Chapter 181: The True Nature of a Money-Grabber

While Su Wanning was still standing there in a daze, the door behind her was closed by someone from the outside, and immediately after, the lights in the room dimmed.

Suisui and Niannian pushed out a cart with great difficulty, upon which sat a familiar-looking cake neatly embedded with several lit candles.

The candle flames flickered, casting swaying shadows across the walls of the room and illuminating the smiling faces of the people around them.

In an instant, all the previous doubts connected in her mind, and Su Wanning finally understood why the atmosphere of the entire production crew had been so strange these past few days. It turned out they had been plotting this all along.

The next second, lifting her eyes, Su Wanning met Yin Shanshan’s smiling gaze nearby. For some reason, she caught a hint of a conspiracy in it, and an ominous premonition inexplicably surged in her heart.

Not only Su Wanning, but even the viewers in the various livestream rooms were taken aback.

[What is going on?]

[Wait, is no one going to care about what Su Wanning just said? What time is it, and she's still worried about the breach of contract penalty? She really is a money-lover through and through!]

[Harious. Su Wanning, if you don't get rich, who will?]

[So whose birthday is it anyway? Is it Su Wanning's birthday?]

[Judging by the cake Suisui and Niannian are pushing, it's either her or Qin Jingchen, right?]

The cameraman clearly knew what the audience was thinking. The next second, the cake was pushed to the center of the room, and all the camera lenses zoomed in. The cake clearly bore the words "President Qin."

[So it really is President Qin's birthday!]

[Happy birthday, President Qin! Let's show some respect for President Qin!]

Rows of "Happy Birthday" messages smoothly scrolled across the live comments. Wang Zan's guess had been correct; the surprise planned during the show had been kept secret from all the viewers, creating a huge gimmick. In an instant, the popularity in every livestream room skyrocketed.

Chen Rui stared at the backend data in the director's room, grinning from ear to ear.

While Su Wanning was still staring blankly at the scene before her, Niannian was already smiling excitedly at her from behind the cake.

At this moment, Yin Shanshan cleared her throat and spoke, "Actually, I was the one who asked the director to play along with me in a little act. Everyone, please rest assured, the shooting of the show has always been completely normal. Of course, the relationships between us guests are all very good. Today was simply to give President Qin a surprise. Happy birthday, President Qin!"

After Yin Shanshan finished this magnanimous speech, the people around her spontaneously burst into applause. She smiled and looked around, standing beside the cake as if she were the center of attention.

[That is so true, the atmosphere of the show has always been great!]

[Haters back off, their relationship is clearly wonderful.]

[Can this show just keep filming forever? I could watch it for a hundred years!]

[Support Yin Shanshan, she is truly so magnanimous, gentle, and thoughtful.]

The live comments were filled with even more praises for Yin Shanshan, and the popularity in her livestream room surged. At this moment, Niannian spoke up in a crisp, clear voice, "Daddy, come quickly and blow out the candles! This is the cake I bought specially for you!"

A smile appeared in Qin Jingchen's eyes as he stepped forward, gently lowering his head to pick his daughter up, and asked softly, "Is that so? Thank you, Niannian."

Niannian smiled with utter happiness in his arms, nodded, and said somewhat shyly, "But this cake required a lot of seashells, and Brother and I didn't save up enough. The other uncles and aunts helped us buy it together."

"Then we must also thank Niannian and the other little friends."

After saying this, Qin Jingchen turned his head and pulled Su Wanning over with one hand, saying softly to her, "Blow out the candles with me."

Su Wanning was still somewhat dazed at the moment. The flickering candlelight danced across her face, casting a shadow. Her pupils were slightly unfocused, and she only snapped back to reality and looked up instantly upon hearing those words.

"Huh? What?"

Qin Jingchen frowned ever so slightly, but not enough for anyone else to notice. At this moment, Niannian in his arms clapped her hands and urged, "Mommy and Daddy, hurry up and blow out the candles!"

Only then did Su Wanning recover her senses. Forcing the corners of her lips upward in cooperation, amidst the blessings of everyone around her, she blew out the candles together with Qin Jingchen.

The moment the candlelight vanished, the room darkened. Su Wanning took the opportunity to turn her head and quickly glanced at the man beside her, a complex look in her eyes.

She completely forgot that today was Qin Jingchen's birthday. It was only after hearing Yin Shanshan's words just now that Su Wanning suddenly remembered hearing someone mention it a while ago.

However, she hadn't taken it to heart at all.

At this moment, Su Wanning felt annoyance, shock, remorse, and even a trace of dissatisfaction in her heart.

What dissatisfied her was that the production crew clearly knew yet kept it from her, plotting this entire thing.

The fact that she didn't remember her own husband's birthday was something very few people would believe if spoken aloud, but it was obvious that someone behind the scenes was fanning the flames and deliberately creating this atmosphere for the sole purpose of watching her make a fool of herself on live television.

Su Wanning's ominous premonition grew stronger and stronger. Sure enough, once the lights lit up again, Yin Shanshan was the first to present the gift in her hand, the logo on the bag clearly indicating it was of immense value.

She even smiled faintly and said, "President Qin, supplies on the isolated island are scarce. Please accept this small token of my respect. Happy birthday!"

[What is this?]

[Open it quickly and let us see, I'm dying of curiosity!]

[You can tell just by the brand that this is no ordinary small token. Yin Shanshan is truly generous.]

[Is this really the world of the rich?]

"Thank you."

Qin Jingchen nodded slightly, his response distant and polite. He accepted the bag from Yin Shanshan's hand without even the slightest physical contact occurring between them.

"President Qin, this is my gift!"

"This is mine!"

The people around them successively presented their gifts, and the viewers in the livestream room gradually came to their senses.

The cake was a gift from Niannian, while Suisui presented a model toy he had built himself out of LEGO bricks, shaped like a large ship.

Yet Su Wanning, standing right beside Qin Jingchen, remained completely motionless throughout.

[Why isn't Su Wanning giving a gift?]

[You guys must not understand romance. Gifts between a husband and wife are naturally given in private.]

[Could it be that she genuinely has no idea today is President Qin's birthday? She doesn't seem to have spoken much the whole time either.]

[Just now Yin Shanshan said this surprise was planned by her and the director's team. Chances are Su Wanning really didn't know!]

[Oh my god, as a wife she actually doesn't know her husband's birthday? And President Qin treats her so well!]

[Su Wanning, are you alright?]

[Is there any need to hate on her awkwardly here? Their relationship as husband and wife is great, don't get your face slapped when she takes out her gift later.]

[Why does Su Wanning look genuinely so clueless?]

[I find it strange too. Shouldn't a surprise like this be prepared by the wife for her husband? Why was it prepared by the other guests instead?]

[Where is Su Wanning's gift?]

[Then again, maybe she gave it to him in advance a long time ago.]

At this moment, Su Wanning was frozen in place, experiencing the most awkward and helpless moment since the show began.