He panicked and hurried around in circles on the opposite bank, racking his brains for a solution. But Zou Yuxing demonstrated that the simplest way was best: he merely swung his legs gently and used the strength of his muscles to get across the river.
Unaware of Wen Feiran's internal struggle just now, Zou Yuxing cheerfully waved at him. "I told you it was easy, didn't I?"
Wen Feiran felt like a clown. "You're so athletic," he said quietly. "You don't understand the suffering of someone like me, who's no good with his limbs."
"I do work out," Zou Yuxing said, readily showing off his biceps. "Give them a squeeze. They're rock hard!"
Wen Feiran didn't know how to react. He gave them a numb squeeze, and it felt like squeezing a steel plate.
The viewers in the livestream were going crazy.
[Ahhh, thank you, male bodhisattva! It would be even better if you showed us your abs and pecs too! doge.jpg]
[I've always treated Zou Yuxing like a happy puppy. I never expected him to have such a great body. My motherly love has turned into something else.]
[One of them just offered to let the other touch him, and the other actually gave him a couple of squeezes. Tsk, tsk, tsk, I ship it.]
[What a weird CP. Let me have a taste. A bit hard to chew, but let me try another bite.]
After Zou Yuxing's demonstration, Wen Feiran finally mustered his courage and walked to the riverbank on trembling legs.
Afraid he wouldn't be able to hold on to the rope, he deliberately wound it around his wrist three times. He walked backward, moving the arm and leg on the same side together, his muscles so stiff that he couldn't make any expression.
Zou Yuxing encouraged him. "Don't just think about the result. Enjoy the process. You'll feel the wind and the sunshine, and your body will feel especially light. By the time you come to your senses, your feet will already be on the ground, and you'll think it all went by so fast."
Wen Feiran nodded emphatically, his gaze turning resolute.
Though he was physically weak, he could accomplish anything if he put his mind to it. He refused to believe he'd fall at a hurdle like this!
A burst of strength surged through his body and gathered at his toes. Wen Feiran pushed off hard, his body flying out lightly and tracing a graceful arc through the air.
His eyes widened, but he didn't feel the wind or the sunshine. Perhaps only a brief second had passed before his feet touched solid ground.
!!! He had actually succeeded on his first try.
Wen Feiran hadn't even had time to celebrate when he noticed a problem: why was the river still in front of him?
A hint of confusion appeared between Wen Feiran's brows. Before he could figure it out, his toe landed on a pebble, and he lost his balance and fell forward.
Not only had he taken off and landed in the same spot, but he also plunged headfirst into the shallow river, struggling as he slid farther down.
Zou Yuxing: !!!
Wen Feiran: ...Hel (glug glug) p (glug glug)
Zou Yuxing was scared half to death. He immediately ran over and frantically pulled Wen Feiran up, saving him from drowning in the river in such a humiliating way.
Not only had Wen Feiran failed to complete the task, but he had also swallowed his fill of water. His lower half was completely dry, but his upper body was soaked through. He casually swept his hair back, coughing incessantly as his cheeks and the tips of his ears took on an unhealthy flush.
[Beauty Wen is stupid, but he really is beautiful.]
[That said, he's so pretty. Why didn't you let him drink a little more river water? hiding-behind-a-pot-lid.jpg]
[Hahahahahahahaha, this is the first time I've heard someone make such a textbook glug-glug sound.]
[Don't laugh too loudly, or Wen Feiran might get so embarrassed and indignant that he throws himself into the river!]
[Do the glug-glug one more time. I haven't heard enough yet. doge.jgp]
Overwhelmed with shame and indignation, Wen Feiran buried his head in his knees. He wished he could curl up into a ball and never see anyone again.
Zou Yuxing pursed his lips and used every bit of skill he had to compose his expression. Pretending nothing had happened, he said, "Having wet clothes stuck to you is uncomfortable. Go change into the gift I brought you."
Wen Feiran: "..." At a time like this, you're still pushing your own agenda!
But there was nothing else he could do. Wen Feiran could only take a towel and T-shirt from the Treasure Chest and walk behind a large tree.
The soaked fabric clung tightly to his body, outlining its contours and giving a faint glimpse of his skin. A cold breeze blew past, and Wen Feiran couldn't help shivering a couple of times. Drops of water fell from his hair and slid down his slender neck. He kept his head bowed, but the tips of his ears, red all over, were exposed.
The viewers in the livestream were dazzled by his beauty and shouted about their delicate wife. Even Zou Yuxing, who was there with him, stared without blinking, a suggestive expression on his face.
That was a little too much for keeping up appearances, and for the moment, the viewers couldn't accept this bizarre CP.
Zou Yuxing, however, didn't notice anything improper about his behavior. He rubbed his chin, frowned deeply, and clicked his tongue.
Just as Wen Feiran changed into dry clothes and came out from behind the tree, Zou Yuxing's eyes suddenly lit up. "I've got it! I thought Feiran's profile looked really familiar before. It turns out he looks like that mysterious..."
The words came out before he thought them through. Only after saying them did he notice the camera in front of him. He clapped a hand tightly over his mouth, looking flustered and apologetic, like someone who had done something wrong.
At first, the viewers in the livestream didn't catch on.
[Hahahahaha, I thought you'd finally caught on, but it turns out you were staring so hard at Wen Feiran because you thought he looked like someone.]
[You really are impossible to sway, kid. doge.jpg]
[So he looks like someone. Why did Zou Yuxing suddenly cover his mouth halfway through saying it, and with that expression?]
[Mysterious what? Finish what you were saying!]
The livestream's viewer count had already passed ten million. Some sharp-eyed viewers immediately made the connection from Zou Yuxing's hint.
[!!! It's that mysterious man the paparazzi photographed before.]
[Oh my god, why would Wen Feiran accompany Lin Lin to a prenatal checkup? Could he really be the other man?]
[I thought Lin Lin had to be out of her mind to abandon a domineering CEO, but after seeing Wen Feiran's face, I think maybe she had a point.]
[...We still don't know what happened. Don't smear him. Maybe Wen Feiran was just passing by.]
[What a coincidence. Every time some gossip breaks, he's there at the scene.]