Chapter 19: Eating Biscuits

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“Qingqing, Brother Chao, come in quickly to avoid the rain. Be careful not to catch a cold.”

Yang Ying’s smile remained sweet, but as she gently took Gu Qing’s arm and pressed him close to her side, her eyes inadvertently met Nazha’s in the air, as if making a silent declaration.

A woman's heart is naturally delicate.

When Nazha heard the "Big Baby" call out the names of Gu Qing and the other man, but notably omitted her own, the corners of her lips curled slightly.

"Is she jealous because I'm holding this little younger brother?"

Nazha laughed inwardly, a sense of mischief rising within her.

In the entertainment industry,

The greatest enemy is often not someone else, but the artist running on the same track as yourself.

If you are a "vase," so am I.

Who's afraid of whom!

"There's clearly already someone in your bowl, yet you're still staring at the pot. You bad woman!"

Nazha straightened her back with righteous indignation, taking the initiative to strike up a conversation with Gu Qing, completely casting the "Labraka" beside her to the back of her mind.

"What on earth is this xxxx trying to do?!"

Witnessing everything, Yang Ying was so angry her teeth nearly ground to dust, her smile frozen in a state of pure "stiffness."

"Hiss—"

Gu Qing, who had been responding to Nazha casually, suddenly felt an inexplicable shiver run down his spine.

"Could I really be catching a cold?"

He thought suspiciously.

As the boat pulled steadily to the shore,

Strangely, the originally overcast sky cleared up once again.

"As expected of the misty rains of Jiangnan; the weather changes in an instant."

Gu Qing looked up at the sky, a sense of sentimentality rising in his heart.

"Little brother, we're leaving now. Thanks for the boat~"

Nazha stood up, waving her slender arms, her voice bright and lively as she bid Gu Qing farewell.

"You're welcome."

Gu Qing smiled politely, just as he was about to raise his hand in response.

"Let's go, Qingqing."

Yang Ying grabbed his hand, her fingers interlocking tightly with his, her tone cold. "The mission is ahead."

Arriving in front of a field,

The director entered the proceedings, explaining the rules of the game

"Brothers, the Mysterious Water you have obtained is colorless and odorless; you cannot specifically distinguish which one is the true 'Water of True Love'!

Therefore, for the next task, the production team has arranged fifty large vats. Your female partners will also be hidden inside them.

Your mission is to find your female partner and carry them back to the starting point on your back. The first team to complete this will receive a High-Level Clue Card..."

"Qingqing..."

"Hmm?"

Yang Ying tugged at Gu Qing's sleeve, seemingly wanting to say something to him. He looked down in confusion.

"Cuckoo~ Cuckoo~"

"That's our secret signal. You must find me."

Yang Ying shielded the camera with her delicate hand and whispered into his ear, her breath like orchids, her fingertips grazing his burning earlobe almost imperceptibly.

In the distance, a whistle sounded, urging everyone to assemble,

Yet she lingered on the final syllable, her rose-colored lips barely brushing against the boy's earbone.

"I... I understand."

Gu Qing turned his head to escape the soft palm pressed against his ear. His breathing quickened, his nose filled with the sweet, cloying scent of perfume.

It wasn't until the rules were finished being explained that

Several men in black took all five girls away, dispersing them into the flower field.

The game officially began!

The five men scattered, launching a carpet-style search.

The large vats were all covered with bamboo hats,

From the outside alone, it was impossible to see what was inside; one had to lift the hat to know for sure if someone was hidden within.

On the other side,

The "Big Black Bull" Li Chen quickly lifted the first bamboo hat.

Upon discovering someone was hidden in the vat, just as he was ecstatic, thinking the Goddess of Luck had favored him—

"Splash—"

A ladle of cold water poured down, shattering his unrealistic fantasies.

Wang Baoqiang and Wang Zhulan suffered the same fate, being drenched from head to toe, leaving them feeling chilled to the bone.

Deng Chao, however, was quite interesting. After lifting a hat and dodging the water splashed by an auntie, he began to gloat with a cheeky grin.

"Hehe, missed me."

"Auntie, are you angry?"

"Hey, missed again!"

"Hahaha—SPLASH!!"

This infuriated the auntie inside the vat so much that she lunged her legs out of the vat, successfully splashing the water from her ladle directly into Deng Chao's face.

"Auntie, you play like this too?"

Deng Chao wiped the water from his face with a bewildered expression, making the surrounding passersby burst into laughter.

……

Meanwhile,

From the very beginning, Gu Qing ignored the large vats in front of him and headed straight for the ones in the back.

Occasionally, he would lift a hat and get splashed twice, just to ensure he got enough screen time.

"Cuckoo~ Cuckoo~"

When he reached the end of the flower field, the sound of a "Cuckoo bird" came from a bamboo hat on his left.

"Sister Baby!"

Gu Qing's expression brightened. He jogged forward and lifted the hat in front of the vat.

"Qingqing, you're finally here."

Baby reached out aggrievedly. "It's too stuffy in here."

"Come out first."

Gu Qing still maintained a sense of propriety. Facing an obvious "hug me" posture, he merely supported the Big Baby's arms to help her out of the vat.

"Sister Baby, hurry up and get up. Brother Chao has already found Sister Nazha."

Gu Qing pointed ahead; Old Deng was already setting off with Nazha on his back.

"Qingqing, quick, quick, quick! We can't lose to them!"

Yang Ying lightly hopped onto Gu Qing's back. Her straight legs, wrapped in denim, instinctively moved to wrap around his waist.

Fortunately,

The Big Baby reacted in time, her pretty face flushing red as she pressed against the boy's back, allowing Gu Qing to hold her behind the knees with both hands as he sprinted forward.

Almost one after the other,

The two teams arrived at the starting point simultaneously.

But instead of the expected reward, Lu Hao said with a mischievous grin, "To obtain the final clue card, you must complete a game of eating a biscuit mouth-to-mouth.

Remember, the remaining piece of the biscuit cannot exceed one centimeter. If it does, the attempt is void."

As soon as he finished speaking,

"Eating a biscuit mouth-to-mouth?!"

Deng Chao held his biscuit, stunned like a wooden chicken,

And couldn't help but wail at the camera: "Director, I am a married man!"

His "Empress" at home would definitely be watching this program.

Beside him, Nazha could only smile awkwardly.

When she played the role of a "breakup master," she had a deep understanding of how obedient Old Deng became when tamed by his wife.

The moment filming ended, he didn't dare even approach her; even when speaking, he kept his distance to avoid any suspicion.

……

But was Deng Chao the only one struggling?

"One centimeter is too short. Director, can you add some length?"

Gu Qing was also at a loss, with terrible images involuntarily flashing through his mind.

"No."

Lu Hao refused ruthlessly, while simultaneously signaling to the Big Baby with his eyes, "Don't forget your persona."

"Qingqing, come on."

Yang Ying gave a shy smile, her porcelain-white teeth biting into the biscuit, aiming the other end toward Gu Qing.

The two looked into each other's eyes.

Gu Qing wanted to close his eyes in panic, but fearing he would eat too much, he could only lower his gaze, staring at the position of the biscuit as his mouth moved forward inch by inch.

"Oh~~"

Outside the camera, the staff had already gathered in a crowd. Some young girls covered their mouths, their eyes sparkling, unable to hide their excitement at the gossip.

Romantic music and pink bubbles seemed to play in the air as the two drew closer.

In the distance,

Nazha also felt a bit sour watching, yet she desperately wanted to keep watching.

The handsome man and beautiful woman made it seem as if the tropes of an idol drama had been brought to life.

What should she do?

This lady wants to fall in love too!

Just then,

The mood-killer arrived.

"Quick, quick, quick, the biscuit!!"

The "Big Black Bull" panted heavily as he set Xie Yilin down.

After a brief understanding of the rules,

Li Chen stuffed the biscuit directly into his mouth, and Xie Yilin bit down fiercely on the other end.

"Shua shua shua—"

As if playing at double speed, the two showed no hesitation about whether they would kiss; they were all about efficiency.

In less than a second, the biscuit was almost bitten into crumbs.

"Director!!"

Li Chen shouted.

"0.2 centimeters. Challenge successful."

After Lu Hao finished measuring with a ruler, he was completely speechless.

Are you two here to kiss or to eat biscuits?

"Phew, the second place isn't bad either."

Hearing that Li Chen had finished, Gu Qing bit through his biscuit, with at least two centimeters remaining.

But how could Lu Hao let him have his way?

"Li Chen and Xie Yilin have completed the task and obtained the High-Level Clue Card. The remaining teams must re-compete.

Only the 2nd place to complete the task will obtain a Mid-Level Clue Card!"

Lu Hao dropped the bombshell.

"Re-compete??"

……

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(End of Chapter)