Seven years after transmigrating, he was cornered at the head of the bed by a cold and aloof empress

Chapter 28 Lin Zhou: In this family, my wife is number 1, and I'm number 9.

The afternoon sun was somewhat lazy, filtering through the gaps in the old locust tree and dappling the threshing ground.

A few bamboo chairs, a square table, and several cameras shoved in your face—this is what the production team calls the "in-depth interview room."

Host Li Sisi, holding her cue cards, smiled with a mix of professionalism and gossip:

"Dear dads, after spending the morning together, I believe you all have a basic understanding of each other. Now, the next question might be a bit sharp."

Her gaze swept over the four male guests, finally settling on Lin Zhou, who was sitting with his legs crossed, peeling peanuts in his hand:

"In your families, how are family members ranked?"

The moment this question was asked, the chat in the live stream instantly became lively.

"Here it comes! The killer question is here!"

"If you don't answer this well, you'll be kneeling on a washboard when you get home!"

"I bet a pack of spicy strips that Lu Ming is definitely going to show off again."

Sure enough, Lu Ming was the first to take the microphone. He straightened his expensive pink suit, sat up straight, and wore an impeccable smile:

"Actually, in our family, there's no hierarchy. My wife and I respect each other and treat each other as equals. Of course, I make the decisions on important matters, and she makes the decisions on minor matters, but so far..."

He paused deliberately, then added humorously, "Nothing major has happened yet."

Sparse applause rang out from the audience.

"Too official."

"Hearing your words is like hearing a lecture."

Next up was Chen Kai, the veteran rocker. He scratched his messy long hair and chuckled:

"In my family, she controls the finances, so buying a guitar requires an application. But when it comes to artistic creation, I'm the absolute authority! She's my number one fan!"

Wang Lei was even more direct, patting his chest: "I do the physical work, she does the mental work. Whoever is stronger calls the shots... oh wait, I mean whoever has the loudest voice calls the shots. Obviously, my wife has a louder voice than me."

The whole audience burst into laughter.

Finally, the microphone was passed to Lin Zhou.

All eyes turned to them, especially Su Qingge, who was sitting in the family section next to them, holding a bottle of mineral water. She seemed nonchalant, but her ears were practically perked up.

Lin Zhou swallowed the peanut in his mouth, patted the crumbs off his hands, and looked at the host with a blank expression:

"Family status? Does that even need ranking?"

Li Sisi was taken aback: "Don't you need it?"

"Of course not, because it's too obvious."

Lin Zhou sighed, stretched out his fingers, and began to seriously analyze:

"Look, first of all, Ms. Su Qingge is the pillar of the family, absolutely number one, there's no dispute about that, right?"

Su Qingge snorted softly from the side, "You're smart to know what's good for you."

"Secondly, it must be my daughter Nuonuo, the apple of my eye, and I will never disagree with her."

"The third and fourth are my father-in-law and mother-in-law. They are highly respected elders, and I must take good care of them."

With each word Lin Zhou spoke, he bent a finger, his expression as serious as if he were giving a government work report.

Fifth, there's our golden retriever named "Wangcai." It eats better than me and goes to bed earlier than me.

"Sixth, there's that Ragdoll cat named 'Mimi.' When it's in a bad mood, it scratches me, and when I'm in a bad mood, I still have to scoop its litter box."

"Seventh, is the goldfish tank on the balcony. Eighth, is the turtle that Nuonuo keeps."

At this point, Lin Zhou looked at his only two remaining fingers, then bent his thumb, leaving only a lonely little finger:

"In conclusion, in this house, if we don't count the occasional flies and mosquitoes... I'm probably, maybe, possibly, ninth."

The entire room fell silent for a second.

Immediately afterwards, a burst of laughter erupted, as if the roof had been blown off.

Even the usually serious director Yan Min laughed so hard he spat out water behind the monitor.

The live stream chat was filled with "hahahahaha":

"Ninth? Hahaha, that's hilarious! Humans are worse than dogs!"

"What did the goldfish and the turtle do wrong? Why do they have to be superior to Brother Lin?"

"This is terrible! Is this the real life of a son-in-law?"

"Even though it's terrible, why do I hear a hint of doting in his voice?"

Su Qingge, who had been trying to maintain a cool and aloof demeanor, completely lost her composure when she sat down next to her.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and in a fit of embarrassment and annoyance, she reached out and pinched Lin Zhou's thigh hard under the table, gritting her teeth and whispering:

"Lin Zhou! What nonsense are you talking about! Where did you get a golden retriever and a Ragdoll cat? Those are stray cats and dogs you just picked up the day before yesterday!"

Lin Zhou remained unfazed, and even took the opportunity to grab her hand and squeeze it in his palm:

"Once you've entered our house, you're one of us... no, one of us. It's only natural that you have a higher status than me."

Li Sisi laughed so hard tears were almost streaming down her face. She finally managed to stop laughing and asked, "..."

"Lin Zhou, with such a low status, don't you feel...wronged?"

"Wronged?"

Lin Zhou raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Su Qingge beside him.

In the sunlight, although she glared angrily, her eyes were filled with subtle smiles, making her look vibrant and lively.

"What's there to feel aggrieved about?"

Lin Zhou withdrew his gaze, faced the camera, and a lazy yet gentle smile appeared on his lips:

"They're responsible for being beautiful, and I'm responsible for earning money to support the family... Oh no, I'm a kept man now, so I'll be responsible for doing odd jobs and looking after the house."

"The division of labor is clear, and everyone does their job. It's my blessing to be able to serve these two beautiful ladies; others would beg for such an opportunity."

These words were spoken frankly and openly, without the slightest hint of humility; on the contrary, they revealed a carefree joy in the moment.

Su Qingge's heart skipped a beat.

Looking at Lin Zhou's profile, she suddenly felt that this man's skin... although thick, wasn't so annoying after all.

"Eek~"

A commotion erupted at the scene.

"This isn't about low status within the family; it's blatant public displays of affection!"

"I give Lin Ge full marks for his survival instinct!"

"Oh no, I've actually started shipping this couple. Am I hopeless?"

Just when the atmosphere at the scene was peaceful and pink bubbles were flying everywhere.

Director Yan Min, who always manages to ruin the atmosphere at crucial moments, has once again picked up his megaphone.

"Great! Thank you all for your excellent answers!"

Yan Min's smile gradually turned sinister, like a naughty child about to pull off a prank. "Since everyone is speaking so sincerely, let's move on to today's main event—"

"To test the understanding and 'sincerity' between the couples, we have prepared a little game."

Several staff members carried up a complex-looking instrument.

It's connected to various wires, sensors, and a red and green indicator light, giving it a high-tech feel, yet also a sense of unsettling pressure.

"Truth or Dare: The Lie Detector Challenge!"

Yan Min pointed at the instrument, her smile malicious:

"The rules are simple. The couple takes turns asking questions, and the person being questioned must place their hand on the lie detector while answering."

"A green light means it's the truth."

"What if the red light is on...?"

Yan Min paused, her gaze sweeping over Lin Zhou and Su Qingge, before saying meaningfully:

"That means someone has something to hide."