Chapter 25 Great, it's a death sentence...
Chapter 24
Early morning.
Except for a short period of time when he fell asleep quickly due to exhaustion at the beginning, Luo Xiaoran did not close his eyes for almost the entire night.
From the moment Chu Xingli embraced him in response, he could no longer fall asleep.
My heart pounded and I kept my eyes open until dawn.
But Luo Xiaoran, who hadn't slept all night, was as energetic as if he had been injected with chicken blood, and didn't look like someone who was injured and needed to rest at all.
On the contrary, Chu Xingli, who took care of him for an afternoon and half an evening yesterday, was so tired that he could not keep his eyes open at all.
"Buzz—Buzz—"
Hearing the alarm ring, Chu Xingli let out a soft groan of discomfort.
I fumbled for my phone, swiped the screen to turn off the alarm, and tried to snuggle under the covers to sleep a little longer.
Unexpectedly, just as she pulled her hand back under the covers, she accidentally touched Luo Xiaoran's hand.
Chu Xingli, who had internalized the fact that Luo Xiaoran was injured overnight, immediately opened his eyes, no longer sleepy at all.
He jumped out of bed, carefully took Luo Xiaoran's hand, and asked anxiously, "Did I touch your wound? Does it hurt?"
Chu Xingli moved so fast that Luo Xiaoran didn't even have time to close his eyes and pretend to be asleep.
Meeting those wide, sleepless eyes, Chu Xingli was not swayed by Luo Xiaoran's good looks and pressed on, "Speak up, did I touch your wound?"
Luo Xiaoran smiled and shifted his gaze to their clasped hands, then slightly raised his chin, gesturing for Chu Xingli to take a look.
"Hug me, you touched my right hand."
Chu Xingli: "..."
It doesn't matter if I lose face, and it doesn't matter if I have a bad memory.
As long as his wound wasn't touched, it was fine.
Chu Xingli breathed a sigh of relief.
[Help... Ranzi's low, husky voice when he first woke up is killing me.]
[My darling wife is so cute! The first thing she did when she woke up was ask how my injury was. o(╥﹏╥)o]
[Brother Ranzi's Amazing After-Sales Audio]
[If I hadn't watched—no, listened to—half of the live late-night talk show, I might have easily mistaken them for doing something else last night.]
[God, please grant me a wife like this to hug (hands clasped in prayer)]
"Let's get up then." Chu Xingli turned her back to Luo Xiaoran and quickly changed into her clothes for the day.
Luo Xiaoran lay on his side and watched the whole thing unfold, feeling great.
"Shall I help you change your clothes?" Chu Xingli stood up, preparing to go to the wardrobe to help Luo Xiaoran prepare clothes.
But Luo Xiaoran seemed to have his own ideas and changed the subject, saying, "I'll wash up first and change later."
Chu Xingli fully respected his opinion and nodded: "Okay, then wash up first, and I'll help you change after you're done washing up."
"By the way," Luo Xiaoran said to Chu Xingli, carefully considering the degree of his lie, "Could I borrow a jacket? My jacket is rather thin, and it might get a bit cold if we're going to do anything outdoors today."
Chu Xingli certainly wouldn't refuse his request, pointing to the wardrobe: "Sure, pick whatever you can fit into."
Luo Xiaoran felt relieved.
I stood up and went to wash up.
Luo Xiaoran isn't afraid of pain.
It's just a hand injury; I can still brush my teeth.
He can wash his face, but as soon as he shows even the slightest sign of difficulty, a kind-hearted person will rush over to help him with a hug.
"Hey, hey, don't get it wet, I'll do it."
Luo Xiaoran suppressed the upturned corners of his mouth and nodded honestly, "Thank you for the hug."
Chu Xingli helped Luo Xiaoran wash his face and then carefully dried it.
"Go sit down and wait for me," Chu Xingli squeezed toothpaste onto her toothpaste. "I'll come and help you change your clothes after I've finished washing up."
Luo Xiaoran outwardly agreed, but in reality, he turned around and went out to change into the clothes he had decided to wear.
I also picked out a suitable coat from Chu Xingli's wardrobe.
While Chu Xingli was still fixing her hair in front of the mirror, Luo Xiaoran quietly closed the door and left the room.
[When Ranzi is quiet, he's definitely up to no good.]
Was he wearing the pants that Hug gave him as a replacement last night when he went out?
[Wasn't Hug supposed to look like a spirited young man? Why is Ranzi wearing it anyway?]
[lhh, he's not quite like a young, energetic guy, just a little more reserved than Ranzi's usual relaxed style.]
[Ranzi Bro: While Baobao's not around and no one's stopping me, I'd better hurry out and show off my new pants]
As everyone expected, things turned out exactly as predicted.
Luo Xiaoran, looking smug, went downstairs wearing the clothes he had swindled from Chu Xingli.
Like a matriarch, Lu Yunxin hurriedly put down her water glass and walked over to Luo Xiaoran upon seeing him, saying, "Xiaoran, let me see your wound."
Luo Xiaoran raised his hand, allowing the sighing Sister Lu to examine it carefully.
Qiao Manyun knew she was not welcome.
After she went downstairs, she walked straight past without looking to either side.
Without pausing for even a moment, they were afraid of accidentally offending Chu Xingli and the other person with some topic, causing them harm that would outweigh any benefit.
Zhu Ji, who had already gone out for exercise, saw Luo Xiaoran as soon as he returned and walked over to him.
"Xiao Ran, how is your injury? I heard you came back last night, but I didn't want to disturb your rest."
Zhu Ji had a conflict with Lin Ning yesterday afternoon.
So much so that the two of them haven't exchanged a single word since last night.
At this moment, Zhu Ji was in the living room on the first floor, while Lin Ning was still in her room upstairs and had not come down.
"Yes, this outfit I'm wearing was given to me by Baobao," Luo Xiaoran replied, seemingly unrelated to the question.
Zhu Ji: "???"
Zhu Ji was dumbfounded: "Who asked you?"
Luo Xiaoran continued, "He saw that my hands were not in a convenient position, so he helped me put them on last night."
Zhu Ji roared, "Did I ask you?!"
After saying what she wanted to say, Luo Xiaoran turned and left, not caring how long Zhu Ji would stand there in a helpless rage.
[Zhu Ji: May I ask you a question?]
[Haha, Ranzi is immersed in his own world]
[Zhu Daniu: When did I mention the word "clothes"? What are you arguing about here?]
【Zhu Ji Xiao Fa Lei Ting hhh】
Zhao Anyu and Chen Xuanqi had been waiting in the living room since early morning, hoping to apologize to Luo Xiaoran.
Four eyes were fixed on the stairwell, afraid of missing the moment when Chu Xingli and Luo Xiaoran came downstairs.
The reason Chen Xuanqi stayed with Zhao Anyu to wait was not because she was particularly worried about him.
It was because the boss called them late at night, instructing them to share both honor and disgrace, otherwise they would suffer together, and that they would be punished equally when they returned to the company for causing such a big mess.
Chen Xuanqi was furious, but she had no choice but to completely obey her boss until she found a new backer.
“Um… Teacher Luo,” Chen Xuanqi pulled Zhao Anyu, who was starting to back down, and walked up to Luo Xiaoran, “about yesterday…”
She gave Zhao Anyu a hard nudge in the lower back, signaling him to say what he had to say himself and not to rely on her for everything.
Zhao Anyu swallowed hard, then bowed deeply to Luo Xiaoran: "I'm sorry! Teacher Luo! It was all my fault yesterday! Please forgive me!"
Luo Xiaoran stopped when his path was blocked and looked down at him.
Zhao Anyu had completely mastered the techniques his boss had taught him, and he kept apologizing with tears streaming down his face: "Teacher Luo, please forgive me! I really didn't mean to! I'm sorry!"
Faced with matters concerning his future, no matter how bad Zhao Anyu's acting skills are, he would be so terrified by the unbearable and suffocating consequences he imagined that he would burst into tears.
Chen Xuanqi was also forced to bow: "I'm sorry, Teacher Luo, An Yu really didn't mean it."
In fact, to some extent, Luo Xiaoran was even somewhat grateful to Zhao Anyu.
If it weren't for his hand injury, he wouldn't have been able to sleep in the same bed with Bao Bao so quickly.
There was a development that surprised even him.
"It's alright, just be more careful next time," Luo Xiaoran replied casually.
Since his debut, Zhao Anyu has always focused on pursuing fame and fortune, and even when he was with Chen Xuanqi, his love for her was shallow.
He couldn't understand why Luo Xiaoran had let him off so easily; he only knew that Luo Xiaoran wouldn't hold it against him anymore, and his anxious heart finally relaxed.
...He even presumptuously thought that Luo Xiaoran might have a good impression of him, which was why he let the matter go so easily.
Chen Xuanqi is so unlucky, she even has to apologize to her ex-boyfriend.
[It seems the company has tied them together; she doesn't dare disobey. She truly pities Xuanqi.]
[Did Luo Xiaoran forgive him so easily because he has feelings for Zhao Anyu or Chen Xuanqi?]
[Please, Zhao Anyu's fans, take a good look in the mirror with your idol! (yue)]
There are so many people who are delusional. Ranzi forgave Zhao Anyu obviously because he slept with Baobao last night and was in a good mood.
No sooner had he finished speaking than Chu Xingli came downstairs.
Compared to Luo Xiaoran, Zhao Anyu was more afraid of Chu Xingli, who, although often smiling, had a strong sense of likes and dislikes.
Upon seeing Chu Xingli appear, having completed his apology, he quickly pulled Chen Xuanqi away to hide, preventing Chu Xingli from seeing the two of them.
Chu Xingli really wasn't in the mood to pay attention to others.
All he knew was that he was in the room, about to change Luo Xiaoran's clothes, when he discovered that she was gone.
So he hurried downstairs to look for it.
"Why did you come down all by yourself...?"
Chu Xingli was only halfway through her sentence when she saw the outfit Luo Xiaoran had given her, and her vision went black.
He thought Luo Xiaoran was joking last night, but he didn't expect her to actually wear it today.
Luo Xiaoran had just finished cooling the porridge for Chu Xingli at the dining table when he heard the sound. He looked up at him with a big smile and said, "Come and have some porridge, let me hug you."
Chu Xingli didn't want to look at his clothes, so she walked over with her head down and took the bowl that Luo Xiaoran handed her: "...Why don't you go upstairs and change your clothes later?"
Having achieved his goal of showing off, Luo Xiaoran obediently replied, "Okay, but it might be a little inconvenient and take a while."
Chu Xingli held a spoon in each hand and stirred the hot porridge in the two bowls.
Seeing that it was almost ready, she pushed a bowl next to Luo Xiaoran and replied, "It's okay, I'll change it for you."
When Luo Xiaoran saw the person coming downstairs, he knew that Chu Xingli cared about the other person, so he didn't say anything more. He used his eyes to remind Chu Xingli to look over there.
Chu Xingli looked up and saw that it was Lin Ning.
Lin Ning's eyes were swollen, and she looked to be in very bad condition.
Seeing Lin Ning like this, Chu Xingli had no time to think about which outfit to change Luo Xiaoran into later.
He rushed over, took Lin Ning's hand, and walked her aside: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Lin Ning raised her hand to rub her eyes, bit her lip, and shook her head.
Chu Xingli understood that it wasn't convenient to talk about it now, so he didn't ask any further questions. He pulled Lin Ning to sit down at the dining table and served her some porridge.
[Waaaaah, I bet he doesn't even know that he and Ranzi weren't here yesterday, and Zhu Ji and Ning Ning even had a fight.]
My heart aches for poor Ningning o(╥﹏╥)o
Being with a lover like Lin Ning is actually quite suffocating; she keeps everything bottled up inside and doesn't communicate with you.
[Ranzi knows that Baobao and Ningning are good friends, so he will help Baobao keep an eye on her friends' whereabouts, sob sob]
[Sorry, I really have to take this opportunity to ship Baobao and Ningning. As long as they're not in front of Ranzi, Baobao is so cool and caring!]
Seeing that Luo Xiaoran was in good condition, the director was finally able to relax.
He waited until everyone had finished breakfast before announcing the tasks and procedures for the morning.
"Our lunch today is a mushroom feast."
"Because everyone made varying amounts of money from fishing and selling fish yesterday, some of the ingredients for today's mushroom feast will need to be picked by everyone themselves in the mountains."
Bao Keming asked curiously, "Go pick them yourself? Are there many mushrooms on this mountain?"
The producer had already conducted research when deciding to make this mountain the first filming location for "Starting Over".
Bald Tail Mountain is not particularly low in altitude, and it receives abundant rainfall. The climate in the mountains is more humid and pleasant than in the city, and there are more mushrooms on other mountains, which grow very well.
"You may not know this, but the owner of the pond has a plot of land specifically for growing mushrooms, which will be open to everyone today. However, you will need to find it yourselves. Now, please enjoy the fun of mushroom picking."
Chu Xingli had been waiting for this opportunity to be alone with Lin Ning, so he could finally hear her heartfelt words.
Thinking of this, he turned and glared at Zhu Ji.
"Why don't Xiao Ran stay at the villa and wait for everyone to come back?"
The director was asking a question, because he didn't dare to make decisions for Luo Xiaoran on his own; he could only offer suggestions.
After all, given what happened yesterday, starting today, Luo Xiaoran's safety has become the top priority for the entire production team.
You have to be careful at all times.
Luo Xiaoran glanced at Chu Xingli: "I'm going up the mountain."
"Okay, then make sure to take proper precautions," the director instructed.
Bao Keming was quite interested in mushroom picking.
When he arrives at the mountains and rivers, he can use the scenery to impart profound life lessons to others.
“When I come back from picking mushrooms, I’ll show you all my cooking skills. I was quite good back in the day,” Bao Keming boasted, making no mention of his failed goose stew. “Everyone who’s tried it has praised it.”
Chu Xingli shook her head disapprovingly: "You must have misheard. It should be something that makes people break out in a cold sweat, right?"
Bao Keming: "..."
[I'm betting on my darling baby, hahaha]
[hahaha, I still have to give him a hug to punish him. Bao Keming really tormented everyone after dinner last night, he insisted on making everyone listen to him sing.]
[Bao Keming: Damn it, that familiar feeling is back again]
[Haha, I'm really afraid that a hug will just make that perverted Bao Keming feel good about yelling at me.]
[Hug: I was only gone for one night, and you really think you can run the place now?]
After apologizing, Zhao Anyu and Chen Xuanqi slipped away to Qiao Manyun's side.
This trip to pick mushrooms is also to join Bao Keming and Qiao Manyun's team.
Looking at the eager crowd, the director jokingly said, "Be careful when you're picking mushrooms, and make sure you don't pick any poisonous ones!"
Chen Xuanqi asked nervously, "What if I accidentally pick a poisonous mushroom?"
"It's alright, we've already invited professionals who specialize in identifying poisonous mushrooms," the director reassured everyone, pointing outside. "There won't be any danger to anyone."
Chen Xuanqi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhou Maidong raised his hand: "We had quite a bit of money yesterday, enough to buy ingredients. Can I go fishing at the pond owner's place later?"
Lu Yunxin rolled her eyes.
The director replied with a smile, "It's entirely up to you. If a small amount of ingredients can satisfy your appetites, you are free to choose."
Old Zhou, what can I say about you?
So all the lessons I taught him yesterday were for nothing?
[Hug: Brother Zhou, you can't tell anyone I taught you this in the future.]
[lhh, I feel like Ranzi is a better fisherman than Ranzi; everyone should learn from him.]
[Aww, Hugs and Lemon are picking mushrooms! Fast forward! I want to see!]
After agreeing on the number of people going into the mountains, Chu Xingli and Lin Ning took the tools assigned by the staff, put on gloves and masks, and set off.
Zhu Ji followed behind the two of them.
Luo Xiaoran followed behind the three of them.
And he ignored Zhu Ji.
From childhood to adulthood, Luo Xiaoran has always been very clear-headed and able to distinguish between loyalty and treachery... as well as scheming women.
Hug's enemy is his enemy.
Hugs are always appropriate no matter who you dislike.
All he has to do is join in the hatred.
Chu Xingli happened to see a mushroom, picked it up and put it in her basket, then asked Lin Ning, "What did you two argue about?"
Although she hadn't even figured out her own feelings, it didn't stop Chu Xingli from being enthusiastic about helping others resolve their emotional conflicts.
Lin Ning glanced back at Zhu Ji, then said dejectedly to Chu Xingli, "The situation between the two of us is a bit complicated."
Chu Xingli's willingness to help Lin Ning resolve her emotions was not because he liked Lin Ning as the viewers in the live stream jokingly claimed, but because he admired Lin Ning's work and, consequently, Lin Ning herself.
Such a slender and introverted person, yet his writing is vast and magnificent, making readers feel as if they are there, evoking a deep resonance between awe and reverence.
Chu Xingli picked up another mushroom and slapped the top of its cap, making a loud "bang" sound, which was very relaxing.
Seeing that Lin Ning hadn't picked any flowers, he casually tossed one into Lin Ning's basket and gave it to him: "It's okay, I don't mind if they're mixed up, you tell me."
“He suspects that I have someone else in my heart,” Lin Ning said, looking extremely heartbroken. “No matter how I explain, he won’t believe me.”
Chu Xingli is easily angered, especially when faced with this kind of situation.
Upon hearing this, he gripped the small shovel in his hand tightly and turned to look at Zhu Ji.
Lin Ning quickly grabbed his arm.
Zhu Ji was looking around for mushrooms and didn't hear what the two of them were saying.
Lin Ning knew that Chu Xingli was good to him, so after considering it for a moment, she said carefully, "After the recording ends this afternoon, let's go out and find a coffee shop to talk in detail."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Ji immediately stepped forward to stop him, but was unexpectedly stopped by Luo Xiaoran.
"I'm not in a hurry, why are you?"
[Brother Ranzi: If my wife met your wife, I'd be risking her going from looking exactly like her to completely transforming into someone else.]
[(Raises hand) Anyone who witnessed their entire argument yesterday can attest that Zhu Ji is genuinely very suspicious.]
[Ningning, what do you want to tell Baobao in detail? Can we all listen? Have you decided to divorce Zhu Ji? (Curious)]
[Ranzi is so handsome, I'm totally smitten (slowly kneels down)]
Thinking that if she talked to Chu Xingli, perhaps there would be room for maneuver in her relationship with Zhu Ji, Lin Ning felt much better.
He followed closely behind Chu Xingli, picking mushrooms.
They left Luo Xiaoran and Zhu Ji far behind.
“There are so many kinds of trees on this mountain, and there are also many kinds of mushrooms that grow under the trees,” Chu Xingli stopped and looked around seriously, picking up a mushroom to show Lin Ning. “For example, this porcini mushroom can only grow under pine and oak trees.”
Lin Ning was captivated by his impressive professional judgment and looked at Chu Xingli with admiration: "Xingli, you know so much!"
Chu Xingli wasn't entirely sure either, but he knew the production team had already invited professionals to help them make a judgment, so he just needed to listen to the director's interview.
“Hey, here are a few yellow amanita mushrooms. They’re a bit small, but it’s okay,” Chu Xingli squatted down and used a small shovel to dig them up one by one from the soil. He gave half to Lin Ning and kept the other half for himself. “I have a feeling we’ll have a great harvest today.”
Lin Ning shrugged happily: "I think so too~"
Chu Xingli walked forward, gradually finding a bit of confidence: "This is a red sparse-gloss mushroom. Although its name has the word 'red' in it, it looks a lot like a white oyster mushroom."
"Xingli, this mushroom is so red, could it be poisonous?" Lin Ning asked suspiciously, pointing to a mushroom on the ground.
Chu Xingli had eaten a fair number of mushrooms, though not an exceptionally large number, and possessed a basic ability to judge their quality.
He bent down to pick it up, and it seemed familiar. He explained to Lin Ning, "I've eaten red mushrooms before, but I don't know if this is the same as red mushrooms. Let's pick it and take it back first."
Lin Ning thought about it and agreed. Anyway, the production team would invite professionals to help them identify the poisonous mushrooms, so there was no need to worry about them eating poisonous mushrooms.
Luo Xiaoran knew that Chu Xingli was going to help Lin Ning deal with her relationship problems. Thinking that he wanted to help Chu Xingli reduce some of the pressure, he slowed down and picked mushrooms behind her while having a heart-to-heart talk with Zhu Ji.
Fortunately, Zhu Ji was not a bad person at heart and was sincere. He easily told Luo Xiaoran all his concerns and pressures.
As a result, the two of them couldn't keep up with Chu Xingli and Lin Ning's pace.
Chu Xingli chose a good road, and in less than an hour, his and Zhu Ji's bamboo baskets were full.
They left Luo Xiaoran and Zhu Ji behind and happily returned to the base camp, handing the two bamboo baskets to the staff.
Seeing the professionals invited by the program team with increasingly grim expressions, Chu Xingli suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Could I have picked some poisonous mushrooms?"
Is it a red mushroom? Or a yellow wax amanita? Could I have mistaken a skin fungus for a red wax amanita?
After the professional finished identifying the item, he leaned close to the staff member's ear and whispered a few words.
Chu Xingli noticed that the staff members' expressions also became hesitant, just like those of professionals.
“Take a look at Lin Ning’s too,” Chu Xingli said, feeling a little guilty, but looking at the mushrooms she had picked, she regained her confidence. “We picked them together, so we’ll share the good fortune.”
The professionals, still wearing gloves, examined Lin Ning's mushrooms with serious expressions.
After listening to the expert's assessment, the staff regretfully announced to Chu Xingli—
"I'm sorry, Professor Chu, none of the mushrooms you and Professor Lin picked are edible; they are all poisonous, extremely poisonous."
Chu Xingli: "???"
[We've found out why Ranzi can cook: if he didn't, the two of them would easily die.]
[lol, these are all poisonous mushrooms! My baby's eye for them is too sharp!]
[Hug: Let's all die.]
[Staff: A few poisonous mushrooms? Not just any mushrooms! They're all poisonous!]
[My wife is so funny, haha! She excitedly picked a bunch of mushrooms, but not a single one is edible.]
[Great, it's Breaking Bad, we're doomed.]
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