By the time they finished picking the first basket of mushrooms, Nan Qing had noticeably slowed down.
For this task, Xi Juan was purely there to provide a pretty face.
Nan Qing asked him for his basket, picked through its contents, and tossed out more than half.
But the production team had been rather crafty. The area they had marked out for picking was only so large, and with Nan Qing's limited knowledge of poisonous mushrooms, there was no way he could fill two baskets.
That meant he had to find the nonpoisonous mushrooms among a large number he could not identify.
Nan Qing unconsciously pressed his lips together, making his full, soft lips even redder.
"Give me a hand, Teacher Xi."
He looked up at Xi Juan, whose peach-blossom eyes held a smile.
"With what?"
Sunlight filtering through the gaps fell across the youth's face, turning his clear, dark eyes into flaxen glass. Light and shadow played over his nose and lips, making him look like a stunningly beautiful boy who had torn his way out of a comic.
Unfortunately, that excessively beautiful face turned toward Xi Juan, and his red lips parted.
"I'm not sure whether these remaining mushrooms are poisonous either..."
Xi Juan's pupils widened, and laughter filled the bullet comments.
"Hahahaha, is Nan Qing planning to have Best Actor Xi test the poison himself?"
"Wow, I've seen plenty of living bodhisattvas, but this is my first time seeing a living King of Hell!"
"I'm not asking you to test them yourself."
Nan Qing explained, pointing toward the nearby stream where they had washed their baskets.
"Can you catch fish? If you can, catch a few more."
Xi Juan took off his jacket and rolled up his trouser legs. He worked out regularly and had an excellent figure and proportions-even catching fish looked better when he did it.
The two worked in perfect sync through the latter half. After selecting their mushrooms and having a local farmer check them, they actually became the first pair to return to the task announcement point.
Director Xu gave Nan Qing a thumbs-up. At the same time, to dispel any suspicion that he had provided a script, Xu Zhen took the initiative.
"Would you like to share some mushroom-picking tips with everyone, Teacher Nan Qing?"
Nan Qing waved at the camera, his smile radiant.
"If you'd like to experience picking things in the wild, bring gloves and boots, then head to the shady side of a hill, somewhere damp, or beneath pine trees. If you're worried about bites, you can bring mosquito repellent."
"And don't touch your mouth, nose, or eyes while picking mushrooms. Of course, the most important thing is learning to tell them apart. To be safe, stick to a few easily identifiable, nonpoisonous varieties, and stay away from kinds you don't recognize."
"Aaaaaah, baby, you're such a sweet, lovely baby!"
"Nan Qing's smile is so sweet! Does anyone get what I mean? He feels so relaxed and open. He's truly dazzling!"
"Doesn't everyone online say Nan Qing has a bad temper and acts like a diva? But he's clearly so gentle. He even told us to keep our distance!"
Nan Qing smiled especially sweetly at the camera. Xi Juan's gaze settled on him, and he suddenly added a question.
"Did that friend of yours teach you this too?"
Nan Qing's eyes curved.
"Of course. I'm borrowing someone else's knowledge to offer you a gift here. This is all my friend's experience too."
Director Xu happily stirred the pot.
"We've only been filming for half a day, and this friend has already come up twice. He must be a very important friend, right?"
"Could this friend be watching our livestream right now?"
In front of the screen, a handsome, cool-featured man lifted his phoenix eyes.
The treasure he cherished in his palms was smiling warmly.
"No, he's very busy with work, and he doesn't like watching entertainment shows."
"Of course, if he really is here-"
The beautiful young man on the screen curved his eyes.
"I hope he won't always be so busy, or keep such a stern face all the time. I hope he'll be happier."
Huo Yuzhou looked momentarily stunned. His refined phoenix eyes seemed to cross countless mountains and rivers, thousands upon thousands of years.
Within the boundlessness of time, he saw a tiny child like a glutinous rice dumpling, wearing a newsboy cap and fashionable plaid overalls, standing out of place on a rutted dirt road in the autumn countryside.
Amid the piercing cries of suonas and yellow paper fluttering across the sky, the child held him, who had lost his very last relative in the world.
The child raised his dark, round eyes, his voice bright and clear.
"Brother Yuzhou, don't be scared."
He tried hard to wrap his short, chubby little hands around his arm, speaking like a little adult.
"Brother Yuzhou, I'll take you home and grow up with you."
"Grandma's watching you from heaven too. Don't always hide away and cry by yourself. Be happier..."
In the spacious, simply furnished CEO's office, the handsome man's lips curved, but he could not stop his eyes from reddening.
Not long after Nan Qing and Xi Juan returned, Yu Xingyan and Professor Chen came back too.
Yu Xingyan energetically showed his biceps to the livestream camera. The scholarly Professor Chen had mud on his trouser legs, but his smile was even brighter.
They chatted for a while and waited a long time before Lin Tang and Bai Ruanruan finally arrived.
Unlike when the tasks had first been handed out, Lin Tang did not look happy this time. Bai Ruanruan clutched his wrist and apologized to him with a delicate, frail expression.
"I'm really sorry, Teacher Lin. I really wasn't deliberately avoiding work. I didn't want to hurt my wrist either..."
In front of the camera, he looked troubled, then turned to the others for help.
"I've caused everyone trouble and held you all back. I'm really sorry..."
Lin Tang's voice was stiff. "It's fine. Be more careful next time."
With the morning's tasks over, Nan Qing and Xi Juan each received a badge.
Meanwhile, the six of them piled together all the prizes awarded after their completed tasks were checked, inspecting the supplies they had obtained.
A few sweet potatoes, a bunch of leafy greens, half a basket of mushrooms, a strip of pork belly, a pile of potatoes, and a basin of rice.
"Looks like we'll have to cook outdoors. Which of us can cook?" Professor Chen asked.
They all exchanged looks, but Xi Juan was the first to respond.
"I can't cook, but I can help with the prep."
Seeing Xi Juan speak up, Bai Ruanruan hurried to chime in.
"Me too! I can help too!"
With no one to take the lead, Professor Chen volunteered to make lunch.
Nan Qing went out carrying two baskets. Bai Ruanruan glanced at him, then continued edging closer to Xi Juan.
"Teacher Xi, is there anything I can help you with?"
With his sleeves rolled up as he sliced the pork belly, Xi Juan glanced at him with a faint, ambiguous smile.
"Aren't you injured? Go get some rest."
Bai Ruanruan's face heated. He felt that his little trick had been exposed and was too embarrassed to keep shamelessly lingering there.
But when he looked around, Yu Xingyan had never gotten along with him, Lin Tang was unbearably fussy, and it was very hot where Professor Chen stood at the makeshift stove. Bai Ruanruan did not want to go over there at all.
After much consideration, Bai Ruanruan decided to seek some attention from Nan Qing.
Before long, however, a startled cry came from the stream. Worried that something had happened, those helping with the meal all rushed over.
Beside the stream, a woven bamboo basket lay tipped over on the ground. Bai Ruanruan's fingers trembled as he shouted at Nan Qing.
"Why are you killing fish? This little fish grew this big living freely in the river, and you're going to kill it as soon as you arrive. Don't you think you're being too cruel?"
"All lives are equal. Why are you taking away its right to live? Nan Qing, you're so cold-blooded!"