Chapter 29: Grilled Fish

After setting his fishing line, Shen Mu sat between the two rods, focusing intently on the water surface.

"Aha~~" Xu Zhaozhao yawned out of boredom. She then found a patch of fluffy grass and lay down right there. She was wearing the bulky sportswear required by Chen Sisi’s wardrobe list. Because Chen Sisi wanted to wear sexy sportswear to work out with the award-winning actor, Xu Zhaozhao had to wear shapeless clothes to act as a foil to the "well-defined" Chen Sisi.

Xu Zhaozhao had always despised such tacky outfits. This time, however, she felt the clothes were quite excellent, perfect for lying on the grass without worrying about getting them dirty. Shen Mu glanced back at her before returning to his patient vigil over the two fishing rods.

Soon, the first big fish took the bait. The heavy fish bent the bamboo rod, and it took Shen Mu some effort to land it. Just as he finished unhooking the first fish, the other rod showed activity.

"Help me," Shen Mu called out to Xu Zhaozhao.

Xu Zhaozhao had to scramble up to help him pull in the second rod. A moment later, another fish, half an arm’s length long, was hauled onto the shore.

"Whoa, have the fish in this lake become spirits or something?" Xu Zhaozhao exclaimed excitedly. "How are they so big?!"

[Is the shocking thing really how big the fish are? Shouldn't it be that Shen Mu caught fish so soon after casting his line?]
[A fellow angler has been dealt a heavy blow.]
[I usually use three rods at once and often go half a day without a bite. How does he manage to catch a fish every time with just two bamboo sticks?]
[Good heavens, why stack all the talent on one person? Can’t you be a little kinder to ordinary people?]
[I want to ask, did the production crew go easy on Shen Mu?]
[It’s not going easy; it’s supplying the fish.]
[Re-asking: Did the production crew stock the lake for Shen Mu?]

"Haha, a big harvest..." Xu Zhaozhao collected the fish and handed the empty bamboo rod back to Shen Mu, signaling him to keep fishing without stopping. She placed the fish in a bucket and drooled while looking at the two plump catches.

"Want to eat?" Shen Mu asked as he cast the hook back into the water, noticing Xu Zhaozhao’s reaction.

"I do," Xu Zhaozhao admitted without hesitation. Ever since she was a child, fish had been her favorite food. Plus, she had only been eating food bought from the market for the past day, and her "foodie stomach" was already protesting the lack of a proper meal.

"Then go gather some firewood," Shen Mu said.

"Wha… what?" Xu Zhaozhao didn't understand what he meant.

"Didn't you say you wanted to eat fish? Go fetch some firewood, and I’ll grill some for you."

"What?" Xu Zhaozhao was completely stunned.

Shen Mu didn't rush her; instead, he pulled several items from his bag.

[What are those bottles and jars...]
[They're seasonings!]
[Holy cow, when did Shen Mu prepare seasonings? Are we really just having an impromptu picnic with grilled fish?]
[How romantic!]

Seeing the jars, Xu Zhaozhao finally came to her senses. She stood up hurriedly. "Okay, I'll go gather firewood right now."

"Promise me, don't start a fire without me while I'm gone, okay?" Before leaving, she made sure to remind Shen Mu not to eat them on his own.

"Don't worry," Shen Mu said concisely.

[Ahhh, Shen Mu, don't spoil Xu Zhaozhao too much!]
[Some people are having a breakdown... I’m not crying, I’m not the one breaking down.]
[Let me swap places with Xu Zhaozhao! She can go to work for me, and I can go work for her; I want to be pampered by Shen Mu too!]
[This place is so beautiful, I want to go on vacation and get away from the city noise...]

Xu Zhaozhao gathered firewood quickly. However, on her way back, she saw Shen Mu hook yet another fish. Her eyes turned green with envy. She hadn't expected Shen Mu to have such a trick up his sleeve. If he could teach her such infallible fishing skills, she would have an endless supply of fish.

She brought the firewood back, looked at the three fish in the bucket, and began to build the fire.

"Wait..." Just as Xu Zhaozhao was about to light the fire, Shen Mu stopped her.

"What's wrong? Don't want to grill fish for me anymore?"

"What are you thinking!" Shen Mu’s tone was a bit stern. "Am I that kind of person?"

Xu Zhaozhao froze. She was so used to snapping back at people that some words just slipped out. But what was Shen Mu babbling about? His words clearly hinted at information about their past familiarity.

"You watch the rods," Shen Mu said, his tone cooling slightly. "I’ll handle the fish."

So that was it...

Xu Zhaozhao suddenly realized he wanted to do it himself and didn't need her help. Realizing she had misunderstood him, she felt a trace of shame. "Okay, I'll watch the rods. Leave the rest to you!"

After that, Shen Mu didn't say another word while cleaning and grilling the fish. Xu Zhaozhao opened her mouth to break the silence, but eventually gave up. *Just stay like this!* she comforted herself. *Keeping a distance is for the best.*

After finishing the grilled fish and ensuring the fire was extinguished, Xu Zhaozhao and Shen Mu returned to the old mansion. By this time, the group led by Ke Hao had returned from the market with supplies. The long table in the center of the courtyard was filled with rice, flour, oil, and other necessities they had brought back. As for vegetables, they weren't on the shopping list, as the villagers of Old Tree Village grew plenty of them; there was no need to buy them at the market when they could simply purchase them from the locals whenever needed.

"Zhaozhao, where did you go? Did you not have anything to eat? Do you want..." Seeing Xu Zhaozhao return, Chen Sisi, who had been waiting for a long time, came up to greet her. Her persona was that of a pure and kind "little white flower," so it was natural for her to be the first to show concern. In reality, she wanted to use this concern to expose Xu Zhaozhao’s shortcomings and make her a laughingstock.

However, she stopped halfway through her sentence because behind Xu Zhaozhao, Shen Mu was following along, carrying three or four fish.

"You guys..." She caught a whiff of the alluring scent of grilled fish on them.

"That's right," Xu Zhaozhao nodded. "Shen Mu went fishing today, and he treated me to grilled fish."

Chen Sisi's once-smiling face immediately fell.

[Ahahaha... Chen Sisi’s pretentious act really looks like a clown!]
[She tried to belittle others to elevate herself, but she hit a wall with Shen Mu again. Chen Sisi is truly miserable.]
[Perhaps Shen Mu is Chen Sisi’s nemesis.]
[Does Chen Sisi not check backgrounds or horoscopes before targeting people?]
[I understand checking backgrounds, but as for the horoscopes...]
[Understanding a bit of metaphysics never hurts, especially for someone like Chen Sisi. She must be having an unlucky year; it’s not a good time for her to be out and about.]

"Shen Mu, did you catch all these fish?" Seeing the fish in Shen Mu's hand, Ke Hao's eyes lit up. He had been worried that the money they had pooled together would barely cover the rice and flour, and now that someone could catch fish, it would definitely improve everyone's meals significantly.