He said with a playful expression, "But Little Tiger isn't a human child, have you forgotten?"
Chapter 3 Tears involuntarily streamed down my face.
Xiao Shulang used the word "forget" very cleverly: Luo Tian just said that he had also read "Sorrow" many times, so there was no way he didn't know Xiao Hu.
"Sorrow" is a movie starring Xu Baichang when he was fifteen years old. The movie tells the story of a boy and a dog named Xiao Hu.
You can forget that Little Tiger is a puppy? You must have never even watched the movie!
After Luo Tian understood what Xiao Shulang was saying, cold sweat poured down his back.
He made a fatal mistake!
Luo Tian quickly tried to cover it up: "Haha, really? Then I must have mixed it up."
Upon hearing this, Xu Baichang's expression became even more subtle. Although he tried his best to maintain a smile, anyone could read the obvious embarrassment in his eyes.
Luo Tian's fans are quite combative; when faced with audience doubts, they immediately spoke up for Luo Tian in the live chat.
Oh, I just mixed them up. Everyone mixes things up sometimes!
[Yes, yes, Xu Baichang has acted in quite a few TV shows, how could I remember them all?]
It's all Xiao Shulang's fault; why is he talking about sorrow?
It would have been better if they hadn't said anything, as a lot of people were busy trying to cover it up, and some people always spoke without thinking, which immediately angered Xu Baichang's fans.
[This is the only film in which Teacher Xu played the lead role when she was a teenager. Can you remember that?]
[I really laughed. If he hadn't seen it, he could have just said he hadn't seen it. It wouldn't have caused any problem. Why did he have to brag about having seen it countless times? And then he got flustered when he was exposed. Didn't he bring this on himself?]
[I'm just a casual viewer, but this slap in the face has really made me look forward to the show, hahaha]
In order to pursue Xu Baichang, Luo Tian did some homework in advance, but it was not comprehensive, stemming from his inexplicable self-confidence.
Whether he was deceiving Xiao Shulang or pursuing Xu Baichang, it was all just to satisfy himself.
Xiao Shulang knew Luo Tian's character very well. The more you cared about him, the more arrogant he became, because of his excessive vanity.
So he originally didn't plan to pay any attention to Luo Tian today, in order to prepare for exposing his scumbag identity later. He didn't expect Luo Tian to make a stupid mistake and fall into the trap.
Xiao Shulang thought Xu Baichang was a pretty good person, and he couldn't let Luo Tian cause any more trouble. He was talking to Xu Baichang, but Luo Tian insisted on taking the initiative, so he couldn't blame anyone else.
The production team didn't expect that less than 30 minutes into the broadcast, the comments section would erupt in a heated argument. The director looked at Xiao Shulang and suddenly found it quite amusing.
There are many good-looking but unknown artists. The reason I signed Xiao Shulang was because I had a good relationship with Wang Hao. I didn't have high expectations, but the director suddenly felt that Xiao Shulang might bring him unexpected surprises.
It wasn't until the arrival of the fourth guest that the awkward situation was broken, and Luo Tian quickly changed the subject.
The fourth guest was an ordinary person named You Ziang. On the first day, ordinary people had to keep their profession a secret, but the people present all had sharp eyes and could tell at a glance that none of the clothes You Ziang was wearing cost less than four figures.
Xiao Shulang also recognized that the necklace around his neck came from a personal brand store, with each series being released in limited quantities, and even if you have money, you may not be able to buy it.
It seems that although the new guest is an ordinary person, he is either rich or noble.
You Ziang smiled broadly, radiating sunshine and energy. He was very enthusiastic: "Hello everyone, my name is You Ziang. It's nice to meet you all. I brought some snacks with me, let's eat together!"
He opened his suitcase to take out snacks, but as soon as he pulled them out, a staff member ruthlessly stepped forward and confiscated them: "Snacks are not allowed!"
Yu Ziang, holding the snacks, was stunned: "Huh? You guys notified me in advance?"
The staff member gave a mischievous smile: "Now you know."
"Ah... alright then."
You Ziang looked dejected, but only for half a second. He recovered quickly and said to the other guests, "It's okay, we can have them return it after filming is over, and we can still eat!"
Everyone was amused by him, and even the comments section forgot what had just happened, with everyone expressing their admiration for this handsome new guy.
After everyone sat down, You Ziang blended in smoothly. He was a social butterfly and never made the conversation awkward. However, Xiao Shulang noticed that several times during the conversation, You Ziang seemed to want to say something to him, but then hesitated and took back what he had said.
The original owner did not know You Zi'ang, but Xiao Shulang, who had read the book, knew him: there was a wealthy merchant in the city surnamed You who had done business with the Xiao family. You Zi'ang was the youngest son of the You family.
When You Ziang's cup was empty, Xiao Shulang refilled it with water, and You Ziang immediately said, "Thank you."
Xiao Shulang: "You're welcome."
When it comes to pouring water, it's natural to make sure everyone at the table is served; it's basic courtesy. Xu Baichang's water was only half full, so Xiao Shulang refilled it for him and then put the kettle down.
As for Luo Tian's water glass being empty—what does that have to do with him?
You Ziang struck up a conversation with Xiao Shulang, and Xu Baichang naturally joined the conversation. Only Luo Tian's presence suddenly diminished; it was supposed to be a movie with four people, but he had no name.
Even though his water glass was empty, Xiao Shulang didn't even bother with politeness, but the camera wasn't focused on the glass, so the audience probably didn't notice.
What made Luo Tian even more anxious was that after You Ziang appeared, he drew the attention of Xiao Shulang and Xu Baichang: Xiao Shulang poured water for him but ignored himself, and even Xu Baichang glanced at You Ziang several times!
But because of what just happened, he dared not do anything at this moment!
Luo Tian lowered his profile in the hope that time would dilute what had just happened, and that he would reappear to make his presence felt once the audience had forgotten. Therefore, he had no choice but to endure it and watch the other three make a scene.
Luo Tian clenched his fists, inwardly grumbling. It was all Xiao Shulang's fault for bringing up "Sorrow" for no reason; he hadn't even read it!
He embarrassed himself trying to strike up a conversation!
Luo Tian himself didn't even realize that he had come for Xu Baichang, but Xiao Shulang easily stirred up his emotions. Wouldn't it be better to be simple?
Then the fifth guest finally arrived; he was an ordinary person named Yin Xingzhi.
Yin Xingzhi is an entrepreneur, which sounds glamorous, but only he knows the hardships he has endured. Moreover, he has a bad character. While other entrepreneurs are still working hard, Yin Xingzhi has already started to have many crooked ideas.
His purpose in coming to this dating reality show wasn't pure; he just wanted to hook up with a rich man. As long as he had money, nothing else mattered.
Xiao Shulang is a nobody, not even in his sights; Xu Baichang debuted as a child star, but focuses on his acting career and doesn't take on many other jobs. Yin Xingzhi thinks he definitely doesn't earn as much as Luo Tian.
Luo Tian was incredibly popular, with press releases everywhere, various program crews running around for him, and advertising endorsements pouring in. The online buzz created the impression that he was definitely a top star and must be making a fortune.
Judging from the resources he has received since his debut, he must have a lot of connections. Some netizens have dug up the things he uses, and they are not cheap. Fans firmly believe that he is a rich second generation.
Luo Tian was one of Yin Xingzhi's targets. He also looked at You Ziang and recognized that some of his things were not bad, but unfortunately he did not know his profession for the time being. He could only wait until tomorrow to find out more before taking a look.
Once all five people had arrived, a staff member's voice-over appeared.
"The sixth guest will arrive tomorrow. Starting tomorrow, you will spend three days together in this cozy home. There are no tasks today, so everyone can relax. At 7 o'clock, you will need to choose one person to send a text message to, and we will also conduct an interview."
They knew about the stay and had told us in advance that we would be staying at "Cozy Little Home" this time, but we would change locations for the next shoot.
The text messages expressing interest will be sent using a mobile phone provided by the production team.
You Ziang asked, "Is it mandatory to send a text message expressing your feelings? Can't I not send one?"
The staff member nodded: "Yes, we have to choose one person, after all, this is a dating reality show!"
"The guests' rooms are on the second floor, all single rooms. You can choose any room you like. There are ingredients in the refrigerator in the kitchen on the first floor." The production team then revealed their true intentions: "You'll have to prepare your own dinner!"
The guests suddenly realized what it meant to not have a task today; the task was simply to prepare dinner!
No wonder they took away the snacks; they were waiting here!
Everyone carried their suitcases upstairs to choose their rooms. After Xu Baichang made his choice, Luo Tian immediately occupied the room opposite him so that they could face each other when they opened the door.
Xiao Shulang didn't care where he stayed. After everyone else had chosen, he slowly pushed open a door. As a result, only the bedroom opposite his was still empty. The sixth guest would definitely stay in that room when he arrived.
After everyone tidied up their rooms, they all gathered in the kitchen on the first floor without prior arrangement.
They opened the refrigerator and looked at the ingredients. Fruits, vegetables, and meats were all there. So the question is, who knows how to cook?
Xu Baichang was the first to say, "I can have boiled eggs and instant noodles."
Yu Ziang scratched his head sheepishly: "I can't cook."
Yin Xingzhi shook his head: "I don't know either."
Only Xiao Shulang and Luo Tian were left. Luo Tian couldn't cook, but when he saw that there was steak among the ingredients, he thought that he could just fry it up and eat it. It shouldn't be too difficult. It was time for him to make up for his mistake and save face. He immediately volunteered: "Leave it to me!"
Xiao Shulang: "I can cook some home-style dishes."
Luo Tian was suspicious: Xiao Shulang can cook, how come he didn't know?
Does he intend to just fry up some steak and call it a day, like him? No way! There aren't many steaks; he's going to take them all!
Xu Baichang: "So you're leaving dinner to me? I'll take care of the dishes and cleaning up afterward."
You Ziang immediately replied, "I can help with the tidying up too."
Everyone had work to do, and Yin Xingzhi couldn't very well be the only one slacking off, so he offered to help out by washing and chopping vegetables.
Xiao Shulang didn't forget to ask, "Do you have any dietary restrictions?"
Apart from You Ziang not eating scallions, the others didn't have any dietary restrictions, so it was relatively simple.
Some viewers noticed that Xiao Shulang is quite thoughtful, but because so many people criticized him before, those who now appreciate his thoughtfulness are also the ones who criticized him before, so it's impossible to say anything positive about him. Therefore, almost no one in the comments section praised him.
For ease of filming, the kitchen was open-plan and connected to the dining room. The kitchen counter was long enough that Xiao Shulang and Luo Tian each had one side, so neither of them got in the way of the other. Yin Xingzhi moved around in between, but it was obvious that he was moving closer to Luo Tian.
Luo Tian took out the steak. He knew that frying meat required oil, but when he put the oil into the pan, he realized that he had oversimplified the process.
When should I put the meat in? Is it okay once the oil has melted? He turned the heat up too high, and while he was thinking, the oil in the pot had already cooked and started boiling, smoking out. Luo Tian panicked when he saw a little smoke and hurriedly threw the pork ribs in.
There was still some thawed water in the plate. He grabbed the plate and put the meat and water in together. The small amount of water and boiling oil immediately caused it to splatter and pop, splashing everywhere.
Luo Tian, who never cooks, had never seen anything like this before. When oil splattered on his hands, he let out a scream and immediately backed away in fright. Yin Xingzhi, who was close to him, was also startled and quickly jumped away.
Although Xu Baichang and You Ziang didn't cook, they were standing by the kitchen. They were admiring Xiao Shulang's knife skills when they were suddenly startled and turned to look.
The smoke from the pot over there had already turned from white to blue; if we didn't do something about it, the pot would catch fire.
Luo Tian and Yin Xingzhi were at a loss and had clearly moved away from the stove, crowding around Xiao Shulang's side. Xiao Shulang rolled his eyes inwardly.
He stepped past the two men, grabbed his apron to cover himself from the oil splattering, and rushed over to quickly turn off the fire.
You have to be quick at this point, otherwise it will be even more troublesome if the pot catches fire.
Xiao Shulang moved very quickly; before Luo Tian and Yin Xingzhi could even finish their exclamations, he had already turned off the gas stove.
With the fire gone, the oil in the pan was still splattering, but the noise gradually subsided and soon it became completely quiet.
After turning off the stove, Xiao Shulang calmly walked back to the cutting board, turned on the flame of another stove, and began to cook.
It was as if nothing had just happened.
Xiao Shulang first stir-fried the seasonings in the pan until they were fragrant. The normal heat from the oil pan, along with the aroma, wafted over, and even the sizzling sound was particularly pleasant. You Ziang glanced at the other side, then turned his gaze back to Xiao Shulang.
Yu Ziang exclaimed emotionally, "Wow!"