The production team had prepared sturdy, durable work jackets.
One jacket per person.
Jiang Mingxi stepped forward first and grabbed two.
He held his own against his chest and offered the other one. "Teacher Song, your jacket."
Song Lan looked toward the woven sack.
Zhao Jiayuan and Chen Chong had already taken one each and started putting them on.
Jiang Mingle picked up the last one too.
With a slight frown, Song Lan accepted the jacket Jiang Mingxi handed him.
Whether Jiang Mingxi did it on purpose or not, their fingers brushed very lightly as he took the jacket.
He lifted his eyelids slightly and looked at Jiang Mingxi.
Jiang Mingxi immediately beamed, his eyes curving as he leaned a little closer. "Why aren't you thanking me, Teacher Song?"
His voice was neither loud nor soft, its ending rising slightly, like a little hook.
Song Lan took the jacket, his tone a little cold. "I could have gotten it myself. You didn't need to hand it to me."
The smile on Jiang Mingxi's face didn't fade in the slightest. "But I like getting it for you. I'll do it even if you don't thank me."
Song Lan glanced at him and ignored him.
Jiang Mingxi happily put on his work jacket.
Hehe.
Got to touch his hand~
"You buttoned it wrong."
He had only just put it on when Song Lan's cool voice drifted over from beside him.
Jiang Mingxi froze and turned to look. Song Lan had already put on his jacket, hoisted a sack of corn onto his shoulder, and left.
Jiang Mingxi looked down and saw that the buttons on his work jacket were misaligned.
Fuck!
He'd been so busy thinking about touching his idol's hand that he'd even buttoned his jacket wrong.
Jiang Mingxi hurriedly undid the buttons and fastened them again.
By the time he finished, only Jiang Mingle was left nearby.
"Xiaoxi, I want to talk to you." Jiang Mingle looked at Jiang Mingxi with reddened eyes, on the verge of tears.
Jiang Mingxi grabbed a sack of corn and hoisted it onto his shoulder. "Not interested. Stay away from me!"
He had been so eager when talking to Song Lan just now.
Now, he was every bit as cold when speaking to Jiang Mingle.
He started walking away.
Jiang Mingle grabbed him.
He pulled too hard. With the heavy sack of corn still on Jiang Mingxi's shoulder, the tug nearly threw him off balance and sent him toppling backward.
Thud!
The sack on his shoulder slipped, dropping to the ground as Jiang Mingxi staggered half a step forward.
The momentum made Jiang Mingxi lurch too. His expression immediately darkened as he looked at Jiang Mingle. "Satisfied?"
Jiang Mingle bit his lip. "I didn't do it on purpose. I just wanted to talk to you."
Jiang Mingxi gave him an undisguised eye roll.
"Do you not understand plain language?
"Just because you want to talk, I have to talk to you?
"I'll say it again. Stay away from me!
"If you're a human being, stop pretending you don't understand plain language!
"Get lost!"
[Fuck, Jiang Mingxi is going too far! I'm so pissed!]
[Is he sick in the head? Poor Lele, my heart is breaking! Fuck, Lele's about to cry!]
[Okay, but wasn't Jiang Mingle the one who approached Jiang Mingxi? He wanted to talk, but the other guy didn't. Is that wrong too?]
[If he doesn't want to talk, he can just say so. Why snap at him, the bitch!]
[Jiang Mingle got physical too. That sack of corn is so heavy, and he just yanked him. Jiang Mingxi's head even hit the sack. It looked painful.]
[Seriously? That dumbfuck Jiang Mingxi actually has fans? You must be starving, eating any maggot you find! May your whole family die horribly!]
Jiang Mingxi hoisted the corn onto his shoulder again and left.
Jiang Mingle stood there, tears pouring down his face.
He turned toward the crew and cried, "I really didn't know I wasn't a child of the Jiang family. I grew up in the Jiang family. I really didn't know.
"Why won't Xiaoxi hear me out?"
He sobbed, his body hitching.
Among the crew were fans of Jiang Mingle.
Their hearts ached terribly for him.
They hurried over. "Don't cry, Lele. If he won't listen, you don't need to explain. You haven't done anything wrong."
Jiang Mingle looked utterly shattered as he cried. "But I did take his rightful place, after all. Xiaoxi must hate me so much. What should I do?"
[Aaaaah, my heart is breaking. Baby Lele, don't cry. You're not the one at fault!]
[Oh my god, watching Lele cry makes me want to cry too. Don't cry, baby.]
[Go die, you dumbfuck Jiang Mingxi!]
In front of the screen.
Jiang Ke watched the person on camera crying in utter anguish, his expression grim.
He slammed his palm onto the desk.
That bitch Jiang Mingxi!
How dare he cause this kind of trouble on a livestream.
Looking up, Jiang Ke instructed his secretary, a ruthless resolve in his eyes.
"Put out a statement. The Jiang family refuses to acknowledge Jiang Mingxi because he is immoral and despicable, and has repeatedly stolen company secrets to blackmail me into giving him resources.
"Lele knew nothing about any of this.
"Keep public opinion under control. Lele must not be harmed in the slightest.
"Let the production team know. Tell Lele to focus on filming without worrying."
[Sisters, Tianli Group has put out a statement!]
[I knew Jiang Ke had a reason for refusing to acknowledge Jiang Mingxi!]
[Jiang Mingxi, get out of the entertainment industry! Can that scumbag just die already!]
The moment Tianli Group released its statement, it shot straight to number one on Weibo's trending list.
The livestream's bullet comments erupted too.
But amid the frenzy, quite a few comments read-
[If Jiang Mingxi has character issues and Jiang Ke refuses to acknowledge him, why force Jiang Mingxi to take part in the show?]
[Exactly. Jiang Mingxi said in the recording that he wanted to quit. It doesn't add up.]
But the questioning voices were soon drowned out by a flood of comments insulting Jiang Mingxi.
At the filming location.
Knowing nothing about the online storm, Jiang Mingxi finally reached the stage with his sack of corn on his shoulder.
"How did your sack get so torn up? The corn's almost spilling out." Zhao Jiayuan, who had arrived first, pointed at the woven sack Jiang Mingxi had set down and asked.
Jiang Mingxi rubbed his shoulder and smiled. "Had a little fall just now."
Song Lan looked over at him.
Jiang Mingxi immediately sidled up to Song Lan. "Don't worry, Teacher Song. I didn't fall. The corn did."
Without another glance at him, Song Lan started walking back.
Jiang Mingxi followed closely beside him. When Song Lan ignored him, he found things to say himself.
"Are you tired, Teacher Song? Want me to massage your shoulders? Are you thirsty, Teacher Song? Want me to get you a bottle of water?"
Song Lan walked with his eyes straight ahead, not saying a word.
[Can Jiang Mingxi be any more annoying!]
[He is my absolute least favorite person, bar none!]
[Every day, I sincerely pray for Jiang Mingxi to die!]
[Okay, but Song Lan hasn't told Jiang Mingxi to leave, either. And... they're kind of shippable?]
[Aaaaah, sister, someone finally said what I was thinking. I didn't even dare ship them!]
[Are you sick in the head? He doesn't chase him away because he has manners, and you can ship that? Are you paid shills hired by Jiang Mingxi? Get lost!]
The bullet comments were full of abuse.
Zhao Jiayuan pointed and commented.
"Does Jiang Mingxi really like Song Lan?" Zhao Jiayuan turned and asked Chen Chong.
Chen Chong rolled his eyes at him. "Your own sexual function has issues, and you've still got so much energy to worry about other people."
Zhao Jiayuan: ???
"Fuck your uncle!" He jumped up and swung at Chen Chong.