“Ying-jie, I really can’t push anymore…” Xie Chengcheng, who had fallen a few steps behind Cheng Ying, shouted breathlessly.
She really couldn’t understand. She had partied all night, drinking and having fun, just like Cheng Ying. How could the other woman still walk so fast after five round trips, while she was this exhausted on just the second one?
Cheng Ying wiped the sweat from her face, looked up at the sun, and estimated it was already 5 PM. They had cleared about half of the junk from the house. At this rate, they definitely wouldn’t be finished before eight.
It seemed Zhang Zeyun hadn’t been lying. She had indeed tested it. If two Alphas worked at full capacity, eight hours would be enough, with even a little time left for rest.
The prerequisite was that both Alphas had normal physical fitness and the determination to finish the job, even if it meant working themselves to exhaustion.
Cheng Ying turned to look at Xie Chengcheng, who was nearly collapsed in the cart, sorting trash. It was obvious her teammate was neither normal nor determined.
At first, she thought it would be better to just do more work herself than waste her breath on Xie Chengcheng. But she had underestimated the extent of Xie Chengcheng’s uselessness. At this rate, she would work herself to death and still have to eat black bread with this person.
Mercy for a useless teammate is cruelty to oneself.
Cheng Ying stopped what she was doing, walked over to Xie Chengcheng, and patted the head of the Alpha, whose eyes were nearly closed. “Hey, wake up. If you fall asleep now, you’ll be eating black bread tonight.”
Apparently, the taste of that black bread had left a considerable psychological scar on Xie Chengcheng. Her eyes shot open. “No way! Would they really be that cruel? I’ve worked so hard!”
It was obvious that Miss Xie, who had been pampered since childhood, didn’t understand the cruelty of the world. Although she often messed things up and got chewed out by her old man, he would still clean up her messes afterward.
To be honest, she had never truly paid the price for her incompetence.
Cheng Ying smiled at her. “Do you think Director Zhang is the kind of nice person who’ll go easy on you just because you’re trying hard?”
Zhang Zeyun, in front of the camera: “…” She vaguely felt like she was being dissed.
Xie Chengcheng recalled Zhang Zeyun’s smile when she tricked her into eating the black bread. Even with her intelligence, she could tell that this person not only wouldn’t go easy on them but would also gleefully record their pained expressions from multiple angles as they ate the black bread.
This gave her a bit of motivation to keep working. But as soon as she straightened up, her aching body sounded a protest. Xie Chengcheng’s face twisted in a pained expression as she started to slump down again, only to be mercilessly pulled up by Boss Cheng.
“My whole body hurts so much…” Xie Chengcheng was on the verge of tears. “If I’d known, I never would have joined this show. Who would like watching this kind of thing? And Xiao Wan insisted it would be a huge hit!”
Cheng Ying didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Now she finally understood how this fool had ended up on this show for no apparent reason.
Li Wan must have been tricked by someone into believing this show would be a hit, so she pestered Xie Chengcheng to spend money to get her on it.
If Xie Chengcheng were the type of rich second-generation kid who was just doing this for fun, she would have let Li Wan come on her own after learning about the show’s content. But Miss Xie Chengcheng happened to be that rare breed of foolish and naive. She genuinely believed she was in a relationship with Li Wan, so there was no way she could accept her girlfriend being shipped in a CP with someone else.
Cheng Ying thought to herself, You two are on the wrong show. That recent hit, 《Plastic Couples》, is the variety show tailor-made for you. You’d definitely be a hit if you went on that.
But things had already come to this, and it wasn’t realistic for Xie Chengcheng to go back now. Cheng Ying could only continue to reason with her. “You think I don’t ache? Whether the audience likes it or not, if we don’t finish moving this stuff, we’ll have to eat black bread today. Look at how little you’ve moved in all this time. I don’t mind sacrificing myself to accompany a friend, but are you willing to let Miss Li eat that stuff with you?”
Xie Chengcheng pouted, looking like she wanted to cry but was forcing it back. Cheng Ying guessed she was probably imagining herself as a brave and fearless hero, covered in wounds, struggling to get up from the ground to save Princess Li Wan, who had been captured by the Black Bread Demon.
She didn’t care if Xie Chengcheng was a coward or a hero; as long as her friend could move the stuff faster, that was all that mattered.
The power of love is great. At least Xie Chengcheng finally stood up straight on her own. She clenched her fists like a new recruit about to charge. “For Xiao Wan’s and my meal, I’ll do my best!”
Cheng Ying patted her shoulder and said solemnly, “Go for it. I have faith in you.”
The comment section went wild with laughter.
Comment 1: “Who would like watching this kind of thing.jpg,” attached is a picture of 100 million concurrent viewers.
Comment 2: Cheng Ying: Forced smile.jpg
Comment 3: What kind of living treasure is Xie Chengcheng? I haven’t seen an Alpha this useless and this confident in a long time.
Comment 4: Cheng Ying has it so rough, but why can’t I stop laughing? Pfft.
Comment 5: I’m begging you all, look at Boss Cheng’s arm muscles, and her collarbones, and her neck. Slurp.
Comment 6: Wanna lick.
Comment 7: She’s the Alpha of my dreams. I want her to pin me against a wall and have her way with me. A steel cage can’t hold back a thirsty chick like me.jpg
Comment 8: The whole continent heard that chick’s crowing. But even if I were lying nailed shut in my coffin, I would use my decaying voice to shout: Cheng Ying belongs to Jiang Hanguang!
Comment 9: +1. Although I also want Boss Cheng to do that to me, if Miss Jiang is willing, I can take a step back.
Comment 10: Miss Jiang would like to know: Are you guys being polite?
Comment 11: Cheng Ying is over here struggling to coax a child, while Jiang Hanguang is over there patiently teaching someone how to work. A match made in heaven.
Compared to the real physical labor Cheng Ying and Xie Chengcheng were doing, Jiang Hanguang and Li Wan’s situation was much better. They just needed to clean the dusty rooms after the junk had been cleared out.
The main farmhouse had only two bedrooms, both doubles. Jiang Hanguang and Li Wan split up to clean them. Jiang Hanguang worked quickly, thinking that if she finished her work early, she could help Cheng Ying move some things.
But when she had nearly finished cleaning her room and went to check, she found that Li Wan’s side was still a complete mess.
The soaking wet mop was leaving streaks of mud on the floor. It was obvious Miss Li didn’t even know you were supposed to sweep the floor before mopping.
And she also seemed terrified of eating black bread, so she was mopping furiously, looking like she was on the verge of tears.
She had originally thought this variety show would just be like a vacation in a remote place, just for show. Who knew it would be so realistic?
She really shouldn’t have come, but since Xie Chengcheng was here with her now, she couldn’t just up and leave.
Li Wan, having given up, was just smearing the mop around on the floor. Jiang Hanguang, who had been about to go clean the dining room, really couldn’t watch anymore.
If she kept “drawing” like that, the room would be ruined.
“Miss Li…” Jiang Hanguang advised, “That mud can’t be mopped or swept away now. You should probably rinse it with water.”
“Huh?” Li Wan stared at her blankly. Jiang Hanguang sighed softly, took a broom, swept the parts Li Wan hadn’t ruined, and then used some water to rinse away the mud caked on the floor.
“When you mop, you need to wring out the mop,” Jiang Hanguang instructed as she mopped. “Next time, clean up the rest of the room first, and especially sweep the floor.”
Li Wan stood by, sincerely flattering her. “Oh, I see. I didn’t know any of this. Thank you, Hanguang. You must be very diligent at home~”
In her heart, she was thinking she could just keep praising Jiang Hanguang and let this fool finish the work for her. Mopping was such an unglamorous task; there was no benefit to doing it.
Who knew that Jiang Hanguang would just nod and say, “Of course, one has to clean their own room,” then stand up and hand the mop back. “You can do the rest. I’m going to clean the dining room.”
“Uh, okay, thanks.” Li Wan hadn’t expected her good fortune to end so abruptly. But she didn’t dare force Jiang Hanguang to mop for her, so she could only obediently take the mop and reluctantly continue smearing it around.
Although Jiang Hanguang had swept the floor for her, Miss Li was simply not cut out for housework, nor did she have the heart for it. Compared to the spotless floor Jiang Hanguang had neatly mopped, the part she did afterward looked like a cat burying its poop—perfunctory and superficial.
And because she deliberately dawdled for a while before going to the dining room, Jiang Hanguang had already washed most of the pots and pans. All that was left was wiping the table and mopping the floor.
Li Wan figured wiping the table would be easier, so she volunteered, “You don’t have to worry about the table. I promise I’ll wipe it clean.”
“Okay, thank you.” Jiang Hanguang just wanted to finish quickly and didn’t plan to argue with her, so she went straight for the mop.
By the time the two of them had completely finished their work, there was still an hour and a half until dinner. Cheng Ying and Xie Chengcheng still had two more trips to make.
Although they would make it in time, judging by the looks on Cheng Ying’s and Xie Chengcheng’s faces, they were about to collapse from exhaustion.
Jiang Hanguang rested for ten minutes, then asked the production team for a basket and started filling it with junk.
She knew that with her physical strength, this would be faster than pushing a cart. She could only try to fill it as much as possible.
Li Wan looked astonished. “No way, Hanguang, you still have the energy to carry this?”
After speaking, she felt it wasn’t good for her to just sit there doing nothing, so she tried to justify it, “Carrying that little bit won’t be much help, right? They can definitely fit the rest in their next load.”
Jiang Hanguang didn’t refute her words, just smiled. “Every little bit helps.”
Li Wan sat there awkwardly. Logically, she should be showing that she was working together with Jiang Hanguang. But ever since Miss Li had hooked Xie Chengcheng, she hadn’t experienced such grimy days in a long time. Now, having just finished work, her body was sore and she didn’t want to move at all. So she could only feign weakness by holding her forehead while inwardly scorning Jiang Hanguang for going all out just to curry favor with Cheng Ying.
By now, on her tenth trip, Cheng Ying was so tired she could barely lift her arms. She had to stop for a short rest.
She leaned against the cart, only to see Jiang Hanguang struggling to carry a large basket, catching up from behind.
She instinctively reached out to take it. “What are you doing?”
Jiang Hanguang dodged her. “Helping you carry some. Don’t you take it, it’s heavy.”
You know it’s heavy, yet you’re holding on to it so tightly. Cheng Ying couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s fine. Just dump this in my cart and go back to rest and prepare for dinner.”
The sky had already darkened. In the stuffy summer breeze, Jiang Hanguang’s fair face was flushed from exhaustion, covered in a fine sheen of sweat.
She stubbornly shook her head, dodging Cheng Ying again. She looked at her with a determined gaze, as if to show her efforts were useful after all. “I can still make two more trips.”
“Why are you acting like a little kid?” The words slipped out of Cheng Ying’s mouth without thinking. As soon as she said it, she froze, staring at Jiang Hanguang’s face.
Perhaps it was the healthy flush and the sweat that made Jiang Hanguang seem so much more vivid, coupled with her child-like, clear eyes. Cheng Ying actually saw the Jiang Hanguang from their youth in that face.
Or rather, the Jiang Hanguang who didn’t hide her true self under a heavy burden of worries.
By the time she realized what she was doing, her hand was already pinching Miss Jiang’s cheek. The soft, delicate, warm feeling made her instinctively lighten her touch the moment she made contact, as if afraid of breaking it. She couldn’t help but add cheekily, “So cute.”
Jiang Hanguang clearly hadn’t expected her to suddenly make a move and was also stunned, staring at her blankly until Cheng Ying pulled her hand back and turned to grab her cart. “Sorry, couldn’t help myself.”
Jiang Hanguang finally came to her senses. She wasn’t particularly embarrassed; such interactions were normal between a CP. But she still said seriously, “I’m older than you.”
Cheng Ying laughed and replied, “Yes, yes, I know. You’re older than me, and also cuter than me.”
During their back-and-forth, Xie Chengcheng, who was tired as a dog, finally caught up. Seeing Jiang Hanguang, she was on the verge of tears. “Miss Jiang, you came to help us? Where’s Xiao Wan? Is she behind you?”
“Um… there’s still some finishing up to do in the dining room. Miss Li probably can’t make it.” Jiang Hanguang was, after all, a kind person and couldn’t bear to shatter Xie Chengcheng’s beautiful fantasy.
“Ah?” Xie Chengcheng let out a mournful wail.
Cheng Ying gave Jiang Hanguang a half-smile. Jiang Hanguang blinked helplessly. The two shared a tacit understanding.
When everyone finally returned to the main building again, Jiang Hanguang still looked presentable. Cheng Ying and Xie Chengcheng, however, were covered in sweat and dirt. But the two of them were so hungry they were afraid they’d faint in the shower if they went now, so they could only wash their faces first.
The moment Xie Chengcheng saw Li Wan, she threw herself at her, crying, “Wuwuwu, Xiao Wan, I’m dead tired. We finally finished.”
Li Wan dodged Xie Chengcheng’s rather fragrant embrace with the agility of someone fleeing the plague, then chuckled awkwardly and pushed her into a seat. “Let’s eat first.”
Perhaps Zhang Zeyun also felt she had tormented them enough. This time, she didn’t pull any tricks. A staff member brought each of the four a tray with vegetables, meat, soup, and a hot ham sandwich.
“This is the first time I’ve ever thought a sandwich could be this delicious!” Xie Chengcheng was truly starving. She devoured her portion like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds and then asked a nearby staff member, “Is there any more?”
“There was supposed to be.” Zhang Zeyun appeared with a grin, wiped her hand on the table, and showed everyone the dust on her finger. “But given that the cleaning wasn’t very thorough, if you’re not full, we have an unlimited supply of black bread.”
Xie Chengcheng’s face turned green on the spot. She complained, “Who wiped the table? We worked so hard moving things outside, and we can’t even get a full meal when we get back?”
Li Wan’s face turned even greener. Very reluctantly, she pushed the remaining half of the sandwich on her plate in front of Xie Chengcheng, shutting her up before she could complain further. “You can have mine. I’m full.”
“Wuwuwu, Xiao Wan, you’re the best.” Xie Chengcheng instantly forgot her complaints and hurriedly stuffed the sandwich into her mouth.
Cheng Ying glanced at Li Wan’s despairing face and despaired at Xie Chengcheng’s emotional intelligence.
She was just being polite and playing up the CP, and you actually ate it.
She looked up at Jiang Hanguang, who was sitting across from her, and saw that Miss Jiang had already finished eating and was clearing her plate.
Cheng Ying also sped up. She was absolutely exhausted, and if she didn’t shower soon, she felt like she would start to stink.
After dinner, it was time to assign rooms. The production team had originally required one room for the Alphas and one for the Omegas, but after Xie Chengcheng clung to Li Wan’s leg and cried for ten minutes, everyone compromised.
Anyway, AO equality was the trend now. As long as no one went into heat, there wouldn’t be a problem. So they would just room together.
Because everyone was very tired today, filming stopped once they entered their rooms.
Cheng Ying couldn’t wait to take a shower. The en-suite bathroom was small and dim, looking rather gloomy. The floor was a type of lime concrete she had rarely seen before, a dull gray. If Cheng Ying weren’t too tired to care right now, she would have definitely cursed out Zhang Zeyun again.
The warm water flowed over her skin, and she felt like she had finally crawled out of a dirt pit. But her arms were sore, and her hands stung sharply.
After all, she was someone who had never done farm work. Even the gloves meant to protect her hands were too rough for her. Now, when she looked at her hands, both were rubbed raw and red, the lines on her palms almost invisible.
This was pure torture.
Cheng Ying sighed, quickly dried her hair, and left the bathroom. After all, Jiang Hanguang had also had a long day; she couldn’t hog the bathroom.
As soon as she stepped out of the bathroom, Cheng Ying smelled an enticing aroma.
The smell of a sandwich.
Jiang Hanguang, who had quickly freshened up, walked over and held out an untouched sandwich to her. “Here.”
“…” Cheng Ying wasn’t full either, but looking at Jiang Hanguang’s calm, matter-of-fact expression, she shook her head without hesitation. “I’m full.”
Jiang Hanguang didn’t pull her hand back, insisting, “Then eat a little more.”
“Are you full?” Cheng Ying asked in return.
Jiang Hanguang seemed prepared for this and immediately replied, “I asked Director Zhang for some black bread. I’m already full.”
“You…” Cheng Ying was completely stumped. She stammered for a while without managing to say anything coherent, and finally ended up laughing at herself.
She took the sandwich, split it in two, and handed a piece to Jiang Hanguang. “If you don’t eat it, I’m going to go feed it to Xie Chengcheng.”
Jiang Hanguang didn’t refuse this time. The two of them sat facing each other and began to enjoy their late dinner.
But Cheng Ying’s movements were rather awkward. Her hands were shaking almost uncontrollably.
The hot water had probably aggravated the pain in her hands. The stinging sensation, which hadn’t been so obvious before, was now starting to affect her normal movements.
After Cheng Ying nearly shook the ham onto the floor and fumbled to save her sandwich, Jiang Hanguang, sitting opposite her, couldn’t watch any longer.
The woman stood up, moved her chair next to Cheng Ying, deftly took the sandwich from her hands, and held it to her lips.
Cheng Ying was a little embarrassed, but looking at the woman’s serious face so close to hers, she couldn’t bring herself to resist. She could only eat small bites from Jiang Hanguang’s hand.
Perhaps it was because the faint scent of roses on Jiang Hanguang was so pleasant, but after finishing the last bite, Cheng Ying felt a sense of wistful loss.
But after feeding her, Jiang Hanguang didn’t move away as she had expected. The woman wiped her hands, gently took Cheng Ying’s hand, and turned it over, revealing the abnormally red palm.
The woman’s eyelashes fluttered. She leaned down slightly and blew gently on the poor palm.
The woman’s warm breath on her burning palm felt like a cool tickle.
It was very comfortable, so comfortable that Cheng Ying’s body almost went limp.
That tickle traveled from her palm to her wrist, her elbow, all the way to her heart.
That ruthless heart of hers began to tremble.
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