Before entering the tunnel, Chu Xingxing and her companions had already been winding their way up the mountain for some distance. Looking out to the right, they could see the boundless ocean, a breathtaking blend of blue and green.
The scenery was magnificent, the view wide open.
But emerging from the tunnel was like stepping straight into a hidden forest from a childhood fairy tale.
The ancient cedar trees around them were at least centuries old, some even over a thousand years. Their massive trunks bore long, slender strips of bark, their roots deeply embedded in the earth. Ferns, tropical mosses, and shrubs clung to the bases of these towering giants, creating endless layers of green in countless shades.
Driving along the Deer Antler Forest Road, they could barely see a patch of unobstructed blue sky. The trees on either side were so thick they formed a natural green canopy, leaving only scattered flecks of sunlight dancing on the car.
Chu Xingxing rolled down all the windows, letting in the damp, earthy fragrance of the forest, rich with the scent of plants and soil.
The generation the grandmothers were born into was a historically difficult period marked by extreme material scarcity. Growing up close to nature, they held a special fondness for forests and the land.
“Gorgeous!”
“Just like a fairyland!”
Ms. Wen Xuelan and Grandma Sheng Shuwen gazed out the car windows, full of praise. The shutter of Ms. Wen Xuelan’s camera was clicking almost non-stop.
“Shall we drive to the lookout point five kilometres ahead and take a walk?” Chu Xingxing called Wen Han, got his confirmation, and followed the navigation onward.
Along the way, they spotted pearl deer with a big heart shape on their rumps. And the deer on Pearl Island were even more curious than humans. When they noticed Chu Xingxing and the others watching, a proud stag shook its antlers, lifted its chin, and studied them without moving.
There were also short-legged, black-haired pearl pig mothers, leading their piglets as they roamed fearlessly along the Deer Antler Forest Road, stubbornly refusing to budge when they encountered a car. Chu Xingxing and the others just waited patiently until the piglets safely reached the other side a few minutes later before slowly driving past.
After all, in this natural environment, they humans were the intruders.
Of course, the most numerous creatures in the Deer Antler Forest were the many species of monkeys. Troops of monkeys, looking fluffy with big, round, seemingly harmless eyes, roamed about.
But compared to the island’s deer and black-haired pigs, the macaques and pouch monkeys were the real local tyrants of Pearl Island.
A sign stood at the entrance to Deer Antler Forest Road, reminding visitors not to feed the monkeys or get too close. Chu Xingxing had seen it and mentioned it to the two grandmothers in the car. Grandma Sheng, though her attention was mostly out the window, seemed to hear and nodded in response. As for Ms. Wen Xuelan in the back seat, Chu Xingxing wasn’t sure if she’d heard.
Chu Xingxing parked in a small clearing near the lookout point. Wen Han and his group’s car was blocked by another family of pearl piglets—honking was forbidden on Deer Antler Forest Road, so they could only sit in the car and patiently wait for the babies to clear the path.
After gathering her things, Chu Xingxing was just about to get out and remind Ms. Wen Xuelan, who had eagerly rushed out the moment the car stopped, to watch out for the monkeys.
The moment she opened the car door, she heard a shriek.
“Ah!!!” Ms. Wen Xuelan was frozen on a nearby slope, arms outstretched, looking startled.
“What’s wrong?” Chu Xingxing ran towards the slope, vaulted over a rock shortcut, and was instantly beside Wen Xuelan.
“Monkey… monkey…”
Wen Xuelan was clearly shaken. Her hands were still in the position of holding a camera, but they were empty. “It snatched my camera…”
[Live comments: “Omg nightmare flashback! Had my ice cream stolen by a monkey at Mount Emei as a kid, still have a scar on my hand…”]
[Live comments: “Guess scary monkeys are everywhere. This is basically robbery, right?”]
[Live comments: “It’s not just Mount Emei, Zhangjiajie monkeys do it too, don’t ask me how I know ughhh.”]
[Live comments: “I got slapped in the face by a monkey when climbing a mountain as a kid, still traumatized…”]
“Over there, over there! I see it, not far!” Grandma Sheng Shuwen’s reading glasses came in handy; she quickly spotted the macaque hugging the camera and screeching wildly.
The troop leader probably wasn’t nearby. Several monkeys were hopping around the thief, baring their teeth at Chu Xingxing and the others, looking very cocky.
“It’s okay, as long as you’re okay. My fault, I should have reminded you again about the monkeys.” Chu Xingxing reassured Wen Xuelan, assessing the monkey’s position.
Usually, if monkeys snatch things they can’t eat, like cameras or phones, they play with them for a bit and then toss them. The camera was quite valuable, and the photos inside were precious memories for the grandmothers.
“I’ll try chasing it. You and Grandma Sheng wait for Wen Han at the lookout. If I can’t catch up, I’ll come back.” Saying this, Chu Xingxing dropped her backpack, her eyes locked on the monkey fleeing deeper into the jungle.
Once she confirmed its position and route, she leaned forward slightly, her muscles tensing.
“Xing-Bao! Don’t go, it’s just a camera…” Before Wen Xuelan could finish, Chu Xingxing was off, bounding away like a graceful young deer.
[Live comments: “If this wasn’t one continuous shot, I’d swear Chu Xingxing used a stunt double…”]
[Live comments: “If this weren’t live, I’d think they just hired a martial arts double for parkour!”]
[Live comments: “Omg! Xingxing is so cool!!!”]
[Live comments: “Can Xingxing fly?! Help! She literally flew out!”]
[Live comments: “Camera guy, hurry up! Dang it, I need to see what happens next!”]
The cameraman wiped sweat from his forehead and grit his teeth, giving chase. But Chu Xingxing’s steps were light as if treading on clouds, nimbly weaving around massive cedar branches, using momentum and muscle strength to fly through the jungle.
The cameraman’s internal monologue at this moment was basically: Just kill me now! Filming Chu Xingxing was harder than filming monkeys!
—
Chu Xingxing kept the monkey in sight, never losing it. She memorised the path along the way; the forest terrain wasn’t complex, and even if she climbed far, finding her way back would be easy.
Soon, the shouts of the chasing director and the cameraman’s gasping breaths faded behind her.
The monkey stopped on a tree branch, still clutching the camera, tilting its head to look at her.
Chu Xingxing also stopped, pulling a few candies from her pocket to try and lure it down.
The monkey seemed tempted by the sweets in her hand, hopping down a few branches, getting closer to the ground.
“Here, trade ya, yummy stuff, come on…” Chu Xingxing unwrapped a candy and tossed the piece out. The monkey holding the camera jumped down from the tree, slowly approaching.
Just as the monkey extended a fluffy little paw to grab the candy piece…
Chu Xingxing unwrapped another candy and inched closer. She was just a tiny bit away from hooking the camera strap…
“Woof!” A dog’s bark rang out nearby.
The little monkey shot back up the tree instantly, and this time it refused to come down for anything.
Chu Xingxing looked towards the sound and only then noticed a small house with a wooden exterior built on a leveled clearing higher up in the forest. Outside was a fenced yard where a big Golden Retriever was pacing urgently, its tail wagging frantically, letting out eager “woof woof” sounds.
The exterior of the house and fence was so naturally decorated that it was easy to miss if you weren’t looking closely. Although the doors, windows, and gate were closed and the outer walls looked a little aged, the yard was swept very clean, and the roof tiles were repaired—clearly, someone lived here regularly.
Chu Xingxing looked up at the little monkey perched high on a branch, clutching the camera, and sighed in frustration. “Shh, good dog, shhh…” She moved to the fence, trying to calm the dog down. If this big Golden would just cooperate and stop barking, she believed she still had a chance to coax the little monkey back down.
But this Golden was clearly overly friendly. Seeing her, it started “whimpering” and acting coy, its smiling face practically splitting in half and its big tail wagging furiously, occasionally thumping dully against the fence.
Suddenly, a slight noise. The cabin door opened.
Out stepped an Asian woman in a simple cotton-linen dress, revealing a cute pair of chunky Mary Jane shoes paired with adorable orange polka-dot socks. Her long, jet-black hair hung down to her waist, her face free of makeup. Faint traces of time were visible, but it was clear she had been a beauty in her youth. The middle-aged woman had a red beauty mark near the corner of her eye. This mark suddenly reminded Chu Xingxing of someone.
While waiting for the trip, Chu Xingxing had watched all of the grandmothers’ iconic films. In “Yu City Memories,” the film that had won Wen Xuelan the Orchid Film Festival Best Actress award, the young actress who played her twelve-year-old daughter also had a red beauty mark by her eye. And now that she thought about it, this woman looked a bit like that young girl? But it definitely couldn’t be the same person. Though she didn’t know that girl’s name, surely she wouldn’t have run off to an island in T-country. Chu Xingxing quickly dismissed the absurd thought.
“Sorry to bother…” Not knowing the local language, Chu Xingxing explained her situation in English, pointing to the monkey watching the commotion from the tree. “Could I trouble you to bring your dog inside so I can try to lure that monkey down and get the camera back?”
The woman looked at the monkey in the tree and then smiled, shaking her head at Chu Xingxing.
Then, she whistled softly towards the monkey, took a handful of peanuts from her pocket, and shook them.
The little monkey, still holding the camera, scurried down the tree in a flash, jumping onto the highest point of the fence, just out of the Golden Retriever’s reach, its little paws waving frantically.
“Give me the camera first, no peanuts otherwise,” the woman said in Chinese with a faint accent, hiding the peanuts behind her back.
Chu Xingxing was a bit surprised, not daring to speak for fear of startling the monkey. The woman actually spoke Chinese! Chu Xingxing couldn’t place the accent, only that it sounded very pleasant.
The little monkey scratched its head as if understanding, and obediently handed over the camera. The woman took the camera and placed the peanuts on the fence. The monkey grabbed the peanuts but didn’t run, instead sitting on the fence and expertly shelling them, eating with relish.
“You… you speak Chinese?” Chu Xingxing’s face lit up with surprise, stumbling over her words. “And you can even talk to animals?”
Living in the forest, owning a fairy-tale-like cabin, with beautiful long hair, a big dog, able to communicate with animals… Chu Xingxing half-wondered if she’d just run into a real-life, on-the-run Disney Princess!
“Your camera, little sister,” the woman said, her smile serene as she handed it over. Her mannerisms were graceful and poised. She nodded, then shook her head. “I do speak Chinese. But Momo certainly doesn’t understand; she just craves my peanuts.”
Chu Xingxing internally gasped: Another princess rule confirmed! She names the animals!
The woman opened the gate and gestured for Chu Xingxing to come in. “The monkeys on the island usually only snatch food. This one’s named Momo, particularly mischievous. She’ll grab anything shiny or unfamiliar just to play. If I see her, I trade peanuts for it and then leave the snatched items at the visitor centre.”
Freed from the fence’s constraints, the Golden Retriever enthusiastically rushed over, frantically licking Chu Xingxing’s hands.
“By the way… has anyone ever told you that you’re just like a princess from a fairy tale?” Chu Xingxing couldn’t help but comment, hanging the camera around her neck. “This little cabin is adorable, and those ceramic flower pots are really unique.”
The yard was clean and tidy, filled with whimsical, fairy-tale-style ceramic pots. But instead of flowers, they were planted with various Chinese vegetables.
“Those are all my failed kiln pieces, but thank you for the compliment.” The woman’s smile was warm and serene, naturally drawing people in.
“You’re a ceramic artist? That’s amazing…” Chu Xingxing was astonished.
“Not an artist, just a kiln worker. You…” The woman paused, a hint of anticipation in her gentle eyes. “I haven’t seen someone from my own country in a long time. Would you like to come in for some tea? And have a snack—I baked some scones.”
If it were just a chance encounter for herself, Chu Xingxing would have gladly gone inside to see this lovely forest cabin. But the grandmothers were waiting for her, the cameraman was certainly still struggling up the mountain, and the director was likely hunting for her.
Chu Xingxing clasped her hands apologetically. “I’m so sorry. I would absolutely love to chat more and try your baking. It’s just that we’re here filming a travel variety show, and I ran out because a companion’s camera was stolen by a monkey. They’re all probably waiting for me now. So I’m very sorry I can’t stay for tea. I need to get back quickly.”
“You’re… an actress?” The woman’s expression subtly shifted.
“My name is Chu Xingxing. I am an actress, though I don’t have any major representative works yet. The show we’re filming is called ‘Grandma’s Journey,’ travelling with four adorable grandmothers. Pearl Island in T-Country is our first stop.” Chu Xingxing briefly introduced herself and took out her phone. “May I have your contact info? WeChat, email, phone number—anything’s fine. Thank you for helping me retrieve my friend’s camera. I’d like to send you a little thank-you gift.”
Chu Xingxing planned to send a foot spa tub, some mugwort packs, and some local specialties from home that were hard to get in T-Country as a token of gratitude once she returned home.
“Thank you, little sister Xingxing.” The woman’s smile was genuinely beautiful, soft as water. She typed an email address into Chu Xingxing’s phone memo: nuan.w.1980@…
“I haven’t been back home in ages, and I can’t seem to recover my WeChat, so I’ll just leave you my email.” The woman paused, then realised she hadn’t mentioned her own name. “My friends call me Xiao Nuan. Little Sister Xingxing, you can call me Sister Xiao Nuan, or Auntie Xiao Nuan… just wait here a moment…” She turned and went back inside the house.
“Xiao Nuan?” Chu Xingxing blinked, glancing again at the email address. This “w” must be the initial for her surname, right? Was this pretty older sister named Wen Nuan or Wei Nuan? Mm, regardless of her surname, she truly lived up to her name—her smile was so warm.
The older sister’s nickname was Xiao Nuan. What a coincidence—it was the same nickname as Wen Han’s.
The woman returned holding a small picnic basket and smiled, asking, “What is it? Is my name strange?”
Chu Xingxing quickly waved her hands. “No, no! It’s just that Sister Xiao Nuan shares a name with a friend of mine. But he’s a guy, also called Xiao Nuan. I just thought it was a neat coincidence.”
Xiao Nuan smiled thoughtfully and changed the subject. “In the basket, there’s some jam I made, and freshly baked scones. Since I can’t convince you to stay, take it back and share it with your friends.”
Chu Xingxing lifted the cloth cover. Inside were two ceramic jars of jam neatly placed. The jars were chubby, with a pair of mini butterfly wings on their backs, and the bright, playful colours were instantly cheerful. On the bottom of each jar were two letters: “N” and “W”. Chu Xingxing guessed these were the artist’s signature. On the other side of the basket, wrapped in parchment paper, were what smelled like freshly baked scones, still faintly warm. She caught the light fragrance of vanilla and butter mingled with a hint of aromatic citrus peel—subtle and elegant, not too intense, just like the impression Sister Xiao Nuan gave.
“Thank you! Wow, smells so good~” Chu Xingxing thanked her excitedly, vowing, “When Sister Xiao Nuan comes back to visit our country, I’ll treat you to a big feast!”
“Until we meet again,” Xiao Nuan said with a smile, waving goodbye.
The Golden Retriever wagged its tail behind her.
Chu Xingxing rubbed the big Golden’s furry head, said goodbye to them both, and retraced her steps, camera around her neck and picnic basket in hand.
—
Halfway down, Chu Xingxing found the cameraman leaning against a rock, gasping for air.
The cameraman had a “Finally, I’ve found the little ancestor” look on his face as he resolutely hoisted his camera again.
After focusing, the cameraman paused. In his lens, Chu Xingxing had the lost camera hanging around her neck. She had actually gotten it back!
[Live comments: “So impressive! Xingxing got the camera back!”]
[Live comments: “Whoa, if I hadn’t watched the whole chase live, I’d really think this was scripted. Too dope!”]
[Live comments: “Wow! Xing-Bao actually snatched the camera back from a monkey, so fierce!”]
[Live comments: “How did Chu Xingxing do it? Huh? She’s carrying a basket now. Did she go foraging too? LOL!”]
Going uphill is tough, but going downhill is harder. If it were just Chu Xingxing alone, she could’ve bounced down the mountain in no time. But with a cameraman panting like an ox and a red-faced chasing director beside her, Chu Xingxing had to abandon her “parkour” route and lead the two men down the gentler slopes.
—
Twenty minutes later, the group finally made it back to the lookout point.
“Babies, the camera’s retrieved!” Chu Xingxing waved excitedly when she saw her long-missed “old babies.”
“Xing-Bao!” Wen Xuelan pounced, checking Chu Xingxing from head to toe. “Are you hurt? Don’t you ever chase off like that again—it’s just a thing; if it’s gone, it’s gone.”
Jiang Yao also crowded around. “Exactly, good baby. You ran way too fast. You scared us half to death.”
“No monkey scratches? I brought first-aid supplies. If the skin’s broken, you need a rabies shot,” Ai Minli said, pulling Chu Xingxing’s arm to closely examine her hands.
“I really didn’t get hurt. The monkey didn’t even touch me.” Chu Xingxing felt like a doll being fussed over by the grandmothers, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
“Xingxing meant well. Getting the camera back deserves praise, not scolding,” Grandma Sheng Shuwen said, patting Chu Xingxing’s shoulder, showing her approval. Although Grandma Sheng was also worried, the Sheng family education typically encouraged the younger generation to go for what they felt was right.
The grandmothers had been crowding around Chu Xingxing. After Grandma Sheng spoke, the others finally let her go.
Wen Han lowered his head and asked softly, “You okay?”
“I’m really fine…” Chu Xingxing smiled, then suddenly remembered that coincidence. “Is everyone hungry? Actually, I didn’t get the camera back myself. In the forest, I met a ‘princess’ who could talk to animals. It was Her Highness the ‘Princess’ who helped me get it back. She even gave me some homemade scones and jam. If anyone’s hungry, this could tide you over a bit.”
Saying this, Chu Xingxing opened the picnic basket and took out the plump butterfly-shaped ceramic jam jar, proudly declaring, “This is a ceramic jar fired by the ‘Princess’. I’m guessing she’s a mysterious artist, hiding here seeking creative inspiration?”
Grandma Ai Minli, who was normally reserved but had zero resistance to cute things, took the little jar and said with rare excitement, “So cute!”
“It really is adorable. Sister Xiao Nuan must be a playful soul; the ceramic flower pots she made were also charming.” Chu Xingxing looked over at Wen Han and laughed. “What are the odds? The pretty older sister I met is also called Xiao Nuan, same as you.”
“I’m honoured to share a name with a ‘princess’,” Wen Han smiled too. His nickname was indeed more suited for a girl, but since his own mother had given it to him, there wasn’t much he could do about it.
Hearing the name “Xiao Nuan,” however, each grandmother’s expression flickered with subtle awkwardness. Especially Sheng Shuwen, Jiang Yao, and Ai Minli—the three instinctively glanced at Wen Xuelan. Neither Wen Han nor Chu Xingxing noticed.
“See, isn’t it super cute?” Chu Xingxing picked up the other butterfly jar of jam and handed it to Ms. Wen Xuelan.
“Xing-Bao, was the girl you met also Chinese?” Wen Xuelan stroked the little jar in her hands, her gaze a little distant.
Chu Xingxing nodded. “Mm, I was also taken aback when Sister Xiao Nuan first spoke. I didn’t expect to meet a fellow countrywoman here. She has a big Golden Retriever and lives in a wooden cabin near the mountaintop. The front of the house faces a road that cars can drive up. Following the route I climbed up leads to the back door and a small garden. It’s incredibly beautiful.”
[Live comments: “Wow, just the description sounds like a princess’s home from a fairy tale!”]
[Live comments: “There’s Snow White, but are there any dwarves?”]
[Live comments: “What a magical encounter! I really want to see Her Highness’s garden.”]
[Live comments: “The princess has a big Golden Retriever, lives alone in a cabin deep in the forest, makes homemade jam and scones, talks to animals, and is a ceramic artist. Omg, this setup is exactly the backstory of a romance novel heroine!”]
[Live comments: “So mysterious! I really wonder what Sister Xiao Nuan that Xingxing met looks like?”]
[Live comments: “Xiao Nuan? Same name as Wen Han’s nickname!”]
[Live comments: “Xingxing said she’s a pretty older sister—she must be beautiful!”]
“Xing-Bao, are you absolutely sure you didn’t mishear her name?” Wen Xuelan asked quietly, sounding like she was trying hard to suppress some emotion.
“No, she said all her friends call her Xiao Nuan. We even exchanged emails. When I get home, I plan to send her a gift to say thanks.” Chu Xingxing took out her phone and showed Wen Xuelan the address.
“1980… Xiao Nuan…” Wen Xuelan murmured to herself, gazing towards the depths of the forest, a flicker of light in her eyes.
Jiang Yao turned her back to the camera, walked up to Wen Xuelan, squeezed her hand, and mouthed silently: “Sister Lan, it must be a coincidence. Don’t overthink it.”
“That scone smells wonderful! I am actually a little hungry,” Grandma Sheng Shuwen said, following her nose over with a smile. “Could I have one? Let’s get one for Third Sister too. Xuelan loves scones the most.”
“Of course! Sister Xiao Nuan gave them to us to share,” Chu Xingxing opened the basket and handed everyone a scone.
Like children on a spring outing, they all sat in a row at Pearl Island’s most scenic lookout point. Behind them was the forest of Deer Antler Road, before them the boundless sea, and the wind carried a fresh scent mingling ocean and forest. Pearl pig babies lay beside their mother, sunbathing and making soft, grunting snuffles, just a few steps away. Curious yet cautious fawns tilted their heads from the nearby woods to watch them—glance back, and you’d meet a deer eye-to-eye. No monkey troops came to steal food for now. The world was so quiet you could only hear waves lapping against the rocks below. Taking a bite of scone, topped with Xiao Nuan’s homemade kumquat jam—soft, crumbly, sweet and tangy—three layers of delight dancing on the tongue. Chu Xingxing squinted her eyes, swinging her long legs, quietly savouring the surprise that every unexpected moment of the journey brought.
[Live comments: “Ah! I really want to travel now…”]
[Live comments: “So relaxing, so chill, so comfortable! I want to try Sister Xiao Nuan’s scones and jam too /chinhands.”]
[Live comments: “Thank you, old babies and ‘porters’, for taking me on a cloud journey! Haven’t travelled far in three years; I can smell the ocean and forest through the screen!”]
[Live comments: “Am I the only one who just wants to pet the piglets nearby? LOL, that grunting makes them so pettable!”]
[Live comments: “Count me in! I want to feed the fawns and monkeys too!”]
[Live comments: “Sisters, have you forgotten that monkey earlier? Let’s not forget the pain after the wound heals, LOL…”]
[Live comments: “Monkeys—no way!”]
—
After eating their snacks at the lookout, and fearing another monkey encounter, everyone decided to head to the next spot: Pearl Island’s largest waterfall.
The jars of jam Xiao Nuan had given Chu Xingxing weren’t big. With six people, one little jar was quickly emptied. Chu Xingxing definitely planned to take the adorable chubby butterfly jars home. While the grandmothers stretched their legs, she walked to a nearby stream to wash out the jar.
Just as she crouched down, she heard footsteps behind her.
“Xing-Bao…” Wen Xuelan crouched beside her and asked hesitantly, “This little jar… could you give it to me?”
“Mm, sure,” Chu Xingxing agreed without hesitation, lifting her smiling face. “There are two of them—one for each of us.”
“Then let me wash it,” Wen Xuelan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, naturally taking the jar from Chu Xingxing’s hands and carefully rinsing it in the stream. The cameraman thoughtfully gave the small ceramic jar a close-up.
[Live comments: “Finally got a clear look! It’s too cute!”]
[Live comments: “No wonder the always glamorous Ms. Wen Xuelan wants one—I want one too!”]
[Live comments: “Such an adorable little jar. Wonder if you can find a dupe on Taobao?”]
Just then, someone in the comments noticed something:
[Live comments: “Huh? That signature on the jar… feels like I’ve seen it somewhere before?”]
[Live comments: “That signature looks a lot like the one on a ceramic artist my dad collects. Let me go look.”]
[Live comments: “Found it! It’s the brand Calentito. The signature on the bottom is almost exactly the same as the one on Xingxing’s jar.”]
[Live comments: “Whoa? Calentito? Young master/mistress, please accept this old servant’s bow!”]
[Live comments: “I searched it—it really does seem to be the signature of NUAN.W, the assistant/lead behind the Calentito ceramics brand. No one knows the actual characters, just the pinyin.”]
Soon, someone in the comments began an explanation:
[Live comments: “Calentito is a new darling in the collector’s world; auction prices have shot up the last two years. The person behind it is very mysterious, never appears publicly. I heard they don’t live in the country, and no one even knows if it’s a man or woman. They produce limited art pieces every year, inspired by animals, plants, and imperfect circles.”]
[Live comments: “NUAN.W is a super hot artist in collecting circles—the ‘open for business for a month, lives off it for years’ type. My father has some dealings with the Calentito brand. Their staff are just as Zen as the owner.”]
Following the explanation, more comments appeared:
[Live comments: “So does that mean the little jam jar is worth a lot? Did Ms. Wen Xuelan recognize it, LOL? I mean, she does look the most, well, richly adorned among them!”]
[Live comments: “Ms. Wen is a Triple-Crown actress after all, and her husband’s family is a chaebol. She wouldn’t be greedy over a little jar, right?”]
[Live comments: “Maybe it just simply caught her eye, and she just likes it?”]
The discussion in the comments faded for the time being. Chu Xingxing also simply believed Ms. Wen Xuelan had just taken a liking to the little jar and generously shared one of the butterfly jars with her. She didn’t overthink these coincidences.
—
The one-day island tour ended perfectly. Except for the small incident with the camera-stealing monkey, everything went wonderfully.
On the way back, they passed the night market. Some of the old babies wanted to try local snacks; others didn’t want any more local restaurant food and wanted to go back to the villa to cook plain congee; still others were craving the “Idol 101” restaurant from yesterday and wanted a return visit… With so many different opinions, Chu Xingxing and Wen Han mediated, and they finally reached a consensus: Wen Han would first drive Grandma Ai Minli back to the villa to make congee. Chu Xingxing would take the other three grandmothers to the night market and various eateries to pack up assorted snacks and dishes to bring back to the villa for everyone to share.
—
When Chu Xingxing and the three grandmothers returned to the villa, they were greeted by a wonderful aroma as soon as they opened the door. Ai Minli proudly displayed their efforts: “We made plain congee, stir-fried some water spinach with garlic, and Xiaonuan also made cold-dressed shredded chicken breast and steak.”
Wen Han had moved the dining table outside to the viewing deck, where they could eat dinner to the sound of the sea; the sea breeze was very comfortable. After spending the whole day outdoors, sitting in strong air conditioning for dinner wasn’t healthy. Unknowingly, Wen Han had also been influenced by Chu Xingxing and started thinking about wellness.
Soon, the outdoor table was laden with food. Chu Xingxing and her group had packed up something similar to Hainanese chicken rice—poached chicken rice, a perfect match with the sweet-salty soy sauce paste! The red, soft, and glossy braised pork leg rice, a preparation brought over by Teochew immigrants over a hundred years ago, was intensely aromatic with a hint of sweetness. The skin jiggled at the slightest shake and practically melted in the mouth. Not to mention the large bowls of beef satay noodles, all manner of pork, chicken, and seafood skewers, marinated raw mantis shrimp, Typhoon Shelter baby lobsters, fried crab leg meat with basil, garlic scallops, curried squid… Desserts included crispy, sweet, soft, glutinous chocolate banana roti, mango sticky rice, sugar-thread spring roll pancakes, and coconut ice cream. The watermelon and papaya they’d bought at the supermarket yesterday were cut into a beautiful fruit platter by Wen Han. With such a down-to-earth feast laid out, they wouldn’t trade places with immortals.
[Live comments: “Someone give me a price check so I can give up completely, boohoo!”]
*[Live comments: “Northeasterner here for comparison. Just got back from Elephant Trunk Island in T-Country. Prices on Elephant Trunk and Pearl Islands are similar. Our family of three with a little kid went for nine days. Spent less than 10k RMB total on food and lodging. Four-star hotel with breakfast included—we literally ate fruit and seafood until we were sick of it. Last year for the kid’s winter break, we went to a certain island for a week and spent over 30k RMB. Didn’t sleep well, didn’t eat well…”]*
[Live comments: “No wonder locals don’t cook! The skewers and sticky rice Xingxing bought only cost ten bucks! That huge chicken leg plus two pork skewers… I’m so jealous…”]
[Live comments: “Hurry, throw it into my mouth! I’m a squid fiend!”]
*[Live comments: “Aaaah why do the old babies have to dish out food porn every single night?!”]
[Live comments: “I’m crying from hunger, my instant noodles suddenly taste terrible…”]
—
Chu Xingxing had just taken a huge bite of crab leg when she looked up and noticed the view across the sea was a little different from yesterday.
Chu Xingxing: “Huh? Last night across there was just pitch black. Is that firelight today?”
“That location…” Wen Han pulled out his phone, checked Google Maps, and silently suppressed a laugh. “It’s the deserted island from the other variety show next door. Must be having a bonfire party, I guess?”
“A bonfire party—how romantic! Nice!” The grandmothers were tickled by this too.
[Live comments: “LOL, dying of laughter! Some ‘bonfire party’!”]
[Live comments: “Just crawled over from the other live stream. ‘Let’s Travel Together’ isn’t having any bonfire party! They spent three hours trying to start a fire by friction. Just got it lit, hadn’t even boiled water for instant noodles yet, when sparks flew onto two tents—they’re busy putting out fires!”]
[Live comments: “Dang, so miserable. The key is, no one’s united. Opening the ‘Let’s Travel Together’ live stream just gives you a headache. Constant infighting, nobody willing to put in extra effort, everyone blaming each other. Heart-stopping to watch.”]
[Live comments: “I crawled over from there too. The atmosphere on ‘Grandma’s Journey’ is SO much better. Watching variety shows really depends on the cast. That bunch next door… not a single one is easy to deal with.”]
[Live comments: “Already tired enough after a day’s work, who wants to watch fights and drama? Just want a warm, cute slow variety show to eat dinner with. I’m staying in the old babies’ live stream and not leaving!”]
[Live comments: “Let’s be real—we’re all here for fun and gossip, but even we can’t stomach ‘Let’s Travel Together’s’ rotten drama bombs every day. It just makes you mad! Better come watch beautiful people and handsome guys feast your eyes.”]
[Live comments: “Still don’t get why ‘Grandma’s Journey’ isn’t super popular, but there’s something nice about having a hidden gem variety show, right?”]
[Live comments: “Super love this niche show, it’s so healing!”]
—
On the neighbouring deserted island.
Tian Mengtong had just been pulled out of a burning tent by Jiang Changan. Having been sound asleep, her hair was a mess and her makeup was ruined. She hadn’t even processed what was happening and just stood blankly in front of the tent.
[Live comments: “Oh man! Is that Tian Mengtong? Barely recognized her, why is her face so sallow???”]
[Live comments: “She really was out cold; there’s even drool at the corner of her mouth. Umm… well, she slept well.”]
[Live comments: “A female celebrity without a hairdo really looks different, huh!”]
Cookie had just hauled up a big bucket of seawater and was soaking her feet. Hearing shouts of “Put out the fire!”, she didn’t think twice—grabbed her portable foot spa tub (the one Xingxing had given her) and rushed over, splashing the foot-soaking water “splash” onto the tent.
“Ah!!!” Tian Mengtong screamed. The tent had a sloped roof, and the cold seawater promptly drenched Tian Mengtong to the bone. Now, she was
