Fortunately, Wei Lan only sighed at this point: “Brother Xi actually had such an innocent past.”
Shen Yiqiao listened for a while, feeling quite emotional. When she turned her head, she noticed Jiang Ning was lost in thought and couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Ningning, aren’t you shocked?”
Jiang Ning snapped back to reality, realizing she had been overly calm.
So she feigned surprise with a flat “Ah”: “So shocking.”
Shen Yiqiao: “…”
Too fake.
Xi Yue glanced at Jiang Ning again.
Jiang Ning lowered her head and continued fiddling with her fingers.
While discussing this topic, Xi Yue inexplicably looked at Jiang Ning several times.
Even the audience in the livestream noticed something off.
【Why does Brother Xi keep looking at Sister?】
【Does Sister know the truth, and Brother Xi is afraid she’ll spill it?】
【Probably not. Sister seems to know her boundaries.】
【You’re all single, aren’t you? Too naive. Can’t you tell Brother Xi’s glances were meaningful?】
【？？？？What do you mean, sis?】
【Are you saying Brother Xi’s first love is Jiang Ning??】
Even Jiang Ning could tell what Xi Yue was trying to do.
The only female guest who remained oblivious, Shen Yiqiao, finally tapped into her woman’s intuition.
Her heart stirred, feeling as if she was on the frontlines of a juicy gossip story.
A massive bombshell was about to unfold right before her eyes.
But then.
Jiang Ning, expressionless, met Xi Yue’s gaze without hesitation.
“I know you’re sad, but hold off on the sadness for now.” Jiang Ning spoke up. “Send me her profile picture tonight. I’ll change mine and chat with you for a bit.”
Xi Yue: “…”
The other guests: “…”
The audience burst into laughter.
Jiang Ning always knew how to deliver a killing blow, shattering the ambiguous atmosphere Xi Yue had painstakingly crafted.
【LMAO I’m dying of laughter. I knew as soon as these two appeared on the livestream, my source of joy would return.】
【I haven’t seen Brother Xi and Sister messing around for two days, and I felt restless. Now I’m satisfied.】
…
In the entertainment industry, a past girlfriend is always more acceptable than one kept hidden. Besides, it was so long ago—no one could travel back in time to demand that Xi Yue, who wasn’t even in the industry then, remain chaste.
Instead, Xi Yue’s candid confession actually won him favor with many viewers.
Fans also felt that since this ex-girlfriend never tried to ride on Xi Yue’s fame even after he became so popular, she must be a decent ex.
The limited information Xi Yue revealed allowed fans to imagine a whole tragic love story.
Like being torn apart by disapproving families.
Or having to part ways before the college entrance exams, forced to break up.
The rumors spread vividly and dramatically.
In the livestream.
The production team had already delivered the day’s ingredients.
Carrying the expectations of several hungry Ghosts, Xi Yue entered the kitchen.
Jiang Ning sat in the living room, playing on her phone.
As soon as she opened Weibo, she found her comments flooded with messages from Xi Yue’s fans.
【Sister!! Do you have any gossip about Brother Xi’s first love? Can you share it with us?】
【Good sister, good sister! Just give us a tiny hint, please. If I don’t get even a little gossip today, I’ll rise from my grave after I die.】
What was she supposed to say?
Hello everyone, I’m the woman who dumped your Brother Xi?
Say it like that?
Jiang Ning exited her Weibo homepage with a cold expression.
Xi Yue, who had just entered the kitchen, walked back out.
“Pick a lucky one to help me out.”
Wei Lan claimed she only knew how to cook instant noodles.
Qin Lang said he’d get dizzy at the sight of a kitchen knife.
Shen Yiqiao admitted she’d once blown up a kitchen.
Jiang Ning wanted to curl up in a corner and pretend to be dead, incubating mushrooms.
But Xi Yue’s gaze landed squarely on Jiang Ning.
“You just had to blurt out so sweetly that I can cook, didn’t you? Now I can’t even slack off. If you don’t help me, who will?” Xi Yue said sarcastically, “Good buddy, you wouldn’t want the audience to find out more, would you?”
Jiang Ning: “…”
Jiang Ning’s finger slipped while scrolling on her phone because of Xi Yue’s words, accidentally liking a fan-edited video of her and Wei Lan as a CP.
Jiang Ning unliked the video, sighed, and followed Xi Yue into the kitchen.
Like Snow White being forced into the forest by her wicked stepmother.
She kept her head down, helping Xi Yue prep the ingredients, her voice soft, afraid the kitchen camera might pick it up: “Xi Yue, you said you’d keep your distance from me.”
“Aren’t we friends? Isn’t that what you said?” Xi Yue gave a hollow smile. “Keeping your distance from friends—that’s what’s weird, isn’t it?”
Although Jiang Ning had already guessed that Xi Yue’s attitude made it unlikely he’d really keep his distance from her on the show.
But for him to be so shameless, treating his own words like nothing, and acting so righteous about it—
That was something Jiang Ning hadn’t expected.
She wanted to punch him.
But she was afraid he’d lick her hand.
…
As a 2G internet user, Jiang Ning didn’t fully understand Weibo’s rules, thinking that unliking the video would settle the matter.
But the blogger could see the like history.
While she was miserably stuck in the kitchen with Xi Yue, the internet had already exploded.
[Who gets it?! The real deal liked my CP edit!!]
The blogger also attached a screenshot of Jiang Ning’s like.
Countless Wei-Jiang CP fans were overjoyed to tears.
[I knew the CP I ship is real!]
The blogger, brimming with confidence, posted countless more edited videos, pairing them with sweet, doting, or tear-jerking background music and storylines.
Even a single glance between Wei Lan and Jiang Ning was edited to feel charged with tension.
Some people are just born for this kind of work, like this blogger.
These few videos instantly attracted a huge wave of fans to the Wei-Jiang CP.
Reliable older sister x puppy-like younger brother!
Sisters, investing in this CP won’t disappoint!
Overnight, even super-topics and fan sites were created.
Some viewers glanced at Xi Yue and Jiang Ning, who were lovingly cooking together in the live stream. In other variety shows, the kitchen—a place most likely to spark chemistry—would have had everyone swooning and shipping them already.
But why were Xi Yue and Jiang Ning so different?
[Just curious, genuinely asking—why aren’t you shipping Xi Yue and Jiang Ning?]
Xi’s fans: [Have you ever seen anyone ship their own bros? That’s just plain awkward.]
Jiang’s fans: [My girl’s disdain for Xi Yue is practically tangible. Can’t ship it, really can’t.]
Unaware that his own territory was being encroached upon, Xi Yue was simmering with frustration over Jiang Ning’s “friends” remark.
But when he glanced at Jiang Ning, she always wore that same indifferent, unflappable expression.
Just counting on his soft spot for her, daring him not to provoke her, huh?
Xi Yue pressed his tongue against his back teeth, furious.
And the worst part was, he really was afraid of exactly that.
…
Once Xi Yue finished cooking and brought the dishes out—
They were a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.
The kitchen novices who had been surviving on instant noodles for two meals were practically drooling.
Even the fans were stunned.
【Holy shit, Xi Yue actually knows how to cook! I thought he was just joking around and would end up serving everyone a huge pot of boiled instant noodles.】
【It suddenly occurred to me that when the younger sister mentioned Xi Yue making her a whole table of plain congee and steamed buns, could it have been Xi Yue himself who cooked it?】
【Sharp observation, you’ve hit the nail on the head.】
Some neutral viewers, however, stepped out of the fan perspective and noticed something off.
Xi Yue had jumped into the river without hesitation to save Jiang Ning, brought her along for work engagements, signed her under his own agent, and even made her breakfast early in the morning.
Was this really just something friends would do?
But Xi Yue’s fans were notoriously fierce, and on top of that, many people were currently shipping Jiang Ning and Wei Lan enthusiastically.
Not wanting to speak up and get attacked, they simply kept their thoughts to themselves.
…
Before the meal began, Huang Wanqing arrived as well.
After days of criticism, Huang’s fans had resigned themselves to the backlash, and Huang Wanqing’s apology had been sincere enough to ease some viewers’ minds.
Still, quite a few couldn’t resist leaving sarcastic comments in the live chat.
【If the young miss wants to playact in a troupe set up by her family, she should just stick to that. Why come here and ruin things for others?】
【Wanqing has already apologized publicly and privately to Xi Yue and Jiang Ning. What more do you want? Are you trying to start a cyberbullying campaign?】
【Can’t people even say a few words when someone messes up?】
【Enough already. Show some mercy where it’s due.】
Huang Wanqing’s spoiled nature was well-known in the industry, but viewers could only vent in the comments—after all, she had a powerful father backing her.
Most had assumed she would withdraw from the show, yet here she was again.
In this circle, personal conflicts were rarely brought into the open.
Even though Qin Lang had been badly burned by Huang Wanqing last time and wasn’t particularly fond of her, he was still the first to invite her to take a seat at the table.
Huang Wanqing maintained her usual haughty, chin-up demeanor but nodded slightly to Qin Lang and said, “Thank you.”
Her gaze drifted toward Jiang Ning, who was helping serve the dishes.
She felt an urge to strike up a conversation.
There was something inexplicably magnetic about Jiang Ning.
But Miss Huang had always been the one others fawned over.
Initiating a chat was something others did for her—she’d never had to do it herself.
So, despite glancing over several times, she couldn’t muster a single word.
Shen Yiqiao and Qin Lang had already taken their seats, with Shen Yiqiao sitting to Huang Wanqing’s left.
There was still an empty seat to Huang Wanqing’s right.
Wei Lan, having just washed his hands, came out and happened to be closest to that spot.
Just as he was about to plop down, Huang Wanqing promptly placed her bag on the chair.
Wei Lan: “?”
Huang Wanqing carried her princess attitude everywhere, rarely caring about others’ feelings.
She never paid attention to online criticism either—it never reached her directly, and even if it trended, her father would pay to bury it.
Wei Lan: “Miss, move your stuff.”
Huang Wanqing: “This bag is one-of-a-kind worldwide. It deserves its own seat.”
The live chat didn’t hold back, unleashing a wave of criticism.
【If it’s that precious, why not buy an ancestral tablet for it and offer incense every day?】
【With manners like these, she’s putting on airs as if she’s the Empress Dowager herself.】
【There’s a reason why Huang Wanqing has a bad reputation among the public—does she really think the world revolves around her?】
The barrage was firing away when Jiang Ning, who had just finished serving the dishes, was seen walking over.
Wei Lan was about to call out to Jiang Ning to prevent her from being humiliated as well.
But then, Huang Wanqing acted swiftly, immediately kicking the bag that supposedly needed its own seat under the table.
Wei Lan: “?”
The audience: 【?】