Xia Zhiyi knew that Xiao Yang didn't mean to blame him, but the matter did indeed have something to do with him.
Both subjective and objective factors are involved.
Subjectively, when Xia Zhiyi realized that something was happening, she could not turn a blind eye given her ability to stop it.
Objectively speaking, he carries the label of cannon fodder. If he does nothing and goes along with the plot, he might have a period of peace before he becomes cannon fodder.
But he didn't.
He appeared on the same program as the male lead, Fu Yunyi, and it was even broadcast live.
Moreover, his exceptional abilities caused the restraining effect that should have been effective on him to completely fail, preventing him from becoming a background character overshadowed by the male protagonist.
He becomes the virus in the eyes of the plot, and in order to kill the virus, the plot will intentionally or unintentionally make him encounter all sorts of accidents.
Xia Zhiyi had experienced similar things many times in his previous worlds, so he could be said to be quite skilled in this area.
However, in other people's eyes, well...
It seems that although the production team was surprised, they didn't reject him because of it, so it should be fine.
perhaps.
" Teacher Xia!" Wang Chengran leaned closer, looked around, and asked in a low voice, "Has something happened over there again? I heard a staff member mention your name when I went to the restroom just now."
Xia Zhiyi smiled, "It's nothing serious, just a little delay on the way. Have you bought everything here?"
Wang Chengran scratched his head. "No, all the suggestions I made were rejected."
Xue Ranran happened to walk over at that moment and, upon hearing his words, looked somewhat speechless. "Don't you even look at the kind of suggestions you're making? Who gives a back scratcher as a birthday gift?"
Wang Chengran: "Well... I just thought that bamboo back scratcher would be quite useful for older people, I meant well."
Xue Ranran: "Don't you even consider that the elderly person might twist their ankle using a back scratcher?"
Wang Chengran: "... I don't think so, right?"
Xia Zhiyi: "So you haven't decided what to buy yet?"
Xue Ranran's attention was diverted. Hearing this, she looked at Xia Zhiyi and shrugged helplessly. "Most of what's sold at the market here is food. There are some new things, but what's new to us is probably commonplace to the older folks."
After all, they're locals.
Xue Ranran: "But we're still making progress."
At this point, Wang Chengran became excited and interjected, "We found a cake shop where we can order a cake, and then send someone to pick it up tomorrow."
Xue Ranran: "Considering that I might invite people from the village for my birthday, I ordered the biggest cake possible. I've already asked around, and Seventh Uncle next door has a refrigerator, so even if we can't finish it, we can put it in the fridge and eat it for breakfast."
Wang Chengran nodded. "Yes, yes, what do you think? Is this idea good? The old man's teeth probably aren't very good, so soft and chewy foods like cake are perfect!"
Xia Zhiyi smiled and nodded upon hearing this, "Yes, that's a good idea."
They were both very happy to receive his nod.
Fu Yunyi and Qin Yue, who were standing at the entrance of the hardware store, exchanged a glance as they watched this scene.
Fu Yunyi stroked his chin. "Something feels off."
Qin Yue: "It's reversed."
Fu Yunyi: "Hmm?"
Qin Yue sighed, "The roles have been reversed."
Fu Yunyi: "... That's really true."
Fu Yunyi: "But that's quite normal. Wang Chengran and Xue Ranran always call Xia Zhiyi' Teacher Xia,' they don't treat her like a little brother at all."
Qin Yue: "..."
That's correct.
Fu Yunyi, Qin Yue, Wang Chengran, Xue Ranran, and Zhou Kai (whose name is now lost) all have different personalities, and naturally, their attitudes toward Xia Zhiyi also differ.
Everyone now knows that Xia Zhiyi, very talented, and extraordinary; her first appearance on a TV show garnered widespread attention.
But some people can accept without any burden that someone younger than them is more capable than them.
For some people, accepting this requires a long period of mental preparation.
After talking with Wang Chengran and Xue Ranran, Xia Zhiyi walked over to the other two. "So, what are we doing here in the hardware store?"
Qin Yue smiled gently, "I was just passing by and thought I'd see if there was anything we needed at home, so I bought it while I was at it."
After all, going down the mountain is quite inconvenient, and they already have a mission to complete, so going back and forth is troublesome.
Fu Yunyi asked from the side, "Is it all taken care of over there?"
Xia Zhiyi: "Yeah, that guy is a habitual thief in this area. He liked to steal small things when he was in school. He went away for a few years, but it seems he couldn't make it outside and came back to live with his father. He occasionally comes to this area to steal things."
"His father... is a good man. People around him don't call the police because of his father. If they catch someone, they just beat them up at most; if they don't catch them, they just scold them."
Upon hearing this, Qin Yue's expression showed disapproval, but when she caught sight of the camera out of the corner of her eye, she swallowed back the words she was about to say.
Fu Yunyi, without much restraint, scoffed, "No wonder you're so arrogant, you've been spoiled rotten."
If they had learned their lesson earlier and known what pain was, none of this would have happened today.
If something is wrong to begin with, and then it's made public in front of a national audience, the punishment will generally be more severe depending on the social impact.
Qin Yue: "And the result?"
Xia Zhiyi hesitated for a moment, "We only have a little over a thousand yuan in our wallets. As for sentencing, it should be imprisonment for up to three years, detention, or public surveillance, and a fine may be imposed separately or concurrently."
Wang Chengran: "Hmm?"
Xue Ranran: "Hasn't it been decided yet?"
Xia Zhiyi: "Yes, they said we'd have to wait another day or two. If any of the previous victims come forward to report, we'll have to assess the situation."
Fu Yunyi: "Alright, since that's the case, let's not dwell on these unpleasant things for now. Let's go check out other places."
The last few people walked around, finding it all novel, but they still couldn't find a birthday gift that satisfied everyone.
Then, after discussing it, everyone decided to do something practical—give them gold.
Upon receiving the results, Director Gong exclaimed, "... You guys are way too honest."
Wang Chengran grinned. " Director Gong, are you implying we're being perfunctory? But we're really not being perfunctory at all! Gold is great, everyone, young and old, loves it, it holds its value, and there won't be any situation where older people don't understand what we're giving them. Isn't that great!"
Director Gong: "Let me make this clear first, they might not accept the gold you offer. If they don't, the mission isn't complete, and you won't get that two hundred yuan."
Wang Chengran: "We won't refuse!"
Then, that very evening, Wang Chengran secretly ran to the birthday celebrant's house when no one was looking.
Director Gong: "..."
Do you think there are no security cameras outside the house?