Chapter 24: An Unconventional Date

Yu Zhi crossed her legs and watched, utterly resigned, as Li Ze’s stone-faced demeanor scared off yet another customer.

[Professor Li, what are you doing with that handsome face of yours! Are you trying to terrify the kids?]
[Is anyone near Hengxi Village going to do a meet-up? Not to buy veggies, just to gawk—count me in.]
[Silent blind man, who even knows what you’re selling? Come up with a slogan, guys!]

"Li Ze! Is your mouth reinforced with steel bars? Can’t you bend it into a smile?"

Li Ze had imagined things going smoothly, but when faced with these elderly women with white hair or dressed in casual clothes, he found it impossible to find a suitable expression to greet them. This led to the current stalemate. He turned around helplessly and spread his hands toward Yu Zhi. "Sister Zhi, why don't you handle it?"

Yu Zhi’s brows knitted together. If she could do it, would she have given him the task? However, after comparing him to others, she realized that Zhou Su was truly a perfect partner. *Heh*, why wasn't Li Ze her partner yesterday? If he had been, she would be in first place today, and picking a partner would have been a breeze. Li Ze was truly a composed and reliable piece of dead weight, especially after his personality shift since appearing on the show.

"Fine, you go back and watch the stall. I’m going to go learn a thing or two. We can’t just let everyone else finish their lunch while we still haven’t sold our goods. It’s such a small pile of stuff to be lugging around..."

Mid-sentence, Yu Zhi suddenly clapped her hands together, excited. "Can’t we just buy them ourselves?"

Li Ze looked stunned, glancing down at the vegetables in the basket. "Buy them ourselves???"

"The production team never said we couldn't! Now that I think about it, that warning the director gave us about 'being cautious' at the start must have had a hidden meaning."

"As for the money, we exchanged quite a bit before we left to prepare for any accidents on today's trip. If we buy them ourselves and then send them to the village residents, wouldn't it be easy to get them to cover two of our meals?"

The more she thought about it, the more promising the idea seemed. Her eyes lit up, and she stared at Li Ze expectantly, hoping for some feedback.

Li Ze reached up and touched the pocket holding their money, seemingly making a decision. "Fine. Whatever you say."

Having solved the task in an instant, Yu Zhi was happier than anyone. She directed Li Ze to pick up the vegetable basket and get ready to head back. *Hahaha*, the first team to sell out their produce would also receive 20 points from the production team—this was a sure-fire deal.

[I’ve noticed that even when Yu Zhi hates someone, she doesn't openly show it. Take yesterday, for instance—she clearly detested Li Ze, yet today, after becoming his partner, she talks and laughs with him as usual. Isn't that just another form of professionalism?]

[I don't believe it, unless they pair Yu Zhi and Shen Jiayu together...]
[Did Xia Shuang pull strings? How is she on a team with Shen Jiayu every single time?]
[Shen Jiayu even argued with Yu Zhi for her sake. Why didn't I think of those key points yesterday?]

Seeing the comments section spiraling, Jiang Weicheng paused in his task of spraying perfume for Yu Zhi. *Black-red is prone to controversy; no matter what happens, everyone manages to link it back to you.*

Spotting a familiar staff member, Yu Zhi cheered, "Brother, are you the one specifically assigned to drive?"

"I'm the only one on the crew who knows how to drive. No choice. Same old rules—do you have points?"

Li Ze silently handed over the stars representing their points. Because of a special segment yesterday, the production team hadn't given them the physical stars, only distributing them to the guests when they set off today. The exquisitely crafted little stars, held between the man’s fair, slender fingertips, looked incredibly charming.

"Get in! The battery is fully charged. I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

Yu Zhi climbed into the vehicle with a smile, and then, the diligent and capable staff member gave them a taste of the power of a drifting tricycle! She lunged forward with the momentum and crashed right into Li Ze’s arms. Her nose caught a whiff of the scent of agarwood and ebony that had clung to him for years—as cold and indifferent as ever.

"Are you comfortable?"

[That’s a bold line! I’m very comfortable, Professor Li, look at me!]
[Driver, you really know how to stir up trouble! Good thing it’s just these two, otherwise there wouldn't be a chance for them to show off in the car!]

Yu Zhi pushed herself up and kicked out. "Trying to hit on me with a new trick? Aren't you overestimating yourself?"

Li Ze chuckled under his breath, using some unknown, seductive tactic. "Zhizhi~ look at me? I can be whatever you like!"

In a blind spot of the camera, his hand gently drew circles on Yu Zhi’s back, sending waves of numbness through her. Yu Zhi wasn't annoyed; instead, she laughed heartily. She leaned in close to Li Ze and whispered five words in his ear: "Come to my room tonight."

The provocative hand stopped, and his other hand rubbed unconsciously. The tips of Li Ze’s ears slowly turned red.

On the bumpy road, one’s mind felt hazy. Throughout the rest of the trip, Li Ze wore a faint smile, lost in his own thoughts, and didn't speak to Yu Zhi again. The driver felt the atmosphere behind him was off and wanted to repeat his earlier stunt, but Yu Zhi kept staring at him and talking to him, so he didn't dare get distracted. On these small roads, a moment’s carelessness could really lead to a crash.

The three of them returned to Hengxi Village safe and sound.

[Professor Li, why are you suddenly acting all shy! I want to see you force your love on our Sister Zhi—have you been tamed too?]
[Yu Zhi, can you just say what you said just now openly? Don't be afraid, our thousands of haters will definitely protect you!]
[You’re already as black-hearted as they come, what are you afraid of? It’s just seduction tactics; aren't you quite skilled at that?]
[Stupid trash, get lost. This is a clean livestream; there’s always some idiot showing up to get attention.]

Yu Zhi walked with her head down, lost in thought while watching the creatures in the stream. As she walked, she felt her arm being tugged. She found herself back in Li Ze’s arms. *Is he sick? Always hugging back and forth...*

"Li Ze, do you have too much energy and nowhere to spend it?"

"Yu Zhi, look! You almost fell in just now!"

Li Ze shouted in anger. Yu Zhi turned her head and saw that, at her current pace, two more steps would have meant a dip in the water to experience a "cold and hot" shock.

"Thanks. Can you let me go now?"

Li Ze didn't loosen his grip; he bent down and scooped her up into his arms. "If Teacher Yu can't walk on her own, then I shall carry you."

"Put me down. I was just thinking about our afternoon activities and got distracted. I wouldn't have had an accident—weren't you right there beside me?"

"..."

After much persuasion, Yu Zhi finally convinced Li Ze to put her down. Looking back into Li Ze’s eyes, her anger flared up again!

The moment she moved her leg, Li Ze reached out and grabbed it. "Zhizhi, violence is not the answer~"

Yu Zhi had already had enough of Li Ze’s insane behavior all morning. She sneered, "If you're sick, Professor Li, go to the hospital. I wouldn't mind giving you a hand!"

Li Ze let go instantly. He knew Yu Zhi wasn't joking. If he continued to overstep, he’d be going to the hospital whether he wanted to or not.