Just after the rain, the spring mountain was as green as anything, with thick fog and heavy dew.
"Whoa, the smell of the destined one!" A soft, milky shout burst out.
There was a rustling sound in the bushes beside the big tree. Then, two heads popped out like a shot. Their black, shiny eyes were like little radars, spinning around alertly, and their necks twisted together as if they'd arranged it, looking exactly like that [peeking secretly] meme!
At this moment, a sound of footsteps came from a distance. One head quickly shrank back, while the other just stood there stupidly, eyes darting around as if it couldn't find its bearings.
"Woof..." A low dog whine came out. It was a pity that its owner didn't seem to hear it at all and didn't react one bit. There was nothing for it. The big, milky-white Chow Chow could only open its mouth wide, carefully avoiding its sharp teeth, and gently bit the corner of its owner's clothes and gave a tug. With a "ripping" sound, a big hole was torn in the thin cotton clothes, and the cold wind "whooshed" straight in.
"Xiao Shan!" Suisui's eyes were as wide as bells with anger! Her eyes were already big and bright, and now, when she got angry, they shone even brighter, like little lanterns. The Chow Chow, which was even taller than her when squatting, lowered its head and whined twice, as if admitting its mistake to its owner.
Suisui put her hands on her hips. Well, she didn't really have a waist. There was just a chubby little belly. Suddenly, Xiao Shan nudged Suisui with its head. Only then did Suisui come to her senses and stop scolding Xiao Shan. She squeezed into the bushes behind like a slippery little loach.
The bushes were crammed full, and only two pairs of eyes peeped out through the gaps in the grass leaves, looking furtively — the footsteps were getting closer.
An eighteen or nineteen-year-old lad, Wen Chi, walked over with a straight face. The lad was wearing cotton clothes, the kind you could buy three pieces for twenty quid at the rural market. The pattern was as bright as if it were New Year, and paired with a wide-brimmed straw hat, a white sweat towel, and those practical rubber rain boots. Well, although he looked a bit daft, it didn't stop the lad from having that cool air about him.
Under the rough straw hat brim hid a face as pretty as glass. His shaggy hair hung down over his forehead, his brow bones were deep, his nose was high and straight, and his eyes were dark and mysterious, with a chilly air, just like a young master brought up in a wealthy family. Even dressed like this, he still looked noble.
Wen Chi carried a basket in his left hand and a bamboo pole in his right hand and walked up to an orange tree boldly. He looked up, his eyes as sharp as an eagle going after a chick, quickly sweeping over the oranges on the branches to determine the position. Then, he tensed his muscles, and his body was like a fully drawn bow — with a "pop" sound, his ankle suddenly twisted, and he fell like a kite with its string cut, "plopping" onto the ground. The bamboo pole hit the ground, making a "clang" sound in the quiet forest.
Wen Chi:... He quickly rolled over and got up, glanced at the aerial camera hovering in the air, and pursed his lips tightly.
This lad was called Wen Chi, and he was taking part in a variety show. The show was supposed to be a rural reality show, but in Wen Chi's eyes, it was no different from survival in the wilderness. It was just a way to make the guests suffer and let the audience watch the fun.
In the past, this kind of variety show script wouldn't even have come close to him. At that time, he was a huge star with millions of fans. He debuted in the C position in a talent show and climbed to the top of the entertainment pyramid in just two years. He was so popular that everywhere he went, people flocked to him. Who would have thought that in just half a month, it was like riding a roller coaster. He plunged from the clouds "whoosh" into the mud pit and was scolded by thousands of people.
All over the Internet were his scandals: lying, playing diva, faking his family background, bullying his teammates, giving his fans the cold shoulder, having affairs with big shots in the industry... One after another, with photos and witnesses, all said as if they were gospel. Seeing these, Wen Chi was dumbfounded and thought to himself: Do I have a split personality? Could it be that another me did these bad things?
Watching the public opinion rush in like a tide, the shouts of "Wen Chi, get out of the entertainment industry!" grew louder and louder. The management company behind him also turned its back on him. His agent immediately went to represent new artists. Wen Chi was so disheartened that he felt as cold as ice.
But his executive agent, Xia Kai, was as determined as a rock and firmly believed in him. He was determined to help him clear up the misunderstandings and find a chance to make a comeback. Finally, through personal connections, he got this variety show — "Starting from Scratch in Taohuayuan".
To promote the show, they came up with a "live + editing" gimmick and broadcast it simultaneously on the platform every day. Right now, the show was live, and the scene of his clumsy fall had already been clearly broadcast through the aerial camera.
Wen Chi knew full well that with this fall, the netizens would surely go crazy and there'd be no shortage of sarcastic remarks:
[Whoa, with this fall, won't the prosthesis in Wen Chi's nose fall out?]
[Bloody weakling? Could it be that he's been hanging around with big shots too much and gone feeble? / dog /]
[How many times is it? How many times? Wen Chi hasn't had any smooth sailing since entering the mountain. It makes me so bloody angry!]
[I don't care about Wen Chi's scandals, but after watching his live, I kind of want to cyberbully him! Who understands hating stupidity?]
[Didn't they say Wen Chi was from the countryside? Now what's he playing at, acting like a delicate young master?]
[He's taken his act too far and started believing his own hype, really thinking he's a young master from a wealthy family!]
Wen Chi couldn't see the live chat comments, but his mood was as bad as it could be —
Three days ago, the program team drew lots and sent the four guests, including him, to different places in the mountains. Each person had a dilapidated little hut, like where a beggar would live. They had to complete tasks and accumulate points to exchange for food, daily necessities, and materials to decorate the hut.
Wen Chi was as unlucky as could be and drew the farthest and worst hut. After walking for half a day, he was as tired as a dog. After finishing the bit of food provided by the program team, when he arrived, his legs were so weak that he could hardly stand. On the first night, he went to sleep hungry. On the second and third days, the tasks didn't go smoothly either. Since he was a child, he'd never lifted a finger to do housework, and he knew nothing about farming. Those high-score tasks were like castles in the air for him. As for the simple low-score tasks, the little food he got in exchange wasn't even enough to fill the gaps between his teeth. At nineteen, the age when he could really eat, he basically survived on water these two days. Fortunately, the mineral water was provided freely without using points.
To avoid being the first unlucky bloke to faint from hunger and quit the show, Wen Chi used one of his three help-seeking opportunities to exchange for an emergency supplies package. There were only three help-seeking opportunities in total. Once used up, the guest would automatically drop out of the show. Wen Chi actually didn't care whether he dropped out or not. He came here just to give Xia Kai an explanation.
But the supplies package was as slow as a snail coming. Now, on top of that, he'd sprained his ankle. He was hungry, and his ankle hurt like being pricked by needles. Wen Chi was completely trapped in a whirlpool of anxiety and annoyance and couldn't get out.
Suddenly, a cool breeze blew through the woods, blowing away the hot sweat on his body and making him feel a bit more comfortable. There seemed to be a sigh in the wind. Wen Chi paused for a moment, stopped in his tracks, and looked around. Well, in the deep mountains and woods, where could the sigh come from? Most likely it was just the wind. Wen Chi couldn't be bothered to look into it further. He gritted his teeth, endured the pain, and pretended to be okay in front of the camera. He walked away slowly, planning to go back and turn off the live broadcast first and then deal with his injury. As Wen Chi left, the aerial camera followed.