Did Assistant Xie Make the Trending Searches Today? - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Brother

Before the show aired, rumors had already been circulating. In addition to the celebrity guests, the program had specially invited the top-tier star Mu Ying to act as a “Love Assistant” stationed in the Love Cottage to offer advice to the participants at any time.

However, until the actual broadcast, the production team had made no formal announcements, leading everyone to believe they were just baiting fans. Now, as Mu Ying and his same-sex partner, Mu Shenyu, appeared on camera, the viewership ratings instantly skyrocketed to a terrifying level.

“Is that the rumored President Mu? My god, they look so perfect together.”

“The production team really has something up their sleeve. I truly don’t understand how they convinced President Mu to join; he supposedly hates exposing his private life.”

“Not verified, but they say the producer is friends with Mu Ying. If you convince Mu Ying, you’ve basically convinced… well, you get it.”

“I get it, I get it. Principles can be changed in front of a wife.”

“He really loves him so much!”

“But don’t get happy too early; President Mu is likely just showing his face today. Mu Ying will probably be the only Love Assistant.”

Inside the villa, Mu Ying first apologized to everyone, explaining that he had just arrived due to a flight delay. Everyone expressed their understanding.

“This is my partner, Mu Shenyu.”

“You are all very familiar with our celebrity guests. Let me introduce our civilian guests: He-ting, Lan Chi, Wen Zhou, and Jin Huaifeng.”

“Hello,” Mu Shenyu greeted everyone.

Whether inside or outside the industry, the name Mu Shenyu of Duxing Industries was known by almost everyone in China with an internet connection. Everyone replied politely. Even the most arrogant and cocky one, Jin Huaifeng, took off the sunglasses he hadn’t removed since entering the house and gave a nod.

“Alright, everyone has had a long day. Let me explain the room assignments.”

The recording location was in a very remote suburb. The guests had long wanted to go to their rooms to organize their luggage and rest; they had only been making small talk in the living room because rooms hadn’t been assigned yet. Now, everyone perked up to listen to Mu Ying’s rules.

“First, let me clarify: there are four rooms in total—one triple room, one double room, and two single rooms.”

The guests exchanged glances, sensing the production team’s intent to stir up trouble.

“Kekeke, the directors have some skills. Going this big on the first day—aren’t they afraid of things getting awkward?”

“A triple room… If Jin, Zhou Yanrong, and Lan Chi end up together, I have four words: ‘Stirring up a storm.'”

“Rig the ballot to put He-ting and Movie Star Shen in one room. Meet today, fall in love tomorrow, marry the day after. You don’t need three weeks; three days is enough.”

“Get out of here, let our Movie Star Shen stay beautiful and solo.”

Xie He-ting’s head throbbed upon hearing the rules. He had only been in this world for three days! He hadn’t even learned how to be a proper modern person, yet he had to share a room! This was going to be the death of him!

Xie He-ting pressed his palms together, praying internally: “Guanyin Bodhisattva, Jade Emperor, please, please let me pick a single room. Let me pick a single room.”

“Pfft—” Lan Chi couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Are you praying to the gods? If it works, I want a single room too.”

It turned out Xie He-ting had accidentally muttered his prayers aloud! It was so embarrassing that he didn’t dare open his mouth again. He waved his hands with a red face and fell silent. This made Lan Chi especially curious—he blushes this easily?

Mu Shenyu continued reading the rules Mu Ying hadn’t finished: “You’ve already chosen your favorite numbers. Numbers 0 and 1 are for single rooms. Numbers 3, 5, and 6 are for the triple room. Numbers 2 and 4 are for the double room.”

Following Mu Shenyu’s words, the guests revealed their chosen numbers. The final room arrangement for the first night was:

Zhou Yanrong was number 0 and Shen Ji was number 1; they had the single rooms. Numbers 3, 5, and 6 were Shi Jixing, Lan Chi, and Wen Zhou, respectively—the triple room.

Xie He-ting looked at his number, then looked up at Jin Huaifeng. Jin Huaifeng was number 4.

God help me. A double room, and with this man who clearly looked like he wasn’t to be trifled with!

“Is everyone clear on their rooms? You can go put your luggage away now. Hurry up; our first dinner is in half an hour,” Mu Ying said, clapping his hands with a smile.

Jin Huaifeng, still wearing his sunglasses with an arrogant air, took his room card from Mu Ying without a word and headed upstairs with his suitcase. He didn’t spare his roommate a single glance.

Xie He-ting hesitated for a moment before following him.

Wen Zhou watched Zhou Yanrong take a room card and go upstairs. After agonizing for a while, he couldn’t help but ask Mu Ying: “Teacher Mu, will our rooms be arranged like this for the whole week? If other guests agree, can we swap?”

“No can do—” Seeing Wen Zhou’s eyes visibly dim, Mu Ying added with a smile, “However, you will have your first dates tomorrow. After the dates, rooms will be rearranged based on the results.”

“Okay, thank you!” Wen Zhou’s eyes lit up at the rule.

“Is Wen Zhou trying to ask if he can stay with Zhou Yanrong?”

“Feels like it, but also feels like not.”

Zhou Yanrong’s long-time fans chimed in: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this guy’s face among Zhou Yanrong’s rumored partners. So, when did they start?”

“Can’t tell. Aside from that ‘Puppy’ comment earlier, Zhou Yanrong has acted very average toward Wen Zhou. Did they really have a thing?”‘

“They definitely did. Didn’t you see the puppy’s regretful expression and the way he steals glances at the beauty’s back with heartbroken eyes? It couldn’t be more obvious.”

“He practically has ‘I loved you’ written on his face.”

Suddenly, a row of laughter burst through the bullet comments.

“Hahahaha, as expected of Orange TV. They really know how to cause trouble. What genius thought of putting one bed in the double room and two beds in the triple room?”

“How cruel! The most pitiful one is He-ting. He’s in a room with Young Master Jin. Looking at his expression, he’s about to cry.”

Xie He-ting was truly on the verge of tears. He regretted it; he shouldn’t have agreed to Jiang Ye. If his father and brother knew that he, who hadn’t even been married, dared to share a bed with a strange man, his father would surely use the family rod to break his legs.

The more Xie He-ting thought about it, the more worried he became. But worrying wouldn’t solve the problem, so he prepared to unpack. Just as he pulled out his “luggage,” a magnetic, displeased voice rang in his ear: “What did you bring a bag of trash up here for?”

This was the first sentence Jin Huaifeng had spoken since entering the villa. In fact, if this “roommate” who looked easy to bully hadn’t brought up a bag of trash, Jin hadn’t planned on speaking until he had rested enough. The flight from Country X to City B spanned half the globe and took nearly twenty hours on a private jet. Upon landing, he had rushed here without pause. Even with his strong physical constitution, he was feeling the strain.

“My god, is Jin’s voice really that good?”

“My ears are pregnant!”

“Hahahaha, that’s not trash, that’s He-he’s luggage!!!!”

The distance between them wasn’t far. The deep, textured voice brushed against his ear, carrying a hint of exhausted hoarseness that was exceptionally sexy. Xie He-ting felt his ears heat up slightly and took a step back to widen the gap between them.

“Uh, this isn’t trash—”

He hadn’t even known “suitcases” existed. He found this bag while packing and thought it was fine; he put a few clothes and a toothbrush inside and left. After arriving at the villa and helping Shen Ji in the kitchen, he saw an identical bag being used for waste—only then did he realize his luggage bag was a trash bag! No wonder Shen Ji had been stifling a laugh.

Jin Huaifeng raised an eyebrow, seemingly asking with his eyes, “What’s inside then?”

“Uh—” He had already lost face once; he really didn’t want to explain why he was using a trash bag for luggage. What did the book say? Oh right, if you encounter a topic you don’t want to discuss, find a way to redirect!

He looked at Jin Huaifeng’s expression, then at the towel in the man’s hand and the suitcase by his feet. His voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of small flattery: “Brother, you look a bit tired. Why don’t you shower first? I’ll help you organize your luggage.”

Jin Huaifeng narrowed his eyes and stared at the slender youth. Those moist eyes were like amber soaked in water, radiant and glowing. His eyelashes flickered like small brushes, looking at him clearly in an act of “playing hard to get.” Using a title different from everyone else to close the distance, and offering to organize private belongings…

Jin Huaifeng hadn’t forgotten what kind of variety show he was on. Showing favor and seducing him the moment he arrived? This guest had decent taste.

But… who was Jin Huaifeng? People usually threw themselves at him in much more sophisticated ways than this. Brother? Heh. People who knew him usually called him “Young Master Jin.” His cheap younger siblings had never called him so intimately. Yet, being called “Brother” so softly for the first time by someone with a voice like honey, Jin Huaifeng found that he didn’t actually mind it.

Jin Huaifeng stretched and leaned against the wall, glancing at him sideways with an ambiguous tone: “You want to help me organize my luggage?”

“Mhm, mhm!” Xie He-ting completely failed to hear the change in the other’s tone. Hearing the question, he thought the man was afraid he wouldn’t do a good job, so he nodded vigorously: “Let me do it. Leave it to me.”

Although he had never done such things at home, putting things into categories in a cabinet wasn’t difficult. Jin Huaifeng’s deepening gaze scraped over Xie He-ting’s face, which was forced into an air of feigned composure. Xie He-ting felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny; his earlobes turned slightly red, and his pale fingers curled unconsciously as he bashfully avoided the other’s aggressive gaze.

After a long while, the man across from him suddenly chuckled. The surrounding pressure abruptly lifted as Jin Huaifeng said meaningfully: “Alright then, I’ll trouble you.”

Watching him take his clothes into the bathroom, Xie He-ting let out a long breath. Whew—how terrifying! Xie He-ting pressed his sweaty hands against his burning face. This roommate of his made him feel… very dangerous.

After spacing out for a moment, he shook his head and forced himself to focus on unpacking his own things. He hung his clothes in the wardrobe, put his toothbrush on the desk, and sent the trash bag to its proper place—the room’s trash can.

After finishing his own, he started on Jin Huaifeng’s. Jin’s luggage was already organized by category. He took out the clothes and hung them up; there were many other things he didn’t recognize, so he simply set them aside for Jin Huaifeng to handle.

The quiet room was filled only with the sound of splashing water. It was calm, but the bullet comments had exploded due to Xie He-ting’s “Brother” comment and his initiative to organize Jin Huaifeng’s things.

“Wait, does this He-ting call everyone ‘Brother’? I thought he only called Shen Ji that?”

“Civilian guests nowadays are so desperate; the desire is written all over his face. Taking the initiative to organize a male guest’s clothes is too submissive.”

“Probably saw that Jin Huaifeng is rich. The goals of civilians joining these shows are usually quite clear.”

Others disagreed: “I think it’s normal. So what if He-ting is doing it on purpose? Isn’t this a dating show?”

“Exactly, flirting is all about skill. If He-he and the Young Master really spark something, it would be great. They’re a good match.”

“I have a mediocre impression of him. His ‘eating posture’ is too ugly.”

“Then don’t watch him; switch the camera.”

“Oh please, moral judges are everywhere. If I were He-ting, I’d not only call him ‘Brother,’ I’d call him ‘Good Brother’ and ‘Kissing Brother.'”

Once everyone had put away their things, the production team announced dinner. Since it was the first day, the crew had prepared the meal. When Xie He-ting went downstairs, the steaming dishes were already served. Mu Ying smiled and invited everyone to sit.

The table was rectangular with ten seats. Mu Ying and Mu Shenyu sat at the head as assistants. On the left were Shen Ji, Zhou Yanrong, and Shi Jixing, with an empty seat between Shen Ji and Zhou Yanrong. The entire right side was empty.

Xie He-ting scanned the room. The person he was most familiar with was Shen Ji, so he instinctively wanted to sit near him. Just as he headed that way, someone tapped his shoulder. He turned to find it was the boy named Wen Zhou.

Wen Zhou pointed at the empty seat next to Shen Ji and asked bashfully, “Could you let me sit there?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks a lot.” Wen Zhou sat down in the empty spot next to Zhou Yanrong. “You’re welcome.”

“Hhhh, such polite people.”

“Puppy, don’t love him too much! The beauty looks like he has no interest in you anymore.”

“True, Zhou Yanrong hasn’t reacted at all. Looking at him, who would think they had a past?”

Xie He-ting walked around him and sat in the second seat on the right. In his home, the first seat on the right was usually reserved for the eldest brother. After he sat down, Lan Chi came down and sat directly to his left. Only Jin Huaifeng was missing. This guy seemed to love making a grand entrance last.

Everyone was getting hungry and hesitated whether to send someone to call him. Then, a damp Jin Huaifeng leisurely came downstairs. He had changed into a black shirt with the top two buttons undone, black trousers wrapping around his impossibly long legs. His semi-wet hair clung softly to his forehead, and beneath his perfect features, a pair of dark, deep eyes were mesmerizing.

His gaze swept across the room. Ignoring Lan Chi’s waving gesture, he walked over and sat down next to Xie He-ting. Seeing Jin Huaifeng not sit next to him, Lan Chi was clearly unhappy and asked Xie He-ting if they could swap.

Some commenters, looking for drama, remarked: “Why is no one calling out Lan Chi’s ‘eating posture’? Everyone is seated and he wants to swap.”

“Just watch the show, don’t stir the pot here.”

Xie He-ting stood up to give way, but suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder as he was pushed back into his chair.

“Haha, awkward.”

Lan Chi saw it too and pouted unhappily: “Brother Huaifeng, what are you doing? Why do you make us wait every time?” Although he was complaining, his tone sounded like he was acting spoiled.

“Do Lan Chi and Jin Huaifeng know each other?”

“Be bold, remove the ‘feel like.'”

Jin Huaifeng lazily raised his eyes to look around, noticing Shen Ji’s gaze frequently landing on Xie He-ting. Young Master Jin was a dominant person with a strong sense of territory. Being in such a boring show was already annoying; having finally set his sights on a somewhat pleasing “little side dish,” whether he’d eat it was one thing, but having others stare at it—that wouldn’t do.

So, he curled his lips into a smile, pointed a finger sideways, and said in a lazy tone: “Blame this guy.”

Xie He-ting looked up, confused, his moist eyes full of bewilderment. Jin Huaifeng deliberately teased him, leaning in to laugh in his ear: “He hid my underwear so well, it took me some time to find them.”

The voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for everyone to hear clearly.

“???”

“What pants?”

“Wait, what did I just miss? Is there a scene my prestigious SVIP membership didn’t see?”

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