TSBDRA 67: Yeah, We’re Dating

…

Just like Yan Yushan had said, the new episode of A Trip on a Whim was set on an overseas island.

Xu Xishuang’s passport had been arranged with Yan Yushan’s help. In the photo, he looked far better than on his ID. His complexion was healthy and his features were so striking it was hard to look away.

At the airport, when the other cast members met up with him—Shen Youlian and the rest—they finally believed that Xu Xishuang was truly recovered. He moved freely, his face was rosy, and he looked completely healthy.

This time, Fei Yuan didn’t make everyone guess who the surprise guest was, because the guest had already posted on Weibo that they’d be joining the show—

Liang Feng appeared wearing sunglasses, a skull-print T-shirt, and a studded jacket thrown over it. He flashed a rock hand sign at the six just-boarded guests and shouted cheerfully, “Woohoo!”

Everyone else: ……

【Help, when Feng-ge gets excited he looks totally unhinged】

【Rock musicians always come with a hint of madness hahaha】

【Didn’t Liang Feng have a concert abroad? It’s probably nearby, so he’s just hopping on the show while he’s at it】

【I heard a rumor that Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan are announcing their relationship today—is it true??】

【You believe rumors now? It’s just another clickbait stunt from gossip accounts…】

That last comment had barely slid across the screen when everyone heard Liang Feng say to Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan, “So you two are already in couple outfits? Flexing your love for the whole country to see, huh?”

Only then did the others realize—Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan had both shown up in matching down jackets, one in black and one in white. Once they boarded the plane and took off their coats because of the heating, even their knit sweaters underneath were matching—also black and white.

【Honestly I noticed it earlier, but I was scared I was just overthinking】

【It’s this obvious—they’re definitely together!】

“Yes,” Yan Yushan nodded, sitting down with Xu Xishuang after Liang Feng. “We’re together.”

Meeting Liang Feng’s gaze, Xu Xishuang pressed his lips into a small smile and gave a confirming nod. “Yeah, we’re dating.”

【??? What??】

【IS THIS REAL?? I’m so excited I could DIE—my ship is REAL!!】

【Why did that sound a little smug though hahaha you guys are too sweet】

【It’s really New Year now! Yan Yushan and Xu Xishuang should just get married tonight! I’ll bring the civil affairs bureau to you!】

【Why aren’t the other guests surprised?! Did they already know??】

【Wuwuwu I’m crying, Mom loves you both—please be happy, stay together forever】

【You’re not allowed to break up unless you give birth! Wait—even if you give birth, you’re not allowed to break up!】

The livestream was filled with a chaotic mix of screams and blessings, but the two people at the center of it all sat calmly in their seats. Aside from Xu Xishuang’s slightly flushed face, there was no sign that they had just gone public in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers.

After takeoff, the livestream was temporarily cut off. Xu Xishuang immediately relaxed, and Yan Yushan reached over to pull him into his arms. Resting against Yan Yushan’s chest, Xu Xishuang began to doze off.

Even though his health had improved, his pregnancy drowsiness hadn’t gone away. With Yan Yushan’s warm, steady presence around him, it didn’t take long before he drifted off to sleep peacefully.

A flight attendant noticed and quietly approached to ask if they needed a blanket. Yan Yushan nodded, taking the small blanket from her hands and gently covering Xu Xishuang with it.

Before she left, the flight attendant couldn’t help glancing back—just in time to see Yan Yushan press a kiss to Xu Xishuang’s forehead.

She wasn’t even a YanXu shipper, but the moment was so sweet it hit her anyway. She covered her mouth to hide her smile as she walked back down the aisle.

Of course, Yan Yao had seen the kiss too. Without the camera on her, she grinned with zero restraint. Sitting beside her, Yu Shudie turned her head away in exaggerated disgust but even she couldn’t help feeling it was sweet.

Even though she knew there was absolutely no chance between her and Yan Yushan anymore, and she had let go of her feelings for him, she still felt a little wistful. Yan Yao noticed the look on her face and whispered, “Why are you sitting with me today?”

“My aunt…” Yu Shudie pressed her lips together. “I don’t want to tell you.”

It was Shen Youlian who had arranged for Yu Shudie to sit with Yan Yao. Shen Youlian had suddenly decided that Yu Shudie’s personality needed some adjustment. After observing for a while, she felt that although Yan Yao appeared quiet on the surface, she was warm beneath the cool exterior. If Yu Shudie could befriend her, maybe it could help correct her skewed personality a little.

“Fine, don’t tell me then.” Yan Yao didn’t mind. “Hey, let me ask you. Don’t you think that Shuangshuang—uh, Xu Xishuang—being liked by Yan-ge is actually his good fortune?”

Yu Shudie didn’t say anything, but that really was what she thought. She knew Xu Xishuang was good-looking and a great actor, but Yan Yushan’s favoritism, his protection, the way he cherished Xu Xishuang—how could anyone not feel jealous? How could anyone not think Xu Xishuang was lucky?

Seeing Yu Shudie’s reaction, Yan Yao went on, “Then you’re just missing a good pair of eyes. Stick with me—I’ll teach you how to ship a mutual-pining CP!”

Yu Shudie: …

She turned her head away, not wanting to talk.

But Yan Yao had already spammed her WeChat with a flood of CP fan edits and even tried to force-feed her some of it. During the several-hour flight, she talked non-stop right in her ear. By the time they landed, Yu Shudie felt like she’d been thoroughly brainwashed. Now, even when she saw Yan Yushan helping Xu Xishuang carry his sweater, she thought it was sweet.

Knowing the island would be hot, everyone wore short sleeves or dresses underneath their coats. When they got off the plane, they just took off the outer layers, perfectly matching the warm weather outside.

Xu Xishuang’s T-shirt was loose, and if you looked closely, you could faintly see the curve of his slightly rounded belly. It could still be passed off as weight gain and it’s not enough to raise any suspicion.

Before the staff took their luggage away, Yan Yushan pulled out some sunscreen from his bag and started applying it to Xu Xishuang’s arms and calves. Xu Xishuang, in return, focused intently on applying it to Yan Yushan. Neither of them noticed that the livestream camera had already turned on.

【？Did Xu Xishuang just touch Yan Yushan’s chest?? This is how you welcome us? Coming in hot right from the start? Are we just not outsiders anymore after the official announcement?】

【Please, never treat us like outsiders. We wouldn’t even mind if you livestreamed yourselves in bed, hehe.】

【Yan-ge keeps staring at Shuangshuang baby’s little tummy. So cute, I wanna touch it toooo.】

【Xu Xishuang is seriously so pale. Yan-ge’s not even that dark, but next to Xu Xishuang’s hand, the contrast is real.】

【Yan-ge, how are you holding back? Seriously, HOW? Your hubby’s rubbing your chest and you’re just… chill about it??】

Yan Yushan really was having a hard time holding back. He looked down at Xu Xishuang, who was earnestly applying sunscreen to his chest, and thought maybe he shouldn’t have teased him by saying that part needed lotion too.

When he noticed the camera approaching, Yan Yushan looked up, turned with Xu Xishuang to face the other way, told him there was no need to keep applying, then took his hand and walked off-screen—without leaving the viewers a single extra moment of fanservice.

【? Yan-ge’s still too reserved, huh? Those gorgeous pecs should really get more screen time】

【Yan-ge: Can’t do it, I’m taken. Gotta uphold proper male conduct—only for my hubby’s eyes】

【Xu Xishuang’s covering up way too much. Is he scared we’ll see hickeys or something?】

【You guys are so dirty】

Fei Yuan was already in the car. When he saw that everyone had arrived, he held up his little whiteboard and addressed the seven guests, “Hi everyone, nice to see you again. This time, we’re headed to a private island. Although it’s privately owned, the owner is very generous. Visitors are welcome to tour and stay, and quite a few people have even settled there.”

“We’ll be staying in a villa the owner isn’t using,” Fei Yuan continued, though in his mind he was thinking, Man, Yan Yushan is seriously loaded. 

He didn’t say out loud that the “owner” was Yan Yushan himself. Instead, he went on to announce today’s missions. “Our first check-in task is to head to the villa and drop off your luggage.”

“The second check-in task is to ask a local resident for help and use seashells you find on the beach to make a necklace. Easy, right?”

Fei Yuan had already lost all credibility with the guests. Shen Youlian crossed her arms and gave him a look. “And what happens if we don’t complete it? You guys gonna starve us again?”

Xiang Yao suddenly said, “Director Fei, it’s fine if you don’t give us food. We’ve got a legendary fisherman here—Xu Xishuang. And we’re by the sea, too. There’s no way he’s letting us go hungry.”

Fei Yuan choked a little and quickly replied, “How could I! There are shops on the island. You’re free to buy food anytime. Our check-in tasks are never mandatory.”

【Hahaha just asking—Director Fei, are you scared of Xu Xishuang’s fishing legend or not!】

【Ever since Xiang Yao went fishing three mornings in a row and didn’t catch a single thing, he’s been absolutely worshipping Xu Xishuang, I’m dying】

【Fei Yuan’s so soft now. Last season he tortured Queen Shen and the others like crazy. But now that Yan Yushan’s here, he totally chickened out. Picking on the weak and fearing the strong, huh】

【Xu Xishuang fell asleep leaning on Yan Yushan—damn, that’s sweet】

The car drove smoothly for a little over an hour before coming to a stop in front of the villa where the guests would be staying this time.

As soon as the car stopped, Xu Xishuang woke up. He looked a little dazed, still sleepy, and instinctively nuzzled against Yan Yushan’s chest with a soft “hnghh”. The livestream chat nearly exploded from the cuteness.

【Ahhhh kitty! He’s a kitty, I’m telling you!】

【He kissed his forehead! Who else is jealous of Yan Yushan giving Xu Xishuang a forehead kiss wake-up call?】

【You guys are going to kill me with the sweetness. Being in a relationship really does hit different】

After being kissed, Xu Xishuang fully woke up. He remembered they were still livestreaming, and with ears flushed red, he glanced at the camera then got out of the car hand-in-hand with Yan Yushan and followed him into the villa.

The villa’s owner must’ve liked minimalism—or maybe it was just because the place had been left unused for a while—because the exterior was plain white and elegant, and the interior was sparsely decorated. Even the edges of tables and cabinets were wrapped with protective padding.

As he listened to the others commenting on it, Xu Xishuang quietly glanced at Yan Yushan.

Both he and Fei Yuan knew this was Yan Yushan’s house. The padded corners on all the sharp furniture were prepared specifically for him. Now that he was further along in his pregnancy, Yan Yushan never said anything aloud, but he was clearly on edge. Anything that might pose even the slightest risk to Xu Xishuang had been eliminated.

There was no elevator in the villa, so as usual, Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan chose rooms on the first floor. Their rooms were right next to each other, just a few steps apart. The others picked their rooms more or less the same way they had last time.

After unpacking, everyone gathered in the first-floor living room to talk about cooking arrangements. Having learned from last time, they automatically left Xu Xishuang out of the lineup. In the end, they decided on three teams: Yan Yushan with Xiang Yao, Yu Shudie with Yan Yao, and Shen Youlian with Liang Feng. Each pair would take turns cooking for everyone.

The sun outside was blazing. Coming from a place of snow and ice to a sunny island so suddenly, everyone was still adjusting. Once they remembered Fei Yuan’s second check-in task, they eagerly split into three groups, each heading in a different direction of the bustling marketplace to find local residents and ask how to make seashell necklaces.

Everyone knew Yan Yushan and Xu Xishuang were together now, and none of the guests were rude enough to intrude on their private time. So the two of them went off on their own, heading east toward the market.

The marketplace here was right next to the beach. Bikini-clad women and muscular men were out in full force, showing off their bodies—playing beach volleyball, sunbathing, sipping cold drinks, surfing… The whole stretch was packed with people.

Xu Xishuang only glanced over once before looking away. When he turned his head, he noticed Yan Yushan was still looking toward the beach.

Yan Yushan’s gaze was focused, as if he’d spotted someone. He even squinted a little, trying to make sure. Xu Xishuang followed his line of sight and saw a group of fit men and women clinking glasses and drinking.

Xu Xishuang held it in for a few seconds, but couldn’t anymore. He looked straight at Yan Yushan and asked, “What are you looking at?”

【! Xu Xishuang is jealous! He’s jealous—Yan-ge, look away right now!】

【Yan-ge, you’re done for. There’s still time to apologize. Hurry!】

【I don’t think Yan Yushan’s looking at anyone else. The most beautiful person is already beside him.】

【But seriously, that blonde girl’s figure is insane】

Xu Xishuang’s tone was light, almost casual, but Yan Yushan immediately sensed the danger. Snapping out of it, he met Xu Xishuang’s eyes and said at once, “I was looking at Jiang Yangze.”

That was unexpected—Xu Xishuang froze for a moment and repeated, “Jiang Yangze?”

“He caused some trouble last time…” Yan Yushan paused, not going into detail. “He was afraid I’d come after him, so he ran abroad. I didn’t think we’d run into him here. Want to go say hi?”

“Sure.” Xu Xishuang nodded, gripping Yan Yushan’s hand a little tighter, a bit guiltily.

Of course Yan Yushan knew Xu Xishuang had just been jealous, but he didn’t say a word. He just curved his lips into a smile, clearly in a great mood.

Jealousy meant he cared. Even if making Xu Xishuang jealous hadn’t been his intention, this little surprise was something he quite enjoyed.

【Yan-ge, please chill… your smile is about to reach the sun】

【Does anyone know who Yan Yushan was just talking about?】

【Jiang Yangze! Yan-ge’s childhood friend. Super rich second-gen, total wild child. His entire Weibo is just food, drinks, and partying.】

【Anyone know what Jiang Yangze did to piss off Yan Yushan?】

Jiang Yangze had no idea danger was approaching. He was happily partying, one arm wrapped around a blonde bombshell, the other raising a beer bottle to clink with someone else’s, ready to down it in one go.

“Jiang Yangze.”

His hand trembled around the bottle. He figured he must’ve drunk too much because how could he possibly be hearing Yan-ge’s voice in a foreign country like this, haha…

“Jiang Yangze,” Yan Yushan turned him around by the shoulder, wearing a smile without a shred of warmth. “You seem to be having a good time?”

Jiang Yangze flinched and instantly sobered up.

He quickly set the beer bottle down with shaky hands and asked nervously, “Yan-ge, weren’t you supposed to be… filming a show back in the country right now?”

Yan Yushan pointed to the cameraman behind him, who was holding up a camera, “I am.”

Jiang Yangze nearly collapsed to his knees right then and there. “Yan-ge, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have called Xu Xishuang ‘sister-in-law’… wait, Xu Xishuang, you’re here too?”

Yan Yushan shoved his head aside to block his view of Xu Xishuang, not wanting him to say anything else outrageous, and dropped a bomb. “Xu Xishuang and I are together.”

Jiang Yangze froze for a few seconds, then burst out wailing, “Since when?! Yan-ge, are you abandoning me as your brother? You didn’t even tell me!”

While Yan Yushan was “dealing with” Jiang Yangze, the blonde woman Jiang Yangze had been clinging to earlier walked over to Xu Xishuang. She had striking features and gave a quick glance at the camera crew behind them but didn’t pay much attention. Reality shows were common abroad too, and getting on camera could actually boost her value.

She turned and gave Xu Xishuang a quick once-over before asking in English, “Are you here to party too?”

Clearly, she assumed Xu Xishuang was someone Yan Yushan had brought along for fun.

Xu Xishuang smiled and replied in English, “No. I’m his boyfriend.”

The blonde woman raised her brows in surprise. She heard of Yan Yushan before. If someone managed to get close to a man like him, even the gifts he casually gave out could set someone up for life. Unlike Jiang Yangze, they couldn’t even get close enough to touch the hem of Yan Yushan’s coat.

The blonde woman didn’t think the person in front of her would dare pretend to be Yan Yushan’s boyfriend. After all, the consequences of angering Yan Yushan were not something anyone wanted to face. Her attitude toward Xu Xishuang shifted immediately. She warmly introduced the people around them and even enthusiastically tried to lead him to the drinks and food table—only to be politely declined by Xu Xishuang.

The livestream’s real-time subtitles had already translated the exchange between Xu Xishuang and the blonde woman, and viewer reactions varied.

【Damn it, how can people still not recognize Shuangshuang’s alpha energy as the official partner!】

【Xu Xishuang: Me, the official boyfriend of Yan Yushan. One and only, worldwide.】

【Wait, didn’t Xu Xishuang not even finish high school? How’s his English this good?】

【I swear, the entertainment industry is full of people who just assume everyone’s talentless】

【? What does English fluency have to do with formal education? Ever heard of self-study? Also, Xu Xishuang left school because of family issues and medical expenses, and by the way, he did take the college entrance exam and has a diploma. He’s not some dropout.】

【Yan-ge… do you guys remember your check-in task or not?】

On the other side, Yan Yushan had finished “settling accounts.” Jiang Yangze, clutching his stomach with a pained look, shuffled over. First, he offered Xu Xishuang a sincere apology, then respectfully called him “ge,” and asked the two of them, “Yan-ge, Xu-ge, let me treat you to a meal!”

“We still have a check-in task to finish,” Yan Yushan declined. “Do you know where to find locals around here who make seashell necklaces?”

“I do!” Jiang Yangze lit up, grinning. “You’ve come to the right guy. It’s super hard to find someone here who makes traditional shell necklaces—but lucky for you, I happen to know exactly where to go!”

“It’s hard to find?” Xu Xishuang asked.

Jiang Yangze nodded. “Yeah, very. Only one family still knows how to make them.”

Xu Xishuang looked at Yan Yushan, and Yan Yushan understood what he meant. He turned to Jiang Yangze. “Mind taking a few more people with you?”

“Not at all!” Jiang Yangze answered quickly.

So Xu Xishuang pulled out his phone and sent a message in the group chat, telling everyone to follow Jiang Yangze.

Offscreen, peeking at the feed, Director Fei Yuan: ……

The challenging task he’d carefully designed for the guests! The one with the hard-to-find local artisan! All completely ruined—undone just like that by Yan Yushan and Xu Xishuang!