Although they had only exchanged glances for a few seconds, the viewers in the livestream were still so excited they regressed to their primal selves, howling away.
[Fight! Fight!]
[I can't believe they just competed for an endorsement and ran into each other on a variety show only a few days later. That's so awkward!]
[Hahahahaha they're the ones feeling awkward, but we're the ones getting the entertainment.]
[I love this kind of thing. It would be a crime against heaven if they didn't have a fight!]
Ning Lei was waiting for Su Huaiming to speak, but to his surprise, Su Huaiming remained perfectly composed and showed no intention of saying anything.
Afraid the situation would turn awkward, Ning Lei smiled and said, "I watched the last episode of the show, and I really liked you and your son. Yangyang really wants to play with Xiao Xiao too. We've finally met today."
Su Huaiming nodded and returned the courtesy. "I've been looking forward to meeting you too." Ning Lei's smile froze.
Before this, Su Huaiming probably hadn't known that Ning Lei and his son would be on the show, but he had said it anyway, as if he were mocking and provoking him.
Ning Lei hadn't expected Su Huaiming to be so skilled at this. A hint of wariness entered his gaze as he looked at him.
"Then we'll have to get along well over the next week." Ning Lei acted like a supportive older brother. "You can come to me if you have any problems. I'll definitely help you!"
Su Huaiming nodded but said nothing more.
Ning Lei tactfully moved to the side as well, making no further effort to strike up a conversation with Su Huaiming.
The viewers in the livestream: "..." That was it?!
Seeing that all the guests had arrived, the director said, "We'll be spending the next seven days here. I hope the parents and children can get closer to nature and rediscover the quiet of the soul."
Fu Xiaoxiao didn't understand. He looked up at Su Huaiming and asked, "What's a soul?"
"A soul..." Su Huaiming was at a loss for words. As Fu Xiaoxiao watched him in confusion, he pulled out his phone.
"The soul refers to the supernatural and nonmaterial component of a human being."
Everyone: "..." He was reading straight from Baidu Baike!
The answer was far too complicated for a child to understand, but Fu Xiaoxiao put on an act and nodded. "So that's what it is. I understand."
Seeing this, the viewers wanted to ask Fu Xiaoxiao exactly what he understood.
Yu Ruicheng spoke for everyone and asked, "Xiao Xiao, so what exactly is a soul?"
Fu Xiaoxiao answered very seriously, "A soul is something you can't eat!"
The viewers in the livestream: He hadn't understood a thing.
The explanation was perfectly convincing to the children, though. Yu Xuanxuan and Ji Youyou nodded and immediately lost interest in souls.
It was as if, to them, everything in the world fell into two categories: things you could eat and things you couldn't.
Ji Mingzhe and Yu Ruicheng also felt there was no need for the children to learn what a soul meant so early. They smiled without saying a word, tacitly accepting the answer, wanting to protect that innocent part of their hearts.
Seeing that no one had any more questions, the director had the staff lead everyone to their accommodations.
There was clearly a village not far away, but the staff led them up the mountain instead. After fifteen minutes, they finally spotted a wooden house in the distance.
The wooden house had a distinctly classical charm. Its most eye-catching feature was a wooden platform that extended two meters out, with translucent white silk hanging beside it. One could sit there cross-legged, drinking tea and admiring the mountain scenery all day without ever getting tired of it.
The house's distinctive decor and location helped viewers quickly recognize where it was.
[The production team really knows what it's doing. They've brought the guests to a famous haven for hermits!]
[Oh my god, this is my ideal life. Waking up every day and stretching while facing the mountains would make me feel like a fairy.]
[You have one minute. I want the exact details of this place. I'm going there on vacation this summer!]
[Ahhh, I'm so excited for the next seven days of filming!]
Unlike the atmosphere in the livestream, the mood on the scene was a little gloomy.
Fu Xiaoxiao made a circuit of the house, his mouth turning down. He ran up to Su Huaiming and declared, "I don't want to stay here. I don't like it!"
Su Huaiming raised an eyebrow. "Then where do you want to stay?"
"I want to stay..." Fu Xiaoxiao couldn't come up with an answer. He just stuck out his neck and said, "A big house like the one at home!"
"Go ahead, then," Su Huaiming said flatly.
Fu Xiaoxiao: "..."
He was dumbfounded. After staring blankly for five seconds, he realized Su Huaiming was retorting to him. He immediately started huffing and puffing in anger, ready to make a fuss.
Su Huaiming interrupted his spellcasting with a casual remark. "Your dad told me he was going to watch the livestream. He might be watching you right now."
Fu Xiaoxiao's eyes widened in surprise. He instinctively looked for the camera, an annoyed expression on his face.
He rubbed his face, then suddenly smiled like a little angel. Taking Su Huaiming's hand, he led him toward the sofa and said sweetly, "Stepmom, thank you for your hard work. Hurry and sit down and rest."
Su Huaiming hadn't expected Fu Xiaoxiao to be acting at such a young age. He sat down on the sofa and enjoyed himself, drinking the water Fu Xiaoxiao poured for him.
Fu Xiaoxiao leaned close to Su Huaiming and asked, "Stepmom, isn't Xiao Xiao a good boy? Doesn't he behave?"
"You are pretty good." Listening to Fu Xiaoxiao's extremely babyish voice, Su Huaiming couldn't help breaking out in goosebumps. He said expressionlessly, "Actually, you don't have to put on that voice."
Fu Xiaoxiao: ???
[What? Putting on a voice?!]
[Xiao Xiao was throwing a tantrum just now, and his voice was really shrill. Compared to that, he really does sound like he's putting on a voice...]
[Hahahahahaha once you see it that way, there's no going back.]
[That's our Su Huaiming. I suggest he publish a collection of his quotes. It would definitely be a bestseller!]
"What does putting on a voice mean?" Fu Xiaoxiao was utterly confused and forgot for a moment to act like a good boy. His voice was still babyish, but much more natural than before.
He would have been better off staying quiet. Now it was undeniable that he had been putting on a voice just now.
Su Huaiming said, "It doesn't mean anything. Just keep talking like that."
Fu Xiaoxiao murmured a couple of acknowledgments and didn't press the matter.
Fu Xiaoxiao had been placated, but Sun Siyuan, an oversized brat, was throwing a tantrum again.
He had lived in luxury since childhood, with the best living conditions and material comforts. He often paid out of his own pocket for better accommodations and food.
The house the production team had prepared was already very nice, but it was on a mountain, after all, so some inconveniences were inevitable. It couldn't compare to a five-star hotel.
"Where are we supposed to buy things? Deliveries can't even get up here!" Sun Siyuan was even more dissatisfied at the thought of having to eat bland food again, with no way to sneak fried chicken. He immediately dragged his suitcase toward the mountain path.
As the senior among them and the most steady and mature, Ji Mingzhe immediately went up to persuade him kindly. Yu Ruicheng also helped by grabbing his suitcase.
Ning Lei was a newcomer and had no place in this situation, so he sat quietly to the side, not wanting to get dragged into it.
"It's only seven days. Just bear with it, and it'll be over," Ji Mingzhe said helplessly. "Look how beautiful the scenery is up here. Just looking at it improves your mood. Lots of people want to live in the mountains."
Yu Ruicheng added bluntly, "We're livestreaming right now. People will criticize you."
Sun Siyuan scoffed. "You think I'm afraid of being criticized?! Let them come at me. If I so much as frown, I lose!"
Seeing that Sun Siyuan would respond to neither kindness nor force and was showing signs of being provoked, Ji Mingzhe immediately turned to Su Huaiming and looked at him for help. "Huaiming, aren't you going to say something?"
Yu Ruicheng also looked at him intently.
The three children followed their example and all looked at Su Huaiming. Yu Xuanxuan even clasped his hands together, his little face full of pleading.
Su Huaiming: "..."
Why were they all looking at him? Sun Siyuan could kill two of him with one punch. How could he possibly stop Sun Siyuan?!
Su Huaiming didn't want to get involved, but Ji Mingzhe and Yu Ruicheng refused to give up and kept looking to him for help.
With no other choice, Su Huaiming could only steel himself and speak up. "Sun Siyuan, don't move."
Sun Siyuan was about to blow up, but when he saw that it was Su Huaiming speaking, he forcibly swallowed his words and said irritably, "What?"
Su Huaiming stood up with an inscrutable expression, walked a circle around Ji Mingzhe, and said admiringly, "Very good."
Sun Siyuan immediately took the bait and asked curiously, "What's very good?"
"I noticed that you go especially well with the scenery outside the window," Su Huaiming said seriously. "Standing there, any casual photo of you would look like a professional shoot."
Sun Siyuan was tempted. He frowned and looked at the window. "Really?"
"Of course. You're definitely the visual of our group." After saying that, Su Huaiming sighed regretfully. "It's just a shame you don't have the confidence."
Sun Siyuan took the bait and immediately widened his eyes. "Are you kidding? How could I not be confident?!"
"Weren't you going down the mountain?" Su Huaiming said flatly.
"I'm not going down the mountain because of that..." After saying it, Sun Siyuan suddenly realized that no matter why he went down, the fact wouldn't change: it would look very much as though he were running away.
Sun Siyuan immediately put down his suitcase. "I'm the visual of this show. I'm not going anywhere! That'll stop my haters from talking nonsense. They can say whatever else they want, but they actually dared to call me ugly!"
Remembering what had happened before, Sun Siyuan angrily sat down on the sofa at once, draping both arms over the back in a very bold, uninhibited pose.
Seeing that things were going well, Ji Mingzhe immediately said a few things along the same lines, making Sun Siyuan even more determined.
Once Sun Siyuan had settled down, Ji Mingzhe and Yu Ruicheng secretly gave Su Huaiming a thumbs-up.
Su Huaiming smiled, concealing his achievement and asking for no credit.
Fu Xiaoxiao cared about face, and so did Sun Siyuan.
Fu Xiaoxiao fell for reverse psychology, and so did Sun Siyuan.
He could handle Sun Siyuan simply because practice made perfect.
The viewers in the livestream had complicated feelings as they watched.
[Sun Siyuan really is an oversized brat.]
[Su Huaiming: a perfectly ordinary punisher of brats.]
[Hahahahaha Su Huaiming is basically getting paid to do two jobs. The director has to pay him more!]
[There might be something wrong with me. I actually think Sun Siyuan is a tiny bit cute.]
[Keep reminding yourself not to ship a married man!]
After the farce ended, everyone found a room and unpacked.
Ji Mingzhe and the others had spent a week together before and were familiar with one another, so their interactions were more natural. Even though they had no intention of isolating Ning Lei, some difference in treatment was inevitable.
Ning Lei knew that being ordinary meant having no buzz, and he also knew that if he missed this opportunity, he might never be able to turn things around. He gritted his teeth and made up his mind.
He knew what the viewers wanted to see most. Even if he had to take risks, he would create talking points and generate buzz.