Zhuang Li was sitting at the bar, flipping through the menu. Lin Caixiu strolled over and asked with a smile, "Zhuang Li, how did you and Xi Ming know each other?"
"We met on a date today." Zhuang Li stared at the picture of braised beef brisket with potatoes for a long time.
"How did Xi Ming fall in love with you at first sight? Tell me about it." Lin Caixiu winked and inquired about the gossip.
Zhuang Li smiled faintly and did not answer.
Sitting in the living room, Meng Lan pricked up her ears, eavesdropping intently. Her system was urging her to learn from Zhuang Li.
"This F man may not have any other skills, but he's incredibly skilled at capturing men! Your tricks are completely inadequate compared to him; they're too low-level." The system said cautiously, "I suggest you emulate him more in your life. Xi Ming really likes that type of guy. Men like hard-to-control, wild cats, you know? And you're too unchallenging for Xi Ming."
Meng Lan gritted her teeth and didn't dare to refute the system.
At this moment, Xi Ming came downstairs. He took off his suit and changed into casual clothes. His tall and strong figure made Meng Lan jealous.
He was walking with his sleeves rolled up, a happy smile on his face, but for some reason, his ears were slightly red.
Seeing Curly flipping through the menu, he naturally walked over, rubbed his head, and asked with a smile: "What do you want to eat? I'll make it?"
Lin Caixiu immediately waved her hand: "You guys are busy, I'm going to watch TV."
She ran away in a flash.
Wan Annie and Yi Jiangnan came back from outside the villa, opened the refrigerator and took out two bottles of mineral water, waved to Zhuang Li and Xi Ming, and left talking and laughing.
Zhuang Li showed Xi Ming the picture of braised beef brisket with potatoes, "I want to eat this."
"What else?"
"And this, this, this, and this." Zhuang Li flipped through many recipes in a row.
Xi Ming looked at them one by one and nodded, "Okay, let's make these dishes tonight."
"Do you need my help?" Although Zhuang Li asked this, he lazily lay on the bar and had no intention of going into the kitchen.
"No, just sit aside and watch." Xi Ming took out an apple from the refrigerator, washed it, and handed it over: "Eat it."
Zhuang Li took a bite of the apple and asked, "Can you do all the housework? Cooking, washing clothes, cleaning?"
Xi Ming took out a bunch of celery and picked off the leaves, then nodded and said, "Yes, I can do all the housework."
Zhuang Li chuckled: "If you finish all the housework, what should I do?"
This sentence once again aroused Xi Ming's imagination about his future life. He quickly glanced at the little curly-haired boy and said, "You are in charge of the command. I will do whatever you tell me to do." After saying this, he added cautiously, "Is this okay?"
Little Curly is so mean, always saying some true and some false things, so he has to make sure of this person's intentions all the time.
Zhuang Li supported his forehead and chuckled, but refused to give a direct answer.
Xi Ming took a deep breath and asked again, "Is this a good division of labor?"
7480 shook his head and sighed, "What a loss of sovereignty and humiliation to the nation! The gods are simply a disgrace to men!"
Zhuang Li covered his lips and denied, "Not good."
Xi Ming's heartstrings tightened, and his tone was apprehensive: "What's wrong? Tell me, and I'll change it."
Zhuang Li stood up by the kitchen counter, slowly approached Xi Ming, and whispered in his ear: "You take care of the work, and I'll take care of the sweetness. Is this okay?"
Xi Ming asked, "Why is it sweet?"
Zhuang Li quickly kissed his cheek, then sat back, holding his cheek and smiling: "So sweet."
Xi Ming: “…”
In front of the camera, he wanted to appear calm and composed, but he couldn't help but curl up the corners of his lips. His high spirits wove into a happy song in his mind.
Curly didn't lie, he is really sweet.
Xi Ming threw away the celery in his hand, turned around, touched his hot cheeks, and smiled silently and happily.
Zhuang Li also covered his lips and smiled with his eyes narrowed.
Wan Anni was secretly observing the two of them while chatting with Yi Jiangnan. When she saw this scene, she immediately held her forehead and groaned weakly. Oh my god, this couple is too sweet. She needs insulin!
At this moment, Meng Lan adjusted her skirt, took timid steps over, and said hesitantly: "Um, Xi Ming, I want to apologize to you."
Xi Ming turned around, his face serious. Zhuang Li's smile instantly vanished. Both of them were masters of face-changing.
The cold air hit Meng Lan in the face, making her feel uneasy.
"I'm sorry. I think I touched on your sore spot just now. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to target you. I was just chatting away and somehow ended up talking about that." Meng Lan said a little excitedly, "I often forward news about your games. I've been a fan for eight years. I really like you. I remember one time you played in City C, and I went there—"
"I accept your apology, you can go." Xi Ming interrupted her endless speech.
Meng Lan is stuck.
She stood there stiffly for a long moment before she asked cautiously, "Really? Are you really not angry anymore?"
"Really." Xi Ming picked vegetables without even looking up.
If it were an ordinary man, in order to maintain his composure in front of the audience, he would definitely explain: "I'm not angry, I just think there's something wrong with you, I pointed it out to you, let's get along well, blah blah blah..."
But Xi Ming wouldn't do that. He was too lazy to even talk to Meng Lan.
Meng Lan breathed a sigh of relief and patted her ample chest, as if she had been pardoned. She had the face of an angel and the figure of a devil. Spraying a light perfume on her face, she approached gracefully, and no man could fail to be attracted to her.
But Xi Ming didn't even look at her. When she came closer, Xi Ming took a few steps back, always keeping a certain distance.
Meng Lan rolled her eyes, rolled up her sleeves and said, "Xi Ming, let me help you wash the vegetables. You can't handle it alone."
Seeing this scene, Wan Annie and Lin Caixiu, who were sitting in the living room, looked at each other with contempt on their faces.
It seems like you can't handle it all by yourself - who are you trying to criticize?
Ou Lu, who had just come down from the second floor, rolled up his sleeves upon hearing this and said excitedly, "I'll help."
Lin Caixiu rolled her eyes. She knew that Ou Lu was trying to seize every opportunity to cultivate a relationship with Meng Lan.
But this idiot doesn't know how to judge the situation. Xi Ming was cooking, and Zhuang Li, though not helping, kept feeding him candy. Xi Ming's heart was filled with sweetness, so sweet it could be honey. Did he really need you two fools to help him? He'd kick you all in the face!
Lin Caixiu shook her head and sighed repeatedly.
Wan Annie was so angry that she waved her fist and smashed the teddy bear pillow in her arms.
Yi Jiangnan was amused by her cute behavior.
In the kitchen, Meng Lan had already put on an apron and picked up two potatoes to peel.
Xi Ming refused in a deep voice: "I don't need your help, go to the living room and watch TV."
Meng Lan said enthusiastically, "Of course you do. How long will it take you to cook eight dishes by yourself? I'll wash and chop everything for you, and you just need to cook. Let me tell you a funny story. When I first started learning to cook, I didn't know I had to soak potatoes in water. I ended up cooking a plate of black potato slices, and my mom laughed to death. She even took a photo and posted it on WeChat Moments, saying I was the king of dark cuisine. Hey, I think I still have the photo, I'll dig it out and show it to you."
Meng Lan put down the potatoes and went to get her cell phone.
Ou Lu laughed politely.
Xi Ming's face turned cold, and he asked in a deep voice: "Miss Meng, I said I don't need your help, do you understand?"
Meng Lan was intimidated by his captivating aura, and the smile on her face gradually froze: "I can understand."
Xi Ming continued to ask: "Do you remember what I said when I first entered the cabin?"
Meng Lan had to nod: "Remember."
Xi Ming stared at her sharply, "Then you should know that I like Zhuang Li, right?"
"Know."
"Since you know this, you should understand that I cook dinner with him to cultivate our relationship, right?"
Meng Lan didn't know how to answer this question. It was obvious that she knew, and everyone knew she knew. But her intentional refusing to leave made her seem like she had some ill intentions.
While she was hesitating, her face had already turned red.
"You insisted on intervening when I was developing feelings for him. What do you mean? I asked you to leave, but you refused. Are you pretending to be stupid or are you really stupid?" Xi Ming asked bluntly.
"Whether you're truly stupid or just pretending, I can tell you straight away: your help is not needed here. You can leave." Xi Ming put the celery in the sink and said bluntly, "If you're developing a relationship with another guest, Zhuang Li and I won't disturb you. It's basic courtesy."
Meng Lan: "..." Xi Ming, fuck your grandma! Don't you understand that saving face for others is saving face for yourself?
At this moment, Meng Lan collapsed.
Chang Jinbo happened to walk downstairs and heard these words, so he immediately showed a sarcastic look. Lin Caixiu, Wan Annie, and Yi Jiangnan, who were sitting in the living room opposite, were all looking at this side, with subtle smiles on their faces.
Except for Ou Lu who was stunned on the spot, everyone was laughing at Meng Lan.
Until this moment, Zhuang Li, who had remained silent, raised his eyebrows and chuckled.
This chuckle pierced Meng Lan's heart like a poisonous sting, causing her to almost groan in pain. She didn't even know how she put down the potatoes, how she washed her hands, how she muttered an apology, and then walked away.
She only knew that when she came to her senses, she was already sitting in the living room, her heart was numb and the smile on her face was stiff.
She had never been so embarrassed!
No, to be more precise, every time she met a man with low emotional intelligence like Xi Ming, she became more and more embarrassed.
She used up almost all her restraint to maintain an elegant image in front of the camera.
In addition to embarrassment and anger, a constant fear swept through Meng Lan's heart, because she knew that if she could not conquer Xi Ming, what would await her would be the destruction of her soul, which would be an ending more terrifying than death.
Chang Jinbo walked up to her and chuckled, "As long as you wield the hoe well, there's no corner you can't dig down. Go for it."
Meng Lan twisted her neck to look at him, and for a moment she couldn't figure out whether he was mocking her or encouraging her.
Chang Jinbo stopped talking and just sat on the sofa facing the kitchen, staring at Xi Ming angrily.
Dinner was ready quickly. Xi Ming’s cooking skills were indeed good, but the sweet and sour pork ribs were too sweet because they had too much sugar in them.
After dinner, the director gathered everyone together and distributed envelopes and writing paper, saying that it was time to write the third love letter.
Everyone hid away and found a deserted corner to express their feelings in a secretive manner.
Zhuang Li sat across from Xi Ming and wrote in a flamboyant manner: [Meeting you is my greatest fortune.]
Xi Ming also quickly wrote: [Not being able to meet you earlier is my biggest regret, but luckily we still have the rest of our lives to be together.]
After they finished writing, they handed the letter to each other on the spot. They found that the other party's words were similar, and they couldn't help but laugh.
Director: "..." Is this really the first time you two have met? Your chemistry is incredible, isn't it?
"The second episode will be broadcast online at 8:30 tonight. You can take a look if you are interested." The director clapped his hands and reminded loudly.
All the guests immediately showed anticipation.
Wan Annie opened her tablet, looked at the program preview, and wondered, "How strange! Why have all the stars in the observation room changed? Last time, they were all popular artists promoted by Strawberry TV, but this time, they've been replaced with artists from other companies. Didn't this Mimi have a lawsuit against Strawberry TV back then? She has a terrible relationship with them!"
Lin Caixiu was also surprised. "It's not just Mimi. This Luo Jie, Liao Yuan, Fang Yuwu, and Ma Hui have all fallen out with Strawberry TV. Strawberry TV even threatened back then that they would never consider working with these big-name artists again. Why are they inviting them all at once this time? Are they just slapping themselves in the face?"
Yi Jiangnan smiled strangely and sighed softly, "It's right to ask them to be observers. If we don't let them do things that offend others, why should we let our own popular artists do it?"
Wan Anni was even more curious. "What's the point of offending anyone? We're all amateurs. Who could we offend by commenting on us?"
Yi Jiangnan glanced at Zhuang Li and shook his head, saying, "God knows who they will offend."
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