TRYMBPIETM 12: The Ancient Tree’s Deep Shade(6)Part 2

This starkly contrasted with the other three.

While the others were pushing with all their might, their faces red and out of breath, Chi Qingzhou remained calm, not even breaking a sweat, pushing faster than the others. He still had the energy to chat with the others, nearly humming a mountain tune.

Liang Ji and Tang Qichen couldn’t help but sigh, while Chi Qingning’s expression briefly darkened, but quickly returned to his calm demeanor.

He added a few words, not so much praising Chi Qingzhou as much as agreeing with Tang Qichen, due to their good relationship.

The audience was so focused on Chi Qingzhou that they barely noticed Chi Qingning’s performance, except for the few die-hard fans still insisting that he was well-mannered and cultured.

Chi Qingzhou pushed the cart for several hundred meters, eventually spotting the village in the distance.

The Puluo people were a typical southwest ethnic minority, and even the villages near the mountains often had water bodies nearby, making stilted houses the predominant architectural style. It was quite unique.

Laughter and chatter drifted in the wind, bringing a lively, earthy vibe.

Chi Qingzhou enjoyed making friends and loved lively environments.

His smile finally became genuine, and his delicate, beautiful features radiated a refreshing vitality.

Like the new buds of green willows, subtle yet striking.

The live-stream audience paused, feeling as though their hearts had been hit hard.

[Ah, this… I’m a facial features fan, I admit it, but Chi Qingzhou’s smile is just too beautiful!]

[It’s stunning. Chi Qingzhou was already handsome, but with that smile, I thought I’d be immune to it… but who knew, even though it’s just a smile, this one is so breathtaking.]

[The screen’s dirty, I’ll wipe it clean!]

[Why does he look so good when he smiles? Did you see something that made you so happy?]

[With his looks, even if he just stood there like a wooden beauty, I’d still buy a movie ticket to see him.]

The comments praising his looks flooded the live-stream, pushing the malicious comments down.

The variety show fans were much more relaxed, unbothered by the mindless praising.

Chi Qingzhou, still smiling, pushed the tricycle forward, taking a few quick steps before slowly beginning to run.

Zhong Ling and Xu Xinxin gasped as the cart speed increased. Chi Qingning instinctively gripped the seat, his hair blowing wildly in the wind.

Chi Qingzhou chuckled, hopped onto the seat, and the tricycle, aided by inertia, rushed toward the village entrance.

The village head, waiting at the entrance, saw the guests and checked his watch. There were still 8 minutes before the two-hour mark.

He took out a book with the word “award” printed on it, grabbed a pen, and began to seriously score.

“Arrived 5-10 minutes early, +5 points.”

“All guests took transportation, +5 points.”

“Luggage… let me count… oh, six pieces, all here, +5 points.”

“Total score: 15 points. You can receive three clues for finding the mushroom pickers.”

Lu Man quickly ran out of the live-stream vehicle. As soon as he arrived at the village entrance, he overheard the village head rambling on and immediately raised his voice to stop him.

“Li Village Head, Li Village Head, wait! We haven’t announced the next task yet!”

Li Village Head gave him a side-eye, tucked the pen behind his ear, and muttered how troublesome it was, then walked away with his hands behind his back.

Lu Man shrugged and began explaining the next task to the guests—gathering wild mushrooms in southwest China.

“Everyone knows that wild mushrooms are hard to identify, and even edible ones can be dangerous if not cooked properly. For safety, the first thing you need to do is find a mushroom picker who can guide you…”

Lu Man went on, and the guests began taking their luggage out of the tricycle.

The production team was as harsh as ever. Even though Chi Qingzhou’s sharp senses earned them three clues, the production team made them carry the heavy luggage to find someone. Only once they found the guide would they have a place to stay.

Liang Ji couldn’t help but ask, “What if we don’t find anyone?

Lu Man replied, “We’ve prepared many tents.”

The guests groaned in frustration, took their clues from the village head, and quickly split up to search for the mushroom pickers.

The camera crew hurriedly followed, and the show’s director and assistant director personally gave Zhu Yantong a sum of money to compensate for the damaged tricycle.

Zhu Yantong’s face twitched, but under the villagers’ watchful eyes, he pretended to be grateful and accepted the compensation.

A few young villagers approached to help him push the cart, suggesting he go to the repair shop. He forced a smile, secretly looking back at the direction where Chi Qingzhou had left, his gaze dark and cold, filled with greed and frustration.

Not in a hurry, there was still time.

That afternoon, the entire live broadcast was spent with the guests and production team competing in a battle of wits and strategy to find the mushroom pickers.

Most of the audience enjoyed the beautiful natural scenery and the lively atmosphere of the village. By the time the live stream ended, they were thoroughly satisfied and even set alarms for the next day, afraid they might miss the next episode.

Meanwhile, the trolls and keyboard warriors, who vented their dissatisfaction by insulting others, began to feel something odd happening in their homes.

They lay down in panic and confusion, thinking everything would be fine after a night’s sleep. But when they woke up the next morning, they were met with a series of unfortunate events.