Did You Enjoy That? I Sure Did!

As a workhorse renowned in the industry, Xie Zhenting arrived at the company early for the morning meeting. To his surprise, he received a call from his father the moment he stepped out of the conference room.

After ending the call with just a few brief words, he specifically found the livestream replay online and skimmed through the important parts.

Xie Zhenting did not find it strange that Xie Ran had splashed a basin of water onto Wei Mingqi's bed. What bothered him was seeing his younger brother get hit with a pillow, his brows immediately knitting together in displeasure.

Xie Ran had been abducted and sold as a child and had suffered who knew how much. They had not even had enough time to cherish him, yet he was already being wronged on a variety show? Why should he be?!

Like his father, Xie Zhenting's heart ached terribly for him.

It seemed hiring online trolls to handle public opinion was not enough. Someone had to enter the variety show to protect Xie Ran, and the third brother who had just returned to the country was indeed the best candidate.

The entertainment industry could not do without music. The third brother had won countless piano honors and had long since made a name for himself in the country. Joining a variety show should have been effortless for him.

Although the forces behind Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan were somewhat troublesome, the two were easier to win over or confront than Huo Wenye.

They were all prestigious families in the capital. As long as the Xie Family spoke up, the Luo family and Li family would surely show them some respect. They might even call those two playboys on the spot and tell them to take better care of Xie Ran instead of opposing him like this.

Xie Zhenting was still confident about that. Several of their corporations had mutually beneficial projects together; if they canceled their cooperation, everyone would suffer losses.

After all, everyone put profit first!

With that in mind, he called his third brother.

Xie Chen wandered aimlessly around the village like a headless fly, while Huo Wenye followed closely behind without saying a word.

Seeing the sun climb higher and higher, the cameraman could not hold back any longer. "Teacher Xie, do you have any clues?"

If they kept wandering around like this, it would be lunchtime soon!

"No." Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you!

Xie Chen remained expressionless as complaints endlessly ran through his mind.

Damn it! Why hasn't Huo Wenye left yet?! Can't he tell there's no food to be had following me?!

The fans in the livestream were also distressed.

[Didn't the production team prepare breakfast for the observers? This treatment is way too awful! If I were Brother Ye, I'd definitely go on strike!]

[Who knows what Xie Chen is thinking? He obviously can't find the breakfast voucher, yet he insists on showing off by doing the task alone! He's dragging down not just himself, but Brother Ye too!]

[I'm starting to hate Xie Chen more and more. Can Brother Ye stay farther away from him?!]

"There's a Chinese elm tree at the village entrance." A deep, magnetic voice suddenly rang out.

Xie Chen stopped and turned back suspiciously. "What did you say?"

The breakfast voucher was buried beneath the Chinese elm tree. He had deliberately wandered around without heading that way, yet Huo Wenye had intentionally given him a hint?

Why?!

What reason did he have for doing this?!

Xie Chen could not quite understand this capital tycoon's move, but after hesitating for only a moment, he assessed the situation and went along with it. "Oh? Brother Ye, you want to try elm samaras? That's good stuff. You can't get it in the capital. Let's go..."

Before he could finish, he headed toward the village entrance.

Having been reborn, Xie Chen saw things clearly. There was no need to make things difficult for himself. Since Huo Wenye meant to help, he might as well take the opening.

Even if this capital tycoon was dangerous, he was still better than those scum from the Xie Family.

Thus, Xie Chen naturally ran beneath the Chinese elm tree, dug through the soil, and pulled out the deeply buried breakfast voucher. He feigned surprise. "I'm this lucky? I actually found it?"

If Director Li had been there, he would have been furious enough to cough up blood.

When he buried the breakfast voucher, he had practically dug three feet into the ground. One casual "I'm this lucky?" had ruined all his efforts. If anyone said there had been no cheating, he absolutely would not believe it!

The livestream viewers thought the same and began flooding the comments.

[Even with Brother Ye's hint, isn't finding it this precisely a little too much? Did Xie Chen already know where it was buried?!]

[He paid for it, didn't he? I never expected Director Li, who has always been known for fairness, to ruin his reputation in his later years. Is capital really that powerful?!]

[What capital does Xie Chen have? He was probably subjected to the casting couch. He looks like nothing more than a pretty face—obviously someone who appeals to both men and women!]

[Hahaha, exactly. But I still don't understand Brother Ye's attitude. Don't tell me he's taken a liking to this washed-up nobody? Please, Brother Ye, don't let appearances fool you!]

Xie Chen did not know he had already drawn a flood of criticism. Even if he did, he would not have cared.

In this day and age, who could be a celebrity without some mental resilience?

Besides, he would leave the entertainment industry sooner or later. Why care about those keyboard warriors?

He took the breakfast voucher to exchange it for food. When he returned to the guesthouse, he found Director Li and the staff leisurely eating in the courtyard.

Several round tables were covered with boiled eggs, cornmeal porridge, and a few small dishes of pickles. They had clearly been sent over by the villagers, still steaming and fragrant.

Catching sight of someone entering from the corner of his eye, Director Li subconsciously looked up. He froze at first. "Xie Chen, you—"

He abruptly stood up. "Wenye, I was looking for you. How did you come back with Xie Chen?"

"Just taking a walk. We ran into each other," Huo Wenye answered casually.

The cameraman following them gave him a meaningful sideways glance. That was not something that could happen just by taking a walk!

It looked more like he had deliberately been waiting there.

Because he had been focused solely on Xie Ran's filming through the monitor earlier, Director Li did not doubt Huo Wenye's words. He turned back to Xie Chen. "How was it? Did you fail the task? Sorry, you can't put breakfast on credit. Do more work later and you can earn lunch. Hang in there for now."

So much time had passed. He had surely found nothing!

After all, Director Li had great confidence in his hiding spot!

Yet just as he finished speaking with certainty, he saw Xie Chen leisurely pull out a paper voucher and wave it in the wind. "Does the breakfast voucher look like this?"

"You actually found it?!" Director Li had no idea Huo Wenye had given him a hint, and he was too stunned to close his mouth.

He wanted to ask about the details, but Xie Ran, soaking wet and looking dejected, interrupted him. "Sorry, I didn't complete the task."

Director Li turned around, looking utterly confused again. Just as he was about to speak, Xie Chen, who had a perfectly good mouth, beat him to it. "The task was to wake someone up. Why did you go take a bath? And you washed while wearing clothes? Oh, that's quite an innovative method."

[Hahahaha, Xie Chen's question is on point. Who takes a bath while wearing clothes?! There's obviously something going on here!]

[I followed Xie Ran's side the whole time. Honestly, he absolutely deserved to get splashed with water. The main issue was that he was being such a hypocrite!]

[Exactly! When he woke Wei Mingqi, he could splash water on him without hesitation. But when he got hit in the room next door, he did not even dare make a sound. He could only cry, then turn around and go complain.]

[Say what you will, Wei Mingqi was pretty awesome too. Without a word, he went back to his room, filled a basin with water, and poured it right over Xie Ran's head. This variety show is incredible! An eye for an eye, fighting to the end!]

[Hahahaha, did you enjoy that? I sure did!]