Qiao Pan's face flushed red as he picked up the two large luggage bags on the ground and grabbed Qiao Dahong and Wu Xiuying's arms, "Dad, Mom, stop embarrassing yourself and go back."

Wu Xiuying shook his arm and shrieked, "You think I'm embarrassing? I'm doing this for you!"

The young man lowered his head, his long bangs almost covering his eyes. His voice was muffled, yet it revealed a hint of youthful stubbornness: "I don't need you to do things for me. I have my own hands and feet, and I can make my own money."

Qiao Yiyi glanced at this adopted brother and thought that this child was quite strong-willed and had not been led astray by his parents.

Wu Xiuying was angered by this: "You make money? How old are you and you're already making money?"

The boy still kept his eyes downcast, and his tone revealed that he was arguing: "I'll be an adult soon, and then I'll be able to make my own money."

Wu Xiuying didn't expect her son to be so stubborn. She tried to persuade him earnestly, "Even though you're an adult, you've rarely been out of the house. Where are you going to make money? And I'm worried about you going out alone."

Oh, you're still worried about a boy this big. The original owner was sixteen years old when she went out on her own, and she was still a girl.

Qiao Yiyi felt that her mother was quite hypocritical, and she suddenly admired the original owner for daring to take a gamble for her own destiny at such a young age.

Qiao Dahong had a dark face and said nothing.

Wu Xiuying tried to persuade her son but failed, so she turned her attention to Qiao Yiyi, saying, "Yiyi, look...your brother is just ignorant. Don't take his words seriously."

Qiao Yiyi:???

I don't take it seriously. What does it have to do with me?

Not wanting to argue with them any further, she said bluntly, "So how much money do you want?"

Wu Xiuying rubbed her hands together, her eyes hesitant. "Well... Mom doesn't want to ask you for too much." She held up a finger and hesitantly said, "This amount is fine."

"One hundred thousand?" Qiao Yiyi was surprised.

It's not impossible if 100,000 yuan can buy peace and quiet.

Wu Xiuying: "Ten million."

Qiao Yiyi: “…”

Without saying a word, she turned and left.

Wu Xiuying grabbed her and begged, "Yiyi, just 10 million. 10 million is just like plucking a feather from a rooster to you. We don't want much. Just give us this money and we won't bother you anymore."

Qiao Yiyi took a deep breath, turned around, and looked at Wu Xiuying with amusement: "Do I look like I have so much money?"

Wu Xiuying was stunned and said cautiously, "Yes, right?"

Qiao Yiyi was almost laughing out of anger. However, in order to avoid being pestered too much, she felt it necessary to explain her situation clearly.

"First of all, let me tell you very clearly that not all artists are rich. There are those wealthy stars you mentioned, but I'm not one of them. I'm not as famous as you say. I'm just an 18th-tier actor. Oh, and by the way—"

She looked at Wu Xiuying and tried to speak in a kind tone, "I took on some notices a while ago and made some money, but I used it all to pay off my debts. Now there's nothing left in my account. Even the house I live in is rented. If you don't believe me, we can go to the bank to notarize it and see if I have that much money."

Looking at Wu Xiuying's stunned face, she continued, "Originally, I was planning to pay off my debts and save money, but my current boss is suppressing me overtly and covertly, and has almost withdrawn all my announcements. Even if I wanted to give you this much money, I'm powerless."

Qiao Yiyi put away her fake smile and replaced it with a melancholy face. "Besides, my contract with the company is about to expire. The boss doesn't plan to renew it. My reputation in the industry is not good either. I think this road will soon come to an end. My plan is to quit the industry when the contract expires and open a store. The entertainment industry is too complicated and it's not the place for me. But..."

Qiao Yiyi's eyes flashed, and she came up with an idea. She gritted her teeth and pretended to be pitiful: "But I don't have the capital to open a store."

She grabbed Wu Xiuying's arm, tears suddenly welling up in her eyes. "Mom, didn't you say we're a family? Family members should help each other. I want to open a gourmet restaurant, but I don't have much money. Why don't you lend me some? Think of it as an investment. When I open the store and make money, I'll not only pay you back but also give you a share. Then when the time comes, your brother won't have to pay for anything, whether it's buying a house or getting married!"

Wu Xiuying was a little confused. She was the one who came to ask her daughter for money, so how come her daughter was the one asking her for money?

"Are you going to quit the entertainment industry?" Qiao Dahong also had an unexpected expression.

Qiao Yiyi nodded heavily. "I've been struggling in the entertainment industry for so many years, but I haven't made a name for myself. As soon as I become a little famous, I'm immediately suppressed. I have no money and no background, so no one can help me. It's so difficult to fight in the entertainment industry. A while ago, there were many people blocking the door of our company every day and cursing me. I really don't want to go on like this. If one day I can't bear it anymore, I might jump off the building and commit suicide."

"No, no, it's not that serious." Wu Xiuying quickly stopped him.

"Yes!" Qiao Yiyi said solemnly, wiping away the few tears that had squeezed out of her eyes. "There have been cases of celebrities committing suicide before because they couldn't bear the pressure."

Wu Xiuying and Qiao Dahong looked at each other. Although they didn't quite understand the twists and turns in the story, they were still frightened when they heard Qiao Yiyi say she wanted to commit suicide, even though they had no feelings for this daughter they found halfway.

Seeing this, Qiao Yiyi continued to deceive him, "So I thought, when the contract expires, I'll leave this mess, open a small shop, and live a peaceful and ordinary life. Do you know? Many artists in the entertainment industry who can't make it open their own brand stores. With a fan base, it's easy for the store to flourish."

"I have a fan base now, so I can open a shop and make a profit. You will be shareholders then, and you can share the profits without having to work. If you're looking for a job, you can come to the shop and help out. What do you think?"

"Ah?" Wu Xiuying was caught off guard by Qiao Yiyi's question. From a bunch of questions, she just caught the words "you can get money without working".

Wu Xiuying was a little moved and asked Qiao Yiyi: "Is what you said... true?"

Qiao Yiyi's eyes sparkled: "Of course it's true. Didn't you say we are family? How could family lie to their own family?"

"This..." Wu Xiuying was a little persuaded.

Qiao Dahong covered his mouth and coughed twice, then glared at her fiercely.

Wu Xiuying came to her senses immediately after being reminded by Qiao Dahong, and remembered the main purpose of her coming here.

"After saying so much, don't you just not want to pay?"

"No way..." Qiao Yiyi retreated and began to play the victim. "I was wrong to leave home without permission. I was young and ignorant at that time. Now I have grown up and understand the hardships my parents have gone through. But I really don't have much money. If I really had as much money as you said, I would be so happy. I would have to be so rich to be able to give you 10 million!"

Wu Xiuying: It seems to make some sense.

Seeing Wu Xiuying's expression soften, Qiao Yiyi pulled out a few red bills from her bag and stuffed them into Wu Xiuying's hands. "Mom, this is some change. Spend it first. I'll have my assistant book some train tickets for you. Go back first and see if you can scrape together enough money for the store. When my contract expires, I'll go home and we'll open a store together!"

Wu Xiuying didn't expect her to do this, and said anxiously: "Yiyi, that's not what Mom meant..."

Qiao Yiyi smiled and said, "I know, Mom, you're welcome. It's my daughter's fault for not being able to make much money to honor you. I need your help and am holding you back."

"No, no—" Wu Xiuying was so anxious that her head was sweating, and she went to see her old man.

Qiao Dahong was so angry that he was fuming, but he couldn't say anything for a while.

Qiao Pan, however, smiled slightly in her lifeless eyes, and urged, "Dad, Mom, I think Fourth Sister is right. I checked online before, and there are a lot of people criticizing Fourth Sister online, and she's not having a good time either. Why don't we... open a shop like she said, and then I can go over and help."

"You little brat, which side are you on?" Qiao Dahong glared at his useless son.

Qiao Pan immediately lowered his head again.

Sure, young man.

Qiao Yiyi broke the initial impression she had when she first saw this younger brother. She didn't expect that the young man looked timid, but he was quite clear-headed at the critical moment.

Fortunately, at this time, Baomei called and Qiao Yiyi pretended to have an urgent matter and asked them to stay in the hotel for one night. They didn't have to worry about food, accommodation and travel expenses, as she would arrange them.

After saying that, he quickly slipped away.

By the time Wu Xiuying reacted, Qiao Yiyi was nowhere to be seen.

"Alas!" Wu Xiuying stamped her feet. "Isn't this all a wasted trip?!"

Qiao Dahong lit a cigarette and took two puffs: "Humph, it's not that easy to get rid of us."

Qiao Yiyi left the hotel in one breath. Baomei was waiting for her outside. When she saw her, she asked anxiously, "How is it? What do they want from you?"

Qiao Yiyi took a breath and said, "What else can I do? Of course I need money."

"How much?"

"Ten million."

"Ten million?!" Baomei's eyes widened. "Why don't they just go and rob it?"

Qiao Yiyi unscrewed the bottle of mineral water she handed over and took two quick gulps. She was a little thirsty after fooling the old couple for so long. "I think so too. If I had 10 million, I would wake up laughing in my dreams."

That's true.

As an assistant who has followed Qiao Yiyi for so many years, Baomei knows very well that Qiao Yiyi is very poor.

She squandered the money she had earned before, which later caused many brands to terminate their contracts with her and she owed a considerable amount of compensation.

They say celebrities have money, but her artists are an exception. Coupled with the demanding contract she signed with the company, Bao Mei sometimes even worries about her own artists.

But no matter how worried I was, there was nothing I could do. Fortunately, Sister Yiyi's contract with Star Dream was about to expire. When she signed the contract with the new company, she had to keep a close eye on it. She couldn't make the same mistake as before, counting the money for others after being sold out.

Baomei asked: "What happened next?"

After drinking the water, Qiao Yiyi felt her throat was much better. "It's stable now."

She told Baomei what she had just said to fool Wu Xiuying and her husband. Baomei looked at her with surprise and admiration: "You're amazing, Sister Yiyi! You can even fool people with this?"

Qiao Yiyi felt proud but then melancholy: "It's only temporary. Judging from the attitude of my cheap dad, I don't think he will give up easily."

Bao Mei worried: "This is such a troublesome matter. There have been artists who have been driven mad by their parents before, and the matter ended up in court."

She opened the car door and said indignantly, "How can there be such parents? They give birth to a child but don't raise him, and they even suck his blood. How can they even ask for it and do it? My parents don't even ask me for money. They just want to give me everything they have."

Qiao Yiyi sighed, "This is the disparity between people. Some children are unfilial, and some parents are unworthy of being parents."

Baomei: "What should I do then?"

Qiao Yiyi: "Let it hang out for now. It would be best if I could go back. But if they really keep pestering me, I'll have no choice but to cut off all ties with them."

Qiao Yiyi returned home, and because her parents suddenly appeared, she almost forgot about attending the star sports meeting.

The program crew called to urge her to go, so Qiao Yiyi had no choice but to pack up and go to the recording site.

The celebrity sports meeting looks very grand and eye-catching, but in fact it does not attract much attention, and the celebrities invited are all unknown little-known artists in the entertainment industry.

Logically speaking, Qiao Yiyi shouldn't need to participate in this show given her current popularity and status. But the company is being unreasonable, so Qiao Yiyi has to go even if she doesn't want to.

She asked Baomei to pay attention to the situation of Qiao Dahong and his wife, and then rushed to T City overnight.

There were many artists participating in the recording of this program. As soon as Qiao Yiyi arrived at the hotel, she met two acquaintances - Qu Fan, a member of the boy group who had participated in the live broadcast program together before, and Xiong Ying, her teammate on the island.