Before Si Chen could react, the assistant director hurriedly stepped in front of Shen Ting.
"You can't, Mr. Shen. We're filming an outdoor date for two today. You two can't split up." The assistant director was glad he had come along today, or this pair might have broken apart.
Seeing Shen Ting's indifferent expression, the assistant director quietly tugged at his sleeve, leaned toward his ear, and lowered his voice.
"Besides, weren't you the one who told us before the show started that you wanted to be paired with Best Actor Si? Now that you're paired up, why don't you want to film anymore?"
"Me?" Shen Ting pointed at himself in disbelief. Oh, no, that probably hadn't been him. To be precise, it must have been the original owner of this body.
"Exactly." Seeing that Shen Ting remembered, the assistant director slapped his thigh, exasperated at his failure to seize the opportunity. The chance had been delivered right to his doorstep.
"Well, that makes things difficult." Shen Ting lowered his head, pretending to be troubled.
"Not difficult at all. There's still a chance if you turn back now." The assistant director all but turned Shen Ting around himself.
"You want me to film with him that badly?"
"Of course. We're a dating show."
"No matter what happens?" With his head lowered, the corners of Shen Ting's mouth rose eight degrees.
"Of course. As long as you take filming seriously, I won't stop you from doing anything. I swear, if I stop you, I'll... I'll let you do whatever you want with me." The assistant director looked exceptionally earnest.
"Good. You said it." Shen Ting nodded. With that promise, he could openly reduce the chances for his simp of an older brother to interact with Su Yu.
"Let's go." Shen Ting turned and returned to Si Chen's side.
Seeing Shen Ting turn around and come back to him, Si Chen curled his lips. Hadn't he come trotting right back after all? Sure enough, I'm just too charming.
Shen Ting stared speechlessly at the romantic lead who had suddenly started grinning like an idiot. He really ought to let those fans see just what sort of thing they worshipped.
Shen Ting walked past Si Chen into the little park. The park wasn't large at all; it was tiny. Most of its attractions were for children, like fishing for little fish and painting piggy banks. The few games for adults were childhood classics too: shooting balloons, ring toss, throwing beanbags, and tossing rings around geese.
Shen Ting picked up the toy gun on the table before him and hefted it. He had often played with these in his previous life. When he was little back then, he hadn't had much money and couldn't afford tickets to big parks, so he would play these roadside games when he visited the market.
In his previous life, Shen Ting had even had a special nickname at that county town's market: the Ring-Toss Little Prince. He couldn't claim a perfect hit rate, but landing eight out of ten throws was easy.
As a result, many market vendors would spot him and even offer him money just to keep him away. A large plush toy could normally sit at a stall for a month, but once Shen Ting arrived, it would be gone in minutes.
Si Chen came back to his senses and raised an eyebrow at the toy gun in Shen Ting's hand. "Shooting takes skill."
Shen Ting gave Si Chen a sidelong glance. "So does being a decent human being. I can tell you're not very skilled."
"Shen Ting, got the guts to compete?" Si Chen had been about to curse, but he suddenly noticed the camera beside them with its red light on and silently swallowed his words. Looking at the toy gun before him, he came up with a better idea.
Shen Ting laughed at Si Chen's words. "Sure, but we ought to have something riding on it, right?"
"If I win, you have to apologize to Su Yu in front of the viewers when we get back," Si Chen said as though it were only right.
"Fine. And if I win, you have to call me Big Daddy in front of everyone here."
"Fine." Si Chen ground the word out through gritted teeth.
The assistant director nodded from the sidelines. Is Mr. Shen planning to go easy on him later? This kind of love, where you're willing to lose to the other person, is exactly what our dating show needs. Mr. Shen, I get you.
[Are they competing? Aaaah, I'm getting excited!]
[Shen the cancer is definitely losing. Our Mr. Si revealed on another variety show that he's studied shooting.]
[Waiting for Shen Ting to get slapped in the face.]
[Go, Mr. Si! Su's fans will always support you. Make Shen Ting apologize to our baby Su Yu.]
[I have a feeling things never go the way we expect.]
[You're not alone there.]
The two got ready and leaned over the table.
Bang, bang, bang! The balloons on the boards rapidly dwindled.
Si Chen curled his lips. With only one balloon left, he lifted his head and glanced at Shen Ting beside him.
"You might as well admit defeat."
Bang!
Shen Ting raised his head after firing his last shot. "What dog is barking? And why does it sound so awful?"
"You!" Furious, Si Chen lowered his head, ready to finish him off.
But when he took aim, he discovered there wasn't a single balloon left on his board.
"What happened?" Si Chen looked at the stall owner in disbelief.
"Looking for your balloon? I thought you couldn't hit it, so I took care of it for you while I was at it. Isn't it time to announce the results, boss? I'm still waiting to claim my dear son." Shen Ting beckoned to the owner.
"Mr. Shen popped twenty-two balloons in total, and Mr. Si popped eighteen." The owner shook his head as he spoke. Mr. Si had already been one balloon behind Mr. Shen, yet he had actually stopped at the end. At first, the owner had thought Si Chen knew he was losing and had given up. Who would have thought he had only stopped to taunt his opponent?
[Is this a live-action version of the tortoise and the hare?]
[Where are Si Chen's fans? Weren't you just thumping your chests and saying your Mr. Si would definitely win? Why aren't you talking now? Gone mute?]
[Screen recording on standby. Next trending topic: the iconic moment a best actor calls someone Daddy.]
[Just thinking about it is exciting.]
Reading the comments, the assistant director pressed his right thumb into the groove above his upper lip. I'm done for. A perfectly good dating show has turned into a family reunion. Who could possibly have it worse than us?
"Come on, son. Your Big Daddy is ready." Shen Ting sat on a nearby chair, perfectly at ease.
Si Chen clenched both hands tightly. His mouth opened and closed as if he had suddenly lost his voice.
"Big Daddy."
"Yes, son."
Si Chen turned to leave, but the assistant director stopped him in time. Even if this is a family reunion show, I still need both of you. Neither of you is leaving.
Si Chen composed himself and returned to the camera. Suddenly noticing Shen Ting looking at the flock of geese nearby, he sneered. "Don't even think about it. Didn't you see those people use a whole pile of rings without catching a single one?"
"Oh, is that so? What if I catch one, then?" Shen Ting once again smiled at his dear son beside him.
"You? If you can get a ring around one, I'll go in and catch it for you myself."
"You'll catch however many I ring?"
"Yes. However many you ring, I'll catch."
"Good. Deal. Let's go." Shen Ting strode toward the old man holding the rings.
[Si Chen, you fool!]
[Wait, why are you all so sure that flop Shen can land a ring?]
[I don't know whether he can, but I do know that when Shen Ting smiles, Si Chen's fate hangs in the balance.]
[Well put.]
Shen Ting bought ten rings, stood outside the red line, and quickly threw one as he watched the geese running back and forth before him.
"Wow!!!" The adults and children watching laughed in surprise and clapped excitedly. His very first throw had landed.
Si Chen stared darkly at the goose with the green ring around it. Couldn't you have run a little faster?
Shen Ting pressed his advantage. Watching the flock run toward him, he quickly tossed several more rings.
This time, four rings missed, but one still landed.
"Honk, honk, honk..."
"That handsome guy is so good!" A little boy nearby sat on his father's shoulders, laughing and clapping.
Looking at the last four rings in his hand, Shen Ting decided to take a gamble and throw all four together.
Shen Ting picked his moment and flung them out in one go.
"Honk! Honk..." The startled geese scattered in every direction, but two still ended up ringed. One large white goose had two rings around it.
The old man holding the rings beside the geese wasn't angry; instead, he beamed. He had been running this stall here for two months. To be honest, he had earned quite a bit, but nobody had managed to ring a single goose. Although this young man had caught rather a lot this time, it also indirectly showed that he hadn't rigged anything, so future customers could play without worrying. Just look-the game wasn't even over, and more than half the rings in his hand were already gone.
Shen Ting stretched as he surveyed his results, then made an inviting gesture toward Si Chen.
Veins bulged on Si Chen's forehead, but he still stepped over the fence before him.
The geese immediately started honking at the sight of a stranger. Some bold ones even went straight for Si Chen's backside with their beaks.
One pecked, then two, then the entire flock joined in, creating a unique spectacle in the park.
"Ah!" Si Chen ran around in a bedraggled panic as they chased him, covered in feathers and goose crap.
"Honk, honk, honk..."
"Honk, honk, honk, honk, honk, honk..."
In the end, the old man beside them couldn't bear to watch anymore. He entered the enclosure, caught four geese, tied their feet, and handed them to Si Chen.
Shen Ting clapped in satisfaction. "Beautiful. Perfect. Time to head home."
Looking at the filthy, disheveled Si Chen before him, the assistant director's knees went weak. Forget it. Forget it. Let's go back and tell the chief director this show is already ruined.
Before you continue