CSGM - Chapter 155
Chapter 155: Extra - Love Reality Show
The next day.
In the morning, under the covers.
"Xi, Xi…"
"Mmm…"
"Xi, it's time to get up. The five hundred yuan from the production team has been deposited. We have to go grocery shopping this morning."
Ren Zhi stood by the bed, leaning over the small head tucked under a thin blanket, and called out softly.
The camera in the bedroom was already on, but its lens was covered, so it could only capture audio, not video.
One could imagine that Chu Xi, if she were visible, would look completely dazed.
In fact, that assumption was correct.
Chu Xi was bundled up in her small blanket, wrapping it tightly around herself. The blanket coiled around her body, outlining her figure, making her look just like a KFC chicken wrap.
Ren Zhi tried to tug at the blanket, but its edge was pinned beneath Chu Xi's body and wouldn't budge.
Amused and helpless, Ren Zhi said, "Alright, you can sleep for another fifteen minutes."
"Mmm… okay," Chu Xi mumbled, her eyelids not even twitching.
For Ren Zhi, fifteen minutes was enough time to ask for directions to the market from the village entrance.
But for Chu Xi, it felt as if only three seconds had passed.
"Baby, your time for sleeping in is up. You need to get up now."
When she heard Ren Zhi's footsteps approaching along with those words, Chu Xi's mind went blank.
"???"
How long had it been? Didn't she just fall back asleep for a moment?
Chu Xi frowned slightly, stubbornly refusing to open her eyes.
"Baby, you lied to me…"
"It was 8:35 just now, and now it's 8:50. I'm not lying. Open your eyes and check the time yourself."
"Hmph. No."
Chu Xi buried her head, plunging her vision into the darkness of the blanket.
Ren Zhi squatted down and ruffled the top of her fluffy hair.
"Last night you promised you wouldn't sleep in today."
As expected, whenever Chu Xi promised not to sleep in or not to eat sweets, those promises were made to be broken.
Chu Xi was listless. She didn't want to speak but managed to force out the words.
"I was… so tired… last night…"
She had exerted so much effort last night; she felt she needed to sleep more now to recover her strength.
She was the one serving her baby, the one plowing the fields. She had been busy back and forth for a long time.
"Cooking last night was too tiring"—this was one of Chu Xi's go-to excuses for sleeping in.
The other three common ones were: the bedding was poor quality, she was racing someone in her dream, and the neighbors were too loud last night.
—In short, she didn't sleep well at night, so she had to sleep more in the morning.
Ren Zhi helplessly tapped her on the head.
"You've already had eight hours of sleep, Xi."
Chu Xi didn't make a sound, playing dead and continuing to sleep.
"Alright then, I'll go prepare breakfast now, and then you absolutely must get up. Get up and eat, okay?"
A sticky, sleepy sound spilled from the blankets, "Mmm-hmm…"
She didn't know how much time had passed; it felt like only an instant again.
Chu Xi felt she had slept for a minute at most.
Then she heard a frightening voice.
Ren Zhi: "Baby, breakfast is ready. Time to get up."
Chu Xi: TvT, sleepy…
Ren Zhi walked to the bedside, bent over slightly with her hands on her thighs, and looked at the bundle in the blankets.
"Xi, can you get up now? Good girl, let me give you a kiss."
A pair of soft, tender lips pressed against Chu Xi's forehead. She closed her eyes, enjoying the pleasant sensation.
"What time is it…?" she asked in a hoarse voice.
"Nine-thirty."
Ren Zhi had already let her sleep for a long time, even intentionally slowing down her breakfast-making pace downstairs.
Chu Xi calculated in her head that there was still time. "Just a little longer."
"Xi, we can't be any later. The market here stops selling meat at noon."
Ren Zhi said softly.
"Xi, you still have to change your clothes."
"Mmm, there's enough time…"
Anyway, Chu Xi absolutely refused to open her eyes and even pulled the small blanket over her entire head.
Sometimes, being shameless like this worked for her.
But today didn't seem to be one of those times.
Ren Zhi straightened up, standing tall and elegant by the bed, looking down at her.
A moment of silence.
The air around her suddenly turned icy.
"Chu Xi, if you keep sleeping in, I'm going to get angry. Are you getting up or not?"
Ren Zhi's tone suddenly did a one-eighty. The soft approach wasn't working, so she was trying the hard one.
Her voice was cold, serious, and imposing.
"I'll count to three. One…"
The small blanket was suddenly thrown off. Chu Xi shot up with a start, wrapped her arms around Ren Zhi's legs, and buried her head against them.
"I'm up! Baby, hug me."
Chu Xi's fawning display of affection made the production team, listening to the audio from the blacked-out camera, want to laugh.
So she responds to the tough approach, not the soft one. She brought this on herself!
Ren Zhi held her head and patted it. "Alright, go wash up."
Chu Xi rubbed her eyes, slipped on her slippers, and got out of bed. "Okay, Baby. I'm going right now. Mwah."
Chu Xi held her face, gave her a kiss, and then quickly scurried to the bathroom.
That was close, that was close. Baby was about to get angry.
After breakfast, Ren Zhi gave her twenty minutes to change her clothes.
Usually, when Chu Xi was preening at home, she would spend over half an hour changing outfits in front of the mirror.
Chu Xi first changed into a British-style linen shirt with matching casual trousers, buttoning three of the brown-and-yellow gradient buttons, then came out and asked:
"Baby, Baby, does this look good?"
Before Ren Zhi could speak, she glanced at the simple white T-shirt and denim skirt Ren Zhi was wearing, then muttered to herself and ducked back into the bedroom.
"Never mind, this won't work. It doesn't match you…"
Ren Zhi sat outside, laughing in spite of herself.
The creaking sound of the wardrobe door came from the bedroom.
Five minutes later.
Chu Xi came out wearing a white sleeveless blouse and a matching long skirt. The crop-top design of the blouse made her excellent waistline and abs the focal point of the outfit.
"How about this, Baby?"
Ren Zhi put a hand to her forehead.
Chu Xi had a peacock-like mentality, loving to change clothes to show off for her.
It was just like back on Idol Training Camp, during the later stages when the mentors came to support the trainees on stage.
Everyone in the dance studio wore practice clothes.
Only Chu Xi, whenever she came to the dance studio and was with her, would inevitably be dressed as if she were going to Paris Fashion Week—all sorts of blouses, ties, and exceptionally beautiful clothes—and would parade back and forth in front of her.
It made the other mentors laugh until they were speechless.
She still hadn't managed to change this habit.
Torn between laughter and exasperation, Ren Zhi said, "Baby, you look beautiful."
Chu Xi beamed. "Ehehe…"
But…
Ren Zhi sighed and looked at her.
"But we're going to the market, Baby. Your skirt will get dirty."
But this isn't a fashion show, Baby.
Ren Zhi thought to herself.
The post-production team would later add a three-character label to Chu Xi in this scene: Attention Seeker.
Chu Xi: "Oh…"
Ren Zhi gave her a theme for today's outfit: "Go change into something more practical."
Chu Xi nodded and ducked back into the bedroom.
In the end, she changed into a T-shirt with stars on it and a pair of casual capri pants before heading out with Ren Zhi.
On the way from the village entrance to the market, the two passed by a large chain supermarket.
The red door plaque, the long sign, the thick, gold supermarket name, plus the two rows of flower baskets and the red carpet in the middle all pointed to one thing—
It seemed this big supermarket had just opened for business.
Chu Xi and Ren Zhi happened to arrive on its opening day. Strings of red firecrackers, like chili peppers, hung on a sign that read "Grand Opening Celebration."
There were speakers at the supermarket entrance, along with a wired microphone—clearly an outdoor performance setup. A crowd had also gathered to watch the excitement.
The middle-aged and elderly men all had smiles on their faces, leisurely clasping their hands behind their backs as they watched the spectacle in front of the large supermarket just outside the village.
Meanwhile, the aunties and grannies all had their reusable bags ready. Some stood on tiptoe to get a better look, while others shouted "Make way!" as they pushed forward, prepared to rush in and grab the discounted vegetables the moment the supermarket opened.
Wanjia Chain Supermarket, opening for the first time today at ten o'clock.
With three minutes left until the official opening, an employee wearing an apron with the supermarket's logo and a matching baseball cap came out and hung up a display board with today's specials by the entrance.
The crowd's attention was immediately drawn to the display board he put up.
Chu Xi pulled Ren Zhi along, standing at the very back. She craned her neck to see and whispered:
"Let's check it out here too."
Ren Zhi nodded, thinking the same thing.
"Okay, it looks like they should have a lot of vegetables for sale here too."
Chu Xi grinned smugly. "Our luck is so good. See? Sleeping in a little longer didn't cause any delays."
Ren Zhi turned her head, pushed down her sunglasses, and shot her a look.
Chu Xi: "…"
Her survival instincts kicking in, she immediately corrected herself, "No, no, no, sleeping early and waking up early is still the best."
The two held hands, and Ren Zhi tapped the back of her hand with her fingertips.
"Don't get complacent. You were the one who promised to wake up early today."
Chu Xi nodded repeatedly.
"You're right, Baby."
Three minutes passed in a flash. The crowd gathered at the entrance of Wanjia Supermarket grew restless. The grannies, clutching wads of reusable shopping bags, had unknowingly pushed their way to the very front.
After speaking, Chu Xi turned her head to look and her lips twitched.
"Baby, I have a feeling we might not be able to compete with them…"
Just then, a shout came from the front.
"Hey, don't push! I'm old, a fall would be a disaster! If I fall, you're not going anywhere! I'll make you pay for it!" a skinny, gray-haired aunty snapped, turning her head.
Chu Xi pressed her temples and squeezed.
It seems the local customs are still a work in progress…
The specials on the announcement board attracted the wolf-like gazes of the homemakers. As soon as it struck ten, the doors of Wanjia Supermarket opened, and half the people in front of Chu Xi and Ren Zhi instantly swarmed inside.
There were also short, skinny children who used their size to their advantage, weaving through the crowd like fish and overtaking the people in front of them in just a few steps.
Chu Xi felt she couldn't compete with those above her, and she was even worse off than those below.
Looking at the jam-packed vegetable racks and the chaotic flurry of hands inside, her desire to participate was instantly diminished by more than half.
As for the remaining people who walked into the supermarket slowly, most couldn't even get near the vegetable racks, blocked out by the heads, backs, and butts of the people in front.
Ren Zhi also had no intention of moving. She observed the situation and said slowly.
"I think you're right."
She tilted her head and smiled. "So?"
Chu Xi sighed. "So, waking up early was the right thing to do."
After all, the supermarket only had so many vegetables, incomparable to the volume of a proper market. And since it was holding its grand opening celebration, by the time the first wave of customers was done, there would probably only be some picked-over scraps left for them to choose from.
They still had to go to the market.
Just then, the employee in the work apron and baseball cap walked to the entrance, picked up the microphone resting on the speaker, tested it with a "hello, hello," and then announced that Wanjia Supermarket had also invited a singer to perform a song for the grand opening.
Some of the younger people's gazes turned toward the entrance.
A singer?
This supermarket actually hired a singer for its opening? How impressive!
Chu Xi had guessed there would be a performance, but she hadn't expected it to be a commercial gig.
Coming to a place like this for a supermarket opening gig?
She looked at the decorations at the entrance and tutted.
Ren Zhi asked her, "Who do you think it is?"
Chu Xi said, "Some third-rate singer, probably. I doubt we'd know them."
"If they had even a little bit of fame, the supermarket would have at least put up a banner for them in advance. The fact that they didn't means nobody knows them," she scoffed lightly.
Otherwise, even an obscure singer who charged fifty thousand per appearance would at least have a signature song or show, and the venue would put up some decorations with their name to set the mood.
Ren Zhi agreed with her. "Mmm, probably. I wonder how they sing."
Chu Xi: "If you're interested, we can watch."
Ren Zhi took out her phone and checked the time. "Okay, let's watch for a bit."
Before long, a woman with heavy, garish makeup walked out of the supermarket against the flow of the crowd. She swayed her hips, walked on sky-high heels, and carried herself with an arrogant air. She didn't look at the people around her, a hint of disdain in her eyes, as if she weren't the same class of person as these common folk shopping at a supermarket.
Chu Xi watched her walk out as if on a clumsy runway.
She wasn't much to look at either. Without all that heavy makeup, she would just have an ordinary face; even Jin Yuan was much prettier than her.
She looked to be in her thirties, and some parts of her body seemed to be padded, which was unsettling to look at.
Chu Xi quickly turned her head to look at Ren Zhi to cleanse her eyes.
But when she turned, she saw Ren Zhi staring at this gaudily made-up woman, her eyes practically glued to her.
Unblinking, completely focused, even a little lost in thought—Chu Xi glanced at her several times, but she didn't notice.
Chu Xi: "???"
Ren Zhi stared intently at that woman for a while. Chu Xi counted at least ten seconds, and her gaze never left her. She watched her walk to the entrance, flick her hair, and pick up the microphone, completely ignoring Chu Xi herself!
Chu Xi squeezed the fleshy part of Ren Zhi's hand between her thumb and index finger.
Only then did Ren Zhi snap out of it.
Acting as if nothing had happened, she asked back, "What's wrong, Baby?"
Jealous and incredulous, Chu Xi said, "Baby, do you actually think she's pretty?"
The powder on her face was so thick, you could probably scrape it off and make a batch of dumplings.
Ren Zhi replied, "She's not pretty."
Chu Xi: "You were staring at her for a long time."
Ren Zhi: "Oh, was I?"
Chu Xi: "Yes, you were. Your eyes were practically glued to her. Anyone who didn't know better would think she'd bewitched you."
A trace of inexplicable mockery appeared in Ren Zhi's voice. "How could that be possible?"
Chu Xi didn't catch the tone and grumbled, "Her boobs are fake…"
Ren Zhi nodded. "I know."
Chu Xi paused, quickly sensing something was off.
"How do you know?"
"I can tell by looking."
"How can you tell?" Baby's powers of observation aren't as good as mine, and those implants, real or fake, are pretty convincing.
"Baby, do you know her? Have you met? Is she your friend?"
"I know her, I've met her, but we're not friends." Ren Zhi raised a hand to pinch her cheek, a smile playing on her lips. "She's not one ten-thousandth as beautiful as you. I was just lost in thought remembering some things."
Chu Xi nodded. She believed everything Ren Zhi said.
"Alright, let's go. We're not watching anymore. Let's go buy groceries." Ren Zhi led her away.
Chu Xi had no desire to stay either. The woman's singing was truly mediocre, at a level that could barely beat elementary and middle school students in a campus singing competition.
There was nothing remarkable about it.
But after just a few steps, she noticed that Ren Zhi had become sullen after they left the supermarket.
Ren Zhi's head was slightly bowed, her gaze unconsciously drifting downward.
Only then did Chu Xi realize she wasn't very happy.
She moved to walk in front of her, blocking her path, and took both of Ren Zhi's hands, asking:
"Baby, what's wrong? Are you unhappy?"
Ren Zhi chuckled lightly. "No."
"Really?"
"Mmm, really."
Ren Zhi: "Let's hurry and buy groceries. There won't be much meat left at the market soon."
Chu Xi pressed her lips together, moved back to her side, and walked alongside her at an even pace.
She still felt something wasn't quite right… She had a nagging intuition that made her uneasy.
Chu Xi seriously reflected for a moment.
A minute later, she suddenly spoke.
"Baby, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you."
Ren Zhi turned to look at her: "?"
Chu Xi continued in a serious tone.
"I shouldn't have questioned you in that bad tone. I'll remember this and correct it in the future. Please don't be angry."
"??"
Ren Zhi was so amused she laughed out loud. "Baby, you're too cute. It's not your fault. I'm really not unhappy anymore."
Even if she had been a little upset before, Chu Xi had smoothed it all away.
Chu Xi insisted, "It is my fault."
She thought for another moment. "Should I also not have discussed someone's fake boobs in public?"
Charmed by her cuteness, Ren Zhi patted her on the head, unable to hold back a smile. "Baby, I'm so glad I met you."
Chu Xi could be incredibly healing for her sometimes. Except for the times when she was being dense and didn't notice, she would almost always cherish Ren Zhi's emotions, treating her as if she were something precious that might melt in her mouth.
Chu Xi stroked the back of her hand soothingly. "Then please don't be angry about this, Baby."
Ren Zhi shook her head, smiling.
"You didn't do anything. It really wasn't you. That singer was actually an old classmate of mine. I was just distracted when I saw her."
An old classmate?
Chu Xi belatedly covered her mouth. And she had said the woman's boobs were fake…
Luckily, Ren Zhi continued, "But I don't like her."
Chu Xi said blankly, "Ah."
Ren Zhi said bluntly, "So I was annoyed to see her."
So that was it.
Chu Xi quickly tightened her grip on her hand. "Then let's go, let's go, get far away from her."
The topic ended after they were far away from the supermarket.
As it turned out, Ren Zhi's suggestion was the right one.
The market in this small resort village was the epitome of dirty, messy, and bad.
The concrete ground was wet and covered in black footprints. Rotten vegetable leaves were tossed by the roadside, and pig offal clogged the drains. The smell of raw meat and fish filled the air, mixed with the scent of scallions and mud.
Chu Xi pressed the mask on the bridge of her nose a little tighter.
The primitive environment of the market was simply incomparable to the orderly, clean, and bright fresh-produce aisles of the large supermarket.
The only thing here that was several times more intense than the supermarket was the enthusiasm.
"Fresh pork!"
"Local chicken, grain-fed chicken, free-range chicken, we have it all…"
"Live fish, killed to order!"
It had been a long time since she had been to such a rustic, freewheeling market.
Chu Xi sighed. "Baby, thank goodness I listened to you and didn't wear that other outfit."
"Put away that love-struck brain of yours. You're more thoughtful than I give you credit for," Ren Zhi teased her.
Chu Xi shook her head. "I think I'll keep it."
The main dish Chu Xi was going to make today was braised pork belly. They browsed the pork stalls, and Chu Xi didn't bother comparing prices, only looking at the quality of the meat. When she saw a good piece, she said decisively:
"I want this piece."
"How much should I cut?"
"Don't cut it."
"The whole thing?" The stall owner was stunned by her extravagance.
"Yes. And be quick about it." Chu Xi's only request was to be quick.
In the end, she bought a whole five-jin slab of pork belly for one hundred yuan. After paying, she quickly took it.
Afterward, whenever it came to carrying the meat, she wouldn't let Ren Zhi touch it.
The vendors didn't wear gloves. After picking up the raw meat, they put it directly into a plastic bag for her. The handles of all the plastic bags were coated in a layer of greasy oil.
Chu Xi herself wasn't pampered, but she often found the market to be a bit unclean.
"Baby, this is raw meat, don't carry it. You carry the vegetables. And don't touch this hand."
After a trip around the market, they had bought all the ingredients, scallions, ginger, garlic, and seasonings, spending over three hundred yuan.
After carrying all the bags, big and small, back home, the first thing Chu Xi did was pull Ren Zhi to the sink to wash their hands.
"Baby, lather up with soap and wash well. Be careful of bacteria."
Her eyesight was better than others, so she could see that the meat at some stalls was starting to spoil, though to an ordinary person, it all looked more or less the same.
But it was truly difficult for her to look at.
She didn't dare let Ren Zhi touch any of it, as if it would contaminate her baby.
Ren Zhi sighed. "It's been a long time since I've been to such a primitive market."
Chu Xi: "It's like this in the villages. What we bought today is enough for two or three days. We don't need to go to the market for a while. Next time, I'll go by myself."
Ren Zhi laughed softly. "I'll go with you."
"No, no, I don't think that place is suitable for you."
"Weren't all markets like this when we were kids? It's a return to basics." Ren Zhi didn't think it was that bad.
"But you're my wife now. It's fine if I do some things myself," Chu Xi said seriously after tilting her head in thought.
Ren Zhi found her hilarious. Neither of them had taken off their masks or sunglasses, but they could both feel the other's warm smile through their conversation.
"You don't have to spoil me so much. Anyone who didn't know better would think we'd been through some ordeal."
"Hiss—don't say that. I really do feel like I've survived a catastrophe."
Both their hands were covered in white bubbles, which were quickly rinsed away under the faucet. Their ten warm fingers intertwined under the cool stream of water.
Chu Xi shook the water from her other hand, took off Ren Zhi's mask, and saw the smile lingering on her lips.
She pulled off her own mask as well, tossed them both away, and let out a breath.
"I'm off to cook."
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