Chapter 12 How did you get here so fast? ...

Chapter 12

Bao Keming was extremely concerned about his reputation.

Chu Xingli knew this weakness of his, which is why he knew that Bao Keming would never make things difficult for Zhu Ji.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Ji, who was not very good at interpersonal relationships, rubbed salt into Bao Keming's already shattered heart.

"Brother, do you want to tear off a couple of sheets too?"

Looking into Zhu Jizhen's sincere blue eyes, Bao Keming instantly ruled out that he was doing it on purpose, and waved his hand with a heavy heart: "No need, the rest... you keep them safe."

As he spoke, he turned to leave this place that had caused him so much pain.

“I’m keeping this…it’s not really of any use to me,” Zhu Ji still advised him enthusiastically, though his language skills were still a bit slow. “Why don’t you tear off two pieces, so you don’t miss out on dinner?”

Bao Keming: "..." Another arrow struck.

"No need." Bao Keming's forced composure seemed to age instantly, making him appear both pitiful and amusing from afar.

[hahaha, he has a kind of calm madness right now.]

[Bao Keming probably will never want to say "I hope I can help you" to anyone in his life, hahaha]

"I bet he'll turn back," Chu Xingli whispered to Lin Ning, watching Bao Keming's retreating figure.

Lin Ning stared wide-eyed in surprise, about to ask Chu Xingli how she knew.

Then they saw Bao Keming, who had already turned to leave, stop in his tracks.

He seemed to be having an internal struggle. After a moment, he turned around again and walked back to Zhu Ji's side.

Zhu Ji's goose has already been put into the pot under Luo Xiaoran's guidance, and now there's plenty of time to watch the fun.

The three sat in a row, each resting their chin on one hand in perfect unison as they watched Bao Keming pick up the book, hesitate for a long time, and ultimately couldn't bring himself to do it.

With a heavy heart, Bao Keming handed the book to Zhu Ji, making a tough decision: "Could you tear out two pages for me?"

Chu Xingli, standing beside him, asked with a smile, "What's wrong, bro? Are you confused too? I didn't see you confused when you were disrupting the market."

Bao Keming: "..."

Zhu Ji tore the thing apart without any pressure. His decisive and swift movements, coupled with the ear-piercing tearing sound, shattered Bao Keming's heart, which was just beginning to heal.

Bao Keming was heartbroken and didn't want to say anything. He took the two pieces of paper from Zhu Ji and turned to leave.

Chu Xingli and Lin Ning were respectable people after all. They covered their mouths with their hands, trying to suppress their laughter, and didn't let their laughter reach the ears of the people involved until Bao Keming returned to the stove and squatted down.

[Since you've already torn it up, at least let me eat.]

[Hug: I don't usually laugh unless I can't help it]

[Haha, I have a feeling that Baobao really likes Lin Ning? Ranzi's head is covered in green grass!]

Bao: I'm so confused.

Qiao Manyun didn't want any verbal or eye contact with Chu Xingli, so she didn't go to Lin Ning and the other person's stove to join in the fun, and instead sat down with Bao Keming.

Neither of them wanted to talk to the other, so they silently stewed the goose.

Zhao Anyu and Chen Xuanqi focused on everyone present, but didn't even glance at the unprocessed goose in the basin.

He then moved closer to Qiao Manyun and Bao Keming, calling them "sister" repeatedly, and started cutting potatoes for Qiao Manyun.

They also greeted Lu Yunxin, who was passing by.

Lu Yunxin has been a prominent figure in the entertainment industry for many years, relying on her domineering demeanor. She often exudes arrogance and confidence, making people both intimidated and extremely fascinated.

When she passed Zhou Maidong, she walked past without looking at him and sat down with Chu Xingli to chat with Lin Ning and the other person by the stove, convinced that the production team wouldn't dare to let the guests starve to death.

...Even if she dares, she should be starved to death.

Realizing that dragging things out like this wasn't a solution, Zhou Maidong, who was now being disliked by his wife, finally took action.

He looked around, stood up from his small stool, and walked over to Luo Xiaoran, but was too embarrassed to ask him about the steps for stewing goose because he was a little socially awkward.

Fortunately, Luo Xiaoran had taken care of Chu Xingli for many years and had long since figured out many of the unspoken body language gestures.

Upon discovering his senior standing by his stove, Luo Xiaoran naturally began explaining the entire process to Zhou Maidong: "After blanching, pour oil into the pot, then add scallions, ginger, garlic, star anise, bay leaves, dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and Sichuan peppercorn powder. If you don't like ginger, you can consider omitting it."

Luo Xiaoran looked up and his eyes met those of Chu Xingli, who was glancing in his direction.

Although Chu Xingli had forgotten too many things, the tacit understanding between the two seemed to have not disappeared.

The moment their eyes met, they understood each other's thoughts.

—How about we stew the goose for my older brother and sister?—

"Brother, shall I stew it for you?" Luo Xiaoran knew that Zhou Maidong really needed his help, but he still politely asked for his opinion so as not to be presumptuous.

When Zhou Maidong isn't acting, he looks no different from an ordinary middle-aged man. When facing his wife, he often feels helpless and doesn't know how to express his emotions.

With Luo Xiaoran's help, he was naturally overjoyed and took the initiative to assist Luo Xiaoran, while occasionally stealing glances to see if Lu Yunxin had noticed his changes.

Lu Yunxin appeared indifferent on the surface, but she was actually secretly watching Zhou Maidong's every move.

Upon discovering that Zhou Maidong had indeed acted differently than before, asking Luo Xiaoran to stew goose for her, her mood improved considerably.

"Huh? I don't think I know how old everyone is yet?" Lu Yunxin felt relieved that dinner was sorted out, so she relaxed and chatted with everyone.

"Isn't Xiao Ran only twenty-two this year?" Lu Yunxin remembered Luo Xiao Ran's age, then turned to ask Chu Xingli, "And Xingli, how old are you this year?"

Chu Xingli always remembered that he participated in this program because he wanted to divorce Luo Xiaoran.

Therefore, in order to distance herself from Luo Xiaoran in terms of age and to make Luo Xiaoran give up on her sooner, Chu Xingli pursed her lips and pondered for a while before answering:

"I was born in the late 1990s."

Luo Xiaoran: "..."

Lu Yunxin: "..."

[There are even people who introduce themselves like this.]

The phrase "hug" really gave me a headache back in the 1990s.

[Haha, why do you look so old at such a young age?]

[Is anyone going to check on Ranzi's life or death? He's single-handedly shouldering the responsibility of stewing three geese.]

As everyone chatted and laughed, the goose was almost cooked, and the cunning director came up with a plan.

It's time to let everyone know what today's "reward" is.

"Judging from the current situation, Xing Li and Xiao Ran are the favorites to win the championship!"

The director, though not an expert on geese, could tell which group's pot lid was spewing the most steam and smelling the best: "The rest of the groups need to work harder! But don't worry, the top three will receive great prizes. It's not too late to start working hard. Just a hint, the prizes are related to tonight's accommodation!"

Zhu Ji patted Lin Ning's hand: "Don't worry, I will definitely make you sleep in the same bed but dream different dreams."

Lin Ning was sweating bullets over his Chinese: "..."

Chu Xingli neither understood nor respected him, looking at Zhu Ji with the eyes of someone who looked at a fool, his eyes full of suspicion.

"Why don't you sleep with me tonight?" Chu Xingli guessed that the first place was probably a double bed, which was very polite for the divorced guests. He and Lin Ning would share a room with two beds, which would be perfect for them to gossip and chat when they couldn't sleep.

Zhu Ji pulled Lin Ning into his arms and glared at Chu Xingli angrily: "You're going to cheat on me!"

Chu Xingli: "..."

Lin Ning: "..."

Luo Xiaoran, watching from afar: "???"

After the director allowed the guests to watch the scene where Chu Xingli was accused of slander, he began to pour out his own dirty laundry—

"To encourage everyone to cook, I'd like to announce the prize for first place: the first team to finish stewed goose in an iron pot will get to share a bed in the deluxe suite on the second floor!"

"What?!" Chu Xingli was shocked and paled.

The prize for first place is sleeping in the same room and the same bed?!

"Is this a reward or a punishment?!" Chu Xingli was incredulous.

The director sat back down in his chair with a grin, practically ready to pull out a handful of sunflower seeds to see the guests' varied and interesting expressions.

Chu Xingli looked back in despair at the large pot in front of Luo Xiaoran, where steam was rising from the top, symbolizing that the goose was about to be cooked.

No! He can't just sit here and wait to die!

[LOL, hugs! This is a divorce reality show; punishment is reward, and reward is punishment.]

Wait a minute, where did Hug pull that little water gun from? Hahaha!

[Could he be trying to put out the fire in Luo Xiaoran's stove so he won't have to share a room with him?]

Since everyone was in the courtyard, Luo Xiaoran naturally heard just as many words as Chu Xingli.

He even listened more attentively than Chu Xingli because it concerned where they would sleep that night.

When the director said, "The first team to finish the stewed goose in an iron pot can share a bed in the luxury suite on the second floor," Luo Xiaoran's team had already nimbly lifted the pot lid.

After dispelling the rising heat, he picked up the spatula and skillfully scooped the fragrant dishes from the pot onto a plate.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chu Xingli squatting by the stove, futilely spraying water into the stove pit with a small spray gun, and he couldn't help but smile.

The next second, Luo Xiaoran's smile vanished, pretending not to have seen Chu Xingli secretly causing trouble, and he solemnly raised his hand, holding the plate—

"Director, I'm done."

Chu Xingli was thunderstruck: "?! How could you be so fast?!"

Luo Xiaoran: "……(*￣︶￣)"

[Ranzi Bro: Honey, you can't say things like that!]

【How Did You Get So Fast?】

Am I the only one who really wants to try that plate of goose that Ranzi is holding? I'm so drooling!

Look how anxious Ranzi is, he's afraid he won't get a deluxe king room.

[Good, good, good, Brother Ran is secretly pleased again.]