Chapter 12: The Raised Hand Lowered

“Big brother is the best! Love you!”

Ning Qingyan awkwardly removed her boot, pulled her foot out, and then slipped it back into the boot before turning to glance at Gu Si.

“You’re so great—why don’t you try it?” she said.

Gu Si leisurely put on his boots, shot her a disdainful look, and said in his usual sarcastic tone, “Do you think I’m as incompetent as you? Watch and learn, rookie.”

With that, he arrogantly leaped into the muddy pit in one stride, landing in front of Ning Qingyan. He took one step forward and tried to pull his left foot free. The moment his foot popped out with a loud “plop,” the boot stayed firmly stuck in the mud.

Gu Si: “o_O?”

Ning Qingyan: “Hahahaha! Serves you right for mocking me. Karma’s real!”

Still stuck in her awkward position, Ning Qingyan couldn’t hold back her laughter. But her imbalance caused her to topple backward, landing squarely in the mud with a splat.

Ning Qingyan: “O_o?”

Gu Si: “Hahahaha! Who’s the one hit by karma now, huh?”

Meanwhile, Wen Shijin and Gu Si followed suit, stepping into the mud. Upon seeing her fall, Wen Shijin quickly walked to Ning Qingyan’s side. He bent down, wrapped an arm around her waist, and gently helped her up. His voice was low, smooth, and calming, sending a slight shiver down Ning Qingyan’s spine.

“When pulling your foot out of the mud, don’t try to yank it straight up. The larger the surface area, the more force the mud exerts on your boot. Instead, lift your heel first to let air into the gap. Then, tilt your foot and pull it out at an angle.”

Huo Qi, who had just arrived and witnessed Wen Shijin’s action, clenched his hand briefly but then relaxed, his expression indifferent as he looked away and slowly moved forward.

Once Ning Qingyan steadied herself, Wen Shijin let go. Following his instructions, she managed to free her foot with ease and smiled.

“You’re amazing, big brother. Hehe.”

Wen Shijin’s phoenix eyes softened, and his lips curved into a small smile. “It’s just basic knowledge. I figured you might not have experienced muddy terrain before.”

Gu Si overheard their conversation, applied the same technique, and moved swiftly toward the end of the pit. Ning Qingyan noticed his pace quicken and hurried to follow, unwilling to lose her precious gourmet rewards.

As time passed, Gu Si continued his cheeky remarks while keeping five meters ahead to avoid Ning Qingyan’s antics.

“Little Yan, with that strength of yours, how will you protect your future girlfriend?”

“Are you expecting me to wait for you?”

Sweating under the scorching sun, Ning Qingyan almost gave up until Gu Si’s taunting voice spurred her to push forward.

Near the end of the pit, the female guests were waving excitedly—not at her but at Gu Si, whom they believed would be the first to rescue them.

Seeing this, Gu Si raised his voice confidently. “See that? That’s how you charm girls. Your future girlfriend is waving at me! Aren’t you going to try harder?”

Gritting her teeth, Ning Qingyan muttered, “You promised to let me have first place next time! You said you never lie, liar.”

Gu Si’s slanted phoenix eyes sparkled mischievously. “I never lie—unless there are special circumstances, like now.”

Frustrated, Ning Qingyan grabbed a clump of muddy red clay and flung it at Gu Si. He dodged effortlessly, smirking. “Trying to take me down? Not happening.”

Another clump came flying, and he avoided it again with a smooth backbend. But when Ning Qingyan began hurling handfuls of mud in rapid succession, one hit squarely on his forehead, causing him to lose balance and fall backward into the mud.

The female guests at the end of the pit froze, except for bubbly pop singer Sheng Mingzhu, who burst into laughter. The others—cool and aloof Lin Qingqing, delicate Xu Ruanruan, and tomboy Qiao Li—were all taken aback, astonished by Ning Qingyan’s audacity.

Seizing the moment, Ning Qingyan dashed toward the pit’s edge. However, Gu Si, still sprawled in the mud, grabbed her leg, pulling her down.

Now both stuck, they could barely move. The mud clung stubbornly to their limbs, making escape nearly impossible.

“This is what you get for playing dirty,” Gu Si said, lying back in defeat. “We’re stuck here now.”

Ning Qingyan, showing no remorse, lay beside him and said cheekily, “Well, you lied first. Besides, the rules only say the first to reach the finish line wins. They don’t say how.”

Just as Gu Si was about to retort, Wen Shijin caught up to them. Without a word, he stopped beside Ning Qingyan, casting a shadow over her.

Looking up, she saw his defined jawline and prominent Adam’s apple. Wen Shijin extended his hand toward her, his gentle voice washing over her like a soothing breeze.

“The water in this mud is cold and full of bacteria. Let me help you up.”

Blushing slightly, Ning Qingyan placed her hand in his. With a firm yet careful pull, he lifted her out of the mud.

“Thanks, big brother.”

Her smile was dazzling, and her peach blossom eyes sparkled with joy. Wen Shijin smiled faintly, helping her clean the mud from her hair.

“You go on ahead. I’ll handle him.”

Lying in the mud, Gu Si: “…?”

“Big brother is the best! Love you!” Ning Qingyan said with a mischievous grin as she confidently marched toward the finish line.

Gu Si chuckled dryly, got up, and was about to chase after her when Wen Shijin blocked his path.