Author: mio

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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Isn’t holding hands a bit inappropriate?

Do all young people play this wildly nowadays?

Cui Guoqiang stood there rigidly, fidgeting awkwardly.

[Hahaha, wasn’t the old man feeling so smug just now? Who’s more conservative now?]

[I feel like Grandpa Cui will be completely controlled by Grandma Cuilan—the old man was defeated by a single sentence from her.]

[Upstairs, you can remove the words “I feel like,” Grandpa Cui will definitely be the one being controlled. He probably didn’t expect that despite his fierceness on the battlefield, it all disappears in front of Grandma Cuilan, and he practically reverts to being a naive young man.]

[I’m dying here, do men of any age really not get our hints? This is such a clear sign! OMG, I wish I could just jump through the screen to help them hold hands! Glue their hands together with 502 glue!]

[Grandpa Cui probably doesn’t know how wild young people play nowadays, they can even start kissing casually on the street.]

The onlooking netizens jumped around in the comments, anxious to the point of pulling their hair out, seemingly even more worried than the people involved.

Cui Guoqiang naturally understood the hint, but he remained hesitant and indecisive. The old man looked around and saw a brand new 28-inch bicycle parked not far away, clearly prepared by the production team.

Cui Guoqiang thought for a moment, then said to Zhou Cuilan, “How about we push the bicycle together?”

Cui Guoqiang only had one hand, so he could only use his waist and abdomen to stabilize the bicycle, making him feel a bit regretful about his disability. If it were back in the day, he could have carried Zhou Cuilan directly onto the bicycle.

Zhou Cuilan smiled and nodded. They walked on either side of the bicycle, Cui Guoqiang holding the handlebars with one hand, while Zhou Cuilan held onto the seat, slowly moving forward against the sea breeze.

Neither of them spoke, both just enjoying the cool and comfortable evening sea breeze, savoring this reunion that was decades overdue.

They were not the young people of this era—they had their own way of interacting from their own era. There was no need for them to say much either, since both of them knew that everything they wanted to say could already be understood without speaking.

The netizens who had been urging Cui Guoqiang to hold hands gradually decreased in number; this seemed to be the style of their era, after all.

[Looking forward to them reaching the end of the seaside path! They’ll definitely be surprised! The production team has put a lot of effort into the setup.]

[Although the setup is a bit cliché, no matter how old one gets, no one would dislike a sense of ceremony.]

[Apparently the production team prepared a lot of balloons for them. When the air pump broke, the staff blew them up with their mouths, and their cheeks must be sore, but Grandpa and Grandma are worth it!]

[I’m ready to take screenshots, haha, I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.]

Countless netizens were eager for them to walk faster, wanting them to see the proposal venue prepared by the production team and all of the younger generations.

However, Cui Guoqiang’s right hand gripped the handlebars tightly, and the sweat seeping from his palm made it hard for him to hold on tightly. Having seemingly made up his mind, the old man suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Under the dim light of the seaside path, Cui Guoqiang stood across from a vintage 28-inch bicycle, saluting Zhou Cuilan as he took a deep breath and mustered up all his courage, saying, “C-Comrade Zhou Cuilan, would you be willing to become my partner in old age?”

The production team behind them froze with awkward smiles on their faces while the livestream chat was instantly filled with question marks.

W-wait a minute, why had the planned proposal happened so early? This wasn’t the expected proposal scene they had planned at all!

[Looks like the production team is about to cry their eyes out in the bathroom—setting everything up for nothing!]

[Ahhh, this is so sweet! Grandpa Cui couldn’t wait to get to the proposal venue at the end of the seaside path and instead just proposed directly!]

[Wahhhh, finally, the bitter times are over! The comrades on the battlefield will never be forgotten in this lifetime, and the women behind them also deserve to be seen too. A salute to all military and police wives!]

Grandma Cuilan’s eyes reddened as she looked at Cui Guoqiang’s nervous face, laughing one moment and tearing up the next. After a long pause, Zhou Cuilan faced him across the bicycle, raised her right hand, and returned the salute, saying, “Comrade Cui Guoqiang, I am willing.”

Xu Yao, who was sitting in front of the livestream, couldn’t help but smile with a knowing grin.

They finally made it.

Grandpa Cui finally found fulfillment in his life. He was no longer just a tool to be used for the male and female leads to meet. He had found the comrade he had treasured all his life, and reunited with the love of his life, who had filled him with so much regret in the first half of his life.

As an excellent landlady, isn’t it normal for her to help her tenants fulfil their dreams?

Regardless if it made money for her this time. After all, she wasn’t short on cash.

Just as Xu Yao was deep in her thoughts, she suddenly caught a glimpse of the livestream, where the newly engaged Grandpa Cui was not only not happy, but instead, frowning at Zhou Cuilan.

He said, “Comrade Cuilan, your salute is not up to standard at all.”

Zhou Cuilan: “…”

The screen was filled with “hahahaha,” “LOL, I’m dying of laughter,” and “straight man’s style of speaking, please do not imitate.”

Cui Guoqiang couldn’t stand Zhou Cuilan’s unsightly salute anymore, so he simply stepped in to help her correct it, revealing a satisfied smile afterwards. “Yes, yes, yes, this is how you should salute properly.”

Cui Guoqiang suddenly froze, looking at his hands that were as dry as old tree bark. He suddenly felt his red hot blood surge up his neck and face, causing the old man to blush deeply.

Oh dear, how did he end up acting like the young people today, and actually touching hands with her? He was such a respectable person.

The old man kept glancing at Zhou Cuilan’s standard salute posture, then proceeded to steal glances at Grandma Cuilan’s expression, his eyes darting rapidly as busy as a bee.

Grandma Cuilan just smiled at the old man’s embarrassed demeanor, his palms clammy with sweat.

Before long, the two exchanged smiles.

They pushed their bicycles forward and saw the beautifully arranged proposal venue ahead, complete with flowers, decorations, and even a seaside barbecue stall. Only then did they belatedly realize they had wasted the good intentions of the production team.

“Thank you to the production team, thank you to all you younger folks, and a special thanks to Yaoyao as well. Let’s all have a barbecue together,” Cui Guoqiang suggested, not wanting to waste their painstaking efforts.

Cui Guoqiang singled out Xu Yao, this young girl, whom he was particularly grateful to.

Without her, the show might not have become such a hit, and there wouldn’t have been so many netizens trying to help him find his comrade-in-arms. Without her, perhaps he and Cuilan would have missed each other once again.

Xu Yao smiled silently in front of the livestream.

[This is the biggest attraction of being Xu Yao’s tenant; you can always expect miracles with this landlady!]

[So regardless of how old one is—even the dreams of the elderly can be fulfilled by Xu Yao.]

[Ummmm, am I the only one who just wants to eat barbecue right now? Slurp.]

[The ingredients look so fresh—foodies can hardly resist!]

“Grandpa, Grandma, these barbecue ingredients were all freshly caught at sea according to Miss Xu Yao’s arrangements.” Director Zhao immediately continued to boost Xu Yao’s reputation, as they all benefited from the influence of these two elderly people.

Cui Guoqiang kept saying, “Thank you, Yaoyao.”

As a group of people started barbecuing, the scene soon became extremely lively, making everyone forget all thoughts about the show and causing netizens to drool with envy.

Cui Guoqiang grilled a large lobster for Zhou Cuilan, blowing on the scalding lobster while peeling its shell. The old lady then shared her lobster meat with Cui Guoqiang.

They were both in their seventies, and their life was already gradually nearing its end.

But if a person’s lifespan is a hundred years, then that means they still have another twenty-seven more years together.

Twenty-seven years was already more than enough.

Cui Guoqiang raised his glass to clink with Zhou Cuilan’s, and through the candlelight, he earnestly said, “I can’t say much else, just… may we live to a hundred.”

Let’s work hard to live to a hundred together.

*

Lately, Xu Yao had been running all over the place with Grandpa Cui Guoqiang, tiring her out into lounging at home like a salted fish.

Xu Yao had plenty of properties in the capital, so after staying at the Xu family’s ancestral home for a couple of days, she soon moved out.

Xu Yao saw many updates about Grandpa Cui online thereafter, reportedly hearing that Grandpa Cui Guoqiang and Grandma Zhou Cuilan had gone straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau the next day to register for their marriage certificate. The Civil Affairs Bureau regarded this couple with great importance, simply regarding them as the best advertisement for marriage of the year.

The two received countless blessings from netizens all over the internet, and for a time, they were all anyone could talk about.

“Miss Yaoyao, President Ji has arrived.” The butler walked in to report just as Xu Yao had sat down at the mahjong table with Lu Ye and He Fan.

While youngsters are filled with the ambition to chase their dreams, she, as a landlady, could only look forward to collecting rent everyday, making her future life seem dull and rather predictable.

So when she gets bored… just play some mahjong to pass the time.

Seeing Ji Zhengqing walk in, Xu Yao smiled in surprise, saying, “Fiancé, you’re here! Just in time, we’re still short on one player. Do you know how to play mahjong? Come sit.”

Today, Ji Zhengqing was wearing a loose white T-shirt paired with blue jeans, giving him the look of a college student. Xu Yao’s eyes lit up at his outfit.

Hmm… a clear-eyed, puppy-like male college student really is too attractive. I wonder if he dressed like this on purpose today…

Ji Zhengqing sat down to Xu Yao’s left. In front of them was an automatic mahjong machine. The mahjong tiles had been specially customized by Xu Yao, with the back being a shiny gold that looked extremely classy.

“I know a little about mahjong,” Ji Zhengqing said, looking at the newly shuffled mahjong tiles that had emerged from the machine. He skillfully picked up four tiles and set them up, one by one. As if just chatting casually, he asked, “Since Grandpa Cui’s wish has now been satisfied, when are you planning on going back to Haicheng? I’ll see you off then.”

He Fan’s focus immediately shot over to him.

Still looking at the tiles in her hand, Xu Yao didn’t think much of it. She replied, “I haven’t decided yet. Anyway, I’m just an unemployed drifter. I can live in Haicheng or the capital.”

Now that she also owned a private jet, she was able to go wherever she wanted.

Ji Zhengqing nodded and played a tile. “Hmm, Xu Jing also lives in the capital. He misses you a lot.”

Ji Zhengqing looked at He Fan. “Are you still playing?”

He Fan didn’t say anything, but still silently played a tile.

After noticing Ji Zhengqing’s arrival, Xu Yao’s already good hand became exceptionally favorable, seemingly able to get whatever tile she wanted.

After playing about ten rounds, He Fan could no longer hold back and blurted out to Ji Zhengqing, “President Ji, could you please stop deliberately feeding your tiles to Miss Yaoyao?”

Can’t you be a decent person?! He still needs to save money for his hair growth! He was no longer Ji Zhengqing’s assistant, so he decided that he was going to confront this love-struck fool today!

Ji Zhengqing discarded a three of circles and said, “I’m not particularly good at playing mahjong.”

Xu Yao slammed her hand down on the mahjong table and reached for the three of circles Ji Zhengqing had just discarded, pushing her tiles forward to say, “Hu¹!”

Ji Zhengqing smiled and said, “Wow, Yaoyao really knows how to play.”

He Fan, who felt like he was suffering from a heart attack, turned his gaze to look at Lu Ye, the real mahjong novice.

Lu Ye’s serious face was tightly furrowed, clearly still not quite understanding the game. He took a look at Xu Yao’s winning hand and agreed with Ji Zhengqing, “Miss Yaoyao is very good at playing.”

Xu Yao laughed heartily, glancing over at Ji Zhengqing. Some things didn’t need to be pointed out; they both understood it clearly in their hearts.

Xu Yao took the initiative to invite him over. “In that case, if you have time in the next few days, why don’t you come over and I’ll teach you how to play mahjong?”

Ji Zhengqing smiled and agreed.

However, Xu Yao still sent a red envelope to their group chat. Playing mahjong was just for fun, and regardless of winning or losing, having a good time was the most important. He Fan was overjoyed when he received the red envelope, repeatedly sending messages in the group like, [Boss is the most generous!]

“Have the generators been purchased?” Xu Yao didn’t forget to ask, even while in the midst of “guiding” Ji Zhengqing in playing mahjong.

He Fan took a moment to respond, “More than a hundred have been purchased and will soon be delivered in batches to areas experiencing high temperatures and power outages.”

Although the wildfire in Jinchang Town was already extinguished, the forest firefighting teams were still on high alert, as the terrifying heat could lead to a resurgence at any moment.

High temperatures can trigger a series of chain reactions, not only potentially igniting wildfires, but also drying up rivers, which could mean catastrophic consequences for regions relying on hydropower.

High temperatures can be deadly.

Xu Yao watched the news, noting that many places had already experienced power outages, and the authorities were already promoting staggered electricity usage.

Although the delivery of over a hundred large generators might not completely solve the problem, it should still be of some help. Xu Yao always held the belief that every little bit counts.

She hoped everyone could enjoy air conditioning and ice cream in the comfort of their own homes, even if they weren’t her tenants.

Her phone on the table vibrated. Xu Yao glanced at it and saw that it was an unfamiliar landline number. When she answered, she was clearly surprised by what the voice on the other end said.

The people around her looked at her in astonishment. After hanging up, Xu Yao said, “The fire department wants to formally commend me as an ‘Advanced Individual.’”

#XuYaoAwardedAdvancedIndividualHonor shot to the top of trending searches, with multiple official media outlets reposting it immediately.

Xu Yao had quite the presence.

Just look at all the other celebrities who donated to the Jinchang Town fire? Who else among them has received this honor?

She spent money recklessly on various supplies, opened up several hotels for free for the displaced citizens, and even used her newly purchased private helicopter, which she hadn’t even been able to enjoy yet, to fetch seawater to extinguish the fire. So when Xu Yao was recognised as an “Advanced Individual,” netizens were not surprised at all! They even felt that it was well-deserved!

Xu Yao stood in the middle of the fire department’s leaders, holding her certificate and trophy for a group photo.

[See? Supporting Xu Yao never backfires, right? She’s even received an “Advanced Individual” honor! Who else gets that kind of treatment?]

[Yaoyao looks beautiful, the firefighters look handsome, it’s just a bit funny having her stand right in the center position for the photo, haha.]

[Xu Yao must have spent quite a lot this time. Giving her this commendation is at least some form of consolation.]

[Xu Yao truly deserves it. At her level, money is probably no longer a big deal—reputation is what matters most.]

In Xu Yao’s circle, money could be found in abundance, but who else among them has been officially recognised by the authorities like Xu Yao?

For many wealthy individuals, their reputation is indeed more important than money.

There were quite a few tycoons in the circle who did envy Xu Yao, even regretting why they hadn’t donated more.

“You want to donate money like Xu Yao? Are you not afraid of squandering away your family fortune?” A businessman in the circle grumbled, holding a cigarette between his fingers as he puffed out rings of smoke.

Seeing the puzzled expressions at the table, the businessman, feeling smug about the firsthand information he had overheard from a leading figure in the circle, said mysteriously, “I heard she purchased over a hundred large generators to send to the areas with power outages and told them they didn’t have to return them.”

The first half of the sentence was already surprising enough, but the second half truly caused everyone’s jaws to drop open in shock.

Didn’t…

Didn’t have to return them?

“Apparently Xu Yao said the weather is getting worse, and such extreme heat might become common in the future. Constantly borrowing and returning is too troublesome, so it’s better for them to just keep it there.”

Upon recalling the information he had received, the businessman couldn’t help but feel so astonished that the cigarette in his hand trembled violently, the scalding ash falling to the ground.

Those large generators were definitely not cheap either. Xu Yao, that wealthy woman, dislikes inferior products, so the products she sends out must be the best available in the market.

A friend at the table swallowed hard, incredulously saying, “What’s the difference between this and just throwing money around? Does her family own a gold mine for her to waste money like this?”

Xu Yao invested 200 million yuan in that trash variety show Hand in Hand in Our Later Years, which only generated a small profit in return. Especially when compared to the billions she made monthly when relying on Ming Chan, it was simply not worth mentioning.

At first, these people had all been watching from the side with a spectator’s attitude, even secretly laughing at how Xu Yao had finally managed to crash this time.

After all, the meager amount of money she earned this time couldn’t completely cover the time and energy spent on that project.

But now, they belatedly realised—

Xu Yao probably never intended to make money from Hand in Hand in Our Later Years. Her main goal was to support Cui Guoqiang, fulfilling the old man’s wishes as her tenant!

And in that process, she happened to incidentally gain the “reputation” that wealthy people desire most.

Did Xu Yao come out at a loss this time?

No, no, no, she didn’t come out at a loss at all! Rather, gaining official recognition was like receiving an invisible pass. Putting aside everything else, she could probably brag about this for years on end, couldn’t she?

“Being Xu Yao’s tenant really is quite nice.” The businessmen present, who were drinking beer and chatting, couldn’t help but sigh sincerely.

However, not everyone could be like Xu Yao, so they didn’t try to emulate her reckless spending.

“With Xu Yao’s level of involvement, I reckon the real estate industry in the capital is probably going to struggle.” A group of businessmen wore expressions of amusement on their faces as they continued eating boiled peanuts.

＊

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

News of Xu Yao sending large generators to various power outage areas spread quickly. Some residents who had prepared to sleep in the underground parking lot that night discovered their homes suddenly had electricity again.

“The power is back! Hurry home and charge your little electric fan!” The residents with hand fans rejoiced and immediately returned home.

The moment they turned on the air conditioning, they felt like they had come alive again.

Air conditioning is what truly gives life meaning in the summer heat!

However, many were still puzzled. Hadn’t they already been notified? There would still be power restrictions tonight. Wouldn’t it just be a few minutes before the power went out again?

Someone saw in the WeChat group that the property management was tagging all members, informing everyone that power had been restored tonight, and that although there would be continued restrictions tomorrow morning, it would gradually return to normal after that.

[I saw employees from the power supply bureau bringing large generators outside, working overnight to restore power.] A young person excitedly shared this news in the residents’ group chat.

[Ah, it’s Xu Yao! I saw the news online! She purchased over a hundred large generators to send over, helping to alleviate the pressure on our power supply.]

It’s actually Xu Yao again!

Many people took the opportunity to check the timeline of when Xu Yao provided the generators, and they were surprised to discover—

Xu Yao had made arrangements for the large generators before she was officially recognized as an Advanced Individual.

This shows that she definitely didn’t act on a whim because of the recognition, but that she already had plans to donate long before that.

The time difference between the two events touched many netizens.

It was reported that the power supply had also been prioritized for areas with a higher proportion of elderly in the population, truly showcasing the saying, “respecting the elderly and caring for the young.”

[Even though they don’t seem to be Xu Yao’s tenants, they’re still able to benefit from the perks Divine Landlady Xu gives her own tenants.]

[If Xu Yao doesn’t deserve to be named an “Advanced Individual,” then who does? She brought in hundreds of generators and never even planned to ask for them back!]

[Wait—what do you mean she’s not taking the generators back? I’m here for the gossip!]

The news that Xu Yao didn’t plan to ask for the generators back made many netizens sigh, saying this is the right way for the wealthy to spend their money.

Real estate agents in the capital city felt immense pressure from the overwhelming news about Xu Yao online. These tenants were simply delusional! Whenever something went wrong, they would immediately start talking about, “What Xu Yao would do,” or “What would happen if they were renting one of Xu Yao’s properties.”

Can’t you guys face reality? You’re not Xu Yao’s tenants!

They barely paid any rent, but yet had so many demands.

However, Xu Yao’s rental properties were considered the average rent price in the capital, and she didn’t plan on lowering them either. Others who rented properties out at the same price as her simply couldn’t match her level of service, which was why so many people wanted to rent her properties.

“Let’s reach out to Xu Yao!” The head of a real estate company in the capital said with gritted teeth, his eyes shut in agony.

They hoped to collaborate with Xu Yao by, for example, listing their premium properties under Xu Yao Rentals, thus gaining the benefits of being a part of her rental team. This way, they could raise the rent a bit more, relying on the belief that many tenants were eager to rent Xu Yao’s properties and wouldn’t be able to resist such temptation, allowing Xu Yao to profit from the situation too.

It was simply a win-win situation!

After all, there will come a day when a person’s property is all eventually rented out.

This news quickly reached Xu Yao, as the CEO of the largest real estate company in the capital had sincerely invited her to dinner.

Xu Yao simply couldn’t believe it. “Do these real estate companies want me to become a second landlord? Have they lost their minds?”

Xu Yao didn’t understand what these companies were thinking. After all, she had just finished chasing away the second landlord in her urban village in Haicheng! She didn’t want her tenants to suffer under the rule of a second landlord too.

“They probably think that your personal assets will eventually be fully rented out,” Ji Zhengqing chimed in while quickly glancing through his work documents as he sat at the glass table nearby.

Xu Yao thought this made some sense. She turned to He Fan and asked, “How many properties under my name are still available for rent?”

“About 40%, which includes some of your properties in the country and quite a significant amount abroad too,” He Fan reported while holding a tablet dedicated to Xu Yao’s rental properties.

Since her properties in the domestic market hadn’t even been fully rented out, they hadn’t thought to consider her properties abroad yet.

Xu Yao thought for a moment and said, “That’s simple. Once the properties are all rented out, I’ll just buy a few more and continue renting them out.”

After all, she didn’t mind having more properties.

The people present were momentarily speechless from her overwhelming display of wealth.

If only those companies knew—they would probably be so furious they’d faint from anger on the spot.

Ji Zhengqing stopped typing on his computer and gently reminded her, “But properties in the capital city are currently restricted from being purchased.”

Although they were wealthy, they were still law-abiding citizens. It’s not easy to buy properties in big cities. It’s much easier in smaller cities, but fewer people are inclined to develop in smaller cities.

“Miss Yaoyao, do you want to ask President Xu?” Lu Ye suddenly asked.

Hearing this, Xu Yao recalled Xu Jing’s character as a doting brother and suddenly realized what Lu Ye was suggesting.

If she asked Xu Jing for property, he would agree without a second thought. Xu Jing didn’t care much about the Xu family’s real estate—he only cared about the Xu Group, which was practically a super-powered money-printing machine.

Xu Yao thought, That wouldn’t feel appropriate though, right?

Just as Xu Yao was thinking this, the butler at the door heard the doorbell and immediately went to open the door, quickly running back to report to Xu Yao, “Miss Yaoyao, President Xu is here.”

Walking into Xu Yao’s grand mansion in the capital city was Xu Jing, who was still carrying a briefcase. His gaze lingered on Ji Zhengqing for a moment before he stepped forward and affectionately ruffled Xu Yao’s hair.

“Our Yaoyao has been working so hard lately.” Xu Jing felt sorry for Xu Yao, who was always busy running around in the scorching heat—though that didn’t stop him from internally agreeing with her actions.

Regardless of how he was now first on the rich list, it’s hard to say whether the Xu family could have taken advantage of the times to become the richest family in Hua Country without the contributions of ancestors before them, like Cui Guoqiang. 

Xu Yao was pleasantly surprised, “How come you’re here, Brother?”

“Didn’t I hear that Zhengqing is here to teach you how to swim? So I came over to take a look,” Xu Jing said with a smile.

“By the way, Yaoyao, there’s something I want to tell you…” Xu Jing suddenly frowned and paused, as if finding it hard to say, “Forget it, it’s too tiring for you.”

Ji Zhengqing suddenly had a bad premonition.

The more Xu Jing acted like this, the more curious Xu Yao became. She clung to Xu Jing’s arm, urging him to tell her quickly.

“It’s like this, Yaoyao. I can see that your rental business is doing very well lately, so I have an idea.”

At first, Xu Jing thought Xu Yao was just collecting rent for the fun of it, but now, it was clear that she had already become increasingly adept in this field, with many tenants now eagerly waiting to rent Xu Yao’s properties.

If Xu Yao wanted to offload her properties now, it probably wouldn’t be easy. In fact, if the number of rental units she has available decreases, public opinion might even turn against her. Xu Jing doesn’t want to see any negative news about Xu Yao online at all!

Xu Jing said, “Our Xu family owns a lot of properties. If Yaoyao doesn’t mind the extra workload, Brother will transfer all the rental rights of our properties to you, and you can keep the rent money for yourself.”

Those properties would still be under Xu Jing’s name, but he would give the rent to Xu Yao. After all, having all those properties just sitting there seemed like quite the waste of resources.

Xu Jing felt like he was a terrible, scheming older brother. What’s the real bulk of property value? It’s the property itself—the land!

What’s rent in comparison?

Rent is just a petty, insignificant profit, hardly even worth mentioning!

Yet here he was, as the older brother, only giving Xu Yao the small, meager profits while keeping the bulk of it for himself. Xu Jing felt his face flush as he spoke those words, even somewhat regretting saying them. Clearly, this was not a very good idea.

This really isn’t how an older brother ought to act.

Sure enough, Xu Yao stared intently at Xu Jing without saying another word, as if she had discovered a new continent.

“Yaoyao, it’s my fault, don’t take it to heart. I know collecting rent is always a tiring job,” Xu Jing quickly changed his tone, fearing Xu Yao would be upset—he couldn’t bear to see his sister sad.

Standing beside them, Ji Zhengqing’s expression was almost inscrutable. This future brother-in-law really was something else… 

Then what about him?

Fiancé = future husband. The husband is his wife’s closest next of kin, with their relationship being the closest. So how could he, the husband, be less generous than her older brother?

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1. Term used in mahjong to signify you’ve won ↩︎

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Cui Guoqiang was taken aback by this statement. His peripheral vision caught the young people parting into two lines beside him, and his previously excited mood suddenly dipped a bit. He couldn’t quite pinpoint the reason, so he just smiled at Xu Yao and said, “Okay.”

As the flight attendant offered to assist Cui Guoqiang, the old man waved his hand in refusal. He carefully tucked the two-inch photo, painstakingly restored of his comrade Sun Jianping, into the pocket of his left chest and used his right hand to steady himself as he boarded Xu Yao’s private jet.

The interior of the private jet was even more luxurious than its exterior. Cui Guoqiang had already flown once before, and felt that the cabin in here was much more spacious and beautiful than the economy class cabin of the plane Liu Yingxia had booked for him.

“Then, Grandpa Cui, shall we prepare to take off?” Xu Yao smiled from the side.

Cui Guoqiang suppressed the strange feeling of unease bubbling in his heart and nodded at Xu Yao, filled with the anticipation of meeting his old comrade-in-arms.

Today, he would finally have the chance to see his old comrade-in-arms!

The plane that Cui Guoqiang and Xu Yao were on took off first, followed shortly by several other private jets soaring into the sky.

This scene was captured by countless people, watching as the planes gradually shrank to the size of ants and drifted further and further away… 

#GrandpaCuiGuoqiangTakesFlightToVisitOldComrade

#GrandpaCuiStillUnawareOfThTruthI’mCrying

#XuYao’sFleetOfPrivateJetsEscortsRetiredVeteran

Cui Guoqiang didn’t understand much about the internet, but the short video made by “Big Apple” had already spread widely online.

[I just saw a livestream where Grandpa Cui found out about his comrade’s whereabouts—he was so happy he almost jumped up. I couldn’t help but cry.]

[Will Grandpa Cui be able to handle it? I wonder if Xu Yao has arranged medical staff in advance. No matter how strong he is, he’s still in his seventies—what if the shock is too much for him…]

[With so many private jets following Xu Yao, they’re probably not all empty. Though that girl may be a bit unhinged, she still handles things very appropriately—she must have prepared everything in advance.]

[I hope Grandpa Cui stays strong! Remember, you still have Grandma Cuilan waiting for you!]

Countless netizens commented online, hoping that when Cui Guoqiang learned the truth, he wouldn’t collapse. They understood how terrifying it could be when a person’s faith crumbles.

Concerned netizens shared examples, like a grandfather at home who had cancer but was kept in the dark about his condition. He had been fighting hard and was originally on the road to recovery, but once he found out he had cancer, he passed away within a week.

Xu Yao had to make thorough preparations.

[Don’t worry, according to reliable sources, Xu Yao has brought along a medical team—all top experts in the field.]

[By the way, owning a private jet is almost becoming a standard for the wealthy. I used to really hate those rich people constantly flaunting their wealth, but Xu Yao is truly an exception. She directly used a helicopter to participate in aerial firefighting to extinguish fires and now she’s even escorting an old hero. Sure, it’s not a fighter jet, but it’s probably already the highest level of honor that she can offer him.]

[Speaking of which, do you know what kind of water Xu Yao used in the helicopter to support the firefighting? I was stunned when I found out.]

When netizens saw this question, their first reaction was to laugh. What else would you use to extinguish a wildfire? Of course it’s just water! 

The blogger replied to that question: [It’s seawater.]

The mention of seawater left many people momentarily stunned, unsure what the issue with seawater was. After all, seawater is still water, and using it in an emergency fire situation seems quite normal.

The blogger continued to reply: [But that’s a private helicopter, not a shared bike you can find on the street. A model like Xu Yao’s costs tens of millions! If it were any other rich second-generation heir, they would all treasure it immensely! But she’s pouring seawater into it! Seawater can damage the aircraft’s machinery!]

Many netizens suddenly felt enlightened. That’s right.

A new car of theirs would be treated with the utmost care, distressing them even if it’s just the floor mats getting dirty, let alone something that could damage the internal machinery. Just thinking about it could give them a heart attack.

Xu Yao had just bought these private jets and probably hadn’t even had the chance to enjoy them herself yet. And yet she just took them out like that.

After a while, some netizens couldn’t help but exclaim: [Xu Yao truly is an impeccable landlady.]

*

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

Cui Guoqiang admired the expansive scenery outside the plane. The last time he flew was on a ticket bought by Liu Yingxia, and he hadn’t looked closely since he didn’t have a window seat.

Seeing the view from up here truly was very different.

“If only we had such powerful planes back then. Perhaps we could have ended the war sooner,” Cui Guoqiang sighed.

It seemed as if the older generation could talk about their days on the battlefield a hundred times without growing tired. Upon noticing Xu Yao’s interest, Cui Guoqiang perked up again and began to recount in detail:

“The conditions were tough back then. We were ambushed in the mountains, where snakes, insects, and ants were everywhere. I remember lying in the grass, and about five meters away, a snake was staring at me. The commander ordered us to execute our mission perfectly, even if it meant costing us our lives, so I stared back at it for almost a minute.

“That was still quite tolerable. One time, I was ambushed and ants started crawling all over me. Those ants were poisonous and would leave swollen welts the size of small buns with just one bite. It was both itchy and painful, but I had to remain still in the grass, unable to move or make a sound.”

Before long, Cui Guoqiang began reminiscing about his comrade Sun Jianping. “I was shot in the left hand. Don’t be fooled by how Sun Jianping is just over one meter sixty; he covered my retreat. Even though I was in so much pain I was about to faint, he still carried me and ran.”

“Yaoyao, I’m a bit tired and want to sleep for a while.” Cui Guoqiang recounted their experiences on the battlefield, some moments interesting, and some moments tense. He talked for half an hour, but fatigue finally overwhelmed him, and he had no choice but to tell Xu Yao.

Xu Yao signaled to Lu Ye, who immediately arranged for the old man to rest.

The plane flew steadily through the sky, and Cui Guoqiang fell asleep quickly. This was perhaps the most comfortable sleep he had had in a long time, except he had a dream.

In his dream, he was back in his twenties, returning to that familiar battlefield he saw day and night. He saw his old comrade Sun Jianping carrying a gun not far away.

Before he could get closer, someone threw and detonated the explosives, and Sun Jianping fell to the ground.

“Jianping, Jianping, don’t sleep! Don’t sleep!” In the dream, he seemed to see Sun Jianping’s youthful face, bloodied and disfigured, while he kept urging him not to sleep.

Cui Guoqiang suddenly woke up. He reached up to touch his forehead, his palm drenched in sweat. He had been startled awake by the dream.

As a veteran, this sort of dream wasn’t unfamiliar to him, but now that he was about to meet his old comrade-in-arms that he hadn’t seen in decades, dreaming of such a thing gave Cui Guoqiang a somewhat ominous feeling.

“Let the doctor give Grandpa Cui a basic check-up,” Xu Yao said immediately upon seeing the old man drenched in sweat, his face somewhat pale.

Xu Yao had made thorough preparations before taking Cui Guoqiang to meet his old comrade, and had organised a medical team to prevent any unexpected incidents happening to him.

The head doctor gave Cui Jianguo a basic examination and told Xu Yao, “It’s just that he hasn’t been resting well lately and is too fatigued. A good rest should solve the problem.”

Xu Yao breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Cui Guoqiang’s disabled left hand, asking, “Is there any other way to treat Grandpa Cui’s left hand?”

The doctor shook his head regretfully. “Currently, there is no medical solution.”

At that time, in order to save Cui Guoqiang’s life, the doctors had unfortunately had to sacrifice his left upper arm along with his hand.

Xu Yao remembered that in the original novel, there would be significant breakthroughs in research from experts in this area, allowing countless disabled individuals to regain a new lease on life.

“Miss Yaoyao, we’ll be arriving in fifteen minutes,” He Fan came over to remind her.

Xu Yao nodded, while Cui Guoqiang was already adjusting his attire.

Afterward, they successfully disembarked from the plane, with Xu Yao’s team leading Cui Guoqiang to meet his old comrade, while many ordinary netizens had gathered along the roadside, waiting in anticipation.

Cui Guoqiang’s sense of unease grew stronger, especially as Xu Yao and the others led him deeper into the mountains.

Cui Guoqiang forced a smile and said, “I knew it, although that old rascal Jianping was a shy and honest man, he was also the biggest braggart alive. He told us he lived in town, but it turns out his hometown is in the mountains too.”

“He…” Cui Guoqiang looked at the overgrown weeds and the shadowy trees in the forest, with only a small path seemingly made entirely from the footsteps of visitors. He seemed unable to hold it together any longer, covering his face with his hands and saying, “Yaoyao, tell Grandpa, has that old rascal Jianping already passed away?”

Xu Yao looked at Cui Guoqiang apologetically and nodded. “Yes.”

Cui Guoqiang fell silent. Suddenly, he stepped past Xu Yao and walked to the front of the group, smiling. “Who can escape death? Everyone will eventually have to leave when they grow old.”

Cui Guoqiang strode down the path, walking faster and faster, until he was almost running by the end.

He saw a few young people ahead, both male and female, and in front of them was what seemed to be a grave mound, already overgrown with weeds and lacking a tombstone.

Cui Guoqiang held back his tears and asked expectantly, “Are you Jianping’s descendants?”

Seeing them shake their heads, Cui Guoqiang felt as if he were about to collapse.

Xu Yao had gone to such lengths to bring him to meet his old comrade-in-arms. Even if all he saw was just a lonely grave, logically speaking, Jianping’s descendants should have come too—unless he didn’t have any.

Cui Guoqiang almost slammed his hand on the grave mound, unable to hold back his tears any longer as he cried, “You old rascal, you’re always just bragging. You said you’d make sure we’d all go back home together. Well now, we’ve come back, but what about you?”

He had gone home, but Sun Jianping had not.

Cui Guoqiang seemed to suddenly feel sorry for the person in the grave, regretting his earlier harsh slamming. He squatted down, wiping his tears while pulling up the chaotic tangle of weeds on the grave mound.

“Jianping, I finally found you! We old comrades have finally been reunited,” Cui Guoqiang said as he pulled at the grass. The weeds had grown so vigorously that they caused his palms to sting slightly, but he didn’t care.

“I finally know where you are. From now on, we’ll come to sweep your grave every Qingming Festival¹, and we, as brothers, can have a good chat.”

Xu Yao and the others did not step forward to help pull the weeds. She knew this was the only thing Grandpa Cui could do for Grandpa Sun at this moment.

“There must be a lot to talk about when two old comrades meet again. Let’s keep our distance,” Xu Yao reminded softly.

Everyone stepped back several meters, watching Cui Guoqiang sitting in front of the grave, murmuring to himself. Cui Guoqiang didn’t know how long he had been talking for, but he finally choked up and started crying uncontrollably.

“Grandpa Cui, would you like to have a drink with Grandpa Sun?” Xu Yao approached with a bottle of baijiu².

“Of course, we have to have a couple of cups,” Cui Guoqiang wiped his tears, his dirt-covered hands mixing with the tears on his face, making him instantly dirty.

Cui Guoqiang took the white liquor from Xu Yao and poured two full cups.

The strong liquor flowed down his throat, while the other cup was poured into the dirt.

“Good liquor. Jianping likes to drink, so he should really like it too.”

Xu Yao and the other young people listened silently to Cui Guoqiang as he spoke. They then took out the fruits and flowers they had prepared earlier.

“Grandpa Sun, these are the photos of our current era. I hope you can rest easy when you see them,” Xu Yao said as she took the photos from Lu Ye and the others.

These were among the items transported by one of the planes—photos!

The photos depicted bustling skyscrapers, busy overpasses, scenic spots from various places, and various powerful weapons. Their once tattered country had now transformed into a new one.

These photos had come from all sorts of netizens, taken voluntarily for Cui Guoqiang and Sun Jianping, and Xu Yao and the others had selected the most beautiful ones to print.

Cui Guoqiang held the liquor cup and smiled, “Jianping, do you see? Times are really good now.

“Back then we were busy fighting literacy campaigns, but kids these days have it so much better. There’s nine years of compulsory education now, and the country has nurtured so many well-educated university students.

“Transportation is incredibly developed now too. You’d never guess it, you old rascal—I’ve even flown on a plane, twice!

“Old comrade…”

They stayed by the grave for a long time. It wasn’t until dusk approached that Cui Guoqiang finally staggered to his feet beside the grave mound.

He refused others’ assistance, bending down to take a small handful of yellow soil from the grave and placing it into the red cloth he once used to wrap his medals with.

“Let’s go,” Cui Guoqiang said hoarsely to Xu Yao and the others as he looked at the grave mound.

They took a few steps, but Cui Guoqiang suddenly stopped, looking at the offerings in front of the grave, and said to Xu Yao, “Yaoyao, take the fruits and food back. Jianping has already received your heartfelt wishes.”

The idea of not wasting anything was a timeless consensus that the elders of that era will always share.

Xu Yao and the others tidied up the fruits as instructed by Grandpa Cui Guoqiang, taking everything back while leaving behind only the bouquets of fresh flowers and the photos at the grave.

When Cui Guoqiang returned from the tomb-sweeping, many netizens felt that although Grandpa Cui seemed to have become much quieter, his health was still robust.

[The older generation is much stronger than us. Those who are still living must face life with strength.]

[Grandpa Cui, you can rest assured. In the future, Grandpa Sun’s grave won’t be visited by you alone—I’ll go pay my respects too.]

[I will always be grateful to those martyrs who sacrificed so much for us. We must live well and cherish everything that was so hard-won.]

[All my recent tears have been shed for Grandpa Cui and the others. I’m just a high school student and don’t know what I can do, but after thinking it over, the best thing I can do right now is study hard—that’s the best way to give back.]

Countless netizens expressed their thoughts online, and many even agreed to go together to sweep Grandpa Sun Jianping’s grave.

What does it matter if Grandpa Sun has no descendants? In the future, countless sons and daughters of China³ will be his descendants, and during the Qingming Festival, there will always be a stick of intense burning eternally at Sun Jianping’s grave, never to be extinguished.

Cui Guoqiang found Xu Yao again and, feeling a bit shy, asked, “Yaoyao, can your plane take me to the capital again?”

Cui Guoqiang finally realized who Xu Yao was—she was the landlady of the siheyuan he rented.

She was the one actively participating in the mountain wildfire relief efforts, and she was also the one who invested heavily in the variety show Hand in Hand in Our Later Years to help fulfill his dream.

Cui Guoqiang felt a bit embarrassed to trouble Xu Yao again.

Seeing him tightly clutching the red cloth, Xu Yao suddenly understood what Grandpa Cui wanted to do. She smiled and nodded, “Yes, I want to go too.”

Xu Yao asked He Fan to arrange the flight route, and they prepared to head back to the capital.

On the way, Cui Guoqiang sat by the window of the plane, holding tightly to the red cloth as he looked out and mumbled, “Jianping, you can be considered someone who has flown on a plane now, this is a top-notch plane.

“We’re about to arrive in the capital. Hey, you old codger, you’ve never been to the capital before, right? Well this time, we’re going together.”

They soon arrived in the capital, and Xu Yao led a group of people to the siheyuan where Grandpa Cui was renting a room, while Xu Yao and the others settled in the other unoccupied rooms.

Just past three in the morning, Xu Yao woke up before her alarm went off. Normally, she would sleep until noon, but for some reason today, her body reacted quickly, and her mind was alert.

Not long after Xu Yao woke up, the entire siheyuan lit up.

Everyone was washing up, and after they finished, they went with Grandpa Cui Guoqiang to the square, looking for the best spot.

More and more people gathered around, yet everything remained orderly as everyone chose their own spots.

Many people recognised Xu Yao and Cui Guoqiang, but no one screamed like a fan. They just exchanged glances with Xu Yao, smiled at each other, and then turned their attention back to the front.

As dawn broke, the national flag guard appeared before all the citizens with vigorous strides and solemn expressions, marking the start of the flag-raising ceremony.

Cui Guoqiang placed the red cloth that was wrapped around Sun Jianping’s grave soil into his left chest pocket. As the bright red national flag was raised, he saluted with his only working right hand and sang the national anthem with everyone.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Cui Guoqiang looked at the flag fluttering in the wind. He took out the red cloth from his left chest pocket and smiled, “Jianping, both of us old brothers can now be considered as having come to the capital together to witness the flag-raising ceremony.”

Jianping, although you never visited the capital during your lifetime and never witnessed the flag-raising ceremony in front of this square with your own eyes, you still remain a hero in everyone’s hearts.

That is enough.

Their wishes were vast beyond measure—yet also so very small.

They only wanted peace and prosperity for the country, and for its people to be safe and secure… and now, that wish has come true.

Cui Guoqiang’s ultimate goal in participating in the Hand in Hand in Our Later Years dating show had already been fulfilled. The old man successfully used the power of the internet to find his old comrade from decades ago. Although this comrade-in-arms had long since passed away, he still managed to find them.

The old man’s wish has been fulfilled!

“How has the show been lately? Will it be affected?” After a few days of recuperation, Cui Guoqiang finally remembered the variety show.

Although he didn’t understand much about how variety shows operated, he had taken so many days off to support the mountain wildfire relief and even gone to meet his old comrade, undoubtedly taking up a lot of time.

Cui Guoqiang wondered if the show would be negatively impacted by him.

Feeling a bit guilty, Cui Guoqiang asked, “Has the audience for the show decreased?”

He wasn’t sure about other people’s habits, but he personally liked to binge-watch dramas, and even waiting through a commercial break left him feeling anxious, let alone his absence of so many days.

Although Cui Guoqiang did not regret going to help, he still felt a bit sorry for the production team.

Xu Yao smiled and said, “Grandpa Cui, you’re worrying too much, that’s not the case at all. In fact, there are even more people watching now.”

Xu Yao wasn’t just saying that to comfort Cui Guoqiang. She was genuinely speaking the truth.

The quality of Hand in Hand in Our Later Years was indeed lacking, but it was buoyed by the presence of Xu Yao and Cui Guoqiang, especially the celebrity grandpa Cui Guoqiang, whose story had moved countless netizens to tears.

More and more netizens learned about Cui Guoqiang, about Sun Jianping, and about the smoke of war from the past.

They may not be able to do much else, but they could still support the show by watching it.

Even though Grandpa Cui hadn’t been back on the show in recent days, the show’s usual viewership had already easily surpassed 100 million, with countless netizens sending comments online, creating a lively atmosphere.

Hearing Xu Yao say this, Cui Guoqiang felt much more at ease.

“Then I’ll continue to appear on the show, oh wait.” Cui Guoqiang suddenly blushed when he recalled how he had boldly invited Zhou Cuilan to go on a date with him to the island.

He felt a bit embarrassed, especially after hearing that the audience had increased. The production team estimated that when he returned to the show, the livestream viewership would at least reach several tens of millions, making Cui Guoqiang wish he could find a crack in the ground to hide in.

Tens of millions of people!

You mean tens of millions of netizens were going to watch him on a date?

No matter how thick-skinned he normally was, Cui Guoqiang couldn’t help but feel extremely embarrassed.

After confirming that Cui Guoqiang could continue participating in the show, the staff of the program quickly coordinated and brought him a task card:

“Grandpa Cui Guoqiang, this is a task card written for you by Grandma Zhou Cuilan.”

Cui Guoqiang took the task, opened the envelope, and pulled out a letter written in Zhou Cuilan’s very own fountain pen.

[Comrade Cui Guoqiang, would you be willing to meet with me on the island? — Little Cui.]

Cui Guoqiang treasured the task card written by Zhou Cuilan and put it away carefully in his bag, planning to keep it well. He felt a bit shy in front of the camera and said, “I’ll be right there.”

He would never forget the comrades he fought alongside, nor could he ever forget the woman who had once waited for him in the distance.

Time and again he had broken his promises—he was a man who had wronged Zhou Cuilan, yet she had never once said a word of blame.

Even when they met again decades later, Zhou Cuilan never resented his leaving back then.

While Cui Guoqiang was out supporting the wildfire relief efforts, Zhou Cuilan was mobilizing her own connections, sending food and clean water to Jinchang Town, doing everything she could to help.

In the face of a greater cause, whether they were men or women, whether their positions differed or not—none of it mattered when they were all contributing their part.

Cui Guoqiang changed into what he considered his best outfit, boarded the luxurious yacht provided by Xu Yao, and set off for the Lipana Islands.

This island date, delayed by more than ten days, was still going forward. After all, good things never come too late.

The livestream camera followed Cui Guoqiang closely. The old man’s sparse gray hair was tousled by the sea breeze, and he awkwardly reached up to smooth it down, occasionally adjusting his clothes.

[Grandpa looks very handsome today, hope everything goes smoothly! Last time, because there was a sudden wildfire, Grandpa Cui rushed to put it out. I was really worried then.]

[Making a dazzling entrance by arriving on a luxury yacht! This entrance is pretty cool too. Xu Yao is so goated⁴.]

[Cameraman, make sure to take a few more handsome shots! If the edited photos turn out ugly, you better watch out.]

[It’s a bit funny, Liu Yingxia pouted and begged Xu Yao to lend her her luxury yacht, but Xu Yao refused without hesitation. Then, she immediately turned around and gave it to Grandpa Cui. But Grandpa Cui deserves it; what qualifications does Liu Yingxia have to compare herself with a retired veteran?]

Liu Yingxia didn’t get to board this top-of-the-line luxury yacht, but her grand-uncle did.

The key point was that in the livestream, Cui Guoqiang didn’t treat the luxury yacht as anything special, he just saw it as a means of transportation. Liu Yingxia couldn’t quite describe her feelings at that moment, just feeling a tightness in her chest.

The variety show Hand in Hand in Our Later Years became a hit thanks to the popularity of Grandpa Cui Guoqiang. Now, netizens had all focused their attention on her grand-uncle, and she not only had no screen time but also had a major blunder in the only livestream appearance she had made.

The drone was seized by Xu Yao’s people, and a lawyer’s letter from Bo’en Law Firm was on its way.

In this variety show, she not only didn’t gain any benefit from it, but also lost fans and got herself into legal trouble!

To regain her fans, Liu Yingxia gritted her teeth and donated 100,000 yuan to the disaster-stricken people in Jinchang Town, even making sure her team promoted it well.

Sometimes, celebrities do charity just to deflect criticism. Liu Yingxia’s team immediately bought a trending topic #LiuYingxiaDonates100KToWildfireVictims.

But now, netizens seemed to be more discerning than before; not only did she not receive much praise, but she was also met with ridicule from many netizens—

[LYX, you probably spent more on this trending topic than your actual donation, right?]

[Can you not buy these trending topics? Your intentions are already obvious to everyone.]

[First off, thanks to Liu Yingxia for donating to the disaster victims. Secondly, wishing you luck in finding a good legal team to take down Bo’en Law Firm, haha. (Mm, I’m definitely not being sarcastic.)]

Anyway, the result wasn’t great.

Liu Yingxia only regretted how stupid she had been to join this variety show! She hadn’t gained much exposure from this herself but had instead boosted the popularity of a grand-uncle she had no connection to. She was clearly at a huge loss.

So, Liu Yingxia had been feeling a bit weary these days, and hadn’t been particularly attentive in setting up the date venue for Cui Guoqiang and Zhou Cuilan.

“Grandpa Cui Guoqiang has landed,” someone in the production crew on the island whispered.

Cui Guoqiang didn’t get seasick. He had finally arrived at one of the small islands in the Lipana Islands. As he stepped off the yacht, he caught sight of an elegant old lady wearing a sun hat under a tree not far away.

Cui Guoqiang took a few deep breaths and walked over in big strides, but when he looked at Zhou Cuilan, he suddenly felt a bit tongue-tied, “I—I—”

“I understand. I know.” Grandma Cuilan smiled. She understood everything—there was no need to say it out loud. If she were the kind of person who minded such things, then there wouldn’t have been this variety show date, nor would there be a lonely old woman who had spent decades clinging onto memories of the past.

She knew that the comrades who had shared life-and-death moments with him on the battlefield held an irreplaceably important place in Cui Guoqiang’s heart—and that was only right.

Cui Guoqiang’s eyes reddened almost instantly. “Then how about… we take a walk together? Th-the scenery here is quite nice.”

Cui Guoqiang felt a bit shy. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Zhou Cuilan, scratching his head as he looked at the small path ahead.

It was a seaside path, lined with trees and island scenery on both sides, beautiful and picturesque.

As young people would say, it was perfect for photos.

The two of them strolled along the path, while the filming crew quietly followed behind, capturing the moment.

It felt as though they had returned to decades ago—walking side by side, yet instinctively keeping a distance, not daring to look at each other, both gazing only at the vast ocean ahead.

After a long while, Cui Guoqiang hesitated and began secretly inching closer, little by little, until he was within less than a meter of Zhou Cuilan.

When he caught the look she cast his way, the old man’s face flushed red. His heart pounded wildly, yet he stubbornly raised his voice to retort, “Comrade Cuilan, you’re just out of touch with the times! These days it’s perfectly normal to walk close together, young people are all like this.

“Who still walks as if there’s a boundary between them like the Chu–Han divide⁵? That’s ancient history from decades ago!”

Cui Guoqiang had a habit where the more nervous he got, the more he talked, often rambling incoherently.

He didn’t even know what he was saying anymore, and the only sound he could still hear was the sound of his own heart racing.

Zhou Cuilan felt he was just the same as when he was young—he was always like this in such moments. She asked, “So this is what the younger generation is like?”

“That’s right, this is how young people are!” the old man said proudly, chin lifted.

Nowadays, when young men and women date, who still walks that far apart? They stick close together, sometimes so close they’re practically glued to each other!

He couldn’t quite manage that, but walking within a meter… even half a meter… that he could do.

Looking at the old lady, Cui Guoqiang felt that he was the one that was more hip, much more similar to young people these days.

The old man even shot Zhou Cuilan a slightly smug look.

Grandma Cuilan smiled warmly and said to Cui Guoqiang, “But from what I’ve seen, young people nowadays walk hand in hand.”

Old Master Cui Guoqiang was stunned.

Huh? H-hand in hand?

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damn, i won’t say who cried translating this chapter and the last one QAQ (it’s me)

also sorry for the footnote dump lawl

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1. The Qingming Festival (also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day) is a traditional Chinese holiday observed in early April. It is a time for families to honor their ancestors by visiting graves, cleaning tombstones, and making offerings. Beyond mourning, it also carries themes of remembrance, filial piety, and the continuation of family ties across generations. In this case, since Sun Jianping has no descendants, no one has been maintaining his grave, hence the weeds on his grave mound. ↩︎
2. Baijiu (白酒, “white liquor”) is a clear, traditional Chinese spirit, typically distilled from sorghum with an ABV of 35-60%. As the world’s best-selling liquor by volume, it is renowned for its pungent aroma and complex flavor profiles—ranging from fruity to savory—categorized into aroma types like sauce, strong, and light. ↩︎
3. This novel takes place in the fictional country of Hua Country, an equivalent of China. Of course, I try to keep it so that naming is consistent, but a lot of the euphemisms to China but aren’t exactly “China” perse (中国) still lead to the english translation being China—there’s simply no english equivalent. In this case, the term is “Huaxia” (华夏) which is a historical concept representing the ancestral Chinese people (though it was primarily to denote the Han people apart from other surrounding nomadic tribes at the time) To be honest, even the first character “Hua” 华 in Hua Country still refers to the Chinese people ↩︎
4. “Goated” is a slang term derived from the acronym G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) that describes a person, object, or experience as being the absolute best, top-tier, or legendary. ↩︎
5. The “Chu–Han divide” refers to the historical rivalry during the Chu–Han Contention, when the states of Chu and Han were in opposition. In this case, it’s a metaphor for the clear distance that couples had to adhere to back then to avoid suspicion. ↩︎

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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The news of the wildfire in Jinchang Town spread across the country in no time, with various real-time photos uploaded online, and short videos taken by local residents circulating everywhere.

It was like a chain reaction. Under the terrifying heat, the moisture content in the trees dropped sharply, leading to multiple wildfires in the nearby mountainous areas. Almost every update video showed raging flames visible in every direction. The town seemed to be surrounded by the light of flames, almost resembling an apocalypse movie.

In the face of such a severe disaster, a scandal about honor shame, as well as entertainment programs were insignificant. The hearts of the vast majority of netizens were gripped tightly by the wildfire in Jinchang Town.

[Damn this weather—44°C is bad enough, and not a drop of rain. I checked the local forecast, and Jinchang Town is set for more extreme heat for the next half month. I’m honestly feeling so hopeless.]

[I’m from the area—everyone’s already packing up and evacuating. Wahhhh our village chief is going around with a loudspeaker telling us not to bring too much in case it slows things down, so I could only take my dog with me first.]

[From what people are saying, the situation is really serious. All the local firefighting personnel have already been deployed. I’m guessing they’ll have to start recruiting volunteers soon. I just hope everyone stays safe.]

[If they really do start calling for volunteers, I’ll sign up. I don’t have any special skills, but at least I’ve got strength.]

In this world, water and fire are always merciless. Whether it’s a wildfire or flooding, they are both tremendous blows to humanity.

Experts have even stated that even if Jinchang Town temporarily extinguished the wildfire, there was still a significant possibility of it reigniting given the current high temperatures.

Although what the experts said was the truth, the anxious and worried netizens bombarded him with criticism. “If you can’t say anything auspicious, just don’t say anything at all, okay?”

“I may be old, but I still have plenty of strength,” Cui Guoqiang retorted directly. “Young people these days are so weak, and many of them are not as strong as me, an old man!”

The entire production team was trying to dissuade Cui Guoqiang from going, but he was directly rebuked by the old man himself.

Many staff members in the production team felt that Cui Guoqiang’s words were a subtle jab at them, as their physical fitness might truly not be a match for this retired soldier.

Some of the younger production crew felt a bit guilty, realizing that they lacked the awareness and resolve that this old man possessed.

Although Cui Guoqiang said this, he also understood that he was already in his seventies. Even though he felt he was in excellent spirits, he still had to consider the thoughts of the younger people, who would undoubtedly worry about him.

Therefore, Cui Guoqiang did not plan to venture deep into the mountains. There were already officers, soldiers and forest firefighters up there, and if he went up rashly, it would violate organizational discipline and hinder their overall rescue efforts. So instead, Cui Guoqiang decided to volunteer at the base.

Cui Guoqiang asked the production team for leave and threw himself into volunteer work.

Thus, an elderly figure appeared in the volunteer team fighting the wildfire. He wasn’t as tall as the young men, nor did he have their sturdy physique. He was just a little old man with a disability in his left hand, struggling to weave through the crowd of volunteers.

Cui Guoqiang picked up a crying child who had gotten separated from their family with one hand, soothing the little one as he took them to the temporary volunteer point for lost children.

When he discovered that the soldiers on the mountain were short on water, the little old man immediately hoisted a box of mineral water onto his shoulder and ran swiftly in his rubber military boots to deliver it to the front lines.

This little old man was always the last to eat. He waited until everyone else had their meals before taking the last portion for himself. However, he ate quickly and heartily, and after finishing his meal, he hurried to transport supplies like towels and ice water.

“Grandpa, how come you’re still volunteering at your age? Are you a local?” 

Taking advantage of the volunteers’ meal time, a local reporter finally had the chance to interview him. Among the crowd of young people, Cui Guoqiang, with his slightly graying hair, stood out amongst the crowd, and the reporter quickly approached him with a microphone.

Upon closer inspection, the reporter noticed the old man’s left hand was disabled.

Cui Guoqiang was shoveling rice into his mouth, swallowing it in big bites, and with a glare, he mumbled, “So what if I’m old? Does being old mean I’m not a person from Hua Country anymore?”

“Don’t say that, Grandpa Cui is in great shape,” a volunteer nearby laughed.

“That’s right! Grandpa Cui has sharp eyesight. He even spotted a place with thick smoke, and only after investigating it did we find out that it had reignited.” A chubby young man joked, “Grandpa, were you a scout on the battlefield before?”

Cui Guoqiang hadn’t been a reconnaissance soldier, but that didn’t stop him from being delighted by the young man’s speculation.

Under the blazing sun, Cui Guoqiang wore a white jacket that had been popular in the last century, revealing two arms with sagging skin, his left arm ending at the elbow. In front of him was a half-eaten box of lunch, and a drop of his sweat was rolling down his forehead into the lunchbox. Behind him was a wildfire, still raging fiercely and billowing up thick smoke.

The cameraman behind the reporter was moved by the scene in front of the camera and immediately pressed the shutter.

#SeventyYearOldVeteranBecomesWildfireVolunteer This trending topic instantly went viral, and countless netizens following the wildfire situation saw the news right away.

This is the charm of photography. That cleverly composed photo spread across the internet in an instant, appearing on numerous news platforms.

[A grandpa in his seventies went to volunteer? Carrying cases of bottled water, delivering boxed meals? Grandpa is a role model for all of us!]

[Isn’t this Grandpa Cui Guoqiang from Hand in Hand in Our Later Years? I was wondering why we haven’t seen him in the livestream these past couple of days—turns out he went to volunteer.]

[If even the elderly are volunteering, does that mean the wildfire in Jinchang Town is still seriously short on manpower? I’m signing up too!]

[That’s right, that’s right! Not sure if the news hasn’t spread widely enough, but we’re still lacking a lot of volunteers QAQ]

[Grandpa should’ve been focusing on finding a partner, and he still went anyway. So how can I, a guy in my early twenties, fall short of him? I’m going too!]

In the time it took for a single photo to circulate, a wave of young people was inspired to sign up as volunteers.

A burly man, nearly two meters tall and weighing over 200 pounds, spoke bluntly in front of the camera, “The comfortable life we have today was bought for us with the blood of those grandpas and grandmas. Are we really going to make them carry the burden for us even now? We are not a lost generation¹!”

A young woman refused to be outdone and said, “I may be a bit weaker than men in terms of physical strength, but I’m very good at coordination—I can help organize different tasks.”

This ability shouldn’t be underestimated. Volunteer work depends heavily on coordination, and without it, everything falls into chaos.

Xu Yao was also preparing to step in!

As an ordinary citizen of Hua Country, since she had the means, she naturally had to act!

In the original novel, Grandpa Cui Guoqiang didn’t even get a chance to speak. His first appearance was at his own funeral, which the author used to introduce Liu Yingxia to the original male lead.

Xu Yao knew Liu Yingxia was the type who would do anything to climb to the top of the entertainment industry. The fact that she attended the funeral of such a distant grand-uncle, along with Grandma Zhou Cuilan’s presence, suggested that the fire leading to Cui Guoqiang’s death was no ordinary incident.

Given the recent abnormal heat, Xu Yao had a rough idea of what might happen. So when the wildfire broke out in Jinchang Town, she responded immediately.

[Xu Yao Rentals Official Account v: A sudden wildfire has broken out in Jinchang Town, forcing countless residents to evacuate their homes. Those currently without accommodation are welcome to stay free of charge for one month at hotels under Xu Yao’s name. Addresses as follows: [image] [image] [image]]

The official account of Xu Yao Rentals often got scolded by tenants who couldn’t secure a place—but today, the comment section was unusually harmonious.

Countless netizens were deeply moved.

[Xu Yao reacted this fast? She already has a response plan in place?]

[Xu Yao is opening up her hotels near Jinchang Town for victims to stay for free? Ahhh my Yaoyao… But the kinder she is, the more I hate that unknown pretty boy she got engaged to.]

[Are these hotels also owned by Xu Yao? These hotels are all high-end hotels, with a daily net income of at least six figures, right? If they’re open for a month, how much rental income will Xu Yao lose?]

[The news is real. These hotels are all relatively far from the wildfire and currently safe. Go stay there if you need to. Spread the word so more people can see this!]

[Waaah I’m one of the evacuees. We were originally told to gather at the apartment square, but now we actually have somewhere to stay.]

The government would naturally arrange for resettlement, but fighting a fire is a matter of life and death. In such a chaotic and busy time, there are bound to areas that have shortcomings in care. Xu Yao’s decision to open her hotels to those without shelter was also her doing her part to help.

“Little Li, you still have a six-month-old baby. Why don’t you go and stay at Xu Yao’s hotel?” A middle-aged woman remembered something amidst the tense evacuation and said to the young couple next door.

The young couple, who was still carrying their sweetly sleeping baby, hesitated visibly upon hearing this.

The young man, holding the child in one arm and supporting his wife with the other, said, “We’re young and can endure hardship. But Auntie Liu, you and Uncle Huang both take medicine regularly and need to rest well. Why don’t you go stay at Xu Yao’s hotel? We can manage.”

The man pinched the child’s soft cheek, smiling proudly, “As for the child? This child is definitely my own flesh and blood, he’s always been a tough little thing.”

This is perhaps the quality of the Hua Country people. They may have minor disagreements in daily life, but in times of great disaster, they can unite in perfect harmony!

Did they not want to stay in the hotel? Of course not! The hotel had clean, soft beds, air conditioning, and the ability to easily take a shower.

And the hotels Xu Yao offered would certainly not be bad; even if they were, wouldn’t it still be better than their current situation?

But they would subconsciously think of how the number of hotel rooms is limited, while the number of disaster victims affected is quite considerable. So they should give way to those who truly need it!

Young people felt they were young and could endure, so they could give way to the frail elderly, while the elderly, in turn, felt sorry for the young people who were exhausted from fighting the fire, and insisted the young people stay instead.

What is love? Love must be mutual.

Some people say that traditional virtues like “respecting the elderly and caring for the young” are gradually disappearing—but have they really? Values like these have been deeply ingrained in us over five thousand years of Chinese history, etched into our very bones.

“Everyone, please be quiet. The elderly, the weak, the disabled, pregnant women, and children should be prioritized to stay at Xu Yao’s free hotel. The rest of us will just have to tough it out,” the village chief, who was skilled at organisation, proposed loudly.

“I agree! Wife, you’re still pregnant, so you should take Mom and Dad to Xu Yao’s hotel so I won’t worry. I’ll go help them.”

“I can’t go to the hotel to enjoy the air conditioning in this situation, I still have to help out. Good neighbor, I’ll have to trouble you to take care of my little bichon and my big orange cat.”

As soon as the village chief spoke, this arrangement immediately received the agreement of the vast majority. The young and strong rested in the schoolyard and shopping mall squares, while the elderly, the weak, the disabled, pregnant women, and children went to the hotels Xu Yao had opened up to them.

When Xu Yao was receiving her inheritance, she chose hotels near Jinchang Town simply because she thought it was a coastal tourist area with high hotel occupancy rates, making it easy to earn money.

The hotels received Xu Yao’s orders immediately and received the disaster victims. Because they were prepared in advance, there was no panic in the hotels.

Xu Yao didn’t stop her disaster relief efforts there. After considering for a while, she found the group chat for a rental building nearby and @ed everyone to inform them.

[AAAA Professional Rentals Little Xu: @everyone, rent for a month will be waived.]

These were all tenants living near Jinchang Town. After much consideration, Xu Yao decided to waive the rent. She wasn’t short of money, but this money might be a lifeline for ordinary people during this special period!

Would the wildfire only affect some people? No, of course not. The sudden wildfire had varying degrees of impact on nearby workers, even affecting their monthly wages, and for adults, these wagers are their lifeline.

The tenant group chat had been discussing the wildfire. Xu Yao’s message popped up like a bomb, exploding on the spot.

[??? Rent waived for a whole month? So I don’t have to pay rent this month?!]

[Waaah thanking the divine landlady! Our company is on the verge of collapse, and we’re still actively helping with disaster relief this month.]

[I work as a shop assistant at a small store in the mountain scenic area. I basically lost my job this month. I was so worried about not being able to pay rent and it affecting my reputation. Thank you, Sister Yao.]

By now, everyone knew that Xu Yao only rented to tenants of good character. If she terminated your lease, what would others think? That there was something wrong with your character? For that reason alone, people would grit their teeth and even borrow money just to keep up with rent.

But now, Xu Yao has directly waived the rent!

[Xu Yao, you’re my goddess. I rent and work in the city, while my parents live in Jinchang Town. Now that disaster has struck, I’m going to bring them to stay with me right away.]

Seeing everyone’s responses, Xu Yao smiled.

[AAAA Professional Rentals Little Xu: @everyone Dear tenants, if you’re experiencing any difficulties in daily life due to the wildfire, please contact our rental team immediately. We will do our utmost to help resolve your problems. Though the wildfire may be ruthless, we are not.]

This is the relationship between landlords and tenants!

Xu Yao loves to remain invisible in various tenant group chats, but every time she appears, she brings countless tenants to tears. Xu Yao’s sudden appearance in the tenant group chat never makes them, as tenants, worry about the landlord suddenly raising the rent. Xu Yao’s appearance in the tenant group chat often means that there is big news to share, with this big news usually benefiting them.

It’s easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to send charcoal in the snow².

And Xu Yao has always been the one sending charcoal in the midst of heavy snow.

Can fans of celebrities in the entertainment industry brag about their idols going this far? They can’t! They could only retweet and shout it out on Weibo, at most donating money. But what’s funny is that the donation money might not even be enough to cover the cost of buying that trending topic on Weibo³.

But fans of Xu Yao can! Xu Yao is always worth being a fan of!

Xu Yao opening up her hotels and waiving rent for her tenants directly ignited everyone’s enthusiasm. What is passion? This is passion!

Netizens from other places donated online, with the mineral water manufacturer directly sending truckloads of ice water.

Rumour had it that even companies on the verge of bankruptcy were trying their best!

Young people near Jinchang Town were deeply moved, and even those with jobs asked their bosses for leave to become volunteers.

Conscientious bosses granted leave without a second thought and reminded them to stay safe. As for those stingy bosses who were unwilling to let their employees go? Sorry, boss, you’re fired!

Since they aren’t wealthy like Xu Yao, they might not be able to contribute much money, but they can still lend a hand!

Those with money should contribute their money, while those with strength should contribute their efforts.

You say Grandpa Cui Guoqiang is a retired veteran who has been on the battlefield, with better physical fitness than many young people? But his hand is still disabled! And yet he continues to protect them. Can this generation of young people really shamelessly enjoy such protection?

Those once-budding flowers have now fully grown into vibrant blooms that no longer need protection from their elders, with many even growing into hardy, formidable blossoms.

Netizens know quite a bit about Xu Yao. Although they still don’t know her true identity or background, nor who that pretty boy she is engaged to is, there is still plenty of news about Xu Yao online.

Xu Yao’s various public statements have almost been dissected to smithereens by her fans!

But Grandpa Cui Guoqiang is different, and there isn’t much news about him. Many netizens who can’t volunteer on-site are frantically searching for information about Grandpa Cui. Old Master Cui Guoqiang has touched countless netizens this way, with the trending topic #CuiGuoqiang appearing three or four times!

Apparently Grandpa Cui is also a guest on the elderly variety show Hand in Hand in Our Later Years, so they specifically went to check out this show!

Especially the iconic scene in the show where all ten grandmothers lit up their lights for Grandpa Cui, not to mention the famous singer in Hong Kong from the last century, Grandma Zhou Cuilan, who met him in his youth and never married for his sake. It was as if the variety show had been tailor-made for him.

Countless netizens were moved to tears, and many cried as they typed: “I will always envy the love of that era.”

[Waaah I hope the wildfire ends soon, I’m still waiting for the grandpa and grandma to get married!]

[Grandma Zhou Cuilan has both looks and background, so I couldn’t understand why she’d stay hung up on a so-called “ordinary” Grandpa Cui for decades. Now I get it. If it were me, I’d fall for that kind of character too.]

[Looks will fade, and family status can rise and fall, but a steadfast, admirable character is both rare and enduring. Xu Yao renting that courtyard house to Grandpa Cui seriously proves her formidable judgement of character.]

Hand in Hand in Our Later Years didn’t really make Cui Guoqiang famous. On the contrary, Cui Guoqiang has already given back ten-fold to this not-so-great quality show!

Director Zhao is well aware of the reason behind the sudden rise in the variety show’s popularity these days. He was grateful to Grandpa Cui and, moved by him, decides—

“Our production team will also assist in extinguishing the wildfire.”

They have connections in the entertainment industry and are wealthier than ordinary people, allowing them to connect with resources from other places.

It’s been reported that many people had to evacuate suddenly and left behind many things. Most items can still be managed without it, but baby formula, diapers, and women’s sanitary pads cannot be compromised.

So the entire production team was mobilized!

So what if they delayed the recording of the show? They have money! Can a variety show be worth more than human lives? At worst, Xu Yao will back them up! With someone backing them, they can dare to be bolder.

Director Zhao simply decided to go with the flow. After all, his skills in making variety shows aren’t that great anyway, so what’s wrong with him taking time off to do rescue work? Which law forbids it?

Zhao Haisheng was on the phone with a noodle company, negotiating with them to send some instant noodles as disaster relief.

“Director Zhao, didn’t Old Master Cui Guoqiang ask me to restore an old photo before? I’ve finished restoring it,” the photographer rushed in, breathless.

Zhao Haisheng’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly took the photo the photographer handed over.

Originally, this black-and-white two-inch photo was barely recognizable apart from the sheepskin hat, but after the photographer’s post-processing, the face became clear.

The photo showed a very young face, even with a hint of childishness. Just based on his features alone, he seemed to be an ordinary young man, not particularly handsome, but that determined gaze added a lot to his appeal.

Is this the person Old Master Cui Guoqiang is looking for?

Director Zhao immediately pushed the photo in front of the livestream camera and appealed loudly, “Dear netizens, this is the person Old Master Cui Guoqiang wanted to find on the show. If any netizens have relevant information, please contact the production team, and we will definitely reward you generously.”

Netizens were surprised to hear that Grandpa Cui actually really did have someone he was looking for.

When Grandpa Cui introduced himself on the show, he said he wasn’t looking for a partner, just trying to find someone.

But that statement was instantly contradicted less than a minute later when Grandma Zhou Cuilan appeared! The old man was stunned on the spot, unable to say a word.

This scene was deliberately edited into a short video by many netizens, and countless people teased Grandpa Cui.

Hey, Old Man, didn’t you say you weren’t looking for a partner? How come you’re so mesmerized by Grandma Cuilan that you can’t move?

Oh right, Old Man, you said you came on the show to find someone, right? That someone is Grandma Cuilan, isn’t it? Don’t deny it, we all know, hehe.

Almost all netizens thought Grandpa Cui’s initial statement was just a cover for his pride, but in the end—

It turned out to be true?

Grandpa Cui really is looking for someone, and it’s a man!

[Who is this person? It’s a black-and-white photo and they’re wearing a sheepskin hat, so I guess he’s around Grandpa Cui Guoqiang’s age? Could it be his brother?]

[Could be a brother or a friend. Honestly, no matter who this person is, since it’s Grandpa Cui’s wish, we have to help him fulfill it!]

[Most people online are young, so not many will recognize them. I suggest everyone help by showing the photo to the elderly at home—your grandparents might recognize them. We might get some leads that way.]

[Exactly! We might not be able to fight the wildfire in person, but can’t we help in other ways? Let’s all work together to find clues—I’m going to ask my grandpa right now. We can’t let a hero bleed and shed tears as well⁴!]

The hashtag #ContactHandInHandProductionTeamIfYouRecognizeThisPhoto immediately went viral, shooting to the top of the trending searches. Countless netizens enthusiastically joined the effort to help Grandpa Cui find the person in the photograph.

*

“Miss Yaoyao, President Xu has purchased the more than ten private jets he bought for you, and all the procedures are complete,” Lu Ye walked in from outside and said to Xu Yao.

Buying private jets wasn’t difficult, but maintaining them was. Private jets couldn’t be flown at will, and the corresponding flight routes still needed to be applied for. However, these weren’t major issues for Xu Yao.

Xu Jing was very thoughtful. Considering that Xu Yao might also need a private helicopter, he bought one as well.

Xu Yao was very satisfied with having this kind of top-tier gear that only a tycoon should have. A top-tier landlady ought to be equipped like this.

Thanks to the large number of volunteers joining in, the wildfire in Jinchang Town had been significantly brought under control, though some hills were still burning with flames and smoke.

How would she know if her new toys worked without trying it out? And if she was going to test it, she might as well do it like this.

Xu Yao said directly, “Ask the fire department if they still need aerial firefighting. We can help.”

Lu Ye never questioned Xu Yao’s orders and immediately went to coordinate with the relevant departments. The fire department was overjoyed to hear that Xu Yao could provide the aircraft for water bombing.

That’s great!

They also had aircraft for waterbombing and aerial firefighting, but helicopter applications were limited. Having Xu Yao’s assistance was, of course, a great help.

So, Cui Guoqiang and the other volunteers often saw helicopters carrying over a ton of water flying to the heart of the fire, performing low-altitude water drops.

It seemed like quite a few!

Cui Guoqiang looked up at the planes and smiled, saying, “Technology really is advanced nowadays. To think we can even use planes to drop water and fire retardant.”

“Old man, there’s even technology to make artificial rainfall now, but unfortunately, the experts say the conditions for artificial rainfall are lacking recently,” a young man who had become friendly with Cui Guoqiang said regretfully.

Indeed, artificial rainfall required specific conditions and wasn’t something that could just be done at will. The weather conditions in Jinchang Town recently were simply unsuitable for artificial rainfall.

Otherwise, Xu Yao would have used her financial power to give them a dose of artificial rain sooner or later.

A group of helicopters, like diligent bees, carried over a ton of water each, cooperating with the firefighters’ progress and diligently dropping water.

Wherever the fire department pointed, the helicopters dropped water there, incredibly obedient, significantly improving fire extinguishing efficiency.

Some netizens watching the photos taken by reporters felt something was amiss.

Why were the helicopters flying over the hills these days different from the previous models? There were two English letters in the corner—XY.

[XY? Is there even a helicopter model with this designation?]

[Umm… XY looks like Xu Yao’s initials. Could that be her helicopter? I mean, she owns the Lipana Islands, and there are already over a dozen luxury yachts worth tens of millions on just one island. Buying a helicopter would be nothing for her.]

Some netizens even went to ask Xu Yao Rentals directly. After getting Xu Yao’s approval, the staff replied:

[Xu Yao Rentals Official Account replied to @user: Yep, that’s right! Our boss just wanted to test if her newly bought helicopters worked well.]

Seeing this response, netizens were completely dumbfounded. Wait—what??

Xu Yao just wanted to test whether her new helicopter worked… so she went and coordinated with the fire department to carry out rescue operations??

What kind of rich people is this?!

[This suddenly reminds me of how I also test-drive a new car before buying it—but I treasure my car like crazy, and even a scratch hurts my heart. Xu Yao just uses it directly to drop water on wildfires…]

[Xu Yao is insanely rich. That damn pretty boy she’s engaged to—get out here right now! The more I think about it, the more heartbroken I feel.]

[Ahhh thank you for helping! At this rate, the wildfire can be put out much faster.]

[Xu Yao probably didn’t just buy a helicopter, right? She must own quite a few private jets too… Buying aircraft for her is like us buying toys.]

[Don’t talk nonsense upstairs, I wouldn’t even dare buy toys like that! I’m crying.]

For Xu Yao, the planes practically were like toys. Xu Yao was leaning back on a lazy sofa, scrolling through short videos. She saw many updates with good news about the gradual extinguishing of the wildfire in Jinchang Town, and her heart felt much more at ease.

This wildfire in Jinchang Town had occurred suddenly. Because she had made preparations in advance, she also had someone secretly keep an eye on Cui Guoqiang’s condition. Although the old man was tired these days, nothing serious had happened to him.

As she was browsing, her fingers, adorned with crystal nail polish, suddenly paused, pulling back the short video she had just scrolled past.

It was a video by a popular influencer named “Big Apple,” with over three million likes and hundreds of thousands of comments, boasting an enormously high traffic rate.

In the video, this influencer held up an old black-and-white photo, excitedly saying to the camera, “Guys, I think I found the person Grandpa Cui is looking for!”

Big Apple was a video content creator focusing on rural themes. She was also deeply moved and showed the two-inch black-and-white photo to her grandfather. At first, her grandfather didn’t react, but after a closer look, he was shocked.

Her grandfather sat on the doorstep, suddenly slapping his thigh and saying in his local dialect, “Isn’t this our cousin? Jianping, Sun Jianping! It must be him.”

The old man took out a treasured photo album from the house, took out several somewhat blurry family photos, and handed them to his granddaughter, saying, “This is a group photo of our whole family back then. See? The short one in the second row on the far left is Jianping.”

Big Apple looked at several photos and thought they really did look like the same person.

“My cousin went to war in his twenties,” the grandfather sighed, taking a puff of his dry pipe, “and never came back.”

Big Apple’s heart sank. At that moment, she wished her grandfather had mistaken the person for someone else. She immediately searched for information about Cui Guoqiang online. A neighbor of Grandpa Cui had revealed Cui Guoqiang’s time in the army, which seemed to match.

Big Apple held the old family photo and looked at the camera, her face showing a look of regret. “I’m sorry, everyone. The person Grandpa Cui is looking for… my paternal grand-uncle, has already passed away.”

This news sparked a huge reaction online, with many netizens expressing their regret, though they could also guess the situation.

They speculated that this person was likely the same age as Grandpa Cui Guoqiang, possibly even his comrade-in-arms. Now, Grandpa Cui is already seventy-three years old, and many elderly people do not necessarily live to seventy, so passing away is quite normal.

Yet, life seems truly full of regrets. Grandpa Cui must be very sad about the death of his comrade-in-arms, right?

“My grandpa said that my grand-uncle left with the army at the age of twenty-three and never returned.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the netizens were first stunned, then found it very hard to accept. Some even stood up in agitation upon hearing this.

They could accept him dying of old age, after all, everyone has to die eventually. But to die on the battlefield at such a young age? It’s truly unbearable.

[Was he killed in the line of duty? Oh my god, I’m instantly in tears!]

[Grandpa Cui is still out there finishing the final wildfire extinguishing tasks—when he finds out about this news, will he be able to handle it? After all, he didn’t even dare hope to reunite with Grandma Cuilan, but has only been single-mindedly trying to find this comrade!]

[My eyes are watering, help—why is fate so cruel? Does Grandpa Cui not know his comrade has passed away yet? What exactly happened here?]

Big Apple also felt heavy-hearted and planned to inquire about the situation in more detail on behalf of the netizens.

Xu Yao also arranged for someone to investigate immediately. As long as they knew who Cui Guoqiang was looking for, they would be able to find more information step by step through Sun Jianping’s hometown.

Xu Yao soon quickly learned about the circumstances of Grandpa Sun Jianping’s death. After reading it in silence for a long time, she said, “Arrange a private plane for Grandpa Cui Guoqiang to see his comrade-in-arms.”

He Fan nodded emphatically. “Understood.”

*

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

After more than half a month, the mountain fires that had flared up only to be smothered again through sheer human effort were finally considered completely extinguished. Countless people who had taken refuge in Xu Yao’s hotel began to return home.

Fortunately, aside from a few rescue workers suffering minor injuries, no one had died as a result.

Cui Guoqiang felt exceptionally tired after half a month of work. He wanted to have a good sleep after talking to Cuilan. He felt he had let Zhou Cuilan down, making her wait for him once again.

As soon as Cui Guoqiang stepped out, he noticed the young people around him looking at him with extremely complicated expressions.

Cui Guoqiang couldn’t understand why these young people were looking at him like that until he saw a beautiful girl standing not far away. The girl introduced herself as Xu Yao.

Everyone likes a pretty girl, especially one who is so polite. Cui Guoqiang had a very good first impression of Xu Yao.

“Grandpa Cui, I heard you’re looking for this gentleman? Is his name Sun Jianping?” Xu Yao didn’t engage in small talk but directly showed Cui Guoqiang a photo.

Cui Guoqiang took the two-inch black-and-white old photo and was instantly overjoyed, bursting into laughter. “The technology these days is really amazing! To think this kind of faded photo can still be restored. This restoration is great, it’s him, it’s him, that’s Jianping! Have you found him?”

Before Xu Yao could answer, Cui Guoqiang nodded happily and said, “Yes, of course you have! Now many people say that I’m a celebrity grandpa. It must be that old rascal Jianping saw me on TV! That’s why I’ve always said it’s much easier to find people on TV shows.”

His decision to participate in this program hadn’t been an incorrect one. No wonder so many young people want to enter the entertainment industry; it seems to make some sense.

The two-inch photo was specially preserved via lamination by the photographer, and Cui Guoqiang held it in his palm, cherishing it greatly.

“You don’t know how dangerous the battlefield was back then. We could hear the sound of bullets everywhere. Jianping and I were in the same platoon. That kid looked small and shy, but he was incredibly skilled at handling a machine gun, and he even taught me a few tricks.”

Cui Guoqiang seemed to fall into memories, becoming more and more excited as he spoke, his incomplete left arm waving in the air. “Just by watching him, I saw he killed five enemies!”

“My left hand was injured by a bullet, and I had to leave for treatment. Before I left, he comforted me, saying, ‘We’ll all go home together.’” Cui Guoqiang didn’t regret becoming disabled. He was completely immersed in the joy of finding his comrade-in-arms. “That old rascal told me he had a fiancée back home and was going to get married soon. I bet he has grandchildren that are already working by now!

“Hahaha, unfortunately, I’m an old bachelor that doesn’t have the blessing of having grandchildren, but his grandchildren can be considered as my own great-grandchildren!” The more Cui Guoqiang spoke, the more smug he became, not caring at all about how shameless he was acting.

Cui Guoqiang wanted to see his old comrade-in-arms. He had so much to tell Sun Jianping. His body, which had just felt extremely fatigued, was instantly revitalized the moment he received news of his comrade!

“Please this way.” Xu Yao looked at the cheerful old man with a complex expression as she led him to board her private plane.

Cui Guoqiang was particularly eager to meet his old comrade. While fighting fires, he often heard young people mention the name “Xu Yao,” and she was definitely a very good and kind-hearted child. So when Xu Yao invited him, he did not refuse.

Cui Guoqiang thanked Xu Yao for taking him to see his comrade. He followed her to the private plane’s landing area and saw other planes parked not far away. They didn’t look like they were just sitting idle as each cockpit had pilots in them, seemingly ready for takeoff.

Old Cui Guoqiang marveled at how cool these planes were, wishing they had existed in his earlier days.

Cui Guoqiang asked, “Are all these planes going too? Just one aircraft is more than enough for us.”

The plane’s cabin already felt spacious to him, and there was plenty of room for more people. As an old man who had lived through that era, frugality was ingrained into his very bones.

“The other planes will go as well.” Xu Yao nodded. She had impulsively decided to buy a bunch of private planes, but now, they finally had a real purpose. 

Xu Yao softly said, “To escort you.”

---

cue chinese national anthem bc i’m feeling patrioticccccc the motherland causes me to shed tears once more QAQ

please support the author on JJWXC if possible!
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1. “Lost generation” originally refers to the group of young people disillusioned after World War I, popularized by writers like Ernest Hemingway. In this instance, it’s used more loosely to describe a younger generation perceived as lacking drive, resilience, or a sense of responsibility. ↩︎
2. The idiom “锦上添花，雪中送炭” literally means “adding flowers to brocade” and “sending charcoal in the snow.” It contrasts two kinds of help: the former refers to offering extra embellishment when things are already going well, while the latter describes providing timely aid in moments of real hardship. In Chinese culture, “sending charcoal in the snow” is especially valued, as it signifies meaningful support when it is most needed. ↩︎
3. This isn’t to indiscriminately bash celebrities but rather netizens highlighting the hypocrisy behind a donation that wouldn’t even cover the trending topic the artist’s team would buy to highlight that celebrity’s act of donation. How can your donation be even less than the amount of money spent to promote yourself to the public? That’s the general sentiment. ↩︎
4. The phrase “不能让英雄流血又流泪” literally means “we must not let heroes both bleed and shed tears.” It conveys the idea that those who have already sacrificed for others—especially in service, war, or crisis—should not be left to suffer further injustice, neglect, or emotional pain. It reflects a strong cultural emphasis on repaying sacrifice with care, respect, and support. ↩︎

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

Xu Yao was so shocked by Ji Zhengqing’s wealthy aura that she momentarily froze into a pillar, rooted to the spot.

I-It can’t be, right?! Handing over the ownership of the Ji family’s share of the Lipana Islands as an engagement gift to her?

This isn’t just a small island, but an archipelago, you know?! 

The Lipana Islands consist of more than a dozen islands, with the Ji family owning seven or eight of them. And now Ji Zhengqing has just given her several of those islands!

Xu Yao roughly knew the prices of these islands. She had heard that even the smallest island in the archipelago was acquired for several hundred million, while the larger islands were even more expensive.

Which man could be so generous? It’s just an engagement—they haven’t even gotten a marriage certificate yet—and he actually gifts her a few islands?

In an instant, the importance of Ji Group Tower in Xu Yao’s heart plummeted.

At that moment, Xu Yao felt extremely ashamed for having previously complained in her heart about Ji Zhengqing being stingy.

Xu Yao’s inner self was deeply repenting.

I’m sorry, fiancé, I underestimated you, I was wrong! I admit my mistake!

Little 6 was incredulous: […How can someone who’s even more extravagant than the host possibly exist in this world?!]

Retirement Assistant Little 6, usually didn’t make an appearance unless necessary, but now, its system was once again running another detection scan.

What is the host doing in this world? It’s to enjoy a happy retirement! She should be the happiest and most extravagant person in this world!

Yet, unexpectedly, a Ji Zhengqing appeared, who was even more extravagant than the host. What does this indicate? It indicates that the host is not living as well as she should be in this retirement world. How could that be acceptable?

Little 6 immediately reported: [Ding! It has been automatically detected that the host has not reached the perfect retirement standard in this world. The Quick Transmigration Bureau feels deeply ashamed and will issue an additional pension of 100 million next month.]

Xu Yao: “!!!”

What kind of unexpected joy is this?

Xu Yao’s gaze towards Ji Zhengqing changed completely. What kind of divine fiancé is this? Not only is he generous, but he can also help her continuously reap benefits from the Quick Transmigration Bureau.

Giving her an entire archipelago as an engagement gift… Xu Yao’s eyes seemed to bore a hole through Ji Zhengqing, almost desperately wanting to ask him when they could get married!

“Don’t you like it?” Ji Zhengqing noticed Xu Yao staring at him without taking the envelope in his hand.

Ji Zhengqing caught a glimpse of the border collie and husky chasing and playing in the preparation room and said awkwardly, “Raising pandas isn’t possible, so I can only make do with this.”

Make do? Is this what he means by making do?

Xu Yao decisively reached out to take the envelope, revealing her sweetest smile. “No need, I like it very much.”

Who wouldn’t like an island? Especially a group of islands!

“So… when the engagement banquet is held later, I might have to…” Ji Zhengqing cleared his throat, “kiss you.”

The guests invited are all friends and family of the two, and friends naturally don’t have the caution and restraint that others have when encountering President Ji in the business world. So it’s almost certain that there will definitely be someone urging them to kiss.

As a mutual friend of the two, Xie Zhengtian would most definitely take the lead in that!

“Is there anything you can’t accept?” Ji Zhengqing sought Xu Yao’s opinion.

Xu Yao: “How many minutes do you want to kiss?” If it doesn’t leave her lips swollen, she’d feel uneasy accepting that engagement gift.

Ji Zhengqing: “…?” How many minutes? How many minutes does she want to kiss?

Xu Yao noticed the fleeting shock in Ji Zhengqing’s dark eyes. She stepped closer to him in her diamond-studded high heels and asked, “Right, just a quick peck doesn’t really count as a kiss, right? We’re not elementary school students anymore. A few minutes should be fine, right? And it needs to be deep—”

Before Xu Yao could finish her sentence, a knock at the door interrupted her spell-casting. Xu Jing stood awkwardly at the door and said, “Sorry to interrupt.”

Xu Jing felt a pang of heartache. He had only just reunited with his younger sister not too long ago, yet she was already engaged to his best friend today. It seemed like they were getting along particularly well. With an engagement, marriage would be inevitable, and just thinking about it made him feel frustrated.

Xu Yao originally wanted to discuss how to kiss at the engagement banquet with Ji Zhengqing, but upon seeing Xu Jing enter, dressed in a dark gray suit and looking exceptionally handsome, she ignored the awkward look on his face and approached him. “Brother, what are you doing here?”

Xu Jing looked down at the envelope in her hand and smiled. “Is this from Zhengqing?”

Xu Yao nodded. “It is! Now the ownership of the Lipana Islands is entirely in the hands of our family, the Xus.”

The Lipana Islands were purchased jointly by the Ji and Xu families. Since Ji Zhengqing gave them all away, they naturally belonged entirely to the Xu family.

Xu Jing smiled and snapped his fingers. “Lu Ye.”

Lu Ye quietly slipped in through the door and greeted President Xu. Xu Jing originally wanted to reach out and ruffle Xu Yao’s hair, but seeing her looking so beautiful in her engagement gown, he withdrew his hand and tucked it back in his suit pocket.

“Since that’s the case, I’ll also give you the remaining islands in the Lipana Islands that belong to the Xu family. Once we return, I’ll transfer them to your name,” Xu Jing said with a doting smile. “My beloved Yaoyao, congratulations on your engagement.”

Xu Yao had only initially owned a few villas on one of the small islands in the Lipana Islands. The rest still belonged to the Xu family.

But now—

Xu Yao wanted to scream!

She had become the sole owner of the Lipana Islands!

At first, she only owned a tiny fraction, but within just a few minutes, she now owned all of it.

“Ah, thank you, Brother. I love it so much.” Xu Yao was so happy she felt like she was about to faint. All she could think about now was getting married right away.

Marrying Ji Zhengqing, I’ll become the happiest woman alive, hahaha.

Aside from the day she inherited her fortune, Xu Yao had never been this happy before. As a result, she threw herself directly into Xu Jing’s arms.

Xu Jing gently patted Xu Yao’s shoulder, and exchanged a glance with Ji Zhengqing that seemed to silently warn him to treat Xu Yao better in the future.

Ji Zhengqing remained silent. Having his friend who was the richest man become his brother-in-law was making it harder and harder to deal with him.

Originally, giving Xu Yao the ownership of the Ji family’s islands in the Lipana Islands as an engagement gift was something he had thought long and hard about. But now that her brother had also given her the same gift, Ji Zhengqing felt that it suddenly didn’t seem so impressive anymore.

*

The reality show Hand in Hand in Our Later Years has recently gained some popularity online, with many netizens following the “Double Cui” couple.

Compared to Zuo Ning’s Yin Fate and Ming Chan’s game Shining Star, Hand in Hand in Our Later Years pales in comparison.

Zuo Ning’s short drama completely opened up the short drama market in Hua Country, becoming the pioneer of short dramas. Now, major platforms are all producing short dramas, with various innovative short dramas that have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, appearing in front of the audience in just a few months.

Short dramas are concise and to the point, with every line of dialogue being refined, making them much more appealing than the lengthy dramas that feel somewhat tedious.

As for Ming Chan’s game Shining Star, it goes without saying; it’s a game so popular that it forces foreign wealthy second-generation heirs to find translators just to play it, and it has already become a global sensation.

In comparison, Hand in Hand in Our Later Years, which has only achieved minor success, really pales in comparison.

Many people felt that Xu Yao had finally stumbled, secretly enjoying the spectacle.

But for Zhao Haisheng, this was already the best achievement he had made in the entertainment industry in his entire life!

Many netizens were searching for the “Lipana Islands,” wondering what it was and why the production team chose to film there. However, there was very little information about it online, with only a handful of pictures available, which is hardly enough.

Liu Yingxia and her ten junior colleagues were the first to set foot on the island. They had been given limited screen time by the production team, but since they had all signed contracts, they still had to participate in the show.

So Liu Yingxia and her juniors had the task of—

Being the first to arrive at the Lipana Islands so they could set up a date venue for their grandparents.

Azure seas and blue skies blend into one at the horizon. Seabirds occasionally skim across the water, and unlike crowded tourist hotspots, the water here is crystal clear, and you can see straight to the bottom. Even the air feels fresher. Not far behind the private beach stand several villas, each in a different architectural style.

As soon as they disembarked from the boat, a guest exclaimed, “It’s so beautiful! With so few people here, it’s even more enjoyable.”

“I heard that the villas on this island belong to a single island owner,” a young guest with more knowledge gossiped. “How rich must they be?”

“I just saw a lot of luxury yachts heading to other islands. Are there still people here?” another girl asked curiously.

Grandma Zhou Cuilan’s grandnephew whispered, “I heard that a big shot is hosting a gathering on that island over there. Apparently a lot of other tycoons have already gone over.”

Liu Yingxia’s gloomy mood was instantly lifted, and she felt elated.

To own a small island like this means the owner is truly wealthy. After all, while real estate can be purchased easily, ownership of such a small island can only be obtained through auction, requiring various connections.

With Xu Yao, this retired celebrity, now trending all day, Liu Yingxia could only hope that once this episode aired, this mysterious healthy island owner could somehow suppress Xu Yao’s popularity.

The current Weibo was now littered with Xu Yao’s posts, making it seem like she was the only rich person in the world, which was quite ridiculous.

A butler in a tailcoat emerged from the villa, bowing deeply to them with a respectful smile as he said, “Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. I am the island’s butler. Please let us know immediately if you need anything.”

They first went to store their luggage. Liu Yingxia checked into an enormous sea-view room, with the sea breeze gently blowing the sheer curtains. She thought of the scorching 40°C heat back home. Here, she could truly experience a joyful vacation.

Liu Yingxia walked to the balcony of her sea-view room, wanting to take a selfie. It was so beautiful here, even a few random photos should easily turn out perfect, right?

As soon as Liu Yingxia stepped onto the balcony and looked at the tall coconut trees by the coast, she was astonished to see several luxury yachts anchored nearby!

Not just one, but dozens!

Even a wealthy second-generation rich kid with a single luxury yacht could flaunt it around extravagantly, and here there were dozens more.

Liu Yingxia instinctively checked the prices on her phone and gasped. The prices were so high that even someone in the entertainment industry like her found them exorbitant. How wealthy must this island owner be… 

Looking at those luxury yachts, Liu Yingxia suddenly had an idea—

If she could take one of those luxury yachts out to sea, the photos would surely turn out amazing, right?

Even being able to take a yacht trip to that island full of big shots would be quite nice. After all, most female celebrities in the entertainment industry still hoped to break into that circle.

With this thought in mind, Liu Yingxia went downstairs, intending to consult the butler, when she noticed the filming crew not far away. She instinctively straightened her posture.

“Excuse me, do we have livestreaming cameras?” Liu Yingxia asked the filming crew with a smile.

The cameraman suddenly felt a bit awkward and stammered out an excuse, “You all came to the island early to set up a date venue for your grandparents. If we had live streaming cameras, the details might easily leak, and there would be no sense of anticipation, so we’re just filming.”

In short, there were no livestreaming cameras, and they would just edit the footage later.

Liu Yingxia knew this was just an excuse. Wasn’t it just because Xu Yao had limited their exposure rate?

She replied coldly with an “Oh” and went off to wander around, thinking about how to set up the date venue.

Even if it was just for show, she still needed to make a simple arrangement. Liu Yingxia also asked the production staff to help her bring down the prepared packages.

Inside were balloons of various colors and shapes, an air pump, various stickers, and most importantly—

She had prepared a drone!

Although she didn’t like her grand-uncle, Cui Guoqiang, she thought that to win the audience’s favor, she had to start from these small details. If the date venue was arranged well, it might even attract her some fans.

This drone could fly up to ten kilometers!

Although it was true that this was an archipelago, the nearest islands might only be one or two kilometers away.

Liu Yingxia smiled at the camera and said, “I prepared a drone for Grand-uncle and Grandma Cuilan. That way, I can capture their most beautiful moments with its 360° lens.”

The planning department of the production team was touched by the effort Liu Yingxia had put in, especially with her preparation of the drone for her grandparents.

Although the production team also had professional drones for filming, preparing one herself carried a different meaning and showed her thoughtfulness.

“How about we discuss it with Director Zhao? We could start the livestreaming cameras for the celebrity guests too, right? After all, they don’t have much preparation time, and the later parts will be mostly about the elderly guests anyway.”

After discussing with Zhao Haisheng, he also found it made sense. After all, most of the viewers watching variety shows were young people, and they were all the type that were eager for proposals and such. Starting the livestreaming cameras would foster a sense of involvement with the netizens.

The production team started a livestream, and soon, many netizens flooded in, eager to see the juniors help their grandparents set up the date venue.

[Ahhh my Yingxia is working so hard! Did she blow up all those balloons by herself? So impressive!]

[The decorations are a bit cliché, but you can’t deny Liu Yingxia’s sincerity.]

[The Lipana Islands are seriously beautiful—this is what rich people’s happiness looks like, owning a private island and not having to squeeze around with tourists.]

[? Do the guests not know the livestream has started? If she didn’t know and still worked this hard, that’s honestly pretty impressive.]

The production team was just about to inform Liu Yingxia that they had livestreaming cameras, when she saw the villa’s butler passing by and suddenly threw away the air pump in her hand to head over. “Butler, could you please help me contact the island owner? I have a request for him.”

The butler didn’t expect Liu Yingxia to make such a request, but recalling that Miss Xu Yao had instructed him to take good care of the guests, he thought for a moment. Since Liu Yingxia didn’t have her contact information, he took out his phone to dial a number for her.

The viewers in the livestream immediately got all excited!

[My goodness, Yingxia’s really got some skills! She actually got the opportunity to talk to the island owner! This owner must be insanely rich.]

[Now let’s see what a real wealthy person rich enough to own a private island looks like.]

[Wow, the person above is being so sarcastic. Saying only private island owners count as being truly rich—aren’t you just throwing shade at Xu Yao? A landlady pulling in billions a month isn’t rich? I’m about to die laughing hahaha.]

[Well, these kinds of private islands can’t be bought without having the money or right connections.]

The livestream was in an uproar, and since the production team saw that Liu Yingxia was on the phone, they didn’t go over to remind her.

The call soon connected, and Liu Yingxia, suppressing her excitement, spoke up first, her clear voice sounding as if it had been deliberately sweetened as she said coquettishly, “Hello, Mr. Island Owner, I’m Liu Yingxia. Could you please lend me one of the luxury yachts in the villa? That way, it’ll be convenient for my grand-uncle and grandma to go out to sea for a date.”

There was a deathly silence on the other end of the call.

Knowing there were no livestream cameras, Liu Yingxia became even more unrestrained, pleading, “Mr. Island Owner, please, please.”

Just as the viewers in the livestream were marveling over how Liu Yingxia could act so coquettishly in private, a voice came from the other end—a voice so familiar it was terrifying.

Xu Yao rejected her decisively, “No.”

The smile on Liu Yingxia’s face completely froze and became stiff, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Wait… wait a minute!

Why does this voice sound so much like Xu Yao’s?

Liu Yingxia seemed to be hit by a huge shock, her voice unconsciously rising several pitches, “Xu Yao? How could it be you?”

Xu Yao smiled slightly. “Because all the villas on the island belong to me.”

Because the production team rented her villa.

Liu Yingxia: “……”

The number of viewers in the livestream instantly skyrocketed as the netizens went crazy with this information.

[Xu Yao? The owner of the Lipana Islands is Xu Yao? Holy shit!]

[Liu Yingxia’s fans must be so embarrassed they could die on the spot right now. Xu Yao is just that rich person. Not only does she have so many properties, but she also has an island! Can someone help me out here?]

[I’ve lost all fondness for LYX now. She called the island owner ‘Mr.’, subconsciously assuming that the owner must be a man—like rich people don’t have daughters? Or does she subconsciously think the possibility of women becoming rich is lower than that of men? This makes me a bit uncomfortable.]

[+1, yeah, that did make me quite uncomfortable. Also, I’m already bowing down to Sister Yao, your properties are seriously on another level…]

Xu Yao was making her final preparations, looking at herself in the mirror as she said slowly, “As far as I know, Miss Liu, neither you grand-uncle nor Grandma Cuilan are good swimmers, right? So are you sure they would enjoy going out to sea for a date?”

Liu Yingxia was left so speechless she couldn’t utter another word, “…”

[Speechless. I’m genuinely speechless. Liu Yingxia clearly just wanted to borrow a luxury yacht for herself and used her grand-uncle as an excuse—this is such a turn-off.]

[What wouldn’t Liu Yingxia do for fame? Back then she let Xu Yao take the blame to avoid losing fans over a relationship, and now she’s dragging along a grand-uncle she barely even knows onto a show. I’m done.]

[Told you—stanning Xu Yao the landlady won’t backfire, but stanning an entertainment industry actress will sooner or later. Liu Yingxia’s public persona is starting to crack.]

The livestream was in chaos, and the netizens were truly speechless at Liu Yingxia’s actions. While others went on a show to gain fans, she was actually losing them!

Liu Yingxia suddenly didn’t know what to say. This private island actually belonged to Xu Yao. It was as if she had discovered an invisible, insurmountable chasm between them. She planned to hang up the phone.

Just as she was about to press the end-call button, a voice suddenly came from the other end, “Yaoyao, you’re the star of today’s engagement banquet. Don’t be late.”

Xu Yao then decisively hung up the phone.

The netizens were immediately stirred into another frenzy. What did that last sentence mean? The star of the engagement banquet?

#XuYaoEngagement almost immediately became a trending topic on Weibo right after the call ended, skyrocketing to the top of the trending search list!

Rumour had it that numerous tycoons were all secretly arriving at the Lipana Islands today, with most ordinary people thinking it was just another casual gathering of the wealthy.

But the actual answer???

Xu Yao was getting engaged!

Xu Yao was holding an engagement banquet? Oh my god, what sort of breaking news is this?

Because there were no pictures to prove it, netizens began spontaneously digging for various details, checking the schedules of Xu Yao’s friends Qu Xi and Ming Chan for the past two days. In the end, they uncovered that they had both pushed aside work to take personal leave.

Director Zuo Ning?

Director Zuo Ning and Ran Lingfeng also took two days off for personal matters.

And the talented junior student Yan Xiang seemed to have taken leave from the company as well… 

The more they dug, the scarier it became. They were all away for personal matters, and was it so coincidental that they all landed on this very day?

On the other side, Qu Xi looked at Xu Yao in confusion, not quite understanding why Xu Yao suddenly hung up the phone.

Xu Yao told Qu Xi it was nothing, smiling as she lifted her dress and walked out of the preparation room. She exchanged smiles with Ji Zhengqing, who had been waiting for her for a long time. She stepped forward and took the man’s arm, and the two walked out together.

They held the engagement banquet in the woods by the beach, surrounded by friends and family from both sides.

Engagements are not as complicated as weddings, and since Xu Yao had no close relatives except for her brother, it became even simpler. Xu Yao was formally introduced to Ji Zhengqing’s parents by him and also received a red envelope.

The border collie designated to deliver the engagement ring took a few steps but was unwilling to move, while the other husky treated the box containing the engagement ring as a toy ball, running around the banquet and causing everyone to laugh.

Xu Yao silently looked at Ji Zhengqing.

“Brother Zhengqing, future sister-in-law, the ring.” It was still Xie Zhengtian who rushed over to snatch the ring box from the husky’s mouth and handed it over.

As the two put on their engagement rings for each other, Xie Zhengtian immediately urged them to kiss, and the surrounding crowd erupted in friendly applause.

Xu Yao tilted her head slightly and had a clear view of the handsome man in front of her blushing red right down to his earlobes.

A kiss!

Exchanging a kiss to become the owner of an archipelago was quite a bargain.

Xu Yao’s mind raced with wild thoughts, but when Ji Zhengqing truly leaned in towards her lips, her heartbeat involuntarily quickened. She caught a faint scent of magnolia on him and felt his breath brush against her face, causing her to instinctively close her eyes.

He turned slightly and wrapped Xu Yao in his embrace, shielding her from view as his lips landed at the corner of her mouth. The perfect blend of ambiguity and the retreat he reserved for her intertwined wildly. Xu Yao’s curled eyelashes fluttered violently and she opened her eyes abruptly.

Ji Zhengqing’s lips moved to her ear, his gentle and polite voice sounding as if he was barely holding himself back, “This is already perfect, Yaoyao.”

Xu Yao grasped the hem of Ji Zhengqing’s shirt and caught a glimpse of the soft light illuminating his profile. Something in her heart seemed to flutter slightly.

She thought kissing was a necessary step, and had already accepted it before coming out, but Ji Zhengqing suddenly took a step back for her.

Xu Yao curled her lips and nodded at him.

“Hello, fiancé.”

From today on, he was truly her fiancé.

Ji Zhengqing smiled and called her, “Fiancée.”

“A drone has been captured.” A member of the security team reported immediately after bringing it down, promptly informing Lu Ye.

Lu Ye’s eyes sharpened in an instant as he stepped out of the engagement banquet, whispering, “How could there be a drone?”

The head of the security team was quite intimidated by Lu Ye’s imposing presence, lowering his head and saying, “Miss Xu Yao mentioned earlier that the production team might use drones to film the scenery on the islands these few days, so we were told not to worry.”

But they hadn’t expected the drone to be so reckless and fly so close just now!

Lu Ye frowned slightly. Although Director Zhao wasn’t the most capable, he certainly understood the rules well. The arrangement for the drones should have been solely for filming scenery, making it unlikely for it to approach recklessly. It must have been done by some of the other younger guests.

Liu Yingxia’s drone was shot down, but it didn’t prevent them from seeing what they saw before the footage disappeared. Although the footage filmed was very distant and even quite blurry, it was clear that it was Xu Yao.

Amidst the crowd, Xu Yao appeared in a gorgeous gown, where she was being embraced and kissed by a tall man in a suit.

It really was Xu Yao!

[I’m completely heartbroken, I want to jump into the river. My beloved landlady is engaged! Which dog of a man stole my wife?!]

[That guy must be pretty decent, right? He looks handsome at first glance—just not sure if he’s a kept pretty boy.]

[Suspecting he’s a kept boytoy +1. Maybe Xu Yao is keeping the engagement secret to protect him—after all, she’s insanely rich now, a landlady who even owns private islands!]

[If Sister Yao wants a pretty boy, I can do it too—I’m versatile, can act cool or cute, and I’ve got a six-pack.]

[I don’t know about anything else, but Liu Yingxia is definitely screwed. The production crew’s drone was filming scenery, and she actually got close to the island where Xu Yao was getting engaged. So annoying. Hope she doesn’t drag Grandpa Cui down with her.]

[+1, if Liu Yingxia wants to self-destruct, fine, but don’t involve Grandpa Cui. My lifelong wish is for the Double Cui ship to get married—I’m just waiting for Grandpa Cui’s island proposal!]

[Am I the only one who’s curious? In weather this hot, isn’t it unbearable to hold an engagement ceremony outdoors? Won’t Yaoyao’s makeup melt? Just curious.]

[Replying to the above: there are air conditioners you can install outdoors now. Yep, you heard that right—outdoor AC units.]

Isn’t the weather very hot right now? It’s so dry it could even catch fire at any moment.

But the rich are different. They can install air conditioning units outdoors, keeping the surrounding temperature around 24°.

Countless netizens were stunned by this news. Is this the world of a wealthy landlady?

Holding the perfect engagement banquet on the beach outdoors is one thing, but installing air conditioning outdoors to cool it down is really something else!

#XuYaoEngagement shot straight to the top of the trending searches, with countless netizens heartbroken, furiously cursing the man who secretly got engaged to Xu Yao as a kept pretty boy living off her.

Rumour had it that the island where the engagement banquet is held now belongs to Xu Yao. The entire archipelago belongs to Xu Yao!

A proper man getting married and holding an engagement banquet would, in any case, fund it himself, right? 

This pretty boy is really something, holding the banquet on Xu Yao’s island, and contributing nothing but his presence? No matter how handsome he is, he’s still just a pretty boy that everyone hates.

*

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

There were also concerns that Liu Yingxia’s reckless actions would implicate Grandpa Cui Guoqiang. Liu Yingxia’s impulsive move led her to a dark fate, leaving countless former fans in awe, even expressing their inability to accept the turn from support to disdain.

When Liu Yingxia heard that she had been livestreaming, she felt her vision go dark.

Xu Yao had become popular again because of the mysterious Lipana Islands, where she owned an island and generously rented it to the production crew for filming.

When an ordinary person secretly got engaged, it went viral, directly jumping to the top of the trending searches, but as for her? She’s doomed.

Liu Yingxia was in a complete panic, her mind blanking. After hearing that last sentence before the call was disconnected, she could only think of one thing—she had to see if it was true.

Is Xu Yao the owner of the island? Did Xu Yao really get engaged on the island, with countless big shots coming to congratulate her?

It was true—Xu Yao, this landlady, had extended her rental range to such an exaggerated extent as owning an island!

Now, as Liu Yingxia watched her followers on Weibo plummet, losing hundreds in a second, her heart ached to the extreme.

Losing followers was one thing, but the drone being shot down indicated that the security there was already aware of her infringement. Xu Yao had an elite legal team that was practically invincible. Attorney Pan and Attorney Yao were at a terrifying level, capable of even taking on two listed companies and winning.

What should she do now?

Liu Yingxia’s mind was racing, and the only thought she could come up with was her grand-uncle, Cui Guoqiang.

Yes, Cui Guoqiang was Xu Yao’s tenant, and Xu Yao invested in the show, Hand in Hand in Our Later Years to support Cui Guoqiang.

As long as she could get her grand-uncle’s help, perhaps things could still turn around.

Liu Yingxia’s long hair was blown into disarray by the sea breeze, but she was in no mood to tidy it up. She immediately dialed her grand-uncle Cui Guoqiang’s old mobile phone.

“Grand-uncle, have you come to the island yet?”

Cui Guoqiang looked at the old lady beside him, who was wearing a fashionable straw hat and smiling joyfully. He grinned, showing his teeth, and said, “Not yet, but we’ll be getting ready to come soon.”

They had already arrived in the city for the trip to the island, and were just waiting to set sail.

Cui Guoqiang was extremely excited. He had already thought about what he wanted to say to Zhou Cuilan on the island, words he had delayed saying for decades. He had never considered finding a partner before, but now, he really wanted to ask Zhou Cuilan if she could be his partner for life.

They couldn’t stay together in their youth, but they had the chance to hold hands in their old age. It was fate that allowed them to leave without any regrets.

Cui Guoqiang had many things he wanted to do on the island. Although he was just a clueless old man who didn’t understand romance, he could still try to be romantic.

After all, he had learned quickly, even when he first held a machine gun!

This was just a small seaside town, but it was considered a tourist destination because of its close access to the sea and the beautiful views.

This area included both the mountains and the sea, with a densely forested mountain situated behind the town.

Liu Yingxia couldn’t help but say, “Then you should come over sooner, Grand-uncle.”

At that moment, the weather was unbearably hot. Cui Guoqiang felt sorry for Cuilan being exposed to the sun, so he decided to go to the island with the production team later on in the day and ended the call with Liu Yingxia.

Cui Guoqiang felt like a young boy again, and after a long mental preparation, he called out loudly to Zhou Cuilan, “Comrade Zhou Cuilan, would you like to go on a… a date with me to the island?”

Grandma Cuilan’s face also turned red with embarrassment.

Before she could respond, someone shouted, “Emergency, emergency! A wildfire has broken out!”

Everyone around them was startled as they saw someone run frantically from a distance, shouting about a wildfire.

Recently, the weather has been dry as bone, with temperatures reaching a terrifyingly high level. Only a spark was needed to ignite a fire in the forest.

“I heard someone was smoking on the mountain and carelessly threw away their cigarette butt. Why do these damned people throw their cigarette butts around like that?”

An experienced elder ran by, saying, “The weather is just too hot. It was only a matter of time before a wildfire broke out.”

Cui Guoqiang stared at the distant mountain, and even his cloudy eyes could see the terrifying flames rising from the mountain, the choking smoke billowing into the sky.

Someone from the production team reacted quickly and shouted, “Quick, call the fire department! The fire is too big!”

With the scorching heat and not a drop of rain from heaven, the fire spread rapidly in the mountains. This urgent news overshadowed the engagement announcement of Xu Yao, becoming the new top trending topic, with countless netizens expressing concern for the local residents.

Cui Guoqiang heard them say, “We need to arrange for the tourists in the scenic area to evacuate, with the residents of the town at the foot of the mountain also evacuating.”

Even though they were still far away, it felt as if the flames were rushing towards them, their skin burning uncomfortably, as if it were being roasted over a fire.

Cui Guoqiang watched as many people quickly retreated with the help of the officials. Some children lost their shoes in their haste and cried out in pain as their bare feet touched the scorching pavement.

Men were helping women carry bags and flee in the opposite direction, with women crying in despair, “My house! I just renovated my house last year!”

It was chaotic, and the scene was extremely disordered.

Some were fleeing for their lives, while others were moving against the wind.

What was more important—going on a date to the island or saving those lives? Cui Guoqiang could make that choice in an instant.

He was a soldier!

Even if he was just a retired veteran!

He might not have the strength of his youth, but saving one person was still saving another life.

Cui Guoqiang looked at those moving against the tide, his sense of honor and shame overwhelming him. When he made his decision, he turned to look at Zhou Cuilan, but couldn’t find the words to speak.

This scene was so reminiscent of what happened decades ago when he had told Cuilan to wait for him by the locust tree. But she waited all night but never saw him return.

Grandma Cuilan looked at Cui Guoqiang with a gentle smile and took the initiative to ask, “Didn’t you ask me before if I’d be willing to go on an island date with you?”

She continued, “Old man, I’m not willing to go now.”

Cui Guoqiang’s eyes instantly reddened. Staring at the flames filling the sky, only one thought remained in his mind—

The people’s interests must always come above all else.

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