CHAPTER 27: Toasted

Gu Sheng felt that Wen Heng’s pain tolerance was extremely inconsistent.

She still didn’t understand how he and Fu Shan ended up clashing. She hadn’t actually seen what happened between them either. It was very likely that Wen Heng simply had a system reaction and thought Fu Shan had hit him.

But no matter the cause, with Wen Heng’s pain tolerance and physical condition, a level 6 pain from someone like Fu Shan—a sunshine puppy-type junior—could really send him back three steps and make him look like he was about to spit blood??

Gu Sheng thought it was unbelievable. But then again, Wen Heng didn’t know she had a system, so he had no reason to fake anything in front of her.

She really couldn’t figure it out, so she asked the system, “Was that punch secretly super powerful or something?”

The CP system instantly gave a totally-shipping response: “I think it’s the power of love that’s even stronger! Wuwuwu!”

Gu Sheng: …Forget it. There’s no reasoning with this system.

After Fu Shan left, Wen Heng’s expression was calm—no way to tell whether he was happy or annoyed.

Gu Sheng hesitantly tugged on his sleeve and asked, “Um… are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry.” Wen Heng’s eyes were calm, lips curled slightly. “I still welcome him to come discuss Tracing Back with me for inspiration.”

Gu Sheng: Okay fine, that’s my bad for being narrow-minded.

As long as he’s fine!

—Just don’t be this fragile during the next recording!

If the system randomly throws out a “punch” or “heavy blow” again, and the audience thinks she hit him, that would be a mess!!

…

Up until the day they departed for the southwestern mountains, Fu Shan never came looking for Gu Sheng again—probably traumatized.

Actually, not just Fu Shan. Everyone at Jialai quietly started avoiding Wen Heng, afraid of accidentally stirring up trouble.

After the rumor spread, even Yu Shanbei and Lu Yiyi made sure to book flights that didn’t overlap with Wen Heng and Gu Sheng.

“Just in case, better to stay away.”

“Yeah yeah, better to stay away.”

Thus, the movie emperor’s unapproachable status in the industry only grew stronger.

Chang Yan personally brought the driver and bodyguard to escort the two of them to the airport.

With the show gaining popularity through several rounds of hype, more and more people began openly tracking the couple’s schedules. The moment Wen Heng and Gu Sheng stepped out of the car and into the terminal, a crowd of fans swarmed in to see them off.

The Hengxing fan group had been around for a long time and was very well managed. The big fan accounts regularly reminded everyone that even if they were sending him off or picking him up, they shouldn’t get too close to Wen Heng. Gifts should be limited to letters—no expensive items that might cause trouble. With such a standard set, the Echo fans followed suit, acting well-behaved even when they were excited. Though they were shouting, they stayed respectfully distant.

“Jiejie, good luck at work!”

“Wen-ge, ahhh!”

“Wen-ge, Jiejie, you two better stay happy together!”

There had always been a lot of fans at the airport, but this time, in the crowd shouting their names, it was hard to tell whether more people were calling for Wen Heng or for Gu Sheng.

Unknowingly, through their variety show appearances and real-life actions, the Hengxing fans had quietly accepted Gu Sheng. They no longer thought she wasn’t good enough for Wen Heng, and the initial hostility had disappeared. In fact, when Echo fans and flower fans got into fights online, some neutral Hengxing fans even went over to support Gu Sheng.

She was very capable—and ridiculously beautiful.

Fans watched as Wen Heng and Gu Sheng scanned their boarding passes and passed through the gate. Their backs—one tall, one shorter—were calm and poised. Both had long legs and a naturally aloof aura. They stood apart from the crowd.

“Wuwu, they really match so well…”

“Wuwuwuwuwu…”

Wen Heng remained at the top of the industry.

But given time, Gu Sheng might reach that peak too.

…

Somewhere in the southwest.

The production team for The Four Laws of Happiness had chosen Pan Yu Mountain as the location. They had been scouting and preparing there for a long time, putting in a great deal of effort for the upcoming live broadcast. Although the fourth episode was hyped as being “deep in the wilderness,” with all the scary atmosphere being heavily played up, in reality—it wasn’t that wild.

After all, they couldn’t really make it into a wilderness survival show. At its core, this was still a celebrity relationship reality program—meant to serve the audience’s craving for couple moments.

The production team sectioned off a small mountainous area. At the base of the mountain was a tiny village. It was remote, but not entirely cut off from civilization. They also conducted signal checks throughout the area to ensure full coverage.

Because the location was far, all the couples arrived at the airport early and were picked up by cars arranged by the production team to head into the mountains.

Each vehicle had a camera installed. Besides the driver, a director was also present. As the scenery outside gradually turned more mountainous, the in-car interviews began.

“Are you two ready?” the director asked.

Gu Sheng and Wen Heng both nodded.

“Then we’re going live now.”

The livestream for the WenSheng couple finally started, and the viewers who had been staring at ads for ages instantly exploded with excitement.

[Ahhhhh I’m so happy just seeing two perfect faces!]
[WenSheng CP fans assemble! Time to ship!]
[They’re here they’re here!!]

The director’s questions were fairly standard, mostly to help the guests ease into things and attract more viewers to the stream.

Questions like, “How much do you know about wilderness survival?” and “Would you be scared walking alone deep in the mountains?”

All the couples received the same set of questions. Some played it cool, some were nervous, and then there were people like Yu Shanbei, who looked extremely eager.

As they were getting close to the village, the director smiled and asked, “Finally, can you introduce to our audience what you’ve prepared for this trip?”

Each guest responded differently to this one.

Song Qingzhi used it as a chance to sprinkle some sugar, holding Qin Tian’s hand and saying, “Even though it’s summer, the nights in the mountains are still chilly. I bought matching thermal clothes for us, and brought scented candles and a night light. Even if the conditions are rough, we have to create some atmosphere~”

Yu Shanbei, knowing fans were worried, tried to show he wouldn’t starve: “I brought ten packs of sausages, hahaha! Tons of bread, cookies, instant hotpot, self-heating rice—don’t worry, everyone!”

The director chuckled affectionately. “Alright, I’m sure everyone heard that.”

When it was WenSheng’s turn, Wen Heng answered first, calmly: “I brought drinking water and mosquito repellent.”

The two of them hadn’t coordinated beforehand, so this was also the first time Gu Sheng learned what Wen Heng had brought. She silently complained—classic responsible adult gear.

Though the director’s question sounded innocent, Gu Sheng, with her years of experience and intuition, suspected a trick.

She briefly mentioned that she brought mosquito protection and some little gadgets she learned about online, but didn’t reveal everything.

For example, she didn’t mention the seasoning and chili sauce she had packed.

The sturdy off-road vehicle finally stopped at the foot of the mountain. The guests got out, each pulling their luggage as they headed toward Panyu Village.

The director team was already waiting there, holding a loudspeaker, backed by a row of cameramen.

“Thanks for waiting, everyone watching online! Welcome to all the couples of The Four Laws of Happiness gathering here at the foot of Panyu Mountain, as we kick off episode four of our livestream~”

The couples politely applauded.

“On your way here, you’ve probably seen the conditions in the mountain. Panyu Village is remote, and most of the younger folks are away working. The village population is small. Behind us is the forest they work hard to protect. Now that we’re here, we must not damage the forest, and we need to live peacefully with the villagers for the next two days and three nights.”

The guests listened attentively. So did the online viewers.

“And since this is ‘wilderness mode,’ we’ll first have all the guests change into the outfits we’ve prepared! This time, we’ve provided imitation army combat uniforms—practical and protective. Please head to the changing rooms, men and women separately~”

When fans heard they were changing into army combat uniforms, the online chat lit up.

[Ahhhh can’t wait to see it!]
[This takes me back to my brother’s war drama days! So handsome!!]
[Aaaah Gu Sheng is so cool, she’ll definitely look amazing in it too!]

Staff handed out the right sizes to each guest—light-colored camo tops and pants, black regulation belts, and black combat boots.

Gu Sheng raised her brows. The production team really splurged here—the outfits were basically high-function camo gear. Pretty cool.

The guests carried their clothes into separate houses to change. Only their luggage was left outside, along with the eagerly watching fans.

Inside, Gu Sheng calmly took off her jacket, leaving only a white T-shirt. She thought for a second, then lifted her hands and pulled her hair into a high ponytail that pointed skyward.

Lu Yiyi stared at her, cheeks red, thinking, So cool, so beautiful, oh my god.

Song Qingzhi was the last to come in. She instinctively looked at Gu Sheng. Since the Backtrack audition, they hadn’t seen each other. But now, things had changed—Gu Sheng was set to be the future leading lady, and she had missed out on the hit show.

Song Qingzhi had worried that Gu Sheng might sneer at her, mock her for her failed confidence—but Gu Sheng didn’t even look at her. She swiftly and cleanly changed clothes on her own.

Gu Sheng stepped into the boots, stomping them once to test—kind of heavy, but not bad.

Finally, she fastened the belt with a sharp click.

Lu Yiyi nearly burst into tears.

“Sheng-sheng-jie, let’s take a selfie, please ahhh!”

She was just too cool!!

Now she had a face to picture whenever she read about badass military heroines in novels!

Lü Yuzhuo had also just finished changing and smiled. “Gu Sheng looks really good in this. So handsome!”

Even Song Qingzhi had to admit—she was stunned by Gu Sheng all over again.

How does this woman manage to look amazing in every style?!

Finally, with Lu Yiyi holding the phone, the four female guests took a selfie together—then headed out.

Just as the door across the hall opened, the male guests stepped out of their room, and the two groups came face-to-face.

Yu Shanbei immediately let out a sharp whistle. “Too handsome!”

Gu Sheng was walking at the front. The moment she appeared on camera, the live stream exploded.

[Holy crap! She’s seriously gorgeous!!!]

[I’m crying from how cool she looks!! Sis, I’m yours! Face me head-on!!!]

[Sis in front, careful you don’t get banned! Let me take over!]

Gu Sheng had stunning features, but what really stood out was the sharpness in her expression. Even in such a tough military outfit, she wore it with striking flair.

On the other side, Wen Heng was at the end of the line. When he stepped out, all the female guests were stunned.

[God! God! Officer God!!]

[Ahhhhhhhhhhh]

Even Gu Sheng couldn’t help but think to herself: Too handsome.

This damn man, Wen Heng, really hit the genetic jackpot.

He was 188 cm tall, and his light-colored camouflage uniform fit his frame perfectly. The black belt emphasized a narrow waist, and below that, his long legs were borderline unfair. The pant cuffs tucked neatly into black combat boots.

His expression was cold, eyes dark and still like frozen ground—like a rare alpine flower blooming in permafrost.

Yu Shanbei made a quick getaway.

The director, amused, spoke into a megaphone: “Why’re you running so fast?”

Yu Shanbei, completely honest, yelled back, voice cracking: “I don’t want to stand next to God Wen!”

Lu Yiyi: But I want to stand next to Shengsheng! Wuwuwu!

In the end, all the couples still took their designated spots.

Wen Heng and Gu Sheng stood side by side. They exchanged a glance, admiration flashing in their eyes.

The livestream was already being blown up by delirious CP fans. Screenshots flew, imaginations ran wild, already stitching together fanfiction and edits in their minds.

But just as everyone was drowning in this visual overload, Yu Shanbei suddenly shouted, “Wait, where’s my luggage?!”

Not just his—everyone’s luggage had vanished.

The production team had been waiting for someone to bring this up. Hearing it, they smoothly moved things forward. “After entering Panyu Mountain, all supplies will have to be earned through hard work! The crew will go through the luggage according to what you reported bringing—don’t worry, it’ll be done in front of everyone~”

[Holy crap the production team is savage!]

[Poor baby hahaha mom feels bad but also LOL]

Soon, everyone’s suitcases were cracked open. The assistant director read out Yu Shanbei’s items—sausages, bread, cookies, instant hotpot, instant rice—all confiscated into the show’s big storage box. Other guests’ supplies, like mosquito repellent, were also collected.

The camera zoomed in for a crystal-clear close-up of Yu Shanbei’s face: completely blank, pure despair.

The audience found it both tragic and hilarious. The comments were full of: Sorry but hahahahaha.

Gu Sheng: …Thank goodness.

All her chili sauce was in her backpack!

Once that segment was done, the director moved on to the real deal.

“Night is falling. Where each couple sleeps tonight is a big question. Whether it’s the luxurious room at the village head’s house, a regular villager’s place, the forest ranger’s cabin on the mountain, or just a tent in the woods—it all depends on your performance in the upcoming games and tasks! And your lodging will change each of the next three nights.”

[Omg! So intense!]

[Is this a battle for the best room? Aaaaah!]

[Please let my CP get the village head’s place I want them to cuddle!!]

…

The guests were taken to an open field in the mountain village. Obstacle structures built from straw had already been set up—clearly for some kind of game.

“The first game is called ‘The Blind Carries the Lame.’ The rules are super simple: male guests wear a blindfold and carry their female partner on their back. The girl gives directions while clinging to his shoulders. The first to reach the finish line wins points~”

The production team really understood the core of dating shows—this kind of close-contact game was sugar galore!

Lu Yiyi shyly jumped onto Yu Shanbei’s back. Yu Shanbei immediately grimaced. “Eleven, you’re heavy!”

Lu Yiyi went straight for a chokehold. “Shut up!!”

The audience had a blast watching this bickering pair.

[Beizi can’t talk like a human! Eleven’s chokehold was perfect!]

[Hahaha hope next time he mentions a girl’s weight, he remembers what that felt like!]

Among the four couples, the most relaxed were probably Qingtian. Qin Tian had a solid build, while Song Qingzhi was petite. She shyly jumped on his back, making the scene look like a bear carrying a cub.

[Wow, Qin Tian gives such a sense of security!]

[So sweet so sweet!]

While hanging on Qin Tian’s back, Song Qingzhi couldn’t help glancing over at Gu Sheng.

Gu Sheng was so much taller than her… She must be heavier, right?

At that moment, WenSheng CP fans were already screaming.

[Aaaah he’s carrying her!!!]

[Has Wen God ever carried anyone in his life?! Aaaaah!!]