Since Chen Yi and Jing Shangshu took over two minutes to answer the question, they failed the challenge. Fortunately, there was no "Preschool Group," so the two of them remained in the "Elementary School Group."
Once the groups were finalized, everyone boarded vehicles to head to their destination. However, the production crew kept the specific location a secret, leaving the cast to find out only upon arrival.
There were three cars in total, organized according to the groups. Jiu Chang and Pan Ming took the first car; Chen Yi and Jing Shangshu took the second; Jiang Siyang and Zhang Jin’an took the last one. The cameraman sat in the passenger seat, and once everyone had buckled their seatbelts, the cars officially set off.
Jiang Siyang looked out the window. The sky was beginning to brighten with a hazy dawn, as if a translucent veil of gossamer had been draped over the earth. Pedestrians were gradually becoming more numerous, and joggers could be seen along the streets.
The glass windows of the cafes they passed reflected the figures of passersby; everything felt relaxed and cozy.
If they weren't filming a show, Jiang Siyang would have really liked to get out, buy a cup of coffee, and sit by a window to while away the day.
After savoring the view for a few more moments, Jiang Siyang withdrew his gaze and turned to ask Zhang Jin’an, "Gē, what time did you get here?"
"Me? About the same as you all. I arrived at nine," Zhang Jin’an replied honestly.
"Didn't you go home?" Jiang Siyang followed up.
"It’s quite far, so I didn't go back," Zhang Jin’an said. "But I did go to see an old friend."
Jiang Siyang nodded thoughtfully. "Oh... that’s a bit of a pity then."
"..." Zhang Jin’an watched Jiang Siyang’s movements and couldn't help but lower his head with a smile. Finally, he couldn't resist asking, "Siyang, is it because the others aren't here that you've started acting like a host?"
He saw Jiang Siyang’s expression freeze. When the younger man spoke again, he was much more cautious, as if he were reflecting on a mistake. "Ah... yes... is something wrong? Was I being too formal? Was it too obvious that I was trying to find a topic?"
"No, no, your transition was very natural," Zhang Jin’an hurried to explain, deeply afraid of being misunderstood. "It’s just the first time I’ve seen you 'hosting,' and I thought it was quite interesting. I was just asking out of curiosity; don't be nervous."
"That’s good then," Jiang Siyang’s tone relaxed instantly. "I was afraid that because the two of us don't talk much, your screen time would be edited out, so I wanted to ask a few more questions."
Zhang Jin’an chuckled. "I think you’re overthinking it. With me around, it’s impossible for there to be a lack of conversation."
"True," Jiang Siyang laughed as well, scratching the back of his neck. "Hey, Gē, let me ask you something."
Zhang Jin’an gave a hum of affirmation.
Jiang Siyang pointed out the window and asked earnestly, "Are the buildings here generally low, or is it just this area? It seems like except for the office buildings, all the other houses are quite short."
Zhang Jin’an propped one hand on the seat and leaned slightly toward the window next to Jiang Siyang to look out. Aside from the shops, every residential building that appeared before them was only a few stories high. However, it was precisely because of this that the sky appeared vast and closer to the ground, as if one could touch a cloud just by standing in the streets and alleys.
Zhang Jin’an gave an "oh" and replied, "That? It’s like this everywhere. Aside from the colors—some are this color, some are blue—the heights never change. I remember the tallest residential building here is only five stories."
"The tallest is five stories? That low?" Jiang Siyang looked at Zhang Jin’an in surprise.
Zhang Jin’an was used to it; basically everyone who came to Xiaonanshan for the first time was surprised by this fact.
Looking into Jiang Siyang’s eyes, Zhang Jin’an explained in detail, "Because Xiaonanshan has a small population but a lot of land. Excluding the sea and the mountains, there’s still a massive plot of land, so they decided to build this way. Building like this actually makes it feel like there are more people."
"Then what about your house, Gē?" Jiang Siyang asked again.
Zhang Jin’an shook his head. "My house? Our entire residential complex is five stories."
Jiang Siyang: "Then which floor do you live on?"
Zhang Jin’an pointed upward. "The very top."
"Is it cramped with five people living there?" Jiang Siyang asked.
"I think it’s fine. My room is an attic, so you can go up even further. It’s just a bit of a hassle to go downstairs sometimes," Zhang Jin’an replied.
"Oh..." Jiang Siyang nodded thoughtfully. "That does sound like quite a hassle."
Seeing Jiang Siyang’s sympathetic expression, Zhang Jin’an immediately realized the kid must have misunderstood. The boy definitely thought all five of them were squeezed onto one floor, but in reality...
Forget it, he didn't mind anyway, and it wasn't a big deal. Thinking this, Zhang Jin’an didn't bother to explain.
The two chatted for a while longer until the car turned into a street that Zhang Jin’an was intimately familiar with. It seemed that from that point on, old memories began to flood back.
Further ahead, there should be a shopping mall and a three-way intersection where three camphor trees with pruned branches stood... The things he remembered came into view one by one. Though there were slight discrepancies, they were largely the same.
They passed a mall. The long night market stalls selling sugar paintings were no longer at the entrance, replaced by various accessories on sale. They stopped at the three-way intersection; the three camphor trees were still there, and there was even a schoolbag hanging from one of them.
Jiang Siyang naturally saw it too and asked suspiciously, "What’s that? A schoolbag? How did a schoolbag get stuck in a tree?"
"It’s a local specialty. Every year there’s a tree-hanging competition to see who can hang theirs the highest," Zhang Jin’an said with a straight face, talking nonsense.
"Liar," Jiang Siyang laughed as expected. "Where would such a competition come from?"
Zhang Jin’an laughed too before thinking about it seriously. "Some brat probably put it up there and couldn't get it down. Things like that happened often in the past. I remember seeing a teddy bear hanging there; it stayed for about three months. By the time it was taken down, it had turned into a black ball of soot."
"Where did the bear go in the end?"
Zhang Jin’an shrugged. "No idea. I imagine the owner took it back."
Zhang Jin’an watched the red light turn green. The car slowly turned left and, after driving for a bit, entered a tunnel. He remembered clearly what was on the other side of this tunnel; it was a place he had been to hundreds, thousands of times.
Zhang Jin’an leaned close to Jiang Siyang’s ear and whispered to him, "Siyang, once we pass this tunnel, you’ll be able to see the sea."
"The sea?" Jiang Siyang was startled. Once he processed the words, his posture straightened, his hands resting on his thighs as he looked at Zhang Jin’an in disbelief. "Really?"
Zhang Jin’an gave a firm nod.
Jiang Siyang’s tone became excited. "Heavens! We can see the sea this soon?"
Zhang Jin’an nodded twice with absolute certainty. "Yes. Although I’ve mostly forgotten the road that turns right at that intersection, I remember this left turn very clearly. I couldn't possibly be wrong; this is the road I used to take all the time. After this is Shijing Street, the street with the best scenery in Xiaonanshan. There’s a famous downhill stretch where you can see Little South Mountain."
Just as Zhang Jin’an had said, after they emerged from the tunnel, Jiang Siyang indeed saw the words "Shijing Street" on a road sign.
Perhaps because they had just come out of the dim environment, Jiang Siyang felt the sunlight had become exceptionally clear and bright. The scenery here was different from what they had seen before; it was as if they had arrived in a different city altogether. The residential buildings on both sides of the wide road had pale orange walls, so even the most dazzling light became very soft. In the distance were lush, green mountains—that must be the "Little South Mountain" Zhang Jin’an mentioned.
After the car drove for another minute or two, as the last residential building receded behind them, Jiang Siyang finally got his wish and saw the sea. Just as he was marvelling at the beauty of the rolling waves, he heard the person beside him say, "I remember you saying you really like the seaside. It seems that’s true."
Jiang Siyang was momentarily stunned. He turned his head and asked with slight surprise, "Gē, how did you know?"
"I saw it... on a show," Zhang Jin’an replied.
"Didn't you say in one episode that your favorite place to travel to is the ocean?" Zhang Jin’an added.
Jiang Siyang nodded. "Oh, I do indeed like the ocean very much."
Jiang Siyang had been to many places. Aside from work-related travel, he truly enjoyed tourism. He loved seeing beauty, whether natural or man-made, but his favorite was the sea. He loved the refreshing feeling of the sea breeze brushing against his cheeks; he loved the seawater washing over his feet and the beaches covered in shells; he loved a calm, azure sea like this one.
Jiang Siyang couldn't help but ask, "Gē, do you have a place you like?"
"I do," Zhang Jin’an said without hesitation. "Anywhere with Wi-Fi."
Jiang Siyang: "..."
Zhang Jin’an couldn't help but laugh after saying it. Jiang Siyang and the cameraman laughed along with him, and the car was filled with cheer for a moment.
After he finished laughing, Jiang Siyang said, "I don't think it’s about being lazy or not; it’s just everyone’s different lifestyle."
Lifestyle...
Zhang Jin’an smiled. He didn't know if Jiang Siyang’s words were meant to comfort him or if he truly thought that way, but there was some truth to the statement.
"Siyang, do you want to go see the sea? I’ll treat you after we finish filming," Zhang Jin’an said.
Jiang Siyang was stunned. "Is that okay? Aren't you very busy, Gē?"
"It’s fine. I’m not leaving until tomorrow," Zhang Jin’an asked again, leaning in slightly. "One word: are you going or not?"
Under such pressure, Jiang Siyang instinctively agreed, "I’m going!" Only after answering did he realize the word "treat" felt a bit off, so he asked, "Does it cost money there?"
"It does, but it’s not expensive." Zhang Jin’an knew Jiang Siyang wanted to say something else and didn't give him any room to change his mind. "You’ve already agreed, no backing out."
"Okay... fine, I’ll pay you back then," Jiang Siyang said.
Zhang Jin’an covered his ears. "I’m not listening, I’m not listening. It’s just a little bit of money, no need to keep paying each other back. If you really want to thank me, just post on Weibo more often."
Although Jiang Siyang didn't know why Zhang Jin’an made this request, he still agreed. "Okay."
Zhang Jin’an nodded with satisfaction and said to the camera, "Now everyone is a witness. All you fans can rest easy now."
Jiang Siyang smiled and looked out the window. A cool breeze brushed his face, and seagulls occasionally skimmed over the shimmering surface of the sea, soaring toward the verdant Little South Mountain in the distance.
This was the place where the person he admired had grown up. They say a particular environment nurtures a particular kind of people; with such mountains and waters, it was no wonder they could raise such a wonderful person.
He was immensely curious about how Zhang Jin’an had lived those nineteen years, and what kind of experiences had shaped the personality he so envied, allowing him to become the peerless, brilliant Film Emperor he was today.
The rising sun was about to pierce through the clouds and mist to illuminate the earth. The vehicle sped along, smooth and unobstructed, toward an unknown destination.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 小学组 | Elementary School Group | The group for those who failed the quiz. |
| 石景街 | Shijing Street | A scenic street in Xiaonanshan. |
| 一方水养一方人 | A particular environment nurtures a particular kind of people | A Chinese proverb meaning that the local environment/culture shapes the character of the people living there. |
