After sparring a few rounds with Qin Siyan, Li Juezhou walked into his private lounge at the boxing ring, specially reserved for him. Qin Siyan was about to follow him in but was ruthlessly shut out.
The door shut so quickly that Qin Siyan stared at it, bewildered, and protested, "Zhouzhou, you can't treat me like this! You beat me up like a dog, and you won't even let me in to rest?"
Li Juezhou's deep voice sounded out, pausing between each word, "Your room is next door."
Fuming, Qin Siyan clenched his fists and punched the air a few times, though he didn't dare to hit the door.
In the end, he could only curse Li Juezhou silently in his heart before turning around and heading back to his own room.
Li Juezhou stood behind the door, pressing his ear tightly against it. Once he confirmed Qin Siyan had left, he quietly locked the door, walked into the room, and sprawled onto the sofa, turning on the TV.
Finally, peace and quiet. He could watch the live stream undisturbed.
Li Juezhou couldn't understand why he, someone who never watched any variety shows, had developed such a special fondness for "Encounter in Countryside."
Perhaps it was because his days were consumed by group business and work moved at such a manic pace. Every so often, he needed a taste of slow living to wind down, and "Encounter in Countryside" happened to provide exactly the emotional break he sought.
When he opened Sang Ning's livestream channel, she was by the riverbank, hauling a load of mountain goods.
Upon hearing her claim that she had caught the free-range chickens and gathered the wild fruits herself, Li Juezhou, like Sang Chuan, was skeptical.
But when he saw how she caught two baskets of fish right before his eyes, his doubts were thoroughly dispelled.
At this moment, one thought ran through his mind: This girl is something else.
Sang Ning and her crew returned triumphantly with their haul of river fish, discussing plans to roast chickens and fish together.
Li Juezhou glanced out the window. It was indeed time for dinner, so he turned off the live stream, walked out, and headed to Qin Siyan's room.
"I feel like having fish tonight. Come with me."
Qin Siyan threw a cushion at Li Juezhou, complaining, "Have you forgotten how you treated me earlier?"
"If you don't want to go, I'll just call someone else."
In the end, Qin Siyan—unable to resist and completely spineless—followed Li Juezhou. After all, back in middle school, when he was being bullied, Li Juezhou had protected him for three years straight.
Being a sidekick was second nature now; it seemed impossible for him to stand up to Li Juezhou in this lifetime.
*
When Sang Ning entered the courtyard, she didn't see any of the elders—just the show's production crew.
As she was wondering about their whereabouts, Song Shiye casually informed her that the elders had gone off to take care of private matters.
Song Shiye seemed completely composed, while Sang Ning glanced around the yard. Other than their current crew, it appeared the rest of the production team wasn't there either.
Instinctually, she assumed the other crew members had followed Hu Zhi and the elders out.
Considering there were apparently crew members with them, there wasn't much reason to worry. So, she began prepping the chickens and fish with Sang Chuan and the others for dinner, planning to serve the dishes once the elders returned.
But even as the sky darkened and the chickens and fish were fully cooked, Hu Zhi and the others still hadn't returned.
Sang Ning started to feel uneasy. Song Shiye tried comforting her, "No big deal—they're probably still wandering around, enjoying the rural scenery."
Sang Ning frowned heavily. No matter how scenic it was, it was getting late—they should have been back by now. Surely, they must be hungry?
"Xiao Ye, you're really peculiar. Your grandma has been gone for so long, yet you're not worried at all?"
Watching Song Shiye continue happily munching on roasted fish nearby, Sang Ning was utterly puzzled.
"No worries—my grandma went out with Aunt Zhi. I feel completely at ease," Song Shiye replied with a cheerful smile.
Sang Ning bolted upright in alarm. "What? With my mom involved, there's no way things are okay!"
[I suspect Xiao Ye has never watched the Sang Family livestreams. If he had, he wouldn't have such blind faith in Hu Zhi.]
[Nobody understands a parent better than their child—why does it feel like Sang Ning is the true matriarch of the Sang Family, while their dad, mom, and brother are just troublesome kids?]
At that moment, a few crew members returned to the courtyard. Sang Ning glanced around but didn't see Hu Zhi or the elders among them.
She asked immediately, "Camera guy, why are only you guys back? Where are my parents?"
The cameraman looked baffled and shook his head. "We didn't follow them, so we have no idea where they are."
Sang Ning's heart sank. "You're supposed to follow them—that's your job! How could you lose track of them?"
Cameraman A replied, "One said they were heading to the restroom, and another mentioned private matters for women. They told us not to tag along—they're probably wandering around the village. Sang Ning, don't worry. I'm sure they'll be back soon."
"Back soon?" Sang Ning sneered. "I wouldn't be surprised if they've found a spot to hang out, are having too much fun, and have completely forgotten about returning."
After confirming the situation with the camera crew, Sang Ning learned that Hu Zhi had taken Grandma Song and Sang Youming had taken Mr. Shen.
Sang Ning rubbed her temples. Fantastic. Just fantastic.
If her guess was correct, Hu Zhi was likely looking for a place to play mahjong, and Sang Youming, looking for somewhere to drink.
It wasn't a problem for them to entertain themselves—but taking Grandma Song and Mr. Shen along? What if something happened? How would they explain themselves to Song Shiye and Shen Yi?
"Stop eating for now. We're heading out to look for them. It'll be harder to navigate the rural paths without streetlights once it's completely dark!"
Sang Ning's expression turned serious as she mobilized everyone in the courtyard to start searching.
Seeing Sang Ning like this gave Song Shiye a guilty conscience. "Sister Sangsang, I'll come with you!"
Meanwhile, Shen Yi still seemed nonchalant, reasoning that his dad and Sang Ning's dad were adults—fully grown men who would naturally return after having enough fun. It wasn't necessary to look for them like they were lost kids.
But when Sang Ning sternly informed him that Sang Youming might have dragged his father off to drink, Shen Yi immediately shot to his feet and was the first out the courtyard gate, with the crew quickly rushing to follow.
After all, if his mother found out that his dad had gone off drinking on the very first day of filming, both father and son would be in for it.
[Oh my, Shen Yi is unfazed by nearly everything, but right now, I can actually see a rare panic on his face.]
[Shen Yi must be just like Song Shiye—completely clueless about the Sang Family livestreams. If he knew, he wouldn't have stayed in the yard for even a second.]
[Didn't Shen Yi mention on his Weibo that he accompanied his dad to the hospital once and his dad was diagnosed with gout?]
[If Sang Ning's dad actually took Shen's dad to drink, that'd be outrageous. If you're bent on ruining yourself, fine—but don't drag others down with you.]
[Whoa, tone it down! Shen's dad is an adult himself—shouldn't he be responsible for his own health? If he had enough willpower, he wouldn't necessarily follow Sang Ning's dad.]