Silence fell. Yan Jiaojiao pouted. The bathroom had gone quiet. She pressed her ear against the door—had Ling Yi passed out?
After all, he was still a child. Worried, Yan Jiaojiao knocked on the door, her tone tinged with anxiety. “Ling Yi, Ling Yi, are you okay? Say something!”
No response came from the bathroom. Just as Yan Jiaojiao was about to barge in to check, she realized the door was locked. “Ling Yi, Ling Yi!”
She turned to the camera. “Quick, find someone to unlock it!”
Right then, the bathroom door opened. Ling Yi had changed into a plain black T-shirt. His face, veiled in steam, carried a hazy, cool detachment. Fresh from the shower, his hair was still damp, and his cheeks were flushed from the heat.
He looked up at Yan Jiaojiao, who was flailing about. Perhaps because she understood Ling Yi a little, she read exasperation and impatience in his eyes.
She bit her lip. “Why didn’t you say anything? I thought you were planting landmines in there—it was so quiet!”
Ling Yi: “…”
Yan Jiaojiao was fuming. “You’re the second person besides that dog man who can handle me like this! Just you wait—someday you’ll beg to talk to me!”
Ling Yi: “…”
The live stream viewers watched Yan Jiaojiao’s bristling reaction, and comments flooded in again.
“Hahaha, Yan Jiaojiao’s face is red with anger.”
“Yan Jiaojiao used to be elegant, dignified, and beautifully aloof. But since Ling Yi arrived, she’s all ruffled! Ruffled!”
“Hahaha, why do I love seeing her angry? Also, I’m curious about who that dog man is.”
“Yan Jiaojiao has a man? No way! Wuwu, she promised to marry me!”
“Sis above, wake up! Haha, but Ling Yi’s attitude has a grip on me too.”
“Yan Jiaojiao: I’ll pry your mouth open sooner or later!”
“…”
Watching the live stream, Xie Chuanyan’s face was dark, radiating a chilling aura.
Assistant Hao rubbed his hands together. Ever since Yan Jiaojiao asked if she should bathe Ling Yi, Xie Chuanyan’s expression had turned sour. Who would have thought that the ruthless and decisive “King of Luo Sha” of the capital would be jealous of a child just a few years old?
As the chill behind him grew colder, Assistant Hao shivered, screaming internally: Why is he always present for these scenes? What sin did he commit?
Suddenly, the eerie coldness in the office gradually faded. Puzzled, Assistant Hao looked up and saw a faint curve form at the corner of Xie Chuanyan’s lips, his eyes holding a hint of doting affection.
Assistant Hao’s pupils contracted sharply, doubting his own eyes. The next second, he heard the man’s deep, magnetic voice, tinged with certainty. “She misses me.”
Assistant Hao didn’t understand where this came from. Unless his ears were deceiving him, he only heard Yan Jiaojiao mention a “dog man”?
…
Ling Yi’s damp hair still dripped with water droplets. Faced with his lifeless expression, Yan Jiaojiao was furious. She pointed to the hairdryer on the sofa. “Go dry your hair, you little brat.”
He obediently complied, picking up the hairdryer, plugging it in, and fiddling with it for a moment. Seeing his inefficient method, Yan Jiaojiao walked over, snatched it from him, and didn’t let go until his hair was completely dry.
Looking at his calm, composed little face, she couldn’t help but feel a bit smug. “You don’t even know how to dry your hair properly. It still has to be me.”
Ling Yi stared at her calmly.
Feeling bored, Yan Jiaojiao put down the hairdryer and sat beside him. She yawned. “When are you going to sleep?”I have no idea what the production team was thinking, requiring each guest to write a diary after putting the child to sleep, documenting their daily interactions with the little ones.
So, as a fairy who needs her beauty sleep, she has to wait until this little guy falls asleep before she can shower and go to bed!
How infuriating!
Ling Yi silently returned to bed, pulled the covers over himself, and closed his eyes.
Yan Jiaojiao waited for a while, then leaned in close to confirm he was asleep upon hearing his steady breathing before jotting down a few things in her notebook.
Before leaving, she tucked the blanket snugly around him.
After Yan Jiaojiao stepped out, a staff member from the production team called her aside privately.
The cameras were turned off, and the staff member looked serious. “Miss Yan, here’s the thing—Ling Yi is a rather special child.”
“He has autism. He’s been withdrawn since childhood and doesn’t like interacting with others. His family sent him here hoping for some positive change. We’ll need you to put in extra effort going forward.”
The staff member bowed to her, and Yan Jiaojiao hurriedly helped them up, her face still etched with shock.
She had suspected Ling Yi might have some kind of difficulty, but she never expected it to be autism.
And to think he’s only six years old.
On the second day of filming, after breakfast, everyone took the children to the supermarket to buy ingredients.
The production team issued a new notice: “Self-sufficiency.” It felt quite targeted, and Yan Jiaojiao trudged out with a look of utter despair, feeling overwhelmed by the dazzling array of food options.
Yan Jiaojiao had previously won 300 points and exchanged them for a bag of rice and some chicken breast. At the market stalls, she chatted with the aunties.
“Auntie, what kind of dishes are suitable for children?”
“Little girl, you have a child at such a young age?”
The auntie asked curiously, wondering how this young woman was already raising a child.
Yan Jiaojiao patted Ling Yi’s head. “No, he’s my little brother.”
“Oh, I see, you brought him along to buy groceries, right? You could buy some fish to make soup—it’s nutritious for kids.”
“What kind of fish would be best?”
“Crucian carp. The fish at the first stall on the right is fresh.”
Yan Jiaojiao followed her pointing finger and smiled. “Thank you.”
The crowd seemed drawn by the cameras and started gathering around. Worried Ling Yi might get lost, Yan Jiaojiao tried to hold his hand.
Ling Yi pulled away, which Yan Jiaojiao had expected. She crouched down and looked him in the eye. “I’ll give you two choices: either sit in the shopping cart and let me push you, or hold my hand!”
Her tone was a bit bossy. Ling Yi stared back expressionlessly, and just as Yan Jiaojiao was about to reach for him, he pointed at the shopping cart.
???
Yan Jiaojiao was full of question marks, looking down at her own pink palm. Was her hand toxic? Was it really worse than a shopping cart?
Yan Jiaojiao steadied the cart, and Ling Yi nimbly climbed in. His serious little face didn’t wander around but stayed fixed straight ahead.
She sighed, wondering how to bring some life into Ling Yi. This couldn’t go on forever.
Yan Jiaojiao found a stall and bought two crucian carp. Remembering she had mooched two meals off Zhong Qing the day before, she decided to save one for her.
With that, her original hundred yuan was down to fifty, and she spent a few more on some leafy greens.
Ling Yi remained seated in the shopping cart the whole time. Passing aunties couldn’t help but compliment the cute child, and Yan Jiaojiao thanked them on his behalf.
When they passed the snack aisle, Yan Jiaojiao lingered for nearly ten minutes, staring longingly but unable to bring herself to buy anything. She stayed so long that Ling Yi turned his head several times.
He looked at her, bewildered by her starry-eyed gaze.
“Sigh…”The supermarket staff noticed her lingering without buying anything and couldn’t help but say, “Little girl, if you want to eat something, just buy a bit. It’s not expensive.”
Yan Jiaojiao looked down at the change in her hand, shook her head, and said with pride, “I don’t eat this!”
Facing the staff’s doubtful gaze, she pointed at Ling Yi, “It’s him! This little brat can’t walk past snacks without stopping, so I’m just keeping him company while he looks.”
“Haha, little friend, these aren’t for eating, you know.”
Ling Yi looked at her helplessly, then turned back to his original spot. In that moment, Yan Jiaojiao suddenly felt like she wasn’t human.
But only for a second.
This kid had caused her so much annoyance—making him take the blame wasn’t… too bad.