While the production team was busy clearing out the dead weight, the discussion surrounding Mango TV’s live broadcast grew larger by the day. The show had successfully reclaimed its status as a "national treasure," sparking a fresh wave of interest in family travel.
Except for the Yangs, every pair of guests received positive praise. Screenshots of the children’s innocent, smiling faces flooded Weibo. As the sole "rat poop" in the pot, Yang Qianye and his daughter also sparked heated discussion—but for all the wrong reasons.
The public, who usually assumed celebrity children were elite "winners at the starting line," were seeing a poorly behaved celebrity child for the first time. Many viewers felt that Yang Qianye’s arrogance, laziness, and blatant disregard for his contract made him a terrible role model. They demanded he disappear from the show before other children could pick up his bad habits.
Thus, public sentiment was unanimous: they wanted Yang Qianye out. His name trended exactly as he had hoped—explosively—but it was a "black-and-red" notoriety that was a double-edged sword. Without a reliable agency to manage the fallout, he was quickly becoming a persona non grata in the industry.
Sensing the wind, Mango TV's official blog stayed silent, but viewers in the No. 5 live room soon noticed a change. The guests had been replaced.
【Whoa, the crew actually swapped them out?】
【So satisfying! I love a production team that listens.】
【Wait... isn't the new guest Gu Kang?】
【Gu Kang? Who’s that?】
【You don't know? He was big for a while. He and Ji Xiu are mortal enemies!】
Within half an hour, the "grudge" between Ji Xiu and Gu Kang hit the trending lists. Seven years ago, when Ji Xiu was a rising talent, he and Gu Kang were in the same production. Gu Kang, then higher in status, tried to have Ji Xiu kicked off the set. But that same day, Ji Xiu won Best Actor at Cannes. The director immediately flipped, firing Gu Kang and expanding Ji Xiu's role. Gu Kang’s career plummeted thereafter, and he had been silent for seven years.
Now, he was returning on the same show as his rival. Millions of viewers flocked to the stream, anticipating a showdown.
…
The bonfire party, while sounding romantic, required a lot of manual labor. Because it was a last-minute addition, the guests had to do all the prep work themselves. Through a "random" draw (which was likely rigged by the crew), Ji Xiu was assigned to start the fire, Liu Wenbo to set up the venue, and the two other dads to fetch water and invite villagers. The most grueling task—collecting heavy firewood—fell to Yang Qianye.
Yang Qianye tried to throw a tantrum, but Director Wang warned him that a refusal was a breach of contract and he wouldn't be paid a cent. Yang, desperate for money to support his daughter's "princess" lifestyle, gritted his teeth and carried the basket.
He tried to slow-walk the task, hoping the crew would step in and do it for him like they had before. But this time, the crew was prepared to wait him out. Eventually, Yang dragged the wood back, exhausted. The bonfire party was a success, filled with laughter, but due to specific editing and camera angles, Yang Qianye—the one who did the most physical work—didn't get a single second of screen time.
The next morning, Director Wang repeated the pressure. Yang Qianye finally snapped. He abandoned his paycheck and quit the show in a rage. He figured he had enough heat now to sign with a new agency and find work elsewhere.
As Yang and his daughter were hauled away on a village tractor (since no local would drive them), they passed a car coming into the village. Out stepped Gu Kang and his three-year-old daughter, Gu Xiaoxiao.
Xiaoxiao was a "Barbie doll" beauty, polite and curious. When her father offered to carry her, she declined. "I can walk myself." The audience was instantly charmed.
…
Twenty minutes later, the crew gathered the families to welcome the newcomers. The "showdown" everyone expected was about to happen.
【Here it comes! The highlight of the season!】
【I've waited all night for this.】
Ji Xiu approached Gu Kang. The bullet comments held their breath. But to everyone's disappointment, Ji Xiu’s face didn't change at all. He remained calm and was actually the first to reach out and welcome Gu Kang. Gu Kang was stunned but quickly shook his hand.
【...That's it? So anticlimactic?】
【You guys were misled by the tabloids. Ji Xiu has always been magnanimous. It wasn't him who blacklisted Gu Kang back then.】
…
Later, Gu Kang whispered to Ji Xiu, "Thank you. I heard you were the one who convinced the director to let me stay."
Ji Xiu brushed it off. "The director had his own reasons."
But Gu Kang was stubborn. "If you hadn't spoken up, I would have been sent back."
Ji Xiu had helped Gu Kang because he knew the man’s tragic backstory from his memories. Gu Kang had married his secret girlfriend and spent his savings on her medical bills for a terminal illness. He needed this show to save his family. In the original timeline, Yang Qianye was fired later, and Gu Kang was rejected as a replacement because of the perceived grudge with Ji Xiu. His wife died in poverty, and his family was destroyed.
Ji Xiu didn't need to be Gu Kang's best friend, but saving a life with a single sentence was a bargain he was happy to make.
As they filmed, Ji Xiu discovered that Gu Kang was actually an excellent cook, having run a restaurant for years. Ji Xiu's eyes lit up. He immediately "demoted" Liu Wenbo and recruited Gu Kang to be his new designated chef for the rest of the trip.
…
The four-day recording ended on a high note. The families exchanged contact info, and even the children were in tears when it was time to say goodbye. Back home, Ji Xiu finally looked at the news.
Yang Qianye had discovered he was a pawn. The agency that promised to sign him was actually a front for Blueberry TV—Mango TV's rival. They had used him to stir up trouble for Mango TV and then ghosted him. Now, Yang Qianye had no money, no reputation, and no work. He was lashing out at Blueberry TV on Weibo, but without proof, he was an ant fighting an elephant.
Ji Xiu watched the "dog-eat-dog" drama with amusement. He was thirty-two and at the peak of his career. He didn't need to fight anyone anymore. He just wanted to be a good husband and father.
But before he could fully settle into retirement, he had one last thing to do: announce Xu Yun's identity to the world.
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