After pulling out melon seeds, pecans, and other snacks, Ning Xiaoyu’s pocket now held an eye mask as well.

It could truly be said that whatever she needed, she could pull it right out of her pocket.

She lay inside the sand pit, adopting a completely relaxed posture. Though the pit was hastily dug, her expression was serene. With the vast blue sky and ocean in the background, the scene inexplicably brought a sense of peace to the viewers.

【Xiao Yu looks so comfortable lying there.】

【She can play with the kid and dig a hole to rest in. As expected of the salted fish queen!】

【Kid Next Door: Why are you so lazy and greedy? Xiangxiang: A master at digging holes. Xiangxiang really is a little angel!】

【Even if Xiangxiang asks Xiao Yu why she’s so ‘lazy and greedy’, I bet Xiao Yu would openly admit it. Doge.jpg】

【This is probably the difference between a trend-follower and the salted fish queen.】

Xiangxiang held a small shovel meant for scooping sand. Her hands and face were dotted with tiny grains of sand, making her look both confused and adorable.

Lu Jingdu handed her a wet wipe, gesturing for her to wipe her face. Xiangxiang took it, casually wiped a bit, and then continued staring intently at Ning Xiaoyu.

She looked as if her whole world revolved around Ning Xiaoyu.

Unfortunately, Ning Xiaoyu was too deep into her salted fish state to notice the little girl’s curious and expectant gaze.

Ning Xiaoyu: Don’t fall for Big Sister. I’m just a salted fish.

Meanwhile, a few other guests were utterly shocked at how Ning Xiaoyu was using the little girl as a helper.

That was CEO Huo’s only daughter! The future heiress of the entire Huo Group!

The show had collaborated with 《Hello Dad》, and among the six children, Xiangxiang was by far the most popular.

Was Ning Xiaoyu not afraid of being scolded by Xiangxiang’s fans?

Clearly, Ning Xiaoyu wasn’t worried in the slightest.

Nearby, the child beside Shen Yueyue spoke in a soft, milk-sweet voice, “Big Sister, I want to be like her too!”

Shen Yueyue chuckled and asked, “You want to dig a hole and lie in it?”

The child nodded like a bobblehead.

Shen Yueyue was very straightforward, “Alright, let’s dig too!”

Xiao Wei, who always seemed polite and reserved like a little grown-up, also couldn’t hide the desire in his eyes as he looked at the sand pit.

It really did look comfortable to lie in.

He turned to Ning Yuwei beside him. Though he didn’t say anything, his expression completely gave away his thoughts.

Ning Yuwei’s smile faltered. “You want to do it too?”

Xiao Wei shyly hummed in agreement.

Ning Yuwei instinctively bit her lip. Digging a sand pit was tiring and dirty. She absolutely didn’t want to be like Ning Xiaoyu.

Her teammate, Ling Zige, glanced at the cameras and smiled. “Alright.”

Before long, the other guests started moving as well. Luckily, the program team had plenty of plastic shovels, and soon, the children were enthusiastically digging away.

Ning Xiaoyu couldn’t be bothered with them. She basked in the sun, enjoyed the sea breeze, and lay there as comfortably as ever.

At that moment, the love system’s voice rang in her ears again.

〖Girl, digging a sand pit is clearly an activity for three, yet you deliberately ignored the movie king and left him out. Since each pair of guests is supposed to take care of a child together, you must involve the movie king! You can:

A. Invite the movie king to lie in the sand pit with you. （Sweetness Overload.jpg）

B. Come up with a new game that includes both Xiangxiang and the movie king. （Fun.jpg）

C. Get up and start experiencing the joys of co-parenting with the movie king in advance! （Happiness.jpg）〗

Honestly, both option a and option b seemed fine, but the pit she and Xiangxiang dug wasn’t big enough. After she lay down, there was barely enough room for Xiangxiang— no way could Lu Jingdu fit!

As for option c…… that was an immediate pass.

In the end, she reluctantly chose option b.

But a game, huh?

It wasn’t difficult for Ning Xiaoyu. After all, Xiangxiang was only four years old and was easily entertained.

Wanting to save effort, she pulled her eye mask halfway down, casually cosplaying as a one-eyed pirate, and said to Xiangxiang and Lu Jingdu, “Let’s play a game.”

The moment Ning Xiaoyu mentioned a game, Xiangxiang immediately perked up. “Okay!”

Lu Jingdu raised an eyebrow, patiently waiting for Ning Xiaoyu’s explanation.

The next second, Ning Xiaoyu got up, walked to the nearby food cart, and grabbed three large cups of yogurt.

She’d been eyeing the program team’s yogurt for a while.

“We’ll play a game where we eat yogurt with a spoon while keeping our eyes closed. Whoever spills the least and finishes the fastest wins! The winner gets an extra handful of melon seeds.”

【Wait, you can play like this? Hahahaha.】

【Isn’t Xiao Yu just using this as an excuse to get herself some yogurt? Doge.jpg】

【Once the salted fish queen steps in, who dares to compete?】

【Who do you guys bet will win? I’m putting my money on Xiao Yu.】

【Xiao Yu +1】

【Everyone’s picking Xiao Yu? Then I’ll support Xiangxiang!】

【Unconditionally supporting my brother!】

【Brother, gooo!】

Xiangxiang had never played such a game before. She obediently took the yogurt and spoon from Ning Xiaoyu, waiting for her to announce the start.

Seeing that they were all ready, Ning Xiaoyu readjusted her eye mask, lay back in the sand pit, and got into a comfortable position. Holding her yogurt steadily in her left hand, she finally said, “Close your eyes. Start!”

The moment Ning Xiaoyu gave the signal, the other two members of her group cooperatively closed their eyes.

【Damn, damn, I already thought the movie king was stunning, but he’s even more handsome with his eyes closed!】

【His closed eyes make him look so…… *cough* desirable.】

【With his cold gaze gone, he suddenly has a youthful charm, and his lips look especially…… *cough* tempting.】

【Too sexy, seriously too sexy. Thank you, Xiao Yu!】

【Hey, this is supposed to be a wholesome livestream. You guys— oh wait, keep going!】

【Hahaha, turns out we’re allies!】

Eating with her eyes closed while keeping everything neat was no challenge for Ning Xiaoyu.

After all, whenever she wanted to slack off, she would eat with her eyes closed.

Yogurt, however, was a different story. If she didn’t keep her eyes on it, the yogurt clinging to the spoon could easily drip onto her clothes, making it trickier to eat blindfolded.

But Ning Xiaoyu was already quite experienced in this, having done it multiple times before.

On the other hand, Xiangxiang, a four-year-old child, was trying this for the first time. Even though she ate very slowly, it was inevitable that some yogurt would spill.

As for the movie king, like Xiangxiang, this was also his first time attempting to eat with his eyes closed.

To avoid getting yogurt on his clothes, he deliberately slowed down his movements.

Compared to them, Ning Xiaoyu, who eats her yogurt both quickly and cleanly, stood out like a crane among chickens, leaving them far behind.

【I was so naive, truly naive. I thought Xiao Yu was just fast at eating melon seeds. I never expected her to eat yogurt with her eyes closed at such speed!】

【So, just how many times has Xiao Yu done this before?】

【How many times does one have to eat blindfolded to reach this level of proficiency?】

【Watching Xiao Yu take care of a child, I suddenly feel like babysitting isn’t so scary.】

【No, it’s still terrifying. It just depends on who’s doing it.】

【LMAO, the people next door are about to start fighting, while over here, it’s all peace and tranquility.】

Four-year-olds loved to play, and digging in the sand often resulted in sand flying everywhere. No matter how mature and polite Xiao Wei was, he was still a child. A slight misstep, and he had flung sand onto Ning Yuwei.

Today, Ning Yuwei was wearing a custom-designed outfit from a Y Country designer, something she had waited three months for. It was her first time wearing it.

And now, it was dirty. How could she not be angry?

But the one who had dirtied her clothes was Chairman Shen’s youngest son. Even if she was upset, there was nowhere to vent her frustration. She could only maintain a composed expression while watching Xiao Wei and Ling Zige dig in the sand.

The child assigned to Mu Jiajia was difficult to get along with despite her young age. After saying, “Why are you so lazy and greedy?”, the child delivered another soul-crushing blow.

“Besides eating, what else can you do?”

Mu Jiajia and Ning Xiaoyu were completely different in personality and behavior.

Both were eating, and both were lying down to rest, yet the reactions and outcomes they received were worlds apart.

【??? What’s going on in Mu Jiajia’s livestream?】

【For real, that kid is so young but goes straight for the kill. Mu Jiajia just finished eating melon seeds and is now eating fruit. The kid wasn’t wrong, she really is lazy and greedy.】

【But Ning Xiaoyu is eating too. Why aren’t you guys saying anything about her and only targeting Jiajia?】

【Well, Xiangxiang doesn’t seem to think Xiaoyu is bad, does she?】

【Didn’t you notice? Mu Jiajia is just eating and sleeping on her own, while our Xiao Yu is playing with Xiangxiang and engaging her in games. It’s completely different.】

【Xiangxiang is clearly having a great time!】

The love system was busy enjoying the drama.

It hadn’t expected its host to be so skilled.

While Mu Jiajia was being utterly roasted by the little princess, Ning Xiaoyu gained a little fangirl.

The viewers weren’t wrong, Xiangxiang truly was having fun.

Ning Xiaoyu introduced Xiangxiang to games she had never played before. Whether it was digging sand or eating yogurt with her eyes closed, these were all first-time experiences for her.

Xiangxiang was having fun, and Ning Xiaoyu was also enjoying being a salted fish.

She had a child helping her dig pits while she got to openly slack off and eat yogurt.

This was an absolute win-win.

Xiangxiang and Lu Jingdu had only finished half their yogurt but Ning Xiaoyu had already scraped her cup clean, leaving nothing behind.

She announced, “I’m done.”

With that, the other two opened their eyes.

Xiangxiang’s face was half-covered in yogurt, having gotten more on her face than in her mouth. She giggled nonstop.

Lu Jingdu glanced at the yogurt that had dripped onto his sleeve and let out a low chuckle.

Only Ning Xiaoyu could come up with such a game.

A so-called ‘game’ that was actually just a way to benefit herself.

Yet, the two who played along had no complaints. If anything, they were enjoying it.

Seeing Ning Xiaoyu’s spotless yogurt cup, Xiangxiang’s big eyes sparkled even brighter.

But she didn’t realize that it wasn’t over yet.

The next second, Ning Xiaoyu pulled a plastic bag from her pocket and then took out a large handful of melon seeds.

Finally, she put her eye mask back on and lay down in the sand pit once again.

Right in front of the viewers, Xiangxiang, and the movie king, she put on a live performance of eating melon seeds with her eyes closed.

【This is legendary. Absolutely legendary.】

【I’ve never seen a celebrity like Xiao Yu before! Truly a once-in-a-lifetime sight!】

【Who else could eat melon seeds this fast and this accurately with their eyes closed? Who else?!】

【Did you guys notice? Every time she finishes a seed, she drops the shell straight into the bag without missing even once!】

【So the real question is…… just how many times has she done this before?】

This question was something even Ning Xiaoyu herself couldn’t answer.

After all, it had happened too many times to count.

Watching the livestream, besides the audience, were also the fathers of the children.

Chairman Shen saw this scene and chuckled. “CEO Huo, your family’s Xiangxiang is having a great time.”

CEO Huo responded with a simple “Mm.”

This was the first time he had seen Xiangxiang smile so happily.

────ρя


After playing by the beach for a while, the guests and the six children returned to the Friendship House for lunch.

However, lunchtime brought a new challenge.

Most of the children didn’t like eating properly. At home, they were either little ancestors or little princesses, always being chased by their elders to eat. Even then, they often got distracted during meals.

Now that they were at the Friendship House, they were even less inclined to eat.

But skipping meals wasn’t an option. The guests couldn’t let the children go hungry.

Thus, a battle of wits began between the guests and the children to get them to eat properly.

Ning Xiaoyu had sushi for lunch. As for Xiangxiang, her food had been prepared by Lu Jingdu.

At the beginning of the show’s recording, Lu Jingdu’s meals had all been delivered from a nearby five-star hotel. But gradually, he started occasionally dining at the Friendship House.

For himself, he took a bowl of plain noodles, while for Xiangxiang, he prepared a small bowl of wontons.

A child’s appetite wasn’t large, so a small bowl of wontons was more than enough.

Just as Ning Xiaoyu picked up a piece of sushi and was about to enjoy her meal, the love system’s meddlesome voice rang in her ears again.

Ning Xiaoyu: “System, when will you finally stop causing trouble?”

Not causing trouble? Impossible. Not in this lifetime. If it stopped interfering, how would she and the movie king have their story? How would they give it sweet moments to collect?

Thinking this, the love system quickly issued a new mission.

〖Girl, children at this age often dislike eating, don’t understand the concept of sharing, and can easily develop selfish habits.

But I believe that in the future, you will be a great mother who raises wonderful children! So for now, why don’t you use Xiangxiang for practice? Please feel free to take the initiative! Show Xiangxiang that children must eat obediently and learn to share.〗

This was the first time Ning Xiaoyu had received a mission without selectable options. A free-form mission was naturally easier than a multiple-choice one. After all, she could handle it however she wanted.

Still, she couldn’t help but ask in her head, “Is completion mandatory?”

The love system clenched its fists. 〖Absolutely mandatory!〗

Let Xiangxiang’s obedience completely overshadow the other picky children!

Ning Xiaoyu hesitated. “And if I fail?”

The love system replied, 〖If you fail, you’ll face a punishment. But I believe in you, Girl! As long as you try, you won’t fail! Go for it!〗

Ning Xiaoyu: “……”

The love system had given her quite the challenge.

The problem was that she had no patience for teaching children. Especially children Xiangxiang’s age.

She was so lazy herself, so how could she possibly be good at raising kids?

But failure meant punishment.

She had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.

“Xiangxiang.”

The little girl had just picked up her spoon to eat a wonton when she heard the call. She instinctively looked up at Ning Xiaoyu. “Big Sister?”

Ning Xiaoyu felt certain she was going to fail this mission.

She was truly terrible at educating kids.

She couldn’t even be bothered to struggle, so she just stated in a flat tone, “Children need to eat properly and learn to share, okay?”

After saying that, she didn’t even check if Xiangxiang understood and just went back to eating her lunch.

But Xiangxiang lowered her head and stared at her bowl of wontons as if suddenly realizing something. Then, with trembling little hands, she scooped up a wonton with her spoon and stretched it toward Ning Xiaoyu’s mouth. “Big Sister, eat.”

Guests: “!!!”

Audience: “!!!”

CEO Huo: “……”

If it were any other guest, they might have smiled warmly and said, “Good girl, but Big Sister won’t eat, you should eat it yourself.”

But Ning Xiaoyu wasn’t like that.

Coincidentally, she loved wontons. So she accepted the offering without hesitation and ate the wonton in one bite.

After chewing thoughtfully, she even commented, “It tastes really good. Thanks, Xiangxiang.”

A bowl of wontons cost 3 friendship coins. The children’s meals weren’t free and Xiangxiang’s lunch was paid for by Lu Jingdu.

If the wontons weren’t so expensive, Ning Xiaoyu wouldn’t have minded having both sushi and wontons for lunch.

Unfortunately, they were too pricey for her to afford.

After eating, she took the used spoon away and replaced it with a clean one for Xiangxiang.

【Xiao Yu’s attention to detail is top-notch!】

【Hahaha, in the other livestreams, the guests chase after the children to feed them. But here, it’s the child feeding Xiao Yu!】

【Totally reversed! This is hilarious!】

【Why is Xiangxiang so well-behaved?!】

After successfully feeding Ning Xiaoyu a wonton, Xiangxiang suddenly discovered the joy of feeding others.

No wonder adults loved feeding children so much.

She reached for Ning Xiaoyu’s chopsticks and said in her sweet little voice, “Big Sister, let me do it.”

Ning Xiaoyu was surprised. “Why?”

Xiangxiang thought seriously for a moment before answering clearly, “Because Big Sister is lazy.”

So, she would take over.

【This is too real!】

【I’m dying of laughter.】

【Even a four-year-old can see how lazy Xiao Yu is! Just how much of a slacker is she?】

【She’s the ultimate slacker! You tell me.】

【Anyone smart enough would have figured it out after spending a morning with her, hahaha.】

If it were another guest, being called lazy by a child might have left them embarrassed.

For example, Mu Jiajia had been called ‘lazy and greedy’ by a little princess earlier and still hadn’t recovered from the shock.

But Ning Xiaoyu was different.

The salted fish queen had an unshakable heart.

What was wrong with being lazy? She was indeed lazy. Xiangxiang wasn’t wrong.

So, she readily accepted the proposal. “Alright, then I’ll trouble you, Xiangxiang.”

Thus, while the other guests struggled to get the children to eat, Ning Xiaoyu sat comfortably, being fed by a little girl.

To make feeding easier, she even handed Xiangxiang a big spoon. It was much easier than using chopsticks.

“Xiangxiang, dip the sushi in some soy sauce and wasabi.

Too much wasabi. Use a little less next time.

Mm, I want to eat the one with fish roe next. You know which one that is, right?

Yes, Xiangxiang is so smart.”

【Cheering for the salted fish queen!】

【She truly lives up to her title!】

【If it were me, I’d feel guilty accepting food from a child. No wonder I can’t be the salted fish queen.】

【She never follows the usual script!】

Ning Xiaoyu relaxed as she enjoyed Xiangxiang’s diligent feeding.

Despite her small size, the little girl took her task very seriously. She must have played pretend tea parties often because her feeding skills were surprisingly decent.

Everything was perfect.

Except she was really thirsty.

She had eaten too much sushi and desperately wanted water.

But Xiangxiang was already offering her another bite.

The child was too enthusiastic, leaving Ning Xiaoyu in a dilemma.

Just then, a glass of water appeared in front of her.

The hand holding the cup had distinct, slender knuckles and fair skin.

A straw was thoughtfully placed inside for easy drinking.

Before Ning Xiaoyu could react, the love system shrieked in her ears, 〖Aaaah! The movie king is giving you water! Xiangxiang feeds you, and the movie king serves you water— Girl, you hit the jackpot today!〗

Is this the happiness of a salted fish?

This was way too blissful!

Compared to the love system’s exaggerated reaction, Ning Xiaoyu remained much more composed about Lu Jingdu handing her a cup of water.

After all, she was his lifesaver.

She had never asked for anything excessive from him, so when she thought about it, it didn’t seem like too much for him to prepare a drink for her.

Ning Xiaoyu thanked him and then, with a clear conscience, sipped her water through a straw.

Lu Jingdu nodded. “You’re welcome.”

While she stayed calm, the livestream viewers couldn’t remain composed.

【Shocking! Is this the charm of the salted fish queen?】

【LOL, honestly, if it were me, I’d be willing to serve water for Xiao Yu too.】

【But the thing is— that’s not just anyone, that’s the movie king! Have you ever seen him serve water for someone else?】

【Now that you mention it…… no.】

【But Lu Jingdu and Xiao Yu’s relationship is a bit complicated, right? Didn’t she save his life?】

【Hmm, when you put it that way, it doesn’t seem like a big deal anymore.】

【Brother has always been a gentleman toward ladies.】

【It’s just a cup of water. Let’s not overanalyze it.】

By the time Ning Xiaoyu finished lunch, the other guests were still busy feeding the children.

Ning Yuwei was relatively lucky. Xiao Wei wasn’t too difficult to manage. Aside from being a picky eater, he didn’t have any other major issues. But Mu Jiajia wasn’t as fortunate. The child she was taking care of was completely uncooperative.

One moment it was, “I don’t want to eat this”, then the next, “I don’t want to eat that either”, followed by, “Are you trying to poison me?” Mu Jiajia and Xue Anzheng were utterly exhausted.

In contrast, Xiangxiang was truly a well-behaved and understanding little angel.

After eating and drinking her fill, Ning Xiaoyu sat in her chair to rest for a while. By the time she opened her eyes again, it was already two in the afternoon.

During this time, Xiangxiang had quietly stayed by her side.

More than half the day had passed, meaning it was about time to take the children back to their fathers.

However, the program team threw a curveball at them.

They were not allowed to use the show’s car to drop the children off.

How they got there was up to them, but they had to ensure the children arrived safely and on time.

No program team vehicles? Then how were they supposed to transport the children?

Although the fathers weren’t too far from the Friendship House, waiting just 10 kilometers away, that distance still wasn’t exactly close.

Most of the guests thought of taking a taxi.

Unfortunately, the Friendship House was far from the city center and no drivers were willing to accept the ride request.

“What do we do now?”

“This…… The program team is really messing with us!”

As the guests exchanged uncertain glances, not knowing what to do, the director gave them another ‘helpful’ hint.

“If you really have no other options, you could always walk there. It’s just 10 kilometers.”

Just 10 kilometers?

Just?!

Could ‘just’ really be used for 10 kilometers?!

The children obviously couldn’t walk that far.

If they actually walked, the children would have to be carried or piggybacked, which would be a serious test of endurance for the guests.

Ning Yuwei turned to Ling Zige. “What do you think?”

Ling Zige had no better idea, so in the end, he could only sigh and say helplessly, “If there’s no other way, we’ll just have to walk.”

10 kilometers wasn’t too bad if they walked quickly. At least everyone was in the same boat. It wasn’t like they were the only ones walking. Judging by the situation, Mu Jiajia, Xi Rui, and the others would likely end up walking too.

He was young and had decent stamina. Carrying Xiao Wei for 10 kilometers shouldn’t be a big issue. Besides, with everyone walking together, stopping and starting along the way, it wouldn’t be too difficult.

Ning Yuwei was clearly dissatisfied with that answer. If they had to walk, she would have to change out of her high heels. But she had no better solution.

Just as the other guests were still hesitating over whether to walk, Ning Xiaoyu suddenly drove over in a small three-wheeler from behind the villa.

This three-wheeler had been sitting unused for some time and no one knew who had left it there. Maybe it belonged to the villa’s owner.

But that didn’t matter.

The small three-wheeler looked fairly clean and wasn’t too dirty. Its sputtering engine immediately grabbed everyone’s attention.

Instinctively, they all turned toward the source of the noise.

The next second, they saw Ning Xiaoyu hop off the seat and wave to Xiangxiang. “Xiangxiang, come here. We’re riding this.”

Xiangxiang ran over with her little legs, her voice soft and curious. “Big Sister, what is this?”

Ning Xiaoyu chuckled. “It’s a three-wheeler. Haven’t you ever ridden one before?”

Xiangxiang shook her head honestly. “No.”

“Well, today’s the perfect time to try.”

With that, Ning Xiaoyu lifted Xiangxiang into the cargo bed.

Then, she climbed up herself.

Honestly, the image of a salted fish sitting in a three-wheeler was a perfect match. Sitting in the back while enjoying the breeze— it was truly a simple pleasure.

Once both of them were seated, they simultaneously turned to look at Lu Jingdu, who still hadn’t moved.

Clearly, they were waiting for him.

Everyone Else: “!!!”

Lu Jingdu: “……”