The Love Reality Show's Big Boss and Little Sweetie - Chapter 37

Because the place was crowded, Mu Chi and the others were seated in a booth on the second floor near the window. A large round table with an induction cooker in the middle for hot pot.

Xia Yang happened to be carrying a hot pot and a plate of grilled meat.

He approached the outer seat where Mu Chi was sitting. Mu Chi shifted closer to Qi Liao. Xia Yang placed the hot pot on the induction cooker, added water and hot pot base, bent down to turn on the cooker from underneath the table, and said, “This side is high heat, this side is low heat.”

Mu Chi subconsciously responded, “Oh, okay.”

Xia Yang glanced at him, then turned and walked away.

Mu Chi spaced out for a moment.

“Are you going to keep leaning on me like this?” Qi Liao’s cold voice startled Mu Chi out of his reverie.

Only then did Mu Chi realize he was practically lying in Qi Liao’s arms—it must have been an instinctive reaction from his body. Reluctantly, he sat up properly. “The grilled meat smells so good.”

Qi Liao didn’t eat the grilled meat. Instead, he got a few cans of ice-cold beer from the cooler, pulled the tab, and took a big swig.

Grilled meat paired with beer. Mu Chi reached out to take a beer, but Qi Liao gently slapped his hand away. “No alcohol.”

Mu Chi didn’t actually want beer that much. “Then what should I drink?”

“Choose for yourself.”

So Mu Chi went to pick a cold beverage.

Xu Wuxing started a topic: “So that red-haired guy is a waiter? I thought he was a rich second-generation heir.”

Lucas laughed: “Maybe he’s the illegitimate son of a wealthy businessman.”

“Illegitimate son? That sounds nice. Isn’t he just the child of a mistress?”

Mu Chi walked over: “Better not make assumptions about other people’s family matters. Otherwise, it’s just spreading rumors.”

Xu Wuxing wasn’t stupid; as an idol, he knew to guard his tongue. He immediately corrected himself: “Brother Mu is right. I was just guessing randomly. Everyone, don’t take it seriously.”

Lucas shrugged, deliberately stirring the pot: “Mumu, you seem quite concerned about that red-haired guy. Is it because he’s a cool guy too?”

Mu Chi almost rolled his eyes. “I’m just stating facts. Don’t overinterpret it.”

Lucas, loving the drama, asked Qi Liao: “Qi Liao, what do you think? Doesn’t that red-haired guy resemble you a bit?”

Five pairs of eyes turned to Qi Liao, each with their own thoughts, except for Mu Chi.

Qi Liao: “You should make an appointment with the ophthalmology department. Don’t wait until you’re truly blind.”

Mu Chi felt an inexplicable sense of relief. Lucas also wisely shut his mouth; otherwise, he really might get beaten up.

A female server brought various types of seafood, adding them to the hot pot one by one. Xu Wuxing was drooling with anticipation: “This is my first time having seafood hot pot.”

Then grilled scallops and grilled oysters arrived. Mu Chi liked the grilled shrimp the most. Peeling off the crispy shell, the tender, savory, and fragrant shrimp meat was delicious and wonderfully springy. He could eat seven or eight in one go.

Washed down with a mouthful of iced tea, the satisfaction doubled.

While eating, Mu Chi noticed Qi Liao ate very little and hadn’t touched any shrimp at all. Mu Chi peeled one for him, and he didn’t refuse.

“Is it not good?” Mu Chi asked quietly.

“It’s good,” Qi Liao said. “I’m just a bit allergic. My mouth feels a little numb.”

“………………”

Mu Chi stood up in shock: “You’re allergic and you still ate it? Are you trying to kill yourself?!”

[？？？？ The Demon King is allergic to seafood?]

[I couldn’t tell!]

[Wait, his face does seem a bit redder than before.]

[Oh my god, he’s allergic but still came for the seafood feast… it was for the others, right?]

[So brave. Severe allergies can be fatal.]

[Mu Chi is panicking hahaha]

Regarding Mu Chi’s panic, Qi Liao seemed to care. He took a sip of beer and said, “It’s fine. It’s just a minor allergy. It’s much better than when I was a kid. It’ll be gone by tomorrow.”

Mu Chi moved all the seafood in front of Qi Liao over to his own side,declaring righteously and sternly: “You are not allowed to eat any more seafood. Just eat the grilled meat.”

The corner of Qi Liao’s mouth quirked up. He didn’t argue. “Okay.”

The others felt quite guilty. Ying Xuan said, “Sorry, we didn’t know you were allergic to seafood. Should we go to the hospital now?”

Qi Liao didn’t mind. “It’s really just very minor allergy symptoms. No need for the hospital. I’ll just take a Loratadine when we get back.”

Hao Wenrou also had experience with this and said, “Actually, most Chinese people are allergic to mangoes, but many don’t know it. If you get used to eating it, you can build resistance. That’s how it is for me.”

Mu Chi frowned, not quite agreeing with this view. An allergy is an allergy. It’s best to avoid allergens whenever possible. Better safe than sorry; prevention is always good.

Xu Wuxing provided a counterexample: “I read online about a girl who was allergic to spinach. Her mother insisted she eat it. The girl got so angry she ate a whole pot of spinach, had a severe allergic reaction, and by the time she got to the hospital it was too late—they had to remove half her stomach.”

Mu Chi: “That’s truly tragic.”

Xu Wuxing, having received agreement, immediately beamed like a flower: “So, Brother Qi, you really shouldn’t eat seafood. Don’t worry, I’ll eat your share for you!”

“…”

Qi Liao said expressionlessly: “Then you’d better eat a lot.”

[Hahahahaha Xingbao, there’s a reason you haven’t won the male god’s heart.]

[Does anyone else find Xu Wuxing sometimes funnier than Lucas?]

[Wenrou isn’t wrong either. Who doesn’t love mangoes? It’s just that the example wasn’t appropriate for the situation.]

[Sincerity is the ultimate skill.]

The lavish meal took a full hour to finish. When the four-figure bill arrived, Ying Xuan beat everyone to it and paid, saying, “All these days, I haven’t treated you all to a proper meal. This one must be on me.”

Lucas batted his eyelashes: “You’re so nice. I’ll treat you next time.”

Ying Xuan smiled politely: “No need to be so formal.”

Just as the group was about to leave the restaurant, they heard a somewhat cold voice call out, “Wait.”

Mu Chi turned around and saw the red-haired guy holding a case of beer. He handed it to Hao Wenrou, who was at the back, but his eyes were fixed on Qi Liao. “From the boss. Welcome to come again.”

Hao Wenrou, suddenly holding a case of beer weighing over ten pounds, let out a startled cry, and the beer cans scattered all over the floor.

Xia Yang hadn’t expected Hao Wenrou to be so weak that he couldn’t even hold a case of beer. He froze on the spot. Hao Wenrou looked at the beer cans all over the floor, both embarrassed and annoyed. For a moment, there was only silence.

It was Mu Chi who helped pick up the beer, holding three cans. Xia Yang also bent down to pick up a beer can and was about to hand it to Mu Chi when he saw Qi Liao, his mixed-race features set in a cold expression, come over, grab Mu Chi, and pull him away. “Stop picking them up.”

Xia Yang stood amidst the scattered beer cans, watching them leave.

Mu Chi was still holding one beer can. Before they even reached the parking lot, Qi Liao took it from him and gave it to a beggar by the roadside.

Even after getting in the car, Mu Chi was still confused. Regardless of whether it broke his persona, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Qi Liao: “Nothing.”

“I wasn’t picking up the beer to drink it myself,” Mu Chi thought of a possibility. “It was for you guys to drink.”

Xu Wuxing was also full of questions: “Yeah, he said it was complimentary. After spending so much money, it’s practically the same as buying it.”

Qi Liao: “I don’t like it.”

With that one sentence, he successfully shut everyone up.

If the Great Demon King didn’t like it, what could they do? Of course, they had to go along with him.

Lucas hit the nail on the head: “Is it that you don’t like the free beer, or that you don’t like the way that red-haired guy keeps looking at Mu Chi?”

Mu Chi: “?? What? Don’t talk nonsense.”

Lucas: “I’m an expert in matters of love. That kind of look clearly marks you as prey. It’s just a pity that you’re surrounded by wolves, so he can’t make a move.”

Mu Chi: “…Please stop your filthy thoughts.”

Lucas continued his analysis: “But if we’re talking about who among the wolves around you is the most threatening, it’s definitely Qi Liao. So he always looks at Qi Liao too—it’s a provocation, and also a desire to steal someone’s beloved.”

Mu Chi: “…………”

The car pulled over. Qi Liao ordered, “Lucas, get out.”

Lucas, who had thick-skinned-ly managed to get Hao Wenrou off and hitch a ride in this car just to run his mouth, wasn’t about to let go of this chance to vent. “No.”

“Xu Wuxing, throw him out,” Qi Liao commanded, as if ordering his little slave.

Xu Wuxing truly transformed into a little slave, opened the car door, and kicked Lucas out. “Off you go!”

Lucas staggered a few steps, his image completely ruined, and shouted furiously, “Xu Wuxing! I won’t let you get away with this!”

Xu Wuxing stuck his tongue out triumphantly from the car window. “Nyah nyah nyah!”

In the end, Lucas had to ride back in the production team’s car. And Mu Chi treated his words as wind whistling past his ears, forgetting them within ten minutes.

When it was time to sleep at night, everyone discovered a problem: except for Mu Chi’s master bedroom, which had its own private bathroom and shower, no one else did.

If you wanted to shower, you had to queue up on the first floor. The same for using the toilet.

The five others: “…” It was like being back in dormitory life.

[The director is such a genius, coming up with this method to heat up the guests’ relationships.]

[Hehehe, why not just have two people shower together?]

[No wonder the production team prepared so much soap…]

Seeing their predicament, Mu Chi took the initiative to help alleviate the bathing congestion: “How about this: Qi Liao can use the bathroom and shower in my room, saving you all some space.”

The others: “…”

Under everyone’s odd stares, Mu Chi genuinely couldn’t figure out what he had done wrong. His suggestion seemed perfectly practical.

[Mu Chi, I can hear your calculations from a thousand miles away. /sly grin]

[Letting the Demon King use your private bathroom to take the chance to pounce on him, right? /lecherous look]

[A honey trap! This is definitely a honey trap!]

[If the Demon King doesn’t take the bait this time, I’ll suspect he’s not up to it. /doghead]

“Okay,” Qi Liao agreed flatly to the suggestion.

Xu Wuxing asked, “Then can I also—”

“Inconvenient,” Qi Liao refused on Mu Chi’s behalf.

Mu Chi nodded seriously: “It would be rather inconvenient for three people to use it.”

“…” Meanwhile, four people were using the bathroom downstairs.

The broadcast ended at 8 p.m. The production team came to clean. Being in a residential area, they made almost no noise. Xiao Tian came to change Mu Chi’s bed linens, while Xiao Wang was responsible for checking if the furniture and doors/windows were sturdy and if any appliances needed replacing.

After about half an hour of tidying, they vanished like the legendary Snail Maidens to some unknown place.

After Mu Chi showered, he went to call Qi Liao over to wash.

Whether the production team did it on purpose or not, his room and Qi Liao’s were separated by Xu Wuxing’s room again. He had to tread lightly, sneaking over to find Qi Liao like a thief.

“Gege, come take a bath,” Mu Chi called out surreptitiously.

There was nothing inherently wrong with it, but the way he did it was absolutely dripping with the feeling of a secret affair. Qi Liao felt somewhat awkward.

“Did you take your allergy medicine?”

“I did.”

Qi Liao showered in Mu Chi’s room. When he came out, he was wrapped in a pure black bathrobe. His tall frame and well-defined muscles exuded explosive power even hidden beneath the fabric, to a degree that made Mu Chi feel he might die of nosebleeds just from looking.

The same soapy fragrance, the same shampoo and body wash—on Mu Chi, it felt aloof and cool, but on Qi Liao, it burned with dizzying hormones.

Mu Chi’s gaze was completely unguarded. Qi Liao couldn’t possibly pretend not to see it. His heart felt faintly warm, his face full of awkwardness.

“Gege…” Whether it was Qi Liao’s misconception or not, Mu Chi’s voice sounded sticky, as if holding candy in his mouth. “You… you’re so handsome.”

Qi Liao: “…And then?”

Mu Chi, shy: “I don’t dare to imagine.”

Qi Liao: “Is it that you truly don’t dare, or falsely don’t dare?”

“Falsely don’t dare.”

Qi Liao walked to the door. “Sleep.”

Mu Chi blurted out: “You’re not staying with me? It’s my first time sleeping here. I’m scared.”

Anyway, it wasn’t the first time they had slept together. Staying here was harmless. Qi Liao turned back. “Really scared?”

Mu Chi quickly nodded. “Scared.”

Qi Liao naturally stayed. In fact, when he was using Mu Chi’s bathroom, he had already anticipated this outcome. He couldn’t help but curl his lips—Mu Chi was still so lacking restraint), timid, and pampered.

The two lay down together. The head of the bed was against the wall, and there was a window in the wall. After turning off the lights, moonlight streamed in. The honeysuckle shadows were faint and indistinct, their flower buds tightly closed under the moonlight, quietly waiting for the next bloom.

Mu Chi leaned against Qi Liao very innocently, different from any demeanor he had shown before. Just being close to Qi Liao like this was enough to satisfy him.

He fell asleep just like that, sweet and soft.

Qi Liao watched him for a long time and, before he knew it, also fell asleep.

The next day, when Mu Chi woke up, the space beside him was empty. He washed up, changed into fresh clothes, had the stylist tidy his hair a bit, and then went out to look for the others.

Based on past experience, he should have been back from his morning run and preparing breakfast.

But this time, as soon as Mu Chi stepped out, he saw him.

He was standing on the corridor, leaning against the railing, his gaze heavy as he looked in one direction. Mu Chi followed his gaze—it was the neighbor’s house. The surrounding wall was just that high, and from their perspective, they could clearly see into the neighbor’s courtyard.

The lush osmanthus tree by the courtyard wall obscured a small half. In the other half, Xia Yang and his mother were with a middle-aged man.

The man was tall and handsome, with traces of the good looks from his youth. His suit was impeccably pressed, his wristwatch and lapel pin exquisite yet understated. His hair was meticulously styled, his shoes polished to a shine, and his smile was gentle. Even the laugh lines around his mouth and eyes were filled with the charm bestowed by wealth and time.

Mu Chi couldn’t help but recall what Lucas had said last night—”Maybe he’s the illegitimate son of a wealthy businessman.”

“Could it be…” Mu Chi’s gossipy heart burned fiercely. “He really is an illegitimate child, and this man is his father?”

The man reached out and touched Xia Yang’s red hair, his smile growing even more fatherly.

Mu Chi was almost certain: “Gege, guess, are they father and son?”

There was no answer from beside him for a long time.

Only then did Mu Chi notice that Qi Liao’s handsome face was as dark and gloomy as an impending storm. “Gege?”

Qi Liao’s hands gripping the railing showed prominent veins. He spoke word by word, his voice heavy: “That’s my dad.”

Mu Chi: “Ah?”