Mom's Back. The Villain Triplets Are in Trouble.

Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Another Killer

’I don’t know what Huo Xinghai was talking about, but judging by his expression, my cover probably hasn’t been blown.’

Gu Qingyin smiled, relieved, and played along. ”Of course, a son needs to be raised too.”

Before they could say much more, the personal director and a cameraman approached, holding a task card.

[Today’s Task: Sea Fishing. Board the cruise ship and head out to sea. The competition ends upon your return. The team that catches the most fish will be the winner and receive the largest travel budget...]

Gu Qingyin looked up at that. ”How much is the budget?”

The director smiled. ”The exact amount will be announced once you’re on board.”

He didn’t elaborate, but Gu Qingyin had a gut feeling it wasn’t that simple.

Since they were going out to sea, Gu Qingyin grabbed a sun-protective shirt, sunglasses, and a hat before leaving, adding a can of sunscreen spray for good measure.

Huo Xinghai just stood at the bedroom door, watching her pack.

Afraid of keeping him waiting, Gu Qingyin moved with lightning speed, finishing in a flurry of motion.

”Okay, I’m ready.”

Huo Xinghai looked at her, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. ”Mom, were you in the army or something?”

Gu Qingyin raised her hand, feigning a slap. ”Only because I was worried about keeping you waiting! Did you grab your sun shirt?”

Huo Xinghai ducked his head but didn’t pull away. He paused for a moment, then turned back toward his room. ”Getting it now.”

Gu Qingyin rolled her eyes in exasperation. ”You haven’t gotten anything ready. What were you doing just standing there gawking at me?”

Huo Xinghai didn’t quite know what he was looking at either. He just felt happy.

They’d been on this trip for a few days, but it wasn’t until that very moment that it truly felt real—that he was traveling with his mom. He couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy, wanting to watch her for just a moment longer.

「Half an hour later.」

The mother-son duo finally boarded the ship. Gu Qingyin had assumed they were the last to arrive; she never imagined they would be the first!

Gu Qingyin blinked, asking curiously, ”Did Lin Tian not finish her task?”

The director stifled a laugh, though his voice was tinged with pity. ”Lin Tian woke up a bit late, and she genuinely has no idea how to cook.”

All she did was toast some bread and heat up some milk, and she managed to burn it all. Lin Xian felt sick after eating, so he had to take some medicine and rest for a bit before they could leave.

Gu Qingyin burst out laughing without a shred of politeness. ’So besides me, the show has another kitchen killer!’

The director added, ”Their new place is also a bit farther away than yours.”

Gu Qingyin knew about that. Their previous futuristic-themed room had been wrecked beyond recognition, making it impossible to film there. She had suggested to Qi Zhou that the Lin Family Siblings be moved, though she had no idea how Qi Zhou had handled it with the production team.

’Eh, the process doesn’t matter,’ she thought. ’What’s important is that the problem is solved.’

Gu Qingyin sat at a dining table, her eyes glued to the spread of snacks and fruit. She couldn’t help but gulp. ”Can we eat this?”

”Yes, you can eat it all.”

Gu Qingyin’s face lit up. ”Then I won’t stand on ceremony.” ’I’ve been running around all morning and haven’t even eaten!’

Seeing how happily she was eating, with no sign of wanting to chat, Huo Xinghai spoke up himself. ”What about Huo Zhao Hua? His mom looks like she’d be a good cook.”

At the mention of this, the director looked completely exasperated. ’Good at it’ was an understatement. It was just breakfast, but Lin Xiaoyun had practically tried to whip up an imperial banquet. The strange thing was, the viewers found it over-the-top but loved watching it anyway.

The director didn’t get it. ’Does a wealthy madam really need to show off her culinary skills on a livestream? Isn’t that a bit too... relatable?’

”They had a rather lavish breakfast, but they should be leaving soon.”

Huo Xinghai tilted his head and raised an eyebrow in confusion, but didn’t ask any more questions.

After another twenty-minute wait, the other two teams finally sauntered in. The ship departed almost the instant they took their seats.

Lin Tian looked mortified. She bowed to the production crew. ”I’m so sorry for holding everyone up! I swear I’ll never set foot in a kitchen again. If a task like this comes up again, I’m just making instant noodles!”

Lin Xian said weakly, ”For that, I thank you.”

The director waved his hand magnanimously. ”It’s fine. It was our fault for misjudging and giving you an impossible task.”

Seeing this, Lin Xiaoyun’s eyes glinted. She put on a surprised expression. ”Oh, were we late? The production team didn’t specify a time when they announced the task...” She cut herself off at the perfect moment and sighed. ”My apologies. I’ll pay more attention next time.”

The director repeated that it was fine, but ’Who could have possibly guessed you’d spend over an hour on breakfast?’ he grumbled to himself.

”Now, let’s go over today’s rules,” the director said casually. ”Feel free to eat while you listen. Just let me get through all the rules first, and then you can ask questions if anything is unclear.”

”Today’s rules are simple: fishing. Whoever catches the most fish, and the most valuable fish, will be today’s winner. As for your travel budget, that also depends on how much you catch. The production team will purchase your fish at market price—we’ll buy everything you can reel in.”

The contestants’ eyes lit up at his words. Sea fish were valuable, after all!

The director smiled. ”However, you’ll have to pay for everything on this ship. That includes your tickets, fishing rods, bait, and of course... the food and drinks.”

The moment the words left his mouth, everyone who was eating froze.

This was especially true for Gu Qingyin, who had been the first to sit down and help herself, and had eaten more than anyone.

”How are you charging for food and drinks?” Gu Qingyin’s voice was a little faint. She cleared her throat, trying to sound more normal. ”We don’t have any money right now.”

The director nodded in agreement. ”Correct. So, every expense you incur after boarding will be recorded. It will all be settled up after we’ve bought your fish.”

”The price list is here, you can take a look.” Huo Xinghai stepped forward and took the price list, frowning after just one glance.

Juice: 20. Vegetarian snacks: 30. Meat snacks: 40. Fishing rod: 100. Bait: 100. Small stool: 50... A boat ticket: 500?!

”These prices...” Huo Xinghai’s gaze turned dark. ”I’m reporting you for price gouging!”

The director flinched but stood his ground. ”My ship, my rules!”

The bullet comments instantly exploded with a chorus of ”Oooohs” and jeers. The director was finally growing a spine!

Huo Xinghai just smiled. ”Fine. I respect the rules of the game.”

Gu Qingyin took the price list and huddled with Lin Tian to look it over. She did some mental math as she read, sucking in a sharp breath. She had eaten way too much!

”Son!” Gu Qingyin sidled up to him, her eyes wide and pleading as she whispered, ”Have you ever been fishing?”

Huo Xinghai knew what she was worried about. He immediately reassured her, ”Eat as much as you want. We’ll earn it all back.”

Gu Qingyin’s eyes widened. ”Really?” She leaned in even closer and asked in a whisper, ”Do you... need my help?”

It took him a second to understand what she meant. He shook his head, not sure whether to laugh or cry. ”No, it’s fine. It’s just a little game. It doesn’t matter if we don’t make the money back.”

Gu Qingyin hesitated. ”So... I should keep eating?”

”Go on,” Huo Xinghai said with a gentle smile. ”Eat whatever you like.”

Gu Qingyin sat up straight. After two seconds of silence, she decisively resumed eating.

’I have to eat my fill,’ she resolved. ’I’ll need the strength to help my son fish!’