The Academic God Becomes an Internet Sensation After Joining a Dating Show - Chapter 63 - Oxygen Deprivation

Shang Miaomiao: “…”

Qing Lin leisurely nibbled on a pastry, his tone light and teasing. “I’ve always thought Miaomiao was pretty capable, but I never imagined you wouldn’t even know why the sky turns pink.”

Shang Miaomiao: “…”

Qing Lin flipped through the task card again. “This learning activity actually covers a lot about geography. Honestly, there are parts even I don’t know. If someone could teach me, I’d definitely admire them.”

His pale eyes lifted, voice casual yet edged with mischief. “Linlin likes smart kids. If you turn into a dummy, I might not like you anymore.”

Shang Miaomiao: shocked QAQ

“I’m going to school!” he cried. “I’ll learn everything and come back to teach Linlin!”

Qing Lin feigned surprise. “As expected of Miaomiao.”

He showered the boy with exaggerated praise until Miaomiao nearly floated off in delight.

[Hahaha, here comes our little genius.]

[Linlin just fried Miaomiao’s brain again.]

[Look at Shen Laoshi in the corner, trying so hard not to laugh.]

With Miaomiao’s tantrum neatly resolved, Qing Lin and Shen Xuzhi went to change clothes.

Once ready, the family of three gathered at the village chief’s house—the day’s base camp.

The kids knew they had to go to school. They weren’t exactly thrilled about it, but seeing other children their age around made them feel a bit more at ease.

Miaomiao even puffed out his chest proudly and said to Deng Xiaoxiao in his childish voice, “I’m gonna learn so much today!”

Qiqi, on the other hand, cried until her face blotched red. Su Mingxuan patiently coaxed her, promising a beautiful doll when he returned.

At last, with two older brothers escorting them, the small group of children set off.

“Phew,” Ning Yian exhaled once they were gone. “We can finally breathe a little.”

Nan Yu laughed. “Yian, your family’s really got it tough. The youngest kids aren’t easy to handle. But your husband’s amazing with them.”

Ning Yian’s whole face lit up. “Mingxuan really is incredible. I never expected him to be so patient and responsible. Qiqi absolutely adores him. Honestly, without him, I’d have been at my wit’s end.”

“Ahh~” Nan Yu gave her a knowing look before turning to Qing Lin. “And what about you two? I heard Miaomiao came from The Metamorphosis of Little Ones. Isn’t it difficult?”

Qing Lin smiled. “Miaomiao’s well-behaved and sensible. We haven’t had much trouble with him. Of course,” his eyes flickered toward Shen Xuzhi, “Shen Laoshi is also very good with children.”

The three of them laughed together.

“But are you really all right after yesterday?” Nan Yu asked, lowering her voice. “I heard you ran into some fans.”

Ning Yian gasped. “Oh my god—after filming? Where?”

“It’s nothing,” Qing Lin reassured them. “We were just walking around Yunxiang Mountain in the evening. Didn’t expect to be spotted.”

“Oooh la la, the two of you went on a date?” Ning Yian, forever the gossip queen, clasped her hands. “How sweet, how sweet!”

The two women exchanged a knowing look, struggling to hold back their laughter as they gleefully started shipping the two.

Qing Lin flushed at the word date. But his mind betrayed him—returning to the memory of moonlight, the chapel, a guitar, a song, and the warmth of Shen Xuzhi’s hand. His throat tightened; he cleared it with a sip of water.

[The ladies are pouring the tea while our madam sits there sipping shyly.]

[Yuyu’s already made her relationship official—when are the other couples announcing?]

[They didn’t deny it, so that’s basically a yes.]

[Help! Can someone confirm if they really went to the Cliffside Chapel last night? Isn’t that the place for wedding photos??]

After yesterday’s chaos with the sasaengs, the production team tightened their security. For today’s Cangshan mission, they allowed regular fans to visit but deployed additional guards to keep the filming running smoothly.

By car, the three couples arrived at the mountain’s base.

Not long after, Hong Shanyue came over to explain.

“There are three main cable car routes you can take up Cangshan Mountain,” he explained, gesturing toward the large map displayed beside him. “The Tonggan Cableway, the Ximatan Cableway, and the Zhonghe Cableway. Each route offers its own unique view of the mountain, and along the way, Hani girls will be stationed at specific stops with clues for your next task.”

“You’ll need to decide which path to take,” he continued with an encouraging smile. “Once you’ve made your choice, head to your starting point and begin your search.”

Hong Shanyue finished his explanation and handed each of them a photograph. “These are examples of Hani embroidery patterns. The main motifs are geometric—diamonds, squares, triangles—alongside realistic depictions of the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers.”

Everyone studied the picture carefully.

“Make sure to remember the red pattern in the upper right corner,” Hong Shanyue continued. “That’s the correct design you’ll need to match with the girl’s accessory. There might be dance patterns on Cangshan Mountain as well, so keep your eyes sharp.”

Qi Weilan raised a hand and asked. “So, we get to pick our own routes?”

“Route selection is entirely up to you,” Hong Shanyue confirmed.

Su Mingxuan suggested, “Then let’s draw lots. It’s the fairest way.”

Qing Lin sighed softly. This show seriously loves to mess with people.

No one objected, so Su Mingxuan quickly prepared the slips. Each family sent a representative to draw.

From Qing Lin’s group, Shen Xuzhi stepped forward. When he returned, Qing Lin’s gaze immediately locked onto him.

“I swear, I get nervous every time we do this,” Qing Lin muttered.

Shen Xuzhi chuckled. “My luck isn’t great, but you always ask me to draw anyway.”

“That’s because I don’t believe in superstition,” Qing Lin said, taking the folded slip. “Honestly, any route’s fine this time. It’s just that the Ximatan Cableway is longer and the tickets are pricier. From a frugality standpoint, it’d be smarter to avoid—”

He unfolded the paper.

In bold letters, it read: Ximatan Cableway.

Qing Lin: “…”

After a long pause, he turned to Shen Xuzhi and finally said what he’d been holding in: “Shen Laohi, next time, I’ll be the one drawing.”

[HAHAHAHAHAHA!]

[Ah Zhi’s legendary luck never fails!]

“Ximatan? That one’s beautiful,” Nan Yu said, who had done her research beforehand. “But the elevation’s pretty high—it’s colder up there. You might get altitude sickness. Are you guys all right with that?”

Qing Lin hesitated, unsure, but Shen Xuzhi had already pulled a jacket from his backpack.

“I brought coats,” Shen said simply. “We’ll put them on once we’re up the mountain. I’ll go grab the tickets—you can wait here.”

The Ximatan Cableway was the longest of the three, spanning a vertical drop of 1,648 meters.

When Qing Lin and Shen Xuzhi boarded, several fans snapped photos of them from below. Others called out reminders to bundle up and buy oxygen tanks.

It was Qing Lin’s first time riding a cable car.

Each cabin seated two passengers side by side. They sat close together, with Qing Lin holding a GoPro to capture their journey. Through the cabin’s glass floor stretched a breathtaking view below—lush green slopes fading into mist, dense forests giving way to carpets of moss as they rose higher into the clouds.

Qing Lin gazed out the window, eyes bright, occasionally pointing out sights to Shen Xuzhi.

Seeing him so full of wonder, Shen couldn’t help but smile. He reached into his bag and pulled out a small packet of candied fruit.

“Here,” he said, holding one up.

Qing Lin accepted the date, the sweet-tart flavor blooming pleasantly on his tongue. “Mr. Shen, you actually brought candied fruit?”

“In case your blood sugar drops,” Shen replied matter-of-factly. “Eat a few before we start climbing.”

Qing Lin eyed the bulging backpack. “What else did you pack in there?”

Shen Xuzhi placed it between them and unzipped it, revealing the contents one by one. “Umbrella, binoculars, bottled water, insect repellent, tissues, candied fruit, and snacks. There’s an oxygen tank at the bottom—just tell me if you need it.”

Then, he tugged lightly on a corner of fabric inside. “And this—Miaomiao’s shawl. He insisted I bring his camera too. Said he wanted me to take pictures of you.”

[Oh my gosh! He’s so considerate!]

[Waaah, Shen Laoshi really dotes on Linlin!]

[Aaaah! Just marry him already! Where else can you find a man like this?]

Even the livestream comments were overflowing with envy. Qing Lin, too, felt the warmth of being cared for so tenderly—Mr. Shen really was wonderful.

After a cheerful ride up the cable car, they finally reached the mountaintop to begin their search for the embroidery pattern.

But the task turned out to be trickier than expected.

After disembarking, they followed the winding trail toward Ximatan area, climbing the long staircase that cut through the misty slopes.

There weren’t many hikers around, and the visibility was poor. They couldn’t tell how big the embroidery would be or even where to begin looking. Still, they pressed on upward.

After a while, they finally spotted a piece of Hani embroidery—stitched neatly onto a hat.

Qing Lin stepped closer to take a look and compared it with their reference photo. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the right one.

He lifted the picture and asked the Hani girl politely, “Excuse me, could you tell me where this specific pattern is usually embroidered?”

The girl examined it carefully before replying, “That design is usually found on hats. It’s a traditional Hani hat pattern.”

“Thank you.” Qing Lin smiled gratefully, finally having a clearer direction.

“We need to find someone wearing a Hani hat like hers, with a large diamond shape in the center,” he said, turning to Shen Xuzhi. “Shen Laoshi, you—”

Before he could finish, Shen Xuzhi frowned slightly and reached out to touch Qing Lin’s forehead. “Your lips look a little pale.”

Qing Lin glanced at the sign beside the trail—they were already above three thousand meters.

“I just used some oxygen,” he replied. The faint lightheadedness was tolerable, nothing too serious.

“Rest a bit more,” Shen said gently, handing him another piece of candied fruit.

Qing Lin accepted it, though for some reason, just looking at the date in his palm made him uneasy. He slipped it into his pocket instead.

“Shen Laos—”

Before he could continue, a staff member hurried over and leaned close to whisper something to Shen Xuzhi.

Shen listened quietly, his brow knitting. “I’m in the middle of filming,” he said, but the staff’s tone was insistent. After a brief hesitation, Shen brushed back his hair and nodded.

When he returned, his expression softened again. “Sorry, I have some work to handle. Could you wait here for a moment?”

“Sure,” Qing Lin said without hesitation.

Shen Xuzhi moved a few steps away, setting up a small laptop to connect to what seemed to be a remote meeting.

Left alone, Qing Lin stayed by the rail, resting quietly. The mountain breeze brushed against his cheeks, and the binoculars Shen Xuzhi had given him hung loosely around his neck, glinting faintly in the highland sun.

He lifted the binoculars again, scanning the distant slopes until he caught sight of a figure in a traditional hat—the pattern on it looked almost identical to the one on their task card.

Shen Xuzhi was still occupied, eyes fixed on the small laptop in front of him.

Qing Lin approached quietly and made a small hand signal. “Still busy?”

Shen Xuzhi glanced up, a touch of apology in his eyes, and nodded.

“No rush,” Qing Lin said gently. “I think I just found the embroidery we’re looking for. I’ll go fetch it myself. You can finish up first—by the time I’m back, we can head down together and stay on schedule.”

Shen Xuzhi hesitated, clearly reluctant to let him go alone. But Qing Lin’s tone left little room for argument, so he nodded.

Qing Lin started upward again.

From afar, the climb hadn’t seemed daunting, but up close the slope stretched endlessly toward the clouds. Through the binoculars, that small figure had appeared deceptively near; in reality, it was several hundred meters higher.

Qing Lin’s stamina was good, but at this altitude, every breath felt thinner, lighter. After five long stretches of stairs, his legs began to tremble.

The air grew sharp and thin. The sky seemed to swell above him, immense and dazzling, while the world beneath his feet blurred into a haze.

The cameraman following behind noticed his pallor and called out, “Qing Laoshi, maybe we should rest a bit.”

Qing Lin waved weakly. He wasn’t the type to trouble others, but even he could feel the edges of his strength slipping away. His head throbbed dully, and his vision dimmed.

He reached into his pocket for the oxygen canister—then froze.

It wasn’t there. He’d left it with Shen Laoshi.

A cold rush of panic sliced through the dizziness. He turned, intending to descend, but before his knees gave way—

He fell into someone’s arms.

A familiar scent enveloped him—fresh, clean, with a faint trace of citrus.

He looked up and met Shen Xuzhi’s gaze.

Then came the gentle press of an oxygen mask against his mouth and nose. Shen’s voice, low and steady, murmured, “Breathe.”

Qing Lin obeyed.

The rush of oxygen slowly cleared his mind, easing the dizziness and helping him regain awareness.

Once he was supported upright, Qing Lin couldn’t see Shen Xuzhi’s face—only feel the firm hand gripping his shoulder, offering a steadying, reassuring presence.

The oxygen flowed through him gradually, seeping into his bloodstream and veins, easing the ache in his head inch by inch.

Seeing Qing Lin stabilize slightly, Shen Xuzhi finally removed the mask.

As the mask came away, Qing Lin’s gaze was slightly unfocused. His flushed face peeked out from beneath the faint mist of condensation clinging to the transparent mask.

His lips parted just a little, soft and small, revealing a glimpse of his pink tongue.

Warm breaths escaped gently, misting his eyelashes slightly, the redness of his cheeks standing out vividly against his pale skin. Compared to before, when he hadn’t been on oxygen, he now looked even more… in need of it.

[Of course, dirty minds see everything as dirty. I know Linlin’s altitude sickness must be tough, but… wow, it’s so hot, aaaaah!]

[It’s unbearably hot, seriously! That little oxygen-starved expression… huff huff (sorry, not sorry)]

[Oxygen-deprived suffocation play, OMG, all I can picture are choking scenes in bed]

[Aaaaaah, help! I recorded the screen—new content, wuwuwu!]

“Feeling dizzy?” Shen Xuzhi asked softly.

Qing Lin lightly licked his lips. He felt a little better, but still had no strength.

He stood on the step above, still slightly shorter than Shen Xuzhi, but just the right height to bury himself in the hollow of his neck.

Shen Xuzhi let Qing Lin lean against him, his fingers brushing lightly through Qing Lin’s hair. His fingertips were cool, the clearly defined knuckles firm rather than soft.

Yet his touch was gentle, soothing. After a few careful scratches, Qing Lin’s aching head felt steadier.

After a long moment, Qing Lin whispered, “Why did you come, Mr. Shen?”

Shen Xuzhi straightened the folds of his jacket, his tone soft but firm. “I was worried about you.”

“I’m sorry,” Qing Lin said quietly. “It’s not that it couldn’t wait… it just felt important.”

“It’s fine.” Shen Xuzhi’s voice was calm, the faintest curve of a smile touching his lips. “You’re the most important thing right now.”

He said it so naturally that Qing Lin didn’t even realize—it wasn’t merely a comforting remark, but something that lingered perilously close to a love confession.

After that, Shen Xuzhi turned to lead him back down the mountain. But Qing Lin didn’t move. He held his ground, fingers catching the sleeve of Shen Xuzhi’s jacket.

“That girl up there,” Qing Lin said, nodding toward the ridge. “We’ve come this far. Let’s go get the mission card.”

Shen Xuzhi turned back to him, gaze steady. “Then wait down here. I’ll fetch it and come back.”

Qing Lin opened his mouth to object, but before he could, Shen Xuzhi’s low voice cut him off.

“Qing Lin.” His tone softened, carrying a quiet authority that made resistance melt away. “Behave.”

[Waaah, I’m dying over here. This is way too much!]

[What do I do? No matter what they do, it turns into something else!! Waaah.]

[So immersive it’s overwhelming!!]

Qing Lin pursed his lips but didn’t argue. He didn’t want to make Shen Xuzhi worry again. So, obediently, he started his descent while Shen Xuzhi went upward with his pack slung over one shoulder.

Half an hour later, they met again midway down the slope. Shen Xuzhi had rolled up his sleeves, revealing strong, sinewy forearms dusted with sunlight. His high nose bridge and deep-set eyes gave his face a sharp, almost sculpted quality—so striking that passing tourists couldn’t help turning to look, phones lifted to snap photos or film short clips as he walked by.

He approached Qing Lin and extended a small card toward him.

“What’s this?” Qing Lin asked, blinking.

“I met that Hani girl up there,” Shen Xuzhi explained. “She said our next task is to reenact a movie scene and she had me draw a keyword card.”

He paused, lips curving faintly. “I thought I’d bring it back for you to open.”

[Oh my god! Linlin said he’d draw the card next time, hahaha!]

[QL: Card drawing again (Lighting a cigarette)]

[Linlin (shaking head): Can’t escape it, can’t escape it!]

But Qing Lin wasn’t the type to believe in such jinxes. Deep down, he always had a tiny sliver of faith in Shen Xuzhi’s luck.

“It’s fine, Shen Laoshi,” he said, smiling faintly as he opened the folded slip of paper. “Drawing cards is all just—”

His words faded into silence.

The smile on his lips stalled, frozen in place.

In bold black letters were two unmistakable words.

Bed Scene.