"Lingchuan, just hang me on the wall."
Ning Sang felt that his current expression must resemble that world-famous painting.
Yes, exactly—The Scream.
Being overheard while gossiping behind someone’s back—this kind of embarrassment was beyond words.
Nie Lingchuan’s handsome face broke into a smile. "Carry that burden yourself."
Ning Sang gritted his teeth inwardly, thinking this guy was utterly unreliable.
Nie Fuyao had no time to chat with them. She went to the fridge, grabbed a few things to eat, and headed straight upstairs.
"You’ve only just reunited—aren’t you going to spend some time bonding as father and daughter?" If he hadn’t come over today, Nie Lingchuan would probably have been sitting in the living room spacing out all night.
"She needs to study. Two months is a tight schedule." As a father, how could he possibly hinder his daughter’s studies?
Ning Sang pondered for a moment. "Actually, if—I mean if—if this girl really manages to get into Qingyingban, all that online negativity will naturally fade away over time."
Both of them knew perfectly well that this was contingent on her passing the exam.
If she failed, she would likely face even more intense cyberbullying.
Ning Sang didn’t see any particular strengths in this girl either. When appearing on the show, if she just acted obedient and well-behaved, those "concerned" netizens would naturally ease up a bit.
It was impossible to make everyone like you.
Even someone like Nie Lingchuan had plenty of anti-fans, but his fanbase was so massive that the haters could hardly make a dent.
This time, they had seized on the girl’s scandals, wildly exaggerating and adding fuel to the fire, hoping to use this opportunity to drag Nie Lingchuan down from his pedestal.
Given his ability and influence, there were countless people eager to take his place.
Nie Lingchuan looked at Ning Sang and said quietly, "I think Yaoyao dropped out of school because she was too smart."
Ning Sang: "…"
What on earth are you talking about?
He genuinely didn’t know that being too smart could be a reason for dropping out.
Could it be that he was so overjoyed at finally having a daughter that he’d lost his mind?
The other’s expression was too transparent, and Nie Lingchuan found it somewhat amusing. "She’s fluent in nine languages."
After a three-second pause, he added, "Self-taught."
Ning Sang felt that perhaps it wasn’t Nie Lingchuan who had gone crazy, but himself.
"I’ve been too exhausted these past few days. Must have been hearing things just now. It’s getting late—you should rest early. Don’t forget about the shoot the day after tomorrow."
With that, he stood up and left.
Now it was Nie Lingchuan’s turn to be speechless.
It seemed no one believed the truth.
**
The sky was just beginning to lighten when Nie Fuyao was already out jogging in the villa district.
As she passed a shrubbery, she suddenly heard faint meowing sounds coming from within.
Slowing her pace, she walked over and parted the bushes. Inside, she saw a tiny kitten, no bigger than her palm, curled up in a drainage outlet, trembling all over. Its soft, weak meows tugged at her heartstrings.
"…"
After staring for a long while, Nie Fuyao prepared to leave. She was quite resistant to furry creatures, being allergic after all.
But after running a few steps away, those soft meows sounded again. It felt as if a thousand-pound iron ball were tied to her back, forcefully halting her steps, making it impossible to move forward.
She retreated, pacing in place as she stared at the shrubbery.
Hearing the kitten’s weak, feeble cries, her movements gradually slowed.
Perhaps after a fierce internal struggle, she finally relented, her expression resigned. She gently scooped up the tiny kitten in her palms, turned around, and headed home.
"Meow~" The little kitten felt the warmth of the palm and let out a weak cry.
Nie Fuyao's heart trembled slightly, her body stiffening a little. "Stop meowing."
Though she liked it in her heart, her body seemed to be telling the truth.
At this moment, the Nie family welcomed the filming crew.
As the crew entered the villa area, the live broadcast equipment was already turned on.
Compared to the other four families, Nie Lingchuan's live stream had the highest viewership.
Within less than ten minutes of going live, it had already reached nearly ten million viewers.
"Hello to all the viewers watching the live stream! The villa ahead is Brother Chuan's home, and he's also our boss," said one of the crew members, pointing the camera at the Nie family villa as another pressed the doorbell.
Soon, a woman's face appeared on the video doorbell.
"Filming crew?" the woman asked.
"Sister Zhou, it's me," the crew member leaned his head toward the video doorbell. "Is Brother Chuan up yet?"
The ornate iron gate slowly opened, and the three of them walked into the villa. Sister Zhou came out from inside.
She was a helper at the Nie household, having worked there for almost ten years—the longest tenure among all the helpers.
Sister Zhou mainly helped with cooking and simple cleaning at the Nie home. For tasks like tending the garden or deep cleaning the villa, they regularly hired professional housekeeping services.
"Mr. Nie has been up for a while. Come on in," Sister Zhou smiled as she invited them inside. "Yao Yao went for her morning exercise and hasn't returned yet."
"Yao Yao?" The crew member froze for a moment before realizing. "Oh, you mean Brother Chuan's daughter."
Sister Zhou didn't elaborate further, letting them sit down while she headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
The three of them briefly filmed around the living room before seeing Nie Lingchuan descend the stairs in a white casual outfit.
"You're here!"
The three quickly greeted him. "Brother Chuan, good morning!"
"Morning!" Nie Lingchuan walked to the kitchen door and glanced inside. "Have you had breakfast?"
"We ate before coming. Brother Chuan, don't worry about us," Gao Fen didn't dare to freeload a meal at his boss's home.
As soon as Nie Lingchuan appeared, the live stream's comments exploded.
【My idol, a living legend.】
【Starting the day with such breathtaking beauty—I'm full of energy today.】
【No exaggeration, Brother Chuan's looks truly outshine most male celebrities in the industry.】
【I want to see the daughter! Where is she?】
As they were chatting, the living room door opened, and Nie Fuyao walked in, cradling the little kitten in her hands.
"I found a little kitten," she quickly brought it over to Nie Lingchuan, looking up at him with a hint of stiffness and defeat in her eyes.
Hearing the commotion, Sister Zhou, who was frying eggs in the kitchen, came over with a spatula in hand and took a look. "Oh, it's just a local cat."
Nie Fuyao pursed her lips slightly and corrected her, "Sister Zhou, it's called a Li Hua cat, also known as a Chinese garden cat."
Sister Zhou wasn't offended; instead, she smiled warmly. "That does sound better than 'local cat'—it clearly has our country's heritage."
Nie Lingchuan looked at his daughter, sensing her emotions. "Do you want to keep it?"
"…" Nie Fuyao remained silent for a long time, her gaze fixed intently on the Li Hua cat in her palm.
Seeing her lack of response, viewers in the live stream couldn't help but express their genuine feelings.
【If you don't want to keep it, why did you bring it home?】
【Sweetie, keep it! Li Hua cats are easy to care for, and they can catch mice too.】
【They live in a huge villa—how could there possibly be mice?】
【How disgusting, already putting on an act as soon as the livestream starts. Truly the daughter of an award-winning actor, what great acting skills.】
【Get lost, you upstairs. What act? If she were really putting on an act, would she hesitate like this? Can't even criticize properly.】
"I've never raised one before, so I don't know if I have the patience. And…" With this current body, it shouldn't be allergic to cat fur, right?