Wang Chengran's actions weren't so much problematic as to be questionable in every way.
Those who reacted quickly had subtle expressions, while those who reacted slowly were stunned by Wang Chengran's entrance, which was like that of a beloved grandson.
Xia Zhiyi stood behind Wang Chengran, speechless for a moment.
His behavior... well, it was a bit exaggerated, but kneeling on one knee isn't a big deal. Anyway, Wang Chengran is quite unconventional, so the audience shouldn't be too surprised.
What Wang Chengran said...
It seems there's no problem; it's all well-intentioned, isn't it?
but...
Xia Zhiyi overheard Xue Ranran and Qin Yue whispering to each other, "Isn't it a bit inappropriate to say 'live to a hundred' at this time?"
She kept her voice very low.
Then, Xia Zhiyi heard Qin Yue reply, "It's okay, at least it's not being said to a ninety-nine-year-old."
Thinking about it this way, it does seem much better.
Fortunately, the elderly man and his family were warm and hospitable. After realizing what had happened, they probably saw that Wang Chengran was young and not very bright, so they happily went up to thank him and helped him up.
As for the gift Wang Chengran gave...
Upon learning that it was a gift from several guests, the host didn't open it. Instead, a middle-aged woman carried it into the room, saving them some trouble.
Then Xia Zhiyi brought forward a plate of freshly made and steamed longevity peaches, and said with a smile, "These are longevity peaches we made for you these past few mornings. It's our first time making them, so they can't compare to those sold outside. We hope you like them."
He spoke Mandarin, but the old man was hard of hearing and had spent most of his life in the mountains, so his understanding of Mandarin was not very good. His daughter-in-law, who was sitting next to him, had to help translate.
After listening Zhenzhen, the old man looked up at Xia Zhiyi. His eyes were not so clear; they were somewhat cloudy and grayish. However, he smiled broadly, waved to Xia Zhiyi, and mumbled something.
The daughter-in-law said, "Mom said, 'Good child, come here.'"
Xia Zhiyi stepped forward.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the old man slowly reached out and gently placed his hand on Xia Zhiyi's head.
Many people would instinctively reject such an action, especially young people, who don't like letting unfamiliar strangers touch their heads casually.
Logically speaking, someone Xia Zhiyi, who practices martial arts, should dislike it even more.
But Xia Zhiyi did not dodge, and the smile on her face did not change. When she noticed the old man's movements, she even squatted down and steadily supported the steamer with one hand without it wobbling.
The old man muttered something to himself, patted his head, then patted his shoulder, his eyes crinkling with laughter.
Daughter-in-law. "She likes you very much, and she also likes your gift. The steamed buns are very beautiful. You two are amazing. I hope you both live to be a hundred years old."
This was actually a reply to what Wang Chengran said earlier.
Xia Zhiyi was slightly surprised, her eyes widened slightly, and then she gave a gentle smile, "Thank you, Grandma."
Upon hearing this, the others quickly followed suit and expressed their gratitude.
Then they brought out the cake they had brought up from the foot of the mountain that morning. The hosts initially wanted to decline, since they hadn't planned to accept any gifts from the group. If it weren't for Wang Chengran yesterday...
Anyway, the host thought that sending a small box with ten longevity peaches was already very generous, but they were surprised and delighted that these young and bright city folks also bought a cake for the elderly.
However, unable to refuse, Wang Chengran on helping to place the candles, so the host family had no choice but to thank him on behalf of their elderly mother.
The birthday banquet was very lively. Some relatives from the village who lived at the foot of the mountain and friends and relatives from the town all came. Xue Ranran only then learned that the tables, chairs and benches for the banquet were borrowed from other people's homes in the village, because they usually didn't need that many.
Xue Ranran: "Wow, when I was in school I liked to read novels, and I read a ghost story that mentioned something like this. It said that in the countryside, when there were banquets, sometimes guests had to bring their own chairs. I never thought I'd actually encounter this today."
Wang Chengran also said, "Luckily, the production team wasn't so rude; they provided us with plastic chairs." Otherwise, they would have been embarrassed!
Xue Ranran: "I thought there wouldn't be many people, but I didn't expect so many to come. The elderly are very popular!"
Xia Zhiyi... Xia Zhiyi was surrounded by a group of children.
"Brother, brother, I heard you're going to university soon? Where are you going to university? Is university fun?"
"Brother, you've already taken the college entrance exam, right? Was it difficult? My sister also said she's preparing for it and won't be coming home for summer vacation."
"Brother, what kind of show are you filming? Do you play games? Can I play with you?"
"Brother, you're so handsome, even more handsome than the most handsome brother I've ever seen. Do you have a girlfriend?"
Xia Zhiyi: "..."
Xia Zhiyi fell into deep thought.
Who is it?
Who spread his situation so widely that everyone knows about it?
If someone hadn't pointed it out, even if they realized he was a student, they wouldn't have immediately suspected he had just finished the college entrance exam, right?
At first, Xia Zhiyi was also a little surprised as to why these children were running over and surrounding him, but what could he do when he had such good hearing?
He just happened to overhear a sentence or two amidst the lively chatter!
"Isn't that the kid in the yellow short-sleeved shirt? He's obviously the youngest among these celebrities, with a very student-like appearance."
"It's him! I heard he just finished the college entrance exam this year and will be going to university after filming the show..."
"University! I need to let my granddaughter get some academic exposure!"
Yes, at least half of these children were sent here by their parents!
Xia Zhiyi was somewhat helpless.
However, the children weren't there to cause trouble; they were just asking a couple of questions, and Xia Zhiyi answered them all gently.
"Go to university in Imperial Capital."
"The difficulty of the college entrance exam varies every year, so it's hard to say whether it's difficult or not. Your sister is about to be a senior in high school, right? Study hard."
"They're filming a TV show. See that camera? It's being broadcast live the whole time. Would you like to say hello to the viewers in the live stream?"
Wow! Is it being streamed live!?
As she spoke, the child, showing no shyness whatsoever, turned to look at the camera Xia Zhiyi was pointing to, her eyes sparkling, and waved enthusiastically, "Hello, older brother and sister!"
He paused, then added without Xia Zhiyi prompting him, "Hello uncles and aunts, hello grandpas and grandmas too!"
Xia Zhiyi watched with a smile; this child was quite clever.
As for asking him if he has a girlfriend...
If it were his first life, he probably wouldn't understand, and wouldn't have thought much about the question.
But now... although she's been single for who knows how many years, Xia Zhiyi has at least figured out her sexual orientation.
Social attitudes are not as conservative as they used to be, so this is not something to be ashamed of, but it is Xia Zhiyi's private matter.
But at this moment, Xia Zhiyi's best response was to remain silent.
Because there were many enthusiastic aunties there.