Volume One, Chapter 29: Last Year, Superstar Ji and His Wife Donated a Building

Ji Ming slowly set down his chopsticks, his gaze toward Ji Taotao softening with a hint of earnest instruction.

"Taotao, as you eat this bowl of plain noodles, you must learn to appreciate the bitterness of the past and the sweetness of the present. Reflect on the arduous path our countless Chinese martyrs once walked, and try to empathize with their hardships."

"You must realize that even a bowl of noodles like this was incredibly rare in those days!"

Ji Ming picked up his chopsticks again and shoveled a large mouthful of noodles into his mouth, as if savoring the memory of those incredibly difficult times. Unnoticed, his eyes sharpened as he cast a glance at Ji Taotao.

Ji Taotao felt a shiver run through him; he immediately recalled the instructions Ji Ming and Lin Xiaolu had been drumming into him over the past few days. Being a child, he lacked the self-control to stay focused and soon began darting his eyes around the room again.

Li Hangue grew even more certain of her suspicions. If Lin Xiaolu hadn't secretly tipped off Ji Ming and Ji Taotao, she would eat her hat!

[So that’s it. I was wondering why such a wealthy Heavenly King would be eating plain noodles.]
[Heavenly King Ji once starred in a war drama; it seems he's using this method to teach Taotao about patriotism.]
[Wait, no, why is everyone ignoring Diva Hangue's question? Does Taotao actually like eating plain noodles or not?]
[I want to know too! Not getting an answer is driving me crazy!]

Lin Xiaolu felt a wave of relief; her husband was still sharp. It was nothing they couldn't handle.

...

Ji Taotao took the initiative to sit at his small desk and pulled out his summer homework. Lin Xiaolu felt a sense of gratification. Just as her husband always said, his approach to Taotao’s education was highly effective.

Bai Qinghe immediately heaped on the praise: "Taotao must be an excellent student, right? It seems Diva Lin and Heavenly King Ji’s educational methods are very scientific."

Lin Xiaolu gave Bai Qinghe a grateful look. "Yes, Taotao has been doing very well throughout the first grade, and his teachers are very fond of him."

Applause broke out on set, and Lin Xiaolu felt a secret thrill of triumph.

Everything was getting better, wasn't it?

The number of viewers on the livestream finally began to recover, and Zhang Wei felt a slight weight lift from his shoulders. "Ji Ming is a Heavenly King, after all; his fan base is massive. No matter how you look at it, he has to be doing better than Shen Qi, right?"

"Now that everything is back on track, we’ll definitely surpass yesterday's numbers!"

Hong Tao smiled faintly. "You’re still failing to see the fundamentals. There were many reasons for yesterday’s popularity. Li Hangue has more fans than Ji Ming and Lin Xiaolu combined, and it was the first time she had exposed her family to the public eye!"

"But the most important factor was the personal charisma of Shen Qi and Shen Xiaokun!"

Zhang Wei immediately recalled many scenes from the previous day: Shen Qi’s cooking, his musical talent, and him sneaking around to set up a 'Taoge' account for Li Hangue’s company with Shen Xiaokun... These were the things the netizens loved to see.

"I hope Heavenly King Ji and Ji Taotao can put on a stellar performance!"

Zhang Wei said, "They definitely will! Ji Ming is a Heavenly King, after all!"

...

The camera zoomed in, and Ji Taotao’s workbook was clearly displayed on the screen. The handwriting was bizarre, looking as if a crab had been dipped in an ink bottle and then left to crawl across the page. It was crooked, messy, and truly an eyesore.

Some netizens even deciphered what Ji Taotao had written; it appeared to be a short summer essay.

—Today my dad made me plain noodles again. This is the 27th time I’ve eaten them this summer...

[I usually don't laugh, unless I really can't help it!]
[This handwriting is... words fail me. Didn't Diva Lin say the teacher was very satisfied with Taotao? This is it?]
[Why does everything I see feel so fake? It’s completely different from when Shen Qi was with Shen Xiaokun.]
[Don't you dare talk about Diva Lin and Heavenly King Ji! Even the poop of my idols smells like roses.]

The smile on Lin Xiaolu’s face instantly froze.

Li Hangue suddenly asked, "Is Taotao attending a public or private school?"

Lin Xiaolu, sensing a chance to steer the conversation away, quickly replied, "It’s a private school..."

Li Hangue wore an expression of sudden realization. "I see..."

Lin Xiaolu blinked, looking at Li Hangue with a face full of confusion. *I see? See what?*

When she glanced at the bullet comments, Lin Xiaolu understood too.

[Whether teachers at many private schools are satisfied with a child has nothing to do with their academic performance; they only care about the child’s family background.]
[Would a teacher dare to be dissatisfied with the child of a Diva and a Heavenly King?]
[I just remembered, last year, Heavenly King Ji and Diva Lin donated an entire building to a school under their names!]
[Oh my god! It all makes sense now!]

Ji Taotao was still doing his homework, but he clearly looked like he was just going through the motions. Ji Ming sat on the sofa tinkering with his tablet, looking as if he were busy with some important work.

The broadcast seemed to be turning dull again, and the viewer count began to slowly bleed away. Ji Ming, a veteran of countless variety shows, knew full well that he needed to showcase their family's good image.

He stood up, wearing a gentle smile, and walked over to Ji Taotao.

"Taotao, how is your homework coming along?"

Ji Taotao jolted, quietly shoving something into the desk compartment.

"Uh... I'm finished!" Ji Taotao whispered.

Ji Ming picked up the homework, and his facial muscles twitched almost imperceptibly.

"Mm! Very well done! The math problems are all correct, too!"