Hu Zhi sighed, "Xiao Ning, whether you believe it or not, we really didn't force Xiao Xi to drop out of school to work and support the family. Back then, she wanted to transfer schools, which required a transfer fee of tens of thousands. Your dad and I didn't object, but taking out that amount all at once was indeed a big burden for our family. It took us some time to raise the money, and just when we finally managed to scrape it together, Xiao Xi said she didn't want to study anymore and wanted to break into the entertainment industry. No matter how we tried to persuade her, it was no use. Kids have their own ideas, and as parents, we can only respect their decisions."
While speaking, Hu Zhi kept staring at Sang Ning, carefully observing her reaction. She was so afraid Sang Ning would think they were overly harsh parents to their daughter.
But Sang Ning didn't offer any comments; she only lightly rubbed her chin with her finger, as if deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Sang Chuan slapped the sofa hard and stood up abruptly. "Then why don't you respect my decision? I don't want to study either; I just want to deliver food!"
Sang Youming glared at Sang Chuan. "How have I not respected your decision? Have you forgotten that I was the one who told your teacher about your decision to drop out?"
After speaking, Sang Youming glanced at Sang Ning with his peripheral vision, then shot a look at Sang Chuan as if signaling, "You made a bet and lost to your sister. If you're still a man, deal with it yourself!"
Sang Chuan turned his head, and when his gaze met Sang Ning's, his shoulders deflated immediately. He suspected Sang Ning had deliberately set him up.
Sang Ning looked at him with a half-smile. "You can start packing now. Tomorrow, come with Mom and Dad to record the reality show with me. As a grown man, you shouldn't have much luggage to bring anyway. That said, pack all your high school textbooks and use the holiday to review them."
Sang Chuan gritted his teeth tightly. "Sang Ning, don't go too far. I've already promised you that I'll go back to school. How I study is my business."
"Nope, I, Sang Ning, absolutely won't allow my brother to be a slacker. Supervising your studies myself makes me feel a lot more at ease." Sang Ning's slender fingers tapped the armrest of the sofa leisurely, her tone even and calm, yet inexplicably commanding.
A thought suddenly occurred to Sang Chuan, and the corners of his lips curled slightly. "Fine, deal."
He'd let Sang Ning personally experience just how hopeless he was when it came to studying—once she hit a wall, chances are she'd finally give up trying to control him.
Sang Ning also made her demands to Sang Youming and Hu Zhi. Parents should act like parents; Sang Chuan's idleness wasn't entirely his fault—they bore some responsibility too.
Thus, under Sang Ning's pressure and persuasion, the Sang Family members all made their commitments.
Sang Youming promised that he'd definitely quit drinking by the end of the show. Hu Zhi pledged to successfully quit gambling. Sang Chuan assured to review all his Grade 10 and 11 coursework within a month to prepare for the upcoming challenges of Grade 12.
And just like that, the live broadcast incident quietly fizzled out. Since Sang Ning's side never came forward to clarify, her Weibo gained 10,000 more hate followers in a single day.
Predictably, these hate followers followed her just to spam her with nasty private messages.
[Sang, you Bitch, you'd better behave tomorrow and stop trying to create scandals with my baby Shen Yi. He likes pure women, not someone as trashy as you.]
[Sang, you Bitch, I advise you to leave the show voluntarily. You're the worst part of this entire program.]
[Sang, you Bitch, your scriptwriting skills are impressive. I can't wait for tomorrow to see what sort of outrageous storyline you come up with next.]
Despite the insults, Sang Ning felt delighted—she even laughed out loud while reading the nasty comments.
Ever since she learned that these haters' actions were intertwined with her own fate, Sang Ning found them oddly endearing.
Over at the Chu Family.
Chu Xi had just finished a luxurious spa treatment and lay down on her bed, determined to look her absolute best during tomorrow's recording.
Before going to sleep, she opened Weibo, where various Sang Family-related hashtags dominated the top-ten trending list, their popularity soaring.
#SangFamilyAllTrash#, #SangNingRefusesToAcknowledgeBiologicalParents#, #MostDramaticFamilyInEntertainmentIndustry#.
Under each hashtag were countless scathing comments from netizens.
Chu Xi's lips curved upwards slightly. She wanted to see how a vain woman like Sang Ning would hold up after facing ridicule from the entire internet—would she still have the guts to bring her biological parents onto the show?
Knowing her personality, Sang Ning would likely hire actors to maintain her facade. If she dared do so, Chu Xi would make sure she'd never recover from this scandal.
*
The recording location was at Yuan Village, four hours away from the Imperial Capital.
Early the next morning, the production team arranged for cars to pick up the Sang Family. Each set of guests was provided a dedicated vehicle.
At 11:00 AM, six cars arrived punctually at Yuan Village's entrance, marking the official start of the livestream.
The opening shot captured an elegant, well-defined hand pushing an oversized black suitcase.
The camera zoomed out to reveal Shen Yi and his father walking towards the scene.
Mr. Shen wore a gray polo shirt, deep blue casual pants, and carried a double-layered glass thermos cup. His hair was meticulously combed back, and his expression stern.
Shen Yi sported the classic combo of a white T-shirt and jeans, paired with a backward black baseball cap. His sleek black hair tucked under the hat, and his slightly upturned cat-like lips added a touch of coolness to his demeanor.
The livestream chat immediately flooded with comments.
[Brother's heavenly good looks are killing me!!!]
[Mr. Shen is so suave—no wonder he's a retired state-owned enterprise leader! Classic old-school gentleman vibes.]
[Look at Brother's hands—they're every hand-lover's dream. Can those hands come play with me?]
[Whoa there, keep it classy! This is the chat section, not your fantasy zone.]
The second group of guests was Song Shiye and his grandmother.
At just 18 years old, Song Shiye was a rising idol discovered by a talent scout at the age of 13.
He wore a black short-sleeve work shirt paired with matching cargo pants and sneakers. His stylish iris-blue hair glowed in the sunlight while his fair skin seemed almost translucent. Facing the camera with a charming smile, his tiny but dazzling tiger tooth peeked out.
[Oh my gosh! My heart's melting! That smile could cure any sadness!]
[How endearing! Even while pushing his suitcase, he's careful to support his grandmother!]
The third group of guests was Qin Kai and his father, both dressed in matching blue tracksuits.
[Holy crap! Are my eyes deceiving me? Qin Kai's dad is actually Qin Jiaxiang?!]
[Who's Qin Jiaxiang?]
[You don't know Qin Jiaxiang?! He's the top director in the country and one of the most influential global directors!]
[Damn, Brother Kai is so humble—he has such a powerful connection at home yet chose to start from bit roles instead of leveraging his dad. I seriously respect him for that.]
[Brother Kai deserves praise—he was even nominated for Best Actor last year. His talent is undeniable and beyond reproach.]