LABMY CH136

The game ended, and Jian Yuanbai secured first place on the suspected straight-man list with five votes.

Only Chu Caiyang didn’t vote for him. He even suspected that the machine was broken—he simply couldn’t believe that Jian Yuanbai was straight. “I don’t think he’s straight. I’ve never seen a straight guy treat another man like he’s his own eyeball.”

Pei Yao lowered his gaze slightly. When he looked up again, he smiled and said, “After all, I used to be his boss.”

Because he was his boss before, he would naturally take extra care of him—that was the explanation Pei Yao gave, and Jian Yuanbai didn’t refute it.

Inside the show, Jian Yuanbai held the top spot. Outside the show, on the trending list, the hashtag #StraightManJianYuanbai was rapidly climbing.

“Chase Love! Brother” entered its third day. In these three days, Chu Caiyang and the CEO had some interactions, while the CEO and the gym owner both seemed to have some interest in Wan Yuda. Wan Yuda, on the other hand, wavered between the two.

To the fully isolated guests who had no contact with the outside world, Wan Yuda sometimes took the initiative to stir up trouble, but between him and Pei Yao, he always seemed to be the victim. Naturally, they didn’t hold any grudges against him for his behavior.

But for the audience, who knew everything, Wan Yuda was utterly disgusting.

When it came time to choose teammates, Wan Yuda was picked by the gym owner, yet he still cast a seemingly reluctant, longing glance at the CEO. The barrage of comments from the audience was filled with disgust.

• “What the hell is Wan Yuda doing? Is he trying to poison my eyes?”
• “He wants both? No way, right?”
• “That look is so fake. I can’t.”
• “Are the gym owner and the CEO blind?”

Chu Caiyang walked up to the CEO, smiled, and said, “Looks like it’s just the two of us.”

The two of them had a tacit understanding—they wouldn’t choose either Jian Yuanbai or Pei Yao. Seeing this, the audience was both screaming and feeling exhausted.

• “When the other guests are all automatically pairing them together, I really don’t know whether to ship them or not.”
• “Jian Yuanbai, this damn man.”

The director spoke up, “This round’s game is very simple—Card Capture Battle. Two people form a team, grab a card, and if they can hold onto it for three minutes without it being snatched away, they win.”

“The playing field is right behind you—in the pool.”

Jian Yuanbai walked up to Pei Yao, imitating Chu Caiyang’s words. “Looks like I can only team up with you?”

Pei Yao glanced at him. “It’s fine, I’ll reluctantly tolerate you.”

His expression remained calm, even joking, but no one knew that last night, when he saw those two identical numbers, a huge wave of disappointment surged in his heart.

There was a storm inside Pei Yao’s mind. He didn’t even understand what he was feeling disappointed about. He only heard a voice in his heart telling him that this wasn’t right—this shouldn’t be how things were.

But what was right? Pei Yao was confused and didn’t dare to think too deeply.

He tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. Yet, in front of the cameras the next morning, he still smiled and joked with Jian Yuanbai. At that moment, Pei Yao thought—maybe he shouldn’t keep tying himself to Jian Yuanbai anymore.

The director spoke again. “Now, everyone, please go change into your swimsuits. The game is about to start.”

Back in their respective rooms, Jian Yuanbai watched as Pei Yao picked up a pair of swimming trunks and was about to head into the bathroom to change. Suddenly, Jian Yuanbai lunged forward and snatched the trunks from Pei Yao’s hands.

Pei Yao was stunned. “What are you doing?”

But Jian Yuanbai’s voice was even louder. “What are you doing?!”

Pei Yao: “I’m changing into my swim trunks…”

His expression was blank as he stared at Jian Yuanbai in confusion, then hesitantly looked at the swim trunks tightly clutched in Jian Yuanbai’s hand. “Can you…”

Even though it was just swimwear, having such a close-fitting garment being held by someone else made Pei Yao feel extremely uncomfortable.

Jian Yuanbai furrowed his brows, looking at him seriously. “You’re going to wear this into the water?”

“Uh-huh.” Pei Yao dumbly nodded, his eyes darting between Jian Yuanbai’s tense grip on his trunks. “Um… the one in your hand…”

Before he could finish, Jian Yuanbai’s voice rang out firmly: “No way!”

Pei Yao stood there, completely dumbfounded, his face blank with confusion. He was stunned. The audience behind the screens was also stunned.

• “Why can’t he wear swim trunks??”
   
• “What is Jian Yuanbai trying to do? I don’t understand.”
   
• “Sisters, look at Jian Yuanbai’s hands—AAAAHHHHH!”
  
•  “His bony, veined hands gripping the black swim trunks—black and white contrast, and they’re Pei Yao’s personal clothing. I’M DEAD.”
   
• “Is this even appropriate for broadcast? HELP.”
   
• “Pei Yao’s ears are turning red!!! I took a screenshot—it’s evidence!!!”
   
• “Our little sunshine is biting his lip, his ears are red, staring at Jian Yuanbai’s hands in embarrassment, wanting to say something but hesitating—am I about to ship them again? Someone stop me!!!”

Pei Yao, still in a daze, asked, “Why not?” Then, rubbing his forehead, he sighed, “You’re rubbing off on me…”

His face felt warm as he reached out his hand. “Can you give me my swim trunks back now?”

Men’s swim trunks were short, barely covering the upper thighs, and they fit very snugly. Having another person hold onto them like this was incredibly embarrassing for Pei Yao.

Especially since these weren’t brand-new—they were ones he had worn before. Even though they were clean, it still felt…

Pei Yao’s ears turned even redder. His previous thoughts of distancing himself from Jian Yuanbai vanished from his mind—he just wanted to get his trunks back.

But instead of returning them, Jian Yuanbai took things a step further. He moved his hand behind his back, completely refusing. “No.”

Pei Yao felt an overwhelming sense of shame and collapse. He wanted to snatch it back but couldn’t bring himself to wrestle over a pair of swim trunks in front of the cameras. Instead, he simply said, “The game is about to start. We need to hurry and head out.”

“Give it back to me…”

In the midst of Pei Yao’s confusion—and the confusion of the audience behind their screens—Jian Yuanbai righteously declared, “All the people outside are gay men!”

“How can you go out wearing only swim trunks?”

“No, wait.” Jian Yuanbai paused and corrected himself, “Even if they were straight, you still can’t just wear swim trunks into the water.”

“Bare upper body, two long, smooth, white legs—where is your male virtue?!”

His words drilled into Pei Yao’s ears and made his brain turn to mush. “But… I’m a man?”

“Isn’t it normal for men to go into the water shirtless??”

Jian Yuanbai: “No way, absolutely not!”

He earnestly advised, “A man must first respect himself before his wife will love him.”

“A man must always remember his male virtue—only then will he be worthy of his beloved.”

“If you dare to go into the water shirtless today, tomorrow you’ll dare to walk the streets completely naked. That’s how moral boundaries are lost, step by step.”

Pei Yao held back for a moment but eventually couldn’t resist interrupting. “I think… no one would actually dare to walk the streets naked.”

“They’d be arrested as a pervert.”

Jian Yuanbai remained undeterred, even patting his own chest with a mix of solemnity and pride. “Look at me—I am highly self-respecting.”

“I guard my most chaste body for my future wife. I will never expose my beautiful physique to anyone.”

Then, right in front of Pei Yao and the camera in the corner of the room, he declared in a thunderous voice, “My virgin body is reserved for my wife, and no one else is allowed to see my magnificent form.”

Pei Yao blinked, his expression so complex it was indescribable. He wanted to laugh, yet Jian Yuanbai’s statement was so utterly explosive that he was left speechless. His lips moved slightly, but in the end, he lowered his head and covered his face.

Internally collapsing yet thoroughly amused, he bit his cheek and pressed his palm against his face, preventing himself from laughing out loud in front of Jian Yuanbai, who looked so deathly serious.

He struggled to hold it in, but the viewers behind the screen had no such concerns, laughing uncontrollably.

• “What the hell—his magnificent form—HAHAHAHAHA!”
• “I’m going insane, How can Jian Yuanbai say something like ‘virgin body’ with such pride??”
• “If you dare to go in shirtless today, tomorrow you’ll be streaking in public—Brother Jian’s words are too legendary.”
• “He’s so proud, I can’t—HAHAHAHAHAHA!”
• “Saying ‘magnificent form’ with such a serious face—I’m laughing so hard I’m punching the wall.”
• “I get it now—Pei Yao: saintly lotus; Jian Yuanbai: chaste body. They’re a perfect match, a heavenly pair—I’m dying of laughter.”
• “Honestly, Jian Yuanbai’s physique should be amazing. V-shaped torso, lean waist, guaranteed abs, probably a well-defined back too.”
• “Otherwise, how could he dare to call it a magnificent form—HAHAHAHA I’m laughing myself to death.”

Pei Yao suppressed the laughter on his lips, but he couldn’t hold it back. He lowered his head, covering his face with one hand, while the other reached out. “Ge, give me back my swim trunks.”

“We still have a show to record.”

Hearing that “Ge” (older brother), Jian Yuanbai paused for a moment, then said, “I brought extra swimwear. You can wear mine.”

He suddenly remembered that, in terms of their familial relationship, Pei Yao was his sister’s adopted son, and he himself was that sister’s younger brother. Technically, Pei Yao should be calling him Uncle.

It was his duty as an elder to guide his precious nephew in upholding male virtue.

By the poolside of the villa, the other contestants, already dressed in their swim trunks, had been waiting for ages when Jian Yuanbai and Pei Yao finally strolled in, fashionably late.

Among a crowd of men wearing nothing but swim trunks, the two of them, covered from head to toe, looked absurdly out of place, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.

Black swimsuits wrapped around their entire bodies, from the neck down to the ankles, with sleeves stretching all the way to the wrists—exposing no skin at all.

Chu Caiyang was dumbfounded. “If you guys put on a ski mask, you’d look like burglars.”

Dressed entirely in black, the full-body swimsuits made Pei Yao’s face stand out even more, appearing strikingly pale in contrast.

“You made us wait forever, and it turns out it was just for matching burglar outfits?”

Wan Yuda sneered sarcastically. “You think you’re so important, making all of us and the production crew wait on you two.”

From behind the cameras, the director—having overheard the entire ordeal—held back laughter but made no effort to cover for them, instead exposing everything. “It’s fine.”

“They just needed a little time to… protect the purity of their magnificent bodies.”

Chu Caiyang and the other five: “What?”

“What magnificent bodies???”

As the director recounted what had happened, the group’s initial shock turned into sheer hilarity. Watching their stunned, then hysterical expressions, Pei Yao squeezed his eyes shut and shrank behind Jian Yuanbai.

One hand grasped Jian Yuanbai’s shoulder, his forehead pressing against his back. Overcome with embarrassment, he murmured in a quiet, slightly trembling voice, “This is all your fault.”

Jian Yuanbai remained steady and calm. “It’s fine. They simply don’t understand the preciousness of male virtue.”

The comment section exploded:

• “I’m going to die laughing because of Jian Yuanbai someday.”
• “The preciousness of male virtue—HAHAHAHAHAHA!”
• “These two, I swear, they do everything together. They team up, live together, and now even embarrass themselves together.”
• “If this isn’t real, then what is?! Forget it, I’m shipping them again!!!”
• “Shippers, stay rational! Have you already forgotten the emotional rollercoaster of the past few days?”
• “I don’t care—I’M SHIPPING IT! Purest saintly lotus x chaste virtue—I HAVE TO SHIP IT!!!”