Lu Zhou's eyes lit up. "Really? Tell me more!"
The other person said, "That crown prince of the Duan Family we invited was hit by an object thrown from a height on the day of filming. He fell unconscious and is still receiving treatment in the hospital!"
"We have no idea where this Duan Xuanyu on the show came from!"
Lu Zhou was beside himself with excitement.
Whenever he thought of how perfectly Duan Xuanyu and Su Mian had worked together to catch wild boars today, jealousy came bubbling up inside him.
Now, things had finally taken a turn!
Lu Zhou immediately called the director.
He told him to end the first installment's dating-show livestream right now and put the show on hiatus.
Then he would drive straight to the hospital, pick up the real young master of the Duan Family, and bring him over to expose Duan Xuanyu!
Whether this Duan Xuanyu was a transmigrator from ancient times, an alien, or a mimic...
It didn't matter!
He had to be sent to the Academy of Sciences for dissection!
After the guests finished eating the smoked pork, the host announced the news.
Due to certain circumstances beyond their control, the show would be ending early.
Everyone could return to the villa, pack up, and head home.
Everyone headed back to the villa.
Su Mian ate a lot, which held her up for a while.
She even told Duan Xuanyu to go back and pack first while she carried on eating alone.
By the time she finished eating and returned to the villa, Fang Nuonuo was the only person left in the hall.
Fang Nuonuo was coming downstairs with her suitcase.
When she saw Su Mian, she immediately stopped and said with a beaming smile, "Su Mian, could you help me carry my suitcase? You're strong."
Su Mian had to hand it to her.
After the wild-boar incident, the two of them had essentially torn off all pretense of civility.
But only a few hours had passed since then.
And now she actually had the nerve to ask her for help?
Oh, this wasn't "help," either.
This was ordering her to work.
Back in college, Su Mian had had a roommate just like this.
Every day, she would say in the nicest tone, "Su Mian, I don't feel well. Could you clean up for me?" "Su Mian, get me some food." "Su Mian, let me have that job opportunity of yours"...
Su Mian hadn't indulged her back then. She had fought back outright.
She wouldn't indulge her now, either.
And remembering how Fang Nuonuo had sabotaged her mission progress in messing with Lin Xi today made her like her even less.
"Sure, I'll help."
Su Mian walked up the stairs.
She raised her foot and kicked the suitcase.
The suitcase went tumbling down.
It burst open on impact, spilling everything inside.
Fang Nuonuo's face instantly went white. "How could you do that?" she asked incredulously.
Su Mian smiled brilliantly. "Because I'm a villain to begin with."
After all, every word in that "Brutally Tormenting the Gold Digger" post had been about tormenting her and slapping her in the face.
What's wrong with a villain like me taking the initiative to do something bad?
Just then, people suddenly came in.
They were members of the production crew, back to pack their things as well.
Fang Nuonuo's eyes reddened. She crouched beside her suitcase, gathering her things as she said in an aggrieved little voice, "It's okay, Su Mian. Let's just say I accidentally dropped the suitcase down the stairs myself. It has nothing to do with you..."
Su Mian said, "Exactly. It had nothing to do with me in the first place."
The production crew said nothing.
These days, everyone was familiar with certain green-tea tricks.
Seeing this scene, they all thought Fang Nuonuo was being a green tea.
She was deliberately saying those tolerant, magnanimous things.
Hinting to everyone that Su Mian had kicked her suitcase.
But in reality, Fang Nuonuo had kicked it down herself to frame Su Mian.
The crew members were just about to leave.
Then they suddenly heard Su Mian walk up to Fang Nuonuo and say, "Tch. Next time, I'll kick you down with it!"
The production crew: "..."
Wait, you really did kick her suitcase?
She had left everyone at a complete loss...
But the show was on hiatus, so the crew no longer concerned themselves with the guests' grudges.
Everyone left.
Su Mian also planned to return to her room to pack.
Having gained absolutely nothing, Fang Nuonuo was suddenly too angry to keep up the act!
She asked quietly, "Su Mian, what is Duan Xuanyu to you?"
Su Mian looked back. "Why?"
Fang Nuonuo's smile was somewhat sinister. "Nothing."
Su Mian stared at her for a while, then suddenly pulled out a phone.
She had lifted it from Fang Nuonuo while swaggering over to her just now.
Su Mian said, "Fang Nuonuo, I found your phone."
Fang Nuonuo immediately held out her hand. "Give it back."
Su Mian said, "Five hundred."
Fang Nuonuo frowned. "Su Mian, there really is no limit to how poor you are! I need my phone back to transfer you the money!"
Su Mian said, "You won't trick me and refuse to pay, will you?"
Fang Nuonuo rolled her eyes. "Do you think I'm as poor as you? Five hundred isn't even enough for one afternoon tea. I wouldn't stoop to cheating you!"
Only then did Su Mian return her phone.
Fang Nuonuo unlocked it.
Su Mian snatched the phone out of her hand, quickly opened her chat with Lu Zhou, and skimmed it.
She saw that Lu Zhou had just told her: Duan Xuanyu and the Duan Family's young master weren't the same person...
He was coming over right away with the Duan Family's young master to expose Duan Xuanyu in person.
Once Young Master Duan confirmed it, they would call the police to arrest Duan Xuanyu.
Fang Nuonuo hurriedly snatched her phone back. "What are you doing? Are you a bandit?"
Su Mian no longer cared about getting that five hundred from her. She turned and headed upstairs to find Duan Xuanyu.
No, I can't let him get dragged off for dissection...
I can't let the police find out he's unregistered, either.
Su Mian's and Duan Xuanyu's rooms were both on the top floor.
She went upstairs and rushed into Duan Xuanyu's room.
She shoved the books haphazardly into his suitcase, grabbed his hand, and pulled him toward the door.
"Hurry, the police are coming to arrest you."
But just then, footsteps were already coming from downstairs!
Along with Fang Nuonuo's cloyingly sweet cry of "President Lu."
They had actually arrived this quickly!
Seeing that they couldn't get away, Su Mian quickly turned back and opened the wardrobe.
She pulled Duan Xuanyu inside with her.
Inside the cramped, dim wardrobe, Duan Xuanyu rested his head on her shoulder.
They were so close that his scorching breath washed over her ear.
"Su Mian, what happened?"
Su Mian held his hand tightly. "Don't worry. No matter what happens, I'll protect you."
At least for now... it isn't time to farm him yet.
How rare was it for an ancient emperor to get the chance to study abroad in the modern world?
How could she let the police uncles take him away before he had learned much of anything...
Duan Xuanyu gazed straight at her, his eyes brimming with a smile. "Mm!"
Whoosh-
The wardrobe doors were suddenly pulled open.
Lu Zhou and another man stood at the doorway, looking at them.
Lu Zhou had originally been wearing a gloating smile.
But now, seeing Su Mian and Duan Xuanyu holding hands tightly and pressed so close together, he could no longer smile.
"Su Mian, what are you doing? Get out here!"
Su Mian scoffed. "What business is it of yours? I'm not coming out. I just love playing in a wardrobe with a six-foot-three college guy with abs. Hehe."
Lu Zhou ground his back teeth.
Fine. If you love crouching in a wardrobe, you can do it alone. That lover of yours has to be dragged off for dissection!
Lu Zhou turned to the man behind him. "Mr. Duan, this is the man impersonating you!"