More Exciting Than the Movies

On the other side, Liu Bo was still enthusiastically describing the earlier battle to the group with animated gestures.

Su Yang called out, "Hey, fatty, cut the chatter."

"By the way, do any of you who fainted earlier feel any discomfort now?"

They all shook their heads. Ji Bo stepped forward and said, "The moment I saw that white mist, everything went black, and I passed out. But when I woke up, I didn’t feel any discomfort—it was like taking a nap. In fact, I felt even more refreshed. Anyone else feel that way?"

Hearing this, Zhang Ziming raised his hand in agreement. "Yeah, same here. All my exhaustion was gone after waking up."

The others who had fainted also nodded. "We feel the same."

Su Yang pondered for a moment. "That’s really strange. I thought the mist might be toxic, but instead of being harmed, you all woke up feeling better."

"Once we’re back in Haicheng, I suggest everyone get a quick check-up at the hospital."

"Got it, Yang. No big deal."

"Too bad we didn’t make it to the end of the hike," Su Yang said, glancing at Pan Ning.

Pan Ning shook her head. "We’re lucky nothing worse happened. This is on me—I shouldn’t have picked such a remote route."

Su Yang waved her off. "How is this your fault? It’s just bad luck. Plenty of people hiked here before us, and no one ever mentioned running into a bear."

"Yeah, Pan, don’t blame yourself," Liu Bo chimed in.

Pan Ning sighed. "Alright then. Let’s pack up. I’ll treat everyone to a hot spring to unwind."

Ji Bo hesitated. "Hot springs in the summer?"

Meng Wenzhou rolled his eyes. "What’s wrong with you? Hot springs aren’t seasonal."

"I’ve just never tried them in summer, so I wouldn’t know."

"Let me educate you, then. Hot springs in summer improve blood circulation, relieve muscle fatigue, enhance skin condition, and help detoxify the body. Among other benefits."

"No way, really?"

"Of course. Otherwise, hot spring resorts would only operate in winter."

Su Yang chuckled. "One thing to add—you can soak in summer, but don’t overdo it. Too long and you risk dehydration."

"Right. Keep it under half an hour per session."

"Then I’m sold. Let’s go!"

"Alright, pack up and move out!"

......

Half an hour later, they had loaded everything—tents, tables, grills, trash bags, and other miscellaneous items—into their cars.

Following the earlier arrangement, Su Yang drove first, leading Pan Ning and the others out of the campsite at the edge of Qianye Mountain.

Liu Bo and Zhang Ziming followed slowly in their respective cars.

Inside the car, Su Yang asked while driving, "How far is this place?"

Pan Ning checked the navigation. "About 50 kilometers."

"Not bad. Is it a dedicated hot spring spot?"

"More than that—it’s a five-star resort hotel with everything. Located on the outskirts of Qingxi City, great environment."

"Nice. Perfect for relaxing."

"Su Yang, I’ve got a question for you," Meng Qianyu piped up from the backseat, leaning forward.

Su Yang smiled. "Go ahead."

"Back in the mountains, how did you have the courage to charge at that bear alone?"

Su Yang thought to himself, Hmm? Perfect opportunity. Gotta play this right.

After a brief pause, he replied, "It wasn’t about courage. At that moment, only Liu Bo and I were still standing. I sent him to get you two to safety, which left just me. If I didn’t distract the bear, none of us would’ve made it out."

"But... it was a bear."

"Even if it were a tiger or a dragon, I’d have done the same. I couldn’t just run and let it kill all of you. I’d have regretted it for the rest of my life."

Su Yang’s tone was firm, and it truly reflected his thoughts at the time.

Hearing this, Meng Qianyu fell silent, though the way she looked at Su Yang had subtly changed.

Seizing the moment, Su Yang silently asked in his mind:

—System? Did Meng Qianyu’s favorability increase?

[+5 points. Current favorability: 45]

—Nice. Worked like a charm.

"Su Yang, you always seem so carefree and easygoing, but in a crisis, you’re actually really dependable," Meng Qianyu said earnestly, clasping her hands.

"Pfft—" Pan Ning, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at Meng Qianyu’s expression in the rearview mirror and couldn’t hold back a laugh.

"Sis, what’s so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing. Go on."

Su Yang scratched his head. "Wait, was that a compliment or an insult?"

"A compliment, of course! I genuinely admire you."

"Really? I just did what anyone would’ve done."

"When I saw you wrestling that huge bear, my mind went blank."

Tang Ziyun raised her hand. "Same! I thought you’d been possessed by Superman or something."

"Pfft—" Pan Ning burst out laughing again.

"Tch. What’s with you?" Su Yang feigned annoyance.

Pan Ning covered her mouth, eyes crinkling. "Alright, alright, I’ll stop."

Lu Yun, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke. "Too bad I passed out and missed everything."

"Trust me, that’s a good thing. It was terrifying. If you’d seen it, you might’ve fainted again."

Lu Yun stuck out her tongue. "I’m not that fragile."

"You have no idea, Lu. The way Su Yang and Liu Bo fought that bear was epic. You really missed out."

"Really?" Lu Yun’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. "How did it go down?"

"Su Yang grabbed the bear’s hind legs, and Liu Bo smashed its head with a rock. There was blood."

"Sounds like a movie scene."

"Even better than a movie."

"Weren’t you scared?"

"Of course! Tang and I were frozen in fear. Only after the bear ran off did we snap out of it."

"Yeah, if Su Yang hadn’t stepped up, who knows what would’ve happened," Tang Ziyun said, shuddering slightly at the memory.

Listening to the three in the backseat, Su Yang couldn’t help but smirk.

[Ding. Host’s current mood: pleased and satisfied. Reward: 1 million.]

The conversation showed no signs of stopping. Su Yang glanced in the rearview mirror and chuckled. "Alright, you’re making me blush. Let’s drop it. We’ve got time—why not catch some sleep?"

"How could I possibly sleep now? My mind is completely filled with the scene of you fighting that brown bear—it was just too cool. I should’ve recorded it on my phone. If that video got uploaded online, it would’ve gone viral for sure," Meng Qianyu said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Su Yang chuckled helplessly. "If you really had recorded and posted that video, you probably wouldn’t be seeing me for a long, long time."

"Huh? Why’s that?"

"What do you think?"

After a moment of thought, Meng Qianyu suddenly realized and stuck out her tongue with a sheepish giggle. "Heh, silly me. If I’d uploaded it, you’d probably get treated as some kind of special case and hauled off for research."

Su Yang smiled. "Glad you figured it out. Let’s keep this between us—no need to mention it to anyone else."

"Got it!"

"Alright then, Pan Ning, any good food spots in Qingxi City?"

Pan Ning thought for a second. "The lamb here is pretty good."

"Perfect. Let’s stop in the city for some lamb on the way—gotta replenish our energy!"

"Sure, I’ll look up a place."

...