ASPWL Ch48: Who is the Gou Shi

Lu Bo agreed to sign, and Tong Xin didn’t restrain him anymore. She stood up and patted his head with the document, “Let’s go.”

Lu Bo, feeling hopeless, lay on the grass without moving.

Until Tong Xin impatiently kicked his shoulder, Lu Bo reluctantly stood up.

The cake on his face had dried in the morning sun, sticking to his features. As he walked, cake crumbs kept falling, looking utterly ridiculous.

The guests watched as the two walked out of the camera’s view, and then saw Tong Xin hand a pen to Lu Bo. “Sign it.”

Lu Bo held the divorce agreement, his fingers trembling. After a moment, he asked, “Tong Xin, can you… can you explain to the netizens after I sign it, tell them we were just joking around, just trying to prank them…”

Ye Leyao laughed out loud, “Does Lu Bo think we are idiots or that the audience is?”

Song Zhehan added with a hint of melancholy, “Or maybe he’s the idiot.”

The guests couldn’t help but laugh.

They didn’t lower their voices on purpose, and the laughter was unrestrained.

Lu Bo obviously heard it. His face changed dramatically as he turned to speak, but Tong Xin couldn’t hold back and grabbed his collar, angrily saying, “Lu Bo, I warn you, my patience is limited! Hurry up and sign it!”

Lu Bo’s expression turned sorrowful, his voice choked, “Tong Xin, you really can’t…”

“Sign it!” Tong Xin’s voice was cold and unyielding.

Ye Leyao was genuinely surprised to see Lu Bo cry. He was about to turn around to see Lu Bo’s expression when a hand reached out and covered his eyes, “Let’s go, it’s time for breakfast.”

They had seen enough of the drama.

If they continued watching, who knew what Lu Bo might do in his desperation?

“Second brother, let me walk on my own…” Ye Leyao tried to push Huo Yan’s hand away.

But Huo Yan didn’t care, directly dragging Ye Leyao by the shoulder towards the breakfast area.

Qin Yao also told the other guests, “Let’s go, if we don’t go now, breakfast will get cold.”

Of course, what would get cold before breakfast was Lu Bo.

At this time, the internet was flooded with various scandalous tags about Lu Bo, and clips from the live broadcast were being frantically shared by marketing accounts on all major platforms.

Lu Bo’s fans started leaving in droves, and even his fan site managers changed their profile pictures to black and disappeared.

Some fans even uncovered that Lu Bo’s biggest fan account, Xin Xin Loves Lu Bo, was actually managed by Tong Xin herself.

A wife who had accompanied Lu Bo for so many years was betrayed by him.

Such a person wasn’t worth the fans’ devotion anymore.

The live broadcast, which started with nine guests in the morning, now only had eight left.

The production team had prepared the breakfast location on a small hill with a wide view, where they could see herds of cattle and sheep in the distance.

Ye Leyao took a sip of goat’s milk, turned back to look at Tong Xin and Lu Bo, only to find that they were no longer in the crowd, including Xiao Li, who had also left.

[Sister Tong Xin probably took him straight to get a divorce. So decisive, so swift, so amazing!]

Ye Leyao praised her in his heart, then slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on Duan Haoyan in front of him.

The breakfast prepared by the production team was all local specialties: lamb soup with flatbread, goat’s milk, beef noodles, and so on. The guests ordered on the spot, the chef cooked it fresh, and they could have unlimited refills.

Ye Leyao had eaten too much roast lamb the previous night and wasn’t hungry at all, so he only ordered a bowl of goat’s milk and beef noodles.

If he remembered correctly, Duan Haoyan had gone with him to get the beef noodles?

Now, while Ye Leyao’s bowl was only half-eaten, Duan Haoyan already had three empty bowls in front of him.

Ye Leyao was surprised and amused:

[Brother Duan’s appetite has recovered. Looks like he’s over his heartbreak?]

[Tsk tsk, he was still looking so heartbroken this morning, but now he’s recovered so quickly. Truly, life is about enjoying the drama!]

Hearing Ye Leyao’s words, Huo Yan and Qin Yao both looked at Duan Haoyan.

Huo Yan couldn’t help but laugh.

The others, hearing the laughter, looked over curiously.

Huo Yan raised an eyebrow and looked at Duan Haoyan across from him, “Mr. Duan, you have a good appetite this morning. Didn’t you eat enough last night?”

Ye Leyao couldn’t hold back, laughing so hard that his hand holding the goat’s milk shook.

[Hahaha, second brother, aren’t you holding a grudge a bit too much!]

Li Siyuan also couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Song Zhehan, who had been watching the drama all morning, finally seemed to remember his persona and explained kindly for Duan Haoyan, “After all, Brother Duan was in a bad mood last night. Now that he’s feeling better, he can naturally eat more.”

The other guests laughed even more heartily at this.

Even the usually cautious Wen Xiangyue was laughing so hard, she leaned on Zhou Zijian’s shoulder, shaking.

Liu Yan laughed too, not forgetting to observe Duan Haoyan’s expression.

Duan Haoyan’s grip on his chopsticks tightened as he looked up angrily at Huo Yan.

He wanted to retort but felt he had no grounds to.

If Huo Yan hadn’t been honest with him last night, he might still be deceived by Su Rui.

Although it was hard for him to accept at first, he had at least seen the truth and stopped his losses in time.

So, Duan Haoyan really couldn’t snap at Huo Yan, especially since he had caused trouble for Huo Yan’s brother the day before.

He truly had no grounds.

As for Song Zhehan—

Duan Haoyan had no such scruples, speaking through gritted teeth, “Song Zhehan really understands me well. Unlike me, despite working together twice, I still don’t understand you.”

Song Zhehan blinked innocently, “I don’t understand what Mr. Duan means.”

Duan Haoyan sneered, “Ha.”

Why did the two suddenly start bickering?

Zhou Zijian, Wen Xiangyue, and Liu Yan were all a bit confused.

Not only them, but the netizens watching the live stream were also baffled:

“Hey hey hey? What does Duan Haoyan mean by this?”

“I remember Song Zhehan and Duan Haoyan got along well during their previous collaboration, right? What’s going on now?”

“No way, we just finished Lu Bo’s drama, and now you’re feeding us new gossip?”

Unfortunately, the expectations of the netizens and the spectators were bound to be disappointed.

After exchanging a few sharp remarks, Duan Haoyan and Song Zhehan fell silent and continued eating breakfast in tacit agreement.

But Ye Leyao quickly caught on:

[So after spending time together, Duan Haoyan has realized that Song Zhehan is a wolf in sheep’s clothing?]

Qin Yao withdrew his gaze.

Yes, but how much Duan Haoyan had realized was unclear.

However, seeing Song Zhehan not bothering to hide his true nature, it seemed it wouldn’t stay hidden for long.

Qin Yao finally believed Ye Leyao’s earlier speculation—

It was quite possible that Song Zhehan himself had orchestrated the exposure of his own alternate account.

Having participated in two shows with Song Zhehan, Qin Yao had a decent understanding of his true character.

During the previous recording, Song Zhehan would still remember to put on a facade in front of the camera. But in this episode, there were many instances where he didn’t even bother to pretend, being straightforward and open. No wonder Duan Haoyan felt like he was meeting a new person.

Song Zhehan had been in the spotlight for over a year, constantly putting on a show. He was probably tired of it long ago.

Now it was just a matter of when Song Zhehan would reveal his true self.

As Qin Yao thought about this, he noticed Ye Leyao had taken out his phone and opened Weibo.

Halfway through breakfast, Ye Leyao remembered he hadn’t checked the recent posts on Song Zhehan’s alternate account today.

As soon as he opened Gou Shi’s homepage, a tweet from ten minutes ago caught his eye—

「Gou Shi: After the kappa left, the air became much fresher.」

This tweet seemed harmless at first glance, with nothing out of the ordinary.

But the problem was the picture Song Zhehan had attached!

Seeing the thumbnail made Ye Leyao gasp, and when he opened the full image, he screamed:

[Ahhh, Song Zhehan, are you really done pretending?]

[Who taught you to attach a picture of our breakfast just now! With this angle and perspective, netizens could easily figure out Gou Shi is your alternate account by matching it with the live broadcast seating arrangement!]

[Are you really planning to drop your disguise?]

Qin Yao’s eyelid twitched at the sound, and he took out his phone, finding Song Zhehan’s alternate account.

Seeing the tweet, Qin Yao also gasped.

Not only had Song Zhehan posted a picture of their breakfast, but he also posted a photo at 4 a.m. of Lu Bo and Duan Haoyan’s tent, with the caption—

「Gou Shi: Isn’t it supposed to be midsummer now? Why are animals in heat in the middle of the night?」

For a moment, Qin Yao didn’t dare look at Gou Shi’s comment section.

After taking several deep breaths, he finally opened the comment section, which had only three comments.

Looking closely at the IDs, Qin Yao relaxed.

Thankfully, all the comments were from Song Zhehan himself, talking to himself:

「Gou Shi: I~just~wanted~to~warm~your~hands~」

「Gou Shi: Do you believe that yourself? I could say I just turned~eighteen~this year.」

〔Gou Shi: Disturbing the peace in the tent in the middle of the night, my resentment is heavier than a vengeful ghost. Can the kappa leave tomorrow?」

Seeing the last comment, Qin Yao couldn’t help but laugh.

Well.

It seemed Song Zhehan’s wish came true; Lu Bo left today.

Looking over at Ye Leyao, he had also seen these comments and was chuckling while holding his phone.

[As expected of Gou Shi, still as sharp as ever!]

After laughing, Ye Leyao scrolled through more of Song Zhehan’s Weibo posts.

As he browsed, he felt relieved.

[Although Song Zhehan’s tweets are quite revealing, anyone digging a bit would uncover his alternate account.]

[But fortunately, Song Zhehan’s alternate account has very little traffic. He barely has any followers, not even zombie accounts, except for my alternate account… Oh, are there other people following him? These accounts don’t even have profile pictures and look like zombie accounts!)

Qin Yao/Huo Yan: “…”

If they had used profile pictures to follow, wouldn’t that risk exposure?

They were very cautious!

As long as Song Zhehan’s alternate account wasn’t exposed, Qin Yao felt reassured.

After breakfast, the guests were set to head to their next destination.

Since the current travel spot was the grasslands, which the guests were not particularly familiar with, the production team had specially arranged for a local guide.

Over the next two days, under the guide’s lead, the guests explored almost all the scenic spots on the grasslands.

They watched the sunrise and the sunset.

They saw the snow on the mountains melt into clear streams winding through the plains.

They saw herds of cattle and sheep, and wildflowers and butterflies flying freely over the endless land.

On the last day of recording, as the sunset faded and the sky darkened, they returned to the campsite where they had stayed the first night.

The director didn’t prepare dinner for the guests that night; they had to cook for themselves.

Zhou Zijian, taking on the role of chef again, looked at the diverse and abundant ingredients provided by the production team and suggested, “How about we have hotpot tonight?”

The suggestion was immediately met with approval.

Half an hour later, everything was ready, and just as the guests sat down around the hotpot, the director and producer approached them.

Li Siyuan glanced at them and asked, “What, are you here to mooch food?”

Director: “…”

While that was their plan, did he have to say it so bluntly?

“Well, tonight, the edited version of the first episode of ‘Let’s go Traveling Together’ will be simultaneously broadcast on all major platforms, so we’ve prepared a big screen for you to watch while eating hotpot,” the director said, signaling the staff to bring in the equipment, “Also, we need you to play a little game.”

“What game?” Duan Haoyan asked.

Upon hearing about the game, the guests from the first episode couldn’t help but turn to look at Zhou Zijian.

Zhou Zijian’s face stiffened instantly.

Song Zhehan, enjoying the chaos, smiled and asked, “It won’t be the same game as the first episode, will it?”

The guests couldn’t help but laugh.

Considering how the game in the first episode turned out, would the production team dare to have them play a game again?

The live audience was also excited:

—”If they’re playing the same game as last time, I won’t be sleepy anymore!”

—”Hahaha, but if it’s truth or dare again, everyone will probably target the only couple, right?”

—”Hehehe, just imagining it makes me excited! Who would have thought I’d become so invested in Zhou Zijian and Wen Xiangyue after this episode?”

—”Who wouldn’t!”

—”I admit, I was a bit hasty with my words before. Zhou Zijian and Wen Xiangyue are the real deal!”

—”So what game is it—”

Zhou Zijian was even breaking out in a sweat.

Wen Xiangyue, holding his hand, whispered, “Don’t be nervous.”

Zhou Zijian wiped the sweat off his forehead. “I’m not nervous. I’m just afraid the production team might spring a surprise on us.”

Wen Xiangyue was surprised. “Like what?”

Zhou Zijian looked worried. “Like inviting Wen Huai over.”

Wen Xiangyue: “…”

“Maybe you should stop talking. What if the production team really takes your suggestion?” Wen Xiangyue was starting to get nervous just hearing it.

Their conversation wasn’t exactly quiet, causing the other guests to burst into laughter.

“To be honest, I’m kind of looking forward to it. What about you?” Song Zhehan asked Ye Leyao with a smile.

Ye Leyao took a deep breath and replied with a heavy “yes.”

[Who doesn’t love a good showdown!]

[And this is a ‘father and son’ showdown!]

Huo Yan almost couldn’t hold back his laughter, then turned to Qin Yao and asked, “Qin, have you invited him?”

Qin Yao: “…”

Now the pressure was on him?

Everyone’s gossiping eyes turned towards him.

Qin Yao glared at the director. “Stop keeping us in suspense!”

The director chuckled before clearing his throat and saying, “This game isn’t difficult, nor is it as… exciting as you might think.”

Hearing this, Ye Leyao’s high spirits instantly dropped. “Huh?”

Zhou Zijian gritted his teeth. “Leyao, you’re actually disappointed?”

Ye Leyao quickly waved his hands. “No, no, Brother Zhou, you misunderstood. I really didn’t want to… uh, never mind!”

[I really didn’t mean that!]

[Why did I say what I was thinking out loud, ahh.]

The others couldn’t help but laugh.

The audience in the live stream laughed even harder:

—”I was a bit disappointed too, but seeing Ye Leyao more disappointed than me, for some reason, makes me happy.”

—”+1, hahaha, as long as the gossip King eats gossip later than me, I’m happy for some reason.”

Ye Leyao quickly looked at Wen Xiangyue, his voice full of grievance, “Sister-in-law, help me out with Brother Zhou!”

After spending two days together, it started with only Huo Yan and Ye Leyao calling her sister-in-law. Eventually, everyone followed suit, and Wen Xiangyue got used to it. Hearing Ye Leyao’s words, she glared at Zhou Zijian playfully, “Don’t scare Leyao.”

Zhou Zijian immediately looked aggrieved. “I wasn’t! Besides, his brother is here. How dare I?”

Huo Yan raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Seeing the conversation going off track, the director quickly continued, “Alright, alright, let’s get back to the game. This time, our game is a Weibo repost competition. The rules are simple. Our program’s official Weibo account will post a promotional tweet for our show, and you just need to repost it. The first guest to repost it will get a special privilege.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zijian finally relaxed. “Phew, you scared me. I thought it was something big!”

“So, what’s the special privilege?” Li Siyuan asked.

The director blinked. “The privilege to decide on a guest for the next episode!”

Ye Leyao: “…Cough, cough, cough…”

He turned to look at Qin Yao in disbelief.

[Could it be that Qin finally realized his bad luck and decided to leave it all to fate?!]

Qin Yao: “…”

Exactly.

No matter who he chose, he always managed to pick celebrities who would soon or eventually have a scandal, so he might as well let the guests decide this time.

Surely not everyone would have the same bad luck as him, right?

Ye Leyao couldn’t hold back and quickly bowed his head, trying not to laugh out loud.

Just then, Song Zhehan suddenly said, “So if I am the first to repost, I can invite Wen Huai?”

Zhou Zijian’s eyes widened. “Xiao Song, you—I misjudged you! So this is your true nature!”

Li Siyuan quickly chimed in, “You’re just figuring that out…”

Before he could finish, Song Zhehan shot him a look.

Li Siyuan: “Ahem…”

Zhou Zijian was confused. “Huh? Why don’t you finish your sentence?”

Ye Leyao’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.

[Of course Li Siyuan wouldn’t dare finish!]

[It seems everyone has figured out Song Zhehan’s true nature after spending time with him. No wonder Song Zhehan doesn’t bother hiding his alternate account anymore.]

Huo Yan and Qin Yao pretended not to understand Li Siyuan’s words.

Duan Haoyan understood but chose not to get involved. After all, after spending two days with Song Zhehan, he had truly come to realize how scheming he was!

Duan Haoyan didn’t want to offend Song Zhehan.

Liu Yan, on the other hand, was genuinely confused.

Seeing that the atmosphere was about to cool down again, the director took over the conversation once more: “Ahem, just as Teacher Song said, we will try our best to invite any guest you suggest, but whether they participate or not is up to them!”

After all, they couldn’t force such matters!

Zhou Zijian immediately deflated.

Wen Xiangyue couldn’t bear to see him like that and couldn’t help but comfort him: “It’s okay, when I participated in this show, the crew also invited Wen Huai, but he refused at that time…”

Zhou Zijian’s eyes widened in shock: “Really? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to worry,” Wen Xiangyue said considerately. “So now you don’t have to worry.”

Zhou Zijian let out a slow breath and instantly regained his fighting spirit: “Alright! Then I must take first place!”

Instead of leaving his fate to others, it was better to take control himself!

Ye Leyao couldn’t hold back his laughter.

[Hahaha, but Brother Zhou, have you ever thought that not participating in the last episode was in the past? What if Wen Huai finds our second episode interesting and wants to join the third episode!]

[And the director said it was just one guest. What if, like this time, there are two guest stars?]

Huo Yan also realized this, so he took out his phone early and moved a bit closer to the show’s satellite signal.

If you want to watch the drama, you have to watch it live.

So he had to make an effort. What if he was the first?

If Huo Yan took first place, the first person he would invite would definitely be Wen Huai!

Other guests also took out their phones and started checking the signal, aiming to retweet the official Weibo post as soon as it was published!

Ye Leyao logged into Weibo, carefully ensuring that he was on his main account and hadn’t switched accounts by mistake.

Seeing all the guests ready, the director waved to the operations team: “Prepare, send!”

Ye Leyao had already opened the official Weibo of “Let’s Go Traveling Together.” Hearing the director, he refreshed the page immediately, saw the post, and quickly clicked to share it, typing the promotional phrase in a panic: “Everyone come watch the first episode, it’s super good!”

Confirm, send!

Seeing the successful sharing prompt, Ye Leyao breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly checked his ranking on the retweet list.

Scrolling down, he saw he was third, with Qin Yao’s avatar in second place and someone else in first place.

[Looks like it’s not me, not Mr. Qin either. This avatar doesn’t look like Second Brother, but it’s very familiar…]

Ye Leyao looked up and asked the other guests: “Who is first?”

At that moment, a loud voice came from the staff: “The backend shows the first is Gou Shi? Who is Gou Shi?!”

As the words fell, Ye Leyao, Huo Yan, and Qin Yao were all shocked.

Ye Leyao screamed in his heart:

[Gou Shi!]

[Song Zhehan! You’re using a side account to retweet the promo, are you crazy?!]