Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

By the side of the road, the second-oldest brother, Wang Cheng, and his wife had been waiting for a long time. Their daughter, Guoguo, was asleep, so they had parked quietly and stayed in the car.

Seeing another car arrive, Wang Cheng’s wife opened her door and made a shushing gesture.

It was the third-oldest brother, Xue Kaixiang, and his wife.

The two of them didn’t have children, but Xue Kaixiang’s wife was a kindergarten teacher. The moment she saw the gesture, she lowered her voice. ”Is Guoguo asleep?”

Wang Cheng’s wife beckoned them over to the side.

”You guys, come look! This is hilarious!”

The reason they didn’t get out of the car was twofold. First, their daughter would be fussy if she woke up. Second, they wanted to sneak a peek at Sang Yuan and Ni Bingyan’s interactions.

He was a thirty-year-old bachelor who’d never even been in a serious relationship. The brothers and their wives had all once suspected he might be gay. So when he suddenly announced he had a girlfriend, everyone was dying of curiosity!

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have all taken a day off on a Tuesday just to have a picnic with them.

Wang Cheng sat in the car holding his daughter, not daring to move. His window overlooked the slope, however, and he had been secretly filming. When he saw Xue Kaixiang and his wife arrive, he didn’t get up, simply gesturing for them to check WeChat.

As Xue Kaixiang and the two women looked down the slope, they saw Sang Yuan furtively moving the sun umbrella. At Wang Cheng’s signal, Xue Kaixiang quickly pulled out his phone to watch the video.

But when he opened the video, it was of Ni Bingyan, furtively moving the sun umbrella just like a thief.

”Haha! They really are two of a kind! Yuanzi found a good one. She knows how to look out for him.”

This spot was right by the road. Wang Cheng and his wife had been very quiet when they arrived and hadn’t gotten out of the car, so Ni Bingyan assumed it was just a passing vehicle. Combined with the steep angle of the slope, she had no idea there was anyone up there.

Hearing the commotion, Sang Yuan woke up, and Ni Bingyan opened her eyes as well.

Seeing she was awake, Sang Yuan went to get a basin and poured the fish from his keepnet into it.

”I’d guess it’s over three pounds. Should be enough for a meal.”

”Let me clean the fish. You take the little wagon up to meet them. They have kids with them, and if they brought a lot of stuff, it might be hard to bring it all down.”

As they spoke, another two cars pulled up.

Sang Yuan wasn’t in a hurry. ”It’s fine. They brought their own utility carts, so they’ll manage. I’ll get this fish ready first.”

When she saw him take out a large pair of stainless steel shears and begin deftly cleaning the fish, Ni Bingyan felt it would be awkward to go greet the others alone. Instead, she grabbed a small basin, filled it with water from the stream, and started washing the fish.

The two worked together in perfect sync. By the time Qin Dong arrived, hauling two large jugs of mineral water down the slope, they had just finished with the fish.

”Perfect timing, Qin Dong. Pour some water over here. Once we wash and marinate this, we can start grilling.”

”Hey! You actually caught something? The fish around here are all hook-shy; they’re tough to catch.”

Qin Dong set down one jug of water, brought the other one over, and poured some into the basin. Then he straightened up and greeted Ni Bingyan with a smile.

”You must be Bingyan, right? I knew it. Yuanzi has great taste!”

Qin Dong had a buzz cut and was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt and black pants. He looked sharp and capable.

”This is the eldest, Qin Dong,” Sang Yuan said. ”You can just call him Brother Dong.”

Sang Yuan kept his head down, washing his crucian carp with a very casual air.

Ni Bingyan politely called out, ”Brother Dong,” then heard a baby crying from up the slope, as well as a woman’s exasperated shouts of ”Slow down! Slow down!”

Looking up, she saw a tanned little boy charging down the slope with a long water gun in his hands, making a beeline for the stream.

”Lele! You stop right there! You’re not going to listen to your mom, are you?”

Qin Dong had no time for conversation. He rushed over in a few strides, scooped his son into his arms, and lifted him up.

Lele was very perceptive. He immediately dropped the water gun, hugged his dad’s neck, and started wheedling at his mother, who was rushing toward them.

”Mommy, Mommy, I love you the most! I just couldn’t help myself! When I see water, I just have to play!”

Even this tough-as-nails policewoman had her soft side. Seeing her little monkey wave the white flag, and not wanting him to lose face in front of his uncles and aunts, she simply stroked his head. ”The water’s deep here. It’s dangerous. You can only go near it if your dad or I are with you.”

Sang Yuan introduced her. ”This is our eldest brother’s wife.”

Ni Bingyan greeted her just as politely and received another round of praise in return.

It had to be said, the couple was very much on the same wavelength. The first words out of her mouth were the same: ”Yuanzi has great taste!”

While they were talking, Wang Cheng and his wife came down the slope. They were holding Guoguo, who had just woken up with red-rimmed eyes and was now drinking from a bottle. Zeng Wei Qiang also arrived with his wife, carrying their son, Duofu.

As for Xue Kaixiang and his wife, who didn’t have kids, they brought up the rear, pulling a fully-loaded utility cart.

”We should’ve coordinated yesterday! We all brought food. How are we ever going to finish all of this today!”

After washing the fish, Sang Yuan went to start the fire, while Ni Bingyan worked on the seasonings at the table. Once all the wives arrived, there was no time for lengthy pleasantries. After a round of quick greetings, everyone got busy.

In the blink of an eye, the campsite expanded again.

The utility carts were fitted with wooden boards, instantly turning into tables. The three mothers were tasked with arranging the pre-cooked food while watching their children, and the others started preparing the fish and meat for grilling.

Since Ni Bingyan didn’t know them well, she volunteered to handle the grilling, but Xue Kaixiang’s wife insisted on pushing her over to where the other wives were sitting.

”Today, you just sit and relax. Let me do the work. When the other guys find girlfriends, then it’ll be your turn to work. Haha!”

Ni Bingyan tried to refuse, but couldn’t, so she graciously accepted the kind gesture.

The picnic blanket grew larger and thicker as they added more. Guoguo sat in the middle, clutching her bottle and looking around curiously.

Perhaps even at her young age, she already understood beauty, because she stared at Ni Bingyan endlessly, making her feel a little self-conscious.

Wang Cheng’s wife went ahead and sat the child right in her lap. ”There you go! Go soak up some of your Auntie Bingyan’s fairy dust. If you grow up to be even half as pretty as her, this old mom will be ecstatic!”

The other wives were all very easy to get along with. When they found out she was a celebrity, they didn’t treat her any differently. Instead, they were very interested in her work and started asking about behind-the-scenes stories from her shows.

Before she knew it, Ni Bingyan was deep in conversation with them.

The five women sat on the thick blanket, chatting, drinking tea, eating snacks, and doting on the kids. Meanwhile, the five men handled the fire and the barbecue.

Noticing the young children, Ni Bingyan worried the grilled meat might be too tough for them. She went to the car and retrieved an aluminum lunch box she had brought along, filled it with rice and water, and set it on the grill to cook.

Then, she took out some minced garlic she had prepared and stir-fried a fragrant garlic sauce in a pan.

She brushed eggplants with oil and grilled them over low heat. Once cooked, she split them open and topped them with the garlic paste. When the rice was ready, the kids ate with gusto, constantly giving her a thumbs-up!

One-and-a-half-year-old Duofu couldn’t talk much yet, but while eating the garlic-flavored grilled fish Ni Bingyan specially made for him, he got so excited he kept giving her a thumbs-up!

Seeing how thoughtful she was, Duofu’s mom extended her small, fair hands—which were much more delicate than average—and gave her a flurry of thumbs-ups.

”When you have a baby, you must come to our hospital. Your big sister here will definitely arrange everything perfectly for you!”

Ni Bingyan turned beet red!

But strangely, she didn’t find it annoying.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill and played until they were tired, they packed up their things and went their separate ways.

Those without children helped those with children pack up first.

After seeing everyone off, Sang Yuan and Ni Bingyan both instinctively stayed behind to pick up the remaining trash before they left.

This time, Ni Bingyan didn’t hog the steering wheel and settled comfortably into the passenger seat.

”Wangcai was so well-behaved today!”

When the children saw the dog they had brought, they couldn’t resist petting it. At first, Wangcai was a little scared, but after Ni Bingyan soothed him for a bit, he was soon playing with the kids.

Wangcai was tired from playing and lay down at her feet. For Ni Bingyan to pet his head, she had to bend over.

Just as she did, she heard a rhythmic TAK-TAK-TAK, and the car gave a shudder...

They were in the middle of nowhere, and all their friends were gone. Ni Bingyan sat up, clutching her forehead where it stung from the jolt, and stared at Sang Yuan with wide eyes.

Sang Yuan’s eyes were even wider than hers. He had an innocent look on his face. ”I think... we broke down...”