Chapter 24: The Small-Time Star and His Short-Tempered Sugar Daddy (Part XXIV)
After the meal, due to his own mistake, Cheng Nuo actively took on the job of washing dishes to apologize and save face, looking very much like a good husband with a good temper.
Because of Fang Yinnian’s sudden arrival, someone soon thought of the room allocation problem.
“We don’t have a single empty spot in the unlocked rooms right now. Our room is called a triple room, but it only has two beds.”
The group sat around the cleaned dining table. Li Yun poured water for everyone while discussing the current situation.
Thinking about sharing a room with two girls gave Zhao Jiatong inexplicable pressure, so he hurriedly asked:
“Then do we count as triggering a special condition now? Can we redraw lots?”
But soon, the program team’s broadcast gave the answer:
“Due to the addition of a new companion, a special condition has been triggered. Rooms can be reallocated the next day.”
“The next day?” Li Yun was stunned. “Then what about the arrangement for tonight?”
Lie thought for a moment. “If rooms can’t be unlocked anew, can personnel adjust freely? I’m staying in a single room. If Su Yu can make do with me for one night, then President Fang can sleep in the same room as Teacher Cheng and the others.”
Just as her voice fell, Su Yu smiled. “Sister, although I like you very much, but…”
Before Su Yu could finish the words after ‘but’, the broadcast sounded again:
“Application rejected. Once rooms are allocated, they cannot be exchanged privately.”
Su Yu shrugged. “Well, that’s that. It’s not that I wasn’t willing.”
Fang Yinnian maintained silence from beginning to end. Only when everyone finished speaking did he speak:
“No need to trouble yourselves. I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
With six people living in two triple rooms, inviting him in rashly would obviously be irresponsible to the other two roommates. Lie lived in a single room, but as a single woman, inviting Fang Yinnian to stay with her would certainly be even more inappropriate.
A great opportunity to curry favor with the big backer Fang Yinnian slipped away right before their eyes. Everyone cursed the program team in their hearts for being inhumane and stirring up trouble.
But things being as they were, no one could think of a better way to solve this matter for the time being.
After Cheng Nuo finished washing the dishes and everyone was idle, the program team started the next segment: Pair Talks.
As the name implies, regardless of whether this group of people knew each other before or understood each other, it was the first time they were meeting in the name of “dating partners” on the same show.
Based on permutations and combinations, in groups of two, every pair would spend ten minutes in a closed environment. After ten minutes, they would exchange conversation partners.
No limits on questions, no limits on behavior. As long as both parties were willing, it was a completely free ten minutes.
It served to establish everyone’s first impression of the others present.
The order was determined by drawing lots. Four red cards and four blue cards, with numbers 1 to 4 on the back.
Following the principle of gender equality, after drawing lots, male and female sides would each send a representative to play Rock, Paper, Scissors.
The Guest No. 1 of the winning side enters the reception room and talks with Guests No. 1-4 of the other side respectively, followed by Guest No. 2, and so on.
The camera would concentrate on the reception room, while the rest engaged in free activities while waiting.
Fang Yinnian took a blue card first. Turning it over, he saw the number 3 written on it.
Xiao Ji followed Fang Yinnian and took a card; it happened to be number 4.
Cheng Nuo was first, Zhao Jiatong second.
After the four on the female side finished drawing lots, they whispered something with their backs to the camera. Turning around, Li Yun said:
“We’ll let Su Yu play Rock, Paper, Scissors. Who do you choose?”
Cheng Nuo felt his luck was bad today, so he actively said, “You three decide.”
With Fang Yinnian present, Zhao Jiatong wouldn’t rush to steal the limelight, so he didn’t make a sound.
Fang Yinnian pushed Xiao Ji. “You go.”
Xiao Ji didn’t say a word. He was pushed in front of Su Yu and threw Rock directly without warning.
Su Yu didn’t even react. She said somewhat helplessly, “Give a signal before you throw, okay?”
Xiao Ji said sorry and took his hand back.
Su Yu saw that Xiao Ji had no intention of shouting a slogan. She suspected that if they relied solely on tacit understanding, she might be playing Rock, Paper, Scissors with Xiao Ji all afternoon without ever throwing at the same time.
So she could only take the initiative: “I’ll call the slogan. Rock, Paper, Scissors. Throw your fist together after I say Scissors.”
Best of three, Su Yu didn’t win a single round.
Cheng Nuo became the stationed male guest and was the first to walk into the reception room.
The others went back to their rooms to wait.
After a while, only Xiao Ji and Fang Yinnian were left in the living room.
Xiao Ji lifted his legs and walked toward the courtyard. Fang Yinnian followed him out.
At this moment, the lens outside could only see the conversation scene in the reception room. Xiao Ji stood under the big jujube tree in the yard, looking at Fang Yinnian. Although no obvious change in expression could be seen, Fang Yinnian, who was familiar with Xiao Ji, could tell that Xiao Ji was smiling and in a good mood.
He walked to Xiao Ji’s side and leaned against the jujube tree. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around and the staff were outside the courtyard, he whispered, “Did you miss me?”
Xiao Ji gave a hum and reached out to hook Fang Yinnian’s little finger.
Fang Yinnian mouthed, “Don’t get handsy with me. We’re outside. If someone sees, I’ll have to spend money to cover it up.”
But the little finger hooked by Xiao Ji didn’t move at all, not even showing a hint of struggle.
Xiao Ji then took the opportunity to hold Fang Yinnian’s hand.
Fang Yinnian still didn’t resist. He just raised his eyebrows. “I’ve told you so many times to be reserved. Can’t you endure it? You miss me that much?”
Xiao Ji turned his head to look at his profile and chuckled lightly. “Miss you.”
Fang Yinnian coughed. An imperceptible blush appeared on the tips of his ears. He mumbled, “Don’t make it too obvious. Restrain yourself.”
Xiao Ji reached out and pinched his face. “I know my limits.”
The two didn’t communicate much, just standing shoulder to shoulder under the jujube tree.
The afternoon sunlight shone through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the two. After a long time, Fang Yinnian voiced a warning: “When you talk to those women alone later, do you know what to do?”
Xiao Ji couldn’t clearly grasp the meaning of Fang Yinnian’s words, so he asked for instructions: “You teach me, I’ll do as you say.”
When Xiao Ji mentioned going on this lousy show earlier, he mentioned it was to refresh the audience’s perception of him so he could use it to turn things around.
Fang Yinnian didn’t want to cut off Xiao Ji’s future. Moreover, with him watching personally here, Xiao Ji probably wouldn’t have the guts to do anything even if he wanted to.
So he simply said euphemistically:
“No making eyes at them, no sweet talk, ask fewer questions. Answer whatever they ask, and if you don’t know how to answer, just spout nonsense.”
Xiao Ji went along with everything Fang Yinnian said. “Okay.”
Although the live broadcast camera wouldn’t focus on them right now, leaving alone for too long would inevitably make others suspicious.
Xiao Ji and Fang Yinnian simply pretended to smoke a cigarette each, then returned to the living room.
Fang Yinnian sat down on the sofa, waved his hand, and was just about to say to Xiao Ji, “Go back to your room.”
But he heard Xiao Ji speak first, making a request to him for the first time:
“Brother Nian, no making eyes at them, no sweet talk, ask fewer questions. Answer whatever they ask, and if you don’t know how to answer, just spout nonsense.”
“You too.”
Translator’s note: Have a great holiday, people!
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