When the camera was set up again, the audience found that the scene had returned to the familiar little shabby house.
[Wow, did we just time travel?]
At this moment, Li Xiaoya had just returned from gathering firethorn berries. As she approached, she saw Sheng Yuxiao's figure. Her mouth slightly agape, her expression blank.
For a fleeting moment, Li Xiaoya also felt like she had traveled through time.
"Li Xiaoya, from today on, I'm going to live at your place," Sheng Yuxiao said in a tone that brooked no refusal.
Li Xiaoya stared at him blankly and asked, "Why?"
Sheng Yuxiao felt a bit annoyed.
The village chief's family was practically on their knees begging him not to leave, yet this kid was still asking why?
Sheng Yuxiao lied to her, "Because I gave you clothes and shoes, can you let me stay?"
Li Xiaoya instinctively nodded, then shook her head, "Here... it's not good. Living here, it's not good."
Sheng Yuxiao thought to himself, so you also think it's not good to live here. He immediately came up with a new idea: "Then how about you come and live somewhere else with me?"
This time, Li Xiaoya shook her head more vigorously.
Sheng Yuxiao deflated, "Then just let me stay at your place, alright, don't say anything else." He directly waved his hand, signaling the staff to bring in his luggage.
The barrage of comments erupted again.
[What a classic case of playing hard to get]
[How did this kid manage to lure the young master Sheng here? Impressive for someone so young]
[The village chief got the short end of the stick]
[This is breaking the show's rules, thank you very much!]
[LOL, are you kidding? You're talking about rules with Sheng Yuxiao?]
But regardless of how intense the comments were, the luggage had already been taken inside, and Sheng Yuxiao had one leg through the doorway.
Li Xiaoya couldn't stop him from behind and could only hug his leg.
Sheng Yuxiao looked down, seeing the top of her messy, and thus fluffy-looking, head. He didn't know what came over him, but he instinctively ruffled her hair, then lifted his leg, bringing Li Xiaoya entirely inside with him.
The comment section was stunned.
[Wow, that's some boyfriend material right there]
[Come on, don't be like that. Even though young master Sheng has grown into a tall, strapping lad of over 1.80 meters, he's actually not even of age yet. He'd still be seen in the pediatric ward at the hospital]
Sheng Yuxiao's entrance startled Grandpa Li awake.
"Who's there?" Grandpa Li sat up, one hand covering the spot where he hid his money.
Sheng Yuxiao lifted the oil cloth that served as a partition, taking a few steps to reach Grandpa Li's side. "My surname is Sheng, and I'll be living at your place from now on."
The room was dimly lit, but it couldn't hide the innate radiance emanating from Sheng Yuxiao.
That arrogant, domineering aura of absolute confidence pierced straight into one's mind.
Grandpa Li was stunned for a moment, instantly showing an instinctive submission, his back hunching even more.
"You... why, who exactly are you..." Grandpa Li's words became jumbled.
He knew that the tall young man's attire looked incredibly expensive. He just couldn't understand why someone like this would suddenly come here.
It was the staff member who squeezed forward, his face stiff as he said, "Old man, let me explain the situation to you slowly."
The staff member had no choice but to explain about filming the show.
Grandpa Li recognized the familiar face of the staff member, wasn't it them who had given him the thousand yuan?
Grandpa Li's first reaction was: "How much are you paying?"
The staff member was taken aback: "What?"
The local guide immediately helped translate.
Grandpa Li distanced himself from Sheng Yuxiao. Though the young man before him was just a kid, Grandpa Li instinctively didn't dare to get too close.
Grandpa Li leaned towards the staff member: "If you're going to live here, you've got to pay, right? If it's for a TV show, you've got to pay extra."
The local guide, face still stiff, translated word for word.
[No wonder they say Li Xiaoya isn't a good kid, her grandfather turns out to be this kind of person.]
[Like grandfather, like granddaughter]
[So annoying, don't give them money! Production team, take Sheng Yuxiao away]
[Cunning folks from poor mountain areas, truly as the saying goes]
The staff member almost laughed out of anger.
What's wrong with this old man?
For such a run-down place... how much more money does he want?
Grandpa Li kept a straight face: "Yes, and we need to sign a contract. Don't think you can easily fool us country folks."
The staff member turned to look at Sheng Yuxiao, seeing that this young master showed no signs of wavering, they had no choice but to say, "Please wait a moment, this needs to be decided by our executive producer."
With that, the staff member went outside.
Grandpa Li took a couple of deep breaths, as if he had already received that huge payment.
While thinking, he couldn't help but grin, turning to look at Li Xiaoya, saying, "Grandpa's going to reward you, going to reward you..."
Sheng Yuxiao couldn't understand a word, the dialect and accent were too heavy.
He reached out to grab the local guide, asking, "What did he say?"
The guide immediately acted as his interpreter again: "Grandpa Li is talking to Li Xiaoya, saying, 'You said they wouldn't come back, but they did.'"
Sheng Yuxiao couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart.
No wonder the child didn't even look back at him when leaving the village chief's house. Was it because she knew clearly that they wouldn't come back?
Last night, as she sat in the drafty house, did she, even for a moment, miss the warmth of the hairdryer blowing on her face at the village chief's house?
She clearly knew her future, she probably didn't even dare to imagine it, right?
But how old is she?
Sheng Yuxiao hoped he was overthinking it, so he quickly looked down to see Li Xiaoya's expression.
But she had her head down, her expression unclear.
He could only glimpse her thin fingers clutching his trouser leg, trembling lightly and suppressedly.
Sheng Yuxiao felt a bit uncomfortable. He bent down to grab her small hand, gently rubbing it. The pale blue hand quickly regained its color.
"Aren't you happy that I'm staying here?" Sheng Yuxiao asked her.
Although Grandpa Li couldn't speak Mandarin, he could understand it. His eyes suddenly widened, glaring subtly at Li Xiaoya. This scene was faithfully recorded by the camera worn by the guide.
[Does anyone else think the way Li Xiaoya's grandfather looks at her is a bit off?]
[It's a bit scary, like he's threatening her]
[Come on, you can tell that? It's pitch black in there]
Meanwhile, Li Xiaoya slowly raised her head, looking at Sheng Yuxiao, and said softly, "But I didn't find Aladdin's magic lamp."
Sheng Yuxiao was stunned: "Huh?"
A mixture of confusion and cautious disbelief painted Li Xiaoya's face, making her pale countenance appear utterly pitiful.
She said, "I didn't make a wish to the genie lamp. Why have you come?"
Sheng Yuxiao felt as if something had struck his chest, causing his breath to halt momentarily. As fresh air rushed back into his mouth, it seemed to carry a faint hint of sweetness.
Sheng Yuxiao murmured, "You're so damn adorable."
How could she utter such innocent yet captivating words?
The audience beyond the frame fell into an instant, stunned silence.