Chapter 36: A Shift in Attitude?
That night, Weiwei Lin didn’t know how she managed to get through it. She just numbly stared at the screen, watching her son fall into a deep sleep in the hospital room, while Zhao Kai calmly finished eating his spicy hot pot and then lay by the bedside, snoring.
The next day.
When Weiwei Lin, her eyes bloodshot, looked at the livestream screen again, she saw something completely unexpected.
Zhao Kai had changed.
It was as if overnight he had unlocked some mysterious energy channel, becoming a completely different person.
Early in the morning, he went to the market outside the hospital and bought fresh pork bones, corn, and carrots. Back in the ward, he used a small electric cooker to prepare a fragrant bone broth for their son.
He also bought eggs and greens, steamed a delicate egg custard, and blanched a plate of vibrant vegetables.
He fed his son bite by bite, his movements gentle, his eyes filled with paternal love.
After the meal, he put away his phone, took out a storybook, and began reading aloud with emotion.
The chat messages in the livestream shifted suddenly, filled with suspicion.
“??? Did I enter the wrong stream? Is this still the useless Zhao Kai from yesterday?”
“A prodigal son’s sudden repentance overnight? Or did someone else take over his body?”
“This turnaround is way too sudden. Something fishy is going on!”
“Why does it all feel so fake? He must know he’s live-streaming! After getting slammed yesterday, now he’s acting like a good dad!”
“Exactly! There has to be some backstage deal! The production team must have warned him!”
“Heh, do they really think the audience is stupid? This acting is so clumsy.”
The audience wasn’t stupid, and neither was Weiwei Lin.
She knew Zhao Kai too well.
He was a man who cared deeply about his image, with a fragile ego, and was extremely selfish.
There was no way he had a sudden awakening overnight.
The only explanation was—he found out about the livestream.
He was acting.
He was putting on a ridiculous “good dad” persona for the entire country, trying to salvage his reputation and pride.
Late at night.
After coaxing their son to sleep, Zhao Kai sat alone on a bench in the corridor.
He took out his phone and skillfully opened Weibo, reading marketing accounts and netizens’ comments.
“Zhao Kai seemingly aware of livestream, puts on a prodigal son’s repentance act with acting skills worthy of an Oscar!”
“Reputation reversal? Zhao Kai carefully cares for sick son, from yesterday’s loser to today’s devoted father?”
He saw that although doubts remained, more and more comments praised his “ability to admit mistakes” and “mountain-like fatherly love.”
The corner of his mouth twitched upward, revealing a smug smile.
He exhaled deeply, relaxing completely.
That was right.
Last night, a friend who worked at a television station had called him urgently, telling him everything about the livestream.
At that moment, he felt as if struck by lightning, the sky collapsing.
But soon, he calmed down.
Wasn’t it just acting? Who couldn’t do that?
As long as he rebuilt his image and salvaged his reputation, there was still hope.
He opened WeChat and sent Weiwei Lin a voice message, his tone light and tinged with a hint of self-importance:
“Wife, you saw it, right? It’s nothing, just a little scene that’s all handled. You focus on your program, I’m here at home, so don’t worry.”
Hearing the message, Weiwei Lin felt a wave of nausea.
She didn’t reply.
She quietly switched to another livestream—Chen Yu’s channel.
The signal was finally back.
...
At the same time,
In the lounge of a high-end recording studio in the city center,
Chen Yu sat with one leg crossed over the other, holding a freshly signed contract, his face beaming with joy.
Opposite him sat the nation’s top music producer, known in the industry as the “Golden Finger” — the ace, Jin Pai.
Jin Pai looked at Chen Yu, his eyes full of excitement.
“Mr. Chen, your song ‘Relieving Sorrow’ is simply a masterpiece! In my twenty years in the business, I’ve never heard anything so... so soul-stirring! The lyrics, melody, and mood are all top-notch! No, they’re beyond top-notch!”
Jin Pai rubbed his hands excitedly. “Three hundred thousand yuan to buy the full copyright is just the beginning! I foresee this song will become a nationwide hit!”
“Mr. Chen, are you interested in signing with our company? We’re willing to pour all our resources into making you the next superstar!”
Since that night when he uploaded the song onto the platform,
It went viral.
He chose the highest bidder and most prestigious label, Tianlai Music, where Jin Pai worked.
Three hundred thousand!
Although Chen Yu wasn’t short of money now,
That was still a considerable sum.
Chen Yu happily put the contract away, and soon a notification arrived on his bank card confirming the deposit.
His smile was wide and bright.
The livestream viewers, seeing this, grew excited too.
“Wow! Yu God is amazing! Sold a song for three hundred thousand!”
“True gold shines! Yu God’s talent has finally been discovered!”
“This is great! Now Nian Nian can live a better life! Yu God’s wife must be so happy!”
“This is a real man! Talented, earning money, caring for family! Not like some useless actor!”
“Three hundred thousand yuan! I bet Yu God will hand all the money to his wife to keep safe, right? He looks so unreliable, money’s not safe with him, haha!”
“Supporting that! That’s what trust between a couple looks like!”
The audience playfully teased and speculated, all assuming this “huge sum” would become the cornerstone of this family’s happiness.
Chen Yu looked at the bank notification, his smile growing even brighter.
Satisfied, he pocketed his phone and muttered proudly to himself:
“Hehe, three hundred thousand in hand! Feeling great!”
“This money has to be hidden well, absolutely can’t let her know!”
“Finally, my own little stash. I can buy a better fishing rod, a new gaming console, and won’t have to watch her face anymore!”
“Perfect!”
As he spoke, a sly, scheming grin appeared on his face.
His heartfelt “truths” were broadcast word for word, crystal clear, through the ever-present cameras and microphones, filling the entire livestream.
The chat, once filled with laughter and cheers, froze instantly.
Time seemed to pause.
Three seconds later,
The entire livestream exploded.
The backlash was even more devastating and earth-shattering than Zhao Kai’s meltdown.
“???????????????????????”
“What... what the hell did I just hear???”
“Hide it? A secret stash? Not letting her know?!”
“Holy shit!!!!!!!! Chen Yu, what the hell are you talking about!!!!”
“Making money and your first thought isn’t to improve life for wife and child, but to stash away secret money???”
“I’m losing it, guys! I just praised him for being a good man, and now this???”
“Sure, he’s good with the kid and talented... but a man who won’t give money to his wife and only thinks of himself... that’s just disgusting!”
“His image collapsed faster than Zhao Kai’s! Zhao Kai was just stupid and bad, but Chen Yu is selfish to the core! Rotten from the root!”
“It’s over, my newly discovered Yu God just had a scandal... my heart hurts, I don’t think I can love again.”
“His wife is so unlucky! Working hard outside while her husband earns money and the first thing he does is hide it for himself! How can they live like this?”