Chapter 56
Xu Shuangrong’s move to invite Shen Yanqing into her group instantly caused a huge stir in the comments.
[WTF! What’s going on?! Xu Shuangrong is turning her arrow toward Shen Yanqing now??]
[You guys don’t get it? Xu Shuangrong is sacrificing herself to split Shen Yanqing and Xie Mi apart so that Xie Mi and Xiao Jingxi can be in the same group! She’s really—ahhh I’m crying to death]
[It’s obvious to anyone with eyes that Mr. Shen isn’t interested in her, but she still took this step for Xiao Jingxi. Where else can you find such a girl, sob sob]
[Enough, my heart aches for her]
Xu Shuangrong smiled just right, her slender figure looking unusually resilient in the sea breeze.
Whether Shen Yanqing accepted or refused, it was all gain and no loss for her.
If he refused, she could set up the persona of a girl who sacrifices for love. If he accepted, the heat of being grouped with Shen Yanqing would still be very high.
One had to admit, this was quite a clever move.
Unfortunately, her little scheme was aimed at the wrong person.
Xie Mi already foresaw what was about to happen, and quietly turned around to avoid the conflict, but she was still a step too late.
“Your love counts as love, but mine doesn’t?”
Alright, Shen Yanqing was about to start.
“In order to help the one you like, you came to break up me and Teacher Xie. You’re righteous, but I ended up being used.”
He walked up to Xie Mi, his beautiful peach blossom eyes carrying a fragile, pitiful look.
“See, Teacher Xie misunderstood and is about to walk away from me.”
Xie Mi: ?
What the hell are you doing again?
If she hadn’t noticed the faint curve at the corner of his lips, she really would have believed him.
Xu Shuangrong’s face flushed red.
She had paved both her front and back roads, but hadn’t expected Shen Yanqing to suddenly fly off onto some magical ‘green-tea’ road!
“That’s not what I meant…”
“Whatever you meant, your actions brought about this result. Isn’t that the point?”
Shen Yanqing’s gaze drifted lazily, looking at her with a half-smile.
Xu Shuangrong’s face turned pale in an instant—she was completely speechless.
And Shen Yanqing’s words also woke up the live audience.
[Hey, enough of setting up Xu Shuangrong as some tragic, devoted character. So just because you’re “devoted,” others have to sacrifice for you?]
[Using someone but sugarcoating it—why should our Xie x Shen be treated like some tool for you to impress a man?]
[I don’t care what you mean—trying to split my CP, huh? Taste my sword!]
[Enough! I feel bad for Old Shen!]
The comments flipped instantly. Xu Shuangrong’s attempt to steal the chicken only ended up losing the rice, and she had no choice but to sheepishly join Xiao Jingxi’s group.
Meanwhile, Qiu Chengye and Liu Woxing had also formed a team.
And then the problem arose.
There was still one extra person—what about Lai Bingxuan?
“Seven people split into three groups. There has to be one group of three. Considering Miss Lai is a new guest and not very familiar with everyone yet, we’ll give you a special privilege: you can freely choose which group to join.”
As soon as Director Niu finished, everyone’s eyes simultaneously turned to Lai Bingxuan.
It was her choice moment now.
“I choose Xu Shuangrong’s group.”
Lai Bingxuan almost didn’t hesitate, raising her brows proudly at Xu Shuangrong. “Xu Shuangrong and I are old classmates. Old classmates should look out for each other, right?”
Xu Shuangrong forced a smile. “Right…”
Xiao Jingxi, on the other hand, looked indifferent. After all, he had no real ties with Lai Bingxuan.
“Then it’s settled.”
So Lai Bingxuan joined their team, and very naturally walked to the middle of the two, taking the center position.
Xie Mi’s melon-eating soul blazed up once again.
Wasn’t this just perfect?
The male lead, the female lead, and the vicious second female lead—in the original novel, they were absolutely a solid love triangle setup.
Even though the plot had changed so much, fate still somehow brought these three together. Wasn’t this also a kind of destiny?
“Now let me teach you all how to forage by the sea!”
Even though the job only paid 10 yuan an hour, it didn’t dampen Mao Mao’s passion for this part-time work.
“I’ve got three kinds of tools here. First, crab pincers, for catching crabs and fish. Second, a shovel, for digging clams and shells. Third, salt powder—pour it on the beach to draw out razor clams.”
“Now please choose which tool you’d like!”
“We want the shovel!” Qiu Chengye immediately howled without hesitation.
After getting the shovel, he quickly showed off his wisdom to Liu Woxing: “Pincers are hard to control, they need skill. Salt powder is a consumable—you use it up and it’s gone. All in all, the shovel is the best choice. You’re lucky to follow me.”
Liu Woxing smiled and nodded. “Alright.”
“Then we’ll take the salt powder.”
Xiao Jingxi spoke next, “Even though it’s consumable, it’s easier to use. Comparatively, crab pincers require more skill.”
As he said this, he glanced at Xie Mi twice.
If she insisted on choosing Shen Yanqing, then he’d just prove through actions that she’d chosen wrong.
“Then… Sister Xie, are you guys taking the crab pincers?” Mao Mao handed the pincers over to Xie Mi, looking worried.
There was no rule for tool selection, just first come first served. His Sister Xie must have been too honest and unwilling to fight over it, that’s why she ended up with the last pick.
Poor Sister Xie TAT
“Hand them over already!”
Xie Mi had long been impatient. She snatched the pincers, her eyes sparkling as she dashed toward the beach, cackling like a dark sorceress. “Old Shen! Bring the bucket!!”
“Coming!”
Shen Yanqing picked up the bucket and chased after her. The tall and short pair bolted toward the sea like two runaway wild horses. To an outsider, they looked like they were charging in for a group suicide.
[Damn, that scared the hell out of me]
[Old Xie, what kind of nonsense are you pulling this time?]
[LMAO, made me laugh despite myself]
Maomao, still half caught up in sadness, froze and shouted anxiously: “Sister Xie, I haven’t even taught yet!”
“If they don’t want to learn, forget it, don’t waste time—teach us first.” Qiu Chengye jumped in quickly.
He’d be more than happy if Xie Mi caught nothing.
“This…”
Maomao looked out at Xie Mi in the distance.
She was already in the shallows, frantically snapping the crab pincers, while Shen Yanqing trailed faithfully behind with the bucket.
They honestly looked like they couldn’t hear him at all…
“…Fine, I’ll teach you guys first.”
Maomao demonstrated how to use the tools and how to spot where the seafood hid. Foraging by the sea wasn’t that complicated—after a simple lesson, everyone could handle it well enough.
Only, learning the method was one thing—having luck was another.
Qiu Chengye dug dozens of holes in a row with zero harvest, finally cursing and slamming the shovel down on the ground.
“Are you guys screwing with me?! Where’s the damn seafood?!”
“Don’t blame the road when it’s the traveler that sucks.”
From the next group, Lai Bingxuan sneered as she walked past him with her bucket.
Qiu Chengye glanced at her bucket.
Two razor clams, barely the size of pinkies—yet she was already showing off.
He sneered too. “Go ahead and eat. Three people and enough to stuff maybe two.”
“What do you mean by that?!” Lai Bingxuan’s eyes bulged. She lifted her bucket, ready to throw down.
Seeing that another fight was about to erupt, the assistant director rushed over with a helmet on, trying to break them up. “Stop arguing, stop arguing! Lunch is more important!”
Only then did the two back down.
Liu Woxing, watching the assistant director skillfully put his helmet back on, quietly murmured, “You really do have it hard.”
