ASFSODS 63

The surface of the sea shimmered with light, and Wen Chi and Zhou Yunbai together only had three tokens so far. The production team hadn’t told them where the task locations were, so they had to find them on their own. Although the temperature on the island wasn’t too hot and the sea breeze blew from time to time, they were still sweating from running around.

Zhou Yunbai pulled out two tissues, giving one to Wen Chi and keeping the other for herself to wipe off her sweat. She tied up her long hair that had been hanging loose, revealing a beautiful swan-like neck. As the cool wind brushed against her skin, she let out a sigh, turned to Wen Chi, and asked, “Where do we go now?”

It was at this moment that Zhou Yunbai noticed something. Although Wen Chi was sweating like she was, the amount wasn’t much, and he still looked fresh and neat. Because of the heat, Wen Chi had taken off his jacket and was holding it in his hands. Underneath, he wore a white short-sleeve shirt, and on his right shoulder was a cute little pig design.

“I think I’ve figured out the pattern,” Wen Chi said, “The token locations seem to be shrinking inward, starting from the outer circle. Xiao Bai Jie, I think we’ll be faster if we split up.”

“Alright.” Zhou Yunbai agreed. Splitting up would definitely speed up the search.

Wen Chi added, “If anything happens, just text or call me.”

“Okay.”

The two of them split up. Wen Chi stood at the roadside, looking left and right, and eventually decided to head to the right.

On the way, Wen Chi ran into Zhou Ruoyao and Tian Yang. They were walking quickly and paused when they saw Wen Chi, stopping in their tracks.

Tian Yang asked, “How many tokens have you found, Xiao Chi?”

Wen Chi, holding his jacket, responded, “Guess.”

Tian Yang: “??”

Seeing that Wen Chi was being playful, Tian Yang said, “How about we form an alliance? We can help each other out. If we end up with each other’s tokens during the task, we can trade them. That way, we’ll get through it much faster.”

Zhou Ruoyao nodded seriously from the side, looking at Wen Chi and saying, “If Tian Yang tries to mess with you, I’ll go steal his token for you.”

Tian Yang, shocked that Zhou Ruoyao would say that in front of him, exclaimed, “?? Big brother, I’m your partner!”

This is how Zhou Ruoyao, the young master, is—so carefree and rebellious.

Wen Chi’s Livestream Chat:

[Hahahahaha]

[I’m dying, the young master is totally the ‘toxic solo fan’ of his younger brother, no doubt]

[Tian Yang: I was super panicked at that moment]

[So, does anyone know who the mysterious person is?]

Tian Yang sighed helplessly and looked at Wen Chi. “So, what’s the plan?”

Wen Chi didn’t immediately agree. He said, “I’ll call Xiao Bai Jie and ask her opinion.”

“Alright.”

Main Livestream Chat:

[Wen Chi is such a gentleman, he even calls his other partner to ask for their opinion.]

[True, if it were other male celebs, they would’ve probably agreed right away and told their partner later.]

[Don’t compare one and downplay the other.]

[Have you guys noticed that the vibe with Tong Xian’en’s group is really weird?]

[Yeah, but I’m afraid Tong Xian’en’s fans might go crazy, so I’m staying quiet.]

[Oh, Tong Xian’en and Xu Yuqing also split up.]

Wen Chi briefly explained the situation to Zhou Yunbai. After thinking it over, Zhou Yunbai left the decision to Wen Chi. But Wen Chi asked,
“Does that mean I’ve agreed?”

Zhou Yunbai smiled and said, “Yep.”

Wen Chi and Tian Yang’s teams temporarily formed an alliance. They both showed each other the tokens they had collected so far. Tian Yang took a look and said, “Ah, you guys got your own tokens? That’s some good luck. Xiao Chi, let me rub some of that luck off you.”

Wen Chi awkwardly smiled as Tian Yang rubbed his hand on his shoulder. “Actually, it’s not that I’m lucky… it’s Xiao Bai Jie who’s lucky.”

Tian Yang: “Hmm? How’s that?”

Wen Chi explained, “The task points we went to were all chosen by Xiao Bai Jie.”

Wen Chi’s Livestream Chat:

[Xiao Bai’s luck is that good?]

[It’s really good. I totally forgot she has this “entertainment industry lucky star” persona.]

[Wait, really? I’m going to follow her right now!]

[Aaaaah, Xiao Bai Jie, please help me pass my exam!!!]

[I have my driving test tomorrow, can I still pray to Xiao Bai Jie?]

Tian Yang gasped. “Does that mean I picked the wrong person to team up with?”

Wen Chi: “???”

Wen Chi put his hands on his hips and asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Zhou Ruoyao glared at his own partner, “Don’t be too practical. Xiao Chi Ge is pretty smart too.”

“……” Wen Chi turned to look at Zhou Ruoyao, thinking, well, no need to praise him that much.

Tian Yang was just joking, laughing a few times before saying, “We’ve got three tokens, but only one is mine. The other two aren’t.”

Wen Chi took a look and noticed one of the tokens belonged to Zhou Yunbai. He didn’t hesitate to take it. “Thanks, may you have peace and safety all your life.”

Tian Yang, watching Wen Chi’s smooth movements, couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth. “You really are quite direct.”

Wen Chi smiled and said, “I’ll head to the next task point. If I get one of yours, I’ll text you guys.”

Zhou Ruoyao asked, “Aren’t you coming with us?”

“No, moving together is too slow,” Wen Chi waved them off. “I’m off now.”

The next task point wasn’t far. Wen Chi looked up at the glaring sunlight and unconsciously quickened his pace. The task point was designed to be very noticeable, completely out of place with the island’s environment. With the cameraman there, it was easy to spot.

The task point staff member was wearing a bright yellow short-sleeve shirt. As soon as he saw a guest approach, he immediately got ready.

Wen Chi first checked if there was a blue sticker on the staff member’s right shoulder. If there was, it meant the task had already been completed by another guest and he could move on to the next one.

No sticker.

“Hello! Welcome to the Heart Canteen. Your task is to memorize the names of fifteen ingredients in one minute, and then accurately fill them in the blanks within three minutes. If you complete it correctly, you will earn one token.”

Wen Chi: “……”

Wen Chi took the form the staff member handed him. It had fifteen blanks, each with the name of a food item. Essentially, he needed to memorize the fifteen names in one minute and then write them out from memory.

“Do I need to write them in order, or just write the names?” Wen Chi asked.

The staff member smiled. “You need to write them in order.”

Wen Chi, helpless, squatted down, resting his chin on one hand while holding the form with the other. He mumbled to himself. The staff member stood a little farther away, thinking that Wen Chi was just memorizing the names, so he waited attentively.

Only the livestream fans heard what Wen Chi was actually mumbling.

“Scallions, mint, tomatoes, basil, shiitake mushrooms… Damn, punch the Earth. Cilantro, seaweed…”

Wen Chi’s Livestream Chat:

[Hahahaha, the streamer is just like me at work.]

[Can we even say “punch the Earth” though?]

[Why not? The memes are already everywhere.]

[Hahahaha, how is the younger brother so cute?]

[This needs the strongest brain: Jiang Siheng.]

[If Teacher Jiang was here, Xiao Chi would probably already be slacking off beside him.]

A minute quickly passed. The staff member, who had been watching the timer, immediately said, “Time’s up.”

Before handing the form back, Wen Chi took a few more glances at it. After the staff member took it away, Wen Chi gazed at it longingly. The staff member tried to hold back a laugh, handing Wen Chi a blank form and a pen. “Teacher Wen, you can begin.”

Wen Chi sighed, found an empty spot on a table, and buried his head in writing.

Wen Chi’s Livestream Chat:

[Oh no, I just heard him muttering and cursing. He didn’t remember a single ingredient.]

[Same, QAQ. My mind is just stuck on “punch the Earth.”]

[I only remember cilantro, that cursed cilantro!]

[What?! Damn it, protect our cilantro!!]

Forty-three seconds…

One minute and seventeen seconds…

One minute and thirty-six seconds…

Two minutes and three seconds…

“I’m done.” Wen Chi relaxed, straightened his back, and handed the form to the staff member.
“Please check it. If there’s anything unclear, you can ask me. It’s a bit messy because I was rushed.”

The staff member smiled and took it. “It’s alright, I can…” Before he finished speaking, his eyes landed on the handwriting and his smile froze for a moment. He naturally changed his tone. “…I will ask you.”

Wen Chi noticed and, with his hands behind his back, like a little old man, looked at the staff member with a half-guilty but confident glance. 

I knew it. My handwriting is really bad.

The staff member checked the form and was surprised to see that Wen Chi had completed the task in under three minutes, accurately filling in the names of the fifteen ingredients in the corresponding boxes. He took a pouch from the desk drawer. “Congratulations, you’ve earned a token.”

“Thank you.” Wen Chi took the token, glanced at the desk drawer, and muttered quietly,
“If I’d known the token was here, I would’ve just grabbed it secretly.”

The staff member was putting a blue sticker on his shoulder and didn’t hear Wen Chi’s words.

The “token” was a card with intricate patterns and each guest’s name on it. Wen Chi opened the pouch right there, saw the name on the card, and immediately stuffed it back into the pouch. He sighed and continued heading toward the next task point.

The livestream audience immediately realized, oh, the token wasn’t for him or Zhou Yunbai.

While Wen Chi was half-heartedly but still trying to complete tasks, his reality show CP, but true boyfriend, Jiang Siheng, was getting ready to head to Old Master Qin’s birthday banquet.

On the way, Jiang Siheng received a call from his father. Looking out the window at the scenery flashing by, he answered. “Dad.”

Jiang Lixiao responded, “Where are you right now?”

“On my way to Old Master Qin’s banquet. What’s up?” Jiang Siheng’s voice was calm.

“Oh, nothing. I just wanted to remind you in case you forgot. Since you’re on your way, I’ll hang up now. Remember to send our regards to the old man.” Jiang Lixiao rarely spoke for more than a minute when talking to his son, and just as he was about to hang up, his wife, Cheng Yazhe, grabbed his phone.

“Wait, Xiao Heng, don’t hang up!”

Jiang Siheng, his thumb hovering over the red hang-up button, paused when he heard his mother’s voice. “Mom.”

Cheng Yazhe gave a small “hm” sound, glancing at Jiang Lixiao and waving him away to sit further, then said to Jiang Siheng,
“Xiao Heng, your dad and I plan to come back to the country in a couple of days. When will your variety show wrap up?”

Jiang Siheng checked the date. “On the 9th, I think.”

“Alright, since that’s the case, how about we go out for dinner on the night of the 10th?” Cheng Yazhe said with a smile.

Jiang Siheng, knowing his mother’s personality, was certain that her suggestion to go out for dinner wasn’t for him, and that the reason would be something else entirely. The sunset cast a warm glow on the sharp, defined lines of his jaw. Jiang Siheng shifted to a more comfortable position in the seat and lowered his gaze slightly. 

“Reason?”

Cheng Yazhe pretended to be clueless, “What reason? The reason is that I miss you.”

Jiang Siheng: “Oh.”

“……” Cheng Yazhe was momentarily choked by his nonchalant “oh.” After a brief pause, she seemed to give up, saying, “Alright, alright, it’s just that I want to meet that kid of yours. Could you find a way to bring him along and have him join us for dinner?”