Chapter 16: What Are You Talking About?

He Qiao’s words were delivered in a calm manner, but they were the longest sentence he had spoken since appearing on the show.

Chi Yizhen was momentarily taken aback.

[Is this the start of character development?]

[E-god is so confident!]

[I feel like these semi-scripted reality shows make it easy to get immersed!]

[So, every CEO’s path starts from a roadside stall?]

[Lui Rumen is so excited, haha!]

[Chi Yizhen is already cringing…]

Suddenly, Chi Yizhen burst into laughter. He held his bubble tea in one hand and casually patted He Tiao’s shoulder with the other. “Not bad.”

“Well then, everyone can enjoy their drinks.”

He even cleverly placed the bubble tea in front of a nearby camera, along with his smiling face.

He Tiao: “I’ll continue working.”

Chi Yizhen nodded, still browsing his phone, trying to find a suitable character in the game.

He Tiao: “Aren’t you going to help me?”

Chi Yizhen blinked and glanced at He Tiao, who was skewering the kebabs and the curious onlookers.

Chi Yizhen: “What do you want me to help with?”

His face naturally had an advantage and lacked any aggressive features. It was the kind of face that didn’t have a specific role in a relationship.

Moreover, when he made expressions, he didn’t come across as fake, as if it all came naturally to him, unrelated to any role.

He Tiao glanced at Chi Yizhen’s phone and shook his head. “Never mind.”

He didn’t want to get involved in the quirky dynamics between the husband and wife who couldn’t stand each other’s ‘slacking off’ right now. He turned around and walked back while saying, “Once you’ve picked your character, come back and check on me if you have time.”

[What kind of talk is this??? Hahaha!]

[Why do I feel a bit resentful?]

[Masters at play, it’s only the first day, and it feels like these two have clashed countless times.]

Chi Yizhen was momentarily stunned. He instinctively bit on his straw, glanced down at his phone screen, and asked the staff standing nearby, “Do I look like a slacker?”

The staff member wasn’t visible on the livestream, but the barrage of comments in the chat was filled with “Yes.”

However, Chi Yizhen had no intention of getting up immediately. Instead, he settled back more comfortably in his seat, leaning against the backrest of the plastic stool and watching He Tiao, who was preparing for the trial business with the guidance of the staff.

“I’ll just watch for now.”

He lowered his gaze again, and the camera followed, focusing on the game. It turned quickly, and the viewers could only see that Chi Yizhen had selected a male character.

Then, Chi Yizhen locked his phone screen, put it in his pocket, and walked confidently toward He Tiao.

[Did anyone see what character he chose?]

[Are the voice actors still in the audition stage? I’m curious about his choice.]

[I’m more interested in whether E-god  might secretly manipulate his company’s game or something. Let’s see what kind of character his wife likes…]

Now was the liveliest time at the night market, and with the TV show recording, there were quite a few people gathered around. Some of them didn’t even know who the celebrities were and just came to join in the fun.

Security personnel patrolled the area while all three groups had only one night to familiarize themselves with the location and their upcoming tasks.

Across the way, the nail salon was also in the trial business phase. The third-rate musicians had now turned into bubble tea shop attendants because He Tiao’s private booking was so much fun. They were currently going to get a manicure from her partner on the show.

The soon-to-be-divorced couple was having a heated argument, and even from across the aisle, Chi Yizhen could feel the loud voice of one of them.

The barbecue stall had its lights set quite high, and the production team had set up a separate camera for He Tiao, capturing his expression as he grilled skewers.

Chi Yizhen walked over, took a look, and noticed that He Tiao wasn’t very skilled at barbecuing. The barbecue master was teaching him while he learned.

He didn’t quite fit in with the environment, looking like a fallen nobleman. Chi Yizhen also didn’t approach; he just stood on the side and watched.

In the live stream, there was just one person standing under a streetlamp, watching the people at the barbecue stall across the street. Any face that didn’t match the surroundings in terms of looks would have appeared quite ordinary.

As it turned out, being good-looking could allow one to do whatever they pleased, even when running a stall. Fans on Weibo were constantly refreshing the hashtag #MyDaysAtThe ApartmentBuilding  with screenshots.

Thanks to the skillful camera work of Xianggua Entertainment, He Tiao’s skewer-grilling looked like something out of a food documentary, leaving passersby puzzled, thinking it was some kind of new documentary being promoted.

[Drama Fanatic: [Image] The legendary gaming guru selling skewers on the street. Would you eat his skewers? [Smirking face]]

[ Is this staged?? There’s no way a gaming person could look this handsome. The e-sports guy next door is just okay.]

[ Is this a new documentary? I got so hungry after watching that skewer gif.]

[The first gif was just skewers, but then the last frame revealed a handsome guy! [Blushing face]]

[P3, what movie is this??? When he looks at him, I can tell he really loves him, right?]

[P3, is that Yu Yuxing????]

– LOL, how can anyone think it’s Yu Yuxing??? Yu Yuxing always has a wooden expression!

In reality, Chi Yizhen was quite tired. He leaned against the roadside plane tree, one hand in his pocket, the other holding his bubble tea.

He contemplated his work for the next day.

Being a clothing model meant constant camera clicks, and just thinking about it made him a bit dizzy. Even in his own world, the sound of camera shutters at the airport was enough to make him uncomfortable, although not to the point of fainting.

His extreme desensitization stemmed from the trauma of his past, something even several therapists couldn’t help him fully recover from. His agent even went to anonymous online forums to seek advice and then showed him the comments from the users, all while smiling.

[Suggesting that the OP’s little brother should start dating.]

This comment received many upvotes, but there were also counterarguments. In this day and age, the cost of starting a romantic relationship is quite high. Many people prefer pursuing happiness in virtual games because they fear the emotional risks associated with real-life relationships.

Most find it challenging to rekindle passionate love. Perhaps teenagers can still experience the intensity of young love, but Chi Yizhen had already been shadowed by his traumatic experiences during his teenage years. Even after achieving success, he couldn’t accept others’ affection, as it would require responsibility and reciprocity, which exhausted him.

He also feared ending up like his parents, who initially loved each other deeply but eventually turned to hostility and bitter words. Chi Yizhen had played various roles in movies, including characters deeply in love. He had once been immersed in such emotions but eventually moved on as time passed.

This depends on talent and experience. He’s somewhere in the middle. He rose to fame step by step when he was young, and even though he’s not a socialite, he has a place in the industry. However, some interviews about his romantic experiences made him feel awkward.

People in the industry know that it’s almost impossible not to have a relationship by the age of 27 or 28. But Chi Yizhen indeed hasn’t had one, and it’s not part of his public image. He simply hasn’t dated.

It’s not that he didn’t hope for it, but his fear outweighed his hope. In the end, he found solace in virtual games, having an electronic lover as some form of consolation.

Chi Yizhen was very tired and had a headache due to tomorrow’s work. He had been standing in front of the camera in the live broadcast for too long, prompting them to add a “non-static image” effect in post-production.

Even the barbecue master who was teaching him noticed that this handsome man seemed weary.

He’s a wealthy young master from a well-off family, and he had prepared himself for the possibility of not doing well in this job. After all, in this line of work, it’s unlikely to be skilled right from the start. Things like sprinkling seasoning, controlling the heat, and flipping require control.

However, unexpectedly, He’s doing pretty well with the barbecue. The chubby barbecue master, who was twice his width, praised him while allowing the surrounding staff to taste it.

A skewer of chicken gizzards was placed in front of Chi Yizhen, who initially didn’t react. What he saw first was a hand wearing gloves.

The next moment, He handed the skewer to Chi Yizhen’s lips. Chi Yizhen raised his eyes, about to make an instinctive smile, but He Tiao used a piece of chicken gizzard to block his mouth.

Chi Yizhen made a sound of acknowledgment. Just as he was about to accept the skewer, He said, “I’ll hold it, you eat.”

Chi Yizhen took a bite and said, “Are you trying to feed me?”

It was as if nothing could keep him from speaking, and He Tiao had completely figured out Chi Yizhen’s style. Chi Yizhen could turn even the most ordinary actions into something grand and sensual.

With that look in his eyes and a slight adjustment in his posture, He could give viewers the illusion of complete intimacy with Chi Yizhen.

The reason why it’s an illusion is because it’s fake.

However, Chi Yizhen appeared to be very experienced, and He Tiao genuinely didn’t know how to act, which made this delicate balance work just right.

He met Chi Yizhen’s gaze and didn’t pick up on his playful remarks, instead asking, “How does it taste?”

This skewer had a bit of spice to it, and Chi Yizhen’s lips had turned red. He pursed his lips and then gave a thumbs up, saying, “My husband’s taste is the best.”

[What’s going on here? What are you saying, sis-in-law? (Shakes head)]

[The scene is so down-to-earth, it gives me the feeling I’m watching a documentary… but I really dare not broadcast it! Every time Chi Yizhen says something shocking, I don’t know if it’s my dirty thoughts or if he’s just good with words.]

[Put yourself in e-god’s shoes, and you feel like you’re being flirted with by a handsome stranger as soon as you go on the show, maybe even before you can react…]

[You guys are all screaming, but I’m moved to tears. The way Chi Yizhen just looked so lost, it really felt like he was about to cry…]

[+1 When he’s alone, he’s completely different from that sweet and charming style. Wasn’t it just now that He came over because he noticed Chi Yizhen zoning out?]

[When will the replay be available? I want to savor this moment.]

He Tiao: “Can you handle spicy food?”

He pointed to Chi Yizhen’s lips and remarked, “They’re quite red.”

Chi Yizhen: “Huh?”

He lightly touched his lips with the back of his hand and said, “I can handle it, but my reaction is quite strong.”

He was accustomed to smiling, and compared to most of the time when he had little expression with He Tiao, he seemed much more approachable. However, He clearly sensed that Chi Yizhen’s mind was elsewhere.

“Are you feeling unwell?” He asked.

Chi Yizhen: “Not at all.”

There was one chicken gizzard left, but He lowered his hand. Chi Yizhen grabbed his wrist and, raising He’s hand, bit off the last piece.

He puffed out his cheeks and asked He Tian, “Was I spacing out just now?”

He Tiao nodded.

Chi Yizhen: “So you care about me?”

He Tiao’s eyebrows and eyes curved up, looking particularly pleased.

He Tiao shook his head and said, “I thought you wanted to eat until you cried.”

Chi Yizhen: …

Really?!!!

The next moment, He Tiao turned around and left with the words, “I was just kidding.”

Chi Yizhen sighed.

[Are they in a relationship? This is clearly love after marriage!!]

[I declare that they have entered the flirting stage now!!]

[Darn it! Fast forward to bedtime! I want to see this new couple’s first night together!!]