Chapter 43
As soon as those words came out, everyone was stunned.
Jiang Sheshe blurted out, “Are you crazy? If you group up with Mingyue and Shen Yibai, you get to take a car. But if you’re with Ning Xi and the others, you’ll have to squeeze onto the subway!”
Buses and subways during the workweek were bound to be packed like sardines.
Xie Lanchen merely gave a slight smile and continued, “If I add my thirty-yuan budget, it should make things a bit easier, right?”
After speaking, he looked at Ning Xi and winked.
Ning Xi felt a bit strange.
Was Xie Lanchen’s attitude toward his friends… a bit too good?
On the other side, Qin Dao and the assistant director were already getting a massive headache.
“Why would anyone prefer the subway and bus over a car?”
“If we really let Xie Lanchen group up with Ning Xi and Fu Zhi, what dramatic effect will be left?”
They had intentionally given the third-place team less money just to see how the two Guests would try to reach the filming location.
Finally, Qin Dao looked at Luo Ze, who was sitting nearby looking perfectly composed.
“Mr. Luo, do you think I should agree or not?”
Xie Lanchen was Luo Ze’s friend, so Qin Dao didn’t dare make the decision on his own.
A hint of a smile flickered in Luo Ze’s charming eyes. “I’m not sure either. Why don’t we see what else Xie Lanchen has to say?”
Qin Dao was baffled.
In the livestream chat:
“No thanks!” Fu Zhi reacted immediately, refusing the offer.
“Our budget is almost enough. How could we let Feynman squeeze onto the subway with us?”
If he backed down this time, he would never be able to shake Xie Lanchen off when he was with Ning Xi in the future.
Ning Xi also nodded and looked at Xie Lanchen. “Right, you should just take the car.”
Xie Lanchen countered, “Then have you thought of a way to solve the fare problem?”
Ning Xi paused.
She really hadn’t thought of one yet, but she was considering whether the villa had bicycles or other means of transport…
However, before Ning Xi could speak, Xie Lanchen had already turned to Fu Zhi.
“So, just because you don’t want to trouble me, you’re willing to let Ning Xi rack her brains over the fare? You’d rather let her suffer than let me join?”
Fu Zhi: ?
Ning Xi: ?
Everyone else: ?
How did Xie Lanchen suddenly escalate the situation to this level?
The CP fans in the bullet comments were dying of laughter.
[You~’d~ ra~ther~ let~ her~ suf~fer~ than~ let~ me~ join~?]
[Xie Lanchen: I’m not here to break you up; I’m here to join you.]
[Xie Lanchen, you’ve got some serious tea skills, kid.]
[Fu Zhi is such a blockhead; he’s no match for Xie Lanchen at all.]
Fu Zhi was indeed dazed.
He certainly didn’t like Xie Lanchen, but what Xie Lanchen said seemed to make some sense.
But if he were to agree, Fu Zhi was still unwilling.
He hated Xie Lanchen. He hated how Xie Lanchen clung to Ning Xi, he hated that Ning Xi’s attitude toward Xie Lanchen was better than her attitude toward him, and he hated the feeling that things were about to spiral out of his control…
Right then, a beep sounded.
“Youai Butler: Guest Xie Lanchen may choose to join Ning Xi and Fu Zhi’s group, but the budget will be reduced to fifteen yuan.”
The Program Team had made the choice for Fu Zhi before his hesitation could end.
“He has a car available but insists on taking the subway?”
Jiang Sheshe couldn’t understand Xie Lanchen’s logic and whispered her complaints to Wei Xuan.
Wei Xuan, however, was looking at Xie Lanchen thoughtfully.
So, did Xie Lanchen have feelings for Ning Xi?
*
The Program Team sent a message saying that today’s outdoor filming might last until very late, so the Guests packed a few more things before setting off.
When Ning Xi came downstairs, she was surprised to find that both she and Xie Lanchen were wearing purple jackets.
“What a coincidence.”
“It is.”
Xie Lanchen nodded with a smile. He looked at the light purple bag Ning Xi was carrying and asked curiously, “Do you like purple a lot?”
Ning Xi nodded. “Purple is my lucky color. As long as I have something purple on me, I feel like I’ll succeed in whatever I do.”
Back when she competed in surfing, as long as she wore a purple wetsuit, she was guaranteed to win the championship.
Xie Lanchen smiled as he listened to Ning Xi talk, then naturally raised his hand to block the sunlight hitting her face.
Ning Xi’s heart skipped a beat.
Xie Lanchen explained, “I saw you wearing a sun hat and a facekini during your previous competitions, so I figured you don’t like being in the sun.”
[Ahhh! Does such a thoughtful man actually exist in real life?]
[I don’t believe there’s such a good man in this world. Xie Lanchen must be an actor hired by the Program Team for ratings. This has to be a script!]
[I’m shipping them so hard!]
“Move, move, move!”
With a dark expression, Fu Zhi squeezed between Ning Xi and Xie Lanchen, forcing them apart.
Ning Xi instinctively frowned.
When she saw the bag Fu Zhi was carrying, her expression instantly became subtle.
Fu Zhi’s bag was actually the same model as hers!
Except one was purple and the other was black!
Xie Lanchen’s gaze also fell on Fu Zhi’s bag. He seemed a bit surprised, but the look quickly vanished.
Fu Zhi caught it, though. He cleared his throat, intentionally letting Xie Lanchen see clearly that his bag and Ning Xi’s bag were the same brand, the same logo, and the same series!
Get it now?
He was the one who understood Ning Xi best and had the most chemistry with her.
Xie Lanchen? He was nothing!
Ning Xi, with her back to Fu Zhi, pointed at him toward the camera and silently mouthed a complaint: “Copycat!”
She had noticed it before-Fu Zhi loved buying the same things as her.
Every time she bought something, the same item would appear on Fu Zhi a while later.
Then he would give her that punchable, smug, boastful smile full of disdain.
But so what?
He could mimic her outfits, but what about her taste?
Copycats never come to a good end!
[Hahahaha, what kind of hell-level unrequited love joke is this?]
[What Fu Zhi thinks: Matching couple items. Ning Xi: Copycat.]
[Damn, this reminds me of my own clown moments. To get my crush’s attention, I used the same profile picture as him, posted on social media whenever he did, and shared the same songs. After my tireless efforts, he finally sent me a DM: ‘Steal from me again and your mom’s dead [Goodbye]’]
[You guys are making me re-evaluate copycats [Pondering]]