Xie Mi sat in her chair, happily munching on snacks. Looking at the two men before her, she couldn't help raising an eyebrow.
She had no idea which of them was her guardian angel, but having her wish granted sure felt good.
No work and free snacks-wasn't that exactly [getting something for nothing]?
[I love watching men compete over a woman. I must've been obsessed with it in my past life.]
[So Sister Xie's wish to get something for nothing came true, but which of them is her guardian angel?]
[Looking at it this way, our girl Xie Mi really is smart. That wish was genius.]
Once they finished setting up camp, the sky gradually darkened.
They set up a barbecue grill in front of the tents, brought out the ingredients they had bought at the supermarket, and officially kicked off their camping trip.
"I'll be head grillmaster!" Xie Mi rolled up her sleeves, brimming with enthusiasm.
"Denied."
Shen Yeqing pressed her back into her seat and chuckled. "Give up on cooking. Have you forgotten last time's disaster?"
Everyone else shuddered.
The horrifying footage of their mushroom poisoning had stayed on the trending list for three days. It was a painful memory none of them wanted to revisit.
"Let's have someone else do it," Liu Woxing said with a light cough.
"Who?" Qiu Chengye looked toward Xiao Jingxi and Xu Shuangrong.
Those two were the only ones who hadn't demonstrated their cooking skills. Everyone knew the other four were terrible cooks, so they could only take a gamble on one of these two.
"I'll do it," Xiao Jingxi said calmly.
He stepped forward and laid the skewered ingredients on the grill. His movements were smooth and elegant as he turned them, brushed on oil, and sprinkled on seasoning in one fluid sequence.
"So you can cook." Qiu Chengye breathed a sigh of relief.
Xu Shuangrong smiled. "In the drama we worked on together, the male lead had some scenes showing off his cooking skills. Jingxi specifically took lessons for a while to prepare."
[Ahhhh, that's Best Actor Xiao for you! He actually learned to cook just to play a chef. He's still so dedicated. I'm crying.]
[Best Actor Xiao never lets us down!]
[Our guy finally gets to show off!!]
At Xu Shuangrong's words, Xiao Jingxi straightened his back a little, though his expression remained composed.
Xie Mi clicked her tongue and calmly moved her chair back a little, then pulled Shen Yeqing back with her.
She began counting down in her head.
Three, two, one-
Whoosh!
Flames suddenly shot up from the grill. Xiao Jingxi's composed expression shattered in fright, and he fell flat on his back with a thud.
The others who had crowded too close weren't spared either. Qiu Chengye, in particular, nearly had his eyebrows singed off.
"Holy shit! Do you actually know what you're doing?!"
"Put it out!"
"Where's the water? Pour water on it!"
The scene descended into chaos.
[I hereby declare that he did not, in fact, get to show off.]
[Hahahaha, I'm dying. His fans were all ready to hype him up, and then he pulled this.]
[I knew those moves didn't look like someone who could cook. They just looked impressive. He had no control over what he was actually doing. Who pours a whole bottle of oil onto a barbecue? It would've been weird if it hadn't caught fire.]
Shen Yeqing raised an eyebrow, then leaned close to Xie Mi's ear and whispered, "Excellent foresight, Teacher Xie."
"Just thank me."
It wasn't so much foresight as Xie Mi knowing Xiao Jingxi far too well.
That insufferable poser was more interested in learning cooking moves that looked cool than in learning to cook. All flash, no substance.
In the end, they had no choice but to put Xu Shuangrong in charge. To be fair, compared with the other five, her technique did look the most reliable.
"Cooking slowly over low heat makes it harder to mess up. It'll just take a little longer."
"As long as we get to eat." Liu Woxing smiled. "You look very practiced. Do you usually cook?"
"Yes. I live alone in a rented apartment, so cooking is cheaper than ordering takeout," Xu Shuangrong said with a faint smile.
The moment she said that, comments like "my heart aches for her" and "a modern-day Cinderella" flooded the chat again.
While they waited for the barbecue, the production team kept busy too, arranging a little test for them.
"Emotional intelligence is important in a relationship. To test yours, I've prepared a question."
Director Niu took out a cue card and read:
"Your crush posts an update saying they ran into their ex on the way to the hospital. How would you reply?"
Leaning back in his chair, Qiu Chengye said dismissively, "Obviously, I'd ask what she talked about with her ex. Ideally, nothing. I don't like women who are still tangled up with their exes."
Director Niu smiled. "A perfect zero-point answer. Next."
Qiu Chengye's face darkened.
"I think the hospital is more important than the ex."
Xu Shuangrong's voice was soft and gentle. "Did he go to the hospital because he was sick? What illness does he have? I think those are the things I'd be more concerned about."
Xiao Jingxi looked at her approvingly. "Shuangrong, you're very kind."
"Is that kindness? I don't know. All I know is that, when it comes to someone I like, his well-being will always matter more to me." Xu Shuangrong smiled serenely.
The admiration in Xiao Jingxi's eyes deepened.
[That is kindness, sweetheart!]
[Waaah, my darling is the gentlest person in the whole world.]
[Xu Shuangrong just won me over. What a lovely girl.]
"I have a different answer." Xie Mi raised her hand.
"Hmm?" Director Niu instantly grew wary. "Let's hear it."
"First, there are two traps in this question. The first is using the ex to distract you so you forget he's going to the hospital. So we need to focus on the hospital. If he's going to the hospital, someone must be sick."
"That brings us to the second trap. He might not be going there for treatment himself, but to visit a sick family member. So we also need to consider the possibility that someone in his family is sick."
Even Director Niu was stunned by this point.
That was an angle even he hadn't considered. She really had thought of the details.
The others also looked at Xie Mi in disbelief.
[That's a seriously sharp angle. Holy shit, does she actually have such high emotional intelligence?]
[Incredible. I thought Xu Shuangrong's answer already deserved full marks. Who knew an even better one was coming?]
"So the correct answer is-"
Xie Mi took a sip from her can of beer and drawled, "Ask him: are you sick in the head, or is your mom?"
"Pfft-!!"
Someone sprayed out a mouthful of water, someone fell out of their chair, and someone clutched their chest, yelling that their heart hurt.
[Old Xie, you really are inexplicable sometimes.]
[Hahahahahahaha, fucking hahahahaha.]
[Even ten years of brain clots couldn't make me come up with an answer that incredible.]
[Sister Xie has some emotional intelligence, but not much.]
By the time that little interlude ended, the barbecue was ready too.
They had bought plenty of beer that afternoon, so now they could enjoy their barbecue with a few good drinks.
The nighttime sea breeze carried a chill, and the charcoal crackled in the grill. The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.
Xie Mi had worn her oversized shorts all day, and now the breeze left her knees feeling a little cold. Before she could say anything, Shen Yeqing laid a blanket over her legs.
It was warm, keeping the chill at bay.
She was just about to speak when a weight settled over her shoulders.
Xiao Jingxi had come over at some point and draped his jacket around her shoulders.
Xie Mi: "..."
Great. Here they went again.
Before you continue