Thousands of people disliked them, but after being reborn and correcting their mistakes, they regret

After finishing his meal, Xu Fan washed the dishes and lay down on the bed to rest for a while, since he didn't know what else to do besides rest.

Unable to fall asleep, Xu Fan picked up his phone and sent a message to the director: Director, may I ask when the next episode is?

He can't just lie at home every day like this; he needs to save money. But first, he needs to confirm the start time of the next episode and then calculate how long he can work, because some jobs don't require temporary workers.

The director was busy planning the next episode, and he was overwhelmed with work. And then someone messaged him at this crucial moment?!

"Who is it? This is really bad timing!" the director said impatiently.

The moment the director saw the note, his anger subsided, and he even became cheerful. It turned out to be Xiao Xu! The kid he recruited with the lowest salary who brought the most viewership and popularity to the show!

It's his lucky tree!

He immediately typed a reply to Xu Fan: Little Xu, our next episode is tentatively scheduled for a month from now.

Upon receiving the reply, Xu Fan looked troubled and sighed. "Only a month... then forget about working. Many places don't hire summer workers. There are still two months of summer vacation left, and he only has one month to work."

However, the message the director sent him the next second made him ecstatic.

Director: Xiao Xu! You performed very well in this episode. I've decided to raise your salary to 10 for the next episode. What do you think?

10 yuan is nothing to the rich, but for the struggling working class, it may take one, two, or even three years to save up.

He only needs to appear on the show for four days and three nights to get the money.

But he didn't refuse, because he really needed the money.

I simply thanked the director sincerely.

I saved 30,000 this time, and I can save 100,000 next time. I don't know how many episodes there will be, but after all the episodes are over, I should be able to save enough money to live on.

He was silently calculating in his mind.

"Ring ring—"

His phone rang. Xu Fan had just put down his phone when he heard the ringtone and hurriedly picked it up again. It was Grandpa Gu!

He happily answered the phone.

"Hey, Xiao Fan, are you back from the show?"

Xu Fancai suddenly realized he had forgotten to let Grandpa Gu know he was safe. The last time he had dinner with Grandpa Gu, he told him he was going to participate in a live variety show, and he also mentioned his departure and return times. Grandpa Gu was very worried about him.

Because Grandpa Gu is a fashionable old man who surfs the internet every day, he reads entertainment news every day and thinks that the entertainment industry is a place of deceit and treachery. He is worried that Xu Fan will be bullied and suffer losses.

He told Xu Fan to let him know he was safe when he got back, but Xu Fan was so distracted that he forgot. He was so careless.

"Grandpa Gu, you're back! I'm so sorry, I forgot to call and let you know I arrived safely..."

"There's nothing to apologize for. See you at our usual spot at 6 pm tonight, let's have a meal together!" The old man's energetic voice came through the phone.

Xu Fan couldn't help but smile; Grandpa Gu was still as energetic as ever.

"Okay, I want to take care of Grandpa too!"

"I watched the whole show! Xiao Fan, you're amazing! You have so many fans online now!"

Xu Fan was taken aback. He didn't really like watching entertainment news online, and he rarely scrolled through short videos, except when he was cooking, he would sometimes look up tutorials.

Does he have many fans online? Who would like him? He's just there to make others look good.

However, he gained a new appreciation for Grandpa Gu's fashionable taste: "Grandpa, you even know what fans are?"

Grandpa Gu pretended to be angry: "Am I so old that I don't even know what fans are?"

Xu Fan, however, thought she had really angered Grandpa Gu and couldn't even speak properly, so she quickly apologized to him: "Grandpa, please don't be angry, I, I was just talking nonsense..."

Grandpa Gu's hearty laughter came from the other end: "Hahaha, I'm not angry, Xiao Fan, don't overthink it. Let's meet tonight, have some skewers and chat, and have a couple more beers."

It's good that you're not angry...

Xu Fan smiled and said, "Okay."

After hanging up the phone, Xu Fan hesitated for a moment, then opened the most popular short video app and searched for his own name.

Xu Fan had already typed in the name, but the internet was bad and the results page kept spinning. Xu Fan nervously closed his eyes slightly. He didn't dare to look. How could he possibly have fans? Before going on this show, he had already understood that the price of earning 30,000 yuan in just three or four days was that he had to accept all kinds of comments from the audience.

However, he didn't care much. He had been told things to his face and scolded and hated to his face many times since he was a child. In real life, he could see the disgust in the other person's eyes, but online, he could only see words, so it didn't matter.

Later, he moved away to an unknown small city, where hardly anyone would know him.

The results were in. Xu Fan clicked on the top video and watched it all. After watching, his face was full of disbelief! It was actually praising him!

And this video has already received over a million likes!

"My goodness, what divine looks! There's a new variety show called 'Twenty-Year-Old Dad,' which brings together a ton of celebrities and adorable kids. The lineup is incredibly strong, with five guests, four of whom are well-known figures, and one ordinary person. You think he's just average? You're sorely mistaken! He's the best cook on the show, and his food is making my mouth water! When he takes off his glasses after getting drunk, it turns out he not only cooks incredibly well, but he also has an absolutely stunning appearance!..."

Xu Fan opened the comments section, and it was all praising his good looks, his cooking skills, and his gentle personality.

Some even asked their fans to recommend it.

And... people call him "wife".

He was a little confused. He felt that he was not good-looking at all. To confirm this, he took out the small round mirror by his bedside and observed his face. His skin was pale, his eyes were dull and droopy, and he had no energy at all. He was not good-looking.

For some reason, he suddenly thought of Fu Qingci's aloof and noble face. He felt that only someone like his uncle Chun Chun could be called good-looking.

Moreover, his cooking isn't very good. The audience might say his cooking is delicious because it looks okay, but they haven't tasted it. If they had, they would probably think it tastes terrible.

However, he was still very happy and extremely grateful to the audience. They were so kind to praise such a bad person so much.

The people who posted the videos were also kind-hearted.

He scrolled through a few more messages, all of them praising him. He didn't dare read any more; he was afraid he'd start to believe them.

He turned off his phone, took a deep breath, and then exhaled.

When you have free time, it's easy to overthink things. He should go clean up.

Even though the house had just been cleaned, he took a rag and mop and cleaned the whole house again. Then he took a small rag and wiped the stair railings from the first to the sixth floor.

After cleaning up, he checked the time and it was almost six o'clock. He then set off for the barbecue restaurant where he had arranged to meet Grandpa Gu.

When he arrived, he found Grandpa Gu already sitting there, with dishes already ordered and two bottles of ice-cold beer on the table, smiling at him.

"Our superstar is here!"

Xu Fan quickly made a "shh" gesture to Grandpa Gu, then looked around and realized that everyone was eating their own food and hadn't noticed Grandpa Gu's words or looked in their direction. Only then did she feel relieved and walk towards Grandpa Gu.

"Grandpa Gu, it's been a long time."

Grandpa Gu stood up and patted Xu Fan on the back: "You've become even more handsome, Xiao Fan. Why won't you let me call you that?"

Xu Fan blushed slightly: "Grandpa, I'm a little embarrassed..."

Grandpa Gu was so busy entertaining the child that he forgot how easily the child became embarrassed, so he quickly coaxed him, "Grandpa won't say it again next time, let's go eat barbecue!"

Xu Fan didn't move: "Grandpa, haven't you already paid the bill? I've made money, so it's my turn to treat you."

"You treated last time, so I'll treat this time. Alright, sit down quickly!" Grandpa pulled Xu Fan to sit on a small stool.

After sitting down, Xu Fan remained silent. Grandpa Gu said, "I'll let you treat me next time, okay?"

Xu Fan then spoke up: "Then next time, please don't pay first."

"Okay, I promise you. Eat quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold."

The father and son then started eating, chatting as they ate.

"Xiao Fan, your cooking skills are quite good. The braised potatoes and eggplant you made look so delicious. Nowadays, very few young people know how to cook. My grandson is about your age, and he eats takeout every day, which is not healthy at all."

"Then I'll make it for you next time."

Xu Fan and Grandpa Gu chatted while eating. Xu Fan hadn't actually planned to drink, but he had just seen a video of himself drinking and acting like that. He felt so silly. He didn't even know what had happened that night.

However, he couldn't resist Grandpa Gu's persuasion and drank a little.

"Xiao Fan, will you still go on that show in the future?"

"Yes, I went. The director said the next episode will be in a month."

Speaking of this, Xu Fan was a little annoyed because he had been idle for a month. He really wanted to find a job, not to earn money, since the program offered a lot of pay, but because he felt very lonely and useless when he was idle. He felt empty inside and wanted to find something to do so that he wouldn't overthink things.

Xu Fan told Grandpa Gu about his troubles. Grandpa Gu was someone he could confide in. Upon hearing this, Grandpa Gu took a sip of his drink and said heartily, "What's the big deal! I'll find someone to help you!"

Xu Fan looked up at him with surprise, but the light in his eyes quickly dimmed again. Whether in his past life or this life, he often looked for work, and there was no job that would hire someone who only worked for a month.

"Thank you, Grandpa, but I probably won't find this kind of job, so please don't bother."

"What's the trouble! My grandson came back to China a few days ago. While he was abroad, he discussed with his friends in China about opening a branch company. Now he's back to manage it. Don't even mention a month, you can work for a day or two if you want! I'll take you to the capital to see him tomorrow. Does he dare not give an old man face?"

Grandpa Gu's grandson? Does this count as using connections? He doesn't even know him, but he needs this job, so there's no need to be coy.

"Okay! Thank you, Grandpa Gu! Don't worry, I will work hard. I'll do anything you ask, cleaning, security guarding, I can also organize data and documents, I can help!"

"Don't thank me! Don't get excited, I know you can do it!"

The father and son ate, drank, and chatted until midnight before returning home. Xu Fan didn't drink too much because Grandpa Gu said he would take him to find a job the next day.

After returning home, Grandpa Gu made a phone call to his grandson, who had just returned from abroad.

"Beep—beep—beep"

The call was connected.

A deep male voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Hey, Grandpa, why are you calling me so late at night?"

Grandpa Gu was a little angry: "You mean I can't call you at night anymore? You little brat!"

Gu Linyuan said helplessly, "It's late, you need to rest."

"Rest my ass, the nightlife is just beginning!"

Gu Linyuan: ...

"I have something important to discuss with you!"

Gu Linyuan stopped working, rubbing his temples wearily. What important business could this old man possibly have?

"Your company is short-staffed, right?"

"Um."

Which position is vacant?

Gu Linyuan sighed: "We're short of staff for every position."

The early stages of entrepreneurship for two young people are always fraught with difficulties. After finally securing investment, they opened a shop in a bustling area near the very center of the capital, close to the Fu Group, which is Gu Linyuan's role model.

He had heard of Fu Qingci's legendary business acumen, and Fu Qingci wasn't much older than him.

However, we are currently facing a severe shortage of manpower and funds, so we can only offer very low salaries and cannot even recruit college graduates.

Xu Fan had told Grandpa Gu that salary wasn't important; he just wanted to find something to do so he wouldn't be so idle.

"I have a friend who needs to find a job. Can you help him find a position?"

Gu Linyuan fell into a long silence after hearing this. Grandpa's friend? That must be in their seventies or eighties. Shouldn't they be at home enjoying their retirement? Is it now fashionable to think that seventy or eighty is the age to strive?

He replied helplessly, "...Grandpa, we don't hire elderly people."

"Who told you I'm an old person! I'm a college student, from Beijing University, so what?"

"Imperial Capital University..." Gu Linyuan murmured these words.

This is the best university in the capital. He initially planned to attend this school, but ultimately went to a university abroad.

Without a doubt, the people who get into this university are all very outstanding, and they should be able to learn anything they are asked to do very quickly.

"Okay," Gu Linyuan agreed.

"But when did you start making friends with such young people?"

"Mind your own business! I'll bring him to you tomorrow afternoon. He's only working for thirty days; he has other things to do after that, okay?"

Grandpa spoke up, how could he possibly disagree?

Before he could even say he agreed, Grandpa Gu interrupted him.

"Hmph, you have no choice but to agree. I'm informing you!"

Gu Linyuan: "...Okay, call me when you bring him over tomorrow."

"Beep—beep—beep"

Grandpa Gu hung up the phone.

This old man is really something, he's even made friends with someone so much older than him, despite the age difference of several decades.

Xu Fan woke up very early the next morning because she was nervous.

He got up and tidied himself up, polishing his glasses until they shone.

Grandpa Gu said the company is in the capital, which is quite far from here, so we need to leave early.

As soon as the afternoon arrived, Grandpa Gu came to find him and told him he could take the bus.

However, the bus ride involved several transfers, and since Grandpa Gu was an elderly man, Xu Fan was worried that he would be squeezed and insisted on taking a taxi.

"I have to take a taxi! You've already helped me a lot, and I'll pay for the fare!" Xu Fan said firmly, unusually so.

With such filial piety from his child, how could Grandpa Gu refuse? He smiled and said, "Good, good."

Along the way, Xu Fan looked out the car window at the familiar places. This bustling metropolis had brought him many painful memories. Even though he had escaped, he would still be afraid to see it again.

But having finally secured a job, these are things you absolutely have to overcome.

He took a deep breath and silently told himself not to be nervous.

They arrived quickly, and in front of them was a multi-story office building, where Grandpa Gu's grandson's company was located on one of the floors.

Grandpa Gu called his grandson. The call connected, and Grandpa Gu said into the phone, "We're here! Come down quickly!"

Grandpa Gu is old and has poor hearing, so he turned on speakerphone.

"I'm coming down now." That was all the words the other person said.

Xu Fan heard it clearly. The voice... was so familiar. He couldn't remember who it was, but why did he feel so uneasy?

Feeling uneasy and with a slight discomfort in her heart, Xu Fan placed her hand over her heart and breathed softly.

Seeing how nervous he was, Grandpa Gu patted him on the shoulder to comfort him: "It's alright! Don't be nervous, I've already talked to him! He said it's okay!"

"Mmm," Xu Fan replied with a forced smile.

Someone walked out of the office building, and Xu Fan's heartbeat grew louder and louder, and his unease grew stronger.

The person drew closer, and the instant Xu Fan saw clearly, his pupils constricted! At the same time, a chilling feeling spread from the soles of his feet throughout his entire body.

He was completely unable to breathe, his face was deathly pale, his eyes were filled with terror, and he stood there completely stunned.

It wasn't for any other reason than that this person was someone he had harassed in high school, his deskmate, and the one who brought him endless nightmares.

Seeing him reminded him of the days in high school when he was targeted and cursed.

Grandpa Gu sensed something was wrong with the person beside him and turned around to find Xu Fan covered in cold sweat: "Oh dear! Xiao Fan, what's wrong with you!"

Xu Fan was not the only one shocked; Gu Linyuan, who came out of the office building, was also shocked.

How could he forget the person in front of him? Xu Fan, that damned homosexual, the pervert who harassed him in high school.

How did he end up here? His grandfather was so concerned about him. Could he be the friend his grandfather was talking about?

His face was gloomy, and a cold smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He knew Xu Fan's purpose without even thinking.

However, he did not expect that Xu Fan would be so despicable as to get close to him by cultivating a good relationship with the old man. Moreover, his grandfather had always lived in the county and was unwilling to move to the city. Xu Fan somehow managed to get information about his grandfather and get to know him.

He couldn't wait to come find him as soon as he got back to China. How shameless.

After several years, Xu Fan was still in such a sorry state, like a rat that couldn't be seen by anyone in the gutter.

He walked up to Xu Fan, his voice barely containing his anger: "You're Xu Fan, right?"

Grandpa Gu scratched his head and looked at his grandson. He didn't remember telling his grandson Xiao Fan's name. How did he know? And why did his face look so bad? He was really disrespecting this old man.

"How did you know you know Xiao Fan? If you do, at least try to look nicer on me, you're acting like you're about to die!"

Hearing his grandfather's reprimand and affirmation of Xu Fan's name, Gu Linyuan's anger deepened.

Very good, even Grandpa spoke up for him. It must have taken him a long time to build a good relationship with Grandpa. After all these years, this pervert still covets him. I wonder when he started planning to get close to Grandpa. I really underestimated him. He's played a very big game!

Xu Fan was too terrified to move or speak; his lips trembled uncontrollably.

Then, Gu Linyuan spoke.

"Xu Fan, you disgust me! Didn't you learn your lesson from high school? What, you couldn't resist pouncing on me the moment I returned to the country, even going so far as to target my grandfather? You've got some serious methods!"

Xu Fan remained speechless. Grandpa Gu stepped in front of her, saying, "How dare you speak like that! I didn't bring him here to see your displeasure!"

Seeing his only relative, his grandfather, siding with this outsider, Gu Linyuan was furious and almost roared, "Grandpa, why are you siding with him! He deliberately approached you to get close to me! He's a disgusting homosexual!"

These words startled Grandpa Gu, firstly because his usually dutiful grandson had actually yelled at him like that, and secondly because of what his grandson had said.

What do you mean by deliberately getting close? What do you mean by homosexuality?

When Xu Fan saw him yell at Grandpa Gu, the old man took a few steps back because of the yelling, Xu Fan finally came to his senses. He tried to control the fear in his heart, took a deep breath to make his voice less trembling, stood in front of Grandpa Gu, looked into Gu Linyuan's eyes, and his face was calmer than ever before.

"Gu Linyuan, it was wrong of me to bother you during high school, but please don't make assumptions based on your own thoughts! Grandpa Gu is a friend I met by chance. I didn't know he was your relative, and I didn't deliberately get close to you. Whether you believe it or not, what I said is the truth. I will never come here again, and I will never see you again. That's all, Grandpa Gu. I'm going to wait for you over there."

Xu Fan's tone and eyes were frighteningly calm. Apart from calmness and a trace of anger, there was not a single emotion in his eyes. Gu Linyuan saw it clearly and was stunned for a moment.

After speaking, Xu Fan walked in one direction with steady steps.

"Hey! Xiao Fan!" Grandpa Gu was furious. This kid had completely humiliated him!

He jumped up and slammed his fist on Gu Linyuan's head with such force that Gu Linyuan saw stars before he could even regain his senses.

"Grandpa! You hit me again! You have no idea what happened!"

"All I know is that you bullied my friend and drove him away. I'm old, my friends are all dead, young people don't want to be friends with me, and I finally had someone I could talk to, and you drove him away!"

"He's a disgusting homosexual! He's liked me since high school, and he approached you with ulterior motives. You're so foolish!"

Now Grandpa Gu knew what was going on.

Grandpa Gu snorted coldly and said disdainfully, "First of all, when I met Xiao Fan, she came to me for a haircut. She lives nearby and is short of money. It wasn't like she deliberately approached me, as you say. Secondly, who do you think you are? What makes you so special? Why would Xiao Fan like you?"

Gu Linyuan frowned as his grandfather spoke. How could someone as outstanding as him not be worthy of Xu Fan's affection?

Grandpa Gu took out his phone, opened a video app, and played the video of Xu Fan's sudden rise to fame for Gu Linyuan to see: "Xiao Fan is a big star now, with many fans. There are tons of people who like him. What makes you think he would like you? Who do you think you are?"

Gu Linyuan snatched the phone. The video had hundreds of thousands of likes, and the person in the video was indeed Xu Fan. He opened the comment section, and it was full of comments like "wife" and "marry me".

How could this be? Could it be that he really misunderstood Xu Fan? Moreover, Xu Fan's eyes were different from those in high school. Before, Xu Fan's eyes always shone with excitement when he looked at him.

Grandpa Gu added insult to injury: "So what if you're doing well running a foreign company when you've just started your own business? Nobody knows you in China, and you can't even hire employees! You're quite narcissistic!"

"I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going to find Xiao Fan! I'm never coming to see you again, you've completely embarrassed me!"

With that, Grandpa Gu left, leaving Gu Linyuan standing there in a daze.

Grandpa Gu didn't know which direction Xu Fan went, and wanted to ask Xu Fan. At this time, Xu Fan sent him a WeChat message, saying that she wanted to be alone and asked him to go back first to call a taxi for her.

Sigh! Grandpa Gu sighed. "Xiao Fan is already in so much pain, yet he's still thinking about me. If he's in a bad mood and wants to be alone, let him go. I'll apologize to him personally on behalf of my grandson when he gets back."

The car arrived, and Grandpa Gu got on and went home.

Xu Fanqiang struggled to stand up and walked a long way. Only when he estimated that he was completely out of Gu Linyuan and Grandpa Gu's sight did his legs go weak, and he slowly sat down on a flower bed.

His heart was still racing. Xu Fan pressed his chest and gasped for breath. He really didn't expect to have any entanglement with Gu Linyuan in this life. He didn't know where he got the courage to refute Gu Linyuan. Maybe it was because he had been misunderstood too much in this life. He didn't want to be cowardly anymore and was unwilling to endure it any longer.

Xu Fan rarely speaks loudly. Now, not only does his heart hurt, but his throat also hurts. He doesn't even have the strength to sit. He supports himself on the flower bed with both hands, and his face and lips are extremely pale.

"Xu Fan?"

A pleasant, familiar voice—who is calling him?

Xu Fan raised his head slightly.