Chapter Ten: Chicken Droppings Stuck to the Leg

Hearing Shen Tianshi’s outrageous words, the old man was so angry his mouth twisted. He shot a fierce glare at Shen Tianshi. Yet Shen Tianshi wasn’t the least bit afraid; instead, he just grinned cheerfully. With his hands in his pockets, doing nothing to help, he wandered around idly and finally ended up beside Yu Tang.

At that moment, Yu Tang was fully absorbed in her work—one hand holding a basket, the other snapping corn, and even a foot pressing down on the stalk. She was so busy it seemed as if three shadows danced around her. She had to complete this hidden mission, then switch groups—she’d had enough! Shen Tianshi was absolutely useless!

Xiao Yufei, watching Yu Tang work harder than any of them, couldn’t help but feel curious. “Why are you helping us?” Xiao Yufei asked.

“I have nothing better to do,” Yu Tang replied. “I like helping people. I was born to pick corn.” She shrugged. “Pick whichever reason you like—they all count.” As she spoke, Yu Tang kept working diligently.

“Then let’s say you’re simply bored,” Xiao Yufei said.

Yu Tang had just let out a laugh when she couldn’t help but hiss in pain. She’d forgone gloves because they were too hot, and now a corn leaf had scratched her hand, leaving a red mark. Clearly, the system never provided anything useless. She quickly put on the gloves and continued snapping corn with practiced efficiency.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Shen Tianshi standing around with nothing to do. Without thinking, she tossed her left-hand basket to him. “Don’t just stand there—follow me and pick up the corn,” she ordered crisply.

Shen Tianshi scratched his head in wounded compliance. “Oh… okay.” He just held the basket, trailing behind Yu Tang, catching every ear she tossed his way with ease.

Nearby, Xie Yi’s gaze dimmed for a moment. Even his movements slowed. He envied Shen Tianshi so much—he didn’t have to do anything at all. If only Yu Tang were in his group…

[The sense of Xie Yi’s heartbreak is overwhelming; he looks like he’ll cry any second.]
[Yu Tang is such a powerhouse—what is she, Superwoman?]
[I… my Yu Tang.]
[Shen Tianshi cracks me up—he’s even nailed being a sidekick.]
[Does anyone remember how Shen Tianshi originally wanted to be in Xiang Youran’s group?]
[I can’t stop laughing—don’t even mention it. I just switched from Xiang Youran’s group’s livestream. I could smell it through the screen.]

At that moment, Xiang Youran and Zhou Ziheng were locked in the chicken coop, waiting to catch chicks. The show’s plan had been to have them catch the chicks and vaccinate them, but since the guests weren’t professionals—and since this group was there for drama promotion—the crew decided it was better to let them save face. The task was downgraded: all they had to do was get the chicks into the cage.

The crew hadn’t anticipated that even this would defeat them.

Xiang Youran had planned to take it easy, but for some reason, the usually indifferent Zhou Ziheng suddenly became hardworking, running around the coop five or six times just trying to catch the chicks. Xiang Youran couldn’t just slack off while he worked so hard—otherwise, when the show aired, she’d be the one criticized.

After half an hour of chasing without catching a single chick, they finally gave up. Hearts heavy with defeat, they walked out of the coop and, regardless of the filthy ground, sat down to rest. The stench of chicken droppings clung to them, making the mud smell almost pleasant by comparison.

The sky above the little town was a perfect blue, the air fresh, the mountains and rivers beautiful. Yet Zhou Ziheng and Xiang Youran sat there, sweaty, makeup smudged, looking utterly disheveled.

Zhou Ziheng gazed up at the sky and, for some reason, suddenly grew reflective. “Youran, do you know which deity I like the most?”

Xiang Youran was caught off guard by the question. After a moment’s thought, she answered seriously, her voice raised, “Maybe… Apollo, the sun god?”

Zhou Ziheng shook his head with a smile and turned to her, eyes brimming with emotion. “No, what I like most is the look in your eyes.”

The corners of Xiang Youran’s mouth twitched.

Perhaps realizing the awkwardness, Zhou Ziheng rubbed his nose and quickly added, “What I mean is, the look in your eyes when you’re acting.”

“You have more spirit than most actresses I’ve seen—especially those who vanish after a single hit role,” Zhou Ziheng said earnestly.

Xiang Youran played along, “Thank you, Teacher Zhou. Actually, it’s mainly because of your talent. If it were someone else, I might not have been able to get into character so quickly.”

Zhou Ziheng gazed at her tenderly; Xiang Youran lowered her eyes, long lashes fluttering. It could have been a beautiful scene—until a gust of wind carried the stench of chicken droppings from one to the other. In perfect sync, both turned their heads away.

The chat exploded with laughter.

[That’s a back-to-back embrace if I’ve ever seen one, hahahaha!]
[Why did our Ziheng suddenly get so cheesy?]
[Darling~ I got an IV drip today. What was in the drip? My longing for you tonight.]
[Are they throwing shade at Yu Tang…?]
[This group is so slow—haven’t caught a single chick. Is it really that hard?]
[If you can’t even catch a chick, just go home, kids. Go home.]
[Easy for you to talk—if you’re so great, try catching one yourself!]

Sitting on the ground, Zhou Ziheng’s thoughts drifted to Yu Tang. He wondered how her task was going.

As soon as Yu Tang came to mind, Zhou Ziheng was filled with renewed determination. He pulled Xiang Youran to her feet, his voice resolute. “Youran! We’ve come this far—tonight, we must eat well! At the very least, we can’t lose to Yu Tang!”

Xiang Youran was stunned. “Huh?” Before she could react, Zhou Ziheng had dragged her away. They slammed the door shut, once again turning the chicken coop into their private world. Even the cameraman could only film from outside.

Inside the coop, the chicks scurried in all directions.

“Youran, there’s one right by you—don’t move!” Zhou Ziheng whispered, afraid to startle the chick.

Xiang Youran obediently froze. Zhou Ziheng lunged forward, but the chick darted away, and he missed. Off balance, he ended up kneeling—right onto a fresh, steaming pile of chick droppings.

A peculiar sensation and smell assaulted him. The heat and wetness on his knee made Zhou Ziheng’s heart race in horror. He stiffly looked down, and when he saw the fresh mess on his trousers, his face darkened, and he closed his eyes in despair.

Xiang Youran noticed too. She should have shown concern, but she barely stopped herself from gagging. The sight of Zhou Ziheng in such a state was simply too funny. Xiang Youran pressed her lips together, running through sad thoughts in her mind to regain composure, and finally managed to say, “Are you all right, Teacher Zhou?”

Zhou Ziheng’s lips twitched, but he couldn’t bring himself to utter the words, “I’m fine.” Face black with displeasure, he stormed out the door.

The cameraman was waiting at the entrance and instinctively prepared to follow, but Zhou Ziheng shot him a frosty look. “Don’t follow me.”

The cameraman hesitated, unsure what to do. In the end, it was Xiang Youran who rescued the situation.

“It’s all right—Teacher Zhou is in a bad mood. Don’t push your luck. Just follow me,” she said gently. Despite smelling of chicken droppings, her soft voice made the cameraman happy to stick close.

[Wait… is your guy always this temperamental?]
[Something must’ve happened in the coop—otherwise, how could Teacher Zhou’s mood flip so fast?]
[I swear I saw a wet patch on Teacher Zhou’s trousers just now, and it was still steaming—was that chicken poop?]
[Exactly what you think!]