I'm in Wuha, and the whole internet is shipping me and Song Yuqi as a couple.

Chaotianmen Wholesale Market.

Six people plus two cameras were squeezed into the crowd.

The morning market was so noisy it was ear-numbing. The vendors' shouts, the chopping of knives on the cutting boards, and the beeping of electronic scales all mingled with the smell of Sichuan peppercorns and butter.

Deng Chao appointed himself as the purchasing team leader, walked at the front, clutched two hundred yuan in his hand, and kept reciting the budget.

"Listen carefully, we'll buy the hot pot base first, then the meat, and finally the vegetables."

Chen He followed behind with his hands in his pockets: "You've planned this well, but do you know how much a packet of hot pot base costs?"

Deng Chao stopped: "How much?"

"A good butter base costs thirty to fifty yuan a pack."

Deng Chao's face fell: "Two hundred yuan, and a quarter of the base material is gone?"

Lu Han raised her hand from the side: "I have a suggestion."

"explain."

"Make your own base sauce. Buy a piece of butter, a handful of dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, and broad bean paste; the cost is less than fifteen yuan."

Deng Chao turned to look at him: "You know how to cook?"

Lu Han smiled: "I can't, but she can."

He pointed at Song Yuqi.

Song Yuqi was squatting in front of a spice stall, looking through the varieties of dried chili peppers.

"Erjingtiao peppers are fragrant, while lantern peppers are spicy; just mix them in equal parts."

Without even looking up, she picked up a chili pepper with her fingers and smelled it.

Jiang Che stood behind her, looking down at her as she picked out the chili peppers.

Song Yuqi glanced back at him and said, "What are you doing standing here? Go help buy meat."

"I don't know how to pick meat."

"So what would you choose?"

Jiang Che thought for a moment: "The lyrics."

Song Yuqi stood up and patted the chili powder off her hands: "Then stand over there and help me carry the bags."

She turned to the stall owner and started bargaining.

"Boss, give me half a pound of Erjingtiao peppers and half a pound of lantern peppers, and the Sichuan peppercorns should be the numbing kind."

The stall owner, a man in his fifties, sized her up and asked, "Young lady, do you work in the food service industry?"

"no."

The middle-aged man glanced at the camera, then at Jiang Che, who was standing next to him carrying a bag.

"Is this your boyfriend?"

Song Yuqi paused for a moment.

Jiang Che gripped the plastic bag tightly, without replying.

The live stream chat was flooded with comments again.

Here we go again! A second passerby asked!

[Uncle, you're the mouthpiece for the whole nation!]

Jiang Che, you should say something this time!

Song Yuqi smiled and said, "No, we're just colleagues."

The moment the last two words were uttered, not only Jiang Che beside him trembled.

The other members not far away all turned to look in this direction.

The comments section was even more lively.

Jiang Che must be heartbroken, right?

If I ask you directly, you ignore me; if I say we're just colleagues, you get upset.

[Serves you right, you're dumbfounded now.]

The uncle said "oh," weighed out the chilies, put them in a bag, and stuffed an extra handful of Sichuan peppercorns in.

"This is for you, keep it up, young man."

The last sentence was said to Jiang Che.

Jiang Che took the bag: "Thank you, Uncle."

Song Yuqi turned to look at him: "People tell you to keep going, and all you do is say thank you?"

Jiang Che picked up the bag: "I'm afraid if I say too much, the peppercorns will cost money."

Song Yuqi couldn't help but laugh, then immediately turned her face away.

As they walked out of the condiment area, Lu Han rushed up from behind and put her arm around Jiang Che's shoulder.

"Colleagues? She said you two are colleagues?"

Jiang Che shook off his hand: "What else should I say?"

"Talk about someone you're flirting with!"

"Can you be normal for once?"

Lu Han clicked her tongue and turned to look for Deng Chao.

There's been a problem in the meat section.

Deng Chao stood in front of a beef stall and started arguing with the stall owner.

"Ma'am! You're selling beef that costs thirty yuan a pound to me for forty?"

The older woman, hands on her hips, exclaimed, "Look at this meat! Fresh yellow beef! You couldn't buy this for forty-five yuan anywhere else!"

Deng Chao pointed to the stall next to him: "They only cost thirty-five!"

The older woman snorted, "That's water buffalo meat, how can it be the same as my yellow cow?"

Chen He stood three meters away, holding a cup of lemonade he had bought from a nearby milk tea shop, watching the commotion.

Wang Mian leaned closer and whispered to him, "Aren't you going to help?"

"Watch his performance."

Chen He took a sip of lemonade.

Deng Chao bargained for five minutes and finally settled on a price of 37 yuan per jin, buying one and a half jin.

He came back carrying the meat, looking very proud.

"See? With the team leader in charge, we saved four yuan and fifty cents."

Chen He commented: "You saved 4.5 yuan in five minutes. That's equivalent to 54 yuan per hour. You might as well go work as a bricklayer."

Deng Chao pointed at him and said, "Shut up."

The chat room was filled with laughter.

[Chen He's got a really sharp tongue, hahaha!]

[Deng Chao bargained for five minutes and saved 4.5 yuan; I laughed for a full minute.]

[The unlucky guild leader truly lives up to his name!]

Next up is the vegetable section.

Jiang Che was pulled by Song Yuqi to pick out side dishes.

She walked ahead, speaking quickly: "The potatoes should be small and round, the starchy kind, they're easier to cook in the hot pot. Cut the lotus root slices yourself, it's cheaper to buy whole ones."

"A handful of enoki mushrooms is enough. Buy dried tofu skin; it's more economical to soak it."

"The kelp knots should be the thin kind; the thick ones won't fall apart when cooked."

Jiang Che followed behind, carrying three bags, and couldn't keep up with her pace.

"Did you used to cook often?"

Song Yuqi squatted down to flip the lotus roots: "Back in college, I rented a place and did this every day."

"After I debuted, I didn't have time."

She picked out two lotus roots, stood up, and put them on the scale.

"And you? Do you cook?"

Does instant noodles count?

Song Yuqi turned to look at him, her expression subtle.

"You eat instant noodles every day? Don't you have a girlfriend to cook for you?"

Jiang Che ignored the last sentence: "Sometimes I order takeout."

"...It's a miracle you're alive."

Jiang Che was taken aback: "I live quite comfortably, but I'm not very particular about it."

Song Yuqi was initially a little unhappy, but upon hearing the word "free," she pursed her lips and said, "I can tell."

The cameraman was recording from the side, panning the camera between the two of them.

The chat in the live stream started again.

[This dialogue is so relatable! I'm totally shipping them!]

Other people's ambiguous relationship: watching the stars together. Their ambiguous relationship: grocery shopping together.

You guys are too naive; you can't grasp the essence of these few lines of dialogue at all.

[Song: Have you had a girlfriend all these years? Jiang: No.]

After buying groceries, the six of them met at the market entrance.

Deng Chao counted the spoils of war.

One and a half pounds of beef, half a pound of tripe, one serving of duck intestines, and four potatoes.

Two lotus roots, a handful of enoki mushrooms, a pack of bean curd sheets, a bag of kelp knots, a piece of butter, and various seasonings.

Total cost: 168 yuan.

"Thirty-two coins left!"

Deng Chao held up the remaining money, his expression excited.

Chen He said from the side, "That's enough to buy two bottles of drinks."

"This thirty-two yuan is our emergency fund! No one is allowed to spend it recklessly!"

Lu Han had already bought a grilled sausage from a nearby stall and taken a bite.

Deng Chao turned his head and saw it, his face turning green.

"Little Deer! You..."

"Three yuan."

Lu Han chewed on a grilled sausage: "There are still twenty-nine left."

Deng Chao took three deep breaths.

Wang Mian said softly, "Actually, I also bought a bottle of water just now..."

"How much?"

Two pieces.

"Twenty-seven left."

Deng Chao gritted his teeth: "Who else? Who else secretly spent it?"

Chen He held up the lemonade in his hand.

Deng Chao looked at the glass of water and raised his voice: "How much?"

"twelve."

"twelve!!"

Deng Chao's voice cracked: "You drink lemonade that costs twelve yuan a cup??"

Chen He remained expressionless: "It has honey added."

Deng Chao looked down at the remaining money in his hand, then looked at the camera.

"Director, I request that Chen He be returned."