Chapter 26 The Engagement (4k Nutrient Solution) "This is Dad at home..."
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Chapter 26 The Engagement (4k Nutrient Solution) "This is Dad at home..."
The two barely exchanged a few words after the phone call at the villa last night.
At this moment, the sun is just rising.
Cheng Zhao's short hair appeared even darker, his brow bone was sharp, and beneath it were a pair of gray-blue eyes.
Ye Hantao carefully examined him for a few seconds.
This person was excessively tall, nearly 1.9 meters, and stood out conspicuously in a crowd.
Cheng Zhao wore a black windbreaker yesterday, but today he changed into a simple white T-shirt and gray casual trousers.
Ye Hantao unconsciously looked at his arm peeking out from his sleeve; it was lean and muscular with clearly defined lines.
No wonder he was able to catch her weight so easily when she fell.
Cheng Zhao noticed Ye Hantao's gaze on him, and the fist in his pocket loosened slightly.
"Sorry I'm late." The tension on his face vanished as if swept away by the wind, replaced by his usual lazy and casual demeanor. "I took a phone call early this morning and talked for too long."
[Hahahaha, we witnessed the whole thing from Ye Hantao's live stream!]
[Their reputation was almost ruined by Lao Chen's words.]
[Actually, it's normal to feel a little... well, you know, first thing in the morning. I can understand. (Laughs while covering mouth.jpg)]
Hahaha, Cheng Zhao is so afraid of leaving a negative impression on Ye Hantao!
The thought of frequently witnessing similar scenes in the future made Chen Xiaofeng's shoulders tremble with suppressed laughter, and the little bun at the back of his head swayed back and forth.
Cheng Zhao immediately retreated two steps towards the screen in the distance, as if avoiding a pathogen, and raised his eyebrows to ask, "Is Director Chen having an epileptic seizure?"
The sudden closeness made him appear even taller, and the heat from his body and the coolness of the mint rushed to Ye Hantao's nose.
Ye Hantao was blocked by Cheng Zhao's body, so she tilted her head and looked at Chen Xiaofeng's shrug from behind him. Her eyes curved into a smile and she chuckled.
It was unclear whether the laughter was directed at Chen Xiaofeng or at his earlier actions, and Cheng Zhao's expression, which had just begun to relax, tightened again.
He shifted his foot slightly, turning half a body length to the side.
Ye Hantao walked through the crowd.
As they brushed past each other, the flower-shaped earring flashed briefly in front of Cheng Zhao's eyes.
It was glazed with the glow of the morning sun, and even the slightly curled hair had pale golden glints that sprinkled on the neck, creating a delicate, sparkling effect.
"Hahahaha!" Su Yi'ang, who was initially intimidated by Cheng Zhao's intimidating aura, burst into laughter upon hearing his words, clutching his stomach. "Xiaofeng really did seem to have a sudden attack just now!"
Ye Hantao didn't laugh that exaggeratedly, but her eyes crinkled as she nodded in agreement.
Not only Director Chen, but Cheng Zhao was also quite lively just now, which was very different from his first impression of being aloof and unapproachable.
Ye Hantao raised her eyes and looked in his direction.
Cheng Zhao suddenly felt relieved.
Regardless of who Ye Hantao is laughing at, she's done her job as long as she makes people laugh.
Yuan Kai patted Chen Xiaofeng on the shoulder like an older brother, "Xiaofeng, watch your image!"
Although the two had never crossed paths before, Chen Xiaofeng was an open-minded person who didn't care about formalities, and greeted Yuan Ge as soon as they met.
There was no more intimate conversation.
He's not completely ignorant about what's going on in the industry; he's done with the formalities.
"Ahem, I really didn't expect Cheng Zhao to be so polite." Chen Xiaofeng picked up a chair and sat down, his dark face winking at Cheng Zhao. "He came down right on time and even apologized to everyone."
He shook his head, "Tsk tsk tsk, the feng shui of our show 'Classmates Are Here' is truly nourishing."
Cheng Zhao didn't look at him, but turned around and went behind the screen to pick out breakfast.
Ye Weizheng stared intently at the scene in the live broadcast room, and he had maintained this posture for several minutes.
After a long while, his lips moved slightly, his voice trembling, carrying a hint of disbelief and disorientation.
"Honey, what did Chen Laosan's classmate just say his name was?"
Early in the morning, the couple stayed in their Tao Tao's live stream room until Chen Xiaofeng brought his classmates to the restaurant, and they finally saw him in person in the live stream room.
Upon meeting him, he remarked, "This classmate of Chen Laosan doesn't seem as unreliable as him."
"Oh, blue eyes," Ye Weizheng said while sipping his coffee. "Mixed race?"
The chat in the live stream was full of comments about Ryder, saying that he was some kind of wildlife photographer.
Later, the person referred to as Ryder in the comments introduced himself as "Cheng Zhao".
Cheng Zhao.
Cheng Zhao?!
Ye Weizheng and Zhou Ti both froze.
This name isn't rare, and it's not surprising to encounter someone with the same name, but having a pair of gray-blue eyes makes all the difference!
Zhou Ti grabbed Ye Weizheng's wrist, causing the coffee cup in his hand to shake and spill a few drops.
Zhou Ti, who is usually very clean, no longer cared that coffee had splashed on the floor.
She frowned, on high alert. "You think... he won't recognize Tao Tao?"
Once you recognize them, then say something else.
Even if Tao Tao doesn't believe it, she will inevitably develop doubts!
As elders in their fifties, they don't know much about the younger generation in the industry.
The reason I could remember Chen Xiaofeng's name was because the Chen and Zhou families were both in Hong Kong, and the two families had a close cooperation in previous years.
The gold-inlaid jade pendant that Chen Xiaofeng wore at his one-month celebration was custom-made at Zhou's Jewelry Store.
And they will remember the name Cheng Zhao... because he was Tao Tao's childhood betrothed!
“He doesn’t look like he recognizes Tao Tao.” Ye Weizheng put down his coffee cup and wiped away a drop of coffee that had splashed on Zhou Ti’s wrist.
He turned to stare at Cheng Zhao on the screen and said with certainty, "As soon as Tao Tao came out, he gave her a cold look."
This made him both angry and relieved.
Cheng Zhao was clearly angry, but he was also relieved that Tao Tao was probably not the person he had a brief childhood betrothal with.
“You’re right.” Zhou Ti forced herself to calm down. “Even if he had the slightest suspicion, his expression shouldn’t have been so indifferent.”
That year, Tao Tao was only five years old. They had been working as corporate slaves in Yuncheng for less than two years and hadn't given up looking for other ways.
Just then, Tao Tao's maternal grandfather said that he knew an old friend who would often yell at his grandson in the teahouse where they drank tea.
It is said that the seven-year-old boy would take the children in the compound to wherever there was danger every day.
The compound was spared from further mischief, while the mischievous kids were left with bruises and swelling.
His grandson, who was in charge, fared even worse; he suffered a broken arm or a broken leg.
Several times he almost lost his life, but miraculously escaped danger.
So his grandson got even more excited.
My old friend beat his grandson quite a few times for this.
Tao Tao's grandfather's heart skipped a beat, and he asked for her exact birth date. Only an old friend would dare to ask in person.
This calculation revealed that the old friend's grandson had a strong "seal" element in his birth chart, indicating a tenacious life and the potential to turn adversity into opportunity.
Simply put, he's lucky.
When Tao Tao's maternal grandfather called, he had already taken it upon himself to make a verbal engagement with Grandpa Cheng.
Zhou Ti and Ye Weizheng, doting on their daughter, acted like traditional feudal patriarchs and accepted the marriage arrangement, bypassing Tao Tao.
The next day, Zhou Ti took Tao Tao to Gangcheng for a trip under the pretext of company benefits, where she met Grandpa Cheng.
Tao Tao was so happy to hear that Grandpa Cheng had a little brother that she drew a crayon picture for him.
Before parting, Grandpa Cheng wanted to take Tao Tao back with him, saying that he wanted the two children to get to know each other beforehand.
Tao Tao's maternal grandfather quickly snatched Tao Tao away, refusing outright and telling him to go back and talk to his grandson first.
That evening, Grandpa Cheng called to say that his grandson was really looking forward to meeting Tao Tao and asked when it would be convenient for him to bring his grandson over.
Just as the two families finalized their next meeting time, Ye Weizheng casually mentioned to Tao Tao that he had "gotten a promotion," and Tao Tao fell ill and was hospitalized again.
The high fever persisted and came on fiercely.
With all his vital signs on the verge of collapse, he was just one step away from being pushed back into the ICU and receiving a critical condition notice.
"Dad, please tell Grandpa Cheng that the engagement is off."
The fact that a simple promotion could send Tao Tao to the hospital suggests that the engagement is likely useless and not worth wasting any more time on her.
That very night, after hanging up the phone, Zhou Ti and Ye Weizheng resolved to continue working as corporate slaves, hoping to convince Tao Tao that their family's financial situation was just average.
Zhou Ti recalled what Tao Tao's grandfather had said back then.
Although Grandpa Cheng knew that the Zhou family had a child who was frail and sickly since childhood and was planning to find a child with a strong destiny to marry, he did not know that they had already retired to Yuncheng two years ago to work as corporate slaves.
Therefore, in Mr. Cheng's mind, the family he was betrothed to was the Zhou family, a prominent family in Hong Kong, not the Zhou family living in the old neighborhood of Yuncheng.
Ye Weizheng still had some concerns, "If Cheng Zhao comes to participate in the program, Grandpa Cheng can't possibly not watch it."
Cheng Zhao had never seen Tao Tao when she was a child, but Grandpa Cheng had.
Tao Tao has grown almost proportionally since she was five years old.
“It’s normal that the baby was switched at birth and the name wasn’t changed.” Zhou Ti’s fingers, gripping the tablet, were icy cold, as if she were speaking to Ye Weizheng, but also to herself.
Tao Tao's maternal grandfather's excuse for announcing the engagement was simple and blunt: he said his family had switched babies.
Tao Tao's maternal grandfather said that Tao Tao has already been sent back to her biological parents' home, so it's not appropriate for him to make decisions for her anymore.
Even so, Grandpa Cheng didn't give up and actually wanted to continue the arranged marriage, saying that he really liked Tao Tao.
For several days in a row, they kept calling to ask how Tao Tao's biological family treated her, and whether they had the ability to treat Tao Tao's illness.
He decided not to hide Tao Tao after the day after tomorrow. If all else failed, he would take Tao Tao home to raise.
Grandpa Tao: "..."
Ye Weizheng opened his palm and wrapped it around Zhou Ti's hand. "Look at Cheng Zhao's attitude just now. With him like this, Grandpa Cheng won't pay much attention to Tao Tao."
As they were talking, Chen Xiaofeng and Cheng Zhao from the variety show finished choosing their breakfasts.
Ye Hantao didn't pay attention to who came out or went in. She poured a glass of warm water, pushed it to Liao Jiayue sitting next to her, and asked with concern, "Jiayue, did you not sleep well last night?"
Although Liao Jiayue and the control group have many conflicts in the plot, Ye Hantao is still quite grateful for Liao Jiayue's invitation.
If she doesn't participate in the program, there's no hope of her recovering.
Liao Jiayue acted as if she hadn't heard Ye Hantao's voice, her fingers gripping the hem of her skirt tightly.
The Bentley, mattress, and antiques prepared by the production team could be attributed to the butterfly effect brought about by her time travel, but what about the classmates Chen Xiaofeng brought along?!
In the story, the classmate Chen Xiaofeng brought wasn't named Cheng Zhao at all, but a rich young man named Yang Weiqing.
This woman was immediately stalked by her high school classmate as soon as she appeared on the show. Her classmate acted like she was constantly offering herself up, which led to her classmate being heavily criticized by netizens as a gold digger.
Therefore, many netizens chose to believe the rumors about Yuan Kai and his high school classmate.
"Jia Yue?" Ye Hantao called out.
"...I'm fine." Liao Jiayue picked up her water glass. "I just had trouble sleeping in my new bed last night."
She took a few sips of water, glanced up at Cheng Zhao, and started a conversation, "Is this the person who appeared in Brother Xiaofeng's video last time?"
Chen Xiaofeng: "Yes, it's him!"
“You two must have a very good relationship for Brother Xiaofeng to be able to chase after you all the way from abroad to invite you over.”
"Hahahaha, I invited him?" Chen Xiaofeng laughed as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, his face turning dark red. "This is not me—hiss!"
He jumped up, wincing in pain, "Whose feet are that big!"
He asked who it was, but his eyes were wide open, staring at Cheng Zhao.
Cheng Zhao was in a bad mood, glancing at him coldly, "Your dad."
Hahaha, this is still the best taste.
[Cheng Zhao doesn't seem very happy to me.]
Anyone who sees someone who's an eyesore first thing in the morning will have a long face.
Could this eyesore be Ye Hantao?
[Do we even need to call out names? His attitude when he apologized for being late was so different, and then his attitude when Ye Hantao arrived? The contrast is stark.]
"...I feel he's quite ungentlemanly, even though we have no grudge against each other."
Are you guys out of your minds? You're just setting up a target out of thin air.
Chen Xiaofeng: "?!!"
These guys often joked around like fathers and sons, but Cheng Zhao seemed a bit off.
After finally flying all the way here to see your crush, shouldn't you be showing off your face to attract their attention? Why are you wearing such a deadpan expression?
Cheng Zhao wanted to open the screen.
But he wasn't sure what kind of opening screen Ye Hantao liked to see.
If it blooms too brightly, it risks appearing frivolous; if it blooms too early, it risks becoming excessive.
Cheng Zhao's gaze drifted and drifted, and before he could react, it had already drifted towards Ye Hantao.
Unexpectedly, Ye Hantao was also looking this way.
The two stared at each other for less than half a second before she quickly looked away and turned her head to listen to Su Yi'ang gesturing wildly as he recounted his dream.
Cheng Zhao: "..."
"Alright, alright, Dad, you can step on me until I break and I won't utter a sound!" Chen Xiaofeng sat down calmly, touching the light scar on the end of his eyebrow, and then answered Liao Jiayue's question, "That wasn't an ordinary invitation, but someone I invited after visiting him three times."
I think Chen Xiaofeng wanted to say something else before he was attacked!
These two have a little secret!
Liao Jiayue's eyes flickered, and a bold yet reasonable guess popped into her mind.
Could Cheng Zhao have watched the live stream before deciding to participate in the show? And what factor led Cheng Zhao to come—
Liao Jiayue's heart was pounding, and her palms were sweating.
It's her, the female lead!
Thinking this, Liao Jiayue looked at Cheng Zhao with a hint of skepticism. To be friends with Chen Xiaofeng, his family background must be quite good, right? She wondered if he could shake off the rich second-generation heir that the female lead's best friend was dating.
Soon, everyone had finished choosing their breakfast.
The screen was removed.
Ye Hantao took on the role of host, walking briskly around to the dining table, her voice clear and crisp, "Let me first announce who will receive the ten breakfasts!"
"Number one: Teacher Yuan; Number two: Brother Xiaofeng; Number three: Teacher He Qiang; Number four: Boss Ji; Number five: Wu Xia; Number six: ... Cheng Zhao." When Cheng Zhao's name was mentioned, Ye Hantao lingered on the breakfast for a few more seconds, focusing on a mango pancake.
One of the breakfast options she chose was a mango sandwich. She had been hesitant when selecting the option because she wanted to eat both.
Later, I saw that breakfast number nine included egg tarts, so I reluctantly gave up on the mango pancakes from number six.
The mangoes served yesterday at noon were very sweet, soft, and smooth, so I imagine the mangoes this morning were of good quality as well.
"Number seven is Ang'ang, number eight is Jia Yue, number nine is me, and number ten is Sister Shi Yue." Ye Hantao stopped looking at the mango pancakes and finished speaking to the remaining people with a smile. "Now, please pick up your chosen breakfast."
She picked up plate number nine first. As the plate was lifted off the table, the silk thread at the bottom of the plate drooped down, with the other end pressing into some unknown plate.
Although Ye Hantao had seen the plot, she was not clear about the grouping of the various plates.
The plot only mentions that the control group and Yuan Kai were grouped together, which foreshadowed the later rumors, but it doesn't mention which numbers each person chose.
Su Yi'ang squeezed in, "I have a feeling that Wu Xia and I will be separated in this group!"
After him, the others also picked up their breakfast plates.
They followed the threads on the plates to find their group partners. Cheng Zhao didn't look at his own plate, but only at the bottom of Ye Hantao's plate.
Ye Hantao took a step forward along the silk thread, when suddenly Chen Xiaofeng burst into loud laughter, making the plate shake. "Hahahaha, we're in a group?!"
Cheng Zhao closed his eyes briefly, his desire to eliminate Chen Xiaofeng reaching its peak.
What gives this guy the right to do this?!
[Holy crap? The production team did this on purpose!!!]
I suspect Ye Hantao, as class monitor, has other powers!
[She actually succeeded in getting attention, someone who was always looking for fame.]
[Director Chen is such a gentleman; he can even pretend to be genuinely surprised by this.]
Old Chen treats everyone the same; don't help Old Chen get a loan.
[I've figured it out, Ye Hantao gets attacked no matter who she's with (picking nose.jpg)]
Ye Hantao is beautiful and kind-hearted; Director Chen should be secretly happy to be in a group with her!
[Chen Xiaofeng's teeth were showing in his smile, and you guys are actually going against your conscience and saying he was faking his surprise?]
[You guys are so happy to belittle her, surely no one used a secondary account to retweet the gold giveaway in Ye Hantao's super topic, right? (eye roll.jpg)]
[Does anyone dare swear that if they've said a single bad word about Ye Hantao, they'll definitely lose the gold lottery?]
Am I in a group with Director Chen?
Who was Yuan Kai paired with?
Ye Hantao looked at Yuan Kai's plate with this question in mind. The person connected to it was... Wu Xia. In the story, Wu Xia was in a group with Director Chen's classmate.
Ye Hantao looked at Cheng Zhao again. He was in a group with Ji Changtu, and his expression was still unapproachable.
So she glanced at it quickly and looked away.
Ye Hantao enjoys chatting with others, but the person has to seem to enjoy chatting too, like Su Yi'ang. Cheng Zhao doesn't seem to like chatting at all, and forcing someone who doesn't like chatting to talk would probably be exhausting.
Even if she wants to chat, she has to respect each other's personalities.
The remaining group consisted of Liao Jiayue and Su Yi'ang, and He Qiang and Jin Shiyue. Upon seeing that she was grouped with He Qiang, Jin Shiyue even stopped liking the breakfast on her plate.
As the group sat down for breakfast, Director Wan, off-camera, introduced them to the famous tea-producing area of Langqiao Town: "Langqiao Town's Xuan paper production base is renowned throughout the country, and its Tieguanyin and Biluochun teas are also high-quality famous teas—"
Upon hearing the name Tieguanyin, Ye Hantao immediately thought of the cup of Tieguanyin tea that Ji Changtu had drunk.
Their task today was to visit several tea gardens in the morning, and with the help of their teacher, taste tea and brew a pot of tea themselves. In the afternoon, they would learn more about the precautions for tea picking, and also learn how to pick tea leaves from the tea farmers.
Ye Hantao lowered her head and ate her mango sandwich. The mission booklet said that the core production area of Langqiao Town was made up of century-old trees, and the Tieguanyin tea produced there was extremely rare, costing as much as 130 yuan per gram. She wondered if the big spender would let them drink it.
Before she knew it, Ye Hantao had finished the entire sandwich and even ate two egg tarts.
Normally I would eat a very filling portion, but this morning I only felt about 60-70% full.
Not only did I eat more in the morning, but I also ate more at lunch and dinner yesterday than usual.
Outside the live stream, since Cheng Zhao did nothing more than give her a cold shoulder, Zhou Ti and Ye Weizheng felt relieved and also noticed the change in their daughter Tao Tao's appetite.
Zhou Ti: "Tao Tao's appetite has increased a bit."
"Is this a sign that my body is getting better?" Ye Weizheng still remembers the excitement he felt last night when he heard Tao Tao say in the video that her wrists and knees didn't hurt anymore. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. "If your body is healthy, you need to replenish your energy."
He quickly pulled out the menu that the chef had sent him.
This is a recipe he had his chef prepare based on the family's health needs. Over the past ten years, his and his wife's culinary skills have improved by leaps and bounds, becoming almost as good as a team of chefs.
Ye Hantao was already looking at Jin Shiyue's plate at the opposite table.
The breakfast included an avocado sandwich and two poached eggs. Jin Shiyue tasted half of the sandwich and was drinking an iced Americano.
[Family members, is TaoTao watching Kinshitsuki's breakfast?]
[Hahaha, I thought I was seeing things! Ye Hantao looks like she hasn't eaten enough.]
[If you watch yesterday's replay, Ye Hantao ate enough for two people for dinner and finished it all.]
Cheng Zhao was also looking at the plates, at the empty plate in front of Ye Hantao.
The image of Ye Hantao eating sandwiches and egg tarts with gusto replayed in his mind, even more vivid than when he saw it through the screen. It was unbelievable that someone could be so adorable even while eating.
What is Cheng Zhao looking at? He can barely suppress the smirk on his face.
[Production crew! Cut to the scene! Quickly!]
"Does anyone here like mango pancakes?" Cheng Zhao asked.
"?!!"
Ye Hantao instantly looked toward the source of the sound, her bright almond-shaped eyes overflowing with anticipation. Who was asking about mango pancakes?! I love them! I love them! I love them!
She turned her head and met Cheng Zhao's cold face.
"..."
Cheng Zhao seemed to understand what she meant from her expression, and his thick, dark eyebrows lifted slightly.
The two sat at a table diagonally opposite each other, separated by a meter of table space.
He was tall with long arms, and with a single reach, he pushed the plate across the table to her side, intensifying the sweet aroma of the mango.
"It looks too sweet, I don't like it," he said.
Chen Xiaofeng clicked his tongue and said, "You don't like sweets, so why did you choose pancakes?"
Cheng Zhao poked at the salmon with his fork. "The rest of the dishes look disgusting."
Chen Xiaofeng, Yuan Kai, and Ji Changtu, who chose the remaining few: "..."
Chen Xiaofeng rolled his eyes and pushed the untouched vegetable toast roll, plate and all, to Ye Hantao.
"Tao Tao, don't you get tired of eating mangoes all the time?" he said with a warm smile. "Eating some vegetables in the morning is good for your health."
Ye Hantao likes to eat meat but doesn't like vegetables very much.
At home, you can't escape your parents' watchful eyes, but when you're out, you should at least eat what you want.
"I'll just have the mango pancake." She refused Chen Xiaofeng's toast roll, reached out to take the plate that Cheng Zhao pushed towards her, and the pink beads on her wrist hit the table, making a crisp sound.
When she looked up again, her dimples had deepened. "Thank you~"
This was the first time Cheng Zhao had seen dimples on Ye Hantao's face since they met on the show. They were rosy and looked like they had been sprinkled with sweet peach juice.
He smiled and politely asked, "Do you like fruit?"
"It depends on the fruit. I prefer mangoes and strawberries." Ye Hantao was a little surprised that Cheng Zhao had taken the initiative to talk to her, so she said a few more words. "Apples are so-so, but they're okay if they're juiced."
Cheng Zhao was not surprised by this answer.
During yesterday's live stream at noon, the first thing Ye Hantao ate was mango.
【kswl！！！！】
【？？？？】
You guys really do this and that, no matter where you are.
Did Cheng Zhao and Ye Hantao exchange more than ten sentences together?
[You guys actually ship them because your faces were so cold when you first met them? (winking emoji)]
I dare say Cheng Zhao definitely doesn't dislike Ye Hantao!
[+111, anyway, I wouldn't ask someone I dislike if they like fruit (sunglasses.jpg).]
Liao Jiayue's gaze swept between Ye Hantao and Cheng Zhao, a guess forming in her mind. Was she seeing that Ye Hantao hadn't taken the initiative to show goodwill, and was she planning to start with her classmate?
Could it be that he's taken a liking to Ye Hantao?!
"And you?" Ye Hantao asked, "Is there anything you like to eat?"
Without hesitation, Cheng Zhao replied, "Meat."
He paused for a moment, then added, "I prefer beef and fish. I'm so-so about lamb, but it's okay to make soup."
This almost borrowed the sentence structure from Ye Hantao's just reply.
Ye Hantao mentally summarized herself as someone who doesn't like fruits with high sugar content but prefers meat.
She looked away, took a big bite of the mango chunks on the pancake, the sweet fruit bursting with juice in her mouth, and after swallowing, she sighed with satisfaction.
I ate both mango breakfasts, so happy!
Cheng Zhao paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on that spot, before finally looking away, wanting to eat a couple more bites of salmon.
Looking down, all that was left on the plate was completely mashed fish.
This is really disgusting.
Around noon, after visiting several local tea plantations, the group moved indoors.
This is a space decorated as a tea room, but its interior volume is five or six times larger than that of a villa tea room. The two masters invited here are sitting at the tea table in the middle.
Nearby, there is a tea cabinet storing tea leaves and teaware, and a bunch of blooming pink and white lotus flowers are placed on the table.
"Tao Tao, are you going to take more pictures of the lotus pond later?" Su Yi'ang kept remembering that Ye Hantao had taken pictures for him, and that he hadn't had a chance to take any himself.
Ye Hantao: "No, let's film it tomorrow morning."
As she spoke, she glanced at the lotus flowers in the vase, and then took a few moments to walk to the tea chair area.
Chen Xiaofeng had already chosen a chair and sat down in a window seat.
The sun was shining directly on him, and since he was already dark-skinned, he wasn't afraid of getting even darker.
As Ye Hantao pulled out a chair, another hand draped over the back of the chair.
His large palms covered the edge of the chair, just like the hands that pushed the plates over in the morning—the knuckles were distinct, exuding a steady strength.
Ye Hantao looked up.
Cheng Zhao lowered his eyelids, staring at Chen Xiaofeng, who was sitting with his legs crossed. His brows were cold, but he spoke in a consultative tone, "Xiaofeng, shall we switch seats?"
"..." Chen Xiaofeng shivered for no reason. If someone who called himself your father this morning suddenly changed his personality, who wouldn't tremble?
He stopped joking and stood up obediently. "D...where do you want me to sit?"
That was close; I almost blurted out "Dad."
[Hahaha, Old Chen, do you have something on Cheng Zhao?!]
[Having watched so many behind-the-scenes clips of movie productions, I've never seen Old Chen so humble.]
[What do you mean by being subservient? (question mark face.jpg) This is called being cooperative and willing to negotiate!]
"Do as you please," Cheng Zhao replied.
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaofeng turned to his teammate Ye Hantao and asked, "Where would you like to sit?"
"This way," Ye Hantao said, pointing to one of the remaining empty chairs.
It's backlit, so you won't get sunburned.
Chen Xiaofeng understood immediately.
Haha, isn't it just that he complained that the seat he chose made Ye Hantao get sunburned? Cheng Zhao's methods of pursuing people are really secretive. You could chase someone for eight hundred years and still not catch up.
Ji Changtu slowed down and watched helplessly as Ye Hantao and Chen Xiaofeng took their seats in the two remaining seats. Reluctantly, he walked around the table and sat down.
He deliberately rolled up his shirt sleeves, leaving his wrist bare; the jade pendant from before was nowhere to be seen.
Seeing someone looking over, Ji Changxiang fanned himself as if he were very hot, and said in a wise tone, "Cheng Zhao, you young people shouldn't just think about choosing the right camera angle. It's too sunny by the window."
"Do I need to pick and choose camera angles when I'm in the same group as you?" Cheng Zhao turned his wrist, dragged a chair down, glanced at Ji Changtu's reflective head, and smiled lazily, "You sitting next to me will provide the lighting."
Ji Changtu: "..."
The two pronounced "you"s, delivered with perfect clarity, not only emphasized the age but also added a touch of irony.
The problem was that there wasn't a trace of mockery on Cheng Zhao's face; it was as if he had just made a casual joke.
"Pfft..." Su Yi'ang couldn't run out and laugh again in time this time. "Last time... hahaha... last time Tao Tao... hahahaha also said it, hahahahahahaha."
Ye Hantao was afraid he would laugh himself silly.
[Hahahaha, Cheng Zhao's mouth is so sharp, I love listening to it!]
Despite twenty years of diligent study, I can't compare to these naturally gifted athletes!
I suspect Director Chen deliberately brought Cheng Zhao along; it's better to harm others than to harm them alone.
[I've noticed you guys are very hypocritical. If Ye Hantao said this, it would probably be met with a lot of criticism, but if it were someone else, you wouldn't criticize them?]
【I've never insulted Ye Hantao, okay?】
I was laughing along with Flash at the time!
To be honest, I really think some people are making a mountain out of a molehill. This is a variety show! The real highlight is the banter and witty exchanges.
Yuan Kai stretched out his arm and put it on Ji Changtu's shoulder. "Changtu, we're really in the same boat. I get teased about my age, and you get teased about your hair!"
Ji Changtu's eye twitched. "Who told us to be their elder brothers?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Cheng Zhao raise his empty teacup towards him and Yuan Kai, saying, "Brothers, a toast to you both."
Yuan Kai: "..."
Ji Changtu: "..."
They always felt that the emphasis of Cheng Zhao's statement was on the word "old".
After everyone was seated, Ye Hantao stood up and introduced the two masters invited by the program team, "This is Professor Yuan Qiong, a professor of tea studies at Nanjiang University."
Yuan Qiong wore a jade-white cheongsam, pearl earrings, a pearl necklace, and a pearl bracelet. Her temperament was like that of a pearl, exuding a warm, pearly luster.
After Ye Hantao finished her introduction, she looked away from the string of pink beads on Ye Hantao's wrist and nodded slightly to everyone.
"This is Zheng Qiuxia, Secretary-General of the National Tea Art Association."
Zheng Qiuxia was about fifty years old, dressed simply, with a round and kind face, wearing a Chinese-style double-breasted top.
She said, "Today we have two rounds of competition. In the first round, we will compete in groups. After tasting the tea, the group that guesses the tea leaves first will be awarded 5 points. There will be a total of three rounds."
Yuan Qiong continued, "In the second round of the competition, after my demonstration, each group will send one person to brew a pot of tea in a separate room, which will be tasted by Secretary-General Zheng, me, and everyone else."
After speaking, Zheng Caixia straightened the ten teacups and poured the tea that had been brewed not long ago into them one by one.
While the others quietly sipped their tea, Yuan Qiong's gaze fell once again on Ye Hantao's wrist. The color of the conch beads was even purer than the string she hadn't managed to photograph a couple of days ago.
Flamingo pink conch pearls with flame patterns of this quality are extremely rare.
Ye Hantao lowered her head, took a sip, and recognized it as the Biluochun tea her father had brewed at home.
Well, it seems the big spender didn't invest in the tea tasting component.
The production team could only buy a few cents' worth of tea leaves from the supermarket to test them.
The thought had barely formed when a clear, crisp voice drifted over through the aroma of tea, "Biluochun."
Ye Hantao recognized the owner of the voice, Cheng Zhao, without even looking up.
Chen Xiaofeng whistled, "You even know how to drink tea?"
He was just joking. With Grandpa Cheng as the patriarch, even if Cheng Zhao was a complete scoundrel, he would still be able to get a basic understanding of the art of tea.
Cheng Zhao did not answer.
He felt disgusted that Ji Changtu had actually earned the points.
"I think this is still the top-grade Biluochun tea from Xishan, right?" Ji Changtu was ridiculed by some netizens for showing off because of the fake jade pendant incident, so he planned to use today's event to salvage his reputation.
He put down his teacup, revealing a successful man's smile. "My villa also has this tea, it costs two thousand yuan per pound."
Ye Hantao: "???"
I took a few more sips, smacked my lips, and repeatedly confirmed that it tasted exactly like the tea I had at home!
Zheng Caixia didn't comment on whether it was right or wrong, but looked around and asked, "Does anyone disagree?"
Su Yi'ang shook his head like a rattle drum, "I feel there's no difference between this and the Tieguanyin I drank yesterday."
Wu Xia: "There is a difference."
This tea doesn't have a burnt taste.
“It’s Biluochun tea,” Wu Xia added.
Neither He Qiang nor Jin Shiyue were fond of tea, and they shook their heads after Yuan Qiong asked.
Liao Jiayue put down her teacup. "Brother Changtu is the only expert among our group. He said it should be Biluochun tea."
"Class monitor..." Chen Xiaofeng nudged Ye Hantao, who was in the same group, with his elbow, "What do you think?"
Ye Hantao: "I also think it's Biluochun tea."
Zheng Caixia smiled, about to reveal the answer, when she suddenly heard Ye Hantao hesitate and say, "But its price shouldn't be two thousand yuan per kilogram, right?"
[Though late, the boasting has arrived!]
I want to hear what Ye Hantao has memorized in advance this time.
Since the accuracy of the price was not within the scope of the competition, Zheng Caixia did not ask Ye Hantao how much she thought it was worth, and simply said, "It is indeed Biluochun tea."
Ji Changtu smiled but remained silent.
“But it’s not Xishan Biluochun.” Zheng Caixia poured herself and Yuan Qiong a cup as well, and was not surprised to see the surprised expressions on the faces of the others, especially Ji Changtu.
Ye Hantao was not surprised.
She said it tasted just like the tea at home, so it couldn't possibly be the 2,000 yuan per kilogram Xishan Biluochun tea.
Zheng Caixia gestured for them to taste it again, "This is high mountain Biluochun tea. It is more refreshing than Xishan tea and can be brewed more often."
Ye Hantao drank the last sip of tea.
“It grows at high altitudes, so its yield is very low, and its price…” Zheng Caixia helped them expand on the answer, “It’s about twice the price of Xishan tea.”
"???"
Ye Hantao choked on the tea she had just drunk, "Cough cough cough cough—!"
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Author's Note: ——— Peach is about to start slapping faces!!!
The nutrient solution has reached 4k, here's a generous chapter for you! [kiss]
(Some readers don't know how to give Moonstones. Just open the author's column - the polyhedron in the upper right corner - and tap! Haha, that's how you give Moonstones to your favorite authors in the future~ GreenJiang charges 500 Moonstones per cover image slot, which is very stingy [angry]. I already have plenty of Moonstones!!! You don't need to spend any more!)
(By the way! Have you all seen the new Mid-Autumn Festival event? The rabbit avatars and pendants are so cute! GreenJiang's art team really nailed them! I discovered a couple of days ago that I could change the theme color, but after using the blue one for less than two minutes, it switched back to green. Looks like I've been under GreenJiang's green manipulation for too long [crying emoji])