The entire filming location fell into a brief silence due to this abrupt question.
The father of the troublemaker, sweating profusely, covered the little boy's mouth and apologized sheepishly to Huo Xiaozheng.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Huo. Kids say the darndest things, you know!"
Huo Xiaozheng coldly glanced at the father and son, then crouched down and stroked Ningning's face.
"Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"
"I'm not hungry," Huo Guining, keenly sensing Huo Xiaozheng's poor mood, patted his shoulder like a little adult. "Dad, don't be angry."
The dark clouds above Huo Xiaozheng's head dispersed a bit.
Worried that someone else might speak out of turn, the on-site host first briefly introduced the newly arrived father and daughter, Huo Xiaozheng and Huo Guining, then cued the program to begin.
Just like in the parenting reality shows of her previous life, the five families were about to start a battle for houses.
But before that, each child had to give up their toys.
As soon as this requirement was announced, the scene erupted into wails.
Among the five families, the youngest boy was only four and a half years old, while the oldest was barely seven.
It was the perfect age for playing in the mud.
Seeing that their snacks and toys were about to be taken away, the children cried and fussed.
On the Huo family's side, however, it was a completely different scene.
Peace and love.
Huo Xiaozheng even had the leisure to let Ningning sit on the suitcase while he hand-fed her fruit.
The host reminded, "I'm going to check the suitcase, okay?"
Ningning took a bite of starfruit, wrinkled her nose in distaste, then hopped off the suitcase, decisively plopping it on the ground and coolly waving her hand.
"Go ahead and check."
Huo Xiaozheng put away the food container and cooperatively opened another suitcase.
The host pointed at the bottles and jars in the suitcase. "Are these candies? You're not allowed to bring those."
Ningning said coldly, "Those are my vitamins."
The host picked one up and looked. They really were vitamins.
He surveyed the suitcase and discovered a small grey rabbit in the corner.
"Stuffed animals aren't allowed either."
Huo Guining's expression froze for a moment.
Huo Xiaozheng frowned, about to say something, when he heard Ningning say nonchalantly, "Then take it away."
As she spoke, she voluntarily put the stuffed animal into the storage box provided by the production team.
"Ningning, you don't have to give it up," Huo Xiaozheng said righteously, then coldly glanced at the camera.
The production team's hearts skipped a beat. Although there was indeed room for negotiation, they thought, "Mr. Huo, you don't have to be so blatant about it."
How would the other families feel?
Ningning's expression remained unchanged. "It's fine, I don't need to hug it to sleep anyway."
The host, seeing her soft and sweet appearance but hearing her speak so rationally, couldn't help but look at her a few more times.
She seemed even more mature than the oldest child.
"Then I'll take this away," the host said.
Ningning waved her hand with a "don't bother me" expression, looking very cool.
A little girl nearby, who had been crying with hiccups, saw Ningning's demeanor and her eyes filled with admiration.
"Daddy, I'll stop crying. I want to learn from big sister."
The little girl's name was Cao Yinuo, and her father was the famous actor Cao Xunbo.
Usually, Yinuo was taken care of by her mother and was very spoiled.
When she started crying, she wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted.
Now, hearing his daughter voluntarily compromise, Cao Xunbo breathed a sigh of relief.
He said with a beaming smile, "Good girl, Yinuo. Learn from the big sister. Give your snacks and toys to the uncle, and we'll take them back when we go home, okay?"
Yinuo's eyelashes were still wet with tears, but she held back her sobs and agreed.
She looked at the staff member, then at Ningning, as if drawing courage from her.
Huo Guining was oblivious to this.
At that moment, she was whispering to Huo Xiaozheng.
"Dad, I'll get you the best room later."
Huo Xiaozheng's eyes softened. "Don't stress yourself. Dad can stay anywhere."
Ningning frowned, her gaze determined. "No, you can't."
Huo Xiaozheng was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head and chuckled.
Huo Guining felt a bit embarrassed.
Before she could say anything, she heard the host start inviting the children to choose houses.
Sure enough, just like in her previous life, they were given some photos and told to choose without adult intervention.
Although the pictures were in a cartoon style, Huo Guining still identified the best room from the photos.
She rubbed her hands together, eager to start.
"Alright, next, we'll ask the children to draw lots."
Huo Guining felt like she'd been doused with a bucket of cold water, her excitement instantly chilled.
This was bad. She had always had terrible luck.
Why draw lots? Couldn't they compete based on ability? She had prepared herself for a 100-meter dash!
Ningning looked up at Huo Xiaozheng helplessly.
Huo Xiaozheng repeated his earlier words, telling her to relax and that they'd stay wherever she drew.
The lots were drawn in order from youngest to oldest, with Ningning in third place.
The youngest, Yinuo, had her heart set on the impractical thatched cottage and threw a tantrum until she got the worst house.
Huo Guining felt a bit more at ease.
The second to draw was singer Yue Shuhua's son, Yue Haoyu.
His face was still streaked with tears as he sniffled and drew a picture, then cried and threw himself into his father's arms.
He was still lamenting the loss of his toys.
The host counted down from three, and the crybaby ended up with the most luxurious suite.
Huo Guining's expression crumbled.
Calculating the remaining three options, she still had a chance. The one on the hillside wasn't bad either.
Ningning walked forward as if facing her doom, wavering between the three pictures.
In her panic, she looked back at Huo Xiaozheng.
Huo Xiaozheng held up two fingers.
Ningning's eyes lit up, and she quickly drew the second picture.
"Yay~!"
Ningning rushed towards Huo Xiaozheng like a bird flying into the woods. "Dad, this one is good too!"
Huo Xiaozheng took out a tissue to wipe the sweat from her forehead and gave her a thumbs up in agreement.
The remaining clean poultry house and the tidy bungalow were drawn by singer Yue Shuhua and athlete Zhang Tianyou respectively.
After the room assignments were completed, everyone followed the signposts to return to their rooms and unpack.
Huo Guining enthusiastically helped Huo Xiaozheng push the luggage, constantly praising him for being amazing.
"Dad, you're so lucky. If it weren't for you, we might have ended up living with pigs!"
"I don't like pigs. They smell bad."
"But I like eating pork. Pork chops, braised pork, sweet and sour ribs are all delicious!"
The cameraman thought: Mr. Huo, aren't you going to do something about your daughter? Being fond of animals is supposed to be the cute standard, you know.
Huo Xiaozheng's expressionless face remained cold, but his tone was gentle. "Is that so? Then let's have ribs for lunch."
Huo Guining: "Dad, do you know how to cook them?"
Huo Xiaozheng hesitated for a moment, but facing Ningning's sparkling eyes, he confidently said, "Of course."
Huo Guining praised him enthusiastically: "Wow! Dad, you can do anything!"
The production team secretly grumbled: In the reality show business, the most taboo thing is setting up flags.
