Chapter 144: Tales from a Foreign Land (Part Three)

When Lin Erxiang stood on the lifting platform and shouted, "Yihan, I'm sorry," he could finally feel that the tumor in his heart had completely vanished. Standing below, Jiang Yihan looked up at Lin Erxiang soaring in the sky, knowing he had finally laid down his heavy burden. In truth, it had taken Jiang Yihan immense courage to stand before the audience and the castle once again. Facing the things you once feared is a daunting task, but once you confront them, you realize the world is vast and boundless. Jiang Yihan had achieved it, and now Lin Erxiang had too. Smiling, Jiang Yihan applauded for him!

At last, it was Han Geng's turn.

"Han Geng, don't be nervous, don't be nervous," Jiang Yihan patted Han Geng's arm. One could tell that Han Geng's muscles were completely tensed up, leaving his entire body in a state of extreme anxiety.

In a slightly dazed state, Han Geng was placed onto the lifting platform. As the platform began to rise, it finally dawned on him that he was about to bungee jump.

Standing on the bungee platform, Kang Ho-dong once again requested that Han Geng perform his preparatory song. Han Geng successfully completed the Chinese version, while the guests below responded in unison as requested, "We are ready!"

"Now, let's do it again in Korean," Kang Ho-dong said, never tiring of the fun.

Han Geng smiled helplessly, but complied with the request. "Pr... Pr... Ah, are you ready?"

Everyone below answered in unison, "Ready."

Then Han Geng took a step forward. Kang Ho-dong asked, "Han Geng, you're ready, right? Do you have anything you want to say?" Han Geng looked down, and sure enough, his legs instinctively lost their strength. He cried out in frustration, "Jiang Yihan, you tricked me! This is so terrifying." Upon hearing this, the people below—especially Jiang Yihan—burst into laughter.

Yet, no sooner had Han Geng finished shouting than he jumped straight down, clean and decisive. Ironically, the guests below had not been prepared at all and cried out in shock. Soon, everyone was applauding in admiration of Han Geng's courage.

"For us, this is our home country. But for Han Geng, he is working in a foreign land," Kang Ho-dong said to the camera. "Aside from the grueling task of learning the language, Han Geng has to work hard and adapt to our lifestyle. Seeing how hard he tries, we sincerely wish Han Geng an increasingly bright future ahead!"

Kim Jae-joong, who went next, also took the plunge cleanly and decisively. While falling, he did not forget to work the cameras, shouting out Chae Yeon's name at the top of his lungs, which instantly painted the scene in shades of romantic pink once again.

Finally, it was time for the couple bungee jump. Jiang Yihan and Yoon Eun-hye unhesitatingly became the first couple to take the leap.

"Eun-hye, why did you choose Jiang Yihan to jump with?" Kang Ho-dong asked the clichéd question.

"Because Jiang Yihan gives people a very comforting sense of security. I trust Jiang Yihan," Yoon Eun-hye said, suddenly feeling a bit shy and laughing awkwardly.

"Oh..." Kang Ho-dong's voice was laden with ambiguity, making even Jiang Yihan feel somewhat self-conscious. "Jiang Yihan, what do you think of Yoon Eun-hye?"

"Actually, when you look at Yoon Eun-hye, you get the urge to hold her in your arms. She's a girl who easily makes your heart flutter," Jiang Yihan answered naturally now that he was deep into recording the show. "If given the chance, I hope to always stay by her side and be her guardian angel." Unlike his usual shyness, during the recording Jiang Yihan followed the script completely, occasionally weaving in his own thoughts. Such a proactive Jiang Yihan was never seen in real life, which made it all the more precious.

Kang Ho-dong immediately chimed in with an exaggerated shout, while the other guests shrieked in excitement. "Whoa, our new romantic prince is born! Jiang Yihan, wow, how can you say such cheesy lines?"

Beside him, Yoon Eun-hye had already covered her face in shyness.

Refusing to let up, Kang Ho-dong continued, "Jiang Yihan, sing your most classic romantic ballad for Yoon Eun-hye. 'Can I Love You?'"

His prompt won the enthusiastic support of all the guests below, who chanted together, "Sing it! Sing it!"

"Sing 'Can I Love You?'" Jiang Yihan asked. Even though it was just a show, the emotions embedded in the song were far too genuine, making him feel rather embarrassed to sing it. Still, after a moment's hesitation, Jiang Yihan began to sing.

"Using my heart to always give you the best, can I love you?"

Jiang Yihan's romantic yet slightly sensual voice caused Yoon Eun-hye's cheeks to flush involuntarily. Gazing into Jiang Yihan's eyes, she could feel a fathomless emotion hidden within those dark pupils—a charm that drew one in so deeply it was impossible to pull away.

"Oh... Jiang Yihan is a master of romance now too," Kang Ho-dong marveled, making the passionately singing Jiang Yihan blush fiercely and laugh shyly.

Finally reaching the summit, Jiang Yihan and Yoon Eun-hye stood embracing at the edge of the lifting platform, preparing for the bungee jump.

"Eun-hye, do you trust me?" Jiang Yihan asked.

Yoon Eun-hye looked up at Jiang Yihan, their gazes locking. For a fleeting moment, the world grew utterly still, as if only the two of them remained, surrounded solely by the sound of the wind and the vacuum-like feel of the air. Yoon Eun-hye felt as though she were stepping on clouds, the soles of her feet resting on a softness so tender it felt surreal. The man before her bore the faint shadow of invisible wings upon his back; his dark eyes, long eyelashes, and enigmatic smile left Yoon Eun-hye somewhat intoxicated.

"Hey, what are you two doing? What on earth are you doing?" Kang Ho-dong rudely shattered the atmosphere, snapping them both back to reality.

Looking somewhat self-conscious, Yoon Eun-hye glanced outward. The fifty-meter height was enough to make anyone's heart flutter with panic. Swiftly turning her head back, she tightened her grip around Jiang Yihan.

"How do you plan on jumping down?" Kang Ho-dong pressed on with his interview.

"Just like this, hugging each other and jumping down." Jiang Yihan finished speaking, then suddenly had a bizarre thought. "Why does it feel like we're committing a double suicide?" His nonsensical remark made everyone, who had quieted down for a moment, burst into laughter once again.

Yoon Eun-hye held Jiang Yihan tightly, their bodies fitting together so closely that they could feel every contour of each other's form. Wrapping her arms firmly around his waist, she could feel the well-proportioned lines of his back. Resting her head against Jiang Yihan's chest, she felt his body heat and his steady, rhythmic heartbeat—thud by thud, it inexplicably brought a sense of profound peace. Suddenly, Yoon Eun-hye no longer felt afraid; instead, she grew calm, as if whatever lay ahead would be a mere piece of cake. For a split second, a fleeting thought flashed through her mind: even if the world were ending right now, she would still feel happy. The concealed smile on Yoon Eun-hye's face betrayed her overflowing emotions.

However, Jiang Yihan remained oblivious, gazing out at the distant sky as he prepared for the second bungee jump.

With the countdown, Jiang Yihan exerted a sudden force, and the two of them plunged downward together. Due to their combined weight, the falling speed felt much faster. As the surface of the lake gradually drew closer, Jiang Yihan looked at Yoon Eun-hye's slightly flushed face in his arms and was suddenly struck by an illusion: if the person in his arms right now were Lee Hyori, what kind of feeling would that be?

With their hearts surging up and down alongside the changing altitude, Jiang Yihan and Yoon Eun-hye each harbored their own thoughts, yet they exhilaratingly and happily completed the bungee jump together.

With their jump concluded, the remaining guests took turns; some spent a short time, others long. The person who stayed up top the longest spent nearly two hours without jumping—Kim Jong-min was that protagonist. By the time everything was fully recorded, more than a dozen hours had passed.

Waiting below, Jiang Yihan was practically exhausted.

Once recording wrapped up, Kang Ho-dong walked down. "It's finally over. I was freezing to death up there, the wind is so strong."

"You have so much blubber, you're not afraid, not afraid," Shin Jung-hwan's single remark sent everyone into stitches.

At that moment, the director walked over, conferred with Kang Ho-dong for a moment, and then walked away again. Turning to the group, Kang Ho-dong announced, "The director says a lot of the previous footage can't be used; the broadcast volume isn't enough." At this, Kang Ho-dong glanced at Kim Jong-min, prompting another round of sheepish, silly laughter from him. Seeing Kim Jong-min's naive smile, Kang Ho-dong chuckled and continued, "The director wants us to have another pair go up and jump together. Who do you guys think should go?"

As soon as Kang Ho-dong finished speaking, everyone fell silent, looking at one another. After more than ten hours of filming, everyone was visibly exhausted. Seeing that no one spoke, Kang Ho-dong said, "The director suggests that Jiang Yihan and Kim Jae-joong go up and jump together. What do you think?" Instantly, all eyes focused on Jiang Yihan and Kim Jae-joong. "Your movie from last year left such a deep impression on the audience and is a point of pride in South Korean film history. Shouldn't you two jump together?"

Jiang Yihan and Kim Jae-joong exchanged glances. Jiang Yihan said, "I'm okay with it. I've jumped twice already, I've got experience." Even he found it funny that on his very first time bungee jumping, he was actually going to jump twice.

"I have no problem with it either, as long as the fans and media don't start letting their imaginations run wild again," Kim Jae-joong smiled helplessly.

"Heh, it's not the first time. If they want to imagine things, it just means we're popular. Haha, once you look at it that way, your mindset gets a lot better." Smiling, Jiang Yihan patted Kim Jae-joong on the shoulder, and the two of them stood up and headed toward the lifting platform.

"Now, the bungee jumping for today's guests has come to an end. Next up is today's special bungee jump!" Kang Ho-dong resumed hosting atop the lifting platform. "The ones who touched everyone in Korea in 'Can I Love You?'—Han and Jae, Jiang Yihan and Kim Jae-joong!"

"Although it's a bit strange for two guys to jump together, haha," Jiang Yihan said, laughing sheepishly first. "But we've been good friends for a long time. Last year, we won everyone's affection through our movie, and I'm truly grateful. We are already close friends in real life—the kind who can talk about anything—so jumping together is definitely not a problem."

"Yeah, I've known Yihan-hyung for a long time. Hyung has always taken good care of me and treated me very well. Whenever I have something on my mind, I talk to it with hyung, and he always gives me great advice while listening to me very earnestly. Sometimes, when hyung isn't around, I don't know what to do, haha," Kim Jae-joong said with equal sincerity. "Being able to become friends with hyung is truly a stroke of luck and happiness."

"Wow, it sounds like you two really are great friends! Next time, come on my *Kneepapa* (Night Star / Ya Shim Man Man) and talk about it in detail, how about that?" Kang Ho-dong flashed a knowing, mischievous grin, making Jiang Yihan and Kim Jae-joong laugh heartily.

Reaching the summit, the two of them stood side by side at the edge of the lifting platform, preparing to leap downward.

"Jae-joong, even though we don't know what kind of changes our lives will undergo in the future, I hope we can always accompany each other," Jiang Yihan shouted aloud.

"Hyung, you know I love you. I love you!" Kim Jae-joong shouted back.

Then, the two of them cleanly and decisively took the plunge.

The wind roared past their ears. Because two guys were jumping together, the gravitational acceleration was slightly greater; Jiang Yihan's outstretched hand even brushed the surface of the lake, a wave of icy chill transmitting through his fingertips. Kim Jae-joong also touched the water, and in that briefest of moments, their hands swiped through the surface, sending water splashing upward before they rapidly bounced back into the air.

"Ah... Ah... Ah..." The two of them shouted at the top of their lungs, as if venting something.

Their voices echoed across the lake, and with that, the bungee jumping segment finally came to an end.

"Whoa, jumping several times is freezing. Ho-dong hyung, lend me your jacket." Coming down, Jiang Yihan felt chilled to the bone. Because the wind was so strong and kept howling into his clothes, his body temperature was dropping rapidly, and Jiang Yihan could even sense the lingering traces of winter not yet fully gone.

Wrapped in the jacket, Jiang Yihan and Kim Jae-joong walked at the very back, with Han Geng carrying a bottle of water beside them as the three of them trailed the main group back to the hotel.

Lin Erxiang gradually slowed his pace, falling in beside Han Geng.

Jiang Yihan glanced at Lin Erxiang and offered a smile. "You did pretty well today."

"Ah, thank you, senior." Lin Erxiang was still somewhat reserved.

"Heh, why are you so afraid of me? I don't eat people," Jiang Yihan said with a warm, friendly smile. "Don't worry, let the past remain in the past, and just treat it as a fresh start. Hello, nice to meet you, I am Jiang Yihan."

Standing still, Jiang Yihan extended his hand, introducing himself with a radiant smile.

Lin Erxiang looked at Jiang Yihan's smile, then down at his persistently outstretched hand. After a moment of hesitation, he too smiled. "Hello, I am Lin Erxiang, a member of Fly."

The group of four finally caught up with the rest and returned to the hotel together.

Everyone gathered for dinner that evening. True to custom, Kang Ho-dong uncorked the bottles of alcohol, and they began to drink. Most South Koreans could hold their liquor to varying degrees, so having a little drink posed no problem at all. The only ones suffering were the two Chinese, Jiang Yihan and Han Geng.

Time slipped away amidst clinking glasses and laughter. By midnight, since there was another shoot the following day, everyone returned to their rooms.

Watching Jiang Yihan depart, Yoon Eun-hye seemed to have something on her mind, making several attempts to call out to him before finally giving up. Gazing at Jiang Yihan's receding back, she looked somewhat lost in thought.

"Eun-hye, what are you thinking about?" It was Chae Yeon. Having recorded *X-Man* and *Love Letter* together multiple times—and with both of them being good friends with Park Kyung-lim—their relationship was naturally close.

Yoon Eun-hye turned her head and saw it was Chae Yeon. Failing to mask the disappointment in her eyes, she lowered her head. Chae Yeon glanced in the direction Yoon Eun-hye had been watching and seemed to understand something.