Reborn to Stew Soup (GL) 134

Chapter 134: Nine O’Clock

After leaving the Gomoku-playing youth’s courtyard, Ji Junxin and Mi Hongdou had completed all the tasks they deemed worthwhile. As for the wood-chopping, laundry, and corn-kernel-removing tasks… they could only wish Jiang Lingling good luck!

Unlike the previous day, when they had worked until the 9 PM deadline for daily tasks, today, although also busy, they finished around 7 PM.

Only after stopping did they realize how exhausted they were. But they couldn’t remove their microphones until 9 PM, which meant their bathroom rendezvous… would have to wait.

However, Ji Junxin, now relaxed, was starting to feel sleepy.

Mi Hongdou noticed, but knowing Ji Junxin’s obsession with the bathroom, she wouldn’t want to shower now. After showering, she wouldn’t have the excuse of checking for bugs.

Not just Ji Junxin, but Mi Hongdou, who had done most of the physical work, also longed for a hot shower.

But… they had to wait.

So, for that brief, private moment in the bathroom, both the sleepy Ji Junxin and the exhausted Mi Hongdou busied themselves with trivial tasks, pretending to be busy.

Time passed slowly, even slower than during their tasks. And for some reason, the cameramen hadn’t left, even though they were just puttering around the house.

Perhaps… they weren’t leaving until nine? They could only guess.

But time marched on.

9 PM, the long-awaited moment, finally arrived!

“Microphones off.” Ji Junxin, who had been counting down the minutes, said to the cameraman with a smile. “Time to clock out. You’ve all worked hard, get some rest.” Her excitement was uncontainable.

Mi Hongdou suppressed her own smile. Her aches and exhaustion seemed to vanish, replaced by a nervous anticipation.

Not just Ji Junxin, who was suddenly wide awake and energetic, but even Mi Hongdou, despite her efforts to appear calm, couldn’t hide the warmth in her eyes when she looked at the crew.

The cameramen, under their expectant gazes, felt a little pressured.

The viewers, having consumed copious amounts of coffee, commented, while you’re still thinking about microphones and bathrooms, our gift is almost here~

Just past nine, the cameramen for all eight celebrities took out their phones, but the messages they read were different.

Since Ji Junxin and Mi Hongdou were together, their cameramen exchanged glances after receiving the messages.

Unfortunately, lacking telepathic abilities, they couldn’t reach a consensus with just a look.

So, under Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin’s puzzled gazes, the two staff members huddled together and whispered for a moment. Then, Ji Junxin’s cameraman stepped forward. “Starting tonight, at 9 PM, we’ll be issuing special missions. You have 24 hours to complete them. There are no rewards in game coins or supplies. However, each mission represents a certain amount of money, which, if you complete the mission, will be donated to charity. If you fail, there’s no penalty, but the money won’t be donated either. Any questions?”

“Will you tell us how much each mission is worth?” Mi Hongdou asked.

“For certain reasons, we won’t reveal the amounts during filming. But after the twelve days, we’ll provide a detailed breakdown of the missions, their values, and the donations,” the staff member said seriously. “Any other questions?”

Ji Junxin and Mi Hongdou exchanged glances and shook their heads.

“Ji Junxin’s mission is… to make a plate of egg fried rice within the next 24 hours.” He glanced at the stunned Ji Junxin and added, “We’ll provide the measuring cups, electronic scale, and other tools… but you have to find the ingredients yourself.”

Ji Junxin was shocked. Hearing “measuring cups and electronic scale,” she realized… this mission was inspired by her earlier complaints to Bao Yueqiao. So much for privacy with these microphones.

And… thinking about making egg fried rice, she couldn’t help but remember the time she burned it… A live stream of this? Are you sure?

Ji Junxin felt a sense of dread. But before she could seek comfort from Mi Hongdou, Mi Hongdou’s cameraman stepped forward.

“The 9 PM special mission has been explained. I’ll add a few details. A mission can be for one person, like the egg fried rice mission, which is for Ji Junxin to complete alone. Or it can be for multiple people, requiring their cooperation. If one person refuses, the mission fails. Like this next mission… ‘Have Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin sleep in the same bed tonight.'”

…

Time seemed to freeze.

The two staff members remained silent. Ji Junxin and Mi Hongdou stared at them, dumbfounded. A strange silence descended.

The viewers, who had already seen the voting results, although Ji Junxin and Mi Hongdou hadn’t spoken yet, were pleased with their reactions.

The observant CP fans among them were already analyzing their expressions in the comments, quickly reaching a consensus. If they were just friends, they would be teasing each other, not looking so stunned. This synchronized, dumbfounded reaction to the “sleeping together” mission, they must be a couple!

“I can’t believe even their shared, stunned silence is so sweet, I must be hallucinating from all the sugar…”

If the egg fried rice mission had amused Mi Hongdou, then the “sleeping together” mission… short-circuited her brain. This mission… my mind…

Ji Junxin, also stunned, felt a mix of shock, then a delayed realization that it wasn’t a big deal, followed by lingering panic. It was like being startled by the school bell just as you took the last bite of a forbidden roasted sweet potato, thinking it was the teacher, then turning around and seeing it was just a classmate…

After the initial shock, they both recovered and even joked about the mission, their voices, however, slightly awkward.

The perceptive viewers commented, after that synchronized, stunned silence, even their awkwardness is cute and sweet!

This CP’s sugar delivery is becoming increasingly unpredictable! We love it!

Perhaps sensing the awkwardness, the staff members quickly interrupted their strange banter.

“Um… so, do you accept these missions?” one of them asked cautiously.

“Yes,” Ji Junxin immediately replied.

The awkwardness was replaced by a strange silence.

“Um… I mean, the egg fried rice, I accept. And the… sleeping together, also no problem,” Ji Junxin quickly corrected herself, her earlier eagerness now replaced by a slight embarrassment.

Mi Hongdou, always a little slower than Ji Junxin on certain matters, added, “For charity, sleeping together, no problem. But you won’t be using night vision, right?”

“Of course not,” the staff member shook his head vigorously. “The same rules apply.”

Mi Hongdou was relieved.

But… Ji Junxin’s eyes seemed to have lit up…

What was that about? Well, you know…

As Mi Hongdou meticulously cleaned and tidied the room, preparing for Ji Junxin’s arrival, the bathroom door opened.

“Hey, aren’t you coming to check for bugs?” Ji Junxin asked, peeking out, her face full of feigned fear.

Such convincing acting!

Mi Hongdou, who had thought that since they were sleeping together, the bathroom check was no longer necessary, was caught off guard, her hand trembling slightly as she folded the blanket.

Sleeping together, and still needing a bathroom check?

But we always check the bathroom…

But we’re sleeping together…

But we always check the bathroom…

Mi Hongdou, meeting Ji Junxin’s gaze, surrendered.

“Coming…” she said, putting down the blanket and entering the bathroom, closing the door behind her, ignoring the viewers’ cries of “NO!” in the live stream comments.

See! As soon as they take off their mics, they go to the bathroom! The viewers, applauding their own foresight, again demanded that the crew install hidden cameras. The ratings would explode!

The crew, reading the comments, thought, We’ve already been blamed for so much, one more thing won’t make a difference, bring it on!

This cockroach excuse can’t be used forever.

As soon as Mi Hongdou entered the bathroom, she said, “Aren’t we sleeping together tonight? Isn’t it a bit much to keep doing this bathroom thing?”

Before she could get an answer, Ji Junxin, hearing her words, bit her lip and took a step back.

Mi Hongdou, seeing her unhappy expression, felt a sense of foreboding.

As expected, Ji Junxin said coldly, “Then you can leave.”

“Uh…” Mi Hongdou took a step forward. “I mean…”

“Yes, it is a bit much,” Ji Junxin took another step back. “You can leave now, I’m going to shower.”

Mi Hongdou, never having been dismissed so coldly by Ji Junxin, panicked.

“Leave.” Ji Junxin, seeing Mi Hongdou’s hesitation, started untying her sash. “Didn’t you say it’s not good for two people to be in the bathroom? I’m undressing now.”

Ji Junxin’s movements were quick, and before Mi Hongdou could figure out how to appease her, her sash was untied, and her jacket was off…