Chapter Twenty-Three: Night Talk

The plan to find Ren Yuchen was not as easy as it seemed.

Wei first obtained permission from the parents of the group, and then urgently purchased direct tickets. Arriving in Jingcheng did not mean that they had found Ren Yuchen. According to the location of the village sent by Ren Yuchen, they would have to make several more detours before they could reach the destination.

The night before, Wei was busy doing his homework and making travel plans, which resulted in him being the only one who looked listless the next day, clearly having not slept well, while the others, who were much more carefree, were all full of energy.

Fortunately, I can catch up on sleep on the plane.

When they arrived in Jingcheng, everyone was excited. Although it was the same sky, the scenery in front of them felt particularly fresh. The snow that fell in Jingcheng two days ago had not yet melted, and the pure white decorations brought a chill to their faces. Everyone chatted and laughed along the way, following the plan set by Wei Ye.

First, we arrived at the bus station and took a bus to Xianghui Town, which Ren Yuchen had mentioned.

In order to sit together, the four of them went straight to the back of the bus, and the excitement of the journey gradually dissipated after more than three hours.

Meng Fanxi felt like her body was about to fall apart. She couldn't stretch her legs out in the back seat and was feeling drowsy. She glanced at the people next to her, and they were all mostly unable to open their eyes. Only Gu Huailang was leaning against the window, looking at the scenery outside, as the tall buildings gradually receded into the distance.

"Wake up, we're almost there." Gu Huailang whispered a reminder, nudging the people beside him, and they slowly woke up.

As people got off the bus, they all stretched their bodies in unison. Wei also bent over, supporting his legs to adjust, and felt a sense of nausea.

"Brother Ye, let's go!" Xu You, who was walking ahead, reminded Wei Ye when he saw that Wei Ye hadn't caught up yet, and the group headed towards the station exit.

Xu You sounded tired as he walked to Wei Ye's side and asked, "How do we get there?"

“We still have to wait for the bus to the village,” Wei also took out his phone to check again. The bus to the village only runs every half hour, and the app showed that unfortunately one had just passed by, and the next one wouldn’t be for another half hour. He suggested, “Let’s go have lunch first.”

The group found a noodle shop nearby, ate some simple soup noodles, and finally caught the bus to the village. Meng Fanxi slept the whole way and only opened his eyes groggily when they were almost there.

He looked out the window and saw what appeared to be a tall, thin young man standing in front of the station in the distance. Wei was sitting in front of him, so he could see him more clearly. "It's Ren Yuchen."

"Phew." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief in unison; they had finally arrived.

Ren Yuchen smiled as he watched his companions get off the bus at the station. The other elderly people on the bus seemed to have rarely seen so many young and handsome teenagers, and they all stared at them.

The touching embrace scene they had imagined did not happen. The journey of more than half a day was more tiring than the training of the whole day. Everyone's faces were full of fatigue. When Ren Yuchen asked what they wanted to eat for lunch, they all shook their heads and said that they had already eaten and just wanted to find a place to lie down and rest.

Ren Yuchen's maternal grandparents were very hospitable. They were delighted to see the young people walk into the courtyard, their eyes crinkling with laughter as they prepared to treat them well. Wei Ye then took out the gifts he had bought overnight, which he had been carrying the whole time. Seeing that the two elders were very satisfied, he finally felt that it was all worth it, even if his arms were a little sore.

Ren Yuchen's maternal grandmother's house had a large courtyard, decorated with red New Year's ornaments everywhere. There was a small vegetable garden in the courtyard, which was bare at the moment. The house was a small two-story building with many rooms. Ren Yuchen led them to a large room with a kang (a heated brick bed) that could probably sleep ten people without feeling crowded.

Ren Yuchen pointed to the corner and said, "I was the only one sleeping here, but you guys can pick a spot here too. It's very comfortable and spacious."

Meng Fanxi was extremely satisfied. The group didn't care at all that it was still broad daylight. Sleepiness overcame them, and after saying goodbye to Ren Yuchen's grandmother, they made their beds and went to sleep.

It's no exaggeration to say that after a grueling morning of travel, lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) brought them the pinnacle of happiness.

The air in the village was crisp and clean, carrying the scent of earth and fresh snow. There was no bustling city noise. Gentle sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the sleeping faces of the group. Ren Yuchen, who hadn't been sleepy, couldn't help but want to lie down for a while after seeing this scene. As he lay there, he drifted off into a sweet dream.

Ren Yuchen's grandmother quietly entered and slowly drew the curtains, leaving the room silent.

Ren Yuchen's maternal grandparents couldn't stay at home at all. Seeing that the others were still asleep, they went out to wander around and chat with a few friends at the village entrance.

When everyone woke up, the sun was setting, and they all tacitly went out into the yard and found a good spot to sit and watch the sunset.

The village was very quiet. In front of my grandmother's house, there was no house but a newly built small square with many fitness facilities. The village children sat there running and jumping.

Here, Meng Fanxi felt the sky was exceptionally close. They didn't need to put in much effort to find the best viewpoint. The five of them sat in a row, feeling an unprecedented sense of peace.

Xu You exclaimed "Wow!" and looked at Ren Yuchen with envy, "You live such a wonderful life every day, no wonder you don't say anything in the group chat."

Ren Yuchen said helplessly, "I used to spend every day here when I was a kid, and sometimes it was really boring."

Wei Ye's stomach growled at an inopportune moment, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

As the host, Ren Yuchen quickly stood up and said, "I'll go get the barbecue ingredients; they're all ready."

"Great!" Everyone cheered in unison. As the sun gradually disappeared below the horizon, Ren Yuchen turned on the courtyard lights and began to skillfully set up.

Although it was their first time working together on a barbecue, everyone worked together very well. Wei Ye and Ren Yuchen were in charge of setting up the barbecue grill and preparing the charcoal, while Xu You washed the vegetables. Gu Huailang and Meng Fanxi processed the ingredients, skewering the meat and vegetables. When the food was almost cooked, the two of them took the lead and started grilling the skewers.

Grandma and Grandpa, who had just returned from their stroll, looked at the group with smiles. They wanted to help, but the group quickly declined. Grandma praised them, saying, "What a capable young men!"

This was the first time the two elders had seen Ren Yuchen get along so well with his peers. They were deeply moved and took out their phones to stylishly record a video to send to Ren Yuchen's busy parents.

Gu Huailang and Meng Fanxi kept grilling skewers and sprinkling seasonings, focusing intently on what was in front of them. Xu You and Ren Yuchen were not just eating either, but feeding the two of them with the freshly grilled skewers. Wei Ye looked at the scene before him and sighed that they were becoming more and more like a team.

Meng Fanxi ate the skewers he had grilled himself and found them exceptionally delicious. His taste buds seemed to have received the best treatment, and his appetite was greatly stimulated. Gu Huailang next to him was also enjoying his meal with great satisfaction.

Xu You and Ren Yuchen also joined in the barbecue, allowing Meng Fanxi and Gu Huailang to focus on enjoying the food. Wei didn't participate either, ostensibly to cultivate their team spirit.

The next day, the group had a blast. In the morning, they went to the market in town. They were all bundled up and sat under the stage of the village's main stage, swaying to the rhythm of the elderly folks. They also watched a Yangko dance performance organized by the town. They had no airs of being aspiring idols and were very active in the market, their hands never idle.

In the afternoon, a few of us went for a run in the countryside, strolled around the village, and played with cats and walked dogs in the homes of the warm and friendly villagers...

In the evening, it was time for the village's bonfire party. The orange-yellow firelight made everyone look exceptionally gentle. Everyone gathered together, looking at each other with great curiosity. Ren Yuchen, as someone who had been there before, quietly explained the process and origin to everyone.

Wei stood to the side, intently recording everything on his phone, knowing it would be a precious memory to look back on later.

Meng Fanxi wasn't sitting next to Ren Yuchen, but instead turned to listen attentively to his explanation. She noticed that Ren Yuchen was patiently answering Xu You and Gu Huailang's imaginative questions without showing any impatience. Suddenly, she realized that Ren Yuchen seemed a little different from how he was at the company.

Before him, fireworks surrounded several young men who would one day shine brightly. He was surprised to find that he hadn't thought about his past life at all these past few days. He had silently accepted these real people as his teammates, instead of the prodigies he hadn't had close contact with in his past life.

The bonfire party was accompanied by music. Everyone danced and sang along, enjoying the local delicacies. Before they knew it, the event had gone on until late at night, leaving only a few energetic people sitting around the bonfire drinking tea and chatting.

As everyone enjoyed the warmth and peace before them, Xu You suddenly sighed, "I can't even imagine what we'll become in the future."

Meng Fanxi teased, "So sudden? You, who are usually so carefree, would actually make such a remark. You've grown up, haven't you?"

"Tch, I'm much older than you!"

Meng Fanxi didn't respond to that, but suddenly thought of the VIER variety show from his previous life. "If we can debut together in the future, we can try filming a variety show in a village. It would be more down-to-earth." He chuckled to himself, thinking that there shouldn't be any awkward scenes like in his previous life.

Wei also said it was worth considering, and the time they spent together these past few days made him feel that filming a similar variety show would attract a lot of fans.

Gu Huailang looked up at the star-studded night sky. Under this breathtaking beauty, he seemed to have made up his mind, his voice filled with determination: "We will definitely debut together."

Everyone paused for a few seconds, then were moved by Gu Huailang's words.

Yeah, they haven't even confirmed whether they'll debut yet, and they're already thinking about their group variety show. But they'll definitely debut, definitely.

Everyone firmly believes this.

Ren Yuchen's sense of boundaries seemed to disappear as he looked at Wei Ye with a determined look in his eyes, "We'll work hard on Lin Ruo and this side, you take care of Zhang Yang's side, I hope we can meet up successfully."

Wei also dropped his previous playful demeanor, and his serious expression now exuded a strong aura. "Of course."

Meng Fanxi then revealed his ambition: "Even if we can't persuade the two of them, we'll still debut together."

Everyone agreed: "Agreed!"

Wei didn't say anything, but he was actually silently preparing a Plan B in his mind, a plan without Lin Ruohe and Zhang Yang.

With the team-building trip approaching, everyone set off home to rest and recuperate.

Wei Ye also prepared himself mentally and dialed the number of the boy who made him uneasy.