Chapter 42
Zong Mo, who had no idea he had started a trend of sleeping on live streams in the book world, woke up to find the soreness in his back had eased a lot. He had also switched to a more comfortable side-sleeping position in his sleep, facing away from the bed.
He moved, wanting to find his phone to check the time, only to feel a hand slip under the hem of his clothes, covering his warm lower back with a slight chill.
Zong Mo: …?
He switched back to lying on his stomach and turned his head to look at the inner side of the bed. Ruan Chi was already watching him.
He had thought Ruan Chi was going to give him a massage, but after half a day, he realized he had been overthinking it. Ruan Chi was just simply touching him, his movements containing an ambiguous energy that was trying to make him breach the contract.
Zong Mo quickly sat up, shaking off the restless hand, and asked, “What time is it?”
Ruan Chi said with a straight face, “Three o’clock.”
He had actually slept for so long. Zong Mo was a little puzzled and asked again, “Ruan-ge, have you been sleeping all this time too? Didn’t you go to eat?”
Ruan Chi: “Mm.”
“You didn’t eat breakfast or lunch?” Zong Mo was stunned. “Then your stomach… doesn’t it feel uncomfortable?”
Ruan Chi spat out a single word, “Hurts.”
Zong Mo: …
He’s making me feel like a sinner!
Why on earth is a perfectly fine rich man so tired of living?
The bullet comments, which had been quiet for a while, became lively again, with “I’m dying from the ship,” “he loves him so much,” “CEO Ruan only wants to eat his wife’s cooking” scrolling by one after another.
Zong Mo resignedly got out of bed to light the fire and cook. Just as he was about to ask Ruan Chi if he wanted to go with him, Tu Bu came over to stop him, saying, “Wait, there are only two days left. The forest ranger has some work to complete.”
Zong Mo: …You’re only telling me now?
It must be a last-minute idea.
Tu Bu continued, “The cabin has many leaky spots that need to be repaired. The woodworking tools you’ll need are in the warehouse behind.”
“Director Tu!” Zong Mo was not convinced. “Is it because we blocked the windows with towels that you’re only telling us about this task now?”
Tu Bu said calmly, “You’ve been living in the forest ranger’s house for so many days for free. You should at least help him with something before you leave.”
Zong Mo gave up arguing with the unreasonable director and turned to say, “I have to go cook. Ruan-ge hasn’t eaten yet.”
Tu Bu nodded, “Mm, you can just act separately.”
Although the first article of the agreement was to have Ruan Chi follow the program team’s arrangements, a stomach that had been empty for a day would surely not be comfortable. Zong Mo was in a bit of a difficult position, but he heard Ruan Chi say, “You go.”
Zong Mo looked at Ruan Chi upon hearing his voice, only to see that the person he was looking at was Tu Bu, with that usual, piercing look of contempt for trash.
Tu Bu had only been happy for a few seconds when he inexplicably shivered and quickly led Zong Mo away.
Tu Bu, as a director who had been in the entertainment industry for twenty years, naturally had a good eye. He didn’t need the bullet comments to tell him that Zong Mo got along with everyone. In other words, he had a CP sense.
His being with Ruan Chi all the time had indeed contributed a lot of popularity and traffic, but it had also cost them the interaction with the other guests, including the highly popular Lu Bo and the Qi brothers. A large number of potential hot topics were all wasted.
Ling Han only had a problem with Zong Mo. Lu Bo and Qi Zhiyi got along with everyone. Qi Nanfeng was as quiet as ever. There were no conflicts among the few of them. Their conversations were polite but seemed formal, and their relationships were clearly not very close.
This feeling of strangers living under the same roof was not the program effect Tu Bu wanted.
With only a day and a half of filming time left, he came up with a way to call Zong Mo back alone.
Zong Mo returned to his main battlefield, the kitchen, and first lit the fire to cook congee. Without a rice cooker or a non-stick pot, he could only use a large iron wok. The congee cooked with firewood and an iron wok was more fragrant, but he had to keep watch and stir constantly to prevent it from sticking.
As evening approached, Lu Bo was the first to finish the rice planting task. Noticing the smoke from the chimney, he came directly to the kitchen.
He always ran into Lu Bo for some strange reason. After constantly comforting himself that this must be the unbreakable fate of the main gong and shou, Zong Mo’s mood had calmed down a lot, and he could still maintain a normal expression for the time being.
Lu Bo glanced at him and left. When he came back, he was holding a small stool and said, “You can sit on this stool. The height should be just right, so you don’t have to squat or bend over.”
Zong Mo was slightly stunned. “Hmm? Where did this small stool come from?”
He had been cooking while bent at a ninety-degree angle for five days, and the small stool only just appeared. The program team was really inhuman!
But Lu Bo said, “I just exchanged for it with the program team.”
Zong Mo: …
He didn’t quite dare to sit on this small stool of unknown value.
Nor did he dare to reject Lu Bo’s kindness in front of the camera. Firstly, he was afraid of being cursed at by his fans. Secondly, he didn’t want to hurt him again and again. After all, Lu Bo had done nothing wrong to him.
He had been avoiding Lu Bo, both because of Ruan Chi and because of Lu Bo’s identity as the main gong. But Lu Bo himself didn’t know this. He probably only felt that his kindness had been rebuffed time and time again.
It was just a small stool, but Zong Mo had considered it for a long time.
Lu Bo took the initiative to walk over and place the small stool beside him.
Zong Mo had no choice but to sit down and thank him in a low voice.
Lu Bo stood to the side and watched, asking, “Are we having congee tonight? What side dishes?”
“I haven’t decided yet…” Zong Mo said. “I’ll cook the congee first. It’s almost ready.”
Lu Bo was a little puzzled. How could the congee be almost ready when there was no sign of the side dishes?
Tonight, it was Zong Mo’s turn to cook. Lu Bo had nothing to question. He changed the subject and asked casually, “Did you forget to follow my Weibo?”
Zong Mo: …
He looked up at Lu Bo, his feelings complicated. He didn’t know if Lu Bo was making an excuse for him not following him, or if he was deliberately forcing him in the live stream.
“Hmm, is that so?” Zong Mo lowered his head again, pretending to have just found out, and took out his phone to check. “Hmm… I’ll follow you now.”
He also followed Gongs #3, 4, and 5 at the same time, so he would have a reason to explain to Ruan Chi later.
In an unspeakable torment, the simple white rice congee was finally cooked. Zong Mo first ladled a bowl, hesitating whether to say something or to just go out past Lu Bo.
Before he could make a decision, Lu Bo spoke first, asking, “This bowl of congee is for?”
Zong Mo: “…For Ruan-ge. He’s still at the small cabin.”
Lu Bo didn’t show any strange expression, just smiled slightly and said considerately, “I’ll take it over for you. You can prepare the dishes for tonight first. The others will be back soon.”
His words were flawless. Zong Mo had no reason to refuse.
But, having the white moonlight deliver food to the infatuated male supporting character?
Would this kind of plot really lead to a rekindling of old feelings?
Lu Bo had only vaguely said that their relationship was quite good when they were kids but hadn’t mentioned much about what happened later. In Zong Mo’s opinion, their current relationship wasn’t that bad either.
Zong Mo couldn’t figure out why he was hesitating again for a moment. It wasn’t until Lu Bo urged him that he handed over the very ordinary bowl of congee.
Isn’t it just delivering a bowl of congee!
He was absent-minded as he picked through the vegetables, almost plucking the hard-earned greens bald.
Lu Bo delivered the white congee to the small cabin as promised.
Ruan Chi looked up at the sound, scoffed after seeing who it was, and then looked away again.
Because he had so obviously rolled his eyes in front of the camera, the first reaction of the bullet comments was not how rude his attitude was.
Instead—
【Why do I feel like there’s also a story between Ruan Chi and Teacher Lu?】
【Isn’t this a farming variety show? Why is the atmosphere always so strange!】
【Why does it feel more like a romance variety show, hhh】
Lu Bo handed the congee to Ruan Chi and kindly instructed, “Zong Mo made it.”
He probably mentioned it specifically because he was afraid Ruan Chi wouldn’t be willing to eat it, and also to show that he was delivering it on someone else’s behalf.
Ruan Chi took the congee, took a sip, and immediately nodded, “Mm, indeed.”
Lu Bo smiled, “You can tell just by tasting it?”
Ruan Chi also smiled, “Mm, it’s much thicker than usual congee. He said thick congee is better for the stomach.”
Lu Bo was speechless for a moment and didn’t intend to talk to Ruan Chi anymore. Just as he was about to leave, he was stopped by Ruan Chi, “What’s the rush? Sit for a while.”
“I eat slowly. You’ll have to wait a bit to take the bowl back. You have nothing to do now anyway, right?”
There was only one chair in the small cabin. Ruan Chi occupied the chair and ate the congee slowly. Lu Bo stood to the side and waited silently.
After a long while, Ruan Chi put down his spoon and walked towards the stairs.
Lu Bo: “…Are you finished?”
“No, I’ll eat later,” Ruan Chi said. “I’ll fix the window first.”
Lu Bo: ?
He watched in disbelief as Ruan Chi climbed the stairs, went to the bed, and started hammering away with a hammer.
…?
He was sure that Ruan Chi was using the congee as an excuse to stop him from going back to Zong Mo. He was also betting on the perfect image he had established in public, which could not tolerate a single flaw.
Ruan Chi deliberately ate slowly. It wouldn’t be a big deal if he changed his mind and went back. It was already incredible that Ruan Chi would live in such a small house where it was difficult to even turn around. He never expected that he would also do woodworking himself.
Lu Bo’s feelings were quite complicated, and he temporarily forgot to find an excuse to leave.
And in a place the two of them couldn’t see, the bullet comments were scrolling non-stop:
【sry I want to ship the rich family CP again!!】
【can you guys really ship this? i always feel… if it weren’t for the live stream, Ruan Chi’s hammer would be on Teacher Lu’s head (.】
The twins and Ling Han, who had finished the rice planting task, returned to the Green Cabin one after another. Zong Mo had finished half of the cooking but still hadn’t seen Lu Bo come back.
Could delivering a bowl of congee really lead to some story?
Perhaps Lu Bo had already come back, but just didn’t come to the kitchen to find him?
Lu Bo rarely took the initiative to approach him, but Zong Mo was not happy.
The result was a sharp decline in his cooking skills.
The hungry Qi Zhiyi came to the kitchen, eagerly took a bite of a dish, and frowned, “Little Mo, this dish seems to have no salt? It’s a bit bland.”
Qi Nanfeng also took a bite and said, “It’s okay.”
Ling Han had been standing at the kitchen door for a long time, probably afraid that Zong Mo would poison him, and had been watching from a distance of several meters. At this moment, he also walked into the kitchen and explained more skillfully than the chef, “This dish has no salt.”
Zong Mo happened to take a bite of the dish and found it tasteless. He then looked at Ling Han strangely, not knowing how he knew more than himself.
Suspecting that there might be problems with the other dishes, the responsible chef took a bite from another dish. At the same time, he heard Ling Han say, “This dish has been salted two or three times.”
“Cough.”
Zong Mo resisted the urge to change his expression and tried to salvage the situation, “It’s fine. I’ll turn this stir-fried mushroom into mushroom soup, and re-cook the stir-fried meat with some salt. You guys go out first. The food will be ready soon.”
The three of them all wanted to help him, but the dishes were almost done. So Zong Mo said, “No need. You can go and set the table.”
Ling Han had only talked more with Qi Zhiyi these past few days. Qi Nanfeng was shy and quiet, and he himself was holding back a lot of words and was unwilling to speak.
Seeing the two brothers setting the table and arranging the bowls and chopsticks with tacit understanding, and there was nothing for him to do, he silently withdrew and no one noticed him.
Ling Han had been reprimanded several times by his manager for not being active and fighting for screen time. He couldn’t just hide and not work. He thought for a moment and decided to go to the kitchen to help carry the dishes.
Seeing him come over, Zong Mo took the initiative to say, “You can take these two finished dishes over first.”
Ling Han nodded, picked up the dishes, and was about to leave when Zong Mo asked casually as if it were an afterthought, “Is Teacher Lu back?”
“He was the first to come back.”
“Hmm… is he back at the Green Cabin?”
Ling Han was slightly stunned, not knowing why Zong Mo would suddenly care about Lu Bo’s whereabouts. But after a few days, he could sense Lu Bo’s special treatment of Zong Mo, and beneath his easy-going, gentle, and friendly surface…
That faint sense of distance and superiority.
Having been in the entertainment industry for only a year, the young man’s sensitivity had already been magnified several times. A simple question, but he couldn’t help but overthink it.
Why would Zong Mo care about such a person?
Is it like most people, wanting to latch onto a top star to take a shortcut?
It wasn’t impossible. If Zong Mo were a clean and upright person, why would he choose to rely on a sponsor?
Ling Han’s mind raced. But every time he looked at Zong Mo, at those eyes, he felt an indescribable contradiction.
He really couldn’t figure it out. He first answered Zong Mo’s question, “Teacher Lu finished planting rice seedlings first, then he left. But I didn’t see him in the living room just now.”
Zong Mo’s eyes lowered, suppressing his restless mood, “Mm, I see.”
…Why is Lu Bo still at CEO Ruan’s place?
That night, when all the food was on the table, Lu Bo and Ruan Chi finally arrived late at the Green Cabin.
Zong Mo didn’t really want to ask Lu Bo why he had been gone for so long, so he beat around the bush and asked Ruan Chi, “Ruan-ge, did Teacher Lu help you fix the house?”
“Mm, he helped nail the outer wall,” Ruan Chi said.
The outer wall, that’s fine.
Zong Mo was relieved. He noticed that his palm was a little red, and his fingers holding the chopsticks were trembling slightly.
Tsk, CEO Ruan really did do woodworking. Although he had missed the live broadcast, he could still watch the recorded version later.
It was also incredible for a film emperor to do woodworking. But Lu Bo already knew how to cook, unlike his pampered CEO Ruan. At this moment, he still looked calm and composed.
Zong Mo was feeling playful and deliberately asked, “Are you going on vacation again next time, Ruan-ge?”
“Mm, why not?” Ruan Chi wasn’t angry and even smiled slightly. “I’m still waiting for you to pay the penalty.”
Zong Mo: …
CEO Ruan had completely underestimated the deterrent effect of one million yuan on him. He would absolutely not breach the contract!!
Unfortunately, until the seventh day, Ruan Chi had also not breached the contract.
Zong Mo’s hope of enjoying comfort and receiving a huge sum of money was dashed. He finally had a stronger feeling about Ruan Chi’s keeping his word.
