Chapter 231
Xie Mi and the others finally went to a Western restaurant in town with an average per-person cost of 800 yuan—a serious splurge.
The four of them sat in the upscale restaurant, enjoying steak and red wine. The clinking of glasses and lively conversation outside even made the homeless people passing by the window envious.
Xiao Jingxi, carrying a bag of cabbages and eggs he had just snagged at a discount from the supermarket, gritted his teeth so hard he thought he might break them, watching the group inside enjoying their luxurious meal.
“Sorry, Jingxi.”
Xu Shuangrong looked guilty. “If I could, I would sit inside with you, but unfortunately…”
She cast a deep look at Xie Mi, as if saying nothing yet saying everything at once.
Xiao Jingxi adjusted his breathing and looked away.
“Shuangrong, thank you for tonight. Consider this borrowed from you—once I regain my allowance, I’ll pay you back.”
“Mm.”
Xu Shuangrong didn’t refuse but smiled and accepted. “I knew you’d earn it back eventually, which is why I could be generous helping you. Wouldn’t that count as preemptively clinging to a powerful ally?”
Indeed, Xu Shuangrong’s emotional intelligence was high.
Her words immediately restored Xiao Jingxi’s pride. He had been a little frustrated at being helped by a woman, but now that feeling vanished.
“I’ll help you in the future too.”
“Mm, I believe you.”
The two of them returned to the villa with their groceries. Xiao Jingxi insisted on showing off his skills, managing to heat the eggs in the microwave—causing it to explode. Not only were the two expensive eggs lost, but they also nearly faced a claim from the production team.
Fortunately, Xu Shuangrong mediated the crisis and cooked two edible dishes, allowing them to finally have their first bite of dinner.
As the saying goes, some have joy while others have sorrow: some were dining on a luxurious dinner in the restaurant, while others had to gnaw on cabbage back at the villa.
The remaining two, Yu Jinzheng and Qiu Chengye, also had their dinners in their own way.
Yu Jinzheng originally had 7,500 yuan. After spending 5,001 on the room auction, he had 2,499 left—placing him third from the bottom in terms of wealth. But he was the villa’s only decent cook, and cooking for himself didn’t require adding ants. Using his bought ingredients, he made French toast, which turned out quite well.
Qiu Chengye, on the other hand, had 5,001 yuan initially, spent 500 on the room auction, leaving 4,501. The rich young master Qiu, unfamiliar with saving, took that 4,501 to dine at another French restaurant with an average cost of 1,000 per person—cutting his remaining allowance by a quarter.
After this episode, viewers could clearly see each guest’s personality.
[Those with money have their own lifestyle; those without money have theirs. But Kitty Bro belongs to the “no money but spending anyway” type.]
[The previous generation suffered without complaints; Kitty Bro enjoys even without entitlement. Good, good, good.]
[This is literally me: eating instant noodles, adding five eggs and five sausages. Who suffers, my mouth won’t suffer.]
[Hahaha, following Kitty Bro’s style of eating, I can confidently say I’ve chosen the right person in life.]
After dinner, the guests were called to gather in the villa’s living room.
A red banner had been hung across the room, with large characters reading: [The First “Love Investigation” Debate!]
Director Niu, wearing his bee accessory, awaited them punctually.
“Welcome, guests and teachers, to the first Love Investigation Debate! That’s right—we’ll start an internal debate here, dividing the eight guests into two groups, each debating a topic provided by the production team!”
“If it’s a debate, Sister should be very good at it. You’re so eloquent,” Yu Jinzheng smiled with pursed lips. “I hope I can be on your team.”
As he said this, his gaze was clearly directed at Xie Mi.
Xie Mi shook her head. “No, I’m afraid if I get too passionate, I might scold you too.”
“This is an activity testing logic and quick thinking. I think Woxing would be better suited.”
Xu Shuangrong smiled at Liu Woxing. “Woxing, I heard you also participated in debates in college and did well. I really hope we can be on the same team.”
Although Liu Woxing was interested in the activity, Xu Shuangrong’s overt friendliness made her uncomfortable. She had been used to Xu Shuangrong’s closeness, but since noticing something off last time, she felt uneasy everywhere around her.
“Mm… let’s see how the production team divides the groups.”
“Mm, if we’re in the same team, that’s great. If not, I’ll try to be your opponent. Since it’s a debate, we have to take it seriously,” Xu Shuangrong said with a gentle smile.
Qiu Chengye, full from dinner, was energetic. “Are we starting now? How do we divide teams? Where’s the debate topic? Is there money for winning?”
Having experienced being a poor person scared by poverty, Kitty Bro finally realized the importance of money and asked the key question.
“Of course. The winning side will receive 1,000 yuan per person. Not much, but enough for a lavish dinner at a high-end restaurant.”
Director Niu generously answered. “But we won’t start immediately. As everyone knows, debates require preparation. Tonight, we’ll only assign teams and topics. The debate starts tomorrow morning at nine.”
“So tonight, all you need to do is draw lots for teams and topics.”
“The team division will be fair. The assistant director will present an opaque box of lots. Each person will draw in order. The rule: those who draw the same color will be on the same team.”
As he finished, the assistant director stepped forward with the box.
[Wow, exciting! I can’t imagine how fun their debate will be.]
[Isn’t this the event the production team posted on Weibo a while back? The third top comment suggested a debate—didn’t expect it would actually be used. Will they use the topics suggested by netizens?]
[Wait, now that you mention it, I remember seeing that Weibo post! But are those topics even allowed on air? Hahaha!]
[Damn, you guys are speaking encrypted codes I don’t understand, but it’s okay—I’m excited!]
[Known facts: Sister Liu won debates in college, Sister Xie is unpredictable and confounds opponents, Sister Lai and Kitty Bro are both great arguers, Yu Jinzheng is a science student with strong logic, Old Shen is the only one who can keep up with Sister Xie, and Xiao Jingxi is alive.]
[Earlier, Xiao Jingxi had haters, haha, you punk.]
[I just hope my Xie Yue gets paired with Shen Lü. In CS matches, they didn’t get the same team. This time, they must be together!]
