I really like hearing you call me “babe.”
Chu Xingxing quickly shook her head.
She desperately tried to erase the imaginary fluffy big tail from her mind.
But the more she tried not to think about it, the more wildly that big tail appeared.
Not only did it appear, but it went from one tail to two, three, four…
Each tail swayed seductively, both alluring and charming.
Chu Xingxing patted her forehead twice. Good grief, if Jiang Luoze actually grew nine big white fox tails, he’d become a demon!
Chu Xingxing, who had thoroughly studied modern history, silently recited the core socialist values in her heart: “Prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony; advocate freedom, equality, justice, rule of law; advocate patriotism, dedication, integrity, friendliness…”
After all, you can’t become a spirit after the founding of the nation!!!
Alright, sure enough, after silently reciting the core socialist values, the “nine-tailed white fox” in her mind was finally no longer the main form. The tails disappeared one by one, gradually transforming into a human form…
Chu Xingxing went back to her room, grabbed the tablet the company had issued and her little notebook, and pointed to the comfortable-looking armchair in the living room.
“Then I’ll sit on this sofa. You focus on your drawing, and I definitely won’t disturb you.”
After saying that, Chu Xingxing comfortably sat down on the sofa, put her phone and tablet on silent, turned off vibration too, and started researching information to design travel itineraries.
Jiang Luoze also took out his drawing supplies and spread them all over the European-style old writing desk.
Afterward, Jiang Luoze returned to the bar next to the living room and found a bottle of single malt whiskey he usually liked to drink.
The butler responsible for maintaining this apartment had even prepared the special whiskey glasses and spherical ice cubes.
“A Zhi really is thoughtful, huh?” Jiang Luoze smiled and took a sip of whiskey.
Placing his usual whiskey at the bar, the liquor cabinet also stocked Grandma Wen’s favorite red wine, Grandma Sheng’s occasional white liquor for a small drink, Grandma Ai’s favorite Japanese plum wine, and Auntie’s favorite non-alcoholic beer.
Jiang Luoze knew his friend well. Such thorough preparations—it was obvious that Sheng Luzhi, this “domineering CEO,” had arranged everything.
Sheng Luzhi was the type of person whose attention to detail was flawless.
Of course, this was all thanks to Grandma Sheng.
Sheng Luzhi had left his parents’ side when he was just over a year old and was raised personally by his grandmother. It seemed like every step of his life had been meticulously “designed” for inheriting the Shengshi Group.
What school to attend, what instrument to learn, what courses to take, extra language studies, holiday internships, study abroad exchanges, what major to study…
Jiang Luoze remembered that Sheng Luzhi’s only small “rebellion” was minoring in photography during his undergraduate studies in England. He had kept it from the Sheng family, and only a few of his buddies knew.
Sometimes, as a fellow “rebel” in the family like his aunt, Jiang Luoze really wanted to ask Sheng Luzhi—wasn’t it exhausting to always follow the path Grandma Sheng had laid out?
But now they were no longer teenagers studying at the same school. The age of drinking orange soda and heart-to-hearts on the playground was long gone.
In the adult world, especially between male friends, it’s hard to open up and talk about things like they did as kids…
—
Before returning to the living room of the guest suite, Jiang Luoze heated a cup of milk for Chu Xingxing and brought it over.
“Thank you.” Chu Xingxing took the milk generously, drank a big gulp, and continued researching.
A faint white mark appeared on her lips, like a little kitten that had sneakily drunk some milk. Absolutely adorable.
Jiang Luoze suddenly felt inspired. He put down his whiskey glass, picked up a pencil, and focused on drawing.
The small living room outside the guest room became very quiet.
Besides the sound of Chu Xingxing writing in her notebook, there was the sound of Jiang Luoze drawing—the pencil brushing against the sketch paper.
Every so often, Jiang Luoze would rest his hand on the back of the chair and turn around to glance at Chu Xingxing.
He had to admit—she really was his muse.
Whenever he hit a block, Jiang Luoze would turn around to look at her, and the previously blocked “channel” would suddenly clear up, with new inspiration pouring into his brain endlessly.
In less than an hour, Jiang Luoze had produced four design sketches—an unprecedented feat.
Chu Xingxing was focused on doing her “homework” and didn’t notice Jiang Luoze turning around to look at her every so often.
Since Jiang Luoze had already decided on all the destinations for this trip, all she needed to do was search for local attractions and specialty foods.
European travel wasn’t like island travel—it focused more on cultural attractions, which was exactly what the old babies loved.
It was already 11:30, and she had finished planning the Madrid itinerary.
Chu Xingxing curled up on the sofa and stretched, just closing her little notebook.
At that moment, a new message notification appeared on her phone.
Chu Xingxing thought it was Cookie and quickly unlocked her phone.
But the person who sent the WeChat message turned out to be…
Sheng Luzhi?!
[Sheng Luzhi: Are you getting used to staying in Madrid? Is everything going smoothly?]
Although she and the big boss were now friends, Chu Xingxing felt that her relationship with Sheng Luzhi was still far from the point where they could joke around and chat casually.
“Phew…” Chu Xingxing grabbed the back of her neck and let out a breath.
If she had to blame something, it was that she knew the plot in advance—she knew Sheng Luzhi’s ruthless, decisive, and utterly uncompromising work style.
Otherwise, Chu Xingxing felt she could have become friends with Sheng Luzhi who could interact easily.
Chu Xingxing had deeply experienced Sheng Luzhi’s care and thoughtfulness toward friends. It was the kind of care that was quietly woven into everything for you, like gentle rain moistening things silently. If you were a carefree person, you might not even notice he was the one who did those things.
In short, Chu Xingxing’s principle for daily interactions with Sheng Luzhi was—hide her “claws and fangs” and show weakness.
She must never let Sheng Luzhi pay too much attention to her. She was just an unimportant small transparent person who didn’t want to get too entangled with the main storyline.
After thinking for a moment, Chu Xingxing’s fingers danced on the screen. She first replied with a meme.
[Xingxing Estrella: Piggy reaching the peak of life jpg.]
[Xingxing Estrella: Staying in such a luxurious “homestay,” if I said I wasn’t used to it, that would just be pretentious.]
Looking at the chat box, the other party didn’t show “typing…”
Chu Xingxing paused for a moment.
It seemed her reply didn’t satisfy the big boss?
Or maybe her answer wasn’t what the big boss expected…
Chu Xingxing thought about it and suddenly understood.
President Sheng was probably just using the excuse of asking about her to check on Grandma Sheng!
Sheng Luzhi probably felt too embarrassed to ask his own grandmother directly, so he was probing indirectly through her.
So Chu Xingxing immediately perked up and replied with full attention.
[Xingxing Estrella: Our itinerary in Madrid is going very smoothly. Grandma Sheng has been taking her medicine on time. I’ve been reminding her on schedule, and I’ve been using the excuse of health supplements.]
[Xingxing Estrella: At dinner tonight, Grandma Sheng had a great appetite, so we ate a bit too much. But after the meal, everyone took a 40-minute walk before returning to the homestay. After getting back, we did a set of digestion exercises, and Grandma Ai made hawthorn water for everyone.]
[Xingxing Estrella: After that, Grandma Sheng and we soaked our feet with mugwort packs and then went back to our rooms to rest. Oh right, because the grandmas have jet lag and were worried about sleeping poorly, the show’s accompanying doctor prescribed a certain dose of melatonin for them so they could rest better. Grandma Sheng has been taking good care of her health. Don’t worry.]
Like reporting work to a leader, Chu Xingxing typed out a long message, reporting Grandma Sheng’s schedule and condition in complete detail.
—
Beijing Golden Life Circle.
Inside a high-rise building developed by the Shengshi Group, laid out north-south with Chinese red as the primary tone.
Sheng Luzhi had just finished showering and was drying his hair.
The 70-square-meter bathroom had no lingering steam.
In the large, spotlessly clean mirror, Sheng Luzhi’s handsome face and impeccable physique were reflected.
It was currently 5:30 AM domestic time. He had already finished exercising and was preparing to start a new day of work.
The livestream of “Grandma’s Journey” had ended. Sheng Luzhi stared at the dark livestream room in silence.
During his morning workout, Sheng Luzhi inexplicably thought of Chu Xingxing doing HIIT on Pearl Island, like an overly energetic child—adorable and headache-inducing at the same time.
He didn’t know what came over him. As if uncontrollably, Sheng Luzhi almost subconsciously sent a WeChat message to Chu Xingxing.
After sending it, Sheng Luzhi somewhat regretted it.
Based on the time difference, at this hour, Chu Xingxing should already be asleep.
So he put his phone aside, set down the towel, closed his eyes, and dried his hair, trying to calm himself down.
This feeling of being completely out of control—having someone’s image appear in his mind and wanting to send her a message, wanting to hear her voice, wanting to see her—made Sheng Luzhi feel both unfamiliar and strange.
After drying his hair, Sheng Luzhi discovered.
Chu Xingxing had replied with a long string of WeChat messages…
After reading them.
“She really takes me for her boss?”
Sheng Luzhi’s voice was slightly hoarse as he lowered his eyes and shook his head.
—
In the small living room of the Madrid “homestay.”
Chu Xingxing stared at her phone.
Six or seven minutes had passed, and the big boss hadn’t replied.
Just as she put down her phone, the screen lit up.
After reading it, Chu Xingxing was completely confused: ???
The other party had only sent three words.
[Sheng Luzhi: Foot soaking bucket]
Chu Xingxing replied hesitantly.
[Xingxing Estrella: What foot soaking bucket?]
[Sheng Luzhi: You gave A Ze a foot soaking bucket, and you also gave Wen Han one.]
[Sheng Luzhi: You also said on the show that everyone is one team, and no one can be left out.]
Actually, Sheng Luzhi had also specifically checked the Weibo of Chu Xingxing’s follow-shooting director, Xiao Mao.
Xiao Mao had also posted about the portable foot soaking bucket Chu Xingxing gave her, including the camera operator who also got one.
It just inexplicably made Sheng Luzhi feel uncomfortable inside, a slight sense of displeasure.
Chu Xingxing suddenly understood again…
Shocking! Was the big boss hinting that she hadn’t given him a portable foot soaking bucket???
Ah, well, that thing really wasn’t expensive. She had bought them wholesale from some 688 platform…
But on second thought, someone as meticulous as Sheng Luzhi probably felt she hadn’t kept her word.
Chu Xingxing remembered that Sheng Luzhi was the boss of Shengshi Group, Shengshi Group was the major shareholder of CBM Entertainment, and she herself was a worker at CBM Entertainment…
Rounding it off, Sheng Luzhi could barely count as someone on the same team as her?
You can’t guess what the big boss is thinking—you can’t guess right even if you try.
Chu Xingxing quickly and obediently replied.
[Xingxing Estrella: What color does President Sheng like?]
This time the other party replied extremely fast.
[Sheng Luzhi: The one you use. Water blue.]
Chu Xingxing: emmmm…
[Xingxing Estrella: Got it! I’ll arrange it for President Sheng!]
Chu Xingxing didn’t have the heart to say that actually, the color of the portable foot soaking bucket she used was called “random”…
Just as she finished her WeChat chat with Sheng Luzhi and was about to say goodnight to Jiang Luoze before going back to her room to rest.
Her phone got another new message notification…
Chu Xingxing then realized—wait, it’s currently 5:30 AM domestic time.
Does nobody sleep? Or is everyone a self-disciplined early riser???
Patiently clicking it open, Chu Xingxing was amused.
The WeChat sender was Jiang Changsheng.
Agent Jiang first sent a video clip of about ten seconds.
Clicking it open, Chu Xingxing’s heart melted.
A little golden retriever ran over wagging its tail, whining and acting cute, its golden fluffy big head diving into a bowl, furiously licking the bowl…
[Xingxing Estrella: What did you feed Tank? The baby’s eating so happily?]
[Longlife: The leftover black sesame powder I ate]
Chu Xingxing immediately looked up whether dogs could eat black sesame powder.
After confirming they could eat a small amount, she replied to Jiang Changsheng.
[Xingxing Estrella: You didn’t give Tank a lot, right? Dogs can eat a little bit of black sesame, but not too much.]
[Longlife: Of course I know that. Can you stop treating me like an idiot? I just let Tank lick the bottom of the bowl!]
[Longlife: Oh, and also, this stuff is really f***ing terrible. Don’t buy it next time…]
[Xingxing Estrella: But black sesame powder is good for your health! And this one has no sugar added. The taste is definitely a bit worse than the sweetened kind. To live a few more years with your son Tank, just bear with it, Daddy Longlife /doge]
[Longlife: …]
—
On the other side, in a high-end apartment in Beijing.
Jiang Changsheng, who had just gotten home after working overtime, looked at the WeChat message from Chu Xingxing that was “infuriatingly annoying” with a hint of sarcasm, and instead felt a long-lost sense of relaxation.
Jiang Changsheng thought of the anonymous care email he received yesterday with a Spanish IP address.
The tone and style of the email were different from how Chu Xingxing usually spoke. Reading the whole thing, Jiang Changsheng got goosebumps all over and cursed several times.
It was really too overly sentimental…
But Jiang Changsheng still felt that the person who sent the anonymous email must be Chu Xingxing, and that she had deliberately changed her tone and speech habits.
Every time Chu Xingxing was in front of Jiang Changsheng, she seemed to “deliberately” act like a funny girl. Even though she had a gentle and cute side, she was stingy about showing it to him.
Combined with that anonymous care email with its gentle and cute tone, Jiang Changsheng could almost conclude.
Chu Xingxing was just a tsundere—she said one thing but meant another!
Come to think of it, in some ways she was really similar to him…
When caring about people, they both cared about face and weren’t willing to speak directly.
Actually, Chu Xingxing definitely had feelings for him…
Thinking this way, Young Master Jiang felt much more comfortable.
He was just about to ask Chu Xingxing if she was getting used to the food and accommodation in Spain when he discovered another new message from her.
[Xingxing Estrella: At this hour, have you not slept or did you wake up early?]
[Longlife: Haven’t slept. Just got home after working overtime.]
[Xingxing Estrella: Staying up late can cause sudden death (demon whisper) If you die, Tank won’t have a daddy anymore. I’m going to sleep. Take care of yourself…]
[Xingxing Estrella: Bye bye then, smile jpg.]
Jiang Changsheng stared at his phone screen and burst out laughing.
So basically, he didn’t know if he really had “masochist” potential, but after being “cursed” by Chu Xingxing so many times, he seemed to have already…
Gotten, used, to it.
He even felt a little… good? When Chu Xingxing scolded him a few times.
Jiang Changsheng hugged Tank, who was focused on licking his bowl, and vigorously ruffled his fluffy head: “Silly baby, stop licking! You have to live to a hundred with me, hear that?”
Tank’s dog face was terrified, all four limbs flailing: “Woof? Whimper! Woof woof woof?!”
If Tank could speak human language: Daddy, you tell me to stop licking, but look at yourself, okay???
—
Madrid, the capital of Spain.
Finally done replying to messages, Chu Xingxing put down her phone and collapsed on the sofa.
Just from casually chatting a few sentences with Sheng Luzhi and Jiang Changsheng, she felt like her mental energy had left home.
This was more exhausting than crushing a hundred zombie heads barehanded on the apocalypse battlefield while carrying a 190-jin unconscious teammate back to base…
Her brain was in a blank state when Chu Xingxing suddenly heard someone call her.
The voice was very gentle, very soft, like it had drifted over from the immortal realm.
“Xingxing.” Jiang Luoze called her softly first, and found that she didn’t react.
Then, Jiang Luoze stood up from his chair. Seeing Chu Xingxing’s dazed and tired expression, he walked over to her.
Jiang Luoze supported himself on the sofa armrest and leaned in slightly: “Xingxing?”
A shadow fell in front of Chu Xingxing.
Her eyes slowly focused until she could see Jiang Luoze’s beautiful phoenix eyes clearly. She finally “woke up”: “Ah, you called me…”
“It’s very late. Are you still going to continue making travel plans?” Jiang Luoze asked gently.
“No, no more,” Chu Xingxing shook her head and picked up the little notebook beside her: “I’ve already finished. I just replied to a few messages. I think the jet lag is hitting me. I’m a bit foggy…”
“Then hurry back to your room and sleep.” Jiang Luoze glanced at Chu Xingxing’s phone. He roughly guessed who was messaging her.
He hesitated, but in the end, Jiang Luoze said nothing.
“Mmm, okay. You go to sleep soon too.” Chu Xingxing packed up her things and yawned as she pushed open her room door.
She was too sleepy. Without turning her head, she raised her left hand and waved: “Goodnight, A Ze…”
“Xingxing,” Jiang Luoze’s tone was light as he said softly: “Can you turn around and look at me one more time?”
“Hmm?” Chu Xingxing’s eyes were slightly open as she drowsily turned to look at Jiang Luoze.
“Okay, my muse,” Jiang Luoze’s eyes moved slightly. He quickly sketched a few strokes in his sketchbook and looked up: “Merci.”
—
Chu Xingxing fought off sleep to brush her teeth. The jet lag had hit, and she practically fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
At the same time, in a small apartment in the old town of Madrid.
The livestream of “Let’s Travel Together” was still broadcasting—for the first time ever.
Except, of the eleven guests, ten had gone out to “perform,” leaving only the youngest team member, Cookie, at the homestay.
Cookie certainly wasn’t idle.
She had just finished eating luosifen with added braised egg, braised duck feet, and ham sausage. The big bowl had almost made her sick from being so full.
After eating the luosifen, Cookie washed all the pots, pans, and dishes and wiped the stove clean.
While eating the luosifen, Cookie had already opened all the windows in the homestay. Now, she was running around the house holding two large pieces of cardboard, using herself as a “human fan” to air out the smell.
The bullet comments were dying of laughter—
[Hahahahaha I stayed up until dawn just to watch how Cookie airs out the smell!]
[Little Cookie is really something else for “sneaking a meal”!]
[Cookie is so cute, she’s my favorite silly beauty! My daughter, this smell can’t possibly dissipate that fast hahaha, you’re still going to get caught!]
After a flurry of activity, Cookie sprayed perfume into the air, then went to the bathroom to wash up.
After washing up, Cookie found that everyone still hadn’t returned, so she left a note on the table and climbed up to the top bunk, wrapped in a small blanket, and went to sleep early.
An hour later, the first to return were the “women’s army” led by female stand-up comedian Zhu Yuxuan.
The older sisters were carrying Burger King paper bags, returning with a full haul.
Their luck was pretty good. After walking around near Puerta del Sol in Madrid’s old town, they were recognized by a few international students from Britain who were traveling freely in Spain.
The students were hardcore fans of stand-up “queen” Zhu Yuxuan. They generously offered several hundred euros to “sponsor” the sisters’ continued travels.
Of course, the students were then stopped by the show’s follow-shooting director, who informed them of the rules—only equivalent exchange was allowed.
Zhu Yuxuan and the others were also too embarrassed to take the students’ money, so they reached an agreement with the young international students: she would perform a stand-up routine, and the student fans would treat everyone to burger fast food.
While Zhu Yuxuan was telling jokes, the other sisters kept recording videos and taking photos for the fans.
Even the rich young lady Tian Mengtong, in order to perform well in front of the cameras so Jiang Changsheng could see her efforts, actually performed a short rap segment because a student fan jokingly said they wanted to hear her rap!
Not to mention the few international students were stunned—even the livestream fans and viewers were stunned.
Except, everyone’s reactions were different.
Non-Tian Mengtong hardcore fans, just casual viewers following the show, including a few international students, were dying of laughter—
[Hahahahaha! Suddenly got won over by tmt, what’s happening?]
[Tian Mengtong used to be all princess and fairy, now she’s suddenly down-to-earth, pretty cute haha.]
[Me too, me too! tmt clearly wasn’t putting on airs this trip. Without the attitude, she’s much cuter. A sweet girl who dares to self-deprecate with a reader really is kind of cute!]
[Pfft hahaha, I used to feel nothing for Tian Mengtong, now I can get a bit of her cuteness. Who doesn’t like a sweet girl who can take a joke?]
Compared to casual fans and show fans, Tian Mengtong’s loyal fans were clearly especially angry. Some fans even cursed viciously—
[What the hell! Is Tong Bao being coerced by the company? How could she do something so degrading!]
[OMG, wasn’t Tongtong’s rap from the audition for “Shining Flowers” deleted from the entire internet? I just forgot that catchy rap, why is it back!]
[Tong Bao, pay attention to your personal image, wuwuwu. The spotless fairy image can’t just be destroyed like this. We’re not a funny girl!!!]
[To be honest, I can’t really accept this. How did tmt’s persona collapse? What I liked was the sweet rich young lady, not a low-b funny girl…]
[F***, unfollowed, unfollowed. Isn’t tmt supposed to be a little princess? I’m really pissed!]
…
Tian Mengtong herself didn’t know that this “persona-collapsing” rap had caused such great dissatisfaction among fans. She actually thought she had performed quite well.
With such good variety show effect, Jiang Changsheng, who had just taken over CBM Entertainment, would surely recognize her performance.
The young international student fans bought them lots of Burger King burgers, fries, and chicken wings. They even thoughtfully ordered a few kids’ meals so the sisters could have yogurt and fruit.
Truly thoughtful.
Everyone brought the food back to the homestay and wanted to call Cookie to eat together.
But as soon as they entered, everyone smelled a rich shit smell (not)… luosifen smell???
Some sister let out a scream: “Oh my god, what’s that smell! Did Cookie forget to flush the toilet?”
“Shh, keep it down…”
Zhu Yuxuan had just read the note Cookie left. She put her index finger to her lips and whispered: “Cookie went to sleep first. Let’s not wake the child. From before boarding the plane to after getting off, Cookie was busy taking care of everything. Everyone slept soundly on the bus, but little Cookie stayed awake the whole time chatting with fans. She’s worked too hard.”
The sisters also had a lively and friendly discussion about whether luosifen was specifically stinky or fragrant.
“Maybe a neighbor in the building cooked luosifen in the middle of the night. I heard there are many Chinese people in Madrid too…”
“Yes, yes, yes. The exhaust systems in these old buildings are all bad. Smells cross over easily.”
“Speaking of luosifen, I’m so craving it. I really want to eat some…”
“Right? Luosifen is so delicious. Do you all not like it? I don’t think it’s stinky. This smell is so fragrant…”
[Luosifen really is yyds! I could eat it every meal!!!]
[I don’t understand people who say luosifen stinks. Our great luosifen, I will protect it!!!]
[This thing is like sweet tofu pudding and sweet zongzi. I just really don’t like it. Come on, let’s fight!]
[Who understands! Adding pig trotters and soft-boiled eggs to luosifen, I’m crying, wuwuwu, so delicious.]
But since Cookie was sleeping, the sisters didn’t continue arguing.
The female guests of “Let’s Travel Together” each ate a Burger King burger, fries, and yogurt. They put the remaining food in the fridge and also washed up and rested.
Finally, past 2 AM.
The homestay door opened again.
The male guests, led by Jiang Chang’an, filed in.
These “useless” men who couldn’t even fix a bamboo raft finally did something reliable for once.
A few of them ran into a Chinese aunties’ tour group that had just finished a group meal at the entrance of a local Spanish restaurant in Plaza Mayor.
Little Bear had a flash of inspiration. Without a word, he grabbed Jiang Chang’an and rushed over: “Aunties… no, sisters, look at this young man. Is he handsome? Does anyone have a daughter who’d like to meet him?”
Speaking of this, the aunties who had just been troubled by jet lag suddenly weren’t sleepy anymore!!!
“Oh my, young man, your height is quite good. What school did you graduate from?”
“What are the young man’s family conditions? How many siblings? Are your parents still alive? Do you have a car and house in the capital?”
“What does the young man do for work? Is your salary stable? But being able to travel abroad, your family conditions can’t be bad…”
“This young man has a nice look. My daughter would definitely like him. Come, come, young man, scan auntie’s WeChat so I can introduce you…”
Jiang Chang’an had a dark expression as the aunties touched his hands and face. Even though he was extremely unwilling and wanted to lose his temper several times, he ultimately endured it…
Because it was his fault that they lost their funding.
Little Bear first “sold” Jiang Chang’an’s personal information. The aunties paid five euros per WeChat add, and he ended up with seventy euros.
Then, he had Su Wei, who carried a guitar, sing several old songs for the aunties, like “The Moon Represents My Heart,” “Above the Moon,” “I Come from the Prairie,” “Moonlight in the Lotus Pond,” and so on.
While directing the WE boy band to dance innocently, Little Bear himself beatboxed for Su Wei. Finally, senior actor Chang Dawei helped the aunties take group photos and videos.
Through all these operations, they earned a total of 150 euros in tips.
The few of them bought a few slices of pizza at a pizza shop and wolfed them down squatting on the street.
Everyone was silent…
As inland entertainment stars who were surrounded by fans wherever they went, with at least four or five staff members following them, they had never suffered such humiliation.
The only comfort was that with these 200-plus euros, at least the next day’s living expenses and transportation costs were covered.
Looking at the male guests’ bullet comment section, it was all praise.
Except, the praise wasn’t for them—it was for Cookie.
[Little Cookie is awesome. How did she come up with the idea of making the men go out to perform?]
[Hahahahaha, if you ask me, the leader of “Let’s Travel Together” should be Cookie. If they’d listened to Cookie earlier, would they have ended up like this?]
[Exactly, exactly. Strongly suggest a leadership change. Let Cookie take over!]
The livestream of “Let’s Travel Together” finally ended at 2:30 AM local Spanish time.
—
The next day.
7 AM Spanish time.
Chu Xingxing was woken by her alarm. Before getting up, she did a set of stretching exercises and was fully revived!
Yesterday she had slept like she was in a coma. Sure enough, when you’re extremely tired, sleep quality is especially good.
Chu Xingxing changed into workout clothes and did forty minutes of morning exercise in the homestay’s gym.
Due to jet lag, she felt her energy hadn’t returned to its best state, so she only did some low-intensity cardio, aiming to maintain her exercise habit.
Afterward, Chu Xingxing went back to her room to shower and picked out an outfit Jiang Luoze had pre-matched for her.
After getting ready, Chu Xingxing stood by the window studying for five or six minutes, finally figuring out how to open the thick, completely blackout “shutters” outside the window.
Just then, Chu Xingxing’s livestream resumed.
Many viewers and fans also saw this scene and sent in questions.
[Huh? What kind of magical window is this? Not wooden shutters, but more like aluminum alloy roller doors?]
[No wonder Xingxing studied it for so long. It’s my first time seeing this thing too.]
[Waiting for a class representative to explain!]
[Class representative here! This is Spain’s unique “persiana,” the Spanish word for it. Almost all Spanish houses use this type of exterior window. Rich people use electric ones, ordinary people use manual ones. Pulling them up makes a lot of noise. One reason is for family privacy—this roller-door-like shutter can completely block sightlines. Of course, the main reason for using them now is for summer heat insulation and winter warmth retention.]
The electric shutter slowly rose, and Chu Xingxing finally saw the view outside her guest room window.
Across the way was a neoclassical building, and almost every room’s exterior window was fitted with the same type of shutter.
Just past eight, Madrid’s sun was already shining brightly, and the sky was still dazzlingly blue.
Chu Xingxing pushed open the window and breathed in the fresh outdoor air.
At this hour, the Salamanca district was very quiet, with few vehicles and pedestrians.
Chu Xingxing closed the window and tiptoed out of the bedroom.
When she had gone to exercise earlier, Chu Xingxing had specifically listened to the sounds of the whole house. Jiang Luoze’s room was very quiet, and there was no movement from the grandmas sleeping upstairs.
She figured everyone was still sleeping, especially the old babies. The accompanying doctor had prescribed a certain dose of melatonin to help them sleep better, so they probably couldn’t get up yet.
Chu Xingxing was about to walk out of the living room when she stepped back.
She noticed that the shutters in the small living room of the guest suite had been opened by someone. The bright morning sunlight poured into the room, making the living room bright and cheerful.
People who get up early and see the sun will feel great.
But for those still sleeping, even a little light can be sensitizing.
Chu Xingxing picked up the two bath towels Jiang Luoze had used last night and, imitating what he had done, stuffed the towels into the gap under Jiang Luoze’s door.
Courtesy demands reciprocity.
After that, she held her wallet and phone and left the small living room with light footsteps.
—
Chu Xingxing was about to go out. Last night she had done her research and planned to get up early to go to the famous nearby PANEM bakery to buy Madrid-style delicious bread for the grandmas as breakfast.
Last time on Pearl Island, the local bakery that little warm sister recommended was very popular with the grandmas.
Moreover, these old babies’ eating habits were already quite fixed. They couldn’t eat much protein for breakfast and still preferred to consume carbohydrates.
This Madrid local bakery called PANEM opens at 9 AM every morning, selling various handmade breads, toast, palmiers, airy fluffy croissants…
PANEM’s Three Kings’ Cake had won the honor of being the best Three Kings’ Cake in all of Spain.
It was just a pity they weren’t visiting at the right time. They couldn’t taste this “Roscón” Three Kings’ Cake.
Most European foods are seasonal, only available during special holidays.
But travel is like that. If everything were perfect, there wouldn’t be the urge to come back again. All travels leave behind regrets, big or small, giving reasons for the next visit.
Chu Xingxing walked to the living room and suddenly smelled a rich coffee aroma.
“Which baby got up so early?” Chu Xingxing smiled and poked her head in.
She saw Jiang Luoze holding an espresso, fully dressed, standing by the window with a straight posture.
Jiang Luoze tilted his chin slightly and said with a faint smile: “Good morning, Xingxing. I really like hearing you call me baby.”
[Ahhhhh! Good morning, male fox spirit!!!]
[Ahhhhh! Good morning, our Xing Bao!!!]
[Ahhhhh! Good morning, my babies!!!]
[Ahhhhh! Good morning, my wife, and my other wife!!!]
[Opening the screen to see two great beauties. Today is indeed a lucky day!]
[Xing Bao called the male fox spirit baby! Ah, I want Xing Bao to call me baby too!!!]
Although Jiang Luoze was standing by the window.
By the neoclassical carved window, the large sheer curtain hadn’t been pulled open.
Madrid’s bright sunlight filtered through the sheer fabric, softly falling on him, mixed with the rich coffee aroma, making Jiang Luoze look… delicious?
Chu Xingxing didn’t know where that strange adjective came from.
At this moment, Jiang Luoze was wearing a cream-white cashmere sweater, light beige pants, with only an avocado-green gemstone brooch at his collar.
Ordinary people wearing light-colored pants would look short-legged. Jiang Luoze was 185 cm. Although not as tall as Sheng Luzhi, his proportions were excellent, and he was slim.
Those long legs wrapped in light beige pant legs, with faintly visible lines. It was rare to see a man whose legs, though slender, had no trace of weakness, inexplicably looking like they had great flexibility…
The two camera operators following Chu Xingxing and Jiang Luoze both understood female viewers’ preferences well. They gave Jiang Luoze long shots entirely from the female gaze perspective—
[Slurp (￣ ii ￣;) The male fox spirit’s legs are great!]
[Who understands these legs!!! They look like they could be bent into different shapes at will. Aren’t male omegas supposed to be very flexible?]
[LS sister, if you know how to talk, talk more. I, Wang Xiaoxiao, really want to see it!!!]
[I, Xi Ran, really want to see the fox spirit Omega’s high-difficulty “gymnastics” performance (not)]
Jiang Luoze’s outfit made him look like a soft, fluffy cloud of cream, with a small decorative mint leaf on top!
“I called wrong. I wasn’t calling you baby. I thought one of the grandmas got up…” Chu Xingxing didn’t want Jiang Luoze to misunderstand and quickly explained.
Jiang Luoze smiled: “I know. I was just teasing you.”
“When did you get up? How long did you sleep?” Chu Xingxing tried to find traces of staying up late on Jiang Luoze’s face.
Unfortunately, she didn’t know if this “male fox spirit” was just too naturally beautiful. Jiang Luoze’s porcelain-white face showed no trace of staying up late. His complexion was neither dull nor dark, but glowing white, without a single dark circle…
“I slept four hours. I’m used to it.” Jiang Luoze drank the espresso in his hand and put down the coffee cup.
“You only slept four hours! How is your complexion so good, without even dark circles?”
Chu Xingxing wished she could pinch her philtrum on the spot. Although she had good energy, her complexion would look terrible if she didn’t get enough sleep.
But on second thought, she had another friend who was even worse off than her.
Oh right, roll call here for Young Master Jiang. In terms of dark circles, Jiang Changsheng was a king-level existence…
Jiang Changsheng: F***, I feel offended!!!
Chu Xingxing silently sighed: Good heavens, you’re really too unfair!
Sure enough, you’re extremely partial to beauties. Lack of sleep doesn’t affect your skin…
Jiang Luoze walked over to her: “Are you going out? I’ll come with you. I need to go out too.”
“I’m going to the bakery to buy bread.” Chu Xingxing said.
“Is it PANEM?” Jiang Luoze asked.
“How did you know…” Chu Xingxing’s eyes widened.
Jiang Luoze laughed, his beautiful phoenix eyes narrowing slightly: “See, we have telepathy.”
[Telepathy! I also have telepathy with the male fox spirit! Guess what I want to do?]
[Ahhhhh! I’m really such a fickle woman. I feel like my daughter and the male fox spirit are really a perfect match (:з」∠)]
[This isn’t a travel show, this is a dating show!!!]
Jiang Luoze couldn’t help but laugh. His gaze swept over her collar and he nodded: “Madrid has a big temperature difference between morning and evening. The sun looks strong outside now, but the actual temperature is very low, and the wind is cool. I’ll get you a scarf.”
Chu Xingxing suddenly remembered the pile of messy towels she had piled at Jiang Luoze’s door and quickly said: “I can go by myself…”
“But,” Jiang Luoze paused, tilted his head and smiled at her: “The scarf is in my room. So does Xingxing know where it’s kept?”
Chu Xingxing shook her head.
“Wait for me.” Jiang Luoze said, then walked straight toward the small living room.
When he returned, the smile on his face was even more obvious.
“Thank you, Xingxing, for caring about me so much.” Jiang Luoze didn’t say much, just wrapped the light gray scarf around her.
Chu Xingxing wore a cream-white high-neck fitted base layer, an avocado-green cashmere knit cardigan, and a cream-white coat.
The scarf Jiang Luoze added for her was a light gray.
It made Chu Xingxing, who usually dressed handsomely, look exceptionally gentle for once.
Jiang Luoze’s outfit today also looked very comfortable. Over his cream-white cashmere sweater, he wore a light gray coat.
The color of this coat matched the color of Chu Xingxing’s scarf.
And the cashmere sweaters they both wore were exactly the same material.
Standing together, whether looking at them casually or analyzing each item of clothing piece by piece, these two had extremely high outfit compatibility.
Separately, they were two great beauties with explosive fashion sense.
Together, the two beauties “combined,” and it was obvious at a glance that their clothes had been carefully coordinated to echo each other.
Before leaving, Chu Xingxing was changing shoes at the entrance. Her gaze passed over the mirror and she noticed that she and Jiang Luoze seemed to be wearing exactly the same color palette. It looked very healing, the kind that could cure OCD.
[Damn, what kind of beauty-beauty combination is this!!!]
[Every day I learn clothing coordination from Designer Jiang. Today these two are at the highest level of couple outfit techniques.]
[Ahhh! I’m completely sold on the soft avocado-green cashmere sweater Xingxing is wearing. Is it another new SACI item? Is there a price hero to make me give up?]
[An overseas fashion blogger has already commented on Xing Bao’s outfit! Let me direct everyone to “The Cowhide King is Me” on XHS. The blogger found the brand and purchase links for everyone. Although every outfit of Xing Bao’s has Saci items, not every piece is from Saci’s main line and diffusion line. There are also many niche European designer brands and some fast fashion items.]
[Just came back from “The Cowhide King is Me.” Treasure blogger! Very thorough in explaining red carpet gowns. Supposedly a design student in Country F. Sisters who need it can grab the avocado-green cashmere sweater Xingxing is wearing. It’s from the Spanish niche brand Nice Things, and it’s still on sale! After discount, it’s over 80 euros. Five or six hundred RMB for a cashmere sweater—what more could you want? I already bought it!]
[Damn, so envious!!! Xing Bao, just take the male fox spirit! He’s virtuous, caring, stylish, and can make money. Wuwuwuwu if Xing Bao doesn’t want him, can you give him to me?]
—
From the “homestay” where Chu Xingxing and the others were staying to PANEM bakery, walking took about half an hour.
Taking a taxi took at most ten minutes. The metro was also very convenient.
Chu Xingxing was planning to walk. She walked fast. A round trip of forty minutes was enough, and it could boost her metabolism—pure exercise.
But Jiang Luoze chose a very down-to-earth mode of transportation.
“Let’s take the bus there?” Jiang Luoze walked on the outer side near the road, quietly letting Chu Xingxing walk on the inner side.
Chu Xingxing nodded: “Sure, but I checked the transit map yesterday. The metro seems faster?”
Jiang Luoze took out his phone and started navigating to the bus stop: “Taking the bus lets you see the scenery. And in the city, the speed is about the same as a taxi.”
From the “homestay,” a three-minute walk brought them to the bus stop.
In the Madrid morning, anywhere with sunlight was perfect for a walk.
Even for just these two or three hundred meters, Chu Xingxing walked very comfortably.
The wind was cool, but not too cold.
Suddenly, she smelled a very familiar scent in the air.
“This is…” Chu Xingxing sniffed and looked around: “Do Spaniards also eat fried dough sticks and fried sugar cakes?”
Jiang Luoze laughed, gently put his arm around her shoulder, turned her around, and pointed to a location: “See that shop? The orange storefront that says Churreria. That’s a churro shop.”
“Churros?!” Chu Xingxing blinked in disbelief and looked up: “Is it the churros I’m thinking of?”
Jiang Luoze nodded: “Yes, Spaniards also eat churros. The thin ones are called churros, the thicker ones are called porras. The overall texture is crispier and saltier. But Spaniards eat them with hot chocolate, not with soy milk like us.”
Chu Xingxing remembered. She had seen this snack when doing research yesterday: “I know. I looked it up yesterday. The Chinese name is jishiguo!”
Jiang Luoze: “Yes. On the way back from the bakery, we’ll go across the street to buy some churros for the grandmas.”
“This stuff…” Chu Xingxing hesitated and said weakly: “Feels like a calorie bomb.”
“Hahahahaha, we’re already here. Try it once in a while. It’s fine.” Jiang Luoze laughed, his eyes curving into a beautiful arc.
[So magical! Spaniards also eat churros!]
[What, churros are a Spanish snack! Hot knowledge!!!]
[Hahaha, sisters can try it. The chocolate that Spanish churros are dipped in is really cloyingly sweet. I feel like I need a nurse to give me insulin while I eat.]
[I’ve tried both. I still think the improved jishiguo in China tastes better. But Xingxing is right, it really is a calorie bomb.]
[LS sister hasn’t had good Spanish churros. There’s an old shop in the city center. The hot chocolate isn’t sweet but very fragrant and rich. Damn, that’s really delicious!!!]
—
The buses in downtown Madrid are all blue, shaped like cute blue fat guys.
It took Chu Xingxing and Jiang Luoze only fifteen minutes to reach the vicinity of PANEM bakery.
It was only 8:40, and local Madrileños were already lined up on the street outside.
Fortunately, Chu Xingxing and Jiang Luoze had two people. Basking in the mild sun, chatting casually, time passed quickly.
Especially since Jiang Luoze had a great personality—not overly social or enthusiastic. Their conversation never had awkward silences. This type of guy was very comfortable to be friends with.
Chu Xingxing felt it wasn’t long before they entered the shop.
As soon as they walked in, the warm, rich aroma of butter hit them.
The display case was filled with chubby, adorable bread babies, making this slightly chilly morning of waiting suddenly worth it.
Soft-as-cloud Vienna bread, fluffy chubby croissants in different flavors, hazelnut muffins, cinnamon rolls, chocolate palmiers, sour cream flavor chapata…
Chu Xingxing and Jiang Luoze selected almost every type of bread in the shop. Who told them there were so many people?
Also, Chu Xingxing and Jiang Luoze had the same thought—both wanted to share some with the staff.
“There’s pear flavor croissant? And pistachio flavor croissant! Ah, pudding flavor bread…”
Chu Xingxing felt she was spoiled for choice. She wanted to eat everything.
In the end, Chu Xingxing and the others picked two large boxes full of bread. Holding the big boxes in their arms, they walked out of the shop contentedly.
On the way there, Chu Xingxing had seen a very beautiful and grand park gate from the bus.
Jiang Luoze introduced it as Retiro Park, the largest park in downtown Madrid, the capital of Spain, very close to the bakery.
Jiang Luoze asked: “Want to take a walk in Retiro Park?”
Chu Xingxing was a bit tempted by Retiro Park, but she was still worried about the old babies: “I’m afraid the grandmas have woken up. Let’s hurry back.”
“Wait a moment. Let me ask.” Jiang Luoze took out his phone and seemed to open a WeChat group…
Then he told Chu Xingxing: “They haven’t woken up yet. Due to jet lag, let them sleep a bit longer. We’ll walk a little, then take a taxi back. There’s enough time.”
“What group did you join?” Chu Xingxing’s focus was clearly elsewhere.
“Follow-shooting director group…” Jiang Luoze waved his phone.
Chu Xingxing: Shocked!
Cat shocked jpg.
What! How did he even get into the follow-shooting director group???
This batch of “Grandma’s Journey” follow-shooting directors were all young girls.
Before the second trip, Jiang Luoze arranged for Saci’s PR to directly send each follow-shooting director a set of new season items. To thank this “male fox spirit,” Xiao Mao directly had PR add Jiang Luoze to the group, seeking a “benefit” for the sisters.
Jiang Luoze, out of politeness, never left the group.
Xiao Mao expressed: With a male fox like Designer Jiang, who could resist???
—
Ten minutes later, Chu Xingxing and Jiang Luoze arrived at the east gate of Retiro Park.
Jiang Luoze pulled Chu Xingxing to sit on an empty wooden bench.
Then, like a magician, he first produced a bottle of milk from his coat pocket, then used a tissue to take out a pistachio croissant from the box.
“You didn’t eat breakfast. Hungry, right?” Jiang Luoze smiled and said: “Let’s sit here for five minutes.”
Chu Xingxing was impatient. Holding the glass milk bottle, she took a big bite of the pistachio croissant.
She had expected the chubby croissant to be very sweet and rich. Chu Xingxing blinked, completely not expecting this texture.
Fluffy, full of butter aroma, air pockets even and supportive. The croissant itself wasn’t very sweet, and the pistachio cream filling inside had just the right sweetness.
[Ahhh! I’m dying of craving, wuwuwu. This pistachio cream croissant is so tempting!!!]
[Xingxing takes one bite, and crumbs fall ahhhhh!]
[That cross-section, amazing. I feel like I could devour three in one go!!!]
“Is it good?” Jiang Luoze looked at Chu Xingxing like she was a greedy little baby.
“Delicious!” Chu Xingxing nodded and raised her hand to wipe the crumbs from the corner of her mouth.
The bread crumbs fell to the ground, and then a fearless little sparrow hopped over, pecked at them with “tuk tuk” sounds, and tilted its head to look at her.
Chu Xingxing was amused by the little sparrow: “Pfft, even the sparrows in Spain aren’t afraid of people.”
“They’re not afraid,” Jiang Luoze put his hands on the back of the bench, sighed softly, and said quietly: “You know, you’re good at everything, just a bit impatient. Xingxing, if you slow down a little, you’ll see many different sceneries.”
Jiang Luoze’s voice seemed to have some magic, able to calm people’s hearts.
Chu Xingxing’s somewhat anxious nature slowly calmed down.
“Can you smell the sunshine?”
“Can you hear the wind?”
Chu Xingxing nodded, took a sip of milk, and began observing the people coming and going in the park.
Under the shady trees, a young man with a headband jogged, kicking up dust.
On the lawn, a big fat duck waddled around like a fat general.
Most Spaniards are men taking care of children. Several dads gathered together, each pushing a stroller. The chubby Spanish babies in the strollers “babbled” in baby social interaction.
The Spanish old man feeding the sparrows seemed to have magic, able to control a whole flock of little sparrows to stay on his hands and arms.
A busker holding a ukulele opened his old suitcase, filled with self-made cover CD albums. Buy or not, everyone please feel free…
Suddenly, the warm and playful tone of the ukulele sounded, making people feel as if they were instantly transported to a Hawaiian beach, with a humid, warm, and endlessly flirtatious breeze rushing toward them, as if the next second they would impatiently grab a surfboard and run toward the waves.
The middle-aged busker’s voice blended in perfectly.
Surprisingly, the middle-aged man’s voice was like a cool, refreshing lemon mint soda in the humid heat. It was not hoarse at all, but transparent and clean.
“Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
And the dreams that you dream of
Once in a lullaby…”
The song spread through the shade of the trees, making hearts leap like a dream.
[Wuwuwu, I don’t know why, but the uncle’s “Over the Rainbow” makes me want to cry. The busker’s voice is very touching.]
[Thank you “Grandma’s Journey” crew for filming Retiro Park so beautifully. I really love Spaniards’ lifestyle.]
[They don’t seem to earn much. Why does everyone look so happy?]
[So envious of Xingxing. Jiang Luoze is really a great travel companion!]
Chu Xingxing sighed: “Their lives are so leisurely…”
“Yeah. Europeans generally have this lifestyle, especially Southern Europeans. They don’t earn much, but they know how to live. It’s a non-competitive state.”
Jiang Luoze paused, smiled faintly, and continued: “We won’t judge whether being competitive is good or not. Because every country and every person’s personality is different. But since we’re here traveling, let’s set aside everything from before and try to blend into their lives. Like you actors experiencing life—it’s also a very interesting thing, right?”
“You’re right.” Chu Xingxing nodded heavily, holding the milk bottle, swinging her feet.
—
When Chu Xingxing and Jiang Luoze returned to the “homestay,” the old babies had just woken up.
While the grandmas were washing up and doing their hair and makeup, Jiang Luoze and Chu Xingxing busied themselves in the kitchen, preparing a sumptuous breakfast.
But to be precise, the “head chef” position belonged to Jiang Luoze.
Chu Xingxing was at most a “helper,” not even a “sous chef.”
Chu Xingxing expressed that this really wasn’t her fault. If she had to blame something, blame the “male fox spirit” for being too virtuous!
She really wanted to know—was there anything Jiang Luoze didn’t know how to do?
Chu Xingxing asked him why he was so good at cooking.
Jiang Luoze just smiled and said: “When you’re hungry enough and can’t get what you want to eat, you naturally learn.”
Compared to Wen Han’s overly healthy and simple cooking style, Jiang Luoze was extremely particular even when making breakfast.
Sausages cut into little octopus shapes, pan-fried in butter until fragrant, with black sesame seeds for the little octopuses’ eyes.
He remembered every grandma’s taste. Some liked sunny-side-up, some liked boiled eggs with runny yolks, some liked scrambled eggs, some liked fully cooked fried eggs with a little soy sauce…
So, four completely different egg dishes appeared on the table, with cute smiley faces drawn with ketchup on the fried eggs.
Each grandma wanted different drinks for breakfast, and Jiang Luoze remembered them all.
Warm milk, cold milk, milk oatmeal, barley tea…
The bought bread was placed on exquisite bone china plates, and a small basket was folded on the spot with a thick napkin, specifically for the churros.
At this point, Chu Xingxing was already staring dumbfounded.
She never expected that Jiang Luoze could do something even more “outrageous” afterward…
Strawberries were shaped into little snowmen by Jiang Luoze. Blueberries had to be soaked in baking soda, rubbed clean, then mixed into yogurt. Oranges had their membranes removed. Cherries had their pits removed. Cantaloupe had its seeds and skin removed, and the skin was rolled back up for plating…
Chu Xingxing suddenly became at a loss.
She usually just rinsed fruit with water and bit into it.
Instantly, she felt like she lived like a silly…
No, a rough man!
[Sisters, we’re watching a sci-fi movie again!!!]
[Seriously asking, in which direction should I kowtow to find a man like Jiang Luoze? I don’t know if I’ll meet one before I die?]
[Afraid I’m too attracted to the virtuous male fox spirit, I punish myself by watching three episodes of a dismemberment case (crying)]
[If my boyfriend made me this breakfast, I’d think he was sending me off after I eat…]
