Chapter 910 - 909: We Immerse Ourselves in the Night Wind

The "trash pickers" had been bending over to pick up bottles for a long time, running far off, before they finally, sweating all over, managed to gather twelve bottles of soda, twelve bottles of cocktails, and one big bottle of soy milk drink.

Cheng Zhirang held the toy bulldozer’s bucket, scooping a fallen can of soda off the ground into the tricycle’s bed. Looking at the bottles piled inside like scrap, all higgledy-piggledy, he even used the bucket to nudge them around while counting.

The toy bulldozer had already come apart from its base; he grabbed the bucket like he was holding a pair of chopsticks, shoveling the cocktail glass bottles mixed in with the sodas off to one side.

"Twelve bottles of soda, twelve bottles of cocktails, one bottle of soy milk, the numbers match. But the cocktail glass bottles can’t just be left loose in the bed, we need a bag to carry them. Best to secure the sodas too."

Mu Qiu donated the flower-patterned headscarf she’d kept.

"Then let’s load everything on the little tricycle and send it back. We’ll walk back ourselves."

Shi Yuhuai pulled open both ends of the flower headscarf, and Li Yang quickly placed the glass bottles carefully inside. The sodas were easier to carry; they piled them in a corner of the bed, stretched another flower headscarf out long, and the two of them just held it across the cans to keep them from wobbling around while the tricycle was moving.

Guan Yu was still firmly seated in the driver’s spot. She slapped the railing behind her: "Who’s getting on? Still Brother Cheng and Li Yang?"

Li Yang had just opened his mouth to say yes, but Cheng Zhirang stepped aside and said:

"Shu Ran and Li Yang can ride. Shi Yuhuai has the scooter, he can get himself back. This way is uphill, I’ll take Mu Qiu on the bike."

The others: "Ooh~~"

Mu Qiu was holding onto the bicycle, already prepared to push the bike up together with Shu Ran. She doesn’t have much strength for pedaling, and if she had to carry someone on the back, on top of an uphill... even if it was a gentle slope, it was long. She knew there was no way she could ride it up.

She hadn’t expected Cheng Zhirang to carry her.

She stayed perfectly calm, expression unchanged: "We’ve only got half an hour, time’s probably almost up. It’s better if the drinks get there before we do."

"Right, right, time’s almost up!" Guan Yu immediately started the little tricycle. "Shu Ran, Li Yang, hop on!"

Watching the two of them climb into the bed, Guan Yu gunned the tricycle and charged uphill. Shi Yuhuai kicked off on his scooter after them. At one meter ninety, him riding that scooter was honestly a bit mismatched; he had to bend down just to reach the handlebars.

Luckily, he seemed to be having a great time.

"Let’s go, we’ll follow too."

Cheng Zhirang took a long stride, sat down on the bike seat, gripped the handlebars and looked back at her, his brows and eyes gentle and shimmering in the sunset glow.

Mu Qiu sat sideways on the back seat, one hand wrapped around his waist.

Once she was settled, he said, "We’ll go back by the other road."

She was a bit dumbfounded. "Huh?"

Choosing another road to walk alone at a time like this... They’re in the middle of a mission, is sneaking off to have a private Love talk really okay?

Seeing her clearly less-than-approving expression, Cheng Zhirang explained, "The mountain road on the other side also leads to the villa, it’s just that the uphill is steeper and the route’s longer."

"Then why do you still want to take that one?"

"Because it’s not all uphill. The last section is downhill—if you’re on a bike, how can you not go for a downhill run? You just said you really liked it."

She opened her mouth, met his eyes, then ended up nodding.

So they openly broke away from the group and headed down the other road.

He wasn’t lying. After a pretty steep climb, there was a long stretch of gentle downhill. Standing at that turning point, you could see the villa they were heading to straight ahead.

Riding the bike down this slightly gentler slope would definitely feel amazing.

After pedaling that bit of uphill, Cheng Zhirang’s breathing was still a little fast. At the turn he squeezed the brakes and turned his head. "Ready? I’m going to let go of the brakes."

Mu Qiu nodded from the back, gathered up her long hair, and placed both hands around his waist.

"Go!"

He released the brakes, and they flew freely down the slope. The evening breeze, rimmed with an orange halo, roared past their ears, billowing Cheng Zhirang’s loose clothes, tossing up Mu Qiu’s hair, kissing the brows and eyes of the two of them as they enjoyed the ride.

Then Mu Qiu’s cry of surprise rang out.

"The setting sun is landing right on that big bridge! You can even see the ocean from here! The ocean’s all orange!"

Cheng Zhirang didn’t speak, but he was smiling—a gentle, doting, and light, unrestrained smile.

Mu Qiu couldn’t see him, but after saying that, she started laughing too, louder and louder.

"It’s so cool! These trees must look even better at night, all in black-and-white silhouette!"

This time Cheng Zhirang answered her, "Then let’s come out again tonight and have a look."

"Okay! We’re almost there!"

The bike braked to a stop outside the villa.

From the lawn behind the fountain garden, the noisy chatter of the others was already floating over.

"Let’s just put the drinks here, one by one. Once the lights are on they’ll look so good!"

"Put the grill over here! Brother Huai, are you made of wood? Don’t you know how to help?!"

"Speakers, speakers! Just like that seaside roasted garlic episode—grilling and singing at the same time!"

"Where did those two off having Love go? Why aren’t they back yet?!"

"Can you grill seafood like this? Maybe we should boil the veggies instead?"

"You’re not here for BBQ, you’re here to eat clean, aren’t you?"

"Brother Cheng! You’re finally back!"

Mu Qiu and Cheng Zhirang walked in side by side. Li Yang and the others had already moved out basically everything they’d need for the evening barbecue. A few poles were strung all around with little sparkling light bulbs.

Around the grill was a ring of long benches. Directly in front was a round stage with a standing mic, behind it all the sound equipment, and a computer off to the side.

The microphone was in Li Yang’s hand as he did the sound check.

"Testing, testing? Hello? Good afternoon, everyone."

It wasn’t even seven yet, the sky was still bright, only already sliding toward dusk. In a little while, the sky would darken.

That would be the perfect moment for them to be singing and munching on skewers and having fun.

Mu Qiu carried out the last of the food from the villa. Chicken breast and beef—if they didn’t eat it, it’d be a waste. She’d blanched the vegetables in water first; with Shu Ran’s weight-loss mantra firmly in mind, she probably wouldn’t eat much grilled food, so someone had to make something she could eat.

As for Li Yang’s instant noodles, better not even bring those out and embarrass themselves.

Humming under her breath, in a great mood, she fussed with the vegetables at the prep counter. She hadn’t been at it long before, when she went back out again, she found that it was already dark outside.

Li Yang and Guan Yu, the two obvious hype-makers, were way too excited, running in and out without getting tired, their voices getting louder and louder.

The coals in the grill were already burning. Cheng Zhirang and Shi Yuhuai stood in front of it figuring out how to get things going, while Shu Ran, smiling, handed over the skewered veggies she’d just finished.

The scattered lights had come on, illuminating part of the lawn. On the much-anticipated singing stage, Guan Yu held the mic and did two "testing" calls.

"My dear little friends! Welcome to the Different Variety Show barbecue party! I just saw the crew bring in a ton of ingredients, and they’re planning to grill off to the side. Let’s be generous and invite the crew to join us! What do you say?!"