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

The last gold thread was gathered and knotted on the silk cloth.

Song Yuqi picked up the scissors and cut off the thread, then gently blew away the dust from the umbrella surface.

A bright red, shimmering Shu brocade is stretched across thirty-six bamboo ribs, with layers of begonia petals that gleam with a flowing luster in the setting sun.

Mission accomplished.

Song Yuqi smiled and held the umbrella above her head, turning it halfway around.

Jiang Che reached out and caught the bottom of the umbrella handle, then took her slightly warm fingers in his hand.

"The craftsmanship is quite good."

Song Yuqi withdrew her hand and lightly scratched his palm with her fingers.

"Boss Jiang has produced so many coins, I dare not cut corners."

Jiang Che clenched his fist, gathering the warmth she left behind in his palm, and strode towards the door.

"Let's go, the Thousand Lanterns Ceremony is about to begin."

As night falls, thousands of lanterns illuminate the long street along the river in the ancient town.

The cobblestone path was bustling with people, and the sounds of gongs, drums, and vendors' cries mingled together, creating a lively atmosphere.

Wu Zheng, dressed in a black Tang suit, stood in the center of the stage holding a microphone, fanning himself with a palm leaf fan.

"Dear fellow villagers and tourists, welcome to the Thousand Lanterns Festival in Qingcheng Ancient Town!"

A cheer erupted from the audience, and flashbulbs went off non-stop.

Wu Zheng puffed out his belly, a confident look on his face.

"Tonight, our Wuha Travel Group will present three intangible cultural heritage skills, and the audience will vote to choose tonight's champion!"

Chen He poked his head out from backstage, his face covered in red and black smears.

"Old Wu's demeanor makes him look like the town mayor."

Deng Chao stood beside him, nervously rubbing his palms together as he adjusted the heat-resistant clothing.

"Stop joking around. When the molten iron is thrown out, make sure you aim carefully before you hit it, don't hit me on the head."

The sound of gongs and drums suddenly rose in pitch.

Wu Zheng waved his palm-leaf fan and loudly announced the program.

"First group, a dazzling display of fireworks! Please welcome Brother Chao and Chen He with applause!"

Accompanied by a powerful drumbeat, two craftsmen carried a scorching hot furnace onto the open ground.

Deng Chao and Chen He walked out with stiff steps, their bodies trembling.

Deng Chao, gripping a long wooden stick, glanced back at Chen He and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Chen He, are you ready?"

Chen He took a half step back and held the striking board in front of his chest.

"Brother Chao, go ahead and splash it! If I can catch it, I'm lucky; if not, you're on your own!"

The audience burst into laughter.

The blacksmith scooped up a spoonful of molten gold and tossed it high into the air.

Deng Chao gritted his teeth, exerted force with his wrist, and swung the wooden stick to accurately strike the molten iron.

Golden sparks scattered across the night sky, creating a dazzling display of light that drew screams from the entire audience.

Chen He seized the opportunity and swung the wooden board, repeatedly striking from the side, sparks flying everywhere.

Although the movements were a bit clumsy, and he almost burned his clothes a few times, the visual effect was exceptionally stunning.

After finishing their performance, the two, steaming with heat and panting heavily, bowed to the audience.

Wu Zheng, who was watching from the side, was a little stunned, and the joke he had prepared got stuck in his throat.

"These two actually mastered it?"

Next up was the Sichuan Opera face-changing troupe.

Qin Xiao, holding a folding fan and flicking his long robe, strode onto the stage amidst the rousing beat of gongs and drums.

Lu Han followed behind him, her feet in theatrical boots, her movements light and graceful.

Qin Xiao raised his hand to cover his face, his folding fan fluttering, his black face turning red in the blink of an eye, and then turning white again.

A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience.

Lu Han worked alongside the fire-breathing props, and golden flames shot into the air.

Although Lu Han's mask momentarily caused a half-second lapse, he deftly turned around and naturally resolved the situation.

After the two performances concluded, the atmosphere at the venue reached its peak.

Wu Zheng glanced at the scoreboard in his hand and began to make calculations in his mind.

"The first two groups performed so well, what can Jiang Che and his group compare to with just one umbrella?"

He cleared his throat and stepped back onto the stage.

"The last group, the grand finale of intangible cultural heritage projects, is the Shu embroidery oiled paper umbrella display!"

The clear and melodious sound of the guzheng flowed slowly through the night sky.

The spotlights around the stage gradually dimmed, leaving only a warm white spotlight shining on the arch bridge.

Jiang Che, dressed in a plain white robe, walked slowly onto the stone bridge.

Song Yuqi, dressed in a light red Hanfu and with her black hair tied up, stood in the center of the stone bridge.

Their eyes met, and Jiang Che stepped forward, steadily opening the large red Shu brocade umbrella in his hand.

The golden threads shimmered in the light and shadow, and the crabapple blossoms embroidered in the center of the umbrella were vivid and lifelike.

The audience fell silent for a moment, then erupted in gasps of amazement.

"It's so beautiful!"

"This Shu brocade umbrella is simply a work of art!"

Song Yuqi reached out and held onto the edge of the umbrella, then turned half a circle on the bridge as Jiang Che followed her steps.

Her skirt swayed gently in the breeze, and her flowing sleeves billowed.

Jiang Che reached out and put his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him until they were almost touching.

Song Yuqi looked up at Jiang Che, her eyes reflecting the lights of the sky.

Jiang Che lowered his head, and with his other hand he firmly gripped the umbrella handle, shielding her from the rain of flowers falling from the bridge.

Petals fell onto the red umbrella, sliding down the ribs to the ground.

Jiang Che's voice came through the headset, steady and clear, singing softly in sync with the rhythm of the guzheng.

"The sky is the color of rain after a storm, and I am waiting for you."

Song Yuqi smiled and naturally continued the next sentence.

"The moonlight was scooped up, blurring the ending."

The two voices blended together, without the noise of complicated accompaniment, making it exceptionally moving.

Tourists below the stage held up their phones to record the scene, and cheers rose and fell.

Chen He stood backstage, stroking his chin.

"Brother Chao, all that effort we put into forging the iron just now seems like we've just become the backdrop for paving the way for them."

Deng Chao wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded in deep agreement.

"We're more than just background figures; we're just laborers. They're filming a period epic."

After the song ended, Jiang Che closed his oil-paper umbrella, grasped Song Yuqi's slightly cool wrist with his palm, and walked together to the center of the stage.

Song Yuqi's cheeks were flushed with a pretty light blush, and her breathing rose and fell slightly.

Wu Zheng walked onto the stage, looked at the excited audience below, and his expression froze.

He picked up the microphone and tried to take control of the process.

"Judges and audience members, please pick up your glowing bracelets and vote!"

Ten seconds later, the vote count on the big screen began to jump rapidly.

The Iron Flower group received 200 votes, and the Face-Changing group received 230 votes.

Meanwhile, the number of votes for the oil-paper umbrella group climbed steadily, reaching a full 580 votes.

The audience erupted in applause.

Wu Zheng stared at the numbers on the screen, nearly dropping the palm-leaf fan in his hand.

He clutched his chest, sighed, and closed his eyes.

"Lost again..."

Jiang Che turned to look at Wu Zheng and raised the corners of his mouth.

"Director Wu, you flatter me."

Song Yuqi laughed along, pulled out the coin pouch from her sleeve, and waved it in front of Wu Zheng.

"Director Wu, our entire crew's late-night snack tonight depends entirely on the bonus you sponsored."

Wu Zheng waved his hand weakly, turned around and walked off the stage.

"We're done recording, let's wrap up quickly. I don't want to see those two again tonight."

Half an hour later, at an open-air barbecue stall by the river in the ancient town.

Everyone sat around a large round table, which was covered with grilled fish, lamb skewers, and chilled drinks.

Deng Chao picked up his wine glass, slammed his hand on the table, and shouted.

"Come on, let's celebrate our resounding victory tonight, successfully escaping Old Wu's clutches!"

The group raised their glasses and clinked them together, the crisp sound echoing in the night breeze.

Chen He took a bite of half a skewer of grilled meat and spoke indistinctly.

"Chef, next time there's something like this, give us a heads-up beforehand, so that Brother Chao and I don't have to suffer the molten iron."

Qin Xiao chimed in from the side.

"Yeah, my scalp is still tight. I want to choose crafts next time."

Song Yuqi sat down next to Jiang Che, picked up a piece of fish meat with her chopsticks after removing all the bones, and put it into Jiang Che's bowl.

"Chef Jiang, you've worked hard. Please eat more."

Jiang Che looked at the fish in the bowl and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Just one piece of fish?"

Song Yuqi's ears burned, and she lightly nudged him with the tip of her foot under the table.

Jiang Che chuckled softly, picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth, then took her hand under the table as she tried to pull it back.

Their fingers intertwined, and the warmth of their palms quietly spread.

Song Yuqi tried to move but couldn't break free, so she simply let him hold her and turned to chat with Jin Chen beside her about tomorrow's itinerary.