Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Family Doctor

"Oh, that's fine then," Yan Ningsi brushed off the details. "Health comes first."
"But, are you alright?" Yan Ningsi asked again. "If you're not feeling well, let us know. Don't force yourself."
"Mm." Sang Yijia thanked her.
Lu Wenchuan had remained silent throughout, but Yan Ningsi felt that if she didn't eat quickly, she'd be eliminated soon. She hurriedly finished her meal, let out a burp she couldn't hold back.
Bian He mocked her, but got distracted and burped as well.
Uh, uh, uh...
Yan Ningsi and Bian He stared at each other, their eyes wide, amused.
The viewers in the livestream were also entertained, paying no mind to Sang Yijia and Lu Wenchuan.
Sang Yijia took advantage of the quiet moment to check her phone and reply to a few messages.
When she saw the caring words from her eldest, second, and third brothers, warmth blossomed in her heart and her lips curved ever so slightly.
In the original story, the Sang family also watched the protagonist's livestream, but she shamelessly insisted on trailing Shen Jin and Lan Qing. The Sang family couldn't bear the embarrassment and stopped watching, ignoring Sang Yijia altogether.
Yet in the end, when disaster struck the protagonist, the Sang family still tried desperately to save her.
But...
Sang Yijia sighed softly. The Sang family's foundations weren't strong enough; as soon as they made a move, the male lead noticed and struck mercilessly.
Thinking of her brothers' fate, Sang Yijia instinctively gripped her phone tighter, her fingertips pale, unnoticed.
Lu Wenchuan saw, and glimpsed the phone's contents.
"Family?"
"Yes," Sang Yijia nodded. "They saw I went to buy medicine and told me to take care of myself."
Lu Wenchuan lowered his gaze. "Mm, then take care."
"If you need anything, you can call me."
"Thank you." Sang Yijia nodded gently, accepting his kindness.
——
The four of them returned to the farmhouse. Lan Qing and Shen Jin had not yet returned.
Bian He looked at the dark courtyard and teased, "When the show ends, I bet a couple will make things official."
"You and I are definitely not happening," Yan Ningsi shrugged, unafraid even with the camera right in her face. "Jiajia and I think alike—we both want someone outside the industry."
Most importantly, if Yan Ningsi dared to date someone in the industry, her parents would break her legs.
She didn't dare, not for her legs, but for those credit cards.
"But Jiajia and Brother Lu are different," Yan Ningsi chuckled. "I think they make a good match."

Sang Yijia found herself suddenly drawn into the conversation, shaking her head helplessly. "That depends on fate."
She neither denied nor confirmed it.
Lu Wenchuan was a little surprised.
Yan Ningsi turned to him. "Brother Lu, what about you?"
"No comment?"
"None," Lu Wenchuan replied as tersely as ever.
Sang Yijia waved her hand. "It's getting late, I'll head upstairs. You all chat."
"I need to tidy up too." Yan Ningsi ran to Sang Yijia and linked arms with her. "Let's go, let's go, just us."
The two went upstairs together.
Bian He walked a few steps forward, standing at the living room doorway, watching them until they disappeared from sight. Then he turned to Lu Wenchuan, lips quirking in a smile. "Brother Lu, you weren't saying this earlier today."
"Didn't you say Sang Yijia was beautiful?"
"Being beautiful doesn't mean she's right for me," Lu Wenchuan tossed out, turning towards his room.
Bian He rubbed his nose, muttering, "Why does it feel like he's even colder now that Sang Yijia's left?"
Yet the livestream viewers didn't notice this, focusing instead on his last words.
[Wow, is Brother Lu playing along with the producers?]
[I love the line 'beautiful doesn't mean she's right.']
[Hahaha, so Sang Yijia is the least popular female guest.]
[But his words sound so callous, like he's just playing around.]
[Of course he's playing! Who would be serious about Sang Yijia?]
……
The comments scrolled by. Lu Wenchuan glanced once, then exited the livestream, grabbed a shirt and covered the camera.
The farmhouse was designed as a guesthouse; each room had its own bathroom, so there was no need to use the communal one.
Sang Yijia showered and washed her hair.
After drying her hair, she glanced at the clock—it was nine in the evening, and Lan Qing and the others still hadn't returned.
Just as she put down the hairdryer, she heard movement downstairs and peered out the window. Two strangers had entered.
The livestream viewers saw them and assumed trouble was brewing, their nerves stretched tight.
Bian He, who lived on the first floor, wore headphones and sang live for the show, attracting plenty of fans.
Lu Wenchuan's camera remained obscured by his shirt. The segment director had come to remind him, but Lu Wenchuan refused to remove the shirt, hanging it in front so nothing could be seen.

The viewers weren't pleased; in the end, not a single one stayed.
The segment director wanted desperately to remind him again, but Lu Wenchuan's gaze was so cold, he couldn't utter a word. After knocking several times, all he managed was to deliver fruit, which Lu Wenchuan refused as well!
——
Sang Yijia went downstairs. The visitors addressed her directly as Miss Sang.
"Thank you for your efforts," Sang Yijia led them in and offered seats, turning to fetch teacups, but the guests wouldn't let her do such things.
One stopped her, "Miss Sang, please take it easy."
"Let me handle the rest." Zhuang Fei rose and sat nearby.
Sang Yijia didn't insist and turned to the other guest. "I've just taken some cold medicine."
"I know." On the way over, Zhang Mingyang had watched the livestream and knew exactly which medicine the pharmacy recommended. For early-stage colds, it would help.
But Sang Qiwen had said it was best to check.
"I'll take your pulse." Zhang Mingyang was not a Western doctor, but trained in traditional medicine.
Their arrival left the camera crew bewildered but dutifully recording.
The audience was stunned.
[What's happening?]
[Looks like Sang Yijia's family sent doctors to check on her cold.]
[Isn't she being a bit pampered?]
[Who knows if she's really sick or faking it?]
[She's just waiting for her brothers to come back so they know she's ill!]
[So fake.]
Lu Wenchuan didn't leave his room, watching the comments scroll by with indifferent eyes.
Suddenly, his phone rang—it was Wei Heng.
Lu Wenchuan answered without hesitation.
But barely two seconds later, Wei Heng called again. Lu Wenchuan rejected it once more.
After five or six rounds, Lu Wenchuan answered, his face dark. "What is it?"
His voice seemed to drip with frost. Qi Bin, beside Wei Heng, shivered and glared at him.