Love Finds Its Time - Chapter 29

On the morning that Inside and Outside the Drama began filming, the organizers arranged a spacious RV to pick up the hosts, the actors, and their partners. The director’s team, the actors’ assistants, and the rest of the staff rode in other vehicles.

This time there were ten participants. Aside from the two pairs Shi Qingqiu with Wen Qinghan, and Qin Wang with Ji Lan, the other three pairs were also well-known names.

Lu Sizhou, a famous actress who had started out as a child star, had appeared in many popular films since childhood. Although she mostly played the childhood versions of lead characters, the experience paved the way for her later acting career. Now at twenty-eight, she had taken on relatively few films, but nearly all of them were high-quality works. This time, Lu Sizhou’s partner was her twin sister, Lu Sirui.

Xu Zhi, a rising actress of recent years with impressive acting skills, came from an ordinary family. She had struggled in the entertainment industry for some time without ever meeting a real mentor, until she suddenly gained fame a few years ago for her role in a web drama. Opinions about her were mixed, but more leaned toward the positive. For this show, she brought along her best friend, Xiao Yulan, as her partner.

The last participant was the seasoned actress Yu Shushen. Now fifty-three, she rarely took on roles anymore, but the films she had starred in during her youth remained outstanding even by today’s standards, and her acting skills were universally praised. Her partner this time was her only daughter, Du Lingmeng, who had gone into business.

The starting point of this outdoor reality show was a small village several hundred kilometers from City B. Naturally, the production team wouldn’t miss the chance to capture interactions during the ride, so from the moment everyone boarded, two cameramen followed them, filming from front and back.

One by one, the actors greeted the camera. Then the male host clapped his hands proudly and said, “This season is truly a feast for the eyes. We have our Shushen-jie, Sizhou, Little Zhi, and also A-Wang and Qingqiu. Any one of them alone would be enough to drive fans crazy.”

As the cameraman moved closer, the host clicked his tongue, patted his chest, and continued, “I’m truly honored to have the blessing of accompanying all of you for the coming days. It may be short, but please take care of me.” He finished with a deep bow.

“Oh, come off it. Which one of us hasn’t been on a show you hosted?” Qin Wang replied warmly, making everyone in the RV laugh.

“Why speak such blunt truths?” The host straightened up and shot him a playful look before turning to Shi Qingqiu with a broad smile. “Qingqiu, you’ve just gotten married and already brought your spouse onto the show. Such affection—you make everyone envious.”

Shi Qingqiu slipped her hand around Wen Qinghan’s arm, lips curved in a smile. “Just think of it as a practice honeymoon.”

The host groaned. “I feel like I’ve just been force-fed dog food…”

Qin Wang gritted his teeth. “Shi Qingqiu, you’re not playing fair. You got married so soon! I was even thinking of introducing someone to you. No wonder you always turned me down—you were already happily in love behind the scenes.”

Lu Sizhou chimed in, “Hey, A-Wang, do you know what it means that Qingqiu got married before you? It means your status in the singles’ club remains unshaken. One after another leaves, yet you stand tall. Isn’t that right, everyone?”

“Hey now, how can you say that? I don’t agree…”

The conversation spun into playful banter, everyone tossing in their own remarks. Seeing the attention shift away from herself, Shi Qingqiu turned to Wen Qinghan, squeezing her arm gently and whispering, “Qinghan, are you sleepy?”

Wen Qinghan shook her head. “No, I went to bed early last night.”

They had gotten up very early that day to check their luggage. On top of that, all the actors had to gather together beforehand to hear the director’s notes on the filming process—partners included. By the time they set out, it was already nearly noon.

“Did you settle everything at work? Once the phones are taken away, you won’t be able to deal with any emergencies.” Shi Qingqiu reminded her again. After all, Wen Qinghan’s work was heavy, tied to legal matters, where mistakes were not an option.

“It’s all arranged. Yizhi will handle things during this time, and I’ve already transferred my cases to her.” Wen Qinghan nodded slightly. Because of their closeness during the conversation, her face was turned a little toward Shi Qingqiu’s, creating an intimate scene of whispered closeness.

“You two really have a wonderful relationship.”

The voice came suddenly, calm and mature. Shi Qingqiu turned to see Yu Shushen watching them with a smile, her daughter Du Lingmeng also smiling quietly at her side.

Shi Qingqiu quickly concealed her brief surprise, returning a graceful smile that was both polite and warm. She introduced them to Wen Qinghan, saying, “Qinghan, this is Shushen-jie. Back when we were in school, we even went to the cinema to watch the films she starred in. And beside her is Shushen-jie’s daughter, Du Lingmeng—she’s about our age.”

Yu Shushen nodded gently, her smile unwavering. Wen Qinghan lifted her gaze, meeting the actress’ kind expression and gentle eyes. The corners of her lips lifted slightly. “Hello, my name is Wen Qinghan.” Then she gave a polite nod to Du Lingmeng as well.

Naturally, the actors’ conversations were exactly what the cameramen wanted to capture, and one dark, bulky camera lens came edging closer.

Unfazed, Yu Shushen spoke as if reciting a poem, her gaze on Shi Qingqiu. “Candlelight flickers behind the curtain, crickets spur on the loom, together we endure the autumn wind.” She paused briefly, then met Wen Qinghan’s steady eyes. “The late sun urges the blossoms, light clouds bring rain to the tower, gentle cold, gentle warmth.” Shi Qingqiu exchanged a glance with Wen Qinghan before turning back. Yu Shushen smiled tenderly. “In the late autumn season, of course there comes the chill before winter. What a good name—it carries a similar meaning.”

Shi Qingqiu let out a soft laugh. “We were born in late autumn. I don’t know if our parents deliberately considered that when naming us, but the meaning must be there.”

Thinking about it now, the meaning was clear and unmistakable. From the moment they were born, their lives had been tied together. There was even a trace of the other within their names.

“Oh? Were your parents acquainted with each other?” Du Lingmeng asked curiously.

Shi Qingqiu and Wen Qinghan both nodded and answered in unison, “Yes.”

“That explains it then, so that’s how it is.” Yu Shushen let out a long breath, her eyes narrowing slightly as her gaze drifted somewhere far away. She seemed to be marveling at how fate could bind two people so closely. The will of their parents had brought about such a blessed union.

“Mom, are you thinking about how your daughter here never had such good fortune, not even a name that matches with someone’s like a couple?” Du Lingmeng teased with a laugh.

“Nonsense.”

While the conversation here continued, Lu Sizhou and Xu Zhi, who were sitting close together, were also chatting and laughing. The car soon filled with a jumble of voices.

The talk between Shi Qingqiu and Yu Shushen gradually shifted from names to work. Taking the chance, Shi Qingqiu patted the back of Wen Qinghan’s hand. Though it seemed like an affectionate gesture, it was in fact meant to reassure her not to be nervous. The cameraman caught the moment perfectly.

By the time they arrived at their destination, it was close to four in the afternoon. Because the road was rugged, everyone had to walk into the village on foot, while the cars followed slowly and eventually stopped at the entrance.

The group chatted as they walked. Shi Qingqiu and Wen Qinghan walked in the middle, exchanging a few words from time to time. Wen Qinghan, however, let her eyes roam everywhere, memorizing the buildings and scenery they passed.

The director, the actors, and their partners were all arranged to stay at the village chief’s house, one room per pair. The host also stayed, with two cameramen assigned to film them. The assistants and other staff lodged in the neighboring villagers’ homes.

Once gathered in the courtyard, they handed in their phones. The host clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention, then picked up a loudspeaker. His voice carried across every corner of the chief’s house.

“Ladies and gentlemen, let me say a few words first. Today, we’ll just rest. The village chief has kindly offered to treat us to a good meal, so tonight, let’s enjoy ourselves!”

A round of applause came from the actors and staff. The host then made a hushing gesture with his hand.

“But!”

The actors immediately sensed something ominous. The host cleared his throat, chuckled, and finally announced:

“As the saying goes, ‘A drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude.’ Since the village chief and villagers are treating us so generously, shouldn’t we repay them? So tomorrow, you’ll have a whole day to gather ingredients, and tomorrow night, you’ll cook dinner for the chief and the villagers to taste your skills!”

The pairs of actors immediately began whispering to each other. Yu Shushen and her daughter Du Lingmeng showed little reaction. Wen Qinghan only frowned, while Shi Qingqiu blinked and fell into thought.

Qin Wang clapped his hands with a laugh. “Well, that’s great then. I’m an excellent cook—everyone has to try my dishes.”

Ji Lan shook her head with a smile, but the host slyly gave Qin Wang a wink. “I haven’t finished yet, so listen carefully.”

He coughed before continuing with the rules.

“Tomorrow, you can’t buy ingredients with money. Meaning—even if you offered hundreds of yuan for a single leek, no one would sell it to you. You’ll have to find your own way to get food. The villagers can lend you tools if needed, but they won’t give you food for free. By sunset tomorrow, every group must have cooked at least two dishes. Of course, if you want to make more, that’s fine.”

The entire courtyard fell into sudden silence.

“All right, dismissed!” the host shouted after putting down the loudspeaker.

The staff and assistants scattered. Assistants went to organize luggage, while the actors formed a circle in the courtyard on their own. Two cameramen filmed them, while the director and assistant director stood nearby, ready to guide things.

“So, what do you all think?” Qin Wang rubbed his nose and glanced around the circle.

The usually quiet Xu Zhi spoke first. “We could try talking to the villagers, see if we can trade something else for ingredients.”

Lu Sizhou shook her head and countered. “Other than money, what else can you offer? Clothes? Shoes? Who knows what other strange rules might come up later. Are we supposed to keep trading like this? How much would that even take?”

After a moment of thought, Shi Qingqiu said firmly, “Trading our necessities isn’t sustainable. And this is a village—most of the villagers make their living by hunting wild game and selling it in town. So, we should try learning from them and find food ourselves.”

Yu Shushen nodded in agreement. “That’s what I think as well. On the way here, I saw villagers coming down from the mountain carrying freshly caught pheasants.”

Qin Wang’s mouth twitched, and he rubbed his stomach uncertainly. “I’ve never caught a chicken before…”

Being the eldest, Yu Shushen advised everyone to head back to their rooms to rest first, and then discuss plans properly at night.

Back in their room, Wen Qinghan closed the wooden door and walked over to Shi Qingqiu naturally. The latter suddenly turned to her and asked, “Qinghan, are we going to catch pheasants?”

Wen Qinghan’s lips curved slightly. “Do you want to eat pheasant?”

“No.” Shi Qingqiu shook her head. Just thinking about the difficulty of catching one made her lose all appetite. In the end, when it came to food, she only cared about the result, not the process.

Wen Qinghan only smiled without replying. The room had just one bed. Shi Qingqiu pulled her over to sit down, then began analyzing. “What should we cook? I don’t know much, but I can make pork ribs, chicken wings, tofu—those I can do.”

Wen Qinghan reminded her at the right time. “Of the dishes you listed, only chicken wings are possible—and that’s only if we catch a pheasant. But a pheasant only has two wings.”

The brows Shi Qingqiu had just relaxed furrowed again. She lowered her head, still trying to figure out what to do.

Softly, Wen Qinghan said, “Qingqiu, stop worrying. Rest well tonight. Tomorrow we’ll look around first—at least we should know what the villagers usually eat. They can’t be eating pheasant every day.”

“That’s true.”

Shi Qingqiu thought about it and realized it made sense.

Just as she was about to talk about something else, she looked up and met Wen Qinghan’s eyes—dark, bright, and as deep as a still lake. They carried a quiet, unwavering strength that left no room for doubt.

It seemed that Wen Qinghan was born with this power. No matter the situation, she remained calm, unhurried, and steady—so steady that she made others feel at peace.