The recording location was a two-story house with a courtyard by the sea, rented by the director’s team. It was the season of blooming flowers, and the blossoms in the yard were exceptionally gorgeous, with even the white swing adorned with floral decorations.
The guests arriving one after another were all slightly awed and amazed.
[Oh my god, this set design. The director’s team really put in the effort.]
[I am just a little kid who naively thought I could live in a house like this when I grew up.]
[Time to dream about it tonight.]
Four guests were already seated inside, their individual live streaming split screens having merged into one. Even though they already knew who the mystery guests were, they were still enthusiastically discussing it.
“I saw the online voting poll for the most anticipated mystery guest. It’s so interesting,” Qi Li laughed.
And it certainly was interesting. The number one spot belonged to Jiang Yinyin, while the absolute last place went to Le Zhiyi. As it turned out, the mystery guests actually turned out to be these exact two people.
You have to hand it to the director for knowing how to play with the audience.
Su Anlin chuckled, “They’ll probably be here any second now.”
Shen Qing watched the doorway with eager anticipation. The moment he thought about Le Zhiyi arriving soon, he felt genuinely happy—this was practically an all-familiar circle.
Jiang Siyu brewed green tea for the others, then leaned back against the sofa with a faint smile, taking small sips of his own.
[Stop looking forward to it. It’s Le Zhiyi; the sky is falling.]
[Hahahahaha, hurry up and drink more green tea to cool down your anger first.]
[Agh, Agh, Agh! Jiang Yinyin, hurry up and get here!!]
[Only Jiang Yinyin and Le Zhiyi are left. Won’t the two of them run into each other? I’m so excited, hahaha.]
Before long, two cars slowly pulled up one after the other at the courtyard entrance. Jiang Yinyin stepped out unhurriedly to retrieve his suitcase.
His gaze drifted casually to the side, and he caught sight of a car door flung wide open. A foot stretched out from inside, nudged forward a bit, and then stopped moving entirely.
It looked as though the person couldn’t get out.
However, since he wasn’t the type to meddle in other people’s business, he directly pretended not to see and reached for his suitcase.
The moment he reached out, he suddenly took a step back, slammed the trunk shut, backed up straight into the car, and pulled the door shut with a sharp bang.
Jiang Yinyin: “…”
Here we go again, right?
Once is unfamiliar, twice is a habit, especially since this had already happened quite a few times. Jiang Yinyin raised his hand and waved it in the air, and seeing that things had returned to normal, he calmly stepped back out of the car.
As soon as he stepped down, he saw the car next to his, where Le Zhiyi was clumsily wriggling his way out of the back seat.
So stupid.
Jiang Yinyin withdrew his gaze, grabbed his suitcase, and walked toward the courtyard.
Le Zhiyi took the suitcase the driver had helped unload and offered a sweet expression of gratitude. “Thank you so much! May you make a fortune.”
The driver beamed from ear to ear as he drove off.
Le Zhiyi hauled his suitcase inward, feeling somewhat dissatisfied. That method of getting out of the car was still terribly clumsy, but since he had no fast-forward charges left to rewind, he had no choice but to let it go.
Right at that moment, the system’s mechanical voice rang out right on cue.
“Affection value increased by 0.2 points, 20 points added, fast-forward count increased by one.”
Le Zhiyi’s eyes lit up without a moment of hesitation. “Exchange for a rewind back to before I got out of the car.”
Ding-dong, the rewind had been successfully applied.
Learning from his experience this time, Le Zhiyi shifted his hips outward, extended one foot first, and then nimbly stepped out of the vehicle.
Perfect.
He was thoroughly satisfied.
Jiang Yinyin, who had found himself sitting back inside the car for the third time: “…”
He stepped out of his car and watched Le Zhiyi, whose entire back radiated a sense of absolute delight, a flicker of puzzlement crossing his eyes.
[I honestly think Le Zhiyi is so cute, all clumsy and blockheaded.]
[What part of that is cute? I will never give up hating on Le Zhiyi.]
[Jiang Yinyin, ahhhhh, he’s finally here!! Drooling ing:]
Entering the house, the four people sitting on the sofa were momentarily stunned to see Le Zhiyi wearing so many layers.
Shen Qing was the first to stand up and help with the suitcase. “Why are you wearing so much? It’s so hot out.”
Le Zhiyi smiled and shook his head.
“Let me take it upstairs,” Jiang Siyu said, taking over the suitcase while conveniently grabbing Jiang Yinyin’s as well, since Jiang Yinyin had just walked in.
Jiang Yinyin declined, “Older brother, I’ll go with you.”
“Wait a moment,” Le Zhiyi called out to stop the two of them. He took his suitcase back and squatted right on the floor to unzip it.
Amidst the bewildered gazes of the others, he pulled out several gifts and handed them out one by one.
Le Zhiyi wiped the sweat from his brow, his face flushed with an embarrassed smile. “These are gifts for everyone. I hope you won’t mind. The luggage space was limited, and once I packed the gifts, I couldn’t fit any extra clothes, so I just had to make do and wear them all at once.”
[I’m seriously changing my view on Le Zhiyi. He’s sweating so much his face is red, yet his very first priority is still handing out gifts.]
[I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it. Who knows what kind of cheap junk is inside.]
[Still, having the thought to bring gifts is pretty nice.]
[He actually gave the gift to Jiang Siyu last. He’s definitely doing it on purpose to catch Jiang Siyu’s attention.]
Clutching their gifts, several people slowly had question marks pop up over their foreheads. Su Anlin and Qi Li exchanged glances, thinking in unison: What on earth is Le Zhiyi playing at?
Jiang Siyu said nothing. He held the lightweight box in his hand and arched an eyebrow.
Such a good heart? He didn’t believe it for a second.
Jiang Siyu remained accustomed to it, as Le Zhiyi often gave him things in the past. He offered a soft word of gratitude, planning to reimburse Le Zhiyi for the cost of the gift after filming wrapped up.
Shen Qing snapped back to reality, deeply moved. He gently set his gift aside to help Le Zhiyi take off his outer coat. “You’re so silly. It wouldn’t have mattered if you brought an extra suitcase. Wearing this many layers, what would you have done if you got heatstroke?”
“It’s fine. If I brought another suitcase, I wouldn’t have been able to carry it myself, and I didn’t want to trouble you guys,” Le Zhiyi replied.
Su Anlin rubbed his nose and spoke awkwardly, “I’m strong. Next time, just pack however many suitcases you want; I’ll carry them for you.”
Qi Li chimed in, “I’ll help too. Don’t underestimate girls—I’m plenty strong myself.”
As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves to display her muscles.
Le Zhiyi nodded appreciatively. “Thank you guys, then I’ll go take my luggage to the room with A-Nian and change my clothes along the way.”
The others urged him on, “Go change your clothes quickly before you overheat.”
Since Le Zhiyi had already brought it up, Jiang Yinyin didn’t say anything further. He picked up his luggage and headed upstairs.
Jiang Yinyin walked effortlessly and at a brisk pace. Since Le Zhiyi was bundled up heavily, he grew tired after just a few steps.
Watching Jiang Yinyin’s retreating back, Le Zhiyi gritted his teeth inwardly. So annoying. Seeing Jiang Yinyin just irritates me.
He still remembered that throat-shuckingly sweet cup of lemonade. His tendency to hold grudges matched his beauty step-for-step.
The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became. Le Zhiyi gave a soft cough and, dragging out his tone in a spoiled manner, called out, “A-Nian, don’t walk so fast. Won’t you help me out?”
Jiang Yinyin: “…”
In an instant, goosebumps crawled all the way from his scalp down to his heels.
[Oh my goodness, my heart just melted.]
[I’m going! I’m going to help him carry his luggage, ahhhhh.]
[Jiang Yinyin is seriously lacking in any gentlemanly manners at all.]
[Doesn’t the person upstairs use the internet? The two of them are notoriously at odds with each other.]
Fans diligently popularized the context in the live chat.
[During a red carpet event once, the two of them happened to walk out together. Le Zhiyi sprained his ankle, but Jiang Yinyin didn’t even look his way, let alone offer a hand to steady him. Afterwards, Le Zhiyi posted online saying he didn’t need Jiang Yinyin’s help, plus a whole series of other incidents. In short, the two of them can’t stand each other.]
[They’re mortal enemies! Based on my experience, mortal enemies always end up settling things in bed.]
[So shipable!]
[You upstairs think you’re cracking melon seeds or something? You ship literally anything.]
Seeing that Jiang Yinyin acted as though he hadn’t heard and kept walking upward, Le Zhiyi doubled down on his efforts. “A-Nian, help me carry it, won’t you?”
This time, his voice was louder than before, capturing the attention of the people downstairs.
Jiang Siyu’s voice drifted up: “Zhiyi, let me come help you.”
[Why is Jiang Siyu proactively helping Le Zhiyi?]
[Could he be a walking air conditioner for everyone?]
[Our Jiang Siyu is just relatively kind and loving. People are finding reasons to hate on this too?]
Jiang Yinyin: “…”
Hearing his older brother’s voice, he turned around with a cold face, walked back down, and snatched Le Zhiyi’s suitcase from his hands.
Just as he bent over, a refreshing scent of green tea and fruit washed over him, and Le Zhiyi leaned close to his ear.
“Thank you, A-Nian~”
With that, Le Zhiyi let out a light laugh, straightened up, and walked away.
Jiang Yinyin: “…”
He was provoking him.
There were only five rooms, currently assigned at random. Jiang Yinyin casually entered one of them, set his luggage down, and stared at the gift box in his hands.
A few seconds later, he still reached out to unwrap it.
The moment he opened it, the contents came into view: a bracket-shaped object lay inside.
It was a smile trainer.
Jiang Yinyin: “…”
Oh, mocking him for not knowing how to smile.
Next to the trainer was a box of pills, thoughtfully labeled with handwriting scribbled in pen: Specialized for mental illness.
The handwriting was crooked and clumsy, bearing the distinct style of an elementary school student—it was obviously written by Le Zhiyi.
Jiang Yinyin: “…”
Oh, calling him crazy.
For a moment, he was so angry that he actually laughed out loud.
The rest of the people downstairs had also unwrapped their gifts. Since they were live streaming, they naturally had to unbox them on camera.
Qi Li unwrapped hers to find a princess-style puffy dress, accompanied by a small note that she read aloud in a gentle voice: “Princess, oh princess, where are you? This skirt has come to find you~”
“Thank you, Zhiyi, you put so much thought into this,” Qi Li laughed, holding the dress up against her face. “It’s just that the handwriting looks exactly like my younger brother’s.”
The characters written on it were round, crooked, and lopsided, featuring that ugly-cute dog-scratch handwriting.
Shen Qing, sitting beside her, couldn’t help laughing either.
[That handwriting is hilarious, dying of laughter. Can you practice your handwriting, Le Zhiyi?]
[It’s actually super cute, total elementary school student vibes.]
[My hate has genuinely turned into love. He’s too good at this!!]
[This definitely wasn’t Le Zhiyi’s idea. There must be someone behind the scenes helping him strategize, right?]
[Wait, Le Zhiyi, did you take some Chinese medicine or something? How did you suddenly become this good?]
Su Anlin also unwrapped his gift, revealing a Lego set inside. His eyes lit up, though he fought to maintain his aloof pride. “He really knows how to give gifts.”
He held the Lego set up to shake it in front of the camera. “Thanks a lot, Zhiyi. Once we finish recording the show, I’ll treat you to dinner.”
Regardless of whether it was an act, at least the item sent was something he genuinely liked.
[Who said Le Zhiyi was bad? Le Zhiyi is simply too wonderful.]
[A single gift instantly wins over hearts. I’m honestly amazed at how good he is at gift-giving.]
[Taking notes right now.]
[That Lego set is pretty expensive, and the dress is haute couture too. What kind of nice things haven’t celebrities seen before? You can tell at a glance whether someone put real thought into it. No wonder Qi Li and Su Anlin were won over so quickly.]
Shen Qing unboxed his and froze for a moment upon seeing what was inside—a small butterfly brooch.
There was also a note attached, which he read aloud in a soft voice with reddened eyes: “May A-Qing always be free and happy!”
Back at home, his father had cheated on his mother and hated coming back, while his mother possessed an intense desire for control, forcing him to do things he hated right up until he turned eighteen. It wasn’t until his mother passed away that he finally found release, but he had lost his mother in the process.
Freedom was the one thing he was willing to pursue for the rest of his life, and Le Zhiyi understood him.
[Don’t cry, don’t cry. Seeing you cry like this breaks my heart, baby.]
[Le Zhiyi, I’ll never curse you again.]
[You guys defected way too fast. I’m the only one holding down the fort. Le Zhiyi, damn you.]
Jiang Siyu received a pair of leather shoes from a brand he frequently wore. He gave a helpless chuckle, sincerely looked into the camera to say thank you to Zhiyi, and then went over to comfort Shen Qing.
[As expected, in Jiang Siyu’s heart, Shen Qing matters more.]
[Le Zhiyi, give it up. Those two are lovey-dovey sweethearts, so stop trying to butt in.]
All five gifts were packed with genuine care, showing clear evidence that proper research had been done. When people aren’t short on money, sincere effort becomes exceptionally precious.
Downstairs, Jiang Yinyin walked out, looked at the gifts everyone had received, and fell silent once more.
[What did Jiang Yinyin get? I’m curious.]
[It should be filled with thought too, how nice.]
Through the system, Le Zhiyi watched the live chat and burst out laughing. Picturing the expression on Jiang Yinyin’s face when he unpacked the gift, he collapsed onto the bed laughing.
Basic politeness meant the others wouldn’t open their gifts right in front of him, choosing instead to unbox them when he wasn’t around, which was why he had deliberately called Jiang Yinyin away beforehand.
After all, Jiang Yinyin’s gift was meant for him alone to silently enjoy.
“Host, you’re something else,” the system said, trying hard to hold back its laughter.
“Stop putting on an act, laugh if you want to,” Le Zhiyi chuckled.
Mid-laugh, the system chimed in: “Affection value increased by 0.2 points, fast-forward increased twice.”
“Oh right, Host, how did you know what all of them liked?”
“I made a burner account to sneak into their super topics; their fans answer everything, and they give super detailed answers. Once we finish recording the show, it’ll be time to shake down the old bastard for more cash,” Le Zhiyi said with a tsk.
Sure enough, spending money you didn’t earn yourself felt outrageously satisfying.
System: “…”
It felt like it had experienced yet another profound realization.