Fang Chen's mind was filled with thoughts of how to coax An Xinrong back.

His original plan was to first become friends with An Xinrong, get closer to her and develop feelings over time. When Zhuang Yan rejected her time and time again, she became disheartened, and then he would appear at this time to comfort her and win her favor.

Women are most vulnerable and easily deceived when they are heartbroken or hurt in love. At this time, it is easy to take advantage of their vulnerability and succeed.

He had been waiting for this opportunity.

When Xia Wan joined the show as a guest, he thought his chance had come.

Xia Wan was a good helper, playing matchmaker and speaking well of him. He originally thought that with his best friend's help, An Xinrong would accept him quickly, but unexpectedly, it made her feel distant.

If he had known things would turn out this way, he shouldn't have agreed with Xia Wan.

The faster we finish lunch, the longer we'll have to spend looking for mushrooms in the afternoon.

The temperature drops quickly in the mountains, and there will be more mosquitoes, snakes, and ants at night, so they must come back as soon as possible to cook dinner.

The director didn't force them to do anything, but just had the cameraman film them.

After finishing lunch, Zhuang Yan's group set off to find mushrooms.

Everyone had a mushroom handbook in their hand, but even with photos for comparison, it was easy to make mistakes.

Just like An Xinrong was careless and packed all sorts of things together, some poisonous and some not. If it weren't for the locals following her, she would have been poisoned to death countless times.

Lu Yan wanted to go too, but Zhuang Yan wouldn't let her, and she wouldn't listen.

She wore several pairs of long socks and tucked them into her pants so she wouldn't have to worry about them rubbing against her feet again.

After Lu Yan pleaded repeatedly, Zhuang Yan finally relented: "Then follow me, walk slowly, and stop to rest immediately if you feel uncomfortable. Don't suffer in silence like you did this morning."

Lu Yan subconsciously said, "I'm used to it..."

Zhuang Yan said sternly, "Bad habits need to be changed."

Lu Yan was amused by Zhuang Yan's serious face and quickly said, "Okay, Captain, I'll listen to you."

Lu Yan followed Zhuang Yan closely. After walking for a while, she heard a noise behind her. She turned around and saw Xia Wan, who kept nagging.

Xia Wan tried several times to talk to Zhuang Yan but couldn't find an opportunity.

Fang Chen seized the opportunity and caught up with An Xinrong, who was alone.

An Xinrong squatted on the ground, carefully comparing the manual with the mushrooms on the ground. She was so focused that she didn't notice anyone approaching her until Fang Chen called her from behind.

"Xinrong".

An Xinrong was startled and quickly came to her senses: "Oh my god, you scared me to death! Do you walk without making a sound?"

"Sorry, I startled you."

Seeing Fang Chen made An Xinrong feel a little uncomfortable; she didn't want to get close to him or talk to him.

An Xinrong felt an inexplicable "dislike" for him. She thought it was a bit unreasonable that he had such feelings. He had always treated her as a friend and was wholeheartedly thinking about how she could pursue Zhuang Yan, but now she was actually annoyed by him.

An Xinrong stood up: "I'm fine. Are you here to pick mushrooms too?"

"Yes, I wanted to say hello when I saw you here."

"Now that I've said my hello, can you go somewhere else?" An Xinrong said what was on her mind. "Don't misunderstand, I didn't mean to look down on you. I was just worried that you'd take the mushrooms from me."

She's now part of Zhuang Yan's team and can distinguish between adversaries.

"I can also share the mushrooms I see with you. The more people help, the more mushrooms you'll have in your basket."

An Xinrong refused outright: "No need, we're not on the same team."

Fang Chen didn't want to leave, but An Xinrong was unyielding and difficult to approach. He remembered the trick Zhuang Yan had used, so he stared at the mushrooms in An Xinrong's basket and said, "You're really amazing. You picked so many mushrooms in such a short time. Unlike me, I can't tell them apart at all. They all look the same. Can you show me around?"

An Xinrong could tell that Fang Chen was praising her, but she didn't feel happy at all; she was even less happy than Lu Yan.

"Don't you have locals on your team? Why don't you just pick a bunch and have them pick out the edible parts?" An Xinrong was getting impatient.

In order to stay in this team, she will have to work even harder. What if she doesn't pick enough mushrooms and there aren't enough to eat? What if Lu Yan kicks her out?

Fang Chen also noticed An Xinrong's impatience and had no choice but to settle for second best.

"Xinrong, I didn't take Xia Wan's joke seriously. I've always known that you like Zhuang Yan. It's good that you brought it up this time. I hope you can be more open-minded and not break off your friendship of many years over such a small matter. Xia Wan is just too concerned about you. She's been depressed since you left the team and wants you to come back but doesn't know how to ask."

An Xinrong didn't want to talk to him too much. "I don't want to go back. I'm doing fine here."

"Can we... still be friends?" Fang Chen asked tentatively.

"We've always been friends." Ordinary friends are still friends.

"I'm relieved to hear you say that. I was worried you wouldn't talk to me. Among the female guests, you're the only one who's willing to talk to me and chat with me, and you don't look down on my background. When I first met you, I felt like I was seeing my cousin. She's just as innocent and likable as you. I'll introduce you to her sometime." He stopped there and said more, which would have been very inappropriate.

Fang Chen picked up the basket and headed in another direction: "I'm going to pick mushrooms somewhere else, so I won't bother you. Be careful."

Looking at Fang Chen's retreating figure, An Xinrong couldn't help but feel a little guilty. She seemed to have been too wary of Fang Chen, even though he was clearly a good person who had taken care of her feelings during their two dates and thought of her in daily life.

Fortunately, Fang Chen only saw her as a cousin and didn't have romantic feelings for her. If he did, she wouldn't know how to face him.

...

Xia Wan followed behind Zhuang Yan and the others, her mind not on finding mushrooms at all. Her basket was full of red umbrellas and white stems, and she picked up whatever she saw.

After following for about twenty minutes, Xia Wan finally spoke: "Zhuang Yan, can I have a word with you alone?"

Lu Yan was tired from walking, so she sat down on a rock to rest. Zhuang Yan unscrewed a bottle of water and handed it to her, his movements so practiced that it seemed like he had lived there for a long time.

Lu Yan drank her water while looking at Xia Wan with a half-smile, waiting for her to say something next, without any intention of backing down.

"Enough with the nonsense. If you're not going to talk, then get lost."

Zhuang Yan's tone was cold and slightly disdainful, leaving Xia Wan speechless.

Lu Yan then provoked her, saying, "Even if you talk to Zhuang Yan alone, he will tell me. Why bother? If you really care about me, just treat me like I'm not there, and I can pretend I didn't hear you."

Zhuang Yan agreed, and thus became unusually interested in hearing what Xia Wan had to say.

Can you withdraw the lawsuit?

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