Chapter 56 When the downpour came, Yan Quan often hallucinated, and Yan Ceyan called out to himself...

The group date activity was "camping." The destination was the Cloud Mountain on the outskirts of the capital.

The program team's red flag was conspicuously planted on a platform at an altitude of 1,500 meters in Yunwu Mountain, and the cool autumn breeze made the flag flutter.

[To the production team: I want to emphasize again, this is a dating reality show! Not a wilderness survival documentary!!]

[While our neighbor went to the Maldives, you insisted on going against the grain and choosing this remote, secluded spot?]

"Ha, Yunwu Mountain, they didn't even leave the city. They're really cutting corners on the budget." (facepalm and wry smile)

"I told you, how many advertising sponsors did you add halfway through the show... couldn't you have spent some money? So greedy!"

"Well, the only explanation I can think of is the 'suspension bridge effect,' where people in dangerous situations tend to mistake fear for comfort."

[To be honest, isn't the romantic subplot clear yet? Don't all three A's like Yan Quan?]

[The ex-husband spent lavishly, using the guise of a business partnership to aggressively pursue his love.]

Murong Yuan's company has been investing in the Yan family from the very beginning. Last time, when public opinion reversed and the stock market rebounded, they made a fortune... The president now looks at Yan Quan with eyes full of light.

[Shan Haotian even had a long private talk with Yan Quan the night after the press conference... presumably to express his loyalty.]

"Teacher, how could you forget Ji Yao in this inventory?"

〖Okay, Ji Yao, this one is even more heavyweight. Previously, Yan Quan was accused of being a traitor, and this guy directly went on his personal Weibo account to argue with the trolls.〗

[Tsk tsk, those words, they insulted everyone from ancestors to genitals... and their Weibo account is still blocked.]

[As it turns out, you, the King of Looks, are still the King of Looks. The situation has reversed, and you've made a triumphant return.]

I only came here and watched this program after seeing Yan Quan's financial media interview (facepalm)

Although he's the son of a deadbeat, he remains untainted by his surroundings. Now, Yan Quan is viewed through a lens of guilt stemming from our past misunderstandings, and the more I look at him, the more I like him…

[It's only natural for a handsome, rich, and powerful man like him to fall for Yan Quan.]

[Add one, Yan Quan's popularity on Weibo Super Topic is now overwhelmingly higher than everyone else, truly a top spot.]

[The "Signal 2" program is doing well; it even managed to ride on the coattails of our Yan Group's chairman's popularity (laughs)]

For this group camping trip, the production team had already assigned tasks to each group using task cards—the three Alphas were responsible for setting up the campfire area, Ji Yao went to the nearby stream to fetch water, and Yan Quan and Lin Mo were assigned to collect firewood from the woods to the west.

Wow, Yan Quan and Lin Mo are in a group, that's interesting (laughs while covering face)

[There was some conflict between Lin Mo and Yan Quan before, and the production team deliberately stirred up that conflict.]

"Just thinking about it makes me angry. Lin Mo deliberately bumped into Yan Quan last time, causing Yan Quan to injure his leg."

[Those trolls who thought they were right before, saying Yan Quan's son, a deadbeat, deserved to be hit by a car? Do those trolls still dare to bark like dogs now?]

[It's one thing for trolls to be brainless, but I'm more concerned about when Lin Mo will apologize to Yan Quan (angry)]

[Add one, Lin Mo said some very hurtful things to Yan Quan before, now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, he should at least apologize.]

Just as the group had finished gathering at Cloud Mist Mountain and were about to split up to do their tasks, Yan Quan called out to Ji Yao, who was carrying a plastic bucket and about to fetch water.

"Ji Yao, can I switch with you?"

"You and Lin Mo are roommates, so it will be easier for you to communicate and get along if you're in the same group."

Ji Yao's gaze swept between Yan Quan and Lin Mo, then she raised an eyebrow knowingly: "Okay—"

“No need to change.” Before Ji Yao’s words had even finished, Lin Mo took several steps to Yan Quan’s side: “I… I just want to be in your group. I have something I want to… I want to talk to you alone.”

"..." Yan Quan looked at the slightly serious expression on Lin Mo's face: "Alright, we'll be in the same group."

Ji Yao carried a plastic bucket eastward toward the stream, while Yan Quan and Lin Mo each carried a bamboo basket provided by the production team and walked westward toward the woods along the marked path.

The lush foliage of Yunwu Mountain completely obscures the cascading sunlight, making the mountain paths dimly lit and filling the air with the damp scent of pine needles and earth.

"Master Fu... Fu Duan Nian, did he really seduce you?" Lin Mo, who was walking behind Yan Quan, spoke first: "He doesn't seem like that kind of person."

"...Is this a publicity stunt by you?"

Yan Quan bent down to pick up a dry twig, pretending not to notice the barb in his words, "You care a lot about Fu Duan Nian?"

“I…” Lin Mo’s fingers tightened slightly, and the withered branch made a soft snapping sound in his palm. “…It doesn’t count.”

"Then what you said, causing me trouble..." Yan Quan continued to bend down and pick up a dry branch: "Actually, it was because you were jealous of me."

"Jealousy?" Lin Mo, who was somewhat introverted, seemed to have been provoked and retorted in a raised voice, "I...I...I would never be jealous of others."

That's the truth. As a top student at the Capital University, Lin Mo, a "chosen one," was never someone others could "chase after and envy," and had nothing to do with the word "jealousy."

“But your actions have already shown that.” Yan Quan slightly raised his eyelids, breaking off a slightly thick, withered branch in his hand. “Actually, you didn’t need to react so strongly.”

"There are quite a few people who are jealous of me."

When Yan Quan was studying in Federation A, the people in the school could be roughly divided into two categories—those who wanted to study under Yan Quan and those who disliked Yan Quan.

But later Yan Quan discovered that they were actually the same type of people.

"Disliking" simply means... disliking Yan Quan being "monopolized"—jealousy is a distorted expression of "possessiveness," and the highest form of "appreciation."

"I guess you care about me more than Fu Duannian."

"Otherwise, if your crush suddenly turned out to be a rapist, your first reaction would definitely be regret for misjudging him, not..."

"They're paying such close attention to me."

"You..." Lin Mo was a little annoyed that his secret had been exposed. He slipped and lost his balance, about to fall backward.

"Be careful." Yan Quan stretched out his arm, wrapped it around Lin Mo's wrist, and pulled Lin Mo's tilted body back.

The moment Lin Mo's skin touched Yan Quan, it felt like being burned, and he quickly recoiled.

“I know you’re not gay. The way you care about me is different from the way Ji Yao cares about me.”

Yan Quan waved his hand and continued walking forward, then seemed to remember something: "But in a sense, you're about the same."

"Yan Quan." Lin Mo caught up with him aggressively. "Do you think you can be liked by everyone?"

"Yes, you attracted everyone's attention the moment you appeared on the show, everyone was swarming around you..."

"Good-looking, from a wealthy family..." Lin Mo was a little shy and socially awkward, but once her suppressed emotions were released, long passages of words poured out like a basket:

"Your academic qualifications... your degree is from a top university in the world, the thing I'm most proud of, you're even better than me... and you're so popular, they're all just trying to please you..."

"How can all the good qualities in the world be concentrated in one person? Every time I sit next to you, I feel ignored and like an outsider!"

"I thought that with the Yan family owing so much money, and everyone online criticizing you... you finally had some flaws. But—"

Lin Mo spoke a great deal in one breath, his chest heaving as he gasped for air:

"But you also brought the Yan family back to life. Overnight, everyone was praising you, praising your social responsibility... More people liked you, and everyone's attention was focused on you; they could only see you..."

"Even I..." Lin Mo began, then paused for a moment. He realized that the more he spoke, the more contradictory his words became—

They can only see you. Even I...

And I can't help but focus my gaze on you.

"..." Yan Quan lowered her eyes and sighed softly to herself: "Lin Mo, don't you think that what you're saying now proves that I'm right?"

"No, no... I..."

Lin Mo finally realized, belatedly, that this was what Yan Quan had called 'jealousy'. Or, to put it another way: 'fervent admiration'.

But Lin Mo refused to admit it, subconsciously resisting, and took several steps back: "I didn't..."

"Snap—" Lin Mo felt a strange friction sound under his feet, as if some metal rings were colliding together.

"Don't move—" Yan Quan frowned, but it was too late—Lin Mo lost his footing and took a step away.

Left with no other choice, Yan Quan rushed over and pushed Lin Mo away, at the same time stepping on the other end of the mechanism.

Before Lin Mo, who had been pushed to the other side of the soft grass, could react, he heard a crisp metallic "click" in his ear.

A muffled groan escaped Yan Quan's throat with difficulty, "Ugh..."

Lin Mo saw blood seeping from the edge of Yan Quan's hiking boots, staining the surrounding fallen leaves red. "Yan Quan..."

Before the final syllable of "惓" had even faded, another ominous "click" sound rang out—

The seemingly solid layer of fallen leaves suddenly collapsed, and the ground beneath Yan Quan's feet cracked open. Even though Yan Quan reacted quickly and tried to maintain his balance, he still fell backward into the suddenly appeared pit.

Through the dim light, Lin Mo saw Yan Quan lying at the bottom of a pit about three meters deep. Even more terrifying was that an old-fashioned animal trap was now biting his right leg.

"Yan Quan!" Lin Mo shouted, frantically trying to step forward.

"Don't come any closer..." Yan Quan's voice trembled slightly with pain, "There might be traps around here..."

Tears welled up in Lin Mo's eyes. "How are you? Can you stand up?"

Yan Quan tried to move, but immediately coughed painfully, "I can barely move. It's just that this clamp is a little troublesome..."

"I'll come down and help you!" Lin Mo said, bracing himself against the edge of the pit, trying to climb down.

"No!" Yan Quan said sternly, "This pit is too deep, and I have difficulty moving. You can't pull me out."

"Lin Mo, I know we have some conflicts."

“But in any case…” Yan Quan’s face was shrouded in the gradually setting twilight, his cold voice leaving no room for doubt, “You have to go back to the camp and ask for help now.”

*

Yunwu Mountain, 1500 meters above sea level, campsite.

Three orange tents are set up in a triangle in the center of the platform.

The once clear sky had been swallowed up by dark clouds. A distant rumble of thunder echoed, and the wind began to howl.

To make matters worse, the raindrops began to fall heavily, turning into a downpour in an instant.

Meanwhile, the camp was in complete chaos.

"Everyone evacuate immediately! The Capital Meteorological Bureau has issued an emergency notice: torrential rain tonight may trigger mudslides!" The assistant director shouted through a megaphone on the filming location. "Get on the bus quickly, we're going to a safe base three kilometers away!"

Of the six guests, only four had hastily gathered. Yan Ceyan looked around, rain streaming down his prominent brow bone: "Where's Yan Quan?"

"Ji Yao said he and Lin Mo went to collect firewood and should be back soon," Shan Haotian replied hastily, putting on his raincoat.

"Is anyone there?! Quick, go save them!" A dark figure was vaguely visible in a corner of the western slope under the torrential rain.

"Is that Yan Quan?!" Shan Haotian was eager to go and greet him, but he only felt a shadow dart past him.

"Why are you the only one here? Where is Yan Quan?!" Yan Ceyan approached Lin Mo almost like lightning.

“Yan Quan…huff…” Lin Mo’s hair was completely soaked, and he was out of breath after running wildly: “He…he stepped on a trap and fell into the pit while trying to save me.”

As soon as Lin Mo finished speaking, he felt Yan Ceyan's sharp gaze fixed on him—like a steel knife tempered with cold air, piercing straight into him.

"Where are you? Report your location." Yan Ceyan's voice was low and gloomy.

"The program crew marked it as the woods on the west slope... the west side." Lin Mo's fingers were tightly gripping his already soaking wet clothes. "And then we kept going uphill."

"I'm going to find him." Yan Ceyan hurriedly grabbed a raincoat and stuffed it into the first-aid kit. He then quickly zipped it up and neatly slung it over his shoulder.

"No! It's too dangerous!" Director Wang struggled to pull Yan Ceyan back. "The professional rescue team is on its way and will be there soon."

"How long is 'soon'?"

“I have received professional special field training, and besides…” Yan Ceyan easily shook off Director Wang’s hand: “The rescue team isn’t as reckless as me.”

Amidst the torrential rain, the beams of powerful flashlights suddenly burst forth. Yan Ceyan's tall figure sped upwards against the rushing water from the slope.

As Yan Ceyan disappeared into the rain, he gave Lin Mo one last look: "If anything happens to Yan Quan..."

Yan Ceyan's dark, deep voice drifted in through the rain: "You'll be buried with him."

*

The rain lashed Yan Ceyan's face like whips, and the water, mixed with sand and pine needles, trickled down his neck and into his collar, making him extremely uncomfortable.

But Yan Ceyan paid no heed to any of that. He ran swiftly along the western path, repeatedly calling out Yan Quan's name: "Yan Quan! Yan Quan! Yan Quan!"

The only response Yan Ceyan received was the roar of the wind and rain.

When they arrived at the designated firewood collection point set up by the production team, the pre-placed guide signs were already askew, and the footprints had been washed away by the rain and could not be traced.

As Yan Ceyan walked uphill, he discovered that the pit Lin Mo had mentioned was now two-thirds full of water, but Yan Quan was still nowhere to be seen.

Yan Ceyan's heart sank to the bottom instantly.

Suddenly, a loud bang came from the mountaintop—the mudslide had begun.

The mud and water were already above his ankles, making every step incredibly difficult. His soaring heart rate and adrenaline propelled Yan Ceyan to maintain a high-speed sprint.

While running, he quickly analyzed the terrain—the north slope was the most dangerous; they had to go uphill. Yan Quan was so clever; he would surely make the same judgment.

Yan Ceyan bent down, grabbed a thick tree branch for support, and began to climb in a southeast direction.

What was alarming was that when he climbed to a higher point, the spot where he had just been standing had been rapidly swallowed up by mudslides!

According to Lin Mo, Yan Quan's leg was also injured... making it difficult for him to move around. Thinking of this, Yan Ceyan's already slumped spirits sank even further...

Suddenly, Yan Ceyan noticed what appeared to be a depression in the rock face ahead. He strained his arms and climbed over—it was a cave!

Yan Ceyan turned on his flashlight and inspected the interior of the cave. The cave ceiling was dry and without cracks, making it an ideal refuge.

The most crucial point is that this place isn't far from the scene of the incident! What if Yan Quan is here...?

Yan Ceyan's heart, which had plummeted to the bottom, almost instantly revived and began to beat wildly.

Shining his flashlight deeper into the maze, Yan Ceyan's keen senses detected... the smell of blood. It carried a familiar, sweet, crisp citrus scent.

The flames cast long, slender shadows on the cave walls, which danced up and down with the air currents.

*

"Yan Quan".

Yan Quan gritted his teeth and endured the pain, forcing himself to shift his attention and stare intently at the flickering flames.

When Yan Quan first heard that voice echoing in his ears, he thought he was hallucinating. After all, Yan Quan often experienced auditory hallucinations.

On the unfamiliar streets of Federation A, when she was pregnant and vomiting and couldn't eat, after her permanent mark removal surgery, or during countless sleepless nights... Yan Quan could hear Yan Ceyan calling her name.

"Yan Quan".

Only when the voice called again, growing ever closer, did Yan Quan turn his head in a daze.

"Damn..." Yan Quan sniffed, his voice suddenly softening as he couldn't hold back any longer, "Really."

-----------------------

Author's note: The mountain "Cloud and Mist Mountain" is a fictional creation of mine (more accurately, a creation of deepseek). Any resemblance to actual events is purely coincidental (to avoid any appearance of impropriety).