Chapter 142: The Strongest Backer

After making that agreement with Han Jiayi, Bai Renzong actually felt a sense of relief.

In truth, while dating Han Jiayi, he had always felt somewhat restricted.

The boundaries in a relationship between a man and a woman are often difficult to gauge: cross the line and you are a beast; don't cross the line and you are worse than a beast.

Timing is everything: choose to be a beast at the right moment, and choose to be worse than a beast at the wrong moment, and only then can the relationship progress.

Once this pact was made with Han Jiayi, Bai Renzong knew precisely where that line was drawn.

For now, they could attempt more intimate physical contact, as long as they didn't cross that boundary.

As for Han Jiayi...

Heh, from now on, I can sleep with my Lao Bai whenever I want! Sitting in the car, Han Jiayi couldn't help the corners of her lips curling upward: Doesn't this mean I can watch horror movies whenever I feel like it?! If I get scared, I'll just go crawl into Lao Bai's bed...

At this thought, Han Jiayi tilted her head: Why should I even sleep alone? Why not just move straight into Lao Bai's room?

Since they only had a little over two days in Chengdu, yet had plenty of material to shoot, every single meal had to be fully utilized.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night snacks—four meals across four different restaurants. Although it was a busy schedule, once all this recorded footage was compiled into a series, their food videos for the entire month would be sorted.

Yet Bai Renzong felt immensely carefree, because he could speak the unvarnished truth without hesitation. Even if it was a renowned establishment with a stellar reputation, he could freely point out its flaws where criticism was due. This feeling was simply wonderful.

After returning to the hotel following a late-night snack, Bai Renzong was still savoring the moment.

"Sigh, if only I could speak my mind just as freely back in Beichang," Bai Renzong thought to himself as he lay on his bed.

"Lao Bai!" At that moment, Han Jiayi let out a cheerful cry and leaped toward him.

"Hey, you..." Before Bai Renzong could stop her, the young woman tumbled squarely onto him. He let out a muffled grunt of "Ugh!", and in retaliation, gave her bottom a firm pinch. "What on earth are you doing?! You crazy girl!"

"Ow, go easy on me, that hurts..." Han Jiayi rubbed the pinched spot on her bottom with a scowl.

"Then why didn't you think about going easy when you lunged at me?" Bai Renzong tapped her lightly on the nose.

"I was just happy to see you," Han Jiayi pouted playfully, lying down beside him. "Want to play a game?"

"Sure," Bai Renzong replied, opening his laptop.

Although it wasn't their first time playing games together, sitting side by side on the bed like this was a first.

"Hee hee..." After playing for a while, Han Jiayi suddenly raised her petite foot to rub against his leg, then chuckled, unable to contain her amusement: "Lao Bai, your leg hair is a bit prickly..."

"It's just that your feet are too soft," Bai Renzong retorted, stroking her leg.

"Humph!" Han Jiayi puckered her lips and leaned in close. Amused, Bai Renzong scooped her up and planted a firm kiss right on her lips.

"Heh heh!" Han Jiayi beamed so brightly her little nose scrunched up. She rested her head against his shoulder and went back to playing.

At that moment, Bai Renzong felt completely relaxed. He rested his cheek against the top of Han Jiayi's head, mutual pillars of comfort for one another. Han Jiayi took the opportunity to nuzzle his face, smiling brightly as she declared, "I like you!"

"You silly girl," Bai Renzong patted her head. "Time to roll, let's head to Chinatown today to pick up some decorations."

"Okay!" Han Jiayi chirped happily. Then, casting a stealthy glance at Bai Renzong, she probed tentatively, "Lao Bai, after we get back, I want to move into your room and live with you. We can eat together and sleep together."

"Tsk..." Bai Renzong furrowed his brows. "Aren't you even a little afraid I'll take advantage of you..."

"You can take advantage of me occasionally," Han Jiayi replied. "If you really can't help it, I—I'll just help you deal with it."

"Deal! It's settled then!" Bai Renzong immediately agreed with a nod.

"You pervert..." Han Jiayi reached out and poked his cheek in mock dissatisfaction.

"You're the one who suggested it, I didn't ask," Bai Renzong shrugged innocently. "Alright, let's go!"

After playing a bit longer, Han Jiayi let out a yawn and stretched luxuriously, her taut little feet looking exceptionally adorable.

"Go to sleep," Bai Renzong said with a smile, patting her head.

"Mhm..." Han Jiayi nodded, setting the laptop aside and lying down next to him before whining playfully, "You have to sleep too. How am I supposed to fall asleep if you're still awake?"

"In that case, I won't hold back," Bai Renzong said, opening his arms and pulling Han Jiayi into his embrace.

Han Jiayi scrunched up her cute nose, brushing the tip of her nose against his in a sweet smile.

Bai Renzong buried his face in the crook of her neck, sighing, "You smell just like freshly made osmanthus cake..." With that, he couldn't resist giving her neck a gentle lick. "You taste just like freshly made osmanthus cake, too..."

"Eep!" Han Jiayi couldn't help shrinking her neck back, chiding playfully, "Hate you... that tickles."

Bai Renzong looked up at her, and Han Jiayi leaned in to kiss him on the cheek with a mischievous grin. "Heh heh."

"You silly goose," Bai Renzong teased. "Do you love kissing this much?"

"I do!" Han Jiayi answered with a radiant smile, before a sudden flash of inspiration hit her. "Hey! I've got an idea!"

"Is it for a 'soup'?" Bai Renzong asked curiously.

"No!" Han Jiayi shook her head, excitedly clenching her small fists. "I'm going to create a dessert just like a 'kiss'!"

"A kiss?" Bai Renzong smiled with amusement. "Then what about the 'soup' you bet on with Yang Hua?"

"Oh, we can talk about that later. Right now, my mind is completely full of 'kiss'." Han Jiayi shook her head.

"Then let me give you a little inspiration." With that, Bai Renzong leaned forward once more, sealing her soft lips.

The next day, October 12th.

It was time for them to return. With all filming tasks completed, today's agenda consisted of buying some local specialties to take back and treating Zhang Yunhui to a meal before leaving, as a token of gratitude for his help during this trip.

"Here, brother, cheers," Bai Renzong raised his glass of beer with a smile. "Neither of us holds our liquor well, so let's toast with beer instead. Thank you, brother, for all the help you've given us during our food tour here in Chengdu."

"Oh, please, don't mention it," Zhang Yunhui said with a smile, clinking glasses with Bai Renzong. "To be honest, I wasn't just doing it for you—I was doing it for myself, too. You're bound to blow up soon, so I'm just hitching a ride on your coattails. That's what we call an investment."

"Ha, what are you talking about? You're too modest, brother." Bai Renzong exchanged polite pleasantries.

"I'm really not being polite," Zhang Yunhui shook his head. "That tongue of yours is something other video creators simply can't match. Honestly, my uncle's restaurant has been open for ages, and the number of creators and livestreamers who've visited is easily in the dozens, if not a hundred. You're the very first person who managed to guess every single ingredient he used in his dishes. Being a content creator these days requires genuine skill. Why do you think I've made it this far? Isn't it because my culinary skills are the real deal?"

Bai Renzong pondered this, then squinted his right eye to check Zhang Yunhui's stat attributes.

His primary attribute was "Shrewd," accounting for twenty-five percent; his secondary attribute was "Enthusiastic," at fifteen percent; and his third attribute was "Henpecked," also at fifteen percent.

"Turns out he's henpecked... All in all, not a bad guy." Bai Renzong smiled. "Alright then, once I become famous, I certainly won't forget you, brother. When that time comes, we'll find another chance to collaborate. It's just..."

At this point, Bai Renzong sighed. "Sigh, truth be told, doing food reviews out of town is so liberating. You can say whatever's on your mind."

"You guys can do the same back in Beichang, can't you?" Zhang Yunhui asked curiously. "Just hire a legal consultant at a law firm, and if any issues come up, tell them to deal directly with your legal counsel."

"But if I constantly criticize people, eventually they won't let me film anymore, right?" Bai Renzong asked helplessly.

"Well, that's true..." Zhang Yunhui nodded. "I was like that when I first started out, too. After all, I'm a chef, so I have very high standards for culinary craftsmanship. But I have a great solution: collaborate with the local tourism bureau."

"The tourism bureau?" Bai Renzong's interest was piqued.

"Yeah," Zhang Yunhui explained. "Generally speaking, local tourism bureaus have various cooperative promotional programs. For a creator with a substantial following like you, they'll definitely give you priority."

"That's a brilliant idea!" Wang Bei exclaimed excitedly. "So what do we need to do?!"

"Take us as an example," Zhang Yunhui pointed to himself. "The tourism bureau gives me a quota: every so often, I need to provide them with food-tours material that highlights our local culinary culture. The quota is quite relaxed, and since the tourism bureau usually partners with the television station, having these two powerhouses backing you means you can pretty much go anywhere unhindered within the city."

"Does that mean we can go review restaurants under the tourism bureau's banner?" Han Jiayi asked tentatively.

"Yep," Zhang Yunhui nodded. "Most restaurants won't turn you down. After all, for many domestic eateries, getting featured in the local travel guide is far more important than those Michelin guides."

"It's settled then!" Bai Renzong nodded eagerly, turning to Wang Bei. "Xiaobei, once we're back, I'm leaving this matter in your hands. No problem, right?"

"You only ever dump the troublesome tasks on me..." Wang Bei muttered, casting him a sideways glance.

"What are you talking about? You're a partner in the studio," Bai Renzong said solemnly. "The more I earn, the more your share will be."

"Humph... I suppose so." Wang Bei thought about it and nodded. "Fine, leave it to me."

This business trip had truly been immensely rewarding! Bai Renzong thought to himself with quiet excitement: This way, once he returned, he could speak the unvarnished truth without restraint, with no need to worry about food review permits anymore!

Moreover, as his fame continued to grow, coupled with the backing of the tourism bureau, he had nothing to fear from the likes of the Illusory World Group. A petty local tyrant—did they dare to go up against the state?

Besides, Bai Renzong was already a million-plus-follower creator now. What business owner wouldn't fear bad publicity?

At this thought, Bai Renzong's mood soared to the skies. "Come on, brother, cheers again to your help!"

"Oh, please, you're too polite..." Zhang Yunhui smiled. "Waiter, bring us two more bottles of beer!"