Chapter 32

Ye Leyao was both excited and quickly looked at the reactions of the other guests.

After hearing Du Yueqin’s question, Song Zhehan laughed, not hiding the gossip on his face, his gaze moving back and forth between Du Yueqin and Zhou Zijian.

Li Siyuan didn’t expect Du Yueqin to ask such a direct and bold question, looking rather shocked but also excited as he looked at the two.

Of all the guests, the only one who seemed incredulous was Liu Yan.

She had sensed some vague hostility from Du Yueqin towards her before but never figured out why. To avoid conflicts with Du Yueqin, she had minimized contact with her during the past few days of recording.

Moreover, since Liu Yan wasn’t very familiar with the other guests, she often sought out Zhou Zijian to avoid being alone…

Liu Yan had always thought Du Yueqin simply disliked her, never imagining it was because Du Yueqin had her eyes on Zhou Zijian.

The problem that had troubled Liu Yan for days was finally clear, but instead of feeling relieved, she felt a blockage in her heart.

How clueless was she?!

She had repeatedly approached Zhou Zijian under Du Yueqin’s gaze, and now she was sweating profusely.

Case solved.

Liu Yan resolved to stay away from Zhou Zijian in the future!

The director and producer watching the monitor were even more excited.

Here it is. Here it is.

The most thrilling moment of the evening had arrived!

They had expected Du Yueqin to ask some subtle but pointed questions, but no one anticipated her to be so straightforward!

Looking closely, Zhou Zijian’s forehead even had a fine layer of sweat.

So how would Zhou Zijian answer?!

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Zhou Zijian took a deep breath, seemingly prepared, then looked up at Du Yueqin and answered seriously, “No.”

As if afraid Du Yueqin hadn’t heard clearly, Zhou Zijian repeated, “Sister Du, you’re not my type.”

Du Yueqin’s smile instantly fell, and her eyes were filled with hurt as she looked at Zhou Zijian.

But according to the law of conservation of energy, when a smile disappears from one person’s face, it appears on another’s.

Upon hearing Zhou Zijian’s response, all the guests except for Du Yueqin and Zhou Zijian simultaneously smiled.

Even the audience in front of the screen couldn’t help but smile higher and higher:

—”Even though I already knew how Zhou Zijian would answer, I still couldn’t control my smile!”

—”Who doesn’t agree? Haha, this game of Truth or Dare is so interesting and fun to watch!”

—”So our show really has turned from a travel show to a dating show!”

—”Let the storm of drama come even more violently!”

The comments were full of happiness, showing no concern for Zhou Zijian’s well-being.

At this moment, Ye Leyao’s smile was also as wide as it could be.

[I knew Brother Zhou is a good man who upholds male virtue!]

[Of course, Brother Zhou couldn’t dare to answer poorly, because if he really did…]

[Hmm, next time he comes to record the show, he might not just have panda eyes!]

Yes.

Qin Yao nodded in agreement; if Zhou Zijian answered poorly, that might really happen.

[So let’s quickly start the next round! I want to continue hearing Du Yueqin’s questions!]

Apparently, Li Siyuan thought the same.

He quickly got up and reshuffled the cards.

Du Yueqin still had a hint of unwillingness on her face, clearly wanting to ask more, but she held back for now.

Ye Leyao grew even more expectant, praying in his heart that Zhou Zijian would draw the joker again.

Unfortunately, the wheels of fate don’t always turn in one’s favor.

In this round, the one receiving the punishment was Li Siyuan.

Qin Yao drew the Ace of Hearts.

Li Siyuan thought for a moment and said, “Dare.”

Playing too much Truth gets boring.

Without hesitation, Qin Yao said, “Then princess-carry Song Zhehan and do five squats.”

Qin Yao still remembered Li Siyuan’s earlier question.

His only flaw is that he holds grudges.

As soon as he spoke, Song Zhehan frowned: “Is this a punishment for me or for him?”

Li Siyuan had already approached him: “Just go along with it.”

Song Zhehan reluctantly asked, “Can we avoid the princess carry?”

Qin Yao thought for a moment and was about to agree when Li Siyuan quickly scooped up Song Zhehan horizontally.

Song Zhehan was startled and glared angrily at Li Siyuan.

If looks could kill, Li Siyuan would be dead!

Ye Leyao watched happily.

[I didn’t realize Li Siyuan had such good stamina, carrying Song Zhehan without even panting while squatting.]

Ye Leyao’s thoughts wandered, and he somehow thought of Qin Yao again.

[With such a good build, Qin Yao must have pretty good arm strength too, right?]

Qin Yao: “…”

Why are you thinking about me again!

Why do you keep associating things with me!

Even though his physique is indeed excellent, Ye Leyao, you’ve thought about it several times already; isn’t it a bit too presumptuous to keep thinking about it!

If Ye Leyao could hear Qin Yao’s thoughts, he would surely explain.

It’s really not that Ye Leyao was deliberately thinking about Qin Yao, but Qin Yao’s physique was truly perfect!

In his two lifetimes, Ye Leyao had never seen a man in the real world with a better build than Qin Yao!

Qin Yao’s ears uncontrollably turned red again.

Ye Leyao, with his sharp eyes, noticed.

[Hey, is it too hot tonight? Why are Qin Yao’s ears—]

“Alright, it’s over.” Li Siyuan put Song Zhehan down, “Next round.”

Ye Leyao’s thoughts were pulled back, and he excitedly said:

[Alright, alright, let’s continue!]

Qin Yao closed his eyes.

He felt that he should keep an appropriate distance from Ye Leyao in the future.

Even though, in his heart, he indeed only saw Ye Leyao as a younger brother, Ye Leyao didn’t think the same!

What if one day their relationship crossed the line…

No!

That absolutely cannot happen!

Qin Yao took a deep breath, trying to shake off the thoughts in his mind.

The game continued for two more rounds.

In one round, Song Zhehan drew the joker, and Li Siyuan drew the Ace of Hearts.

Of course, Song Zhehan chose Truth.

Li Siyuan thought for a long time before asking, “Are you currently single?”

Song Zhehan didn’t hesitate: “Of course.”

In another round, Liu Yan drew the Ace of Hearts, and Qin Yao drew the joker.

Liu Yan didn’t make it difficult for Qin Yao and asked a question similar to Li Siyuan’s: “Are you currently single?”

Qin Yao also didn’t hesitate: “Yes.”

Seeing this, Ye Leyao couldn’t help but sigh lightly:

[That’s it?]

[The questions aren’t exciting at all!]

The audience in the live stream had the same thought:

—”When will Du Yueqin and Zhou Zijian draw the punishment! I’m the King of Anticipation, I want to see them punished!”

—”+1, if it really doesn’t work, can the production team rig it a bit? I could watch Zhou Zijian get questioned all the time!”

—”Looking through the comments, there’s not a single one that cares about Zhou Zijian’s well-being! Great, I’m very satisfied, haha, because I also want to see Zhou Zijian get punished!”

The audience was truly anxious, and so were the director and producer watching the monitor.

Perhaps it was because everyone was too eager to see Zhou Zijian and Du Yueqin get punished that this round, Zhou Zijian had a joker in front of him.

Ye Leyao’s eyes instantly lit up.

[Who has the Ace of Hearts?]

Ye Leyao’s gaze swept over Qin Yao, Li Siyuan, Du Yueqin, and Liu Yan, finally landing on Song Zhehan.

Song Zhehan extended two fingers, revealing his card—the Ace of Hearts.

The audience in the live stream gasped, then started to rage in frustration:

—”Show team, ahhh, can’t you be a bit more understanding?”@@novelbin@@

—”I’ll tell you, the last show team that held back ended up ruining themselves. I advise your team to be wise!”

—”Now, immediately, I want to see Zhou Zijian ask Du Yueqin or Du Yueqin continue to ask Zhou Zijian!”

The show team didn’t move an inch.

The audience was extremely disappointed.

Until a sharp-eyed viewer noticed:

—”Hey, wait, Ye Leyao, why are you laughing again?”

—”Hmm? Why does Ye Leyao look so expectant? Does he really think Song Zhehan will ask something exciting?”

—”Forget it, everyone knows Song Zhehan is the easiest to get along with. He definitely won’t make things difficult for Du Yueqin.”

Mama Huo couldn’t help but smile when she saw this comment.

Before she could reply, another comment quickly responded:

—”Song Zhehan, easy to get along with? Your fan filter must be eight hundred meters thick. Watching these past few days of live broadcasts, I’ve realized that Song Zhehan is secretly devious!”

Song Zhehan’s fans were immediately unhappy:

—”Where are you getting your brainwashing material from?”

—”I can’t be bothered to explain. Everyone has eyes, just watch slowly.”

As soon as this comment was posted, Song Zhehan on the screen spoke up: “Director, can I transfer my punishment rights?”

The viewers on the live stream were stunned.

Transfer rights?

Ye Leyao immediately understood Song Zhehan’s intentions, unable to suppress his grin.

[Is Song Zhehan planning to give his punishment rights to Du Yueqin?]

[Good, good, you’re clever!]

The viewers in the live stream quickly caught on:

—”Fans still say Song Zhehan is easy to get along with! I see now. Song Zhehan is a troublemaker who enjoys stirring things up!”

Before Song Zhehan’s fans could find a reason to refute, Song Zhehan, ever so “considerate,” said: “I feel like the punishment rights are wasted on me. Why not transfer them to someone who needs them more?”

[Some-one-who-needs-them-more!]

[Just say you want to give them to Du Yueqin!]

Even though the director guessed what Song Zhehan meant, he still pretended to ask: “Who do you want to transfer to?”

“Sister Du,” Song Zhehan smiled warmly.

Du Yueqin’s eyes lit up, looking at Song Zhehan with gratitude.

[Ahhh.]

[When it comes to stirring things up, it has to be you, Song Zhehan!]

The viewers exploded with excitement:

—”!!! At this moment, Song Zhehan, you are my god!”

—”Give him a drumstick! Quickly! Show team, kneel to Song Zhehan!”

—”Hahaha, Zhou Zijian’s face has changed. I have to admit, my stereotype of Song Zhehan is shattered. Was he always like this?”

—”I’ve been saying, Song Zhehan is not the gentle white moonlight fans think! He’s truly scheming!”

The comments were bustling.

Meanwhile, Zhou Zijian’s expression was particularly complex.

On one hand, Zhou Zijian thought it would be good for Du Yueqin to give up on him sooner, but on the other hand, he had already chosen Truth in the last round!

This time it would be Dare for him!

If Du Yueqin demanded something intimate like a hug…

Wouldn’t he be screwed by Song Zhehan?!

Song Zhehan exchanged a glance with Zhou Zijian, seemingly understanding his worry, and then said to the director: “But I remember Brother Zhou can only choose Dare this round?”

The director, restraining his excitement, glanced at the producer and nodded.

Song Zhehan said: “I can’t set up Brother Zhou.”

Ye Leyao laughed.

[You already have!]

Ignoring Zhou Zijian’s reproachful gaze, Song Zhehan continued: “I can’t directly transfer my punishment rights to Sister Du; it wouldn’t be fair to Brother Zhou. How about this, let Brother Zhou choose between Truth and Dare this round?”

The director and producer thought about it and found Song Zhehan’s suggestion reasonable.

They looked to Zhou Zijian for his opinion.

After all, it was Zhou Zijian who would be punished; if he disagreed, they couldn’t force it.

Hearing Song Zhehan’s suggestion, Zhou Zijian breathed a sigh of relief.

If the punishment were Dare, he would certainly refuse.

But if it were Truth, it wouldn’t be so hard to accept.

Seeing Zhou Zijian nod, the director smiled: “Alright, but since we’re lowering the difficulty, how about we add one more Truth?”

Du Yueqin was eager to ask more questions, so she had no objections.

With no objections from Zhou Zijian either, the game continued.

[Ah, what stimulating question will Du Yueqin ask this time?]

[So excited, so excited!]

The filming site fell silent, all eyes on Zhou Zijian and Du Yueqin.

The live stream viewers were also waiting eagerly for Du Yueqin to speak!

However, perhaps Zhou Zijian’s straightforward answer earlier had made Du Yueqin uncomfortable, because this time she thought for a while before speaking, saying: “Xiao Zhou, although we haven’t had much work interaction, I’ve heard some things about you from others…”

Zhou Zijian looked at Du Yueqin with some confusion.

Ye Leyao was getting anxious.

[Ah, why aren’t you asking directly?]

[Ask quickly!]

[Wait, Du Yueqin’s serious expression, why do I feel… she wants to confess to Brother Zhou?]

Qin Yao also felt something was off and realized what it was after hearing Ye Leyao’s remark.

The atmosphere!

The atmosphere was genuinely a bit ambiguous!

With a full moon hanging in the sky, a gentle breeze by the seaside, and the bonfire and decorative lights set up by the show team, the atmosphere was perfect!

The audience’s eyes are always sharp, even more sensitive than Ye Leyao:

—”No way? Du Yueqin isn’t really going to confess to Zhou Zijian in front of so many viewers, is she?”

—”But didn’t Zhou Zijian just say he likes a different type than Du Yueqin? Isn’t she afraid of publicly confessing and being rejected?”

—”Is it possible… that Du Yueqin doesn’t even mind losing face after arguing with Li Siyuan in front of the audience?”

In some way, this viewer hit the nail on the head.

Ye Leyao frantically searched his memory and finally recalled some descriptions of Du Yueqin from the original novel:

[In Du Yueqin’s eyes, no one else mattered except herself. She always prioritized her own feelings and believed her emotions were above everything else.]

[So, she really is going to confess!]

Ye Leyao instantly got excited.

Just then, Du Yueqin continued, “I admire you a lot, or rather, I was captivated by you at first sight.”

[Ahhh.]

[What did I just hear?! My ears! My toes!]

The other guests had even bigger reactions.

Li Siyuan got goosebumps all over, feeling so awkward that he wanted to bury his head in his hands and disappear.

Liu Yan had a “What did I just hear?” expression, unable to recover for a long time.

Song Zhehan wasn’t too surprised, but he was indeed shocked, looking at Zhou Zijian with increasing sympathy.

Of course, the most interesting expression was Zhou Zijian’s.

He looked like he had been struck by lightning, wishing he could turn around and leave immediately.

But unfortunately, it was a live broadcast, and there were so many eyes on him.

But someone please tell him, weren’t they just playing Truth or Dare?

What’s happening now?!

Ye Leyao took one look at Zhou Zijian and turned away, suppressing his laughter.

[Brother Zhou’s life matters too!]

[Isn’t there anyone who can help him?!]

The answer, of course, was—no.

The viewers in the live stream were laughing hysterically.

—”Du Yueqin! The queen of directness!”

—”Zhou Zijian’s expression is priceless! Why does this travel show feel as thrilling as a dating show on confession night?”

Du Yueqin continued, “Our first meeting might have left a bad impression on you, Xiao Zhou, but I hope you give me some time and yourself some time to understand your true feelings.”

[What does Brother Zhou need to understand! His heart already belongs to his brother’s mom!]

Seeing Zhou Zijian’s prolonged silence, Du Yueqin stood up and walked towards him, “Xiao Zhou, I really like you. Although it’s only been a few days, my heart is really full of you. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you feel—”

[What are you asking him to feel!]

Ye Leyao looked over, shocked.

Du Yueqin’s hand was still half a meter away from Zhou Zijian’s arm when he jumped back several meters in one leap, his hair standing on end, and said without thinking, “Sister Du! I really don’t like you! I already have a girlfriend!”

Silence.

Utter silence.

Song Zhehan’s expression turned gossipy.

Has a girlfriend?

This was an unexpected revelation!

Li Siyuan and Liu Yan were equally stunned by Zhou Zijian’s confession, one more surprised than the other.

Only Ye Leyao suppressed the laugh that was about to burst from his lips.

[Brother Zhou is really scared!]

[He’s speaking without thinking!]

Du Yueqin stood there in a daze, digesting Zhou Zijian’s words for a long time before saying, “Xiao Zhou, you don’t need to make up a lie to reject me…”

“I’m not lying!” Zhou Zijian was genuinely scared of Du Yueqin and took a few more steps back, raising his voice and saying, “I just started dating my girlfriend last month. I really like her, and she really likes me!”

Du Yueqin’s expression had already calmed down: “I don’t believe it.”

“I have no reason to lie to you!” Zhou Zijian said, taking out his phone, “I’ll call my girlfriend right now. She’s probably watching our live stream… Stay away from me! Don’t come any closer!”

The viewers in the live stream burst into laughter:

—”Oh my god! I really feel sorry for Zhou Zijian!”

—”I can feel Brother Zhou’s fear. Not only did he reveal his relationship, but he’s also about to call his girlfriend on the show. This is too much!”

—”I’m sorry; I know I should feel bad for Zhou Zijian, but I really want to laugh. I can’t help it; I’m guilty…”

Du Yueqin didn’t believe a word Zhou Zijian said, thinking it was all a lie he made up to reject her.

She sighed helplessly and walked straight towards him, “Xiao Zhou, we can talk more. I’m not saying you can’t have time to think. You really haven’t directly rejected me…”

[Is Du Yueqin really this relentless?]

Ye Leyao was a bit worried.

[Should we stop her? Don’t push Brother Zhou too far; what if he doesn’t come to the next recording—]

Qin Yao thought Ye Leyao made a lot of sense and stood up to stop Du Yueqin, but before he could take a step, a strong male voice came from Zhou Zijian’s phone speaker—

—”Zhou Zijian, I’m warning you. If you don’t deal with Du Yueqin, you damn well better not come back! I’ll beat the crap out of you, you bastard!!”

[It’s the voice of Brother Zhou’s good buddy!]

Ye Leyao immediately perked up.

The viewers on the live stream were also shocked:

—”Wasn’t it supposed to be a girlfriend?”

—”Why is it a man’s voice?”

—”This voice sounds kind of familiar?”

The next moment, it seemed like the phone was snatched back, and a soft female voice was heard: “Zijian, don’t listen to him. I’ve been watching your live streams every day. I definitely believe in you…”

“Mom—you’re still defending him at a time like this! Someone’s confessing to him right in front of his face. If Zhou Zijian wasn’t dragging his feet and refusing to reject her, would it have come to this? I don’t care; I don’t approve of you two…”

The phone’s speaker was suddenly turned off, and no more sound came through, but everyone heard that very, extremely, exceptionally clear “Mom.”

Silence.

For a long time, the only sound was the crashing waves on the shore.

Du Yueqin was completely dumbfounded.

What did she just hear?

The other guests were also in disarray.

Mom?

Mom?

Zhou Zijian found a mom?

No… Zhou Zijian’s girlfriend has a son?

But why does her son’s voice sound so mature?

It sounds like they’re about the same age as us?

Wait, the guests all felt a tangle in their brains; they needed some time to sort things out.

And the only one keeping up with the pace, Ye Leyao, was also stunned upon hearing this male voice and exclaimed just like the bullet comments:

[Why does this voice sound so familiar to me…]

Qin Yao immediately looked over.

You should make it clear where you’ve heard it before!

Papa and Mama Huo were also anxious.

Where have you heard it?

Think quickly!

Ye Leyao took out his phone; this time he didn’t open his notes but directly opened Weibo, found Zhou Zijian’s account, scrolled down for a while, and clicked on a video.

This video was from a BL drama Zhou Zijian filmed a year ago, which had just finished airing recently, and it earned him a large number of CP fans.

The video started, and a voice identical to the strong male voice from earlier came out.

Ye Leyao quickly turned off his phone and screamed inwardly:

[Ahhh, so Zhou Zijian’s good buddy is the actor who starred with him in the BL drama?!]

[It’s one thing to act in a BL drama together, but after it aired, you even pursued his real mom?!]

[Good thing your BL drama didn’t have any intimate scenes, otherwise—wouldn’t that mess up the moral order?!]

Qin Yao turned away and began coughing violently.

Sometimes, being able to hear all of Ye Leyao’s thoughts is not a good thing!