The corners of the man's lips curved in the faintest hint of a smile as he turned Wen Jiu's head back. "Watch where you're going."
"Oh." Wen Jiu pursed his lips, then couldn't help saying, "How about you stay on the ridge later and let me do it?"
Don't get those clothes dirty.
Village Chief Liu heard him and glanced back. "That outfit is a little awkward for working in."
Though Wen Jiu's overalls weren't much better. He was only thinking of Feng Chi.
The curve of Feng Chi's lips grew more pronounced. "It's fine. They can be washed."
Shen Huaian let out an excited howl and ran to the cameraman behind him, whispering into the lens, "Family, we've got more sweet moments! Get your notebooks out!"
"Xiaojiu knows how to look after President Feng now! He's worried President Feng will get tired. What does that tell us?"
[It tells us something unspeakable definitely happened last night. Fuck, it's only been one night, and these two already feel even more suspicious.]
[LMAO, this little dumbass definitely thinks he's some mighty top. A husband has to take good care of his wife, that kind of thing.]
[[lights cigarette] He might even think President Feng is delicate.]
Shen Huaian, who had already opened the livestream, nodded solemnly at his phone.
"I agree. Some people are so convinced they're tops. Family, don't let our wife lead you astray."
Yes, just then, Shen Huaian had completely given up resisting and single-handedly hauled everyone's wavering ship dynamic back into place.
He had laid a foundation as solid as reinforced concrete for Wen Jiu's future status as the nation's wife.
As the netizens put it, fans shipped President Feng's CP and also called President Feng's partner their wife.
#Shen Huaian started chatting with the livestream#
A thousand miles away, Shen Qianshan had just emerged from the conference room when his assistant anxiously reported, "President Shen, the young master's manager just called and said his persona is about to collapse!"
"Things have spiraled completely out of control! Is the young master going to turn from a cool, handsome husband into a little dumbass like Wen Jiu? What do we do? What do we do?"
Shen Qianshan: ...?
Overbearing CEO Shen turned sideways and asked in that serious tone of his, which wouldn't waver even if heaven and earth collapsed, "A little what?"
"..."
Wen Jiu was now standing on the ridge, using his body to block Lin Shuheng's view from the other side.
He tipped his head up and sincerely asked Feng Chi, "Shen Huaian is being so brazen and unrestrained. Are you really not going to do anything about it, big shot?"
Big Shot Feng smiled, saying with great magnanimity and righteousness, "Every citizen has the right to freedom of speech."
"..." Wen Jiu was too angry to speak.
He turned around. "Hey! You shipping over there! Stop chatting!"
The shipper looked up and came pattering over. "Coming!"
Yu Qing happened to be passing along the ridge, with Shen Yu helping him down. He laughed at that.
"Xiaojiu, go to your husband. Don't let him fall."
Wen Jiu went numb.
Being surrounded by shippers was so fucking terrifying.
Wen Jiu grumbled inwardly, but his body honestly carried him over to Feng Chi as he barked fiercely, "Be careful!"
"I'm not helping you if you fall."
No sooner had he spoken than the man stumbled, stepping on a clod of earth and looking about to fall off the ridge.
Wen Jiu: !!!
Wen Jiu grabbed the man's arm and pulled him back, carefully moving the sickle aside with his other hand. "I told you to be careful, but you just wouldn't listen."
"Do you think you're still in your luxury apartment?"
Feng Chi said, "I'm sorry."
Oh my, what's with that pitiful puppy-dog tone? Shen Huaian secretly pricked up his ears.
"Let me see. Did you twist it?" Wen Jiu crouched right down as he spoke and rolled up the big shot's trouser leg.
A porcelain-white ankle was revealed.
He could even see the blue veins around the ankle bone. Against the dark earth, it looked devastatingly beautiful and sexy.
Wen Jiu swallowed and abruptly let go.
Fuck!
How could every part of this man look so good?
Was that reasonable?
Wen Jiu couldn't help remembering that night at the Imperial Residence again, when the damned man had acted spoiled and complained about sleeping alone, begging until Wen Jiu had done everything he should and shouldn't have.
That was when he'd discovered that even that part of this man-
Was devastatingly beautiful.
At the time, he'd been too busy falling apart. Thinking back on it now, though, it seemed...
It seemed I hadn't found it disgusting?
Stop!
Wrong train of thought.
Wen Jiu choked, then scrambled aside in a fluster to find some water. Only after gulping down half a bottle of mineral water did he let out a relieved "Hah."
Feng Chi walked over. "What's wrong?"
"Gulp!"
I'm screwed...
Wen Jiu dodged him and started chugging water again.
Feng Chi reflected. Had I... flirted too much again?
But he'd only wanted to stay close to Wen Jiu a little longer. He hadn't done anything excessive.
Wen Jiu finally managed to compose himself, only to turn around and see the man standing beside him with lowered eyes. He wore no particular expression, yet somehow looked ninety percent aggrieved.
One percent more, and this award-winning actor might get conceited.
Wen Jiu put down the water bottle, picked up the sickle, and planted a hand on his hip. "I checked. Your foot's well enough for you to dance ballet on this ridge. There's fuck-all wrong with it."
And you're standing here acting all fucking aggrieved?
So delicate!
Feng Chi raised his eyes to him. "But my heart hurts."
Wen Jiu: ...
Wen Jiu stumbled where he stood, utterly at a loss. "W-why?"
"Because the field is dirty?"
After all, big shots were all clean freaks.
Feng Chi shook his head slightly, lifted his phoenix eyes, and said plaintively, "I just asked you what was wrong, and you ignored me."
Wen Jiu: I-I guess I didn't answer?
But is that my fault? Who told you to look so ridiculously gorgeous?
But Wen Jiu couldn't stand it when the man spoke to him in that pitiful tone, making him feel like some scumbag who'd betrayed his lover.
So Wen Xiaojiu firmly promised, "Sorry. Next time, I'll answer every question!"
Only then was Feng Chi satisfied. Sickle in hand, he turned to harvest the rice.
Wen Jiu followed him over, eager to prove himself, and saw the big shot crouching on the ground, clumsily reaching for the bases of the rice stalks.
"Hey, not like that..." Wen Jiu grabbed the bunch beside him and sliced through it hard with his sickle. "Like this. Get it?"
"The way you're doing it, you'll cut your hand, and it's more tiring."
Feng Chi tried. A man who was normally so shrewd and capable now resembled an elementary schooler doing math problems, unable to get it no matter what.
Wen Jiu grew so anxious that he placed his hand right over Feng Chi's, teaching him truly hand over hand.
Village Chief Liu watched in wonder. Were there really young people these days who knew how to harvest rice?
He knew about this season of the variety show. The unscrupulous director insisted on sending pampered celebrities into the fields. They either complained about the exhaustion, complained about the dirt, or didn't know what to do, leading to plenty of funny mishaps.
Some guests with bigger tempers had even thrown young-master or princess tantrums on the spot and stormed off.
It had given the production team plenty of publicity.
Even the regular guests had only become proficient after deliberately learning for two episodes.
Village Chief Liu was itching to ask where the young man was from, but looking at the two figures intimately entwined with their backs to him, he scratched his head.
Well... it would be awkward to ask.
No one could intrude on an atmosphere like that.
Shen Huaian said, "Xiaojiu, have you done this before?"
Village Chief Liu: ...
[Here he comes, here he comes, bringing his 250-watt fully automatic super light bulb again.]
[Which ship has fallen victim this time? Oh, it's the Lasting CP, the very ship this third wheel ships himself.]
[For once, my Double Yu husbands aren't the victims. Why do I feel a little relieved?]
[You fucker upstairs, don't run. Watch out, President Feng might send someone to knife you in the middle of the night.]
"Yeah, I'm from the countryside." Wen Jiu paused, then turned back with a smile. "I used to harvest rice in the fields with my mom when I was little."
But he had needed to go to school, so his mother had taken him to live in the city. The next time he'd worked in the fields had been on a variety show after he grew up.
By then, he no longer had a mother.
"Oh, oh, I see." Shen Huaian nodded, not missing the fleeting sadness in Wen Jiu's eyes.
Shen Huaian didn't pursue it. Instead, he smiled and moved to another corner, offering a sincere compliment:
"Xiaojiu, it feels like you know how to do so many things. You're amazing! We'll definitely finish harvesting first this time."
Wen Jiu smiled too. "That's right. I can transplant rice seedlings too!"
"That's awesome!" Shen Huaian instantly became a little fanboy, lifting his head from the rice stalks. "If I get the chance, I have to learn from you!"
"Sure, sure!"
[Oh my goodness, what breed of cuties are these two? Can you come into Mommy's arms?]
[Is An'an an angel? His brother really raised him well. He grew up so pampered, yet he doesn't put on any young-master airs. He's even volunteering to learn how to transplant rice.]
[I'm a Wen Jiu mom fan, and I don't mind another son. Those few sentences alone have made me a fan.]
[As a Wen Jiu fan of seven years, I'm genuinely touched. I hope our wife is treated with more kindness [palms together].]
Wen Jiu was warmed by Shen Huaian too. Very few people could enter his safe space. From now on, there would be one more.
"Me too."
Suddenly, a pair of large hands closed over the back of his hand.
Wen Jiu froze.
The man nestled close with particular obedience, leaned gently toward his ear, and whispered, "I want to learn too."
"You're not allowed to refuse to teach me."
And you're certainly not allowed to teach only him and not me.