By the time the fish soup was done, the director's assistant had arrived in the village, carrying bags upon bags of food.
Chu Xinghui took the dried shrimp and sprinkled them into the fish soup. Pei Hanmo carried the soup outside to the table that had already been set up.
"It smells so good!"
Hua Zhiyuan sniffed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Do you like fish soup?"
Qiao Tong lowered her head and asked Hua Zhiyuan.
The latter's eyes were already glued to the fish, and she nodded vigorously.
[Boohoo, how can Goddess Zhiyuan be so cute!]
[Director, just tell us the truth. Is this a travel show or a dating show? Why does everyone look paired up?]
[The start of this season is so weird, aaaaaah? This is a dating show, right? Right! It has to be!]
The director had not expected Chu Xinghui to be so capable, either. His fish soup really did look the part.
He and his assistant put the food they had bought on the table, took a photo, and posted it on Weibo.
[Let's Travel Together Official: What can we do? Apart from Chu Xinghui, everyone has to rely on the director to feed them~]
The starving group started digging in as soon as they got their chopsticks, with no time to worry about keeping up appearances.
They did not even exchange a word, just buried their heads in their food.
The cameraman beside them could not stop chuckling.
Halfway through his meal, Wen Liangtian looked up and gently poked Chu Xinghui's waist, whispering in his ear:
"Hey, how did you make that? Teach me."
Chu Xinghui raised an eyebrow and asked just as quietly:
"Why? Do you like it?"
Wen Liangtian choked up at Chu Xinghui's retort. He lowered his head, shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth, steeled himself, and reluctantly said:
"It's pretty good. You're not cut out to be an entertainer. You should be a chef.
"I want to show my dad what I can do. Just tell me if you'll help."
Then he could introduce Chu Xinghui to a job.
Chu Xinghui knew Wen Liangtian was a foolish son of a rich family. He usually looked like a porcupine, but he was really just an ambitious guy who hid his feelings behind a prickly front. Add his extraordinary obliviousness and extraordinary confidence, and it was perfectly normal for people to use him.
Chu Xinghui was just about to speak again when someone pressed a hand firmly against his waist.
The grip was strong enough to shift him a little to the side.
He turned and saw Pei Hanmo nonchalantly gnawing on his chicken drumstick, as though the hand on Chu Xinghui's body did not belong to him.
Wen Liangtian had clearly noticed the hand, too. After his careful observations that evening, he felt that Pei Hanmo was not only a fool for love, but also lusted after Chu Xinghui's body!
The thought of having lost face because of Pei Hanmo made Wen Liangtian angry.
And with how resistant Chu Xinghui looked...
Ignoring Pei Hanmo's warning look, Wen Liangtian leaned closer to Chu Xinghui:
"Hey, are you stupid?
"You're being sexually harassed!
"You need to learn to say no. Even if we're filming a show, you can't let him treat you like this!
"I see it now. So the award-winning actor likes sexually harassing his juniors. And I even said I liked him today! Be careful!"
"Complicated" no longer came close to describing how Chu Xinghui felt.
From the camera's perspective, it looked as if half his body was leaning against Pei Hanmo...
The more Wen Liangtian said, the tighter Pei Hanmo's arm held him. Chu Xinghui could not struggle free at all.
On top of that, a certain spot on the lower left side of Chu Xinghui's abdomen was rather sensi---tive. Pei Hanmo knew this very well, and every so often, his long fingers would seek out that spot and press gently against it.
It was as if he were telling Chu Xinghui not to talk to anyone else.
But he could not speak at all!
It tickled there, threads of an electric sensation creeping upward, traveling along his spine all the way to his gland. The torment left the corners of Chu Xinghui's eyes faintly red, and he nodded haphazardly to indicate that he was fine.
He clutched one side of Pei Hanmo's hem, staring fixedly at the rice in his bowl as his legs trembled uncontrollably.
[What is this?]
[What on earth is Wen Liangtian saying to Chu Xinghui? I'm dying of laughter!!]
[Baby Lan Xiangxian, I know you feel helpless sitting at the very end, but put that on hold and help me eavesdrop, thanks.]
"Don't just focus on eating," the director said once everyone had nearly finished:
"How about we play a game, or pick someone to give us a performance?"
Simply showing them eating was far too monotonous and did little for the show.
Six of the eight chose performances. Only Man Feiluan and Yuan Zhanpeng chose games.
That was because those two would definitely have to go first. Having debuted in a group, performing was unavoidable.
Man Feiluan shrugged:
"All right~ Then let Peng and me perform first~"
With that, he pulled Yuan Zhanpeng up and selected the song from their group's debut.
Pei Hanmo had already moved his hand away from Chu Xinghui's waist, but the cold sensation lingered there.
The two had not exchanged a single glance the entire time.
Wen Liangtian secretly sent Chu Xinghui a message.
[The Landlord's Foolish Son: Hey, are you really okay? Do you need me to switch seats with you?]
He was genuinely worried about Chu Xinghui... and genuinely thought Pei Hanmo was a creep.
[Chu Xinghui: I'm fine.]
There was no way Pei Hanmo liked him, either.
After all, what he had said to Pei Hanmo back then had been so final.
He could almost still hear Pei Hanmo's voice from two years ago:
"Please, wait for me a little longer, okay? I'm begging you, don't leave me..."
His voice had been choked with tears and unwillingness, his eyes red as he held Chu Xinghui tightly.
He was definitely out for revenge now!!
He wanted to embarrass him in front of everyone!
Little bastard, I've seen right through you!
Chu Xinghui felt smug that he had not embarrassed himself just now.
"Director, I'm going to change."
After Man Feiluan finished singing, Pei Hanmo stood and said he was going to change into something warmer.
In just ten minutes, the temperature had plummeted, and his body felt a little stiff.
"Sure, sure, go ahead."
The director was still delighted by the rising viewer count:
"Hurry back."
Watching Pei Hanmo leave, the director let out a sinister chuckle.
[What the hell was that sound?]
[Wait, can a human being actually laugh like that?]
[What's the director plotting now?]
"Who's next?"
The director waved his finger over the remaining five people a few times before finally pointing at Chu Xinghui:
"You."
Worried that viewers might not know Chu Xinghui, the director's assistant thoughtfully put his notable works up in the livestream.
[Sex: male Animal attribute: white fox Notable works: The School Bully's Pampered Little Sweet Wife, The Overbearing School Bully Fell in Love with Me, and other online idol dramas.]
The live chat fell silent for a moment, then began racing past a few seconds later.
[Wrong! You forgot How to Leech off Pei Hanmo's Popularity.]
[Just passing through. Genuine question: did Chu Xinghui play the little sweet wife?]
[Reporting, sir! He played the overbearing school bully!]
[Wait, seriously?]
No one could imagine Chu Xinghui playing a school bully.
Within minutes, that drama had been dug up.
In it, Chu Xinghui delivered his lines stiffly, looking embarrassed, as though the outrageous words coming out of his mouth burned his tongue.
Called on by the director, Chu Xinghui stood up in bewilderment and pointed at himself:
"Huh? Me?"
Perform after Man Feiluan? Seriously?
Having anticipated Chu Xinghui's reaction, the director walked straight over and pushed him to the spot where Man Feiluan had just sung.
"Just sing us a song. Let's give him a hand!"
To avoid being dragged up themselves, the others put down their chopsticks and clapped hard, practically wishing they could turn into six seals.
"But..."
Chu Xinghui pressed his lips together and tried to speak again, but the director thrust the microphone right in front of him.
"No buts. Any song will do."
Looking at the microphone in his hand, Chu Xinghui felt a little dizzy.
Maybe I could give it a try?
After all, it had been so long...
Before you continue