Chu Yi felt a little awkward.
But then he thought: Considering the domineering personality Mr. Jiang had displayed on the show, not just elderly people, even most older relatives wouldn’t like him.
If Shen Fu’s grandfather had watched the livestream or seen highlights, he would definitely know.
Besides, there was nothing wrong with what Chu Yi had said.
How could the old man possibly be targeting him on purpose?
Most likely, elderly people simply didn’t understand the meaning of memes and thought all memes were just forms of greeting. That was why he had sent such a picture.
So Chu Yi laughed awkwardly in the group. “Haha.”
He even cooperated by sending an old-fashioned meme of a blooming lotus accompanied by a gentle breeze.
Then he typed: “Grandpa, you really keep up with trends. When we meet, I can teach you how to use memes.”
Old Chi leisurely sent two more memes.
Chu Yi opened them.
The first one said: “Teach me? With memes this outdated, you’re teaching me?.jpg”
The second one said: “Are you an idiot dog?.jpg”
Chu Yi: “……”
There were now seven people in the group.
Among the male guests, every relative had joined except Jiang Shu’s.
For Wen Zhenghan, the person who joined was his aunt, who was also an actress, though she worked in theater rather than television.
As for Xiang Lingyun, both of his parents were overseas. Although they could have rushed back in time, after the major disaster that had happened previously, his manager absolutely did not dare let his parents participate in this segment.
Xiang Lingyun was not like Wen Zhenghan, who had won so many awards that he could remain firmly established even without popularity. Nor was he like Chu Wei, who could simply stop caring and smash the pot after it was already broken. Xiang Lingyun still cared very much about his image and prestige.
So the person representing him was a senior executive from his company.
This executive was exceptionally good at reading the situation.
What was the current trend online?
Everyone was speculating which of the male guests would ultimately win Shen Fu’s favor.
It was like tossing a lucky ball, naturally, the person who caught it would gain the most face.
Moreover, because of the previous projector-accident incident, viewers had already concluded that Xiang Lingyun was one of Shen Fu’s pursuers. The company’s response strategy had been to let Xiang Lingyun admit it openly.
This executive had only one goal in attending the family-meeting event: To help Xiang Lingyun win favor with Shen Fu’s family!
If he could win over Shen Fu’s grandfather, would Shen Fu herself still be difficult to win over?
People from Shen Fu’s grandfather’s generation, the 1950s generation, what would they be interested in?
Tea culture and politics, of course.
The executive immediately changed his profile picture to a photo of Pu-er tea.
Then he came out and reprimanded Chu Wei’s brother: “It’s fate that the relatives and guardians of all the guests can gather together like this. How can you casually slander another male guest in front of everyone? Elder Shen is an upright and honorable person. He certainly wouldn’t like seeing people scheming and fighting the moment he enters the group. Brother Chu Wei, quickly apologize to Grandpa.”
The Gu family was a family of musicians. But Gu Zhidao’s mother was a wealthy heiress from a rich family. Back when she was young, she had married into another powerful family, and she looked down on minor celebrities. That was why, three years ago, she had done something like throwing money at Shen Fu and telling her to leave her son.
But times were different now.
Shen Fu’s status had risen. She was still young, and there was a chance she could break into the top tier of actresses in the future. If she became a first-tier actress, then she would undoubtedly be worthy of the Gu family again.
Besides, Gu Zhidao’s mother had been watching the show.
Shen Fu had done absolutely nothing, yet several male guests with powerful family backgrounds were all competing for her.
Especially Jiang Shu.
Compared to the Jiang family, the Gu family was like an ant standing before a crocodile.
If her son managed to beat Jiang Shu, wouldn’t that make her son seem incredibly charming?
Gu Zhidao’s mother was now beginning to regret what she had done back then.
At the time, Shen Fu had liked her son so much that she had refused even five million yuan. That showed genuine sincerity. But there was still a chance to fix things.
Wasn’t Shen Fu still angry at Gu Zhidao?
The person who tied the bell must untie it.
She could simply appear on the show, meet Shen Fu in person, and personally promise that Shen Fu could marry into their family.
Wouldn’t that solve everything?
Since they might become family in the future, she needed to maintain a good relationship.
And she also needed to help Zhidao kick rivals like Jiang Shu and Chu Wei out of the competition.
So Mother Gu chimed in: “This gentleman is right. Mr. Chu, Elder Shen is the most senior person in this group. You mustn’t continue being so disrespectful in front of him. However, you’re still young. Poor upbringing isn’t a major issue, you can learn gradually. Mr. Jiang is such a fine and handsome young man. Don’t speak badly of him.”
Chu Yi was furious.
So this was what it was all about. Nobody had spoken when they first joined the group. They had all been waiting here for this moment.
The second he made a mistake, everyone rushed to kick him while he was down.
Still, being young had its advantages. Grandpa Shen was already in his seventies. Surely he wouldn’t hold a grudge against a younger generation member like him.
Chu Yi sent a bowing emoji. “Thank you all for your guidance. I’ll correct myself~”
At the same time, both Mother Gu and the executive felt slightly nauseated inside.
“~”?
How was this guy exactly the same personality as Chu Wei?
The person representing Zuo Mei was her aunt.
The one representing Xu Tiaotiao was her uncle, who also worked in the entertainment industry, though as a producer rather than an artist.
As for Gu Qingshuang, since she and Gu Zhidao were cousins, nobody else from her family came. She simply shared Mother Gu as her representative.
Zuo Mei’s aunt and Uncle Xu felt somewhat uncomfortable watching these people swarm around Shen Fu’s grandfather.
Zuo Mei’s aunt wanted to start a conversation with Wen Zhenghan’s aunt. But the stage actress was extremely aloof. Since joining the group, she had not spoken a single word. Not only that, even when someone tagged her, she ignored them.
Besides helping Gu Zhidao win Shen Fu back, Mother Gu was also waiting for Jiang Shu’s elder to arrive.
As Gu Qingshuang’s aunt, having watched her grow up, she also hoped to connect Gu Qingshuang with the Jiang family. That was why, when she had criticized Chu Yi earlier, she had deliberately included praise for Jiang Shu.
Seeing that no newcomers had joined for a while, Mother Gu asked the staff: “Is everyone here already? Where is the Jiang family representative?”
Of course, Xu Tiaotiao’s uncle and Zuo Mei’s aunt could see through her intentions immediately.
But Jiang Shu clearly had no romantic interest whatsoever in Xu Tiaotiao or Zuo Mei. And since they weren’t even from the same social circles, they had no hope of connecting their families with the Jiangs.
So they merely sneered inwardly.
The staff replied: “They’re coming, they’re coming.”
Soon, the final member joined. Her profile picture showed a silver-haired grandmother wearing a qipao and sunglasses, holding flowers while posing beside an airplane.
The moment she entered, everyone in the group became alert.
Almost instantly, they clicked on her profile picture and Moments page to inspect them carefully.
That airplane… Is it the Jiang family’s private jet?
The Jiang family’s wealth truly lived up to its reputation.
Even from such a tiny photo, it looked like there was more than one private jet.
Her Moments couldn’t be viewed, however. Grandma Jiang had restricted access.
Grandma Jiang: “Hello everyone [cute].”
Before anyone could react, before they could carefully think of a respectful greeting, Old Chi, who had been silent this entire time, suddenly sent several 🌹 emojis.
And he didn’t stop after one line. He immediately followed up with another message.
Old Chi: “What a beautiful profile picture. The lady is beautiful, and the flowers are even more beautiful 🌹🌹🌹”
Grandma Jiang: “Thank you [shy][shy]”
Old Chi: “Let’s go have afternoon tea after everything ends tomorrow [shy][shy]”
Grandma Jiang: “We’ll see [cool][cool]”
Everyone else: “……”
What the h*ll?!
How had these two already started acting like future in-laws before even meeting?
And wasn’t Old Chi already seventy or eighty years old? Was it really appropriate for him to be flirting with Jiang Shu’s grandmother in the group chat?
What a shameless old man!
Could it be that he also knew how wealthy the Jiang family was and was trying to reserve Jiang Shu for Shen Fu in advance?
For a moment, the relatives of the female guests were at a complete loss for words.
Mother Gu quickly came to her senses and hurriedly tagged Grandma Jiang:
Mother Gu: Hello, I’m Gu Qingshuang’s aunt. @Grandma Jiang
Grandma Jiang: Hello [cute].
Mother Gu: Very pleased to meet you. Let’s chat when we meet tomorrow.
She even sent a matching [cute] emoji to cater to her tastes.
Grandma Jiang: OK [tongue out].
Mother Gu was delighted.
Looks like Jiang Shu may be abnormal, but at least his grandmother seems normal.
At that point, the conversation came to a temporary halt.
Nobody spoke again.
Everyone in the group had their own agenda and dared not act rashly for the time being.
Especially Chu Yi.
He was afraid that if he said the wrong thing again, Shen Fu’s grandfather would smack him with his cane.
It was difficult to express oneself properly through WeChat anyway.
They would talk face-to-face tomorrow.
…
The next day, the guests were divided into two groups, and their relatives were also divided into two groups.
The rule was cross-meetings.
The male guests would meet the female guests’ relatives, and vice versa.
Before the livestream started, the production team brought the female guests to the fourth floor for their meetings.
The male guests waited downstairs in the villa.
The moment the livestream went live, excited viewers rushed in and saw the male guests downstairs waiting for the female guests’ relatives to arrive.
[HAHAHA all the male guests got dressed up!]
After all, they were meeting elders.
It was basically the same as meeting a partner’s parents.
How could they not dress somewhat formally?
All of them were wearing suits.
Even Jiang Shu, who normally disliked suits, had put on a black dress shirt.
With his broad shoulders, long legs, gold sunglasses, and hair slicked back to reveal a smooth widow’s peak, he looked even more strikingly handsome.
[A feast for face-lovers. Honestly, these guys could be dragged straight into a dating sim game.]
[Really? I’m afraid if people only judged by looks, they’d buy only the Crown Prince’s character skins.]
[Jiang Shu fans, get lost. Do you have to bring that up every single day?]
The comments immediately started fighting again.
But soon the staff announced that the female guests’ relatives had arrived.
Everyone’s attention was instantly diverted.
[I checked the advance announcement on the show’s website. Since Gu Qingshuang is being represented by Gu Zhidao’s mother, that means only three female guests’ relatives are coming. Am I the only one dying to know what Shen Fu’s grandfather looks like?]
Zuo Mei’s aunt and Xu Tiaotiao’s uncle were both semi-public figures.
Even before appearing, everyone could roughly imagine their image.
Only Shen Fu’s grandfather was a complete mystery.
Nobody had ever heard of him.
Nobody had ever seen him.
Although it felt a little rude to think this way, even Shen Fu’s fans were worried. “Please, please don’t let him be one of those nightmare relatives.”
Shen Fu had worked so hard to get where she was today.
They really didn’t want some relative ruining things during the family-appearance segment.
As long as he wasn’t a terrible relative, it didn’t matter if he was a little awkward or uneducated.
The Zuo Mei fans, who had been quiet for a while, began stirring up trouble again.
Zuo Mei’s aunt had been a ballet dancer. Though retired now, when she stepped out of the car, her swan-like neck and elegant bearing immediately stood out.
Even Xu Tiaotiao’s uncle couldn’t help glancing at her several times.
Some Zuo Mei fans smugly commented: [Now THIS is what an artistic family looks like. Can some halfway-converted amateur compare?]
But times had changed. Shen Fu was no longer someone the comments section could casually bully.
Fans immediately fired back: [Seriously? Now you’re comparing relatives too?]
Although they said that confidently, they still felt somewhat nervous inside.
After all, nobody knew what Shen Fu’s grandfather would actually be like.
Just as those words were posted, the sound of an engine suddenly echoed from the slope at the far end of the villa.
A car was approaching.
At first, viewers only saw a gleaming black front grille.
No one reacted. Then the rest of the vehicle entered view. A sleek, luxurious body. It was a stretched Lincoln limousine.
Zuo Mei’s fans: “……”
The limousine slowly came to a stop at the rear. A driver wearing white gloves and a black suit stepped out and respectfully opened the door. “Sir, please.”
The first thing to appear was a polished black leather shoe.
So shiny it practically reflected light.
The suspense instantly hooked the audience.
Then the owner of the shoe stepped out.
An elderly man with silver hair.
He wore a formal tailcoat suit, black sunglasses, and a black overcoat draped over his shoulders.
In one hand, he held a dragon-headed cane. His posture was straight and imposing. His expression was stern. A silver silk scarf was tucked neatly into his collar.
If one ignored the wrinkles and marks of age on his face, it was easy to imagine how devastatingly handsome he must have been fifty years ago, enough to make people lose their minds.
[HOLY SH*T HOLY SH*T!]
The comments exploded.
[THAT’S SHEN FU’S GRANDPA??? AHHHH SHEN FU, IS IT TOO LATE FOR ME TO APPLY TO BE YOUR GRANDMA?!]
[This entrance is even flashier than Jiang Shu’s was!]
[What exactly is Shen Fu’s background? Her grandfather looks rich, but Shen Fu herself has been working desperately to earn medical expenses. Was everything we knew about her family wrong? Is there some hidden wealthy-family secret?]
In an instant, the entire comments section was filled with screams and curiosity.
Nobody even remembered to laugh at the Zuo Mei fans anymore.
The Zuo Mei fans could only sit there in awkward silence.
The male guests waiting on the villa lawn were equally stunned.
They had prepared themselves to welcome the elders.
But the moment Shen Fu’s grandfather arrived, his presence completely overwhelmed them. Now they weren’t even sure who the hosts were anymore.
Chu Wei had prepared an entire speech the night before. The second he saw the old man, he forgot all of it. Sweat broke out in his palms.
Taking advantage of a moment when the cameras weren’t focused on him, he secretly pulled a small cheat sheet from his pocket and glanced at it.
Jiang Shu stood at the very back with his arms crossed. After taking one look at the old man, three black lines practically appeared across his forehead.
I told him to come. I didn’t tell him to show up looking like a mafia boss.
Why is this old man so narcissistic?
Exactly who is the male guest here?
Me, his grandson?
Or him?
He was even copying Jiang Shu by wearing sunglasses.
What an old man with no sense of propriety.
The first to recover from the shock were Gu Zhidao and Wen Zhenghan. They squeezed past Xiang Lingyun, who was still adjusting his cuffs, and went forward to greet him.
“Grandpa Shen, I’ve heard so much about you,” Gu Zhidao said, extending his hand.
The old man nodded. “Just call me Old Chi.”
Gu Zhidao’s hand hung awkwardly in midair for a moment before he withdrew it and shoved it into his pocket.
Wen Zhenghan was much calmer in situations like this.
Standing at the front, he led the elders. “Everyone, the elevator is this way.”
He carefully observed Shen Fu’s grandfather and was just about to say something when Zuo Mei’s aunt pulled him aside to chat.
Meanwhile, by the time Chu Wei had finished memorizing his cheat sheet, the entire group had already walked past him.
Him: “……”
The comments section was dying of laughter.
[The exam is about to start and he’s still memorizing his crib notes.]
Soon, viewers noticed that Jiang Shu had been lazily trailing behind everyone the entire time, making no effort whatsoever.
They found it strange.
[The Crown Prince chased Shen Fu so aggressively before. Why doesn’t he seem excited at all after meeting her grandfather?]
Not only was he not excited, he looked more like he wanted to hit the old man with a cane.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the other male guests all introduced themselves to the old man. Even Chu Wei, who had lagged behind the most, squeezed his way forward and enthusiastically began explaining the layout of the villa.
When they reached the elevator, several of the male guests subconsciously glanced at Jiang Shu, who was still strolling along at the very back as if he were out for a leisurely walk.
This guy is usually the most possessive. Why isn’t he anxious at all today?
The elevator could technically fit everyone, but cramming in with all the female guests’ relatives would be impolite.
To show respect, Wen Zhenghan said:
“The family members should go first. I’ll accompany you upstairs. The rest of us can take the next trip.”
Chu Wei grumbled inwardly.
Why do YOU get to accompany them? Just because you’re older?
Normally he would have caused a scene.
But with Shen Fu’s grandfather present, he didn’t want to leave a bad impression.
Gu Zhidao and Xiang Lingyun were also somewhat unhappy with Wen Zhenghan making decisions on his own behalf, but neither of them said anything.
They maintained their composure and manners.
Just as Wen Zhenghan finished speaking, Grandpa Shen suddenly turned around and glared behind him. “Are you still not coming over?”
Who was he talking to?
Everyone instinctively looked back.
Jiang Shu walked over lazily with both hands in his pockets.
Then the old man said: “You all wait for the next elevator. This kid doesn’t seem very enthusiastic, so let him accompany us upstairs.”
Wen Zhenghan: “…?”
The other male guests: “…?”
So being attentive was the wrong move?
The comments section:
[… ?]
[What’s going on? Does Grandpa Shen only like people who aren’t trying too hard?]
Everyone was completely baffled.
***
Meanwhile, on the fourth floor, the female guests had already begun meeting the male guests’ relatives.
Mother Gu became visibly excited the moment she saw Jiang Shu’s grandmother. Ordinary people simply didn’t get opportunities to meet someone of her stature.
Not just her.
Even the executive and Chu Yi, who had been fighting in the group chat the night before, unconsciously behaved themselves in front of the old lady.
Grandma Jiang was just as elegant and dignified as she appeared in her profile picture. Her silver hair was perfectly arranged. She wore very few accessories, but every piece she wore was a luxury item. She still had her sunglasses on, making her appear much colder than she had in WeChat.
Why is she wearing sunglasses indoors?
Mother Gu and Chu Yi both found it strange.
When Shen Fu was brought out by the production team and saw Grandma Jiang, she froze for a moment.
During the period she had lived with the Jiang family, Grandma Jiang had been abroad.
She had never met her in person. But she had seen photographs.
The female guests sat down on the sofa and greeted the elders one by one.
When it was Shen Fu’s turn, she poured tea for each elder.
When she reached Grandma Jiang, she handed over the cup and, just like the others before her, said: “Hello, Mrs. Jiang.”
The old lady lowered her sunglasses slightly and looked at her.
Of everyone present, she was the only one whose tea Grandma Jiang accepted. “What Mrs. Jiang? Call me Grandma.”
Everyone else: “…?”
Because most viewers were focused on Shen Fu’s grandfather downstairs, there were fewer people watching this side of the stream.
But even these viewers were confused.
[AHHH what’s going on? Why is Jiang Shu’s grandmother treating Shen Fu so differently too?]
Before they could discuss it much further, Jiang Shu arrived upstairs with the old man and the others.
The two groups met face-to-face in the fourth-floor reception room.
The people sitting on the sofa stood up. “Have the female guests’ family members arrived?”
The viewers watched as Shen Fu’s grandfather removed his coat, handed it to a staff member, and walked straight toward Grandma Jiang.
The old man and old lady, both wearing sunglasses, met face-to-face.
[HAHAHAHA I’m dying. Shen Fu’s grandpa and Jiang Shu’s grandma look like they’re from the same family.]
[Add Jiang Shu and it’s complete.]
Just as the viewers were trying to guess what the two elders would say to each other,
Shen Fu’s grandfather suddenly shoved Jiang Shu forward.
At the same time, Grandma Jiang pushed Shen Fu forward from beside her.
The two of them: “……”
Shen Fu’s grandfather looked at the pair and pondered. “I think May Day would be a good date.”
Grandma Jiang stroked the jade bracelet on her wrist and shook her head. “That’s too rushed. I won’t have enough time to prepare.”
The old man said: “At the latest, National Day. No later than that.”
Otherwise his grandson would start threatening him again with not wanting to inherit the family business.
Grandma Jiang replied: “National Day is a bit too late. How do you even choose dates? If you can’t choose properly, let me do it.”
The old man looked unconvinced. “Then you choose.”
The comments section exploded.
[What are they talking about? I don’t understand a single thing. What date are they discussing?]
Even Shen Fu couldn’t help asking: “G-Grandpa… what date?”
She hadn’t called Old Master Jiang “Grandpa” in years, and saying it again felt strangely unfamiliar.
“Your wedding date, of course.”
The old man removed his sunglasses and looked at Shen Fu as if she had asked the most ridiculous question in the world.
His face clearly said: “Why on earth would you ask something so obvious?”
“Didn’t Jiang Shu tell you?”
Shen Fu: “?”
Bullet comments: 【?】
Wen Zhenghan, Xiang Lingyun, Chu Wei, and Gu Zhidao, who had just rushed over from the elevator: “?”
Jiang Shu’s handsome face was already so red it looked ready to drip blood. He couldn’t help turning around, presenting his back to the cameras, and slapped a hand over his face.
What?!
He did that on purpose, didn’t he?!
I asked you to help me out, not to launch a missile and blast things straight to the finish line!
Shen Fu doesn’t even like me yet!
