Usually, guests on variety shows are invited by the celebrities themselves; they don’t receive a performance fee, and their stay is typically quite short.
After Duoduo explained this, Huai Jian’s brow twitched. “Are there any hotels nearby?”
Duoduo shook her head. “Not in the village. There are a few guesthouses in the town, but they might not be very clean. I’m afraid you wouldn’t be comfortable there.”
Huai Jian was a bit of a germaphobe. Hearing that, she didn’t pursue the hotel idea further. She remained a bit hesitant as they headed back to eat.
Duoduo scooped a bowl of rice and handed it to her. “Sister Huai, if you want to stay and play for a few more days, you can stay in the room next to mine.”
Huai Jian didn’t commit immediately. “I’ll think about it.”
Duoduo hummed in agreement, poured her a little lychee wine, and clinked glasses with her. Since they had plans for the afternoon, they only drank a small amount.
After the wine, Duoduo’s face was flushed a lovely pink. She sat there perfectly still, yet she possessed a strange, magnetic charm—an aura that made one want to reach out and pull her close. Huai Jian’s heart skipped a beat; perhaps it was the wine, but she felt a sudden, persistent urge to pinch Duoduo’s cheeks.
After resting for a while, Duoduo found two small buckets in the kitchen. “Sister Huai, do you want to change your clothes? The riverbank is covered in mud.”
Huai Jian looked down at her outfit; she was definitely not dressed for catching fish. “I’ll go change. Wait for me.”
Duoduo nodded and squatted obediently by the door to wait. When Huai Jian emerged, Duoduo was stunned. Even in casual clothes, the woman looked like a high-fashion model. She was a literal clothes rack.
However, she was so fair-skinned that the mud would show instantly. “How about you just watch me do it?” Duoduo suggested.
Huai Jian, who had mostly brought light-colored clothes, shook her head. “It’s fine. If you’re going to play, you have to play properly. Don’t worry about it.”
Sister Huai is so wonderful—no ego at all, Duoduo thought. She felt zero pressure around her and happily led the way to the river to look for crabs, sharing her “expertise” as they went. “Sister, did you know? It’s actually best to pick up crabs at night. That’s when there are the most.”
Huai Jian actually knew this, but she played along. “Why is night the best? Is there a reason?”
“Because they’ve been stifled in the river all day, so they come out for a stroll at night. But if we don’t find many crabs, we can catch crayfish instead.”
“Why do crayfish come out now?”
Duoduo replied earnestly, “Because they’re quite adventurous.”
Huai Jian laughed. Listening to Duoduo speak, she felt a sense of relaxation she hadn’t experienced in a long time, letting all her professional worries drift away.
Once they reached the spot, Duoduo gave a demonstration. She rolled up her pant legs high. “You don’t have to go into the river. Just look in the burrows, like this crayfish hole.” She pointed to a small opening, poked a pair of tongs inside, and pulled out a large crayfish. She beamed. “Impressive, right?”
“Very impressive,” Huai Jian praised. She followed Duoduo’s lead, but the riverbank was incredibly muddy and slippery. Several times, they both nearly wiped out.
Duoduo giggled. “Stepping barefoot on the mud is like a massage! You probably didn’t know that, right? I love going barefoot.”
Huai Jian noticed a recurring, endearing habit: Duoduo loved starting sentences with “You probably didn’t know” or “Let me tell you.” It wasn’t boastful; it sounded like she was sharing a precious secret with you. It closed the distance between them instantly.
Two hours passed. Duoduo had a small bucket full of crayfish, but no crabs. She said, perhaps to comfort them both, “Crayfish are delicious too. We can have a crayfish feast tonight. What do you think?”
Huai Jian didn’t answer. She was focused on a specific hole. She hadn’t caught as many as Duoduo, and her competitive nature wouldn’t let her lose. “I just saw something go in there,” she said.
“What was it?” Duoduo leaned in curiously. Suddenly, something slick and slithering darted out.
Both women screamed simultaneously and instinctively threw their arms around each other, clinging tight.
“A snake! It’s a snake!”
Duoduo’s arms were wrapped tightly around Huai Jian’s neck. Huai Jian, slightly more composed but still startled, dropped her tongs and held Duoduo’s waist to keep her from falling.
Duoduo had been terrified of snakes since she was a child; her whole body felt weak and numb. “Quick, quick, let’s get to the bank! What if it swims back out?”
“Okay, don’t panic.” Huai Jian carefully stepped away from the hole and carried her to the dry bank, patting her back gently. “Don’t worry, it’s okay. The snake is gone now. I’ll go get your crayfish—”
“No, don’t! Don’t go over there.” Duoduo grabbed her hand. She realized that Huai Jian’s face was also quite pale—she was clearly scared of snakes, too.
“It’s fine.” Huai Jian felt bad about the crayfish. They had worked so hard for them, and it was the hole she poked that caused the scare.
Duoduo held her hand firmly. “I’ll go get them in a minute. You stay here.” She couldn’t let a guest go back into danger. What if the snake bit her?
Huai Jian looked at her for a moment. “How about this: forget the crayfish for now. We’ll rest here for a few minutes, then we’ll go back together to get the bucket.”
Duoduo was genuinely terrified, but she nodded. After a few minutes, she reached out her hand to Huai Jian. “Come here, hold my hand. We’ll go together, then it won’t be scary.”
Huai Jian fell silent for a beat, her heart fluttering.
Seeing that Huai Jian didn’t take her hand immediately, Duoduo quickly pulled it back and wiped it clean on her clothes. “There. It’s clean now,” she said, offering it again.
Huai Jian’s heart began to thump wildly. She reached out and took Duoduo’s hand. Duoduo’s hand didn’t have much meat on it, but it was incredibly soft. Huai Jian couldn’t resist giving it a gentle squeeze.
Duoduo didn’t notice anything unusual. She stood on the bank, eyes fixed on her little bucket. The snake—a patterned one that looked potentially venomous—was still near the bucket.
Huai Jian, trying to be brave, gritted her teeth and reached for the handle, but Duoduo pulled her back sharply. “It’s dangerous if you get bitten! Don’t move, let me.”
Using a long tree branch, Duoduo carefully hooked the bucket toward them. Once it was within reach, she grabbed it, seized Huai Jian’s hand, and ran as fast as her legs could carry them.
Huai Jian felt like she had just eaten a marshmallow—it was sweet all the way to her core. Duoduo had a kind of magic that made her heart race. She thought to herself: If this keeps up, maybe Duoduo won’t just be an ‘Internet friend’ anymore. She might become… she might actually become a very close friend.