He is a timid little puppy, and also an obedient little puppy.
Listening to the sound of running water coming from the bathroom, Zhou Xingyu maintained his original attitude, diligently making the bed for Mo Yunyu. Finally, he sat upright on the chair, struggling to suppress the wild growth of peculiar emotions churning inside his heart.
“Zhou Xingyu? I forgot to take my pajamas out of the suitcase.”
Listening to the somewhat muffled yet clearly vexed voice from beside him, Zhou Xingyu took a long moment to process before realizing that Mo Yunyu was calling him. He stood up and found the other man’s clothes from the open suitcase. When his eyes landed on a certain piece of intimate underwear, the tips of his ears turned a bright shade of red, but he still carefully pinched it between his fingers.
Yunyu waited patiently for quite a while before a knock finally sounded outside the door.
The bathroom door cracked open with a click, and a hazy mist of steam instantly billowed outward. A snow-white arm reached out, still glistening with droplets of water, its fingers flushed with an alluring pink hue, slowly unfolding right in front of Zhou Xingyu.
Zhou Xingyu fiercely restrained his gaze from wandering any further inward, his hands practically trembling as he handed over the clothes he was holding.
The person inside the bathroom snatched the clothes the moment they were within reach and slammed the door shut with a bang, muttering discontentedly under their breath: “So cold. You are so dilatory just handing over some clothes.”
When Mo Yunyu finished getting dressed and opened the door to step out of the bathroom, he was startled by a human wall standing right behind it.
“Why are you standing here? You scared the life out of me!” Mo Yunyu reached out to push the other man away, only to find that he did not budge an inch.
Having just taken a bath, Mo Yunyu looked like a piece of jade moistened by mountain spring water. The skin exposed beneath his oversized pajamas gleamed with an alluring luster, not to mention his damp, water-kissed cheeks still carrying a trace of warmth. The right amount of blush bloomed across his skin, earning him the description of a lotus emerging from the water without exaggeration.
Zhou Xingyu refused to miss a single detail, staring unblinkingly.
Annoyed by the intense gaze, Mo Yunyu furrowed his delicate brows and could only curse: “Pervert.”
With that, he bypassed Zhou Xingyu, walked over to the desk, picked up his phone, and began tapping angrily away at the screen, seemingly complaining about something.
Only when the person passed by him, trailing a faint citrus-scented breeze, did Zhou Xingyu snap back to reality. The expression on his face remained unchanged: “Sorry, I was just thinking about something.”
“Hmph, blow-dry my hair.” Mo Yunyu issued the command without a care in the world, playing on his phone as he sat down in the chair closest to the hair dryer.
The air fell silent for a moment before the hum of the hair dryer kicked in.
Doing this kind of thing for the first time, Zhou Xingyu kept his movements very gentle, his fingertips cautiously threading and parting those damp locks of hair.
The scent of the other man’s body wash diffused right under his nose. The distance was so close that a slight dip of Zhou Xingyu’s head allowed him to see that expanse of snow-white neck, and a fraction closer would let him feel a body temperature different from his own.
The hand gripping the hair dryer tightened progressively, but his other hand continued to gently comb through the hair.
Accepting Zhou Xingyu’s service as a matter of course, Yunyu narrowed his eyes comfortably and began browsing through the apps on his phone.
Although he possessed a portion of the original host’s memories, he had never quite felt a sense of reality until now, looking at the chat application, which finally made things feel tangible.
Yunyu replied to the messages one by one and sent a safety check-in to the original host’s older sister.
He closed his eyes slightly, basking in the warm airflow while reminiscing.
Mo Yunyu’s older sister, Mo Yunniao, had now taken over the family business and was a bona fide younger-brother-obsessed maniac. Furthermore, the engagement was not an official public arrangement, but merely a verbal promise between the two families. That brother-in-law of his possessed truly mystical abilities, which was no wonder Mo Yunyu adored him and willingly let him become his brother-in-law.
Zhou Xingyu kept blowing until those soft little curls were nearly dry before stopping. The moment he put down the hair dryer, the person in front of him slumped forward, heading straight for the floor.
Zhou Xingyu’s heart tightened. His palm quickly grabbed the other’s shoulder, using the momentum to draw Mo Yunyu against his own body.
Looking at the person resting in his arms, he realized that Mo Yunyu had already fallen asleep.
His self-control steadily collapsing, Zhou Xingyu’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Instead of speaking to wake him up, he scooped the person up horizontally with light, practiced movements, carried him over to the bed, and tucked the blanket around him carefully.
Yunyu, who had been keeping his eyes closed and feigning sleep, sighed inwardly.
What a coward. He was given every opportunity, yet he still cautiously shrinks back into his shell.
Thinking this, Yunyu did not forget to bid 609 a quiet goodnight before letting himself drift off into a dream.
There were two weeks left until the next livestream, and daily recordings were scheduled during this fortnight, which would later be edited into two recorded episodes. Already, quite a few contestants had headed to the practice rooms, trying to build a diligent persona.
As soon as Yunyu woke up and finished tidying up, Zhou Xingyu pushed open the door and returned to the dorm.
Seeing the bag in his hand, Yunyu raised a brow slightly, a trace of satisfaction in his heart. Though a timid little puppy, he was also an obedient little puppy.
“I brought you breakfast.” Zhou Xingyu handed over the items, and Mo Yunyu accepted them with a look of disdain.
“Just this for breakfast? Whatever. What are we doing today?” Mo Yunyu ate perfunctorily, his eyes fixed on Zhou Xingyu.
Like a little cat that has received its canned food but still needs to put on a proud front for a moment, Zhou Xingyu’s heart skipped a beat.
“It looks like all the contestants are going to be divided into groups today, though what happens afterward is not clear yet.”
Mo Yunyu chewed a few times, wiped his mouth with the napkin Zhou Xingyu handed him, and said: “Let’s go. If we’re late, we won’t get any screen time.”
Mo Yunyu walked a few steps out the door before suddenly stopping.
“What’s wrong?” Thinking he had forgotten something, Zhou Xingyu fished the dorm key out of his pocket.
He only saw the person ahead raise a hand to scratch his own fluffy hair, turning back with a hint of impatience: “You lead the way.”
Zhou Xingyu laughed softly, realizing what was going on, and stepped forward to take the lead.
When the two of them arrived at the venue, it was already a bustling scene. Most of the contestants were huddling with people from their own agencies, smiling and chatting on the surface while secretly observing their surrounding competitors.
Seeing the two walk in, someone tried to step forward to make small talk, but unfortunately, the haughty young master could not be bothered to pay him any mind, forcing the person to awkwardly retreat to the side.
Witnessing this scene, contestants who harbored even the slightest ulterior motives quickly suppressed their thoughts.
Until everyone had arrived, the host, Orange, finally stepped out, picked up the microphone, and began directing the scene.
“Today, we are going to group everyone up. It is actually a simple maze game.”
The heavy doors at the front of the venue slowly swung open.
“Inside are many questions, and those questions will determine which small rooms you go to. All the way until the end, you will be divided into six groups, with ten people in each group. As for what we will do after the grouping, we will reveal that later.”
Orange blinked playfully.
“Now, everyone, please proceed.”
At first, everyone was somewhat reserved, but one by one, they began heading down that path filled with the unknown.
Mo Yunyu wore a look of utter indifference, while Zhou Xingyu stuck right by his side the entire time.
As soon as they entered, everyone was greeted with the first question.
[Going out or staying at home?]
Mo Yunyu strode toward the right to stay at home without a moment’s hesitation. If it were not for a slight interest in becoming a celebrity and a desire to prevent his brother-in-law from cheating, he would much rather stay at home.
As for Zhou Xingyu trailing behind, he blindly followed wherever Mo Yunyu went.
The army of sixty split into two, and walking through the second door brought them to the second question.
[Working out or listening to music?]
Mo Yunyu continued choosing the door on the right for listening to music.
[Playing games or eating food? (Left side allows only five people to pass)]
Looking at the question and the hint beside it, Mo Yunyu walked toward the left.
Not long after he stepped inside, five more people entered through the other door.
Seeing that a group of ten had now been gathered through the game, a staff member nearby handed over a card.
Mo Yunyu was too lazy to take it himself, so he listened as someone else read it aloud.
“Congratulations on becoming members of Group E. For the next two weeks, you will become teammates and work hard together for the next live performance. The song you have drawn is Sick of It.”
As soon as those words fell, the song began playing in the room. Just as the gentle, sweet melody ended, someone eagerly began vying for screen time.
“Let’s elect a team leader first. I will introduce myself first…”
Mo Yunyu could not be bothered to get involved in these matters. Seeing that Zhou Xingyu remained right in front of him made him feel even more at ease, so he simply sat down, leaned against the wall, closed his eyes to doze, and actually drifted off to sleep.
Feeling the weight against his shoulder, Zhou Xingyu ultimately could not resist adjusting his position slightly to let Mo Yunyu sleep more comfortably, casually reaching out to stroke those curly locks.
Even though he had been the one to dry them last night, this soft texture was something he could never get tired of touching.
Watching the peacefully sleeping person, Zhou Xingyu struggled to control the wild associations in his heart. He really looked like a little cat, completely letting down its guard and falling asleep once it relaxed.
It was a pity that he did not yet have the ability or the status to stroke him openly.
At this thought, the air pressure around Zhou Xingyu dropped by a fraction.
When Shi Jingchi entered Group E’s small room, his eyes immediately locked onto Mo Yunyu dozing in the corner, and subsequently onto Zhou Xingyu, whom he was leaning against.
The moment their eyes met, the emotions in their gazes quickly transformed into probing assessment, entirely devoid of the love at first sight sentiment found in the original plot.
“I have come to check on everyone…” Shi Jingchi greeted with a smile, gracefully shifting his gaze toward Mo Yunyu: “I did not expect someone to actually fall asleep here.”
His tone was gentle, sounding as though he were joking, yet as he approached, he woke Mo Yunyu with a gentle shake without a moment’s hesitation.
Before Zhou Xingyu could stop him, Mo Yunyu had already rubbed his eyes and sat up straight.
Seeing the other wake up and no longer lean against anyone else, Shi Jingchi’s mood cleared up slightly.
He had no idea that in the future, this jealous action of his would be exploited by someone who had not even appeared yet, hiring internet trolls to ship him and Zhou Xingyu.
609 had already alerted Yunyu the moment Shi Jingchi approached, so the second he opened his eyes, he transitioned into prime form.
His hands rubbed his eyes slightly, and his pupils drifted from bottom to top, carrying a hint of dazed confusion as he looked at the person before him. His red lips parted and then closed into a pout, full of unspoken words.
Shi Jingchi averted his gaze after barely a second, clearing his throat unnaturally as he stood up and put some distance between them.
“What were you all talking about just now?” Shi Jingchi changed the subject, drawing everyone else’s attention away from that corner.
Shi Jingchi’s series of actions had happened so quickly that others had not paid excessive attention, but Zhou Xingyu had noticed: Shi Jingchi’s gaze toward Mo Yunyu was far from innocent.
Zhou Xingyu stood up, cast a cold glare at Shi Jingchi surrounded by the crowd, and turned to pull Mo Yunyu to his feet.
“You cannot keep sleeping now.”
Mo Yunyu still carried a trace of lingering sleepiness on his face. Hearing this, he managed to straighten up somewhat, yet still instinctively leaned half his weight against Zhou Xingyu.
“I know. You talk too much.”
Perhaps due to just waking up, Mo Yunyu’s voice sounded softer and sweeter than usual.
Zhou Xingyu felt as though his heart had been gently scratched by a cat’s paw, the itch spreading through his entire body in an instant.
“Since Teacher Shi is here, let us divide everyone’s parts.”
The production team had no intention of making things difficult for the contestants in the early stages, having prepared six songs and choreographed dances suitable for a ten-person group beforehand.
Thus, at this moment, the hardest part was actually dividing up these sections.
With ten people all wanting the most screen time and the best parts in a performance of under four minutes, a lack of coordination would definitely lead to covert plotting and scheming.
Naturally, the contestants each harbored their own agendas and did not want to offend anyone early on over such matters, so having Shi Jingchi around made resolving this much easier.
Shi Jingchi knew the reasoning behind this; after all, that was why he had come. After reviewing the dance video for Sick of It once, he began offering his suggestions.
Mo Yunyu found all this messy chatter troublesome the moment he heard it. Glancing at the content and uncompetitive Zhou Xingyu beside him, he asked in confusion: “Aren’t you going to fight for a good opportunity?”
Zhou Xingyu shook his head: “Any position is fine for me.”
However, Shi Jingchi did not make random assignments; he reserved the part that best showcased dancing skills for Mo Yunyu, and picked out a vocal segment suited for Zhou Xingyu.
Watching Shi Jingchi being surrounded by contestants who were somewhat dissatisfied and wanted to switch parts, Yunyu sighed inwardly.
This kind of man, the more you look at him, the more pleasing to the eye he becomes.
609 popped up in confusion: “What is the host saying?”
Yunyu had not forgotten to maintain his persona in front of his foolishly cute system: “It is nothing, you can keep standing by. I will call you if there is a problem.”
Though somewhat puzzled, 609 went offline once more.
With the parts finally distributed, it was time for Shi Jingchi to visit the other groups.
Before leaving, he glanced back at Mo Yunyu, only to find that the other’s gaze had not lingered on him at all, leaving him with no choice but to depart with a hint of regret.
After Shi Jingchi left, the contestants had no further issues, ultimately reaching a unanimous decision to practice their respective parts individually for the first week and work on blending them together during the second week.
“Then everyone can communicate in the group chat if anything comes up.”
Because the production team prohibited contestants from contacting the outside world, they had specially issued phones to the contestants and used a dedicated app to set up group chats for the pre-formed teams ahead of time.
Of course, confiscating phones did not apply to Yunyu.
The contestant who had successfully become the team leader brandished the phone issued by the production team, though his eyes were fixed on Mo Yunyu as he spoke, making his intentions crystal clear.
Zhou Xingyu’s mood instantly plummeted, while Mo Yunyu paid no mind to it. Realizing there was nothing else going on, he wanted to leave the recording venue and head back to the dorm.
Yet the moment he pushed open the door and before stepping outside, he turned back to look at Zhou Xingyu, who was still standing in place.
“Aren’t you coming with me?”
Coming back to his senses, Zhou Xingyu felt his mood soar like a roller coaster, answering under the probing gazes of a few people. He caught up to Mo Yunyu’s footsteps and proactively took the lead the moment they stepped outside.
Just like that, the first week of recording commenced in an orderly fashion, and during this period, Zhou Xingyu came to understand Mo Yunyu even more deeply.
With every fraction of a percentage point of deeper understanding, he watched with clear eyes as his heart sank a fraction further into infatuation.
The two of them occupied a practice room all to themselves.
An environment shared by just two people was always conducive to the wild growth of ambiguous atmospheres, especially when seeing the other’s lithe waistline while dancing, his sweat-dampened bangs, the skin inadvertently exposed with every bend, and his plump, alluring lips flushed red after drinking water.
Zhou Xingyu had never so clearly realized that he was utterly done for, especially since he was willingly and gladly done for.
Yet during this period, figures of other people lingering outside the practice room could always be seen, and they even intentionally or unintentionally struck up conversations with Mo Yunyu.
Even Shi Jingchi was among them.
At those moments, his sweet heart always felt as though it had been soaking in sour water, and the complex emotions were indescribable.
Conversely, looking at Mo Yunyu, he lived through every single day carefree like a little tyrant.
Yet no one knew that those hidden, burning gazes were the greatest source of enjoyment for Yunyu.
As a born performer type, his absolute favorite thing was having all kinds of gazes fixed upon him.