Translator: translationraven
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“Tsk. Useless bums. Fortunately for you, I have leftovers. I was going to feed them to the sheep here but it looks like I’ll have to give them to you guys now! Don’t be shy — come eat.”
Song Yucheng tossed the packaged food onto the table carelessly after saying that. The eyes with which he looked at Chu Rong and his group held contempt, like he was looking at stray dogs begging for food at his doorstep.
The expressions of everyone, including Chu Rong, turned ugly immediately.
“What do you mean by that!” Li Zhao went from listless to wide-eyed anger instantly. Song Yucheng had overwhelmed him yesterday and he was still bothered by it, so being despised by that Song Yucheng right now made him lose all reason and he disregarded all else.
The rest of the group could not stand the humiliation either, and the two girls’ eyes were red with anger.
The bullet screen exploded with comments right away.
“Is this Song Yucheng a mad dog? Does he bite everyone he sees?”
“Nope. I’m out. That d*ckhead is giving them food? Is this some deliberate arrangement by the production crew?”
“I’m really… I can see that Chu Rong and the others were raised well. I would kill this little sh*t if I were them!”
95% of the people tuning in to the main broadcast had not seen how Song Yucheng had earned his money, and only seen Chu Rong and his group run about torturously all morning under the hot sun.
This was why they hurled scoldings right away when they saw Song Yucheng bully the others.
The occasional bullet comment trying to explain that Song Yucheng earned the money himself was overlooked in the barrage.
What Song Yucheng did next fanned the flames of the viewers’ anger further, and made Chu Rong and his group feel even worse about themselves.
Song Yucheng took out the rest of the money from his pocket and deliberately waved it about in their faces. There was over a hundred yuan. “You useless trash!” he said in contempt.
“F*ck, YOU are the useless trash… Wait. How did you get the money?” Li Zhao could not believe what he was seeing. His first reaction was to wonder if the production crew had given Song Yucheng some sort of help.
Song Yucheng was a person of despicable status in Li Zhao’s opinion, but he was a person who had a lot of money poured into him by Xu Muzhi after all. He might have been even more terribly spoiled than the young masters and ladies themselves.
They had five people on their end, but not one of them had had any luck after running from door to door under the hot sun for hours. Song Yucheng, on the other hand, was now very comfortably and smugly telling him that he had made money on his own. Li Zhao could not accept this.
His first reaction was to question the validity of what he’d said, and he even went to the production crew to ask them about it. He just could not believe that he could lose to a mere plaything.
However, the production crew told him right away that Song Yucheng had clearly earned his money through his own efforts, and had not gone against any rules in doing so. The production crew had not given him any help and he had relied on his own wits.
So following that logic, were the five of them dumb*sses?
The flames of Li Zhao’s anger burnt hotter. He glared at Song Yucheng and wished with all his might that he could tear him limb from limb.
Song Yucheng did seem to care. He raised an eyebrow and said in provocation, “Hah. Useless.”
He was leaning against the doorframe of the courtyard entrance, and his haughty, mightier-than-thou attitude stung the eyes easily. What rankled most was the ease with which he wielded his superiority. It put a natural pressure on others, and also gave them the faint impression that he was playing with them.
Argh, he was insufferable!
Chu Rong had been silent the whole time, observing Song Yucheng’s expressions closely. A subtle competitiveness rose in his heart, putting him at a loss.
But Song Yucheng didn’t pay him much attention. Seeing that the people in the courtyard were all keeping their silence, he called the landlord over right in front of them and paid the rent for the remaining two days. He then pointed to the food on the table and said in his usual mocking voice, “Don’t be deadweights.”
When he brushed shoulders with Li Zhao, he also deliberated whispered in his ear, “Don’t you think this is amusing, Young Master Li? I’m a kept pet in Beijing, but out here, it’s me who’s feeding you guys.” He turned away and went to his own room after saying that, and couldn’t help praising himself for his complete and true to life portrayal of a terrible man.
In the courtyard, Li Zhao was feeling the exact opposite. Crushing shame enveloped him in an instant. He wanted to beat that Song Yucheng up, to hell with the live broadcast! If it weren’t for his weakened hands and feet from the morning’s exertions, he would most definitely have slapped Song Yucheng across the face.
This was a f*cking joke. Him, Li Zhao, a prince of the entertainment circles… had been given a charitable donation by the likes of Song Yucheng!
The pain of his pride being ripped to shreds and trampled upon in public, and the humiliation Li Zhao felt made him feel almost too weak to stand.
He raised his arm and pointed at Song Yucheng’s departing back, shaking with rage as he shouted, “F*ck! I can’t stand it! I’m going to earn money right now!”
“Me too.” The other, younger man had also heard Song Yucheng’s provocation, and he stood too.
They were proud men who would not yield!
The two girls also got to their feet quietly. There was humiliation, and a refusal to accept this humiliation in their eyes.
The spirits which had sunk to the lowest points were suddenly all fired up. These young master and ladies who had been so tired they could not bear to take one step more were once again filled with confidence and determination because of Song Yucheng’s actions. They would find a job by this afternoon, by hook or by crook!
Their intentions were wonderful, but their bodies were in no state to allow them to act.
They had all been pampered and spoiled since childhood, so the exertions they had placed on their bodies, plus their empty bellies stopped them. An uncontrollable hunger held them in its grip, weakening their legs. A tantalising fragrance wafted from the food Song Yucheng had left on the table next to them, eroding the fresh vigor for work they had mustered.
They really were hungry; they had gone without food for a night and a morning. It was hot too, so they would be sure to get in trouble if they ran about outside with empty bellies. So… what should they do now?
Well, this was awkward.
The young men and women stood rooted to the spot, perplexed. No one could come up with the right answer. Finally, Li Zhao steeled his heart, and sat his butt down at the table. He picked up his chopsticks and started eating with shame on his face.
“We will have strength to look for work with full stomachs. Eat up, everyone. We will work hard in the afternoon. If Song Yucheng can make money, then we can too!” Li Zhao shoved food angrily into his mouth, chewing as if he was feasting on Song Yucheng’s flesh.
The others understood what he meant, and they sat at the table too even though they hated themselves for it. It was no time for them to act like they were noble and virtuous now. They had to take care of their bodies before they turned the tables.
“Mm, let’s eat. We’ll remember this humiliation.”
“Yeah! We must earn money later, and throw food in Song Yucheng’s face too when we get back.”
Li Zhao and the other guy were gnashing their teeth as they ate, and the two girls wiped their tears as they chewed. Miraculously, none of them were so aggrieved that they wanted to give up, unlike their prior state in the morning. Instead, they were full of fighting spirit, and ready to take on anything.
The only exception was Chu Rong.
He had not been angered by Song Yucheng’s provocation. Instead, he felt that something was not quite right about Song Yucheng.
Chu Rong felt that these dishes Song Yucheng had brought back for them were just too coincidentally the same as when they had talked about the countryside dishes they wanted to try in the van. Chu Rong could also tell that contrary to what Song Yucheng claimed, these dishes were not leftovers; they were clearly untouched and looked like they had been packed right after they had been freshly prepared.
Just what in the world was Song Yucheng trying to do? What was he scheming?
Chu Rong’s thoughts were in a mess, and he did not move as he watched Song Yucheng’s room window in the distance.
Meanwhile, Song Yucheng’s individual livestream was quiet; it was different from the main live broadcast screen, where the viewers were showing tender concern to Chu Rong and his group, and throwing insults at Song Yucheng. There were netizens watching Song Yucheng, but they did not know what they should comment on.
They had been watching Song Yucheng since morning and knew how he had made that money, and they had also witnessed him cast the dishes aside with disdain, saying that he would feed the food to the sheep. He had then humiliated Li Zhao and the others, and thrown the food to them.
Whatever the reason was, they felt conflicted about his actions. Just the words he had spoken were enough for him to be ridiculed for life if screenshots were taken.
Even so, they were still not saying a negative word about him; they had this faint feeling of not being able to bear to do so.
In total contrast to the kiddos stuffing their faces, Song Yucheng swayed weakly as soon as he entered his room, and only regained his balance by supporting himself with the doorframe. Right after that, he went to lie flat his bed; he had not even taken off his shoes. The sight of him made the viewers worry.
Song Yucheng’s face was a little too pale. His lips, too, were pale, and he was obviously very tired.
Come to think of it, Chu Rong and his group had had a tough morning, but Song Yucheng had not had rest either. He had also been exposed to the heat of the sun as he worked, and he had not eaten yet.
“Aah, Song Yucheng can be quite likeable if he holds his tongue and is quiet.” A comment popped up on the bullet screen, and it was quickly met with agreement.
“Yep. He’s terrible once he opens his mouth, and it’s no use no matter how handsome or talented he is.”
“IMO, Song Yucheng has a screw loose. He didn’t eat all those dishes and here he is lying down now. Is he trying to act pitiful or something? He’s hilarious. He insulted Li Zhao and the others so viciously in the courtyard earlier and now he’s acting like some pure boy? Too late to act now, isn’t it?”
“I think it’s disgusting too, but I’m just here for the eye candy.”
These contradictory words rolled past Song Yucheng’s bullet screen. The cameraman in charge of filming him, however, found it unbearable and gave him a reminder. “You should cover yourself with the blanket if you want to sleep.”
Unlike the viewers, he knew what was going on in the background, so he understood that the personality which Song Yucheng was displaying now was not the same as his true personality. As for the conflict in the courtyard, Song Yucheng seemed to be using this method to spur Li Zhao and the others on instead of humiliating them on purpose, so that they did not lose their confidence and gave up because of it.
The food which he had brought back for them too. It could have been meant for them all along. Whose sheep would eat dishes such as these?
He could actually be said to be quite considerate of their needs.
The cameraman sighed. There was a pang in his heart as he watched Song Yucheng, who had been too tired to give him a response. He had an impulse to say, “I will go out and buy some food for you if you are hungry. Eat, then sleep.” However, he remembered that the programme was still ongoing, so he forced himself to hold this dangerous impulse in check.
But the gaze with which he looked at Song Yucheng filled with tenderness; he felt sorry for him.
What happened next further proved the cameraman’s suspicions right. Song Yucheng… was indeed a very caring and considerate young man.