Tomorrow's game was the Great Food Snatch.
Even before it started, Ji Zhaoxi was already looking forward to it.
She wasn't good at cooking, but she was an absolute expert at snatching things.
As night fell, the continuous croaking of frogs echoed from the grass by the nearby pond. Occasionally, a few dog barks drifted from the field ridges, startling the sleeping birds awake.
Ji Zhaoxi was burning mugwort. Its fresh, bitter scent filled the air. Because she leaned in too close, the smoke choked her, making her cough.
"You can stand a bit further back while burning it," a gentle voice suddenly rang out from above her.
Ji Zhaoxi looked over and realized it was Shen Huaiqiu. His hair was slightly damp, looking as though he had just come downstairs after taking a shower.
Shen Huaiqiu crouched down beside her and took the stick from her hand.
Ji Zhaoxi wasn't very familiar with Shen Huaiqiu. They hadn't spoken much on the show, and she hesitated inwardly about whether she should just leave.
"Zhaoxi, you'll be teaming up with Yanchen again tomorrow, right?" Shen Huaiqiu smiled.
"If nothing unexpected happens," Ji Zhaoxi replied dryly, looking at the pile of mugwort leaves.
Shen Huaiqiu looked gently at Ji Zhaoxi. "Actually, I'm quite curious about something. Why is it that you and Yanchen are always in the same group, Zhaoxi?"
Ji Zhaoxi answered honestly, "Because I want to be in a group with him."
She wanted to team up with Jiang Yanchen, and Jiang Yanchen hadn't refused, so naturally, they formed a group.
Shen Huaiqiu didn't expect Ji Zhaoxi to be so straightforward and was momentarily taken aback.
At that moment, Jiang Yanchen happened to walk out holding a bundle of mugwort leaves. As soon as he saw the person crouching next to Ji Zhaoxi, his brows immediately furrowed.
"Tch."
The cameraman hurriedly sprayed mosquito repellent all over himself, and once finished, immediately raised his camera.
He had been staking out this spot ever since Shen Huaiqiu crouched down beside Ji Zhaoxi, all just to capture a certain someone's reaction.
Jiang Yanchen's expression upon seeing this scene was absolutely priceless.
With an ugly expression on his face, Jiang Yanchen walked over carrying his pile of mugwort leaves.
The cameraman initially thought Jiang Yanchen would say something, but the next second, he watched him forcibly squeeze himself right between the two of them.
Then, with a natural expression, he tossed his pile of mugwort leaves into Ji Zhaoxi's pile.
The red embers burned in the fire basin. Before long, a gentle breeze blew past, sending dark gray ash from the air drifting straight onto Shen Huaiqiu's head.
The hair he had just washed would have to be washed again.
Shen Huaiqiu: ...
He wiped the dust off his face and chuckled softly. "Yanchen, why did you come out too?"
Jiang Yanchen was extremely impatient. "Isn't it perfectly normal for me to be here?"
On this show, when was he not with Ji Zhaoxi? He should be the one asking Shen Huaiqiu that question.
Shen Huaiqiu kept smiling. "Because I don't think I've ever seen you burn mugwort leaves before, so I was a bit curious."
Jiang Yanchen's expression grew even uglier. What on earth was there to be curious about?
Ji Zhaoxi peeked her head out and smiled at Shen Huaiqiu. "Jiang Yanchen came looking for me. I haven't burned them before, so he hasn't either."
Jiang Yanchen looked at the hand resting on his knee, his ears turning red. He forced himself to look away and silently burned the mugwort leaves.
But it was so dark at night, taking a few glances wouldn't matter, and it was just a hand anyway...
However, just as he was about to lower his head to look at that hand, it was pulled back.
Jiang Yanchen choked up for a second. Never mind, forget it.
[Hearing Ji Zhaoxi speak up for him, Jiang Yanchen must be thrilled to death inside.]
[I don't understand this guy at all. His ears turn red just from looking at a hand?]
[I'm dying of laughter. He was sitting there mentally preparing himself before looking, and then she just pulled it away.]
[What's up with Shen Huaiqiu? Didn't he have zero interaction with Ji Zhaoxi before?]
"You can poke it with the stick," Ji Zhaoxi said, resting her chin in her hands and quietly watching the mugwort leaves in the basin.
Jiang Yanchen obediently took the stick and poked it a few times.
Because they were sitting so close, Jiang Yanchen would brush against Ji Zhaoxi when moving the stick, but Ji Zhaoxi didn't react to it.
Meanwhile, there was a whole galaxy of distance between Shen Huaiqiu and Jiang Yanchen.
"Cough, cough..." Ji Zhaoxi was suddenly choked by the smoke and turned her head away.
Jiang Yanchen clumsily tried to block the smoke for her and hastily put down the stick. "Sorry."
Ji Zhaoxi's face was a little red from coughing, and teardrops hung on her eyelashes.
Subconsciously, Jiang Yanchen grabbed a tissue and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"Jiang Yanchen, you did that on purpose, didn't you?" Ji Zhaoxi's voice sounded a bit aggrieved.
Hearing Ji Zhaoxi's voice, Jiang Yanchen's entire face flushed red as he continued to explain, "I really didn't mean to."
Seeing that Ji Zhaoxi was finally doing better, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Looking at the moisture in Ji Zhaoxi's eyes, he awkwardly turned his head away, blushing red and saying nothing.
Was she acting spoiled with him just now...?
Then, the cameraman watched helplessly as Jiang Yanchen began to mechanically drink water.
Drink water, put it down, drink water, put it down again, drink water again, put it down once more...
The more water he drank, the redder his face became, and the corners of his lips curled up into an imperceptible smile.
Beside them, Shen Huaiqiu witnessed this entire scene, completely ignored by the two of them from start to finish.
Jiang Yanchen noticed Shen Huaiqiu's gaze, and his face grew impatient again. "Aren't you going to sleep?"
He didn't understand what the guy was doing just hanging around here.
He was Ji Zhaoxi's teammate, so it made sense for him to be here. What was Shen Huaiqiu to Ji Zhaoxi? Why was he still here getting in the way?
Shen Huaiqiu maintained his composure. He stood up and smiled at Ji Zhaoxi. "Zhaoxi, Yanchen, I'll head up first then."
Ji Zhaoxi looked up and waved at him. "Go ahead."
With Shen Huaiqiu here, she felt like Jiang Yanchen was unhappy.
After Shen Huaiqiu left, Jiang Yanchen asked uncomfortably, "Are you... on really good terms with him? I heard you two filmed a drama together before."
Ji Zhaoxi froze for a moment, then shook her head. "My relationship with him isn't as good as my relationship with you."
"As for that drama, I don't really have much of an impression of it anymore."
Jiang Yanchen quickly shot a glance at Ji Zhaoxi. Suppressing the irrepressible upward curve of his lips, he gave a dry response, "Oh."
She was explaining herself to him, wasn't she.
At the thought of this, Jiang Yanchen felt an overwhelming sense of secret delight.
He suddenly understood the director a little bit; right now, he also really wanted to jump up and shoot an imaginary basketball.
But that would be too stupid.
The mugwort leaves finally finished burning. Ji Zhaoxi walked in front, and Jiang Yanchen followed behind her, carrying the basin.
As they walked, the distance between them kept shrinking until they were walking side by side.
"We're a team tomorrow, right."
"Mhm."
"Oh."
The road was wide, but their footsteps unconsciously drifted toward the middle. Every few steps, their arms would accidentally bump into each other.
The moonlight stretched their shadows, and the two silhouettes on the ground had long since merged together, making it impossible to tell them apart.
Meanwhile, Shen Huaiqiu lay in bed, quietly looking at the moonlight outside the window.
Ji Zhaoxi had helped him before. Actually, when the show first started, he had wanted to get closer to her and had even thought about speaking up for her a few times.
But the public opinion online made him hesitate, and that hesitation had lasted until now.
But now, it seemed she no longer needed anyone to speak up for her.
