Damn It, He Totally Showed Me Up!

Episode 29: Brother Chi, What Did You Say?

Lu Chen could not believe his ears and asked again, stressing each word.

You don't like dragon fruit?

Fu Zhouchi did not understand what he meant, nor did he realize he had let the words "Chuanbao" slip from his mouth. A flicker of impatience crossed his eyes.

Then shall I get you something else?

No need. I don't have much of an appetite.

Unable to control the coldness in his tone, Lu Chen went upstairs to rest first.

With that, he turned and headed quickly for the stairs.

Noticing Lu Chen's disappointment, Fu Zhouchi should have gone after him. Somewhere deep down, there really was a voice urging him to do so.

Yet for some reason, his gaze remained drawn to someone else. The instant he looked over, his eyes stuck there as if he had been enchanted, completely beyond rational control.

Sure enough, Song Yichuan had wormed his way into his head in the most despicable manner possible.

After gritting his teeth and reaching that conclusion, Fu Zhouchi left the kitchen. The vividly colored dragon fruit remained on the island counter, silently accusing that heartless scumbag of being utterly ruthless.

The moment he returned to his room, the intense sense of crisis made Lu Chen impatiently review everything.

His encounter with Fu Zhouchi at university had not been accidental. Even several of their academic discussions had been deliberately arranged.

By all logic, his exceptional professionalism in finance and refined manner of speaking should have left a deep impression on this heir of the business world. How could Fu Zhouchi suddenly become so uninterested in him?

If he had to blame this change on the variety show, then aside from Song Yichuan constantly stealing the spotlight and drawing everyone's attention, he could find no other reason.

And that made the entire matter even stranger.

Before Song Yichuan had been brought back, Lu Chen had secretly investigated his background, intending to prepare countermeasures in advance. But after digging around, he found it completely unnecessary.

Based on his past development, this young master of the Song family who had been left outside was not only of poor character but also stupid. Despite having such excellent looks, he did not know how to use them. He had muddled through the entertainment industry until the whole internet hated him. His only merit was being pretty enough to serve as a decorative vase; he had no other skills whatsoever.

Simply put, trash like Song Yichuan was nothing to fear. If Lu Chen wanted him dead, it would be as easy as crushing an ant.

But in just a few days of filming, the investigation results had been completely overturned.

Song Yichuan was nothing like the useless fool the private detective had described. On the contrary, he was quiet and reserved, meticulous in his thinking, and skilled at reading people's hearts. He looked thin and frail, yet possessed an extraordinary talent for sports.

In less than four days, he had stolen all the limelight. Public opinion had swung sharply in his favor, making him impossible to ignore.

The more Lu Chen thought about it, the more something felt wrong. Then a thought suddenly surfaced out of nowhere. Could he have been playing dumb all along while hiding his true strength?

That was entirely possible.

With that thought, Lu Chen abruptly stood up, picked up his phone, and dialed a number. Help me deal with Song Jia.

Downstairs in the living room.

Song Yichuan had just thought that he loved all kinds of gossip when the other guests began showing off their various talents.

Chuanbao, I scooped this watermelon out for you myself. It's all the sweet center!

A sickeningly sweet voice drifted over. Song Yichuan shuddered and turned to see Yu Jiajia's deliberately exaggerated smile.

What... what was she trying to do?

Her dark circles had not even faded, and she was already here to scare him?

My dark circles haven't gone down yet. Wait, I need to put on some makeup!

I have papaya here. Do you want some?

Huo Renjie proudly handed over a fruit plate.

Song Yichuan blinked. No papaya for me. You should save it to make your chest bigger.

I'm a fucking man! Why would I need a bigger chest?

Seeing that the remaining two were about to bring something over as well, Song Yichuan hurriedly rose from the sofa.

Do not disturb my nap!

He clasped his hands in farewell, then trotted upstairs after saying that.

The overly attentive crowd froze in place, while Yan Jinyu slowly rose to his feet and, as if by accident, displayed his already empty fruit plate for everyone to see.

You heirs of wealthy families... Damn it, he got caught in that moment. The livestream comments went wild with laughter. Hahaha, Brother Yu looks so proud!

Brother Yu understands popularity. It's like he's saying, "My CP only eats my fruit?"

What is going on?

Why are you all acting so humble? If Song Yichuan is threatening you, just blink!

Hahaha, I'm dying. Why did Song Yichuan run away?

He suddenly went from being ignored by everyone to being everyone's darling. He is totally not used to it, is he?

Hey, hey, hey, what day is this already? Why haven't the CPs been finalized yet?

It should happen tonight. The director previewed it beforehand and even said that if not a single pair got together, he would chop off his own head. He had bragged about it days ago.

The director, sitting before the monitors now, was also deeply troubled. To be honest, he was not sure whether any guests would successfully pair up.

Lu Chen and Fu Zhouchi had chosen each other, but their relationship in the dating segment was confusing. Those two ladies were clearly just here to watch the drama and eat popcorn; the lily vibes were not particularly strong. Meng Qiongqi and Third Young Master Huo, both upright men, disliked each other on sight and had even gotten into a fight. That only left Yan Jinyu, Yu Jiajia, and Song Yichuan, and the latter looked every bit like a straight man entirely unconcerned with romance.

The director irritably rubbed his temples. Seeing his worries, the assistant softly consoled him, "Director, it's fine if no one gets together. We can leave the suspense for the next season. With the traffic we have now, we won't even need promotion. We can start filming again after resting for two days."

That might be true, but these ancestors are all busy as hell. Can we even arrange their schedules?

The director still looked worried, while the assistant grinned.

Director, haven't you figured it out yet?

As long as Song Yichuan is around, these people can keep their schedules open until next year.

The director nodded thoughtfully, only to become puzzled again the next second.

Do you have dirt on all their families or something?

Otherwise, why are they all taking him so seriously?

Maybe that really was it.

Song Yichuan was sleeping groggily when his phone began ringing. Half-opening his eyes, he swiped to answer, and a familiar yet unfamiliar booming voice immediately came through the receiver. "Song Yichuan, what awful thing have you done again?"

You even got me scolded because of it?

Mm-hmm. Woman, who are you?

Song Yichuan rubbed his eyes. "I'm Song Xiaonan, the sister you could never hope to reach!"

The voice on the other end was clearly even more agitated.

Song Xiaonan?

Song Yichuan murmured the name.

Half a second later, he said, "Oh, my edgy, love-addled little sister. Isn't it normal for her to get scolded? What does it have to do with me? I didn't tell her to go be someone's pathetic lapdog."

His inner voice came through the receiver, causing Song Xiaonan's already unstable emotions to explode even further.

You're the idiot! Your whole family is made of idiots!

Why can't I say it? I'm going to die of anger!

Suddenly realizing something, she pulled the phone away from her ear and pointed the screen at her face. Then she broke down even harder.

Song Yichuan, you bastard! Hang up the damn phone!