The beam from Wen Nuannuan's flashlight landed squarely on Si Chen's face. Under the brilliant white light, the redness and swelling on his face were especially obvious, even a little frightening.
The director had never expected Shen Ting to cause such a huge fiasco during a simple mushroom-picking activity. He hurriedly blew the whistle to end it and sent the staff into the woods to bring everyone out.
Si Chen felt his mouth growing increasingly numb, until he finally lost all feeling in it.
Shen Ting hefted the clapping hand in his hand. "I misjudged it."
Huh? Everyone turned to look at him in disbelief. Even the viewers froze. Was that something Shen Ting would say? Had the sun risen in the west today?
Hearing Shen Ting's words, Si Chen's anger subsided a little. Putting on airs, he took a few steps toward Shen Ting.
Beside them, Su Yu's eyes darted as he heard what sounded like an apology from Shen Ting. Whether he was apologizing or not, as long as Su Yu made it a fact, Shen Ting would be the one in the wrong.
"Ting, I'm sure Si Chen will forgive you if you apologize sincerely." Su Yu walked over to Shen Ting with a smile.
"What apology?" Shen Ting was carefully wiping the clapping hand in his hand. He had only just looked up when he heard that load of nonsense. Sure enough, the woods were so small that any old bird could come out and squawk nonsense.
"Weren't you apologizing to Si Chen? Ting, don't be embarra-"
Before Su Yu could finish, Shen Ting stopped in front of a large tree and looked up at its branches.
"Why did you stop?" Meng Yun, who had been walking behind Shen Ting, saw him standing still and staring at the tree and gave him a puzzled look.
"I'm taking another look to see whose sow was so determined that she actually climbed a tree." Shen Ting looked up with an utterly serious expression.
"Wh-what does that mean?" Meng Yun scratched his head blankly.
"Are you an idiot? He means he'll apologize to Si Chen when pigs climb trees." Arms folded, Bai Yuanyuan looked at the big oaf beside her with an expression of exasperation.
"Sheng Ting!" Si Chen bellowed, his face livid, mangling Shen Ting's name.
"Don't shout at me. I've been afraid of dogs since I was little, especially dogs as big as you that still can't understand human speech." Shen Ting covered his ears and gave him another disgusted look.
"You..." Si Chen panted heavily with rage.
Su Yu silently cursed Si Chen's uselessness, then turned to Pei Ming beside him. He suddenly realized that Pei Ming seemed to have been distracted ever since they had met up.
The director hurried over with a doctor. The doctor took Si Chen into the RV, and Su Yu followed.
"Now that those two are gone, my ears can finally get some peace."
The director had only just turned back when he heard Shen Ting's heartfelt remark. He rubbed his temples with a headache. He really did love and hate this kid: he loved the traffic Shen Ting brought his variety show and hated how he never played by the rules.
The director put their baskets of mushrooms on the scale. Seeing his own weight far ahead of the others, Shen Ting curled his lips in satisfaction. Three jin. Sorry, first place is mine.
But twists always came without warning. Before Shen Ting could finish congratulating himself, a dark horse suddenly appeared before him.
Shen Ting stepped forward in disbelief and carefully checked the weight on the scale. Three jin and one liang? Seriously? Just one liang more?
Unwilling to accept it, Shen Ting looked up to see who had actually overtaken him at the last moment.
Yan Yi stood in front of Shen Ting and flashed a V sign with a smile. "Surprised? Didn't see that coming, did you?"
"Oh, I'm so surprised. I really didn't see that coming!" Shen Ting said through gritted teeth.
"It's okay. Your big brother will definitely pick you tomorrow." Yan Yi smiled at Shen Ting's disgruntled expression. His mood was absolutely soaring. A little hamster with its fur bristling really was even cuter.
"Well, thank you very much."
"You're welcome."
[Hahaha, Shen Ting is exactly as miserable now as he was smug a moment ago.]
[What does Yan Yi mean by that? Is he going on a one-on-one date with Shen Ting tomorrow? Spring has come for the shippers.]
[Yan Yi: I want to be your big brother. Shen Ting: Bro! Yan Yi shook his head meaningfully: Not that kind of brother.]
[I know the answer to that one above. It's what you call him in bed.]
[I'm looking forward to tomorrow more and more.]
The next morning was the final day of filming for the show's first episode.
Everyone had packed their luggage and just finished breakfast when the director walked over with a megaphone.
"I'm sure you all know what we're doing today. That's right, today we'll be having the final activity of our first episode: dates in pairs."
"Before the dates begin, we need to decide the pairings. First, yesterday's mushroom-picking winners were Yan Yi and Wen Nuannuan. You two have priority in choosing your dates. Now, please tell us who you'd like to invite." The director looked at them.
"I choose Shen Ting."
"I want to choose Shen Ting."
Yan Yi and Wen Nuannuan spoke at the same time.
[Uh-oh, how's this going to work? They actually picked the same person.]
[We forgot about Wen Nuannuan. She's the real badass who confessed as soon as she arrived.]
[Wen Nuannuan: As long as the person I like hasn't confessed to anyone, I still have a chance.]
[Female alpha mode activated ◔.̮◔✧]
[I imagined neither of them choosing Shen Ting, but I never imagined both of them choosing him.]
[Shen Ting looked bewildered: Me?]
Everyone turned their eyes to Shen Ting, who was drinking strawberry milk.
Shen Ting tilted his head in confusion.
Su Yu dug his fingernails hard into his palms with envy. He should have been the one everyone was fighting to choose. How had it become that idiot Shen Ting? Once filming for this episode ended, he would have to have a good talk with the Production Team and try to get these incorrect behaviors straightened out during the next episode's filming.
"Heh!" Yan Yi laughed in exasperation, turned around, and looked down at Wen Nuannuan beside him, who had neither right nor confidence on her side.
Refusing to back down, Wen Nuannuan rose onto her tiptoes and tried her best to straighten up. What are you looking at? Never seen a beauty before?
Round one!
"I remember Shen Ting already turned you down explicitly." Yan Yi folded his arms.
"Well, he hasn't said yes to you either." Wen Nuannuan planted her hands on her hips.
Round two!
"I already arranged it with him last night." Yan Yi looked down smugly at Wen Nuannuan.
"Well, he hasn't said yes to you either." Refusing to concede, Wen Nuannuan rammed him with a headbutt.
After two rounds, the two were still staring fixedly at each other.
"Give up. You and he will never work out." Yan Yi reached out again and pressed his hand against Wen Nuannuan's forehead.
"I-I can top for him!" Wen Nuannuan shouted.
The director's eyes widened, and he crossed his hands into an X over and over. Please stop this topic right here. He was afraid the livestream would get shut down.
"Heh, you, a top? Do you think you're some tall, commanding beauty? With your height, a pair of boots would hide your knees. Go play somewhere else, little sister." Yan Yi lifted Wen Nuannuan again and deposited her in Bai Yuanyuan's arms.
"Aaaah! Yan Yi, you dog, you've gone too far!" Wen Nuannuan struggled wildly, then looked up and met Bai Yuanyuan's eyes.
"Hmm?" Bai Yuanyuan tilted her head.
Wen Nuannuan looked down at Bai Yuanyuan's feet, planted firmly on the ground, then at her own little feet dangling slightly above it, and swung them from side to side.
The stray tuft of hair on Wen Nuannuan's head, which had bristled with anger, instantly drooped like a frostbitten eggplant.
Before you continue