Cheng Xiyang was undeniably good-looking—otherwise, he wouldn’t have stood out among the sea of talent show contestants and risen to become the second most popular idol.
His peach-blossom eyes, always brimming with warmth, had earned him the playful fan nickname "Even looking at a dog with affection."
But at this moment, those very eyes were filled with unmistakable shock.
The audience: "..."
[Wow, Ning Shiyue’s sister is even more unbothered than him—straight-up said she doesn’t know Cheng Xiyang.]
[I declare this round goes to Ning Yuxuan. Cheng Xiyang didn’t even know how to respond.]
[Am I the only one who thinks Ning Yuxuan genuinely doesn’t recognize Cheng Xiyang? That confused look is too real—just like me when I can’t place a face.]
[But… he’s Ning Shiyue’s former teammate in Euphoria-A? And he’s super famous. How could Ning Yuxuan not know?]
Ning Yuxuan truly didn’t know.
She could admit the guy was handsome—delicate features, clear eyes, and flawless skin.
But with so many good-looking male celebrities in the industry, how was she supposed to recognize every single one?
Cheng Xiyang finally snapped out of his daze, his gaze now laced with curiosity. What was Ning Yuxuan playing at?
By claiming not to know him as Ning Shiyue’s sister, was she dismissing him outright? Or was this a subtle hint that Ning Shiyue had completely cut ties with Euphoria-A and wanted nothing to do with his idol past?
A whirlwind of thoughts raced through his mind before he schooled his expression and replied, "I’m Cheng Xiyang."
After a pause, he added, "Yuxuan, you really don’t know me?"
The question was part curiosity, part test—to gauge her stance.
Ning Yuxuan only grew more puzzled. Was she supposed to?
From the way Cheng Xiyang spoke, it seemed he knew Ning Shiyue. Maybe he was an actor who’d worked with her brother.
Perhaps she’d seen him in a drama but just couldn’t place him right now.
Thinking this, Ning Yuxuan asked earnestly, "Have you been in any popular TV shows recently? Which character did you play? Tell me, maybe it’ll jog my memory."
Cheng Xiyang’s smile faltered.
Ning Yuxuan’s question, seemingly casual, had struck a nerve.
Everyone in the industry knew that in the current entertainment landscape, the best career move for idols post-survival shows was transitioning into acting.
As Euphoria-A’s two most popular members, both he and Ning Shiyue had taken that path.
At first, they were neck and neck—Ning Shiyue broke out with a supporting role in a hit drama, and Cheng Xiyang’s lead drama followed soon after, gaining him a wave of new fans.
But then Ning Shiyue went on to star in several more successful dramas, cementing his place in the industry.
Meanwhile, every lead drama Cheng Xiyang released in the past year had flopped.
Thanks to his massive fanbase from his idol days, he was still considered a "top star," but if this streak continued, he’d eventually burn through his goodwill.
The entertainment world was full of such cautionary tales.
That was why Cheng Xiyang had joined this variety show—to stay relevant and bank on the buzz surrounding his history with Ning Shiyue to claw his way back to the top.
In those brief seconds, countless calculations flashed through his mind.
This woman in front of him seemed carefree, but she was sharper than she let on.
How else could she effortlessly pinpoint his weakest spot without even trying?
Cheng Xiyang met Ning Yuxuan’s gaze, his tone humble. "My recent projects… well, I wouldn’t call them hits. With so many talented actors here, I’d rather not embarrass myself."
Ning Yuxuan frowned.
If he wouldn’t even name his roles, how was she supposed to remember him?
Eager to steer the conversation away, Cheng Xiyang smiled and changed the subject. "Guess Shiyue doesn’t talk about me much at home. That’s fine—fresh impressions are good. So, Yuxuan, what’s your first impression of me?"
Ning Yuxuan gave him a strange look.
This Cheng Xiyang seemed oddly fixated on her. It was just a simple greeting segment, yet he kept pressing her for answers.
She was starting to get annoyed.
"Decent. Sixty out of a hundred," she answered dismissively.
Cheng Xiyang’s smile froze.
Most of his die-hard fans hadn’t flooded the livestream yet, leaving the chat to amused bystanders.
[LMAO this is the definition of asking for humiliation.]
[Hey, at least he passed!]
[Don’t take it personally, Cheng Xiyang—Ning Yuxuan roasts her own brother too. It’s not just you.]
Before Cheng Xiyang could react, his mother, Liu Yufang, stepped in, visibly displeased.
In Liu Yufang’s eyes, her son was perfect—how dare someone give him a barely passing grade?
"Xiyang, don’t listen to others," Liu Yufang declared, standing beside him. "In your mom’s eyes, you’ll always be a hundred!"
Cheng Xiyang nodded awkwardly. "Thanks, Mom."
The atmosphere grew painfully awkward, prompting the crew to quickly move to the next segment.
A staff member brought out a box.
"Inside are real comments from netizens about our guests—some positive, some negative," the staff explained. "Each of you will take turns drawing one to read aloud, then respond to it."
Reading audience comments wasn’t a new concept in variety shows, but since none of the guests had done it before, viewers were eager to see their reactions.
Qin Man went first, drawing a glowing compliment for Ning Fei.
"Teacher Ning Fei, you’re stunning! I’m your biggest fan—I’ve watched all your movies at least three times! When’s your next project? I’ll drag my whole family to the theater!"
Qin Man’s voice was crisp and expressive, delivering the lines with genuine warmth.
After reading, she nodded. "I’ve seen Teacher Ning’s films too. They’re truly outstanding."
[Ugh, the mutual respect between these two queens! Talented people always recognize each other.]
[Thank god for this show. I used to believe the gossip about Ning Fei and Qin Man not getting along.]
Ning Fei blushed slightly at the praise. "Thank you for your support—I’m truly honored. As for new projects… nothing’s confirmed yet, but I’ll share updates as soon as I can."
Since the details for The Misaddressed Letter weren’t finalized, she kept it vague.
But her words confirmed one thing: after a decade-long hiatus, she was ready to return to the screen.
[Wait, so Ning Fei really is coming back?!]
"Great! Is this the rumored movie collaboration with Teacher Qin? I’m so looking forward to it!"
Next, Jiang Ning'an drew a positive comment about herself, with a fan expressing their love for "The Legend of Picking Hearts."
The third person to draw a slip was Ning Fei.
After unfolding the note and reading the words on it, Ning Fei frowned slightly.
Seeing her expression, everyone guessed that it must be a negative comment.
"Poor Teacher Ning Fei. Out of everyone here, I can’t even imagine her reading a hate comment."
"Yeah, Teacher Ning Fei seems like such a gentle person—she never speaks ill of others."
Ning Fei glanced at Ning Yuxuan.
Realizing what was written, Ning Yuxuan understood the comment was directed at her.
"Mom," Ning Yuxuan said to Ning Fei, "let me read it for you."
Before Ning Fei could react, Ning Yuxuan took the slip from her hand.
After quickly scanning it, Ning Yuxuan read aloud calmly: "Out of all the guests, I dislike Ning Yuxuan the most. She always acts like she’s so impressive. Who does she think she is? Without her famous mother, she’d be nothing."
Once she finished reading, Ning Yuxuan first gave Ning Fei a reassuring look, seeing her mother’s worried expression.
Then she smiled and said, "To this netizen, my mom only has two children—me and Ning Shiyue. I’m Ning Shiyue’s older sister. So, who do you think I am?"
"Hahahaha, no flaws in that logic! Our Sister Xuan is the eldest!"
"Hahaha, I knew Ning Yuxuan wouldn’t take the conventional route. She completely sidestepped the netizen’s attempt to provoke her."
"And thank you for acknowledging my mom," Ning Yuxuan added. "She really is a great mother."
Ning Fei smiled and gently squeezed her daughter’s hand, relieved that the harsh comment hadn’t upset her.
When it was Ning Yuxuan’s turn to draw a slip, she paused after pulling one out, looking thoughtful.
For the previous participants, the audience could roughly guess the nature of their comments based on their expressions.
For example, Qin Man and Jiang Ning'an both smiled faintly after reading theirs—clearly positive remarks.
Meanwhile, Ning Fei had frowned immediately upon seeing the negative comment.
Only Ning Yuxuan’s expression was unreadable. She seemed neither pleased nor upset, merely deep in thought.
"What’s going on? Did Ning Yuxuan not understand what’s written on the slip?"
"Whether it’s praise or criticism, this isn’t the reaction I’d expect. So what exactly is written on it?"
"Read it already! Now I’m dying of curiosity!"
After a moment of contemplation, Ning Yuxuan finally looked up at Cheng Xiyang and said, "So you and Ning Shiyue were in the same group?"
Cheng Xiyang: "..."
The audience: "..."
"HAHAHAHA, thank you, Ning Yuxuan, for making me burst out laughing today!"
"Wait, does Ning Yuxuan seriously not know Cheng Xiyang? She didn’t even realize he was Ning Shiyue’s former teammate?"
"Her expression doesn’t seem fake—she genuinely just found out."
At this moment, Cheng Xiyang was utterly baffled.
If Ning Yuxuan was pretending, her acting was impeccable.
But she was Ning Shiyue’s biological sister—how could she not know who his teammates were?
Especially since he was the most famous one and Ning Shiyue’s biggest rival.
Cheng Xiyang even began doubting himself: Was he not as popular as he thought?
No, impossible. Ning Yuxuan must be playing dumb to mess with him.
She definitely knew about his competition with Ning Shiyue and was using this chance to undermine him.
"Yes," Cheng Xiyang replied. "Shiyue and I were both members of Euphoria-A. We were good friends."
Ning Yuxuan nodded and proceeded to read the comment on the slip: "Cheng Xiyang’s popularity in Euphoria was always lower than Ning Shiyue’s. Later, his drama performances couldn’t compare either. Now he’s shamelessly joining the same variety show as Ning Shiyue’s mother and sister. How thick-skinned can you get?"
Her tone was neutral, almost indifferent, as if she were merely stating facts rather than reading a harsh critique.
Cheng Xiyang felt a sting but forced a smile.
"It’s fine," he responded. "I know some people think I’m not as good as Ning Shiyue, but I’ll keep working hard. I believe effort never goes unrewarded. Don’t you agree, Yuxuan?"
Ning Yuxuan gave him a puzzled look.
The comment wasn’t written by her—why was he asking for her opinion?
Still, since they were filming, and Cheng Xiyang hadn’t outright offended her, she decided to humor him.
After a brief pause, she offered a lighthearted encouragement: "Alright, then keep at it. Try to catch up to Ning Shiyue someday."
Cheng Xiyang’s smile froze for the umpteenth time.
"HAHAHAHA, I can’t—Cheng Xiyang probably expected her to disagree, but Ning Yuxuan straight-up confirmed that he’s inferior to Ning Shiyue!"
"To be fair, she’s not wrong! Even if Ning Shiyue only won by 20,000 votes in the finals, a win is a win!"
"Plus, Ning Shiyue’s acting career has been way more successful than Cheng Xiyang’s this past year. I agree: Ning Shiyue > Cheng Xiyang."
The guests continued drawing slips. Since Cheng Xiyang’s mother was a non-celebrity, the show didn’t prepare comments for her. Everyone else had one positive and one negative remark.
In the second round, Qin Man drew a negative comment about Jiang Ning'an: "Jiang Ning'an falls short of her mother in every way—looks, acting skills, even her projects. Each generation gets worse."
Before Jiang Ning'an could respond, Qin Man spoke up first: "I don’t think my daughter is inferior to me at all. She’s an outstanding young actress."
Jiang Ning'an looked at her mother in surprise and gratitude.
This show had changed her mother so much. In the past, Qin Man would never have openly praised her like this.
Jiang Ning'an responded by vowing to work harder and one day reach her mother’s level.
When it was Jiang Ning'an’s turn to draw, she picked a fan’s loving message for Cheng Xiyang.
Later, Qin Man and Ning Fei each responded to their own negative comments.
Both had experienced ups and downs in the entertainment industry and handled criticism with grace, delivering poised replies.
The last person to draw was Cheng Xiyang. Following the pattern of one positive and one negative comment per person, the remaining slip in the box had to be a positive one for Ning Yuxuan.
Cheng Xiyang unfolded the note and read aloud: "I really like Ning Yuxuan and Ning Shiyue—they’re both so genuine. If they don’t like someone, they don’t pretend otherwise. Unlike some celebrities who act all fake, putting on a show of affection even when they clearly don’t get along..."
The further he read, the more Cheng Xiyang felt something was off.
As Cheng Xiyang and Ning Shiyue were the most popular members of their group, reporters often asked about their relationship during interviews.
Ning Shiyue always replied that he and Cheng Xiyang were merely colleagues and not particularly close.
Cheng Xiyang, on the other hand, handled it more diplomatically, saying everyone in the group got along well and that he and Ning Shiyue were good friends.
This comment seemed to praise Ning Yuxuan and Ning Shiyue, but it also felt like a subtle dig at Cheng Xiyang.
After finishing the note, Cheng Xiyang cleared his throat. "Actually, I think everyone has their own personality. Different ways of handling things can all be valid."
Ning Yuxuan gave him a strange look.
This comment wasn’t even directed at him—why was Cheng Xiyang responding to it?
From the start, she’d found Cheng Xiyang a bit odd.
But Ning Yuxuan didn’t dwell on it. Facing the camera, she replied breezily, "Thank you to this fan for the support. I don’t like fake people either."
[LOL why did Ning Yuxuan glance at Cheng Xiyang before responding? Was that shade?]
[We may never know if Ning Yuxuan was being unintentional or deliberately sarcastic.]
[The production team did this on purpose, right? Picking this comment for maximum drama.]
After everyone had responded to their comments, the show announced a special reward for the earlier guest-guessing segment: a lavish lunch prepared by the crew, sparing the guests from cooking.
Hearing the good news, both mother-daughter pairs sighed in relief.
Jiang Ning'an and Ning Yuxuan exchanged a look. "Thank goodness. We don’t have to cook this time."
Ning Yuxuan nodded emphatically. "If we had to cook again, I can’t guarantee the food would be edible."
After lunch, the afternoon segment involved outdoor filming—a rare change of scenery.
The guests were tasked with collecting wishes and blessings from the audience at different locations.
Each person was given a stack of colorful cards and markers to record the messages.
Once the rules were explained, the three groups set off—one to a shopping mall, another to a park, and the last to a university campus.
Everyone assumed the task was simply about gathering messages, but after they left, the crew revealed the real purpose: secretly collecting birthday wishes for Qin Man.
Today was Qin Man’s birthday, and the show wanted to surprise her.
Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei were assigned to a nearby park.
Given Qin Man and Ning Fei’s widespread fame, the older park-goers might not recognize Ning Shiyue or Cheng Xiyang, but they immediately recognized Ning Fei as the movie star.
With Ning Fei there, the two had no trouble finding people willing to write messages. Soon, they were down to their last few cards.
Then, a teenage girl approached them hesitantly.
After writing her message, the girl gathered her courage. "Um… Ms. Ning, Ning-jie, could I ask for a small favor?"
Ning Fei smiled warmly. "Of course, go ahead."
The girl’s eyes lit up. "I’m actually a huge fan of Ning Shiyue. Ms. Ning, could you pass along a message to him for me?"
Ning Fei nodded. "I’d be happy to."
Overjoyed, the girl launched into an excited monologue.
She’d been a fan of Ning Shiyue since middle school, rallying friends to vote for him during his idol competition days. She saw him as both an idol and a role model.
Despite her young age, she could recite every single one of Ning Shiyue’s works—a true longtime fan.
But as a high school student with strict parents, she’d never had the chance to see him in person.
Ning Fei was deeply moved and promised to relay her words.
Ning Yuxuan listened intently too. When the girl finished, she remarked sincerely, "I think you know Ning Shiyue better than I do."
The girl froze, cheeks turning pink. "Th-thank you! I’m sure that’s not true, but I really, really adore him!"
[LOL this fan is adorable. No need to be shy—Ning Yuxuan probably meant it.]
[This fan doesn’t realize she can list every song Ning Shiyue’s released, while Ning Yuxuan can’t even remember his bandmates’ names.]
Ning Yuxuan tilted her head. "Do you want to talk to Ning Shiyue?"
The girl gaped. "R-really? I can?"
Ning Yuxuan shrugged. "I can try calling him."
She wasn’t a fangirl herself, but she understood what it meant to pour your heart into admiring someone.
This girl had memorized every detail of Ning Shiyue’s career and drew strength from him. Ning Yuxuan wanted to make her dream come true.
Ning Shiyue had flown in that morning and was resting at the hotel.
Ning Yuxuan dialed his number, and he picked up almost immediately.
"Hello?"
Ning Yuxuan explained, "Mom and I are filming, and we ran into a huge fan of yours. She’s still in high school and hasn’t had the chance to meet you. Would you mind saying a few words to encourage her?"
Ning Shiyue replied simply, "Sure."
On-screen, Ning Shiyue was known for being taciturn, but off-camera, he was always kind to fans.
Whether at airports or events, he’d greet them warmly and usually agreed to photos or autographs.
This mutual respect was why he’d amassed such a loyal fanbase, keeping his popularity sky-high for years.
When the girl took the phone, her hands were shaking.
A smooth, youthful voice came through the speaker. "Hi, this is Ning Shiyue."
The girl stammered, "H-hi! You can call me Xiaoxue."
"Hello, Xiaoxue. Thank you for supporting me. I hear you’re still in school?"
Xiaoxue nodded vigorously. "Yes! I’m in high school—starting my senior year soon! Once I graduate next year, I’ll find a way to see you at an event!"
Ning Shiyue's voice sounded much gentler than usual: "Alright. Then you must study hard and do your best for the college entrance exams! Once you get into your dream university, you’ll be able to meet me."
The girl clutched her phone tightly. "I definitely will!"
When she handed the phone back to Ning Yuxuan, her hands were still trembling slightly with excitement.
When she first saw Ning Fei and Ning Yuxuan, she had only dared to hope—just a little—that she might express her admiration for her idol. Never had she imagined she’d actually get to speak with Ning Shiyue.
After the girl left, Ning Yuxuan turned off the speakerphone.
She said goodbye to Ning Shiyue: "Then you should rest. Mom and I will get back to filming the show."
Ning Shiyue stopped her. "Wait!"
Over the phone, Ning Shiyue cleared his throat. "I caught a bit of your live broadcast this morning."
Ning Yuxuan raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"You did great! When dealing with that kind of jerk, you shouldn’t be too nice to him!"
Ning Yuxuan sounded puzzled. "Which jerk?"
