What happened?!

Yang Bin walked up behind Chu Yilan and saw the variety show's title in the upper-left corner.

He didn't even have time to be shocked that President Chu actually watched variety shows!

His excellent professional instincts had him pulling out his phone to look up the relevant information immediately.

The regular cast members' profile pictures were right in the first section.

Yang Bin explained, "He's one of the guests. A minor celebrity."

As for all those titles tacked onto Li Jiabo's name, they meant nothing.

"Does he have any deals with Xingkai?"

Xingkai was a subsidiary of Hengtai that focused on entertainment, one Chu Yilan had set up to get a share of the profits.

Three minutes later, Yang Bin answered, "He has a brand endorsement."

When Chu Yilan said nothing, alarm bells immediately went off in Yang Bin's head. "Is there a problem, President Chu?"

"I question the judgment of whoever runs Xingkai." Chu Yilan's voice was low. "This Li Jiakai has nothing distinctive about him."

You've already given him two different names in just a few minutes, Yang Bin thought. As Chu Yilan's trusted aide, he naturally understood the implication. "Understood. I'll take care of it."

Only now did Yang Bin have a moment to wonder why President Chu was watching a variety show.

On the livestream, Li Jiabo lost his footing and instinctively grabbed Shen Lian, who was leading the group. If Zhao Lin hadn't reacted quickly, the two of them might have tumbled down the slope together.

Neither was hurt, but Shen Lian's shirt was tugged down a little, exposing a tiny red mole on his right shoulder.

For an instant, Chu Yilan's eyes turned as cold and menacing as a wolf's.

Shen Lian looked back, his face expressionless.

Li Jiabo gave a careless smile. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

"This Li Jiafang is never to work with Xingkai again," Chu Yilan said flatly.

Yang Bin said, "Li Jiabo..."

Chu Yilan asked, "What?"

"Nothing..."

After they climbed a steep slope, Zhao Lin called for everyone to take a break.

Shen Lian hadn't drunk much water to begin with. Now his lips were pale and starting to peel.

The Program Crew had confiscated their phones, so he had no choice but to ask the cameraman following him, "Excuse me, what time is it?"

That was an ordinary enough question. The cameraman answered, "Two forty in the afternoon."

Whatever crossed Shen Lian's mind, his lips suddenly curled into a smile.

A close-up caught the young man's face at just that moment.

It was the first time Shen Lian had smiled like that since appearing on the show.

It was a genuinely happy smile, with a hint of secret delight, as though some little plan of his was about to succeed. Satisfaction spilled from the corners of his eyes, making him dazzlingly beautiful.

[Someone fill me in on Shen Lian's scandals so I can snap out of this.]

[Wait, who is he trying to seduce with that smile?]

Exactly. Who are you trying to seduce? Chu Yilan thought.

Knock, knock, knock-

"Come in," Yang Bin said.

Chu Yilan had seven or eight assistants of various ranks, but Yang Bin was the only one he regularly kept close. The female assistant before them looked cautious, her eyes full of burning curiosity she was desperately trying to suppress!

Yang Bin gave her a questioning look.

The assistant brought a bunch of sunflowers out from behind her back, her tone even more careful. "President Chu, these are for you."

With that, she held her breath, waiting for President Chu to give the order so she could shove the sunflowers into the trash.

"Bring them here," Chu Yilan said in a low voice.

The assistant hurried forward and handed him the sunflowers.

There were only five in the bunch, but they were at just the right stage of bloom, beautifully shaped and evenly proportioned. Someone had clearly put thought into them, though they still looked undeniably cheap.

"Why are you standing behind me?" Chu Yilan asked.

Yang Bin immediately stepped away to stand beside the assistant.

Then the two of them watched Chu Yilan pull a card from the bouquet.

[Money's a little tight lately, so I've switched to these little flowers. Once I get paid, I'll buy you roses again.]

I'll probably be gray-haired by then, Chu Yilan scoffed inwardly.

The assistant's eyes widened, and she couldn't resist giving Yang Bin a gentle nudge. Yang Bin! Why is President Chu smiling?!

Yang Bin closed his eyes briefly. Don't ask him. He had no idea. He was even starting to doubt himself. Had he been so busy lately that he'd missed something? Otherwise, why had President Chu's thoughts suddenly become impossible to read?

As expected, the sunflowers were placed in fresh water and set in an elegant vase on the small cabinet by the door.

The lilies from last time had yet to wilt, and there were still roses at home.

It was as though a whole array of colors had suddenly sprung into Chu Yilan's barren field of vision.

"Shen Lian, what has you so happy?" Zhu Yingyu asked, unable to help herself after his smile sent her heart racing.

Shen Lian smiled softly. "I sent someone a bunch of sunflowers."

"Mm-hmm."

"I hope whoever receives them will be in a good mood all day."

Zhu Yingyu said, "...I don't get it."

Shen Lian casually plucked a dead leaf off her shoulder. "It's nothing. Let's get going."

Meanwhile, Chu Yilan snapped his laptop shut with a bang.

Under countless watching eyes, Shen Lian seemed to have delivered a declaration of affection that was both veiled and unmistakable.

Why not be even more brazen? Chu Yilan folded his arms and stared down at the laptop as though it were Shen Lian.

Yang Bin was speechless. Aaaah! Would someone please tell me what happened?!

It wasn't Yang Bin's fault. He had only returned from a business trip that morning.

And Chu Yilan hadn't told him anything about Shen Lian.

The first day's filming wasn't particularly difficult. It mainly involved the guests getting to know one another and familiarizing themselves with the forest environment. The challenges to come would all center on this area.

Toward evening, the guests finally reached their destination.

Everyone was exhausted. They took their supplies, sat on the ground, and refused to move.

Shen Lian retrieved his phone from the staff and wanted to message Chu Yilan's assistant, but stopped himself.

He had never even met the assistant. Besides, the things he wanted to say to Chu Yilan weren't suitable for an outsider.

Shen Lian thought he could spend the night in the rest lodge, but the Program Crew then told him there wasn't enough room.

If he wanted to stay, he would probably have to squeeze into the temporary staff dormitory.

Shen Lian frowned. Just then, Qian Gao called.

"You're free tonight, right?"

"Yeah," Shen Lian replied.

"I'll come pick you up. There's a dinner gathering," Qian Gao said.

Shen Lian agreed. It would save him the fare, at least.

It was already dark as they headed down the mountain. Everyone was walking in scattered groups when a startled cry suddenly rang out.

"Zheng Ge?"

"Mr. Zheng, are you all right?!"

Zheng Ge hadn't watched his footing and had fallen into a muddy pit, aggravating an old ankle injury into a dull ache.

He was the Program Crew's golden boy. On top of that, Zhou Tangsi had repeatedly instructed them to take care of him. A crowd of staff rushed over, practically ready to find a stretcher and carry Zheng Ge down the mountain.

Shen Lian glanced over and kept walking.

Qian Gao was nearby. He would probably arrive in ten minutes or so.

Supported on both sides, Zheng Ge looked up, only to see Shen Lian's retreating back growing ever more distant.

The strange feeling in Zheng Ge's heart was almost tangible.

Throughout that day's filming, Shen Lian hadn't done a single thing out of line. On the contrary, his composure had been remarkable. He didn't seem at all like someone appearing on an adventure variety show for the first time.

Two months ago, they had been tearing into each other online. Zheng Ge had won a resounding victory, while Shen Lian had become everyone's target. Now that they had met again, did Shen Lian really not care?

Zheng Ge couldn't adjust to the enormous change in Shen Lian.

"Qian Gao, I'm here. Which car is yours?" Shen Lian asked over the phone.

At the same time, a gray Pagani drove in and stopped outside the rest lodge.

Shen Lian glanced at it, then saw Qian Gao's car flash its hazard lights and jogged over.

The staff helped Zheng Ge down. The man who stepped out of the Pagani wore a tailored suit, and even across the dimly lit stretch between them, his distinguished bearing was apparent.

Zheng Ge threw himself into the man's arms and said something to him, then looked toward Shen Lian.

The man quickly strode over.

Shen Lian was already in the car.

Qian Gao recognized him. "Holy crap, Zhou Tangsi! Shen Lian, what did you do this time?"

Just hearing Zhou Tangsi's name made Shen Lian feel cursed. His voice turned cold. "Drive."

Qian Gao involuntarily floored the accelerator. The well-used Nanny Van roared away, speeding right past Zhou Tangsi and kicking dust into his face.

Everyone was speechless.