Jiang Mingle looked at Jiang Mingxi with a troubled expression.
"Xiaoxi, stop going against our eldest brother. Just agree to whatever he says. Do you really want to make him angry?
"I won't hold anything you did to me against you.
"Just say sorry. That's all."
Jiang Mingxi: ...
He had seen funny things before!
But never anything this funny.
He couldn't help asking, "What exactly do I owe you an apology for? Have I given you too much freedom?"
Jiang Mingle's eyes instantly reddened. Clinging to Jiang Ke's arm, he shook it gently. "Big brother, forget it. Don't make things difficult for Xiaoxi. I don't feel wronged."
He said he didn't feel wronged, but tears came tumbling down.
Jiang Ke's heart ached so badly he nearly exploded. He raised his hand and shoved hard at Jiang Mingxi. "You have the nerve to ask..."
He thrust his hand out.
Jiang Mingxi dodged sideways. Jiang Ke had used so much force that his momentum sent him lurching forward.
He nearly stumbled on the spot in his suit and dress shoes.
His anger erupted instantly. Jiang Ke raised his hand and swung a slap at Jiang Mingxi's face.
"What time is it already? Why isn't Jiang Mingxi here yet?"
The director inspected the pig's head arranged on the offering table again, then turned to a crew member beside him. "Go get him. Any later and we'll miss the auspicious hour!"
Spirits of heaven and earth, please bless this variety show with smooth sailing. No more mishaps.
Before the director could finish, the assistant director charged into the courtyard.
"Bad news! Something's happened!"
The director's eyelid twitched.
The assistant director gasped for breath. "Jiang Mingxi and President Jiang got into a fight!"
The director: ...
The director: ???
The director: !!!
He knew Jiang Ke was visiting Jiang Mingle on set today.
But this...
How had they ended up fighting?
Ah!!!!
His head buzzed. With an inward roar, the director took off toward the exit.
Except...
Ahead of him...
Three gusts of wind had already rushed out.
Zhao Jiayuan grabbed a shovel from the foot of the wall and stormed out through the gate.
Chen Chong followed close behind.
Song Lan...
Was Song Lan moving even faster than Zhao Jiayuan?
The director jolted!
The sight left him rattled. Even Song Lan was rushing over that fast. Had things gotten unimaginably serious?
He hesitated for an instant.
Then the director turned, scooped up the pig's head from the offering table, and charged after them.
The assistant director: ...
Huh?
The corner of his eye twitched, and he hurried after them too.
The cameraman looked at the camera he had just switched on, hesitated, then charged after them as well.
[???]
[What's happening? I just joined the livestream. What's going on? An earthquake? Why's everyone running?]
[I just got here too. No idea what's happening, but it feels like something's gone wrong.]
[Did anyone get here early? Explain what's going on! I checked Weibo and it's dead quiet there too.]
[You're not late. The livestream only just started. Everyone's confused.]
[Holy shit, is that a fight?]
[Who?]
[Jiang Mingxi and who? I can't see clearly. Holy shit, they're really going at it!]
[Jiang Mingxi and Jiang Ke, the president of Tianli Group! Fuck! This is wild!]
["Survival Challenge" really lives up to its name! This show's intense!]
Song Lan charged into the courtyard.
And saw-
Jiang Mingxi had Jiang Ke pinned to the ground, straddling his stomach, with one hand clamped around Jiang Ke's throat and the other slapping his face.
"Say that again!
"Go on, say it again!
"Again!
"Try saying that one more time!
"Say it!"
Forget fighting back-Jiang Ke couldn't even get a word in.
He just howled.
Beside them.
Jiang Mingle was crying anxiously. "Xiaoxi, it's all my fault. Let our eldest brother go. Xiaoxi, please, I'm begging you. Let him go..."
Suddenly hearing footsteps, Jiang Mingle turned and saw Song Lan stride in from outside.
Behind him came Zhao Jiayuan and Chen Chong.
Behind them was a whole crowd of crew members.
He suppressed the wild delight in his heart. Now everyone would see Jiang Mingxi's true colors.
Jiang Mingle stood up, crying, and said to everyone, "Please talk some sense into Xiaoxi! He's going to beat my eldest brother to death. He won't listen to me."
The moment Zhao Jiayuan heard Jiang Mingxi and Jiang Ke were fighting, he had come with a shovel to back him up.
But when he came through the gate, he saw that Jiang Mingxi was the one on top.
He tossed the shovel aside, then looked at Jiang Mingle in disbelief. "So you care so much about your eldest brother, but you just kept squatting there watching him get beaten? You only told him to stop? You didn't even pull Jiang Mingxi off?"
Jiang Mingle wiped his tears. "I was too scared. Xiaoxi was so fierce. My eldest brother wouldn't let me come closer because he was afraid Xiaoxi would hit me."
[...]
[???]
[I don't know what happened, but I've already had a cup of green tea this early in the morning.]
[If I were really worried, I'd definitely rush in to break it up. He really just squatted there crying? A twenty-two-year-old man? I... Even my three-year-old nephew knows to break up a fight!]
[Are you sick in the head? Is it that hard not to judge without knowing the whole story? You're insulting Lele without knowing anything? I hope your whole family dies!]
[Exactly! Jiang Mingxi's obviously the one hitting someone. Why are you attacking Lele? That clout-chasing bitch's fans are just as trashy as he is!]
The bullet comments erupted into a fight first thing in the morning.
At the scene.
The director rushed forward clutching the pig's head.
Frantic and furious, he stamped his feet and roared, even flinging off one of his slippers.
"What are you standing around for? Pull them apart already!"
[???]
[Wait, why is there a pig's head here?]
[Hahahahahahaha!]
[Did the director run over halfway through his meal to watch the drama? He even brought his food! Hahahahaha!]
Song Lan, who had arrived first but stood there without moving, finally stepped forward.
Before the crew could reach out, he pulled Jiang Mingxi off Jiang Ke.
Jiang Mingle hurried over and helped Jiang Ke up too. "Big brother~"
After being pinned down and beaten, Jiang Ke's face was covered in overlapping handprints. It wasn't just painful-it was humiliating!
His eyes practically blazed with murderous intent.
That bastard actually dared to lay hands on me!
He glared at Jiang Mingxi. "Just you wait!"
Song Lan glanced at him, then asked Jiang Mingxi, "What exactly happened?"
Jiang Mingxi trembled with rage. "He told me to apologize to Jiang Mingle. He said I only came here to be Jiang Mingle's contrast foil. Otherwise, what right did I have to be on this show?
"Yesterday, a thief stole things from my room. He asked why I couldn't swallow it and pretend nothing happened. Why I had to call the police!"
Jiang Mingxi was truly furious.
"He told me to post on Weibo admitting that blond guy raped me yesterday.
"He also told me to withdraw my police report and write a letter of forgiveness."
[Holy fuck!!!]
[Fuck! Is that real?]
[That clout-chasing bitch made it up, right? All he does is chase traffic. He'll say anything. A clout-chasing bitch through and through!]
[Are Jiang Mingle's fans all fucking idiots? Did they come out of the factory without any brains installed?]
[It's definitely true. There are so many crew members there. Whatever else happened, there definitely was a thief yesterday. I heard Jiang Mingxi had a watch worth over five hundred thousand stolen.]
[Okay, but didn't Jiang Ke say Jiang Mingxi had terrible character and the Jiang family wouldn't acknowledge him? What's all this about, then?]