Chapter 3: A Truly Poor Character
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It was hard to imagine Ke Xianbo’s car and the man himself matching in any way.
Pei Baoyuan sat inside the car, glancing at the understated yet luxurious and steady interior, then at Ke Xianbo behind the wheel, his head topped with blue hair, one hand resting casually on the window, embodying a carefree slacker vibe.
Damn it.
How could the contrast be so extreme?
But, to be honest, his face was genuinely handsome—more so than anyone she had ever seen.
With such a gem in front of her, how on earth had she ever been interested in that guy Huo Yanci?
A crisp snap echoed as Ke Xianbo waved his hand in front of her eyes. “What are you daydreaming about?”
“Just wondering how you...” She hurriedly stopped herself. “...managed to give that junk car to Huo Yanci.”
“Yeah, a junk car worth tens of millions.”
“...”
“The car was fine when he drove it; who knew he’d get into trouble? Probably just bad luck on his part.” Ke Xianbo’s tone drifted off almost whimsically, then he turned and said sincerely, “You’re right. He betrayed genuine feelings, so karma caught up with him quickly.”
With an expression that said, “He just had bad luck, don’t blame me,” Ke Xianbo’s innocence softened Pei Baoyuan’s suspicion somewhat.
After all, Huo Yanci and he were blood relatives; it couldn't possibly be him who did it.
[Are you seriously believing him? Ke Xianbo’s mouth is full of lies! He did it on purpose!]
[Other male leads are all cool and unbeatable, casually defeating kings and legends. Huo Yanci gets caught and then crashes his car, breaking a leg, and now the female supporting character wants to run away—where’s the male lead’s halo gone?!]
[The plot is completely off track, interesting.]
Pei Baoyuan stared ahead, deep in thought.
Whether Ke Xianbo was telling the truth or not remained uncertain, but one thing was clear: what she was doing could change the original plot described in the comments.
Huo Yanci stayed in the hospital for a week. When he was discharged, Pei Baoyuan kindly went to visit.
In the ward, the Huo family was packing up. Huo Yanci sat in a wheelchair, playing with his phone. Seeing Pei Baoyuan arrive, he smiled and reached out to hold her hand.
“Baoyuan, you finally came. What have you been busy with lately?”
“Getting ready to start my new job.”
“You’ll be on TV news again? That’s great.”
“I’m not going to the TV station. I’m joining a major company to work on variety shows.”
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Pei Baoyuan calmly pulled her hand away. Someone packing up nearby politely handed her a lipstick. “Miss Pei, you left this lipstick in the sofa gap.”
She took it, glanced at the bottom of the tube—shade 662—and smiled faintly as she handed it back. “Sorry, I don’t use this lipstick.”
If she didn’t use this lipstick and seldom came to the ward, then whose lipstick was it?
[Ah, it must’ve been the lady who came yesterday.]
[This is getting exciting. Won’t she get found out?]
[The female supporting character is too dumb to guess; I’m going to replay the scene in the ward yesterday over and over—it’s even more thrilling.]
Pei Baoyuan looked at Huo Yanci, her eyes full of inquiry.
Suddenly Huo Yanci’s phone alarm rang. He snatched the lipstick and said, “This must belong to my mom. I’ll take it back to her.”
“Maybe Auntie is looking all over the house for this lipstick right now,” Pei Baoyuan teased with a smile.
Xu Chunlan valued herself highly and never used such an affordable lipstick shade, which was also unsuitable for her age. Huo Yanci lied without a second thought.
Cheaters always leave loopholes everywhere.
...
Pei Baoyuan’s onboarding process was quick. Having experience working in the economic channel and a photogenic face, she was placed by the platform into a self-produced interactive radio variety show.
The program, set in a radio booth, connected guests and listeners through phone calls, letters, and other means of voice interaction, aiming to ease listeners’ troubles, sharing and listening to the stories and emotions of modern urbanites.
It aired every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., broadcast live with two formats, allowing audiences to interact via phone and letter.
Permanent guests besides Pei Baoyuan included the platform’s leading host Zhao Kang and the popular young star Chu Yunbo.
Among the three, Pei Baoyuan was the least known. When promoting the show, many people asked who she was, but no one insulted her; most compliments focused on her beauty, which she quite enjoyed.
There was no conflict of interest among the three, and their rapport on the first recording day was decent.
At 6:00 p.m., Zhao Kang, the most experienced, read the opening statement, followed by greetings from the other two.
“Whether you’re on your way home from work, dining with family, or engaged in something fun, the bright moon rises over the sea, connecting us across the distance. Whether joyful or troubled, we’re here waiting for you. Now, let’s welcome our first caller.”
The first caller was a fan of Chu Yunbo, who confessed at length and even shared some funny cheesy pick-up lines. The fan also praised Zhao Kang’s professionalism and Pei Baoyuan’s beauty during the call.
The next three calls were also from Chu Yunbo’s fans.
Zhao Kang joked, “Looks like little Bo is really popular with the girls.”
Pei Baoyuan said, “Teacher Chu is tall, handsome, and a good actor. He’s definitely more attractive than us. I was worried no one would interact with us before the launch, but now I can rest easy.”
Chu Yunbo shyly and humbly replied, “Let’s welcome the next caller.”
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“Hello, hi.” The voice on the other end was a little girl’s, shy and timid.
Chu Yunbo assumed it was another fan—the little girl surely liked him—and asked, “Hello! What should we call you?”
“...Just call me Little Star.”
“Little Star, do you have anything interesting or troubling to share with us?”
There was silence.
They thought the call had been dropped.
Then faint sobbing came through the receiver. The three exchanged glances. Pei Baoyuan, the only female, spoke first.
“Little Star, are you thinking about something sad? It’s okay if you don’t want to share. You can cry as much as you want to let it out. No matter what, we’re your best listeners.”
After a pause, the girl’s voice returned through the sobs: “Why do they only hit me and not others?”
The three were stunned.
Zhao Kang asked, “Is someone bullying you in real life, Little Star?”
“I’m a high school student with average grades and looks. I’m unnoticed in class. But does being invisible mean they can bully me however they want?”
“They vandalize my school uniform, tear it apart, my homework disappears without reason, they locked me in the art building bathroom, insulted and beat me...”
[This is real. Her family favors boys over girls. She has two younger brothers and feels like a ghost at home.]
[What era is this? Favoring sons over daughters? Even a prodigy child isn’t necessarily a blessing.]
[In the original plot, a month later she would jump from the top of the teaching building. So she was trying to save herself at this moment.]
Little Star sobbed uncontrollably, repeatedly asking, “Why?”
Zhao Kang comforted her, “Little Star, what you’re saying is serious. We can’t provide direct help, but I suggest you tell your parents and teachers.”
Chu Yunbo added, “Little Star, this is a big deal. What Mr. Zhao said is right. You must learn to resist, say no to those who bully you, and tell your parents...”
“Why do they only hit you and not others?!” Little Star’s voice was desperate and painful, repeating what she said at the beginning. “My mom said this when she found out someone was bullying me at school and questioned me.”
“...”
“Because only your parents are cowards.”