Su Zhaotang lifted her head from his embrace and mumbled gloomily,
“Are you even human? How come you’re the only one not scared?”
Zhou Lingjing curled his lips into a faint smile,
“Sorry, I’m a firm materialist.”
Su Zhaotang immediately pulled away from his arms, not wanting to talk to him anymore.
It wasn’t until the movie ended that Su Zhaotang reluctantly walked out. The bright streetlights outside instantly dispelled the lingering fear within her.
“It’s quite late. Let me take you home, or your parents will start calling soon,”
Zhou Lingjing said, looking at her.
Su Zhaotang shook her head,
“They won’t. If I’m out with you, they’d probably prefer I didn’t come home at all.”
The bright streetlights made her amber pupils appear even more transparent, as if filtered through a layer of moonlight.
Zhou Lingjing lowered his gaze slightly and smiled softly.
“Let’s go. In a couple of days, you won’t be returning to Tianyu Bay anymore.”
Su Zhaotang caught his meaning, snorted, then walked ahead on her own toward the car door. She opened it, got in, and closed it—all in one smooth motion.
Her little steps were quite spirited.
Zhou Lingjing shook his head and leisurely made his way to the driver’s seat.
In the passenger seat, Su Zhaotang finally had a moment to check her phone. When she opened WeChat, she saw her Moments notifications had already reached 99+.
“Why is everyone being so supportive this time?”
She muttered in confusion.
Only after opening the comments section did she realize what all the excitement was about.
【Wow, are you showing off your love life!?】
Zhao Xi: 【Well, well, well. You traitor! Abandoning me to watch a movie with someone else. I’m no longer your one and only, wuwuwu.】
Zhao Xi: 【Also, could you tone down the diamond? It’s definitely showing off a bit, huh!】
She said sarcastically.
【Wow, Zhaozhao, did you get married? You’re already wearing a ring!!】
【The guy next to you doesn’t seem ordinary either. That new Patek Philippe watch he’s wearing—my brother tried to pre-order it overseas and couldn’t even get one.】
Mother: 【So beautiful~ It’s fine if you come back late (sneaky emoji).】
【Wuwuwu, that pink diamond is really stunning. My attention wasn’t even on the movie ticket anymore.】
There were many more comments like these. Su Zhaotang gasped softly.
“These people could be detectives,”
she whispered in complaint.
The photo had a dim tone, but indeed, the slender, well-defined fingers next to hers had made it into the frame. Truly, even that hand looked incredibly alluring.
Zhou Lingjing steadily gripped the steering wheel beside her. The night lights cast across his face, accentuating his sharp features.
Just then, he casually remarked,
“Pack your things over the next few days. I’ll arrange for someone to help you move to my villa in a couple of days.”
“Ah, so soon?” Su Zhaotang turned to look at him.
“Soon? Even if your grandparents aren’t pushing you, my parents have been urging me for a while. Let’s not delay this any longer.”
Although Zhou Lingjing usually indulged Su Zhaotang quite a bit, his tone this time left no room for doubt.
Su Zhaotang didn’t mind the matter much and replied in a soft, sweet voice,
“Alright then~”
A moment later, Zhou Lingjing parked the car outside her villa.
He gently reminded her, “We’re home. Be careful getting out.”
Su Zhaotang straightened the hem of her coat dress in the car, then opened the door and stepped firmly onto the ground.
“Bye then,” she said sweetly.
Seeing him nod, Su Zhaotang turned and walked toward the villa door.
Meanwhile, Zhao Xi followed the production crew to the rural fields.
She wore loose clothing and a straw hat, her hair gently brushing against her cheeks, casually tied into a low ponytail, exuding a fresh and natural vibe.
Holding a sickle, she walked with light steps, showing no sign of disdain for the environment—instead, her face was full of excitement.
Netizens following this variety show were seeing this kind of celebrity for the first time.
Other stars, no matter how well they tried to hide it, would often reveal hints of discomfort through their behavior, even if their words were flawless.
【No need to doubt it, our Zhao Xi definitely comes from a well-off family. I can’t see a trace of ordinary upbringing in her—she totally looks like a young lady experiencing life!!】
【Honestly, there’s a clear, unworldly innocence in her eyes.】
【No wonder, with our Xi Xi’s looks, how could she lack acting opportunities!】
【Hahaha, seriously, she’s the only one eagerly walking ahead while the others are taking their time.】
【Probably faking it, acting like she’s never seen anything like this (eyeroll).】
【Yeah, right, as if you’ve seen everything.】
【It’s normal for her not to have experienced this. People from privileged backgrounds rarely come to places like this to try it out.】
The two sides slowly started bickering.
The director was absolutely delighted by this scene. Great, great—this meant no shortage of hot topics!
Director: “Alright, today we’ll be helping out the local villagers here. The crops are ripe now, perfect for harvesting, so today we’ll have our big stars personally working in the fields.”
Uncle Huang Zonglin sighed,
“Actually, I grew up doing farm work too. I worked my way up to where I am now.”
As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves and was the first to step into the field.
Award-winning actress Zhang Meng smiled and said, “Honestly, this is my first time ever working in a field. It feels quite novel.”
Her words weren’t meant to mock or look down on farmers; it was simply her genuine thought.
【Sob, feels like I’m the only poor person in the world.】
【Honestly, it’s been so long since I’ve been back to my hometown after working away for years.】
【Everyone, everyone, let me say something—this is my hometown! I’ve been working away for six years and still haven’t had time to go back. Actually, many young people here have gradually moved away. Most of those left are elderly and left-behind children. If this variety show can bring attention to this place, it could greatly improve conditions here!】
【To be honest, I’m really grateful for this show.】
【Supporting you, sis!】
【+1】
【+10086】
Zhao Xi rolled up her pant legs, stepped onto the muddy field ridge, and prepared to experience the joy of harvesting crops.
The field was planted with golden wheat, and as the wind blew, the wavy wheat ears swayed gently, as if beckoning to her.
She picked up a sickle, carefully observed the harvesting movements of the farmers, then imitated their posture and began working.
Perhaps because it was her first time, her movements seemed quite clumsy.
An aunt with a sun-darkened face watched her actions from nearby.
Laughing, she corrected her, “Little sister, you have to do it like this—grab a handful with your hand up, then use your right hand to cut downward with force. It’ll be much easier.”
Sweat beaded visibly on the aunt’s face, yet she showed no impatience or frustration, nor any complaints about life. Her smile was genuine and touching.
Zhao Xi observed carefully, listened patiently, and then began to work.