They Just Fell Asleep, Fresh as Daisies?... (Continued)

Zou Yuxing nodded calmly in acknowledgment and reached out to pull Su Shangting away. Wen Feiran watched gratefully, but just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Zou Yuxing thrust his face right up in front of him.

"What was it like eating melon on the scene?"

At those words, the camera in front of them suddenly swung around 180 degrees and pointed at them.

Wen Feiran's brain instantly froze. Zou Yuxing followed his gaze and let out an "Ah." "I forgot about the camera and microphone."

Wen Feiran: "..." You mean you didn't do it on purpose?

Amid the viewers' complaints and threats, Zou Yuxing took matters into his own hands, and the livestream returned to its original darkness and silence.

"You can tell me now, right?" Zou Yuxing went straight to the point. "What was it like eating melon on the scene?"

"You threw the bottle on purpose and hit Duan Haoran right on the head. Didn't that feel great?"

"Why did Sister Mu only tell you about the divorce? You're a painter too. Did you know each other before?"

"..."

Wen Feiran talked until his lips were dry before he barely managed to keep up with Zou Yuxing's rapid-fire questions. Zou Yuxing was finally satisfied and shared some news with him. "Duan Haoran is completely finished. Also, my second maternal uncle's cousin is absolutely furious at home."

"Duan Haoran doesn't have that kind of talent at all, and his paintings are nothing special. He relied entirely on image-building and marketing, but doesn't that make the people who bought his paintings suckers? Some buyers even showed them off everywhere and have really lost face."

"His paintings usually go to auction. The buyers are definitely nowhere near our level, but they still have money and influence. If they all join forces to take revenge on him, Duan Haoran definitely won't be able to stay in the business."

The outcome was very satisfying. Wen Feiran immersed himself in it and savored it for a few seconds.

For once, Su Shangting was on the same side as Zou Yuxing. "No matter how badly Duan Haoran suffers, he deserves it. I just feel sorry for Sister Mu. I don't know if she'll be able to pull herself together."

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone knocked on the door.

The three froze for a few seconds and watched as the door was pushed open from outside.

"Sorry, the door wasn't fully closed when I arrived. I didn't mean to overhear your conversation." Mu Qianyu was all smiles, looking nothing like someone caught at the center of the incident.

Zou Yuxing and Su Shangting both went rigid, to say nothing of Wen Feiran. His ears turned red in an instant, and he hung his head, wishing he could crawl under the table.

"Thank you for your concern." Mu Qianyu took the initiative to ease the tension. "This is a good thing for me. I won't quit filming the variety show. This is my job and my career."

As she spoke, the overcast sky suddenly cleared, and a ray of sunlight fell on Mu Qianyu. Her gaze was calm and her expression serene, yet somehow she radiated a strength that inspired respect.

The viewers in the livestream were utterly captivated.

[Ahhh, big sister is so beautiful.]

[Now she's Niu Hulu Qianyu. Welcome back to the palace, Consort Xi!]

[As a fan of ten years, I'm tearing up. You were so foolish to give up such a promising career for that scumbag. Thank goodness I finally lived to see this day.]

[I love seeing this kind of thing. Don't give me any more stories about love-brained women sacrificing themselves for love!]

Zou Yuxing and Su Shangting were smooth talkers and immediately congratulated her. Only Wen Feiran stood there awkwardly, unable to get a word in. When Mu Qianyu looked his way, he did his best to put on a smile.

"Feiran, I'm sorry. I only just found out that Duan Haoran got a group of people together yesterday to deliberately smear you. It's caused you trouble."

Her casual words stirred up a storm.

This was the strongest evidence to counter the accusations. The fact that he had treated Wen Feiran as a thorn in his side further confirmed that Wen Feiran had the ability, and all the controversy would disappear.

Wen Feiran hadn't expected Mu Qianyu to bring it up and was momentarily stunned.

Mu Qianyu's smile widened. She looked at the others. "I'd like to speak to Feiran alone."

Zou Yuxing and Su Shangting tactfully left the room, and the cameraman following Mu Qianyu went out as well.

Wen Feiran looked puzzled, unable to guess why Mu Qianyu was treating him differently.

"Do you remember what I said to you yesterday?"

Wen Feiran shouldn't have been able to guess, but something suddenly stirred in his heart. "Don't let your talent and hard work go to waste."

Mu Qianyu nodded.

"Although our experiences are different, our circumstances are the same. I saw a soul like mine in you. Those words were for you, but they were also for me."

Mu Qianyu suddenly gave him a playful wink. "You must be especially curious. I could have handled all this in private, so why did I bring it out in front of the cameras?"

"I did it on purpose."

Mu Qianyu's tone was

light,

but ambition flickered in her eyes. "I want to make a comeback, to draw attention, to get back everything I should have. And this is the best publicity hook. I've already wasted so much time and energy on this man, so why shouldn't I use him to get one last bit of compensation for myself?"

Mu Qianyu's looks hadn't changed; she was still radiant and beautiful. But compared with Duan Haoran's wife, the woman she was now was so stunning that it was impossible to look away.

It took Wen Feiran a few seconds to catch his breath. "I'm glad you could tell me all this, and I wish you all the best."

Mu Qianyu smiled. "You too."

She had been in the industry for a long time and could sense people's qualities very clearly. She had a feeling that she would often see Wen Feiran in the future and would have things to ask of him.

Wen Feiran looked puzzled, but Mu Qianyu didn't explain further. She held out her hand to him. "Let's introduce ourselves again. I'm Mu Qianyu."

The incident had caused a huge stir, but the people on the show were unaffected, and Mu Qianyu was more radiant than ever.

Divorce really was the best cosmetic treatment.

To maintain his persona, Ning Tingyu made several attempts to show concern for Mu Qianyu, but her behavior made his efforts seem unnecessary.

He could only retreat in embarrassment and watch as Wen Feiran, whom he had intended to use as a stepping stone, somehow grew closer to the others. They always had something to talk about, while an invisible barrier stood between him and them, and he could never fit in.

The more Ning Tingyu thought about it, the more bitter he became. But he couldn't target Wen Feiran openly, so he could only resort to underhanded tricks behind the scenes.