Ling Shuangjiang suppressed a smile: "Your family is so cute."
"Cute?" Xie Wang said lazily, "I guess so."
Although the movie was 16 years ago, the young actor in Xie Wang's memory still had some similarities with Ling Shuangjiang in front of him. The passage of time had not diminished the exquisite features and eyebrows of the other party, and a resemblance could still be seen. This was also the reason why he felt familiar with Ling Shuangjiang at first glance.
Xie Wang continued casually, "You're still so young, and you're already in such a hurry to participate in a show to find a partner?"
Ling Shuangjiang explained, "It's not that I'm in a hurry. My agency arranged for me to come here, and I happen to have the time, so I'm just treating it as a trip."
Xie Wang nodded, a cigarette between his fingers: "We're pretty much the same. We're both participating in the show not for the purpose of dating. We could work together if there's an opportunity."
"Cooperation?" Ling Shuangjiang smiled faintly. "How would we cooperate?"
Xie Wang glanced around and found that most of the cameras were inside the house, and the courtyard was deserted and unattended.
"I watched some videos of these kinds of variety shows on the plane. They're all just lovey-dovey couples talking about love. This show doesn't restrict the selection of couples by gender, so we have the chance to choose each other. Anyway, what can two straight men do? They can only drink, surf, and play sports together."
"If you're willing, I can teach you boxing, dumbbells, martial arts, and things like that."
Ling Shuangjiang raised her eyebrows and smiled faintly, like a precious white peony swaying in the wind.
"There are indeed many things that two straight men can do."
Unfortunately, he's not straight.
Xie Wang nodded: "Exercising with friends is never boring."
"really."
"However, I'm not very good at sports."
Xie Wang's gaze fell on his slender waist and legs: "Exercise is good for your health and strengthens your physique. It's okay if you're not good at it. If you want to learn, I can teach you when I have the chance."
Ling Shuangjiang smiled and said, "I can give it a try. But I can't guarantee that I will choose you."
Xie Wang picked up his cigarette again and nodded slightly.
Before setting off, Ling Shuangjiang was called away by the director and told that his identity was "FOX".
He wasn't very surprised, since he had already guessed it.
Director: "By the way, if you don't successfully pair up with a guest in the end, you'll have to accept the punishment of surviving alone on a desert island. So, good luck."
Ling Shuangjiang smiled gently, then turned and left.
He didn't intend to exploit other people's feelings to get the reward; although it was for the sake of the variety show, it wasn't a good idea.
If he were to pair up with another guest, it would be a win-win situation, but so far, all the male guests seem to be straight.
The only one, Shen Ke, might be open to both men and women, but he wasn't interested in her.
Therefore, he was prepared to be a couch potato all the way.
—
On the way, Ling Shuangjiang got so engrossed in admiring the seaside scenery that she fell behind and ended up at the back of the group.
Shen Ke was waiting for him ahead: "Ajiang, hurry up and catch up."
Upon hearing Ling Shuangjiang's name, Huang Shan stopped and waited for him with Shen Ke. Xie Wang glanced at the two of them silently before continuing his long strides alone.
After boarding, the luggage needed to be carried to the top of the bus. Ling Shuangjiang helped Qiao Yi and Huang Shan carry their luggage up, but then she was stumped by her own two oversized suitcases.
He is meticulous and has obsessive-compulsive disorder about cleanliness; he carries a huge amount of stuff with him wherever he goes.
He struggled more and more as he lifted the suitcase halfway. Just as he was about to give up, the weight in his hands suddenly lifted off the ground, and Xie Wang beside him helped him put it in with just one hand.
"Thank you." Ling Shuangjiang raised her wrist to wipe the fine sweat from her forehead and thanked Xie Wang.
Xie Wang casually nodded his chin: "I told you, you need to exercise." After saying that, he sat down to the side, pulled up the blackout curtains, his brows furrowed slightly with a hint of irritation, and stared straight ahead.
Seeing this, Shen Ke walked over and said, "Ah Jiang, if you need help next time, just call me."
Ling Shuangjiang smiled faintly: "Thank you for your kindness."
[Wow, I think the third male actor, who's not a professional actor, is quite popular.]
[Currently, I think Shen Ke and Huang Shan are both interested in him, and the cool guy (male fourth) might also be a little interested.]
[Doesn't Shen Ke like girls? His taking care of the third male lead is probably because they're classmates, right?]
[Shen Ke might be bisexual, it doesn't really matter.]
In the car, to get to know each other better, Wen Ai suggested using two words to describe her personality.
Huang Shan: "Slow to warm up, sensitive."
Joey: "Cheerful and thoughtful."
Warmth: "Innocence, romance."
Bai Xinyu: "Attentive and gentle."
Shen Ke: "Resilient and steady."
Ling Shuangjiang: "Salted fish, be quiet."
Chyi Yu: "Enthusiastic and easy-going."
Xie Wang: "He has a bad temper and a quick temper."
After Xie Wang finished speaking, not only the guests present, but also the live chat fell silent for a while.
[Hilarious! Everyone else gets points, but the adjectives used to describe the fourth male lead are deducting points.]
[This guy isn't here to find love; he's just someone brought in to fill a spot.]
[All female guests received a negative impression score of 100.]
[A cool guy who's simple and unpretentious...]
The other guests exchanged bewildered glances, but Ling Shuangjiang found Xie Wang quite interesting and smiled.
After a two-hour journey, all the guests were taken to an island booked by the production team. Eight small RVs were parked on the beach, their interiors cramped, dark, and stuffy.
"We won't be staying here for the next month, will we?" Wen Ai asked, pulling her suitcase with a worried look on her face. "The RV isn't well ventilated; it's too stuffy."
Although the other guests didn't speak, their expressions weren't good; the excitement and anticipation they had when they first arrived were gone.
For them, even the worst accommodations during filming are better than this, since the luxury RVs can't compare to what the production team has prepared.
The director then pointed into the distance: "There's a detached manor on the island across the way. Each time a guest is successfully paired up, they can go to the luxurious manor for a day trip."
"After a day of getting to know each other, I believe you all have a favorite or preferred guest in mind. In an hour, we will select your favorite guest and pair them up."
The sea breeze was warm and comfortable. After Ling Shuangjiang loaded her luggage into her RV, she changed into a refreshing white T-shirt and shorts, and took out a homemade mosquito-repelling and air-freshening sachet from her suitcase and hung it by the window.
When the sea breeze blows in, the air inside the car is immediately refreshed and filled with a faint fruity fragrance.
On the beach, Wen Nuan, who didn't want to get into the RV, stayed by Qi Yu's side and chatted enthusiastically with him.
The rest of the people packed up their own RVs.
Ling Shuangjiang had already packed up. He sat by the car door with an apple in his hand and noticed that the RV across the street belonged to Xie Wang. At that moment, Xie Wang was leaning against the car, lazily gazing at the coastline.
Xie Wang also changed his clothes, still wearing a simple black shirt, but this time he wore casual white pants. Leaning there, his broad shoulders, long legs, and tall proportions made him look just like a model on the runway.
However, the model seemed to be subtly unhappy.
Ling Shuangjiang took a bite of the apple and said, "When you described yourself like that, weren't you afraid of being alone?"
Ling Shuangjiang's voice was like a timely rain after a long drought, clear and gentle, filling the surrounding air with a sense of freshness and tranquility, pulling Xie Wang back to his senses.
Xie Wang turned around at the sound, his gaze falling on Ling Shuangjiang's fair and slender legs. Ling Shuangjiang was indeed very fair-skinned; her clean white socks were almost the same shade as her skin.
His voice was low: "I'm not afraid."
Ling Shuangjiang continued, "If you're alone, you'll have to stay here."
Xie Wang didn't care, one hand in his pocket, his gaze cold: "The strong don't need to be chosen, but have the right to choose."
Ling Shuangjiang couldn't help but laugh twice: "That makes sense."
Facing the sea breeze, Ling Shuangjiang's black hair was disheveled, falling on her nose and lips like delicate cream covered with chocolate threads, making one want to take a bite.
Xie Wang frowned seriously: "What are you laughing at?"
Ling Shuangjiang shook her head: "It's nothing."
[The fourth male character is a bit of a chuunibyou, haha.]
[To be honest, the fourth male lead is a hundred times more handsome than the fifth male lead, but his aloof demeanor makes him less popular.]
[Isn't the fifth male lead a billionaire?]
[Damn it, didn't anyone notice the third guy's calves...? My calves aren't as pretty and smooth as his as his, even though I'm a girl.]
Xie Wang stopped worrying about why Ling Shuangjiang was laughing and casually remarked, "There are so many mosquitoes here."
Ling Shuangjiang told him, "When I was tidying up just now, I found mosquito repellent in the car. We can plug it in tonight."
Xie Wang casually replied, "I'm allergic to mosquito repellent."
Ling Shuangjiang stared at him for a moment, then turned and took several sachets from the car, tossing them to him: "Inside are all-natural plants and fruits, including patchouli, dried tangerine peel, and mugwort..."
Will these Chinese herbs cause you to have an allergic reaction?
Xie Wang, carrying the mosquito repellent bag, said, "Thank you. The bag is so small, but it holds quite a lot of things. Did you make all of this?"
Ling Shuangjiang: "Yes, my mother taught me."
Xie Wang smiled faintly, brought the sachet to his nose and smelled it: "It's quite impressive."
Ling Shuangjiang smiled faintly: "It's alright."
[Hmm, I think it's a little sweet.]
[The fourth male character is saying he's straight, right?]
[The two are somewhat well-matched; the height difference and skin tone contrast... I'm starting to lose control!]
Xie Wang's interpersonal principles always emphasized mutual giving. Since Ling Shuangjiang's gift was useful to him, he felt he should reciprocate. So he turned and went into his car to retrieve his luggage, intending to give Ling Shuangjiang a gift as well.
At this time, Huang Shan and Shen Ke came over to chat with Ling Shuangjiang. Smelling the fresh and elegant scent inside Ling Shuangjiang's car, Shen Ke asked curiously, "Shuangjiang, your RV smells really good, what is it?"
Ling Shuangjiang: "Mosquito repellent bag."
Huang Shan leaned forward and said, "Sure enough, the car isn't stuffy with the windows open, and we don't have to worry about mosquito bites."