MMJWQC Chapter 17

Translator: Moonlit

Editor: kiki

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㇐This statement is outrageous. The country has been promoting anti-feudalism and anti-superstition for many years. Who are you implying with these words?

㇐Haha, some fans, can’t they just automatically assume their idol is great? There are so many dramas every day, and he’s just posting a Weibo; how does that bother you?

㇐Who doesn’t know that Chu Ruochun is hinting at Jiang Zirong?

㇐To be honest, am I the only one who found Jiang Zirong’s performance in the first episode of ‘Top Scholar’ very strange? Scholars need to think when writing their answers, but she doesn’t need to at all. It’s like she’s a robot, just input the question, and she can automatically give the answer. And I think her body is a bit strange; her face seems to change.

㇐It’s hard not to support the comments above; I also find it strange. In other programs, when she’s selling the scholar image, it’s different from her usual self. One time on a certain Blue Star platform variety show, the production team tested them on vocabulary, and she always spoke in a very rare and obscure manner, as if she was afraid we wouldn’t know she was a top scholar. And she doesn’t seem to think normally; wouldn’t normal people pause?

㇐I’m not a top scholar, so I don’t understand the realm of top scholars.

㇐Our school has academic gods, but whether it’s solving problems or debating, they all think.

㇐It’s not that Jiang Zirong is not good, it’s just that there’s a feeling of discord all over her. Look, she’s a top scholar, she has acting skills, she has a great body, and everything she does is top-notch. Even in the variety show, she absolutely has to come in first place, and she even has to run faster than the male guests. And her chest is quite big, isn’t it uncomfortable for a girl with a big chest to run that fast? It would be uncomfortable.

㇐Listening to your analysis, it seems to make a lot of sense! I’m going to go back and review her footage.

Chu Ruochun didn’t pay much attention to how many people were affected by his Weibo post. His purpose in posting on Weibo was simply to hope that Jiang Zirong wouldn’t continue making mistakes, and in the end, she would have to taste the consequences herself.

People always have desires, and there will always be unsatisfied people. Most people know how to restrain themselves, while some will expand their desires. As they say, desires are insatiable, and when desires cannot be satisfied, they will often take crooked paths.

Chu Ruochun still lived a laid-back life of sending his brother to school and picking him up, and the only change was that Chu Ruolin insisted on getting up every morning to meditate with Chu Ruochun, and he did it with enthusiasm.

To make the meditation more ritualistic, Chu Ruochun even bought matching white practice robes for both of them, along with two meditation cushions.

Chu Ruolin really liked this novel experience. His big brother was different from before, but he liked it. There were new surprises every day.

This morning, Chu Ruochun taught Chu Ruolin the basics of breath control. Of course, the little one was still young, so learning the most basic techniques was enough.

Around seven o’clock in the morning, their doorbell rang.

Chu Ruochun and Chu Ruolin returned from their meditation state.

Chu Ruolin, being a restless child, climbed up from the cushion and said, “I’ll get it!”

Chu Ruochun said, “Go ahead.”

The person who came in was a young man in his early twenties. He was the assistant that Fang Ming had arranged for Chu Ruochun. He couldn’t accompany Chu Ruochun to the variety show recordings every day, so occasionally, he handled some miscellaneous matters.

“Mr. Chu, my name is Yang Ran.”

“Just call me Ruochun; there’s no need to call me Mr. Chu,” Chu Ruochun offered him a glass of water. “You probably haven’t had water this morning; moisten your throat first.”

Yang Ran was somewhat pleasantly surprised, saying, “Thank you”. He had a somewhat ordinary appearance, and he didn’t know how Chu Ruochun knew that he hadn’t even had a glass of water since he got up in the morning. This was the gentlest glass of water he had ever tasted, as sweet as if honey had been added to it.

Chu Ruochun said to Chu Ruolin, “I’ll cook noodles for you.”

Chu Ruolin finally mustered the courage to say, “Brother, can we have dumplings tomorrow? I don’t want noodles.”

Chu Ruochun regretfully told him, “But I only know how to make noodles.”

Yang Ran suggested, “I can cook rice. How about I make it?”

Chu Ruochun politely said, “That would be too kind of you.”

It was Yang Ran’s first day as Chu Ruochun’s assistant, and he was still in a proactive state. “This is my job.”

The new assistant didn’t say much, but he was diligent, and most importantly, Chu Ruolin finally got to eat something other than noodles, which was a miraculous and heartwarming experience. He prayed for the assistant to stay, and his wish came true. Yang Ran became Chu Ruochun’s assistant.

㇐

After Chu Ruochun sent Chu Ruolin to school, he took Yang Ran to the recording location for the second episode of “Coincidentally, I Like You Too.”

This variety show didn’t require them to endure the elements outside; all they had to do was sit and chat.

They were all gossip-loving individuals from the entertainment industry, and within a week, they had already heard about Chu Ruochun and Feng Qi, as well as the drama between Chu Ruochun and Jiang Zirong. However, it was an unspoken understanding among everyone, and no one brought it up.

Everyone took their seats ahead of time, but Chu Ruochun still sat in the same spot as the previous episode, even his notebook from back then was still on the table, untouched by anyone.

Today, Feng Qi wasn’t the last to arrive; he came quite early, entering the recording location right after Chu Ruochun.

Wei Su, upon seeing Feng Qi, had stars in her eyes. “Feng ge, you look so handsome today!”

“Thank you, I look this handsome every day,” Feng Qi joked, glancing subtly at Chu Ruochun, who happened to be looking up at that moment.

“Feng ge,” Chu Ruochun addressed him, changing his tone as is customary in the entertainment industry when addressing seniors, “You look very vibrant today.”

While others praised his looks, Chu Ruochun complimented his vitality.

Among the six guests, only Wei Su and Chu Ruochun were relatively younger, and there was actually a subtle competitive relationship between the two.

“Feng ge just finished his makeup. How can you tell if his complexion is good or not?” Wei Su asked Chu Ruochun intentionally, making it sound like a joke, but in reality, she was setting a trap for him, a rhythm where saying ‘it’s not good’ would offend someone.

Chu Ruochun glanced at Wei Su and replied, “Because I don’t need to lie to him.”

Feng Qi took his seat, with Chu Ruochun diagonally across from him. From his perspective, he could see Chu Ruochun’s profile. This was the fourth time he had seen Chu Ruochun and each time, the feeling was different. Today, it seemed like Chu Ruochun wasn’t as bothersome.

“I’ve been sleeping well lately,” Feng Qi concluded the topic raised by Wei Su.

Wei Su lost interest in continuing and turned to talk to the just-arrived He Yanlang.

The host, Tang Yujia, signaled that it was time to start filming, and thankfully, there was no delay.

The filming began.

Tang Yujia remained professional. As soon as she started, she got into work mode. “Do you all remember the six boys and girls from the last episode?”

Everyone nodded, confirming that they remembered.

“Who left the deepest impression on each of you?”

He Yanlang said, “The first male, very handsome.”

Feng Qi said, “The second male. He gives off a cheerful vibe, a sunshine boy.’”

Wei Su said, “The one who left the deepest impression on me was the second female. She’s very sweet, and when she smiles, she reminds me a bit of one of my group members.”

Everyone took their turns to answer, and it was Chu Ruochun’s turn. “Female three is very impressive. She’ll get three votes this time.”

Tang Yujia laughed and said, “Ruochun, I appreciate your confidence, but our theme for this episode is a professional reveal, which will definitely influence their choices.”

Chu Ruochun replied, “Then let’s wait and see.”

His tone was gentle, and when his voice slightly rose at the end, it made people feel that he was in a good mood, not challenging the host.

“OK, if you lose, your rose emblem goes to us,” Tang Yujia suggested.

“If I win, do I get everyone’s rose emblems?” Chu Ruochun proposed.

A harmless little bet that everyone found amusing. They all joined in on the wager.

Tang Yujia said, “One from each of us.”

Feng Qi, however, declared, “If I lose, I’ll give you all of mine.”

He Yanlang chimed in, “Feng Qi, last week, you didn’t get a single match, so you don’t have any rose emblems.”

Chu Ruochun added, “Feng ge doesn’t even have the qualification to bet. How about I give you one for starters?”

Feng Qi was annoyed, “I won’t rely on handouts. I’ll earn my rose emblems on my own. I don’t believe I can’t even earn one.”

Chu Ruochun said, “You really won’t be able to earn them.”

Everyone burst into laughter at Feng Qi’s cute and different image from his previous “male god” appearance.

He Yanlang laughed the loudest, saying, “Hahaha! I can’t wait to see Ruochun’s prophecy!”

Tang Yujia brought the discussion back on track. “Next, we will show a few short clips, and everyone can guess the professions of these six young people. Each of you can make one guess.”

They started playing the clips, and some professions were quite obvious, while others were less clear.

Feng Qi suggested, “The first guy looks like an artist, maybe an art teacher?”

He Yanlang said, “The first girl probably owns her own company; she has a strong presence.”

Tang Yujia commented, “The second guy looks like a student.”

Wei Su added, “The second girl seems to be related to fashion.”

Professor Zhao said, “The third guy is definitely a business owner, probably in the finance industry.”

Chu Ruochun chimed in, “The third girl is an embroiderer.”

He Yanlang said, “An embroiderer? It kind of makes sense, she has that kind of aura.”

Tang Yujia concluded, “Whether your guesses are correct or not doesn’t matter. Let’s start today’s love nest and see what progress they’ve made.”

In fact, the process of the program is quite ordinary. Dating variety shows focus on the emotional entanglements between men and women – who likes whom, who is pursuing whom, who is more proactive, who is more passive, who uses cheesy pickup lines, and who tries to be cool.

In conclusion, the interactions between the young men and women made the six guests feel more youthful in their outlook.

“Guy number one is so handsome! He woke up early to prepare breakfast for everyone and heated up milk. Isn’t that heartwarming?”

“Guy number three has a slim figure when dressed, but he’s muscular when he undresses. His physique is pretty good. Feng Qi, what do you think? Whose physique is better, his or yours?”

“Why even ask? Of course, it’s Feng ge. I’ve seen him in a shirtless fight scene!”

“Yeah, I think my physique is better.”

“Come on, guys, guy number three is pretty good too. His profession doesn’t require being on camera.”

“Why does girl number one seem a bit scheming? She deliberately talked to guy number one and blocked girl number two.”

“Girl number three still seems like she has no presence at all. Her attire is obviously more conservative compared to girl number one and girl number two.”

“She can’t show too much skin.”

Chu Ruochun said the last sentence, but everyone was talking at once and didn’t pay much attention.

Tang Yujia continued to steer the conversation, “Wow, we’re about to guess their professions. Let’s see if our earlier guesses were correct!”

“Guy number one is actually an original character designer for a gaming company! Feng Qi was close to guessing it right.”

“All three of these men wanted to know girl number three’s profession at the same time. Was it Chu Ruochun who said she’s an embroiderer?”

Chu Ruochun: “Yeah, that’s what I said.”

Wei Su: “It doesn’t look like it to me. I think she’s more like a pottery artist.”

After a lot of mutual guessing among the young people in the video, girl number three finally revealed her profession: “I am Su Xiu, an intangible cultural heritage inheritor of embroidery.”

Tang Yujia exclaimed, “Wow, she really is an embroiderer! Ruochun, you’re amazing. How did you figure it out?”

Chu Ruochun replied, “Her posture while sitting was different from the other girls, and she showed her fingers while cooking.”

He Yanlang: “Indeed, her temperament matches well with it. Being an intangible cultural heritage inheritor is impressive.”

Chu Ruochun: “There are probably even more impressive ones.”

The program moved on to the most anticipated segment, the pairing.

Today, as usual, it was every man for himself. The guests wrote their answers on the answer board, and Tang Yujia announced them one by one.

First, the female candidates were revealed, and then the male candidates.

For the females, it was quite clear, without any suspense. Now it was the males’ turn!

Tang Yujia said, “Let’s see if there will be any changes in the recipients of the text messages after the reveal of their professions today!”

The first guy sent his message to girl number three.

The second guy also chose girl number three.

The third guy, again, sent his message to girl number three.

He Yanlang jumped up in shock, exclaiming, “What! Our girl number one and girl number two are outstanding too. Why didn’t they choose them? What’s wrong with these three guys? They were all bubbly and pink when interacting with the other two. Why did they still choose number three?”

Wei Su intentionally asked Chu Ruochun, “Ruochun, you previously said that the three guys would still choose number three. Did you really not get the answers from the director?”

This time, others began to criticize Chu Ruochun as well.

Wei Su: “How did you figure it out?”

“Guy number three is obviously into girl number two. Cute and lovely is his type, but in the end, he still chose girl number three.”

“I don’t understand young people these days!”

Chu Ruochun took out three rose stamps from his small box and tossed them onto the table. “That’s exactly how I chose.”

Everyone thought he was quite hasty, but they had no idea about the complexities behind it. However, it did resolve Wei Su’s trap.

The second episode ended with Chu Ruochun gaining several more rose stamps and Feng Qi still ending up with goose eggs. Feng Qi not only couldn’t understand guys, but he also couldn’t figure out girls, writing in the opposite direction most of the time, having his own unique ideas.

The highlight today, as usual, was Chu Ruochun and Feng Qi. Others couldn’t compete with them in terms of jealousy. If they had to blame someone, it would be themselves for not having Chu Ruochun’s skills and Feng Qi’s misfortune.

They figured out that as long as they chose the opposite of Feng Qi, there was a good chance the answer would be correct.

The recording ended just around noon. The guests were more familiar with each other than the last time and were comfortable joking around off-camera.

Chu Ruochun exchanged WeChat contacts with Tang Yujia and He Yanlang.

Feng Qi purposely kept his phone ready for Chu Ruochun to scan his QR code, but all he got was Chu Ruochun saying they would meet next time.

The two of them left the recording venue, with Feng Qi getting into his car with a displeased expression. However, when Chu Ruochun knocked on his car window as he was about to leave the parking lot, Feng Qi’s expression changed.

“Feng ge, can I add you on WeChat?”

Chu Ruochun had a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, his demeanor very gentle and non-confrontational. This was the part of Chu Ruochun that Feng Qi couldn’t truly dislike no matter what.

He relaxed his eyebrows and didn’t ask Chu Ruocun why he hadn’t added him earlier. Asking would make it seem like he cared too much.

“Alright, let’s add each other.” Feng Qi skillfully opened his QR code.

Both of them successfully added each other on WeChat.

Chu Ruochun said, “Goodbye.”

Feng Qi wanted to say something more, but Chu Ruochun cut him off and left with a cool nod. Inside, he felt satisfied.

It was halfway through the car ride when he realized why he had added Chu Ruochun on WeChat.

Meanwhile, Chu Ruochun, who had added Feng Qi on WeChat, returned to his car as usual, showing no difference in demeanor. However, Yang Ran asked him, “Chu Ge, when you were adding other people on WeChat just now, why didn’t you add the Movie Emperor’s WeChat?”

Chu Ruochun pondered for a moment and then suddenly smiled, saying, “It’s just for fun.”

Yang Ran: “…” He could tell that Chu Ruochun was indeed able to ensure that Feng Qi wouldn’t reject him. Dealing with people in the entertainment industry was quite challenging.

㇐

Just after recording the second episode, the first episode of “Coincidentally, I Like You Too” was broadcast.

Chu Ruochun cooperated with the show’s promotion by reposting the promotional Weibo for the first episode and adding a sentence.

[“Destiny determines love, and one shouldn’t force what’s not meant to be.”]

The show hadn’t received much promotion from the production team before, but when Feng Qi, who rarely posted on Weibo, shared it, the program suddenly gained popularity. Chu Ruochun’s presence was also noted.

Wait a minute, didn’t they say they wouldn’t play up a CP? Why are they appearing on the same show?

Chu Ruochun’s appearance on the show naturally sparked controversy, mainly because his level of fame was far below that of the other five guests.

Many viewers who watched the program didn’t know who Chu Ruochun was. Some even wondered if he had just debuted recently. 

㇐Wow, this guy has such great resources. He’s just debuted, and he’s already collaborating with so many A-listers.

During the show, some viewers thought Chu Ruochun was trying too hard to stand out. However, after seeing the results, it seemed like Feng Qi should have been the one making more effort, right?

In summary, Chu Ruochun didn’t get the answers from the director; he came up with them himself!

And, Feng Qi is so funny!

㇐Haha, Feng Ge must be laughing his head off. How did he manage to completely avoid the correct answers?

㇐Duck egg! It’s said that Feng Ge was a top student back in the day, so why is he so clueless about guessing people’s romantic feelings?

㇐Hey, Feng Ge is talking about learning to fall in love. Who is he going to date?

㇐We don’t pry into Big Brother’s private life. His happiness is what matters most.

㇐Can this Chu Ruochun stop overshadowing our Feng Ge? Recently, wherever Feng Ge goes on variety shows, this guy is there, it’s getting annoying.

㇐Am I the only one wondering why Female Three is so quiet and passive yet managed to capture the interest of three male guests?

㇐Am I the only one curious about how Chu Ruochun knew that Female Three received messages from three male guests?

㇐He’s so amazing! Can’t wait for the next episode!

㇐Why bother asking? It must have been answers provided by the production team. Even Professor Zhao couldn’t figure it out. Come on, who would believe it?

㇐I don’t believe it either.

Chu Ruochun didn’t pay much attention to the ups and downs on the internet. After posting his Weibo, he took Chu Ruolin out to indulge in some junk food.

After the meal, Chu Ruolin jumped around in the small amusement park set up in the mall, while Chu Ruochun stood by, recording his joyful smiles on video.

During the recording, Fang Ming’s phone call was interrupted. He urgently asked, “Ruochun, tell me now, what’s going on with you and your uncle?”

“My uncle? What happened to him?”

“He and your aunt recorded a video, crying and accusing you of being heartless, taking over their family property, and wanting to kick them out to sleep on the streets!”

“Anything else?”

“Now, netizens have started trending against you again. Why does this always happen at times like these?” Fang Ming was frustrated.

For a newcomer who was just about to rise to fame, this kind of situation would undoubtedly damage their reputation.

“I understand. I will handle it,” Chu Ruochun replied calmly, showing no signs of panic.

Fang Ming sighed, feeling like he was dealing with a crisis. “The emperor is not in a hurry, but the eunuch is.”

Chu Ruochun watched Chu Ruolin slide into the ball pit with a joyful expression, waving his slender arms at him.

“Brother! Can I play for another half an hour, please?”

Chu Ruochun smiled and nodded, “Of course.”

He would make sure to reclaim everything that belonged to Chu Ruochun.

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