Is asking you to call me big bro really too much?

This was their first round of group dates. Once they had set off separately, the production team switched on the split-screen feed and streamed it live on the Interstellar Network.

With two of their most popular contestants missing, the production team was worried.

"Are... are our numbers going to drop today?"

Their view counts and reach were already incredible, but having something and then losing it was the worst, okay?

Xie Jiali had the most fans, but he was sick, and filming or livestreaming him was prohibited by law.

Su Yue was out too. After drinking a bottle of nutrient solution, he had gone straight into the Mecha training pod and lain down. It looked like he had no intention of coming out.

The viewer count in the upper-left corner was visibly dropping. Director Zhang swore.

"Get rid of the training pod before we reach the next stop! Did he come here for a dating reality show, or did we just give him a new place to train?"

Sigh. The show had only just officially started airing. Hopefully, the other three pairs would pull their weight.

Shi Zhou and Asta took a shuttle to the middle of the hot spring center, where most of the indoor entertainment and shopping facilities were concentrated.

They rode the escalator up a few floors. With both hands in his pockets, Asta insisted on crowding Shi Zhou as they walked, practically squeezing him into the wall.

Shi Zhou was just about to speak when Asta's eyes lit up. "Hey, Zhouzhou, look! There's a new place next door. Couples get twenty percent off."

Shi Zhou frowned. "Stop crowding me."

And what did it matter whether the place was new? They weren't a couple. Why take advantage of that discount?

Hearing him say that only made Asta itch to walk even closer.

Unfortunately, every time he moved closer, Shi Zhou dodged away.

He wasn't even doing anything.

He just wanted to smell whatever perfume Shi Zhou was wearing. It was strangely addictive.

He was nearly a head taller than Shi Zhou. Taking advantage of his height, he draped an arm over Shi Zhou's shoulders and coaxed him.

"Okay, okay, I won't crowd you. Hungry? Let's eat first."

With all that tugging and jostling, they made their way toward the place they had just spotted. The camera operator following them nearly died laughing.

Seeing their striking looks and bearing, the server at the entrance stepped forward with a smile.

"Hello. Would you two like a private room? This branch has just opened, so couples get twenty percent off."

With someone else around, Shi Zhou stopped engaging with Asta and said stiffly,

"No, the main dining area is fine. We're not a couple, either. Thank you."

Asta shrugged and smiled. "All right. The main dining area it is."

He didn't keep pushing the question of whether they were a couple, afraid he might tease Shi Zhou into getting angry.

A server inside gestured with one hand. "Please follow me. This way, to the left."

Entering the Hot Spring Resort required paying a hefty fee upfront, and the staff inside were well trained. The camera didn't faze them.

After sitting down, Shi Zhou glanced around. Seeing no one nearby, he first let out a relieved breath, then delivered a fierce, whispered warning.

"No talking nonsense!"

A touch of embarrassment and annoyance colored his porcelain-white face. His beautiful brows were tightly drawn, and the tips of his ears were pink. Everything about him was unbearably tempting.

Shi Zhou felt as though he were scolding a disobedient big dog, tugging on its ears as he lectured it.

Unfortunately, Asta wasn't a big dog. He was a wolf.

His tea-brown eyes darkened, and his throat tightened a little. Staring intently at Shi Zhou's expression, he drawled,

"Why such a big reaction-"

The corners of his rakishly handsome mouth lifted, his eyes glinting as he leaned closer with a wicked grin. "Feeling shy?"

Annoyed, Shi Zhou shoved his face away.

Shi Zhou didn't want him to ask, but that only made him insist. "Are you angry?"

So annoying.

Shi Zhou chewed his food, his cheeks bulging. He gripped his fork and refused to speak.

-Asta, you jerk! How dare you bully my wife!

-Hahahaha, Zhouzhou even checked whether anyone was around. Sure, there's no one nearby, but there's a camera!

-Holy shit, hehehe, he's so cute I'm getting a nosebleed, hehehe (¯﹃¯)

When they finally finished eating, Shi Zhou insisted on paying full price. Asta said regretfully,

"I was only trying to save the production team a little money."

Shi Zhou offered no comment on that excuse, but at least Asta behaved much more properly when there were people around.

That afternoon, they played board games for a while, then sat down for drinks and a break. Asta checked the time and asked,

"Want to play pool?"

Shi Zhou said, "Play a round first. I'll watch."

Asta got up. "Sure."

Shi Zhou sat on the couch, propping his cheek on his hand as he watched Asta play.

Most people would choose one of the tables around the edges. Not him. He had to take the one right in the middle.

The overhead lights hung low in the pool hall, illuminating every detail of his finely sculpted features. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, exposing his prominent wrist bones as he casually chalked his cue.

After the attendant broke, he stood beside the table with his eyes lowered, his long lashes casting faint shadows beneath them. He turned the cue half a rotation between his fingertips and rested its tip lightly against the felt, without a single wasted movement.

He bent over, his back drawing into a smooth line. A gentle push of the cue sent the white ball racing along the edge of the table. The instant it struck the colored ball-

With a clunk, the target ball dropped cleanly into the pocket.

He glanced across at Shi Zhou, all broad shoulders, long legs, and effortless swagger.

-Now he actually looks pretty respectable. Kind of hot, too.

-He's always been hot. He just has that playboy vibe. On a dating reality show, nobody would dare confess to him, right? He seems impossible to pin down. In real life, he'd definitely have loads of people chasing him.

The comments were right. Before he had been playing long, quite a few young men and women approached to chat, and some even asked for his contact details.

Asta barely paid them any attention, concentrating on his game. After finishing a round, he came over to Shi Zhou. "Come on. Hurry up."

He took Shi Zhou by the arm and pulled him to his feet, coaxing him along. "I told them I came with a friend. That was the only way they'd stop bothering me."

Shi Zhou stood there for a long while with his face scrunched up, his lips opening and closing before he finally said quietly,

"...The bet this morning doesn't count."

Asta paused. Hearing his answer felt like being scratched by a cat. Laughter warmed his voice, and his narrow eyes curved.

"So that's what this was about. I was only joking."

"If you really had to call me something, what's the point of calling me big bro? It'd have to be Daddy or hubby, wouldn't it?"

He leaned close to Shi Zhou and deliberately teased him, watching his face the whole time.

-In your dreams!

-No sleeping in the pool hall during the day. What are you daydreaming for?

-If Zhouzhou's calling anyone hubby, it'll be me. Who even are you?

Unfortunately, unlike back at the restaurant, Shi Zhou didn't give him another shove in the face. He merely pressed his lips together and walked ahead, holding in his irritation.

Asta found that rather disappointing. He followed behind and considerately picked a less crowded spot.

He was actually quite serious while teaching. "Here, let's go over the rules first..."

By the time he finished explaining, Shi Zhou had his head tilted and looked as though he hadn't listened at all.

With anyone else, Asta would certainly have lost patience by then.

But Shi Zhou looked ready to knock the white ball straight into a pocket, so Asta hurried to stop him and said quietly,

"That's not how you play."

Shi Zhou didn't pay him any mind. With Asta holding his wrist, he simply raised the cue and laughed. "I was teasing you too! Hahahahaha."

Seeing him finally smile, Asta lowered his head and joined him in a quiet laugh.

The production team grinned along like fools. For one thing, they loved shipping a CP too. For another, everyone noticed that the viewership had begun rising significantly during this segment.

"There we go! There we go! The numbers are shooting up!"

"People are posting clips of them on every platform. Plus, it's dinnertime now, right?"

More importantly, though, it proved that plenty of viewers loved the dynamic between these two.

It was just as Director Zhang had said: when the chemistry was right, people would watch them do anything.

Shi Zhou really was his money- ahem, lucky star.

Just then, a staff member pointed at the screen in the corner.

"Director Zhang, Su Yue's come out. He's heading over to Shi Zhou and Asta."

Director Zhang promptly wiped the toothy grin off his face.