Ye Leyao wanted to look at that boy again, but realized he was already gone.

Huo Yan called out to Ye Leyao again.

Ye Leyao responded, “Coming!”

He casually put the note away and quickly caught up with Qin Yao and Huo Yan.

“Who was that guy just now?” Huo Yan asked again.

Ye Leyao shook his head, “I don’t know. Maybe he mistook me for someone else?”

Huo Yan nodded and didn’t ask further.

However, Qin Yao furrowed his brow slightly and sent a message to his assistant.

The three were the last ones to return to the villa, where deafening music was playing again.

Ye Leyao pushed open the door and saw two boys who were close to Chu Cheng carrying him in the middle of the living room, singing and dancing with microphones, as if trying to erase the earlier unpleasantness.

Qin Yao, hearing the ear-splitting music, unusually didn’t step forward to stop it. Instead, he leaned toward Ye Leyao’s ear and whispered, “I’ll go contact the catering staff; you go ahead.”

Their proximity allowed Qin Yao’s breath to gently brush against Ye Leyao’s ear—damp, ticklish.

But surprisingly, it wasn’t annoying.

Ye Leyao nodded.

Qin Yao turned and left.

Huo Yan came over, putting his arm around Ye Leyao’s shoulders, “Do you want to go to the backyard?”

Ye Leyao reached out to push Huo Yan’s arm away, frowning slightly, “No, and second brother, stop always getting so close to me.”

Huo Yan: “???”

Huh?

So, Qin Yao was just whispering in your ear earlier and you didn’t say anything about him being close, but when I just put an arm around you, you’re not okay with it?

Huo Yan clenched his teeth silently, “Ungrateful kid!”

The music was too loud, and Ye Leyao didn’t hear clearly, “Huh?”

Huo Yan snorted heavily and ignored Ye Leyao, turning and walking away.

Ye Leyao didn’t think much of it and headed toward Ran Jing, who was sitting in the corner.

Ran Jing wasn’t familiar with most people there, but because of his earlier outburst in the restaurant, many were now curious about him.

Everyone present was a friend or classmate of Chu Cheng, around the same age as Ran Jing, so after sitting in the villa for just a little while, several groups of people came up to greet him.

Ran Jing, like Ye Leyao, wasn’t great at handling such situations, so he sat there with a forced smile.

When he saw Ye Leyao walking over, he stood up abruptly as if seeing a savior.

The living room was really too noisy, so Ye Leyao pointed to the backyard, “Shall we go to the garden?”

Ran Jing nodded and quickly followed Ye Leyao to the backyard.

Once the door to the yard was closed, the deafening music quieted significantly.

Ye Leyao glanced around and didn’t see Huo Yan, so he pulled Ran Jing to sit down on a lounge chair.

The two of them tacitly avoided discussing Meng Yue and instead caught up on each other’s recent happenings.

Upon learning that Ran Jing was preparing to submit resumes and look for a job soon, Ye Leyao instinctively asked, “Why don’t you reach out to your agent?”

Ran Jing was stunned and reflexively responded, “Agent?”

Ye Leyao propped his chin up and nodded, “Yeah, aren’t you a signed artist with my brother’s company? My brother told me that all signed artists with the company are assigned an agent. You did better than me in acting class; why not give acting a try?”

The blaring music from the villa was somehow turned off by someone, and the backyard suddenly felt exceptionally quiet. The clouds were blown away by the gentle breeze, revealing a clear blue sky. Another gust of wind blew through the yard, causing the leaves to rustle.

Ran Jing instinctively looked at Ye Leyao, meeting his bright, clear eyes.

Perhaps only a second had passed.

Or maybe a long minute.

Ran Jing’s mouth suddenly curved upward, and he flashed Ye Leyao a smile so radiant it could be called sunny. He said, “Ye Leyao, thank you!”

Ye Leyao furrowed his brows slightly, somewhat puzzled. “Why are you thanking me?”

[It seems like a lot of people have been thanking me lately?]

Before Ye Leyao could figure it out, Qin Yao’s voice came from the distance, “Leyao, lunch is here.”

Ye Leyao quickly responded and turned to Ran Jing, “Let’s go.”

Ran Jing smiled and nodded firmly.

The group spent the rest of the afternoon having a great time at the resort. Even as night fell, they hadn’t dispersed and were preparing to head to a bar next.

Huo Yan and his parents had left after lunch. Ye Leyao wasn’t interested in drinking, so he planned to leave after saying goodbye to Chu Cheng.

When Ye Leyao said he was leaving, Ran Jing also took the opportunity to say he was leaving too. Feeling bad about keeping them, Chu Cheng said he would personally drive them home.

Hearing this, Qin Yao glanced at Chu Cheng, “You just drank, how are you going to drive? I’ll take them.”

In fact, a driver was already on the way to pick up Ye Leyao, but when Ye Leyao saw Qin Yao get up with his car keys, he swallowed the words he was about to say.

Qin Yao first dropped Ran Jing off at the hospital and then drove Ye Leyao toward the Huo family home.

As they approached the Huo family villa, for some reason, a faint feeling of reluctance arose in Ye Leyao’s heart.

[Strange.]

Qin Yao glanced at Ye Leyao out of the corner of his eye and noticed that his brow was slightly furrowed, and his expression looked serious.

What’s going on?

Qin Yao was puzzled but didn’t ask. However, even as the car entered the Huo family’s villa complex, Ye Leyao didn’t say a word, and Qin Yao hadn’t heard another thought from him.

At 8:30 in the evening, the car slowly came to a stop at the Huo family villa’s entrance.

Qin Yao unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to Ye Leyao, “We’re here.”

Ye Leyao responded with an “oh” and slowly unbuckled his seatbelt, but he sat there without any intention of getting out of the car.

It wasn’t until Qin Yao looked at him again, slightly puzzled, that he heard Ye Leyao muttering quietly in his head:

[Will President Qin think I’m weird for this?]

Before Qin Yao could figure out what was weird, he heard Ye Leyao suddenly ask in a serious tone, “President Qin, can I hold your hand again?”

Qin Yao was instantly stunned.

The sky outside was dark, with no light, except for the street lamps shining through the car windows.

A warm beam of light filtered through the car window, falling onto Ye Leyao. In this faint light, Qin Yao could clearly see Ye Leyao’s face.

The boy had delicate features and a calm expression, but his eyes were bright, their emotions unmistakable.

There was curiosity, confusion, but most of all, expectation.

Qin Yao’s gaze darkened.

After a long pause, he spoke softly, “Leyao, do you know what that request means?”

Ye Leyao muttered inwardly:

[Doesn’t it just mean I want to hold hands? Could there be some other meaning to it?]

His eyes widened:

[Or maybe President Qin has a problem with comprehension?]

Qin Yao felt a headache coming on, but he also wanted to laugh.

“Leyao, I asked you this morning,” Qin Yao looked at Ye Leyao, a hint of tenderness in his expression, though he didn’t notice it himself.

Ye Leyao blinked slowly, “You mean about why I don’t mind holding your hand?”

Qin Yao nodded slightly, “Until you figure that out, I think you should avoid physical contact with me as much as possible.”

Ye Leyao’s eyes widened, “Why? Is that really important?”

Qin Yao looked at him seriously, “It’s important for both of us.”

Ye Leyao pursed his lips, furrowing his brows, which was rare, and sat there in deep thought.

But after only a brief moment, Ye Leyao became somewhat dissatisfied:

[Does that mean if I never figure it out, President Qin will never hold my hand again?]

Qin Yao, feeling helpless and about to explain further, suddenly heard Ye Leyao loudly exclaim in his mind:

[Stingy!]

Qin Yao: “…”

Without waiting for Qin Yao to react, Ye Leyao turned and pretended to push open the car door, “Then I’ll be going.”

Hmm.

He’s learned to threaten people now.

Qin Yao’s eyes fell on Ye Leyao’s hand, which was hovering over the door handle but hadn’t pushed it open yet. After a long pause, he gave in first. “Okay, just one more time, until you figure it out.”

Ye Leyao immediately beamed, his eyes sparkling, “Really?”

Caught off guard by those bright eyes, Qin Yao quickly looked away, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he cleared his throat. “Yes, just…”

Before he could finish, Ye Leyao had already thrown himself at Qin Yao, giving him a big hug.

Ye Leyao was a bit shorter than Qin Yao, and since he leaned in from the side, his head ended up nestled against Qin Yao’s neck. The boy’s soft hair, carrying a faint fragrance, brushed against Qin Yao’s skin.

Before Qin Yao could process what was happening, Ye Leyao eagerly grabbed his hand, their fingers naturally intertwining.

[Hehe, got it!]

In the rearview mirror, Qin Yao’s pale face instantly turned red.

Feeling helpless, Qin Yao covered his face with one hand. He could hear his own heart pounding faster in the quiet night.

Even after Ye Leyao pulled away and released their intertwined hands, Qin Yao’s ears were still filled with the sound of his own heartbeat, like a drum.

“Alright, President Qin, I’ll head out now,” Ye Leyao said, smiling brightly.

Qin Yao averted his gaze slightly and mumbled a response.

Ye Leyao reached for the car door again but suddenly turned back to ask, “President Qin, why is your face so red?”

Qin Yao blurted out, “It’s a bit warm.”

Ye Leyao was confused.

[But the air conditioning is on?]

Qin Yao took a deep breath, calming himself down before lowering his hand. Without looking at Ye Leyao, he softly said, “That question—you promised me you’d think it over properly when you get back, right?”

Ye Leyao was confused.

[Why is President Qin so fixated on this question?]

[But… since he was kind enough to let me hold his hand, I should think about it carefully!]

So Ye Leyao nodded. “Okay, I promise you.”

Qin Yao couldn’t help but ask again, “Can you really do it?”

Without thinking, Ye Leyao immediately said, “Of course! I’m capable of everything…” But suddenly, he stumbled on his words.

Qin Yao smiled gently, “Alright, I believe you.”

Ye Leyao pursed his lips, cleared his throat, and got out of the car. After standing steady, he waved at Qin Yao, “President Qin, drive safely.”

Qin Yao rolled down the car window, his blush fading slightly. He looked at Ye Leyao, his eyes filled with a warm smile. “Mm, goodnight, Le…” The word lingered on his lips for a moment before he said, “Goodnight, Yaoyao.”

Ye Leyao’s eyes widened in surprise.

Before he could react, Qin Yao had already closed the car window.

In the next second, the luxury car sped off, racing out of the neighborhood.

Ye Leyao stood there for a long time, the corners of his mouth finally curving upward.

[Hehe, I must say, I quite like it when President Qin calls me that.]

Inside the Huo family villa.

Huo Yan paced back and forth for several minutes before he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He turned to his parents, who were sitting on the couch, “Are we really not going to do anything?! It’s only been a day, and they’ve already changed how they address each other!”

Mama Huo sighed and said to Papa Huo, “I see it now. Our second son’s last relationship didn’t really count as dating experience.”

Huo Yan’s face instantly showed frustration. “Why are you bringing that up again? Didn’t we agree not to mention it anymore?”

Why is it that whenever the topic of dating comes up, they always drag out his failed relationship to roast him? 

Even corpses deserve some peace!

Papa Huo glanced at Huo Yan. “That’s an agreement you made with yourself; we never agreed to it.” Then, turning to his wife with a grin, he added, “Indeed, if he had even a little dating experience, he’d know that once two people who like each other confirm their feelings, things progress quickly. Unlike him, who dated for a couple of months and only managed to hold hands, and then got scammed into believing the child was his, and he even fell for it. Hahaha.”

Huo Yan: “…”

He couldn’t stand another day in this house!

Huo Yan stormed upstairs.

Papa and Mama Huo exchanged glances, unable to hold back their laughter.

…

In the following days, Ye Leyao diligently attended his acting classes while seriously pondering Qin Yao’s question.

But after four days of thinking, he still hadn’t figured out the reason. Instead, the fourth episode of the variety show was approaching quickly.

The night before the show’s recording, Ye Leyao, uncharacteristically, had trouble falling asleep.

After finally drifting off, he had a strange, hazy dream.

In the dream, he was the same age as he is now, and his favorite thing to do every day was to bask in the sun on a balcony.

The balcony had a Western-style decor and was quite spacious, with vibrant roses growing in the corners. But since Ye Leyao loved soaking up the sun in the brightest spot, the roses were placed in areas with slightly less sunlight.

Every morning when Ye Leyao woke up, he would head to this familiar balcony.

A lounge chair, perfectly adjusted to his liking, awaited him, along with a soft pillow. Right within arm’s reach was a cup of delicious, sweet oat milk.

Every time, all Ye Leyao had to do was stretch out his hand, and he could grab the cup and take a big, satisfying gulp.

One day, Ye Leyao went to the balcony again, but this time, there was no oat milk, only a note:

“All the ingredients are prepared in the kitchen. Could I trouble the smartest, cutest, and most wonderful you to make it yourself today? ^-^”

Ye Leyao stared at the smiley face on the note for a long time before proudly lifting his chin and saying, “Of course, I can do anything…”

And that’s where the dream abruptly ended.

When Ye Leyao woke up, he was still thinking, what exactly was he so capable of?

After pondering for a minute without figuring it out, Ye Leyao suddenly had a craving for oat milk again.

Honestly, whether in dreams or reality, oat milk was still the best of all!

The location for this episode’s recording was a famous wetland park.

Because of some internal matters at the group that required their attention, Huo’s parents couldn’t accompany him this time.

With both his parents occupied, Huo Jing naturally didn’t have time either.

Huo Ze had wanted to join Ye Leyao, but he had been busy investigating Li Chi recently and was swamped with work.

Even Huo Yan had gone out of town for a shoot and couldn’t accompany Ye Leyao to the recording.

With no other choice, Ye Leyao boarded the plane to the recording site with his manager, Li Li, and his assistant.

Two hours later, the plane landed, and as in the previous episodes, the show’s bus was already waiting outside the airport for the guests.

As they approached the bus, Ye Leyao suddenly thought of something and turned to ask Li Li, “By the way, Sister Li, has the show revealed the guest lineup for this episode yet?”

Li Li shook her head. “Nope.”

With the show, Let’s Go Traveling Together, gaining massive popularity, online fans had been trying to guess the guest lineup for the upcoming episodes.

Unfortunately, they had never gotten it right.

After all, the guest list for each episode always had some unexpected connections.

Thinking about this, Li Li couldn’t help but give Ye Leyao a few reminders.

Even though she knew that after the first three episodes, Ye Leyao probably wouldn’t make any more blunders, as his manager, she still couldn’t help but worry.

Fortunately, Ye Leyao was especially well-behaved. He never argued with Li Li, always nodding obediently in agreement with whatever she said.

Seeing this, Li Li finally let out a sigh of relief.

Her expectations for Ye Leyao were actually quite simple. She just hoped he could finish recording the show without making any mistakes.

Oh, and preferably not get caught up in any scandals.

Although Ye Leyao had just debuted and didn’t really have any scandals to his name, the fact that he was already nicknamed the “Melon King” by netizens made Li Li a bit anxious.

After all, how could someone walk through a field of scandals repeatedly and never get stained?

If Ye Leyao wasn’t careful and ended up becoming the master of that scandalous field himself…

Just the thought of it made Li Li’s vision go black.

As they spoke, they arrived at the designated area.

Li Li gave Ye Leyao a word of encouragement before heading over to where the crew was stationed.

Ye Leyao waved at her and then started walking toward the bus.

After only a few steps, Ye Leyao suddenly turned to look behind him. When he did, his eyes immediately lit up, and he waved excitedly at someone. “President Qin!”

Qin Yao had already noticed Ye Leyao ahead but didn’t approach since Ye Leyao’s manager had been talking to him. Now that Ye Leyao had spotted him, Qin Yao was about to quicken his pace to approach when he saw Ye Leyao suddenly let go of his suitcase, spread his arms, and run toward him.

Before his brain could even register what was happening, Qin Yao’s body instinctively opened its arms, catching Ye Leyao as he threw himself into his embrace.

The moment their chests collided, Qin Yao almost couldn’t control the expression on his face.

How did he end up hugging Ye Leyao again?!

Yet, Ye Leyao didn’t seem to notice anything wrong. Not only did he hug Qin Yao, but he even nuzzled his head against Qin Yao’s neck and wrapped his arms around Qin Yao’s waist.

Qin Yao’s blood surged, and he froze in place.

The staff around them stared, eyes wide.

Wait…

Were they even supposed to be seeing this?

Ye Leyao’s leap into Qin Yao’s arms looked way too much like something between lovers… um…

And did they even realize that the live stream had already started?!

Li Li, who had just sat down in the staff car, screamed when she saw the scene: “He-he-he, Ye Leyao!”

The assistant quickly tried to calm her down, “Sister Li, keep your voice down!”

Meanwhile, the live stream’s comment section was exploding:

—”???”

—”Ye Leyao, what are you doing?”

—”This… this hug… don’t tell me it’s what I think it is?”

—”Is the Melon King about to start dating?”

—”What? Ye Leyao and Qin Yao are together?”

—”Stop spreading rumors!”

But the comments quickly became heated:

—”Are we spreading rumors? Look for yourself! That hug, that atmosphere, it’s so romantic, it’s practically dripping with sweetness!”

Everyone:

—”Yeah, yeah, yeah!”

—”Qin Yao is blushing!”

Fans:

—”Exactly!”

—”And you’re still saying they’re not together?”

Netizens who had just joined the live stream were completely confused:

—”So, how are they suddenly together?”

—”There wasn’t even a hint!”

—”This is way too sudden!”

Not only were the gossiping netizens baffled, but even the staff and producers monitoring the show were dumbfounded.

Last episode, they had only held hands. How had it escalated to such an intimate hug this time?

The looks, the hug, the posture… none of it seemed innocent!

So, were they really not together?

If they weren’t, then how would you explain this hug?

Were they in the ambiguous stage?

No way, right?

Could it really be that the “Melon King” was finally caught up in his own scandal?

Honestly, they were starting to look forward to it a little.

Back on the screen, Ye Leyao and Qin Yao still hadn’t let go of each other.

Just as the staff hesitated about whether to step forward and remind them, two surprised voices rang out one after the other:

Li Siyuan, shocked: “Wait, what’s going on between you two?”

Song Zhehan was more direct: “Are you guys dating?”

The familiar voices instantly snapped Qin Yao out of his daze. His fingers gently rested on Ye Leyao’s shoulders, pushing him back slightly. “Leyao…”

Ye Leyao immediately frowned in dissatisfaction:

[Why aren’t you calling me Yaoyao anymore? I liked that nickname.]

Qin Yao’s face flushed even more.

Ye Leyao noticed Song Zhehan and Li Siyuan, too. Before getting up, he nuzzled Qin Yao’s neck one last time, then tilted his head to wave at them, “You guys are here too.”

[But why do their expressions look so strange?]

[And what did Teacher Song’s words mean?]

Song Zhehan’s gaze darted back and forth between the two of them, and within seconds, he had figured out the situation.

Li Siyuan was about to say something else, but Song Zhehan suddenly raised a hand to stop him and whispered, “Don’t say anything.”

Li Siyuan looked puzzled, “Why? This is the perfect opportunity to watch the drama unfold, and you’re telling me not to…”

Song Zhehan chuckled, “Precisely because we want to watch, we shouldn’t expose them now.”

Li Siyuan was taken aback for a moment before following Song Zhehan’s gaze to look at Ye Leyao’s face.

By now, Ye Leyao had stepped out of Qin Yao’s embrace, standing there with his usual calm expression. Li Siyuan frowned—why was Ye Leyao so composed?

In a flash of realization, Li Siyuan’s eyes widened as he turned to look at Song Zhehan in shock, “You don’t mean…”

“Yes.” Song Zhehan raised his eyebrows.

Interesting.

The posture of that hug was too intimate. How could ordinary friends tolerate such closeness?

It could only mean that Qin Yao and Ye Leyao had already crossed the boundary of mere friendship, yet Ye Leyao still wore a bewildered expression.

This was really interesting.

It seemed that this episode’s recording would be quite entertaining.

Song Zhehan saw through it but chose not to expose anything.

Li Siyuan also understood his meaning. He didn’t say anything and, after walking closer, gave Qin Yao a meaningful look.

By now, Qin Yao had finally managed to compose his expression and didn’t reveal any further clues under Li Siyuan’s gaze.

However, no matter how well he covered it up, what needed to be captured had already been filmed, and what needed to be seen had already been witnessed.

Song Zhehan’s eyes were filled with amusement. After glancing at the two, he walked toward the bus first.

Li Siyuan followed behind him, shaking his head in disbelief as he walked.

Ye Leyao was genuinely confused, so he reached out to grab Qin Yao’s hand: “President Qin, what’s going on with them…”

Qin Yao promptly pulled his hand away and then asked quietly, “Have you thought about the question from that day?”

Ye Leyao’s face instantly showed a troubled expression.

Qin Yao sighed inwardly. “It’s fine. Let’s go. The sun’s too bright here; let’s get on the bus first.”

Ye Leyao nodded, “Oh.”

Song Zhehan and Li Siyuan had already picked their seats.

Ye Leyao chose a window seat in the middle. After seeing Qin Yao put away his luggage, he waved at him.

This time, Qin Yao hesitated only for a second before walking over and sitting next to him.

As soon as Qin Yao sat down, Li Siyuan couldn’t help but laugh again.

Ye Leyao couldn’t hold back his curiosity anymore and wondered to himself:

[Why is Li Siyuan laughing?]

[Why does it seem like he’s in such a good mood today?]

Qin Yao felt like the heat in his face hadn’t subsided since earlier. He pressed his lips together and remained silent.

Luckily, Ye Leyao didn’t think too much about it.

Soon, the other regular guests began to arrive one by one.

Huo Yan was the last to arrive. As soon as he got on the bus, his gaze landed on Ye Leyao. Then, after glancing at Qin Yao sitting beside him, Huo Yan looked like he wanted to say something but ultimately held back.

In the end, Huo Yan didn’t say a word. But this time, instead of sitting in front of Ye Leyao and Qin Yao, he chose a seat directly across from them.

Once the regular guests had all arrived, it was time for the special guest to make an appearance.

“Hey, it seems like they’re here,” Liu Yan said.

A delicate and feminine voice came from outside the bus: “Hello, am I late?”

As soon as the voice dropped, all the guests on the bus couldn’t help but shiver.

[That voice…]

“Is this that legendary ‘cutesy voice’?” Li Siyuan asked.

No one answered him because the special guest had already boarded the bus.

Seeing the guest standing at the front, dressed in a red dress, with wavy hair down to their waist and fiery red lips—but clearly not a female guest—everyone’s eyes widened.

[Is this… crossdressing?]

Ye Leyao was the first to snap out of it.

Suddenly, a furious voice erupted from the back: “Who the hell invited this scumbag?!”

All the guests were taken aback and turned in unison to look at Li Siyuan.

[Huh? The guest just arrived, and Li Siyuan’s already cursing them out like that?]

[Wait… crossdressing, scumbag, Li Siyuan…]

Ye Leyao pulled out his phone and opened his notes app.

The next moment, he was laughing wildly in his mind:

[Hahahahahaha—]

[So it’s him! No wonder Li Siyuan suddenly flipped out—it turns out this is his ex-online boyfriend!]

Qin Yao/Huo Yan: ?

Ex-online boyfriend?