A man in his forties, tall and lean, emerged.
Though middle-aged, the man possessed refined features. His eyelids were thin, his eye sockets sunken, and his gaze deep. One could tell he must have been a devastatingly handsome man in his youth, causing quite a stir!
Xia Weiliang stared at him, feeling a sense of familiarity, yet she was certain she had never met him before.
She knew this phenomenon was called an optical illusion in medicine, and déjà vu in psychology.
Regardless, this village chief exuded a mysterious aura full of stories, just needing some wine and peanuts.
Xin Hong showed him great respect, stepping forward to help him sit.
"My apologies, I haven't been feeling well lately and lost my composure."
The man spoke with great poise, his voice exceptionally pleasant—both weathered and charming!
Xia Weiliang finally understood what it meant to have one's ears caressed by a voice; it was utterly magnetic!
Not only her, but the girls from the production crew were also captivated by the man, their eyes glued to him. Zhang Miaomiao even leaned in and whispered, "This is the most charismatic older man I've ever seen! Age only enhances him; he's the epitome of 'the older, the more charming'!"
Xia Weiliang quickly tugged at her, "Keep your voice down~"
She wondered what the villagers of Qi Village ate, but their hearing seemed excellent. How embarrassing it would be if the village chief overheard them! It would be as if they were country bumpkins who had never seen the world!
He's just a somewhat charming older man. When her own Yi Shen gets old, he won't be any worse than this!
"May I ask if you are Village Chief Xin?"
"Xin Jinghe."
"Village Chief Xin, hello. I am Huang Yanyan, the director of 'Courage'."
Xin Jinghe nodded politely and greeted, "Director Huang."
Then, Director Huang began introducing the guests one by one. When he introduced Xia Weiliang, Xin Jinghe's gaze lingered on her for a moment. He parted his dry lips and smiled, "I know you. I've watched all your shows."
"Oh, really?"
Xia Weiliang was overwhelmed with flattery. She turned and whispered to Director Huang, "Director Huang, have I become this famous? Shouldn't the crew consider giving me a raise?"
Director Huang glared at her, "A raise for what! You know how poor we are!"
With Director Huang, anything could be discussed, but money was a topic best left unmentioned, not even with a punctuation mark!
Xia Weiliang pouted, "So stingy!"
Xin Jinghe coughed a couple more times, appearing somewhat tired. He then signaled Xin Hong to arrange for everyone to settle in.
After escorting the village chief back to his room, Xin Hong emerged and said, "There are some village rules, and it would be best if everyone abides by them."
"Please rest assured. We respect the local culture and will cooperate fully."
Director Huang finished speaking and then surveyed the row of thatched huts. "Uh, why don't I see anyone else?"
Xin Hong looked up at the sky and slowly replied, "You'll see them later."
Everyone was puzzled. Were they nocturnal?
The accommodations were thatched huts, with two people to a room. Xia Weiliang and Zhang Miaomiao naturally shared a room.
Zhang Miaomiao was overjoyed, hooking her arm around Xia Weiliang's shoulder and refusing to let go, "That's great, Weiliang! I finally get to sleep with you!"
Xia Weiliang didn't overthink it. She smiled and patted Zhang Miaomiao's arm, signaling her to loosen her grip. "I'm going to check the room."
She was genuinely worried the room might not be sturdy, and if she ended up sacrificing herself for the house, how wronged would she be!
Xia Weiliang inspected the room from the inside out. Surprisingly, although the room appeared to be built of thatch, it was quite sturdy.
As she was about to turn, she bumped into Xin Hong...