Chapter 93

Chapter 93

In the evening, the show's production team assigned a task to the guests: each group was to prepare a local specialty dish.

Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian were tasked with making lotus root starch.

Lin Yi didn't mind this assignment.

After having dinner outside, he took Huo Mianmian to a supermarket and started buying lotus roots.

According to the store clerk, it was better to use tender lotus roots for making starch.

So Lin Yi bought a bag of tender lotus roots and headed back home.

Upon returning to their lodgings, Lin Yi brought the lotus roots he had bought into the kitchen and prepared to try making lotus root starch.

"Turns out you can make lotus root starch yourself? Forgive me for my ignorance; I've never been in a kitchen before."

"Of course you can make it yourself! It’s delicious!"

"Hurry up and buy some lotus roots; I want to make the same lotus root starch as Lin Yi!"

Lin Yi was getting ready.

Huo Mianmian obediently followed him, tiptoeing and leaning on the countertop, watching Lin Yi's every move intently. "Dad, what are you doing?"

Lin Yi replied, "Making lotus root starch. Once it's mixed, it's really good to drink. Do you want to try it?"

Huo Mianmian had tasted lotus root starch before. Now that Lin Yi reminded him, he remembered how delicious it was and nodded eagerly. "I want to drink it."

To increase his involvement, Lin Yi said, "Why don’t you bring a stool over and help me?"

Huo Mianmian was thrilled and ran off to fetch a stool, then stood on it.

Now he could reach the countertop.

Before starting to make the starch, Lin Yi opened a tutorial video and carefully noted down the steps.

After watching the video, he put away his phone and said to Huo Mianmian, "Sweetheart, let's get started!"

"Okay!"

Lin Yi rummaged through the kitchen and found a peeler.

He took out the lotus roots he had bought from the supermarket and began peeling them.

During this process, Huo Mianmian asked Lin Yi, "Dad, what do I need to do?"

He wanted to help too!

Lin Yi told him, "For now, just watch. I'll give you a task later."

Peeling lotus roots was quite difficult, so he wouldn't let a child do it.

Huo Mianmian looked at Lin Yi hopefully. "But I want to do something too."

Lin Yi thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you go have a glass of milk first? Drinking milk helps you grow taller."

Huo Mianmian nodded and went to get some milk.

A short while later, he returned with two boxes of milk.

He inserted a straw into one box and, standing on the stool, offered it to Lin Yi. "Dad, have some milk too. It will help you grow taller."

Lin Yi thought to himself that he was already twenty-six or twenty-seven and couldn't grow any more. But he didn't disappoint Huo Mianmian and took a sip. "Thanks, sweetheart. Dad will try to grow taller."

Huo Mianmian was delighted.

Next, Huo Mianmian took on the task of drinking milk.

Not only did he drink his own, but he also occasionally picked up Lin Yi's box and fed it to him.

The father and son drank milk together.

This brand of milk was thicker and sweeter than usual, and with each sip, they felt a sense of sweetness.

"I want to drink too!!"

"What I lack isn't milk; I lack a little one to feed me milk!!"

"Don't talk about it; I'm feeling envious."

Soon, Lin Yi had peeled all the lotus roots and washed them clean.

Then he cut them into pieces and put them into a blender...

After blending, he placed the ground lotus roots in cheesecloth and squeezed out the juice.

Lin Yi wrapped a small piece of the ground lotus roots in cheesecloth and handed it to Huo Mianmian. "Mianmian, squeeze the juice into the bowl."

Huo Mianmian, hearing he had a task, immediately put down his milk, washed his hands thoroughly, and then took the cheesecloth containing the ground lotus roots.

"Aaah, why is he so well-behaved?"

"I just want to scoop him up and run!"

Huo Mianmian held the cheesecloth with both hands and squeezed hard, extracting the juice.

He was very focused throughout the process, putting all his effort into it as if he had just finished drinking milk.

Lin Yi watched from the side, a relieved smile on his face.

His little treasure is truly amazing!

Next, Lin Yi also picked up a piece of gauze and started squeezing the lotus root juice.

The father and son worked together, squeezing out all the juice and filling a large basin.

Now, they just needed to wait for the lotus starch to settle at the bottom of the basin.

They would go to sleep now and by morning, it should be ready.

"My wife and son have worked so hard! Here's a kiss as a reward!"

"I'm looking forward to seeing what the lotus starch looks like tomorrow!"

"See you all tomorrow!"

The live stream ended.

The filming crew left.

Lin Yi took Huo Mianmian back to the bedroom to sleep.

Before bed, they continued their storytime routine.

Ever since Lin Yi found out that Huo Mianmian enjoyed listening to fairy tales, he always packed a storybook in his suitcase whenever he went out, so he could read them anytime.

At this moment, the surroundings were dark, pitch black.

Only the small wooden house in the bedroom was lit with a warm yellow light, which shone through the wooden windows.

From a distance, the little wooden house looked like a warm and cozy cottage from a fairy tale, inviting people to come closer.

In the bedroom, Lin Yi sat against the headboard, holding a storybook and slowly reading aloud.

His storytelling voice was soothing and pleasant to listen to.

Huo Mianmian, with his round eyes wide open, listened attentively.

After a while, Huo Mianmian tilted his head and asked Lin Yi, "Little Dad, why do bears always hibernate in winter?"

Lin Yi replied, "Because they can't find food in winter, and if they didn't hibernate, they would be very hungry."

Hearing this, Huo Mianmian frowned slightly. "Bears in winter are so pitiful."

Lin Yi explained, "That's just how nature works; there's nothing we can do about it."

Huo Mianmian didn't quite understand the concept of natural laws, but he had another curiosity. "Do the bears sleep the whole time without waking up when they hibernate?"

Lin Yi answered honestly, "I'm not sure, but I think that's probably the case."

Huo Mianmian, full of imagination, said, "Then do these bears have lots and lots of dreams? One after another?"

After all, winter is so long, giving them plenty of time to dream.

Lin Yi smiled and said, "I don't know if they dream, but if I ever meet a bear, I'll ask for you, okay?"

Huo Mianmian happily replied, "Okay~"

After finishing the story, it was time to sleep.

The father and son cuddled up and fell asleep.

The stars in the sky twinkled, as if playing a lullaby for them.

The next day arrived, and the live stream began.

After Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian woke up and had breakfast, they continued making their lotus starch.

After a night, the lotus starch had settled at the bottom of the basin.

Lin Yi poured off the clear water above, leaving only the lotus starch.

He scraped it out and placed it on a long tray, then set it under the sun to dry.

After some time, the lotus starch dried and turned into small chunks. Crushing these chunks resulted in the final product: lotus starch powder that could be dissolved in water.

Huo Mianmian, staring at the white powder, asked, "Little Dad, is this the lotus starch?"

Lin Yi smiled and said, "Yes, this is the lotus starch we made last night. You played a big part in getting this done, Mianmian."

Hearing this, Huo Mianmian's eyes curved into crescents, smiling widely.

"Mianmian's smile melts my heart."

"Now I know what it means to smile with your eyes like crescent moons."

Next, Lin Yi added some nuts and sugar to the lotus starch and prepared two bowls.

One bowl for each of them.

Huo Mianmian held the translucent bowl of lotus starch, picked up a spoon, and took a bite.

Immediately, his face lit up with surprise. "It's so delicious~"

Lin Yi smiled and said, "Yes, after all, we made it ourselves, so it tastes even better."

But even without mentioning the sentiment, this bowl of lotus root starch is indeed delicious.

It's sticky and glutinous, with the sweet taste of lotus root and a mix of nutty flavors, making it impossible to stop eating.

"Quick, feed me a bite!"

"Happy! My lotus root starch turned out just as good; it's really delicious!"

"I'm heading to the supermarket right now to buy some lotus roots."

"Me too!"

In the afternoon, the production team arranged for the guests to visit a century-old post office.

Lin Yi followed the group into the post office.

As soon as they arrived, the sense of history was palpable.

The walls were adorned with various postcards, each chronicling the passage of time.

Here, the guests could send a postcard to someone they wished to reach.

Lin Yi also picked out a postcard.

This postcard featured a scene characteristic of Jiang Nan, highly representative of the region.

When the live stream viewers saw Lin Yi pick up the postcard, they became excited.

"Ahhh, who is Lin Yi going to send the postcard to?"

"Send it to me! Send it to me quickly!!"

"At this point, some things can't be hidden anymore. Let me be honest—I am actually Lin Yi's partner, and he's sending this postcard to me."

"Daydreaming already in broad daylight?"

"I bet a hundred packets of spicy strips that Lin Yi is sending it to his lover."

"It must be. Didn't you notice that Lin Yi came here today wearing a wedding ring?"

"I noticed it long ago. I'm so jealous. Who has the other one? I want to snatch it!!"

"I have only one thought—Lin Yi looks perfect with that wedding ring. His fingers are slender and fair, and the ring just sparkles on him."

"I discovered something interesting—the wedding ring looks incredibly expensive. Anyone know more about it?"

"I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable. I can only say that the price of this wedding ring is beyond your imagination."

"I feel like a lemon right now."

The netizens continued discussing Lin Yi's wedding ring.

Eventually, the topic trended on the hot search list.

#Lin Yi#

#Lin Yi Wedding Ring#

Those in the know estimated that the value of Lin Yi's wedding ring was conservatively in the eight figures.

"What?! How much?!!!"

"So who is Lin Yi's partner? They must be someone significant!!"

"After all this time, why haven't the netizens uncovered anything yet? Come on, Sherlocks!"

"Is there a possibility that even if someone did find out, they wouldn't dare to reveal it online?"

"Holy crap! Just how powerful is Linlin's partner? It feels like they're untouchable."

"Let's take a wild guess—Lin Yi is Mianmian's godfather, and Mianmian's surname is Huo. Could it be that Lin Yi's partner is the legendary big shot from the Huo family?"

"Don't, don't, don't. That's too bold a guess?"

"The main issue is that this big shot is elusive, and no one has ever seen them."

"No, once they appeared in a business report, but there was only a blurry photo."

"I remember that! The report was quickly deleted afterward!!"

"Isn't the key point that the big shot attracted a ton of fans with just a blurry photo?"

"So, is Lin Yi really with that big shot?"

"I don't know, but it seems unlikely, given how distant that big shot is from everyone."

"Well, I hope Lin Yi reveals his partner someday. I'm so curious!"

Lin Yi had no idea about the discussions swirling around him online.

He remained calm and composed, picking up a black pen to write something on the postcard before sending it off.

And the recipient was, of course, Huo Jihan.

Lin Yi started by writing, "Mr. Huo, hello."

After that, he paused, unsure of what to write next.

Should he write about what he had been doing recently or mention something interesting about Jiang Nan?

Lin Yi sat alone at a small table, one hand supporting his head and the other twirling a pen, his expression thoughtful.

He was pondering what to write.

After much deliberation, many ideas came to mind, but he hesitated to put pen to paper.

There was so much he wanted to say to Huo Jihan that an entire postcard seemed insufficient.

In the end, Lin Yi finally began to write, setting aside all his previous thoughts. He simply penned: "Not much, just missing you."

The entire postcard contained only these two sentences, yet they conveyed genuine and profound emotion.

Lin Yi finished writing, set down the pen, and then began to mail the postcard.

"Ah! The photographer, get closer! I really want to know what Lin Yi wrote!!"

"Me too, I'm dying of curiosity!"

"How could Lin Yi's message to his partner be so easily revealed?"

"Another day of envy and jealousy!! I want to be a nosy neighbor!!!!"

Soon, Lin Yi mailed the postcard.

Believing it would not be long before this postcard, carrying someone's longing, would travel from Jiang Nan to the capital and be opened by another person...

After spending some time at the century-old post office, the guests moved on to their next destination.

Their next task was to experience cutting water grass in a river.

It was said that the harvested water grass had many uses, such as feeding ducks and other poultry.

Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the riverbank.

The river flowed slowly, filled with long and dense water grass that swayed with the waves, creating a beautiful and awe-inspiring sight.

The scenery around the river was equally stunning.

Surrounded by mountains, the leaves of the trees had begun to turn yellow and red with the arrival of autumn, especially the ginkgo leaves, which were now completely golden.

With every breeze, the ginkgo leaves fluttered down, some landing on the ground and others falling into the water, creating a breathtaking scene.

Here, Lin Yi took off his shoes, rolled up his pants, and prepared to step into the river to cut the water grass.

Zhuang Che, like a frightened chick, stood weakly by the riverbank and asked Lin Yi, "Lin Yi, is the water deep?"

As Lin Yi walked into the river, he casually replied, "Obviously not, it only reaches my knees."

Zhuang Che shivered, "But I don't dare to come down."

To him, the river filled with water grass looked perilous, like an endless whirlpool that could swallow him whole.

Lin Yi: "If you don't dare to come down, then don't."

Everyone has different levels of courage, after all.

But Zhuang Che added, "But since you're already in, I want to come down too."

Lin Yi, still patient, said, "Then come down. The water isn't deep, and it's not dangerous inside."

Zhuang Che hesitated, "But I'm scared."

Lin Yi: "…So are you coming down or not?"

Zhuang Che looked conflicted, "I don't know."

Lin Yi, exasperated, said, "Then think about it for a bit more."

Just then, Zhuang Che asked again, "But is the water really not deep? What if it gets deeper as I walk?"

Lin Yi: "…"

He turned to look at Zhuang Che and suddenly exclaimed, "A dog is coming over!!!"

"What?!" Zhuang Che panicked and stepped into the river, "Where is the dog?!!!"

He frantically looked back, but there was nothing behind him.

Was Lin Yi tricking him?

While Zhuang Che was still puzzled, he felt something moving under his feet and immediately screamed, "Aaah, something is biting me!!! I'm going to die!!! Help!!!!"

Lin Yi, holding onto his clothes to prevent him from slipping, said, "Calm down, you won't die!"

After screaming for a while, Zhuang Che heard Lin Yi's words and finally calmed down, sobbing, "R-really?"

Looking at Zhuang Che's teary face, Lin Yi seriously doubted how this young master had managed to survive until today.

He said helplessly, "Feel for yourself, does it seem like a situation where you could die?"

Encouraged by Lin Yi, Zhuang Che slowly steadied himself.

Seeing that he had calmed down, Lin Yi let go of his clothes and said, "If you always stand on the shore, you'll never know if the river is dangerous. It's better to take the first step and realize that it's not that big of a deal."

Hearing this, Zhuang Che seemed inspired, his expression brightening. "Does that mean I've succeeded now?"

Occasionally, he realized that he was overly timid, but he was fortunate to be born into a wealthy family with loving parents who indulged him, so no one ever pointed out his weaknesses.

His parents couldn't bring themselves to properly educate him, allowing him to grow up this way.

However, at this moment, he had a feeling that he could actually succeed in doing something, even if it was just a trivial matter.

Lin Yi glanced at Zhuang Che and saw the child looking at him with anticipation. Finally, he said, "Yeah, you did pretty well just now. It's worth encouraging."

Zhuang Che immediately became overjoyed.

But then, in his excitement, he stepped on some slippery water plants and almost slipped.

Sure enough, he reverted to his usual self in an instant.

Lin Yi could only helplessly grab him again. "Can you stand still properly?"

Zhuang Che was embarrassed. "Okay, I... I got it."

"Lin Yi is so reassuring. If I were Zhuang Che, I'd like staying with him too!!"

"I feel like Lin Yi will become Zhuang Che's life mentor."

"Zhuang Che won't be able to leave Lin Yi now."

Lin Yi finally managed to calm Zhuang Che down and then went back to his own task.

He took a knife and started cutting the water plants.

Surprisingly, this was quite stress-relieving.

All he needed to do was grab a bunch of water plants and cut them with the knife, making a "snap, snap" sound as he cut off a large bunch.

Then he started on the next bunch...

Before long, Lin Yi had cleared out a large area, giving him a sense of accomplishment.

Zhuang Che followed closely behind him, afraid that Lin Yi would leave him behind.

However, Zhuang Che's body was delicate, and after standing for a while, he felt both tired and cold, so he went back to the shore first.

Lin Yi didn't pay attention to these things and remained immersed in his task of cutting water plants.

After a while, Shen Feng appeared in front of Lin Yi, looking somewhat unhappy. He crossed his arms and stood there watching Lin Yi.

Lin Yi, whose path was blocked, looked at Shen Feng in confusion. "What are you doing?"

Shen Feng asked straightforwardly, "Are you getting closer to Zhuang Che now?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Zhuang Che with dissatisfaction, as if looking at a rival.

Lin Yi: "??"

He replied rather speechlessly, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Shen Feng unhappily said, "Isn't it? You've been spending more time with Zhuang Che lately than with me!!"

Lin Yi: "..."

He couldn't be bothered with Shen Feng and walked around him to continue cutting water plants.

Shen Feng: "..."

Indeed, Lin Yi must be getting bored with him and seeking new company?

He wouldn't even talk much with him anymore!!!

"Hahaha, is Shen Feng vying for attention?"

"Lin Yi is clearly annoyed."

"Hehe, I love watching people vie for attention. More of this, please!!!"

The more Shen Feng thought about it, the more he felt this couldn't just be left alone. So he chased after Lin Yi. "Lin Yi... Ah!!!!"

Lin Yi picked up a bunch of water plants and flicked them at Shen Feng, causing water droplets to splash all over him.

Shen Feng jumped up. "Lin Yi, how childish can you be?!!!"

Lin Yi calmly replied, "You're being too noisy. Shut up already."

Shen Feng: "..."

"Another day when Shen Feng gets ignored!"

"Hahaha, Shen Puppy is becoming a drowned rat."

"Good job, Lin Yi!!"

The adults were bickering noisily.

Huo Mianmian sat alone by the shore, obedient and quiet.

He had pulled out a few water plants and was weaving something.

The crew member couldn't help but ask, "Mianmian, what are you doing?"

Huo Mianmian answered seriously, "I'm weaving a fishing net. We can use it to catch fish later."

The crew member looked at the palm-sized net in Huo Mianmian's hand and laughed until they bent over.

Such a tiny net couldn't catch any fish!

"Mianmian, if you want to catch fish, you might need to make it a bit bigger," the crew member said.

"Who said it needs to be bigger? It's just this big, but it can still catch fish (dog face)."

"Yes, those fish would line up to jump into this net."

"If I were a fish, I'd definitely jump into Mianmian's net."

"The others are so noisy, only our Mianmian is quiet here."

"Mianmian: Sigh, those noisy adults."

"Hahaha, too funny!"

A couple more days passed.

The guests completed many activities and experienced everything they needed to.

With that, the filming of the show came to an end.

Lin Yi didn't have any particular feelings about it.

It was Shen Feng, who wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the show before, who started complaining again, "Why does time pass so quickly?"

He felt like each episode hadn't even been filmed for a few days before it was already time to leave.

Zhuang Che looked at Lin Yi eagerly, remembering his parents' promise to invite Lin Yi for dinner when they returned, and became very excited.

Zhao Jin and Zhou Ke also bid farewell to Lin Yi one after another.

After saying goodbye to each other, the guests also said their farewells to the audience.

The viewers in the live stream were naturally reluctant to part.

"Time passes too quickly; the third episode of the kids' show is over."

"I'm so reluctant to say goodbye. I haven't had enough. Can't the director film for a few months straight?"

"I want to see Lin Yi and Mianmian every day, waaah!!"

"Congratulations on finishing the third episode of the kids' show. See you next time!!"

"See you next time!!! I'll be here to watch the live stream on time!!!"

"I wonder where we'll go for the next episode? Curious."

"No matter where it is, as long as I can see Lin Yi and Mianmian, I'll be happy!"

"On the days without filming, Lin Yi and little Mianmian, please be happy. We'll meet again next time!"

Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian returned to the capital at two o'clock in the afternoon.

They didn't inform Huo Jihan but quietly came to the Huo Group.

Lin Yi brought Huo Mianmian all the way to Huo Jihan's office.

A secretary saw them and was very excited, about to call someone.

Lin Yi smiled and made a hushing gesture, then lowered his voice to ask, "Is your Mr. Huo here?"

The secretary calmed her excitement and replied, "Mr. Huo is in a meeting in the conference room. It should be over in about ten minutes."

Lin Yi smiled, "Great, can we wait in his office?"

The secretary nodded vigorously, "Of course you can!"

If even Mr. Huo's wife and son couldn't go into his office, who could?

Lin Yi nodded and immediately took Huo Mianmian to Huo Jihan's office.

The secretary watched them walk in and silently cheered in her heart.

Great, as long as Mr. Lin comes, life will be better for all the employees.

After bringing Huo Mianmian in, Lin Yi suddenly had an idea to surprise Huo Jihan, so he hid with Huo Mianmian again.

Father and son hid behind the heavy curtains together.

Huo Mianmian seemed very excited, "Dad, are we playing hide-and-seek with Dad?"

Lin Yi nodded, "Yes, let's sneak up and surprise your dad, okay?"

Huo Mianmian cooperated and nodded, "Okay~"

A few minutes later, the office door opened again.

This time, it was Huo Jihan who entered.

The recent temperature in the capital was quite low, and Huo Jihan wore a black coat.

His expression was neutral, his dark eyes as cold as frost, and he walked straight to his desk.

At one point, he seemed to sense something unusual and paused slightly.

But soon, he continued walking calmly to his desk and sat down in the leather chair.

On this side.

Seeing the right moment, Lin Yi tiptoed forward, covered Huo Jihan's eyes, and deliberately changed his voice, "Guess who I am?"

Huo Jihan didn't speak, but the corners of his mouth curled up.

This is hard to guess.

After all, from the moment this person left, the longing came in overwhelming waves, each second stretched to its utmost length...

until this person appeared before him once again.