TSBDRA 59: It Was Beautiful

The snow in the forest hadn’t been cleared, already piled up to ankle height.

There was no snowfall that morning, so everyone’s footprints stood out clearly in the snow. The towering trees stretched so high you had to tilt your head all the way back to see the tops. Every so often, one of the trunks would be marked with a strip of red cloth. They were markers placed by local residents to prevent people from getting lost.

Yan Yao and her group had already been through the area once that morning, so they were much more familiar with the path this time and took the lead. Suddenly, Bai Keke remembered something and turned to tell the three behind them, “Oh right—when we came here earlier, we found what looked like a snow squirrel nest. That blurry photo was taken near where it was nesting.”

Shen Youlian followed up with a suggestion, “I think we should head straight back to that tree now and stake out the snow squirrel nearby. It’ll save us time and energy, and no one needs to split up—less risk of getting lost. What do you all think?”

Everyone agreed.

The tree where the snow squirrel had built its nest wasn’t far from the edge of the forest. Xu Xishuang looked up and barely managed to spot a bundle of twigs wedged among the snowy branches that looked just like part of the tree. Then he lowered his head and kept walking, veering a little away from the tree to avoid disturbing the squirrel.

The seven of them each picked a different direction to move in, but they were all close enough that a few steps would bring them face-to-face with one another. To stay quiet and out of sight, no one spoke. They simply scanned their surroundings for signs of the snow squirrel, occasionally glancing down at their phones.

Time ticked by.

Then, snow began to fall again. Light flakes drifted down from the sky, landing in soft, damp specks on the guests’ clothing. The snow squirrel still hadn’t appeared, and everyone was starting to feel a little bored—not to mention the viewers behind the screen.

【I finally understand what “slow variety” means… If they can’t find one, just go back. It’s freezing out there】

【Feeling bad for Yao Yao, for Shuangshuang, and for Film Queen Shen】

【If it weren’t for the cameraman occasionally moving the shot, I would’ve thought I was looking at a still snow landscape painting】

【Wait—did Xu Xishuang just squat down?】

On screen, Xu Xishuang suddenly crouched down and reached out with his gloved hand, digging through the snow as if searching for something. The viewers were all extremely curious about what he was doing. The cameraman quickly focused on him, taking a couple of steps forward and zooming in to let the audience see more clearly.

Kneeling in the snow, Xu Xishuang stared silently at the handful of mixed nuts in front of him—sunflower seeds, almonds, pine nuts…

If his guess was right, this must’ve been food left by the townspeople to feed the snow squirrels.

Just moments ago, he had noticed a set of very small footprints nearby and had come over to check. Maybe it was because the soles of his boots were softer, but as he walked across the area, he kept feeling something poking at his feet—like there were small stones underneath. Driven by curiosity, he crouched down to take a closer look.

That’s when he spotted a walnut sticking out of the snow.

A theory quickly formed in his mind, and now everything he was seeing lined up. The snow squirrels had likely hidden the food given to them by humans beneath the soil. Perhaps due to animal or human activity, the ground here had been disturbed, causing some of the buried food to resurface—just enough for him to step on.

Digging around someone else’s food stash felt a bit rude. Xu Xishuang paused in silence for a moment, then gently pushed the nuts back into place and began covering the spot with the soil he’d just dug up.

He was completely focused on re-burying the stash and didn’t notice what was happening behind him. From its nest, a snow squirrel had poked its head out and spotted its food hoard being disturbed. It was furious and panicked. In a flash, it shot down from the tree.

The squirrel’s gray-brown figure moved like lightning. Before anyone else could react, it had already leapt from one tree to another and landed right behind Xu Xishuang—then angrily stomped onto the back of this human who had “stolen” its food.

【!!! What did I just witness?!】

【Aaaaah Yu Shudie, Yan Yao—take the picture! Get that squirrel shot!!】

【Xu Xishuang don’t move! Please don’t move!!】

【I’m crying—what kind of aura does Xu Xishuang have? He attracts fish and now squirrels??】

Just as Xu Xishuang was patting the soil down, he felt a light pressure on his shoulder. He thought someone had gently tapped him and instinctively began to turn around.

“Don’t move!!”

The other guests, who had been tracking the squirrel’s movement, all noticed the sudden change—realizing it had leapt onto Xu Xishuang’s shoulder. It was too late to warn him properly and  all they could do was urgently tell him to freeze, while scrambling to take a photo as fast as possible.

But they were still a second too late—Xu Xishuang had already turned his head.

Yan Yao and Yu Shudie, holding the camera in a panic, instinctively zoomed in and hit the shutter button.

A flash of gray-brown tail swept past Xu Xishuang’s face. He stared in surprise at the bold little creature, but the movement of him turning his head had startled it. The snow squirrel, spooked, immediately turned and bolted, scrambling up the nearest tree and vanishing from sight.

Shen Youlian, who had always maintained the image of an elegant and composed lady, completely dropped the act. She ran toward Yan Yao and Yu Shudie in a flurry, shouting anxiously as she moved, “Did you get it? Did you get it?!”

Bai Keke was right behind her, shrieking the same question as she ran. Even Xiang Yao, with his usual grumpy resting face, now looked tense and excited, rushing over to the two holding the camera, desperate to know if they’d captured that incredible moment.

Xu Xishuang was still crouched where he was, dazed. His eyelashes felt a little cool—he blinked slowly, then looked up and saw the tall figure of Yan Yushan standing in front of him.

Yan Yushan stepped over, bent down slightly, and reached out a hand to him with a soft smile, “Come on, let’s go see if they got it.”

【Did they get the shot or not?! I’m so nervous I can’t breathe】

【Everyone else is only worried about the squirrel photo. Only Yan Yushan remembered to help Xu Xishuang up—is this what love looks like?】

【Awwww Shuangshuang’s confused face is too cute】

Xu Xishuang blinked again, still crouched. He didn’t take Yan Yushan’s hand, but instead pushed off his knees and stood up on his own.

He had forgotten how weak his body had been lately—his anemia had gotten worse. Just from crouching a little while, standing up made his vision spin, a wave of dizziness washing over him. Darkness clouded his sight, and before he could react, he stumbled forward—only to be caught firmly by Yan Yushan’s arms, falling right against his chest.

【? Did Xu Xishuang just throw himself into Yan Yushan’s arms?!】

【Something’s off… Is Shuangshuang anemic? Baby, please take care of yourself!】

【Also, can we talk about how safe it feels with Yan-ge nearby? It’s like he always catches Xu Xishuang no matter what】

【Show us the photo already! I need to know if they got it!!】

【Probably not, right? There wasn’t any cheering… Cameraman-ge, please turn the lens over there already!】

Just as viewers were all assuming that Yan Yao and Yu Shudie had missed the shot—and the chat was filling up with disappointment—over by the group crowded around the camera, Shen Youlian suddenly let out a soft gasp, “It’s beautiful.”

On the other hand, Xu Xishuang had already recovered from the dizziness. He braced both hands against Yan Yushan’s chest, using it for support to steady himself.

Because he had just been digging in the dirt, his gloves were now dirty. He glanced down and saw the smudges he’d left on Yan Yushan’s coat—two faint paw-like prints—and suddenly felt a bit guilty. “Sorry… I got your coat dirty.”

Like a cat stepping on someone with muddy paws. Yan Yushan didn’t mind the dirt at all. Something in him softened. “It’s fine.”

Xu Xishuang looked up at him, only to meet Yan Yushan’s gentle gaze straight on. Flustered, he quickly looked away and mumbled a “thank you,” then lowered his head and hurried off toward the others.

This was already the second time today that he had fallen into Yan Yushan’s arms.

He had clearly wanted to keep his distance and to avoid physical contact but his body simply wouldn’t cooperate.

【Tsk tsk tsk, the tension between them is unreal】

【Stamping his mark on his hubby’s chest! Classic Xu Meowmeow move!】

【I’m gonna die from the sweetness—if this is just the ambiguous stage, when are they finally going to start dating?!】

Seeing Xu Xishuang walking over, Shen Youlian quickly waved him over. “Come look! It’s so beautiful!”

Just as Shen Youlian was speaking, the cameraman—who had been lingering on the edges to avoid startling the snow squirrel—finally hurried over and pointed the lens at the display screen of the camera in Yu Shudie’s hands.

All the viewers who had been begging to see the photo instinctively held their breath.

In the picture, Xu Xishuang had just turned his head, his gaze tinged with a hint of dazed confusion. Snowflakes had landed gently on his long, curling eyelashes, black and white in striking contrast. His delicate features were more breathtaking than the snow itself. The snow squirrel stood perched on his shoulder, and from the angle of the shot, its fluffy tail seemed to rest lightly against Xu Xishuang’s cheek. Its round eyes stared at him in shock, as if it were trying to figure out what kind of snow spirit had suddenly appeared in its forest.

A few seconds later, the live chat exploded.

【Aaaaah beauty! Absolute beauty! Come here and give me a kiss, how are you this gorgeous?!】

【Yan Yushan is watching you, and you dare fight him for his wife】

【I don’t care, Yan Yushan hasn’t caught him yet, so Xu Xishuang is still my wife! Wifey I love you!!】

【Help—how is it even possible for a human to look like this? Are we sure he’s not a snow elf that snuck into the world?】

【This is a raw, unedited photo so how does Xu Xishuang’s face look like it’s been through ten layers of filters?? What are the rest of us supposed to do with our lives? Was he sculpted by Nuwa as her thesis project??】

【Three minutes—I want the original file of this photo! Production team, don’t you dare play dumb or I will get on my knees and beg!】

【Wait, am I the only one who noticed Yu Shudie took this photo? I’m dying—his love rival is the one who helped capture his most stunning pic LMAO】

Yu Shudie, holding the camera, turned red and pale by turns. She had to admit that Xu Xishuang was indeed better-looking than her—but knowing that such a stunning photo had been taken by her own hands made her feel extremely awkward. When she saw Xu Xishuang walking over, she shoved the camera into Bai Keke’s hands and turned away, moving to the other side.

Xu Xishuang, followed closely by Yan Yushan, also saw the photo. Yan Yushan paused for a few seconds, feeling his heart beat faster, and then murmured in genuine admiration, “It’s beautiful.”

Shen Youlian agreed, “Right? It’s really too beautiful. I stared at it for a long time the first time I saw it.”

Bai Keke and Yan Yao said in unison, “Absolutely stunning!”

Even the straight man Xiang Yao said, “This is way too good. You could slap that on a magazine cover and it would sell out instantly.”

Xu Xishuang tugged at the brim of his hat, trying to hide his burning red ears, and quickly changed the subject, “I guess this means our task is done?”

The others noticed how flustered he was. Shen Youlian subtly raised a hand to cover the fond smile on her face and tactfully didn’t say anything else, letting Xu Xishuang cool off from the blush at his own pace.

As the seven guests made their way back to the cabin in the woods, Fei Yuan watched the barrage of fan comments in the stream, all clamoring for the photo. He had the crew temporarily retrieve the camera from Yu Shudie, pulled out the photo of Xu Xishuang with the snow squirrel, and posted the high-resolution image to the show’s official Weibo account to satisfy the viewers.

Within moments, likes shot past ten thousand. The comment section was filled with screeching fans—every person who opened that photo couldn’t help but save it to their phones. An illustrator who had previously drawn Xu Xishuang as a comic character felt their heart take another direct hit and immediately started planning a deer-eared elf version of Xu Xishuang for their next piece.

Back at the cabin, Yan Yushan lit the fire in the hearth. Xu Xishuang dragged over a chair and slowly took off his gloves, then his scarf and hat.

Once he was warm, he got up from the fireplace and went to the laundry station, tossing his dirty gloves in. He mixed hot and cold water to clean them off. Remembering how he had dirtied Yan Yushan’s coat, he pressed his lips together, and after spotting a clean towel by the sink, picked it up with the intention of helping wipe the jacket clean.

The moment he turned around, he saw Yan Yushan walking toward him—jacket still on.

Yan Yushan had also brought a clean towel with him. Their eyes met, and he immediately understood, “You were going to clean my jacket?”

“Mm,” Xu Xishuang nodded. “I got it dirty, so I should clean it.”

Yan Yushan, of course, wouldn’t let such a golden opportunity pass. He casually placed the jacket in Xu Xishuang’s arms. “Thanks, then. I’ll come by your room tonight to get it back.”

With that, and without giving Xu Xishuang any time to respond, he turned and strode into the kitchen, leaving no room for refusal.

【Help me, why do they feel so much like a married couple?? Just get married already, please!】

【Wait wait wait—did I hear that right? Yan Yushan’s going to Xu Xishuang’s room tonight??】

【Didn’t he already go last night? What haven’t they done at this point? So why aren’t they officially together yet??】

Even after walking all the way into the kitchen, the corners of Yan Yushan’s mouth were still lifted in a smile. Yu Shudie glanced at his expression, easily guessing it had something to do with Xu Xishuang and to her own surprise, found herself perfectly calm.

The dinner’s main course was still the fish Xu Xishuang had caught that morning. Everyone sipped on the rich, fragrant soup and ate the food Yan Yushan had prepared. Satisfied, they got up, said their goodnights, and returned to their rooms to rest.

They had walked a lot that day, and Xu Xishuang was feeling a bit worn out. After a simple wash-up, he lay down in bed. He was just about to close his eyes and rest for a bit when his phone suddenly started buzzing repeatedly.

He thought it was a call from Yan Yushan and was about to answer and tell him to just come over—but when he saw the name on the screen, Xu Xishuang’s fingers suddenly paused.