If you insist on playing hardball, skinning you alive won't be a problem

[Hahahahaha I'm fucking done. The dirty part of your brain = the joy of living.]

[I'm late! What's going on?! The Crown Prince wants Xu Su?!]

[Huo Yuchen has had his back to the camera the whole time, so we can't see his expression, but he definitely said "I want you" to Xu Su!]

[Oh no!!! Absolutely not!!! I object to this marriage!!!]

[Wait, can you stop spreading rumors?! Couldn't this just be a misunderstanding?!]

"How could it possibly be a misunderstanding!"

Inside a grand, luxurious private Manor, an elderly man over seventy sat on the living room sofa, jabbing his cane at the live broadcast on the television.

He declared in a strong, booming voice, "He clearly just said he wanted him! I heard every word!"

Secretary Cheng, standing beside him, said, "...But the young master clearly meant..."

"Meant what!"

The old man cut Secretary Cheng off and turned to the butler. "Old Mao, you tell him!"

Butler Old Mao stepped forward with a kindly smile. "Yes, the young master did indeed say he wanted him."

The old man turned back to Secretary Cheng. "See! Old Mao's hearing is better than yours!"

Secretary Cheng, who was in his prime at thirty: "...?"

The old man stood and headed toward the garden, instructing Butler Mao as he went, "Start preparing the betrothal gifts."

Butler Mao said, "Yes, sir."

Secretary Cheng: "...??"

He stood there pondering in bewilderment. A moment later, Secretary Cheng heard his young master's voice coming from the television again:

"I only wanted you to teach me how to use this hoe! What kind of delusions are you having!"

Secretary Cheng: "..."

Should I call the old master back?

...Forget it. He's probably already finished writing the invitations.

Secretary Cheng let it go, but the netizens weren't about to let this misunderstanding slide.

#Huo Yuchen suspected of falling for Xu Su at first sight#

#Huo Group Crown Prince publicly declares his feelings on variety show#

#Huo Group Crown Prince awkwardly changes the subject after his confession is rejected#

The trending list rapidly updated, and netizens quickly edited and compiled the relevant videos, uploading them to short-video platforms.

Within minutes, they had been shared well over a hundred thousand times.

At noon, Director Yu gathered everyone to sit in a circle on a patch of wasteland for lunch.

"Since this morning's land-allocation activity left us no time for an additional meal task, the production team has thoughtfully provided everyone with a free lunch-two vegetarian dishes and one meat dish!"

A crew member brought over a plastic tray holding six white foam lunch boxes.

Director Yu handed them out one by one with boundless enthusiasm.

Everyone opened their boxes once they received them: Smooth.

-Half a plain steamed bun, half a fresh green scallion, and a spoonful of minced-beef Lao Gan Ma chili sauce.

Everyone: "..."

[LMAO, redefining "two vegetarian dishes and one meat dish."]

[The production team couldn't even bear to give them a whole bun. Incredible!]

[Some boxed lunches have tiny portions, and some taste awful. Theirs have tiny portions AND taste awful. Perfect!]

After half a minute of speechless silence, everyone began speaking up-

Li Weizhou: "Are you sure this counts as two vegetarian dishes and one meat dish?"

Lu Jing: "Death-row inmates eat better than this."

Shen Chuanzhu: "I've seen ridiculous, but never anything this absurd."

Zhuang Luo: "Director, isn't this going too far? We did just spend over two hours working, you know."

Xu Su: "Amitabha. Blessings, blessings."

[He's nuts. Xu Su just made me laugh for absolutely no reason.]

[Now I finally understand why Huo Yuchen was willing to eat that custard bun this morning. I admit I was a little too loud when I cursed Xu Su out earlier. I apologize.]

Huo Yuchen, the only one who hadn't spoken, silently began eating after spending a minute "gazing lovingly" at his steamed bun.

Xu Su glanced over at him, a question mark popping up over his head: ?

He leaned closer. "You really must be hungry, Crown Prince."

"..."

Huo Yuchen turned to look at him. "Guess when we'll get our next meal?"

Xu Su picked up the scallion and began munching. "When we're on the brink of death, probably."

Huo Yuchen said nothing and looked away.

The two tacitly began digging into their "meal."

Seeing this, the others all turned to look at them.

Lu Jing: "You're really putting up with this?"

Xu Su: "What else can we do? Drag the director over and beat him up? Force him to give us more food?"

"..."

Speechless, everyone lowered their heads and prepared to dig into their "meal."

A second later, Xu Su suddenly added, "Actually, that might work."

Everyone: ???

The cameraman and PD beside them: ???

The netizens: ???

Back at the production team's base, Director Yu was happily enjoying a genuine meal of three meat dishes and two vegetable dishes.

He smacked his lips over the fragrant stir-fried meat, chewing the soft, sticky rice, completely oblivious to the approaching danger...

Three seconds later! His eating abruptly stopped! At the same time, his expression turned utterly terrified!

-Something sharp was pressed against his neck!

An ominous, threatening voice sounded behind him. "Don't move!"

Director Yu: ?!

A robbery?!

"W-w-w-what do you want?!"

He frantically questioned the person behind him.

But the person behind him didn't answer directly, instead letting out a sinister, terrifying laugh. "Hehehehehehehehehe..."

"!!!"

Director Yu was instantly terrified. Afraid he would lose his life right here, he hurriedly said:

"W-w-what do you want?! Tell me! I'll give you anything!"

"Which show do you want to get on?! Or which producer's bed do you want to get into?!"

Xu Su, behind him: ???

I can ask for all that???

He raised an eyebrow at Huo Yuchen. "If I only ask for four boxed lunches now, will I look like a fucking idiot?"

"..."

Huo Yuchen's gaze darkened for an instant.

Giving Xu Su a cool, sidelong look, he said to Director Yu, "Four normal boxed lunches. Hand them over."

Director Yu's first reaction was: Huh?! This is a group operation?! Even the Crown Prince is involved?!

His second reaction was: Huh?! Their demands are that low?! They only want boxed lunches?!

With no time to think much more, he hurriedly agreed, pointing toward a nearby storage table. "There, there! They're all over there!"

Xu Su waved a hand. "Number Four! Go!"

Lu Jing eagerly scampered toward the lunch boxes. "OK! Here I come!"

Director Yu, sitting on the ground: "...?"

Where did this monkey come from?

After they got the lunches, Xu Su crouched down and leaned close to Director Yu's ear, saying eerily:

"Director Yu, we sent all the cameramen off to one side. The audience won't know what just happened. Consider that us letting you save face."

"So remember to repay our kindness a hundredfold. No making things difficult for us in the tasks later, understood?"

"Of course, if you insist on playing hardball, skinning you alive won't be a problem."

"..."

Ten thousand curses stampeded through Director Yu's mind.

[What are those four whispering about with the director? Didn't they say they were going to drag him over and beat him up? Why aren't they hitting him?]

[No idea. They probably changed tactics and swapped "beating" for "begging."]

[Why does Xu Su keep holding that rotten leaf? And why does he keep pressing it against the director's neck?]

[No idea. He's probably scratching an itch for the director.]

[Why did Lu Jing suddenly run out of frame? And why was he waving his arms around like a monkey fresh off Flower-Fruit Mountain?]

[No idea. He probably has fleas.]