The Martial Artist Turned Movie Mogul
Chapter 1006 - 1005. One Day Idol

Chapter 1006: 1005. One Day Idol

"Is Tang Shu really repaying evil with kindness? Or did the two reconcile secretly? Is there some inside story?"

...

At the Xu Family Villa, Xu Chengfeng was sitting in the living room, holding today’s newspaper as he read. Beside him, Lin Yunlan was eating fruit while watching TV.

The way the couple interacted as usual caught Xu Qianyu’s attention from upstairs. Standing at the second-floor staircase, she watched the scene below, but her mind was filled with the stock trends of the Xu Corporation over the past five days.

Her right hand, gripping the handrail too tightly, turned pale from obstructed blood flow.

"Miss, would you like some fruit?"

Aunt Zhang carried a plate of freshly cut fruit, completely unaware of the young lady’s complex thoughts.

The inquiry drew the couple in the living room’s attention to Xu Qianyu’s presence. Lin Yunlan glanced back briefly before turning her focus back to the TV. Xu Chengfeng, however, stared at his daughter for a while.

Xu Qianyu’s tightly pressed lips finally parted. "No, thank you. I have documents to work on. Please don’t disturb me."

"Very well, Miss."

With the sound of rapid footsteps, the figure at the second-floor staircase quickly disappeared. Aunt Zhang set the fruit plate down and went back to the kitchen. Soon, a sigh escaped Xu Chengfeng in the living room.

"That child..."

He put down the newspaper and looked at Lin Yunlan. "I’m sorry; Qianyu can be a bit difficult sometimes. I’ll talk to her again."

"I don’t think it’s necessary."

Lin Yunlan popped a grape into her mouth. "She’s already in her twenties and will be getting married in a year or two. Do you think she’s still going to listen to an old man’s nagging? These are things she has to figure out on her own."

As for whether she figures it out or not, well, that’s a fifty-fifty chance.

Xu Chengfeng immediately felt a headache coming on. Thinking of his other more cheerful and lively son, his heart felt slightly consoled.

"You’re still better at raising kids than I am. I’m not as good at it."

"Xiao Shu wasn’t raised by me, but I’m still proud of her."

Since the video of Xu Qianyu’s interview, Lin Yunlan had come to terms with the fact that she and her stepdaughter simply had no connection. There was no point forcing it, so she decided to let things take their course. It was better to use the saved time to care for her own two children.

"By the way, I’ve made dinner plans tonight with Xiao Shu and Qianyun. You don’t need to wait for us."

As if just remembering something, Lin Yunlan happily turned off the TV, got dressed quickly, and headed out.

"Oh, and I’ll be staying at the Palm Pavilion tonight. I’ll be back tomorrow morning."

As these words lingered in the air, her figure quickly disappeared from the Xu Family Villa. The entire sequence left Xu Chengfeng with no chance to speak.

"..."

In the sprawling living room, the head of the Xu family was left by himself in cold desolation.

"Have I become a lonely old man?"

***

Over the weekend, "One Day Idol" finally aired.

At 8 p.m., during prime time, many viewers were already glued to their TVs, eagerly awaiting this episode, which had somehow proven to be wildly popular.

The program team’s leader, along with the entire staff, inevitably worked overtime, staying in the office to wait for the ratings to roll in.

"In all the years of filming ’One Day Idol,’ I’ve never felt so eager for an episode to air!"

"Of course! During the live broadcast, the numbers were through the roof. How many extra servers did we add during that time?"

"Three servers! My goodness, if my reflexes hadn’t been quick, the live stream would’ve crashed for sure!"

"Tang Shu is truly a gem. How did we even manage to invite her onto the show?"

"Hey, weren’t you the one complaining back then, saying that this great reality show had turned into a sightseeing tour?"

"Um... back then I was immature, okay?"

The crew bantered back and forth, though every one of them was secretly tense. After all, the live broadcast had broken records, which meant today’s ratings held just as much promise.

Although the episodes were edited clips from the live broadcast, Tang Shu’s magnetic presence ensured a strong audience pull.

"Alright, alright, it’s 8 o’clock, zip it!"

At the leader’s command, everyone straightened up in their chairs and stared at the computer screens in silence. Although ratings couldn’t be gleaned immediately after the episode aired, they could check the barrage of comments on streaming platforms.

To some extent, this was a good measure of the show’s popularity.

And the results didn’t disappoint. As the clock struck 8 and the program began, comments started flooding in one after another, until five minutes later, they were overwhelming!

"It’s here, it’s here! I’m here for Tang Shu!"

"I came for Bai Ping, but now I also want to see Tang Shu. Will we get to see the Tang Village arc today?"

"Tang Village, Tang Village! Ahhhhh, I want to see General Tang’s home!"

"Am I the only one here for the scenic spots? By the way, all the hotels and tickets in that area are sold out. I was planning to visit the North this year, but it’s hopeless now."

"Me, me, me! I couldn’t get tickets to the attractions, so I’ll settle for living vicariously through this!"

"Here for the travel tips. A tour guide friend told me that Tang Shu’s route is the most cost-effective and efficient."

...

Meanwhile, at the Palm Pavilion, Lin Yunlan sat in the living room with her youngest son, also watching the show. Seated next to them was another person.

Jing Yu was slicing fruit while chatting with Tang Shu.

"How is Uncle Tang doing?"

"He’s doing great—healthy and fit as can be. Don’t worry."

"I heard from Dad that Uncle Tang used to have some hidden health issues, and he’d feel pain on rainy days."

"It’s mostly resolved now. I’ve been helping him with physical therapy since last year."

As Tang Shu forked a cherry tomato into her mouth, she slid the plate of fruit closer to Xu Qianyun.

"Don’t just watch—have some fruit. Why do you look like you’ve lost weight recently?"

"Mmm—midterm exams are coming up, and there’s a ton of homework. The teachers are all saying it’s time to cram using a sea of practice questions."

I see...

Tang Shu, who had never gone through the college entrance exams, sifted through her memory and involuntarily shivered. That period did seem pretty grueling.

"I’ll ask Tiantian to make something delicious for you. Your school isn’t far from here, so drag Qu Junfeng along and come over more often."

"Got it, Sis. You’re still the best!"

Xu Qianyun was about to throw his arms around her for a hug but was pulled back by Lin Yunlan.

"Don’t bother your sister. Come sit with me and watch TV. Your sister’s on the show now."

"Wait a minute, Mom, my sister’s right here. Why are you more interested in the version of her on TV than the real person?"

"What do you know?"

Lin Yunlan pulled her clueless son once again. "I haven’t been to the North in years. I want to see if the scenery looks the same as it did more than a decade ago."

As she spoke, she glanced at Jing Yu, who was talking with her daughter, her smile brimming with contentment.