Ling Shuangjiang suppressed a laugh: "Their specialties are coconut rice, brown sugar rice cake, and chicken poop vine cake. Which one would you like to try?"
"Chicken poop... rattan cake?" Xie Wang frowned slightly. "What you eat, I eat."
Ling Shuangjiang: "Okay."
The food street is mostly open-air, and you can smell the mixed aromas of many different snacks all around.
Ling Shuangjiang said, "After the dating reality show ends, I want to come back again and eat all the food I want."
Xie Wang fiddled with the chicken droppings vine cake and replied, "Okay, I'll go with you."
"You haven't been to the company for half a month. Now that the dating reality show is over, don't you need to go back to the company immediately to handle your work?" Ling Shuangjiang held a coconut rice bowl, her cheeks slightly puffed out.
Xie Wang replied, "There's no rush. After we've finished showing you around here, I'll take you home."
Ling Shuangjiang lowered her eyes and said, "No need, my home is quite far away, I can go back by myself."
"It's alright, I'll take you." Xie Wang tasted a couple of bites of the chicken poop vine cake and thought it tasted pretty good, cool and chewy, but the name was a bit strange.
Ling Shuangjiang wiped the corners of her lips clean and began to eat the coconut milk jelly.
"You have quite an appetite," Xie Wang smiled at him. "I always thought you had a small stomach."
Ling Shuangjiang shook her head: "It's just that I haven't come across anything I like to eat. I have a big appetite."
Xie Wang suddenly became worried: "Then why aren't you gaining weight? You're too thin. Should we go to the hospital for a thorough check-up?"
Ling Shuangjiang shook her head: "No need, I get checked every year, and apart from some anemia, I'm fine."
"Are you anemic?" Xie Wang reached out, wanting to see if the area under his eyes was red, but then stopped in mid-air, his gaze fixed on his pale fingernails: "You are a little anemic, you should take good care of yourself."
Ling Shuangjiang smiled indifferently and continued eating.
When the two left the food street, it was already past ten o'clock. Xie Wang asked Ling Shuangjiang, "Are you sleepy?"
Ling Shuangjiang shook her head: "Not sleepy."
Xie Wang raised his hand to him: "I'll take you somewhere."
Soon, a lake overlooking the street came into view. Xie Wang first stepped onto a boat on the shore, and then helped Ling Shuang down onto it.
The wooden boat rocked gently as the two sat quietly in the wooden cabin. Xie Wang used both hands to paddle, and the small boat began to move slowly.
Ling Shuangjiang stared at the lake, her tone intrigued: "You can row a boat?"
Xie Wang nodded: "I learned kayaking for a few years, it's similar to this."
The night breeze was cool but pleasant. The oars stirred up ripples on the lake, which slowly dissipated as the boat sailed away.
Ling Shuangjiang rested her chin on her hand and said, "The night view is beautiful."
Xie Wang couldn't hide his thoughts: "It'll be even more interesting later."
"What do you mean?" Ling Shuangjiang asked.
"There's a surprise." Xie Wang's gaze was fixed ahead.
Soon, the small boat passed through a dense grove of trees and reached the opposite bank. Fireflies glowed on the shore, and many hot air balloons were tied to the fence, swaying gently in the lake breeze.
The pinkish-white, golden-pink, and some pale yellow colors looked beautiful against the surrounding lights.
Ling Shuangjiang stepped ashore: "You prepared this?"
Xie Wang shook his head: "My driver tied it to the hot air balloon."
Ling Shuangjiang chuckled: "So who told him to tie me up?"
Xie Wang replied earnestly, "Me."
Ling Shuangjiang sat down comfortably, squinting her eyes in the breeze: "Why did you suddenly tie up the hot air balloon?"
Xie Wang: "I heard you like it."
"You think I'd have someone prepare this just because I like you?" Ling Shuangjiang asked casually. "Am I that important?"
Xie Wang stretched out his long legs, sat down, and looked up with a solemn expression after a moment of thought: "Of course."
Ling Shuangjiang rested her elbows on the table and propped her chin up with her hand: "But your behavior sounds like the tricks you use to coax your girlfriend."
"Really?" Xie Wang took out his phone: "This is a method I found on the web. I really wanted to make you happy."
Meeting Xie Wang's focused gaze, Ling Shuangjiang changed the subject: "Have you ever received a love letter since you were a child?"
Xie Wang: "Basically none. They don't dare to write me love letters, and they say behind my back that I'm fierce."
Ling Shuangjiang asked curiously, "But you're not fierce."
Xie Wang: "I have a much better temper now. When I was young, I was very impulsive and often got into trouble."
Ling Shuangjiang asked with a smile, "So the girls think you look fierce and are afraid to confess their feelings to you?"
"Yes." Xie Wang said frankly, "My friends receive confessions from girls almost every day, but I don't."
Ling Shuangjiang had a general understanding of Xie Wang's situation.
He asked thoughtfully, "What about boys? Have you ever received a confession from a boy?"
"No," Xie Wang said bluntly, "They all know that I don't like boys."
Ling Shuangjiang nodded, adjusted herself into a comfortable position, and wrapped her trench coat tighter: "Xie Chongyan and Cheng Fan should be able to tell today that we are not a couple, after all, our interactions at the dinner table were not intimate."
Xie Wang replied casually, "It doesn't matter."
Ling Shuangjiang lowered her eyes: "So, the purpose of your invitation is?"
This is a very sensitive topic.
Xie Wang looked at him and thought for a long time: "I... just want to tell you that you are not included in the male group, female group or same-sex group I mentioned. You are special to me."
"Special?" Ling Shuangjiang paused, pursing her lips as she slowly processed the question. "Did you bring me here because of Cheng Fan? Are you trying to set us up for a collaboration?"
Xie Wang's voice was low: "No, we just happened to run into each other and talked about this topic. But regarding handicrafts, he has a wide network of connections. He's willing to cooperate with you because you and your aunt are both excellent. Although I've never met your aunt, she must be a gentle, elegant, and skillful lady, because she raised you very well."
"You have a sweet tongue too." Ling Shuangjiang said half-jokingly, her eyes lowered. "But no matter what, I've essentially benefited from your connections."
"Aren't friends just for riding on each other's coattails?" Xie Wang said seriously. "When you become famous, I'll ride on your coattails and spread the word about our relationship everywhere, making our group's stock price soar. For example, when Ling Shuangjiang is trending, I'll write a long post on Weibo about the two of us."
Ling Shuangjiang was amused: "Look at you, so childish."
It was late at night when the two returned to the RV beach together. Before saying goodbye, Xie Wang called out to Ling Shuangjiang, "Shuangjiang, I hope our relationship can remain the same as before, okay?"
Ling Shuangjiang stood in front of the car door, gently clenching her fist, then slightly relaxing it.
After thinking for a moment, he turned to Xie Wang and smiled, "Of course."
Xie Wang: "Good night, Frost's Descent."
Back in the RV, Xie Wang felt a great sense of relief. After lifting dumbbells for an hour, he took a shower and prepared to rest.
Lying in bed, he felt inexplicably relaxed and soon became sleepy. But before falling asleep, he kept thinking about one question.
He didn't know when it started, but Ling Shuangjiang had become a big part of his heart.
The two had only known each other for a short time.
Of course, if you include their teenage years, they've known each other for over a decade.
After all, a photo of Ling Shuangjiang as a child still stands in his high school bedroom.
—
The recording of the program began the next day.
During breakfast, the director announced some good news: the problems at the island estate had been repaired and it was ready to receive guests.
Wen Ai smiled warmly: "So, we can go to the manor today?"
Director: "On the condition that you can go."
Lu Shaoheng, holding a glass of milk, said, "I've only ever admired the luxury of the manor from behind the scenes before. It seems I'll have the chance to experience it for myself today."
Wen Ai retorted, "On the condition that you can go."
Lu Shaoheng: "Then I need to work harder."
Everyone was amused by the warmth, and Xie Wang poured Ling Shuangjiang some milk and handed it to him, saying, "It's warm."
Ling Shuangjiang's voice was gentle: "Okay."
Xie Wang was very pleased with this "good." It seemed that his Xiao Shuangjiang had forgiven him and reconciled with him. Otherwise, given their behavior just two days ago, Ling Shuangjiang would definitely have thanked him.
Xie Wang, chewing on a slice of bread, looked refreshed: "I'll take you to the manor tonight, and we'll get some rest."
Ling Shuangjiang narrowed her eyes, said nothing, but a hint of calculation was hidden in her eyes.
[Momo Momo, good morning, my wife, on Frost's Descent.]
[Have the third and fourth men made up?]
[Sure enough, the couple made up before they even got out of bed.]
Soon, the qualifying rounds for the journey to the manor officially began.
The game is simple: beach volleyball, and the winner gets to stay at the manor.
This competition can be held in groups, with a minimum of two people per group.
During the half-hour team-up period, all the guests started vying for people. For example, Xie Wang and Lu Shaoheng became popular choices.
Huang Shan has been very laid-back lately. Sitting next to Ling Shuangjiang, she mimicked Xie Wang's tone and said, "Little Shuangjiang, aren't you going to play for a while? Anyway, you're in a group with Xie Wang, so you're bound to win no matter what. You can just give up."
Ling Shuangjiang said casually, "According to you, wouldn't it be more comfortable for me to just drink juice here and wait for him to take me there?"
Huang Shan was furious: "Your tone is so irritating."
Ling Shuangjiang picked up the coconut juice: "I'm really not good at this, so I'd better not hold them back."
The groups had already been formed on the beach. Apart from Ling Shuangjiang, Wen Nuan, and Huang Shan, all the guests had taken their places.
[Shuangjiang, Huangshan, and Wen'ai are truly exceptional; they're the epitome of a lazy bum.]
[Those who are favored are fearless, since Xie Wang will choose Shuangjiang anyway.]
[I guess Lu Shaoheng will also choose Frost's Descent, right? That'll be interesting to watch.]
[A battleground! A battleground! I love it!]
[Modo, modo, it's still uncertain who will win.]