When they were still two kilometers away from the hotel in the development zone, the production crew, who had been behaving themselves the whole way, finally started causing trouble again.
Shen Shuangjian the person had just gotten off the camel and hadn't even had time to react when he was handcuffed with fleece-lined handcuffs by the staff who came towards her.
"?"
Shen Shuangjian frowned in confusion, and then the next second, the other end of the handcuffs locked Gu Xuanlin, who also looked puzzled.
It wasn't just the two of them; there were also Xie Qingchi and Xie Jinghui, Song Shi and Yu Sheng, Lin Weiluo the worst, as her handcuffs were tied to a camera.
So, to everyone's bewildered expressions, the director finally pulled out his megaphone again.
"During the two-kilometer desert trek within the time limit, one person failed to reach the ' Oasis Hotel ' within the allotted time. Tonight's desert pool party will be cancelled and replaced with sand camping."
Everyone: "...?"
Are you sure, director?
Despite being met with several menacing stares, the director put on sunglasses and took the lead for the show.
"Confirmed! Time limit: one and a half hours. Let's go!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the photographer in Lin Weiluo suddenly moved and strode forward.
Lin Weiluo was handcuffed, so she had no choice but to jog forward as well.
"Wait, wait! This isn't right, is it? Director! This is abuse! This is absolutely abuse!!!"
Having said all that, they were now under someone else's roof and had no choice but to bow their heads. The others looked at each other, but in order to get a good night's sleep and for the sake of the pool party in the desert, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and move forward.
"If we only have an hour and a half, we might need to increase our walking speed." Gu Xuanlin roughly understood the purpose of the program team's group work and turned to Shen Shuangjian to say this.
"It's alright." Shen Shuangjian shook her head gently and followed Gu Xuanlin's pace.
Two kilometers is not far for a normal adult, nor is it tiring. However, the desert roads are difficult to walk, and water is lost quickly, so the physical exertion required is more than three times that of a normal adult.
Apart from Lin Weiluo, who was being "dragged" along, the other groups were moving forward at a relatively constant speed, with little difference between those in front and behind.
Xie Jinghui was far from calm inside. How could he not know that Xie Qingchi and Yu Sheng had probably approached the director privately, hoping to Shen Shuangjian in the same group during the trip?
The director was pressured by three parties. It was easy to choose between Yu Sheng and Xie Jinghui, but once Xie Qingchi was added, it became unclear who was easier to offend.
So let's just throw the problem out there.
Xie Jinghui lowered his eyes to hide his impatience. He walked slowly; apart from Shen Shuangjian's group, he was second to last in line.
"Uncle."
But Xie Qingchi was a fool; he pulled on the handcuffs, arrogantly trying to show off his strength.
"Are you sure you can manage? Walking two kilometers might be a bit too difficult for you." He subtly increased his pace. "But the director set a speed limit. Why don't you try harder and keep up with me?"
Xie Jinghui:...
It would be too humiliating to engage in a tug-of-war with him here, Xie Jinghui, impatience gradually appearing in his eyes.
" Xie Qingchi, don't force me to have someone escort you back. I've already given you face."
Xie Qingchi was seething with anger. He secretly rolled his eyes, completely unconcerned. "Uncle, you're getting old. This kind of program, which is suitable for young people, isn't for you."
His captivating, almond-shaped eyes held a hint of sarcasm. "Besides, the family and company are quite busy and can't do without you. What are you doing hanging around with us young people all the time?"
As the distance between them gradually widened, Shen Shuangjian he was lagging behind and his steps slowed down heavily. The hard part was that he had only walked a few hundred meters.
" Shuangjian, are you alright?"
Gu Xuanlin stopped, wiped the sweat from his brow, and turned around. "I'll carry you on my back."
Knowing Shen Shuangjian would refuse, Gu Xuanlin quickly added before she could speak, "The time limit is very strict, it's okay, I'll put you down when I'm tired."
Shen Shuangjian it wasn't heavy at all; it was very light, even lighter than Gu Xuanlin had expected.
Without needing to worry about whether Shen Shuangjian could keep up, Gu Xuanlin no longer needed to slow down. He strode to catch up with Yu Sheng's group ahead, and then went to catch up with Xie Qingchi ahead.
In the desert, regardless of whether you conserve your energy or not, you'll eventually run out of strength, so Gu Xuanlin had no choice but to walk faster.
However, the bumpy ride and loss of moisture caused Shen Shuangjian to lose strength even faster than Gu Xuanlin. He lowered his head to the side of Gu Xuanlin's neck, his long hair falling down.
When Gu Xuanlin moves, a strand of his long hair always brushes against his cheek, tickling him and carrying a cool, refreshing fragrance that is not found in the desert.
In the last 500 meters, Gu Xuanlin's physical strength was also approaching the limit. He was sweating profusely and could only grit his teeth and persevere.
The production team didn't allow anyone to help, and Gu Xuanlin couldn't bear to Shen Shuangjian, so he could only look down at the seemingly endless yellow sand and count how many steps he had taken.
"I'm sorry... I've troubled you."
Just as he heard Shen Shuangjian's faint voice, a cool breeze blew by. He slowly looked up, only to find—
Finally, an oasis appeared.
They finally arrived at the Oasis Hotel within the time limit. Several people were exhausted and collapsed on the sand, while Gu Xuanlin knelt down immediately after putting Shen Shuangjian down.
Exhausted and drenched in sweat, I've finally arrived at the hotel, so naturally I need to take a quick shower and rest before enjoying the hard-earned pool party tonight.
Shen Shuangjian's room was right next to Xie Jinghui's.
Shen Shuangjian exhausted and had broken out in a cold sweat. He didn't even have the strength to take a shower. He could only kneel under the shower and rinse off quickly. He didn't even dry his hair before collapsing onto the bed.
He was feeling unwell. Shen Shuangjian tinnitus since morning, and the medication had not provided any relief.
Although she didn't know if it was her heart that was acting up, Shen Shuangjian still managed to swallow the medicine without drinking any water.
He lay buried in the snow-white sheets, his long, wet hair disheveled, the bitter taste in his mouth lingering. Shen Shuangjian, however, slowly drifted off to sleep.
The sun sets in the west, and the moon rises over the vast sea.
Shen Shuangjian woke up to a cacophony of noise. The lights were off in the room. He opened his eyes and found that it was already dark outside.
The back door of his room led to the hotel's private pool, a bustling place with flashing lights and thick smoke from barbecues.
Shen Shuangjian tentatively moved, and sure enough, the dizziness and even faint tinnitus she had felt during the day had not disappeared; in fact, it had become more severe over time.
Shen Shuangjian somewhat powerless. He lay there with his eyes closed for another twenty minutes. Just before he fell asleep, a knock on the door suddenly sounded.
"Knock knock knock--"
" Shuangjian."
Startled awake by the knocking, Shen Shuangjian paused for a moment before struggling to get up, using the bed as support, and then using the wall for support to open the door.
The moment the door opened, Shen Shuangjian a pale face come into view. Xie Jinghui frowned tightly, and before she could speak, the slender figure that had been supporting the door suddenly fell towards her.