Yan Feizhuo pulled Sheng Nian far away to join the line.
Looking at his expressionless profile, Sheng Nian instinctively felt that he looked incredibly sour.
"Are you angry?"
Yan Feizhuo turned to him and said irritably, "Shouldn't I be?"
Sheng Nian immediately shook his head. He simply hadn't expected the cheat-tool helper supplied by the system to have such intelligent emotions, just like a real person.
Fortunately, that thought was blocked because it involved the system. Otherwise, Yan Feizhuo would have exploded if he heard it.
Sheng Nian hurried to soothe him. "Yes, yes, yes, you should be angry. It's all my fault. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had to, Feizhuo..."
"Stop, stop, stop."
The more Yan Feizhuo listened, the more something felt off. Why did this sound so much like the lines a manipulative flirt used to placate a backup boyfriend? He hurried to interrupt Sheng Nian. "As long as you know. If you weren't so hopeless, liking someone like that..."
"Don't say that. Jiang Shu isn't like what you're saying."
Afraid of getting an OOC warning, Sheng Nian mumbled a quiet protest, while inwardly agreeing wholeheartedly with Yan Feizhuo.
Yan Feizhuo pinched Sheng Nian's mouth into a pout. "Enough. Shut up. Nothing you're saying is anything I want to hear."
[You can tell President Yan really has no moves left...]
[What else can he do? It's the person he likes. He can't be too gentle or too harsh, so he's just bottling everything up.]
[Of course he can be as ruthless as an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves toward his enemies, but this is his little young master...]
They talked for a while, and then the people from the previous Ferris Wheel ride came out. It was their turn to go in.
Because Yan Feizhuo had pulled him away from Jiang Shu and He Gu, the two of them had ended up at the very back of the line.
When they reached the task station to check the Ferris Wheel's check-in task, Jiang Shu and He Gu were just about to enter. Staying in character, Sheng Nian called out to Jiang Shu, but whether he hadn't heard or was taking his anger over what had happened earlier out on him, he ignored him.
Sheng Nian inwardly curled his lip. Fine, ignore me. Saves me having to keep playing the devoted lover.
After grumbling inwardly, he went to read the check-in task.
Ferris Wheel check-in task: [They say lovers who kiss at the top of a Ferris Wheel will stay together forever. Would you be willing to kiss your romantic partner?]
What the hell? The production team is going this far? How many episodes has it even been, and there's already a kissing task?
Just as Sheng Nian was wondering what exactly the production team meant by this task prompt, Ye Heng spoke up beside him.
"Sheng Nian, Jiang Shu and He Gu have already gone in. Are you sure you still don't want to work with me?"
Sheng Nian glanced at him. Why hasn't this Ye Heng given up yet?
Not wanting to say much to him, he shook his head without speaking.
"The two-person task requires a kiss. They've already gone in. You can't possibly stop them on your own. Well? Work with me, and I'll go in right now and stop them."
"If you don't decide now, you'll have to watch Jiang Shu and He Gu get intimate."
He was threatening him.
Ye Heng knew Jiang Shu was Sheng Nian's weak spot. Only harsh words would provoke him into working with him.
For a moment, Sheng Nian really didn't know what to say.
How was he supposed to act this out?
He even felt a little like laughing inside. It would be great if Jiang Shu and He Gu got all lovey-dovey. He couldn't wait for them to be locked together for good.
But he still had to keep up the act.
Sheng Nian pretended to be furious. "You're talking nonsense! Jiang Shu said he and He Gu are just ordinary friends!"
Ye Heng looked at him as though he were an idiot. "You actually believe that?"
Sheng Nian's eyes immediately reddened, as though he had recalled everything between Jiang Shu and He Gu in the past. "No. Even if you don't believe what Jiang Shu said, surely you believe He Gu? He said they were just friends too."
Ye Heng couldn't tell whether he really was stupid or just pretending. "Sheng Nian, stop lying to yourself. Weren't you perfectly clear about it before? Why else would you keep picking on He Gu?"
Sheng Nian cried out tearfully, "No, that's not true!"
Ye Heng laughed in anger, wishing he could jab a finger at his head and knock some sense into him. "Even if they're friends now, will they still be friends if they keep having such intimate contact?"
Sheng Nian suddenly fell silent, his eyes terribly red.
Their conversation sent Jiang Shu's fans into a panic.
[No, wait, what's going on?]
[I remember He Gu only just said today that they were friends...]
[That's true, but Ye Heng has a point. This is a dating show. A lot of intimate behavior is unavoidable. What if they develop feelings over time?]
[Exactly. We can't just keep our eyes on Sheng Nian. We have to watch out for He Gu too!]
[Oh no, I've been camping out in Sheng Nian's livestream all day. I haven't watched what He Gu's been doing at all.]
Seeing that Sheng Nian remained silent, Ye Heng thought his words had worked. The corners of his lips lifted in a smug smile.
[Ding~ Congratulations, host. You have gained 0.4% Male Supporting Character Self-Salvation Progress and 40 System Coins. Current progress: 5.8%. Please keep up the good work.]
Sheng Nian froze at the system announcement. Had he done something that affected the original plot's development? Why had his progress suddenly increased by 0.4%?
The increase in self-salvation progress was a pleasant surprise for Sheng Nian, and it did improve the mood the second male lead had ruined a little.
Watching the little young master's eyes redden from getting too deep into his role, Yan Feizhuo knitted his brows tightly. He took a handkerchief from inside his jacket and handed it to him, then turned toward Ye Heng. "Don't make yourself sound so high-minded either. Aren't you just trying to use Sheng Nian to achieve your own ends?"
Once Yan Feizhuo stepped in, Ye Heng knew nothing would come of this today. He glanced at Sheng Nian, then turned and entered the Ferris Wheel.
After driving him away, Yan Feizhuo turned back to Sheng Nian. Seeing him blowing his nose into his handkerchief, he pushed at his face with some distaste. "Hopeless. Aren't you so full of yourself with me?"
Sheng Nian glared at him and gave a couple of muffled grunts.
Tang Jiang, who had been watching the spectacle from the sidelines the entire time, came over now and pinched Sheng Nian's cheek, asking in puzzlement, "Sheng Nian! You're not lacking in any department. Why insist on hanging yourself from one crooked tree?"
As she spoke, Tang Jiang spun around in front of him, the hem of her dashing leather trench coat fluttering. The female Alpha's cool mint scent wafted over. "What do you think of me? Want to give things a try with me?"
Yan Feizhuo's expression turned thunderous.
"Hey, what exactly do you like about him? I could learn a thing or two."
With no fear for her life, Tang Jiang stayed to keep testing Yan Feizhuo's fragile nerves.
Seeing her stir up more trouble for her own amusement, Sheng Nian said weakly, "Just go already..."
[President Yan hasn't even driven off the tiger in front, and the jackal behind him has already caught up, hahahaha~]
[Tang Jiang isn't wrong at all. Why insist on hanging yourself from one crooked tree? Look at our President Yan! What a man to make you feel safe!]
[I admit I have basic tastes. I love an older woman teasing a puppy-like younger guy too!]
[You've all forgotten the important part. The Ferris Wheel task is about kissing! I'm already looking forward to Sheng-Yan's first intimate contact!!!!!]
[!! Girl, you reminded me. Are they going to kiss?]
[Sheng Nian probably won't want to...]
[Have you all forgotten that President Yan's condition for agreeing to apologize to Jiang Shu was that Sheng Nian had to listen to him for the Ferris Wheel task? Did that scheming Alpha President Yan guess what the Ferris Wheel task would be beforehand?]
[Aaaaaah, does that mean a kiss is on the cards?!]
Before you continue