TRYMBPIETM 60: Mirror, Night, Snow Peak (23)

Chi Qingzhou stared at the mountain peak for a while. A few guests gathered around and quietly asked what he was looking at.

Chi Qingzhou withdrew his gaze, the corners of his lips curving slightly. “I just saw that the peak across from us is still covered in snow. I was thinking this mountain must have quite a high altitude.”

The guests all looked over and nodded seriously.

Xu Xinxin didn’t feel anything unusual, but she knew Chi Qingzhou wouldn’t stare at something for no reason. She couldn’t help but glance warily at the production team.

“Teacher Chi, this mountain is pretty high. The director wouldn’t be planning to make us climb it, would he?”

The other guests were momentarily stunned. Shen Wenxing blurted out, “Wait, is the director of this show really that cruel?”

Everyone pondered for two seconds—then nodded vigorously.

Director Hu really was that cruel.

The guests immediately turned their eyes to Lu Man, who usually had no presence.

Lu Man blinked in confusion. “I haven’t received any notice about climbing the mountain.”

He glanced at Chi Qingzhou, then at Xu Xinxin, and suddenly started to suspect that the director might be up to something again. He turned to look at Director Hu with suspicion.

Director Hu: “…”

He was being wronged!

He really hadn’t planned to make the guests climb the mountain!

Chi Qingzhou’s eyes curved into a smile. Director Hu shot him a resentful look and resignedly took the blame.

“Not just anyone can trigger a task. Ordinary people don’t need to worry.”

The guests immediately understood. Shen Wenxing gave Chi Qingzhou another look, his expression complicated.

The others simply thought Chi Qingzhou was about to take on something big again. But Shen Wenxing realized that Chi Qingzhou was preparing them in advance.

Chi Qingzhou was probably going to face some dangers alone later.

Shen Wenxing recalled his phone call with his cousin last night and couldn’t quite describe how he felt.

After a brief hesitation, he avoided the camera and slipped a stack of talismans into Chi Qingzhou’s hand.

“Teacher Chi, my cousin is quite skilled in talismans and formations. These are pretty effective—you might find them useful.”

Chi Qingzhou glanced at the talismans Shen Wenxing handed over, his eyes flickering.

There were quite a lot of them—forty or fifty in total.

Among them, aside from the ones for summoning lightning, the majority were exorcism talismans and golden light protection talismans.

And, whether by coincidence or some deliberate arrangement, there were also a few talismans meant for activating formations.

Chi Qingzhou examined them carefully. There weren’t any other talismans that could be used to form a complete array. He nodded thoughtfully.

He took out the guiding talismans and returned the rest to Shen Wenxing, his expression sincere. “Thank your cousin for me.”

Shen Wenxing, holding the remaining talismans, was a bit lost. “Huh? Oh… okay.”

Why was he thanking his cousin?

Chi Qingzhou pondered for a moment. “When you have time tonight, ask your cousin if he still remembers something from two years ago.”

Shen Wenxing: “What thing?”

Chi Qingzhou: “Hmm… maybe the time when his martial uncle took him out to broaden his horizons?”

Shen Wenxing looked completely baffled. “…Huh?”

Chi Qingzhou didn’t answer.

Seeing this, Shen Wenxing scratched his head and agreed.

….

Although the guests had secretly made many small moves off-camera, the morning’s live broadcast still ended peacefully.

After confirming that no one had encountered anything strange, the production team let out a huge sigh of relief. The director was just short of breaking into a dance to celebrate.

During lunch, the guests all refused to go live. They picked up their phones from the staff and started scrolling through social media while eating.

Within minutes, they all turned their eyes toward Xue Jinshi, their expressions extremely complicated.

Xue Jinshi was being stared at so intensely that he could only force a bitter smile.

He didn’t blame them for looking at him like he was an idiot. Even he thought he was an idiot when he looked at himself from yesterday.

There was no one to blame but himself. If he had managed his fans properly, this whole thing wouldn’t have blown up.

His gaze turned blank, exuding a sense of resigned acceptance.

Meanwhile, Chi Qingning stared at the trending topics for a while but simply couldn’t swallow his anger.

He shot a sharp glare at Xue Jinshi, cursing him in his heart for having no sense of awareness.

Seriously, of all people to provoke, why Chi Qingzhou?

Was his second brother someone to mess with?

The worst part was, if he had gotten into trouble by himself, that would’ve been one thing. But he’d dragged him into it too! Did he have a death wish or something?!

And this guy had the audacity to say his fans would do anything out of gratitude?

Chi Qingning clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and quietly glanced at Chi Qingzhou.

Chi Qingzhou was happily eating his lunch, seemingly very fond of the spicy diced chicken in the side dishes. He ate each bite with extreme focus.

Chi Qingning instinctively shrank his neck.

Wasn’t that stuff too greasy and spicy? Wouldn’t it make him break out?

After thinking about it, he realized he’d never seen his second brother get a pimple.

He glanced at his own meal, where the spicy diced chicken was completely untouched, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

Quickly, he grabbed a clean pair of chopsticks from the staff, dashed over to Chi Qingzhou, and held up his lunchbox.

“Second Brother, you like spicy diced chicken? I haven’t touched the food in my box yet. Do you want some?”

Chi Qingzhou smiled at him. “Thanks, little brother, but I have enough.”

Chi Qingning deflated in disappointment. He hesitated for a moment, then cautiously said, “Um… Second Brother, I—I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have had bad intentions before and given you a fake watch.”

To be honest, Chi Qingning couldn’t even remember why he did that three years ago.

His memories felt like they were covered in a layer of fog. A lot of things from after Chi Qingzhou returned home felt like a dream.

He only vaguely remembered that when he picked out that watch, he specifically had the words “Happy Coming-of-Age” engraved on the back.

Why had he done that?

Chi Qingning racked his brain, and after a long while, he faintly recalled that he’d probably been trying to mess with Chi Qingzhou.

He must have thought that one day, Chi Qingzhou would realize the watch was a fake.

And if Chi Qingzhou told others that he had given it to him, then he could use the inscription to clear himself.

Coming-of-Age clearly referred to turning eighteen, but Chi Qingzhou had only returned to the Chi family when he was nineteen. How could he have possibly given him a gift at eighteen?

But then… did he actually give the watch to him in the end?

Chi Qingning thought about the posts he had seen online. He had driven to Renmin University to find Chi Qingzhou. But…?

He clearly remembered that when he first got the watch, he had felt that something was off about its design.

No matter how hard Chi Qingning tried to recall, all he could remember was that someone had said something to him back then, which made him rush to deliver the watch. The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt.

“I really had bad intentions at the time, and I’m truly sorry.”

“Maybe you won’t believe me, Brother, but I never actually planned to act on it.”

“I don’t know why I ended up giving you the watch. I’m really sorry—I know I was wrong.”

Chi Qingzhou listened to his apology in silence, then responded with a bright smile, “Little brother, good deeds will always be rewarded. Everything has its cause and effect, so don’t worry too much.”

Chi Qingning nodded hesitantly, a little scared. “O-Okay.”

So… he was still going to get exposed, right?

Thinking of the posts already appearing online, Chi Qingning felt dejected.

He had messed up. He really shouldn’t have gone against Chi Qingzhou!

Chi Qingning stood up with his meal tray, but before leaving, he couldn’t help glaring at Xue Jinshi, who was sitting not far away.

If it weren’t for this guy, he definitely wouldn’t have ended up offending Chi Qingzhou again!

Xue Jinshi could only lower his head helplessly, filled with regret.

It was his own failure to control his fans that had caused this whole mess.

Not only had he offended Chi Qingzhou, but he had also dragged Chi Qingning, his benefactor, into the situation.

If he had realized earlier that his past actions were wrong, maybe none of this would have happened.

But now, it was too late.

He picked up his phone and checked the trending topics.

The previous controversy about Chi Qingzhou wearing a fake watch had completely disappeared from the rankings. Instead, the official announcement from Pearl Watches had made it to the top. Many passersby, after seeing the promotional photos, were asking who the spokesperson was, exclaiming that he looked incredibly handsome.

Chi Qingzhou’s fans, as always, were slow to react. It took them a while to start promoting him, but their bizarre descriptions left many people wondering if they had clicked on the wrong topic.

Seeing their confusion, some neutral netizens stepped in to summarize Chi Qingzhou’s background. But instead of arguing, his fans cheerfully thanked them, leaving the onlookers utterly baffled.

This unexpected behavior amused many, and some people even found Chi Qingzhou’s fanbase quite endearing.

As a result of the announcement, Chi Qingzhou gained 300,000 new followers. His fan community also received a lot of attention—it was quite an interesting turn of events.

Xue Jinshi could only hold his forehead in exasperation.

Why did it feel like Chi Qingzhou’s manager wasn’t very reliable?

And in fact, Xue Jinshi was right.

Guān Xihua had only just discovered that his artist had been smeared online, but before he could do anything, the crisis had already resolved itself—and his artist had even gained a huge number of fans in the process.

After thinking things through, he refused to let it slide. Rolling up his sleeves, he prepared to go after the two marketing accounts and the director from Putao TV. However, when he opened their social media pages, he found that all three had already issued groveling apologies.

The director from Putao TV was the most panicked. The moment the “fake watch” controversy hit the trending list, he had rushed to post a clarification and apology.

He admitted outright that he had overheard some staff members discussing it at the station and had irresponsibly jumped on the bandwagon just to chase clout.

He had thought that, since the employees worked for the same TV station, the worst that could happen was them leaking the recording to some paparazzi, leading to a bit of gossip.

At the time, he had been drinking, and the thought of gaining traffic had clouded his judgment, making him spout nonsense.

He apologized to Chi Qingzhou and to every netizen he had misled, acknowledging that he was in the wrong. If necessary, he was even willing to compensate Chi Qingzhou.

At first, no one noticed his apology post, as all the attention was on criticizing Chi Qingzhou.

It wasn’t until the authorities released an official police report that netizens started paying attention to his statement.

Initially, people wanted to mock him for flip-flopping, but then they realized that he had actually messaged the two marketing accounts beforehand, admitting he had fabricated the rumors and demanding they delete their posts. He even posted screenshots of those messages as proof, leaving people momentarily speechless.

Was he a shameless opportunist? Yes.
But had he apologized faster than anyone else? Also yes.

Was he cowardly? Maybe.
But did he still have the audacity to spread baseless rumors in the first place? Absolutely.

His actions left even the most experienced internet users baffled, unsure of how to judge him.

After the police report was released, he made a third post, claiming he knew nothing.

He insisted that he had genuinely believed Qi Ming had been transferred out, because on the morning of Qi Ming’s departure from the station, the man had actually complained to him about Chi Qingzhou.

He had chosen not to respond at the time, believing that since Qi Ming had accepted money to do the job, he should bear the consequences.

Perhaps worried that netizens wouldn’t believe him, he even released a past recording of his conversations with Qí Míng.

In the recording, the frequently mentioned Mr. Xiao Chi completely stunned the gossip-loving netizens.

As they listened to Qi Ming repeat Chi Xiaoyuan’s assessment of Chi Qingzhou, they couldn’t help but cheer when they heard the phrase:

“He needs to recognize his place.”

So this was the legendary rich family brotherly love?

What a juicy scandal!

How thrilling!

The netizens were so engrossed in the drama that they failed to realize the deeper implications of the director’s willingness to expose such information.

However, the entertainment industry insiders at Dingsheng Entertainment weren’t that naive.

It wasn’t long before those two marketing accounts were traced back to Dingsheng Entertainment.

Their vague support of Qi Ming’s actions led many to suspect Dingsheng’s involvement.

Why are you helping him when he’s not even one of your employee at Ding Sheng?

Could it be that the Zhu person who colluded with Qi Ming is actually from Ding Sheng?

The boss of Ding Sheng found this all very annoying. A mere host—what could he possibly have to do with their company?

Yet people kept asking, and even a few company shareholders started to have doubts.

A person with the surname Zhu, who had dealings with Putao TV, and who hadn’t appeared in public for the past month—Ding Sheng just so happened to have such artist.

After the incident, the Ding Sheng boss had called that artist, but no matter how he tried, he couldn’t get in touch.

With so many coincidences stacking up, who wouldn’t be suspicious?

Even the Ding Sheng boss himself started having doubts.

The host had nothing to do with their company, but what if that Zhu artist…

He slammed his hand on the table in frustration. This Chi Qingzhou was really something—how could he cause such a huge mess?

“Didn’t you all say that he wasn’t particularly favored by the Chi family, that even his adopted brother could step on him?”

He looked around at his secretaries, puzzled.

“Who would dare sign someone this troublesome into their company?”

The secretary cautiously asked, “Then, boss, what do you want to do?”

Ding Sheng’s boss sneered. “What do I want to do? I want to tell you all that your bonuses for the next three months are gone! Damn it, if this keeps up, the shareholders are going to start a fight with me!”

He furiously ordered his subordinates to keep trying to contact Zhu. If they couldn’t reach him, then they should just fire him outright.

The priority was to pacify the shareholders. As for artists—finding new ones was never a problem.

The secretary obediently agreed, completely unaware that the missing Zhu artist, upon learning he had been unilaterally fired, burst into tears of joy.

“Thank you, Teacher Chi! Teacher Chi is truly a deity who saves the suffering!”

“If it weren’t for Teacher Chi’s casual fortune-telling half a year ago, I’d probably still be stuck in this pit, unable to escape!”

“I, Zhu, don’t have any great skills, but the one thing I can do is pray for Teacher Chi.”

“I hope Teacher Chi’s wishes come true and that everything goes smoothly for him.”

“Ah, right! Didn’t Teacher Chi say he wanted to complete one unfinished major task? I should go light some incense and ask the gods to bless him and keep him safe until he achieves his goal.”

The young man chattered endlessly to his girlfriend for half an hour. Under her understanding comfort, he put on a hat and mask, and together they headed to a quiet Daoist temple nearby.

As the incense smoke curled into the air, he knelt on the cushion, devoutly making his wish to the gods above.

The deity seated on the temple’s altar had a kind expression, but its appearance was strangely unfamiliar.

His girlfriend finished her prayer, casually glanced around, and frowned slightly in confusion.

Among the usual deities, was there one that looked like this?

…

Chi Xiaoyuan’s injury hadn’t healed yet.

He lay in the hospital bed, only finding out about the online drama after his secretary nervously reported it to him.

For a moment, he was completely stunned.

Thankfully, after listening to the recording, he realized the entire conversation had been Qi Ming talking to himself. That was a relief.

He looked down on Chi Qingzhou, he didn’t want to share the family assets with him, but that didn’t mean he wanted others to know his thoughts.

He used to find Chi Qingzhou annoying mainly because he feared his interests would be threatened. He had even been pleased when he managed to push Chi Qingzhou into the entertainment industry.

But now, he was starting to regret it.

Had he known Chi Qingzhou would stir up this much trouble, he should’ve locked him down in academia!

Researchers didn’t have time to compete for family inheritance. It would’ve been best if Chi Qingzhou had kept exploring ancient tombs and caught some kind of disease.

But look at him now—trending all over the internet and dragging him into a scandal with Qi Ming, a murderer…

Chi Xiaoyuan found it unbearable even to think about.

He had been tied to a murderer—how humiliating!

Chi Xiaoyuan cared about his reputation. Aside from the family inheritance, his image mattered most.

Or rather, it was his so-called “patriarchal authority” that he valued.

To protect his name, he had no qualms about using mystics to erase Chi Qingning’s memory, nor did he mind throwing the blame on Chi Qingning.

In this regard, he and Chi Qingning were quite alike, even though they weren’t biological brothers.

Chi Qingning cared most about his status in the industry and his reputation, followed by his public image, with money ranking last.

Chi Xiaoyuan knew exactly what Chi Qingning feared, but he didn’t care.

He instructed his secretary, “Guide public opinion. Say that I ordered Qi Ming to do all this because my little brother was afraid Second Brother would steal our family’s favor. He cried to me, and I was soft-hearted enough to step in.”

The secretary hesitated, unsure whether to mention that Chi Qingning and Chi Qingzhou seemed to be getting along fine lately.

Chi Xiaoyuan impatiently waved his hand, just about to dismiss the secretary when the hospital room door suddenly swung open.

A woman stepped in quietly, looking only around thirty years old. She wore a lake-blue satin cheongsam, her mature figure exuding an elegant charm. Every movement of hers carried a strange allure.

Her chestnut-colored hair was styled in a refined “rich lady” updo, and her golden pearl accessories gleamed on her hair and neck.

Chi Xiaoyuan was momentarily stunned before quickly sitting up. “Mom, what are you doing here?”

The secretary, startled as well, turned around and immediately greeted her.

Madam Chi curved her lips into a smile, her misty peach-blossom eyes brimming with an enchanting aura.

She nodded amicably at the secretary, making him unconsciously hold his breath.

Every time he saw Madam Chi, he was shocked all over again.

Even with the best beauty treatments, a woman in her fifties, who had given birth to two children, looking barely over thirty was simply unbelievable!

No wonder Old Master Chi had never entertained any mistresses all these years. No one else could compete with this!

Madam Chi paid no mind to the secretary’s thoughts. After a few casual pleasantries, she dismissed him.

Chi Xiaoyuan looked at her, puzzled. “Mom, why did you suddenly come to the hospital? Have you seen Dad yet?”

Madam Chi glanced at her eldest son indifferently, rubbing a silver bracelet on her wrist.

“Why would I go see your father? I came here to avoid him.”

Chi Xiaoyuan was even more confused.

Madam Chi lowered her gaze, her eyes eerily similar to Chi Qingzhou’s. She absentmindedly toyed with the silver bracelet, her expression unreadable.

“Didn’t I tell you to stir up conflict and make that bastard (CQN) fight that little brat (CQZ)? But now that bastard actually started respecting the little brat! You can’t even handle something so simple?!”

Chi Xiaoyuan’s expression shifted slightly, and he quickly pulled his mother aside. “Mom, keep your voice down! I did everything you told me to, but Chi Qingning is a person—”

Madam Chi snapped, “Enough! I risked everything to give birth to that little brat for what? To save your life! And now you’re this useless!”

She clutched her silver bracelet tightly, her fingers trembling.

If Chi Qingzhou were here, he would immediately recognize that her bracelet looked almost identical to the one Luo Ting and the Miao girl had given him.

The only difference was that hers was adorned with numerous pearls.

She closed her eyes. “Forget it. You’re useless.”

Fortunately, the grandmaster was already on his way. Otherwise, once the curse was removed, she would be the first to suffer the backlash!