The daring Xia Duo joined the reality show about raising children.
How unpopular was this show? The guests weren't even finalized until a few days before filming began.
Including Xia Duo, there were six people in total.
The other five were all relatively unknown newcomers, all calling Xia Duo "sister" and eagerly saying they wanted to learn from her.
Xia Duo laughed and said they would learn from each other, thinking: "You upright and promising young people, please, please, please don't follow my example. I just want to relax."
Upon officially joining the cast, everyone learned that the show, supposedly about raising children, was actually about teaching them.
The production team contacted a private school, selecting a group of diverse first-grade students to form a class, with the six guests acting as their teachers.
To increase exposure, the entire filming process was live-streamed.
The first day of filming involved choosing character personas. Xia Duo and the other five guests gathered around looking at character cards.
The roles were: a teacher of first-grade Chinese, math, moral education and law, and science; and a head teacher.
Everyone's expressions changed drastically upon seeing the "Head Teacher" role card. Who didn't have a nightmare about the head teacher during their school days?
A strict teacher who manages students, constantly watching and causing trouble, the school's biggest jerk!
The other five guests, except Xia Duo, were on the show to gain popularity, and none of them wanted this role.
Out of respect for their senior, everyone said, "Sister Xia, please choose first."
Xia Duo, eager to retire, had no idol baggage and nodded and reached out without hesitation, taking the "Head Teacher" role card.
The other five felt like they'd been on a rollercoaster, one second filled with anxiety, the next seeing Xia Duo as a savior from their misery.
After the role selection was over, a girl named Wen Xin grabbed Xia Duo and exclaimed, "Ah, Sister Xia is so kind! She must not want to make things difficult for us, so she took on the heavy responsibility of being the head teacher herself!"
Before Xia Duo could even speak, another male guest chimed in, "Don't worry, Sister Xia, we'll definitely discipline the students well and won't cause you any trouble."
The other three also crowded around, patting their chests and making guarantees.
Xia Duo: "..."
Why are these young people so dramatic?
She was just simply, selfishly, choosing a role card to invite criticism.
At this time, there were very few people watching the live stream; seven or eight out of ten were fans of various groups.
The fans of those five people had their goodwill towards Xia Duo maximized, flooding the screen with thanks: [Xia Duo is indeed beautiful inside and out, taking care of the newcomers.]
Xia Duo's working-class fans even gave her a thumbs up: [Our Xia Xia is so warm!] That evening, Xia Duo, like the other guests, didn't rush back to the teachers' apartments arranged by the production team. Everyone was in their respective offices, working diligently under the lamps.
The children would be entering the venue the next day, and the other five, all front-line teachers, were preparing lessons.
Xia Duo was different. As the head of student affairs, she didn't need to teach. She had asked the production team for the children's information sheets and was reviewing them one by one.
The live stream camera panned over, and viewers saw her circling and drawing on the information sheets. The comments section was filled with discussion:
[What is Xia Duo doing?]
[Studying the students.]
[Xia Xia must think that to be a good head of student affairs, you must understand every child.]
[That's called individualized instruction! Every teacher should do this!]
After studying the students all night, Xia Duo returned to the teachers' apartments. After washing up, she saw these comments and couldn't help but laugh.
She really did need to know the characteristics of each child in order to accurately find fault and strive to become the head of student affairs that students hated the most! The next day, the children arrived at school one after another. The acting homeroom teacher and Chinese language teacher, Wen Xin, dressed sweetly, greeted each child in the classroom. Her gentle demeanor earned her many positive points.
In contrast, Xia Duo at the school gate was a stark contrast. She was dressed in a serious formal suit, her hair meticulously tied up, and she even wore a pair of glasses that made her look older than she was, causing the children to shudder at the sight of her.
Moreover, she was there to catch students, checking toys, snacks, and whether or not they were wearing school uniforms, all under the guise of school rules.
Actually, it was already winter break. After a semester of hardship, the children had just embraced their holidays, but for various reasons, they had to return to school, and few were truly willing.
Several adults had tried to coax their children into coming to school by stuffing toys and snacks into their bags, but unfortunately, they encountered Xia Duo.
With only a few students in the class, Xia Duo personally checked each one.
A cute little girl named Qingqing started crying the moment her beloved Barbie doll was taken out.
She cried so loudly it was deafening.
Qingqing's mother tried to reason with her, saying, "She's still young, she likes playing with toys. It's fine if she doesn't take them out of her backpack."
Xia Duo, her face dark, refused, "She's a first-grader now, not in kindergarten anymore. She needs to follow the rules of elementary school. If we keep spoiling her, when will she ever adapt?"
Qingqing cried even louder, and Xia Duo glared at her fiercely.
There were few people in the live stream, but it didn't clash with the noise; many were commenting:
[What's wrong with Xia Duo? That little girl is only seven or eight years old.]
[Exactly, is it possible to reason with a seven or eight-year-old?]
[Not cute at all!]
The production team noticed this and quickly told Xia Duo through her earpiece to tone it down.
Little did they know that this was exactly the effect she wanted, resolutely forbidding Qingqing from bringing toys to school.
Forced to give up her Barbie doll, Qingqing ran into the school crying, yelling at Xia Duo before she entered: "You're the most annoying teacher I've ever met!"
Xia Duo remained unmoved, her face expressionless.
Several other children who brought snacks were also brought to tears by her. The live stream audience nicknamed her: [The Kid-Destroying Beauty].
These children who were brought to tears by her scolding were easily comforted by the guest teachers after entering the school, who displayed great gentleness and patience, causing their goodwill towards her to skyrocket.
They thanked Xia Duo a million times in their hearts; this was a senior helping them! Soon, the bell rang for morning reading, and the last student arrived at the school gate: Xiao Feng.
Xia Duo had remembered this child last night. He was as pretty as he was temperamental; so young, yet so defiant.
He had been carried there by the driver, and even at the school gate, he refused to get down, clinging to the driver's neck.
Xia Duo adjusted her glasses and asked sternly, "Can't you walk?"
Xiao Feng was clever; upon hearing this, he jumped to the ground and retorted, "You're the one who can't walk!"
He was very bold, completely unconcerned that the other person was a teacher.
Xia Duo crossed her arms, a half-smile on her face: "The bell for morning reading has already rung; you're late. I think you don't need to go back to the classroom. Just stand here as punishment."
"No way!" Xiao Feng was provoked, grabbing his schoolbag and rushing into the school.
Xia Duo watched his small figure disappear, a smirk playing on her lips: Trying to mess with me? You little brat.
Livestream: [This kid has a temper; he's obviously a troublemaker.]
[Xia Duo didn't search his bag? Did she forget?]
When Xiao Feng entered the classroom, Wen Xin was leading the class in reading the text. She wasn't angry at all about his lateness and gently led him to his seat: "This is your seat."
Xiao Feng was very temperamental at school and didn't want to talk to anyone, ruthlessly shaking off her hand.
Wen Xin, wanting to be a good teacher and a friend to the children, didn't get angry. She patted his head and continued leading the class in morning reading.
But before morning reading was even over, Xiao Feng hit his deskmate, who started crying loudly, diverting the whole class's attention.
Wen Xin went over to inquire about the situation. Her deskmate pointed at Xiao Feng and cried, "He bullied me!"
Wen Xin asked Xiao Feng, "What happened?"
Xiao Feng didn't argue, speaking like a little adult, "He put his arm on my desk, encroaching on my territory. I absolutely won't allow that!"
Wen Xin knew she had to intervene: "Xiao Feng, adults are wrong. If you don't like him putting his hand on your desk, you can tell him, or tell the teacher, but you can't hit him."
Xiao Feng was defiant, glaring at Wen Xin with his big eyes, then suddenly grabbed her wrist and bit her hard.
Wen Xin gasped. The whole class stood up. Xiao Feng ran away after biting her, slippery as an eel.
Wen Xin panicked, but she needed to look after a class of children. She first called the other guests, asking one to stay and watch the class while the rest went to find Xiao Feng. Xia Duo was in her office when the production crew contacted her through her earpiece: "A child has run out of the classroom."
Xia Duo asked anxiously, "Have you found him?"
The production crew replied, "We found him, but Wen Xin and the others can't handle him. Go try."
"Okay." Xia Duo hurried to the office, and on the way, the production crew briefly explained the situation.
When she arrived at the garden, she saw four adults being completely outmaneuvered by a little boy.
Xiao Feng was hiding behind a large flowerpot, his eyes darting around, trying to figure out where to run. This chase with the teachers was much more interesting.
The homeroom teacher, Wen Xin, stood at the front of the guests, coaxing him, "Xiao Feng, come here, Teacher Wen wants to talk to you."
Xiao Feng grumbled, "Who wants to talk to you? I want to go home and play!"
Another male guest said, "Xiao Feng, stop being naughty. Come home with the teacher, and the teacher will tell you a story." Xiao Feng: "Tell yourself, I'm not interested."
The viewers in the live stream were getting anxious: [Are these guests even capable? They can't even handle such a young child.]
[These brats are terrifying.]
[Xiao Feng's temper is so weird, he needs to be disciplined.]
Wen Xin and the others were still playing the teacher card, but Xia Duo couldn't stand it anymore. She went back to the classroom, grabbed Xiao Feng's schoolbag, and shouted, "You know what's inside, right? Come here and apologize to Teacher Wen and your deskmate, or I'll take it out and throw it away."
She didn't search his schoolbag, but she knew from last night's homework that this child always brought toys. She hadn't searched him at the school gate just in case, to use as leverage.
Xiao Feng, who cherished his toys, turned from smug to terrified upon seeing this: "If you dare throw it away, you'll be sorry." Xia Duo smiled, opened his schoolbag in front of him, took out a small car model, and pretended to walk to the trash can.
Xiao Feng's eyes widened, and most of his body peeked out from behind the flowerpot: "You're scaring me."
Xia Duo held up her toy car high, giving him a final warning: "If you don't come out and apologize, you'll see your beloved toy car go to the trash can. Trash cans are very dirty. Are you willing to let your favorite toy go there?"
Xiao Feng gritted his teeth, hating her.
Seeing that he was quite composed, Xia Duo loosened her grip, and the toy car instantly fell.
Almost simultaneously, Xiao Feng rushed out from behind the flowerpot, shouting, "Teacher Wen, I was wrong!"
Quickly, Xia Duo reacted, catching the toy car a second before it hit the trash can.
Comments: [Xia Duo's reaction, that speed is amazing!]
[Xia Duo's fierceness is somewhat effective; you can't be soft on a brat like Xiao Feng.] Wen Xin, afraid Xiao Feng would run away again, rushed forward and hugged him tightly, saying, "It's okay, it's good to admit your mistakes and correct them."
Xiao Feng wasn't appreciative. He shook off her and ran to Xia Duo: "Now can you give me back my schoolbag and toys?"
Xia Duo took all the toys out of his schoolbag, only giving him the bag: "If you behaved well at school today, I'll give the toys back to you after school this afternoon."
The implication was that if he didn't behave well, he wouldn't see the toys again.
Xiao Feng understood. He glared at her for several seconds. Threatened with the toys, Xiao Feng didn't dare say anything more, took the schoolbag, and ran to the classroom.
He did keep his word and apologized to his deskmate.
But his troublemaking nature hadn't changed at all. He talked a lot in class, stammered, and caused trouble after class, often resorting to violence. Children love to tattle, and every break time, a child would come to Wenxin crying, saying: "Xiaofeng hit me again. Xiaofeng stole my things. Xiaofeng called me stupid."
After several such incidents, Wenxin couldn't take it anymore and handed him over to the head teacher, Xia Duo.
Xia Duo knew this child was just seeking attention. His privileged family upbringing had made him used to being pampered, and he would throw tantrums at the slightest unpleasantness at school.
Unlike Wenxin, Xia Duo wasn't going to give him a "good teacher" card; she was there to make him unpopular. She relentlessly berated Xiaofeng: "Do you know how annoying it is to treat your classmates like this? They're all afraid of you, they don't play with you, and you're happy about that? Do you think you're a little emperor? Everyone has to give way to you?"
The child was easily swayed. When she raised her voice, he cowered, whining, "Who wants to be annoying?"
Xia Duo: "Since you don't want to be annoying, listen to the teachers and be a..." "Good boy, be friendly and cooperative, or see how I deal with you!"
Xiao Feng: "How will you deal with me?"
Xia Duo: "For example, tell your parents you won't buy them toys for a month."
"You!" Xiao Feng pointed his chubby little finger at her: "You win!"
Xia Duo raised an eyebrow and smiled smugly. Xiao Feng gritted his teeth: "I'll try my best not to bully them."
Xia Duo: "You have to promise."
Xiao Feng weakly promised, and only then did Xia Duo let him go back to the classroom.
In the following days, Xia Duo kept a close eye on this child, occasionally popping into the classroom, which significantly reduced the frequency of Xiao Feng's misbehavior.
Several times during breaks, he couldn't resist hitting his classmates, and just as his little hand was raised, Xia Duo appeared.
Xia Duo's face turned ashen: "Xiao Feng, what are you doing?"
Xiao Feng, seeing her, thought of the toys in the shop window. He was terrified that his parents would listen to him and never buy him anything again. His little hand slid down quickly, and he cleverly pulled his classmate into his arms: "We're playing."
He even asked his classmate, "Isn't that right?"
His classmate knew he had just wanted to beat him up; the sudden change of expression left him speechless. "Huh? Yeah..."
Xia Duo, of course, could see through Xiao Feng's quick change of heart. She suppressed a laugh: "Behave yourself."
Xiao Feng shook his head: "I'm very well-behaved. We're united and friendly, you know. I remember everything the teacher said."
Netizens who saw this commented:
[Who couldn't tell that Xiao Feng wanted to beat someone up earlier? He immediately cowered when he saw Xia Duo, hahaha.]
[A fierce older sister and a wicked younger brother! Do they match?]
[Xiao Feng's change of expression when he sees Xia Duo is so cute.] [Xiao Feng is so cute, isn't he? Look at that chubby little face, I just want to rub it!]
[I love Xia Duo and Xiao Feng, director, add more screen time!]
[I second that!]
The other five guests are all Xiao Feng's teachers, and they all find him a headache. Fortunately, Xia Duo can keep him in check, so they look at her with even more exaggerated eyes, practically shining: "Thanks to Sister Xia for helping us manage Xiao Feng, we really have no way to deal with him."
Wen Xin: "I'm also the type who can't be harsh with kids, thank goodness for Sister Xia."
Gradually, the children in the class also realized that the little tyrant Xiao Feng was fearless, except for Teacher Xia. Among the guest teachers, only Teacher Xia could yell at him.
They had all been bullied by Xiao Feng to some extent, so they didn't blame Xia Duo for taking away their toys and snacks. After all, compared to those material things, personal safety is more important. Who isn't afraid of being beaten by Xiao Feng? Many children eagerly awaited Xia Duo's arrival after class, knowing that Xiao Feng would always treat them kindly whenever she appeared.
Xia Duo, worried about Xiao Feng causing trouble, usually lingered outside the classroom after class, chatting with the children and asking, "What did you learn in the last lesson?"
The children chimed in, "We learned 'Quiet Night Thoughts,' I can recite it!"
"I already knew it!"
"Spring slumber is unaware of dawn..." Several children recited it, vying with each other, while Xia Duo listened with a beaming smile.
The children gradually discovered that this teacher also had a lovely side.
Even Qingqing, who had initially been scolded and made to cry after Xia Duo searched her toys, began to change her opinion of her. Qingqing folded a paper crane and mustered her courage to hand it to her: "Teacher Xia, can I take back what I said the first day I met you, that you hated it?"
Children's thoughts are always simple; their likes and dislikes are written all over their faces. Xia Duo was charmed by her cuteness, accepted the paper crane, and hugged her: "Did you say anything before? I don't remember."
Qingqing smiled broadly and gave her a kiss on the cheek: "Teacher Xia, you're the most special teacher I've ever met."
Instantly, Xia Duo became the darling of the entire school. Guest teachers and children alike flocked to her, and the director didn't need to deliberately add any more shots.
Livestream comments: [Who would have thought that Xia Duo, who was initially disliked, would become so popular?]
[Xia Duo's performance was truly amazing; her interactions with Xiao Feng were hilarious.]
[Who can blame Xiao Feng for falling for her charm?]
Her fans, seeing their idol's outstanding performance on the show, spread the word everywhere. Especially her scenes with Xiao Feng, which were turned into memes and GIFs, were widely shared, making this sibling duo more widely known:
[I haven't watched the variety show, but this domineering older sister and younger brother pair is quite eye-catching.]
[To be honest, Xia Duo's looks are undeniable, stunning.]
[And Xiao Feng, he's so handsome, I really want to have a son like him.]
[Doesn't the person upstairs mind unruly kids?]
[If it's an unruly kid, I'll learn from Xia Duo; there's always a way to handle him.]
[From now on, even the wealthy siblings in novels have faces.]
Seeing all this, Xia Duo asked the existential question: "Why is it different from what I imagined?"
Did everyone like her image as a fierce teacher just because she controlled Xiao Feng? Wasn't she initially quite disliked? However, her anxiety level isn't too high right now. She only has around a million followers, and this variety show hasn't become a massive hit yet, so the attention she and Xiaofeng are receiving is quite limited.
She's still leisurely recording the show, playing and joking with the children, and chatting and laughing with the guest teachers.
The director, however, is worried. He told her privately, "The online reviews of you and Xiaofeng are very good, quite suitable for promotion, but our production team doesn't have enough funds to buy you any advertising."
Xia Duo Kele, it's a good thing the production team doesn't have enough funds, otherwise wouldn't she be even more popular? That would be terrifying.
The director hinted, "I heard you're the heiress of the Xia Group. You should be able to promote yourself, right?"
Xia Duo exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? How can I!"
The director said, "Silly girl, you're not new to the industry. Many celebrities' popularity is built on money."
"No, no, no, I don't need that," Xia Duo hurriedly waved her hands. "I want to rely on my own talent."
Seeing he couldn't persuade her, the director could only sigh and leave.
Xia Duo watched his retreating figure and sighed deeply, lamenting once again that the production team didn't have the money to promote her.
But the director had also given her an idea: she could spend money to suppress public opinion, suppress all news about her, and wouldn't she be heading towards obscurity?
No sooner said than done, she secretly contacted marketing professionals and spent a large sum of money to remove her information. The other party assured her, "It will be completely removed by tomorrow morning at the latest."
Xia Duo fell asleep peacefully, dreaming that she had completely faded into obscurity, retired from the entertainment industry, and was enjoying a wonderful retirement.
The next day, she woke up early, and the first thing she did was check Weibo to see if the messages had been removed.
She checked with an incredibly relaxed attitude, but what she saw shocked her.
Her name and Xiao Feng's name were at the top of the trending topics list!
Xia Duo rubbed her eyes, checked several times to make sure she wasn't seeing things, and then clicked on the topic to see what was going on.
She was petrified.
Xu Jin'an had inexplicably popped up, and with one sentence, he had sent this sibling duo to the top of the trending list.
He commented on a Weibo post that was raving about the "bad sister and domineering brother" duo: "[The child is quite cute.]"
His fans went crazy. Their idol had finally spoken out, and for a cute seven or eight-year-old child no less! They had to support him! Many people forwarded and commented: [My brother finally showed up!]
[This kid is so cute!]
[Just finished watching Xiaofeng and Xia Duo's clip, I can only say I'm totally shipping them!]
With tens of millions of fans hyping it up, the "Domineering Sister and Brother" duo's popularity skyrocketed, bringing the variety show into the public eye.
Xia Duo's phone kept ringing, bombarded with messages.
The marketing staff who paid to suppress the messages sent a refund request, with the note: [With the support of the great actor Xu, we couldn't suppress it no matter what we tried.]
The variety show director sent a thank-you message: [Heaven truly favors those who rely on their own abilities; Xu Jin'an will help you!] Five guests hugged her, saying, "Thanks to Sister Xia for making us famous."
Xiao Miao sent a voice message: "Sister Xia has the best eye for talent."
Sister Qin also said, "I will fully respect your choices from now on."
Too many messages left Xia Duo numb. What she couldn't understand most was Xu Jin'an's nonsensical comments!
Did he think she wasn't famous enough?
This was adding insult to injury!
Xia Duo was so angry she couldn't hold back anymore. She was about to send him a WeChat message to confront him when she remembered she had already deleted him. So she chose text message instead:
[Why are you interfering?]
[We're divorced. Can't you handle this?!]