Better to Fight Than Argue!

The few villains had long mastered tricks like making snide, insinuating remarks. Every one of them was an expert; they saw through Xie Ran's little scheme at a glance.

They could not be bothered to respond. Ignoring his tea-scented remarks, they said to Xie Chen, "We all agree. When we get to the dorm later, you two can pick your spots first."

Having gotten the answer he wanted, Xie Chen lazily got to his feet and continued collecting the manure fertilizer, swiftly loading it into barrels, sealing the lids, and pushing the ox cart.

After that series of actions, Director Li's first assigned task was completed in no time.

When he pushed the ox cart over to the village chief, he looked perfectly composed, as if nothing had affected him. Yet even the tightly sealed blue barrels could not block the overpowering stench, making Li Jingfei—who had endured it again and again—finally lose control and dry-heave several times in front of the camera.

It did not look like an act, and viewers in the livestream began to find it strange.

[Didn't they say Xie Chen had been pampered ever since being brought back to the Xie Family? That he couldn't carry anything or do any work, just a docile little white flower? Looking at him now, rumors really can't be trusted!]

[I grew up in the countryside and was deeply traumatized by manure fertilizer. I still have nightmares about it. Wherever I go, I feel like I can smell pig shit. Just watching Xie Chen make one round, I want to cover my mouth through the screen. He can actually keep a straight face?! I'm genuinely impressed!]

[What's so impressive? Isn't he just taking shortcuts to get benefits? He acted all proper while he was with the Xie Family, but now that he's been kicked out, he can't even be bothered to keep pretending?!]

[The commenter above is right. Anyone with a conscience should be grateful to the Xie Family, shouldn't they? How can he keep snapping at Xie Ran? What, now that the real young master is back, he's started getting jealous and resentful?!]

[I keep seeing people call Xie Ran fake in the comments. Has kindness become an act these days? Do you have to be a villain before people think you're real?! What kind of logic is that?]

[Anyway, I really like Xie Ran. He isn't as hot-tempered as the other guests. He's like a pure green lotus rising from the mud!]

[...]

New accounts began flooding into the livestream, constantly spamming comments with different opinions.

The second son of the Xie Family, Xie Yuchen, looked at the screen with satisfaction while holding his phone in one hand. "Don't worry, Big Brother. This batch of paid commenters is pretty professional. No one will notice. Getting Xie Chen dragged onto the trending searches will be easy!"

"Mm." Xie Zhenting's voice was low and muffled. After responding, he added, "It would be best not to expose any information about Xie Group."

Xie Yuchen smiled. "Big Brother, I've run a marketing company for so long. Do I need reminding about something this minor? Just wait. It won't be long before Xie Chen comes back obediently to admit his mistake!"

The two brothers finished discussing it and hung up.

On the screen, Xie Chen and the others had already arrived at the communal dormitory.

Speaking in the local accent, the village chief introduced the place with particular pride. "This is the best guesthouse in our village. It was built back when educated youths were sent down to the countryside. You kids are really lucky. Normally, we only bring visiting leaders here!"

As he spoke, he pushed open the courtyard gate, revealing a dilapidated two-story building.

Since it was already late at night, the gray building was hard to make out clearly. It looked like a secret base hidden in the darkness, carrying a bone-chilling sense of horror.

"It's not haunted, is it?!" Wei Mingqi was the shortest and the most timid. His feet involuntarily edged backward, as though he were ready to run at any moment.

Xie Chen gave him a sidelong glance. "What do you think this is, a fantasy novel? Haunted?"

"I need my beauty sleep. Nobody better get in my way!" Ignoring the conversation between the two, Li Jingfei rushed straight into the guesthouse courtyard.

Compared to ghosts, she was more afraid of staying up late. Staying up late meant wrinkles, wrinkles meant aging, and aging meant...

How long could a female star's prime really last?!

Li Jingfei had no intention of playing the protagonist's mother so early in life!

Dragging her suitcase along at a brisk pace, she led the other guests into the first-floor lobby in the blink of an eye.

After casually checking several rooms, Li Jingfei pointed to the only room with an en suite bathroom. "I want this one."

When she turned around, she did not look at anyone else. Her bright eyes were fixed solely on Xie Chen, and her next words softened a little. "Is that okay?"

"Sure." Xie Chen shrugged indifferently. "Ladies first. I'll go to the second floor."

The upstairs and downstairs had the same layout, with only one single room containing a bathroom.

No wonder Xie Chen had made that request. So that was why...

Wait, did he know in advance?!

Wasn't that cheating?!

Xie Ran clenched his fists, suddenly understanding. No wonder Director Li favored Xie Chen at every turn—it was because of another connection!

Just as he became convinced of it, he was assigned to a double room with Wei Mingqi.

Before he had even finished unpacking, the sound of an argument came from next door.

"Why do you get that bed?! I want to sleep on the inside!" It was Luo Mingyu. His voice was a little hoarse, probably from vomiting.

Li Sifan refused to back down. "You think you get to decide where everyone sleeps? Who do you think you are?"

"You believe I'll beat you up?!"

"Come on, then!"

"Fine, I'm coming!"

"Then get over here!"

Watching the two men on the monitor with flushed faces and bulging neck veins, Director Li grinned from ear to ear.

Yes, exactly like this!

Let them start fighting among themselves, fail the task, and make the group or individuals suffer punishment.

Anyway, since they had come to film this show, no one was going home without losing a layer of skin!

He opened his mouth, about to discuss whether to turn things up a notch tomorrow with Huo Wenye, when he suddenly spotted an extra figure outside the room of the hotheaded playboy and the edgy singer.

His breathtaking appearance was impossible to ignore. Loose pajamas draped over him, revealing flashes of his slender neck and delicate collarbones. His body was lean but not lacking in strength...

Of course, if one ignored the pancake clenched in his hand and his carefree demeanor, it would have been an utterly pleasing picture.

Director Li could not help being drawn in, completely failing to notice the nearly imperceptible change in the movie emperor Huo Wenye's expression beside him.

"When are you two fighting?" Xie Chen took a big bite of the yellowish pancake. "Quit just flapping your gums. I'm still waiting to watch the show."

His crisp voice was mixed with chewing sounds. The two who had been arguing both turned their heads in unison, first stunned, then speaking at the same time. "Who said we were going to fight?!"

"You're not? What a waste of anticipation." Xie Chen curled his lips in disdain, then took another bite of the pancake and said somewhat unclearly, "Remember this. Next time, if you can fight, don't just argue."

Watching his carefree retreating figure, Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan were both rather dumbfounded.

Fight?!

Even they did not dare to be that direct in front of the cameras.

Had Xie Chen gotten too immersed in filming a villain reality show? Did he really need to be this arrogant?

Was he really not afraid of getting cursed out?

After their brief bewilderment, Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan came to their senses. They glared at each other, did not continue arguing, and began unpacking their luggage separately.

When the livestream viewers saw this, they cried out in surprise.

[Holy shit, those two are that hard to handle, yet Xie Chen got them to behave?! How did he do it?! Is this some alternative therapy?! If persuasion doesn't work, just fan the flames?!]

[Please, did Xie Chen say a single word to persuade them? He was totally just watching the drama and hoping it got bigger!]