The sea breeze gently tousled their hair. Lou Yishu’s laughter drifted down from above Qiao Yuxi’s head, but it seemed to settle right in Qiao Yuxi’s heart.
“Let’s see if you ever dare to talk nonsense again.” Qiao Yuxi adjusted his grip on Lou Yishu to keep him from sliding off. He was thankful Lou Yishu was behind him and couldn’t see his flushed cheeks; otherwise, he would have died of embarrassment.
“I don’t dare, I don’t dare anymore.” Lou Yishu, on the other hand, was sprawled across Qiao Yuxi’s back, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. It had been a long time since he had been this carefree; serving as a Prime Minister for seven or eight years generally robs a person of their laughter.
Particularly when one is a Prime Minister in name only, with no one to watch his back and every memorial he submits being ignored.
The Bullet Chat witnessed this scene and collectively lost it:
“Hey, you guys are acting a little gay~”
“The combined mental age of these two isn’t even as big as my shoe size (serious).”
“Dammit, it’s just like elementary schoolers falling in love! SO! FUCKING! SWEET!!!”
“I’m dying from the sweetness. Qiao-Qiao is a big star but doesn’t look down on others, and Yishu is a ‘nobody’ but isn’t submissive. This kind of equal romance is the best!”
“Let me take two shots of insulin first.”
“The other streams are all holding hands and winking, so why are you two bickering like kids? It’s strangely addictive to watch.”
“Look, even President Gu (Gu Huazhang) can’t stand the silent treatment from Shen Mo. That room is hilarious; Gu is just talking to the audience to keep himself sane.”
The Bus Boutique was quite a distance away this time, making them the last to arrive.
To Lou Yishu’s surprise, the other contestants had already grouped up: Shen Mo with Gu Huazhang, Su’er with Yu Yuan, and Qi Luo with Ye Qi.
On a deserted island, the probability of two people bumping into each other isn’t high, meaning they were likely dropped off close together. This revealed the production team’s malice specifically directed at Lou Yishu. If Qiao Yuxi hadn’t been a variable, Lou Yishu might never have found a partner. As for Qiao Yuxi, the crew likely had other ways to lead him to the group, such as an air-drop.
They just didn’t expect Qiao Yuxi to pick such a “perfect” landing spot falling right into a pit for Lou Yishu to rescue him.
Upon arrival, Lou Yishu slid off Qiao Yuxi’s back. Simultaneously, Su’er and Ye Qi both moved forward.
“Brother Qiao.” “Yishu.”
They called out at the same time, making the scene incredibly awkward. Both Lou Yishu and Qiao Yuxi looked confused, unsure of what the two wanted.
Su’er glanced at Ye Qi and trotted over to Lou Yishu’s side. As usual, he tried to hook his arm into Lou Yishu’s, but Lou Yishu took an inconspicuous step back.
Su’er’s hand met empty air. He dropped it awkwardly, a flash of darkness and grief crossing his eyes. But within a single breath, he masked his expression, looking up at Lou Yishu with a face full of concern.
“Brother Yishu, what happened to your foot?”
“It’s nothing.” Lou Yishu gave Su’er a polite smile. He was naturally on guard now; after all, one shouldn’t fall into the same pit twice.
Su’er grew anxious, leaning in closer. “The shop sells medicated oil. I can help massage it for you.”
“No—” Lou Yishu started to refuse.
He was a bit dazed by the spectacle. He could feel everyone watching them. Ye Qi was shooting daggers at him with his eyes, and Qi Luo, standing further away, just rolled her eyes toward the heavens.
But Su’er cut him off: “My massage technique is really good! I’ve studied it, Brother Yishu.”
That was when the man standing behind Lou Yishu spoke up.
“He already said he doesn’t want it.” Qiao Yuxi stepped forward, standing beside Lou Yishu as if he were his personal guardian.
“What does it have to do with you?” Su’er’s face was exceptionally red. Realizing Lou Yishu was truly distancing himself; his heart was filled with urgency and rage. Though he tried to suppress it for Lou Yishu’s sake, Qiao Yuxi’s intervention acted like a breach in a dam, letting his pent-up emotions explode.
“Who are you shouting at?” Ye Qi shoved his way between Lou Yishu and Qiao Yuxi, joining the fray and shouting the loudest.
Su’er clearly realized he had been too impulsive. He didn’t argue with Ye Qi; instead, he intentionally hunched his shoulders, pursed his lips tightly, and looked up at Lou Yishu with watery eyes. From Lou Yishu’s angle, he looked piteously frail.
Lou Yishu didn’t understand how things had become so chaotic. One second, they were talking, the next they were fighting. Now, the three of them were standing in opposition to Su’er, their shadows looming over his thin frame, making him look like a weak, helpless victim.
“What are you acting for?” Seeing Lou Yishu’s slightly wavering expression, Qiao Yuxi was instantly incensed, nearly pointing his finger at Su’er’s nose.
“Brother Yishu, Movie Star Qiao is so mean.” Su’er’s eyes were red, nearly brimming with tears. He knew exactly where his advantage lay.
“You…!”
“Stop! Quit arguing!” Lou Yishu finally found a gap to take control of the situation. He soothed Su’er first: “My foot has already been treated. Thank you for the kind offer.”
But when he turned to talk to Qiao Yuxi, he only heard a huff. Qiao Yuxi crossed his arms and stomped off to a corner, his back looking distinctly sulky.
With the eight of them gathered, the crew switched to a wide-angle camera for the group shot. This main screen had the most viewers, and the bullet chat was shrieking with excitement over the “love quadrangle”:
“OH, OH OH OH! This quadrangle is so unstable!”
“What? A ‘cremasteric’ field of battle (Shura Field) in the pilot episode?”
“Not just four people look at Yu Yuan. His eyes are totally giving him away.”
“Su’er is such a ‘Green Tea’ (manipulative), but Lou Yishu can’t see it. No wonder Qiao Yuxi is so frustrated.”
“I love how Qi Luo’s eyes are rolling to the back of her head. She’s the only one who ‘knows’ Lou Yishu is a ‘fraud,’ so she’s the most awake.”
“Grandma, the helicopter is ready. We should arrive around 8:00 PM,” Lin Hui reported efficiently.
“What does this trending topic mean?” Lin Chunyan pointed at the hashtag #LouYishuScamsLinChunyan. It was currently the second most searched topic, right behind Lou Yishu’s accident.
Lin Hui gave a brief explanation, which actually amused Lin Chunyan.
“I should thank them for the free publicity,” Lin Chunyan chuckled.
To be able to translate lip-reading from such a short video just to smear him, it was impossible without someone pulling strings in the background. They just didn’t know who yet.
“Let’s go,” Lin Chunyan smiled. “Time to go get ‘scammed’ by Little Shu.”