Chapter 16

Bringing the kids along, they walked and stopped intermittently, finally arriving at the deserted village by nightfall.

One had to admit, this hidden village island in the sea was truly breathtaking.

Standing at a high vantage point, they could take in the sea of clouds at a glance. The sky was painted in shades of orange, the sunset reflecting on the ocean, and the last bit of light cast a glow on their faces—almost like a baptism upon entering the village.

The camera swept across everyone’s faces before panning toward the horizon.

This scene left netizens in awe; even a random screenshot could be used as wallpaper.

As the sun set, the group followed the staff to their assigned accommodations. Having hiked for most of the day, the director finally showed some mercy and had the local villagers prepare dinner for them in advance.

Being a coastal village, seafood was abundant. Fish, shrimp, and other marine delicacies were in no short supply, making this meal a feast for the guests.

After eating to their fill, the production team had no further tasks planned. Everyone yawned and began preparing for their nighttime routine.

However, as Ruan Xizhi went to wash up, she noticed that it was an elderly grandmother collecting the dishes.

With so many people at the table, including children, the mess was inevitable. Ruan Xizhi felt bad and wanted to help.

At that moment, Xing Xiaochi, dragging his slippers noisily, was heading to the bathroom when Ruan Xizhi grabbed him.

“You… what are you doing?”

Being lifted up, Xing Xiaochi looked adorable, his entire neck shrunk into his clothes.

Ruan Xizhi didn’t let go. “Come with me.”

Tonight, Xing Xiaochi had eaten without fuss, but he was a messy eater, leaving half the table in a state of disaster.

Ruan Xizhi brought him to the table. “Help us clean up.”

Xing Xiaochi pouted in dissatisfaction. “Why do I have to clean up?”

Ruan Xizhi pointed at the leftover mess—rice on one side, meat on the other—and challenged him, “A real little man takes responsibility for his actions. Unless… you’re not a little man?”

“I…!” Xing Xiaochi fell for it instantly. “Of course, I’m a little man! I’ll take responsibility!”

Rolling up his sleeves, he huffed, “Hmph! Cleaning up? Fine! Watch me clean everything spotless!”

[Xiaochi, do you realize you have a talent for comedy?]
[I’m having too much fun in this livestream, hahaha!]
[Well played, he fell for it again.]

The elderly grandmother emerged from the kitchen and saw the two of them helping clean up. She hurried over. “No, no, don’t do that. It’s too greasy, and it’ll be hard to wash your clothes later.”

Ruan Xizhi smiled nonchalantly. “It’s fine. It helps with digestion.”

Xing Xiaochi noticed the old lady’s gray hair—whiter than Grandpa Chen’s. Grandpa Chen had told him that when someone’s hair turns white, it means they’ve grown old and have less strength.

Seeing the old lady reaching for a plate, he quickly snatched it away. “Grandma, don’t! Go rest, okay? Leave this to me!”

What if she fell because she was too weak? That would be bad!

Ruan Xizhi raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t expected this reaction from Xing Xiaochi.

As expected of someone with a “protagonist aura”—when he wasn’t being mischievous, he could actually be quite sweet.

The grandmother looked at Xing Xiaochi kindly and said to Ruan Xizhi, “Your son is really well-mannered. Nowadays, kids are so pampered—it’s rare to see one this thoughtful.”

Hearing this, Xing Xiaochi doubled down on his efforts, even snatching the plates from Ruan Xizhi’s hands.

Ruan Xizhi: “…”

After cleaning up the tableware, Ruan Xizhi followed the grandmother into the kitchen.

Xing Xiaochi, still dragging his oversized slippers, waddled over at an awkward pace. His tiny feet even slipped out of his slippers at one point, but he ignored it and rushed forward, eager to announce: “I’ll do it! I’ll do the washing!”

He wanted to be a well-behaved, responsible child!

The grandmother was about to say something, but Ruan Xizhi spoke first, “Just let him. Kids need practice.”

She knew exactly what Xing Xiaochi was thinking—he wanted to solidify his image as a ‘good, responsible child.’

And she was more than happy to let him.

The grandmother sighed, “The way kids are raised nowadays is so different from our time.”

Xing Xiaochi had never worked so hard before—he was practically washing himself in sweat. Beads of sweat slid down his cheeks, tickling him. He reached out to wipe them, only to end up covering his face in soap bubbles.

Ruan Xizhi burst into laughter.

What a little messy kitten.

She quickly took out her phone and snapped a picture of Xing Xiaochi.

Xing Xiaochi finally realized what had happened. Seeing Ruan Xizhi grinning at her phone, he jumped up, exclaiming, “Y-You! Delete that right now!”

Even kids had their pride!

Ruan Xizhi smirked. “Beg me.”

Xing Xiaochi: “…” Why was this grown-up so annoying?!

Grandma watched the two of them and laughed from the bottom of her heart. It had been a long time since her home was this lively.

She walked over to a basket in the corner, took out some fruit, washed them, and brought them over. “Here, have some fruit.”

After all the commotion, Xing Xiaochi finally caved in and begged Ruan Xizhi to delete the photo.

He was a stylish young man—there was no way he could let an embarrassing picture of himself exist!

Xing Xiaochi picked up a piece of fruit, took a bite, and his eyes sparkled. “Mmm~ so delicious!”

Grandma smiled. “I don’t have much else to offer you, but we have plenty of fruit.”

She pointed to the basket in the corner. “If you want more, just go and take some.”

Ruan Xizhi looked over and noticed a pile of rotten fruit beside the basket. Many of them were fruits she had never even seen in the market before.

She raised an eyebrow. “Grandma, why don’t you sell these?”

Grandma sighed. “It’s not easy for you to get here, right? Well, it’s even harder for us to leave. We live too far from the main city. Sometimes, a plane only comes by once a month—sometimes every two months. By then, the fruit would’ve already gone bad.”

“These fruits are all naturally grown on the island, without pesticides. They’re truly organic and natural.”

Ever since she arrived in this village, Ruan Xizhi had noticed that there weren’t many neighboring villages, and the residents dressed simply.

If planes only came once every month or two, then this remote village would hardly have any chance to develop. It was difficult for people to leave, and just as hard for others to come in.

Ruan Xizhi walked to the corner, picked up a rotten fruit, and said calmly, “It’s such a waste to let good fruit rot like this.”

Just then, she glanced at the cameras out of the corner of her eye.

A thought struck her, and she smiled at the camera.

[Something big is about to happen!]

[Xizhi, what are you planning?!]

Ruan Xizhi thought—since the show was being filmed here, why not take advantage of this opportunity?

Her entrepreneurial mind began to spin. In her past life, she hadn’t become a CEO just by luck—she had real skills.

Back then, she had another nickname: “The Queen of Business.”

Everything around her—whether people or resources—would always be used to their full potential.

This time was no exception.

Since it was getting late, Ruan Xizhi put Xing Xiaochi to sleep before seeking out the director.

“What did you just say?” Wang Mingdong was stunned. Even he had never tried something this bold—after all, he was just a variety show director.

“You’re being completely reckless.”

Ruan Xizhi knew exactly what capitalists wanted, so she went straight for the weak spot. “Director Wang, you should know how to generate traffic. I can help you get that. So why is this reckless?”

Wang Mingdong frowned. “Why should I trust you?”

Ruan Xizhi had been an expert in persuasion in her past life. “Think about it—what I’m proposing has no risk. There’s zero cost involved. If it succeeds, it benefits everyone. If it fails, you lose nothing, and I’m already used to being criticized.”

That actually made sense.

The vision Ruan Xizhi painted was too tempting for the director to refuse.

He gritted his teeth. “Fine. I’ll cooperate with you.”