Ning Qiuxiu saw the message and felt a bit embarrassed.

She didn’t expect that someone like Zhan Qingyue could be so charming at times.

[Ning Qiuxiu: Nonsense, I’m not as cute as them!]

This time, Zhan Qingyue took a while to reply, and he responded with just a text.

[Zhan Qingyue: Your personality.]

Personality?

WTF, does Zhan Qingyue mean she’s fierce?

Ning Qiuxiu replied: “???”

She might not be soft and cute, but she’s not fierce… right?

It’s so frustrating, how could anyone like someone like this!

Ning Qiuxiu’s previously slightly embarrassed mood vanished instantly, leaving no trace.

[Ning Qiuxiu: >_<]

[Zhan Qingyue: Fierce expression.]

[Ning Qiuxiu: You’ll lose me like this!]

[Zhan Qingyue: (pat on the head)]

Looking at the pat-on-the-head emoji Zhan Qingyue sent, Ning Qiuxiu didn’t want to talk to him anymore; he was such a jerk.

After a while, another message popped up.

[Zhan Qingyue: Qiuxiu.]

Ning Qiuxiu replied curtly, asking what he wanted.

[Zhan Qingyue: Stay safe.]

“……” Ning Qiuxiu stared at these four words for a while, then laughed silently.

Zhan Qingyue really knows how to mix a slap with a sweet date, and it always works!

Such a dog.

The show continued recording, and the director announced their first task.

Lin Jin picked up the task card and read it out: “The cute little bamboo rat has eaten all its last bit of food and is about to go hungry. Please, parents, go up the mountain and cut two bamboo stalks for the bamboo rats to eat—oh my, the term ‘parents’ sounds so cute.”

“I think we can’t even take care of ourselves,” Ning Qiuxiu said, very concerned about their own food.

“You only think about eating!” Song Chu couldn’t help but retort.

Ning Qiuxiu spoke with conviction, “Food is the most important thing for the people.”

Bai Ying directly asked, “Director, are we having lunch?”

The director replied bluntly, “You have to make it yourselves.”

Everyone: “……”

“Just as I expected,” Ning Qiuxiu muttered to herself.

These ridiculous shows love to create such self-sufficiency gimmicks because the ridiculous netizens love to see these pampered celebrities struggling in the kitchen.

In the midst of the collective wailing, Lin Jin summarized, “So not only do we have to prepare lunch for the bamboo rats, but we also need to prepare lunch for ourselves. We’ll definitely need to split into two groups—one group will go chop bamboo, and the other will buy vegetables and cook. Let’s first report our cooking skills to decide who will do what. I’ll start—I can eat.”

Lin Jin’s last statement was immediately met with disdain from everyone, who found it shameless for him to admit he couldn’t cook.

Song Chu said, “I can make instant noodles.”

Bai Ying said, “I can cook dumplings!”

Ning Qiuxiu, who used to be in the cultivation world, had cooked before.

However, after her master and senior brothers ate her cooking, they spent a day hugging the toilet… Ning Qiuxiu honestly said, “I can poison people!”

“……That’s so ruthless,” Lin Jin despaired, “Director, didn’t you consider that none of us can cook?”

Bai Ying pointed to the person next to her, “What about Teacher Fang?”

Fang Jinran stood at the far edge, tall and imposing, but had a very low presence because he rarely spoke.

Lin Jin quickly apologized, “Sorry, I forgot about Teacher Fang. Teacher Fang, can you cook?”

Under the expectant gazes of everyone, Fang Jinran hesitated for a moment and nodded, “Yes.”

Everyone was instantly moved to tears; Fang Jinran’s image immediately improved and became their savior in terms of food.

So they decided that Fang Jinran and Bai Ying would be responsible for buying vegetables and cooking, while the other three would go up the mountain to chop bamboo.

Ning Qiuxiu was originally assigned to cook, but since she was with Fang Jinran, fans would probably argue fiercely in the comments.

Since Ning Qiuxiu had few fans and would likely only get criticized, she decided to preserve some face for herself in the first episode.

Chopping bamboo required going to a bamboo grove a mile away from where they were staying.

The three of them walked to the spot and saw a lush bamboo forest.

“Damn, why are the bamboos so thick? Are they kidding us?” Song Chu exclaimed as soon as he saw the bamboo, letting out a curse.

The bamboo here grew well; each one was tall and slender, the thinnest ones as wide as a bowl.

Lin Jin asked the accompanying staff, “Do we really need to chop two of them?”

After receiving a confirmation, the three of them wailed. The production team was too harsh.

Unfortunately, the production team was stern and unyielding.

The bamboo had to be chopped, so they selected two of the bamboo trees closest to the base of the mountain and started chopping.

They were all pampered and lacked physical strength.

After a long time, they only managed to make a small dent.

“Look at my hands, they’re all blistered,” Song Chu complained with a pained expression, holding his palm up to the camera, “It hurts so much.”

In his heart, he cursed: Damn this production team.

Ning Qiuxiu, watching him act, leaned over and whispered, “If you grit your teeth any more, you’ll expose your true feelings.”

Song Chu: “……”

Lin Jin, having chopped for a while, wiped his sweat and said, “I can’t chop anymore. It’s too hard.”

“I’ll give it a try,” Ning Qiuxiu said.

“Are you sure?” Lin Jin thought she was just playing around and handed her the knife, saying, “Be careful not to cut yourself.”

Song Chu, who had just been mocked by her, immediately seized the opportunity to tease her: “The knife is heavy; you need to use both hands!”

Ning Qiuxiu ignored his taunts, took the knife, and with one swift motion, made a deep cut in the bamboo.

Song Chu and Lin Jin were stunned, their mouths forming an ‘O’ shape. After a while, Song Chu blinked and said, “I think there’s something wrong with my eyes.”

Lin Jin said, “Qiuxiu, you’re hiding your skills!”

Ning Qiuxiu smiled.

They didn’t know that in her previous life in the cultivation world, whenever she made a mistake, her master would make her chop wood.

She was very skilled at chopping trees, and with her Strength Charm, cutting bamboo was a breeze.

Under the impressed gazes of the other two, Ning Qiuxiu efficiently chopped down a bamboo stalk.

Because her hands weren’t used to such intense exercise, they became sore, so she stopped.

She handed the knife to Song Chu so he could chop the next stalk.

But as soon as the handle left her hand, she felt a sharp pain in her palm.

Oh no, blisters!

Ning Qiuxiu looked at her hand and saw blisters forming on her middle and ring fingers, and also on her thumb and index finger where she held the knife.

Her hands, which had become tough from sword practice in the cultivation world, hadn’t expected to blister from just a few cuts.

“Did you get blisters?” Song Chu asked, coming over to look.

“It’s fine,” Ning Qiuxiu knew this wasn’t the time to complain, “You should hurry and chop, or we won’t make it back tonight.”

“Oh…” Seeing how capable she was, Song Chu felt too embarrassed to complain about being lazy.

Lin Jin and Song Chu worked together to chop the other bamboo stalk and remove the leaves and branches. After an hour and a half, it was almost noon, and they were exhausted.

Everyone had several blisters, and their hands were in bad shape.

“Now comes the toughest part,” Lin Jin looked at the two bamboo stalks on the ground and said, “Song Chu and I will each carry one, and Qiuxiu will handle the knife.”

“This bamboo looks heavier than me. I don’t think I can carry it back,” Song Chu tried and found it impossible to move, “Damn, I can’t drag it at all!”

“…” Lin Jin was surprised by Song Chu’s reaction. After a moment, he said, “Let’s try together.”

They rolled up their sleeves and worked together to lift one end of the bamboo. They took a few steps, but Song Chu started complaining, “No, no, this bamboo joint is hurting me! Let go!”

They put the bamboo down, and Song Chu rubbed the sore spots, clearly in pain.

Lin Jin said, “This isn’t going to work. Maybe we should borrow a cart from the village to help us transport it.”

Song Chu agreed, “Yes, yes, otherwise we can’t get it back!”

However, there was no one nearby to ask, and they would have to walk a mile to borrow a cart.

Once they got it, they’d need to cut the bamboo into two or three sections to fit, which was a lot of trouble.

Ning Qiuxiu hesitated and said, “I’ll try carrying it.”

Both of them looked at her, and Song Chu said, “Go away, little kid, don’t cause trouble.”

Lin Jin also laughed, “Qiuxiu, just hold both knives, don’t—”

“Damn it!”

Before Song Chu could finish his sentence, Ning Qiuxiu bent down and effortlessly hoisted one end of the bamboo, which had taken the two of them to lift earlier, onto her shoulder.

“……” Everyone, including the cameramen and staff, was stunned.

Damn, were their eyes deceiving them?

“You two handle that one, I’ll take this one. Could someone from the crew please help us with the knives?” Ning Qiuxiu flashed a powerful smile at a crew member.

The stunned crew member was caught off guard by the smile and mechanically nodded.

“Wow, wow, wow, big strong girl,” Song Chu’s eyes nearly popped out.

Then realizing it was inappropriate, he added, “Goddess.”

Lin Jin was equally amazed: “Wow, our Qiuxiu is a real powerhouse!”

Ning·Strong Goddess·Tough Girl·Qiuxiu carried a bamboo pole and strode off briskly.

Everyone: “……”

Under the gaze of everyone, Ning Qiuxiu actually felt a bit pleased.

This strength symbol was incredibly useful.

She felt she could carry two poles home without a problem.

But that would be too overwhelming; Ning Qiuxiu didn’t want to go from being seen as a delicate woman to having a strongwoman image.

Although it seemed she already had one.

If it weren’t for being on a show with cameras everywhere, she’d give Lin Jin and Song Chu a strength symbol each so she wouldn’t have to lift a finger.

Now she just hoped Zhan Qingyue wouldn’t watch the show; otherwise, it would damage her soft, sweet (?) image.

Ahem.

Ning Qiuxiu easily carried the bamboo home and successfully shocked the household.

Especially since it took the other two a good while, sweating and huffing, to bring back the other bamboo, making for a stark contrast.

They no longer called her Ning Qiuxiu, but instead addressed her as Qiuxiu Jie (Elder Sister Qiuxiu).

Ning Qiuxiu: “……”

She preferred being called Qiuxiu.