Pei Tingyun fired back with zero startup frames: "Who are you looking down on? You're the one who can't drive!"
Pei Tingyun hadn't given him even a centimeter of a step down, but Xie Huan somehow descended twenty whole floors:
"Yep, I can't drive. You give your big bro a ride, yeah?"
With that, he climbed straight onto the back of Pei Tingyun's quad bike.
He didn't give Pei Tingyun any chance to refuse.
Only then.
Did Pei Tingyun belatedly realize-
Wait!
Did I just get played?
The livestream viewers were laughing themselves silly:
[Look how magnanimous our big bro is. A real man knows when to bend and when to bend!]
[Who said city folks were full of tricks? Big bro's from the mountains, and he still plays our Peipei so hard he can't even squeak!]
[My baby Pei is still too innocent. He's no match for my daughter-in-law!]
[How is that being no match? This is called doting. Xie Huan is a laundry-powder fan, so of course he gets spoiled!]
As the saying went, inviting a god in was easy; sending one away was hard.
Once Xie Huan was on the bike, he refused to get off.
The director was terrified Pei Tingyun would find another excuse to break up the ship.
He turned the leisurely ride around the island straight into a competitive game:
"The beach quad bike race around the island starts now! Friendly reminder: whoever comes in last gets no meat tonight!"
Pei Tingyun was perfectly rational and didn't fall for it at all.
Rules like these were the easiest to deal with.
As long as all three bikes returned to the starting point at the same time, there would be no last place.
Naturally, that meant nobody would go without meat.
There was nothing wrong with Pei Tingyun's idea.
But he couldn't account for other people's hands moving faster than their brains.
He hadn't even had time to discuss a strategy with everyone.
Tang Keni floored the accelerator.
And shot off into the distance with a whoosh.
The cameraman almost failed to keep up.
Gu Lin was going all out for a bite of meat too.
He didn't even want his teammate anymore.
He tossed the leash aside and drove off by himself.
Leaving the husky standing there looking utterly baffled-
Woof?
Is walking the dog without the dog the latest trend now, woof?
Two bursts of exhaust blasted Pei Tingyun in the face.
Pei Tingyun was helpless.
He could only press the accelerator too and get the bike moving.
Along with the rushing sea breeze, Xie Huan's highly distinctive voice drifted into his ears:
"Don't rush. Take it slow, yeah? Safety first! Even if we come last, I've got ways to get you meat."
Pei Tingyun didn't particularly care about meat.
What he wanted to know more was:
"Why did you insist on getting on my bike?"
It would have been fine if he hadn't asked.
But at that question, Xie Huan switched back into his worried-nagging mode:
"Look how dangerous this sand is. If you drove alone and something happened halfway, I couldn't even reach you to help!"
Pei Tingyun froze.
So...
Was he just worried about my safety?
Pei Tingyun was privately reflecting on whether he had once again judged a gentleman by his own petty standards.
Then he heard Xie Huan continue:
"I said I'd have your back, so I'm seeing it through. I'm not the kind of guy who goes back on his word, yeah! We can't go doing anything that low!"
Pei Tingyun: "..."
I suspect you're implying I'm low, but I have no proof.
The livestream viewers were feasting on their ship yet again:
[Once he's got your back, it's for life!]
[Xie Huan-the best big bro in the Roaming Group!]
[Seriously, who could meet this guy and not love him? I'd fall for him too!]
After finishing his speech, Xie Huan waited ages without getting a response from Pei Tingyun.
Puzzled, he asked, "How come you've gone quiet?"
Pei Tingyun thought:
What am I supposed to say?
That you treat me sincerely, but I keep thinking you're some unruly subject plotting against your emperor?
Absolutely can't say that!
So.
Pei Tingyun found a brilliant excuse.
He stopped the bike and turned to tell Xie Huan:
"Big bro, I'm driving into the wind. I don't want a mouthful of sand."
Understanding dawned on Xie Huan. "Ah! I get it!"
Before he even finished speaking, he was off the bike.
That move left Pei Tingyun completely at a loss-
Bruh, what exactly did he get?
I just didn't want to talk. I wasn't kicking him off!
The next second.
Something Pei Tingyun could never have imagined suddenly happened without the slightest warning-
With zero startup frames, Xie Huan effortlessly lifted Pei Tingyun by the waist and set him on the rear seat he had just vacated.
Then he took the driver's seat himself.
And throughout the process.
Pei Tingyun was so stunned that his brain went on strike.
He completely lost the expression control he took such pride in.
His expression went from disbelief, to a brief burst of outrage, to helplessness, until he finally realized there was no saving this and simply gave up.
It was quite the spectacular display.
The sharp commentary in the livestream chat was equally spectacular:
[This sea breeze knows its job! It knows what us shippers want to see!]
[Baby Pei's expression perfectly captures: is this right? I'm asking, is it?]
[Pei Tingyun: we agreed to keep our relationship secret, so why did you announce it all by yourself???]
[That lift gave me the illusion that a 189-centimeter hottie weighs nothing.]
[Look how badly he scared my baby! Those eyes that look loving even when he looks at a dog have no love left in them, only question marks!]
[His face is so expressive. This guy definitely hasn't had any work done!]
Meanwhile, Xie Huan, already seated in front of Pei Tingyun, hadn't seen any of his colorful expressions.
He even took Pei Tingyun's hands and pressed them against his abs through a thin layer of fabric.
Great.
This time, Pei Tingyun's long, narrow peach-blossom eyes were nearly round.
The instant his hands touched the contours of those muscles, he jerked them back as though burned.
His speech system successfully rehabilitated itself too. "What are you doing?!"
Xie Huan didn't understand why he was reacting so strongly.
He spoke as though it were only natural:
"Oh, come on! What're you dodging for? Holding on keeps you steady!"
Pei Tingyun's brain crashed for a second.
Then he decisively grabbed the handles on either side of the quad bike. "Uh, no need. I can just hold these."
Xie Huan expressed dissatisfaction with Pei Tingyun's choice.
He grabbed Pei Tingyun's hands again and wrapped them around his waist.
Afraid Pei Tingyun would let go again.
This time, Xie Huan simply locked both of Pei Tingyun's hands in one of his own and held the handlebar with the other.
With Xie Huan doing that, Pei Tingyun ended up pressed completely against his back.
Terrified that his expression control would fail again, Pei Tingyun.
Decisively turned his head toward the other side, where there were no cameras.
He was also secretly exerting force through his hands, trying to break free of Xie Huan's hold.
However.
What arrived before he could successfully break free was Xie Huan's quiet, gentle thoughtfulness.
Xie Huan said, "Quit squirming, yeah! How's that thing steadier than my waist? Hold tight. I'll block the wind for you!"
Pei Tingyun froze.
So all that stuff Xie Huan had just done was to block the wind for me?
The director was utterly gratified by the sight.
Xie Huan was simply born to be shipped!
He knew his stuff! He really knew his stuff!
The shippers in the livestream were feasting too:
[Aaaaah! Xie Huan's love is something you can really show off!]
[One word from the youngest and big bro's execution goes straight to max! He loves him so much! I'm crying my eyes out!]
[Which direction do I kowtow in to pray for a boyfriend like this?]
Pei Tingyun blinked and stopped struggling.
It was just that...