Chapter 186: Animal Affinity
To ensure the secrecy of the game, Qin Linlin had only given everyone a general plot background and the character roles that would appear. The specific backgrounds of the characters would be privately sent to everyone only after they had confirmed their respective identities.
Within each of the three factions, there would be an undercover agent role. The identities of the undercover agents were known only to the Detective (detective route), the Team Leader (escape route), and the Captain (treasure hunting route).
For example, an undercover agent from the detective route might be placed within the treasure hunting route. Only the Detective from the detective route would know who their own undercover agent is, and the undercover agent would also know who the Detective is, because the undercover agent was sent by the Detective—these two individuals know each other's identities.
Similarly, if an undercover agent from the treasure hunting route is within the escape route, only the Captain of the treasure hunting route would know who that undercover agent is, and that undercover agent from the treasure hunting route would also know who their own Captain is.
So the question arises: how should one decide when trying to identify the undercover agent among the two team members accompanying them? And how should the person who is the undercover agent go about disguising themselves?
This was the moment to test the players' acting skills!
Just thinking about it, Yin Chengjue knew that the recording next Wednesday would definitely be very mentally taxing.
The post-production team for "Wisp of Smoke" worked with high efficiency. The episodes recorded from Monday to Wednesday could be edited and broadcast by Sunday.
While flipping through the three new scripts that Sally had found for him, Rong Yu half-laid on the sofa, watching his own performance in "Wisp of Smoke" together with Yin Chengjue.
This episode of "Wisp of Smoke" began with the GCD boy group boarding a bus together, singing the song from their first debut group performance on the bus, and then mentioning that they were about to record a new album, serving as a promotional activity.
The bus took them onto a winding mountain road with nine turns and eighteen curves, leaving the group looking pale, then continued along a gravel road. The vehicle shook as if giving them all a free massage before finally delivering them to their destination.
By the time they got off, everyone's faces were green.
Actually, the group had managed to maintain their composure up to that point, until Tao Li mumbled somewhat foolishly, "Phew... swallowed it back."
The following segment was surely cut. The regrouped party dragged their luggage to the thatched cottage already wafting with cooking smoke.
Meanwhile, the resident guests were already waiting there.
The editing very thoughtfully included a flashback showing the resident guests waking up early to make breakfast for the new arrivals.
The group exchanged hugs, a scene of harmony and joy.
Breakfast was green vegetable and lean meat porridge, accompanied by a side of appetizing spicy pickled vegetables. It looked particularly light, which seemed somewhat bland to those whose taste buds in the city were accustomed to various fried, high-salt, and high-sugar foods.
Having traveled a long way by bus, some of the boy group members seemed less enthusiastic. Chi Yang was quite casual by nature; while not exactly blunt, he was the type who dared to speak his mind. He politely declined the breakfast, stating directly that he had just gotten off the bus and didn't have much of an appetite.
Everyone could understand this. The resident guests who had gotten up early to cook the porridge didn't take offense and warmly took him to a room to rest.
Wen Yu also looked unwell due to the bus ride, but he was more reserved and also worried about leaving a bad impression on camera, so he sat down to eat breakfast with the other team members.
Ming Qian, on the other hand, smiled and greeted each resident guest, very naturally striking up conversations with them about the scenery he saw from the bus.
Consequently, Wen Yu, who was already feeling unwell from the bus ride, grew increasingly worse upon hearing Ming Qian talk about what he saw left and right on the bus. He deeply regretted not having followed Chi Yang to rest earlier.
Lu Chengfeng held the highest status among the resident guests and was somewhat the leader of the group. Having navigated the entertainment industry for many years, his skill at reading expressions was naturally top-notch. Therefore, Lu Chengfeng quickly noticed Wen Yu's discomfort and tactfully interrupted Ming Qian's polite chatter. "Just treat this place as your own home, no need to be formal. Enjoy nature properly. The vegetables in this porridge were freshly picked this morning, and the pickled vegetables were made by the old uncle next door—absolutely delicious! Everyone, try it quickly."
As soon as Lu Chengfeng finished speaking, a chorus of slurping sounds was heard.
Wen Yu and Ming Qian turned their heads to see Tao Li, Fang Mengda, and Rong Yu already holding their bowls, gulping down the porridge as if drinking water from a cattle trough.
Rong Yu held his bowl, his face full of satisfaction as he sighed, "I've been hungry for a while. This porridge is so fragrant. Is there more? Can I have another bowl?"
"Hahaha, of course, we definitely won't let you go hungry." Liu Qingling laughed proudly, "My porridge is delicious, right?"
Rong Yu gave a thumbs-up: "Teacher Liu's culinary skills are as excellent as ever!"
"Oh? Xiao Yu has tasted Teacher Liu's cooking before?" a young resident guest asked, feigning curiosity.
Liu Qingling played along: "Xiao Yu and I were both resident guests on the 'Don’t Look Back in the Dark' variety show. I cooked a few times on that program. You have no idea, that show, tsk tsk, really wore us old bones out."
"Hahaha, I remember now!" the young resident guest said, "I laugh every time I watch it!"
Liu Qingling: "... 'Don’t Look Back in the Dark' seems to be mostly horror-themed."
Young resident: "Yeah, I just find the way you all turn pale with fear hilarious."
Liu Qingling: "... Take that!"
Young resident: "Ow! Quick, quick! Get trending search ready! Teacher Liu is hitting people!"
Their banter made Wen Yu, who had been stiff-faced due to discomfort, finally smile. He held his bowl and drank a few more mouthfuls of porridge, feeling the warm heat go down, and exclaimed, "It really is delicious."
Ming Qian quickly added, "Senior Liu is so amazing, even cooking porridge this well. I'm no good, I'm not very skilled at cooking. Does this program require cooking skills? I might only be able to assist you seniors."
Lu Chengfeng smiled and said, "Cooking is actually quite easy. Little Squirrel couldn't even hold a knife steadily when he first arrived, but now he chops vegetables with ease."
The "Little Squirrel" Lu Chengfeng mentioned was the nickname of that young resident guest. His surname was Song, he looked well-behaved, and once while eating, his puffed cheeks looked exactly like a little squirrel. Someone took a photo which spread widely online, so fans affectionately started calling him that.
[The nickname "Little Squirrel" (小松鼠 - xiǎo sōngshǔ) is a playful pun derived from his surname Song (宋 - Sòng) and his squirrel-like appearance]
Xiao Song rubbed his head and laughed, "It's all thanks to the seniors teaching me well!"
While they were talking, Tao Li finished another bowl of porridge and finally had the energy to speak: "At home, I'm always the one who cooks. I'll have a chance to let everyone try my signature Tao family dishes!"
Lu Chengfeng looked at Tao Li with delight: "Xiao Tao likes cooking? That's rare. I see many young people nowadays don't like cooking and prefer eating out."
Tao Li: "I really enjoy it. My mom says a man who can cook is the most handsome."
Liu Qingling asked curiously, "So in your family, who usually does the cooking?"
Tao Li picked up a piece of pickled vegetable with his chopsticks and sighed, "My dad has been handsome for most of his life because of my mom's words."
Xiao Song: "Hahaha! So are you going to be handsome for your future wife your whole life?"
Tao Li immediately looked at the nearest camera: "Then let me take this chance to seek a marriage partner?"
The barrage of real-time viewer comments immediately filled with rows of: "Me! Me! Me!"
During the breakfast chat, everyone gained a preliminary understanding of each other. However, if one thought "Wisp of Smoke" was just about eating, drinking, chatting, and sleeping, that would be a big mistake. They were renting here, and to continue renting, they needed to work for the hosts every day.
After breakfast, they had to feed the chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs, and add fodder for the cows, horses, sheep, and mules.
Chi Yang didn't rest for long either; he came out to join them in the work soon after breakfast ended.
Chi Yang and Wen Yu had truly never seen these animals alive before; their expressions were full of novelty. They wanted to reach out and touch, pet everything they saw. Then, the two were chased by three geese that flew out of the pen, ending with them both falling into the field ridge, covered in mud, and being pecked at by the geese while howling in pain.
Those three geese were finally caught by Rong Yu, who had run after them; otherwise, it was hard to say how long they would have been pecked.
Looking at the three geese acting obedient and timid in front of Rong Yu, Chi Yang and Wen Yu, covered in mud and water, were very confused.
"Not bad, Xiao Yu. These geese are usually the fiercest. We generally just leave after putting down their food. They've chased Xiao Song before too." Liu Qingling handed towels to the utterly disheveled Chi Yang and Wen Yu.
Rong Yu smiled, showing his teeth: "Maybe this is fate?"
Seeing this, Yin Chengjue couldn't help but think: This isn't fate, it's the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest. Those goose bullies probably sensed you could easily wring their necks...
Sure enough, Rong Yu's "animal affinity" soon manifested in various ways.
The neighbor's little puppies came out wandering. The resident guests often fed them, so whenever they saw those few resident guests, the puppies would come over rubbing and nudging, asking to be held, and then bark loudly at the unfamiliar visiting guests.
Only when facing Rong Yu did their barks sound noticeably different.
When the resident guests opened their arms, the puppies would happily trot over to paw at their hands. When Rong Yu opened his arms, the puppies... would cautiously walk over on tiptoe, as if wanting to run away but forced to approach.
But if one thought they were timid, they barked quite loudly at the other boy group members.
Tao Li couldn't see the puppies' fear when facing Rong Yu and looked at Rong Yu with envy: "Brother Rong, as expected of Brother Rong! You really have an affinity with animals!"
Rong Yu gently smoothed the fur on the little dog's bristling back and smiled, "Yeah, I don't know why either."
Yin Chengjue: "..." Broadcasting this scene, won't Rong Yu actually lose fans?
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