Qi Yu had answered far too seriously.
He had successfully taken Bai Luochuan's blushing to a whole new level.
Bai Luochuan averted his gaze.
Bai Luochuan stopped looking at Qi Yu's face.
The host, meanwhile, knew when to quit while ahead.
The game was over.
Of course they could hand out everyone's lunch now.
Unlike yesterday, today's little pre-lunch game had simply been a chance for everyone to interact, rather than something that had to produce winners and losers.
Everyone had the same lunch.
Once they received their boxed meals,
they simply found somewhere nearby to sit.
Bai Luochuan wasn't that particular.
He thought the grass was pretty clean anyway, so he found a fairly level patch and sat down with his lunch.
Naturally, Qi Yu stayed beside him as always.
But what both of them found a little strange was that after they sat down, Yan Cheng actually came over with his lunch and sat beside Bai Luochuan without a word.
Bai Luochuan: ?
Yan Cheng lowered his head and ate.
Veins bulged on the backs of his hands.
He looked as though he was about to snap those poor chopsticks.
The others were a little puzzled by Yan Cheng's behavior too.
But Chu Zhu reacted quickly, claiming the spot on Qi Yu's other side as fast as possible.
Left with no other option, Lan Muxing could only sit beside Yan Cheng.
In the end, the five of them ate together.
He Gui thought it over.
Then he sat somewhere far away from them.
He could tell.
He pretty much had no part to play in this episode anymore.
Still, watching the drama up close was pretty entertaining.
Wasn't this much more interesting than those melodramatic TV shows these days?
[Folks, those last two questions sounded kind of cryptic, but thinking about it carefully, I feel like there was a seriously huge amount of information in there!]
[I feel the same! Is Bai Luochuan and Yan Cheng's relationship different from what was exposed before? Why do I feel like there's something going on between them?]
[Bai Luochuan fans, stop leeching off him! Does a lousy Beta deserve to leech off Yan Cheng?]
[Please open your damn eyes and look properly. Your precious idol came over with his lunch to latch onto Bai Luochuan!]
[You know, Yan Cheng looks like a little wife who's been seduced and abandoned. For a second there, I actually thought he was cute.]
[But what's going on between Bai Luochuan and Qi Yu? No matter how you look at it, their paths shouldn't have crossed!]
[It's a mess, a complete mess! I'm not sure about anything else, but I can tell the Chengxing ship is about to break apart.]
[This whole tangled mess is so satisfying!]
With the other guests sitting all around them, Bai Luochuan couldn't talk much with Qi Yu during lunch.
Once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the production team had them rest where they were for a while before setting off again to continue climbing the peaks they hadn't finished earlier.
It was plainly deliberate.
As they climbed, Yan Cheng stayed close beside Bai Luochuan.
Previously, whenever Lan Muxing grew tired, Yan Cheng would go over to fuss over him and ask if he needed any help.
But this time was completely different.
When Lan Muxing stopped to drink some water, Yan Cheng didn't even glance his way.
Instead, he took the bottled water he had brought out of his backpack.
He unscrewed the cap and held it out to Bai Luochuan.
He said, "We've been climbing for so long. Why don't you have some water and take a break?"
Bai Luochuan blinked. "Thanks, but I'm not tired."
He was simply answering Yan Cheng's question.
Then he noticed.
Yan Cheng's expression had darkened even further.
He was starting to find it incomprehensible.
Had that earlier blow from a brick knocked Bai Luochuan stupid, or was he really playing some game of hard to get?
If it was the latter, he had already made himself this clear. Even if Bai Luochuan was angry, shouldn't it be time to stop playing games?
Or could it be...
Bai Luochuan really wasn't interested in him at all anymore?
That was impossible.
Yan Cheng instinctively refused to accept such a reality.
So after only a brief pause,
he quickened his pace.
He caught up with Bai Luochuan again and continued walking beside him without a word.
Half an hour later.
They arrived at the next activity site.
It was a row of wooden-plank bridges suspended over a small river.
Perhaps because of the previous mishap,
the production team stated outright this time that they could participate in pairs or choose not to participate at all.
Because at the far end of the wooden bridges stood only one enormous ancient tree.
Many prayer plaques hung from the ancient tree.
They said it was the most spiritually potent place on the mountain. Whatever they wished to pray for, they could write it down and hang it there.
The gods would help make it come true.
And after hanging their plaques, they would have to return the same way.
So it was essentially just a side quest.
Anyone who wasn't interested was perfectly free to decline.
After hearing the arrangements, He Gui and Chu Zhu had already opted out without a word.
Lan Muxing instinctively looked toward Yan Cheng.
He knew that for an activity in pairs, Qi Yu would almost certainly refuse to go with him.
So he might as well choose Yan Cheng.
If the two of them went together, they could at least grab a little of the camera's attention.
Unexpectedly, before Lan Muxing could speak,
Yan Cheng had already asked Bai Luochuan, "Bai Luochuan, want to hang a prayer plaque with me?"
Bai Luochuan: ?
He looked at Yan Cheng in utter confusion.
He had absolutely no idea why this guy had suddenly started acting up nonstop.
But he had no intention of playing along with Yan Cheng's antics.
Bai Luochuan replied expressionlessly, "No thanks. I don't believe in gods."
He thought he had given the perfect answer.
Unexpectedly, Yan Cheng grew even angrier than before.
He didn't believe in gods?
If he didn't believe in gods, why had he given him protective charms before?
Whenever Bai Luochuan learned that he had fight scenes to film for a movie, he would make a special trip up a mountain to pray and bring back a protective charm for him, saying it would keep him safe.
And now he was telling him he didn't believe?
So all those protective charms before had just been tricks to deceive him too?
Unfortunately, even at this point,
the blows to Yan Cheng weren't over yet.
As though doing it deliberately, Qi Yu tugged at Bai Luochuan's sleeve. His eyes shone as he said, "Ge, I believe in gods. Will you come hang a plaque with me?"
Yan Cheng's eyes widened. "Bai Luochuan, you..."
He wanted to threaten Bai Luochuan.
To tell him he was done for if he dared agree.
But before he could get the words out, Bai Luochuan had already nodded readily.
He looked toward the production team nearby.
He said, "I'll go with Qi Yu. Is that okay?"
Of course the production team was one hundred percent in favor.
Just like before,
their wrists were linked with a red cord.
But unlike before,
this time, when Qi Yu reached for his hand, Bai Luochuan didn't refuse.
When they stepped onto the wooden bridge, the suspension bridge beneath their feet swayed constantly with their movements.
It was quite unsteady underfoot.
But neither Bai Luochuan nor Qi Yu showed the slightest nervousness or fear.
They had only taken a few steps forward
when Qi Yu started acting again. "Ge, have you heard of the Suspension Bridge Effect?"
Bai Luochuan turned to look at him.
He nodded lightly.
Qi Yu smiled, his eyes full of affection.
He said, "Take us right now, for example. Standing on this suspension bridge, I'm really scared. If you're willing to protect me, Ge, I'll fall even more in love with you, so deeply I can't pull myself out."
Before you continue