Chapter 103: Here Comes the Question—which One to Choose?

The yacht carried all the guests to another spot along the Magani coastline. Unlike the previous lively beach, this stretch was much quieter, with few people in sight. Everyone disembarked, removed their life jackets, and gathered together on the white sand.

A staff member announced, “You’ll have half an hour to rest now.”

Li Jiayan let out a long sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping as she exclaimed, “I desperately need this.”

Wen Yiming couldn’t help but laugh. “You hardly played at all—how are you already out of energy?”

Li Jiayan smiled without showing her teeth, shooting him a playful glance. “Some things are better left unsaid, Coach Wen.”

Wen Yiming raised both hands in mock surrender, chuckling. “You’ve been calling me Coach Wen nonstop. Could you stop with that?”

Li Jiayan feigned confusion. “And what’s wrong with Coach Wen?”

“It sounds so distant, as if we’re here for lessons instead of fun.” Wen Yiming protested.

“Does it really? I rather thought it was a special sort of nickname,” Li Jiayan replied, half-heartedly trying to gloss things over.

“Oh?” Wen Yiming raised his brows in surprise. Could it be she really liked that sort of thing? After all, there were couples who enjoyed calling each other ‘Teacher’ or ‘Mr.’ instead of using their names. Perhaps it was a special quirk.

Indeed, her way of addressing him was unique among the four male guests; she called the others by name. “Well, suit yourself then,” he said with a wide grin.

Nearby, Chu Yao overheard their exchange and couldn’t help but think Wen Yiming was far from simple. Whoever he partnered with, he always managed to convey the subtle feeling that he liked them.

Yesterday, she had teamed up with Wen Yiming. Since he’d never been on her ideal list of partners, she hadn’t paid him much mind, but throughout the trip, he kept creating warm and thoughtful moments for her.

It was because of this that their teamwork had felt so smooth; he was genuinely considerate, always creating a comfortable space, and in the end, they’d achieved second place for best partner chemistry.

At the time, Chu Yao had even wondered: did Wen Yiming like her?

But today, watching him pair with Li Jiayan, she felt a sense of rueful amusement. This man could make any woman he played with believe he liked her.

So, Wen Yiming was either a natural charmer or extremely goal-oriented, playing for the prize.

Still, while Wen Yiming was friendly to all the women, he wasn’t exactly the same with everyone. If you paid close attention, there were differences, and with Li Jiayan, he did seem a little more genuine.

As she pondered this, Chu Yao pounded her little arms and legs, saying, “I really need a break too. The showrunners are being a little kinder today, at least letting us rest for a bit.”

Ye Fangfei chimed in, “From my experience, the showrunners are never truly kind. They love to give us a sweet date before a slap. If they’re letting us rest now, something tougher is definitely coming next.”

Everyone: “...”

Staff members: “...” Can you stop spoiling the show?

“Don’t think so poorly of us,” a staff member said with a laugh. “The next event will involve the water again, but before you rest, we’ll sort out your swimsuits.”

With that, other staff wheeled over a rack of swimsuits.

“As per your surfing results, each team will choose their swimsuits in order of ranking. Wen Yiming and Li Jiayan, first place, you go first. Which swimsuits will you and your partner wear for the next event?”

Li Jiayan looked at the rack, torn.

If Lu Zhou were her partner today, she’d have boldly picked the red bikini. Though many women considered her a bit curvy, Li Jiayan was proud of her figure. She believed showing off one’s best side in front of a man one liked was a crucial way to keep his attention.

But today her partner was Wen Yiming...

He was handsome, had a great body, and treated her well. Any other woman in her position might have felt a flutter of attraction.

But strangely, she felt nothing.

Because Wen Yiming had a fatal flaw she disliked: he seemed like a classic ‘central air conditioning’ type—nice to everyone.

She preferred men who were loyal and devoted.

Li Jiayan knew that wearing a swimsuit would mean everyone, not just her partner, would see her—Lu Zhou included.

She couldn’t risk giving Lu Zhou the wrong impression.

Besides, she didn’t want to wear anything too revealing in front of Wen Yiming either.

So, not the red one. But which?

The most conservative one? That was truly hideous—wouldn’t flatter her, might even accentuate her flaws. Not an option; she still cared about her on-camera image.

The one with wide straps? Deeply cut in the back, high on the legs, but the chest entirely covered. But her back wasn’t her strong suit, and her legs weren’t as slim as the other girls’. She imagined herself in it—not ideal.

By process of elimination, only the black three-piece with a little skirt remained, deep V-neck. Not too revealing but showed off her best features, the skirt covered her hips while still making them look good. Perfect.

She made up her mind. “I’ll take the black three-piece.”

Ye Fangfei glanced at the corresponding swimsuit, then quickly sized up the others, making her own mental calculations.

Chu Yao felt a sinking feeling. Even Li Jiayan, with such a great figure, didn’t pick the red one! She had a bad feeling about this.

Qi Jiajia was equally anxious, wondering what Ye Fangfei would choose.

“Wen Yiming, your pick?” a staff member asked.

Wen Yiming gave the rack a quick once-over, then pointed. “That one.”

Everyone followed his gaze—it was the yellow floral swim trunks, no top, just shorts.

None of the other men were surprised. That was just his style—always looking for a chance to show off his physique, as if he wanted the camera to zoom in on his muscles all day.

“Alright, second place, Zhang Chen and Ye Fangfei, your turn.”

Zhang Chen looked up, his gaze flicking between the three remaining options.

Men’s swimsuits didn’t come in many styles, but there were still choices.

The long black three-piece was obviously meant for those lacking confidence in their bodies—why else wear loose shorts over tight trunks but to hide something?

The tank top with floral shorts? That combination was a disaster—unless you had the looks and the body, wearing it was like sending yourself to the aesthetic graveyard.

The blue short-sleeve with knee-length shorts was decent, a safe choice, though the shorts looked tight—if you weren’t confident, you might feel exposed.

Luckily, Zhang Chen was confident.

He quickly decided. “I’ll take the blue two-piece.”

“Ye Fangfei, your turn,” the staff prompted.

Ye Fangfei surveyed the remaining three swimsuits.

Qi Jiajia and Chu Yao were barely breathing with anticipation. Li Jiayan was also curious to see her choice.

Among the four women, Ye Fangfei had the best figure—if she claimed second place, no one would dare claim first. Even Li Jiayan, proud as she was, had to concede: Ye Fangfei’s physique was flawless, not just in one or two areas, but everywhere.

There were levels to a good figure. Celebrities were usually meticulous about their bodies, though many got thin to look better on camera, sometimes at the expense of real-life appeal. Some perfected their look with makeup and padding.

But Ye Fangfei had been on the show long enough for everyone to know she was the real deal—no tricks, no cheating, just natural beauty and hard work. The other women almost wished she was faking it, but no—she was genuinely stunning.

The women weren’t the only ones waiting for her choice; the men were curious too.

Zhang Chen was most conflicted. He wanted to see her in the red bikini, but then again, if everyone else saw her too, he wasn’t so pleased.

“The racerback one,” Ye Fangfei decided without much thought.

Her words left everyone stunned.

Chu Yao: What? Did she hear right? The most conservative option? With that figure, she picked the one that covered her up the most? She was floored and filled with a dreadful premonition.

Qi Jiajia breathed a sigh of relief—her favorite was safe. Still, who’d have thought Ye Fangfei was so modest?

Li Jiayan was genuinely surprised; she’d thought Ye Fangfei would choose the red or at least the light green one. Instead, she’d gone for this… Clearly, she didn’t want to reveal anything in front of her ex, but that might not be a good thing.

Wen Yiming raised an eyebrow—was the superstar really so conservative? Second place and she chose the ugliest swimsuit? Or was she avoiding exposure in front of her ex? Interesting.

Xu Junze glanced at Chu Yao, silently signaling that their earlier joke might actually come true.

Zhang Chen was silent. He didn’t want her in the most revealing suit, but did she have to go so far in the opposite direction?

He remembered how, at the pool in the Pink House, her swimsuit had accidentally revealed more than intended to Lu Zhou, and now, when it was finally his turn for a treat, she chose to cover up? What was this? Had her family’s words scared her into acting prudish?

Lu Zhou, meanwhile, allowed the faintest smile to flicker across his lips.

The staff called, “Lu Zhou and Qi Jiajia, your choices now.”

After the first rounds, Qi Jiajia had already decided on her top picks. The red was out of the question—she didn’t have the curves for it and wasn’t about to try. Her favorite was the light green, which seemed made for her: modest up top, a perfect low-cut back, one-piece with a high-cut bottom. She worked out, so her back was her strong suit, and her long legs would look great.

It covered her weaknesses and showed off her assets. She didn’t even have to think. “I’ll take the light green.”

Chu Yao immediately held her forehead, pinching Xu Junze and muttering so only he could hear, “You jinxed it.”

Xu Junze stifled his laughter.

The live chat erupted—

[Haha, congrats Chu Yao!]
[Too funny—the one she least wanted is left to her.]
[Maybe try a new style, it might surprise you.]
...

Now, it was Lu Zhou’s turn. The men’s options were down to a tank top set and the long black suit—nothing exciting.

As Lu Zhou opened his mouth to answer, Xu Junze looked at him with a playful tone, “Could you leave the black one for me?”

Lu Zhou hesitated, and everyone else was surprised—could they do that?

Xu Junze smiled. “Just kidding, pick whichever you like.”

Lu Zhou looked at the two remaining suits. Frankly, he didn’t care which he wore. Men’s swimsuits were all pretty much the same, except for going shirtless, which he’d think twice about. The rest didn’t matter to him, though others might care more.

If you had the body, anything looked good; if you didn’t, you dressed to compensate.

The others wondered if Lu Zhou would give way.

But Lu Zhou said, “I’ll take the tank top.”

Xu Junze was surprised. He’d just been chancing his luck, not expecting Lu Zhou to actually leave him the black one. But remembering day one, when Lu Zhou chose Ye Fangfei as his partner despite Zhang Chen’s hints that no one else should, he realized Lu Zhou didn’t give way unless he didn’t care.

So maybe he’d really wanted the tank top all along—he had the physique to pull it off.

Xu Junze thought so.

Chu Yao, seeing this, regretted not trying that trick herself.

With all the choices made, the guests had half an hour to rest before changing into their selected swimsuits for the next activity.

...

Men and women had separate rest areas, plain and simple with no cameras to respect privacy while showering and changing.

After surfing, everyone was exhausted. As soon as they entered the lounge, they took quick showers and sprawled on the loungers, caring nothing for appearances now that there were no cameras.

In the men’s lounge, Xu Junze fell asleep instantly, snoring loudly. Zhang Chen frowned in annoyance but wasn’t sleepy himself.

It was quiet except for the snoring. Lu Zhou lay with his eyes closed—who knew if he was asleep or not? Probably.

The only ones awake were Zhang Chen and Wen Yiming, who didn’t talk much.

After the yacht trip, Zhang Chen had played in the sea a few more times for fun; now, his legs were aching. He absentmindedly massaged his muscles, then glanced at Wen Yiming, who lay relaxed with his hands behind his head and legs crossed, looking as if he hadn’t expended any energy at all.

“Yiming,” Zhang Chen called.

Wen Yiming turned. “What is it?”

“Could you help me out?” Zhang Chen asked with a smile. “My muscles are so tight. You’re an expert at this—could you help loosen them up?”

On the first day at the Pink House, Zhang Chen had radiated the arrogance of the wealthy, but that had faded during filming. Now, with no cameras, that aura returned.

Wen Yiming considered him in silence. If a woman asked, he wouldn’t mind, but a man, and with this tone—what did he take him for, a servant?

But then again, if this earned Zhang Chen’s friendship, it might be worth it. In this show, the men could be rivals, friends, or nothing at all.

It happened that he and Zhang Chen were the least likely to become rivals, so why not be friends?

Wen Yiming smiled, got up, and asked, “Which muscle is tight?”

Zhang Chen grinned. He liked people who understood the game.

Soon, the lounge was filled with howls of pain.

“Ow! Not so hard!”

“It can’t be gentle, or it won’t help.”

“It hurts!”

“Bear with it!”

...

Xu Junze woke up; the snoring stopped. Lu Zhou slowly opened his eyes, looking at the pair with an unreadable expression. “You two should just make a movie.”

Zhang Chen: “...”

Wen Yiming: “...”

In the women’s lounge, Ye Fangfei vaguely heard strange noises next door and frowned. “What are they doing over there?”

Li Jiayan, recognizing the sounds, smiled. “Probably someone’s giving someone a massage.”

Chu Yao added, “Sounds like Zhang Chen.”

Ye Fangfei sighed, “...I need headphones.”

Qi Jiajia giggled. “Who’s giving him a massage? They’re being so rough.”

Li Jiayan casually replied, “Coach Wen, maybe? He’s a pro.”

Coach Wen this, Coach Wen that... The name reminded Qi Jiajia of the past.

There’d been a sophisticated female student who used to call him “Coach Wen” all the time...

Qi Jiajia felt a pang of discomfort and glanced at Li Jiayan. “Could you not call him Coach Wen?”

Li Jiayan looked puzzled. “Why not?”

Qi Jiajia replied, “I just don’t like it.”

Li Jiayan quirked a brow, not understanding. Wasn’t Qi Jiajia interested in Lu Zhou now? Why did she care how others addressed her ex? Was she trying to have it both ways?

Li Jiayan chuckled and repeated, “You don’t like it? Did I hear that right?”

Chu Yao sensed the tension. Were these two about to fight? The vibe between them had been strained since the yacht, with all those ambiguous moments involving each other’s exes.

Chu Yao bit her lip, unsure how to handle it.

Qi Jiajia’s lashes fluttered as she realized how impulsive her words had been. “Because I...”

But how could she explain? Should she say she broke up with Wen Yiming because she suspected he was too close with a student, who always called him “Coach Wen”? The reason was too private and embarrassing.

“Was it your pet name for him when you were dating?” Li Jiayan guessed aloud.

Qi Jiajia shook her head. “No.”

Li Jiayan: “...” Speechless.

Qi Jiajia saw her reaction and tried to move past it. “Sorry, I was too sensitive because of old experiences. I spoke without thinking. Don’t mind me—call him whatever you like. I’ll manage my feelings.”

She apologized directly.

Li Jiayan, though exasperated, couldn’t argue with such a sincere apology. “I’ll change how I call him.”

With that, she picked up her swimsuit and went to the changing room.

Qi Jiajia was left standing there, looking upset.

Chu Yao sat in front of the mirror, quietly touching up her makeup.

Ye Fangfei lay with her eyes closed, thinking: The real drama happens where there are no cameras.

Thank you to love Jinsheng Qingyuan for the 100-point reward;
Thank you to reader 20180831114205894 for the 100-point reward.