Maybe the atmosphere really was bubbling over with romance, because Xu Yuntong blushed.
"It's fine," she replied.
"Here's your plate." She set the plate she had washed in the empty spot beside the cutting board.
Qiao Yufan rubbed his hands together and said again, "Thanks."
Their interaction sent the live comments into a frenzy of squealing.
[Aaaaaah, is this couple starting to give us sweet moments too?]
[Their fingers touched! And they lingered for so long! I'm officially shipping them!]
[An Ruzhi, what are you doing? I thought we'd get to see you boldly pursue your idol. Keep your word and take Chen Sinian home with you!]
[Exactly! Why are you standing so far away from him? Get over there! You're killing me!]
[Hahahaha, I don't know why, but seeing nobody approach Su Tangtang makes me happy /doge/]
[Same here. Let's see if she keeps trying to sell that irresistible-to-everyone persona!]
But Su Tangtang, the subject of their discussion, didn't care about any of that. She was still immersed in her own little world.
Having seen what had just happened too, she clicked her tongue several times. Girl, please use your head.
If you really get together with Qiao Yufan, you'll have to call him Daddy when you're getting busy...
Younger brother-in-law, uncle, little nephew, aunt's husband, maternal uncle, older sister's husband, younger sister's husband, paternal aunt's husband, big brother, little brother... even son!
Xu Yuntong: "..."
Qiao Yufan: "..."
Seriously, it's bad enough that you keep bringing up my shortcomings. You had to drag this out again too?
Still, their acting really is good. They don't have any feelings for each other yet, but they can already create a moment this romantic. This must be what Sister Du sent me here to learn.
What she doesn't know is that I'm an even better actor. Look, none of them know I think they're all nuts.
ε٩(๑＞ ₃ ＜)۶ з Phew~
The others: "..."
Great. Now we know.
Shouldn't we do something? She did just call us nuts, after all.
They exchanged glances, and Chen Sinian made the first move. He held out the tomatoes in his hands to her. "Tangtang, have you finished peeling your lotus root?"
"I want to peel these three tomatoes. Could you help me with that? Just blanch them in boiling water."
"Of course!" Su Tangtang smiled.
I really am such a hardworking little sweetheart.
(▰˘◡˘▰)
An Ruzhi chuckled inwardly. "Tangtang, I have a few eggs here that need beating until the yolks and whites are mixed."
Su Tangtang kept smiling. "No problem. Leave it to me!"
This time, before her inner voice even chimed in, Qiao Yufan handed over some ingredients too. "Help me prep this ginger, garlic, and scallions as well."
Su Tangtang's smile stiffened a little. "That's... no problem either."
(ꐦ ´ ᗨ `)
Xu Yuntong came over too. "Tangtang, this lettuce needs washing. Sorry for the trouble!"
Su Tangtang's smile was very stiff now. "Okay."
Boohoo, Mom, I'm being bullied at work!
You just love picking on an obscure nobody like me, don't you?
I'm going to complain to Sister Du later and make her give me a raise! And two drumsticks as a bonus!
The four who had assigned her chores snickered again but said nothing more.
The viewers, however, had a much stronger reaction.
That was just how people were. Seeing someone they disliked being "bullied" made them happy.
[All I can say is, well done, everyone!]
[They should make that nasty woman Su Tangtang do more work so she doesn't have time to chase clout!]
[This is the first time I've seen China's entertainment industry unite like this to boycott a celebrity, hahahahaha.]
[It's also the first time I've seen all their beloved stars so united in "bullying" one person.]
[Wait, haven't you noticed that although they're making Su Tangtang work, everything they've given her is really simple? Xu Yuntong and An Ruzhi have harder jobs than she does!]
[Forget it. All I can say is that they've lost their minds /facepalm/]
Su Tangtang's tasks really weren't difficult, just a little assorted. Meanwhile, the others had started interacting to give the show something worth watching, occasionally creating a flirty atmosphere and the like.
She left them alone, faithfully following Sister Du's instructions not to disturb them in the slightest, and quietly enjoyed the gossip by herself.
Holy crap!
Hmm???
Everyone who had been thinking of continuing their interactions dropped the idea. Even Xue Ruyin and Liao Xuliang pricked up their ears.
Was there fresh gossip?
Xiao Ziyao might be a champion of pure love, but his dad was something else. When he was young, he actually changed wives every year!
Everyone: "!!!"
That many?
How many moms did Xiao Ziyao have, then?
Eight!
Somehow, their thoughts lined up perfectly with Su Tangtang's inner voice.
Hahahahaha, Xiao Ziyao actually has eight moms! Eight!
Seven would be enough to summon the Divine Dragon Mom, and he's got one extra! Hahahahaha!
(ಡ艸ಡ) Pfft.
Everyone: "..."
Good thing Xiao Ziyao wasn't here. If he heard you laughing that shamelessly, he'd definitely make you pay!
The male guest who was coming over was an idol.
More precisely, he was a fairly old male idol who had debuted before and recently entered another talent competition, only to fail to make the final lineup again.
He was probably joining the Dating Reality Show now for exposure.
Everyone went to the entrance to welcome him. Wearing a simple black T-shirt, black knee-length shorts, and a baseball cap, he raised a hand in greeting as soon as he stepped out of the minivan. "Hi, everyone."
[Aaaaaah, it's our Brother Yi!]
[Fly fearlessly, Brother Yi! Your fans will bravely follow!]
[Director, I forgive you for letting Xiao Ziyao leave.]
[Hahahahaha, everyone changed their tune so fast!]
[Same reminder as always: Brother Yi, remember to stay away from Su Tangtang! Don't let her use you for clout!]
What happened in the live comments was one thing; what happened at the scene was another.
Qi Zhaoyi apparently knew Chen Sinian. When Chen Sinian saw him, he walked over and shook his hand.
The two exchanged a "Long time no see."
Then Chen Sinian introduced him to everyone else, explaining that Qi Zhaoyi had sung the ending theme for one of his earlier dramas, which was how they had met.
The others nodded, and Xue Ruyin went over to greet him too. "Brother Yi, long time no see."
Qi Zhaoyi responded with a smile. They had appeared on a variety show together before. Although they hadn't stayed in touch afterward, they did know each other.
Seeing Qiao Yufan take the suitcase his assistant had pulled from the trunk, he hurried over. "I'll take that myself."
Qiao Yufan didn't insist and handed it to him. The eight of them went inside together.
Once his things were put away, everyone suggested washing their hands and eating first. Dinner had been ready for quite a while, after all. Even in summer, it would go cold if they waited much longer, and eating cold food wasn't good for them.
Before you continue