PTBC chapter 13

Twenty minutes later, the remaining three artists arrived.

Ge Qianyi, an omega, was currently a popular starlet with a sweet and gentle image, always portraying a soft-spoken princess personality.

Hu Fei, a beta, was a rebellious rapper gaining traction from a recent reality show.

And the last one…

Xia Yan finally understood why the PD had been so secretive. Even with mental preparation, he couldn’t help but stare at the final guest, his eyes almost glued to the person.

The last guest was Ling Du.
At 31 years old, he was a double Best Actor winner of the Jinlan and Starry Awards, a veteran of ten years with stellar reputation and impeccable skills—the biggest name among all the artists present.

Moreover, Xia Yan couldn’t recall ever seeing Ling Du on a variety show before.

Wide-eyed, Xia Yan discreetly pinched Xu Cong.
“Holy crap, Ant Channel must be loaded. I heard Ling Du rarely does variety shows. How much did they have to pay him to get him on board?”

He gazed at Ling Du dreamily, murmuring as if in a trance, “What did I do to deserve sharing a stage with him?”

Xu Cong’s face darkened immediately.

He had almost forgotten—Ling Du was Xia Yan’s idol.

Back before debuting, their dorm walls were plastered with Ling Du’s posters.

Since their debut, there hadn’t been many chances to meet Ling Du. Though Xia Yan had seen him at formal events, he’d never dared to openly fanboy—just sneak a group photo when the opportunity arose.

Ling Du, however, clearly remembered Xia Yan.

With a calm and gentle demeanor, he greeted Xia Yan during their ride to the filming location. “Long time no see. The last time we met was at the Baomeng charity gala, wasn’t it?”

Xia Yan, who had been brashly confronting Jiang Chuxin moments ago, instantly turned docile and nodded obediently.

“Yes, I even took a photo with you then.”

He’d also added Ling Du on WeChat but had never dared to send a message.

Ling Du smiled. “I also watched your performance in Ning Huan. You did a great job.”

Xia Yan was flattered beyond belief.

“No, no, you’re too kind,” he waved modestly. “It was my first acting role, and I still have a lot to learn.” He glanced at the host still chattering up front, then leaned closer to whisper, “The director scolded me a lot on set.”

Ling Du chuckled softly.

He also covered the microphone and whispered, “The director was Han Ye, right? He’s always like that. If he doesn’t yell at people, he doesn’t feel energized. I almost went crazy doing assignments with him back in school.”

Seeing that Xia Yan seemed a bit confused, he added, “He was my classmate, later switched to directing.”

Xu Cong, with an expressionless face, watched Xia Yan and Ling Du talk the whole way.

He was not as starry-eyed as Xia Yan was about Ling Du. He thought Ling Du was just noisy. Despite being a movie king with a quiet, reserved public image, he seemed to never stop chatting with Xia Yan.

But for some unknown reason, every time Ling Du chatted with Xia Yan, he would glance at Xu Cong.

Meanwhile, Jiang Chuxin, sitting in the row behind them, was astonished. Was this the same person who had threatened him so fiercely in the lounge earlier?

Now, the gentle and obedient attitude was like a completely different person.

Tch.

The entertainment industry really was full of sycophants.

He sneered inwardly but couldn’t help feeling a little sour.

…..

The sightseeing bus bounced for over half an hour before finally arriving at the filming location.

Before reaching their destination, Xia Yan had been in a good mood, enjoying the sea breeze and listening to Ling Du discuss a new drama. It had been quite a relaxing day.

However, as soon as he saw the recording environment, Xia Yan’s face immediately fell.

“This place is too shabby.”

Someone behind him echoed his thoughts—rapper Hu Fei’s eyes were about to fall out.

This area was a cluster of islands, usually a good spot for tourism, but no one knew how the production team managed to find such a remote location. They had been brought to an undeveloped area.

The surroundings were desolate; all they could see were endless beaches and the ocean, with no signs of human activity.

If there was any post-production here, they would have to add a “wind-blown, desolate” effect.

Xia Yan couldn’t help but ask the cameraman next to him, “This place isn’t uninhabited, right? It’s supposed to be undeveloped, but this looks like a wilderness zone.”

The cameraman smiled but didn’t answer.

“Alright, everyone, please get off the bus,” the host called from the beach. The group reluctantly got out.

Xia Yan and Xu Cong leaned against each other, quietly complaining while keeping their mics down.

“I’m going to kill Bai Yu when I get back. This isn’t a vacation; it’s like I’m on some survival show.”

Xu Cong couldn’t help but laugh.

But before he could finish, the host noticed their actions.

“Guests over there, no fooling around. Listen to the briefing, and don’t turn off your mics casually. If you do it too many times, there will be consequences,” the host said with a smile.

Xia Yan raised an eyebrow and mimed zipping his mouth.

Soon, the production team explained the schedule for the next few days. It was simple but also difficult. Anyone familiar with the variety show ‘Relaxing Vacation’ would know exactly what the program entailed.

Though the show was called a vacation, it was essentially a forced exile in the wild.

The production team would announce different tasks every day, and whether or not they completed them would directly affect their quality of life on the island.

The production team didn’t give any money, and all communication devices were confiscated. On the island, apart from the staff and a few residents, there was only one convenience store. If they needed outside help, there was no place to turn.

“I have a question. Where will we be staying?” rapper Hu Fei raised his hand.

“Good question,” the host smiled subtly and pointed to the mountain behind them. “Do you see that hillside? There are four small houses on top—two doubles, two singles. Which one you get is up to luck.”

Xia Yan immediately understood.

One of the singles would obviously be for the only “official” omega here, Ge Qianyi.

They would have to choose from the remaining three rooms.

Xia Yan rolled up his sleeves confidently. He was always the luckiest when it came to draws. Lin Qixu always asked him for help with drawing cards.

He focused on the distant houses, even became a little picky, and said to Xu Cong, “I’d prefer the one on the far left. It’s made of cement, while the wooden one looks unstable.”

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that Ge Qianyi laughed aloud. “Mr. Xia, you seem very confident in your luck.”

Xia Yan smirked, adjusting his sunglasses. “Because I consider myself a lucky one.”

But soon, the so-called “lucky one” realized he had underestimated the production team’s evil plans.

The production team didn’t do a drawing.

Instead, they brought out a dark box and asked everyone to reach in and feel for transparent marbles. The person who grabbed the most marbles in one minute would get to pick their room first, and those who grabbed fewer would have no choice.

At first, the guests didn’t react much, but when the black curtain was lifted, the box was full of eels, wriggling and sticking together in a sticky and disgusting mess.

“Shit.”

Several screams broke out in the room.

Jiang Chuxin immediately covered his mouth, realizing too late that he had reacted too loudly, but the terror on his face couldn’t be washed away.

Xia Yan closed his eyes, mentally cursing Bai Yu over and over.

The bastard had sold him and Xu Cong to this godforsaken place, and now they were stuck with a sadistic production team.

But this didn’t stop him from feeling a protective urge.

He looked at Movie King Ling Du beside him and asked with concern, “Ge, are you afraid of these things? Maybe I should help you feel around. I can grab twice.”

Though he had become an omega, he often forgot his place in the moment.

Feeling pity for Ling Du, he thought: Ling Du was a beta, obviously gentle and delicate, surely he couldn’t handle such a thing.

Xu Cong, who overheard, turned his face slightly without reacting.

“No need, I’m not afraid of them,” Ling Du casually rolled up his sleeves and smiled gently at Xia Yan. “I used to catch them when I was a kid.”

Stubborn, it must be stubbornness.

Xia Yan’s expression became even more sympathetic, nodding in a caring way.

When he turned around again, he was greeted by Xu Cong’s dark, stormy expression, which gave him quite a fright.

“What’s with that face? Who upset you?”

Xu Cong glanced at Ling Du, who was still studying the box of eels, looking genuinely interested.

The slightly damp and salty sea breeze brushed against their faces.

Xu Cong knew he was being childish, but he couldn’t help lowering his voice to mutter, “Aren’t you worried I might be scared?”

He stared at the box of slowly writhing eels. “I think they’re disgusting too.”

“Get lost.”

Xia Yan wasn’t one to pamper him, stepping on his foot. “You used to catch snakes barehanded—how can you pretend to be fragile now? Back in the dorm, you were the one we sent to deal with cockroaches. Stop pretending.”

Xu Cong was left speechless, regretting his past bravado in the dormitory.

Nearby, the cameraman was furiously recording the moment, while silently wondering, Am I really allowed to film this? Idol groups these days really go all out to push their CP dynamics, staying in character even during shows. Truly professional.

A few minutes later, everyone began taking turns to dig for marbles, following the draw order.

The first was the only Omega present, Ge Qianyi.

With her goddess-like appearance—pure and cute, with fair, translucent skin—she looked like she belonged in a romantic campus story, walking under a tree-lined path with her crush. But now, she had to reach into a box of eels to find marbles.

The expressions on everyone’s faces were twisted.

This was actually Ge Qianyi’s own request. The production team initially wanted to go easy on her and switch her to another box, but she flipped her hair dramatically and, with a pale face, refused.

“No need. If I don’t even have this level of resolve, how can I participate in variety shows?” she said calmly, covering her mic. “Just make sure to give me plenty of screen time.”

Fortunately, her results were decent—she found four marbles.

Next up were Xia Yan and Xu Cong. One found six marbles, the other eight—both with solid results.

Neither of them showed much fear.

Still, the slimy, slippery creatures slithering over their hands, with that cold, sticky texture, almost made them retch up their breakfast.

Afterward, Xia Yan scrubbed his hands for ages before sticking them under Xu Cong’s nose. “Smell this. I think it reeks of fish.”

Xu Cong wasn’t bothered. “There’s nothing. It’s just in your head.”

After them were Jiang Chuxin and the rapper Hu Fei, who were clearly the most terrified. The two were trembling as they went. Hu Fei began wailing the moment he reached into the box.

“Is it too late for me to go home?” he turned to ask the PD. “I suddenly don’t feel like filming anymore.”

Usually, such complaints were just meaningless resistance from guests.

But judging from his expression, he looked serious.

Unfortunately, the PD shook his head mercilessly. “Stop dreaming. The contract is already signed.”

Hu Fei could only wail as he groped for marbles, ultimately finding just one—the lowest count of the day.

Jiang Chuxin did slightly better, managing to grab two.

Even Ge Qianyi couldn’t help showing pity. “So fragile, both of you. Will you even survive the next few days?”

Xia Yan smiled, delighting in Jiang Chuxin’s misery. “I doubt it.”

The biggest surprise, however, was the actor Ling Du. Just as he had assured Xia Yan earlier, he displayed no fear.

With his refined, handsome face, he rolled up his sleeves, smiled at the camera, and then, without hesitation, plunged his hand into the box, scooping out nine marbles in the blink of an eye.

The crowd erupted in astonishment.

By the sink, Ling Du rinsed his hands while calmly showing off the marbles to the camera, his expression still friendly. “Just lucky. Some of them happened to be stuck together.”

In the end, Xia Yan didn’t get the cement house he wanted, as it was a single room and given to Ge Qianyi.

The other single room went to Ling Du.

Xia Yan and Xu Cong moved into the better of the two double rooms. But “better” was a relative term—the room was still barren except for two beds and a table.

Looking over at Hu Fei and Jiang Chuxin’s room, though, Xia Yan felt much more at peace.

Their room didn’t even have a proper roof. If it rained, they’d have to catch the water first.

“We’re way better off than them,” Xia Yan remarked. “At least we won’t be stargazing tonight.”