Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Celebrities arrive at the rural location via tractors, an uncomfortable and unfamiliar experience for most.
• They are told to hand over their phones and any 'contraband' (snacks, money) for the duration of their stay.
• They must draw lots to form teams and compete in a simple drawing game, 'You Draw, I Guess,' to decide their accommodation for the night.

Character Developments

• Tang Jingran: Struggles with the rustic transportation and lack of amenities, showing his pampered side. However, he also displays a competitive spirit and confidence in his drawing skills.
• Zhao Shiyao: Initially overwhelmed by the change in circumstances, she later shows resilience and adapts to the situation.
• Li Wenchuan: Shows kindness and consideration by offering water to Tang Jingran without expecting anything in return, earning Tang's respect.
• Su Mingwei: Demonstrates patience and understanding in comforting Zhao Shiyao.

Significant Themes

• Adaptation to unfamiliar circumstances
• Competition and teamwork
• The contrast between celebrities' lives and ordinary people's lives

Character Interactions

• Tang Jingran and Li Wenchuan: Tang's initial dislike for Li starts to fade after Li's kind gesture.
• Zhao Shiyao and Su Mingwei: Zhao's princess-like behavior is balanced by Su's patient and caring attitude.
• Tang Jingran and the Production Crew: Tang's greed for food is met with the production crew's firmness, highlighting the power dynamics between celebrities and the show's organizers.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The participants draw lots to form groups and receive drawing prompts.
• Li Wenchuan draws an apple, Jiang Hansheng draws an "arrow through the heart," Tang Jingran's group draws a distorted human figure, and Xiao Yi and Su Mingwei draw an elephant.
• The groups draw on each other's backs, with the final drawings being quite different from the original prompts.

Character Developments

• Li Wenchuan is shown to be more relaxed and less competitive, focusing more on the process than the outcome.
• Jiang Hansheng displays a playful side, secretly enjoying the unexpected "shipping" of their drawing.
• Tang Jingran's eccentricity is further emphasized through his unique interpretation of the drawing prompt.
• Zhao Shiyao's frustration grows as things don't go her way, leading to a heated argument with Tang Jingran.

Significant Themes

• The theme of unexpected outcomes and the absurdity of reality TV shows is emphasized.
• The idea of hidden meanings and interpretations is explored through the drawing activity.

Character Interactions

• Li Wenchuan and Jiang Hansheng have a subtle, playful interaction due to the unexpected result of their drawing.
• Tang Jingran and Zhao Shiyao clash over their drawing, highlighting their contrasting personalities and communication styles.
• Xiao Yi and Su Mingwei have a sweet, supportive interaction, with Su Mingwei surprising Xiao Yi with her drawing skills.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Jingran's painting is ridiculed by the group, leading to him and Zhao Shiyao being assigned to a dilapidated, old house.
• They discover the house is owned by an elderly woman who has a modern villa nearby.
• Xiao Yi and Su Mingwei are assigned to a spacious, modern house owned by a fan of Xiao Yi's.

Character Developments

• Tang Jingran: Struggles with self-doubt and insecurity after his painting is mocked.
• Zhao Shiyao: Displays entitlement and discomfort with the living conditions.
• Xiao Yi: Recognized by the hostess, feels a mix of surprise and embarrassment.
• Su Mingwei: Corrected when mistaken for Xiao Yi's daughter, subtly shows interest in Li Wenchuan and Jiang Hansheng's whereabouts.

Significant Themes

• Humility and self-awareness (Tang Jingran's painting and living conditions)
• Fan recognition and celebrity life (Xiao Yi's encounter with the hostess)
• Disparity between appearances and reality (the old house and the villa)

Character Interactions

• Tang Jingran and Zhao Shiyao: Bicker over their living situation.
• Xiao Yi and the hostess: Share a nostalgic moment over his past music.
• Su Mingwei and the hostess: Corrected about her identity, shows interest in Li Wenchuan and Jiang Hansheng.

Key Plot Points & Events

• Li Wenchuan and Jiang Hansheng secure the second-best lodging, a well-maintained old southern countryside home.
• They learn they can use the garden's produce for food.
• Li Wenchuan discovers Jiang Hansheng's fear of bugs and helps him discreetly.
• The guests start preparing dinner, with varying levels of success.

Character Developments

• Li Wenchuan shows empathy and understanding towards Jiang Hansheng's fear, hinting at his possible recognition of Jiang Hansheng as his past self.
• Jiang Hansheng acknowledges his feelings for Li Wenchuan, deciding to pursue him more openly in this life.

Significant Themes

• The past lives and identities of Li Wenchuan and Jiang Hansheng.
• The fear of bugs as a symbol of Jiang Hansheng's vulnerability.
• The exploration of their relationship dynamics.

Character Interactions

• Li Wenchuan and Jiang Hansheng continue their friendly banter while subtly acknowledging their shared past.
• Tang Jingran's strategic maneuvering helps his team secure better lodging.
• Xiao Yi's wife takes charge of cooking for their team, while Zhao Shiyao struggles with his cooking attempt.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Jingran and Zhao Shiyao have a heated argument while cooking, leading to a halt in filming.
• Tang Jingran and Li Wenchuan attempt to cook but fail due to lack of gas.
• An old villager invites them for dinner, where they enjoy termite mushrooms.

Character Developments

• Tang Jingran shows frustration with Zhao Shiyao's lack of work ethic and lashes out.
• Li Wenchuan and Jiang Hansheng struggle with cooking, revealing their lack of life skills.
• The old villager shows kindness and hospitality towards the strangers.

Significant Themes

• The clash between celebrities' pampered lives and the harsh reality of manual labor.
• The importance of humility and adaptability in the face of unexpected circumstances.

Character Interactions

• Tang Jingran and Zhao Shiyao's argument highlights their contrasting personalities and expectations.
• Li Wenchuan, Jiang Hansheng, and Tang Jingran's failed cooking attempt showcases their camaraderie and shared struggle.
• The old villager's kindness towards Li Wenchuan et al. demonstrates the simple, welcoming nature of rural life.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Wenchuan and Jiang Hansheng chat with Old Man Chen about the village's history and struggles.
• Old Woman Chen gifts Li Wenchuan a bag of dried termite mushrooms.
• Tang Jingran is forced to return to his lodging due to production crew rules.
• Li Wenchuan and Jiang Hansheng discuss their plans for the next day while walking home.
• The next morning, Li Wenchuan and Jiang Hansheng wake up early and meet at the village center. They find Su Mingwei and Xiao Yi already there.
• Tang Jingran arrives late, revealing that Zhao Shiyao will not be joining them.

Character Developments

• Old Man Chen reflects on the village's past hardships and current state.
• Tang Jingran's frustration grows due to Zhao Shiyao's behavior.
• Li Wenchuan and Jiang Hansheng grow closer, sharing personal aspirations and habits.

Significant Themes

• The challenges faced by rural communities and their efforts to improve livelihoods.
• The tension between tradition and modernity, represented by the villagers' reluctance to move to the city.
• The evolving dynamics between the show's participants, highlighting their individual personalities and conflicts.

Character Interactions

• Li Wenchuan and Jiang Hansheng bond over their shared experiences and aspirations.
• Tang Jingran's growing frustration with Zhao Shiyao creates tension among the group.
• Su Mingwei and Xiao Yi are portrayed as a stable, caring couple, contrasting with the other participants' dynamics.

Plot Points and Events

• Zhao Shiyao continues to cause discomfort and inconvenience for the group due to her high maintenance and demanding nature.
• She argues with Tang Jingran over trivial matters like water temperature and smell.
• Zhao Shiyao refuses to participate in the morning activity, causing the group to proceed without her.

Character Developments

• Zhao Shiyao's diva behavior becomes increasingly unbearable for the group.
• Tang Jingran shows growing frustration with Zhao Shiyao's antics.
• Li Wenchuan displays an unusual interest in feeding chickens, seemingly detached from the group's drama.

Significant Themes

• The clash of personalities and expectations within the group.
• The struggle between individual desires and group harmony.

Character Interactions

• Zhao Shiyao's tense relationship with Tang Jingran escalates, with both parties growing irritated with each other.
• Su Mingwei shows brief defiance towards Zhao Shiyao's criticism.
• Li Wenchuan's peculiar behavior with the chickens creates a moment of confusion and amusement among the group.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group is given a list of tasks to complete in exchange for lunch supplies.
• Li Wenchuan surprises everyone with his knowledge of pig farming, leading to speculations about his background.
• Li Wenchuan eats breakfast with Jiang Hansheng, Tang Jingran, Xiao Yi, and Su Mingwei, causing a minor stir with his sweet tooth.

Character Developments

• Li Wenchuan: Shows his knowledge of pig farming, hinting at his humble background. He also displays his love for sweet foods.
• Su Mingwei: Shows a childlike tendency to follow Li Wenchuan's example, ordering sweet tofu pudding after seeing him eat it.
• Jiang Hansheng, Tang Jingran, Xiao Yi: Speculate about Li Wenchuan's background and sympathize with him.

Significant Themes

• Class differences and misunderstandings.
• The impact of Li Wenchuan's past on his current interactions.

Character Interactions

• Li Wenchuan and Su Mingwei: They bond over their shared love for sweet foods.
• Li Wenchuan and the others: They discuss Li Wenchuan's background and sympathize with him, leading to a harmonious atmosphere.

Chapter 29 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group debates which farm task to undertake, rejecting cutting pig grass and feeding pigs because of the intense heat and risk of injury.
• Jiang Hansheng suggests harvesting water caltrops, a relatively safe task that will help them conserve their limited budget and provide food for later meals.
• They travel to Uncle Zhang’s extensive water-caltrop fields, where he also grows lotus roots for additional income. Uncle Zhang appears visibly exhausted and warns them to protect themselves from the sun.
• The five celebrities divide among three small boats:
  • Xiao Yi works with Su Mingwei.
  • Jiang Hansheng works with Li Wenchuan.
  • Tang Jingran works alone.
• Li Wenchuan’s adopted hen, Coo Coo, follows him onto the boat without being carried. She behaves as though she is protecting him and refuses Jiang Hansheng’s attempt to pet her.
• The group learns how easy harvesting water caltrops is: they simply pull up the floating plants, remove the fruits, and return the plants to the water.
• They encounter various wildlife, including a toad and numerous water striders. Coo Coo efficiently eats the insects, while Li Wenchuan repeatedly helps her relieve herself outside the boat.
• Li Wenchuan and Jiang Hansheng quickly harvest a large pile of water caltrops and clear their section of the field. Jiang then helps guide the boats toward areas where the others are working.

Character Developments

• Li Wenchuan continues to display an eccentric but unexpectedly competent personality. He treats Coo Coo with remarkable care, managing her feeding and bathroom habits while also contributing effectively to the harvest.
• Coo Coo becomes an amusingly prominent companion. She is loyal to Li Wenchuan, independent-minded, highly obedient toward him, and surprisingly effective at eliminating insects.
• Jiang Hansheng takes initiative by proposing a practical task and helping organize the group. He remains patient while working with Li Wenchuan, though he is repeatedly bewildered by Li’s unusual comments and behavior.
• Tang Jingran is relieved to discover that the work is much easier than expected and humorously enjoys having an entire boat to himself.
• Su Mingwei appears more sensitive to insects and wildlife, reacting strongly when she sees the toad.
• Uncle Zhang is established as a hardworking but exhausted villager who depends on water caltrops and lotus roots for supplementary income.

Significant Themes

• Labor and rural life: The celebrities experience firsthand how villagers make a living through seasonal agricultural work.
• Practical cooperation: The group balances personal safety, budget concerns, public image, and the need to complete their work successfully.
• Human-animal companionship: Li Wenchuan’s bond with Coo Coo is both comic and affectionate, showing his unusual capacity for responsibility and care.
• Humor through contrast: The grand, adventurous imagery of the boat ride is undercut by the absurd sight of Li Wenchuan commanding a hen.
• Respect for villagers’ work: The apparently simple harvest reveals the importance of agricultural labor and the effort required to maintain a rural livelihood.

Character Interactions

• The group collectively discusses and approves the water-caltrop task.
• Jiang Hansheng and Li Wenchuan work closely together, with Jiang harvesting while Li manages Coo Coo and jokes about the webnovel author Jiang Yuxing.
• Jiang attempts to interact with Coo Coo but is rejected, reinforcing the hen’s preference for Li.
• Li’s bizarre explanation of Coo Coo’s name—based on his hope that a favored author will never stop updating—leaves Jiang confused and amused.
• The celebrities cooperate across boats, with Jiang eventually steering toward the others to help them continue harvesting.
• Their coordinated efforts inadvertently devastate the local water-strider population, ending the chapter on a comedic note.

Chapter 30 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Wenchuan and the others help Uncle Zhang harvest water caltrops using his chicken, Coo Coo, to locate and collect them. Although they harvest less efficiently than professionals, they fill their boat and receive ten yuan each along with a large bag of caltrops.
• Uncle Zhang explains that the harvest has become difficult to sell. Water caltrops are plentiful in Shangyang Village, the buyer has lowered the price and reduced the amount purchased, and much of the crop may rot unharvested.
• The group discusses possible ways to sell the surplus. Su Mingwei suggests opening an online shop, and Jiang Hansheng explains how agricultural products can be sold nationwide through online platforms and courier delivery.
• Xiao Yi proposes a livestream featuring the group introducing and tasting the water caltrops. The group arranges a purchase link, investigates affordable postal delivery, and sets a price.
• Tang Jingran posts the announcement on Weibo. His large fanbase quickly responds, though some criticize him for using his popularity to sell products.
• The livestream begins in Uncle Zhang’s water caltrop field and immediately attracts more than eight thousand viewers. Tang Jingran initially struggles to promote the product naturally, while viewers become increasingly interested in Li Wenchuan, Coo Coo, and Li’s amusing eating demonstration.
• Li Wenchuan feeds water caltrops to Coo Coo while Jiang Hansheng peels them for him. When Tang turns the camera toward Li, Li nervously eats several caltrops and jokingly says, “This fresh hen is really delicious.”
• Coo Coo angrily pecks Li’s foot, causing the viewers to laugh. The audience becomes highly engaged, asks where to order, and even jokes about whether the purchase includes the chicken.

Character Developments

• Li Wenchuan remains playful and somewhat oblivious, focusing more on feeding and interacting with Coo Coo than on selling the product. His awkwardness and spontaneous humor unexpectedly make him the livestream’s main attraction.
• Tang Jingran uses his celebrity influence to support Uncle Zhang, but discovers that charisma alone does not guarantee effective product promotion. He becomes mildly frustrated when viewers pay more attention to Li.
• Jiang Hansheng is practical and helpful, explaining online sales and quietly assisting Li by peeling caltrops for him.
• Xiao Yi demonstrates initiative and commercial awareness by proposing the livestream and recognizing the value of Tang Jingran’s large online following.
• Uncle Zhang shifts from skepticism about unfamiliar technology to amazement at the livestream’s reach, seeing a possible solution to his village’s sales problem.
• Coo Coo becomes an unexpected participant and comic performer, attracting viewers through her expressive reactions and interaction with Li.

Significant Themes

• Adapting traditional agriculture to modern technology: Online shops, livestreaming, and courier services offer rural producers access to customers beyond their local markets.
• Scarcity and market value: Although water caltrops are valuable in theory, their abundance in the village makes them difficult to sell locally.
• Economic insecurity: Unsold crops threaten farmers’ household income and their ability to pay for necessities such as utilities and education.
• The power of celebrity and internet communities: Tang Jingran’s fanbase brings immediate attention and traffic, while entertaining content helps turn attention into actual interest and sales.
• Unexpected success through authenticity and humor: The livestream becomes more appealing when it stops feeling like a formal advertisement and instead showcases Li, Jiang, and Coo Coo’s natural interactions.

Character Interactions

• The group works together during the harvest, encouraging one another and directing Coo Coo.
• Uncle Zhang’s generosity and concern about his crop create sympathy and motivate the group to help him.
• Su Mingwei and Jiang Hansheng introduce Uncle Zhang to online selling, while Xiao Yi develops the livestream strategy.
• Tang Jingran acts as the main presenter, but viewers repeatedly request Li Wenchuan, whose relaxed behavior contrasts with Tang’s forced salesmanship.
• Jiang Hansheng tenderly assists Li by peeling caltrops, while Li remains absorbed in feeding the chicken.
• Li’s joke about eating the “fresh hen” provokes Coo Coo’s furious peck and becomes the comic highlight of the broadcast, encouraging viewers to place orders.

Chapter 31 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Wenchuan begins livestreaming the village’s water caltrops, with Xiao Yi and Su Mingwei coaching him on how to promote the products enthusiastically.
• Viewers are immediately drawn to Li Wenchuan’s striking appearance. Some accuse him of using beauty filters or makeup, so he humorously demonstrates the filter by distorting his face and then vigorously wiping it clean.
• The livestream attracts large numbers of buyers, many of whom purchase the inexpensive water caltrops without even asking questions.
• Uncle Zhang suggests selling the village’s dried and fresh mushrooms as well. Jiang Hansheng agrees and proposes helping the villagers establish an online store and promote their agricultural products.
• Encouraged by the opportunity, Uncle Zhang asks whether other villagers may also bring their goods to sell. Jiang Hansheng welcomes the idea, offering logistical guidance and support.
• The group prepares an outdoor cooking setup to present the mushrooms on livestream. Tang Jingran starts the fire, showing how much more capable he has become with practical rural tasks.
• Li Wenchuan introduces several mushrooms, including dried termite mushrooms and the dangerous “Dancing Little People Mushroom,” warning viewers that it can cause hallucinations and nerve damage if undercooked.
• He also cuts open a Hand-Blue Mushroom, revealing its startling blue-green interior.
• Jiang Hansheng discusses future development plans with Uncle Zhang and offers to send people to help organize and guide the villagers. He watches Li Wenchuan livestreaming with quiet amusement and warmth.

Character Developments

• Li Wenchuan becomes increasingly comfortable with modern technology and livestreaming. Though initially unsure how to sell products, he naturally draws viewers through his calm manner, humor, knowledge, and exceptional appearance.
• Tang Jingran demonstrates adaptability and a willingness to work. His skill at building the fire reflects his gradual adjustment to village life and his desire to find a more lasting career beyond relying on fame and internet traffic.
• Jiang Hansheng shows generosity, practical leadership, and a strong sense of social responsibility. He treats helping the villagers as both a charitable act and a sustainable business opportunity.
• Uncle Zhang shifts from anxiety and helplessness to hope after receiving a concrete way to sell the villagers’ accumulated produce.
• Xiao Yi and Su Mingwei act as enthusiastic assistants, helping Li Wenchuan navigate livestream culture and sales techniques.

Significant Themes

• Technology empowering rural communities: Livestreaming and online sales give villagers access to broader markets and a way to avoid dependence on middlemen.
• Community cooperation and mutual benefit: The characters seek a solution that helps the entire village rather than only selling their own goods.
• Authenticity versus online judgment: Viewers quickly assume Li Wenchuan is using filters or makeup, highlighting the internet’s tendency toward suspicion and snap judgments. His playful response proves that genuine appeal can withstand such criticism.
• Adapting to change: Tang Jingran’s growing practical skills and the villagers’ willingness to learn online commerce reflect the characters’ broader adjustment to new circumstances.
• Compassion expressed through action: Jiang Hansheng’s concern for the villagers is shown not merely through sympathy but through concrete plans, resources, and long-term assistance.

Character Interactions

• Li Wenchuan jokes affectionately with Coo Coo and decides to find a way to buy the hen rather than take it for free.
• Xiao Yi and Su Mingwei coach Li Wenchuan on how to speak like a professional online seller.
• Li Wenchuan engages directly with skeptical viewers, turning their criticism into humorous entertainment that boosts the livestream.
• Uncle Zhang consults the group about selling more village products, and Jiang Hansheng responds supportively and decisively.
• Tang Jingran quietly contributes by handling the fire while the others present the food.
• Jiang Hansheng watches Li Wenchuan with evident fondness, ending the chapter on a subtle, emotionally warm note.

Chapter 32 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• During a livestream selling Shangyang Village produce, viewers recognize the handsome seller as former celebrity Li Wenchuan. They mockingly assume he has become so poor that he must sell vegetables online, causing him to trend again.
• Viewers dismiss rumors that Li Wenchuan has a wealthy African relative and an inheritance, considering them too absurd to be true. Ironically, the truth is that he is connected to the wealthy Li family.
• Li Mingyu and his father, Li Zhengyuan, watch the livestream and discuss the negative reaction to their attempt to reveal Li Wenchuan’s background. Li Mingyu suggests directly contacting his brother and persuades their father to do so.
• The livestream sales perform extremely well because viewers trust the village’s clean environment and Li Wenchuan’s unedited demonstrations of the produce. Li Wenchuan and the others are paid extra by Uncle Zhang for their hard work.
• After harvesting and packaging water caltrops, Li Wenchuan and Jiang Hansheng buy a new gas canister and mosquito net, bring home Hand-Blue Mushrooms, and set up a temporary chicken coop for Coo Coo.
• Li Wenchuan cooks the mushrooms with chilies and meat while Jiang Hansheng gathers bok choy and grapes. Jiang tastes the cooked mushrooms and confirms that they are exceptionally delicious.

Character Developments

• Li Wenchuan: Gains more fans through the livestream despite the public misunderstanding about his financial situation. He remains practical and hardworking, taking responsibility for cooking, gathering food, and caring for Coo Coo. He also becomes increasingly conscious of Jiang Hansheng’s small gestures toward him.
• Jiang Hansheng: Continues to quietly follow Li Wenchuan’s instructions and help with village tasks. His spontaneous touch to remove sweat from Li Wenchuan’s nose reveals growing affection, though he disguises it with a casual excuse.
• Li Mingyu: Acts as the relatively sensible member of his eccentric wealthy family. He recognizes that their publicity strategy has failed and urges his father to contact Li Wenchuan directly.
• Li Zhengyuan: Initially remains arrogant and convinced that ordinary people simply cannot imagine his family’s wealth. However, when Li Mingyu suggests bringing Li Wenchuan home, his confidence fades and he appears like a worried, emotionally vulnerable father.
• Li Wenchuan’s parents and family background: Their business marriage and melodramatic relationship explain why Li Wenchuan was deeply hurt upon learning the truth about his family and eventually left home.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: The public assumes Li Wenchuan is impoverished, while he is actually the son of an extremely wealthy family. The family’s attempts to disclose the truth are so exaggerated that no one believes them.
• Public perception and celebrity culture: Li Wenchuan’s ordinary rural livestream becomes popular because viewers recognize him, mock his supposed poverty, and remain fascinated by his personal life.
• Hard work and rural life: The chapter emphasizes harvesting, packaging, cooking, caring for animals, and enjoying fresh local produce.
• Family estrangement and reconciliation: Li Zhengyuan’s decision to contact Li Wenchuan hints at an effort to repair their damaged relationship.
• Subtle romantic tension: Jiang Hansheng’s touch and Li Wenchuan’s flustered reaction show their feelings becoming more noticeable through small domestic moments.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Mingyu and Li Zhengyuan: They argue over the failed publicity strategy, with Li Mingyu criticizing it and Li Zhengyuan defending it through his exaggerated wealthy-CEO worldview.
• Li Mingyu and Li Wenchuan: Although they do not interact directly, Li Mingyu initiates the possibility of reconnecting with his estranged brother.
• Li Wenchuan and Jiang Hansheng: Their cooperative household routine deepens their intimacy. Jiang touches Li Wenchuan’s nose under the pretense of wiping away sweat, leaving Li Wenchuan embarrassed and distracted.
• Li Wenchuan and Coo Coo: Li Wenchuan treats the chicken affectionately, promising to care for her and provide a better home.
• Jiang Hansheng and the mushrooms: His first taste confirms the quality of Li Wenchuan’s cooking and the village’s produce.

Chapter 33 Summary

Plot and events

• Li Wenchuan returns to find Jiang Hansheng struggling to operate the gas stove. He takes over, having learned how to use it earlier that day.
• The two prepare dinner together: stir-fried Hand-Blue Mushrooms, baby bok choy, and scrambled tomatoes and eggs. The Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, and chilies initially fill the kitchen with fumes, causing both men to cough and sneeze until they turn on the exhaust fan.
• They collect caterpillars from the pesticide-free vegetable garden to feed Coo Coo, while Li Wenchuan worries the chicken might otherwise eat the crops.
• Li Wenchuan asks Jiang Hansheng to taste the mushrooms to determine whether they need more salt. Jiang unexpectedly accepts food directly from him and then feeds Li Wenchuan in return.
• After dinner, Jiang washes the dishes while Li goes outside to gather more caterpillars. Jiang briefly becomes dizzy and dazed, then appears to reach some sudden realization.
• Li returns with the evening schedule: the cast will play a murder-mystery game. Because of the Hand-Blue Mushroom poisoning, Jiang interprets the ordinary courtyard and Li’s words through a distorted, imperial-court-like lens. He believes the gathering involves important people and offers to accompany Li.

Character development

• Li shows growing confidence and enthusiasm as he learns to cook. He is practical, attentive, and increasingly comfortable caring for Jiang, Coo Coo, and the household.
• Jiang is more willing to accept Li’s care and displays unexpected intimacy by allowing Li to feed him and feeding him in return. However, his mushroom-induced delusions intensify.
• Jiang’s hallucinations reflect his possessive, authoritarian mindset: he imagines Li as a favored concubine and worries that Li has become cold because he has given him too much “favor.” He resolves to reassert control.
• Li remains unaware of Jiang’s altered perceptions and treats his behavior as normal.

Themes

• Growing intimacy through domestic life: Cooking and sharing food bring the two men closer, despite their outwardly distant relationship.
• Possession and control: Jiang’s thoughts reveal an unsettling belief that Li’s status and worth depend entirely on what Jiang grants him.
• Reality versus delusion: The poisoning transforms mundane events into elaborate courtly scenarios, creating dramatic irony because readers understand Jiang’s misunderstanding while Li does not.
• Rural simplicity and self-sufficiency: The chapter emphasizes homemade food, farm-grown vegetables, and caring for animals.

Character interactions

• Li patiently teaches Jiang how to use the stove but also lightly scolds him for failing to find the exhaust-fan switch.
• They cooperate naturally while cooking, with Jiang helping bring ingredients and later washing the dishes.
• Their mutual feeding scene is unexpectedly affectionate and surprises the filming crew, suggesting a closeness neither openly acknowledges.
• During dinner, they speak indirectly about Jiang’s conversation with Uncle Zhang and the possible online store, each testing the other while concealing their intentions.
• At the end, Li casually announces the murder-mystery game, while Jiang misinterprets it as an important social gathering and confidently offers to escort him.

Chapter 34 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Wenchuan prepares to leave and invites Coo Coo, a newly discovered child-like creature, to accompany him. Jiang Hansheng agrees, believing Coo Coo may be his heir because of her unusual yellow hair with a red streak.
• Jiang’s possessive and misguided thoughts reveal that he believes Li Wenchuan is deliberately acting innocent to attract him. He secretly considers elevating Li from a “lowborn” position, while the filming crew notices his unusually intense gaze.
• At Jiang Hansheng’s studio, manager Yang Xuan arrives to collect materials and discovers a BL novel, The Bewitching Prince’s Little Poisonous Consort, on Jiang’s desk. He wrongly concludes that Jiang is romantically interested in Li Wenchuan and begins planning a public-relations strategy to protect Jiang’s reputation.
• At the countryside filming location, the cast deals with cooler weather and severe mosquito bites. Su Mingwei secretly reads the BL novel on her phone, having previously left the physical copy at Jiang’s home.
• Jiang notices Su’s suspicious expression and warns her not to cause trouble, mistakenly assuming she might expose something about him and Li.
• Su, now more favorably disposed toward Li, offers him watermelon. Li happily accepts but advises her not to eat too much because it is “cooling.”
• Li reflects on his past life and his sister Princess Pingle, whose repeated forced marriages and tragic return from the Northern Desert deeply affected him. He feels grateful that modern women appear freer and happier.

Character Developments

• Jiang Hansheng: Becomes increasingly possessive and delusional about Li, interpreting ordinary behavior as flirtation. He also assumes Coo Coo is connected to his bloodline and regards her as a potential heir.
• Li Wenchuan: Remains oblivious to Jiang’s romantic misunderstandings. His caring, innocent behavior continues to attract Jiang’s attention. His memories of Princess Pingle reveal his compassion, historical perspective, and strong concern for women’s autonomy.
• Yang Xuan: Misinterprets Jiang’s possession of the BL novel as evidence of his attraction to Li. He becomes anxious but loyal, immediately considering crisis management and even hoping his efforts will earn him a raise.
• Su Mingwei: Her hostility toward Li has softened into genuine affection. She tries to befriend him and sees him as a lovable younger-brother figure, while still being confused by Jiang’s warnings.
• Coo Coo: Is accepted into the group and treated as someone important by Jiang, who believes she may possess noble inherited blood.

Significant Themes

• Miscommunication and mistaken assumptions: Nearly every major interaction is driven by characters misunderstanding one another, especially Jiang’s belief that Li is seducing him and Yang Xuan’s assumption that Jiang is secretly gay.
• Possessiveness and romantic projection: Jiang imposes an elaborate romantic and bloodline-based fantasy onto ordinary situations involving Li and Coo Coo.
• Contrasts between past and present: Li’s memories of imperial family life and forced marriage contrast sharply with the freer, more comfortable lives of modern women.
• Trauma and compassion: Princess Pingle’s fate demonstrates the human cost of political marriage and patriarchal systems, shaping Li’s protective attitude toward women.
• Comedic cultural and generational confusion: The BL novel becomes a source of panic, secrecy, and false conclusions among the characters.

Character Interactions

• Li invites Coo Coo to travel with the group, while Jiang silently interprets the exchange as part of Li’s charm and manipulation.
• Yang Xuan discovers the novel in Jiang’s study and privately connects it to Li, creating a dramatic but entirely mistaken theory about Jiang’s sexuality and romantic life.
• Jiang warns Su Mingwei to avoid causing trouble, while Su is confused because she believes she has already accepted Li.
• Su offers Li watermelon in an attempt to show friendliness. Li responds with gentle, older-brotherly concern, causing her to feel that he resembles both her father and cousin.
• Li’s affectionate treatment of Su and Coo Coo reinforces his nurturing personality, even as Jiang interprets his behavior through a romantic and possessive lens.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Hansheng, unhappy with the nobles' familiarity, abruptly ends pleasantries and eats watermelon aggressively, intimidating Su Mingwei.
• Zhao Shiyao appears, angry and sarcastic, targeting Li Wenchuan.
• They play a murder mystery game, "Murder at the Chen Prince's Residence." Roles are randomly assigned.
• The game reveals the characters' hidden feelings and intentions.

Character Developments

• Jiang Hansheng: Shows displeasure with nobles' familiarity, displays protective behavior towards Li Wenchuan, and acts convincingly as Prince Chen.
• Zhao Shiyao: Reveals her anger and resentment, struggles to control her emotions, and is assigned the role of a villainous character.
• Li Wenchuan: Initially passive, becomes more assertive in the game, acting as a weak and aggrieved Princess Chen.
• Tang Jingran: Engages in a tense exchange with Jiang Hansheng, shows amusement and admiration for Jiang's acting.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics and manipulation (seen in Jiang Hansheng's interactions with nobles and other characters)
• Hidden emotions and desires (revealed through the murder mystery game)
• The impact of roles and expectations on behavior (seen in the characters' acting within the game)

Character Interactions

• Jiang Hansheng and Su Mingwei: Jiang ends their friendly exchange abruptly, leaving Su Mingwei unsettled.
• Jiang Hansheng and Zhao Shiyao: Jiang sarcastically responds to Zhao's jabs, escalating their tension.
• Jiang Hansheng and Li Wenchuan: Jiang protectively defends Li Wenchuan during the game, showing a softer side.
• Jiang Hansheng and Tang Jingran: They engage in a tense, competitive exchange, with Jiang ultimately asserting dominance.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group discovers that Prince Chen's consort and General Bai were childhood sweethearts, but the consort's family believed General Bai dead and arranged her marriage to Prince Chen.
• Jiang Hansheng deduces that General Bai, being part of the Second Prince's faction, would have no reason to help Prince Chen's consort kill the Second Prince.
• The group realizes that Prince Chen's consort had been missing during the crucial time of the murder, and she had a unique scent on her, which she claims was a tribute from the Western Regions.
• Su Mingwei deduces that General Bai must have discovered Miss Shangguan's scheme, killed the Second Prince, and attempted to kill Miss Shangguan as well.
• The production team reveals that the real killer is Prince Chen's consort, and she is a transmigrated special forces soldier.

Character Developments

• Jiang Hansheng: Shows his strategic thinking and deduction skills, proving himself to be a formidable opponent.
• Li Wenchuan (Prince Chen's Consort): Revealed to be a transmigrated special forces soldier, showing her resourcefulness and adaptability.
• General Bai: Revealed to be a double agent working for Prince Chen, showcasing his loyalty and strategic mind.

Significant Themes

• Trust and loyalty: The theme of trust and loyalty is explored through the relationships between General Bai, Prince Chen, and the Second Prince.
• Power dynamics: The power dynamics between the princes and their factions are highlighted, showing how they manipulate each other for their own gain.
• Love and sacrifice: The love between General Bai and Prince Chen's consort is explored, showing how their love leads them to make sacrifices for each other.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Hansheng and Li Wenchuan: Their interaction shows a growing understanding and respect for each other's abilities, hinting at a deeper connection.
• General Bai and Prince Chen's Consort: Their interaction showcases their deep love and commitment to each other, even in the face of adversity.
• The group: The group's interaction shows their competitive nature and desire to solve the mystery, as well as their frustration when they realize they've been outsmarted.

Chapter Summary: A Slacker Gets Into Character

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Hansheng continues hallucinating after eating Hand-Blue Mushrooms. He behaves as though he is a powerful ancient prince and treats Li Wenchuan as his pregnant spouse.
• He dramatically scolds Li Wenchuan for addressing him by name, then immediately becomes worried after accidentally knocking him against the wall.
• Jiang assumes Li Wenchuan is carrying their second child and affectionately discusses having a daughter. He also mistakes Coo Coo, a chicken, for a phoenix-blooded heir.
• Jiang attempts to persuade Li Wenchuan to bathe with him, behaving unusually flirtatiously and shamelessly. Li manages to dismiss him and leaves to seek advice.
• Old Man Chen explains that Jiang’s condition is mild mushroom poisoning. Since Jiang is conscious and responsive, he should recover after sleeping and drinking hot water.
• Li returns home and finds Jiang collapsed and dry-heaving. Jiang had also consumed fruit beer, which aggravated his sensitive stomach.
• Li takes care of him, helps him rinse his mouth, settles him in bed, and searches his luggage for medicine.
• While looking for medicine, Li notices a copy of History of Qing on Jiang’s bed and picks it up, suggesting the book may be connected to Jiang’s strange “historical drama” persona.

Character Developments

• Jiang Hansheng: His hallucinations reveal an exaggerated, theatrical personality: authoritative and proud on the surface, but deeply affectionate and emotionally vulnerable underneath. Even while pretending to be a stern prince, he repeatedly shows concern for Li and imagines a warm family life.
• Li Wenchuan: He remains practical and skeptical, responding to Jiang’s delusions with irritation and sarcasm. Despite being embarrassed and overwhelmed, he takes responsibility for Jiang’s safety and patiently nurses him when he becomes ill.
• Old Man Chen: He serves as a knowledgeable and reassuring authority on mushroom poisoning, explaining that Jiang’s symptoms are temporary and not yet severe.

Significant Themes

• Reality versus delusion: Jiang constructs an elaborate alternate identity, while Li struggles to distinguish his hallucinated behavior from his real personality.
• Unexpected tenderness: Jiang’s imagined role as a prince and family man exposes a longing for intimacy, children, and a lively household.
• Care beneath irritation: Li is exasperated by Jiang’s behavior but consistently protects and cares for him, showing concern despite his complaints.
• Comedy through misunderstanding: The scene relies on absurd contrasts—Jiang’s belief that a chicken is a phoenix, his pregnancy assumptions, and his grandiose self-image versus Li’s blunt modern reactions.
• Possible clues to Jiang’s behavior: The History of Qing book hints that his hallucinations may have been influenced by something he read or by a deeper connection to the historical persona he is acting out.

Character Interactions

• Jiang and Li’s exchange shifts rapidly between intimidation, romantic affection, absurd family assumptions, and flirtation. Jiang’s possessiveness and tenderness clash with Li’s disbelief and annoyance.
• Li’s argument with Jiang about Coo Coo’s identity highlights their comic incompatibility: Jiang insists on a fantastical explanation, while Li emphasizes the obvious truth that Coo Coo is simply a female chicken.
• Li and Old Man Chen discuss the poisoning, with Chen reassuring Li and sharing a humorous story about another person who tried to use the mushrooms for creative inspiration.
• Li’s final interaction with Jiang is more nurturing than comedic, as he helps him through vomiting and searches for medicine, demonstrating the growing sense of responsibility between them.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Wenchuan discovers a book with annotations and a seal bearing the character 'Yan', belonging to Jiang Yan (Jiang Chengyu), a historical figure.
• He remembers Jiang Chengyu's actions in court, including recommending daughters of ministers to marry into the Northern Desert for peace, and stripping Cao Minister of his office.
• Li Wenchuan finds Jiang Hansheng ill and gives him medicine. Jiang Hansheng claims to have the Phoenix Bloodline but acts strangely, mimicking a phoenix's cry.
• Li Wenchuan showers, and upon returning, Jiang Hansheng pounces on him, leading to a tense moment.

Character Developments

• Li Wenchuan: Realizes the truth about Jiang Hansheng's identity as Jiang Chengyu, becomes more protective and caring towards him.
• Jiang Hansheng (Jiang Chengyu): Struggles with his Phoenix Bloodline, acts strangely due to its influence, and shows affection towards Li Wenchuan.

Significant Themes

• Identity and reincarnation: Jiang Hansheng's true identity as Jiang Chengyu is revealed, exploring the theme of reincarnation and the consequences of past actions.
• Power dynamics: Jiang Chengyu's actions in court showcase his political prowess and the power dynamics among ministers.

Character Interactions

• Li Wenchuan and Jiang Hansheng: Their relationship deepens as Li Wenchuan cares for Jiang Hansheng, and Jiang Hansheng shows affection towards Li Wenchuan.
• Jiang Chengyu and Cao Minister: Their past conflict in court is remembered, highlighting their differing views on politics and peace.

Chapter 39 Summary: “The Salted Fish’s Old Ailment”

Key Plot Points and Events

• While drunk and disoriented, Jiang Hansheng leans over Li Wenchuan and appears to call him “Yu’an,” a private name used for Li Wenchuan in his former life by Jiang Chengyu.
• Li Wenchuan becomes deeply unsettled. He wonders whether Jiang Hansheng has known his true identity all along but deliberately refused to acknowledge him, perhaps because he no longer wishes to submit to their former ruler-subject relationship.
• Li reflects on the changes brought by reincarnation and time. In the modern era, the old bonds of emperor and regent no longer have legal or social power, and Jiang Chengyu—once the powerful regent—is now merely an obscure celebrity, while Li himself has no status at all.
• Li directly asks whether Jiang Chengyu knew everything from the beginning. Jiang Hansheng does not answer clearly; instead, he drunkenly tells Li not to call him by name and refers to himself as “this prince,” reinforcing the possibility that he remembers their past.
• Jiang notices Li’s knee pain and carefully covers his legs with a blanket, warning him not to expose the old injury to the cold. Li explains that the ailment came from his previous life, but Jiang falls asleep before responding.
• Unable to move Jiang from the cramped bed, Li lets him sleep beside him. Later, irritated by mosquitoes, Li uses extraordinary hand speed to catch and kill a large number of them.
• Li feeds the captured mosquitoes to Coo Coo, waking the chicken in the middle of the night. After returning to bed, he still cannot sleep.
• Jiang, asleep, places a hand over Li’s knee and murmurs, “It’ll get better.” The words soothe much of Li’s anger and remind him of Jiang Chengyu’s efforts in the past to find a healer for his incurable leg condition.
• Li quietly thanks Jiang for his past efforts and wonders how, after two lifetimes, Jiang can still remember and care about his old ailment.

Character Developments

• Li Wenchuan: Becomes emotionally vulnerable and conflicted. He longs to know whether Jiang remembers him, yet fears that Jiang may have consciously abandoned their former relationship. His bitterness gradually softens when Jiang instinctively tends to his knee and comforts him in his sleep.
• Jiang Hansheng/Jiang Chengyu: His drunken behavior suggests that he may remember Li’s former identity, despite never openly acknowledging it. His concern for Li’s knee and use of the intimate name “Yu’an” reveal that his old attachment and attentiveness may still exist beneath his modern identity.
• Coo Coo: Provides comic relief by being unwillingly awakened and forced to eat Li’s collection of mosquitoes.

Significant Themes

• Memory and reincarnation: The chapter centers on whether emotional bonds survive across lifetimes and whether Jiang truly remembers their shared past.
• Changing identity and social status: Li contrasts their former positions—emperor and regent—with their present-day lives, questioning whether old loyalties still matter without the structures of the imperial era.
• Unspoken affection: Jiang’s actions communicate more than his words. His care for Li’s knee suggests enduring concern even though he refuses or is unable to speak openly about the past.
• Loneliness and emotional dependence: Li recalls how political power isolated him from even his family, making Jiang’s past companionship especially meaningful.
• Humor amid emotional tension: The mosquito-catching scene and Coo Coo’s exasperation lighten the chapter’s serious questions about identity, grief, and devotion.

Character Interactions

• Li questions Jiang about his knowledge of their past, but Jiang responds ambiguously while drunk.
• Jiang physically comforts Li by covering his legs and rubbing his painful knee, echoing the care he showed in their previous life.
• Li’s irritation toward Jiang leads to him kicking the sleeping man and later taking revenge on the mosquitoes.
• Li wakes Coo Coo and feeds her the mosquitoes, creating a humorous but chaotic midnight exchange.
• Jiang’s unconscious reassurance—“It’ll get better”—reopens Li’s memories of their former relationship and causes his resentment to fade.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Wenchuan's leg condition worsens due to a past incident.
• Li Yuan sends officials to assist Li Wenchuan, but they seize power from Jiang Chengyu, causing friction.
• Jiang Chengyu is punished for insulting an official, receiving sixty strokes of the paddle.
• Li Wenchuan argues with Li Yuan to save Jiang Chengyu, leading to a tense confrontation.
• Li Wenchuan kneels outside the hall for an extended period due to Li Yuan's punishment, leading to a severe fever and lasting leg injury.

Character Developments

• Li Wenchuan: Stands up to Li Yuan to protect Jiang Chengyu, showing his loyalty and determination. His leg injury worsens due to the punishment.
• Li Yuan: Struggles with his role as a father, showing regret for his past actions. He is stern and unyielding but eventually shows concern for Li Wenchuan's health.
• Jiang Chengyu: Insults an official, leading to his punishment. Shows loyalty to Li Wenchuan and becomes skilled in treating his leg injury.

Significant Themes

• The complex relationship between Li Wenchuan and Li Yuan, exploring themes of power, loyalty, and familial bonds.
• The consequences of past actions on present circumstances, as seen through Li Wenchuan's leg injury and Li Yuan's regret.

Character Interactions

• Li Wenchuan and Li Yuan: Their tense confrontation highlights the power dynamics and emotional distance between them.
• Li Wenchuan and Jiang Chengyu: Their bond deepens as Li Wenchuan protects Jiang Chengyu, and Jiang Chengyu becomes skilled in treating Li Wenchuan's injury.
• Li Yuan and his officials: Li Yuan's harsh treatment of officials, including Jiang Chengyu, showcases his unyielding nature and the fear he instills in those around him.