Make Her Heart Flutter - Chapter 18

Chi Shuang placed the watermelon into a bucket tied with a rope and lowered it into the well. “It should be ready to eat by evening.”

“Wow, Sister Chi, you’re amazing!” Jiang Ran gushed like an adoring fan.

“Yeah, impressive,” Jiang Qi added with a serious expression.

Chi Shuang covered the well lid and smiled helplessly. “What’s so impressive? It’s not like I can refrigerate things.”

“Pfft!” Everyone couldn’t help but laugh.

Tang Qiluo, after laughing, added recklessly, “If we’re talking about refrigeration, Xiao Qi is definitely the expert.”

Jiang Qi: “…” Such a nice person, why did she have to open her mouth?

After the laughter died down, Tang Qiluo suddenly remembered something. “Oh, right! After the rain, the river to the east has become shallower because the water was pumped out. Lots of people have been going there to catch fish. Should we go too?”

“Is that allowed? Usually, rivers like that have fish fry released by others, so they belong to someone,” Chi Shuang asked.

“I really want to go play. If that’s the case…” Jiang Ran looked disappointed but then suddenly brightened up. “How about we pay the pond owner some money and then go catch fish?”

“Then we might as well prepare to starve later!” Chi Shuang lightly tapped Jiang Ran’s head with a rolled-up piece of white paper.

“How about we ask the director?” Jiang Qi suggested. As soon as she finished speaking, the director’s voice echoed across the spacious backyard.

[The summer heat is intense. Wouldn’t everyone love to have a delightful grilled fish feast in the yard? Paired with refreshing, cool watermelon and ice-cold, thirst-quenching soda. This is the perfect way to spend a summer evening.]

“So? Does that mean we can go catch fish?” Yan Xu asked.

[Yes.]

The happiest of all was Jiang Ran. She was fascinated by all these things she had never experienced before. As soon as the director gave the green light, she dashed off like an untamed wild horse, happily heading back to change her clothes.

“Oh, right, do any of you have experience with this?” Tang Qiluo asked.

Shang Chumu: “With what? Catching fish?”

“No, but we can give it a try. If it doesn’t work out, we can always ask the others who are with us for advice later,” Chi Shuang said.

In the control room, the director was enjoying watermelon bought by the crew from the market. “Sweet, so sweet. Hey, hey, Assistant Director, have some too. Everyone, come and eat.”

The assistant director nodded, then sighed as he watched the artists on the monitor. “It’s been so many days, and these people are getting along so harmoniously, not even a hint of conflict. I really wonder if a show this peaceful and uneventful will even have any ratings.”

For the first time, he began to question the director’s decisions.

After the rain, the sky was as clear as if it had been washed. Jiang Ran walked along, kicking small stones by the roadside and humming a tune, clearly in high spirits.

Shang Chumu couldn’t understand why she was so happy. He sneaked up from behind, snatched the hat from Jiang Ran’s head, and quickly ran off. “Haha, let me borrow this for a bit.”

“Stop right there!” Jiang Ran pointed at Shang Chumu and sprinted after him.

Yan Xu called out from behind, “Do you two even know where you’re going? You’re already running off.”

Unsurprisingly, there was no response.

Jiang Qi glanced helplessly at Chi Shuang. Chi Shuang wore a relaxed, bright smile and gently brushed back her wind-tousled hair.

“Oh, I forgot to bring a hair tie,” Chi Shuang said, gathering her long hair and reaching for her wrist, only to find it empty.

Jiang Ran had already run far ahead. As the only other girl present, Jiang Qi checked her pocket and smiled. “I have one here.”

“Thank you,” Chi Shuang said, swiftly tying her hair into a ponytail. As she looked up, she saw Jiang Ran and Shang Chumu standing at the intersection ahead, with Jiang Ran having already retrieved her hat.

“Let’s go left,” Chi Shuang called out, cupping her hands around her mouth.

The orange sunset cast a golden glow on Chi Shuang’s profile. Her skin was flawless, and under the light, even the fine hairs on her face were visible.

Jiang Ran waved to them. “Let’s all go together!”

“What’s the matter?” Chi Shuang asked gently.

“Ah, it’d be so awkward if I went over there and didn’t know anyone else,” Jiang Ran mumbled, her shyness making her irresistibly adorable.

Chi Shuang smiled, her eyes crinkling. “Is there anything in this world that could make you feel awkward?”

Jiang Qi listened for a moment before chiming in, “She’s thin-skinned.”

The subject of this comment suddenly felt that this aloof, domineering CEO was teasing her.

“Sis Jiang, aren’t you getting it backwards?”

Shang Chumu chuckled, only to be met with a playful beating.

Amidst their banter, they soon arrived at the fishpond.

Most fishponds, due to long-standing stagnant water, have soft, muddy bottoms that can trap people, making it hard to pull free. However, this pond was artificially dug and relatively new, with scattered stones spread unevenly across the bottom.

The water only reached their calves, so everyone changed into knee-high rubber boots.

Many people were already in the pond catching fish, some elderly, some young. To Jiang Qi’s surprise, most of them were teenagers around thirteen or fourteen.

But it made sense: the pond wasn’t deep, and with so many adults around, the children were safe, and the adults were happy to let them play.

Many of the elderly didn’t recognize Chi Shuang and the others, but the teenagers certainly did.

“Hey, it’s Jiang Ran! I’ve been obsessed with their group lately, all four of them are so cool, handsome, and beautiful!”

“The one next to her is Shang Chumu, the rising modeling star. Her figure and aura are amazing. And Chi Shuang, ahhh, I can’t handle it, she’s absolutely stunning!”

“Brother Yan Xu is too good-looking! What’s worse is he’s talented at singing and painting. Did the heavens just put me here to make up the numbers? Right? Right?”

“Ah, and over there is Tang Qiluo, so refined and elegant, a true gentleman in this chaotic world! Brother, I’m yours!”

“Huh? Do you know the one next to him?”

“No, I don’t…”

A group of girls huddled together, discussing them. Though they didn’t recognize one of them, it didn’t stop them from admiring the beauty. “Her looks are incredible too! So cool and reserved, like an untouchable beauty~ Sis, please face me… mmmph!”

One girl was quickly muffled by her friend, who whispered a warning, “Your mom’s over there.”

To prevent any more outrageous comments, her friend kept her hand firmly in place.

“I heard they were coming here to film a show, but I didn’t know where. Well… never mind, let’s just watch from afar,” another girl said.

“Yeah, it wouldn’t be good to disturb their filming,” the others agreed.

Unaware that she was already the object of someone’s admiration, Jiang Qi surveyed the pond and pointed out, “Over here, the water’s deeper, better not go there to avoid slipping. Let’s stay in this area. It’s shallow, clear, and there are plenty of fish.”

Chi Shuang nodded in agreement with Jiang Qi’s words, and everyone else also expressed their approval.

Yan Xu smiled warmly and said, “No wonder you’re a CEO, your leadership skills are truly top-notch.”

At the mention of the word “CEO,” Jiang Qi inexplicably recalled the awkward situation during her self-introduction at the kindergarten earlier.