TSBDRA 75: The Show Has Come to and End

【? What bonus episode? How come we didn’t know about it?】

【I’ve got a strong feeling they’re about to pull something big… but what exactly are they planning?】

After Fei Yuan left, everyone was still caught up in thoughts about the murder mystery game. Shen Youlian leaned back in her chair and suddenly sighed, then turned to Xu Xishuang with a teasing smile. “Sis, I didn’t suspect you for a second, and you used me to kill someone?”

Xu Xishuang gave a helpless smile. “The script told me to be ruthless and madly in love—I had no choice.”

The biggest victim of this murder mystery game, the scapegoat Yan Yao, stayed silent. She thought to herself, for the sake of her favorite ship ending up together, she had sacrificed way too much. She had actually wanted to vote for Yan Yushan, but just to let Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan fly off happily ever after, she forced herself to vote for Xiang Yao. Sorry, Xiang-ge.

On the other side, Chi Siyuan was still thinking about that infamous angst-fueled post in the supertopic. While reviewing the events of the murder mystery, he recalled the ending Fei Yuan had just announced and felt that, thanks to his own efforts, he had helped give his favorite ship a happy ending. He voted Yan Yao out, and now he was feeling a bit proud, a little moved—and just a tad guilty. Yan Yao-jie, I’m sorry.

【Xu Xishuang going insane for love, hahaha! Yan Yushan must be secretly laughing!】

【I’m dying to know—did Yan-ge actually figure out that Consort Xi was the killer in the end? Did he cover for him?】

【Only he could answer that, right? We can speculate all we want, but unless Yan-ge admits it himself…】

【The vibe here is so good. I once played a murder mystery where, during the recap, someone kept criticizing everyone with hindsight bias—I was so done.】

【Also, their line delivery was amazing. They actually memorized the whole script plot—it felt like a full immersive experience!】

【Can we please have a variety show that’s just nonstop murder mystery games? I’d watch the hell out of that.】

After the murder mystery game ended, everyone returned to their rooms to change out of their costumes and props, packed up their things, and got ready to hit the hot springs.

Before heading over, Yan Yushan messaged Doctor Xu to ask if Xu Xishuang was allowed to soak in a hot spring. He got the go-ahead, along with yet another reminder from the doctor: Xu Xishuang had to be brought to the hospital before the end of next month.

Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan were given the single-person VIP hot spring experience that Fei Yuan had promised at the start. While changing, Xu Xishuang hesitated for a moment before deciding to go into the water still wearing his bathrobe instead of just wrapping a towel around his lower half, hiding the more rounded curve of his belly.

The natural hot spring pools here were built very close together, separated by only a wooden wall. Xu Xishuang could hear the water splashing next door, knowing it was Yan Yushan moving around in the pool. For some reason, an image of Yan Yushan in swim trunks on the beach flashed through his mind—the man’s abs appeared vividly in his memory. Feeling awkward, he sank a bit deeper into the water, letting the warm spring cover his collarbones.

The hot spring was so relaxing that the rising steam quickly flushed his cheeks. Xu Xishuang rested his arms on the edge of the pool, and before long, sleepiness from the pregnancy started to creep in. He slowly closed his eyes, and at some point, his mind drifted off. Propped against the edge of the tub with a towel under his head, he fell asleep.

Next door, Yan Yushan got out of the hot spring after soaking for a while. He casually threw on a bathrobe and stepped outside.

Back home, there were anti-slip mats in the bathroom. Whenever Xu Xishuang showered, Yan Yushan would wait nearby just in case—he worried Xu Xishuang might slip and fall. Now that they were here, with Xu Xishuang alone in one of the hot spring pools and the floors just as slippery, Yan Yushan couldn’t relax. So he came over to check on him.

There were only two single-person hot spring rooms here. When Fei Yuan made the arrangements, he had been thoughtful enough to place their rooms side by side, each with a private entrance. Both keys were in Yan Yushan’s hands.

He gently pushed open the door and immediately saw Xu Xishuang fast asleep, slumped against the edge of the pool. Quietly, he walked over and crouched down, reaching out to brush aside the wet hair stuck to Xu Xishuang’s forehead. Then he pinched his ear lightly. Seeing that he still didn’t wake, Yan Yushan chuckled under his breath, slipped into the pool, and settled next to him, lowering his head to press a kiss to Xu Xishuang’s flushed cheek.

Xu Xishuang was genuinely exhausted. He’d drawn the killer role in the game, and just hiding that alone had taken a ton of effort. After that, he’d followed everyone around, going from room to room to investigate clues. His body was worn out. Now that he had finally relaxed, he slept deeply and soundly—completely unaware that the “flower thief” beside him was shamelessly stealing all the advantages he could get.

During the time Xu Xishuang was unconscious, Yan Yushan had already seen his body while taking care of him. Back then, he’d been worried about Xu Xishuang’s health and hadn’t let his thoughts wander. But now, as he stared at Xu Xishuang’s pale shoulders, his gaze unconsciously followed the way the bathrobe had loosened from the heat, trailing downward.

The warm spring water had brought a soft flush to Xu Xishuang’s jade-like skin, which rose and fell gently with his breathing, stirring all kinds of thoughts. Yan Yushan reached out, no longer holding back his desire, hooked his fingers under the sash of the robe, and gave it a gentle tug—revealing exactly what he’d wanted to see.

Feeling a certain part of himself stir uncontrollably, Yan Yushan paused, silently scolding himself. Seriously? Just from looking? Am I that much of a pervert?

He knew he couldn’t do anything reckless in the hot spring, so he pulled the robe back up, tied it neatly for Xu Xishuang, then took a deep breath and pushed himself out of the water to sit at the edge. After a moment, once he had calmed himself down, he scooped Xu Xishuang up, carefully dried him off, dressed him in a clean bathrobe, and carried him out to get changed.

At that moment, since all the guests were off enjoying the hot springs, the viewers had nothing to do but chat with each other in the live comments, passing the time and hoping to catch a glimpse of some handsome and beautiful post-bath visuals.

And then, they saw Yan Yushan walking out carrying someone in his arms.

From the figure, there was no doubt—it was Xu Xishuang.

【Wait a minute, why did they come out together? Weren’t they supposed to be in separate hot spring pools?】

【Yan-ge, please control yourself! What did you do to our darling Shuangshuang in that hot spring? You made him pass out?!】

【Come on, they wouldn’t really go that far out in the open, right? Xu Xishuang probably just fell asleep. You people need to keep your thoughts pure points fingers】

【Yan Yushan carried Xu Xishuang back to Consort Xi’s quarters, hehe! Are you guys planning to spice things up in the palace chambers?】

【Why won’t they show the room cam?! I want to know what they’re doing in there, damn it!】

The room cameras were off. Though it was warm enough inside, Yan Yushan still tucked the blanket over Xu Xishuang.

Hearing movement, the cat on top of the wardrobe lazily turned its head, flicked its tail, then leapt down and padded over to Yan Yushan, sitting at a not-too-close, not-too-far distance and looking up at him.

Noticing the quiet cat, Yan Yushan suddenly remembered what Xu Xishuang had said during the murder mystery recap. In the script, Consort Xi’s palace had a cat. At first, Xu Xishuang had thought it was part of the plot too. Only later did he find out that the cat actually belonged to one of the show’s investors. It just happened to like hanging out in Consort Xi’s palace set, so they ended up writing it into the script—completely shoehorned in.

The beautiful white cat was a living creature that had wandered into this scripted world, only to be forcibly given a role by the writers.

Just as Yan Yushan was about to look away, the cat, which had been sitting upright on the floor, suddenly moved. It stood, walked over to him, and sat at his feet. Then, with quiet reserve, it leaned its body slightly and gently rubbed its head against his leg—just once—before quickly pulling back. With elegant steps, it leapt onto the bed, stared at Xu Xishuang’s belly for a few seconds, then slowly curled into a soft, fluffy ball and fell asleep beside him.

Yan Yushan let out a quiet laugh.

He didn’t rush to move the cat. Instead, he walked around to the other side of the bed, gently lifted Xu Xishuang’s legs, and began massaging them.

The later stages of pregnancy were tough. Even though Xu Xishuang’s belly wasn’t that big, just carrying the baby around left him exhausted. Seeing the slight swelling in his legs made Yan Yushan’s heart ache. But all he could do was ease the discomfort with careful massages, silently wishing for Xu Xishuang to deliver the baby safely and without more suffering.

His technique and pressure were just right. It was so comfortable that even in his sleep, Xu Xishuang felt the relief. He turned his head slightly, his brows relaxing, and let out a soft purring sound, just like a cat does when its chin is scratched and its eyes half-close in contentment.

Hearing that sound, the white cat lying beside him lifted its head in confusion. It looked around, puzzled, then seemed to make up its mind to track down the source. It jumped off the bed, slipped out through the window, and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Yan Yushan was charmed all over again. He looked at Xu Xishuang’s sleeping face, unable to get enough—just watching him filled his heart with a soft warmth, making him wish he could give this person every good thing in the world.

He stole a kiss from Xu Xishuang’s soft, rosy lips, but the thought of his upcoming plan made him feel a little nervous. Letting go, he carefully tucked the blanket around Xu Xishuang, then stood up and quietly left the room.

Xu Xishuang slept straight through until the afternoon. When he finally woke up, the sun was just setting, and it happened to be dinnertime for the other guests. The evening meal wasn’t anything particularly special, but everyone ate together casually and decided to head out to explore the night market.

At night, the hot spring town had even more atmosphere than during the day. Red lanterns were lit all around, casting a warm glow over the wooden, faux-ancient architecture. The streets had come alive. Vendors dressed in historical costumes from dramas pushed carts down the packed street, which was filled with a mix of people brushing past one another—some in hanfu, others in modern clothes. The clash of ancient and modern created a chaotic, yet strangely harmonious, sense of time and space.

There were shops selling branded hanfu along the street. Shen Youlian pulled Yu Shudie and Yan Yao into one, and before long, the three of them had changed into hanfu and were out on the street taking photos of each other, fully enjoying the joy of capturing the moment.

Xiang Yao and Chi Siyuan were drawn to the street performances. It was flaming hoops and stone-breaking chest stunts that caught their attention. They stopped to watch and ended up buying a few antique-style trinkets from nearby stalls, childlike delight still sparkling in their eyes.

Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan were strolling casually through the street when Xu Xishuang’s gaze was suddenly caught by a small sugar painting stall. Yan Yushan followed his line of sight just in time to see a child happily walking away from the stall, holding up a sugar-crafted goldfish.

“Do you want one?” Yan Yushan asked.

“Mm.” Xu Xishuang nodded.

He walked up to the vendor and politely asked, “Hello, may I try making one myself?”

The middle-aged vendor was just about to say no, but when he looked up and saw Xu Xishuang’s face, he froze on the spot, momentarily forgetting what he was going to say.

Xu Xishuang added, “I can pay double.”

Snapping back to his senses, the vendor quickly said, “Oh—sure, go ahead.”

He stepped aside from his spot. The moment he laid eyes on Xu Xishuang, he recognized him as the actor who had played the main villain in that hit drama from a while ago. The vendor instinctively rubbed his arms. He still had a bit of psychological trauma from that chilling scene where Chen Muzhou slit his subordinate’s throat in a single motion. But now, seeing the actor in person, the vendor was surprised to find that his aura was nothing like the ruthless villain he’d portrayed on screen.

Xu Xishuang turned to Yan Yushan and asked, “What kind of sugar figure do you want?”

Yan Yushan had once drawn a picture for him, and now Xu Xishuang wanted to return the favor—with something sweet and edible.

Yan Yushan hadn’t expected that Xu Xishuang wanted to make a sugar painting for him. He was stunned for a moment, then replied, “A cat.”

With a smile, he added, “One of those cats that look all aloof, but are actually cute and straightforward.”

Xu Xishuang: …

【Yan-ge, I strongly suspect the cat you’re describing is Xu Xishuang, and I have overwhelming evidence to prove it】

【Xu Xishuang’s ears turned red—I saw it! Yan Yushan is flirting again in public, aaaahhh】

【? Xu Xishuang knows how to make sugar art? What other surprises are you hiding from us, Your Majesty?】

【He’s probably just winging it. I tried making cotton candy as a kid and it turned out to be a disaster. Sugar painting’s really hard.】

【Hmm… but Xu Xishuang actually looks kinda professional.】

On screen, Xu Xishuang skillfully scooped a small amount of sugar syrup with a ladle. After thinking for a moment, he began to draw on the metal surface, sketching out a cat made of amber sugar.

There may be countless cats in the world, but both Yan Yushan and the viewers in the live comments recognized it at once—it was the same white cat from Consort Xi’s palace. Even its lazy, indifferent posture was captured perfectly.

【So cute, so cute, I’m crying】

【When exactly did Xu Xishuang learn all these magical skills?】

The nearby vendor stared at Xu Xishuang with a bit of existential doubt, wondering if this guy had come to put him out of business.

Fortunately, after finishing the sugar painting, Xu Xishuang paid him and walked away with Yan Yushan. He handed the wooden stick with the sugar cat over. “Here. For you.”

Yan Yushan gave his hand a squeeze. “Thanks, boyfriend.”

As expected, the moment he said it, Xu Xishuang’s ears turned bright red. With a triumphant little smile, Yan Yushan kept teasing him. “What do I do? My boyfriend’s sugar art is too pretty, too cute—I can’t bring myself to eat it. I want to take it home and treasure it.”

Xu Xishuang squeezed his hand back—hard—shooting him a look to tone it down, but his voice was laced with embarrassment. “Just eat it already! I’ll make more for you later!”

“You said it.” Yan Yushan’s smile deepened. “Teacher Xu made a promise in front of all these viewers. You better not go back on your word.”

【Mhm mhm, we’ll keep an eye on Teacher Xu and make sure he doesn’t break his promise—rest assured, Yan-ge!】

【Yan-ge, that tone of yours… at least try to rein in that scheming-merchant smile. Only because Xu Xishuang likes you would he let you get away with stuff like this.】

【Digging traps, setting bait, locking it all down—you’re really smooth with the whole process, Yan Yushan. Truly, no one does it like you.】

【I’ve noticed that ever since Yan-ge got into a relationship, his temper’s softened a lot. He’s not as sharp-tongued as before either. But it’s like he repurposed all those skills just to coax and flirt with Xu Xishuang now… (thoughtful)】

After wandering the night market, the sugar-paint cat was eventually eaten clean by Yan Yushan.

At the entrance of the hot spring town, under Fei Yuan’s direction, the seven guests stood together and waved at the camera, saying goodbye to the audience. The first season of A Travel on a Whim came to an end—it wrapped up tonight.

【Can’t believe it’s already over… I wanted more seasons, sob. Director, please keep filming! With the same regular cast, please!】

【Three episodes just aren’t enough. Next season should be at least ten episodes long!】

【I’m really going to miss them. When I rewatched the first episode, everyone was so awkward when they first met, lol. Now they’re all so warm and close—it’s such a good vibe.】

【Don’t end it so soon, please sob… Where else am I going to watch Yan Yushan and Xu Xishuang being all lovey-dovey? CP fans are surviving on this show alone】

【Seeing so many beautiful places, doing things we’ve never done before, making a few friends along the way… A Travel on a Whim really is so wonderful and romantic.】

【Why’s everyone so sad? Didn’t they say there’s still a bonus episode?】

The screen filled with a flurry of bullet comments as the camera froze on the moment the guests waved goodbye. Everyone watching felt a little wistful, their eyes lingering on the screen until it finally faded to black. Only then, reluctantly, did they close the page and switch to other platforms to share their thoughts and emotions.

Unlike the viewers, who were full of reluctant goodbyes, the guests—now done with filming—were completely at ease. Remembering that there was still a promised bonus episode, Xu Xishuang didn’t stay out at the night market. He headed back to rest with Yan Yushan.

The next morning, sure enough, Fei Yuan got them all up early again. Wrapped in a scarf and still groggy, Xu Xishuang climbed into the car and, with practiced ease, curled up against Yan Yushan’s chest and fell asleep.

By the time he opened his eyes again, he stared out the window for a while—then was struck by a strange sense of familiarity.

Wait a second… wasn’t this the little town where they filmed Bitter Summer?