I Joined a Fake Variety Show (GL) - Chapter 32

Zhou Xi originally intended to keep pondering the reason, but the residual alcohol in her system quickly sent her to sleep.

The next day, she woke up for the fifth episode of filming.

The staff got up early and turned on the cameras, but when the monitoring screen lit up, they found someone was up even earlier than them.

Zhou Xi was cooking in the kitchen. Seeing the corner camera move, she greeted it: “Good morning.”

Perhaps cooking alone was a bit boring. After the greeting, Zhou Xi began talking to the camera about what she was making and how to make it.

Just as Zhou Xi was explaining her personal habits for making the dish, Han Shutong’s voice came from behind. “Morning.”

Zhou Xi turned around. Seeing Han Shutong’s normal expression, she was relieved and smiled. “Morning.”

It seemed she had overthought things last night. Why would Han Shutong care about what she said?

While pouring water, Han Shutong said, “You woke up very early today.”

“Mhm.” Zhou Xi nodded. “I have something to go out for, so I woke up a bit earlier.”

Hearing Zhou Xi say she was going out, Han Shutong’s hand holding the glass tilted upward slightly, stopping the downward flow of water.

Her lips parted, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, only a single word came out. “Oh.”

Zhou Xi nodded and returned to the kitchen to continue cooking.

Han Shutong sat on the sofa, slowly drinking her water.

Ten minutes later, the meal was ready.

“Wash your hands and come eat,” Zhou Xi told Han Shutong.

Hearing Zhou Xi’s tone, which sounded like she was calling a child, Han Shutong pursed her lips but remained silent. She obediently washed her hands before sitting down in the dining chair.

During the meal, neither of them brought up the previous night, and neither spoke much.

Just as breakfast was nearly finished, remembering Zhou Xi would be leaving soon, Han Shutong asked quietly, “What… are you going to do?”

“I’m going to…”

Zhou Xi was about to answer when she suddenly glanced at Han Shutong. Han Shutong was looking down, her long, dense eyelashes concealing her gaze, and also hiding the emotion in her eyes.

Despite this, Zhou Xi sensed a slight abnormality in Han Shutong’s question.

Zhou Xi suddenly remembered the scene where Han Shutong was sitting alone on the sofa after she had left last time. She also recalled that comment—the one about the left-behind child…

“Do you want to come with me?” Zhou Xi asked.

Han Shutong instantly looked up and was about to say yes, but she changed her reply the moment their eyes met. “I need to check my schedule.”

Then she opened her phone.

A question flashed through Zhou Xi’s mind: Aren’t there no work arrangements during the show’s filming?

However, the thought was fleeting. Zhou Xi didn’t become suspicious, as Han Shutong had a busy schedule, and any arrangement was perfectly reasonable.

Han Shutong put away her phone and nodded. “I can go.”

Zhou Xi: “Good. Then let’s change and head out.”

“Mhm.”

While the production team installed cameras in the car, Zhou Xi and Han Shutong stood a few steps away.

They had just put on their microphones, but they hadn’t been turned on yet.

Zhou Xi looked down at her toes, and her gaze quickly settled on Han Shutong’s feet.

A pair of white canvas shoes with a simple black trim around the sole.

Zhou Xi thought she had seen incorrectly. She looked at Han Shutong’s shoes, then back at her own, and finally confirmed it: Han Shutong was wearing the same brand of shoes as her. The price of the shoes was around sixty or seventy units of currency.

Zhou Xi looked up and found Han Shutong staring at her.

“Your shoes…”

Han Shutong looked down at her feet. “I thought they looked good on you, so I bought a pair.”

Zhou Xi paused, then said, “They look good on you too.”

In truth, the style of the shoes was very ordinary, not particularly good-looking. Any pair in Han Shutong’s shoe closet would be much better.

Perhaps the only explanation was: Was Han Shutong afraid she would feel inferior?

Zhou Xi thought for a moment and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

The sudden apology made Han Shutong’s recently averted gaze return to Zhou Xi.

Zhou Xi: “I spoke rashly yesterday. Actually, besides being colleagues, we’re also classmates, and… friends.”

Han Shutong paused for two seconds. “Then are you… willing to continue living here?”

“This…” Zhou Xi paused. “Actually, I was planning to rent a place in the western part of the city.”

Han Shutong raised an eyebrow when she heard this. “What neighborhood?”

Zhou Xi thought Han Shutong was asking casually and didn’t think much of it. “Hongqi Street.”

“Perfect.”

Zhou Xi looked at Han Shutong, not understanding what she meant.

Han Shutong smiled. “I also have a vacant house there. It’s a bit smaller than this one, so it might be a bit cramped for two people. If you don’t mind, you can move there.”

The house in the western part of the city wasn’t bought by Han Shutong. Han Shutong’s mother used to live there, but after Han’s mother moved to another city, the house was transferred to Han Shutong.

Zhou Xi wasn’t overly surprised that Han Shutong owned a house there. Instead, she repeated Han Shutong’s last words. “Two people?”

So, were there other tenants in that house?

Han Shutong hummed. “You and me.”

Just then, the equipment in the car was ready. A staff member walked over and told them to get in the car.

Han Shutong walked toward the car first. After a slight pause, Zhou Xi followed.

After getting in the car, Han Shutong asked, “Where are we going?”

She realized she didn’t even know their destination.

“We’re going to the wholesale market first.”

“To buy something?”

“Yes, to buy a lot of things,” Zhou Xi said, looking at Han Shutong. “I’ll have to trouble Student Han to help me carry them later.”

When they arrived at the wholesale market, Zhou Xi easily navigated Han Shutong through several turns, finally stopping at a shop that wholesaled children’s toys and stationery.

The owner was a woman named Li, whom everyone called Aunt Li.

Seeing Zhou Xi, Aunt Li greeted her with a smile. “Xiao Zhou is here! You’ve come at the perfect time. I just got a new batch of children’s toys. I can give you a discount.”

Then she saw Han Shutong and the cameramen following Zhou Xi. “And these people are…?”

Zhou Xi introduced her. “Han Shutong.”

“Han Shutong… Han Shutong…” Aunt Li muttered the name twice, then looked at the cameramen behind them. She clapped her hands. “I know, I know! I saw her on TV the other day. She’s that pretty girl who’s filming the show with you, right?”

Zhou Xi nodded.

Aunt Li glanced at the camera again and whispered in Zhou Xi’s ear, “So, can I be on TV too?”

Zhou Xi smiled. “Yes.”

Aunt Li heard this and walked to the counter. She took out a comb from a box underneath and combed her hair while asking, “What do you want today?”

“The usual: erasers, pencils, and a few kinds of notebooks,” Zhou Xi said, taking out a small, palm-sized book from her bag. She flipped to a page and showed it to Aunt Li. “These items on the list, 100 of each.”

“Okay, but I might not have enough erasers. I’ll check the warehouse for you. Can you watch the shop for a bit?”

After entering the shop, Han Shutong had been silent except for greeting Aunt Li when Zhou Xi introduced her. She stood quietly next to Zhou Xi, listening to her speak.

It wasn’t until Aunt Li left and only Zhou Xi and the two cameramen remained that Han Shutong spoke. “You seem to come here often.”

“Yes, I always buy things from Aunt Li. It’s much cheaper here.”

Zhou Xi only received an “Mhm” from Han Shutong. She turned to look at her. “Aren’t you going to ask me what I’m buying all this for?”

“What are you buying all this for?” Han Shutong asked cooperatively.

Zhou Xi’s eyes curved in a smile. She whispered, “It’s a secret.”

Then she added, “You’ll find out when we get to the destination.”

To maintain the mystery, Zhou Xi even took the driver’s seat.

Since moving in with Han Shutong, Han Shutong had always driven when they went out together.

Han Shutong sat in the passenger seat, and her only thought was that the scenery was beautiful.

The person being viewed as scenery, although focused on driving, still sensed Han Shutong’s prolonged gaze. Zhou Xi turned her head and indeed saw Han Shutong looking at her.

“What’s wrong?” Zhou Xi asked.

“Nothing.” Han Shutong shifted her gaze to the window. “I just think your eye makeup looks great today.”

Zhou Xi blurted out, “But I’m not wearing any makeup today.”

“Then I must have been mistaken,” Han Shutong replied faintly.

The car drove to the very edge of the western part of the city.

After getting out of the car, Han Shutong was momentarily surprised when she saw the sign on the building. She had assumed Zhou Xi was buying the items for a kindergarten or some other place, but she never expected it to be an orphanage.

Hearing a car stop, Uncle Zhang, the security guard at the orphanage gate, walked out of the security room.

Zhou Xi was taking things out of the trunk. Seeing Uncle Zhang, she called out, “Uncle Zhang.”

“Xiao Zhou?” Uncle Zhang called out when he saw Zhou Xi, then quickly walked over. “Why are you late today? Those kids have been asking why you haven’t arrived since class let out.”

Zhou Xi laughed and explained, “Traffic jam.”

There were a total of three boxes. Each of them carried one, and they quickly moved them out of the trunk.

Seeing Zhou Xi about to lift a box, Uncle Zhang stopped her. “Just leave them here. I’ll carry them inside later.”

“Let’s do it together.” Zhou Xi picked up one box and handed it to Han Shutong. “This one is lighter.”

Then Zhou Xi picked up another one for herself, and the third was carried by Uncle Zhang.

The three walked into the courtyard together.

Uncle Zhang talked to Zhou Xi the whole time. Zhou Xi, also noticing Han Shutong following them, slowed down to walk alongside her and introduced Han Shutong to Uncle Zhang.

Since they needed permission to film inside the courtyard, the cameramen had to wait in the car after Zhou Xi and Han Shutong entered the gate. However, Zhou Xi, afraid of delaying the filming, told them she would only be a moment, and the cameramen, happy to rest, had no objections.

After the three moved the boxes into a room, Uncle Zhang needed to return to his post at the gate and bid farewell to Zhou Xi and Han Shutong.

Only Zhou Xi and Han Shutong remained.