Chapter 126: Nightmare

Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei boarded the helicopter bound for the City of Angels. Shortly after takeoff, Lu Zhou became quite interested in the scenery unfolding beneath them from high altitude.

"Look over there!"

Finding a good vantage point and feeling excited to share it with the person beside him, he reached out and gently tapped Ye Fangfei’s arm, gesturing for her to come look. Although they were sitting side-by-side, they were both wearing noise-canceling headphones, making it difficult to hear each other.

Though he couldn't hear Lu Zhou, Ye Fangfei understood his intent. She smiled and shook her head at him.

"I’m not looking out," she said.

Lu Zhou couldn't hear her, but he guessed what she said from reading her lips. He suddenly realized her fear of heights and felt annoyed by his own carelessness.

He leaned in closer to her and asked loudly, "Are you scared riding in this?"

"Huh? What?" Ye Fangfei blinked those clear, sparkling eyes, looking bewildered; she clearly hadn't caught what he said.

"Are you scared?" Lu Zhou repeated, his voice raised.

Ye Fangfei burst into a radiant smile and shouted, "I really can't hear you!"

She suddenly felt like they were playing one of those lip-reading games, and she found it rather amusing. Seeing her laughing so happily, Lu Zhou became interested in playing along. He continued to ask if she was scared, using exaggerated mouth movements.

This time, Ye Fangfei seemed to understand. She smiled, shook her head at him, and mimicked his exaggerated expressions, telling him slowly, word by word, "As long as I don't look outside, I'm not scared."

Lu Zhou guessed most of what she said and gave her an "OK" gesture.

"It’s a pity you're afraid of heights; you're missing out on some beautiful scenery," he said.

"Hmm? What was that?" Ye Fangfei looked blankly at him.

Lu Zhou laughed heartily, finding her expression inexplicably cute. The two of them played their nonsensical lip-reading game, neither able to hear the other, yet having a wonderful time.

After playing for a while, Lu Zhou stopped teasing her. He reached out, gently lifted her right headphone, and leaned in close to say loudly, "It’ll be boring if you don’t look at the scenery. Get some sleep; we won’t be there for a while."

Ye Fangfei froze; she had heard him clearly this time.

Her long, dark eyelashes fluttered twice. She turned to look at him. They were quite close, and despite the roaring noise of the helicopter, she could clearly feel her own heartbeat.

Just a moment later, he finished speaking and lowered her headset.

Her hearing returned to her own world. She brushed away the strange feeling flickering in her heart and nodded at him.

Ye Fangfei really did lean back against the seat and fall asleep. Lu Zhou watched the scenery for a while, then turned to see her sleeping, her beautiful face making it hard for him to look away.

He boldly watched her in silence for quite some time, a faint smile appearing on his lips unconsciously. This subtle feeling at this moment was hard to explain to anyone else; he could only savor it himself.

He had fallen for her. Lu Zhou acknowledged his own heart.

He couldn't say when it had started. Perhaps the seed was sown the first time they met, perhaps the moment they bumped into each other by the pool, perhaps the instant he saw her sucking on a lollipop while admiring his dancing, perhaps the day they first teamed up for a trip, or perhaps it was because of those fragments in his dreams...

Human attraction is not actually that complicated; often, you just fall for someone in an instant.

Just like the original owner of this body, who fell for Li Jiayan the moment he saw her playing the piano seven years ago, falling into the web of love.

Attraction isn't that complex; it doesn't usually require listing one, two, or six conditions. It is an impulse. The ones who list various conditions are merely looking for a "suitable" match.

The feeling of attraction was too beautiful. Memories of another world that had awakened told Lu Zhou that in his previous life, he had never experienced such an emotion.

Or perhaps, in that world, such emotions were constrained by the environment. Most people there didn't even truly love each other before marriage; they stayed together simply because their conditions were the most compatible.

His parents didn't seem to have had a profound love, either—just affection born from habit. Two people with superior genes came together and produced him, who possessed superior genes, but those genes manifested in music and art rather than the direction his parents had expected.

Being accompanied by music was the most brilliant time of his life in that world.

Love? Let alone love, he hadn't even had the chance to marry and have children.

Experiencing the taste of attraction for the first time in this world as a soul reborn, he suddenly felt as if his entire world had blossomed.

The helicopter continued its flight, the roaring noise inexplicably lulling him to sleep. Lu Zhou drifted off with this wonderful state of mind.

He woke up again because of a nudge on his arm. Lu Zhou opened his eyes abruptly, his mind not yet fully clear, a hint of panic in his eyes.

His chest heaved with rapid breathing, and his forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

Ye Fangfei didn't expect such a strong reaction upon his waking. She furrowed her delicate brows and asked softly.

Hearing her voice, Lu Zhou turned to meet Ye Fangfei's concerned gaze. The moment he saw her face, he felt dazed, and his eyes suddenly reddened.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he struggled to restrain the hand he had almost impulsively reached out with.

"What's wrong? Was it a nightmare? Or are you not feeling well?" Ye Fangfei asked, puzzled, frightened by the shifting look in Lu Zhou's eyes.

Lu Zhou returned to reality. He sat up straight in his seat, lowered his head to rub his brow bone, and composed his emotions. Only then did he turn back to look at her, smiling easily as if nothing had happened: "It's nothing, just a very long, long nightmare."

Hearing him say this, Ye Fangfei breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he was just unwell...

She opened her handbag, took out a tissue, and handed it to him. "How scary of a dream could make you sweat like that? Wipe it off; we've arrived."

Lu Zhou smiled, took the tissue, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and smoothed his appearance before getting off the plane with her.

Previously, their live stream had been interrupted on the plane. Now that they were on the ground, the production team reconnected the feed.

The viewers in the live stream had been waiting for their footage for a long time and were impatient. Once the camera reappeared, the chat flooded instantly.

[The Fei-Zhou couple has finally reappeared!]
[You didn't do anything unmentionable on the helicopter, did you?]
[Blind guess: they might have already kissed.]
[Quick, check if her lipstick is smudged!!!]
[??? You guys are insane.]

Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei left the plane and boarded the RV provided by the production team, driving along Highway 9.

Meanwhile, the other guests were starting their own travels in different cities.

Li Jiayan hadn't been in a good mood all day, until Zhang Chen brought her into the bustling streets of Geyaton. The high-end urban atmosphere hit her, immediately diverting her attention from her bad mood.

The upscale commercial district along the way caught her eye.

As they walked, it was filled with all sorts of major luxury brands—this was a shopping paradise!

She couldn't help but subconsciously check the budget they had in hand. The money was only enough for food, drink, and transport; there was no way they could shop in these stores. *Damn*, she really wanted her phone back!

Today was the perfect day for a shopping spree!

It was truly painful to look but not buy. The two of them continued strolling down the street.

Zhang Chen occasionally noticed Li Jiayan's eyes lighting up when looking at a certain bag or piece of clothing. Her desire was too obvious, so he couldn't help but ask with a smile, "Like it?"

"What's the point of liking it?" Li Jiayan muttered.

"If you like it, just buy it," Zhang Chen said.

Li Jiayan gave him an indescribable look, shook the money in her hand, and said, "With this little money, how can I buy anything?"

"If you really want to buy it, I can lend you the money first. When the show ends, you can pay me back," Zhang Chen said, hands in his pockets, looking as if he could truly lend her the money.

Li Jiayan couldn't help but laugh out loud, wondering if he wasn't thinking clearly. "Did you forget that you don't even have your phone on you?"

"Just tell me if you want it or not," Zhang Chen said, raising an eyebrow.

Seeing him so serious, Li Jiayan hesitated and replied, "I do..."

"Which one did you like?" Zhang Chen asked.

Li Jiayan pointed at a bag in the display window. "That one."

"Go ask for the price," Zhang Chen said, nodding toward the counter.

As if possessed, Li Jiayan actually went to ask for the price. When she came back out, Zhang Chen asked her how much it was.

"Twelve thousand dollars," Li Jiayan said.

"Alright, keep that in mind. We'll come back and buy it later."

Li Jiayan: "???"

Live stream chat—
[Is this "arrogant CEO" tone engraved in his bones?]
[Hahaha, where are you getting the money from?]
[How long is "later"? After the show ends?]

Zhang Chen continued walking down the street, turned a few corners, and arrived at the entrance of a high-end hotel.

Li Jiayan was a bit tired. She looked up, saw the hotel sign, and her mouth twitched. She couldn't help but grip the budget money in her hand tighter.

"You aren't tired and planning to open a room here to rest, are you? This obviously isn't cheap. If you want to rest here, I certainly won't agree."

"Well, I don't really need your agreement," Zhang Chen said, curling his lips at her before stepping into the hotel.

Li Jiayan frowned and followed, confused.

She saw Zhang Chen go to the front desk, communicate with the clerk, and after a while, the other party made a phone call. After waiting for a long time, a Western man in a suit walked out of the elevator and greeted Zhang Chen with a warm smile.

Waiting on the sofa in the lounge, Li Jiayan watched this scene and suddenly understood what he meant by lending her money...

Could it be that this hotel belonged to his family? Li Jiayan was secretly shocked.

The man in the suit and Zhang Chen didn't talk for long before Zhang Chen turned to look at Li Jiayan, beckoning for her to follow.

Li Jiayan walked up and asked suspiciously, "What are we doing?"

"I'm hungry. Let's go eat first, then I'll take you shopping," Zhang Chen said.

"..." Li Jiayan looked around the hotel. "Eating here?"

"Yes."

"This place is expensive, right? We have a budget for meals. Let's find a restaurant outside."

"That budget won't get us anything good to eat."

"…Then, is this meal not going to cost money?"

"It's free. Don't worry."

"How could it be free... Is it your family's hotel?"

Li Jiayan finally asked the question that had been burning in her mind.

"No, it belongs to a friend's family." Zhang Chen stepped into the elevator, saw Li Jiayan's expression reflected in the mirror, and couldn't help but smirk.

*Damn*, it really feels good to be a rich man again. Being exploited for so many days had been suffocating.

Turning around, he saw the resentful gaze of the cameraman and laughed. "I'm not violating any rules. My friend is treating me to a meal, and it didn't cost your budget. You should be happy."

Staff: "..."

The elevator doors opened. Zhang Chen and Li Jiayan arrived at the hotel restaurant and truly enjoyed a free, high-end lunch.

"Tell me, who are the people who went on a date by helicopter?" Zhang Chen asked after they had finished eating.

"..." Things were going fine, but now she was being poked in the heart again. Li Jiayan pursed her lips and looked at him. Even though she had already guessed the answer, she replied, "I don't know."

"What place did you get yesterday?" Zhang Chen asked out of curiosity.

"I can't say that."

"..." Zhang Chen found it boring. He watched her for a moment, then changed the subject: "Are you trying to get back together with Lu Zhou now?"

Li Jiayan was almost choked by the sudden question, but thinking about it, her behavior was so obvious that there was nothing to deny.

"Yes, is there a problem?" She flashed him a smile.

Zhang Chen shrugged and laughed: "No problem. In a way, I actually hope you two get back together."

"Why?" Li Jiayan was surprised to hear such an interesting perspective.

"It's good if you two get back together; it saves me from always suspecting that your ex-boyfriend is interested in my ex-girlfriend," Zhang Chen said, sipping his red wine with an elegant smile.

Li Jiayan: "..."

"Do you think Lu Zhou is interested in Fangfei?" Zhang Chen asked tentatively.

Li Jiayan picked up her napkin, wiped her mouth, and smiled. "I'm not in a position to comment on that."

Zhang Chen heard that she didn't want to share her views and nodded with a smirk.

"Since you want to get back with Lu Zhou, just put in some effort. I'm optimistic about you two. I remember Lu Zhou telling me he likes girls who are as gentle as water. I think among the four girls, your temperament fits his ideal type the best. You guys have a chance."

"Fangfei... she is not the 'gentle as water' type at all. Even if Lu Zhou is interested in her, it's just a fleeting interest, not a long-term choice."

Li Jiayan was slightly startled, looking up to meet his gaze. "He told you that, too?"

"Roommate pillow talk, what's so surprising about that?" Zhang Chen laughed.

Seeing that he didn't seem to be lying, hope ignited in Li Jiayan's heart once again.

"How are things going with Fangfei?" Li Jiayan asked, reversing the interrogation.

"I feel like things are moving in a good direction," Zhang Chen said.

"Then why didn't she choose to get off at the stop you agreed on today? Did you guys have a falling out? Or was there some other reason?" Li Jiayan asked with a smile, her face looking completely innocent.

Zhang Chen's expression became uncomfortable. His hand gripping the wine glass tightened, but Li Jiayan's words suddenly hit him like a wake-up call.

Ye Fangfei didn't get off the helicopter; it didn't necessarily mean she didn't want to. Given her personality, if she didn't want to get off at the same stop as him, she would have said so directly.

But she hadn't responded to him at the time. He thought she had defaulted, but what if she hadn't had a choice?

If she had already been chosen by the first-place winner for a secret date today...

Zhang Chen looked up at Li Jiayan. Combining that with her inexplicably low mood today and her refusal to answer directly when he asked if Lu Zhou was interested in Ye Fangfei, everything suddenly clicked.

*Damn it! Lu Zhou and Li Jiayan got first place yesterday!!! And Lu Zhou chose Ye Fangfei for today's date!!!*

Deducing this, Zhang Chen gritted his teeth. *Well played!*

"It seems that when we go back tonight, we won't be able to avoid having a serious talk with our exes," he said pointedly.

At that moment, the man in the suit walked over and handed an envelope to Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen accepted the envelope, thanked him, and handed it to Li Jiayan.

"Twelve thousand dollars. Go buy your bag."

Li Jiayan was stunned. He had actually gotten the money...

Live stream chat—
[??? Is spending money without blinking okay?]
[I did the math... damn, that bag is expensive.]
[I only thought Zhang Chen was rich, but I was shallow—they are all rich.]
[At this price point, Li Jiayan, are you really not hesitating?]
[She's the owner of a piano training school... could she be poor? Wake up, guys.]
[We are truly watching a love story of the wealthy.]

Meanwhile, the other three in the "City That Never Sleeps"—Xu Junze, Qi Jiajia, and Wen Yiming—had a completely different style of travel.

There was a dispute among them regarding which tourist attractions to choose. Qi Jiajia wanted to go to the shopping paradise, Wen Yiming thought there was nothing fun there and wanted to visit niche spots, and because Xu Junze was here for the first time and was completely unfamiliar with the place, he was fine with going anywhere. Eventually, he suggested a "glance-at-the-flowers" approach, hitting all the places they wanted to visit.

The three of them rushed through the high-end shopping street without buying anything, as they had many places to visit today and their budget was tight, so they just found a relatively cheap restaurant for lunch.

Wen Yiming took two bites of his burger and looked disgusted. "This tastes terrible, and the calories are shockingly high."

Qi Jiajia glanced at him. "The three of us are sharing this budget today, so stop being picky."

"If we hadn't come here to shop and went to visit the small towns instead, our budget would be much more relaxed," Wen Yiming put down his burger and couldn't help but retort.

"You seem to have a lot of opinions?" Qi Jiajia frowned.

"I just think you've been here so many times before, yet you insisted on coming again today. And we have no money to buy anything—I don't know what you're thinking," Wen Yiming said.

Qi Jiajia put down her food and wiped her mouth with a tissue, her expression becoming impatient.

"I like coming here, is that not allowed? Besides, Junze is here for the first time. Do you think it's right for us not to take him to the famous landmarks but instead take him to some obscure, unknown places? I'm not here just for myself, okay?"

Wen Yiming raised his hands in surrender. "OK, I won't argue with you."

"..." Xu Junze, caught in the middle, felt uneasy. This wasn't the first time they had almost started an argument along the way.

Xu Junze suddenly felt that the emotional problems of this couple were much greater than those between him and Chu Yao.

These two basically had no possibility of getting back together...

"I wonder what the situation is with the others? Will anyone be left alone, or are they all in groups of three like us?" Xu Junze tried to change the subject to ease the tension.

"I'm curious, too," Qi Jiajia said, taking the bait.

She was actually more curious about which stop Lu Zhou had chosen to get off at. She wondered if he was still spending the day with Li Jiayan.

Thinking about the fact that Lu Zhou and Li Jiayan had agreed to pair up yesterday, she vaguely felt they seemed to have a tendency to get back together.

At the thought of this, her mood soured. She had hoped for a chance to be in the same place as him today, but it hadn't happened.

...

In fact, someone *was* left alone, and that person was Chu Yao.

She had a sufficient budget for herself today, but she didn't plan to go to many places. She chose to visit a famous university and strolled casually around the campus.

The peaceful atmosphere of the university allowed her to relax, finally letting her quiet down and focus on her inner self, thinking about what she truly wanted.

She wasn't here to get back together from the start. Before the show, her traffic and engagement weren't great, and she thought that if she could get on the show to increase her exposure, gain some new traffic, and try to transform her image, it wouldn't be a bad thing. So, she agreed to Xu Junze's invitation to participate.

But as things developed, her situation on the show had become awkward.

She and Xu Junze were definitely over.

Wen Yiming had shown interest in her before, but she didn't feel he was a good match. Moreover, she didn't think he would bring her any useful resources, so she never considered him.

And Zhang Chen... she had been interested in him. Initially, she thought that if she could win him over, her career would see a big leap. But now he was only focused on Ye Fangfei, bent on getting back together, and with that stubbornness, he clearly wouldn't look at other girls, so Zhang Chen could be passed too.

That left the last one... Lu Zhou.

Lu Zhou—honestly, she hadn't had much deep contact with him since she started the show.

But she actually had a good first impression of him. He was very handsome, polite, knew how to warm up a room, and wasn't competitive or aggressive. At first, she didn't see who he was interested in; he wasn't very proactive and seemed a bit "Buddha-like."

Perhaps it was because he was handsome that Chu Yao subconsciously felt insecure, and his profession wasn't well-regarded at the beginning.

It seemed everyone had overlooked him.

But gradually, it seemed everyone had begun to notice him.

A multi-talented man who seemed like he could shine at any moment—she was actually quite curious. How could someone like that not have made it in the entertainment industry after so many years? The difficulty of making it in this circle must be quite high, right?

Lu Zhou hadn't been in her considerations before. But now, she suddenly felt that he seemed like a decent person, and she wondered if she should try to get to know him.

She wanted to try, but she never had the chance.

Now she was in a bit of a dilemma on the show, which was awkward.

How should she break this weird circle?

Chu Yao lay on the large lawn, looking up at the sky, lost in thought. Since she came to this show, she had to make it work. Being marginalized on the show would end up being a total waste of time.

At this moment, in the live stream chat—
[This live stream is really boring.]
[I suddenly feel like Yao Yao is a bit pathetic, boo hoo.]
[Hugs.]

Meanwhile, on Highway 9, the RV was driving along the beautiful coastline.

Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei sat facing each other by the window, watching the scenery outside.