The One I Like

Unable to get the basket, the others could only stare helplessly at Shen Lian.

Shen Lian shrugged. "We're heading off first. Good luck, everyone."

Zhao Lin rested his hands on his hips and gave a helpless chuckle. Fine, then.

Zheng Ge was supposed to be the center of attention on this variety show, but aside from his fans' support and his outstanding looks, his performance had been decidedly average.

And now, even in looks, Shen Lian's quiet radiance seemed poised to outshine him.

Zheng Ge stared at Shen Lian's retreating back, something dark flickering in his eyes. The young man pressed his lips together, a habitual sign of his unease.

"Hey!" Zhu Yingyu had been hiding among some bushes and only dared come out when she saw Shen Lian.

Shen Lian was a little surprised. He remembered that Zhu Yingyu was quite afraid of places like this because of all the bugs.

Then he pointed at Zhu Yingyu's shoulder.

A ladybug was crawling on it.

Zhu Yingyu turned her head and saw it, disgust instantly crossing her face. But instead of screaming and asking someone for help as she usually did, she took a deep breath and flicked it away herself.

It didn't seem that hard after all.

Shen Lian gave her a thumbs-up. "That's a big improvement."

"Hehe!" With Shen Lian's skills carrying her along, Zhu Yingyu felt sure he still had countless tricks up his sleeve. She eagerly asked, "What do we do next?"

"The staff just told me our third task is to reach the destination and hold out until eight tonight."

Zhu Yingyu blinked. It sounded simple enough, but what time was it now? They had to last until eight tonight without water or food?

They hadn't even had lunch!

But Zhu Yingyu soon remembered that they had fish!

They couldn't eat them raw, though, could they?

Shen Lian's lips curved into a smile. On camera, he looked so languid and confident that a whole group of young viewers who had just joined the stream were instantly swept off their feet.

[Aaaaaah! Who is this? I'm becoming a fan!]

[Little girl, you've still got a long road ahead of you. Pick a reliable idol. Don't rush to spend all your enthusiasm on Shen Lian.]

[Get lost! I'm a grown-ass man, and I like Shen Lian. What about it?]

[I admire you, "sis" above.]

"I can start a fire, but it's too much trouble." Shen Lian shook out his injured right hand and asked Zhu Yingyu, "Do you know how to sit tight and wait for a lucky break?"

Zhu Yingyu: "?"

Following Shen Lian's lead, Zhu Yingyu wound this way and that with him before they stopped at a broad junction.

It was Zhu Yingyu's first time here, and she asked curiously, "What are we doing here?"

"Haven't you noticed? The farmers gathering mountain produce have to pass through here," Shen Lian continued. "I noticed people coming up on our first day of tasks, but their path was a long way from ours, so we never crossed paths. It rained a few days ago, and it's sunny today. Plenty of wild greens and other mountain produce must have sprouted."

Zhu Yingyu was thoroughly lost. "I don't get it."

Shen Lian licked his dry lips. "Just wait. I'll have you eating like a queen in a bit!"

[Holy shit, I can't wait!]

An ominous feeling came over the Program Crew.

Soon, four people came up the path carrying baskets on their backs. From their clothes, they were clearly local farmers.

Seeing Shen Lian, Zhu Yingyu, and the cameras, the farmers immediately understood. After all, it was no secret that a show was being filmed here.

Simple, honest smiles spread across their faces. Shen Lian's smile was even warmer and brighter, as soothing as a spring breeze.

"Good afternoon, ma'am." Shen Lian picked the woman he thought would be easiest to win over. The moment he spoke, she blushed.

Good heavens! How could anyone be so handsome? No wonder he was a celebrity.

"Oh, what is it?"

"Look." Shen Lian held up the fish. "Could I trade these fish for a few things?"

The Program Crew: "????"

What are you trying to do?!

"Oh my, wild-caught? And they're sharpbellies, too." An older man who knew his fish stepped closer, clearly tempted. "What would you like in exchange, young man?"

"A lighter and two things that can hold water."

The man looked surprised. "That's all?"

"Yes. We're doing a task, and those are essentials."

"Easy enough." The man took off his back basket and rummaged through it. In the end, he actually found an empty water bottle and a somewhat battered bamboo tube. He held them out to Shen Lian. "They'll definitely hold water. Will these do?"

"Absolutely!" Shen Lian untied the ghost-thread vine. "How about two fish for you?"

"If you're giving me that much, I'll throw in an ear of corn. I don't have anything else on me."

Shen Lian took the corn and passed it straight to Zhu Yingyu behind him. "Eat."

Zhu Yingyu took a big, eager bite. Oh, it was roasted corn! Still warm! It smelled so good!

The man and woman were family. After giving Shen Lian an ordinary one-yuan lighter, they left.

Shen Lian wasn't planning to trade the remaining two fish. Those were dinner for him and Zhu Yingyu.

The assistant director came running up behind them, panting. When he saw what Shen Lian was holding, he was too shocked to speak.

Shen Lian got ahead of him. "The Program Crew didn't provide any of this. I earned it through hard work and sweat, in a fair trade."

The assistant director pointed at Shen Lian, then stamped his foot hard.

[Hahahahaha! I'm laughing so hard the earth collapses, mountains crumble, and brave men perish, then sky ladders and cliffside walkways link together!]

[The most impressive part isn't the trade. I noticed ages ago that Shen Lian had memorized all the surrounding terrain. His powers of observation and memory are scary! Why didn't this happen in earlier episodes? Because the task routes are nowhere near the paths the local villagers take up the mountain. The guests were doing well just to avoid getting lost. Finding villagers to trade with is like finding a hidden NPC in a game. It's ridiculous!]

[That look on the assistant director's face deserves to go down in history.]

Chu Yilan watched with the live comments on. Amid all the astonished praise, the corners of his lips lifted without him even noticing.

Zhu Yingyu broke off the other half of the corn for Shen Lian. He took it but didn't eat it, slipping it into his pocket instead.

Once he found water, he would be fine without eating.

A spring was easy to find. Just as that sharp-eyed commenter had said earlier, Shen Lian's powers of observation were beyond what most people could imagine. His surroundings rarely affected his state of mind.

After finding one, he rinsed the bottle and bamboo tube repeatedly until they were clean. Once they had drunk their fill, Shen Lian planned to build a fire right there. He had to deal with the fish, or they would spoil quickly in this environment.

Without needing much help from Zhu Yingyu, Shen Lian built a little stove out of stones, stuck the fish on sticks, and started roasting them.

"Good thing we're filming a show with all these people watching. Otherwise, start a forest fire and you'll spend the rest of your life behind bars," Shen Lian remarked.

Zhu Yingyu let out a silvery laugh.

"Shen Lian, you know so much. You can probably weave a hat out of willow twigs, right?"

"Anyone with hands can do it."

In high spirits, Zhu Yingyu said, "Then make me one."

"Hey, in the past, I'd have made you one without a second thought. Can't do that now."

Zhu Yingyu asked curiously, "Why?"

"To avoid misunderstandings." Shen Lian didn't care in the slightest that he was facing a camera. As though he could pinpoint Chu Yilan watching the livestream dozens of kilometers away, beyond the mountain hollows and crowds, he laid his heart bare. "The one I like is sensitive and tends to overthink."

Zhu Yingyu froze, then nearly lunged at him to cover his mouth!

Why was he still bringing up Zhou Tangsi at a time like this?

The live comments instantly filled with abuse. Only Chu Yilan sat there, stunned.

Wait! Zhu Yingyu was perceptive, after all. Zhou Tangsi wasn't sensitive or prone to overthinking! They had met him last time when he came to pick up Zheng Ge, and all she could say was that he embodied the domineering CEO type.

Zhu Yingyu soon realized that perhaps he wasn't talking about Zhou Tangsi.

Then she remembered how Shen Lian himself had called Zhou Tangsi bad luck that day...

Zhu Yingyu took a deep breath, her thirst for gossip instantly blazing. Or was this something Shen Lian was saying to draw a clean line between himself and Zhou Tangsi and make a fresh start?

Either way, Zhu Yingyu couldn't resist following his lead. "So, what's the person you like like?"

"Tall. One meter ninety. Really handsome. I've never seen anyone look better in a suit than he does. Buzz cut, sharp brows, bright eyes. He looks cold, but he's actually very gentle." As Shen Lian spoke, his smile was full of pride and joy. "I'm still trying to win him over."

Alone in front of the screen, Chu Yilan covered his face with both hands.