I'm in Wuha, and the whole internet is shipping me and Song Yuqi as a couple.

Under the big tree, Chen He counted the few Shu Tong coins in his arms while chewing on a tamarind cake he had picked up from the roadside.

Deng Chao tugged at his floral apron and looked up at Jiang Che and Song Yuqi, who had changed their clothes.

"Hey chef, now that we're out of the woods, where do we go next?"

"West Gate or South Gate? Old Wu's men are definitely blocking all the intersections."

Lu Han and Qin Xiao also came over, each holding props and ready to make a quick getaway.

Jiang Che held the xylophone in one hand and tapped the body of the instrument three times with his fingers, producing a crisp sound.

Why did you run away?

Jiang Che's gaze passed over the green-tiled roof and landed on the towering green-brick clock tower in the very center of the ancient town.

"The inn doesn't have a monitoring host, so Director Wu can't be directing operations from the street."

"The only place in the whole town with the best view, overlooking all the streets and with electricity, is the attic on the top floor of the clock tower."

Song Yuqi's eyes lit up, and she reached out to grab Jiang Che's sleeve.

"You mean, Director Wu is watching us from inside the clock tower right now?"

Jiang Che turned to look at her and reached out to smooth the stray hairs at her temples.

"Yes, he was watching the show from up there, and we were the monkeys down there."

"Since he wants to play cat and mouse, why not just destroy the cat's den?"

Upon hearing this, Chen He dropped the tamarind cake in his hand onto the back of his hand with a thud.

"Reverse base raid?"

"I love this dirty trick!"

Deng Chao slapped his thigh, unable to hide the smile on his face.

"Old Wu never dreamed that a wanted man would dare to storm his command post!"

Jiang Che handed the xylophone in his arms to Lu Han and quickly arranged the tactics.

"Brother Chao and Brother He were dressed in conspicuous clothes and were responsible for wandering around the main street in front of the clock tower."

"Xiao Lu and Lao Qin went to the back alley to make a commotion and distract the men in black guarding the gate."

"Jin Chen followed them to provide support, while Yu Qi and I climbed up the wooden ladder on the side of the clock tower."

The group immediately agreed and went about their respective tasks.

Deng Chao tied his headscarf tightly, grabbed the vegetable basket full of fake radishes, and rushed out.

"Radishes for sale! Fresh, juicy, big radishes!"

Chen He followed behind, leaning on his fortune-telling banner, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Analysis of birth charts and feng shui! No charge if inaccurate!"

Hearing the commotion, the black-clad constables on the main street all rushed over.

In the back alley, Lu Han and Qin Xiao banged their prop gongs and drums so loudly that the guards at the clock tower entrance ran over to check.

The defenses below the clock tower were left vacant.

Jiang Che grabbed Song Yuqi's wrist and quickly walked through the corridor to the wooden spiral staircase on the side of the clock tower.

Song Yuqi lifted the hem of her ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and followed him with light steps.

"Slow down, the steps are a bit slippery."

Jiang Che walked ahead, his palm holding Song Yuqi's slightly cool fingers, constantly watching his step.

The two climbed the wooden ladder, their steps light.

The wooden door at the top of the clock tower was ajar, and Wu Zheng's commanding voice could be heard coming from inside.

"Camera two! Keep a close eye on that fat fortune teller!"

"Don't let those two gong-banging guys on East Street get away either, surround them!"

Wu Zheng gestured into the walkie-talkie, while the assistant director and several directors stared intently at the split-screen monitor in front of them.

The door hinge made a slight creaking sound.

Jiang Che pushed the door open and entered, then bolted the door shut, cutting off the outside passage.

Song Yuqi followed closely beside him, watching the crew members in the room who were completely unaware.

Jiang Che walked straight to the back of the main control console and cut off the main power supply to the wireless transmitter.

Wu Zheng's walkie-talkie was immediately filled with static.

"Feed? Hey! Why isn't Unit 2 moving?"

Wu Zheng patted the walkie-talkie in his hand and turned around in puzzlement.

When Wu Zheng turned around, he was stunned, his mouth half open.

Jiang Che was leaning against the control panel, looking at him with a casual expression.

Song Yuqi stood next to Jiang Che and waved her hand at Wu Zheng.

"Director Wu, are you surprised?"

Wu Zheng stumbled, his lower back hitting the armrest of the director's chair, and the chair slid half a meter away.

"How...how did you get in?!"

"Where are the guards outside? Where are the men in black?!"

The assistant director turned his head, and the lid of the thermos cup in his hand rolled to Jiang Che's feet.

Jiang Che stepped on the cup lid and took a step forward.

"Director Wu, all your guards have gone to the streets to arrest fortune tellers and old ladies."

Jiang Che reached out and pulled the microphone in the center of the control panel, then pressed the red broadcast button.

At the same time, loudspeakers under the eaves of houses throughout the town emitted a piercing electrical hum.

Wu Zheng realized what was happening and reached out to grab the microphone.

"Jiang Che! Don't press any buttons! That's the town-wide announcement system!"

Jiang Che stepped aside to block Wu Zheng, then wrapped his arm around Song Yuqi and brought her to the front of the control panel.

His hand encircled Song Yuqi's waist, shielding her in front of him.

Song Yuqi straightened her back slightly, pressed against Jiang Che's front, and her ears turned red.

She grabbed Jiang Che's shirt fabric with her fingers.

Jiang Che lowered his head, his voice steady, his breath brushing against her ear.

"Didn't you want the Tongbao coins back?"

"read."

Jiang Che tapped his index finger twice on the table, signaling Song Yuqi to give orders into the microphone.

Song Yuqi adjusted her breathing, smiled, and leaned closer to the microphone.

"All Black-Clad Disciples of Qingcheng Ancient Town, heed my command!"

The clear sound echoed through the streets and alleys via the town's public address system.

On the main street, dozens of black-clad constables who were chasing Deng Chao and Chen He stopped in their tracks and looked up at the clock tower in unison.

Tourists on the street also stopped to look around.

Song Yuqi cleared her throat and continued speaking into the microphone.

"Wu Zheng, the leader of the Black-Clad Sect, has been captured on the spot!"

"Issuing the final command!"

"All constables, lay down your weapons and start dancing the most dazzling ethnic dance on the spot!"

"The team that jumps the hardest will each receive a reward of fifty coins!"

On the monitor screen, the black-clad constables, who had been standing in neat rows, hesitated for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, the lead extras decisively threw their wooden swords to the ground.

A lively rhythm spontaneously rang out on the street.

A dozen or so men in black lined up and began to move in unison on the bluestone pavement.

Tourists on the street burst into laughter and applause.

Deng Chao and Chen He stood at the very front, leading the group in large, sweeping movements.

In the monitoring room, Wu Zheng looked at the split-screen display, pressed his hand to his chest, sighed, and slumped back in his chair.

Song Yuqi looked at the scene on the monitor, her shoulders trembling slightly.

She turned around and looked up at Jiang Che behind her.

"Jiang Che, look! Brother Chao is jumping around even more energetically than the NPCs!"

Jiang Che looked down at her bright smile, and slightly tightened the arm around her side.

Song Yuqi felt the warmth emanating from his waist, her breath hitched slightly, she lowered her eyes, her fingers gripped the hem of his clothes, and she muttered softly.

"The camera is still on..."

Jiang Che's eyes held a smile as his gaze fell on her lips.

"Didn't it flow naturally when you called out 'husband' in the street just now?"

Song Yuqi's cheeks flushed, and she nudged him with her elbow.

"That was just an act, and you actually took it seriously."

Jiang Che leaned closer, his voice very low.

"I always take things seriously."

Song Yuqi's ears burned, so she simply buried her face in his collar.

The cameraman in the monitoring room zoomed in at the opportune moment and captured the scene.

Wu Zheng leaned back in his chair, looked at the screen, picked up the walkie-talkie, and sighed deeply.

"Stop broadcasting, cut off the signal."

"This show has completely become a publicly funded documentary about their relationship!"

The assistant director, suppressing a smile, whispered a reminder.

"Director Wu, what about Tongbao?"

Jiang Che casually picked up Wu Zheng's special coin bag from the table and weighed it in his hand.

The copper coins clinked together, making a crisp sound.

Jiang Che held Song Yuqi's hand and looked at Wu Zheng.

Song Yuqi lifted her head from Jiang Che's embrace and waved the money pouch in her hand at Wu Zheng.

Wu Zheng pulled his hat down over his face, leaned back in his chair, and stopped talking.

Early summer sunlight streamed through the carved wooden window and fell on the control panel, while outside, noisy laughter filled the air.