Later, Ye Qingzhou's desire to become Chu Ci's partner and his agreement to do the "kiss through a candy wrapper for 30 seconds" task with him further reinforced the director's hunch. This phone call with Lu Qi confirmed his suspicions.
Ye Qingzhou had come specifically for Chu Ci.
Although he had no idea what had happened between the two of them, the director was delighted to see things play out this way. The more ambiguous their relationship and the deeper their push and pull, the more buzz the show would generate.
With that thought, the director opened WeChat on his phone and secretly sent a message to the staff member responsible for handing out "skill cards."
Chu Ci looked at the amusement in Ye Qingzhou's eyes and felt an inexplicable tickle in his heart.
He was quite particular about scents, yet he unexpectedly liked the faint fragrance of grass and trees on Ye Qingzhou.
It smelled a little like the plants Chu Ci had grown back in the interstellar world: fresh, pleasant, and brimming with life and vitality.
"Sir, I... I'll keep going?"
The show's task card explicitly stipulated that each time a guest moved forward, they had to hold that position for at least ten seconds. Otherwise, they would fail the task and lose their chance to obtain a "skill card."
That was also why Chu Ci had not backed away.
Only when he heard Ye Qingzhou speak did Chu Ci come back to his senses.
"...Mm."
Chu Ci nodded instinctively.
Looking at the handsome young man before him, he realized there was only one centimeter left between them.
At this distance...
If either of them got even slightly distracted, they would end up kissing.
[Aaaaaah! That distance!!!]
[Holy crap, is it really this intense?!]
[How is this any different from an actual couple!!!]
[Who can even tell whether this is a dating show or a real couple anymore?!]
[I seriously can't take the way Ye Qingzhou looks at Chu Ci. So sweet, so sweet, so sweet! It's got me rolling around in bed!]
[Kiss already! I've got data to spare!]
[Are there seriously no directors thinking of casting these two in a dual-male-lead drama? Those looks, that tension, those lingering gazes... it'd be ridiculous if it didn't blow up!!!]
[So annoying. Can Chu Ci stop riding Ye Qingzhou's coattails?]
[...I'm just a passerby, but I have to correct you. Anyone with eyes can see Ye Qingzhou is being more proactive than Chu Ci, right? He's the one slowly moving closer to Chu Ci every time.]
Chu Ci's and Ye Qingzhou's breaths mingled closely.
Chu Ci could even feel Ye Qingzhou's long, thick eyelashes brush his cheek, and that strange sensation rose again.
There was still one centimeter between them.
At this point, they no longer needed to move any closer. When the countdown ended, one of them simply had to pull back while the other finished the remaining chocolate stick, and the task at this station would officially be complete.
"Counting down. Five, four, three..."
The staff member's voice rang out.
Ye Qingzhou and Chu Ci had not discussed it beforehand. When the staff member counted down to "one," they both instinctively tried to release the chocolate stick from between their teeth, leaving the rest for the other.
Just then, they noticed each other's movements at the same time, and their retreat turned into an advance.
Perhaps worried that dropping the chocolate stick would cause them to fail the task, both Chu Ci and Ye Qingzhou moved a little hastily. And so... what the viewers had been waiting for most happened.
Chu Ci's and Ye Qingzhou's lips touched.
In other words, Chu Ci and Ye Qingzhou kissed.
This time, there was no candy wrapper between them. It was a real, lip-to-lip kiss.
So soft.
That was Ye Qingzhou's first reaction.
It felt completely different from kissing through the candy wrapper earlier.
It was as though bursts of fireworks were blooming in Ye Qingzhou's mind. He felt as if he were floating among the clouds, weightless.
Chu Ci froze too.
The corners of the young man's eyes were tinged an alluring red, his breathing rapid. Before Chu Ci could process it, he instinctively reached out with the tip of his tongue and licked Ye Qingzhou's lips.
Ye Qingzhou: "!"
Startled by Chu Ci's action, he hurriedly backed away two steps.
"You..."
Ye Qingzhou's neck, earlobes, and cheeks had already been red. After what had just happened, his flush deepened further.
By then, Ye Qingzhou had completely lost the ability to string his words together. He looked at Chu Ci, his words tumbling out in a jumble. "You... we... you... just now... the task..."
Because Ye Qingzhou had pulled away just then, the last little piece of chocolate stick ended up in Chu Ci's mouth.
He ate it, but his gaze stayed fixed on Ye Qingzhou's eyes, his expression as though savoring it. "Sweet."
Ye Qingzhou: "!"
He could feel himself growing hotter and hotter. At the thought of Chu Ci's "sweet," the handsome young man's breathing quickened again. Holding back his shyness and embarrassment, he stared straight at Chu Ci with his beautiful peach-blossom eyes, his voice terribly hoarse. "...What's sweet?"
"Hm?"
Chu Ci's attention was still on their accidental "kiss," and for a moment, he failed to grasp what that question meant.
The bullet comments had gone wild.
That accidental kiss had drawn out a huge number of lurking viewers.
[Aaaaaaaaah! Those two lines are way too sweet!]
[Let me translate Ye Qingzhou's question for anyone who didn't get it. "What's sweet?" means-is the chocolate stick sweet, or are my lips sweet?]
[Aaaaaah! So that's what he meant!!!]
[Ye Qingzhou, you've really grown up!]
[Do you understand just how much that look in Ye Qingzhou's eyes means? His face is already that red, but he still wants a definite answer.]
[Don't you think Chu Ci's line was amazing too? He was looking at Ye Qingzhou's lips the whole time he said "sweet."]
[This is absolutely the sweetest dating show I've ever watched in my life! The production team should put today in the history books!!!]
[Aaaaaaaaaah! They kissed! Aaaaaaaaah! Ye Qingzhou and Chu Ci actually kissed!!!]
[Aaaaaaaaah! My ship came true!]
[Does anyone understand how I feel right now?! I want to go wild!]
[That was Ye Qingzhou's first on-screen kiss! First! On-screen! Kiss! And he gave something that important to Chu Ci! Do I even need to tell you how much weight this ship carries?!]
[If I remember correctly, this was Chu Ci's first kiss too, right? Why don't we call them the "First Kiss CP"?]
[Agreed! That ship name is so sweet.]
[Okay, okay, okay. Ye Qingzhou, you've really grown up.]