In stark contrast to the gloom hanging over the Japan Region's backstage, the China Region Production Team was erupting in cheers. Every staff member was grinning ear to ear.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Chief Director Guo Tao couldn't stop grinning, tears welling up in his eyes as he pounded the table repeatedly, exclaiming gleefully:
"Hahaha! This is too good! Tsukikyo Mari, that old woman, must be seething!"
Guo Tao had initially resigned himself to letting the Japanese contestants steal the show, but the tables turned so swiftly and dramatically, with back-to-back gold medals for the Chinese team!
It was impossible to deny the credit to Nie Junfeng's relentless "Poison Milk" predictions earlier.
"I have to admit, Old Nie really knows his stuff!" Guo Tao continued. "As professionals, our Production Team should remain objective... but since the show began, Old Nie has repeatedly proven his mastery of the 'Poison Milk Technique'.
"If Cifera has been the biggest surprise since the show's premiere, then Old Nie is undoubtedly the second! Without his 'Poison Milk,' the show's impact would be significantly diminished!"
As he spoke, a staff member placed a cappuccino in front of Guo Tao. Tonight's overtime shift meant the director was treating everyone to coffee.
Seeing the cappuccino before him, Guo Tao immediately handed it back to the staff member, feigning displeasure with a playful tone:
"What's this? Our 'Big Brother' Inspector Nie is strategizing and commanding from the broadcast booth, his throat must be parched by now. We should send it to him first!"
Since Guo Tao was clearly in good spirits, the staff member replied in kind:
"Director Guo! Sending Big Brother a cappuccino might not be the best idea, you know? You get the reference, right?"
"Of course! I get it!" Guo Tao chuckled. "That's precisely why we're doing it!
"Old Nie is the Nie Family Patriarch, a master of the Poison Milk Technique!
"As they say, two negatives make a positive. This cappuccino is just topping up his Poison Milk reserves!"
"Holy crap! Only Director Guo could think of something so brilliant! You're a genius!" The staff member exclaimed in admiration, grabbing the coffee and scurrying off to the broadcast booth.
Soon, the staff member presented the cappuccino to Nie Junfeng with a look of utter admiration, broadcasting the scene live to viewers in every live stream.
Though unspoken, even Japanese viewers likely understood the subtext.
The Chinese Production Team was thanking Nie Junfeng for his Poison Milk takedown of Kawaguchi Tokushi!
Chinese Bullet Comments:
[Ha ha ha! The production team is really playing it up! Sending the Patriarch a cappuccino!]
[Refill! Refill! The Nie Family Patriarch's blue bar is full again!]
[Please, Officer Nie, bless Kawaguchi Tokushi with a few more words! May he slip on a banana peel next time he steps outside!]
[Nie Junfeng: I thank you... (face torn between laughter and tears)]
[Official endorsement! The Nie Family's Poison Milk is a godsend for the show!]
[Japanese friends, see this? This is the strategic-level resource status of our region!]
Japanese Bullet Comments:
[Baka yarou! This is going too far!]
[The Chinese production team is openly humiliating our Japanese contestants!]
[They're actually celebrating like this?! Shameless!]
[Damn it... I hate to admit it, but Nie Junfeng really does seem a bit cursed...]
[Master Tokushi will definitely succeed next time! This underhanded trickery won't get them far!]
Meanwhile, Tsukikyo Mari, the Japanese Chief Director, watched the scene unfold on the live stream, her fury nearly shattering the teacup in her hand.
This was blatant provocation and mockery from the Chinese production team!
She could practically hear Guo Tao's smug laughter, and her face darkened further.
Glancing at Kawaguchi Tokushi, standing by the roadside being questioned by the police, she couldn't help but curse again:
"Useless trash!"
-
Some time later,
the luxurious sedan carrying Aya and her companions drove out of the city and up a winding mountain road, eventually stopping before a massive wrought-iron gate that blended modern technology with classical carved artistry.
Above the gate, an elegant abstract owl-cat emblem shimmered brilliantly.
The car doors opened, and Aya and her group emerged. The sight that greeted them made everyone except Little Ya and Sister Jingjing pause in slight astonishment.
Before them lay a vast manor nestled halfway up the mountainside, its unique style skillfully blending ancient Dongfang aesthetics with modern minimalism. The "cat" motif permeated every detail:
The streetlights were shaped like adorable cat paws, the paving stones were inlaid with feline patterns, and even the silhouette of the distant main mansion, bathed in the soft glow of the night, faintly resembled a giant, lazy cat lounging in repose.
Imposing yet whimsical, the manor exuded an undeniable air of opulence.
"..." Though Nie Bing remained silent, her eyes couldn't conceal her awe.
Though her own family was well-off, she had never seen a manor of such scale and distinctive style before.
Lu Yue maintained a calm facade, but inwardly he was deeply shaken.
The Night Shadow Clan and the Cat's Eye Clan were ancient families, renowned for their prestige and influence. However, due to their distinct natures, most of the Night Shadow Clan's wealth had been "donated" to the nation after their assimilation, resulting in a considerably more modest residence for their family.
Aside from marveling at the Cat's Eye Clan's "inhuman opulence," this first-ever visit to his Arch-Rival's headquarters—as a "guest," no less—left Lu Yue feeling deeply awkward and out of place.
Cifera, though equally astonished internally, naturally couldn't betray any sense of unfamiliarity, given her current status as a "host." Instead, she wore an air of calm familiarity while her mind raced:
So Little Ya's family really is absurdly rich... Haha, not only does she resemble Aglaea in appearance, but she also possesses the same kind of financial power!
Two individuals from different worlds, yet sharing such uncanny similarities...
Perhaps, hidden within the vast cosmos, there truly exists a mysterious and unfathomable set of laws governing all things. Though elusive, these laws seem to leave faint traces that hint at their existence.
Heh, how intriguing!
Cifera's calm contemplation of the cosmos stemmed from her absolute certainty that Little Ya would cover for her "sister," having already orchestrated everything in advance to prevent her true identity from being exposed.
Kawaguchi Tokushi certainly won't give up so easily...
As Cifera pondered this, she followed the others through the manor gates and into the estate grounds.
Her seemingly casual gaze swept over the exquisite gardens, but in reality, she was meticulously memorizing every detail of her surroundings:
This manor may appear tranquil and lightly guarded, but it's actually teeming with elite warriors hidden in the shadows. Their concealment is excellent—they're all professionals.
I hope that genius ninja truly lives up to their reputation and manages to infiltrate successfully. Otherwise, tonight's entertainment will be sorely lacking... But then again—
A barely perceptible curve tugged at the corner of Cifera's lips:
"Little Ya might have the same idea. She might even deliberately instruct the sentries to let down their guard a bit. With her childishly playful nature, she's certainly capable of such a thing."
After entering the Manor, Little Ya, puffing out her chest with a hint of smug pride, began her introduction as the "hostess":
"Welcome to my home~ By the way, let me formally introduce myself: I'm Dongfang Miaoya~"
Then, gesturing toward "Aya" beside her, she wore a mischievous smile:
"You probably don't know my sister's full name, do you? It's—Dongfang Yamiao~ Oh! Isn't it just adorable?"
Cifera: "..."
Dongfang Yamiao?!
Well played! You've been waiting for this, haven't you?!
To be honest, Cifera was starting to regret not introducing herself first. Little Ya had seized the initiative and given her such a deliberately teasing name.
The name was a blatant hint at her true identity, though it would still be difficult for Nie Bing and Lu Yue to connect it to her.
Cifera inwardly found the situation both amusing and frustrating, but outwardly she maintained an elegant yet slightly awkward smile, tacitly accepting the "maliciously" cute name.
China Region Bullet Comments:
[Dongfang Miaoya? Dongfang Yamiao? Pfft!]
[Hahaha! That name! It's too adorable!]
[Both sisters have "Miao" in their names! Just how obsessed with cats is their family?!]
[Sister Aya's name is a perfect contrast: a cool goddess named Yamiao!]
[Cat Manor confirmed! From the owners' names to the decor, everything is cats!]
[Seriously, this manor is ridiculously luxurious! Aaaaah, wait for me, my wife! I'll marry into your family and wash your feet every day!]
[Another one's gone mad... Someone help me sedate him!]
In contrast to the enthusiastic reactions from the China Region audience, the Japan Region's comments were tinged with envy:
[Tch... So they have a big house, big deal...]
[We have plenty of beautiful gardens and manors in Japan too...]
[Hmph! Once Master Tokushi finds this place, the entire estate will become his hunting ground!]
[But honestly, the names of these two beauties are really cute!]
[What's the point of having cute names? They're about to be in big trouble!]
Hearing the names and seeing the scale of the manor, Nie Bing was stunned once again. Suddenly, something clicked, and she exclaimed in surprise:
"Dongfang? Miaoya... Yamiao... Could you be from the Cat's Eye Group?"
The Cat's Eye Group was a global behemoth with businesses spanning every cat-related sector: cat food, cat supplies, veterinary medicine, and more. Renowned as the world's leading authority on feline welfare, it was said to be the company that truly understood cats.
The founding family's surname was indeed Dongfang, though they maintained an exceptionally low profile.
Little Ya smiled and nodded. "That's right~ Sister Nie Bing, you know about us?"
The bullet comments finally caught up and erupted into a frenzy:
[Holy crap! The Cat's Eye Group?!]
[The world's largest cat-related product empire?! So Little Ya and Aya are the young mistresses of the Cat's Eye Group?!]
[Case solved! No wonder they're so rich! The manor is full of cat-themed elements! Even their names have "Miao"!]
[This is what true wealth looks like!]
Finally, the group arrived at the entrance of the main residence.
Two middle-aged adults, both wearing comfortable cat-themed pajamas, were waiting at the entrance. They were clearly Little Ya's parents, their faces beaming with warm smiles and undisguised anticipation.
As they saw Little Ya and her group approach, they could no longer contain their excitement and rushed forward.
Seeing her parents' enthusiastic reaction, Little Ya's lips curved into a slight smile. In her eyes, these two cat lovers might normally dote on their feline companions more than their own daughter. But now that their only daughter had ventured abroad, they finally seemed to realize her importance.
They must have missed me terribly while I was away, she thought.
A radiant smile blossomed on Little Ya's face as she opened her arms, ready to embrace them.
"Dad! Mom! I'm back—"
But before she could finish her sentence, her smile froze.
Her parents' eyes gleamed with laser-like focus as they completely ignored their outstretched-armed daughter. Like two feline whirlwinds, they swept past her and charged straight toward "Aya" behind her!
Little Ya's mother immediately embraced "Aya," petting her golden hair as if she were a prized cat, unable to stop stroking it. She gushed, "Oh, Aya! You were absolutely brilliant on the runway today! Mom's so proud of you!
"And... wow! Did you switch shampoos recently? Tell me what it is—your hair feels so much softer than before! Let Mom have a good feel!"
Little Ya's father stood nearby, his eyes gleaming with anticipation as he circled "Aya," eager to touch her but thwarted by his wife's protective grip. He could only rub his hands together and grin sheepishly, muttering:
"My sweet daughter... I have no words. It's just so good to have you back, so good to have you back... heh heh..."
"..."
Completely ignored, Little Ya slowly lowered her outstretched arms. Her expression shifted from hopeful anticipation to stunned disbelief, then to speechless indignation, finally settling into a face of wounded fury. Inwardly, she raged:
Damn it! These two cat-obsessed idiots! They can't even spare a glance for their own daughter, who's just returned from abroad after days apart, all for a chance to pet a cat! Am I even their real daughter?!