Chapter 270
Inside the Magic Cottage, all kinds of skill cards were for sale.
For romance: Date Cards, Guardian Cards, Hand-Holding Cards, One-Day Couple Cards, Dinner Invitation Cards… all sorts that could deepen bonds between guests.
For finances: Asset Transfer Cards, Asset Equal-Split Cards, Asset Shuffle Cards… all able to alter the money dynamics.
And there were other quirky, bizarre, and amusing skills waiting for the guests to discover.
Most of these cards cost between 100–5000.
“Each guest may only buy one card at a time, once per hour,” the staff of the Magic Cottage explained with a smile.
Xie Mi wandered around, until her gaze landed on a large wheel in the corner.
“What’s this?”
“That’s the Lucky Wheel,” the staff explained. “One spin costs 500. If you’re lucky, you may get a hidden skill card. If you’re unlucky, you may get a punishment.”
“Ohhh!”
Xie Mi’s interest was instantly piqued. She rolled up her sleeves, ready to go, “Then I’ll spin first!”
[Old Xie, think twice!]
[Did you forget last time you only drew five-yuan and ten-yuan coupons in hide-and-seek?]
[I have a bad feeling about this]
Whish!
Excited, Xie Mi grabbed the wheel and spun it with all her strength. It whirred to life at high speed.
Even the staff leaned in expectantly, preparing to announce the result.
The wheel spun fast, crazily, endlessly.
The staff stared eagerly, then nervously, then wearily.
Wait—
Why won’t this wheel stop?!
[Sister Xie just casually revealed her strength again]
[Our celebrity is secretly strong as an ox]
[Good thing this wheel is bolted down, otherwise it would’ve flown off]
Five minutes later, the wheel finally slowed and stopped.
The pointer landed on: [Unfortunately, you won nothing.]
Xie Mi rubbed her chin, thoughtful.
“Could it be… I’m just incredibly unlucky?”
[YES you are!!!]
[Teacher Xie’s path has never relied on luck, only raw skill]
[Turns out you really are the ultimate unlucky draw master]
Though the wheel betrayed her, Xie Mi didn’t panic. She focused diligently on her hidden mission—Protect Shen Moqing.
Since she didn’t know how the show defined “protection,” she decided to take it to the extreme.
When Shen Moqing bought a coffee, she snuck into the kitchen to watch the staff, preventing poison.
When he sat by the sea, she took two swim rings and sat in the lifeguard’s chair, preventing him from falling in.
When he read in the study, she stood guard at the door.
Her theme: absolute protection.
And through this, she got her first real glimpse of Shen Moqing’s life on the show.
Most of the time, he was alone—alone drinking coffee, alone by the sea breeze, alone reading.
He seemed not to know loneliness, perfectly at ease by himself.
But sometimes, his thoughts drifted; he’d stare at the endless sea, his book open but unmoving, not reading a word.
Leaning on the balcony railing, watching Shen Moqing watering flowers peacefully in the garden, Xie Mi grew thoughtful.
She’d always felt that grown-up Shen Moqing was completely different from his childhood self.
But today she suddenly realized—maybe he hadn’t changed.
Ga-ga—
Her phone buzzed. It was a message from him.
[185 Pure-Hearted Bodhisattva]: Want some matcha cake?
Xie Mi froze, then instinctively looked down.
The man who had just been watering flowers was now looking up, phone in hand, a faint smile in his eyes.
After a moment’s thought, she stood up.
[To Hell With Cilantro]: Yes!
By the time she came downstairs, Shen Moqing had already set up matcha cake and hot black tea in the garden pavilion—a proper afternoon tea.
Today he wore a pale moon-white shirt, sleeves rolled up to reveal slender wrists. His long, elegant fingers held the cake knife, carefully slicing.
Every move, refined and noble.
As soon as she sat down, a slice of cake was placed in front of her.
“Try it. I made it,” Shen’s voice was smooth and warm.
Warning bells rang in Xie Mi’s head. She picked up her fork—then quickly redirected it, sliding the cake politely back to him.
“It’s rude if I eat first. You should have the honor.”
“You don’t trust my cooking?”
“How could I not trust you!” she refuted righteously. “I just… have some doubts.”
After all, weren’t they the same two who last time tried baking and blew up the kitchen?
Shen chuckled. “You really know how to put things.”
In the end, Xie Mi still had to try it.
Because—come on—they’d blown up a kitchen together. Some respect had to be paid.
“Alright, here I go!”
Resolutely, she speared a piece and put it in her mouth. But instead of a weird taste, rich matcha fragrance spread across her tongue.
“Is it good?” Shen’s eyes even held a rare touch of expectation.
Her expression shifted—from surprise to… horror.
“Not good?”
He hesitated, then scooped up a piece with his own fork. “I’ll taste it.”
Her eyes widened in greater horror. She waved frantically in panic, even gesturing in makeshift sign language as if to stop him.
“Don’t want me to eat it?”
But the fork was already at his lips. “Now I’m even more curious.”
Xie Mi couldn’t hold back. “Wait—pfft—cough, ugh!!”
The moment she opened her mouth, a cloud of matcha powder sprayed out like smoke—right into Shen Moqing’s face.
Now he understood why she tried to stop him.
Meanwhile, she doubled over, gagging from the overdose of powder.
“Ughhh—”
Seriously, bro.
Who dumps a ton of powder on a cake?!
[HAHAHAHA this is exactly how I looked eating charcoal powder]
[The moment I saw that cake looked decent, I suspected trouble—and I was right]
[Old Shen truly lives up to the title “kitchen assassin”]
By the end, Shen’s face was green, and Xie Mi’s mouth was green.
The two of them stared silently at the cake.
Finally, Xie Mi gave the first and only review.
“What an excellent concealed weapon.”
Truly—killing without leaving a trace.
Shen quietly slid the black tea toward her.
“Conceding defeat, Teacher Xie.”
