of course not. It’s just not flowers. Don’t mind it—it’s my first time attending a concert."

Though everyone’s eyes lingered on them, under everyone’s curious gazes, Wen Zhi took a gift box from Mu Mu and handed it to Lin Jiyao.

Lin Jiyao gave it a suspicious look before opening it.

Inside was an antique inkstone—so last-minute that the auction house’s elegant tag hadn’t even been removed before gifting.

Nothing from that auction house cost less than a million.

People's faces changed: *What’s their relationship for her to give something so expensive?*

Lin Jiyao clicked the box closed. "This is too valuable. I can’t take this." He tried to return it to Wen Zhi.

Wen Zhi wasn't having it and pushed it back. "This late, you expect me to go buy flowers? Just take what you’re given and don’t be choosy."

Lin Jiyao: "Is this even about being choosy?"

Before he could repay the last favor, he was already indebted again.

With so many people watching, it wasn’t appropriate to keep refusing. After thanking her, he said, "Then let me treat you all to dinner. Afterward, my assistant will take you to the airport."

Wen Zhi’s eyes lit up—she was a total foodie.

The kids bounced with excitement.

"Big bro, I want steak!"

"Mom, I want a seafood feast!"

Chatting and laughing, they left the venue with staff escorting them. From start to finish, no one invited Wen Bingchun to join.

Backstage, people shot her glances, murmuring to each other.

Wen Bingchun clenched her fists, nails biting into her palms, but kept her face calm. Once she left the venue and got into her van, her assistant handed her a phone, cautiously saying, "Bingjie, I snapped these on the sly."

On the screen was a photo of Wen Zhi and Lin Jiyao standing face-to-face. The shot only caught Lin Jiyao’s back and side, along with Wen Zhi’s radiant, flirtatious smile. A sliver of the inkstone peeked through, but its value was obvious.

The assistant flicked to another photo—Wen Zhi and Lin Jiyao walking side by side out of the backstage area, with Xiao Xiao, Mu Mu, and Liu Yiru also in the frame.

The assistant studied her expression and continued, "Bingjie, with all the hate you’ve been getting, we could shift the spotlight."

Soon, two photos of Wen Zhi and Lin Jiyao appeared in the DMs of "Ice Beauty’s #1 Fan."

Though "Ice Beauty’s #1 Fan" found the source a bit odd, she didn’t hesitate before posting them.

In under ten minutes, #WenZhiThirstTrappingLinJiyao blew up on Weibo, pushing #LinJiyaoConcert beneath it.

The #WenBingchunFakeInnocent tag got yeeted off the trending list, and no one paid it any further attention.

Everyone spammed @WenZhi and @LinJiyao, demanding answers.

At that moment, the two involved parties had just finished dinner and were about to say goodbye.

The dining room door swung open unexpectedly, and a waiter led Butler Zhong inside.

The moment Butler Zhong saw Wen Zhi, he blurted, "Nuan—"

Wen Zhi flinched, cutting him off loudly, "Uncle Zhong, what are you doing here?" She quickly introduced him to Liu Yiru and Lin Jiyao, "This is our family butler. He’s watched me grow up—probably here to pick me up. I’ll head out first."

She couldn’t let Uncle Zhong blurt out "Nuannuan Xiaojie."

Even if Lin Jiyao didn’t care, she’d die of embarrassment.

If any more rumors spread, how could they possibly film the second season?

"I was going to have my assistant take you," Lin Jiyao said, standing up to nod at Butler Zhong, then asked curiously, "Uncle Zhong, you look very familiar."

Wen Zhi forced a laugh. "Uncle Zhong’s got one of those faces—everyone thinks they’ve seen him before. Anyway, I have personal matters to attend to, so I’ll go ahead." With that, she hurriedly pulled Mu Mu out.

Lin Jiyao stood there, frozen, sensing something wasn’t right.

Once they left the restaurant and got into the family car, Wen Zhi took a deep breath as the car drove off and asked, "Uncle Zhong, why did you come so suddenly?"

Butler Zhong said anxiously, "Miss, you’re getting dragged on Weibo’s top trends. This old man got worried, so I had the driver come pick you up." The airport was a no-go now—reporters might be camped out there.

"Trending?" Wen Zhi frowned, confused. "You sure?"

Butler Zhong was fuming and handed her the phone. "No, it's you who’s being bashed. Should we ask CEO Yun to hire trolls to fight back?" How heartbroken Master and Madam would be if they found out.

Wen Zhi took the phone and clicked in.

The first trending photo showed her and Lin Jiyao smiling at each other; the second captured them walking side by side out of the backstage. The angles were sneaky as hell, easily making people misunderstand their relationship.

Then, many netizens started exposing that Wen Zhi had been grinding for endorsements lately. Someone even dug up an old photo of her wearing flip-flops, a straw hat, and carrying fish when she had just returned, subtly implying she was dirt-poor.

Who would’ve thought even this old photo would resurface?

Wen Zhi scrolled down—the comments were flooded with insults.

"Lmao, Wen Zhi is the real green tea b*tch. She’s a mom and still chasing Lin Jiyao?"

"I actually wanted her to go live so we could tip her. Poor or not, she’s shamelessly greedy—rushing for endorsements right after the first episode ended."

"Ew. After using Mu Mu to make money, she splurges on expensive gifts to chase our Ji Yao? Trying to climb the social ladder by latching onto him, huh?"

"Talk about instant karma. Remember what she said when she helped Movie Queen Liu expose that gold-digger?"

"Deadbeat. Stay away from our Ji Yao!"

Wen Zhi: So this is what they mean by ‘you can run, but you can’t hide’?

Literally seconds ago, she was worried about any scandals, and now this bombshell drops. Just freaking great.

The original poster was ‘Ice Beauty’s Loyal Fan.’

This troll again? Were they even backstage? How did they get this photo?

Wen Zhi laughed in anger. "Me? A gold-digger?"

The Wen family’s wealth could last generations. Unless she’s brain-dead, why would she need a man?

Just as she was about to retaliate, she saw Liu Yiru @ her and post: "Haters gonna hate, I guess. Do I and Sen Sen not count? PS skills trash—can’t even include everyone?"

She then posted a group photo of the three adults and their kids at dinner.

At the same time, Lin Jiyao also @ Wen Zhi: "The kids wanted to hang out, so we arranged it after the concert. Didn’t expect malicious misinterpretation. Lawyers are on it, and I apologize for the trouble caused to Wen Zhi."

He also shared backstage photos, including ones with Liu Yiru and Wen Bingchun.

Once they spoke up, public opinion quickly shifted.

"Some people’s minds are just filthy, twisting a normal gathering between friends into something ugly."

"Exactly. She’s living her best retired life—she couldn’t care less about men."

"#TeamWenZhi. She’s gorgeous, single, and has kids—does that mean she can’t have love? Even if Lin Jiyao likes her, so what?"

"Stop sexualizing parent friendships."

Wen Bingchun, closely monitoring the situation, immediately posted: "Please be kind. We’re all good friends who came to celebrate Ji Yao’s concert. Xiao Zhi? Never."

Wen Zhi was baffled. Liu Yiru and Lin Jiyao speaking up made sense, but Wen Bingchun? What’s her angle?

Wen Bingchun’s reasoning was simple: Total BS from the start. She never intended to harm Wen Zhi—just needed them to divert attention from her own scandal. Now that her goal was achieved, pulling the ‘sisterhood’ act was just the cherry on top.

However, Ice Beauty's Hardcore Fans refused to back down and continued stirring up trouble.

"Why did Wen Zhi give such an expensive gift when everyone else just sent flowers?"

"As broke as she is, yet splurging like that—who’d buy that she isn’t trying to bag Lin Jiyao?"

"Exactly. I’ve seen that inkstone before—it was a recent auction item from Tianji Auction House, worth two million. What ‘ordinary friend’ drops two million on a gift?"

"All four participated in the show, yet the other three hung out without inviting you and Xiao Wen. Isn’t this straight-up exclusion? Our Ice Beauty is just too kind, still speaking up for that good-for-nothing Wen."

Wen Bingchun quickly clarified: "I couldn’t attend the gathering due to personal matters, and Xiao Wen’s leg hasn’t fully recovered yet, so it wasn’t convenient for him to come out. Don’t get the wrong idea about Wen Zhi and the others."

After some thought, she even called Wen Zhi, trying to cut ties with Ice Beauty's Hardcore Fans.

However, Wen Zhi had already blocked her.

Wen Bingchun: "..."

The show wasn’t even over yet, and her cousin really burned all her bridges.

The online drama blew up.

Eventually, it dragged Wen Zhi, who was at the center of the storm, into the fray.

Wen Zhi: "First, I’m not poor. Second, two million is chump change. I just donated three Hope Elementary Schools the day before yesterday. Lastly, those who insulted me and Mu Mu—screenshots saved, cops notified."

Cops notified?

That penniless Wen Zhi was probably all talk. Who’d have the time and money to actually pursue legal action?

The trolls dismissed Wen Zhi’s clapback and continued to taunt in the comments.

"Hahaha, donating Hope Elementary Schools? She lives in a shabby apartment—cut the BS."

"If you’re not poor, why take on so many endorsements? If you’re not poor, why work Mu Mu to the bone, forcing such a young child to work every day? Got no shame?"

"The apple didn’t fall far. Mu Mu’s a little money-grubber on the show, always dreaming of buying a villa."

"Spare us the excuses, dirtbag. You look straight outta a soup kitchen, starving half to death."

After posting her statement, Wen Zhi tossed her phone aside. There was no point arguing—once the cops come knocking, they’d learn their lesson.

But Mu Mu held his phone for a long time, his cheeks flushed with rage, his eyes reddening.

Wen Zhi teased him, "What, about to cry?"

Mu Mu lowered his head and murmured, "The Royal Tutor taught, 'Your actions define you, others’ words don’t...' but they insulted Mother..."

*Crunch*—the screen of the phone in Little Dumpling’s hand splintered under his grip.

Butler Zhong and the driver up front were startled.

Mu Mu sniffled and swore fiercely, "Mother, I will make sure you live in a villa. I won’t let you stay poor forever, poor forever."

"Wait, what?" Wen Zhi blinked. Connecting his behavior on the show to now, a sudden realization dawned on her. Hesitantly, she asked, "Mu Mu... do you seriously think we’re broke?"

Mu Mu clutched her sleeve silently, offering comfort.

That expression—did he seriously think they were broke?

Wen Zhi asked earnestly, "Mu Mu, what makes you think we're poor?"

Mu Mu, afraid of hurting his mother's self-esteem, replied tactfully, "Mom, you don’t have to pretend with me. You always bear everything alone. Our old house isn’t even as big as the Cold Palace in Great Yong, and the furnishings inside aren’t great. Our apartment’s cramped too. It’s always just noodles or half-cooked fish and rice, and you even got sick from it but still worried about me..."

Wen Zhi couldn’t decide whether to laugh or facepalm.

Compared to the Great Yong palace, the Wen family’s old house did seem rather shabby.

So, Mu Mu suddenly became money-minded because he thought they were poor?

Time to set the kid straight about their finances.

Wen Zhi asked Uncle Zhong for the phone and called Director Fang, getting straight to the point: "I’ve watched the first episode. Don’t you usually film at the guests’ places before the second episode?"

Director Fang replied, "We did that for the first episode—every guest was filmed. But some guests pushed back, and it got messy. So, we canceled it for the second episode. In a couple of days, we’ll probably have the guests shoot promotional posters in advance."

Wen Zhi suggested, "Why scrap it? If they’re chicken, I’m game. Have all the other guests come to my place for filming. It’ll satisfy the audience’s curiosity and boost the show’s ratings."

Director Fang, recalling today’s trending topics, immediately understood Wen Zhi’s intention. He nodded but hesitated before agreeing.

Wen Zhi asked, "Is there a problem?"

Director Fang said, "Announcing we’re filming at your place outright might make viewers suspect favoritism. How about this: the show’s official site will launch a poll—‘Which guest’s home would you like to visit?’—and we’ll need you to whip out your wallet." His idea was simple: Wen Zhi and Lin Jiyao were both trending, so filming either would guarantee high ratings.

He’d first discuss it with the other three guests. If Wen Zhi’s votes fell short and Lin Jiyao won, they could film him for a day and then naturally transition to Wen Zhi.

That’d be a win-win.

Money talks—easy fix.

Wen Zhi agreed without hesitation.

However, when the show’s official account launched the poll, Wen Zhi didn’t even need to spend—her votes soared far ahead.

Wen Zhi: Wow, folks really wanna air my dirty laundry.

Wen Bingchun hit the panic button. She knew Wen Zhi’s financial situation better than anyone and couldn’t let the crew film her. She went all in, teeth clenched, dumping a fortune into rigging the poll, but no matter how much she spent, Wen Zhi’s votes stayed ahead.

She snapped at her assistant, "What’s going on?"

The assistant shrugged, "Your toxic stan ‘Ice Beauty’s Iron Fan’ mobilized antifans to vote for Wen Zhi like crazy."

Wen Bingchun: "..."

Clenching her teeth, Wen Bingchun privately messaged ‘Ice Beauty’s Iron Fan,’ who freaked out and pinky-swore they’d drag Wen Zhi’s secrets into the light.

Seriously?!

Is this a prank? Every ‘attack’ just handed her the win.

When the poll ended, Wen Zhi remained firmly in first place.

Director Fang blinked: With these numbers, Wen Zhi broke or what?

He was already counting the hours.

That night, the official account of *Baby!* posted an update: "Get an all-access pass to the guests’ lives! Lin Jiyao, Liu Yiru, Wen Bingchun, and their little ones will crash at Wen Zhi’s place. Catch you at 8 a.m. sharp!" @Wen Zhi @Lin Jiyao @Liu Yiru @Wen Bingchun.

As soon as the official blog post went up, the antifans were ecstatic.

"Hahahaha, I'll definitely be there on time tomorrow, ready to expose Wen Zhi's shady past."

"Is Wen Zhi planning to host everyone in that dump? Come on, no room to even stand with so many people."

"Or is she planning to rent a nicer place to whitewash it?"

"Can't wait—I can't wait to see whether Wen Zhi is truly poor or just faking it."

Within just a few minutes, the post was reposted over ten thousand times. In less than an hour, the whole internet was buzzing that the show's crew and guests would be visiting Wen Zhi's home the next day.

It had to be said, this arrangement was way more entertaining than the first episode, with stronger interactivity and anticipation.

Viewers silently set reminders, waiting for the broadcast to start at 8 a.m. the next morning.

Shortly after reading the post, Wen Zhi received a call from Liu Yiru, who asked urgently, "Are you serious?" She had been caught off guard when Director Fang called her.

Wen Zhi replied, "Absolutely serious."

After hanging up with Liu Yiru, Lin Jiyao called: "You don’t have to respond to them. Taking a few more hits won't hurt."

Wen Zhi remained firm: "Let them talk trash about me, but I won’t allow anyone to slander Mu Mu."

Author's Note: