Chapter 10

Many times, embarrassment is fleeting.

Other times, it lingers and spreads.

Especially when the director, assistant director, and producer all come storming over, looking fierce and imposing.

Lu Tingchao pointed a finger at himself: "Red Team Male #9, Lu Tingchao?"

The curly-haired young man opposite gave a slight nod: "Blue Team Male #1, Fei Xiuqi."

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Lu Tingchao took a step back: "My apologies, I'll just be backing away slowly now."

He turned politely and bowed sincerely to the production team: "Sorry, I'm face-blind. Cut that! Cut all of it."

Director: "..."

Lu Tingchao scurried away.

The scene was left with only the production team to sit with the lingering awkwardness.

The director pondered for a long time, then said timidly: "Sorry about that... Young Master Fei, this... sigh! The show originally arranged for you to be paired with another minor celebrity. I never expected someone to be so clueless as to offend you... If you're truly unhappy, I'll terminate his contract and have him leave right now!"

Fei Xiuqi laughed: "Why... fire him?"

Director: "?"

Fei Xiuqi: "Isn't it kind of funny? I like him."

The director was taken aback: "Then, what do you think..."

The man leaned halfway against the railing, the wind tousling the cufflinks of his white shirt, making him appear even more youthful and dashing.

"Edit that earlier segment into a blooper reel."

Fei Xiuqi said, "Let the audience see just how adorable he is."

Director: "..."

The director nodded: "No problem, Young Master Fei. We'll edit it right away and release it tonight."

"Good job."

Fei Xiuqi lightly brushed the dust off the cufflinks of his white shirt, then bent down slightly and plucked a blooming red rose from the vase on the small balcony table: "Kick out his originally assigned partner, that guy named Liu..."

Director: "Named Liu Jiamu."

Fei Xiuqi nodded: "Have him get lost immediately. Then get things ready—I want to go on a date with Lulu tonight."

Director: "...Understood, understood."

The rose in the vase still had its thorns.

Fei Xiuqi pinched the stem and played with it. The sharp thorns cut his finger, and blood instantly gushed out, streaming down the stem and dripping onto the ground.

Finally, it fell to the ground in droplets.

The director hurriedly said: "Quick, disinfect and bandage Young Master Fei's—"

Fei Xiuqi: "Don't bother."

Director: "?"

Fei Xiuqi: "The flower isn't fresh anymore. Get a new one."

The bloodstained rose was casually tossed to the ground, then stepped on by his leather shoe. Drop after drop of blood trailed along with Fei Xiuqi's footsteps as he walked farther away.

The assistant director was completely stunned and tugged at the producer's sleeve beside him: "I think—"

The executive producer's expression was also stiff: "Nobody cares what you think. Plain and simple, this is a show his family funded. He can do whatever he wants. Got a problem with that?"

Assistant director: "..."

The director rubbed his bald head: "Accept and tolerate. He's actually quite normal for high society."

Assistant director: "?"

Director: "He is only interested in Lu Tingchao—he didn’t even ask for a group scene."

Executive producer: "Right."

Assistant director: "?"

Your moral standards are so low.

The assistant director fell silent, struggled with it, pondered, then replied: "But wasn’t that Liu Jiamu brought in by Jiang Rong? Could this offend—"

"Compared to the Fei family of Hong Kong, what is Jiang Rong?"

The executive producer said dismissively, "Did you think she was the Zhuang family of City B?"

The director also nodded: "I’d really like to see the Zhuang family and the Fei family face off someday, but one is in City B and the other in Hong Kong..."

The producer said: "Stop dreaming. Hurry up and edit the footage. Oh, and make it ambiguous—get it trending."

Meanwhile, Lu Tingchao, who knew nothing about any of this: "..."

Why?

Why?

What kind of treasure hunt show did he sign up for? Or has Liu Jiamu already been buried in the ground?!

After going back and forth inside and outside the villa six times with zero results.

Lu Tingchao, looking dejected, took five bottles of orange soda from the refrigerator, stuck straws in them, found a secluded spot by the beach, and started chugging them.

Not finding anyone meant he couldn’t move today’s plot forward.

Chug, chug, chug.

Not advancing the storyline meant that even if they met face-to-face that evening, it would be like strangers.

Chug, chug, chug.

Whatever, worst case, he’d just confess in the middle of the night.

A confession at three in the morning hits deeper.

Chug, chug, chug.

His drained stamina gradually recovered with the comfort of the chilled soda.

Lu Tingchao wasn’t one to torment himself. He drank on the spot, had an epiphany on the spot, and peacefully fell asleep right there.

*

Lu Tingchao was woken up by a strand of foxtail grass.

The sky had darkened. Looking out across the quiet sea, he could see the bright lights of countless homes along the opposite shore.

Rubbing his nose, Lu Tingchao sat up and noticed a line of mosquito bites on his exposed legs.

He reached out to scratch them.

But another hand grasped his wrist from the side. "Don’t. The more you scratch, the more it’ll itch, and it'll scar."

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Lu Tingchao stubbornly shook off the person’s hand and scratched fiercely anyway. Then, hugging his legs, he said, "I don’t understand."

Fei Xiuqi laughed.

His laughter was loud and unapologetic, even revealing a pair of sharp fangs.

Fei Xiuqi said, "Don’t scratch. The more you scratch, the more it’ll itch, and it’ll leave scars. It won't look good."

Lu Tingchao: "Oh."

Lu Tingchao nodded. "I’m not listening."

Fei Xiuqi seemed unusually patient. He handed over a green ointment. "Apply some, and the itching will stop."

Lu Tingchao: "."

No reason to turn down something offered so freely.

Lu Tingchao took it and slathered it on his bites, saying sincerely, "Thank you. I hope all the mosquitoes go bite you instead."

Fei Xiuqi: "Biting the hand that feeds you?"

Lu Tingchao grinned.

He brushed sand off his butt. "Shouldn’t we be gathering on the main floor now?"

Fei Xiuqi grunted in response. "But there’s no gathering tonight."

Lu Tingchao: "Huh?"

Fei Xiuqi: "While you were asleep, there was an announcement. They said the guests can take the first night to get to know each other. The first official meetup will be at lunch tomorrow."

No gathering??

That won’t do!!

Lu Tingchao jumped up, turned around, and started to leave. "Anyway, I'm off, I need to find someone. Hey—!"

Fei Xiuqi caught his hand.

First grabbing his wrist, then tracing his palm, before interlocking their fingers and tugging back lightly.

He held Lu Tingchao firmly in place.

Lu Tingchao: "???"

Fei Xiuqi: "Your previous partner, Liu Jiamu, had a last-minute conflict. He won’t be joining this episode."

Lu Tingchao: "Huh? Why??"

Fei Xiuqi shook his head. "No idea."

His partner was gone???

Then he had no partner… Was he about to be cut from the show too??

Were they going to ask for a refund??

There's no way Chao Chao would issue refunds QAQ

Lu Tingchao’s mind raced. He didn’t even care about their linked hands anymore, spinning in place several times before stomping his foot. "I’m going to ask the director."

The sand was yielding and loose.

Fei Xiuqi gave a slight tug, and Lu Tingchao lost his balance, stumbling backward—

right into Fei Xiuqi’s firm hold.

Solid. Unmoving.

Lu Tingchao blinked.

Fei Xiuqi said, "Well, here’s the thing. My original partner also had some complications, so the director asked me to come ask you."

Fei Xiuqi: "Lu Tingchao, would you be willing to partner with me?"

Lu Tingchao: "Ah…"

Lu Tingchao pushed himself up from the sand, extricating himself from Fei Xiuqi's hold, and mulled it over for a moment. "But you’re the Blue Team's lead male. I only signed on for two episodes—am I allowed to say that?"

Fei Xiuqi smiled. "I originally only signed for one episode."

Lu Tingchao: "Then why are you the male lead??!"

Fei Xiuqi: "Probably because I know the show’s backer."

Lu Tingchao nodded. "Got it. You’re the connected one."

Lu Tingchao stood up, helping Fei Xiuqi up from the sand along with him. "I really can only film two episodes, and I really do have a child. Is that a problem for you?"

Fei Xiuqi dipped his head slightly. "Then are you really divorced?"

Lu Tingchao: "I…"

Fei Xiuqi arched an eyebrow. "Nothing. I’m a total upgrade from him."

Lu Tingchao pondered.

That was... debatable.

But that's not important.

Lu Tingchao is a rule-abiding, orderly, and principled guy. He thought for a moment: "Should we ask the director for a new script? I've never been on a dating show, and I haven't acted before. I don’t have much experience with dating..."

Fei Xiuqi reached out and covered Lu Tingchao's eyes.

It was an embrace from behind.

The young people in Hong Kong don’t seem to care about personal space; the back of Lu Tingchao's head was almost touching Fei Xiuqi's lips.

The white shirt from noon seemed to have been replaced with one made of silk, its soft fabric brushing against Lu Tingchao's jaw, followed by the ropes of muscle and veins on Fei Xiuqi's arm pressing against Lu Tingchao's cheek as he moved.

He could feel the pulse of blood.

He could hear Fei Xiuqi's heartbeat.

The sudden darkness made Lu Tingchao uneasy. He felt as if he had abruptly fallen into a vast spider’s web and couldn't help but reach out, clutching helplessly at the air around him.

There was only air.

And Fei Xiuqi's voice.

"BB, what’s your nickname at home? Lu Lu? Chao Chao?"

Lu Tingchao instinctively grabbed onto the only source of sound: "Chao Chao."

"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow again, I only wish for your carefree joy."

Fei Xiuqi's voice was warm and tinged with laughter. "Chao Chao, I’m so glad I met you."

The hands covering his eyes moved downward, encircling Lu Tingchao's slender waist.

A faint hum rose from the distant horizon.

Before Lu Tingchao could even adjust his vision from the brief darkness, he saw the still, expansive sea before him—

Suddenly, thousands of dazzling fireworks exploded.

Instantly illuminating the entire night sky.

Amid the brilliant fireworks, a fleet of drones silently ascended, quickly forming into a prearranged floral pattern as requested by the person who commissioned it.

"Lu Tingchao, I adore you."

The fireworks were grand.

The drone fleet was dazzling and massive.

This magnificent confession lasted until late at night, with many passersby even recording and uploading videos on their phones.

Fei Xiuqi lowered his head slightly, resting his chin near Lu Tingchao's ear: "Chao Chao, happy dating."

*

The top trending topics, originally filled with celebrities, were now all replaced by this unknown fireworks show.

"Heavens!!! Which young master is in love without me??? Someone calculate how much money just went up in flames???"

"Don't want to calculate, afraid of heartbreak. I just want to know who Lu Tingchao is."

"Asked a company that handles this kind of thing. It costs millions per hour, and it went on for half the night—you do the math. Also, who is Lu Tingchao??? Who made the young master fall so hard!!!"

"#video#video#Don't tell me it was love at first sight for the young master... I’d actually lose it with jealousy..."

"Damn! I saw this video this afternoon and thought it was a joke. So I'm the joke???"

"Is the one being confessed to called Lu Tingchao? Are you sure??? Seriously, it's so funny—I'm cringing so hard I could dig up a three-bedroom apartment laughing. But such sincerity definitely attracted the young master!!!"

"Got the inside scoop. It was supposed to be a dating show, and Chao Chao was probably following the script. But he confessed to the wrong person #facepalm#"

"Wrong? This is definitely right!!! The young master gladly accepted hhhhh"

"But it might still be scripted. The show hasn't even aired yet, and after this leak, it rocketed straight to number one on the upcoming list—like a rocket."

"Whatever, bring it to me! I want to ship them!"

"Found Chao Chao's Weibo. Damn, his last post was five years ago. Five years later, he's still a nobody #facepalm#"

"Zhuang Ji Rongrong, let me briefly switch loyalties QAQQQ This looks so shippable!"

"Found info on Lu Tingchao. Who's going to dig up info on the young master in the white shirt? He can't have zero online presence, right??? What kind of background does he have to be this influential?"

Lin Cheng: "..."

Due to back-to-back filming, they wrapped up at 4 a.m. today.

Zhuang Ji looked exhausted as he walked over, picked up the iced Americano on the table, and drank the entire cup.

After a moment, he rubbed his temples: "Did Chao Chao call?"

Lin Cheng: "!!!"

A deadly question!!!

Lin Cheng immediately shoved his phone into his pocket. In his nervousness, he missed the pocket and shoved it into his pants—then it slid down his leg.

"Thump."

It fell to the ground.

Lin Cheng: "..."

Zhuang Ji: "..."

Lin Cheng looked down—the phone was completely unharmed.

Zhuang Ji's face darkened: "He didn't call? Not even once?"

Lin Cheng quickly dropped down and picked up the phone.

Zhuang Ji: "Why are you so nervous?"

Lin Cheng: "N-no reason..."

Zhuang Ji said offhandedly: "What did you see? More negative press about me? Let me see."