***
Chapter 24 – Beach Barbecue
Jiang Liusui froze for a moment.
He Yujing’s expression carried a teasing, almost half-serious smile. Catching on, Jiang Liusui refused to be outdone, his tone deliberately flirty: “So… does this count as a confession?”
He Yujing tilted the question back at him. “It counts if you say it does.”
“Alright.” Jiang Liusui answered cheerfully.
Xu Miao could only stare, utterly stunned. Jiang Liusui cupped his face, eyes sparkling with pure joy, and blinked at He Yujing. What good deed did I do in my past life to be able to date He Yujing? I’m so happy.”
“……”
Jiang Liusui was still playing around: “Then what should I call you from today on? We need a special nickname, right?”
He had thought that He Yujing would be at a loss for words at his silly, cutesy act, but unexpectedly the man said calmly, “Anything is fine, my dear.”
Jiang Liusui: “……”
Jiang Liusui surrendered: “Stop, I can’t take it anymore.”
“—Oh my God! You two scared me to death!” Xu Miao clutched her chest, gasping for breath. “I seriously thought I was about to witness some monumental event!!”
“What huge event?” Mu Zhe suddenly interjected, and Qin Yi, standing a few steps away, shot them a curious look.
“They’re just joking around, and I didn’t dare breathe a word! I never expected this from you, Suisui, you just now looked like… like…” ven though she knew Jiang Liusui’s sweet, affectionate act was on purpose, even as a woman, she found it a little overwhelming. She wondered what He Yujing thought.
After struggling for a while, Xu Miao finally found a fitting word: “—like a fox spirit[mfn]狐狸精 (hú lí jīng) – culturally, fox spirits in Chinese folklore are often beautiful but cunning and seductive. It’s a playful/slightly teasing way to describe someone as charmingly dangerous or flirtatious.[/mfn]!”
“……”
Qin Yi couldn’t help saying: “Xiao Jiang isn’t that bad, is he?”
Xu Miao: “No, no, Qin-ge, you’ve got it all wrong! I’m complimenting him! He was absolutely amazing just now!…”
Mu Zhe curiously pressed for details. Jiang Liusui was listening to them when someone lightly patted his head. Looking up, he met a pair of light brown eyes.
He Yujing was half-sitting nearby, his gaze lowered but fixed on him, a subtle smile playing at the corners of his lips.
“Your mouth’s quite sharp[mfn]嘴还挺厉害 (zuǐ hái tǐng lì hài) – describes someone who is very good with words, especially at talking back, arguing, teasing, or persuading others.[/mfn].”
Jiang Liusui smiled obediently at him, although inwardly feeling somewhat unsettled.
He was relatively perceptive about emotions and could usually tell quickly whether someone held affection for him. But He Yujing’s words just now, while ambiguous, had been delivered with complete naturalness. Combined with the other person’s free-spirited personality, Jiang Liusui couldn’t figure out what He Yujing was thinking.
It was probably just a joke, right? Back when they’d filmed the MV, He Yujing had similarly bantered with him in this teasing manner, and they had just met back then.
This person was clearly the type to flirt; saying something like that wasn’t surprising.
As the clock neared five, the staff had all arrived, and the host came over with a cheerful greeting: “How was everyone’s rest? You must be exhausted from this morning. I went back and kept napping…”
Noticing someone was missing, the host paused. “Has Teacher Shang arrived yet?”
A female assistant was sent to hurry Shang Qingzhi along and said to the others.
“Let’s get ready. We’ll start recording when Teacher Shang arrives, probably around 5:20.”
Ten minutes later, Shang Qingzhi arrived belatedly, wearing a white dress, her fair skin looking somewhat pale.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said, rubbing her forehead with a hint of fatigue. “I couldn’t sleep after getting back, and only managed to doze off a little after three this afternoon.”
“Oh my! You must be exhausted,” Xu Miao said, noticing her low energy. “Do you want some iced coconut? It’s actually really good—I can get one for you.”
Shang Qingzhi shook her head, thanked her softly, and sat down beside Xu Miao. The director and host gave an OK signal, and the recording officially began.
“After watching the sunrise, everyone basically spent the day catching up on sleep, so I imagine you haven’t eaten much? Tonight we’re having a beach barbecue!”
After speaking, the host looked around expectantly for everyone’s reactions. Xu Miao played along enthusiastically, cheering and clapping. Noticing everyone looking at her, she said somewhat sheepishly, “I’m the mood-maker.”
This time, everyone laughed and joined in the applause.
The barbecue was set up on the beach just outside the villa. Aside from the naturally pink stretch of sand, most of Linzhou Island’s beaches were the usual gravel-colored kind, open to all sorts of tourist activities.
By the time they reached the location, it was nearly dark. The sunset’s afterglow flickered faintly on the water, and rows of tall palm trees swayed in the sea breeze.
The production team had set up several lights around the barbecue grill in advance. To make everything look perfect on camera, the positions of the warm and cool lights had been carefully fine-tuned. Beneath the trees, colorful LED strips were arranged in a circle to create a festive atmosphere.
Jiang Liusui suddenly remembered he still owed Qin Yi a meal. Since Qin Yi didn’t seem like he actually expected him to specially make time to cook, this ready-made opportunity was perfect—he could just barbecue some food for Qin Yi.
He wasn’t very good at cooking, but grilling skewers should be manageable.
The ingredients the production team had prepared were already cleaned and prepped; all that was left was to thread them onto bamboo sticks. Driven by the desire to repay the favor, Jiang Liusui started working very seriously, skewering over a dozen pieces of pork belly in a row, then moving on to chicken wings, zucchini, potato slices…
Looking around, Jiang Liusui was clearly the most enthusiastic worker. He Yujing, idly threading corn kernels beside him, couldn’t help but ask, “Are you hungry?”
“I…” Jiang Liusui was about to answer, but then he noticed Qin Yi standing right next to He Yujing and stopped himself mid-sentence.
Worried that Qin Yi might feel awkward about actually making him repay the meal, Jiang Liusui planned to just put the finished barbecue directly in front of Qin Yi. He vaguely said, “It’s for someone else.”
He Yujing noticed Jiang Liusui hesitate mid-sentence and glanced his way. He unconsciously stopped skewering corn kernels. After a moment, the corners of his thin lips lifted into a small, subtle smile.
For someone else?
He believed that aside from himself, no one else present would warrant Jiang Liusui specially grilling for them. He felt so pleased he could barely suppress his smile.
He actually thought of making food for him—so thoughtful.
He Yujing had never done household chores in his life, having grown up practically never doing any manual work. Besides, having slept all day, he actually didn’t have much appetite and didn’t feel like eating. He’d only been skewering corn to pass the time.
He hadn’t been all that excited about the beach barbecue at first, but now he had to admit—the production team had arranged it brilliantly.
Well, if that was the case, he might as well take it seriously and grill something for Jiang Liusui too.
He started threading the ingredients faster, occasionally glancing at Jiang Liusui. Whatever Jiang Liusui picked up, he’d pick up the same. And then, as they both reached for lotus root slices, their hands brushed accidentally.
There were only two or three lotus root slices left in the basket, just enough for one skewer. He Yujing was wearing a ring, and when Jiang Liusui accidentally brushed against it, he patted him without ceremony. “I was first,” he said.
He Yujing naturally didn’t compete with him: “Alright, yours.”
Everyone stood in a row beside the long table where ingredients were being prepared, with Jiang Liusui positioned at the far right. He wore light makeup, and because of his good skin, the makeup artist hadn’t even applied foundation—just a thin layer of primer that let his natural, healthy complexion shine through. The side lighting cast a golden shimmer on his long, upturned eyelashes.
He Yujing gave an exaggerated cough, pretending to clear his throat. “You actually know how to grill barbecue?”
“Mm,” Jiang Liusui replied, surveying the nearly finished spread. He lifted his overflowing plate and made his way to the grill.
He Yujing interpreted his simple response as shyness. Asking directly if it was for him would seem too boastful, but not asking made him itch with curiosity. He decided to test the waters: “For a close older brother, right?”
Jiang Liusui was a bit surprised. “How did you know?”
How could I not know? He Yujing thought, smiling softly at him. “Go ahead,” he said gently.
“…?”
Although Jiang Liusui found He Yujing’s behavior a little strange, he didn’t dwell on it. After all, this guy could switch expressions faster than flipping a page—it wasn’t the first time.
The production team had prepared a charcoal grill, and the embers were already hot, radiating intense heat beneath their gray-black layer of ash.
Jiang Liusui carefully placed his skewered vegetables and meat on the grill. Xu Miao came over next with her plate. She stopped, eyes wide at the colorful lineup of skewers. “Not bad, Suisui! You look like you’ve never touched a day of manual labor, but you handle this pretty well.”
Jiang Liusui smiled, a little pleased. He watched as Xu Miao split an entire eggplant in half, hands shaking slightly while adding seasoning. “You can grill eggplant? That’s impressive,” he said, returning the compliment.
Xu Miao, also a kitchen rookie, grinned happily. “Ah, it’s nothing! I just looked it up online and tried it.”
By the time He Yujing brought his plate over, Jiang Liusui was almost done grilling. With both sides of the grill occupied, He Yujing went to another spot.
He’d never cooked for anyone before, but even with the food still unfinished, he felt a quiet sense of pride.
Mu Zhe, seeing him carrying a full plate over, couldn’t hide his surprise.
On variety shows, cooking was usually just for show—everyone went through the motions casually. Given He Yujing’s status, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to have the staff grill for him and edit it later to look like his work. Earlier, Mu Zhe had watched him lazily threading corn kernels and assumed the young master would coast through the segment. Yet here he was, taking it surprisingly seriously.
Remembering his company’s instructions, Mu Zhe mustered the courage to strike up a conversation: “Yu-ge, you actually prepared so much? And with both meat and vegetables—what a variety…”
He couldn’t think of anything else to say. All he could do was latch onto one point and wring out conversation, practically hyping up a plate of skewers that hadn’t even touched the grill. He Yujing, however, wasn’t paying the slightest attention to Mu Zhe.
His gaze was fixed in the distance. Jiang Liusui had finished grilling most of the barbecue, leaving only some slower-cooking meats. He asked Xu Miao to keep an eye on them while he carried a wooden tray full of skewers over to Qin Yi.
Qin Yi was still slowly skewering food, seated beside the equally sluggish and pale Shang Qingzhi. He Yujing watched as Jiang Liusui said something to Qin Yi. Qin Yi seemed slightly surprised, then broke into a smile.
Seeing Jiang Liusui place the tray in front of Qin Yi, He Yujing’s face instantly darkened, and he turned around to leave without a word.
Mu Zhe was startled by the sudden gloom radiating from him. Noticing that the skewers He Yujing had just placed on the grill hadn’t been flipped, Mu Zhe hurriedly reminded him, “Yu-ge! These are about to burn…”
He Yujing didn’t even glance back. Mu Zhe froze, thinking he’d said too much and annoyed him, shifting nervously in place as he watched He Yujing walk away.
Qin Yi, catching on to Jiang Liusui’s intention, was momentarily dumbfounded.
“How did you even remember…” That day, when he had jokingly asked Jiang Liusui to cook, it had been nothing more than a throwaway comment. Seeing him actually bring over food, Qin Yi recalled Xu Miao’s earlier comment about him resembling a fox spirit—it was as if a mischievous fox had stolen a fish and dropped it at his feet. Qin Yi couldn’t help laughing in disbelief. “I completely forgot about that.”
Jiang Liusui had grilled far more than necessary. Qin Yi, watching him busy for almost an hour, knew there was no way he could take it all. “I’ll just take a skewer or two. I’m still threading skewers over here. You keep the rest.”
“Take more,” Jiang Liusui insisted. “I haven’t finished grilling over there yet.”
Unable to refuse, Qin Yi relented, “”Alright, I’ll take half of what’s here, okay? Keep the rest for yourself. I was just joking with you before. That time on set, cooking was part of the director’s requirement anyway…”
Jiang Liusui nodded in understanding. He placed most of the skewers on an empty plate and said to Shang Qingzhi, who had been quietly observing, “Qingzhi-jie, you two eat together.”
“Thank you, Xiao Jiang.” Shang Qingzhi hadn’t expected to be included and gave him a gentle smile.
Although she looked somewhat pale, her demeanor remained soft and graceful. Shang Qingzhi was wearing an oversized men’s jacket, likely Qin Yi’s.
Given the strong sea breeze, it made sense for Qin Yi to lend her his coat.
Jiang Liusui cast them a brief, lingering glance, then carried the remaining skewers back to the grill. Xu Miao was in a full-blown scramble, and seeing him arrive was like spotting a lifesaver. “Suisui, come help! I can’t keep up!”
Xu Miao was juggling multiple tasks, her meticulously applied makeup nearly ruined by the heat and sweat. She was clearly overwhelmed. Joining the fray, Jiang Liusui’s first move was to swiftly rescue her nearly burnt eggplant.
While everyone was cooperating with the show’s barbecue activity, He Yujing alone ignored the cameras, lounging like an emperor in a lazy chair under a palm tree.
His mood was sour, his expression icy, giving off the unmistakable aura of someone keeping everyone at arm’s length. The camera crew still had the nerve to film him. If anyone else had been this blatantly detached from the group on camera, the production team would have made an issue of it. But since it was He Yujing, this footage would likely never see the light of day.
He Yujing was seething with frustration. The mere thought of what he had been imagining an hour ago made him feel utterly foolish.
It turned out… Jiang Liusui had been grilling the food for Qin Yi.
And here he was, thinking Jiang Liusui was being considerate, testing the waters in subtle ways, letting his mind run wild with assumptions… What a damn joke.
He Yujing was still sulking when soft footsteps drew his attention, the sound barely audible over the fine, powdery sand.
The person walked toward him, ignoring the low-pressure aura[mfn]低气压 (dī qì yā) – a figurative way to describe someone giving off a sulky or moody vibe.[/mfn] he was giving off: “Want some barbecue?”
The cameraman silently applauded Jiang Liusui in his mind: Well done! This footage can be used after all.
He Yujing watched Jiang Liusui approach with a full plate but didn’t speak immediately. After a few seconds, he lifted his eyelids with feigned nonchalance. “Did you grill this?”
“Yeah,” Jiang Liusui replied.
So he had still remembered to make food for him?
He Yujing’s mood brightened slightly, only to hear Jiang Liusui add,“It’s freshly grilled. I can’t eat it all by myself, so I thought I’d share some with you.”
“……”
— — — —
