Can’t Trash-Talk You to Death, So I’ll Kiss You to Death - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

On that day, Yun Duoduo’s eggs and milk powder sold the fastest. Not only that, she even helped Ji Zhen and Shi Qingzi finish selling their stock as well.

Unsurprisingly, Duoduo took first place. The bottom spot went to Lu Jiayi and Mu Yang—for the simple reason that as the show’s only couple and the main “CP” (pairing) focus, they spent the whole time posing and cooperating for promotional footage.

However, this was all part of the production’s design. Even though it was a variety show, everyone had to follow a loose script at the start to ramp up the dramatic impact and generate buzz to attract viewers.

What kind of sparks would fly when a “Screen Goddess” and a “Top Idol” live under the same roof? What kind of friction would occur when the legitimate daughter and the mistress’s child share a stage? It made for great television.

After getting the keys from the crew, Duoduo skipped back to the temporary residence to share the good news with Li Qinglian.

Except for Lu Jiayi and Mu Yang’s parents, all the other mothers had arrived. Among them was the Heiress’s mother, Wu Heyue.

As the Yun family’s business grew, Wu Heyue was decked out in trendy high-end brands with several large diamond rings on her fingers—a stark contrast to Li Qinglian’s simple attire. Her conversation consisted mostly of vapid bragging about her wealth.

Li Qinglian sat at the very edge, speaking little. She only chatted softly and warmly with Ji Zhen’s mother, who was an older woman from a rural background. Mother Ji was a high school teacher, so the two of them bonded over shared views on child education.

…

Duoduo reached the door, patted the dust off her clothes, and entered the room to greet everyone shyly. She whispered in Li Qinglian’s ear: “Mom, I got first place! We get to stay in the best house.”

Li Qinglian beamed with pride and introduced her daughter to the group: “This is my daughter, Duoduo. She’s a bit of a wild child.” The other mothers smiled politely.

Soon, Ji Zhen, who took second place, walked in. Standing by his mother, he praised her without reservation: “Duoduo is incredible. She’s full of clever ideas and helped me sell half my basket.”

Shi Qingzi also nodded. “If it weren’t for Duoduo, I’d probably be the one in last place.” He pointed to his trendy hairstyle. “The villagers here are so traditional; as soon as they saw my hair, they just waved me away.”

The mothers laughed, except for Wu Heyue, who curled her lip disdainfully. Just then, the Heiress ran in clutching her basket.

“Mommy!” She ran to Wu Heyue with red eyes, sobbing into her mother’s arms. “The eggs were so hard to sell. I didn’t realize how hard you and Daddy work. I’ll never waste money again.”

Since the artists were mostly in their early twenties and mentally mature, few would cry so easily. The director naturally didn’t miss this opportunity, zooming in for a close-up with emotional background music to squeeze some tears out of the audience.

Duoduo tugged on Li Qinglian’s sleeve and handed her the map. “Mom, let’s find the house and unpack.”

As soon as they left, Ji Zhen and Shi Qingzi followed suit with their mothers, praising Duoduo as a “clever little ghost” all the way. Duoduo was incredibly pleased, hugging her mother’s arm. “Mom, for the next few days, you just have to follow me and enjoy life!”

“Life is only meaningful when we spend it together,” Li Qinglian said with a smile. She had felt uncomfortable seeing Wu Heyue today, but the moment Duoduo ran toward her, all her resentment vanished. Why bother competing with someone like that?

…

After they finished tidying the house, Duoduo asked softly while the director was away, “She didn’t target you or try to embarrass you, did she?” (The “she” being Wu Heyue).

Logically, a mistress should feel somewhat intimidated by the original wife, but for some reason, Wu Heyue always seemed to go out of her way to cause them trouble.

“No, don’t worry. Focus on your filming,” Li Qinglian replied.

Duoduo gave a nod. She had decided that if Wu Heyue dared to bully them, she wouldn’t take it lying down. At worst, she’d quit the industry; she simply wouldn’t let her mother suffer.

Duoduo pulled out a handful of change from her pocket—the leftover money. “I bet the crew won’t give us any more money. We’ll have to live on this. Mom, you keep it.” It wasn’t much, totaling less than 100 yuan.

Later, the crew called them for a large dinner featuring local delicacies. Duoduo had worried her mother wouldn’t fit in, but Li Qinglian immediately hit it off with the others. Instead, it was Duoduo who sat awkwardly next to Lu Jiayi and Mu Yang, unsure of what to say.

When Ji Zhen and Shi Qingzi arrived, she finally found her crowd. Ji Zhen brought over a plate of fruit. “Duoduo, you have so many ideas. When we team up later, you have to be with me.”

“Sure, if the drawing of lots goes our way!” Duoduo grabbed a piece of apple and passed one to Shi Qingzi.

Shi Qingzi was currently very popular due to his “flower boy” looks and musical talent—he even wrote his own lyrics. Duoduo asked, “That survival show of yours, is it only for boys? No girls?”

Shi Qingzi nodded. He was about the same age as Duoduo and had heard about the “Golden Voice” incident. He had initially shared the public’s negative view, but after spending time with her, his opinion had changed. She was clever, but she didn’t seem like the “scheming” person the tabloids described.

“Yeah, but there’s another show coming up to select a girl group,” he said. “If you want to join, it’s not too late to sign up.”

Duoduo’s eyes lit up, then dimmed. “I won’t go. Maybe some other time. But your singing is really beautiful.”

Ji Zhen also felt it was a pity, remembering how close she had come to winning the championship back then. He revived the mood: “Qingzi, sing us a song!”

Everyone cheered, and Shi Qingzi was pushed to the center. He took a guitar and began to strum and hum under the gentle moonlight.

…

Duoduo rested her chin on her hand, humming along. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through WeChat. Aside from Ren Tian, she had no friends. She opened the chat with Huai Jian and typed:

“The first day of recording is almost over. We’re about to eat. Aside from running into the Heiress, which was bad, everything else has been a total victory. Thank you, Sister!”

Just after she hit send, Ji Zhen leaned over with his phone. “Duoduo, let’s add each other on WeChat to stay in touch.”

“Sure!” Duoduo didn’t have many industry friends. After adding Ji Zhen, Shi Qingzi also handed over his phone. “Me too.”

As the group chatted about rural nights and city lights, the Heiress reappeared, now wearing an even more beautiful red evening gown. She scanned the area and walked over to Shi Qingzi.

“Brother Qing, I heard you singing from over there. I love your songs! I’m a huge fan—can I sit next to you?”

Usually, it’s hard for a guy to say no to such a request, but the seating was awkward. Shi Qingzi was sitting next to Duoduo. For the Heiress to sit there, Duoduo would have to move to the only empty seat at the far left.

Duoduo didn’t want to move, but the Heiress kept glancing at her as if saying, Aren’t you going to get up?

The standoff lasted for a minute while the cameras rolled. The Heiress pleaded again in a cutesy voice, “Please, Brother Qing? I wanted to ask you some professional questions.”

She was making it difficult for both Duoduo and Shi Qingzi. Duoduo, who had a bit of a temper herself, finally spoke up: “Just go grab a chair and move it over.”

The Heiress either didn’t hear her or didn’t want to move. She continued pestering Shi Qingzi: “I really love singing too. Four years ago, I participated in a competition, but there was an… accident.”

Everyone knew what that “accident” was. All eyes turned toward them in curiosity.

Duoduo’s voice turned cold. “Why can’t you do it yourself? Do you need someone to carry a chair for you too?”

The Heiress froze. She hadn’t expected Duoduo to be so blunt in front of the cameras. She put on a look of bewildered innocence. “What are you saying?”

“The chairs are right there. If you bring one over, we’ll make room. Why waste time whining here instead of just getting one?”

The Heiress realized she had been called out, but she immediately put on a victimized expression. “I just wanted to sit with Brother Qing and ask him questions. I didn’t tell you to leave. Why are you being so mean?”

Duoduo turned her face away, not wanting to argue. Some people just couldn’t be reasoned with.

However, the Heiress continued to mutter, “I never meant for you to leave. Why are you projecting?”

Shi Qingzi tried to intervene softly: “Duoduo didn’t mean it like that, she just suggested getting a chair so we could all keep chatting…”

“Waaaah!” The Heiress suddenly burst into tears. Facing the camera, her tears fell one by one as she ran to Wu Heyue. “Mom! I just wanted to talk to Brother Qing. I wasn’t trying to take her spot. How can she think I’m so malicious?”

The sentence had a double meaning. On the surface, she was crying about the chair, but she was really alluding to Duoduo’s position in the Yun family.

The question was: Had the Heiress really never stolen Duoduo’s “position” before?