The final four episodes of Romantic Journey took place on a trip through Europe.
The seven-day itinerary covered three countries, with the first filming location in a picturesque town in Switzerland.
The plane touched down at five in the evening local time. The program team had cars waiting, and they whisked Ji Yunzhang and Jing Li straight from the airport to the hotel they’d booked.
They were the last to arrive. The other four couples had landed that morning and had already explored the area together.
After showers and dinner, everyone gathered in Guan Lin’s suite. She held a quick meeting to go over the details.
Once the meeting wrapped up, the cameras started rolling, the lenses trained on them.
“It’s been a while, so let’s kick things off with a little game,” Guan Lin said. “Super simple—just draw cards, all down to luck.” She held up ten task cards. “Each one has an amount written on it, which will be your travel fund for the next seven days. Everything except accommodations comes out of this pot. So, who wants to draw first?”
“We’ll go,” Lang Yan said, hooking her arm through Yu Miyue’s.
“Then us next,” Yu Jiayuan added, raising Shen Ru’s hand with his own.
Yang Yi and Zhou Yan followed, then Chen Xiaohan and Zhou Shi.
Jing Li and Ji Yunzhang had been whispering to each other the whole time and hadn’t even tried to compete, so they ended up last.
When the episode aired later, the editors highlighted the two of them, surrounding them with pink bubbles and overlaying a giant clock effect. Netizens cracked up over it.
Jing Li was in the middle of griping to Ji Yunzhang about dinner. He wasn’t used to cheese, and that last dessert had been so cloyingly sweet that he desperately wanted a glass of water now.
Ji Yunzhang’s lips curved in a smile as he soothingly pinched Jing Li’s ear.
Sensing the others’ stares, Jing Li looked up to find everyone watching them. He froze for a second, his expression blank, and everyone burst out laughing.
Lang Yan’s tone was teasing. “What secrets are you sharing with Teacher Ji?”
Jing Li blinked, then quickly recovered, flashing a bright smile with just a hint of pride. “Just some lovers’ whispers.”
“What’s going on? You two seem even sweeter after just five days apart.”
“Way too sweet—sweeter than that dessert!”
“Showin’ off again!”
Everyone chimed in with their jabs. Guan Lin cleared her throat to pull their attention back and handed the last two task cards to Jing Li. “These are for you and Teacher Ji.”
Chen Xiaohan and Yu Miyue crowded in to peek. Jing Li hadn’t opened his yet, but he said confidently, “Teacher Ji and I have great luck. Ours won’t be low.”
“What about yours?” he asked them.
“Haven’t looked,” Chen Xiaohan said.
Yu Miyue had checked hers and held up seven fingers.
Chen Xiaohan’s eyes lit up. “Seven thousand euros?”
Yu Miyue sighed. “Seven hundred.”
Chen Xiaohan: “…”
Suddenly worried, she tore open her own card and deflated.
“How much?”
“Six hundred.” She drifted back to Zhou Shi’s side like a wilted flower. He patted her hair. “Don’t worry. I’m pretty lucky—I’ve got fifteen hundred.”
“Wow, I’ve got two thousand,” Shen Ru said. She threw her arms around Yu Jiayuan in delight, grinning as she slapped his shoulder. “For the next seven days, I’m keeping you.”
Yu Jiayuan had drawn the lowest—only five hundred.
Lang Yan had gotten two thousand as well, same as Shen Ru. Yang Yi had seven hundred, and Zhou Yan a thousand.
Jing Li opened his task card, and sure enough, it was just as he’d expected. A brilliant smile spread across his face. He flipped the card around so the camera could clearly capture the amount: 5000 euros.
He leaned over, and Ji Yunzhang opened his—also 5000 euros.
“See? I told you our luck is great,” Jing Li said, gazing at Ji Yunzhang with eyes sparkling like they held entire galaxies.
Ji Yunzhang smiled faintly and took his hand. “Yeah.”
The others: “…”
Damn, so envious!
With the travel funds for the next seven days sorted, everyone headed back to their rooms.
By China time, it was nearly three in the morning. No one had adjusted to the jet lag yet, and they were all exhausted, desperate for a good night’s sleep.
Back in their room, Jing Li shrugged off his jacket and flopped onto the bed, too lazy to move. Ji Yunzhang poured him some water, but Jing Li was so wiped out he couldn’t even be bothered to hold the glass. He just leaned into Ji Yunzhang’s arms and drank from his hand.
Ji Yunzhang chuckled softly, his chest rumbling with quiet laughter.
Jing Li shot him an annoyed glance.
His lips were still wet from the water, glistening red. Ji Yunzhang’s laughter faded as he leaned down to kiss him, sucking gently on his upper lip before delving deeper, their tongues entwining in a slow dance.
Even after all the kisses over the past couple of days, Jing Li still hadn’t mastered breathing through it. Each time, he ended up breathless and flushed.
He patted Ji Yunzhang’s smooth, well-defined shoulders and back twice. Ji Yunzhang paused his fervent kisses, switching instead to gentle licks. Jing Li opened his eyes and met Ji Yunzhang’s gaze from point-blank range. Their eyes locked, peering into the deepest depths of each other’s souls.
Jing Li smiled and draped himself over Ji Yunzhang’s shoulder. Ji Yunzhang held him close, pressing a light kiss to his ear. “Time for bed.”
Jing Li hummed in agreement, pulling back from his embrace and sitting up straight. “Get my pajamas for me.”
Ji Yunzhang rose and fetched them.
Once changed, Jing Li lay down and pulled the covers up to his chin. His eyes tracked Ji Yunzhang’s movements until Ji Yunzhang finished tidying up and slid into bed beside him. Only then did he close them contentedly.
“Good night, Teacher Ji.”
Ji Yunzhang brushed the hair from his forehead and planted a soft kiss there. “Good night.”
Jing Li lay still for a moment, then gradually scooted closer to Ji Yunzhang, who wrapped an arm around his waist.
The corners of his mouth curved up as he nestled his cheek against Ji Yunzhang’s neck, breathing in his scent—a comfort like a ship adrift at sea finally docking in harbor.
He slept dreamlessly through the night.
~~~
The next morning, a little after nine, everyone finished breakfast and set off for the scenic spots that caught their interest.
It was the best weather this town had seen in half a month: no rain, no clouds, just bright sunshine spilling down, chasing away the mountain valley mists to reveal breathtaking vistas.
Jing Li and Ji Yunzhang skipped the group boat tour through town. Instead, they strolled leisurely side by side along the riverbank.
Jing Li had brought his camera. Whenever a striking view caught his eye, he’d pause, eagerly hunting for the perfect angle to snap a shot.
Ji Yunzhang watched him with a fond smile, waiting patiently nearby.
They reached the main street, where ancient buildings on both sides basked in the sunlight, whispering tales from centuries past. After a few shots, Jing Li turned the lens on Ji Yunzhang.
He was gazing upward with keen interest at a bird perched on a branch. Sunlight haloed him, drenching him in warm tones.
Jing Li suddenly recalled that photo he’d snapped from the album—Ji Yunzhang from his university days. Like this moment, it was wrapped in light, all warm hues.
He called out to Ji Yunzhang.
Ji Yunzhang turned at the sound. Jing Li said, “Smile.”
Ji Yunzhang smiled.
Click. The moment was frozen.
Jing Li dashed to his side and showed him the photo. Ji Yunzhang studied it, touched his cheek, then beckoned to a VJ nearby.
The VJ blinked. “Teacher Ji?”
Ji Yunzhang handed over the camera. “Could you take one for us?”
The VJ nodded.
Aside from the stiff photo on their marriage certificate, this was Jing Li’s first real picture with Ji Yunzhang. He froze, unsure how to pose. Ji Yunzhang noticed and chuckled softly, drawing him into his arms. He smoothed Jing Li’s wind-ruffled hair, his downward gaze tender and full of affection. The VJ captured the warm, love-filled scene in an instant, preserving it forever.
At the shutter’s click, Jing Li turned. The VJ grinned. “Would you two like to try sitting on that bench over there?”
Jing Li followed his gesture: a bench beside a tree bursting with fresh buds, fronted by a crystal-clear river mirroring the blue sky, ancient and modern buildings rising across the water. The perfect composition sprang to mind, and he agreed eagerly, tugging Ji Yunzhang over to sit.
They didn’t sit pressed together, leaving a gap between them, but their hands clasped firmly. The VJ shot from the side, framing the blue sky, buildings, river, tree, and even their shadows on the ground.
Jing Li snatched back the camera and inspected the shots. He loved them both. Thanking the VJ, he slung the strap around his neck, then—craving that warmth—slipped his chilled hand back into Ji Yunzhang’s palm, savoring the enveloping heat. They continued down the street.
“Teacher Ji, let’s take lots more photos, okay?” He swung their joined hands, his voice light and joyful. “Then back home, we can print them all out and fill albums. It’ll be so much fun to flip through when we’re old.”
Hearing himself woven into Jing Li’s vision of the future, Ji Yunzhang squeezed his hand tighter, his eyes brimming with warmth. “Sounds good.”
“We can take heaps of photos and make a whole collection of albums.”
The town brimmed with quirky shops, and Jing Li poked curiously into every one, emerging each time with a souvenir.
By street’s end, he clutched over a dozen.
His absolute favorite: a pair of freshly sculpted clay figurines, molded in their likenesses. Adorably perfect. He planned to set them on the bedside table once they got home.
At noon, they stepped into a restaurant brimming with local flavor and ran into Yang Yi and Zhou Yan. They decided to share a table.
Like Jing Li, Zhou Yan wasn’t used to the local cuisine and ordered a straightforward steak. After lunch, Zhou Yan asked Jing Li, “Where are you headed this afternoon?”
“We’re going to the museum and the church. What about you?” Jing Li countered.
“We’re planning to check out the art exhibition.”
With different destinations in mind, the four parted ways at the restaurant entrance.
The museum wasn’t large, and they took their time wandering through it, finishing in about an hour. Jing Li and Ji Yunzhang settled into a street-side café, sipped their coffee, and then made their way to the church.
They arrived just in time for a wedding. Without letting the VJs film them and with their mics switched off, they slipped into the church on their own to watch the ceremony.
The priest delivered the vows in English: “…whether in riches or poverty, sickness or health, will you cherish them, forsaking all others, and remain faithful until death do you part?”
Standing at the back of the crowd, Jing Li heard those words and suddenly drew close to Ji Yunzhang. He tilted his face up and whispered in his ear, “I do.”
Ji Yunzhang froze for a moment and turned his head.
Jing Li’s eyes curved into smiling crescents as he prompted him. “Your turn, Teacher Ji.”
Ji Yunzhang’s lips hooked up in a smile. His gaze deepened as he stared at Jing Li, his voice steady and resolute, infused with tenderness and boundless love. “I do.”
Jing Li broke into a grin and declared on his own behalf, “Now, the groom may kiss his groom.”
His words had barely landed when Ji Yunzhang leaned in and kissed him first.
It was the lightest of kisses, a mere brush before pulling away.
Then Ji Yunzhang took his hand and led him out of the church. They stopped by a flower bed bursting with tulips, where he wrapped an arm around Jing Li’s waist and kissed him again beneath the vast blue sky dotted with white clouds.
Only as it ended did Jing Li remember the VJs were still there, watching. His ears flushed hot, and he shot them a sidelong glance. The VJs smiled in warm blessing, gave a wave, and gestured that their cameras were off.
With the mics still muted and the VJs at a distance, Ji Yunzhang clasped Jing Li’s hand and gently squeezed his fingertip. “When do you want to have our wedding?”
Jing Li tilted his head in thought and gave a precise answer. “In two years.”
“I like April, when the snow melts and spring brings warmth and blooming flowers. So, April it is.”
Ji Yunzhang grew curious. “Why two years from now?”
He paused. “Because of the agreement?”
Jing Li shook his head.
“I want to win a trophy before the wedding. But I’m afraid it might take too long, and I won’t be able to wait. So I’ve set this timeline—no matter if I’ve done it or not by then, I want to marry you.”
He looked up, his radiant smile blooming. “Teacher Ji, will you wait for me?”
The church bells pealed solemnly and melodiously. Amid the chimes, Ji Yunzhang bowed his head, pressing their foreheads together. The tenderness in his eyes caught the light like a glittering galaxy. “I will.”
His tone was utterly solemn.
At the nearby church, the wedding had wrapped up. Amid a shower of blessings, the bride and groom walked out hand in hand. The bride, her face alight with joy, tossed her bouquet into the crowd.
Jing Li watched it land in the hands of a pretty, adorable girl before turning his gaze away. He laced his fingers with Ji Yunzhang’s and turned to leave.
“Teacher Ji, I’m sleepy.”
“Let’s go back and nap.”
“You come with me.”
“Alright.”
“Read me a storybook.”
“You’re really like a little kid, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. Are you going to read it or not?”
“I will.”
…
They chatted as they strolled back along the path they’d taken, the sun dipping westward and draping the town in orange-red light that made it all the more beautiful.
Their shadows stretched long in the sunset.
