The Fake Daughter Want to Be Villainess - Chapter 18

Pei Wang thought for a moment, “We didn’t talk about much.”

Mother Jiang probably avoided mentioning Jiang Shu to prevent any negative reactions from him. Even so, after so many years, habits are hard to change, and she ended up mentioning a few details about Jiang Shu anyway.

Jiang Shu was not satisfied with such a vague answer, “Be more specific.”

The young girl’s voice sounded persistent. Pei Wang remained silent for a moment, then reconsidered before enumerating to Jiang Shu, “She mentioned the foods you like and some stories from your childhood.”

Childhood stories.

Jiang Shu became nervous. She unconsciously gripped the blanket tighter and curled slightly forward, pleading, “Tell me more details.”

Pei Wang felt like he was telling a bedtime story.

After being silent for a while, the young girl’s voice urged once more, “Pei Wang?”

When she didn’t get a reaction, she tried a different approach, hesitantly calling, “Brother?”

Pei Wang felt a headache coming on. He rubbed his forehead, thought for a moment, and then made up a story for Jiang Shu, “Mother Jiang told me that when you were little, you played on a pavilion bench, fell off the armrest, and cried, demanding the pavilion be torn down.”

Jiang Shu: “?”

This story was embarrassing enough that Jiang Shu probably wouldn’t want to hear a second one.

Pei Wang slowed down his speech, deliberately giving Jiang Shu time to react, “Mother Jiang also said that when you were little—”

Jiang Shu sat up abruptly, interrupting him, “Wait.”

She voluntarily gave up on that topic, “Let’s talk about something else, okay?”

Pei Wang subtly breathed a sigh of relief. He replied softly, resuming his previous good-natured tone, “What do you want to talk about?”

For a moment, Jiang Shu couldn’t think of anything to discuss.

Pei Wang already worked while she was still in school, so clearly, they didn’t have many topics in common.

“Never mind.” After thinking it over and still not finding anything to talk about, Jiang Shu sighed, “Sleep then.”

Not only did she fail to get the information she wanted, but she was also forced to listen to embarrassing stories from her childhood. Jiang Shu wrapped herself in the blanket like a cocoon, “Good night.”

Jiang Shu initially thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep—it was no later than nine o’clock, and at her age, how could she sleep this early?

Yet she did fall asleep.

With no other distractions, her mind went blank as she lay on the bed. The next time she opened her eyes, daylight had already filtered in.

The lighting in the basement wasn’t particularly good; the bit of brightness came through the decorative skylight. Jiang Shu gently pulled the curtain, letting the slats fall back down and blocking out the light.

She lay back down on the bed like a salted fish, squinting and lounging for a bit more, before lazily sitting up. She grabbed the clothes she had folded at the foot of the bed, starting to change quietly.

After dressing, Jiang Shu folded her pajamas neatly at the bed’s end, then lifted the soundproof curtain a little, peeking out.

Pei Wang’s curtain was drawn tightly, with no movement or noise from inside.

Jiang Shu quietly climbed off the bed, went into the bathroom for a quick wash, then opened the bedroom door and headed upstairs.

The living room on the first floor was filled with video equipment, and staff were busy checking the gear. Someone spotted Jiang Shu and called out in surprise, “Teacher Jiang?”

Jiang Shu pressed her lips together shyly, “Please don’t call me that.”

She had just started college and was still at the stage where she called others ‘teacher’. Being addressed that way herself felt strange and uncomfortable.

The staff member didn’t insist, just smiled, “You’re up so early?”

Jiang Shu nodded, “I went to bed too early last night.” She glanced at the busy figure in the kitchen and turned to ask, “What time is it?”

“Six o’clock,” the staff member replied.

He motioned towards the nearby sofa, “The other guests might take a while to arrive. Our stuff here is cluttered and might get in your way. Would you like to sit over there for a bit?”

He said it quite tactfully, but Jiang Shu understood.This was likely out of concern that she would get in their way and delay their work.

She blinked her eyes, did not say much, and compliantly walked over to the sofa, nodding, “Okay.”

Jiang Shu didn’t actually stay seated for long before Qiao Xian and Ren Lishu appeared together at the villa entrance.

Qiao Xian looked somewhat weary, “I shouldn’t have let you have the bed last night.” He rubbed his knee, “The floor was just too hard and damp. My old arthritis is acting up.”

When he first entered the entertainment industry, it was tremendously competitive. He did all the wire stunts, fight scenes, and horse riding himself, leaving him with numerous injuries. Back then, it was manageable, but now that he’s a bit older, the slightest cold can cause significant pain everywhere.

Ren Lishu glanced at him, “What do you mean, ‘let’?” She was quite dissatisfied, “You didn’t beat me at rock-paper-scissors.”

Qiao Xian raised his hands in surrender, “Alright, alright.”

He walked into the living room, greeting the staff, and then noticed Jiang Shu sitting on the sofa, quite surprised, “Oh, someone’s up even earlier.”

Qiao Xian greeted her, “Good morning.” Looking at Jiang Shu, he asked, “You didn’t sleep well either? You should have a decent place to rest, right?”

Jiang Shu smiled at him, “It was okay, we have two beds in our room.”

She stood up from the sofa to explain, “I went to bed too early, so I woke up early.”

Qiao Xian laughed, “There’s not much to do at night.” He gently pressed on Jiang Shu’s shoulder, “Sit down, why are you just standing there?”

He then sat on the sofa, massaging his legs, and waved over a staff member, “What time does the recording start this morning?”

He gestured with his chin towards the kitchen, asking, “Does that need points to exchange?”

The staff, a bit troubled, waved his hand, “We don’t know either; we have to wait for the director to know.”

Qiao Xian nodded slowly, “They’re certainly keeping it under wraps.”

Having filmed plenty of variety shows, he wasn’t surprised by this. As he continued rubbing his leg, he casually chatted with Jiang Shu, “Where’s your teammate?”

He looked around, not finding Pei Wang in the room, a bit puzzled, “Didn’t you two come together?”

He asked with a teasing smile, “Is your relationship that bad?”

Qiao Xian rambled on, “There’s not actually that much irreconcilable conflict. When your sister Ren and I divorced, she also wished never to see me again, yet when the show invitation came, didn’t we both obediently show up?”

His words piqued Jiang Shu’s curiosity, “Senior Qiao, why did you decide to join this program?”

She and Pei Wang had been tricked by their families into coming, and observing the other group of guests, it seemed none were particularly keen on meeting. She wondered why they participated.

“For the money,” Qiao Xian replied meaningfully, “They offered a lot.”

Jiang Shu fell silent, pondering what else to say, when Qiao Xian’s voice interrupted, “Hey, President Pei is here.”

“Good morning,” he greeted, “President Pei looks particularly handsome today.”

Jiang Shu turned her head to look.

Today, Pei Wang was not wearing his usual tailored suit and shirt, instead opting for a white and blue casual shirt. The shirt had a somewhat Japanese style, complimenting Pei Wang’s complexion and giving him a youthful vibe.

Ren Lishu nodded in agreement, “Indeed, very handsome.”

She pondered for a moment, “It’s a different kind of handsome from yesterday, both suit President Pei well.”

Pei Wang politely smiled but didn’t engage further; instead, a voice came from the staircase, “Oh, everyone’s dressed quite sporty today—does that mean you all know today’s theme?”

The director came down from the second floor, followed by Lin Hui and Wang Siyuan, who greeted everyone as they joined on the sofa.

Qiao Xian turned to the director with some worry, “Today’s theme isn’t related to sports, is it?”

“After sleeping on the floor all night, I feel like I’ve fallen apart.” He rubbed his knee, inhaling sharply, “This old body of mine can’t handle any more stress.”

The director, not answering directly, playfully evaded, “You’ll find out soon.”

He turned to a staff member, whispered a few words, then waved to everyone, “Come along, breakfast is ready, let’s eat.”

He enthusiastically headed towards the kitchen, but when he reached the door and saw no one followed, he turned back, puzzled, “Why aren’t you all coming?”

No one answered, and Lin Hui jokingly said, “Does breakfast require points?”

The director glared at her, “Do I seem that stingy?” He waved dismissively, “Of course breakfast is free!”

Lin Hui eyed him suspiciously for a moment, but overwhelmed by hunger, she slowly walked over, asking again, “Really?”

The director took a bun offered by a staff member, blew on it, and took a big bite, his words muffled, “If you don’t believe it, don’t eat it.”

Everyone still decided to eat. The guests squeezed over, lined up, collected breakfast from the staff, and began eating in the dining room.

Between bites of bun, the director suddenly lifted his head, “Why are we still missing a group?”

He glanced around, “Where are Qu Mei and Yu Zhen?”

The guests looked at each other for a moment. Jiang Shu spoke up, “They haven’t shown up. Maybe they haven’t woken up yet?”

The director finished his last bite and called over a female staff member, “You come with me.”

The two of them quickly left. The guests glanced at each other before Ren Lishu voiced her concern, “Could something have happened?”

Qiao Xian leisurely ate his bun, “There are two of them. What could possibly happen?” Speaking with an air of experience, “They probably didn’t sleep well because of bad accommodations, so they’re still asleep.”

“I should be sleeping still too.” He sighed regretfully, “If it weren’t for—”

“Hiss! Why are you stepping on me!” Qiao Xian glanced at Ren Lishu, disgruntled.

Ren Lishu sipped her milk, staring ahead coldly, “Not even a bun can keep your mouth shut.”

Qiao Xian sighed, mimicking a zipper motion on his lips, and looked down to continue eating his bun.

Jiang Shu peeked outside a couple more times but didn’t see the director, so she turned back to sip her milk slowly.

She emptied her cup, and still, the director hadn’t returned. The guests felt something was off, putting down their chopsticks and watching each other with a heavy atmosphere.

After sitting in the dining room for a few more minutes, the assistant director went out to take a call and quickly came back, “Qu Mei and Yu Zhen had a small incident, which will delay them a bit. The director asked us to start filming here first.”

The assistant director, appearing to be in his early thirties, slightly plump, and looking quite amiable, smiled at the guests, “We’re going mountain climbing soon. If anyone’s clothes aren’t suitable for exercise, it would be best to change.”

He looked at his watch, “Let’s gather at the villa entrance in five minutes.”

Qiao Xian went back to change his shoes. Jiang Shu followed closely behind the assistant director, and whispered, “During the climb, will the program team provide snacks and water?”

The assistant director glanced at her, sighed, “I would like to, but—”

He spread his hands, “The director won’t allow it.”

That’s very much in line with the director’s style.

Jiang Shu pondered for a moment, then asked hopefully, “Can we bring our own?”

The assistant director tilted his head, giving her a meaningful look, “Technically, you can’t.”

He slipped his hands into his pockets, paced at the entrance, “After all, if I know about it, I would have to confiscate them.”

Jiang Shu understood.She gave a small smile to the assistant director, took two steps back, and tugged on Pei Wang’s sleeve, “Come with me.”

She pulled Pei Wang down to the basement, found the snack bag, and pulled out two packs of small-sized bread and a small bottle of mineral water.

Jiang Shu tilted her head to assess Pei Wang’s clothes but couldn’t find a place to hide so many items. After thinking for a moment, she crouched down and pulled a sun hat from the luggage.

The brim of the sun hat was very wide, with a ribbon bow as decoration.

Jiang Shu stuffed everything into it, untied the ribbon, and tied it again tightly. She then covered the snacks with the excess ribbon, successfully hiding them.

She looked up and handed the sun hat to Pei Wang, exclaiming, “You’re not expecting me to carry it, are you?”

Pei Wang reached out and took the hat.

Jiang Shu turned around, rummaged through her clothes from the day before, and pulled out a handful of candies from the pockets.

The candy was given to her by an old lady yesterday.

She said to Pei Wang, “Hold out your hand.”

Pei Wang extended his other hand.

Jiang Shu placed all the candy into Pei Wang’s palm.

“You gave me your last piece of candy before,” she said, tilting her head and smiling at Pei Wang, “Now you have a bunch of them.”

Jiang Shu clapped her hands, stood up from the bed, looked around at their surroundings, and, feeling satisfied, said, “Let’s go!”

She turned and dashed out of the bedroom.

The young girl’s figure quickly disappeared from the basement. Pei Wang lowered his gaze, placed the candies into his pocket while walking out, and gently laughed, “She just wanted to slack off,” he muttered, “but she says it so nicely.”