The production team was very thoughtful, choosing a scenic spot that was well-known locally.
The scenery here was indeed beautiful. Even the scorching summer seemed to soften as they passed through, with the wind flowing through layers of overlapping leaves, rustling softly.
Their picnic spot was by a small stream, and the gentle sound of the water made even the cicadas’ buzzing seem gentle in the background.
Since it was a weekday, there weren’t many tourists around. From a glance, only a few scattered small tents could be seen. By the time they reached the place where they planned to set up their tents, other people’s voices were basically inaudible.
Li Wan had hardly ever gone on a picnic with friends. Back in high school, there was a picnic organized by her uncle’s family.
At that time, her aunt had said that having one more person would cost a lot more, so Li Wan lied, saying she had to prepare for next week’s exams, and didn’t go.
Now that they had arrived, her excitement bubbled over. She sniffed around here and there on her leash, while Chi Yan walked slowly behind her, leash in hand, making it look like the little kitten was taking the foolish human for a walk.
*Meow meow!*
When she saw a small bug, she tugged twice to break free and pounced toward it—but she knew her limits. She understood that running around recklessly as a little kitten could be dangerous. She would run a little and then stop, sitting still to wait for her butler.
【Folks… I don’t know if I should say this.】
【Haha, if you won’t say it, I will. Brother Chi really looks like he’s being walked by Wanwan like a big dog!】
【Damn it!】
【It’s actually a bit cute!!】
Once they reached the spot, they began setting up the tents themselves. They planned to pitch three tents in total. Du Qingqing and Li Xiaoyun, the two girls, were arranging the picnic mats.
The animals were tied nearby, but Li Wan had more freedom. When she got tired of playing around, she would go bother her butler.
It was quite amusing.
Li Wan tilted her head, looking at the man silently indulging her.
Humans were such fickle creatures. She still remembered how disgusted Chi Yan had looked when they first met, and yet, in such a short time, he was now indulging her like this.
Sigh.
Indeed, what the netizens said was right: if someone at home doesn’t approve of keeping a little kitten, just hand them over to the kitten!
The kitten will soon tame the disobedient human!!
And she just happened to be the cutest, most sensible little kitten in the world!!
The little cat puffed up its chest proudly.
After tidying up, the guests settled around, chatting casually.
Although everyone still didn’t feel very close to Fu Shilin, the relaxed environment made the atmosphere far less stiff than before. Even Du Qingqing had unintentionally exchanged a few words with Fu Shilin.
Everyone was leisurely, except for…
Li Wan looked toward her butler.
He hadn’t really said much.
Although the little kitten knew that the two-legger weren’t exactly virtuous, he usually maintained a good facade in front of others.
Now, however, he didn’t seem interested in pretending and kept daydreaming.
The little kitten blinked and quietly observed him.
Xixi walked over and invited her: “Mama said she’ll take me to the shallow water to catch fish. Do you want to come?”
Li Wan hesitated. Although the idea of playing in the water with Mama Qingqing was tempting…
She looked at her butler and declined: “Never mind, you go ahead.”
Xixi tried to persuade her again but, following her gaze, instantly fell silent.
Well, it wasn’t unaware. This kitten only liked to stick to her own butler.
Xixi walked over to follow Du Qingqing, who waved at Li Wan: “We’ll be back soon. I’ll bring some little fish for Wanwan!”
The other guests were also occupied with their own things. Li Wan glanced around, finally stood up, shook her fur, and jumped onto her human’s lap.
*Meow meow?*
—”What are you thinking?”
Hearing the sound, Chi Yan’s thoughts were abruptly pulled back, and his gaze landed on the little kitten in his arms.
Her eyes were truly beautiful—moist, clear, without any impurities, like a fine piece of craftsmanship that reflected brilliant light under the sun.
He paused. The little kitten hadn’t really done anything, but at that moment, he inexplicably felt a gentle warmth in his chest.
It was as if a beggar walking through a harsh winter night suddenly received a precious ray of sunlight.
He curved his lips slightly and said in a calm tone: “I wasn’t thinking anything.”
Indeed, he wasn’t thinking of anything in particular. He was just recalling some events from long ago, so distant they now felt dreamlike.
Back when he was still in kindergarten.
At that time, his father hadn’t had the accident, and his family was the kind people envied for their perfect life. His mother still treated him well.
They had once had a picnic here too, just less than fifty meters from this spot.
Over the years, the basic infrastructure of the scenic area hadn’t changed much. The trees and plants were the same, the stream was the same, and even the sunlight filtering through the dense leaves now was almost identical to how he remembered it.
In a daze,
He seemed to be back there.
He had only wandered a little farther out of curiosity. If someone came near, his mother would gently call him back.
It was as beautiful as sunlight playing on bubbles.
But now, everything was different.
The man’s dark peach-blossom eyes dimmed slightly, and the corners of his lips quietly straightened a little.
Li Wan saw it clearly.
For some reason, her own eyes began to sting as well. She really didn’t like seeing her butler show that kind of expression.
She wasn’t stupid. Even if Chi Yan never said it directly, she could more or less guess what it was about.
Nothing more than that biological mother who pushed all the blame onto a young child and then mercilessly abandoned him.
Li Wan pursed her lips.
She couldn’t understand it no matter how she thought about it.
Her own parents also passed away when she was very young. Back then, her family had a small business. Her father made a bad investment and lost a lot of money. In a rush to get to the company, he got into a car accident.
Her father lay in a hospital bed for half a year. Her mother ran everywhere for money during that time. When her father eventually couldn’t hold on and passed away, her mother—crushed beneath a mountain of debt—chose to end her own life. Even then, they were still thinking about her.
To make sure she could grow up healthy and safe, her mother paid off as much debt as she could. Afraid that loan sharks would come looking for her daughter, she transferred Li Wan’s household registration to her uncle and publicly claimed she was his child.
Later, she entrusted her to her uncle, and worried that her aunt might mistreat her, she gave her uncle’s family a lot of money.
Maybe her parents lacked the ability, but Li Wan had always been certain of one thing since childhood: they loved her very much.
Comparing that to this, she understood even less. Her two‑legger was also a piece of flesh that came from his mother. How could that woman treat him like that?
How could a mother be so heartless?
And it wasn’t as though that woman didn’t know how to be a mother. On the contrary, hadn’t she been doing just fine playing mother to Fu Shilin?
Li Wan shook her head slightly, sighed, then lifted her little head and pressed her fluffy ears against the man’s neck.
*Meow. Meow meow.*
—”Don’t be sad. This little cat will always be here with you.”
Fu Shilin looked around, making sure none of the guests were paying attention to him, then sneakily stood up and followed the direction Du Qingqing had left in earlier.
He hadn’t walked far before he saw Du Qingqing sitting on a stone protruding from the creek, playing in the water.
Today she wore a mint‑green long dress, her smooth hair braided and draped over her chest. She had lifted her dress, and her fair calves were submerged in the crystal‑clear stream. She looked just like an elegant, pure ancient‑style washerwoman.
His taste was truly impeccable.
Such a Du Qingqing, only he was worthy of her. How could that bastard Chi Yan possibly compete with him?!
A heavy possessiveness gradually filled his gaze as he stared fixedly at Du Qingqing’s back.
It was Xixi who noticed him first. The cat tensed up, swimming from the center of the creek to the rock, shaking off water while glaring at him warily: *Meow!!*
Hearing the sound, Du Qingqing looked over and saw him. She seemed surprised, but also as though she really didn’t want to see him. She frowned. “Fu Shilin? Did you come for something?”
Fu Shilin forced himself to take a few steps forward. “Qingqing, can’t I come find you even if I don’t have anything to say?”
Du Qingqing was speechless and rolled her eyes at him, not bothering to look again.
A knife twisted in Fu Shilin’s heart, and at the same time, he hated Chi Yan even more—hated him so much he wanted to eat his flesh and drink his blood, wanted to see him hated by the whole internet and never recover for the rest of his life.
Du Qingqing used to treat him very well. If it weren’t for that damned Chi Yan, they might already be together.
Fu Shilin took a deep breath and forced a smile.
“Qingqing, I came to explain things clearly.
“I know your impression of me right now must be terrible. But I really like you. I know you used to have feelings for me too. It’s only because of the things that happened lately that you…”
He gave a bitter smile. “What I said yesterday wasn’t my true intention. I like you—I respect you—”
The more he talked, the more wronged he felt. His eyes even reddened as he acted, adjusting his posture so that the more pitiful half of his face faced her.
He felt he had already done everything he could. Du Qingqing was so soft‑hearted, there was no way she wouldn’t forgive him!
However—
Du Qingqing cut him off directly. “Enough.”
Her expression was calm, as though his tear‑filled, heart‑splitting speech stirred nothing in her.
“Fu Shilin.
“Don’t you think the things you’re saying sound ridiculous? I know exactly what kind of person you are. You don’t need to put on a show in front of me.
“From the way you treated Qiu Tian before, I already saw you clearly. We’re not suitable. We shouldn’t be together.
“As for the things you said yesterday, whether they were sincere or not, you know that very well. I’ll just consider it a misjudgment on my part. No need for explanations.”
Fu Shilin froze.
He had expected her impression of him to be bad, but he never imagined she had already decided not to give him any chance.
All his earlier confidence evaporated, replaced by panic.
“Qingqing—
“I’ve already explained the past. I’ve already clarified things for the fans…”
Du Qingqing remained indifferent. “I saw your clarification. Whether it reflects the truth, you know better than anyone.”
Fu Shilin stiffened. He felt as if even his soul had turned cold. His lips moved, but no words came out.
After a long silence, like something suddenly snapped in his mind, his expression twisted.
“Du Qingqing, don’t push me.
“Don’t forget who I am! Someone like you, being liked by me is your blessing! With just one sentence from me, you can forget about ever surviving in this industry again!!”
Fu Shilin waited for the girl in front of him to show a look of fear, but no matter how long he waited, Du Qingqing’s expression remained calm.
She sighed, her tone still cold:
“Do as you please.
“Young Master Fu, it seems you still don’t really understand me. Honestly, if you had said something like this earlier, I might have actually been scared.
“You know I love acting. My goal is to become as excellent an actor as Brother Chi. If you threatened me, telling me I couldn’t act anymore, I might indeed have been afraid. But now…”
She smiled.
“I’ve thought it through.
“Acting is my passion, but it’s not my whole life. If I can’t act, I’ll feel regret, but I won’t regret my choice.”
Fu Shilin’s gaze froze.
Suddenly, he felt fear.
The Du Qingqing in front of him seemed no longer to be the girl he had imagined. After experiencing so much in the entertainment industry, she was still herself, but she had already grown.
He couldn’t threaten her.
Fu Shilin clenched his fists tightly. A sense of panic, as if he were about to lose something important, spread through his entire body. He couldn’t help but take a step forward: “Du Qingqing!”
Du Qingqing frowned slightly, but her tone remained steady:
“Fu Shilin.
“We’re on the show, the variety program is still live, countless people are watching. What exactly are you planning to do?”
“!!!”
Fu Shilin seemed to be jolted awake by her words. His face turned pale, and he immediately turned and ran backward.
Only after he had gone far did Du Qingqing slowly retract her gaze.
She actually felt a bit regretful.
She had never denied that she once had feelings for Fu Shilin. She had thought that, despite his high status, he had a pure heart and that his liking for her came from genuine affection.
But now…
She shook her head and lowered it, starting to use a towel to slowly dry Xixi’s wet fur.
Today, Li Wan had been taking care of her butler’s mood all day.
She was afraid her butler would feel upset thinking about his biological mother, so she clung to him, trying to cheer him up, completely unaware that as she tried to please him, a faint smile gradually grew in his peach-blossom-shaped eyes.
On the other side, Li Xiaoyun and Zhou Jia noticed and exchanged a glance, both finding it quite amusing.
Teacher Chi seemed like a very aloof person, but privately, he was actually quite fun, teasing the little cat until she was completely fixated on him.
The little cat’s attention was limited, and since it was all given to her butler, there was hardly any left for anyone else.
So, when they returned, she suddenly realized she hadn’t seen Fu Shilin for a while.
Huh?
She was a bit curious.
Logically, with Mama Qingqing present, why would that annoying guy have left first?
Just then, she heard the voices of the director and assistant director:
“I really can’t stand it. Fu Shilin, why did I even agree to let him join this variety show?!
“Our show never intended to make much money! And now look at this mess!!
“And Qiu Tian—damn it. He was just a stray dog. Originally, he would have been euthanized for not being adopted, and we brought him onto the show to do a good deed. And now look! Qiu Tian would have been better off dead!!
“Ah, I really didn’t expect him to be this kind of person. He looks all proper, but he’s so cruel to dogs!!”
“I’ll find Qiu Tian a new home as soon as possible.”
“Not just Qiu Tian. Honestly, I can’t stand this. When we get back, you talk to Fu Shilin’s agent about canceling the contract. I swear!!”
“But their Fu family…”
“Their Fu family? Just return the money, find new investors. If no investors, then forget it. This was meant to be a public welfare variety show! Damn it!!
“I just can’t believe it. This is a law-abiding society, how can the Fu family just ruin me like this?!
“Sounds like they’re the only ones dominating the market—ugh!”
“……”
Even though they were trying to lower their voices, it was clear that the two directors were extremely frustrated with Fu Shilin’s behavior.
Li Wan’s ears perked up more and more as she listened, but unfortunately, she couldn’t hear clearly beyond that point.
Her curiosity was almost unbearable. What had Fu Shilin done to make the two directors explode like that?
She leaned her head out of the car window, intending to listen more carefully, but in the next second, a large hand pressed her head down and shoved her back into the car.
Chi Yan lowered his gaze at her, his tone casual: “Stay safe.”
His voice was pleasant. Li Wan felt something brush lightly against her heart, and she instantly obeyed, burying her head in her paws.
Wuwuwuwu.
This human was quite charming!
Yet he seemed unaware of anything, reaching out with a slightly cool hand to pinch the tip of her ear.
“!!!!”
Li Wan’s ears were extremely sensitive. The pinch made her shiver, her ears burning as the warmth instantly spread through her whole body, making her feel like her entire little cat body had melted into a puddle.
In a daze, she heard the man chuckle softly and ask, “Why are you so hot? Wanwan?”
Li Wan pressed her lips together, trying to calm her racing heartbeat, pretending to be asleep without a sound.
It wasn’t until they got to the hotel that she finally remembered her curiosity about Fu Shilin. After playing a bit with the two-legger and finishing dinner, she ran back to her room and took out her phone to scroll through Weibo.
What she found was quite shocking. This matter with Fu Shilin isn’t small at all. It directly pushed this variety show to the top of the trending list, with the headline: #Fu Shilin Abuses Dogs#.
Accompanying the article was a live video from the show that hadn’t been edited in time. Qiu Tian was tied to a tree, and Fu Shilin was shown aggressively punching and kicking it, all while cursing and swearing.
The reaction from netizens was intense:
【Holy sh*t!!!】
【This trash is even allowed on a pet variety show?!!】
【I’m seriously disgusted. Who actually believed that garbage’s previous ‘clarifications’? Look at how he’s abusing Qiu Tian!】
【Unbelievable. Why hasn’t the production team kicked him off yet?!】
【Why else? It’s because his family is rich!!】
【Wasn’t the Fu family already investigated last time? They got caught, yet so many people still praise him?!】
【It’s just a dog! You guys are cyberbullying our brother over a dog? Can you not be so disgusting!】
【What is his studio even doing? Send these people a lawyer’s notice already!!】
【Little girl, study more before coming out to fangirl.】
【This kind of person even has fans?! It’s because people like him are still active in the entertainment industry that others copy this kind of pet abuse!!】
【I beg CCTV1 to pay attention and just ban this dog-abusing trash!!】
【Can the production team have any conscience? They’re getting all this viewership and hype thanks to the animals, yet they let Fu Shilin abuse them!!!】
Soon after, the show’s production team released an announcement, roughly stating that Fu Shilin’s behavior was indeed excessive. They strongly condemned his actions, decided to terminate his contract citing breach, and would sue him for damages.
At this point, Fu Shilin’s pet abuse was indisputable. No matter how much some of his younger fans tried to justify him, it was useless. The number of his followers plummeted.
Because the Fu Corporation had already been reported previously, they didn’t dare openly support him this time; at most, they secretly hired a few internet commenters to give him some backing.
But this time, public anger was undeniable. Fu Shilin had been nailed to the pillar of pet-abuse shame. The more people defended him, the angrier netizens became, practically wishing to tear him apart alive.
Even Fu Shilin, who had quickly clarified via live broadcast last time, inexplicably didn’t respond this time. Many fans had been waiting for him to explain, but seeing him act like this, they lost all patience.
What’s there to wait for? Clearly, he felt guilty.
Many fans now considered him a fraud. He not only abused a pet but also deceived them and broke their trust. They immediately unfollowed and lashed out at him, harsher than some random strangers would.
For a time, Fu Shilin became a public enemy. Even some notorious entertainers quietly posted criticisms of him, using it to build their own image of integrity.
Li Wan had never felt so satisfied online. Netizens had practically tailored a meme just for her feelings: (The thrill of seeing someone you’ve always disliked finally exposed for being as bad as you thought!.jpg)
Although she didn’t actively join in the cursing, she registered an account and quietly liked all the critical comments under his Weibo posts, scrolling and clicking along happily. She was overjoyed. It was so satisfying!!!
When her butler finally returned to the room, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. She hopped over without even putting on her shoes:
“Brother!!
“Look! Quick, look!!!”
Chi Yan lowered his gaze along with her pointing, his eyes landing first on the girl’s sparkling apricot-colored eyes, and he paused.
Li Wan didn’t notice anything odd and continued excitedly.
“It’s Fu Shilin! He’s been exposed!!
“Everyone knows he abused Qiu Tian, and the production team announced they’ve terminated his contract!! We won’t have to see him for the next few days!!”
Chi Yan raised an eyebrow but wasn’t surprised at all.
Or, to be precise, he had perhaps played a tiny part in pushing things along.
- CCTV (China Central Television) is the national tv broadcaster in China. ↩︎