Chapter 385 So-Called Slow Pace

For a more entertaining show, Ni Bingyan had arranged a team-building activity this time.

After some advance planning, the on-screen cast expanded from just her to a group of four: herself, Wei Shuojie, Wang Biao, and Duanmu Li.

They were currently at a farmhouse in a suburb of Beijing.

This farmhouse specialized in firewood chicken. To prove their birds were authentic free-range chickens, the farm had one rule—if you want to eat chicken, you have to catch it yourself!

Except for Duanmu Li, the other three had grown up in the city and had no experience catching chickens. But Duanmu Li’s family lived by a lake; she was skilled at catching fish, but when it came to chickens, she was just as hopeless.

So after a brief consultation, the group of four rolled up their sleeves and began the chase. They ran themselves ragged, cornering the birds until both humans and chickens were exhausted. Finally, one unlucky chicken flew down from a tree.

As luck would have it, Ni Bingyan was right in its flight path. Seizing the moment while it was airborne and had no leverage, she snatched it into her arms.

Caught so suddenly, the agile little rooster’s first instinct was to kick its legs and flap its wings!

Fortunately, they had listened to the tips from the farmhouse staff. Quick as a flash, Ni Bingyan grabbed its two bare legs and managed to hold on until the other three arrived to help.

Only after the rooster was bound with rope, securing their firewood chicken for lunch, did Ni Bingyan finally burst out laughing.

’This one might be a little small, but that just means it’s tender!’

’Older chickens have their own flavor, and younger chickens have their own texture! It all comes down to what you prefer!’

Then that damn Pei Jin came over with the camera, cackling.

"This is what you call taking it slow?"

Ni Bingyan sheepishly straightened her clothes, unaware that two chicken feathers were now stuck in her hair. She cleared her throat and said,

"It’s all relative. Relatively speaking, the standard... well, it has a little bit of elasticity."

Holding up two fingers, Ni Bingyan gestured while still catching her breath. Her stubborn expression as she tried to justify herself was absolutely hilarious.

Everyone burst into laughter.

After handing the captured chicken over to the kitchen, the group went to pick strawberries.

"This time, we’re really taking it slow," Ni Bingyan announced to the camera, full of confidence. "Surely nothing can go wrong with picking strawberries..."

Unfortunately, the owner’s geese were also free-range, roaming all over the hills.

Who knows if the big gander was just a pervert or what, but the moment it saw Ni Bingyan, it started chasing and trying to peck her.

"What is happening? Did you guys let this goose out? I haven’t even seen a single strawberry yet, and now a goose is chasing me! You people are monsters!"

When the show aired, the audience would surely claim this was scripted. So, Ni Bingyan decided to call it out herself, a reverse-psychology gambit she hoped would pay off.

"Out of this whole flock, it’s only chasing you. It’s not chasing anyone else, just you. You know what that is? It’s fate!"

The director had gotten into the habit of inserting himself into the drama, but Ni Bingyan ignored him completely.

She couldn’t spare him a thought right now anyway.

Clutching her little red plastic basket, Ni Bingyan took off running!

The cameramen followed suit—some got in close, others filmed from afar, all determined to capture her panicked escape from multiple angles.

Of course, for her safety, someone was running along right behind the goose.

The farmhouse was experienced in this line of business; if the goose were to catch up to her, someone was ready to intervene immediately.

"Our geese are free-range too! See all that grass? They peck at everything, so it’s definitely not targeting you! Want some iron-pot goose stew? If you can catch it, the meal’s on me!"

The farmhouse owner was actually one of Ni Bingyan’s juniors from her school; otherwise, she wouldn’t have chosen this place to film her show.

Although he ran a farm in Beijing, this junior would return to Rongcheng City every New Year to visit their master and grandmaster. He knew Ni Bingyan well, so their casual banter added even more comedic material to the show.

Ni Bingyan had been hopping and skipping as she ran, shouting for someone behind her to grab the big goose. But upon hearing the owner’s offer, she was struck with a bolt of courage and spun back around.

"Hey! Why didn’t you say so earlier!"

In her past life, she had worked in small diners and washed dishes on food streets. She wasn’t actually afraid of chickens, ducks, or geese; her frantic running was largely for the sake of the show.

The moment she turned, she swung the red plastic basket in her hand, neatly covering the goose’s head. In the next instant, she reached out, snatched its neck, and hoisted it into the air with a grunt.

Of course, with its neck caught, the goose began flapping its wings and kicking its legs wildly!

But Ni Bingyan stubbornly refused to let go. While it was struggling, she grabbed one of its feet and held it up by the leg!

"You can’t go back on your word, boss! Quick! Hahaha! This goose is ours now!!"

Ni Bingyan was so excited she nearly jumped for joy, and the other three were roaring with laughter.

After this battle, a soft, white goose feather joined the two chicken feathers in Ni Bingyan’s hair. She remained blissfully unaware, still laughing heartily.

No one told her. Only Pei Jin was there to tease her, "Oh? Is this what you call a ’slow pace’?"

Unfazed, not even blushing or out of breath, Ni Bingyan handed the goose to the farmhouse staff and went to pick up the plastic basket she had dropped, ready to continue her strawberry-picking mission.

"This one got dirty. Let me get you a new one."

The owner hurried over, handing her a clean basket.

With her new basket, Ni Bingyan headed straight for the strawberry greenhouse.

In January, there were already ripe strawberries in the greenhouses in the suburb of Beijing, though not in abundance.

Ni Bingyan wasn’t greedy. She picked just over a pound before heading out to weigh them and pay.

Her junior had offered to treat them, but considering the large size of the film crew, Ni Bingyan knew the food and drinks would be a huge expense, so she had refused. Naturally, she had to pay now.

After lunch, the group packed their things and set off again.

They drove to a spot near the Great Wall and hiked up an unrestored section.

They found an open area, pitched their tents, set up the equipment, and fired up a lidded grill. Ni Bingyan popped open a folding chair, sat down with a long sigh, and stretched while gazing up at the pure, cloudless sky.

"Ahhh, so relaxing."

The team-building activity wasn’t over. This episode was about the four of them on a journey.

After a wild half-day at the farmhouse, Ni Bingyan now brought them here to stargaze.

"There’s supposed to be a meteor shower tonight! Spending the long night waiting for falling stars, seeing them off on their final journey... isn’t it romantic?"

Ni Bingyan took out a pair of tongs and arranged some charcoal, preparing to start the fire.

"I’m not moving from this spot all night! Director, would you call this ’slow’ enough for you? Hmph."

Wrapped in thick clothes, Ni Bingyan sat in her folding chair with her hands shoved in her pockets. She looked incredibly smug, almost begging to be punched.

She was holding a grudge.

Pei Jin didn’t get angry, simply laughing from behind the camera.

The film crew was large and well-equipped. Despite the cold, the atmosphere was lively.

At first, everyone ate barbecue, had some drinks, and looked at the stars through the camera equipment.

They thought Ni Bingyan was just doing this for the novelty of the show, but to their surprise, she knew a great deal about the night sky. She began pointing out constellations and sharing astronomy facts with everyone.

The sky was clear and perfect for stargazing. With a sea of stars above and a cluster of tents below, the scene was breathtakingly beautiful.

After another boisterous round of photos, people started succumbing to sleep one by one.

The cameras kept rolling, but only Ni Bingyan remained awake.

She knew when the meteor shower was due, so she couldn’t bring herself to sleep. The expected time came and went with no sign of meteors, and she was just starting to feel disappointed when the edge of the sky suddenly lit up.

A shower of meteors, fashionably late, streaked across the horizon and vanished as if they had never been.

Ni Bingyan stared, captivated. Long after the streaks of light had faded, she finally let out an excited cry.