The straight guy flirted without knowing it; the rough guy listened and was easy to appease

Whether the husky had sensed Xie Huan's mood or not, it ran over too and barked nonstop at the director.

The director shrank back in fright.

But for the sake of buzz, he still steeled himself and said:

"If he doesn't know how, you can teach him! Teach him hand over hand. He'll definitely learn!"

Xie Huan yanked up the knife embedded in the cutting board and pointed its tip at the director:

"Come on, say that again. Go on."

It really did feel good to have someone stand up for him.

But Pei Tingyun didn't want Xie Huan getting into an argument with someone else over him.

Pei Tingyun gently patted Xie Huan's knife-wielding arm:

"There's no need for that. Put the knife down."

Xie Huan's taut, muscular arm stiffened, then he turned the blade away, lowered his head, and went back to chopping vegetables.

The poor cutting board, however, rang out under his blows.

As if it were taking a beating in the director's place.

Pei Tingyun saw his cheeks bulging slightly. He was clearly clenching his teeth.

Amused, he said, "Go easy. You're going to chop the cutting board to pieces. I don't want to eat wood chips."

Xie Huan glanced at him and finally eased up, slowly slicing the vegetables.

Watching his reluctant expression, Pei Tingyun narrowed his eyes:

"What, still not happy? Do you want to chop the director into filling that badly?"

A cold sweat broke out on the director as he listened.

Nobody had told him this true young master of the Gu Household had such a temper!

Filming this show could actually put his life at risk!

The director had chickened out, but he still wanted to salvage the idea of the ship cooking together:

"It's... just making a dish. No need for that, no need, okay...?"

Xie Huan glanced at the director's increasingly stiff smile.

Then he glanced at Pei Tingyun.

Finally.

He tossed the kitchen knife aside and snapped, exasperated at his lack of fight:

"So what if I'm not happy? They're picking on you, and I can't fight back? You might be fine letting them bully you however they want, but I'm not fine watching you get bullied!"

Pei Tingyun froze.

So...

Xie Huan wasn't unhappy because he didn't want to listen to him.

It was because he thought Pei Tingyun was willing to let the production team bully him?

Pei Tingyun smiled:

"Who said I was willing to let them bully me?"

Xie Huan froze too:

"You agreed to cook. Doesn't that mean you're willing to be bullied?"

Pei Tingyun said with perfect confidence:

"My cooking skills are zero. Whatever I make is bound to taste awful. I was planning to give the production team an extra meal of my dark cuisine, then livestream the whole process of them eating it on my phone."

As he spoke, he looked at the director with a warm smile and a kindly expression:

"The stream won't end until you've finished eating."

The livestream comments:

[Smiling is a courtesy, and also a warning.]

[Peipei being so lethally friendly really hits different!]

[Hahaha, did the production team get scared?]

Everyone on the production team had already started trembling.

They were just wondering how to turn down the extra meal.

When Xie Huan rejected the plan for them first. "No!"

Pei Tingyun asked in confusion, "Why?"

Xie Huan said, "With me teaching you, the food's definitely gonna taste good! Why should they get it? I'm not doing that!"

Pei Tingyun thought about it.

That wasn't impossible.

In that case...

Might as well do that instead!

Pei Tingyun suddenly leaned toward Xie Huan.

His left hand reached around behind him.

They were so close it looked as if he would pull him into a domineering CEO-style one-armed embrace around the waist the very next second.

In fact, he simply wanted to turn off the microphone Xie Huan was wearing.

That was why he was reaching for his waist pack.

Who knew Xie Huan would misunderstand?

Before Pei Tingyun's hand even touched the waist pack.

Xie Huan wrapped him in a firm hug.

Xie Huan looked thoroughly gratified:

"Well, would ya look at that! My bro Da Ting really is thoughtful, knowing to comfort me. All right, your bro's not mad anymore."

As he spoke, he even patted Pei Tingyun's back.

Pei Tingyun was utterly speechless.

He wasn't good at handling awkward situations to begin with.

Nor did he want to push Xie Huan away and embarrass him in front of everyone.

He could only go along with it inside Xie Huan's enormous bear hug.

Using the embrace as cover, he quietly switched off Xie Huan's microphone.

Then he withdrew his hand and switched off his own microphone.

Leaning close to Xie Huan's ear, he said a few things in a voice only the two of them could hear.

The kitchen was open-plan.

Everyone could see their hugging and whispering perfectly clearly.

Seated at the dining table, Gu Lin immediately turned sour:

"Why are those two having another private chat? There are only five of us, and they're still forming a clique. What's the point?"

Hearing this, number-one shipper Tang Keni shook his head repeatedly-

How was that a clique?

They were clearly a little couple!

After listening to Pei Tingyun, Xie Huan gave him an OK sign.

Pei Tingyun nodded.

Only then did he switch both their microphones back on.

Having missed their plotting yet again, the director shot fierce looks at the sound crew-

Why are you all so damn well-behaved?

Tonight, set every waist pack so they can't turn them off!!!

With their whispered conversation over.

Xie Huan continued cooking.

Pei Tingyun went back to sitting on the high stool and petting the dog.

Neither of them behaved any differently from before.

As if the director had never instructed Xie Huan to teach Pei Tingyun how to make a dish.

Behind the monitor, the director was dumbfounded.

What kind of move was this?

After waiting ages, the director finally couldn't stay silent any longer.

He picked up his megaphone again, wearing himself out over getting the ship to interact:

"Why is Mr. Xie the only one cooking? Mr. Pei needs to get moving too!"

Pei Tingyun didn't even look up:

"You said to have Xie Huan teach me to make one dish. You never said I had to be involved the whole time."

The director said, "...Then at least have him teach you!"

This time, before Pei Tingyun could say anything, Xie Huan spoke first:

"What's the rush? Ting'er's tired. Can't you let him rest a bit?"

The director said, "..."

During their afternoon ATV tour around the island, Pei Tingyun had slept on Xie Huan's back the entire way.

All he had done just now was wander around the villa looking for tools.

How could he possibly be tired?

The livestream comments:

[Xie Huan, just keep spoiling him hahaha.]

[Why'd the director go silent?]

[White Clouds and Black Soil have probably made him shut down again.]

Following the instructions Pei Tingyun had whispered in his ear, Xie Huan finished preparing the ingredients.

He wiped his hands on his apron and walked over to Pei Tingyun. "Come on, your bro'll teach you how to cook."

Pei Tingyun looked up and was about to stand.

But Xie Huan took his hand first.

With complete ease, Xie Huan held his hand and led him over to the stove.

It made Pei Tingyun feel awkward instead-

Seriously, is holding hands absolutely necessary?

I haven't accepted your feelings yet!

Xie Huan, who didn't have a romantic bone in his body, hadn't realized at all that holding hands was a signature move for couples.

He simply thought that since they had held hands when they walked together as children, there was nothing wrong with holding hands now.

After bringing him to the stove, Xie Huan said:

"Come on, your bro'll teach ya. Making good braised lion's head meatballs takes three steps altogether."

Pei Tingyun quickly withdrew his hand, ready to follow the steps.

Xie Huan said, "Step one, lift the lid off the pot."

Pei Tingyun did as instructed.

Xie Huan said, "Step two, pour these two in."