After eating one sour grape after another, Shen Xingcan was very unhappy. The very unhappy Shen Xingcan decided to leave Xie Linchuan with nothing but his cold, retreating back.
Then Shen Xingcan froze, because he discovered that, at some point, all the staff behind the equipment had put on raincoats, and even some of the equipment had been wrapped up tightly.
When he looked up at the sky again, he saw that large banks of dark clouds had appeared without him noticing.
Shen Xingcan said gravely, "Bad news, comrades. It's going to rain."
Jiang Yifeng paused. "Rain? Where's the rain coming from?"
Shen Xingcan said, "Look at the staff."
At that, everyone instinctively looked toward the staff behind the equipment, then froze.
Jiang Yifeng said, "...It's really going to rain? But if it's going to rain, why didn't you tell us?"
The director said, "Heh heh heh, we're just livestreaming equipment. We don't forecast the weather."
Shen Xingcan: "..."
What an evil director.
Ye Ran said, "So we're going back to camp now?"
Shen Xingcan said, "If it doesn't rain too hard, we should be fine taking shelter under the canopy..."
Song Tiantian said seriously, "Most of this equipment is pretty waterproof, but the production team still wrapped everything up so tightly. I suspect we're about to face a downpour."
Jiang Yifeng looked tentatively toward the production team. "Then what about our lamb?"
They hadn't even had a bite yet.
The director let out another round of brazen cackling. "Your lamb will be reclaimed by the production team, of course."
Shen Xingcan said mournfully, "I have every reason to suspect the production team did this on purpose. They never intended to let us eat this lamb. My little lamb, goodbye... Xie Linchuan, can you stir-fry this poor little lamb for me?"
The very mournful Shen Xingcan felt that people shouldn't give up so easily, so he decided to make one more attempt.
After waiting two seconds without an answer, the very impatient Shen Xingcan shrugged as though he didn't care. "Oh, if you can't, then you can't. It's not like I really wanted to eat it anyway... But Xie Linchuan, I'll never forgive you again!"
Xie Linchuan, who hadn't had time to speak: "..."
He looked toward the cook roasting the lamb in the distance. "Sorry for the trouble, but could you cut up the lamb for us? We're taking it with us."
The cook paused, but still nodded. "Sure, but don't forget to heat it up again after you get back. It's only sixty or seventy percent cooked right now."
Having agreed, the cook swiftly and neatly quartered the whole lamb.
Holding the heavy, half-finished roast lamb, Shen Xingcan looked at Xie Linchuan. "How are we going to eat it when we get back?"
Watching Shen Xingcan's swift change of attitude, Xie Linchuan said flatly, "Xie Linchuan, I'll never forgive you again!"
Shen Xingcan said magnanimously, "That was then. Now I've decided to pardon your crime of sour grapes. I forgive you."
[Xingcan kitty saying he'll never forgive you again is so cute.]
[Even if Xie Linchuan really is straight, it'd be fucking hard to resist that...]
[This man is definitely no innocent.]
While everyone divided up the lamb, the wind grew stronger, and faint thunder rumbled in the distance.
To avoid getting soaked to the skin, everyone hurried straight back to camp as soon as the lamb was divided up.
There were no streetlights on the island, and the production team had no intention of providing any lighting equipment, so they could only make their way through the woods by moonlight.
This sort of path was nothing to someone with normal vision, but it was clearly a little difficult for Shen Xingcan.
Xie Linchuan shortened the chain hanging between him and Shen Xingcan a little, then naturally stepped in front of Shen Xingcan. Instead of walking side by side, they now walked one behind the other.
Shen Xingcan only had to follow the person in front of him, and he no longer encountered any obstacles.
In the darkness, Shen Xingcan watched the figure ahead of him and silently curled his lips.
[I can hear the thunder over there even through the screen. I feel like they're definitely going to get soaked.]
[When the camera panned over, why did I feel like the chain between Shen Xingcan and Xie Linchuan had gotten shorter? Was it that short before?]
[Xie Linchuan's holding the chain in his hand. Does Best Actor Xie want to snuggle up to his sweet, soft, gorgeous wife that badly?]
[What nonsense. Shen Xingcan is slightly nearsighted. Xie Linchuan's only doing that to guide him. Can't you see Xie Linchuan has been walking in front of Shen Xingcan the whole time?... Fuck, that makes them even more shippable. Aaaah, those damn shippers must have drugged me.]
[He's just looking after a former colleague. That's perfectly normal. Xie Linchuan is a kind person, after all.]
[Kind? Qin Borui, whose existence has been erased, gave you a like.]
The thunder grew louder, and everyone unconsciously quickened their pace.
But the changes in nature were clearly faster than their footsteps. They hadn't gone far before the downpour swept toward them from the distance, drenching them from head to toe in just a few seconds.
By the time they saw the lights that marked their camp, they were all soaked to the skin.
But everyone was in a good mood. Getting rained on alone was miserable, but getting rained on as a group was nothing but fun.
Song Tiantian addressed the camera. "As you can see, we've made it safely back to camp. That's it for today's show. In a moment, the main livestream will switch to a bird's-eye view of the entire camp. You'll be able to watch what's happening throughout the camp in real time through that feed. See you tomorrow morning at six. Don't miss it!"
[Ah, it's over already? Shouldn't they show some more split-screen footage?]
[A bird's-eye view of the whole camp? So that means we can still see anyone who comes outside.]
[Who would come out in rain this heavy? Still, watching from outside is pretty good too. I can fill in the blanks with my imagination~]
After the guests said goodbye to the audience one by one, they each returned to their lodgings.
Because Shen Xingcan and Xie Linchuan's prop was rather special, the production team unlocked it for them ahead of time. Of course, the two of them would have to make up those missing hours tomorrow.
Thanks to the location of Shen Xingcan and Xie Linchuan's campsite, they reached their cabin first.
Although the lights in the cabin weren't on, the lights around their campsite let them see outside clearly.
Shen Xingcan gleefully watched Jiang Yifeng, who was still sprinting outside, through the window. "Jiang Yifeng has to spend at least a minute longer in the rain than we do! Hahaha!"
"Dry your hair and change your clothes."
Shen Xingcan answered, took the towel, and gave his hair a haphazard rub before starting to strip off his wet clothes.
The fabric lifted from his skin with tiny droplets of moisture, revealing a slender, luminous white waist, clear and dazzling like snow wrapped in a thin mist.
Xie Linchuan paused for a second, then quickly turned around.
Noticing Xie Linchuan's movement, Shen Xingcan's smile gradually widened. Then he said casually, "We're both grown men. What are you turning around for? I don't mind you looking. Besides, it's not like you never saw me when we were kids."
Xie Linchuan: "..."
"Hurry up and change."
Shen Xingcan said, "I know, I know!"
He changed into dry clothes in a few quick movements, then urged Xie Linchuan, "Done. Your turn. But let me make this clear first: I'm not turning around!"
Xie Linchuan: "."
He began undressing, his face expressionless.
Shen Xingcan stared intently at Xie Linchuan, even whistling when he saw his abs. "Not bad, not bad."
Xie Linchuan silently sped up.
Shen Xingcan suddenly reached a paw toward Xie Linchuan's abs at lightning speed.
But he was intercepted before he could succeed.
Gripping Shen Xingcan's wrist, Xie Linchuan practically forced the words through his teeth. "Behave yourself."
Even after being caught red-handed, Shen Xingcan showed no guilt whatsoever. "I am behaving. I just suspect those abs are fake, so I was going to test whether they're real!"
After staring at the utterly self-righteous Shen Xingcan for a while, Xie Linchuan suddenly guided Shen Xingcan's hand down against his abdomen.
Perhaps because of the rain, the skin beneath his hand felt firm and cool. Shen Xingcan was startled at first, then commented as though nothing had happened, "Mm, they're definitely real... Oh, hurry up and change. What if you catch a cold and give it to me!"
As he spoke, he withdrew his hand as though nothing had happened.
Thank goodness my hair is long enough to cover my ears, Shen Xingcan thought with immense relief.
"Shen Xingcan."
"Hm?"
"You really like saying 'oh' when you're embarrassed."