Chapter 61: Miaoxiang
The staff were wrapping up. Xuan Xia stood up, her line of sight searching for the book cafe boss, but she saw Yang Wanxiu and Zhou Shiqing’s assistant walking over together.
As soon as Yang Wanxiu came over, she asked, “Xia Xia, the PD side is asking about the themes for the next episode. Which one do you prefer?”
This question…
Xuan Xia’s line of sight turned to Zhou Shiqing across from her.
Did she have more say than him?
He was the one who could cancel filming on a whim.
Zhou Shiqing caught her line of sight, and his eyes shifted accordingly.
Xuan Xia immediately spoke up, “Let’s pick a more relaxing theme.” She was determined not to give this rebellious son any chance to speak.
Sure enough, Zhou Shiqing’s mouth moved, but he made no sound.
However, Yang Wanxiu’s understanding of “relaxing” was a bit different. “How about the waterfront restaurant then?”
It was an underwater Western restaurant where diners could enjoy gourmet food from the chef while appreciating schools of fish swimming freely in the coral sea.
They could even see sharks swimming overhead.
However, this restaurant wasn’t something ordinary people could book. For the program group to include it in the theme options, they must really have some connections.
“No no no, no eating.” Xuan Xia refused without thinking.
Dining alone with Zhou Shiqing—could she even digest?
Besides, rather than watching sharks, she worried that if she really couldn’t stand Zhou Shiqing, she might get evil thoughts and feed him to the sharks.
“Got it, I know. We’ll discuss it with the PD later then.” Yang Wanxiu said this to Zhou Shiqing’s assistant.
The other party responded with a string of “Okay okay okay.”
Zhou Shiqing looked at Xuan Xia thoughtfully.
Xuan Xia, with sharp eyes, spotted the book cafe boss and called out “Boss” as she went to meet him.
The boss’s smile was a bit unnatural. “What can I do for you, beautiful?”
“I just wanted to ask about the Miao Village tour you mentioned before.” Xuan Xia said with a smile, “I’ve thought about it, and I can try going to dig around myself. Maybe I can find something I like even more.”
“Which Miao Village did you go to before, boss?”
“Oh man, that was a few years ago.” The boss tried hard to recall but shook his head, unable to remember. “The Miao Villages that tourists can enter—there are only a few. You don’t need to specifically pick the one I went to. Just play and see wherever.”
Xuan Xia, however, wouldn’t let it go.
The boss started hem-hawing and laughing it off again.
Until Xuan Xia heard an impatient “tch” right by her ear. She then realized Zhou Shiqing had removed his mic and was taking a mask from his clothes pocket to put on his face.
He was getting off work.
Noticing Xuan Xia’s line of sight, Zhou Shiqing adjusted his mask, and a voice devoid of good emotion came muffled from under it. “Can’t you see the boss is annoyed by you? So clueless.”
As he spoke, he gave her a sidelong glance.
That look hid quite a bit of disdain.
Xuan Xia: “…”
The book cafe boss gave an evasive smile beside them.
Xuan Xia also smiled, a smile of anger.
No longer making things difficult for the boss, Xuan Xia backed off. “Then I’ll come back next time to drink coffee and read here at the boss’s place.”
The smile on the boss’s face clearly stiffened for a moment.
***
When leaving the book cafe, Zhou Shiqing left first.
As soon as he went out, the outside erupted like a boiling kettle again, wave after wave, showing just how many fans he had.
This time, Yang Wanxiu accompanied Xuan Xia in watching with envy and jealousy.
Yang Wanxiu even sighed, “Zhou Shiqing really has a lot of fans.”
Xuan Xia didn’t speak, just silently glanced into the distance, then walked in the opposite direction of the commotion.
Their car was parked at the other end.
Once in the car, Xuan Xia had Yang Wanxiu send her the photos taken earlier.
Then she held her mobile phone, zooming the photos in and out, studying them intently.
While studying, she also considered whether to send the photo in her hand to Daoist Master Qin right now.
Or wait until tomorrow when she came back to the book cafe and tried that bell first?
She was wavering when she suddenly heard Yang Wanxiu beside her say, “Xia Xia, the content for the next recording is set.”
Xuan Xia temporarily shifted her line of sight from the mobile phone, asking uneasily, “No eating, right?”
Speaking of eating, Yang Wanxiu felt a bit regretful that she didn’t choose the waterfront restaurant—free high-end dining, how great.
But the content they settled on now was also pretty good.
Yang Wanxiu said, “Going on a trip.”
“Hm?”
How did it suddenly become a trip?
Xuan Xia clearly remembered that travel wasn’t one of the options for the next episode’s themes mentioned before.
“Who decided on the trip?” Xuan Xia asked her, but as soon as the question left her mouth, she suddenly had a guess in her heart.
Soon, Yang Wanxiu confirmed her guess. “It was Zhou Shiqing’s side that decided it.”
Only he would have that much say.
Yang Wanxiu explained, “Don’t we have to join the crew the week after next? Zhou Shiqing’s side also has activities, worried about scheduling conflicts, so he suggested doing a trip. The PD said it could be recorded as two episodes.”
After hearing the explanation, Xuan Xia only wanted to know, “Where are we going on the trip?”
“Miaoxiang,” Yang Wanxiu said.
After saying it, she looked at Xuan Xia.
Earlier, when Xuan Xia had relentlessly asked the book cafe boss which Miao Village he went to, Yang Wanxiu had been right there, hearing it all clearly.
Now, Xuan Xia’s Miao Village trip was really happening.
But as the two looked at each other, neither looked happy at all.
After looking at Yang Wanxiu for a while, Xuan Xia asked, “What is he trying to do?” He had just been disdainful of her a second ago.
“Maybe he’s just being kind,” Yang Wanxiu comforted her.
Xuan Xia shook her head, not saying much more.
Was she really trying to go to the Miao Village when she pestered the book cafe boss with all those questions?
She was deliberately making things hard for the book cafe boss, trying to see if she could get some useful truth out of him!
In the end, this clever one slapped his forehead and really took her to Miaoxiang…
……
Miaoxiang it was then.
Free trip—what was there to be dissatisfied about?
Xuan Xia thought.
……
The next day, after finishing her exam, Xuan Xia grabbed plenty of eating tools and headed straight to the book cafe.
The book cafe during the day felt different from when she came at night.
The shop inside was bright and clean, the whole room filled with the aroma of coffee.
Behind the bar were two young girls. Seeing a customer enter, they smiled brightly and greeted Xuan Xia.
Xuan Xia smiled politely in return, her line of sight sweeping around the shop.
Even though it was a workday, there were quite a few customers inside, and hardly any empty tables left.
After looking around, Xuan Xia didn’t see the boss. She went straight to the wish wall.
The wish wall was just as she saw it last night, covered in layers of wish cards, with even a few newly tied on today.
She directly parted the bottom layer, revealing that bell tied with a red tassel.
Well-prepared today, her courage had also surged. She directly reached out and grasped the bell.
The bell felt cool to the touch, but soon warmed from her palm’s heat. She half-closed her eyes and silently recited an incantation in her mind.
She waited a bit, but saw no anomaly.
Xuan Xia was puzzled for a moment, then switched to another incantation.
Still no anomaly.
She furrowed her brow in confusion and stared at the bell again.
Then she realized—this wasn’t the same one she saw last night!
Oh oh oh oh, one month is over! I’m really so diligent! I did daily 4000 words! Oh my god, I feel like I’ve made a comeback!
