Just as everyone thought the real and fake young masters were about to start tearing each other's hair out.
Xie Huan stood rooted to the spot, as steady as a black iron tower.
That shove hadn't budged him at all!
Gu Lin got even angrier!
He simply walked farther away.
And folded his arms to sulk.
The director saw that things were getting a little awkward.
He was debating whether to announce the special reward for the first pair to reach the boarding gate, to ease the atmosphere.
But then Xie Huan began smoothing things over with all the cameras around them:
"Aw, c'mon! The kid's too young to know better. Don't hold it against him, all right?"
The livestream comments:
[Xie Huan: he's just a kid!]
[Uh... shouldn't the real and fake young masters who were switched at birth be the same age? How can Xie Huan say that?]
[You don't get it, commenter above. Even if you're thirty, you're still a kid to your elders in northeastern China!]
[Hahaha, I'm dying! Gu Lin: my elder who's the same age as me!]
At this display of "brotherly affection."
Even Pei Tingyun, who had always been excellent at controlling his expressions, couldn't help laughing aloud.
Xie Huan looked at him. "What're you laughing at? I told you, he's just a kid. Don't make fun of him. You'll hurt his pride!"
Gu Lin's sharp ears caught that, and he turned around to yell at Xie Huan:
"Bullshit! He was obviously laughing at you!"
Xie Huan looked at Pei Tingyun again. "You laughing at me?"
Pei Tingyun cleared his throat, regained his composure, and calmly lied through his teeth:
"Ahem. No, you saw wrong."
Xie Huan fell silent for two seconds, then said warily:
"Aw, man! You city folk sure can spin a tale! I'd better hold on tight to my wallet and phone, or you might talk me out of those too!"
But Xie Huan had barely taken his phone and wallet out of his backpack.
Before he even had time to check whether any money was missing.
The production team confiscated both.
Xie Huan gasped. "Aw, man! Now you're robbing me in broad daylight?!"
Still standing a short distance away with his arms folded, Gu Lin snorted:
"They always confiscate phones and wallets on reality shows, you clueless roe deer who's never been on one!"
Xie Huan said, "Aw, c'mon! Like you've ever been on one!"
Gu Lin refused to back down:
"I may never have eaten pork, but I've seen pigs run. Have you?"
Xie Huan fell silent.
Gu Lin thought he had won the argument.
He was just starting to feel smug when Xie Huan said:
"Seeing you run oughta do it."
Gu Lin: !!!
"You just called me a pig?!" Gu Lin rolled up his sleeves, ready to hit him.
He looked pretty intimidating.
Xie Huan hurried behind Pei Tingyun, his hand landing naturally on his shoulder.
Pei Tingyun frowned, but put up with it.
Xie Huan looked utterly innocent. "You said it yourself. I didn't say a thing!"
Gu Lin got even angrier:
"Stay put if you've got the guts!"
There was no way Xie Huan would stand still and let him hit him.
And so.
The two began running around Pei Tingyun like the King of Qin circling a pillar!
Although the cord linking their wristbands limited Xie Huan's movements.
His nimble footwork alone kept Gu Lin from landing a single hit.
Trapped between them, Pei Tingyun was utterly exhausted.
Several times, he tried to get away, only to find his path blocked by Xie Huan's arm or his steps caught by the cord between their wristbands.
At that very moment, Pei Tingyun suddenly understood the hardship of the millstone in a donkey-powered mill.
Watching this for too long really did make him dizzy.
Pei Tingyun helplessly closed his eyes for a moment.
When he opened them again.
He was startled by Xie Huan's wheat-colored face, full of concern, suddenly appearing before him.
Then.
A voice thick with a northeastern accent, perfectly suited to that face, reached his ears:
"Aw, man! What's wrong? Did us running around you make you dizzy?"
Gu Lin saw Xie Huan stop.
And thought he could finally hit him.
But unexpectedly.
Before his hand even touched Xie Huan.
Xie Huan smacked him on top of the head first.
Gu Lin clutched his head, practically steaming with rage. "Xie Huan!!!"
Xie Huan acted as though he hadn't noticed Gu Lin's fury.
Gripping the back of Gu Lin's neck, he pushed his head down to apologize:
"Watch your manners, kid! He's a huge star. You think you can just run around him till he's dizzy? Get a move on. Apologize!"
Although Gu Lin wasn't happy about it.
He had indeed played a part in making the top star dizzy.
So he obediently apologized.
Pei Tingyun gave Gu Lin a polite smile. "It's fine."
When he looked at Xie Huan again, there was a little more scrutiny in his eyes.
Gu Lin knew he stood no chance against Xie Huan in a fight.
So he decided to score a verbal victory instead, immediately saying snidely:
"You actually know Tingyun's a big star? Who'd have thought you could be so clued in and still so backward?"
Xie Huan slapped a big hand onto his shoulder and said earnestly:
"Kid! Don't let your money limit your imagination. We've got internet where I live."
Gu Lin: "..."
Xie Huan said, "Besides, he's so famous. Everyone online knows him. Don't you call him an eye... an eye-whatever-it-is?"
Xie Huan slapped his thigh as it came to him. "Oh, right! An eye-dull!"
Gu Lin thought he had misheard. "What?"
Xie Huan said, "An eye-dull! Look at you, calling me backward when you don't even know what an eye-dull is!"
Pei Tingyun pressed a hand to his forehead.
Suddenly, being a top star felt not only unfashionable, but even sounded a little painful...
Silence fell for two seconds, followed by wave after wave of laughter.
Having finally caught Xie Huan making a mistake, Gu Lin regained his sense of superiority.
He laughed the loudest of all. "Eye-dull? It's idol!"
Xie Huan looked around.
Everyone was laughing except Pei Tingyun.
Xie Huan slung an arm around Pei Tingyun's shoulders and said gratefully:
"Aw, man! My bro Da Ting's the loyal one after all! Not like them, all making fun of me!"
After "eye-dull," now came "Da Ting."
Pei Tingyun swept him a look that was hard to describe-
Why don't you take a guess at why I'm not laughing?
Do you think I just don't like to laugh?
The livestream comments:
[Da Ting? Hahaha, calling him that in the departure hall sure fits the setting!]
[The commenter above just accepted that as a nickname! Something's up with you! Smirk.jpg]
[I can't take it! Xie Huan really is a naming genius!]
After all the laughter and commotion, Xie Huan suddenly remembered something.
So he asked the director, "We got here first. What's the reward?"
Since the atmosphere was good now, the director was in no hurry to announce the reward.
He said he would announce it that evening, once they reached their first destination.
Xie Huan didn't think much of it.
He assumed some big prize had already been shipped to their destination.
Little did he know, the director had chosen to delay the announcement because the airport was too crowded.
Announcing it here could get him pelted with rotten vegetable leaves by overzealous fans.
The director checked once again that the production team had confiscated all the guests' money and phones.
Then he gave each of them a new phone supplied by the sponsoring brand.
Only then did he let them board.
By now, the wristbands used to divide them into pairs had been removed.
But Xie Huan showed no intention of keeping his distance from Pei Tingyun.
Instead, he moved even closer.
Xie Huan asked quietly, "Ting'er, why do I get the feeling that director's up to no good?"
Pei Tingyun sighed.
In this short time, Xie Huan had already given him three names!
And why was that hand back on his shoulder again?
With how much he liked putting his hands on people, had Xie Huan been born in the twelfth lunar month?
Pei Tingyun felt speechless and helpless inside, but none of it showed on his face.
He was a top star, after all.
Expression management was a required course.
And so.
Pei Tingyun bent down as though casually adjusting his trouser cuffs.
Dodging Xie Huan's hand on his shoulder.
While calmly answering his question:
"That's how reality shows are. You'll get used to it."
Sure enough, Xie Huan didn't notice him dodging, his face lighting up with understanding:
"Aw, man! Good thing I planned ahead!"
Now Xie Huan's hand had moved away, but his mouth had come right up close instead.