Director Zhang had never said they weren’t allowed to call in outside help. This was a grand finale feast the guests had managed to put together using their own wits.
He had no reason not to support them!
Of course, they would have to reimburse him for the cost of the food later. It hardly seemed fair for them to contribute such excellent material to his show and then expect him to pay out of pocket as well.
All one could say was that Director Zhang’s reputation wasn’t exactly stellar in certain areas, but when it came to directing, he was undeniably successful.
The moment Director Zhang gave his approval, Monkey Bro was the first to get excited. He was already throwing his arms up and cheering like some kind of Tarzan.
He didn’t look remotely human, that was for sure.
Liang Jiaqing almost failed to resist smacking him across the face. “Do you even know how to spell the word ‘composure’? You’re dragging the Liang family’s reputation through the mud every single day.”
“When the day comes that my sister-in-law and big brother can’t stand you anymore and kick you out, don’t blame me for not stopping them!”
Liang Zhou chose to expose her without hesitation. “Oh, please. It’s not like you’ve ever stopped them!”
“Every time I was on the verge of being kicked out, weren’t you right there fanning the flames? You were practically praying they’d throw me out!”
Liang Jiaqing glared at him. “Hey, don’t push your luck just because I gave you an inch! Quiet down. Your awful voice is so loud it’s disturbing my eyes!”
When Lord of the Mountain showed his authority, a little monkey like him naturally didn’t dare cause any more trouble.
Director Zhang ignored the uncle and niece, who could start fighting after just a few sentences, much like the Xie siblings.
He glanced around, but couldn’t see the few “bosses” and “waitstaff” who had appeared earlier, so he simply asked Xie Tangning, “Where are your little friends? Would they like to come out and say hello to our viewers?”
“Student Qin and Student Shen should be here too, right? The audience has really been missing them!”
The moment he finished speaking, Xie Tangning didn’t even have time to answer.
Two figures suddenly shot out from the direction of the kitchen and appeared in front of the camera at lightning speed.
“I’m here, I’m here! Dear family, have you missed me?”
“I’m here too! Long time no see, everyone. I’ve missed you all so much~”
Qin Shuchun and Shen Yunqiong had already found the camera with remarkable efficiency. Facing the lens, they launched straight into a barrage of sweet talk for the audience.
They made heart gestures and blew kisses. Even professional idols couldn’t have been better at showering fans with affection.
The other friends, who were still watching the livestream from inside the kitchen, saw the two enormous faces suddenly fill the screen.
The corners of their mouths twitched.
They had been wondering why it seemed as if two giant black rats had just darted out!
So it was these two idiots!
After Qin Shuchun had finished showering the camera with fanservice, she immediately turned around and spread her arms, waiting for a hug from her bestie.
Xie Tangning didn’t disappoint her. She charged over like a little cannonball.
Qin Shuchun caught her securely as usual. Taking even half a step back would have counted as a loss.
“Baby, did you miss me? If you dare say no, I’ll bite you to death!”
Qin Shuchun had transformed directly into an overbearing CEO, threatening her friend without the slightest hesitation.
Xie Tangning, meanwhile, was the very embodiment of indulging one’s best friend, showering her with sugary words. “I did, I did! You have no idea—I missed you so much that I couldn’t sleep on countless nights!”
One day apart felt like three autumns. Since they had been apart for several days, that amounted to several autumns already.
So technically, there was nothing wrong with what she said!
Only after the two girls had finished catching up did Director Zhang begin asking whether the rest of their friends would like to come out and say hello as well.
Tan Xiao and the others were more than happy to oblige. The moment Director Zhang asked, they came tumbling out to make their appearances.
For a while, the entire livestream was filled with excited chatter, perfectly showcasing the energy of youth.
However, they also knew where to draw the line. They came out only to greet the audience at Director Zhang’s request, then promptly disappeared again.
They didn’t interfere with their two friends’ recording. Instead, they added an extra touch of brilliance to the program.
After this “afternoon tea,” the group of guests began strolling through the local specialty market. Each of them bought an exquisite souvenir showcasing the area’s distinctive ethnic culture.
Naturally, they used the five hundred bucks Director Zhang had given them. They made sure to get their money’s worth.
Since they no longer had to spend time preparing a dinner themselves, Xie Tangning and the others had an especially enjoyable time.
When they returned to the final location at eight that evening, the restaurant’s head chef had already arrived with his staff and ingredients and prepared a sumptuous feast.
Qin Shuchun and the others had paid all the expenses for the chef’s trip in advance.
As soon as Xie Tangning and the others entered, they saw a dining table more than six meters long, covered with delicacies from every corner of the country.
There were also all kinds of fruits and vegetables they had picked themselves, along with a variety of local pastries.
Xie Tangning’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Wow~ This is such an amazing arrangement, my friends!”
Half the dishes covering the table were specialty foods from the locations where they had filmed the previous five episodes.
The rest consisted of frontier cuisine and iconic delicacies from all across the country. It was obvious that everything had been prepared with great care.
“I’d only just managed to lose two pounds, and now I’m going to gain it all back in this one meal. Boo-hoo-hoo~”
Wu Dacheng complained tearfully while swallowing hard and pinching the fat around his stomach.
After a brief bout of lamenting, he tossed his guilt aside and decided to eat first and worry about it later!
How could he possibly have the strength to lose weight if he didn’t eat meat?
As for the easily-overweight Xie Changyu, he didn’t feel guilty in the slightest. He directly put his manager out of his mind.
Let his manager scold him if he wanted. A few harsh words wouldn’t make him lose any flesh. Not enjoying good food, on the other hand, really would make him lose some.
“Come, come, please take your seats first, esteemed seniors~”
For some inexplicable reason, Xie Changyu raised his voice and performed a gentlemanly bow, inviting Liang Jiaqing and Wu Weixiang to sit down first.
Wu Weixiang looked at him as if he were mentally ill. “Are you sick? When did our show start doing this kind of fake ceremony?”
Liang Jiaqing was holding a little doll dressed in ethnic clothing, and she, too, stared at him in bafflement.
Xie Changyu gave a silly grin. “I just thought I’d invite the beautiful ladies and handsome gentlemen to sit down first. That way, I won’t look quite so desperate to eat~”
“The show is coming to an end, after all. I have to preserve my image a little~”
Xie Tangning made no attempt to spare his feelings and let out an exaggerated “yue,” pretending to gag. “You? An image? Eat some more cabbage and keep dreaming!”
In other words: dream on!
Xie Changyu unhappily gave her a light smack. “It’s your fault I don’t have an image!”
“Do you know how aloof and wise I was before I joined the show with you?”
“I’ve lost my image in the eyes of my fans, and it’s all because you led me astray. You’re fully responsible!”
Xie Tangning firmly refused to accept the blame. “Impossible. Just because you’re good at acting doesn’t mean that isn’t your true nature!”
“I’ve been your sister for more than a decade. How could I not know what you’re really like? Stop pretending in front of me!”
“Quit saying idiotic things all day long. Are you afraid people won’t realize you’re brainless?”
As they argued, the siblings’ eyes began to blaze, as if they were about to start fighting at any moment.
Wu Dacheng and Liang Zhou each took one side, appearing to be impartial spectators when in fact they were fanning the flames.
The other guests rubbed their temples and gave a helpless laugh, choosing to ignore this pair of siblings who inexplicably seemed ready to throw hands at any moment—as well as those two best buddies who always jumped in the instant a fight broke out and gleefully joined the chaos.
Head straight for the long table laden with food—who cares whether they’re crazy or not!
