Meanwhile, far away in Country F, the international student known as “I Am the Bragger” had just finished writing her essay after staying up all night.
A scheduled alarm on her phone started chiming, “Ding-ding-dong-dong.”
“F***! It’s time to appeal!!!” “I Am the Bragger” immediately logged onto Weibo.
Sure enough, after 48 hours, her account had been unlocked, and she could post pictures again.
Cracking her fingers and rolling her neck, “I Am the Bragger” got to work.
She took screenshots she had prepared earlier—of designer Jiang Luoze’s post on his Instagram titled “My Muse” with Chu Xingxing’s photos, along with screen recordings from her phone—and posted them all in one go.
She then @mentioned all the fans who had criticized her, @mentioned the official Saci Weibo account, @mentioned Tian Mengtong’s Weibo and studio accounts, @mentioned a bunch of major fashion influencers and designers, and so on.
She also took screenshots of various posts and comments suspected to be from Tian Mengtong’s alternate accounts, where she boasted about being the first to wear Saci, labeling them all as paid trolls.
Finally, “I Am the Bragger” didn’t forget to add a hashtag to her post: #TianMengtongBoastsAboutFirstSaciWearGetsSlappedDownHard#.
After finishing all this, “I Am the Bragger” simply turned off her phone, collapsed onto her bed, and smiled victoriously.
Hehe, those trolls must be hopping mad by now, right?
“It’s okay, let Mommy get some sleep first, and then I’ll enjoy watching the show you trolls put on~”
With that sweet thought, “The Great Bragger” drifted into a happy dreamland.
—
Capital International Airport Terminal 3.
“Do you think my words aren’t trustworthy? If you don’t believe me, I can have Saci’s designer, Jiang Luoze, confirm it for you personally.”
Grandma Jiang Yao picked up her phone and opened FaceTime.
She knew that Jiang Luoze had a habit of staying up late and usually didn’t go to sleep until around noon China time. At this hour, he would definitely be awake.
Soon, FaceTime connected.
A deep, mellow male voice came clearly from Jiang Yao’s phone, like a damp night breeze: “Did you get to the airport safely, Auntie?”
“I’m here, just finished checking in. I have a surprise for you.” Jiang Yao’s tone was mysteriously excited as she directly turned the camera towards Chu Xingxing. “Ta-da!”
“Hello, I’m Chu Xingxing.”
Chu Xingxing politely waved to the camera. She could see the man’s sharply defined handsome profile and his casually tousled hair that looked effortlessly relaxed.
This guy seemed a bit different from her stereotypical image of a fashion designer?
Jiang Luoze looked very laid-back, not someone who was overly fussy.
Still, there was no denying Jiang Luoze was strikingly handsome.
“Bonjour, ma belle.” Jiang Luoze’s gaze was lazy, a smile playing at the corners of his lips as he complimented her: “You suit Saci very well. You’re even more beautiful in person than in photos.”
Chu Xingxing was poised and gracefully accepted the compliment: “Thank you. Saci has a lot of personality, a unique tailoring style, and especially bold color choices. Thanks for designing such a cool brand, and also for the handwritten letter. I received it.”
“I didn’t know Saci was that good?” Unintentionally, a smile had crept into the corners of his eyes.
Grandma Jiang Yao interjected, sounding a little dissatisfied: “Ah Ze, didn’t your Saci promotional team forget something? Why hasn’t the post about Xingbao being the first to wear this been put on the official Weibo?”
“It’s not the team’s fault, Auntie. I asked them to hold off for now.” Jiang Luoze picked up a pen and started sketching something absentmindedly. “I wanted to wait until the contract talks for the spokesperson were settled before posting. We don’t know Chu Miss and her company’s intentions yet.”
“So you’re thinking of signing her? Oh, you sly Ah Ze, keeping it from your aunt…”
Grandma Jiang Yao chatted with him for a bit longer, but seeing that he was probably busy working on a design sketch, she hung up first.
Tian Mengtong, after all, had been reborn. She had managed to compose herself and forced herself to calm down.
Tian Mengtong said coolly, “Who can prove that this is really the designer Jiang Luoze, and not just someone you randomly found to impersonate him?”
“He who accuses, proves it, Grandma Jiang Yao spread her hands. “If you want to think that way, I can’t do anything about it.”
The first line, she’d learned from her dear Xingbao.
The second line was borrowed from a “catalog of cheesy pick-up lines.”
[LMAO! Grandma Jiang Yao is so “sassy”! (and I mean that in the best way!)]
[Grandma Jiang Yao even learned the essence of how Stars handled haters in the pre-show! I’m dying of laughter watching her, lol (sneakily watching)]
“Thank you for the reminder. It’s clear you really think of me as your bestie, Tian Mengtong.”
Chu Xingxing emphasized the word “bestie” deliberately.
She tilted her head slightly, looking at Tian Mengtong, and continued coolly: “The clothes I’m wearing don’t have the Saci tag, it’s true, but I never claimed they were Saci anyway. However, they were sponsored by Saci’s designer, Jiang Luoze.
Since we’re in the same company, your management team can easily verify the details with my agent. Just ask, and you’ll know if it’s true or false.”
Tian Mengtong knew that continuing to argue would only backfire.
She was, naturally, absolutely furious inside.
But she had to maintain her public image.
Having lived several decades longer due to her rebirth wasn’t for nothing. Tian Mengtong had quickly thought of a way to salvage the situation.
Taking a deep breath, Tian Mengtong clenched one fist discreetly and tried to keep her voice steady: “Chu Xingxing, I’ve always thought of you as an upright person. That’s why I chose to be your bestie.
Saci is a brand I truly admire. I like it a lot personally and am familiar with every style, every season, every collection they have. That’s why I questioned whether what you were wearing was authentic.
I have immense respect for all designers’ work. So if I see someone wearing fakes, naturally, I’m bothered by it. And because I still consider you my bestie, I kindly wanted to point it out.
Since what you’re wearing isn’t a fake, that’s great. Congratulations on respecting originality.”
Any normal person watching the entire live stream would understand that Tian Mengtong was just twisting the truth.
She was clearly trying to pick a fight, got humiliated, and was now just trying to find a graceful way out.
If she truly cared for her “bestie,” why would she try to embarrass her publicly?
If her reminder was truly out of “goodwill,” as she claimed, she should have brought it up privately, no matter what.
But die-hard fans are always selectively blind and deaf; most choose to unconditionally support their idol.
[Tongbao’s intentions were good, right? Everyone’s family background is different. For someone like Tongbao, from a wealthy family, it’s normal to get upset when she sees something suspicious like a fake.]
[I actually think Tongtong is very real, a girl with strong principles. For Tongtong, wearing fakes is a hard line. It doesn’t matter how close you are as besties; this shows Tongtong really respects originality and designers!]
[Yeah, yeah! Those people calling Tian Mengtong a green tea bitch have no hearts! Our Mengtong just has the temperament of a wealthy young lady, there’s no bad intentions!]
[I feel so bad for her! Why are so many people attacking our Tongtong? She didn’t do anything wrong, she just had a reasonable suspicion. Can’t she ask when she sees something suspicious?]
[I believe in Tongtong’s character. And the way a wealthy young lady thinks is just different from girls from poor families. What’s there to question about that?]
[Haters, get lost! Our Tongbao has always supported originality. She’s even sponsored an anti-plagiarism foundation for designers, which is why she’s so sensitive about people wearing fakes.]
Seeing the fans desperately washing away the criticism in the barrage comments, most other viewers had only one thought—
This is just freaking ridiculous, through and through.
Even a washing machine couldn’t clean this up as fast as these fans.
—
Tian Mengtong managed to maintain her composure, turned, and dragged her suitcase back towards the group.
But as she took a step, Jiang Yao stopped her.
“Little girl, since you’ve wronged your ‘good bestie,’ aren’t you going to apologize to her?”
Jiang Yao’s tone was kind, her smile like that of a well-tempered elder. There wasn’t a trace of sarcasm to be heard.
The onlookers, who had been enjoying the drama, couldn’t help whispering among themselves—
“She really should apologize to her friend. It’s hard to justify not apologizing.”
“Even if her intentions were good, why humiliate her friend on camera? And they’re both young women, with thin skins.”
“Setting aside the fact that she wasn’t wearing a fake, even if she was, wouldn’t a real bestie remind her privately? Who embarrasses their friend publicly? I don’t get it…”
“Her explanation just now was pretty flimsy too. The girl looks cute and obedient, but why does she seem so scheming?”
“Sigh, isn’t this just plastic friendship? Even celebrities play these games?”
………
Tian Mengtong stopped in her tracks, not turning around, and said stubbornly: “Chu Xingxing, I apologize to you. I’m sorry for misunderstanding that you were wearing a fake. But I don’t regret reminding you. If a similar situation arises next time, I will still remind you, just like I would anyone else. You might not have known this before, but now I’m telling you: my attitude towards fakes is zero tolerance.”
With that, Tian Mengtong returned to the group.
Though she was boiling with rage inside, she pretended not to care on the surface, casually putting on her earbuds.
None of the other guests were standing next to her, almost as if they had deliberately left a few spaces.
Just then, a tall figure leisurely walked over and stood behind her.
“What are you listening to? Let me hear too.” Jiang Chang’an took off one of her earbuds and put it to his own ear.
Tian Mengtong looked at him in surprise.
She hadn’t even started playing any music; she was just using the earbuds as a shield.
“Mmm, pretty good taste. I like it too.” Jiang Chang’an smiled, his eyes curving, without exposing her.
The crowd of onlookers, not having had their fill of drama, watched them reluctantly until airport security shooed them away.
—
For viewers watching the live stream on their phones or computers, the commentary bar made the drama feel even more complete.
Aside from Tian Mengtong’s fans and some viewers who hadn’t watched the whole live stream and only saw Tian Mengtong “righteously” supporting genuine products, most ordinary viewers were complaining—
[I’m dying laughing at Tian Mengtong’s delusional fans! Even with the netizen in Country F dropping solid evidence, they’re still claiming their idol was the first to wear Saci?]
[Go check out the full story on “Tian Mengtong Falsely Claimed First Saci Wear”! Search “I Am the Bragger” on Weibo!]
[Gotta know, the only thing tougher than these delusional fans is their mouths! The owner/designer of Saci posted Chu Xingxing’s picture on his own Insta and called Stars his “Muse.” With that solid evidence, some delusional fans are just playing blind!]
[So disgusting. After getting the full story, I saw that Tian Mengtong’s fans even cyberbullied that student abroad, saying some really nasty, dirty stuff!]
[Like fan, like idol. Looks like TMT isn’t a good person either.]
[The drama is juicy, but am I the only one captivated by Jiang Luoze’s voice? Ah, Jiang Luoze’s voice is so nice!]
[Me! Me! I specifically used a VPN to find Jiang Luoze’s photos online. If this isn’t photoshopped or stretched… slurp, he’s really handsome. I even kinda want to call Jiang Luoze “wife”!]
[Whoa, found a photo of Jiang Luoze taking a bow at a fashion show. How can a man be born this beautiful?!]
[Turns out Grandma Jiang Yao is the biological aunt of Saci’s founder! Gotta say, Tian Mengtong really walked right into this one…]
………
—
Grandma Jiang Yao linked her arm with Chu Xingxing’s, and they walked through the crowd to rejoin the main group.
After a good verbal sparring session, Jiang Yao felt refreshed and invigorated.
Feeling a need to sum things up, she even momentarily forgot about the live stream camera.
Jiang Yao: “Xingbao, let Grandma tell you something. Don’t ever bully anyone under my watch. Such a young girl, but so scheming! This little…”
“Cough, cough, cough…” Chu Xingxing quickly coughed and signaled with her eyes, barely managing to stop Grandma Jiang Yao from saying more.
Jiang Yao quickly corrected herself: “Ah, I mean… this little… this young lady should be more careful in the future and not question others so casually.”
The original phrase was something Wen Xuelan often used in their group chat, and Jiang Yao had picked it up, just waiting for a chance to use it.
Originally it was: That little hussy, the way she sticks out her butt, you can tell exactly what kind of fart she’s going to drop.
—
The grandmas had business class tickets, which came with a fast-track security lane.
Since the fast lane required scanning boarding passes, Chu Xingxing and Wen Han, who had economy tickets, had to temporarily separate from the grandmas.
During the morning rush hour, the economy class security line was also very long.
By the time Chu Xingxing and Wen Han had cleared security and border control and arrived at the departure lounge, the grandmas had already been escorted by the program crew staff directly to the business class lounge to rest.
Even though the grandmas had strongly insisted on waiting for Chu Xingxing and Wen Han.
So, the production crew had told a little white lie, saying that as soon as Chu Xingxing and Wen Han arrived, they would be brought over.
Which… wasn’t exactly a lie, because the staff did bring Chu Xingxing and Wen Han to the building where the business class lounge was located.
The business class lounge for international departures at Terminal 3 was on the second floor. Through the transparent railings, if someone on the upper floor looked down, they could clearly see Chu Xingxing and Wen Han sitting by the rockery landscape below, staring blankly at each other.
[Pfft, hahaha, the production crew is so good at stirring things up! Poor “porters,” their treatment is really porter-like…]
[Wow! So much good food in the lounge, and a buffet!]
[The lounge’s brunch is pretty generous, Western and Chinese options…]
[So what do the “porters” eat? Go hungry?]
Since there was still over an hour until takeoff, the production crew wasn’t going to actually starve the two “porters.”
“Busy all morning, haven’t eaten yet, right? This is breakfast for the two ‘porters.'”
The accompanying director handed them two plastic bags with a smile.
“Is this our breakfast?” Wen Han took both bags and handed one to Chu Xingxing.
The director nodded.
Chu Xingxing temporarily put away the small notebook she’d been using to organize travel notes and shortlist dinner restaurant options for the grandmas.
Putting the notebook and pen back in her backpack, she pulled out some disinfecting wipes, cleaned her hands, and also passed one to Wen Han.
“I am getting a bit hungry. Thanks.” Chu Xingxing opened the plastic bag to take a look.
Inside was a bottle of water and a large flatbread that looked… quite dry and substantial.
Wen Han also clearly saw this questionable “brunch” and asked gently, “If I remember correctly from the pre-show, Stars hit the bullseye five times in the dart game. Doesn’t that mean the trip gets upgraded?”
The accompanying director smiled and said, “Yes, yes, it has been upgraded. The destination was upgraded from a regular resort island to a luxury resort island, Pearl Island, accommodation has been upgraded, and the travel budget is double what was expected. The ‘brunch’ we prepared earlier wasn’t part of the original plan either.”
[What a fancy brunch, hahaha! What the grandmas are eating is more like brunch! That crystal shrimp dumpling and clay pot congee look so tempting, slurp…]
[Pfft? Just giving them flatbread? Won’t they choke on it dry? At least give them some pickled veggies, right?]
[Didn’t the crew give them water? One bite of bread, one sip of water, and it won’t get stuck. Pickled veggies would definitely cost extra /doge]
“I brought some pickled mustard root. Want some?” Chu Xingxing pulled a small, lidded container about half the size of her palm out of her bag, along with a pair of portable travel chopsticks. “They’re clean, haven’t been used yet.”
The container was filled to the brim with slices of pickled mustard root glistening with chili oil.
Normally, this stuff isn’t anything special, but right now it looked crisp, refreshing, and delicious.
Yes, in Chu Xingxing’s travel essentials, pickled mustard root was a must-have.
“Are you Doraemon?” Wen Han looked a bit surprised, but also found her down-to-earth charm adorable.
“Want some or not?” Chu Xingxing asked calmly, placing the plastic bag with the flatbread on her lap and casually pulling apart the chopstick wrapper.
Wen Han lowered his gaze and smiled, “Of course I do. Thanks.”
Just then, a very mournful complaint came from nearby: “Couldn’t you at least give us some pickled veggies or olive vegetable? How are we supposed to eat this?! It’s so dry, it’ll choke you…”
“Didn’t we give you water? One bite of bread, one sip of water, and you won’t choke,” a crew member said with an apologetic smile.
The guests from Let’s Travel Together had also arrived at the departure hall, and the crew was handing out “brunches” identical to what the “porters” had.
The main group of Let’s Travel Together was stationed right across from Chu Xingxing and Wen Han.
Seeing Cookie looking distressed, Chu Xingxing subtly signaled to her.
Taking advantage of the slight chaos caused by the distribution of the flatbreads, Cookie scurried over with her plastic bag.
“Here’s some pickled veggies for you, otherwise the flatbread is too bland to eat,” Chu Xingxing said, quickly slipping some into Cookie’s bread.
“Wow! Yummy, thanks Stars!” Cookie directly pinched a small slice with her fingers to taste and smiled, her eyes crinkling into crescents.
It was crisp, salty, savory, with a hint of sweetness. Delicious!
“Okay, better get back now.” Chu Xingxing didn’t want to disrupt their filming either.
Cookie rolled up her flatbread and sneakily returned to her group.
Making sure no one was watching her, little Cookie huddled in a corner, munching on her flatbread rolled with pickled veggies, enjoying it immensely.
[Stars is such a little angel!]
[I really love seeing this kind of friendship between girls. Compared to Tian Mengtong, the fake bestie who publicly accused someone of wearing a fake, Stars and Cookie are what real friendship looks like.]
[Ah, I’m actually starting to ship this! Stars is so cool and domineering, little Cookie is the sweet girl!]
[Haha, I love seeing beautiful women being close!]
—
Tian Mengtong looked gloomily at the flatbread the staff had given her. She was already full just from being angry.
“Don’t eat this. Wait till we’re on the plane. In business class, you can ask the flight attendant for more fruit and salad.”
Jiang Chang’an took the plastic bag with her flatbread and thoughtfully unscrewed the bottle cap for her. “Just have some water to moisten your throat.”
[As much as I’d love to see the beautiful actress and handsome actor eating plain flatbread, Jiang Chang’an is really winning me over!]
[These two are so sweet! The rich heir pursuing his entertainment career and the sweet, innocent young lady! Ahhh, what a perfect idol drama couple!]
[Jiang Chang’an is such a gentleman. His blatant favoritism is so enviable. But it is Tongtong! Who could bear to be jealous of such a sweet girl? Wuwuwu, from now on, I’m a fan of this couple!]
[“Chang Meng Bai Sui” is killing me!]
“Thanks,” Tian Mengtong smiled weakly, her fragile and delicate appearance looking utterly pitiable.
Even if the whole world was against her, Jiang Chang’an, like in her previous life, would always choose to believe in her.
Whether what they had now was love or not, at least it gave Tian Mengtong a solid pillar of support inside.
“Are you cold? Here, wear my jacket.” Jiang Chang’an gallantly draped the coat he had over his arm onto Tian Mengtong’s shoulders, adjusting it simply. “You’re not dressed warmly enough.”
“Thanks, I didn’t expect it to be a bit cold at the airport. I was just thinking it’d be tropical weather as soon as we land…”
Tian Mengtong glanced sideways at the coat on her shoulders and thanked him with a smile.
This small gesture also let her see Chu Xingxing and Wen Han across the way, sitting by the rockery, eating their flatbreads.
Thinking about how she was about to get upgraded at the gate, while Chu Xingxing, despite being on a “luxury” trip, was still doomed to fly economy, Tian Mengtong’s mood lifted considerably.
—
Watching the original story’s male and female lead across from her being lovey-dovey gave Chu Xingxing goosebumps.
Seriously? They have to turn even eating a flatbread into some kind of romantic scene?
She really was allergic to all this mushy stuff.
“Is that enough? I’m worried it might be a bit salty, so try a little first,” Chu Xingxing asked Wen Han as she put two slices of pickled veggies in his flatbread.
“That’s plenty. It’s quite tasty actually,” Wen Han said, looking across at the other group who had the same food but no side dishes. The pickled veggies in his bread seemed extra delicious.
Chu Xingxing enthusiastically promoted them: “Yeah, this brand of pickled mustard root is super tasty. It’s low-salt, extra crisp, and has a slight sweetness. I have a few more packs in my checked luggage.”
After saying this, Chu Xingxing added pickled veggies to her own flatbread and took a big, satisfying bite.
Say what you will about the flatbread the crew prepared—it might not have looked like much, but it actually tasted pretty good.
If you savored it, you could taste the light fragrance of wheat. The bread itself had a subtle, returning sweetness.
The pickled veggies were the perfect touch, the fragrant chili oil soaking into the bread, adding an incredibly crisp texture and a savory, slightly sweet, and salty flavor.
It was a bit dry, but that was okay, since they had the mineral water.
Chu Xingxing opened the water bottle with one hand, alternating between bites of flatbread with pickled veggies and sips of water. She ate with such gusto.
This kind of food wasn’t considered anything special nowadays; some might even look down on it. But for Chu Xingxing, who had traveled back from the apocalypse, every bite of fresh food filled her with gratitude.
Wen Han hadn’t really wanted to eat the flatbread with pickled veggies, but watching Chu Xingxing eat with such enjoyment from the corner of his eye, he started to think maybe it wasn’t so bad?
[Why does everything Stars eats look so delicious? I’m getting hungry just watching her eat a flatbread with pickled veggies.]
[Chu Xingxing eats with such appreciation, completely immersed in the food! It makes whatever she’s eating look incredibly tasty.]
[Oh my, what brand of pickled veggies is this? Suddenly I want to stock up, but there’s no packaging!]
[Looking for that pickled mustard root brand! Instant noodle lovers desperately need it!]
Even the guests from Let’s Travel Together noticed the two unlucky “porters” from Grandma’s Journey across from them.
They had been ready to laugh at them for also having to eat the same deathly dry flatbread.
But then they saw the two of them, heads close together, each taking turns with the pickled veggies, eating quite enthusiastically???
So… were they the only unlucky ones???
Cookie, who had already finished her flatbread rolled with pickled veggies while hiding in a corner, quietly wiped the crumbs from her mouth and let out a satisfied burp.
Cookie: Nope, only you guys are the unlucky ones. I had pickled veggies, not me 🙂
—
After only a few bites of her flatbread, Chu Xingxing suddenly looked up.
Her ear twitched slightly, and she blinked in confusion.
Wen Han also stopped, frowning with a puzzled expression.
They both heard their names being called over the airport PA system, announced repeatedly in both Chinese and English.
“The airport is paging us?” Chu Xingxing slowly turned to Wen Han.
“Yeah, and they sounded urgent, but didn’t say why?” Wen Han had also never experienced this before.
Airport announcements are usually for gate changes, flight delays, or urging passengers to board. This kind of page looking for specific people was unheard of.
“Is this one of your pranks?” Wen Han asked the production crew.
The program staff looked bewildered, shaking their heads nervously. They clearly didn’t know the reason either.
The announcement directed Ms. Chu and Mr. Wen to the H Airlines Diamond VIP Lounge.
Which wasn’t far from the H Airlines business class lounge they were currently near.
Chu Xingxing and Wen Han hesitated, unsure whether they should go.
Meanwhile, several ground staff members in H Airlines blue uniforms were frantically searching the departure lounge for the two passengers who held the highest-tier diamond membership in the airline’s history.
One of the ground staff, having just stepped out of the VIP lounge, spotted them: “I think they’re over there… I see the cameras…”
“Yes, looking at the photo, it’s Ms. Chu and Mr. Wen,” another ground staff confirmed, comparing them to a photo on an iPad and nodding.
Several H Airlines VIP lounge ground staff trotted over, their faces beaming with perfect professional smiles.
“Hello, esteemed Diamond member Ms. Chu. Welcome aboard H Airlines flight US5507. I’m Li Xiaoran, your guide for this flight, here to assist you during your wait.”
“Hello, esteemed Diamond member Mr. Wen. Welcome aboard… I’m Wang Xiaowei, your guide for this flight, here to assist you during your wait.”
These two pretty ground staff members stood before Chu Xingxing and Wen Han—who were each holding a flatbread with pickled veggies—and gave them a respectful bow.
[Wow! What’s going on?!]
[What the heck kind of Mary Sue plot is this? Is this “Young Master, Young Lady, your humble servant has arrived too late”?]
“Miss Li, is there a mistake?” Chu Xingxing shook her head seriously. “I’m really not some diamond member.”
Forget diamond member, poor girl Chu Xingxing was taking her very first international flight ever.
Wen Han said firmly, “I’m certain I’ve never flown with your airline before. Please double-check. There’s probably been a mistake.”
The ground staff lady kept smiling, her attitude excellent: “There’s no mistake, Ms. Chu, Mr. Wen. Your accounts were upgraded just over ten minutes ago. The points were transferred to you by another one of our diamond members. You will also be automatically upgraded to business class. I apologize that flight HS5507 doesn’t have first class.”
Chu Xingxing: “?”
Was she just too inexperienced?
Who was so generous that they’d just give away points to upgrade someone else’s flight?
Wen Han seemed to realize something. “Miss Li, the other diamond member who transferred the points… would their surname be Sheng?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Wen, we cannot disclose the private information of our diamond members.” The ground staff lady winked, but nodded with a smile.
Wen Han understood instantly.
This was exactly the kind of thing Sheng Luzhi would do.
“Surname Sheng?” Chu Xingxing asked instinctively: “Is it Grandma Sheng Shuwen?”
Wen Han paused thoughtfully for a moment, then shook his head at Chu Xingxing: “No, it should be my… unrelated-by-blood nephew.”
[I remember now! It’s Grandma Sheng’s eldest grandson, the heir of Shengshi Group, Sheng Luzhi! There was a really handsome guy who brought medicine for Grandma Sheng at the airport this morning. I never forget a handsome face, lol.]
[Hahaha, Wen Han is surprisingly funny! I heard Wen Han is only one year older than Sheng Luzhi, but technically, yes, Sheng Luzhi is his nephew, lol.]
[That “nephew” thing is also pretty hilarious for the show, seems like an interesting guy.]
Chu Xingxing thought for three seconds, and a name suddenly popped into her head—
Sheng, Lu, zhi.
“Ah…” Chu Xingxing made a crying face emoji.
Great! The big shot has come to mess with me!
Just then, the accompanying director jumped in: “Sorry to interrupt. I’m the accompanying director for the program. For the sake of the show’s concept, we can’t accept guests paying for their own upgrades…”
The ground staff lady’s smile was radiant: “Sir, Ms. Chu and Mr. Wen are not paying for their upgrade.”
The director’s earpiece buzzed with the head director’s frantic voice, and he could only parrot the message:
“Doesn’t matter if it’s paid or not! Our show’s rule is that these two must fly economy!”
“I’m sorry, sir. The new boarding passes for these two have already been issued. Their previous economy seats have been checked in to other passengers. Unless… you repurchase two economy class tickets for them and have them go through security, border control, and check-in again? However…”
The ground staff lady glanced at her watch and shook her head with a smile: “Going through that process might mean they miss this flight. Also, given their points and diamond status, the system would most likely automatically upgrade them again anyway.”
[Pfft haha, this ground staff lady’s a pro!]
[So the show has nothing to say now, right? This is a big-shot behind the scenes buffing Stars and Wen Han!]
[Whoa, good stuff like this actually happens? When will it ever happen to me, wuwuwuwu…]
“…” The accompanying director was dumbfounded, and the head director’s cursing in his earpiece had also stopped.
In all their years, they had never encountered such an absurd “force majeure” upgrade.
The ground staff lady gestured gracefully: “Ms. Chu, Mr. Wen, would you like to go to the lounge? Our dedicated Diamond Member lounge is just opposite. If you have family or friends with you, each Diamond member can bring up to two guests into the lounge.”
“Yeah, let’s go,” Wen Han nodded to Chu Xingxing.
Standing up, he took out his phone and called Wen Xuelan: “Mom, have Auntie and the others come down here. We’re downstairs from you… Yes, I’m taking you to a different lounge, one with fewer people.”
Since it was already a done deal, Chu Xingxing could only accept it.
It actually worked out perfectly; she and Wen Han could now bring the four grandmas to the Diamond Lounge.
As they left, Chu Xingxing naturally put her half-finished water bottle and the leftover flatbread back into her backpack, even taking a moment to brush off the crumbs that had fallen on the floor.
This small detail earned her a lot of goodwill from viewers—
[Wow! Chu Xingxing is so well-mannered. She didn’t waste any food.]
[You can really see that Chu Xingxing has a deep respect for food. She won’t throw away the not-so-great flatbread just because there’s better food in the lounge.]
[Stars is a role model! She carefully cleaned up her mess and took the unfinished food and water. So likeable!]
[This kind of upbringing is clearly ingrained in her.]
[I remember during the pre-show, Stars never pointed at people with her finger; instead, she would gesture with her palm facing up when introducing someone. I noticed she pays attention to details.]
[I’m starting to really like Chu Xingxing. I haven’t seen any of her other work, but I hope she has a bright future!]
—
Soon, the four grandmas came downstairs quickly.
Guided by several ground staff ladies, Chu Xingxing and their group walked in a grand procession to the Diamond VIP Lounge.
The guests from Let’s Travel Together across the way couldn’t hear the specifics, but just watching the spectacle left them dumbfounded.
Huh? Why the preferential treatment?!
A young man with dreadlocks, wearing a baggy hip-hop style shirt and shorts, spoke up discontentedly: “Director Han, weren’t the ‘porters’ supposed to fly economy with us? What’s going on? How come these two ‘porters’ are going straight to the Diamond VIP Lounge?”
The man was a champion of a national hip-hop talent show, stage name Xiao Xiong.
After winning, Xiao Xiong had quickly risen to fame, releasing several albums. His persona was very “real,” bold in speech and action.
A young man with a buzz cut sitting nearby, drinking water, glanced disdainfully at Xiao Xiong and said sarcastically, “Why are you getting so worked up? If they have the ability to get the production team’s permission to go to the lounge, that’s their skill. If you’re jealous, just keep it to yourself. If you’re so capable, why don’t you get all of us upgrades?”
This buzz-cut young man was named Su Wei, the champion of an original singer-songwriter talent show.
Although Su Wei was also feeling a bit resentful inside, his instinct was to antagonize Xiao Xiong.
That’s because Su Wei’s ex-girlfriend, also his first love, Nanmi, was currently Xiao Xiong’s girlfriend…
You gotta hand it to the Let’s Travel Together production crew—they sure know how to stir up attention.
Besides Tian Mengtong, Jiang Chang’an, and Cookie, who was brought in to fill out the cast, almost every guest had their own “rival” or “messy backstory.”
Watching Xiao Xiong and Su Wei go back and forth, the atmosphere grew tense.
Tian Mengtong happened to be sitting between them. She was also puzzled about how Chu Xingxing and the others got into the Diamond Lounge.
But thinking it over, going to the lounge was just that—going to the lounge. It wasn’t an upgrade.
It just meant they’d have better food for the hour before the flight, maybe a comfy sofa to lie on. Nothing else particularly special.
Seeing Xiao Xiong and Su Wei arguing incessantly, and sticking to her persona of the kind-hearted, beautiful young lady, Tian Mengtong stood up to mediate.
“Everyone, please stop arguing. Let’s all just rest. We’re a team, we should be united. I believe you’re all just a bit anxious because we woke up too early and didn’t rest well. Once we’re on the plane, everyone can sleep a bit. You’ll feel less grumpy after a good rest, okay?”
Tian Mengtong blinked her big, innocent eyes and tried to pacify them with a soft, gentle voice.
For any normal guy, seeing such a soft, sweet girl speak up like that would usually cool down at least 70-80% of their anger.
Who wouldn’t give such a cute, well-behaved girl face?
The key word here is “normal guy.”
Clearly, Xiao Xiong and Su Wei weren’t the “normal guys” Tian Mengtong thought they were…
—
Xiao Xiong was a staunch feminist. He always believed that not belittling women and treating them as equal competitors was the greatest form of respect.
Su Wei, lovesick, was going through the pain of his first heartbreak, having lost his girlfriend to a rapper he thought was uglier than him. He was in a peculiar state and couldn’t stand hearing any girl who sounded like his ex speak to him. It would send him into a spiral.
So, when Tian Mengtong spoke up, the two of them inadvertently turned their fire on her.
Xiao Xiong sneered, “It’s easy for you to say, you’re not the one suffering. You’re about to be in business class, lying down comfortably all the way to the destination. We’ll be in economy, unable to even stretch our legs. How can we rest well? Stop pretending to be generous. Just enjoy your privileges quietly and no one will notice you.”
Su Wei directly covered his ears and shouted in pain, eyes shut tight, eerily reminiscent of a hysterical character: “Can you please shut up?! I’m begging you!”
Tian Mengtong looked stunned by the outburst.
Her eyes reddened, and she bit her lip, looking like the perfect embodiment of that “I was really scared” meme.
Just as she expected, Tian Mengtong’s fans went wild in the comment section—
[Are Xiao Xiong and Su Wei even men?! Damn, so ungentlemanly! How can they talk to a girl like that?!]
[Xiao Xiong disgusts me so much! How dare he snap at such a sweet girl like Tongtong! Is he even human?!]
[Tongtong is just kind and naive! She was trying to help and got attacked. I’m so heartbroken. Hugs for our Tongbao.]
[Tongbao is really such a silly young lady. Don’t ever say anything in situations like this again. Just let those two dogs bite each other. Hugs for you, my precious baby.]
Tian Mengtong looked wronged on the surface, but inside, she was quite pleased.
Thanks to those two idiots’ crazy behavior, it only made her appear more pitiable, kind, and innocent.
—
H Airlines Diamond VIP Lounge.
After some negotiation, the production crew finally got permission to film in a small, partitioned area.
To avoid disturbing other guests, the VIP lounge opened up a private section specifically for Grandma’s Journey.
Even just this small area was enough to make the viewers in the live stream room exclaim in awe.
[Wow! This is insane! A chef making food on the spot, a full à la carte menu, and a panoramic view of the runway!]
[Wow wow wow! 24/7 on-call masseuses and physiotherapists?! I’m so jealous, wuwuwuwu…]
[The desserts are from the TORAYA CAFE collaboration! I could eat ten of those strawberry daifuku! Ahhh, shove them all in my mouth!]
[Wow! The lounge uses Ron Arad sofas! So luxurious!!!]
[Wow!!! Caviar, fresh sea urchin, live langoustine sashimi, all you can eat, and Chardonnay on tap??? Tears of envy flowing from my mouth, wuwuwu… I’m just too inexperienced…]
Chu Xingxing wasn’t particularly interested in caviar, fresh sea urchin, or live langoustine sashimi just yet.
After all, her taste buds weren’t fully recovered, and it was better to take things slow.
It’s harder to go from luxury to simplicity than the other way around.
For now, eating fresh fruit, whole wheat flatbread, and pickled veggies was enough to make her incredibly happy.
At the moment, she was still thinking about her unfinished flatbread.
Wasting it was not an option.
Walking around the ordering area, besides grabbing some fruit and a vegetable salad for herself, she also noticed a panini press.
Out of curiosity, while no one was looking, she took out her leftover flatbread, chose some cheese and a slice of bacon to put inside, and pressed it in the panini press.
The press heated the outer layer of the flatbread until it was slightly crispy and golden brown.
The cheese inside had melted, and when she cut it open, it stretched into long, gooey strands. The milky, rich flavor combined with the savory bacon was absolutely perfect!
[Oh man, the grandmas eating caviar didn’t make me hungry, but Stars eating this cheesy flatbread is making me drool!]
[Same here! Ahhh! That stretchy cheese and fragrant bacon—who could resist!!!]
[I’m a simple person. I really love cheap, melty cheese. I just can’t appreciate caviar and sea urchin, wuwuwu.]
[Eating is just a matter of taste. There’s no high or low. Eat whatever you want!]
Whenever Chu Xingxing ate something delicious, she would make a soft humming sound of contentment, like a cute little kitten.
Wen Han, sitting across from her, unconsciously swallowed.
Watching her eat so happily made the smoked salmon omelet in front of him seem suddenly unappealing…
And it wasn’t just Wen Han who felt that way.
Wen Xuelan put down her knife and fork, looking envious. “Oh my, Xingbao, what are you eating? Where did you get that?”
“Yeah, yeah, what is my sweet child eating? I didn’t see it on the menu,” Jiang Yao chimed in, staring at the wrap on Chu Xingxing’s plate with interest.
Sheng Shuwen even put on her reading glasses and started scanning the menu again. “I looked around, but I didn’t see anything that smelled as good as this flatbread. Where did Xingxing get it?”
“It looks like…” Emily studied it for a moment, then smiled. “Is it something Xingxing made herself?”
“Ah…” Chu Xingxing stuck out her tongue and nodded sheepishly. “I just threw something together. The crew gave Wen Han and me flatbread earlier, and I didn’t finish mine. So I just added some stuff and heated it up.”
Then, under everyone’s expectant gaze, Chu Xingxing used a knife to cut off the portion she had eaten from and divided the rest into four. “Want to try some, darlings?”
The grandmas had been waiting for this; all four nodded eagerly: “Yes, yes!”
“Great combination! Xingxing can cook too!”
“So tasty, just not enough of it.”
“Flatbread is still the best. I just can’t get used to Western food. Flatbread and fried dough sticks are forever the ultimate. It would be perfect with a bowl of soy milk.”
…
The grandmas couldn’t stop praising it.
Only Wen Han looked at her with a smile, though a hint of melancholy crossed his eyes.
His gaze seemed to say silently: How could you forget about me?!
In other words, Wen Han deeply regretted rushing to the elevator to greet his mother and aunties earlier and forgetting to bring his own leftover flatbread…
—
A dark cyan Maybach S680 glided smoothly on the airport expressway.
Sheng Luzhi held company documents on his lap, marking them with a fountain pen in his left hand.
Mounted on the dashboard in front of him was a phone streaming Grandma’s Journey live.
The external volume was set to a comfortable level, acting like pleasant white noise.
As if remembering something, Sheng Luzhi looked up and glanced out the window.
“Uncle Wei, change my breakfast for today,” Sheng Luzhi said casually, absently rubbing the cool cap of his pen with his palm.
Wei Changhe, sitting in the passenger seat, turned back with a smile. “It’s rare for you to want to change the menu, young master. You haven’t changed it in ten years.”
Sheng Luzhi’s breakfast had remained almost unchanged for years: one salt-onsen tamago, 200 grams of sous-vide steak, one slice of oatmeal-chia seed bread, seasonal fruit, and lactose-free skim milk.
A perfect nutritional combination of quality protein, inert starch, and dietary fiber.
“Is it really that long?”
Sheng Luzhi paused for a moment, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. “Ask the program crew where they bought that flatbread and pickled mustard root.”
“Flatbread… pickled…” Wei Changhe was stunned for a second, then quickly recovered. “Alright.”
—
H Airlines Diamond members had priority boarding.
The ground staff prepared an electric cart to take Chu Xingxing and her group directly to the gate.
When they arrived, a dedicated escort guided them aboard.
Stepping down from the eye-catching silver cart, Chu Xingxing noticed that the guests from Let’s Travel Together were already waiting at the gate.
In contrast to their own group—well-fed, well-rested, and energetic—the others looked exhausted and utterly lifeless, even though their journey hadn’t even begun.
“Ms. Chu, this way, please,” another pretty ground staff lady directed Chu Xingxing’s group to the dedicated business class boarding lane.
Now, Xiao Xiong, Su Wei, and the others could clearly see it.
The two “porters” from Grandma’s Journey had been upgraded, not just allowed into the lounge.
“Why? Your program is so blatantly two-faced! You’re just waiting for us to blow up, huh?” Xiao Xiong’s complaint even came out in rhyme.
For once, Su Wei agreed with him: “This is really too much. You only give us one upgrade slot, and we have to play games for it. They did nothing and just got upgraded?”
The head director came over personally to explain.
His simple summary: “The ‘porters’ from the other show were upgraded due to ‘force majeure’.”
“Unfair! I’m going to make sure they fly economy today!” Xiao Xiong yelled.
Pretending to adjust her backpack, Tian Mengtong made sure no cameras were on her and then accidentally bumped into Xiao Xiong.
“What the f—!”
Unprepared, Xiao Xiong stumbled a couple of steps toward the business class boarding lane and instinctively reached out to grab Chu Xingxing’s arm to keep from falling flat on his face.
But to onlookers, it looked like Xiao Xiong, enraged, was charging over to physically drag people out of the business class lane.
A large flight crew member grabbed Xiao Xiong by the shoulder, blocking him from getting near Chu Xingxing and the others.
“This is disrupting public order! Don’t think that just because you’re celebrities, you can ignore the rules! If you continue interfering with the normal boarding process of other passengers, we have the authority to call airport security! Then none of you will be going anywhere!”
Crew members were already fed up with fan pick-ups, paparazzi, and sasaeng fans constantly disrupting airport order and causing problems for regular travelers.
So when faced with such an arrogant celebrity, his tone was naturally harsh.
[This is really too much. At first, the drama and arguments on Let’s Travel Together seemed entertaining, but now it’s just annoying.]
[Disrupting normal boarding is really low-class. They got upgraded because they were diamond members, the ground staff explained it earlier. It was force majeure.]
[The most absurd thing is that they’re not even from the same show! Why are the people from Let’s Travel Together so obsessed with meddling? First, Tian Mengtong trying to police everyone, accusing someone of wearing fakes and getting humiliated. Now, Xiao Xiong is disrupting normal boarding. They might as well rename the show Let’s Be Weird Together.]
[It feels like the only normal people on Let’s Travel Together are Jiang Chang’an and Cookie. Everyone else seems a bit off…]
[I strongly suspect it’s scripted, but Xiao Xiong’s reaction is just ugly to watch. Hey @Nanmi, come take a look! This guy’s no good!]
[Yeah, @Nanmi, you should check this out! Xiao Xiong even tried to get physical. Watch out, he might be an abuser!]
Xiao Xiong looked genuinely bewildered. “F***! I really didn’t mean to do that! Someone bumped me just now! I wasn’t trying to stop them from boarding; I was just venting my frustration! I’ve got a big mouth, okay? I was wrong, alright!”
The program crew also rushed in to restrain Xiao Xiong, apologizing profusely to the flight staff and asking them not to call the police.
Passengers waiting in the economy line also started pointing and murmuring about Xiao Xiong.
To avoid causing more trouble, the program crew quickly pulled Xiao Xiong to the back of the queue.
This whole ridiculous scene finally ended.
Order was restored at the gate.
—
After all business class passengers had boarded, the crew started boarding economy.
Tian Mengtong and the head director had been waiting first in line.
They needed to upgrade her ticket at the gate.
The head director of Let’s Travel Together nodded to the ground staff lady. “Hello, we’d like to upgrade Ms. Tian’s ticket. We’ll pay with the company credit card.”
Tian Mengtong forced herself to stay awake, managing a weary smile at the staff member.
As she waited, she stretched her neck. She was so tired.
Having never flown economy her entire life, Miss Tian, who had lived two lives now, admitted she had never wanted a business class seat so badly before.
Wuwuwuwu, finally, she could get some good sleep.
“One moment, let me check that for you.”
The ground staff lady, still smiling, typed a few lines quickly, then scanned the screen.
Then, she handed the credit card and Tian Mengtong’s boarding pass back.
A sense of dread began to creep into Tian Mengtong’s mind.
She slowly clenched her fist, her eyes fixed nervously on the staff member.
The ground staff’s smile remained unchanged, her face unreadable. “I’m sorry, ma’am. Due to two diamond members on this flight, business class is fully booked. I’m afraid we cannot upgrade you at this time.”
Tian Mengtong: ???
