Asta had talked a good game, but the moment they entered, he slipped away to the third floor to look for liquor. Zheng Yu went with him.
He was kept on a tight leash at home. Now that he had finally gotten out, he naturally wanted to indulge in everything he liked.
Xie Jiali offered to help Shi Zhou carry things. "What should we buy first?"
Shi Zhou looked up and found the sign for the fresh vegetable section, quietly complaining to Xie Jiali along the way. "That kid. I suspect he brought us to this supermarket just to buy the liquor he likes."
Xie Jiali smiled and ruffled his hair.
"How old are you yourself, calling someone else a kid?"
Shi Zhou had started school early and skipped a grade in elementary school, making him about two years younger than most of his classmates.
Shi Zhou's Observation Haki kicked in, and he felt a burning gaze on his back. One of the two cameramen following them was actually behind him, grinning widely behind the camera.
"...What are you doing?" Shi Zhou's ears reddened. He covered his head and ducked farther away. Didn't he have any dignity to preserve?
Besides food and drinks, Xie Jiali had also picked out two kinds of throat-soothing candy from a display near the entrance. Apparently, he could sing Ancient Earth opera too. Shi Zhou whispered to the system.
[He's practically the perfect protagonist. Who could possibly not like him?]
Good-looking, from a good family, multitalented, and with a career of his own. Being friends with someone like him was wonderful, Shi Zhou thought.
System: [...]
Watching the man pick out fruit as though he were starring in a romantic drama, he joked, "If I were a girl, I'd fall in love with you, Jiali."
Xie Jiali smiled and casually dropped some ximu fruit and cherries into the basket. "Are these two okay? They're sweet and tart. Really tasty."
"Anything's fine." Shi Zhou was picking things off another row of shelves.
"You're the chef. You get to decide what we buy."
The title made Shi Zhou laugh. At home, his parents and younger sister would butter him up with the same title whenever they wanted him to cook.
Hearing it from Xie Jiali felt different somehow.
He turned around, saw what was in the cart, and exclaimed in delight, "You like these two fruits too!"
"Yes. I don't like anything too sweet."
Shi Zhou nodded, looking as though he wished he had met Xie Jiali sooner.
"Same here. But let's pick out a few more kinds and see what everyone else wants."
Watching the footage coming back from the supermarket, the production team could think of only one thing: a frog slowly boiling in warm water.
The control room was a mess, with equipment and props scattered everywhere.
The guests' names were written and circled in marker on the whiteboard to the left.
Originally, "Shi Zhou" and "Zheng Yu" had been placed in the farthest corner, while "Lin Yuxi" was in the second ring.
Past experience suggested that neither the guests nor the audience would dislike a sweet-looking girl who was good with words, like Lin Yuxi. Whatever the final outcome, she would not be given the cold shoulder at the start. That had gone just as the production team expected.
But before the first episode had even ended, "Shi Zhou" had already moved a little inward from the outermost edge, which was somewhat unexpected.
Originally, Shi Zhou had been brought in to create an explosive early conflict with Xie Jiali...
Now, there was no conflict, but there were plenty of explosive moments.
Director Zhang held a large porcelain mug filled with strong tea. With the first episode just getting underway, the production team had to stay on top of things, working practically around the clock. It was grueling.
He took a sip of tea, thought for a moment, and said to Cheng Lu:
"First thing tomorrow morning, do another individual interview with Shi Zhou. Have him come see me while you're at it."
The implications went well beyond a simple interview.
Cheng Lu was surprised. "Director, is that really necessary?"
Director Zhang said nothing and gestured for her to look at the footage.
On-screen, Shi Zhou and Xie Jiali looked warm and harmonious together. Having finished choosing their liquor, Asta and Zheng Yu came over to find them.
Asta bent down and half draped himself over the shopping cart's handle. His jawline was sharp and defined, his thin lips curved upward as he spoke in a slightly exaggerated tone.
"Wow, look at all these goodies. We're in for a feast tonight. I can hardly wait."
In truth, there was hardly any delicacy Asta hadn't tried. He was simply very good at making people feel appreciated.
Shi Zhou smiled and tossed the seasonings in too. "I can cook all kinds of dishes. Leave tonight to me."
Asta stayed where he was, looking up at Shi Zhou's face. Shi Zhou was intently reading some ancient Huaxia packaging, its colorful design and jumble of words enough to give anyone a headache.
So Asta shifted his gaze back to Shi Zhou's face. After watching him for a moment, he suddenly broke into a grin.
"Zhou, could you teach me to make a few Huaxia dishes?"
Shi Zhou gave him a questioning look. Bathed in warm light, his cheeks and clothes looked soft and fuzzy, his eyes round with apparent surprise that Asta was interested in cooking.
Seeing him like that, Asta inexplicably felt like a traveler who had been walking for a very long time, only to have some place in his heart suddenly filled to bursting.
Shi Zhou was different from everyone he had known before.
His smile widened despite himself. His careless movements wrinkled his suit, his posture lazy and casual as he said with an air of coolness:
"I can teach you how to mix cocktails."
Shi Zhou felt helpless. Why was Asta trying the tricks he used on young girls on him? He wasn't falling for it.
Xie Jiali lifted a large fruit basket to put it in the cart. "Excuse me. Could you move over?"
Asta gave an offhand response and straightened up in front of Shi Zhou, but that still didn't interrupt his conversation. He moved around and drew even closer to him, youthful energy radiating from his rakishly elegant suit.
"My favorites are mint juleps and depth charges, but I think a Spring City Sling would suit you. It has lots of fruit juice, sweet and tart."
It did pack quite a punch afterward, though.
His skin was like warm jade. Once a drink flushed it red...
Asta kept circling him, talking nonstop.
So annoying.
Xie Jiali turned his head and called from up ahead, "Zhouzhou, we've bought shrimp. What vegetables should go with it?"
Hearing Xie Jiali's voice, Shi Zhou smiled and hurried over. "Let me see..."
As soon as Shi Zhou was called away, Asta straightened, his gaze cooling a little.
With his hands in his pockets, he walked slowly behind them alongside Zheng Yu.
He had broad shoulders and long legs, standing at 192 centimeters, yet his proportions kept him from looking ungainly. His striking looks made passersby sneak glances at him from time to time.
But he didn't look at anyone else. He only glanced again at the two people huddled close together ahead, smiled, then doubled back to buy a whole heap of things.
He had changed his mind now. The production team was right. He needed to put in some real effort.
Off-camera, Director Zhang watched Xie Jiali, gentle as jade and every inch the refined gentleman.
Tsk, tsk. In real life, Xie Jiali's approach would work best on Shi Zhou. Slowly boil the frog, gradually get him used to your presence, then confess when the time was right.
It really did suit someone as oblivious as Shi Zhou, who wouldn't budge unless prodded, and even then only moved a little.
Unfortunately, this was a fiercely competitive dating show. The guests only had a month, and the group consisted of more than just the two of them.
Besides, was settling down so early really in keeping with the tone of their Heart-Pounding Expedition?
Not enough drama. Not enough excitement!
Director Zhang smiled, got up, and walked over to the whiteboard himself. He erased "Shi Zhou" from the corner and wrote it near the very center, just a little off to one side.
Everyone on the production team was astonished.
"This... puts him in an even more important position than Yu Manman, whom we spent so long negotiating with." Cheng Lu sounded hesitant. After all, arranging things with Yu Manman's team had taken considerable effort.
Director Zhang rubbed his forehead and sighed thoughtfully. "Some things can't be explained. Fate and chemistry are strange things."
He had previously made quite a few films and television dramas that had won interstellar awards.
"Some people only have to stand together to create this indescribable feeling. It makes your face flush and your heart race, leaves you just a little excited."
"Others can be as beautiful as you like and put everything into a kissing scene, but it's no use. The audience still doesn't want to watch."
Director Zhang couldn't quite explain it either. But generally, when a film's leads had that sort of chemistry, the result would not be bad.
He smacked his lips and unhesitatingly drew a line between Shi Zhou's and Xie Jiali's names.
After a moment's hesitation, he connected Asta's name as well.
Whether he was right or wrong, they would find out once they stoked the flames.
Before you continue