GRMFBS CH225

Hmph! Of course my social connections are peculiar! And isn’t the most peculiar thing about my social connections the lot of you? A bunch of cover-identity freaks!

Back home, Zhan Yunkai took the finished junket out of the fridge. He handed the first bowl to Zhan Jinli.

Zhan Jinli immediately passed the iced junket to Zhan Suiru.

Zhan Yunkai: “Stop! That’s yours — it has extra sugar.”

Zhan Jinli took his bowl back. Zhan Yunkai handed the second bowl to Zhan Suiru, his gaze warm and gentle.

Zhan Suiru: …Why does everyone feel a bit off today?

Zhan Jinli decided he would stop arguing with his little sister from now on. She needed care and affection. He was a Ghost King reincarnate — his psychological age was enormous. Compared to him, his little sister was still a child. How could he possibly be petty toward a child?

Zhan Yunkai and Ji Yueming were both engaged in serious reflection. They felt that Zhan Suiru’s emotional wounds might have originated from before she was adopted. Who knows what she went through as a small child. Even after they adopted her, they hadn’t paid enough attention. Back then, anomalies were far more frequent than they were now — there was so much to handle and both of them had been stretched impossibly thin.

Zhan Yunkai felt he bore a great deal of responsibility. Back then, Yueming’s company was in its growth phase and she was constantly busy with little time to spare. But he wasn’t an ordinary human being — even with his Wan Yao Alliance duties, he should have found ways to spend more time with the children.

Ji Yueming felt the responsibility was entirely hers. Back then, old Zhan frequently had to film, and working in the entertainment industry was brutal — the hours were always turned upside down. The action scenes he shot were physically grueling, and injuries were common, which left him little energy to give to the children. But she was a cultivator — even with the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau’s assignments, she shouldn’t have neglected the children’s emotional needs.

Zhan Yan scooped a spoonful of iced junket. Fresh from the fridge, it was perfectly cool, the rich milky fragrance blending with the delicate scent of the rice wine — it melted the moment it touched the tongue. Coming back on a hot summer day to eat a bite of this was happiness so intense it practically fizzed!

It’s so good!

He’d already eaten three spoonfuls before he noticed that everyone else was sitting there holding their bowls without touching them.

“Why aren’t you eating? This is delicious!” Zhan Yan said, confused.

“Eating.” Zhan Yunkai scooped a spoonful of iced junket, his expression warm and kind toward Zhan Suiru. “Suiru, give it a taste — do you like it? If you do, Dad will make it for you again.”

Ji Yueming, tender and caring: “Mom has to go out tomorrow. Is there anything you’d like? Mom can bring it back for you.”

Zhan Jinli drizzled a layer of honey over his own junket, thought for a moment, then picked up his phone and typed a message with particular sincerity: [I really love the fishing rod you gave me. It’s so useful. Thank you.]

Zhan Yan: ???

Why does it feel like you’ve all reached some silent understanding and left me out!

Zhan Yan was just about to open the gossip feed when his phone suddenly received a new message. It was from Teng Jian, whom he’d just added.

Teng Jian: [Ji Lele shared your video.]
[Link]

What video? Zhan Yan was baffled. He hadn’t posted any video… Surely not the grape-selling video? But what did selling grapes have to do with Ji Lele? Shouldn’t she be promoting her film right now?

He tapped the link. It was a video Ji Lele had shared, captioned: “Why does the handsome classmate hold back his words? Why does the midnight wanderer follow so relentlessly? Where does the strange sound in the classroom come from? Stay tuned for ‘Haunted School’!”

Before he’d even opened the video, Zhan Suiru was already leaning in: “What video? Let me see! Let me watch too!”

Truly cannot stand the family’s sudden outpouring of affection. Too cringeworthy. Once he’d answered one round, he needed to quickly find something to occupy their attention so he didn’t have to keep facing the excessive love from everyone else.

The others said they all wanted to watch together as a family. Zhan Yan had no choice but to share the link in the group chat. His sister claimed she was too lazy to get her own phone and leaned her head over to watch with him.

Zhan Yan played the video.

His own eerie face from Haunted School appeared abruptly on screen, chasing the main character — then, once he’d caught up, a sunny, radiant smile: “Would you like a grape, peeled by hand just for you?”

Zhan Yan: …Isn’t this the same video Auntie Bai had forwarded to show him before?

Zhan Suiru: “HAHAHAHAHAHA!”

Zhan Yan: …

True social death doesn’t happen in front of strangers. It happens in front of— can you please stop laughing?! Sis, I’m telling you, keeping this up is an excellent way to lose your brother’s affection!

“Pfft…”

Zhan Yan looked up and met his mom’s barely-suppressed laughter. And Dad. And his brother — his brother’s mouth hadn’t moved, but his eyes had curved.

…Go ahead and laugh. A bunch of big shots hiding behind cover identities, acting this childish all day long. If anyone found out, they’d all be wailing about being out of character. Hmph!

Everyone had already started scrolling through the comment section.

“HAHAHA isn’t this supposed to be a promo for Haunted School? Why are you out here selling grapes for someone?”

“Hey, I wouldn’t have noticed if you hadn’t shared it — the little extra in Haunted School is the young master from Shoudé’s family.”

“Haven’t seen the movie yet. Can anyone who has give me spoilers? Is this scene actually in the film? If yes I’ll buy tickets. If it’s fake, then never mind [dog head emoji][dog head emoji]”

“HAHAHA of course it’s real! Go watch the movie and you’ll even get to take home big grapes for free [lol][lol]”

“Director Ji, what’s your relationship with the young master? How did you get him to come be your extra?”

“Didn’t Young Master say he wasn’t going into the entertainment industry? Blue Stream Bridge said so before.”

Ji Lele watched the rapidly growing share count with glee.

He hadn’t expected that a random little extra he’d picked up on the spot would turn out to be a rich second generation, and had already built up some online buzz on top of that.

The person who made that grape-selling video was an absolute genius! See — the traffic was rolling in, wasn’t it? They might actually be able to do a cross-promotional event. Merchandise and things like that. He’d have to ask his boss, Xia Yuexian, about it. He remembered the boss had previously collaborated with Shoudé Group at some point.

Ji Lele continued replying on Weibo: “The relationship where I recognized talent with my discerning eye and was ruthlessly rejected. When shooting, I hired college students as extras, and he came along because he thought it would be fun. I didn’t know who he was at the time — on the strength of my discernment alone, I took one look at this kid and decided he had potential and the makings of a star. So I went up and asked him whether he wanted more screen time. He asked me, ‘Does it come with more pay?'”

He’s lying! He obviously had his eye on Xiao Gu at first!

The comments under this shared post were flooded with hahahaha.

“You can tell the young master genuinely has no interest in the entertainment industry.”

Zhan Yan read through the comment section with his toes curling against the floor. What kind of cringe title was “Young Master”?!

If he’d known this was going to happen, he absolutely would not have rambled on that day when they were filming the grape advertisement!

Zhan Yan felt his sister’s shoulders shaking beside him.

“No laughing!”

Zhan Suiru held back her laughter and opened her mouth to say something.

Zhan Yan: “And don’t you dare call me Young Master.”

Zhan Suiru’s lips started curling up again, completely out of her control.

Zhan Yan: “Unless you want to hear me call you Young Mistress.”

Zhan Yan looked around the room. His brother: Young Master. His mom: CEO. His dad: …the CEO’s devastatingly beautiful — stop, stop right there!

Ugh, memories of the ridiculous fanfiction from the forum were bubbling back up again.

Teng Jian kept sending WeChat messages: [Do you know Ji Lele?]
[Could you ask him for me — where did that sculpture in his film come from?]
[Is he selling it?]

【Teng Jian thinks the sculpture looks very appetizing. She likes it very much.】

Zhan Yan tilted his phone screen toward his sister. “Sis, she wants to buy your sculpture.”

“Then sell it,” Zhan Suiru said.

Yang Ran was probably going to be thrilled. He’d always refused to admit those ugly sculptures were made by his hands — but there was a whole full shelf of them in the studio. Being able to clear out even one or two would make him very happy.

More importantly, she could use this as a chance to observe Teng Jian!

Zhan Suiru had a feeling Teng Jian was a powerful great demon with no weak cultivation. Had she really added her little brother’s contact simply because they shared the same views about the film? What if this great demon had ulterior motives toward her little brother?

“I’m forwarding your contact info to her,” Zhan Yan said, sending his sister’s WeChat profile to Teng Jian.

Zhan Yan: [Ji Lele’s one isn’t for sale.”
“But that sculpture was made by my sister. I’m sending you her contact.]

Their parents and brother weren’t especially worried.

A demon like Teng Jian, who subsisted on ghost-type energy, held no particular malice toward humans. She had the ability to consume inauspicious energy and had even been worshipped by humans in the past.

Her extraordinary aesthetic sensibilities were probably beyond most people’s comprehension. Most likely she’d simply found a kindred spirit and wanted to exchange contacts.

Still, it was worth being cautious. She’d have to chat with Teng Jian and look into her properly once they got back!

The comments under Zhan Yan’s grape-selling Weibo were full of jokes.

“Does buying grapes come with free movie tickets?”

“Report, Young Master: Ji Lele secretly gave you extra scenes without giving you extra pay!”

“Young Master, if I buy your grapes, will you chase me?”

No extra pay! He was going to go demand his wages from Ji Lele right now!

Zhan Yan stewed indignantly, toes still scrunching against the floor.

He couldn’t help thinking of Gu Jiancheng calling him “Young Master” and making him hand-feed him grapes, and saying he wanted to elope with him.

Sigh. If Xiao Gu kept getting increasingly unhinged while wearing his cover identity, maybe eloping really would be the only option left to consider.

He checked the gossip feed again.

Gu Jiancheng had already arrived in Nanling Township and was preparing to go to the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau tomorrow. The snack delivery was also only estimated to arrive tomorrow. Little Gu would probably not get to eat it before finishing with Yang Ran.

He hoped it wouldn’t take too long… though he’d packed it in an insulated box with ice packs, pastries still didn’t keep well for too long in the height of summer. Why on earth hadn’t he thought of that when he was packing things up?

The old grape demon Puyang Xia came to find him in high spirits. Every single one of their Litchi-Beats-Nothing Grapes had sold out, and even the next batch of fruit had already been pre-ordered. Not only had his grapes been saved — now everyone wanted to grow more of them.

Zhan Yan checked in with the person in charge to get a read on the situation. Traffic spikes were a momentary heat; if you mistook a temporary boom for a prediction of every day going forward and fell into blind enthusiasm, things were likely to end badly.

The person in charge said: Little Boss, don’t worry, I’ve got this figured out. The grape juice factory is just up and running — it’ll have no trouble absorbing all these big grapes.

Besides, when had any of the company’s investments ever lost money?

Zhan Yan finished making his reminder and went back to being a hands-off proprietor. He had plenty enough on his own plate.

He watched his sister finish her iced junket surrounded by the family’s collective affection, feeling goosebumps threatening to break out along his arms.

Pfft. Zhan Yan had now worked out why the family had suddenly started lavishing his sister with excessive attention. They’d mistaken Yang Ran’s sculptures for his sister’s own work. His sister was genuinely heartbreaking too, to be fair.

Zhan Yan decided to rescue his sister from the sea of goosebumps.

“Sis, are you done with everything? Come play video games with me when you’re free!”

Everyone else thought it was a good idea to let Yanyan take her somewhere to distract her, and so Zhan Yan successfully spirited her away.

Zhan Yan didn’t play games much normally. Zhan Suiru’s room had a gaming console. Zhan Yan dragged his bean bag sofa from his own room into his sister’s and threw himself into it.

Zhan Suiru had already turned on the console: “What do you want to play?”

“Whatever,” Zhan Yan said lazily, propping his legs up on the bean bag.

It didn’t matter what game. He couldn’t beat his sister at any of them.

The game started, and the two of them happily fumbled around as equals.

Zhan Yan glanced sideways at his sister. Zhan Suiru smiled and winked at him.

Sigh. He knew he was being coaxed by his sister, but he was happy about it anyway.

Zhan Suiru began dropping hints in a not-particularly-subtle way: “There was someone who used your account to team up with me in a game before — was that your little boyfriend?”

Zhan Yan: “…I just rescued you from downstairs, and this is how you repay me?”

Zhan Suiru: “Just making conversation.”

Zhan Yan: “Hmph. I can also just make conversation with Mom and Dad about the little cookies you brought them.”

Mom and Dad had both said the cookies were delicious but hadn’t asked many questions. They were long accustomed to their daughter bringing home all manner of strange things from all manner of unusual connections.

Zhan Suiru: “How did you know that—”

Seeing his sister’s expression, Zhan Yan suddenly caught on.

Oh no. His sister had only said the cookies were from a friend — she definitely hadn’t said they were from Yang Ran!

Zhan Jinli knocked on the door, interrupting their conversation.

He came in and brought them a plate of sliced fruit, a plate of snacks, and two glasses of juice.

Zhan Yan: “Brother! I love you!”

Zhan Jinli smiled, waved at both of them, and left the room.

Zhan Suiru continued, smiling and watching him: “How did you know who sent the cookies?”

Zhan Yan blinked at his sister with playful teasing: “What client bakes little cookies for you every single day? That’s the kind of thing you have to make fresh each time — such a hassle. Who else would bake you cookies every day, hm~?”

Thank you for the interruption, brothet. That gave me just enough time to quickly fabricate a plausible lie.

Mm, the reason held up. Little brother had always been sharp when it came to gossip.

Zhan Suiru let the question go. But she suddenly thought of something else…

“Do you like those little cookies?”

“Oh…” Zhan Yan nudged his sister with his elbow. “Is it the cookies you’re asking about, or the person?”

Zhan Suiru reached over and ruffled his hair, navigating the game controller one-handed and still keeping up with him just fine: “Get out of here — are you teasing your own sister now?”

Zhan Yan: “Hmph, I said ages ago that I liked the cookies. Why are you even asking?”

He hammered away at his controller in a burst, taking five drops of health off his sister’s character.

“I like them, I like them! I want to keep eating them — eating them for a lifetime!”

A lifetime. Zhan Suiru’s heart gave a small lurch.

Tomorrow she would be taking Xiao Ran to the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau. She had done every preparation she could, but she still felt nervous.

Today she had spent the day with her family — the excessive affection had been embarrassing enough to raise goosebumps, but she had still felt warmth and ease because of it.

She thought of what Approaching Science had once said to her.

She had gained all of this, without having to suffer for it. They loved her, and asked nothing in return.

A lifetime. Zhan Suiru couldn’t help smiling.

She ruffled her little brother’s curly hair again, watching the blue crystal bead at the end of his hair sway back and forth.

“All right. I’ll have him bake you little cookies for a lifetime.”

Zhan Yan: Why does it feel like I’ve just been fed a mouthful of secondhand sweetness? What’s going on?

After one round of gaming, Zhan Suiru put down the controller and stretched.

They were being called downstairs for lunch.

Zhan Suiru said she had a client to see, and would also need to leave the next day for a while — she wasn’t sure how many days she’d be gone.

His sister had relaxed beautifully, her mood excellent. Now Zhan Yan was the anxious one.

Ugh… His sister only needed to worry about whether Yang Ran’s treatment would succeed. He had so much more to worry about. Not only did he have to be anxious about Yang Ran — he had to be anxious about all the cover identities!

The whole family looked at Zhan Suiru’s radiant, light-spirited composure and couldn’t help thinking: it was still the youngest son who was most effective. Yanyan’s healing power was truly maxed out!

Zhan Yunkai, kind and amiable: “Yanyan, is there anything you’d like to eat?”

Zhan Yan had already spotted two large clay pots in the kitchen — one was the braised clay pot pork he’d requested, and the other was empty, waiting to be used for the pickled vegetable dice.

He thought about it and decided he was still missing a staple food. Rice wine cakes would be nice — easy to mail, wouldn’t go bad too quickly, and would pair perfectly with the braised pork and pickled vegetables. But both of those still needed a few more days to be ready. He’d put in the cake order once the pots could be opened. For now he just threw out a few dish names he was craving.

Zhan Yunkai, warm and fond: “Good. Dad will make them for you — they’ll be ready by the time you finish your workout tonight and come back.”

Zhan Yan: …QAQ

The privilege of ordering dishes comes with conditions, sob.

That evening, Zhan Yan called Gu Jiancheng while lying face-down on his bed, utterly drained.

Gu Jiancheng was immediately worried: “What’s wrong, Yanyan?”

Zhan Yan: “My dad came home and put me on extra training right away. I’m so tired… I want a massage…”

Gu Jiancheng perked up: “A massage? I know how to do that!”

What use is that when you can’t come to my house right now? Zhan Yan groused internally. If you dared show up at my house, my sister would absolutely put you through a thorough background check. Your favorability rating isn’t nearly high enough yet — if your cover falls at this point, you’re finished.

“Do you know whose fitness standards my dad used to put me on extra training?” Zhan Yan continued venting. “He used Wen Yinghui’s fitness program! Is Wen Yinghui’s physique what a normal person is supposed to look like? The man is built like a wall! At the rate my dad’s training me, I have a feeling he won’t be satisfied until I look exactly like Wen Yinghui.”

Gu Jiancheng looked up who Wen Yinghui was. Upon seeing the fitness fanatic’s Weibo full of flexing photos, he couldn’t help falling silent.

He was done for. He was thinking about the two-meter-thirty, built-like-a-wall Yanyan he’d seen in a dream again.

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