Chapter 7: Separated by no more than ten meters, Ming Huai's eyes reflected Ji Tingqian's handsome face. Perhaps the surprise came too suddenly; Ming Huai froze on the spot, unable to regain his composure for a long time, his mind endlessly repeating the fact that Ji Tingqian had arrived. His stunned expression was far too obvious. Behind him, Chen Jun sensed something was wrong. Cameras were everywhere here; every move of everyone was being recorded at all times. Ming Huai's actions and expressions were clearly inappropriate. Without making a scene, Chen Jun gently nudged Ming Huai, then jogged over to give Qu Mei a big hug. The cameraman following them immediately shifted the filming focus onto Chen Jun and Qu Mei. Only then did Ming Huai suddenly snap back to reality, realizing what he had just done. His thoughts churned wildly. It had already been filmed; he didn't know if it would be broadcast, nor how it might be edited if it were.

Amidst all this uncertainty, Ming Huai decided to go all in. A broad smile spread across his face, seamlessly replacing his earlier stunned look, making anyone watching believe he had simply been overly surprised moments before and had now finally recovered. While Ming Huai was looking at him, Ji Tingqian was also looking at Ming Huai. There was a hint of amusement in his eyes, especially when he saw the obvious surprise on Ming Huai's face. Strangely, a sense of satisfaction welled up within him—bizarre and utterly childish. Before his emotions veered into strange territory, Ji Tingqian quickly reined them in, burying those inexplicable feelings deep down. But Ming Huai was the one who never followed the script. In front of everyone, Ming Huai suddenly plunged into Ji Tingqian's embrace. He patted Ji Tingqian's back forcefully and grinned widely, exclaiming, "Long time no see!"

Being significantly shorter than Ji Tingqian, the only way for him to wrap his arms around from above was to pull the other man down. Thus, Ji Tingqian leaned forward slightly, resting against Ming Huai's shoulder, creating a somewhat comical scene. The moment he leaned in, Ji Tingqian's only thought was how thin Ming Huai felt. Ji Tingqian's stern expression finally softened for a second. He lowered his gaze and returned the hug, his voice much steadier than Ming Huai's, carrying a strangely reassuring power.

"Long time no see."

Both were masters of speaking blatant falsehoods with straight faces. Having woken up in the same bed just last month, they could now pretend to be old friends who hadn't seen each other in ages and missed one another dearly. The moment Ji Tingqian embraced him, Ming Huai's body trembled imperceptibly, and the smile on his face became utterly genuine. After exchanging greetings, the group gathered around a small table under the shelter. A pot of jasmine tea had been brewed; Wang Lun poured a cup for everyone, and instantly, the fragrance of jasmine flowers filled the air. Here, Wang Lun and Chen Jun acted as the two parental figures. Although Qu Mei was technically Chen Jun's "guardian,"

everyone still deferred to Wang Lun and Chen Jun's arrangements here. After sitting down, chatting, and finishing the formalities, it was time to get to the main point.

"Here's the situation,"

Wang Lun cleared his throat and said, "Only Tingqian and Qu Mei have arrived so far. Where are the other two?"

Qu Mei took a sip of tea and explained with a smile, "They're still on their way; they should arrive around ten tonight."

"Oh, I see…"

Wang Lun nodded thoughtfully, then changed tack, "Are they girls or guys?" Qu Mei nearly answered automatically but caught herself just in time.

Pressing her lips together, she smiled, "You'll know once they arrive."

Ever since Ji Tingqian appeared in Ming Huai's line of sight, Ming Huai's entire attention had fixed on him. He couldn't control his gaze from drifting toward Ji Tingqian, yet Ji Tingqian acted as if nothing were amiss, occasionally saying a few words, remaining polite and appropriate in front of their seniors, causing Ming Huai's Adam's apple to bob subtly. The conversation continued. After quite some time, Wang Lun and the others finally remembered something important.Wang Lun stood up, thought for a moment, and said, "How about this: Teacher Chen takes Qu Mei to tour the house and put away their luggage. As for Tingqian…"

His gaze swept between Zhao Manman and Ming Huai before he finally decided to have Ming Huai show Ji Tingqian around. There were two main considerations: first, Ming Huai was clearly more familiar with Ji Tingqian; second, since Zhao Manman was a woman, it would be somewhat inappropriate to assign her this task. After Chen Jun led Qu Mei into their room, Ming Huai and Ji Tingqian still hadn't moved. Wang Lun glanced at them curiously and asked, "Why are you two still standing here?"

Ming Huai immediately shifted his gaze toward Ji Tingqian. A slight curve appeared at the corner of Ji Tingqian's lips, and Ming Huai instantly understood—Ji Tingqian had been waiting for him to speak first.

"Teacher Wang, where will Brother Ji… stay?"

Ming Huai paused briefly, quickly running through the appropriate way to address Ji Tingqian in his mind before settling on "Brother Ji."

"Ah… well…"

Wang Lun smiled and tapped his forehead. There were five rooms in total, with only one remaining. Qu Mei would naturally share with Chen Jun. The biggest issue now concerned the genders of the two guests yet to arrive. Wang Lun turned to the director and asked, "We need to assign rooms; surely you can tell us whether the upcoming guests are male or female?"

This time, Director Gao surprisingly didn't keep them guessing. Raising his voice, he announced, "One man and one woman."

After a brief consideration, Wang Lun said, "In that case, ladies first, so Tingqian will share a room with us."

Then Wang Lun turned the question to Ji Tingqian, asking whom he wanted to share with tonight. Ming Huai subtly glanced at Ji Tingqian, his heart suspended high. He didn't believe Ji Tingqian would choose him; based on their previous interactions, Ji Tingqian's impression of him didn't seem particularly favorable. Yet, just as Ming Huai lost himself in thought, a low, pleasant voice reached his ears. Ji Tingqian slung an arm over Ming Huai's shoulder, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

"I'll stay with Ming Huai."

Just like that, the matter was settled. For a short while, Ming Huai's heart pounded so fiercely it felt ready to leap out of his throat. With a hint of barely concealed delight, Ming Huai led Ji Tingqian into their room. Restraining his smug thoughts, he casually remarked, "You don't steal blankets, do you?"

Don't you already know? Ji Tingqian nearly blurted out, but the words caught in his throat at the last moment. Instead, he replied calmly, "No, I don't."

They needed to find something to talk about; otherwise, the edited footage would surely look terrible. Worse still, once the program aired, rumors of their incompatibility might become cemented as fact.

"Isn't the weather quite hot? Why worry about me stealing blankets?"

Ji Tingqian's tone sounded slightly more relaxed than before. Surprised by Ji Tingqian's initiative in starting a conversation, Ming Huai nevertheless answered without hesitation, "We'll have the air conditioning on at night; without a blanket, you'd catch a cold."

This was one of Ming Huai's little sleeping habits: during summer, he liked setting the temperature very low and then covering himself with a thick quilt. As they talked, they arrived at their room. Upon entering, Ming Huai intended to help Ji Tingqian with his suitcase, but Ji Tingqian declined. Ming Huai remembered that look clearly—it plainly suggested Ji Tingqian thought Ming Huai's slender arms and legs couldn't handle the weight. Ji Tingqian hadn't brought much, mainly changes of clothes. The wardrobe wasn't large, but since Ming Huai's belongings were few, Ji Tingqian's clothes filled it perfectly once placed inside. Ming Huai looked at the closet and curved his lips slightly, his heart itching with the urge to take out his phone and capture the scene inside the wardrobe. But the next second, he remembered the cameras everywhere; if photographed, certain things could become difficult to explain. By the time they finished unpacking, it was only 5:30.

Chen Jun and Qu Mei had been faster; when Ming Huai and Ji Tingqian went downstairs, Chen Jun was already preparing dinner with Qu Mei's assistance.Everyone present had a high tolerance for spicy food. After working hard all day, they forgot to pick the chili peppers. Wang Lun went to harvest Chinese cabbage while Zhao Manman washed vegetables nearby, so naturally, the task of picking chilies fell to Ming Huai and Ji Tingqian. Ming Huai's eyes suddenly lit up; an opportunity to be alone with Ji Tingqian was exactly what he wanted. The chili patch was just a few minutes' walk from the courtyard. As Ji Tingqian watched Ming Huai leading the way ahead, his mind wandered. Their interaction this time, monitored by cameras, felt much more normal. In just that short hour, Ji Tingqian noticed Ming Huai seemed different from how others described him, even differing from how he had been during their previous two encounters.

Just as Ji Tingqian openly stared at Ming Huai's back, Ming Huai suddenly stopped, turned around, and flashed a broad smile. A thin layer of sweat glistened on the tip of his nose due to the heat.

Suddenly, an indescribable, strange feeling surged within Ji Tingqian.

"It's right here," Ming Huai said, pointing ahead to inform Ji Tingqian.

Ji Tingqian subtly shifted his gaze away and nodded. They entered the chili patch together. Ming Huai carried a small basket, quite willing to exchange a few more words with Ji Tingqian.

"Let's pick plenty. Everyone loves spicy food. If we have leftovers, Teacher Chen can make chili sauce to mix with noodles; that would be great too."

More than half the chilies were already picked. Ji Tingqian occasionally chimed in with a remark or two, never pausing his hands. Walking side by side, they placed each picked chili into the small basket. Unnoticed by either, their targets converged on the same chili pepper. In an instant, their fingertips brushed against each other. Ji Tingqian naturally withdrew his hand and picked a small chili growing next to it instead. Ming Huai, however, felt as if an electric current had shot through his fingertips. His ears, hidden beneath his hair, quietly turned red, and his fingers involuntarily curled inward.

Afterward, Ming Huai spoke noticeably less. Ji Tingqian found this both intriguing and strangely puzzling about Ming Huai.