Chapter 44
Xie Mi sat happily in her chair, munching on snacks. Looking at the two men in front of her, she couldn’t help but raise her brows.
Although she didn’t know which of them was her guardian angel, it sure felt good to have a wish come true.
Not having to work while eating snacks—that’s basically something for nothing.
[I love watching male rivalry so much. I must’ve been a male-competition brain in my past life.]
[So Sister Xie’s wish of “something for nothing” came true, but which of those two is actually her guardian angel?]
[Looking at it now, Sister Xie is really smart. This wish is simply genius.]
Once the camp was set up, the sky was already growing dark.
They set up a barbecue grill in front of the tents, took out the groceries they’d bought from the supermarket, and officially began camping.
“I’ll be the chief griller!” Xie Mi rolled up her sleeves, excited.
“Denied.”
Shen Yanqing pressed her back into her seat with a faint smile. “Give up on cooking already. Did you forget the disaster last time?”
Everyone around shuddered.
That terrifying mushroom-poisoning incident had trended for three days straight—it was a pain they didn’t want to revisit.
“Better let someone else handle it.” Liu Woxing cleared his throat.
“Who then?” Qiu Chengye turned his gaze toward Xiao Jingxi and Xu Shuangrong.
They were the only two who hadn’t yet shown any cooking skills. The other four’s culinary disasters were common knowledge, so the only chance left was to open a blind box between these two.
“I’ll do it,” Xiao Jingxi said calmly.
He stepped forward, laying skewered food on the grill. His movements were smooth and elegant: flipping, brushing oil, sprinkling seasoning—all in one fluid motion.
“So you actually can cook.” Qiu Chengye let out a breath of relief.
Xu Shuangrong smiled. “In a drama we worked on before, the male lead had cooking scenes. For that role, Jingxi specifically went to study cooking for a while.”
[Aaaa not surprising at all—Emperor Xiao actually learned real cooking just to play a chef. Still so professional, I’m in tears.]
[Eternal reliable Emperor Xiao!]
[My brother is finally showing off his skills!!]
Hearing Xu Shuangrong’s words, Xiao Jingxi straightened his back slightly, though his expression stayed calm.
Xie Mi clicked her tongue, calmly slid her chair back a bit, and tugged Shen Yanqing back with her.
Then she started a silent countdown in her head.
3, 2, 1—
Whoosh!
The fire inside the grill suddenly shot up. Xiao Jingxi’s expression collapsed as he fell backward with a loud bang.
Those standing too close weren’t spared either—especially Qiu Chengye, whose eyebrows almost got singed off.
“Holy shit! Do you even know what you’re doing?!”
“Put the fire out—quick!”
“Where’s the water? Pour water!!”
The scene dissolved into chaos.
[I declare, this round was a fail.]
[Hahahahaha fans were all ready to hype him up, and then this happened.]
[I told you—his stance just looked professional. In reality, he had no control at all. Who pours a whole bottle of oil on the grill during barbecue? If it didn’t catch fire, that would’ve been strange.]
Watching, Shen Yanqing raised an eyebrow, leaned close to Xie Mi’s ear, and murmured: “That was some fine prediction, Teacher Xie.”
“You should thank me.”
It wasn’t just a prediction—Xie Mi simply knew Xiao Jingxi too well.
This pretentious guy cared more about learning cool-looking cooking moves than actual skills. A pure show-off.
In the end, they had no choice but to let Xu Shuangrong take over as head chef. And honestly, compared to the other five, her skills really did look the most reliable.
“Slow grilling on low heat avoids mistakes—it just takes a little longer.”
“As long as it’s edible.” Liu Woxing chuckled. “You look pretty practiced. Do you usually cook?”
“Yes. I live alone in a rented apartment. Cooking is cheaper than ordering delivery,” Xu Shuangrong said with a soft smile.
As soon as she said that, the livestream chat filled with phrases like “so pitiful” and “modern Cinderella.”
While waiting for the barbecue, the production team kept them busy with a little test.
“Emotional intelligence is important in relationships,” Director Niu said, pulling out a cue card. “To test everyone’s EQ, I prepared a question: Your crush posts a status saying they ran into their ex on the way to the hospital. If it were you, how would you reply?”
Leaning back in his chair, Qiu Chengye scoffed: “Of course I’d ask what they talked about. Hopefully nothing at all. I don’t like women who keep ties with exes.”
Director Niu smiled. “A perfect zero-point answer. Next.”
Qiu Chengye’s face darkened.
“I think the hospital is more important than the ex,” Xu Shuangrong said softly, her voice gentle. “Did you go because you’re sick? What illness is it? I think I’d be more concerned about that.”
Xiao Jingxi looked at her appreciatively. “Shuangrong, you’re so kind.”
“Kindness? I don’t know. I just know that for the person I like, I’d always care more about their well-being.” Xu Shuangrong smiled serenely.
Xiao Jingxi’s admiration for her deepened.
[This is kindness, baby!]
[Wuwu my treasure is the gentlest in the world.]
[I’m becoming a fan of Xu Shuangrong. Such a beautiful, warm girl.]
“I have a different answer.” Xie Mi raised her hand.
“Hm?” Director Niu instantly went on alert. “Let’s hear it.”
“First, this question has two traps. One is using the ex to distract you, making you forget about the hospital. So the real focus should be the hospital. Going there means something must be wrong.”
“Now, the second trap: maybe they weren’t going for themselves but to visit a sick family member. So you also have to consider that possibility.”
At this, even Director Niu was stunned.
That was a level of detail he hadn’t even considered.
The others also looked at Xie Mi with disbelief.
[This angle really is sharp as hell. Damn, does Sis actually have high EQ?]
[Amazing. I thought Xu Shuangrong’s answer was already full marks, but this is next level.]
“So the correct response is—”
Xie Mi took a sip of canned beer and drawled: “Ask him, ‘Are you sick, or is your mom sick?’”
“Pffft—!!”
Someone sprayed water, someone fell off their chair, another clutched their chest and yelled that their heart hurt.
[Old Xie, you really are something else.]
[Hahahahahahahahaha I’m f*cking crying]
[Ten years with brain clots and I’d never come up with an answer this insane]
[Sister Xie has some EQ—but not much]
That little interlude passed, and by then the barbecue was ready.
They’d bought plenty of beer in the afternoon, so now they could sit, grill, and drink freely.
The sea breeze at night carried a chill. Charcoal crackled in the grill, creating a relaxed and cozy atmosphere.
Xie Mi had been wearing big shorts all day. Now the breeze chilled her knees. Before she could say anything, Shen Yanqing draped a blanket over her legs.
Warmth spread, shielding her from the cold wind.
Just as she was about to say something, she felt a weight on her shoulders.
Xiao Jingxi had come over at some point and placed his jacket on her.
Xie Mi: “…”
Great. Here we go again.
