Chapter 28: Only She and He Remained

"Slept so long, you must be hungry, right?"

Shen Mu pushed the items on the table forward. "Hurry up and wash up, then have some breakfast."

Xu Zhaozhao looked down and saw a steaming stack of egg pancakes and a small bowl of seaweed soup waiting for her.

"This is..."

"Auntie Fu sent it over, saying it was a token of her gratitude for helping her sell duck eggs yesterday."

"Auntie Fu came by?" Xu Zhaozhao asked, puzzled.

"Yes," Shen Mu nodded.

After washing up, Xu Zhaozhao returned to her seat, ladled out a bowl of seaweed soup, and picked up an egg pancake, eating with gusto. While eating, she looked at Shen Mu. "Why aren't you joining the others?"

"You didn't join them either, did you?" Shen Mu countered.

"I'm different from you," Xu Zhaozhao said, taking a sip of soup. "I’m not well-liked, and I don't have much money left. Everyone is afraid I’ll hold them back. But you're different..."

"How am I different?" Shen Mu served himself a bowl of soup.

There are so many differences!

Xu Zhaozhao thought to herself: You didn't get the villain script, and you have your "white moonlight" in Ke Hao's team. Loitering here with me is truly unbecoming.

However, these thoughts were not meant to be spoken in front of the cameras. She didn't want to expose that she already knew Shen Mu, nor did she want to become fodder for the audience's gossip.

[My god, Actor Ke and the others left at seven, Auntie Fu came to deliver food at seven-thirty, and Shen Mu waited until Xu Zhaozhao woke up at ten just to eat with her. Whose executive is this well-mannered?]

[Same question. Although Shen Mu gives off a cold vibe, he is truly flawless when it comes to etiquette.]

[What kind of filter are you guys using? If anyone is using a filter, it’s Xu Zhaozhao. Every detail Shen Mu shows is entirely for her.]

[He is truly something else. I’m dying.]

After having her fill, Xu Zhaozhao lay on the swing chair, basking in the sun. The production team hadn't issued any tasks today, likely giving everyone time to hustle for their livelihood. Since she hadn't joined the others, she naturally didn't need to struggle. Though she couldn't make up for five years of lost sleep all at once, she would take every moment of rest she could get.

However, Shen Mu didn't let her stay idle for long. After washing the dishes Auntie Fu had sent and returning them, he called for Xu Zhaozhao to head out.

"What for?" Xu Zhaozhao rubbed her sleepy eyes. "Isn't there no task today?"

"Do you want to starve to death?" Shen Mu asked.

Xu Zhaozhao looked at the two thin bamboo poles he had brought back. "What do you mean?"

"Just follow me," Shen Mu said, his tone firm.

Seeing the serious look on his face, Xu Zhaozhao didn't argue; she simply stood up and followed him silently.

[What’s going on? Where is Shen Mu taking Xu Zhaozhao?]

The comments section was filled with curiosity. It didn't take long for Shen Mu to reveal the answer.

The two left Ancient Tree Village, took the path opposite to the one leading to the market, and eventually arrived at the side of a sparkling lake.

[Is this the lake Auntie Fu mentioned yesterday? Are they... going fishing?]

[The water looks crystal clear. The fish inside must be very plump.]

"You're going fishing?"

Xu Zhaozhao finally understood why Shen Mu had taken the bamboo poles from Auntie Fu's house. She looked at him with a strange gaze. Was it because he knew she loved fish, or was it... purely a coincidence?

Shen Mu gave her a faint glance before quickly lowering his head to craft a simple fishing rod.

[Oh my, others have to live meticulously, but why is Xu Zhaozhao so lucky? First Auntie Fu feeds her, and now Shen Mu is collecting supplies for her...]

[How is this luck? She put in the effort yesterday to get today's rewards, didn't she?]

[Exactly. Once Auntie Fu learned that grass-weaving technique, her goods became much easier to sell.]

Xu Zhaozhao watched Shen Mu assemble the simple rod and shrugged helplessly. "Just so we're clear, I don't know how to fish. If later..."

If we return empty-handed, she couldn't be blamed.

"I don't need you to fish; just watch from the side," Shen Mu quickly assembled the second rod.

Xu Zhaozhao looked at him in surprise. "If you can do it yourself, why did you call me?" She could have stayed in bed all day.

"Even if you want to rest, you need to balance labor and leisure. Lying down for too long isn't good for your health."

"I called you out because I want you to walk around and get some activity. You don't need to fish; just stay by my side and watch."

Xu Zhaozhao was stunned. The audience in front of the screens was stunned as well.

[Ahhh, I’m buying a ticket to fly there right now! Shen Mu, I can watch you fish for a lifetime.]

[My dear Shen Mu, please, Heaven, grant me such a thoughtful boyfriend!]

[I am officially warning the production team again: send my husband home immediately, and I won't hold anything else against you.]

After finishing the rods, Shen Mu took out a ball of something mysterious, tossed it into the lake, and then cast both fishing lines into the water.

"What was that?" Xu Zhaozhao asked curiously.

"It’s a ball made of leftover food I got from Auntie Fu’s house. I’m using it to bait the fish."

[Good grief, this guy clearly has a lot of experience fishing.]

[But even if he knows how to fish, the rods are too primitive and crude. Even the cleverest housewife can't cook a meal without rice!]

[I used to fish like this when I was a kid. You can catch them, but they’re usually just small ones.]

***

"Haha, they actually underestimate my little uncle..."

"Indeed, they don't know that my little uncle is the master of sitting steadily on the fishing platform. His fishing skills are superb, world-renowned..."

At Extraordinary General Hospital, Su Chengyu sat on the sofa watching the livestream while his assistant packed his luggage.

"Tell me, is my little uncle doing this to win the beauty's heart, or has he actually considered our proposal?"

Su Chengyu stared at the beautiful lake on the screen. "The scenery here is truly nice. The water is clear, the mountains are tall, the sky is blue, and the surroundings are still primitive and natural, untouched by development..."

"Mr. Su, the boss has always been diligent and rigorous. If he went there, it must be for the sake of our proposal," the assistant said, looking awestruck.

"Is that so?" Su Chengyu’s tone was uncertain.

His little uncle’s performance on this dating show was truly strange. He had never seen his little uncle pursue any woman. In his memory, his little uncle was equally cold to every woman he met. But this Xu Zhaozhao was clearly not just "any woman."

Ever since Xu Zhaozhao appeared, his little uncle’s behavior had become increasingly bizarre. He had taken the initiative to insist on being in her group. Doing it once was one thing, but he had repeated the trick. Now, his little uncle was even giving up the chance to integrate with the other guests just to keep Xu Zhaozhao company.

"By the way," he tilted his head to look at the assistant, "did you find out what I asked you to investigate about Xu Zhaozhao?"

The assistant said awkwardly, "I looked into it, but there wasn't much detail. It requires further investigation."

"What is going on? She's just an C-list actress; is her background really that hard to investigate?"