One Pet Gets Married

Chapter 29

The temperature under the covers steadily climbed. Before long, a fine sheen of sweat appeared on Tang You'an's forehead and body.

Tang You'an's hand slowly reached out, gently stroking Song Xici's back. It felt as soft as a cat's. At that moment, Song Xici's body shifted again, pressing even closer to Tang You'an.

"Xici..."

Tang You'an gazed at her distinct, thick eyelashes, then finally closed her eyes, lifted the covers, and returned to the bathroom. She turned on the faucet, letting cold water run over her face.

Water dripped from her chin as she gripped the sink, staring at herself in the mirror. An unfamiliar feeling crept into her heart.

After her body's excessive heat subsided, Tang You'an pulled down a towel, wiped her face, and returned to the bedroom. Instead of lying down again, she chose to sit in a chair nearby, resting her hand under her nose as she quietly watched Song Xici, who had cocooned herself in the blankets like a cicada pupa.

After a long while, Tang You'an finally stood and walked over. Since Song Xici had commandeered her original sleeping spot and blanket, she had no choice but to sleep on Song Xici's side.

After turning off the lights, Tang You'an closed her eyes, but found she couldn't fall asleep at all.

With her hand on her forehead, she furrowed her brow, recalling the article she had read earlier. At this moment, the words from it transformed into a series of images, floating unstably in her mind.

Finally, Tang You'an opened her mouth to breathe, her eyes opening to stare into the darkness of the room as she rubbed her temples in frustration.

The next day.

When Tang You'an woke up and rolled over, she discovered the person next to her was gone.

So she sat up, preparing to get ready and go downstairs to make breakfast.

Just then, the sound of a door opening came from the bathroom. Then she saw Song Xici walk out.

"Good morning..." Seeing Tang You'an sitting up, Song Xici rubbed her hair, still wearing her pajamas.

"Good morning." Tang You'an nodded.

"Why are you awake so early today?" Tang You'an asked.

"I drank too much last night, and I don't think I slept very well afterwards... I don't feel great..." Song Xici frowned, gathering all her hair to the left side of her chest and combing through it.

Afterwards, Song Xici looked at her and asked a bit nervously: "I didn't do anything outrageous when I was drunk last night, did I?"

Tang You'an looked at her, and the image of Song Xici with disheveled clothes and hazy eyes suddenly flashed through her mind.

"Not really..." Tang You'an lowered her head, raising her hand to lightly touch her nose.

"What do you mean by 'not really'..." Song Xici's eyes darted around as she gently bit her lower lip.

"You just said some nonsense, like saying you were SpongeBob and such." Tang You'an looked up.

"I see..." Song Xici let out a sigh of relief, scratching her head. "That's not too bad then."

But after a moment, Song Xici thought for a bit and asked again: "So, these clothes and such... you found them for me?" Including the underwear.

"Yes, because you were really quite drunk. Other than that, I didn't do anything..." Tang You'an said.

Song Xici was stunned for a moment, rubbing her head: "What do you mean you didn't do anything... I didn't say you did anything... Besides, what could you have done..."

"Indeed, I couldn't have done anything..." Tang You'an said, then threw back the covers and sat up, changing the subject. "I'm going to make breakfast. How about I make you some hot soup to drink?"

"I'll go down with you. Since I'm awake anyway." Song Xici yawned, raising her hand to rub her shoulder. "My mom is right, I shouldn't... always let you do everything alone. I shouldn't be too lazy, it's not a good habit."

"Alright then." Tang You'an nodded.

"By the way, what time are you going to the set today?" Song Xici asked as they walked to the kitchen.

"Around ten." Tang You'an answered, then opened the refrigerator to take out ingredients.

"Do you have a lot to film today?" Song Xici asked again.

"I'm not sure yet, but the recent scenes have all been quite heavy." Tang You'an took out the food, glanced at her, then turned to walk to the side.

"Why do I feel like you're acting strange today..." Song Xici mumbled.

"Hm? Am I?" Hearing this, Tang You'an instantly turned to the side, but a second later turned back, taking the lettuce to wash it.

She felt a bit guilty towards Song Xici now. Mainly because she felt her thoughts from last night were somewhat despicable.

"You are..." Song Xici said, taking down an apron and standing next to her. "Here, put this on."

"Oh... okay." Tang You'an shook the water off her hands.

"If your hands are busy, I'll do it. Lower your head." Song Xici said, holding the apron and looking at her.

Tang You'an didn't say much, just nodded and lowered her head.

Then Song Xici hung the apron around her neck and adjusted how it fit against her clothes.

Tang You'an raised her head, gazing at Song Xici as she focused on adjusting the apron.

"What is it?" Song Xici looked up, meeting her gaze, and asked.

"Nothing, just... in the future, if you can avoid drinking, try not to drink." Tang You'an turned her head to the side.

"Why are you suddenly saying this?" Song Xici asked.

"It's just..." Tang You'an turned back to look at her, but seeing Song Xici's collarbone looking fair and delicate beneath her loose sweater neckline, she inadvertently recalled Song Xici's drunken appearance from last night.

"There are a lot of bad people out there, and you get drunk easily. It's not very good." Tang You'an said.

Song Xici heard this, looked at her for a moment, then lowered her head with a smile: "Could it be that you're... worried I might be taken advantage of?"

"Mm... Oh right, what are you planning to do this afternoon?" Tang You'an immediately changed the subject.

"Taking my mom to the airport in the afternoon, then continuing to sleep. Jealous?" Song Xici walked behind her to tie the strings.

"I'm not like you, with so much sleepiness..." Tang You'an turned her head slightly and smiled.

"So... what are you trying to say?" Song Xici picked up the kitchen knife, examining it front and back before looking at Tang You'an.

"Nothing." Tang You'an shook her head, the corners of her lips turning up.

"Hmph..." Song Xici put down the knife, then took out her phone as it vibrated and looked at it.

Meng Meng: "Sisters, I'm about to faint------"

"What's wrong with you?" Song Xici asked.

Meng Meng: "During the New Year holiday, my boss got dumped and came to me for comfort. I consoled her for half the day... Unbelievable, why do they all like to talk to me, a perpetually single person, about relationships? I clearly only know how to say 'Why don't you break up then' or 'Just endure it' in these situations..."

"Why did they break up?" Song Xici asked curiously.

Meng Meng: "My boss has always been quite wealthy, while her boyfriend is a programmer who just lost his job. To comfort him, the boss invited him out for a meal, but they ran into a friend and ended up eating together. Midway through, the friend asked her boyfriend why he looked so down, and he answered that he'd lost his job. Then the friend joked, 'It's no big deal, your wife is so rich, this isn't even an issue,' and that was it. After the meal, the boss's boyfriend proposed breaking up."

Song Xici read this, feeling confused: "Huh?"

Just then, Zhou Yi suddenly popped up: "Because your boss's boyfriend is quite proud."

Meng Meng: "Wow, suddenly appearing?! By the way, Zhou Yi, are you at your parents' place now? Do you have any plans this afternoon? Want to come out and play?"

Zhou Yi: "Not at their place, but I don't want to go out."

Meng Meng: "Alright, you and your parents haven't made up yet, have you?"

Zhou Yi: "Right. Still at odds."

Meng Meng: "How many years has it been... Do you plan to keep this up forever?"

Zhou Yi: "Unless they apologize."

Meng Meng & Song Xici: "What exactly happened between you all?"

Zhou Yi: "Nothing."

...

Song Xici finished reading and sighed. Again, Zhou Yi said nothing, especially about matters concerning her parents. She rarely mentioned them at all.

All Song Xici knew was that once when Zhou Yi's parents came to visit her, they nitpicked everything, from the books she read and the music she listened to, to the food she liked to eat, saying this wasn't good, that wasn't right. Zhou Yi acted as if she couldn't hear anything, doing her own things expressionlessly. When she got tired of listening, she said, "You didn't care before, why care now? It's none of your business." then slammed the dormitory door and left.

She and Song Xici were in the dorm at the time, feeling extremely awkward. But they never expected that Zhou Yi's relationship with her parents would deteriorate even further.

Meanwhile, just as Zhou Yi was about to get up from her study to go to sleep, she saw a Weibo notification pop up on her phone about Chang Ye starting a livestream.

So Zhou Yi inexplicably sat back down, opened her computer, and clicked to watch.

As soon as the livestream opened, she saw Chang Ye wrapped in a large down jacket, sitting there with a slightly red nose.

"Thank you 'Zhizhizhi' for the yacht~" Chang Ye said, picking up a water cup and taking a sip.

"Is Sister Ye catching a cold? Your voice sounds hoarse. Have you taken any medicine?" someone asked in the bullet comments.

"Yes, a bit. I haven't gone to buy any yet." Chang Ye nodded, her voice sounding a bit hoarse with a heavy nasal tone. "Today I'll give you all a real-time demonstration of how to instantly turn into an old man..."

After seeing this, Zhou Yi closed her computer, then grabbed her coat and drove out. She went to a pharmacy, described Chang Ye's condition to the staff, bought some medicine, and hurriedly returned to her car, heading towards the address she had obtained from Chang Ye's management company before the New Year.

When she arrived, she found herself in front of an old residential building tucked away in a maze of alleys. Zhou Yi looked at the address in her notes, then at her surroundings, confirming several times before finally entering the building.

There was no elevator, and Chang Ye lived on the sixth floor. Zhou Yi looked at her high heels, then took a deep breath and ran all the way up.

Reaching Chang Ye's door, Zhou Yi stood there holding the medicine and panting. She raised her hand to knock but ultimately pulled it back slowly. The other person probably didn't want to see her.

What should she say? Your health is important, take the medicine first? Don't livestream when you have a cold? Money isn't as important as your health, you don't actually need to pay me back? Or...

Like at the party last time, just... I'm sorry? No... just sorry.

Zhou Yi held her forehead and closed her eyes.

Acting like a stalker, would the other person blow up at her for being clingy? She remembered when she was with Chang Ye before, Chang Ye had complained about hating people who couldn't let go after a breakup, saying they were as annoying as sticky notes.

She paced back and forth at the door, seeing several people go up and down the stairs, but never knocked.

Finally, hearing footsteps from inside the room, Zhou Yi froze, looked around, then hurriedly crouched down next to a large blue garbage bin, holding the medicine bag.

With a click, the door opened. Then Chang Ye threw a bag of garbage into the bin from a distance before heading downstairs, clutching her purse strap.

After hearing Chang Ye's footsteps fade away, Zhou Yi stood up, walked to the stairwell, and looked down, taking a deep breath. Then she turned back to look at the peeling, mottled wall by Chang Ye's door.

Lightly touching it, a layer of debris unexpectedly fell off.

In the end, Zhou Yi shoved her hands in her pockets and walked downstairs with her head lowered, step by step.

In the blink of an eye, it was mid-February, and the variety show "My Farming Diary with Them" was about to start filming.

On the eve of filming, Tang You'an and Song Xici went shopping at the mall for all sorts of miscellaneous items.

Having heard that life in the countryside might be extremely difficult, and that supermarkets and convenience stores would be exceptionally far away, Tang You'an tossed over a dozen bags of spicy snacks into their shopping basket...

In addition, they followed Song Xici to buy various medicines. After all, there would be many snakes and insects in the mountains, and who knew if they might accidentally get bitten.

But honestly, Tang You'an was still very much looking forward to this trip.

Firstly, because recording this show meant she could work together with Song Xici, and secondly, she wondered if the countryside would be similar to where she used to live.

The show's staff said this program wouldn't be too demanding on people. Its main purpose was to showcase a leisurely rural life to help people living in concrete urban jungles relax a bit.

"By the way, once we get there, there will be people recording sound all the time, everywhere. Remember not to say anything strange." Song Xici said to Tang You'an as she sat in the driver's seat on their way home.

"Understood." Tang You'an nodded.

Then, early the next morning, Tang You'an and Song Xici boarded a plane with the show's crew, flying to Lanhai City. After leaving the airport, they got into the show's van.

"What kind of house will we be staying in exactly?" Tang You'an wondered after a while, turning to Song Xici.

"Director Zhang said it's a rare luxury home in the area." a staff member in front spoke up first.

Hearing this, Song Xici rubbed her hands together: "So our show's crew is quite conscientious, not bad at all!"

"You mean like our home, with a refrigerator, shower, and big lights?" Tang You'an asked Song Xici. Since enjoying these modern conveniences, Tang You'an found she could hardly imagine life without them.

"I think we should have those things, right? After all, isn't there that thing now? The new rural construction project is not to be underestimated..." Song Xici pondered, rubbing her chin. "Thinking about it, it's not bad! Pure, natural, pollution-free agricultural products, mountains, fresh air, clear streams, and green trees, birds singing and flowers blooming, how exciting!"

"The mountains are indeed nice, far from worldly affairs, good for nurturing people and the spirit." Tang You'an nodded.

"Yes, yes, please call me Tao Yuanming from now on!" Song Xici grew more and more excited.

As a city kid from a well-off family, her understanding of rural life had always been limited to what she read in books. Moreover, the dramas she filmed, whether period or modern, were basically all idol dramas, so she had never experienced the countryside.

As for Tang You'an, she originally came from the mountains, so while she was happy, she wasn't as excited or thrilled as Song Xici.

"The director also said that when you get there, you won't have to work today and can enjoy a meal that perfectly embodies the local characteristics, perfectly inheriting the long history of the area—authentic local delicacies." the staff member gave another small spoiler.

"Really?!" Hearing this, Tang You'an's eyes instantly lit up with stars, and she eagerly pressed the staff member for more information. "What kind of delicious food? Roast wild rabbit? Roast mountain chicken? Roast suckling pig? Whole roast lamb?"

"No, it's a delicacy you can't imagine, only available locally." the staff member said.

"Can you give me a hint? I can transfer you 20 yuan on WeChat, is that okay? Sorry, I'm a bit short on cash recently because every month I have to give Xici... mmph..." Tang You'an was so curious that before she could finish speaking, Song Xici covered her mouth. Yes, she owed Song Xici ten million yuan, so she was currently repaying the debt every month.

"To think you're handing over your entire salary to your wife, you two are truly in love. What a beautiful romance!" the staff member exclaimed.

Song Xici could only show eight teeth in a forced smile.

"My Farming Diary with Them" could also be called "Our Farming Diary." as everyone would be working together there. However, since there were couples and wife-wife/husband-wife relationships involved, they could also show some affection and create some romantic moments for viewers.

The location chosen was quite remote, situated in a small village area nestled in the mountains by a river. There were only a few scattered households nearby, with the nearest small town about ten kilometers away.

When the staff member said they were almost there, Tang You'an and Song Xici instantly craned their necks like ducks to look out the car window.

"Wow, the air is so fresh. I want to live here forever." Song Xici took a deep breath, looking enraptured.

"Yes, the sky is blue, the trees are green, the water is clear... Xici, look, there's a small town over there. Is that where we'll be staying?" Just then, sharp-eyed Tang You'an spotted the vague outline of a town with many houses in the distance and patted Song Xici's shoulder.

"I guess so~" Song Xici smiled. "Hey, how about this—after we finish our work each day, we can explore the night market in the small town and buy some food in the evenings."

"Sounds good!" Tang You'an nodded. Thinking carefully, that kind of life seemed quite nice. After all, it was their first time working together, and Tang You'an was becoming more and more excited.

After a while, sure enough, the car drove into the small town. The town wasn't prosperous, but the streets were quite wide. Buildings of varying heights lined both sides, with some small shops and restaurants, and even a supermarket.

"Xici, do you think we'll be staying there?" Tang You'an pointed when she saw a rare small villa with iron gates not far away.

"Probably. Come on, let's tidy up and get ready to get off." Song Xici said, hanging her bag strap over her shoulder.

However, just as the two had finished preparing, the car drove straight past. They turned back with dumbfounded expressions, staring at the small villa they had already passed.

"Maybe it's not that one. It should be another. Let's wait a bit longer." Tang You'an said.

"Mm." Song Xici nodded.

But in the end, the car kept going until it left the small town, never stopping.

Tang You'an and Song Xici had already rolled down the windows, their expressions frozen.

Then, after another half hour, the car finally entered a village, bouncing along. Due to recent rain and the unpaved road, the surface was muddy and full of potholes. The car rocked back and forth, jostling the passengers inside.

Finally, the car stopped in front of a large gate made of thatch and wooden planks.

"We're here." the staff member said.

Tang You'an and Song Xici were stunned for a moment before coming to their senses and getting out of the car together.

A cold wind blew, and the thatch on the gate showed remarkable resilience.

Tang You'an and Song Xici took their luggage from the trunk and stood at the gate, looking around with gloomy expressions. Finally, with a last glimmer of hope, they stepped forward and pushed open the gate.

The gate creaked open tremblingly, and another gust of cold wind swept in. Then, a huge courtyard appeared before their eyes, along with mud houses arranged like a quadrangle courtyard. Strings of red peppers and dried corn hung on the walls. There was even a sheep pen on one side and a chicken coop on the other.

"Luxury home?" Tang You'an was stunned and turned to the staff member. "Brother, is this really the place? Are you sure you didn't bring us to the wrong location?"

"No, no, this is the largest property in the village, and also the rarest. Calling it a rare luxury home isn't an exaggeration!"

Tang You'an and Song Xici were both dumbfounded, unable to speak.

"Sister You'an, Sister Xici, you're here?!" At this moment, the other celebrity couples who had arrived earlier all came out.

"Yes." Tang You'an and Song Xici's faces were instantly plastered with smiles.

"Well, hurry up and choose your room..." said Xia Jing, a top model.

"Though, I think we've already taken all the rooms. Only that one is left." actor Ning Yu pointed to a room on the left.

"It's fine. They're all the same anyway. I'm not picky." Song Xici smiled, then walked with Tang You'an into the last remaining room.

Upon entering, they discovered that the room was only about ten square meters. The floor was bare earth, not even cemented. To the right of the entrance, a rather low small bed was placed against the wall, with a gray blanket folded neatly on top, patched in multiple layers.

Opposite the bed, in the middle of the room, was a small square table with two small stools. Finally, there was a brown wooden cabinet standing on the west side, with a washbasin and an iron bucket next to it. That was all there was.

"Luxury home. It certainly is a luxury home." Song Xici nodded, pressing her lips together, unable to speak.

"Is everyone settled in? If so, let's go eat! The villagers have prepared a delicious welcome feast for everyone!" Just then, a staff member stood in the courtyard with a megaphone, shouting.

Hearing this, everyone immediately ran out, standing together in anticipation.

"Finally, there's food." Tang You'an smiled at Song Xici.

"Yes, no matter what, we must eat to our heart's content. Nothing else matters! There's no problem that good food can't solve!" Song Xici nodded frantically.

Then, everyone followed the production team out of the small courtyard, trudging through the muddy village paths, maintaining elegant smiles as they walked into the village chief's home together.

The village chief's home was a two-story brick house, looking quite nice.

"Xici, look, the village chief's house has tile flooring." Tang You'an said to Song Xici as soon as they entered, looking down at the floor.

"Mm."

"Xici, look, the village chief has a big Changhong color TV!" Then, Tang You'an pointed at the television in the center of the living room wall.

"Oh."

"Xici, look, the village chief even has such a big sofa!" Tang You'an tugged at Song Xici's arm again.

"Stop looking. It's not like looking will turn us into millionaires..." Song Xici glanced at her.

Tang You'an didn't mind and continued to observe her surroundings with enthusiasm.

After a while, everyone sat down around a huge table.

"I wonder what delicious food it will be." Tang You'an said, her hands on her knees, looking a bit excited.

"It's like this. Since you've all come here, our production team discussed with the village chief and decided to treat you to Golden Rooster Village's most traditional, authentic, and culturally significant cuisine! Legend has it that long ago, the people of Golden Rooster Village couldn't eat their fill or keep warm, and suffered many natural disasters that killed their crops. At this time, a kind and gentle fairy appeared. With a wave of her left hand, golden wheat appeared on the south side of the village. With a wave of her right hand, a large patch of emerald wild vegetables appeared on the north side------" At this point, the director stood to the side with a megaphone.

As they listened, those seated began to have an ominous feeling.

Then, the village chief and others carried in a large covered platter and placed it on the table.

"Then, the fairy created the dish 'Three Emperors Wild Vegetable Golden Rooster Corn Bun' to save everyone. So, please enjoy!" The director finished speaking and turned to leave.

At this moment, the village chief lifted the cover, and a pile of corn buns instantly appeared before everyone's eyes. At the same time, the village chief's son and daughter each brought in two plates of wild vegetables, placing them around the table.

Everyone was shocked into silence at that instant.

"This is the most brutal production team I've ever encountered." Ning Yu said next to Tang You'an, shaking his head.

Tang You'an and Song Xici were stunned for a moment, then reached out to take a corn bun, picking up some vegetables to stuff inside. As they put down their chopsticks and brought the buns to their lips to take a bite, they fell silent.

After the meal, the group left the village chief's home with twisted smiles, trudging through the muddy village paths, artificially praising the countryside's night scenery as they returned to their small rooms.

Upon returning, everyone went to the so-called kitchen to boil water in a large pot, each taking some and mixing it with cold water from a nearby water vat before returning to their rooms.

Tang You'an and Song Xici brushed their teeth by the courtyard, then went into their room to wash their faces and soak their feet. After pouring the water into the courtyard, they both let out a sigh.

They looked at each other, then silently squeezed out some skincare products and applied them to their faces.

Finally, Tang You'an climbed onto the somewhat shaky bed.

Song Xici paced around the room for a while before finally sighing "Ah" and climbing up as well. Then they pulled the grimy blanket over themselves, and Tang You'an turned off the light.

In the darkness, they were silent for a long time.

"It's okay, Xici. Don't worry. Nothing can be more desperate than this. Let's just accept this reality. We absolutely cannot let our spirits be crushed." Tang You'an finally said, reaching out from under the patched blanket to make a fist in the darkness.

But just then, there was a loud "bang," and the bed collapsed. The two suddenly sank down.

"Oh..." Song Xici gripped the edge of the quilt, her voice barely a whisper.