Yu Shuman didn't linger on the comments in the livestream but instead chatted with her viewers for a while before checking the time. With a smile, she waved goodbye, saying, "I'm going to bed now. See you all tomorrow."
Qin Ran typed a farewell message in the chat, wishing Yu Shuman goodnight. A moment later, the livestream went dark, leaving only the familiar message encouraging viewers to check out other content.
Qin Ran felt a pang of emptiness. Even though Yu Shuman had only left home that morning and Qin Ran had been glued to the livestream all day, it felt like an incredibly long day, leaving Qin Ran feeling unsettled.
It was as if Yu Shuman sensed Qin Ran's thoughts because Qin Ran's phone soon rang. Seeing the caller ID as "Senior [Angel]," Qin Ran smiled. Although the angel emoji didn't display properly on the caller ID, turning into a box with the word "Angel," Qin Ran didn't mind—Yu Shuman was an angel in her eyes.
She answered the call, and Yu Shuman's gentle voice came through, "Are you still awake, Junior?"
"No, I was just watching your livestream."
"Haha…" Yu Shuman chuckled awkwardly, "You were watching my livestream? That makes me a little embarrassed."
Not knowing what to say, Qin Ran listened as Yu Shuman began to talk about her day, eventually asking, "So you heard when I said the burn ointment was for you?"
"Yes, I heard it."
Yu Shuman grew more bashful, but Qin Ran added, "But I got a little jealous when you blew on someone else's hand." Normally, Qin Ran wouldn't have the courage to say something like that, but she knew that if she didn't speak up, Yu Shuman wouldn't understand her feelings. After much internal debate, she finally blurted it out.
Hearing Qin Ran's confession, Yu Shuman felt her heart soften. She knew Qin Ran was trying to change, and expressing her feelings like this was a big step.
Yu Shuman replied, "I wanted to blow on your hand too, but it's better if you don't get hurt. I'm really glad you didn't get burned and that the ointment wasn't needed."
When she saw Zeng Qian's tearful face earlier, Yu Shuman couldn't help but think of Qin Ran. If Qin Ran had looked at her with those puppy-dog eyes, Yu Shuman knew she would have been devastated.
They chatted for a bit longer, and when Qin Ran saw it was getting late, she urged Yu Shuman to go to bed since she had another day of filming ahead. Yu Shuman agreed, saying, "I know, you should get some sleep too. Remember, no skipping class tomorrow, and don't waste money."
Qin Ran talked to Yu Shuman a little longer before they reluctantly said goodnight and hung up. Even after the call ended, Qin Ran still had a goofy smile on her face. She took a shower, dried her hair, and climbed into her soft bed, but she couldn't help worrying about Yu Shuman.
Will she sleep well? What if there are bugs?
As for food, Qin Ran wasn't too hopeful. The dinner at Peach Blossom Cottage hadn't turned out well—the two veteran cast members struggled with the old stove, sometimes burning the food, which left Qin Ran shaking her head.
I could have done a better job myself, she thought as she drifted off to sleep, still worried about Yu Shuman.
The next day, Qin Ran woke up and went to the dining hall for lunch. She couldn't resist checking her phone to see that Yu Shuman was already up and live streaming.
The cameraman followed Yu Shuman as she skillfully gathered eggs from the chicken coop. She collected six eggs, praising the chickens with a smile, "Good job!"
Carrying the eggs into the kitchen, Yu Shuman got to work. She woke up early, tying her hair into a ponytail before heading to the vegetable garden to pick some greens and scallions. After gathering her ingredients, she lit the stove, though it took a moment to recall how to use the old-fashioned hearth.
The kitchen had two stoves—a larger one and a smaller one. Since she was only making breakfast, Yu Shuman opted for the smaller stove. Once the pot was hot, she boiled water, then checked on the other three regular cast members to see if they wanted breakfast and what kitchen items were communal.
Mr. Wang smiled, "You're up early, Manman. Everything in the kitchen is for everyone to use. Thanks for making breakfast."
Zeng Qian nodded eagerly, so Yu Shuman prepared breakfast for all four of them. She kept it simple, making green vegetable and egg noodles with a bit of seasoning and sesame oil. It wasn't anything fancy, but for this group of celebrities participating in a "transformation" show, it was a decent meal.
Mr. Wang was curious, "Where did you get the eggs?"
Yu Shuman didn't keep it a secret, "I found them in the chicken coop. The chickens did a great job—I got six eggs this morning."
Zeng Qian laughed, "Well, anyone who oversleeps today is out of luck—they won't get any eggs."
With only six eggs and a total of eight people (including three regular cast members and five guest stars), two people would have to go without. The eggs could have been scrambled and shared, but the regular cast members enjoyed a little fun at the expense of those who slept in. Fried eggs were tastier, after all, and there would be plenty of chances to have scrambled eggs later on.
Yu Shuman had forgotten about this and focused on making the noodle soup, assuming that green vegetable and egg noodles needed fried eggs rather than scrambled ones. She made four fried eggs for the earliest risers and saved the remaining two eggs for those who woke up later.
Yu Shuman didn't plan on making breakfast for everyone since she didn't know when the others would wake up. She didn't want the noodles to get soggy if they were made too early.
The four of them took their bowls to the shelter to eat. Yu Shuman brought out a jar of beef sauce that her mother had packed for her when she went home during her two-week break.
Her mother had insisted on packing several jars, saying, "Xiao Ran seems to really like my beef sauce. I'm sure she's finished what we brought over during the holidays. You should take two jars for her—don't eat it all yourself."
Yu Shuman didn't realize that her mother had figured out her feelings for Qin Ran. She thanked her mother on Qin Ran's behalf and brought the sauce back home. In the midst of all the recent chaos, she had forgotten about the beef sauce until she packed for the show. She gave two jars to Qin Ran and brought one with her, just in case the food didn't suit her taste.
Now the beef sauce came in handy. Yu Shuman added a spoonful to her noodles, not intending to share it with everyone since it was homemade and might not meet the strict health standards expected in the entertainment industry. If anyone got sick from it, that could be a serious problem.
She knew how picky celebrities could be, especially after seeing how Rong Hua ate only light salads during filming. Yu Shuman couldn't survive on just salad—she'd starve on nothing but lettuce leaves.
Since the celebrities' stomachs were delicate, Yu Shuman didn't plan on offering them the beef sauce. But just as she was about to put the jar away, Zeng Qian leaned in curiously, "What's that, Manman? Can I have some?"
"You want to try it?"
Although Zeng Qian was two or three years older than Yu Shuman, she had no shame in calling her "Manman" after the incident the previous day when she had burned her hand.
Zeng Qian nodded eagerly, "It smells really good. I'd love to try some." The green vegetable and egg noodles were tasty, but the flavor was a bit mild. With her diet usually monitored by her management team, Zeng Qian craved something more flavorful. The rich aroma of the beef sauce was too tempting to resist.
Yu Shuman grabbed a clean spoon and offered Zeng Qian a taste. Zeng Qian mixed it into her noodles and ate with relish. Across the table, Mr. Wang and the other regular cast member noticed but remained reserved. However, it would have been rude for Yu Shuman not to offer, so she passed the jar over, "Would you two like to try it? It's just homemade beef sauce—nothing special."
The two teachers hesitated before eventually accepting Yu Shuman's offer and each took a spoonful of the beef sauce.
Seeing that everyone had tried it, Yu Shuman left the jar on the table instead of putting it away. Zeng Qian, acting like a little glutton, helped herself to several more spoonfuls. After finishing her meal, she leaned over to Yu Shuman and whispered, "My manager is so strict—there are so many things I'm not allowed to eat, but I love strong flavors. Your mom's beef sauce is amazing. Do you have any more?"
Although she tried to whisper, everyone wore microphones, so the entire livestream audience heard her, including Qin Ran.
Sitting in Wu Tezhu's car, Qin Ran wore earphones, listening intently. Wu Tezhu was driving her to school and informed her that the car would be ready in about a week, and she had also found a driver—a reliable, middle-aged man with twenty years of experience. Qin Ran barely paid attention, too focused on the livestream and the scene unfolding between Yu Shuman and Zeng Qian.
She knew not everyone in the world was gay, but watching Zeng Qian flirt with Yu Shuman made Qin Ran incredibly jealous.
And that beef sauce her aunt made—there were only four jars. Two were given to Qin Ran, and two were meant for Yu Shuman. But in just a short while, Zeng Qian had eaten nearly half of Yu Shuman's jar. Meanwhile, the livestream comments were full of people saying, "Manman's beef sauce sounds delicious! I want to try it too!"
Eat, eat, eat—that's all they care about. Can't they see how Zeng Qian is clinging to Manman?
Qin Ran, exasperated, typed into the livestream chat: "I can't take it anymore—someone get Zeng Qian away from my sister!"
Qin Ran: Can someone keep Zeng Qian away and save me?