Gu Wancheng and the others sat in a row, looking at the coconut crab on the table.
Gu Wancheng asked, "How should we cook it?"
Jian Yue suggested, "Steam it?"
Zhao Chengyu rejected the idea. "We don't have a pot that big."
Gu Wancheng was annoyed. I miscalculated.
After hesitating a moment, Xu Xiashi said, "How about roasting it directly over the fire?"
"That's not practical. It's too big."
Jiang Yu looked at them, a smile curling his lips, and asked, "How about chopping it into pieces and then steaming it?"
Zhao Chengyu nodded. "That's a good idea, but the shell is so hard. I don't know if we can chop through it."
Gu Wancheng clapped his hands. "Let's try first. We can figure something else out if it doesn't work."
Zhao Chengyu nodded and volunteered to pick up the knife and chop down. He put fifty percent of his strength into the blow, but it only left a tiny crack in the shell.
Gu Wancheng glanced at the crack and gave it a hard wrench, snapping off a leg.
Zhao Chengyu's eyes lit up, and he delivered a few more chops to the coconut crab's other joints.
Once they had found the right method, the coconut crab was soon chopped into pieces. The rice still needed a little longer to cook.
In the meantime, Chu Yi'an took charge of cooking, stir-frying the octopus and shepherd's purse. After washing the pot, he added some water and put the chopped-up coconut crab inside to steam.
With everything ready, they only had to wait for the rice and coconut crab to cook. They sat in a circle around the fire, and Xu Xiashi looked at Gu Wancheng and asked, "Wancheng, what made you come on a parenting variety show?"
One look at Gu Wancheng was enough to tell that he wasn't in the entertainment industry. From what he and Chaochao wore, his family was clearly anything but ordinary. She wondered why he had suddenly come on a parenting show.
[I really want to know why Chengcheng came on a parenting show.]
[Maybe he wants to enter the entertainment industry. What else could it be?]
[Would Chengcheng need a parenting show if he wanted to enter the entertainment industry? He could get more resources than he could handle.]
[Think about that villa in River Moon Bay. If Chengcheng wanted to enter the entertainment industry, wouldn't he only have to say the word?]
Gu Wancheng froze before coming back to his senses. He hadn't planned on coming, but Wen Shuyu had happened to call, and he couldn't bear to turn down her kind intentions.
Poking at the ashes in front of him with a twig, he smiled and said, "I wasn't planning to come, but Mom wanted me to come have some fun."
Jian Yue said, "Wouldn't your mom be heartbroken seeing you out here surviving in the wilderness? How is this having fun? This is practically a boot camp makeover."
Gu Wancheng laughed, his peach-blossom eyes curving. "There's a saying: since we're already here, we might as well see it through, right?"
Zhao Chengyu grinned. "Hahaha, Wancheng's right. We're already here."
[Too real. Nobody can escape those words: 'we're already here.']
[Does that mean Chengcheng won't leave? That's wonderful ＼(^▽^)／!]
[Exactly. I thought Chengcheng wouldn't come back after this installment. I was so worried I couldn't even muster any energy at work.]
[But the parenting show will end eventually.]
[Noooo! Could Chengcheng go have some fun in the entertainment industry? I'll seriously be sad if I can't see him, okay?]
Propping her face on her hands, Xu Xiashi gazed at his face, which looked like a white moonlight. "Wancheng, do you have any plans to enter the entertainment industry?"
[Sis, from today onward, you're my spokesperson!!]
Gu Wancheng quickly shook his head. "No plans, and I won't in the future either."
Enter what entertainment industry? Work what job? Refusing to work starts with me.
There was food and drink at home, and supporting him alone didn't cost much. It was a stroke of luck beyond his wildest dreams.
[What a wonderful feeling, having your heart broken. (Trying hard to hold back tears, failing, tears streaming down)]
[No~ How could this be? I must be hearing things.]
Xu Xiashi sighed and said regretfully, "That's such a shame. Your fans will cry their eyes out."
It really was a shame for a face like that not to enter the industry.
[Sis, stop. I've already cried my eyes out, okay.]
[That's the truth. Heartbreak only takes an instant.]
Gu Wancheng thought for a moment. He didn't necessarily think he had any fans, but he still said, "It's okay. They can see my updates on Big-Eyed Cat."
[Then Chengcheng, you have to post lots of photos to satisfy our cravings. Sobbing.jpg]
[Will we have to get by looking at Chengcheng's photos, with every day feeling like a year?]
[It's not that I can't accept this outcome. It just hurts a little, that's all. (つ﹏＜.)]
After saying that, Gu Wancheng suddenly turned toward the camera and made a heart gesture. "Thank you all for liking me."
[Ah! Chengcheng made a heart at me.]
[I feel like I'm suffocating. Give me more.]
Watching Gu Wancheng make the heart gesture, Chaochao asked curiously, "Daddy, what are you doing?"
"Daddy's making a heart to thank the fans for liking me."
Chaochao picked at his fingers, looking nervous. "Does anyone like me?"
"Of course they do." Gu Wancheng had great confidence in Chaochao's face. A cute little cub like him was bound to attract plenty of mom fans the moment he appeared.
[How could there not be? Chaochao is the cutest!]
[Chaochao's mom fans reporting for duty.]
[Who wouldn't love such a cute, sweet little cub?]
[Chaochao, what color sack do you like?]
Hearing the affirmative answer, Chaochao copied Gu Wancheng and made hearts toward the camera too. Hearts with both hands, double the thanks.
[Aaah! Chaochao, how are you so cute?]
Seeing this, Tongtong and the others scrambled to make hearts too. "Wow! We want to make hearts too."
Zuozuo tugged Xiaoxiao over to stand beside him. "Xiaoxiao, come make a heart."
Xiaoxiao remained expressionless, with only one word in his mind: Boring.
When Zuozuo saw that he wasn't moving, he kept calling into his ear, "Come on, come on, let's make hearts together."
Gu Wancheng looked gently at the little cubs. "Make hearts together, and we'll take a picture as a keepsake."
Zhao Chengyu nodded. "We should have a keepsake."
Gu Wancheng clapped, and the little cubs looked over. He cleared his throat lightly. "All right, come line up and make hearts."
The little cubs obediently did as they were told.
Gu Wancheng turned toward Chen Liqing, a trace of mischief flashing in his eyes. "Director Chen, could I trouble you to take a photo? Remember, one for each family."
Chen Liqing said, "..." A troublesome ancestor through and through. I've never met anyone with so many demands. Am I some kind of free tool?
With a wooden expression, he called over a cameraman to take their photos.
Chu Yi'an checked the time. "The rice is almost ready."
He lifted the lid to take a look, then poked it with his chopsticks. Everything looked fine; it should be cooked.
After reheating the stir-fried octopus and shepherd's purse, dinner was ready.
They opened a few coconuts for drinks and enjoyed the first dinner of their island trip.
Perhaps because they had made it themselves, the meal tasted especially good.
After eating and drinking their fill, they washed some wild blueberries and bubble berries for their after-dinner fruit.
[They're living pretty well. They even have fruit after dinner.]
[So is the coconut crab good or not? Why isn't anyone saying anything? The suspense is killing me.]
[It's pretty tasty. I recommend it.]
[My wallet says it's feeling weak.]
They showered in the washing facilities provided by the production crew. By the time they came out, it was dark. Stars dotted the sky, and the sound of waves crashing drifted over now and then-a sight they would never find in the city.