One moment, Ji Nanshu's smile had viewers of the livestream blurting out, "Holy shit." The next, the topics "Ji Nanshu's beauty hit me right in the heart" and "Ruicheng Media, come out and stand trial" had shot onto the trending list.
A screenshot climbed the trending list, accompanied by the poem, "Such a gentleman should only be seen in paintings; I alone know the way to him. Painted where the heavens meet the water's edge, he surely belongs not to the mortal world."
[Holy shit, who is this?!]
[Hand over his details and nobody gets hurt!]
[Go watch Ideal Life! He's a guest on Ideal Life, Ji Nanshu!!]
[Message received! Going to watch right now!]
[Ji Nanshu? Isn't that the feather duster guy? Did he get plastic surgery?]
[A plastic surgery freak? Not interested, then.]
[Plastic surgery my ass! Are you just ugly and jealous?!]
Ruicheng Media was arguably even more baffled than the netizens by Ji Nanshu's sudden appearance on the trending list. It wasn't that they were incompetent-who could have expected the feather duster, no, Ji Nanshu, to suddenly come to his senses and stop parading around with a feather duster on his head?!
To this, the masses of netizens bewitched by Ji Nanshu's beauty had only one thing to say: if you can't even manage your own artist, what good are you?!
However heated the online discussion became, Ji Nanshu couldn't possibly have known about it at that moment. Jian Yuanjia was busy urging him to finish the task.
"Nanshu! Hurry up, hurry up! We have to finish before that guy Bai Nanchen!" Jian Yuanjia really was anxious, and he really did hate Bai Nanchen.
Ji Nanshu asked very seriously, "Do you have any money?"
"I-have no money QAQ." Jian Yuanjia's hard-won competitive spirit vanished with a pop, like a balloon pricked by a needle. "Then what do we do?"
Ji Nanshu stretched. "There are still about six hours until the deadline."
Chu Mo suggested, "Why don't we look around Wuzhen first?"
Cen Yan was the first to raise her hand in agreement. She hadn't known beforehand that they would be filming in Wuzhen, so she supported the idea of taking a look around and getting to know the town with both hands raised. They would be competing on quantity in the end, not speed. Her senior brother was probably the only one who hadn't considered that at all.
Finally, Ji Nanshu offered a word of reassurance. "Don't worry. We'll finish it."
Besides its local residents, Wuzhen had plenty of tourists. Many recognized Chu Mo, Jian Yuanjia, and Cen Yan at a glance, and the bolder ones came straight up for autographs or photos, which led to a problem-
They were now trapped beside a small river in Wuzhen, unable to move.
Fortunately, the production crew proved somewhat useful. Appealing to the tourists' feelings and reason, they organized everyone for a big group photo, then dispersed them in an orderly manner.
Of course, a small number of tourists still refused to leave, but they didn't disrupt the livestream.
Just as the four were about to continue on, a little girl suddenly shot out of an alley on a skateboard, heading straight for Ji Nanshu.
"Watch out!"
Chu Mo was just about to step in front of Ji Nanshu when Ji Nanshu swiftly scooped up the child with one arm and stepped on the edge of the skateboard. It flipped a full 360 degrees in midair before Ji Nanshu pinned it back down in its original spot with his foot.
Jian Yuanjia said, "Nanshu, are you okay?!"
Cen Yan also looked at Ji Nanshu worriedly. "Mr. Ji?"
Ji Nanshu shook his head and gave Chu Mo a reassuring look before turning to the little girl.
The little girl alone was utterly fearless. Despite nearly crashing into someone and getting hurt, she showed no fear at all. Instead, she clapped with stars in her eyes and shouted, "Pretty big brother!! You're amazing!!!"
Ji Nanshu chuckled. "You mustn't ride so fast when there are lots of people around anymore, okay?"
The little girl scratched her head sheepishly. "Pretty big brother, I'm sor-"
Before she could apologize, an angry woman's voice rang out from nearby. "Yu! Niu! Niu! Are you asking for a spanking?! Didn't I tell you not to skateboard in crowded places?!"
The woman had fair skin and wore her hair in a ponytail, with a short-sleeved top and fitted trousers. At first glance, she looked very much like a fresh college graduate.
The moment Yu Niuniu saw the woman, she threw her arms around Ji Nanshu's neck, stuck out her bottom, and began howling without tears. "Aaaaaah, pretty big brother, save me! The tiger auntie is beating a child!!! Waaaaah-"
"I haven't even hit you yet!! Stop that fake crying! Don't think I won't spank you just because there are people around!" She turned to apologize to Ji Nanshu. "I'm so sorry! My name's Ji Ying. I'm her mother. I didn't keep her in line. You aren't hurt, are you?"
Strange. Why does this boy look so familiar?
"I'm fine." Ji Nanshu handed the little girl back to the woman. Meanwhile, Yu Niuniu quickly surveyed her surroundings and realized they were filming a show!
She opened her round eyes wide. "Mommy!! I'm a polite child!! I'm the one who ran into the pretty big brother!! I have to apologize to the big brothers!!"
How could Ji Ying not know what her daughter was up to? She simply didn't want a spanking.
"As if I need you to remind me!" The corner of Ji Ying's mouth twitched helplessly. She jabbed Yu Niuniu firmly in the chest with a finger, then turned and said, "It's nearly noon anyway. If the four of you... don't mind, could I treat you to lunch?"
"Yes, yes! Pretty big brothers and pretty big sister! You wouldn't turn down a child's invitation, would you?!" Yu Niuniu pressed her palms together, her eyes pleading.
She was only a five-year-old child trying to put off her spanking a little longer!
Please, save me!
Before Ji Nanshu could speak, Chu Mo answered for him. "Sure. Thank you."
"Brother Chu!! We still have a task to do!!" Jian Yuanjia said anxiously. He couldn't lose to Bai Nanchen!!
Only upon hearing this did Ji Ying belatedly realize that Ji Nanshu and the other three were filming a show. She shattered on the spot-had her whole tigress act just been recorded?!!!
Utterly suffocating. Utterly hopeless.
[Aaaaaah, Ji Nanshu is way too cool!]
[Screenshot, screenshot, screenshot everything!!]
[Hahahahaha, that little girl getting scolded looks exactly like me when my mom scolds me.]
[[doge] Who's reminiscing about the past? I won't say-hahahahahahaha.]
[Who knows if Ji Nanshu hired people to put on an act! And that little girl has no manners!]
[Exactly. Mistress Ji is definitely acting!]
[? I can understand you attacking Ji Nanshu, but attacking a child who's only a few years old? Are you idiots?]
[Am I wrong? Is skateboarding in such a crowded place okay, then?!]
[You won't admit you're an idiot. Look, you're blind too!]
[Am I seeing things? Why did I feel like Chu Gouzi was so nervous the instant that kid came rushing over?]
[Quietly shipping them a little. Chu Gouzi and Ji Nanshu kind of suit each other-looks only.]
[You up there, your ship can be obscure, but it shouldn't be cursed!]
[...I really can't trash those looks.]
But she had already offered to treat them to lunch, and there was no reason to go back on her word. Ji Ying braced herself and asked again, "Would that... work for you?"
"Yes!"
They would agree first, before the production crew could react!
The camera crew was dumbfounded: Director Yang, are you going to do anything about this?!
Director Yang, who was watching the livestream monitor: the livestream's popularity was still rising. Anyone who interfered now would be an idiot! Besides, it was just a meal someone was treating them to! What was wrong with that?!
As for certain vile comments in the chat, time to hand out the mute package!
Yet when the task deadline arrived and Director Yang saw the "delicacies" Ji Nanshu and the other three brought back, he fell into a strangely prolonged silence.