He Really Had Changed

Jiang Tingxu really hadn't brought any body wash, and Spring Heartbeat didn't allow assistants unless the production team had arranged one in advance. Otherwise, the guests had to handle everything themselves.

It was too late to go out and buy some, so Jiang Tingxu came to borrow some from Si You.

"Thanks." Jiang Tingxu gave the bottle a little shake. "I'll return it tomorrow morning. Get some rest. Good night."

"Good night."

The cameraman was right beside them. Though he hadn't caught any explosive material, he had picked up the faintest hint that something was unusual.

Unfortunately, it poured the next day.

The blankets were warm. Rain tapped against the glass in soft, dense beats, mixed with the rustling sound of rain washing through the trees. Si You turned off his six o'clock alarm and didn't wake up until seven.

After washing up quickly, he had barely stepped outside when a staff member told him that the rain was too heavy and the guests could rest a little longer.

Si You nodded, then asked, "What about breakfast...?"

The tasks couldn't begin for the moment. They couldn't exactly let the guests go hungry while waiting for the rain to stop.

"The production team has already prepared it."

The livestream filming ran from the moment the guests woke up until their tasks ended. Even when Si You went to breakfast, a camera was set up behind him.

Si You served himself a bowl of pumpkin porridge, two large meat buns, one tea egg, and one plain boiled egg. Of the several split-screen livestreams, his was the only one with anyone awake, so early-rising viewers naturally crowded in.

[Did Si You wake up before ten at all last season?]

[No... One time, he got up at ten thirty, and Shen Chuan's fans were practically moved to tears.]

Si You couldn't see the livestream chat. He was busy filling his stomach. He didn't say a word while eating, but he made the food look delicious.

[I'm leaving. Going downstairs to buy buns.]

Ten minutes later, Si You set down his chopsticks and turned to ask a staff member, "Do you have a high-performance laptop? Could I borrow one?"

The staff member's expression remained indifferent. "No."

Though it wasn't that obvious, Si You could still sense a trace of rejection and targeting directed at him.

"I was wondering why no one answered when I knocked on your door. My body wash is still with me." Jiang Tingxu came downstairs. Even fresh out of bed, he was flawless. Dressed in a casual outfit in cool tones, he looked gentle as he said, "A laptop? I brought one. You can use mine first."

[Body wash? What body wash?!]

[Why did they stop filming once the task ended? Keep filming! I have enough data! Film inside their rooms!]

Si You was a little pleased. "Is that okay?"

"Of course." Jiang Tingxu glanced at the staff member, then headed to the kitchen to get breakfast.

By the time the guests had gradually gotten up, the rain still showed no sign of stopping.

What was that saying again? There was no such thing as a free breakfast. Once everyone had eaten their fill, the director stepped forward to announce the task: the guests had to follow nearby villagers to gather mountain produce.

Xu Ke chuckled. He had seen it coming. At least he had gotten a hearty free meal!

With enough rain, a type of wild vegetable would sprout at the foot of the mountain. It was delicious whether tossed cold or stir-fried, and it sold for a decent price. The production team had already contacted several households and was merely waiting to pair them with guests before setting off.

The prizes would still be allocated according to how much mountain produce they gathered—nothing more than necessities like food and daily supplies. The guests finally understood. The production team had kept the news tightly under wraps from the start because they were afraid the guests would prepare in advance. And to travel light, everyone had only brought enough supplies for a few days. If they wanted more afterward, they would have to complete tasks to earn them. So that was what they had been waiting for!

Song Yalin and Jiang Yao exchanged a look. Luckily, whatever they had skimped on, they definitely hadn't skimped on cosmetics!

Though the guests had been selected, in rain this heavy, the first ones to go had to be those with good stamina and endurance.

Shao Ancheng couldn't bear to let Song Yalin go, so he was the first to raise his hand. Song Yalin looked at her boyfriend with a sweet expression, and the comments immediately declared that real couples were so much more fun to ship.

Fei Chang was the second to volunteer. Xu Ke sometimes stumbled even on flat ground. With the rain making the mountain paths so slippery, Fei Chang was worried he would fall into a ditch.

"Thanks, Brother Fei Chang~" Xu Ke hugged Fei Chang's arm.

Si You always felt that the two of them might truly have developed feelings for each other. Some of their interactions came too naturally.

Xue Boyu didn't need to be chosen. He was the only one on his side, so he had to go no matter what. Although Jiang Tingxu had said he would just follow along with them, some rules couldn't be changed.

Zhang Jianlin smiled and asked Jiang Yao, "Do you want to experience it?"

The moment the words left his mouth, everyone turned to look.

The effects team was on point, immediately popping a huge "WHAT?!" onto the screen.

Jiang Yao stared at Zhang Jianlin without saying anything.

Zhang Jianlin continued, "I'm joking. Didn't you say you haven't had much inspiration lately? Rainy weather, the foot of a mountain—I thought musicians like you would enjoy it."

Even so, Zhang Jianlin showed no intention of volunteering himself.

Just as Fei Chang was about to smooth things over, Jiang Yao said in a low voice, "I'm going!"

Zhang Jianlin looked a little surprised. "You really need inspiration?"

What was he pretending for? Si You thought.

Song Yalin asked cautiously, "Yao Yao, you're going?"

Jiang Yao had already seen through what a useless piece of trash Zhang Jianlin was. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened. It was fine. She would do it all. Once filming for this season ended, she absolutely would not renew for the next one.

Zhang Jianlin was still saying, "You don't have to force yourself."

Jiang Yao had already pulled on her raincoat at lightning speed. She didn't even spare Zhang Jianlin a glance, instead telling the director, "I'm ready."

Si You raised his hand as well. "Count me in."

Jiang Tingxu frowned. "Stay here. I'll go."

"Don't." Si You lowered his gaze to Jiang Tingxu's left ankle. It had once suffered a severe fracture during filming. It had been repaired four times afterward, but it definitely couldn't have returned to normal. Si You worried that if it soaked in cold water, something might go wrong with Jiang Tingxu's left foot. Then Ginger Powder would skin him alive.

Besides, Jiang Tingxu was a little different to Si You. Si You was willing to take better care of him.

Jiang Tingxu still wanted to object, but Si You suddenly leaned closer and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Let me show what I can do, or I'll have to be sacrificed to the heavens."

That was a problem that couldn't be avoided.

Jiang Tingxu thought for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. Come back if you get tired, and I'll take over."

After the familiar ellipses drifted across the comments, the analysis experts began to speak—

[Si You just looked at the Movie Emperor's left foot. He knows it was injured before, right?]

[Move aside. I don't even care about that anymore. What I care about is that Jiang Tingxu usually never backs down once he makes a decision. What did Si You whisper to make him relent?]

[That's not even the point. The point is that they were standing so close just now.]

[I almost thought they were going to kiss... I knocked over my water cup.]

The staff member stared at the backend data, lost in thought. The comments when the other guests appeared weren't even one-tenth of what they were now. He had a feeling Si You might be turning his bad publicity around.

With the guests selected, they followed the local residents out to begin the task.

Though she had prepared herself mentally, Jiang Yao was still caught off guard by the gale and rain pelting her face the moment she stepped outside. She was slender, and the strong wind pushed her backward. Si You grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind him, using himself as a shield so she would take less of the wind.

"Brother Si You, this wind is fierce." Xue Boyu copied Si You's stance and blocked the other side. With Jiang Yao walking behind them, the wind resistance immediately lessened considerably.

"Yeah." As Si You spoke, he took off his own hat and placed it on Xue Boyu's head.

Xue Boyu said, "No need!"

"Wear it," Si You said. "My raincoat has a hood."

Xue Boyu secretly glanced at Si You, certain that he really had changed.