My cousin asked me to go to Wuha, and Hanikezi stuck to me.

"My partner is injured, what am I supposed to compete in alone?"

Old Wang's hand, which was holding the megaphone, froze in mid-air.

The scene was deathly silent.

Six cameras were simultaneously pointed at Chen Yi's face.

Old Wang swallowed hard, trying to salvage the program.

"Chen Yi, did you know that getting first place this time will grant you extra permanent points?"

"Can points be eaten as food?" Chen Yi asked rhetorically.

Old Wang choked for a moment.

"That's a luxury hot spring hotel! If you withdraw from the competition, you'll have to sleep in a tent tonight!"

"The tent is fine, it's well-ventilated." Chen Yi had his hands in his pockets, not even lifting his eyelids.

Hanikezi sat on the folding chair and reached out to tug at Chen Yi's clothes.

"Are you really withdrawing from the competition? Old Wang will definitely deduct your appearance fee." She lowered her voice.

"If he dares to confiscate it, I'll go to his director's studio and dump all his goji berries," Chen Yi said calmly.

Old Wang heard it clearly from two meters away, and his lips twitched twice.

Chen Chichi, panting heavily, climbed up the mountain path just in time to hear this.

He shoved the assistant director aside and pointed at Chen Yi, shouting.

"Old Wang! Listen to what this kid is saying! He's slacking off! I strongly demand that his dinner be confiscated!"

Chen Yi turned to look at Chen Chichi.

"Brother Chichi, shout louder, the sweat on your back is enough to soak the microphone. Auntie sent me a WeChat message yesterday telling me to keep an eye on you, saying that if you keep eating like this, you won't even be able to leave the house."

Chen Chichi immediately shut up and guiltily hid behind the assistant director.

Seeing that Chen Yi was unyielding, Old Wang put down the megaphone and waved his hand.

"Alright! Chen Yi's group is officially eliminated! You two stay in the rest area halfway up the mountain, the rest of you continue climbing!"

The large group left in a grand procession.

Only Chen Yi and Hanikezi remained in front of the medical tent.

After the team doctor finished spraying Hanikezi with medicine and gave her a few instructions, he also left with the rest of the group.

The surroundings became completely quiet.

There was no director or cameraman, and they even turned off their own microphones.

Hanikezi looked at the empty mountain road and let out a long breath.

She visibly relaxed, her shoulders even slumped.

"Finally, I don't have to put on airs anymore." She rubbed her sore neck.

Chen Yi walked to the corner of the tent and picked up the tattered backpack that had been filled with potatoes.

"Let's go."

"Where to? The doctor said I can't walk." Hanikezi pointed to her swollen ankle.

"Let's go to town." Chen Yi turned and walked down the mountain.

"Are you going to abandon me?!" Hanikezi cried out in distress.

Chen Yi stopped and turned to look at her.

"You sit here and wait for me. I'll go rent a wheelchair. Otherwise, are you planning to feed the mosquitoes in the mountains tonight?"

Half an hour later.

On the bluestone road on the edge of Dali Old Town.

Chen Yi was pushing an old wheelchair that he had borrowed from some village clinic.

The wheelchair's left wheel was a little dry, making a creaking sound when pushed.

Hanikezi sat on it, holding a string of freshly bought roasted milk fan in her hand.

"Where did you find this wheelchair? Why does it smell like disinfectant?" she asked, taking a bite of a milk fan.

"I rented it from Grandpa Li at the town entrance. The deposit is one hundred yuan, and the rent is thirty yuan per day, which will be deducted from your appearance fee." Chen Yi avoided a puddle on the ground and pushed the wheelchair onto a flat road.

"You stingy little thing, you're already getting top-tier, permanent rates, why would you care about thirty dollars?"

"If you don't make money from capitalists, you're a fool. Your money is money too." Chen Yi pushed her and turned into a small alley.

There weren't many people in the alley.

On both sides are small shops selling handicrafts and local specialties.

With no cameras following her, Hanikezi became bolder.

She directed Chen Yi to stop at each of the stalls.

I bought a flower cake, a cup of tamarind juice, and also took a small clay figurine.

Chen Yi let her do whatever she wanted, only taking out his phone to scan the code when paying.

"Chen Yi." Hanikezi, holding tamarind juice, suddenly spoke.

"explain!"

"Aren't you afraid people online will criticize you for carrying me down the mountain today?"

"What did you say to me?"

"I'll scold you for being unprofessional. You even skipped your duties on the show for a female guest. If Sister Hong sees this, she'll definitely scold me for dragging you down with me." Hanikezi said, biting her straw and lowering her voice.

"I'm not a professional to begin with; I'm just here to freeload," Chen Yi said casually, pushing his wheelchair. "As for your Sister Hong, if she dares to insult you, just throw the breach of contract fee in her face."

Hanikezi burst out laughing.

"The penalty for breach of contract is several million! Where would I get that much money!"

"I'll lend it to you, with interest."

Hanikezi turned her head and glared at him.

"Why are you so obsessed with money!"

The two bickered and unknowingly walked to the end of the town.

Here stands a weathered, single-arch stone bridge.

The river flows beneath the bridge, its clear waters flowing towards Erhai Lake in the distance.

sunset.

The orange-red afterglow spilled onto the river, making it shimmer.

Chen Yi pushed the wheelchair to the middle of the bridge and stopped it next to the stone railing.

A cool evening breeze blew by, carrying the scent of moisture.

Hanikezi placed the empty tamarind juice cup on her lap.

She turned her head and looked at Chen Yi, who was leaning against the railing.

The setting sun cast its light on Chen Yi's profile, outlining clean and sharp lines.

He stared at the river, lost in thought.

Hanikezi's heart skipped a beat.

She remembered the warmth of his hands as he held hers from behind in front of the potter's wheel earlier that day.

He recalled how, without hesitation, he crouched down and carried her broad back on the mountain path.

And just now he directly confronted Lao Wang, saying, "My partner is injured, what am I good for alone?"

Hanikezi gripped the plastic cup tightly with her fingers.

She took a deep breath.

"Chen Yi".

Chen Yi turned to look at her.

His gaze naturally fell on her ear.

The pair of teardrop-shaped turquoise silver earrings with ethnic patterns shimmered in the setting sun.

"Do you have someone you like?" Hanikezi asked.

A straight shot.

There was no preamble, no cover-up.

She just stared straight into Chen Yi's eyes.

Chen Yi paused for a moment.

He leaned against the stone railing and did not answer immediately.

The only sounds on the bridge are the wind and the flowing water.

Hanikezi felt those few seconds were as long as an eternity.

She even began to regret asking the question so impulsively.

What if he says no?

What if he says yes, but it's not her?

Chen Yi looked at her flushed face and her trembling eyelashes.

He spoke.

"Under consideration."

Hanikezi was stunned.

Those four words were processing in her mind at lightning speed.

It's not that it exists, nor is it that it doesn't.

It's under consideration.

The smile on her lips was impossible to hide, it spread all the way to the corners of her eyes.

"What are you considering?" she pressed.

Chen Yi straightened up and took a step forward.

The distance between the two people narrowed.

He looked down at Hanikezi, who was sitting in a wheelchair.

"Consider whether she likes me too." Chen Yi's tone was calm, and even his breathing was steady.

Hanikezi's face turned completely red.

Even the pair of silver earrings were swaying slightly.

She looked away, not daring to look into Chen Yi's eyes again, and turned to look at the shimmering river.

My fingers were unconsciously picking at the plastic cup.

"What would you do if she liked you?" she asked softly.

Chen Yi looked at her profile and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Then I won't consider it."

The teahouse on the second floor across the bridge.

Behind a half-open carved wooden window.

A telephoto camera without any logo is mounted on a tripod.

The red recording indicator light flashed silently.

The dark lens focused precisely on the two people in the middle of the old bridge.

This scene was unscripted and unmasked.

Along with their voices coming through miniature lavalier microphones.

It was completely collected into the device.