If it had been just pure disgust or simple interest, things wouldn’t have been so bad.
But it was this kind of disgust, laced with some unknown interest and curiosity, that truly caught Lu Lianning off guard, making him wonder how Chen Miao could hold such thoughts about him.
The signal in the mountains was poor, and as he scrolled through his phone, it would occasionally lag. During those moments, he would glance up at the shadow of Chen Miao outside the tent, looming like a small hill.
He thought that soon, Chen Miao would definitely come begging him.
After all, the nighttime chill in the mountains was unbearable without a windproof, warm tent.
Outside, Chen Miao was indeed freezing. He wrapped himself tightly in the blanket, curling into a ball with his head tucked inside, but the cold still gnawed at him. The chill crept up from the ground, through the wind, and hung in the air, slowly wearing him down.
His legs felt almost numb, accompanied by a stinging pain that was hard to ignore.
He was so focused on fighting off the cold that he didn’t hear the approaching footsteps.
It wasn’t until someone tapped his blanket twice that he noticed.
Thinking it was Lu Lianning, Chen Miao pulled the blanket aside with his stiff arms, but instead, it was Ye He and his assistant standing there.
The assistant looked rather young. When he saw it was Chen Miao, a gloating smirk appeared on his lips. “Hahaha, so it really is you. How did Young Master Lu’s right-hand man end up like this? We didn’t believe it when someone said you were outside the tent.”
Chen Miao figured the person who had given him the blanket earlier must have been the one to tell them.
Ye He nudged his assistant at that point, signaling him to stop talking.
Then Ye He bent down and asked Chen Miao, “Do you want to come to our tent? It’s a bit cramped, but it’s better than staying out here.”
He touched the surface of Chen Miao’s blanket, noticing that snow blown by the wind had already dampened a section.
“If you stay like this, you’ll definitely get sick tomorrow,” he concluded.
As he spoke, his gaze flicked toward the tent behind Chen Miao, as if unintentionally.
At such close proximity, there was no way Lu Lianning inside couldn’t hear them.
Yet, there was still no response from inside.
Lu Lianning had long stopped staring at his phone with its weak signal. He was watching the small hill outside the tent rise slowly.
He didn’t truly believe Chen Miao would dare to go with Ye He.
After all, the two had been at odds since before filming began due to their roles as the first and second male leads.
But then he actually heard Chen Miao pause for a moment before quietly responding, “Okay, thank you.”
The small hill slowly rose, then gradually disappeared.
Soon after, the sound of fading footsteps of the three followed, along with the nonstop chatter of Ye He’s noisy assistant.
“Hey, you don’t snore when you sleep, right? Don’t keep us awake.”
“You’ll have to sleep on the outermost edge, you know that, right?”
“Why is your skin so dark? Did you used to dig coal?”
“…”
And then, nothing else could be heard.
Inside the tent, Lu Lianning’s expression had darkened completely. Chen Miao’s actions hadn’t gone as expected, leaving him deeply displeased.
In a burst of frustration, he threw his phone, which kept losing signal, far away and crawled into his sleeping bag, shutting his eyes.
The next morning, Chen Miao woke up early to avoid unnecessary awkwardness. If anyone saw Lu Lianning’s assistant emerging from Ye He’s tent, especially given the strained relationship between the two, it would undoubtedly stir up unnecessary trouble.
Ye He and his assistant were still asleep when Chen Miao quietly crawled out alone. It was still dark outside.
Maybe it was the snow, but everything was covered in white. The faint morning light reflected off the snow, making the distant landscape seem to glow.
Lu Lianning was the last to get up. He only emerged from his tent drowsily once the sounds of packing and movement outside grew louder.
His face was expressionless.
Chen Miao walked over and said somewhat nervously, “Lu-ge, I…”
But before he could finish, Lu Lianning walked right past him as if he hadn’t even seen him. He didn’t spare a glance, treating Chen Miao like a nonexistent wisp of air.
Chen Miao opened his mouth but decided against saying anything, silently following behind him.
The crew’s breakfast had already gone cold, but no one had dared to wake Lu Lianning. Some people had left early for the airport, as arranged by the director.
Having risen so early with nothing else to do, Chen Miao had gone down the mountain to prepare breakfast for Lu Lianning, as he usually did.
Much of the snow on the mountain path had been cleared by some lumberjacks, making Chen Miao’s descent easier.
When he presented the thermal container to Lu Lianning with both hands, Lu Lianning’s expression remained cold, and he refused to take it.
Chen Miao hesitated for a moment and extended the container a bit further. Lu Lianning frowned and pushed him away. “Aren’t you annoying! You!”
The lid of the thermal container wasn’t properly fastened—Chen Miao usually opened it beforehand so Lu Lianning wouldn’t have to bother. As a result, the hot chicken soup spilled onto the ground, filling the cold air with the scent of food.
Lu Lianning’s sharp voice, combined with the sound of the thermal container hitting the ground, suddenly silenced the surroundings.
Chen Miao stood there, completely at a loss, unsure of what to do with his hands or feet.
Just then, a gentle voice broke the tension from nearby. “What’s in the bottom layer? Mind if I have a taste?”
The three-layer thermal container had managed to keep the main course and stir-fried dishes intact; only the chicken soup was entirely spilled, leaving behind a few pieces of tender braised chicken.
Still caught between embarrassment and anxiety over having failed to placate Lu Lianning, Chen Miao blinked in confusion. Before he could react, Ye He’s cheerful voice chimed in as though he’d made a delightful discovery.
“So, you made some for me too? I didn’t even notice earlier. I’ve been craving your cooking, Chen Miao. Why give our Young Master Lu special treatment? Such good food deserves to be shared, don’t you think?”
Ye He smiled as he spoke, taking the food his assistant had already served in bowls.
There was a bowl of soup sprinkled with bits of butter and scallions, and another bowl of shredded pork with mushrooms, both looking very appetizing.
Chen Miao looked at the male lead of this unfinished film. His smile was so sincere and full of joy. He looked at Chen Miao with genuine kindness, as though truly grateful that Chen Miao had made him food today.
Chen Miao had indeed prepared a meal for Ye He as a gesture of thanks for letting him stay the night. He had placed it in a visible spot inside Ye He’s tent, with the lid tightly fastened on the thermal container, so Ye He would have seen it as soon as he opened his eyes.
How could he have just noticed it now?
And why was it only after Lu Lianning had woken up that Ye He conveniently “discovered” it?
Chen Miao’s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a dull thud, followed by the sound of something hitting a tree trunk behind him.
Snow from the branches was shaken loose, scattering in all directions.
Lu Lianning had kicked the thermal container over.
Surprisingly, the container was quite sturdy. Despite being dented, the tightly sealed bottom two layers remained closed as it rolled twice on the ground.
