Jiang Zhiwu had always kept a low profile. She never accepted interviews from financial magazines and rarely appeared in public, so those present had no way of knowing her true identity.
Jiang Zhiwu couldn’t be bothered to clarify the misunderstanding. She simply gave a soft “Mm” in response, effectively accepting the label of “office lady.”
Shen Yu smiled and said casually, “Being an office worker is fine too. For a girl, having a decent job to support herself is enough.”
His words carried a hint of gender prejudice.
Jiang Yanzhou found it grating and retorted without mercy, “So according to you, what kind of job you do or how ambitious you should be depends on your chromosomes?”
Shen Yu opened his mouth but was left completely speechless.
“Actually, a stable life is quite enviable,” Huang Zhihe interjected smoothly to smooth things over. “Office workers have regular hours, don’t have to worry about too many trivial things, and can go shopping or cook after work. It sounds so comfortable. They don’t have to run around for schedules like us or stay up late filming.”
She then turned to Jiang Yanzhou, “Yanzhou, don’t take it to heart. Teacher Shen just said it casually, he didn’t mean anything else. Our line of work is just too special; we’re always away from home and under a lot of pressure. I think he just feels that girls shouldn’t have to work so hard.”
Shen Yu relaxed his brows and glanced at Huang Zhihe with appreciation.
She smiled back at him gently.
Jiang Zhiwu slowly lifted her eyes. Her clear, calm gaze was like the surface of a still lake. It swept slowly and deliberately past Shen Yu, finally landing on Huang Zhihe’s perfectly smiling face.
Huang Zhihe’s smile stiffened slightly. “What’s wrong?”
“Hard work and pressure aren’t exclusive to people standing under the spotlight,” Jiang Zhiwu said coolly. “The lights in office buildings that stay on late into the night, the exhausted crowds on the last subway train, eyes red from staying up to finish proposals, voices hoarse from negotiating orders—essentially, there is no difference between that and sustaining injuries from wire work or practicing until your throat goes raw for a song.”
The air went silent for two seconds, leaving Huang Zhihe at a loss for words.
Some comments in the live chat agreed:
【That’s true, do office workers not work hard? My boss yells at me every day, if I refuse to work overtime without pay I get fired, my hairline is already receding.】
【Who understands! I’m exactly that person staying up late to finish reports, I feel so seen.】
【Is Huang Zhihe living in a bubble? Does she really think office workers have it easy?】
【Our Zhihe was just kindly trying to help Shen Yu out, and being a celebrity is really hard work.】
【At least celebrities earn a lot even if they work hard. Unlike me, working hard for 30 days only to get a salary of 3,500.】
【I’m not a fan of Jiang Yanzhou, but hearing him refute that idea that ‘girls shouldn’t work too hard’ actually felt pretty good.】
…
Amidst the flood of comments, one suddenly floated by: 【Am I the only one curious? If Sister Jiang is just an office worker, how can she afford to live in that huge luxury villa?】
But everyone was focused on the previous conversation, and this comment was quickly pushed up and out of sight by new messages, going completely unnoticed.
Seeing the atmosphere turning awkward, the director quickly tapped the table to steer the topic elsewhere.
“It’s almost time for dinner, but before we eat, let’s play a game first.”
Once he had everyone’s attention, the director cleared his throat and continued.
“This game is called ‘You Ask, I Answer’. I have here some questions and challenges submitted by netizens. Everyone takes turns drawing a card. Whoever draws it has to answer the question or complete the challenge written on it.”
Li Bai found this interesting and volunteered eagerly, “I’ll draw first!”
The director shuffled the cards and let Li Bai pick one at random.
He let out a dramatic “Wow” to build suspense, then showed the card to the camera.
“My question is for Senior Wen Jing. May I ask, why did you decide to join this variety show?”
Wen Jing smiled and spat out three words, “Owing a favor.”
She said it so quickly that even the expensive live recording equipment barely picked it up.
Li Bai cupped his ear apologetically, “Ah? Could you say that again?”
As the camera zoomed in, Wen Jing resumed her elegant posture. “Thank you for the question. I decided to join this family show primarily because the concept of ‘No Distance Between Family’ really touched my heart.”
“—Whether it is family you see every day or relatives you don’t contact often, that bond rooted in blood is always there. I think this theme is very warm and deserves to be seen by more people.”
A perfectly standard answer, flawless in every way.
It was the next guest’s turn to draw.
Jiang Zhiwu glanced at her card and said, “I got the Quick Fire Questions challenge, for siblings Li Bai and Li Lele.”
Li Bai and Li Lele nodded nervously.
“Does your sister like coriander?”
Li Bai: “Yes!”
Li Lele: “No!”
“Can your brother eat spicy food?”
Li Bai: “No!”
Li Lele: “Yes!”
“What was your usual class ranking back in school?”
Li Bai: “Last place.”
Li Lele: “Second last.”
The quick-fire round ended, revealing that the only thing the twin siblings had perfect synchronization on was their academic performance.
【Hahahahaha sibling relationship broken.】
【I’m dying laughing, these two live together but have never noticed each other’s preferences.】
【It’s okay, at least you have the strategic friendship of being last and second last.】
【You guys are being so mean to them lol.】
Li Lele rolled her eyes at her brother. “I don’t eat coriander, how do you not know?”
Li Bai refused to back down, “Since when do I eat spicy food?”
Seeing them about to bicker, the director quickly signaled the next guest to draw.
Shen Yu picked up a card casually. “Hmm, this one tests how well Jiang Ting knows his sister.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ting was stunned. His back, which had been relaxed against the chair, instantly stiffened, and he glanced subtly at Huang Zhihe.
The camera accurately captured his tense profile, and comments immediately flooded in with encouragement:
【I heard that even though they are half-siblings, they have a really good relationship.】
【Zhihe is such a gentle person, it’s hard not to like her.】
【Come on little brother! This won’t be hard for you!】
Shen Yu said, “Please name as many of your sister’s works as you can within five seconds.”
Jiang Ting seemed prepared for this question and visibly relaxed. “When The Stardust Falls, The Forgotten Code, Us Through The Seasons, Chronicles Of Old Street Life.”
He listed four titles in one breath.
“So fast?” Shen Yu remarked casually. “Looks like you really know your sister well.”
“Of course,” Huang Zhihe said with a subtle glint in her eyes. “Xiao Ting always makes a point to follow my work.”
The comments section was filled with praise again:
【Even hardcore fans would need a moment to think, you can tell he really loves his sister.】
【Just proves our Zhihe is worth it.】
…
Next, it was Huang Zhihe’s turn to draw. She pinched the card and flipped it over. The moment she saw the words, her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
“Oh, it seems I drew a question about myself,” she said softly, feigning just the right amount of surprise.
The PD quickly zoomed the camera in. Written clearly on the card was: “To Zhihe, I heard your younger brother studies at University A, what is his major?”
“University A?” Li Lele’s eyes lit up in admiration. “He’s a top student!”
University A was a famous century-old institution, renowned for its finance, agriculture, and electrical engineering programs.
To someone like her who wasn’t good at studies, University A seemed like an unreachable dream.
Huang Zhihe hesitated slightly. “He studies… umm…” She bit her lower lip lightly, as if finding it slightly awkward to say. “It’s a major about farming.”
Jiang Ting glanced at her from the corner of his eye. His fingers resting on his knee moved almost imperceptibly, but in the end, he said nothing.
“That should be Agronomy,” a clear female voice suddenly came from not far away.
Jiang Ting looked towards the source and met the gaze of Jiang Zhiwu sitting diagonally across.
“The Crop Genetics and Breeding Laboratory in University A’s Agronomy department is a national key laboratory,” she said calmly, looking at Jiang Ting. “And their molecular marker-assisted breeding technology is internationally leading. What specific area are you focusing on right now?”
“IoT irrigation and biological control technology.”
“I’ve heard of it,” Jiang Zhiwu nodded. “I heard your department has achieved remarkable results in smart agriculture in recent years. The IoT irrigation system you developed can precisely control the water usage of every single plant, saving up to 40% water.”
Li Lele didn’t fully understand the technical terms, but she knew they were talking about something amazing, so she clapped her hands. “Helping everyone have enough food is the most amazing thing ever!”
The tense line of Jiang Ting’s lips finally relaxed a little. “I’m still just learning the basics right now.”
Seeing them chatting so happily, a flicker of displeasure flashed in Huang Zhihe’s eyes. She deliberately raised her voice to change the subject. “By the way, whose turn is it to draw next?”
Jiang Zhiwu glanced at her lightly and looked away.
As she turned her head slightly, she happened to hear Jiang Yanzhou muttering sourly, “Domestic fowl isn’t as sweet as game, garden flowers don’t smell like wild blooms!”
Jiang Zhiwu: “…”
What nonsense poem was this kid reciting all of a sudden?
When it was Li Lele’s turn, she excitedly grabbed a card from the director like a little rabbit and read out loud, “Does Sister Jiang usually listen to her brother’s songs? Which one is your favorite?”
Hearing this question, Jiang Yanzhou’s already unhappy face fell completely.
His sister’s mind was filled with nothing but contract clauses and business data. When would she ever have the leisure to listen to the music he made?
Recently he had sent his new demo to people around him to listen to. Jiang Zhiwu still hadn’t replied a single word, while even Uncle Li the butler had liked it.
He was convinced that in Jiang Zhiwu’s eyes, writing songs and singing were just a waste of time.