Chapter 8: Falling into the Pond
The farce of a lunch finally ended amidst the audience’s speculation and discussion.
Not only did Su Chimian fail to establish his image as a considerate and magnanimous person, but he was also ridiculed by netizens for being a culinary black hole, unable to tell the difference between sugar and salt. He was truly spoiled rotten.
Furthermore, Chi Xiasheng’s denial of being a member of the Su family caused another wave of uproar.
[I remember it was Su Chimian who first revealed in an interview that they were brothers. Now Chi Xiasheng is denying it. Could it be that they really aren’t related?]
[Oh my god, I’m so confused. Are they biological brothers or not? Can someone give a straight answer?]
By now, the netizens no longer cared about Chi Xiasheng’s bad attitude towards Su Chimian. Instead, they were busy digging into whether they were biological brothers and what their actual relationship was.
Su Chimian’s plan had failed. He was furious but could only swallow his anger and bide his time.
After finishing the soup, the guests received their next task card from the production team.
“There is a pond in the village where lotus flowers are planted and many free-range fish are raised. Guests, please take your tools and go to the pond to collect lotus seeds and catch fish. The fish you catch today will be your dinner.”
The two female guests were assigned the slightly easier task of collecting lotus seeds, while the three male guests had to catch fish.
Wearing the straw hats provided by the show, the group eagerly made their way to the pond.
When they arrived, they found that the pond was very large. The lotus flowers were planted in the middle, requiring a boat to reach them. So, the two girls went off in another direction to find a boat.
Chi Xiasheng and the others didn’t need a boat to catch fish. The water near the shore was shallow, only reaching up to their knees. Some of the local villagers simply rolled up their pants and waded in to catch fish. So, the three of them followed suit, rolling up their pant legs and stepping into the water.
The moment he entered the water, Chi Xiasheng’s body’s craving for it was satisfied. He felt completely at ease, and the feverish heat in his body slowly subsided.
The fish that had been madly gathering towards Chi Xiasheng as he entered the water suddenly sensed the alluring aura disappear halfway and quickly scattered.
Although the sun was beginning to set in the west, it was still glaringly hot, and the pond water was warm from the heat.
It was the first time any of them had caught fish. Their movements were very clumsy, nothing like the experienced villagers nearby who could catch a fish with their bare hands with swift, precise movements.
After struggling for a good half hour, they still had nothing to show for their efforts.
Chi Xiasheng seemed to be quite popular with the fish, but every time he reached out, they would slip away.
Later, a local resident helped them out, teaching them some techniques. “These fish are all farm-raised. They’re silly and easy to catch. You have to watch for the right moment and keep your body still…”
With the right method, Chi Xiasheng finally caught a fish.
The orange-red sunset glow painted the sky, and the small mountain village, with its green mountains and clear water, was bathed in a warm orange light, looking as beautiful as an oil painting.
After a busy afternoon, they had caught four fish. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to share, so they headed back.
On the way, Chi Xiasheng remembered he had forgotten the red plastic bucket he had borrowed from a neighbor and quickly turned back to get it. The cameraman following him didn’t realize and continued on with the main group.
By the time Chi Xiasheng got back to the pond, only a sliver of the warm red sunset remained on the horizon. The deep blue sky was dotted with a few stars, gradually swallowing up all the bright colors.
The small red bucket had been knocked into the water at some point. Chi Xiasheng, his pant legs still rolled up, waded straight in.
Without the light of day, the pond water looked dark and murky, no longer as clear as it had been before.
Chi Xiasheng frowned as he reached for the bucket. Just as he turned to go ashore, a dark fish suddenly shot out of the water, leaping up with a splash.
Startled, Chi Xiasheng lost his footing and fell into the water with a loud plop.
The pond was only supposed to be half a meter deep. He should have been able to stand up and get out easily. But as he lay submerged in the water, Chi Xiasheng felt as if he had been sealed by it, completely unable to muster the strength to break free.
He even felt that his eyes were open underwater, and he could clearly see the reflection of the bright moon on the dark surface.
A feeling of powerlessness spread through his body. The feverish weakness that had plagued him before returned with a vengeance, dulling his senses. His eyelids grew heavy, and he could only lie there in the pond, letting the water cover him.
Just before he lost consciousness, a faint light emanated from the black fish that had leaped out.
Dinner was prepared by Qiu Li, who had returned from collecting lotus seeds. She was decent at making clear-stewed fish soup, so she rolled up her sleeves to show off her skills.
“Where’s Little Chi? Has anyone seen him?” Qiu Li asked as she picked up the bucket of fish.
Su Chimian and Qiao Ning had been walking ahead and had no idea that Chi Xiasheng had fallen behind.
“He’s probably tired. Catching fish this afternoon was exhausting. He probably went up to rest,” Su Chimian said. He couldn’t admit he didn’t know, as his caring image required him to be constantly watching over Chi Xiasheng.
“Xiaosheng’s stamina is really not that great. I was hoping he could help me start the fire,” Qiu Li said without thinking much of it and went into the kitchen. “But I did notice his lips were very pale today. Maybe we should bring his dinner up to him later.”
Having been in the entertainment industry for nearly ten years, Qiu Li had a good sense of people. She had a good impression of Chi Xiasheng, who seemed cold on the outside but was warm on the inside.
Su Chimian frowned and quickly interjected, “I’ll go then. There have been too many misunderstandings between me and Brother Xiasheng, and I want to make it up to him.”
Qiu Li didn’t say anything, which was a tacit agreement. The others were also very curious about Su Chimian and Chi Xiasheng’s relationship, not understanding why they had suddenly fallen out. But they were all tactful enough not to ask directly. After all, all sorts of strange things happen in wealthy families. Feuding brothers were not uncommon.
Only Qiao Ning looked down on Chi Xiasheng and sat there with a cold snort.
Although cleaning the fish took some effort, the resulting soup was fragrant and delicious. Qiu Li had learned the recipe from her grandmother and it was the only dish she knew how to make. “How is it? How does it compare to what Xiaosheng made at noon?”
Although the fish soup was delicious, Qiu Li wasn’t someone who cooked often. The heat control was off, and the fish was slightly overcooked.
Su Chimian remembered a few months ago, during a snowy winter, Chi Xiasheng had also made fish soup. The aroma had been intoxicating, the flavor rich and mellow. It made you want to drink bowl after bowl. Even Su Chimian, who secretly detested him, had to admit that his cooking skills were excellent. Chi Xiasheng seemed to have a natural talent for anything related to soups and broths.
After finishing the soup, the four fish were eaten clean. Su Chimian picked up a bowl to bring some to Chi Xiasheng.
Just then, the cameraman turned off the livestream, and the director called Su Chimian over from a small hut nearby for a solo interview. Su Chimian put the bowl down and ran off to do the interview first.
Rongrong, who was in charge of cleaning up, saw the leftover fish soup on the table and, assuming it was just leftovers, poured it out and washed the bowl.
By the time Su Chimian came out, he had completely forgotten about bringing dinner to Chi Xiasheng and went straight upstairs to bed.
After a long day, all the guests were so exhausted they fell asleep the moment their heads hit the pillow.
The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. The white moonlight draped over the entire village like a light veil, creating a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.
At dawn, Su Chimian was up early again, helping to start the fire and heat water for everyone.
[Mianmian is so hardworking! Compared to his brother, who is lazy and greedy and even had someone bring his dinner up to him last night, it’s just too much.]
[Good morning, little angel Mianmian~ I don’t understand why Mianmian protects Chi Xiasheng so much, sigh~]
Qiu Li, who was the next to wake up, came downstairs and saw Su Chimian already starting the fire. She was slightly taken aback, then smiled. “Su Chimian, you’re up so early?”
Qiu Li, who could see right through Su Chimian’s act, clicked her tongue. With acting skills this flawless, she thought, no wonder he can always step on Chi Xiasheng to get ahead.
Su Chimian smiled shyly, revealing his dimples. “Not at all, Sister Qiu Li. You’re up early too.”
“Oh, right, Little Su, did you bring dinner to Chi Xiasheng yesterday? How is he? Is he still not feeling well?” Qiu Li, being the oldest, felt a sense of responsibility and asked.
Su Chimian’s heart skipped a beat at the question, and his eyes flickered with panic for a moment. “He’s okay, I think. My brother was just a little carsick. He should be better today.”
After speaking with a hint of guilt, Su Chimian quickly calmed himself down. Chi Xiasheng was a grown man. Lying in his room and missing one meal wouldn’t kill him. There was no need to be nervous.
Qiu Li glanced at him, nodded, and went to find two eggs to make breakfast.
The guests gradually woke up and came downstairs, helping Qiu Li with breakfast.
By the time breakfast was ready, Chi Xiasheng still hadn’t appeared.
“What’s going on? Why isn’t Chi Xiasheng down yet? The food is ready,” Rongrong, who was always the first to speak up, asked with her hands on her hips.
“Hah, probably sleeping in,” Qiao Ning sneered. The viewers’ eyes were sharp, he thought. This time, he hadn’t pulled any tricks, but Chi Xiasheng still couldn’t get up, could he?
“Maybe my brother is still sick? Let’s go do our tasks first and let him rest!” Su Chimian said with a smile, his tone very considerate.
The morning’s tasks weren’t difficult: chopping firewood and building a chicken coop in the yard. But for the guests who had never done manual labor before, these tasks were still daunting, and they led to a lot of comedic moments. Rongrong and Qiao Ning were chased around the yard by a chicken, and both ended up with several chicken feathers in their hair.
Tossing the feathers away, Rongrong said indignantly, “Why are these chickens so annoying! Why isn’t Chi Xiasheng down yet? I’m exhausted!”
Qiao Ning had been pecked by a chicken, and his face was pale from the pain. He immediately joined in on belittling Chi Xiasheng.
“Hey, my brother is just tired! I’ll do his work for him!” Su Chimian said, maintaining his image of protecting his brother, which only made Chi Xiasheng’s reputation among the viewers worse.
“You’re too kind! No way! Why should he get to be lazy and enjoy himself? You even brought him dinner yesterday. That’s not how a brother should act. I’m going to go drag him up to help me build this chicken coop!” Rongrong stomped her foot and stormed upstairs.
The others quickly followed, afraid she would start a fight.
But when she pushed open the bedroom door and before she could even finish shouting “Chi Xiasheng,” she saw that the room was completely empty.
