Chapter 30

“Hahahahahahaha——”

Almost the moment Song Zhehan’s words fell, the quiet hallway echoed with Li Siyuan’s exaggerated laughter.

Ye Leyao pressed his lips tightly, barely managing not to laugh out loud like Li Siyuan, but the corners of his mouth uncontrollably curved upward, unable to be stopped.

Liu Yan was still out of the loop, not quite understanding the situation. She could only look at Yang Qi with confusion.

How could Yang Qi dare to meet Liu Yan’s gaze?

Song Zhehan almost directly pointed out that she had just induced vomiting in the bathroom. She was so nervous that a layer of sweat formed on her forehead. After a while, she forced out a stiff smile and awkwardly said, “That joke isn’t very funny, and you must have misheard…”

“I misheard?” Song Zhehan raised an eyebrow, his tone sincere, “That’s impossible. The hallway was so quiet just now that I definitely didn’t mishear. But Sister Yang Qi, if you’re feeling unwell, you mustn’t hide it from us.”

“Yeah,” Li Siyuan, having finished laughing, spoke for once in a good mood, “If you’re really feeling unwell, why not go to the hospital for a check-up?”

[Hospital?]

[Yang Qi wouldn’t dare!]

[Not to mention that she isn’t actually unwell. If she really went to the hospital and the doctor found out her teeth were corroded and falling out due to long-term vomiting, wouldn’t that directly prove she was inducing vomiting? How would she maintain her foodie persona then?]

Qin Yao couldn’t help but laugh at this point.

Ye Leyao quickly turned to look at Qin Yao and commented:

[President Qin really put his clothes on quickly just to watch the drama.]

Qin Yao: “…”

Ye Leyao just glanced once, then quickly looked away, continuing to watch the drama.

On the other side.

Because Papa and Mama Huo had just argued with the bullet screen, and even though they felt they had won, those netizens were like cockroaches that wouldn’t die, constantly coming back to annoy them. So, Papa and Mama Huo simply blocked the bullet screen.

Now that the exciting face-slapping scene was about to happen, Papa and Mama Huo didn’t want to miss the live commentary again, so they quickly unblocked the bullet screen.

Half an hour ago, the guests had just dispersed, and most netizens had also left. Now, suddenly seeing “Let’s Go Traveling Together” back on the front page, many clueless netizens clicked in:

—”Huh huh huh? Just came in, what happened?”

—”Why are all the guests on the third floor?”

—”Is Yang Qi not feeling well?”

Seeing Yang Qi’s fans, Mama Huo felt speechless and used her supreme account to post a rolling bullet screen:

—”Long-term vomiting does make one feel unwell. Instead of feeling sorry for Yang Qi, why not pity the food she’s wasted.

—”Wasting is shameful!!!”

The rolling bullet screen was too conspicuous. Two consecutive golden screens were particularly striking in the nighttime live broadcast room, where bullet screens had sharply decreased.

Newly arrived netizens were dumbfounded.

—”Vomiting?”

—”Who?”

—”Yang Qi?”

Mama Huo didn’t reply again and continued watching the live broadcast.

On the third floor of the villa.

Seeing more and more guests coming upstairs, Yang Qi became increasingly flustered.

The live broadcast was still ongoing, and who knew how many viewers were watching? If the viewership hadn’t decreased, weren’t there tens of thousands of viewers watching?

Yang Qi was clearly flustered. This matter had to be resolved quickly and couldn’t be blown up.

If it blew up, she would be finished!

She couldn’t pay attention to Li Siyuan and Song Zhehan anymore. She had to go back to her room immediately.

“I’m not unwell, but thank you for your concern.” After saying this, Yang Qi turned and walked away.

But just as she took a step outside, Song Zhehan suddenly grabbed her arm.

“But I see you look very pale, Sister Yang Qi,” Song Zhehan said with concern, his deep eyes falling on Yang Qi’s face. After a few seconds, he spoke with worry, “Why don’t we listen to Siyuan and take you to the hospital for a comprehensive check-up?”

The words “comprehensive check-up” were deliberately emphasized.

Yang Qi felt her scalp tingle.

Ye Leyao couldn’t stop laughing:

[A comprehensive check-up!]

[Song Zhehan, you better be genuinely concerned about Yang Qi’s health.]

[I can see it now; you’re really a dark-hearted guy!]

There was no way Yang Qi could go to the hospital. She shook her head vigorously and said, “Really, no need. I’m really not unwell. I just…”

“Just had an upset stomach and vomited?” Li Siyuan suddenly spoke, helpfully finishing Yang Qi’s sentence and even pointing to her hand on her stomach.

Yang Qi’s face turned pale, and she quickly moved her hand away.

Ye Leyao turned his head, trying hard to control the upward curve of his mouth.

[Sure enough, Song Zhehan and Li Siyuan are just here to watch the drama unfold!]

Qin Yao helplessly glanced at Ye Leyao.

Why are you ignoring yourself?

Naturally, the camera captured Ye Leyao’s sneaky smile, and the netizens who followed him to watch the drama quickly reacted:

—”So, Ye Leyao, you rushed up here just to see Yang Qi vomit?”

—”Weren’t Yang Qi’s fans saying she’s a big eater? How come she’s vomiting?”

Yang Qi’s fans exploded at the sight of these vomit-related comments:

—”Where did you haters come from to stir things up? Did Yang Qi say she vomited? Why are you so quick to label her?”

—”Even if Yang Qi did vomit, maybe there was something wrong with the food tonight? Or maybe she was just feeling unwell today?”

At this point, Liu Yan finally caught on. She looked at Yang Qi with a complicated expression and hesitated for a moment before speaking to smooth things over: “Sister Yang Qi, is your stomach upset? Or was it something wrong with the food tonight…”

Zhou Zijian had just come up and was flustered upon hearing this: “Impossible, right? The dishes I cooked were definitely all well-done, the ingredients were fresh, and we all ate without any issues. It couldn’t be food poisoning, could it?”

The netizens were instantly amused and couldn’t help but feel sorry for Zhou Zijian:

—”If I were Zhou Zijian, I’d be furious! He worked hard to prepare a whole table of food for the guests, only for the fans to turn around and blame the food!”

—”Truly feel for my brother Zhou.”

—”It doesn’t matter if it’s induced vomiting or not, let’s just keep watching. You fans don’t need to rush to defend her.”

Modern netizens, having eaten countless “melons” (scandals) over the years, are no longer easily swayed by public opinion.

They won’t be swayed by anyone’s narrative; they only believe what they see with their own eyes.

If it really were food poisoning, why were all the other guests fine after eating, and only Yang Qi threw up?

But if it’s not food poisoning—

Some mischievous netizens recalled Song Zhehan’s earlier “joke”:

—”Then is she pregnant? Hahahahaha—”

—”Hahahahahaha wouldn’t that be more serious than just throwing up? Hasn’t it been said that Yang Qi is single? Are you fans going to get a brother-in-law?”

Such malicious and hurtful words.

Papa and Mama Huo were delighted to see this.

…

In just five minutes, all the guests except Du Yueqin had gathered on the third-floor “battlefield.”

Ye Leyao’s eyes were shining, and his tone was full of uncontrollable excitement:

[Alright, everyone is here; now it’s Yang Qi’s turn to perform!]

But the first to speak was still Zhou Zijian. He sounded anxious yet sincere: “Maybe we should call an ambulance?”@@novelbin@@

He was genuinely panicked because he was responsible for tonight’s meal. If the guests really got sick from his food, he couldn’t bear the responsibility!

So everyone’s eyes fell on Yang Qi.

“Yeah, let’s go to the hospital,” Li Siyuan said, always ready for some drama.

Under everyone’s gaze, Yang Qi’s face could no longer be described as merely ugly.

She had thought that at this hour, everyone would be back in their rooms, washing up, and getting ready for bed. That’s why she quietly went to the public bathroom to induce vomiting. She didn’t expect that in such a short time, she would attract all the guests.

But she had been so quiet, if it weren’t for Song Zhehan—

Yang Qi was so angry that her face turned slightly red, her eyes full of suppressed rage. Yet she couldn’t lash out at Song Zhehan.

After all, in the eyes of the guests and the audience, Song Zhehan was only doing this out of concern for her health. She couldn’t just bite the hand that was “feeding” her, right?

But the more she thought about it, the more she felt this was all too coincidental. She even suspected that Song Zhehan had set her up.

But she and Song Zhehan had no competition over resources!

Or was she just unlucky today?

Yang Qi was extremely anxious but tried to maintain a calm façade, struggling to make her voice sound normal as she spoke: “No… I’m really fine. I just ate too quickly and went to the bathroom to throw up…”

“So you did throw up,” Li Siyuan, half-leaning against the wall, said meaningfully.

Yang Qi’s expression froze as she realized she had misspoken.

The netizens watching the drama instantly burst into laughter:

—”Hahahahahahahaha so she admitted to throwing up.”

—”Well, she can’t exactly say she’s pregnant, right? Hahahahahaha—”

—”Avoiding the serious and admitting the least problematic: induced vomiting it is.”

Yang Qi’s fans were instantly enraged upon seeing these comments:

—”Yang Qi only said she threw up; she never said she induced vomiting!”

—”Can you not twist Yang Qi’s words?”

—”If it’s induced vomiting, just watch the livestream replay to find out!”

As soon as this comment appeared, there was another wave of “hahahas” on the bullet screen, and a netizen immediately said:

—”Wait, I’m going to watch the replay right now!”

Ye Leyao heard Yang Qi’s explanation and pouted:

[In a hurry? You took half an hour to eat a bowl of instant noodles and call that eating too fast?]

[When I’m hungry, I can slurp down a bowl of instant noodles in one gulp!]

Qin Yao inexplicably imagined Ye Leyao gulping down instant noodles, thinking he must look like a little hamster.

A hint of a smile appeared in his eyes.

Song Zhehan feigned surprise, a puzzled expression on his face: “Really? But I seem to remember you eating that last bowl of instant noodles quite slowly, almost taking half an hour.”

Yang Qi’s face turned from pale to red. The more she explained, the more confused she became. She really wanted to turn around and leave.

But Song Zhehan, as if seeking confirmation, turned his head to Ye Leyao: “Did I remember wrong?”

[How could you possibly remember wrong?]

[You even checked the time and asked me!]

Ye Leyao suppressed his smile and cooperated: “Yes, exactly half an hour.”

Yang Qi glared at Song Zhehan with rage in her eyes.

At this point, she finally realized that Song Zhehan had done this on purpose.

He had seen through her from the moment she went to the bathroom. No, even earlier, when she was in the kitchen cooking instant noodles, Song Zhehan had seen through her!

He had known she would induce vomiting and had been waiting here to watch the drama unfold.

Yang Qi’s eyes turned red with anger, and she shook off Song Zhehan’s hand: “So what if I took thirty minutes? Can’t I feel unwell and throw up?”

“If you’re feeling unwell, you should go to the hospital,” Qin Yao finally said, his voice low but enough to draw everyone’s attention.

Yang Qi’s anger was at its peak, but the moment she heard Qin Yao’s voice, her reason snapped back into place.

Before participating in the variety show, her agent had warned her that she could disregard anyone, but the one person she couldn’t offend was Qin Yao.

Behind Qin Yao stood the entire Qin family and the Qin Corporation. Even the biggest investor in “Let’s Go Traveling Together” was Qin Yao.

If she offended Qin Yao, she might as well quit the industry.

It was like a bucket of cold water was poured over her, instantly extinguishing her anger. Her blood seemed to freeze at that moment.

Qin Yao stood there without stopping Song Zhehan, without telling the other guests to leave, and without helping her out of the situation. Did this mean the show had given up on her?

If Qin Yao could hear Yang Qi’s thoughts, he would definitely explain: the show hadn’t just given up on Yang Qi now; they had given up on her from the start.

Actually, this wasn’t entirely accurate.

Qin Yao knew that there was a chance the guests he invited could mess up. So, except for Ye Leyao and himself, he prepared contingency plans for all the guests.

If any of them messed up during the show, the emergency public relations plan would be activated immediately.

Whether public relations would benefit the guests, the show, or both depended on the guests’ choices.

“I don’t want to go to the hospital…” Yang Qi took a step back, mumbling and shaking her head, “I’m fine; I’m not unwell; I don’t need to go to the hospital…”

Qin Yao nodded.

It seemed Yang Qi had made her choice.

Actually, if she had admitted her mistake and sincerely apologized at this moment, things could still be salvaged.

Unfortunately, not everyone can seize an opportunity.

Qin Yao lightly shook his head.

“Are you sure you don’t want to see a doctor?” Song Zhehan stepped forward with concern.

Yang Qi finally couldn’t take it anymore. She pushed Song Zhehan and raised her voice: “I said I’m not going; what’s wrong with you? I just ate too much and threw up. Do you have to make such a big deal out of it? Why are you so insistent on taking me to the hospital? What’s your motive?!”

Song Zhehan looked shocked: “I’m worried about you, Yang Qi…”

But Yang Qi didn’t give him a chance to speak and quickly ran back to her room.

With a “bang,” the door slammed shut.

Only a few guests were left standing there.

[She’s really gone?]

Ye Leyao was surprised:

[Is Yang Qi’s mental resilience that poor? Did she just break down like that?]

Ye Leyao looked at Liu Yan and Zhou Zijian.

At this point, what wasn’t clear to them?

Liu Yan thought back to how she genuinely envied Yang Qi earlier that evening and wanted to slap herself.

No celebrity stays slim without effort; only those who secretly induce vomiting to maintain their image are shameful!

Zhou Zijian was even more speechless.

He thought there’s no way he could have caused food poisoning after so many years of cooking.

Remembering how Yang Qi kept eating even when the rest of the men had stopped, Zhou Zijian’s expression became even more complicated.

Song Zhehan, on the other hand, looked heartbroken: “Did I say something wrong?”

[She’s already gone, and you’re still acting?]

Ye Leyao looked at him.

It turned out that Song Zhehan was very serious about maintaining his image. He frowned slightly, looking worriedly in the direction Yang Qi left: “I feel like Yang Qi misunderstood me; it’s a bit sad.”

Ye Leyao almost laughed out loud.

[It’s—so—happy—right?]

But Ye Leyao didn’t expose Song Zhehan.

The smile on Qin Yao’s face deepened, and he suddenly explained to Zhou Zijian: “It seems it really wasn’t your fault, so you don’t need to worry.”

Zhou Zijian nodded.

It would be a joke if it were his fault!

The guests understood each other, and no one said much more in front of the cameras.

But the netizens weren’t deaf or blind. How could they not understand the implications?

The comments were full of laughter.

—”Okay, okay, now it’s basically confirmed. Yang Qi was indeed inducing vomiting in the bathroom!”

—”Where’s the information front-runner? Didn’t they say they were going to check the live stream replay? Where’s the replay?!”

—”Here it is, a sister has already posted it on Weibo!”

Modern netizens are quick to act. Within ten minutes after the incident, the live stream replay of the dramatic moment had already been edited and posted.

The video showed that ten minutes before Ye Leyao went upstairs, Yang Qi quietly opened the suite door, looked around to make sure no one was in the corridor, and then quickly went to the public bathroom.

Shortly after Yang Qi went in, the opposite suite door opened, and out came Song Zhehan.

Song Zhehan seemed to notice someone in the public bathroom and quickly went back to his room.

But after less than two minutes, he came out again, pausing at the bathroom door for a few seconds.

The camera angle captured Song Zhehan’s face clearly, showing him frown slightly and say, “It sounds like someone’s throwing up?”

The cameras in the villa were state-of-the-art. Sharp-eared netizens had already picked up faint vomiting sounds the first time Song Zhehan stepped out, and these sounds were helpfully highlighted in the video with subtitles.

Then came Song Zhehan’s loud knocking, Liu Yan and Li Siyuan opening their doors one after another, and Ye Leyao, Qin Yao, and Zhou Zijian arriving on the third floor.

At this point, what wasn’t clear to the netizens?

—”It’s over, Yang Qi really messed up this time. Hahahahahaha—”

—”Great, the evidence is out, where are Yang Qi’s fans?”

—”?? So, I’m a bit confused. Yang Qi ate and then threw up. Why would she create an image of being a foodie?”

—”For traffic and topics, isn’t that obvious?”

—”Wow, did Yang Qi only get exposed today? There was one time during her livestream when I thought she was probably fake eating.”

—”Sister above, elaborate?”

Modern netizens really are all-powerful.

Not long after, netizens had dug up all of Yang Qi’s previous eating shows, livestream clips, and even videos released by her studio. They not only found evidence of Yang Qi inducing vomiting, but also a video directly proving she was fake eating!

“Let’s Go Traveling Together” had already hit the trending list once in the afternoon because of the drama, and the number of live viewers in the evening reached a new high. Who would have thought that just before going to bed, another fresh piece of gossip would emerge.

Numerous marketing accounts scrambled to repost the video, and its popularity started climbing again.

When the gossip-loving netizens saw the tag of “Let’s Go Traveling Together” on the trending list again, they finally couldn’t hold back.

—”No, didn’t your variety show just start filming today? How many scandals are there already?”

—”Let’s count; it’s the second one! The first one was the argument!”

—”I’m impressed. Why is your variety show called ‘Let’s Travel Together’? Quickly rename it to ‘Let’s Eat Melons Together’!”

While the netizens enjoyed the gossip, they didn’t forget to comment:

—”I can understand creating an image, but Yang Qi inducing vomiting is really too much.”

—”+1, I really hate people who waste food!”

—”Wasting is shameful!!!”

—”Indeed, I really hate people who waste food, but — Ye Leyao! Why are you the first one to join the fun again!”

—”Hahaha, did any sister watch the replay of Ye Leyao’s room’s livestream? He was about to take a shower, but as soon as he heard the commotion, he went upstairs!”

—”I noticed too! I was following Ye Leyao to catch the fresh gossip. Thanks, Ye Leyao! I want to call you the Gossiper-in-Chief!”

Ye Leyao couldn’t stay calm after seeing this comment:

[Why are you calling me the Gossiper-in-Chief?]

[Gossip Pioneer?]

Ye Leyao lay in bed, reflecting:

[I like joining in the fun, but I don’t like it that much, right?]

Next door, Qin Yao turned over with a smile when he heard this.

You agreed to join his variety show to catch the gossip, and now you’re saying you don’t like joining in the fun?

Sweet dreams.

The next morning, Ye Leyao was woken up by Qin Yao’s knocking.

He had stayed up late reading Weibo comments last night, and when he opened his eyes in the morning, he was still a bit dazed.

After getting dressed and washing up, Ye Leyao was still in a daze when he went downstairs.

It wasn’t until he walked into the dining room and heard a familiar female voice say, “Xiao Ye, you’re awake? Come have breakfast,” that he snapped his head up and saw an unexpected person — Du Yueqin.

Ye Leyao looked at the dining table, which was covered with a variety of breakfast foods.

There was porridge, youtiao (fried dough sticks), and some delicate and delicious-looking buns and fried dumplings.

Ye Leyao’s pupils shook:

[Wait, did Du Yueqin make all this?]

[Is this for real?]

[Has she really made peace with us so quickly?!]

Qin Yao waved at Ye Leyao, signaling him to come and sit.

Ye Leyao sat down in a daze, and suddenly Song Zhehan whispered, “Surprised?”

Ye Leyao looked up at him, blinked, and whispered, “You’re not surprised?”

Song Zhehan didn’t say anything; he just took a sip of porridge.

Qin Yao served Ye Leyao a bowl of porridge.

Ye Leyao thanked him, took a sip of the delicious seafood porridge, and suddenly remembered something. He looked around the room, but didn’t see anyone.

[Where’s Brother Zhou?]

[Where’s my Brother Zhou?!]

Qin Yao resisted the urge to rub his ears, waited for a second, and then pointed in a direction.

Ye Leyao looked over and saw Zhou Zijian nestled in a hidden corner of the sofa. In front of him was the living room coffee table, which was covered with steamed dumplings, small steamed buns, seafood porridge, soy milk youtiao, and other breakfast items comparable to a Cantonese morning tea spread.

But Zhou Zijian hadn’t touched any of them; he was just quietly holding a bowl of plain porridge.

Because, on all the breakfast plates in front of Zhou Zijian, there was a big red heart drawn with ketchup.

Song Zhehan’s gloomy voice sounded, “Brother Zhou’s breakfast is different from ours. His is a unique love breakfast~”

Ye Leyao instantly woke up.

[So Du Yueqin hasn’t really made peace with us; she’s still not over Brothr Zhou!]

[Ew—why do I feel like there’s a hint of romance in the air in the dining room~]

______________________

TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!

If you want to buy me a /santos_28