Feeling Xiao Lan stirring as if about to crawl out, Xia Wei Liang quickly put her hands in her pockets.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing her odd expression, Su Yu Xi asked with concern.
"Nothing, nothing at all!"
She ambled around to the other side and quickly looked down, "Ancestor! If you don't calm down now, we'll be called in for a chat by the police!"
To Su Yu Xi, Xia Wei Liang was hunched over as if hiding something delicious, afraid someone would snatch it.
He chuckled. Many female celebrities in the industry were ordered to lose weight, and with staff watching them, he often saw them hiding and secretly eating snacks.
Safely boarding the plane, Xia Wei Liang hadn't even had time to relax when she felt another loosening sensation on her wrist.
She sighed softly, "Stop messing around, careful you don't get acrophobia later!"
Before takeoff, she sent a message to Xiao Nuo Mi, informing her that everything was safe so she could leave the airport.
As someone sat down in the empty seat next to her, she looked up and met Su Yu Xi's clean, clear eyes. "Can I sit here?"
"Ah! No problem, no problem!"
Xia Wei Liang quickly moved her small bag and sat up straight.
Su Yu Xi appeared much calmer and more composed. After sitting down, he chatted with her casually, mostly about acting.
Xia Wei Liang listened intently, long having forgotten her vow to keep everyone at least five meters away.
Soon, it was time for lunch.
The flight attendant placed the steak on the table, and Xia Wei Liang reached for the steak knife.
"...Huh? What's that on your hand?"
Su Yu Xi suddenly changed the subject, looking down at her wrist.
Damn it!
Xia Wei Liang realized. She felt Xiao Lan's tense body and its raised head…
Ever since Master Gu had given Xiao Lan to her, this little thing, despite its frightening appearance, was actually quite well-behaved. Most of the time, it slept, and when she occasionally fed it, it would lazily open its mouth, looking at everyone with disdain.
Even Xiao Nuo Mi, who was so afraid of snakes, adored it.
But such intense hostility was a first.
Su Yu Xi's hand was already reaching over. Xia Wei Liang wanted to hide her hand, but she forgot about the steak knife in her hand. As she pulled her hand back, the knife happened to slash towards his hand…
"!!!"
Seeing the blood welling up on his hand, Xia Wei Liang was shocked!!
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to… I'm so sorry…" Su Dan Novel Network
His hand was injured, but Xiao Lan on her wrist quieted down, retreating obediently to coil into a circle, its form like a winter worm and summer grass.
Xia Wei Liang panicked and quickly unbuckled her seatbelt. "Director Huang! Director Huang!"
Director Huang also came over, and the other guests gathered around. "What's wrong? Oh my, Brother Yu Xi, what happened to your hand?"
Su Yu Xi was very calm. "I accidentally cut my hand when I was picking up the knife earlier. It's just a superficial wound," he said apologetically.
"It wasn't him, it was…"
Xia Wei Liang wanted to confess, but he looked up at her. "I injured my wrist recently while filming, and it's inconvenient to use a knife, so I couldn't control my strength. It's my own fault, it has nothing to do with anyone else."
She looked at him, her gaze falling as she felt guilty and fell silent.
She could understand that he didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble.
Otherwise, busybodies would surely concoct all sorts of stories about their relationship.
Director Huang brought a first-aid kit and provided simple treatment. The steak knife wasn't very sharp to begin with, but the serrated edge meant that scars were likely to form after the wound healed.
Seeing Xia Wei Liang still blaming herself, Su Yu Xi joked, "This is a mark left by the Empress for me, a mark exclusively mine."
Xia Wei Liang, having done something wrong, was in no mood for jokes. She pouted and looked at him. After much deliberation, she turned to face him and said word for word, "Su Yu Xi, if it really leaves a scar, I'll implant my skin onto you!"
Everyone: "Hiss~"
The Empress's thought process was indeed peculiar. Normally, wouldn't one say something like, "I will take responsibility for you," a domineering declaration?
Although everyone in this group could see the spark between the Empress and the Film Emperor, quite a few people also shipped Xia Wei Liang and Su Yu Xi as a couple.
It was unavoidable, the Empress was too versatile, and the filter from their previous drama was too strong. If they truly got together, it would be what the public wished for.
Su Yu Xi looked at his bandaged hand and smiled. "I'm a man, a scar is nothing. You girls value your appearance so much, you should be beautiful. Don't say things like giving me skin grafts anymore. It sounds… creepy."
Everyone chuckled and then dispersed.
"Is that a snake on your wrist?"
Su Yu Xi's sudden remark caught Xia Wei Liang off guard again.
Meeting her stunned, big eyes, the man's fair face showed a doting smile. He leaned closer intentionally and whispered in her ear, "That's why you were acting so strangely at security check."
"I…"
Xia Wei Liang sighed and exposed her wrist.
Xiao Lan was still sleeping.
"A very lovely uncle gave it to me. I didn't expect this little fellow to be so clingy; once it wrapped around, it wouldn't come off. Just now… I was afraid you'd discover it, so I accidentally…"
Su Yu Xi looked at the snake. It was indeed peculiar, and he hadn't expected a young girl like her to like it.
"What I find even stranger is how you managed to get it through security."
"Yes, yes! I was also wondering! I even asked Nuo Mi to wait outside the airport just in case!" Xia Wei Liang analyzed Xiao Lan seriously. "So I think its attribute is like a winter worm and summer grass, and it mutated during security!"
Remembering something, she quickly reminded him, "This snake is extremely, extremely, extremely venomous!"
Su Yu Xi raised an eyebrow. "Venomous? No way?"
But seeing her sincere gaze, he suddenly felt a pang of fear.
"So, getting cut by you is much better than being bitten by it."
Xia Wei Liang nodded, patting his shoulder with relief. "So, in a way, I saved your life."
This small interlude passed quickly. Su Yu Xi wasn't one to be fussy. After getting off the plane, he only had his hand bandaged at the airport's medical office before following the crew to their final destination—
Shili Village, Gu Mo Village.
Along the way, Director Huang introduced in the bus that Gu Mo Village had produced successful scholars and was home to many calligraphers and literary figures. Although not as historically ancient as the thousand-year-old internet-famous Bulang ethnic village, it was an undeveloped, beautiful, and simple natural village.
Gu Mo Village was also known for the artisans living there. Any one of them called out would be a traditional craftsperson, shouldering the responsibility of inheritance!
Therefore, the theme of this episode was clear: "Courage—Inheritance."
On the bus, everyone started chattering about the artisans they saw in their childhood who went from street to street, such as those who repaired porcelain bowls, fixed umbrellas, sharpened knives and scissors, and the sugar figurine makers that children especially liked…
As they talked, they unknowingly approached Gu Mo Village.
Before even getting off the bus, Director Huang fixed his gaze on Xia Wei Liang and called to Da Zhuang, "I don't care what method you use, keep an eye on her!"
Da Zhuang patted his chest. "Leave it to me!"