Ch 68: Want to Get Down?
It was not an easy task to go down from the bank into the stream to fetch water. Yin Chang saw Xue Ziwen eager to go down and quickly stopped him, saying, "Wait a moment."
He went down himself to check the slope and water depth, and after confirming it was safe, he turned back, "Do you want to come down and play?"
Xue Ziwen replied, "Yes, yes!"
Yin Chang had Xue Ziwen to take off his shoes at the bank before lifting him up.
"So heavy! Xue Ziwen. You should lose some weight," Yin Chang said while effortlessly carrying him.
Xue Ziwen chuckled, knowing that Yin Chang was teasing him, and he didn't get upset.
On this scorching summer day in the humid rainforest, Xue Ziwen's little feet touched the stream, and he joyfully stepped on the water and shouted, "The water feels so comfortable, haha!"
Yin Chang then turned to Shao Junling, "What about you?"
Shao Junling stared at him without saying a word. Just now, when he saw Yin Chang carrying Xue Ziwen, it felt like something had gripped his heart, and it didn't feel good.
In truth, Yin Chang was hoping that Shao Junling could show a bit of childishness towards him, just like Xue Ziwen. But this little guy had such a warped personality that it was frustrating. Even now he was keeping silent and didn't have the appearance of a normal child at all. No wonder for such a long time, Yin Chang had no idea that Shao Junling actually cared about him deep inside.
As Yin Chang assessed Shao Junling, he walked over and noticed a slight change in Shao Junling's expression, as if there were some expectations.
Yin Chang crouched down and personally grabbed his feet, helping him take off his shoes.
Shao Junling's face blushed.
But after Yin Chang finished taking off the shoes, instead of proceeding, he looked up at Shao Junling, "Do you want me to carry you?"
Shao Junling opened his mouth but didn't say anything.
Yin Chang sighed helplessly. He took the initiative to carry him and put him down in the stream, then tugged on his earlobe and said, "Is it so difficult for you to say 'yes'?"
Shao Junling let out a soft grunt... Was it really necessary for him to be like Xue Ziwen?
After settling Shao Junling, Yin Chang turned back to Qin Jingshan.
Qin Jingshan waved her hand repeatedly and said, "I'll come down by myself!"
Yin Chang smiled, "I was about to say the same thing. We're of different genders, so I won't carry you."
Qin Jingshan: "..."
Qin Jingshan had just witnessed the scene of Yin Chang carrying Shao Junling, and she felt that something was off... Was it because Yin Chang was really too good-looking and charming? Even someone like her, who was immune to handsome guys, felt her heart beating inexplicably fast...
She quickly used her hand to fan herself, trying to calm down.
The four of them splashed around in the water for a while. When it was time to fetch water, according to the show's rules, each group had to manage on their own, and Yin Chang couldn't help.
Yin Chang carried two buckets of water on his own without asking for Xue Ziwen's help. On the other hand, Shao Junling had been reminded by his older brother to help Qin Jingshan, so he also carried a bucket of water by himself.
Walking behind Yin Chang and the others, Shao Junling could only hear Xue Ziwen constantly flattering his brother, "Yin Chang, you're so amazing! Aren't you tired? Do you want me to help?... Don't judge me by my weight, I'm actually quite strong!"
Yin Chang laughed, "No need. Be careful while walking, the path is rough. Don't trip."
Xue Ziwen replied, "Hehe! I know! Yin Chang, you're really nice! So thoughtful!"
Shao Junling's mouth twitched, suddenly feeling the urge to punch Xue Ziwen.
In the evening, the production team distributed dinner based on their task performance. After eating, Xue Ziwen went to Qin Jingshan and Shao Junling's tent to enjoy the air conditioning.
When it was time to sleep, Yin Chang went to find him, but Xue Ziwen didn't want to leave.
Yin Chang bent down outside the tent, "Alright then, I'll take my Shao Junling back home. I don't need you anymore, okay?"
As soon as Xue Ziwen heard that, he quickly got up. He didn't want to leave a bad impression on Yin Chang.
Once Xue Ziwen left, there were only Qin Jingshan and Shao Junling in the tent.
Qin Jingshan wanted to chat with Shao Junling for a while. It could relieve the awkwardness and also improve their relationship, making their collaboration more pleasant. But after she said only two sentences, Shao Junling muttered, "Sis, I want to sleep."
Qin Jingshan: "???"
Then Shao Junling really fell asleep, leaving Qin Jingshan so frustrated that she almost couldn't sleep. Why did her charm have absolutely no effect on Shao Junling?
Early the next morning, Yin Chang got out of the treehouse and saw Shao Junling squatting outside the tent, still half asleep.
Yin Chang walked over, "Why are you squatting outside?"
Shao Junling replied with a look of frustration, "Sister was changing clothes and kicked me out."
Yin Chang: "..."
Indeed, although Shao Junling was still young, Qin Jingshan was a grown girl. It was a bit inconvenient for them to spend the night in the same tent.
Yin Chang said, "Come on, I'll take you to have fun."
Shao Junling looked at Yin Chang blankly and got up to follow.
Yin Chang took him to the treehouse where he and Xue Ziwen stayed. The treehouse actually had three levels. The first level was the room where Yin Chang and Xue Ziwen stayed, but you could climb further up along the wooden stairs on the side to reach a terrace which was about five meters off the ground.
Yin Chang led Shao Junling to the terrace, where a small area of the surrounding forest could be seen at a glance.
"How is it? Do you like the view?" Yin Chang asked as he sat next to him.
"Yeah," Shao Junling looked around. His line of sight was elevated and extended, and it gave him a strange and wonderful feeling.
He saw his tent, and Qin Jingshan had already changed and walked out. She walked around the tent, seemingly looking for him, and called out his name.
Shao Junling and Yin Chang heard it, but they remained silent, watching Qin Jingshan from above as if they were watching a show.
"Are you afraid of heights?" Yin Chang asked.
"At this height, it's fine," Shao Junling tried to control himself from looking down.
Yin Chang estimated that Shao Junling didn't have a fear of heights, and with some practice, he should be able to overcome it. So, he enticed him, "Do you want to go up further to take a look?"
"Um..." To be honest, Shao Junling was a bit nervous, but he didn't want Yin Chang to notice, so he reluctantly nodded.
Yin Chang reached out and lifted him up, placing him directly on the terrace of the third level.
This level was about six or seven meters off the ground, and Yin Chang had to tilt his head back to look at Shao Junling from below. He slowly let go, "Is it still okay?"
Shao Junling's feet dangled in the air, and unintentionally, he glanced down. He instantly became pale with fear.
He tightly gripped the wooden edge, and fearfully called out, "Brother," his whole body was stiff and unable to move.
Yin Chang initially wanted to challenge him a bit, but seeing him in this vulnerable and helpless state, he couldn't help but be touched.
Yin Chang neither approached nor moved away, maintaining a distance from Shao Junling. With his hands in his pockets, he smiled in a teasing manner and asked, "Do you want to come down?"
"...!" Shao Junling suddenly felt a sense of crisis. He glared at Yin Chang in frustration. At that moment, Yin Chang took a small step back, deliberately creating more distance between them.
"Brother!" Shao Junling called out anxiously, his black eyes pleading for help, as if begging Yin Chang not to leave.
Because he realized that at this height, he wouldn't be able to descend without Yin Chang's assistance.
"What do you want to tell me?" Yin Chang asked patiently.
Shao Junling's eyes glistened with moisture. At this point, he completely disregarded his pride.
"I want a hug..." he pleaded softly.
Yin Chang's gaze met Shao Junling's, his eyes filled with depth. He smiled and opened his arms, walking closer. Shao Junling almost couldn't wait and rushed into his embrace, holding onto his neck tightly, his limbs weakly draped over his shoulders.
The chuckle emanating from Yin Chang's body made Shao Junling realize how genuinely pleased his brother was at this moment. However, Shao Junling gritted his teeth, feeling an intense sense of humiliation from being taken advantage of.
Yin Chang's laughter finally caught Qin Jingshan's attention. She raised her head and saw Yin Chang and Shao Junling on the terrace of the treehouse... playing "lift me up"?
Her eye twitched, a dark vein appearing on her forehead... What on earth were these two brothers doing?!
After breakfast, the host gathered them for an activity. The day's activity was jungle exploration.
Representatives from each of the five teams drew a jungle map. The maps depicted their routes from the starting point to the finish line.
The starting points on the five maps were different. The staff would take them to the corresponding starting points based on the maps they drew. All five teams would depart simultaneously, needing to collect three specified items in the jungle before heading to the finish line. The team that collected the designated items first and reached the finish line would score ten points, the second team would score eight points, and so on in descending order. The last team would score two points.
Because the route was long, this activity would last the entire day. Therefore, the locations of the food supply packs were marked on the maps. If they couldn't find them, they would go hungry.
The points earned in the competition could be exchanged for dinner that evening, and the exchanged food could also support the other half of their original families.
After understanding the rules, everyone gathered together as usual and complained.
Especially Wang Chen, after one night, he was nearly exhausted from being tormented by You Luming. "Playing jungle exploration in this scorching weather and having to bring along a crying little girl, is like a death sentence for me!"
Huang Han apologized, "Uncle, if it doesn't work out, just go with the flow... I'll try my best to get first place and then exchange food to support all of you."
Wang Chen saw Xue Ziwen hiding behind Yin Chang and making faces at him. He became riled up. "No need! I will also do my best!"
After listening to their discussion, Old Luo had the staff bring a gleaming golden trophy. He pointed to the trophy and smiled. "In addition to the rules I just mentioned, there's one more thing: the total points earned by the original family members in this activity will be added together, and the team ranking first will receive this trophy."
Several kids stared at the trophy, their eyes wide open. The allure of such a thing to children was tremendous.
But what did Old Luo just say...
The total points of the original family members will be added together?
Old Luo explained, "Let me give you an example. Suppose Huang Han and Guo Yiheng are the first to reach the finish line, while Wang Chen and You Luming are the last to reach the finish line. Then Huang Han and You Luming's score would be ten plus two, twelve points. If Lang Chizhi and Qin Xifeng's group is the second to reach the finish line, then the score for the twin brothers' family would be ten plus eight, eighteen points. The twins would be in first place. The ones receiving the trophy would be Lang Chizhi and Guo Yiheng."
The crowd was in an uproar. This rule stated by Old Luo directly dispelled any thoughts of someone trying to take advantage.
Qin Jingshan was also happy. This way, Shao Junling would not hold her back.
Old Luo continued, "Furthermore, the ranking of the original family's points will directly determine the order in which they choose their rooms in the next episode, so everyone needs to work hard!"
Yin Chang: I've found the right way to use my little brother.
To love him means to tease him. (*￣︶￣)
Shao Junling: Just you wait!
