Chapter Fourteen: Surely My Benefactor Wouldn't Skimp on My Allowance

To everyone's surprise, Su Wan-ning remained perfectly composed before the camera. She turned her phone, put it on speaker, and handed it to Nian-nian.

“Nian-nian, it’s Daddy calling.”

“Daddy!” The little girl’s sweet, clear voice rang out, full of delight.

On the other end of the line, Qin Jingchen’s heart softened, and his tone mellowed instantly. “Yes, Nian-nian, be good. How are you there? Are you doing well? Where’s your brother?”

“Daddy, we’re doing very well.” Sui-sui’s voice chimed in beside her, brimming with excitement, revealing just how much he adored his father.

Nian-nian, already entranced by Su Wan-ning’s culinary skills, nodded eagerly. “Daddy, it’s so much fun here. Mommy made lots of delicious food. Daddy, I wish you could try it too—Nian-nian will save some for you!”

The children’s innocent words soothed the tense atmosphere in the live stream, and the comments instantly shifted to praise for Nian-nian and Sui-sui.

Once the children finished chatting with Qin Jingchen, Su Wan-ning decisively hung up, not giving him the slightest chance to reproach her.

Glancing up, she saw Vincent signaling to her. Su Wan-ning sighed inwardly, knowing her image must have taken another hit.

“All right, I’m going to take Sui-sui and Nian-nian for their nap now. Today’s stream will—” She paused deliberately, then suddenly beamed at the camera. “Are you a little reluctant to see us go?”

Her unexpected question caught everyone in the live room off guard.

[Damn it, this woman is dangerously charming. I really don’t want her to leave.]
[Am I under some sort of spell?]
[She’s so fake! The goddess from the next stream is way more real. I’m going to watch the top student instead.]

Su Wan-ning continued, “Though I know it’s probably Sui-sui and Nian-nian you’ll miss most. By the way, regarding what I said earlier about losing weight—sleep is very important too. Yes, that’s right, this morning I didn’t oversleep on purpose. We’ll talk about this again in the afternoon. I need my nap now—remember to rest, everyone. Goodbye!”

Waving at the camera, she successfully shifted the topic. Countless women obsessed with their figures clamored in the comments, promising to tune in again in the afternoon.

Lying in bed, with the two children already asleep beside her, Su Wan-ning closed her eyes but couldn’t fall asleep for a long time.

She’d just hung up on their financial backer—would he be angry? And if he really got upset and didn’t send next month’s living expenses, what would she do?

No way!

Su Wan-ning bolted upright. She could lose anything, but not her money.

An idea quickly came to her. Getting up, she headed straight to the next room, where the director’s team was gathered.

Wang Zan was inside, discussing the day’s shoot with deputy director Chen Rui. The other assistant directors and interns waited nearby. When she walked in unexpectedly, everyone paused in surprise.

“Director, may I ask you something?” Su Wan-ning’s tone was easygoing. Wang Zan closed his notebook.

“What is it?” Wang Zan kept his face neutral, though inwardly he wondered if Su Wan-ning, noticing her rising popularity, was about to negotiate for better terms.

He braced himself for her to make demands for more resources, but instead, she asked, “Director, I was wondering, does our live stream have a gift or tipping function?”

Everyone in the room was caught off guard, Wang Zan frowning. “As a program stream, gifting is disabled in our live room. Why?”

Su Wan-ning nearly had a heart attack on the spot. She quickly calculated—given this morning’s viewership, if gifting were enabled…

She’d missed out on a fortune!

The pain nearly took her breath away.

“Can’t we turn on that feature? After all, gifts make a stream more lively.”

“That won’t do. It encourages unhealthy competition and conflicts among fans,” Wang Zan refused without hesitation.

“All right then.” Su Wan-ning was frustrated, but she had to follow the rules.

As she was about to leave, deputy director Chen Rui’s sarcastic tone cut through the air. “Even if you want to bleed the fans dry, you shouldn’t use our program for it. We’d be the ones taking the heat.”

At these words, Su Wan-ning paused at the threshold, then stepped back inside. Wearing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, she turned to face him.

“Deputy Director, have you considered seeing a psychiatrist?”

Her calm question exploded in the small room. Chen Rui stared at her in disbelief, then glanced at his subordinates and Wang Zan, his voice tinged with anger.

“What did you just say?”

Su Wan-ning shrugged. “I mean, have you ever been checked at the hospital for paranoid personality disorder?”

“I—”

“Director, this condition is also called persecutory delusion. It shouldn’t be taken lightly. An excessive need to win and constant suspicion—these are all classic symptoms.”

The others in the room dared not make a sound. Wang Zan stared at Su Wan-ning in astonishment. He’d only ever heard she was eccentric and stubborn—who knew she could be so sharp-tongued?

With a sigh, Su Wan-ning put on a look of regret. Facing Chen Rui, who was struck speechless, she smiled and said, “No worries, I can write you a prescription. Get some silk tree bark, dragon bone, amber, sour jujube seeds, and night-blooming vine. Boil them in eight bowls of water over a low flame for three hours until it’s reduced to one bowl—it’s very calming and just right for you.”

“What did you say? You’re the one who needs—”

“Ahem.” Wang Zan finally interjected, stopping the furious Chen Rui.

“Miss Su, the director didn’t mean any harm. There’s no need to take things so seriously.”

“Sorry, I have a bit of a temper. So please be mindful when speaking to me in the future. Or, would you like me to give you a little fame in our live stream? Let everyone get to know you?”

With that, Su Wan-ning turned and strode out, leaving the room in stunned silence.