Xie Huan had specifically done a divination before setting out.
It had told him that everything he needed for this trip would fit in this one bag.
There hadn't been a down jacket, either...
What was going on?
Xie Huan couldn't figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it.
The priority was to get everything they needed for today ready.
On the way back just now, he had already divined what they needed to take with them.
Since most of the things were for Pei Tingyun,
Xie Huan spoke directly to him to avoid wasting too much time:
"Open your suitcase. Hurry up and get packed so we can go."
Pei Tingyun was stunned. "No, wait. Why are you opening my suitcase to pack your things?"
Xie Huan said, "The stuff's all in your suitcase. Whose suitcase would I open if not yours?"
Xie Huan didn't think there was anything ambiguous about what he'd said.
But to everyone else, it carried a different meaning.
Especially the ship fans in the livestream who excelled at finding sweet moments in the tiniest details:
[Oh my god, what did I just hear? Does Xie Huan share a suitcase with Peipei?]
[No wonder Xie Huan only brought a backpack. All his stuff was in Pei Tingyun's suitcase!]
[So were they already dating before coming on the show?]
[Holy crap! Is my ship actually real?]
Having weathered years in the entertainment industry, Pei Tingyun could already imagine what rumors Xie Huan's words would spawn.
So he hurried to emphasize:
"Everything in my suitcase is mine!"
Xie Huan said, "Right, all yours. Hurry up. Don't keep everyone waiting."
Pei Tingyun's eyes went wide.
What was with Xie Huan's placating, "Whatever you say, I won't argue" tone?
Now he couldn't clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River!
Pei Tingyun's prediction was correct.
In the ship fans' eyes, there was no clearing his name now:
[Xie Huan: Yes, yes, yes. Yours is yours, and mine is yours too.]
[Hahaha, bro's getting impatient. That was such half-hearted coaxing.]
[Sweetie, why don't we just open the suitcase? I'm pretty curious about what's inside too.]
Through gritted teeth, Pei Tingyun reminded him, "Bro, we're livestreaming. Watch what you say!"
Xie Huan looked baffled. "What did I say?"
Then, suddenly enlightened, he crouched in front of Pei Tingyun's suitcase:
"Oh! You got something in there you don't want people seeing? No worries. I'll block the camera for you. Come on."
Pei Tingyun: "..."
Was this what they called talking on different servers?
Just end it all. I'm tired...
The livestream comments:
[Just what is it that you don't want us seeing? Could it be what I'm thinking? smirk.jpg]
[If you don't explain, I'll assume it's that thing you two use together!]
[I feel like Pei Tingyun's about to have a breakdown over Xie Huan's big mouth, hahaha.]
In the end, Pei Tingyun opened his suitcase and let Xie Huan take whatever he wanted.
He had no choice.
He was afraid that if Xie Huan kept talking, his words would spawn even more horrifying rumors.
Xie Huan packed a whole bag full of things from Pei Tingyun's suitcase, and it weighed heavily on his back.
As they walked out of the villa together, Pei Tingyun voiced his doubts:
"Are we really going to need all this?"
Xie Huan said, "Just you watch. We'll definitely need it!"
By the time they reached the beach volleyball court, Gu Lin, Yao Xuan, and Tang Keni were already warming up.
The husky they had brought out wasn't idle either.
He was having the time of his life chasing the volleyball.
Xie Huan wasted no time either. He set his backpack on the ground and went straight into game mode:
"Come on. How are we splitting into teams?"
Gu Lin said, "Anything works, as long as I'm not on your team."
Tang Keni suggested, "Palms or backs?"
The five agreed on the method.
The results, however, weren't entirely satisfactory.
Of course, not everyone was dissatisfied.
At least Gu Lin, who hadn't ended up on Xie Huan's team, was quite satisfied.
The dissatisfied parties were mainly the White Clouds and Black Soil ship fans, along with the director, who was dedicated to protecting this traffic-magnet pairing.
Because the final results were:
Pei Tingyun and Gu Lin on one team.
Xie Huan, Yao Xuan, and Tang Keni on the other.
A three-versus-two lineup.
The hugely popular ship had gone straight into opposing lanes.
The director was still focused on figuring out how to intervene in the team arrangements.
Xie Huan was already discussing tactics with Yao Xuan and Tang Keni.
The three formed a small circle, their heads together as they whispered.
On the other side of the volleyball net.
Seeing Pei Tingyun looking across the net with a rather unpleasant expression, Gu Lin went over to reassure him:
"Don't worry. I'm really good at this. We won't lose even if we're outnumbered."
Pei Tingyun nodded politely.
Yet his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the three huddled together across from them-
What kind of tactics took this long to discuss?
And why were they standing so close?
Pei Tingyun felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
He didn't know why.
All he knew was that the feeling only eased when the three across from him separated.
With their tactics settled, Tang Keni brimmed with confidence:
"If that's how we're playing, then I'm a professional!"
Xie Huan, however, looked clueless. "How do you play this thing? I don't know how. Never played before."
Hearing this, Yao Xuan began explaining the rules to him.
Across the net, Pei Tingyun frowned slightly.
What did Xie Huan mean by suddenly saying he couldn't play after he'd already worked out their tactics?
Soon enough.
Pei Tingyun learned exactly what Xie Huan meant.
Because Xie Huan spiked several balls in a row straight at the director, who was diagonally behind Pei Tingyun.
"Oh, crap! Sorry, sorry! I don't know how to play. Used too much force!" Xie Huan looked utterly sincere.
There wasn't much the director could say. He waved it off and moved his chair to an area he considered safe.
But it didn't do a damn thing.
Because Tang Keni, the self-proclaimed professional, made the same mistake.
The director let out a scream.
Not only did Tang Keni show no remorse, he turned around and scolded the director instead:
"Huh? Why'd you go over there? Weren't you sitting over there just now? This is a competitive sport. Don't go wandering around. It's dangerous! That ball wouldn't have hit you if you hadn't moved!"
The director: "..."
This time, the director didn't dare move around.
But when the ball reached Yao Xuan, another accident happened.
This time, the ball didn't hit the director himself.
But it struck the coffee beside him dead-on.
With a splash, it spilled all over his leg.
Furious, the director stood up and roared:
"You three! You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?!"
His shout shook the air even without a megaphone.
Clearly, he was truly angry.
Yao Xuan looked innocent. "Director, that's unfair of you. We're not professional players. It's perfectly normal for us to make mistakes."
The director said, "Fine, fine, fine. Keep making your mistakes, then. I'm leaving!"
Carrying his chair, the director relocated behind Xie Huan and his teammates and sat down.
He refused to believe Xie Huan and the others could hit the ball backward!
Seeing this, Xie Huan immediately shot Pei Tingyun a meaningful look across the volleyball net.