Fu Jingfan sensed Su Huaiming's inner turmoil and continued, "Did you really want some? But weren't you bringing me a late-night snack?"
That nearly choked Su Huaiming. He struggled to get a word out, then could only nod stiffly. "Yes, I brought you a late-night snack. You finished it. That's good."
Fu Jingfan could hear him gritting his teeth over the last two words. He raised an eyebrow. "That's good?"
"Yes. I've brought you a late-night snack so many times, and this is the first time you've finished it."
Fu Jingfan murmured in acknowledgment. "You can bring me pigeon soup more often from now on."
Su Huaiming nearly lost his composure when he heard that.
Dream on. I'm never bringing you pigeon soup for a late-night snack again!
Su Huaiming's thoughts were so intense that Fu Jingfan heard them, and a barely perceptible smile curved his lips.
Around him, Su Huaiming was always lazy and indifferent, as if nothing could stir his emotions.
This was the first time he had seen Su Huaiming so eager.
But it was only for a bowl of pigeon soup.
The reason was so absurd and exaggerated that it was funny in its own way.
Sure enough, teasing Su Huaiming was great fun.
Fu Jingfan was about to say something else, but Su Huaiming sprang to his feet and walked out stiffly, holding the empty bowl. Even his retreating figure radiated sorrow.
Fu Jingfan's gaze remained fixed on Su Huaiming, and for the first time he wondered: Did I go too far?
But he had only drunk a bowl of pigeon soup.
Fu Jingfan couldn't understand what Su Huaiming was thinking, but he knew that if he annoyed a little pet, it might stop recognizing its owner.
But Su Huaiming walked straight out without giving Fu Jingfan a chance to speak.
Once outside, Su Huaiming's eyes lit up, and he headed straight for the kitchen with the bowl.
Fine, if he won't give me any, I can just ask for another bowl!
Su Huaiming had just reached the living room when he saw the butler approaching with a bowl of soup, smiling.
"What a coincidence. I was just coming to find you."
Su Huaiming stared at the pigeon soup in the bowl and said blankly, "You were looking for me?"
"Yes. Mr. Fu asked me to bring you a bowl of soup." The butler smiled. "Mr. Fu said you've been working too hard lately, bringing him a late-night snack every evening. You'll also be going away to film the variety show, so you should nourish yourself before you leave."
Like the leader of a CP fan club, the butler said with shining eyes, "You and sir have such a good relationship. It's so enviable!"
Su Huaiming looked at the bowl of pigeon soup as if he had found his wife again, and his whole demeanor changed.
He sat at the dining table and happily drank the entire bowl of pigeon soup. His body was warm, and he felt exceptionally content.
Seeing this, the butler asked in some confusion, "Oh, right. Mr. Fu also asked me to ask you whether you'll still bring him late-night snacks in the future."
Su Huaiming had been completely healed by a bowl of pigeon soup and was in an exceptionally good mood.
Fu Jingfan had taken his pigeon soup, but he had also had the butler bring him a bowl, so his good and bad deeds canceled each other out.
Then I suppose I can forgive him.
Chapter 26: 026
Su Huaiming had been jolting along the road for four or five hours. The production crew's car drove farther and farther away, with fewer and fewer people around and trees everywhere. The pavement had given way to a dirt road.
Fu Xiaoxiao leaned against the car window and watched quietly for five minutes before suddenly turning to Su Huaiming and asking, "Are we going to hunt black bears?"
Su Huaiming: "..."
He knows quite a lot of words for someone so young. He even knows what a black bear is.
"Probably not," Su Huaiming said casually. "How could a little guy like you beat a black bear?"
Fu Xiaoxiao was a child who cared a great deal about saving face. Seeing his stepfather look down on him like that, he huffed and rolled up his sleeve, revealing a fair, soft arm that would dimple at a poke. Deliberately lowering his voice, he said, "I'm really strong!"
Another adult might have humored him with a few words, but Su Huaiming's response surprised everyone. He raised an eyebrow and said calmly, though somehow with a hint of provocation, "All right, let's arm wrestle. You can talk after you beat me."
The viewers in the livestream and the staff watched as the adult and child leaned awkwardly over the car seat, trying to arm wrestle.
Fu Xiaoxiao was too young. Even with his hand stretched as wide as it would go, he could barely get a grip on Su Huaiming's palm, and his elbow hung in midair with nothing to brace against.
Su Huaiming didn't go easy on him. Instead, he said lazily, "I'll count down from three, and we'll both push at the same time."
"Okay." Fu Xiaoxiao's little face was deadly serious, and he was full of fighting spirit, certain he could beat Su Huaiming.
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
Fu Xiaoxiao: !!!!
He stared blankly at his hand, which had been pushed to one side, unable to process what had happened.
"I-I hadn't even pushed yet." Fu Xiaoxiao puffed up his bun-like cheeks in anger and said, "Let's do it again!"
"Fine, one last time," Su Huaiming said.
Fu Xiaoxiao nodded vigorously, certain he could beat Su Huaiming this time.
But the result was exactly the same.
Fu Xiaoxiao was dumbstruck. He stared at his hand with vacant eyes, unable to accept this devastating fact.
Su Huaiming, however, had a damnable competitive streak when it came to such inexplicable things. "Now you admit I'm stronger than you, right?"
Fu Xiaoxiao crossed his arms and snorted. "I'll eat three bowls of rice tonight, and tomorrow I'll definitely beat you!"
Su Huaiming raised an eyebrow. "Even if you ate all the rice in the world, you still couldn't beat me!"
"You, you!" How could a child possibly match Su Huaiming in a war of words? Fu Xiaoxiao couldn't think of a comeback. He turned into an angry little bundle, huffing and puffing.
The viewers in the livestream fell silent at the sight.
[I can't think of anything witty to say. You guys go ahead.]
[I'm speechless. I really can't tell which one is the child.]
[How can Su Huaiming be so self-righteous about arm wrestling a child?!]
[Hahahahaha, my wife is so cute.]
[Who said you could call him your wife?! President Fu, I don't mean to call your wife my wife. I just think your wife is so cute, but I know perfectly well that Su Huaiming isn't my wife. Still, I can't help treating him as my wife in my dreams... Ah, that feels good!]
After Su Huaiming and Fu Xiaoxiao finished bickering, they bumped along the road for another half hour before finally reaching their destination.
Ji Mingzhe, Ji Youyou, Yu Ruicheng, and Yu Xuanxuan had already arrived.
Fu Xiaoxiao had still been sulking at Su Huaiming, sitting motionless as if welded to his seat. But when he saw Youyou and Xuanxuan, he immediately jumped happily out of the car and ran toward the two children.
Ji Youyou and Yu Xuanxuan were just as happy to see Fu Xiaoxiao. The three little ones gathered together and chattered away in words the adults couldn't understand.
After filming the previous episode, the three adults were also quite familiar with one another. They chatted naturally for a while, without the slightest awkwardness, as though they had known one another for years.
It was another ten minutes before Sun Siyuan finally made his appearance.
He wore sunglasses and a silk shirt with a distinctly Southeast Asian-style print. The shirt was open at the chest, showing not a shred of male virtue.
Looking at Sun Siyuan's vacation outfit, Su Huaiming asked curiously, "Is there a sea around here too?"
Sun Siyuan: "..."
Yu Ruicheng was an extremely honest fellow. He replied in all seriousness, "No. We're inland. How could there be a sea?"
Su Huaiming frowned and looked at Sun Siyuan in confusion. "Then why are you dressed like you're going on a beach vacation?"
"..."
Sun Siyuan felt a buzzing in his ears, and the blood vessels at his temples throbbed.
Fine, he admitted he'd put the outfit together to show off a little, all right?!
Sun Siyuan had a serious case of prince syndrome. If it had been another entertainer, he probably would have snapped right back, but looking at Su Huaiming's harmless face and clear eyes, he suddenly lost his steam.
Be careful. Su Huaiming was the type to play the victim.
Counting on his sunglasses to hide it, Sun Siyuan rolled his eyes without restraint and dragged his suitcase to one side without a word. Even his back had "angry" written all over it.
But he didn't say a single harsh word to Su Huaiming, swallowing his anger in frustration.
[Sorry, I really want to ship them.]
[That one exchange alone gave me so many plot ideas.]
[He really... I'm crying.]
[Sun Siyuan has a special kind of indulgent, doting love for Su Huaiming. Even if he doesn't like him that way, Su Huaiming is still someone special to him. And only Su Huaiming can keep Sun Siyuan in line. They have quite the CP chemistry.]
[...]
[...]
[Everyone, look, there's an honest person here!]
Although all seven guests had arrived, the director still hadn't come out to explain the theme and schedule for this episode, looking as if he were waiting for someone.
Yu Ruicheng, Ji Mingzhe, and the others were experienced enough to guess that another guest was coming, and they put on expectant expressions.
After enough fanfare, the final guest finally made his appearance.
Ning Lei's clothes looked ordinary, but they were all sponsored by major brands and full of details. Wearing a genial smile, he walked over holding a little boy's hand and greeted everyone warmly.
Ji Mingzhe had always been worldly and tactful, and was very attentive to social niceties. He exchanged several pleasantries with Ning Lei, leaving Ning Lei somewhat flattered.
Yu Ruicheng's social anxiety kicked in. Faced with the enthusiastic Ning Lei, he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet. But he had an unapproachable face and came across as particularly cold, as though he disliked Ning Lei.
Ning Lei's manner remained impeccable, but when he turned back, he showed the camera a perfectly measured trace of dejection.
He stopped there, leaving the audience plenty of room to imagine.
Sun Siyuan was famous for his prince syndrome and gave no one any face. Ning Lei merely exchanged a few pleasantries with him and showed no sign of dejection.
Finally, Ning Lei stood before Su Huaiming.
Their eyes met. Not only were they similar in height, but their looks were of a similar type as well, though Su Huaiming was more like an upgraded version.