ASFSODS 35

Main livestream:

[Hmm… how do I put this, it looks like Sheep and Tong Xian’en are about to BE]

[The prophet has spoken]

[You’re overthinking it, En’en just changed seats]

[Ahhh it’s Ayu Ge, my one and only white moonlight!!]

[Ayu is really so gentle—it’s a different kind of gentleness from Movie Emperor Jiang. I really like him!]

[Director Ma really outdid himself. He even managed to get Zhou Ruoyao on the show. I think he’s younger than Wen Chi by a year]

[It’s Yaoyao ahhh, mommy wants to kiss kiss #kisskiss##kisskiss##kisskiss#]

[I’m dying. Zhou Ruoyao and Wen Chi are chatting nonstop, and Jiang Ge’s being ignored by his own wife]

[Why is President Qin missing, and Xiao Bai’s smiling so happily #laughcry#]

Zhou Ruoyao scooped a small bowl of corn and mushroom chowder for Wen Chi and then asked, “I think that movie XX is about to be released. Want to go watch it together?”

“It’s coming out already? That fast?” Wen Chi had been looking forward to that movie. Hearing it was releasing soon, he pulled out his phone and opened a ticketing app. “Last time I checked it still said ‘coming soon.’”

“It’s releasing over here more than a month earlier than back home,” Zhou Ruoyao handed his phone over generously. “Look.”

Wen Chi instinctively glanced at Zhou Ruoyao’s screen, then quickly looked away. “Why don’t you screenshot it and send it to me instead?”

Zhou Ruoyao paused. “But I don’t have you on WeChat.”

Three seconds later, Wen Chi added him on WeChat.

“Hang on a sec,” Zhou Ruoyao sounded genuinely happy.

Wen Chi took a sip of the soup. “It’s fine. You can send it after we finish eating.”

Though he wasn’t used to Western-style lunches, the lighter meal actually suited his irritated eyes just fine.

Wen Chi really liked the corn and mushroom chowder. He leaned a bit to the right out of habit and said, “Teacher Jiang, have you tried this soup? I think it’s so good, it tastes salty and sweet.”

Jiang Siheng replied flatly, “No.”

Wen Chi froze and turned to look at him, only to find Jiang Siheng’s expression cold and slightly… aggrieved?

“…Teacher Jiang, what’s wrong?”

Jiang Siheng said, “My house cat ran off with someone else so I’m a little heartbroken.”

Wen Chi was shocked. “Wait, seriously?”

Jiang Siheng fell silent at the way he said it, then replied after a few seconds, “Yeah… seriously.”

Wen Chi forgot about everything else. This was the first time he’d heard of someone’s pet cat running off with someone else. He asked anxiously, “Will it come back?”

Jiang Siheng gave Wen Chi a side glance, then looked away before he could ask more. “I don’t know. It depends if it decides to return.”

Wen Chi nodded and, as a show of comfort, scooped a bowl of corn and mushroom chowder for the Movie Emperor who had lost his cat.

Zhou Ruoyao, seeing that Wen Chi’s attention had shifted back to Jiang Siheng, jabbed at his veggie-fruit salad with a spoon, clearly a little sulky.

After lunch, most of the guests wanted to head back to their rooms to nap and recover from the jet lag. Before that, the staff handed out five envelopes, each holding the letter written during the previous episode. When they got to Zhou Yunbai, the staff said, “President Qin already received his yesterday.”

Hearing that, Zhou Yunbai suddenly looked nervous. “O-okay.”

Wen Chi stared at the dark green envelope in his hands, the seal a navy-blue rose ink stamp. For some reason, he felt a little nervous too, like he was about to face a life-altering moment.

Just as Jiang Siheng was about to slip his envelope into his coat pocket, Zhou Ruoyao walked over and went, “Xiao Chi Ge’s envelope is so pretty.”

Jiang Siheng glanced at him, then tucked the envelope firmly into his pocket.

Zhou Ruoyao: “……”

Watching Jiang Siheng walk away, Zhou Ruoyao let out a quiet huff. “So stingy. I can’t even look at it for a second.”

He mumbled again, “Xiao Chi is better anyway.”

Since Wen Chi had napped earlier, he wasn’t sleepy. He kicked off his shoes and settled on the bed with the envelope, still warm from his own body heat.

Honestly, this felt a lot like opening a college acceptance letter.

He took a deep breath, then immediately started a voice call in his three-person group chat. Luckily, it was nighttime back home, and neither Qiao Congnan nor Huo Yinshi had to work late. They answered right away.

“Hello? Wen Chi? What do you want?” Qiao Congnan was gaming, the clacking of his keyboard loud and clear.

Strangely enough, even though Huo Yinshi wasn’t talking, Wen Chi could still hear Qiao Congnan and the keyboard sounds through his mic too.

Wen Chi caught on. “You two are together right now?”

“Yeah, we’re teaming up for a raid tonight. Want to join? It starts at nine,” Qiao Congnan said.

“We’re about to finish the level 90 dungeon. We’re two players short. If you join, I’ll just find one more in the guild,” Huo Yinshi added.

“……” Wen Chi sounded a little exasperated. “Can one of you please just leave the voice chat?”

Huo Yinshi immediately dropped off. Then Qiao Congnan’s mic flickered. “So what did you call us for? What time is it over there anyway?”

“Around 1 p.m,” Wen Chi replied while tearing open the envelope. “You guys keep playing. I just want some moral support.”

Wen Chi’s livestream:

[Who’s he on the phone with?]

[Damn it, why’s the audio off again!]

[He’s opening the envelope!]

[Kinda excited to see what Teacher Jiang wrote to Chi Chi]

[……Why does the cutie on the bed look like a blushing tomato now?]

[Will the letter be made public? Anyone know? #crying]

[Nope]

The letter wasn’t long, and it didn’t contain anything overtly romantic, but it still made Wen Chi blush and heart race. He couldn’t help reading it again. And again.

By the third time, he was rolling around on the bed, feet kicking wildly under the covers until the blanket flew off the bed entirely.

Qiao Congnan and Huo Yinshi both heard strange noises coming from Wen Chi’s end.

Qiao Congnan looked at Huo Yinshi and asked quietly, “What’s up with the kid now?”

Huo Yinshi shrugged. “Ask him.”

Qiao Congnan didn’t hesitate. “Wen Xiao Chi, what the hell is your problem now?”

Wen Chi sat up like a shot, face blank despite the lingering blush on his ears. “You’re the one with a problem.”

Qiao Congnan let out a sharp “tsk.”

Wen Chi glanced at one of the cameras in his room and held up three hand gestures.

Many viewers in Wen Chi’s livestream had no clue what it meant, but some longtime fans caught on instantly.

[What’s he saying?]

[I didn’t catch any lip movement either. Is this some secret signal?]

[Old fan here, new sisters make way. Xiao Chi is saying: wait a sec]

[……Hiss, is this some kind of new “flirty code” between celebs and fans?]

[Only OG fans would know this. I liked Xiao Chi starting just last year and I still didn’t know]

[He was only six months into his career when he first made that hand sign, right? I remember we all asked what it meant back then]

[Old fan +1. Open palm forward = wait, one index finger = one, thumb and index forming a 7 = moment/soon]

[Yep, together it means “wait a moment”]

[……6]

[Okay, kinda cringe but also kinda cute]

After trading a few jabs with Qiao Congnan, Wen Chi told him to go back to his game. Qiao Congnan cheerfully hung up.

Huo Yinshi hadn’t said much during the call. Once it ended, he kept playing on his tablet and casually said, “You’re messing with him again.”

“Gotta mess with him every now and then. Just making sure our Xiao Chi isn’t getting bullied out there,” Qiao Congnan replied with a smile.

Huo Yinshi said, “Don’t worry. No one on that show would dare.”

“Who knows. We used to think the same, but something still went wrong in the end,” Qiao Congnan might’ve sounded amused, but his face was cold.

Both of them were thinking about the painful things Wen Chi had been through in the past and the mood turned heavy.

After a while, just when Qiao Congnan assumed Huo Yinshi didn’t want to continue the conversation, the latter said, “I think someone on the show will protect him for us this time.”

…

Twelve letters. Six people. Just a few simple words were enough to stir the heart.

Main livestream:

[Ahhh what did En’en write? Sheep looks so happy]

[Honestly, they all seem really happy]

[Ughhh I wish we could read what they wrote to each other. Is the production team really not gonna release it?]

[Don’t bother hoping. They didn’t release them last season either]

[Feels like all the main CPs are locked in already. Sorry, new guests, you’ll have to mix and match yourselves #snicker#]

Dinner was also provided by the show, but the elderly foreign couple wasn’t downstairs. Zhou Yunbai asked and found out they had gone home. It turns out the actual owners of the guesthouse were their sons and they just helped out from time to time.

Just as everyone was getting ready to eat, the sound of cars came from outside. The staff went to the courtyard curiously and saw two small cars parked at the gate. The old couple had come back.

Zhou Ruoyao pressed himself against the living room window, trying to see what was going on outside, but the wall and some overhanging branches blocked the view.

Xu Yuqing walked over and stood beside him, speaking gently, “Xiao Yao, what are you looking at?”

Zhou Ruoyao didn’t even turn to look at him. “Nothing.”

Even with that cold response, Xu Yuqing didn’t seem awkward. He chuckled softly and said, “I see. Well, we’re about to eat, so don’t get too distracted.”

“Oh.”

After Xu Yuqing left, out of view of the cameras, Zhou Ruoyao rolled his eyes.

Main livestream:

[Zhou Ruoyao is so rude?? Who does he think he is?]

[Seriously, Ayu came over to talk and that’s the attitude he gives?]

[This show really lets just anyone on, huh]

[Um, quick interruption—Zhou Ruoyao is the young master of the Zhou Group]

[Not to be rude, but he’s the only son of the behind-the-scenes boss of the brand your Ayu just signed with]

[To put it plainly, he’s your daddy]

[LMAO]

Other viewers watching from home felt like they’d seen this scenario somewhere before.

All eight people at the table turned their heads as the foreign couple walked in with two other foreign men carrying dishes.

The staff explained that the couple and their sons had come to drop off some homemade food as a welcome gesture to everyone visiting Country Y.

As the food was placed dish by dish on the table, it quickly became cramped. One dish caught Tian Yang’s attention. He asked the eldest son in awkward English what it was.

Xu Yuqing overheard and answered first, “It’s a Welsh rarebit.”

Tian Yang was stunned. “This is a rabbit???”

Tong Xian’en clarified, “It’s just a name. It’s actually melted cheese and savory sauce spread on toast and baked.”

Xu Yuqing smiled. “That’s right.”

Tian Yang watched the two across from him laughing and talking about food they had eaten while working in Country Y. The faint smile on his lips slowly faded.

Meanwhile, the old lady looked at Wen Chi and smiled as she told her son, “He is the lovely boy I told you about.”

Wen Chi, startled by her sudden glance, slowly moved behind Jiang Siheng, peeked out halfway, gave a shy smile, and greeted them.

The younger son laughed. “Mother is right, he is really cute.”

The grandfather said something in a foreign language, and then the younger son turned to Jiang Siheng, clearly interested in chatting.

Wen Chi’s livestream:

[I suddenly feel like livestreams might be… too much]

[I’ll translate]

[It’s the international student sis again, go on — the stage is yours]

[LMAOOO]

[After careful translation: “Is he your wife?” “No.” “Then what are you?” “He’s my future wife.”]

[The study-abroad sister never disappoints]

[Wait so that’s what it really meant?]

[It’s fake]

[I just ate a sugar bomb and now I don’t know whether to swallow it or not]