Ning Qiuxiu said, “I was just afraid you might be upset, so I wanted to say a few good words for him. How did you know?”

“It’s just his personality,” Zhan Qingyue replied, not guessing but speaking from experience. “Don’t worry about him; he’s just a kid.”

“Oh…” Ning Qiuxiu thought that Zhan Qingyue seemed to have a good understanding of the personalities of their relatives.

As for Zhan Qingze, even though he acted all high and mighty, he was actually quite easy to understand.

It was normal for people to see through his behavior.

Kids like him, who were spoiled from a young age, often have some rebellious traits and like to imitate adults, but they generally have good hearts.

Seeing that Zhan Qingyue didn’t seem to hold any grudges, Ning Qiuxiu decided not to bother pleading for him.

Just as she was about to suggest Zhan Qingyue get some rest, he suddenly said, “Come here, Qiuxiu.”

“What…what do you need?” With them being alone together late at night, Zhan Qingyue’s request felt a bit ambiguous.

Ning Qiuxiu shamefully realized she wasn’t feeling the slightest bit of wariness.

Was she too naive, or did she underestimate Zhan Qingyue’s condition?

Zhan Qingyue raised his right hand, saying, “I have a cramp. Rub it for me.”

Ning Qiuxiu was confused. “Are you serious?!”

Looking at his hand, she noticed that Zhan Qingyue had gained a bit of weight due to healthy routines.

He was no longer as thin as before, which was a relief since he was still handsome no matter his weight.

Ning Qiuxiu took his hand and began to rub it, applying pressure.

“Ah.” Zhan Qingyue winced. “Be gentle, Qiuxiu.”

“This is as light as I can do,” Ning Qiuxiu lied with a straight face.

Zhan Qingyue laughed at her annoyed expression and said, “You can choose other ideal sons-in-law, but I’m the only one I am.”

“???” Ning Qiuxiu didn’t understand why he brought this up again. “So?”

“So, if you get rid of me, there won’t be another one,” Zhan Qingyue said.

Ning Qiuxiu was taken aback. “…”

Was he hinting that she was considering eliminating her husband?

“It’s fine; it would just mean one less person breathing air,” Ning Qiuxiu said, trying to hold back a laugh, though she had definitely eased up on the pressure.

…

After staying at home for two days, they set off for the rehabilitation center in G City.

The sanatorium was originally meant for wealthy people.

They purchased a beautiful, serene piece of land in the suburbs where transportation was convenient, and built the facility there, making sure the environment was elegant.

Next to the sanatorium was a row of villas, also owned by the sanatorium, intended to be rented out to patients who stayed long-term.

This allowed them to enjoy advanced treatment and care while living in their own private villas, giving them the space they needed.

Mr. Zhan arranged for a villa next to the sanatorium to be rented and prepared it. It was decorated according to the owner’s preferences, so when Ning Qiuxiu and the others moved in, it didn’t feel too out of place.

Ning Qiuxiu noticed that even the furniture was the same as at their home in City A, which made her reflect on the luxury of the place.

The climate here was much more pleasant than at home. It was late autumn, and in City A, they were already preparing for snow, while here, people were wearing shorts and running around, as if they were in a different hemisphere.

This was also why the production team of the show “My Daily Life with a Beautiful Bamboo Rat” chose this location—the mild climate was perfect for raising bamboo rats.

If they had ended up killing all the bamboo rats by mistake, the show would have turned into a moral condemnation program.

Qu Hua and the production team hadn’t told Ning Qiuxiu in advance who the other guests were, so when she arrived, she had no idea who would be joining her.

The location chosen by the production team was quite remote.

When the car stopped, the tallest buildings around were only three stories high, and there were no skyscrapers, giving a strong rural vibe.

Ning Qiuxiu was the first to arrive since she lived nearby.

The production team had arranged a farmhouse with a large yard surrounded by mountains and fields.

“This really feels like a transformation program,” Ning Qiuxiu thought.

She put down her bag and sat in the yard to wait. Just as she settled in, she heard the gate of the yard open.

The second guest had arrived.

When the person walked in and Ning Qiuxiu saw them, she was taken aback.

“Why are you here?” Ning Qiuxiu blinked in surprise.

Song Chu looked innocent and said, “I was just about to ask you the same thing.”

Both of them were speechless.

Song Chu was one of the few friends from the industry that Ning Qiuxiu had.

On screen, he had a cute and clingy persona, loved by fans who could form a strong fan base.

But in reality, he was quite arrogant, self-absorbed, and a bit silly.

If it weren’t for the cameras recording everything, Ning Qiuxiu would have asked if he wasn’t worried about his true nature showing and his persona collapsing by participating in a reality show.

“Ning Qiuxiu, you look really good today,” Song Chu complimented Ning Qiuxiu sweetly, sticking to his character.

But if Ning Qiuxiu could read minds, she’d hear him adding, “But I look a hundred times better than you!”

“Thank you,” Ning Qiuxiu, familiar with his ways, responded. “Others haven’t arrived yet, so let’s sit and wait.”

“Okay,” Song Chu obediently sat down next to her and started chatting. “Who are the guests today?”

“I don’t know either,” Ning Qiuxiu said. “I’m the first one here, and you’re the second. We’re just waiting for the third.”

Song Chu laughed at her response, easing the awkwardness between them.

They chatted casually until the gate of the courtyard opened again.

This time, a man and a woman entered.

The man, seeing the people in the courtyard, waved cheerfully, “Hi, you’re here so early!”

The man was Lin Jin, a rising star in variety show hosting, known for his humor.

The girl with him was unfamiliar to Ning Qiuxiu. She probably wasn’t a big name.

“I’m Bai Ying. Not the ‘silver’ as in money, but the ‘crystal clear’ one,” the girl introduced herself.

Lin Jin, who seemed to know her well, joked quickly, “The ‘silver’ in ‘Bai Ying’ is the same as ‘silver’ in money. So, we get it, your name is Bai Silver.”

Bai Ying, lively and easygoing, laughed at the joke. “Call me Bai Silver if you want, just don’t trade me for food!”

“This place is so remote, even a small shop is hard to find. Even if we wanted to trade, we couldn’t,” Song Chu weakly remarked.

Bai Ying looked excited. “So, are we really starting the ‘Transformation Journey’ now?”

Ning Qiuxiu said, “It’s not about whether it’s ‘real fragrance’ or not. It’s about whether we even get the chance to experience it.”

Her comment reminded everyone to look around, shivering at their surroundings.

“So, weren’t we supposed to take care of bamboo rats?” Bai Ying asked.

Lin Jin called out to the director, “Director, where are the bamboo rats?”

The director, among the staff, replied, “We’ll go see them once the last guest arrives.”

Just then, the final guest arrived. Instead of the door being pushed open, it was politely knocked on.

The four in the courtyard exchanged glances.

After receiving the “please come in” signal, the door was pushed open to reveal Fang Jinhan’s handsome face.

Ning Qiuqiu was shocked. “??? Is this some kind of joke?”

Why was he here?

Wasn’t he supposed to be on a dating reality show?

And didn’t he just finish filming “The Wandering” a few days ago? Did he not need any rest?

Ning Qiuxiu couldn’t believe how coincidental it was that two different reality shows had invited the same person, and both of them had ended up on this show.

She thought maybe she should buy some lottery tickets to calm her nerves.

Fang Jinhan seemed a bit surprised to see her too, but quickly composed himself and greeted everyone, “Hello everyone.”

“Wow,” Lin Jin took on the role of host, saying, “The final guest makes a dazzling entrance. Come on, let’s sit down. Once we have all five of us, we can summon our mysterious bamboo rats.”

The lively atmosphere made Fang Jinhan feel less reserved as he joined the group and introduced himself.

The production team didn’t keep them waiting.

They first took the group to see the bamboo rats they’d be taking care of.

Everyone’s expressions were filled with anticipation.

Although they’d seen bamboo rats on videos, seeing them in real life was an exciting experience.

The bamboo rats were kept in a small room on the far right of the building.

As they approached the door, they heard the familiar “squeaky” noises, just like in the videos.

“Wow, bamboo rats!” Bai Ying rushed inside first.

Seeing the little creatures in their enclosure, her face suddenly changed.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Jin, the second to enter, asked. “Oh my, these bamboo rats are so cute!”

“I think I’m a bit like the ‘dragon-slaying’ guy now,” Bai Ying said, looking pale.

Ning Qiuxiu went in, looked down at the cluster of baby bamboo rats huddled together, all gray and shaking.

They looked like a bunch of gray mice.

Song Chu, unsure if he was maintaining his persona or genuinely scared, also looked small and scared.

Fang Jinhan, still in his high-cool mode, only observed silently from the back.

The atmosphere grew a bit awkward.

Ning Qiuxiu, who was used to seeing various mystical creatures, wasn’t frightened.

She looked around and suddenly spotted something white, calling out, “There are white ones over here!”

Everyone immediately crowded over.

The white ones, like the gray ones, were huddled together in one compartment.

Even though they were the same species, the white ones looked like cute little glutinous rice balls.

“Prince Charming!”

“They’re so beautiful.”

“Will they bite if I touch them?”

“I want to try too. Wow, they look fierce!”

Seeing the white bamboo rats, Bai Ying and Song Chu lost their fear and even began to play with them, smiling like proud aunts.

“…” It’s a sad world where looks determine everything.

The production team had prepared eight white and eight gray bamboo rats, naming them from one to sixteen.

Despite their small size, these little creatures were quite fierce.

Just a slight disturbance would make them show their big front teeth as a warning.

With the production team’s approval, everyone took pictures.

During a break, Ning Qiuxiu couldn’t help but send the photos to Zhan Qingyue.

[Ning Qiuxiu: Look, sixteen adorable little bundles.]

Zhan Qingyue, unable to type, sent a voice message: “I counted, and there are seventeen.”

Ning Qiuxiu wanted to send a message saying his eyes could be donated to those in need, but she didn’t dare.

[Ning Qiuxiu: You counted wrong. There are sixteen.]

Zhan Qingyue’s voice message came back with a smile: “You count as one too.”

Ning Qiuxiu: “???”