Chapter 32
In the dead of night, the cicadas chirped while the tranquility was destroyed by mosquitos. After killing several, Ji Wang decided to wake Qi Boyan, otherwise if he stayed any longer he’d become anemic.
He pushed Qi Boyan several times but there was no movement. He didn’t know why Qi Boyan slept like the dead. Was he too tired today?
Hesitating for a while, Ji Wang reached out and picked him up. Qi Boyan was lighter than he expected, but it was still exhausting to carry him. After all, he was an alpha with height and muscles.
But other than that, his body didn’t seem to have a trace of excess fat. He didn't know if it was because he needed to manage his image as a star and had to diet to lose weight in order to look good on camera.
Today was also the case. The program team didn't let Qi Boyan eat and this person really didn't eat. He didn't seem to care much, like he was used to it.
Destroying his body just because he was young was really annoying.
The annoying person wrapped his hands around Ji Wang’s neck and opened his eyes. Ji Wang stopped and looked down into the other’s eyes, which didn’t have a trace of sleepiness. “Did you trick me?”
Qi Boyan didn't repent, "How could I, I didn't expect that gege would pick me up."
He was already heavy, so Ji Wang struggled to hold him. He let out a low sigh, "Come down by yourself, don't force me to drop you."
Qi Boyan unexpectedly didn’t nag him. He slipped off Ji Wang, bent over to pick up the guitar, and walked forward first.
Ji Wang rubbed his arm muscles which were sore from exerting too much strength. He picked up Duan Yinyu’s jacket, which had fallen to the side, and followed Qi Boyan upstairs.
Qi Boyan entered the room and after washing up, obediently went to bed. Ji Wang originally was on guard, thinking this person might block the cameras and take the opportunity to do something.
Now it seems that he was overthinking.
When he actually laid in bed, sleepiness quickly struck. Before falling asleep, a question lingered in Ji Wang’s mind. He wondered what Qi Boyan dreamed about that made him cry like that.
It was a dreamless night. Early morning the second day, Ji Wang was woken up by Director Jiang’s loudspeaker outside the house. He told each guest to assemble in front of the courtyard within fifteen minutes.
Ji Wang felt like he was here for military training rather than a variety show.
Looking at the other bed, Qi Boyan was changing his shirt. Ji Wang subconsciously looked at the cameras around him. The dot was red, they were already at work. He felt a little uncomfortable but saw Qi Boyan quickly change his clothes and fish his long hair out from the shirt collar.
Turning around, Qi Boyan met Ji Wang's slightly dark face and was stunned for a moment, "Are you not feeling well?"
Ji Wang in his memory didn’t tend to wake up in a bad mood. Qi Boyan did, but last night he slept in the courtyard, then went back to the house and slept again. This was already the best sleep he’d gotten in years. He didn’t expect to get good sleep while on a variety show.
After a fulfilling sleep, he was naturally in a good mood. Qi Boyan walked to Ji Wang’s bed and threw something on his blanket, “For you.”
After speaking, Qi Boyan left the room. Ji Wang picked up what was on his blanket. It was a candy, wrapped in a colorful package, with a faint peach smell.
Ji Wang didn’t eat it but he also didn’t throw it away. He put it in the bedside cabinet.
After getting out of bed, loud noises came from downstairs. It turned out that Duan Yinyu and Zhang Muxian were fighting over the bathroom sink while Zheng Qihong leisurely stood in front of another mirror and applied light lipstick to her mouth.
Qi Boyan sat on a small stool to the side and silently brushed his teeth. His appearance looked a little dazed, which was somewhat amusing.
Duan Yinyu saw Ji Wang and looked as if he’d found a lucky star. He spat out toothpaste foam with a swollen face, “Wang-ge, Zhang Muxian is always stealing from me! Senior is so disrespectful!”
Zhang Muxian countered, "Don’t you understand what it means to respect the old and cherish the young, little frog."
This was to say that Duan Yinyu's eyes looked swollen, and he’d even given him a nickname. Not to mention anyone else, the two of them weren’t young and as soon as they bumped into each other they both entered kindergarten.
Ji Wang ignored it, and after neatly brushing his teeth, he rubbed his face with a towel and was finished. He looked no different before putting on makeup. Duan Yinyu wowed, then set his eyes on Qi Boyan again.
Qi Boyan sat in the early morning sun and washed the foam from his mouth. The scene was like a meticulously filmed toothpaste advertisement.
What the hell, these people weren’t bloated and their skin was so perfect. Which beauty salon took care of them? He also wanted to go.
Duan Yinyu, who started worrying about his skin condition at a young age, had his butt knocked by the top of Zhang Muxian's knee and was pushed out from the sink.
Duan Yinyu indignantly said, "I'm an omega!"
Zhang Muxian quickly washed his face: "Alright, alright, omega, I’ll leave it to you."
Early in the morning it was this noisy and full of energy. At this time, Director Jiang's voice indifferently interjected: "There’s one more minute. Those who are late will have their breakfast taken away today.”
When Ji Wang heard this, he hurriedly asked, "It won't be another card drawing game, right?"
Qi Boyan didn't eat dinner. If they didn’t give him breakfast, was Director Jiang not afraid of being torn apart by Qi Boyan’s fans?
Director Jiang lightly coughed: “It’s not a card drawing game, it’s a team battle.”
Zheng Qihong hammered her legs: "If it's too intense, my old arms and legs will hold us back."
Director Jiang still respected Zheng Qihong: "It won’t be, Zheng-laoshi, I believe you can definitely play this game."
This game was the most classic - charades.
Two people act and the other three people guess. After guessing five answers, everyone can eat the delicious breakfast provided by the program team, the famous local fish porridge.
Zheng-laoshi was naturally assigned to the guessing group. Zhang Muxian thought that Ji Wang was an actor, so his physical acting abilities should be better.
This proposal was unanimously agreed upon. Duan Yinyu recommended himself with a raise of his hand: "I can do okay too - I dance well." After speaking, he got up in an exaggerated fashion and slid to Ji Wang, giggling.
Ji Wang now saw Duan Yinyu as a younger brother and patted him on the head, “Didi is awesome.”
At this time, Qi Boyan suddenly said, "I also want to try acting."
Zhang Muxian said, "Everyone has a chance. If Duan Yinyu can't do it, come down and Xiao-Qi, you go up."
Duan Yinyu puffed out his cheeks: "I haven’t even started and you say I’m incapable!”
Zheng Qihong coaxed and persuaded: "Okay, let's start, I can smell the fragrance of fish porridge."
Indeed, the fish porridge was already placed by the film crew. The aroma bursted into the nose, making people hungry and their belly loudly rumble.
The program team was considerate and all the words were related to the guests, making it easy to guess. They successfully deciphered two words. At the third, Zhang Muxian let Duan Yinyu go down and Qi Boyan went up.
At this time, the teleprompter showed the words "Forgetting the River".
Before Ji Wang could react, Qi Boyan stepped forward. He first held Ji Wang’s face, wrapping the hair behind his ears with his fingers, then clasped Ji Wang’s waist and pulled him closer to his front.
This sudden performance left everyone at a loss. Duan Yinyu guessed first: “Love?!”
How could it be such a simple word? As the guests guessed wrong again and again, Qi Boyan’s actions became more and more extreme until he even held Ji Wang's head and wanted to kiss him on the forehead.
Ji Wang's expression already started to change when Zheng Qihong had an epiphany: "Forgetting the River!"
Ding dong, this time the guess was right. Qi Boyan acted as Zheng Qihong in Forgetting the River, when she pledged her love to the male lead, hugging and kissing his forehead.
Qi Boyan stopped the lips about to kiss Ji Wang’s forehead and slowly backed away. Ji Wang could guarantee he saw regret in Qi Boyan’s eyes.
In front of the camera, Ji Wang didn’t dare go too far over the top and jokingly said to Zheng Qihong, “Luckily Hong-jie is here, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to hold on to my innocence.”
Duan Yinyu heckled this point: "Oh, if I knew earlier I wouldn’t have stepped down. I also want to act ‘Forgetting the River’ with Wang-ge.”
Zhang Muxian pretended to pinch his ears: "You want puppy love at such a young age?"
Duan Yinyu shyly covered his face. Ji Wang dumbly remembered there was a clause in the program contract that hinted at hyping CP. Hong-jie also mentioned it to him, but Ji Wang hadn’t taken it to heart.
He thought, as a little character with no presence in the show, who would fry CP with him? He never thought this person would be Duan Yinyu.
However, Duan Yinyu’s behavior didn’t provoke annoyance. Ji Wang cooperated in a natural and relaxed manner, “Zhang-ge, please be gentle, our Xiao-Duan’s ears will be pinched off by you.”
Zhang Muxian sighed and gave up, “Just this much and you protect him? Okay okay, Boyan, it seems you should come down, the brat wants to act ‘Forgetting the River’.”
Qi Boyan didn’t move. Ji Wang’s heart tightened as he looked at Qi Boyan. Who could have known that he didn’t see the slightest unhappiness on Qi Boyan’s face. Qi Boyan even smiled and said, “Okay, Yinyu, you come up.”
Duan Yinyu waved his hand: "Forgetting the River has passed, you should go up, save us from continually calling on me.”
He was giving camera time to Zhang Muxian. Since Zhang Muxian joined the variety show, he’d been taking care of everyone. He wanted to let the guests show off in front of the camera as much as possible, but he himself didn’t have many brilliant scenes.
Everyone present understood this consideration, so Ji Wang came down and Zhang Muxian went up and continued with Qi Boyan.
Later, even Zheng Qihong went up to perform and have a taste of this game.
When Zheng Qihong acted, Ji Wang’s eyes were shining. With such a respected senior present, Ji Wang would find it a pity if he didn’t obtain any learnings.
While he was thinking about what opportunity he should find to ask Zheng Qihong for advice, today’s temporary guest arrived at the scene.
The person who arrived was a small flower who had debuted from Qi Boyan’s company nearly two years ago - Zhou Chuxue, Qi Boyan’s junior sister1.
Zhou Chuxue greeted everyone. The final position she was arranged in was lined up next to Qi Boyan. Regarding Qi Boyan, Zhou Chuxue shyly faced the camera and said, “This is the teacher I respect the most, and also the senior who has helped me out a lot.”
Qi Boyan smiled at Zhou Chuxue, whose face immediately turned red. Zhang Muxian livened up the atmosphere, covering his eyes with his arms and saying, “What’s going on! Isn’t this ‘On the Road’? I feel like I’m back at ‘100% Heartbeat’!”
100% Heartbeat was also Zhang Muxian’s show. Qi Boyan didn’t refute after hearing this. When Zhang Muxian asked him what he thought of Zhou Chuxue, Qi Boyan's expression remained unchanged: "A very hardworking and serious young lady."
The front was fine, but the young lady at the end made people blush no matter how they listened.
Zhou Chu-snow almost blushed into Zhou Chu-red2.
Ji Wang laughed along with everyone else. He was suddenly very grateful that he’d chosen to go into acting. At least now, his acting skills meant he could laugh like everyone else without any unusualness.