She glanced at the caller ID: her “good friend,” Lin Shuangshuang.
Her brows furrowed slightly. The last afternoon tea fiasco was still fresh in her mind. A call at this time—definitely nothing good.
Just as she hesitated about whether to answer, Su Jingyang spoke up.
“Pick up.”
Jiang Yao pressed the answer button. Lin Shuangshuang’s signature loud voice immediately blasted through.
“Yaoyao! Good news! Huge news!”
“What good news?” Jiang Yao moved the phone slightly away from her ear.
“The production team of Growth Diary invited our kids to participate in the new season’s recording! Do you know how popular this show is? The first three seasons made so many second-generation celebrities and rich heirs famous!”
Of course, Jiang Yao knew.
Over these days, she had been so bored that she had watched nearly every trending drama and variety show from the past two years. This parenting reality show was indeed the hottest program right now, focusing on the daily lives of wealthy families raising children.
“So?” her tone remained indifferent.
“So the production team wants to invite you and Su Muzhe to join!” Lin Shuangshuang said excitedly. “Also Ye Qing and Lu Sheng—two familiar families filming together! That’ll be so interesting!”
Jiang Yao almost spat out her sour plum drink.
Ye Qing?
That woman whose face had turned green at the café last time?
Filming together?
“Is Ye Qing one of the investors in the production team?”
There was a pause on the other end of the line before Lin Shuangshuang laughed.
“Yes, she recommended you two as well. She thinks your mother-son pair has topic value.”
“Topic value?” Jiang Yao sneered. “You mean the value of being a contrast group, right?”
“Oh, you’re overthinking it…” Lin Shuangshuang tried to explain.
But Jiang Yao had already hung up.
Su Jingyang looked at her. “Problem?”
“Lin Shuangshuang and Ye Qing,” Jiang Yao leaned back in her chair, tapping her fingers lightly on the table. “What good intentions could they possibly have?”
“They want me to be the comparison prop. To boost Lu Sheng.”
Hearing this, Su Muzhe put down his chopsticks.
“Then don’t go.”
Jiang Yao looked at him. The teenager had “I refuse” written all over his face.
“I’m not interested in being on TV,” Su Muzhe shrugged. “A bunch of cameras filming all day? Annoying.”
“I think it sounds kind of interesting,” Jiang Yao said. She had recently watched several celebrity reality shows and found them quite entertaining.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Su Muzhe glared back fiercely—at least in his own opinion.
But in the eyes of both Jiang Yao and Su Jingyang, he looked like an aggressively cute little dog.
“I’m not going,” he declared.
“Beg me won’t help either.”
Jiang Yao clicked her tongue. “I haven’t even decided whether I’m going, and you’re already this resistant. Now I feel like we definitely have to go.”
Su Muzhe was speechless.
If there was a ranking for the most annoying parent, he would definitely nominate his Mom first.
Their mother-son relationship was basically oil and water—completely incompatible!
The phone vibrated again. A message from Lin Shuangshuang appeared:
【Yaoyao, think about it again? The appearance fee can be negotiated.】
Jiang Yao stared at the screen, a slow smile forming at the corner of her lips.
Trying so hard to persuade her to join—wasn’t it just to embarrass her?
She could see through Ye Qing’s little schemes with her eyes closed.
Fine. Then let’s see who embarrasses who in the end.
She typed back:
【How much is the appearance fee?】
Lin Shuangshuang replied instantly with a number.
Jiang Yao almost laughed.
This? They were treating her like a beggar?
She typed slowly:
【Too low.】
A few seconds of silence. Then a higher number arrived.
Jiang Yao:
【Still too low.】
This time the silence was longer. Finally, Lin Shuangshuang called directly.
“Yaoyao, this is already the highest tier! Do you know how much Lu Sheng and Ye Qing are getting?”
“Why should I care how much Lu Sheng gets?” Jiang Yao leaned back lazily. “I’m not Lu Sheng.”
“Then how much do you want?”
Jiang Yao quoted a number.
The other end sucked in a sharp breath.
“Are you crazy?! That’s higher than top celebrities!”
“Exactly,” Jiang Yao smiled lightly. “So I’m not a top celebrity?”
Lin Shuangshuang was speechless.
Jiang Yao continued calmly, “Go discuss with Ye Qing. Come back when you’ve agreed.”
Then she hung up.
Su Jingyang looked at her, amusement flickering in his eyes.
“Demanding a lion’s share?”
“They want me to embarrass myself. Of course they need to pay for it,” Jiang Yao blinked. “Besides, my son is handsome and I’m beautiful. Ratings will explode. I think I even asked for too little.”
Su Muzhe rolled his eyes.
“Your face is thicker than a city wall. And I never said I agreed to participate.”
“You sure?”
“Sure.”
“Fine. I discussed it with your Dad. Once you go to university, we won’t pay your tuition or living expenses anymore. You’ll handle everything yourself.”
Just as he was about to jump up, Jiang Yao took a sip of tea and added lazily:
“Of course, if you join the show this time, your share of the appearance fee goes directly to you. We won’t take it.”
“Since when did you discuss this?!” he snapped.
“Just now?”
“Just now?! You’re messing with me!”
But seeing his father calmly accepting everything his wife said, Su Muzhe fell silent.
Since when did these two become so harmonious? Weren’t they supposed to be getting divorced?
Someone explain what was happening in this household.
“Not bad for a married couple. Birds of a feather—utterly shameless.”
“Baby, how can you insult yourself?” Jiang Yao said casually.
“……”
He was annoyed—but also slightly stuck on the fact that she called him “Baby.”
So, just like that, the matter was decided.
Neither the “head of the family” nor the “young master” had any real say.
The next afternoon, in a café near the television station.
Jiang Yao, after coaxing and dragging, arrived exactly on time with Su Muzhe. Ye Qing and Lu Sheng were already there.
Today, Ye Qing was dressed extremely exquisitely—Chanel outfit, Hermès bag, and a diamond necklace that practically blinded anyone who looked at it.
Jiang Yao tugged her son’s arm.
“Son, your Mom is teaching you a survival rule: never flash your wealth in public.”
When she entered, Ye Qing immediately put on a warm smile.
“Yaoyao! You’re here! Sit, sit!”
In her mind, Jiang Yao awarded her an Oscar.
That face change deserved an award.
Behind her, Su Muzhe lazily glanced at Lu Sheng and didn’t even bother greeting him before sitting down.
Lu Sheng kept his head lowered, eyelashes trembling slightly—an obedient, harmless appearance.
Lin Shuangshuang placed the contract in front of Jiang Yao.
“Yaoyao, take a look. If there’s no problem, sign it.”
Jiang Yao slowly flipped through it.
Ye Qing and Lin Shuangshuang exchanged a look, both showing faint smugness.
They had buried several traps inside. Once she signed, she would suffer later.
Five minutes passed.
Ten minutes passed.
Jiang Yao was still reading.
Ye Qing grew impatient.
“Yaoyao, is there a problem?”
“Yes.” Jiang Yao looked up with a faint smile. “A big problem.”
She pointed at one clause.
“‘The production team has the right to edit footage based on broadcast effect.’ Too vague. Easy to exploit.”
Ye Qing’s expression changed slightly.
Another clause.
“Worldwide, all-media, permanent portrait rights authorization? Ye Qing, are you trying to immortalize my face?”
Ye Qing chuckled stiffly. “These are standard terms.”
“Then,” Jiang Yao closed the contract, “Lu Sheng’s contract should have the same terms, right? Let me see his.”
Ye Qing’s smile froze.
Jiang Yao leaned back. “Let’s be honest. You want me as a contrast group. I don’t mind—but we need to adjust the price.”
Ye Qing’s face darkened completely.
From the side, Su Muzhe was enjoying the show immensely.
His Mom’s negotiation skills—his father would probably bow in admiration.
“How much?” Ye Qing gritted her teeth.
Jiang Yao named a number—higher than before.
Lin Shuangshuang inhaled sharply.
Ye Qing’s hands trembled. “You—!”
“Don’t rush,” Jiang Yao said lazily. “I’m not finished.”
“First, I have the right to review the final cut. If it distorts reality, I can request edits or withdraw without refunding the fee.”
Ye Qing’s face turned green.
“Second, I can do whatever I want on the show. No forced scripts.”
“Third,” Jiang Yao smiled faintly, “if my popularity exceeds expectations after airing, the fee must be increased proportionally.”
Ye Qing slammed the table and stood up.
“Jiang Yao, don’t go too far!”
Jiang Yao didn’t even lift her eyelids.
“Too far? Then forget it.”
She stood up. “Son, let’s go.”
“Wait!”
Ye Qing called her back, chest rising and falling rapidly. Finally, she gritted out each word:
“I—agree.”
Jiang Yao turned back. A satisfied glint flashed in her eyes.
“Miss Ye is truly generous.”
She sat back down. “Then let’s sign.”After signing, they left the café.
The teenager glanced back at the trembling, furious Ye Qing and couldn’t help laughing.
“Mom, you’re ruthless.”
“Ruthless?” Jiang Yao raised a brow. “They wanted me embarrassed. I just collected emotional damages. I’m already being kind.”
“They look like they’re about to explode.”
“Good,” she said calmly. “If she dies from anger, her inheritance goes to Lu Sheng. He’ll even have to thank us.”
Su Muzhe laughed again.
Then he suddenly thought of something.
“Mom, where did your confidence come from? ‘If popularity exceeds expectations’?”
Jiang Yao looked at him seriously.
“Because I have you.”
He froze.
“My son is that handsome. The moment he stands in front of a camera, those girls will lose it.”
She patted his shoulder.
“Don’t worry. Mom won’t let you lose out. When it’s your time to shine, I’ll make sure you shine.”
He turned his face away, ears slightly red.
“Who cares.”
But the corner of his mouth lifted anyway.