Chapter 42: Face-to-Face Confrontation

Chapter 42: Face-to-Face Confrontation

Song Zehan turned just in time to see Ye Leyao's raised thumb, his brows lifting slightly.

Indeed, his guess was spot on.

Ye Leyao was someone who enjoyed the spectacle, even if it was at his own expense.

The live stream audience was in stitches:

"Hahahaha, this is the first time I've seen someone voluntarily offer their face for a hit!"

"Oddly satisfying, isn't it?"

"Can you believe Ye Leyao was actually personally invited by Qin Yao?"

"Qin Yao has confirmed it, what more proof do we need?"

"Could it be that Qin Yao also invited Ye Leyao because he appreciates our Melon King's melon-eating constitution?"

If Qin Yao saw this comment, he'd surely give it a thumbs up.

There was some truth to that, but it wasn't the whole story.

The discussion in the comments intensified:

"I'm shocked that every guest on our show ends up in an argument, when did your entertainment circle become so candid?"

"Hahaha, it's not that the entertainment circle has become candid, it's mainly due to the sincerity of our show's guests."

This comment instantly received a flood of likes from netizens.

Yes, they loved watching the guests confront each other openly!

Wasn't this far more entertaining than sneaky backstabbing?

Continue, don't stop the confrontation!

Netizens secretly wished for more entertainment, then watched as Qin Yao suddenly turned to look at Ye Leyao on the screen.

Ye Leyao met Qin Yao's gaze with confusion, unsure if it was his imagination, but he felt there was a hint of indiscernible grievance in Qin Yao's eyes.

Then, Qin Yao spoke softly, "How sad, I at least spoke up for Leyao, yet Leyao completely ignored me."

Ye Leyao was taken aback, then amusement filled his eyes, and he quickly returned the thumbs up to Qin Yao, praising him sincerely, "Brother Qin is great too!"

Then he silently complained in his heart:

"Without President Qin's personal endorsement, my second brother couldn't have made such a bold move."

"It's just that President Qin seems to have forgotten that if he hadn't invited Duan Haoyan, none of this would have happened."

Qin Yao: "…"

He heard that!

Unable to hold back any longer, Huo Yan's lips curled upward, giving Ye Leyao a thumbs up before slowly turning his head to continue enjoying Duan Haoyan's sour expression.

Duan Haoyan's face had long since darkened; he truly hadn't expected Qin Yao to stand up for Ye Leyao.

It was unpleasant to have a stone thrown back at oneself, but thinking about Su Rui's委屈when she came to him that day, Duan Haoyan found renewed strength.

Sensing Huo Yan's somewhat provocative gaze, Duan Haoyan lifted his eyes to glare at him, gritting his teeth, "What do you have to be proud of? Isn't it just because you have a good family background?"

Ye Leyao couldn't resist earlier, and if not for Huo Yan and Qin Yao interrupting him, he would have definitely retorted at Duan Haoyan.

Hearing Duan Haoyan's words now, he immediately countered, "Brother Duan, you don't have to feel inferior, don't you also have a good agent?"

After saying this, Ye Leyao didn't forget to give Duan Haoyan a polite smile.

As expected, Duan Haoyan's face darkened further, his chest heaving with anger.

Ye Leyao couldn't help but praise himself inwardly:

"Oh ho, how polite I am when I speak! I didn't forget to call him Brother!"

Qin Yao almost couldn't hold back a laugh.

Huo Yan laughed out loud.

So, what was he worried about just now?

Ye Leyao was not as easy to bully as he seemed!

Looking at the other guests,

Zhou Zijian wanted to laugh, but Wen Xiangyue, beside him, held tightly onto his hand, seemingly reminding him of the camera.

Li Siyuan's mood was clearly much better now; he took off his hat and looked over here, his lips curling up upon hearing Ye Leyao's words.

The new guest, Lu Bo, was still cautious and didn't laugh outright, but he didn't intend to get involved either, only keeping his eyes on the commotion here.

The netizen fans in the live stream had no such reservations:

"Hahahahaha Ye Leyao, Ye Leyao, I've realized something – your mouth is even more skilled at passive-aggressiveness than Li Siyuan!"

"You're only realizing this now? I've long thought Ye Leyao was a wolf in sheep's clothing!"

"Hahaha I've heard that 'Let's Travel Together' is exciting, but I never expected it to be this exciting, even getting juicy gossip involving our Melon King!"

"Don't say we didn't see it coming; I bet even Ye Leyao didn't expect this?"

A curious netizen asked:

"So why is Duan Haoyan so intent on targeting Ye Leyao? Logically speaking, as a newcomer in the industry, Ye Leyao wouldn't have had the chance to offend anyone, right?"

Then, a netizen came forward to explain:

"What if Duan Haoyan isn't targeting Ye Leyao but Huo Yan instead?"

"Yes, I saw it clearly just now. When Duan Haoyan got into the car, Huo Yan's expression was very subtle!"

Mentioning Huo Yan only deepened the netizens' confusion.

They usually loved reading entertainment news, but there was very little about Huo Yan. They hadn't even heard of him having any grudges with anyone in the industry. When did Duan Haoyan and Huo Yan develop their conflict?

Seeing this, the netizens instantly turned their questions towards Huo Yan's fans.

"Speak up, you fans!"

"Quick, a fan, explain this!"

Huo Yan's fans looked at each other, all seeing bewilderment in each other's eyes.

What were they supposed to do?

They didn't know either!

Everyone in the industry knew that Huo Yan was a mysterious person. Not just the fans, even paparazzi rarely managed to dig up any gossip about him. If the paparazzi didn't know, where would the fans find out?

The live chat fell silent for a moment.

Inside the bus, only a few sounds from outside could be heard, making it unusually quiet.

Until Liu Yan's voice broke the silence from outside the window: "Is there any kind soul who can help me?"

Song Zhehan turned around first, glancing at Liu Yan outside the window, a hint of regret flashing across his eyes.

It seemed that this confrontation had come to an end.

Indeed, Duan Haoyan took a deep breath: "I won't waste my breath with you. Those who owe others will eventually pay the price."

With that, he turned around with a grim face and walked to the back of the bus.

Hearing this, Huo Yan snorted but didn't say anything more. Instead, he got off the bus to help Liu Yan with her luggage.

The audience watching the live stream was not pleased:

"Just like that?"

"Duan Haoyan, you're leaving just like that?"

"Wait, what about owing others? Duan Haoyan, don't leave us hanging!"

"Darn it, is your show's ratings too high? How come there wasn't a bigger fight?!"

"Hahaha, I've noticed something. The live chat is full of people who love drama. Of course, I'm one of them, hehe."

"So, is there more drama?"

"What does Melon King Ye Leyao have to say?"

The viewers all turned their attention to Ye Leyao.

Ye Leyao was also surprised that Duan Haoyan had let it go so easily. He turned to look at Duan Haoyan's retreating figure, unable to resist muttering to himself:

"Duan Haoyan just let it go?"

"I thought he would expose my second brother and Su Rui's affair!"

Huo Yan, who had just helped Liu Yan carry her suitcase onto the bus, heard this and glared at Ye Leyao.

Aren't you afraid of making things worse?

Then he heard Ye Leyao continue:

"But I feel like it's coming soon. Duan Haoyan seems like a hotheaded fool, probably already completely under Su Rui's control. Coming to our show was likely encouraged by Su Rui, wanting revenge through targeting me, right?"

"But what Su Rui definitely didn't expect was that my second brother would also participate in this episode's recording."

At this thought, Ye Leyao's lips suddenly curled upwards, and he looked at the camera in the front of the bus.

"So now, shouldn't Su Rui be the one panicking?"

"After all, one is his ex who has dirt on him, and the other is his current partner who's been played for a fool. If the two start exchanging information in front of the cameras... Ew—"

Ye Leyao couldn't suppress the grin on his face.

"And coincidentally, our filming location for this episode is on the grasslands. If Su Rui can't contact Duan Haoyan..."

"Hehe, that would be quite the show!"

Hearing this, Huo Yan's expression changed slightly.

Right.

How did he not think of this earlier?

Although Duan Haoyan always had a sour face around Huo Yan, he wasn't an impulsive person. Qin Yao had mentioned earlier that this guest spot was obtained by his agent's pleading.

Duan Haoyan's current status in the industry meant that not participating in this variety show wouldn't impact his career development at all.

So why was he so insistent on appearing on this show?

After piecing everything together, it became clear why Duan Haoyan had immediately tried to trip Ye Leyao upon getting into the car – Duan Haoyan had been incited by someone.

As for who that person was, the answer was self-evident.

Huo Yan sat down next to Song Zhehan, his eyes filled with coldness.

After learning the truth about Su Rui's deception, Huo Yan felt both heartbroken and disappointed. Yet even so, after their breakup, Huo Yan hadn't entertained any thoughts of revenge.

After all, Su Rui was someone Huo Yan had genuinely loved. Even though things had ended so bitterly between them, he sincerely hoped that Su Rui would be well after they parted ways.

But clearly, Su Rui didn't share the same sentiment.

If Duan Haoyan's vendetta was solely directed at him, Huo Yan wouldn't have been as furious.

However, neither Su Rui nor Duan Haoyan knew that Huo Yan would be participating in this program recording session. They were targeting Ye Leyao.

They wanted to bully his younger brother right under his nose?

What a joke!

The malevolence in Huo Yan's expression could no longer be suppressed.

Even Song Zhehan, sitting beside him, keenly sensed something amiss and kept turning to look at him.

Hadn't Ye Leyao just emerged victorious?

Wasn't it just a matter of moving some luggage? Why was he suddenly so angry?

Song Zhehan glanced back at Ye Leyao and noticed that Ye Leyao had already put on his SpongeBob eye mask and was preparing to sleep.

Turning back around, he saw Huo Yan taking out his phone, seemingly sending a message to someone.

Although he wasn't sure what was happening yet, Song Zhehan could already sense the scent of drama.

Sure enough, after Huo Yan finished sending his message, he suddenly stood up and walked towards the production team below.

Song Zhehan took out his phone, logged into his secondary account, and posted a rare Weibo update that wasn't about mocking his colleagues:

"Gou Shi: So which poor soul is about to face misfortune? I'm kind of looking forward to it~"

Huo Yan soon returned to the bus, followed by the production team, who informed them about their itinerary for this trip.

Since their first destination was quite far away, they likely wouldn't arrive until evening, so the guests were free to rest on the bus.

Ye Leyao had been waiting for this announcement. After hearing it, he promptly put on his eye mask, reclined his seat, and laid back to catch up on sleep.

He assumed that when he woke up, they would have reached their destination smoothly.

However, when he opened his eyes after sleeping, it was already dark outside, but the car was still moving.

At some point, a small blanket had been draped over Ye Leyao. He stared at the blanket for a moment before turning to look around the vehicle.

Only a warm-colored lamp was left on in the car, and the cabin was quiet, indicating that most of the guests were resting.

Perhaps due to Ye Leyao's somewhat large movement, Qin Yao slowly opened his eyes and whispered, "Awake?"

Ye Leyao nodded, also keeping his voice low. "Did I wake you?"

Qin Yao shook his head and explained, "I'm not used to sleeping on the bus." After checking the time, he softly added, "There's still an hour of driving before we arrive. You can sleep a little more if you want."

Ye Leyao nodded again and pointed to the small blanket on him. "President Qin, did you cover me with this?"

Qin Yao nodded in confirmation.

Ye Leyao's eyes curved into a smile. "Thank you!"

Qin Yao waited silently for a few seconds before smiling.

This time, there was no inner monologue mocking himself.

With this thought, he turned to look at Ye Leyao again.

Due to the significant temperature difference between day and night on the grasslands, there was a slight chill in the car without the air conditioning. When Ye Leyao sneezed while sleeping, Huo Yan in the front seat immediately turned around to check on him.

Qin Yao took a blanket from his suitcase and covered Ye Leyao with it.

The pure white blanket featured a lazy cat print, much like Ye Leyao at that moment, curled up with half of his body covered. The eye mask hid part of his forehead, a strand of hair fell in front of his eyes, revealing half of his fair face.

Perhaps sensing that Qin Yao was looking at him, Ye Leyao slightly raised his chin. The dim, warm light fell into his eyes, making them sparkle. After a moment, his beautiful eyes blinked, filled with confusion, as if asking, "What?"

Time seemed to stretch out in this tranquil moment.

After several seconds, Qin Yao slightly averted his gaze and shook his head.

In the next moment, he heard Ye Leyao's complaint:

"Strange President Qin!"

"Men's hearts are as unfathomable as the depths of the sea!"

The corners of Qin Yao's mouth curved upward once again.

An hour later, the coach stopped in the pitch-black expanse of the grassland.

When the director called for everyone to get off the vehicle, the group gradually woke up.

Ye Leyao looked outside at the pitch-black surroundings and couldn't resist asking, "Director, did you bring us here to stay in Mongolian yurts or to tend sheep?"

Upon hearing this, Li Siyuan chimed in with his own complaint, "If I didn't know we were filming a show, I would have turned around and left by now."

"Let's talk," Song Zhehan was the first to step out of the car, "Are you really not short on funds?"

Director: "...Why don't you ask Qin Yao?"

Qin Yao, arms crossed, replied, "I've paid more than enough."

Ye Leyao nodded in agreement.

"The look on President Qin's face says it all—he must have overpaid!"

Qin Yao: "..."

I'll take that as a compliment.

The producer laughed, "All of you, hurry up and get down!"

Once everyone had disembarked from the vehicles, the production crew turned on the lights.

Instantly, the small area of grassland was illuminated.

Four tents formed a circle, and in the center lay a large carpet. On it were fruits, vegetables, and an object wrapped in aluminum foil. Its size suggested it might be a whole roasted lamb.

A gust of wind carried the scent of cumin and chili into the nostrils of the guests, causing them all to swallow their saliva uncontrollably.

"So, is this episode about camping?" Zhou Zijian asked, his tone slightly excited.

The director nodded, "Yes, the theme of this episode is getting close to nature. Our production team has prepared tents for everyone in advance. Considering your long journey today, we've also arranged a roasted lamb for you. As for other food, you'll have to prepare it yourselves!"

Hearing about the roasted lamb, everyone was delighted.

"What are we waiting for? Let's divide up the tents. Once I'm settled, I'll start cooking!" Zhou Zijian said with a smile.

"With four tents, does that mean two of them will have to accommodate three people each?" Wen Xiangyue spoke up, "I'll share with Xiao Liu."

There were only two women present, and no one objected.

Next came the turn for the men to choose their tents.

Huo Yan took the initiative, "Then, Leyao and I can share a tent? There's still room for one more person..."

Qin Yao interjected, "I'll join you guys."

Li Siyuan, disliking Lu Bo and even less fond of Duan Haoyan, turned to Song Zhehan, "How about the two of us?"

Song Zhehan suddenly remembered his persona and smiled, "I'm fine with anything."

Li Siyuan hated his fake smile and didn't hold back, "Then, Duan and I..."

Song Zhehan quickly approached him, changing his expression where the cameras couldn't see, and whispered, "Can't you just keep quiet for once?"

Li Siyuan raised his eyebrows, perhaps feeling particularly cheerful due to being on the grasslands, and retorted with a smile, "Same goes for you."

No more pretenses!

Zhou Zijian, Duan Haoyan, and Lu Bo ended up sharing the last tent.

Ye Leyao went inside to check and found that the tents provided by the production team were quite spacious. Not only could they accommodate three people, but six could fit comfortably.

He casually placed his suitcase aside and went out to wait for the roasted lamb.

Zhou Zijian was already preparing ingredients, with Song Zhehan assisting. Zhou Zijian then said to Song Zhehan, "Xiao Song, could you help me fetch two buckets of water? I asked the production team earlier, and there's water where the lights are shining ahead."

Song Zhehan nodded and was about to leave with two empty buckets.

At that moment, Lu Bo stopped him, "Xiao Song, shall I go with you?"

Ye Leyao's eyes instantly lit up upon seeing this.

"No way, no way. Is Lu Bo so confident and outgoing? After being rejected by Li Siyuan this afternoon, he's already regrouping to pursue Song Zhehan?"

"Quite courageous, daring to chase after Song Zhehan! Well... good luck."

As he thought this, Lu Bo reached out to grab the bucket from Song Zhehan's hand.

The handle of the bucket was clearly long enough, yet Lu Bo's hand unerringly extended straight toward Song Zhehan's.

Unable to contain himself, Ye Leyao let out a sharp exclamation:

"Lu Bo, what are you doing—"

Just as Lu Bo's hand was about to touch Song Zhehan's, Song Zhehan suddenly released his grip. The metallic bucket clanged loudly against the pebbles, drawing everyone's attention.

Zhou Zijian looked up in confusion, "What happened?"

Song Zhehan's smile remained unchanged, but he gave Lu Bo a meaningful glance before turning to Ye Leyao, "Leyao, let's go together."

Ye Leyao quickly reined in his curiosity and responded, walking over to Song Zhehan.

Bending down to pick up the iron bucket, Ye Leyao and Song Zhehan turned and left, completely ignoring Lu Bo.

Lu Bo's expression soured. Just as he was about to say something, a very faint voice sounded:

"Looking like a kappa, dreaming big, huh."

Ye Leyao: "Pfft—"

"Help! Hahahaha, I can't take it anymore, Song Zhehan is too good at cursing."

"So what was Lu Bo thinking? In just one afternoon, he single-handedly took on two of our show's top talkers and got verbally thrashed by both?"

"It's hilarious..."

"What are you laughing at?" Suddenly, Ye Leyao heard Song Zhehan's faint voice beside him.

Ye Leyao quickly wiped the smile off his face and without hesitation said, "Of course, I'm laughing because I'll be able to eat roasted whole lamb soon!"

Song Zhehan glanced at him coolly, his usual smile still on his lips, "Oh, is that so?"

Ye Leyao's gaze was sincere, "Absolutely."

"I wasn't laughing at you cursing Lu Bo!"

"As true as it gets."

Song Zhehan looked away, asking no more.

The two returned with water in no time.

The production team had thoughtfully prepared a barbecue grill for them.

Zhou Zijian chopped vegetables, while Wen Xiangyue stood beside him, threading all the ingredients onto skewers. The others stood around to help, but there seemed to be an invisible barrier around Zhou Zijian and Wen Xiangyue, preventing anyone else from joining in.

Ye Leyao's eyes darted between the two, his smile bright.

"Our show has really turned from a travel variety show into a romance one~"

"Look at those pink bubbles, tsk-tsk-tsk—"

Huo Yanchao beckoned to Ye Leyao, "Leyao, come here."

Ye Leyao obediently walked over, thinking Huo Yanchao wanted him to help. But when he approached, he heard Huo Yanchao lower his voice and ask, "Can your phone connect to the internet now?"

"Huh?"

"Why does Second Brother want to know?"

Curious, Ye Leyao still took out his phone and opened WeChat.

Then the two brothers saw the refreshing interface spinning endlessly until a red notification popped up.

Ye Leyao's eyes suddenly lit up.

"I really can't connect to the internet! So Second Brother isn't planning to—"

Ye Leyao quickly looked up and saw Huo Yanchao suddenly raise his chin provocatively towards Duan Haoyan.

Although Duan Haoyan didn't know what Huo Yanchao was up to, his expression instantly darkened.

Ye Leyao struggled to keep from laughing out loud.

"Damn!"

"Suru! You're doomed!"

Soon, all the ingredients were ready, and Zhou Zijian had sliced the roasted whole lamb. The barbecue grill was placed in the middle, and everyone sat down on the ground.

"Quickly sit, let's eat the roasted lamb and barbecue!" Wen Xiangyue invited everyone to sit down.

Ye Leyao didn't sit down first; instead, after seeing Duan Haoyan take a seat, he chose a spot directly opposite Duan Haoyan.

Huo Yanchao sat next to Ye Leyao, and Qin Yao on Ye Leyao's other side.

Song Zhehan, noticing the seating arrangement, sensed something and sat down slightly ahead and to the right of Duan Haoyan.

Seeing the guests ready to start eating, the production team promptly brought drinks and alcohol.

Ye Leyao took a sip of soda and ate a piece of mutton, his eyes lighting up, "Delicious!"

The others also started eating.

For a moment, the atmosphere seemed oddly harmonious.

The director couldn't resist whispering to the producer beside him, "Wouldn't it be great if it could always be like this?"

The producer smiled and nodded, but before he could speak, he suddenly heard Huo Yanchao's voice through the monitor—

"Duan Haoyan, you're not upset with me because of Su Ru, are you?"

Director/Producer: ??

Wait?

What Su Ru?

Who's Su Ru?

They hadn't invited that guest to their show, had they?

Only Ye Leyao, who knew the truth, wore an excited expression:

"It's happening! It's happening! My second brother is about to unleash a full-frontal attack!"