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"I like it very much."
The atmosphere inside the car was incredibly awkward.
Cheng Xiyang's perfect mask finally cracked, and the smile on his face froze.
The viewers in the live stream burst into laughter immediately.
[Hahaha, this is terrible! I was almost passing, but now I've completely failed.]
[Haha, what is Cheng Xiyang thinking? Why is he constantly asking Ning Yuxuan to rate him? Hasn't he suffered enough setbacks already?]
Cheng Xiyang: My heart, which had been hanging in suspense, has finally died.
Cheng Xiyang's fans were even more furious.
[Where does Ning Yuxuan get the audacity to rate others?]
Can I give Ning Yuxuan a zero score, oh no, a negative score?
[I watched this show specifically for Cheng Xiyang, but who knew it would be so bad? The regular cast members led the bullying of the new guests.]
[What a disgusting show! I would have turned it off long ago if it weren't for watching Cheng Xiyang.]
Viewers who liked the show didn't tolerate Cheng Xiyang's fans and argued back.
[Get this straight, it was your brother who came up to Ning Yuxuan to give him a score, right? If your brother hadn't insisted on asking, would he have gotten a score of 59?]
[If some people's fans are so dissatisfied, then they shouldn't participate in this show!]
[Watch if you want, otherwise get lost!]
Inside the car, Liu Yufang finally couldn't hold back any longer.
Before going on the show, her son told her to talk less and work more, and to be friendly to people, so as to leave a good impression on the audience.
However, this is intolerable.
Seeing her son, whom she had raised with such care since childhood, receive a score of 59 out of 100 in front of others, Liu Yufang couldn't hold back any longer.
"Hey little girl," Liu Yufang glared at Ning Yuxuan with displeasure, "our Xiyang was trying to be nice to you, and this is how you treat him? How could you give my son such a score?"
Ning Fei frowned when she heard someone say that about her daughter.
But before she could speak, Ning Yuxuan had already taken her mother's hand in a comforting gesture.
Ning Yuxuan knew that Ning Fei's worst skill was arguing with people; over the years, she had rarely seen her mother get into arguments with others.
Given Ning Fei's personality, if she is wronged, she will most likely not choose to argue with the other party, but will leave alone.
Back when she was in the Lin family, her mother was always like this; Ning Fei would only stand up for her daughter when she was hurt.
In Ning Yuxuan's memory, the few times her mother had a heated argument with someone were when she was defending her daughter in front of the Lin family's relatives.
But things are different now; she is no longer a little girl who can only stand behind her mother and be protected.
“Madam,” Ning Yuxuan said to Liu Yufang in a calm tone, “I don’t understand what you mean. Didn’t your son ask me to rate him? Your son made the request himself, and I just fulfilled it. Or do you yourself think there’s something wrong with your son’s behavior?”
Liu Yufang was speechless for a moment: "You—"
Ning Yuxuan remained composed and asked, "What's wrong with me?"
Behind Liu Yufang, Cheng Xiyang pressed down on his mother's shoulder: "Mom, calm down..."
Cheng Xiyang knew he was in the wrong, and moreover, he knew that his mother only seemed good at arguing, but in reality, she didn't have strong logical thinking.
Normally, one might be able to overpower the other party with sheer force of will, but this is a live broadcast, and being aggressive and unreasonable will only make the audience disgusted.
It's one thing if his mother is an ordinary person, but in the end, he's the one who gets implicated.
But Liu Yufang was already intoxicated.
She shoved her son's hand away, her eyebrows raised: "I'm not going to argue with you about this! I can't win against your nonsense. All I know is that you're a young woman, and you speak to your elders so rudely, you have no manners at all!"
Ning Yuxuan twitched the corners of her mouth.
Great, you're going to play this game with her, right?
Ning Yuxuan stared at Liu Yufang and slowly said, "Madam, I don't understand what you mean. What do you mean by 'I'm just a young girl'? Are you saying that men can be impolite to their elders and have no manners?"
Liu Yufang: "You!"
Ning Yuxuan glanced at Cheng Xiyang: "Oh, I forgot, Auntie, you cherish this son so much, no wonder you said that."
Upon hearing Ning Yuxuan's words, Cheng Xiyang's expression changed.
Having been in the entertainment industry for so long, he was more sensitive to various topics than the average person and immediately understood Ning Yuxuan's implied meaning.
Cheng Xiyang quickly tugged at his mother's arm, hoping to calm Liu Yufang down: "Mom, please stop talking..."
If the mother says something she shouldn't in her excitement, it will definitely be spread by netizens.
However, Liu Yufang had been completely drawn into Ning Yuxuan's anger, and was trembling with rage. Now, she only wanted to teach this ill-mannered girl a lesson.
Liu Yufang retorted angrily, "So what if I cherish my son? I risked my life to give birth to him, and he's so outstanding, far superior to a young girl like you! Girls should know better than boys what it means to be virtuous, polite, and—"
"Mom!" Cheng Xiyang exploded, loudly stopping her, "I told you to shut up!"
If his mother makes such remarks again, his image in the entertainment industry will be completely ruined.
Liu Yufang: "..."
Hearing her son's angry rebuke, Liu Yufang finally calmed down.
Seeing the several cameras surrounding her, Liu Yufang belatedly felt a pang of regret.
She simply hadn't realized how controversial her remarks were; she only regretted losing her composure in front of a national audience and arguing with someone like a shrew.
The argument came to an end, but the onlookers in the live stream, who usually enjoy watching the drama unfold, were somewhat disappointed.
Although the show has been plagued with problems since Cen Meng was still on it, everyone had been decent people before, and this was the first time anyone had argued so fiercely on a live broadcast.
[Huh? They're done arguing already? I haven't had enough yet!]
[This is boring. I wanted to see Ning Yuxuan continue to roast this aunt.]
There were also analyses of the argument, and most people sided with Ning Yuxuan.
【Cheng Xiyang’s mother is so annoying! She won’t listen to reason with people at all, and she just likes to ramble on and on without getting to the point】
Ning Yuxuan is right, I hate people who act like they're superior just because they're old!
Cheng Xiyang's fans retaliated:
[Auntie is getting old, and the older generation's thinking is different from ours, so please don't be too harsh!]
Ning Yuxuan is really disrespectful to her aunt. Even if the aunt is wrong, she shouldn't be so disrespectful to her elders!
[What's so praiseworthy about Ning Yuxuan arguing with her elders? Don't be so ridiculous.]
...
Although Cheng Xiyang couldn't see the comments, cold sweat was already trickling down his forehead.
Fortunately, the mother finally stopped talking, and the situation was brought under control.
Cheng Xiyang quickly changed the subject, praying that the audience wouldn't pay too much attention to his mother's earlier remarks: "Alright, alright, today is Teacher Qin's birthday. No matter what misunderstandings we have, for Teacher Qin's sake, we should shake hands and make up."
As soon as he finished speaking, the car came to a slow stop.
The group got out of the car and returned to the villa.
Qin Man and Jiang Ning'an arrived at the recording site five minutes later.
The group arrived at the living room on the first floor, where staff announced that the next segment would be a display of blessings.
The production team first had Qin Man and Jiang Ning'an's team take out the cards they had collected, and then the two of them selected a few to read aloud.
Qin Man was unaware of the surprise from the production team. She took out the top pink card and began to read: "Dear production team, I've been a long-time viewer of the show since the first season. Thank you, 'Dear Mom,' for letting me feel the beauty of family and for helping me and my mother understand each other better."
Jiang Ning'an then read two blessings as well.
The production team prepared a large felt board in advance, and the two of them pinned all the blessings onto it.
Next, Ning Fei and Ning Yuxuan's group read out their blessings.
Ning Fei opened a piece of cardstock, but stopped just as she was about to read it.
"Teacher Qin Man," Ning Fei said with a smile, "my throat is a little sore today. You have excellent diction, could you read it for me?"
Qin Man looked at Ning Fei with some surprise.
Logically speaking, even if Ning Fei's throat was uncomfortable, Ning Yuxuan should have taken care of it.
However, reading these wasn't difficult. Since Ning Fei had already spoken, Qin Man nodded and said, "Okay."
She took the card from Ning Fei's hand: "Hello, Teacher Qin Man..."
After reading the first few words, Qin Man sensed something was wrong.
She quickly glanced at the text on the back and discovered that it was actually a message from her fans.
Qin Man vaguely realized something and looked to the side.
Ning Fei and Ning Yuxuan both looked at her with smiles, and the other staff members also had smiles on their faces.
Qin Man finally realized that this was a surprise prepared for her by the production team.
"Teacher Qin," the staff member said, "please continue reading."
Qin Man smiled and said, "Okay."
The person who wrote this blessing is a long-time fan of Qin Man, and it lists the reasons for liking the various roles that Qin Man has portrayed over the years.
Finally, there were the words "Happy Birthday" and a series of blessings.
Ning Fei specially selected this cardstock from all the available cards.
In fact, Qin Man has been acting for so many years and has attracted many fans. There are also many other blessings written very sincerely and enthusiastically.
Some praised Qin Man as an ageless goddess, while others commended her dedication.
However, as an actress herself, Ning Fei thought that Qin Man should be just like her, caring most about the characters she portrays.
That's why Ning Fei chose this one.
Sure enough, Qin Man looked very moved after reading it, and her voice even choked up a little.
[So touching, I almost cried too!]
Did you notice that this blessing was specially chosen by Teacher Ning Fei and placed at the top? Teacher Ning truly understands Teacher Qin best!
[I knew these two actresses appreciated each other; they both understood what kind of blessings the other most wanted!]
Next, Qin Man looked at several more birthday wishes from viewers.
Unfortunately, there were too many 52 cards in total, so not all of them could be shown to the audience.
Qin Man solemnly said, "Thank you to the program team for preparing this surprise for me, thank you to everyone who helped me collect these blessings, and thank you to all the fans who wrote down their blessings. I will take all these blessings home and cherish them."
Background music played as staff brought out a two-tiered birthday cake and lit the candles.
Led by the staff, everyone sang "Happy Birthday" together.
Not only the guests, but also the staff joined in.
Jiang Ning'an was initially kept in the dark, but now that she was standing next to Qin Man, she sang the loudest.
In this atmosphere, even though she was somewhat prepared, Qin Man still couldn't help but have her eyes redden.
"Mom," Jiang Ning'an said gently, "make a wish."
Qin Man nodded slightly.
The staff cooperated by turning off the living room lights.
Qin Man clasped her hands together and closed her eyes.
Ten seconds later, Qin Man opened her eyes: "It's done."
Jiang Ning'an asked curiously, "What was your wish? Why did it take so long?"
Qin Man gently shook her head: "It won't work if I say it out loud, but..."
She looked at her daughter and smiled: "It's related to you."
Jiang Ning'an was stunned.
[Waaaaah, Teacher Qin is so kind! She even gave her birthday wish to her daughter!]
Have you noticed that Teacher Qin Man has really changed? She definitely wouldn't have said it so bluntly before.
Yes, I remember in the pilot episode, Teacher Qin always seemed very strict with her daughter.
After making her wish, Qin Man blew out the candles amidst the crowd.
A staff member handed Qin Man a knife so that the birthday girl could cut the cake.
The cake was two-tiered and very large; after being shared with the six guests present, there was still a lot left over.
The staff also joined in cutting the cake, creating a very warm atmosphere.
After eating the cake, Ning Fei took out the sunglasses and gold pendant that Ning Yuxuan had previously chosen.
"Xuanxuan picked out the sunglasses," Ning Fei explained with a smile. "We bought the pendant together. These two items are a birthday gift from Xuanxuan and me to you. Happy birthday, Qin Man."
Qin Man clearly didn't expect that after receiving the surprise prepared by the production team, she would also receive gifts from Ning Fei and Ning Yuxuan.
"Th...thank you." Qin Man accepted the gift. "I don't know what to say, but I'm really grateful."
Ning Yuxuan added with a smile, "My mom and I didn't know what to buy at first, but luckily Ning'an mentioned that you like sunglasses, so we weren't completely clueless. We just don't know if they suit your taste, Teacher Qin."
Qin Man immediately replied, "I like it very much."
After saying that, she put it on to prove her point.
Wow! I didn't expect this style to suit Teacher Qin Man so well. I thought it wouldn't suit her at all!
[Just kidding, Teacher Qin had a nickname when she was young: "The Lady of a Thousand Faces," she could handle any style with ease!]
Seeing the gifts from Ning Fei and Ning Yuxuan, Jiang Ning'an suddenly spoke up: "Actually... I also prepared a birthday present."
Qin Man had just taken off her sunglasses when she looked at her daughter with surprise in her eyes.
[Haha, even Teacher Qin probably didn't expect to receive so many surprises today!]
[Surprises keep coming one after another, I'm so happy!]
Jiang Ning'an said somewhat shyly, "I originally wanted to give it to you after the live broadcast ended, but since everyone is celebrating your birthday now, I'll join in the fun. Also..."
She hesitated for a moment and didn't finish her sentence: "Anyway, you'll know once I take it out."
As she spoke, Jiang Ning'an jogged upstairs.
When the guests checked in today, their luggage was already in the rooms they stayed in during the first episode. Cheng Xiyang and Liu Yufang stayed in the room that Cen Meng had stayed in before.
Two minutes later, Jiang Ning'an found the gift for her mother in the suitcase in the room and took it over.
It is a jewelry box.
Amidst the curious gazes of the crowd, Qin Man took the box and opened it—
Inside was a pair of pearl earrings, and the earrings were shaped like a pink flower paired with a pearl chain.
The petal-shaped sunglasses that Ning Yuxuan chose complemented each other perfectly, as if they had planned it together.
Jiang Ning'an explained, "I bought these earrings two months ago when I went abroad to record a program. I didn't expect it to be such a coincidence that they were both flower-shaped, just like the gift Yu Xuan picked out, so I brought them over."
Ning Yuxuan's eyes crinkled into a smile: "It's quite a coincidence. Could it be that we developed a tacit understanding by cooking together?"
Jiang Ning'an couldn't help but chuckle: "Perhaps."
"Mom," Jiang Ning'an suggested cautiously, "can I help you put it on?"
After receiving Qin Man's approval, Jiang Ning'an disinfected the earrings with an alcohol swab and then helped her mother put them on.
Qin Man cooperated by putting on sunglasses as well.
The two pieces of jewelry look very harmonious together, as if they were specially matched.
The comments section was filled with praise.
Only Cheng Xiyang looked somewhat embarrassed.
Of the six people present, everyone except Qin Man herself gave a gift; only he and his mother did not.
He had actually thought about buying a gift, but he was in a hurry to complete the task and thought that Ning Yuxuan probably wouldn't prepare one either, so he gave up on it.
If I had known, even if he had just bought something random, he should have prepared a gift.
...
The atmosphere on set was cheerful and harmonious, but public opinion outside was not so positive.
Before evening, the argument between Ning Yuxuan and Liu Yufang in the live broadcast room became a trending topic.
Liu Yufang's statement that "girls should be virtuous" continues to circulate online.
[What's wrong with this auntie? She's a woman herself, so why does she look down on other women?]
[Exactly! Respecting elders is important, but why emphasize that she's a young girl? Don't men need to be polite?]
[Listen to this! What do you mean girls are supposed to be virtuous and domestic? Does being virtuous and domestic mean you'll be your son's nanny?]
If Liu Yufang were simply an older woman, the public reaction might not have been so intense.
Unfortunately, Liu Yufang is Cheng Xiyang's mother.
Cheng Xiyang has always been known for his gentleness, kindness, and respect for women since his debut.
This was the marketing direction set by his team. Cheng Xiyang's previous video encouraging female fans to love themselves before following celebrities even went viral.
At the time, fans flooded the internet with comments praising their idol for his progressive thinking, calling him a breath of fresh air among male celebrities in the entertainment industry.
After Liu Yufang's remarks came out, netizens inevitably thought of Cheng Xiyang.
[Oh my god... Is this Cheng Xiyang's mother's statement? Could it be that Cheng Xiyang thinks the same way?]
[The filter is a bit shattered... I always thought Cheng Xiyang was a very gentle and considerate boy...]
Although my rational mind tells me that this wasn't Cheng Xiyang himself saying it, it's really hard not to think that he thinks the same way. After all, she's his own mother.
Seeing the online public opinion, Cheng Xiyang's fans are busy cutting ties with Liu Yufang.
[The statements made by Cheng Xiyang's mother do not represent Cheng Xiyang. Please do not use this opportunity to attack Cheng Xiyang!]
Cheng Xiyang is an independent individual! Please do not generalize other people's opinions to Cheng Xiyang!
But not only did netizens not buy it, Ning Shiyue's fans also wouldn't let this opportunity pass.
I vividly remember how Cheng Xiyang's fans kicked him when he was down when Ning Shiyue and Ning Fei's relationship was made public—
Taking advantage of the situation, they spread rumors that Ning Shiyue had cheated the championship and won against Cheng Xiyang because of her mother's connection to the movie queen.
After Cheng Xiyang's recent mishap, Ning Shiyue's fans began to seek revenge.
"He risked his life to give birth to this son!" Wow! If you didn't know his name was Cheng Xiyang, you'd think it was Cheng Yaozu!
[Fans, stop trying to defend him. Growing up in such a family, how good could Cheng Xiyang be?]
[Cheng Xiyang is indeed far inferior to Ning Shiyue. Look at how Ning Shiyue treats his sister! Luckily, Cheng Xiyang doesn't have a sister, otherwise, growing up in a family like this would definitely make him a victim of exploitation!]
Cheng Xiyang's agent was so angry after seeing the trending topic that he almost vomited blood.
Participating in this program was inherently risky; Cheng Xiyang decided to take a gamble after seeing the program's popularity.
The agent had long known that Cheng Xiyang's mother was not someone to be trifled with, but Cheng Xiyang repeatedly assured the agent that he would cover for Liu Yufang, which finally convinced the agent.
Who knew that something like this would happen on the very first day of the live stream?
The only consolation now is that those words weren't spoken by Cheng Xiyang himself, and they can use public relations tactics to portray Cheng Xiyang as "untainted by the mud."
The agent started calling the company to urgently discuss public relations strategies.
By evening, public opinion had finally shifted.
In previous trending searches, a large amount of "evidence" of Cheng Xiyang's respect for women appeared.
This includes not only the most famous video where Cheng Xiyang encourages female fans to love themselves, but also clips from various interviews and variety shows.
For example, Cheng Xiyang said in an interview that he is an only child, but he has always hoped to have a younger sister and wanted to be a good older brother who dotes on his sister.
For example, when asked about his future family plans, Cheng Xiyang repeatedly expressed that he wanted a daughter and said that he would definitely be a doting father to his daughter in the future.
The comment sections of these videos are filled with comments speaking up for Cheng Xiyang.
[I knew Cheng Xiyang wasn't that kind of person! Just look at what he's said; he's definitely not a chauvinist!]
[Exactly, netizens, don't go too far. You can't judge a person's character based on what their mother says.]
I stand with Cheng Xiyang! He's a really good person and shouldn't have to pay the price for his mother's mistakes!
Perhaps Cheng Xiyang's mother's thinking is a bit out of touch with the times, but Cheng Xiyang definitely isn't! Anyone who knows him knows he's one of the male celebrities in the entertainment industry who respects women the most!
...
After celebrating Qin Man's birthday, the day's recording of the program came to an end.
After the live stream ended, the guests returned to their respective rooms to rest.
Ningfei had been running around all afternoon and her legs felt uncomfortable ever since she got back. Taking a bath didn't provide any significant relief.
In the past, when Ning Fei encountered similar situations, she would use a fascia gun to massage herself.
But when she checked her luggage, she realized she had forgotten to bring it with her when she came to the show.
Ning Yuxuan suggested, "Mom, how about I go ask Teacher Qin and the others? Maybe they brought it."
Ning Fei hesitated: "Wouldn't that be too much trouble for them..."
Ning Yuxuan glanced at the time: "It's only a little past nine o'clock. Teacher Qin and the others should still be awake. I'll go ask them. If they're not asleep, I'll come and massage you."
Ning Fei hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Alright."
She didn't want to trouble her daughter, but her legs were indeed uncomfortable, and she had difficulty falling asleep without a massage.
The third floor only has rooms for Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei; the bedrooms for the other two groups are on the second floor.
Ning Yuxuan put on a jacket over her nightgown and went upstairs to find Qin Man and Jiang Ning'an.
Qin Man's room was at the very back. As they passed Cheng Xiyang's room, they heard sounds coming from inside.
"I only said a few words to her! Mom was just trying to stand up for you, why are you blaming me instead?"
"Mom, keep your voice down, or someone will hear you! I know you're doing this for me, but what you said could easily make netizens think our family favors boys over girls!"
"So what? You're my precious son. If I don't value you, who will I value? Look at Ning Fei. She talks a good game, but isn't she just like me? She had a daughter and then immediately had a son?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
She remembered that when Cheng Xiyang introduced himself earlier today, he mentioned that he was an only child.
But judging from this, it seems that Cheng Xiyang has an older sister.
Ning Yuxuan realized that she seemed to know why Ning Shiyue disliked Cheng Xiyang.
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