TYMRHBDES Chapter 165

The production team, eager for more drama, immediately replied, “Sure! What do you want?”

Young Master Pei glanced at his phone and said nonchalantly, “Then let’s make it about money.”

They would pay an extra five yuan for every ten baskets of fish he carried.

Zhang Hao clicked his tongue in disbelief.

Given Brother Pei’s past extravagant spending habits, even fifty thousand yuan wouldn’t have caught his eye. How could someone as refined as Brother Pei possibly stoop to earning a mere five yuan?

Not to mention how heavy those water-laden baskets were; just watching him carry them made Zhang Hao’s heart ache.

Brother Pei was still young—he shouldn’t strain his back lifting such heavy things. If the old lady saw this episode, she’d be heartbroken over her precious grandson.

As Zhang Hao’s thoughts raced, Pei Yu nodded with a cold expression, said “Alright,” and resumed carrying the extra baskets.

The assistant director watched Pei Yu working tirelessly, a wild guess forming in his mind, yet he dismissed it as too absurd. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again.

Forget it. We’ll find out what he needs the money for soon enough.

In contrast to the silent scene of moving supplies here, the marketplace buzzed with activity, filled with the constant chatter of people coming and going.

Customers arrived in droves, keeping Jiang Luoluo so busy he nearly made mistakes with the change several times.

As the sun slowly rose, their stall remained without an awning, likely for the sake of the show. The direct sunlight quickly turned his small face red.

Jiang Wei’s headband was soaked with sweat.

While a customer was selecting fish, he leaned over and asked, “Luo Luo, do you want some water?”

Jiang Luoluo glanced at the thermos of hot water provided by the production team and shook his head. “It’s too hot.”

Jiang Wei reached over to check. Even though he had opened the thermos earlier, its insulation was so effective that the water remained scalding.

“Just wait a bit longer,” Jiang Wei said apologetically. “It should cool down soon.”

He glanced at the remaining seafood on the stall and estimated, “We should be sold out in less than an hour. Then I’ll figure out a way to take you out for something good to eat.”

Jiang Luoluo nodded, his eyes fixed longingly on the ice-cold beverage stall in the distance. He hummed in agreement, his voice full of longing.

“It would be so nice to have an ice-cold drink later!”

“We will!” Jiang Wei reassured him.

As customers handed over their selections, Jiang Luoluo’s face lit up with smiles, and he busied himself with serving them.

The cameraman zoomed in for a close-up of Jiang Luoluo.

The fair-skinned beauty with light golden hair had a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead. When he lowered his head, the tips of his hair playfully clung to his slender, pale neck, making him look like a fallen little prince, utterly endearing.

His cheeks were flushed pink from the heat, matching the petal-like redness of his lips.

Despite his delicate beauty, he showed no hint of complaint while selling seafood in the sweltering heat, surrounded by the fishy smell. His eyes sparkled with quiet joy, his lips curved into a sweet smile as he dutifully called out “Auntie” to each customer.

Pei Yu arrived just in time to witness this scene.

He stood silently about seven or eight meters away from his Little Fox Spirit, observing him for a few seconds. His handsome face remained expressionless, making it impossible to guess his thoughts.

Only the cup of ice-cold, freshly squeezed watermelon juice, hanging quietly in the sweltering air, its condensation-covered walls offering a momentary respite from the oppressive heat.

Jiang Luoluo rummaged through his waist pouch for change for the auntie. A shadow fell beside him, but he didn’t look up, his voice crisp and clear:

“The crabs and Spanish mackerel are all sold out. Would you like to see if there’s anything else you’d like? I can give you a discount.”

“Everything was caught this morning—it’s incredibly fresh!”

The other person’s voice was deep. “Are you tired?”

At the sound of that voice, Jiang Luoluo instinctively looked up, his eyes lighting up with surprise and delight:

“Pei Yu!”

Sweat glistened on his forehead, his thick lashes fluttering in the scorching sunlight.

Pei Yu subtly furrowed his brow, his heart aching as he reached out to wipe away a bead of sweat rolling down Jiang Luoluo’s eyebrow.

“You’ve been working hard.”

Jiang Luoluo’s eyes curved into a smile as he gazed at Pei Yu.

His fair, delicate face flushed with a faint blush, even the curve of his lips was the kind that made Pei Yu’s heart race.

Pei Yu lifted his arm to show Jiang Luoluo what he was holding.

Jiang Luoluo’s thick lashes fluttered twice, his eyes widening as he exclaimed joyfully:

“Watermelon juice!!!”

Pei Yu handed over the watermelon juice, then gently took Jiang Luoluo’s small hand to feel the coolness of the cup.

Jiang Luoluo let out a soft “wow,” his eyes lighting up with surprise. “It’s still ice-cold!”

Pei Yu inserted the straw and passed it to him. Jiang Luoluo eagerly leaned forward and took a sip, savoring it in his mouth for a moment until the icy juice warmed slightly before swallowing with a satisfied gulp.

The chilled watermelon juice banished the summer heat, a refreshing coolness spreading through him. The person before him smiled, his eyes crinkling with delight as he cradled the cup like a precious treasure.

Pei Yu watched him quietly, his gaze unusually gentle.

Jiang Wei hurried over from the distant supermarket, clutching a bottle of ice-cold mineral water.

Seeing Jiang Luoluo and Pei Yu standing together, a bitter feeling stirred within him.

He had been so eager for a cold drink.

He had promised to get one, but he was still too late.

The camera focused on Jiang Wei’s face, capturing the complex emotions flickering across his features.

Jiang Wei shook off his thoughts and strode over. He glanced at the usually arrogant Pei Yu, who stood silently, and asked with a flicker of hope:

“ Wait, aren’t we all broke? Where did this come from?

Probably got it the same way I did—by charming the fans.

Jiang Luoluo, holding his watermelon juice, tilted his chin up, his wet eyes fixed on Pei Yu.

Pei Yu returned his gaze, his fingers resting against the seam of his pants, absently rubbing the blister on his fingertip.

The stinging sweat mingled with the burning sensation, sending jolts through his nerves.

Pei Yu curled his lips into a nonchalant smile. “Just worked a little harder,” he said casually.

“Aaaaaah! I’m dying from this! I’m dying from this!”

“He says it so casually, like it was nothing, when he clearly put in so much effort! What could be more swoon-worthy?!”

“Waaah! Why are my eyes so hot?!”

“Pei Yu, waaaah! Mom misunderstood you! Mom approves of you two being together now!”

“My nose is tingling. Pei Yu, why are you like this? You’re just too good at this!”

“The ultimate top! Brother Pei really dotes on his wife!”

“He carried twenty baskets of fish just to get one bottle of watermelon juice to cheer up his wife… What an absolute sweetheart!”

***

The live stream’s chat exploded with comments, but the person at the center of the frenzy remained completely oblivious.

Only a few items remained unsold at their stall.

Jiang Luoluo sat obediently on a nearby rock, cradling a cup of watermelon juice in both hands as he sipped and watched. Pei Yu had taken over as the stall vendor, selling the remaining goods.

He took another sip of his juice.

Pei Yu was undeniably handsome, but his aloofness made him seem unapproachable and lacking in warmth.

When uncles and aunties came to buy things, their eyes would glance between Pei Yu and Jiang Wei before invariably turning to Jiang Wei with their questions.

Pei Yu showed no embarrassment, his expression remaining cold as he helped hand out plastic bags, pack items, and make change.

After the final batch of seafood was sold off cheaply, the production crew’s car arrived to take them back.

Pei Yu opened the rear car door, gesturing for Jiang Luoluo to get in, making no attempt to hide his possessiveness.

Jiang Wei trailed behind, taking the front passenger seat himself.

Exhausted from the morning’s work, Jiang Luoluo immediately relaxed as soon as he got into the car.

The air conditioning was blasting, instantly dispelling the heat from the sun. Jiang Luoluo leaned back lazily, letting out a small yawn.

Unlike their energetic arrival, the car now carried a group of weary travelers.

Jiang Wei crossed his arms and closed his eyes to rest.

Pei Yu glanced at Jiang Luoluo yawning and reached out to hold his hand. “Get some sleep,” he murmured.

Jiang Luoluo nodded obediently and closed his eyes.

Soon, even breaths filled the car as Jiang Luoluo’s head began to nod, already fast asleep.

Pei Yu gently cradled Jiang Luoluo’s head with both hands, slowly lowering it onto his shoulder, as if afraid of waking the sleeping boy.

His movements were incredibly tender.

***

By the time they returned, it was nearly noon.

After a quick lunch and a short rest, the afternoon’s filming was about to begin.

“This morning, the team led by teachers Jiang Wei and Jiang Luoluo completed the task first, earning each of them an additional star. The person with the most stars by the end of filming will receive our show’s grand finale gift package!”

“This afternoon’s challenge is to create a dish using local seafood from Qihai. The dishes will then be judged by local fishermen. The team with the highest score will earn each member an additional star.”

“And here’s a hidden bonus: the number of stars you accumulate will affect how the teams are assigned tonight!” the staff announced.

The group reacted with a variety of expressions.

Pei Yu glanced at Jiang Luoluo for a fleeting second, saying nothing.

Jiang Wei wore a faint smile, radiating confidence.

Fang Yan’s smile seemed strained, barely holding on.

Zhou Jing turned to Jiang Luoluo, his voice gentle, “Luo Luo, you’re a food streamer, right? This is your domain now.”

Fang Yan scoffed, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Your team has its strengths, but who on our team can cook? We can’t just stand around staring, can we?”

He glared at the production crew, his voice laced with resentment. “Aren’t you being a little biased? Why not have a singing, dancing, or acting competition instead? Something we’re actually good at!”

The assistant director’s voice echoed through the set. “We have our own plans.”

“Besides, it’s not like your team has no one who can cook. We’ve heard that Teacher Zhou is quite skilled in culinary arts.”

Fang Yan remained silent, but his resentment deepened.

He had joined this variety show to gain fans, not lose them.

Why were others allowed to showcase their talents while he was denied the opportunity?

He clenched his fist, covertly scanning Zhou Jing, Jiang Wei, and finally settling his gaze on Jiang Luoluo.

Cooking? What’s so impressive about that? He’ll just end up a haggard housewife!

If we were competing in dancing, that Jiang guy would be utterly humiliated!