The winter in Jiangnan was slightly chilly, but today, the sun had come out. The sunlight was just right, the wind was not too strong, and drifting along the river in the Jiangnan water town carried a unique poetic charm.

The faintly cool winter sunlight spilled over Ning Xiaoyu. She tucked her hands into her sleeves and sat cross-legged at the bow of the boat, listening to the lively chatter coming from the riverbank while closing her eyes for a brief rest. The scenic area was never short of excitement, and the bustling noise of the crowd was the best lullaby.

She had woken up early this morning to record the show. Just as she was about to take a short nap, she noticed that the black-roofed boat had begun to move slowly.

Curious, she opened her eyes and glanced around, only to realize that Lu Jingdu had somehow picked up the oar. At this moment, he was standing not far from her, leisurely rowing.

From her angle, she could only see Lu Jingdu’s broad back and the back of his head— even his hair looked good.

Ning Xiaoyu: “???”

The love system instantly transformed into a screaming chicken, 〖Ahhh! Girl, the movie king is rowing for you! What kind of treatment is this?! What kind of treatment is this?! Let mere mortals be envious, jealous, and resentful!〗

Ning Xiaoyu rubbed her slightly itchy ear and sincerely suggested, “You should really see some sweet movies, romance novels, or idol dramas. The official couples in those are super sweet!”

The love system rejected her outright, 〖No way! I only want to watch your daily interactions with the movie king. I don’t care about anyone else!〗

Giving up on persuasion, Ning Xiaoyu simply began to enjoy the slow movement of the boat.

Not only was the love system shocked, but even the viewers in the livestream were left momentarily speechless. The only ones who remained calm were the two people involved— Ning Xiaoyu and Lu Jingdu.

【Movie King…… as a boatman?】

【Uh, this……】

【Wuuwuuwuu, am I the only one with dirty thoughts? The movie king looks so handsome even while rowing, and his waist and abdomen seem really strong.】

【And those arms…… full of power. If he lifted someone up, he’d definitely be very steady.】

【His legs are also strong! He’s been standing at the bow the whole time without moving!】

【You guys upstairs…… well done!】

【Is the focus his waist and arms?! The focus is that the movie king voluntarily became a boatman! Your ability to grasp the key point is lacking!】

Lu Jingdu was probably doing this for the first time. His rowing movements were not very practiced, and he moved rather slowly. Even so, the boat gradually began to drift forward.

As the black-roofed boat glided along, Ning Xiaoyu was able to take in more of the riverside scenery.

When she first arrived, the most eye-catching sight by the river was a teahouse, but in reality, the scenic area was vast. Once one left the vicinity of the teahouse, a broader landscape unfolded.

The streets were lined with shops selling specialty foods and unique local products.

The crowd was dense, the atmosphere lively and bustling.

Viewing the world from a boat and from the street were two completely different experiences. Sitting on a slowly drifting boat required one to tilt their head up, making time itself seem to slow down.

Moreover, looking up at the people on the shore from the boat was a novel perspective.

Along the river, there were several docking spots. At one point, Lu Jingdu stopped and asked a passerby to take a photo of them.

The passerby eagerly agreed.

Lu Jingdu rowed, Ning Xiaoyu sat properly at the bow, and the passerby ran against the flow of people, casually capturing a perfectly angled photo.

At that moment, the riverbank was filled with noise and excitement, yet the black-roofed boat remained as tranquil as ever.

The wind was calm, the water was clear, and the sunlight was gentle.

After taking the picture and completing today’s task, Lu Jingdu resumed rowing at a leisurely pace.

The oar sliced through the water, sending ripples outward. Half an hour later, they had toured most of the scenic area.

────ρя


News of Lu Jingdu acting as Ning Xiaoyu’s boatman quickly spread to the other guests.

Shen Yueyue wore an expression of relief. Thankfully, she had left in time. Otherwise, wouldn’t she have ruined the atmosphere?

The other guests had mixed expressions.

Saving Lu Jingdu once came with this kind of reward?

If they had known earlier…… they would have saved him too!

But unfortunately, there was no such thing as ‘knowing earlier’ in this world.

Mu Jiajia pursed her lips and asked Ning Yuwei beside her, “So…… Ning Xiaoyu and Lu Jingdu, they……”

Ning Yuwei remained expressionless. “Impossible. The elders would never agree.”

Mu Jiajia was puzzled. “But…… Lu Jingdu’s father has already passed away.”

Ning Yuwei sneered. “His father may be gone, but his mother is still here. And his mother values social status the most. She won’t even spare a glance at someone without a prestigious background. Coincidentally, Ning Xiaoyu belongs to the kind of people she wouldn’t even look at.”

After speaking, Ning Yuwei took a deep breath and continued, “Unless Lu Jingdu completely falls out with his mother. But no matter how unreasonable she may be, she still raised him for over ten years. He wouldn’t dare completely disregard her.”

Mu Jiajia nodded. “I see.”

As they walked, Ning Yuwei and her group took plenty of photos.

Among the four of them, two were actresses, and actresses were usually particular about their photos. The angles had to be perfect, and everyone’s facial expressions had to be well-managed. After taking the pictures, they also had to edit them. There was no way they would post unedited photos.

They ended up taking over a hundred photos, but none were to Ning Yuwei’s complete satisfaction.

Ling Zige and Xu Cheng had been smiling for so long that their faces were starting to cramp.

Eventually, Ning Yuwei reluctantly picked one acceptable photo. “Let’s head to the park and try the green tea pastries.”

The others quickly agreed. “Great, let’s go!”

────ρя


While the others went to the park, Ning Xiaoyu and Lu Jingdu had also disembarked.

One could only say that the hundred yuan was well spent.

After coming ashore, they rested for a while.

Having just stepped off the boat, both of them felt a bit unsteady on land. After resting for over ten minutes, Ning Xiaoyu was just about to call Lu Jingdu to continue their journey when, out of nowhere, a girl appeared, leading a short-legged horse. With an enthusiastic expression, she called out, “Xiao Yu, I’m your fan! Are you tired from walking? I brought you a pony. You can ride it around the scenic area— it’ll be much easier!”

【???】

【!!!】

【A true die-hard fan!】

【So, our Xiao Yu has become such a salted fish that fans are bringing her a horse just for convenience?】

Even Ning Xiaoyu herself was a little surprised. “Um, are horses allowed in the scenic area?”

The fan beamed and nodded. “Yes, this horse has a permit. It’s legal to ride.” Then, she added enthusiastically, “Come on, Xiao Yu, it’s really gentle!”

Ning Xiaoyu nodded. “Then, thank you.”

The fan had a cheerful, round face. Hearing that, she quickly waved her hand and smiled radiantly. “It’s nothing, Xiao Yu! I’ll lead you along.”

Before Ning Xiaoyu could reply, Lu Jingdu spoke up first, “Won’t that be too much trouble for you?”

The fan shook her head and was just about to say it wasn’t a bother when Lu Jingdu took the reins from her hand and said calmly, “I’ll do it.”

〖Love System: Ahhhhhh! How is this man so good at this?! Ahhh!〗

Sitting on the pony, Ning Xiaoyu moved slowly through the crowd. As the fan had said, the horse was indeed very gentle, walking at a leisurely pace and staying close to the ground, which made it feel very safe.

During this time, the fan kept showering Ning Xiaoyu with praise, “Xiao Yu, I’ve liked you for so long! I hope you keep getting better and better!”

Ning Xiaoyu smiled. “Thank you for your support.”

The fan was quite talkative. “Did you two take a photo by the moat earlier? I can take a few more for you, so you’ll have more options to choose from!”

Ning Xiaoyu didn’t mind either way, but since the fan was so enthusiastic, she let her take a few pictures.

So, the fan happily snapped away, taking plenty of photos for them.

To thank the fan, Ning Xiaoyu bought her a variety of snacks.

【Xiao Yu truly pampers her fans!】

【And the fans pamper Xiao Yu back!】

【Love this dynamic!】

When they reached the busiest part of the scenic area, the pony could no longer move forward. The fan looked apologetic. “Sorry, Xiao Yu, my horse can only go so far. You……”

Ning Xiaoyu waved a hand dismissively. “It’s fine. Thank you.”

The fan seemed like she wanted to say more, but just then, four people carrying a sedan chair approached. One of them called out while walking, “Xiao Yu, ride the sedan chair!”

【???】

【!!!】

【Another group of fans?】

【So exciting! Xiao Yu really is famous now. There are fans everywhere in the scenic area!】

【First the horse, now the sedan chair. Do the fans have any other fancy transportation options?】

【Hahaha, I can’t stop laughing! Look at how they’re dressed!】

The four chair bearers— both men and women— were dressed in festive outfits, with red headbands tied around their hair, looking like characters from a historical drama.

In some tourist spots, paid experiences like sedan chair rides were available for visitors to try. Ning Xiaoyu had walked through most of the scenic area without coming across any of these services, yet her fans had taken care of it for her, bringing the sedan chair straight to her.

The love system was deeply moved. 〖Girl, you really are famous now. You have so many fans who love and spoil you!〗

Having so many affectionate and dedicated fans all of a sudden left Ning Xiaoyu a bit stunned.

Sure, she was lazy, but not to the point of refusing to walk altogether.

However, the fans were so enthusiastic that she couldn’t bear to refuse them, especially since they looked genuinely eager to carry her.

The first fan who had called out to her grinned cheerfully, “Xiao Yu, come on, get on! Wherever you want to go, we’ll carry you there!”

【Wuuwuuwuu, the fans are too good to Xiao Yu!】

【Xiao Yu, your fans will always be your strongest support!】

【Meanwhile, it seems like the movie king has been completely forgotten?】

【I’m dying of laughter! It’s like he doesn’t even exist!】

【Tsk tsk, the fans are so powerful that the movie king doesn’t even get a chance to shine.】

Just then, a female fan turned to Lu Jingdu and invited him, “The sedan chair is quite spacious. Why don’t you get on too?”

Lu Jingdu raised an eyebrow slightly. “Adding me…… would that be okay?”

The others laughed. “Of course! Don’t worry, the chair is designed for two people.”

Lu Jingdu nodded. “Then, thank you.”

With that, he got onto the sedan chair as well.

【???】

【Uh……】

【Shocking! So, the movie king is once again benefiting from Xiao Yu?】

【Ever since meeting Xiao Yu, the movie king seems to have fully embraced the path of eating soft rice!】