Chapter 36: I Love Fishing 2

The first to make an appearance was the senior veteran, Mr. Huang Zhong. A professional at playing villains, Huang Zhong had portrayed countless antagonistic roles. Despite his fierce and intimidating appearance, he was actually a very gentle man who loved painting and was known for being henpecked.

The second guest was the idol singer, Roger, who had many songs that were currently trending on short-video platforms.

Third to appear was Nan Chu herself.

The final guest was a newcomer actress, twenty-year-old Song Nana, who had recently shot to fame after starring in a youth romance drama.

Once the guest introductions concluded, it was time to draw lots for teams.

Song Nana thought to herself, "I hope I get teamed up with Mr. Ding Ruifeng."

Nan Chu heard Song Nana’s inner voice. Ding Ruifeng was an expert fisherman, and being on his team would mean more screen time.

The results of the draw were as follows: Ding Ruifeng and Huang Zhong, Min Qifeng and Nan Chu, Pan Zhen and Song Nana, and Hu Yehua and Roger.

After the teams were set, the guests boarded the fishing boat and headed out to sea. Two hours later, they arrived at the fishing grounds. The challenge would last eight hours, and the team with the highest catch would win. Anyone who caught a squid weighing over four kilograms would receive a gold badge.

During the two-hour boat ride, Min Qifeng had already realized that Nan Chu knew how to fish. Therefore, as soon as they arrived, they grabbed their rods and began. They were bottom fishing at a depth of over eighty meters; this method was chosen because the area was deep, and according to the habits of squid, they preferred to feed at the bottom.

After casting her line, Nan Chu zoned out. Min Qifeng tried to start a conversation to ensure they had enough screen time, and Nan Chu replied politely. However, the cacophony of inner voices from the others was so overwhelming that she eventually blocked them out.

Ten minutes later, Nan Chu’s rod twitched, and she began to slowly reel in the line. The cameramen immediately focused on her, and even the cameraman from the bow of the boat rushed over. With three cameras capturing her from various angles, Nan Chu reeled in carefully, fearing that any sudden movement might cause the prey to struggle and escape.

In about eleven minutes, she had reeled in seventy meters of line. Ten meters left. Eight. Five. Two. One.

"It’s a squid, and it's a big one!" the boat captain shouted.

The other guests and staff leaned in to get a better look. When only half a meter remained, the captain skillfully used a landing net to scoop the squid out of the water. Nan Chu grabbed the squid and brought it to the bow. The production team focused their lenses on her and her catch, snapping photos. The captain weighed it at 2.36 kilograms—a promising start.

Nan Chu went back to fishing. Whether it was the favor of the goddess of luck or something else, seven minutes later, she hooked another squid. This one weighed 1.15 kilograms, not a small catch either. Min Qifeng was overjoyed; it seemed the gold badge might be theirs.

Wanting some screen time, Song Nana walked over to Nan Chu. "Sister Nan Chu, could you share some fishing tips? How do you get the squid to bite?"

"I’m also new to sea fishing. I don't have any special techniques; it’s probably just luck."

Song Nana suddenly reached out and held Nan Chu’s left hand. "Then, Sister Nan Chu, please lend me some of your luck."

Song Nana thought, "Lend me some luck so I can catch a squid too, otherwise I won't have any screen time at all."

"Alright, I'll lend it to you."

"Thank you, Sister Nan Chu!"

To Nan Chu's surprise, twenty minutes later, Song Nana actually hooked a squid weighing 0.57 kilograms. Though small, she had caught it. Song Nana was so happy she jumped up and down, calling out from afar, "Thank you for lending me your luck, Sister Nan Chu! I really caught one!"

Nan Chu smiled faintly. "It was your own luck; it had nothing to do with me." If luck were so easily transferable, the world would be a truly fantastical place.

Song Nana, however, was convinced that it was Nan Chu’s influence that allowed a complete novice like her to succeed. Seeing this, Roger ran over. Since shaking hands was inconvenient, he asked, "Nan Chu, lend me some luck too, so I can catch a squid."

Nan Chu nodded helplessly. "Alright."

Before long, both Roger and Nan Chu had hooked squid, leaving the other guests stunned.

Huang Zhong thought, "Should I go ask for some luck too?"
A staff member wondered, "This is too ridiculous. Is Nan Chu some kind of deity reincarnated?"
Min Qifeng thought, "I should ask for some luck too."

Soon, all the other guests were lining up to "borrow" luck. One by one, they all started catching fish. The production staff were left completely shocked. It was utterly absurd. Even Nan Chu found it surreal.

By the end of the morning, Nan Chu and Min Qifeng’s team had the highest count with six squid. After lunch on the boat, they moved to a spot for pomfret. In the afternoon, Nan Chu was the first to land a pomfret, catching two at once. The other guests also caught a fair amount.

After the eight hours were up, the boat headed back. The guests ate the squid and pomfret they had caught at their respective farmhouses. During dinner, the results were announced: Nan Chu and Min Qifeng won with a total of twenty-three fish. The two of them were awarded gold badges.

Once dinner concluded, filming wrapped up, and Nan Chu returned to her hotel. She called her manager, Zhuang Wenqi, to inform her that the recording was finished and asked if there were any upcoming commitments. Zhuang Wenqi said there were none for the moment and that she could head home the next day.

The following day, Nan Chu flew back to her home in Shanghai. Shortly after arriving, she received a call from her father.

"Hello, Dad. Is something the matter?"

"That Jiang Han you’re seeing—is his family very wealthy?"

"Whether Jiang Han has money or not has nothing to do with you," Nan Chu said coldly.

"How can you say that? He’s your boyfriend, which makes him my future son-in-law," Nan Jiesong replied. "As his girlfriend's father, shouldn't he show some filial piety and provide some money?"

"Jiang Han is just my boyfriend, not my husband, so you aren't his father-in-law yet. If you try to demand money from him, we might just break up immediately."

Hearing this, Nan Jiesong muttered a few curses before continuing, "By the way, why haven't you sent money this month? It’s already mid-September."

Previously, Nan Chu had sent money to Nan Jiesong and Song Hong at the beginning of every month. They hadn't received anything at the start of September and had called repeatedly, but Nan Chu had been busy filming. Her phone had been turned over to the production team and kept in airplane mode, preventing their calls from coming through.

"I won't be sending money anymore," Nan Chu said calmly. "If you want to go online and expose me for being unfilial, go right ahead. At worst, I’ll just quit the entertainment industry and find a normal job. I’m hanging up now."

Nan Chu ended the call. When Nan Jiesong tried to call back, she ignored him entirely, leaving him fuming and cursing on the other end.