Early the next morning, before anyone had even woken up, the staff began knocking on each door, telling everyone to come out for breakfast.
Over the past few days, Song Cheng’s biological clock had become less stable. He usually woke up a little after six, and today the production crew called them at exactly six. When Song Cheng came out, he was still rubbing his eyes, looking half-asleep.
After going downstairs, he realized why the production team was in such a hurry.
Outside, dark clouds filled the sky. It looked like heavy rain would fall soon.
Originally, they were scheduled to depart at eight o’clock. But if they waited until then, the plane might not be able to take off.
Since an airline company was one of the sponsors, the departure time could be adjusted easily. The original eight o’clock flight was moved up to seven. As the guests ate breakfast, they also had to discuss which method of transportation they would choose.
The production team offered only two options:
a plane, or a motorhome.
At first glance, the two didn’t seem comparable at all. But the actual situation had to be considered.
The next city was seven hundred kilometers away, deep in the southwestern hills. The saying about “eighty thousand mountains” was exaggerated, but the area truly was mountainous. The filming location was a small village tucked in the hills, far from any airport—likely far from the city itself.
In other words, even though the plane would arrive in just over an hour, they would still have to transfer to a car afterward.
The motorhome, on the other hand, could go almost anywhere, and the production team had provided a professional driver. But the trip would take a full eight hours. They wouldn’t arrive until three in the afternoon. Being locked inside a metal box like that for so long—some people might not mind, but others absolutely couldn’t stand it.
And previously, aside from Song Cheng and Qin Wunian, who had arrived in a business van, everyone else had taken a bus to the theme park. After those few hours on the bus, not a single person wanted to repeat the experience.
The plane offered business class seats—1,800 yuan per person.
The motorhome was parked outside. Judging by the configuration, it looked quite nice. But it still cost 1,200 yuan per person.
Neither option was cheap.
Yang Qing immediately shook her head at the motorhome option.
“I’m not taking the motorhome. On the plane I can at least sleep for a bit. In a car I can never fall asleep. And no matter what kind of car it is, I always smell this weird odor. I’d rather fly.”
Zhao Feifei said, “It’s 1,800 per person. For two people that’s 3,600. We only have a little over 4,000 in total. Aren’t you afraid we won’t even be able to afford lodging after we arrive?”
Yang Qing replied, “Didn’t they say we’re staying in a village? It’s not some big hotel. There’s no way it’ll cost that much.”
While the two of them were talking, Lü Ruosi had been listening quietly beside them. After a while, she turned her head and asked Liu Yanchu:
“Motorhome or plane?”
Liu Yanchu said, “Motorhome.”
Lü Ruosi replied, “Okay.”
Everyone else: “……”
Song Cheng looked at the two of them with silent admiration. No matter how many times he saw it, it still amazed him. This must be what people meant by the perfect life partner—never arguing, practically living like a worm in the other person’s stomach, understanding everything with just a single glance.
He wondered when he and Qin Wunian would ever reach that kind of state.
Qin Wunian turned and asked him, “Which one do you want to choose?”
Song Cheng looked back at him. “I think either one is fine. I’m not picky. But our money…”
He paused, lowering his voice.
“We still have 6,800 yuan left. Buying plane tickets is more than enough, but I’m worried there might be some really expensive activities coming up. And didn’t the host say yesterday that we still have to go back to the resort at the end? The return flight… we probably have to pay for that ourselves too.”
Qin Wunian said calmly, “Relax. If even the two of us can’t afford it, then nobody else will be able to either. When that happens and all eight people can’t get back, the ones who’ll be worried will be the production team—not us.”
Song Cheng: “……”
That actually made sense.
Holding their “huge fortune,” Song Cheng thought for two seconds, then looked up again.
“Then let’s take the plane too. After we land we can still rest for a while.”
Qin Wunian nodded in agreement.
Su Yu and Yue Yuran also chose the plane. In fact, among the four pairs, the two of them had the least savings—even less than Yang Qing’s pair. But the previous bus trip had been such an unpleasant experience that they would rather spend all their money than go through that again.
In the end, three pairs chose the plane. Only the married couple happily boarded the motorhome.
The motorhome was quite large. Originally it had been prepared with the expectation that at least two pairs would ride in it. Now all that space belonged solely to the couple.
A light drizzle pattered on the ground as they stood by the door of the vehicle, waving goodbye to everyone else.
Yang Qing clicked her tongue with glee. “Eight hours stuck together with your ex. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
Su Yu looked equally entertained. “I wonder what will happen along the way…”
Standing beside them, Song Cheng thought about it and said, “Maybe they’ll just ignore each other the whole time. One looks at the scenery, the other sleeps, and they pass the eight hours like that.”
Everyone fell silent.
It felt like Song Cheng had just spoken a brutally honest truth.
…
After the couple left, it was their turn to depart.
The airport wasn’t far away—just six kilometers straight ahead after leaving the island. When they arrived, a fine drizzle was still falling from the sky, but the flight hadn’t been canceled. The director visibly relaxed.
They went through security again. This time, however, the inspection wasn’t as strict. Once it was confirmed that they weren’t carrying anything dangerous, they were allowed through.
The guests sat in business class. A few staff members were seated in economy behind them, and the rest of the seats were empty.
Even on the plane, the cameramen didn’t get a break. They still had to carry their cameras and dutifully record every moment of the journey.
It was only a little past seven in the morning. No one felt like sleeping, so they chatted instead.
Su Yu suddenly said, “The first episode airs tonight.”
Zhao Feifei turned around. “Tonight? It’s already the fourth?”
Su Yu nodded.
Yang Qing immediately looked excited. “Then I’m going to watch it tonight.”
Yue Yuran shook his head. “You won’t be able to. I was chatting with Gan Yawen yesterday, and he said the place we’re going to next has neither television nor signal. Making a phone call is fine, but trying to watch videos online is basically impossible.”
Zhao Feifei frowned. “That can’t be right. The country’s base stations cover everything now—even the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau has internet. How remote could that village possibly be?”
Yue Yuran said, “That’s exactly why the director chose it after careful selection.”
Even Qin Wunian couldn’t help frowning slightly. “What do you mean?”
Su Yu explained, “Because the signal there is bad, the director deliberately chose that place—so we can’t watch the show while we’re filming.”
Song Cheng: “……”
That was… impressively thoughtful, in a rather devious way.
No one said anything else. The atmosphere in business class grew a little quieter.
Unlike everyone else, Song Cheng had absolutely no anticipation for the show’s broadcast. In fact, he had already decided that he would never watch this program again in his entire life.
It wasn’t because he thought he had performed badly.
It was because… he felt incredibly embarrassed.
It was embarrassing enough while filming. Watching it afterward would be even worse—his sense of shame would completely explode.
He didn’t want to watch himself, but he did want to see Qin Wunian. People always said that those involved couldn’t see clearly while outsiders could. Maybe the Qin Wunian seen through the camera lens would look a little different from the Qin Wunian he saw face to face.
As he wrestled with this thought, Song Cheng unconsciously turned his head to look at him.
Qin Wunian was sitting by the window.
Since they had taken off in the early morning, the clouds outside were especially clear. The plane had already risen above the cloud layer, and below them the sea of clouds looked like countless fluffy marshmallows. It created the strange illusion that even if someone jumped down, they wouldn’t fall—but would instead be caught gently by the soft clouds.
Qin Wunian was watching that sea of clouds when he noticed Song Cheng looking at him.
He turned his head.
His expression had already been relaxed and calm, but when his gaze met Song Cheng’s eyes, it unexpectedly softened even more.
Even someone naturally sharp-edged would subconsciously soften when facing the person they liked.
Song Cheng froze for a moment.
Then, almost as if avoiding something, he quickly turned his head away. Pulling the collar of his windbreaker higher, he covered half his face—hiding the faint warmth spreading across his cheeks.
Inside, Song Cheng was practically crying.
Waaah… I want to remarry him…
…
Not long after they left, the theme park was hit by a torrential downpour. But that had nothing to do with them anymore.
About an hour later, the plane slowly began to descend.
It was raining heavily over there, but here the sun was still shining brightly. The production team had already prepared vehicles. Barely a few minutes after standing up, everyone sat down again.
This time the scenery outside the window was completely different.
The farther they drove, the more remote it became. At first they could still see familiar-looking shops. Later, the roadside was filled with stores selling strange stones. Every so often, several enormous rocks of different colors would be displayed by the road, with a signboard beside them listing someone’s contact number.
They were heading up the mountain.
The road itself was a winding mountain highway. On the left rose towering peaks whose tops were impossible to see, wrapped in sturdy nylon netting meant to prevent falling rocks. On the right was a deep ravine.
And yet in such a dangerous place, many homes stood along the road.
Some had three stories, others two. Every house had the same structure—the first floor supported only by a few pillars embedded into the mountainside. The sight made people’s hearts race with unease. It was hard not to wonder whether people could really live in a place like this.
What if the house collapsed in the middle of the night?
Wouldn’t the entire building—and the people inside—just fall straight down the mountainside?
Song Cheng stared without blinking.
Qin Wunian did the same.
The two of them looked almost like newborn babies sitting in a stroller—once they spotted something interesting, they would keep staring at it until it disappeared completely from view.
Yue Yuran was sitting behind them. Seeing this scene, he found it a little amusing.
“Houses in mountainous areas are usually like this. Living here is still better than living deep in the mountains. At least daily life is convenient. If you lived farther inside the mountains, even buying something would be a hassle.”
The two people in front immediately turned their heads at the same time and looked at him.
They spoke in perfect unison.
“How do you know that?”
Yue Yuran: “……”
He explained casually, “My grandmother used to live in a place like this. When I was little, I’d go back to my mom’s hometown with her. I used to run up and down the floors of my grandma’s house for hours and never feel tired.”
Song Cheng looked surprised for a second. “Does your grandmother still live there now?”
Yue Yuran shook his head. “She passed away more than ten years ago. There weren’t many young people left in the village to begin with. Later even my mom stopped going back much. The house is probably just abandoned now. After all, it can’t be sold, and nobody wants to move back.”
Now even Yang Qing and Zhao Feifei turned to look at him.
Yue Yuran had always had the image of a cold, reserved person who didn’t talk much. Although that persona had gradually crumbled over time, people still felt he wasn’t the easiest to approach. It was as if he always carried himself with a certain distance—except for Su Yu, everyone else seemed slightly out of sync with him.
But now he suddenly felt much more down-to-earth.
Even Yang Qing curiously asked, “I don’t know why, but I always thought you came from some kind of musical family. Turns out you’re just middle class like me.”
Yang Qing herself didn’t come from any notable background, so when she joked like that it didn’t feel awkward.
Yue Yuran laughed. “Your imagination is way off. I didn’t even go to a music academy. When I was young I liked music, but my mom wouldn’t allow it. She said it was a distraction. I only gained freedom after getting into university. Back then I secretly worked all kinds of jobs behind my family’s back, looking for places where I could sing.”
At this point he glanced at Su Yu beside him.
“That’s how I met Su Yu. At a night market. He went out to eat with his classmates, and I was running a stall there with some friends. After hearing me sing, Su Yu gave me the ten yuan he originally planned to spend on grilled lamb skewers. I still have that money to this day.”
Yang Qing couldn’t help laughing. “Wow. Young love—always the most precious and the most beautiful.”
Then she looked at Song Cheng and Qin Wunian.
“Speaking of that, didn’t you two also get together when you were pretty young?”
Song Cheng froze. Before he could figure out how to answer, Qin Wunian lazily spoke up.
“Our meeting wasn’t nearly that romantic. And the time afterward wasn’t particularly wonderful either. At the beginning, I could tell that Song Cheng disliked me. But he disliked me and still kept coming to find me. So I thought to myself—this kid is kind of interesting.”
Su Yu burst out laughing. “Teacher Qin, you weren’t that old back then either, right?”
Qin Wunian replied, “I was already an adult. How is that not old?”
Yang Qing laughed loudly. “Then what happened later? Little Song, when did you start thinking Qin Wunian was actually pretty good?”
Song Cheng looked utterly confused.
“I always thought he was pretty good…”
Zhao Feifei said thoughtfully, “Looks like the two of you have a bit of a misunderstanding.”
Su Yu added, “That’s normal. Yue Yuran used to think I fell in love with him at first sight, which is why I didn’t spend that ten yuan and kept coming back to wait for him every day. But the truth is, I just thought his singing sounded nice. As for what he looked like—well, it was too dark that night, and I wasn’t wearing my contact lenses. Everyone looked blurry to me. He only figured that out two years after we started dating.”
Yue Yuran rubbed his nose. “Well… it’s still a beautiful misunderstanding.”
After listening to everyone else, Qin Wunian narrowed his eyes and looked at Song Cheng.
“It’s been so many years. Even if you tell the truth now, I won’t get angry.”
Song Cheng became a little annoyed instead. “What I said is the truth.”
He had always thought Qin Wunian was good!
Qin Wunian studied him for a moment. “But that day, I heard it.”
Song Cheng blinked. “Heard what?”
“I heard you talking behind my back,” Qin Wunian said. “You called me an ill-mannered big idiot.”
Song Cheng: “……”
Yang Qing laughed so hard she almost doubled over. “Does that even count as an insult? And Qin Wunian—what did little Song say that wasn’t accurate? Every word fits you perfectly!”
The laughter around him suddenly felt distant.
Song Cheng couldn’t help closing his eyes.
Then a scene appeared in his mind.
A sky washed a brilliant blue. Small puddles scattered across an asphalt road. Rows of ginkgo trees stood quietly along both sides of the street, their leaves completely yellow.
It must have rained the day before. The air was cool, and the fallen ginkgo leaves covered the ground like someone had brushed a bright golden color across his vision—like something from a painting by Vincent van Gogh.
He stood at a crossroads, pacing back and forth. Cars passed by one after another, but the person he was waiting for still hadn’t arrived.
Just when his patience finally ran out and he decided to dash back the way he came—
A young man stepped out from around the corner.
He wore a black jacket, the hood of his hoodie pulled over his head. He moved quickly, reaching Song Cheng in the blink of an eye.
Taking off his sunglasses, he looked at Song Cheng quietly for a second or two.
Then he bent down so their eyes were level.
He was smiling—a wild, dazzling smile, full of youthful energy.
And then Song Cheng heard him speak.
His voice, freshly past adulthood, wasn’t mature yet—but it was still wonderfully pleasant to hear.
He said, “Hey kid, you’re pretty short. Don’t tell me you’re still in middle school.”
…
When Song Cheng opened his eyes again, he slowly let out a breath with a blank expression.
As expected of Qin Wunian. If there was anything in this world that could remain eternal and unchanged, it would definitely be that infuriating mouth of his.
No one noticed anything unusual about Song Cheng. After all, he had only closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, the people beside him were still chatting.
Qin Wunian listened quietly with an indifferent expression, looking as though he wasn’t very interested. In truth, however, he quite liked listening to these kinds of conversations.
As the second son of the Qin family, Qin Wunian had never lacked anything growing up. His parents had once placed great expectations on him, but later realized he had far too much of his own mind, so they simply let him do as he pleased.
His parents had a good relationship, yet Qin Wunian was never particularly close to them. His older brother barely came home after Qin Wunian was old enough to remember—studying in one place today, pursuing further education somewhere else tomorrow.
The family members were busy, but there were never any arguments between them. They were always quiet, each rushing about for their own careers.
It wasn’t that such a family was bad. After all, every family had its own way of getting along.
But sometimes, Qin Wunian still found himself curious. He wanted to know what other people’s families were like—whether they felt a little warmer than his own.
As for other people’s love stories, before Song Cheng came back, those had been Qin Wunian’s biggest trigger.
What he hated most was hearing others talk about how happy they were. Because of that, there was even a period when he stopped attending family gatherings altogether. The moment he saw his parents sitting together, or his older brother chatting with his sister-in-law, irritation would rise in his chest.
Later, his brother got divorced.
Qin Wunian had unexpectedly treated him to a meal and even offered a few comforting words at the dinner table. To this day, Qin Yinian still found that moment deeply touching, believing it was proof of the strong bond between the two brothers.
If he ever found out that Qin Wunian had only done it because he wanted to see what his brother looked like when he was miserable, he would probably cry very loudly.
Now, however, Qin Wunian didn’t mind hearing these stories anymore.
In fact, he even wanted to hear more of them.
That way he could learn from the lessons of those who came before him.
…
The mountain road passed by amid their chatting.
They were so absorbed in the conversation that when the car finally stopped, they only realized it after the engine shut off.
The doors opened, and the group got out in twos and threes. Looking at the dense forest in front of them, everyone froze.
Zhao Feifei asked, “Where’s the village?”
A staff member wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Follow that little path in. Climb a few hundred meters, and you’ll reach it.”
Everyone: “…………”
They still had to climb the mountain?!
A few hundred meters on flat ground was completely different from a few hundred meters up a mountain.
Walking a few hundred meters might take only a minute. Climbing that distance up a mountain could take hours—depending on how steep it was.
In a remote and underdeveloped village like this, expecting a cable car was obviously impossible. Even Yang Qing had no choice but to grit her teeth and start climbing.
The pleasant atmosphere they had just built up gradually faded away, replaced by heavier and heavier breathing.
But some people were completely unaffected—like Zhao Feifei, Song Cheng, and Qin Wunian.
Everyone already knew about Zhao Feifei. She was a fitness goddess. Back when she worked as a model, she often shared workout videos about toning without bulking up.
People also knew about Qin Wunian. He loved extreme sports and challenging himself. One thing he was famous for was performing many of his own action scenes without a stunt double—though martial arts scenes still required one, since he was strong but didn’t actually know martial arts.
But Song Cheng climbing without even blushing or panting was a bit outrageous.
He looked about as thin as Su Yu. Yet Su Yu was already leaning on tree trunks for support, while Song Cheng could still speed up and run ahead to scout the path!
After walking a few steps deeper into the woods and realizing there wasn’t actually much to see, Song Cheng returned.
Yang Qing, who had the weakest stamina among them, looked like she was ready to die.
She pointed at Song Cheng.
“Y-you… how are you not tired?!”
Song Cheng thought for a moment before answering.
“Exercise more. If you keep training, your stamina improves.”
Yang Qing: “……”
Qin Wunian casually snapped off a branch and mischievously tapped it against every tree trunk he passed.
“I’m never going to say ‘a leopard can’t change its spots’ again.”
Song Cheng looked at him silently, waiting to see what nonsense he was about to say next.
Qin Wunian turned his head and gave him a slight smile.
“Out of respect for you.”
Song Cheng: “……”
Halfway up the mountain, Yang Qing truly couldn’t take it anymore.
Since no one had eaten lunch yet, the staff distributed the picnic food they had prepared in advance. Of course, it wasn’t free—they collected money at the same time they handed out the food.
The six of them sat or stood wherever they could, quietly chewing on bread.
The scene was both pitiful and strangely hilarious.
After replenishing their energy, they set off again.
Finally, when the village came into view, everyone let out a sigh of relief. In truth, they hadn’t climbed for that long—just a little over an hour.
When Song Cheng and the others arrived, Gan Yawen immediately came out from the village to greet them after hearing the news.
The travel-worn group stared in surprise when they saw the fresh and tidy Gan Yawen.
Qin Wunian asked, “When did you get here?”
“Last night,” Gan Yawen replied. “I came early with the rest of the staff to prepare everything.”
Su Yu asked, “Did you climb the mountain too?”
Gan Yawen waved his hand. “Oh, that? No. There’s a dirt road on the other side that vehicles can drive on. I rode up in a local dump truck.”
Yang Qing: “…So you were deliberately messing with us?”
Gan Yawen looked shocked. “How can you call it messing with you? This was all to help you deepen your relationships through hardship.”
Everyone: “…………”
This was a breakup reality show—what relationships were they supposed to deepen?!
Yang Qing looked like she might faint from anger. Song Cheng quickly supported her. She waved her hand and forced herself to stand straight again.
“I just have one question,” she said. “When Liu Yanchu and Lü Ruosi arrive in their motorhome, will they drive up that road, or will they climb the mountain like we did?”
Gan Yawen replied, “Same as you. They’ll climb the mountain.”
Yang Qing nodded.
“I’m fine now.”
The man said, “Hey kid, you’re really short. You’re not still in middle school, are you?”
…
Opening his eyes, Song Cheng expressionlessly let out a slow breath.
As expected of Qin Wunian. If there was anything in this world that could remain unchanged forever, it would definitely be that infuriating mouth of his.
No one noticed Song Cheng’s reaction, because all he had done was close his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, the people around him were still chatting. Qin Wunian listened with a calm expression, looking as though he was uninterested, but that was not actually the case—he enjoyed listening to things like this.
As the second son of the Qin family, Qin Wunian had grown up getting whatever he wanted. His parents had once held high expectations for him, but later realized that he had far too many ideas of his own, so they simply let him do as he pleased. His parents had a good relationship, yet Qin Wunian was never particularly close to them. After Qin Wunian was old enough to remember things, his older brother rarely came home, always studying somewhere—today in one place, tomorrow in another.
Although his family members were busy, there had never been any arguments between them. They were always quiet, each running about for the sake of their own careers. It was not that such a family was bad—after all, every family had its own way of getting along. Still, sometimes Qin Wunian felt curious. He wondered what other people’s families were like, and whether they might feel a little warmer than his own.
As for other people’s love stories, before Song Cheng returned, they had been one of Qin Wunian’s sore spots. What he hated most was hearing about how happy other people were. For a while, he had even stopped attending family gatherings. Just seeing his parents sitting together, or his older brother and sister-in-law chatting, irritated him.
Later, his brother got divorced. For once in his life, Qin Wunian invited him out to dinner and even said a few comforting words at the table. To this day, Qin Yinian still felt deeply warmed by that memory, believing it proved the brothers had a good relationship. If he ever learned that Qin Wunian had only wanted to see what his brother looked like when he was miserable, he would probably cry very loudly.
Now Qin Wunian no longer minded listening to these stories. In fact, he even wanted to hear more, hoping to learn from the experiences of those who came before him.
…
The mountain road passed by amid their endless conversation. They were so absorbed in chatting that it was not until the car stopped that they realized they had arrived. The door opened, and everyone got out in small groups. When they saw the dense forest in front of them, they froze.
Zhao Feifei asked, “Where’s the village?”
A staff member wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Follow this path in, then climb a few hundred meters more, and you’ll reach it.”
Everyone: “…………”
They still had to climb the mountain?!
Walking a few hundred meters and climbing a few hundred meters were not the same thing. Walking that distance might take only a minute, but climbing it could take hours, depending on how steep the mountain was.
In a remote and underdeveloped village like this, finding a cable car was completely impossible. Even Yang Qing had no choice but to grit her teeth and start climbing. The pleasant atmosphere they had just built gradually faded amid increasingly heavy breathing.
But some people were unaffected—Zhao Feifei, Song Cheng, and Qin Wunian.
Everyone knew about Zhao Feifei. She was a fitness goddess. Even when she worked as a model, she often shared workout videos online showing how to build muscle definition without bulking up. Everyone also knew about Qin Wunian. He was an extreme sports enthusiast who loved challenging himself. One thing he was famous for was performing many of his action scenes without a stunt double—though martial arts scenes still required one, since he had strength but not actual combat skills.
But Song Cheng was not even out of breath. Was that not a bit too much?!
He looked about as thin as Su Yu, yet Su Yu was already leaning on a tree for support, while Song Cheng was actually speeding up to scout the path ahead!
After walking a few steps deeper into the woods and discovering there was nothing much to see, Song Cheng returned. Yang Qing, the one with the worst stamina, already felt like she might die.
She pointed at Song Cheng. “H-how are you not tired?!”
Song Cheng thought for a moment and answered, “Exercise more. Once you keep training, your stamina improves.”
Yang Qing: “……”
Qin Wunian casually snapped off a tree branch and, in a particularly annoying manner, tapped it against every trunk he passed.
“From now on,” he said, “I’ll never say that people can’t change their nature.”
Song Cheng looked at him silently, waiting to see what kind of nonsense he was about to say.
Qin Wunian turned his head and gave him a slight smile. “Out of respect for you.”
Song Cheng: “……”
Halfway up the mountain, Yang Qing could not take it anymore. Since no one had eaten lunch yet, the staff handed out the picnic food they had prepared in advance. But it was not free. As they distributed the food, they also collected money.
The six of them either sat or stood, silently chewing on bread. The scene was both miserable and strangely funny.
After regaining some strength, they set off again. Only when the village finally came into view did everyone breathe a sigh of relief. In fact, they had not climbed that long—just a little over an hour.
When Song Cheng and the others arrived, Gan Yawen immediately came out to greet them after hearing the news. The dusty, travel-worn group stared at the bright and polished Gan Yawen and froze for a moment.
Qin Wunian asked, “When did you get here?”
Gan Yawen replied, “Last night. I came early with the other staff members to set things up.”
Su Yu asked, “Did you climb the mountain too?”
Gan Yawen said, “Oh, that? No. There’s a dirt road on the other side of the village that vehicles can use. I rode up in a local farmer’s dump truck.”
Yang Qing: “…So you were deliberately messing with us?”
Gan Yawen looked shocked. “How could you call it messing with you? This was all to help you strengthen your relationships through hardship!”
Everyone: “…………”
How exactly do you strengthen relationships on a breakup reality show?!
Yang Qing looked ready to faint from anger. Song Cheng quickly steadied her and waved his hand. Yang Qing stubbornly straightened up.
“I only have one question,” she said. “When Liu Yanchu and Lü Ruosi’s RV arrives, will they drive up from the other side, or climb the mountain like we did?”
Gan Yawen replied, “Like you. They have to climb too.”
Yang Qing nodded. “I’m fine now.”
—
Song Cheng: “……”
At that point, everyone finally had the energy to properly observe the village hidden deep in the mountains. In an era where concrete buildings were everywhere, this village still used wooden houses. As Song Cheng walked, he asked, “Are these the kind of buildings called stilt houses?”
Gan Yawen smiled. “Actually, they’re not, though they do look similar. These houses are very old—some date back to before the founding of the country. The locals have their own unique construction techniques. They smoke the wood in advance so it won’t rot for a very long time. The wisdom of working people never fails to impress.”
Song Cheng nodded, looking as though he had learned something new.
As they walked through the village, curious villagers came out to look at them. They were all locals, gazing at the group with nothing more than curiosity toward strangers—there was no excitement over seeing celebrities.
Gan Yawen explained, “This village used to have a population of one hundred sixty-two, but now only forty-three people live here. Most of them are middle-aged or elderly. They don’t know who we are, and even if they did, they wouldn’t feel any differently about us. In their eyes, we’re all the same—people with two eyes and one nose.”
Yang Qing paused. “That’s actually pretty nice.”
Gan Yawen nodded. “Of course. That’s the director’s intention—to find a place where you can return to the life of ordinary people. It wasn’t easy.”
Qin Wunian glanced around but said nothing.
That was only true for now. Once they left and the show aired, this place would probably become packed with visitors overnight. Whether the village seized the opportunity to turn itself into a tourist destination, or endured a chaotic period before eventually returning to peace, would depend on what the villagers decided.
However, before coming here, the director had likely already discussed everything with the locals. Villages like this, gradually fading away, were everywhere. If there was a chance for the place to become lively again, few people would refuse it.
After walking about three hundred meters, Gan Yawen stopped and pointed at several wooden houses nearby.
“Here, here, here, and over there—these four houses are where everyone will be staying. They’re mostly the same inside. The production team has prepared the most basic necessities. If you want anything else, the old rule applies—you have to buy it. One more thing: from now on, the competitions will only have physical prizes. There won’t be any cash rewards. So… try to save your money.”
The “washed-white couple” group, who had plenty of money, felt little impact. But the “best friends” group and the “unforgettable love” group looked as though the sky had fallen. Their teams had the least savings—and they had even bought plane tickets.
Complaining was useless, though. Everyone already knew what the production team was like.
The good news was that staying here was cheap. They only had to pay the homeowners fifty yuan per day. Everyone could afford that. The four wooden houses had the same price and roughly the same size. After walking through them all, they found little difference, so each pair chose one and moved in.
Taking off the windbreaker he had worn while climbing the mountain, Song Cheng looked at the
baby-themed New Year painting on the wall opposite him and sighed.
“This place really has a sense of history…”
Qin Wunian washed his hands with some water, far more at ease than Song Cheng.
“I’ve filmed movies in places like this before. When you sleep at night, you might feel bugs crawling past your feet.”
Song Cheng: “……”
Fortunately, he was someone with strong adaptability. He nodded.
“At least it’s cool on the mountain. I can just keep the blanket on.”
Then he remembered something and dug into the pocket of his windbreaker, pulling out his phone. When he turned it on, the signal was indeed unstable.
He tried to connect to the internet, but the screen kept loading.
He asked Qin Wunian, “Can your phone still get online?”
Qin Wunian glanced at his phone and shook his head. “No.”
Song Cheng sighed softly. “I wanted to check the internet and see the reactions after the show aired.”
Qin Wunian said, “You can check when we get back.”
Song Cheng replied, “That’ll take several more days. What if the response is bad?”
Qin Wunian said, “It won’t be.”
Song Cheng asked, “How do you know? Can you see the future?”
Qin Wunian replied, “Yes.”
Song Cheng: “……”
He had meant to mock Qin Wunian, but Qin Wunian shamelessly admitted it, leaving him with nothing to say.
Qin Wunian set down the basin and walked over to him.
“Alright, stop worrying about those pointless things. People like you. People hate me—but they also like me. As long as the director doesn’t maliciously edit the footage, the response will definitely be good.”
The camera was still rolling. The director silently watched as Song Cheng raised his head and asked Qin Wunian:
“And if there is malicious editing?”
Qin Wunian pressed him down onto the bed and said lightly, “Then my eight hundred alternate accounts will finally have a purpose.”
Song Cheng: “……”
Director: “……”
Around five in the evening, the married couple who had spent the journey in the RV finally arrived. They looked a little tired but were in good spirits. Yang Qing specifically asked Lü Ruosi how things had gone with Liu Yanchu inside the RV.
Lü Ruosi answered, “He lay down and fell asleep as soon as he got in the car. I sat in the passenger seat and watched the scenery. It was really beautiful. If we get the chance, I’d like to try a road trip someday.”
Song Cheng happened to be passing by carrying firewood. He noticed Yang Qing looking at him and tilted his head in confusion.
Yang Qing: “……”
Prophet. Someone stab him.
Now that everyone had arrived, Gan Yawen gave them their task—to buy cooking ingredients from the villagers. The eight of them bustled about together. Song Cheng took charge of cooking, and it was not until after six, nearly seven, that they finally ate a hot dinner.
Meanwhile, the first episode of “The Summer After the Breakup” aired at 7:45 p.m., right after the evening news.
While Song Cheng happily ate dinner in the village, in the top-floor apartment of a high-rise building, Han Congzhou finished watching the news broadcast. He stood up, walked to the refrigerator across the room, and poured himself a glass of ice water. Tilting his head back, he drank it in one go.
Looking upstairs, Han Congzhou wondered whether he should go train for a while—or do something else.
Forget it. It was getting late. If he trained too hard and got excited, he might end up unable to sleep tonight.
So he set the cup down and went back to the sofa. The news broadcast had ended, and the next program was Focus Interview, but Han Congzhou did not like that show. Resting his head on one hand, he cast a lazy glance at the television while absentmindedly pressing the remote.
The channels flipped one after another. He could have watched something online with a precise search, but he was not used to that. He preferred flipping through channels like this, casually seeing which station had something interesting.
He pressed the button a few more times. Suddenly, Han Congzhou’s relaxed posture froze. His previously indifferent expression instantly turned into one of existential disbelief. Sitting upright, he gripped the remote a little harder.
Switching back to the channel he had just passed, Han Congzhou realized he had not been mistaken.
The face on the television really was Song Cheng’s.
His mouth fell slightly open, his face full of disbelief.
“…Chengfeng, did your dad abandon you and go debut as a celebrity?”