Huo Ren had been quietly guarding Xie Lianyun when it came to his sleep-talking habit.
In the past two years, the Corona members had stayed in hotels many times, and each time Uncle Jiang randomly assigned three rooms for the six of them. They had a great relationship, and it didn’t matter who slept with whom.
Bo Jue always used an eye mask, earplugs, and melatonin no matter where he slept. Mei Shengyao and Chi Ji slept like children, so they were truly unaware of this habit.
But this time, it would be hard to keep it a secret during the variety show they were filming.
Even if all six of them took melatonin and slept soundly, the all-around surveillance cameras were recording 24/7, leaving no trace to be erased.
They arrived relatively late and had to practice dance for two hours without fail every day. On the first day, after a quick unpacking, they cooked a pot of instant noodles for dinner and went about their own business.
Xie Lianyun was bold and went to bed early as usual. The others gradually finished their chores and returned after taking showers. As soon as they opened the door, they heard a very clear sentence.
“In the distant night sky, there is a crescent moon.”
Chi Ji paused for two seconds, and Huo Ren and Long Jia walked to the door with buckets. Seeing that he didn’t enter, they tilted their heads and listened.
Xie Lianyun was sprawled out on the large bunk, sleeping soundly, completely unaware, as he recited lyrics.
With a serious and solemn expression, he continued, “You are like a fire in the winter.”
“The roaring flames warm my heart.”
… What kind of magical sleep-talking content was this?
Huo Ren instinctively pulled Chi Ji back and whispered to Long Jia, “What should we do now?”
“We don’t need to do anything.” Long Jia’s face was serious. “Can’t you see? It’s quite obvious what this person’s character label is. It’s just a way to make things easier for the production team!”
No, something still felt off…
The next day, when Xie Lianyun woke up, he remembered this incident and rubbed his eyes, asking the others if he had sleep-talked.
Everyone fell silent for a second and looked in different directions.
“I don’t know.”
“I slept like a log.”
“Check the playback.”
Xie Lianyun rolled over in his bed, almost pressing his glasses.
Sleep-talking or not, it simply didn’t exist.
They woke up early, first cleaned both inside and outside of Baili Island, and then practiced dancing and sang together, maintaining the excellent tradition of SPF’s 17th floor.
In the early morning at 7 o’clock, a milky-white morning mist floated through the forest on the island. In the distance, the melodious chirping of birds could be heard, and elderly people who had purchased annual passes strolled leisurely in the distance.
Corona will be holding their first concert in mid-August this year. They believe that if they don’t dance for a day, they’ll feel restless, and if they don’t use their voices for a day, their throats will stiffen. Wherever they go, they must maintain their training.
With the other assistants and teachers absent, Chi Ji and Mei Shengyao, as the main vocalist and main dancer, took turns leading vocal warm-ups and leg stretches. The six of them stood under a pear tree, earnestly completing two rounds before making sandwiches and boiling milk. The atmosphere was harmonious.
At nine in the morning, the zoo supervisor, Lao Cui, appeared on time, and the seven of them bow neatly to the camera.
“Welcome to Crown Zoo! We are the newly formed intern group Corona and will be at your service at any time for your cuteness~”
Huo Ren was responsible for explaining parts of the script and hosted with a natural smile and a confident voice.
“Everyone will spend a wonderful time with us in Shidu Zoo and participate in the maintenance and construction of the zoo.”
Although Lao Cui was not very familiar with facing the camera, he became radiant when talking about his favorite animals and could speak at length.
The director signaled the start of the formal shoot, and instructions were constantly communicated through earpieces.
First, Supervisor Cui took them on an electric scooter for a tour around the zoo.
Shidu Zoo covered an area of 90 hectares and had animals from all five continents. It preserved a large number of wetlands and simulated environments such as grasslands and glaciers, allowing the animals to thrive in the most comfortable way.
Some of the wild animals were delicate, and if handled improperly, they might get injured.
After confirming their quarantine certificates, Supervisor Cui nodded and signaled them to start their internship at the most down-to-earth venue.
Several photographers followed Corona as they moved forward, capturing shots of hills covered in bamboo forests and peacocks descending from the sky.
This area was known as Peacock Hill, and there were high walls nearby to prevent the peacocks from escaping. Small huts and racks were built on the hillsides for them to rest and seek shelter.
As Huo Ren followed Supervisor Cui further inside, he looked up and saw three or four blue peacocks gracefully soaring down from a high point. Their long and magnificent wings and tail feathers swayed gently in the morning breeze, displaying elegance and composure.
The other five members instinctively exclaimed, and immediately after, Supervisor Cui blew a whistle, and several peacocks appeared from somewhere, stretching their necks to peck at the bucket of bird food in his hand.
Supervisor Cui explained that blue peacocks had been out of danger for a long time, and artificial breeding techniques were highly successful. Peacock Hill allowed the children to get closer to nature.
As Huo Ren listened to his explanation, he suddenly turned around and glanced at the other members.
Bo Jue smelled the scent of bird droppings amidst the fragrant grass, but wearing a mask, he calmly walked only on the paved tiles and refused to step on the muddy grass.
Chi Ji squatted next to a peacock, smiling and greeting it, and even taking a selfie together in front of the camera.
As for Long Jia and Xie Lianyun, they were at two opposite extremes.
Long Jia simply stood in place, and without even receiving a handful of bird food, five or six peacocks appeared beside him, curiously pecking and sniffing around him.
Xie Lianyun, on the other hand, took a step up the slope, and the birds that were dozing and preening their feathers immediately flapped their wings and flew as far away from him as possible, refusing to come anywhere near.
Xie Lianyun also had a strong sense of observation. Refusing to give up, he grabbed a handful of corn kernels and forced a smile, looking like a creepy man preparing to eat a child. He said, “Come on, eat the corn.”
The peacocks collectively retreated several meters.
Huo Ren couldn’t help but laugh. He pretended not to notice and looked up, only to find many peacocks bouncing and hopping up the hill. Their wings and tail feathers were long and cumbersome, and when they jumped up, they would forcefully drag their bird bodies back to the ground.
Jumping was particularly difficult and comical for them.
“Yes, peacocks are not capable of sustained flight. They rely on gliding abilities during their descent,” Supervisor Cui explained when he noticed Huo Ren observing closely. “They enjoy playing like this normally. Isn’t it interesting?”
It was like climbing stairs, opening their wings and gliding down, repeatedly, throughout the day.
“Now, our task for today is to vaccinate the young peacocks,” Supervisor Cui led them into the breeding pavilion at the back of the mountain, gesturing towards the vaccination area, resembling a conveyor belt.
“There are more than three hundred young peacocks that need to be vaccinated. There are dedicated personnel for administering the injections, but you will help in confirming the quantity and batches.”
The six of them quickly followed the instructions for disinfection and changing into appropriate attire, and then entered the bustling vaccination area filled with the cacophony of chirping peacocks.
The calls of adult peacocks were piercing and intense, and could be described as unpleasant.
The young peacocks had not yet grown their magnificent, elongated tail feathers. They appeared as a cluster of dark little chicks huddled together, not only stepping on each other’s heads but also bouncing around aimlessly.
“You will assist the veterinarians in controlling the young peacocks, holding them steady and exposing their wing joints for injection,” Supervisor Cui nodded slightly, indicating the other staff to accompany them.
Just before entering the work area, Huo Ren looked back at Bo Jue.
In an instant, Bo Jue sensed his gaze and had a pleading expression on his face, as if saying, ‘Help me, I’m suffocating.’
Huo Ren shook his head sincerely.
He’ll save him once they’re inside the rhinoceros enclosure.
After the briefing, the six of them lined up at different workstations, collaborating with different veterinarians to catch the young peacocks from the boxes and administer the injections.
Once Huo Ren entered work mode, he completely ignored the presence of cameras. He stared at the restless chicks in the boxes for a while without moving, but as soon as he made a move, it was like lightning. He firmly held their wing joints, lifted them onto the table, and used his other hand to disinfect the area with an alcohol swab.
Standing on the opposite side, the elderly veterinarian exclaimed, “Young man, you’re quite skilled!”
Huo Ren completely forgot that he was recording a variety show. Frowning, he reached out and caught one peacock after another. After catching four or five, he observed the injection process and learned a few moves from the old veterinarian, swiftly carrying out a one-person assembly line operation.
Applying medicine, preparing the needle, catching the bird, positioning it, and injecting—-all in one smooth motion. Even the angles of thirty degrees and one-third insertion were mirrored perfectly from the old veterinarian’s movements.
And then, in just fifteen minutes, the basket was empty, and the young peacocks in the neighboring incubator looked peaceful.
The director wiped off his sweat as he watched the monitor, thinking, “Who is this team captain? He can sing, dance, and even work as a veterinarian. We estimated capturing material for an hour and they’re going to finish in no time. How on earth am I going to edit the footage to fit the runtime?”
The old veterinarian had no idea about idols or non-idols. He patted Huo Ren on the shoulder happily and said, “Young man, did you go to university?”
Huo Ren nodded, “I just took the exam.”
“I think you have great talent. You’re suited for studying veterinary medicine. Come to our zoo in the future, and I’ll help you find a job!”
Huo Ren smiled and changed the subject, “Thank you for patiently teaching me. I’ll go help the others.”
The elderly veterinarian waved his hand, knowing from the sound alone that the other few workstations were in chaos.
– However, the other workstations were operating normally.
Chi Ji was afraid of hurting the young peacocks, so he held them gently, stroking their feathers and comforting them like little babies. He waited until they were no longer scared before carefully extending their wings for the veterinarian to administer the injection.
Seventeen minutes had passed, and he had only finished vaccinating three peacocks.
When Long Jia opened the box, one of the peacocks accidentally climbed onto his arm, shoulder, and even his head as he tried to get it off. Seven or eight peacocks clung to him tightly with their little claws, refusing to let go.
“Alright, alright, I know you like me,” he chuckled. “One by one, there’s no need to rush.”
Xie Lianyun reached into the box, but the young peacocks screamed and frantically hid in the corners, refusing to let him touch them even if it meant jumping out of the box.
The veterinarians and Xie Lianyun were perplexed. “What’s going on here?”
Mei Shengyao held a struggling peacock with kicking legs and scolded it fiercely, “Don’t move!”
“Don’t make a sound!”
“Lift your wings!”
“Don’t stare at me! You keep staring! I’ll eat you, believe me!”
The production team squatted in front of the camera, tears welling up in their eyes.
This was the true essence of filming a variety show and establishing a character. The footage would be plentiful and the effects would be great!
The past fifteen minutes, with Cain’s sudden entry, were like a tutorial video and a test of technical skills combined!
Huo Ren was completely in captain mode, becoming an emotionless vaccination machine as soon as he put on the rubber gloves.
First, he stood next to Bo Jue.
“Bo Jue, hold the young peacock and I’ll administer the injection.”
If anyone else said this, Bo Jue might not have listened.
But when Huo Ren asked him to hold the chick, he subconsciously did.
Huo Ren didn’t even need his help to stabilize the bird’s posture. He lifted the wings and administered the injection in less than a second.
“Good, next one.”
Bo Jue, in a daze, put the chick back into the incubator, suddenly realizing that these creatures weren’t as smelly and ugly as he had thought.
They were pitiful, enduring this jab with such a dumbfounded expressions.
“Next one, please.”
“Good, next one.”
Dozens of birds were in the basket, and as soon as Bo Jue handed them to the captain, he swiftly lifted their wings and administered the vaccine. The veterinarian who was responsible for guiding them had nothing much to do.
“Next one, please.”
“Good, next one.”
Once the basket of birds was finished, the captain let out a sigh of relief.
“Bo Jue, you’ve worked hard. I’ll go help the others.”
Bo Jue blinked, thinking about the stark contrast in Huo Ren’s demeanor.
In daily life, he was a humble and gentle junior, friendly, sincere, and always smiling.
But when it came to work, he transformed into the strict captain, fully focused.
He was their strength and their controller.
He had always been like this, both on and off the stage, providing a sense of security.
Huo Ren moved over to Xie Lianyun’s side, assisting him in catching the young birds one by one.
Xie Lianyun attempted to intervene at one point, but even if his fingertips got too close, the young peacocks would immediately turn into screaming, leg-kicking maniacs.
“Yun-ge, can you help the doctor and me by passing the alcohol swabs? They’re in the box next to you.”
In the blink of an eye, another basket was completed.
Then it was Long Jia’s turn. Huo Ren effortlessly plucked the birds and held them down for the injections, occasionally taking off his gloves to comfort Mei Shengyao, who was nervously scolding the young peacocks.
“Don’t be afraid, they won’t peck you.” Huo Ren leaned against him, demonstrating the actions. “Look at my hand here, counteract their resistance, wipe with the alcohol swab, then administer the injection.”
Unconsciously, Mei Shengyao’s attention was diverted, and he gradually relaxed. “Hmm.”
The production team members outside the camera felt a bit dazed.
“It seems… variety shows are like this too?”
“Nonsense! Which scripted drama would be written like this? This show has practically turned into an agricultural and forestry technical demonstration!”
Suddenly, someone asked a question.
“What would the fans say after watching this?”
Everyone fell silent simultaneously.
The fans would probably feel a sense of bewilderment as well.
The shooting, originally scheduled to finish by 12:30, was now wrapping up ahead of time.
The production team was considerate of these newcomers who were about to open a weekend restaurant and didn’t schedule any other activities for the afternoon, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the environment on Baili Island.
The six of them walked back to their new home along the rope bridge. The little lamb was grazing and smiled sheepishly with a “baa” when they saw it.
The boys all halted their steps in unison.
The treasure of their store—-so adorable.
“Let’s give it a name,” Chi Ji suggested.
“Let’s call it Xiao Baoshi (Little Gemstone),” Long Jia bent down and rubbed the lamb’s head. “You work hard at the store.”
They sat back at the long table for their routine meeting, and Xiao Baoshi nestled lazily by Chi Ji’s leg, occasionally swaying its soft tail.
“I’ll confirm once again,” Huo Ren filled out a form. “Raise your hand if you can cook.”
He and Chi Ji had some basic skills.
Xie Lianyun could cook instant noodles, barely qualifying.
The other three young masters had never stepped into a kitchen before, nor even touched a stove.
After careful consideration, the captain divided the tasks on the spot.
“Priority goes to our main occupation. We have a concert in two months, so we need to protect our hands. I’ll handle the cutting of ingredients.”
“I’ll take care of seasoning in the early stages. In a few days, all of you will be familiar with it. It’s not difficult.”
“Xiao Chi can be in charge of desserts and main dishes. Cooking noodles, steaming rice, and making burgers—-check the later part of the menu.”
“One person for washing and preparing vegetables, one for stir-frying, and one for managing orders and serving dishes.”
Xie Lianyun pushed his glasses up and said, “Huo Huo, wait a minute. Can different people cook different dishes?”
“Yes,” Huo Ren looked at him. “It’s similar to you handling audio denoising and bias correction, and me doing the mixing.”
Xie Lianyun slammed the table. “Isn’t it just high heat, low heat, and flipping with a spatula? I can do it!”
Bo Jue hesitated a bit. “I haven’t done any of these…”
Huo Ren targeted his weak point as usual. “You can personally remove all the dirt from the vegetables’ roots. Teacher Bo, if you let others handle the hygiene of the ingredients, can you trust them?”
Bo Jue immediately nodded. “I’ll wash the vegetables. No one should snatch that from me.”
Long Jia, being sociable and good-natured, was suitable to be the head waiter and service staff of the Crown Restaurant.
Mei Shengyao was quick-witted and intelligent, capable of assisting in coordinating the orders and overall management of the front and back kitchens.
“The day after tomorrow is Saturday. Let’s try it out tonight.”
He led everyone to the cold storage and selected a range of ingredients, including tomato beef, basil, anise oil, lettuce, seaweed, and spare ribs. He drew up a paper and wrote down the process for the six dishes.
Long Bo and Mei Shengyao immediately went to clean the long table in the restaurant and helped squeeze fruit juice and arrange bowls quickly.
Xie Lianyun had a Mickey Mouse timer by his side and stared at the process chart hanging on the wall as he went through it with Huo Ren for the first time.
“This is hot oil. The pan must be cleaned thoroughly, as residual water can cause oil to splatter.”
“This is stir-frying. I’ve marked the order of adding different seasonings in the process chart.”
Xie Lianyun understood and followed the process to cook the ingredients. Whenever the timer went off, Huo Ren would automatically come over to help with adding salt, soy sauce, and chopped green onions.
Xie Lianyun stopped him.
“I think we can quantify these.”
Huo Ren learned cooking from Aunt Lu, and he was used to conventional thinking like “a little” and “a certain amount.” When he heard Xie Lianyun’s suggestion, his mind started to shift as well.
“That makes sense.”
“And we can pre-prepare the seasoning packets according to the quantities required for different dishes. Then we can simply pour them in following the program,” Xie Lianyun discussed with him using the meticulous attitude he had when making beats for music production. “Stir-fry, boil, braise, stew, fry—abcde. Salt, sugar, sauce, vinegar, spice—12345. It becomes easier to learn with a code.”
Huo Ren immediately high-fived him. “Smart.”
They smoothly completed the meal in forty minutes. Six dishes were cooked on four stoves, and millet was mixed into the rice. After being served in bowls, Mei Shengyao sprinkled sesame seeds around it. The presentation was appealing, and the taste was delicious.
Tomato beef, seaweed spare rib soup, sautéed oil lettuce, basil fried fish…
The six boys raised their glasses in front of the camera and smiled. “Everything went smoothly—”
“Everything went smoothly!”
The next morning, during breakfast time, they held another meeting to discuss menu customization.
Huo Ren didn’t rush to express his opinion and listened to their ideas before giving his input.
Desserts could be prepared in advance, and tiramisu and blueberry mousse cake were both easy to make.
“After we become proficient and systematic, we can practice singing while doing these tasks,” Chi Ji thought about the upcoming concert and breathed a sigh of relief. “Sing fast songs while washing dishes and while making cakes. It will give us more practice.”
Mei Shengyao didn’t expect such an application and asked curiously, “Will the menu change every week?”
“We can start by trying it out for one weekend,” Long Jia recalled something. “I saw steaks and salmon in the cold storage. We can also try making Western dishes in the future.”
The six of them huddled together and whispered for a while, quickly drafting the menu.
Three meat dishes: Apple curry chicken, tomato-braised beef, braised spareribs with yellow sauce.
Two vegetarian dishes: Stir-fried lettuce, stir-fried oil lettuce.
One soup: Tofu and mixed vegetables soup.
Small appetizer and cold dish: Smashed cucumber with preserved egg and tofu salad.
Dessert: Xiaochi-brand Blueberry Mousse with a Cookie Crust.
The first three dishes were difficult to burn or overcook, while the last three could be prepared in advance.
With their limited abilities, they would take on any order they received.
When Uncle Jiang decided to do this show, he had already agreed with the television station that they would cover the costs and donate all profits to charity.
Making money off fans as celebrities seemed awkward, and it would taint the experience. Even if they could earn tens of thousands of dollars in a day, it wouldn’t feel right.
Donating to a charity organization settled everything without any worries.
As they chatted, they heard the sound of dripping water next to the house.
Two black swans silently came ashore, swaying as they entered the cool shed. They opened their beaks and snatched half a carrot from the vegetable basket.
The little lamb stood up alertly and quickly bleated.
“Captain!” Mei Shengyao pointed towards a corner of the wall. “Geese have entered the yard!”
The house was designed as semi-open, and occasionally stray cats would cross the bridge and roll around inside.
But it was the first time for black swans to come ashore and steal things.
Bo Jue instinctively said, “Are they hungry? Should we find something for them to eat?”
“Bo Jue, stay away from the geese,” Long Jia held his wrist and led him to the side. “Keep your distance.”
“Come on, they’re swans…” Bo Jue was being led by him but still bent down to grab the half-carrot from the black swan’s mouth. Suddenly, the black swan flapped its wings and extended its neck, biting onto Bo Jue’s clothes.
“Jia… Jia Jia!!” Bo Jue ran off, and the black swan flapped its wings and pursued, unwilling to let go of the carrot in his hand.
Mei Shengyao opened his arms, attempting to stop it. “Go back to the lake!”
The black swan screeched loudly, ignoring him and continuing its charge. It opened its large beak, revealing sharp spikes on its tongue.
Mei Shengyao let out a cry and ran to the side. “So scary! Captain, save me!”
Huo Ren thought to himself whether this was a nationally protected level one or level two animal. He hurriedly said, “Bo Jue, throw the carrot away!”
Without thinking, Bo Jue extended his hand and threw his phone into the lake.
The black swan glanced sideways and continued its relentless pursuit.
“Throw the carrot! Carrot!”
Bo Jue snapped out of his daze, his long hair already disheveled as he ran in the wind. As he threw the carrot, another goose grabbed Huo Ren’s coat from the chair and rushed towards the lake.
“What the hell?”
“Ah, ah, Captain’s clothes!”
Before they could grab brooms and chase after them, they heard two splashes as the coat swayed and floated in the middle of Swan Lake.
Huo Ren stood by the lake in silence for a while.
“Who on earth came up with the brilliant idea of opening a restaurant in a zoo?”
Yesterday it was a stray cat, and today it’s swans. In the future, they might encounter even more strange animals…
Everyone pointed their fingers at the camera.
Uncle Jiang. It was all Uncle Jiang’s plan.
He definitely knew beforehand how terrible the personalities of these two geese were!
Huo Ren glanced at the camera and turned his head away.
“Consider it unsaid.”
Author’s Note:
Variety shows shouldn’t be too long… Indeed, the schedule this year is incredibly packed (cue the voice of a manager).
Currently, we’ve arranged for the “Fox Pavilion,” “Panda Pavilion,” and the “Lion Tiger Plains.”
We can also arrange activities like brushing the dolphins’ teeth or feeding live chickens to the lions.
On weekdays, we feed the animals, and on weekends, we interact with fans and the sudden appearance of Teacher Pei. Well, it’s amusing to think about.
Enjoy your meals~
lol.. rip bo jue’s phone and huo ren’s coat