If you win, I'll let you sleep in the bed tonight

The table suddenly fell silent.

Everyone's eyes landed on Pei Du.

Pei Du had just taken a sip of skim milk. Before he could swallow it, he spat it straight back into his glass.

It was a little disgusting, but at least he hadn't sprayed it out and caught anyone else in the crossfire.

He took a tissue, wiped his mouth, and gave a dry cough. "What do you mean, won or lost? Don't go prying into alpha business."

"So you lost." Ye Qiunian understood.

Qiao Xin burst out laughing at that. Before Pei Du's face could go from livid to thunderous, she volunteered:

"Teacher Pei didn't lose."

Just as Pei Du was finding, for once, that Qiao Xin was a good person who wasn't quite such a bastard, he heard her continue:

"Teacher Pei didn't even dare take his pants off. I tried, but I couldn't even pull them down."

Originally, Pei Du had been the sole target of the conversation, but as some people's gazes gradually shifted to Jiang Lan and Wen Zhiyan, Jiang Lan knew he couldn't let their imaginations keep running wild.

"Behave yourselves in front of the cameras," he said solemnly. "Don't ask random questions. Teacher Pei has his dignity, too."

As the center of the conversation and the object of everyone's particular attention, Pei Du hastened to cast Jiang Lan a grateful look.

Unfortunately, before his grateful gaze could fully settle on Jiang Lan, he heard him continue:

"If there's anything you want to know, why not sneak into Teacher Pei's room after midnight and ask? Teacher Pei is so helpful, considerate, and kind. I'm sure he won't refuse."

Everyone broke into another round of laughter and teasing.

By the time they finished dinner, it was almost past seven. The sky outside was growing hazy, and the production team's announcement sounded just then.

[All guests, please finish changing rooms within half an hour and gather outside at seven thirty. Don't be late.]

"We still have to go out this late?" Pei Du was taken aback.

He was used to staying home. Unless he had work or social obligations, he basically never went out at night. As far as he was concerned, he would rather lie at home reading scripts than go out drinking, clubbing, or partying.

Jiang Lan was the same. Apart from occasionally having a couple of drinks with Ji Wanxing at a familiar little bar, he skipped all unnecessary activities.

But since the production team had arranged it, naturally no one objected. Once the announcement ended, everyone immediately went upstairs to pack their belongings and change rooms.

Only Jiang Lan and Wen Zhiyan remained in the living room.

They sat at opposite ends of the sofa. Jiang Lan asked Wen Zhiyan, "Do you know what we're going to do later, President Wen?"

Wen Zhiyan shook his head. "No, but we could take a guess."

Jiang Lan couldn't think of anything that had to be done at night. He considered it for a moment. "A night market? A lantern festival? An outdoor movie?"

Wen Zhiyan looked at Jiang Lan and chuckled. "I don't think so. There'll probably be some other surprise."

Jiang Lan's own leisure time was very monotonous. Beyond those, he couldn't think of anything interesting to do, nor could he imagine what surprise there could be in the middle of the night.

He thought for a moment. "President Wen, want to make a bet?"

Wen Zhiyan raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"I'll guess five activities," Jiang Lan said. "If any of them are right, I win. If none of them are right, and it's some other surprise like you said, you win."

Wen Zhiyan nodded. "What are the stakes?"

Jiang Lan's eyes curved as he smiled. "If you win, I'll let you sleep in the bed tonight."

Wen Zhiyan readily agreed. "All right."

He asked Jiang Lan, "A night market, a lantern festival, an outdoor movie. What are the other two?"

Jiang Lan thought for a moment. "Camping outdoors and playing mahjong."

At that, Wen Zhiyan froze for a moment, then laughed aloud.

Camping outdoors required preparations. Since the production team hadn't mentioned any, that meant they would definitely be coming back to sleep that night. As for mahjong, that was even less likely.

What dating show would arrange an all-night mahjong session?

Jiang Lan was obviously going easy on him on purpose.

Watching Wen Zhiyan laugh, Jiang Lan put on a stern face. "What are you laughing at? Are my guesses that ridiculous?"

Wen Zhiyan shook his head. "No. I just think I'm probably going to win."

Hearing that, Jiang Lan was amused again. "Really? Does winning mean you get to laugh, Wen Zhiyan? What if you win and still can't laugh?"

At the sly expression on Jiang Lan's face, Wen Zhiyan immediately realized that Jiang Lan had said he could sleep in the bed, not that he could sleep in the bed with Jiang Lan.

Wen Zhiyan stopped smiling and lowered his head, looking at the tips of Jiang Lan's shoes. From an angle where the cameras couldn't see his lips move, he said quietly:

"Teacher Jiang, I was wrong."

Jiang Lan felt satisfied. "Depends on my mood," he said mildly.

The conversation ended there. Ten-odd minutes later, the others finished sorting out their things and came downstairs one after another.

At seven thirty, a minibus stopped outside the villa. It took them down a woodland path and, after the sky had gone completely dark, stopped at a small riverside dock surrounded by lush vegetation.

The evening breeze was cool, and the trees rustled ceaselessly in the wind.

Wearing only a spaghetti-strap dress, Xu Can couldn't help shivering upon stepping out of the vehicle. "What's going on?"

It wasn't just Xu Can. Looking at the lush but deserted woods around them, the other omegas also felt creeped out. If the camera crew hadn't still been following behind them, they might have suspected they had boarded a criminal operation's vehicle and were about to be smuggled abroad, tied up, and sent off to have their kidneys harvested and run telecom scams.

Looking around, Jiang Lan even deliberately glanced back at the camera crew following them. Only after confirming that they were indeed familiar faces did he feel somewhat reassured.

In the darkness, he reached out and pinched Wen Zhiyan's waist. "A surprise?"

Wen Zhiyan raised his hand and secretly caught Jiang Lan's fingertips. "Maybe they're starting low before the big reveal?"

Wen Zhiyan's waist felt good beneath his hand. Jiang Lan was just about to pinch it again when Xu Can turned to look at them.

"Lan-ge, I'm a little creeped out. Could you stay closer to me?"

Jiang Lan hastily pulled his fingertips out of Wen Zhiyan's grip behind his back and said with a smile, "We're still on land, and you're already creeped out. Won't you be even more scared if we get on a boat in a bit?"

Xu Can froze. "We have to get on a boat, too?"

Lin Ziyou walked over to Xu Can, looking fairly calm. "Of course. This is a dock. Why else would we come here?"

Yu Nan obediently followed behind Qiao Xin without a word.

Ye Qiunian took out his phone, glanced at the words [Clear tonight] on the weather forecast, then put it away again.

Qiao Xin glanced at Wen Zhiyan. "President Wen, I think I might know what we're going to do."