After the evening live broadcast ended, Yan Jie stopped Jiang Hexi at the stairwell.
"The Mid-Autumn Festival is in a couple of days, and the production team will finish filming a day early. What are your plans?"
Jiang Hexi glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before lowering her voice and saying, "Of course, we're going back to Shenzhen and Hong Kong for the holidays."
"My grandfather wants to see you."
Why does your grandfather want to see me?
Jiang Hexi took two steps forward and asked nervously, "Did you leak some information?"
Yan Jie smiled and said:
"I guess my second uncle let it slip. I've never deliberately hidden anything from my family. It's you who's been keeping it a secret, as if I'm ashamed to be seen by others and just doesn't dare let your family know."
Jiang Hexi couldn't argue with him here; she was afraid of being seen, so she quickly said:
How would you like to arrange this?
"On the day you finish work, go to Yicheng to deliver mooncakes to your maternal grandfather and visit my paternal grandfather as well. Your brother will come to pick you up on the Mid-Autumn Festival."
Yan Jie had planned everything all along, and his voice fell in a low, husky tone above her head:
"I'll come to Shenzhen and Hong Kong to find you later."
Just as Jiang Hexi was wondering what to do, footsteps came from the doorway, and Yu Xiangwan and Liu Yuxi walked into the house together.
"Would you like to hitch a ride with me to Yicheng?"
Yan Jie said, acting as if he were directing, "That's not impossible, but you have to discuss it with your brother beforehand. Otherwise, if he travels all the way to Canglang Village and doesn't find anyone, I'll feel bad."
Jiang Hexi looked at him with such hatred that she wanted to kill him:
"If it's too much trouble, I'll just send the mooncakes to my grandfather by express delivery instead of delivering them to him."
"It's no trouble at all. What the old lady really wants to eat isn't mooncakes, but to see you."
Yan Jie didn't give her a chance to refuse and turned around and went back to his room.
Yu Xiangwan stepped forward and asked, puzzled, "It's such a holiday, aren't you really going home?"
“Go back,” Jiang Hexi said helplessly, “go see Grandpa first, and then go back on Mid-Autumn Festival.”
Back in her room, as she was thinking about how to bring it up, Professor Zhou called.
Grandpa—
"Xi Bao, will you come over for the Mid-Autumn Festival?"
“That depends on whether Grandpa misses me or not,” Jiang Hexi said playfully. “If you miss me very much, I will personally deliver the homemade mooncakes from Canglang Village to you.”
"Okay, I'll wait for you at home."
Professor Zhou chuckled and agreed, then added, "Xi Bao, the Yan family patriarch sent over a lot of Mid-Autumn Festival gifts today. Can you help your grandfather decide what kind of gifts would be appropriate to give in return?"
Jiang Hexi nervously picked up her phone and asked, "What Mid-Autumn Festival gift did Grandpa Yan give you?"
"The mooncakes, fruits, and tea were fine, but he also sent over a gold-plated teapot."
Professor Zhou, having reached this point, naturally asked:
"With my limited relationship with him, I can't even afford such an expensive gift from him. Xi Bao, tell me honestly, what is your relationship with Yan Jie? Otherwise, if Grandpa's return gift is too modest, people will look down on you."
Jiang Hexi's mind went completely blank.
She just wanted a simple relationship, how did it all turn into so much trouble?
“Grandpa, Yan Jie is pursuing me. Maybe his grandfather has noticed, which is why he’s being so attentive to you.”
“I knew it was him. I noticed he was acting strangely on the show. Xi Bao, did you agree to be with him?”
"How could that be? I'm focused on farming, I don't want to be removed from the show, that would be too embarrassing."
Jiang Hexi said with feigned arrogance, "But then again, celebrities all have some scandals. Among the people who are pursuing me, one more or one less makes no difference. We'll just ignore him."
Once Professor Zhou understood the reason for the matter, things became much easier.
"I'll find a rare and valuable calligraphy or painting and have someone send it to Old Master Yan."
"I'll deliver it."
Jiang Hexi had found a legitimate excuse to go to the Yan family's house, so how could she let it go?
“Grandpa, this matter started because of me, so it is my responsibility to resolve it. Yan Jie is Yan Jie, and Old Master Yan is Old Master Yan. We cannot neglect their manners.”
Professor Zhou: "Then let's do as you say."
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Hexi collapsed onto the large bed.
For one lie to remain unexposed, it must be covered up with countless others.
She hopes the farming reality show will end soon; she doesn't want to live this clandestine life for even a day longer.
The next morning, after finishing the last batch of mooncakes, everyone finished work early and officially began their Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.
Yan Jie drove the van back to the stone courtyard.
Jiang Hexi got out of the passenger seat, opened the tailgate, took out mooncakes from the trunk, and distributed them one by one:
"Duke Zhou, these are your Mid-Autumn Festival mooncakes, a total of six boxes, namely five-nut barbecued pork, lotus seed paste with salted egg yolk, spicy beef, custard lava, red bean paste and pineapple coconut flavors."
Zhou Gongqi accepted the mooncakes with both hands, smiled, and took them to the car.
Director Chen watched them distribute the mooncakes, and his heart ached so much that it felt like it was about to burst. The recording of this episode ended here.
Yan Jie sat in the SUV waiting for Jiang Hexi to come out.
Chu Ci leaned on the steering wheel, glancing at his watch every now and then, constantly urging:
"Cousin, where's your girlfriend? Why hasn't she come out yet?"
"She's shy."
Yan Jie said without even glancing at her, "She came out after everyone in the stone courtyard had left."
Chu Ci turned to look at the courtyard gate. After everyone in the stone house had left, Jiang Hexi pushed her suitcase and "sneaked" out the door.
He pushed open the door, got out, took her luggage, and put it all into the trunk.
Jiang Hexi bent down and got into the car, then turned to him and said, "After you get back to Yicheng, go to the villa in the suburbs of Beijing first, then visit Grandpa Yan."
Yan Jie naturally took her hand and clasped her fingers together: "I'll take you home later, why make another trip in the middle?"
Do you know what Grandpa Yan gave to my maternal grandfather?
"What?"
“A gold-plated teapot has even alarmed the old man. I need to go back and get a generous gift for Grandpa Yan.”
After hearing this, Yan Jie tightened his grip on her hand and said, "My old man has finally done something worthwhile."
Jiang Hexi was utterly speechless.
Chu Ci opened the car door, got into the driver's seat, turned around, and greeted Jiang Hexi with a bright smile:
“Sister-in-law, I am Chu Ci. From now on, you can call me A-Ci, just like my cousin.”
Jiang Hexi dared not accept the title of "sister-in-law," what if she ran into an acquaintance one day and her identity was exposed?
She forced a smile and said, "A-Ci, I'm not your cousin-in-law. You can call me A-Xi."
Chu Ci immediately realized what she meant and quickly called out to her, "Sister-in-law A-Xi."
Yan Jie snapped, "Why are you making such a fuss? Go drive your car."
After cursing Chu Ci, he pulled a cushion over his chest and gestured to Jiang Hexi, saying, "If you're tired, lie down and rest."
Jiang Hexi couldn't bear to watch and turned her head away. She quietly lowered her chair, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.
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