Chapter 142 - 120: Come On, Please Be a Scumbag to Me, Toy With My Feelings, and Hurt Me Badly

A little further in was a small exhibition hall featuring a taxidermied specimen of an enormous wild boar. Its tusks alone were as long as a forearm, and its body reached a terrifying length of over three meters. Many people were there, taking pictures and checking in.

Li Xiang privately marveled at the owner’s business acumen. He had no regrets, though. Giving the wild boar to the restaurant owner was the only way for it to realize its greatest value. It would have been useless in his own hands.

"Is this a real wild boar? Cousin, it couldn’t be the one you caught, could it?" his younger cousin, Shen Zimo, exclaimed in surprise.

His words immediately drew the attention of many people in the restaurant.

Someone recognized Li Xiang and asked for a photo with him, and Li Xiang was happy to oblige.

’Getting A-lister treatment as a minor influencer feels pretty good,’ he thought, secretly pleased.

Once the first person started, many others came over for a photo. Some of them didn’t even know who Li Xiang was; they just thought he was handsome and wanted a picture with the good-looking guy.

Of course, they would find out which influencer he was later after a quick chat with their friends.

While the photos were being taken, the restaurant owner came out to personally greet them. He quietly led Li Xiang and his party to a private room he had already set aside. With so many people waiting in line outside, it was best not to be too conspicuous. Otherwise, someone would surely cause a scene. ’Why does he get a room when he just got here, while we have to suffer through this long wait? So what if he’s an influencer?’

Not everyone would give Li Xiang special treatment.

"President Li, I’m so glad I could finally treat you to a meal. It’s a true honor. Your presence brings light to my humble establishment."

After some pleasantries, Li Xiang said, "Please, go and attend to your business. You don’t need to wait on us." The main reason was that with the owner present, his cousins seemed very stiff and reserved. Jiang Cai’Er was handling it better, as she was naturally more poised.

The owner, being a smooth operator, noticed this as well. "In that case, I won’t impose on you any longer," he said quickly. "Please, make yourselves at home. Eat and order whatever you like—it’s all on me today. You must eat and drink your fill!"

"Thank you so much." Li Xiang shook his hand. The owner then gave a few instructions to a nearby waiter before leaving.

"Cousin, why was he so polite?" his younger cousin, Shen Wenqian, asked. "Is it just because you sold him that wild boar?"

Li Xiang shook his head and smiled. "Of course not. And this meal isn’t free, either."

"Huh?" They were all surprised. They should have known there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

Li Xiang smiled. "Don’t read too much into it. It’s just a collaboration. He contacted me earlier, hoping I’d come for a meal, record a video praising his restaurant, and we agreed on a price of one hundred thousand."

The three of them were dumbfounded.

Shen Wenqian thought, ’No wonder he’s so generous, buying me and my brother such expensive clothes. He’s amazing at making money!’ She knew her cousin was an influencer and seemed to have earned a lot, but she never imagined he could make so much money just for coming out for a free meal.

In fact, the rate was pretty standard. Li Xiang’s current fee was 60,000 to 100,000 per video. This restaurant’s review video was going to be longer, so he had quoted them the 100,000 price.

Li Xiang added, "I told the owner back then that I would only do it if the food was genuinely delicious and the ingredients were fresh. If it’s not good, I’m not taking the money."

"Exactly. You have to have principles." Jiang Cai’Er gave him a thumbs-up. Then she excitedly pulled out her phone, saying, "I’ll do the recording in a bit. You all should think of a few things to say."

Shen Wenqian and Shen Zimo immediately became nervous.

Shen Wenqian immediately waved her hands in refusal. "Don’t film me, don’t film me."

Li Xiang then said, "Why don’t we let Qianqian film, and we’ll do the commentary."

Shen Wenqian immediately exclaimed, "Great idea! I’m perfect for the role of camerawoman."

So, in the end, the video mainly featured Li Xiang and Jiang Cai’Er. Their younger cousin made a brief appearance, but Shen Wenqian wasn’t in a single shot. Jiang Cai’Er wanted to take a group photo at the end, but Shen Wenqian refused that as well.

The restaurant’s food was indeed excellent, and everyone ate happily, completely satisfied. Jiang Cai’Er was a huge asset to the video. She was eloquent and quick-witted—the top scholar and a young prodigy at her school who could turn a phrase as if she were writing poetry. On top of that, she was breathtakingly beautiful, adding a great deal of charm to the recording.

...

On the twenty-eighth of the twelfth lunar month, the weather was clear and sunny. Early in the morning, Li Xiang’s house was already buzzing with activity.

Li Xiang, along with Jiang Jianguo, Li Yucheng, and a few other young villagers who had recently returned, were in the backyard building a stage and installing equipment.

In truth, Li Xiang had already done most of the work on the stage. The foundation was built from stone, which had been leveled and covered with thick wooden planks. Behind it, a frame of thick, straight bamboo poles had been erected to hold various lights, speakers, a backdrop, and some decorative flags.

Jiang Cai’Er, Shen Wenqian, and Shen Zimo came over to join the lively scene. Shen Zimo had also prepared a performance and was feeling understandably nervous, so Shen Wenqian urged him to practice it one more time to avoid any mistakes.

Around 9:30, the owner of the local electronics store arrived with his crew to help install and calibrate the equipment. Being a professional, his presence helped them quickly resolve the minor issues they had been facing.

Lei Jiaming, Lei Xiaohui, and several young people from Lei Family Gully also came over. However, they weren’t helping here; they were at Village Chief Li Jinyu’s house, continuing to rehearse. Time was too tight, and they felt they hadn’t practiced enough yet.

But Li Jinyu was already quite satisfied. For a rustic village troupe, their current level was more than enough to put on a show. When does anyone ever wait until they’re perfectly, flawlessly prepared to take the stage?

Li Jinyu was deeply gratified. At his age, he never thought the opera troupe could be formed again. The young people from Lei Family Gully were quite good, too; the tradition would have successors.

What also pleased Li Jinyu was that some young people from Li Family Village had come to learn as well.

With the crew from the electronics store on hand, Li Xiang told Li Yucheng to stop helping with the setup and go rehearse with Li Jinyu’s group, as Li Yucheng was one of the main performers for that evening’s show.

During a break in rehearsal, Lei Jiaming suddenly turned to Lei Xiaohui with an apologetic look. "Sis, I’m sorry. I didn’t think it through. I shouldn’t have been so quick to introduce you to Li Xiang."

Lei Xiaohui blinked. "Bro, what makes you say that?"

Lei Jiaming hesitated for a moment before leaning in and whispering something in Lei Xiaohui’s ear.

Lei Xiaohui was shocked. "What? He’s a scumbag? Who started that rumor?"

"I don’t know. All I know is, I heard that a lot of the women he went on blind dates with say the same thing."

Lei Xiaohui blinked, a sudden flicker of joy in her heart. ’This is a godsend!’ she thought. ’Is this my chance?’

"Sis, why do you look so excited? Are you that interested in male gossip?" Lei Jiaming asked suspiciously. He thought, ’If that’s the case, Li Xiang is definitely not a suitable partner. Shouldn’t you be heartbroken, or at least angry?’

Lei Xiaohui whispered, "Li Xiang must have rejected them, and now they’re just lashing out in embarrassment and trying to slander him. I don’t care!"

"Huh?" Lei Jiaming was completely flabbergasted.

Lei Xiaohui’s eyes gleamed. "Bro, you just don’t get it."

Lei Jiaming: "..." He shook his head. He really didn’t get it.

He had no idea that at this very moment, his little sister had only one thought running through her mind: ’Brother Xiang is a scumbag? Haha, yes! Come on, be a total scumbag to me! Play with my heart, hurt me as much as you want!’

’After he breaks my heart, I’ll be too devastated to eat or drink. It’ll be the perfect diet.’

’Maybe a scumbag isn’t marriage material, but dating someone as handsome and rich as Li Xiang must be amazing! Besides, I don’t think he seems like a scumbag anyway.’

’If he’s not a scumbag, I probably don’t stand a chance. But if he *is*... hmm, then maybe I can give it a shot.’

’Actually, I kind of want to be the one to use *him* for a change. He’s so handsome, it’s enough to make anyone greedy.’