I became a movie star at the age of three; Dilraba and I are childhood sweethearts.

This is the only official way for the Mushroom House to connect with the outside world. Every time it rings, it means a new guest and a new story.

Xiao Chen was the closest, so he turned around and walked over, naturally picking up the receiver.

"Hello, this is the Mushroom House I've always longed for."

His voice, transmitted through the electricity, carried a calming magnetism.

It seemed like someone on the other end of the phone was saying something.

Everyone in the courtyard held their breath, watching with curiosity.

As Xiao Chen listened, he raised an eyebrow slightly, and a faint dimple appeared on his lips.

"hot pot?"

He repeated it, as if to confirm.

Then another series of chattering sounds came from the other end of the phone, but I couldn't make it out clearly.

Xiao Chen's gaze swept across the courtyard, past the flowerbeds, and finally landed on the distant blue sea, his eyes becoming distant.

"Okay, simple."

He casually agreed, as if the other person had ordered not a complicated dish, but a glass of plain water.

"Come anytime."

After saying that, he hung up the phone decisively.

"Wow! Who is it, Brother Chen?"

Dilraba couldn't contain herself and jumped over, her face practically screaming "gossip."

Chen Chichi forgot his earlier mixed feelings of joy and sorrow and started listening intently.

Xiao Chen put the receiver down, shrugged, and looked innocent and sincere.

"I didn't recognize it."

"Huh?" Dilraba was a little disappointed.

"but."

Xiao Chen added.

"It's a girl, and her voice doesn't sound very loud."

Girl?

Not very old?

The moment those two keywords were mentioned, the courtyard became lively.

Dilraba started counting on her fingers.

"Is it Sister Yifei? Or Sister Mimi?"

"Or perhaps it's Sister Yang Zi?"

Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung exchanged a smile, watching the young people's speculations with great interest.

Only Xiao Chen, amidst the heated discussion, quietly turned around and once again turned his gaze to the sea.

A vague outline of a voice actually flashed through his mind.

But he didn't say it.

Some suspense is best left to the camera; that's the best approach.

He clapped his hands, attracting everyone's attention.

"Alright, stop guessing."

He issued new instructions, his tone relaxed yet authoritative.

"Since they've ordered hot pot, we should at least prepare some main dishes."

He gestured with his chin toward the sea, his handsome face radiating an air of composure and confidence.

"Let's go beachcombing."

"Let's make a seafood hot pot."

One sentence instantly shifted the atmosphere in the courtyard from speculation to excitement of action.

Even Chen Chichi, who was just "paying off his debts," had a gleam in his eyes.

Seafood hot pot! That's way more fun than collecting plastic bottles!

He immediately ran off to get the tools, his earlier anger and resentment completely gone, replaced by an endless longing for delicious food.

Dilraba cheered and followed behind Xiao Chen.

Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui also got up with smiles and leisurely followed.

The group walked towards the beach in a grand procession.

The afterglow of the setting sun cast long shadows on them.

Xiao Chen walked at the front, his steps steady.

He knew that new guests were coming soon, and that the grand drama called "A Longing for Life" was only just beginning.

The damp sea breeze, carrying a salty and fishy smell, wafted towards us.

Behind the monitor of the directing team, the chief director was squinting, staring at Xiao Chen's tall and straight back.

He was secretly plotting something.

The other day, Xiao Chen had incredible luck; every time he went beachcombing, he managed to bring back several heavy, large catches.

Even scriptwriters wouldn't dare write it like this.

The director stroked his chin, silently grumbling to himself.

Things don't happen more than three times. Today's tide is too high, and this beach has already been "ravaged" several times by the production team.

If Xiao Chen can still find a treasure, he'll change his name.

Xiao Chen walked at the front, carrying only a plastic bucket in one hand and a bag of the cheapest bulk refined salt in the other.

That face, kissed by God, looked exceptionally unreal in the afterglow of the setting sun; it was practically a walking human model.

This kind of appearance is so captivating that even a devoted fan like Dilraba couldn't resist following her.

Even a middle-aged man in his forties watching TV probably wouldn't feel jealous.

"Brother Chen, are we really going to get a real treat today?"

Dilraba followed behind, her big eyes full of admiration.

Xiao Chen stopped and pointed to the inconspicuous little holes around his feet.

"Give it a try."

He doesn't talk much, but his voice is so magnetic it's like it could make your ears pregnant.

Chen Chichi came closer, looking at the trachoma with a suspicious expression.

"Brother Chen, can we stop arguing?"

"Fishing with salt?"

Xiao Chen ignored him and simply squatted down lightly.

He picked up a pinch of salt with his long, slender fingers, his expression focused.

Salt grains were precisely sprinkled into the holes.

One second, two seconds.

Suddenly, the sand loosened, and a razor clam, as long as an adult's palm, sprang out.

That's the size of a Usain Bolt in the clam world.

Xiao Chen reacted swiftly, pinching the target with two fingers with precision and ruthlessness.

Holy crap!

Chen Chichi's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and his mouth was agape enough to fit a salted duck egg.

Xiao Chen casually tossed the razor clams into the bucket, then turned and raised an eyebrow at Chen Chichi.

"Have you ever had an IQ?"

Chen Chichi rolled her eyes, speechless, and pointed at Xiao Chen to complain to everyone.

"See that? That's the Living Salt King!"

"Even these razor clams would obediently come out to their doom if they saw him!"

Dilraba was overjoyed and squatted down beside him, clapping enthusiastically.

Anita Mui stood gracefully to the side, dressed in an elegant sun-protective outfit.

She looked at Xiao Chen, who seemed so at ease, with eyes full of affection.

"Xiao Chen has been loved by everyone since she was little. Even the creatures in the sea want to crawl into your arms when they see you."

Leslie Cheung pushed up his sunglasses, his interest piqued as well.

"Here, give me a bag of salt. I want to try the living salt king's special skills too."

The older brother took the salt bag and, imitating Xiao Chen, frantically sprinkled salt into a hole.

The bag of salt was almost empty, and apart from a few bubbles, there wasn't a single grain of sand in it.

"That's awkward."

Leslie Cheung looked at the empty sand and shook his head with a wry smile.

They're both male gods, so why is there such a big difference in their treatment?

Xiao Chen got up and helped his brother straighten his sunglasses, which were askew.

"Brother, you have to wait for it to breathe, don't force it."

His voice was gentle, with the humility typical of a junior.

The director in the distance has completely shut himself off.

He looked at the razor clams piled higher and higher in Xiao Chen's bucket and felt that it wasn't salt, but special effects.

Xiao Chen's persona is too solid, even with a net worth of hundreds of millions, he has become a pillar of Shiba Culture.

He still maintains his calm and collected demeanor when doing farm work.

If Wang Jinhua saw this scene, she would probably grumble again about how her precious godson had no superstar airs.

"That's about it."

Xiao Chen looked at the sky; the bucket was already full.

Besides these incredible razor clams, there were also a few clueless octopuses and conches that stumbled upon them.

"I'll exchange it for points and save a little bit for hot pot tonight."