In the morning, there weren’t many people on the beach.
Zong Xuan held Xu Tang’s hand as they walked along the shore. The cameraman filmed from a distance and did not ask them to remove their microphones.
“Who do you think threw those things down?” Xu Tang asked.
His voice was not loud, and there was no one else around, so he wasn’t worried about being overheard.
“The plates with the sponsor’s name printed on them were only given to our four groups. They were delivered to our rooms after we finished choosing ingredients today.”
“Judging by the location, we definitely aren’t on that side. The staff’s standard rooms don’t face this direction either. Yue Yan and the others’ ocean-view room does face this way, but normally hotel windows don’t open very wide. They probably couldn’t throw such a large plate out.”
“That leaves only Yu Lun and Ai Ya on the top floor. There should be a railing up there, but it probably isn’t too high. Throwing food or plates down from there would be relatively easy.”
Zong Xuan analyzed calmly.
“Mm. I wonder what happened. If it had hit someone, it would have been troublesome.”
Xu Tang wasn’t going to ask around, but even if the footage would later be edited, things couldn’t continue like this.
He also didn’t know whether Yu Lun had offended Ai Ya, or Ai Ya had offended Yu Lun.
However, he felt the first possibility was more likely.
After all, considering their backing and influence, Yu Lun would definitely have to give Ai Ya some leeway.
The waves repeatedly washed over the soft sand, erasing their footprints, only for new ones to appear again.
“Anyway, judging from this situation, it’s definitely not going to be us eating staff meals tonight.” Zong Xuan smiled casually.
“That’s true. The fruit pizza yesterday was really good. Let’s order another one today.”
This place was in a tropical region. Although it was an island, transporting fruits from the mainland was very convenient, and the quality was excellent.
“Okay. Let’s see what arrangements there are today. If there’s nothing special, I’ll take you out to sea.”
“Mm.” Xu Tang smiled.
After walking for a while, Zong Xuan’s phone rang.
It was a message from Xie Shaoqian.
It said that when the production team went to record Yu Lun’s side that morning, they had asked Ai Ya to eat. Ai Ya’s expression had looked extremely unpleasant, and she had thrown everything out.
Fortunately, no one was injured.
Also, the reason Ai Ya claimed to be sick and skipped dinner the previous night was because when the production team rushed over, they discovered the assistant director was inside her room.
The two of them were flirting…
Then the filming group was chased away by the assistant director.
After reading the message, Zong Xuan handed his phone to Xu Tang.
After Xu Tang finished reading, he looked at Zong Xuan in shock.
“This…”
Zong Xuan put his phone back into his pocket.
“I estimate this season is going to fail.”
“Since Ai Ya dared to do something like this, does that mean many people in the production team already know they’re a fake couple?”
“Not necessarily. Maybe only people at the director level know. The others probably don’t. Otherwise, the filming group wouldn’t have come back with that expression.”
“Judging from Yu Lun’s behavior yesterday, he probably didn’t know the assistant director would go there either. Who would willingly let themselves be cheated on? Besides, Yu Lun probably doesn’t want to offend Ai Ya.”
“Forget them. I think these two don’t need us to do anything. They can destroy themselves perfectly well.”
As they were speaking, Xu Tang’s phone received a message from He Xin.
He Xin:
I’m telling you! This morning Ai Ya threw away everything Yu Lun made from the rooftop.
Xu Tang:
Mm, I heard about it. What exactly happened?
He Xin:
The breakfast Yu Lun prepared today was all seafood, and there was also milk. But apparently Ai Ya is allergic to seafood, and drinking milk gives her diarrhea…
Xu Tang:
Why didn’t they coordinate this beforehand? It made such a huge mess.
He Xin:
They probably did discuss it, but I guess Yu Lun didn’t pay enough attention.
Xu Tang:
…
Xu Tang:
Any news from the production team?
What he meant was naturally their plans regarding Yu Lun and Ai Ya.
With things becoming this chaotic, was there even anything usable left to film?
He Xin:
Nothing for now. But I went downstairs to buy ice cream just now and saw several people in charge from the production team all going into the director’s room. They’re probably dealing with this situation.
Xu Tang:
Got it. Anyway, try not to interact with them too much to avoid trouble.
He Xin:
Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.
Xu Tang handed the phone to Zong Xuan.
After reading it, Zong Xuan laughed.
“Alright. Ignore them, and ignore this show. Let’s just treat this as a vacation. As long as we’re happy.”
“Mm.” Xu Tang nodded.
When they returned to their room, they received another notification from the production team.
There were two things.
First, they had won first place in the breakfast challenge, so tonight they could directly enjoy the hotel’s luxurious candlelight dinner.
Second, there would no longer be guest interaction segments or competitions.
Every day, they only needed to complete the filming according to the theme arranged by the program.
Today’s theme, “Breakfast,” was already finished.
The rest of the time could be arranged freely.
However, having no arrangements was actually the biggest test for the guests.
How to make the audience feel romance and warmth required careful thought.
“Then let’s rent a yacht later and go out to sea,” Zong Xuan said.
“Okay.”
Xu Tang nodded and went back to the room to look for sunscreen.
Renting a yacht here for one day was not cheap.
However, it came with a professional driver and included a meal.
This wasn’t included in the production team’s budget.
Zong Xuan didn’t care. He was paying out of his own pocket because he simply wanted to take Xu Tang out to sea and relax.
Of course, spending such a large amount still required discussing it with the family’s financial manager.
Xu Tang wasn’t stingy either.
He also wanted to go out to sea with Zong Xuan, so he agreed.
For convenience, Zong Xuan also brought Xie Shaoqian along.
Xu Tang boarded the yacht first.
On shore, Zong Xuan watched the staff deliver their lunch, drinks, and other supplies onto the boat, then signed the safety responsibility agreement.
“Mr. Zong, are you going out to sea?”
Ai Ya walked over.
She was wearing a pale yellow long dress that emphasized her graceful figure. Her every movement was elegant and charming.
Zong Xuan nodded.
He had never had much contact with Ai Ya before.
And he didn’t want to have any in the future either.
“I heard that you and Mr. Xu won first place in today’s breakfast challenge. Congratulations.”
Ai Ya blinked playfully.
Zong Xuan didn’t understand what there was to congratulate about, but since the camera was filming, he couldn’t completely disregard a woman’s courtesy.
“Thank you.”
“I’m much worse off. I wasn’t feeling well this morning and lost my temper a little. I accidentally broke the plates, so Yu Lun and I became last place and have to help in the kitchen.”
Ai Ya spoke in a pitiful tone, looking somewhat wronged.
A little temper?
Zong Xuan really couldn’t agree with that.
What kind of “little temper” involved throwing things from a rooftop?
“Is that so? Then do your best.”
Ai Ya was speechless.
This was completely different from what she expected.
Shouldn’t Zong Xuan have comforted her and earned some gentleman points in front of the camera?
“The thing is…”
She still didn’t want to give up.
“Yu Lun and I had a fight. I’m in a bad mood and wanted to go out for a walk. Could you… take me with you?”
“No.”
Zong Xuan rejected her without hesitation.
With a faint smile, he said:
“The island is very large. There should be enough places for you to clear your mind.”
“My world with Tang Tang is for just the two of us. I don’t want to be disturbed.”
“I’ll just enjoy the breeze. I won’t disturb you.”
Ai Ya tried to persuade him.
She knew that appearing on camera with Zong Xuan would bring her tremendous benefits.
Zong Xuan pointed to the side.
“If you want to enjoy the breeze, you can sit there. It’s economical and practical.”
Ai Ya followed the direction he pointed.
It was actually a small boat provided for tourists to go fishing…
Ai Ya felt both embarrassed and angry, but she didn’t dare show it.
She could only find herself a way out.
“Fishing… fishing is actually pretty good too. I’ll go try it.”
Zong Xuan ignored her and turned around to board the yacht.
Xu Tang was already standing by the deck, looking out at the sea.
The sunlight was beautiful today.
The blue-green water sparkled under the light, making people feel refreshed just by looking at it.
Zong Xuan walked over and hugged him from behind.
Xu Tang turned his head with a smile.
“I saw Shaoqian brought champagne up. Should we open it later?”
There was a shaded terrace on the yacht where they could eat and enjoy the scenery.
“Sure. We should chill it first.”
In this kind of weather, chilled champagne would taste much better.
“Mm.”
The cameraman followed them around filming.
Everyone in the filming group was actually quite happy.
Although following them out was more tiring, they could enjoy a sea lunch, free drinks, snacks, and beautiful scenery.
Compared with staying in the hotel, this was definitely a better deal.
Besides, in order to let Xu Tang enjoy himself, Zong Xuan had ordered plenty of delicious food.
The yacht was also rented until evening, allowing them to watch the sunset before returning to enjoy the candlelight dinner provided by the show.
The yacht left the harbor and began sailing along the planned route.
Xu Tang took out his phone and took many pictures together with Zong Xuan.
Each photo recorded their happiness.
After taking enough pictures, the champagne was almost chilled.
The two sat on the terrace, enjoying the sea breeze while chatting.
After the production team finished filming enough material, they temporarily put down their equipment and went to eat with Xie Shaoqian.
Zong Xuan hugged Xu Tang and told him about meeting Ai Ya at the harbor earlier.
Xu Tang didn’t take it too seriously.
After hearing it, he simply let it go.
For lunch, Zong Xuan had arranged for barbecue.
He had previously said he would take Xu Tang to coastal cities to eat fresh oysters.
Coincidentally, this place had large and fresh oysters available, so he ordered plenty, along with other ingredients, to be delivered onto the yacht.
The barbecue here mainly consisted of seafood and fruits, but that did not affect Xu Tang and Zong Xuan’s enthusiasm.
They set up a small grill for themselves and ate while grilling.
The oysters, scallops, and abalone were especially fresh.
When grilling, adding some lemon juice, a small piece of butter, and a little spicy sauce if desired made them incredibly delicious.
The shrimp had already been prepared.
They only needed a little salt before grilling.
The meat was firm, sweet, and tender.
The meat dishes only included chicken and pork ribs.
They had already been marinated and skewered, so they could be placed directly on the small grill.
With a little specially prepared seasoning from this region, they tasted excellent.
Zong Xuan placed all the grilled oysters into Xu Tang’s plate and smiled.
“Eat more. They’re good for your health.”
Xu Tang had been happily eating, but after hearing that, he suddenly didn’t know how to continue.
It made it sound like he was the one who needed help…
Xu Tang picked up two oysters and placed them into Zong Xuan’s plate.
“You eat too.”
The hidden meaning was obvious—
You need them too.
Zong Xuan raised an eyebrow and smiled.
“If your brother eats too many today, you’ll suffer tonight.”
Xu Tang’s face immediately turned red.
He lowered his head and focused on eating, refusing to respond.
Zong Xuan laughed and sat beside him.
“What? Aren’t you looking forward to it?”
Xu Tang pushed him.
“You’re only saying this because there are no cameras here, right?”
Zong Xuan didn’t care.
“Even if there were cameras, I’d say what I wanted to say. Flirting with your lover is completely normal.”
“You’re being shameless.”
“I’m not being shameless toward anyone else.”
Xu Tang: “…”
Being shameless wasn’t scary.
The scary thing was someone being shameless while completely confident about it.
Zong Xuan looked at Xu Tang’s speechless expression, picked out an oyster, and fed it to him.
Of course, he wouldn’t do anything excessive while the show was filming.
He was only enjoying teasing him.
Leaning close to Xu Tang’s ear, Zong Xuan smiled.
“Tang Tang, after we go back, how about we take things a step further?”
Xu Tang’s face became even redder.
He lifted his wine glass to hide his embarrassment.
However, he did not refuse.
Zong Xuan’s smile deepened.
He kissed Xu Tang on the lips, then continued grilling oysters for him.
After spending the entire day enjoying themselves on the sea, the scenery became especially breathtaking when the sun began to set.
Zong Xuan handed his phone to Xie Shaoqian and asked him to help take some pictures.
Xie Shaoqian took quite a few.
The cameraman also recorded this scene.
He thought that if this footage was included in the promotional trailer, it would definitely look especially beautiful and romantic.
He could even cut some of it out and keep it as part of his own portfolio.
In the future, when applying for other jobs, he would have something impressive to show.
Zong Xuan changed both his and Xu Tang’s lock screens to the photos they had just taken together.
Only then did he bring Xu Tang to the restaurant.
The high-end western restaurant here truly had an excellent atmosphere.
The gentle violin music made people feel relaxed and comfortable.
The dishes had already been arranged beforehand.
After the two sat down, the waiter brought over the red wine.
A sweet voice sounded beside the table.
“Mr. Zong, Mr. Xu, would you like us to open the bottle now?”
The two looked up.
The waiter was none other than Ai Ya.