Xu Qingnan and Deng You walked for about ten minutes before they spotted a huddled dark shadow sitting beneath a tree. Xu Qingnan swept his flashlight over it a couple of times his intention was simply to signal Deng You regarding the identity of that shadow, but Deng You had sharp eyes and noticed that the shadow actually gave a little start the moment it was caught in the beam.
Deng You sidled up closer to Xu Qingnan and asked in a low voice, “Is that Xubai?”
Xu Qingnan gave a nod.
Amusement flickered in Deng You’s eyes; he genuinely hadn’t expected Ren Xubai to be afraid of the dark.
A surge of mischievousness welling up inside him, Deng You tiptoed stealthily behind Ren Xubai, preparing to clap a hand onto his shoulder.
Xu Qingnan had no intention of meddling, walking right past them. The two of them would naturally catch up once they finished fooling around.
A sudden, highly panicked cry rang out through the air, accompanied by Deng You’s triumphant laughter.
The very next second, Xu Qingnan felt something slam into his back as a pair of arms wrapped tightly around him from behind, clasping right across his chest.
With a reflex born of instinct, Xu Qingnan grabbed the person’s right arm and forcefully twisted it outward—
“Ow, ow, ow!”
If Ren Xubai hadn’t cried out in time, his right arm probably would have snapped.
Easing up on his strength, Xu Qingnan hauled Ren Xubai around to face him and issued a warning: “If there’s a next time, bear the consequences yourself.”
Only then did he notice that Ren Xubai still had his eyes squeezed tightly shut.
Hearing a familiar voice, the man cracked open one eye to peek through a slit, and only after confirming it was Xu Qingnan did he fully open his eyes and let out a long breath of relief.
Ren Xubai’s cheeks were flushed a damp red from being trapped and covered up, his hair damp with sweat and messy as it tumbled across his forehead. His eyes were similarly watery, the outer corners flushed red, making him look as though he had suffered a monumental fright.
It was completely different from his usual unbridled, noisy demeanor.
Even though his right arm was still immobilized and he had just been startled half to death by Deng You, the very second he laid eyes on Xu Qingnan, his immediate reaction wasn’t to play the pitiful card or lodge a complaint. Instead, pulling down the corners of his lips, he muttered in a muffled voice, “I waited for you to come back. You’re not mad anymore, right?”
“…” Xu Qingnan released Ren Xubai’s arm. “Let’s go back.”
Instead, Ren Xubai reached out to grab the edge of Xu Qingnan’s sleeve with a backwards tug, wearing an expression that remained somewhat absent-minded and ethereal. His flushed face had already faded to a pale white, and the corners of his mouth attempted to tug upward into his most familiar curve. “Xu-ge, let me hold on for a bit longer. I really can’t take it otherwise.”
Xu Qingnan fell silent for a brief moment, offering only a single critique: “That smile looks truly ugly.”
Deng You’s laughter cut off dead.
His gaze fixed with absolute disbelief onto the hand Ren Xubai currently had pinched against Xu Qingnan’s sleeve.
Wasn’t that my spot just a moment ago?!
Gritting his teeth through a smile, Deng You took the initiative to toss out a question: “Xubai, I heard you sprained your ankle. I was even wondering if I should carry you back on my back, but looking at you now—”
“Thanks for the kind thought,” Ren Xubai, feeling slightly more at ease, cast surreptitious glances at Xu Qingnan over and over. Reassuring himself that Xu Qingnan was presumably no longer angry, he tossed back casually, “Isn’t it all better now?”
“You recover remarkably fast, don’t you?” Deng You strolled over to Xu Qingnan’s other side, tilting his head to eye Ren Xubai. “And you’re not scared of the dark anymore either?”
“I am scared, which is why Xu-ge is letting me hold on for a bit,” Ren Xubai smiled right back. “Unlike you, so daring that walking all by yourself is no big deal.”
Such a dead green tea!
As far as Deng You was concerned, Ren Xubai was putting on an act from start to finish.
The fear of the dark was definitely fake, too!
Deng You glared fiercely back, opening his mouth to resume the offensive
Annoyed by the bickering coming from his left and right, Xu Qingnan cut them off with a sharp reprimand: “Why don’t the two of you just stand on the same side?”
With one on each flank, it felt like being trapped in a 3D surround-sound speaker.
Both men instantly zipped their mouths shut.
When the trio finally returned to the base camp, Huo Zheng, Ye Yuyao, and Cheng Yanzhi were clustered together on one side of the bonfire, playing cards, with several strips of paper plastered across Huo Zheng’s face.
Hearing the commotion, Ye Yuyao was the first to spring to his feet. “You’re back? Is Deng You alright?”
Waving a hand, Deng You’s very first order of business was to strip off his dirt-smeared tactical windbreaker. “I’m fine, just got lost and ended up holding everyone up.”
“As long as you’re back safe and sound, should we get dinner started?” Ye Yuyao gathered up the cards in his hands. Huo Zheng and Cheng Yanzhi also handed their cards over to Ye Yuyao with practiced ease, clearly having spent a very pleasant time together. “Everyone must be starving, right?”
The grill was hauled back to the center, its iron mesh grating resting over the leaping flames. The six of them gathered in a circle around it, taking turns placing the ingredients from the side onto the grill.
Barbecuing was arguably the least technique-demanding form of cooking, so even though their movements were somewhat clumsy, everyone managed to mimic each other. Sprayed with oil over the meat skewers, the savory aroma was rapidly coaxed out by the heat.
Bearing his mission firmly in mind, Deng You scooped up every single one of Xu Qingnan’s portions and placed them right beside his own workspace, only transferring the successfully grilled items onto Xu Qingnan’s plate. “Qingnan, give it a try and see how the flavor is.”
Xu Qingnan was indeed hungry, picking up a skewer and biting off a piece of meat before raising an eyebrow.
It was actually fully cooked.
Moreover, it was exceptionally tender, and the seasonings had been applied to absolute perfection, leaving a lingering fragrance across his teeth and lips.
“Didn’t I tell you I’ve got this? Pretty good, right?” Observing Xu Qingnan’s expression until he confirmed the other was satisfied, Deng You beamed instantly. “With me around, you can just sit back and eat.”
He even remembered to shoot a triumphant, provocative glance at Ren Xubai, who was seated on Xu Qingnan’s other side.
“Xu-ge, I know how to grill, too,” Ren Xubai refused to be outdone, immediately putting in a bid. “Why didn’t you let me do it?”
Xu Qingnan tossed his finished skewer aside and said flatly, “You didn’t ask.”
“True, after all, this is my expression of gratitude for saving my life,” Deng You’s eyes and brows curved with immense smugness. “No need to trouble Xubai to lift a finger.”
Watching Deng You play the role of the devoted homemaker as he fed Xu Qingnan who compliantly ate whatever was handed to him while his demeanor visibly relaxed, as if Deng You’s cooking genuinely suited his tastes the sour bile inside Ren Xubai’s stomach bubbled up uncontrollably.
Refusing to yield an inch, he filled up the beverage cup sitting by Xu Qingnan’s hand.
Seated across from Xu Qingnan, Ye Yuyao pressed his lips together with a hint of speechlessness.
Xu Qingnan was merely an ordinary person; who knew what tricks he had pulled to sneak his way into this high-class matchmaking circle? His personality was as cold and hard as a boulder, and he didn’t mince words when he spoke. Yet on just the second day of meeting him, both Deng You and Ren Xubai were falling over themselves to wait on him with one outdoing the other.
Ren Xubai aside he could tell that this guy suffered from a bizarre, baffling case of love at first sight toward Xu Qingnan.
Why was Deng You acting this way, too? Yesterday he had only shown slight leaning tendencies, but why was he putting on this kind of act now? Just because Xu Qingnan went out to find him?
Could Deng You possibly believe that Xu Qingnan volunteered to come looking for him?
Recalling how Xu Qingnan had cleanly and decisively shoved that long stick into his own hands back then, Ye Yuyao felt like a complete clown for ever casting Xu Qingnan as his hypothetical rival.
He had originally thought he was being petty and small-minded, only to discover that Xu Qingnan had concealed the truth of the draw, letting Deng You assume he had taken the initiative to rescue him.
Viewing it through that lens, Xu Qingnan’s interactions with Ren Xubai looked more like an attempt to draw Ren Xubai’s attention. Otherwise, why would Xu Qingnan show such intense aversion toward someone he had just met?
Tying down one while hooking another Xu Qingnan certainly had quite the repertoire of tricks up his sleeve, didn’t he?
“Is Deng You doing this to repay a life-saving debt?” Ye Yuyao teased smoothly. “If I had known there was such a perk, I wouldn’t have let Qingnan take my spot when he was organizing the draw back then.”
Ye Yuyao’s phrasing sounded rather strange, clearly waiting for Deng You to take the bait and ask, but Deng You didn’t miss a single beat in his rhythm, replying crisply, “Well, that’s different. Change the person, and the perks change with them.”
Seated on Xu Qingnan’s other flank, Ren Xubai promptly raised his eyes as well. “Does Yuyao’s remark imply that you have your eyes on Deng You?”
Ye Yuyao’s expression stiffened.
The target of his own targeting Xu Qingnan hadn’t even said a word yet, so why were these two clowns fighting over who got to play the white knight?
…I was just making casual conversation, everyone’s just getting to know each other here, Ye Yuyao’s stiff expression vanished in a flash as he offered a smiling proposal instead. “How about we play a game? Just sitting here eating is getting kind of dull.”
There had to be some way to make Xu Qingnan expose his true colors.
Huo Zheng chimed in, “What do you want to play?”
“Let’s play Truth or Dare. It’ll liven up the atmosphere and help draw us closer together,” seeing that no one raised any objections, Ye Yuyao pulled out the deck of poker cards he had just stowed away, selected six cards from it, and stood up to distribute them randomly among the group. “The rules are simple: whoever draws the Ace gets to choose between Truth or Dare, and the person holding the King gets to ask the question.”
Xu Qingnan had zero interest in this kind of game, though he didn’t harbor any overt aversion either, simply piping up with a single reminder: “The production crew rules state that occupations, ages, and genders must remain confidential. Everyone, make sure not to violate the agreement.”
Ye Yuyao offered a meaningful smile. “Naturally.”
Just watch, he had said it before Xu Qingnan was purely here to climb the social ladder.
Having his suggestion validated, Xu Qingnan returned to eating his food.
As long as they didn’t ask about those forbidden topics.
After all, the penalty for breach of contract was quite hefty.
For the first round, Deng You drew the King, while Huo Zheng drew the Ace.
Huo Zheng chose Truth.
“Then let’s go with an easy one,” Deng You didn’t forget to slide another grilled meat skewer onto Xu Qingnan’s plate as he asked casually, “Have you ever been in a relationship?”
Huo Zheng shook his head. “No.”
Deng You cracked a smile. “Then how about the person who answers the question becomes the dealer for the next round?”
Ye Yuyao’s movement of trying to stand up paused midway.
Deng You continued, “That way, Yuyao doesn’t have to keep getting up and sitting back down, right?”