Chapter 51

Four days later, Ye Chen officially returned to the country.

The term “officially” is used because during these days, he had actually been sneaking back daily to tend to his crops.

Ye Chen arrived home at 1 PM. He had only half a day to rest and reorganize before he had to catch a flight early the next morning to the southernmost province in the country for the filming of the second season of the reality show “Leisurely Vacation.”

The filming of this reality show lasted for half a month, during which they would move to several different villages or small islands with unique local flavors. The footage would be edited into ten episodes, and Ye Chen would receive 1.5 million yuan per episode. After taxes and the agency’s share, he would be able to repay a large portion of his debt to Yan Ling.

The program’s planners were notorious for their mischievous interactions, showing no mercy in pranking the guests. In pursuit of show effects, they wouldn’t offer any private concessions. In the first season, these little flowers and fresh meat, who were not diligent and couldn’t distinguish the five grains ^[1]A grouping of five farmed crops that were all important in ancient China. Sometimes the crops themselves were regarded as sacred; other times, their cultivation was regarded as a sacred boon from a … Continue reading, were tormented in the fields until they were in tears, huddling together. Although the show was named “Leisurely Vacation,” it had nothing to do with “leisure.” Viewers jokingly called it “Hardcore Vacation,” “The Road to Wealth 2.0,” and “All-Star Farm World.” The video of Ye Chen wrestling with a pig became widely circulated as a GIF, and the hashtag #YeChenBattlesPigAlmostSacrifices trended at the top. The show reaped the benefits, so the second season was likely to follow the same tough rural path.

However, this time Ye Chen wasn’t afraid…

Not only was he not afraid, but he also wanted to reclaim his honor!

The permanent guest list for “Leisurely Vacation” originally included four people, but recently, the production team stirred things up on Weibo, announcing a fifth super-popular mystery guest, piquing the audience’s curiosity. Ye Chen had no idea who this sudden addition was and didn’t care. He had no enemies or friends in the industry, so whoever joined was just another person to film with. He didn’t pay any attention to that news and forgot about it right after reading it.

…

Shen Mofeng’s car stopped at Ye Chen’s house.

——After getting off the plane, Shen Mofeng offered to drive Ye Chen home. Ye Chen, who had been flirted with almost to the point of collapse over the past few days, had no resistance left and obediently accepted the ride.

“Well, I’ll go inside now. Thank you for your trouble these past few days.” Ye Chen opened the car door.

“Aren’t you inviting me in for a cup of tea?” Shen Mofeng playfully tugged at Ye Chen’s sleeve.

Ye Chen refused instantly, “No, it’s too messy inside.”

In reality, it wasn’t too messy; it was just too bare. The stark simplicity of the interior was in stark contrast to the grandeur of the courtyard and outer walls, making it look especially shabby and out of place, like a mansion that had been repeatedly looted by a gang of thieves. There was no way he could let Shen Mofeng see it.

After a moment of suffocating silence, Ye Chen, whether full of survival instinct or completely devoid of it, suddenly blurted out, “If you’re thirsty, I can make tea and bring it out to you?”

Shen Mofeng gave him a cold look, then turned to the driver and instructed, “You get out and have a smoke.”

The driver obediently got out of the car, avoiding being a third wheel.

Ye Chen: “…”

Shen Mofeng ground his teeth and said softly, “Am I spoiling you too much?”

“No, no,” Ye Chen shook his head. “My place is really messy.”

Shen Mofeng gazed at him for a moment, a smile gradually returning to his eyes. “That reality show of yours, you have to travel to several places over half a month, right? It’s inconvenient for me to visit the set.”

Ye Chen eagerly warned, “Yes, you really shouldn’t visit. Our schedule includes very remote places, some without high-speed rail connections, requiring various transfers like tricycles and ox carts, maybe even riding a donkey into the village.”

Shen Mofeng stared at him, silently smiling.

“Really, that’s how it is,” Ye Chen said innocently.

Over the past few days, Shen Mofeng’s relentless flirting had nearly overwhelmed Ye Chen. He desperately needed a break, some calm, a chance to nurture his heart and cardiovascular health, and a few nights of peaceful sleep without blushing and heart-pounding encounters.

This old rascal was practically detrimental to his health!

Shen Mofeng suggested, “How about a video call every night before bed?”

Ye Chen calculated his remaining monthly data, feeling quite poor. “I’ll try, but I can’t guarantee there’ll be a signal.”

“Can’t even guarantee that?” Shen Mofeng, unwilling to accept this, pinched the back of Ye Chen’s neck with a slightly punishing force. “What if I miss you… what then?”

Having been played by Shen Mofeng these past days, Ye Chen felt a rare sense of satisfaction seeing Shen Mofeng at a loss.

In his mind, Ye Chen stood with his hands on his hips, chuckling like a villain. Outwardly, he remained sincere. “There’s nothing I can do, Shen Ge… Besides, the crew was very strict about set visits last season. You’d be making the trip for nothing.”

“Nothing to be done…” Shen Mofeng mulled over these words slowly. “So if there were a way, you’d be willing to let me accompany you, right?”

Since there was no chance of it happening, Ye Chen remained calm and decided to agree. “If there were a way, I’d be willing.”

A subtle, unreadable expression crossed Shen Mofeng’s handsome face, making him seem suddenly mischievous.

“What if I could visit? Would you be happy?” Shen Mofeng asked plaintively. “Humor me, let me imagine it.”

Ye Chen had no choice but to say, “Happy.”

Shen Mofeng chuckled softly, “Can I get a reward?”

Ye Chen remained composed, “What kind of reward?”

“Call me ‘gege’ a few times,” Shen Mofeng fantasized about a beautiful future. “Not in writing, but face-to-face, using your mouth. Can you do that?”

Since it was all hypothetical… Ye Chen’s eyes twinkled with cunning. “Sure.”

It never occurred to him that the mysterious guest joining the show might have anything to do with Shen Mofeng. The great actor Shen was always so aloof, focused solely on his films. He seldom appeared on variety shows, commercials, or endorsements, let alone a chaotic and potentially troublesome reality show. Reality shows were a world apart from Shen Mofeng.

Shen Mofeng pressed further, “And those things you said on your Weibo alternate account, can you pick one and do it?”

“You know,” Ye Chen felt ashamed the moment this was mentioned, his voice growing quieter, “those things weren’t said by me personally…”

“In my heart, they were all you,” Shen Mofeng smiled wickedly, not giving Ye Chen a chance to argue. He urged quickly, “Come on, say you will. The production team won’t allow set visits anyway, what’s the harm in humoring me?”

“Well…” Ye Chen hesitated and then nodded, “Alright.”

Shen Mofeng bit his lip, suppressing his excitement. “Alright, I’m content with that… You should head back now. You still need to pack your bags.”

Ye Chen, feeling a bit dazed, got out of the car and went home to pack for the next day. The southernmost province in the country had a climate similar to summer in the north, so he needed to prepare summer items. He was packing earnestly when he heard Zhou Buzhu’s voice outside the main house door, “Xiao Ye, the person has been brought.”

“Coming!” Ye Chen jumped up, smoothed his hair in a cracked mirror, straightened his clothes to ensure he looked presentable, and hurried out of the main house.

Zhou Buzhu was dressed in his work-specific shabby clothes, standing beside an elderly man.

The old man stood straight, his hair as white as snow, full of vigor. He leaned on a dragon-head cane and wore visibly old, second-hand Zhongshan suit. Despite the wrinkles and deep lines on his face, one could still discern the extraordinary handsomeness of his youth from his features.

“Hello, Grandpa Long,” Ye Chen bowed at a ninety-degree angle.

The elderly man before him was the legendary Ying Long, said to ride the clouds and command the wind… The Chinese have a deep-seated respect and reverence for dragons, and this old dragon, despite his weakened state and damaged inner core causing him to age thousands of years, still exuded an intimidating aura. Ye Chen dared not show any disrespect.

Ying Long, holding his head high, did not even glance at the insignificant human before him and snorted heavily.

Zhou Buzhu had brought Ying Long to help Ye Chen with some work today.

Winter velvet flower pillows were in high demand in various middle-aged and elderly care groups. Recently, the little divine beasts had gathered quite a few Winter Velvet Grass seeds. Ye Chen had been hoping for another heavy snowfall to plant more Winter Velvet Grass, but this year the Mountain and Sea Realm was experiencing a warm winter with too little snowfall. Since forcing the grass into the soil wouldn’t work, Ye Chen decided to enlist the help of Ying Long, who could control the weather.

Ying Long had been consuming spiritual plants for over two months now, and it was said that his inner core had slightly recovered. His mind was clearer, he could get up and move around, and most importantly, he could create small-scale rain and snow, making him perfect for helping Ye Chen with some snowfall.

“…” 

“If you need to pee, give us a heads-up,” Zhou Buzhu reminded wearily.

Ying Long shouted with vigor, “Speak up!”

Then his body stiffened!

Zhou Buzhu: “…”

Ye Chen disrespectfully asked, “Are you wearing a diaper?”

“Yes,” Zhou Buzhu lamented, calculating the cost of another diaper, and emphasized to the forgetful Ying Long, who couldn’t remember anything from an hour ago, “I meant to let me know so I can take you to the bathroom, not for you to solve it on the spot…”

Ying Long huffed, blowing his beard and glaring, “Humph!”

“Uncle Zhou, maybe you should take him to the bathroom first?” Ye Chen forced a smile.

“A mere mortal dares to mock us?!” Ying Long suddenly roared, lifting his dragon-headed cane to strike at Ye Chen!

“Wait, I’m not mocking you!” Ye Chen’s combat awareness had significantly improved from being tormented by the Ranyi Fish. He dodged nimbly, sidestepping and weaving behind Zhou Buzhu, using the poor fighting Pixiu as a shield, “You misunderstood!”

Zhou Buzhu, shielding Ye Chen, took the blow, clutching his head and yelping, “Ouch! This is my head, not a walnut! Stop hammering it!”

In the midst of this chaos, the little flower-picking squad from the Mountain and Sea Realm spilled out, each divine beast cub carrying a bulging cloth bag full of winter velvet flowers.

“Grandpa, don’t hit big brother!” Hou Cub pleaded, rubbing its tiny face in fear.

This cry was so innocent and soft that it had no deterrent effect, but the old Ying Long, who was waving his cane and causing havoc, suddenly froze upon hearing Hou Cub’s call. His eyes darted around, his old face tense, like a rabbit spotting a hawk…

Ye Chen, still dodging around, exclaimed, “Huh?”

“Grandpa, are you a divine beast too? Your aura smells really nice,” Hou Cub’s delicate nose twitched as it cautiously approached Ying Long, “Grandpa, don’t be angry. Chen Ge is really nice…”

Ying Long: “Waaahhh—!”

Hou Cub shivered in fear, “Eek!”

A dragon and Hou stared at each other, both equally terrified.

“Don’t, don’t come closer!” Ying Long, flailing his cane, scurried into the main house, slamming the door shut with a thud.

After a moment of silence, Hou Cub’s ears perked up in realization, “Grandpa is a dragon?”

“Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter!” Zhou Buzhu rolled on the ground, “Look how scared he is! Hahaha! Why didn’t I think of this earlier?!” Zhou Buzhu slapped his thigh in frustration!

“This… is Hou Hou his natural enemy?” Ye Chen finally caught on.

Hou Cub had a lively and soft personality, but before its fall, it had a peculiar hobby… eating dragons.

According to ancient records, Hou, though outwardly resembling a gentle white rabbit, had a preference for dragon brains. There was an old saying that one Hou could fight three dragons and two jiaos, indicating Hou’s formidable combat power. When dragons encountered it, they were said to cry for mercy. However, more reliable records from Jing Ling note that Hou would not hunt divine beasts with spiritual awareness; Ying Long, Qing Long (Azure Dragon – one of the Dragon Gods who represent the mount or chthonic forces of the Five Regions’ Highest Deities (五方上帝 Wǔfāng Shàngdì). It is also one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations, which are the astral representations of the Wufang Shangdi. The Azure Dragon represents the east and the spring season.))(, Jiao Long ^[2]Legendary dragon with the ability to control floods and rain… were not on Hou’s menu. Its prey consisted only of Chi ^[3]Hornless dragon, Hui ^[4]Mythical venomous snake, Qiu ^[5]Young dragons with horns, Jiao, and other dragon-like spiritual beasts that hadn’t fully transformed into dragons.

Hou wasn’t particularly powerful; it was just a natural dragon nemesis. It could secrete a hallucinogenic substance that caused dragon species to submit and offer their necks willingly…

This enemy’s ability was truly terrifying. Even though Hou never harmed divine beasts, dragons like Ying Long and Qing Long were still deathly afraid of it.

Those pure white, soft rabbit ears, that trembling round tail, that cotton-candy-like pink little body… To dragons, they were not cute at all but rather harbingers of doom!