CH 21.3

Just as she walked out of the room, she heard footsteps coming from outside the courtyard. When she looked up, she saw Lin Yu and the director walking in together.

Lin Yu stood at the gate of the courtyard, looked around, and smiled ambiguously at the director beside him wearing glasses.

When the director met his gaze, the light in his eyes flickered, and he lowered his head to disguise it, saying, “It looks a bit shabby because no one has lived here for too long, but it’s okay after a little tidying up. Actually, the conditions are not bad.”

Then he pointed to the cameraman next to him and said, “Lao Du, help tidy up the courtyard.”

Then he said to Lin Yu again, “Don’t worry, it will be okay after cleaning up.”

Upon hearing this, Su Chengyang raised her eyes and said, “This place has already been cleaned up.”

The director: “…”

“Ah! I can’t take it anymore!”

Suddenly, a roar came from Room 8 next to them.

Jiang Shanqi actually didn’t want to stay in this place at all. She only stayed quiet because she saw Su Chengyang and the others cleaning up. But she had never done housework or made a bed before, and all this fuss was about to drive her crazy!

At the next moment, Jiang Shanqi rushed out of the room, gasping for breath and cursing, “Is the director crazy? Making us stay in this kind of place? What a crappy program!”

Then she looked up and saw two more figures in the courtyard, her face stiffened.

The staff covered their mouths and chuckled, while the director’s lips twitched.

“Since you are so unwilling, I’ll refund your money and you can go back,” he said, intending to irritate Jiang Shanqi. But to his surprise, she looked delighted and asked, “No breach of contract fee?”

Su Chengyang was stunned and immediately approached, asking, “Is that possible?”

The director snorted and glared at the two of them. “Don’t even think about it. You two stay here obediently.”

Jiang Shanqi looked disappointed, thinking she could leave directly.

Interrupted by this, Su Chengyang forgot what she had intended to do outside and was about to turn back to her room to rest when she met Lin Yu deep gaze.

Thinking back to how she had been stuffing herself with beef jerky earlier and the complicated expression on Lin Yu face at the time, Su Chengyang lowered her head in guilt and didn’t dare to look at him.

Although she thought she was innocent and had only followed the program’s arrangement, Su Chengyang couldn’t help feeling nervous when facing Lin Yu. She knew she had her own selfish motives.

However, Lin Yu just glanced at her and then lowered his head to give a few instructions to Xiao Lu before leaving after greeting Su Chengyang.

Afraid that Lin Yu would be angry, Su Chengyang stood still.

Lin Yu walked a few steps forward and asked her, “Are you used to living here?”

Su Chengyang honestly shook her head and said, “I don’t know.”

“The filming for this episode only lasts two days. Can you bear it?”

Su Chengyang thought for a moment and nodded, “I can.”

Lin Yu nodded and saw that she still didn’t dare to look up at him, hesitating for a moment before saying, “You don’t have to be so afraid of me. I’m not that scary.”

Su Chengyang hurriedly said, “You’re not scary at all, I’m just…feeling guilty.”

“Why guilty?” Lin Yu asked with a smile.

“I ate too much.”

“You should be feeling guilty about your artist image, but as for eating, that’s what the program requires. I have no reason to blame you.”

Su Chengyang’s eyes lit up, she looked up at Lin Yu and asked, “So the next time we encounter a situation like this, can I eat a little more while maintaining my artist image?”

Lin Yu asked back, “What do you think?”

“Oh” Su Chengyang lowered her head again.

After a moment of contemplation, Lin Yu suddenly said, “If we wait a little longer, the villagers will help bring water for you.”

Su Chengyang was stunned and said, “No need, I just saw a well by the roadside not far from here. We can go there ourselves…”

Lin Yu said, “Don’t worry, the villagers offered to help ‘you’ get water.”

Su Chengyang felt that when Lin Yu emphasized the word ‘you’, there was a slight change in his tone.

After speaking, he looked at Su Chengyang without speaking, apparently waiting for her to continue asking.

Su Chengyang hesitated and asked, “Who?”

“What?”

“Who offered to help us get water?”

Lin Yu smiled and said, “The boy who chatted with you by the pond at noon.”

“Oh, Xingxiu.” Su Chengyang nodded, she didn’t expect that Lin Yu had seen him.

Lin Yu raised his eyebrows and said, “You’re not surprised at all?”

Su Chengyang honestly shook her head, “No, he’s very enthusiastic and a good person.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Yu’s expression became meaningful.

He was silent for a moment and said, “If you don’t want to trouble him, just refuse him face-to-face.”

“Oh,” Su Chengyang didn’t think too much. Before coming here, she did see a well by the roadside with a rope to fetch water. It wasn’t far from here and she didn’t want to trouble Xingxiu.

The conversation should have ended there, but Xiao Lin spoke again, “I already helped you refuse him, but he didn’t agree.”

Su Chengyang looked up at him in surprise, as if he understood his meaning. She said, “Mr. Lin, don’t worry. I have no plans for a relationship at the moment. Even if I do, I won’t let it affect my work.”

Lin Yu looked away and nodded, saying, “Rest well.”

“Okay.”

After that, Lin Yu left the courtyard. Su Chengyang watched his back and remembered the compensation Yang Xiuyi had to pay the company after announcing his relationship. She shrank her neck, thinking that Lin Yu must be the kind of person who dislikes mixing work and personal relationships. She needed to be more careful in the future.

By the time it was almost 4:30, Jiang Shanqi had just managed to tidy up the room. She hadn’t even had a chance to lie down and enjoy herself on the bed when the staff reminded them to get ready to gather in Room 1.

Su Chengyang had wanted to take a nap, but there was a musty smell in the room that made it difficult for her to sleep. She thought of finding something to freshen up the air in the room.

Su Chengyang and Jiang Shanqi changed clothes in the room and headed to Room 1 together. They had been fiddling around in the room for so long without resting properly, and now they felt exhausted and lethargic on the way.

Although she couldn’t sleep on the bed, Su Chengyang now felt so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open. Jiang Shanqi was no better off and nearly stumbled because she wasn’t paying attention to the road.

When they finally arrived at Room 1, all the other guests had already gathered. Han Songxue saw their weary appearance and curiously asked, “Did you two have a fight in the room? Why do you look so tired?”

Su Chengyang smiled and said, “We fought with the room.”

Jiang Shanqi didn’t even have the energy to speak and just looked away from Han Songxue.

When Tan Qi saw the two of them, she felt sorry for them and said, “I saw that there are still a few vacant rooms in Room 1. Why don’t you move there?”

Jiang Shanqi’s eyes lit up and she was about to agree, but she heard Su Chengyang say, “Thanks, but no thanks. It would break the rules.”

Jiang Shanqi was left speechless. She didn’t want to live there, but she was unwilling to let Su Chengyang go alone. In the end, she had to suppress her thoughts of moving to Room 1.

Su Chengyang added, “It took me a long time to clean up the room. If we don’t stay for a couple of nights, I’ll feel like I’ve lost out.”

Jiang Shanqi was stunned and realized that Su Chengyang had a point. After spending an afternoon cleaning the room, it would be a waste not to stay for a few nights. So, she gave up the idea of moving to Room 1 completely.

“Song Mingan, how is your room?” Su Chengyang asked.

Song Mingan replied, with one hand behind his back, “I have named it Bamboo Grove Residence.”

Su Chengyang could tell he was very satisfied.

The guests gathered together to discuss their accommodation environments. Overall, except for Jiang Shanqi, there were no complaints.

After a moment, the assistant director spoke up and caught everyone’s attention.

“Have you all rested well?” he asked.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shanqi rolled her eyes fiercely.

Su Chengyang asked seriously, “What do you think?”

The assistant director laughed and said, “No worries, it’s almost dinner time. You can eat more to replenish your energy.”

“Although the villagers treated us to a meal at noon, tonight’s dinner will depend on your own efforts.”

The guests looked confused, “What do you mean?”

The assistant director explained, “What you can eat for dinner tonight depends on what you find in the village.”

Han Songxue was shocked, “The villagers treated us to lunch? Why are you so stingy that you won’t even treat us to dinner?”

The assistant director rolled his eyes and scolded her, “Shut your mouth.”

“Oh.” Han Songxue quieted down.

Someone asked, “How do we put in effort? What’s the direction?”

The assistant director said, “Our staff have already hidden food in the village. Whatever you find, you can eat for dinner tonight.”

“After finding the ingredients, we have to cook ourselves?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know how to cook.”

“Neither do I.”

“I haven’t even been in a kitchen before,” Jiang Shanqi said, wrinkling her face.

Han Songxue glanced at her and said, “Thanks. You know your family is rich, so don’t mention it and attract hatred next time.”

Su Chengyang: “…”

Is there a possibility that both you and her are quite hateable?

“I can cook,” a boy named Qi Fu said.

The boy seemed to work out often, with beautiful muscle lines and a masculine appearance. From his appearance, he didn’t look like someone who could cook.

Su Chengyang added, “I can cook a little too.”

Song Mingan and Han Songxue both shook their heads and said they couldn’t.

As a result, out of the nine guests, only Su Chengyang and Qi Fu could cook.

Han Songxue exclaimed, “You two are the least likely to be able to cook, yet you can cook? Unbelievable.”

Jiang Shanqi quietly glanced at Su Chengyang, then nodded in agreement with Han Songxue’s point of view.

Seeing their attention shift elsewhere, the assistant director coughed to bring their attention back.

“Since everyone has no objections, three people will go out to find ingredients in a team. You can eat as much as you find within one hour.”

The staff distributed a hand-held bamboo basket to them and let them divide into groups on their own.

Because Su Chengyang and Qi Fu were the only two who could cook, they each led a team, while Tan Qi, who had the most experience among the guests, led another team.

Han Songxue and Song Mingan chose to join Su Chengyang’s team.

Jiang Shanqi originally wanted to join Su Chengyang’s team, but she couldn’t get past the mental barrier and hesitated before going to Qi Fu’s team. In order to get more food, they didn’t waste any more time and went in three different directions to find ingredients.

As the only person in the team who could cook, Su Chengyang had two small transparent followers asking her for a ‘target.’

Su Chengyang lowered her head and thought for a moment before saying seriously, “Our only target is to get more meat. If it takes too much time and we determine that the target is vegetables, we will simply give up.”

Han Songxue gave her a thumbs up after hearing this and said, “You really can say some impressive things.”

Song Mingan disagreed with her target and said, “From the moment I moved into the bamboo cottage, I silently vowed not to eat any meat for three days.”

Su Chengyang said sternly, “Comrade Song Mingan, now is not the time to pursue personal gain. You need to have a team spirit, otherwise the camaraderie between us, which is only ten minutes longer than with Han Songxue, will be completely destroyed, and you will truly be isolated by the team. Do you understand?”

Song Mingan’s expression was numb as he twitched the corners of his mouth, “I understand.”

Han Songxue said in surprise, “I can’t believe that the dispirited Su Chengyang just now is the same person as you.”

Su Chengyang said, “Appetite and desire1The phrase “食色，性也” (shí sè, xìng yě) in Chinese means that people have basic desires for both food and sex, and they are both important to human nature. It implies that people are driven by their physical needs and desires. The phrase is often used to justify indulging in pleasures or seeking satisfaction of one’s desires..”

“Today, none of you can hold me back, otherwise our camaraderie will come to an end.”

After all, as long as it is within the program team’s arrangement, Su Chengyang can do whatever she wants within a certain range!