Chapter 294: A Different Side of Her

Before long, the show’s car came to a smooth stop outside a scenic area.

Since it was a weekday, there weren’t many visitors, making it convenient for Fang Zhou and Qin Yun.

The director handed Fang Zhou two tickets and then left them to explore on their own.

Fang Zhou led Qin Yun to queue up and enter the site, a nature reserve known for its Danxia landforms.

(Translator Note’s : The Danxia landform refers to various landscapes found in southeast, southwest and northwest China that “consist of a red bed characterized by steep cliffs”.)

Large expanses of bare ground stretched out, with only a few patches of resilient moss giving a faint green hue to the otherwise barren landscape. It was nature’s masterpiece, with awe-inspiring cliffs.

Seeing the high steps ahead, Qin Yun sighed, “Good thing I dressed casually today. Otherwise, you’d be hiking alone.”

Fang Zhou glanced at her outfit, noticing it was indeed suitable for hiking, and smiled.

“You probably haven’t exercised in a while. If you get tired, just let me know.”

Qin Yun playfully teased him for the camera, “If I get tired, are you going to leave me behind?”

As a gentleman, Fang Zhou wouldn’t do that, but considering how much he disliked her, maybe he really would.

“Yes, I’d go ahead and wait for you at the top,” he replied honestly.

Fang Zhou’s straightforwardness annoyed Qin Yun. She huffed, gave him a glare, and walked ahead without another word.

Couldn’t he at least pretend? This was a live broadcast!

Qin Yun usually wouldn’t act this way, but she found Fang Zhou’s actions surprising today. It almost felt like he chose her just to irritate her for the day.

Even the calmest person has their limits, and no one likes to feel stepped on by someone they care about.

Anger can give anyone extra energy. Things that seemed impossible, like unscrewing a tight bottle cap or lifting heavy water jugs, suddenly become doable when fueled by frustration.

Qin Yun started off quickly, but as someone who usually spent her time in an office or operating room, she soon felt her stamina waning.

Climbing several hundred steps was different from standing through long surgeries. She needed to catch her breath and rest on a platform.

Leaning against the railing, she silently cursed Fang Zhou, convinced he chose her on purpose.

He must have wanted to tire her out so she wouldn’t bother him anymore!

As she thought about it, she felt a wave of deep frustration.

Why did she have to like this man?

Why did she put herself through this?

Ignoring all her other admirers for someone who treated her like nothing.

Once those feelings of frustration set in, they grew along with her physical exhaustion. Feeling foolish, she couldn’t control her emotions and blamed herself, falling into an endless loop.

Just then, Fang Zhou caught up to her.

He offered her a bottle of water, which she ignored.

Fang Zhou hadn’t expected normally reserved Qin Yun to get so upset over a single comment.

“Are you mad?” he asked, bending down to look at her face.

Qin Yun, feeling disheveled, turned away from his gaze, but suddenly felt something touch her face.

She looked up, confused, to see Fang Zhou with a tissue, gently wiping her sweat. His focused expression and smiling eyes were full of unexpected warmth.

Qin Yun was taken aback, unable to remember the last time Fang Zhou had smiled at her like this.

Since the incident, he had always avoided her, like a cat and mouse game. His sudden kindness caught her off guard.

“Don’t move, there’s more on your forehead,” Fang Zhou said softly, stopping her in her tracks.

His gentle touch, combined with the breeze lifting his bangs, made him look even more handsome.

“Alright, really, you don’t want any water?” he asked naturally, opening the bottle and offering it to her.

Qin Yun, feeling her dry throat, couldn’t resist. She took the bottle and drank.

The water soothed her burning throat, but she still felt awkward, thinking Fang Zhou was playing with her emotions.

But his next move shocked her even more.

Fang Zhou crouched in front of her and said gently, “If you’re tired, hop on. I’ll carry you.”

Qin Yun stood there, holding the bottle, completely unprepared for this kindness.

Not only was she surprised, but so were the live viewers.

“Ahhh! Fang Zhou’s gonna carry her! I knew he wouldn’t leave her behind. He’s just teasing!”

“This pairing is kinda cute. The cheeky guy and the sophisticated lady, haha.”

“I wanna carry her too! So jealous!”

Fang Zhou waited for her response, then glanced back at her, silently urging her.

‘Come on, otherwise, I might change my mind.’

“I’ve gained some weight recently,” Qin Yun said, turning away slightly, hoping he’d say something sweet to coax her.

The viewers could see she was being playful.

“Wow! Even Qin Yun can act like this? Didn’t expect this, folks.”