Chapter 18: The Preciousness of Friendship Between Girls

Not long after the two tents were set up, rain began to pour down in torrents.

“Good thing you insisted, or else we’d be drenched like drowned rats,” Wang Sisi said, taking out a packet of instant noodles. She smashed it into pieces with her fist, tore open the packaging, pulled out the seasoning packets, set aside two, and opened the soup packet, pouring it into the noodles. After giving it a good shake, she handed it to Le Xi.

“Here, have some.”

“You eat it this way too?” Le Xi asked. Back when she was rushing between film sets, there were times she couldn’t wait for the crew’s boxed meals before having to move on. She wasn’t a star with the luxury of a camper van; she survived by eating like this.

“It’s delicious this way. When I was a trainee, after dance practice I’d be too tired to move, so I’d just lie down and eat a pack of dry instant noodles like this.” Wang Sisi thought Le Xi had never tried it and was about to demonstrate. But Le Xi was nostalgic, so both of them grabbed a handful and put it in their mouths at the same time.

When they finished, they sucked the flavor off their fingers, not leaving a trace.

Then they looked at each other and smiled, both saying at once,

“So you have this habit too.”

They both laughed again.

[So cute, so down to earth, these two.]

[I used to eat it like this when I was a kid—so tasty.]

[Who gets it? I’m grabbing a pack of instant noodles right now to eat them dry too.]

Gu Xiaomo and Gu Junhao took a flight, arriving at Xishan River two hours later. Cui Meiying and Deng Jiachao took the high-speed rail and arrived five hours later.

The host announced, “Welcome to our two groups of guests.”

Deng Jiachao asked, “Host, the other two groups will take a long time to arrive, right? Are we just going to wait for them all these days?”

Of course, that wasn’t the case. Having them take donkey carts meant the focus would be on their journey, while here—

The host explained, “While we wait for them, we’ll begin recording. Shuishen Village survives on the mountains, but the villagers of Xishan River rely on the sea. Our Xishan River also has another name: The Village Afraid of Marriage.”

“Here, except for the elderly, almost everyone is single. Not only do they not marry, they don’t even date. So your task is to let the singles here witness your happiness and inspire them to fall in love. Whoever matches the most couples wins.”

Cui Meiying and Gu Xiaomo looked at their partners with disdain. One was unattractive, the other young but already wrinkled. How could they possibly look happy together?

But Deng Jiachao and Gu Junhao were different. They were already beaming with happiness.

[So it’s matchmaking while falling in love at the same time?]

[Look at Deng Jiachao’s face—he’s over the moon.]

“Wake up, brother,” someone teased.

Huo Hongming could hardly believe Wang Zhuorui could sleep through the heavy rain and thick smell of earth.

“What is it?” Wang Zhuorui mumbled, half-awake.

“I need to use the bathroom. Come with me and hold an umbrella for me—the rain’s too heavy, a raincoat won’t cut it,” Huo Hongming said, clutching his stomach.

Wang Zhuorui didn’t want to, but seeing the camera rolling, he had no choice but to agree.

Le Xi and Wang Sisi were sound asleep when two piercing screams woke them. They quickly threw on their clothes and poked their heads outside. The crew’s yellowish lights illuminated the area; the rain had stopped.

Listening carefully, they recognized Huo Hongming and Wang Zhuorui’s voices. Hearing but not seeing them, they put on their shoes and went out.

“Help me, help!” Huo Hongming cried. A snake was coiled around his leg—he’d stepped on its head in the dark while going to the bathroom and it wrapped itself around him.

Wang Zhuorui, terrified of snakes, leapt away instantly. “I’ll get help.”

Seeing Le Xi and Wang Sisi approaching, he jumped up and said, “A snake! There’s a snake wrapped around Hongming’s leg! I’ll get the staff.”

“It’s just a snake, what’s the fuss? I’m here—no need to call anyone,” Le Xi said, picking up a stick. Wang Sisi grabbed one too.

“Exactly, what’s so scary about a snake?”

“Oh, my mother,” Huo Hongming whimpered, trembling and crying.

[This is hilarious. Huo Hongming is really unlucky.]

[There are always snakes in such places. The show should have used repellents nearby—what if something really happens?]

“And you call yourself a man? So timid,” Le Xi said, using the stick to pry the snake off and pin it down.

Wang Sisi stood by, ready. “Lift your foot—I’ll hold it down with the stick.”

Huo Hongming twitched. “The snake isn’t dead—I can feel its head moving. It’s definitely faster than you. I’ll be bitten.”

Wang Sisi replied, “Then use some force—stomp it to death.”

Huo Hongming whimpered, “I’m scared. I can’t.”

Le Xi, losing patience, moved the stick away, and the snake’s tail wrapped around Huo Hongming’s calf again.

“Ah! Ah!” he screamed as the snake coiled tighter. Le Xi and Wang Sisi shook their heads, then deftly pushed Huo Hongming aside and, with precise movements, one pinned the snake’s head and the other its tail.

Once Huo Hongming calmed down and the fear faded, embarrassment set in. Wanting to save face, he assumed the snake was dead and boasted, “You damn snake! Rotten thing—watch me throw you into the gutter.”

“Wait,” Wang Sisi stopped him.

Before long, the green snake had turned charcoal-black and was sizzling audibly.

[Le Xi is incredible—she even dares to skin a snake.]

[But Wang Sisi, seriously? You’re really going to eat snake?]

[Wow, that’s hardcore.]

[It’s hardcore, but also sweet. Just now, Le Xi said the snake wasn’t venomous and helped Wang Sisi skin it. The look Wang Sisi gave her was so telling.]

[Please, not everything is about shipping. That was just two eccentrics appreciating each other.]

[Ship away—girl friendships are the best.]

“Mmm, delicious,” Wang Sisi said, smacking her lips while Huo Hongming and Wang Zhuorui watched in horror, goosebumps rising.

Someone watching from his RV was full of admiration but still worried about the danger, so the crew announced, “Pack up—our car will arrive soon to take you to the hotel for the night.”

But even if nights were spent in hotels, the journey by donkey cart continued by day.

At Xishan River, the next day, both groups of guests went to the beach. Here, with no pressure to work hard, most people either lay on the sand, sunbathing, or played in the water.

Cui Meiying and Deng Jiachao splashed in the sea, Cui Meiying pretending to be happy, Deng Jiachao genuinely delighted, trying to attract the attention of the locals.

Gu Junhao tried to hold Gu Xiaomo’s hand, but she dodged. She didn’t dare fall in love, not even pretend; the system wasn’t tricking her—she really could win first place, and she was afraid for her life.

“I’ll go find someone and play matchmaker directly,” she said.

Gu Junhao looked at Deng Jiachao, who was grinning so widely his mouth looked like a gaping maw, then at Gu Xiaomo walking away.

Why couldn’t he have that kind of luck?