Chapter 66: Sixty-Sixth Day as a Salted Fish
Qin Jiaojiao shielded her eyes from the scorching sun with her hand. Being a guest on a variety show really wasn’t easy; they actually had to play games under the blistering sun in the middle of a desert. Fortunately, she had applied sunblock before heading out today and was wearing a sun-protective jacket to safeguard her skin.
She wasn’t particularly interested in the extra screen time or the mid-roll ad spot, but Shen Xiaoshan looked like she desperately wanted it.
Qin Jiaojiao fell into deep thought. Should she bother competing for first place? It was so hot, and the production team’s game definitely wouldn’t be easy. There was really no need to push herself to the limit for something she didn’t even need.
The contracts signed by the variety show guests contained clauses requiring them to cooperate with the production team’s filming schedule. When the team organized these interactive games, the guests were obligated to complete the challenges.
The director announced, “The male guests will need to be blindfolded and find their wives’ positions as quickly as possible. Once found, they must carry their wives on their backs and run to the location designated by the production team. Their wives will then bite off a piece of fruit suspended in midair, and the couple must finish eating it together.”
“The guest couple that completes the mission first will win the mid-roll ad spot for the next episode.”
It sounded like a very simple game.
Qin Jiaojiao glanced at the sandy ground. Running in a place like this was hard enough, let alone running while blindfolded and piggybacking someone. The production team had certainly set a tough challenge.
The director continued, “Now, will the female guests please follow our staff to your designated spots. During the game, female guests can shout to help your partners pinpoint your location.”
The guest couples were divided into three teams: Jin Mingzhu and Chen Feihong were Team A in blue; Shen Xiaoshan and Meng Zi’ang were Team B in yellow; and Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli were Team C in red.
Qin Jiaojiao tugged at Zhou Shaoli’s arm, her tone full of concern. “It’s hard to run in the desert. Take it slow later and don’t fall.”
It wouldn’t hurt to give up this rank. The mid-roll ad spot was useless to them anyway, so why get all hot and disheveled just for a commercial?
Zhou Shaoli said in a calm, flat tone, “It’s fine. Trust me.”
He was determined to win this game for Qin Jiaojiao. He wasn’t going to let anyone say she was inferior to Shen Xiaoshan.
As her husband, he naturally didn’t want to be outdone by Meng Zi’ang either.
In the past, he hadn’t cared about how they fared on variety shows, but now, he was going to win this ranking for her.
Seeing his cool, composed expression, Qin Jiaojiao felt a little more at ease. Zhou Shaoli was mature and steady; he definitely wouldn’t abandon his dignity while filming a variety show just to win.
Shen Xiaoshan had a yellow ribbon tied around her arm. Standing in front of Meng Zi’ang, she glanced at the polished leather shoes on his feet and felt a pang of regret for not reminding him to wear comfortable sneakers before leaving.
The production team hadn’t informed the guests about the exact nature of the mission beforehand, and now it was too late to go back and change shoes.
Meng Zi’ang had joined this variety show entirely for Shen Xiaoshan’s sake. The two of them had only recently married, and Shen Xiaoshan had told him that filming the show together would help build their relationship—essentially getting paid to take a vacation.
He had originally thought it was just a relaxed slice-of-life variety show, but the production team kept coming up with all sorts of chaotic tasks. Possessing the pampered temper of a rich young master, he stood there with a cold, displeased scowl.
“You’re pregnant. What if I accidentally drop you?”
Shen Xiaoshan had almost forgotten about that. She touched her belly, her expression shifting inscrutably before she quickly raised her head with a flattering smile. “Zi’ang, I trust that you’ll protect me and won’t fall. The sand in the desert is soft anyway, so even if I accidentally tumble, a mild fall won’t hurt…”
“Zi’ang,” Shen Xiaoshan clung to his arm, acting spoiled. “The mid-roll ad spot this time is for a major brand. If the brand sees how good my conversion rate is, they might even hire me as their brand ambassador. That’s a endorsement fee worth several million!”
Meng Zi’ang was persuaded.
Although he was the CEO of Meng Brothers Pictures, he didn’t hold much real power in his hands. The luxury cars he drove were registered under the company’s name, and he had recently spent a massive sum to buy an apartment worth over a hundred million yuan, leaving him with little spare cash on hand.
Seeing Meng Zi’ang’s expression soften, Shen Xiaoshan breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.
By barely managing to latch onto Meng Zi’ang, she had managed to squeeze into the ranks of second-tier domestic celebrities. She had to rely on this dating show to blow up in popularity. Once she did, commercial endorsements, fashion magazine resources, and movie scripts would surely pour in continuously.
Her ambition didn’t stop there. She wanted to explode in popularity, become a national goddess, and snatch the title of Best Actress.
Over at Team A, Jin Mingzhu and her husband tied their assigned team ribbons on each other and shared a smile.
Jin Mingzhu said in a gentle voice, “Old Chen, take it easy later. There’s no rush. Let the young people fight over it.”
“Don’t worry, how old do you think I am? How could I possibly compete with them?” Chen Feihong reminisced about the past. “I remember the first time I carried you on my back. It was pouring rain at school, and the path to the girls’ dormitory was flooded so you couldn’t get across. I carried you on my back and waded through the water.”
A smile bloomed on Jin Mingzhu’s face. “Yeah, so many girls were watching us back then.”
With all the guests prepared, the game officially began. The female guests stood three hundred meters away, while the male guests were blindfolded with ribbons by the staff members at the starting line.
The director announced the countdown: “Three, two, one!”
As soon as the whistle sounded, the male guests needed to head rapidly toward the direction where their wives were standing. Walking blindfolded on sandy ground made it extremely easy to sink or lose one’s sense of direction.
Meng Zi’ang was the first to charge out. He moved at a very fast pace, but before he could run far, his feet sank into the sand. He nearly took a spill and completely lost his bearings. When he got back up, his path had veered slightly off course.
Zhou Shaoli was a bit slower than Meng Zi’ang, but he possessed an exceptionally strong sense of direction. With steady, firm strides, he headed straight toward Qin Jiaojiao.
Watching Meng Zi’ang wander further and further off course, Shen Xiaoshan grew anxious to the point of desperation. She hurriedly shouted at the top of her lungs, “Meng Zi’ang, over here—! You’re going the wrong way! Over here!”
Qin Jiaojiao kept her gaze fixed intensely on Zhou Shaoli. Unlike Meng Zi’ang, who had dashed out blindly the moment the start signal sounded, Zhou Shaoli moved with steady, swift steps across the desert, striding toward her direction step by step.
Meng Zi’ang faintly heard Shen Xiaoshan’s shouts and turned his head to locate the sound. However, because he was blindfolded and the weather was sweltering, distinguishing sounds amidst the howling wind and ambient noise of the desert proved exceptionally difficult.
Meanwhile, the viewers watching the livestream were bursting with excitement.
【Three hundred meters isn’t short, but it isn’t too far either. It really is hard to find someone when you’re blindfolded.】
【The production team sure knows how to make things difficult. Walking in the desert is hard enough as it is, and now they have to carry someone on their backs while blindfolded?】
【LMAOOOO Meng Zi’ang is running further and further off target.】
【President Zhou’s sense of direction is amazing! Looks like first place belongs to the Yueli CP!】
【Blindfolded in the desert looking for his wife… why does this suddenly feel so fateful?】
【Sob sob sob sob, President Zhou with the blindfold and Jiaojiao with her sun veil look so damn good together! The knight and princess CP dynamic is incredible!】
Because he had to wear a blindfold, Zhou Shaoli hadn’t worn his gold-rimmed glasses. His strikingly handsome, breathtaking face took on a hint of mysterious aura behind the blindfold, making him look peerlessly captivating.
Qin Jiaojiao’s heart fluttered, and a sudden wave of nervousness washed over her. She shouted toward Zhou Shaoli, who was steadily striding toward her, “Zhou Shaoli!”
The corners of Zhou Shaoli’s thin lips curved up slightly. He swiftly arrived in front of her and crouched down. Qin Jiaojiao pounced onto his back with practiced familiarity. Her movement was a bit too eager; he braced one hand against the ground while using his other hand to firmly support her waist from behind.
Qin Jiaojiao wrapped her arms around his neck, her breath tickling his ear. “Are you okay? I got a little too impatient.”
“I’m fine.” Zhou Shaoli stood up while carrying her on his back and said, “Which way now? Point me in the right direction.”
The location where the production team had hung the apples was off to the side. Holding onto his back like a beacon of light, Qin Jiaojiao leaned over his shoulder and guided his steps.
On the other side, Meng Zi’ang was finally guided to Shen Xiaoshan’s side by her shouting. Seeing Zhou Shaoli already walking toward the task location, Shen Xiaoshan was frantically anxious. She commanded, “Crouch down quickly! Qin Jiaojiao has already passed us!”
Meng Zi’ang was drenched in sweat from all the effort. Hearing that Zhou Shaoli had overtaken him, his expression turned dark as he crouched down sullenly. “Hurry up and get on! Tell me which direction to go!”
Shen Xiaoshan threw herself onto his back in a rush, nearly causing both of them to fall over. Meng Zi’ang stumbled to regain his balance, stood up with Shen Xiaoshan on his back, and ran toward the task site under her frantic instructions.
Zhou Shaoli carried Qin Jiaojiao on his back and rapidly arrived at the destination. The apple suspended by the production team was hung a bit high, so she braced herself against Zhou Shaoli’s shoulders. “Lift me up a little higher.”
Zhou Shaoli straightened his back, lifting her body up further. Qin Jiaojiao bit into a piece of the apple hanging in midair, pulling it down with her teeth. Holding the apple in her mouth, she leaned on Zhou Shaoli’s shoulder and panted softly.
“Put me down.”
Beside them, Meng Zi’ang stumbled over to the destination while carrying Shen Xiaoshan. Panicked, Shen Xiaoshan hastily directed Meng Zi’ang to lift her so she could bite the apple hanging in the air.
Qin Jiaojiao slipped off Zhou Shaoli’s back and stepped around to stand in front of him. Biting the apple, she stood on tiptoe, hooked her arms around his neck, and fed the apple to him.
The moment the apple touched his lips, Zhou Shaoli parted his mouth and bit into it. The piece of apple was small; as each of them bit off half and swallowed it, their lips inevitably pressed against each other.
Underneath the blindfold, Zhou Shaoli’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. His large hand wrapped around Qin Jiaojiao’s waist, pulling her firmly into his chest as he kissed her lips.
The bullet comments in the chat went completely wild with shipper excitement.
【So the production team was actually handing out major perks to CP fans! I APOLOGIZE TO THE PRODUCTION TEAM!!!】
【Sob sob sob, I’m going to die of sweetness!】
【YESSSS! Yueli CP takes first place! President Zhou and Jiaojiao are so amazing!】
【AHHHHHHH I SAW PRESIDENT周 EXTEND HIS TONGUE! The way he kisses his wife is so insanely passionate, the sexual tension is off the charts!】
【Is this really something I can watch for free?!】
【Hurry, hurry, someone bring a bed over for them! I’m willing to pay to watch this!】
Zhou Shaoli held Qin Jiaojiao close, kissing her deeply. He skillfully parted her pearl-white teeth, driving deep inside to entangle her tongue, mingling the sweet, refreshing apple juice between them.
In the sweltering heat, this moist, fruit-flavored kiss tasted crisp, sweet, and delicious, making it impossible to pull away.
Shen Xiaoshan barely managed to support herself on Meng Zi’ang’s shoulders to bite down the apple. “Alright, put me down.”
Meng Zi’ang pulled down his blindfold, only to catch sight of this exact scene. His eyes turned dark and heavy as he stared fixedly at Zhou Shaoli and Qin Jiaojiao embracing and kissing, his hands clenching tighter and tighter.
“Meng Zi’ang!” Shen Xiaoshan cried out in a slightly pained, sharp voice. “You’re pinching me! It hurts!”
Meng Zi’ang seemed entirely oblivious to her pain, his dark gaze still locked dead onto Zhou Shaoli.
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