Silly Jacaranda Blossoms

Yu Lin stole glances at Li Yu from the corner of his eye. Seeing that Li Yu had been amused by him, he could not hide his delight. The movements of his hands grew increasingly "affected" without his noticing, and he threw all pretenses of a celebrity's poise to the winds.

[I knew he'd pull this crap.]

[Come to think of it, this really is something Yu Lin would do.]

[Hahahaha, you really can't roast him for this. Yu Lin is genuinely hilarious.]

[Even Goddess Liang is laughing so happily, like a little kid.]

[Everyone looks like they're having so much fun.]

The guests rode the painted boat as it slowly drifted to the bank on the other side of the Canglang River, where it came to a stop.

Since it was still raining, the production crew handed the guests several oil-paper umbrellas.

Chi Yan was the first to take one. He raised the umbrella in his hand and said to Li Yu beside him, "Share with me. It doesn't seem like there are enough umbrellas."

Li Yu roughly counted the umbrellas being handed out and found that there really were not enough, so he ducked under the same oil-paper umbrella as Chi Yan.

From yesterday morning until now, nearly two days had passed. The guests had successfully checked in at all six locations on the task card and satisfactorily completed the production crew's activity requirements.

The staff were currently leading them toward the meeting point. The rain fell in a fine drizzle, and one oil-paper umbrella was still a little too small for two grown men like Li Yu and Chi Yan.

Afraid that Chi Yan would get wet, Li Yu deliberately pressed close to him.

What Li Yu could not see, however, was that the oil-paper umbrella above his head was tilted heavily in his favor. Its owner walked steadily and silently, his shoulder dampened by raindrops dancing wildly through the air.

They returned the way they had come. Once they reached the meeting point, the production crew asked Li Yu and the others to remove the floral hairpins from their heads first.

Only after Chi Yan folded up the oil-paper umbrella did sharp-eyed Li Yu notice that one of Chi Yan's shoulders was wet.

"Brother Chi, your shoulder's wet..."

Chi Yan glanced at it without much concern. "I probably didn't pay much attention just now."

"Then hurry up and change. Wearing wet clothes will be uncomfortable," Li Yu said.

Hearing this, Chi Yan's slightly furrowed brows smoothed out at once—Little Fish actually cared about him so much...

"I'll go change right away."

Chi Yan moved quickly. The moment he finished speaking, he headed into the changing room.

Li Yu looked himself over again and realized that he had barely gotten wet.

He felt a little embarrassed, knowing that Chi Yan had been looking after him.

It had always been like this. Whenever he shared an umbrella with Chi Yan, Chi Yan's clothes would be wet in one spot by the time they got home.

Li Yu had once joked that if Chi Yan kept doing that, he would never share an umbrella with him again. When he looked up at Chi Yan afterward, he found that Chi Yan's eyes had turned red.

Only then did Li Yu realize that Chi Yan was unhappy, and he never made similar jokes again.

After removing the floral hairpins from his head, Li Yu changed into another set of clothes as well. After all, these clothes belonged to the shop and the production crew would definitely have to return them.

Although they had checked in at every location on the task card, the guests could tell from the production crew's manner that filming for this episode could not possibly be ending just like that.

"Congratulations to all eight guests for successfully completing the check-in tasks. However, we still have to attend the program's official announcement press conference tomorrow morning, so we'll need to stay here for another night."

Upon hearing the director say that, Shu Menglan raised her hand and asked, "Then where are we staying tonight?"

"The production crew has already arranged tonight's dinner and accommodation for the guests. It's right next door at Blue Jacaranda Homestay."

"Awesome! We can finally rest! Honestly, these past two days have worn me out from all the walking. Yesterday, my WeChat step count was even number one among my Moments friends," Yu Lin said.

"But..."

The director changed his tone, prompting all the other guests to turn and look at him with aggrieved expressions.

"Director, could you just say it all in one breath? You always have to keep us in suspense," Xiang Zhinan said.

"But tonight's meals and rooms are free because the homestay owner's daughter has her birthday today. He hopes the production crew can prepare some surprises for his daughter."

"So, the production crew has decided to send two of the eight guests to perform a talent act for the homestay owner's daughter."

"I knew it would be like this." Xiang Zhinan forced a smile.

"So which two lucky people are they?" Zhou Yanqing asked.

"The two whose bowls had butterfly patterns during lunch on the painted boat."

"Who the hell would remember that? No, what normal person checks what pattern is on their bowl while eating? That's completely disrespectful to the meal!" Yu Lin said.

Li Yu recalled what had happened during lunch and suddenly realized that the pattern on his bowl had seemed, probably, maybe... to be butterflies...

He remembered thinking at the time that the pattern on the bowl was rather pretty...

Well, there it was. He was one of those two lucky people.

At this point, he could only resign himself to it. He silently stepped forward and said, "It was me."

Xie Jingming stepped forward as well. He exchanged a look with Li Yu, then helplessly raised his hand. "I'm the other one."

"666, it's time for our Little Yu and Jingming to show off their skills again. Come on, you two, give us a performance!" Shu Menglan gloated from the side.

"Should we prepare two separate acts, or do one together?" Xie Jingming asked.

"You can decide that yourselves, but it would be best if you did one together," the director said.

"Then let's check out the situation once we get to the homestay," Li Yu said.

Xie Jingming nodded, and the staff led the guests to Blue Jacaranda Homestay.

True to its name, the homestay had an enormous jacaranda tree in its courtyard, seemingly old with age. At a glance, it looked like a wave of blue-violet, almost dreamlike.

It had rained not long ago, leaving the ground damp. Jacaranda petals were scattered everywhere, soaked in the little puddles that had formed on the ground.

"Huh? When I visited Blue Jacaranda Avenue before, it was around April. How are jacarandas still blooming at this time of year?" Liang Meichen asked.

"It's probably because of the weather here. Some flowers mistake it for spring, then bloom out of season," Xiang Zhinan said.

"Hahaha, so there are silly idiots among flowers too!" Yu Lin burst out laughing.

[Hahaha, silly-idiot flowers.]

[Jacaranda: Was that polite?]

[Osmanthus: No, bro, it's autumn. Why are you blooming? Jacaranda: I don't believe it. With weather like this, spring must be here. Osmanthus: Then should I leave?]

[Xiang Zhinan knows so much.]

[It'll get colder in a few days. These silly flowers can only shiver in the cold wind.]

[Hahaha, why does that sound kind of tragic?]

"Wow! So many pretty sisters and handsome brothers! Did they all come for my birthday?"

A soft, sweet little girl's voice rang out. The homestay owner had brought his daughter out to welcome the guests.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Jiang Pengcheng, and this is my daughter, Jiang Xi," Jiang Pengcheng said.

"Hello, Boss Jiang. Hello, Xiaoxi." Xiang Zhinan went over to shake the owner's hand, then smiled at Jiang Xi.

"Wow! Is this tonight's birthday girl? She's so cute!" Liang Meichen crouched down halfway and rubbed the back of Jiang Xi's head.

"Big sister, I've seen you on TV!" Jiang Xi said in surprise.

"Oh? Have you?" Being called big sister made Liang Meichen beam.

"Mhm, mhm. My dad is your loyal fan."

"Then, little one, have you seen this big brother on TV?" Yu Lin, wanting to tease Jiang Xi, hurriedly leaned closer.

Jiang Xi silently shook her head and edged closer into Liang Meichen's embrace, privately thinking that this big brother was kind of strange.

"Alright, it's okay if you haven't seen me. Then tell me, Xiaoxi—which of these big brothers do you think is the most handsome?"

Yu Lin instinctively straightened his chest, as though his entire body were shouting: Pick me, pick me!