Once bitten by a snake, one fears the rope for ten years.
Song Cheng looked at Qin Wunian with affection. He had been hurt and deceived before, leaving shadows over his heart. Sighing, he silently vowed that he would never lie to Qin Wunian again.
As for the lies of the past, he would slowly reveal the truth to Qin Wunian.
Why not just tell everything at once?
Of course, he feared that Qin Wunian would learn too much about his dark past all at once and angrily decide never to reconcile.
The production team finally did something right. Since they had charged the guests for so many nights of accommodation, lunch was on them. The food was exquisitely plated and artistically presented—even Yang Qing ended up taking a few extra bites.
Noticing that Song Cheng was looking at her, Yang Qing said without changing her expression, “It’s free—why not eat?”
Song Cheng: “……”
There was no nap that afternoon. After finishing lunch, the group stayed at the hotel for a while before the host came over to lead them to the theme park.
The park was enormous. The organizers had closed off part of it for filming. As they walked through, Song Cheng saw areas themed on the Amazon, a snow castle, the Tang Dynasty palace, SpongeBob…
The SpongeBob section was all water attractions. The weather was hot, and many people stopped to experience it. Song Cheng eyed the clear pool, feeling tempted.
Zhao Feifei leapt from a three-meter platform like a mermaid. In the water, she moved with incredible agility, her long legs acting like fins. People on the shore clapped and whistled. Yang Qing couldn’t do the same—she could only watch from the sidelines.
Some attractions were meant to be filmed for later segments. Even Gan Yawen found an attraction called “Flying Across the Pacific” and enjoyed it immensely. Song Cheng wanted to go try a few rides but felt he couldn’t compete with Zhao Feifei’s athleticism.
Glancing around, Song Cheng’s eyes lit up. Grabbing the reluctant Qin Wunian, he ran off toward a distant attraction.
Qin Wunian stumbled as he was pulled along. He had seen Song Cheng trying to tug him earlier, but had thought it impossible. Yet Song Cheng not only managed to pull him, but ran with him.
Qin Wunian felt a bit dumbfounded. He had a strong, solid frame, not a light one—but in Song Cheng’s hands, he felt almost weightless.
When they reached the ride, Qin Wunian still looked a bit dazed. Song Cheng gave him a nudge, and he finally noticed the pedal kayak at their feet.
The kayak could seat two people. Ahead of them were twisting, colorful tubes. A sign read: Crazy Cobra – Experience Speed and Thrill. Not recommended for pregnant women.
Qin Wunian: “……”
Song Cheng kept urging, “Do you want to sit in front or back?”
Qin Wunian, like Lv Ruosi, wasn’t really fond of amusement park atmospheres. But seeing Song Cheng’s excitement and anticipation, he paused. “If you’re not afraid, you go in front.”
Song Cheng laughed. “What’s there to be afraid of? It’s not a haunted house. I’ll sit in front and protect you.”
Qin Wunian gave no comment. He pointed to the kayak, and Song Cheng understood, jumping in immediately.
Once Song Cheng was seated, Qin Wunian stepped in. The kayak was small; usually, it carried one man and one woman, or two women. Two men sitting together was uncommon.
Inside, the space was tight. Qin Wunian had no room for his legs. Trying to cross them was impossible. After a couple of silent seconds, he extended his hands and lifted Song Cheng, who had been waiting for the ride to start.
It was like holding a child. Song Cheng froze for a second, then slid back a bit as if uprooted like a radish.
Qin Wunian rested his legs on either side of Song Cheng, stretching freely. Finally, he didn’t have to curl up and let out a contented sigh.
Song Cheng: “……”
Staff were busy attaching cameras to the front and back of the kayak. Meanwhile, Song Cheng sat awkwardly between Qin Wunian’s legs, hesitant to move.
Qin Wunian, however, had no such complicated thoughts. He turned his head, noticing Yue Yuran and Su Yu approaching. He raised his hand and waved.
The two didn’t immediately join—they stood aside, watching to see their reaction before deciding whether to ride.
Su Yu observed them for a moment, then said, “They’re sitting really close.”
Hearing this, Yue Yuran glanced at them. “They really are.”
“Have you noticed Qin Wunian with Song Cheng… hmm… he’s quite accepting?”
Su Yu looked at him. “What do you mean?”
Yue Yuran scratched his nose. He wasn’t good at gossip and only noticed details when truly curious. “Just watch closely. Qin Wunian keeps a distance from everyone, no matter their gender or age. Yesterday, when I went to give him a glass of water, he deliberately avoided touching my hand. But now, he’s practically holding Song Cheng in his arms.”
In reality, Qin Wunian wasn’t physically touching Song Cheng—there was a tiny gap—but it was negligible. For Song Cheng, Qin Wunian’s presence surrounded him completely, 360 degrees, leaving no space to breathe. It felt almost as if he were being embraced.
At least that way, it didn’t feel torturous.
Su Yu, hearing this, asked Yue Yuran, “So what exactly are you trying to say?”
Yue Yuran had already noticed it. Since yesterday, Su Yu’s attitude toward him had been indifferent, but he had no idea what he’d done wrong and could only seize small opportunities to show goodwill.
After a brief pause, he asked Su Yu, “Do you think those two…?”
“…are like us?”
He gestured subtly at Su Yu. Su Yu’s expression shifted slightly. At that moment, Song Cheng suddenly screamed, and Su Yu quickly turned his head to see that the cameras had already been set up. Behind them, a staff member kicked their kayak into the slide.
Su Yu: “……”
Just moments ago, Song Cheng had been talking about protecting Qin Wunian. Now, his eyes were wide with terror. He knew this attraction was thrilling, but he hadn’t expected this level of intensity. The kayak shot down the slide at high speed; the tunnel seemed endless, with water splashing from both sides. Song Cheng’s screams didn’t stop for a second from start to finish.
The tunnel was narrow, and the sound of Song Cheng’s screaming bounced off the plastic walls, which was torture for Qin Wunian. Halfway through, it wasn’t the kayak’s speed that defeated him—it was the ear-piercing volume of Song Cheng’s screams.
Unable to tolerate it any longer, Qin Wunian stretched out a long arm, holding Song Cheng firmly so he wouldn’t thrash around, while covering his mouth with the other hand. His chest pressed against Song Cheng’s back; both their clothes were soaked, and Song Cheng could even feel the contours of the muscles pressing behind him.
Qin Wunian shouted into his ear, “Weren’t you supposed to protect me?! You liar!”
Song Cheng: “…………”
In the blink of an eye, the kayak reached the end of the tunnel—a cobra-shaped exit. Its tail marked the final stretch. With a splash, the kayak shot into the air.
Song Cheng’s eyes widened again. “Wahhh!!”
The exit was about one and a half meters above the water, which was in a square pool below. The kayak should have landed smoothly on the surface, but because Qin Wunian had held Song Cheng too far back, and because of his own extra weight…
Splash! The kayak flipped.
…
Both of them could swim. Before the startled staff could react, they climbed out of the water one after the other. The dashing young men now looked more like drenched water spirits, shaking off the excess water. Song Cheng looked at Qin Wunian, who looked back at him.
They spoke at the same time.
Qin Wunian: “Had enough?”
Song Cheng: “That was amazing! I want to go again!”
Qin Wunian: “……”
One good thing about filming here was having the park all to themselves. No lines, no waiting—if they wanted to ride, they could ride immediately.
After their second run through the cobra’s mouth, the cameraman reminded them of the time. They changed into dry clothes, had their hair blown dry, and the makeup artists touched up their makeup before the group regrouped, still buzzing from the fun.
Rarely, all the pairings left and returned harmoniously. Some people had thoroughly enjoyed themselves; others were thinking of coming back in the evening—though whether the attractions would still be open was another matter.
Gan Yawen looked around, satisfied. “Looks like everyone had a great time. Now, let’s head to this afternoon’s competition venue. Trust me—you’ll enjoy it even more there.”
He smiled mysteriously, and a spark of anticipation lit up everyone’s minds. After all, it was work—but work that was fun was even better.
After a winding path, they finally reached another themed area. Above the entrance hung enormous artificial vines and tree trunks, with cartoon-style lettering: Maya Mystery World.
Gan Yawen’s voice rang out: “Welcome to Maya Mystery World! As you can see, this is a real-life jungle maze. Inside, the director has prepared plenty of little surprises. A treasure chest might be hidden in an inconspicuous spot, or a fierce obstacle might lie around a corner. Come on, let’s enter together.”
Once everyone stepped inside, they realized the entrance led to a T-junction. The upright path was the one they needed to take, while the left and right paths clearly led to exits.
The walls were smooth concrete, painted green, with artificial plants covering the outside. Every wall looked the same, giving the illusion of being lost in a forest maze.
As the guests examined the area, Gan Yawen continued: “The first team to return to this entrance will receive a 1,000-yuan bonus and three double-person buffet vouchers from the hotel. Don’t just take my word for it—I hear they even have lobster!”
“Second place gets a 600-yuan bonus and one double-person buffet voucher.”
“Third place, sorry, no buffet voucher, but you get a 400-yuan bonus.”
“As for last place… well, the director initially didn’t plan to reward them at all. But I couldn’t bear it, so I argued on their behalf and got a 200-yuan bonus. Whoever ends up last, remember my contribution!”
The eight guests: “……”
You really have the nerve to say that! Same bunch of scoundrels!
…
The competition began. Since it wasn’t timed, no one rushed; they stood around, chatting and observing.
Liu Yanchu: “The gap between rich and poor grows wider. The director is sneaky.”
Yang Qing: “The gap doesn’t concern you—you and Lv Ruosi have always been middle class.”
Liu Yanchu: “What do you mean by that? Our hearts have always belonged to the proletariat—you!”
Yang Qing: “……”
Zhao Feifei: “This path has no exit in the middle. You have to reach the end to choose left or right. What will you pick?”
Yue Yuran looked at Su Yu. After Su Yu nodded, he said, “We’ll go left.”
Yang Qing: “Then we’ll go right. Since we’re competitors, it’s better to split up.”
Liu Yanchu asked Lv Ruosi, “Which way?”
Lv Ruosi replied, “It doesn’t matter. Qin Wunian, you and Xiao Song pick first. We’ll go the opposite way.”
Qin Wunian looked at Song Cheng, but Song Cheng didn’t meet his gaze. Instead, he stared thoughtfully at the walls.
Qin Wunian called out, “What are you thinking about, so focused?”
Song Cheng blinked. “I’m just… the host said whoever gets back to the entrance first wins, but he didn’t say how to get back.”
Yang Qing chimed in, “Yeah, but you can’t just turn around and go back the way you came—that wouldn’t count.”
Song Cheng asked, “What if I climb over the wall?”
Yang Qing didn’t immediately understand. “Huh?”
Song Cheng didn’t explain either. He just started moving.
He took a running start and kicked off the wall. Normally, a person would fall at this point, but he didn’t. He tensed his body, stepped higher, and reached upward, grabbing the hanging greenery. The plants obviously couldn’t support his weight—they shook violently and seemed ready to snap. Then, using momentum, he surged upward, barely catching the top edge of the wall with one hand. Pushing down with his arms, a couple of scrambles later, he was fully on top of the wall, sitting casually, looking down at the other guests at the base.
Seven guests: “……”
Director: “……”
Everyone was stunned. The director even dropped his sandwich.
That wall… it was over three meters high! Was he a monkey?! And he actually climbed it?!
The others were only shocked—but Qin Wunian was shocked and panicked. He yelled up to Song Cheng, “Get down from there!!”
Song Cheng froze. Qin Wunian had already run to the base of the wall, stretching out his arms. “Come down quickly! Take it slow—I’ll catch you!”
Song Cheng glanced around reluctantly. Seeing how genuinely angry Qin Wunian was, he finally grudgingly jumped down. Technically, he could have landed lightly on his own, but Qin Wunian had already spread his arms—of course, Song Cheng would land in his embrace.
He controlled his fall carefully so as not to knock Qin Wunian down.
Landing in a taut yet warm embrace, his upper body cushioned, Song Cheng steadied himself and looked up at Qin Wunian, whose face showed a mix of worry, anger, and panic, as if a dye workshop had exploded there. Song Cheng timidly said, “Actually…”
Qin Wunian didn’t want to hear excuses. He let go and said, each word measured and stern: “No more climbing walls!!”
Song Cheng: “…Okay, I won’t climb.”
Qin Wunian’s expression relaxed slightly, but his racing heart wouldn’t settle quickly. This was nearly a four-meter-high wall—if Song Cheng had fallen, he could’ve seriously hurt himself.
Once their emotions calmed, the other guests approached, marveling at Song Cheng’s agility. Yue Yuran, who liked climbing, admitted he couldn’t scale a wall like that either, and asked Song Cheng if he’d trained before.
Song Cheng thought for a moment. “Not really training. I used to be mischievous, often running around with kids my age… You know, just a little boy stuff.”
Everyone laughed at that.
Without delay, they needed to choose a direction. If they waited too long, the sun would set, and they might not find their way out of the maze. Song Cheng picked the left path, while the couples went right. Soon, the teams spread out.
Song Cheng quietly told Qin Wunian, “I scouted from up there—this left side is smaller, so it’ll save a lot of time.”
Qin Wunian: “……”
He gave Song Cheng a look that said a thousand words but said nothing.
Noticing his gaze, Song Cheng asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Song Cheng’s expression was always so innocent. Qin Wunian was puzzled. “Why did you say you used to be mischievous?”
Song Cheng replied naturally, “Because I was, of course. I just never told you.”
Qin Wunian: “……Why not?”
Song Cheng tugged at a nearby plant. “I wanted to leave you with a good impression. If I’d told you right away that I liked causing trouble, wandering the streets, doing nothing, would you even have paid attention to me? You’d probably have drawn a line and walked away.”
Qin Wunian: “……”
Taking a couple of steps forward, Song Cheng reconsidered whether he’d been too honest. He came back and added, “I climb walls, I cause trouble, but I’m a kind, good boy.”
Qin Wunian: “……”