Hou Yunqi helped Xia Yu up.
Xia Yu was still mourning the water balloon Leng Yifan had burst by sitting on it.
While the others were distracted, Xu Wang and Pei Yanchuan hurried forward several steps. Just as they were about to step off the mat, Xu Wang's right foot suddenly slipped, and he was about to fall onto the mat.
Pei Yanchuan reacted quickly. Holding the water balloon in one hand, he scooped Xu Wang up with the other and stood firmly at the finish line.
[Wow, wow, wow! President Pei's boyfriend power is off the charts!]
[That was so cool! Even wobbling that much, he could still hold him so steadily.]
[I turned to look at my boyfriend beside me and silently kicked him.]
[Hahaha, if that happened to me, my boyfriend would just stand there laughing at me.]
[We live in the same world, girl above.]
Yun Xi and Tian Xiaowu followed close behind.
Qin Huai tugged at Gu Yunlan, who was watching intently, and the two managed to scrape into third place.
The remaining contestants also slowly made it through the third stage.
Xia Yu and Hou Yunqi started over. Xia Yu planned to rush straight across, but he had clearly underestimated the soapy water on the mat.
His legs pumped frantically, but he stayed in place.
Splat.
Xia Yu dropped to his knees on the mat. If Hou Yunqi had not been supporting him from the side, he might have ended up flat on his face again.
In the end, the two supported each other and finally made it through the last obstacle.
Delighted by the phenomenal traffic all afternoon, the director readily handed out the Wildcard Cards the top three had each earned.
Xu Wang looked at the pink Wildcard Card with a heart drawn on it in his hand. Between its roughly cut edges and the heart that had not quite dried, he had reason to suspect the director had only just drawn it.
That night, Xu Wang groggily got out of bed, intending to go out and pour himself a glass of water.
"I'll go with you." Worried, Pei Yanchuan took Xu Wang's hand.
"No need. I'm just getting a drink of water. I'll be right back. Get some rest." Seeing the faint dark circles beneath Pei Yanchuan's eyes, Xu Wang patted his hand with a pang of tenderness.
"I can't sleep without you." Pei Yanchuan shook his head gently and sat right up in bed.
"All right, then. Let's go together." Xu Wang took Pei Yanchuan by the hand and quietly left the room.
The two headed downstairs toward the kitchen. They had just rounded a corner in the living room when they ran into Qu Rou.
"Are you here for water too?" Qu Rou wore silk pajamas, though the style was a little daring, with cutouts.
Xu Wang's gaze was clear. "Yes."
Qu Rou glanced toward the kitchen behind her out of the corner of her eye. "Then I won't disturb you. I'm a little sleepy too, so I'll head back to my room."
"Please, go ahead." Xu Wang nodded.
Qu Rou hurried up the stairs.
Throughout the exchange, Pei Yanchuan kept his eyes fixed on Xu Wang. He did not even glance at Qu Rou when she greeted them.
Something's off. Xu Wang withdrew his gaze and led Pei Yanchuan into the kitchen.
The moment they stepped through the kitchen doorway, they heard a fascinating conversation.
Yun Xi seemed to be on the phone with his manager.
"How about I stop filming this episode?"
"What are you thinking? This variety show is all that's keeping your traffic going right now. If you don't film this episode, who'll remember you by the next one?" The woman's voice on the phone was full of anger and exasperation at his failure to live up to expectations.
"Enough. It's late. Go wash up and get to bed. Don't bring this up again. Never mind me refusing-the company definitely won't agree either."
Beep, beep-
"What a mess." Yun Xi put his phone away with a headache and turned around.
"Hi." Xu Wang waved.
At the sight of the two standing in front of him, Yun Xi nearly jumped straight into the air.
"Y-you, when did you get here?" Yun Xi looked nervous.
"Around when you said you didn't want to keep filming." Xu Wang smiled slightly.
"Do you want to stop filming and pay the breach-of-contract penalty?" Pei Yanchuan began seriously considering whether collecting the penalty or having him keep filming would be more worthwhile.
"No, no, no, President Pei, I was joking! I'll definitely keep filming. Please don't kick me out." Facing the show's biggest investor, Yun Xi hurriedly waved his hands, terrified that the man would boot him out.
"What's this?" Xu Wang suddenly noticed two cards on the table in front of them and asked curiously.
Pei Yanchuan's gaze sharpened.
Looking at the two cards in front of him, Yun Xi's headache grew worse. In the end, he hung his head dejectedly. "They're bank cards."
"What?"
Yun Xi's voice was very quiet, and he was mumbling, so Xu Wang had not heard him clearly.
"Bank cards." Yun Xi took a deep breath and spoke a little louder.
"They're just bank cards. Why are you so nervous?" Xu Wang said nothing more, but a hint of amusement and curiosity about the gossip showed in his eyes.
Looking at Xu Wang and Pei Yanchuan in front of him, Yun Xi suddenly felt a spark of hope. Zheng Weiguang and Qu Rou would never dare offend the Pei Corporation. He might as well latch on to these two now and voluntarily tell Pei Yanchuan about the couple's offenses, earning himself a chance to atone through meritorious service.
"President Pei, I want to report-oh, no, I mean, I want to tell you something important." Yun Xi raised his hand.
"Go ahead." Seeing the thirst for gossip in Xu Wang's eyes, Pei Yanchuan readily indulged him.
Yun Xi gave a complete account of everything he knew.
Xu Wang listened, dumbfounded. It turned out that both husband and wife had privately taken a fancy to Yun Xi and offered to keep him as their lover. But Yun Xi, who had only just debuted, had still been full of dreams about his future and had rejected them outright. Neither of them had expected to run into Yun Xi this time, either. To keep him from talking, they had impatiently come to deliver hush money on the very first night.
Before you continue