"Are you all right?" Xu Chun asked him hurriedly.
Xie Jianyuan smiled dismissively. "My stomach trouble is acting up."
Xu Chun frowned deeply. It seemed Xie Jianyuan's stomach trouble had flared up because of irregular meals. None of them had eaten anything since breakfast, and Xie Jianyuan had just drunk a bottle of ice water on top of that. If he had stomach trouble, he surely wouldn't be able to take it.
"Do you have any stomach medicine with you?" Xu Chun looked around and spotted a café across the square. "Let's go over there first. They should have hot water, and you can rest for a bit."
The café was crowded because it was in a tourist area. Xu Chun found a quiet spot and ordered a cup of hot water.
Xie Jianyuan's manager, who had been accompanying him throughout filming, took out his stomach medicine. Only after watching him take it with water did the manager leave, reassured.
It took quite a while before some color gradually returned to Xie Jianyuan's face.
Xu Chun looked at him, his voice tinged with reproach. "Why didn't you say your stomach hurt?"
Xie Jianyuan smiled dismissively. "It's not a big deal."
His stomach trouble really had flared up at first, and the pain had felt like twisting cramps. But it had eased considerably before they reached the café. He simply hadn't told Xu Chun.
Seeing how much Xu Chun cared about him had given him a great sense of satisfaction, and he wanted to see more of Xu Chun like this.
Xu Chun's face darkened. He was a little angry at Xie Jianyuan's attitude toward his own health.
Xie Jianyuan sensed his mood and took the initiative to smile. "Sorry. I'll tell you next time."
Xu Chun frowned even harder. This man was already thinking about a next time. He was young and didn't take his stomach trouble seriously, but he'd know the pain later.
Just then, Xie Jianyuan's manager came out again, held up a phone to him, and silently mouthed a word.
"Phone."
It seemed someone had called Xie Jianyuan. Although the production team required everyone to turn in their phones, the celebrities were still allowed to use their managers' phones for urgent calls.
Xu Chun glanced at the incoming number on the screen, and his gaze sharpened slightly.
He couldn't have been more familiar with that number. In his previous life, he had known it by heart.
It was Jiang Xiuyan.
Chapter 11: CP
Xu Chun's hand tightened slightly around his cup, then relaxed.
Xie Jianyuan made no attempt to take the call in private. He answered it while sitting right in front of Xu Chun.
Because of Xie Jianyuan's stomach trouble, filming was focused elsewhere, and the staff were chatting off to the side, paying no attention to what was happening here.
"Much better." He frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Did my manager tell you?"
Whatever was said on the other end made Xie Jianyuan frown even harder. He glanced at Xu Chun and said quietly, "Invite him? Why?"
Xu Chun was slightly taken aback.
Xie Jianyuan sounded a little impatient, but he kept it well under control. He exchanged a few more words with Jiang Xiuyan before hanging up.
Xu Chun looked at his expression and smiled slightly. "What is it?" he asked gently.
Xie Jianyuan glanced at him as though he wanted to speak but hesitated. After pondering for a moment, he said slowly, "Jiang Xiuyan wants to treat you to a meal after we return to the country, to thank you."
"Why?"
Xie Jianyuan frowned. "He said it's because you took care of me." After saying that, he seemed to think of something, and his expression darkened.
Xu Chun smiled. "It seems you're close to him." He was truly astonished that Jiang Xiuyan could say something like that.
Xie Jianyuan took a sip of coffee and glanced at Xu Chun, his face stern. After a moment's silence, he suddenly smiled. "Chun-ge, will you go?"
Xu Chun was startled for a moment, then smiled with certainty. "Of course not."
The corners of Xie Jianyuan's mouth rose involuntarily, and his long, dark eyes narrowed slightly in satisfaction.
Xu Chun lowered his head and took a sip of coffee. Looking at the scenery outside the glass window, he fell into thought.
In his previous life, when Jiang Xiuyan had pursued him relentlessly, the first thing he'd done was invite him to a meal. After Xu Chun refused, Jiang Xiuyan hadn't been discouraged in the slightest. He had continued calling to check on him every single day without fail, and Xu Chun had also received flowers from him after performances.
Were all those things going to happen again?
Xu Chun pressed his lips together, a dark glint of resolve flashing in his light amber eyes. He would never repeat the same mistakes. In this life, he would hold everything he had lost firmly in his grasp.
After about a week of filming the variety show abroad, the day to return home finally arrived.
It wasn't just Xu Chun; everyone felt relieved. Living together as a group wasn't easy, much less when a group of celebrities traveled and lived together while visiting numerous attractions. After seven days, everyone was mentally and physically exhausted.
On the day they parted, everyone acted reluctant to say goodbye in front of the cameras. Bai Lingling even secretly wiped away tears, and a camera zoomed in for a close-up.
Yang Xiaoxuan couldn't help rolling her eyes when she saw it. Her manager broke into a sweat with anxiety and repeatedly tried to signal her, but she acted as though she hadn't seen.
Yang Xiaoxuan and Bai Lingling had had quite a few disagreements over the past seven days. Most of the time, Yang Xiaoxuan had been the only one shouting, while Bai Lingling generally remained silent, only offering a few timid words of rebuttal when pushed too far. That made Yang Xiaoxuan seem even more aggressive and unreasonable, so naturally the bullet comments were one-sided.
As a result, Yang Xiaoxuan couldn't wait to leave this damned show. The sight of that woman's face was enough to make her furious.
At that moment, the show's director suddenly picked up a megaphone and asked, "Although it's only been seven short days, I believe you've all formed deep friendships. Next, I'll give each of you a card. Please write down the name of the person you're most reluctant to part with."
Everyone was slightly taken aback by these five requests.
The staff handed each person a card and a gel pen. Xu Chun stared blankly at the empty card.
Whose name should I write?
Bai Lingling was out of the question. He was trying to avoid close contact with her, afraid that people would stir up dating rumors, so naturally he wouldn't write his name.
Of the others, the only person he knew was Xie Jianyuan. He had barely spoken a few words to Wei Jiahe, let alone Lu Xian or Yang Xiaoxuan. Xu Chun frowned slightly. It seemed there was only one choice.