Chapter 23

In just a short time, the gossip Qiao Chuchu revealed was enough to leave everyone at the scene stunned, eyes wide open.

He Xuan, such a beautiful woman, wasn’t as innocent as she appeared in photos, but rather, she was the ^[1]“sea king” (海王) is a Chinese slang term that refers to someone who dates or flirts with multiple people simultaneously, often keeping all of them unaware of each other. It’s … Continue reading”sea king” who kept eight fish. That was truly impressive.

As expected, it’s always more fun to gossip about others. Qiao Cen, while snacking on sunflower seeds, exchanged glances with the people around him. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the pure and beautiful smile of He Xuan.

He Xuan was mentally strong, going from shock to an unflinching expression. Even under their gazes, the smile on her face didn’t fade, in fact, it only became more enchanting.

Meanwhile, her manager furrowed his brows, staring at Qiao Chuchu with a look full of hostility. Who exactly was this girl, and how did she know so much? If she kept exposing so many secrets, he was afraid that He Xuan’s hard-earned reputation might be ruined.

To divert the topic, her manager spoke up, “Director, what is the task?”

The director was furious from Qiao Chuchu’s continuous jabs. How could she slander the girl he liked like that? How could she do this?

He was livid! Furious!

No matter what Qiao Chuchu said, he wouldn’t believe it! He Xuan’s purity in his heart would remain unshaken!

The director’s face was as if he had just eaten something bitter. He wanted to make Qiao Chuchu shut up, but since she was speaking her thoughts aloud, there was no way to argue back. It was incredibly frustrating!

“Wait! I haven’t finished explaining the drawing rules. Each group has three chances to draw lots, and the final result will be based on the last draw!”

He didn’t believe that every time Qiao’s siblings drew, they’d end up with his He Xuan. How could there be such coincidences in the world?

What really bothered him was Qiao Chuchu calling him cannon fodder. He wasn’t some cannon fodder. He was He Xuan’s true destiny!

As the director finished explaining the rules, everyone except He Xuan was satisfied. After all, they all wanted to team up with Qiao Chuchu so they could be close to the drama and enjoy the gossip.

Maybe it was the power of the protagonist’s halo, but despite Qiao Cen and Qiao Chuchu drawing separately, both results were the same—they were still paired with He Xuan.

Everyone was disappointed, and the director was even more so, slumping in his chair, holding his chest as if he were about to faint.

His assistant hurriedly asked, “Director, are you okay?”

Meanwhile,

He Xuan’s smile couldn’t hide her satisfaction. “Qiao Cen, Qiao Chuchu, we’re really fated, aren’t we? It seems like fate really wants us to be in the same group.”

“Ah? Maybe… possibly…” Qiao Cen didn’t dare to say much. He was afraid his sister would steal his gossip.

Qiao Chuchu sighed inwardly: 【What fate? This is clearly a karmic connection! Is my silly brother really doomed to be the male supporting character?】

Qiao Cen screamed in his heart: Sis, stop it! I’m not stupid, really!

But in his current state, it only became a target for the “anti-fans.”

【Qiao Cen is so rude! How could he treat such a beautiful girl like He Xuan this way?】

【I’ve never liked him! Seriously, why is he always everywhere? It’s so annoying. It’s not enough that he’s making money for himself, now he’s bringing his sister along? Is their family really that poor?】

【Didn’t they say Qiao Cen was an orphan? How is it that he suddenly has a sister? Everything about this looks so fake. Maybe she’s just pretending?】

【You’re fake, you’re the fake one, your whole family is fake! How could they not be biological siblings when they look so alike? They could donate their eyes. Besides, my Cencen never said he was an orphan—he has parents, a brother, and a sister!】

As soon as Qiao Cen’s fans appeared, they immediately clashed with the anti-fans, filling the livestream with chaos. In the end, the Qiao fans won, successfully driving the anti-fans away, and the chat was flooded with messages of love and admiration from the fans.

—

Fated to face this inevitable ordeal, the Qiao siblings ended up teaming up with He Xuan and her manager.

With this connection, it became natural for He Xuan to approach Qiao Cen. She intentionally stood at a distance just far enough to keep him within her line of sight, always close enough for him to notice when he turned his head.

Every time this happened, Qiao Cen would quickly turn his head away, as if he had just seen some great danger.

He Xuan’s smile faded slightly, as each time Qiao Cen heard Qiao Chuchu’s voice, he would distance himself from her. It seemed her plan to get close to him was not going well.

Although it was difficult to change the team arrangements, the director was still upset, but he said, “For today’s task, you’ll need to go up the mountain to find ingredients and prepare four dishes and one soup for lunch. The team whose dishes receive the most likes from netizens will win a 100 yuan reward.”

A 100 yuan reward was a lot of money in the rural area, and it could buy many things.

This village was full of trees, ponds, and vegetable fields, so as long as they searched, they were sure to find plenty.

The recent rain had caused mushrooms to grow on the mountain. If they could find edible mushrooms and cook them, they would taste delicious.

He Xuan spoke up, “I know how to identify mushrooms. Let’s go together.”

Tian Ka praised her, “You’re amazing! You can identify mushrooms—I only know how to eat them.”

He Xuan smiled, “Eating is also impressive.”

Tian Ka laughed at her comment, and the two chatted all the way, with a smile never leaving his face. It was clear he was enjoying himself.

Tian Ka was a host with a good reputation. When he offered up a fish, He Xuan didn’t hesitate to accept it.

Qiao Chuchu clicked her tongue, quickly walking ahead with Qiao Cen.

The group climbed the mountain, and sure enough, they found newly sprouted mushrooms at the base of the trees. Qiao Cen was about to pick one when he called out, “Sis, look! There are mushrooms here!”

“That one can’t be picked,” He Xuan’s voice rang out just in time. “It’s a poisonous mushroom.”

Qiao Cen quickly retracted his hand, “A mushroom that looks so beautiful is poisonous?”

Qiao Chuchu said seriously, “As the saying goes, the more beautiful something is, the stronger its poison. It uses its appearance to deceive the eyes and send people away.”

Actually, the subconscious message in her words was aimed at the female lead, He Xuan. However, no one understood it, but they all nodded in agreement.

“Chuchu is right,” Bai Yun nodded. “Everyone be careful picking mushrooms, don’t get yourselves into trouble.”

He Xuan took the opportunity to add, “Don’t worry too much, as long as you follow me while picking mushrooms, nothing will go wrong.”

She then scanned the area, finding a slightly yellow, ugly mushroom. “Mushrooms like these egg yolk mushrooms are edible. Be sure to look carefully before picking them.”

Her actions won her the favor of everyone present, especially the men, who praised her like she was a flower, completely forgetting about Qiao Chuchu’s earlier remark about her being a “sea king.”

The livestream chat was also full of praise for her.

【He Xuan is truly beautiful inside and out, the more I see her, the more I like her, I’m a fan now!】

【I’m a girl, and I really like her looks. Is that okay?】

【I’m a guy and I like her too. She really is pure and innocent, playing the school beauty role perfectly.】

—

The Qiao siblings didn’t join in on the excitement, but instead moved to the other side, squatting in front of a bunch of grass with many green branches.

“Sis, what are you looking at?”

Qiao Chuchu looked carefully up, down, and around before replying, “Plantain.”

“Plantain? What’s it used for? Can it be eaten?” Qiao Cen asked curiously.

“Mm, it makes a nice soup,” Qiao Chuchu nodded. “You dig it up, and I’ll go look around elsewhere.”

Qiao Cen agreed quickly, “Alright, sis.”

Barrage Comment:

【Is this grass really edible? I’ve never seen it before. I hope you’re not just saying things to get attention.】

【If you haven’t seen it yourself, don’t assume others haven’t. This is plantain, it can be blanched or used in soup. It’s also good for promoting thirst and urination.】

【Wow, I just checked, and it’s real! Looks like Qiao Cen’s sister knows quite a bit, she even knows this.】

—

Qiao Cen followed Qiao Chuchu, digging up several plantains and picking some egg yolk mushrooms. There were plenty of mushrooms, and each group’s harvest was abundant.

By this time, everyone had gathered. He Xuan saw that Qiao Cen’s basket was full of plantains. “Qiao Cen, why did you dig up so many of these? What are they for?”

“They’re plantains, and they can be used in soup,” Qiao Cen replied. “The task is to make four dishes and one soup, right? This can definitely be used. My sister found it. Isn’t she amazing?”

“Amazing,” Bai Yun added. “Qiao Cen, can you give me one, or teach me how to identify it?”

“I’ve got plenty here. I can give you two,” Qiao Cen said happily, pleased that Bai Yun complimented his sister.

Seeing this, Tian Ka also asked for one. Bai Yun reminded him, “We’re on the same team. Did you forget?”

“Ah, right, right,” Tian Ka replied.

He Xuan, who had been left out, felt a little awkward, but she didn’t rush it—there was still plenty of time.

After they went down the mountain, they passed a vegetable field, and Qiao Chuchu stopped again. “Xiao Cen, come here.”

“What’s up, sis? Did you find something good again?” Qiao Cen asked curiously.

“Mm, it’s something good,” Qiao Chuchu replied, teaching him how to recognize it. “This is a wild vegetable. They’re delicious when stir-fried, and they also work well in dumplings. You can try some later.”

Qiao Cen eagerly agreed and then started digging up the wild vegetables as instructed by his sister.

When the other guests saw this, they also joined in on the wild vegetable digging.

He Xuan, who had been ignored again, tightened her fingers. She was usually the one ignoring others, and this was the first time she had experienced being left out like this. She sneered inwardly. Qiao Chuchu certainly had some skills. She wanted to compete with her, did she? Fine, she would play along until the end.

Barrage Comment:

【Pfft—hahaha, watching them all dig for wild vegetables is just too funny. I can’t stop laughing.】

【First we had Wang Baochuan with her love-stricken vegetable digging, and now we have our dear ones digging for vegetables for food.】

【This analogy is spot on, hahaha.】

—

At this point, the humorous scene had clearly struck a chord with netizens, and more and more people joined the discussion. The topic quickly gained traction.

By the time the director noticed, the hashtag #DearUsDigWildVegetablesTogether had already become a trending topic in their city, attracting more attention from online users, and bringing a surge of traffic to the show.

The director, who had been in a bad mood earlier, saw the unexpected influx of online traffic and was overjoyed. He was so happy that he forgave Qiao Chuchu for her earlier bluntness.

“Keep an eye on the comments. If there’s any negativity, guide them immediately.”

—

By almost noon, they finally returned to their temporary accommodation. It was a simple single-story house with two large dormitory-style rooms, one for male guests and one for female guests. In front of the house was a small courtyard, and beside it was the kitchen, where they could cook.

As the “Sea King,” He Xuan naturally knew how to cook, and her food was quite tasty.

So, for this meal, she took on the entire cooking responsibility, while Qiao Chuchu and the others helped wash and prepare the ingredients.

Qiao Chuchu: 【Well, there’s no escaping this on camera. Looks like I’ll have to eat He Xuan’s cooking. It’s fine to eat a little, right? After the meal, I’ll try to make myself throw up.】

He Xuan paused her knife, smirking inwardly. Oh, so you want to throw up before even tasting it? Wait until you try my cooking and see if you still want to throw up.

He Xuan was quite confident in her cooking skills. She truly had some talent, every ordinary ingredient turned into a delicious feast in her hands, and the food actually tasted great.

As soon as Qiao Chuchu took her first bite, He Xuan asked, “Chuchu, does the food suit your taste?”

Qiao Chuchu hesitated for a moment before replying, “It’s fine.”

【Putting everything else aside, He Xuan’s cooking skills are really good. She must have learned them from raising fish. Lucky for us.】

He Xuan: …

You should just keep quiet! I should’ve never asked!

—

In Bai Yun and Tian Ka’s team, only Ye Yu knew how to cook. The rest of the team helped with washing vegetables, cutting them, and adding rice.

While Qiao Chuchu’s group had already started eating, their food was still cooking.

The director’s team asked them to leave some time for screenshots, which would then be posted online, giving the netizens half an hour to like the pictures.

As expected, He Xuan’s dishes easily outshone Ye Yu’s, and she won the prize of 100 yuan.

The director genuinely praised her, saying, “He Xuan’s dishes received a million likes and won the reward. Congratulations, He Xuan.”

This reward was personally handed to her by the director, who subtly touched her soft, fair hand.

Their eyes met, and the director felt a sweet, honey-like sensation in his heart.

Qiao Chuchu’s comment: 【Tsk, the director really knows how to play it, touching her little hand like that, laughing like a fool. That love-struck expression is really hard to watch.】

Director: Who are you calling a fool? Shut up, just shut up!

—

At two o’clock in the afternoon, everyone gathered at the village entrance.

The director announced the next task: “Your tasks for the next two days are: pick corn and plant cabbage. You need to pick 50 pounds of corn and then shuck the kernels. For cabbage, you need to plant three fields. The task deadline is 10 o’clock tomorrow. By 10 o’clock, you need to deliver the shucked corn kernels to a restaurant in the town and receive your payment and task card from the owner.”

Tian Ka was shocked. “Shuck 50 pounds of corn by hand? Director, you’re not joking, right?”

Picking 50 pounds of corn by hand is already hard enough, and now he had to shuck it too. Was the director trying to make them miserable?

Director, sternly: Do you think I joke at times like this? I’ve put in a lot of effort to make sure you experience farm life to the fullest!

Everyone thought: We’d rather you didn’t! We didn’t do anything to upset you! Why take it out on us?

The staff brought over two packages containing the tools they would need for the work: aprons, gloves, bamboo baskets, hoes, burlap sacks, and so on.

Everyone took their tools, and then two old men came over, greeting them in a heavy hometown accent and asking them to follow them to the field.

Only Qiao Chuchu understood the dialect, thanks to her desk mate. The others were all confused.

Qiao Chuchu reminded them: “The old men are greeting us. They said the cornfield belongs to their family, and they’ll take us there. We should be careful while picking the corn.”

Bai Yun, surprised: “Chuchu, you understand their language?”

Qiao Chuchu, with her bamboo basket on her back: “Just a little bit. Let’s go, we know what to do.”

As Qiao Cen bent down to tie his shoes, the group had already started walking. “Sis, wait for me!”

Watching everyone follow Qiao Chuchu, He Xuan felt a pang of discomfort. She believed that she should be the one everyone was looking out for.

Qiu Dan reminded her: “Let’s go.”

She added, “There’s no rush. We still have time.”

With three days and two nights left, winning over a young man like Qiao Cen wouldn’t be difficult for He Xuan. She was confident.

The slow pace of rural life, far from the city, felt peaceful. The sky was blue, the air was clear, and even the grass by the roadside looked fresher and greener than in the city.

Everyone walked to the cornfield before splitting up. The two old men’s cornfields weren’t next to each other, and the two groups of guests had different work areas. This meant they wouldn’t be able to slack off or eat melon seeds while watching. How annoying!

Since only Qiao Chuchu could understand the old man’s dialect, she acted as the translator. After arranging Bai Yun’s group, she began focusing on her own team’s task.

The old man, worried they might not know how to pick the corn, demonstrated several times how to quickly and easily harvest the ears of corn.

Qiao Chuchu tried it and successfully harvested the corn, receiving praise from the old man. She smiled, revealing two shallow dimples on her soft, fair face, making her look particularly sweet.

Qiao Cen also tried using the same method to pull off the corn, but it wasn’t as easy. Just as he was about to pull it off, he heard a voice behind him.

“Pulling it like that is wrong. You need to find the direction the corn is growing in and pull it off in the opposite direction.”

“Like this.”

He Xuan personally demonstrated, effortlessly picking the corn, then asked, “Got it?”

“Got it.” Qiao Cen followed her method and successfully picked the corn. “I got it.”

“You really…”

Before He Xuan could finish her compliment, she saw Qiao Cen suddenly jump aside, running towards Qiao Chuchu with the corn in hand. He called out, “Sis, look at the corn I picked. Is it perfect?”

“It’s perfect.” Qiao Chuchu glanced at it. “Very good.”

“Hehe.” Qiao Cen grinned. “I’ll keep picking.”

Leaving He Xuan doubting her life choices, What’s with Qiao Cen? Can’t he be separated from his sister for a second? Is he a mama’s boy? Such a waste of that handsome face.

—

After everyone learned how to pick corn, they started moving back and forth in the cornfield, gathering all the harvested corn in one place.

Throughout this, Qiao Cen stayed right behind Qiao Chuchu, walking wherever she walked.

Seizing the opportunity when Qiao Cen was taking the corn to the campsite, He Xuan followed him.

“Qiao Cen, my basket is so heavy. Could you help me carry it?”

She acted weak and tired.

Qiao Cen glanced at her once, quickly looking away. He stared at the two baskets in his hands and said, “But my two baskets are also really heavy. I don’t have any hands left to help you.”

The haters began to stir.

【Is Qiao Cen even a man? He can’t even carry this little bit of corn. He’s so useless!】

【Why can’t he just put the baskets down? Didn’t you see the girl almost trip? And he still can’t help? He’s such a jerk.】

【How can Qiao’s fans call Qiao Cen a straight guy? This isn’t about being straight, this is about being emotionally clueless! He’s so insensitive to women!】

【Come on, if you want to help, go ahead and carry the baskets! Qiao Cen’s already carrying two baskets of corn—what more do you want him to do?】

【If you really care, you carry them yourself.】

Cornfield.

He Xuan responded, “You can put your basket down first, and we’ll carry it over. That’ll be more convenient.”

“It’s not convenient to carry it,” Qiao Cen frowned. “Put your basket down. I’ll finish delivering these two baskets, then come back to get them. If you’re not feeling up to it, just pick corn. No one will say anything.”

He Xuan smiled, “…That’s not possible. I can’t just leave all the heavy work to you. I’ll tough it out and carry on.”

She shouldered the basket again, and with her frail frame, she bore the weight of several pounds of corn, bending her waist under the load.

Qiao Cen didn’t know what to say, “Oh, suit yourself.”

—

Fans:

【Some people’s mouths, they never take a break. They start complaining at the slightest thing.】

【How could my Qiao Cen not be caring? He said it himself—no need for He Xuan to carry it. She insisted on doing it, so who can blame him?】

【He Xuan is really pretty, but I don’t like her much.】

—

Director’s team:

Watching this scene, the director felt heartbroken, wishing he could go over and carry the baskets for him.

“What’s wrong with Qiao Cen? Doesn’t he know how to cherish a girl? Didn’t he see that He… Xuan couldn’t even carry it anymore? Not only did he not offer help, but he’s walking so fast!”

The assistant didn’t quite hear, “Director, what did you say?”

The director snapped, “Nothing. Just focus on the screen and stop talking if there’s nothing important to say.”

The assistant, “…”

Has the director taken something? Oh, no, wait. Maybe this love-struck guy is just jealous.

—

After finally putting down the baskets and unloading the corn, Qiao Cen went to find some water. He Xuan, being very considerate, handed her water first. “You must be tired. Drink some water.”

Usually, it’s the guys who offer water to the girls, but this time, the roles were reversed.

Qiao Cen reached out for the water but remembered his sister’s words. He hesitated and then said, “You drink. My sister made me rose and goji berry tea. Not only does it help with beauty and skin, but it also protects the liver and improves eyesight. You should try it too.”

“…” He Xuan was speechless. He really was a mama’s boy, everything he said revolved around his sister. “You and your sister have a really good relationship.”

“Of course,” Qiao Cen proudly replied. “We’re siblings, so it’s normal for us to have a great relationship.”

—

Comments:

【Hahaha, I’m going to die laughing at Qiao Cen’s spoiled little look. How is he so cute?】

【The Qiao siblings have such a good relationship! The brother takes care of his sister, and the sister makes tea for him.】

【What? My Qiao Cen actually drinks goji berries in his thermos, just like I do! Drinking more goji berries is really good, too many benefits!】

—

Qiao Cen took a big sip with satisfaction, then lovingly twisted the cap back on and found a spot to place it.

“Let’s go, let’s go. Back to moving the corn.”

Qiao Cen walked so quickly that He Xuan couldn’t keep up, but she didn’t try to. High-class women don’t lower themselves in front of men, instead, they use their charm to attract them.

—

Qiao Chuchu found it strange. He Xuan’s manager kept chatting with her, asking all kinds of questions, following her as she picked corn. She claimed she was learning from Qiao Chuchu because her corn-picking was so good.

Qiao Chuchu thought picking corn was simple—once you had the technique, it was easy to get each one off the stalk correctly.

And the method was very simple. She’d already taught Qiu Dan three times.

But the manager insisted that she still hadn’t mastered the skill.

Qiao Chuchu straightforwardly said, “If you think picking corn is too hard, you can help with something else, like transporting the picked corn or planting the cabbage. Those are part of our tasks, and you don’t have to do what you’re not good at.”

“What do you think?”

Qiu Dan forced a smile, “You’re right, but I just want to help you. We need to pick 50 pounds of corn, and if it’s just you, that’s going to be so tiring.”

“It’s fine, I don’t think it’s tiring,” Qiao Chuchu said. “Since you said we need to finish the task, we can split up and pick. That way, it’ll be faster.”

She moved to another patch of land, but to her surprise, Qiu Dan came over to her other side. “I think it’s faster if we pick from the same plot together.”

Qiao Chuchu immediately lost her temper: 【Whatever, let her do whatever she wants. But Qiu Dan’s behavior is a bit strange, isn’t it?】

She looked through Qiu Dan’s storyline: 【Let me see… found it. Oh, I see. So Qiu Dan is following me to give He Xuan a chance to get close to Qiao Cen. But she’ll be disappointed. Qiao Cen isn’t falling for it. This response is pretty good. Looks like Qiao Cen still has a long way to go before becoming a lovesick fool.】

Qiu Dan, who had been seen through, turned pale and green with a mix of emotions. Now she saw how sharp Qiao Chuchu was, but Qiao Chuchu’s cleverness didn’t stop there.

Qiao Chuchu continued to enjoy the gossip: 【This Qiu Dan is definitely working with He Xuan, trying to pull connections and help He Xuan rise to the top. She’s willing to do anything, even sacrifice herself to help He Xuan. But her ending won’t be so great…】