Chapter 84

“Snap—”
The cameraman accidentally stepped on a dry branch while moving, breaking the silence of the forest.
Yu Shiqing heard it and waited until Jiang Yu stood steady before saying calmly,
“That’s your choice.”

After saying that, he turned around and walked ahead to a flatter spot.
Jiang Yu followed behind him. While walking, he peeled a grape and casually held it up to Yu Shiqing’s lips.

Yu Shiqing was about to eat it naturally, but suddenly remembered something and paused.
He lifted his hand to take it, but Jiang Yu turned his wrist and avoided him.

“Don’t move,” Jiang Yu said. “Your hands have been holding vegetables. They’re dirty.”

Yu Shiqing looked at him once, then accepted the grape Jiang Yu handed to him again.

Jiang Yu asked, “How is it?”

Yu Shiqing frowned slightly and replied, “Very refreshing.”
The slight sweetness was mixed with a strong sourness.
As soon as he bit into the fruit, the sweet and sour juice exploded on his taste buds, and even the aftertaste was sour.

Jiang Yu frowned. “Too sour?”
He pulled out a bottle of mineral water from his pocket, unscrewed the cap, and held it up to Yu Shiqing’s mouth. “Have some water.”

Yu Shiqing drank a sip to wash away the sourness.

Jiang Yu looked at him. “Feeling better?”
Yu Shiqing replied, “Yeah.”

The two of them talked while walking.
Viewers followed along through the camera, chatting as well.

“These two really look like an old married couple. Even real couples aren’t this natural!”
“Jiang Yu, please! Yu Shiqing finally showed a bit of effort to keep some distance, can’t you cooperate for once? What if the show ends and your marriage certificate gets exposed?!”
“If someone told me before that Jiang Yu would one day feed someone grapes and water, I’d think he was too young and crazy. But now? I’m used to it. Actually, I want more! Hurry up!!”

Of course, the two on camera couldn’t see the live comments.

They had left the main mountain road and were walking slowly along a winding river trail.
They paused from time to time, and were even invited by warm-hearted villagers working on the mountain to have a bowl of barley tea.
The return trip took more than four times as long.

When they got back to the restaurant where their task was, Ji Chen and the others had already arrived.
They were busy in the kitchen handling ingredients.

As soon as Su Yayi saw Yu Shiqing, she started complaining,
“Brother Yu! Their team cheated! They sent Yulan and Xiao Luo to constantly mess with us during the mission. Everywhere I went, they followed and caused trouble!”

Yu Shiqing replied, “It’s okay. Jiang Yu and I picked vegetables.”

Before Su Yayi could be happy, Ji Chen burst into laughter, loud and proud.
“Brother Yu, you guys finally got a taste of your own medicine!”

He shook the ingredients in his hand.
“Look! We’re almost done with the next step of the task and you just got back. I’m afraid you won’t make it in time!”

“Is that so?” Yu Shiqing said. “Good luck, then.”

Ji Chen had been full of pride, but when he heard that, his expression suddenly turned serious.
Suspicious, he quickly warned Wei Yuanju,
“Teacher Wei! Don’t let your guard down until we win! Hurry, hurry!”

Su Yayi: “…Look at how scared you are.”

Ji Chen laughed, “So what if I’m scared? I’m winning. And you, being all brave, how come you didn’t win?”

“I haven’t won enough?”
Since they really didn’t have enough time, Su Yayi simply walked over and kept arguing with him.
“I’ve won so many times I’m bored. Not like someone who stares at the scoreboard every day hoping to win.”

Ji Chen: “…”
He immediately shut his mouth to avoid embarrassing himself.

Meanwhile, Yu Shiqing and Jiang Yu had received the next task from another chef and were personally preparing the ingredients.
Jiang Yu could cook. After hearing the instructions once, he became very skilled, making Ji Chen extremely nervous watching him.

But since the time gap was too big, the winners were still Ji Chen’s team, who had arrived earlier.

Ji Chen and Wei Yuanju high-fived in excitement, chatting and laughing all the way back to the temporary lodging as instructed.
There, they found the newest mission card prepared by the show team.

Before Ji Chen even finished reading it, his happy face froze completely.

He turned to the camera and said in a calm voice,
“Director, please remember to lock your door tonight.”

Behind the monitor, the director trembled.

Wei Yuanju came over smiling. “What’s written on it?”

Ji Chen looked away from the camera, his expression turning both angry and frustrated.
“Teacher Wei! The show team is clearly targeting us!!”

Wei Yuanju took the card from him, read it, and gave a bitter laugh.
“So I’m the unlucky one again.”

Actually, they were warned at the start that this competition would be different.
But no one expected the difference would be: the winning and losing teams would swap outcomes.

The comment section exploded with laughter:

“Hahaha Ji Chen is killing me! He finally wins, and this is the prize? The show team really took all the bamboo shoots from the mountain!”
“No wonder Ji Chen told the director to lock his door. He’s ready to come knocking with a knife!”
“LOL Ji Chen and Wei Yuanju what a cursed but loyal friendship!!”

Even Yu Shiqing was surprised by the result.
Su Yayi had already run over to read the next day’s mission aloud.

“Wow! We’re going on a picnic tomorrow! There’s a fruit orchard and even a local beer festival! This losing team is amazing!”
She exaggerated her voice as she spoke, then looked again.
“And your task is… Here it is! You have to prepare the picnic bags and lunch for us!”

Ji Chen’s face turned gray. “So, we worked all day just to cook for you?”

Su Yayi patted his shoulder. “Thanks for the hard work.”
Her pat nearly made Ji Chen cough up blood.

Fortunately, this picnic was a group activity for all eight guests.
Other than the preparation before departure, everything else would be handled by the show team.
No extra effort needed from the guests.

So by the end of filming that night, everyone was in a good mood.
After saying goodbye, Yu Shiqing and Jiang Yu returned to the hotel for the night.
The next day, they headed to the hotel where the film crew was staying.
After changing clothes, they set off for the awards ceremony.

When the full Rescue at Doomsday team walked the red carpet, flashes never stopped.
Fans screamed louder than ever.

Yu Shiqing and Jiang Yu’s light boards filled entire areas, shining brightly.

Yan Hongyun walked in the middle. As the two behind him stepped out of the car and were hit by the screams, he laughed,
“Your popularity is insane.”

It wasn’t just popular Yu Shiqing and Jiang Yu’s fan groups were like the movie itself: the most attention-grabbing part of the event.

From the red carpet to the signing area, the cheers didn’t stop.
Even after the photo and interview, while walking into the venue, you could still hear noise outside.

Yan Hongyun hadn’t stopped talking since they got out of the car.
His excitement from seeing the nomination list a month ago was finally overflowing tonight.

Rescue at Doomsday was his first big-screen directorial project.
The record-breaking box office already proved its success, but if it could also win some awards, that would be even better.

As a director, of course he wanted recognition.

But once the live broadcast started, Yan Hongyun had to restrain himself.
When the show officially began, and the camera turned on, he lowered his head and muttered,
“Jade Emperor, Buddha, all the gods please let Rescue at Doomsday win awards, lots of awards.”

The first award was Best New Actor.
Yu Rong was nominated, but didn’t win.

He wasn’t upset. While clapping, he said to Yu Shiqing,
“Just being nominated is already great, thanks to Rescue at Doomsday and to you, senior.”

If Yu Shiqing hadn’t taught him acting, he wouldn’t even have deserved the nomination.

Yan Hongyun heard that, but his face stayed tense.
Starting off with a loss made him nervous.

Luckily, they soon won Best Screenplay, and Yan Hongyun relaxed.
Even one award made the trip worth it.

And that was just the beginning.
Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound.

The ceremony was only halfway through, and everyone already knew:
Rescue at Doomsday was tonight’s biggest winner.

When the Best Supporting Actor award was about to be announced, the once-numb Yan Hongyun sat up straighter.
He looked at Yu Shiqing, about to offer a few comforting words.
But noticed Yu Shiqing and Jiang Yu were chatting like they didn’t care about the result at all.

Yan Hongyun: “…”

Was this the attitude of a five-time Best Actor winner?

On the big screen, scenes of the four nominated actors started to play.
When it showed Du Han’s scene, Yan Hongyun looked at Yu Shiqing again.

After Du Han did a cameo, he heard from Shi Zhefing that Du Han had stolen Yu Shiqing’s role.
Later, news broke about Huaze freezing Yu Shiqing’s contract.
He could guess that the relationship between the two former classmates wasn’t simple.

Now they were rivals for Best Supporting Actor.
Yan Hongyun secretly hoped Yu Shiqing would win.

He thought Yu Shiqing would care too.
But seeing his calm attitude, Yan Hongyun swallowed the words “Are you nervous?”

The only nervous one was probably him.

While he was still thinking, the presenter on stage announced,
“Rescue at Doomsday—Yu Shiqing!”

The guest smiled and clapped. “Congratulations, Yu Shiqing!”

The whole Rescue at Doomsday team stood up.
Jiang Yu lifted his hand to hug Yu Shiqing around the shoulders and whispered in his ear,
“Congratulations.”

Yu Shiqing smiled. “Thanks.”

After they separated, Yu Rong stepped forward and offered his hand.
Yu Shiqing shook it briefly, then walked on.

Yu Rong: “…”
Why the different treatment??

Yu Shiqing didn’t look back.
After shaking the final hand, he buttoned his suit jacket with one hand and walked onto the stage.

He accepted the trophy, walked to the mic, and read the speech Ren Bai had helped him prepare.
Just as he was about to leave the stage, the host stopped him.

“Mr. Yu, please wait!”
Yu Shiqing turned his head.

The host smiled and said,
“We’re just in time for our new online fan Q&A session.”

As Yu Shiqing stepped back to the mic, the question appeared on the big screen.

The host read it out loud:
“Fans ask during the filming of Rescue at Doomsday, who are you most thankful for?”

Yu Shiqing looked into the audience.

The host teased, “Is it Director Yan? Or—”

Before he could finish, Yu Shiqing’s calm voice interrupted.

“Jiang Yu.”

The two hosts looked at each other.
Then asked,
“Why Jiang Yu? You didn’t give a reason. Is it because you two are so close that he already knows?”

Yu Shiqing’s eyes stayed on Jiang Yu in the crowd.

A staff member handed Jiang Yu a microphone, but his gaze never left Yu Shiqing.

Then both of them spoke at the same time.