An Unusual Date

"Why don't you ask how I knew where your shop was?"

In the car, Zhou Yun asked.

She was trying to start a conversation; Tang Zhi Chu had always seemed like a social black hole to her.

"The bags from last night?"

"Smart."

Zhou Yun rolled her eyes, realizing he understood but just didn't speak.

The bags used to pack ingredients yesterday were from the shop, the custom kind with the store's name on them.

Clearly, the topic didn't continue, and Tang Zhi Chu fell silent again.

Zhou Yun thought to herself that this guy was completely resisting her.

If Chen Si Yang had been here, wouldn't she have asked if he'd eaten? Or invited me in for a sit-down since we're at your shop?

Fortunately, Zhou Yun had experience with this stubborn, difficult stone. She thought he'd have a hard time later.

Tang Zhi Chu had a pretty good idea of what Zhou Yun was up to.

From the moment she first targeted Chen Si Yang, Tang Zhi Chu had guessed that Zhou Yun didn't actually like Yang Jia Xing; Yang Jia Xing was at most a tool.

She was after Chen Si Yang.

If Chen Si Yang had sung the first time, Tang Zhi Chu could imagine Zhou Yun using that as a point of hype once the show aired.

And then there was how she was nice to everyone else. Compared to Chen Si Yang, that would make Chen Si Yang seem proud and aloof. That was another angle.

If you're so nice and sociable, why are you only a little cold to Chen Si Yang? Isn't that targeting Chen Si Yang?

But what was Zhou Yun's goal?

To enter the entertainment industry? Or to become an influencer after the show ended?

Tang Zhi Chu suddenly felt a bit sorry for Chen Si Yang, being targeted without doing anything.

Was he good to Chen Si Yang? But was it wholeheartedly?

Given Tang Zhi Chu and Chen Si Yang's current relationship and status, the better Chen Si Yang did, the better Tang Zhi Chu would do.

He wasn't intentionally targeting Zhou Yun; it was just that, to some extent, their goals were similar, and they couldn't avoid each other.

However, Tang Zhi Chu felt he was more straightforward, at least benefiting everyone.

"You're not going to drive me out of the city, are you?" Tang Zhi Chu suddenly said.

Zhou Yun was driving, and with a turn, she merged onto the ring expressway.

A faint smile finally appeared on Zhou Yun's face: "Scared?"

Tang Zhi Chu frowned. He was wondering if Zhou Yun planned to play the big game, and then neither of them would return to the villa that night?

"Not to that extent, I'm just curious where we're going."

Yuzhou is a mountain city. Taking the main urban area as an example, it's surrounded by four major mountain ranges.

Zhou Yun drove for an hour, finally stopping at the foot of a mountain. Tang Zhi Chu couldn't recognize which mountain it was.

He suddenly had a bad feeling. A girl like Zhou Yun asking you out wasn't usually because she liked you, so how could it be a traditional date?

"Get out of the car, Classmate Tang."

Tang Zhi Chu suddenly clutched his stomach: "I think I have a stomachache."

"Stomachache?"

"Mm."

Zhou Yun pointed to a small cluster of buildings to the left of the parking lot: "There's a small clinic over there. Come on, I'll help you over."

Tang Zhi Chu froze. He rubbed his stomach hard: "That's weird, it's suddenly better."

Zhou Yun: "."

After Tang Zhi Chu got out of the car, Zhou Yun took a backpack from the trunk and handed him a bottle of water.

"Our gym sometimes organizes outdoor workouts, and this is one of the places we often go. See those stone steps ahead? We'll go up the mountain from there." Zhou Yun was well-prepared, as could be seen from her backpack.

Tang Zhi Chu looked at his legs and said exasperatedly, "We're going hiking?"

"Mm, since we're here, you're not going to back out, are you?" Zhou Yun smiled.

Before Tang Zhi Chu could speak, she opened her backpack and took out an outfit. It was white, like sportswear.

"Here, this is for you. It should fit. I bought the largest size. Take this hat too. Do you need knee pads? And sunscreen, though the sun in April isn't too bad."

Tang Zhi Chu looked around. He was wondering what the consequences would be if he turned and left.

Tang Zhi Chu's consideration wasn't about Zhou Yun, but he saw the camera crew holding their equipment.

This date had clearly been approved by the production team, and there were probably many crew members around.

After a few seconds of silence, Tang Zhi Chu took the clothes from Zhou Yun's hand.

This area didn't seem like a public space with changing lockers. You just register and get a key.

After changing clothes, she went out and happened to see Zhou Yun tying her hair into a ponytail.

She had also changed into a new outfit. Tang Zhi Chu saw Zhou Yun's yoga pants again, but she was wearing a jacket over them, which concealed her upper body curves.

"You have a great figure! You usually wear loose-fitting clothes, but when you wear something a bit more form-fitting, your advantages really show. Your bone structure is good too, you're just thin. Why don't you sign up for a membership at my gym? I'll take you to train."

Zhou Yun saw Tang Zhi Chu too and smiled.

Tang Zhi Chu let down his guard. Since he couldn't avoid it, he might as well enjoy it. It was just hiking, after all.

"A homebody, someone who's sworn enemies with the gym."

"That's because you haven't been. I guarantee you'll like it once you go. I'm telling you, we have so many attractive and fit girls at our gym, and we even have activities sometimes, like playing games together."

"I've been. It just doesn't feel as good as playing games at home."

No matter what Zhou Yun said, Tang Zhi Chu didn't take the bait.

Zhou Yun gave Tang Zhi Chu a look, then went out.

It was afternoon. Fortunately, it was April, and the sun was just right, comfortably warm.

There were other people around. Soon, they encountered people coming down from the mountain, and some carrying fishing gear.

Zhou Yun was ahead of Tang Zhi Chu. The stone steps were designed with small platforms every few dozen steps.

At first, the two could walk side-by-side, but gradually Tang Zhi Chu fell behind, then leaned on his knees, panting.

Zhou Yun, on the other hand, was exceptionally relaxed, her steps appearing light and agile.

On the platform ahead, Zhou Yun looked at Tang Zhi Chu behind her with a smile. "Can you make it?"

Tang Zhi Chu didn't say anything but quickened his pace.

The path up the mountain wasn't a continuous incline. That was the most despairing part; it also wound and turned with the terrain, making it impossible to see the end.

After climbing for about an hour like this, Tang Zhi Chu couldn't go on anymore and plopped down on a stone bench on a platform.

Zhou Yun's forehead was also beaded with sweat, and her face was flushed.

Zhou Yun knew her own speed and was quite surprised.

She had thought he was a weakling, but he actually had some stamina.

Zhou Yun sat down next to Tang Zhi Chu, handed him a tissue, and said, "Can you take a picture for me? I haven't been here in a long time."

Tang Zhi Chu took the tissue and wiped his sweat, then tried to control his breathing. "No wonder. No wonder people say women's hearts are the most poisonous."

Zhou Yun paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Indeed, in all the time she had been on the dating reality show, she hadn't felt this happy before.

She hadn't received a single text message on the first night, and she had felt somewhat disappointed.

She had stayed up until three or four in the morning that night, and then she realized she couldn't go on like this, or the dating reality show she had put so much effort into would turn her into a background character.

If that was the case, why even come on a dating reality show?

So, she planned to compete with Chen Si Yang.

But Tang Zhi Chu always disrupted her plans.

Asking Tang Zhi Chu to go hiking had a bit of a vengeful motive behind it.