The way he said “Yueyue” made Jiang Fuyue’s heart skip a beat.
“A dignified Professor Xie needs to win someone over?”
“Normally, no. But you’re the exception.”
Jiang Fuyue curved her lips. “But there’s no reward. What then?”
“Now there is.”
“?”
“This call. You rarely take the initiative to contact me, do you?”
Her coolness and sense of distance—Xie Dingyuan never pointed it out, but he was well aware.
Back then, he had the upper hand. Because he was favored, he acted without fear, unruly and bold.
But now the tide had turned, and it was his turn to be on the weaker side.
Strangely, he didn’t hate the feeling.
In fact… he might even be enjoying it?
Jiang Fuyue: “That’s a pretty hefty cost for you to pay, Professor Xie.”
“From an investment perspective, early costs are made for future returns.”
“And did investment theory also tell you that return comes with risk? You could end up losing everything.”
He chuckled lowly: “Stay confident, hold for the long term—time will deliver a perfect answer sheet.”
She raised a brow. “But what if there’s a short-term sell-off? Then there’s no such thing as long-term holding.”
If that happens, time never even gets the chance to deliver an answer—it didn’t even receive the test paper.
“Why sell off?” he asked in return. “If this is a blue-chip stock with strong performance, then the holder has no reason to give it up.”
“Is Professor Xie praising himself now?”
His voice held a smile: “I thought we were discussing investment strategy.”
Playing coy now, huh?
“Fine then, thanks for this time.”
He played along: “You’re welcome.”
“But don’t play the nameless hero again. If I hadn’t asked, you would’ve lost out big time.”
“So you mean… there will be a next time?”
Before she could answer, he added, “More than willing. It would be an honor.”
Jiang Fuyue: “…”
He really knew how to ride a wave.
…
Call ended, Xie Dingyuan slipped his phone into his pocket, turned around—and was startled out of his skin.
By the door stood nine heads peeking in—a row made up of seven sisters, grandpa, and grandma.
Xie Dingyuan: “…”
“Ahem! Little Nine, were you talking to a friend?”
“What kind of friend?”
“Do we know them?”
“Bring them over for a meal sometime—Mom made a bunch of good food today.”
“Yes, yes! Your friend is our friend too!”
“Should we prep pink or blue slippers? Girls usually prefer pink.”
Here we go…
“And we should prepare dessert too!”
“Low sugar and low fat, of course—girls want to eat sweet things and stay beautiful.”
“Oh right! It should look good, too. Even if she doesn’t eat it, she can take pretty pictures. That’s what girls care about these days.”
“So—Little Nine, is it a girl?”
That was the question they were all waiting for.
All eyes instantly locked onto Xie Dingyuan.
Him: “…”
Grandma nudged Grandpa.
Grandpa coughed. “Little Nine, since everyone’s so curious, why not just tell us?”
Xie Dingyuan: “…I just remembered I haven’t finished an experiment report. Gotta run to Q University. You all go ahead and eat—don’t wait for me.”
And with that, he bolted.
Xie Yunlan: “Something’s definitely up with Little Nine!”
Xie Yunxiang: “Something big!”
Xie Yunxi: “No way… he really has a girlfriend?”
…
Back at home, Jiang Fuyue hung up and gave Little Mang a rub on the head. “Let’s go downstairs for dinner!”
“Woof woof!” Meal time! Let’s go!
The scandal had finally settled down. Han Heng’s manager never did find out why the rival side suddenly retreated—but decided to let it go.
After all, they hadn’t lost anything.
The next day, Jiang Fuyue slept in as usual. After washing up and getting dressed, she headed downstairs—only to see cameras everywhere in the living room.
Her: “?”
“Woof woof woof~” Little Mang rushed over to rub against her leg and led her down.
Han Shen walked by and couldn’t help laughing at the dog’s bootlicking behavior: “This mutt might as well go home with you.”
Jiang Fuyue: “If Han Ting agrees, I don’t mind.”
Han Shen rubbed his nose and stayed quiet.
He’d only said that offhand. That brat would never agree.
Just then, Han Ke came down, all tidy and ready to go: “Yo, why are you two blocking the stairs? Why not go down?”
The next second, he saw all the cameras in the living room, and his eye twitched.
“That D*mn Third Bro—he’s got another place but insists on filming at home. What’s wrong with him?!”
“Second Bro, I think I just heard you badmouthing me?” Han Heng suddenly appeared behind the three of them.
Han Ke: “!” Crap!
《My Old Boy》was this year’s breakout live-reality variety show. It featured five well-known, older, still-single male celebrities from the entertainment industry.
Cameras recorded their home life for eighteen hours straight, streaming live on TomatoTV and AppleTV.
Viewers could switch between rooms or watch multiple guests at once. Han Heng had the highest status and biggest fan base, pulling the most viewers each episode.
The show had only aired twice and already exploded in popularity.
This was Episode 3.
Han Heng slept in and didn’t get up until 9 a.m. He walked on camera in pajamas, hair a complete mess—looking totally casual and lazy.
Even the dog couldn’t hold back: “Woof woof—!”
Han Heng: “Shhh! Quiet!”
Little Mang didn’t care. He barked even louder: “Woof woof woof—!”
The live chat lost it:
【My bro has zero authority at home lol】
【Little Mang: who is this fool with messier hair than my fur? Get out!】
【So much for “death before messy hair,” huh?】
【Bro, your idol image is slipping!】
【Still gotta say, even with grass on his head, my bro’s hot AF. Iconic!】
【Hair doesn’t matter—my bro’s face does it all.】
【Omg he’s got a cowlick in the back! So cute!】
【Bet he didn’t brush his teeth or wash his face. Wanna bet?】
【Checked closely—no eye gunk. Watch in peace, folks.】
【Thanks for the heads-up, I’m mid-breakfast.】
【AAAAAHHHH! A goddess just walked in!】
【OMG! It’s my Goddess Yue! Goddess Yue!】
【Wait—is her height for real? And those legs?!】
【Absolutely insane!】
…
【Heard there was a beauty here, came running!】
【What the h*ll? Why are He Yan fans crashing this room?】
【Just so we’re clear—I’m a Tuxedo fan. I’m not here for Han Heng. I only stan Goddess Yue.】
【Tuxedo fans in peace. Not looking for drama—just here to admire the beauty, thanks.】
【Another Tuxedo fan reporting in—no fights, no shade, just vibing in awe of Moon Jie’s divine looks.】
…
A wave of He Yan fans flooded Han Heng’s livestream—a first.
After all, the two men were rivals, and their fanbases had always been hostile.
To protect viewership, both sides used to avoid boosting each other’s streams—“you don’t watch mine, I won’t watch yours.”
But thanks to Jiang Fuyue, that rule broke.
In the stream, a girl in a sweater and jeans was facing away from the camera, preparing dog food.
Her long hair flowed gently down her back.
The sweater outlined her straight, slender shoulders, and her waist was impossibly slim.
Her legs, wrapped in jeans, were long and perfectly proportioned—one glance was enough to leave people breathless.
Even without showing her face, that back view alone sent the chat into overdrive. The producers behind the scenes clicked their tongues in amazement.
“She’s pulling viewership like a second-tier star already.”
Little Mang wagged his tail, circling around the girl’s legs, sometimes nudging her with his head, sometimes playfully tugging her pants with his teeth.
The stream chat:
【I can’t believe I’m jealous of a dog.】
【What’s it like to have a goddess within snout range? Only Little Mang knows.】
【I want to be Mang bro’s teeth, so I can bite the goddess’ pants too, sob!】
Jiang Fuyue drizzled goat milk over the freeze-dried food and sprinkled in some joint-protecting berry powder before stepping back and telling the dog: “You can eat now.”
“Woof—!”
Little Mang happily pounced and dug in.
Han Heng strolled over with half a boiled egg in hand, munching as he watched.
“This guy’s super picky. He never eats berry powder. Even Han Ting couldn’t force him.”
“Really?” Jiang Fuyue raised a brow.
Han Heng tapped Little Mang’s butt with his foot and got a warning bark in return: “Woof—!”
He awkwardly pulled his foot back. “See? Total brat.”
And with that, he sauntered away.
