The Prime Minister Becomes a Global Sensation After Transmigrating into a Pariah - Chapter 12

“It’s a strike! You really speared it!” A plump crucian carp’s tail twitched rhythmically on the spear. Lou Yishu turned his sparkling eyes toward Qiao Yuxi and said, “You are truly incredible!”

Qiao Yuxi actually found the praise quite gratifying, but his attention was clearly elsewhere. He stared blankly at the skewered fish, goosebumps rising on his arms. Is spear-fishing normally this intense? He only felt that Lou Yishu’s arm strength was terrifying.

With fish, salt, and fire, their late-afternoon meal was finally secured. To Lou Yishu’s surprise, Qiao Yuxi, who looked like he wouldn’t even touch a drop of spring water turned out to be quite the chef.

Qiao Yuxi’s technique was seasoned; in a few swift motions, he used the steel ruler to remove the fish’s gills and innards. The 118-yuan ruler was proving its worth ten times over.

“Did you know? Cooking, singing, and driving are all handled by the same region of the brain,” Qiao Yuxi chatted idly with Lou Yishu, turning the fish over the flames.

This was news to Lou Yishu; he was hearing such a theory for the first time. He asked, “So you are equally skilled at singing and driving?”

“Of course! I sing exceptionally well.” He tilted his chin up, looking like a flamboyant peacock just as he did when they first met. He didn’t forget to sprinkle the salt to season the fish. “I’m a speed demon behind the wheel, and riding horses is no trouble for me either.”

“May I hear you sing, then?” Lou Yishu had never driven a car, but he was quite familiar with horses. “Or perhaps we could go riding together sometime.”

• “The clout-chasing is too obvious.”
• “Asking Brother Qiao to sing for you? Are you even worthy?”
• “I want to hear him sing too, waaaah. Mommy hasn’t even heard him sing yet.”
• “If you two keep this up, I’m going to start shipping you.”
• “Wait… is ‘riding horses’ what I think it means?”
• “This isn’t the bus to the kindergarten! Let me off!”
• “I believe Qiao Yuxi can ride. He’s famous for being dedicated to his craft.”
• “When you lot start shipping them, Lou Yishu wins.”

Occasionally, sharp comments drifted across the screen, though they didn’t seem to belong to either of the leads’ main hater groups.

[ Your voice… unravels the mystery of the story… a promise falling across ten thousand years]

Qiao Yuxi’s speaking voice was already magnetic, but when he sang, it was profoundly soulful.

[ You beneath the great tree, the red scarf, the rain held in your palm, laughing and crying… it’s no one but you]

[ If I could… I’d go back to the day we met… let time stop… in that rain—]

Qiao Yuxi looked at Lou Yishu’s profile, his eyes darkening slightly. His expression was guarded as he sang the familiar lyrics naturally.

[ I only want the evidence of your embrace beside me, to kiss your breath in a blink, in an instant, leave me but don’t trap you ]

At that moment, Lou Yishu happened to turn his head. Their eyes met those deep, dark eyes were just as they had always been, yet different. Now, they were always slightly curved in a smile, and only in rare moments did that serious, sharp glint reappear.

[ If I could, meeting you in the vast crowd with one glance across a thousand years turning around under the moonlight… it would be you—]

Qiao Yuxi stared into Lou Yishu’s eyes, and Lou Yishu studied those clear pupils in return. Unlike his own pitch-black irises, Qiao’s were amber, like meticulously carved pieces of honey-gold resin. Those beautiful almond eyes always seemed to hold an unspeakable affection, a gaze that could tell countless different stories on camera.

[ I spent all my luck, you are my world-staking decision—]

“Beautiful!” Lou Yishu said with total sincerity, clapping his hands softly. Qiao Yuxi continued to roast the fish with a stoic expression, though the ears hidden beneath his hair had turned a deep shade of crimson.

• “My god, in the past we couldn’t even find out about his daily life, let alone hear him sing.”
• “Qiao-Qiao sings so well! Who said this show was a cash grab? This show is a blessing.”
• “So why did he join a variety show? There wasn’t a single leak.”
• “Was it for Ye Qi? Aren’t they rumored to be a couple?”
• “Wait, singing is one thing, but what was with that sudden eye contact?!”
• “Hehehe my mouth is curving upward involuntarily.”

As the song ended, the fish was nearly done. Having no utensils, they found four wooden sticks and took turns eating. Just then, the production team sent over a task card.

“At 3:00 PM, the Bus Boutique will open for one hour. Thirty minutes before opening, red smoke will be ignited. Guests can determine the location by the smoke in the sky. Please bring any items you consider valuable; the Boutique accepts trades. At 7:00 PM, the shop will open again for thirty minutes to sell essential items. Guests are advised to consider their resource allocation carefully.”

Lou Yishu read the contents of the card aloud in his gentle, resonant voice. Having only recently learned simplified characters, he read with extreme caution, terrified of making a mistake.

Estimating it was now around 2:00 PM, Lou Yishu hurried back to spear more fish. Since the Boutique allowed trading, they had to seize the opportunity. He wasn’t sure if his starting items like the steel ruler could be traded back.

Qiao Yuxi used the fish innards he’d removed earlier as bait, hooking them onto his paperclip to fish for shrimp. He sat quietly on a stone, focused on his task. Having mastered the trick, it wasn’t long before Lou Yishu skewered another fish.

Suddenly, a plume of red smoke began to rise into the sky.