Chapter 41: Are you naturally averse to smiling?

[Ding! Exposure of the host's eccentric behavior detected. Singing +0.0069... Acting +0.0069... Cooking +0.0069... Physique +0.0069...]

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The continuous chime of the system notifications instantly sobered Xu Xiu up.

Oh no! Did he say something wrong while he was drunk? Why is everyone laughing? Did he really mess up?

But that’s not right! If he had said something wrong, why wasn't the assistant director—whom he’d only met once—laughing? Everyone else was laughing, but not you! Are you just naturally incapable of smiling?

"Lei hou ah!" Xu Xiu grinned and flashed a smile at the assistant director.

The assistant director’s face turned green.

Damn! Hell! Shoot! Fuck! Blast!

Xu Xiu had truly mastered the phrase "associating a scene with one's feelings," turning two of the words into his own descriptors.

"Are there places to bathe there?" Lamu asked at this moment.

The assistant director shook his head.

Li Xueqin asked again, "Are there bugs? Can you repel them?"

It was clear she really wanted to go, but was terrified of insects.

"Xueqin, you shouldn't go to that island. There must be a lot of bugs there. As a young girl, you won't be able to handle it on your own," Dong Xuan advised kindly.

Hearing Dong Xuan’s words, Li Xueqin felt a wave of hesitation. She was deathly afraid of bugs, and if the island were infested, she wouldn't be able to bear it. The insects in Hainan were too aggressive! Cockroaches there were as big as a pinky finger—utterly unacceptable for a girl like her.

Of the three who had confidently declared they wanted to go to the isolated island, Li Xueqin was now wavering, leaving only Xu Xiu and Wang Chuanjun yet to commit.

"Sister Meng!" Xu Xiu called out.

Meng Ziyi replied in a sweet voice, "Yes?"

"Are you ready? I'm going to vote for you!"

The remark startled Meng Ziyi, but she smiled back, "Hmph, if you dare vote for me, I won't talk to you anymore!"

The two were bickering like elementary school students when Song Dan walked over and patted Xu Xiu.

"You unlucky child, how can you treat a girl like that!"

"Exactly! Exactly! Mom Dan, you have to stand up for me! Ying ying ying!" Meng Ziyi immediately seized the opportunity to play the victim.

Song Dan hugged Meng Ziyi and patted her back. "Oh, look how you've upset my baby. It's alright, I've hit him for you. No more grievances, okay?"

Taking advantage of the gap, Meng Ziyi tilted her face up at Xu Xiu, as if to say, "You got hit, didn't you?"

Xu Xiu pretended to swing a fist at her, causing Meng Ziyi to close her eyes in fear. However, the pain she expected never came; instead, Xu Xiu gently patted her head.

Meng Ziyi pouted.

Ying ying ying! I got hit! Xu Xiu is such an annoying guy! I hate you!

By now, the scene had descended into chaos, with everyone shouting over each other, debating who to vote for. Although Xu Xiu and Wang Chuanjun had previously expressed their interest in the isolated island, the others couldn't show that they wanted to send those two away. After all, they had been getting along so well; they couldn't just discard their companions the next second.

Life is like a play, and it all comes down to acting!

Just as the atmosphere turned awkward, Xu Xiu stood up.

"I'll go!"

His voice drew everyone's gaze. They felt as if Xu Xiu was glowing—holy light!

Just as Xu Xiu prepared to walk onto the stage, a tall, burly figure blocked his path. It was Wang Chuanjun!

Xu Xiu paused, looking at him in shock. What are you doing, you big lug?

Wang Chuanjun grabbed Xu Xiu’s shoulders, his face wearing a tragic expression. "Xu Xiu, you shouldn't go! Let your brother bear the suffering for you. Let all the hardship fall upon me!"

Oh, sure, sure! If Xu Xiu didn't know Wang Chuanjun’s true intentions, he might have been fooled. He was a talented actor, performing without a trace of artifice! Unlike some "Best Actor" who played every role the same way, always looking like he was overacting.

Xu Xiu swatted his hands away. "Are you crazy? If you want to go, just say so. What kind of gibberish are you spouting at me?"

"Hehe, just let me go! I’ve been dying to go!" Wang Chuanjun grinned.

He opened his mouth so wide Xu could almost see his stomach. He just wanted to go to the island, and he was even fighting over this kind of "good thing"—he really was shameless!

"I know you... like to look at the stars with an astronomical telescope, gazing up at the cosmos!"

"But you can't just ignore my life and death, can you? I want to see the stars too."

"Next time! Definitely next time!" Wang Chuanjun coaxed Xu Xiu as if he were a child.

Xu Xiu couldn't win against Wang Chuanjun, so he had to let him go first and wait for another chance.

Once the choice was made, the tension among the group finally eased. After the session, everyone hurried back to prepare things for Wang Chuanjun, moving with surprising speed.

Left behind were only Xu Xiu and Meng Ziyi, as if everyone had forgotten them—or perhaps they had tacitly left the space for the two of them. It made the situation awkward, like parents forcing them out on a blind date.

"Hey? Wait for me, won't you? Wait for me to walk with you!" Meng Ziyi shouted to the group ahead.

Not only did no one wait, but their pace only quickened.

Xu Xiu’s face darkened. Are you people for real? He and Meng Ziyi were just innocent friends; why were they acting like there was something going on between them?

"Oh, hurry up and walk! They’ve already disappeared," Meng Ziyi called to Xu Xiu.

"Coming, coming, what's the rush?" Xu Xiu waved his hand.

It wasn't that he didn't want to walk faster, but the alcohol he had previously shaken off was hitting him again now that the wind had caught him. He felt like he was walking in a straight line, but his body kept leaning to one side.

Seeing Xu Xiu about to fall to the ground, Meng Ziyi sighed and steadied him.

"Are you really that weak? Drunk after three beers? You should have eaten more!" Meng Ziyi looked at him suspiciously.

That remark made Xu Xiu angry! In a fit of rage, he raged for a moment... He really couldn't hold his liquor; he rarely drank, and only broke his rule today because he was happy.

Meng Ziyi had no choice but to press her body against Xu Xiu’s, using all her strength to support him. Xu Xiu felt the soft contact against his arm, but he had no strange fantasies at the moment. When a person is truly drunk, they have only one thought: to lie in bed and have a good sleep. If your mind is still wandering, you aren't truly drunk!

The two wandered toward the dormitory, the chirping of insects echoing from both sides of the path.

Meng Ziyi seemed to be in a good mood, humming a song, "Take your heart... and my heart... string them together, string a..."

The awful singing made Xu Xiu shiver. His mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but interject, "And sprinkle some cumin and chili powder?"