Being ungrateful again

"Has a filming date been confirmed?" she asked.

The original plan had been to start after Chen Sinian finished the dating reality show. Now that he had said he would no longer be participating, filming would probably start earlier.

"Nothing's confirmed yet. The director said he'd let us know in advance once it was settled."

"He knows about your situation, too. He'll schedule your scenes from Monday to Friday. In the meantime, study the script and make sure you know your lines."

Du Lanxi had brought the script over after returning from signing the contract that day, and Su Tangtang had already spent several days reading it. "Sister Du, don't worry. I can do this role justice."

She had to admit that professional matters were best left to professionals. Chen Sinian's seven or eight years in the entertainment industry hadn't been for nothing. This role really did suit her, and it was very likable.

It wouldn't be difficult for her. She only had to play herself, and it would go a long way toward restoring her reputation with the general public.

Her constant attempts to ride other people's popularity had sent public opinion of her plummeting. If she wanted good roles and female leads in the future, she really had to win that goodwill back.

"All right, as long as you're confident." Du Lanxi felt fairly reassured when it came to this side of her. In all fairness, if it hadn't been for those incidents, she really would have been a good actress who gave her little to worry about.

They chatted about a few other things before Du Lanxi told her to get to bed early. The Production Team wanted them to meet there at ten the next morning.

She was already at Su Tangtang's door by eight.

Su Tangtang was still doing her makeup.

"Have you packed everything?" she asked as she came in.

Su Tangtang finished applying her mascara and nodded at her. After checking her reflection and deciding both sides looked about even, she moved on to blush and lipstick.

Once everything was done, she smoothed her hair and headed out with her.

The drive took about an hour, and stopping for breakfast took another half hour. They arrived at just about the right time, with everyone else arriving then, too.

Seeing Chen Sinian step out of a chauffeured van, she blinked. Hadn't he said he wasn't coming?

The others heard her inner voice and followed her gaze. Chen Sinian showed no particular reaction, merely nodding to everyone before wheeling his suitcase inside.

Only after she went inside did Su Tangtang see the WeChat message he had sent her: [The director asked me to finish this episode and tell the viewers myself that I have other commitments and won't be participating anymore.]

Su Tangtang: [Oh.]

Su Tangtang: [Do we still need to put on an act, then?]

Chen Sinian: [Let's keep it up to avoid unnecessary trouble.]

The viewers already knew he was interested in her, so continuing to interact with her this episode made the most sense.

Besides, new guests would be arriving this week. Since he was about to leave, there was no point in pairing up with someone else.

Su Tangtang replied: [All right.]

What could she do? He was the one footing the bill.

She carried her suitcase into the room, and An Ruzhi followed right behind her, with two camera operators in tow.

"Tangtang, what did you do this week?" An Ruzhi greeted her.

"I just stayed home." Su Tangtang answered as she began unpacking.

An Ruzhi wasn't in the mood to unpack. She sat on the bed, stealing glances at her, desperate to know what that thought about Chen Sinian had meant!

Was Chen Sinian leaving the dating reality show, too?

The thought made her itch with curiosity. Suddenly remembering something, she got up, opened her suitcase, and took out a handbag. "Tangtang, I bought you a gift!"

As she held it out, her face flushed awkwardly. Her eyes darted everywhere, but she didn't dare look at Su Tangtang.

Hearing her, Su Tangtang stopped what she was doing and looked over, only to see her holding out an expensive designer handbag.

She froze for a moment. "For me?"

Only then did An Ruzhi look at her, nodding with a red face. "I made a special trip to the boutique to pick it out these past few days. You have to accept it!"

"I can't. It's too expensive." They had spent fewer than three days together. How could she accept such an expensive gift?

An Ruzhi immediately panicked. She had never given anyone a handbag and had them turn it down. "It's just a little something from me. I-I really like you! If you don't accept it, that means you don't like me."

Su Tangtang: "..."

As she repeatedly tried to decline, the live comments started up again.

[I actually think she's being ungrateful again!]

[Me too. /facepalm/]

[If she accepts it in a minute, you'll just say she can't resist an expensive bag. /doge/]

[Hahahaha, that person gets exactly how you people think!]

In the end, unable to refuse, Su Tangtang accepted it. "Thank you. I didn't prepare anything this time, so I'll bring you a gift next week."

An Ruzhi waved her hands repeatedly. "No, no, you don't have to! Don't feel obligated. I gave it to you because I like you. I don't want you to feel like it's a burden."

Su Tangtang smiled at her. "I know. Thank you. I really like you, too."

Who wouldn't like such an adorable little heiress?

That one thought made An Ruzhi's little round face, which had just returned to normal, flush bright red again. Too embarrassed to say anything else, she fumbled around as she began unpacking her things.

[You can tell Zhizhi genuinely likes Su Tangtang. She didn't even blush like this when she met her idol, Chen Sinian!]

[Can everyone stop stirring things up from now on? Don't make things awkward for Zhizhi.]

[I just love watching pretty girls get all affectionate! Who needs those stinky men? You two should just love each other!]

After they finished unpacking, a staff member came to call them downstairs at eleven thirty.

Qiao Yufan asked the Production Team, "Didn't you say new guests would be coming today? When?"

"This afternoon," director He Pijiu replied.

Huh?

Su Tangtang glanced over. Beer's back? Has everything been sorted out?

Of course it had!

He had gotten all of them locked up, and now they were waiting for trial.

But honestly, he had her to thank. Otherwise, he would still have been in the dark, foolishly raising someone else's daughter while his own biological child was being abused.

Now he planned to raise both children.

After all, that girl had lived with him for five years. He couldn't bear to hand her over to them. Besides, with the kind of people they were, what if they ruined her upbringing?

Su Tangtang had seen the news about this, too. Without judging whether it was good or bad, she merely thought, He mustn't play favorites, especially when it comes to his biological daughter. That little girl was constantly beaten and berated by that couple, and she's suffered a lot of emotional trauma. If he favors the girl he's raised all this time, won't that hurt her even more?

At the thought of this, He Pijiu was close to tears again. The injuries on his daughter's body still hadn't healed. Every day, applying medicine to them broke his heart. How could he possibly play favorites? He would make sure to raise both girls well, so they would be true sisters and consider each other the most important person in their lives!