Chapter 83

Five minutes ago, due to a series of explosive revelations throughout the afternoon, the viewership for *Let’s Go Travel* hit an all-time high.

Even though there wasn’t much exciting happening in the livestream at the moment—fans' newly shipped couple, Qin Yao and Ye Leyao, had been separated—one group was playing cards in the living room, while another was cooking in the kitchen. At first glance, it seemed like a boring scene, yet the number of people watching only kept increasing.

The live chat was buzzing with lively discussion:

“Ahhhh, Huo Yan, explain! Why did you leave Ye Leyao behind? Couldn't you have let him cook with Qin Yao?”

“Yeah! I want to see the couple cooking together. Qwq.”

“Ugh, Huo Yan must be jealous, right? He's totally jealous!”

“Hahaha, how could he not be jealous? His little brother just turned 18 and already found someone as amazing as Qin Yao. Meanwhile, look at Huo Yan’s ex—”

“Cough, cough, don’t bring up Su Rui. If you keep mentioning Su Rui, Huo Yan is going to lose it!”

“I swear I didn’t mean to bring him up. I hope Huo Yan doesn’t get mad at me for mentioning Su Rui. I’m sorry, Huo Yan, I’ll never mention him again.”

The fans reading this burst into laughter:

“Wow, is this how you guys play?”

“No way!”

“Wait, why is Li Siyuan going into the kitchen?”

The moment a guest moved, the chat exploded with excitement, afraid to miss out on another juicy moment.

When Li Siyuan leaned in close to Qin Yao and started a conversation, getting snapped at by Song Zhehan and later by Duan Tingyan, the viewers couldn’t hold back their laughter.

But the mood shifted abruptly when they heard Shen Chong’s gleeful “Yes.” Suddenly, Liu Yan’s piercing scream echoed across the livestream, and a wave of question marks flooded the chat.

“???”

“Huh?”

“Shen Chong, what are you agreeing to?”

“Li Siyuan said there were three couples here, and Shen Chong said ‘yes’...”

“So, did he just admit that he and Liu Yan are a couple?”

“Huh? Did he just expose himself like that? This is wild!”

“Hahahahaha, OMG, is this something I’m even allowed to hear?”

“I can’t take it! Shen Chong, you walked right into that trap! How did you not see it coming?”

The laughter in the chat was deafening, but the reactions from the guests were even faster.

Ye Leyao, in his shock, forgot to put down his cards and immediately strode towards the kitchen.

Liu Yan stood frozen in place, her face betraying the words "Oh no."

Shen Chong, still holding a scallion in his hand, was stiff as a board. His eyes met Liu Yan’s for a brief moment, filled with guilt. Panicking, he quickly looked away, trying to come up with an explanation, but the words just wouldn’t come.

Ye Leyao’s gaze darted between the two of them, and he asked, “What’s going on?”

By then, Huo Yan, along with Wen Xiangyue and Wen Huai, had entered the kitchen as well.

Huo Yan swept his eyes over the people in the room and asked, “What happened?”

Everyone in the kitchen had different expressions.

The most flustered, of course, were Liu Yan and Shen Chong, clearly the center of attention.

A thought suddenly struck Ye Leyao, and his eyes lit up:

*Is Liu Yan reacting like this because Shen Chong accidentally let something slip?*

Qin Yao, standing nearby, glanced at Ye Leyao, a small smile forming on his lips.

Ye Leyao’s guess was spot on.

Still, wanting to confirm what had happened, Ye Leyao scanned the others in the room.

Li Siyuan looked conflicted. His gaze flicked between Liu Yan and Shen Chong, realizing that he might have said something wrong. For once, he looked genuinely embarrassed.

Duan Tingyan, who had been watching Li Siyuan the whole time, couldn’t help but speak up in his defense, “He didn’t mean it…”

Li Siyuan, quick to anger, shot Duan Tingyan a fierce glare, as if saying, *Did I ask you to explain for me?*

Duan Tingyan coughed lightly and fell silent.

Watching this, Ye Leyao started to put the pieces together.

*So, did Li Siyuan say something, and then Shen Chong let the truth slip?*

Song Zhehan, who had been the most relaxed of the group, raised an eyebrow at Duan Tingyan’s comment and flashed a knowing smile.

*Looks like I was right...*

Ye Leyao was fairly certain of what had happened, but whether it was out of curiosity or something else, he walked over to Qin Yao.

“What happened?” Ye Leyao reached out naturally to hold Qin Yao’s hand.

Qin Yao’s hands were still wet, so he said softly, “Wait a moment.”

Ye Leyao’s hand hung in mid-air.

Qin Yao quickly dried his hands and immediately clasped Ye Leyao’s hand in his.

Only then did Ye Leyao’s lips curl up into a smile.

The live chat exploded:

“!!!”

“Aaaaaah, I’m shipping this so hard!”

“I can’t believe my eyes! You guys are being so bold! Liu Yan and Shen Chong are right there!”

“Not to mention Huo Yan is standing right there too!”

Qin Yao, of course, couldn’t see the comments. Even if he could, it wouldn’t have stopped him from staying close to Ye Leyao.

Once Ye Leyao stood next to him, Qin Yao leaned down slightly, whispered close to Ye Leyao’s ear, and in a low voice, recounted the events that had just transpired.

They were so close that Ye Leyao could feel Qin Yao’s warm breath tickling his ear, sending a shiver down his spine.

After hearing the whole story, Ye Leyao couldn’t help but grin, his lips curving upwards uncontrollably.

*So, Li Siyuan accidentally set a trap for Shen Chong, and Shen Chong just walked right into it?*

Unable to hold back any longer, Ye Leyao turned his head and leaned against Qin Yao’s shoulder, laughing out loud.

Huo Yan, seeing Ye Leyao’s reaction, had a vague idea of what had happened and was about to laugh along when his eyes fell on the sight of Ye Leyao and Qin Yao leaning into each other.

His eyelid twitched, and without thinking, he stormed over to them. “What are you two talking about?”

Ye Leyao was still laughing, completely unaware of Huo Yan’s approach.

Qin Yao, however, had noticed Huo Yan. He let go of Ye Leyao’s hand, slipped his arm around Ye Leyao’s shoulders, and pulled him a little closer.

A bold move—right in front of Huo Yan.

It was practically a challenge!

The chat exploded once again:

“Qin Yao, aren’t you being a little too bold?!”

“Hahahahaha, but I’m here for it!”

“No kidding, I love this kind of drama! Keep it coming!”

“Couples being all lovey-dovey in the open are the sweetest!”

“+1. It would be even better if Huo Yan didn’t keep interrupting them.”

“Huh? Is that how you all feel? I actually enjoy seeing Huo Yan lose his temper!”

“??? Hahahaha, you’re evil!”

Back on screen, Huo Yan saw Qin Yao’s blatant move with his own eyes, and a vein throbbed visibly on his forehead. It was clear that he was fuming.

The viewers burst out laughing even louder.

Unable to hold back, Huo Yan glared angrily, “Qin Yao, you—”

“What are you all standing around for?” Song Zhehan suddenly interjected, cutting Huo Yan off. He glanced over at Shen Chong and Liu Yan. “Shouldn’t you be thinking about what to do next?”

Ye Leyao straightened up, pulling himself out of Qin Yao’s embrace.

Huo Yan also stopped in his tracks, turning to look at the two people at the center of the situation.

Shen Chong was still frozen in place, holding the scallion in his hand, looking utterly lost.

Wen Xiangyue, standing beside Liu Yan, gently supported her, and after hearing Song Zhehan’s words, she thought for a moment and said, “Actually…”

“It’s my fault,” Li Siyuan suddenly spoke up, looking a little uncomfortable. He explained, “I was just joking. Should I help explain it to everyone?”

That was the truth.

At this point, if Li Siyuan stepped forward and issued a statement saying it was just a careless joke, the situation might blow over.

However, the believability of that statement would be questionable. After all, Shen Chong and Liu Yan's reactions had been way too intense, and modern viewers are far from naive. Besides, the fans and audience of this show had been following all the drama from the beginning, making it even harder to sweep under the rug!

*Let’s see how Liu Yan plans to handle this,* Ye Leyao thought, his gaze shifting to her.

Liu Yan, by now, had calmed down significantly. She let out a long breath and finally looked at Li Siyuan, smiling as she said, "There’s no need. This has nothing to do with you."

Li Siyuan furrowed his brows slightly, wanting to say something else, but Duan Tingyan gently patted his shoulder.

Li Siyuan paused, and then Shen Chong spoke up in a quiet voice, “It’s my fault. I wasn’t careful, I…”

He had just been too happy. From the moment he saw Liu Yan, he had been over the moon, forgetting that their relationship hadn’t been made public yet.

“It’s not entirely your fault,” Liu Yan sighed, pressing her fingers to her temples. "If there’s any blame, it's on both of us. We were the ones who kept it from the fans. But…"

Suddenly, Liu Yan smiled brightly and said, “It’s not a bad time to go public, don’t you think?”

Her words left all the other guests staring at her in disbelief.

Shen Chong, too, visibly trembled.

*Is she really going to admit it now?* Ye Leyao was equally surprised. But as he thought about it, he realized it might actually be a good idea.

*After all, Shen Chong has been leaking hints like a sieve since they got in the car today. Some of their fans might still be in denial, but the general public can see things clearly. Plus, with that slip of the tongue from Shen Chong just now, if they tried to deny their relationship now, it would feel like they were treating the viewers and fans like fools.*

*While admitting to the relationship might temporarily affect their careers, it wouldn’t be long-term damage. In fact, they might even gain some goodwill from neutral onlookers.*

Having thought it through, Ye Leyao smiled and chimed in, “I think now’s a great time to go public.”

Both Liu Yan and Shen Chong turned to look at Ye Leyao in surprise.

He continued, “After all, today's episode has been full of bombshells, one after another. The viewers are probably too full from all the drama to even digest this one properly.”

His words had everyone stifling laughter, and the audience watching the livestream was nearly in stitches.

“Wow, Ye Leyao, that’s how you're going to phrase it?”

“Are you underestimating my appetite for gossip? Even if this news isn’t shocking to me—since I already got a taste of it earlier—I can still handle more!”

“Exactly! Even if Liu Yan and Shen Chong don’t admit it, we’ve already figured it out!”

The viewers, with their sharp instincts, had already pieced it together earlier in the day. So Liu Yan’s decision to go public wasn’t a huge surprise to them.

But how were Liu Yan’s die-hard fans handling it?

Curious and mischievous viewers started poking at Liu Yan’s fans in the chat, wondering about their reactions.

For a while, there were no replies, and after some prodding, a fan finally spoke up: “Please, spare us! We’re not doing too well right now. I just want to lie down in peace!”

This response made the chat erupt in even louder laughter:

“Weren’t you guys the ones saying you didn’t believe it earlier?”

“Not so stubborn now, are you?”

“See? Stick with us for your daily dose of drama—we guarantee fully ripened gossip every time!”

“But hey, don’t be too upset. Sure, you lost a 'wife,' but now you’ve gained a 'brother-in-law'!”

“Hahahaha, don’t be too harsh!”

Understanding that Liu Yan’s fans were probably heartbroken, the viewers quickly shifted to offering some lighthearted comfort.

“Honestly, I think Liu Yan is being really upfront about this, and there aren’t many idols like that left. So don’t be too sad.”

Others added:

“Yeah, it’s better than those who still deny it even after being caught on camera.”

“Exactly. Plus, it’s clear that Liu Yan is in a serious relationship. You can tell she really likes Shen Chong.”

“And Shen Chong clearly likes her too! If he didn’t, how could he have fallen into Li Siyuan’s trap so easily?”

“Phew, but I’ve had my fill of gossip today, haven’t you?”

“Who hasn’t?”

“Wait! I just realized—does this mean there are now three couples in our little reality show?”

“Three? There are also two people stuck in the 'chasing their lover' phase!”

This comment sent waves of exclamations through the chat:

“So, is this show secretly a dating reality show?”

“Just rename it to *Let’s Go Dating* already!”

“I’d watch that!”

The atmosphere in the chat was filled with fun and laughter, and the mood on set was just as relaxed.

Qin Yao, following behind Ye Leyao, turned to Liu Yan and said, “Ye Leyao’s right. There’s no better time than now.”

After all, there were already seven of the eleven guests trending online. What difference would two more make?

Huo Yan’s face changed the moment he heard Qin Yao call Ye Leyao by his nickname: “Wait—who said you could call him ‘Yao Yao’?”

Even as his older brother, he had never called him that!

Qin Yao pressed his lips together but said nothing.

Unable to hold back a laugh, Ye Leyao turned to Huo Yan. “I like when President Qin calls me that. What’s the problem?”

*Second Brother is so weird!* Ye Leyao thought.

Huo Yan’s face darkened, and he was just about to storm over and have a word with Ye Leyao when Zhou Zijian suddenly appeared and blocked his path.

“Alright, alright, we’re still in the middle of a serious conversation here,” Zhou Zijian said.

Song Zhehan, watching the spectacle unfold, turned to Liu Yan and pointed out with a laugh, “See? That’s why the audience might not have the energy to care about your relationship drama.”

Liu Yan couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore.

Seeing her laugh, Shen Chong finally let out a sigh of relief. Realizing that the worst of the situation had passed, he eagerly moved closer to her. “I…”

“Alright, just put that scallion down already!” Liu Yan cut him off. How long did he plan to stand there holding that thing?

Blushing furiously, Shen Chong quickly put the scallion down. “So, what should we…”

“I’ll call my manager, and you’ll call yours,” Liu Yan said, giving him an exasperated look. “It’s that simple.”

Shen Chong stared at Liu Yan for a few seconds, his eyes reddening before he suddenly pulled her into a tight hug. “Okay! I’ll…I’ll call my manager right now…sob…I’ll call right now…”

The more he spoke, the more pitiful he sounded, and soon his tears were falling.

The other guests looked on, dumbfounded.

“Why is he crying?” Zhou Zijian couldn’t help but ask.

Still sniffling, Shen Chong explained between sobs, “I was so scared…sob…I thought it was over… I worked so hard to win her over, and if she broke up with me because of this…wahhh…”

“Over something so small? Do you really think Liu Yan would break up with you over this?” Wen Xiangyue asked, amused.

Zhou Zijian reassured him as well, “It’s alright now. Just issue a statement, and everything will be fine.”

Ye Leyao glanced at Shen Chong, then at Liu Yan, who still seemed a little dazed, and sighed. “He really has no sense of security.”

Qin Yao gave Ye Leyao a thoughtful look.

Liu Yan trembled slightly, staring at Ye Leyao in surprise.

No sense of security?

To be honest, Liu Yan had never expected Shen Chong to cry over something like this.

For celebrities, keeping their relationships private was actually pretty common.

After all, no one could guarantee how long their relationship would last, and neither of them wanted their private lives to become the center of public attention.

So, naturally, after entering the entertainment industry, Liu Yan never intended to make her relationship with Shen Chong public. In fact, she had planned to keep it a secret indefinitely.

Liu Yan had never really considered Shen Chong’s feelings.

Seeing him cry like this now made her suddenly realize that she had not given Shen Chong enough of a sense of security. That’s why, after making a slip of the tongue, he had stood frozen in place, why he’d forgotten about the scallion in his hand, and why he had burst into tears with relief after she decided to make their relationship public.

Liu Yan’s eyes reddened slightly. “I... I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong!” Shen Chong abruptly let go of her. His eyes were still red, but his tone was firm and serious. “It’s not your fault. I feel much better now. Let’s go talk to our managers…”

Without waiting for anyone else, Shen Chong grabbed Liu Yan’s hand and ran with her out of the villa.

It wasn’t until the two had left that the villa was filled with the sound of lighthearted laughter.

Not long after, both Liu Yan and Shen Chong posted statements on Weibo, officially announcing their relationship.

Shen Chong was a newcomer with a small fan base, so his fans took the news well.

Liu Yan, however, had a much larger following, being an established idol. When her post went live, many of her fans struggled to accept it, with some even threatening to unfollow her.

But those comments didn’t last long in the trending topics, because soon after, the other guests from *Let’s Go Travel* began to share and comment on Liu Yan and Shen Chong’s Weibo posts.

Ye Leyao reposted the announcement with a comment: "Congratulations! Are we getting wedding sweets tonight?"

Qin Yao, in turn, reposted Ye Leyao’s comment.

Fans of their couple went wild.

“Qin Yao, you sly fox! Ye Leyao reposts Liu Yan’s announcement, and you repost Ye Leyao’s? Your intentions are too obvious!”

Then again, considering the couple had just made their relationship official today, it wasn’t surprising.

Huo Yan, however, reposted Qin Yao’s Weibo with an angry emoji and a caption dripping with sarcasm: “Whose sweets are you planning to eat?”

The fans burst into laughter again:

“It’s clear that the brother-in-law isn’t too happy with Qin Yao!”

“Qin Yao, good luck! We’re rooting for you and Ye Leyao!”

Qin Yao even responded to one of the comments with a simple, “Thank you.”

This sent the fans into a frenzy of excitement once again.

*Are today’s revelations too much?* They were starting to feel like they were happier than the actual celebrities involved!

And the fun continued when Li Siyuan and Duan Tingyan weighed in on Weibo as well—

Li Siyuan reposted Liu Yan’s announcement with a simple comment: “Congrats, and sorry for the trouble.”

He not only offered his congratulations but also apologized for his earlier behavior.

Duan Tingyan followed up with his own repost of Li Siyuan’s comment, adding: “Congrats to you both, but when will it be my turn to hear congratulations for me?”

The two posts, coming one second apart, made it hard not to suspect that Duan Tingyan had timed his perfectly to follow Li Siyuan’s.

Fans screamed in excitement, rushing to the comments to ask about Duan Tingyan’s progress in his pursuit of Li Siyuan.

A minute later, Duan Tingyan posted another short Weibo update:

"Duan Tingyan: Got blocked, crying."

The fans lost it.

“Alright, no need to ask anymore, hahahahaha—”

“Clearly, his journey to win his love is a long one!”

“Tingting, oh Tingting, just take it slow! Let us know when you finally succeed!”

“Today’s laughs are all thanks to Tingting, hahaha—”

“Keep going, Tingting! We’re rooting for you!”

As the fans laughed and joked, one of them asked, “Hey, how’s our dear Mr. Gou’s progress?”

Someone replied, “Let’s send someone to check Mr. Gou’s Weibo and ask.”

Shortly after, another comment popped up: “Asked, and got blocked by Mr. Gou. Hehe.”

Everyone:

“On the count of three, two, one—laugh!”

“Hahahahahaha!”

“It’s obvious that Mr. Gou isn’t making any progress either!”

For three consecutive days, the filming of the fourth episode kept the guests trending on all platforms—live-stream rooms, Weibo, and others. The buzz surrounding the eleven cast members never seemed to fade.

Before they knew it, the fourth episode had wrapped up.@@novelbin@@

That night, Ye Leyao was about to be dragged home by Huo Yan.

Naturally, Ye Leyao wasn’t happy about it: “Can’t I just wait until tomorrow and go back with President Qin?”

Huo Yan’s expression was ice-cold: “No.”

Ye Leyao frowned. “Why don’t you like Qin Yao?”

Huo Yan replied bluntly, “It’s not that I don’t like him. I don’t like you being with him.”

Ye Leyao: “...”

*Wow, you’re surprisingly straightforward.*

After packing his things, Ye Leyao was escorted to the dock by Qin Yao himself. Instead of taking a small boat back, they would be taking a small sightseeing ship.

With the luggage stored, their hands remained clasped, neither willing to let go.

The night was deep, and the streetlights stretched their shadows long across the ground.

Ye Leyao suddenly felt reluctant to leave and couldn’t help but sigh.

*What’s gotten into Second Brother?* he thought to himself.

Hearing this, Qin Yao couldn’t help but smile. He squeezed Ye Leyao’s hand gently. “I’ll come find you when I finish my work, okay?”

Ye Leyao nodded enthusiastically. “Okay.”

“And your university classes are starting soon, right?” Qin Yao asked.

“Yeah, in about a week,” Ye Leyao replied.

“I’ll take you to campus when it’s time,” Qin Yao suggested.

Ye Leyao beamed and nodded without hesitation. “Deal.”

A gust of wind blew across the lake, rippling the surface.

Ye Leyao tilted his head slightly, noticing the warmth in Qin Yao’s palm had increased.

Looking down at their hands and then up at Qin Yao’s face, he smiled again.

Qin Yao’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he gazed at Ye Leyao with an intense look.

Just then, Huo Yan’s voice rang out from the ship’s cabin: “Ye Leyao, hurry up!”

Ye Leyao huffed. He was just about to say goodbye to Qin Yao when suddenly a pair of hands reached over and gently covered his eyes.

Ye Leyao blinked, and in the next moment, he felt a soft, warm touch press against his forehead—there, and then gone.

“Go on. Send me a message when you get home,” Qin Yao said, letting his hands fall away from Ye Leyao’s eyes, his gaze never leaving him.

Unable to resist, Ye Leyao reached up to touch his forehead.

Huo Yan’s voice rang out again.

Finally, Ye Leyao waved to Qin Yao. “I’m off.”

Qin Yao nodded. “Yeah.”

As the sightseeing ship started to move, the wind picked up, cooling Ye Leyao’s face, but it couldn’t dispel the warmth lingering on his skin.

The ship quickly set sail, and as Huo Yan sat across from Ye Leyao, preparing to have a serious conversation with him, he suddenly heard Ye Leyao’s inner voice, full of regret—

*Why did President Qin only kiss my forehead?*

Huo Yan: “...?”

What?

He kissed your forehead?!

When did that happen?! How did I miss it?!

Qin Yao, you sly fox!