Xia Yan rubbed his hands together. If he could share a room with Lu Chengyan, there were far too many things that could happen.
This golden opportunity for pursuit could not be missed!
Everyone relocated to the lounge area of the plane to start the game. There was a large round table in the lounge area, just enough for eight people to sit.
Xia Yan went first, and as soon as he spoke, it sparked a round of discussion.
“I can eat five bowls of rice in one meal.”
“Not small bowls, just regular-sized bowls used at home,” he added.
Huh?
Five bowls of rice?
The guests found it hard to believe.
In their eyes, Xia Yan was a slender, delicate youth. Although he did not have an unhealthy, emaciated thinness, he still looked like a little fairy who could get full from eating half a bowl of rice.
Five bowls of white rice felt like it could stretch his belly to look five months pregnant.
“Really or not?” Shen Xingci doubted. “We do not just say things casually here. Lying comes with a penalty, oh.”
Xia Yan was not talking nonsense. He looked thin, but he could eat a lot. To burn off excess calories, he exercised at home. Probably due to his constitution, he had never been able to build massive muscles, but lean muscles were there; he only looked thin when wearing clothes.
After this book transmigration, his body was restored 1-to-1 by the system, and his appetite remained the same as before.
Xia Yan nodded obediently. “Really. Another day, I can prove it for everyone to see.”
“No need for another day!” A loud boom echoed from the sky as Zhao Weidong made a dazzling appearance. “It is eleven-thirty, just the right time for lunch. Let us record while we eat.”
He clapped his hands twice, and five-star chefs presented culinary delicacies.
Dishes were served one after another: Wensi tofu, top broth conch, emerald lobster, soft-braised eel. More than a dozen dishes in total, all coming from the state banquet menu.
Compared to the first season’s airplane meals, this season could be described as luxurious.
Song Yutong took out her phone and snapped pictures. “Oh wow, is this a lunch I am allowed to enjoy? So blissful!”
Jiang Yi, Gu Xiaoran, and Su Yi glanced calmly at Lu Chengyan. The title sponsor of this season’s Linglong Love was ENO Mobile, and there was also a sponsor called Xixi Foods—both of which were companies under the Lu Group.
Taking advantage of Lu Chengyan’s light this season, they should have a pretty comfortable time.
Over here, Xia Yan had already started eating. He had good culinary skills himself, but compared to a five-star chef, there was still a huge gap. This stir-fried shredded eel went insanely well with rice, and the sea cucumber soup also deeply won his heart.
He ate quietly without appearing reserved, and the corners of his mouth would curve up slightly with every bite of food. He ate with great relish, making everyone around him work up a big appetite.
Gu Xiaoran had chronic gastritis, and her appetite had not been very good over the past few days. Watching Xia Yan eat, she actually developed an appetite. She picked a few light dishes, watching Xia Yan for a moment and eating a bite herself.
Seeing everyone start eating, Zhao Weidong announced that the game would continue.
Xia Yan’s statement could temporarily be considered something he could pull off, so the remaining seven people each bent down one finger.
Xia Yan twitched the corners of his mouth proudly, feeling victory beckoning to him.
But before long, he could no longer smile. It felt as though he was being set up.
Lu Chengyan said he could speak five languages, and apart from Xia Yan, none of the other guests bent a finger.
Shen Xingci said he had shaken hands with the president, and apart from Xia Yan, none of the other guests bent a finger.
Gu Xiaoran said she won the national scholarship for three consecutive years during college, and apart from Xia Yan, none of the other guests bent a finger.
Yu Wan said she knew how to sky dive, and apart from Xia Yan, none of the other guests bent a finger.
Song Yutong said she had jumped from a 625-meter high-altitude bungee jumping platform, and apart from Xia Yan, none of the other guests bent a finger.
Jiang Yi and Su Yi had not spoken yet, but all five of Xia Yan’s fingers were already bent and gone.
He felt the deep malice of the world. Were artists nowadays this competitive and hardworking?
Skydiving and bungee jumping—the pressure sounded immense as well.
In the first round, Xia Yan was completely defeated.
In the second round, Xia Yan was beaten even more thoroughly, leaving him battered and bruised.
The guests present had all achieved success in their respective fields. One person reported an award, and before it was even Xia Yan’s turn to speak, his fingers were all bent away.
The director even started to sympathize with him, ruling that reporting awards was prohibited in the next round.
The third round was the relatively normal “I have what you don’t have” game. Xia Yan racked his brains and ranked fourth, accumulating 1 point. By this point, his total across three rounds was 1 point, placing him at the very bottom.
As for Lu Chengyan, he was first.
Once the game ended, it was time to choose teammates and rooms. The room layouts arranged by the guesthouse were all the same, so it was mainly about choosing teammates.
Xia Yan stared eagerly at Lu Chengyan, attempting to gain some pity, but Lu Chengyan’s gaze passed right over him. “I choose Shen Xingci.”
Lu Chengyan’s father was an avuncular friend of Shen Xingci’s father, and he had previously made a friendly cameo in Shen Xingci’s short film. They could be considered quite familiar with each other.
The rice in Xia Yan’s mouth suddenly lost its flavor. It was an expected result, but thinking about it still made him feel so regretful.
The runner-up was Gu Xiaoran, who chose the cool girl Su Yi, who had barely spoken the entire time.
Third place went to Shen Xingci. Since he was chosen by Lu Chengyan, his turn was skipped, leaving fourth place Yu Wan to choose her roommate.
Yu Wan had a gentle and somewhat introverted personality. Everyone thought she would choose Song Yutong, but unexpectedly, she blushed and chose Jiang Yi.
Her voice was as soft as a kitten’s as she asked Jiang Yi if it was okay, and her shy appearance made Jiang Yi blush as well.
Song Yutong’s gossipy gaze swept back and forth, the corners of her mouth unable to come down.
Watching a CP up close—she loved this job so much.
Meanwhile, the director announced that the remaining Song Yutong and Xia Yan were automatically grouped together.
Song Yutong was very satisfied with this arrangement. She liked beauties, and among everyone present, Xia Yan’s looks were her absolute favorite.
With the game over, lunch was also nearly finished. Xia Yan had proven his extraordinary appetite to everyone.
However, five bowls of rice were Xia Yan’s limit. He felt a bit stuffed after eating it and put on a facade in front of the cameras. There were no shooting plans scheduled from the end of lunch until the plane landed, so once the cameras were turned off, he lay flat on his seat, rubbing his belly like a corpse.
He sat in his old seat, with Lu Chengyan sitting right beside him.
Seeing that his expression was listless, Lu Chengyan hesitated for a long time before asking, “Are you feeling unwell?”
The outer corners of Xia Yan’s brows rose almost imperceptibly.
Lu Chengyan had actually taken the initiative to talk to him.
He shook his head. “No, I just ate too much.”
Lu Chengyan: …
He really should not have asked.
Lu Chengyan did not speak again; he closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.
Xia Yan was bored anyway, and since Lu Chengyan had initiated the conversation, how could he possibly let him off?
Xia Yan said, “Ge, are you very tired? You were sleeping in the morning, and you are sleeping in the afternoon too.”
Without waiting for Lu Chengyan to reply, he continued on his own, “You must be exhausted. You probably rushed right over overnight after attending fashion week abroad, right?”
Lu Chengyan’s gaze shifted slightly, and he asked, “How did you know?”
Xia Yan turned slightly sideways to look at him, his eyes curving into shallow arcs. “Because I am Ge’s fan. I pay attention to all of Ge’s schedules.”
Lu Chengyan asked, “My fan?”
Xia Yan nodded. As he looked at Lu Chengyan, the admiration, adoration, joy, and gentleness in the depths of his eyes were practically overflowing. “Right, a fan. Ge is my light. It is because I like you that I have persevered until now and managed to stand before you.”
The young man’s gaze was fervent and straightforward, and his confession was frank and sincere. Lu Chengyan suddenly felt his throat tighten, and his heartbeat went haywire once again.
These were all slick words from Xia Yan, most likely said intentionally for clout.
Lu Chengyan reminded himself to stay alert, but seeing those eyes completely filled with his own reflection, his heartbeat grew even more violent.
[Ding! Target favorability increased by 3 points. Current favorability: 8.]
Xia Yan: Oh ho?
He had only made a slight move, and his favorability went up again.
He suddenly felt that Lu Chengyan was not as cold and hard to approach as described in the original plot. It seemed that as long as he acted shamelessly enough, he could chase and win the person over.
In the morning, he was still afraid that pushing too hard would backfire, but looking at it now, perhaps he could try increasing his output intensity.
“Ge,” Xia Yan extended his index finger, his lily-white fingertip lightly brushing against the back of Lu Chengyan’s hand while his eyes stared straight at Lu Chengyan. “Do you know when I became your fan?”
Lu Chengyan pulled back his hand, crossed his arms over his chest, and spoke in a cold tone, acting as though he had not heard Xia Yan’s question or did not care about it at all, simply saying, “I am going to rest.”
Yet:
[Ding! Target favorability increased by 3 points. Current favorability: 11.]
[Host, you are amazing! Completing the mission is just around the corner!]
Xia Yan suppressed the corners of his mouth, holding back from smiling too excessively.
Lu Chengyan was simply too cute. His mouth was stubborn, but his heart was as soft as puppy fur—rub it or scratch it a little, and it would fluff right up.
Continuing at this pace, it would not take long before he finished this world’s mission.