Chapter 32: Conservation of Energy

Chapter 32: Conservation of Energy

Ye Leyao, roaring excitedly in her heart, swiftly observed the reactions of the other guests.

After hearing Du Yueqin's question, Song Zhehan smiled, making no effort to hide the gossip on his face as he scanned back and forth between Du Yueqin and Zhou Zijian.

Li Siyuan was taken aback by Du Yueqin's directness and boldness, but there was also an uncontainable excitement in his gaze as he looked at the two of them.

Among all the guests, the one who found it hardest to believe was Liu Yan.

Previously, she had sensed some subtle hostility from Du Yueqin towards her, but she never understood why. To avoid conflict with Du Yueqin, during the past two days of filming, she had tried to minimize contact with her.

In fact, because Liu Yan wasn't particularly close with the other guests either, to avoid being alone during filming, she would seek out Zhou Zijian whenever she had the chance...

Liu Yan had always thought that Du Yueqin simply didn't like her, never expecting that it was because Du Yueqin had set her sights on Zhou Zijian that she disliked her...

The problem that had troubled Liu Yan for several days finally saw the light of day, but she felt no sudden enlightenment, only a sense of heartache.

How could she have been so dull-witted!

To approach Zhou Zijian repeatedly under Du Yueqin's gaze, she suddenly felt a cold sweat break out.

The case was solved.

From now on, Liu Yan would remember to keep a distance from Zhou Zijian!

Huoba and Huma, standing guard before the director's monitor, were even more thrilled.

It was here, it was here.

They had waited all night, and the most exciting moment had arrived!

Huoba and Huma had thought that Du Yueqin might ask some tactful yet pointed questions, but no one expected her to go straight for the jugular!

Looking at Zhou Zijian's expression, he was clearly stunned, obviously not expecting such a direct question from Du Yueqin.

Upon closer inspection, beads of sweat had even formed on Zhou Zijian's forehead.

So how would Zhou Zijian answer?!

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zhou Zijian slowly drew a breath, seemingly preparing himself mentally, before looking up at Du Yueqin and answering in an incredibly serious and solemn tone, "No."

As if afraid Du Yueqin hadn't heard him, Zhou Zijian repeated, "Sister Du, you're not my type."

Du Yueqin's smile instantly fell, her gaze towards Zhou Zijian filled with hurt.

But according to the law of conservation of energy, when the smile disappears from one person's face, it appears on others'.

Upon hearing Zhou Zijian's answer, all the guests except Du Yueqin and Zhou Zijian raised their corners of their mouths in unison.

Even the audience in front of the screen had their lips curled higher than ever:

"Although I knew how Zhou Zijian would answer, I couldn't help but raise the corner of my mouth!"

"Who can say otherwise, heh heh he, this game of Truth or Dare is really interesting, entertaining, love watching it!"

"So our show has really turned from a travel variety show into a dating one!"

"Let the storm of the arena rage even more fiercely!"

The barrage was truly happy, regardless of Zhou Zijian's fate.

At this moment, the corner of Ye Leyao's mouth was also curled higher than the sky.

"I knew Brother Zhou is a man who upholds male virtue!"

"Of course, Brother Zhou wouldn't dare not answer well, after all, if he really answered poorly..."

"Hmm, maybe next time he comes to record the show, it won't just be one panda eye!"

Indeed.

Qin Yao nodded in agreement; if Zhou Zijian answered poorly, it was quite possible.

"So let's start the next round! I want to continue listening to Du Yueqin's questions!"

Apparently, Li Siyuan thought the same.

He quickly got up and reshuffled the cards.

There was still some reluctance on Du Yueqin's face, it was clear she wanted to pursue further questioning, but she held back for now.

Ye Leyao became even more expectant, praying in her heart that Zhou Zijian would draw the King again.

Unfortunately, the wheel of fate doesn't always turn as one wishes.

This round, the one receiving punishment was Li Siyuan.

Qin Yao drew the Ace of Hearts.

Li Siyuan thought for a moment and said, "Dare then."

Truth becomes boring after playing it too much.

Without hesitation, Qin Yao said, "Then give Song Zhehan a princess carry and do five squats."

Qin Yao remembered Li Siyuan's question just now.

He didn't have many flaws, but his only flaw was that he held grudges.

Upon hearing this, Song Zhehan furrowed his brows. "Is this punishment for me or for him?"

Li Siyuan had already approached him. "Let's cooperate, shall we?"

Song Zhehan was reluctant. "Can we not do the princess carry?"

Qin Yao pondered for a moment, about to agree, when Li Siyuan swiftly scooped Song Zhehan up into his arms.

Startled, Song Zhehan glared at Li Siyuan in annoyance.

If looks could kill, Li Siyuan would have been a goner!

Ye Leyao found it all very amusing.

"Didn't know Li Siyuan had such good stamina, carrying Song Zhehan and doing squats without breaking a sweat."

Ye Leyao's thoughts wandered, somehow leading back to Qin Yao.

"President Qin has such a great physique; his arm strength must be impressive too, right?"

Qin Yao: "…"

Why did you think of me again!

Why do you always associate me with these things!

While it was true that he had a good figure, Ye Leyao, you've thought about it several times now. Wouldn't it be a bit too forward to keep associating me with this?

If Ye Leyao could hear Qin Yao's inner monologue, he would surely offer an explanation.

It wasn't that Ye Leyao deliberately wanted to associate Qin Yao with these thoughts, but rather, Qin Yao's physique was truly perfect!

Having lived two lifetimes, Ye Leyao had never seen a more perfectly built man in three dimensions than Qin Yao!

Qin Yao's ears involuntarily turned red again.

Ye Leyao, with his sharp eyes, noticed.

"Hmm, is it just too hot tonight? Why are President Qin's ears—"

"Alright, that's enough," Li Siyuan said, placing Song Zhehan back on the ground. "Next round."

Ye Leyao's thoughts were pulled back, and he eagerly chimed in:

"Okay, okay, let's continue!"

Qin Yao closed his eyes.

He felt that he should maintain a proper distance from Ye Leyao in the future.

Although in Qin Yao's heart, he truly saw Ye Leyao as a younger brother, Ye Leyao didn't see it that way!

What if their relationship crossed boundaries one day…

No!

Such a thing absolutely couldn't happen!

Qin Yao took a deep breath, trying to shake off the thoughts in his head.

Two more rounds of the game ensued.

In one round, Song Zhehan drew the King, while Li Siyuan drew the Ace of Hearts.

Naturally, Song Zhehan chose Truth.

After much contemplation, Li Siyuan asked, "Are you currently single?"

Without hesitation, Song Zhehan replied, "Of course."

In another round, Liu Yan drew the Ace of Hearts, while Qin Yao drew the King.

Liu Yan didn't want to put Qin Yao on the spot, so she asked the same question Li Siyuan had posed: "Are you currently single?"

Qin Yao answered without hesitation. "Yes."

Seeing this, Ye Leyao couldn't help but let out a soft sigh:

"Just that?"

"The questions aren't explosive at all!"

The viewers in the live stream shared similar sentiments:

"When will Du Yueqin and Zhou Zijian draw punishments! I'm the King of the Jungle right now, I want to see them punished!"

"+1, if it doesn't happen naturally, can't your production team rig it a little? I could watch Zhou Zijian being questioned all night!"

"Scanning through the entire chat, there isn't a single message concerned about Zhou Zijian's well-being! Excellent, I'm very satisfied, hehe, because I also want to see Zhou Zijian being punished!"

The audience was genuinely anxious, and so were Huo Ba and Huo Ma, watching from the director's monitor.

Perhaps it was due to everyone's eagerness to see Zhou Zijian and Du Yueqin suffer, that in this round, Zhou Zijian had drawn the King.

Ye Leyao's eyes immediately lit up.

"Where's the Ace of Hearts? Who has the Ace of Hearts?"

Ye Leyao's gaze swept over Qin Yao, Li Siyuan, Du Yueqin, and Liu Yan, finally settling on Song Zhehan.

Song Zhehan extended two fingers, revealing his trump card—the Ace of Hearts.

The audience in the livestream, who had been holding their breath, deflated, erupting in impotent rage:

"Production team, oh my god, can't you get your act together?"

"I'm telling you, the last production team that held back their big moves ended up shooting themselves in the foot. I advise you to take care of yourselves!"

"Now, immediately, right this instant, I want to see Zhou Zijian questioning Du Yueqin or Du Yueqin continuing to question Zhou Zijian!"

The production team's staff didn't budge an inch.

The viewers were utterly disappointed.

Until a perceptive viewer noticed:

"Hey, wait a minute, Ye Leyao, what are you laughing about again?"

"Huh? Why does Ye Leyao still look so expectant? Could it be he's still hoping Song Zhehan will ask some thrilling and explosive questions?"

"Forget it, who doesn't know that Song Zhehan is the easiest person to get along with? He definitely won't make things difficult for Du Yueqin."

Seeing this comment, Mama Huo couldn't help but let her lips curl upward.

Before she could respond to the netizen, another comment quickly appeared:

"Song Zhehan is easy to get along with? Your fans' rose-tinted glasses must be eight hundred meters thick. After watching these past few days, I've realized that Song Zhehan is secretly mischievous!"

Song Zhehan's fans were instantly displeased:

"What are you talking about? Where did you get this brainwashing package from?"

"I don't even bother explaining anymore. Everyone has eyes; just watch and see."

As soon as this comment was posted, they heard Song Zhehan on the screen say, "Director, can I transfer my punishment rights?"

The netizens in the livestream were taken aback.

Transfer rights?

Ye Leyao instantly understood what Song Zhehan meant, unable to suppress the smile on his face.

"Is Song Zhehan planning to transfer his punishment rights to Du Yueqin?"

"Good, good, good, you're the one with the ideas!"

The netizens in the livestream quickly caught on:

"The fans still say Song Zhehan is easy to get along with! I see now, Song Zhehan is just a troublemaker who loves chaos!"

Song Zhehan's fans hadn't found a reason to counter when they heard Song Zhehan on the screen say particularly "understandingly," "I think this punishment right isn't very useful to me, so how about I transfer it to someone who needs it more?"

"Someone who needs it more!"

"Just say it directly to Du Yueqin!"

Although the director guessed what Song Zhehan wanted to say, he still pretended to ask, "Who do you want to transfer it to?"

"Sister Du." Song Zhehan smiled warmly like a spring breeze.

Du Yueqin's eyes lit up, filled with gratitude as she looked at Song Zhehan.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh."

"In terms of causing trouble, you're still the one, Song Zhehan!"

The netizens in the livestream exploded:

"!!! At this moment, Song Zhehan, you, are my god!"

"Give him extra chicken legs! Quickly! The production team should kneel down to Song Zhehan!"

"Hahaha, Zhou Zijian's expression changed. To be honest, my preconceived notions about Song Zhehan are fading. Was he always like this?"

"I told you, Song Zhehan is absolutely not the gentle moonlight in your fans' eyes! He's truly devious!"

The comments were lively for a time.

And Zhou Zijian's expression was particularly interesting.

On one hand, Zhou Zijian thought it would be better if Du Yueqin could give up on him sooner rather than later, but on the other hand, during the previous round of the game, he had already chosen truth once!

This time, it was his turn for dare!

What if Du Yueqin insisted on making him hug her or perform some other intimate action...

Wouldn't he be completely screwed by Song Zhehan?!

Song Zhehan and Zhou Zijian exchanged glances, as if reading his concerns. Song Zhehan continued to the production team, "But I remember that Brother Zhou can only choose dare this round, right?"

The director, suppressing his excitement, nodded after exchanging a glance with the producer.

Song Zhehan said, "Then I can't leave Brother Zhou in the lurch."

Ye Leyao laughed.

"You already have!"

Ignoring Zhou Zijian's accusatory gaze, Song Zhehan continued, "Transferring my punishment rights directly to Sister Du wouldn't be fair to Brother Zhou. How about this: let Brother Zhou choose between truth and dare for this round's punishment?"

The director and producer mulled it over and found Song Zhehan's suggestion quite reasonable.

They then cast their eyes towards Zhou Zijian for his opinion.

After all, Zhou Zijian was the one who would be subjected to punishment. If he didn't agree, the production team couldn't force him.

Upon hearing Song Zhehan's proposal, Zhou Zijian felt an immense relief.

If the punishment was indeed a dare, he would definitely refuse.

But if it was changed to truth, it wasn't as hard to accept.

Seeing Zhou Zijian nodding in agreement, the director smiled. "Alright, but since we're lowering the difficulty, how about increasing the number of truth questions by one this time?"

Du Yueqin could ask her questions sooner, allowing Zhou Zijian to be released from the game earlier.

Zhou Zijian nodded without hesitation.

Du Yueqin, eager for more questions, had no objections either.

With both parties in agreement, the game continued.

"Oh my, what kind of stimulating question will Du Yueqin ask next!"

"I'm so excited! So excited!"

The entire filming site fell silent, with everyone's gaze converging on Zhou Zijian and Du Yueqin.

The live-stream viewers were also eagerly waiting for Du Yueqin to speak!

However, perhaps due to Zhou Zijian's straightforward answer earlier that truly upset Du Yueqin, she took a moment to think before asking her question. Instead, she said, "Little Zhou, although we haven't really crossed paths professionally before, I've heard some things about you from others..."

Zhou Zijian looked at Du Yueqin in confusion.

Ye Leyao was on the verge of panic.

"Ah, why isn't she getting straight to the point and asking the question?"

"Just ask already!"

"Hold on, with Du Yueqin's serious expression, why do I feel... like she's about to confess to Brother Zhou?"

Qin Yao also sensed something amiss. Hearing Ye Leyao's words, he instantly realized what was off – the atmosphere!

The atmosphere was indeed becoming rather intimate!

A full moon hung in the sky, with a gentle sea breeze blowing. The bonfire and the decorative lights set up by the production team added to the ambiance.

The mood was set perfectly!

The audience's eyes were always keen, and they were even more sensitive than Ye Leyao:

"Could it be? Is Du Yueqin really going to confess to Zhou Zijian in front of so many viewers?"

"But didn't Zhou Zijian just say that Du Yueqin isn't his type? Isn't Du Yueqin afraid of embarrassing herself by directly confessing and failing?"

"Is it possible... that Du Yueqin doesn't find it shameful to lose an argument with Li Siyuan in front of the audience?"

In a way, this netizen hit the nail on the head.

Ye Leyao frantically searched her memory, finally finding some original descriptions of Du Yueqin from the depths of her mind:

"In Du Yueqin's eyes, no one except herself is worth her attention. She always prioritizes herself, believing that her happiness and sorrow are above everything else."

"So she's really going to confess!"

Ye Leyao became instantly excited.

Then, Du Yueqin continued, "I admire you greatly, or should I say, I was captivated by you the moment I saw you."

"Aaaaaah."

"What did I just hear! My ears! My toes!"

The other guests reacted even more strongly.

Li Siyuan got goosebumps all over, feeling awkward as he covered his head with his hands, wishing he could vanish into thin air.

Liu Yan wore an expression of disbelief, taking a long time to recover from the shock.

Song Zhehan wasn't as surprised, but he was indeed taken aback. His gaze towards Zhou Zijian grew increasingly sympathetic.

Of course, the most expressive reaction came from Zhou Zijian himself.

He looked as if he had been struck by lightning, wishing he could turn around and run away right then.

But it was a live broadcast, and there were so many pairs of eyes watching him.

But who could tell him what was happening? Weren't they just playing Truth or Dare?

What was this situation now?!

Ye Leyao glanced at Zhou Zijian once before closing her eyes, stifling her laughter as she turned away.

"Brother Zhou's life is also important!"

"Can't someone help him out?!"

The answer, of course, was — none.

The livestream audience was in stitches.

"Duyueqin! The goddess of straightforwardness!"

"The look on Zhou Zijian's face is priceless! Why does your production team make this travel show feel as thrilling as the confession night on a dating show?"

Duyueqin continued, "I may have left a bad impression on you, Xiao Zhou, during our first meeting, but I hope you can give me some time, and also give yourself some time to understand your own heart."

"What does Zhou need to understand about his heart! His buddy's mom already lives in there!"

Seeing that Zhou Zijian remained silent for a while, Duyueqin stood up and walked towards him. "Xiao Zhou, I really do have feelings for you. Although it's only been a few days, my heart is truly filled with thoughts of you. If you don't believe me, why don't you touch—"

"What are you asking him to touch?!"

Ye Leyao looked on in shock.

Duyueqin's hand was still half a meter away from Zhou Zijian's arm when he suddenly jumped back several meters. He was so frightened that his hair stood on end, and without thinking, he blurted out, "Sister Duyue! I really don't like you! I already have a girlfriend!"

Silence.

Dead silence.

Song Zhehan's expression instantly turned gossipy.

A girlfriend?

What an unexpected development!

Li Siyuan and Liu Yan were also taken aback by Zhou Zijian's revelation of his relationship. They were more surprised than each other.

Only Ye Leyao bit her lip, struggling to suppress the laughter that threatened to spill over.

"Brother Zhou is really scared!"

"He's speaking without thinking!"

Duyueqin stood there in a daze, taking a long time to digest Zhou Zijian's words before she spoke. "Xiao Zhou, you didn't have to lie to reject me..."

"I'm not lying!" Zhou Zijian was genuinely terrified of Duyueqin, taking a few more steps back. His voice was loud and earnest. "I just got my partner last month. I really like her, and she likes me too!"

Duyueqin's expression had surprisingly calmed down. "I don't believe you."

"I have no reason to lie to you!" Zhou Zijian reached for his phone. "I'll call my partner right now. She must be watching our livestream... Stay away from me! Don't come any closer!"

The livestream audience burst into laughter:

"My god! I really feel sorry for Zhou Zijian!"

"I can sense Brother Zhou's fear. Not only did he reveal his relationship on the spot, but he's even going to call his girlfriend on the show. How tragic!"

"Sorry, sorry. I know I should feel sorry for Zhou Zijian, but I really can't help laughing. I can't control myself... I'm guilty..."

Duyueqin didn't believe a word Zhou Zijian said, convinced that it was all a fabrication to reject her.

She sighed helplessly and walked straight towards him. "Xiao Zhou, we can talk things through. I'm not saying I won't give you time to think. You really didn't have to reject me outright..."

"Duyueqin is really pushing him, isn't she?"

Ye Leyao was somewhat worried.

"Shouldn't we intervene? We shouldn't push Brother Zhou to the brink. What if he doesn't come back for the next recording session—"

Qin Yao agreed with Ye Leyao's point and stood up, ready to stop Duyueqin. But before he could take a step, a strong male voice boomed from Zhou Zijian's external speaker—

"Zhou Zijian, I'm warning you. If you don't get rid of this Duyueqin trouble, don't you dare come back! I swear I'll beat the crap out of you, you damn punk!!"

"It's Brother Zhou's good friend's voice!"

Ye Leyao perked up instantly.

The livestream audience was stunned:

"Weren't you talking about a girlfriend?"

"Why is it a man's voice?"

"This voice sounds a little familiar?"

In the next moment, it seemed someone had snatched the phone away, and a gentle female voice sounded: "Zijian, don't listen to his nonsense. I've been watching your live broadcasts every day. I definitely believe you..."

"Mom—how can you still speak for him at a time like this! Someone confessed to him right in front of him. If it weren't for Zhou Zijian dragging his feet and not rejecting her, how could it have turned into this situation? I don't care, I don't agree with you two..."

The phone's speaker was suddenly muted, and the rest of the sound didn't come through. But everyone heard that very, extremely, exceptionally clear "Mom."

Dead silence.

For a long time, the only sound was the crashing of waves against the shore.

Duyueqin was completely dumbfounded.

What did she just hear?

The other guests were also bewildered.

Mom?

Mom?

Zhou Zijian found himself a mom?

No... Does Zhou Zijian's girlfriend have a son?

But why does her son sound so mature?

It sounds like he’s around the same age as them...

Wait, all the guests felt like their brains were in a tangle, they needed some time to sort things out.

And Ye Leyao, the only one who could still keep up with the rhythm, was also stunned when she heard that male voice, echoing the same sentiment as the live comments:

"I feel like I've heard this voice somewhere before..."

Qin Yao's gaze instantly turned towards her.

Just tell us where you heard it!

Mr. and Mrs. Huo were also anxious.

Where did you hear it?

Think quickly!

Ye Leyao took out her phone. This time, she didn't open her notes but directly opened Weibo, finding Zhou Zijian's account. She scrolled down for a bit and clicked on a video.

This video was from a BL drama that Zhou Zijian filmed a year ago, which had just finished airing recently, earning him a large number of CP fans.

As the video played, a voice identical to the confident male voice from earlier came through.

Ye Leyao quickly closed the phone, screaming wildly in her mind:

"Ahhhhhh, so Zhou Zijian's good buddy is the actor he filmed the BL drama with?!"

"You filming a BL drama together is one thing, but after it aired, you ended up dating his mother?"

"Good thing your BL drama didn't have any intimate scenes, otherwise—wouldn't that be a mess with ethics and morals?"

Qin Yao turned around, starting to cough violently.

So, sometimes being able to hear all of Ye Leyao's thoughts isn't such a good thing!