Everyone was exhausted from climbing the mountain, resting, drinking water, and massaging their aching waists and legs. No one noticed Tu Yiyi was missing—except for Gu Xiaofeng.
Gu Xiaofeng was about to call out when a certain possibility flashed through her mind, causing her to lower her head somewhat unnaturally.
Meanwhile, Tu Yiyi was in the woods picking wild fruit. She popped one into her mouth and chewed; it wasn’t sour at all, but sweet and juicy. She immediately emptied the water from her canteen, leaped up a tree, and filled it to the brim with wild fruit.
Zhuo Jin and Jian Lei crawled over from somewhere.
Zhuo Jin twitched his long antennae. “Miss, are you feeling unwell?
No.
Jian Lei wriggled his body. “Miss, is it that time of the month? Is your body out of sorts?
“No! Stop talking nonsense!
Zhuo Jin was worried. “Miss, you didn’t even have the strength to pull that human earlier, and now you’re picking wild fruit. Did you not eat enough this morning?
“Who said I didn’t have the strength? I just didn’t want to pull her,” Tu Yiyi replied without explaining that the fruit was meant for Cao Cao. She simply commanded, “Get in.
Zhuo Jin and Jian Lei crawled into her pockets, one on each side.
“Miss, there’s so much chocolate in your pocket!!” Jian Lei squealed with joy.
“Don’t eat it all; save one piece for me.”
“You got it, Miss.” Jian Lei unwrapped a chocolate bar and began munching on it.
Gu Xiaofeng was getting anxious. Tu Yiyi still hadn’t appeared. Even if she had gone to relieve herself, she should have been back by now.
The team finished their rest and prepared to set off. Gu Xiaofeng ignored her own thirst, her voice trembling with urgency: “Has anyone seen Tu Yiyi?”
Only then did the group realize Tu Yiyi was gone. The production crew panicked—if a guest went missing or met with an accident in the mountains, the show would be in huge trouble.
“Does she have a walkie-talkie?” “Yes, everyone has one.” “Page her, now!” “I can’t reach her.” “What happened?” “Either she’s not near the radio, or she’s out of range.” “Did she fall somewhere?” “What if she’s injured and broke a leg? She won’t be able to walk.” “Could she have run into an animal?” “There are many snakes in these mountains!” “Not just snakes. The locals say these mountains are huge; there are wild boars, and a wolf was spotted last year.”
The chaotic chatter made Gu Xiaofeng’s heart race. She was the one who brought Tu Yiyi here; if anything happened, how could she face her family? Gu Xiaofeng felt a mix of regret and desperation.
Why didn’t I keep a better eye on her? Why did I get angry? If I had just kept talking to her, she wouldn’t have wandered off.
Just as the group began to scatter to search for her, the brush in the distance rustled. Everyone was on edge, fearing a wild boar or a muntjac would charge out.
“What’s that?!
“Me,” Tu Yiyi said, parting the grass and jumping out. She smoothed her clothes. “The Great Me is here.”
“Tu Yiyi, where did you go?” “What were you doing? Do you want to scare us to death? We were worried sick! We were just about to go looking for you!” “Where’s your walkie-talkie? Why didn’t you answer?”
Tu Yiyi took the radio from her waist, looking a bit sheepish. I don’t know how to use it.
Good grief!
Still, since she was safe and sound, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. The director gave Tu Yiyi a stern lecture on safety protocols.
“I know… I’ll remember… it won’t happen again… sorry… for the trouble.”
Seeing her looking as dejected as a frost-bitten eggplant and having a good attitude about admitting her mistake, the director let her off after a few more words.
The coordinator shouted, “Everyone pack up! Don’t leave anything behind. We move in five minutes. The terrain ahead is steeper; if you want to stay behind, rest here.”
As soon as the director left, Tu Yiyi’s face lit up with a smile. She walked over to Gu Xiaofeng and opened her canteen filled with wild fruit. “Cao Cao, try these. They’re great for thirst.”
The bright red fruits were covered in water droplets, looking fresh and succulent.
“You went… to pick these?”
Tu Yiyi nodded. “These are edible. I recognize them and tried them myself. Look, I washed them one by one. That’s why it took me so long.”
Gu Xiaofeng picked one up and bit into it. It was sweet and juicy with a hint of tartness—perfect for a post-hike snack.
“Is it good, Cao Cao?”
Gu Xiaofeng took another one, raising an eyebrow at her. “Didn’t I tell you not to call me Cao Cao?”
This time, her tone was much softer, ending with a playful lilt.
“But you also said ‘whatever,’ so I’ll just call you Cao Cao.” Tu Yiyi looked at her. “I know you’re not Fragrant Grass Fang Cao; Fang Cao belongs to Duan Tianqi. You are Gu Cao Cao, you are my Cao Cao.”
Gu Xiaofeng:
Her hand holding the fruit froze. She instinctively wanted to retort, but her face felt faintly hot. Go share these with everyone.
“Okay, Cao Cao!”
It was the first time most of the group had tasted this fruit. After sweating from the climb, one piece made them feel refreshed. Qiqi ate five in one go. Du Jia smiled, “Yiyi really knows how to do everything. Life feels very secure with someone like her.”
Xiao Yuan peeked at Gu Xiaofeng. The Movie Queen’s expression was no longer the icy, “do not approach” mask from earlier. She was being completely handled!
After the long trek, many people were out of physical energy. Qiqi simply laid flat on the ground. “You guys go on, I’m not climbing anymore.”
Du Jia and her husband also withdrew from the “exploration” team. They said with a smile that since they had already found their love, they didn’t need to search for the “Love Flower” the Twin-Stemmed Lily. Everyone applauded their peaceful happiness, offering sincere blessings. No matter how glorious one is under the spotlight, everyone hopes for a partner to grow old with.
The rest continued. As expected, the mountain became steeper. Except for Tu Yiyi, who was still bouncing around effortlessly, everyone else was struggling.
The guide mentioned that the “Love Flower” grew in this area and told them to start looking. The cameramen couldn’t take it anymore, so the director nodded. “We’ll film here. Group off and follow.”
Gu Xiaofeng had only eaten a few noodles this morning. Now, she sat on a rock to rest, her pale skin flushed a soft pink from the exercise, looking like jade stained with rouge. Top-tier beauty—get the shot! The camera shutter clicked rapidly.
“Cao Cao, take a break. I’ll go find the Twin-Stemmed Flower.” Tu Yiyi unclipped her water bottle and handed it over, along with a bar of chocolate.
Xiao Yuan squinted her eyes. Chocolate? Miss Player, you’re about to get snubbed. Everyone knew Gu Xiaofeng never touched high-sugar, high-calorie foods. Usually, she’d give anyone who offered them a cold shoulder.
To her shock, the Movie Queen took it almost shyly, unwrapped it, popped it into her mouth, and even looked up to smile at the “Player” Tu Yiyi.
Xiao Yuan was stunned! No way! She actually ate it! This Gu Xiaofeng must be a time-traveler!
“Yiyi, aren’t you eating?”
Tu Yiyi was too embarrassed to say she only had one piece and gave it away, so she made up an excuse: “I don’t like sweets.”
Don’t like sweets? Then what happened to all those Star Daddy cakes?
“Cao Cao, I’m going to look for the flower. Don’t worry about my safety; a little place like this can’t trap the Great Me.”
“Great Me?” Gu Xiaofeng was amused by her spirited attitude. “What kind of ‘Great’ are you?”
“This young lady is the Great Fox Immortal!”
Zhuo Jin and Jian Lei in her pocket panicked simultaneously. Jian Lei: “Miss, you’ve exposed yourself!” Zhuo Jin: “Miss, please remember your status!”
A Fox Immortal?
Gu Xiaofeng sized her up. Pale, delicate skin, exquisite features, and a clear, pure aura that was both sweet and innocent. She looked nothing like the legendary, seductive vixens meant to topple kingdoms. The only thing “seductive” about her was her red lips, which looked plump and inviting…
Gu Xiaofeng looked at those lips—they seemed so soft and elastic…
She cleared her throat and looked away. “Then I’ll leave it to the Great Fox Immortal to find the flower.
Tu Yiyi hummed. “Cao Cao, just wait for me to bring it back for you.
For me?
The tips of Gu Xiaofeng’s ears turned red. Seeing the camera turn her way, she masked her reaction by smoothing her hair, returning to her usual calm.
Tu Yiyi jogged off a few paces. Gu Xiaofeng called out to her.
“If you can’t find it, it’s fine,” Gu Xiaofeng said for the camera, tempering her emotion so she didn’t seem too concerned, but adding: “Be safe.
“Got it!” Tu Yiyi turned and vanished like a puff of smoke.
The assigned cameraman: “No! No way! I’d die before I could keep up with her!
The others muttered: “My god! We’re exhausted, and she can still run like that!” “Did you see how much she ate for breakfast?!”
The crew followed Yu Na and Cheng Fei as they searched. Since the photographer couldn’t keep up with Tu Yiyi, they stayed to film Gu Xiaofeng. Her beauty was truly beyond reproach. That aloof, ethereal vibe combined with the green mountains and blue sky was perfect from every angle.
After a flurry of filming, Gu Xiaofeng gave a look to Xiao Yuan. Xiao Yuan understood she was tired of the camera and signaled the crew to take a break. Gu Xiaofeng looked toward where Tu Yiyi disappeared, but saw nothing but trees. She sat back down, but her eyes kept drifting back to that direction.
Xiao Yuan handed her a bottle of mineral water. Gu Xiaofeng shook her head, raising the canteen Tu Yiyi had given her.
Cao Cao! Cao Cao!
A voice drifted from afar. Gu Xiaofeng stood up immediately and walked a few steps forward. A figure moved rapidly through the woods, becoming clearer.
Tu Yiyi held a bunch of blue and white flowers, her eyes full of starlight. Her sweet, sincere smile would make anyone feel warm and happy.
In a daze, Gu Xiaofeng felt a flashback a pure and beautiful girl with crescent-moon eyes, smiling sweetly, running toward her. That pink figure, light and ethereal like a romantic cloud.
“What is it?” the girl in the memory asked, her eyes full of hidden affection.
“What is it?” Tu Yiyi asked again, her bright eyes looking at her with a smile.
The person before her overlapped with the fleeting image from the past before separating again. Tu Yiyi waved a hand in front of her face.
Gu Xiaofeng snapped out of it. No nothing.
“Look, I found the Love Flowers!” Tu Yiyi presented the large bouquet of Twin-Stemmed Lilies to Gu Xiaofeng like a trophy. The blue and white flowers were striking against the green mountain. “Cao Cao, for you!”
These flowers represent love. Most people send one; you send a whole armload! There wasn’t another logic like hers in the world.
“Your ‘love’ is quite abundant. I can’t tell if you’re passionate or just fickle, Gu Xiaofeng said with a half-smile, pulling a single stem from the bunch. “For some things, one is enough.
Wow! What a divine hint! Gu Xiaofeng was definitely implying something!
When the staff and the guide saw the massive bouquet, they were stunned. “So many!” “You found this many?!” “I thought they were rare! Lass, you’ve picked them all. What are the young men in our village going to do now?
Tu Yiyi’s smile froze.
In the end, at Gu Xiaofeng’s suggestion, the guide took the bouquet back to the village so the local youths could use them for their confessions.
Since no other group found any flowers, Gu Xiaofeng’s team took first place. The prize was a pair of brand-name diamond rings.
Tu Yiyi didn’t care about the rings, but as someone who had never won first place in any competition back in her home village, she was ecstatic. She almost wanted to hug Gu Xiaofeng and lick her. Under Gu Xiaofeng’s wary gaze, she had to forcibly suppress her fox-like urge to be flirty.
The production crew announced an extra reward for first place.
“What is it? Cake? Tu Yiyi’s tongue practically lolloped out in excitement. Could it be a mountain of Star Daddy cakes she could sit on and eat?
Sorry, if you want cake, you can make it yourself. The extra reward is that you get to ‘host’ tonight’s dinner—a feast.
Everyone burst out laughing.