Yu Sheng's hand rested on Shen Shuangjian's waist. Though he made no further moves, it still left Shen Shuangjian feeling somewhat uncomfortable.
Yu Sheng had plenty of funny quotes on his phone, all of them absurdities Shen Shuangjian could not understand. He only felt that Yu Sheng was far too enthusiastic with others, to a degree he found difficult to handle.
He gently laid his hand over Yu Sheng's, trying to remind him to let go and not stand so close.
But perhaps his hint had been too subtle. The moment Shen Shuangjian's pale, slender fingertips touched him, Yu Sheng took his hand with utter naturalness.
"Shuangjian, look!"
Bright delight sparkled in Yu Sheng's curved eyes. He lowered his head slightly, his hair almost completely mingling with Shen Shuangjian's long hair.
Nestled against his neck and shoulder, he found that faint, fresh fragrance gradually growing richer, and could hardly help becoming intoxicated by it.
Warm breath brushed the skin at the side of his neck, bringing a ticklish sensation that made his body go weak. Shen Shuangjian frowned and moved away, pulling his hand from Yu Sheng's palm without hesitation.
"Yu Sheng, let go of me."
Even pushing his luck had to have its limits.
Yu Sheng sighed regretfully. Though something inside him clamored endlessly that it was not enough, outwardly, he had no choice but to reluctantly pull himself away from Shen Shuangjian.
Putting his phone away, he said in a natural tone, "Shuangjian, when I held your hand just now, it felt so cold."
His voice was full of concern, his expression open. "Why don't we get on the bus and keep watching? Otherwise, I'm worried you'll get too cold."
Relying on his appealing looks and the advantage of his age, Yu Sheng coaxed and wheedled Shen Shuangjian onto the bus.
Through the dim, hazy glass, everyone's gazes also settled on Shen Shuangjian, seated by the window at the back of the bus.
As a hazy film of condensation formed on the window, the contours of Shen Shuangjian's thin, cool profile looked at once distinct and blurred. Sitting beside him, Yu Sheng extended a finger and playfully drew on the glass.
As his finger moved, a small, perfectly rounded heart appeared on the dark glass. Even then, as though still dissatisfied, Yu Sheng drew an arrow through it.
It was the heart-fluttering feeling of love, pierced through the heart by Cupid's arrow.
Once he finished, he excitedly shook Shen Shuangjian's shoulder to get him to look. Shen Shuangjian, who had been trying to close his eyes and escape, could only helplessly turn his gaze to the window.
The camera shots flickered, the perspectives shifting between the blurred figures behind the window and the silent faces outside the bus, capturing even the slightest change in expression.
[That year, I was twenty. In front of five million livestream viewers, I boldly reeled in an irresistible straight guy. I held his hand, held him in my arms. That heart on the bus window was my youthful crush that I couldn't hide. One "I'm worried you'll get cold" utterly crushed all my rivals. No tutorial, simply because my name is Yu Sheng.]
[Nothing else to it. Just pure love.]
[So who exactly said Yu Sheng was low-level? What part of this is low-level?]
[Yu Sheng is fucking close to luring my wife into bed, yet my socially inept, oblivious, cool beauty of a wife still has no idea.]
[Xie Qingchi: bro, teach a class, would you? I'll learn on my knees.]
[Bruh, why is my wife so tolerant of him? He barely gives anyone else the time of day. I don't get it?!]
[Xie Qingchi, post on your main.]
[Hahahahaha, Xie Qingchi's practically staring his eyes out.]
The young man had never intended to conceal his feelings. Even the livestream viewers could see how far he was crossing the line, let alone the seasoned entertainment-industry veterans who were right there.
Gu Xuanlin's expression remained unchanged. As always, he showed neither sorrow nor joy, remaining calm and composed, and clearly looked far more dignified than the other guests who had lost control of their expressions.
Meanwhile, Lin Weiluo, her face shocked, was also the first to recover. She boarded the bus as though fleeing, her expression nearly twisting as she turned around and frowned.
She probably could not understand how Yu Sheng could possibly be so bold! In a livestream watched by millions, he was staking his career and future on carrying on a secret affair with Shen Shuangjian, the son of a wealthy family?
After an eight-hour journey spanning a thousand kilometers, they finally stopped at their filming destination, a dense, verdant protected forest area in Donglin City.
The long journey had left everyone exhausted. Even after repeatedly dozing off, their bodies still felt numb.
The jostling as the bus slowly stopped gradually roused Shen Shuangjian from his already light sleep. His thick, long lashes trembled over his closed eyes, and he instinctively nuzzled into the warm clothing.
About half a minute passed before a hand slowly withdrew from behind Shen Shuangjian. Yu Sheng pressed down the clothing covering Shen Shuangjian, then laid his hand against the snowy-white, delicate side of the neck of the person in his arms.
"Shuangjian. Shuangjian."
Leaning close to his ear, Yu Sheng called to him twice in a low, gentle voice. Before his eyes, Shen Shuangjian, who had drifted into a drowsy sleep soon after boarding the bus, frowned, then lifted his gaze a moment later.
He seemed groggy from sleep, opening his eyes only on instinct to seek the source of the voice. The dazed incomprehension of having just woken dispelled all the coolness and distance from his features, leaving only bewildered vulnerability.
"Shuangjian..."
Yu Sheng's heart softened, as though steeped in melted cotton candy, cloyingly sweet.
"We're here. It's time to get off."
Having just woken, Shen Shuangjian had clearly let down much of his guard. He braced himself with a hand and sat up, not even noticing that he had spent the entire journey asleep in Yu Sheng's arms.
Even when Yu Sheng reached for his hand now, Shen Shuangjian merely dodged instinctively. When Yu Sheng reached again, he obediently let him catch his wrist.
The corners of his lips curling upward in unconscious triumph, Yu Sheng led Shen Shuangjian toward the bus door. He stepped off first, but did not forget to turn back and remind him.
"Shuangjian, there are steps. Watch your footing."
The damp, chilly forest breeze carried the fresh scent of vegetation against his face, stirring Shen Shuangjian's lingering, sluggish reason.
He finally became aware of the slight pressure on his wrist. With his feet on the soft earth, Shen Shuangjian instinctively struggled twice before successfully pulling his hand free of Yu Sheng.
At the outermost edge of the forest stood a small, two-story mountain courtyard house surrounded by trees. It was a villa the production team had built specifically for filming, large enough to accommodate seven people.
"Welcome, everyone, to Donglin City's protected forest area-Lush Forest. For the next fifteen days, you'll be living together in this forest."
As the livestream began, the director brought out his megaphone again, which also meant that work had finally resumed for their group of guests.
Lin Weiluo was the first to play along. "Didn't you say there was another friend joining us? Has he arrived?"
As though her words were a cue, the villa's front door was gently pushed open. Xie Jinghui stood quietly on the solid-wood platform, holding a mountain cat with dull gray fur in his arms.
Across a distance neither near nor far, Xie Jinghui slowly met Shen Shuangjian's gaze as he looked over. His brow instantly relaxed. His long fingers rested on the mountain cat's fur, stroking it between his fingertips before smoothing it back together.
Today, he was not dressed in a suit and leather shoes, much less any sort of formal finery for the occasion. Xie Jinghui wore only a loose, languid gray knit sweater on his upper body.
The smooth, expensive fabric softened some of his unapproachable indifference and imposing air. With his features at ease, he looked refined and distinguished, with a tenderness that was difficult to detect.