Riding together, arms around his waist, ears turning red-a tough guy's tender side was oddly cute

They had all written: me.

The vote had accomplished absolutely nothing.

Before the director could speak, Pei Tingyun spoke up first:

"We're just too united. Voting won't work. Why don't we settle it with rock-paper-scissors?"

Xie Huan said, "Okay, works for me!"

Tang Keni said, "Great idea! Let's do it!"

Gu Lin and Yao Xuan said, "Rock, paper, scissors!"

Their exchange was so tightly paced.

The director couldn't find an opening to cut in.

In the end, he could only let them settle it with rock-paper-scissors.

This season's Roaming Group was all about delivering entertaining moments, but how they delivered them was up to them.

The final result was that Xie Huan would ride the surprise horse.

Xie Huan asked the director, "What exactly is the surprise horse?"

Things hadn't developed according to the director's plan.

Displeased, the director kept him guessing. "You'll find out at the riding grounds."

The five members of the Roaming Group finished breakfast.

As soon as they reached the riding grounds, they saw four handsome, towering horses, along with a children's bicycle bearing a horse-head sticker.

That children's bicycle was the surprise horse the director had mentioned.

A big guy like Xie Huan, who stood 189 centimeters tall, was supposed to ride a children's bike.

Anyone who pictured it was already laughing.

The livestream chat was instantly flooded with [Hahaha].

Meanwhile, Pei Tingyun's sense of humor was battling his conscience.

On the one hand, he thought the sight of Xie Huan wobbling around on a children's bike would be hilarious.

On the other, he felt Xie Huan was getting such a raw deal and was so pitiful that he shouldn't laugh.

When the battle between his sense of humor and his conscience finally ended, his sense of humor won.

The result was that Pei Tingyun laughed while wanting to give Xie Huan the tall horse he was riding.

He had plenty of opportunities to ride horses while filming anyway.

Missing this one wouldn't matter.

Sitting on his horse, Pei Tingyun voiced his thoughts.

Xie Huan, however, wouldn't let him move.

It wasn't that Xie Huan didn't want to ride a horse, but rather-

"Aw, hey, you don't need to get down. I'll just come up, and we'll ride together!"

Pei Tingyun's eyes widened. "Huh?"

W-was that even an option?

Before Pei Tingyun could refuse, Xie Huan had nimbly mounted the horse and settled behind him.

Sharing a horse was truly something Pei Tingyun had never imagined.

Even the director, who was dedicated to serving up sweet moments, hadn't dared think along those lines.

So when he saw this, the director positively glowed.

An enormous wave of traffic was beckoning to him!

Xie Huan clearly wasn't a beginner like Tang Keni, who only dared ride with a trainer leading his horse.

He couldn't have looked more relaxed on horseback.

By contrast, Pei Tingyun looked less relaxed, even a little stiff.

Because after mounting, Xie Huan had naturally reached around either side of Pei Tingyun's body to take the reins.

It formed something almost like an embrace.

Pei Tingyun leaned forward, trying to put a little distance between himself and Xie Huan.

But as he moved, Xie Huan's arms also extended forward, as though he was afraid he wouldn't reach the reins.

Instead of widening, the distance between them shrank.

Out of options, Pei Tingyun could only say:

"Don't you think two people on one horse is too cramped? Maybe I should get-"

Before he could finish saying "get down,"

Xie Huan interrupted him. "Not cramped at all. There's loads of room on the horse's back."

Pei Tingyun said, "..."

There's room on its back, but there's only one saddle, man!

Can't you feel our legs pressed together?

Wait!

Did he get on just to snuggle up to me?

Is he really being this blatant?

Pei Tingyun felt he could still make one last attempt. "Then don't you feel hot?"

Xie Huan said, "Aw, once we get moving, it won't be hot. There'll be a breeze."

With that, Xie Huan flicked the reins and squeezed the horse's sides with his legs.

Before Pei Tingyun could react, the horse took off with zero startup frames.

As the horse surged forward, Pei Tingyun instinctively leaned back.

His back pressed solidly against Xie Huan's chest.

Pei Tingyun wanted to maintain a safe distance from Xie Huan.

But the horse's gait was bumpy, and every time he leaned forward, he bounced right back.

After all that maneuvering, they ended up pressed even closer together.

After several futile attempts to resist, Pei Tingyun simply gave up and stopped moving.

After letting the horse run for a while, Xie Huan slowed it to a leisurely walk.

Xie Huan also stopped holding the reins with both hands.

His left hand hung naturally at his side while his right held the reins casually, his posture as leisurely as could be.

It was Pei Tingyun's first experience of riding a horse with a driver.

At one point, it even felt like riding in a car.

The only drawback was that Xie Huan was too close, his breathing constantly echoing beside Pei Tingyun's ear.

It made Pei Tingyun inexplicably nervous.

Even his fair, immaculate ears unknowingly took on a faint blush.

Still, to be fair,

if he ignored the subtle effect the driver behind him had on him,

strolling along the beach on horseback felt quite pleasant.

The owner of this private island really knew how to enjoy life.

The island's recreational facilities were even more comprehensive than those at many resorts.

Pei Tingyun was enjoying himself with his eyes closed.

Perhaps the horse had stepped on something; it suddenly bolted as though startled.

As the horse abruptly accelerated, Pei Tingyun's body lurched backward.

Xie Huan reacted quickly, wrapping one arm around his waist while tightening the reins with his other hand.

A moment later, under Xie Huan's control, the horse finally slowed.

Still shaken, Pei Tingyun leaned fully into Xie Huan's arms.

His hands instinctively clutched the arm Xie Huan had wrapped around his waist.

At that moment, all his nervousness and awkwardness vanished.

Only the sense of security Xie Huan gave him remained.

"It's okay now. Don't be scared!" Xie Huan's voice came from beside his ear, his tone like someone soothing a child, sounding inexplicably gentle.

Pei Tingyun smiled faintly.

Was this the legendary tender side of a tough guy?

It was...

Oddly cute.

A cool sea breeze blew past as the horse continued slowly forward.

Yet Xie Huan never loosened the arm around Pei Tingyun's waist.

Don't ask. If you did, he was just afraid Pei Tingyun would fall off.

Pei Tingyun was an experienced rider who had filmed wuxia dramas. How could he possibly fall off so easily?

Where Xie Huan touched him felt tingly and numb, still a very strange sensation.

This time, however, Pei Tingyun didn't ask Xie Huan to let go.

Perhaps he had been alone for so long that he was a little reluctant to give up the feeling of being genuinely cherished.

The livestream chat:

[Pei Tingyun is getting so lovey-dovey with someone else. Such a violation of idol ethics, but I love it!]

[You up there, I already had my forty-meter broadsword ready. I nearly swung it.]

[Our boy switched to acting ages ago. He doesn't need to follow idol ethics! Even I've switched from a girlfriend fan to a shipper!]

[Exactly! His happiness matters most. As long as he likes it, we Little Clouds support him!]

Xie Huan and Pei Tingyun rode along the beach for a long time before returning to the riding grounds.

Only before entering the riding grounds did Pei Tingyun pry Xie Huan's arm from around his waist, as though trying to hide something and only making it more obvious.