Qiao Huaiyao reached out his hand to try and receive it, but Bai Jinyan pulled his hand back and avoided him, saying, “There’s ash on the shell, don’t get your hand dirty. Just eat it like this.”
Qiao Huaiyao’s lips slightly pursed as he discreetly looked around. All the other guests were focused on barbecuing.
Only then did Qiao Huaiyao eat the grilled oyster that Bai Jinyan had handed to his mouth. Fresh oysters didn’t need any seasoning; their natural brininess was enough. Since this was a recorded program, they didn’t need to worry about specific shots; if there were scenes they wanted to omit later, they could simply discuss it with the director. Qiao Huaiyao’s contract granted him this authority.
However, his little gesture just now hadn’t escaped the hidden cameras in the live broadcast.
[“Ah ah ah! The wife being fed is so obedient!”]
[“Did Bai Jinyan avoid using his mouth to make it look better? Feed him with your mouth! Don’t make me kneel down and beg while crying—I can cry loudly.”]
[“Hey, does Qiao Qiao seem like he doesn’t know they’re live?”]
[“Random live broadcasts are common in prerecorded variety shows. The guests aren’t aware.”]
[“Seriously, that’s so inappropriate! The camera is so far away, I can’t even see them kissing. This is too much!”]
…
Each type of meat had a different cooking time. While Bai Jinyan grilled the meat, Qiao Huaiyao sat on the table, a table full of dishes in front of him. Once the skewers were cooked, Bai Jinyan placed them on a plate on the table for Qiao Huaiyao to enjoy.
When grilling the large shrimp, they were wrapped in a thick layer of sea salt on the outside, which was knocked off before eating. Qiao Huaiyao peeled one shrimp and turned to feed it to Bai Jinyan, exclaiming, “Ah!”
Large shrimp typically had firm and succulent meat, and the taste of the bright red shrimp was exceptionally sweet and savory. After Bai Jinyan finished eating, he said, “It’s delicious. Wait a bit, it’ll cool down.”
“No rush.” Qiao Huaiyao was more focused on feeding his brother than on eating himself. He fed him another bite.
Eating and grilling simultaneously allowed them to enjoy the food while it was still warm. The amount of meat they received from exchanging the fish was quite substantial; each portion had over twenty skewers. The main highlight for them was the grilled fish – catching and grilling a fish with their own hands was a special experience.
Qiao Huaiyao held the grilled fish in his hand without hurrying to eat it. Instead, he took out his phone and snapped a picture. Enlarging the photo, the evenly seasoned grilled fish looked enticing. After a moment of consideration, he decided to change his chat app’s profile picture to this image.
The glass teapot held fragrant lemon tea, spreading a mix of tea and fruity aromas. Qiao Huaiyao poured two cups, saying, “Brother, try this lemon tea.”
Though the ingredients were simple – just tea leaves and lemons, a touch of honey to counter the slight bitterness of the lemon – the taste was well-balanced.
“Will it be okay?” Qiao Huaiyao tasted it himself; he was accustomed to drinking lemon water and had a relatively high acceptance of the lemon’s tanginess.
“Sure, it’s good timing.” Bai Jinyan stirred the lemon water with one hand while turning the skewers on the barbecue grill with the other.
There were still many seafood skewers left in the dish.
After having the grilled fish, Qiao Huaiyao didn’t touch the rest of the food; he sat to the side sipping his lemon tea. There was plenty of uncooked food left in the small fridge.
Qiao Huaiyao raised his voice, “Director, can we freeze the leftover skewers and eat them next time?”
“Of course,” Zhao Jiamu, also eating barbecue, responded, “You can leave them in the fridge.”
Since the number of people in each family differed, the preparations were adjusted accordingly. As this was a family-oriented show, the atmosphere was more relaxed and there was no need to rush.
The shooting progress was in line with Zhao Jiamu’s plan. The outdoor barbecue was intended as lunch, and by the time they were finished, it was almost dark. Although the sun hadn’t completely set, the lights in the courtyard were already on, bathing the area in a warm glow.
The crew members were also nearly done eating. Zhao Jiamu stood up and said, “Let’s clean up and head back to rest. Remember to gather downstairs at ten o’clock sharp.”
Checking the time, Qiao Huaiyao realized they had quite a long break before they needed to start recording the evening games. Having just finished lunch, there wasn’t much to do by going upstairs. He got up and said, “Brother, let’s take a walk around here.”
This area seemed to be dedicated to rural tourism, with the houses all set up as lodges for guests. There weren’t many people around.
Bai Jinyan replied, “Sure.”
Seeing them leave, the audience in the live chat reacted with smiles.
[“Wait—aren’t the photographers following them at this time?”]
[“Ah, ah, ah, don’t go out, please! Even if it’s just in the room!”]
[“Sunset, warm glow, together as a pair… If they aren’t live streaming, I’ll have to start imagining it myself. I mean… I’ve already started writing fan fiction!”]
[“Sisters! I have a friend…”]
The village wasn’t big, so they walked around the two-story building in a circle. When they returned, there wasn’t a soul on the first floor. Everyone seemed to be in their own rooms. After all, they had traveled by car and had a tiring journey. They would start recording the variety show later once they were fully rested.
Qiao Huaiyao thought that the sound insulation here wasn’t great, so he whispered, “Brother, let’s take a nap.”
The recording of the evening games would start at ten o’clock and could potentially last until early morning.
Bai Jinyan agreed, “Sure.”
Back in their room, Qiao Huaiyao changed into his sleepwear and lay down. He held a pillow against the lower half of his face and fixed his gaze on Bai Jinyan. Bai Jinyan casually flipped through the script and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Qiao Huaiyao hesitated for a moment, then shook his head, still holding the pillow and remaining silent.
Bai Jinyan chuckled softly.
Suddenly, Qiao Huaiyao raised his gaze, seemingly curious about what Bai Jinyan found amusing. But Bai Jinyan didn’t say anything; he just continued to wear that faint smile.
Qiao Huaiyao’s lips moved slightly, as if he was about to say something. Just then, his phone emitted a notification sound.
Ding~
He looked down and noticed that Bai Jinyan had changed his profile picture. The image was the clear photo of the lemon tea he had taken earlier. Qiao Huaiyao’s brows furrowed in confusion. When did he change it? It wasn’t like that just now…
He was about to return to the previous screen when he realized Bai Jinyan had also changed his own profile picture. Opening it, he found that Bai Jinyan had used the picture he had sent – the one of the lemon tea. The shot featured the lemon and tea leaves swirling inside the glass teapot, with a corner of the small stove beneath it visible. There was a hint of steam due to the heat. Looking closely, he saw his own reflection in the tea’s surface.
Qiao Huaiyao raised an eyebrow, then glanced up at Bai Jinyan. Searching through his album, he found the photo he had taken when the lemon tea wasn’t quite warm yet and sent it to Bai Jinyan.
Buzz
He saw Bai Jinyan pick up his phone.
His brother only glanced at it and swiped his finger on the screen before placing the phone back down.
Qiao Huaiyao’s lips twitched. He was about to say something, but his phone beeped again.
Ding~
Lowering his head, Qiao Huaiyao saw that Bai Jinyan’s profile picture had been updated with the picture of the lemon tea that he had sent.
Bai Jinyan had replied with an emoji: “Head-pat.jpg”