Sheng Yuxiao smiled, completely unfazed by his impotent rage.
"I don't understand what you're saying, but it doesn't matter. As long as you can understand me. Do you know who I am?"
Grandpa Li looked at him, puzzled. Hadn't this person already introduced himself? He said his name was Sheng Yuxiao and he was here from the city to film a show.
"I'm very wealthy. My father is the CEO of Sheng Corporation, and my mother's paintings sell for three million yuan each. However, my mother thinks my temperament is too poor, so she sent me to this impoverished mountain village to toughen up. I don't have any money on me right now, so give me a thousand yuan to live on for a month here. After a month, I can give you as much as you want."
What? A painting sold for three million yuan?
Not thirty thousand, but three million!
Grandpa Li's jaw dropped.
That was more money than he could ever dream of seeing in his lifetime.
Grandpa Li awkwardly forced out a sentence in strange-sounding Mandarin: "You, you really mean it?"
"Don't believe me?" Sheng Yuxiao tapped the miniature camera on his chest. "The camera is rolling. The whole country can see my promise to you. Are you still afraid I'll go back on my word?"
Grandpa Li stared intently at the camera, his breathing quickened.
After a while, he couldn't resist the enormous temptation. Befriending such a wealthy person was clearly more beneficial than just taking a thousand yuan. I'm not stupid.
Grandpa Li put on a ingratiating smile, pulled the money out from his underwear, and handed it to Sheng Yuxiao.
Sheng Yuxiao: "..."
He accepted it, fighting the urge to vomit, then immediately went to the Chief Director to ask for change. The Chief Director was confused but couldn't refuse this reasonable request.
"Where did Young Master Sheng get this money from?" the Chief Director couldn't help but ask.
Sheng Yuxiao, holding a pile of small bills, raised an eyebrow and said: "From Li Xiaoya." "Oh, and lend me some alcohol spray. I need to wash my hands."
Then he touched the camera on his chest, finally activating it. The camera's red light started flashing, entering its normal working state.
Meanwhile, Li Xiaoya, who had just woken up, sat up rubbing her eyes groggily, only to see Sheng Yuxiao place a pile of money in front of her, saying, "Li Xiaoya, looks like you'll be supporting me now."
Li Xiaoya was shocked: "Where did this come from?"
Sheng Yuxiao raised an eyebrow: "I got it back from your grandfather. How about that? Pretty impressive, right?"
Li Xiaoya's eyes widened like a startled kitten.
She knew her grandfather's temperament. Once something was in his hands, it was impossible to get back...
"Am I impressive?" Sheng Yuxiao asked again.
Li Xiaoya nodded slightly, and whispered in his ear: "You're like Ultraman."
Sheng Yuxiao couldn't help but burst into laughter.
The atmosphere here was warm and cozy.
Meanwhile, the Chief Director, holding the crisp bills, wrinkled his nose: "Why does it smell a bit?"
*
The deft-handed Li Xiaoya sewed a pocket onto Sheng Yuxiao's clothes, and today they were about to be late for school.
The viewers watching the live stream were twitching in discomfort: [That coat is worth 30,000 yuan! And she just poked holes in it with a needle and sewed on an ugly pocket! Oh my god!]
[I mean, is Young Master Sheng being a bit too indulgent?]
The next moment, Li Xiaoya stuffed all the money into Sheng Yuxiao's pocket, patted it twice – it was now bulging – and said, "This way it won't get lost."
Sheng Yuxiao was taken aback and said, "Why are you giving it to me? This is the compensation money the show gave you."
Li Xiaoya looked up at him: "Only adults can protect it properly!"
Sheng Yuxiao, who wouldn't turn eighteen until next year, was instantly amused. He nodded and said, "Yes, it's an adult's responsibility. I'll keep the money safe for you."
The viewers in the comment section were a bit more perceptive.
Someone curiously asked: [Does Li Xiaoya have this awareness because she's had money stolen from her before?]
[How is that possible? It would be good enough if she didn't scam others]
[Why are you all so certain that Li Xiaoya is a bad kid?]
[That's what everyone in Li Family Village says! If one or two people say it, it might be slander. But if the whole village says so, is it still slander?]
[...]
Meanwhile, Sheng Yuxiao pulled out two one-yuan notes from his pocket and placed them in Li Xiaoya's palm: "But kids need money to buy snacks too. Here, take these."
He thought about how he, Young Master Sheng, had never experienced such a frugal moment before.
Now he was handing out two yuan as if it meant something!
Sheng Yuxiao shook the thought out of his head and said, "Let's go to school!"
So the tall one and the small one set off for school.
While Li Xiaoya was in class, Sheng Yuxiao went to occupy the principal's office. The show's crew couldn't bear to watch anymore and couldn't help but ask: "Don't you plan to do some volunteer work? Earn some points?"
"Earn points?" Sheng Yuxiao leaned back in his chair, his posture relaxed. "What for?"
"Your phone... don't you want it back?"
"Hmm." Sheng Yuxiao thought for a moment, then uttered a few words, "There's nothing fun on it anyway."
The crew was dumbfounded.
If he had no motivation at all, how were they supposed to film this show?
Just then, the bell rang for class dismissal. Sheng Yuxiao got up and walked to the window, looking outside.
Suddenly, he pointed at a little girl in the playground and asked the crew: "What do you think of this hairstyle?"
The crew: "Huh?"
Sheng Yuxiao said: "I've found something to do."
With that, he pushed open the door and went out.
The crew hurriedly followed, worried that this troublemaker might go and intimidate the little girl.
Sheng Yuxiao didn't intimidate the child. He just walked up, squatted down, and stared at her for a long time, until she started crying.
He turned his face away, showing no intention of comforting her, and said coolly: "Tomorrow I'll do this hairstyle for Li Xiaoya. It'll look especially cute on her head."
The crew: ?
The live stream viewers were also in a state of confusion:
[This is 'Change Your Life', not 'Raise a Child', bro!]
"Li Xiaoya! Li Xiaoya!" A series of shouts drew near. Although heavily accented, Sheng Yuxiao could still make out who was being called.
Hearing the voice, Li Xiaoya immediately walked out of the classroom and called out to the woman running towards her: "Aunt Man."
Aunt Man, supporting herself on her knees, her obese body shaking slightly, panted as she spoke: "Your... your pig has broken out of its pen and run into your Seventh Uncle's vegetable garden. If it keeps running... you'll have to pay your uncle for the vegetables..."
Li Xiaoya's small face instantly changed expression, and she took off running.
Sheng Yuxiao was still wondering when the Li family had started raising pigs.
Seeing Li Xiaoya running towards the school gate, he worried about her small frame falling on the road in her haste.
Sheng Yuxiao quickly chased after her.
The show's crew didn't dare to fall behind either, hefting their cameras as they all followed along.
The group ran back in a flurry.
Li Xiaoya was covered in mud and looked pale. Sheng Yuxiao couldn't bear to see her like that, so he scooped her up and carried her as he ran.
The crew members behind them, still carrying heavy camera equipment, called out, "Don't... don't run so fast... Young Master Sheng... you're going out of frame!"
They couldn't keep up with the young man's explosive pace and felt utterly desperate.
At the Sheng Family Villa.
Xu Qiulai had finally returned home. She asked the butler, Uncle Fang, "Has the young master called back?"
Uncle Fang replied, "No, he hasn't."
Xu Qiulai frowned slightly.
She had seen the point system set up by the show's production team. The conditions weren't too harsh, and with Sheng Yuxiao's abilities, he could quickly accumulate at least twenty points to exchange for phone usage rights.
But Sheng Yuxiao hadn't called home even once.
Sheng Jun, who was nearby, said, "I asked his friends. They all said they haven't seen him online on social media these past two days."
As he spoke, Sheng Jun wore an expression of great satisfaction: "Is the show that effective? He's been gone for two days and doesn't even want to use his phone?"
"I'm afraid it's not going that smoothly," said Xu Qiulai, who knew her son's temperament all too well.
At this moment, Li Qingqing was hiding around the corner of the staircase, quietly observing Xu Qiulai in the living room below, listening to them discuss Sheng Yuxiao.
She also wanted to know... how things were going now.
Just then, Xu Qiulai suddenly had an idea and said, "Why don't we watch their live stream? Then we'll know what's happening."
Sheng Jun: "Ah?... That's true."
Sheng Jun immediately asked a servant to turn on the long-neglected television and switch to the live stream.
On the huge TV screen, the scene was utter chaos.
"Young Master Sheng! No! Wait!"
"This is dangerous! Something bad will happen!"
These were the panicked cries of the staff members.
"Oink oink! Oink oink!"
These were the ambiguous squeals of a pig.
The billionaire Mr. Sheng and the great artist Mrs. Xu looked closely and saw a young girl riding on the back of a pig. The pig was running wildly in front, with their son chasing frantically behind.
Mr. Sheng: "..."
Mrs. Xu: "..."
Even the brilliant Mrs. Xu couldn't help but look bewildered at this moment: "Is chasing a pig really so enjoyable that he's forgotten everything else?"
