NOVEL NEXT Chapter 60 - Tang Gu's investment
【Why are they kissing again? Stop it already!】
【Every other stream has interaction segments. Can the main stars at least glance at us?】
【[My corpse is cold. I suggest tossing one to the South Pole and the other to the North Pole.】
【You’ve already kissed right in front of me. Can you push the limits a little more】
Tang Yuan returned to her seat, fidgeting awkwardly with her hair as she took small bites of her cake.
Jiang Zi poured another glass of wine and placed it beside Tang Yuan.
Unbeknownst to the two of them enjoying a peaceful moment at sea, chaos reigned in other live-stream rooms. When they returned to the Love Cottage after dark to find a barbecue spot, the other four groups quickly caught wind of their plans.
Selecting the lawn in the Love Cottage’s courtyard, they borrowed barbecue tools from the crew. Just as the grill was set up, all eight participants stood at attention, ready and waiting.
“You’re right on time! Need a hand with anything?” Deng Peiluo flashed a bright smile as he approached, taking the grilling rack from Tang Yuan.
Tang Yuan glanced at the well-aligned group behind him. “Oh, you’re here? We were planning to call you over once things were mostly ready.”
“How could we let you do everything yourselves? Of course, we’re here to help!” Guan Zi’an arrived carrying a bucket of vegetables fresh from the garden.
They had tuned into Tang Yuan and Jiang Zi’s live stream and heard their plan to have a barbecue. With his teammate from the farming task, he had prepped veggies for grilling.
Jie Xin quickly chimed in, “I’ll wash them! Let’s do it together.”
Everyone eagerly picked a task—preparing seasonings, sorting seafood—each more proactive than the last.
Tang Yuan and Jiang Zi exchanged glances, reaching the same conclusion: Everyone probably loved seafood and the lively barbecue atmosphere.
With more hands on deck, preparations sped up, and the guys took charge of the grilling.
Having skipped dinner after returning from the sea, Tang Yuan’s eyes lit up at the aroma of barbecue. She stood by, ready to grab the first skewer.
“Sister Yuan, what do you like? I’ll grill it for you. Veggies cook quickly—anything catch your eye?”
Tang Yuan shot him a suspicious look. “Kid, you’re acting strange. Aren’t you being a little too enthusiastic?”
Before Deng Peiluo could reply, Jiang Zi wedged herself between them, claiming space at the grill. She held skewers of corn, mushrooms, and squid in her hands.
Tang Yuan peeked around Jiang Zi to face Deng Peiluo and decided to finish her thought. “You wouldn’t happen to have a crush on me, would you?”
Jiang Zi’s frosty gaze landed on Deng Peiluo, silently awaiting his response.
Deng Peiluo flinched and frantically shook his head. “No, no, absolutely not! I was just hoping you could recommend some beautiful guests to join the show.”
“Really, the production team announced today that, due to uneven gender ratios causing pairing issues, they’re letting us suggest new participants.”
Tang Yuan nodded in understanding but looked around in confusion. “Then why don’t you all recommend someone?”
Meng Yao’er raised an eyebrow, her smile enchanting. “Because, Yuan Yuan baby, you’re the one with the money.”
Tang Yuan froze, her expression blank. She turned to the line of directors and glanced at the cameras. Pointing at one of them, she asked, “Is this still live?”
The director replied, “The stream ended at 8 p.m. while everyone was busy.”
“But…” All eyes were on Tang Yuan, making her uneasy. “Shouldn’t discussions about money happen behind closed doors?”
Ling Jun explained, “That’s not the point. The point is, your brother invested in the show, so they gave the right to add participants to you.”
Finally understanding, Tang Yuan relaxed, rubbing her arms. “Oh, so it’s not coming out of my pocket. That’s fine, then.”
Still, she couldn’t help wondering why her brother had suddenly invested in the show. It felt like she’d missed some crucial information. Only she and Jiang Zi seemed to be in the dark.
Deng Peiluo was undeterred. “Sister Yuan, this is an important task! You must choose carefully.”
“You just want to date, don’t you?” Tang Yuan shot him a disapproving look.
Deng Peiluo hastily denied it. “Not at all! I just don’t want to get assigned to farming again. You know me—I’d rather endure ‘the hardships of love’ than do manual labor.”
Tang Yuan rolled her eyes and looked at the others. “So, are you all here just because of this news?”
Jie Xin grinned. “Of course not. We heard you caught a big fish while sea fishing and came to take a look.”
Tang Yuan fell silent. Someone must’ve spread rumors. The fish were caught by the staff; she’d spent the day relaxing.
The first batch of barbecue was ready, and the pace picked up after that.
Jiang Zi and Tang Yuan were sitting at a table when Meng Yao’er dragged over a stool to join them.
Before she could get comfortable, Jiang Zi nudged the stool’s leg with her foot. “Scram.”
If Meng Yao’er says something bitchy, Jiang Zi will definitely kick her chair over.
Meng Yao’er knew better than to argue. She carried her stool a little further away—just out of Jiang Zi’s reach—but continued chatting.
“Come on, don’t be mad! I admit, I did try to flirt with you two before,” Meng Yao’er confessed, surprisingly candid. “But I was serious. I genuinely liked you.”
Seeing Jiang Zi about to stand, Meng Yao’er quickly added, “Wait, wait, love has shifted! Don’t rush.”
She scooted her stool back another half step, then continued. “Since Yuan Yuan baby can invite new guests, I was wondering… could we get a girl who’s into girls?”
Tang Yuan calmly held onto Jiang Zi’s hand under the table, continuing to eat her skewers of barbecue. When she heard Meng Yao’er’s words, she wasn’t surprised in the least and even took a small sip of whiskey and said leisurely,
“Meng Yao’er, when I told you to get your brain checked, I meant it. That advice still stands.”
Meng Yao’er, ever thick-skinned, grinned. “Ah, Yuan Yuan baby, you’re always so concerned about my health!”
The moment she finished, a splash of wine hit her stomach.
Her crop top left her midriff exposed, and while most of the liquid landed on her skin, some dripped to the floor.
Unfazed, Meng Yao’er grabbed a tissue and wiped herself dry. “Look at sister Jiang, you’ve got to manage those emotions better.”
“As they say, the best way to forget someone is to fall for someone new.” Tossing the tissue into the trash, she spread her arms dramatically. “So to move on from you two, I need to find my next target.”
“You know us lesbians—we just can’t be bothered with men. Spending time with them these past two days has been exhausting.”
“So, in order for me to stop bothering you both, Yuan Yuan baby, maybe you should consider it.”