LABMY CH135

The three routes were exchanged for three lunches. On the beach, three double tables were set up, each laden with an extravagant seafood feast that was almost too much for the tables to hold, one serving of stir-fried pork with chili and a bowl of rice, and two bowls of instant noodles.

The cruelest part was that the production team arranged the three tables in a triangular formation facing each other. As soon as Wan Yuda sat down, he could see the seafood feast piled high in front of Jian Yuanbai and Pei Yao.

The stark contrast made Wan Yuda’s expression extremely unpleasant, especially since what he had in front of him was just instant noodles.

• “Does Wan Yuda still not know that all the shady things he did have been exposed?”
• “Doesn’t his team contact him?”
• “I’m dying of laughter. I wonder what the fans who came to watch this show for Wan Yuda are feeling right now.”
• “Former Wan Yuda fan here, don’t @ me, thanks.”
• “His face looks so bad, he’s holding it in so hard that his features are twisting. I want to laugh, I really want to laugh.”
• “When Jian Yuanbai shot an arrow through the balloon, Wan Yuda fell into the mud pit. That shocked expression of his—I could laugh at it a million times.”

The barrage was filled with mocking comments, all enjoying Wan Yuda’s misfortune. This made some of his die-hard fans, who were still hanging on, unable to sit still.

At this moment, they also knew that defending Wan Yuda would only attract more insults, so they chose to divert attention.

• “Can you all stop hyping up Jian Yuanbai? He’s just a bodyguard.”
• “Getting attracted to a bodyguard? Are you that desperate?”
• “Liking a bodyguard? I’m dying of laughter. What kind of factory workers are you?”
• “Ladies, you should raise your standards. A bodyguard isn’t even worth a second look.”
• “He’s emotionally stable, he protects you, he makes his own money, he cares about you, he’s an excellent archer, he’s handsome, and he always puts you first. What’s wrong with being a bodyguard?”

Their rebuttals were ignored as the haters clung stubbornly to Jian Yuanbai’s self-proclaimed bodyguard identity.

Meanwhile, in the show, Pei Yao looked at the seafood feast in front of the two of them, then leaned close to Jian Yuanbai’s ear and whispered something.

The two of them were extremely close, with Pei Yao even covering the mic at his lips. He spoke almost directly into Jian Yuanbai’s ear, lowering his voice to avoid being picked up by the mic, his tone soft and airy.

His breath brushed against Jian Yuanbai’s ear as he spoke, and the distance between Pei Yao’s lips and his ear was so close that it seemed as if he was kissing his earlobe.

Jian Yuanbai turned his head to look at him. Pei Yao was slightly shorter, so when he leaned in to speak, his gaze naturally traveled from Jian Yuanbai’s Adam’s apple downward, while Jian Yuanbai, who was a head taller, looked down at him.

They were so close that when Jian Yuanbai turned his head, he could see Pei Yao’s long, thick eyelashes clearly. His gaze moved downward, tracing the delicate curve of Pei Yao’s nose, the slightly parted, rosy lips, and the faint glimpse of his pink, moist tongue within.

Instantly, the audience’s attention shifted away from the argument. Screenshots of their intimate proximity flooded the bullet screen, with viewers spamming frenzied messages.

• “AAAAAHHHH! Why are you two so close? What are you trying to do?!”
• “Is there something we’re not allowed to hear?!!”
• “Jian Yuanbai! The way you’re looking at him is anything but innocent!!”
• “These two are definitely up to something! Jian Yuanbai’s gaze on Pei Yao looks like he’s about to devour him.”
• “This secret crush is absolutely real!!”
• “Jian Yuanbai, just debut already! I love watching top-tier CPs collide!!”

Throughout the entire day, the audience was completely absorbed in the CP pairing of Jian Yuanbai and Pei Yao. Among the other four guests, Wan Yuda was already the target of ridicule, and there was no chemistry between the remaining three at all.

By comparison, Jian Yuanbai and Pei Yao stood out like a rocket, pulling the audience into their ship with an unstoppable force.

As the first hues of gray appeared in the sky, torches were lit on the beach. Six tents encircled a bonfire, and the six guests sat in front of their respective tents.

The director smiled and said, “Does everyone still remember the special rule of our show, Chasing Love! Brother?”

Chu Caiyang said meaningfully, “Oh? Is it time?”

Wan Yuda: “I’m saying this now—I’m not.”

Before the director could continue, the elite CEO chimed in, “I’ve been gay since birth.”

The gym owner joked, “Come on, everyone knows—nine out of ten guys at the gym are gay. Do I even need to explain myself?”

Pei Yao: “I’ve never acted in any romance dramas before. You all know that.”

When it was Jian Yuanbai’s turn, he simply said a few words: “I am gay.”

He firmly believed he was straight—an ironclad straight man. But for the sake of Pei Yao, this classic overpowered protagonist, he pinched his nose and admitted it, not bothering to explain further.

The one who spoke the least was the one the audience trusted the most.

• “Jian Yuanbai’s three simple words have the same level of credibility as when he says he’s a man.”
• “Out of everyone here, I only believe Jian Yuanbai. He’s definitely gay.”
• “Someone online made a meme of Jian Yuanbai’s eyebrow raise when he shoots arrows, comparing it to a peacock spreading its tail. I can’t stop laughing.”
• “Alright, alright, we get it. You’re gay, don’t worry.”

Unbeknownst to Jian Yuanbai, who was convinced of his own unwavering straightness, the audience already saw him as curled up like a mosquito coil.

The director chuckled, “Since everyone remembers this special rule, let’s play a little game tonight.”

“The game is called: The No Heartbeat Challenge.”

“The rules are just as simple: two people, one lies down, and the other does push-ups over them.”

“Both participants will wear our heart rate monitoring device. Everyone, please look at the screen on the right. The heart rates of both participants will be displayed in real-time.”

Jian Yuanbai furrowed his brows. If they were doing push-ups like this, the distance between them would be extremely close. Protecting Pei Yao from being approached by other gay men was his duty!

Without hesitation, he spoke up, “I’ll team up with Pei Yao.”

Straightforward, firm, with absolutely no intention of engaging with anyone else—only Pei Yao.

And in everyone else’s eyes, that’s exactly what it looked like.

The other guests were teasing, the audience was going wild, and the director laughed, saying they would draw lots. Only Pei Yao pursed his lips and said nothing.

For Jian Yuanbai, there was only one possible outcome from the draw—whatever result he wanted, that was the result he would get.

When the final draw was announced, the live chat was flooded with a single phrase:

“If this isn’t fate, then what is?!”

With everyone eagerly anticipating the moment, it was finally Jian Yuanbai and Pei Yao’s turn to do push-ups.

Since push-ups naturally increase heart rate, only the person lying down would wear the heart rate monitor. After everyone completed the challenge, they would rest for a bit before switching positions.

So, in the first round, Pei Yao was the one wearing the heart rate monitor, lying on the sand, watching as Jian Yuanbai positioned himself above him.

The distance between them was only the length of Jian Yuanbai’s arms. With his tall and imposing frame, he practically overshadowed Pei Yao completely, making him look even smaller in comparison.

It was just too close. So close that Pei Yao could feel Jian Yuanbai’s heated breath washing over him—intense and scalding.

His gaze flickered uncertainly, darting away, as he watched Jian Yuanbai lower himself over and over again, before pulling back slightly each time.

Each movement brought them so close they seemed on the verge of touching, yet there was always a faint, tantalizing gap between them. Pei Yao’s heartbeat quickened, but he remained unaware of it.

Everything around him seemed to fade away. The only thing in sharp focus was the man above him.

On the right-side screen, Pei Yao’s heart rate climbed from a normal 75, steadily increasing—76, 77, 78—until, by the time Jian Yuanbai had completed most of his thirty push-ups, it had skyrocketed to 89.

By the time Jian Yuanbai finished and stood up, the final reading on the screen was 92.

From 75 to 92.

• “Who was asking if Pei Yao was feeling something? Do you see this?!”
• “This isn’t just attraction—this is full-blown infatuation.”
• “His heart is practically pounding out a drumbeat.”

At the filming location, everyone was staring at the before-and-after numbers on the screen. Pei Yao’s face was burning red, and the others couldn’t resist teasing him.

The CEO quipped, “I get it now—Pei Yao is definitely not the straight one.”

Chu Caiyang chuckled, “With someone like this around, how could anyone stay straight?” As he spoke, his gaze landed squarely on Jian Yuanbai.

The “someone like this” he was referring to couldn’t have been more obvious.

Amidst the playful banter, Pei Yao—who was holding onto his “straight man” persona—unexpectedly felt a twinge of guilt. His ears burned red.

Chu Caiyang turned to Jian Yuanbai. “What do you think, Jian Yuanbai?”

“Any thoughts?”

In the midst of all the teasing, Jian Yuanbai responded seriously, “Heart rate increases with even a little bit of nervousness.”

“When you’re lying down in front of cameras and someone is doing push-ups over you, it’s natural to be nervous. Using heart rate to measure attraction or whether someone is straight is just a game—it can’t be taken seriously.”

If Pei Yao was misinterpreted as gay just because he got nervous, and his female admirers believed it, that would be a disaster. Jian Yuanbai’s explanation was firm and logical—almost as if he were about to start a lecture on cardiac physiology.

The flirty atmosphere was mostly dispelled by his serious expression. After a few more jokes, the conversation moved on, and Chu Caiyang and the gym owner took their turn at the challenge.

A while later, the second round began, with the positions switched—this time, Jian Yuanbai lay down while Pei Yao did push-ups over him.

Jian Yuanbai was too tall, so Pei Yao had to spread his legs a little wider and use an awkward posture to complete the exercise.

He wasn’t used to working out much, so doing thirty push-ups in one go, especially with this inefficient form, was incredibly difficult for him.

By the time the director counted to thirty, Pei Yao exhaled sharply, exhausted. He collapsed onto Jian Yuanbai, resting his head on his shoulder.

Just as the audience was getting excited about their full-body contact, Jian Yuanbai suddenly lifted Pei Yao by the waist and placed him on a seat as if he were a child.

Pei Yao’s face was flushed as he struggled slightly but still ended up seated. “You…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Jian Yuanbai spoke.

“Your stamina is too weak. Starting tomorrow, I’ll take you on a five-kilometer run every day.”

In the live chat, the audience fell silent.

The audience was speechless.

• “This moment was SO romantic, and the best he could come up with was a five-kilometer run?!”
• “I CAN’T TAKE IT. Jian Yuanbai, sometimes you just need to shut up!”
• “What the hell, a five-kilometer run? Jian Yuanbai, you go run by yourself! Run until you drop!”
• “Can we storm the filming set and gag this man? It’s urgent, I need this immediately.”

Meanwhile, the screen displayed Jian Yuanbai’s heart rate results: an identical pair of numbers—70/70.

Not once did it fluctuate.

On the other side of the screen, the audience’s hearts collectively shattered as they mourned their freshly doomed ship.

• “I’m done. Jian Yuanbai’s heart rate didn’t change at all. Not even a little?!”
• “I fell into this ship today, and by tonight, I’m already climbing out. I’m crying!”
• “This feels… familiar.”
• “Yesterday, I got hooked on the idea of a bodyguard x actor romance, but then Jian Yuanbai’s words killed it and I jumped ship. Today, I got pulled back in because of the archery, and now I’m jumping ship again. What is this?! Am I playing some kind of ‘jump in, jump out’ game?!”
• “I’m on the verge of emotional collapse from this push-and-pull.”

The system suddenly chimed in, “How is your heart rate not changing at all?”

It was curious—could it be that, in this world, Jian Yuanbai had no interest in Pei Yao? That was impossible.

Jian Yuanbai made a puzzled noise before responding, “Well, I don’t have any past memories.”

“But I just feel like I’m really strong. Controlling my heart rate—shouldn’t that be easy?”

As he casually talked about heart rate control being “simple,” he had no idea that the audience outside was experiencing wild fluctuations in their own, riding a rollercoaster of emotions between shipping and frustration.

Some viewers even commented: 

• “You wanted to pick a straight man, huh?”
• “Jian Yuanbai might as well tattoo ‘I’m straight’ on his forehead. Do we even need to vote on this?”