Chapter 5: Feeling Sorry for the Man, Cursed for Eight Generations

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Each time Ke Xianbo called out "Bao Yuan, little sister," Pei Baoyuan finally lost her patience and snapped, "Can you stop following me around already?"
"No way. A person must keep their promises. I promised your brother I'd look after you."
Pei Baoyuan stormed back into the private room, and the once lively atmosphere instantly fell silent, especially when everyone noticed Ke Xianbo trailing behind her.
People exchanged confused glances—why did she leave alone but return with company?
Ke Xianbo seemed completely at ease, finding a seat and crossing his legs.
"Cousin, why did you come back with Yuan Yuan?"
"Hey, drinking milk, playing it so healthy," Ke Xianbo said, holding his cup with a playful glint in his eyes as he casually glanced at Pei Baoyuan’s face. "Just finished discussing a collaboration with the secretary-general and happened to bump into Bao Yuan. He didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone, so he asked me to see her home afterward."
Huo Yanci smiled awkwardly, "Don't worry, I'm here."
"Are you sure?"
Ke Xianbo’s eyes flicked to Huo Yanci’s leg in a cast.
Huo Yanci: ...
When they finally left the club, Pei Baoyuan was pushing Huo Yanci’s wheelchair, while Ke Xianbo exuded a "keep your distance" aura, walking beside them with a cold expression.
Huo Yanci said, "Cousin, why don’t you take Yuan Yuan home first?"
Ke Xianbo was visibly annoyed.
Both of them sat in the back seat, acting as his chauffeurs.
Through the rearview mirror, Huo Yanci repeatedly tried to lean his head against Pei Baoyuan, but the "dedicated driver" at the wheel sharply turned the steering wheel.
Bang.
Huo Yanci’s head slammed against the car door, making him gasp in pain.
Ke Xianbo said, "Sorry, someone just cut in front of my car."
Huo Yanci held his head, pitifully seeking comfort, "What kind of car dares to cut off a Maybach... Yuan Yuan, my head hurts so much."
Screech—
The car braked hard; Huo Yanci had no support and slammed his head against the seat in front.
Ke Xianbo turned with concern, "Sorry, I didn’t notice the red light ahead. You okay, cousin?"
Dizzy and in pain, Huo Yanci accidentally touched his injured leg, grimacing. Leaning back, he finally muttered, "Bro... next time you go out, take a driver."
For the remainder of the ride, Huo Yanci was completely obedient.
When the car pulled up at the Huo family gate, Huo Yanci, now recovered a bit, asked, "Cousin, why did you drop me off first?"
At that moment, Ke Xianbo opened the back door and roughly pulled him out.

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"Ouch, ouch! Cousin, slow down! Ow!"
"Just forgot she was still in the car. Took a wrong turn, so I had to drop you off first."
Huo Yanci was pressed into his wheelchair with little care; his injured foot helplessly hung on the footrest.
With one less nuisance, Ke Xianbo felt thoroughly relieved, humming softly as he drove out of the Huo estate.
[The supporting male’s appearance frequency is so high, it’s hard to tell who the male lead really is.]
[Is he trying to kill the male lead off?]
Pei Baoyuan belatedly realized she should have recorded Ke Xianbo’s antics and sent them to her big brother to show that Ke Xianbo was just as unreliable.
Suddenly, Ke Xianbo stopped humming and sneered, "Starting to feel protective now? Ever read 'Xue Pinggui and Wang Baochuan'?"
"..."
"You want to dig up eighteen-year-old wild vegetables? Feeling sorry for a man will bring you eight generations of bad luck."
"..."
Pei Baoyuan opened her mouth but found she had nothing to add—Ke Xianbo was simply too talented in this kind of banter.
Ke Xianbo said, "Not saying anything? Got me right on target, huh?"
Pei Baoyuan asked, "Are you always this talkative?"
Ke Xianbo laughed angrily, "Pei Baoyuan, I’ve worked all day, finished socializing late at night, and still took you home. You’re not grateful and complain I talk too much."
"Feeling sorry for men brings eight generations of bad luck," Pei Baoyuan quietly added, "You said it."
Ke Xianbo spat out a few words between clenched teeth, "If I talk to you again, I’ll write your name backwards."
True to his word, he didn’t say another word.
Pei Baoyuan got out of the car, said goodbye, and Ke Xianbo snorted coldly before striding away.
In no time, it was time for the show recording again. After the last episode, where over a hundred roses made Pei Baoyuan famous, curious glances followed her wherever she went.
From the second episode onward, each episode featured a guest star.
This episode’s guest was the popular boy band idol, Su Xinzhen.
Pei Baoyuan’s first impression of him was excellent—polite, handsome, and sunny. But when she glanced at the live comments, her smile nearly faltered.
[Big shots helped him during the audition; his debut is all thanks to their wealth.]
[Pandering to male bosses and female tycoons alike, his slick tongue easily makes him the 'only queen.']
[Two-faced and insincere, after his scandal, he still managed to co-star with Song Yiren. His resources are unmatched.]
[I’m puzzled how the female lead, already a top actress, could still star with Su Xinzhen in a heavily featured second male lead role.]

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[There are rumors that the female lead recommended him for the role...]
Pei Baoyuan frowned. Could this be a case of not judging a book by its cover?
And why would Song Yiren recommend a scandal-ridden artist to co-star with her? Wasn’t she afraid of more trouble?
The entertainment industry really was more entertaining than financial news.
Su Xinzhen asked, "Sister Pei, why are you staring at me?"
Before reading the comments, Pei Baoyuan thought this young man was handsome and sunny.
After knowing the truth, she even thought his voice was a bit off, fitting his type perfectly.
To maintain peace among colleagues, Pei Baoyuan forced a smile and said some insincere words, "I’ve just always seen you on TV. Suddenly meeting you in person, your handsomeness really shocks my eyes."
Chu Yunbo shouted, "Teacher Pei, this time you’re sincere. Last time, your praise was just mutual flattery."
"Impossible, I was sincere," Pei Baoyuan said awkwardly, thinking this time she was lying.
The first few segments of the second episode went smoothly. When the phone lines opened, Su Xinzhen eagerly awaited, wondering how many of his fangirls would call.
When the call connected, Su Xinzhen quickly spoke, "Hello, I’m Su Xinzhen. What would you like to share with us?"
"Heh..." a girl laughed shortly, "I’m a fan site owner. Recently, I caught some gossip about him. No one’s perfect; I usually overlook his flaws, but I just found out he’s been cozying up to wealthy women."
"Not only that, he’s not faithful! Selling favors both ways! Saying he loves fans but throwing away fan letters, only keeping the expensive ones."
Pei Baoyuan’s first thought was that this girl was talking about Su Xinzhen.
Zhao Kang hurriedly tried to save the situation, "Seems this lady is just venting her emotions..."
The fan site owner angrily said, "I’m here to warn his little fans to wake up! Everyone works hard to vote for him to debut, but he doesn’t care about his fans at all!"
The key details in her expose—the boy band idol who debuted through an audition show, Mr. S.
Su Xinzhen, who fit every detail perfectly, turned pale, lips tight, wishing he were invisible.
The show had to cut off the call.
"We remind all fans calling in to control their emotions. Disrupting the recording will result in disconnection."
Pei Baoyuan smiled at the camera, "I suggest changing who you idolize right now. The length of time fans say 'I love you forever' doesn’t matter; what matters is the intensity of love in the moment. Cherish every fan and never forget where you came from."
After the show, Su Xinzhen was swiftly escorted away by his team.
Pei Baoyuan received the list of guest stars for the next episode—none other than the female lead, Song Yiren herself.