As soon as Yan Jiaojiao went upstairs, she closed her room door, rubbing her reddened palms while muttering complaints, “What kind of lousy suitcase requires this young lady to carry it herself?”
She had originally intended to ask Xu Mo for help, but then she remembered Xie Chuanyan’s warning before parting: “Don’t get close to the opposite sex, no physical contact, and don’t speak more than ten sentences.”
“Sweetheart, if you dare cross the line… I’ll lock you on the bed, not letting you go anywhere. Your eyes can only look at me, you can only speak to me, and everything about you belongs only to me.”
His gloomy, hoarse voice whispered close to her ear, as if casting a spell to warn her about her words and actions. Once she crossed the line, she would be doomed forever.
Yan Jiaojiao really couldn’t stand Xie Chuanyan’s obsessive demeanor, but the problem was that Xie Chuanyan was the type to follow through on his threats. How could she avoid speaking while filming a show together?
Yan Jiaojiao had no choice but to patiently act coquettish, and only then did Xie Chuanyan slightly relax the conditions.
In short, she just had to obediently stay away from other men.
What was so difficult about that? Yan Jiaojiao had never been interested in men to begin with. Even someone as exceptional as Xie Chuanyan, she wished she could kick him far away!
She definitely wasn’t scared—she was just adhering to feminine virtue.
After Yan Jiaojiao went upstairs, the production team, having received the news, immediately sent someone to confiscate her wallet, though they mercifully spared those few packs of fun beans.
Once the five of them had finished packing their things in their rooms, they gathered again in the lobby.
The director said, “Welcome, everyone, to Shining Week Eight, exclusively sponsored by Lemon Video. I believe all of you are looking forward to meeting the children.”
“Here’s a question for all of you: What kind of children do you like? Let’s start with Lin Qingfeng and go in order.”
A slight smile curled at the corner of Lin Qingfeng’s mouth, a gentle warmth flickering in his eyes as he instinctively glanced at the girl who was lowering her head to peel an orange. “I like children with dimples when they smile. They’re very cute.”
Zhong Qing met his smiling gaze, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear to hide the blush creeping up to her earlobes. The golden orange in her palm was squeezed so tightly that juice began to seep out.
“Wow.”
Yan Jiaojiao wore an expression of someone who had just discovered a juicy piece of gossip. Nestled on the sofa, she covered her mouth and laughed, “Our Teacher Zhong has dimples too. So, are you talking about a certain ‘child’ in particular?”
“Jiaojiao.”
Zhong Qing’s cheeks flushed with a rosy hue, unable to conceal her shyness as she shot Yan Jiaojiao a reproachful glance.
Yan Jiaojiao covered her mouth and didn’t tease further, but the viewers in the live stream were far from idle.
“Wow, are Lin Qingfeng and Zhong Qing here for a dating show? They’re subtly dropping hints.”
“Not to exaggerate, but they must be dating. The atmosphere was already ambiguous when they filmed Love at First Sight. Just a little couple’s game, right? And saying he likes children with dimples—you’re just into the dimples on my Qingqing’s face, aren’t you? Are they sweet enough to melt your heart?”
“Are these two publicly funded to date?”
“Lock the ‘Zhong Qing’ ship in place.”
“Folks, investing in this ship is totally worth it. Who understands how sweet they are? Just get together already.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. A childcare variety show has turned into a dating show.”
“…”
When it was Zhong Qing’s turn, she gave a more common answer. “I prefer the more well-behaved ones. I can’t handle the overly mischievous ones.”
Xu Mo said, “Girls, for sure. If they sweetly call me ‘brother,’ I’m done for. I have a niece like that—whenever she acts cute, I can’t resist at all and end up buying her everything.”
“So now I’m so poor that all I have left is myself. I’m currently seeking marriage proposals online. I’m 185 cm tall, with no car, no house, and nothing to my name, but I do have a silly heart.”Everyone present was amused by him. Xu Mo was the mood-maker of the show—open, unafraid of strangers, able to keep the rhythm, and speaking with humor and wit, completely shedding the first impression of being simple and dull.
Liu Jinzi: “Xu Mo, you should just stay single.”
Xu Mo: “Haha, alright, it’s your turn to speak.”
Liu Jinzi felt the camera focusing on her, adjusted her sitting posture, and slightly tilted her face to make it appear smaller.
“I’m quite patient and I like children, so there’s nothing I particularly like or dislike. I just get along with them as friends—children are still very cute.”
Her words were diplomatic and proper, making everyone else’s earlier remarks seem somewhat inappropriate. The atmosphere froze for a few seconds before Zhong Qing stepped in to smooth things over. “It seems Jinzi has a lot of love to give. What about you, Jiaojiao? What kind of children do you like?”
Yan Jiaojiao was resting her chin on her hand, watching Liu Jinzi’s diplomatic act, and didn’t expect the topic to shift to her so quickly. She didn’t answer immediately, pondering for a few seconds. “The quiet ones.”
“Ah, why?”
Yan Jiaojiao shrugged. “Because I don’t like children, of course.”
Compared to Liu Jinzi’s diplomatic response, Yan Jiaojiao’s bluntness left everyone at a loss for words. Even the production team looked displeased, never expecting Yan Jiaojiao to dare say such a thing.
After all, this was a show about taking care of children. Saying outright that she didn’t like children was practically slapping the production team in the face.
Liu Jinzi watched the scene unfold, struggling to suppress the corners of her mouth from curling upward. She knew Yan Jiaojiao would cause trouble sooner or later.
Xu Mo stepped in to smooth things over. “Haha, maybe you’ll start liking them after spending some time with them. Children are still very innocent and cute.”
Lin Qingfeng: “Yeah, you might even grow attached to the little ones by then.”
Zhong Qing: “Jiaojiao’s personality is just like a child’s—she’ll definitely get along well with them.”
With their efforts, the atmosphere quickly lightened again.
Liu Jinzi wouldn’t miss this opportunity and pretended to agree. “Jiaojiao probably just spoke too quickly. How could she not like children on a show about taking care of them?”
Yan Jiaojiao glanced at her, who was clearly stirring up trouble, and forced a fake smile. “I really don’t like children. As for why I joined this show, it’s to gradually let go of my prejudice against children, slowly become friends with them, and grow together.”
Liu Jinzi’s smile froze. “Oh, I see. Then I look forward to seeing how you get along with the children in the future.”
Yan Jiaojiao nodded, her smile bold and confident, with a sharp edge. “I look forward to seeing you too.”
A palpable tension flowed between the two, and even the live stream viewers noticed it.
“Do Yan Jiaojiao and Liu Jinzi have some kind of history? They never seem to get along.”
“Fun fact: Yan Jiaojiao and Liu Jinzi were college classmates. Back in school, Liu Jinzi always found fault with Yan Jiaojiao and was quite two-faced.”
“Hey, watch your words! It’s Yan Jiaojiao who’s arrogant and always targeting Liu Jinzi!”
Xie Kejia didn’t expect Liu Jinzi’s friends to be in the live stream and immediately started arguing with this netizen online.
On the surface, the recording site was calm, but beneath it, undercurrents were swirling. The director broke the tension and moved the process along. “Alright, next, the staff will give each of you a photo.”
“You’ll need to use the photo to find the location of the child and coax them back.””The first member to bring a child back to ‘Hope Home’ earns 500 points, which can be exchanged with the program team for equivalent ingredients. The second place gets only 300 points, and the remaining three receive only 50 points each. Points are cumulative and unused ones can be carried over to the next use.”
Yan Jiaojiao: “What ingredients are available?”
Director: “200 points can be exchanged for any type of meat, 100 points for flour, noodles, or rice, and the 50-point tier only includes seasonings and vegetables.”
Liu Jinzi: “Then we definitely have to aim for the 500 points. Children need to eat more meat for nutrition.”
Zhong Qing: “These conditions are too harsh. Only 200 points get you meat, which means only two children can have meat.”
Xu Mo: “Exactly, program team, aren’t you afraid we’ll starve the kids thin? What if their parents come looking for us?”
Lin Qingfeng: “Director, how about increasing the number of spots? We can’t let the children suffer.”
Unfazed by their pressure, the director picked up the megaphone with an expressionless face, his tone cold and ruthless. “You have a hundred yuan in living expenses. If you spend it all on meat for the children, there won’t be a problem. It just depends on how you solve your own meals.”
“!!!”