To help everyone get familiar with each other as quickly as possible, the production team organized a group activity that afternoon.
A business van stopped at the entrance to the villa district, and the three guest couples boarded one after another.
Chu Yao had barely sat down when someone immediately took the seat beside him.
Zhao Jing smiled and explained to Jin Zhihan, “I want to chat with Chu Yao. Go sit with my husband.”
Jin Zhihan nodded and moved to the back.
“How does it feel? You’re adapting all right?” Zhao Jing asked kindly, handing Chu Yao a mint meant to prevent motion sickness.
Chu Yao tore open the wrapper and popped it into his mouth. “Other than my cooking disaster, everything else has been fine.”
“I can’t cook either.” Zhao Jing leaned his head back. “But I heard from my husband that President Jin can, right?”
“Mm. He’s much better at it than I am.”
While Chu Yao and Zhao Jing chatted, Lu Yiwen turned toward Jin Zhihan in the back row and asked quietly, “President Jin, have you finished your task yet?”
“I still have one line left.”
“You’re a little slow.” Seeing that Jin Zhihan was not putting on any CEO airs, Lu Yiwen dared to joke with him. “Why not say it now and let all of us hear too?”
“No.” Jin Zhihan refused without even thinking. “My wife will get embarrassed.”
Hearing that, Bai Jishen could not help saying, “Embarrassed is one thing, but who wouldn’t feel sweet hearing their lover confess publicly? How could he not be moved?”
Lu Yiwen and Bai Jishen exchanged meaningful looks. The two of them were working together from inside and out, determined to witness just how cheesy President Jin could be with their own eyes.
Unfortunately, Jin Zhihan had always been firm once he made up his mind. No matter how they coaxed him, he refused to budge.
Lu Yiwen had a feeling President Jin might be saving up some kind of ultimate move to stun everyone later.
Chu Yao suddenly remembered that the directing team had said a wrong villa guess would come with a punishment. Jin Zhihan had not mentioned it, so Chu Yao asked Zhao Jing if he knew what it was.
Zhao Jing smiled meaningfully. “The director will announce it tonight.”
Seeing that ambiguous smile, Chu Yao grew curious.
They chatted along the way and soon reached their destination.
It was a wetland park rated as a national 5A scenic attraction. In addition to beautiful scenery, it was home to many rare animals, including white-fronted geese, mallards, and kingfishers.
From the main entrance, a mountain could be seen in the distance, wrapped in drifting mist, with a river curving around its base.
Wen Xu and Lu Yiwen walked hand in hand, while Zhao Jing naturally held Bai Jishen’s arm.
Chu Yao got out of the van and started walking straight ahead. Only after seeing how intimate the other two couples were did he sense that something was off.
He deliberately stopped and pretended to admire the scenery. When Jin Zhihan came up beside him, Chu Yao lifted a hand to hook his arm, only for Jin Zhihan to smoothly take his hand instead.
The instant their fingers intertwined, something like an electric current shot through Chu Yao’s body.
Jin Zhihan’s palm was broad and burning hot. With their hands clasped together, Chu Yao could almost feel the crisscrossing lines of his palm.
Before Chu Yao had time to properly experience the feeling, Jin Zhihan had already pulled him forward.
It was the first time in Chu Yao’s life that he had walked hand in hand with someone like this. He could barely remember which foot to move first, staring hesitantly at his toes for fear he might start moving the same arm and leg together.
As an actor, he felt ashamed of himself.
He was somehow less relaxed than Jin Zhihan, who was not even part of the entertainment industry.
[They’re holding hands! They’re holding hands! After half a day, we finally got some intimate contact! [spinning dance] Chu Yao standing beside President Jin really does look like a delicate little wife.]
[Am I the only one who thinks they look really uncomfortable? Chu Yao was obviously going to walk by himself when he first got out. He probably only stopped because he saw how affectionate the other two couples were.]
[Raises hand timidly. I think so too… They’ve been married for two years, so why are they less natural around each other than Warm and Refined?]
[President Jin is an outsider to the industry, and their secret marriage was only just exposed. Of course they aren’t used to being intimate in public. Why are you making up so much in your heads?!]
[Forget it. I’m not going to focus too hard on shipping them. If they really are in a contract marriage, we shippers will be the ones who get hurt.]
Two camps were already battling in the comments. Some viewers were still taking a wait-and-see attitude toward “Raise the Flag and Cheer,” afraid the two men might simply be acting.
If a ship you had genuinely invested your heart in broke up one day, it could hurt for a long time.
After walking quite a distance, Chu Yao suddenly noticed that his palm felt a little damp. Jin Zhihan seemed to be sweating.
He glanced at the white shirt Jin Zhihan was wearing. It was thin, and the weather was not even very hot.
Getting up the small hill required climbing ninety-nine steps, but that amount of exertion was hardly worth mentioning for a grown man.
Soon, Chu Yao spotted the production team’s sign standing firmly beside a locust tree. It was bright pink, decorated with heart-shaped bubbles, with the four large words Heartbeat Tempo written across it, impossible to miss.
Beside the sign stood a familiar figure.
Chu Yao had already recognized who it was, and his mood instantly became complicated.
Wen Xu and Lu Yiwen were the first to reach the top. Jiang Xizhe immediately extended a hand and introduced himself. “Hello, big brothers. I’m Jiang Xizhe. For the rest of the trip, I’ll be serving as your life assistant and tour guide.”
When the other two couples arrived, he tried to shake hands with each of them in turn.
Chu Yao naturally had to maintain his public image, so he merely touched Jiang Xizhe’s hand perfunctorily. But when it was Jin Zhihan’s turn, Jin Zhihan simply slipped both hands into his trouser pockets, completely unconcerned about whether the other man would feel awkward.
A person with status in society could throw his weight around with confidence.
[President Jin is so strict about male virtue! He doesn’t casually shake hands with other people at all!]
[President Jin: Only my wife gets to touch my hands. Everyone else can forget it.]
[Do you all have goldfish memories? Didn’t President Jin shake hands with Lu Yiwen and Bai Jishen earlier?]
[Oh? Is President Jin deliberately targeting Jiang Xizhe? Did I miss some gossip? Is there bad blood between them?]
[Quick explanation: Jiang Xizhe previously “accidentally” liked a post criticizing Chu Yao’s acting.]
[Oof… then this is going to be painfully awkward for them.]
Jiang Xizhe stiffly tugged at the corners of his lips, withdrew his hand in embarrassment, and moved to stand in front of the six guests.
There was a wide open space on top of the hill. The production team had set up a simple canopy with three tables underneath, each laden with local specialties.
“As all the big brothers can see, the production team has prepared three generous afternoon-tea spreads for us. In a moment, all you have to do is pass a little compatibility quiz, and then you can enjoy them.”
After speaking, Jiang Xizhe looked toward Wen Xu and Lu Yiwen. “Why don’t you two set an example first?”
Lu Yiwen nodded readily. “No problem.”
Chu Yao was not nervous at all. He had already guessed that the show would include little games testing how well couples knew each other. Before arriving, he and Jin Zhihan had memorized certain special anniversaries, along with things each of them liked or disliked.
Jiang Xizhe would ask the questions, and the guests had to answer in unison.
Wen Xu and Lu Yiwen really did know each other well. They got everything right from the very first question.
Then it was Zhao Jing and Bai Jishen’s turn. They had been married for the longest, so naturally they did not make any mistakes either.
That put the pressure squarely on Chu Yao and Jin Zhihan.
Jiang Xizhe glanced at them and, without showing anything on his face, pulled out the hardest question card.
“Question: What song did Brother Yao sing at Litchi TV’s New Year’s Eve concert five years ago?”
The instant the question came out, Chu Yao gave up hope.
Every year, all the major television stations invited him to perform at their New Year’s Eve concerts. So much time had passed that even he needed a moment to think before answering that question. Jin Zhihan had never watched it. How could he possibly know?
“Three, two…” Jiang Xizhe began counting down.
“‘Meteor Shower.’”
Their perfectly synchronized voices rang out at once.
The instant the answer left his mouth, Chu Yao turned to look at the man beside him.
Had Jin Zhihan happened to see it somewhere?
Lu Yiwen quietly said to Wen Xu, “Good thing we didn’t draw that question. I couldn’t remember it right away.”
Wen Xu snorted. “You don’t even keep me in your heart, and you still have the nerve to say that out loud?”
“Ahem.” Lu Yiwen coughed to hide his embarrassment.
Since they had even answered the hard question correctly, Jiang Xizhe chose relatively easy ones after that.
“Second question: What food does President Jin hate the most?”
“Cilantro.”
“Third question: Where does Brother Yao most want to travel?”
“The moon.”
“Fourth question: Which part of his body does President Jin like best?”
“All of it.”
They had already compared answers for these questions beforehand, so every response came easily.
The three couples sat down. Wen Xu eagerly picked up a pastry to taste, and Lu Yiwen leaned his head closer. “Let me try some.”
On the other side, Bai Jishen picked up a slice of ham and held it to Zhao Jing’s lips first, asking if he wanted it.
Only Chu Yao and Jin Zhihan had a completely different style.
Chu Yao picked up his chopsticks and tasted things one by one. His everyday diet was far too bland, so he was taking advantage of filming to indulge himself for once.
Of course, he still did not dare eat much. He only sampled one bite of each item so his face would not be swollen the next morning.
He had exactly zero romantic experience, so it genuinely had not occurred to him that even eating something was apparently an opportunity to show affection.
With his straightforward personality, his instinctive thought was: I have hands of my own. If I want something, I can just eat it. Why make things so complicated?
This was a textbook case of being “married in status, single at heart.”
Seeing how satisfied Chu Yao looked while eating, Jin Zhihan wanted to feed him but could not find a suitable opening, so in the end he simply ate by himself too.
Jiang Xizhe’s job was to keep the atmosphere lively. Seeing Jin Zhihan and Chu Yao both eating on their own, he deliberately called on them to draw out a topic.
“Why don’t we all talk about some affectionate moments from our private lives? President Jin, why don’t you start?”
At first glance, there was nothing wrong with the question. But combined with the current situation, it suddenly felt pointed.
They could not even manage basic interaction while eating in front of the cameras, so how affectionate could they possibly be in private? No matter how much they claimed, would anyone believe them?
Jin Zhihan took a sip of tea and asked unhurriedly, “What kind of affection do you mean?”
His gaze was deep and intensely oppressive.
He was plainly sitting there drinking tea at leisure, yet somehow a murderous aura seemed to roll straight toward them.
Jiang Xizhe’s nerves tightened instantly. He answered cautiously, “Just… any private interaction between the two of you that left a deep impression. Anything is fine.”
“In private…” A faint smile curved Jin Zhihan’s lips. Then he called, “Wife.”
Chu Yao had just put a piece of glutinous-rice cake into his mouth. He looked at Jin Zhihan with round, clear eyes, visibly confused.
Jin Zhihan used the pad of his thumb to wipe away a tiny white crumb from the corner of Chu Yao’s lips. His tone carried a hint of ambiguity. “Those memorable interactions between us—can they even be broadcast?”