Did Assistant Xie Make the Trending Searches Today? - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Handling It

At seven o’clock, the phone by his ear vibrated gently.

Xie He-ting light-handedly pressed it off.

However, he discovered the room was already empty.

Jin Huaifeng got up this early?

He didn’t dare delay any further and hurriedly got up to wash.

Just as he was preparing to leave, the door was pulled open from the outside.

The person who had been missing all morning was dressed in a tracksuit; he scanned Xie’s outfit from top to bottom, nodded, and said, “Let’s go.”

“Ah?” Xie He-ting looked at him blankly.

Go where?

Jin Huaifeng gave him a glare: “Didn’t you say yesterday you wanted to follow me to exercise?”

No, when did I say that? And besides, the person I made plans with yesterday was Shen Ji! We agreed to run together this morning.

Xie He-ting originally wanted to ask a couple of questions, but seeing Jin Huaifeng’s grim expression, he very tactfully shut his mouth.

Wowo, good morning everyone! Over three thousand people online at once—you guys really aren’t sleepy.

Brother Jin’s scheming… taking He-ting for a run first thing in the morning.

Is no one really investing in our Jin-He CP? I feel like the possibility of these two holding hands in the end is very high!

Get the super-topic started; I’ll definitely be the first to report!

Good! Dance for me!

Shen Ji was already fully equipped and waiting in the living room.

Seeing the two of them come down, he said nothing, only giving Xie He-ting a greeting: “Morning.”

“Morning! Brother Shen Ji.” Xie He-ting waved his hand at him sweetly.

Playful sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, landing on the tips of Xie He-ting’s hair. The ear-length hair was dyed with a layer of honey-like gold, and two tufts of “idiot hair” stuck out abruptly, ruining the beautiful scene.

Shen Ji watched for a long time, and finally, unable to hold back, he raised his hand, preparing to tidy it for him.

Two fingers cut in diagonally, rubbing messily over Xie He-ting’s head, turning the two tufts into a head full of messy hair.

Jin Huaifeng stood with his hands in his pockets, looking cool: “Let’s go.”

“Ah—I combed it for so long to get it right!” Xie He-ting shouted and chased after him.

The hand Shen Ji had raised in mid-air was silently retracted.

Xie He-ting had already finished changing his shoes at the entrance. Turning back, he saw Shen Ji still standing in place and called out loudly: “Brother Shen Ji?”

Shen Ji snapped out of his daze, his face still holding a gentle smile: “Let’s go, time for the run.”

The villa used for recording the show had a high rental price, and the developer’s landscaping was worthy of the cost. Not only did it provide greenery like a private garden, but it also featured professional plastic running tracks and a fitness area.

The morning was still slightly cold. After a brief warm-up, the few of them began a slow jog.

The filming crew didn’t use handheld cameras; they specifically arranged a vehicle to follow slowly behind them at twenty kilometers per hour. Xie He-ting had never seen such a spectacle and was a bit unaccustomed to it, whereas Shen Ji and Jin Huaifeng were very natural.

Shen Ji led the run in front, Xie He-ting was in the middle, and Jin Huaifeng was at the back.

The original owner’s body was soft—pure fat over muscle—clearly showing no exercise habits. The further Xie He-ting ran, the more he felt his legs were like lead, unable to move.

Shen Ji was still running ahead. Xie’s vision was darkening; he hesitated over whether to call for a stop, but thinking it was a bit embarrassing, he held it in.

Jin Huaifeng, walking at the very back, suddenly stopped his pace and said, “I’m hungry, let’s go back.”

Shen Ji, who had been spacing out while running, slowed down slightly and checked his watch: “It hasn’t been an hour yet, let’s run a bit longer.”

Jin Huaifeng stayed in place, staring at Xie He-ting’s deathly pale face, his brows locked: “It’s been over forty minutes; that’s enough.”

Only then did Shen Ji realize Xie He-ting had lost all color in his face. “He-ting, are you alright?”

“No… I’m fine, I’m just… just a little tired…”

He could still endure while running, but the moment he stopped, Xie He-ting could no longer hold on. He braced his hands against his knees, gasping for breath in large gulps.

He could hear the thumping of his own heart, feeling as if it were about to jump out of his chest.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t take your physical condition into account…”

“Is there no end to this? Stop chatting. Let’s go.”

Jin Huaifeng impatiently interrupted their conversation, walked over to Xie He-ting’s side, and without a word, grabbed Xie’s arm, half-supporting and half-pulling him away.

Although there weren’t as many people watching the livestream early in the morning as at other times, there were still a fair number, including many fans of Shen Ji. Jin Huaifeng’s blatant hostility immediately poked a hornet’s nest, and the bullet chat exploded.

Does this Jin Huaifeng have a problem? Who is he showing that long face to first thing in the morning? Shen Ji didn’t provoke him, right? Why is his tone so aggressive?

Exactly. It was fine when he acted cool before, but today, this is a bit disrespectful.

Jin Huaifeng had also gained many fans over the past few days, and the chat immediately began to argue: Hilarious. Shen Ji was running in front by himself and didn’t notice He-ting’s state behind him. Brother Jin speaking up to remind them was for He-ting’s sake, okay? Your Teacher Shen is just so oblivious.

The Film Emperor’s fans, knowing they were in the wrong, immediately changed direction: Then his attitude toward He-ting wasn’t good either, pulling him like that!

Sister, you’ve got sleep in your eyes from the morning and haven’t opened them yet. My brother was supporting him, not pulling him. Besides, do you see a single expression of discomfort on He-ting’s face?

Xie He-ting really wasn’t uncomfortable.

In fact, if Jin Huaifeng hadn’t come to support him, his legs would have been truly weak and he wouldn’t have been able to walk.

Xie He-ting stole a glance at the man beside him. Due to the angle, he could only see the other’s resolute profile and perfect jawline.

Although Jin Huaifeng liked to change his face at any time and was temperamental and very hard to deal with.

Xie He-ting also had to admit that he was truly very good-looking.

Xie He-ting felt his heart beating even harder. Suppressing the flutter in his heart, he urged in a small voice: “Brother, let’s walk faster. I feel like I’m about to run out of breath.”

“Are you feeling very bad? Is it low blood sugar? I should have let you eat some breakfast before coming out.” Jin Huaifeng looked straight into Xie He-ting’s eyes, his voice unconsciously tinged with a bit of worry.

Xie He-ting felt even more uncomfortable being looked at like that and instinctively looked away. He whispered: “It’s fine, it’s fine, we can just walk a bit faster.”

If you could stay a bit further away from me, I think I would feel more comfortable.

Of course, he didn’t dare say that sentence aloud.

For some reason, he just felt that if he said it, things would go badly.

After breakfast and a quick tidy-up, it was time to set out.

Xie He-ting went up to change his clothes, only to find no one there when he pushed the door open.

Eh?

He hadn’t seen anyone since they finished breakfast; he thought Jin Huaifeng had already returned to the room to rest.

However, taking advantage of the absence of others, Xie He-ting simply packed his luggage.

According to the production team’s rules, after today’s date ended, they would switch rooms; tonight he would be staying with Shi Jixing.

There was a “thump, thump, thump” knocking at the door.

“Student Xiao He, I’m here to give you a special task.” Mu Ying’s eyes were curved with a smile.

Xie He-ting’s gaze was as clear as a stream. Mu Ying had always felt that if someone’s gaze was clean, their character wouldn’t be too bad either.

Xie He-ting remembered.

Points!

Points were linked to the bonus; he liked that!

“Alright, I will work hard to complete it!”

“The task-related text message will be sent to your phone in a moment; remember to check it.”

“Oh, right, there will also be an on-site PK segment. Completing tasks will also bring extra rewards.”

Mu Ying’s gaze flickered over the shoes on his feet, and he said as if casually: “Change into sneakers; they match your clothes for today better.”

Xie He-ting dazed for a moment, then immediately reacted. He happily thanked Mu Ying and went back to the room to change into sports gear.

Among the three pairs of guests for this date, Xie He-ting, Lan Chi, and Zhou Yanrong all received hidden tasks, though each person’s task was slightly adjusted based on the guest.

Each group had three hidden tasks. The requirements for Xie He-ting’s task were as follows:

1. Without informing Shi Jixing, guide him to play a song for everyone on his guitar, “Polaris,” in front of more than 30 onlookers.

2. Ask the partner to share their most memorable romantic experience.

3. Ask what the partner’s most heart-stirring type of lover is.

Completing Task 1 earns ten points, while Tasks 2 and 3 earn five points each.

The other two guests also received three tasks; only the first one was different, while the others were the same.

Lan Chi’s hidden task was: Without informing the other party, guide Jin Huaifeng to take the initiative to buy him a small cake and feed it to him.

Zhou Yanrong’s task was to perform an impromptu scene on the street with Shen Ji. The performance content was a scene from the hit urban drama Divorce, starring Shen Ji, where the male and female leads have a big argument.

Because this scene was full of emotional tension and was a highlight of the series, the clip cutouts had spread very widely online, and Zhou Yanrong had also seen them. The plot was quite simple: the male and female leads argue, slap each other, and get into an inextricable fight.

The production team was determined to snatch every last bamboo shoot on the mountain, leaving no way out for the guests.

Lan Chi had a miserable little face, thinking that if he asked Jin Huaifeng to feed him cake, Jin Huaifeng might just shove the whole thing into his mouth and choke him to death.

After reading the task, Zhou Yanrong thought that rather than performing a big argument on the street with Shen Ji, he would rather just lie down in peaceful sleep. It was just a competition; no need to sacrifice his image.

Among these three, only Xie He-ting was an outlier.

Clutching the little card, he headed out the door with delight.

Having his singer “younger brother” use his “Polaris” (although he didn’t know what it was, he guessed it must be that “lute” Shi Jixing treasured so much) to sing a song for everyone, enjoying the brother’s wonderful voice together, and then asking two small questions—twenty points would be in his hands.

Too simple!

The production team was so stingy; they only gave five points for a successful date!

20+5—that’s 250,000! So much!

However, he didn’t know that the bullet chat was already “lighting a lamp” for this 250 (idiot) Xie He-ting.

Especially the old fans of Shi Jixing.

It’s game over. Xie He-ting’s task is completely impossible to complete.

In the industry, there’s a legend: if you want to touch Shi Jixing’s ‘little wife’ (Polaris), you either leave your hand behind or your life (lights a cigarette).

Stop lighting cigarettes; I’m worried. Look at He-he’s happy face—this kid has no realization of the seriousness of the problem at all.

Sigh, all one can say is that fools have their own luck. I hope Shi Jixing doesn’t make things too ugly.

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