On the livestream, Shen Huaian reached out to support Lin Shuheng's waist, bringing the cleaver dangerously close to his neck. Wen Jiu's heart pounded at the sight, and he instinctively moved to stop him. The three ended up tangled together, with the suitcase about to be squeezed off the edge.
Zhang Guozhong's old legs flew through a few strides as he shouted at the top of his lungs, "For the love of-don't move! Don't move! Holy shit!"
Startled by the director's booming voice, Lin Shuheng opened his eyes a sliver.
The gleaming cleaver, fresh from cutting pork, swept past the tip of his nose.
His nose narrowly escaped disaster, but his nostrils filled with the raw, greasy smell of pork, forced into them by the swinging cleaver!
Lin Shuheng's eyes rolled back. This time, he really fainted.
With all the strength gone from his body, he was finally easier to handle. The two carefully rescued him from midair and gently laid him on the stairs.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Shen Huaian was so anxious his voice took on a tearful edge. "How is he?"
Wen Xiaojiu checked him over, found that he had only fainted, and hurriedly called the director up.
He told Shen Huaian, "He's fine. Your cleaver just scared him unconscious."
Shen Huaian said, "...Huh?"
After the whole fiasco, Lin Shuheng was taken to his room to rest. After examining him, the doctor's expression briefly turned awkward.
Why did young people these days take so little care of themselves? Did those little kinks really warrant going at it day and night?
But he didn't dare reveal anything on camera. To avoid trouble from the fans, he patiently explained:
"He's just physically weak and overworked. Add in his emotional agitation just now, and he fainted. It's nothing serious. Some rest will do. Have him eat more when he wakes up."
"And another thing." The doctor looked at the well-behaved Shen Huaian beside him. "Put the knife away next time. Don't wave it around. You could hurt someone."
Shen Huaian nodded guiltily. "I'm sorry..."
"It's all right. Just be more careful next time."
Wen Jiu assumed the livestream chat was already tearing them apart. Worried something might happen, he couldn't resist taking out his phone and asking the director for the livestream link.
Zhang Guozhong knew about his situation. Ultimately, his own lousy behavior was to blame for this too, so he went over to comfort him.
"Don't worry. This is nothing. It was a close call, but no one got hurt. The viewers won't keep harping on it. If they curse anyone out, it'll be the production team."
After all, worse accidents had happened before, and he had once paid dearly for his own rotten behavior.
He had thought it was just a little matter of carrying a suitcase. Who knew the young idol had so little stamina?
Wen Jiu turned away, lowered his head, and entered the livestream without answering.
"..."
Why did he suddenly feel a little guilty?
Zhang Guozhong blustered, "Hey, you little brat..."
Only after preparing himself mentally did Wen Jiu turn on the bullet comments, only to discover that viewers and fans were actually comforting them. A few extreme remarks appeared here and there, but they were quickly buried beneath the flood of comments.
He froze, saying nothing for a long while.
[Wifey, don't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault to begin with.]
[Hugs for my son. Poor baby, they've scared him.]
Wen Jiu: ...They haven't, thank you.
Don't even think about tarnishing your daddy's image.
[Wifey must be so upset, worrying the viewers will get the wrong idea.]
[Just a passerby, but this rookie is pretty entertaining. Don't worry, we won't misunderstand. We're just here for the fun, and we've had a great laugh.]
The fans were exhausted. [We told you, he's not a rookie. Our boy debuted seven years ago...]
Wen Jiu couldn't help laughing.
He quickly composed himself and went over to comfort Shen Huaian. He even picked up the cleaver Shen Huaian had put down and said with a smile, "Let me."
It was the perfect chance to chat with Yu Qing and the others.
"You've had a scare. Take a break."
[Passerby here. This really won me over.]
[Another passerby turned fan.]
When Feng Chi arrived at Peach Blossom Spring Village, Wen Jiu was still in the kitchen, chopping chicken with a steady thunk, thunk, thunk.
To play up the guest's "mystery," the director had originally planned to hold some sort of welcome ceremony before the meal. After all, a big shot was coming.
Who knew this big shot wouldn't follow the schedule? By the time his call came, he was already outside the village.
The production team could only huff and puff their way over to meet him.
And that led to the present scene-
A black off-road SUV glided steadily along the gravel road through the woods, with the production team's open-sided sightseeing cart trailing far behind.
To match the domineering CEO's aura, Zhang Guozhong had deliberately chosen a large, lavish black-and-gold vehicle. Fast and high-performing, the boxy, imposing cart was an entirely different setup from the one used to collect the youngsters earlier. It even had imitation leather sofas.
Yet beside the big shot's off-road SUV, with its string of zeroes on the price tag, it was instantly reduced to trash.
Zhang Guozhong's old face reddened. He felt as if he were riding a kiddie ride outside a kindergarten!
He even felt that getting out and walking on his own two legs would be better than sitting in this lousy, drafty cart!
He rubbed his face and said in mortification, "What's the big shot in such a damn hurry for? He's coming on a show, not going to see his wife! Couldn't he wait for the director to come pick him up? And he had to drive such an imposing, expensive car over... Hey, stop filming!!!"
The cameraman aimed the camera at him and insisted for no apparent reason, "I have a feeling you're going to sweep the entire variety show scene and become the most memorable director of any show airing this season!"
Zhang Guozhong: ...Just say you want to watch me embarrass myself.
Inside the SUV, assistant Cai Qing looked away from the rearview mirror and dutifully reported while scrolling through a phone:
"Since this morning, the buzz around Peach Blossom Spring Secluded Living Diary hasn't dropped. In fact, it's showing signs of breaking thirty million popularity points.
"Thirteen of the top fifty trending searches came from this livestream, and seven of those concern the wi-Mr. Wen, including but not limited to getting caught reading mpreg fiction, grinning foolishly at the camera, and playing along with Lin Shuheng's act...
"Among them, #Wen Jiu, can you show me Gu Wenzhi and Bu Qing# and #Wen Jiu, I'm diligently playing along with your performance# have already made the top ten."
"Barring any surprises, Mr. Wen is going to go viral again."
That "again" carried a hint of bitterness, but Cai Qing thought that with President Feng around this time, there was no way anyone would be allowed to bully his wife-a title adopted that morning-again!
"Mm."
The man's faintly amused voice came from the back seat. He could practically picture the young man hopping about in mortified frustration.
Feng Chi was in a very good mood. It had only been half a day, yet he already couldn't wait to see Wen Jiu.
So he instructed, "Go faster."
The production team, who had just huffed and puffed their way within reach, only to be left completely behind with a press of the accelerator: "..."
[Hahahaha, I'm dying.]
[Wen Jiu: what goes around comes around. That's what you get for being a menace.]
[There's always someone who can put you in your place, hahaha.]
[It's actually Feng Chi! It's actually Feng Chi! Aaaaah, why does it feel like he's here to see his wife?]
[Sis above, same! I thought something was off about that little goofball Wen Jiu this morning!]
The engine's rumble drew the attention of everyone working in the little kitchen. Shen Huaian was coming out with a plate of beef when he glimpsed the SUV parked beyond the little bamboo fence and nearly flung the plate in shock.
The cameraman resting outside in the courtyard activated his radar, smoothly swinging the camera over at once.
The viewers eagerly waiting for the livestream's split-screen feed lit up and swarmed in.
First, a pair of casual leather shoes appeared on camera. Long, straight legs were framed beneath a black trench coat, its hanging hem brushing the car door before a bang sounded as the door shut.
Higher up was a casual black silk shirt with a lovely drape. Some perverted viewers wielded magnifying glasses, trying to peer through the silk and count his abs.
After all, the man was tall and straight-backed, and looked to have an excellent figure.
Higher still was a sexy Adam's apple against cool, pale skin. The cameraman was an old hand and knew exactly what the horny crowd online wanted to see. He abruptly zoomed in.
On camera, the man raised a hand to undo the top two buttons, hooked his fingertips into his collar, and tugged casually. The bullet comments filled with panting.
Some comments were still guessing his identity. Viewers who had followed the internet trail to the director's livestream were just about to helpfully explain when the camera suddenly tilted upward.
The next instant, everyone clearly saw a familiar, coolly handsome face.
It was a breathtaking face with tremendous visual impact. Once, with nothing but that bare face, he had stood out amid the vast online crowd and single-handedly sent the ratings of a financial interview program through the roof.
Now, even in a close-up ordinary actors wouldn't dare attempt, there wasn't a single flaw to be found.
The man wore silver, rimless glasses today. Rather than subduing the alluring red mole at the corner of his eye, they lent him an added chill.
Shen Huaian had just hurried back after setting down the dish. Intimidated by the man's presence, he instinctively bunched up his apron and rubbed his hands in it.
"You..."
The man was standing sideways, waiting for his assistant to unload his suitcase. At the voice, his dark phoenix eyes lifted slightly, turning toward him with a languid chill.
A shiver ran down Shen Huaian's spine.
The cameraman's hands, steady as a rock for years, shook.
Even through their screens, countless viewers felt a chill.
The scrolling bullet comments fell silent at once.
"What's going on?" Wen Jiu's voice came from the kitchen. He seemed to be about to come out. "Who's here?"
The instant the young man's voice rang out, everyone saw the man in front of the camera, who had been radiating an icy chill, smile.
It was subtle, only a slight curve of his lips, imperceptible without a close look.
But the air around them seemed less cold, and Shen Huaian's tense shoulders unconsciously relaxed.
Soon, a fluffy head poked out from inside. Still holding the cleaver he had just used to chop chicken and cut up the seasonings, he casually followed Shen Huaian's gaze and glanced over.
"Who is it?"
Feng Chi's aura changed in an instant, the amusement in his eyes bright as he looked at the young man. "Me."