Bai Xingyu saw the wedding rings on both of their hands, raised an eyebrow, and looked at Sheng Yi, asking, “Is this yours?”
Sheng Yi introduced with a smile, “He is my boyfrie–“
Rong Yu glanced at him lightly, and Sheng Yi immediately corrected himself, “He is my partner, a psychiatrist.”
[“Really!!”]
[” Doctor Rong expression just now, hahaha”]
[“It seems like Teacher Sheng secret is out”]
[“Ah, they are such a great match”]
Pei Shinian was taken aback.
He always thought Teacher Sheng had a wife, but he didn’t expect him to be in a same-sex relationship.
Suddenly, he realized something and looked at the three couples around him, his expression gradually numb: “…”
This is unbelievable; he has really stumbled into the set of a romantic TV series…
Song Jianchu was also a bit surprised.
He knew the two seniors had a good relationship, but he didn’t expect it to be this kind of relationship.
Song Jianchu quickly composed himself and organized, “Let’s go in and put our luggage first, then we’ll explore the ranch together and assign tasks.”
Inside the ranch, there was a sizable white wooden house with four dorm rooms, each having two single beds.
Pei Shinian had his own room, and the others shared one room each.
Once they entered the dorm, Mu Ye pushed the two single beds together and directly pulled Song Jianchu onto the bed, embracing him.
While the employees settled in their respective rooms for a short rest, the two finally had some time alone.
Mu Ye held him for a while, then turned over and kissed him, holding him close.
This time, Mu Ye quickly slipped his tongue between Song Jianchu’s lips, and he closed his eyes to go along with it, allowing Mu Ye to passionately and tenderly kiss him.
It had been so long since they were this intimate, and after a few minutes, Song Jianchu couldn’t take it anymore. He pushed Mu Ye away, his face flushing, and said in a hoarse voice, “We should gather now.”
Mu Ye’s breathing was already heavy, and he didn’t continue. Instead, he tightly embraced Song Jianchu for another two minutes.
After calming down, Mu Ye suddenly asked, “What wish did you make on your birthday?”
Song Jianchu smiled, “You know you’re not supposed to ask.”
“Others can’t ask,” Mu Ye said, “But I can.”
Song Jianchu was a bit lazy to respond, “Why?”
Mu Ye affectionately kissed his earlobe and chuckled softly, “Because I’m your boyfriend.”
There was nothing he couldn’t say, so Song Jianchu whispered, “I want to find the gift my parents gave me. I lost it.”
Mu Ye ruffled his hair and asked, “What was it?”
“A Shetland pony,” Song Jianchu said, “It was sold many years ago, and I don’t know where it is now.”
“Did they give you the birthday gift?”
“Yes.”
Mu Ye fell silent for a moment and asked gently, “Do you have any pictures of it?”
“There should be some in my childhood album,” Song Jianchu said regretfully, “but I can’t find that album either.”
Even if there were pictures, he had searched for so many years without any results.
Song Jianchu recalled and said, “It was a white, long-haired Shetland pony with a black duck-shaped marking on its side.”
Mu Ye raised an eyebrow, “A duck-shaped marking?”
“Yes.” Song Jianchu used his fingertip to draw a simple duck shape in Mu Ye’s palm, “Like this.”
Mu Ye remembered it and affectionately nuzzled his neck, saying, “Brother, I’ll help you find it. Whatever you want, I’ll find it for you.”
The task was too challenging, with no leads to follow, like finding a needle in a haystack.
But upon hearing Mu Ye’s promise, Song Jianchu surprisingly started to harbor unrealistic expectations.
Ten minutes later, they gathered outside to visit the ranch together.
The ranch housed a variety of animals, and there were usually tourists visiting, mostly parents bringing their children to get close to nature and the small animals.
“There are even rabbits!” Pei Shinian was overwhelmed by the adorable rabbits scattered around, taking pictures with his phone. “Rabbits are so cute; I’ve always wanted to have one.”
Bai Xingyu found animals with eyes on the sides of their heads strange; he didn’t like rabbits or fish.
He furrowed his brows and stood at a distance. “What’s cute about them? They look scary.”
Pei Shinian looked puzzled as he picked up a rabbit. “Brother Xing, are you afraid of rabbits?”
“Who said I’m afraid.” Bai Xingyu hesitated for a moment and gave him a cautious look. “Stay away, just play by yourself.”
Lu Shen took a step forward, blocking Pei Shinian and the rabbit, and said indifferently, “Keep your distance and play on your own.”
“Oh.” Pei Shinian hugged the rabbit affectionately and walked away.
[“Seriously, after watching these episodes, I feel like these two acting teachers are acting oddly.”]
[“Sister in front, you’re not alone!”]
[“Hehe, I’ve been secretly shipping them for a long time, I ship this couple!”]
Sheng Yi squatted down and petted the little white rabbit, “Xiao Yu, shall we get a rabbit too? They bounce around and are so much fun.”
“You go to exhibitions every day, do you have time to take care of it?” Rong Yu’s cold expression held some imperceptible resentment. “I’m the one taking care of Ares.”
Ares was the pet dog they raised together, a golden retriever.
“Oh, but Ares is ‘mine,’ so it wouldn’t be fair if I raised it. Xiao Yu, let’s treat it as me giving you a second child,” Sheng Yi looked up and said cheerfully.
Rong Yu’s ears turned slightly red, and he averted his gaze unnaturally. “…Outside, don’t talk nonsense.”
Sheng Yi’s eyes brightened, pleading, “Brother Xiao Yu, I want a rabbit.”
Rong Yu sighed helplessly, “We’ll talk about it when we go back.”
Sheng Yi caressed the little rabbit, his lips curled up in triumph.
[“Ah, they’re so sweet together”]
[“Teacher Sheng is really good at this”]
[“Hehe, Doctor Rong is so doting”]
The rabbit enclosure was quite simple and not convenient to clean. Song Jianchu lowered his head and noted the facilities that needed refurbishing in his notebook.
Mu Ye glanced at the two beside him, turned his head, and held his boyfriend’s hand, asking expectantly, “Chu Chu, do you want–“
“No.” Before he could finish, Song Jianchu already knew what Mu Ye wanted to say and calmly interrupted, “We already have too many animals at home.”
Mu Ye looked regretful but gave up quickly. “True.”
A sudden change in tone made the barrage laugh.
[“Hahaha, poor Teacher Mu”]
[“Teacher Mu: I lost this round”]
[“Why not let the son take care of it? Mu Mu, oh no, Teacher Mu is so adorable”]
[“I get it now, it’s clear who’s in charge of the family”]
[“Hahaha, the wife is in charge!”]
After visiting the sheepfold, cowshed, stables, chicken coop, and duck enclosure, they discovered that the ranch even raised prairie dogs and guinea pigs.
Pei Shinian was shocked. “My goodness, how many animals do they have here??”
“Feeding them alone will take up most of the day,” Bai Xingyu had already predicted his assignment.
Mu Ye looked thoughtfully at the distant sheep herd. “We’ll also learn how to herd sheep.”
[“Haha, Teacher Mu seems to be obsessed with sheep”]
[“Teacher Mu favorite is sheep?”]
[“Sheep are indeed adorable!”]
“Do we also have to milk cows?” Sheng Yi looked at the cows and was eager to try. “Leader, I’d like to apply for the position of milking cows in advance.”
Rong Yu asked, “Do you know how?”
“I can learn,” Sheng Yi said confidently, “With Teacher Xiao Yu here, there’s nothing I can’t learn.”
Rong Yu chuckled. “I can’t teach you this.”
With the basic information gathered, Song Jianchu closed the notebook and held it in his hand. He said, “Let’s go back for a meeting and assign positions.”
They returned to the work area and sat down at the table, each with a cup of hot coffee in front of them.
Song Jianchu distributed ranch animal care manuals and said, “Teacher Bai and Teacher Lu will be in charge of preparing daily animal feed. Is that okay?”
“That’s fine.” Bai Xingyu accepted his fate. “In the ranch, I’m still attached to the kitchen.”
Lu Shen had no objections. “Sure.”
Song Jianchu nodded and continued, “Teacher Pei will be responsible for guiding tourists and cleaning the small animal enclosures in the morning and evening. We will all clean the enclosures of the larger animals together.”
“A tour guide?” Pei Shinian was satisfied with this position. “It’s another front-facing role; I can do it.”
Song Jianchu looked at the two flight guests. “Teacher Sheng and Teacher Rong will be in charge of processing secondary ranch products, mainly the milk from cows and sheep sold to visitors. This involves collecting, disinfecting, and bottling.”
Sheng Yi nodded in approval. “No problem, leave it to us.”
Rong Yu also nodded.
“Teacher Mu and I will be responsible for daily feeding and management of the animals on the ranch.” Song Jianchu looked at Mu Ye and, symbolically, asked, “Teacher Mu, is that okay?”
Mu Ye and Song Jianchu leaned against each other’s arms, their eyes filled with affection. “As long as I can be the leader’s little assistant, I’ll do anything.”
Song Jianchu remained composed and noted it down on the duty roster.
The fixed members were already used to this and didn’t pay much attention. Sheng Yi, who hadn’t watched the first three episodes, turned his head in confusion.
The two flight guests looked at the “King of Music” with complex expressions.
[“The Leader’s Little Assistant”]
[“Oh no, Teacher Sheng is confused. Just get used to it.”]
[“So, the previous interviews with the son were in vain.”]
[“Mu Ye, calm down.”]
[“They’re already together, yet still like this.”]
[“Hahaha, Teacher Sheng, you’re so shameless.”]
[“Some people can’t stand not being affectionate with their boyfriends.”]
As they arrived in the morning, the operations began quickly on the first day. The employees started their tasks according to their designated roles.
Just as they were about to set off, they noticed a private car parked in the parking area. Surprisingly, some early bird tourists had already arrived—a family of three, with the child looking very excited.
The director, Cui, reminded them, “Some tourists have arrived; we need to check their tickets and receive them.”
“So soon?” Pei Shinian was taken aback. “But I’m not ready yet.”
Bai Xingyu suggested, “Can we make them wait for a while?”
Sheng Yi said, “They’ve already come all the way here; it wouldn’t be nice to keep them waiting.”
Mu Ye added, “We can invite them to have a hot drink while they wait.”
Calmly, Song Jianchu said, “There’s no need to make them wait. Let’s check their tickets first. Usually, tourists explore the ranch on their own using the ranch map. There’s a stock of animal feed available at the feeding window, which is sold at the designated price. Everyone, proceed with your usual preparations.”
“All right, you guys don’t need to worry about it; go and do your tasks. I’ll take care of this,” Pei Shinian said enthusiastically as he rushed over to greet the family. “Hello, everyone, and hello to the little one.”
The others dispersed to their respective work areas.
The family had come here for a trip and had purchased day tickets for the ranch online well in advance. The parents weren’t very active online, so they had no idea that the place was currently filming a TV program.
Seeing the filming scene and the familiar faces of celebrities, the young couple looked at each other in surprise and felt a bit awkward about being on camera.
Fortunately, Pei Shinian’s friendliness quickly dispelled their nervousness, and they became happy instead.
[“You have to admit, the leader is really good at assigning roles, and Nian Nian fits his role perfectly.”]
[“So, can we see the cool helicopter pilot in this episode?”]
[“I want to see the air drop!”]
Song Jianchu stayed behind and watched as the first group of tourists started their self-guided tour smoothly. Then, he relaxed and moved together with Mu Ye to let the sheep out to graze, taking the other half that was still locked in the sheepfold.
They also contacted the construction team to start the repair and reconstruction of some neglected facilities.
The ranch owner couldn’t bear to leave, worried that the newcomers might not manage the ranch well.
This ranch didn’t usually attract many tourists, as the industry was highly competitive, and the secondary products didn’t sell well. The business was barely breaking even and was on the verge of closing down. The ranch owner saw this opportunity as a chance for free publicity.
When the owner learned that Song Jianchu was willing to invest in repairing the ranch, he was very grateful.
While Song Jianchu was contacting the construction team, Mu Ye took out his phone and messaged a friend who owned a private horse ranch, asking if there was any possibility of finding that little pony.
[Liu Zong: There aren’t many people in China who raise Shetland ponies; I’ll ask around for you.]
[MY: Thanks.]
[Liu Zong: But the one you mentioned, with the duck-shaped marking, sounds familiar to me.]
[MY: Is there a picture of it?]
[Liu Zong: I don’t have a picture, but let me try to get one for you. But if it really is that pony, it might be challenging to acquire.]
[MY: The price doesn’t matter.]
[Liu Zong: Hahaha, I know that Teacher Mu isn’t short on money, but the owner is also a wealthy person. I remember that it was a birthday gift for his little daughter. They’ve been together for almost ten years and have developed a bond; he might not be willing to part with it.]
The timing matched.
Mu Ye bit his lip.
[Liu Zong: [Photo]]
[Liu Zong: Take a look; is this the one?]
In the photo, there was indeed a black duck-shaped marking on the side of the horse, almost identical to the one Song Jianchu drew in Mu Ye’s palm.
Mu Ye was almost certain it was the one.
[Liu Zong: I asked just now, but they have no intention of selling it.]
[Liu Zong: If it’s not essential, I don’t recommend you spend a fortune to get it. I can find a prettier Shetland pony for you. This one is quite ordinary, except for the unique marking.]
Mu Ye looked up and coincidentally ended his call, meeting Song Jianchu’s clear eyes. “Teacher Mu, let’s go shepherd the sheep.”
At some point, a smile would unconsciously appear on the boys’ faces, and their previous usual cold expressions became rare.
Mu Ye smiled faintly. [It’s essential.]
[MY: It’s my proposal gift.]