Chapter 100: Provocation

How could things turn out so ridiculous? Zhang Chen simply couldn’t make sense of it.

When he was changing his boarding pass, he’d asked the airline staff to seat him together with Ye Fangfei. But by then, there were no adjacent seats left. The staff arranged for them to sit with just an aisle between them—close enough that Zhang Chen thought it was as good as sitting side by side, so he accepted.

But once on the plane, he was dumbfounded.

To his surprise, Qi Jiajia and Lu Zhou were also on this flight! That would have been tolerable, but why were their seats right next to Ye Fangfei’s, while his was isolated on the other side of the aisle?

Absurd!

What was even more outrageous was that the seat directly next to Ye Fangfei was Lu Zhou’s, not Qi Jiajia’s.

Qi Jiajia was equally startled by this sudden arrangement.

“Oh? What a coincidence,” Lu Zhou remarked with a smile, noticing Ye Fangfei and Zhang Chen appearing on the same plane.

Zhang Chen’s lips twitched. He didn’t respond, just eyed the three seats in a row. The space was so cramped he couldn’t help but frown.

“Economy class… Experience it once and you’ll never want a second time,” he muttered.

Lu Zhou: “…”

So this was Young Master Zhang’s first time in economy class, apparently.

Ye Fangfei greeted Lu Zhou and Qi Jiajia with a gentle smile, then plopped down in her seat.

Zhang Chen: “…”

What should he do? He really wanted to swap seats with her, but how could he ask?

After some internal struggle, Zhang Chen gave up.

After takeoff, he sat in his seat, body angled slightly, maintaining a state of alertness as he silently kept watch over Ye Fangfei and Lu Zhou.

But it didn’t take long before his eyelids started to droop. After the initial exchange of a few trivial words, Ye Fangfei and Lu Zhou soon fell asleep in their seats and didn’t communicate any further.

That was more like it…

Satisfied with their behavior, Zhang Chen finally succumbed to sleep himself.

But when he woke again and looked instinctively to the side, his eyes widened in shock.

Ye Fangfei and Lu Zhou were sleeping so close their heads were almost touching!

“Ahem!” He leaned over toward them and cleared his throat deliberately.

But the two slept on, oblivious, perhaps too deeply asleep to notice anything.

Zhang Chen ground his teeth silently. Damn it! You two are way too cozy!

Jealousy boiled inside him. He reached out, deciding to find an excuse to wake Ye Fangfei.

At that moment, a foreign flight attendant, not particularly attractive, noticed his gesture and assumed he needed assistance. She hurried over. “Sir, do you need something?”

Zhang Chen’s eyes lit up. Perfect, this flight attendant is my wingman!

“Hello, could you bring me a blanket?” he asked.

The attendant fetched a blanket for him. Zhang Chen took it, then got up and carefully draped it over Ye Fangfei, even tucking the edges around her on purpose.

The gesture succeeded in waking Ye Fangfei.

She stared blankly at Zhang Chen leaning close, then her gaze dropped to the new blanket covering her.

“What are you doing?”

“The air conditioning’s strong, it’s cold. I was afraid you’d catch a chill.” Zhang Chen had already prepared his excuse and delivered it smoothly.

Ye Fangfei eyed the blanket, felt the temperature for a moment—she didn’t feel cold at all… After a few seconds’ hesitation, she finally lifted the blanket off.

“Thanks, but I’m not cold. I don’t need this.”

Their conversation woke Lu Zhou in the adjacent seat. He squinted, looked them over, and then realized his sleeping posture was inappropriate. He immediately sat up straight.

Seeing the two finally put some distance between themselves, Zhang Chen felt his mission was accomplished. He took back the blanket that Ye Fangfei didn’t want and grinned: “All right, if you don’t need it, I’ll use it myself.”

Ye Fangfei nodded. Having been woken up, she no longer felt sleepy and didn’t intend to nap again.

Zhang Chen returned to his seat with the blanket, determined to play his part to the end—he covered himself with it.

But truthfully, the cabin temperature wasn’t that low at all…

When they landed and disembarked, Ye Fangfei happened to notice the fine sweat on Zhang Chen’s forehead.

“Are you feeling unwell?” she asked.

“Huh? No, why do you ask?” Zhang Chen was puzzled.

“You’re sweating a lot, and you were wearing a jacket and a blanket earlier. Are you having cold sweats?” Ye Fangfei surmised from earlier, “If you’re not feeling well, just say so. Don’t try to tough it out.”

Zhang Chen chuckled awkwardly. “I’m really fine.”

It wasn’t a cold sweat—it was because he was too hot!

Now, as Zhang Chen stepped off the plane and finally breathed in fresh air, a cool breeze swept over him, carrying away the stifling heat and bringing him immense relief. He sighed silently.

So comfortable!

…

Time flew by, and soon it was three o’clock in the afternoon.

Each group of guests arrived one after another at Magani Beach.

Lu Zhou and Qi Jiajia, together with Zhang Chen and Ye Fangfei, were the first to arrive. Chu Yao and Xu Junze followed close behind, while the last pair—Li Jiayan and Wen Yiming—barely managed to scrape together enough cash to pay for a taxi from the airport to Magani Beach. It was only after much pleading that the driver agreed to reduce the fare and take them.

As soon as Li Jiayan saw Lu Zhou, she ran over and complained playfully.

“You said all the transfer routes were about the same! Yiming and I transferred via Angel City and almost ran out of money. Luckily, we met a kind-hearted driver willing to give us a discount. Otherwise, we really might not have made it here before three.”

Lu Zhou smiled. “But you made it just in time, didn’t you? That serendipitously kind driver was probably factored into the production team’s calculations.”

Staff from the production team: “…” Thank you for making us sound so clever.

Li Jiayan giggled. “You always have a way with words.”

Qi Jiajia, listening to their banter, felt a pang of discomfort. Had Li Jiayan forgotten who her actual partner was? Why did she keep clinging to Lu Zhou? So annoying.

“Attention, everyone,” a staff member announced.

“Congratulations on all successfully reaching Magani Beach within the allotted time.”

“Since you’re traveling in Country M, how could you not enjoy the sea?”

“Today’s theme is the ocean.”

The staff member formally introduced today’s sightseeing mission.

“Your first challenge, which you must complete together with your partner, is surfing.”

“Has anyone among you surfed before?”

Lu Zhou raised his right hand. “I have.”

Wen Yiming and Ye Fangfei also raised their hands in turn.

The staff nodded.

“For the rest of you who haven’t tried it, don’t worry—there will be a coach for on-site instruction. Today’s surfing isn’t a solo event; you’ll be surfing in pairs to test your teamwork.”

“Each pair gets two boards. You and your partner must both stand up on your boards in the ocean, and then make a big heart shape with your arms at the same time to complete the task.”

“We’ll time each pair’s completion. The shorter your time, the greater your advantage—those who finish fastest will get priority in choosing.”

“Choosing what, you ask? Look!”

The staff member turned to point at a rack behind him, where a row of swimsuits hung on display.

“You’ll get first pick of the swimsuits you’ll wear for the next, more challenging water task. Each set is a different style, showing off a distinct side of your physique. There’s only one of each, so if you have your eye on a particular set, you’d better work hard and coordinate with your partner!”

On the rack, the men’s and women’s suits were displayed separately.

For the women: a bright red bikini; a black deep V three-piece with triangle bottom and a little skirt; a pale green wide-strap, deeply backless one-piece; and a black-and-white racerback with boyshorts—quite conservative.

For the men: a black long-sleeved three-piece; a blue short-sleeved set with knee-length shorts; a dark gray tank top and floral shorts; and a single pair of yellow floral swim trunks—no top.

All the guests stared at the display. “???”

The production team was getting bolder and bolder. The variety in these swimsuits was wild—especially for the women’s sets.

Meanwhile, the live comments scrolled by—

[Ahhh, I want to see Ye Fangfei in the red one!]
[Ready for a nosebleed—bring on the screenshots!]
[That deep V is nice, too. I want to see Jiayan in it!]
[The racerback with shorts is way too conservative.]
[But if your figure is awkward, conservative is the safe choice.]
[The men’s options are dull. Why is there a long-sleeve?]
[All the guys should be in tight swim trunks—I can judge everything with my eyes.]
[Wen Yiming will pick the shirtless set for sure! With that body!]
[Ready to drool over the screen…]

…

Each pair eyed the swimsuit options, each calculating silently.

No one is one hundred percent confident about their body—everyone wants to hide their flaws and show their strengths, especially in front of the opposite sex and the cameras.

“The next round of activities will be announced later. For now, please change into the standard surf suits and learn the basics with your assigned coach. Once you’re ready, we’ll start the exciting new challenge!” the staff instructed.

The guests all went to change, then followed their respective coaches to learn surfing.

Lu Zhou, already experienced, barely needed any instruction.

While Qi Jiajia was training with the coach, Lu Zhou grew bored waiting. Feeling it a waste of time, he decided to have some fun and come back when she was ready, so he took his board and headed out on his own.

For surf enthusiasts, Magani Beach’s waves were paradise.

Lu Zhou rode the rolling surf, carving over the crests on his board. His first attempt wasn’t very successful—he barely stayed on before wobbling and falling into the sea. But he climbed up again and caught the next wave, succeeding that time.

Again and again, after many falls, he gradually mastered the technique, eventually able to stand steadily and dance atop the waves.

The sea wind howled, spray splashing his face and hair with a wild, untamed freedom, the thrill sending his mind into exhilaration.

He grinned with abandon.

After one ride, Lu Zhou toppled into the water, clinging to his board and waiting for the next perfect wave.

“Lu Zhou!”

Through the haze, he seemed to hear someone calling his name.

Shaking the seawater from his face, he looked around and spotted Ye Fangfei surfing toward him at high speed. In moments she shot past with a gleeful “Woo~,” skimming by his side.

Lu Zhou laughed and mounted his board, chasing after her.

“Up for a challenge?” he asked, after she took a spill and he paddled over.

Ye Fangfei wiped the water from her face, her smile radiant—clearly, she was having the time of her life.

“Of course! What’s the challenge?” she replied.

Lu Zhou pointed toward the deeper surf, where experienced surfers played among towering waves that could swallow a person.

“Over there—ride out before the wave crashes down. Whoever fails to break through loses. Dare to try?”

“Who’s afraid of whom!”

Ye Fangfei accepted without hesitation.

The two paddled to the bigger surf, lying flat on their boards, waiting for the next set.

“You first!” Ye Fangfei said, fired up by the sight of the towering waves.

“All right.”

As the first big wave approached, Lu Zhou deftly stood up, skimming across the surging surface. The wave loomed overhead, threatening to crash down on him, but his heart pounding, he maneuvered up the face, using gravity to speed his board, weaving up and down the wave until he finally broke through.

He turned back to flash Ye Fangfei a triumphant OK sign.

“Your turn!” he called.

His voice, mingled with the sound of the surf, just reached Ye Fangfei. Waiting for her moment, she felt a surge of nerves.

When the wave arrived, she paddled alongside her board, then boldly stood up, harnessing the wave’s power to climb its crest before sliding down the other side. With her agility and superb balance, she darted into the heart of the wave.

It was a visual rush—churning water below, a wall of water above, as if the ocean was enfolding her and she was racing freely within it.

She let out a joyous scream.

Just before the wave crashed, she broke through.

“I did it!”

Passing by Lu Zhou, she steered her board in a tight arc, and they high-fived in the air.

Meanwhile, the live comments scrolled by—

[Damn, what a godly couple.]
[Just date already!]
[So romantic—why aren’t they kissing?]
[The two of them are so cool.]
[Why are they good at everything?]
[So awesome! I love this pairing.]
[Anyone who didn’t know would think they were partners again today.]

…

Meanwhile, Zhang Chen was still struggling to master the proper technique for getting on the board, failing repeatedly.

When he realized his partner Ye Fangfei was nowhere nearby, he looked around and spotted her in the distance, riding the high surf.

That sky-riding, wave-taming figure—?!

Didn’t she claim she got seasick?

Handling such an extreme water sport with ease, seasick? Liar! She was never seasick—she just used it as an excuse to avoid going deep-sea fishing with him!

And when Zhang Chen saw the figure beside Ye Fangfei who looked suspiciously like Lu Zhou, he felt utterly defeated.

Special thanks to readers 20210123004102753 and 20230128125252343 for their generous rewards!