TSBDRA 57: Likes Yan Yushan

After a couple of distracted rounds of Ludo outside the kitchen, inside, Xu Xishuang finally finished cooking the pot of radish and pork rib stew in front of him.

Catching Xu Xishuang’s still-dazed expression, Yan Yao took the initiative to push open the kitchen door and called out to the people outside, “Dinner’s ready.” 

Straight man Xiang Yao had also finally come to terms with the fact that there were two gay men on this trip—and that one was pursuing the other—so he stepped into the kitchen to help carry the dishes.

The seven guests sat around the table in a subtly awkward atmosphere. Xu Xishuang glanced at Yan Yushan, who had taken the seat to his left, and subtly shifted his body a little, leaning toward Yan Yao on his right.

Just as he had finished adjusting to a relatively safe distance, he saw Xiang Yao reaching out with his chopsticks toward the pot of radish and pork rib stew he had made. He hurriedly tried to stop him, “Don’t—”

It was already too late. The moment Xiang Yao bit into a rib, his face twisted. Still unconvinced, he took a bite of radish, doing his best to keep his grimace under control as he asked, “Who made this?”

“I did,” Xu Xishuang replied sincerely. “I’m really terrible at cooking.”

When he realized he had added too much salt, Xu Xishuang had poured in some water to dilute it, but the stew still ended up tasting really strange. He was well aware of his lack of cooking skills, so he hadn’t made much to begin with—just enough for himself. He never expected Xiang Yao would be the first one to “test the poison.”

Hearing Xu Xishuang openly criticize his own cooking, Xiang Yao paused, then forced himself to say, against his conscience, “Honestly, it’s not that bad… gag…”

【Hahahaha even poker-faced Xiang Yao couldn’t hide his expression—just how bad is Xu Xishuang’s cooking?】

【Help, seeing Xiang Yao in so much pain makes me really want to try Xu Xishuang’s food myself】

【Try it and die】

The others looked at Xiang Yao’s pained expression, heard that involuntary gag he let out earlier, then glanced at the seemingly normal-looking radish and pork rib stew in front of them. They silently pulled back their chopsticks and turned to other dishes.

Only Yan Yushan kept eating what Xu Xishuang had made. His expression unchanged, he said, “It’s fine.”

【Damn, is this the power of love?】

【?? Film Emperor Yan, are you okay? Don’t risk your life just to please your wife!】

【Looks like if Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan end up together, only Yan Yushan can be in charge of cooking】

【Yan Yushan’s fans are so quiet right now—are you all okay?】

Thanks to Xiang Yao’s interruption, the atmosphere at the table lightened up a little, but everyone still stayed mostly silent, quietly eating their food. In the end, that pot of stew, which was basically poison, was finished off by just Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan—none of it went to waste.

After the meal, no one was in the mood for more games. They each returned to their rooms to rest.

Xu Xishuang and Yan Yao were cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen. After they came out, passing by the fireplace, Xu Xishuang glanced at the still-burning fire, pulled over a chair, and sat down beside it. He stretched out his fingers, stiff from the cold, and warmed them by the flames.

Since the room was fairly warm, he was only wearing a thin white sweater. The soft golden firelight cast a gentle glow on his face, making him look calm and serene. As he sat there by the fire, Xu Xishuang began to feel a little sleepy. His fingers flexed unconsciously, and he stretched his arms forward with a lazy yawn.

【OMG, the kitty is warming by the fire! The kitty is stretching!】

【It really looks like it—ahhh so cute】

After stretching, Xu Xishuang actually felt more awake. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, blinked his long lashes, then slowly got up and walked back to his room, closing the door behind him.

The whole house fell into silence.

After a while, just as the viewers were regretting that today’s livestream was about to end and they would have to wait until tomorrow to keep watching, one of the cameras in the house suddenly rotated, and all the audience outside the screen saw Yan Yushan’s door swing open.

Their gaze followed Yan Yushan, dressed in a dark gray thin sweater, as he turned and walked forward, finally stopping at Xu Xishuang’s door. He raised his hand and began to knock.

【??】

【Late-night room visit… Yan Yushan, are you really not planning to tone it down?】

【He already said publicly that he’s pursuing Xu Xishuang—like he would care about this now】

【The door’s opening! It’s opening!!】

But before anyone could see anything clearly, Yan Yushan’s gray silhouette had already disappeared into the doorway. All they could see was Xu Xishuang’s tightly closed door, and the camera inside his room had already been turned off. The viewers had no way of knowing what was going on inside.

【Why won’t you let us see? Are you two sneaking around to do something shady? Like, do it?】

【Let me see! Director, let us see! Or I’m gonna riot!!】

【Uh… they’re still filming a show. Isn’t this a bad look?】

No matter how much the viewers speculated or threw a fit, there was no chance the camera in Xu Xishuang’s room would be turned back on.

The truth was, Xu Xishuang hadn’t planned on opening the door for Yan Yushan at all. He hadn’t figured out how to face him yet but Yan Yushan just kept knocking, clearly intending to keep at it until the door opened. Not wanting to wake the others, Xu Xishuang had no choice but to let him in.

Before Yan Yushan arrived, Xu Xishuang had already finished washing up and pulled out his phone to check today’s livestream and trending topics.

Because the A Trip on a Whim livestream had bullet comment filtering turned on, the comments there were relatively friendly. But elsewhere—like in the comment section under the still-trending topic—things weren’t nearly as kind. It was a completely different vibe from the bullet chat.

Xu Xishuang skimmed through a few comments. Almost all of them were scolding him for being ungrateful and questioning why he hadn’t accepted Yan Yushan’s pursuit. Many felt he didn’t deserve Yan Yushan at all, using the cruelest and most toxic language possible.

In short, it was nothing like the original plot of the novel, where once the lead couple entered the ambiguous phase, the whole internet was showering them with confetti and blessings.

Sure enough, if you’re not the protagonist’s love interest, you don’t get the protagonist’s treatment—you don’t deserve the blessings of the entire entertainment industry.

Seeing Yan Yushan casually walk over to his bed and sit down, picking up his phone to get ready for their usual storytime, Xu Xishuang pulled himself out of that unfamiliar, stifling ache. He walked a few steps forward, got into bed from the other side, and lay down, waiting for the routine to begin.

This time, Xu Xishuang forced himself to stay awake. When Yan Yushan finished telling the story, he turned his head and said to the man sitting by the bed, “Don’t li… don’t pursue me anymore.”

“No,” Yan Yushan rejected him calmly. “Not unless you tell me—what exactly are you afraid of?”

Xu Xishuang opened his mouth but found himself unable to say anything.

Was he supposed to tell Yan Yushan, “Actually, I transmigrated into a book. This world is a BL novel. The reason you have feelings for me is a mistake—it only happened because I slept with you and didn’t leave, which accidentally altered the original love arc. Your true match is actually Chi Siyuan. Once I give birth and die, you’ll end up with him. I’m just a little detour on your road to happiness. The way you’re making such a huge deal out of this now… it’s going to be ugly and painful to clean up. So please, stop liking me”?

He would sound absolutely insane.

Before transmigrating into the book, he had seen his cousin reading BL novels. Out of curiosity, he read a few himself. In one of those stories, there was a villainous second male lead who had been reborn. Using his knowledge of the future, he approached the male lead earlier than the original love interest, imitating everything the protagonist shou did—taking care of the male lead, trying to win a place in his heart.

Of course, in the end, the second lead didn’t end up with the male lead. The protagonist shou still meet the gong as originally intended, and through spending time together, they fall in love and get married in a flash. The second lead’s manipulative, scheming approach was eventually exposed, and he slunk off in defeat.

Xu Xishuang felt like he was in the same position as that second male lead now. Even if he hadn’t consciously meant to interfere with the main couple’s relationship, his actions had still led to the current situation.

And what truly stuck in his throat was the fact that he realized—he might actually, really, like Yan Yushan.

Maybe more than just a little. Otherwise, why would it hurt this much?

He had thought that his cold attitude would make Yan Yushan back off, stop liking him. But instead, Yan Yushan had started openly pursuing him—completely changing his approach, showing no sign of retreat.

Xu Xishuang didn’t respond, and although Yan Yushan had expected that, he was still a little disappointed. He tightened his grip on the phone in his hand, lowered his head, and said to Xu Xishuang, “If you won’t give me a reason, then I have no reason to give up.”

“I’ll keep pursuing you,” Yan Yushan said, like he was making a vow, “until you fall for me, respond to me, or tell me the reason why you don’t want me to.”

He reached out to tuck the blanket in around Xu Xishuang. “Sleep. I’m leaving.”

Xu Xishuang stared blankly as Yan Yushan got up, the light went out, and his silhouette disappeared at the door.

The moment Yan Yushan finally came out, the viewers who had been waiting all along immediately started spamming the bullet comments again.

【Twenty minutes, folks. Just twenty minutes. Is Yan Yushan… not that great?】

【Well, they are still filming a show—he probably couldn’t go too wild. Maybe just switched to manual and helped each other out a bit (blushing face)】

【Damn, I got it right away. I’m not pure anymore. You people are filthy (puts on pants)】

【Hey, put your pants on before making jokes. That’s the kind of bold talk I like】

【See you all tomorrow morning, fam!】

The next morning, all seven guests collectively overslept. It wasn’t until the production team drove over from the neighboring town and knocked on each door one by one that they finally got up to begin the day’s check-in tasks.

Yu Shudie had changed into a new outfit, but her eyes were red and her spirit was drained. She had spent the entire night crying into her blanket, completely unable to figure out what exactly she had lost to Xu Xishuang—aside from gender.

Yan Yao’s eyes were red too, but for a different reason. She had been celebrating all night in the YanXu CP supertopic, bingeing on all the sweet fan content created by the shippers, and in her mind had already arranged a future where Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan got married, had kids, and lived happily ever after. She had been too excited to sleep.

Bai Keke’s eyes were also red. She had spent the entire night with other career fans and Yan Yushan’s major fan accounts patrolling all the platforms, comforting irrational fans, suppressing and managing comments. She hadn’t had a single moment to sleep.

Director Fei Yuan’s eyes were red too, but from sheer overexcitement. The show’s ratings were skyrocketing, and he had a gut feeling this season of the travel variety show would be the biggest, most talked-about hit of his career. He hadn’t slept all night, busy planning future episodes and check-in missions, racking his brain for ways to push the viewership even higher.

【Damn, did they all stay up all night or what?】

【Not gonna lie, after Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan came out and Yan said he was pursuing him, I was so hyped I couldn’t sleep either】

【Sigh, Yu Shudie’s really pitiful. She doesn’t stand a chance now, does she? Her heart’s completely shattered】

“Today’s check-in tasks are twofold,” Fei Yuan said, glancing at Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan. “The first task is ice fishing under the guidance of local residents. You need to catch at least three fish.”

“The second task,” Fei Yuan continued, looking at Yu Shudie and Yan Yao, “is to find a snow squirrel and take a clear, high-res photo of it.”

Although snow squirrels rarely come out in winter, they don’t hibernate, and people do spot them from time to time. They’re known for being gentle, obedient, and adorable—many people even keep them as pets.

Fei Yuan added, “Here’s a little tip for the second task—at the beginning of the show, I asked two questions. Two guests answered correctly and received packages from the production team. Inside those packages were high-resolution cameras and a full set of skiing gear, to help you track the squirrels and take photos.”

“You have the whole day to complete these two tasks,” Fei Yuan said. “No need to rush. You can also enjoy the snow or take a walk around town.”

After Fei Yuan left, Xiang Yao was the first to speak. “Then I’ll go fishing. I fish pretty often, so I’ve got some experience.”

“I can fish too,” said Xu Xishuang.

Right now, he couldn’t do anything too physically intense, so the second task—searching for squirrels—wasn’t really an option for him.

Yan Yushan said, “I’ll fish too.”

【What’s ‘a couple in perfect sync’? This is it】

【Can Yan Yushan not take his eyes off Xu Xishuang for even two seconds? Wife-watching maniac!】

【So you’re saying this thing between Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan started way earlier—like during Bitter Summer filming?】

【Damn, now that you mention it, the people shipping ChiXu CP must be facing a brutal BE, huh?】

【Say no more, I’m diving into the Bitter Summer BTS footage to dig up the sweet moments】

Yan Yao had already guessed that Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan would choose fishing, and the director’s hint just now made it even more obvious—they clearly wanted her and Yu Shudie to team up for the squirrel search. So she glanced at Yu Shudie and took the initiative to ask, “Want to go look for snow squirrels with me?”

Her relationship with Yu Shudie wasn’t nearly as bad as the internet made it out to be. Yu Shudie had taken a few roles from her before, but when it came to resources, it was always a matter of who could snatch them first. Yan Yao didn’t have anything to complain about.

Besides, the two of them were on different career paths, so direct competition was rare. It was just that Yu Shudie was indeed proud and aloof, had never taken the initiative to speak to her, and after all the rumors swirling around, it somehow became “they don’t get along.”

Hearing Yan Yao’s invitation, Yu Shudie glanced at Xu Xishuang first, then turned her head away sharply and said, almost out of spite, “Fine.”

Shen Youlian and Bai Keke had just looked up pictures of snow squirrels. They had zero resistance to such fluffy and adorable creatures, so they immediately agreed to join Yan Yao and Yu Shudie on the search.

The seven guests split into two teams. Viewers with experience quickly activated split-screen mode—two eyes just weren’t enough.

Yan Yao’s group entered the nearby forest, having been warned repeatedly not to go too deep to avoid encountering wild animals. Yan Yushan, Xu Xishuang, and Xiang Yao, meanwhile, walked on foot toward the nearby town, looking for someone who could teach them ice fishing and lend them fishing rods.

Before long, they ran into their first local—a grandmother sweeping snow in front of her house.

Yan Yushan had just taken a few steps forward to greet her when the old lady looked up and stared straight at Xu Xishuang’s face behind him. Her eyes lit up as she exclaimed loudly, “What a pretty girl!”

Xu Xishuang: …

“I’m a boy, Grandma,” Xu Xishuang replied.

Since they were going out today, he had worn a fuzzy hat that covered his hair, leaving only his delicate brows and eyes visible so the old lady had mistaken him for a girl.

【Gasp! Xu Xishuang just got publicly misgendered!】

【Hahaha can’t blame anyone—our darling Shuangshuang is just too pretty】

【Wife! Wife! Wife!】

Yan Yushan struggled to hold back a laugh beside him, while Xiang Yao outright burst into laughter. Xu Xishuang, annoyed, tugged his scarf down a little, stepped past Yan Yushan, and bent down slightly to ask the old lady, “Grandma, we’re looking for someone who can teach us how to ice fish. Do you know where we might find someone?”

The old lady looked at Xu Xishuang’s face and said, “Oh my, what a handsome young man… You want to fish? I’ll go get my big oaf of a grandson—just wait a moment.”

“Okay,” Xu Xishuang nodded. “Thank you, Grandma.”

The old lady went back inside, and in less than thirty seconds, a burly man in a military coat came out, carrying a large bucket full of fishing rods. He gave the three of them a once-over and immediately recognized Xiang Yao. “Whoa, Movie King Xiang!”

“I was wondering why there were so many cars yesterday, and someone carrying a camera,” he said, glancing at the cameraman behind them. “You guys filming a show?”

“Yeah,” Xiang Yao nodded. “Mind being on camera?”

“No problem,” the man replied. “Wearing this many layers, no one’s gonna recognize me anyway. I’ll take you guys fishing.”