At 9 PM, China time, a forum post appeared:
【Thread Title】: Does anyone know why The Best Partners livestream isn’t happening tonight?
OP: As the title says. Just got home from overtime, ordered takeout, ready to watch—but the livestream is black? Can anyone explain?
1L: First! OP, are you on 2G? The afternoon clips were all over the place, didn’t you see?
2L: Search the trending tags #GuMingyanIslandOwner##MengXianPassInvalid##MengXianYeJinyanFireworksEcologicalIsland#, you’ll be amazed.
3L: (OP) ??? Why does it say Gu Mingyan is the island owner? Isn’t this island Meng Xian’s boyfriend’s? I only worked overtime—what did I miss?
4L: Quick summary: Meng Xian was showing off Ye Jinyan’s pass in front of the real island owner Gu Mingyan—and got slapped down on the spot.
5L: (OP) Hahaha, that’s too awkward! But… does that mean the fireworks won’t happen?
6L: Here’s the key: by the time they realized the island belonged to Gu Mingyan, the fireworks were already ignited. Meng Xian, for her actions, violated the island’s environmental laws and was taken by authorities.
7L: Whoa, so intense!
8L: I think Gu Mingyan’s handling was questionable. As island owner, she could have handled it privately—but instead publicly humiliated Meng Xian on livestream, then had her taken in. Seems like petty revenge.
9L: Laughable—Meng Xian didn’t even let anyone speak while showing off her pass. And her arrest isn’t anyone else’s fault. No one forced her to set off the fireworks.
10L: Honestly, this is all on Meng Xian being too flashy. Fans hyped the fireworks, making it huge, hard not to attract attention. Bail will cost a fortune…
11L: Whether or not bail is paid, Meng Xian has definitely lost face internationally.
….
By now, Meng Xian and Ding Manni had been sitting in a holding room at an Australian police station for three hours.
Ding Manni, as a witness, was becoming restless.
Raised in luxury, she had never endured this.
The hard plastic chairs were uncomfortable, and the cold night air chilled her summer-clad body.
Glancing at Meng Xian beside her, resentment bubbled up.
All because Meng Xian had to show off the pass in front of Gu Mingyan, they’d been publicly humiliated.
Now, not only was their pride shattered, but they were stuck in this cold, hard, miserable place.
The more Ding Manni thought, the more indignant she felt, seeing herself as the one unfairly wronged.
Meng Xian, of course, felt Ding Manni’s low-energy aura, but she wasn’t happy either.
Had Ding Manni not egged her on with “Xian has face,” “Young Master Ye really likes you,” hyping the atmosphere, maybe this fiasco wouldn’t have drawn so much attention.
Both felt they were the ones most aggrieved.
Just then, Meng Xian’s phone vibrated.
She looked: “Jinyan” flashed on the screen.
She answered, voice complex: “Jinyan…”
On the other end, Ye Jinyan sounded apologetic: “Xian, are you okay? I just handled something urgent and only now learned about the show.”
Hearing his familiar voice, Meng Xian’s forced composure crumbled. Overflowing with grievance, she asked: “The island clearly belongs to Gu Mingyan—why did you deceive me? You made me lose so much face in front of her!”
Ye Jinyan hurried to reassure her: “Xian, don’t be upset. It’s not what you think. This is complicated—I can’t explain it fully over the phone.”
He paused, then lightly added: “But the pass I gave you was valid. I didn’t expect Mingyan to revoke the permissions without warning… I wasn’t careful. I let you get hurt.”
His vague explanation didn’t fully remove her doubts, but it temporarily stopped her from questioning him further.
Exhausted, she just wanted to get out of this place. She gave a heavy “hmph” in her nasal voice.
“So… what now? When can I leave?” she asked, more concerned with that.
“Don’t worry. I’m contacting the lawyer. We’ll get you bailed out as soon as possible,” Ye Jinyan assured her.
But the next steps weren’t going to be as simple as he made them sound.
After consulting with the lawyer, they learned that in Meng Xian’s case, temporarily regaining her freedom required paying a hefty bail. In addition, there was a fine for environmental damage, meant to restore the island’s fragile ecosystem.
When the lawyer mentioned the seven-figure sum in US dollars, Meng Xian instinctively gasped.
The amount far exceeded anything she had imagined.
On the other end of the line, Ye Jinyan winced in pain as well.
His recent investments had been failing one after another, several promising projects had gone bust, and cash flow was tight. This sudden bail payment felt like someone had carved into his chest.
But Meng Xian was still stuck in the station—he couldn’t ignore it.
He gritted his teeth and said, “…Got it. Money’s not a problem. I’ll handle it right away.”
In his mind, Ye Jinyan immediately resolved to get Gu Mingyan to cover the cost. Normally, a few humble words and a trivial gift would turn her goodwill in his favor, and she’d grant any request.
This time wouldn’t be any different.
Thinking this, Ye Jinyan felt slightly reassured and immediately dialed Gu Mingyan’s number.
“Beep… beep… beep…”
The call rang for a long time, until it automatically cut off. No one answered.
Frowning, Ye Jinyan figured she might be busy getting a manicure or doing her hair and patiently tried again.
Still no answer.
He persisted, calling multiple times—each attempt went unanswered, as if the number had sunk into the sea.
….
Meanwhile, where was the untraceable Gu Mingyan, making Ye Jinyan grind his teeth in frustration?
She was riding a jet ski with Yun Qingqing, cutting through the deep blue waves of the ocean!
Fortunately, Gu Mingyan and Yun Qingqing had reacted in time to halt the second half of the fireworks display, preventing further ecological damage.
After completing the necessary procedures, they voluntarily offered to help clean up the fireworks debris that had already fallen into the sea.
Island staff operated a retrieval boat, while the two of them opted for the more agile jet skis.
Gu Mingyan maneuvered with ease, her body moving smoothly with the waves, exuding a crisp, heroic air.
Yun Qingqing, riding a jet ski for the first time, clutched Gu Mingyan’s waist tightly, both nervous and exhilarated.
Every burst of speed and every splash through the waves made her gasp in delight.
As they sped across the cool sea breeze, Yun Qingqing’s system alerted her:
【Host, the male lead is repeatedly calling Gu Mingyan’s phone.】
Yun Qingqing asked, “What’s he looking for Mingyan for?”
The system replied: 【Analysis shows a 99.9% probability he intends to make Gu Mingyan cover Meng Xian’s bail and fine.】
Yun Qingqing rolled her eyes, muttering silently:
This scumbag… really can’t hold his farts in!
He messed up, and now wants my little treasure to clean up his mess? Dream on!
Seeing that Gu Mingyan seemed about to notice and possibly slow down to check her phone, Yun Qingqing quickly tightened her hold and pointed to a small floating object bobbing with the waves: “Mingyan, looks like there’s still some fireworks debris over there. Let’s go check it before it drifts away!”
Gu Mingyan immediately refocused.
“Got it! Let’s hurry!” she replied, twisting the throttle. The jet ski surged forward at high speed toward the debris.
The fierce sea wind nearly blinded them, and the roar of the engine and crashing waves completely drowned out the insignificant ringing of the phone.
“Mingyan! The jet ski is so fast! Way more thrilling than driving!” Yun Qingqing laughed.
Glancing back, Gu Mingyan smiled: “Hold on! I’ll take you to ride the waves over there!”
Together, they cleaned up the floating debris while enjoying the freedom and exhilaration of the open sea.
Once satisfied with the cleanup and having had their fun, they drove the jet skis back to shore.
After showering and drying her hair, Gu Mingyan finally checked her long-silent phone. The screen was flooded with missed calls—all from “Brother Jinyan.”
“What’s wrong, Mingyan? You look worried,” Yun Qingqing teased, already knowing the truth.
Gu Mingyan showed her the phone: “Qingqing, look—Brother Jinyan called me so many times, and I didn’t answer… He’s going to be angry that I ignored him for so long.”
Yun Qingqing chuckled inwardly, thinking good—let him stew. Out loud, she feigned comfort: “Don’t worry! He’s broad-minded, kind, and generous. He won’t get mad over such a little thing.”
Gu Mingyan considered this and her frown eased slightly.
Still hesitant, she asked, “Should I call him back or send a message to explain I was busy just now?”
“Absolutely not!” Yun Qingqing struck a self-important ‘love expert’ pose and analyzed: “See, you don’t get it. Men don’t like women who are too clingy or always reporting everything. You need a little mystery—keep him guessing, and he’ll care more!”
Gu Mingyan looked skeptical: “Really? That works?”
Yun Qingqing closed her eyes and smugly added: “Of course! I was the top love strategist in our girl group. I’ve guided countless successful matches…”
She casually fabricated a few of her “victories,” leaving Gu Mingyan stunned.
Seeing her sway, Yun Qingqing pressed on: “Think about it—don’t you notice, the more enthusiastic you are, the colder he gets? The more proactive you are, the more distant he seems?”
“Hmm… maybe a little,” Gu Mingyan admitted hesitantly.
In truth, she had noticed Ye Jinyan’s distant attitude before.
“Exactly!” Yun Qingqing clapped her hands. “Consider how busy he is, juggling endless business and social obligations. How could he possibly have energy to indulge a girlfriend?”
“So, a thoughtful girlfriend knows to reduce contact, avoid disturbing him, so he’ll miss you intensely during his busy work hours!”
【…】The system silently commented: 【A huge fine with no one to pay it—how could he not be racking his brain?】
Yun Qingqing smiled quietly, her plan unfolding perfectly.
Gu Mingyan was fully convinced by this seemingly logical argument.
The confusion in her eyes gave way to a bright clarity.
Yes, Qingqing was right!
She had probably been too clingy before, causing pressure for Brother Jinyan. Now, she would be a considerate girlfriend who didn’t cause trouble!
“Qingqing, thanks for the advice.” Gu Mingyan’s worries vanished. She cheerfully pushed her phone away. “I won’t contact him anymore! Let him focus on work!”
….
Ye Jinyan ultimately still couldn’t reach Gu Mingyan.
Without her help to clean up the mess, he scrambled, borrowing funds, and spent the whole day gathering the painfully large sum for bail and fines.
When Meng Xian and Ding Manni finally walked out of the police station, they were exhausted.
Meng Xian’s makeup was ruined, foundation flaked off, revealing dark, tired eye circles—she had never looked so miserable.
Ding Manni was in a similar state. Standing at the station entrance, the sea breeze made them shiver.
When Ye Jinyan picked them up, he felt both heartache and financial pain, gave a few brief comforting words, and quickly arranged for them to rest at a nearby place.
However, just when Meng Xian thought the nightmare was over after paying, things got even worse.
Somebody had uploaded the footage of her setting off fireworks on the ecological island to international video platforms and social media.
The clip spread rapidly, drawing widespread attention and outrage overseas.
When people discovered the ecological island had been established by the renowned botanist Xu Manhua as a decades-long research and conservation project, public outcry exploded.
【So ignorant! Fireworks in a pristine natural place? All they care about is their cheap romance!】
【Ms. Xu Manhua is a scholar I deeply respect. Seeing her life’s work treated this way is heartbreaking and infuriating.】
【These two should be banned from ever entering this land—they don’t deserve it!】
【Even Chinese netizens are mocking them—it seems they aren’t welcome in their own country.】
The foreign criticism alone left Meng Xian humiliated, and domestic opinion made it even worse.
Marketing accounts couldn’t let this traffic hotspot go to waste.
They cut clips of Meng Xian confidently showing the pass, immediately getting slapped down by Gu Mingyan’s iris unlock, added rhythmic “funny fail” music, and turned it into countless hilarious memes that spread like wildfire.
【Hahaha, daily dose of cringe! Watch Meng Xian proudly display plant knowledge, then mess up the names—makes me feel sorry and amused at the same time.】
【Just here for the laughs—this lady gave us the annual cringe masterpiece.】
【Although I’m indifferent to Gu Mingyan, I have to admit—it felt amazing when she revealed her identity as the island owner.】
【Doesn’t anyone else feel awesome when Yun Qingqing said, “Who has time to care about your boys-and-girls love drama?”】
【I used to think Meng Xian was pretty smart, but this time… her IQ just flatlined. After that one cut, she looks even more adorably dumb.】
Meng Xian stared at the endlessly looping ridiculous clips of herself on the screen, trembling with a mix of anger and humiliation.
She had debuted as the pure, innocent “national campus beauty,” and built her popularity on that idol image. She had never experienced such a public, relentless online mockery.
She immediately contacted her agency, Huaguang Media, hoping they could launch an emergency PR operation—pull down trending searches, delete the videos, control the comments—by any means necessary to quell the storm.
However, the company’s executives were unexpectedly unanimous: do nothing.
The official response was that responding to the online frenzy would only make things worse, drawing more attention and backlash. It was recommended that Meng Xian lay low and wait for the heat to die down naturally.
But Meng Xian couldn’t understand the PR decision.
To her, the cold treatment was clearly the agency’s incompetence and inaction!
If she had a competent manager, how could things have gotten this far? The trending searches would have been gone long ago.
She hadn’t realized that her previously smooth debut had left her utterly unprepared for a crisis.
All she felt was grievance, anger, and utter frustration.
Meanwhile, Gu Mingyan and Yun Qingqing had already packed their things, preparing to return to Huaguo the next day.
Each holding a fresh coconut with a straw, they sat on a terrace facing the ocean, chatting leisurely.
“I originally promised to come to the island after finishing the show, but we ended up arriving earlier,” Gu Mingyan said, opening her tablet and browsing her photo album. “Since we’re here, take a look and see if there’s any place you’re particularly interested in—next time, we’ll go there directly.”
The album showed Gu Mingyan’s travels around the world—picturesque scenery that Yun Qingqing had never seen before.
Yun Qingqing flipped through them with fascination, occasionally letting out an awed “wow.”
Suddenly, her finger slipped, and the screen’s tone shifted.
The vibrant landscapes disappeared, replaced by a modest photo. The background looked like a lecture hall or auditorium. A thin young man in a clean white shirt stood on a makeshift podium, slightly bowing as he accepted a certificate from the host.
In the bottom-right corner, a watermark read “Yuncheng University Communist Youth League,” clearly saved directly from an article.
“Gu Xubai?” Yun Qingqing blinked at the photo.
Gu Mingyan glanced at the screen and immediately looked uncomfortable.
She snatched the tablet and quickly swiped the photo away. “Ahem… you didn’t see anything.”
Yun Qingqing: “……” That was blatant. Totally obvious!
As they were talking, a phone rang abruptly.
Yun Qingqing checked her phone. The number was unfamiliar.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she furrowed her brow instinctively.
The system reassured her: 【Don’t worry, host. This isn’t a call from the original body’s vampire mother.】
Yun Qingqing shook her head. “System, you still don’t get me. I’m not worried about that.”
System: 【?】
“I’m worried about roaming charges for an international call. They’re ridiculously expensive!” Yun Qingqing sighed.
【……】
“Who is it? Another spam call?” Gu Mingyan peeked over, noticing Yun Qingqing’s serious expression. “Oh, it’s Gu Xubai.”
This time, Yun Qingqing was stunned. “Gu Xubai? How does he have my number?”
Gu Mingyan sipped her coconut water casually. “I gave it to him.”
Yun Qingqing frowned further. “Why would you give him my number?”
“We were still mutually blocked, right? I told him that if he ever needed me, he should call you,” Gu Mingyan explained.
Yun Qingqing: “……”
She mentally noted she’d have to make Gu Mingyan reimburse her for roaming charges.
The phone kept ringing. Yun Qingqing pressed answer and held the phone to her ear.
A clear, calm young male voice came through: “Yun Qingqing? This is Gu Xubai.”
“That’s me. May I ask what this is about?” Yun Qingqing replied.
Gu Mingyan leaned closer, cupping her ear.
There was a two-second pause before Gu Xubai’s voice spoke again: “Is Gu Mingyan beside you?”
Yun Qingqing looked at Gu Mingyan, who mouthed silently: “Ask him what he wants.”
Yun Qingqing relayed: “She’s here. What do you need?”
Another brief pause.
Gu Xubai seemed to carefully choose his words, then asked in a cool, detached tone: “Ask her if the island is okay.”
Though his voice sounded somewhat cold, Yun Qingqing surprisingly detected a hint of concern.
She speculated wildly—could it be that he saw the trending news and called to check if Gu Mingyan was okay?
Combined with Gu Mingyan proudly keeping her brother’s award photo, Yun Qingqing suddenly felt that their relationship wasn’t as antagonistic as it seemed.
As this thought struck, fragments of the original story began piecing themselves together in her mind.
Indeed, recalling the original plot, even the later-blackened Gu Xubai, though ruthless in business and nearly bankrupting the Gu family, never actually harmed Gu Mingyan.
The ending where Gu Mingyan was sent to a mental hospital by the male lead only happened after Gu Xubai had gone insane and passed away.
Even while he was alive, the male lead Ye Jinyan—cruel and heartless as he was—didn’t dare go too far with Gu Mingyan out of respect/fear for Gu Xubai.
Thinking this, Yun Qingqing tapped the speaker button.
“Gu Xubai,” she said, “your sister is right here. You can talk to her yourself.”
There was a long pause on the other end, as if he hadn’t expected to speak directly to Gu Mingyan.
Gu Mingyan stiffened, mouthing silently: “Why did you put it on speaker?”
Gu Xubai replied to Yun Qingqing: “…Better if you relay it. I’ll argue with her if I try to talk directly.”
Gu Mingyan snorted coldly: “Tell him… fine, relay it. Who cares about talking to him anyway?”
Gu Xubai retorted: “Tell her… if it weren’t for the trending news, I wouldn’t even bother calling her.”
“You tell him…”
“You tell her…”
Yun Qingqing: “……”
Well, she realized she had overthought it. These two were just born to be rivals!