CH 115

Boat Race

At the end of the year after the tour, the company scheduled a formal meeting to design their third comeback album. After the tour and finishing up their short vacation, Kaleido devoted themselves completely to the production of their new album.

It took four months for the preparatory work to be completed, and the release and promotional performances were scheduled for the end of November.

“The rest of the time is for post production.” At the last meeting for the third album, Cheng Qiang said to six overworked young people, “As for you guys, there is still one more thing you need to do.”

Pei Tingsong’s unhappiness was written on his face. “There’s still more ah.”

“So, is this the last thing on the to-do list?” Jiang Miao leaned back in his chair. “That’s great, we can have a rest after we finish it.”

Lu Yuan closed his eyes and gave Jiang Miao a big thumbs up. “Worthy of Water Ge, you can enjoy yourself even in adversity.”

Fang Juexia, who hadn’t closed his eyes for 30 or so hours in a row, only felt that his eyes stung. He blinked hard several times, waiting quietly for Cheng Qiang’s follow-up.

“I already can’t go on anymore.” Ling Yi listlessly shook his head and lay on the table. “I don’t want to do anything now.”

“Really?” Cheng Qiang turned his chair around. “Then what about the Maldives?”

“What?!” Ling Yi sat up straight in his chair, like a Chihuahua that was too excited, “The Maldives?!”

“Didn’t you not want to do anything now?” He Ziyan, sitting next to him, reached for his chair armrest to spin him around and around, as if teasing a child. “Let’s have little Ling Yi stay at home and wait for Geges to come back ba.”

“I won’t, I’m going!” Ling Yi pushed away He Ziyan. “Qiang Ge, I was wrong.”

“Don’t let him go.” Pei Tingsong spun his pen. “Whatever he does, doesn’t work. He’s number one at making a mess of things.”

Ling Yi immediately retorted, “You’re the one who whatever you do, doesn’t work. You’re number one at holding grudges.”

“Alright, you guys.” Cheng Qiang continued, “This time with the Maldives was actually prepared for the second season of the ensemble show. The Maldives part should be cut into the first two episodes.”

Thinking that there would be a camera following them around, Fang Juexia was a bit disappointed. “So it’s also for work.”

“Not completely, our company also wanted to give you guys a holiday.” Cheng Qiang explained, “The first two days we will follow you around and film, and due to the shoot, it may be a bit more intensive. The following few days, the staff will leave the island, and you guys can have fun on the island for the remaining five days.”

“Yeah!”

So, Kaleido finally started their journey to Maldives that they had wanted so badly. Thinking of how they wanted to film them packing up their suitcases, Fang Juexia remembered Pei Tingsong’s broken suitcase and ordered a new suitcase online the evening that they knew their itinerary. The suitcase was the same model as his, but in a different color. Pei Tingsong, when he got the suitcase, was so happy that he hugged Fang Juexia and kissed him again and again.

“How are you being so much like a little kid…” Fang Juexia, seeing him so excited, was now actually a bit embarrassed. “Isn’t it just a suitcase?”

“Who said that?” Pei Tingsong rolled his suitcase around. “This is the first couple’s item you’ve bought for me yi.”

When he said this, Fang Juexia’s ears went red. “What-what couple’s item ah, it’s just the same model.”

“It’s a couple’s model!”

“Shut up.”

The Maldives were an archipelagic country composed of thousands of islands, both big and small. When the plane arrived in Malé, the capital of the Maldives, it was 11:00 a.m. Everyone then transferred to a speedboat and set out from Malé to their final destination, JV island.

Everyone was incredibly excited, especially Ling Yi, who was bouncing around like a child. Fang Juexia quietly looked at the blue sea and blue sky outside the glass window of the speedboat. His fatigue from the long-distance flight faded away the moment he saw the blue sea. The crystal clear mint-green and blue lagoon surrounded the tree lined island, which when looked at from a distance, made people feel relaxed and happy.

All of a sudden, his shoulder sank. It was Pei Tingsong leaning his head against his shoulder, and Fang Juexia felt his heart grow tight. He was about to remind him that they were still filming, but he heard Pei Tingsong rub his temples and say with his very poor acting skills, “Ah, I’m so dizzy ah, I’m a little seasick.”

They had only been on the boat for a few minutes…

Fang Juexia supported him and feigned ignorance, and he even reached out a hand to rub his head while continuing to watch the landscape. 

After arriving at JV Island, the shooting team asked the six of them to stand by the beach and record the opening. The director was also the female director from the first season of the ensemble show. 

“Welcome everyone to the Maldives’ JV island…”

He Ziyan blocked the sun with his hand and said with a laugh to the others, “Look at what Xi Jie said, it’s just like this island is hers.”

“Hahahaha!”

The female director, who was joked about, pretended to go cold. “Okay, Two Fire will live on the beach tonight.”

“Hey, hey, hey, I’m wrong, Xi Jie!” He Ziyan, a 1.8 m big guy, fell to his knees with a flop, startling Fang Juexia, who had been in a trance this entire time, into coming back to his senses. The staff on the scene were laughing like crazy.

Lu Yuan shook his head. “Two Fire has launched K’s essential skill——kneeling down and begging for mercy.”

Pei Tingsong shook his head. “It’s not necessary, it’s really not necessary.”

“It’s pretty good to live on the beach, you can see the stars.” Jiang Miao smiled.

Seeing Two Fire kneeling on the ground, Ling Yi had the whim to ride on his back. Unexpectedly, He Ziyan’s black short-sleeved shirt had been warmed too hot by the sun, so hot that Ling Yi slipped back down again, covered his burnt crotch, and hid behind Fang Juexia while wailing.

“Are you here to be funny, M-Dash?” Pei Tingsong pulled him out from behind Fang Juexia. 

Director Xi Jie clapped her hands. “Okay, talking seriously now. We’ll start here for the first episode of this season’s ensemble show. Although it’s a resort here, in order to add a little interest, many items within it, including the villas where you guys will be staying for the next few days, will be obtained through special ways.”

Pei Tingsong immediately raised his hand and said, “No drawing lots.”

“Hahahahahaha!”

Lu Yuan applauded. “As soon as he opens his mouth, he’s a bad luck magnet.”

“Don’t worry, we won’t use the simple method of drawing lots this time.” The staff on the island appeared to help them move out six small boats. The director pointed to the red buoy not far away. “See that buoy? That buoy has some Klein Blue flags stuck in it. You guys will set out while rowing your boat at the same time, and we will determine the order you guys get to pick things during this trip based on the order in which you arrive at the buoy and pull up the flags. “

“Ah this, Xiao Pei already knows how to row the boat ah, it’s not fair.”

“Forget it, forget it, Xiao Pei has been unlucky for such a long time.”

“What are you guys implying?!”

Under the arrangement of the staff, each of them put on a life jacket and sat down in a boat. It was Fang Juexia’s first time rowing a boat, and when he took the oars from the staff, it felt a little strange.

“I will definitely be number one.” Pei Tingsong, on the far left, said, “I’ll choose a water-side villa then.”

Jiang Miao was a little afraid of water. “I want to stay in a beach villa, I’m afraid I can’t sleep at all on the sea.”

The water-side villa was a villa completely on the sea. Outside the floor-to-ceiling glass windows was the boundless sea with first-class landscape. This was opposed to the beach villas built on the beach. Setting it up like this, the production team would definitely give the winner the priority when choosing which villa to stay in.

“Xiao Pei, let me tell you,” Lu Yuan recounted his experience, “never set up a flag. If you set up a flag, you can’t get the flag.”

“Yes, it’s not like you’ve been unlucky for just a day or two, gaming black hole.” He Ziyan nodded.

“That’s right, I will definitely defeat the gaming black hole this time,” Ling Yi declared war on him and also poked Fang Juexia’s oar with his oar. “Which one do you want to sleep in, Juexia?”

“I’m fine with anything ah.” Fang Juexia had never been picky, but when thinking of Pei Tingsong’s luck, he felt a bit unsure. 

What if, as they were saying, Xiao Pei’s luck was so bad that he didn’t get first place, then what? In just a few seconds, Fang Juexia thought of all kinds of results after they rowed the boats.

As soon as he heard the whistling of the director group, he immediately looked up and looked ahead.

“Get ready–go!”

The six people set out at the same time, and at first the distance between them wasn’t big. However, Pei Tingsong had experience with kayaking, so he was more skillful when rowing the boat. It was Ling Yi however, who started to go in circles soon after he started rowing. Lu Yuan, He Ziyan, and Jiang Miao weren’t far apart, and Pei Tingsong was gradually opening up some distance between them. 

Although Fang Juexia had never rowed a boat before, this kind of movement was very easy for him to analyze. Before he set out, he knew the direction the water was flowing and the angle the oars swung at. After spending a minute adapting to it, he became very smooth at it. Holding the two oars, dipping them into the water alternately, he rowed forward with no distractions, just rushing forward to the little blue flag that was growing clearer and clearer. 

“Wow, Juexia is now going to be even with Tingsong!”

“How powerful!”

The distance to the buoy was getting smaller and smaller, and the distance between Fang Juexia and Pei Tingsong was nearly negligible, but Fang Juexia didn’t know that, with his entire heart just set on that last goal. 

The little blue flags were right in front of him. The bows of the two ships passed the red buoy at almost the same time. Pei Tingsong reflexively looked over in Fang Juexia’s direction, confirmed the distance between him and the buoy, and extended his hand at the same time.

Fang Juexia stretched his arm, pulled, and raised the blue flag, which was his goal from beginning to end.

“Juexia is first!”

“Xiao Pei got it, too!”

The two of them were almost a second apart.

Pei Tingsong smiled, waved the flag, and then rowed to Fang Juexia’s side. “Why did you work so hard this time?”

“Did I?” Fang Juexia was so tired that he put down the oars in his hand and only then suddenly realized that they were so heavy. “I really am tired.” He looked at Pei Tingsong, raised his face slightly, pursed his lips, and laughed at him. “You’re so good ah, if I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have had to work so hard…”

The sea breeze was very strong, and Pei Tingsong didn’t hear the second half of his sentence clearly. “What did you say?”

Fang Juexia shook his head and changed his words to, “Is kayaking more tiring?”

When he shook his hair under the sun, his hair swung fluffily. It was so cute and made Pei Tingsong think of Lily. He thoroughly enjoyed this carelessly coquettish posture. He had thought that he was a man with a strong desire for victory, but now, his desire for victory couldn’t even compare to a single strand of Fang Juexia’s hair. 

Pei Tingsong nodded. “I’m not as good as you, being able to row so fast your first time. And I think your route was a completely straight line. “

You were looking at me the entire time, no wonder you lost. A little pleasure appeared in Fang Juexia’s heart, just like the floating clouds in the sky.

“What are you laughing at?” Pei Tingsong waved the little flag.

Fang Juexia shook his head with a smile and didn’t speak.

The remaining He Ziyan, Lu Yuan, and Jiang Miao also arrived one after another, taking away their small flag. Only Ling Yi was left, still turning around in circles at the start. “Aiya, I’m already dizzy, go forward ah!”

Everyone was beside themselves with laughter, and finally, Lu Yuan pulled out his flag for him and said, “The game is over!”’

“Okay, let’s announce the results.” Everyone returned to the beach, and the director read out the order based on their records. “First place is Juexia, second is Xiao Pei, and then it’s Yuanyuan, Ziyan, and Miaomiao, and last is Ling Yi, who didn’t even row a meter.”

“Can that part get cut?” Ling Yi pretended to wipe away tears.

Pei Tingsong suddenly said, “I agree.”

Ling Yi was surprised. “Pei Tingsong is finally acting human!”

Pei Tingsong continued, “Cut it out and turn it into a promotional video.”

“Hahahaha!”

“Now let’s start with the first item, choosing a villa!” The director group took out three promotional signs, on which were pictures of three villas. “To make it easier to shoot, we’ll still be doing two people per villa. There is the luxury water-side villa, the luxury beach villa, and the sub-luxury beach villa. “

“This word is very smart.” Lu Yuan complained

“So, in the order of the rowing task, you can choose your villa and your roommate.”

Ling Yi wanted to cry without tears. He knelt down beside Fang Juexia and hugged his thigh. “Juexia! Save your child ba.”

Lu Yuan shook his head again. “Here we go again, Kaleido traditional performance.”

Fang Juexia pulled him up. “You scared me.”

“Juexia, you are the best,” Ling Yi shriveled up his mouth. “We’ve even been roommates for many years.”

He Ziyan began to joke around. “Fill in the blank, my roommate is the best in the world at…”

“Being a handyman.” Jiang Miao and Lu Yuan said with one voice. 

“Okay, now starting from first place. Juexia, come out first and stand in front of the sign with the villa that you want to choose. “

Fang Juexia nodded, held his small flag, and walked to the luxury water-side house without any suspense.

“Okay, the luxury water house has its owner.” The director asked, “Who do you want to choose as your roommate?”

Everyone started to crazily point at themselves, except for Jiang Miao, who didn’t really want to live in the water-side villa. It was a good opportunity for them to have Fang Juexia take first place, because as everyone knew, based on Fang Juexia’s personality, he wouldn’t deliberately choose Pei Tingsong in front of the camera. No matter what, he had to avoid suspicion, and he definitely would avoid suspicion, so this meant that everyone had a chance.

Even Pei Tingsong himself felt this way; his face was already stormy, and he had no interest about who Fang Juexia was going to choose. 

Fang Juexia looked at his enthusiastically jumping bandmates and said to the camera, “Pei Tingsong.”

Pei Tingsong, who was called by name, was stunned, and his face was full of disbelief.

The other people were a little surprised, but soon managed their expressions for the sake of their bandmates’ love affair, and deliberately clowned around by “boxing” with sand. 

Lu Yuan clicked his tongue and said, “Isn’t this infuriating? Number one picked number two.”

But Jiang Miao said, “It’s a good thing ah, second place’s choice is now directly given to the third place.”

“Right yi.”

The director announced, “Okay, then Xiao Pei and Juexia are one group. Third place Yuanyuan, you can choose your villa and roommate.”

Lu Yuan trotted over to the luxury beach villa. “I choose…” he turned his head to look at the director group. “Can I live by myself?”

“Hahahaha!”

“No!”

Ling Yi pinned the small flag behind his ear, which made him look fancy and attracted Lu Yuan’s attention. “Yuan Ge, look at me! You are the hottest person in the world! I’ll be your horse and kill chickens for you, choose me ba! When I sleep, I don’t grind my teeth, I don’t snore, and my sleeping position is also really good! “

“Who wants to share a bed with you ah?” He said that, but Lu Yuan still finally chose Ling Yi. “I’ll pick him ba, the child is pitiful.”

“Yes! Luxury beach house is still luxury!”

“Okay, then Ziyan and Miaomiao who are left will go to the sub-luxury beach villa.”

He Ziyan pulled out a pair of sunglasses from who-knew- where and put them on himself. “As the Geges in the group, of course, we should let our Didis have the nice things.”

Ling Yi fell on the ground and pretended to throw up. 

“Pregnant with your second child ah, congratulations, congratulations.”

“Screw you!”

The selected people moved over to their partner and signboard based on the arrangement. Pei Tingsong also walked towards Fang Juexia and stood with him. He was still a little surprised; he had tried his best to win first place mainly because he had wanted to choose Fang Juexia to live with him, since in his opinion, if he didn’t take the initiative, they definitely wouldn’t be staying together.

At this time, the director asked, “How did Juexia make his choice?”

Fang Juexia probably didn’t think that he would be asked about this and froze for a second, but he soon gave his own reasoning.

“Because during our first ensemble show livestream when we played the passing-the-candy-wrapper-around game, clearly Xiao Pei was very good at it, and he even caught the candy wrapper that was falling down, but because I lost, he was also punished with me. And he is really unlucky, often losing because of strange luck.”

As he said this, he laughed. His smile was very open, which was totally different from the first season of their ensemble show. 

“So I really wanted… To satisfy his wishes. “