The second season of"I'm Not Just an Actor"was recorded in a mountain village to the southeast. Because transportation was inconvenient there, it had always been one of the key places for poverty alleviation.
After everyone got off the plane, they rode an off-road vehicle and traveled for two hours. After that, they climbed through a mountain road and finally arrived at the village.
The mission starts on the same afternoon they arrive and will end at 12:00 PM the next day. During these 24 hours, everyone can utilize the funds they had raised during the previous season. They can also use their own efforts to gain a favorable impression from the villagers.
Like last time, everyone will be divided into three groups. However, to make it fair to the new guests, Ye Peicheng and Lu Beige will participate in each group's activities. Just like last season, they will assist each group for two hours and then rotate to another group.
Xing Wanshuang's group was in the most awkward position because they didn't raise enough funds from last season. So, if they want to gain a favorable impression from the villagers, they must display some real skills.
Qiao Moyu understood that money can't win other people's hearts; however, sincerity can.
This time, the lodging was much less comfortable than last time because there were no hotels in the village.Since the guests and filming crew were staying in the hotel, there were no spare rooms left. Luckily, the south part of the village were very accomodating; the village chief transformed the only two classrooms in the village into a collective bedroom–one for men and one for women.
Qiao Moyu didn't have any opinions regarding the arrangement, but when Xing Wanshuang saw the layout, her complexion changed drastically. However, because they were still filming, she forced her feelings down.
They didn't bring any luggage because they were only going to stay for one night. As for showering and whatnot, they can forget about it. The village had a well and the villagers would fetch water from the well in the morning. In the evening, they would boil the water and wash with difficulty. The village was very poor, to where they didn't use any shower.
Everyone casually ate a light meal at noon and started the group activities.
From 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, Qiao Moyu's group would receive Huang Chu's assistance. Because Huang Chu was an elder, Qiao Moyu respectfully asked, "Mr. Huang, do you have any ideas?"
Huang Chu sniffed the pure air coming from Qiao Moyu's body and felt very refreshed. He replied, "I have."
Qiao Moyu was surprised as she eagerly listened to him with her complete attention.
However, Huang Chu pretended be to mysterious and profound as he continued to walk forward. He hinted at Qiao Moyu and Qin Qianqian to follow him.
The two followed Huang Chu to the village chief's house. Huang Chu knocked on the door and the village chief's little grandson opened the door for them.
The village chief's little grandson, Zhu Zhu, was only 6 years old this year and he hadn't attended school yet. When he suddenly saw so many people, he was frightened and hid from them.
Ever since Qiao Moyu had Luo Luo, she would always carry some candy on her. So, she took out some candy and handed the candy to him. She said to Zhu Zhu, "Little brother, I'm giving this to you so you can eat it."
Because she looked pretty and her voice was sweet, Zhu Zhu hesitated before he quickly took the candy from her.
As a result, it was easier for Qiao Moyu to ask him questions, "Little brother, where is your grandfather? Where did he go?"
"Grandpa is working in the fields!" Zhu Zhu said as he pointed to the back of the mountain.
Huang Chu looked in the direction that Zhu Zhu was pointing at. While other people stared at the farm crops on the mountain, he was observing the feng shui of the place.
Although Qiao Moyu didn't know why Huang Chu was looking for the village chief, she had planned to donate the $10,000 she had raised to the village. Either way, it was a good choice to look for the village chief first.
Everyone walked in the direction that Zhu Zhu had pointed towards and found themselves in the cornfields. When the village chief saw everyone heading over to him, he wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead and smiled, "We don't have much to entertain everyone, but these spring corn here have just ripened. Tonight, we'll make some corn flavored steamed buns for everyone!"
"Village chief, let us help you!" Qiao Moyu said as she walked into the cornfield and began helping another villager harvest the corn.
Seeing that she was helping, Qin Qianqian quickly followed.
At this time, Huang Chu walked beside the village chief and said, "Village chief, can I talk to you privately?"
At this time, Huang Chu walked beside the village chief and said, "Village chief, can I talk to you privately?"
The village chief noticed that this man wore a Tang suit (traditional Chinese jacket) and that his appearance was similar to the ancestors that worshiped in the memorial hall. So he quickly nodded his head and followed Huang Chu out of the cornfield.
The cameraman followed as he filmed Qiao Moyu, so no one knew what the two men had discussed about.
Huang Chu said, "When I first arrived at this village, I felt that the air was very refreshing. There should be many talented individuals born in this village."
The village chief sighed, "Yes, many of our ancestors had been top scorers in the imperial exam. However, we began declining; each generation has become worse than the previous. We have tried to raise bees and plant tea plants, but we could barely provide ourselves with adequate food and warm clothes. As the village chief, I feel like I've let everyone down…"
"Village chief, do you know what's the root cause of this?" Huang Chu asked.
"What?" When the village chief was unable to read the profound and mysterious expression on Huang Chu's face. He couldn't help but ask, "Sir, can you give me some advice?"
"The structure of this village was originally a real dragon layout; the mountain ranges compose its body and the flow of the energy…" Huang Chu's gaze was fixated at the mountain ranges ahead. "Look, the dragon's head is facing upward towards the sky, which is viewed as ascending to the sky phase, so since the dragon's body is settled in, it can absorb the essence of the land. Unfortunately, the dragon's tail is being watched by someone!"
As he said that, he pointed to a shabby pavilion below them, "That pavilion has destroyed the entire feng shui!"
The village chief stared blankly at the pavilion. At that moment, his eyes were suddenly filled with excitement, "This pavilion was built when a scholar returned to the village. My ancestors had told me that the scholar had a promising and outstanding career, but after he returned from the village, his official position became smaller and smaller. After that, our village stopped producing scholars!"
"The pavilion destroyed your village's entire feng shui!" Huang Chu sighed, "It's such a pity, your village originally shouldn't have turned out like this."
When Qiao Moyu was harvesting corn when she walked in on them and heard the last part of the conversation——
The village chief asked, "If we take down the pavilion, then will we be able to restore the original real dragon layout?"
Huang Chu said, "Yes, you must take down the pavilion and replant the trees. Once it returns to its original state, the feng shui will flow again and your village will gradually change for the better."
"Thank you, Mr. Huang. If it's not for you, we…" The village chief was so excited that tears began to fill his eyes, "However, our village is poor, so I don't know what I should give you to repay you…"
"There's no need, the reason we are here is to help your village." When Huang Chu saw Qiao Moyu standing not far from them, he suddenly said embarrassingly, "I don't need you to repay me. I just want you to remember that there are three different groups."
"Okay, I'll remember that!" The village chief nodded his head.
During this competition, each villager is eligible to vote, but they can only vote for one group at a time. Each vote counts as one point, but the village chief's vote counts as ten points. So, by pulling him to their side, it was the same as pulling ten people to their side!
After she listened to their conversation, Qiao Moyu was very impressed by Huang Chu's dedication. She felt that she should follow his example.
However, they're currently filming a program. Was it alright for him to publicly talk about superstitions?
After they finished harvesting the corn, they helped the village chief carry the corn down the mountain. When the village chief saw the big basket that Qiao Moyu was carrying, he can't help but sigh in admiration, "You look like an energetic young lady from the city, but I didn't expect you to be as capable as the men from our village!"
When they reached the bottom of the mountain, Qiao Moyu saw Xing Wanshuang teaching a few kids to sing. She had started learning vocal music since she was little, so it was very easy for her to sing. Xing Wanshuang was able to amuse the children till they were all beaming with happiness.
Qiao Moyu didn't pay attention to them. Instead, whenever she passed by a villager's house that had an empty water jar, she would help them fill up the water jar.
She had thought about it and realized that it was basically useless to entertain an impoverished village. It's better to do something more practical, so she decided that she would help anyone who needed help.
Under Qiao Moyu's leadership, Qin Qianqian also did a lot of work. Although she didn't know how to do heavy manual work, she would help the villagers wash their vegetables and peel their soybeans. She tried her best to do what she could do to help.
Everyone ate dinner together that night. There were no cows in the village; the corn was grinded by the village chief's grandson and Qiao Moyu.
At night, the village chief gathered everyone together. He first welcomed the program group and then he lit a small bonfire. Everyone surrounded the bonfire and ate the corn flavored steamed buns.
When Qin Qianqian arrived, she brought a polaroid camera and photographic paper with her. Seeing that everyone was gathered here, she said, "I will take a photo of everyone! Each person can have a photo and you will be able to receive the photo right away!"
Some people in the village have cameras, they had received them from friends that reside in the city as gifts. They would treat the camera like a treasure, but the photo won't come out immediately for the cameras they have. It was a rare sight to behold for them when they saw the photos immediately coming out of the camera after Qin Qianqian took a picture.
Qin Qianqian asked each person to stand in front of the bonfire to take their photo. After she took a picture of a person, she would immediately give the photo to them.
In the beginning, Qin Qianqian took individual photos of each person. However, when it was Zhu Zhu's turn, he pointed at Qiao Moyu. He was a little embarrassed as he asked, "Can I take a photo together with this big sister?"
"Of course, you can!" Qiao Moyu smiled and walked over; she picked up Zhu Zhu and took a photo with him.
As a result, the remaining villagers who had yet to take their photos, all wanted to take a photo with Qiao Moyu. A little girl around seven to eight years old was very embarrassed when she asked Ye Peicheng to take a photo with her.
Everyone played until 9:00 PM before they all dispersed; the villagers were used to working at sunrise and rest at sundown. But Qiao Moyu had never slept this early, so she didn't feel sleepy at all. In addition, she probably won't be able to sleep well because of the large collective beds. In the end, Qiao Moyu decided to go out for a walk.
When she went up the mountain this morning, she noticed that there was a small stream twenty minutes away from the school. Although the water in the mountains was cool, it was just the right temperature to wash her face and feet.
She brought a spare pair of socks with her and went out. But just as she entered the forest behind the school, she heard someone stepping on a branch behind her.
She turned around to see who it was. Under the moonlight, Ye Peicheng was wearing a gray sweater and a pair of casual black pants. The pants were a slim-fit, which made his legs look even more slender and well proportioned; very eye-catching.
He walked over to her, "You can't fall asleep?"
Qiao Moyu nodded, "I don't feel sleepy and the bed makes me not want to sleep even more."
Ye Peicheng laughed, "Me too."
He held her hand as they walked forward, "Where do you want to go?"
"I want to go to the little stream and wash my feet," Qiao Moyu said. She tried to pull her hand away, but she couldn't. Qiao Moyu can't help but say, "Don't be like this. I bet the other guests haven't slept yet. It's not good if someone sees us like this."
"It's better if they see us." Ye Peicheng said, "Do I look like I'm afraid of them talking about us?"
Qiao Moyu didn't reply; she wasn't afraid either.
The two held hands as they walked to the little stream. The temperature was quite cool; Ye Peicheng was afraid that Qiao Moyu would feel cold, so he drew her into his embrace.
She didn't say anything. Whenever Qiao Moyu raised her head, she was able to see his refined jawline.
Because she was walking in the mountains, she wore a pair of shoes with flat bottoms. So, when she compared their heights, she realized that Ye Peicheng was much taller than her. Qiao Moyu was completely trapped in his embrace, but it felt wonderful. It gave Qiao Moyu the feeling like she could completely rely on him.
The two slowly walked towards the little stream; it took them about 25 minutes to arrive there.
Qiao Moyu looked for two stones and then sat down on them with Ye Peicheng. She tried the temperature of the water first and found that it was indeed very cool. She cupped the water in her hand and began to wash her face. When she turned around, she saw that Ye Peicheng was staring at her.
She asked, "Do you want to wash?"
He nodded and just like her, he cupped the water in his hand and washed his face. Seeing that Qiao Moyu was taking off her shoes, Ye Peicheng said, "Don't wash your feet. It's too cold, you'll easily catch a cold."
But who would've known that before Ye Peicheng was able to finish speaking, Qiao Moyu had already taken off her socks and placed her feet inside the little stream?
Her feet were fair and tender; it looked very small and exquisite. It was delicate as if her feet had been made from white jade. However, her toes were painted red, making it seemed like red plums were blooming in the snow. It looked especially beautiful.
The water was very cold, so Qiao Moyu simply washed her feet and then she immediately moved her feet away from the water. She used the handkerchief that she had prepared beforehand and wiped her feet dry.
She had just finished wiping her feet when Ye Peicheng held her feet.
He wrapped his hands around her feet; warmth crept up from her feet up to her body.
"Why are you being so disobedient?" Ye Peicheng frowned, he placed Qiao Moyu's feet in his embrace as he continued to warm them up.
"Oh." Qiao Moyu bit her lips and said guilty, "It's okay."
He didn't say anything and continued to warm her feet until it was warm again. He let go of her feet and asked, "Do you have socks?"
Qiao Moyu nodded her head. She quickly took out the clean pair of socks and put them on.
The white pair of socks was wrapped around her white feet. Ye Peicheng only retrieved his gaze when he saw that she had finished putting on her shoes.
He looked around the surroundings and said, "Let's walk over there."
Qiao Moyu nodded her head and looked at the man next to her. She took the initiative to put her hand over his hand and Ye Peicheng immediately held her hand. The corners of Ye Peicheng's mouth curved into a smile.
The two casually walked around, but they didn't expect that they would see a thatched cottage in the distance. The thatched cottage was probably a rest stop after the villagers worked. The thatched cottage was half obscured from sight; there were some farm tools piled inside and a woven mat was placed on the ground.
Ye Peicheng took Qiao Moyu inside the cottage. He closed the door and sat down on the woven mat with her.
The roof was very simple and crude. They could see the starry sky from inside the room, but there was no wind tonight, so it didn't feel cool at all.
Qiao Moyu looked at the specks of sparkling stars in the sky, she can't help but become happy, "Brother Ye, I haven't seen such a starry sky in a long time!"
Ye Peicheng looked into the distance and asked, "Do you want to know what constellations there are in the sky right now?"
Qiao Moyu turned around in surprise, "You know how to distinguish them?"
Ye Peicheng nodded his head as he held her from behind. He placed his face next to hers, his right hand was holding her. He pointed his index finger towards the sky, "Do you see that strand of stars? From that star and all the way down…"
He began to draw a shape, "That is the Lyra constellation. That one over there…"
His voice was very pleasant to hear; his low and sweet-sounding voice fell in her ear, "What we see right now are not the stars in the present. What we're seeing is the light they emitted in the universe hundreds of millions of years ago."
Qiao Moyu thought about it; indeed, these stars are tens of thousands of light-years away. It's naturally not how the stars look right now. As she pondered this idea, she became a little sad: "Then do they not exist anymore?"
"It's possible." Ye Peicheng stared into her eyes, the depth of his eyes seemed to have also fallen into the milky way of the dark night. "What we're seeing is the universe hundreds of millions of years ago."
In this world, anything that was categorized as a long time was usually perceived as romantic.
Qiao Moyu looked at Ye Peicheng who was sitting next to her; she felt her heartbeat speeding up.
"Little Moyu," he called her.
"Hm?" Qiao Moyu replied.
"Let's rest here tonight. I don't want to sleep on the collective beds," Ye Peicheng said.
The moment he finished speaking, he lowered his head and kissed her lips.