Chapter 154 Beach Volleyball

Shen Jin knew that Lan Qing was responsible for breakfast today. After waking up and washing up, he waited in his room for her to arrive.

However, after waiting for half an hour without a sign of Lan Qing, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and look up at the staff to ask what was going on.

"Well, the information we received is that Ms. Lan is on her way. Please wait a moment longer," the team director said after sending a message out.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Shen Jin, get up, breakfast is here." Lan Qing knocked on the door. After waiting two seconds with no response, she simply hung the breakfast on the doorknob. "Breakfast is on your door."

"..." Shen Jin laughed in annoyance. He stood up and strode over to open the door, but only saw Lan Qing’s silhouette in the hallway.

The team director watched the footage on the monitor. If this were broadcast, it would surely be a hot topic, and the fans of both sides would likely start a war.

"She’s still angry." Shen Jin took a deep breath to compose himself and brought the breakfast inside. He then discovered that the sandwich Lan Qing had made was purely perfunctory; the bacon hadn't even been fried, just sliced and placed on top.

Shen Jin endured it and asked the staff, "It’s my turn to make breakfast tomorrow, right?"

"Yes." The staff member had also seen the breakfast and agreed it was truly sloppy.

Shen Jin nodded. A gentleman’s revenge is never too late. "Lan Qing, you just wait."

On the other side, after leaving the breakfast, Lan Qing quickened her pace toward the elevator. Once inside and sure no one was following, she finally felt relieved.

Her actions left the accompanying staff member very confused.

"Ms. Lan, why didn't you have breakfast with Mr. Shen?" the staff member asked.

This was a dating variety show, after all. If neither of them cooperated with the script, how would the post-production team edit it? How would it air?

"Ms. Lan, weren't you and Mr. Shen on good terms before?" The staff member was new and didn't know much about the past. Besides, there were so many stories in the entertainment industry—one day a trending search, the next a clarification—that it was impossible for someone without inside knowledge to distinguish truth from fiction.

Lan Qing glanced at the female staff member, curled her lips, and smiled. "This is just a little interaction."

"You'll understand in a moment."

The staff member couldn't grasp the meaning but had to accept Lan Qing’s explanation.

—

Yan Ningsi was woken up by Bian He. Checking the time, it was only seven o'clock, half an hour before her alarm was set to go off.

"So, is this an early morning task?" Yan Ningsi looked at the thermos Bian He had placed on the coffee table, her eyes narrowing. "Did you make this?"

"No," Bian He shrugged and spread his hands. "Sang Yijia did."

"Oh," Yan Ningsi yawned, clearly not fully awake. "Then why would Jiajia give it to you?"

"Because Lu Wenchuan is allergic to century eggs, so they went downstairs to make breakfast again," Bian He explained, then stood up to find two disposable bowls and spoons.

"You have quite a lot of stuff here." Bian He rummaged through her stash, finding dried vegetables and fruits, lotus root starch, tofu pudding, sesame paste, walnut powder, and more. "Did you bring all your instant snacks with you?"

"I don't eat them; I just open them to smell the aroma." Yan Ningsi yawned again. "These are all for my assistant to eat."

"..." Bian He fell silent for a moment, putting the items back, unable to comprehend Yan Ningsi’s bizarre habit.

"I get hungry at night, but I can't eat because I'll gain weight," Yan Ningsi said as she headed toward the bathroom. "This is my way of quenching my thirst by looking at plums."

"You guys don't have to maintain your figures, so you wouldn't understand," Yan Ningsi waved her hand. "Just wait a bit."

Bian He muttered, "You're not the only one who has to maintain your figure."

Male artists had to maintain their figures too, especially for an eight-pack, which required daily exercise and a high-protein diet; all sorts of other foods were strictly off-limits.

Looking at these flashy snacks, Bian He thought about buying all the snail noodles and hot-and-sour noodles he wanted once he got back, then having his assistant cook them while he watched, just to see if Yan Ningsi’s method actually worked.

—

Sang Yijia and Lu Wenchuan didn't return to their rooms after making breakfast. Instead, they found a spot in the kitchen and sat together to eat their noodles.

The scene was truly natural and candid. The aroma was genuinely tempting.

The team director watched until he was almost in tears, drool leaking from his eyes.

"We're going to the beach later. Is your sunscreen ready?" Before setting off, Lu Wenchuan had specifically asked his secretary to prepare a full range of sun protection products, including sunscreen and sprays specifically for women.

Sang Yijia exclaimed, "I would have forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it."

She had only packed the sunscreen because Chen Luo insisted it was necessary for the beach; otherwise, her suitcase contained nothing but simple cleanser, toner, body wash, and shampoo.

"I brought it, it's in the room upstairs," Sang Yijia said, then added, "But it doesn't matter if I don't bring it."

"Auntie Zhang will have everything prepared."

Lu Wenchuan wanted to say he had prepared a set as well, but it wasn't the right time. He nodded and continued, "That's good."

"You should be careful too. Don't think that just because you're a man, you don't have to worry about getting a tan," Sang Yijia looked at him seriously. "If you get dark, you won't look as good."

Lu Wenchuan: "???"

Does that mean if I get tan, you won't like me anymore?

Lu Wenchuan's heart skipped a beat, thinking he must make sure to use plenty of sunscreen spray later; he absolutely could not let himself get dark.

—

It was nine o'clock in the morning. All the guests had gathered at the beach.

The production team had specifically rented a section of the beach for the shoot, keeping regular tourists away, though they could watch from a distance.

Director Chen coughed. Looking over, he saw the four pairs of guests standing together. His gaze lingered on Sang Yijia and Lu Wenchuan for a few extra seconds before he began the sponsor advertisements, delivered the opening remarks, and moved into the formal segment.

"The goal of coming to the beach today is to enhance the bond between each couple, but this isn't just for relaxation; we have tasks to complete."

"Let's have a beach volleyball match!" Yan Ningsi raised her hand enthusiastically. "We can play in pairs."

"It’ll improve our chemistry and coordination!" Yan Ningsi thought her idea was absolutely perfect.

Director Chen: "..."

I’m trying to get you all to cultivate romance, not run around the beach chasing a ball like a bunch of fools.

Director Chen coughed. "We do have game segments."

"Then let's do beach volleyball!" Yan Ningsi spoke up again. "The losing pair has to do squats while giving each other a princess carry. How about that?"

"..." Director Chen was silent, but thinking about it, it didn't sound too bad?