Wan Tong had something on her mind and hadn’t spoken for a long time. When she finally snapped out of her thoughts, she realized that Chu Yuanxun was staring at her, his gaze deep and unreadable. The moment she looked over, he silently averted his eyes.
“What are you doing?” Wan Tong reached out and lightly tugged on his wrist.
Chu Yuanxun kept his gaze fixed ahead and said in a low voice, “You sure know a lot of people.”
Wan Tong: “…” So, he was jealous?
“I only met him once. Just now was the first time we actually talked,” she explained honestly.
After a moment, Chu Yuanxun glanced at her, seemingly appeased. “Is there a hot spring you want to go to?”
Wan Tong randomly pointed in a direction. After walking down a small path, they arrived at a milky-white hot spring pool, surrounded by drifting mist. The dim lighting added a touch of mystery. There was no one else in sight, though voices from a nearby pool, separated by a small artificial hill, suggested that a family was soaking there.
“Let’s stay here,” Wan Tong decided, preferring not to share the space with strangers.
She dipped a toe in the water—just the right temperature.
Chu Yuanxun also tested the water but quickly pulled his hand back. “Too hot.”
The pool was about 41 degrees Celsius, on the hotter side. Wan Tong figured it might be a matter of personal tolerance and pointed to another pool across the way. “It looks like there’s an empty one over there. Want to go there instead?”
Chu Yuanxun withdrew his hand from the water and nodded. “Alright.”
Before college, he used to take cold showers in winter and even swam in icy water. It was only when his university provided hot water that he gradually got used to warm showers—but even then, never at high temperatures.
“I’ll soak here for a bit and join you later.” Wan Tong loosened the bath towel draped over her shoulders and hung it on a wooden hook. When she turned back to Chu Yuanxun, she found him staring off to the side, lost in thought.
The warm glow of the lights cast shadows on his sharp features, making them even more striking. The defined curve of his Adam’s apple caught her attention, and for a moment, she found herself staring, words suddenly escaping her. “…A’Xun, what are you spacing out for?”
Chu Yuanxun finally turned to look at her, an unreadable glint flickering in his dark eyes. His gaze trailed downward.
He had chosen a modest black swimsuit for her, but the thin straps rested delicately on her slender neck, pressing lightly against her graceful collarbones. The soft curves at the front were fully visible in his line of sight.
His eyes burned. He forced himself to look away, only to catch sight of her slim waist, the gentle curve of her stomach—even her navel looked impossibly cute.
Noticing his gaze, Wan Tong blushed and shot him a glare before stepping into the pool, submerging herself in the warm water. Wisps of mist curled around her, carrying a faint, milky fragrance.
Chu Yuanxun rubbed his nose, removed his own towel, and hung it beside hers before silently stepping into the milky-white hot spring.
Wan Tong stared at him in disbelief. It took her a moment to react. “Weren’t you going to the other pool?”
“This one’s fine too.” His voice was low and muffled as he slowly moved toward her.
The ripples created by his movements lapped against Wan Tong’s skin, tickling her. She instinctively leaned back, only to press herself against the edge of the pool.
Her gaze seemed glued to him—his muscular thighs, his well-defined abs… She was suddenly grateful for the dim lighting; otherwise, her flushed face would have been impossible to hide.
“Don’t you still find it too hot?” she muttered, sinking lower into the water.
Chu Yuanxun lowered himself beside her, leaning back as if trying to relax. He let out a quiet hum in response.
It was still too hot. He felt like he was burning up, his blood rushing to his head.
But he had no intention of going to the other pool alone.
“If you really can’t stand it—”
Before Wan Tong could finish her sentence, there was a sudden splash. Chu Yuanxun abruptly stood up, sending hot water cascading around them.
Wan Tong stared up at him, stunned. “You…”
His damp bangs clung to his forehead, and his dark eyes, slightly misted over, met hers. A hint of embarrassment flickered in his gaze as he finally muttered a single word : “Hot.”
Wan Tong burst out laughing. Having lived with him, she knew that the hottest water he could tolerate was around 38 degrees. There was no way he’d last in this pool.
Chu Yuanxun slowly sank back into the water—this time, even closer to her. Under the surface, his arm brushed against hers.
Wan Tong’s laughter faded, but the corners of her eyes still held a trace of amusement. Her long, thick lashes glistened with tiny water droplets, and her misty gaze carried an air of mystery and allure, silently luring him in.
Chu Yuanxun placed a hand on the edge of the pool and leaned in, closing the distance between them.
Wan Tong knew exactly what he was about to do. If she wanted to refuse, she could. But the strange light in his eyes held her captive, making resistance impossible.
She could only watch as he, moving as if in slow motion, kissed her.
Back in their room, Wan Tong took another hot shower before collapsing onto the bed.
Soaking in two hot springs back-to-back had left her body feeling as light as a cloud.
Just as she was about to drift into sleep, her phone rang, breaking the peaceful silence. It was a call from Zheng Tianqiong.
“Uncle?”
Hearing the sleepiness in her voice, Zheng Tianqiong’s tone softened. “Tongtong, were you asleep?”
“Mm… Uncle, what’s wrong?”
“Tongtong, where are you right now? Are you with Chu Yuanxun?”
Hearing Chu Yuanxun’s name, Wan Tong opened her eyes and reached out to turn on the bedside lamp. “I came with him to a hot spring resort. Uncle, did something happen?”
“Where… is he?”
The probing in his tone couldn’t have been more obvious.
“He’s in his room,” Wan Tong replied helplessly. “Uncle, did you see something online?”
Zheng Tianqiong cleared his throat before finally getting to the point. “You guys are trending again, but the one getting scolded is that kid. Tongtong, get some sleep. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
Sleep? That was out of the question now. After hanging up, Wan Tong logged into Weibo.
Someone had leaked photos of Chu Yuanxun and Yuan Qingqing entering the same apartment building, sparking dating rumors.
Then, another photo stirred up even more drama, a staff member at the hot spring resort had casually uploaded a picture of a couple’s backs. Sharp-eyed netizens immediately recognized them, it was Chu Yuanxun and Jian Wantong!
Chu Yuanxun was supposedly ‘living with’ Yuan Qingqing while also being affectionate with Jian Wantong at the hot springs. Two-timing both women—what a scumbag!
The lovable ‘straight guy’ image he had built on the show instantly shattered!
Wan Tong rolled around on her bed twice but ultimately didn’t get up to find Chu Yuanxun. He never cared about online gossip anyway, he probably hadn’t even seen it yet. Besides, she knew better than anyone what was going on between him and Yuan Qingqing…
With that thought, she drifted off to sleep, still holding her phone.
In the room next door, Leng Jing stared irritably at his phone. “Damn it, A’Xun! This is unbearable! Do these people even know what they’re talking about? They’re calling you a scumbag for no reason!”
Chu Yuanxun threw the towel he was using to dry his hair at him and started shooing him away. “Don’t bother with it. Go back to your room.”
“You’re the one getting flamed online. I’m just standing up for you! You’re just going to let this slide?”
“It won’t kill me. Let them talk.”
“I can’t stand how laid-back you are! Aren’t you worried about Jian Wantong seeing this and feeling uncomfortable? Everyone’s saying you and Yuan Qingqing are living together. What if she misunderstands?”
Only then did Chu Yuanxun glance at him, but his response was calm and serious. “She won’t misunderstand.”
“Why?” Leng Jing pressed.
Chu Yuanxun sat on the edge of his bed, his voice dropping slightly. “She knows I only like her.”
He just had that feeling, she was certain he liked her. She saw him as something that already belonged to her, and now, she was simply coming to claim him.
Leng Jing listened to his words, then noticed the lingering smile on his lips. He suddenly felt surrounded by a hundred lemons, so sour.
“Forget about Jian Wantong for a second. Aren’t you planning to stay on as a university lecturer? Be careful, or this nonsense could get your qualification revoked. Worse yet, because of your contract, you can’t even clarify things publicly.”
Seeing how relaxed Chu Yuanxun looked, Leng Jing felt like a eunuch worrying more than the emperor himself.
“Ugh, whatever, I’m done caring about you.” He sighed and shook his head, but then his gaze landed on a suspicious red mark on Chu Yuanxun’s neck. He asked casually, “Did you burn your neck too?”
Earlier, A’Xun had complained about the hot spring being too hot, saying his skin was still red from it. But why was his neck also red, especially his Adam’s apple…
Leng Jing took a closer look, and his lips twitched. Internally, he cursed again.
That… was a bite mark, wasn’t it?
Meeting Chu Yuanxun’s meaningful gaze, Leng Jing rubbed his forehead and promptly walked out of the room.
If he stayed any longer, he might actually die from jealousy.
After Leng Jing slammed the door shut, Chu Yuanxun lightly ran his fingers over his Adam’s apple, a smirk deepening on his face.
Back in the hot spring, when he had kissed her until she was breathless, she had retaliated by biting his neck, grinding her teeth against his skin, as if she were punishing him. Though she hadn’t really used much force, she had still left a mark.
Thinking about it now, his blood started racing again. He hurried to the bathroom and splashed cold water over himself to cool down.
The next morning, when Wan Tong woke up, she noticed that the ‘two-timing’ scandal hadn’t escalated further. In fact, the narrative had shifted.
Late at night, Chu Yuanxun had posted a mysterious Weibo update.
Chu Yuanxun : [I only have one girlfriend. She is the one and only little cutie in this world.]
Looking at the comments below, some fans suspected his account had been hacked, because that did not sound like him at all.
Others were trying to guess, had he successfully coupled up with someone on the show? Or did he start dating afterward? Was his girlfriend Yuan Qingqing or Jian Wantong?
Most people leaned toward Yuan Qingqing, since the ‘cohabitation’ rumors seemed more solid. Plus, she had once said on the show that she’d move to a new city for love, and now she was in B City. Wasn’t that proof enough?
The XunYuan CP fans regrouped with renewed enthusiasm, while the JianXun CP fans were in agony.
[Don’t tell us the candy we’ve been shipping was actually a mouthful of glass shards?!]
When Chu Yuanxun came to find Wan Tong, she pointed at his Weibo post. “Why did you post it so soon?”
Last night at the hot spring, she had asked him, “What should we post when the show ends?”
At the time, Chu Yuanxun had shaken his head. He hadn’t thought about it.
“Then just praise me,” she had suggested.
“How?”
Wan Tong had helplessly touched his face, which was flushed from the steam. “Isn’t your girlfriend the one and only little cutie in the world?”
Chu Yuanxun had gazed at her intently. “Mm.”
His focused look had made her blush. She quickly retracted her hand and mumbled, “Then just say that.”
“Mm.” He had obediently agreed, before gripping her hand under the water.
And the next second, he had pinned her against the edge of the pool and kissed her thoroughly.