Chapter 27 It won't be awkward when he wakes up.
Happiness Village is nestled in a picturesque location. The resort owner plans to help the village prosper, since everyone lives close by. The village also intends to develop tourism and become a tourist village.
The production team had already communicated with several families in the village and paid them. After the contestants arrived in the village, they would draw group tasks.
Interestingly, two groups drew the same task, which was to husk corn, while Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang had a different task, which was to catch fish.
Luo Tian was unhappy, clutching the task slip. He had been hoping to have some time alone with Xu Baichang, but You Ziang and the others had drawn the same task, which meant that the four of them would be together.
No, the cornfield is so big, he needs to take Xu Baichang away from the other two.
After having a simple lunch in the village, they would start working in the fields.
After the rain, the morning sun was quite pleasant, but by noon it became increasingly intense, and the athletes all wore straw hats to avoid heatstroke.
Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang followed the villagers to the fishpond. Accompanying them was a kind-hearted old man who pointed out the fishpond to them.
"The pond has been drained once, so it's not deep. You can catch fish directly by hand. Once you get the hang of it, it's faster than fishing!"
The two understood, so their task was to catch fish, not to fish.
The eldest uncle first demonstrated for them, rolling up his trouser legs and stepping into the fishpond. The water in the fishpond was above the eldest uncle's knees, while Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang, who are 182 cm and 185 cm tall respectively, were not in the water.
The two followed suit, rolling up their trousers and stepping into the water.
In this volume, fans' attention was completely drawn to the two people's legs.
Both of them were dressed casually today, which showed their long legs, but didn't reveal any obvious leg lines. Now, with their pants legs rolled up, the muscle lines were clearly visible.
Holy crap, Xiao Shulang's legs are so beautiful!
[Straight, slender, and so fair-skinned... Let me clarify first, I'm not gay. I just wanted to take a look. I'm really not gay!]
Qin Shuang's legs are gorgeous!! Everyone move aside so I can admire them all by myself!!
Perhaps it was because the sunlight was too strong, Xiao Shulang's skin on his legs was so white that it was almost dazzling. Qin Shuang only glanced at it once before silently looking away and focusing on watching how the old man caught fish.
The old man was an expert. He quickly demonstrated his skills, his hands moving like lightning as he aimed at a large fish. He pinched the fish's head with one hand and grabbed its body with the other. As the fish struggled frantically, he dug his fingers into its gills, pried the gill shells in place, and lifted it up steadily without letting it slip out of his hands.
"Whoa!"
Qin Shuang and Xiao Shulang applauded enthusiastically, exclaiming, "Awesome!"
The old man smiled, put the fish back into the water, and said to the two of them, "Catching fish with your bare hands is difficult. The fish is too slippery. You either need to grab its gills quickly, or just throw it onto the shore and we'll see what happens."
“Since you’re not familiar with the area, you should first corner the fish before catching it, so it doesn’t escape.” The old man pointed to the shore, where there were basins and nets. “Your boss said that if you want to change the tools, you have to catch the fish first.”
The leader, who should be referring to the director, would greatly reduce the difficulty by having a basin and a net. Of course, it's impossible for them to obtain them easily, and these are likely a safety net to prevent them from getting nothing at all.
Qin Shuang and Xiao Shulang looked at each other and nodded: Let's try it first.
Following the old man's instructions, the two first drove the fish to a corner. The fish are very sensitive in the water, and they will swim away quickly as soon as people approach. They cannot understand human speech and will not obediently follow the route that humans expect.
Fortunately, there were plenty of fish in the pond. When chased away, they all scattered and fled. Some of them eventually swam to a corner, and Xiao Shulang seized the opportunity, suddenly reaching out and grabbing one.
With a nimble flick of its tail, the fish slipped out of Xiao Shulang's hand and escaped successfully.
Xiao Shulang stood up and shook the water off his hands: "It really wasn't easy."
But his eyes shone with a light, his fighting spirit ignited by the difficulty, and Qin Shuang also said, "Let's do it again."
Just a few steps across the water, there were fish at the edge, and they were big ones at that. This time, the two of them struck almost at the same time. The big fish reacted violently when it was touched, struggling rapidly and splashing water. The two of them instinctively turned their faces to avoid it.
They averted their gaze, but their grip on the fish remained firm, attempting to subdue the restless creature with brute force, until the slippery scales in their hands were replaced by something cool and soft, at which point both of them paused—
The fish is gone, and they are holding each other's hands.
Xiao Shulang was the first to let go and straighten up. It was just an accident, and he didn't take it to heart at all: "I think I'm getting the hang of it. It's best to pinch directly at the gills. Let's do it again—hey, your hand."
A noticeable red mark appeared on the back of Qin Shuang's hand. He shook his head and said, "It's nothing."
Xiao Shulang: "It's me?"
It's faster for two people to surround and catch fish, but if they're too busy and cause trouble for each other, it's better to catch them separately.
Qin Shuang seemed to see what he was thinking: "It wasn't you who fanned the fish. Let's go, we'll come again."
Seeing that Qin Shuang was also very enthusiastic, Xiao Shulang didn't say anything more. The two of them continued to bend over and diligently catch fish in the water.
Qin Shuang was scratching her hands until they were red and her eyes were red without blinking, but the situation was a little different in the cornfield. Before she had even picked a few, Yin Xingzhi said weakly and aggrievedly in a low voice, "I'm so tired."
The fishpond had water, which made it cool for the legs and feet, but there was no shade. The corn stalks in the field were taller than a person and grew lush and green, which provided some shade from the sun.
However, the downside is also obvious: there are many mosquitoes.
Before going down to the ground, they had sprayed insect repellent, which was very effective. Although they wouldn't get bitten, a large number of mosquitoes were still flying around in visible places.
You Ziang didn't think Yin Xingzhi was being delicate. He just thought that Yin Xingzhi couldn't stand insects. For someone who doesn't like insects or has trypophobia, it would give them goosebumps. He could understand. He said, "Picking corn isn't troublesome. Why don't you go wait outside? I can do it by myself."
Yin Xingzhi shook his head: "I can help you carry it."
You Zi'ang: "The basket is on my back."
Each group had only one basket for carrying corn, which You Ziang carried neatly on his back.
Yin Xingzhi reached out and lifted the basket on his back a little: "If I help support it, it won't be too heavy, and you can have an easier time!"
He wore an innocent smile, a perfect scene of sharing the burden with his companions even when he was exhausted, and it even had a hint of coquetry. Logically, such an interaction should have been sweet, but You Ziang just wouldn't listen.
He grabbed the rope and lifted the basket: "It's okay, I work out regularly, this weight is no problem for me."
Yin Xingzhi's smile froze on his face.
You Ziang reached out and twisted another ear of corn from the vine beside him, tossing it into the basket on his back: "Let's hurry up and get this done before we get out of here, it's really hot today."
Yin Xingzhi: "Okay."
When he previously visited Luo Tian, Luo Tian would occasionally have some close interactions with him. What's going on with You Ziang? They've teamed up twice already!
Forget about sparks, they didn't even give the audience a glance that would make them a couple!
He felt truly wronged, and couldn't help but kick his foot. As a result, he stumbled and fell forward on the small mound. He was startled, thinking he was definitely going to fall!
But to his surprise, a pair of arms supported him, and he heard You Ziang's voice.
Yin Xingzhi was secretly delighted. This time, he really didn't mean it. He took the opportunity to grab the man's arm, and after gathering his emotions, he looked up and said, "Thank you, Zi'ang—"
He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, his eyes widening.
It wasn't You Ziang who caught him, but Luo Tian.
Yin Xingzhi: "..."
Luo Tian: "..."
The four of them were in the same cornfield. Luo Tian and Xu Baichang did go to the other side at first, but as they walked, the two groups got closer. At this moment, Luo Tian came out from the road next to him, and Yin Xingzhi fell on him. Luo Tian caught him.
You Ziang had just sped up the corn-picking process, putting some distance between himself and Yin Xingzhi. He only turned around to ask when he heard the noise, which is why Yin Xingzhi heard You Ziang's voice.
Not only was he asking, but Xu Baichang, who was traveling with Luo Tian, also asked with concern: "Are you alright?"
"It's nothing..." Yin Xingzhi forced a smile. "Thank you, Brother Tian."
Luo Tian quickly let go: "You're welcome."
He retreated too quickly. Yin Xingzhi had just put most of his weight forward and suddenly lost his support, almost falling again. He staggered a couple of steps before regaining his balance, while Xu Baichang and You Ziang were already chatting.
Xu Baichang: "You've gone on and on about this?"
“Yes,” You Zi’ang turned to show him the basket on his back, “You’re quite capable, aren’t you?”
Xu Bai laughed: "Capable."
Luo Tian was instantly jealous. They had carried him on their backs quite a bit, so why hadn't Xu Baichang praised him at all?
He was in a bad mood, so he boldly grabbed Xu Baichang's wrist and said, "Baichang, let's continue. Don't lose to them."
When You Ziang saw Luo Tian's actions, his expression changed.
Xu Baichang subtly withdrew his hand, and was about to speak when You Ziang spoke first: "Since we've already run into each other, let's go together. This time it's not a points system, so there's no need to compete for rankings."
Xu Baichang subconsciously replied, "Okay."
There was no room for Luo Tian to refuse.
Outsiders may not know how the parties involved feel, but the audience thoroughly enjoys watching it.
[You Ziang got an A!]
[The cards are out in the air, is it finally time for a head-on confrontation?]
[I'll give you a script: Xu Baichang and You Ziang get together, and the heartbroken Luo Tian realizes that only Yin Xingzhi is his true love. Act it like this!]
So the four of them got together, and Luo Tian and You Ziang began a silent competition. The corn in their baskets grew heavier and heavier, and neither of them would admit defeat.
However, Luo Tian's physical strength was no match for You Ziang's. Xu Baichang saw that he was sweating profusely and his complexion was gradually getting worse, so he suggested that someone else carry him. But Luo Tian refused, because at this moment it was a matter of dignity!
Luo Tian gritted his teeth and forced a smile: "Let's see who can break them faster and more?"
You Zi'ang accepted the challenge: "Fine."
As Yin Xingzhi watched the two men he wanted to hook up with arguing over Xu Baichang, he couldn't help but wonder: Was his approach wrong, not attractive enough?
The hustle and bustle belongs to them; on the other side of the fishpond, there is no chaos or noise of a battleground, only pure joy.
"Yohoo!"
Xiao Shulang, prying open the fish's gills, lifted it high out of the water: "Done!"
After many trials, the two of them found the trick, and the bucket was full of fish that they had caught by hand. After looking at their results and then at the time, Xiao Shulang said, "It's about time. Let's catch some more with the net and then call it a day."
The sun is so hot that your skin will feel slightly painful after a while.
Qin Shuang nodded. The two of them could catch the fish with their bare hands, and it would be even faster with a net. After catching a sufficient amount, Qin Shuang took the bucket full of fish and the two of them strolled back leisurely.
Their clothes were mostly soaked with fish and sweat, so they definitely needed to take a shower when they got back to the villa. When the two of them entered the house, they found that everyone else had already returned, and one of them was lying on the sofa with a towel on his forehead.
It is Luo Tian.
Xiao Shulang raised an eyebrow. Qin Shuang looked at the crowd gathered around and pointed at Luo Tian: "What?"
Xu Baichang, holding a cup of tea and helping to take care of the person, hadn't even had time to change his clothes yet, and his expression was indescribable: "He has heatstroke."
You Ziang took a bite of watermelon and raised his hand: "He lost to me in an corn-picking contest."