Pairing up

Asta raised an eyebrow. "Wow, doesn't that mean someone has to be left on their own?"

Su Yue nodded. "In that case, you guys go have fun. I'll go train."

That hardly seemed fair.

Shi Zhou asked curiously, "What kind of training?"

Su Yue said, "The mecha formation drill for next year's opening ceremony on Capital Star."

The mecha formation-the first performance at the Federation's annual opening ceremony, right after the Head of State's speech.

-Watching this dating reality show, I almost forgot how badass our guests are!

-That mecha performance is seriously cool. Even if we don't watch the whole opening ceremony, my family never misses that part!

-But it's not time for group training yet. How's he going to practice alone?

Zheng Yu pouted. "Do you have to train right now?"

With him leaving and Xie Jiali absent, who could possibly compete with Asta?

Su Yue nodded. "Have fun."

With that, he got up and left.

Behind the cameras, Director Zhang fumed. "What's gotten into that brat? Who pissed him off this time?"

Everyone sighed. "Who would dare?"

It was already good enough that he wasn't causing trouble for the production crew and was willing to cooperate with filming.

He was downright dog-tempered all day, stubborn as hell, and never said what was on his mind. If it weren't for that face, people would have torn into him ages ago.

The live comments were already calling him "Grumpy Face."

Once Su Yue left, several people couldn't keep their lips from curling up.

Since the two of them had come out of the kitchen together, they had naturally sat together too. Now that one had left, Lin Yuxi leaned over and asked:

"Zhouzhou, which one do you want to pick?"

Shi Zhou withdrew his gaze from the direction Su Yue had left in. Oh well, he couldn't force him.

Maybe the second male lead simply disliked crowded places, or thought going out to have fun was a waste of time.

He changed his expression and smiled at Lin Yuxi.

"I'm fine with anything. You guys pick first."

He could just choose whoever was left without a partner.

The colors of Lin Yuxi's outfit today were much like what Shi Zhou had worn yesterday. She also wore a pale yellow sweater, with one shoulder half exposed and a little white camisole underneath, looking fresh and sweet.

"...I'm fine with anything too, actually. Let everyone else pick first."

She propped her chin on her hand and smiled.

Zheng Yu folded his arms, sulking at who knew whom. "Then I'll pick group four. I want to do pottery."

Everyone froze.

Because, barring any surprises, that was definitely the group Shi Zhou would choose.

The viewers all chimed in:

-Holy shit, that's ruthless! Pulling the rug out from under him, huh?!

Asta lounged on the sofa, his expression unreadable. His tea-brown eyes narrowed slightly as he said listlessly:

"I'll go play pool."

Ever since the individual interview videos had aired last night, he seemed a little subdued, and his words lacked their usual swagger. Before, he would definitely have asked Shi Zhou outright whether he wanted to go.

Now he didn't dare approach it with that mindset.

He even felt that if Shi Zhou ended up in his group, his heart would be in turmoil.

He looked forward to it, yet resisted it.

He didn't know what was wrong with him either.

Bai Shen gestured for the two ladies to choose. Yu Manman hesitated. "Then I'll pick the outdoor activity. I'd like to go for a walk."

It looked like those three had failed to pair up, each choosing a different group.

Receiving instructions through his earpiece, the host hurriedly said:

"You have to pair up in groups of two. The remaining activity will be canceled."

No one had chosen the most thrilling option, the water activity. But that worked out just fine-they could save it for later and let everything come to a head at once.

Seeing that the remaining two weren't speaking, Bai Shen smiled. "Then I'll go for a walk with Manman. Is that all right, Manman?"

Leaving Shi Zhou with either Zheng Yu or the romantically clueless Asta would be better.

He frowned slightly, unsure why such a strange thought had occurred to him...

Lin Yuxi was a little deflated, but she had grown quite close to Yu Manman and Zheng Yu over the past two days. When it came to makeup and gossip, Zheng Yu was even more enthusiastic than she was.

She now considered Zheng Yu one of her best girlfriends.

Doing crafts with a girlfriend would be nice too.

When Shi Zhou gestured for her to choose first, Lin Yuxi smiled and said, "Then shall we go do crafts together?"

Seeing Lin Yuxi choose him, Zheng Yu glanced at Asta and huffed.

These days, girlfriends were the reliable ones. Men were no use at all!

"Yu Xi, come on. Let's go spruce ourselves up again and turn some heads!"

"This bitch is going to slay today!"

He nudged the sunglasses perched on his head, spun around, and left, making everyone laugh.

Lin Yuxi laughed. "Hey, we're going to do pottery."

Zheng Yu said, "Hot guys do pottery too. Let's see if we can find someone even hotter."

Lin Yuxi laughed. Probably not, but turning heads with my best girlfriend does sound pretty good.

The two left happily.

Asta went upstairs to change too. After thinking it over for ages, he secretly sprayed on some cologne and put in his stud earrings.

Fuck, I wasn't even this nervous at my coming-of-age banquet.

He also chewed two pieces of gum.

This was a trick his buddies used when chasing girls.

But Shi Zhou isn't a girl...

Still, maybe it worked just the same when holding him. The thought warmed him inside. Looking at Shi Zhou's face, he grinned.

"Zhouzhou, come on. Your big brother will teach you to play pool."

Shi Zhou genuinely didn't know how to play, but he still had to talk back. "How old are you, exactly, that I should call you my big brother?"

Asta felt his confidence return at once. More relaxed than ever, he said, "How about the loser calls the winner big brother?"

Shi Zhou boarded the shuttle, arching one of his lovely brows. "I never agreed to bet with you."

Although Asta had spent some time getting ready, their group was the first to leave.

In Xie Jiali's room.

Since he was ill, the production crew had switched off all the cameras in his room.

His IV was still in. When someone hadn't been sick for a long time, their next illness could hit all the harder.

Xie Jiali's face was flushed, his eyes bright with a fierce intensity rarely seen in him.

"I've thought it over, and when you go out later, all I can do is ask you to help look after Shi Zhou."

Bai Shen certainly hadn't come on the show to find love. Xie Jiali figured he was there to advertise a new company project and establish a more approachable image along the way.

After all, his expansion over the past two years had been too rapid, his methods a little ruthless. Many people who wanted to work with him were still hanging back because of it.

So he felt perfectly at ease entrusting Zhouzhou to him.

Bai Shen folded his arms and scoffed.

"I suspect your idea of looking after him isn't quite the same as mine."

He called it looking after him, but wasn't he simply afraid someone would steal Shi Zhou away?

It had been the same last time. Just what standing did Xie Jiali think he had?

He wanted to look after Shi Zhou, then thank others on his behalf too.

Xie Jiali's gaze turned plaintive. "You don't understand. He means too much to me. I really can't lose him."

Shi Zhou was the only exception in his life, the only time he had ever stepped out of line.

Like a drowning man, he had to cling tightly to his last lifeline.

"Please, Brother Shen. For the sake of the friendship between our families."

Although they didn't see each other very often, their ties were actually quite close. There had even been plenty of marriages between their extended families.

Anger rose inside Bai Shen, and his voice deepened.

"Shi Zhou is his own person. He can take care of himself."

He seemed to understand why he was unhappy now.

Shi Zhou was such a clever young man. He ought to be like Bai Shen and focus on his career.

He pulled the door open, then turned to give Xie Jiali one last look. "I know a little about medicine too. Worry too much, and you'll recover more slowly."

"You should focus on getting better."

See? All this love and romance only makes people lose their reason.

But did Shi Zhou go to play pool with Asta-

Bai Shen pressed his lips together.