CH 35.2

As they were talking, the vehicle gradually started to move.

Su Chengyang and Han Songxue chatted casually while Tan Qi slept the whole time without opening her eyes.

After arriving at the destination, the program team arranged for the guests to get off the car.

Su Chengyang raised her head and glanced out of the car window. The car had stopped at the back of an old-fashioned building, resembling a small courtyard surrounded by several parked vehicles, which looked like a parking lot.

“We have arrived,” Su Chengyang said, waking up Han Songxue who had been sleeping on her shoulder.

“Really?” Han Songxue asked confusedly, wiping the corner of her mouth where there was no drool and looking outside.

“Where is this?”

“I don’t know. Let’s get off first.”

While Su Chengyang was speaking, Tan Qi had already opened the car door and got out, followed by Qin You, and Su Chengyang was the last one to leave.

After all nine guests had gotten off the vehicle, they stood in the middle of the courtyard, curiously looking around. Su Chengyang faintly smelled a fragrant smell, which was very tempting but she didn’t know where it was coming from, and it successfully stirred up her appetite.

The assistant director held a megaphone as usual and introduced their location to everyone. Everything was normal, and the guests’ behavior was just like before, as if they had not been influenced by Tan Qi.

This relaxed atmosphere invisibly reduced the pressure on Tan Qi and finally brought a smile to her face.

Everyone tacitly maintained their usual appearance, not giving Tan Qi any extra attention.

“Do you all know what are the characteristics of Sichuan?” the assistant director asked.

Su Chengyang was still wondering where the scent was coming from when the assistant director spoke. She was completely unaware of what was being said.

“Mahjong!”

“Tea!”

“Seems like there’s also Sichuan embroidery?”

“Sichuan’s specialty must have hot pot.”

As soon as Su Chengyang heard the words “hot pot,” her attention was immediately drawn back and her eyes lit up.

“What hot pot? Is the program team inviting us to eat hot pot?”

The assistant director raised his eyebrows, “Miss Su, do you only hear food in your ears and nothing else?”

Perhaps because there were some clips of Su Chengyang in the previous two episodes that garnered higher ratings, the program team kept cueing her, trying to create more camera shots.

Su Chengyang innocently replied, “No, my ears just selectively block out some unimportant words.”

Everyone laughed out loud.

The assistant director looked at her with a half-smile and said, “Your manager, Mr. Lin, is not here for this episode. It seems like you’re very bold and can do anything you want.”

Su Chengyang said, “What are you talking about? When have I ever done anything out of line?”

The assistant director coldly snorted, “Then tell me, besides the previously mentioned specialties, what else does Sichuan have?”

Su Chengyang immediately replied, “There’s Dan Dan noodles, bobo chicken, sour and spicy noodles, skewers…”

Seeing that Su Chengyang was about to recite the entire recipe book, the assistant director quickly interrupted, “Besides food!”

“Besides food, pandas?”

The assistant director gave her a “barely letting you off” look and threw the question to the next person.

When it was Qi Fu’s turn, he stood up tall and proud and exclaimed, “Henpecked husband1!”

Everyone was confused, as most of them were from northern regions and didn’t understand the local dialect. They all looked at Qi Fu in puzzlement.

Seeing that the others didn’t understand, Qi Fu explained, “It means a man who is afraid of his wife. Don’t you guys go online?”

Song Mingan suddenly realized and said, “Afraid of one’s wife, why are you so proud?”

Qi Fu replied, “You don’t understand. This is the romance of us Sichuan and Chongqing men. We listen to our wives for everything.”

“Are you from Sichuan?” Su Chengyang asked in surprise.

Qi Fu scratched his head in embarrassment when he saw everyone looking at him, “Don’t I look like it? I haven’t been back in a long time.”

“I’ve been wanting to ask for a long time. Do men really cook in your Sichuan and Chongqing region?”

“This is a rare phenomenon, not a common one. At least not in the families around me. But my mother does like to teach me how to cook,” Qi Fu shook his head.

“Which hotpot in Sichuan is the best?”

“How do you say ‘I love you’ in Sichuan dialect?”

“I heard that when people in Sichuan speak in a confrontational way, they like to use reduplication in their words?”

“By the way, what do you call a cup2 in your region?”

Faced with a series of questions coming one after another, Qi Fu answered each one of them.

“Cup cup3.”

Everyone: “…”

“What is the lid4 called?”

“The lid lid5.” Qi Fu said seriously.

Everyone suppressed their laughter.

“Fruit peel6?”

“Peel peel7.”

“Steamed bun8?”

“Bun bun9.”

Su Chengyang looked surprised: “What about meat10? What do you call it?”

“…Quack11.”

“Pfft一”

Someone burst out laughing, and soon the entire courtyard was filled with laughter.

It’s just… a muscular man with a serious expression and sincere tone, using cute words that sound really funny. The scene is really amusing.

“Help me… it’s so fun. I’m definitely going to marry a Sichuan man in the future!”

“Why is he so adorable?”

“What about when you guys curse at others?”

Qi Fu knew what they wanted to hear and reluctantly said, “My ancestor banban12.”

“Hahaha…director, he used foul language! Deduct his pay, deduct his pay!”

The assistant director’s face turned as black as a pot bottom, thinking, “Do you still see me as the assistant director?”

Su Chengyang can distract your attention with just a few words!

Tan Qi stood in the midst of the crowd, looking at their relaxed and cheerful appearance, with a hint of bitterness at the corners of her mouth.

Every place has good and bad people, but unfortunately she cannot judge character well, and has encountered not-so-good people.

The phone in her bag suddenly vibrated, and Tan Qi’s expression froze as her body tensed up instantly.

The devil has come to torment her again.

The vibration of the phone is like a death curse.

Tan Qi pinched her fingertips hard into her palm, only the sharp pain could keep her temporarily sane.

The assistant director redirected the topic, and everyone fell silent. Tan Qi hung up the phone.

Since the first episode of the program, the program team has not taken away their entertainment tools.

“After a morning of running around, you must be hungry. Behind you is a long-established hot pot restaurant, which is where you’ll have lunch.”

After the incident in the previous episode, everyone was full of distrust towards the program team. Upon hearing the assistant director’s words, none of them showed any joy. Even Su Chengyang had a face full of suspicion.

“Are you trying to pull the same trick again?”

“I’m telling you, we definitely won’t fall for it easily again.”

Thinking of the scene where they were yelling and selling seafood at the seafood market in the previous episode, everyone felt a chill in their hearts.

It wasn’t because selling things made them lose face, but just imagine that kind of scene. Even if they were a group of unknowns, there were still many people who came to join in the fun. Their mouths didn’t stop all day, and they caused many mishaps in the end.

The assistant director pouted, “Your attitude is very hurtful to us.”

Han Songxue replied, “Hehe.”

“Hehe.”

“Hehe.”

The assistant director awkwardly cleared his throat, “Don’t overthink it, this time the program team is treating everyone. It’s just like before, we need to play a little game before dinner.”

Su Chengyang’s face was expressionless, “It’s not like the last time, where we had to guess the song to sit down and eat, right?”

Han Songxue said, “That’s not okay. Aren’t you guys bullying Su Chengyang?”

“Of course not, let’s all go inside the restaurant and get ready.”

The staff carried the equipment and moved Su Chengyang’s group to a new location, giving the guests some free time.

When Su Chengyang finished washing her hands and came out, she saw Tan Qi standing alone by the window in the hallway outside the restroom.

She seemed to be on the phone and was very emotional, not noticing anyone behind her.

Su Chengyang didn’t want to pry into other people’s privacy, but as she was about to leave, she heard her lose control and say, “If you dare to go find Ding Ding, don’t even think about getting a single penny!”

Su Chengyang’s footsteps hesitated as she subconsciously looked back.

After Tan Qi finished speaking, she realized her voice was too loud and anxiously turned her head, meeting Su Chengyang’s gaze.

In that moment, she froze and tears welled up in her eyes.

Su Chengyang’s heart tightened and she wanted to say something, but Tan Qi had already turned her head away.

She hastily said something on the phone and decisively hung up, turning around to walk towards Su Chengyang.

Su Chengyang stood in place, unsure whether to leave directly.

“Chengyang, did you hear?”

Tan Qi wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and forced a smile at Su Chengyang.

Su Chengyang’s expression was complicated as she nodded, “I’m sorry, I was just passing by.”

Tan Qi shook her head, unable to stop her tears from flowing, “Can you… keep it a secret for now?”

Looking at her, Su Chengyang felt a little uncomfortable. Tan Qi had always been seen as a gentle older sister figure in her heart and had never shown her emotional side before. Her emotions must have been building up to a certain degree for her to act like this.

Su Chengyang silently nodded her head but couldn’t help saying, “Sister Tan Qi, if you’re being threatened, money isn’t the best solution. It will only make the other person more ruthless and ultimately destroy you… and your family.”

In fact, upon hearing Tan Qi’s words, Su Chengyang could probably guess what was going on.

The other party probably had Tan Qi’s handle and was forcing her to exchange it for money, possibly related to the “Ding Ding” Tan Qi mentioned.

To put it bluntly, Su Chengyang had seen this kind of thing a lot in the entertainment industry. As public figures, something insignificant to ordinary people could be fatal to them. In order to survive in the entertainment industry, they had no choice but to use money to suppress many things.

After listening to Su Chengyang’s words, Tan Qi gave a bitter smile and said, “Do you think I don’t know? It’s just that if this is exposed, my… my career in the entertainment industry will be ruined.”

Su Chengyang fell silent, “If you really think like that, then be prepared to be entangled by the other person for a lifetime.”

Tan Qi’s expression stiffened, and she smiled bitterly, “Chengyang, did you learn bad things from Songxue?”

Su Chengyang smiled and said, “No, I just think that sometimes the simplest solution is to speak directly about the problem.”

“Sister, time is running out. Let’s go back first.”

Tan Qi looked deeply at Su Chengyang and couldn’t help but find it amusing, “Okay, let’s go back.”

When they returned to the room, everyone was inside except for the two of them.

Tan Qi’s eyes were red and she was immediately spotted as she entered.

Among all the guests, He Xu and Tan Qi had the closest relationship. When she saw her following Su Chengyang with red eyes, she sighed quietly.

As they sat down in the seats arranged by the program group, each person had a small hot pot in front of them, steaming with heat.

However, there were no side dishes on their table. All the side dishes were on a large table not far away, and it didn’t seem like they were going to be served directly.

Seeing that no one had reacted, Su Chengyang quietly lowered her head and made a dish for herself. She quickly grabbed some tripe and fatty beef, which were easy to cook.

“I’m just saying, are you guys lacking morality? You guys gave us the hot pot but no side dishes. Are we supposed to just drink the soup?” Han Songxue frowned and complained.

The key is that they didn’t eat much on the plane in the morning, and now there’s something to eat, but they can smell and see it, but can’t eat it.

“What’s the rush? Didn’t we say we’re going to play a game? If you win, you can eat whatever you want and how much you want.”

Jiang Shanqi glanced towards Su Chengyang, “Hurry up, Su Chengyang is about to cry from hunger.”

Su Chengyang: “…”

“Okay, okay, we won’t make it difficult for everyone today. Let’s play a small game, <I Have, You Have Not>.”

“If someone mentions something they have done, you put down one finger. When all players lose their five fingers, the remaining player is the winner and can choose a dish for each player present. No matter what dish the player chooses, the other guests must eat it, except for special circumstances such as being allergic to vegetables.”

At the last sentence, he deliberately looked towards Su Chengyang.

Su Chengyang was helpless. She had originally come to enjoy the trip and reduce her visibility to the minimum, but the program crew kept cueing her, fearing that she would have too few shots.

Su Chengyang cooperated well. She raised the hand holding the chopsticks and asked, “Assistant Director, what should I do if I’m allergic to vegetables?”

Everyone: “?”

The assistant director gave her a disdainful look, “Do you want me to pull out the footage from the first episode where you said you loved vegetables?”

“Oh, right.” The assistant director suddenly smiled maliciously, “I believe that after spending so much time together, everyone knows each other quite well and is willing to cater to each other’s preferences. Don’t forget that Chengyang loves vegetables the most. If you win, please help her choose some more.”

Su Chengyang looked up in shock with a resistant expression on her face.

Everyone teased her:

“Since it’s what Chengyang likes, then I’ll definitely cater to her preferences.”

“Su Chengyang, get ready to accept your sister’s feeding of love.”

“No way!”

The staff turned down the heat to a minimum, keeping the hotpot at a low boil.

“Everyone, let’s just一”

“Song Mingan, shut up.”

Song Mingan remained silent.

“You’re all ganging up on me!”

Su Chengyang could relate, saying, “They gang up on me too!”

“The assistant director can start now, we’re all hungry.”

Qi Fu didn’t know where he find an apron, tied it around his body, sat properly in his seat, and looked like a diligent student.

“Okay, let’s start with Qin You.”

The assistant director pointed to Qin You, who was sitting on the far left.

Qin You raised five fingers and frowned, thinking for a moment before saying, “I am still less than two months away from becoming an adult.”

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a gasp from those around her.

“Are you being so ruthless right from the start?”

“Xiaoyou, do you know that what you just said is particularly provocative?”

“Youth is really great.”

Everyone except Qin You sacrificed one finger.

Qin You smiled at them and said, “Sorry about that.”

The person sitting next to her is Shen Fu, still wearing his black duckbill cap. He said, “I have over two hundred caps that are exactly the same as this one.”

Everyone: “…”

Han Songxue was indignant and said, “You’re so cruel.”

Tan Qi and Su Chengyang sacrificed a finger each.

Jiang Shanqi said, “I have a bag of the same brand. There are about 200 of them, that should count, right?”

The assistant director nodded, “Yes, you don’t need to fold.”

When it was He Xu’s turn, she said lightly, “I used to be a stunt double.”

Everyone: “…”

Unfortunately, before it was Su Chengyang’s turn, all five of her fingers had bravely sacrificed themselves. She could only watch them play the game without any sense of participation.

The key was that she hadn’t eaten yet and could only wait for them to sacrifice one by one, until only one person was left.

To everyone’s surprise, the winner turned out to be Han Songxue!

This guy deserved to be in a girl group, she had done all sorts of strange things.

When it was her turn to distribute dishes to everyone, she looked at Su Chengyang with malicious intent and deliberately picked a plate of lush lettuce from a table full of all kinds of delicacies and put it on Su Chengyang’s table.

Su Chengyang squinted at her, and Han Songxue looked innocent.

Su Chengyang gritted her teeth and threatened, “You just wait for me.”

Han Songxue shrugged it off and retorted, “Shut up, you who hasn’t even said a word in the game!”

However, Han Songxue wasn’t specifically targeting Su Chengyang. Under her supervision, the dishes given to each guest were a bit abnormal, except for herself who took a large plate of fatty beef and happily swished it in the hot pot while provocatively staring at everyone.

At that moment, all the guests reached a consensus in their hearts: they must not let Han Songxue win again!

Su Chengyang was so hungry that she put some lettuce in the pot and gnawed on the rest, considering it an appetizer.

“The second round begins一”

“At this rate, we won’t finish eating until tonight,” Song Mingan commented.

Su Chengyang nodded in agreement.

He Xu proposed, “Why don’t we try to eliminate the others by having the first five people say something impossible about themselves, and then reasonably distribute the food among the remaining guests?”

Su Chengyang agreed, “Makes sense!”

The assistant director didn’t stop their plan and called out Qi Fu from the other side.

“I’m from Sichuan.”

The others sacrificed a finger each.

Next was Jiang Shanqi: “I paid to get on the show.”

Everyone: “…”

Can she even say that?