The Perfect Relationship Ch 65

  🍁 The Perfect Relationship 🍁 by Xi He Qing Ling

Ch 65: Sticker Pack Gone Viral

That night, both Baixiaozhi and Jia Siqi, who had not been in contact for a while, sent WeChat messages to Yin Chang.

Jia Siqi said, "Brother Yin Chang, we watched the variety show you and your brother were in! It's really good!"

Baixiaozhi said, "Last time when you complained about your brother, I thought he was a troublemaker. But after watching the program, I want to ask... Do you have any misunderstandings about your brother? I think he's really nice to you!"

Yin Chang felt a little embarrassed when he read Baixiaozhi's message. Now that he thought about it, dumping honey into Wang Chen's shoes was just a typical mischievous behavior of a child. He was still young and ignorant, and probably no one had ever taught him how to behave when he went to someone else's house. It was understandable for him to behave that way. Moreover, the reason why Shao Junling did that was for him... As for smashing the honey jar later, it was just because he was unjustly accused and felt wronged.

"How could he have gotten so angry over such a small thing back then?" Yin Chang thought to himself as he glanced at the little guy next to him. Suddenly he remembered what Shao Junling had just accused him of, "You are easily angered"... his mouth twitched.

He replied to Baixiaozhi with a few words, and Baixiaozhi responded, "Originally, I went to see you, but both Siqii and I became fans of your brother instead haha! He's really unique!"

When Yin Chang heard Baixiaozhi praise Shao Junling, he felt pleased inside. "Really?" he asked.

Baixiaozhi said, "Hmm, I think this show will be a hit!"

Whether or not it will be a hit, Yin Chang didn't know. Every large-scale variety show has a specialized team to research market direction, audience preferences, and marketing methods during planning.

These were all analyzed by Lu Lingjuan and shared with him.

The guests in the group seemed unconcerned about this. After all, they were still young, and they felt that once the shooting was over, they had accomplished a great feat.

Yin Chang didn't care too much either. He put down his phone and looked at Shao Junling, learning that this guy was the gift Yin Dong wanted to give him, which was already the best thing he thought he could get by participating in this variety show.

The next day, "Super Star Life" was launched on various online platforms, and every topic, from Xue's mansion to Meng Qing's second marriage, from the child that the late movie emperor had planned to adopt to Qin An's two daughters, made the media go wild.

Large amounts of gossip articles related to the program began to appear online, driving countless passersby to watch the show.

On the third day, the program exploded with discussion. Several topics related to it made it to the top trending on Weibo, and netizens everywhere could be seen discussing the details of the program.

For example, in the game of capturing the flag, when Shao Junling and his team were running with dog heads stuck on them, Huang Han was patiently coaxing You Luming, "Little Lu, can you go help your big brother get the red flag over there?"

You Luming hugged Huang Han's neck and pouted, "No."

Huang Han asked, "Then, how about big brother carries you over there to get it?"

You Luming replied sweetly, "Okay~"

However, by the time Huang Han finished coaxing You Luming and looked up, the flag was already gone!

This one segment was turned into a GIF by netizens and shared online, earning Huang Han the title of "the brother who dotes on his sister the most in history."

Also, after Yin Chang went to capture the blue flag and returned, he met Wang Chen, who had just been relieved of the dog head, at a narrow passage. The contrast between their expressions in that moment was deliberately captured by netizens and posted online.

"I didn't expect Yin Chang to be so playful. He was even showing off to Wang Chen!"

"Such a nephew who's a little jerk! Wang Chen must be so mad he's about to explode, hahaha!"

However, although all pairs of guests was popular, according to the official statistics of the production team, Shao Junling's popularity rose the fastest among all of them.

Yin Chang and Wang Chen were popular stars with their own appeal, so it was not surprising that they sparked discussion. But the only exposure Shao Junling had had prior to this was showing his face in a negative news story half a year ago.

People have poor memories, and there are always new things happening every day. After a year, everyone had long forgotten the previous scandal.

Now that Shao Junling appeared in variety shows, his new look not only overturned his pitiful image in the past but also allowed everyone to have a deeper understanding of him.

Some netizens specifically took a screenshot of the host's first sentence, "With your backgrounds, you probably haven't had the chance to experience this kind of life," and paired it with Shao Junling's news from last year about "suffering" in the welfare institute. They added a GIF of Shao Junling wolfing down his food and a questioning face watching coldly, to mock the show's underestimation of him.

Of course, if Shao Junling was just an ordinary child who could endure hardship, he wouldn't have caused such a big reaction.

The key is that his subsequent performances were particularly surprising, such as sneaking out at midnight to dig up corn for Yin Chang, expertly using his superior memory during the game to find the task locations, and denying to assist with a poker face to the Qin sisters. Like Bai Xiao Zhi said, he was incredibly unique.

Many people saw Shao Junling for the first time in the variety show and became curious about him. Then when they dug into his past news, they became even more fond of him.

Therefore, netizens watched, edited and posted clips of Shao Junling's segments in the show repeatedly. And the online discussions about him were almost as popular as those about Yin Chang.

For example, when Shao Junling and the twins were fighting for the dinner box, although he saw that Lang Chi Zhi and others were closer to the treasure box, Shao Junling still refused to give up and ran over. Some netizens compared and found that Shao Junling's speed was twice as fast as Lang Chi Zhi's.

After a netizen posted this ordinary Weibo post with the "Shao Junling" tag, it was reposted thousands of times and sparked a heated discussion among netizens.

"What kind of persistence does it take to fly over in an instant for food? [sigh]"

"Later, he was pulled back by Yin Chang and told 'let it go'. I wanted to say on behalf of my little brother, 'brother, you don't understand the hardships of life'... [sigh]"

"The ending for those who didn't get the food was starving while listening to the background music of 'Moon Reflected on Second Spring'... [sigh]"

"I also had to get up in the middle of the night to dig up corn for my brother. My heart was so tired. [sigh]"

"Brother must be good to him, otherwise how could Shao Junling be so intimate? [sigh]"

🍁

Some netizens, because they felt sorry for Shao Junling's corn being taken away, specially made a Yin Chang holding corn and smiling expression pack with the caption "Brother, do you want to eat corn?" attached with the "Shao Junling-style glaring" expression pack.

This Weibo post also sparked a viral trend of creating expression packs, even prompting netizens to do so.

Then, the "Shao Junling-style headache," "Shao Junling-style disdain," "Shao Junling-style indifference," and other expression packs began to sweep the internet, and became the best way netizens promoted this variety show with their friends.

-Don't know what this picture means? Sorry, you're already behind the times!

Later, even the official Weibo account posted the picture of Yin Chang holding corn, but with a different caption: "Are you watching 'Super Star Life'? Yin Chang invites you to eat corn!"

At night, Qin Jingshan took a screenshot of this official post and sent it to the group chat, saying "You two are famous now."

Following that, Huang Han also cooperatively sent a GIF of himself and Xiaolu squatting at the door, perplexedly munching on corn.

Wang Chen: "Hahaha, do you have to be so mischievous?"

Upon seeing it, Yin Chang also shared a meme he had seen on Weibo, which was made by fans for him called "Yin Chang's way of flaunting wealth". It captured the scene of him boasting about his "Gourmet Card" to Wang Chen at a beverage stand.

Wang Chen: "...Damn!"

Huang Han: "Haha, there are really a lot of memes online. My agent sent me a lot to see."

Then Huang Han shared several pictures, and Yin Chang, not to be outdone, threw out a collection of memes of Shao Junling that he had asked Lu Lingjuan to search for online.

The group was in high spirits: "Let's use them! Let's use them for chatting from now on!"

Shao Junling was hiding in his study playing games with Xue Ziwen. As soon as they finished a round, he instinctively turned his head to look at Yin Chang in the bedroom, only to see Yin Chang leaning against the bed, laughing at his phone.

His brother had been acting stupidly for the past two or three days, scaring Shao Junling away from getting close to him.

While Shao Junling was suspiciously thinking about what was wrong with his brother, he absent-mindedly checked WeChat.

It was a shock to see that the group was full of his photos, most of which were posted by Yin Chang.

Shao Junling immediately grabbed his phone and rushed out, gritting his teeth and glaring at Yin Chang, looking like he was too angry to speak.

Yin Chang noticed that Shao Junling had come out and, when he looked up and saw Shao Junling's expression, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"You, you..." Shao Junling accused with a red face, "You're bullying me!"

"How did I bully you?" Yin Chang was a little confused.

Shao Junling didn't use Weibo, so he naturally didn't know what had happened online. Seeing those pictures, he thought Yin Chang had made them.

Yin Chang didn't guess Shao Junling's thoughts, but the expression on Shao Junling's face right now made him think of the "Shao Junling-style glare" meme, and he couldn't help but want to laugh.

The amusement in his eyes was undoubtedly a further mockery and provocation to Shao Junling.

Shao Junling couldn't explain it clearly to Yin Chang, so he impulsively rushed forward and reached out to cover Yin Chang's mouth. "Damn it, you bully people and still laugh!"

Yin Chang was taken aback but laughed even more.

These days, Yin Chang always felt that Shao Junling was avoiding him. He also reflected on himself and attributed it to the fact that Shao Junling was feeling embarrassed after revealing that he was a gift. Or maybe it was because he watched the program and found that being on a variety show was different from what he imagined, so he was a little shy.

But Yin Chang didn't particularly care about Shao Junling's thoughts. He just thought that Shao Junling's look of anger and embarrassment was particularly cute.

Now that the little guy had taken the initiative to pounce on him, Yin Chang was pleased.

Shao Junling covered Yin Chang's mouth for a while but found that he couldn't stop his brother's laughter. Moreover, Yin Chang kept looking at him with those beautiful eyes... He started to feel flustered again.

Just then, Yin Chang grabbed Shao Junling's wrist with one hand and clasped his waist with the other, holding him tightly in his arms and rolling over him on the bed.

Yin Chang laughed recklessly, and rubbed his head, saying, "Why are you so cute?"

"... " Shao Junling's heart thumped wildly as he struggled to run away.

Yin Chang pinched his ear and raised his eyebrows, "Don't you like me very much? What are you hiding from?"

Shao Junling: "......"

"Why did you go to sleep alone last night?" Yin Chang asked, pretending to be unhappy. "Don't you normally sleep with me at night?"

Shao Junling was like a boiled shrimp, curled up in Yin Chang's arms, unable to move or jump. He was completely limp, and he didn't even know what he wanted to say.

This kind of brother... was really terrifying.

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

🍁 Vignette

Yin Chang: "You like me so much, why are you hiding from me?"

Shao Junling: "Who am I? Where am I? Why did I climb onto my brother's bed? What was I going to say?"

🍁  Previous | ToC | Next  🍁

🍁🍁🍁 want extra chapters? 🍁🍁🍁

🍁🍁🍁 will love you 5 ever 🍁🍁🍁

The Perfect Relationship Ch 64

 🍁 The Perfect Relationship 🍁 by Xi He Qing Ling

Ch 64: Don’t Remember

In the WeChat group, Huang Han was taken aback and exclaimed, "Oh my god! The corn we ate that morning was actually picked by Shao Junling!"

Wang Chen followed up with a soul-searching question, "You guys ate corn picked by Shao Junling? Why didn't Xue Ziwen and I have any?"

The TV quickly aired what happened next - Yinchang asked Huang Han to cook the corn, and after hearing Huang Han's analysis, mistakenly thought that the corn was compensation given by the staff, and generously shared half of it.

Shao Junling woke up and rushed out, seeing Huang Han and the others crouching at the door eating corn, his eyes grew full of resentment...

Huang Han: "[covers eyes][covers eyes][covers eyes]"

What was even more outrageous was that Yinchang even pointed at Shao Junling with a corn cob and told him not to be picky.

The group of friends in the chat couldn't take it anymore.

Qin Jing Shan: "Wow, Yinchang, you've gone too far!"

Wang Chen: "Damn it, if I treated Xue Ziwen like that, he'd probably scream his head off!"

Huang Han: "But why didn't Shao Junling explain?"

At this time, the program timely inserted an interview Yinchang had received in Tuyao Village a few days ago.

Yin Chang's shocked expression and speechless emotion greatly pleased all the viewers in front of the screen.

But the question Huang Han just asked in the group was also the one Yin Chang wanted to ask Shao Junling: "Hey, what were you thinking at that time? Why didn't you tell me?"

Shao Junling replied, "I was afraid you would get angry, so I thought I'd just let you be and not tell you."

Yin Chang was momentarily choked by his response, but still wondered, "Why would I get angry?"

Shao Junling didn't explain the reason, only firmly said, "You're just someone who gets angry easily."

Yin Chang: "..."

Shao Junling was now hanging his head and clenching his fists, not knowing whether he was embarrassed or frustrated.

If it were in the past and Yin Chang saw the little guy like this, he would probably have a headache, but now, he just found it amusing.

Yin Chang reached out and pinched Shao Junling's ear, not wanting to argue with him, and instead said in a cooing voice, like coaxing a child: "I won't get angry with you anymore, okay?"

Shao Junling dodged a bit, and his ears quickly turned red: "S-sure."

Yin Chang smiled and continued to watch the program, and the matter was thus brushed off with his teasing.

At this point, they had already gone to the square to have breakfast, and Qin Jingshan and Qin Xifeng appeared in a dazzling manner. Post production added dreamlike special effects and beautiful background music when they appeared, exaggeratedly rendering the beauty of the sister duo.

Back then, almost everyone was staring at the Qin sisters, but only Shao Junling shifted his gaze away after giving them a glance, and looked up straight at Yin Chang.

Because of this contrasting behavior, the program team specifically gave Shao Junling a close-up shot. With the same dreamy special effects, they even added a string of mood annotations above his head in post-production: "Brother is still better-looking~~~"

Shao Junling: "......"

At that time, Yin Chang completely didn't notice that Shao Junling was stealing glances at him. Now, while watching the program, he couldn't help but feel stunned... and then delighted.

He turned his head to look at Shao Junling beside him. So the little guy likes him so much.

Afraid that Shao Junling would feel embarrassed, Yin Chang didn't mention it and just hugged him - this position was very convenient for "touching and feeling" - touching his hair, touching his ears, feeling the little guy twisting restlessly in his arms.

After introducing the newly debuted Qin sisters, the five groups of guests began the task of drawing food cards.

Yin Chang remembered that they relied on Shao Junling's incredible memory to win first place in this round. He already thought that Shao Junling was very capable at that time, but seeing his little brother's performance on the show, Yin Chang was deeply shocked.

When Shao Junling rushed out first after receiving the task card, the background music from Detective Conan that made the culprit fearful started playing on the TV...

At the same time, a small village map appeared in the upper right corner of the screen, with a red line drawn to show the shortest distance from the square to the villagers' homes.

Shao Junling led Yin Chang and the filming crew to their destination along the red line on the map in this stirring music. Not only that, but for all the following mission locations, Shao Junling always took the shortest distance.

Of course, the show didn't only feature Yin Chang and Shao Junling. Other pairs were also shown in between, but once the camera switched to them, they wandered around like headless flies, and even the background music became slow and rhythmless.

However, when it came to Yin Chang and Shao Junling, the background music changed to "Detective Conan" ... this made Shao Junling's team stand out from the rest.

But what was highlighted most was not Shao Junling's incredible memory, but his action afterwards.

In the middle, Huang Han and Qin Jingshan had both brought their sisters to ask Shao Junling for help. Both times, Shao Junling was forced to answer by Yin Chang. The first time, he told Huang Han the shortest route, but the second time, when facing Qin Jingshan, the route he suggested was different from the one on the small map.

In the later stage of the show, the production team specifically marked the two different routes with lines of different colors. Although Qin Jingshan and Qin Xifeng successfully found the mission location, the audience clearly saw that they had taken a longer route.

Yin Chang immediately turned to Shao Junling and said, "You..."

Shao Junling couldn't hide from his brother's gaze. He appeared flustered and struggled to run away.

Yin Chang grabbed him and held him tightly.

Just when Yin Chang wanted to ask why he did this, the program interrupted with an interview of Shao Junling by the staff.

"Shao Junling, why didn't you tell Qin Jingshan and the others the shortest route at the time?"

Yin Chang paused, focused, and waited for Shao Junling's answer on the screen.

But Shao Junling lowered his eyes and fell into silence. Maybe his silence lasted too long, so the program team fast-forwarded the segment, with subtitles that read "one minute later," and a cartoon image of a photographer sleeping at the bottom of the screen. But it only took four or five seconds to play.

The staff laughed, "If you don't want to answer, you can't go out."

Shao Junling raised his eyes, "I... don't remember."

The staff: "…"

The cartoon image of the photographer appeared again. This time, he had a speechless expression with sweat pouring down his head.

Damn, who believes that he can't remember? It's better to just make up another lie than say that!

Yin Chang was also left speechless by Shao Junling's reaction. In the program, he couldn't ask any further, but in reality, he wanted to know why he bullied them.

"Why did you bully them?" Yin Chang interrogated Shao Junling.

Shao Junling had nowhere to hide, and his face turned red. "I... I was upset! You... hit me on the back of my head!"

Yin Chang was surprised. So, Shao Junling deliberately played a prank on the two sisters because he didn't like being forced to help?

Yin Chang reflected on his behavior and realized that maybe his approach was too rough, which triggered Shao Junling's rebellious reaction.

But for some reason, this mischievous Shao Junling also was cute to Yin Chang.

He rubbed Shao Junling's head like comforting an angry cat, "Hehe, okay. I'm sorry. I won't hit your head again in the future."

Shao Junling thought that his brother would be angry with him and was alert, but unexpectedly, Yin Chang apologized to him?

This...made Shao Junling even more nervous!

After spending a year together, Shao Junling thought he had figured out his brother's temperament and personality, and knew how to get along with him. However, these two days, Yin Chang seemed to have changed his personality, not only his behavior was abnormal, but even the tone of his speech was always off.

Shao Junling was very anxious.

"I, I want to go to the bathroom..." He found an excuse and finally broke free from Yin Chang's embrace and ran away.

Yin Chang sighed in disappointment, picked up his phone and saw that Qin Jing Shan had protested against Shao Junling's behavior to the program group.

Qin Jing Shan: "Shao Junling..."

Qin Jing Shan: "What did I do wrong? Why did you do this to me...[sobbing]"

Qin Jing Shan: "Yin Chang, quickly call your little brother out and explain to me...[covering her eyes and crying]"

A group of people laughed insanely below: "Hahaha!"

Yin Chang also replied with a smile for Shao Junling, "Don't take it too seriously. He lied to you, it has nothing to do with you."

Qin Jing Shan asked, "Why?"

Yin Chang replied, "He was mainly trying to make me angry, and you just got caught in the crossfire. ^_^"

The crowd was silent.

Huang Han said, "Hey, I just noticed, Shao Junling changed his profile picture again."

Yin Chang clicked on it and indeed, it had been changed, but not to a new one, it had been changed back. It was probably because "Little Cake" no longer served as a useful prompt, so Shao Junling changed it when he got his phone back.

Huang Han asked, "@Yin Chang, is that you in his profile picture?"

Yin Chang said, "Yeah, it's me..."

Shao Junling had previously used a picture of Yin Chang as his profile picture, it seemed to be taken when they were together in Switzerland, and Shao Junling took a sneak shot with his phone. But the picture was a bit blurry, and the part of Yin Chang's face that Shao Junling cut out for his profile picture was only a part of his profile. If it weren't for a corner showing a scarf that Yin Chang was wearing at the time, even Yin Chang wouldn't have recognized himself.

Qin Jing Shan asked, "Why is he using your picture as his profile picture?"

Wang Chen said, "Can't you tell from this episode? Shao Junling obviously has a 'brother complex'. [Digging nose]"

The crowd suddenly realized that indeed, Shao Junling was a "brother stan" - he let Yin Chang have the good food while he ate plain steamed bread, he was afraid that Yin Chang would go hungry, so he got up in the middle of the night to dig corn for him, and when everyone was watching the Qin sisters, he was watching Yin Chang... This brother stan attribute was definitely not to be underestimated!

Upon hearing their analysis, Yin Chang looked at Shao Junling's profile picture again and felt inexplicably sweet.

But why was he in the bathroom for so long?

"Shao Junling?" Yin Chang called out to him, "Shao Junling!"

"Um..." Shao Junling finally responded after a while. Judging by where the sound was coming from, he was probably hiding in the bedroom.

"Why aren't you watching the program?" Yin Chang also stood up.

"I don't want to watch it." Shao Junling, who was peeking at the WeChat group, heard footsteps and quickly turned off his phone, burying his hot face in the pillow.

Hearing that Shao Junling didn't want to watch, Yin Chang also lost interest. Moreover, each episode of the show was divided into two parts and judging by the time, this episode was also about to end after they "finished lunch."

Yin Chang lay on the bed and picked up his phone to read the comments on the program's official account:

"Ah, "Superstar Lifestyle" is so good! I fell in love with Yin Chang's little brother after watching the first episode!"

"By the end, I felt like I was slapped in the face by Shao Junling, you know?"

"Yin Chang taught Shao Junling how to have good values over there, so cool!"

"Am I the only one who feels sorry for Shao Junling? He's always trying to please Yin Chang and get his attention, but he gets the least compared to the other kids!"

"It's not like they're real brothers, right? I also feel like Yin Chang is pretty indifferent to him."

"Don't bother trying to find anything sweet between those brothers of Yin Chang, it's not even worth a grain of sugar. Come and pay attention to Huang Han and Xiao Lu, they are the real deal!"

"What should I do, I really like Shao Junling! He's a highly intelligent little stone face who's so spoiled by his brother! Yin Chang is just a naive and sweet guy! Ah! I want to ship these two brothers! Are there any similar novels out there?"

🍁

Yin Chang: "??? " Am I really naive and sweet? What's going on?

Although there were some controversies as he had expected, Yin Chang was still somewhat surprised that so many netizens liked Shao Junling in the first episode.

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

🍁 Vignette

Yin Chang: "So you like me that much, huh? ^_^"

Shao Junling: "I, I... don't... (voice as thin as a mosquito's)"

Yin Chang: "What did you say? I can't hear you?"

Shao Junling: "... (/////)"

🍁 Author’s Note: The background music when Shao Junling went to the villager's house is "Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki" by Masakatsu Takagi, the first popular song on NetEase music. Interested readers can go and check it out.

💕 Chapter #5 sponsored by Yaara. I’m so glad other people like this story! I really like this author and Shao Junling's stoic care is so cute 💕

🍁  Previous | ToC | Next  🍁

🍁🍁🍁 want extra chapters? 🍁🍁🍁

🍁🍁🍁 will love you 5 ever 🍁🍁🍁

The Perfect Relationship Ch 63

 🍁 The Perfect Relationship 🍁 by Xi He Qing Ling

Ch 63: Want a Hug

On TV, Yin Chang saw how the filming crew broke into his house and asked Fiona about the location of his and Shao Junling's bedroom. Although it was edited, key information was still preserved, such as when Fiona said "Shao Junling sleeps in the study." To emphasize this difference, a sound effect of "cold wind blowing" was added later.

When the audience thought that the cameraman would capture the scene of "older brother enjoying the big bed with the younger brother relegated to the corner of the study," a gentle background music played, and Shao Junling crawled out of Yin Chang's bed...

Despite knowing that the scene of sleeping with Shao Junling had been filmed, Yin Chang's heart still raced when he saw it on TV.

One interesting aspect of this program was that later on, they used a cartoon figure to represent the cameraman. For example, a "stunned cameraman" appeared in the corner of the screen, expressing the mood of the crew when they saw this scene.

But the romantic background music did not last long because as soon as Shao Junling crawled out of bed, he began to frantically cover Yin Chang with the blanket.

A line of text "Quick, hide the brother!" appeared over Shao Junling's head, explaining his behavior at the moment.

This was a detail that Yin Chang had no idea about. In his memory, after waking up and seeing the cameraman and director, he awkwardly asked them to leave first. Unexpectedly, before that, Shao Junling had covered him tightly as if protecting him.

That's not all, for comedic effect, the program repeated the process of Shao Junling covering Yin Chang with the blanket three times in fast-forward. The audience could only see him crawling around Yin Chang quickly, which was absolutely hilarious.

After covering Yin Chang with the blanket, Shao Junling squatted on the bed and glared at the cameraman, and a floating text "glaring" was added in post-production.

With a "pfft" sound, even Yin Chang in front of the TV burst out laughing.

Shao Junling: "..."

Later at breakfast, Shao Junling continued to stare at the cameraman while eating buns. The text "staring x2," "staring x3," "staring x4" kept appearing over his head, 8 times and then a small, sweaty photographer appeared in the lower left corner of the screen.

The more Yin Chang looked at him, the cuter he felt he was. He reached out and pulled Shao Junling, who was sitting next to him, into his arms, and smiled as he rubbed his head.

Shao Junling: "..."

From the beginning of the show, Shao Junling's image as a fierce and alert wolf dog had already deeply impressed the audience.

As other guests' living situations were shown later on, Yin Chang took the opportunity to glance at his phone that had been buzzing nonstop.

Huang Han: "Oh my god, do you two brothers sleep together normally?"

Wang Chen: "Yin Chang, do you not have enough beds at home? Should I sponsor you one?"

Huang Han: "I really laughed so hard when Shao Junling covered Yin Chang with a blanket!"

Lang Chizhi: "Hahaha, he's been glaring at the photographer the entire time!"

Wang Chen: "This can be used in later parts of the show! [Laughs]"

Qin Jingshan: "[Laughs]"

Yin Chang had originally thought that it was nothing for the two brothers to sleep together at home, but after the show aired the living situations of several other guests, he fell silent.

Although Wang Chen and Xue Ziwen were uncle and nephew, Wang Chen had his own house outside and did not live in Xue Ziwen's house. Huang Han and You Luming, this pair of siblings, also had their own rooms at home. The Qin Jing Shan sisters lived abroad all year round, and due to budget constraints, the production team was unable to go and film them. Even the twins, who Yin Chang thought had the best relationship with each other, slept in separate rooms at home!

In comparison, it turned out that Yin Chang and Shao Junling, who were caught sleeping together on the first day, had the best relationship...

After experiencing the test of the surprise filming, several groups of guests set off for the mountaintop village one after another.

The first to arrive were the twin brothers. These two were indeed an athlete’s children, they went up the mountain quickly without a change in expression or a heavy breath. Moreover, they were likely specially instructed by the adults at home, because they were very obedient the entire time, from leaving home to going up the mountain, and even when the host asked them to hand over their phones. Not a single complaint.

Next were Wang Chen and Xue Ziwen. They were the most troublesome pair. From the beginning, Xue Ziwen refused to get up and laid in bed at home. He was picky when eating breakfast, and when they went up the mountain, he complained the whole way to the production team. All signs indicated that he was a spoiled child.

However, during that first episode, Wang Chen showed great patience for his pampered nephew, coaxing him the entire time with a gentle tone. Moreover, Wang Chen paid great attention to his own image and dress, fully living up to his "little handsome guy" image in front of his fans.

Huang Han in the group teased him, "Wang Chen, is that really you?"

Wang Chen asked, "What do you mean?"

Huang Han replied, "You looked so good in this episode, shining like Yin Chang!"

Yin Chang responded, "What?"

Huang Han continued, "But I have to say, a few days ago, when we were in the TuYao village, I started to suspect that we weren’t participating in a human-only program."

Wang Chen said, "Stop talking..."

Wang Chen said, "I need to bribe the post-production team! Let them add some whitening filters for me!"

Huang Han said, "It's too late. Your image as a rustic country gentleman has already been etched in my mind."

Wang Chen cried out loud.

Qin Jing Shan said, "You scared me so much, I went to put on a face mask..."

While they chatted, Yin Chang and Shao Junling arrived, followed by Huang Han and You Luming.

Huang Han exclaimed in the group, "Ah, this is the historic first meeting of Yin Chang and me! Do you know how I felt when I first saw him?"

Qin Jingshan asked, "How’d you feel?"

Huang Han said, "I was almost blinded by this guy's handsomeness! I couldn't even look at him. He really looked like a diety descended to earth!"

Yin Chang remained silent while Wang Chen said, "You're just praising yourself, Yin Chang."

On TV, the sound of You Luming crying caught Yin Chang's attention. Both Yin Chang and Shao Junling looked over. When Huang Han picked up You Luming, Shao Junling looked up at Yin Chang, and the post-production added a line of text explaning his feelings: "I also want a hug." But Yin Chang ignored it and turned away.

The two in front of the TV were stunned to see this scene.

Yin Chang turned his head and asked Shao Junling, "Were you disappointed that I didn't hug you?"

Shao Junling, who was leaning on him, wriggled uncomfortably, "What? No... That's nonsense..."

Yin Chang fell silent.

To be honest, if Yin Chang had seen this scene before knowing that "Shao Junling is the gift," he would have thought that the show deliberately exaggerated it. If he had really hugged him at that time, it would not have been heartfelt but done for the audience.

But things were different now. Even though Shao Junling said "no", his anticipation was evident in his eyes on camera, otherwise the program team would not have made it so explicit.

To confirm his guess, Yin Chang went on Weibo to check the real-time comments from netizens, and the fans did indeed begin to discuss it.

"Compared with Huang Han, Yin Chang is really so aloof..."

"One is a gentle big brother, and the other is a cool big brother, with different personalities."

"Why do I think the cool big brother is more attractive? QwQ"

"But Shao Junling also wants a hug from his brother. Did you notice how envious he looked when Huang Han hugged his sister?"

"That's right, he was so disappointed when Yin Chang didn't hug him!"

"Wait a minute! Sisters, am I the only one who thinks that Shao Junling had no expression on his face? How did you all interpret it?"

"I also think so... couldn't tell +1"

Yin Chang had felt guilty at first, but almost burst out laughing at the last sentence.

He rubbed Shao Junling's head and thought to himself, ‘When there is a chance in the future, I will definitely hug him again and fulfill his expectations.’

Shao Junling remained silent.

As they climbed up the mountain, the four groups of guests were given boxed meals by the production team and sat under the trees to eat. They were also asked to surrender their snacks. During this time, Wang Chen protested, You Luming's crying voice bounced around, and the twins’ rebellious attitude emerged. All of these were presented in a vivid manner.

During filming, it was tough and frustrating, but now that the show has aired, with the addition of post-production explanations and various reaction gifs, it was particularly funny.

Moreover, after showing scenes of other people freaking out, the production team would cut to shots of Yin Chang and Shao Junling calmly watching on, with labels such as "calm" and "eating melon seeds ^[1]" added in post-production. The contrast between their stillness and the chaos added a lot of humor to the show.

However, their nonchalant behavior drew ruthless criticism from their friends in the group chat.

Huang Han: "I didn't even notice at the time, how could Yin Chang and Shao Junling be so calm..."

Lang Chizhi: "Exactly, they make us look so stupid!"

Wang Chen: "It's not real at all. It feels like the production team hired two actors! [Picking nose]"

Yin Chang: "Pay attention to your image as a handsome boy. Picking your nose is not a good look for you."

Wang Chen: "..."

🍁

Next up was the highly anticipated "house snatching" segment. Everyone knew that Yin Chang and Shao Junling ended up with the village's most run-down house. They eagerly waited for this dramatic moment to unfold.

But before that, the show aired the process of them racing to grab the red and blue flags.

Because Shao Junling rushed out before the host finished explaining the rules, the twins and the other two groups of guests were all misled, delaying the time to grab the flags.

However, in the show, when they chased after Shao Junling, the damn post-production team put husky tongue-out stickers on their heads, and matched the background music of "Running Man": "Running freely with the wind is the direction~~~! Chasing the power of thunder and lightning~~~!"

While the host anxiously explained that there was another flag to grab behind them, the music suddenly stopped, and the husky tongue-out stickers on their heads instantly turned into shocked husky stickers, except for Shao Junling's, which remained unchanged as he continued to charge forward.

Yin Chang's phone vibrated frantically after this scene.

Qin Jing Shan: "Hahaha, I'm laughing my head off! I didn't expect such a funny thing to happen on the day before I arrived!"

Lang Chizhi: "Why did they put dog heads on us?"

Guo Yiheng: "[angry]"

Yin Chang managed to hold back his laughter, "You guys are just chasing trends and being mocked by the production team afterwards!"

Huang Han said, "Ah, I suddenly feel that it was so wise of Little Lu to trip me up and prevent me from chasing too!"

Wang Chen exclaimed, "I really want to kill the post-production team of this show! [sad]"

Yin Chang retorted, "But you just said they were alright..."

🍁

Fortunately, after the game ended, Wang Chen and the twins were assigned to a decent house. The post-production team highlighted the rundown shack of Yin Chang and Shao Junling, showcasing their miserable situation, which balanced everyone's emotions to some extent.

At night, while searching for the food box, Shao Junling almost got into a conflict with the twins. Lang Chizhi and Guo Yiheng's competitive personalities were also revealed bit by bit.

Moreover, they only found out after watching the show that the box they failed to grab at that time contained sandwiches, ham sausages, and juice.

In this round, Wang Chen and Xue Ziwen were the biggest winners as they were fortunate enough to find a box hiding burgers and fried chicken, the highest-calorie fast food.

Yin Chang and Shao Junling only found a plain steamed bun and a boiled egg, which had been left behind by Wang Chen and Xue Ziwen.

Back at the rundown shack, with the background music of the violin playing "The Moon’s Reflection on the Second Spring," Yin Chang and Shao Junling were moved to tears by each other's sincere gestures of trying to give each other the bottle of milk and boiled egg.

As night fell, Yin Chang was about to witness the moment he had been anticipating…

After the other groups of guests were settled, the TV screen went black, and a simple line of text appeared with the sound of typing--

"After an exhausting day, everyone was ready to rest, but there was still an unexpected incident..."

🍁

"The Courtyard of Yin Chang and Shao Junling's House"

The screen lit up again, and there was Shao Junling, who had snuck out of the house that night.

The camera shook as the photographer followed him.

Then there was a scene of the staff negotiating with Shao Junling, but because he didn't wear a microphone, and the audience didn't know what they were talking about.

The group of friends in the chat began to speculate.

Huang Han: "Shao Junling snuck out at midnight? To do what?"

Wang Chen: "Did he have a fight with Yin Chang and was running away from home?"

Qin Jing Shan: "I have a feeling things aren't that simple..."

Lang Chizhi, who had felt targeted by Shao Junling before, nervously asked, "Could he be looking for revenge against me?"

Lang Chizhi, who had already finished filming, knew that there hadn’t been a fight that night, but that didn't stop him from imagining things. What if it was like the time they almost got into a fight? Who knew if Yin Chang merely stopped Shao Junling in time?

At this moment, Shao Junling, who was leaning on Yin Chang, became nervous and fidgety.

Yin Chang hugged him to prevent him from running away and joked, "What, you dare to do but not to admit?"

Shao Junling remained silent.

Although Yin Chang spoke lightly, he was also extremely nervous because he hadn't figured out how to talk to Shao Junling properly yet.

The program explained the situation to the audience through subtitles:

"Shao Junling said he was going to find food for his brother."

"He didn't let the cameraman follow him. He only agreed to let some staff accompany him."

Then, a cartoon image of a crying cameraman appeared on the screen.

"An hour later..."

Shao Junling appeared on the screen again, walking unsteadily on a dark country road with ten ears of corn in his arms.

If it weren't for the staff using their phones to light up the way, no one would believe that this child dared to run out on such a night...

After Shao Junling carried the corn into the house, the screen gradually darkened, and the day ended.

Six hours later, it was dawn.

The camera started again, and this time, Yin Chang appeared in the lens.

He hesitated and asked the camera, "Did you guys give him the corn?"

A cartoon expression of the photographer with a taped mouth appeared in the lower left corner of the screen, indicating that he couldn't say.

Yin Chang knew what happened next...

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

🍁 Vignette

Yin Chang: So you wanted a hug from me, huh? ^_^

Shao Junling: No, I didn't! It's nonsense! (/////)

🍁 Translator’s Note:

[1] eating melon means to sit back and watch the show. Kind of like how we might eat popcorn while watching a movie, except the movie is the chaos unfolding around them.

💕 Chapter #4 sponsored by Yaara. I actually also lost my first comment virginity this week by Mary! Seems like this week is a lot of firsts..! 💕

🍁  Previous | ToC | Next  🍁

🍁🍁🍁 want extra chapters? 🍁🍁🍁

🍁🍁🍁 will love you 5 ever 🍁🍁🍁

The Perfect Relationship Ch 62

 🍁 The Perfect Relationship 🍁 by Xi He Qing Ling

Ch 62: Variety Show Starts Broadcasting

"Why did you initially refuse to be adopted?" Yin Chang was puzzled. "Aren't you father and son?"

Shao Junling remained silent.

Yin Chang urgently asked, "Is it because he wanted to give you to me as a 'gift,' and you didn't want that?"

"No," Shao Junling answered softly, looking down. He then added, "I did want that."

Shao Junling had never opposed the idea of being a 'gift' because, in his opinion, only precious things could be called gifts. Similarly, he considered his brother a gift from Uncle Yin.

Yin Chang thought Shao Junling's "no" was a rebuttal to his second question, "Then why?"

"At that time, I didn't know you and didn't know if you were good or not," Shao Junling said.

"Why did you accept it later?" Yin Chang asked.

"Dad showed me your video," Shao Junling said.

"Video?" Yin Chang immediately remembered the childhood footage he had stumbled upon before. "The one from when we were little?"

"Yeah," Shao Junling remembered the little boy from the video, who was so cute back then.

Yin Chang's face flushed. "Dad showed you that?"

Shao Junling laid on Yin Chang and remembered what Uncle Yin had said when he watched the video with him.

—"If I give you to little Chang as a 'gift,' he will be very happy. Look, he has always wanted a little brother. He will definitely treat you well." Uncle Yin's gentle expression and tone at the time were something that Shao Junling had not forgotten until now.

At that moment, he had decided to accept Yin Dong's adoption.

He believed that kind Uncle Yin would not be a bad person, so his brother must also be good.

Shao Junling stumbled as he repeated these words to Yin Chang. It seemed like it took a century for Yin Chang to digest the meaning of those words.

He had no doubt about Shao Junling's explanation.

In that instant, Yin Chang's body and mind seemed to be enveloped by a warm current, and all his grievances, resentment, and sadness were washed away...

As it turned out, Yin Dong had not deliberately hidden himself. He still loved him and even remembered that he wanted a little brother and wanted to do his best to fulfill his wish by restoring his relationship with Shao Junling.

He had misunderstood for such a long time.

Yin Chang was overwhelmed with emotions, and by the time he reacted, he had already pressed Shao Junling's head back onto his chest with moist eyes. His other hand also tightly embraced him.

Although Shao Junling's identity was still a mystery, it was no longer important.

This was... the gift that his dad had given him.

And Shao Junling knew this, no wonder he had said that he didn't want him when they quarreled, no wonder he had said "I'll always be with him" in front of Yin Dong's grave when they went to sweep it.

Thinking back now, Shao Junling's childish words and actions seemed to have a reasonable explanation.

"Brother," Shao Junling rubbed against his chest and whispered, "Happy Birthday."

Shao Junling's tone was neither sad nor happy, but Yin Chang could taste the flavor of attachment like never before.

‘Thank you, I am very happy now.’

Yin Chang tightly held this "birthday gift" that was a year late and said to Yin Dong in his heart.

🍁

Early the next morning, Yin Chang got up and went to the designated location to pick up breakfast from the show's crew.

On the way, he ran into Huang Han, who was still groggy with sleep. Yin Chang greeted him warmly, "Hey! Did you sleep well?"

"Just okay," Huang Han replied, noticing Yin Chang's radiant appearance. "You seem to have slept pretty well though."

"No," Yin Chang smiled and replied energetically. "I had a bit of insomnia last night."

Huang Han thought to himself, ‘I couldn’t tell… how could you look so good without sleep?’

In fact, Yin Chang did have insomnia. After chatting with Shao Junling last night, the little guy had slept soundly beside him while he tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Wang Chen also appeared with a yawn, his hair resembling a chicken coop, as if he had completely given up on managing his appearance.

"Wang Chen," Yin Chang called out to him.

Wang Chen looked up and saw Yin Chang smiling at him, looking as warm as the spring breeze.

"What's up?" He was a bit confused by Yin Chang's demeanor.

"The necklace you gave me is very beautiful," Yin Chang opened all the gifts he had received while unable to sleep in the middle of the night. "And Huang Han, the tea cup you gave me is also very nice. Thank you!"

Wang Chen and Huang Han: "..."

After Yin Chang picked up his breakfast, he waved goodbye to the two of them with a smile, "See you later."

Wang Chen whispered to Huang Han, "Hey, did you notice something different about Yin Chang today?"

"Hmm! Yin Chang seems to be glowing!" Huang Han emphasized.

Wang Chen thought to himself, that guy was glowing every day!... But of course, he wouldn't admit that out loud.

"I feel like he's especially happy and satisfied today!" Wang Chen emphasized.

"Yeah… Although he just told me he couldn’t sleep last night," Huang Han nodded.

"We only celebrated his birthday together, why is he so touched?" Wang Chen joked.

"Isn't his dad... you know, gone?" Huang Han stroked his chin and said emotionally, "I feel like we did something really meaningful."

"Really?" Wang Chen mused and felt uplifted as well.

Yin Chang returned to his residence and found Shao Junling still sleeping.

In the past, Yin Chang had viewed taking care of Shao Junling as his responsibility and often found it troublesome.

But last night's conversation had loosened up Yin Chang's emotional knots, and he looked at Shao Junling in a different light.

Look at how the little guy slept all crooked... so cute.

Yin Chang spotted the drawing he had left at the foot of the bed last night and picked it up to take a look.

Shao Junling groggily opened his eyes and saw his brother sitting by the bed, holding the drawing he had made, grinning like an idiot.

Shao Junling: "......"

Seeing that he had woken up, Yin Chang cleared his throat, carefully put away the drawing. "Let's have breakfast."

Shao Junling got out of bed, washed his face hurriedly in the bathroom under Yin Chang's gaze, and came out. Yin Chang still looked at him with a strange smile.

Shao Junling got goosebumps all over his body. He approached his brother, took a bun from the table, and fled.

Yin Chang: "......???"

 🍁

As usual, they had some easy tasks in the morning of the third day. After lunch, the filming was over.

But before the end of the shoot, the production team called them one by one to the temporary studio for some supplementary interviews.

"What kind of interview is this?" Yin Chang asked while sitting on a high stool.

"It's about a previous episode of the show," the staff member smiled.

"Has it already been edited?"

"Yes, after the supplementary interview is added, it will be complete. After you go back, the show will premiere on the third day, and you can watch the first episode at home," the staff member explained the details. "I'm going to start asking a few quesitons now. Some questions may be unexpected. We want to film your reaction, so look at the camera."

Yin Chang smiled, thinking it was nothing serious. What unexpected questions could there be?

He faced the camera and calmly waited for the staff member's question.

The staff member flipped through the script and asked the first question, "On the second morning in the mountaintop village, you cooked a lot of corn at Huang Han's house. Do you know where that corn came from?"

Yin Chang was taken aback. "Weren't they given by you guys?"

The staff smiled and explained, "No, they weren't. Shao Junling went out in the middle of the night to find them for you."

Yin Chang ”...”

He raised his hand to block the camera. "Wait, give me a moment!" He felt a bit unsettled. "Was this a task you gave him?"

The staff replied, "No, he went to find them on his own. He was afraid that you wouldn't have enough to eat, so he walked two miles to the fields and picked ten ears of corn."

Yin Chang frowned. "Why didn't he tell me?"

The staff said, "We'll ask him that later. Right now, we're more interested in your reaction to this. How do you feel now that you know?"

"I..." Yin Chang covered his forehead. "I’m shocked."

The staff asked, "Touched?"

Yin Chang hesitated before nodding his head. "Um, yes."

That morning, he had even insisted on giving half of the corn to Huang Han, but now that he recalled Shao Junling's expression at the time... Ah, that's why Shao Junling had accused him of "wasting" two days ago.

The staff gestured to the cameraman. "Okay, we're done with this question. Get ready for the next one."

The first question was so explosive that it made Yin Chang nervous. Were there still so many things he didn't know about?

The staff continued, "During the activity that afternoon, you and Shao Junling had many food cards. Why did you invite Huang Han and You Luming to eat with you, but not Qin Jingshan and the others?"

After a moment of thinking, Yin Chang remembered the scene and answered, "Wang Chen had already invited them."

Luckily, the type of questions that followed were similar to what Yin Chang had initially expected...

He went out, and Shao Junling went in. Yin Chang looked at Shao Junling with a complicated expression at the door.

...Never mind, he’ll wait until he watches the program before saying anything.

Yin Chang and Shao Junling returned to Haicheng at 10 p.m. that night.

After resting for a night, the staff summoned called on everyone to promote the premiere of "Super Star Life" on Weibo.

Qin Jingshan was the first to notice, "Hey, Yin Chang, why did you change your WeChat profile picture?"

"Huh? What did you change it to?" Huang Han asked.

"A sketch? Who drew it?" Wang Chen said.

"My little brother drew me a portrait." Yin Chang replied with a smiley face.

"He drew it so ugly..." Wang Chen said.

"It looks better than my sis’s drawings! [thumbs up]" Huang Han said.

Everyone: "..."

After reposting the promotion from the official account, there was a strong reaction online. Most fans and netizens expressed their support and expectation for Yin Chang bringing Shao Junling to the variety show.

Of course, as expected, there were also some sarcastic and harsh comments. They questioned the real purpose of Yin Chang and Shao Junling participating in the variety show, believing that they were only doing it for fame and money.

In the past, when Yin Chang saw such comments, he would feel uncomfortable because he was worried that Shao Junling would be criticized and that their relationship would not be good. He was very cautious about it. But since that night on his birthday, he felt like there had been some kind of magical chemical reaction between them, and something had shifted.

These changes subsequently affected Yin Chang's mood and mentality, giving him a lot of strength and courage.

He even felt now that it didn't matter what others said, as long as he was good with Shao Junling.

Moreover, lately whenever he saw Shao Junling, Yin Chang would think "he is a gift", and his heart would be filled with joy.

At night when he slept, he began to enjoy the feeling of Shao Junling clinging to him...after all, it was different from the countryside. His home had air conditioning, so no matter how much Shao Junling tangled him up, he wouldn't feel hot.

Yin Chang even wanted to find opportunities to chat and talk more with Shao Junling, to get to know him better.

Unfortunately, his work was still very busy, and as soon as he returned to the city, he had to run around for work non-stop.

He didn't have time until the day the variety show was about to air. He finally had some free time, went home early, ate dinner, and sat in front of the TV with Shao Junling.

At 8 o'clock in the evening, the first episode of "Super Star Life" aired on Star Entertainment TV on time.

The others also entered the WeChat group, saying let’s watch and discuss together.

The first to appear was the opening interview, where the five groups of guests were each asked a few questions and aired in sequence. Yin Chang remembered this was filmed after they finished recording the theme song.

When it was Yin Chang's turn, the host asked him, "Are you nervous about bringing your younger brother to participate in the variety show?"

Yin Chang laughed, "A little."

The host asked again, "What are your expectations for the program?"

Yin Chang replied, "I hope he will like it."

The camera flashed and cut to Shao Junling. The host asked him, "What kind of person do you think your brother is?"

Shao Junling lowered his head, "Handsome." "Cool." "Busy." "Lonely."...

This string of answers had obvious pauses and looked like they were cut together. Yin Chang could guess that it was probably because Shao Junling didn't speak fluently during the interview process, answering only one word at a time, like pulling teeth, so they did this to save time during post-production.

That was okay, but Yin Chang found it a bit strange that Shao Junling kept his head down while answering.

Then the host asked another question, "Do you want to go out and play with your brother?"

Shao Junling then looked up and said to the camera, "Yes."

After the interviews, the upbeat theme song played.

"Brother, I want candy~" The first sentence was You Luming's voiceover in a childlike tone.

"Ah, open your mouth~" Huang Han in the animated MV lovingly stuffed candy into You Luming's mouth.

Then, Shao Junling's singing voice appeared, "Brother, hug me and lift me high!"

Yin Chang followed, "Arguing and bickering, our daily routine!"

Qin Xifeng continued, "Sister's smile, let's dance together!"

And finally, Qin Jingshan sang, "My little sister, the best in the world!"

🍁

Watching on the TV, Yin Chang was surprised. "Huh, it's pretty good."

When they went to record the song, Yin Chang had felt that both he and Shao Junling sang very stiffly, but when they joined the group's singing, it seemed more natural.

Of course, the sound engineer must have put in a lot of effort.

After the theme song finished playing, the first scene that appeared was... Yin Chang's place.

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

🍁 Vignette

Yin Chang pulled Shao Junling back down.

Shao Junling tried to get up

Yin Chang pulled him back down, "Don't get up, you're my gift, let me hug you for a little longer!"

Shao Junling: "Damn, why do you have so much strength? I'm gonna suffocate!"

🍁

"Superstar Life" Theme Song (Full Lyrics)

(Intro)

You Luming: Brother, I want to eat candy.

Huang Han (doting): Open your mouth.

...music...

Shao Junling: Brother, hug me and lift me up high.

Yin Chang: Quarrel and bicker every day.

Qin Xifeng: Sister, smile and dance with me.

Qin Jing Shan: My sister, the best in the world.

Xue Ziwen: Hello Uncle, please take care of me.

Wang Chen: Little chubby, have a piece of cake.

Lang Chizhi & Guo Yiheng: I'm the big brother, you're the little brother.

Yin Chang: Hurry up, I'll take you to dig a bird's nest!

Shao Junling: Wait, wait, I haven't finished putting on my pants!

Qin Jing Shan & Qin Xifeng: I'm the big sister, you're the little sister.

You Luming: I'm still a little baby.

Huang Han: Don't be afraid, baby. Brother is always by your side.

...music...

Wang Chen: Hey, don't run, be careful, I'll tell on you.

Xue Ziwen: Hey, come chase me, I won't let you find me.

Wang Chen: Sister! He's making trouble again!

Yin Chang: Hey, don't argue, it's annoying me.

Shao Junling: Hey, don't worry about it, stop nagging.

Qin Jing Shan & Qin Xifeng: Siblings, love each other.

Lang Chizhi & Guo Yiheng: We'll fight today, but tomorrow will be better.

Xue Ziwen & Wang Chen: Uncle and nephew, also no exception.

You Luming & Huang Han: Who called us to grow up together?

All: La la la, you're my dearest brother/sister/little brother/little sister/uncle/nephew.

All: La la la, I want to love you and be with you until we grow old together.

🍁 Translator’s Note:

💕 Chapter #3 sponsored by Yaara. Kofi is actually such a cute way to write coffee. Love it 💕

🍁  Previous | ToC | Next  🍁

🍁🍁🍁 want extra chapters? 🍁🍁🍁

🍁🍁🍁 will love you 5 ever 🍁🍁🍁

The Perfect Relationship Ch 61

  🍁 The Perfect Relationship 🍁 by Xi He Qing Ling

Ch 61: Happy Birthday

Yin Chang looked bewildered. What was going on? He had to be blindfolded?

Despite the lack of reaction from the crew and photographer, Yin Chang obediently bent down and let Shao Junling blindfold him.

Then, he felt Shao Junling take his hand and lead him forward step by step.

"What are we doing? Is this part of hide and seek?" Yin Chang guessed, "Is it because Shao Junling took the longest to find me, so I have to accept punishment?"

A muffled laugh came from the nearby crew member. "You can think of it that way."

Shao Junling tightened his grip on Yin Chang's hand but didn't say anything.

After walking for ten minutes blindfolded, Yin Chang started to feel suspicious. Was there another reason for this?

Wait, Yin Chang suddenly remembered something. Wasn't today...

Just then, Shao Junling stopped. Yin Chang could vaguely feel people around him. Although no one spoke, he sensed the tense atmosphere of everyone holding their breath.

"Gege..." Yin Chang heard Shao Junling call him, and his heart began to race.

Shao Junling took Yin Chang's arm, stood on tiptoe, and untied the blindfold for him.

As his vision cleared, he heard deafening cheers and congratulations ringing in his ears.

"Yin Chang! Happy birthday!!!"

He saw that the cave where he and Shao Junling were living in, looked festive, decorated with colorful lights and balloons.

In the center of the room was a birthday cake with "Yin Chang" written in chocolate, and two numbers spelling "19" already lit.

Although he had just thought of the possibility, Yin Chang was still shocked to see this scene.

All the guests excitedly gathered around him, singing the birthday song together.

"Happy birthday to you~! Happy birthday to you~!"

Yin Chang absentmindedly covered his mouth, feeling a complicated mix of emotions at the moment.

...Because it was too unexpected, and it had been too long since anyone had celebrated his birthday like this.

Yin Chang was not someone who enjoyed being the center of attention. When he was in middle school and popular, there were girls who liked him and threw him big birthday parties. At first, Yin Chang was quite happy, but after experiencing similar situations a few times, he found it uninteresting.

Birthday was indeed a special day, but he always felt that how he celebrated it should be his own decision.

If the production team had approached him beforehand, Yin Chang would have likely refused...

However, seeing everyone make such an effort to celebrate for him, he couldn't help but feel moved.

The only downside was that there were still many cameras pointed at him, making the party seem a bit staged.

Yin Chang suppressed his mixed emotions and tried to look a little happier.

After the birthday song, Yin Chang said, "Thank you all... I really didn't expect this..." His tone trembled a bit unnaturally, possibly because he was afraid of being too emotional. Yin Chang quickly stepped forward and blew out the candles with a "whoosh".

Everyone had originally planned to have him make a wish, but seeing how decisive he was, they were all stunned.

Huang Han laughed, "The birthday star is too anxious, let's quickly cut the cake. Little Youming has been drooling over this cake all afternoon!"

Hearing this, everyone laughed. Yin Chang couldn't help but smile. He blew out the candles, cut the cake, and invited everyone to sit down.

In addition to the cake on the table, there were also many dishes, pastries, and fruits. Judging from the messy presentation and unappealing colors of the dishes, they were probably all made by the group of friends themselves.

Not only that, but they also prepared gifts for him.

"I just picked something randomly, don't mind it," Wang Chen threw a small gift box at him.

Yin Chang was a bit surprised. "When did you guys find out it was my birthday?"

You couldn't buy such delicate gift boxes in this small town. They must have prepared them in advance.

"We knew before we came," Qin Jingshan smiled, "but we still had to act like we didn't know. It was so hard!"

"Yeah!" many people echoed with laughter.

Wang Chen made a victory sign with his hand. "Luckily we all kept it a secret, mission accomplished!"

"Is giving Yin Chang a birthday present considered a mission?" Huang Han teased him. "We're comrades who have suffered together through a revolution now, right?"

Wang Chen quickly changed his tone. "What I meant was, if the program team didn't remind us, I would have definitely let the secret slip!"

"Hahaha..."

"Whether it was required or not, the most important thing is for everyone to have a good time. Thank you all for celebrating my birthday," Yin Chang responded in a cliché but safe manner. He then asked about the preparation details.

After hearing their answers, Yin Chang pieced together all the suspicious details, such as why only he was called away at noon to receive the task card, why the hiding spot was so far away, and why Shao Junling took so long to find him...

So, there was no "hide-and-seek" activity at all. This was a pit that the program team dug specifically for him, just to lead him to the cave on the mountain to rest away from the preparations.

After everyone was ready, the program team had Shao Junling go find him...and Shao Junling was also part of the plan.

Yin Chang glanced at Shao Junling, who was holding a piece of cake, concentrating on licking the cream on top.

"...This kid loves cake so much. One piece of cake could easily buy him over," Yin Chang thought.

"By the way, did you forget about your birthday?" Qin Jingshan looked at him, "I remember mine very well."

"Yeah, we were worried that you’d realize. We didn't expect you to be clueless," Wang Chen sneered at him as if he were an idiot.

"I really forgot," Yin Chang smiled, but a subtle sadness flickered in his eyes.

During the banquet, they talked about many fun things that occurred during the preparation process, such as how the program team ordered the fresh milk cake from a city two hours away and brought it over in a refrigerated box. How Huang Han spent the whole afternoon guarding against You Luming stealing the cake and the dishes on the table - several of which were made by Qin Jingshan.

"I went back last time and specifically learned how to cook from my aunt!" Qin Jingshan proudly announced.

"But this looks burnt..." Lang Chizhi frankly stared at a plate of black, red braised pork.

"Hey!" Qin Jingshan couldn't handle the rudeness from the naive young man.

"Let the birthday boy taste it first! Let the birthday boy taste it first!" Wang Chen cheered.

Yin Chang: "..."

"Yin Chang, the birthday boy, has to be a guinea pig. How pitiful, hahaha," Huang Han laughed.

When Yin Chang took a bite, everyone eagerly asked, "How is it? Is it delicious?"

"It's... not bad," Yin Chang raised his eyebrows.

Only then did everyone start to eat, but...

"Shit! It's so salty!"

"It's too salty!"

"Qin Jingshan, did you kill a salt merchant?!"

"What did you call me, Lang Chizhi!?"

Yin Chang looked at them and couldn't help but laugh.

The group of people ate and chatted for over an hour before the birthday celebration finally came to an end.

Once everyone left and the cameraman packed up, Yin Chang finally relaxed.

He rubbed his forehead and questioned Shao Junling, "Did you know about tonight's surprise in advance?"

"Yeah," Shao Junling was squatting in front of his luggage, searching for something, "An aunt from the production team called me."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Yin Chang was a little annoyed.

"She said it was a surprise and couldn't tell you," Shao Junling said seriously.

"I've never seen you listen to others so obediently," Yin Chang felt a little betrayed because in his heart, Shao Junling was already one of his own, "I'm your brother, why did you team up with an outsider to hide it from me?"

Shao Junling got flustered and turned his head, "I...I did remind you."

"When did you remind me?"

"In WeChat. I changed my profile image to a cake," Shao Junling blinked innocently.

"What kind of hint is that? Who the hell could have guessed that it was the program group planning a surprise birthday for me?" Yin Chang was still frustrated.

Yin Chang paced around angrily, "So you also knew when I left at noon? You were pretending to be asleep?"

Shao Junling "ummed" and continued rummaging through his luggage.

After five minutes, Yin Chang grew impatient, "What are you looking for?"

Shao Junling finally stood up, holding a colorful drawing, and walked up to him, "This is for you."

Yin Chang took it and saw that it was a drawing made with markers.

The drawing was of a person, a bit abstract, wearing sunglasses and in a very peculiar pose. They even had two things like tails dragging under their feet.

"You drew this?" Yin Chang asked.

"Yeah..." Shao Junling looked at him with a hopeful glint in his eyes. "It's you."

"This is me?" Yin Chang couldn't believe it. "Do I look like this?"

Shao Junling gestured, "It's you skiing in Switzerland."

Yin Chang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He knew he was attractive, although he wasn't as narcissistic as Wang Chen. But looking at Shao Junling's drawing, he couldn't connect the abstract figure with himself...

He even started to doubt what he looked like in Shao Junling's eyes.

– It really was too ugly.

Yin Chang sighed. Anyway, Shao Junling drawing something for him as a birthday gift showed that he cared.

He adjusted his mood, "Thank you. I'll go take a shower first." Yin Chang grabbed some clothes and went to the bathroom.

Shao Junling glanced at the drawing that was left by the bed, then looked at Yin Chang's back with disappointment.

After taking a shower, Yin Chang lay on the bed and calmed down. All kinds of emotions surged up within again.

Not long after, Shao Junling finished his shower and climbed onto the bed, lying next to Yin Chang. He broke the silence first: "Brother."

"Hmm?" Yin Chang felt a little tired and didn't feel like talking.

"... Are you upset?" Shao Junling asked in a low voice.

Intuitively, Yin Chang said, "No, I'm not upset. I'm very happy."

Shao Junling propped himself up and leaned in, staring at his face for a while. "You're lying... you're not happy."

His decisive tone left Yin Chang speechless.

Shao Junling furrowed his eyebrows slightly, guessing like a little adult. "Are you upset because I hid it from you?"

Yin Chang replied, "No..."

Shao Junling lowered his eyes. "My painting... it's not good?"

Yin Chang chuckled and pushed him down, "Stop guessing. It has nothing to do with you."

Shao Junling broke free from Yin Chang's grasp, and persisted in investigating his expression.

Feeling exposed by his gaze, Yin Chang's heart relaxed, and he spoke up. "On this day last year, on my 18th birthday, Dad called me..." Yin Chang closed his eyes and whispered, "That was the last time I heard his voice."

So, since Yin Dong's passing, he had been avoiding this day.

It wasn't because he was naturally forgetful of his own birthday, but because he deliberately ignored and forgot it, to avoid evoking sad memories.

"At the time, my dad said over the phone that in a month, he would come back to celebrate my birthday and promised to give me a big gift that I would love." Yin Chang chuckled with a deep sense of melancholy and self-derision. "Little did I know, a month later, I received the news of his death instead."

The production team wanted to give him a surprise, but Yin Chang didn't want it.

Of course, they didn't know about his inner grievances, and Yin Chang didn't blame them.

After Yin Chang finished speaking, the room fell into an eerie silence.

Shao Junling stared at him intently without responding for a long time.

Yin Chang felt uncomfortable exposing his deep inner wounds to someone, especially to his younger brother who was still inexperienced in the world. He felt that as the older sibling, he shouldn't be so fragile.

"Why am I telling you all this..." He raised his hand to cover his eyes and forced a calm smile. "Heh, it's okay, it's been almost a year..."

As he spoke, Yin Chang felt a weight on his body.

...Shao Junling was hugging him.

The little guy laid on him, with his arms and legs wrapped around him, and his face pressed against Yin Chang's chest. He softly called out, "Brother."

Yin Chang rubbed his head and thought, things weren’t bad now. At least he had one relative.

And tonight, he had so many friends to celebrate his birthday with him.

"I'm pretty happy today..." Yin Chang trailed off, feeling tired and wanting to urge Shao Junling to go to sleep. But before he could finish his sentence, Shao Junling interrupted him.

"I’m the gift," Shao Junling said to him.

"Uh?" Yin Chang's brain was a bit slow to catch up because he was lost in his emotions. "What did you say?"

"I’m the gift that Dad wanted to give you," Shao Junling repeated clearly.

"............"

Yin Chang's heart thumped uncontrollably. Shao Junling's words seemed to penetrate his chest directly, like thunder and tsunami, hitting his heart.

His ears buzzed and his mind quickly flashed through a few fragments.

-- "I will prepare a big gift for you, guaranteed to be something you like."

-- "Yin Dong once wanted to adopt a boy named Shao Junling."

-- "I am the gift that dad wanted to give you."

With a numb heart, Yin Chang murmured unconsciously, "Then why didn't he tell me earlier?"

Shao Junling lifted his head slightly, "Because I hadn't agreed at that time."

Yin Chang, "?"

Shao Junling explained, "It was three weeks after this day last year that I agreed to be adopted by Dad."

Yin Chang, "..."

So, was this supposed to be a "surprise" from Yin Dong to him? And it had to be kept secret in advance?

Shao Junling's firm gaze confirmed his guess.

Yin Chang calmed down a bit and asked Shao Junling, "How did Dad tell you about this? What did he say about me to you?"

Shao Junling replied, "He said that you were alone overseas."

Yin Chang, "..."

At that time, Yin Dong had actually said a lot. Like Yin Chang was handsome and beautiful but had a sensitive and fragile personality... Shao Junling had a poor understanding at that time, and he still didn't quite understand it now, but he didn't want to say it all to Yin Chang because he thought Yin Chang might be angry.

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

🍁 Translator’s Note:

💕 Chapter #2 sponsored by Yaara. I was so touched waking up to getting a kofi! Although I always hoped for one, never thought I would actually get to see the day 💕

🍁  Previous | ToC | Next  🍁

🍁🍁🍁 want extra chapters? 🍁🍁🍁

🍁🍁🍁 will love you 5 ever 🍁🍁🍁

The Perfect Relationship Ch 60

🍁 The Perfect Relationship 🍁 by Xi He Qing Ling

Ch 60: Hide and Seek

The next morning, it was the older siblings' turn to go into the town to sell their goods, while the little ones had other arrangements in the village.

Once they got in the car, Yin Chang saw Wang Chen and asked with concern, "Did you and Xue Ziwenwen make up yesterday?"

"What nonsense!" Wang Chen kicked the tree root under his feet in frustration and complained, "He was so proud of that one piece of trash he found and refused to say even one word to me last night!"

Maybe it was because he already felt his image was tarnished due to the argument last night, Wang Chen spoke more aggressively in front of the camera today, with a sense of throwing caution to the wind.

Huang Han patted Wang Chen's shoulder, "He’s just a kid, give him some slack."

Yin Chang recalled Shao Junling's complaints in the bathroom the previous night and couldn't help but vent as well, "Kids are sometimes hard to deal with. Yesterday, when I was chatting with my brother, guess what he said to me? He said that I was 'wasteful, well-meaning, and forgetful', so he had been tolerating me all along."

"What did you waste? And isn't being well-meaning a good thing? Forgetful... who can be expected to have a memory as good as Shao Junling's?"

That little shit had still had the audacity to cling so closely to him in bed. And there were so many cameras pointing at them too! Yin Chang had felt so aggravated that he had been tempted to kicked him off the bed!

Huang Han laughed out loud, "Haha, I have to say though, your brother seems pretty mature. You should be content."

"Mature?" Yin Chang snorted, "You haven't seen how childish he can be."

"How was he childish?" Huang Han asked.

Yin Chang told Huang Han about the incident when Shao Junling almost fought with the twin brothers on the night after the previous recording.

Although he spoke softly, Wang Chen, who was sitting in the front row, overheard. The thick-skinned Wang Chen was shocked, "Did that really happen? I had no idea!"

Qin Jingshan and Lang Chizhi hearing Wang Chen's sudden exclamation, were also curious, "What happened?"

Yin Chang figured this matter would be broadcasted anyway, so told them.

Lang Chizhi was also in the car and felt embarrassed when he heard this. Huang Han asked him, "Little Lang, if Shao Junling's brother didn't show up at the time, would you really have fought?"

In front of a group of elder brothers and elder sisters, Lang Chizhi did not dare to be arrogant. He touched his nose and honestly admitted, "Shao Junling challenged me first. If I didn't show up, wouldn't that make me a coward?"

The crowd: "......"

Huang Han barely suppressed his laughter, "It's not childish to challenge someone to a fight. It's just the youthful spirit."

"The fight isn't the main point." Yin Chang sighed and continued, "What I'm about to say concerns Shao Junling's pride. That night, he didn't succeed in fighting and was angry. When I went back, I let him fight me. He couldn't beat me and actually cried... He also said, 'A person can be destroyed, but not defeated'..."

"Your little brother is so funny!" Huang Han couldn't hold back his laughter and almost burst out, "But on the other hand, I think that crying is actually a way of acting spoiled. Just like my sister, she cries a lot, but when Shao Junling took her to do a task yesterday, she didn't cry... That little girl is really cunning. She knows that I have no way to deal with her when she cries, so she manipulates me in this way."

Huang Han looked at Yin Chang, "I think Shao Junling is the same. He cries in front of you because he trusts you. It's a way for him to seek a sense of existence, but I would surmise he would never shed a tear in front of others."

The two of them were whispering, but Qin Jingshan who was sitting next to them overheard anyways.

Qin Jingshan only heard the latter part, but it seemed to strike a chord with her. "Pretending to be pitiful and acting spoiled! My sister loves to use this trick too!"

So the conversation turned to "methods children use to get attention from adults" the entire way.

When they arrived at the small town, the staff led them to the market.

Huang Han glanced at the cameraman following closely behind and said warily, "Hey! Do you think those little guys will gather together to watch us like we did yesterday?"

Everyone looked at the camera, imagined devil horns growing out of the little ones' heads, and shivered.

"Ah... the pressure is so high!"

"Perform well! Perform well! Otherwise, we'll be in big trouble when we go back!"

Everyone found a spot to set up their stalls.

Since Shao Junling was teamed up with You Luming and Qin Xifeng yesterday, Yin Chang, Huang Han, and Qin Jingshan were squatting together. They took everything out of the broken basket and laid them all out on the ground.

"Wow, so many things! We can definitely make money today!" Huang Han said optimistically.

Lang Chizhi was nearby, and was already shouting, "Selling treasures, selling treasures! Big brothers, big sisters, uncles, aunts, grandpas, and grandmas! Passersby! Don't miss out!"

"Who will shout for us?" Huang Han looked at Yin Chang on his left and then at Qin Jingshan on his right. Thinking that You Luming had contributed the least in yesterday's team task, he took the initiative. "I'll do it!"

He took a deep breath and was about to start shouting when someone had already surrounded them.

"Where did you guys come from?"

"Are you filming for TV?"

"The young man is so handsome, how old is he?"

The villagers spoke Mandarin with a local accent and gathered around, gossiping.

Actually, from the moment they entered the market, people had stopped and watched them. After all, Yin Chang and Qin Jingshan were eye-catching, not to mention there were several cameramen behind them. It was hard not to attract the attention of passersby.

Huang Han explained several times, "We're here to sell things," before the onlookers calmed down.

"Oh, buying things... are you selling these eggs?" asked an old lady.

"Sure! How many do you want?" Huang Han replied excitedly.

"I was just about to buy some eggs! Give me all of them," the old lady said.

After excitedly picking up the basket of eggs and handing it over, Huang Han suddenly realized that he didn't know how much the eggs should be sold for. He tugged Yin Chang, "Hey, how much should we sell these for?"

Yin Chang was also not sure, "Five yuan each?"

Qin Jingshan hastily said, "Is that a bit expensive? I bought a cake with an egg in the city before, and it was only five yuan."

The three of them huddled together and discussed, and finally Huang Han told the old lady, "Two yuan each. There are at least thirty here, so that's sixty yuan. We'll give you the basket too."

The old lady looked shocked, "Sixty? That's robbery!"

The onlookers nearby were also frightened by the price, muttering "scammers" and "so expensive," and scattered in an instant.

For the small town residents struggling with life, even a good-looking appearance couldn't support two yuan per egg.

Huang Han was completely crushed by the sudden coldness and defeat, lamenting, "Oh, so eggs are really cheap?"

Qin Jingshan asked, "Then how much can we sell all these things for?"

Yin Chang said, "Maybe at most fifty?"

A chilly wind blew, and the three of them instantly fell into a pessimistic mood.

Huang Han weakly shouted, "Fellow villagers... come and see... fresh eggs... persimmons... sweet potatoes... red dates..."

Yin Chang and Qin Jingshan: "... "Why does it sound so wrong?"

Huang Han couldn't be relied on. Qin Jingshan stood up and gathered his courage to shout, "Eggs are cheap! Persimmons are cheap! Everything is cheap!"

When people heard "cheap," more people gathered around to ask for prices. Qin Jingshan put on a smile and enthusiastically promoted, "Uncle, my younger siblings picked these eggs themselves, and we don't know what the appropriate price is. You can offer whatever you want to pay."

The uncle saw Qin Jingshan's smile and was happy, so he generously said, "The normal price for eggs here is fifty cents each, but I'll give you fifty-five cents each. Give me ten of the larger ones."

After the uncle left with the eggs, the three of them were both happy and sad. They were happy that they had finally made their first sale, but they were sad because ten eggs only sold for five yuan and fifty cents! The uncle had given them the extra fifty cents, as if he were giving them an extra five hundred yuan. It was really frustrating!

After experiencing the difficulties of life, the three of them continued to sell with renewed energy. Perhaps because they had already experienced success once, they quickly sold their goods. In just half an hour, all they had left was a roll of cloth.

Although their income was not much, they were proud of themselves for selling everything.

"I'm going to see how they're doing." Qin Jingshan stood up and walked a few steps to Lang Chizhi's stall, only to find that none of his items had sold.

Lang Chizhi was guarding his pens, paintings, and fans, and was almost in tears. They were treasures that Guo Yiheng had carefully selected, but no one was interested in them.

Although he felt sorry for him, Qin Jingshan realized that it was reasonable. The prices here were only at the level of fifty-five cents per egg, and most people only cared about their basic needs. Who had spare money to buy art?

Qin Jingshan then went to check on Wang Chen's stall in another direction, but he saw a large group of people surrounding it from afar.

As he approached, Qin Jingshan heard Wang Chen's singing in the middle of the crowd.

"What's up? Come in! ... Look at me? I'm the King! I'm the King! ..." He sang.

After the task was over, everyone headed back to the village corner. The little ones stood at the entrance to welcome them. Xue Ziwen hid in the back, and when he saw Wang Chen, his face turned red.

Wang Chen gave Xue Ziwen a glance before beckoning him closer with a crooked finger. Xue Ziwen puckered his lips and timidly called out "Uncle."

They guessed right. This group of kids had actually watched the livestream, or else Xue Ziwen would never act like this.

Wang Chen gave him a light slap on the back of his head and chuckled, "You idiot!"

Xue Ziwen laughed awkwardly, and the delicious food that Wang Chen brought back made him forget about his unhappiness. He quickly followed Wang Chen, who he had reconciled with completely.

During lunch, the staff called out Yin Chang separately and gave him a task book. They told him to open it after lunch and not let Shao Junling know.

"What could it be? So secretive..." Yin Chang wondered.

After lunch was a brief rest period. Yin Chang found a secluded corner and opened the task book. It said "Hide and Seek".

The task required him to quietly go to the location shown on the map and hide there. When Shao Junling realized he was missing, he would go out to search for him. Every group of guests did this task, and whoever found their siblings the fastest would be the winner.

"Heh, interesting," Yin Chang thought, looking at Shao Junling, sound asleep on the bed. Yin Chang left quietly without waking him up.

The location on the map seemed to be on a mountain, and the task book had several landmarks drawn on it. However, Yin Chang walked for a while before seeing the first one.

"Is it that far?" Yin Chang asked the staff following him. "Will he be able to find it?"

The staff revealed, "He will receive clues."

Only then did Yin Chang feel at ease. He walked quickly towards the destination, and after about forty minutes, he finally arrived at the designated location. It was a cave, with a recliner inside and a small table next to it with a teapot and teacups on it.

"You guys are pretty humane..." Yin Chang smiled and lay down on the recliner. He propped up his long legs, and waited for Shao Junling to find him while resting leisurely.

The cave was cool, and as Yin Chang lay there, he began to feel drowsy and unknowingly fell asleep.

When he woke up, Shao Junling was still nowhere to be seen.

Yin Chang took a sip of tea, glanced at the cameraman and staff yawning next to him, and walked outside the cave. He was halfway up the mountain and judging by the position of the sun, it was almost four o'clock in the afternoon.

Yin Chang frowned. Shao Junling was so smart and had a good sense of direction. According to reason, if there were any clues, he wouldn't be this late.

He returned to the cave and worriedly asked, "What if my brother doesn't come to find me?"

The staff replied, "...He will come."

Yin Chang could only patiently wait. After about half an hour, he finally heard a rush of footsteps outside.

Yin Chang rushed out and saw Shao Junling. He happily said, "Why did you come so late? I've been waiting for you for so long!"

Shao Junling wiped his sweat, "Hmm."

Whenever this happened, Yin Chang wanted to mock Shao Junling's indifference. He was nearly dead from impatience, but this guy was always so calm.

"How long did he take?" Yin Chang asked the staff as they were descending the mountain. "It's been almost three hours, hasn't it?"

"Around there." the staff member smiled mysteriously.

As they approached the village, Shao Junling suddenly stopped and took out a red ribbon the width of his palm from his pocket. He turned to Yin Chang, "Brother, you need to be blindfolded."

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

🍁 Vignette

Shao Junling: Silly brother, you got fooled and didn't even realize it.

🍁 Translator’s Note:

💕 Chapter sponsored by Yaara. Thank you for taking my kofi virginity! It was great 10/10 💕

🍁  Previous | ToC | Next  🍁

🍁🍁🍁 want extra chapters? 🍁🍁🍁

🍁🍁🍁 will love you 5 ever 🍁🍁🍁

The Perfect Relationship Ch 59

 🍁 The Perfect Relationship 🍁 by Xi He Qing Ling

Ch 59: The Bath

Several eggs in the basket were indeed broken due to the recent jolting. Shao Junling held the broken eggs with heartache. Yin Chang felt sorry for him.

If he hadn't watched the livestream, Yin Chang would never have imagined that Shao Junling would pick up the broken basket, make straps with hemp rope, and even dig sweet potatoes in the field and pick persimmons from the trees.

Unlike other children, Shao Junling had also found things like brushes and scrolls during the treasure hunt, but had ignored them. In his eyes, food was the most valuable thing. Only children who have suffered from hunger and hardship knew the value of food.

This had nothing to do with IQ. It was Shao Junling's common sense.

But Yin Chang did not believe that he had learned these things at the welfare institution. It was very likely Shao Junling's experience before the age of five.

Moreover, Shao Junling did not leave You Luming behind. He’d carried the weight of three people alone like an adult--although his help to Qin Xifeng was based on mutual benefit, no matter what, Shao Junling's performance was commendable.

Yin Chang wiped off the sweat sliding down his temples and praised him, "You did a great job today. You worked hard."

A slight blush dusted Shao Junling's cheeks. It was rare for him to be so warmly gazed at and praised by Yin Chang, and he felt a little uneasy.

Yin Chang rubbed his sweaty hair and smiled, "You're all sticky. I'll give you a bath after the shoot."

Shao Junling: "......"

A few minutes later, Xue Ziwen finally came back carrying the tree root.

He sweated profusely and hadn't arrived yet, but was already shouting from a distance to Wang Chen, "Uncle! Uncle! Come and help me!"

Wang Chen gritted his teeth and went forward to ask for an explanation, "What is this?"

Xue Ziwen excitedly boasted, "Doesn't it look like the wooden one in our house?"

Wang Chen frowned, "What wooden one?"

Xue Ziwen asked, "The one on the shelf next to the living room TV in our house! Mom said that thing is very expensive!"

It took Wang Chen a long time to link this worthless thing that his brother had picked up on the roadside with the million-dollar cypress wood carving in his home, "That's art! How can you compare it to this junk that you can find on the side of the road?"

Xue Ziwen was so anxious that he jumped up and down, "It's almost the same!"

Wang Chen said, "It's not even close! What you picked up is garbage!"

After a moment of hesitation, Xue Ziwen's eyes turned red and he burst into tears. He was so upset that he had put so much effort into finding this treasure, only to be criticized and mocked by Wang Chen in front of so many people. He cried and shouted, "You're the garbage! You're the garbage!"

Insulted like this, Wang Chen was so angry that his eyes nearly rolled back. "You're calling me garbage?"

Seeing that Wang Chen was getting angrier, Xue Ziwen lay on the ground and started to throw a tantrum, wailing, "Waaah! You're the garbage! Waaah!"

Wang Chen was originally a popular star and couldn't stand being insulted like this, especially by his own nephew. He didn't care about his image anymore and shouted back, "Say that one more time and see what happens!"

The program team intervened and separated the two before they could come to exchanging blows. The other guests could only watch from the sidelines.

However, the day's activities were not yet over. When the situation had stabilized a bit, the host urged them to move on to the next location.

The second activity was learning to make traditional clay oven roasted chicken with the local villagers, which would be their dinner for the night.

The purpose of the activity was mainly to promote local cuisine and traditional cooking methods, so there were only some pop quizzes throughout the process and no rewards or punishments.

Due to the high temperature near the clay oven, the children watched from a designated area, while the older brothers and sisters helped the professionals. After the chicken was roasted, the guests sat around the clay oven and ate the crispy rice and pickled vegetables made by the villagers.

Because Wang Chen and Xue Ziwen had just fought, even with the staff’s intervention, their relationship was tense.

As a celebrity, Wang Chen could still pretend in front of the camera, but Xue Ziwen was still a child. He was sulking, clearly unhappy.

The guests sensed the tension, so during the meal, a few little ones gathered around Xue Ziwen under the urging of their elder siblings, and gave him chicken legs, and chicken wings, to try to cheer him up.

Children were easily influenced by each other, and Xue Ziwen soon regained his smile. However, just because he played with the other children, it didn't mean he had forgiven Wang Chen.

As soon as dinner ended, Xue Ziwen went to find Shao Junling, "Shao Junling, can I sleep at your place tonight?"

The beds in the cave were clay stove beds. These beds were big enough for four people to sleep on.

Shao Junling looked up at Yin Chang, asking for Yin Chang's opinion. But Yin Chang was on the fence, since after all, Wang Chen was Xue Ziwen's guardian. If they were to take Xue Ziwen in, they had to ask Wang Chen first.

Coincidentally, Wang Chen was also paying attention to Xue Ziwen's movements. When he realized Xue Ziwen didn't want to go back with him, he was so angry that his face alternated red and white. He glared at Yin Chang, then turned around and walked away.

The uncle and nephew were both throwing a tantrum, and Yin Chang found himself caught in the middle and feeling overwhelmed.

The camera crew continued to film, and Yin Chang didn't have the heart to refuse Xue Ziwen, so he took the little guy back to their lodging.

It was still early, just after seven, and the summer night was still bright outside.

Yin Chang intended to talk to Xue Ziwen, but since it was still early, he decided to wait and see what happened. Perhaps Xue Ziwen would change his mind on his own, or Wang Chen would come looking for his nephew.

The program rules prohibited electronic devices, so Yin Chang read a book to pass the time.

The two little guys had their own way of getting along. Xue Ziwen was quite the chatterbox, and chatted with Shao Junling. As long as Shao Junling responded, even if it was a single word, Xue Ziwen would excitedly chatter for half a day.

So, Yin Chang was just laying on the bed, reading a book and listening to the two little guys chatter.

"...My favorite hero to play is Sun Wukong. In the early game, he develops slowly, but later on, with his golden cudgel, he's unbeatable," Xue Ziwen seemed to be talking to Shao Junling about a game, "Once, I encountered a Big sister who wanted to stun me and kill me with one shot! But she failed, and I had just a sliver of health left. Ha ha ha, I charged forward with a three-hit combo, and smashed that vixen to the ground!"

Shao Junling gave a thumbs up. "You're really good."

Yin Chang: "…"

Xue Ziwen: "There are even more fun heroes, like Sun Ce. He can drive a boat and knock opponents unconscious by charging at them. He can also swing his hammer 2A2A and axe the opponent to death!"

Shao Junling: "Amazing."

Yin Chang: "??? What was this mess?"

Although he didn't understand what they were talking about, Yin Chang came to a conclusion: Shao Junling's ability to express himself was improving due to Xue Ziwen!

"Is anyone there?" Huang Han's voice sounded from outside the door.

"En."

Because it was scorching hot, and there was no air conditioning in the countryside, the doors were open to ventilate.

Huang Han brought You Luming in and smiled, "Little Luming wanted to play with your brother, so I brought her over to visit."

"Welcome..." Yin Chang sat up on the bed.

As soon as You Luming entered, she let go of Huang Han's hand and ran to Shao Junling's side, calling out sweetly, "Brother Junling!"

Huang Han sat down next to Yin Chang with exaggerated sorrow. "I've fallen out of favor…"

Yin Chang smiled, but he felt a little strange in his heart. He hadn't seen Shao Junling be particularly enthusiastic towards You Luming. Could it really be that this little girl was swayed by a twig? That was too strange.

Just as they finished chatting with Huang Han, another voice sounded outside the door, "Oh, you guys are here too?"

Huang Han looked up and saw that it was the Qin sisters, "Are you guys out for a walk? Come in and sit!"

Qin Xifeng hesitated at the door and was pushed in by her older sister Qin Jingshan, "I’m dropping off my sister," Qin Jingshan pointed outside the door, "Wang Chen is sitting under that tree alone so I'm going to talk to him."

Yin Chang and Huang Han exchanged a glance. They realized Wang Chen was probably not in a good mood, and Qin Jingshan wanted to comfort him.

"I'll go too," Huang Han stood up, "Haha... I'll leave my sister in your care."

Yin Chang: "??? Is this a daycare center?"

After Qin Jingshan and Huang Han left, the little ones started playing a game of tag.

They didn't know who started it, but just like a cat chasing a mouse, once someone started running, someone else would instinctively start chasing. The two little girls had nowhere to hide. They screamed as they clambered onto the bed and sought refuge behind Yin Chang.

Yin Chang had wanted to lie down and continue reading, but he couldn't focus on the book with them making such a ruckus.

Helpless, he blocked Shao Junling, who was staring at them hungrily, "Hey, don't bully girls."

Shao Junling didn't listen, in the world of children's games, there were no boys or girls, only winners and losers.

He focused on Yin Chang and suddenly pounced on his side, reaching out and grabbing Qin Xifeng's wrist.

Shao Junling exclaimed, "Gotcha!" and turned around to run. The rules of the game were simple: you try to catch me. If you do, the roles are reversed, and I have to catch you.

Qin Xifeng laughed and climbed down from the bed to catch Shao Junling. You Lu Ming was still hiding behind Yin Chang, laughing and cheering Qin Xifeng on, "Go, sister, go!"

However, boys always had a natural advantage in this kind of game. Shao Junling was agile and Qin Xifeng couldn't even touch his clothes. Even if she did, he could use his strength to break free and run away.

You Lu Ming became anxious and pulled Yin Chang's arm, dragging him down, "Brother Yin Chang, help us! Help us!"

Yin Chang: "..."

He was an adult, over 1.8 meters tall, how could he play with these children? Wasn't that bullying?

But he couldn't resist You Lu Ming's insistence, so Yin Chang was forced to join the game.

He walked outside and called out, "Come on, everyone."

The kids followed him out, and Yin Chang opened his arms, "You guys hide behind me...Shao Junling, you come catch us!"

Yin Chang changed the game from "you catch me, I escape" to "the eagle catches the chick," which was more fair for the children.

With all this going on, the scene became even more chaotic. The whole yard was filled with the laughter of children, and even the twin brothers who weren't far away came over when they heard the commotion.

"Ah! They're all here!" Lang Chizhi saw them playing games and his eyes lit up, itching to join.

Although the twins had a feud with Shao Junling and Xue Ziwen, Yin Chang wasn't petty. He waved them to join in. Games were the best way to resolve conflicts between children, and after a few rounds, the kids had indeed become good friends.

When Huang Han and the others returned, they saw this scene of harmony.

"Wow! Yin Chang, I didn't know you were so good with kids!" Huang Han exclaimed with delight.

Yin Chang, having played the role of "mother hen" for half a day, was exhausted. Seeing the guardians come back, he stopped, "Alright, that's enough for today!"

It was getting late, and Yin Chang saw Wang Chen behind Huang Han and Qin Jingshan. They had probably talked enough.

But Xue Ziwen saw Wang Chen and immediately hid behind Yin Chang, as if still immersed in the game, and refused to come out.

Yin Chang turned around and asked Xue Ziwen, "Xue Ziwen, you have to go back with your uncle."

Xue Ziwen puffed out his cheeks, "I don't want to!"

Yin Chang squatted down and patiently persuaded him, "You came to participate in the program, so you should know the rules of the program. You and your uncle are a team. Do you know what it means to be a team?"

This was an English word taught in first grade, and Xue Ziwen naturally knew it. De International School also often emphasized the importance of teamwork.

Yin Chang said, "You have to work together. Your uncle didn't mean to hurt you. He has to take the wood you collected to the market tomorrow and sell it. If he can't get a good price, you'll have to suffer with him, so he's feeling pressure."

Xue Ziwen clenched his fists and insisted, "It will sell for a good price!"

Yin Chang smiled, "Then you'll get to feel justified tomorrow, won't you?"

Xue Ziwen was persuaded. He stole a glance at Wang Chen, who was waiting for him outside. But when he thought of Wang Chen's attitude, he still felt very wronged.

At this time, Shao Junling spoke up, "Just give in to him"

Xue Ziwen protested, "He's the adult. Why should I have to give in to him?"

Shao Junling said earnestly, "Sometimes adults can be stupid too."

Xue Ziwen was receptive to Shao Junling's advice. He looked at the wise Shao Junling and then glanced at the nearby cameraman. He nodded, "Okay! I want the whole country to see how magnanimous I am!"

Yin Chang: "..."

With everyone's "unity and cooperation," Xue Ziwen finally went back with Wang Chen.

Afterwards, Yin Chang breathed a sigh of relief and took Shao Junling back to the room to wash up.

For Yin Chang, giving Shao Junling a bath was troublesome. The little guy was too restless, dodging and weaving around like a slippery eel. Despite this, Shao Junling really enjoyed being "waited on" by Yin Chang. Yin Chang discovered this after helping him take wash after their fight last time. Furthermore, Yin Chang believed this kind of interaction could strengthen their brotherly bond. After their last shower, Shao Junling had clung to him like a kitten, curling up in his arms when they went to sleep.

So this afternoon, Yin Chang used this as a "reward" for Shao Junling.

While showering, Yin Chang thought of Shao Junling's words to persuade Xue Ziwen and curiously asked, "Did you really think you gave into me before you came to participate in the program?"

"Yep," Shao Junling replied.

"What do you mean 'yep'?" Yin Chang laughed so hard he used a bit too much force while scrubbing, "So tell me, when have you given in to me?"

"In so many ways" Shao Junling counted them off on his fingers, "You're wasteful, too kind, have a bad memory... and you don't give me face^[1]."

Yin Chang was speechless as he listened, and his movements stopped.

Shao Junling looked into Yin Chang's beautiful eyes that were so close to him and blushed, "I give in to you."

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

🍁 Vignette

Yin Chang: "I'll give you a bath after the shoot."

(Internal thoughts) Ah, it's a bit of a hassle, but I have to find some way to reward him.

Shao Junling: "Although I'm really shy, if my brother wants to... you can wash me." (/ω＼)

🍁 Translator’s Notes:

1: face = pride. Losing face means losing pride so being in an embarrassing or shameful situation. Not giving someone face is not letting them escape an embarrassing situation, or putting someone in an embarrassing situation.

🍁  Previous | ToC | Next  🍁

🍁🍁🍁 want extra chapters? 🍁🍁🍁

🍁🍁🍁 will love you 5 ever 🍁🍁🍁