Chapter 34

The air inside the car was incredibly awkward. The mask of perfection Cheng Xiyang wore finally cracked, and the smile on his face stiffened.

The gossip-loving viewers in the livestream immediately erupted in laughter.

【Hahahaha, well that’s that. He went from a passing grade to a complete failure.】
【Hahaha, what is Cheng Xiyang actually thinking? Why does he keep pestering Ning Yuxuan to grade him? Is he a glutton for punishment?】
【Cheng Xiyang: The heart that was hanging in suspense has finally died.】

Cheng Xiyang’s fans, however, were furious.

【Who does Ning Yuxuan think she is? What right does she have to grade others?】
【Can I give Ning Yuxuan a zero? Or better yet, a negative score?】
【I only came to watch this show for Cheng Xiyang, and it’s been such a disappointment. The resident guest is leading a bullying campaign against the newcomer.】
【What a disgusting show. If it wasn't for Cheng Xiyang, I would have turned it off already.】

Viewers who enjoyed the show didn't take the fans' abuse sitting down and fired back.

【Get your facts straight. Your idol is the one who kept pushing for Ning Yuxuan to grade him. If he hadn't insisted, would he have gotten a fifty-nine?】
【If some people are so unhappy, don't watch the show!】
【If you like it, watch it; if not, get lost!】

Inside the car, Liu Yufang finally lost her patience. Before coming on the show, her son had instructed her to speak less, work more, and be friendly to others to leave a good impression. But there is a limit to human endurance. Seeing the son she had raised like a treasure being given a fifty-nine to his face, Liu Yufang could no longer hold back.

"Listen here, young lady," Liu Yufang glared at Ning Yuxuan, "Our Xiyang was kind enough to talk to you. What kind of attitude is that? How dare you give my son such a score?"

Ning Fei’s brows furrowed upon hearing someone speak to her daughter that way. But before she could speak, Ning Yuxuan had already reached out to comfortingly squeeze her mother’s hand. Ning Yuxuan knew that arguing was not her mother's strength; in all the years she had known her, she had rarely seen her mother get into a verbal altercation. With Ning Fei’s temperament, if she were wronged, she would usually choose to walk away rather than argue. That was how she had been back at the Lin family house—only when her daughter was harmed would she stand her ground.

In Ning Yuxuan’s memory, the few times her mother had argued fiercely were all to defend her daughter against the relatives of the Lin family. But things were different now; she was no longer the little girl who had to hide behind her mother’s back.

"Ma'am," Ning Yuxuan looked at Liu Yufang, her tone calm, "I don’t understand what you mean. Wasn't it your son who asked me to grade him? It was his request, and I simply obliged. Or are you suggesting that you also think there is something wrong with your son's behavior?"

Liu Yufang was momentarily stumped. "You—"

Ning Yuxuan remained poised. "What about me?"

Behind Liu Yufang, Cheng Xiyang grabbed his mother’s shoulder. "Mom, please calm down..."

Cheng Xiyang knew he was in the wrong, and he also knew that while his mother looked like she was good at arguing, she actually lacked logical reasoning. Ordinarily, she might be able to overwhelm people with sheer force, but this was a live broadcast; being aggressive and unreasonable would only make the audience despise them. If his mother were just an ordinary person, it might be one thing, but he was the one who would ultimately suffer the consequences.

But Liu Yufang was already beyond the point of reason. She shoved her son’s hand away, her brows arched. "I’m not going to argue about that! I can’t win against your twisted logic, but I do know that for a young girl, you are incredibly rude to your elders. You have absolutely no upbringing!"

Ning Yuxuan curled the corner of her lips. *Fine, you want to play that game?*

Ning Yuxuan stared at Liu Yufang and spoke in a measured tone. "Ma'am, I don’t understand your point. What does me being a 'young girl' have to do with this? Are you suggesting that men are allowed to be rude to their elders, or that men are allowed to have no manners?"

Liu Yufang: "You!"

Ning Yuxuan glanced at Cheng Xiyang. "Oh, I forgot. You treasure your son so much, no wonder you would say something like that."

Hearing this, Cheng Xiyang’s expression shifted. Having been in the entertainment industry for so long, he was more sensitive to various topics than the average person, and he immediately grasped the subtext of Ning Yuxuan’s words. He hurriedly tugged at his mother’s arm, hoping to calm her down. "Mom, please, stop talking..."

If his mother said something inappropriate in her excitement, the netizens would certainly blow it out of proportion. However, Liu Yufang was already consumed by anger; she was trembling with rage, wanting nothing more than to teach this ill-mannered girl a lesson.

Liu Yufang raged, "So what if I treasure my son? I risked my life to give birth to him, and he is so outstanding—he is already far better than a girl like you! Girls should be more virtuous, more polite, and know what—"

"Mom!" Cheng Xiyang erupted, shouting to stop her. "I told you to be quiet!"

If he let his mother continue with such remarks, his image in the entertainment industry would be completely destroyed.

Liu Yufang: "..."

Hearing her son’s angry rebuke, Liu Yufang finally went silent. Noticing the cameras surrounding them, she felt a delayed sense of regret. However, she still didn't realize how controversial her comments were; she only regretted losing her composure in front of the entire country, acting like a shrew.

As the argument faded, the gossip-seekers in the livestream were actually a bit disappointed. Although the show had been full of drama since Cen Meng was there, everyone had previously maintained a facade of civility; this was the first time someone had argued so fiercely on a live broadcast.

【Huh? It’s over already? I haven't seen enough yet.】
【Boring. I wanted to see Ning Yuxuan continue to roast that lady.】

There were also those analyzing the argument, with most siding with Ning Yuxuan.

【Cheng Xiyang’s mom is so annoying. People are trying to reason with her, but she just ignores the point and rambles on.】
【Ning Yuxuan is right. I hate people who think they can use their age to bully others!】

Cheng Xiyang’s fans retaliated:

【The lady is old, the older generation has different ideas, don't be so harsh!】
【Ning Yuxuan is just being disrespectful to an elder. Even if the lady is wrong, she shouldn't be so rude!】
【What’s there to praise about Ning Yuxuan arguing with an elder? Don't be ridiculous.】

...

Although Cheng Xiyang couldn't see the comments, cold sweat was already trickling down his temple. Fortunately, his mother had finally stopped, and the situation remained somewhat under control. Cheng Xiyang quickly changed the subject, praying that the audience wouldn't dwell on his mother’s recent outburst. "Alright, alright, today is a special day for Teacher Qin’s birthday. Regardless of any misunderstandings, for the sake of Teacher Qin, we should all shake hands and make peace."

As he finished speaking, the car slowly came to a stop. The group exited and returned to the villa. Qin Man and Jiang Ning'an arrived at the recording site five minutes later. The group gathered in the living room on the first floor, where the staff announced that the next segment would be the presentation of birthday wishes.

The production team first asked Qin Man and Jiang Ning'an to take out the cards they had collected and choose a few to read aloud. Qin Man was unaware of the surprise, so she picked up the top pink card and began to read: "Dear production team, I am a long-time viewer who has followed the show since the first season. Thank you, 'Dear Mom,' for letting me feel the beauty of family and for helping me and my mother understand each other better."

Following that, Jiang Ning'an read two more wishes. The production team had prepared a large felt board, and the two pinned the messages to it.

Then it was the turn of Ning Fei and Ning Yuxuan’s group. Ning Fei opened a card, but paused just as she was about to read.

"Teacher Qin Man," Ning Fei smiled, "My throat is a bit uncomfortable today. Since your diction is excellent, could you help me read this?"

Qin Man looked at Ning Fei with some surprise. Logically, even if Ning Fei’s throat was uncomfortable, Ning Yuxuan should have stepped in. However, reading was not a difficult task, and since Ning Fei had asked, Qin Man nodded. "Of course."

She took the card from Ning Fei’s hand: "Dear Teacher Qin Man..."

After reading the first few words, Qin Man sensed something was off. She quickly scanned the rest of the text and realized that the card contained messages from fans addressed to her. She vaguely sensed what was happening and looked to the side. Ning Fei and Ning Yuxuan were both watching her with smiles, and the staff members were smiling as well. Qin Man finally realized that this was a surprise prepared by the production team.

"Teacher Qin," a staff member said, "please continue."

Qin Man smiled. "Okay."

The person who had written this card was a long-time admirer of Qin Man’s, listing their love for the various roles Qin Man had portrayed over the years. At the end were the words "Happy Birthday" followed by a string of warm wishes.

This card was one Ning Fei had specifically chosen from the entire collection. In fact, after acting for so many years, Qin Man had attracted many fans, and there were many other messages that were equally sincere and enthusiastic. Some praised Qin Man as a "timeless goddess," while others lauded her professionalism. However, as an actress herself, Ning Fei thought that Qin Man, like her, would care most about the characters she had brought to life. That was why Ning Fei had chosen this specific card.

Sure enough, after reading it, Qin Man looked deeply moved, her voice even becoming choked with emotion.

【Wuwuwu, this is so touching, I want to cry too!】
【Did you notice? This wish was specifically chosen by Teacher Ning Fei and placed on top. As expected, Teacher Ning understands Teacher Qin the best!】
【I knew these two award-winning actresses cherished each other; they both know exactly what kind of wishes the other values most!】

Afterward, Qin Man read several more birthday wishes from the audience. Unfortunately, there were fifty-two cards in total, which was too many to show one by one.

Qin Man said solemnly, "Thank you to the production team for this surprise, thank you to everyone who helped collect these wishes, and thank you to all the fans who wrote them. I will take all these wishes home and treasure them well."

The background music swelled, and accompanied by the melody, the staff wheeled out a two-tiered birthday cake and lit the candles on top.