Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Lin Yi discovered something peculiar on a patch of grass.

He wasn't entirely sure if it was the species he thought it might be, so he squatted down to examine it closely.

In front of him on the grass, there was a rather unusual plant. It looked like a plant, but not quite, as it had only a bare stem without any leaves.

Seeing Lin Yi squatting and observing something, Shen Feng approached curiously. "What are you looking at?"

Lin Yi pointed with his finger. "This..."

Shen Feng glanced down. "Isn't that just a stem? What's so interesting about it?"

Lin Yi gave him a sidelong glance. "Who knows? It could be a rare species."

Hearing Lin Yi's words, Shen Feng looked again and said dismissively, "Really? It looks pretty ordinary to me."

Not far away, He Nian watched the two squatting figures with displeasure.

He wanted to ingratiate himself with Shen Feng, but Shen Feng always seemed to follow Lin Yi around.

What was so special about Lin Yi that everyone favored him?

He Nian had tried to curry favor with Shen Feng several times before but had been rebuffed each time. Still, he wanted to try again.

He couldn't bear the thought of such valuable connections falling into Lin Yi's hands.

Shen Feng came from a wealthy family; his father had founded a listed company that was now thriving.

He Nian was accustomed to building connections and didn't want to miss this opportunity.

With that thought, He Nian walked over to where Lin Yi and Shen Feng were.

Over here, Lin Yi had been examining the object on the ground for some time. Then, he broke off a stick and began digging it out.

Although Shen Feng thought Lin Yi was wasting his time, he stayed and squatted down to watch.

Unexpectedly, Lin Yi soon unearthed something strange.

The object had a stem-like upper part and a worm-like lower part.

Shen Feng's eyes widened. "What is this thing...?"

Just as Lin Yi was about to speak, He Nian interjected, "This must be Cordyceps sinensis."

To impress Shen Feng, He Nian explained earnestly, "It's said that a worm gets infected by bacteria in winter, and then in summer, grass grows from one end of the worm."

Feeling pleased with himself, He Nian recalled reading about Cordyceps sinensis in books he had read to establish an image of being well-read. Although he had forgotten most of the details, he thought his explanation sounded good enough.

He Nian deliberately glanced at Lin Yi, thinking his cousin probably didn't know anything about Cordyceps sinensis.

But unexpectedly, Lin Yi met his gaze and said lightly, "Are you sure it's bacteria? I think it's fungi."

He Nian: "..."

He never expected to make such a mistake. His face turned red, and he stammered, "Well, they're... similar."

Why would someone like Lin Yi remember such obscure knowledge and embarrass him in front of everyone?

Lin Yi responded with an ambiguous smile. "Sure, if you say they're similar, they're similar."

He Nian: "..."

Was Lin Yi doing this on purpose to expose his ignorance?

He Nian panicked. "I... I was just making a casual comment. Cousin, you don't need to be so nitpicky. This isn't a science show."

Lin Yi replied, "I'm not being nitpicky. I said what I said."

He Nian: "..."

Why was Lin Yi so good at talking? He was completely outmatched.

"He Nian is truly exasperating."

"Exactly. He thought he was right and looked at Lin Yi smugly, but when Lin Yi corrected him, he became so defensive."

"What does he mean by 'not a science show'? Does that mean he can say whatever he wants?"

"So, how did someone like He Nian get so many fans in the first place?"

"It's simple; he's a master at pretending."

"Yes, I have people like him around me too. They act all innocent but are actually quite malicious. It's disgusting!"

"I wish He Nian would lose all his fans. I'd celebrate with fireworks."

"At first, He Nian looked down on this kids' show, thinking he was slumming it. Now, he's clinging to its popularity and won't leave even after so many mishaps. Anyone else would have quit by now."

"He Nian has such thick skin. Unless the producers kick him out, he'll stay."

"Ugh, there's a saying: the more shameless, the more invincible."

He Nian was unwilling to be outshone by Lin Yi and wanted to say something more.

At that moment, Shen Feng frowned in displeasure and said, "Who asked for your lecture? Keep blabbering like that, and it's driving me crazy!"

When Shen Feng's young master temper flared up, he didn't care who the other person was; he would lash out if he felt like it.

The words that He Nian was about to say got stuck in his throat, and his face changed color momentarily.

"Hahaha, good one, Shen Feng!"

"I declare Shen Feng my voice!"

"I finally understand why Shen Feng has so many fans; sometimes his words are just too satisfying!"

Next, Lin Yi found several more caterpillar fungus plants.

Caterpillar fungus is a rare item, which is why it commands such a high price—rarity makes things valuable.

Unexpectedly, Lin Yi’s luck was through the roof, and he found five or six of them in succession.

The key was that he hadn’t even been looking for them specifically; he just happened to spot them casually.

Shen Feng, standing beside him, was dumbfounded. "If I hadn't been watching, I'd have suspected you planted them yourself."

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow. "Do I look that idle?"

Shen Feng: "..."

Sometimes, one had to admit that a person's luck could be quite mysterious.

The netizens were even more excited.

"I need to worship Lin Yi!"

"Lin Yi's luck is like cheating."

"Worship Lin Yi, praying for success in my final exams."

"If I'm going to worship Lin Yi, I hope my family stays healthy and everything goes well."

"Then I should worship Lin Yi too, hoping for genuine love in the second half of the year."

For a moment, the live stream chat exploded with messages.

Soon, this incident even made it onto the trending topics, attracting a large number of curious viewers. They discovered Lin Yi, a hidden gem, and became fans, following the show closely.

In a short time, the number of people in the live stream increased by nearly a million.

The director, seeing these numbers backstage, couldn't stop smiling.

Never did they expect that Lin Yi would emerge as such a dark horse in their program. It seemed that as long as Lin Yi was there, their ratings wouldn't be a concern.

Soon, after spending some time on the snowy mountain, the guests set off to return to their tent base.

After all the hustle and bustle, everyone was feeling hungry.

Lin Yi was also a bit hungry, so he went to the makeshift kitchen to see if there was anything edible.

To his surprise, he found a piece of mutton.

But how should he prepare it?

Lin Yi originally didn't know how to cook, but after training during the show, he gradually picked up some skills.

He examined the mutton for a while and decided to make skewers.

Saying no more, he washed the mutton, cut it into small pieces, placed them in a bowl, and added some seasonings to marinate.

"Wow, our Linlin is becoming more and more like a chef."

"Indeed, smart people learn quickly."

"Back when he first joined the show, Lin Yi didn't know how to cook at all. Now he can make simple dishes."

On the other side, Zhou Ke realized he couldn't blend in with the other guests or participate in their conversations, so he quietly stepped aside.

Being socially anxious, he always wished to hide himself away.

If there were invisibility cloaks in the world, he would definitely buy one.

At that moment, Zhou Ke caught sight of Lin Yi out of the corner of his eye.

He immediately felt relieved and walked over to Lin Yi.

He enjoyed being around Lin Yi.

Mainly because Lin Yi had a unique aura that was hard to describe—a subtle yet magical feeling. Being with him was never awkward and was even comfortable.

Sure enough, when Zhou Ke approached, Lin Yi naturally asked, "Are you here to help?"

Zhou Ke felt particularly relaxed around Lin Yi and nodded. "Yes, is it okay?"

Lin Yi smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Of course it's okay. Why wouldn't it be?"

Zhou Ke also smiled. "I can't help much, but tell me what to do."

At that moment, Lin Yi placed some metal skewers in front of Zhou Ke. "Wash these skewers and start threading the meat."

Zhou Ke: "Okay."

After saying that, he started working diligently.

At this moment, Shen Feng eagerly approached.

When he saw Lin Yi making lamb skewers, he immediately exclaimed, "Make more! I want to eat too!"

Lin Yi glanced at him and ordered, "If you want to eat, get to work quickly."

Shen Feng instantly retorted, "Why do you talk to me so rudely? I clearly heard you speaking to Zhou Ke just now in a much nicer tone. Why the double standards?"

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow and said, "Can you compare yourself to Zhou Ke?"

Shen Feng jumped up, "Why not?"

He didn't actually care about Zhou Ke, but if Lin Yi thought he was inferior to Zhou Ke, he wouldn't be happy.

Taking advantage of Zhou Ke going to wash the metal skewers and not hearing their conversation, Lin Yi slowly said, "Zhou Ke is naturally quiet, so I speak to him in a gentle tone. As for you, tsk tsk..."

Lin Yi paused, but his unspoken words were clear.

Shen Feng: "..."

Aaahhh!!

So what kind of terrible impression does he have in Lin Yi's mind?

"Hahaha, Shen Feng is like a puppy vying for attention."

"I'm dying of laughter; even Shen Feng has his day."

"Everyone, look, Shen Feng is getting riled up!"

Shen Feng stood there, his emotions shifting.

But Lin Yi paid no attention to him, continuing to prepare the ingredients after a few words, not even glancing his way.

Shen Feng: "..."

For some reason, he suddenly felt a bit wronged.

As if he had been ignored.

After a few seconds of silence, Shen Feng huffed, "No matter what you think, we're friends now, and I'm going to stick with you."

Lin Yi: "..."

He finally gave Shen Feng a glance, "Are you three years old?"

Shen Feng continued to huff, "What's it to you?"

Then he muttered to himself, "What's so bad about being friends with me? I do have some good qualities, right..."

Shen Feng kept grumbling like a stubborn child.

Lin Yi couldn't help but laugh, "Alright, alright, being friends with you is great. I'm glad to be your friend, okay? So stop nagging, my ears are going to grow calluses."

Shen Feng pouted, "Hmph! You deserve it!"

Lin Yi: "..."

He really suspected Shen Feng was a three-year-old.

Actually, that would be an insult to three-year-olds, since the real three-year-old Huo Mianmian was very well-behaved.

Half an hour later, Lin Yi instructed Shen Feng and the others to make lamb skewers while he built a fire in the sand.

Once all the wood burned down, a pile of red-hot charcoal remained.

By then, all the lamb skewers were ready.

Lin Yi inserted one end of the metal skewers into the sand at an angle and secured them, allowing the meat to be roasted by the charcoal.

He arranged all the skewers around the charcoal and waited.

The lamb provided by the show was exceptionally fresh and tender. Sprinkled with barbecue seasoning, it looked even more appetizing.

The high heat from the charcoal caused the meat on the skewers to sizzle and release oil, which dripped onto the coals, creating a delicious aroma.

The adults gathered around the lamb, all drooling.

The children, who were playing with sand on a nearby dune, soon caught the scent of the lamb.

One by one, they rushed back like little birds with wings.

Huo Mianmian spotted Lin Yi in the crowd and came over.

Lin Yi reached out to brush the sand off him, "How was it? Is the desert fun?"

In recent days, whenever Huo Mianmian had free time, he would sit alone in the desert, playing with the sand, never tiring of it.

Sure enough, Huo Mianmian nodded happily when Lin Yi asked, "Fun."

Lin Yi smiled, "We can come back again if we have the chance."

His little one rarely liked something so much, so he naturally had to satisfy him as much as possible.

Huo Mianmian was about to continue talking with Lin Yi when a delicious aroma wafted over to him.

He immediately twitched his small nose, sniffing carefully before his eyes lit up and he said to Lin Yi, "Dad, it smells amazing."

Lin Yi smiled and said, "Of course, your dad made it himself."

Huo Mianmian cooperated perfectly with a "Wow!" and then added, "Doesn't that mean Dad is going to be a culinary god?"

Lin Yi boasted shamelessly, "Of course, unifying the culinary world is just around the corner!"

Huo Mianmian continued to look at Lin Yi with starry eyes. "Then I can have lots of delicious food."

Lin Yi: "Absolutely!"

"Hahaha, what's going on with this father-son conversation? It's killing me!"

"Lin Yi is getting too full of himself!"

"Lin Yi, wake up! You just made some lamb skewers, not a full-course banquet!"

"Who would have thought Lin Yi could be so childish."

"Mainly because Mianmian is so cooperative; it's hilarious."

"Mianmian is his dad's loyal fan. No matter what his dad says, he supports him."

After a while, all the lamb skewers were fully cooked.

Lin Yi gave Huo Mianmian a skewer with less seasoning and then picked up another one loaded with spices for himself.

His own skewer looked incredibly flavorful.

Each piece of lamb was covered in various barbecue seasonings, glistening with oil and emitting an enticing aroma.

Lin Yi bit into a piece of lamb from the skewer, feeling immensely satisfied.

The quality of the meat was excellent to begin with, and after being grilled, it became crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, enhanced by the flavors of the seasonings. It was simply divine.

After taking one bite, Lin Yi quickly took another.

"Ahhh, I'm drooling just watching this."

"Same here, I just ate, but now I'm hungry again."

"I can't take it anymore; I'm getting up to grab a snack."

"Lin Yi, have you ever considered doing live streams? Every time you eat, it looks so tempting."

"Mostly because he's so good-looking; just sitting there is pleasing to the eye. Eating such delicious food makes it even more mouthwatering."

On this day, the guests arrived at their final day of the trip.

Early in the morning, they got up, packed their things, and waited for their ride to the airport.

They had spent many days in the desert, thoroughly experiencing its charm.

The endless sand dunes, the various exotic species, and the clear night sky filled with stars all left them reluctant to leave.

This desert trip was considered a complete success.

"Ahhh, I don't want to leave! I haven't seen enough!"

"I'm really starting to love this show!"

"Wah, can't we have more?"

"I'll miss my Lin Yi wife and little Mianmian so much."

"Yes, their interactions are so beautiful; they've healed me."

"Don't worry, the next episode should be coming soon."

"I wonder where they'll go next? I can't wait!!"

"I've seen so many beautiful sights through this show."

"Go team! Keep making the show better and better!!"

"See you all in the next episode!!"

After bidding farewell to the others, Lin Yi took Huo Mianmian to the car waiting for them.

Unexpectedly, Shen Feng also brought Song Yutao to their car. "Wait, we're coming too!"

Lin Yi turned to look at Shen Feng in confusion. "Why are you coming?"

Shen Feng couldn't believe it. "Have you forgotten our agreement?"

Lin Yi: "What agreement?"

Shen Feng said irritably, "You really forgot? We agreed to go to your place to stream gaming together. You even took an endorsement, and you've already forgotten?"

On the day they arrived in the desert, Lin Yi became the new game endorser, endorsing a well-known competitive game alongside Shen Feng.

The game company required them to stream.

Since Lin Yi had a gaming room, it was more convenient to stream from his place.

Lin Yi: "…"

His memory wasn't bad, so he naturally hadn't forgotten about the endorsement.

However, he didn't expect Shen Feng to want to follow him home right after the show ended.

At this moment, seeing Lin Yi's silence, Shen Feng narrowed his eyes and pretended to threaten him: "If you're backing out now and not letting me go to your place, do you believe I'll…?"

He stumbled for a moment, unable to come up with any harsh words, and simply said: "Anyway, you can't stop me from going!!"

Lin Yi: "…"

He sighed in exasperation: "Why can't we just go to an internet cafe?"

Shen Feng narrowed his eyes: "Are you really backing out?"

Lin Yi: "…"

To be honest, if it were his own house, he wouldn't mind bringing Shen Feng along.

But he was currently living in Huo Jihan's villa, and since they had a contractual marriage, things were a bit more complicated.

Lin Yi usually seemed carefree, but when faced with significant matters, he became rational and cautious.

He carefully recalled the agreement he had signed with Huo Jihan, checking if there was a clause prohibiting him from bringing others home.

After thinking for a while, he confirmed that there was no such rule.

So Lin Yi said to Shen Feng: "Let's go."

After all, he got the game because of Shen Feng; it wouldn't be fair to cut ties immediately.

Shen Feng was still taken aback: "What?"

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow: "Didn't you want to come to my place? Changed your mind?"

Shen Feng immediately said: "Yes, yes! Of course I want to go!!"

He wanted to get to know Lin Yi better, and being part of his daily life would help them become closer friends, right?

Lin Yi instructed the driver to start the car.

Then he sent a WeChat message to Huo Jihan, telling him he was bringing a friend home.

Huo Jihan didn't reply, probably because he was busy.

Lin Yi let it go.

Soon, the car drove forward.

He Nian stood there, watching the car disappear quickly, looking grim.

He had begged Lin Yi to take him back, but Lin Yi had rejected him without mercy. Now, he was taking someone else home?

Lin Yi truly was a heartless person.

But how could he get close to Huo Jihan?

He had initially planned to approach Huo Jihan through Lin Yi, but now it seemed that route was blocked. If he tried to meet Huo Jihan directly, the man wouldn't even acknowledge him.

So what should he do?

In the afternoon, Lin Yi and his group returned to the villa area.

The car first entered the outer iron gate and then drove inside.

Along the way, luxurious and high-end villas filled their view.

Well-maintained lawns, expensive potted plants, beautiful fountains, and various villa buildings…

Even though Shen Feng came from a distinguished background, he had to admit that compared to this, his own home was nothing.

So, the question was:

Why was Lin Yi's home so luxurious? To have such a vast villa area in the city center must mean his personal assets were astronomical.

Thinking about this, Shen Feng turned to Lin Yi, shocked: "So, are you secretly a super-rich tycoon?"

Lin Yi smiled but didn't say anything.

Of course, these weren't his; they belonged to his contractual marriage partner.

But he wouldn't explain that to Shen Feng.

The car drove for a long time before finally stopping in front of the main residence.

Lin Yi led Shen Feng out of the car: "Come on, we're here."

Shen Feng wasn't inexperienced, but at this moment, he was utterly stunned by everything around him.

He turned to Lin Yi: "Now I understand why you have a game room at home. It's hard to even leave the house."

Because Lin Yi's home was simply too big!!

Just walking from the main residence to the iron gate of the villa area would take ages!!

Hearing Shen Feng's words, Lin Yi joked: "Yeah, sometimes having a big house is a problem."

Shen Feng: "…"

Could he pass on this kind of trouble to him?!!

Upstairs in the study.

Huo Jihan sat behind the desk, handling some documents.

Li Feng stood with his hands at his sides, waiting for instructions from Huo Jihan.

At this moment, they faintly heard the sound of a car engine outside the villa, but the soundproofing of the study was too good to make it out clearly.

Before Huo Jihan could give an order, Li Feng spoke up, "Mr. Huo, should I go and check?"

After all, who would be driving here at this hour?

This villa area is privately owned by Mr. Huo, and there are rarely any car sounds around.

Huo Jihan nodded slightly, not taking his eyes off the documents.

Li Feng immediately left the study.

A moment later, Li Feng returned to the study, his tone carrying a hint of joy: "Mr. Huo, it's Mr. Lin and Young Master."

Huo Jihan paused in flipping through the documents, showing no discernible expression.

A moment later, he closed the file and stood up.

Downstairs, Lin Yi walked into the villa with Shen Feng, chatting as they went.

They had known each other for quite some time now and were familiar with one another, so their conversation naturally led to laughter.

When Huo Jihan came downstairs, he saw Lin Yi and a stranger entering.

The two were laughing and talking, looking very close.

Huo Jihan's gaze darkened even more.

At this moment, Lin Yi also noticed Huo Jihan and greeted him with a light smile, "Mr. Huo."

So Huo Jihan was at home.

When Shen Feng saw Huo Jihan, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and subconsciously held his breath.

The reason was simple; Huo Jihan's presence was overwhelmingly powerful.

It was a kind of oppressive aura.

Huo Jihan stood on the stairs in a black suit, his dark eyes seemingly empty, and when he looked down, it was enough to make one’s heart race.

Just one glance was enough to pin someone to the spot, unable to move.

The air around them seemed to freeze inch by inch.

Shen Feng stood stiffly in place.

Fortunately, Huo Jihan's gaze only lingered on him for a moment before turning to Lin Yi.

He looked at Lin Yi and asked, word by word, "Your guest?"