Chapter 187: Pathetic and Hilarious

Chapter 187: Chapter 187: Pathetic and Hilarious

After a full day on the road, all three of their meals had come from boxed lunches.

By now, everyone—adults, children, guests, and crew alike—was exhausted and starving.

But as if to add insult to injury—

The bus was too large to pass through the village entrance.

So, everyone had to get off, dragging their luggage and equipment as they prepared to walk the rest of the way.

They walked for some time, but the surroundings remained eerily quiet.

Someone asked Xu Lin,

"Where are the people from the village who are supposed to meet us? Did we come to the wrong place?"

The group had already fallen silent, and the sound of heavy breathing was nearly all that could be heard.

His question plunged the group into an even deeper silence.

With several pairs of eyes fixed on him, Xu Lin struggled to keep his composure as he replied,

"I contacted them ahead of time. There’s no mistake. They must have been held up by something on the way."

Evidently, the group didn’t have much faith in Xu Lin.

They turned to Chang Mu, who had claimed she’d been to Cuishui Village before.

"Miss Chang, do you know what’s going on?"

Chang Mu was cursing up a storm internally, but she forced a smile.

"I’m not sure either."

Everyone exchanged uncertain glances.

In the crowd, Qing Xi clutched tightly onto Fu Chao’s pant leg.

"Uncle, I’m so tired."

He wasn’t just tired; he was clearly sleepy.

Kids were always like that—full of energy on the bus, only to get drowsy the moment they got off.

Fortunately, Fu Chao was strong and simply hoisted Qing Xi onto his back.

Seeing this, Xie Yu and Qi Pei’er both checked on Xie An’an and Qi Zhang.

Sure enough, the two children couldn’t keep going either.

Xie Yu scooped Xie An’an up into his arms with just one hand.

Qi Pei’er loved sports and exercised regularly, so carrying Qi Zhang on her back was no problem for her.

But it was a different story for Nan Zhi.

Even though the medicinal diet had conditioned her body to an average person’s level of health—no longer the person who would pant after just a few steps—she was still far too thin and delicate compared to someone as vibrantly healthy as Qi Pei’er.

Furthermore, her face looked pale under the dim, distant lights, perhaps from a lack of rest or simply the exhaustion of the journey.

Fu Chao asked, "Do you need my help?"

Xie Yu said, "I can carry Yiyi."

The two men spoke almost in unison.

The group, who had been mired in their own troubles, was instantly drawn to the scene.

Even the live-streaming cameras swung around to capture it.

[Ooooh! What’s going on here?]

[Hiss... I can smell an Asura’s battlefield from here!]

[It’s just a helping hand, can you guys please not jump to conclusions?]

[An Asura’s battlefield? They’re about to be sleeping in the wilderness tonight! Get a grip, people!]

[I can’t be bothered with you guys. Anyway, the shippers are having a great time!]

...

The viewers in the live-stream chat were happily munching on their popcorn and enjoying the show.

In reality, there wasn’t the slightest hint of romantic ambiguity between Nan Zhi, Xie Yu, and Fu Chao.

There was only exhaustion and a sincere desire to help one another.

So, instead of immediately refusing, Nan Zhi asked for Nan Yi’s opinion.

Nan Yi’s lips were pale, but his little face was set stubbornly.

"No, I can walk on my own."

A young, able-bodied male crew member then came forward and offered to carry Nan Yi.

But Nan Yi refused him as well.

It seemed Nan Yi wasn’t just toughing it out; he simply didn’t want to leave his mother’s side.

Or, to be more precise, become a burden to her.

Although they had seen it many times before, everyone was still touched by how sensible Nan Yi was.

"He’s such a good kid."

"I wish I could have an angel of a kid like Yiyi in the future!"

"Boss Nan is amazing too. A child’s behavior is a reflection of their parents, after all!"

"..."

The crew members’ whispers drifted over to Chang Mu’s ears.

The line about "a child’s behavior is a reflection of their parents" was especially grating to her.

If she weren’t certain that no one knew the truth, Chang Mu would have almost thought they were saying it on purpose!

Her expression turned exceptionally sour.

If not for the darkness concealing her, someone would have surely noticed by now...

PLOP.

Something cool and wet landed on her forehead.

Caught completely off guard, Chang Mu shrieked.

"Ah! What was that?!"

Her cry drew everyone’s attention, and they looked around in surprise.

"Huh? Is it raining?"

"Don’t worry, Miss Chang. It’s just a raindrop."

"Wait, it’s raining! What about our equipment?!"

"..."

In the ensuing chaos, no one had any time to pay attention to Chang Mu’s reaction.

Even the live comments, which had been debating whether Chang Mu was overreacting, shifted to the sudden downpour.

[My only reaction is just six periods...]

[This is so real!]

[I knew life in the mountains would be tough, but this is way beyond what I imagined!]

[Where are all the people who said this show was staged? Is the sky raining part of the script, too?]

[This is tragic and hilarious at the same time! I’m glad I’m just chilling at home.]

[The whole crew is in total chaos!]

...

A few drops of rain quickly turned into a torrential downpour.

Some wanted to rush ahead to the village, while others thought it would be better to just turn back and return to the bus.

A disagreement broke out, but there was no time to discuss it.

And so, the once orderly group descended into chaos, running around like headless chickens, unsure whether to push forward or retreat.

Xu Lin shouted himself hoarse, but to no avail. He broke out in a panicked sweat...

"Don’t panic."

Nan Zhi’s voice cut through the noise, as calming as a clear spring dousing a crackling fire.

She gave commands with calm authority:

"The equipment can’t get wet. Anyone with an umbrella, use it to cover the gear first. The bus is closer, so we’re going back. Then we’ll send someone to the village to see what’s going on... What are you all looking at me for? Move!"

That sharp "Move!" sent a jolt through many of them, as if they were back at Nan Family’s Small Restaurant from the last shoot.

During the restaurant’s busiest hours, the vast majority of the crew had ended up becoming her employees.

It was thanks to her acting as an anchor that the group, who had been inexplicably thrown into the restaurant business, managed to get through the rush without any major mistakes.

They were used to following her orders. The lingering authority of Boss Nan was still in full effect.

And so, after a two-second pause, everyone moved in unison, following her instructions.

Chang Mu, dragging her suitcase, was jostled about in the crowd.

Hasty apologies were thrown her way:

"Sorry, Miss Chang."

"Excuse us, Miss Chang."

"Could you move to the side, Miss Chang?"

"..."

Chang Mu couldn’t stop herself from cursing internally:

’Are you guys Nan Zhi’s lapdogs? Why does her word suddenly become law?’

’How dare you tell me to move. Don’t you people know who I am...’

"Ah, Miss Chang, your pants!"

Because Chang Mu had failed to move aside in time,

muddy water, kicked up by someone moving equipment, SPLATTED all over her pant leg.

Her white pants were instantly filthy.

The cold, muddy water clung to her skin.

Chang Mu’s face was as black as thunder.

Yet she still had to pretend to be gracious about it.

"It’s fine, I’m fine."

[Is the pampered miss scowling?]

[It’d be weird if she wasn’t. I would have screamed my head off.]

[They warned her, you know. It’s her own fault for not moving.]

[The pampered miss was probably just stunned. It’s understandable. She’s probably never been in a situation like this in her entire life.]

...