The chestnut horse galloped on all four hooves, stirring up a long gust that lifted Sheng Nian's hair as he sat wrapped in Yan Feizhuo's arms. Their intimate figures flashed past along the path, enough to draw the eyes of numerous passersby.
Yan Feizhuo rode with remarkable skill, as practiced as a young nobleman riding down a long street in ancient times.
Their figures soon vanished down the forest trail. The camera operators following them looked at the narrow, rugged path, then at the heavy equipment in their hands. They could only send the livestream hover camera after them first, then call Director Ren for backup with miserable expressions.
Mo Yuanyuan watched them leave in style and said enviously, "Being able to ride is so nice. I should've learned with you back then. One more skill, one more option..."
Qi Xiao still had to tease her. "Who was it back then who lay on a pony's back during the extracurricular class, crying that she'd never touch a horse again? You could've gotten off just by swinging one leg over! Hahahahaha!"
Flustered and furious, Mo Yuanyuan turned to glare at him and punched him. "Shut up!"
Meanwhile, Yan Feizhuo and Sheng Nian were galloping along in style.
Riding was cool, but to be honest, it wasn't exactly comfortable, especially for a complete riding novice like Sheng Nian.
The forest trail was nowhere near as even as the broad roads inside the castle grounds, and it had some slopes, too. The horse inevitably jostled as it ran. Sheng Nian was already trying hard to hold his upper body steady, but he simply couldn't control himself.
As the horse moved forward, his back and torso kept bumping backward into Yan Feizhuo behind him. He could only do his best to grip the iron ring on the saddle to steady himself, avoiding the awkwardness of too much physical contact.
Behind him, Yan Feizhuo curled his lips into a triumphant smile and flicked the reins. "Hyah!"
The horse suddenly sped up. Sheng Nian fell backward uncontrollably, then quickly sprang upright, a flush rising to his cheeks.
Watching mischievously as Sheng Nian stubbornly continued swaying on horseback, Yan Feizhuo slipped an arm around his slender waist and pulled him back against himself.
Yan Feizhuo lowered his head and rubbed his chin against the top of Sheng Nian's head. "We're speeding up to take first place. Lean against me so you don't fall."
In truth, Sheng Nian was already tired from keeping his muscles tense. Being pulled against him like this let his whole body relax and felt much more comfortable. Since Yan Feizhuo had also given him a perfect excuse, he shifted without a qualm to make himself even more comfortable.
He was his tool, anyway. What was wrong with leaning against him? Sheng Nian felt increasingly justified.
[I saw that! President Yan sped up on purpose! That way his wife would lean into his arms, right? President Yan, you scheming man!]
[Ahhh!! Sheng Nian looks so delicate leaning in President Yan's arms!]
[The camera operators all lost them, hahaha. Good thing there's a livestream hover camera. Interstellar technology's latest marvel really lives up to its name. The picture's still so clear even like this.]
[Being able to ride is such an advantage here. They can take a shortcut straight there!]
[Take first place! I want Sheng Nian and Yan Feizhuo to stay together in the next stage!]
Meanwhile, at the destination indicated on the map.
It was a domed building in the same Western fantasy style as Sea Demon Castle, with a sign overhead bearing the flowing words "A Bar."
A sign for Heart-Throbbing Observation Diary stood at the entrance. Beside it, rather bizarrely, they had also set up a standee like one at a tourist photo spot. It looked tacky.
Holding the reins, Yan Feizhuo guided the chestnut horse straight toward the building at a gallop.
"Whoa~"
He tugged hard on the reins. Pulled up abruptly in mid-gallop, the chestnut horse reared high on its front legs.
The horse's movement threw Sheng Nian back into Yan Feizhuo, who caught him in a full embrace.
That pose set off another wave of screams in the comments.
Sheng Nian felt a little uncomfortable. His whole body seemed to be tucked into Yan Feizhuo's arms, and the arm pulling hard on the reins beside his waist was impossible to ignore. It was as though he could feel the shape of Yan Feizhuo's taut arm muscles through the thin fabric.
The hooves kicked up a cloud of dust as the horse neighed, then landed heavily and came to a firm stop outside the bar.
The staff were somewhat speechless at the horse before them. Who could have imagined that someone would ride here by taking a shortcut along the trail through the hill behind the castle? It seemed Director Ren really had miscalculated this time.
"President Yan, Mr. Sheng, you're here already?"
Yan Feizhuo nodded in acknowledgment, swung down from the horse first, then opened his arms toward Sheng Nian, signaling for him to come down.
[Quick, quick, quick, jump into President Yan's arms!]
[Damn, Yan Feizhuo's boyfriend game is unreal. I'm so jealous!]
Sitting on horseback, Sheng Nian first tried to dismount by himself, only to discover that he had overestimated himself somewhat. This horse was magnificent, but it was also very tall. With his own half-baked riding skills, he couldn't get down at all.
That being the case, he turned at the waist without a qualm, tipped backward, and trustingly dropped himself into Yan Feizhuo's arms.
[President Yan has such a wicked sense of fun. He watched Sheng Nian fumbling around on the horse without helping, just waiting for his wife to come into his arms himself, huh?]
[Still, Sheng Nian really trusts President Yan. He just fell back without the slightest hesitation.]
[He believes President Yan will definitely catch him, right? Ahhhh, they're so shippable!]
Yan Feizhuo didn't betray his trust either. He secured his waist and caught him firmly without so much as blinking.
[Our Sheng Nian and Yan Feizhuo took first!]
[What a huge lead!]
Sheng Nian stepped out of Yan Feizhuo's arms and got down to business. "We're here. What's the mission clue?"
The staff member pointed to A Bar behind them. "This is our first mission checkpoint."
Sheng Nian nodded. "And? What's the mission?"
The staff member brought out a box and said with a smile, "You'll draw a card to decide~ There are easy missions and difficult ones in here. What you get will depend on your luck."
Sheng Nian: "..."
"We came first, and our mission still depends on luck?"
The staff member nodded. "First place only gives you a time advantage. We have to keep things fair for the other guests, don't we?"
Sheng Nian said, "Just say you want to torment the guests. There's no need to make excuses..."
The staff member laughed awkwardly. "Let's draw a card, Mr. Sheng. Draw a card."
[The Production Team really knows how to play...]
[Why else would it be a variety show famous for tormenting its guests?]
[If they draw a difficult mission, won't the other teams easily overtake them? Then their first-place advantage will be completely gone.]
[That's probably exactly what Director Ren wants...]
Sheng Nian drew the card.
After drawing it, his expression cracked a little.
[What did he draw? Our Sheng Nian looks troubled.]
The staff member said, "Please read out what's on the card."
Sheng Nian: "..."
Seeing his reaction, Yan Feizhuo couldn't help feeling his eyelid twitch. He reached over, took the card, and read aloud, "How do you stay forever charming in your lover's eyes?"
"They say novelty keeps romance fresh. Show your partner a quality they haven't discovered yet, maintaining that sense of novelty and urgency so they stay hooked on you forever and their heart keeps fluttering for you..."
[Ah, that really is true. Research shows that the honeymoon phase for couples generally lasts three months. After that, as the novelty fades and their real personalities and living habits come out, their feelings shift from passionate to subdued...]
[That's true, but novelty can be maintained. A lot of people choose to date someone new, then repeat the same old things with that new person. But what really keeps things fresh in the long term is experiencing new things with the same person, constantly discovering new qualities in your partner.]
[The Production Team actually wrote this pretty well. It could give a lot of people something to think about.]
[But why do I feel like President Yan's expression is getting dangerous...]
Yan Feizhuo continued reading the mission instructions on the card word by word. "So, the team that draws this card must have your partner take the stage at the very center of the bar. Whatever method they use, they must win cheers and expressions of interest from the audience and show everyone your partner's charm! Spark your sense of novelty and urgency, and heat up your relationship~"
The calmer his tone became, the more it felt as though a storm was brewing.
[!!! I'm stunned. That's bold!]
[Seriously, why is our President Yan always the one who gets hurt? Has he even won his wife over yet, for you to put him through this?]
[And he has to accept advances from everyone in the bar. It's over. Jiang Shu and Tang Jiang already give President Yan enough to be jealous about.]
[Can you please spare our President Yan?]
[Hahahahaha, those of us here for the drama love this!]
Looking at Yan Feizhuo's dark expression, the staff member kept feeling as though this powerful man would finish them off in the next second.
Only Sheng Nian dared ask a question at a time like this. "What does 'whatever method' mean? Are there any hints?"
The staff member said cautiously, "Something like DJing, dancing, or singing, I suppose? Basically, showing yourself off."
Sheng Nian: "..."
[Oh-ho!]
[Can Sheng Nian do any of those things? Don't tell me President Yan's going onstage???]
[They might as well skip this mission!]
Hearing Director Ren's instructions through the earpiece, the staff member shrank back. "Um, well, please, both of you, please come in."
Yan Feizhuo looked at Sheng Nian and ultimately took his hand and led him inside.
Before you continue