Chapter 84: Quzhou Camping

“Not very fun to explore—just okay to look at; there are traces of modern times everywhere.” Qin Yun complained to Su Huan.

Su Huan laughed happily: “One of my coworkers is from Longyou. She says locals never go there—it’s not fun at all. But she mentioned Longyou’s snacks are delicious, like San Tou Yi Zhang, malatang…”

“Malatang?” Qin Yun bit into his steamed cake, puzzled. “Is malatang a specialty of Longyou? Isn’t malatang from Sichuan?”

“I was confused too at first, but my coworker said Longyou’s malatang is different—it separates the staple food from the meats and vegetables, each served in small iron basins, each dish soaked in rich, flavorful broth. You should try it.”

Qin Yun nodded. “That’s worth a taste.”

After chatting idly for a while, Su Huan brought up business: “Anta reached out again. They said if we do more livestreams, they’re open to negotiation.”

Qin Yun smiled. He had no grudge against money, but he naturally had his own scale.

“Hmm, let’s talk about it later. You mentioned on WeChat that Casio has a collaboration? What’s going on?”

Qin Yun had listed Su Huan’s contact info on his Douyin profile, so all commercial inquiries—aside from private DMs—flowed to her. Though Su Huan claimed she didn’t want money, Qin Yun wouldn’t let her work for free; he quietly set aside a 10% commission for her.

I’ll crush Su Huan with a year-end bonus!

“Casio’s quote is 150,000 for a livestream, 100,000 per video—no ad script needed, just wear the watch, and display the brand name in the video’s final subtitle. They want a one-year partnership. If you agree, we can sign the contract immediately.”

Qin Yun felt his steamed cake turn to stone. He nodded without hesitation: “Agreed. Of course I agree. If I don’t take this free money, I’m an idiot.”

Su Huan wasn’t surprised by the result. She got off the bed and pulled back the curtains; sunlight flooded in.

She squinted slightly, then slowly stretched, her beautiful figure fully revealed.

“Alright, I know. Also, I’m negotiating with DJI on a contract. If it goes through, I’ll have a guaranteed minimum income for future video sponsorships, and I’ll have bandwidth to pursue other collaborations.”

“Thank you,” Qin Yun said sincerely. “Did you just wake up?”

“Yeah, I worked late last night, so I’m skipping work today. Oh, I forgot to tell you—Auntie sent me some dried shrimp and dried squid.”

Qin Yun’s head filled with question marks: “Why did my mom send you those?”

“She’s thanking me for taking care of you in Harbin,” Su Huan giggled. “Said you’re out traveling alone, and told me to call you often and remind you to eat properly.”

Su Huan knew exactly what Hu Fen meant—but some things couldn’t be rushed; she had her own plans.

“Fine, my mom’s really something.”

“Alright, I’m done chatting. I’m going to freshen up. Keep playing. I’ll tell you once the DJI contract is settled.”

“Alright, you handle it. I’ll give you a big red envelope for the New Year.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

After ending the call with Su Huan, Qin Yun kept eating and drinking, utterly at ease.

He was a fan of spicy food, and Quzhou’s San Tou Yi Zhang was perfectly fiery—he thoroughly satisfied his craving.

San Tou Yi Zhang refers to duck head, rabbit head, fish head, and duck feet. He found a shop called Hua Hua Zhou Dian. He asked the owner, who said the place had been open for over thirty years—the flavor was indeed excellent.

Many people might struggle to accept rabbit head or duck head, but once you get past the psychological barrier, you’ll quickly fall in love with the taste.

He bought a pile of food and set off again toward Quzhou. Taking the national highway, he drove lazily for about an hour and a half before arriving at Kecheng District, Quzhou.

After strolling around Tongshan Yuan Reservoir and checking the time, he drove toward his destination—the wild beach outside Miaoyuanxi Lingyu Island in Jiuhua Township.

He planned to camp here tonight, then head to Jingdezhen, Jiangxi tomorrow.

The car quickly entered Miaoyuanxi, then avoided the scenic area’s toll zone; the road surface grew bumpy.

Along the vast pebble beach, Qin Yun soon found a suitable spot to pitch camp. He parked, turned off the engine, stepped out, and took in the scene—immediately feeling refreshed and serene.

Clear stream water, vast stands of poplar trees, the rustling of wind through leaves, the crisp, cool air carrying a unique, invigorating scent.

He chose a spot near the stream, only five meters away—easy access to water.

While daylight still lingered, he wandered around, adjusted his car’s orientation, unloaded the canopy, table, and chairs, and began setting up camp—he decided to connect the canopy directly to his car.

If the night sky was clear, sleeping under the canopy would be a great experience.

Too bad his car was gasoline-powered; an electric vehicle could’ve provided 24-hour power without issue. In this regard, EVs truly offered a far better experience.

Next time, Qin Yun considered bringing a portable power station into the car.

…

The stream beside him flowed gently, its babbling like white noise, calming his mind.

No one passed by; as far as he could see, he was alone—he cherished this peace.

He sat under the canopy, leaning back in a folding chair, doing nothing, quietly gazing into the distance. Beside him lay prepared lettuce and meat, meant for dinner.

Soon, the last glow of sunset faded. Qin Yun turned on the camping lantern hanging beneath the canopy and began preparing food.

“Click.”

A pale blue flame rose from the gas stove. He placed the grill on top, sprayed a little olive oil, then added a portion of beef.

As the meat sizzled, its aroma spread through the air.

When night began to fall, you’d notice how quickly darkness descended—within minutes, the sky had lost all sunlight; the landscape was now entirely lit by the camping lantern.

At that moment, the sound of an engine suddenly came from afar, making Qin Yun turn his head.

First came headlights, then a flash of green, then the engine roared louder. By the time Qin Yun recognized the vehicle, it was barely a hundred meters away.

Qin Yun squinted—it was unmistakably a green-painted G-Wagon.

The Mercedes drove down the main road, turned a corner, and headed straight toward him. Soon, it stopped barely ten meters away. Then a small dog and a little girl jumped out.

He used the word “jumped” because, in Qin Yun’s eyes, this was a girl roughly 1.5 meters tall, with a doll-like face, paired with a massive G-Wagon—creating an extreme contrast.

She could drive, so she must be an adult—but her appearance made it impossible to tell.

Someone might believe she was fourteen or fifteen—a porcelain doll in cartoon clothes, giving off an overall impression of fragility.

After stepping out, she first looked toward him, then smiled and waved.

“Hello!”

Qin Yun waved back: “Hello.”

Though China’s safety was excellent, a little girl—especially a wealthy one—coming alone to such a remote place? Was she reckless or just clueless?

The girl greeted him, then began bustling about setting up her tent, hauling gear back and forth from the car like a diligent little bee, never stopping.

Qin Yun didn’t go to help. He just ate his beef, sipped his drink, and treated the whole scene like entertainment.

Xia Xiaoxing was an experienced camper. Though small, setting up a tent was no trouble for her—her tent didn’t even need assembly; she just unrolled it and inflated it electronically. In no time, a huge tent appeared before him.

Then came the clatter of stakes being hammered into the ground, securing the tent, followed by her carrying item after item inside.

By the time darkness fully settled, lights glowed warmly inside her tent, and thin wisps of smoke drifted from its exhaust vent.

Visually and practically, Qin Yun felt she was far more professional than he was.

After finishing his meal, he washed his utensils by the stream, boiled a pot of hot water, steeped tea, and leisurely sipped it under the gentle breeze, admiring the night sky.

Tonight’s sky showed no stars—unfortunate—but it was still clear, though the clouds moved quickly.

“Oh no—!”

Suddenly, a cry came from the nearby tent, followed by a string of frantic barks.

Judging by the sound, the dog had stepped on its tail. A figure dashed out of the tent, clutching the whimpering pup, racing toward the stream.

She shouted as she ran: “Keko, it’s okay, rinse it with cool water—it’ll be fine!”

Her tone was clearly panicked.

Qin Yun frowned. Suddenly, he smelled a stench—the odor of burning plastic. He looked toward the tent and immediately saw black smoke curling from the exhaust vent.

Shit!

“Miss! Your tent’s on fire!”

Qin Yun yelled, then rushed to his car for the fire extinguisher.

Xia Xiaoxing had just placed the dog’s leg in the stream when she heard Qin Yun’s shout. She turned—and turned pale.

Then she saw the man sprinting toward her tent with a fire extinguisher.

Qin Yun burst into the tent and instantly spotted fallen firewood, blazing fiercely. The tent’s ground mat had caught fire—but thankfully, the tent fabric hadn’t burned through yet; otherwise, the air would’ve leaked and the whole tent would’ve collapsed.

Beside it, a kettle had tipped over—clearly the real culprit behind the dog’s scream.

He immediately opened the fire extinguisher and sprayed the burning wood. Within moments, the flames were out.

But as soon as the fire died, he heard a hiss—“ Chi ——!”—and the entire tent began to warp.

“Shit!”

Qin Yun’s face darkened. He ripped off the chimney, grabbed the stove, and ran outside. The moment he reached open air, the tent collapsed with a crash.

His heart pounded. If the tent had fallen and ignited, he’d have been engulfed in flames—without even knowing how he died.

He set the stove down on the ground and turned to the girl. She stood frozen, utterly lost, her big eyes wide with terror, trembling with shock.

“Th…thank you!”

Qin Yun’s expression turned serious. He shook his head. “Miss, you didn’t even check if the stove was fully turned off? If you’d been inside when it caught fire, the consequences would’ve been unimaginable.”

“I’m sorry.”

Seeing her about to cry, Qin Yun held up the fire extinguisher. “Your tent’s ruined. Want to come over for dinner at my place?”

“Will it trouble you?”

Qin Yun turned and walked away. Soon, Xia Xiaoxing arrived carrying ingredients. Qin Yun glanced at the packaging—and gasped. Not a single item was from a supermarket freezer; all were premium ingredients.

He looked at the girl’s slender frame and decided to help her finish the food—so it wouldn’t spoil. Definitely not because he was hungry.

Yes, that’s it!

“I’m Qin Yun. What’s your name, miss?”

“I’m Xia Xiaoxing.”

“Sit down. I’ll handle it.” Qin Yun could tell with his third eye—this girl’s cooking skills were terrible.

“Oh!” Xia Xiaoxing sat beside him, holding the dog, perfectly obedient.

…