The rain stopped that night, and the weather cleared up the next day, making it safe to film the final hiking activity.
The guests, while still in relatively good spirits, took their farewell photos before filming ended. They then posed for a group photo, everyone smiling brightly. After the production team notified them that the photo shoot was complete, everyone rushed to prepare for their individual hikes.
When the production team came to ask the guests for their opinions on whether to hike the entire way or alternate between hiking and cable car, Lu Tao was afraid that the young lads from Jiasheng would take the initiative to start a scramble and exhaust the old folks. So he quickly held down the nearby Boss Zhang!
Zhang Chaohe was suddenly pressed down, and he was stunned for a moment. He looked at Lu Tao in confusion: ?
Lu Tao gave a perfunctory smile, then firmly told the production team, "Cable car, it has to be a cable car, I really can't climb anymore."
Zhang Chaohe thought to himself, "That scared me to death! I thought my older brother was still vigorous and wanted to personally experience the poetic beauty of hiking... Fortunately, the common will of all mankind is to slack off and do nothing!"
Everyone got ready to start climbing the mountain. At Chen's special instruction, Zhang Chaohe even brought a whole bottle of floral water as a weapon.
Before leaving, Cheng Jixue picked up the bucket she had used to collect mushrooms.
Zhang Chaohe hesitated and said, "What if we pick a poisonous mushroom while we're picking mushrooms like this?"
Cheng Jixue smiled slightly and took out a "Wild Mushroom Quick Identification Brochure" from her backpack.
Zhang Chaohe stared at it silently for a while: "Where did it come from?"
Cheng Jixue blinked: "I got it from him before I parted ways with my fellow villager that day."
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. While Zhang Chaohe was still happily munching on boiled goose eggs, Cheng Jixue had already learned to use reference books to secretly pick mushrooms!
Cheng Jixue's plan was quite good. He planned to pick more, take some home to blanch and freeze, and use the rest to bribe the Zhang family elders... As for the old man and his eldest nephew, if his eldest nephew was lucky enough to catch some, he would reluctantly share some with him.
The mountain was crowded after the rain, with most people looking to pick mushrooms. After the usual hiking and cable car sightseeing shoot, the guests were free to do as they pleased. Lu Tao and the others went to sit and rest in the small pavilion on the mountain to enjoy the view, while only Cheng Jixue and Zhang Chaohe eagerly joined the mushroom-grabbing queue.
Because the mushroom-picking side trip wasn't part of the filming schedule, no photographer followed them throughout. The two of them walked alone into the mountains, and the further they went, the muddier it became. The withered branches after the rain were soaked with water and felt heavy, soft and comfortable underfoot.
Among a group of locals who rushed to the scene, the two heretics they identified on the spot with their brochures looked like two simpletons.
The older woman next to them looked on with sympathy as the two pretty, fair-skinned children adopted the attitude of conducting scientific research, examining each umbrella handle one by one to determine if it was poisonous.
Among them was a pretty little mushroom that looked like a melted green tongue ice cream, shimmering with a light that looked obviously poisonous—but it was so cute and futuristic that Zhang Chaohe really wanted to pick it and take it back with him.
But Cheng Jixue firmly disagreed. He was afraid that the shiny mushroom would secrete poison, and what if the poison was so strong that one touch would cause poisoning?
Neither of them could convince the other, so they could only try to argue back. After a while, the older sister couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Pick it. It's edible and not poisonous."
The older sister even took out her phone to take pictures and identify the objects for them to see: "You two can really eat... You can take a picture with your phone faster than you can flip through that manual!"
Elder sister: How can these two young men be so stupid? Don't they know how to use modern technology to scientifically collect bacteria?
Two simpletons: To be honest, neither of us has a cell phone, so we're basically under surveillance now.
However, practice makes perfect, and the two of them quickly improved their mushroom-picking speed. They were like wild boars crossing the land, digging for mushrooms everywhere, and actually picked up a small half-basket to take back.
The production team saw Mr. Zhang walking towards them with a calm and composed demeanor from afar. Just as they were about to exchange pleasantries, they saw Mr. Zhang picking out a mushroom from his basket that looked as beautiful as a green tongue but had a poisonous appearance and showing it off.
Production team: Never mind, never mind.
The four-day filming finally came to an end. Zhang Chaohe originally planned to take Cheng Jixue and Assistant Chen to the resort built by Chairman Zhang to rest and resolve some major investment issues related to the ice cream factory.
But Cheng Jixue suddenly raised an even more important question: "President Zhang, if we delay today, the mushrooms won't be fresh!"
Zhang Chaohe looked at the mushrooms he had picked himself, and considering that acquiring the ice cream factory didn't seem to have much to do with him, he patted Assistant Chen on the shoulder and said apologetically, "Why don't you put in a little extra effort? Sign all the orders with me, and finish them slowly before going back."
Assistant Chen really wanted to drag Xiao Zhang down with him, but seeing Xiao Zhang happily taking pictures of the mushrooms from all angles with his long-lost phone and posting them to the family group, he couldn't bear to let the mushrooms Xiao Zhang picked actually turn into wilted mushrooms.
With tears in his eyes, Assistant Chen agreed. Before they parted, he specifically instructed Xiao Zhang to keep a five-meter distance from the Demon Concubine.
Finally managing to shake off Assistant Chen, Cheng Jixue turned around and smiled. She was truly a beautiful woman with bright eyes and white teeth... a true queen.
He gave Assistant Chen a sinister smile, then casually put his hand on Zhang Chaohe's shoulder.
Poor Assistant Chen was not only kept behind to work overtime, but his blood pressure also spiked from anger—although he couldn't directly stop General Manager Zhang, he could still interfere!
So Assistant Chen insidiously tipped off Vice President Jiang, emphasizing the issue of "Mr. Cheng" returning alone with General Manager Zhang.
Assistant Jiang: Got it!
She stood up, stretched gracefully... and then began to organize the documents that needed Mr. Zhang's approval.
Although she felt that the rise of the wicked concubine seemed inevitable, and even when she secretly browsed Qiuyue's super topic a couple of days ago, she almost thought she had irrefutable evidence to prove that the two of them were real...
but!
She would never forget the arrogant provocation of the concubine—how dare she, a concubine, challenge the dignity of the Grand Eunuch?
Then the Grand Eunuch could only thoughtfully deliver a pound of memorials while the wicked concubine was entangled with His Majesty in their sweet talk!
Cheng Jixue had no idea that his youthful arrogance and provocation would become an impenetrable wall on his path to chasing geese—now, sitting on CEO Zhang's private jet, he was still putting on a theatrical performance, saying in a teasing tone: "Sister Zhao, you won't be angry that I came back alone on your private jet, will you?"
"Oh? How scary—unlike me, I only feel sorry for President Zhang—"
However, the next second, Zhang Chaohe delivered a fatal blow to the scheming woman: "Actually, I asked her if she wanted to come back with us, but she refused."
Cheng Jixue: ?
Zhang Chaohe was quite puzzled: "Why does she insist on taking a civilian flight?"
Zhao Xinyue, waiting to check in at an airport a hundred miles away, swallowed a mouthful of beef burger: "I'd rather live on a civil aviation plane than die on a private jet; stay away from lunatics, and happiness will be ours!"
⚹
As soon as the plane landed, Zhang Chaohe felt drowsy as soon as he got into the car. He was prone to motion sickness, and the past few days had been quite tiring, so the moment he settled into the soft, comfortable luxury car seat, he felt incredibly sleepy.
Cheng Jixue, who was next to him, gently touched the short hair at the back of his head, her voice so gentle it was almost hypnotic: "Take a nap."
Cheng Jixue gently pressed him against her shoulder, and almost seductively asked Zhang Chaohe, whose eyes were beginning to glaze over, "Don't you really want to rest for a while?"
Zhang Chaohe was stunned. On one hand, he was trying to maintain his image as a domineering CEO, and on the other hand, he was really tired. On the plane, Cheng Jixue not only kept him chatting but also made him play games. Zhang Chaohe didn't even have a chance to sleep.
With such a perfect atmosphere for sleeping right now, it would be such a waste not to take a nap!
As Zhang Chaohe thought about it, he gave up struggling and even obediently leaned against Cheng Jixue's shoulder... In fact, he only touched her a little bit, but the driver happened to glance at the rearview mirror at that moment and was so frightened that he immediately raised the partition!
The driver thought to himself that it was fortunate that he discovered it in time—he thought that working for Boss Zhang would prevent him from having such troubles, but he never expected that Boss Zhang would still embark on a path of no return!
Zhang Chaohe was originally leaning obediently against Cheng Jixue, but after a short while, he adjusted his posture and suddenly leaned back—there was a very comfortable neck pillow on the back seat, and Zhang Chaohe was tall, so leaning back was just right to use the neck pillow as a cushion, and the posture was quite comfortable.
However, Cheng Jixue, who suddenly felt his shoulder empty, sat silently for a moment before deciding to make some insidious and shameless changes. He simply reached out, one hand gently lifting the back of Zhang Chaohe's head, while the other swiftly and accurately pulled out the neck pillow!
So Zhang Chaohe leaned back again—this time without a neck pillow to support him, he let out a uncomfortable groan, and then automatically swayed haphazardly in another direction!
Although Zhang Chaohe had a random chance of leaning in any direction... with Cheng Jixue's arm around him, no matter how far he leaned, Cheng Jixue would always pull him back into her arms.
Zhang Chaohe struggled for a moment, but finally fell headfirst into the trap set by others. At the same time, Cheng Jixue gently and slowly retreated a little distance and began to slowly let go.
The next second, Zhang Chaohe indeed landed steadily on Cheng Jixue's lap!
Fortunately, although Zhang Chaohe looks quite large, his ligaments are highly flexible and flexible enough that he doesn't feel uncomfortable even lying on someone's lap in this position. He even moved his legs to the side to make it more comfortable for him to curl up.
Cheng Jixue affectionately touched the little fool's forehead—actually, Zhang Chaohe looked quite well-behaved and cute when his eyes were closed, especially since his eyelashes were very long and, unlike the thick and soft eyelashes of a young girl, his eyelashes were uneven and seemed to have some angular curves.
He gently tugged at the tip of Zhang Chaohe's eyelashes with his fingertip, and sure enough, it tickled him so much that he frowned even in his sleep, which was quite amusing.
Just as Cheng Jixue was about to smile, the Bentley, known for its smoothness and comfort, suddenly braked hard. Due to inertia, Zhang Chaohe, still lying on Cheng Jixue's lap, was caught off guard and bumped his head against the car seat in front of him!
Zhang Chaohe winced in pain and sprang up in the blink of an eye, just as Cheng Jixue lowered her head in concern... So the back of his head hit Cheng Jixue's chin again with a thud!
Both men let out a simultaneous groan, each clutching their head or chin—amidst the chaos, the driver stammered an explanation that there had been an accident ahead and they were taking a detour.
The romantic atmosphere was instantly shattered. Zhang Chaohe, holding his chin and the top of his head in a contorted position, stammered, "How could I have just... you know?"
Zhang Chaohe! How could you take advantage of a beautiful girl while she was sleeping? What if she—oh, what if she's a tough girl—slapped you on the head like she's splitting a brick?
The seemingly weak and helpless Barbie lowered her eyes slightly: "Mr. Zhang, you suddenly leaned closer to me, and I thought this might make you more comfortable..."
Zhang Chaohe looked at Cheng Jixue's humiliating appearance and his still clean and tidy pants without any strange marks, and quietly closed his eyes—thankfully he didn't wear foundation and didn't drool in his sleep, otherwise he might as well just smash his head against a block of tofu and die!
Thanks to the absurd luck of the previous accident, Cheng Jixue's carefully planned rest was ruined, and even Zhang Chaohe dared not sleep anymore. The two of them arrived home wide-eyed and full of energy. Cheng Jixue was too lazy to even pretend anymore and followed Zhang Chaohe into the house as if she knew the way well.
Zhang Chaohe, of course, had no objection—his attempt to persuade the beautiful young woman to stay was considered abduction, but now that Cheng Jixue had willingly jumped into the pit, he couldn't be blamed for being immoral!
He closed the door with a smug look on his face, just like a bird owner would close the cage door after touching his beloved bird.
Cheng Jixue was unpacking the messy boxes of local specialties he had brought back over the past few days when he suddenly noticed a sculpture wrapped tightly in foam paper inside. He paused for a moment, and Zhang Chaohe mumbled, "It's for you."
While everyone was packing up, Zhang Chaohe took advantage of the chaos to stuff the small wooden carving he had bought from Master You into Cheng Jixue's trunk.
He looked at Cheng Jixue expectantly: "Aren't you going to open it and take a look?"
Cheng Jixue glanced at him with a smile, her eyes brimming with affection, as if a stream of autumn water was tightly encircling Zhang Chaohe. The foam paper was peeled back layer by layer, revealing golden butterflies fluttering their wings amidst shimmering, slender stripes, exquisitely delicate yet full of life.
Cheng Jixue happily fiddled with the butterfly's beautiful wings, his smile as sweet as a little hook, subtly luring Zhang Chaohe: "Thank you, President Zhang... I also have a gift for you."
He pulled a small, identical piece of foam paper from his suitcase and handed it to Zhang Chaohe, then urged him with his eyes to open it quickly.
This seemed to be the first time Zhang Chaohe had received such a formal gift from Cheng Jixue—he eagerly unwrapped the bubble wrap and discovered that inside was a small crab carved from the same type of wood!
This little crab is wearing a plump fruit on its head. The crab has a hard shell and its claws are outstretched, but it looks adorable and very cute.
Zhang Chaohe held the small crab up to the light and examined it carefully. His eyes widened with delight: "Why is it a small crab?"
Of all the adorable and interesting animals out there, why did Cheng Jixue choose this little crab?
Cheng Jixue thought to herself, "Of course it's because I hope you'll always be as happy as this little crab, able to live each day freely and unrestrainedly."
But once the words were spoken, the reason changed: "Because the little crab is very strong, resilient and optimistic, it can freely rampage across the seabed."
Zhang Chaohe thought to himself, "Holy crap, he's so perceptive! Am I now in a situation where my fate is in my own hands, fighting a giant truck and going against the main character? I wanted to join the main character's ship, but now I guess I can't get on it..."
I'm just too optimistic and too strong!
Zhang Chaohe thought to himself, "Let the men bear these worries. The little beauty just needs to be beautiful!" He pondered for a moment, "Seeing the little crabs reminds me of the vegetable leaves I like to eat."
Just as Cheng Jixue was beginning to feel a surge of emotion, she was suddenly crushed on the beach. Fortunately, Zhang Chaohe didn't suddenly go mad and immediately went to retrieve the vegetable leaves. The two of them decided to tidy up a bit today and then distribute the mushrooms and collect the vegetable leaves tomorrow.
Zhang Chaohe leisurely finished his shower, and it was almost ten o'clock. He changed into a comfortable sky-blue pajama and went downstairs, only to find that Cheng Jixue was already cutting fresh mushrooms, preparing to stir-fry some ham and chili peppers for a late-night snack.
Zhang Chaohe sat at the dining table staring blankly at him, and suddenly remembered the scene when Cheng Jixue first came to the house - that night there was still a not very well-behaved and cute vegetable leaf, and fresh, spicy boiled fish... At that time, Cheng Jixue and his relationship did not seem to be particularly good.
Time really flies. It feels like it was just yesterday that he went from being pushed forward and stumbling along to now running forward with all his might.
"Oh, and that night there was also a beautiful kingfisher feather brooch," Zhang Chaohe asked with great interest. "Why haven't you worn the brooch I gave you before?"
Cheng Jixue turned around amidst the fragrant and pungent fumes, her eyes lively and gentle: "It's so beautiful, I'll wear it on formal occasions!"
Zhang Chaohe thought about it and realized it was true... It's such a waste to pair such a beautiful brooch with a T-shirt and shorts.
Other person: Okay, then you must wear it for me to see when you have time!
Action-oriented CEO Zhang: Are there any recent events where Cheng Jixue can wear that brooch to attend?
After thinking it over, it seemed there really wasn't any occasion that would warrant the grand appearance of his kingfisher feather brooch, which cost him four million... However, Zhang Chaohe's thoughts always wandered, and he suddenly remembered that in just two days, the only son of one of Chairman Zhang's important business partners would be getting married!