Meng Pinglang remained unmoved, "Yes, someone did. It was me."
His voice wasn't exactly cold, but it was stern enough to be almost unapproachable.
Qi Fei, sitting two seats behind him, almost dropped his jaw upon hearing this. He then silently gave a thumbs-up to the camera: Impressive.
Chu Rong's brows furrowed tightly. Just as the photographer began to suspect he might explode at any moment, his gaze softened. He turned sideways and squeezed through the gap between Meng Pinglang's knees and the back of the seat in front of him.
Then, he forcefully wedged himself between Quan Jiu and Meng Pinglang and sat down.
Not only Meng Pinglang but everyone in the bus was stunned by his maneuver. Quan Jiu, exasperated, turned her head towards the window. Not wanting to be near Chu Rong, she shrunk inward as much as possible, inadvertently freeing up half of her seat.
Meng Pinglang shot Chu Rong a displeased glance. Finally, with no other option, he had to make way and move to another seat. Chu Rong then took his place, not forgetting to say lightly, "Thanks."
Quan Jiu didn't look away from the window for the rest of the time.
...
After more than three hours on the bus, they finally reached their destination—the foot of Magpie Mountain.
The production team handed each person a hiking backpack, containing basic equipment such as a tent, sleeping bag, and water bottle. However, the nearly waist-high backpack seemed a bit much for some of the female guests.
Mai Su adjusted her backpack, feigning weakness, "This is too heavy, I can't carry it."
But as soon as she spoke, Quan Jiu, from the other side, nimbly put on her backpack. She carried her own smaller bag in front of her, a hiking pole in hand, along with a hat and a sweat towel, looking quite at ease.
Mai Su felt annoyed and said with a sarcastic smile, "Sister Quan, are you a strongwoman?"
Quan Jiu smiled lightly, "My physical fitness is quite good. Unlike your delicate nature, I prefer to be fit."
Mai Su chuckled twice, "Women are made of water. You're so pretty, don't think of yourself as a tomboy."
The other female guests remained silent. They tried on their own backpacks. While not light, they were manageable. Any adult woman could carry them.
However... looking at their outfits of jeans, skirts, high heels, and disheveled hair, they suddenly found themselves agreeing with Meng Pinglang. The slope was steep, and their current attire was indeed unsuitable for climbing the mountain.
As they hesitated, Quan Jiu and the male guests, under the guidance of the staff, began climbing the mountain path.
A female guest became anxious. Looking at her high heels and the heavy suitcase weighing over twenty pounds, she said with difficulty, "What about our suitcases? Also, I didn't bring any long sleeves or pants for this trip."
The staff member replied helplessly, "We did inform everyone that this episode's theme is outdoor activities, so sportswear is recommended. The production team doesn't have extra clothes or shoes, and the luggage can be left in the car."
"Ah? But I saw in previous episodes that you were always in villas and on lawns. Why is our episode so tough? And everything we need is in the suitcases..." another female guest complained.
The staff member said with a smile, "Starting from this episode, the program will no longer be limited to leisurely dating between male and female guests. Instead, it will focus on mutual help and common growth. It's often said that before deciding to be together, one must travel far together. This outdoor survival episode is along those lines."
Mai Su watched Chu Rong walk quite a distance ahead. She had no choice but to abandon her suitcase, put on her backpack, and chase after him.
As she left, the other female guests had no choice but to sigh and start climbing the mountain with their backpacks.
The mountain path was steep and an uncommercialized dirt and stone road, with thorny bushes in some places. This truly made things difficult for the delicate female guests, who stumbled along miserably.
However, three of the female guests received help from three of the male guests, who carried their backpacks for them.
It was a classic damsel-in-distress scenario. The three female guests were deeply moved, their admiration for the male guests practically overflowing from their eyes.
Only Mai Su was left alone, as Qi Fei had gone to help another female guest with her backpack, while Chu Rong and Meng Pinglang walked on either side of Quan Jiu, showing no intention of helping.
Mai Su gritted her teeth in anger but could do nothing. She could only endure it, her steps as heavy as if she were walking to her own funeral.
As she walked slower and slower, after an unknown amount of time, she suddenly looked up and realized no one was ahead of her anymore. They had all left her far behind, with only the accompanying photographer slowly trailing her.
Mai Su, frustrated and defiant, decided to sit down and rest. But after sitting for a short while, mosquitoes began to bite her all over her legs and arms. She was so angry she almost cried, and could only complain to the camera:
"I just wanted to have a simple romance. Why do I have to suffer and be angered here? This show is too torturous. I swear, I will never participate again."
Unfortunately, no one responded. The photographer was like a decoration, remaining silent.
Mai Su sat with a stern face for a while longer, then dragged her backpack and began to walk uphill with difficulty. With every step, she cursed the "bitchy, green tea, scheming bitch" in her mind.
...
Meanwhile, Quan Jiu, with her athletic background, found the weight of the hiking backpack to be trivial. She had also prepared accordingly, wearing a windbreaker and hiking boots, so she walked very easily.
Yet, even so, Meng Pinglang tried to help her with her backpack, even making a rare joke, "Look, they're all carrying backpacks for the girls. If I don't, people will talk."
Quan Jiu, seeing his slightly breathless state, couldn't help but tease, "Tell me when you've caught your breath."
Meng Pinglang's serious face couldn't hide his embarrassment. He sighed helplessly, "I'm purely a science student. I don't even know how to play basketball. I spend my free time memorizing legal codes, so my stamina is a bit lacking. But after this, I've decided to sign up for a gym after the recording. I can't let people laugh at me for being a weakling."
"You have quite a bit of self-awareness," Chu Rong remarked indifferently. He added, "Based on my fifteen years of fitness experience, you're too frail. You can't carry much of a burden."
Meng Pinglang said expressionlessly, "There's nothing difficult in the world if one is determined. I've never lacked perseverance and willpower."
"Dreams and delusions are two different concepts."
Quan Jiu quickened her pace, leaving the two of them behind, preferring not to hear.
...
The climb wasn't particularly exciting. It was a steady upward trek, and with everyone carrying weight, there weren't many extra conversations along the way.
After more than an hour, the main group had dispersed, with various degrees of falling behind. Only Quan Jiu and Chu Rong remained at the forefront.
Although Meng Pinglang was already panting from exhaustion, he managed to keep up. However, more than the physical fatigue, his ears were bothered.
"My time is very valuable. You are seriously dragging us down," Chu Rong said calmly, looking at his watch.
Meng Pinglang was still catching his breath. This was the umpteenth time Chu Rong had belittled him.
However, he didn't urge Quan Jiu, who was waiting for him, to go ahead. Instead, he said, "Let's go slower. There's a lot of scenery in the mountains. We can treat climbing as an enjoyment, not a task that must be completed, and there's no need to race to be first."
Quan Jiu nodded in approval, "Yes, you're absolutely right."
As if gaining strength, Meng Pinglang said indifferently, "When a group of people is aggressive from the start, determined to win, they lose their sincerity. It's as if they have some special purpose. Girls should be more careful and vigilant with such people."
Quan Jiu nodded in approval again, "Yes, that makes sense."
Chu Rong's face darkened. Without a word, he took Quan Jiu's hiking backpack and slung it over his own shoulder, looking provocatively at Meng Pinglang.