Chapter 41: Forty-First Day as a Salted Fish
“Get me a bottle of water.” Qin Jiaojiao’s sweet, soft voice carried a hint of raspiness. As she spoke, her breath brushed gently against his ear, carrying the sweet scent of juicy peaches.
Zhou Shaoli responded, “Okay.”
He went to the side, picked up a bottle of water, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to Qin Jiaojiao.
Holding the bottle, Qin Jiaojiao tilted her head up slightly and took a couple of sips. Without her having to utter a word, Zhou Shaoli beside her naturally took the bottle back and screwed the cap back on.
The bullet chat erupted in another wave of squeals and cheering.
【Ahhhhh, President Zhou really spoils his wife so much!】
【He’s so thoughtful! Unlike my boyfriend, who doesn’t have an observant bone in his body.】
【The Yueli CP’s interaction is so sweet!】
【President Zhou’s voice is so nice to listen to. This wealthy CEO couple is such a perfect match.】
Today’s main task was an agricultural charity livestream to help the local villagers sell their unsold produce.
Qin Jiaojiao flashed a cute, professional smile: “Thank you for the gifts, babies! You really don’t need to send gifts, okay? If you like eating juicy peaches, you can just buy a few extra pounds instead.”
The fans clamored for the product link. After coordinating with the platform, Qin Jiaojiao looked into the camera and said, “The link is about to go up! Babies, only buy if you genuinely like them—don’t get caught up in impulse buying.”
With their eyes entirely mesmerized by her peerless beauty, how could the fans possibly hear a word she was saying? They just screamed wildly for the link to go up and begged Zhou Shaoli to step into the frame more to interact with her.
Qin Jiaojiao: “The link is going up! We’re putting up one hundred pounds first this time. Three, two, one—link is live!”
The moment the link went live, it vanished. In just ten seconds, the one hundred pounds were completely sold out.
Qin Jiaojiao was somewhat dumbfounded as she watched the link instantly disappear, while the bullet chat kept demanding for the link to be restocked.
【Darn it, how are you guys clicking so fast?!】
【My sweet, juicy peaches! I’m going to war with all you fast-fingered people!】
【Can I request peaches hand-picked by Jiaojiao?】
【Hurry up and put the link back up!】
【How is it gone already? Streamer, put the link up quick!】
After checking with the platform, Qin Jiaojiao spoke to the camera: “Don’t rush, everyone! The streamer is getting ready to restock the link. Babies, please buy within your means and don’t get coaxed into overspending…”
“We’re putting up five hundred pounds this time so as many of you as possible can grab the product!”
The moment the shopping platform link went live, the five hundred pounds of peaches were snatched up in the blink of an eye once more, causing the comment section to flood the screen frantically.
The blazing sun beat down from high above. Feeling a bit hot, fine beads of sweat formed on Qin Jiaojiao’s forehead, yet she maintained her high-energy pitch for the stream. With a sweet smile constantly gracing her face, she patiently answered questions from fans.
“By default, we ship with XX Express Express, okay? If you need a different courier, please remember to leave a note or speak with customer service.”
“The listed price is identical to the wholesale price for peaches from the same region. For the same price, you get fresh, tender, and sweet peaches picked straight from the tree. They come backed by return insurance guarantees, so if the peaches are damaged during transit or if you receive spoiled fruit, you can return them directly…”
Just as Qin Jiaojiao was about to raise her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead, Zhou Shaoli stepped up with a tissue, gently and meticulously dabbing the sweat away for her. His voice was deep and low: “Take a break for a bit. Leave the rest to me.”
Having been livestreaming for over half an hour, Qin Jiaojiao hadn’t stopped talking once. She was indeed utterly exhausted, her throat dry and parched.
Qin Jiaojiao glanced at him, hummed an agreement, and took a small step back to make room.
The moment Zhou Shaoli’s incomparably handsome face appeared in the livestream, the fans went wild in the comments.
【Ahhhhhhh Brother-in-law is here!】
【President Zhou has arrived!】
【President Zhou felt bad for his wife, so he personally stepped in to sell!】
【Can I request peaches hand-picked by President Zhou?】
【If I buy a peach picked by President Zhou’s own hands, I’ll definitely pass my exams!】
【I want one too! A peach touched by the hands of a hundred-billion-yuan CEO will definitely bring good fortune and wealth!】
【President Zhou, it’s fine for you two to be lazy salted fish, but you MUST supply enough dog food!】
【Feed us sugar, feed us sugar, feed us sugar!】
In the past, Zhou Shaoli had only ever sat in boardrooms making final executive decisions, rarely participating in public speeches. Facing the flood of scrolling questions, he couldn’t even catch every message with his eyes, so he answered unhurriedly.
“Jiaojiao is resting beside me.”
“I’ll be picking peaches together with Jiaojiao to support the local farmers.”
“If you want peaches picked by me and Jiaojiao, remember to leave a note.”
Zhou Shaoli held a peach in his hand, his slender fingers guiding a paring knife to slowly peel the fruit skin before slicing off a small piece.
Viewers could tell from the stream that he rarely did something like slicing fruit; the piece he cut was irregular in shape as he handed it to Qin Jiaojiao, who only had half her face showing beside the camera frame.
Qin Jiaojiao extended her fair, delicate hand, took the peach slice, and leaned her body slightly toward Zhou Shaoli. Facing the camera, she revealed a bright smile: “Eating more peaches can make you pretty and nourish your skin, you know!”
Previously, Yueli CP fans could only ship them through fan-edited videos and behind-the-scenes leaks posted by netizens. Now, watching the real-life Yueli CP stream live to support agriculture while serving up sweet romance, they were practically going crazy from shipping them.
The guest couples only had two hours for this livestream session, and more than half the time had already passed. The backend restricted users from placing malicious duplicate orders, but with links constantly restocking and selling, the Yueli CP’s charity livestream room had already sold two thousand pounds of peaches.
Two thousand pounds was no small amount. The production crew paid to hire extra workers to assist with harvesting, aiming to complete picking, sorting, packing, and shipping within twenty-four hours.
Qin Jiaojiao glanced at the streamer sales leaderboard. She was ranked ninth, Teacher Jin’s couple was tenth, and Shen Xiaoshan was holding first place in popularity.
Seeing the popularity rankings, Qin Jiaojiao wasn’t surprised. To gain web traffic, Shen Xiaoshan would naturally find ways to push herself to the front. Besides, the brothers’ orchard that Shen Xiaoshan’s group was assisting was much larger; as long as they were truly helping the farmers, that was all that mattered.
Using charity streams to sell unsold agricultural produce was inherently difficult. Many people ordered impulsively during the live stream, only to regret it and request refunds after cooling down once the stream ended. There were also many who would cancel orders for various reasons after receiving the product.
Compared to failing to sell, bearing the consequences of returned orders was far more severe.
After the stream ended, the links remained active in the backend. If fans hadn’t managed to snag products during the stream, they could still continue purchasing peaches today.
Once the charity livestream ended, the guest couples could choose to return and rest, or stay behind to film themselves harvesting the fruit for charity.
Since Qin Jiaojiao had promised her fans that she would send out peaches picked by her own hands, she chose to stay behind and help Grandpa Li harvest peaches.
“Let’s go pick peaches,” Qin Jiaojiao said to Zhou Shaoli while carrying a basket.
Zhou Shaoli somehow produced a straw hat out of nowhere and said, “Put the hat on first.”
This morning, Qin Jiaojiao had been in a flustered state of mind, only applying makeup and sunscreen without wearing a straw hat when she stepped out. Sweat trickled down her face, making her look white-and-rosy like a peach under the sun.
So he had disappeared for a moment earlier just to grab a straw hat.
Qin Jiaojiao set down the basket and reached out to take it, but Zhou Shaoli said calmly, “Let me.”
The man placed the straw hat onto her head. His slender fingers held the woven chin strap, lowering his eyes as he tied a knot to secure it for her.
His slightly warm fingertips brushed against her chin, sending a faint, peculiar sensation through her. Qin Jiaojiao’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, letting him help her put the straw hat on properly.
Wearing the straw hat and carrying the basket, Qin Jiaojiao looked thoroughly obedient and adorable: “Aren’t you going to wear one?”
Zhou Shaoli said evenly, “I don’t need one.”
“Then let’s go! We should try to pick as many peaches as we can,” Qin Jiaojiao said, holding the basket.
The two walked deeper into the fruit orchard.
Qin Jiaojiao talked as she walked: “The peaches in Grandpa Li’s orchard are really sweet. Should we buy a few boxes to ship back to Beijing?”
Zhou Shaoli: “If you like them, you can buy a few boxes to send back.”
Qin Jiaojiao thought for a moment and said, “Send two boxes to my parents, one box to Yang Yutong, and also to Grandfather and Grandmother, your parents, Big Brother’s family… we should send to everyone.”
“That seems like a lot…” Qin Jiaojiao gave up on the idea of hand-picking peaches to send to all her relatives and friends.
Zhou Shaoli said, “Calculate how many boxes you need. Once we finish picking later, I’ll go select them.”
“Okay,” Qin Jiaojiao agreed.
Strolling through the fruit grove surrounded by heavy, sagging peaches, Qin Jiaojiao felt the joy of harvest. Wearing gloves, she selected large, red peaches and placed them into the basket.
As she picked, Zhou Shaoli had already taken the basket to carry it for her, while the camera operator filmed them picking peaches by hand from behind.
While picking, Qin Jiaojiao occasionally chatted with Zhou Shaoli. He answered every question, his voice gentle and his eyes constantly resting on her.
Qin Jiaojiao suddenly spotted a uniquely shaped peach. She stood on tiptoe to reach for it, her hand almost touching it, yet she just couldn’t grab it.
She stood on her tiptoes with all her might, stretching her arm as far as possible. Just as her fingers touched the peach, she wobbled and tumbled backward slightly, only for a figure to appear behind her. Leaning against Zhou Shaoli, she felt his hand brush past hers as he reached up and plucked the peach down.
Resting in the man’s arms, Qin Jiaojiao caught the subtle scent of ebony agarwood emanating from him, a fragrance that dispelled all her restlessness.
Qin Jiaojiao turned her head while still in his embrace. Zhou Shaoli lowered his eyes, his light brown gaze calmly looking down at her.
The two locked eyes for a few seconds before Zhou Shaoli held up the peach.
“Is it this one?” His deep, slightly magnetic voice sounded beside her ear.
“Yes.” Qin Jiaojiao averted her eyes and said, “Look at this peach, it looks just like a heart.”
Peaches shipped to customers had to be perfectly shaped, plump, and round; this uniquely shaped peach looked like a flattened heart, so picking it meant they could only take it back to eat themselves.
“Mm, it looks very much like one.” Zhou Shaoli handed the heart-shaped peach to her. “For you.”
Hearing this, Qin Jiaojiao’s heart skipped a heavy beat. Taking the peach, her mind began to wander uncontrollably.
What did Zhou Shaoli mean? Giving her a heart-shaped peach? Was he confessing to her?
Qin Jiaojiao realized that ever since that chaotic kiss last night, she had become extraordinarily attentive to Zhou Shaoli’s every word and action. A casual phrase he uttered or a random thing he did would make her imagination run wild.
Looking slightly annoyed, she fetched water from the basket to wash the peach, then took a big bite out of it. The heart-shaped peach wasn’t as plump as the commercial ones, but it tasted extraordinarily tender and sweet.
After picking peaches all day, Qin Jiaojiao was completely exhausted with an aching waist and sore back, yet looking at the full baskets of peaches gave her a sense of fulfillment.
The production crew gathered the guest couples together to announce the final sales results of today’s charity livestream.
The head director held a megaphone: “The Feizhu couple sold three thousand pounds in their charity stream, the Yueli couple sold five thousand pounds, and the Shan-Meng couple sold fifty thousand pounds, taking first place!”
Qin Jiaojiao’s eyes widened in shock. Selling fifty thousand pounds of peaches in a single day was ten times her sales volume! Was Shen Xiaoshan’s selling ability really that insane?
This was way too exaggerated! It was practically more impressive than professional livestream hosts!
Clearly, this number shocked everyone. The production staff applauded wildly to congratulate Shen Xiaoshan on taking first place with her outstanding sales performance, becoming the undisputed C-position popular couple.
This episode’s charity livestream recording was a huge success, and the crew of Season 2 of Romantic Lovers was thoroughly satisfied, ready to take a break and go rest.
The director said with a smile: “The recording for Episode 4 ends here! Guest couples, we’ll see you next episode!”
The guest couples would sleep one more night in the cottage provided by the production crew, pack their luggage, and head home tomorrow to rest for a while before the next shoot.
The production team’s cars dropped the guest couples off at their respective cottages.
The moment Qin Jiaojiao stepped into the house, she slumped ungracefully onto the sofa, unwilling to move a single inch. Having far exceeded her physical limit today, she was tired and hungry, wanting nothing more than a good rest.
Zhou Shaoli went upstairs first to take a shower. Upon coming back down, he glanced at her and walked into the kitchen.
Ever since Qin Jiaojiao’s mild mushroom poisoning incident, he had learned to cook by watching online videos, mastering many home-cooked dishes. Luckily, Qin Jiaojiao wasn’t a picky eater; whatever he made, she found delicious.
Qin Jiaojiao dozed off for a short bit before being woken up by Zhou Shaoli past seven to eat dinner. Yawning sleepily, she finished her meal and went upstairs to shower.
After showering, her energy recovered a bit, but she still felt exhausted.
Downstairs, Zhou Shaoli cleaned up the kitchen and dining room, then went upstairs to the bedroom, finding Qin Jiaojiao lying on the bed staring into space. He suddenly asked:
“Do you want me to give you a massage?”
Qin Jiaojiao looked up at him: “A massage?”
Zhou Shaoli’s voice was gentle: “When Grandfather was sick in the past, I spent a few days learning massage techniques from doctors to relieve muscle soreness.”
Qin Jiaojiao was somewhat tempted: “Then… could you help me massage a bit?”
“I’ll go wash my hands.”
Zhou Shaoli went to the bathroom to wash his hands, unbuttoned his cufflinks, and unhurriedly rolled up his sleeves, revealing handsomely defined arms before kneeling beside her on the bed.
“Where should I start?”
Hindsight kicking in, Qin Jiaojiao realized that getting a massage was a bit too intimate. But since she had already asked, it felt bad to refuse now, so she turned over, lay face down, and said in a muffled voice: “Shoulders and arms.”
Zhou Shaoli reached out to knead her slender shoulders, his fingers pressing into her acupoints with a gentle yet firm force.
Qin Jiaojiao couldn’t hold back an ah—her voice sounding delicate and soft, carrying an inexplicably seductive undertone.
Zhou Shaoli’s hand movements paused, his voice deepening: “Did I hurt you?”
“No, it’s great.” Qin Jiaojiao turned her face sideways against the mattress, her earlobes flushing bright red. How on earth had she made such an embarrassing sound? It was mortifying!
Zhou Shaoli focused intently on massaging her shoulders, slowly working his way down to her arms, using the techniques he had learned to soothe the pain in her shoulders and arms as best as he could.
Enjoying his massage, Qin Jiaojiao forced herself to swallow the groans threatening to escape her throat, feeling an exquisite mix of pain and pleasure.
The massage lasted a few minutes. It was somewhat of a trial for Zhou Shaoli; aside from when she habitually rolled into his arms while sleeping, this was his first time touching her body so intimately.
After finishing the left side, his voice sounded somewhat raspy: “Switch sides.”
Qin Jiaojiao shuffled toward the middle of the bed. Zhou Shaoli got up, moved to the other side, and massaged her other shoulder and arm.
The bedroom was quiet, so quiet that one could almost hear the faint chirping of insects outside the window.
Who knew how much time had passed.
Zhou Shaoli finished: “How do you feel?”
Qin Jiaojiao flipped over, exposing her slightly flushed, exquisite face, feeling a bit awkward to say it out loud: “It feels very comfortable… Um, could you… help me massage my calves too?”
Usually, she would lie down wherever she walked, but today she had basically stood for an entire day—her legs felt completely destroyed.
Looking at her watery eyes, Zhou Shaoli nodded slightly: “Okay.”
Trying to remain restrained and polite while giving her a massage was undoubtedly a challenge.
Qin Jiaojiao extended her long legs in front of Zhou Shaoli. His large palm gripped her slender calf, and the moment his warm fingertips touched her skin, Qin Jiaojiao shuddered inexplicably.
Zhou Shaoli held her leg in his warm, clean palm, his artistically beautiful fingers—each like jade—pressing into her calf with gentle strength.
A tingling, sore, and pleasurable sensation washed over her calf, making Qin Jiaojiao bite her lip.
Zhou Shaoli lowered his handsome eyes, his thin lips pressed slightly together as he massaged her calf with absolute seriousness.
In just a few short minutes, the air felt as though fuel had been added to a fire, making oxygen scarce.
Qin Jiaojiao hurriedly picked up her phone to distract herself.
A moment later, Zhou Shaoli placed her leg onto the blanket, his voice deep and raspy: “All done.”
“Oh, okay! My body really feels so much better,” Qin Jiaojiao thanked him incoherently. “You’re amazing, thanks a lot!”
Zhou Shaoli turned and got off the bed: “I still have some work to process. Get some rest early.”
Watching him leave the room with swift steps, Qin Jiaojiao’s cheeks burned. She quickly got off the bed and ran into the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. Looking up, she saw her reflection in the mirror.
The girl’s bright eyes were watery and alluring, her face flushed with a crimson blush, exuding a captivating, bewitching charm.
“…”
She looked like a captivating enchantress—no wonder Zhou Shaoli had run away so quickly.
Downstairs, Zhou Shaoli stood by the dining table, gulping down two glasses of ice water to quench the dryness in his throat, yet unable to suppress the heat in his body.
He removed his gold-rimmed glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, a helpless expression gracing his face.
He was bringing trouble upon himself, yet he relished every second of it.
Qin Jiaojiao patted her cheeks, stepped out of the bathroom, and lay in bed tossing and turning. Unable to hold back any longer, she sent a message to Yang Yutong.
“I have a friend.”
Yang Yutong: 【?】
Qin Jiaojiao: 【There’s a guy who has a business partnership with her. He’s extremely good to her, taking meticulous care of her daily life, buying gifts, and remembering every casual remark she makes. Does this kind of behavior mean he likes her?】
Yang Yutong: 【Are you just flexing your love life in front of me in disguise?】
Yang Yutong: 【Wildly slashing down two streets.jpg】
Qin Jiaojiao: 【I’m talking to you seriously! Just tell me if it is or isn’t.】
Yang Yutong: 【Yes, yes, yes.】
Yang Yutong: 【If he doesn’t like her, why would he be so good to her?】
Looking at the messages on her phone, Qin Jiaojiao felt flustered and confused. Zhou Shaoli liked her?
She had assumed she was merely in a harmonious contract marriage partnership with him, and because she was his wife in name, he acted like a gentleman and took good care of her.
He was simply too good—so good that she had started spotting inconsistencies.
Because he was naturally aloof and indifferent to everything, yet he went grocery shopping for her, cooked meals, and even showed a man’s gazes of desire toward a woman in his eyes.
Driven by passion?
Exhausted from the day and her mind in a chaotic mess, Qin Jiaojiao still hadn’t figured out before falling asleep whether Zhou Shaoli actually liked her, or was simply stirred up by desire.
The next day.
Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli took a private car to the airport. Qin Jiaojiao, who was usually talkative, was uncharacteristically quiet today, staying silent like a little kitten and occasionally sneaking peeks at Zhou Shaoli.
Does he really like her?
Qin Jiaojiao was terrified that one day Zhou Shaoli might pierce through this thin layer of ambiguity—how would she handle it then?
First off, her goal from start to finish was to get a divorce and claim ten billion yuan. If she didn’t get divorced, her ten billion would go up in smoke, resulting in a massive loss.
And if Zhou Shaoli suddenly stopped liking her one day—just like in the original plot—wouldn’t she be completely finished?
No way! She couldn’t be seduced by male beauty and abandon money!
Qin Jiaojiao tried hard to think of Zhou Shaoli’s flaws, but she realized she couldn’t find a single flaw on him at all. Instead, his strengths were too numerous to count.
By contrast, as a salted fish who just lay flat, she had no shining points other than being pretty.
Once the plane landed in Beijing, Driver Chen picked them up to drive back to the garden villa. Stepping back into the garden villa and breathing in the fresh air of the courtyard, Qin Jiaojiao felt like her whole self had come back to life.
Her big bed, big bathtub, and high-end private chef—it felt so good to be home.
“President Zhou, Madam, you’re finally back,” Auntie Zhang led the servants to greet them.
Zhou Shaoli gave a subtle nod.
The moment Qin Jiaojiao walked inside, she only cared about lunch: “What did the kitchen prepare for lunch?”
“They made the dishes you usually enjoy, Madam,” Auntie Zhang instructed the servants to carry their luggage upstairs.
“Madam, filming the show must have been tough these past days. I heard you were hospitalized for mushroom poisoning—how is your body? Feeling better?”
Qin Jiaojiao: “I’m all better.”
Auntie Zhang looked at her with heartache: “You’ve gotten thinner and darker.”
Getting thinner was fine, but hearing she had gotten darker made Qin Jiaojiao instantly bristle, hastily asking: “How much darker did I get?”
Auntie Zhang quickly soothed her: “Only a tiny bit darker—you’ll get your fair skin back in two or three days.”
Qin Jiaojiao cried out: “No way, I want to take a rose milk flower bath right now!” She hurriedly ran upstairs.
Auntie Zhang said: “Lunch is about to be served.”
Qin Jiaojiao’s willful voice echoed down: “I want to soak right now!”
Auntie Zhang looked toward Zhou Shaoli.
A faint smile glinted in his eyes: “Let her.”
In the end, Qin Jiaojiao skipped lunch, taking a rose milk bath while eating plenty of sweets and snacks, only stepping out after soaking for over half an hour.
Having taken a wonderful bath and a afternoon nap, she walked downstairs and casually asked:
“Where’s Zhou Shaoli?”
Auntie Zhang replied: “Sir went to the company and has to work overtime tonight. He asked Madam not to wait for him and to have dinner early.”
Qin Jiaojiao let out an oh. Zhou Shaoli was indeed busy with work, heading straight to corporate headquarters to work overtime the moment he returned.
Lying on the sofa and turning on the TV, she browsed her phone out of boredom and received a message from her mother-in-law, Li Wanru, asking her and Zhou Shaoli to come back to the old residence for a family dinner this Saturday.
Qin Jiaojiao replied with an okay.
Ever since she bought a handbag for her mother-in-law last time, and her mother-in-law had taken her to look at jewelry design sketches, their relationship had gotten slightly closer—though only slightly better than fire-and-water in-law relationships.
It had been quite a while since she visited the old residence. She hoped the peaches would arrive at the old residence in two days and that the elders would like them.
Her phone vibrated as a call from an unknown number suddenly came through.
Qin Jiaojiao answered: “Hello.”
“Sister-in-law, it’s Xiao Rui,” a clear, youthful male voice came through.
Qin Jiaojiao: “Why are you looking for me?”
“Sister-in-law, you and Brother Shaoli are back in Beijing, right?” Xiao Rui asked.
Qin Jiaojiao: “We came back today.”
Xiao Rui spoke in a somewhat flattering tone: “It’s been a while since we met. How about I organize a gathering for everyone to get together?”
Xiao Rui was Zhou Shaoli’s buddy, so this wasn’t her decision to make.
“You should ask Zhou Shaoli, he’s pretty busy.”
Xiao Rui immediately said: “Don’t be like that, Sister-in-law! Actually, I have something I’d like to ask your help with… a few days ago…”
He coughed, sounding thoroughly embarrassed: “Brother Shaoli has been ignoring me these past few days, so I had no choice but to turn to you…”
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