Water Cavalry? No, This Is a Massive Public Display of Affection

The sun on South Bay Island was scorching, and the azure pool glittered beneath it like scattered diamonds.

The livestream's popularity hit its peak today, because today's event was the highly anticipated—Water Cavalry Melee!

The rules were simple: teams of two would battle in the water, with one person carrying the other on their back. Pull off the opposing team's hat or shove them into the water, and you won.

It was a game that put a boyfriend's arm strength and lower-body stability to the ultimate test.

Outside the changing room.

Jian Ning emerged slowly, dressed in a conservative one-piece sun-protection swimsuit and holding a cup of iced watermelon juice.

The moment he looked up, he saw Huo Si standing by the pool.

The man wore nothing but black swim trunks. Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, sharply defined abs, and an Adonis belt disappearing beneath the waistband—the sleek lines of his muscles radiated lethal sex appeal under the sun. He was casually putting on goggles, droplets of water falling from his hair onto his chest.

Jian Ning nearly lost his grip on the watermelon juice.

[Gulp.]

[That body... actually exists in real life?]

[What Beijing elite Buddhist prince? He's clearly Poseidon reborn! Those legs, that waist... If he really puts them to use tonight, I might die.]

Huo Si seemed to sense that burning gaze. He turned his head, and his dark eyes behind the goggles locked precisely onto Jian Ning. Curling his lips, he strode over. Not caring that they were still livestreaming, he reached out and pinched Jian Ning's cheek.

"Stunned speechless? Haven't had enough of a look?"

Jian Ning snapped back to his senses, his face flushing. He stubbornly replied, "W-Who was looking at you? I was looking over there at... Young Master Lu!"

Not far away, Lu Yunshen had changed into his swim trunks as well. Though he had a good physique too, the pressure around him was terrifyingly low. He stared fixedly at Huo Si, clearly having written down every bit of last night's "humiliation" and preparing to redeem himself in today's water event.

Since Su Mo was the temporary replacement female guest after Kevin withdrew, Lu Yunshen naturally—forcefully—ended up on the same team as Su Mo. Though Su Mo's face was full of disgust, she could only endure it for the sake of the show.

"Let the match begin!" The director blew his whistle.

Huo Si walked into the pool, the water reaching his waist. With his back to Jian Ning, he crouched slightly.

"Get on."

Jian Ning steeled himself and pounced onto Huo Si's broad back, wrapping both arms tightly around his neck and locking his legs around his waist.

[Whoa! Those back muscles! So hard! My sense of security is through the roof!]

[Huo Si, charge! Go crush Lu Yunshen!]

Feeling the soft warmth against his back, Huo Si helplessly smacked Jian Ning's butt. "Don't squirm around. Hold on tight."

The match had barely begun when Lu Yunshen charged over like an enraged bull. Carrying Su Mo on his back, he had only one target in his sights—Huo Si.

"Huo Si! If you're a man, fight me head-on!" Lu Yunshen roared.

Su Mo was jolted around on his back until she went pale. "Lu Yunshen, slow down! I'm going to fall off!"

Lu Yunshen turned a deaf ear and rushed up to Huo Si, reaching for Jian Ning's hat.

Huo Si stood in the water as steady as Mount Tai. Facing Lu Yunshen's attack, he merely shifted slightly and used the water resistance to evade with effortless ease.

Then, with one hand supporting Jian Ning's leg, he swept the other through the water, sending a powerful wave straight at Lu Yunshen's face.

Splash!

The spray blinded Lu Yunshen. His foot slipped, and he instantly lost his balance.

Seizing the chance, Jian Ning shot out a hand and snatched Lu Yunshen's hat with lightning speed.

"K.O.! Young Master Lu, thanks for going easy on us!"

[Hahahaha! Instant defeat! Now that's what you call an overwhelming difference in strength!]

[Young Master Lu, your footing is pretty unstable! Did you get so mad last night that you couldn't sleep and your legs went weak?]

Lu Yunshen steadied himself in the water in a sorry state. His hat was gone, his hair was flattened, and he still had to listen to Jian Ning's inner mockery. His lungs were about to explode with rage.

Su Mo had it even worse. Because of Lu Yunshen's mistake, her entire body tipped backward, and with a plop, she fell into the deep end.

"Ah—!"

Su Mo cried out, flailed twice in the water, and then sank beneath the surface.

She couldn't swim!

"Su Mo!"

Almost the instant she fell in, Lu Yunshen's furious expression transformed into utter terror.

There was no hesitation. No time to think.

He plunged into the water like an arrow released from a bow, swimming madly toward where Su Mo had sunk.

A few seconds later, Lu Yunshen surfaced with the choking Su Mo. One arm held tightly around her waist while the other wiped water from his face. His voice shook so badly it was nearly unrecognizable.

"Mo Mo! Are you okay? Don't be afraid, I'm here! I'm right here!"

He carried Su Mo onto the shore. Not even caring that the cameras were still rolling, he knelt beside her and gently patted her back. The anxiety and heartache in his eyes could not be concealed.

That look was like someone who had recovered a lost treasure.

The entire set fell silent.

Everyone could see that this was not an act. Lu Yunshen truly cared about Su Mo.

Jian Ning lay over Huo Si's back, watching the scene. His mood for entertainment faded somewhat.

[Tsk. Looks like this crazy Young Master Lu is actually devoted after all.]

[Since that's the case, System, help me find out what really happened with that fake liquor back then.]

The system notification sounded.

[Ding! In-depth gossip unlocked.]

[Truth reconstructed: On that night five years ago, Lu Yunshen did not drink fake liquor. Instead, a business rival drugged him with a high-dose muscle relaxant. That drug caused temporary dysfunction. At the time, to keep Su Mo from worrying—and because of his pride—he insisted that he had simply drunk too much. As a result, Su Mo misunderstood and thought he was impotent.]

[Additional information: Su Mo left back then not because she despised him for being impotent, but because she thought he had been fooling around and caught a disease outside. Lu Yunshen had lied that he had recently been feeling unwell and taking medicine in order to conceal the drug's effects.]

Jian Ning: "..."

[Good grief! That misunderstanding was huge!]

[One would rather suffer than lose face, while the other overthought everything and assumed he'd been cheated on. Is this the legendary tragic love story?]

[Looks like I'll have to play matchmaker after all.]

Jian Ning patted Huo Si on the shoulder. "Put me down."

Huo Si set him down at the poolside. Jian Ning draped a towel around himself, walked over to Lu Yunshen, who was still handing Su Mo water, cleared his throat, and deliberately spoke loudly.

"Oh my, Young Master Lu's swimming speed just now was even faster than a professional athlete's! Looks like I was wrong that day. Your physical fitness is top-notch!"

Lu Yunshen shot him an irritated glare. "Get lost."

Jian Ning did not get angry. He crouched down, looked at Su Mo, who was still coughing, and said meaningfully, "Sister Su, sometimes what you see isn't necessarily the truth. For example... maybe certain people weren't 'impotent' back then. Maybe they were drugged with some kind of muscle relaxant. Under those circumstances, even Superman wouldn't be able to rise to the occasion."

Su Mo's hand, which had been drying her hair, suddenly froze.

She looked up at Jian Ning sharply. "What did you say? Drugged?"

Lu Yunshen was stunned as well. "How did you know?"

He had spent a long time investigating before he discovered that a rival had done it. But he had found it humiliating and never explained it to Su Mo. How could Jian Ning know?

Jian Ning shrugged and pointed at Huo Si. "My Mr. Huo told me. He said everyone in the business circle knew about it back then. Someone sabotaged Young Master Lu to steal a project. Young Master Lu bore it silently to save face, and ended up driving away his own wife. Really... suffering for the sake of pride."

[Huo Si: I never said that. I refuse to take the blame.]

[Jian Ning: Just take it for me! You can carry it anyway!]

Su Mo turned to Lu Yunshen, her eyes reddening. "Is it true? Was it because... you were drugged?"

"Then why didn't you tell me? Did you know I thought you..."

She had thought he had been fooling around outside and dirtied himself.

Lu Yunshen no longer cared about saving face. He grabbed Su Mo's hand, his voice hoarse.

"I... I was afraid you'd worry. And back then, I was young and hot-blooded. I felt like I had no face to see you if I couldn't even handle something like that..."

The misunderstanding was resolved.

The two looked at each other. Though they did not immediately embrace and burst into tears, the solid ice that had stood between them for five years had finally cracked open.

Livestream comments:

[Sob, sob! I don't fully understand, but this feels like a huge drama!]

[Jian Ning is seriously the entertainment industry's number-one matchmaker! That assist was divine!]

[The way Young Master Lu looks at Sister Su is so affectionate. I believe in love again!]

The water sports event came to an end.

Jian Ning and Huo Si took first place without any suspense. After all, their opponents had all withdrawn from the competition to talk about love.

Back in the ocean-view villa, Jian Ning collapsed onto the bed, too exhausted to move.

"I'm exhausted... This variety show is more tiring than filming."

Huo Si walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and reached out to knead Jian Ning's calves, applying just the right amount of pressure to relax his muscles.

"You're tired already?"

Seeing him sprawled out like a salted fish, Huo Si's eyes flashed with amusement.

"Then do you still have the strength to claim tonight's 'reward'?"

Jian Ning's eyes flew open. He guarded his chest warily.

"W-What reward? Didn't you say that was last night's interest?"

Huo Si bent down, bracing both hands on either side of Jian Ning's body and trapping him against the headboard.

"That was for last night. Today, we won the championship. This is the champion's reward."

He took an exquisite velvet box from his pocket.

He opened it.

Inside was a ring...