CH 136

Huo Cheng is dreaming again.

In his dream he drifted off to sleep, suddenly awakened by a movement in his room, he opened his eyes to find Pei Xu returning from a run.

He drifted back to sleep, not knowing how long he had been asleep, when he heard Pei Xu climb into bed.

He didn't know why he had a sudden premonition, but he turned his head and looked across the room at the top bunk, only to see Pei Xu's arm stretched towards Di Xingchen.

Huo Cheng's eyes snapped open.

There was a hazy blackness before his eyes, and he sat up with a terrible thirst, the pangs of his dream still fresh in his mind, and he leaned against the wall for a while in a daze.

Pei Xu and Di Xingchen were both sleeping soundly, not moving at all.

He got out of bed, drank some water, went to the toilet and stood alone in the toilet for a while.

Hu Ying rubbed his eyes at him and whispered, "Why are you standing here in the middle of the night?"

Huo Cheng said, "Go to the toilet."

Hu Ying went into the next cubicle, and by the time he came out, Huo Cheng had already gone back in.

Hu Ying shuffles back in his slippers and walks in the dark to Huo Cheng's bedside.

Huo Cheng asked, "What for?"

Hu Ying said, "Are you all right?"

"What's the matter?" Huo Cheng asked.

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Hu Ying smiled and went back to his bed.

He thought he was overthinking things, and for a moment he imagined a lot of things, such as Huo Cheng's company being in trouble and him running off to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

He's such a brainiac!

The next day everyone woke up late and when Di Xingchen woke up, it was after eight o'clock, he sat up and looked at the others and they were all still asleep.

He got out of bed, went to the toilet and found it was still raining outside.

The weather has chilled down significantly.

He put on his jacket and went out for a trip to see the programme staff in their thick coats.

The rain was so light that the mountains were covered in a white mist. He had no umbrella, so he stood in the promenade downstairs for a while, when he heard someone coming downstairs.

Yan Zhi is wearing gold-rimmed glasses, but his hair is a bit dishevelled. He has always been a refined man, and Di Xingchen is a little uncomfortable to see him in such a lazy and loose state once in a while.

"Morning." He greeted.

"Morning." Yan Zhi asked, "Don't you need to make breakfast today?"

"No, I see the programme team is already cooking the porridge." Di Xingchen said.

Yan Zhi stood beside him with his arms around him, looking out at the drizzle. After watching for a while, Yan Zhi went to the programme team and brought over two small benches, giving one to Di Xingchen.

They both just sat in the corridor and watched the rain.

"We don't think we'll be going out today." Di Xingchen said.

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"Do you like the rain?" Yan Zhi asked.

Di Xingchen says: "It's more comfortable to sleep in the rain."

"I love rainy days, I used to go out alone on rainy days and wander around." Yan Zhi said.

I like to go on self-drive trips alone, to places off the beaten track, and to wander around aimlessly on rainy days.

It all sounds very lonely, but somehow very Yan Zhi, like something he would do.

He felt that Yan Zhi gave him this feeling, polished and indifferent, he was so good looking, so spotless, with a fragrance, like someone who did not belong to the world, destined to be alone.

The thought of such a person liking himself gives Di Xingchen a very surreal feeling.

Yan Zhi looks out at the rain.

It turns out that watching the rain with someone you like is not the same as watching it by yourself.

He doesn't seem to like being alone as much as he did before. He has touched the warmth of the earth, and now he envies even Pei Xu and Huo Cheng for the kind of friendship they have.

He thought that perhaps Di Xingchen needed friends, that what Di Xingchen wanted was a life with a human touch, that Di Xingchen was lively, cheerful and full of enthusiasm for life. He liked him because he liked his sunny temperament.

Yan Zhi also wants to be like that.

But he didn't know what to do.

They had been sitting downstairs for only four or five minutes when they heard someone lying on the first floor shouting, "Di Xingchen!"

Di Xingchen stood up and looked up to see Hu Ying leaning over the railing on the first floor looking down.

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"What's wrong?" Di Xingchen shouted.

Hu Ying said, "Let me see where you've been."

When he woke up and Di Xingchen and Yan Zhi were gone, he thought they had gone out on a date.

After all, these guys are going to strike when they get the chance!

He came back into the room and said to Wen Nuo and the others, "They're sitting downstairs."

Everyone woke up, Huo Cheng rubbed his eyes and heard Pei Xu's bass voice raspy as he said, "I have a bad headache."

"I have a headache too," Huo Cheng says, "I couldn't drink that yesterday."

"Don't you always get a headache when you're drunk?" Wen Nuo asks.

"There are different wines and different feelings when you get drunk. Huo Cheng says.

"I drink wine all in one taste, bitter and spicy, and I have no idea what the fun of drinking is." Wen Nuo says with a smile.

"You're a good boy, you're right to drink less, alcohol is not a good thing." Huo Cheng said and leaned back into the bed again, lazy and without strength.

Pei Xu folded his quilt and got off the top bunk, put on his coat and went straight out. When he reached the first floor balustrade, he looked down and saw Di Xingchen and Yan Zhi sitting in the corridor on the ground floor.

Pei Xu then went downstairs.

When Di Xingchen saw him coming down, he didn't greet him, but Yan Zhi greeted him, "Good morning."

"Morning." Pei Xu buttoned up and said, "First time I've seen you out without washing your hair." Yan Zhi smiled, got up and said, "I was afraid the shower would interfere with everyone's rest."

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He said looking over at Di Xingchen: "Time to go back and wash up."

Di Xingchen then stood up.

Yan Zhi headed upstairs, and Di Xingchen didn't know whether to stay or go, so Pei Xu looked at him and said, "Go and wash up.

He then walked over to the stool where Di Xingchen was sitting and sat down.

Di Xingchen's residual warmth is still on the stool.

Di Xingchen asked, " How is Brother Pei feeling?"

Yan Zhi looked back at him and the man had already gone upstairs.

Pei Xu said, "Brother Pei?"

Di Xingchen shrugged his shoulders a little.

Pei Xu then leaned over and patted another stool, "Sit down and talk."

Di Xingchen is not seated.

Pei Xu then said, "Can I talk to Brother Yan but not Brother Pei?"

Di Xingchen came over and was about to sit down when Pei Xu stood up: "You sit here."

With that said, the two benches were swapped over.

Di Xingchen sat down and asked, "How are you feeling?"

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"It's a big headache." Pei Xu says.

"I can see you look bad." Di Xingchen said, "If you can't drink, don't drink anymore."

"I don't drink much either." Pei Xu says, "No smoking, no drinking, no bad habits."

Heh, that's not without its bad habits.

Doesn't breast control count? And ......

Di Xingchen was instantly aroused by the thought of what he had dreamed of in the novel. He looked at Pei Xu, who, although a little haggard and languid, still looked like a very proper and cool person, with a handsome face and clean-cut features, looking very gentlemanly.

Pei Xu has always behaved in a restrained, gentlemanly manner.

He actually kind of doubted the authenticity of that dream of his.

Because Pei Xu, in the dream, stares at him for a while and then buries his head in a kiss.

Di Xingchen then stood up and went upstairs.

Pei Xu is alone in."

Pei Xu sniffed and came back upstairs.

The call came from Zhou Jiangbai.

"Is it raining in your area?" Zhou Jiangbai asked.

"It's been raining all night. " Pei Xu said.

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"Are you guys busy recording today?" Zhou Jiangbai asks.

"I don't think I'll be going out today, I'll just stay in my room." Pei Xu said.

Zhou Jiangbai gave a "hmm" and then asked with a smile, "How did it go?"

Pei Xu naturally knew what he was asking and smiled, "It's fine."

Zhou Jiangbai also smiled at this and said, "It seems to be going well. Then your mother and I will be relieved to bring him to our home after the recording. We all like him very much, so don't worry, you have our full support!"

Hu Ying asked for two decks of cards from downstairs to play, but before they could start playing, Guo Bing came up and wanted them to have a different kind of fun.

"It's not good to play poker and broadcast it on TV, you guys play something positive."

Hu Ying smiled and said, "You need positive energy for entertainment? What is positive energy?"

"Playing chess, reading, working out, we're quality romance after all!" Guo Bing jokes.

The more popular the show becomes, the more people will follow it, and the more careful they have to be. Unlike when they first recorded the South City stop, when they had a lot of luxury cars and were determined to make their first hit, they are now so popular that they are aiming for stability, and there have been complaints from parents that their show is too materialistic.

Hu Ying and they played Go instead.

Nowadays, chess is very popular in China and many children are learning it.

"Pei Xu has to play chess." Hu Ying offers to give up his place.

"I'll sit at the table, and you guys will challenge me." Pei Xu said.

"Yo, how rampant, brothers, go." Hu Ying said.

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"Is there a prize for winning?" Wen Nuo asked.

Pei Xu smiled lightly and asked, "What prize do you want?"

His voice is low, his fingers are long and slender, and his smile is even better.

"It's fun to have a bigger prize." Hu Ying thought for a while, "Do you guys have any good ideas?"

"How about a right to a date?" Duan Yihua suddenly spoke up.

On hearing this, Pei Xu looked at Duan Yihua.

Hu Ying froze for a moment, then his eyes lit up and he turned to Pei Xu: "The stakes are too high, aren't they? Don't scare Brother Pei off."

"How so?" Pei Xu asked.

"If you win against all of us, we'll give you the right to one date." Duan Yihua said, "If you lose, the one who wins you gets the right to any of your future dates. How's that?"

Wen Nuo covered his heart in shock.

Ah, how exciting. Brother Duan is so good at this.

Pei Xu looks a little more serious.

"Playing?" Duan Yihua asks, still smiling.

" Brother Duan is actually quite good at chess." Lin Qingning kindly reminded Pei Xu.

Pei Xu is a very good chess player, as we all know, and Huo Cheng has said before that playing with him is just a way to get abused. But Lin Qingning found out that Duan Yihua was also a good chess player and had won a prize in the chess club in high school.

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It's really hard to say whether they'll win or lose when they both play each other.

Pei Xu said, "Let's talk it over and see if everyone agrees."

Duan Yihua then looks to the others.

"It doesn't sound like this competition has anything to do with me, it's not my turn to win." Hu Ying said. Hu Ying says, "But I think it's exciting, so I'll vote for it." He gets the impression that Duan Yihua is not an impulsive person, and is clearly well-prepared to make this suggestion. It would be great to see Duan Yihua take over Pei Xu's dating rights in the future!

"I am all right." Lin Qingning said.

"What if two of us both win against you?" Yan Zhi suddenly spoke.

"Wow." Hu Ying looked over at Yan Zhi.

Pei Xu says: "You can change it twice."

"Wow." This time Wen Nuo was also surprised.

Di Xingchen is on edge.

Duan Yihua also looks at Huo Cheng and Wen Nuo.

Huo Cheng was a bit negative this time, saying simply, "Fine. I'll go with the flow."

Wen Nuo saw that everyone agreed, so he nodded, "Then I agree too."

"The director just said it was going to be positive, and you guys bet on it." Di Xingchen says with a smile.

"The director is probably overjoyed." Hu Ying says.

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As luck would have it, the programme crew all rallied around as soon as they found out.

"Why don't you go outside and play, under the pergola, with the drizzle, how nice it feels, and the backdrop is beautiful, we'll get a good shot of it too." Guo Bing said.

Because they didn't expect the crew to do anything, but the guests did something so big, the staff rushed over to watch the fun, the pergola was full of people underneath, and many with umbrellas watching from outside, the camera teacher added a set of cameras at all four corners of the pergola, watching the start!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

"I'll go first." Hu Ying says, "For better or worse, get involved."

His knowledge of Go was just a little knowledge of the rules, and he was KO'd before his butt was even warmed up.

The same was true for Wen Nuo and Huo Cheng, but Lin Qingning took a little longer, going down for more than half an hour.

Yan Zhi was next to take the stage.

"We all made up the numbers and now the game is kind of official." Hu Ying said.

He didn't really want Yan Zhi to win, he wanted Duan Yihua to win.

But Yan Zhi took him by surprise as soon as he struck.

Because Pei Xu's game has slowed down considerably.

The two of them were on an even keel as they took one move and the other one. Hu Ying was so absorbed in the game that his heart beat along with the black and white pieces they were playing.

Pei Xu's previously relaxed demeanour has become serious, and every step is taken with care, while Yan Zhi is also much more serious than usual.

The two of them did not even come close to winning for two hours, and the staff around them were all a bit tired of watching, and it was already time for lunch, so Di Xingchen went >

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Duan Yihua, who is always calm, has a glow of excitement in his eyes at the moment.

" Brother Duan, who do you think will win between the two of them?"

Duan Yihua smiled and said, " Pei Xu can win, the result is almost out."

Di Xingchen took one look at Duan Yihua and thought the winner was about to be decided, but his noodles were ready and everyone was eating them, while Pei Xu and Yan Zhi were still playing.

As he was placing the second pot for Pei Xu and Yan Zhi, he suddenly heard clapping from under the pergola and a stirring in the crowd, so he rushed out to see everyone on their feet and Pei Xu shaking hands with Yan Zhi.

"Who won?"

" Brother Pei won." Wen Nuo said excitedly.

Perhaps the two played so wonderfully that everyone forgot about any love rivalry and was excited.

Di Xingchen suddenly realised in that moment just how good Duan Yihua was at chess.

It's amazing that he could see the outcome so early in advance.

When Pei Xu and the others came over to serve the noodles, Di Xingchen served them to Pei Xu and said, "If you can win against Brother Yan with so much effort, can you win against Brother Duan?"

"It's hard to say. But if you pray in your mind for me to win, I reckon I'll win." Pei Xu said, coming up to me and whispering, "You'll have to think about me winning later."

Di Xingchen nudged him with his elbow.

After lunch, Duan Yihua takes to the field.

Di Xingchen sat next to Hu Ying and the others and watched the game, not knowing anything about chess, but still watching with amazement. Yan Zhi sat next to Duan Yihua, occasionally holding up his glasses, his eyes fixed on the board, more intently than when he was playing himself. Pei Xu and Duan Yihua were also playing at a slower and slower pace, and after two hundred moves, they were deliberating every move for half a day.

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Plan before you act.

Di Xingchen finds a caring man attractive, a soft charm.

But he now finds intelligent men attractive too, powerfully attractive.

He thought that love came at some intense moment, like in a film or TV drama, when a life is parted, or when a hero saves a woman, and an event that could be called a climax sets it off. In a love story, it would also be when fireworks are set off, or when Pei Xu walks tragically towards him on the ski slopes, as he describes it.

But no.

It was in such moments of great silence that his heart beat with love.

He purses his lips and looks up at Pei Xu across the room.

This man, who in private would show weakness, is at the moment so calm, serious, powerful and handsome.

He lowered his eyes and was the only one, while everyone else was concentrating on the chess game, who was watching the player.

Pei Xu and Duan Yihua were too close for comfort, but no one left the scene.

Di Xingchen finally couldn't hold it in any longer, so he went upstairs to go to the toilet. When he came out of the toilet, he did not hurry down, but lay down on the bed for a while.

Just as he lay ruminating, he suddenly heard a cheer and applause from downstairs, and with a start, he immediately sat up from his bed and jumped out of it.

After jumping down he stayed in the room for a while before going down, and on his way down the stairs he bumped into Pei Xu and Duan Yihua coming up the stairs. Di Xingchen smiled and asked, "Is it over, who won?"

"What have you been doing, you missed the final moment!" Hu Ying said.

Di Xingchen saw how excited Hu Ying was and asked, "Did Brother Duan win?"

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His eyes raked over the two men.

" Pei Xu won." Duan Yihua said with a smile.

Di Xingchen then looks over at Pei Xu and sees his smiling at him, his eyes shining like that.

Oops, that moment.

Di Xingchen's heart.

With a faint smile, he went downstairs.

Di Xingchen ran downstairs and heard Hu Ying shouting, "I'm going to pee my trousers!"

Di Xingchen just laughed.

"The sun's out." He heard a staff sweat.