The Big Rich Family Scoop: The Prince and the Pauper Swap

As Chu Xiyue spoke, her eyes lit up, her expression faintly betraying her excitement.

The director: "..."

He suspected this rule had not been requested by the investors at all, but devised by Chu Xiyue herself.

Was she afraid the guests would not fight?

But on second thought, if the show did this, it would indeed be pretty exciting!

They got to work immediately. Since the production team needed to revise the rules, invite new guests, write up the plan, and arrange the venue, the director gave Chu Xiyue, Li Fan'er, and Zhao Xizhou half a month off.

Chu Xiyue returned to the Chu Family with her luggage.

#The Big Rich Family Scoop: The Prince and the Pauper Swap#

The Chu Family was renowned in Shenzhen, but it was not some old-money wealthy family. Going back three generations, they had still been farmers scraping a living from the land. It was only because Chu Lingyun had emerged as an exceptionally talented businessman that the Lingyun Group existed today.

Compared to spacious apartments in the lively, bustling city center, the Chu Family preferred a quiet, roomy mountainside villa with its own courtyard. Chu Xiyue had not told them in advance that she was coming back. When she arrived, she heard lively sounds from inside, accompanied by the clatter of mahjong tiles.

"Four of Characters!"

"Eight of Bamboo!"

As Chu Xiyue walked in, she saw a mahjong table set up in the spacious courtyard before the villa. Four elegant, richly dressed ladies were seated around it, playing intensely. They had not even noticed that Chu Xiyue had returned.

"Pong! Ji Family, hurry up, it's your turn."

"Oh, what's the rush?" Mrs. Ji, the most extravagantly bejeweled of the four, looking like a walking jewelry display case, studied her tiles for a long while before finally discarding one. "East Wind!"

"Ha! I win!" Chu Xiyue watched as Mrs. Shao, who was dressed the most simply of the four but wore accessories that were each worth a fortune upon closer inspection—Chu Xiyue's mother—pushed her tiles forward with a gleeful flourish. "Ji Family, thanks for feeding me that tile."

Mrs. Ji's face fell. "No, the feng shui on this side is terrible. I'm switching seats with you. Another round!"

Chu Xiyue spoke at just the right moment. "Mrs. Shao, I'm back."

Shao Suqiu, who had been bickering with Mrs. Ji, turned around. The instant she saw Chu Xiyue standing tall and graceful by the door, she pushed away her tiles. "No more, no more. My precious daughter is back."

Shao Suqiu happily pulled Chu Xiyue into the house. "Sweetheart! Come in. Why didn't you tell Mom you were coming back today? I could've sent a car to pick you up!"

It was the first time Chu Xiyue had been called "sweetheart" by an elder. Her ears reddened, warmth filling her heart. Looking at Shao Suqiu, she pressed her lips together and smiled. "Mom, I'm not a child anymore. I can come home by myself."

Calling her "Mom" was not difficult. Chu Xiyue had already come to regard Shao Suqiu as her real mother and the Chu Family as her own home. She glanced inside. "Where are Grandpa and Grandma?"

The Chu Family had a simple household. Chu Xiyue's parents and grandparents lived in the mountainside villa. Shao Suqiu had two sons and a daughter, but after her children began working, they moved out and only came back to stay for a day or two during holidays.

Today was not a holiday.

"Your grandparents went traveling," Shao Suqiu said, pulling Chu Xiyue down to sit. She looked her over from head to toe. "You've lost weight. I can tell you haven't been eating properly outside. Tonight, Mom will cook for you herself and make something delicious."

Chu Xiyue's maternal grandfather had once been a chef for state banquets. Shao Suqiu had learned seventy percent of his skills from him, and Shenzhen's most popular private kitchen restaurant was owned by her. However, after the apprentices she had taken in became fully trained, she became a hands-off owner and only cooked on important occasions.

Thinking of the flavors from her memories, Chu Xiyue secretly swallowed. She touched the small bit of belly fat that had quietly appeared from her recent good food and lazy habits, sucked in her stomach, and coquettishly said to Shao Suqiu, "Mom, you're the best!"

Shao Suqiu stroked her daughter's head.

The other three women, who had been playing mahjong in the courtyard, entered the house as well. Mrs. Ji looked at the affectionate mother and daughter on the sofa and smiled. "Oh! Suqiu, your big-star daughter is back!"

Her voice sounded warm, but there was a faint hint of gloating beneath that warmth. Chu Xiyue looked toward the speaker. Mrs. Ji was the wife of the president of Ji Group, the Lingyun Group's rival. Since their families were competitors, she and Shao Suqiu did not get along and frequently compared themselves to each other, openly and covertly.

Yet in every one of their skirmishes, Shao Suqiu had never let Mrs. Ji gain an advantage.

Still, Mrs. Ji never learned her lesson. She swept her gaze over Chu Xiyue, then said to Shao Suqiu, "Suqiu, I heard your daughter called off her engagement with the Cheng Family and entered the entertainment industry to become some little celebrity. What's so good about that industry? In ancient times, celebrities were called performers—lowly folk. You should properly persuade her. That circle is a mess. She should leave it early, come home, and listen to her family's arrangements to get married."

Shao Suqiu's expression darkened, and she was about to throw her out when Chu Xiyue raised a hand to stop her.

With a smile at the corner of her lips, Chu Xiyue looked at Mrs. Ji, one beautiful brow lifting. In the same tone Mrs. Ji had just used, she said, "Auntie Ji, I heard your daughter is married already, and that she married into the scholarly Xu Family. I heard the Xu Family has strict rules and does not allow daughters-in-law to appear in public. You should properly persuade her to quit her job and stay home to support her husband and raise her children."

"Who my daughter marries and whether she works is none of your business!"

"Then what business is it of yours whether I enter the entertainment industry?" Chu Xiyue countered.

Mrs. Ji came back to her senses and realized Chu Xiyue had said it deliberately. Her expression immediately turned extremely ugly.

Mrs. Ji shot Chu Xiyue a vicious glare, but Chu Xiyue was thick-skinned and felt nothing at all.

"Alright, alright," Shao Suqiu said. Seeing that her daughter had not suffered any loss, she finally pretended to play peacemaker. "You from the Ji Family, children speak without restraint. Why are you arguing with a child?"

There are three old Chinese sayings: since you're already here, it's the New Year, and he's still a child.

Ranking list

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Transmigrated into a book

Entertainment industry

Female supporting character

Transmigration and rebirth romance

Tu Yanyan

Cannon fodder