The Love Reality Show's Big Boss and Little Sweetie - Chapter 30

After driving off the three brawny men, Mu Chi felt refreshed and clear-headed. But when he turned back, he saw everyone looking at him with varied expressions.

Belatedly realizing he had been too pleased with himself, Mu Chi immediately controlled his expression, putting on a serious face, and secretly shot a look asking for help towards Qi Liao.

Qi Liao, however, had no intention of helping him. Instead, he found the current scene amusing and wanted to see how Mu Chi would handle it, raising an eyebrow with a slight smile.

Mu Chi: “……” Bad Gege.

Ying Xuan smoothed things over: “Let’s all go for a swim to relax.”

During the time spent swimming, Mu Chi forgot about the incident of his persona collapse. His mind turned to the camping trip Qi Liao had mentioned last night. He stealthily moved closer to Qi Liao. “Gege, let’s go camping.”

Qi Liao: “Go camping in this weather? Do you want heatstroke?”

“We can go in the evening, have a barbecue, stargaze, and tell stories.”

“Horror stories?”

“……Anything but horror stories.”

Qi Liao pondered for a moment. “That could work. The rain will stop by tomorrow afternoon; the weather should be cooler then.”

Mu Chi’s eyes immediately curved, bright and clear, his thin, rosy lips quirking up slightly into a restrained, happy smile.

Qi Liao suddenly felt annoyed with the camera crew. He naturally used his body to block the camera’s view and looked down at Mu Chi’s face.

Mu Chi’s face was pale and translucent under the sunlight, with faint white fuzz and delicate blue veins barely visible. His eyelashes were distinct, half-veiling his peach-blossom eyes, which were like pools of landscape lakes.

“Gege?” Mu Chi called softly.

Qi Liao had accidentally become entranced. He blinked and regained his senses, but his gaze didn’t leave Mu Chi. He reached out and brushed away a tiny fragment of grass leaf that had somehow gotten on the tip of Mu Chi’s nose. “There was something dirty.”

“Oh.” Mu Chi wiped his face himself. “Is it gone now?”

“Gone.”

They thought that after the morning’s lesson, Zhao Jie would back off. Who knew that right during lunch, another rough voice shouted: “Qi Liao! Mu Chi! You damn dog men, come out!”

Qi Liao: “…”

Mu Chi: “…”

[??? What the hell?]

[They came in the morning and again in the afternoon? Didn’t get enough of a beating?]

[Wait, it’s women!]

Outside stood three stout, middle-aged women. They looked accustomed to farm work, each holding a shovel, standing in a row like ferocious yakshas.

The woman in the middle took a step forward, fierce and imposing. “Which of you is Qi Liao? Which is Mu Chi?”

Qi Liao: “I am.”

“Which one are you?”

Instead of answering, Qi Liao said, “Don’t think just because you’re women, I won’t dare to take action. Did your employer not tell you that I beat him until he wailed when we were kids?”

The woman: “……Save your breath. Get out of here.”

“Is this your house?” Xu Wuxing said indignantly.

The three women had stronger mental fortitude than the brawny men. “It’s not my house, but it’s not yours either!”

“But the production team rented this house. You have no right to kick us out unless you’re the landlord.”

“I’ll say it plainly: will the dog men leave or not? If not, we’ll just camp out here.” As she spoke, the three women lay down on the ground, chattering loudly. “Go ahead and hit us if you want! We’re not afraid!”

If it were a real fight, it could be considered trespassing and harassment, and fighting back would be self-defense. But instead, the three women were putting on a show of being utterly shameless.

“You’re being unreasonable!” Xu Wuxing shouted.

The sharp, clear young voice made the women cover their ears. “You little brat, speak properly, no need to shout so loud. We’re not telling you to get lost, why are you meddling?”

Xu Wuxing: “Telling Brother Mu to get lost is telling me to get lost! I won’t leave, and Brother Mu and Brother Qi won’t leave either! You’re the ones who should get lost!”

It was like a tongue twister. The three women’s faces darkened, lying motionless on the ground like they were playing dead.

Qi Liao laughed in exasperation. “Since you love lying on other people’s ground so much, then lie there.” He then signaled for the others to go inside.

Everyone went in and closed the door.

The three women stared wide-eyed, looking at each other, discussing in low voices: “What do we do now?” “It’s fine, we get paid just for lying here. If you don’t want the money, I’ll take it.” “I want it too, but the sun is just too strong.”

Inside, the cool breeze from the air conditioner was pleasant. Hao Wenrou cut up a watermelon, and everyone ate it intermittently, occasionally checking the situation outside through the windows.

Seeing the three women actually lying there chatting, Mu Chi was speechless. He could only wish the sun would get even stronger; once they were drenched in sweat, they’d know to go back.

Who would have thought that in this day and age, the resilience of rural women could be as tough as rubber? They stubbornly lay there until three in the afternoon.

After his nap, Mu Chi was full of energy and wanted to go swimming again. Unexpectedly, Xu Wuxing came back fuming: “One of them is guarding the front door, one the back door, and the last one is using the pool water to wash her face!”

Mu Chi was astounded. He looked at Qi Liao, who was coming downstairs looking perfectly at ease, and had to admit that Qi Liao’s patience was truly remarkable. He remained unhurried and unperturbed, a far cry from his usual impatient demeanor.

Mu Chi asked quietly; “Gege, do you have some backup plan?”

Qi Liao snorted lightly: “The backup plan is the 38°C heat.”

Even if these women were made of iron, they couldn’t withstand the sustained high temperatures. This contest was a test of patience.

Anyway, with the weather so hot, it was fine if they didn’t go out.

That’s what Qi Liao said, but when he saw the patrolling yakshas outside the window from upstairs, he still frowned slightly. He opened the window a crack, placed his thumb and index finger against his elegant lips—

A sharp whistle. Soon, the big yellow dog, who was closely guarding the hen, dashed to the doorway and ran in, wagging its fluffy tail.

The three women were startled by the sight. “Where did this dog come from?!”

Diyi Shuai noticed the strangers but didn’t chase them away. Instead, it ran straight to the window.

Qi Liao: “There are bad people. Chase them away.”

Diyi Shuai’s droopy ears immediately pricked up. It turned its wolf-like body and snarled at the strangers, baring its teeth.

One of the women, malice overriding her fear, raised her shovel to hit it. “You beast! Get away!”

Diyi Shuai didn’t actually know how to bite people; it only knew how to scare them. Under the woman’s shovel, it fled in a panic, yelping and howling. It was unclear if it had been hit.

Qi Liao’s face instantly turned cold as frost. He pushed the door open and strode out. “Stop!”

[What kind of people are they!]

[How dare they hit my adorable Diyi Shuai! You’re done for!]

[The Demon King’s wrath flares up for the dog!]

The woman stopped, puffing out her barrel-like waist. Her sallow face gleamed with oil under the harsh sun. “It’s just a mutt. Are you trying to extort me or something?”

Qi Liao strode over. At nearly 190 cm tall, with broad shoulders and long legs, his aura was fierce and intimidating. The woman, startled, took half a step back. “What are you doing? Hitting people is illegal!”

Without another word, Qi Liao snatched the shovel from her hand and let out a cold laugh. “You wanted to use this to fight? I’ll keep you company to the end.”

A lightbulb went off in Mu Chi’s head. He rushed out the back door to the storage shed, gathered the farm tools—shovels, pitchforks, rakes—carried them all back, and distributed them to Hao Wenrou and the others. “Come on, let’s go fight.”

Xu Wuxing’s blood boiled with excitement: “Yeah!”

Hao Wenrou: “…”

The few of them marched out valiantly and with high spirits. The three middle-aged women, seeing them “fully armed” and clearly ready for a direct confrontation—a situation they had never encountered before—immediately lost their nerve.

Their earlier smugness was replaced by sheer panic as they fled.

Finally driving them off, Mu Chi felt more tired than if he’d worked a full day. If this happened a few more times, it would be pure psychological warfare.

Qi Liao went to check on Diyi Shuai, examining him all over. Only after confirming there were no external injuries did he relax slightly. “I’ll take him to the vet for a check-up.”

Mu Chi: “I feel responsible too. I’ll go with you.”

Diyi Shuai was fitted with a muzzle and put in the back seat of the car. Mu Chi got into the passenger seat, and Qi Liao drove off at high speed towards the nearest veterinary hospital.

There was also live-streaming equipment in the car. Qi Liao suddenly said, “Zhao Jie, I know you’re watching the stream. If you have the guts, come yourself. Otherwise, just keep being a coward.”

[Is this a declaration of war?]

[So who is this ‘Zhao Jie’ anyway?]

[Sister Zhao, hahaha]

[Sister Zhao should just be a bottom. Isn’t he homophobic? He’ll like it once he tries it. /doghead]

After delivering Diyi Shuai to the veterinary hospital, Qi Liao explained the dog’s condition to the vet. The doctor asked, “You know quite a bit. Studied veterinary medicine?”

“Mn.”

“Learned it specifically for your own dog?”

“You could say that.”

The doctor smiled, placed Diyi Shuai on a white platform, and used restraints on his legs. “Comfort him a bit; we need to take an X-ray.”

Qi Liao: “He’s had them before. He’ll be fine.”

Diyi Shuai was very well-behaved, staying perfectly still the whole time. After the X-ray came out, the doctor examined it carefully and said with a smile, “No damage to the internal organs.”

“That’s good.”

On the way back, Qi Liao glanced at the big yellow dog in the back seat through the rearview mirror and said, “I found him when he was about a month old. He was filthy all over, had a broken bone, and almost didn’t make it. I took him home. Went through three family doctors before we managed to raise him to this size.”

“……” Mu Chi comforted him, “That means he’s blessed and destined for great things, just like me, whose misfortune has bottomed out and prosperity is coming. He’ll be fine from now on.”

Qi Liao finally showed a hint of a smile: “Mn. You two are a bit alike.”

Mu Chi: “…… I was just being modest. Don’t compare me to a dog.”

“I wouldn’t let a dog sleep in my—” Qi Liao cut himself off abruptly, almost letting it slip.

But Mu Chi understood. Diyi Shuai had never slept in Qi Liao’s bed.

[He actually said the male god is like a dog…]

[And he didn’t even get upset when he was told that. If this isn’t love, what is?]

[Glad Diyi Shuai is okay.]

Bathed in the lingering glow of the sunset, the day passed. Mu Chi rolled down the car window, letting the summer breeze rush in. The lush green mountains were dazzlingly bright, with occasional birds and dragonflies flying past.

Gradually, the restlessness in Mu Chi’s heart was soothed. He wished this mountain road were longer.

Time moved to the next day. The camping trip Mu Chi was looking forward to began its preparations in the afternoon. At first, they nearly packed half the villa’s contents into the cars—but there was so much there was no room for people, so they had to cut it down to the essentials.

Mu Chi had the least: a set of toiletries, a pair of pajamas and a change of clothes, all handled with one small backpack.

As for food and cooking supplies, that wasn’t his concern. Qi Liao had ample experience, meticulously selecting each item to ensure the fun of camping while minimizing the load as much as possible.

The nearest campsite was at the foot of the scenic area mountain. Qi Liao gave them two options: one, go to the official campsite and experience basic camping; two, pick a random spot.

Four votes went for random, two for the campsite.

Hao Wenrou worried: “Will it be safe?”

Ying Xuan, ever cautious, said: “Better not to take risks.”

Lucas shrugged. “Are you going camping, or attending an elementary school summer camp?”

“……”

Five cars drove through the mountains, following a serpentine winding road. Qi Liao’s car led the way. The passenger seat was occupied by his own backpack, while Xu Wuxing and Hao Wenrou sat in the back.

They looked at each other without a word, the atmosphere purely awkward.

When Mu Chi was about to get into Qi Liao’s car, those two started their covert rivalry again. Finding it a headache, Mu Chi instead got into Ying Xuan’s car.

Ying Xuan was witty and elegant, with a distinct scholarly air. Mu Chi found it quite comfortable to be around him—it would be even better if Ying Xuan only saw him as an ordinary friend.

After driving for about an hour, the cars stopped in a scenic valley.

By then, dusk was falling, the sky was filled with brilliant sunset hues, and a faint, full moon adorned the edge of the clouds. After getting out of the car, Mu Chi stretched and let out a long sigh. His fatigue vanished completely in the cool, gentle breeze.

The first thing everyone did after getting out was to set up the tents; otherwise, it would be difficult once the dew settled.

Many hands make light work, and putting up tents was no exception. Under Qi Liao’s guidance, they quickly set up one tent, then a second and a third.

Perhaps he had exerted himself too much, Mu Chi started feeling dizzy again. He swayed, was steadied by Qi Liao, and sat down on a simple folding chair, drinking a cup of glucose water.

“Brother Mu, are you okay?” Xu Wuxing and Hao Wenrou asked simultaneously.

“Mn.” Not wanting to hear them argue, Mu Chi said, “I’ll be fine after a quiet moment.”

Everyone tactfully went off to attend to other tasks. Mu Chi sat alone, contemplative under the bright moon, until a small campfire was lit not far away. The firelight reflected off the babbling stream, creating a particularly moving scene.

The air was misty. Mu Chi took a deep breath, stood up involuntarily, and walked to the stream’s edge, squatting on a rock to wash his hands. The stream here was very shallow; there was no way an accident like last time could happen again.

Thinking this, Mu Chi paused and turned to look at Qi Liao, who was busy with the barbecue. Did he choose this spot specifically for that reason?

Qi Liao was skewering beef. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that intensely noticeable gaze and met it.

Mu Chi’s eyes were clear and bright in the night, like moonlight.

Qi Liao took the first skewer of roasted pork belly, sprinkled cumin on it, grilled both sides until the rich aroma of pepper and meat wafted out, sizzling with oil, crispy yet chewy.

This skewer of pork belly was presented to Mu Chi. He curved his lips into a faint smile, accepted the skewer, and took a bite. It was indeed crispy and tender, fragrant and slightly charred, oily but not greasy, the rich flavor exploding in his mouth.

“Is it good?” Qi Liao could tell from Mu Chi’s expression, but he still wanted to ask.

“It’s good.” Mu Chi gave a definite answer, his face full of happiness.

[I’m dying of envy!]

[That looks so delicious, wuwu!]

[What did I do wrong? I just ate but I’m hungry again!]

Qi Liao asked Hao Wenrou to keep an eye on the grill and brought a bottle of mineral water over—Hao Wenrou watched the two of them with resentment.

Mu Chi accepted the feeding with a clear conscience.

“There’s plenty more. Go sit and eat.” Qi Liao reached out his hand towards Mu Chi.

Mu Chi placed his hand in Qi Liao’s large one. It wasn’t usually obvious, but in this comparison, he realized Qi Liao’s hand was a full size larger than his, capable of enveloping his hand securely in its palm.

Flooded with a sense of security, Mu Chi got carried away—and then his foot slipped.

Qi Liao immediately grabbed him, one arm wrapping around his waist, but it still wasn’t enough to steady them. He could only forcibly change their direction—*Thump!*

The two of them fell together into the shallow stream water, shattering the moonlight, sending ripples shimmering outwards.

Mu Chi lay on top of Qi Liao, held tightly in his embrace. The rushing stream water flowed over their faces and then slowly receded, revealing their faces pressed together.

Everyone’s eyes widened.

Mu Chi didn’t react at first. But when he felt the softness, coolness, and a faint, indistinct pain on his lips, he also froze on the spot, unable to believe it.

Their four lips were pressed tightly together. Different from artificial respiration, this was a real kiss.