Chapter 601: Heart-Stopping Hot Spring Moment |
That afternoon's variety show recording ended just like that.
In the evening, Xiao He also followed along to soak in the hot springs.
Although the size and specifications of the hot spring pools were determined by rankings, everyone was there for a vacation, not to compete over who was better or worse. So, they all soaked together wrapped in bathrobes, with the program team having booked the best hot spring pool in the area.
The scenery here was also the most beautiful. The surrounding pine forest and the faint silhouette of the snowy mountain hidden in the night, paired with the white mist rising from the pool and the warm scent of sulfur, offered a unique flavor when appreciating it while submerged in the water.
Xiao He had originally planned to take advantage of this ski shoot to also enjoy a hot spring, but he hadn't expected the program team to fulfill his wish directly. Xiao He was practically flying with bliss. After everyone sat down one after another, he simply lay back on a nearby stone and began to savor this rare moment of relaxation.
Oh, of course, the program team was still recording at this moment.
But this segment was essentially the final heartfelt conversation segment of the episode. Teacher Qiu Hua finally leveraged his years of hosting experience, guiding the guests one by one to chat about all sorts of topics from all over, sharing their secrets and stories.
Xiao He felt he had nothing much to talk about. He wasn't particularly familiar with the others anyway and didn't have any special stories to tell. However, he soon heard Liang Cheng beside him suddenly speak in a very choked voice: "Actually, I've always been really grateful to Brother Xiao. I truly feel he helped me a lot. He's been a true benefactor on my path."
Xiao He immediately sat up straight before the camera could catch his reaction.
Xiao He turned his head to look at Liang Cheng and noticed he was genuinely emotional, his eyes even a bit red: "Seriously, Brother Xiao. Back then, I was already planning to leave the group. Without you, I might have already left in a very disgraceful way."
Xiao He was silent for a moment, then let out a sigh and said bluntly: "I feel undeserving of your thanks. Everything was the result of your own hard work."
Back then, he had been rather indifferent toward Liang Cheng's attitude and circumstances. Now, being solemnly thanked by the person involved, Xiao He was truly a bit ashamed.
Being able to seize the opportunity of variety shows to transition into a variety star was Liang Cheng's own skill. Even the current *Journey Across Mountains and Rivers* was a resource he had obtained himself. Xiao He felt he hadn't contributed anything.
"No, no matter what, I will always remember this kindness."
Zhou Nanye also caught on: "Oh, so back then, *Ace Reasoning* was a resource Brother Xiao gave you?"
"Mm-hmm, Brother Xiao recommended me to the director."
"Wow, then that really is something."
Zhou Nanye nodded in agreement.
As a fellow variety star, he knew that some resources were incredibly hard to come by, and some even required a certain threshold or an entry ticket.
Because of Liang Cheng's words, everyone began sharing the hardships they had faced on their own paths to development.
Xiao He clicked his tongue in amazement beside them, struggling to think of a way to join the conversation.
But compared to these people, Xiao He's luck was not just ordinary good—he had never experienced these kinds of troubles. After thinking it over, Xiao He decided to be a quiet listener instead. Otherwise, anything he said would just come off as a humblebrag.
Just as everyone was chatting about everything under the sun, Xin Yiran's shout suddenly came from behind the rockery beside them: "Security, someone over there is taking photos—"
The next moment, everyone stopped talking, somewhat shocked as they stood up to look in that direction.
Although the men and women were soaking separately, they were only separated by a rockery that wasn't too tall. The two hot spring pools were connected. Basically, standing up was enough for communication, and the shore only had a wooden fence separating the path, making it convenient for Xin Yiran and the other female guest to listen in on the conversation over here and join in at the right time.
And since there were fewer people on their side, there were naturally fewer staff members involved in the filming—only two cameramen.
No one expected that in such an absolutely private place, there would actually be deranged paparazzi and fans who had snuck in.
When Xin Yiran spotted the paparazzi in the distance with her sharp eyes, she was utterly stunned and immediately shouted for the program team to stop them.
Seriously, there were so many people filming during the day that they couldn't block them all, so they let it slide, trying their best to control the leaks online so they wouldn't affect the show's broadcast.
But now, these people barging directly into the hot spring area to film—wasn't that going too far?
Even though the guests weren't just wrapped in a single towel, the hot spring area was already a place of extreme privacy. Couldn't they just leave it alone?
Instantly, several of the program team's security personnel stood up, vaulted over the fence, and gave chase.
At the spot Xin Yiran pointed to, a shadowy figure could faintly be seen flashing by, apparently running away as well.
But their hot spring here connected to the mountain forest behind. In the darkness of the night, only the warm yellow light from the hot spring flickered among the trees. As for the deeper parts of the forest, nothing could be seen at all.
Xin Yiran nervously pulled her bathrobe tighter around herself and said in a choked voice: "How did they get in?"
Xiao He had already walked out of the hot spring pool, gazing into the distance across the pitch-black forest, somewhat astonished: "If I remember correctly, that side over there is the steep slope at the back of the snowy mountain, right? Could they have climbed up from somewhere else at the foot of the snowy mountain and then slid down the steep slope on this side of the hotel?"
Their current position was a bit below the mountainside. The hot spring hotel backed onto a fairly steep slope and a pine forest area. If those people wanted to come in from this direction, they would have had to come up from the gentle slope at the front of the snowy mountain and then slide down the steep slope at the back.
In other words, to go back now, they would have to climb back up the steep slope and then circle around to the gentle slope in the front to descend.
Xiao He's words made the others suddenly snap to attention.
Qiu Hua's expression instantly turned serious: "Xiao Xiao makes a good point. This hotel has always had excellent privacy, and our staff are guarding the perimeter. There's almost no chance for them to get in unless they take an unconventional path."
And weren't these paparazzi always like that?!
To get their shots, they could scale steep slopes like antelopes and film from cliffs. Climbing a snowy mountain... well, that was still a pretty shocking feat.
The main thing was, it was already late at night! It might even be snowing on the mountain, and the temperature was unbelievably low. Those paparazzi couldn't possibly risk climbing back in the heavy snow, right?
That was too reckless!
If something happened to them, the program team wouldn't get off easy either.
Hu Pei immediately stopped the recording, his face serious, and turned to call the hot spring hotel staff.
A few minutes later, the hotel manager rushed over in a panic after receiving the news.
"They really went that way?"
The hotel manager pointed toward the direction of the pine forest, utterly dumbfounded.
The security personnel who had gone after them helplessly nodded: "It was way too dark over there, and we're not familiar with the terrain. We didn't dare keep chasing halfway through."
Actually, the program team had also immediately notified them midway, telling those people to come back and not to keep running forward—they weren't going to catch them. But the moment they shouted, those guys ran even faster!
There was nothing they could do. It was late at night, there was snow on the ground, and they didn't dare venture further up the mountain, so they could only turn back.
But hearing this news, the hotel manager was also dumbfounded: "They can't be serious, can they? Are they really planning to go back the same way? It's snowing up there on the mountain!"
If those paparazzi actually came back and left through the hotel, then at most they would just be given a talking-to. But now that these people were risking their lives and heading up the mountain, all the hotel manager could do was—
The hotel manager gave a helpless, bitter smile: "I'll send someone to confirm their footprints first. Let's just hope they aren't really that foolish."