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

The hands under the table were clenched tightly.

Song Yuqi appeared to be talking to Jin Chen about skincare products, but her ears were secretly turning red.

Jiang Che's fingers were long, and his palms were warm as he slowly stroked her knuckles.

"Chef, why do you always keep your right hand under the table?"

Chen He chewed on his grilled gluten, his eyes darting back and forth between the two men.

My hands are sore.

Jiang Che, without blushing or skipping a beat, picked up the plum juice on his left and took a sip.

"I spent the whole afternoon cutting bamboo, and my wrist cramped up."

Deng Chao, standing to the side, was overjoyed and slapped his thigh, trying to discredit him.

"Give me a break!"

"When you were spinning Yuqi around on stage just now, I noticed you had a really strong grip!"

Song Yuqi pinched Jiang Che's tiger's mouth hard under the table.

Jiang Che remained calm, took her fidgeting fingers into his hand, and gently squeezed them.

"Brother Chao, we still haven't figured out how to pay for tonight's accommodation."

Jiang Che turned to look at Deng Chao.

"How about you and Brother He go to the square tonight and squeeze into Director Wu's sleeping bags?"

Deng Chao's laughter stopped abruptly.

Chen He immediately threw down the skewer in his hand and grabbed Deng Chao's arm, pulling him outside.

"That's all, everyone go back to your rooms!"

"Who knows what kind of trouble Lao Wu will cause us tomorrow? Let's go back and catch up on some sleep!"

The group laughed and joked as they settled their bill and headed back to the inn.

The photography team also wrapped up most of their work, leaving only two small cameras for nighttime filming.

Song Yuqi slowed her pace and fell to the back of the group.

Jiang Che stopped and waited for her.

The lanterns on both sides of the bluestone path were still glowing faintly, and the river flowed at our feet.

"Are you full?"

Jiang Che looked down at her.

Song Yuqi rubbed her stomach and spoke softly.

"The grilled fish was too spicy; my stomach is burning."

Jiang Che turned around and went into a small tea shop that was still open next door, bought a bottle of warm almond milk and handed it to her.

Song Yuqi took it, cupped the warm bottle in her hands, and looked up at him.

"Jiang Che, you sang that line on stage just now on purpose, didn't you?"

Jiang Che raised an eyebrow.

Which sentence?

"The line 'The sky is the color of waiting for the rain'."

Song Yuqi pursed her lips, her eyes filled with a smile.

"The entire audience is chanting 'Get together,' don't pretend you can't hear it."

Jiang Che stopped and stepped aside to block the night wind.

"I heard you."

"Then why didn't you refute it?"

Song Yuqi looked up, her eyes reflecting the lights along the river.

Jiang Che looked at her rosy lips and took half a step closer.

"Refute what?"

"The eyes of the masses are discerning; why should I make excuses?"

Song Yuqi's breath hitched, and the heat in her ears surged up again.

"Glib and smooth-talking."

She muttered something under her breath, but didn't back away.

Jiang Che grabbed her wrist and led her toward the dock.

"Come on, I'll take you somewhere to digest your food."

Several small covered boats with small lanterns were moored at the dock.

The old boatman was sitting at the bow of the boat smoking a pipe when Jiang Che took out two coins and handed them to him.

"Master, let's take a drive around the river."

The old boatman took the money, smiled, untied the mooring rope, and lifted the bamboo curtain of the cabin.

The cabin was small, furnished with two cushions and a small wooden table.

Jiang Che stepped onto the deck first, then turned around and reached out his hand to Song Yuqi.

The boat swayed slightly on the water.

Song Yuqi missed a step and tilted forward, crashing directly into Jiang Che's arms.

Jiang Che took the opportunity to put his arm around her waist and gently carried her into the cabin.

Their bodies were pressed together, and through the thin fabric of their clothes, they could feel each other's heartbeats.

Song Yuqi placed her hands on Jiang Che's chest, the lines beneath her palms firm.

Jiang Che did not let go, and his voice rang in her ear.

Song Yuqi's nose brushed against his collar, and she smelled a faint fragrance.

"no."

She answered softly, her cheek pressed against his shoulder, forgetting to pull herself out of his embrace.

Jiang Che put his arm around her waist and sat down on the bamboo mat, letting her lean against him.

A bamboo curtain hung down, blocking the view from the shore.

The oars cut through the water with a soft sound, and the small boat drifted slowly into the depths of the ancient town.

A dim oil lamp shone in the cabin, its light and shadow swaying with the ripples on the water.

Song Yuqi took a sip of almond milk and turned to look at the night view outside the window.

The ancient houses with blue tiles on both sides of the river appear very peaceful at night.

Jiang Che.

"Um?"

"If it weren't for filming the show, would we have gone a long time without seeing each other?"

Song Yuqi hugged her knees, her voice soft.

Jiang Che put down his teacup and turned to look at her.

"If you want to see someone, you can always see them."

"You're usually so busy, you even reply to WeChat messages slowly."

Song Yuqi turned to look at him, her eyes filled with a hint of grievance.

Jiang Che raised his hand, his fingertips brushing against her slightly cool earlobe, and then gently pinched it.

"From now on, I'll pin your messages to the top and reply to them immediately."

Song Yuqi's heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't help but smile.

"You said it yourself. If you can't do it, you'll be punished by having to write ten songs for me."

"Write a hundred poems if you want."

Jiang Che smiled, put his arm around the back of the chair behind her, and pulled her into his arms.

The air in the cramped space was somewhat hot.

Looking into his deep eyes, Song Yuqi swallowed and asked softly.

"Jiang Che, when exactly did you start...?"

Before he could finish speaking, the ship suddenly shook.

"Esteemed guests, we have arrived at the shore."

The old boatman's voice drifted in from outside, breaking the silence inside the cabin.

Song Yuqi sat up straight and raised her hand to tidy up the stray hairs on her forehead.

Jiang Che sighed, withdrew his arm, and smiled helplessly.

"Let's go, Madam Jiang, it's time to return to the inn."

Song Yuqi glared at him, but the blush on her face didn't fade.

The two disembarked from the boat, walked through the quiet ancient alley, and returned to the backyard of the inn.

The lights in Deng Chao and Chen He's rooms had long been off, and the courtyard was quiet.

Jiang Che escorted Song Yuqi to the door of the side room on the second floor.

"Get some rest. Director Wu is definitely planning something big for tomorrow."

Song Yuqi pushed open the door, leaned on the door frame, and looked back at him.

Goodnight, you too.

Jiang Che stood outside the door, looking into her eyes.

"Just a 'goodnight'?"

Song Yuqi bit her lip, then suddenly tiptoed and quickly touched Jiang Che's chin.

Then, the door slammed shut.

Jiang Che stood there, raised his hand to touch his chin, and chuckled softly.

4:30 a.m.

A soft footstep suddenly echoed in the inn's corridor.

Wu Zheng, wrapped in a black down jacket, followed several filming directors carrying infrared cameras, and tiptoed upstairs.

"Be quiet, don't make a sound."

Wu Zheng whispered into the walkie-talkie.

"Jiang Che is very vigilant; we must catch him off guard today."

The assistant director asked in a low voice.

"Director Wu, are we really going to use a megaphone to wake them all up and make them carry manure?"

Wu Zheng smiled smugly.

"That's called experiencing agricultural culture!"

"They shone so brightly yesterday, if I don't teach them a lesson today, where will I put my face as the director?"

Wu Zheng walked to Jiang Che's door and took out a set of spare keys from his pocket.

He carefully inserted the key into the lock and turned it gently.

The door hinges made an extremely faint sound.

Wu Zheng pushed open the door, about to strike the large gong in his hand.

"Wake up! Everyone, assemble!"

The shout had barely faded when Wu Zheng froze on the spot.

The room was lit by a warm yellow bedside lamp.

Jiang Che didn't sleep at all.

He was dressed in neat sportswear, sitting at the table drinking hot tea, with a map of the ancient town in his hand.

At Jiang Che's feet, the lenses of two infrared cameras had been securely fastened.

The moment the door was pushed open, Jiang Che slowly raised his head and looked calmly at Wu Zheng in the doorway.

"Director Wu, you're up early."

Jiang Che put down his teacup, his tone calm and composed.

Wu Zheng's gong mallet hung in mid-air, unsure whether to strike it or put it down.

"You...why aren't you asleep?!"

Wu Zheng's eyes widened.

Jiang Che pointed to the eaves outside the window.

"I heard you when you stepped on the first tile and broke it in the yard downstairs."

The assistant director lowered his head awkwardly behind Wu Zheng.

Jiang Che stood up, walked to the door, and looked at Wu Zheng.

"Director Wu, what are you trying to do, breaking into a private residence in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

Wu Zheng, trying to save face, carried the gong behind his back.

"I'm here to issue an urgent mission!"

"The ancient town farm needs support. Everyone, gather in the southern suburbs in half an hour to fetch water and fertilizer!"

Jiang Che calmly took out his phone and tapped a few times on the screen.

A clear recording immediately came from the phone.

"Make them carry manure first thing tomorrow morning, deduct two hundred coins from their pay, and see how they show off their affection."

Wu Zheng's expression changed instantly.

"When did you record this?!"

Jiang Che put away his phone, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

"Yesterday at the clock tower control station, I casually copied a copy of the master recording of your intercom channel."

Wu Zheng swayed twice.

"Jiang Che...you tricked me!"

Jiang Che calmly closed the drawer and draped his coat over his shoulder.

"Director Wu, you can let us do farm work if you want."

"First, settle the 500 yuan performance fee owed from last night. Also, add a premium seafood breakfast for everyone in the ancient town."

"Otherwise, this recording would be trending on major platforms within five minutes."

Jiang Che walked over to Wu Zheng and patted him on the shoulder.

"I've already thought of a title."

"A well-known director used his position to settle personal scores, leading a team to bully guests late at night."

Wu Zheng couldn't catch his breath, and the gong in his hand clattered to the ground.

The doors at the end of the corridor opened one after another.

Song Yuqi rubbed her eyes and came out, wearing a neat coat, clearly having been awake for some time.

Deng Chao and Chen He poked their heads out, their faces full of expressions of anticipation for a good show.

"Wow, it's so lively so early in the morning?"

Chen He leaned against the door frame, laughing so hard he kept rubbing his stomach.

"Old Wu, your skill at trying to steal a chicken and losing the rice instead is getting more and more refined!"

Song Yuqi walked quickly to Jiang Che's side, tugged at his sleeve, and smiled.

"I knew Director Wu would pull this tactic."

Jiang Che looked into her clear eyes and held her slightly cool hand.

"Smart, I'll add two poached eggs to your breakfast later."