Ning Shiyue stared at the message Xie Zhiyan had sent back, his pupils trembling in shock.
Was this really the same Zhiyan-ge he knew?
Ning Shiyue could hardly believe Xie Zhiyan had been possessed by some lovesick fool—how else could he, in a fandom-filled, pink-bubble-inducing shipping video, focus solely on Ning Yuxuan’s line: "I have a boyfriend"?
Was that a normal person’s takeaway?
After some thought, Ning Shiyue decided that as Ning Yuxuan’s younger brother and Xie Zhiyan’s friend, he ought to contribute at least a little to stabilizing their relationship.
He typed back word by word:
[Zhiyan-ge, my sister is filming on location right now, so her phone should be on her. If you need, you can message her now.]
Xie Zhiyan: [No need.]
Looking at those two words, Ning Shiyue’s mind involuntarily supplied another two: Serves you right.
He locked his phone and tossed it onto the nearby table.
Fine. Next time something like this happened, he wouldn’t bother giving Xie Zhiyan a heads-up!
---
In the arcade, Jiang Ning’an had just finished her round of the game.
Ning Yuxuan high-fived her to make up for the one they’d missed earlier, then suggested, "I just noticed this machine has a co-op mode. Wanna try?"
Jiang Ning’an, still riding the high of the game, agreed immediately. "Sure!"
Then she suddenly remembered something and turned to Duan Ziyao. "Ziyao, do you want to give it a try instead? You could play with Yuxuan."
Jiang Ning’an had a habit of looking out for younger actors on set, and that carried over to the show, where she often extended small gestures of care toward Duan Ziyao.
At her words, Duan Ziyao glanced at Ning Yuxuan, then quickly averted his gaze. "Actually, I’m feeling a bit thirsty. You two go ahead—I’ll grab some water and catch up with you later."
With that, he hurried off as if afraid Jiang Ning’an might stop him.
Jiang Ning’an watched the young man’s retreating figure in confusion before shrugging at Ning Yuxuan. "Guess it’s just us, then. Let’s start a co-op round."
[Huh? Why’d Ziyao bolt? I thought he’d jump at the chance to join the game.]
[Could he be shy? Didn’t dare play co-op with Ning Yuxuan, so he made an excuse to leave.]
[Honestly, this makes it even cuter! Too forward would’ve been cringey—this level of bashfulness is just right!]
Ning Yuxuan and Jiang Ning’an started another co-op round, their seamless teamwork earning waves of admiration from the live-stream audience.
By the time the game ended, Duan Ziyao had returned with drinks in hand.
Jiang Ning’an took back the half-finished juice she’d asked him to hold earlier. "Thanks."
Duan Ziyao was carrying an unopened bottle of mineral water, an iced tea, and a sports drink.
"I got a few extras," he said softly, eyes lowered in a picture of docility. "You two pick first—I’ll take whatever’s left."
Jiang Ning’an shook her half-empty juice bottle. "I’ll stick with this for now—still got some left."
Duan Ziyao gave a small nod, then silently turned his gaze to Ning Yuxuan.
He didn’t say a word.
But Ning Yuxuan understood. She reached out. "I’ll take the iced tea, then. Thanks."
[Ziyao’s eyes just now were like a puppy’s—so adorable!]
[Where do you find such a thoughtful younger guy? I want one too!]
[Hey, since Ning Yuxuan already has a boyfriend, maybe you should shoot your shot, haha!]
[Back off—I called dibs first!]
Duan Ziyao carefully passed the iced tea to Ning Yuxuan by the bottle, making sure their hands didn’t touch.
Ning Yuxuan took a sip just as the moms found them.
"There you three are!" Su Yun was the first to approach. "We were over at the coin-pusher earlier—that thing is infuriating! No matter how much we tried, the coins just wouldn’t drop."
Ning Fei walked up to her daughter. "What were you and Ning’an playing? Did you have fun?"
Ning Yuxuan answered, "A rhythm game. Mom, do you want to try?"
Ning Fei instinctively waved her off. "Oh, no, that’s for you young people. I’ve never played before—I’d be terrible at it."
Ning Yuxuan insisted. "It’s not hard at all—even simpler than the one we played at the villa. Plus, it’s got music. I can pick a song you know."
Ning Fei seemed tempted but still hesitant. "Really?"
Ning Yuxuan didn’t give her a chance to refuse, gently steering her toward the machine. "Really! Come on, I’ll guide you. It’s super easy!"
With some coaxing, Ning Fei found herself standing in front of the rhythm game’s screen.
Ning Yuxuan inserted a token and pulled up the tutorial.
"See, Mom?" she said patiently. "This is the tutorial—no rush, just follow along."
Ning Fei, unfamiliar with such games, tentatively placed her fingers on the screen. "Like this, Yuxuan?"
Ning Yuxuan nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, exactly! You’re a natural! Keep going!"
Encouraged, Ning Fei gained a bit of confidence and continued tapping along with the on-screen prompts.
Ning Yuxuan cheered her on like a hype squad. "Yes! That’s it! You’ve got this!"
[Hahaha, Ning Yuxuan’s such a cheerleader!]
[This reminds me of this morning when Ning Fei was teaching her to kick the shuttlecock—now the roles are reversed.]
[Ning Yuxuan’s amazing. If it were me and my mom, I’d have given up after the first "no."]
[Ning Fei’s also great for being open to new things and not dampening her daughter’s excitement. Relationships go both ways.]
By the end of the tutorial, Ning Fei’s movements had grown much smoother.
When the song selection screen appeared, Ning Yuxuan picked an old favorite. "How about My Heart Belongs to You? You always used to sing this at karaoke."
Ning Fei smiled. "Sure, I’ll trust your pick."
As the countdown ended, colorful notes began scrolling across the screen.
The actual game was faster than the tutorial—mistakes no longer paused the music, and Ning Fei fumbled at first.
"Yuxuan, it’s so sudden—how about you take over—"
"Don’t worry, Mom," Ning Yuxuan soothed. "Just follow the rhythm. It’s okay if you miss a few."
Gradually, Ning Fei found her footing, her taps syncing with the melody.
The ballad’s slow tempo and easy difficulty helped, and by the second half, she’d racked up a combo in the dozens.
When the song ended, Ning Fei earned an "A" rating.
Ning Yuxuan whooped. "Mom, you’re incredible!"
Before Ning Fei could react, her daughter had pulled her into a tight hug.
Although it wasn’t the first time her daughter had caught her off guard with a surprise hug, this was the first time it happened during a live broadcast, with so many people watching.
Ning Fei felt a little embarrassed. "Ah, Yuxuan… everyone’s watching."
Ning Yuxuan stubbornly nuzzled against her mother’s shoulder before finally letting go. "Hehe, Mom, you’re amazing! You picked it up so fast!"
Beside them, Qin Man watched the scene with an unusually tender expression, her eyes brimming with warmth and even a hint of envy.
Since the show began airing, Qin Man’s relationship with her daughter had improved significantly. Both had started opening up and expressing their emotions more freely.
But to reach the level of closeness Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei shared? Qin Man knew she wasn’t there yet.
Of course, she also understood that everyone’s personality was different, and so were their ways of bonding.
Now that she could often have heart-to-heart talks with her daughter, and her daughter would share her work and life struggles with her, Qin Man was already content.
Su Yun, watching this, gave her son’s back a hearty pat. "Son, look at how affectionate Yuxuan is with her mom! When are you going to learn from her? I’d be over the moon!"
Duan Ziyao remained silent.
[LOL Auntie Su, your expectations might be a bit too high—your son and Ning Yuxuan aren’t exactly the same personality!]
[Auntie, you should compare Duan Ziyao to Ning Shiyue instead—that might make you feel better. Ning Shiyue probably wouldn’t hug his mom either.]
[But I get where Auntie Su is coming from. I’m so envious of Ning Yuxuan and Teacher Ning’s bond too!]
Ning Yuxuan then pulled Ning Fei into a second round of the rhythm game.
This time, she picked another simple-level song for her mother—an old tune Ning Fei had heard before.
With the experience from the first round, Ning Fei kept up with the rhythm from the start, missing only a few notes, and ultimately scored an "S" rating.
Ning Yuxuan didn’t hug her this time but gave her an enthusiastic high-five instead.
[Teacher Ning is so good! Talented people really excel at everything!]
[And she’s never even played this kind of game before! That score is seriously impressive!]
Following Ning Fei’s example, Qin Man and Su Yun also tried their hands at the rhythm game.
The machine offered a wide selection of songs, with many easy-level tracks being old, slow-tempo hits from over a decade ago—perfect for beginners.
Jiang Ning'an and Duan Ziyao stepped in as coaches, helping the two mothers get familiar with the gameplay.
By the second round, Qin Man scored an "S," and Su Yun got an "A."
After they’d had their fill of the rhythm game, the group wandered around the arcade to explore other attractions.
When dinnertime rolled around, the production team announced they’d all be heading to a restaurant for a meal.
Everyone’s excitement was palpable.
On this show, the guests usually had to cook for themselves, so finally getting to enjoy a proper meal out was a rare treat.
The guests boarded the production team’s van and arrived at a nearby restaurant.
Once seated, however, no server appeared, and no menus were brought out for them to order.
Exchanging glances, they quickly sensed something was off.
Sure enough, a staff member stepped forward to announce the rules—
The guests would have to answer questions prepared by the production team. For every correct answer, they’d earn the right to order one dish.
Each person had two chances, meaning the group could order up to twelve dishes—or, in the worst-case scenario, end up with nothing.
After the rules were laid out, Su Yun was the first to voice her opinion. "What kind of variety show is this, making us take a test before we can even eat? I haven’t taken an exam in over twenty years! If you start quizzing me on physics or chemistry, I might starve!"
The staff member chuckled. "Don’t worry, Auntie Su. The questions we’ll ask you are all about your son."
Su Yun’s eyes lit up. "You should’ve said so earlier! I know my son inside out—height, weight, age, ask me anything!"
The production team smiled without responding.
When asked which group wanted to answer first, Su Yun confidently raised her hand. "I’ll go."
The first question: What is the name of Duan Ziyao’s esports team?
Su Yun answered immediately, "Oh, I know this one! It’s a foreign name, three letters, but I can’t pronounce it. What do I do?"
The staff member replied, "Pronunciation doesn’t matter, but you’ll need to say the exact three letters."
Frowning in thought, Su Yun muttered, "It’s… O something, right?"
[LOL this question is seriously putting Auntie through the wringer. At least she only needs the abbreviation, not the full name.]
[Even the abbreviation is tough. To us outsiders, all those team names sound the same.]
Su Yun pondered for a long while, even shooting Duan Ziyao a look, silently begging for a hint.
But the staff member caught on and intervened. "No hints allowed—not from Duan Ziyao or anyone else!"
With no help coming, Su Yun mumbled under her breath, "O something G, maybe? OAG? Or OIG?"
The staff member shook his head. "Nope. Try again, Auntie."
As Su Yun struggled, Ning Yuxuan suddenly spoke up. "There’s no time limit or guess limit for answering, right?"
The staff member paused—the rules hadn’t specified that.
Reading his hesitation, Ning Yuxuan smiled. "So there aren’t any. Auntie Su, take your time. It’s fine if you get it wrong."
The staff member sensed something off about Ning Yuxuan’s words, but since it wasn’t an outright hint—just encouragement—he let it slide.
Su Yun glanced at Ning Yuxuan, and two seconds later, it clicked. "Oh! Yuxuan, you just gave me an idea! There are only so many letters—I can just guess them one by one!"
She began reciting the alphabet under her breath. "A, B, C, D… OAG isn’t it, so OBG?"
The staff member: "…"
Su Yun: "OCG?"
The staff member’s lip twitched. "…Congratulations, Auntie. You got it."
[HAHAHAHA I’m dying! The staff member’s facial expression is killing me!]
[Who knew Auntie Su would brute-force her way to the right answer? Ning Yuxuan, you genius!]
[Give Auntie Su credit too! At least she remembered the first and last letters, or she’d still be guessing!]
The second question for Su Yun: What is Duan Ziyao’s specific role in his team?
This time, Su Yun was completely stumped. Remembering the name of her son’s game and team was already a stretch.
Su Yun had no idea how that game was played, let alone understanding those specialized terms.
The audience was also rallying behind Su Yun, feeling she’d been treated unfairly.
[This question is way too hard for Auntie Su! At least give her multiple-choice options!]
[Exactly! Give her ABCD, so she at least has a 25% chance of guessing right!]
In the end, Su Yun answered one question correctly and earned the chance to order a dish.
The production team explained that everyone could order one by one or wait until all participants had finished answering questions before placing their orders together.
After some discussion, they decided to order collectively at the end, so they could decide what to get based on how many questions they’d answered correctly.
Su Yun and Duan Ziyao were in the same group, and Duan Ziyao was the second to answer questions.
Before Duan Ziyao officially began, a staff member stepped in to fix a rule: "Each question only allows one attempt. Once you confirm your answer, you can’t change it."
The production team asked Su Yun about her favorite color and her shoe size.
These were questions the team had asked Su Yun before filming, with her own answers serving as the correct ones.
At the time, Su Yun had assumed it was just routine interview material and now deeply regretted not leaking the questions to her son beforehand.
However, after a brief moment of thought, Duan Ziyao answered both correctly: Su Yun liked red, and her shoe size was 37.
Su Yun was visibly pleased. "That’s my boy. By the way, what’s your position in that O-something-G team of yours? Let me jot it down."
Duan Ziyao: "...Mid lane."
Su Yun: "Mid what?"
...
The second group to answer questions was Jiang Ning'an and Qin Man.
The production team asked Jiang Ning'an two questions: the name of the third character Qin Man had played in her acting career and the tenth character’s name.
For Qin Man, the questions were to name five male actors Jiang Ning'an had collaborated with and the premiere date of Jiang Ning'an’s first TV drama.
These were fairly challenging, but both answered correctly—four out of four.
When Jiang Ning'an heard her mother answer the second question without hesitation, her eyes grew slightly misty.
Back when her first drama aired, Jiang Ning'an hadn’t dared to ask Qin Man to watch it, afraid her mother’s high standards would make her critical of her inexperienced acting.
She never expected her mother to remember the premiere date so clearly, able to recall it effortlessly even after all these years.
[I knew this pair would ace it! Teacher Qin might not show her affection overtly, but she cares just as much as any mother!]
[Jiang Ning'an’s eyes are red—she’s touched, isn’t she?]
[I only started following Jiang Ning'an because of this show. I used to think she was just a cold, uninteresting beauty, but she’s actually so adorable off-screen!]
The final group to answer questions was Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei.
To prevent extreme scenarios where everyone either answered all questions correctly or failed entirely—leaving them with no food—the production team had prepared a larger question bank beyond the initial twelve.
This allowed them to adjust the difficulty based on the participants’ performance so far.
At this point, the previous four had already answered seven questions correctly.
The staff member glanced at the question bank and selected the hardest one for Ning Fei: "What was Ning Yuxuan’s math score in the college entrance exam?"
[That’s brutal! Honestly, I don’t even remember my own score.]
[And they’re asking for a single subject, not the total—way harder.]
Before Ning Fei answered, the staff first asked Ning Yuxuan, "Yuxuan, do you remember your own math score?"
Ning Yuxuan shook her head. "I just remember doing pretty well. But how did you even get my scores?"
The staff member smiled mysteriously. "We consulted a reliable source."
The live chat immediately caught on.
[Oh, no need to guess—Ning Shiyue, obviously!]
[So did little brother dig up his sister’s report card, or has he remembered her scores perfectly all these years?]
"So, Teacher Ning," the staff asked, "do you remember your daughter’s math score from the college entrance exam that year?"
Ning Fei nodded with a gentle smile. "Yes, Yuxuan’s math score was her best performance across all her exams that year—she got 136."
The staff member sounded surprised. "Congratulations, Teacher Ning, that’s correct!"
[Wow! No wonder she got into A University—that’s an amazing score!]
[My takeaway is that it’s been six or seven years, and Teacher Ning still remembers her daughter’s math score and how well she did!]
The staff continued, "Second question: What color were the shoes Ning Yuxuan wore the first time she came to this villa for filming?"
Ning Fei answered without hesitation, "A pair of blue-and-white sneakers."
[...Is Teacher Ning an actress or a detective?]
[The production team threw out such a hard question, and Teacher Ning answered it effortlessly.]
Even the staff was impressed. "How did you remember that so clearly, Teacher Ning?"
Ning Fei chuckled. "Before we left that day, I told Yuxuan to wear heels, but she refused, saying she’d be filming all day and it’d be uncomfortable. I had to let her have her way."
Truthfully, she hadn’t made a conscious effort to remember these details. But ever since her daughter had suddenly started opening up to her, every little moment between them seemed to imprint itself in her memory.
Perhaps subconsciously, Ning Fei treasured every second she could spend with her daughter.
Finally, the staff asked Ning Yuxuan two questions about characters Ning Fei had played, and Ning Yuxuan answered both correctly.
Lately, Ning Yuxuan hadn’t just binge-watched Ning Shiyue’s works—she’d also revisited Ning Fei’s films in her free time. The two movies the staff referenced happened to be ones she’d watched recently.
After everyone finished answering, the results showed they’d earned the right to order eleven dishes.
With plenty of options, they discussed and settled on the restaurant’s signature dishes—a mix of meat, vegetables, soup, and drinks.
Once they’d eaten their fill, the group returned to the villa by car, ending the day’s live broadcast.
After a long day of outdoor filming, Qin Man and Ning Fei went to shower first.
Ning Yuxuan sat on the first-floor couch watching TV when Jiang Ning'an approached.
"Yuxuan!" Jiang Ning'an patted her shoulder from behind the couch. "Look what I got!"
Ning Yuxuan glanced over and raised an eyebrow. "Didn’t the production team confiscate our phones?"
Jiang Ning'an grinned mischievously. "They did, but I told the staff how boring our evenings in the villa are, with only a handful of old movies to watch on TV. They took pity and agreed to let us use our phones for a bit before bed."
Previously, the production team strictly prohibited the guests from using their phones in the villa, mainly to prevent external controversies from affecting the participants' moods and disrupting the show's recording.
For instance, incidents involving Cen Meng and Cheng Xiyang had sparked heated debates while the show was still airing, with live chats and Weibo turning into battlegrounds.
This season, however, had been surprisingly calm. The only brief buzz was around the pairing of Ning Yuxuan and Duan Ziyao, which didn’t cause much of a stir.
As a result, the production team saw no need to enforce strict restrictions.
"Do you know how to play Glory of Kings?" Jiang Ning'an asked. "I play it often with friends. If you do, we could team up."
Ning Yuxuan answered honestly, "I used to play, but it’s been months since I last touched it. I’m probably rusty now."
She had initially picked up the game because Ning Shiyue dragged her into it. Later, after a falling-out with him, she’d stopped playing altogether.
Jiang Ning'an waved it off. "No worries, it’s just for fun anyway!"
Ning Yuxuan nodded. "Alright then."
Jiang Ning'an grinned, her eyes crinkling. "Great! Wait for me—I’ll go grab Duan Ziyao too! I already asked him, and he said he’s free right now."
Duan Ziyao was a professional gamer, though his expertise lay in a PC game with similar mechanics to this mobile version.
Jiang Ning'an loved gaming but had never experienced playing alongside a pro before, so she’d specifically pleaded with the staff and invited Duan Ziyao to join.
While Jiang Ning'an went upstairs to fetch Duan Ziyao, Ning Yuxuan checked her WeChat. Nothing urgent.
Everyone knew she was filming a live show these days, so unless it was important, they’d avoid contacting her.
Once Duan Ziyao came downstairs, the three quickly agreed and started a match.
Ning Yuxuan, having been away from the game for so long, treated the first round as a warm-up to get reacquainted with the controls.
After finishing the game, she stretched and turned off her phone’s focus mode, only to find a barrage of messages from Ning Shiyue.
Ning Shiyue: [Ning Yuxuan, what are you doing? I saw you log into the game—and you’re in a team with someone?]
Ning Shiyue: [Isn’t phone use banned during filming? What’s going on? Did you sneak out just to play games with people?]
Ning Shiyue: [Who are you playing with anyway? Don’t tell me it’s that so-called prodigy pro gamer who’s not even twenty???]
The last message was punctuated with three question marks, emphasizing the sender’s agitated state.
