The hotel scandal involving Zong Chun dominated social media for two full days. With so many juicy elements, it was the gift that kept on giving.

Other men who had previously been dragged through the mud seemed pitiful by comparison, but Zong Chun was on a whole new level. Not only had he lost his reputation—he was publicly humiliated for his “shortcomings,” cuckolded, and ousted from his own family.

[One word: tragic~]

In the Qin family’s living room, everyone gathered, indulging in their new family habit—gossip. Besides little Qin Xi, everyone else eagerly shared the latest drama over tea, energized by each juicy update.

Even Qin Xian, who occasionally got off work early, joined the fun.

Hearing Ji Fei’s gleeful inner commentary about Zong Chun’s downfall, Qin Xian’s lips curved slightly, and everyone else couldn’t help but chuckle as well. It seemed that ever since Ji Fei had started sharing her thoughts openly, their family had been laughing together more often.

“I just saw the latest update! Madam Zong officially announced her divorce and is even sending Zong Chun a lawyer’s letter to sue him,” Qin Rong eagerly reported. “He’s already been kicked out of the house.”

“Looks like the truth came out,” Qin Mom said. “She must be furious if she’s not even concerned about her reputation anymore.”

Qin Dad added, “Not only does Zong Chun have to leave with nothing, but he’ll probably have to pay her, too. He’s officially lost both his career and his family.”

“There are already paparazzi photos of Zong Siqi moving into Madam Zong’s villa,” Qin Zhao said incredulously. “Who would have thought he’d actually succeed? Is Madam Zong still ‘Madam Zong’?”

Everyone burst out laughing.

Qin Yan shook her head. “After being burned so badly by one man, she still trusts another?”

“Maybe it’s not about trust. She just wants to enjoy life now. She has money, after all… though it’s a shame they won’t pay for what they did to Yu Rouyin,” Ji Fei remarked.

The others sighed in agreement. They’d hoped to find traces of the drug on Yu Rouyin’s clothes, but since the coffee was never drugged, and Madam Zong ended up as the victim, there wasn’t much else they could do.

Suddenly, Qin Xian spoke up, “I heard Madam Zong’s cousin complaining at the company. Her family is planning to disown her because all the scandal has hurt their business, so she might be cut off soon. Without any personal income, she won’t have much to enjoy.”

Madam Zong’s cousin was a board member at Qin Group, so his words were definitely credible.

The Qin family looked at Qin Xian in surprise. Who would’ve thought that the serious CEO, who usually focused on business, would bring back such personal gossip?

This… was so uncharacteristic of him.

But then they saw Ji Fei’s eyes light up at the news, reaching out to pull at Qin Xian’s arm in excitement… and the family’s expressions shifted to teasing amusement.

Was this Qin Xian’s new way of keeping his wife happy?

In the past, Qin Mom and Qin Dad had been worried about their marriage, but now they were eagerly anticipating every sweet moment between them.

“Really?” Ji Fei asked, clearly interested.

Qin Xian nodded and went on to share the details.

Ji Fei chuckled. “Every bad deed finds a way to come back around.”

It was easy to imagine what the future held for Madam Zong. Without her wealth, how would Zong Siqi react? And since he’d ruined his career with his scandalous reputation, what future could he have?

“Finally, Ms. Yu has seen the light at the end of the tunnel. No one will dare mess with her again,” Qin Rong said happily.

Everyone smiled at that.

Then, Qin Yan suddenly remembered something. “By the way, Ji Fei, Third Brother—how will this affect your show?”

Ji Fei had never paid much attention to her work, preferring to put off things she didn’t have to think about. Curious, she turned to Qin Zhao.

“Yu Rouyin and Zong Chun’s segment is definitely scrapped,” Qin Zhao explained.

Ji Fei could already guess that her name would now be a bit of a mystery on the show, which explained the sudden spike in her private messages.

Qin Zhao continued, “Yu Rouyin is now with our studio, so she’ll be one of the supporting performers on our stage.”

Ji Fei raised her hand and suggested, “I could step down and let Yu Rouyin take my place on stage with you. Sister Pei did want to train her, after all.”

Qin Zhao replied, “Do you want the director and producer showing up at your door, cursing you out at midnight?”

The entire family burst out laughing.

Ji Fei blinked innocently. “I think they can handle it.”

Qin Zhao explained, “When previous teams left, it was because the show didn’t want them due to public backlash. Since they agreed to withdraw, it was easy to terminate their contracts. But if you quit, you’d have to pay a penalty.”

“Pay?!” Ji Fei said, aghast.

The family laughed, sharing her mix of dismay and disbelief.

Qin Xian leaned over and offered, “If you truly don’t want to continue, I’ll cover the penalty fee.”

Ji Fei quickly shook her head. “Forget it. I’ll stay in the show.”

[Paying money—whether it’s mine or someone else’s—is a nightmare! Nothing’s worse than that!]

Qin Zhao sighed. “It’s only one last episode. Just get through it, especially since our hype has already peaked. Wrapping things up quietly would actually be good. Any more drama and I’m afraid the director and producer will need heart medication.”

Clearly, they’d complained enough about their stress to him already.

“Only one episode?” Ji Fei was surprised. When she signed on, it was supposed to span an entire season.

“Yes, just two teams left, and there’s not much they can do with the format now. They wanted to invite others to join, but no one’s willing. So the director and producer have accepted it and decided the next episode will be the last. The open slots will go to another show,” Qin Zhao said.

Ji Fei chuckled.

[One of life’s small joys is getting paid the same amount for less work.]

“So it’s just your team in a round-robin match,” Qin Dad joked. “Looks like Ji Fei will have to evaluate every combination.”

Qin Mom added, “I’m quite familiar with the last team. I used to love Lu Fei’s shows when I was younger. She’s a national treasure. Her dramas were everywhere! She’s paired with her son’s ex-girlfriend, Sun Man, right? I wonder how they’re getting along?”

“People online even placed bets that the former mother-in-law and ex-daughter-in-law team would back out,” Qin Rong noted.

Qin Yan added, “If they quit, it’ll mean they’re afraid to face Ji Fei and Third Brother. The internet will never let them live it down.”

Qin Zhao nodded. “The producer already spoke with them, and they didn’t indicate they wanted to withdraw. Gao Hao and Pei Mingxuan also said they seem fine. Lu Fei has some connections, so she probably knows how to keep her reputation intact, though she’s known for her ‘evil mother-in-law’ image.”

“I remember reading that she lost her husband young and raised her son alone,” Qin Mom mused.

“So a mama’s boy, and she meddles in her son’s relationships?” Qin Yan asked.

“That’s the rumor in the industry,” Qin Zhao replied.

[…You could say that,] Ji Fei’s inner voice added.

The family paused, picking up on the hesitation and ellipsis, sensing that there might be more hidden beneath the surface.