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After trekking for nearly another hour, Gaduo Miao Village finally came into view.

In the open space at the entrance of the village, a number of villagers who had come after hearing the news had already gathered. Men, women, and children all had simple and curious smiles on their faces.

Leading the group was a sprightly old man dressed in traditional Miao clothing, who was none other than the village secretary of Gaduo Village.

"Welcome! Welcome to our Gaduo Village!" The village secretary greeted them warmly, speaking in a loud, accented Mandarin. "You must be tired from your journey! Come in and rest your feet, have a bowl of oil tea to refresh yourself!"

Dr. Li was clearly very familiar with the village secretary, and they patted each other on the shoulder with smiles.

The crew members breathed a sigh of relief, their faces breaking into smiles as they curiously surveyed the ancient Miao village.

The village secretary led everyone to a relatively open area in the center of the village.

A long table, stretching as far as the eye could see, was laid out, covered with a dark blue homespun cloth, and was easily a hundred meters long. Long benches were arranged on both sides of the table, and various dishes were already being placed on it.

"This is our Miao long table banquet, to welcome our most distinguished guests!" the village secretary proudly introduced. "Please, everyone, have a seat, don't be shy!"

This grand yet simple welcoming ceremony left everyone on the production team feeling flattered.

Chu Yi was seated near the head of the table, next to Dr. Li and the village secretary. Zhou Ai was seated a little further away opposite him, separated by the bustling crowd and rising heat.

The atmosphere at the meal was very warm and welcoming. The villagers were very hospitable, constantly using serving chopsticks to serve everyone food and explaining the origins and ways to eat the various dishes.

Xie Mo fully utilized his talent as a host, delivering witty remarks that made everyone laugh heartily.

Zhou Jiashu and Qin Yaoyao raved about the sour fish soup. Gu Jingyi chatted with the village secretary and Dr. Li about the local customs and culture.

Although Zhou Ai's face was still somewhat pale, the antipyretic seemed to have worked, and she felt much better.

The long table banquet was in full swing, with villagers taking turns offering toasts, their hospitality irresistible.

Zhou Ai moved to the empty seat next to Chu Yi at some point and sat down. Although there was still a little distance between them, they were now side by side.

The village secretary, holding a bowl of wine, walked up to Zhou Ai with a ruddy face and said in a hearty Mandarin with a heavy local accent, "Teacher Zhou! Distinguished guest from afar! You must try our homemade rice wine. It's very sweet and won't make you drunk! Come on, fill it up!" As he spoke, he was about to pour the clear rice wine from the wine pot in his hand into the earthen bowl in front of Zhou Ai.

People around them laughed and cheered, and the camera focused on this enthusiastic scene.

Just as the wine was about to be poured into the bowl, a slender hand with distinct knuckles suddenly reached out and partially blocked the bowl, separating it from the wine pot.

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

All eyes, including those of the cameraman, instantly focused on the hand that had suddenly appeared—it was Chu Yi.

The village secretary paused in his pouring of wine, looking at Chu Yi with a puzzled expression.

Zhou Ai raised an eyebrow slightly, turned his head and looked at Chu Yi's hand that was blocking his wine bowl. The back of the hand was slightly tense from the force, and the knuckles were white.

Zhou Ai's gaze slowly moved upwards, landing on Chu Yi's slightly tense profile.

Chu Yi then realized what she had done.

His action was purely subconscious. Zhou Ai likely still had a low-grade fever and had only recently taken fever-reducing medication; drinking alcohol was absolutely not advisable for her. Alcohol would worsen her condition and could even cause adverse reactions.

Under the gaze of everyone present, even the usually composed Chu Yi couldn't help but blush faintly at the tips of his ears. He withdrew his hand, feeling that it was still burning hot.

He cleared his throat, trying to explain, "He...he's a singer." Chu Yi's gaze darted around, not daring to look at Zhou Ai's surprisingly bright eyes beside him. He could only explain to the village secretary and Dr. Li, his tone carrying a kind of earnest attempt to cover up his misunderstanding, "His voice...needs protection, it's not suitable for drinking."

The moment this explanation was uttered, the room fell silent for a second, then erupted into even louder laughter.

"Hahaha! Dr. Chu is so considerate!" Xie Mo was the first to react, slapping his thigh and laughing uncontrollably, his words carrying a hidden meaning.

"Oh, I get it! Singers have precious voices!" The surrounding villagers also laughed good-naturedly.

Dr. Li nodded with a good-natured smile, "Yes, yes, Dr. Chu is so thoughtful!"

Zhou Ai's mocking smile deepened. He leaned back slightly, leisurely watching Chu Yi's increasingly red earlobes, and slowly spoke, his voice slightly hoarse from the recent fever, "So Dr. Chu is quite concerned about my throat?"

He emphasized the word "throat".

Chu Yi: "..."

For the first time in his life, Chu Yi felt that he was making things worse by trying to explain. He was not good at dealing with this kind of situation to begin with, and he was even more at a loss at this moment.

He forced a straight face and tried his best to maintain a calm demeanor. He took the wine jug from the village secretary, poured himself a bowl, and

Seeing this, the village secretary, being a shrewd person, immediately laughed and smoothed things over: "Alright, alright, then we won't drink alcohol, we'll use tea instead! Teacher Zhou, Dr. Chu is right, protect your voice, and sing more good songs for us in the future!" As he spoke, he replaced Zhou Ai's drink with tea.

Zhou Ai picked up her teacup and gently tapped it against Chu Yi's wine bowl beside her. Then she raised her teacup to the village secretary in a gesture of respect before drinking it all in one gulp.

The atmosphere at the long table banquet grew increasingly lively. Someone started it, and several Miao women dressed in their finest attire stood up and began singing a Miao toasting song.

The clear and high-pitched singing, carrying the simplicity and passion of the mountains and fields, instantly captivated everyone.

Then several Miao men brought out their distinctive musical instruments and joined the ensemble.

As cheerful and rhythmic music filled the air, the entire village seemed to be immersed in a festive atmosphere.

An elderly man smiled and handed Zhou Ai a locally made stringed instrument with an antique design and a glossy finish, warmly inviting her in accented Mandarin: "Honorable guest, would you like to try it out?"

Zhou Ai raised an eyebrow, but did not refuse, and readily accepted it. His slender fingers curiously plucked the strings, producing a few off-key notes.

Seeing this, the village secretary warmly approached him, his thick fingers gesturing across the strings, teaching him the most basic fingering positions and plucking rhythms. "Teacher Zhou, that's it, it's very simple, give it a try!"

To everyone's surprise, Zhou Ai's musical talent was on full display. He simply listened attentively to the village secretary's explanation and watched the villagers demonstrate, and his hands, which had been casually plucking the strings, suddenly seemed to be infused with a soul.

He adjusted his posture while holding the instrument, and with a seemingly casual stroke of his fingertips across the strings, a series of smooth and folk-style notes leaped out. Although simple, they were precisely timed to the rhythm of the original melody, without any sense of incongruity.

"Wow! Teacher Zhou, you're amazing!" Qin Yaoyao couldn't help but exclaim.

"You got it already?" Zhou Jiashu's eyes widened.

Xie Mo clapped with a smile: "No wonder you're a professional musician!"

The show's executive director's eyes lit up, and he immediately seized this excellent opportunity, grabbing a megaphone and suggesting, "Teacher Zhou, it seems you have a special connection with this instrument! How about you give us an impromptu performance? A fusion of modern and traditional!"

The suggestion was met with enthusiastic response from the entire audience. All eyes were on Zhou Ai.

Zhou Ai smiled, raised her hand and deftly unbuttoned her shirt jacket, then casually took it off, revealing a pure white short-sleeved T-shirt underneath.

Then, with remarkable ease, he tied the shirt he had taken off around his waist and made a knot, which perfectly accentuated his waistline, making his shoulders appear broader and his legs longer, exuding a casual and unrestrained charm.

The midday sun in the mountains was just right. Zhou Ai casually brushed back some loose silver-gray hair from her forehead, revealing her smooth forehead and impeccably delicate eyebrows and eyes.

Those peach blossom eyes appeared even deeper in the sunlight, carrying a hint of languor and focus.

Zhou Ai took the distinctive stringed instrument again and tested two notes. Amid the expectant gazes of the crowd, he looked around and his eyes finally settled on a simple, half-person-high stone platform at the edge of the field.

He carried the violin in one hand, took two running steps, pushed off with his feet, and with one hand he flipped and leaped onto the high platform with great grace and agility.

"Wow--!"

A gasp of amazement erupted from the audience, especially from the young staff of the production team and the villagers, who were all stunned by the sudden and impressive move.

Chu Yi stood in the crowd, looking at the person on the high platform who seemed to be shining.

Zhou Ai stood on high ground, with rolling green hills and a clear blue sky in the background. The mountain breeze blew the stray hairs on his forehead and the hem of his shirt around his waist.

He tilted his head slightly, adjusted the strings, then looked up and swept his gaze across the audience, a faint smile playing on his lips.

At that moment, Chu Yi recalled attending Zhou Ai's first concert after his debut. Back then, he was much more inexperienced than he is now, but his singing voice and musical talent were exceptional.

Therefore, some people are born for the stage.

Even if the stage is just a simple stone platform in a remote Miao village, and the instrument is just an unfamiliar ethnic stringed instrument, Zhou Ai is still a superstar who can control the stage and shine brightly.

With his head down, sunlight streamed down Zhou Ai's face as he gently plucked the strings of his instrument. A brand-new melody, incorporating elements of Miao music he had just learned yet bearing a distinct personal style, flowed from his fingertips.

The music is fast-paced and catchy, combining the ethereal beauty of the mountains with the rhythmic feel of modern music.

He hummed a few lines of a tune without specific lyrics, his voice still a little hoarse from illness, but it unexpectedly fit the atmosphere of the impromptu piece.

Everyone was captivated by the unexpected and spectacular performance. The photographers frantically captured every angle, knowing this was undoubtedly the highlight of the show.

Chu Yi looked up at Zhou Ai on the high platform, at his profile as he played the instrument with concentration, at the hem of his clothes fluttering in the wind, at his figure that seemed to blend into the magnificent mountains and rivers behind him, and for a moment she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

My heart seemed to skip a beat amidst the cheers and music around me.