Chapter 26: Aren’t You Hungry?

Yan Muyu spent the entire evening just chopping wood and boiling water.

The production crew really had no intention of helping at all. So before Liu Song and Xi Xi got ready to take a bath, Yan Muyu tinkered with this makeshift water heater for a good while.

The audience never imagined that taking a bath could be such a hassle.

【I’ve bathed like this as a kid… had to add water myself. So painful.】

【For convenience, you could just rinse off with cold water, but the village nights in summer are still pretty chilly.】

【Yan Muyu… are you a plumber or something?】

【I’ve realized Young Boss Yan really has no airs about her.】

Yan Muyu had worked up a sweat boiling the water. Her shirt was casually draped over a stool nearby, leaving her in just a cropped tank top that exposed her midriff.

From the live stream footage, it was clear her figure had beautiful lines, like someone who stayed active year-round.

Xi Xi was still outside grabbing clothes. Yan Muyu and Liu Song were crammed inside, figuring out how to work the dilapidated manual water heater in the house’s bathroom.

Ding Yingxue had been assigned to tend the fire. She was thrilled with the novelty of it, having a blast until she nearly smothered the flames by adding too much wood.

With two people squeezed into the bathroom, it felt cramped, and it was sweltering hot too. The only window was the size of a hand.

Yan Muyu first glanced at the water pump, then at the faucet.

In the slightly shaky follow-cam shot, her impatience stood out clearly, purely brought on by the primitive setup.

Gone was the smiling demeanor from their first meeting. Now, with her brows furrowed and lips pursed as she tried pumping water, she actually looked a bit fierce.

【Why do I feel like this variety show is more entertaining than A World Starting Anew… No fancy drama, but the daily life is genuinely interesting!】

【So looking forward to Yingxue Baby herding ducks.】

【This is really rustic.】

【I’m scared Yan Muyu’s gonna flip over the water bucket… Song, it’s crowded enough already. Grow a brain and don’t crowd in closer.】

The air had grown stiflingly humid, the pump humming away.

Yan Muyu put the lid back on the water bucket, rinsed her hands with cold water, and muttered, “This bucket’s way too big. You two better use it sparingly.”

Liu Song murmured her agreement, her eyes sparkling—she was clearly having fun with it.

Yan Muyu called Xi Xi inside, then headed out to keep chopping wood and boiling more water.

The courtyard was fully tidied up now. Qiu Chao sat at a stone table not far from where Yan Muyu was boiling water, staring off at something.

Yan Muyu shooed Ding Yingxue away and urged her to get ready.

Ding Yingxue let out an “oh” and glanced at Pei Wan, who was sitting with Qiu Chao. She told Yan Muyu, “My sister and Sister Qiu are working on tomorrow’s veggie-selling menu.”

Liu Song had a touch of shyness about her, but Ding Yingxue was pure social butterfly.

With her round face—probably from playing too many daughter roles—she came with a built-in “good girl” filter, always blinking when she looked at people.

“Young Boss Yan, we all discussed it. Everyone chips in twenty bucks for a veggie-selling fund. What do you think?”

Yan Muyu was exhausted, her body still sticky with sweat. She could guess with her toes that Shen Tianqing and Lin Chi—those two troublemakers—were probably cracking up at her on their phones right now.

Being a boss reduced to this was utterly humiliating.

Yan Muyu narrowed her eyes. She drew water from the well nearby—uncovering it—and started boiling a fresh batch. She hummed in response, “Didn’t you all already decide?”

Her tone was neutral, but the ever-friendly Ding Yingxue, who barely knew her before, thought Yan Muyu was upset and let out an “uh.”

Ding Yingxue added, “Actually, ten bucks would work too.”

【Hahaha, reading the room too obviously.】

【Feels like Yan Muyu’s been doing physical labor all evening…】

【Young Boss Yan is definitely a 1…】

【Can we get Xuan Zhelu as a flying guest? So excited!】

Yan Muyu didn’t even glance at Ding Yingxue as she kept adding wood to the fire, sweat beading on her forehead.

Her skin was naturally snow-white, looking like the lightest foundation shade even without makeup.

Seeming to notice Ding Yingxue’s hesitation, she said, “I’m not upset.”

Ding Yingxue let out an “ah.”

The little stool was part of the house’s furnishings. Yan Muyu sitting on it looked almost comical.

The stool was too small, and she was a bit too tall and slender—her legs had nowhere to go.

Yet her movements adding wood were deft and practiced. You couldn’t tell that just an hour ago, she’d been yelling in frustration over chopping wood crookedly.

The summer night buzzed with insect chirps. Yan Muyu’s voice carried a soothing note. Ding Yingxue said “oh,” adding, “I thought you didn’t agree.”

Yan Muyu asked, “Can you cook?”

One was squatting, the other sitting. Ding Yingxue looked adorably obedient in her squat, while Yan Muyu had slipped her gloves back on and turned to pick out some thinner pieces of wood.

She had so many ear piercings that her ear looked like a sieve. Up close, each stud was unique, adding layers of complexity to her aura.

Ding Yingxue went “uh.”

The question struck at her core. Sitting by the stove, they were both a little warm, and Yan Muyu especially wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

【Hahaha, of course Ding Yingxue can’t!】

【Does anyone remember Ding Yingxue’s legendary 40 seconds on that cooking show?】

【She got flamed for being dumb—pouring oil into water, total shock value.】

【Sometimes I wonder if she and Pei Wan are really cousins. The IQ gap is real.】

【While you’re all mocking Ding Yingxue, only I think this Yan Muyu moment is so… y’know.】

【Let me t… Young Boss Yan’s…】

【Some of you, watch it!!】

Yan Muyu seemed to get it. “You can’t either.”

Her face glowed in the firelight from the wood. She wasn’t strikingly memorable in looks, but her vibe was uniquely captivating.

Yan Muyu said, “We’re doomed then.”

Her tone held a wry note. “I can’t, you can’t, Sister Xi definitely can’t. Liu Song… the kid who couldn’t even swing an axe for chopping wood. She’s in her twenties, but I feel like we’d be exploiting child labor.”

【Perfect summary.】

Yan Muyu asked, “What about your sister?”

Ding Yingxue glanced over at Pei Wan, sitting with Qiu Chao in the distance.

Her manager cousin was seven years older. In Ding Yingxue’s mind, Pei Wan wasn’t just a cousin—she could be her full-blooded sister.

Ever since she could remember, Pei Wan had lived with them.

Growing up, her parents’ roles might fade, but her sister’s never could.

Pei Wan could do everything: teach her to ice skate, help her study, simmer soups, or run lines with her.

Those years Pei Wan spent pursuing a PhD overseas were Ding Yingxue’s darkest. She realized no one could replace her sister.

She wanted Pei Wan by her side forever.

Just like now.

Ding Yingxue declared, “Of course my sister can.”

Pride swelled in her voice. “My sister’s amazing. She can make any soup, and she’s best at…”

Yan Muyu cut her off bluntly. “Okay, no need to brag.”

【Here we go again.jpg】

【Now I’m worried Ding Yingxue’s ideal type is just a gender-swapped Pei Wan…】

【Even blood sisters aren’t this close.】

【They kinda are blood sisters…】

Ding Yingxue said “oh.” “So does that mean only my sister cooks? That’ll be tough on her. Should’ve signed up for a cooking class sooner.”

She was utterly sincere, leaving Yan Muyu momentarily speechless.

A few seconds later, Yan Muyu replied, “Qiu Chao can cook.”

Ding Yingxue went “ah.” “I didn’t know that.”

The next moment, realization dawned. She recalled the history between those two.

And how Qiu Chao had moved into the Yan Family at eighteen, engaged to Yan Kai and active as his fiancée for four years.

Even if that timeline’s Yan Muyu had been studying abroad, she’d come home for holidays, right?

Qiu Chao was famously from humble roots, a workaholic who even shot scenes on New Year’s Eve.

Yan Muyu abroad wouldn’t make it back for Spring Festival either, so did they still cross paths once a year… or what?

【Why’s the atmosphere suddenly awkward?】

【Yingxue’s been a smooth talker since she was little… always bringing up the wrong thing.】

【All these guests are so straightforward, haha! I love it!】

【More of these out-of-nowhere questions!】

Yan Muyu said, “Of course you didn’t know.”

She gracefully added more wood, then glanced at the bathroom. Liu Song had somehow brought a speaker in there.

Right on cue, a classic Mandarin ballad played—the original Hong Kong/Taiwan singer’s voice soft and wistful, all about loneliness.

Liu Song’s voice was a gift from the heavens, but right then, she turned loneliness into an ethereal, joyful trill, like birdsong echoing in a valley.

It was mostly because the bathroom was so tiny. Two people bathing was a squeeze, and Liu Song hadn’t even finished one song before Xi Xi scolded her.

Xi Xi’s yell pierced right through the wooden door.

“Sing again and I’ll throw you out.”

The live stream didn’t show the bathroom, but the audience heard it clear enough.

Yan Muyu laughed outright, merciless. “Is her waterproof speaker an essential item? This brand better sponsor quick, or we’ll have to mosaic it out.”

When she laughed, her brows and eyes lifted in a wild, youthful flair that didn’t match her age.

People untouched by society’s harshness were like that. Those who hadn’t tasted love’s bitterness and parting were like that.

Or maybe it wasn’t that she hadn’t—it was just Yan Muyu’s knack for shifting moods. She never held grudges. To her, feelings were fleeting clouds, never worth staking everything on.

The wood burned to ash, and the live stream viewers were in stitches.

Yan Muyu shooed Ding Yingxue off to bathe. “Go bathe with your cousin. Hurry up. I really don’t want to do more work.”

Ding Yingxue bounced off happily to find Pei Wan.

The kind of intimacy between sisters raised in the same household never needed to be hidden. Pouncing on her from behind startled the gentle woman and even pulled Qiu Chao’s attention away from her calculations for meal expenses.

But the person she instinctively looked toward was Yan Muyu.

Yan Muyu kept her head down. She poured another bucket of hot water, and Liu Song emerged from inside, already changed into her pajamas. She covered her face while Xi Xi scolded her under her breath.

The young lady picked up the bucket and swapped places with Yan Muyu.

She said a quick “thanks.”

Qiu Chao had been observing Yan Muyu the whole time.

All the guests were stunningly beautiful, perfectly matching Yan Muyu’s taste in women.

But this person’s flirtations were always so targeted—she didn’t go for anyone too young or too sweet. If she had to pin down a type, the current Yan Muyu preferred women who were battle-hardened veterans.

Even in bed, it had to be an even match—a reliable way to blow off steam.

They were all just passing fancies, no strings attached. Confirmed relationships were possible, but they never lasted.

Better to seize the moment when the mood struck and part when it faded.

Qiu Chao thought: She’s pretty picky.

Suddenly, she recalled Xuan Zhelu, whom she’d run into at that bar.

It was the same year she’d been invited to guest-star as the lead in a period drama. Back then, Xuan Zhelu was still an idol transitioning careers, far from the A-list actress she was now.

Youthful, immature, yet bold.

She’d gushed about how great Yan Muyu was, how good Yan Muyu had been to her.

No caution whatsoever, as if she weren’t afraid of being exposed and derailing her career.

Then again, without solid proof, it could all be brushed off.

Besides, with her privileged background as the boss’s dream-chasing daughter from a top company, she had resources to spare—no need to start from the bottom.

Qiu Chao had lost control that day.

She’d been insanely jealous, hating Yan Muyu for being so casual about it all.

On one hand, she knew full well that Yan Muyu’s affections were just for fun, a trial run.

But even four months of it was a level of thoughtfulness Qiu Chao had never known—the kind reserved for a girlfriend.

Legitimate and official. The sort where you could post couple photos on your socials, proving it to Yan Muyu’s other playmates…

That she’d been liked by someone.

Now, Qiu Chao appeared to be flipping through the program team’s handout on the Embroidery Workshop’s work procedures, but her attention was entirely on Yan Muyu.

Ding Yingxue and Pei Wan had already finished their baths, and Yan Muyu had fetched two more buckets of water.

She took off her gloves and looked toward Qiu Chao.

The courtyard was empty now, just the two of them.

Yan Muyu called out to her. “Qiu Chao, go take your bath.”

Her voice betrayed no real change in emotion, but the audience could clearly sense something different in her tone.

Qiu Chao walked over, and Yan Muyu picked up the bucket to head inside.

“You go first.”

Qiu Chao had already gone in earlier to leave her pajamas. Yan Muyu planned to tidy up the water-heating gear, chop some more wood—the task had drained her stamina—and grab a bite to tide her over.

【Not showering together anymore?】

【Would you be thrilled if the roles were reversed?】

The audience couldn’t see inside the bathhouse, but Yan Muyu still carried the water in for Qiu Chao, explaining how to work the pump as she did.

She’d been chopping wood and boiling water, sweating buckets the whole time. As she spoke, she rubbed her shoulder against the doorframe.

Qiu Chao glanced at the tightly shut door, then suddenly reached out to wipe the sweat from Yan Muyu’s brow.

It was so hot.

Yan Muyu shivered all over and instinctively grabbed Qiu Chao’s hand. “What are you doing?”

The pajamas hung on the back of the door. Qiu Chao’s gaze flicked toward them. “Little Yan, aren’t you hungry?”

Yan Muyu immediately thought of the meal reimbursement Qiu Chao had mentioned earlier.

She twitched her lips. “Not hungry enough to eat just anything.”

But then Qiu Chao suddenly wrapped her arms around Yan Muyu’s waist and pressed against her.

She whispered, “I’ve got a little bread right here.”