"What are you doing? Give me back my backpack," Quan Jiu said, reaching out to snatch it.
Chu Rong, intending to tease her, dodged her grasp, weaving left and right, refusing to let her catch him.
Quan Jiu, spurred on, adopted a determined stance, as if she wouldn't rest until she had it back.
And so, the two of them began to "play" chase in front of Meng Pinglang.
Meng Pinglang stood up and said, "I've rested enough. Let's go."
Quan Jiu, still trying to reclaim her backpack, stopped and glared at Chu Rong.
Chu Rong, however, slung the backpack over his shoulder, strode past her, and then quickly caught up to Meng Pinglang, saying in a relaxed tone, "The weak only regret their lack of stamina when they need it."
Meng Pinglang subconsciously glanced at him, then sullenly withdrew his gaze. He had to admit, even from a man's perspective, this bothersome person had a tall and sturdy build, a walking clothes rack, and didn't look at all disheveled even with two bags on his back.
"Give me back my bag, I don't need you to carry it," Quan Jiu called from behind, grabbing the backpack strap.
Chu Rong smiled slightly, "Hold on tight, that way I can pull you up the mountain, and you won't have to work too hard."
Quan Jiu abruptly withdrew her hand, glaring angrily at Chu Rong's retreating back. She had never realized before that this man was such a scoundrel.
"What does a screenwriter usually do?" Meng Pinglang asked Quan Jiu.
"Mostly writing. I'm a freelance screenwriter, I finalize scripts and schedules with the crew in advance and don't need to be on set." Quan Jiu gave up on chasing for the backpack and moved to Meng Pinglang's side, chatting with him.
The two chatted and laughed, and time passed quickly. During this time, there were no unnecessary interruptions, and they finally reached the mountaintop just before noon.
There was an open space at the summit, clearly a site cleared by the production crew in advance. After confirming with the crew that this was the campsite, Meng Pinglang suggested they set up the tents first.
Quan Jiu finally got her bag back, but she didn't rush to set up her own. Instead, she actively helped Meng Pinglang, hoping he would help her later, thus avoiding having to deal with Chu Rong.
But when she and Meng Pinglang had finished setting up his tent, she looked back at her own bag and found that her tent had already been set up, and Chu Rong was dismantling his own.
Quan Jiu felt a bit uneasy and hesitated whether to go and help.
Meng Pinglang walked over then, "I'll help him set up the tent, you rest for a while."
Seeing that Chu Rong didn't refuse Meng Pinglang's help, Quan Jiu turned away and began to observe her surroundings.
She didn't know much about wilderness survival, but she knew water was crucial. Clearly, the production crew had been thorough, and she didn't expect them to provide food and water.
As expected, when the staff saw that their tents were almost set up, they reminded them, "We've confirmed there's a water source nearby, but you'll need to find it yourselves. The same goes for food, you'll need to forage."
Seeing that the tent on that side had just had its stakes hammered in, Quan Jiu slung her small backpack over her shoulder and headed towards the other side of the mountain slope.
The mountain path was not easy, especially an undeveloped one, but fortunately, Quan Jiu was well-prepared. She took out a Swiss Army knife and searched as she walked.
The cameraman naturally followed her.
While searching, Quan Jiu explained, "Actually, I don't know much about wilderness survival skills. I know the production crew must have scouted the area recently. I'm not looking for a water source, but for traces they left behind."
She pointed to a broken twig and continued, "This must have been left by the production crew when they were scouting. They wouldn't just wander around randomly, they likely followed a path shown by locals. So, there's no need to worry about getting lost; there will definitely be a water source ahead."
As soon as she spoke, a faint sound of running water could be heard. Quan Jiu quickened her pace, and within two minutes, she spotted a mountain spring.
She took out a collapsible bucket from her backpack. It was disk-shaped and expanded into a bucket when pulled open.
"I bought this online. I think foldable items like this are very suitable for mountain camping," Quan Jiu explained with a smile to the camera.
The cameraman couldn't help himself and secretly gave a thumbs-up behind the lens, a silent gesture of admiration.
Quan Jiu placed the collapsible bucket at the water leak and then observed the surrounding environment. Suddenly, she jumped up with joy as if she had discovered a new continent, "There are wild berries here! I haven't seen this for years." She said, running towards a cluster of bushes.
The cameraman quickly followed.
A large cluster of thorny vines was intertwined, bearing deep purple, pea-sized fruits.
Quan Jiu quickly took out a plastic bag from her backpack and picked them, saying excitedly, "No one comes here, so these wild fruits grow very well. These berries are ripe. When I was a child, I loved finding these in the mountains. They're sweet and sour and very delicious."
She handed a small handful to the cameraman, saying expectantly, "Try them, they're really delicious."
The cameraman hesitated for a moment, then gratefully nodded. He took the wild berries and ate a few. They were indeed very tasty, so he ate them all, his mouth filled with a sweet and sour flavor, still wanting more.
"Since no one eats them here, I'll pick them all and share them with everyone." Quan Jiu was in a very good mood seeing something from her childhood. She wandered around with the bag, leaving not a single berry behind, and picked a full large bag.
Returning to the water source, the collapsible bucket was already full. Quan Jiu tested it and prepared to lift it, but before she could, she heard a commotion behind her.
In the desolate wilderness, she cautiously looked back and saw Chu Rong approaching her with a grim expression.
"Why did you leave without saying anything?" Chu Rong questioned, his brows furrowed tightly.
"You're not my guardian, do I have to report to you wherever I go?" Quan Jiu retorted unhappily.
"This is a mountain, it's very dangerous. What if something happened to you running around alone? Didn't you think..." Chu Rong almost roared.
Quan Jiu had never seen Chu Rong lose his temper at her like this. Even when he was angry before, he would only frown, never shout at her like this.
She looked at Chu Rong, bewildered, her voice tinged with unconscious grievance, "I was just looking for water and picking some wild berries."
The anger that had been fueled by Chu Rong's anxiety instantly vanished, leaving only endless worry and concern. He said gently, "It's very dangerous for you to run around like this."
After feeling wronged, Quan Jiu felt a surge of anger. They were getting divorced, so why did he always act as if he cared deeply for her? Or, as Wang Feifei said, was he trying to achieve his goal indirectly... no, trying to snatch the child indirectly?
She stopped looking at Chu Rong and walked back, carrying the bag of wild berries.
Chu Rong sighed softly in resignation, picked up the water bucket, and followed her.