The photographer thought this alley, though rundown, had a nostalgic and storied feel to it. So before reaching the Sang Family's place, he decided to turn on the camera early to film a short clip of the alley as material.
But while adjusting the lens, he accidentally hit the streaming button and turned on the live broadcast.
Because of the involvement of top-tier celebrities and rising stars, "Encounter in Countryside" had a high level of public attention.
As soon as the live broadcast began, those who had subscribed in advance received notifications and immediately clicked in.
In just one minute, the number of viewers watching live exceeded hundreds of thousands, and the countryside livestream room quickly landed in the trending section of the square.
Viewers in the square were curious, wondering why the live broadcast had started now when the show wasn't supposed to begin filming until tomorrow.
Curious, many tuned in to see what was going on, causing the viewer count to climb even higher.
The director noticed the livestream mishap right away and called the on-site filming team, his furious voice almost shattering eardrums: "You bunch of fools, are you blind? Don't you see the livestream is on?!"
The cameraman's assistant, startled by the call from the director, widened his eyes in panic, tugged at the photographer's sleeve, and gestured for him to check the camera while pressing the phone to his ear.
As the director unleashed his wrath, the photographer's mind went blank.
It's over. His job was done for!
Just as he was about to cut off the livestream, the director suddenly calmed down on the other end, adopting a tone of reluctant compromise: "Forget it. Leave the livestream on and continue filming."
The live viewer count was nearing ten million; cutting the stream abruptly would not be ideal.
After hanging up, the director sighed and personally called Sang Ning to apologize. Surely, she'd understand, right?
*
VIP lounge in the hospital.
"Xiao Xi, your problem is you're always too nice, never fighting back or standing your ground, which is why you keep getting bullied."
"Sang Ning has harmed you so badly, so why did you still let her take the spotlight?"
Li Sulan sat by the hospital bed, lamenting with heartfelt bitterness.
Chu Xi leaned back against the headboard, her eyes blinking theatrically as she deliberately spoke in an exaggerated yet unaffected tone: "Mom, don't worry. The doctor said it was just superficial injuries. I'm perfectly fine."
"Other cast members have busy schedules and couldn't make it, and since I'm stuck in the hospital, it's inconvenient for me to film. Meanwhile, my sister has already returned to the Sang Family. It seems only she has the time."
"Besides, with you and Dad supporting me, I'll have plenty of chances to shine in the future. But my sister is different. She's back with the Sang Family, and you know how hot-tempered she is. The Sang Family is poor and can't offer her much help. Her future days in the industry are bound to be tough."
She paused, then sighed regretfully. "Plus, my sister spent so many years filling in for me with you and Dad. It's just a spotlight—why not let her have it?"
Li Sulan stroked her daughter's head, scolding her indulgently: "Sang Ning stole two decades of your life. To be so kind to a thief, you're such a fool."
From the sofa, where he had been silent this whole time, Chu Tian abruptly spoke up: "Enough. Is it really necessary to speak so harshly?"
"What does this have to do with Xiao Ning? If we're to blame anyone, it should be us as parents for being negligent."
Li Sulan flared up again, pointing at Chu Tian and scolding: "Old man, you traitor! I've never seen a father like you who always sides with outsiders over his own daughter."
Chu Tian smacked the sofa forcefully and retorted angrily: "Li Sulan, watch your words. When have I neglected Xiao Xi?"
"I admit it—I contacted the show crew and spent money to get Xiao Ning on the program."
"But have you considered how much money and effort I put into getting Xiao Xi on the show? She has no reputation in this industry. If it weren't for me throwing money at them, could she even have a chance?"
Realizing his tone might have been too harsh, Chu Tian quickly apologized to Chu Xi. "Sorry, Xiao Xi, I didn't mean it like that. I just wanted you to understand—my care for you and Xiao Ning is the same."
Chu Xi bit her lip lightly, swallowing the bitterness in her heart.
Who wanted love equal to Sang Ning's? She was the biological daughter—shouldn't her father favor her?
Clenching her teeth, she forced a smile that made her seem mature and considerate: "Dad, it's okay. I know you love me."
Li Sulan was about to erupt again, but Chu Tian cut her off: "Look at Xiao Xi, then at yourself. Our daughter is so sensible, yet as her mother, you're this unreasonable. Aren't you ashamed?"
Worried that continuing to argue in the lounge might disturb Chu Xi's rest, Li Sulan twisted Chu Tian's ear and dragged him toward the door.
"Come out. I need to talk with you properly today!"
*
The director dialed Sang Ning's number.
"Mr. Sang, I deeply apologize. The photographer made a mistake and accidentally started the livestream. Cutting the broadcast now would affect the audience experience."
"How about this—we'll keep the livestream going and make sure to punish the photographer afterward to give you a proper explanation."
The director was prepared to be berated, as Sang Ning was notorious in the industry for her fiery temper and her habit of giving no leeway—she'd yell at anyone she felt like.
But Sang Ning's response surprised him.
"No need for punishment. It won't give me any actual benefits anyway."
Just as the director was about to compliment her magnanimity, she added: "But if you really feel guilty and want to make it up to me, then every day until the show ends, make my family's daily livestream vlog the pinned post on your official social media page."
Director: ???
"Mr. Sang, isn't that request a bit shameless?"
Even after twenty years of navigating scandals in the entertainment circle, he was still taken aback by Sang Ning's audacity.
The program featured six groups of guests; why should Sang Family dominate the daily exposure?
But Sang Ning chuckled sinisterly. "Oh? If you don't agree, I'll immediately go public and cause a stir, sabotaging tomorrow's filming. Then you'll see what real shamelessness looks like."
"After all, this mistake is on your team. If I throw a tantrum, no one can fault me, right?"
"You—"
The director was so enraged he couldn't string together a coherent sentence, clutching his shirt as though trying to calm his pounding heart. Once he could breathe again, he grudgingly replied, as if a knife was pressed to his throat, "Fine. Deal."
After all, it wasn't the first time she had pulled this kind of stunt to derail production.
What did he ever do to deserve working with such a lunatic artist?
Still, he couldn't help but wonder if Sang Ning's brain worked properly. Did she think the backlash from netizens wasn't harsh enough?
Pinning the Sang Family's vlog on the official page every day gave off the vibe of being excessively promoted—it could lead to disaster.
Netizens would definitely suspect Sang Ning had some major backer, and the show's team would get dragged into the scandal and trashed along with her.