They chatted idly for a while, and time passed by like that.

After some time, Tongtong yawned and laughed:

"It seems quite late."

Ye Zi nodded. With the situation outside, even if the rain stopped, there was no way to sleep, as everything was flooded.

Shifting her body to press herself against the side of the canopy, Tongtong grabbed the drone and stuck it out of the canopy, covering it with a wildebeest skin raincoat to prevent it from short-circuiting due to rain.

Wildebeest hides are already heavy, and now that they've been soaked in rain, they're even heavier, rendering the drone unable to fly.

The fans in the live stream were heartbroken to see this, but Siqin clapped and cheered. After cheering, she said in a tone of disappointment:

"You idiot, how can you let a girl do this kind of thing?"

"Otherwise what? If he did it, it would be with ulterior motives. His daughter-in-law's fans would call the police on the spot. They were just dating, but they would have to be investigated after they came back."

Ye Zi looked at Tong Tong's actions in surprise, and Tong Tong explained with a smile:

“I don’t like being watched while I sleep, and it hasn’t come into the car roof to take pictures of me while I’m resting during this time.”

That's true. Except for the first two days when the drone could capture Tongtong resting, it stopped opposite Ye Zi after that.

"If you do this, you won't be able to explain yourself later."

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Tongtong asked, seemingly unrelated to the question.

Ye Zi shook her head, indicating no.

"You don't have a girlfriend, and I don't have a boyfriend. We are both adults and have the freedom to date."

Ye Zi nodded in agreement, and then said:

"But you're a celebrity, you have a management company, so there should be restrictions, right?"

"Yes, but my contract is expiring soon, in the next few days."

"Is this why your boss is willing to pay half of the penalty for breach of contract but doesn't want you to participate in the show?"

"I guess so. I can make money for the company, and more than one company has approached me to discuss signing contracts." Tongtong paused for a moment before continuing:

Is this your concern?

"Yeah, you're a big star, and I'm just a shepherd boy. You've finally made it big, and now you're just having a relationship and all your hard work is going to go down the drain."

"Besides, I'm dating with marriage in mind. Are you willing to give all this up and go back to live with me on the grasslands?"

"If I had someone to rely on, I wouldn't want to work so hard, but I have no choice. You know how much of a jerk my dad is."

I date with marriage in mind and want to return to life on the grasslands; it's not like I can't leave.

"If someone asks me to act, I'll go; if no one asks, I'll just enjoy my freedom on the grasslands."

Ye Zi felt awkward, thought for a moment, and said:

“Your dad is indeed a scoundrel, but in this matter, you were implicated because of me.”

"What do you mean?" Tongtong asked, puzzled.

"After this program ends, I should join a special department where all income is tax-free. Other benefits are not yet clear."

As you know from my performances on the previous two shows, I'm strong and a formidable fighter, which attracted the attention of foreigners. This time, they specifically hired someone to make things difficult for me.

"A special department? Does it belong to the state?" Tongtong asked doubtfully.

If a department can allow its citizens to avoid paying taxes, it most likely belongs to the state.

Ye Zi nodded.

Tongtong continued to ask:

"I can understand finding someone to hinder you and create difficulties for you, and I can also understand that you are strong and have strong fighting ability, but what does this have to do with foreign forces? Why are you being targeted?"

"I don't know about that. I haven't joined that special department yet, but their people told me that I'm being watched and that there will be a series of targeted actions."

You are, and so are those inferior tools.

It's not hard to guess, though; it's probably related to combat, but the specifics are unclear.

"Are you bulletproof?" Tongtong asked out of the blue.

Ye Zi immediately understood the meaning behind her words and smiled:

"I'm not sure about that, but a regular pistol should be able to withstand it, but I don't know about others."

However, it probably won't involve guns. The country has so many soldiers, including many elites; there's no need to train an ordinary citizen like me from scratch.

"That would be fists or footwork, or cold weapons," Tongtong stated her judgment.

"That's right, that's most likely the case."

"I'll join if the country needs me, but I have to be careful about my own safety."

Ye Zi nodded, paused for a moment, and then Tong Tong suddenly said:

"No, why are you telling me all this?"

Ye Zi smiled and said:

"If you stay with me, you will not only have to give up all your previous efforts, but you will also live on the grassland. Most importantly, once I join that special department, you will live in fear every time you leave home."

Have you thought it through?

“I’m not afraid,” Tongtong replied firmly.

This is true. Her family misfortunes made her aware of what it meant to be anxious. Her biological father was unreliable, and after her parents divorced, he might come to cause trouble for her and her mother at any time.

I had lived in constant fear, and even after I became famous, I still had these worries.

And this worry eventually became a reality.

On the contrary, Tongtong suddenly said to her own father:

"Tell me honestly, did you do what you did to my father?"

Ye Zi touched her nose and said awkwardly:

“I did it. You got involved, and I thought I'd help you out by having the special department lock him up.”

"It's better to lock him up, so he won't cause trouble." Tongtong nodded, her tone tinged with reluctance.

"After the show ends, I'll give him a call and make him feel more comfortable inside, at least no one will bully him."

If all else fails, releasing them is fine too.

Tongtong exclaimed in surprise:

"They have that much energy?"

"Well, as long as it's not something that harms the country, they should be able to handle it."

Tongtong nodded, and then said:

"Just make him feel more comfortable. There's no need to release him; it would only cause trouble for everyone."

"Everyone?"

"Yes, us, neighbors, strangers, the police, and that special department."

Ye Zi was speechless. How many bizarre things had she done to have to bother her neighbors and the police?

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

"From now on, I'm your girlfriend."

"I have one last question."

"you say."

Ye Zi considered for a moment and said:

"You can tell the difference between dependence and liking, right?"

"I'm an adult, of course I can tell the difference," Tongtong immediately replied, then paused for a moment before pretending to be angry.

"You stinky leaf, I'm going to bite you to death!" he said, lunging at the leaf.

Ye Zi hugged Tong Tong, who rushed towards her, and said softly:

"Wife, give me a kiss." He then lowered his head and kissed her.

After a French kiss, Tongtong collapsed into Yezi's arms.

Yezi lay down naturally, and Tongtong adjusted her position, just like when she woke up in the morning, and leaned against Yezi's chest.

A sweet night passed, and I woke up from the heat.

Through the gap in the curtain, I could see that the rain had stopped and the sky had cleared.

The two smiled at each other, exchanged a good morning kiss, and then got up to lift the curtain.

After a fresh rain in the empty mountains, the weather turns autumnal in the evening.

Although there are no empty mountains or autumn here, the air after the rain is still refreshing and invigorating.