Chapter 101 Don't Be Afraid
The gurgling sound of the river and the surrounding tranquility intertwined into a melodious background music. In the rubber boat, Chen Xingzhi and Ren Limeng sat side by side. The sunlight filtered through the cracks in the canyon, dappled on the water, silently outlining their distinct faces.
Even though she couldn't see the real-time video footage on the camera, Ren Limeng was still confident that the current footage of her and Shen Xingzhi should be very beautiful, with bright sunshine and lush greenery. In such a beautiful natural landscape, even if their sitting postures rose and fell with the flow of the water, it would only look more vivid.
Of course, the only thing that is beautiful is the picture, which is like a movie scene turned on silent mode. It has a strong sense of atmosphere, but no sound.
Ren Limeng gently stirred the river water and looked ahead. Han Tai and Chen Xi were chatting. Chen Xi covered her mouth with her hand, with an obvious smile on her side. She turned her head and glanced behind her. Li Chuyue and Guan He were also chatting with smiles on their faces. The blue sky, green scenery and clear water formed a harmonious picture.
And she and Shen Xingzhi...
They started the rafting journey in relative silence. In the calm waters, the two of them occasionally touched each other lightly due to the turbulence of the water. Ren Limeng's heart immediately sounded alarm bells. She immediately held on to the soft cabin and twisted her body hard.
She spent almost all her thoughts on getting the position right, and it was not until she felt the stagnant atmosphere around her that Ren Limeng realized the subtle atmosphere between the two of them.
Where is Shen Xingzhi?
When she bumped into him, he not only did not dodge, but also quickly stretched out his left hand while paddling, as if he wanted to help her steady her body. He was so considerate that it seemed like he was not himself. Every time Ren Limeng gently brushed away his palm, she would whisper "thank you", which became the only communication between them.
Even an experienced host can’t break the ice. Shen Xingzhi… is really her nemesis!
But a good host will never allow the atmosphere to become awkward!
"Brother Xingzhi, look over there, this tree must be thousands of years old, it's amazing!"
"Um."
"Didn't Brother Han Tai tell us this morning that Tiger Gorge was formed tens of millions of years ago? Come to think of it, maybe scholars and poets also sailed here in ancient times. They all saw the same ancient trees, the same scorching sun, and admired this endless landscape painting just like us. Meishi is truly beautiful!"
"Li Meng, there's no need to brag so much."
As if he was finally interested, Chen Xingzhi opened his thin lips slightly, but said mercilessly, "Mei City is indeed beautiful, but you and Han Taige are really... like the spokespersons of Mei City all the time. Don't you want to be the image ambassadors of Mei City?"
The sarcastic words were not just teasing. Ren Limeng could hear the sting in Shen Xingzhi's words. The smile on her lips condensed slightly, and ripples appeared in her eyes. She didn't provoke Shen Xingzhi today, so why was there so much anger in his words?
Even though she really wanted to keep her distance from Shen Xingzhi, in order to appease Shen Xingzhi's emotions and ensure the stability of the recording, she did not forcibly refuse to be on the same boat with him. Why, is he still not satisfied?
"Brother Xingzhi, you're overthinking it. Let's just enjoy the scenery!"
If you don't agree, there's no need to talk too much.
But Shen Xingzhi didn't seem to think so.
"Li Meng, have you and Han Tai known each other before? Since he is your father's apprentice, haven't you seen him before?"
Ren Limeng turned her head again and looked at Chen Xingzhi. When the two looked at each other, she clearly felt the temptation in Chen Xingzhi's deep eyes.
Why is Shen Xingzhi interested in Han Tai?
"Well, I've been busy with work these past few years and haven't been home much."
"I thought you were just shy in front of the camera, but I didn't expect you really didn't know each other."
Chen Xingzhi looked at Ren Limeng's frank eyes, then suddenly turned his head and looked at the canyon in front of him. His tone softened a bit, "Mei City is indeed beautiful, and the air is very fresh. If it weren't for the show, I would like to stay here for a while longer."
"Then welcome to Mei City for vacation, Brother Xingzhi. When you come, be sure to find me. I'll treat you to a small restaurant here that only locals can find."
Ren Limeng was smiling and being polite when she suddenly heard Chen Xi's frightened scream. Ren Limeng looked at the water that suddenly became faster not far away, subconsciously glanced at the camera tied in front of the two of them, and held on to the handrail.
"Don't be afraid."
Shen Xingzhi finished speaking in a deep voice, and adjusted the direction calmly, trying to find a relatively stable path in the rapids, and then put the oars into the cabin.
Ren Limeng was a little worried that she would lose her composure in front of the camera if she encountered a rapid, but looking at his smooth movements, she suddenly became distracted. Is this why Shen Xingzhi can't drift?
When he lied with his eyes open just now, his expression was cold and he looked so self-righteous that she almost believed it.
The rubber boat tossed back and forth in the rapids, and every collision stirred up high splashes of water, which splashed onto the faces and bodies of Ren Limeng and Shen Xingzhi in a disorderly manner. The slightest bit of coolness seemed to want to drive away the dullness of summer, and the atmosphere around them suddenly became a bit more intense.
Even though she had put on a long-sleeved raincoat in advance, the plastic texture was still unable to completely withstand the impact of the splashes. Ren Limeng lowered her head and felt like a small boat struggling in the raging sea, suddenly so weak in the face of the surging nature.
Even if she told herself that this was just a rafting experience and it was very safe, as the water became more and more turbulent, the rubber boat seemed to be controlled by an invisible big hand, sometimes being thrown high up, and sometimes falling heavily. Ren Limeng couldn't help feeling a little nervous. Growing up in Mei City, she had read many news reports. The probability of an accident while rafting was very small, but it was not impossible.
When she first boarded the boat, she was so focused on getting angry with Shen Xingzhi. What if she didn't take the safety measures seriously? If the boat capsized or was thrown out, she could easily be edited into a variety show comedian by the production team. She would never allow such an OOC character to happen.
The sound of the river roared in her ears. Ren Limeng held the handle tightly in her hand and took a deep breath. Even though her heart was beating faster, she still kept a calm face, as if she didn't care about the exciting rapids at all. She was brave and calm, and didn't show any fear at all.
"Fear?"
Chen Xingzhi asked in a low voice, deliberately softening his tone without the stiffness he had just used when he mentioned "Hantai". However, Ren Limeng paid no attention to this. She subconsciously looked at Chen Xingzhi, "Brother Xingzhi, you're joking. I rode it... quite a few times when I was a kid. It's very safe... What's so scary about it?"
The sound became weaker and weaker with the roaring and rushing river water. With a smile forced on the corner of his mouth, Shen Xingzhi looked at Ren Limeng deeply. He suddenly tilted his body slightly to the right, grabbed the handrail outside the rubber boat with his right hand, and leaned forward quickly and suddenly, as if preparing to get up.
“Shen Xingzhi!”
Ren Limeng's voice this time was really panicked, with some sharp sounds. She even subconsciously stretched out her right hand, wanting to grab Shen Xingzhi. This was a whirlpool section in the rapids. If she stood up, she would really fall off the boat. This was no joke.
What is Shen Xingzhi going crazy about!
"It's okay, I just got bumped around a bit."
A series of actions happened in just a breath. Ren Limeng felt that she had just taken a breath when Shen Xingzhi had already sat back in his original place steadily. His voice was full of smiles without any panic, which made her seem too nervous. Ren Limeng took a deep breath and this time she really wanted to calm down.
She glared at Shen Xingzhi fiercely, her round eyes were so stern that there was no trace of smile in them at all, and she looked so serious as if she was swearing with her eyes.
"My microphone seems to have gotten water in it. Is yours okay?"
Chen Xingzhi calmly turned off the switch of the microphone on his waist, and while speaking with a puzzled tone, he signaled Ren Limeng to turn off the microphone as well.
"I tried it, but it seems the button is not lit..."
Ren Limeng wiped the water droplets off her face and rolled her eyes silently at Shen Xingzhi, but her voice also showed anxiety.
As Ren Limeng spoke, she looked around carefully. The cliffs on both sides of the canyon were sharp and covered with vines. The two of them were in the middle of the river bank. There was no staff from the scenic area at the bend of the rapids, and the rubber boats in front and behind were also quite far away.
"Don't look, there are no hidden cameras. There were some over there at the beginning, but this side is full of whirlpools. A camera would be scrapped. The production team doesn't have that much money."
"Chen Xingzhi! Are you crazy? Do you know how dangerous it was just now? You accidentally went out, and there are rocks below. What if... you bump into something? Have you thought about the consequences?"
Ren Limeng's voice rose with excitement, her face ashen. She glanced at the front of the rubber boat. The camera in the center of the edge that the program crew had been debugging for half a day now slid silently to the legs of the two people. The data cable had just been pulled off by Shen Xingzhi's left hand, and the recording light was completely off.
Without the recording camera, Ren Limeng no longer had the mood to smile. Her tense back finally relaxed a little. Looking at the angular rocks under the riverbed and listening to the vibrations of the rubber boat passing over the sharp rocks, she felt that she had not yet recovered from her emotions.
God knows how scared she was when she saw Shen Xingzhi suddenly stand up!
That's even harder to describe than maintaining a calm persona in front of the camera in a rapid. Her heartbeat must have skipped a beat! She's still gasping for air.
"You scared me to death!"
Ren Limeng finally couldn't help but complain. She turned her head to look at Shen Xingzhi, wanting him to know the seriousness of the matter. However, when she turned her head, she was caught off guard and fell into a dark pool filled with smiles.
"Ren Limeng, are you worried about me? I thought you just wanted to stay away from me."
Chen Xingzhi's voice was still cold, like a quiet spring flowing in the cold night, but at this moment it was faintly mixed with a hint of grievance, coupled with that perfect face that seemed to be carefully carved by God, which made people couldn't help but soften their hearts.
"Nonsense, Shen Xingzhi, can you please be a human being? I don't want to be on the hot gossip searches with you last week and on social news with you this week! You are already thirty years old, don't you know what actions are dangerous? Can you think before you act? If something happens, I... your family and fans will be so worried!"
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