Seventeenth Day of Wanting a Divorce.
Seeing the situation, the reporters forgot all about filming the celebrities and turned their cameras to capture the faces of the rioting fans. In the chaos, An Rao’s support sign was snatched by a Lin Jingxi fan and slammed onto the ground. A crowd swarmed over, hands and feet flying, and the face of An Rao on the sign was instantly torn to pieces.
The small fan cringed in fear, trying to run back, but she was surrounded by Shen Yi fans who had rushed over after hearing the news. She huddled in terror, her eyes shimmering with tears.
“Apologize! Apologize to Jingxi! Who are you to call us uneducated!” A group of people clamored relentlessly, completely forgetting that their idol was standing behind them, watching their every move.
Just as the girl was about to settle for peace and apologize, a tall figure suddenly stood in front of her. Then, a hand gently grasped her own and shielded her behind his back. She looked up in shock and saw an elegant, slender neck and the familiar, clear silhouette of the back that always felt so secure.
“Rao, Brother Rao,” the girl murmured in disbelief.
The Lin Jingxi fans were stunned to see the star himself and instinctively fell silent.
“Is there no end to this?” An Rao looked down at them coldly.
He knew exactly what the consequences would be if he came out to lecture these uneducated fans at this time. It would definitely be posted online and sensationalized. But some people simply lacked discipline; if he did not step in now, they would only be bolder next time.
In an instant, dozens of cameras aimed squarely at An Rao’s face.
“She called me uneducated first!” the Lin Jingxi fan shouted.
“It was wrong of her to insult you, but does that give you the right to stomp on the safety barricades?” An Rao looked at her coldly. “How many passengers does this airport handle daily? If you break the barricades and trigger a stampede, the cost of public property is a minor issue. If lives are lost, can you take responsibility?”
The Lin Jingxi fan remained stubborn, repeating the same line: “Who told her to insult me? She deserved it!”
“Did she attack you personally? She only told you to get down. What was wrong with that? If everyone acted like you, climbing barricades and planes just to get their idol’s attention, where would the social order be?”
“So what if I stepped on it?” The fan suddenly raised her leg and climbed onto the safety barricade again. She stood with her hands on her hips, looking down at An Rao with contempt. “You are just exaggerating. If a barricade is this fragile, it only proves the country built it with substandard materials!”
In the dead silence, an unknown fan shouted: “Lin Jingxi’s fans should stop embarrassing themselves! Go back to your mother’s womb and learn how to be human!”
A fan holding a support sign for “Xue” squeezed through, pulled out a phone, and dialed a landline number. She asked: “I will ask you one last time. Are you coming down?”
The Lin Jingxi fan rolled her eyes at her, turned to Lin Jingxi, and jumped with a flowery smile: “Jingxi! I love you!”
Lin Jingxi had completely lost his earlier arrogance. What is wrong with this woman? Is she insane? Why is she still stepping on the barricade?
The Yin Xueya fan pressed the call button: “Is this the Airport Traffic Patrol Safety Branch? Someone is causing a disturbance at the airport.”
The girl froze, looked hesitantly at the phone, and then kicked the barricade hard. “Who are you to scare me? Do you think I am a three year old?”
Suddenly, her footing slipped. Her balance faltered, and her body collapsed rapidly downward! A chorus of gasps erupted from the crowd. The barricade was not very high, but if she fell awkwardly.
The girl instinctively reached out to grab something, already imagining the painful and embarrassing scene of landing on her backside. But in the next moment, her body fell into a soft embrace.
She froze and looked up. A pair of eyes with slightly reddened corners gazed at her coldly. Then, her feet landed steadily on the ground. An Rao looked away. “I told you it was dangerous.”
Thump thump, thump thump! Amidst the noise, the girl seemed to hear her own heart beating like thunder. Ah, so this man actually looks like this? Her heart beat so fast. The man carried a faint scent of laundry detergent that dominated and melted her entire sense of reason. Her face felt hot, as if it were on fire.
“Ah, Brother Rao is so dreamy! I love him!” Fans from other groups began screaming at the top of their lungs. “Brother Rao, can I be your loyal fan starting today?”
After the commotion, the sound of police sirens echoed through the airport. The cars stopped in the crowd, and four or five officers jumped out. “Where is the troublemaker? Where?”
Next, fire trucks sped down the airport road. After a sharp screech of brakes, firefighters carried a stretcher and safety cushions through the crowd.
Seeing that the situation had escalated, the girl finally snapped back to reality and bowed to apologize. “I am sorry! I am sorry for causing trouble!”
That man was standing right there watching her. It was so humiliating. Why did I climb the barricade for Lin Jingxi? Was I out of my mind?
Several police officers frowned, their gazes landing on the mud on the girl’s shoes and the muddy footprints on the barricade. The officer’s expression became stern. “Did you not see the sign prohibiting climbing and stepping?”
The girl lowered her head. “I, I did not do it on purpose.”
“She did it on purpose! We told her several times to get down and she would not listen. She was extremely arrogant!” a fan from another group shouted indignantly.
Firefighters hurried over to check the damage to the safety barricade. “The barricade is loose. Evacuate the crowd immediately. Staying in this area is prohibited!”
The police officer took a deep breath, the furrows in his brow deepening. “Contact your parents. We will see how much you need to pay for the damages.”
The girl’s face turned as pale as a corpse. “I, Officer, I was wrong. I will not do it again. Please do not tell my parents.”
Only then, seeing that his fan was in the wrong and fearing he would be labeled with the phrase “fans take after their idols,” did Lin Jingxi step forward to take the blame.
“Alright everyone, it is just a misunderstanding. My little fan just wanted to see me. I apologize to everyone on her behalf.”
But this insincere apology seemed to come a little too late. Security personnel, having seen the police on the monitors, quickly identified the troublemaking fans and ran over to drive them away. Several fans holding “Xi” support signs were pushed out unceremoniously by security. The guards muttered curses under their breath: “So uneducated. Whose fans are these? Get moving!”
The other fan groups only resumed their cheering once the eyesores were gone.
An Rao’s small fan was still trembling like a quail. She looked at An Rao cautiously and saw him pull out a tissue and a box of apple juice.
An Rao gave an embarrassed smile. “Sorry, I do not have a habit of eating breakfast, so I do not have much food on me. Here is some apple juice.”
The small fan’s eyes filled with tears as she tremblingly took the juice. This was her first time coming to the airport for her idol. She lived far away and had woken up at 3:00 AM to get here. She had not had a drop of water and was now hungry, thirsty, and exhausted from being attacked by Lin Jingxi’s fans. With her low blood sugar, she had almost fainted.
In that moment, apple juice had fallen from heaven, and it even carried the scent of her Rao Bao. She was so moved she could not even say a full word, and all her thoughts were replaced by sobs. Thunderous applause rang out from the crowd as almost everyone chanted An Rao’s name.
The program team had watched the drama for a long time before realizing it was getting late. They quickly called An Rao and Lin Jingxi back to the group. The two said goodbye to their fans with different thoughts and returned to the team.
An Rao’s small fan squeezed into the crowd, holding the apple juice with both hands. She could not help but bring it to her lips, her tear streaked eyes curving like crescent moons. As expected, I have a very good eye for people.
The MC rubbed his brow tiredly, energized himself, and signaled the cameras to turn toward him.
“Everyone, we have reached the final episode of the program. The team has decided to start a new theme mode. Your path to survival will become increasingly difficult.”
The MC intentionally left them in suspense, seeming to enjoy the expressions on their faces as if a disaster were looming. He flipped a card and read: “A massive flood has washed away your camp. All food and supplies have been swept away, and your group has been scattered by the flood. Although you were lucky enough to survive, you were washed away to different locations. This is the Shete Mountains on our country’s border, bordering a neighboring nation, with 2,300 square kilometers of wilderness. For the next week, you must find every possible way to survive here and wait for national rescue.”
For the final episode, it seemed the program team had spent a great deal of money to push the ratings to a new peak before the end of summer.
The group departed from Jincheng Airport by helicopter. Once above the distant Shete Mountains, they jumped in their designated teams with parachutes. There were no pre-prepared tents, no pots or pans, and no fire starting tools; at most, some emergency medicine was provided. Under these “three-nothings” conditions, they had to rely on their wilderness survival skills to last a week.
Over the past few days, Lin Jingxi had suffered one blow after another. His father was currently undergoing investigation, his fans had embarrassed him, and now he had to risk his life skydiving. He finally snapped, throwing himself into Shen Yi’s arms and sobbing uncontrollably.
Shen Yi felt sorry for his lover, tightening his arms around him and whispering comfort: “It is okay, baby. I am here.”
In the work camp of the Shete Mountains, the director sat by the computer watching the live broadcast. He could not help but turn to look at Chu Guannan behind him. “Are those two for real, or are they intentionally playing up a CP to create hype?”
Chu Guannan looked quietly at the sad and moving face on the screen, then looked away without speaking. His assistant, Chen Keke, was also crouching nearby and watching. She could not help but sigh in her heart: Brother Nan, oh Brother Nan. Your heart’s love has been claimed by someone else. It is a pity you are stuck with such a vulgar and smelly thing. Sigh.
On the other side.
At noon, a trending topic emerged: #An Rao Airport Gentlemanly Hand#
Someone posted photos of the airport incident on Weibo. In the photos, An Rao had his hands clenched, using only his arms to catch the Lin Jingxi fan around the waist, ensuring his fingers did not touch the girl’s body. The person who posted was an airport reporter. He usually had no interest in celebrities, but his caption was filled with strong personal sentiment: “Treating provocation with gentleness. A gentlemanly hand. A person’s subconscious actions often best reflect their true character and cultivation!”
The comment section was filled with excitement:
【This man is too excellent! Being held by him feels so secure.】
【The person involved said that this Lin Jingxi fan was particularly unreasonable. If it were me, I would have just let her fall.】
【Waaa, what kind of angel is An Rao? I am becoming a fan just for this.】
【An excellent citizen! He deserves it, he absolutely deserves it!】
【Hahaha, look at Lin Jingxi as a comparison. He even made a hypocritical apology for his fans, yet his fan has already switched sides. Look at her blushing face.】
As the plane flew over the Shete Mountains, looking down through the window revealed the majestic and continuous mountain range stretching as far as the eye could see. The mood of the guests was somewhat heavy. Although they knew the program team would not truly let anything happen to them, struggling in such a harsh environment was enough to make them suffer.
The Shete Mountains lacked resources and had an extreme temperature difference between day and night. At night, it could reach negative six or seven degrees. Without any heating equipment, one could easily fall seriously ill, if not die.
According to the draw, the first pair to skydive was Yin Xueya and Li Meiwei. Yin Xueya seemed to be an expert, skillfully and comfortably tying her safety ropes. Li Meiwei, on the other hand, had never participated in skydiving training. Just looking at the vast height made her legs go weak.
The cabin door opened, and a howling wind blew in, making Li Meiwei stumble. She looked back at Yin Xueya nervously.
“Are you afraid?” Yin Xueya asked softly in her ear.
Li Meiwei nodded, her features scrunched together. But she suddenly heard a confident light laugh beside her ear. When she looked back again, her cheek brushed against Yin Xueya’s crimson lips. Strange, did she and An Rao always look this similar? Her small heart instinctively sped up its beat.
Yin Xueya pressed her hands against the cabin door and whispered in her ear: “We are jumping. Do not be afraid. Give your heart to me.”
Following the instructor’s command, Yin Xueya bent her legs and leaped from the cabin while holding Li Meiwei. Falling from the height, the wind whistled sharply past her ears, but Li Meiwei felt that it was not so terrifying after all.
Next was Su Xiangming. He lamented his bad luck and ill-fated life, having to tie his safety rope and face the immense fear of the heights alone.
The plane continued to fly forward. The MC looked at Lin Jingxi, who had tied his safety rope, and asked: “You do not look very well. Do not you want me to apply for a special safe landing method for you?”
Lin Jingxi put on a smile and gripped the safety rope. “It is fine. Although I am afraid of heights, my parents taught me since childhood not to run away from difficulties but to face them bravely. As long as I take this difficult step, life will have greater rewards.”
Shen Yi hugged him from behind. “It is okay, I said I am here.”
With those words, the two closed their eyes and leaped out. Fear of heights? In an interview last episode, Lin Jingxi said he liked thrilling sports like bungee jumping and rock climbing. Since when did he have a fear of heights? Does this author not make an outline when writing? As long as the protagonist is perfect, logic and consistency can be ignored, right?
Xu Renyu had tied his safety rope and intended to help An Rao, perhaps to show off the charm of a secure, mature man. But when he looked up, he found that An Rao had already tied his harness and was waiting for him at the cabin door.
Before jumping, Xu Renyu asked An Rao a question: “Last time I fell off the cliff, how did you find me?”
“Footprints.”
“Footprints? There are so many footprints in the forest. Why were you sure they were mine?”
An Rao found it hard to keep his eyes open in the hurricane like wind. He looked back and smiled. “Everyone’s walking style is different, and the friction of the footprints is also different.”
Xu Renyu’s heart jumped. To be able to observe a person’s walking style so minutely, does he really have feelings for me?
An Rao: “Especially someone like you who does not lift their feet when walking. It is recognizable at a glance.”
After a rapid descent, the parachutes opened with a thump, slowing the fall. He also had to consider the speed of the nearby cameraman, ideally ensuring the cameraman landed a few seconds before him. An Rao adjusted his arm movements to change his descent speed, striving to stay on the same level as the cameraman.
Looking at An Rao descending at almost the same speed as himself, the cameraman could not help but admire him: Beautiful, smart, and a quick learner. I should take more shots of him.
By the time the parachutes safely landed, red clouds had already bloomed on the horizon. It was 6:00 PM, and it would soon be dark. Although the average temperature in the country was 32°C, this mountain range was located in a border region. The highest daytime temperature was only in the teens, and it would drop drastically at night.
Gazing at the vast mountains, An Rao felt the first priority was to solve the accommodation problem. After all, it was not only cold at night, but there might also be wild animals. There were only trees here. Sleeping in a tree could avoid animal attacks, but at negative six or seven degrees, one would freeze to death before being bitten.
“How do you plan to solve the accommodation problem?” the cameraman asked.
Xu Renyu thought for a moment. “Let us see if we can find a cave.”
But An Rao was already studying a fallen dead tree. The cameraman curiously aimed the lens over. An Rao patted the dead tree and said to Xu Renyu: “Come and give me a hand.”
Xu Renyu did not quite understand what he wanted to do, but as long as An Rao said it, he would surely do it. The two lifted the dead tree and propped it against another tree, forming a triangle. They then cleared the branches beneath the dead tree and spread the parachute over the top. From a distance, it looked like a small house with a triangular roof.
Xu Renyu was exhausted after the effort. He lay down in the “small house” and felt that aside from being a bit dirty, it was quite comfortable. But An Rao did not stop. He was squatting on the ground digging up moss.
“Why are you digging that? Are you going to make soup?” Xu Renyu was not mocking him; he was genuinely curious.
An Rao dug out a large, thick piece of moss and covered the parachute roof with it. He continued digging without looking up. “To keep warm.”
Xu Renyu’s mouth fell open. Aside from admiring An Rao’s practical skills, he was impressed by his knowledge. However, this was not something An Rao had intentionally studied. During his university years, he had gone on a field trip with a professor. That place was similar to this, a sea of forests with no people, only a lonely forest ranger living in a simple wooden hut. He liked to chat with the forest ranger while sketching. Many seemingly unremarkable people actually carry the whole world in their heads.
The moss hut was soft and warm. The two, exhausted from the day, lay inside as if on a Simmons mattress. Gurgle, someone’s stomach growled.
With accommodation solved, the next task was to appease their hungry bellies. But the biggest difficulty before them was: no knife, no utensils, and no ingredients.
An Rao sat hugging his legs and thought for a long time before suddenly saying: “I remember seeing a wilderness survival show. If necessary, earthworms can also.”
“That is enough.” Xu Renyu could not help but interrupt him. Although he believed firmly in An Rao’s words, earthworms were a no.
An Rao crawled out of the hut, patted the dirt off his clothes, and said: “It will be dark soon. If you do not want to actually rely on earthworms for food, we must find something now.”
Once it got dark, without lighting equipment, they might never find their way out of the forest if they got lost. An Rao looked around and suddenly found several large clusters of cattails growing behind a nearby tree, their fluffy seeds drifting in the night breeze.
An Rao suddenly smiled. He turned to Xu Renyu and asked softly: “Do you want to eat grilled fish tonight?”
Xu Renyu: “I do.”
“Then let us pick cattails together.”
Cattails are plants that look like sausages. Rubbing them can release a large amount of fluffy seeds, which are an excellent tinder nest for starting a fire with wood. Furthermore, its rhizomes are rich in carbohydrates and can provide energy when resources are exhausted in the wild.
The two struggled for a long time before finally lighting a campfire. By then, it was completely dark. Near their temporary shelter, there was a clear stream. The water was shallow, barely covering their ankles. The two stood by the stream, each holding a torch, watching the motionless trout in the water, ready to strike.
But it seemed fate was working against them. After waiting for only a short while, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky. The torches were dampened by the rain and their flames dwindled, eventually turning into a wisp of white smoke and going out completely.
The cameraman awkwardly covered the camera with his clothes and asked: “Should we go back first? It will be hard to walk if it rains harder.”
An Rao nodded. If it came to it, being hungry for one night was fine.
Just as the cameraman turned off the machine to run back, the light from the camera extinguished, plunging everyone into pitch black darkness where they could not see their own hands. An Rao’s heart jumped. He looked up toward the other side of the stream.
In the darkness, pairs of green eyes glowed with an eerie light, staring unblinkingly at them.