Taking Liu Yifei back to Northeast China for the Chinese New Year has sent the entire internet into

"Are you...are you alright?"

Fang Yu's voice pulled Liu Yifei back from her reverie.

She then realized that she was still hiding behind Fang Yu, with one hand still tightly gripping the hem of his clothes.

Liu Yifei's cheeks flushed instantly. She quickly released her grip, took a small step back, and tried to remain calm as she said:

"I'm fine, I was just... startled."

Fang Yu, holding the still struggling goose, looked at her with amusement:

"You were more than just startled, I think you were scared out of your wits."

"I told you, this guy is strong, but you still insisted on going up there to get yourself killed."

His words made Liu Yifei's face, which had just calmed down, turn red again.

She recalled being chased by geese and screaming all over the yard, and felt so embarrassed that she wanted to disappear on the spot.

"I...I thought it wasn't that powerful," she whispered in defense.

"Now you know?"

"...I understand." Liu Yifei's voice was barely audible.

Seeing her aggrieved and embarrassed expression, Fang Yu's mischievous intentions faded, and his tone unconsciously softened:

"Alright, it's good that you're alright."

"You go inside first, leave the rest to me."

"The rest?"

Liu Yifei paused, looking at the goose in his hand, and suddenly realized something, her face paling slightly:

"You...you're going to kill it?"

The word "killing" was too distant for her, who had lived in the city since childhood.

The meat she eats is all pre-processed from the supermarket; she has never seen a living animal end its life before her eyes.

Fang Yu noticed her reluctance and explained:

"What else can you do? You can't just throw a live goose into a pot to stew, can you?"

He paused, then said:

"This is rural life. We raise them just to eat them."

"It may sound a bit cruel, but this is the most basic law of survival."

Liu Yifei fell silent.

She couldn't refute it.

Rationally, she understood that this was normal, but emotionally she still found it hard to accept, especially since the goose had just had a "close interaction" with her.

Fang Yu picked up the goose and turned to walk towards the well in the corner of the yard.

Liu Yifei didn't go inside; she just stood there, watching from a distance.

She seemed to want to overcome her discomfort and truly understand this completely unfamiliar world.

The comments in the live stream were now divided into two camps.

"Ah...are we really going to kill him? It feels so cruel."

"Stop calling me 'Holy Mother,' don't you eat meat? Fang Yu is right, this is life."

[The fairy's expression was so conflicted, it broke my heart to see her like this; she must have never seen anything like it before.]

I think Fang Yu handled it very well. He didn't force Tianxian to accept it, nor did he hide it from her; instead, he frankly told her the truth.

Fang Yu didn't turn back; he knew he needed to give Liu Yifei some time to process this.

He handed the goose to Fang Daqiang, who came out after hearing the noise. The father and son worked together seamlessly, one holding it down while the other took action.

The whole process was clean and efficient.

Fang Yu's technique was very skillful, clearly something he had honed since childhood.

After everything was tidied up, Fang Yu carried the cleaned goose to Liu Yifei and said calmly:

"Let's go inside and prepare the ritual."

Liu Yifei looked at him with a complicated expression.

The man before her was completely different from the cold, aloof idol she had first met at the airport.

He knows how to catch geese, how to kill geese, how to solve problems in the most down-to-earth way, and how to protect himself in critical moments.

He possessed a primal and vibrant wildness that she had never seen in the sophisticated male celebrities of the entertainment industry.

This feeling is unfamiliar, but... it's not unpleasant.

Liu Yifei nodded and followed Fang Yu into the house.

Inside the house, Fang's mother had already set up the stove and was burning it brightly, with a large iron pot nearly a meter wide steaming out of it.

"Oh, it's done? Give it to me now!"

Fang's mother took the goose and skillfully began to process it.

The kitchen was small, and Fang Yu and Liu Yifei felt cramped and uncomfortable inside.

"You two go outside and wait, it's too smoky here," Fang's mother said, waving her hand to shoo them away as she chopped the goose meat.

Fang Yu was happy to have some free time and pulled Liu Yifei back to the warm kang (heated brick bed).

He sat down cross-legged and casually asked:

"How are you feeling?"

"What, how is it?"

"What are your thoughts on seeing a 'crime scene' up close for the first time?" Fang Yu joked.

Liu Yifei was silent for a moment, then answered seriously:

"It's a bit...shocking. Just like you said, it's very simple and direct."

She paused, then added:

"And...you were really cool just now."

She spoke those last words very softly, but Fang Yu still heard them.

He was taken aback, seemingly not expecting to hear such a comment from her.

Fang Yu touched his nose, trying to hide his unease.

"Well, that's basic stuff. If a man here can't even handle a goose, he'll be laughed at."

[Ahhh! She said he was handsome! She said he was handsome!]

My ship is real! It's mutual!

[Fang Yu, you blockhead! Shouldn't we be gazing lovingly at each other at a time like this? Why are you touching your nose?!]

[I believe the straight man's true reaction.]

A subtle silence fell between the two.

To break the awkward silence, Liu Yifei took the initiative to start a conversation:

"Have you... always lived here?"

Fang Yu leaned against the pile of quilts, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes:

My parents left when I went to college.

"When I was a child, this village was very lively. In winter, every household would huddle together on the kang (a heated brick bed), and the children would run around everywhere."

"That won't work now. All the young people have gone out to work, leaving only the elderly."

Liu Yifei listened quietly.

She could sense that when Fang Yu talked about these things, his "aloof" demeanor completely disappeared, and he became soft and genuine.

She suddenly felt that this might be his true nature.

The idol who shines on stage and never smiles in front of the camera is just a packaged shell.

Now that he's back home, he's gradually shedding that outer shell.

A sizzling sound came from the kitchen, followed by the rich aroma of scallions, ginger, and garlic frying in a pan.

Fang's mother's voice also came over:

"Xiaoyu, come help me start the fire!"

"They're here!"

Fang Yu responded, jumped off the kang (a heated brick bed), and ran into the kitchen.

Liu Yifei followed and stood at the door to watch.

Fang Yu skillfully sat on a small stool in front of the stove, picked up firewood one by one and stuffed it into the firebox, then pulled the bellows.

The flames suddenly shot up, casting flickering light on his face.

Fang's mother was busy at the stove, pouring goose meat into a large iron pot, stir-frying it with a large spoon, and adding various seasonings. Her movements were smooth and efficient.

This scene was harmonious and heartwarming.

As Liu Yifei watched, the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.

She grew up in a divorced family and was raised by her mother. She entered the entertainment industry at a young age and rarely had the opportunity to experience such a warm and family atmosphere.

For her, home was more of a place to sleep than a warm haven.

But at this moment, in this rural courtyard in Northeast China, she truly felt the warmth of "home".

This scene is so heartwarming, it makes me homesick.

Suddenly, I realized that this is what the program "Going Home for the Chinese New Year" should be like.

[While Hua Yu next door is still pretentiously sipping red wine, we've already started cooking over a fire—the difference is stark.]

Fang Yu's movements as he tended the fire were so practiced; he was clearly used to such work.

The goddess stood quietly at the doorway, watching, like a painting.

Just then, Fang Yu felt a gaze. He turned around and met Liu Yifei's eyes.

She was looking at him, her eyes filled with a hint of envy and longing that he couldn't quite understand.

Fang Yu's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, almost as if possessed:

"Want to give it a try?"

He pointed to the fire poker in his hand.

Liu Yifei was stunned, then her eyes lit up and she nodded vigorously.