The Misfortune of Lens 04

As expected, events unfolded just as in the original plot.

The small-time influencer Liu Wei arrived with two assistants and immediately took a liking to Fang Xiaoyu, who was busy working.

"That one. She’s good-looking—this kind of content has potential," he said.

The cameraman nodded. "You’ve got an eye for it, Brother Liu."

"After we finish the shoot, dig deeper. See if there’s any sob story we can use."

"Got it."

Fang Xiaoyu was distracted, but she kept her goal in mind—making money. Most of the side dishes were made with ingredients she had grown herself, which brought her a small sense of pride.

"Hey, how much for your most expensive beef noodles?"

Fang Xiaoyu instinctively looked up and saw the influencer and his cameraman. Her father’s warning flashed through her mind.

No way, what are the odds?

"Um, the most expensive one is twenty-four... It’s premium beef, stewed early this morning by my dad. Really fragrant," she said with a polite smile.

"I’ll take one."

Remembering Fang Zhiyi’s advice, she kept an eye on them while working. When she saw the influencer shove a piece of beef into his mouth for the camera only to spit it out immediately, her brow furrowed.

"Hmm, these cherry tomatoes are amazing," Liu Wei remarked, pleasantly surprised.

"The lettuce is good too."

Once the shoot wrapped up, Liu Wei approached Fang Xiaoyu again with the camera rolling.

"Hey, can I trade this handmade craft for your bowl of noodles?" he asked, sticking to his usual script.

Fang Xiaoyu’s frown didn’t fade, but she remembered her father’s warning.

"Sorry, we don’t accept bartering. Your craft is... unique," she said, glancing at the crooked bracelet he held out, "but we’re a small business—cash or digital payment only. Thanks for understanding."

She added, "Here’s the menu," gesturing to the clearly displayed price list nearby.

Liu Wei’s expression stiffened. He then flipped open a crude little lid on the bracelet, revealing a small photo—printed on the spot by his team—of Fang Xiaoyu herself.

"Look, this took two and a half hours to make."

Fang Xiaoyu took another glance at the table littered with half-eaten noodles and spat-out beef. She took a deep breath.

"Sorry, we don’t accept trades like this. If you’re filming, I need to make it clear—these are our rules. My apologies."

Liu Wei’s eyes gleamed—he had a sharp sense for viral moments.

With an exaggerated sigh, he shook his head. "Can’t even accept a heartfelt gesture? Handmade things carry warmth..."

Fang Xiaoyu ignored him, afraid she’d lose her temper.

"Times are tough, and small businesses struggle. Can’t even appreciate a little kindness..." he lamented to the camera, feigning hurt.

Fang Xiaoyu forced herself to stay calm.

The cameraman gave a thumbs-up—he’d captured a perfect close-up of her frown.

Liu Wei smirked, paid the twenty-four yuan, and then asked, "By the way, boss, those side dishes were great. Where’d you get them?"

Fang Xiaoyu kept cleaning, not looking up. "My dad grew them."

"Oh." Liu Wei caught her irritation and walked off, muttering, "So it’s a farmer’s family. No wonder they don’t know how to cooperate. Tch."

Just then, someone bumped into him. He turned with a scowl, only to see a middle-aged man waving apologetically.

Too excited about the footage he’d gotten, Liu Wei brushed it off and hurried away with his team.

"Dad! What took you so long?" Fang Xiaoyu whined when Fang Zhiyi finally arrived. "Look at these people! Wasting food and trying to skip out on paying!"

She’d been frugal since childhood, knowing how hard money was to earn—even after gaining her special space, she hadn’t changed.

Fang Zhiyi patted her shoulder. "It’s fine, it’s fine. I was selling the house."

"Selling the house?" Fang Xiaoyu froze.

"Yeah. I think you’ve got a real talent for farming. How about we sell up, fix up the old place back home, and lease some land to start a farm? I’ve even been learning how to film—we’ll turn you into an internet star!"

Fang Xiaoyu instantly forgot her earlier frustration.

"Really?" She hadn’t even suggested it yet—her dad was this supportive? He’d even learned video editing? No wonder he’d been glued to his phone lately.

"Thanks, Dad!"

"Hey, hey—people are watching! Get down! Do you know how heavy you are?"

That night, Fang Xiaoyu buzzed with excitement but stayed focused on her work. Closing her eyes, she entered her space and got to farming.

She mapped out areas for fruit trees, flowers, and vegetables. With some experience under her belt, her layout was better this time. Following tutorials on her phone, she planted the seeds and saplings she’d bought in advance.

What she didn’t know was that while she worked, chaos was brewing outside.

Fang Zhiyi logged into his newly created video platform accounts and got to work.

"Shocking! Popular ‘Good Deeds’ Influencer Faces Cold Rejection from Street Vendor!"

"‘Kindness Brother’s’ Warmth Trampled—What’s Wrong with the World?"

"We Need More ‘Positive Vibes’ Like Kindness Brother! Boycott Rude Vendors!"

Blurry but recognizable photos of Liu Wei and the beef noodle stall flooded the platforms.

Fang Zhiyi smoothly switched between accounts, posting identical content, even paying to boost visibility.

Little Hei clicked his tongue. "Using burner accounts to pay for a smear campaign against your own daughter? You’re the first."

Fang Zhiyi only smirked.

"Brother Liu! Look! Someone posted about today—it’s already going viral!" The cameraman stumbled across the promoted videos.

Liu Wei paused, scanned them, then broke into a grin. "This is our chance! Must’ve been a fan who filmed it! Tell editing to rush the video—it goes up tonight!"

He paced excitedly. "We’re about to blow up! Ride this wave right, and we’ll charge for reviews, get brand deals—everything!"

The cameraman watched his enthusiasm but felt uneasy. Were there even fans around earlier?

Still, Liu Wei’s plan seemed solid. Maybe one person posted it, and others reposted?

By midnight, Fang Xiaoyu, exhausted but satisfied from planting, drifted off to sleep.

Liu Wei’s bartering video went live. For his team, malicious editing was child’s play—they clipped Fang Xiaoyu’s words out of context, pairing them with her annoyed expression, painting her as a greedy, money-grubbing vendor.