Chapter Thirty-Two: The Battlefield of Love?

At half past eight in the evening, the others were sitting together in the villa, eating dinner. They had ordered takeout.

Huang Zejun pushed a portion of chicken wings towards Jiang Lan, who thanked him.

Yang Jiaxing suddenly remarked, "Could they be on a date? That so-called mini date?"

Tang Zhichu and Zhou Yun were usually the first to return home, so why hadn't they come back yet?

Huang Zejun had already guessed as much, but since it didn't concern him, he kept quiet.

At Yang Jiaxing's comment, Huang Zejun thought to himself that someone was finally getting anxious.

"Probably not," Jiang Lan replied, then glanced at Chen Siyang.

Chen Siyang was engrossed in her food, seemingly unaffected by Yang Jiaxing's words.

Yang Jiaxing set down his chopsticks and insisted, "I'm sure they are!"

Seeing that Chen Siyang still ignored him, Yang Jiaxing mimicked Huang Zejun and slid his portion of crayfish next to Chen Siyang. "I'm full. Let me switch seats so you can reach it more easily."

Chen Siyang nodded. "Thank you. We should have Tang bring more crayfish tomorrow. The ones from his shop are really good."

Yang Jiaxing: "......"

Jiang Lan marveled silently—Chen Siyang was steadier than she had imagined.

Jiang Lan had intended to smooth things over, but it seemed unnecessary.

Truth be told, Jiang Lan was happy to see Chen Siyang and Tang Zhichu getting closer. She enjoyed shipping couples, and both of them were decent people. Especially Tang Zhichu, who still kept Jiang Lan's snacks on the coffee table in the living room.

As for whether they could avoid post-production censorship, that would be discussed after filming.

Tang Zhichu wanted Chen Siyang to integrate with the group, and Jiang Lan saw that. It also allowed Jiang Lan herself to blend in more.

She was just as taciturn as Chen Siyang in the villa.

"I agree. He should bring at least two portions!" Jiang Lan chimed in.

Huang Zejun looked up and took out his phone. "If you really want some, I could have someone run out and get it now."

Chen Siyang shook her head. "No need. Everyone should be full by now."

Huang Zejun laughed. "Just kidding. It's too late; delivery would take at least an hour. But we could all go to Zhichu's shop and have a meal sometime."

"That's not a bad idea," Jiang Lan replied with a smile.

A faint sound of the door opening caught everyone's attention.

Zhou Yun appeared in the living room first, followed by Tang Zhichu.

Tang Zhichu had intended to head upstairs, but seeing everyone gathered in the dining room, she changed course and joined them.

"Everyone's here. What's the delicious dinner tonight?" Tang Zhichu asked with a smile.

Jiang Lan glanced at Chen Siyang with a quiet smile. Chen Siyang put down her chopsticks and asked, "Have you eaten? There's still some left."

Tang Zhichu naturally took a seat next to Chen Siyang, who promptly pushed the crayfish towards her.

Yang Jiaxing watched in surprise and asked, "Did you really not eat?"

His choice of words was subtle; Chen Siyang had used "you," but Yang Jiaxing said "you two."

Tang Zhichu smiled, "We ate, but not enough."

Just then, Zhou Yun entered the dining room, shooting a dramatic eye roll. "How come you aren't stuffed?"

Yang Jiaxing's expression grew complicated; confirming the date made him feel a shift inside. He groused inwardly about how quickly women changed their minds.

Still, he looked at Tang Zhichu with a hint of schadenfreude. This scene should count as some sort of battle, yet he felt a twinge of jealousy.

Tang Zhichu appeared unfazed, even adopting a teasing tone. "Stuffed? Impossible. But exhausted—that's likely."

Zhou Yun took a seat beside Jiang Lan, directly across from Tang Zhichu.

Tang Zhichu wasn't bothered by the situation, but would Zhou Yun be? She seemed eager for the storm to intensify.

"Easy for you to say. With your stamina, you definitely need to eat more," Zhou Yun remarked.

Tang Zhichu began peeling crayfish, but before she finished, Chen Siyang placed the ones she had already peeled into Tang Zhichu's bowl.

The room suddenly fell silent—eerily so.

Huang Zejun turned away, not wanting to watch anymore, cursing inwardly.

What on earth? Why should it be like this?

Yang Jiaxing stared, feeling it was utterly unfair.

Jiang Lan was surprised, too. She sensed mutual affection between Chen Siyang and Tang Zhichu. Yet, after a date, Tang Zhichu returned and continued to interact intensely with her date.

And Chen Siyang was still peeling crayfish for him?

You are Chen Siyang!

Zhou Yun gave Chen Siyang a complicated look, thinking this finally felt like the behavior of an entertainer.

"Thank you," Tang Zhichu said, eating with a clear conscience.

Chen Siyang remained expressionless. "It's just not as good as the ones from your place."

"I'll bring more tomorrow," Tang Zhichu offered.

"And chicken feet too," Chen Siyang added.

"And rabbit heads—want those?" he asked.

"Yes."

Jiang Lan withdrew her gaze from Chen Siyang, thinking to herself that Chen Siyang was growing.

The once-confused Chen Siyang was beginning to transform.

Yang Jiaxing suddenly coughed twice, stood up, and said, "I'm a bit tired. I'll head upstairs."

The others told him to rest early.

Huang Zejun stayed put. He knew he couldn't leave, no matter what absurd scenes unfolded, or he'd be forever relegated to the sidelines.

Inside, he felt a tidal wave of shock. How did Tang Zhichu manage this?

An idol from a girl group, a gym owner—both attractive and remarkable, standing out in any crowd.

What gave him the right to have both of them make such compromises before him?

Huang Zejun glanced at Jiang Lan, relieved that someone like her—successful and mature—wouldn't lack restraint like the others.

"Is it good?" Zhou Yun spoke up again, not one to back down.

"It's all right," Tang Zhichu replied.

Zhou Yun stood up. "Let me try."

She reached into Tang Zhichu's takeout box and grabbed a crayfish, then turned to Jiang Lan. "Lan, help me roll up my sleeves. All we had on the mountain was fish!"

Hearing this, Tang Zhichu pulled the takeout box closer.

"See? You said I'd be stuffed. This is mine now; you can't touch it."

Chen Siyang nudged Tang Zhichu with her elbow and pushed the box to the center. "Don't be stingy. We can always order more."

It looked harmonious, yet neither would yield.

The atmosphere felt laden with an unspoken understanding—just like Yang Jiaxing, who had just left. Whoever withdrew first would be the loser.

Tang Zhichu's lips curled in a smile unseen by the others.

Success!

Six people on a romance show—how do you earn more screen time?

By developing dynamic emotional lines, of course.

Zhou Yun established a contest with Chen Siyang, and Tang Zhichu surely noticed. He simply used the opportunity to boost his standing in the eyes of the production team.

If Zhou Yun was truly clever, she'd realize later on that this worked in her favor as well.

And Chen Siyang?

Tang Zhichu believed she would eventually break through her own barriers—otherwise, why come here? To truly find a boyfriend?