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Chapter 46 – Flirt
The third filming location for ⟪Fantasy Holiday⟫ was an inland European country. On the first night, the cast stayed in a small, historic city in the central-southern region. A gentle river meandered through the art-laden old town, where European-style historic buildings mingled with modern architecture along the banks, and bustling shops and clubs dotted the streets.
The plane landed in the evening, and by the time all the guests arrived at the reserved garden hotel, it was already past eight. Having traveled all the way from home, no one was wearing makeup, and their attire was primarily comfortable and casual. After a simple dinner, the production team set up the scene in the suite and began filming.
The host said with a cheerful smile, “Hello, everyone! It’s great to see you all again! Our three-day, four-night holiday is about to begin. This time, it’s a journey of contrasts—classical versus modern, nature versus city! Exciting, isn’t it?”
The moment the host finished speaking, Xu Miao jumped up first. “Alright! Applause!”
Having done several recordings together, everyone was familiar enough to respond instantly, clapping in sync. The host smiled warmly. “It’s been a while, Teacher Xu, and you’re as lively as ever.”
“Now, let’s move on to a traditional segment—room assignments.”
“This time, we’ve arranged a suite for Teacher Xu and Teacher Shang. The remaining four teachers will share a double room and a single room.”
Jiang Liusui did the math and realized the number of people didn’t match the rooms.
Wait… could it be…?
The host, noticing the range of reactions, smiled and said, “Yes, three teachers will need to share a double room.”
At this, Xu Miao was the first to laugh, clearly enjoying the drama: “How are they supposed to sleep? Two people squeezing into one bed?”
The production crew had arranged a suite for her and Shang Qingzhi but only provided one standard room for the other three—obviously designed to stir things up.
She looked at the four male guests with pity. Jiang Liusui and Mu Zhe had slender figures, so sharing a bed shouldn’t be too difficult. Jiang Liusui and He Yujing might barely manage to squeeze in? But if it were He Yujing and Qin Yi… The mere thought made Xu Miao shudder, suspecting He Yujing would destroy the production team first.
“Come on,” Jiang Liusui said first. “Old rules, rock-paper-scissors.”
Seeing him volunteer so readily, Xu Miao couldn’t help but laugh: “Sui Sui, why so tragic? Are you going to be the unlucky one again this time?”
In previous room assignments, Jiang Liusui had never once gotten a single room. He vaguely felt it wouldn’t be any different this time—and sure enough, he was the first to be confirmed to take the double room.
Xu Miao gave a playful thumbs-up. “Consistent as ever!”
Jiang Liusui mirrored her gesture. “Not really surprising.”
In the middle of their playful banter, the second unlucky person to get the double room was decided.
“Oh, I lost,” He Yujing said, his voice calm and even, impossible to tell whether he was unhappy or pleased.
That left only Mu Zhe and Qin Yi. Mu Zhe didn’t care which room he stayed in, but he didn’t dare to squeeze in with He Yujing. Sharing with Jiang Liusui, however, seemed quite agreeable.
He turned to Jiang Liusui first. “Suisui, if I lose, can I sleep in the same room as you?”
Jiang Liusui held back a smile and replied: “Sure.”
Mu Zhe nodded like a little chick pecking at grain, and Jiang Liusui’s mischievous streak kicked in. “You know my sleeping habits, right? You’ll have to let me hug you while sleeping.”
Mu Zhe: “…Okay.”
The vibe between the two of them was suddenly charged with a strange, inexplicable tension. Xu Miao couldn’t contain herself, laughing until tears came: “Hahahaha, Xiao Mu! Why are you blushing?! You’re the one who said you wanted to sleep with him!”
Even Shang Qingzhi couldn’t hold back, giggling uncontrollably beside them. Watching Jiang Liusui flirt so blatantly right under his nose, He Yujing quietly slid his hand under the table and gave Jiang Liusui’s wrist a gentle squeeze.
Jiang Liusui was used to He Yujing’s hands wandering, so he didn’t overthink it, assuming He Yujing was just bored after sitting for too long and seeking amusement. Playfully, he extended a finger and traced a suggestive circle in He Yujing’s palm.
He Yujing: “……”
Jiang Liusui’s comprehension skills were truly… impeccable.
The final loser of rock-paper-scissors turned out to be Qin Yi. Jiang Liusui and He Yujing both looked at him; Jiang Liusui smiled: “It’s Qin-ge again.”
He Yujing greeted him lazily. “Yo, new roommate.”
“……”
Qin Yi was momentarily speechless.
After Jiang Liusui’s incident and his own busy schedule, he’d forgotten to ask whether Jiang Liusui and He Yujing had reconciled. If things were still anything like that last hot air balloon ride, Qin Yi was in for a rough night.
After room assignments were finalized, the host mysteriously announced: “Oh! By the way, we haven’t told you teachers about the schedule for the next few days—we’ll be heading into the mountains the day after tomorrow!”
This sudden announcement caught everyone off guard. Xu Miao’s lips twitched: “What a surprise… I basically only brought summer clothes.”
“The temperature has dropped sharply, and some of the mountain areas already have snow,” the host said, noticing their uneasy expressions. “None of you packed heavy clothes, right? Tomorrow you’ll have a full day to shop. Make sure to get everything you’ll need—once we enter the mountains, we won’t be providing any clothing.”
“High-altitude hot springs are an essential part of the vacation experience, so remember to buy swimwear for the hot springs too~”
Hearing that the production team had given them a full day to prepare, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After this segment concluded, the assigned cameramen followed the guests as they dispersed. One of the cameramen stayed behind Jiang Liusui, continuing to film inside the double room.
The production team was fairly generous—the room assigned to the three of them was much more spacious than expected and had a small balcony outside.
Jiang Liusui opened his suitcase but couldn’t find his phone charger after searching for a while. He Yujing glanced over, curious. “What are you looking for?”
Lin Chong had helped pack some of He Yujing’s luggage at home. Since they used the same phone model, it was entirely possible he’d accidentally slipped Jiang Liusui’s charger into He Yujing’s bag. Jiang Liusui asked, “Is my phone charger in your…?”
He Yujing: “?”
The cameraman stood nearby. Qin Yi, who had been about to head to the bathroom, shot them a curious glance at their exchange. Jiang Liusui immediately froze, realizing he’d almost said too much, and frantically begged He Yujing with his eyes to save him.
He Yujing, completely unfazed, said lightly, “Use mine. I brought an extra.”
Jiang Liusui exhaled in relief, silently admiring He Yujing’s thoughtfulness.
He Yujing went to shower first, followed by Jiang Liusui. When Jiang Liusui emerged from the bathroom drying his hair, he found Qin Yi and He Yujing already settled on opposite beds, laying on their phones and occasionally exchanging a few words.
After blow-drying his hair, Jiang Liusui proactively sat beside He Yujing. He knew his current role—with He Yujing present, he couldn’t possibly share a bed with someone else.
Gently nudging him with his knee, Jiang Liusui spoke softly, “Mind if I sleep with you?”
He Yujing was completely eating it up: “Do you even need to ask?”
Qin Yi immediately looked relieved: “You two have reconciled?”
Jiang Liusui opened his mouth to reply, but He Yujing beat him to it, his voice calm and confident: “We’ve always been fine.”
With cameras around, Qin Yi didn’t press further. He simply nodded to himself, thinking that he won’t make a fuss as long as these two are okay.
Jiang Liusui suddenly remembered something he’d long been curious about. “Qin-ge, how did Director Pei convince you to join ⟪Eternal Bell⟫?”
Careful not to embarrass Pei Wen, Jiang Liusui didn’t say “playing the victim” directly: “I heard he… used a little trick?”
Qin Yi paused briefly: “Director Pei took me out to eat that day. He said he’d been running around for this film for three years, approaching dozens of companies, before finally managing to swindle—no, secure investment from Tianguang Media.”
“Even after getting the funding, he hadn’t held out much hope for the role of Ling. He planned that if the audition failed, he’d just head to the film academy and find a newcomer. But then he met you. And at that point, all that was left was—”
Jiang Liusui: “Was what?”
Qin Yi sighed helplessly: “Just me left.”
He Yujing laughed outright from the side, and Jiang Liusui couldn’t help laughing either.
Qin Yi continued: “”With him putting it like that, I had no choice but to agree. Besides, I’ve read the script—the screenwriter made significant changes to the male lead, making it quite a compelling role.”
“I agree,” Jiang Liusui said thoughtfully. “The male lead’s relationships with everyone are subtle, but for him, the most important person is still himself.”
He Yujing, who had always been interested in Jiang Liusui’s work, asked when he heard them talking about the male lead and second male lead. “What’s your relationship in the film?”
Qin Yi briefly explained Ling’s character setting, then added: I play the Crown Prince of Dingbei. The old king favors his second son more than me. To seize power, the unfavored Crown Prince ends up marrying a merchant’s daughter.”
He Yujing suddenly piped up, eyebrows raised. “Wait… so you have a wife, but you still like him?”
Both Qin Yi and Jiang Liusui were stunned. He Yujing commented in a tone reserved for legendary scumbags: “That’s not right, is it?”
Qin Yi coughed awkwardly. “No, it’s not like that. The Crown Prince’s feelings toward Ling have nothing to do with romance.”
He Yujing smirked. “But didn’t you just say Ling represents power? So you’re seizing power… for him?”
Jiang Liusui was initially caught up in He Yujing’s twisted logic. When he noticed the playful glint in He Yujing’s eyes, he realized that He Yujing hadn’t actually misunderstood—he was just stirring up trouble for fun.
Qin Yi finally responded after a brief pause: “Ling is very special in the Crown Prince’s heart. Apart from himself, Ling is the person he values most. But he doesn’t see Ling as a ’person,’ rather as a ’weapon’ that must be obtained.”
“Oh,” He Yujing nodded. “Seems like you love him so deeply that you don’t even care if he’s human.”
“……”
Watching Qin Yi rendered speechless by He Yujing’s remarks, then slowly gathering himself as if determined to clarify the character dynamics today, Jiang Liusui’s eyes curved with amusement.
“Alright, you understood perfectly well,” Jiang Liusui patted his hand. “Now stop messing with Qin-ge.”
He Yujing also laughed: “Just joking, don’t take it seriously.”
Qin Yi was momentarily speechless before shaking his head with a small, wry smile.
When Jiang Liusui wasn’t around, He Yujing’s demeanor was completely different. In front of others, he was usually very cold. Now, though he was teasing, it was the kind of behavior he only showed around close acquaintances.
These two clearly had a very good relationship.
Out of nowhere, He Yujing added, a teasing lilt in his voice: “But you’re not thinking of hyping up a CP, are you? This kind of tragic, passionate romance sells really well.”
“……” Qin Yi felt mentally exhausted. “I’m going to shower. You two carry on chatting.”
Seeing their conversation come to an end, the cameraman came over to announce that today’s recording had concluded. Teachers, get some rest,” he said, then closed the door and left.
As soon as Qin Yi disappeared into the bathroom, Jiang Liusui leaned back with a quiet laugh. “You scared Qin-ge off,” he murmured.
They both knew Qin Yi wouldn’t really mind. He Yujing, having been indoors for a while and wanting some fresh air, lowered his voice: “I’m going to the balcony for a smoke.”
There were still cameras in the room. Even though he was often caught on camera smoking and drinking at nightclubs, he knew better than to be careless during a show—and besides, leaving the smell of smoke in the room would be inappropriate.
Jiang Liusui felt He Yujing’s breath gently brush against his ear. Watching him rise and step onto the balcony, closing the glass door behind him, his mind started to wander.
He Yujing had just spoken so quietly, and deliberately waited until Qin Yi went to the bathroom— was that a hint to join him outside for some intimacy?
Even though it felt a little bold, He Yujing had already stepped out. Jiang Liusui couldn’t pretend to be oblivious and had to stand up to comply with his VIP’s wishes.
Besides, He Yujing was quite sensitive about the cameras and had probably chosen a spot intentionally, right? Somewhere the cameras in the room couldn’t capture?
The balcony door swung open from the inside. He Yujing, hearing the movement, had barely turned when someone looped their arms around his waist.
Jiang Liusui hooked his arms around him, pressing close into his embrace, clinging to him as he leaned in for a kiss. He Yujing caught the scent of shower gel, identical to his own.
He Yujing froze in place, only finding his voice again after Jiang Liusui pulled back slightly.
“What are you doing? The cameras are still rolling.”
Jiang Liusui’s expression shifted abruptly. He quickly jumped out of He Yujing’s embrace, face full of surprise. “But… didn’t you deliberately pick a spot the cameras couldn’t see?”
He Yujing was equally surprised. “Huh?”
Jiang Liusui’s expression changed repeatedly before he finally realized he had misunderstood He Yujing’s intentions. He really had come to the balcony just to smoke.
Oh no, oh no, oh no…!
Every little moment of their secret relationship had just been caught on camera. How on earth was he going to fix this mess? Would smashing the camera even help??
He Yujing held Jiang Liusui’s chin, his voice tinged with a teasing uncertainty. “Were you trying to cause trouble for me? You’re really bold.”
“No!” Jiang Liusui was completely panicked, instinctively grabbing He Yuing’s hand. “What do I do?!”
He Yujing couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him flustered.
Jiang Liusui still didn’t understand his thoughts—he really treated him as a secret little lover.
If the production team dared to air this segment, at worst he could just switch his status and go public.
He Yujing led him to a corner of the balcony, making sure the cameras couldn’t see them. He held the back of Jiang Liusui’s head gently, soothingly, and softly massaged his hair. “Don’t worry, they won’t dare broadcast this.”
He Yujing stubbed out his cigarette nearby. His fingers, still carrying the faint scent of smoke, cradled Jiang Liusui’s face as he lowered his head slightly, capturing those soft, pink lips.
He kissed once and then pulled back, whispering something softly. Before kissing again, Jiang Liusui heard his gentle voice:
“With me here, you don’t need to be afraid.”
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