Chapter Fifteen: Scandal

“But fans watching the live broadcast, please remember not to reveal any information about other groups to your idols,” the host reminded. “If this is discovered, the group that benefits will be penalized.”

“Let’s eat, let’s eat,” Zhao Funing announced as he brought the dishes to the table.

“I bought all kinds of drinks—help yourselves!” Chen Weiguo waved his hand generously.

“Oh my goodness! This smells amazing!” Ji Chen exclaimed, finding a seat toward the back.

Lin Chunshui sat down next to Ji Chen with two bottles of soda in hand.

Lin Ze and Su Zitan hurried to serve rice to all the seniors from the entertainment industry.

The table was adorned with both cold and hot dishes, each prepared with exquisite care, as if they’d come straight from a restaurant kitchen.

Carrying a large plate of spicy chicken, Zhao Funing walked out, turning off the kitchen light behind him.

“Careful, careful,” he cautioned as he set the dish right in the center of the table.

There were eight dishes in total, perfectly portioned—one for each person.

A big bowl of soup rounded out the meal, all cooked by Zhao Funing alone.

Director Zhang, observing nearby, couldn’t help but drool a little. He was about to sneak into a seat when Chen Weiguo cut in, concerned.

“Director Zhang, you’ve been busy all day. I saw your boxed meal arrived earlier—please, go eat. Don’t worry about us.”

“That’s right, Director Zhang, your health comes first,” Ji Chen chimed in.

The intention to exclude him was almost spelled out on the table.

With two industry veterans speaking up, Director Zhang had no choice but to clear his throat awkwardly.

“Ahem, alright then, I won’t interrupt your meal. Cameramen, all of you can leave except for the main live feed. Just keep one camera here.”

With that, only the main broadcast cameraman remained; Xiao Qian and the other three left the dining hall.

The secondary streams weren’t shut down but instead relayed the main feed’s content.

“Let’s not bother with formalities—just eat and chat as you like,” Chen Weiguo said, seeing that everyone was waiting for him to start. He picked up some cold beef with his chopsticks.

“Great! Great!” Ji Chen quickly followed suit, grabbing a piece of spicy chicken and shoveling rice into his mouth.

“Zhao, your cooking is incredible!” he praised.

“Can you eat like a civilized person for once?” Lin Chunshui shot him a look of disdain.

Before eating herself, Su Zitan first picked out a few of Lin Ze’s favorite dishes and put them in his bowl. Only then did she help herself to a piece of cold beef.

“Zitan is so thoughtful,” Bai Qiong remarked, naturally picking out dishes for Chen Weiguo as well.

Noticing the glances from around the table, Su Zitan suddenly blushed.

“My sister Zitan has always been like this,” Lin Ze explained after swallowing his bite. “You guys don’t know—when we were kids, Zitan didn’t like to eat, but she loved feeding others.”

“Aiya!” Su Zitan reached out to pinch Lin Ze’s arm, but he caught her hand.

“We both ate slowly. When I was in kindergarten, one time my parents finished eating and went for a walk, but Zitan’s urge to feed kicked in—she insisted on feeding me herself.”

Su Zitan’s cheeks were bright red now, but with her free hand, she still pinched Lin Ze’s arm.

He sucked in a breath, accelerating his words. “I was just a kid—I couldn’t eat much! But if I said I was full, she’d hit me and keep feeding me anyway.”

“Do you know how much psychological trauma that one bowl of rice caused a little kid in kindergarten?” he asked the table.

The live chat erupted with laughter.

[Haha, she’s adorable!]
[I want to know, where do you find such a cute girlfriend?]
[Wait, did they really know each other since kindergarten?]

Lin Chunshui couldn’t stop laughing. “Was Zitan always this adorable as a kid?”

Chen Weiguo took a sip of tea to calm his laughter. “So, you two met in kindergarten?”

Lin Ze and Su Zitan exchanged a glance.

“Yes,” Su Zitan nodded. “My dad and Lin’s dad were comrades-in-arms. Lin’s dad was even my father’s squad leader.”

“One year during the flood relief, my dad was exhausted and was almost swept away by the water. If Lin’s dad hadn’t pulled him back, I might not have been born.”

In the live chat, even the trolls went silent for a moment, feeling a pang of guilt.

Su Zitan began telling stories from their childhood while Lin Ze took her bowl and lined up peeled shrimp along the rim.

“I’m three years older than Lin Ze. When I was six, my parents went into business and left me at his house. I basically grew up there, only seeing my parents at New Year’s.”

“Wow, you really are childhood sweethearts,” Bai Qiong said, nodding in understanding. “Having an older sister is wonderful.”

Pei Xue looked at Su Zitan even more warmly. She’d had a similar childhood, except she’d been left at her grandparents’ house.

“That’s right. Zitan always took care of me,” Lin Ze added. “What I remember most was in third grade, after gym class, I got bullied.”

Third grade?

Su Zitan herself couldn’t remember anything from back then.

“Zitan was in fifth grade then. Her classroom was on the first floor, with windows facing the playground.”

“There was this chubby kid in my class—a bit of a brute. He’d hit me for no reason. One day after class, he kicked me and Zitan saw.”

“She opened the window, jumped out, grabbed him by the collar, and just the sight of her scared him into tears.”

As Lin Ze recounted the story, Su Zitan vaguely remembered it too. Her face turned scarlet, but she couldn’t pinch Lin Ze in front of everyone, so she just glared at him.

[Well, well, well, this is amazing!]
[Sister Zitan is the best!]
[After exposing so many of her childhood stories, she’ll probably end up feeding him a whole pot at dinner—and if he can’t finish, she’ll hit him.]

“So that’s how it is. I read something online before…” Pei Xue said, covering her mouth in surprise.

“You saw it too? I’ve read plenty!” Lin Chunshui added, laughing.

“Wait, what did you see, Xue?” Su Zitan asked, stunned.

“Oh, just people saying you were Lin’s biggest fan, or that he got you pregnant…”

Lin Chunshui nodded vigorously. “Right, I even saw a rumor that you bribed him into a hotel with money, and he couldn’t resist the temptation.”

“What nonsense!” Su Zitan recalled her sudden burst of courage that night, only to sigh inwardly—she hadn’t succeeded.

“There are all kinds of versions. Some even say you cast a spell on him.”

“That sounds fun!” Lin Ze perked up. “Why can’t I ever find these stories?”

“You blockhead! Why is it always me scheming against you?” Su Zitan huffed.

“These days, people assume the wealthy are wicked, and showbiz folks are even worse,” Lin Ze joked, handing her the bowl full of shrimp. “You’re the world’s number one villain. I’m just a little cabbage, new to the entertainment industry.”

“Why are you peeling shrimp anyway?” Su Zitan puffed her cheeks, stuffing a shrimp in her mouth. “Are you calling me a shrimp?”