Chapter 78

As soon as Ye Leyao finished speaking, the entire bus burst into laughter.

Indeed, when it comes to making fun of others, no one could outdo Ye Leyao!

The live comments were even more hilarious:

—“Well said! After all, Zhou Zijian already won over Wen Huai’s mom, so how could Wen Huai not be considered Zhou Zijian’s godson?!”

—“Good brothers becoming stepfather and stepson—this is an epic level-up!”

—“If Wen Huai heard this, his expression would definitely be priceless!”

—“He doesn’t even need to hear it. He already knows Zhou Zijian is with his mom, so he must have figured it out long ago, right?”

—“Zhou Zijian: Call me Dad. Wen Huai: I’ll hit you so hard you’ll call me Dad.”

—“Alright, alright, I get it now. You guys are even more savage than Ye Leyao!”

To this, the netizens merely chuckled.

—“No choice, we learned it from Ye Leyao and Teacher Gou Shi.”

—“Huh? Hahaha, you guys really are the best fans!”

—“I’m sure Ye Leyao and Teacher Gou Shi will thank you all!”

Unfortunately, Ye Leyao had no time to check the comments on his phone. All his attention was now on Zhou Zijian and Wen Xiangyue.

Not just him—the entire bus of guests was focused on watching their expressions.

The smile on Zhou Zijian’s face had vanished the moment he saw Wen Huai. Now, he sat stiffly in his seat, a big burly man with “help me” written all over his face for the first time.

After hearing Ye Leyao’s teasing, Zhou Zijian forced a bitter smile. Was he supposed to go greet Wen Huai?

If he did, would he even make it back?

He feared his life might be in danger!

Ye Leyao glanced at Zhou Zijian and instantly knew what he was thinking.

He couldn’t hold back anymore and laughed even harder.

[Hahahahahahaha, alright, sending Brother Zhou to greet Wen Huai now would really be pushing it. After all, the last time they met, Wen Huai beat him up. Hmm… Since they’re recording a show today, that shouldn’t happen again, but I seriously suspect Brother Zhou just wants to dig a hole and escape!]

Huo Yan nodded in full agreement.

Just looking at Zhou Zijian’s expression, it was obvious. If the bus had more than one door, he probably would have run already!

Meanwhile, Wen Xiangyue’s expression was equally interesting.

She clearly didn’t expect Wen Huai to show up here. She stared out the window in shock for a long time, then suddenly pulled her hand out of Zhou Zijian’s grasp.

Zhou Zijian was stunned and looked at her in surprise.

Ye Leyao laughed so hard his shoulders shook.

[Is Sister-in-law trying to avoid suspicion?]

Duan Tingyan, who was always up for some drama, said to Liu Yan beside him, “Look, Brother Zhou’s expression totally says, ‘Are you planning to abandon me too? The saying ‘when disaster strikes, every man for himself’ couldn’t be truer!’”

He was naturally good at voice acting, so when he said this, he imitated Zhou Zijian’s voice perfectly—it was spot on.

Duan Tingyan didn’t say it quietly either, and everyone on the bus heard it.

The regular cast members of Let’s Go Traveling Together were known for not being the serious type, so when they heard this, everyone laughed heartily. Even Li Siyuan couldn’t hold back, turning his head and covering his face to hide his laughter.

Everyone on the bus was laughing, except Zhou Zijian, who had completely withdrawn into himself.

Wen Xiangyue’s expression turned slightly awkward. Worried her boyfriend might misunderstand, she quietly explained to Zhou Zijian, “Don’t listen to Xiao Duan’s nonsense. That’s not what I meant. It’s just… you know, Xiao Huai still has some issues with us… so it’s better if we keep some distance.”

Wen Xiangyue didn’t really need to say it; Zhou Zijian already understood. However, if Wen Xiangyue hadn’t physically shifted herself further away, Zhou Zijian might have felt a bit better.

Watching their intimate closeness suddenly shift to the “just friends” zone, Zhou Zijian looked pitiful, and with a miserable expression, he looked at Wen Xiangyue, saying, “I understand, but right now, shouldn’t you be cheering me on instead of drawing a line between us?”

Wen Xiangyue opened her mouth, just about to offer some comfort, when Wen Huai arrived at the front of the bus.

Ye Leyao was the first to notice, exclaiming excitedly:

[He’s here, he’s here, Wen Huai’s here!]

Qin Yao and Huo Yan turned to look at the bus door, and the other guests also followed suit.

Under everyone’s watchful gaze, Wen Huai slowly walked up the bus steps and stood at the front.

Ye Leyao’s sharp eyes followed Wen Huai’s line of sight all the way to Zhou Zijian, and Ye Leyao couldn’t help but grin.

[Brother Zhou! Look up!]

[You dared to date your buddy’s mom, but you can’t even look your good friend in the eye?!]

It was probably a good thing Zhou Zijian couldn’t hear Ye Leyao’s thoughts, or else he would’ve buried his head in the sand like an ostrich in complete embarrassment.

After laughing, Ye Leyao’s gaze shifted to Wen Xiangyue beside him.

Compared to Zhou Zijian, Wen Xiangyue looked much more relaxed. At least, when Wen Huai looked over, she didn’t avoid his gaze. Though it was brief, she did meet his eyes.

Wen Xiangyue even noticed Zhou Zijian’s situation and nudged him lightly with her elbow, signaling him to be the first to greet Wen Huai.

Zhou Zijian got the message, but his body froze for a moment. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath, braced himself mentally, and forced a bright, textbook-level fake smile as he looked toward Wen Huai: “Wen Huai, long time no…”

“I knew it—I still can’t stand the sight of you,” Wen Huai interrupted suddenly, his voice low and filled with displeasure.

Zhou Zijian’s fake smile froze on his face.

Ye Leyao covered his face, laughing:

[Wen Huai isn’t even pretending!]

[I love how straightforward Wen Huai is, wearing his emotions openly for everyone to see!]

The audience in the livestream couldn’t hold back their gasps.

—“Whoaaa—he just said it to his face that he can’t stand Zhou Zijian! How is this not an in-your-face ultimate move?!”

—“Yes, yes, I love watching this kind of drama! More, please! Speed it up!”

—“Are they going to fight?”

@@novelbin@@

—“An enemy who steals your mom—no way can they share the same sky! I fully support Wen Huai beating Zhou Zijian up!”

—“Hahahahaha, but if they really do fight, Zhou Zijian probably won’t fight back, right?”

—“Of course he won’t! Otherwise, how do you explain the injuries on Zhou Zijian’s face from the first episode?”

Fans and netizens were eagerly discussing the situation, and the comments grew increasingly heated.

Back on the bus.

The guests were equally excited, their eyes darting between Wen Huai, Zhou Zijian, and Wen Xiangyue, watching for every little change in expression.

But despite the excitement, no one dared to break the silence.

After all, the main vibe here was “watch the drama, mind your own business!”

In the end, it was Wen Xiangyue who felt the atmosphere had become too tense and was the first to break the silence: “Ahem… Xiao Huai, why didn’t you tell us yesterday that you were joining our show?”

Also, didn’t you say you wouldn’t join this show?

Wen Xiangyue thought about asking this, but in the end, she held back.

Wen Huai’s attitude softened noticeably in front of his mom. His expression eased as he explained, “The production team made me sign a confidentiality agreement, so I couldn’t say anything in advance.”

Seeing Wen Huai’s softened demeanor, Wen Xiangyue’s tension relaxed slightly, and she smiled, “Well then, don’t just stand there. Let me introduce you to everyone.”

Wen Huai shook his head, “No need.”

After that, he stopped looking at Zhou Zijian and instead greeted each of the other guests one by one.

Ye Leyao was a bit surprised by this.

[Huh? It’s over already?]

[I thought Wen Huai would give Brother Zhou a harder time!]

It wasn’t just Ye Leyao who thought that; the other guests did too.

Li Siyuan couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, “That’s it?”

Sitting in front of him, Song Zhehan heard the remark, raised an eyebrow, shook Wen Huai’s hand, and said with a grin, “Looks like Li Siyuan was hoping for a fight between you and Brother Zhou.”

Li Siyuan: “?”

Zhou Zijian: “?!”

Ye Leyao clung to Qin Yao’s arm, laughing uncontrollably:

[Teacher Gou Shi!!!]

[Li Siyuan must be fuming right now!]

The other guests also struggled to contain their laughter.

Sure enough, Song Zhehan either remained silent or, when he spoke, delivered a fatal blow.

The livestream chat was also laughing hysterically:

—”Li Siyuan is definitely fuming after being roasted by Teacher Gou Shi!”

—”This is too funny! But, Ye Leyao, why are you laughing even harder than me?”

—”Hahaha! As expected from our Teacher Gou Shi! Fly free, Teacher, and handle the consequences yourself!”

At this point, some viewers realized something:

—”But why does it feel like Teacher Gou Shi is roasting people more frequently this episode?”

—”Yes, yes! He even snapped at Ye Leyao!”

—”Could he be holding a grudge?”

—”Honestly, it’s possible! After all, in the last episode, it was Ye Leyao and Li Siyuan who enjoyed the drama the most! Knowing Teacher Gou Shi’s sly and vengeful nature, there’s no way he’d let them off!”

—”So, Teacher Gou Shi is avenging Zhang Qiran?”

—”?? Stop it, I’m starting to ship this!”

Back on the bus.

Upon hearing Song Zhehan’s remark, Wen Huai’s gaze immediately shifted to Li Siyuan.

Li Siyuan was practically radiating cold air; he was clearly furious.

At this moment, Li Siyuan suddenly realized that Song Zhehan had been roasting him a lot today.

The recording had just started, but Song Zhehan had even snapped at Ye Leyao…

So—

Song Zhehan was getting revenge?

Realizing this, Li Siyuan suddenly smiled.

Wen Huai then walked up to Li Siyuan and shook his hand: “Although I would love to punch Zhou Zijian again, we are still filming, so I guess I’ll have to disappoint you.”

Li Siyuan shook his hand with a smile and replied, “Not disappointed at all, really. After all, you know our show is full of entertainment. I got my fill last episode—if you didn’t watch, you surely saw the trending topics, right? About Song Zhehan and Zhang Qiran… Yeah, so whether there’s more drama this episode doesn’t matter much to me.”

Such a thoughtful reply.

Wen Huai smiled but said nothing, only glancing at Song Zhehan in the front row.

From his angle, he could see Song Zhehan’s expression clearly.

As expected, Song Zhehan’s face was as sour as Li Siyuan’s had been moments ago.

It seemed like both sides had managed to hit each other’s sore spots!

Ye Leyao was even more direct. As soon as Song Zhehan snapped at Li Siyuan, he spun around and knelt on his seat, eagerly watching the reactions of the two.

Seeing Song Zhehan’s expression darken, Ye Leyao excitedly tugged on Qin Yao’s arm: “President Qin, look, look!”

[Li Siyuan’s comment made Teacher Gou Shi so mad he can’t even respond!]

Qin Yao, exasperated, asked in a low voice, “You’re really daring to provoke Song Zhehan again?”

Ye Leyao lifted his chin slightly and said, “I’ve always dared!”

His small, delicate chin, combined with the curve of his red lips, gave him a playful and cute look when he lifted his head slightly.

Qin Yao’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and the look in his eyes softened.

Unfortunately, Ye Leyao was too focused on the drama and only gave him a quick glance before turning his attention back to the scene.

Qin Yao felt a slight sense of disappointment, but in the next second, he turned around with Ye Leyao to keep watching.

By this point, Wen Huai had already greeted Duan Tingyan and Liu Yan.

Then, Wen Huai took a step forward, stopping directly in front of Zhou Zijian and Wen Xiangyue.

[Here we go, it’s Brother Zhou’s turn!]

Ye Leyao couldn’t help but scream internally.

[So, what will Wen Huai do next?!]

[Ahh, I’m so excited!]

Not only was Ye Leyao excited, but all the other guests and viewers were holding their breath in anticipation.

It was finally here—the long-awaited showdown!

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Zhou Zijian felt his scalp tingle.

But he couldn’t just pretend not to see Wen Huai, so after a few seconds of awkward silence, Zhou Zijian took the initiative, stretched out his hand, and forced a laugh: “Haha, Wen Huai, welcome to this episode’s recording.”

[So official.]

[And that fake smile—someone put this in a film school textbook!]

Ye Leyao couldn’t help but quietly make a snarky comment.

Wen Huai glanced at Zhou Zijian but didn’t extend his hand.

Zhou Zijian’s hand hovered awkwardly in midair.

Wen Xiangyue couldn’t hold back and looked up at Wen Huai.

Wen Huai spoke calmly, “Could you move over a bit?”

The last row of the bus had five seats. Wen Xiangyue and Zhou Zijian had always liked sitting in the middle two seats at the back.

Hearing Wen Huai’s request, Wen Xiangyue frowned slightly, assuming Wen Huai was talking to her, and was about to move aside when Wen Huai suddenly placed a hand on her shoulder: “Mom, I wasn’t talking to you.”

Wen Huai’s tone carried a hint of helplessness.

Ye Leyao’s eyes widened.

[Wait, if he’s not talking to Wen Xiangyue, then that means he’s talking to Brother Zhou…]

[No way?! Is Wen Huai really going to—]

Before Ye Leyao could finish his thought, Zhou Zijian had already moved over, obediently scooting next to the window.

Now an empty seat remained between Zhou Zijian and Wen Xiangyue.

Wen Huai smirked slightly and sat down between the two of them.

Ye Leyao: “Pfft—”

[What a perfect little family sitting in a row!]

Not only did Ye Leyao fail to hold in his laughter, but Song Zhehan and Li Siyuan also lost it.

Once those three started laughing, the other guests couldn’t contain themselves either, and soon the entire bus was filled with exaggerated laughter.

The guests were laughing uncontrollably, and the viewers online were even more entertained.

—“I can’t take it! Is Wen Huai a genius? Who else would think of sitting between two people like that?”

—“Help! Look at Zhou Zijian’s face; oh my gosh, Wen Huai really scared the life out of him—hahaha!”

—“I’m crying from laughing so hard. Not only Zhou Zijian, but Wen Xiangyue’s expression is priceless too!”

—“Forget them, even I was baffled by Wen Huai’s move just now, hahaha.”

—“Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!”

The chat was flooded with “hahaha,” and the laughter inside the bus continued for a long time.

Finally, Wen Huai coughed twice, prompting the other guests to stifle their exaggerated laughter.

Duan Tingyan turned around immediately and asked Wen Huai a question he had been curious about: “So, why did you suddenly agree to join this show?”

After asking, Duan Tingyan couldn’t resist glancing at Zhou Zijian’s face.

Hmm.

How to describe it?

It was a perfect mixture of discomfort and hilarity—his face was priceless!

You could tell from Zhou Zijian’s face-palming that he was truly sitting on pins and needles.

No matter how you looked at it, it was hilarious.

But, since Wen Huai was right there, Duan Tingyan managed to hold back his laughter.

Ye Leyao, however, didn’t hold back.

After enjoying Zhou Zijian’s reaction, he collapsed onto Qin Yao’s shoulder, laughing so hard his whole body shook.

Wen Huai sat calmly in his seat, his gaze sweeping over the other guests, and with a slight raise of his brow, he replied, “Well, the production team has already asked me three times. It would’ve been a bit impolite to keep refusing.”

Duan Tingyan replied with an “oh,” as if that explained everything.

He quickly turned away, not wanting to provoke any more awkwardness, and then he noticed that Liu Yan was still laughing in her seat.

Raising an eyebrow, Duan Tingyan teased her, “I’ve watched the first three episodes of your show. I don’t remember you ever laughing this much before.”

Liu Yan’s laughter came to an abrupt stop when she heard that. But after holding it in for a moment, she burst out laughing again, leaning onto the seat for support.

Once she’d had her fill of laughter, she wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled, “That was then, this is now.”

In the past, Liu Yan didn’t dare laugh too openly for two reasons. One, she was worried about drawing attention to herself, and two, her agent had advised her to be cautious.

But as she spent more time with the regular guests, she realized that although they were hard to deal with at first, they were decent people with good values. As long as you didn’t stir up trouble, they wouldn’t target you for no reason.

So by the third episode, Liu Yan stopped holding back her true self. She spoke her mind when necessary and laughed along with the others.

Liu Yan briefly explained this to Duan Tingyan.

Duan Tingyan responded with a drawn-out “oh,” then patted her on the shoulder. “In that case, you better keep laughing while you can.”

Liu Yan was puzzled. “Hmm?”

Ye Leyao, however, immediately sensed the deeper meaning behind Duan Tingyan’s words.

[What does Duan Tingyan mean by that?]

[Wait a minute, didn’t he just say that he had already met all the guest stars for this episode and chatted with them briefly…]

Ye Leyao glanced at Liu Yan, who was still confused, and suddenly gasped:

[No way?!]

[Does Liu Yan have some hidden drama?]

Huo Yan and Qin Yao also exchanged glances after hearing this.

Drama involving Liu Yan?

Didn’t she just debut not too long ago?

Could it be something from before she became famous, like Yu Bai’s drama?

But then Qin Yao reconsidered.

It didn’t seem likely.

If Liu Yan had any pre-debut drama, even if his own background check had missed it, Ye Leyao wouldn’t have. After all, Qin Yao had shown him the entire guest list before the variety show started filming.

Quickly, Ye Leyao dismissed his own theory:

[No, no, there’s definitely no scandal with Liu Yan.]

[The only drama she might have is her non-celebrity boyfriend!]

With this realization, Ye Leyao’s eyes lit up, and he quickly leaned toward Qin Yao’s ear, asking in a low voice, “President Qin, did you invite a non-celebrity guest for this episode?”

Ye Leyao moved so swiftly that Qin Yao had no time to prepare, feeling a tingling sensation as the breath hit his ear.

Instinctively, Qin Yao wanted to cover his ear, but Ye Leyao didn’t pull away after asking. Instead, he propped his chin on his hand, keeping the same close distance as he gazed at Qin Yao.

Qin Yao’s ears turned slightly red, and the temperature on his face seemed to rise as well.

He took a deep breath, glanced at the cameras in front of them, and said softly, “Sit properly.”

Ye Leyao frowned. “Huh? I am sitting properly.”

[I feel like I’m sitting just fine, in my own seat and all.]

Qin Yao: “…”

Huo Yan: “…”

He couldn’t bear to watch anymore.

Sitting properly?

Ye Leyao’s upper body was practically draped over Qin Yao!

Huo Yan took a deep breath, telling himself to stay calm.

He couldn’t get involved!

This was Ye Leyao’s own business, and Huo Yan definitely couldn’t interfere!

So, the viewers of the livestream could only watch as Huo Yan angrily turned his head away.

Audience: “???”

—“Huh?”

—“Huo Yan! You can see it, right? Ye Leyao is practically glued to Qin Yao, so why aren’t you saying anything and just turning away?”

—“Yeah! You’re Ye Leyao’s real brother! Can’t you do something about him?!”

—“Why! Why! Why is it that when I was in college and my brother caught me dating early, he warned me to break up with my boyfriend, but Ye Leyao’s brother can watch him getting all cozy with another guy and still pretend to be blind in front of tens of thousands of viewers?”

For a while, the chat was full of complaints.

Both the audience and the gossip seekers agreed that Huo Yan shouldn’t have just turned a blind eye.

Even if Huo Yan wanted to ignore it, he should at least share the details with the viewers!

They wanted to enjoy the gossip fully!

Unfortunately, Huo Yan couldn’t see the comments, so no matter how frustrated the viewers were, he was completely unaware.

“Did you invite any non-celebrities or not?” Not getting an answer from Qin Yao, who was instead telling Ye Leyao to sit farther away, made Ye Leyao’s expression turn a bit dissatisfied.

Qin Yao couldn’t stand seeing Ye Leyao with that look, so instead of telling him to move away again, he finally said, “No, we only invited three guest stars for this episode. Besides Duan Tingyan and Wen Huai, the other is a recently debuted artist named…”

Qin Yao thought for a moment and then said, “Shen Chong.”

[Shen Chong?]

[That name sounds familiar.]

The next moment, Ye Leyao’s eyes suddenly widened.

[Isn’t that the name of Liu Yan’s non-celebrity boyfriend?!]

As soon as the words were out, Huo Yan turned his head again.

Liu Yan’s non-celebrity boyfriend?

Interesting.

Really interesting.

Does that mean this episode of the show would feature a pair of couples: Zhou Zijian and Wen Xiangyue, Li Siyuan and Duan Tingyan, Liu Yan and Shen Chong… and perhaps Ye Leyao and Qin Yao as well? Four couples?

Huo Yan: “…”

Hahahahahahahaha, how can recording a show be this frustrating? Get out of here!

He would just record the show, and each episode would be a new surprise!

By now, Ye Leyao had already turned to look at Liu Yan in the back row.

Liu Yan was still confused, trying to figure out the meaning behind Duan Tingyan’s earlier remark.

And she couldn’t shake the feeling that Duan Tingyan’s expression had been strangely meaningful, as if she had seen it not too long ago.

Right—just before Wen Huai made his entrance!

Just as Liu Yan was about to put the pieces together, Duan Tingyan suddenly stood up. “I think I can’t sit here any longer.”

[Hahahaha, so Duan Tingyan knows too?]

[Interesting! This is getting really interesting!]

Duan Tingyan stood up slowly, scanning the bus, then casually walked over to Li Siyuan. “Mind if I sit next to you?”

Li Siyuan responded with a friendly international gesture—both middle fingers.

Duan Tingyan sighed softly, taking the hint, and then headed over to sit in the row behind Ye Leyao and Qin Yao.

As soon as he sat down, Ye Leyao whispered, “Shen Chong?”

Duan Tingyan glanced out the window and didn’t answer.

Ye Leyao followed his gaze, unable to suppress a grin.

[President Qin, you’ve really got a knack for picking people!]

Shen Chong, with his long legs and arms, walked quickly. Ye Leyao had barely taken a glance before, in the next moment, Shen Chong was already on the bus, standing at the front and introducing himself with a bright smile: “Hello, everyone, my name is Shen Chong.”

At that moment, Liu Yan’s smile vanished.

Ye Leyao turned back to look at her, covering his face as he laughed.

[A moment of happiness has led to an entire episode of misery for Liu Yan!]