However, no matter what, Chu Yuanxun’s low emotional intelligence still left the audience both amused and exasperated.
In this episode, Jian Wantong had only planned to have hotpot, but when they were preparing to head back, Chu Yuanxun suggested going somewhere else for a stroll.
So, the two of them went to the nearby Luhu Ecological Park. At the bike rental area, Wan Tong pointed at a tandem bicycle. “Let’s rent this one.”
But Chu Yuanxun thought for a moment and looked at the shared bikes. “This is more cost-effective.”
As soon as he said that, Wan Tong shook her head with a smile. “Is this really the time to worry about cost-effectiveness?”
Even the comment section was filled with laughter, with viewers joking that they wished they could pry open Chu Yuanxun’s head to see what he was thinking.
In reality, after Wan Tong spoke, Chu Yuanxun looked at her in confusion, as if waiting for her to explain further.
But Wan Tong just spread her hands and walked toward the shared bikes.
At that moment, a couple rode past them on a tandem bicycle. The girl sitting in the back didn’t seem to be pedaling at all. She leaned intimately against the boy in front, wrapping her arms around his waist, whispering to him occasionally—it looked incredibly sweet.
The camera then cut to Chu Yuanxun’s face, capturing the way his dark eyes widened in an instant, as if he were stunned. Then, he quickly took a few steps forward and grabbed Wan Tong’s hand. “Let’s ride the tandem bike.”
“You just said it wasn’t cost-effective,” Wan Tong tilted her head with a teasing smile.
Chu Yuanxun replied to her seriously using her own words: “Is this really the time to worry about cost-effectiveness?”
Wan Tong : “……”
Audience : “……”
Has he finally figured it out?
Watching the entire episode, the audience also noticed something important. No matter what Jian Wantong said, Chu Yuanxun clearly listened and was gradually changing himself. Before, other male and female contestants had hinted that he shouldn’t be so blunt, that he should be more proactive and considerate, but he just let their words go in one ear and out the other.
Yet, when it came to Jian Wantong, Chu Yuanxun genuinely restrained his aloof and carefree personality. Before, when female contestants complained about the cold, he would just say, “Go back to the house and stay inside.” But when Wantong simply shrank her shoulders slightly, he immediately took off his jacket and threw it over her.
He never initiated conversations with female contestants, yet he always found ways to stick around Wan Tong, using his awkward yet endearing “I’m hungry” as an excuse, not only creating opportunities to be alone with her but also making the audience’s protective instincts flare up…
Wan Tong had watched this episode alone in her room.
When she finally came out, she happened to see two figures sitting side by side on the couch watching the show. It was right at the dinner scene, where she had leaned in to whisper an explanation of what a ‘straight man’ means to Chu Yuanxun, only for him to reply with a single word: “Ticklish.”
At the time, Wan Tong thought his voice was too soft for others to hear, so she didn’t think much of it. But who would’ve guessed that the mic had picked it up loud and clear—and his deep, magnetic voice sounded so alluring…
While watching alone earlier, she couldn’t resist replaying that part a few times. And to her surprise, the comment section was full of viewers doing the exact same thing!
“You guys… do you really have to watch this so seriously?” Wan Tong couldn’t help but complain.
Chu Yuanxun and Jian Shiyu both turned to look at her in unison, one with a teasing smile, the other with an unreadable expression.
“……”
Wan Tong instantly lost the courage to stay and turned back to her room.
The show, with its omniscient perspective, laid bare all the contestants’ behaviors. Just as Wan Tong had appeared particularly attentive to Chu Yuanxun’s interactions with others, it now seemed that Chu Yuanxun had been especially focused on her too?
No matter what, it felt a little strange… but also a little thrilling.
As soon as Wan Tong logged onto Weibo, she saw that #JianXun CP is Too Sweet# had shot to the top of the trending list. Clicking on it revealed a flood of fan-made clips capturing their cutest moments. And sure enough, that “Ticklish.” line had become one of the highest-rated ‘sugar’ moments.
Some details she hadn’t even noticed had been captured by sharp-eyed fans and turned into gifs, with the comments section filled with excited fangirls:
[In the last episode, when Chu Yuanxun overheard Zhou Ke muttering about Zhong Jiaqi going to the girls’ house, he immediately ran downstairs and intercepted Zhong Jiaqi in the hallway. No matter how you look at it, that was pure jealousy! And this episode, he was sulking while asking Jian Wantong about her date location. Ugh, his personality is just too adorable!]
[I was gonna quit watching, but now I’m hooked! JianXun is TOO sweet. Lock the doors, I’m never leaving this ship!]
[But in the next episode’s preview, Jian Wantong is going on a date with Zhong Jiaqi! And it looks pretty romantic! What do we do? Will there be another twist in the JianXun storyline? Zhong Jiaqi is also a great guy. He’s handsome, kind, and the way he looks at Wantong is full of admiration! Uh-oh, I think I could ship JiaJian too!]
[Jian Wantong isn’t that bad, actually. I went back and watched last season—she didn’t really mess with anyone; she was just quiet because she didn’t have a crush on any of the guys. Why do people call her ‘flirtatious’? It’s the guys who kept switching interests, not her! And even if she has connections, she barely gets extra screen time, and there’s no obvious favoritism!]
[Honestly, rather than forcing Yuan Qingqing and Chu Yuanxun together, isn’t it obvious that Chu Yuanxun only acts like a normal man when he’s around Jian Wantong? I mean, Wantong’s a great girl!]
[Timing is everything. Love really is about chemistry. I hope Chu Yuanxun and Jian Wantong end up together, but I also hope Yuan Qingqing finds her own happiness instead of chasing someone who won’t reciprocate her feelings!]
Wan Tong’s fan count skyrocketed, and even celebrity commentators had started following her. She followed them back and interacted with a few—but stayed firm on not spoiling anything.
Wan Tong then turned around and posted a photo from that night’s bar hangout to her Moments.
At first, she forgot to filter out family members, so she quickly deleted it. After blocking her relatives and some serious old-school artists, she reposted it.
Wan Tong had added Chu Yuanxun’s mother on WeChat, and this photo was meant for her.
But right after she posted it, her phone started blowing up with notifications.
Uncles, elder cousins, Dad, and other relatives—somehow, they all saw her quickly deleted Moments post and started messaging her one by one, asking why she deleted it so fast. Was she in a bad mood? Did a guest offend her?
She had no choice but to explain to each of them : “I just forgot to block you guys…”
“……”
Zheng Tianqiong looked at the reply on the screen, feeling both amused and helpless. He was about to take a screenshot and share it in the cub protection squad group when he saw that Jian Shitong had already posted it.
Zheng Tianqiong paused for a moment and then noticed a message from Wan Tong:
[Uncle, I’m seriously starting to suspect that you and my Dad and the others secretly created a group chat behind my back.]
*Cough, cough…* Zheng Tianqiong choked on his cigarette, his hand trembling slightly.
Of course, they had a group chat, but she couldn’t find out. A few days ago, when Xiaoyu went to visit her, as the group admin, Zheng Tianqiong was worried that Xiaoyu might leak their ‘organizational secrets,’ so he kicked Xiaoyu out of the group. Xiaoyu had even felt isolated and depressed about it for a while.
Before Wan Tong could get too suspicious, Zheng Tianqiong quickly replied:
[No such thing. Everyone’s busy, who has time to make a group?]
Wan Tong was half-convinced, but she had checked Xiaoyu’s phone and didn’t find any suspicious group chats. If they really had a secret group, they wouldn’t leave Xiaoyu out, right?
Estimating the timing, Wan Tong waited until the two people outside finished watching the show before coming out of her room.
Jian Shiyu had already gone back to his room, leaving only Chu Yuanxun at the dining table, drinking water.
She set her cup down in front of him. He instinctively poured her a glass.
“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” he asked.
Wan Tong’s throat was dry. She had been too shy to pour herself a drink earlier, but now she gulped down half a cup before mumbling, “Too excited. Can’t sleep.”
Though… she wasn’t quite sure what she was so excited about.
She held her cup and looked up, her eyes landed on the band-aid on his Adam’s apple.
“Hey, why do you keep wearing that?”
She was genuinely curious.
Chu Yuanxun swallowed, his dark eyes locking onto her. Naturally, he also noticed that her gaze kept burning into the band-aid on his throat…
While watching the show earlier, he had paid special attention, she always subconsciously stared at his neck.
At first, he thought she was just too shy to look at his face. But now, he was starting to think… she really liked that little mole of his.
But wait, that didn’t make sense, the mole hadn’t even appeared yet in the show…
The thought that she had such a particular obsession with a certain part of his body made something in Chu Yuanxun stir uncontrollably.
“You don’t like me covering it?” he asked, his voice turning a little hoarse.
Wan Tong sensed a hint of nervousness in him. She set her cup down with a *clunk* and took a step forward.
Chu Yuanxun instinctively stepped back, his dark eyes slightly dazed, unsure of what she was about to do.
No, he did have a hunch. A certain expectation.
Sure enough, in the next second, she pushed him against the wall, her small hand reaching for the band-aid on his throat.
“Ticklish…” he murmured, lowering his head slightly, his large hand covering hers, gripping it tightly.
That tone, that voice, that raspy texture, Wan Tong found it all too familiar. And way too deadly!
Ahhh, did he even realize how unfair he was being? He could have pushed her away with just a little force, but instead, he was acting all helpless and letting her do whatever she wanted, even luring her in with that deep, seductive voice!
Wan Tong stood on tiptoe and hooked her arms around his neck. He sensed it and leaned down accordingly.
Their lips met, their breaths intertwined.
Wan Tong instinctively ran her fingers over his Adam’s apple.
Chu Yuanxun : “……”
He spun her around, pressing her against the wall. But instead of pulling her hand away, he only deepened the kiss.
Meanwhile, Jian Shiyu had just stepped out of his room with his backpack.
The moment he saw what was happening, he silently pulled his cap down lower and retreated back into his room.
He picked up his phone and called Jian Shitong.
“Brother, the JianXun CP is officially locked in. I want to go back to school.” Jian Shiyu sat on the edge of his bed, feeling defeated. He kicked over the chair by his feet in frustration.
Jian Shitong was silent for a moment before asking, “What happened?”
“Just… couple stuff.” Jian Shiyu sounded even more frustrated. “Brother, I’ve never seen her this happy before. Brother, I feel so conflicted. I really want to beat up Chu Yuanxun, but… if I do, Tongtong will be sad, won’t she?”
“Wait a second, Xiaoyu, you and Tongtong aren’t staying at Luoting’s place?” Jian Shitong immediately caught the key point.
Jian Shiyu didn’t bother hiding it anymore. “Yeah, Brother. But don’t worry, I’ve been keeping an eye on things. Still, I really want to go back to school.”
If he stayed here any longer, he might really end up punching Chu Yuanxun. Even a good fight would be better than this bottled-up frustration.
Jian Shitong didn’t get angry. After a moment, he simply said, “Alright. Go back.”
“Tongtong isn’t stupid. We should trust her judgment.” Jian Shiyu muttered, not sure if he was convincing himself or his Brother.
Truthfully, they had already investigated Chu Yuanxun thoroughly and knew he was a decent guy. But… it was still hard to accept that the person Tongtong relied on was no longer them, but another man.
On the other end of the call, Jian Shitong chuckled lightly. “You’re just trying to comfort yourself at this point.”
“……”
Jian Shiyu hung up the phone, but not long after, Chu Yuanxun walked into the room, looking dazed.
The water cup in his hand had spilled over slightly, dampening his fingers, but he didn’t even notice.
Jian Shiyu grabbed his backpack and stood up, glaring at him.
“Chu Yuanxun, you better treat Tongtong well. If you don’t, I won’t let you off.”
Chu Yuanxun finally cast a glance over and saw that his eyes were red. He simply nodded and responded, “I will treat her well, but not because of your threat. It’s because…”
He paused for a moment, lowering his gaze slightly, as if recalling something. Then, the corners of his crimson lips lifted.
“I really like her.”
Jian Shiyu was stunned. His face flushed again. He had been confessed to by many girls before and could gauge the depth of someone’s affection. But at this moment, when Chu Yuanxun said those words, even as an outsider, he could feel the deep emotions in his voice and expression.
“Hmph.” Jian Shiyu let out a soft snort and walked out.
Chu Yuanxun slowly downed another glass of water before pulling out his phone. His heart pounded wildly, every drop of blood in his veins roaring.
Just then, Leng Jing sent him a message : [Damn! I really think you could make a living off your looks. Look at your fans! They’re begging you to debut!]
Chu Yuanxun : [Oh.]
Leng Jing : [A’Xun! Tell me! Did you end up confessing? You two are really together now, right?!]
Leng Jing : [I think that girl is great. She must like you a lot—her eyes don’t lie!]
Chu Yuanxun calmed himself a little before slowly typing out a reply.
On the other end, when Leng Jing saw the message, he spat out a mouthful of water and cursed under his breath, “Damn it…”
On the screen, Chu Yuanxun’s reply read: [I think she’s just after my body.]