Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 11

Early the next morning, the five men with dark circles under their eyes gathered in front of the most characteristic Old Town Yangshuo.

The morning task required them to find lost love tokens in the old town.

The exhaustion from the previous day, coupled with the night’s grueling ordeal, made it difficult for everyone to be spirited. Ran Lin was particularly out of sorts until hunger sharpened his mind around noon, and he realized the old town segment had ended.

He had only a vague memory of what they had done, but there was some gain. Due to Wang Xi’s advice the night before and his dazed state that morning, he had actually forgotten about the cameras. Although Bearded Cameraman Sun was always in sight, Ran Lin got used to it, treating it as a backdrop like the blue sky and white clouds.

The winner of the love token search was Zhang Beichen, who thereby earned direct entry into the final selection of the show’s Landscape First Love.

As usual, there was no lunch break, and they moved straight to the next segment. The five men, either resigned to their fate or accustomed to the routine, followed the crew to a quiet asphalt road where five bicycles awaited them.

“Next, we will give each of you a map. The destination is the location of our next segment. The stars need to follow the route and cycle there. Of course, you can also enjoy the beauty of the old town along the way. Sponsored by XXX, ‘National First Love Drifting Story’ now enters the final selection phase. Gentlemen, go go go!”

The female host had mastered her role in segueing and advertising, so after her bit, she immediately left the stage to the guests.

The five men looked at each other, harboring new grudges and old resentments, but in the current situation, they felt like comrades in adversity, each potentially the other’s savior.

“Let’s go.” Gu Jie casually pushed a bicycle forward, showing his colleagues that they just had to accept their fate.

All the bicycles looked the same, leaving no room for choice. Soon, everyone had a bike—except for Xia Xinran.

He stood still, glaring at the bicycle as if it were his arch-nemesis rather than a means of transportation. The others were studying the map, but Ran Lin noticed Xia Xinran’s odd behavior.

“What’s wrong?” Ran Lin approached, pushing his bike, and asked with concern, “Why aren’t you getting a bike?”

Xia Xinran was silent for a long while, until Ran Lin was about to speak again. He blurted out indignantly, “Alright, alright, I can’t ride. Are you happy now?”

His tone was indignant but more embarrassed than angry. Ran Lin was startled for a moment before understanding, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

Xia Xinran narrowed his eyes, shooting a glare that screamed, “I knew you would laugh at me.”

“Sorry, sorry, I won’t laugh.” Ran Lin tried hard to compose himself and then consoled, “It’s okay. Some people can’t blow bubbles with gum their whole life.”

Xia Xinran looked at him seriously, his face filled with despair. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

Ran Lin felt a bit guilty and hesitated before deciding to follow his own idea. He might get criticized for overstepping or seeking attention, but he decided to be himself, as Wang Xi had advised him.

Glancing around, he finally spotted the chief director and quickly approached him, asking, “Director Shi, Xia Xinran doesn’t know how to ride a bike, and the route seems quite long. If it’s really not possible, can he just ride in the crew’s vehicle?”

The chief director was a bit stunned by Ran Lin’s sudden intervention for Xia Xinran, and he took a moment to process. Ran Lin waited patiently.

Finally, the director affirmed his stance. “No. In the world of your Drift Story, we are in a parallel universe to the crew, and we cannot interfere with any events in your world.”

Ran Lin was frustrated. Wasn’t it the director who had intervened in their parallel world by starting the motorboat for Xia Xinran and Lu Yiyao?

Of course, these thoughts remained unspoken. What Ran Lin actually said was, “But we can’t let Xia Xinran walk to the endpoint, right? We won’t have enough time for filming.”

As they spoke, Xia Xinran came over. Realizing Ran Lin was advocating for him, he felt a mix of surprise and gratitude.

In truth, Xia Xinran had learned to ride a bike as a child but had poor balance and kept falling. Others learned by falling, but he just got worse. After breaking his leg and wearing a cast for months, his family never let him try again.

But now, talking about these things felt like playing the victim, and as an adult, he was reluctant to dwell on childhood experiences. So, he simply didn’t elaborate; he just couldn’t ride.

The issue Ran Lin raised was indeed a concern for the crew—they couldn’t let a minor segment affect the rest of the filming. But this was only the first episode; if they made exceptions for every difficulty, other guests might also start saying they couldn’t do this or that, jeopardizing the show’s integrity.

As the chief director hesitated, Ran Lin suddenly had an idea. “Director Shi, I have a compromise!”

Ten minutes later, the resourceful crew procured a tandem bicycle.

Ran Lin had seen couples riding such bikes on their way here, so he knew there must be rental places nearby. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but Xia Xinran’s situation reminded him of it.

“I said I can’t ride a bike…” Xia Xinran watched as Ran Lin pushed the tandem bike towards him and instinctively stepped back.

Ran Lin sighed and tried coaxing him, like persuading a child to take medicine. “You don’t have to balance or steer—just pedal. Can’t you do that?”

Nearby, Lu Yiyao, Zhang Beichen, and Gu Jie had already burst into laughter when the crew brought the tandem bike. Gu Jie especially looked like he was about to hit the ground laughing.

Xia Xinran glared at his heartless companions several times, steeling his resolve.

“You better hold on tight…” Unfortunately, his voice trembled weakly, betraying his resolve.

Seated at the front, Ran Lin couldn’t help but chuckle. He tilted the bike slightly, but not enough to make it unmanageable, then steadied it firmly. “Hurry up and get on.”

Xia Xinran swung one leg over and sat on the back seat, gripping the rear handles tightly. After a moment of gathering courage, he finally said, “Okay, ready.”

Ran Lin pedaled, and the bike smoothly moved forward. Xia Xinran realized he didn’t have to do anything but pedal along and didn’t have to worry about balancing the bike at all. It was quite enjoyable.

Seeing their companions swiftly riding away, the three onlookers exchanged glances—they had been overtaken!

The filming crew had the hardest job, immediately getting into the prepared follow cars whenever the stars moved. On one side, the driver slowed down to match the speed of the bicycles, and on the other, they continued filming through the car window.

Ran Lin no longer thought about where his “Sun Ge” was. Blue sky, white clouds, the tranquility of the old town. Apart from the cold wind on his face, there was nothing imperfect.

It had been so long since he’d been this carefree. Riding a bike, looking at the scenery, feeling the breeze.

Ran Lin realized that once he changed his mindset, the whole world looked different. The scenery remained beautiful, but now his spirit could fly higher and further.

“Turn left, turn left—” Xia Xinran suddenly shouted.

Ran Lin snapped back to reality and quickly adjusted the bike, turning just in time before entering the fork in the road.

“Aren’t you looking at the map?” Xia Xinran muttered discontentedly, having studied the map since the start.

Ran Lin was both amused and annoyed. “How do you manage to enjoy your blessing and still complain about your God of Fortune?”

Xia Xinran was also embarrassed. “How do you manage to self-proclaim yourself God without my consent?”

The two bantered back and forth, eventually laughing at their own jokes. After the laughter, Xia Xinran suddenly said seriously, “Stop being a fan of Lu Yiyao. Be my fan.”

Ran Lin almost lost his pedal, looking back at him in confusion, but had to turn his head back to watch the road.

Xia Xinran leaned forward, whispering close to Ran Lin’s head, “Haven’t you noticed he’s not happy with you leeching off his popularity? I don’t mind, really. I think you’re a good friend.”

Ran Lin hadn’t expected Xia Xinran to be so direct about the issue of leeching off popularity and even highlighting Lu Yiyao’s attitude. Although they were in the entertainment industry and could guess Lu Yiyao’s feelings, this was in front of cameras.

Turning to look at Xia Xinran again, he saw him removing his hand from the microphone. Ran Lin realized that even those who make it in the entertainment industry, even if seemingly naïve, knew the lines not to cross.

But frankly, Xia Xinran was really sweet—sweet enough that Ran Lin wished he had a younger brother like him.

Pedaling harder, Ran Lin shouted amidst the whooshing wind, smiling warmly, “Why not be my fan instead—”

Their conversation continued, no longer needing to be whispered.

Xia Xinran responded openly, “I’m more popular than you—”

“That’s not about popularity. Even if ten thousand people are your fans, it doesn’t stop you from being mine, especially if you think I’m a good friend—”

“Alright, I’ll follow you when we get back—”

Ran Lin paused, feeling a warmth spreading in his heart. The third time he looked back at Xia Xinran, his eyes were softer than ever, his voice warm and charming. “Hold on tight. I’ll take you flying.”

Xia Xinran was caught off guard by the sudden acceleration and nearly hit his leg on the pedal.

“Easy there! You think this is the Tour de France or what—” Xia Xinran suddenly regretted getting on this metaphorical pirate ship. Ran Lin grinned, feeling even the cold wind become pleasant.

Once he got past the initial unfamiliarity and into the middle of the journey, Xia Xinran slowly found his rhythm and began to enjoy cycling. He eagerly shared his newfound appreciation with Ran Lin. “Ran Lin—”

Ran Lin, having developed a tacit understanding with Xia Xinran, didn’t need to look back to know the expression on his face. He must be eagerly awaiting a response, ready to launch into some whimsical topic.

“Hmm?” Ran Lin responded with interest.

He was starting to get the hang of Xia Xinran’s style. Though seemingly unguarded in his speech, Xia Xinran actually had a magical persona. Always whimsical, never predictable, yet somehow endearing to both strangers and fans. What might seem thoughtless from others became humorous when he said it. Maybe this was just his personality, which the company allowed to flourish freely, or perhaps there was an element of performance in it. But if played long enough, the act might become indistinguishable from his true nature.

“I finally understand why girls like to sit at the back of a bike.” Xia Xinran immediately shared his revelation upon getting a response. “No need to watch the road or maintain balance—just enjoying the scenery and the breeze, it’s totally relaxing…”

Ran Lin couldn’t help but tease him. “Can’t you take responsibility for once? You’re supposed to be the one riding in the front. Your little angels are all waiting to sit on your back seat. Are you just going to shatter their dreams?”

“Why should their dreams be shattered? They love me for who I am,” Xia Xinran said, suddenly letting go of the handlebars and quickly making a heart gesture at the camera on the car window next to them. “I love you all too. Here, heart!”

Ran Lin admired his ability to adapt and round off any topic. Some people naturally have a sense of variety and audience appeal, a gift that can’t be learned.

But, he didn’t want Xia Xinran to get too carried away with his self-congratulation…

“I don’t have many fans, so I can only send my love to the audience,” Ran Lin said, releasing the handlebars without warning and making the same heart gesture towards the camera. “I love you all, heart!”

Xia Xinran was slow to realize Ran Lin had completely let go of the bike and suddenly yelped, “Bike, bike, bike—”

Ran Lin’s gesture was brief. Before Xia Xinran finished shouting, he had already regained control of the bike, laughing heartily.

Ran Lin rarely played pranks, so when he did, the joy was doubled. This was the first time he had felt such pure happiness since the start of the show.

Xia Xinran finally realized he had been pranked amidst the laughter of the driver and couldn’t do anything but howl in mock despair, unleashing a trail of roars along the way.

Gu Jie and Lu Yiyao had been listening to the commotion all along.

The former was trying hard to contain himself, but his uncontrollable facial muscles betrayed his amusement. The sight of two men on a tandem bike was just too unique and funny.

The latter was much more low-key. In fact, he didn’t even glance at them, focusing solely on the road ahead and the map in his hand, and cycled past them.

However, when they arrived at the “Outdoor Training Camp” final destination, Gu Jie was first, Ran Lin and Xia Xinran were second, Zhang Beichen third, and Lu Yiyao fourth. It turned out Lu Yiyao had taken a wrong turn and had to circle back.

The group exchanged glances and eventually burst into laughter. Lu Yiyao, having spent the previous night personally delivering rice noodles to everyone, somewhat regretted his effort.

“Welcome to <National First Love Drifting Story> sponsored by XXX. We’ve now arrived at the final selection stage of this episode’s romantic theme, the Male God Training Camp! As our male gods can see, we have various outdoor training equipment and props set up, and on the table in front of you, there are various exotic ‘dark’ dishes…”

Without the host needing to explain, the five contestants could already sense the darkness in these dishes from their smell and appearance, not to mention the large nameplates in front of them.

Super sour bitter gourd juice, wasabi rice in bamboo tubes, cabbage avocado puree, insanely spicy rice noodles…

Just by looking at the names made their mouths feel odd.

“The rules of this segment are for the male gods to draw the tasks according to the order they arrived in. Of course, you can only see the name of the task after drawing it. You can choose to attempt the task or give it up. Successfully completing the task earns you a spot in the final selection of the Landscape First Love, but failing or giving up means you must taste one of the dark dishes. Moreover, which dish to taste will be decided by the other male gods, and a dish that’s been tasted cannot be chosen again.”

“Let’s start the draw!”

Gu Jie drew first, followed by Ran Lin, then Xia Xinran, with Zhang Beichen and Lu Yiyao drawing last.

“Please take a look at your task names quietly, but don’t tell anyone else.”

Following the host’s instructions, Ran Lin quietly flipped open his task paper, which read “Trust Fall”.

“Okay, now turn your task papers over,” the female host said, approaching Gu Jie. “Everyone still remembers yesterday’s Guanyan Adventure, right? The winner was promised a special privilege for today. Now, we reveal that privilege: Gu Jie can exchange tasks with someone else. Please consider carefully whether you want to switch.”

Gu Jie silently turned his task paper back over, revealing the colorful, lively words—“Naughty Paper Slip”. It felt ominously mischievous.

“I’ll switch.” Gu Jie decided after some contemplation.

“Okay.” The host, of course, loved such a reaction. The more variables in the game, the more exciting. “Please look at the other partners’ task papers in turn and choose who you want to exchange with!”

Although it was just a game, Ran Lin felt a bit of excitement when Gu Jie approached. The last time he felt this way was during a high school class party game of “hot potato”, where the loser had to perform. Ran Lin didn’t mind performing but holding that “potato” felt like holding a live bomb, eager to toss it away immediately.

It wasn’t about the content of the game or the final punishment; it would be the same even if it were a game of tag.

Everyone has a childlike heart.

As long as you’re fully engaged, even the most childish game can stir up enthusiasm.

Unfortunately, Gu Jie didn’t seem too interested in his task, giving it just a quick glance before moving on to Xia Xinran.

Xia Xinran didn’t seem to like his task, so there was a flicker of hope in his eyes when Gu Jie approached. However, after a glance at Xia Xinran and his task, Gu Jie moved on again.

Xia Xinran couldn’t hide his disappointment as Gu Jie quickly finished checking Zhang Beichen and Lu Yiyao’s tasks and returned to his spot, telling the host, “I’ll swap with Xia Xinran.”

Happiness came so suddenly that Xia Xinran’s face lit up like a lightbulb being switched on.

“Good luck,” Gu Jie sincerely said as they exchanged tasks.

Xia Xinran nodded vigorously, for the first time finding this partner quite likable. “Yeah, you too!”

After the swap, Gu Jie immediately announced the task he got from Xia Xinran—”Time-Limited Climbing”.

Xia Xinran lacked the physical strength for it, so he frowned upon seeing the task. But for fitness enthusiast Gu Jie, it was a piece of cake. An easy climbing wall with a 20-minute time limit, Gu Jie finished it in just 14 minutes.

Coming down, he even told the host, “Actually, you guys can make the tasks harder next time.”

The host was thrilled, but the burning gaze from the other four participants could have turned him to ashes.

Next up was Ran Lin’s “Trust Fall”. It wasn’t hard—a common team-building exercise where one stands on a high platform and falls backward into the arms of teammates who form a safety net with their arms.

It looked completely unexciting.

But that moment of falling backward still required courage and trust in one’s partners.

Ran Lin had played this with classmates during school, so he was confident about it. Besides, the crew, worried about accidents, had placed a soft mat below the four men.

Less spectacular than Gu Jie’s climbing, Ran Lin fell backward into the arms of his partners—the whole process took less than two minutes.

Then it was Xia Xinran’s turn.

“I don’t really understand the task,” he said, looking puzzled. “Naughty Paper Slip… what’s that?”

The host, who had been holding back, finally smiled, fetching two paper trays from under the table next to the dark dishes. One was filled with paper slips, and the other was empty, placed at each end of the long table.

Then, she took Xia Xinran to the tray full of paper slips and announced the task. “Naughty Paper Slip means you have to transfer all the paper slips from this tray to the other one using only your mouth within ninety seconds.”

It took Xia Xinran a while to digest this rule, and then he exploded. “Why does it become so bizarre when it’s my turn—”

It was no wonder Xia Xinran was upset. The previous tasks like time-limited climbing and trust fall were typical team-building exercises, fitting the segment’s setting. But this mouth-transfer task seemed absurd.

The other male stars were already laughing themselves into knots; just imagining the scene was enough to amuse them.

Gu Jie didn’t laugh, but he internally sighed in relief and silently applauded his decision.

Xia Xinran sighed and resignedly told the host, “I’m ready. Start timing.”

Unexpectedly, the hostess shook her head, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “I haven’t finished explaining the rules yet. You need to choose one of your fellow participants to help you with this task.”

Xia Xinran: “Huh?”

Gu, Ran, Lu, Zhang: “……”

The hostess gleefully dropped the final bombshell. “You need to transfer the paper slips to your partner’s mouth, and then they have to place them in the tray.”

The three male stars, who had been laughing moments ago, were completely dumbfounded, and the fourth, who hadn’t laughed, quietly joined them, all shaking in fear of the malevolence they sensed.

Xia Xinran’s bewildered gaze swept across the handsome faces of his four companions. Those who were looking at the sky kept looking, and those looking at the ground kept their gaze fixed, determined not to catch any signals.

Xia Xinran narrowed his eyes slightly, making up his mind. “Gu Jie…”

Every debt has its debtor, and the Naughty Paper Slip had its source. Gu Jie couldn’t complain.

The other three felt massive relief, as if reborn after a catastrophe. Gu Jie’s face darkened—the show could indeed stoop even lower.

Xia Xinran didn’t want to do a mouth-to-mouth, even through a paper slip, with another guy, but considering the bizarre juices and food, he’d rather fake a kiss.

“I refuse.” Gu Jie knew he couldn’t blame anyone but himself, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Xia Xinran didn’t expect this turn of events and blurted out, “You can’t refuse!”

Gu Jie spread his hands. “Why not? I choose the dark dish.”

Xia Xinran was on the verge of a breakdown. “You’d rather eat a dark dish than play a game with me!”

Gu Jie tilted his head, smiling slightly. “You might not like my answer.”

Xia Xinran was utterly despondent. Still, he asked the host in a last-ditch effort. “Can I choose someone else?”

The hostess gently shook her head.

Xia Xinran slumped onto the ground, leaning against the table. “Gu Jie, I hate you—”

Gu Jie, now immune to such childish animosity, swiftly picked up the wasabi rice in bamboo tubes, designated by the other three, and devoured it with grace, his gusto rivaling a grand sacrifice.

Perhaps considering Xia Xinran’s emotional state, and at Ran Lin’s suggestion, Zhang Beichen and Lu Yiyao agreed to give him the least offensive option, the super sour bitter gourd juice. No matter how bitter, he could gulp it down in one go.

So, Xia Xinran had to swallow the most bitter and sour drink of his life.

Zhang Beichen’s task was an obstacle run within two minutes, which he completed effortlessly with his agile skills.

Then it was Lu Yiyao’s turn, revealing his task—”High Altitude Broken Bridge”.

This task usually involved crossing a narrow plank bridge suspended eight meters above the ground, with a gap of about 1.2 to 1.4 meters in the middle. It wasn’t too difficult to step over a meter on the ground, but it was quite a psychological challenge on a narrow bridge in mid-air.

Still, they were all secured with safety ropes, so there was no real danger, making it more about symbolism, like Ran Lin’s trust fall.

As soon as Ran Lin entered the area, he noticed the broken bridge, so he wasn’t surprised when Lu Yiyao’s task turned out to be just that. But Xia Xinran was visibly frustrated, considering all the tasks seemed like team-building exercises except his, which felt like an outlier.

Just when everyone was getting a kick out of Xia Xinran’s situation, Lu Yiyao suddenly spoke up. “I choose the dark dish.”

The atmosphere instantly quieted down.

The four who had been jesting moments ago were stunned, thinking Lu Yiyao’s decision was rather inexplicable. The high-altitude broken bridge wasn’t too difficult, and for him to give up without even trying seemed too hasty.

Even the crew surrounding them was surprised.

If a fun-loving artist had said this, it would have been understandable as part of the show, but Lu Yiyao didn’t seem like someone who would sacrifice himself for the sake of entertainment.

His expression was grave, as if he was making a significant life decision.

“Are you sure?” The hostess asked incredulously.

Lu Yiyao’s lips formed a firm line as he nodded decisively.

The hostess reluctantly accepted his decision but quickly turned to the other four. “Male Gods, don’t hold back. Choose a dish for your partner.”

The four male stars exchanged glances and simultaneously pointed in one direction, their actions synchronized, their voices resolute—

“Insanely Spicy Rice Noodles!”

The entire place erupted in laughter.

Even the director turned away, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

Lu Yiyao was in despair.

His current state mirrored the despondent faces he had woken up the night before to deliver rice noodles to.

It just goes to show, one really shouldn’t do bad things; even if it’s just once, the consequences will follow.

After much contemplation, Lu Yiyao finally felt ready. He took a deep breath, picked up the rice noodles, and started eating!

“Cough, cough, cough—”

Just two bites in, Lu Yiyao was forced to stop, coughing uncontrollably from the insanely spicy flavor.

Ran Lin watched with a bit of sympathy. Although they had chosen the spicy noodles for him partly out of retaliation, did the crew really have to make them that spicy? Couldn’t they have gone for something deliciously spicy instead?

“Hey, don’t—” Ran Lin shouted in alarm, but it was too late.

Lu Yiyao, desperate to soothe the burn and not paying attention to what he was grabbing, gulped down half a glass of the display-only lemon bitter gourd juice.

Now combining sour, bitter, and spicy, with only sweetness missing, Lu Yiyao spat everything out, his face contorting more pitifully than a bitter gourd.

No one expected Lu Yiyao to make the situation even worse for himself. Even if it wasn’t an act, it was certainly entertaining enough to last a year. The cameraman almost shoved the camera right up to his face.

Ran Lin couldn’t find it in himself to laugh, seeing the tears in Lu Yiyao’s eyes from the genuine discomfort.

Looking around anxiously, he finally spotted someone from the show’s logistics team.

Ran Lin dashed over, pushed through the crowd, and snatched two bottles of pure water from the crew’s supplies.

He quickly returned and handed them to Lu Yiyao. The coughing man didn’t even look up before unscrewing the cap and chugging the water down. He drank and gargled, finishing half of the bottle in the blink of an eye.

Lu Yiyao finally felt a bit better, catching his breath with his hands on his knees, feeling like he had narrowly escaped death. “Thanks.”

Ran Lin watched his back, wanting to pat him but ultimately refraining, advising instead, “Drink the rest of the water too. Otherwise, even if the spice leaves your mouth, it’ll still burn your stomach.”

Lu Yiyao, surprised to hear Ran Lin’s voice, turned around to look.

Ran Lin felt a bit uneasy under his gaze and cleared his throat, finding another topic. “Regret choosing the dark dish now? That broken bridge wasn’t so bad. I’ve jumped it before. You can cross in one leap, and you’re tied to a safety rope, so it’s perfectly safe.”

Lu Yiyao straightened up and looked at him for a long time.

Ran Lin felt like Lu Yiyao wanted to say something, as his eyes flickered with emotion and his lips moved slightly several times.

But in the end, Lu Yiyao said nothing.

Zhang Beichen was declared the winner of the Landscape First Love.

The final decision was made between him and Gu Jie, with Ran Lin and Xia Xinran both casting their votes for him.

However, even after the filming ended and Ran Lin returned to Beijing late at night, he was still pondering Lu Yiyao’s hesitation. So much so that he even dreamed about it.

In the dream, after hearing his theory about the broken bridge, Lu Yiyao hesitated just as in reality but eventually said—

“What does it matter to you what I choose?”

After that night, Ran Lin lost all curiosity.

In the following week, he spent most of his time preparing for auditions for two roles Wang Xi had secured for him, and the incident was pushed to the back of his mind.

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