The sarcastic remark immediately threw Lang Zhe off balance, giving Sun Man the chance to break free.

Everyone else turned in shock to the direction of the voice, stunned by someone’s audacity to say something so harsh in the middle of a proposal. But when they saw who had spoken, silence fell.

Meanwhile, the live stream’s comments began to shift in tone.

The fans of the show instantly recognized that biting, sarcastic voice. Without even seeing her, they could practically envision Ji Fei, the “Entertainment Judge,” metaphorically slapping sense into everyone.

There was no need for the camera to even pan over.

Everyone knew—Ji Fei was here.

The crowd, swept up in the excitement of the moment, suddenly came to their senses.

“Sister Fei couldn’t stand it anymore!”

“She already said no! Did you really think this was some kind of playful resistance?”

“Your show’s so exciting, it’s a drama inside and out!”

“I thought I was witnessing a proposal, not a forced marriage.”

“I knew something was off! They didn’t even get back together, and now suddenly he’s proposing? Does that make any sense?”

“For everyone who loves surprise proposals, can you at least be sure about your relationship first?”

“What, you think that just by asking in front of a crowd and setting the mood, she’ll be too flustered to say no?”

“And how is this different from holding a sword to her neck and demanding if she loves you?”

“Marriage isn’t something you can push someone into! Get a grip already.”

“Supporting Sun Man all the way! A good horse never goes back to graze on old grass. They broke up for a reason; that doesn’t just magically disappear.”

Thanks to Ji Fei’s lead, more and more rational comments started appearing, and soon enough, the live stream was flooded with one message: “She said no!”

It was oddly satisfying to see such a unified stance.

“What are you all doing?” Sun’s mother anxiously protested. “How can you spoil such a happy occasion? My daughter is just… just being shy!”

Sun’s uncle frowned, clearly displeased. No matter how popular the person might be, it didn’t give her the right to ruin a proposal.

Lang Zhe’s expression darkened as he looked their way, still unaware that his godmother had already faced rejection from the Qin family. He only knew of her supposed connection with them, so he couldn’t help but say, “I don’t know what I did to offend you, but I hope you won’t interfere with us.”

“Oh, so you’re really going to ignore Sun’s wishes?” Qin Zhao responded with a cold smirk. He turned to Sun Man and asked, “Do you need us to call the police?”

Everyone gasped, shocked by Qin Zhao’s bluntness.

Sun Man quickly gathered herself and replied, “Thank you, Teacher Ji and Teacher Qin, for speaking up for me.”

She then looked directly at Lang Zhe. “I’m rejecting you. Since our breakup, there’s no possibility of us having any further involvement. Your actions are making me uncomfortable, and I’m asking you to stop. Is that clear enough?”

Her mother and uncle opened their mouths to object, but Sun Man turned to them and said firmly, “You have no right to decide my life. I said no. Are you going to force me?”

The crowd fell completely silent, the air thick with awkward tension.

Lang Zhe stared at Sun Man, his expression growing increasingly sullen as he realized she was serious.

But he wasn’t ready to give up. That fifty million was too tempting. Just as he was about to say something else, Lu Fei grabbed his arm.

“That’s enough. Any further, and you’ll only show your lack of respect.”

Lang Zhe froze, visibly shrinking under his mother’s disapproving glare.

When Lu Fei met Sun Man’s uneasy gaze, she gave a reassuring nod and spoke in a calm tone, “Honestly, I agree that my son doesn’t deserve you. If you’re rejecting him, there’s no need to feel guilty about it.”

Sun Man was surprised at Lu Fei’s unchanged attitude, and the tension she’d been holding onto finally eased. She gave Lu Fei a respectful nod.

Lu Fei then turned to Lang Zhe and said, “Clean up this mess and leave with your friends. You’ve already wasted enough of the staff’s time.”

Lang Zhe shot his mother a resentful look, but he had no choice but to comply. With the whole proposal being live-streamed, any further fuss would only make him look worse.

To ease the lingering awkwardness, Lu Fei took Sun Man’s hand and led her off the stage, heading towards the director and producer.

“Looks like Teacher Lu prefers Sun Man to her own son,” Ji Fei said with a chuckle. “She’s truly a fair mother.”

Qin Rong added, “If Sun Man agrees, Teacher Lu would be thrilled to have her as a daughter-in-law. You could see how earnestly she was guiding her earlier.”

Qin Zhao stood up and said, “Well, the show’s over. Let’s go.”

He then noticed Pei Mingxuan still seated, so he called out to her.

Pei Mingxuan, holding her phone, stood up and gave Ji Fei a mildly exasperated look. “You’re trending again.”

Ji Fei paused, then gave an awkward smile. “Did I do something wrong?”

Pei Mingxuan put her phone away. “You were right, of course, but you sure do take risks.”

Ji Fei understood what she meant. Mingxuan didn’t know all the background drama and had been worried that it might be some kind of staged rejection where Sun Man could end up accepting. If that happened, Ji Fei’s blunt words would make her look bad in every way.

Sometimes, Pei Mingxuan’s nerves were frayed by Ji Fei’s spontaneous actions.

The director and producer were feeling the same unease.

They were anxious that the show hadn’t even started and there was already a conflict between the two groups. But compared to the past, today’s drama was light. They were just surprised that the proposal had been rejected. Now, they only hoped Lu Fei and Sun Man could still work together.

Soon after, they gathered for a drawing to select the theme for the next segment.

Ji Fei couldn’t help but think this world was one giant chaotic theater.

**[The theme is “Family”? Isn’t that a bit too on the nose? After everything that happened today, the internet’s going to explode. What are the director and producer hinting at? Look at them sweating; even they didn’t expect it to be this perfect, haha! They’re probably quaking right now.]**

Qin Zhao and Qin Rong struggled to hold back their laughter.

Meanwhile, Lu Fei remained composed, immediately pondering the theme, while Sun Man, clearly uncomfortable, shifted uneasily.

They filmed a few more behind-the-scenes clips discussing the theme, and that concluded the day’s work.

As they were leaving, they noticed that Lang Zhe’s proposal team had already cleared out, and he was waiting at the end of the hallway with Sun’s mother and uncle.

Seeing this, Ji Fei quickly held her group back, letting Lu Fei and Sun Man pass them first.

The others, already familiar with Ji Fei’s ways, knew she was holding them back to watch whatever drama was about to unfold. They, too, slowed down, eager to see what would happen.

But, to their surprise, Lu Fei and Sun Man split up.

Lu Fei continued walking forward, while Sun Man paused, seemingly wanting to say something.

Grateful for their support, Sun Man expressed her thanks once again, understanding they had put themselves at risk by standing up for her.

“Remember to stand your ground,” Ji Fei said with a smile.

Sun Man hadn’t expected Ji Fei’s words, and she smiled brightly in response. “I will.”

Seizing the moment, Pei Mingxuan handed Sun Man a business card.

Sun Man blinked, surprised.

Pei Mingxuan smiled. “If you’re interested in taking on more meaningful roles, dedicating yourself to your craft, and avoiding exploitation, you might need a professional agent. Our agency’s mission is to pave the way for female actors.”

Qin Zhao: “Since when did we have a mission?”

Ji Fei: **[Haha, Pei’s pitch sounds so awkward!]**