Chapter 56 Return to Beijing
Due to the sudden rescue accident and the continued poor weather conditions in the mountainous areas of Guizhou, the "Heart to the Distant Mountains" program crew decided to end the recording schedule a few days in advance after comprehensive evaluation and communication with the guests.
The official Weibo account quickly released a statement, explaining in detail the reasons for the early end, emphasizing that both teachers Zhou Ai and Chu Yi are now out of danger, their injuries have been properly treated, and they are recuperating. The statement also expressed gratitude to all the audiences who showed concern and support during the period.
Although the trip was shortened, the recording of the first episode of "Heart to the Distant Mountains" did bring substantial help and widespread attention to Yuntouzhai and its surrounding villages. Issues such as education, medical care, and sales of agricultural products have been promoted and resolved to varying degrees. This is also the biggest comfort of this trip.
On the day we left the village, the weather was sunny for a rare occasion. The sun shone on the layers of terraces and stilt houses, as if coating the land with a layer of soft warm light.
Chu Yi's foot cast hadn't been removed yet, so his movements were still quite inconvenient. However, from packing his luggage to getting on and off the bus, he didn't have to worry about anything at all—or rather, it wasn't anyone else's turn to intervene.
Zhou Ai took almost full charge of everything.
The production crew watched as this top star, usually somewhat aloof, squatted down in Chu Yi's cabin with remarkable ease, meticulously helping him fold his clothes, gather his belongings, and carefully place his laptop and books into his backpack. His movements weren't particularly skilled, even a little clumsy, but they were incredibly focused.
Then when Chu Yi needed to move, he turned around in front of Chu Yi very naturally, half squatted, and carried the person steadily on his back.
When going up and down the steep stilt stairs, he took every step very steadily, his arms tightly wrapped around Chu Yi's legs. When someone next to him wanted to lend a hand, he shook his head and declined.
Whether it was carefully placing Chu Yi in the back seat of the car and adjusting the position of his plastered leg, or carrying him again after arriving at the airport, walking through the crowd and handling the formalities, Zhou Ai remained calm throughout the whole process, as if this was the most natural thing.
Chu Yi may have felt a little uncomfortable at first, but under the influence of Zhou Ai's matter-of-fact attitude, he gradually relaxed and occasionally turned his head to whisper something in Zhou Ai's ear.
The interaction between the two was fluid and natural, with a tacit understanding and aura that was difficult for others to intrude upon. That natural intimacy and dependence far exceeded the boundaries of ordinary colleagues or friends, leaving the other members of the production team and staff looking at each other in surprise and curiosity, but no one dared to ask any further questions.
Zhou Ai's agent and work team watched from the side, with cold sweat on their foreheads. They wanted to step forward to help or hint to pay attention to the impact, but Zhou Ai glanced back at them indifferently, and they could only worry in secret.
Sunlight streamed through the glass dome of the airport. Zhou Ai carried Chu Yi on his back, walking steadily and steadily. Chu Yi lay quietly on his back, her chin resting lightly on his shoulder.
This unexpected journey began with a catastrophic accident, but ended temporarily in an indescribable, ambiguous and peaceful atmosphere.
No one knows what the future holds, but some things have definitely changed.
When the motorcade arrived at the airport, there were indeed media outlets and a small number of fans gathered near the general passage.
Zhou Ai glanced through the car window at the flashing cameras and the crowd outside. Without hesitation, he instructed the assistant in the front row, "Contact the airport and use the SVIP channel."
This was the first time he took the initiative to ask to use a special channel during a non-public trip. In the past, he was not keen on this and even somewhat rejected this deliberate isolation.
But today, he still has a leg in a cast on his back that cannot withstand any pushing or tossing.
The assistant immediately responded and made arrangements. The car smoothly entered the designated area, away from all the noise. Zhou Ai personally carried Chu Yi out of the car and through the quiet and private passage, directly into the VIP lounge.
Only after they boarded the plane and sat down side by side did Zhou Ai breathe a sigh of relief. But he clearly had no intention of sitting idle. As soon as he settled in, he naturally pulled a soft gray cashmere blanket from his backpack, shook it out, and carefully draped it over Chu Yi's legs. He even tried to pull the edge of the blanket upwards, trying to wrap Chu Yi up more tightly.
Chu Yi had been feeling a little embarrassed by Zhou Ai's meticulous care in public all along the way. Now that he saw him busy again, he finally couldn't help but reach out and gently hold Zhou Ai's hand that was tucking the blanket for him.
"There's nothing wrong with my hands. I can do this myself." Chu Yi sighed, his tone a little helpless.
Zhou Ai paused and looked up at him. "The temperature difference in Guiyang is huge. There's air conditioning when we first came in. You have an injury on your foot. You can't catch a cold." He paused and added, "If you feel uncomfortable anywhere, tell me right away."
Chu Yi was amused by his fearful look and raised an eyebrow, asking, "Teacher Zhou, may I remind you, are you a doctor? Or am I a doctor?"
Zhou Ai remained calm and answered confidently, "It's different now. Before you're a doctor, you're first a patient."
As he spoke, Chu Yi's gaze subconsciously fell on his face. Most of the tiny scratches from before had scabbed over and fallen off, leaving only a few faint pink marks. The newly grown black hair roots intertwined with the still silver-white hair, the wild and unruly feeling became even stronger, but at this moment he was doing the most careful and thoughtful thing.
Zhou Ai took out another silk eye mask from her bag and handed it to Chu Yi: "Use this, the light is too bright."
Xu Yang, who was sitting on the sofa in the aisle next door, looked at this scene, his mouth opening and closing, and a bunch of words about public relations, image, and follow-up arrangements rolled in his throat several times, but he finally swallowed them back silently, turning them into a silent sigh, and lowered his head to swipe his tablet.
The flight from Guiyang to Beijing took about three hours. Shortly after taking off smoothly, perhaps because his body hadn't fully recovered yet, or perhaps because of the inexplicable sense of security Zhou Ai brought him, Chu Yi, wearing the eye mask, tilted his head slightly to one side, and soon fell into a light sleep with even breathing.
Zhou Ai, however, was not sleepy at all. He sat with his back straight, like a guardian deity, his eyes occasionally falling on the people around him.
When Chu Yi's head unconsciously tilted towards him for the fifth time due to inertia, Zhou Ai finally reached out his hand carefully, gently placed his palm on Chu Yi's left cheek, and very slowly and steadily guided the furry head, finally placing it on his broad shoulders.
After completing this action, he slowly let out a breath, as if he had accomplished something extremely important.
He was just about to adjust his sitting position slightly to make himself and Chu Yi more comfortable when he keenly felt a strong gaze staring at him from the right.
Zhou Ai turned her head and met her agent Xu Yang's eyes, which were filled with complicated emotions.
Xu Yang shook the lit tablet screen in his hand and was about to say something in a low voice when Zhou Ai immediately frowned and raised his index finger without hesitation, putting it to his lips and making a clear and stern "shut up" gesture.
Xu Yang: “…” He immediately tactfully made a zippering gesture at the corner of his mouth, indicating that he would remain absolutely quiet.
Zhou Ai then turned back with satisfaction. He first carefully adjusted the height of his shoulders to make Chu Yi's pillow more comfortable, and then carefully checked whether the blanket on his legs was tightly covered.
After confirming that everything was correct, he looked straight ahead and silently extended a hand in the direction of Xu Yang next to him.
Xu Yang immediately understood and quickly handed the tablet with the page adjusted to Zhou Ai.
Zhou Ai took the tablet and slid his fingertips up and down the screen casually, quickly browsing the densely packed schedule on it - that was a series of work, interviews, and the inevitable follow-up meetings regarding this accident that he would face after returning to Beijing.
His eyes were calm and focused, completely different from the one who was carefully protecting the people around him. Only the free shoulder that Chu Yi was leaning on remained absolutely stable and did not move at all.
Zhou Ai roughly looked through all the work processes, calculated the approximate time, and then put the tablet with the screen turned off aside, but his eyes involuntarily fell back on the person leaning on his shoulder.
Chu Yi slept soundly, perhaps because the eye mask blocked out the light, or perhaps because his body was truly exhausted. He tilted his head, most of his face resting on Zhou Ai's shoulder. The eye mask obscured his usually distant eyes, revealing only his smooth forehead, straight nose, and pale lips, slightly parted in sleep.
His breath was shallow and even, and the warm air brushed against the skin on the side of Zhou Ai's neck, bringing a subtle tingling sensation. His soft black hair was a little messy and rubbed against Zhou Ai's jaw. He seemed defenseless, even revealing a softness and... cuteness that was completely different from when he was awake.
Zhou Ai's heart felt like it was gently pinched by something, making it feel sore and soft.
However, this quiet beauty could not dispel the increasingly clear uneasiness and anxiety deep in his heart.
The plane was taking them away from the isolated mountainous area that seemed to be able to temporarily block all the rules of reality, and back to the orderly and complex interpersonal relationships in Beijing.
What happens after you go back?
Zhou Ai could almost foresee that once he landed, Chu Yi's powerful self-protection psychological mechanism would likely be reactivated.
He might avoid himself intentionally, or try to draw a new line in the sand with a polite yet distant attitude, or even... directly give the rejection answer he's afraid to hear.
If that's the case, what should he do?
In Yuntou Village, in that extreme environment where there were only the two of them, he could "force" him with a clear conscience, and could rely on the gentleness and compassion in Chu Yi's character to get closer step by step, and even make those bold and out-of-bounds actions.
But when I return to Beijing, everything will be different.
There is Chu Yi's familiar life track, work environment, social circle, and... the blind date "Xie Huaiming" whose background he still doesn't know.
Chu Yi had too many reasons and too many ways to push him away and redefine him as a "temporary colleague" or "ordinary friend."
When he thought of that possibility, a feeling of powerless panic quietly gripped Zhou Ai's heart. He found that he had no effective bargaining chips to stop or retain her.
All his determination and confidence seemed so vulnerable in the face of Chu Yi's possible indifference.
Zhou Ai sighed almost inaudibly, and a bitter feeling filled his chest.
He turned his head slightly and looked at the furry head on his shoulder. He couldn't help but raise his fingertips and very gently brushed away the few strands of hair that naturally fell on Chu Yi's forehead.
Just as his fingertips left Chu Yi's forehead, a very light sound of footsteps approached.
The premium cabin stewardess who came to serve drinks had a well-trained perfect smile on her face, holding a tray in her hand, and was about to ask for your needs in a low voice.
However, when she saw the scene in front of her, her professional smile froze on her face, and her eyes were filled with unconcealable shock and...excitement.
From the moment Zhou Ai and his program boarded the plane through the SVIP channel, the entire crew was in a state of excitement.
Who would have thought that they would meet this top traffic star at work?
Having finally secured the opportunity to serve in this area, she had intended to remain professional and provide the service as naturally as possible.
But what did she just see?!
Zhou Ai, the top star known for his "cold face", "alienation" and "difficult to approach", was now tilting his head slightly, his eyes fixed on the person who was sleeping on his shoulder.
The expression on his face was more gentle than ever before. His peach blossom eyes, which always seemed careless or amorous, were now filled with concentration and warmth that almost overflowed, making him completely different from his usual image in front of the camera.
And that gentle brushing of the other's hair just now was incredibly natural and intimate! !
The stewardess's heart was pounding, and she almost couldn't hold the tray steady. She forced herself to calm down, using all her acting skills to maintain a calm exterior. She lowered her voice and asked professionally, "Mr. Zhou, would you like a drink?"
Zhou Ai raised her head upon hearing the voice, and the gentleness on her face instantly faded, returning to her usual indifferent, slightly distant expression. However, her voice remained low, as if to avoid waking the people around her: "Warm water will be fine, thank you."
The flight attendant quickly poured a glass of warm water and gently placed it on the small table next to Zhou Ai. She left the area almost at the same time, her heart already exploded with fireworks due to this shocking discovery.
Zhou Ai seemed to be completely unaware of the little episode just now. All his attention was still focused on the sleeping person beside him and the uncertain worry about the future.
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