It turned out that Tian Xiaole and Zhou Tong were whispering something. Zhou Tong looked a little awkward. When he saw that everyone was looking over, Zhou Tong pursed his lips, stopped moving slowly, and strode over to Xiao Shulang.
“I apologize for my previous remarks,” Zhou Tong said. “I hesitated to come over just now, not because I felt I shouldn’t apologize to you, but because… I originally wanted to find an opportunity to talk to you privately. But it’s okay, I was the one who said the wrong thing, I’m sorry.”
Xiao Shulang nodded, accepting his apology: "It's alright."
“I really didn’t know he treated relationships like this,” Zhou Tong said, puzzled. “He’s really... I’d like to apologize on his behalf as well.”
Zhou Tong's words meant that he had no intention of breaking off his friendship with Luo Tian. Luo Tian had done something wrong, and his good friend had even come out to apologize on his behalf.
Xiao Shulang sighed inwardly. Zhou Tong was a true friend, but this silly boy was also completely fooled by Luo Tian.
"You don't need to apologize for his mistake, Zhou Tong. Your straightforwardness is a good thing, but you should think things through more carefully before acting, or you might be used as a scapegoat."
Xiao Shulang left it at that. Zhou Tong thought about how he had tagged Luo Tian in the group yesterday but hadn't received a reply. He hadn't said anything. After this incident, he couldn't help but have doubts about Luo Tian... But, after being friends for several years, he sincerely hoped that Luo Tian was just confused about his feelings this time, and that after he corrected himself, he would still be the good brother he knew.
After everyone finished resting, they got into the production crew's car and went to the resort's water facilities.
As soon as they got out of the car, some people couldn't wait to come up to them.
"Hello everyone, a newbie reporting for duty!"
Xiao Shulang looked up and exclaimed: "Wow, isn't this Zhuo Cheng?"
Chapter 37 He spoke softly, "I want to tell you my sincerest love—"
Although Zhuo Cheng joined the program team, he was a rather special case.
He was essentially brought in as a last-minute replacement, and since he still had his own show, "Radiant Star," to work on, the director agreed that Zhuo Cheng wouldn't have to spend all his time on the show like the other guests. Of course, the contract and remuneration would be different.
Zhuo Chengxian greeted everyone first, then reached out to Xiao Shulang separately: "Teacher Xiao, it's been a long time. I heard you sing live last time, and I can hum that song now. It was so beautiful!"
Xiao Shulang shook hands with him: "You flatter me, Teacher Zhuo. Your composition is truly excellent."
Zhuo Cheng excitedly shook his hand, but suddenly felt a sharp gaze. He subconsciously let go of his hand, looked left and right, but found nothing wrong. He thought to himself, "That's strange."
He didn't notice, but the audience did.
[Finally, it's airing! I'm here! Without Luo Tian, the screen feels cleaner!]
[Pfft, did Qin Shuang just glance at Zhuo Cheng and Xiao Shulang's clasped hands?]
"Huh? I just glanced at them normally, everyone else was looking at them too, I didn't see anything wrong."
[No, no, no, don't be so naive. Let me analyze this for you. Although Qin Shuang appears calm on the surface, his eyes definitely changed by three pixels! That's jealousy. Will I ever see Qin Shuang's possessiveness in my lifetime?!]
While they were greeting everyone, the staff had already brought out raincoats. The event at this water sports event was a group free-for-all, but also an individual competition. The winner would receive a prize from the sponsor and the privilege of not having to do any work during the evening's cleaning and cooking.
The sponsor's rewards may just be a side effect of advertising, but since it's a game competition, Xiao Shulang is full of enthusiasm.
Although Qin Shuang didn't say anything, she had already silently put on her raincoat, showing that she was going all out.
The water facilities are only partially open to them today. The facilities are built on the pool, and all safety measures are in place. The pool is not particularly deep, so there is no danger even if you can't swim. Lifeguards are also available, so safety is guaranteed.
This time, Zhou Tong and Tian Xiaole also joined in, finally they could play together with everyone.
The staff began explaining the rules.
The first section of the track is a foam floating bridge over a pool. The bridge is wide and easy to walk on, but there are several large swings hanging in the air that swing back and forth. The speed is not fast, but it is very useful when the guests can interfere with each other.
The second section is a water-filled roller, divided into several sections. Each section rotates or stops at different frequencies, which tests physical strength and judgment.
The third and fourth levels... are all fun and interesting, and several game enthusiasts are already eager to try them out.
Each guest received a water gun, which could be used to distract others. Those who fell into the pool could not move forward from the pool and had to return to the track. Although everyone was wearing raincoats to protect themselves from the water guns, the raincoats were useless if they actually fell into the water.
In addition, the staff on the sidelines will give the order "three, two, one, stop moving" from time to time. Upon hearing the order, people on the track must immediately stop moving and become puppets. People in the water can move, but are not allowed to go ashore, which increases the difficulty.
Everyone stood at the starting line. Zhou Tong and Tian Xiaole stood close together. Zhou Tong said, "I'll hold them off for a bit, you run first."
Tian Xiaole gripped the water gun tightly: "Mmm!"
You Ziang grinned: "How long do you plan to drag this out by yourself?"
Zhou Tong: "Don't underestimate me!"
Xiao Shulang held up the water gun, smiling without saying a word.
As soon as the start signal came out, everyone ran out immediately. Zhou Tong turned around and was about to grab the nearest person to spray water when, unexpectedly, four streams of water sprayed towards him at the same time. Zhou Tong closed his eyes, slipped, and tumbled down with a "plop".
"Wow!"
Zhou Tong wiped his face in the water: "Go ahead and gang up on me!"
The four people who just made a move were Xiao Shulang, Qin Shuang, Xu Baichang, and You Ziang. The four of them really didn't discuss it. However, after hanging out with them for a long time, Xu Baichang has also become a bit cunning. He laughed and said, "After all, you two are definitely a team."
Everyone else is still single, only those two are definitely on the same side, so dealing with them first shouldn't be a problem.
“Well said,” Xiao Shulang said, “Teacher Xu, be careful!”
Xu Baichang: "?"
As soon as Xu Baichang turned his head, he found that someone had bumped into him. It turned out that You Ziang was no match for the combined attack of Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang and was about to fall. Xu Baichang happened to be next to him, so water splashed high and the two of them fell into the water together.
A clear, melodious voice drifted from afar: "I warned you!"
Xu Baichang wiped the water off his face, and said loudly, both amused and exasperated, "You guys did this on purpose!"
Those two clearly calculated the location precisely, forcing You Ziang to his side, causing them both to fall into the water!
"Exactly!" You Zi'ang exclaimed, "Let's go back and take revenge!"
However, Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang didn't hold back either. After dealing with the other people nearby, the two immediately turned their water guns on each other and started fighting. As a result, Xiao Shulang's float board accumulated more water, and he slipped and fell first.
But Xiao Shulang is not one to give up so easily.
Taking advantage of his long arms and legs, Xiao Shulang grabbed Qin Shuang's arm before falling and smiled at him.
Her eyes were curved in a smile, and she was so beautiful that Qin Shuang couldn't break free immediately.
Xiao Shulang: "Let's go together, Teacher Qin!"
With two "plop" sounds, the two "died together".
Unexpectedly, five players were eliminated at the very beginning, and the ones running in the lead were actually Tian Xiaole and Yin Xingzhi, who were relatively weaker in terms of physical strength. The unexpected start made everyone exclaim how exciting it was.
Zhuo Cheng could have escaped in the chaos, but he was stunned by the melee in front of him when he started running. Now, looking left and right, he actually squatted down by the pool and reached out to Xiao Shulang.
Xiao Shulang was taken aback for a moment, but he reacted quickly. He didn't reach out, but blinked and said, "Teacher Zhuo, I feel embarrassed by your actions."
Zhuo Cheng still didn't understand the crisis: "Huh? What are you embarrassed about?"
"that is--"
Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang suddenly acted at the same time, grabbing Zhuo Cheng and pulling him into the water.
"Sorry for tricking you!"
The audience burst into laughter amidst the splashing water.
[Haha, he said he was sorry, but he didn't hesitate to do it!]
[Voiceover: Get down here!]
When I first saw Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang aiming water guns at each other, I thought my favorite couple was going to have a bad ending, but I was wrong, hahaha. Their banter is so funny, and they don't hold back when they're messing with each other.
[You can tell I really want to win the game, hahaha]
Zhuo Cheng had also been in the water. Only then did he realize what was happening, and he quickly followed Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang as they climbed ashore, saying, "Great job, you guys!"
Xiao Shulang laughed: "Teacher Zhuo, you don't need to go easy on us when playing games!"
Zhuo Cheng: "I understand your team atmosphere now!"
As the cheerful atmosphere subsided, Xiao Shulang quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
He really couldn't have directly held Zhuo Cheng's hand just now; this was a romantic comedy, and physical contact would be too easily magnified.
The live stream started when they got out of the car. As soon as Zhuo Cheng arrived, he greeted Xiao Shulang separately. If Xiao Shulang had been pulled up by Zhuo Cheng just now, he would probably have been labeled as having an ambiguous relationship with Zhuo Cheng.
Zhuo Chenggang is new to the dating show and may not be very perceptive. Xiao Shulang's relaxed response just now lightened the mood, and even the audience forgot to think about it in other directions for a moment.
With Qin Shuang also involved, it's no longer just an interaction between Xiao Shulang and Zhuo Cheng.
Moreover... well, Xiao Shulang realized that Qin Shuang's actions might not be for any other reason than that she genuinely wanted to drag Zhuo Cheng into the water.
His sudden burst of power was astonishing; Xiao Shulang was almost caught off guard.
Those who fell into the water got back to shore and hurried forward.
Yin Xingzhi and Tian Xiaole and Hexie, who were originally in the lead, did not attack each other much, but they were defeated by the challenge itself. In the second challenge, they rolled into the water on the roller and repeated it several times. They quickly lost their lead and were overtaken by the later guests.
The group behind them, who were fighting fiercely, had fallen into the water more than once. After several rounds of competition, Xiao Shulang was the first to reach the second level. He seized the moment when all the rollers stopped and rushed through quickly and steadily.
Tian Xiaole, who was soaking in the water, exclaimed, "The difference in their athletic abilities is just too big!"
Qin Shuang followed closely behind, and with one foot already out, the staff suddenly gave the order to everyone: "Three, two, one, don't move!"
The commands came out in rapid succession, forcing Qin Shuang to stop. His feet were still a few centimeters above the surface of the roller when he managed to stop abruptly, halting in mid-air.
If Qin Shuang's foot lands firmly, the wooden figure, which is not allowed to move, will fall down as the roller spins.
The staff thought to themselves, "This is allowed? This is allowed to stop?!"
The audience cheered, "Brother Qin is awesome!"
Once the wooden figure made contact, Qin Shuang had to wait for the next opportunity to step on it and run over. During this time, since there were no other people in front of her to hinder her, Xiao Shulang was far ahead of everyone else and immediately widened the gap between himself and the others.
The second obstacle, the rolling drum, was difficult to pass, blocking many people. Only You Ziang followed Qin Shuang and rushed through, while the rest were repeatedly thrown into the mud.
You Ziang suggested to Qin Shuang, "Xiao Shulang has already run quite far ahead. How about we take a temporary truce? Otherwise, we really won't be able to catch up with him."
Qin Shuang looked up and saw that Xiao Shulang's figure was temporarily out of sight after turning the corner, blocked by the facilities. Qin Shuang estimated the distance, suddenly stopped, turned around and aimed the water gun at You Ziang.
"No, there's a high probability we won't be able to catch up," Qin Shuang said. "Then let's make the probability even higher."
Although Qin Shuang and Xiao Shulang were not in the same frame at this time, it did not stop them from blatantly displaying their affection to the audience.
Let me translate: I might have a hard time catching up, so I'm not going to try, and you shouldn't even think about catching up either.
[Another translation: If I can't win, then let him win!]
[I knew it! Even in individual battles, there's always something to be had! You guys didn't disappoint me!]
When Xiao Shulang emerged from the waterway, he felt that things had gone too smoothly, so he turned his head to look around. From his position, he could see the situation of the other guests.