Upon returning to Beijing, Xu Zifan, Bai Xingchen, and Xu Yuqin disembarked together. Somehow, their itinerary was leaked, and they were surrounded by fans. The production crew and airport security maintained order, and Xu Zifan and Bai Xingchen's fans were very well-mannered, standing on both sides without making a fuss or pushing.
Xu Zifan waved to them, then reached out to protect Xu Yuqin and Bai Xingchen as they quickly walked out, smiling and nodding at them. Bai Xingchen, afraid of startling Xu Yuqin, held her arm tightly, smiling and greeting everyone. Xu Zifan's fans recognized her from the resemblance between Xu Yuqin and Xu Zifan, cheering excitedly in hushed tones, then asked in surprise, "Zifan, Xingchen, are you filming a show? Is Auntie filming with us too?"
"Xingchen, you and your auntie get along so well! Are you meeting the parents?"
"This mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are so loving. Xingchen must really like Zifan. I really want to see the next episode and watch them get along."
Xu Zifan's fans liked Bai Xingchen very much after seeing her attitude, and Bai Xingchen's fans praised Xu Zifan for being so manly when they saw him protecting her. Some even jokingly asked, "Zifan, how's your workout going? Our Xingchen likes girls with eight-pack abs!"
"Xingchen, next time you film a show, go to the beach! We want to see Zifan show off his abs!"
"I also want to see a princess carry! Zifan, you absolutely have to carry us in a princess carry and spin us around a few times! It would be even better if you could toss Xingchen up in the air!"
Bai Xingchen covered her face, suppressing a laugh, and said to them, "That's enough, stop talking nonsense in front of Auntie. Auntie thinks I'm crazy!"
Xu Yuqin patted Bai Xingchen's hand with a smile and said, "No, no, I'm happy that you and Zifan have such a good relationship!"
Fans gasped softly upon hearing this. What had they just heard? This was an official confirmation from Zifan's mother! Was the Fanxing CP (couple pairing) confirmed? Was it? However, before they could ask any more questions, Xu Zifan and his two companions had already gotten into the car. #PickingUpFanxingAtTheAirport# quickly became a trending topic, and within two hours it had climbed to the top of the trending list, marked with a bright red "Explosive" sign.
After the show aired, the "Fanxing CP" (Bai Xingchen and Xu's mother) trended on social media again, along with hashtags like #BaiXingchenandXu'sMotherAreSoFamiliar#, #Xu'sMotherAreABrilliantAssistance#, and #FanxingHoldingHands#. These dating shows always have a "helper" for each couple—sometimes classmates or friends, sometimes parents or relatives. Meeting the parents and friends of couples who have only known each other for a few days can be a little awkward, but Bai Xingchen and Xu's mother got along incredibly well, with no sense of distance whatsoever. This even deepened Bai Xingchen's affection for Xu Zifan. Xu's mother's role as a "helper" was incredibly successful!
More and more people are discussing it on the trending topics, and many CP fans are celebrating like it's New Year's Day, saying that Xu Zifan and Bai Xingchen are definitely serious. They see them in the car, in the hotel, in the kitchen, and holding hands. Even their eyes are sparkling when they look at each other. The pink bubbles are almost overflowing from the screen! Many people went to their Weibo to ask if they were really together. Meanwhile, they had already arrived in the snowy wilderness to film their next romantic trip.
Bai Xingchen chose the location this time. They spent the day sightseeing and visiting many famous attractions. As evening approached, Bai Xingchen took out a black cloth and said, "Zifan, put this on first. I'll take you somewhere to have dinner."
Xu Zifan knew she was trying to create a surprise, but looking around there was nothing unusual, he wondered what she was up to. Bai Xingchen urged, "Hurry up, let me put it on you."
Xu Zifan smiled, leaned in, and closed his eyes, a gesture that seemed like a kiss. Bai Xingchen blushed instantly and quickly and gently tied the black cloth around his eyes. After tying them, she waved to Xu Zifan, "Okay, can you still see?"
"I can't see her anymore." Xu Zifan reached out his hands to search for her. "Stars?"
"I'm here." Bai Xingchen took his hands and guided him slowly. "Be careful, follow me, we're leaving now."
Bai Xingchen helped Xu Zifan into the car. After driving for more than ten minutes, she led Xu Zifan out of the car, walked to a place, and removed the blindfold from his eyes. "Okay, you can open your eyes now!"
Bai Xingchen reached out and shielded Xu Zifan's eyes from the light. Xu Zifan slowly opened his eyes, squinting from the blinding white light. After his vision adjusted, he saw that they were in front of a sled, with eight sled dogs waiting smartly in front of it. Xu Zifan exclaimed in surprise, "We're going to go sledding?"
Bai Xingchen nodded. "Sit down quickly, let's go to the campsite ahead for dinner."
Xu Zifan first sat back, spreading his long legs on either side, then took Bai Xingchen's hand and pulled her to sit in front of him. Bai Xingchen leaned against Xu Zifan, who wrapped his arms around her. As soon as someone nearby gave the sled dogs a signal, they immediately galloped off, giving them a thrilling experience of flying through the vast snowfield. Bai Xingchen couldn't help but cheer, turning to look at Xu Zifan with a wide smile, "Do you like it?"
Xu Zifan hugged her tightly, looked down at her with a smile and said, "I like it, I like it very much!"
The feeling of speeding across the snow is incredibly unique and an extraordinary experience. The wind is biting, but it's exhilarating, as if all worries can be left behind, allowing you to simply enjoy the freedom of being between heaven and earth. It's as if you can forget everything, as if the world only contains the two of you. The production crew followed in a car, filming from the side, while aerial cameras constantly captured their interactions. Their joyful smiles made everyone who saw them want to try skiing on a snow bridge.
The sleds glided to the campsite, and the sled dogs obediently stopped, each lying down to rest or playing in place. Bai Xingchen pulled Xu Zifan to his feet, pointing to a campfire and a container of food beside it.
The box laughed and said, "This is our dinner! We're going to have a BBQ in the snow!"
Xu Zifan patted his stomach and joked, "Are you going to turn the tide today? Trying to reverse your image from the previous episodes where you made terrible dishes? Did you bring your stomach medicine?"
Bai Xingchen pushed him aside, embarrassed and annoyed. "I asked the hotel staff to marinate it for me! BBQ is simple, okay? Besides, many girls these days can't cook, I'm not going to turn the dish around!"
Xu Zifan raised his hands in surrender, "OK! OK! Let's set up the frame first."
The two set up the barbecue grill over the fire. With the fire burning, they didn't feel cold in the snow and quickly began grilling various marinated ingredients. The aroma soon filled the air. Bai Xingchen tentatively took a bite of a chicken wing and immediately smiled. "Mmm, delicious. You should try it. This is your favorite flavor."
Bai Xingchen took another chicken wing and held it to Xu Zifan's lips. Xu Zifan lowered his head and took a bite. It was indeed to his liking. He smiled and nodded, "It tastes great. It would be even better if there was a hot drink on the side!"
"Yes, I brought some!" Bai Xingchen put down her things, ran to another small insulated box, took out a thermos, and made two cups of barley tea.
"Oh, there really is! This is perfect for you, it's warming and helps cut through the greasiness." Xu Zifan took the teacup and turned to examine Bai Xingchen closely. "What's going on today? Why did you prepare so much?"
"Today is definitely a special day." Bai Xingchen laughed, "You eat first, or it'll burn."
Bai Xingchen picked up another skewer and fed it to Xu Zifan, who in turn fed it to her, saying, "You eat too."
The two ate and chatted as darkness fell. Xu Zifan noticed that Bai Xingchen kept looking around, so he looked too and curiously pointed to the tent adorned with soft yellow lights, asking, "Are we staying there tonight?"
Before he could finish speaking, the sky suddenly lit up, with vast expanses of green appearing alongside vibrant pinkish-purple and bright yellow, a dazzling array of colors. Even Xu Zifan was speechless at the breathtaking sight. Bai Xingchen jumped up in surprise, pulling Xu Zifan up and exclaiming, "It's the aurora borealis! We can really see the aurora borealis! Isn't it beautiful? Isn't it beautiful?"
Xu Zifan squeezed her hand and nodded, "Beautiful."
Bai Xingchen immediately closed her eyes and made a wish, then turned to face Xu Zifan, took his hands and walked backwards towards the direction where the aurora was the most intense. "Zifan, look at the footprints in the snow. Every step you take is on the footprints I just left. Doesn't it look like I'm holding your hand and walking towards the end of the aurora?"
She took a deep breath and smiled, saying, "I'm three years older than you and I've been in the industry longer. Some people online say that our relationship, being an older woman/younger man romance, can't last. But I don't think there's a problem. It's like you're walking in my footsteps, which makes you more stable and grounded. The path you're on now is the path I've already walked. I'll hold your hand tightly so you can walk this path more steadily and better. I'll also trust you wholeheartedly, just like I'm walking backwards right now, entrusting myself to you, letting you be my eyes, holding my hands tightly to remind me of the path ahead. In the end, we'll still walk steadily hand in hand, and neither of us will stumble. I like to keep walking like this."
Bai Xingchen gripped Xu Zifan's hand tightly and uttered the most important words, "I like you. Do you like me? Do you want to be with me forever?"
Xu Zifan had initially thought the snow BBQ was today's surprise, and just now he thought the aurora was today's surprise, but only now did he realize that confessing his love under the aurora was today's real surprise! He pulled Bai Xingchen to a stop, standing toe-to-toe with her, looking into her eyes, slowly leaning down, and gently kissing her forehead, "I love you, I want to walk with you forever."
Bai Xingchen's eyes seemed to light up like the stars in the sky, full of brilliance. Not to be outdone, she tilted her head back and lightly kissed Xu Zifan's chin, whispering, "Today is the 147th day since we met. We promised each other a lifetime of love, and neither of us is allowed to stop halfway."
"Well, but we don't need to walk so hard. We can hold hands, or even carry you. I remember your fans want to see us do a princess carry." Xu Zifan finished speaking and then picked her up, spun her around three times, and amidst Bai Xingchen's laughter, ran towards the most beautiful aurora borealis. In a sea of pink and purple light, he tossed Bai Xingchen into the air. Bai Xingchen screamed in fright, but Xu Zifan caught her safely. Xu Zifan laughed and pulled her onto the ground together. Seeing the drone footage coming from above, the two happily formed a heart shape.
Bai Xingchen lay on her side and said playfully, "Boyfriend, please guide me for the rest of my life."
Xu Zifan pinched the tip of her nose. "Girlfriend, you'd better work hard to get promoted now that you're in office."