The weather was unusually nice today.
Two days ago, the capital had been hit by a rainstorm. The temperature had plummeted, and even opening a window to air out the room was enough to make someone sneeze.
But today, the sun shone brightly. Although a chilly breeze brushed against their faces, it didn’t feel cold at all.
The latest bonus episode of <Extreme Challenge> had just reached Qi Luozhou’s solo interview.
The backdrop behind him featured the same kind of warm, inviting weather. Waves crashed against the rocks behind him, while the sunlight outlined his light-colored sweater with a soft golden glow. He looked into the camera with a slight smile in his eyes.
Even without saying a word, just looking at him made people feel at ease.
The staff member conducting the interview couldn’t help blushing as her heart raced.
“Alright, God Zhou, let’s start with a simple interview!
“Please use one word to describe each of the guests on the show.”
On screen, little speech bubbles bearing each guest’s name appeared.
In reality, the production staff simply held up placards with each guest’s name, and Qi Luozhou answered them one by one.
His responses were simple.
Words like brave, reliable, and adorable—safe, conventional descriptions.
Until they held up the placard that read Shen Wanwan.
The man who had answered so smoothly until now suddenly fell silent.
Two seconds later, he spoke.
“Unexpected.”
“Unexpected?”
The production crew exchanged puzzled looks.
That didn’t really seem like an adjective.
Shen Wanwan always brought people unexpected surprises.
Though compared to unexpected, perhaps full of surprises would have described her more accurately.
Warm sunlight poured over Shen Wanwan and Qi Luozhou.
People bustled across the plaza around them. They could be recognized at any moment.
Yet they embraced without restraint, kissing as though no one else existed.
As their breaths intertwined, the heart that had long drifted without a place to belong finally found its home.
Qi Luozhou had realized a long time ago that everything he wanted came to him with remarkable ease.
No matter what he did, things that others found difficult—things that required tremendous effort, practice, and perseverance—were things he could master effortlessly.
When obtaining something became too easy, life itself gradually became equally simple.
And unbearably dull.
Most of the time, his emotions remained perfectly level.
Calm and undisturbed.
Mountains were simply mountains.
Water was simply water.
Only she…
She was the unexpected variable in his ordinary life, the one person with whom he could never predict what the next second would bring.
Shen Wanwan stared at his lips, now just as flushed from her kisses as hers were. A victorious smile curved across her face.
His complexion had always been that cool, porcelain white, and before this, everything about his aura had been perfectly balanced and harmonious.
But now his lips were vividly red, like a single blossom blooming upon pristine snow.
“Qi Luozhou.”
She called his name softly.
“Hm?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked at her with a gentle smile.
“Your lips are so red.”
She never forgot a grudge.
Anywhere he had teased her before, she always found a way to get even.
He let out a quiet chuckle and continued holding her hand.
“Mm. I was too nervous.”
Dressed the way he was, calmly saying something like that with a perfectly serious expression…
He truly had the air of a refined gentleman hiding a dangerously seductive side.
Shen Wanwan said, “You should probably prepare yourself.”
“For what?”
She merely smiled without answering.
Looking at that mysterious smile of hers, the answer was already on the tip of his tongue.
Even someone as steady and hard to rattle as he was couldn’t help feeling his heart pound heavily.
The hand holding hers grew warmer.
Lowering his head, he kissed her lips once more.
“I’ll be waiting.”
At that moment, someone posted a photo in the ‘WanZhou’ fan community.
[Girls! I just saw a street photo online. Doesn’t it look like God Zhou and Wanwan?]
Comments quickly flooded in.
[Holy crap, it really does look like God Zhou and Wanwan!]
[It looks like them, but it definitely can’t be, right? If it were really those two, how could they be this bold? If even one clear photo got out, the internet would explode.]
[But they look SO much alike!! Secretary Wang, investigate immediately! Which university are these students from?!]
[I don’t think so. They obviously just look like a college couple. But wow, they’re ridiculously good-looking! The guy especially has that cold, abstinent vibe.]
[Sob… I must’ve become completely delusional from shipping them. I swear it’s them! Even if the King of Heaven himself came down, I’d still say it’s them!]
[If only God Zhou and Wanwan were actually dating…]
[LOL. Give up on that dream. If they really started dating, wouldn’t Shao Yuye skin God Zhou alive?]
[The more I imagine that scene, the more I love it. doge.jpg]
Of course, people only dared speculate.
If they mistakenly dragged an innocent college couple into the spotlight, that wouldn’t be good either.
But Shen Wanwan and Qi Luozhou’s popularity was simply too overwhelming.
Before long, entertainment gossip accounts had reposted the photo.
[Shocking! College Couple Bears an Uncanny Resemblance to Qi Luozhou and Shen Wanwan!]
Not long afterward, ‘WanZhou’ shot back onto the trending searches.
[Where are the paparazzi?! Who gave you permission to take New Year’s off? Get up and start taking pictures!!!]
[Please, somebody tell me whether this is real. This is genuinely important to me.]
[It’s New Year’s! Please, just tell me the CP I’m shipping is actually real!]
The paparazzi: “…” We’d love to. But Shen Wanwan and Qi Luozhou are simply impossible to photograph.
Ever since Qi Luozhou debuted, paparazzi had never been able to get much on him. Even when someone managed to stake him out once or twice, his manager and bodyguards would quickly ask them to leave. And his schedule was practically devoid of anything remotely scandalous. Not a single juicy scoop the tabloids wanted. Over time, the paparazzi simply stopped bothering with him.
Which was why it had been so strange that he was photographed at Chutian last time.
It almost felt as if his team had quietly allowed it, wanting to hint to fans that there might be some romantic developments.
As for Shen Wanwan and Shao Yuye, after Shao Yuye’s previous ‘scandal’ that turned out to be nothing, things were even more extreme.
Forget getting a photo—they couldn’t even catch a glimpse of either of them.
Meanwhile, at Shao Yuye’s house…
“Hurry up! Go bottom lane!
“Daddy’s gonna get you a kill.”
“Screw off!”
Since the person he was supposed to keep company with had a date today, Yu Cheng had found an excuse to send everyone else away and came over alone.
The two chatted for a while after meeting up, then, with perfect tacit understanding, booted up <Heroe Adventures>.
That was, until Shao Yuye’s phone alarm suddenly started ringing.
Yu Cheng was urging him to hurry and regroup with the team.
Instead, Shao Yuye reacted as though the phone were a hot potato. He tossed it onto the sofa, got up, and headed toward the kitchen.
“It’s four o’clock. I’m done playing. I’ve gotta cook dinner for my sister.”
“You?”
Yu Cheng let out a snort, “Cook?”
Back when Shao Yuye was still on the team, he had been famous for barely being able to take care of himself.
“Is it even edible?”
Leaning back lazily in his chair, Yu Cheng grinned, “Isn’t your sister notorious for being picky? She can actually stomach your dark cuisine?”
Shao Yuye pulled a pile of ingredients out of the refrigerator, then casually grabbed an apple from the fruit basket in the living room and threw it at him.
“Shut up.”
Smiling, Yu Cheng caught the apple one-handed, wiped it on his sleeve, and took a bite.
Since Shao Yuye wasn’t playing anymore, he exited the game as well. To pass the time while eating his apple, he casually opened Weibo.
#WanZhou# was once again sitting at the very top of the trending list.
He tapped into the topic, happily browsing the gossip. Then, loving nothing more than stirring up trouble, he walked into the kitchen and held one of the photos in front of Shao Yuye.
“Looks like your sister’s on a date with your rival.
“Quick interview, how do you feel?”
“Heh.”
Shao Yuye only spared it a single glance before losing interest, “That’s not her.”
Yu Cheng’s smile turned teasing.
“You’re that sure?”
“My sister doesn’t wear puffer jackets.”
Shao Yuye snorted, “And besides, even if she is dating someone, it wouldn’t be Qi Luozhou. She’s out with 876.”
Yu Cheng excitedly took two more bites of his apple.
“How do you know?”
Knife in hand, Shao Yuye shot him a death glare before rolling his eyes dramatically.
“Take a wild guess. I was the one who drove her there!”
“Holy crap!”
For the first time, Yu Cheng felt like an overexcited melon-eating spectator right at the center of the gossip.
“Then why didn’t you stick around longer? See what 876 looks like, what their date was like?”
Shao Yuye’s chopping paused.
“…Oh. Right.”
Yu Cheng tossed the apple core into the trash.
“…Tsk.”
Shao Yuye glared at him.
“Because you wouldn’t stop rushing me! Kept telling me to hurry back! I ended up missing everything!”
He was still holding the kitchen knife.
Yu Cheng instinctively took a step backward, raising both hands defensively. His voice immediately turned sickeningly sweet.
“Ah Ye, I knew you’re the best~
“Huggy hug~”
Shao Yuye waved him away with a conflicted expression.
“Get lost! You’re annoying enough already!”
Truthfully, before leaving earlier, he had considered staying behind for a few seconds.
But he quickly rejected the idea.
Since his sister had been so honest with him, then as her older brother, he shouldn’t go sneaking around investigating behind her back.
When she wanted to tell him, she naturally would.
Of course…
Now that Yu Cheng had brought it up again…
Shao Yuye was starting to regret it.
Damn it.
He should’ve stayed and watched!
Come to think of it…
It was already past four.
Why wasn’t his sister home yet?
Was she really having that much fun with 876?
It was already four o’clock, and she still wasn’t coming home!
Four o’clock already!!!
Fueled by overwhelming jealousy, Shao Yuye finished cooking.
The table was soon filled with brightly colored dishes. Since Yu Cheng was staying for dinner today, Shao Yuye had made two extra dishes.
Yu Cheng stared in disbelief.
“Holy crap… You really cooked all this?”
The presentation was far better than he’d imagined.
Shao Yuye silently untied his apron, letting out a long, complicated sigh.
Yu Cheng muttered under his breath, “You really look like… a lovesick statue waiting for your little sister.”
Shao Yuye ignored him. He lowered his head to check his phone.
It was already five o’clock…
Just then, the electronic lock at the front door finally beeped as someone entered the passcode.
Shao Yuye practically sprang out of his chair. Like an overexcited dog that had been left home alone all day and finally heard its owner return, he dashed to the front door.
“You’re back!
“Did you have fun today?
“Come on, dinner’s ready!”
Taking advantage of the moment when Shao Yuye stepped away, Yu Cheng picked up a pair of chopsticks and snagged a piece of meat, intending to secretly sample Shao Yuye’s cooking. If it didn’t taste good, he’d come up with some excuse to leave.
But before the meat even reached his mouth, he saw the way Shao Yuye was fawning over someone.
Yu Cheng: “…”
He was so startled that he flinched, and the piece of meat slipped right off his chopsticks.
If a human had a tail behind them…
Then at this very moment, Shao Yuye’s would definitely have been spinning like a helicopter rotor.
Shen Wanwan brought back little cakes for the ‘Brother’s, with one extra. She put it into the refrigerator before turning to Yu Cheng.
“Brother Cheng, this one’s for your cousin.
“Don’t forget to take it with you later.”
Yu Cheng was still guiltily cleaning up the evidence. When he heard her call out to him, he jumped again.
Then he heard her mention his ‘cousin’ and was completely bewildered.
Silently, he looked toward Shao Yuye.
—Since when do I have a cousin?
Shao Yuye shot him a meaningful look.
Without making a sound, he mouthed: “Don’t blow our cover!”
Yu Cheng: “…” Then maybe tell me what kind of story you’ve been making up out there!
Although he was panicking inside, with his brain working so hard it felt like his CPU was about to overheat, Yu Cheng ultimately chose the safest response and simply nodded.
“Thanks, Wanwan.”
Shen Wanwan acknowledged him with a casual hum.
“Please pass a message to her.
“In this world, a three-legged toad may be hard to find, but two-legged men are everywhere.”
An awkward smile spread across Yu Cheng’s face. “Alright, alright.
“My cousin likes you the most. She’ll definitely listen to whatever you say!”
Then he turned back to Shao Yuye, “What the hell did you even say to her?!”
“…”
Shao Yuye lowered his gaze and fell silent for a moment. With remarkable self-awareness, he changed the subject.
“Come on, let’s eat before the food gets cold!”