Chapter 102: He Truly Loves the Spotlight

"Get ready, head into the water!"

After Ye Fangfei and Zhang Chen prepared their surfboards, the staff lowered them into the sea.

Both could swim and wore life jackets. Once in the water, they remained calm, though the yacht's wake made their bodies bob and sway on the surface.

"Hold the rope tight. When you're ready, signal with your hands and we'll start the timer! Did you hear me?"

The roar of the yacht was loud, so the show's staff shouted at the top of their lungs.

Ye Fangfei and Zhang Chen nodded.

They gripped the rope with both hands. The surfboard was right in front of them. They needed to use the yacht's wake to stand on the board, let go of the rope, surf independently, and synchronize by forming a heart with their hands—then the task would be considered complete.

The time they took would determine their team's ranking.

Zhang Chen said, "Tell me when you're ready."

Ye Fangfei replied, "I'm ready, just waiting for you."

Zhang Chen stared at the surfboard, which was still a bit unstable, feeling inexplicably nervous. Practicing in the open water was quite different from the shallow training zone.

He tried to place his feet on the surfboard, making space, took a deep breath, and said, "I'm ready."

Ye Fangfei looked at him, "Your feet need to be further apart."

With no real experience, Zhang Chen obediently widened his stance on the board, "Like this?"

Ye Fangfei nodded, "That's good. You remember what the coach taught, right?"

"I do."

"Great, then I'll signal them to start timing."

"OK!"

Ye Fangfei released the rope with her left hand, giving the OK gesture to the staff on the yacht.

"Three, two, one! Timer starts!" The staff pressed the stopwatch.

With the yacht moving forward, Ye Fangfei and Zhang Chen simultaneously pushed onto the surfboards, using the wake to flatten the board on the water’s surface, then shifted their weight onto it.

They still held the rope as the yacht towed them.

"Woo!" Zhang Chen felt the rush and shouted excitedly, "I'm standing!"

Ye Fangfei laughed, "Is it thrilling?"

"Thrilling!"

"The real thrill hasn't started yet!" Ye Fangfei let go of the rope with her right hand, holding it loosely with her left. "Once you’re stable, let go with one hand."

She naturally took on the role of their group’s commander.

Zhang Chen followed her lead and released his left hand, wobbling, but quickly stabilized with the help of the rope.

"Let go!" Zhang Chen shouted back with a smile.

"Good, get used to it. When you’re sure you can let go completely, tell me."

As she spoke, Ye Fangfei was already using her legs to control the board, making small turns left and right, having fun.

Zhang Chen watched her with admiration, eager to try himself.

He could feel her joy so clearly—the sun in their faces, sea water dampening her hair, she looked like a beauty fresh from the bath, utterly captivating.

How exciting! So this is what surfing together feels like! Accelerating heartbeats, a surge of hormones.

"Are you ready?" Ye Fangfei called out.

"I think so, let me try."

Zhang Chen tensed up, tossed the rope, expecting to fall, but he didn't—he stayed on the board, surfing with the wake.

"Yoo-hoo!"

He screamed with excitement.

Ye Fangfei had already thrown her rope, maneuvering her board to his side.

"Don't play yet, let's do the move and complete the task," she reminded him.

"Okay! How do we do it?" Zhang Chen got distracted, wobbling on the board.

"You use your right hand, I use my left—quick!"

Seeing he was about to fall, Ye Fangfei quickly moved her board alongside his, lifted her left hand above her head, forming half a heart.

Zhang Chen followed instructions, stretched out his right hand, fingers bent into half a small heart, but realized Ye Fangfei was making a big heart above her head, and hurriedly adjusted to match her.

"Oh no! This isn’t going to work—I’m finished!"

He held the pose for barely a second before tumbling into the water, arms and legs flailing.

Ye Fangfei burst into laughter, steering her board away to avoid hurting him, then started playing on the yacht's wake.

Zhang Chen floated up, sputtered out salty water, wiped his face, and paddled toward his surfboard.

He had no idea the drone was giving him a close-up.

Meanwhile, the live stream—

[Haha! His makeup]
[It’s definitely not waterproof]
[I’m dying of laughter]
[Zhang Chen OS: What a ruthless woman, just left me to fend for myself]
...

The yacht turned back to rescue Zhang Chen.

The other three groups on the boat watched, entertained and nervous.

"It looks so fun. Even seeing Zhang Chen fall in, he’s still laughing," Qi Jiajia commented.

"It really is fun. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll get addicted," Lu Zhou replied. "But you need good stamina, or you’ll be too exhausted to enjoy it."

"Then I’m doomed, I have no stamina," Li Jiayan chimed in from nearby.

Lu Zhou grinned, "How do you know? You haven’t even tried yet."

Li Jiayan pouted, mumbling, "You should know how lazy I am about exercise."

"Actually, I don’t," Lu Zhou said.

"Well, it seems you’ve completely forgotten my old habits," Li Jiayan masked her disappointment with a smile.

"It’s been over six years. Surely you haven’t kept the same routine all this time?" Lu Zhou turned to look at her.

Li Jiayan’s lashes trembled. After a moment’s silence, she smiled softly, "I’ve barely changed, Lu Zhou."

They gazed at each other for a while before Lu Zhou slowly looked away.

Qi Jiajia listened closely, her intuition telling her Li Jiayan might be reconsidering her feelings for Lu Zhou—not a good sign.

Originally, in this competition, Qi Jiajia hoped she and Lu Zhou could win first place so she could choose her favorite swimsuit and show off in front of him.

But now, her priorities had shifted. The swimsuit choice mattered less; what mattered was spending more time with him.

"Ye Fangfei and Zhang Chen’s group successfully completed the task in eight minutes, currently ranking first."

The yacht picked up Zhang Chen and Ye Fangfei, and the staff announced their results.

"Who’s next?" the staff asked.

Zhang Chen, drying his hair with a towel, looked at the other groups, "Come on, it’s really fun. Once you’re all done, I want to go again."

Ye Fangfei smiled as she dried her hair, "Looks like you’re hooked."

"Absolutely. Mostly because you were so cool—it’s embarrassing. I need to surpass you!" Zhang Chen raised his eyebrows, still riding the thrill.

"Bring it on!" Ye Fangfei’s lips curled with a smile.

Live stream—

[Oh? Looks like something’s happening!]
[Suddenly, there’s real couple chemistry!]
[Young Master Zhang, you finally found a shared interest with Feibao!]
...

"We’ll go next! Better to get it over with quickly." Li Jiayan gathered her courage and volunteered their group.

Wen Yiming smiled and ruffled her hair, "Why say such ominous things? Didn’t you promise to trust me?"

The sudden affectionate gesture stunned all the guests on board, including Li Jiayan.

Qi Jiajia frowned, "???"

Lu Zhou’s eyebrows subtly lifted.

Xu Junze and Chu Yao widened their eyes, looking like gossip-hunters.

Zhang Chen raised his brows, thinking he’d learned something new—he’d have to consult Wen Yiming about this technique.

Ye Fangfei instinctively glanced at Lu Zhou.

Live stream comments—

[???]
[Whoa, was that a public claim of ownership?]
[It’s getting more and more exciting!]
[Head-pat kill in public? Wen Yiming’s not leaving any retreat for himself!]
[Or maybe the playboy just couldn’t resist because she’s cute...]
...

The atmosphere became awkward for a moment, but Wen Yiming seemed unfazed or oblivious, calmly preparing to enter the water.

Li Jiayan was stunned for a few seconds, a hint of displeasure flashing across her face as she quickly glanced at Lu Zhou.

But Lu Zhou wasn’t looking; she could only hope he hadn’t noticed.

The staff urged her forward. She snapped out of it and joined Wen Yiming.

They entered the water and began preparing to mount the boards.

"Put your feet on the surfboard, keep them hip-width apart, don’t grip the rope too tightly when pulling—just use it for leverage. Lean back, keep your body tense, avoid using arm strength or you’ll fall forward. Once you’re on the board, bend your knees slightly and stabilize your core."

During the prep phase, Wen Yiming adopted a coach’s tone, repeating the key points to Li Jiayan.

"Did you remember?" he asked.

Li Jiayan nodded, "My brain remembers, but my body might not listen."

Wen Yiming laughed, charmed by her cuteness.

"You’ll be fine, you’re smart," he encouraged.

"Get into the ready position and just follow my lead."

"Okay."

Li Jiayan, awed by the vast sea, set aside her earlier annoyance with Wen Yiming and became a model pupil.

"Are you using your strength?" Wen Yiming checked as she got into position.

"I am."

"Good. This time, let’s not do the big heart gesture like Ye Fangfei and Zhang Chen—it’s too unstable. We’ll use our fingers to make a small heart. When you let go of the rope, use your left hand, got it?"

Wen Yiming outlined their strategy.

Li Jiayan: "Okay!"

The staff shouted, "Let us know when you’re ready!"

Wen Yiming counted down with Li Jiayan, then signaled OK to the staff.

"Three, two, one! Start!" The timer began.

As the countdown ended, Wen Yiming and Li Jiayan simultaneously pushed onto their boards.

"Great job, Jiayan!" Wen Yiming was pleased with her first step. "Remember, don’t use your hands, release your left hand, engage your body, you don’t need to squat so low, try standing a bit taller—yes, that’s it, find your core!"

"Ahaha!"

Li Jiayan was exhilarated by the unfamiliar thrill, laughing joyfully yet tense, afraid she’d fall at any moment.

The sea wind whipped her cheeks, water sprayed everywhere—what a feeling!

Was it like sword-flying in wuxia dramas?

"Check if you’re using your hands too much," Wen Yiming’s voice echoed.

Li Jiayan laughed and called, "No!"

"Excellent! Now, let go!"

Almost simultaneously, Li Jiayan released the rope as Wen Yiming instructed. Her heart pounded—so thrilling!

She didn’t fall, successfully standing on the board, drifting with the waves.

"Should I make the heart now?" she asked.

"Yes! Just stretch out your hand, don’t worry about matching me, keep your eyes forward," Wen Yiming replied.

Li Jiayan, as planned, bent her left hand into a heart shape toward Wen Yiming, keeping her focus on the waves, trusting her partner completely.

That trust—the kind you give to your teammate without hesitation.

Wen Yiming skillfully maneuvered his board over, reached out, and formed the other half of the heart, their fingers touching.

The heart gesture lasted several seconds. Wen Yiming even had enough composure to gaze at Li Jiayan with heartfelt affection.

If there were no cameras, no crowd, just the two of them, he would have kissed her.

Such a romantic scene.

Live stream—

[Damn, Wen Yiming is truly handsome right now]
[He’s totally in control!]
[This man is radiant when in motion!]
[That subtle smile, those affectionate eyes—I’m melting]
[The atmosphere is perfect for a kiss, why not go for it?]
[He really would; if the girl isn’t too grounded, few could resist]
[Even if he’s a playboy, I’d accept it!]
[Maybe Qi Jiajia’s heart was stolen like this]
...

But Li Jiayan didn’t perform as well. When Wen Yiming approached, she got nervous, afraid of being bumped, her legs began trembling, and when a wave rolled through, she lost balance and fell into the sea.

Wen Yiming slid forward on his board, then turned and dove in after her.

Li Jiayan swallowed some seawater and coughed lightly.

Wen Yiming swam over, "Are you okay?"

Li Jiayan smiled, "I’m fine."

"You did very well. Among beginners, your performance is top-notch. Many girls can’t even stand on the board their first time—you succeeded, and let go quickly. You’re awesome!" Wen Yiming praised her.

Praise always delighted her, so Li Jiayan flashed a sweet smile, "All thanks to Coach Wen."

Wen Yiming helped her retrieve her board and float.

"Let me show you free surfing without the yacht’s wake."

He climbed onto his board, paddled with both hands, and when a natural wave came, he leapt forward, stood up, and rode the wave with ease, even managing to fix his hair.

He was undeniably handsome. Li Jiayan raised her brows and exclaimed, "Whoo!"

The others on the yacht cheered for Wen Yiming.

Qi Jiajia watched, impressed, "Wen Yiming is a natural at sports."

"Regretting your partner choice?" Lu Zhou teased.

Qi Jiajia was briefly startled, then smiled brightly, "What are you saying? My partner is talented too."

Lu Zhou smiled but said nothing, turning to watch the staff bring Wen Yiming and Li Jiayan back aboard.

"Wen Yiming and Li Jiayan, challenge complete! Task time: three minutes, now in first place!" the staff announced.

Everyone was surprised.

"Wow, your group is amazing!" Ye Fangfei applauded.

Li Jiayan looked at Wen Yiming in disbelief, hands over her mouth, as if to ask: Really?

Wen Yiming winked at her, "I told you, I’d bring you to first place."

Li Jiayan bounced with excitement, "Thank you for carrying me!"

"Who’s next?" the staff called again.

"Are you going?" Lu Zhou asked Xu Junze.

Xu Junze and Chu Yao shook their heads, "You go first."

So Lu Zhou and Qi Jiajia went next.

Li Jiayan eagerly anticipated Lu Zhou’s performance, drying her hair as she walked to the railing to watch every detail.

Wen Yiming also paid close attention—only he and Lu Zhou were skilled at surfing among the male guests, and their partners were each other’s exes. Strange competitiveness bubbled up.

Lu Zhou and Qi Jiajia, with surfboards in the sea, focused on their task.

"Lu Zhou, how do you think we’ll place?" Qi Jiajia gripped the rope, glancing at him.

Lu Zhou adjusted his board and smiled, "First is unlikely—they finished in three minutes, hard to beat. Second or third is within reach."

"I’m counting on you." Qi Jiajia tried to place her foot on the board, "I might not be reliable..."

"Do your best. The ranking isn’t so important—having fun matters most," Lu Zhou encouraged.

"Okay!"

Qi Jiajia smiled radiantly. Coincidentally, she felt the same way—it was a perfect match!

"I can’t get one foot up..."

She tugged the rope, one foot on the sideways board, but struggled to place the other, her knee always caught.

She encountered difficulty from the start, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Lu Zhou laughed—she was definitely a beginner.

"The troubles of long legs," he teased.

Qi Jiajia giggled, wanting to punch him but afraid to let go of the rope, blushing, "My legs are long... I always thought it was an advantage, but today I’m experiencing the downside."

It was true; her friends always joked that she was all legs.

She took the joke seriously, and Lu Zhou found her surprisingly fun.

"Lean back, press down with the foot already on the board, push the board forward and down, then the other foot will go up," he advised.

Qi Jiajia followed his instructions and succeeded.

They got into position and signaled the staff to start timing.

Once the timer began, Lu Zhou quickly mounted the board, holding the rope with one hand, knees bent, soon ready to toss the rope.

But when he turned, Qi Jiajia had just managed to stand up, not even having time to celebrate before she plunged forward into the sea.

Qi Jiajia: "..."

Lu Zhou: "..."

He slid a distance, then jumped in after her.

Qi Jiajia wiped her face, smiled apologetically, "I’m really bad at this."

"You’re pulling the rope too hard. Next time, relax your grip," Lu Zhou said.

"Okay."

The yacht circled back, and they restarted from the beginning.

This time, Qi Jiajia relaxed her grip, but lost her balance and fell backward.

After several repeats, Qi Jiajia felt numb from falling, barely coherent.

But Lu Zhou was patient, correcting her mistakes and accompanying her through every retry.

At last, after persistent effort, Qi Jiajia managed to stand on the board after releasing the rope.

She was so excited she wanted to cry, "Lu Zhou! I did it!"

"Excellent, let’s do the move," Lu Zhou swiftly slid to her side.

Qi Jiajia, nervous, stared at the waves and her board, afraid to lose focus.

Upon hearing about the move, she instinctively raised her left arm above her head in a circle.

But Lu Zhou was on her left...

"You need to use your right hand," Lu Zhou laughed.

"Oh, right..." Qi Jiajia was flustered, lowered her left hand, raised her right, but as she switched, her balance faltered, nearly falling, anxiously exclaiming, "Hey, hey, hey?"

Lu Zhou thought, surely not another restart...

Without thinking, he grabbed her wavering left arm to steady her, then raised his left hand above his head, completing the heart gesture with her right hand.

Qi Jiajia’s eyes widened, momentarily lost to everything except her racing heartbeat.

The boards drifted closer, about to collide—both would fall.

Qi Jiajia lost balance, teetered left.

Lu Zhou: "..."

If he didn't act, she'd knock him into the sea.

He reached around, grabbed her life jacket, and pulled her onto his board.

Qi Jiajia: "???"

Only when her bare feet touched the unfamiliar board did she realize what happened, blushing from neck to ears.

Her heart pounded wildly—wow! That was so cool! He could even do that!

On the same board, she in front, he behind, with the sea breeze on their faces.

This was truly riding the waves together, more thrilling than anything she’d experienced!

Romance to the extreme!

Qi Jiajia was at a loss for words to describe her feelings.

On the yacht—

Wen Yiming gripped the railing tightly. Damn you, Lu Zhou—I just flirted with your ex, now you hit back twice as hard? This is infuriating!

Li Jiayan’s brows furrowed, biting her lip, her jealousy completely unleashed.

Chu Yao’s eyes sparkled—she never knew surfing could be played this way, so impressive, the man’s strength was breathtaking.

Xu Junze twitched his mouth, thinking: I haven’t even played yet, and everyone’s outdoing each other. How am I supposed to face the whole country when I’m so bad?

Zhang Chen was surprised, then pretended to be calm, turning to Ye Fangfei with a smile, "He really loves being the center of attention."

Ye Fangfei was awed by Lu Zhou’s balance, but said, "But he pulls it off with style."

Zhang Chen: "..."

Live stream—

[Do they have to be so cool?]
[What a treasure!]
[Full screen of hormones, I can barely hold on]
[I wish I could swap places with Qi Jiajia]
[A new couple is born!!!]
...

Lu Zhou and Qi Jiajia didn’t last long on the same board—Qi Jiajia lost focus, lost balance, and both fell in.

The yacht picked them up.

Qi Jiajia was still immersed in the sweet aftermath, feeling like everything was tinged with pink.

"Lu Zhou and Qi Jiajia, challenge complete, 36 minutes, currently third," the staff announced.

Qi Jiajia regretfully looked at Lu Zhou, "It’s all my fault—we’re so far behind."

Lu Zhou tossed her a towel, "No big deal."

Qi Jiajia smiled radiantly.

Wen Yiming watched, fuming, while Li Jiayan turned away, refusing to look.

The last group was Xu Junze and Chu Yao.

Both were absolute beginners, with no hope for victory, aiming for last place, relaxed.

Their first attempts onto the board were rough, with many failures, but eventually they stood up. However, once they let go of the rope, neither could stay on for more than a few seconds—they kept falling before they could synchronize the heart gesture.

"Ah Ze, we’re so bad..." Chu Yao floated on the surface, exhausted but laughing.

"No, we’re not bad—they’re just too good," Xu Junze said, keeping his spirits up.

Chu Yao splashed water at him.

Xu Junze laughed, "You might have to wear the swimsuit you don’t want."

Chu Yao splashed him again, "Annoying."

"Should we just give up? Or do you want to keep playing?" Xu Junze suggested.

"No, I’m tired—this really drains you," Chu Yao agreed.

They signaled the staff to pull them aboard.

Results announced:

"Xu Junze and Chu Yao, challenge failed!"

"Congratulations to Wen Yiming and Li Jiayan for taking first place!"

"Second place, Zhang Chen and Ye Fangfei."

"Third place, Lu Zhou and Qi Jiajia."

"Last, Xu Junze and Chu Yao."

"According to the rankings, you’ll get priority in swimsuit selection. Looking forward to your choices."

Thank you to love Eternal Romance for rewarding 100 points;
Thank you to reader 20200422180329876 for rewarding 100 points.