Late at night, all the cameras were covered, the curtains were not fully drawn, and the light from the street lamp shone on the glass, faintly revealing a small mound on the bed in the room.
At this time, everyone should be asleep, but Jiang Mo was still awake, hiding under the blanket and watching videos.
During the texting segment last night, what Jiang Ying said was very strange. Jiang Mo didn’t dare to ask Jiang Ying for more details, but finding the answer was simple.
Since the program was broadcast live, as long as he had a cellphone, he could clearly see the updates of other participants.
Jiang Mo opened the live broadcast feed. After midnight, there weren’t many people in the live stream room anymore. No one wanted to spend the whole night staring at a pitch-black room.
Jiang Mo rewound the progress several times before finally finding Jiang Ying’s footage.
A guy wearing a black coat knocked on Jiang Ying’s door. Jiang Ying opened the door, and the guy had a hat on, making it hard to see his face.
“Hello, Teacher Jiang. This is a gift from Teacher Jiang Mo for you.”
Jiang Ying was stunned. It was obvious that he was shocked that Jiang Mo would send him a cake.
Even Jiang Mo himself was shocked.
He didn’t know this guy in the black clothes, nor had he asked anyone to buy a cake for Jiang Ying. Who did this?
The question had just arisen, and in the next second, a name popped into Jiang Mo’s mind—Chi Yu.
Different varieties of cakes from Brand X come with different styles of cake boxes. Without needing to look at the logo, you could easily tell which brand the cake belonged to with just a glance.
The cake Jiang Ying received was from Brand X. He had never been to City B, yet tonight he received a cake from Chi Yu. The person who sent the cake could only be Chi Yu.
Chi Yu sent the cake to Jiang Ying in his name…
It was possible that it wasn’t just Jiang Ying. Jiang Mo didn’t know why he had this thought, but as soon as it came to him, he slid the progress bar back.
Sure enough, the guy in black knocked on the doors of the other participants just like he did with Jiang Ying. The dialogue was identical.
Jiang Mo stared blankly, thinking back to when Chi Yu left the restaurant, carrying a larger-sized cake box.
Chi Yu said the cake was for him as well, to be distributed freely.
Jiang Mo didn’t think much of it at the time and put the cake in the fridge, planning to eat it the next day.
Now he realized that Chi Yu’s words were thought-provoking.
Chi Yu agreed to let him distribute the cake freely. In Chi Yu’s name, he gave the cake to others, and those who were unaware would think he voluntarily shared the cake with everyone.
Just like Jiang Ying, everyone who received the cake was surprised, and Jiang Ying was the first one to come and express gratitude to him.
The awkwardness from last night was resolved through this small gesture of goodwill from “Jiang Mo.”
There weren’t many comments in the replay of the livestream, occasional ones floated by, all praising Jiang Mo’s kindness.
Jiang Mo silently murmured to himself, “It’s not him who’s good.”
Unconsciously, it seemed that his haters had diminished, not as intense as when he first arrived. Some people thought he was good and even stood up for him when his haters mocked him.
Staring at the screen for a long time strained his eyes. Jiang Mo blinked uncomfortably, and the air he exhaled was trapped under the blanket, making him feel hot. He lowered the blanket, and
the cold air instantly invaded, causing his face to feel a cooling sensation.
Many people said he didn’t know how to be tactful because he liked to speak the truth, often offending people, and he didn’t know how to make amends. As a result, he didn’t have any genuine friends around him.
What happened to Ye Lin was not his fault, so he didn’t need to please others. He would never apologize proactively, or even do things to please the other participants.
Seeing the screen where Ye Lin reluctantly accepted the cake from the guy in black, saying “thank you” to the camera without enthusiasm, Jiang Mo suddenly tasted happiness and understood the benefits of this approach.
During the texting segment, Ye Lin had a sour expression. Most likely, it was because he received Jiang Mo’s cake.
It turned out that making some concessions was also a way of resistance.
…
Jiang Mo opened Weibo. This romance variety show had only been airing for a few days, but the level of discussion was frightening.
Late at night was the best time for netizens to surf the internet.
The hashtag #WhatDidChiYuSay# was trending in the top ten.
As long as it was a topic related to Chi Yu, regardless of the content, the buzz never subsided.
With bated breath, Jiang Mo cautiously clicked on the hashtag. To his surprise, there was no heated argument as he had imagined. The hot comments were all intensely discussing what Chi Yu had sent him. There were people criticizing him in the comments, but they were all drowned out by Chi Yu’s fans.
Jiang Mo found it strange because in his memory, the original host had once colluded with Chi Yu for hype, and Chi Yu’s fans had mercilessly berated him. But now, the situation seemed exceptionally harmonious. Why was that?
It wasn’t widespread insults, so Jiang Mo relaxed and started reading the comments:
[“They are already dating, right? With so many seats on the bus, why do they insist on squeezing into a corner? Are they exchanging secret messages between lovers? They even hide their texts from us, how unfair!”]
[“Did you all misunderstand? It’s a fact that Chi Yu treats Jiang Mo well, but Chi Yu also treats Lu Xuan well. I support Lu Xuan x Chi Yu. After all, they just ended their collaboration, and Lu Xuan is more likable.”]
[“If you watched tonight’s live broadcast, you definitely couldn’t say bad things about Lu Xuan. Chi Yu’s care for Lu Xuan is just a senior taking care of a junior. Chi Yu publicly stated that he only bought a cake for Jiang Mo!”]
[“What’s wrong with Jiang Mo? I think he’s super cute now!”]
[“Can Lu Xuan fans wake up a bit? Your father-son CP has long been over. I’ve never seen Chi Yu like this before. He definitely likes Jiang Mo.”]
Jiang Mo’s heartbeat accelerated in the quiet night. He and Chi Yu actually had a CP fanbase?
Moreover, most of the people in it were Chi Yu’s fans, while the rest liked them because of the show, along with a few fans of the original host.
Chi Yu x Jiang Mo.
Jiang Mo had never thought that his name would be associated with Chi Yu’s and that so many people would like them together.
Jiang Mo was truly puzzled. He followed a CP fanbase called “Yu Jiang” with an alternate account and posted a thread to express his confusion.
[“I’m not momo: Chi Yu is just taking care of Jiang Mo as a senior, it’s not that kind of liking. Are you all misunderstanding? I think this is not good and will cause trouble for Chi Yu.”]
There were too many new posts in the fanbase, and Jiang Mo thought he would have to wait a long time to get one or two replies. However, just half a minute after he posted it, there were dozens of replies.
[“Which anti-fan are you? Are you blind? Chi Yu doesn’t like Jiang Mo? I can’t even stand straight!”]
Jiang Mo: “……”
[“Can’t you see how obsessed Chi Yu is when he looks at Jiang Mo? He doesn’t look at anyone else like that. You’re really blind!”]
[“Are you a fan of Chi Yu? Chi Yingdi doesn’t have fans like you. Are you intentionally trying to bring him trouble? Chi Yu wouldn’t feel embarrassed at all. He wishes to be closer to Jiang Mo!”]
Jiang Mo: “????”
[“Sisters, this account is an alternate one. It’s obvious that someone is trying to cause trouble. Don’t argue with her, just report her!”]
Jiang Mo: “……”
A CP fan immediately jumped in and replied to Jiang Mo several times. Jiang Mo didn’t dare to retort and looked at the person’s profile picture with complicated eyes.
That fan used his picture as the profile picture.
He was being scolded by his own fan…
[“Do you understand? Chi Yu and Jiang Mo are a match made in heaven. They are meant to be together!”]
Dizzy and disoriented, Jiang Mo turned off the screen and relaxed, lying flat on the bed, staring blankly at the dim ceiling.
He didn’t deliberately create a stir with Chi Yu this time, really!
But his CP with Chi Yu inexplicably grew, and it was Chi Yu’s fans who led the charge…
It was too surreal.
Chi Yu wouldn’t misunderstand that he was behind all this, right? He definitely didn’t do such a thing! How could he dare to create hype with Chi Yu?
His head was throbbing, and Jiang Mo rolled around on the bed several times. Gradually, he calmed down and forgot about the words of the CP fans.
They were wrong. Chi Yu couldn’t possibly like him. It was all just for the show.
Yes, Chi Yu was a good senior, showing concern for him out of pity.
Chi Yu didn’t force him to do things he didn’t want to do, nor did he ask if he wanted to share the cake with others. Chi Yu silently did all these things on his behalf, even considering the audience’s perspective.
How could Chi Yu be so good? Jiang Mo didn’t know how to repay him for this kindness.
Jiang Mo set the alarm for 6:30, waking up half an hour earlier than usual.
He hurriedly went downstairs after washing up, and the hallway was quiet. The other participants were still sleeping.
Jiang Mo had slept late last night, so he was still in a daze when he went downstairs.
The temperature today was lower than yesterday. He stood at the doorstep and slapped his face in the direction of the cold wind until his face turned red. Only then did he fully wake up and enter the courtyard.
[“…If you’re waking up so early, I thought you were going for a stroll. Why are you standing at the doorstep and slapping yourself?”]
[“Hahaha, brother, it’s obvious you’re new here. This is Jiang Mo’s unique way of waking up.”]
[“I’ve never seen someone torturing themselves like this. Don’t slap your face anymore; it looks painful.”]
[“Did all the fat from Jiang Mo’s body move to his face? Every time I see him slapping his face, I want to do it for him. His face looks so good to massage, the skin is so nice and soft… hehe…”]
Since starting his professional career, last night was the first time Jiang Mo thought about something other than gaming before going to bed. He was contemplating how to repay Chi Yu.
After thinking for a long time, just as he was about to fall asleep, he came up with a good idea.
Chi Yu had been so good to him, so he wanted to be good to Chi Yu as well.
However, he couldn’t openly treat Chi Yu well. After all, he couldn’t afford the hefty breach of contract penalty.
If a professional team was willing to accept him, he could use the signing fee to repay the debt. But other than SVP and NG teams, all the other teams rejected him. Even if NG team was willing to take him in, he wouldn’t betray the NG team that had supported him. As for the SVP team, he didn’t know much about them, but it was highly likely that they would reject him due to his background. The path of professional gaming had to be temporarily put on hold.
Burdened with debt, no matter how much he liked Chi Yu, he couldn’t be so irrational.
As a qualified fan, one should pursue their idols moderately.
…
After starting a fire a few times, Jiang Mo considered himself no longer a complete kitchen novice.
He opened his phone and retrieved the cooking tutorial videos from his bookmarks.
He had been eating noodles with Chi Yu for the past two days, so today, he should prepare something different. He didn’t want to inconvenience Chi Yu.
Eight Treasure Porridge, Xiaolongbao1, Sandwich…
He had a variety of breakfast options saved, and the videos explained the cooking methods very simply. However, despite looking easy, he knew he would fail if he attempted them without enough ingredients.
Jiang Mo stood in the kitchen, staring blankly for more than ten minutes. After going through each option, he came to a conclusion—he was useless.
The vegetables and sausages he bought a few days ago were all used up, and he could only make a bowl of egg noodles without any side dishes. How could he possibly serve such a thing to Chi Yu?
Jiang Mo took off his apron and walked out the door once again.
The viewers in the live stream were puzzled, not knowing what he was going out to do. It wasn’t until Jiang Mo reached the breakfast street that they suddenly realized.
[“Heh, this is the first time I’ve seen someone in a romance show going out to buy breakfast.”]
To showcase their excellent talents, even people who couldn’t cook would learn a little before appearing on a program.
Breakfast didn’t need to be too complicated. Sandwiches and porridge were easy to learn, and cereal with milk was even simpler. Most guests wouldn’t go out to buy food.
The viewers found Jiang Mo to be quite special.
More than half of the town’s population consisted of elderly people, and since Jiang Mo was a newcomer, didn’t wear a mask or hat, no one would recognize him. The elderly people’s attention fell on the cameraman following Jiang Mo.
This was a tourist city, and people were often seen holding cameras to shoot videos. The locals had long gotten used to it.
“Auntie, I want three youtiao2.”
Next to the youtiao stall was a small shop selling Sanxian Doupi3. Jiang Mo was immediately attracted by the large black pot displayed at the entrance, with layers of Sanxian Doupi placed on top. The owner had used plenty of ingredients, and the slices of glutinous rice and fillings were plump and swollen, almost bursting through the golden-brown fried egg skin.
“Grandma, how much is this?” Jiang Mo asked.
The one selling Doupi was an old lady and a young man. The man was in charge of making the dish, while the old lady handled the money.
The old lady didn’t speak Mandarin and said a few sentences in a dialect that Jiang Mo couldn’t understand. Jiang Mo looked puzzled, and the old lady scooped a piece of Doupi with a ladle and put it in a bowl, handing it to him. Jiang Mo became even more confused. The auntie selling youtiao smiled and explained to him.
“The grandma wants you to taste it.”
“But… I came to buy it,” Jiang Mo awkwardly looked at the elderly woman and felt embarrassed to accept.
The auntie pointed to the cameraman behind Jiang Mo and asked, “Weren’t you here to shoot a video?”
This shop had been open for more than ten years, and many tourists came here because of its delicious taste. Every time they came, they would take a photo. The old lady misunderstood Jiang Mo, thinking he was here to take a photo as well. It was customary for her to offer a taste.
Jiang Mo explained to the old lady that he had simply come to buy breakfast. He spoke with a stammer and couldn’t speak the local dialect. He asked the auntie selling youtiao to communicate on his behalf, but the old lady still insisted on giving him the Doupi.
“The grandma says you are good-looking and have a sweet mouth. This is a gift for the handsome young man,” the auntie explained with a smile.
Jiang Mo’s face turned red. The old lady looked at him with a smile, making him even more embarrassed.
“Th-thank you, Grandma.”
[“Who would have thought that even at such an old age, Grandma would be a fan of good looks? Being handsome is really advantageous! [Envious.jpg]”]
[“Grandma is right. Jiang Mo is not only good-looking, but he also has a sweet mouth. He is very likable.”]
[“Oh come on, does Jiang Mo think he’s so special for going out to buy breakfast? Everyone makes their own breakfast, but he wants to go out and buy it, just to win people’s favor with his down-to-earth approach. Disgusting, it’s all just a show!”]
[“Can’t someone who can’t cook go out to buy food? You’re so strange. Where’s the show?”]
[“Sorry, no matter how you guys try to smear him, I just think Jiang Mo is genuine ^-^”]
After buying youtiao and three fresh bean skins, Jiang Mo went to another store to buy other things. By the time he returned to the cottage, it was already half-past seven.
The cottage was no longer as quiet as before Jiang Mo left. The French windows on the second floor were open, and there was some noise coming from inside.
Jiang Mo looked up and remembered that the room seemed to belong to Chi Yu.
His heart tightened, and Jiang Mo quickly ran into the dining room.
Chi Yu was sitting on the small sofa behind the window, watching every move Jiang Mo made. He threw away his pen, and the noise just now was intentionally made by him.
A mischievous thought came to his mind. He was deliberately teasing Jiang Mo, and also testing him.
Could this fool be ignoring his warning and deliberately avoiding him again?
Chi Yu felt helpless. If it weren’t for the rules of the show, he would never have endured it to this extent.
No rush, take it slowly. As long as he endured for another twenty days or so, he would be able to confess to Jiang Mo.
When Jiang Mo went out to buy breakfast, Chi Yu woke up. Jiang Mo went around for a while, and Chi Yu observed him through his phone.
The more he watched, the more amusing thoughts he had. Jiang Mo seemed like a parent worried about their child going out to buy things and getting lost.
Originally, Chi Yu wanted to quickly go out and catch up with Jiang Mo, but considering Jiang Mo’s temperament, he was afraid that Jiang Mo would feel uncomfortable, so he had to suppress himself and wait for Jiang Mo to come back in the room.
The phone screen did not turn off and stayed in Jiang Mo’s live broadcast room.
Jiang Mo took out several plates and bowls from the kitchen. He arranged the youtiao from the bag neatly on a plate, poured the soy milk from the cup into a bowl, and took out the three fresh bean skins and xiaolongbao, placing them on the plate as well.
Jiang Mo bought a lot of things, enough for four people to eat.
At first, when Chi Yu saw Jiang Mo buying youtiao and bean skins, he didn’t think much of it. Jiang Mo might just have a good appetite. But when he saw Jiang Mo buying other things, he felt something was off.
Did Jiang Mo buy portions for other people too?
He might have found out about the incident where he helped Jiang Mo deliver the cake.
Chi Yu wasn’t worried that Jiang Mo would find out. He wasn’t a magnanimous person. When doing something good, of course, he wanted the other person to know and remember his kindness.
Could it be that Jiang Mo was imitating him and trying to please others?
How could that be!
Chi Yu stood up, ready to go to the kitchen and stop Jiang Mo from inviting others to have breakfast.
The sound of dishes clashing interrupted his footsteps. On the screen, Jiang Mo had just placed an empty bowl on top of the food, took out a prepared pen and wrote something on paper.
Chi Yu stood by the door, watching Jiang Mo place the note on the table and carry another bag of food out of the door.
Jiang Mo didn’t go out but went upstairs instead.
Was Jiang Mo planning to have breakfast in the room?
Chi Yu was the last one to enter the cottage, and his room was chosen randomly by everyone. His room was four people away from Jiang Mo’s room and was on the opposite side. If it wasn’t intentional, there would be almost no interaction between him and Jiang Mo.
Hearing the sound of the door closing from the other side of the stairs, Chi Yu waited for another minute before leaving the room.
The camera in his room was occasionally covered, and the director didn’t dare to say anything. After all, the room was a private space, and it was understandable that artists didn’t want it to be open to the public.
“Good morning, hubby. You’ve changed recently. Why do you wake up so early every day?”
“Ah, what a pity. Jiang Mo just returned to his room. You two missed each other. I wanted to see you together.”
Chi Yu walked to the dining room, pretending to know nothing, and circled around the dining room and kitchen before picking up the note on the dining table.
Jiang Mo’s handwriting was as cute as he was, with no attacking power. It gave a soft and fluffy feeling.
The note only had four words written on it – “For Chi Yu.”
Chi Yu couldn’t help but laugh softly, and when he looked at the plates and bowls on the table, he found it even funnier.
He thought Jiang Mo went out to buy breakfast for everyone, but it turned out Jiang Mo specifically bought breakfast for him alone.
This was Jiang Mo’s favoritism towards him.
The impatience that had been suppressed was rising again. Chi Yu had excellent patience, but after being in contact with Jiang Mo, his patience was gradually wearing thin.
How could Jiang Mo be so adorable?
“Ahh, it’s so sweet. How can it be so sweet?”
“Did you guys plan this? The cake was only for Jiang Mo, and breakfast is only for Chi Yu. Ahh, I’m left out in the early morning!”
“Chi Yu, are you here to cook breakfast too?” Lou An yawned as he entered the dining room. He thought he had woken up early enough, but he didn’t expect Chi Yu to already be in the dining room.
Only then did Lou An notice the row of things on the table and exclaimed, “Did you make all of these?”
Chi Yu’s lips curled up, his voice filled with delight. “No, Jiang Mo prepared them for me.”
Lou An: “…”
“I can hear the happiness and showing off in your words. How can you be so happy just because Jiang Mo prepared breakfast for you?”
“Ying ying ying, suddenly envious of Chi Yu. If someone is willing to wake up early and run around to buy me different types of breakfast, I would truly be moved!”
“For a lazy person like me, it’s hard not to like Jiang Mo when he’s like this. If it were me, I would immediately fall for him.”
Lou An woke up early specifically to make breakfast for Lu Xuan. Not receiving a text message from Lu Xuan yesterday had made him feel down for a long time. With Jiang Mo’s encouragement, he reluctantly gathered his spirits and vowed to do better today.
Lou An was still confident as he came downstairs, but when he saw the things on the table, his confidence was instantly cut in half.
He hadn’t woken up early enough. There was someone who woke up earlier and even specially prepared so much food.
Jiang Mo was really amazing. He must really like Chi Yu.
Li Heng entered the dining room and saw Chi Yu sitting in a chair with a row of food in front of him.
“You made so much food early in the morning?” Li Heng exclaimed.
Chi Yu replied, “I don’t have that ability.”
“Did you buy these? You can’t possibly eat all of this by yourself. Do I have a share?” Li Heng happily approached and reached for a youtiao in one of the plates, only to be hit on the finger by Chi Yu’s chopsticks. He withdrew his hand in pain.
“These are all mine,” Chi Yu said.
Li Heng: “Can you really eat so much by yourself?”
Chi Yu replied, “If I can’t finish them, I can put them in the refrigerator and eat them slowly.”
Li Heng: “…”
Li Heng unhappily said, “What’s wrong with giving me a little? We’re brothers. Are these things all yours? Can’t I even have a bit of your food now?”
Chi Yu took a sip of soy milk and said leisurely, “These things are not mine.”
Li Heng: “?”
“Jiang Mo specifically woke up early to buy these for me, for me alone,” Chi Yu’s tone was calm, but Li Heng could hear the fullness of boasting.
Author’s Note:
Mo Mo: I got scolded by our fans because I don’t fit in. Is that fair?
Chi Yu: Mo Mo’s love for me runs deep. (Burp)
Note :
- Xiaolongbao is a type of Chinese steamed bun or dumpling that is typically filled with meat (commonly pork) and a savory broth. ↩︎
- Fried dough sticks ↩︎
- A type of stuffed tofu skin ↩︎
Holy shit, JN is my favorite (sweet) protagonist…
Soooo cute!!