NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14 - Triggering a Side Quest!
Chapter 14: Triggering a Side Quest!
Qu Hong recalled the past with some tears in her eyes, saying, “Back then, I was very young. My father didn’t tell me much, or maybe he did, but I just don’t remember.”
“What I remember most clearly now is that after my father’s feet were frostbitten, he walked like a duck.”
“Because he didn’t have toes, he couldn’t grip the ground when he walked, so he would stumble at the slightest touch.”
“The other kids’ fathers were strong and capable. They seemed invincible, like superheroes in their childhood stories.”
“But my father… a gust of wind would knock him over. Honestly, at that time, I felt a little ashamed of him.”
As she said this, Qu Hong could no longer hold back her tears.
The intense guilt and regret surged within her.
Yang Fan handed her a tissue and gently said, “Please, take a moment to calm yourself.”
Qu Hong sobbed twice before continuing, “Later, as I grew older and learned about what my father had gone through, I realized how incredibly immature I had been.”
Her emotions became even more uncontrollable as she reached the poignant parts of her story.
The overwhelming regret and sorrow filled every cell of her being.
Yang Fan handed her another tissue and said softly with his soothing voice, “I believe that Mr. Qu Yinhua, our heroic old soldier, never blamed you. If he did blame anyone, it would only be himself—for not being able to give you a beautiful childhood.”
Hearing Yang Fan’s words, Qu Hong broke down and cried even harder.
Nearby, Zhang Yi, who had just wrapped up a shot and hadn’t even put his shoes back on, walked over barefoot to Yang Fan and Qu Hong.
He opened his arms and gave Qu Hong a big hug.
Yang Fan cooperated, passing the microphone to Zhang Yi, who spoke with reverence, “Ms. Qu, although I am not your father, I had the honor of portraying a character based on your father.”
“If your father were alive today, I believe he wouldn’t want to see you feeling so guilty and in such pain.”
Qu Hong clung tightly to Zhang Yi, whose body was covered in snow, and cried out loud.
It seemed as though she was trying to let out all the years of regret and self-blame in one go.
Zhang Yi stood there barefoot, in temperatures below minus ten degrees Celsius, on a ground littered with sharp stones.
But Zhang Yi didn’t say a word, only comforting her softly like a father would console his daughter.
That hug lasted a very long time.
When Qu Hong finally pulled away from Zhang Yi’s embrace, her eyes were swollen like walnuts.
But everyone present could feel that she seemed much lighter and more at peace now.
Qu Hong gratefully thanked Zhang Yi and then continued, “When I learned that the film The Climbers was inspired by my father and his teammates, I ran straight to my father’s grave and cried for a long time.”
“Thank you, Mr. Zhang Yi, for showing the hardships my father endured while climbing Mount Everest. I’m so proud to have such a great father!”
“If I could turn back time, I would never have felt ashamed of my father. I was such an unfilial daughter—” Qu Hong’s voice cracked as she broke down again and buried herself in Zhang Yi’s arms.
By this point, Zhang Yi’s feet had turned bright red from the cold, but he didn’t even have the time to notice.
Zhang Yi looked to Yang Fan for help, his eyes pleading silently, “Yang Fan, aren’t you the host? Come on, do something and save the situation! I’m no good at comforting people!”
Yang Fan gave Zhang Yi a slightly sympathetic look before speaking, “Maam, I heard that after Mr. Qu Yinhua’s success in climbing Mount Everest, his descendants carried on his spirit and followed in his footsteps, summiting Mount Everest multiple times. Is that true?”
Qu Hong’s expression instantly turned proud, and she lifted her head high as she said, “That’s right! Many descendants of the Qu family have become climbing enthusiasts. Not only have many of them conquered Everest multiple times, but they have also continued my father’s legacy, contributing to the glory of China!”
Yang Fan led the applause, and everyone present joined in.
Qu Hong’s emotions began to spiral again, and it seemed like she was about to have another crying episode. Sensing this, Yang Fan quickly wrapped up the topic, “Thank you, Ms. Qu, for sharing such a heartfelt interview with us!”
“This has been Mango TV bringing you all the latest updates!”
With the interview over, the crew members finally gathered around to attend to Zhang Yi’s poor, frostbitten feet.
At this point, Zhang Yi’s feet were not only red and swollen but as cold as ice and completely numb.
The crew tried to help Zhang Yi put on his shoes, but his swollen feet simply wouldn’t fit into them.
Director Li, looking anxious, exclaimed, “This—this might cause frostbite! Get a hot water bottle! Quickly warm them up!”
Zhang Yi smiled reassuringly and tried to comfort everyone. “Don’t worry about me. Qu Yinhua, our hero, climbed barefoot for three hours before he had to undergo amputation. What I’ve done is nothing compared to that.”
Qu Hong, overwhelmed with guilt, didn’t know what to say. She immediately grabbed the hot water bottle and personally began warming Zhang Yi’s feet.
As the warmth slowly returned to his feet, Zhang Yi felt a sharp, needle-like pain. He couldn’t even place his feet on the ground and would need some time to recover before he could walk normally again.
But in the film crew, time is money. With so many people waiting around, no one could afford to delay.
Director Li leaned over to the assistant director and asked, “How did Zhang Yi’s shots just now turn out? Can we use any of them?”
The assistant director hesitated before shaking his head. This was an impromptu scene, and many of the details hadn’t been properly planned. The footage they had didn’t quite capture the right feeling.
But what exactly was missing was hard to pinpoint at the moment.
After all, this was the country’s first ever mountaineering film and the first to depict barefoot climbing. They had no references to guide them, and everything had to be figured out from scratch.
To get the perfect final product, they might need to reshoot multiple times.
However, if Zhang Yi continued shooting in this condition, there was a real risk of frostbite.
And there were still many climbing scenes left to be filmed. If Zhang Yi’s feet were to get frostbitten now, it would seriously affect his performance in the later scenes—something they couldn’t afford.
But simply waiting for Zhang Yi to recover would waste too much time and money.
Zhang Yi pulled off the blanket covering his feet and smiled as he said, “I’m fine now. I can keep shooting.”
“No! You’ll lose your toes!” Qu Hong cried, holding tightly onto Zhang Yi, her eyes brimming with tears. She seemed to see her father in him.
Ding!
「Congratulations, Host! A side mission has been triggered. Please help Zhang Yi complete the shoot. Upon completion, you will receive a lottery draw reward!」