CEFYMA: Chapter 51

“Left.” The moment You Mian finished pointing out the direction to Pei Huaiji, he heard the sound of his phone in his pocket receiving a message.

It should be that Shen Nanxiao and the others completed the task of the staff and posted the drawing together in the small group.

Sure enough, after a while, Shen Nanxiao walked to the driver’s cab from behind. He held the door frame and said, “We’re done too. Thank you for driving. Are we still far from the resting point?”

Shen Nanxiao came here specifically to ask because it had started to rain lightly outside.

The weather forecast said there would be heavy rain tonight.

During the time when the rain was still light, it was best for them to arrive at the resting point pre-arranged by the staff as soon as possible.

Otherwise, once it got dark and the rain started to fall heavily, it would be very dangerous if there was no village or store in the area.

You Mian immediately understood what Shen Nanxiao meant. He turned around and smiled reassuringly. “We will be there soon. It is around ten minutes.”

Shen Nanxiao made an ‘OK’ gesture. “Then Brother Yan and I will prepare the tableware needed for camping later. The BBQ ingredients are relatively complete. Do you have any dietary restrictions?”

Pei Huaiji looked ahead and said in a deep voice, “No.”

You Mian added, “I don’t have any taboos. After dinner, we can’t continue driving in the heavy rain so we will have to stay at the rest point for one night.”

Shen Nanxiao looked at You Mian in a worried manner. “Do the two of you really want to live in a tent in this weather? It is safer in the RV.”

The moment Shen Nanxiao finished speaking, Yan Tingxuan’s voice sounded from behind him.

“Who wants to live in a tent?” Yan Tingxuan asked.

If You Mian wanted to live in a tent, Yan Tingxuan thought he would have to fight for it this time. He couldn’t always let Pei Huaiji take the advantage alone.

The guests in the observation room couldn’t hear the conversation in the cab and could only rely on Yan Tingxuan’s reaction to judge what they said.

Xi Rui said helplessly, “Why didn’t the show’s staff put a camera in the cab?”

They had just watched the sketching interaction between Yan Tingxuan and Shen Nanxiao, which was mediocre and lackluster. It was like a gathering of friends compared to the previous group of You Mian and Pei Huaiji. They were so polite that it didn’t seem like a romance variety show.

Qu Shao explained, “Maybe they were worried that the guests in the cab would be distracted. It is fine. Safety comes first.”

Another explanation was that the RV wasn’t the Heartbeat House after all. The space was narrow and cameras had been placed everywhere they could be placed. There were even cameras on the bedside tables of the two bedrooms.

Therefore, the show’s staff was probably trying to give the guests a rare place to breathe.

Maybe they didn’t put the camera there on purpose.

Guo Su smiled. He was still thinking about You Mian’s previous actions as he said, “You Mian has always wanted to live in a tent before doing the mission. Chairman Pei has decided on the other tent, but it seems that Yan Tingxuan also wants to grab the right to live in this tent.”

“Hahaha.” Qu Shao laughed. “I didn’t expect the RV to turn into a decoration while everyone is trying to grab the tents.”

There was something in Qu Shao’s words. Everyone in the observation room knew why the two lily of the valley guests wanted to grab the tent.

It was clear that their purpose lay in something else.

However, some words were meaningless when clearly stated in a variety show recording. Qu Shao knew this well, so he deliberately stopped talking after saying half a sentence.

Ten minutes later, the giant RV stopped at the rest point prearranged by the show.

The wide and flat forest clearing was enough to set up a small camping site for four people.

The four people who had been in the car for several hours stepped out of the RV one after another. Accompanied by a light rain, a burst of fragrant grass and trees hit the heart, refreshing people’s hearts.

You Mian put on his cap again. He put his hands in the pockets of his baseball jacket and squinted in the cold wind.

In front of him was a huge forest composed of huge and towering white birch trees and orange-red maple trees.

It was deep and quiet in the depths of the forest. They were in a rare, flat, open space in the middle of the forest.

There was a thick layer of red maple leaves on the ground. Raindrops fell on the leaves and rolled down before sliding off.

The fragrance of the earth was stimulated by the cold air and was completely released. The gloomy sky was pressing down above them, but it wasn’t oppressive. On the contrary, it gave a strange and beautiful scenery like a paradise.

Yan Tingxuan opened the wide shed of the RV and placed the BBQ grill that would soon be used under the black curtain of the shed.

You Mian was wearing a hat, and the light rain he felt wasn’t bad.

Then a few seconds later, an umbrella blocked it.

You Mian put his hands in his pockets and leaned back slightly to take a look.

He found that the person standing behind him was Pei Huaiji.

The man found a few umbrellas in the RV and said in a light tone, “Don’t get wet.”

After arriving at the camp, there were more cameras that had already been set up by the staff.

However, it was still mainly facing the RV camp. Once they walked behind the RV, there was a blind spot in the camera.

You Mian thanked Pei Huaiji and took the umbrella.

Shen Nanxiao’s voice happened to be heard at this time.

“I found a task card placed by the staff on the wooden pile!” Shen Nanxiao shouted as he approached.

Yan Tingxuan stood under the shed and listened to Shen Nanxiao read the contents of the task card, but his eyes occasionally fell on You Mian and Pei Huaiji, who were standing together on the other side, each holding a black umbrella above their heads.

[Food for tonight’s dinner is scattered in the forest. The richness of the dinner depends on how much you can find.]

[But in addition to food, there are some unexpected surprises in the forest. Please start taking action quickly.]

Shen Nanxiao got under the shed and looked between Yan Tingxuan, You Mian and Pei Huaiji.

He said, “There are only two umbrellas. It seems that only two people can go in and look for them.”

You Mian held the umbrella and nodded indifferently. “I can do it.”

Yan Tingxuan knew that if he said he wanted to go with You Mian, he would be rejected with various excuses. In addition, Pei Huaiji wouldn’t give up his position easily.

Therefore, if he wanted to break the fixed grouping situation, Yan Tingxuan had only one method.

“The two of you were in a group just now. Do you want to be in a group again?” Yan Tingxuan smiled.

Pei Huaiji’s eyes sank.

You Mian pursed his lips impatiently.

“What do you want?”

Yan Tingxuan knew he couldn’t make You Mian more upset at this moment, so he deliberately took a step back. “Let’s draw lots.”

He turned around, found a few branches from the pile of maple leaves, and broke them into four sticks of different lengths.

Two short and two long.

Yan Tingxuan walked to the edge of the shed. He held the four wooden sticks in his hand, glanced at the other three people, and suggested, “How about those who draw the same length will form a group?”

After a short silence, Shen Nanxiao smiled and said, “I have no objection.”

Yan Tingxuan looked at Pei Huaiji, raised an eyebrow, and asked, “Chairman Pei.”

The man’s eyes were hidden behind the lenses, and his hostile gaze wasn’t obvious.

Pei Huaiji lowered his eyes and glanced at You Mian. The black umbrella held above his head made his eyes look even colder.

You Mian had never been able to adapt to this type of entangled scene. He just wanted to end the current atmosphere quickly.

He clicked his tongue lightly, stepped forward, and took one out, expressing his opinion with actions.

The smile on Yan Tingxuan’s face deepened.

Seeing this, Pei Huaiji also stepped forward and took one, followed by Shen Nanxiao.

Yan Tingxuan was left with one wooden stick in his hand.

The four of them spread open their palms together. Yan Tingxuan frowned nervously. The next second, he saw that the wooden stick in his hand was short.

The one in You Mian’s hand was also short!

Yan Tingxuan’s mood cleared up instantly. It was as if all the obstacles he had faced before were no longer a problem.

“Okay. You Mian and I are in the same group,” Yan Tingxuan said with a smile. The smile on his face was much more real than before.

There were only two umbrellas in the RV. You Mian was holding one, so Yan Tingxuan could only walk toward Pei Huaiji to take the other one.

“You Mian and I will go and find the ingredients arranged by the staff.” Yan Tingxuan stepped on the maple leaves, making a dull rustling sound.

Pei Huaiji lowered his head and walked into the tent curtain, watching You Mian leave.

His eyes sharpened and his expression became colder when Yan Tingxuan said, ‘You Mian and I.’

Shen Nanxiao lit the stove, sat on a bench, folded his coat, and smiled at Pei Huaiji. “Chairman Pei, please stop standing. They will be back soon. Don’t worry.”

The guests in the observation room saw this scene and felt that the development of things was really unpredictable.

A young guest couldn’t hide his surprise as he said, “I thought that since Chairman Pei and You Mian were standing outside with umbrellas just now, they would be in a group.”

“I didn’t expect Yan Tingxuan to be quite smart and know how to fight.”

Guo Su poked the table with the lid of his pen. “Yes. This is a romance variety show after all. Everyone has the opportunity to fight to be in a group with their favorite guest.”

“This grouping isn’t set by the show’s staff. Of course, they can change by themselves.”

Xi Rui propped up her head on her hands with an expression like she was watching a good show. “It seems that Yan Tingxuan’s heartbeat has really moved to You Mian. I’m still wondering how this transformation happened.”

Guo Su hissed, trying to understand Yan Tingxuan’s thoughts. “Maybe it was the amusement park date when Bai Lin didn’t come that made Yan Tingxuan understand You Mian’s more attractive side.”

Qu Shao pointed out the most critical part. “I watched the live stream of that day and knew that Yan Tingxuan gave a little daisy to the three guests on the iris side at the end of the date.”

“The little daisy?” Xi Rui asked in surprise.

Qu Shao nodded. “So I think that during the date at the amusement park, Yan Tingxuan’s heartbeat had already changed slightly. It is impossible for a person to change his heart so quickly in one day or even go buy flowers immediately.”

Guo Su deliberately joked, “It isn’t impossible.”

The live stream screen showed Yan Tingxuan and You Mian walking into the depths of the forest holding umbrellas.

Everyone’s eyes were once again focused on the scene. There might be cameras in the forest, but the sound of the rain had become so loud that it obscured the radio microphone.

Thus, the conversation between the two people wasn’t heard clearly.

Yan Tingxuan walked half a step in front of You Mian. With the cold wind blowing in his face, the man finally asked the question that had been stuck in his heart.

The name to call You Mian was stuck for a while. Finally, he changed it to You Mian when he spoke.

“Do you have a good impression of Pei Huaiji?” Yan Tingxuan lowered his eyes after asking, nervously grasping the handle of the umbrella.

The black umbrellas were like two mushrooms that covered the figures of the two people, allowing them to travel safely through the deep forest.

You Mian asked calmly, “Why are you asking this?”

Yan Tingxuan’s abnormal behavior these days made You Mian think that the other person was going to act like a monster again.

Could it be that he blamed Bai Lin’s illness on You Mian?

You Mian had experienced this type of groundless slander too many times, so he was on guard against Yan Tingxuan.

“Yan Tingxuan.”

You Mian’s voice made Yan Tingxuan stop.

You Mian frowned and looked at the man in front of him in confusion. “What are you doing?”

Yan Tingxuan turned around in a stunned manner. “What?”

You Mian frowned. “Just continue to treat me with the same attitude you have always treated me. Don’t suddenly act like you did before. It is very annoying.”

Yan Tingxuan’s expression was blank. He could only rely on his remaining consciousness to say, “I’m not.”

You Mian looked up indifferently. Yan Tingxuan’s throat was dry as he finally took a step forward.

“You Mian, I’m sorry.”

Yan Tingxuan asked, “Are you willing to give me a chance to explain?”

You Mian held an umbrella and walked past him in an expressionless manner. Yan Tingxuan’s apology only made him feel disgusted.

The young man neatly and simply refused. “I don’t want to hear it, so don’t say it.”

“Since you were so happy to admit your own selfishness, please be selfish to the end.”

You Mian continued coldly, “I told you, don’t be hypocritical.”

Yan Tingxuan suddenly grabbed You Mian’s wrist. “I’m not.”

You Mian’s brow wrinkled in disgust. “Let go.”

Yan Tingxuan was once again stung by You Mian’s eyes. He instantly released his hold on the other person’s waist.

The rustling of stepping on the maple tree sounded. You Mian turned away, walking further and further.

Yan Tingxuan’s voice became a bit louder. He could only be heard asking in the rain. “I-If I hadn’t done that at that time… what would we be like now?”

You Mian didn’t stop and didn’t answer.

There were no assumptions and no ifs.

The rain hit the black umbrella cover and splashed on it.

A few minutes later, You Mian was bending down to pick up a well-packaged ingredient when he heard Yan Tingxuan’s footsteps following him.

The eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses had returned to calm.

Yan Tingxuan smiled as he said, “You Mian, I seem to know your answer.”

They would be friends.

But it was precisely because he knew this answer that he committed such a betrayal.

“In fact, there is something I haven’t said to you.” Yan Tingxuan’s eyes were extremely complicated. The man tried his best to maintain his last trace of dignity in front of You Mian, but it seemed to be too difficult.

You Mian stood in the rain with the umbrella. The clammy air slightly dampened his chestnut brown hair on his forehead.

The beautiful amber eyes were as cold as ever.

Without warning, right here and right now.

Yan Tingxuan suddenly said, “I like you.”

The man’s palms were sweaty, and his whole neck was extremely tense. His own eyes were a bit surprised, as if he was afraid of why he chose to speak at this place and at this time.

However, there really seemed to be no other choice.

Yan Tingxuan knew that You Mian was deliberately avoiding him. He also knew very well that if he didn’t say this now, he would probably never have a chance to say it again in the future.

That sad, ridiculous, inexplicably absurd, and dramatic process, the secret love history of over ten years, was finally coming to an end.

Yan Tingxuan looked like a death row prisoner waiting for his verdict to be pronounced. He looked at You Mian as if waiting for the sound of a gunshot.

You Mian frowned fiercely.

Yan Tingxuan took a deep breath. Due to excessive nervousness, his face turned a bit pale. His whole body was dejected, but he still managed to maintain his strength as he whispered repeatedly.

“It is because I like you, You Mian.”

Would he be hated or would he be remembered in You Mian’s heart forever…

Before Yan Tingxuan could continue thinking, You Mian stood in front of him and said something softly.

“I don’t care, Yan Tingxuan.”

The young man’s voice was as light as raindrops, without any fluctuation or emotion.

Raindrops fell on top of his head with a pitter-patter sound.

Yan Tingxuan instantly felt that all the strength in his body was drained away.

You Mian raised those beautiful and ruthless eyes and looked at Yan Tingxuan.

It seemed to be giving the man in front of him the final, fatal blow.

You Mian said indifferently, “It wasn’t a lie when I said I didn’t want to hear it.”

The cold wind blew away all the hope that was left.

Yan Tingxuan lowered his shoulders, and his neat hair seemed to wilt.

He miscalculated. It turned out that he didn’t have a chance from the beginning.

There was no chance.

You Mian frowned. “There is something I need to make clear to you.”

“Even if you didn’t do those things, our relationship would only stop at being friends.”

“We would probably continue to go to the library together, read books and play games together, and do all the things that friends would do together.”

“But…” You Mian looked at Yan Tingxuan with a complicated expression. “I never had any thoughts about you.”

Yan Tingxuan was like a red maple leaf that had been dropped to the ground by a rain hammer.

He asked in a hoarse voice, “Not at all?”

You Mian pronounced the next sentence firmly and cruelly, “Not at all.”

Yan Tingxuan raised his head and laughed. His laughter was bitter.

White Lily

Avid fan of danmei novels! If you want access to advance chapters, you can subscribe on Patreon. Thanks!
https://www.patreon.com/WhiteLily476