But along the way, Yan Yunzhi did not forget to collect sounds.
The moaning wind, the flowing water in the creek, the little tune hummed by a girl washing clothes by the river, the sound of firecrackers—each sound entered her ears, recorded and collected.
Yan Yunzhi closed her eyes to listen, a soft smile curving at her lips, her expression serene and focused. The morning sun fell on her porcelain-white profile, light and shadow interweaving.
Ning Ke looked at her for two extra seconds, then immediately looked away.
But the bullet comments caught that moment:
“Did Little Ning look at Teacher Yan for a while?”
“Yes, I was looking along with her and forgot to breathe.”
“You forgot, that’s you. Leave our Ning Keke alone. Taking her away, not teaming up.”
“I forgot? Can you guarantee Little Ning didn’t just look at Teacher Yan?”
The bullet comments argued for ages over this tiny detail, until they arrived at Grandpa He’s house.
Grandpa He asked Ning Ke with a smile: “Have you had breakfast?”
Ning Ke: “I had half a corn.”
Grandpa He: “That won’t do! Come, come, eat a bit more.”
Ning Ke: “…Okay, thank you, Grandpa.”
While Ning Ke ate breakfast, Yan Yunzhi chatted with Grandpa He. Beyond what Ning Ke had asked last night, she carefully asked whether Grandpa He had any songs he would like to sing, and after recording them, she asked whether there were other folk singers nearby.
Yan Yunzhi: “We’ll visit the singers you mentioned one by one. Is it alright to meet back at your house tonight?”
Grandpa He: “Go on. I’ll have a young man show you the way.”
After meeting several folk singers, Ning Ke’s phone rang.
An Yu called: “Sister, we’ve arrived.”
Ning Ke: “We’re at the village elementary school gate. We’ll be there soon.”
The bullet comments were puzzled:
“What are they going to the school for?”
“Are they going to teach kids to sing? Whose call did Ning Keke take?”
“I don’t get it… hey, hey, production team, don’t cut away!”
Probably to maintain the mystery, the production team cut the camera at that moment, leaving a cliffhanger.
Of course, they also needed to give other groups screen time, so the feed switched to Qin Pei and Jing Luo’s group.
Jing Luo was thin, with deep, defined features. She wore a long black coat, her black hair tied low at the back of her head, her expression cool.
Qin Pei, down-to-earth, wore a down jacket. At her status, she did not need to worry too much about her on-camera image.
Qin Pei led Jing Luo around, asking people which local young man or woman sang love songs best.
Of course, they occasionally hit language barriers. Qin Pei did not mind at all, gesturing through questions until she got the answer she wanted.
Jing Luo followed behind her, not saying a word.
Qin Pei got the addresses of a few singers: “Xiaoluo, you handle the music-related communication. I don’t understand it.”
Jing Luo’s ears turned red: “Just walk in?”
Qin Pei: “Knock first. Say who we are, say how we got here, and finally ask about the songs and instruments they’re good at.”
Jing Luo: “I…”
Qin Pei did not notice her small pause, walking several steps ahead before realizing Jing Luo was lagging far behind.
She turned: “What’s wrong?”
Jing Luo took a deep breath: “I… I can’t.”
Qin Pei: “What’s wrong?”
Jing Luo: “…I don’t know how to talk to people.”
Qin Pei: “I already taught you the lines. Stop fearing everything. Come on. Come in with me.”
Jing Luo followed her inside with a helpless expression.
They went into the first house, and Qin Pei gave Jing Luo the floor.
Jing Luo, blushing: “Hello… sorry to bother you. We were wondering if Mr. Long is home?”
The woman sweeping the floor stopped: “I’ll go get him, I’ll go get him. You sit, sit.”
Soon, the singer came out. Seeing the microphone and earphones in Jing Luo’s hands, he guessed she was in the same line of work and launched into a warm, proactive conversation. Hearing about the concert, Mr. Long immediately agreed, saying “great” three times, and added: “I also have a friend who loves singing! I’ll take you to find her! Let me change clothes; give me a few minutes!”
Jing Luo had not expected Mr. Long to be so warm and proactive. She could not help smiling: “Mr. Long is really nice.”
Qin Pei asked teasingly: “Was it hard? Is talking to people hard?”
Jing Luo thought it over and said seriously: “Talking to people isn’t hard. The mental preparation is hard. Every time I talk to someone, I have to think for a long time first.”
Qin Pei patted her with a mix of frustration and pity: “Do you have to? You’re just overthinking it!”
The bullet comments started flooding:
“A social butterfly can’t understand a social phobic’s heart.”
“Really, just watching Jing Luoluo talk hits too close to home. I say ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’ every time I talk to someone. Poor Luoluo.”
“Poor +1. When Jing Luo stays silent, she’s a cool queen; when she opens her mouth, she’s a shy cutie. I love this contrast.”
Jing Luo pursed her lips, looking a little aggrieved.
Qin Pei raised her hand and gently patted Jing Luo’s cheek with the back of her fingers, softening her tone: “Alright. Didn’t you do great just now? It’ll get better.”
Jing Luo was startled by the sudden touch, nodded awkwardly, and turned to leave.
Qin Pei could not help smiling and muttered to herself: “This girl.”
The bullet comments were nearly dumbfounded:
“Damn, is this what straight girls are like?”
“Teacher Qin is so ‘sisterly’!”
“Is Jing Luoluo shy? I’d be shy too. A gentle older sister touches your cheek.”
“Teacher Qin, keep your hands to yourself!”
“Production team, be human. Don’t make me ship a pair that’s doomed to fail…”
The screen switched again; the other two groups were making slow progress.
When the camera came over, the foodie duo was sitting at someone’s doorstep munching milk buns. Gu Yao noticed the camera and deliberately smiled: “Delicious! Extra sweet!”
Yu You also showed off a smile of white teeth: “This is really, really tasty. Grandma’s cooking doesn’t miss!”
Neither of them knew anything about music composition, so they used their time to win over the audience.
But they had only visited the first house before being hooked by the fragrant milk buns, sitting shamelessly at the doorstep to eat.
Gu Yao finished, praised profusely, and then asked: “Grandma, we’re singing in the village in a few days. Will you come listen?”
The old lady beamed: “Alright, alright, I’ll come. Not only me—I’ll drag along the neighbors from a few houses down!”
Look at these youngsters—a perfect match, handsome and pretty with sweet tongues. Who could dislike them?
The bullet comments were a bit dumbfounded:
“You can do that?”
“These two foodies are hopeless.”
“I think they’re clever. The village is full of elders and kids, barely any young people. Old people love a lively gathering. If one goes, a crowd goes.”
After they ate, the old lady said: “Oh dear, my grandson’s almost out of school. I have to go pick him up!”
Yu You and Gu Yao stood up: “We’ll go with you—good chance to learn the roads.”
The two walked to the elementary school gate and unexpectedly saw Ning Ke and Yan Yunzhi.
Ning Ke’s little assistant An Yu was handing stationery to every student leaving school, reminding them: “There’s a singing event in a couple of days—come listen! We’ll be giving out comic books on site~”
Behind them, on the school rooftop, two workers brought by An Yu were making repairs.
The bullet comments instantly blew up:
“Finally, my Kezhi CP is back! So Little Ning’s phone call was about this. Everything Grandpa He said that day, she took it all to heart.”
“Gu Yao and Yu You are stunned hahaha. I’m a little stunned too. I bet it was Ning Keke’s idea.”
“How wonderful. This is the Ning Keke I’ve always loved.”
“Little Ning is so thoughtful. People online used to say don’t just give kids candy, so they don’t learn to beg from passersby. School supplies and books are the best. I hope they can all leave the mountains someday.”
By the time they finished distributing the supplies, it was already dark.
The four groups regrouped and ate dinner together.
Ning Ke: “We visited quite a few singers today and invited them to Grandpa He’s house tonight. Would you all like to come?”
Gao Qi: “Our group’s in!”
Qin Pei: “Us too.”
Yu You: “Me, me, me! Ours is in too!”
Yan Yunzhi: “Everyone can also organize today’s findings. If you have any musical problems, you can ask me or Jing Luo.”
This was something she and Ning Ke had carefully considered—relying on just the two of them would not be enough to complete the task.
The production team had not prohibited cooperation. Being the first to propose it might even earn bonus points.
The bullet comments were quite surprised:
“Teacher Yan isn’t keeping secrets?”
“But I think her approach is right. Putting on a good concert isn’t something one group of two can do alone—it requires collaboration. This episode is destined to be more about cooperation than competition.”
“So how will they be scored? I’m looking forward to it.”
After dinner, everyone gathered at Grandpa He’s house.
The folk singers they had visited during the day had all arrived, carrying homemade instruments. A bonfire was lit, and love songs rang out. Miao women returning from work hummed along and gathered around.
Hearing the beautiful singing, Gao Qi could not resist pulling out his violin—but after two strokes, it emitted a sawing-a-log sound.
The Miao sisters frowned, looking ready to leave.
Jiang Lin sighed helplessly and had to step into the center of the crowd. He started singing, and while singing, he danced—hip-hop, waacking, Latin—whatever he knew. The Miao sisters were thoroughly delighted!
Unlike fans who marveled at him as a top dancer, these Miao women chattered away, not in praise, but as if watching a curious monkey.
The audience was dying of laughter:
“Hahaha Teacher Gao, don’t you have any self-awareness?”
“Jiang Lin’s slacking off failed again, forced to work hard, so desperate, right?”
“Jiang Lin: damn it.”
Jiang Lin, with his flashy antics, finally managed to keep the Miao sisters around and liven up the atmosphere. More people gathered.
Qin Pei pressed down on Gao Qi’s twitching hand and dragged him aside.
The mountain songs were simple and beautiful, tender and heartfelt. They were treasures born in the depths of the mountains—every line full of vitality and life.
Yan Yunzhi picked up her violin to accompany, the music flowing gracefully, every rhythm perfectly controlled.
A singer pushed a microphone to her, inviting her to sing along—a love song that had recently become popular.
“Don’t wait until the green leaves turn yellow and wither
Don’t wait until we’re old and can’t be together
…”
The melody was beautiful, tender, and moving. Ning Ke was drawn in immediately.
She watched Yan Yunzhi sing. Close as she was, she could clearly pick out Yan Yunzhi’s voice among the crowd—warm, clear, soft, and refined.
Ning Ke listened so intently that she completely missed the lyrics.
Until the line, “While the time is good, come and pursue her,” Yan Yunzhi turned her head to look at her. Startled by her gaze, Ning Ke frowned and glared back at her—what are you looking at!
But Yan Yunzhi kept looking at Ning Ke as she sang the final line, “In the prime of youth, take her home as your bride,” her brows curved, her smile soft.
The bullet comments were overtaken by screams:
“Little Ning’s look is so coquettish! Teacher Yan’s gaze is so doting! These two eyes are practically sending out sparks, right? Huh?”
“Damn, Teacher Yan is basically declaring herself, right? Right? AHHHH!”
“Marry her, marry her, marry her AHHHH!”
“Have you ever considered—what if my CP is already married?”
“Please don’t force the connection. Each is beautiful on their own. Don’t be ridiculous!”
“Right, you’re the one who’s married. Your whole family is married!”
In the romantic, lingering tail of the song, Ning Ke turned her head away, vaguely feeling her cheeks burn—perhaps from the firelight.
Beside her, Yan Yunzhi lowered her hand after setting down her violin, and her fingertips naturally brushed against Ning Ke’s fingertips.
Ning Ke instantly straightened up, her whole body tensing.
She glanced at Yan Yunzhi—the woman was focused on the Miao singer in the center of the crowd, smiling with appreciation.
…Probably not on purpose.
A warm heat spread from her fingertips.
It was Yan Yunzhi’s body temperature, her heartbeat.
Gradually, Ning Ke’s own heartbeat fell out of rhythm, and her palm became slightly damp.
She lowered her lashes, holding her breath, looking at their touching fingertips.
After a long while, she looked away.
She did not move her hand.
