Chapter 20 (20 mouths)

Chapter 19

Realizing he had accidentally uttered those two words, Zhao Anyu hurriedly corrected himself: "Director, Director, I meant Director."

Chu Xingli waved his hand.

It doesn't matter what it is anymore.

We've completely lost face.

He glanced back and saw that Luo Xiaoran was also looking in their direction along with everyone else.

Chu Xingli: "..."

Okay, Luo Xiaoran has heard it too.

Although he had no feelings for Luo Xiaoran, he was very self-disciplined and did not want to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings about his reputation.

[Quickly hug him, he looks like he's about to break.]

[Haha, the nickname "Hug Hug" combined with the action of hugging makes me sound like I'm stuttering when I say it all together.]

[The look on her face as she looked at her husband was filled with helplessness.]

[Ranzi: So you were keeping another dog behind my back (just kidding)]

"Come on, everyone, are you hungry?" The fishpond owner's voice broke the awkward atmosphere.

They rescued Chu Xingli from dire straits in time.

"I've prepared some dishes for everyone," the pond owner said, having the people behind him bring the dishes over and place them one by one on the small low table that the production team had prepared in advance. "These are farm-style dishes, so please don't mind them."

The pond owner was very modest.

The aroma of the dishes was so enticing that Chu Xingli couldn't help but turn her head to take a look, quite surprised by the taste.

Chu Xingli propped herself up on her knees and walked over to the pond owner with great enthusiasm: "Wow, this smells amazing! Thank you, pond owner!"

"Not at all, not at all, you're too kind," the pond owner said with a smile, taking out his phone. "Mr. Chu, my daughter is at school. She just called and asked me to take a picture of you and Mr. Luo together. Would it be convenient for you?"

After he finished speaking, he added, "It's my daughter's birthday today, I'm really grateful to both of you."

Chu Xingli hadn't planned to refuse in the first place, but when she heard the pond owner say that, she quickly turned around and waved to Luo Xiaoran: "Come on, let's record a video for the kid."

Luo Xiaoran, having discovered an opportunity to stand with Chu Xingli, had already heard the commotion and put down his fishing rod to come over.

With a turn of her head and a wave of her hand, Chu Xingli pressed her hand firmly against Luo Xiaoran's chest.

...very trendy.

Before Chu Xingli's brain went blank, only these two words remained in her mind.

Seeing this scene, Lu Yunxin's cheekbones instantly bulged, and she was so excited that she wanted to take out her phone to take close-up photos of the scene for her friends in the group.

"That's enough, isn't it? Are you still going to stop touching me?" Bao Keming was jealous of Luo Xiaoran's training results, so he could only stop more viewers from admiring Luo Xiaoran's figure by interrupting Chu Xingli's spellcasting.

Upon hearing Bao Keming's voice, Chu Xingli's mind went blank, filled only with disgust.

He awkwardly withdrew his hand, glancing quickly at Luo Xiaoran's still calm expression.

Turning around, her defense mechanism automatically activated when facing Bao Keming: "Aren't you just jealous? Your tone is as sour as a rag that's been pickled in a ditch for half a year."

Luo Xiaoran raised an eyebrow slightly, his smiling gaze following Chu Xingli.

Having made a fool of himself, Bao Keming chuckled awkwardly and sat down to eat.

The pond owner turned on his phone to record a video, pointing it at Chu Xingli and Luo Xiaoran, and said with a smile, "Her nickname is Ya Ya."

Chu Xingli nodded, smiled, and waved to the camera: "Ya Ya, happy birthday! I hope you'll be healthy, optimistic, and lively in the new year, and completely free from any unpleasantness~"

Luo Xiaoran waved in response to Chu Xingli's gesture: "Happy birthday, study hard and make progress every day."

[Hug me, can I borrow your mouth?]

[Haha, Ranzi, you're amazing!]

I can't even imagine how popular the pond owner's daughter will be at school! o(╥﹏╥)o

The pond owner put away his phone, repeatedly thanked Chu Xingli and Luo Xiaoran for their help, and then invited everyone to come and eat.

"Teachers, if there's anything else you'd like to eat, just let me know. I live in this back courtyard, it's very convenient, so please don't be shy."

Everyone here is used to a life of ease and comfort, eating only when it's time to eat, and has never experienced hardship. Upon hearing this, they all put down their fishing rods and came over.

Except for Zhou Maidong.

He remained steadfastly seated by the pond, keeping watch with his fishing rod.

Lu Yunxin glared at him speechlessly, then sat alone at the low table, not caring whether he came over or not.

"Master Pond Owner," Zhu Ji asked sincerely, unable to name the dishes, "what are all these?"

"Steamed fish, sweet and sour fish, grilled fish, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, crucian carp and tofu soup," the pond owner introduced one by one. "The ingredients used are all grown in our pond and in our yard, absolutely pure, natural and pollution-free."

Wow, this is such a perfect four-dish-and-one-soup meal! Just looking at it makes my mouth water!

Sweet and sour fish is my favorite! I want to eat it tonight too!

The fishing trip by the program crew to Bald Tail Mountain will bring the pond owner unlimited long-tail benefits in the future.

The only requirement is to cook a fish feast for everyone with care, which the pond owner is naturally very happy to do.

To show his enthusiasm, he thoughtfully prepared five dishes for each group separately.

It would be rather unseemly for a group of people to be using chopsticks to pick up food from each other's food when they are not yet familiar with each other.

"Thank you, Master Tang," Chu Xingli said, though she didn't like fish. After thanking him, she pushed the plate towards Luo Xiaoran, "You eat first."

Actually, it's not that he doesn't like eating fish, but he has a phobia of fish bones because he was pricked by one when he was a child.

He would rather hold the bowl and eat his rice rather than remove the fish bones himself.

Zhu Ji really likes to eat fish.

Seeing that Chu Xingli was not moving, he asked in confusion, "Xingli, why aren't you eating fish? Don't you like it?"

“He was pricked by a fish bone when he was a child,” Luo Xiaoran said, placing the carefully deboned fish belly meat in a small bowl in front of Chu Xingli, and answering Zhu Ji, “so even if he likes to eat it, he’s too lazy to cook it.”

Lu Yunxin clicked her tongue in admiration: "Oh my, look at Xiao Ran, he's so good at taking care of people."

“Xiao Ran takes care of Xing Li like he’s his own child,” Lin Ning said with a smile. “It’s really enviable.”

Chen Xuanqi's admiring gaze shifted back and forth between Luo Xiaoran and Chu Xingli, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

[Doesn't Zhu Daniu understand? What are you standing there for? Your wife is giving you a chance!]

[Sobbing, how can I ever get a boyfriend like Ranzi?]

[Such skillful technique, it's obvious this isn't something done just once or twice.]

[Hugs are so sweet, I'm so envious!]

Zhu Ji quickly followed suit, imitating Luo Xiaoran's movements and techniques, and also picked up some fish for Lin Ning.

Lin Ning felt a surge of warmth, took a bite of the meat that Zhu Ji had put on his plate, and fell silent.

"Zhu Ji, this is fish oil."

The pond owner was chatting with the director nearby when he heard this and quickly said, "Oh dear, what a coincidence that I got fish oil in my mouth, haha, it's all my fault for not cleaning it properly."

“You even managed to get it stuck in your hand,” Bao Keming quickly seized the opportunity to kick Zhu Ji, “I don’t think you’re paying much attention, Teacher Zhu.”

Zhu Ji's Chinese wasn't good, but he was quick-witted and good at retorting: "At least I was serving my wife food, but you weren't."

Bao Keming was dumbfounded by his Chinese: "Why should I serve food to your wife?"

Lin Ning waved her hand awkwardly: "His language organization skills still need improvement, I'm sorry, Teacher Bao."

Bao Keming realized that Zhu Ji was saying that he hadn't done anything for Qiao Manyun, and he couldn't help but feel embarrassed, so he quickly tried to make amends.

He nudged Qiao Manyun's arm with his elbow: "Wife, what do you want to eat? I'll get it for you."

Qiao Manyun was busy replying to messages on her phone and didn't have time to talk to him.

Coincidentally, Chen Xuanqi also complained to Zhao Anyu, "Just eat, why are you always fiddling with that stupid phone? It's really affecting my meal, you know?"

Chu Xingli caught the scent of melon, and while eating fish, she quickly glanced at Qiao Manyun and Zhao Anyu.

[Hug: Noticed something unusual]

[Breaking news!!!]

We can't go wrong following the director's lead.

[Haha, hugs! Focus on eating fish! Be careful not to get a fish bone stuck in your throat!]

Doesn't anyone care that our poor little Ningning ate a mouthful of fish oil? Hahaha

Luo Xiaoran has taken good care of Chu Xingli since she was a child.

Seeing that he was bothered by the spiciness of the chili in the grilled fish, he stood up and said, "Take a small bite first, I'll go get some water."

The production team prepared bottled water, but before Luo Xiaoran went up the mountain, he filled his thermos with hot water that was just the right temperature to drink.

Just now, when Chu Xingli was sitting by the pond in a daze, he was worried that Chu Xingli might accidentally kick the hard thermos, so he opened a bottle of mineral water for him and placed it next to him.

The food on the table is a bit spicy. If Chu Xingli drinks cold water, she will definitely get a stomachache. She needs to drink some warm water.

Luo Xiaoran went to the tent that the staff had set up for everyone and retrieved a thermos.

Chu Xingli is a grateful person, and she felt very bad seeing that Luo Xiaoran had done so much trouble for her.

He picked up Luo Xiaoran's chopsticks, chose a few pieces that looked very appealing, and put them into Luo Xiaoran's bowl.

Then I picked up a piece of fish tail and tried to eat the fish by myself.

After all, once they get divorced, he won't be able to live with Luo Xiaoran anymore, and he'll have to rely on his own abilities to eat fish.

But it's not a big deal.

If you're worried about getting pricked by fish bones, eat boneless fish. If you're still afraid, then don't eat it; it's not a big deal.

However, his actions were interpreted in a different light by the viewers in the live stream.

A hug expresses love without being overtly affectionate; while your husband goes to get water, quickly serve him some food.

[A real couple is the best to ship, you absolutely cannot get divorced!!!]

[When Ranzi comes back and sees the food Baobao put on his plate, he'll be secretly pleased.]

[Just like when he was accidentally hugged and his pelvic muscle was touched, he was clearly secretly pressing down on the corner of his mouth (*￣︶￣)]

Sure enough, when Luo Xiaoran sat back down at the table with his thermos, he immediately noticed the extra food in his bowl.

My good mood has reached its peak today.

Luo Xiaoran's voice was very soft, almost audible only to the two of them: "Thank you for the hug."

Chu Xingli raised her hand to push up her glasses, which hadn't actually slipped off, and tactically cleared her throat.

Just as she was about to explain, she met Luo Xiaoran's eyes, which were filled with smiles and emotion.

The words "This is my way of repaying you" stuck in his throat and he couldn't say them.

"No, you're welcome." Chu Xingli swallowed her anger, which was tantamount to acknowledging Luo Xiaoran's idea.

"After you finish eating," Luo Xiaoran said, picking out the ginger from the stir-fried vegetables and pushing it to Chu Xingli's bowl, "go lie down in the tent for a while and rest. It would be even better if you could take a nap."

He had long noticed that Chu Xingli was mentally fatigued.

Feeling sorry for him, I just wanted to find a place for him to rest properly, so I suggested to the director that we set up a tent on the spot for a midday rest, so that everyone wouldn't have to go through the hassle of going back to the villa at noon.

The director, who was just worrying about how to invite these ancestors back and then invite them back in the afternoon to continue fishing, was so happy after hearing this that he slapped his thigh and hurriedly sent people to make preparations.

Chu Xingli is not sleepy.

Moreover, his tent was in a great location, offering a bird's-eye view from the highest point.

You can see all the movements of the other four tents.

This spot is a perfect match for watching the excitement.

Luo Xiaoran didn't say much either.

Seeing that Chu Xingli wasn't going to lie down but wanted to enjoy the scenery for a while, he sat quietly beside her.

Seeing only a lone figure remaining by the pond, Chu Xingli couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Why is Brother Zhou still fishing there?"

Luo Xiaoran chuckled: "Maybe the loss of that fish was a huge blow to Brother Zhou, and he's still unwilling to accept it."

Chu Xingli immediately remembered the fish that had caused Luo Xiaoran to escape, and apologized again: "I'm sorry, I caused your fish to get away."

Luo Xiaoran smiled and replied, "I'm pretty resilient, so it won't have any negative impact on my mood."

This wasn't the first time Chu Xingli had witnessed Luo Xiaoran's good attitude.

No matter how many times he witnessed it, he would always be deeply impressed by the person in front of him's stable emotions.

"Sister Lu went to persuade him." Luo Xiaoran broke the silence first, interrupting Chu Xingli's thoughts.

Chu Xingli glanced at him, then followed Luo Xiaoran's gaze to look at Lu Yunxin, who was walking towards the pond.

"Everyone's taking a nap, aren't you going in to sleep?" Lu Yunxin still cared about Zhou Maidong and asked from beside him.

Zhou Maidong remained silent.

Lu Yunxin knew what he was insisting on, and helplessly advised, "It won't come back to bite your hook! It was in a lot of pain when it bit you once!"

Zhou Maidong shook his head, very determined: "Fish have short memories, they will come back."

Lu Yunxin: "..."

[Hugs, how could your husband blame you?]

[Ranzi's inner thoughts: I'm not afraid of the fish getting away, as long as my wife is still here.]

Since we're so close, don't be shy, give me a kiss, just for me (hands clasped in prayer)

[Sister Lu: I'm truly impressed]

[As expected of a movie star, haha. If they had only released this short video clip, I would have really thought that Brother Zhou had landed another melodramatic movie role.]

[I never expected it to be about a fish, hahaha]

"Look, Zhu Ji is busy again," Chu Xingli said, after watching the commotion. She pointed to the tent that Lin Ning and Zhu Ji were constantly moving and laughed. "He probably forgot something and is looking for it there."

As early as when the staff were setting up tents for everyone, Zhu Ji had already offered to help.

The director, on tenterhooks, decisively rejected her, saying, "Your hands are too expensive."

The director also complained to Lin Ning, which scared Lin Ning quite a bit, and she gave Zhu Ji a good scolding.

While everyone was resting, he grabbed Zhu Ji by the ear and forced him into the tent, wanting to settle accounts with him properly.

Although it's autumn, the mountains are still humid and the vegetation is lush, so there are still quite a few mosquitoes.

Lin Ning is very attractive to mosquitoes, and in no time, she found four or five bites on her calves.

"Is it very itchy?" Zhu Ji felt extremely guilty and looked at Lin Ning's fair legs with heartache. He stood up and said, "Don't scratch, okay? I'll go ask them if they have any anti-itch gel or mosquito repellent."

He forgot to bring mosquito repellent, so he had to borrow it from each tent.

Chen Xuanqi wasn't asleep; she was touching up her makeup inside the tent.

Hearing Zhu Ji's voice coming from Sister Lu's tent next door, he quickly unzipped his tent and asked with a smile, "Teacher Zhu, is there anything I can help you with?"

Zhu Ji was waiting for Lu Yunxin to rummage through his bag, thinking that asking one more person would open up another possibility.

She then mentioned to Chen Xuanqi, "Do you have any anti-itch gel or mosquito repellent? Ningning has been bitten by mosquitoes several times."

Chen Xuanqi quickly nodded: "I brought it. I attract mosquitoes a lot, so it's an essential item to carry with me."

Lu Yunxin pulled out a small bottle of cooling balm and handed it to Zhu Ji, saying with a smile, "Look how sorry Zhu Ji is for him, he seems to want mosquitoes to bite him and suck his blood."

Chen Xuanqi handed all the mosquito repellent to Zhu Ji and replied to Lu Yunxin with a smile, "You're right, it's so enviable."

Zhu Ji noticed that she was alone in the tent and casually asked, "Where's your boyfriend?"

Unlike Zhu Ji, Chen Xuanqi did not believe that all five couples should break up.

On the contrary, she gets furious whenever Zhao Anyu is mentioned.

"Him? He went to play in the woods," Chen Xuanqi replied truthfully, remembering that Zhao Anyu liked to take forest-themed photos. "He probably went to take pictures."

Zhu Ji nodded and said "Oh," then walked back to his and Lin Ning's tent. "Thank you, I'll bring it back to you when I'm done."

Regardless of the circumstances, Zhu Ji truly loves Lin Ning.

He was a pampered young master since childhood, and since being with Ningning, he has been trying his best to do everything for her.

Lin Ning has also contributed a lot; we can't just say that Zhu Ji did a great job on his own, right?

As Zhu Ji passed by Bao Keming, whose tent door was wide open, he politely nodded and greeted him.

Bao Keming was incredibly lonely, so he reached out to Zhu Ji: "Could you spray me some mosquito repellent? I have so many mosquitoes around here."

As he spoke, before Zhu Ji could hand it to him, he snatched it from Zhu Ji's hand and sprayed it into the tent.

The director behind the monitor was terrified by the unreasonable actions.

If Zhu Ji's hand were accidentally scratched, even the Bao family would have to pay a hefty sum in compensation.

Fortunately, Zhu Ji was very careful and didn't let the careless Bao Keming touch his hand.

However, he discovered something else.

"Where's Sister Manyun? Did she go fishing with Brother Zhou?" Zhu Ji asked Bao Keming.

The fact that Zhou Maidong was so persistent in sitting by the pond fishing was probably already being spread like wildfire even by the little rabbits in the mountains.

Zhu Ji, who was keen on following Chu Xingli's gossip, naturally knew about it long ago.

Bao Keming is slightly better at disguising himself than Chen Xuanqi.

He sprayed almost half a bottle of mosquito repellent, coughing from the fumes: "Her? Cough cough cough... How could she have Zhou Maidong's patience?"

Zhu Ji took the mosquito repellent back from him and put it in his pocket to prevent Bao Keming from snatching it again.

Driven by curiosity, I stood there waiting for Bao Keming to finish speaking.

“She probably went for a walk in the woods,” Bao Keming said, pretending to know his wife well. “She’s very health-conscious and enjoys breathing in the fresh air of the forest.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ji glanced back in surprise at the direction of Chen Xuanqi's tent, then turned back around and asked, "Huh??? Why is everyone going to the grove?"

Chu Xingli's eyes lit up, and his ears perked up instantly.

How come he always seems to have all the good things happen to him?

[Ahhh, rush into the grove and let us see what's going on (just kidding)]

[Zhu Daniu, have you ever considered becoming a paparazzi?]

[The Sacred Body Collided with the Scene]

[Haha, there's even a God's-eye view from halfway up the slope, giving a complete overview! lol]

[While my husband went to get hot water from the pond owner, I quickly ate some melon seeds.]

Chu Xingli, having pieced together the clues from Zhu Ji's words, was more curious than anyone about what Qiao Manyun and Zhao Anyu had done in the grove.

Based on his years of experience reading melodramatic novels and his analysis of Qiao Manyun's vicious nature, the relationship between the two was definitely not simple.

Every time Chu Xingli sees Qiao Manyun, she is reminded of her pitiful cousin.

Driven by anger, Chu Xingli suddenly stood up from the cushion, wanting to see for herself just how thick-skinned Qiao Manyun was.

Unfortunately, I got up too quickly, and everything went black in an instant.

"Sizzle—Sizzle—"

A devastating tinnitus swept over us like a tidal wave.

Chu Xingli covered her ears in discomfort and took off her glasses, throwing them aside.

I lay down on the pillow, furrowed my brow, closed my eyes, and silently fought against the tinnitus.

The images of the car accident scene also assaulted his mind layer by layer, causing him great anxiety and unease.

He had no mind to think about Qiao Manyun and Zhao Anyu anymore.

Amidst the excruciating pain, he drifted off into a deep sleep.

[How did I suddenly fall asleep like that? lol]

[Hugs, wake up and take us to get some watermelon!]

After an unknown amount of time, Chu Xingli, who was half asleep, vaguely heard voices outside the tent.

To be more specific, it was Luo Xiaoran who unilaterally verbally abused Bao Keming.

...The insults were so harsh, without a single swear word, yet they left Chu Xingli speechless.

I can't imagine how interesting Bao Keming's expression must have been.

However, Chu Xingli was really worried that if she didn't speak up to stop him, Bao Keming would be so humiliated that he would become depressed and even drown himself.

"Cough..." Chu Xingli rubbed her temples, raised her voice slightly, and said towards the direction from which the sound came from outside the tent, "Little mouth."

The words had barely left his mouth.

The next second, Luo Xiaoran appeared at the tent entrance.

As Luo Xiaoran bowed and sat back down next to Chu Xingli, he obediently replied, "I won't speak."

Wow, what a dog training master!

[No, is Luo Xiaoran so easily coaxed?]

[That tiny mouth of mine, it's not saying a word, hahaha!]

[You two usually play like this at home, right? (doge)]

[Hugs, tell me the truth, your teaching certificate isn't actually for high school English, it's for early childhood education, right?]

Luo Xiaoran didn't know how to describe her feelings at that moment.

Chu Xingli can only talk to himself like before when he is in a drowsy state.

Luo Xiaoran wished time could stop at this moment, but he also looked forward to the day when Chu Xingli would be restored and the two of them would be even happier than before.

"Hmm." Chu Xingli propped herself up on the pillow with her elbow.

"How did you sleep?" Chu Xingli's eyes gradually cleared.

Even though Luo Xiaoran was reluctant, he knew that Chu Xingli's confused reaction meant that he couldn't keep her through his efforts.

"Why are you sitting here?" Chu Xingli sat up, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Seeing Luo Xiaoran sitting next to her, she was instantly wide awake and apologized, "Was the space I saved for you too small? You can't lie down?"

Luo Xiaoran certainly wouldn't recount how he got in, he simply shook his head: "No..."

“…Ahem.” Chu Xingli coughed.

Luo Xiaoran stopped talking and looked at him seriously: "Did you catch a cold while sleeping?"

Chu Xingli looked a little embarrassed. He shook his head, turned away, and coughed softly.

Luo Xiaoran's ears probably grew out of his body to monitor Chu Xingli's movements.

Chu Xingli coughed once, and Luo Xiaoran immediately turned his head: "What's wrong? Are you cold? Or are you feeling unwell?"

Seeing that Luo Xiaoran had already noticed, Chu Xingli stopped being coy, shook her head, and then nodded.

Based on the tacit understanding formed over the years, Luo Xiaoran immediately understood that he was denying the first question and affirming the second.

"Feeling unwell?" Luo Xiaoran put down what he was holding and faced Chu Xingli directly. "Where do you feel unwell?"

Although Chu Xingli was already very careful when eating the piece of fish she picked up while Luo Xiaoran went to get the thermos, she was still very careful.

But when he woke up, he suddenly felt as if he still had a fishbone stuck in his throat.

"Can you take a look for me?" Chu Xingli turned to Luo Xiaoran, pointed to her mouth, and said in a breathy voice, "Did I get pricked? It feels very close, I can see it with my eyes."

"Close your eyes." Luo Xiaoran took out his phone and turned on the flashlight.

Chu Xingli was not paying attention and blinked somewhat slowly.

Luo Xiaoran gently touched his thin eyelids and patiently repeated, "Be good and close your eyes."

"Aww." Chu Xingli obediently complied.

Her eyes were closed, but her eyelashes were still trembling.

Because of the tilted head back, the lips were slightly parted, with a pinkish hue and a beautiful shape.

Luo Xiaoran's gaze darkened slightly.

Chu Xingli waited for a long time before opening one eye to look at him, puzzled.

His lips were gently pressed, and he spoke unclearly, "...What...is wrong?"

Luo Xiaoran shifted his gaze from those full lips, raised his hand and clamped Chu Xingli's chin, forcing his head to tilt back a little more.

The small silver tongue stud was faintly visible.

"Open your mouth."

Chu Xingli obediently followed orders.

The faceted decoration at the center of the tongue stud shimmered with a dazzling light.

Luo Xiaoran narrowed his eyes slightly, his Adam's apple bobbing.

[Such a strong sense of dominance (lying on the ground)]

[Help... Mom and Dad, I'm born!]

If it were me, I would have pressed down on his tongue piercing (his face turned yellow).

[Hug: Then I'll leave it to Dr. Luo.]

That day, I was standing on a divorce reality show, unsure whether this was a post or a gift.