HEIFEIGU -Chapter 42

Seeing Xie Jixing and Meng Zezhou carrying bamboo like a pole, with a pot suspended in the middle, the director was somewhat confused.

They’re back at noon already? Was the task really this simple?

Xie Jixing removed the outdoor pot, ran lightly to the director, and flung open the lid:

“Director, let’s tally the points.”

“Eek.” The director leaned back slightly.

Although he knew what the task items were and wasn’t afraid of worms, seeing so many together was still visually shocking!

The crew brought a large bamboo tray to count the worms.

The scene was too intense, and many viewers said they couldn’t handle it, cutting to the four-person team’s livestream.

As they passed through the bamboo forest, the elevation rose sharply, entering an uphill stretch. The path suddenly became difficult.

At first, the angry and fast-moving Xuan Caiyan and Xia Letian quickly ran out of energy and fell to the middle, whereas Luo Feiang had plenty of stamina.

To maintain his “perfect young man” image, he had been training on a stair climber.

Now he had moved to the front of the team.

Fei Zhehan was also doing fine, picking up a very sharp stone at the back of the group to mark the trees at intervals, imitating Xie Jixing.

The midday sun raised the temperature several degrees. Moisture from the rotting plants on the ground steamed out, trapped under the dense canopy. The forest became a giant steamer.

After only half an hour, Xuan Caiyan began panting, hands on her waist, hunched forward.

Xia Letian looked at her worriedly, took two quick steps, and tugged on Luo Feiang’s sleeve. “Brother Luo, should we rest a bit?”

“I think Yan Yan looks exhausted.”

Earlier, Luo Feiang had tied up his hair using a face-kinni-style wrap over a small puddle, and without worrying about oily bangs, he felt much better.

“Alright, we can just stand and rest a bit,” Luo Feiang scanned the area. Surrounded by trees, there was nowhere to sit. He looked at Xuan Caiyan and said to Xia Letian, “Why don’t you carry her bag for a while?”

Although their backpacks weren’t heavy, two bottles of water and two cartons of milk had some weight. Xuan Caiyan was clearly tired. Xia Letian, being close to her, had no reason not to help.

“Yan Yan is strong-willed. If she doesn’t ask, I feel awkward.” Xia Letian looked troubled.

Because the four-person team had been silently walking, there was little interaction with fans. Only Luo Feiang’s fans were cheering online. Now, Xia and Xuan’s fans immediately started commenting.

【He really understands her. I’m always moved by Xia Yan’s friendship.】

【Xia ❤️ Yan is the best!】

【Honestly, if that were my friend, I’d forcibly take over the backpack—strong will or not, can’t watch her die from exhaustion.】

【You don’t get her. Sometimes dignity matters more than life!】

【Exactly, only Xia Letian understands Xuan Caiyan.】

Earlier, viewers who popped up got scared into silence. These two’s friendship fans seemed like some cult!

Luo Feiang didn’t fully understand either, but he didn’t want to get involved. He quietly walked a little ahead to study the terrain.

After resting about ten minutes, the four-person team set off again.

This time, they couldn’t even make it fifteen minutes before Xuan Caiyan was struggling again.

Her breathing grew heavier, words unclear. She grabbed Xia Letian’s sleeve, “Water…”

Xia Letian was tired too, but he had his persona to maintain!

He paused, took a bottle of water from her backpack, and handed it to her.

Fei Zhehan saw clearly from behind—Xuan Caiyan shrugged and tried to remove her backpack, but Xia Letian steadied it back on her.

Indeed, the burden of maintaining a persona was heavy enough; he couldn’t add the weight of her bag on top.

The longer they rested, the more inefficient walking became. Luo Feiang was starting to regret it.

He opened the old-style map the crew had given them. Honestly, he couldn’t tell exactly where they were. Continuing forward, he wasn’t sure if they could get through the forest. Surely they couldn’t wander in the woods all night.

Even without dangerous animals, nighttime in the forest would be psychologically exhausting.

“Let’s look ahead. If there’s a suitable spot, we can stop, rest, eat, and then prepare to return,” he suggested.

Return?

Hearing that, Xuan Caiyan felt revived, gulped down half a bottle of water, “Agreed!”

The other two had no objections.

This time, they were lucky—within ten minutes, they found a flat clearing.

It wasn’t large, enough for about ten people to stand, but some scattered large rocks allowed them to sit.

Xuan Caiyan’s eyes brightened; her heavy steps felt lighter. She picked the shadiest rock and plopped down.

“Ah! I’m alive!”

Xia Letian sat beside her. “So comfortable.”

Luo Feiang and Fei Zhehan sat on rocks opposite them.

Just after sitting, Luo Feiang’s expression changed suddenly. He said to Xuan Caiyan, “Don’t move!”

All morning, he hadn’t interacted much with her. Now that he spoke, she had to pay attention.

Her stamina had recovered a bit. While drinking water, she joked, “What’s up? Did Teacher Luo discover a new task clue?”

Luo Feiang’s face was half-exasperated, half-serious. He deliberately lowered his voice and said, “You have to stay calm when you hear this. Don’t scream or move.”

“What’s wrong?” Xuan Caiyan still didn’t sense the seriousness, smiling, “Why is Teacher Luo suddenly so serious?”

Luo Feiang was truly exasperated. Did these two really think this was a tourist spot?

He stared behind Xuan Caiyan and said quickly, in a low voice, “A snake just fell from the tree and landed on your backpack.”

Some of the sharper-eyed viewers had also seen it.

【Oh my god, that scared me! A green one just fell in a flash!】

【Did anyone see what kind of snake it was? Is it poisonous?】

【So scary… bugs over there, snakes over here. I can’t watch this show anymore.】

【Looks like a bamboo pit viper or a green whip snake. Both are venomous, but the toxicity is low, not very dangerous.】

【I think so too, but both snakes are timid. Don’t scare it; it usually won’t attack humans.】

Xuan Caiyan froze, still not fully aware of what was happening. Before she could react, Xia Letian screamed, “Snake! Where’s the snake! I’m scared of snakes!”

“Don’t shout!” Fei Zhehan also panicked, lowering his voice to soothe them on the other side. “Stay calm, don’t make noise, don’t move. It looks inactive now. You two just stay still. Xiao Luo and I will find a way immediately.”

“Calm… you have to stay calm!”

The snake that had fallen onto Xuan Caiyan’s backpack was small. It had likely just fallen asleep from the branch and was still groggy, curling into a small coil on the backpack. There was no immediate danger.

Xia Letian’s earlier scream had startled it a bit, but the snake was still confused. It stretched slightly before settling again.

They couldn’t see if its head was flat or round and couldn’t judge its venom, so Fei Zhehan and Luo Feiang had to act cautiously. They split up and walked into the woods, trying to find a long branch to gently lift the snake off Xuan Caiyan’s backpack.

The viewers approved.

【Teacher Fei’s judgment is correct! This is the safest approach.】

【Teacher Fei seems to be from Guizhou. He must have experience with this. Just listen to him: stay calm, don’t make sudden movements, and it should be fine.】

【Hope Yan Yan is okay, my unlucky girl.】

【Yan Yan is frozen with fear, poor thing.】

【Wasn’t this supposed to be a “summer friendship forever”? Why isn’t Xia Letian helping?】

【Xiao Tian is also scared of snakes! The two unlucky kids are unlucky together.】

At this point, Xia Letian didn’t need to help—he just needed to stay still and wait for rescue.

But hearing about the snake, Xia Letian panicked completely. Fei Zhehan’s warnings and reassurances seemed to have no effect.

His breathing became shallow and rapid. “I can’t stay here!”

“I really can’t!”

“Yan Yan, sorry, I can’t handle this.”

The louder he spoke, the more movement he made. The little snake on the backpack began to stir.

“I have to get away! I need to run far away!”

“The snake is poisonous! It’ll bite me! It’s scary! Really scary!”

Xuan Caiyan looked at him with pleading eyes. “Xiao Tian, calm down. Teacher Fei and Teacher Luo are already figuring out a solution.”

“And right now, the snake is just sleeping on my bag. It’s still far from you. As long as you stay still, we’re safe.”

But Xia Letian didn’t seem to hear her. He began shifting to the side. “I really can’t, Yan Yan. I can’t take it, sorry.”

The hot breath from his words and the vibrations from his movement over the rocks fully awakened the little snake.

Its body, previously coiled, slowly stretched into an S-shape and began slithering over Xuan Caiyan’s backpack.

The hiss of its tongue sliding could be heard. Xuan Caiyan froze in terror, limbs weak, physiological tears blurring her vision.

Through her tear-filled eyes, she quietly begged Xia Letian, “Xiao Tian, please… it’s awake…”

“It’s moving! It’s moving!”

“It’s going to bite!”

At this moment, Xia Letian didn’t care about anyone else. He just wanted to get far away from the damn snake.

With a swift motion, he stood up, creating a rush of air and a loud sound.

The snake, highly sensitive to sound and vibrations, suddenly saw a large shadow. Mistaking it for a bird about to attack, it quickly raised the front half of its body in a defensive pose, jaws open, ready to strike.

Its slender body slithered across Xuan Caiyan’s back, tail hooked around her neck, upper body raised on her shoulder. When it reached forward, the cold, rough scales scraped her cheek painfully.

Xuan Caiyan didn’t dare move, cry for help, or even breathe. Her senses felt completely shut down.

Her eyes could barely see through the tears; the hiss of the snake and her own racing heartbeat filled her ears; the stench of the snake’s mouth reached her nose.

Her mind went blank. There was only one thought:

Wherever this snake bites me… am I going to die?