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

With a dark expression, Wu Zheng pulled out his wallet from the inside pocket of his down jacket.

He counted out five bright red banknotes and slapped them directly onto the inn's counter.

"Eat! Have a large portion!"

Wu Zheng gritted his teeth, his tone full of resentment.

"After this breakfast, nobody's going to be lazy when we get to the South Suburb Farm!"

Deng Chao reacted quickly, grabbing the banknotes and pulling them into his arms.

"Old Wu is so generous!"

Chen He stood beside him, his eyes narrowed into slits with laughter, and his stomach jiggled.

"Let's go! I heard the crab roe buns at that dim sum stall at the east end of the ancient town are absolutely amazing!"

Song Yuqi held Jiang Che's arm and followed behind him with small steps.

The ancient town was cool in the early morning, and the bluestone streets were wet.

Jiang Che grasped Song Yuqi's slightly cool fingers with his other hand and casually put them into his coat pocket.

Song Yuqi twitched her fingers, her palm pressed against his, and the corners of her mouth subtly turned up.

The teahouse is built along the river, and the second-floor seating area is filled with steamers.

Steaming white mist spread above the table.

Crab roe buns, shrimp dumplings, and braised chicken feet filled the table.

Deng Chao grabbed a custard bun and stuffed it into his mouth, hissing in pain from the heat.

"This is the right way to record a TV show!"

Chen He's chopsticks never stopped; he picked up three shrimp dumplings in a row.

"Chef, thanks to your recording, otherwise we'd be picking through farmyard manure right now."

Song Yuqi filled a small dish with vinegar, picked up a crab roe bun, and carefully bit a small opening in it.

Golden broth flowed out.

Song Yuqi held the steamed bun to Jiang Che's lips, her eyes filled with a smile.

"Try it, the soup here is especially delicious."

Jiang Che didn't take the chopsticks; instead, he lowered his head and bit off half of her hand.

The savory flavor of the broth spread between the lips and teeth.

Jiang Che raised his eyelids and looked into Song Yuqi's eyes, which were so close to his.

"It is indeed quite sweet."

Song Yuqi's cheeks flushed slightly as she muttered to herself.

"This is salty crab roe, where did the sweetness come from?"

Chen He's chopsticks fell to the table with a clatter.

He clutched his chest and turned to look at Deng Chao.

"Brother Chao, I'm full. This breakfast was too high in sugar and could easily cause high blood sugar."

Deng Chao rolled his eyes.

"Just eat yours, this is a legal and compliant way for them to replenish their energy."

Lu Han and Qin Xiao chuckled to themselves as they clinked their glasses of soy milk together.

Wu Zheng sat at the next table, holding a bowl of clear soup noodles in his hands, his eyes filled with resentment.

He put down his chopsticks, picked up the megaphone, and stood up.

"Now that we've eaten and drunk our fill, let's get down to business."

The entire room fell silent, and several pairs of eyes turned to Wu Zheng.

Wu Zheng cleared his throat and unfolded a red task card.

"The Ancient Town Folk Culture Festival held a water-based wedding relay race this morning."

"All the guests were divided into three groups to row wedding boats and catch embroidered balls on the ancient canal."

"The winning team will receive a clue to the town's ultimate treasure, as well as a luxurious cruise dinner tonight."

Chen He stuffed the last half of the bun into his mouth and asked indistinctly.

"And what about the losers?"

"The losing team is responsible for cleaning all the toilets in the town's inns."

Deng Chao spat out a mouthful of soy milk.

"Old Wu, you're way too vengeful!"

Wu Zheng put away the task card, a smug smile on his lips.

"The group draw has decided that Jiang Che and Song Yuqi cannot be in the same group!"

Song Yuqi raised an eyebrow and immediately retorted.

"Director Wu, isn't this unfair? We were all forming teams freely before."

Wu Zheng raised his chin, appearing self-righteous.

"Your combination has too high a winning rate, which seriously affects the balance of the competition in the show."

Jiang Che slowly swallowed the food in his mouth and took out a tissue to wipe the corner of his mouth.

He looked up at Wu Zheng, his tone calm.

"Director Wu, rulebook, page 3, rule number 12."

"Permanent partners have the privilege card to refuse to split up the team once."

Wu Zheng paused for a moment, then turned to look at the assistant director behind him.

The assistant director flipped through the script and whispered a few words in Wu Zheng's ear.

Wu Zheng's face fell.

"Didn't I hide that card under the prop box? How did you know?"

Jiang Che took out a gold-embossed card from his pocket and placed it on the table.

"I took it yesterday when I was looking for Tongbao coins at the Bell Tower."

The entire stadium erupted in cheers.

Deng Chao slammed his fist on the table and burst into laughter.

"Old Wu, the chef has practically ripped your underwear off!"

Song Yuqi took the privilege card, waved it in front of Wu Zheng, and smiled with her eyes crinkling.

"Director Wu, I'm sorry, we refuse to disband the crew."

Wu Zheng covered his forehead and sat back down in his chair, feeling utterly exhausted.

"What a disaster... Let's go! To the docks!"

Red ribbons were hung along both banks of the canal, and three vermilion wooden boats were moored on the water.

A large red flower was tied to the bow of the boat, and two wooden oars were hung on each side of the hull.

A golden embroidered ball hangs beneath the stone arch bridge in the middle of the canal.

The current was quite rapid, and the boat kept rocking on the surface.

Chen He looked at the swaying wooden boat and his legs felt a little weak.

"Why does this boat look so unstable?"

Deng Chao rolled up his sleeves and pulled Chen He toward the boat.

"What are you afraid of? With me here, nothing can happen!"

Meanwhile, Lu Han and Qin Xiao were already comfortably seated on the second boat.

Jiang Che supported Song Yuqi's arm and helped her step into the cabin and sit down.

The boat rocked slightly, and Song Yuqi quickly grabbed Jiang Che's waist.

Jiang Che sat down naturally, gripped the wooden paddle with both hands, and pressed his body against her back.

"Hold on tight to the handrail, don't be afraid."

Jiang Che's voice was calm and steady.

Song Yuqi leaned against him and could feel the strength in his back.

Her cheeks felt hot, and she gripped the gunwale tightly with both hands.

Wu Zheng stood on the command platform on the shore and raised the starting pistol.

"On your marks, get set!"

With a bang, a gunshot rang out, and all three boats broke through the water at the same time.

Deng Chao rowed frantically, and the wooden boat spun half a circle on the water.

"Brother Chao! Swipe left! Left!"

Chen He shouted anxiously, wildly splashing water with his oar, getting himself soaked.

Lu Han and Qin Xiao worked together seamlessly, and the small boat glided forward with the current.

Jiang Che exerted force with both arms, and the wooden paddle was steadily pressed into the water, leaving streaks of white water.

The small boat had a very stable draft and cut through the waves, quickly overtaking Lu Han's group.

Song Yuqi turned to look at Jiang Che, her eyes filled with surprise.

"Jiang Che, you're so fast!"

Jiang Che didn't stop what he was doing. He looked down at her and smiled.

Don't use this word to praise someone.

Song Yuqi was stunned for half a second, then her ears burned as she realized what was happening, and she reached out and patted his thigh.

"Focus on rowing!"

The stone arch bridge ahead is getting closer and closer, with a golden hydrangea hanging in the center of the arch, about two meters above the water.

The water flow formed a small eddy under the bridge arch, and the boat began to sway and rock.

Lu Han's boat caught up, and the two boats docked side by side under the bridge arch.

Qin Xiao stood up to reach for the embroidered ball, but the boat swayed and he fell back down in the cabin.

"No, it's too high, I can't reach it at all!"

Song Yuqi looked up at the embroidered ball above, eager to try it out.

Jiang Che put down the oar, placed his feet firmly on the keel of the boat, and put one arm around her waist.

"Step onto my shoulders to get up, and hold on to the bridge wall."

Song Yuqi turned to look at him, somewhat hesitant.

"Are you sure you can stand firm? The current is so strong."

Jiang Che grabbed her ankle and lifted her up steadily.

"Trust me, step on it."

Song Yuqi pursed her lower lip, reached out to hold onto the cold blue brick arch of the stone bridge, and carefully stepped onto Jiang Che's shoulder.

Jiang Che bent his legs slightly to stabilize himself, and held her knees firmly with both hands.

Song Yuqi straightened up and precisely gripped the pull ring that held the embroidered ball.

Tourists on both sides of the canal erupted in deafening cheers.

Wu Zheng stood on the shore, holding a telescope, jumping up and down in anxiety.

"Little Deer! Old Qin! Hurry up and rock their boat!"

Lu Han waved his hand from the boat.

"Director Wu, there should be a bottom line. We won't do such a despicable thing!"

Using the strength of her waist and abdomen, Song Yuqi pulled, and the mechanism lock opened with a snap.

The golden hydrangea landed steadily in her arms.

"Got it!"

Song Yuqi shouted happily and looked down at Jiang Che.

The bottom of the boat was hit by an undercurrent, causing the entire wooden boat to tilt to the right.

Song Yuqi lost her balance and fell from above.

Tourists on the shore gasped in surprise.

Jiang Che's eyes sharpened, and he withdrew his hands, extending his arms to catch the falling Song Yuqi steadily in his embrace.

The force of the fall caused Jiang Che to fall backward, his back landing heavily on the wooden deck.

Song Yuqi lay completely against Jiang Che's chest.

Their breaths mingled, so close they could see the light and shadow in each other's eyes.

The hydrangea rolled away and landed to the side.

Song Yuqi placed her hands on his shoulders, her palms filled with his rapid and powerful heartbeat.

Jiang Che's arms were tightly wrapped around her waist as he looked down at her flushed cheeks.

"Are you alright?"

Jiang Che's voice was a little hoarse.

Song Yuqi shook her head, her fingers already gripping his collar tightly, her chest heaving.

"No...it's nothing."

Jiang Che didn't immediately let go; his fingers touched her waist.

"Have you hugged enough?"

Song Yuqi snapped out of her daze, quickly propped herself up, and blushed as she hugged the embroidered ball to her chest.

A burst of enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted from the shore.

Deng Chao's boat then slowly swayed into the bridge arch.

Chen He clung to the gunwale, poked his head out, and shouted.

"Hey you two, be mindful of your behavior in broad daylight!"

Deng Chao wiped the sweat from his face and joined in the commotion.

"Old Wu, we can't record this competition anymore, let's just give them marriage certificates!"

On the shore, Wu Zheng threw the megaphone to the ground and leaned against the railing, utterly dejected.

"Let's carry it away, it's tiring."

Jiang Che sat up, patted the water stains off his clothes, and reached out to pull Song Yuqi to his side.

Song Yuqi lowered her head, clutching the embroidered ball tightly in her arms, but couldn't help but smile.

The small boat slowly approached the dock.

Jiang Che stepped onto the stairs first, then extended his right hand to Song Yuqi.

Song Yuqi put her hand into his dry, warm palm and used it to jump ashore.

Their coats were damp with moisture, and a gentle breeze brought a slight chill.

Jiang Che casually took off his coat and draped it over Song Yuqi's shoulders, his movements natural and efficient.

Song Yuqi wrapped her coat, still warm from his body, tighter around herself and looked up at him.

"What would you like to eat for the big meal later?"

Jiang Che looked down at her, a smile playing on his lips.

"I'm fine with anything as long as it's not made by Lao Wu."

Wu Zheng, who was standing nearby, heard everything clearly and was so angry that he blew his beard and glared at his opponent.

"Jiang Che! Don't get too cocky! You'll be in for it this afternoon playing hide-and-seek at the castle!"

Jiang Che took Song Yuqi's hand and walked towards the rest area without looking back.

"Director Wu, stop with the harsh words and remember to prepare the grand feast on the pleasure boat at noon."

Chen He and Deng Chao followed from behind, supporting Wu Zheng from both sides.

"Let's go, Lao Wu, back to the inn to clean the toilets. A bet's a bet!"

Wu Zheng was dragged away by the two men while wailing, which made all the staff burst into laughter.

Sunlight filtered through thin clouds and shimmered on the surface of the canal.

Song Yuqi quietly tightened her grip on Jiang Che's fingers and turned her head to look at his handsome profile.

A gentle breeze blew through the ancient town, carrying the warmth of early summer.

The two shadows overlapped on the bluestone slab, stretching out long.