The Love Reality Show's Big Boss and Little Sweetie - Chapter 32

“Director, he’s not in the restroom,” the director’s assistant came running to report.

The director’s expression was exaggerated: “He’s not? Oh dear, how can he not be? Where could Mu Chi have gone? He couldn’t possibly have…”

“Could he have gone to take a shower?”

“Stupid.” The director stared at Qi Liao’s tent. “Qi Liao, where do you think Mu Chi is? Could he have been carried off by a wolf? Aren’t you worried at all?”

Qi Liao’s voice showed no fluctuation: “If you’re really that bored, go shovel the manure from the restroom. Save us from the environmental pollution.”

The director chuckled, crossing his arms with a mocking expression. “I think I’ll just wait. As the person primarily responsible for this variety show, I can’t very well lose one of my guests.”

[Where did Mu Chi go?]

[I have a bold guess…]

[Could he be inside Qi Liao’s tent?]

[Impossible! No matter what, the male god)wouldn’t climb into another man’s bed in the middle of the night!]

Mu Chi, who was indeed climbing into bed and about to be caught, was on the verge of social death.

After cursing the director eight hundred times in his heart, Mu Chi could only turn to Qi Liao for help. Qi Liao said in a low voice, “Steady. As long as he doesn’t come in, he can’t prove you’re here. It’s like Schrödinger’s cat.”

Silence fell both inside and outside the tent.

Reassured, Mu Chi leaned against Qi Liao, pricking up his ears to listen to the commotion outside.

After a moment, Hao Wenrou’s voice sounded: “Everyone, maybe we should still go look for Brother Mu.”

Director: “Wenrou, you’re so naive.”

“……” Hao Wenrou was grinding his teeth. Of course, he had also guessed Mu Chi was in Qi Liao’s tent. But if this fact was truly verified, he would have no chance left.

“Fine.” The director also didn’t want to confirm a couple this quickly; it wouldn’t be good for the show’s dynamics either.

A push-and-pull was needed to keep the netizens hooked.

The group dispersed sporadically. The director waved at the camera: “Treat time is over, folks. Next time I’ll bring a bigger one.”

[Bigger like a piece of sh*t?]

[Hmph, you woke me up in the middle of the night just for this pointless exercise?]

[Blocked. Didn’t even get a crumb of meat.]

[This ‘treat’ is like a chicken rib—tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw away.]

[If it weren’t free, I’d definitely curse until dawn.]

When it was completely quiet outside, Mu Chi let out a long sigh of relief and slumped into Qi Liao’s arms.

Qi Liao looked down, his gaze cool.

Mu Chi put on an innocent face: “I have no strength left.”

Qi Liao was more or less used to Mu Chi’s harmless bean-curd-pressing behavior. He hauled him up and placed him on the floor bedding. “Sleep.”

“I need to use the restroom.”

“……”

What else could he do? He had to accompany him.

Qi Liao unzipped the tent and scanned the area. “No one. Let’s go.”

Under Qi Liao’s cover, Mu Chi sneaked off towards the restroom not far away. The restroom was extremely basic: two planks over a pit. After fermenting for a few hours, the stench was overwhelming. Mu Chi retreated as soon as he entered. “Gag!”

Qi Liao: “Go use those bushes over there.”

The bushes were some distance from the campsite, so no need to worry about being seen. Mu Chi turned his back to Qi Liao, feeling mind at ease, pulled down his pajama pants, revealing a small patch of moonlight-white skin.

Qi Liao immediately averted his eyes, practicing ‘see no evil,’ and observed the surroundings.

After relieving himself, Mu Chi felt refreshed and clear-headed. He was about to go wash his hands in the nearby stream when suddenly, a “Meow-roar!” sound accompanied a dark shadow brushing past his feet, giving him a huge fright. “Meow!”

Qi Liao: “?”

Mu Chi: “……”

The corner of Qi Liao’s mouth quirked up. “Wild cats are common in the mountains. Probably smelled the meat here and came to try their luck.”

Mu Chi let out a breath, squatted by the shallow stream, and washed his hands. “I hope it found some food.”

The two walked back along the stream, hoping not to run into anyone, but contrary to expectations, they did.

A single orange-red ember glowed and faded in the night. Ying Xuan was smoking in the cool night breeze, the swirling smoke blurring his eyes. Mu Chi sighed inwardly; truly a Film Emperor, the cinematic feel was unparalleled.

Qi Liao walked over with natural ease. Ying Xuan noticed them too, a cigarette held between his slender fingers as he smiled. “So you really are together.”

Qi Liao didn’t answer, just reached out. “Give me one.”

Ying Xuan handed him a cigarette and a lighter. Qi Liao placed the slender cigarette between his lips, cupped his hands slightly to block the wind, and a flame flickered to life with a click.

The cheapest plastic lighter somehow created a melancholic, profound atmosphere.

Watching Qi Liao smoke, Mu Chi felt that craving again.

“Want one?” Ying Xuan asked.

Mu Chi was about to nod when he met Qi Liao’s stern profile and the glance he shot his way. He instinctively swallowed his words. “No.”

Qi Liao let out a soft hum, seemingly satisfied with his answer.

“……”

“You go back first.”

Mu Chi had no resistance to Qi Liao’s commanding tone and obediently returned to the tent—Qi Liao’s tent, of course.

Watching Mu Chi walk away, Qi Liao retracted his gaze. “You have something to say?”

Ying Xuan stubbed out his cigarette, holding the butt. “You’ve fallen for Mu Chi, haven’t you?”

Qi Liao’s brow furrowed slightly. He didn’t answer directly.

Ying Xuan smiled. “Maybe you haven’t even realized it yourself, but the person you’ve looked at the most since joining this dating show is Mu Chi.”

Qi Liao: “I found his pretentious act annoying, hypocritical.”

“People in the entertainment industry all have a hypocritical side. Including me, it just doesn’t show on the surface.”

“Can’t tell.”

“But you saw through Mu Chi’s disguise. Actually, you know he’s not really like that.”

“……”

Ying Xuan looked at Qi Liao. “Maybe I’ve acted too much myself; I can tell at a glance when someone else is acting. But you’re different. You’re paying attention to Mu Chi based on feeling.”

Qi Liao denied it verbally: “I’m not paying attention to him.”

Ying Xuan: “Then why is it always him you look at?”

“……”

Ying Xuan smiled understandingly. “Perhaps his face just happens to hit your aesthetic sweet spot.”

Qi Liao said stiffly, “But that doesn’t mean I like him.”

“Of course not,” Ying Xuan said. “But time can change your opinion of a person. Do you still dislike him now?”

“No.”

“Not only do you not dislike him, you’re even sharing a tent with him.”

A trace of irritation showed on Qi Liao’s face. “When did you switch careers to being a matchmaker?”

Ying Xuan was caught off guard by the title, coughing a few times, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “I don’t mean to lecture. I just think Mu Chi is too pure. The entertainment industry is a mixed bag; having someone to watch over him is quite good.”

Qi Liao spoke with high-sounding rhetoric: “As long as they are my friends, I naturally help them to the best of my ability. That includes you.”

Ying Xuan smiled sincerely. “Thank you.”

Qi Liao stubbed out his cigarette and returned to the tent.

Mu Chi was already asleep, hugging the towel blanket, his face sweetly innocent and serene. He was still holding the Compendium of Materia Medica that Qi Liao had brought to pass the time.

Qi Liao took the book away, tucked the blanket around him, lay down beside him, gazed for a long time, and finally closed his eyes.

The next day, Qi Liao’s body clock forced him awake. For a moment, he thought he was still in the villa and sat up directly. Suddenly, something fell off him. Thinking it was the blanket, he reached out to feel for it.

“Huh?”

Qi Liao’s vision gradually cleared. He was touching Mu Chi’s face—soft, smooth, and tender, like a piece of freshly made tofu.

Mu Chi was woken up, rubbing his eyes and mumbling drowsily, “What’s wrong, Gege?”

Qi Liao casually pinched his cheek. “It’s daylight. You should go back to your own tent.”

Mu Chi didn’t move, like a lazy ragdoll cat.

Qi Liao tickled Mu Chi’s stomach. Mu Chi laughed and rolled around, his sleepy peach-blossom eyes holding a moist gleam. “Are you going for a morning run? I’ll go with you.”

“Go back and change clothes.”

Mu Chi crawled up and poked his head out of the tent, running right into a staff member who happened to be passing by.

“…”

“…”

The staff member’s face twisted grotesquely as he turned away, pretending he saw nothing, and quickly walked past.

Mu Chi’s narrow waist and perky bottom were still inside the tent. Qi Liao glanced down and gave him a light kick out.

Mu Chi slipped back to his own tent like a flower thief, changed into yesterday’s clothes, lifted the collar to sniff it—no strange smell, still wearable.

Qi Liao led Mu Chi through five minutes of warm-up first, stretching muscles and bones, before taking him for a run.

At first, Mu Chi felt no pressure, running on the relatively flat path, full of youthful vigor. But soon, he was panting heavily.

He had to admit, his body was really not what it used to be.

By the end, Qi Liao was holding him for a jog. Even so, Mu Chi increasingly felt like a heavy burden… On the way back, he simply draped himself over Qi Liao’s back.

“So tired,” Mu Chi said, completely wilted.

“That’s how it is when you restart exercise. Once you get used to it after ten days or so of running, it won’t feel so tiring.”

Mu Chi pressed his face against Qi Liao’s neck, took a deep breath, and secretly vowed to keep up with Qi Liao’s pace. No matter how hard or tiring, it would be worth it.

When they were about a hundred meters from the campsite, Qi Liao put Mu Chi down, and the two walked back together.

Xiao Tian ran up anxiously. “Brother Mu, where did you go? You didn’t take your phone.”

“Running,” Mu Chi said. “Qi Liao was with me, no need to worry.”

Xiao Tian gave Qi Liao a complicated look. “Thank you, Brother Qi.”

Qi Liao gave a faint “Mn” and walked back to his tent to get his toiletries.

Early in the morning, quite a few people were squatting by the stream brushing their teeth and washing their faces. Mu Chi went to the upstream section and stood with Qi Liao, watching the toothpaste foam flow downstream. “Will it pollute the water source?”

Qi Liao scooped up a cup of stream water. “This is flowing water. It gets absorbed by the soil along the banks as it moves. Even if you brushed your teeth here every day for a hundred years, it would be fine.”

Mu Chi: “…That’s good then.”

The broadcast started just as they were brushing their teeth. Mu Chi, with a ring of foam around his mouth, was immediately filmed, his peach-blossom eyes widening in surprise.

The camera crew backed up a bit.

[Good morning!]

[Mu Chi looks so cute brushing his teeth!]

[Look at that vacant expression, please save some image for the male god, okay?]

Breakfast was grilled flatbread, millet porridge, paired with green beans and pickles—last night’s barbecue had been completely devoured; there wasn’t even an egg for breakfast.

Lucas complained, “This is too shabby.”

Hao Wenrou and Xu Wuxing also struggled to hide their disappointment.

But Mu Chi accepted it quite well: “It’s delicious. This is my first time eating this kind of flatbread; crispy outside, soft inside, very fragrant.”

Xu Wuxing effortlessly delivered flattery: “Brother Mu is right. After being used to delicacies from land and sea, simple food is true life. Plain and ordinary is happiness itself.”

Mu Chi: “…” How much inspirational chicken soup literature has this kid been fed?

Hao Wenrou couldn’t hold back anymore and rolled his eyes dramatically.

[??? Did Wenrou just roll his eyes?]

[Screenshot taken. It really was an eye-roll.]

[Hahaha she can’t sit still anymore. Wenrou, chase love boldly, don’t be shy!]

After breakfast, the sun gradually grew hotter, but the weather forecast showed another rain shower in the afternoon.

Ying Xuan suggested: “How about we play for half a day and head back at noon?”

No one objected.

Everyone went to play in the water, collect stones, and pick some wild strawberries. Mu Chi found a patch of mushrooms and asked Qi Liao, “Are these edible?”

Qi Liao glanced at the decaying old tree root. “Not sure, but better not to eat them.”

After nearly three hours of running around and playing, everyone was exhausted. They even needed the production team’s help to take down the tents.

The camping trip was considered a success. After loading all the items and trash into the cars, the production team’s convoy headed back grandly.

Mu Chi sat in the passenger seat of Qi Liao’s car. There was no one in the back, only backpacks and barbecue equipment. Mu Chi expressed that being alone with Qi Liao felt great.

It would be even greater without the camera.

The mountain road had been fine on the way there, but on the way back, a large pit inexplicably appeared halfway. Qi Liao braked and stopped, got out frowning, and went to check the road conditions.

Mu Chi followed him out. The camera crew from behind also got out and were stunned by the pit, which was about four meters in diameter and two meters deep.

“Road collapse?” Mu Chi asked.

Qi Liao looked towards the other side of the pit. “Someone dug this on purpose.”

“?”

“Hahahahaha!!” A scornful laugh came through, drilling into their skulls like a power drill.

Mu Chi looked up and saw Zhao Jie swaggering over, leading seven or eight workers, each holding work tools.

“Didn’t expect this, did you?” Zhao Jie sneered. “I’ve been waiting for you here.”

Qi Liao remained unshaken. “Do you know what crime it is to damage public infrastructure?”

Zhao Jie didn’t care: “It’s just a road. I can afford to pay for it. Today, I’m blocking you here. Let’s see how you get back!”

Qi Liao said sarcastically, “You think we’re stupid enough not to take a detour?”

Zhao Jie held up his phone with a map. “There’s only one road in and out of this mountain. If you detour, it’ll take at least five or six hours. You won’t get back until dark.”

“So what?”

“It’s going to rain soon. Aren’t you afraid of landslides?”

Qi Liao’s face turned cold and grim. “Zhao Jie, do you want everyone from the production team to die?”

Zhao Jie didn’t want to cause deaths either. He shrugged. “You could also leave the cars here and walk back. Just a little rain, that’s all.”

“You’re going too far!” Xu Wuxing’s sharp teenage voice seemed about to pierce Zhao Jie’s eardrums. “This is illegal!”

Zhao Jie picked his ear. “If you have the guts, come over here and hit me. Come on!”

With such a large pit blocking the way, getting across meant climbing the steep slopes on the side, which was very dangerous.

Mu Chi stepped forward. “You’re the one asking us to hit you, it’s not our own idea.” As he spoke, he grabbed a handful of gravel and mud, formed it into a ball, and threw it with force.

From only five or six meters away, Mu Chi’s aim was true. The ball hit Zhao Jie square in the chest with a thud. Zhao Jie grunted, glared at Mu Chi like a vicious ghost, and also grabbed a handful of mud.

Mu Chi wasn’t foolish enough to stand there and be hit. He immediately hid behind Qi Liao, continuing to form mud balls back and forth.

The mountain mud was moist and soft, like clay, very easy to use. Mu Chi threw one after another like cannonballs, hitting Zhao Jie until he covered his head and fled, howling, “Are you idiots? Hit them back!”

The workers he brought joined the fray.

On Mu Chi’s side, the entire production team joined in. The camera crew dropped their equipment and charged into the battle.

“Down with the little Japanese devils!” Mu Chi shouted the slogan.

“Down with the little Japanese devils!” the production team echoed in unison.

The two sides turned into a guerrilla battle, chasing and being chased, dodging and throwing.

Mu Chi’s snow-white shirt was soon stained with mud, his hair was disheveled, his face dirty, but his fighting spirit was soaring. Qi Liao shoved him behind a tree, took the mud cannonball from his hand, and hurled it, hitting Zhao Jie right in the mouth.

Zhao Jie got a mouthful of dirt and seemed deeply insulted. “Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey! You’re the little Japanese devils!”

Not just Mu Chi; everyone else had lost their composure entirely. Once the Chinese fighting genes are awakened, they won’t stop until a winner is decided.

The director charged forward holding an umbrella and threw a lump of dried cow dung. “Poop attack!”

Zhao Jie was so scared he dodged frantically, only to get a full chest of cow dung.

Director: “Hahahahaha!”

The production team cheered: “Director Lin is mighty!”

Lucas, who had dug up a wasp nest from somewhere, directly threw it over. The bees inside flew straight towards Zhao Jie and his group, though a few also flew towards their own side.

Xu Wuxing covered his face and screamed, “You’re hurting the enemy a thousand at the cost of eight hundred to yourself!”

Hao Wenrou had already found a suitable spot to hide. Only he was still relatively clean, watching the farce with an indescribable expression.

Qi Liao was also speechless. If it weren’t for wanting to vent Mu Chi’s anger and genuinely wanting to teach Zhao Jie a lesson, he wouldn’t engage in such a childish game. His strength was immense, and being hit by him hurt. Zhao Jie had retreated a good five or six meters from his original position, his face a mix of green and red.

“You’re dead!!! You’re all dead!!!” Zhao Jie roared impotently.

Mu Chi thought Zhao Jie looked like a brainless villain who could only be punished by the protagonist’s halo.

Seeing Mu Chi looking at him expectantly, Qi Liao asked, “What?”

Mu Chi pointed at Zhao Jie. “Gege, F**king destroy him!”

Qi Liao: “…”

Everyone else: “…?”

[Did I mishear? It sounded like Mu Chi called him ‘Gege’ ]

[Down with the little Japanese devils! Charge!!]

[Zhao Jie is so annoying, he deserves to be taught a lesson.]

[Fight, fight, fight!]

[I have a question: am I really watching a dating show?]

[Last night I saw Mu Chi and Qi Liao kiss and was excited all night. How am I supposed to feel about today’s events?]

[Laughing so hard I spat. My colleague no longer believes I’m watching a dating show but a comedy show, and now it’s a battle game!]

[Was it really my auditory hallucination? I heard Mu Chi call him ‘Gege’.]

[I heard it too.]

[Me too…]

[So who was the ‘Gege’ he called?]

[Qi Liao, who was closest to him!]

[Qi Liao is 24, Mu Chi is 25. Why would he call him ‘Gege’??]

[Mu Chi lost his memory!]

Watching the amnesiac Mu Chi run around, form mud balls, fight, shout slogans, and call Qi Liao “Gege” repeatedly, the netizens finally believed one fact—

#Aloof male god Turns into Silly Goose After Amnesia# gloriously claimed the top spot on the hot search list.