Chapter 113: Someone Intends to Declare Sovereignty

Half an hour later, all the guests except Lu Zhou had dressed up meticulously and gathered at the entrance of the guesthouse.

Zhang Chen was adorned head to toe in haute couture, his hair slicked back with wax, perfectly styled—very debonair, the unmistakable aura of an aristocrat.

Wen Yiming still wore figure-hugging clothes that accentuated his physique, topped with a black baseball cap, exuding both coolness and charm.

Xu Junze opted for a casual yet elegant look today, embodying a refined scholar’s grace.

Only Lu Zhou appeared in a loose light blue T-shirt he had thrown on carelessly after waking up, paired with black casual sweatpants, his hair without any particular styling. Were it not for his strikingly handsome face, he would have been the most inconspicuous male guest there.

Leaning against the wall by the door, Lu Zhou glanced at the male companions who had just emerged inside and sighed, “So intense.”

The female guests took much longer to appear than the men.

Chu Yao was the first to arrive, wearing a white, neat short shirt paired with a pink pleated ankle-length skirt. Her hair was simply tied into a bun, elegant, refined, and dignified—visually striking at first glance.

The livestream chat burst with comments:

“LOL, Lu Zhou without an idol’s baggage looks so out of place.”

“Lu Zhou: We’re just going for a stroll on the island, you guys are way too formal.”

...

Following closely behind was Qi Jiajia, dressed in a brownish-yellow silk camisole paired with high-waisted blue jeans. With her naturally long legs, this outfit further accentuated her assets—both sexy and restrained. Her short hair was tucked behind her right ear, adorned with a white pearl earring.

The livestream chat reacted:

“Jiajia looks absolutely stunning today!”

“She’s so beautiful in that outfit!”

“Those legs... *lick.gif*”

...

Ye Fangfei appeared almost on cue. Her everyday style was rarely anything less than beautiful, and she had a multitude of looks. She never dressed up deliberately, but her fashion sense was always impeccable.

Today, she wore a tight, white, sleeveless crop top made of pure cotton, paired with a blue knee-length denim skirt with a small slit. The denim pattern featured letters, cinched at the waist with a wide black belt. On her feet were white high-top dad sneakers, just covering a bruise above her ankle.

Her long, wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders, and a pair of black sunglasses rested on her nose.

This ensemble made her look fresh and clean, with a hint of sexiness and a touch of coolness—layered and captivating.

The livestream chat chimed in:

“Still my Feibao is the most beautiful.”

“She’s a true model, looks good in anything.”

“Where can I get this outfit?”

“If you don’t have her figure and face, don’t try to dress like her—it’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

“Fangfei’s style only works on her, trust me on this.”

...

The last to arrive was Li Jiayan.

She wore a light blue short-sleeved puffed blouse with a collar, paired with a black high-waisted short skirt. Her hair was braided into two plaits, with two blue butterfly hair clips pinned beside her airy bangs.

Her makeup was translucent and fresh, making her look several years younger.

Her look was youthful and cute—not particularly eye-catching among the female guests, but... the moment she appeared, she became the most attention-grabbing.

Because her outfit matched Lu Zhou’s in color scheme—both in light blue and black—and she instinctively stood beside him as she arrived, creating the impression they were dressed in couple outfits.

Qi Jiajia couldn’t help but glance at Li Jiayan a few times, her expression tinged with discomfort. What a coincidence!

The livestream chat exploded:

“Ahhh! They’re wearing couple outfits!”

“Looking at them, they’re so perfect together!”

“Is it a coincidence or planned?”

“Li Jiayan must have done it on purpose, it feels like a hint.”

“Please make this couple official! Reunite right here!”

...

Once all the guests assembled, they boarded the bus arranged by the production team. There would be no group divisions today, so how they chose their seats was an intriguing matter.

Lu Zhou was the first to board, not picky, and casually took the window seat on the right side of the second row.

Next, Xu Junze and Chu Yao boarded. They showed no intention to sit together; Xu Junze took the first-row left window seat, while Chu Yao hesitated briefly before sitting in the second row.

Chu Yao asked, “Lu Zhou, is it okay if I sit here?”

Lu Zhou, who had been looking out the window, turned and nodded, “Of course, sit wherever you like.”

Chu Yao smiled and sat down beside him.

At that moment, Zhang Chen had also boarded. After scanning the seats, he chose the first row on the right side, near the aisle.

Then Li Jiayan got on and noticed Chu Yao was already sitting next to Lu Zhou. She paused, regretting being a step late.

She didn’t understand—there were plenty of seats left, so why did Chu Yao insist on sitting beside Lu Zhou? Could it be that Chu Yao was interested in him now?

The thought darkened Li Jiayan’s expression.

But had the two interacted much? She hadn’t seen them engage before.

She absolutely could not let Chu Yao develop feelings for Lu Zhou—Chu Yao was the female guest she was closest to on the show, and she didn’t want to become rivals.

Li Jiayan hesitated over where to sit. Xu Junze noticed and patted the window seat beside him, saying, “Jiayan, why don’t you sit here? First-row window seats are less likely to cause motion sickness.”

They had partnered once before, and Xu Junze knew Li Jiayan was a bit worried about motion sickness.

Feeling warmly invited, Li Jiayan smiled and sat down but kept glancing toward Lu Zhou.

Wen Yiming then boarded, frowned slightly when he saw Li Jiayan sitting with Xu Junze in the first row, and chose the window seat behind her in the second row.

Qi Jiajia and Ye Fangfei were the last to get on.

Qi Jiajia looked around and, seeing the seat next to Zhang Chen was clearly not for her, sat down beside Wen Yiming.

As soon as Ye Fangfei appeared, Zhang Chen beamed and waved at her. “Fangfei, sit here, I saved this seat for you.”

Ye Fangfei was speechless.

Only one seat remained, so she had no choice but to take it.

With everyone seated, the bus set off, carrying them on their journey to explore Black Island.

“You and Jiayan are basically wearing couple outfits today,” Chu Yao said softly, turning to Lu Zhou to strike up a conversation.

Lu Zhou smiled, “Really?”

“Yes, same color scheme—blue on top, black below. Did you plan this?” Chu Yao teased.

Lu Zhou glanced toward Li Jiayan and recalled her question from more than half an hour ago. After a brief silence, he replied with a smile, “Just a coincidence.”

Something seemed to have shifted. Lu Zhou rested his elbow on the window and pondered this “coincidence.” Had he even noticed the matching outfits if Chu Yao hadn’t mentioned it?

“If I’d known you all were going to dress up so well, I wouldn’t have been so lazy. Standing with you guys now, I don’t look like a fellow traveler at all—more like your tour guide, just missing a flag in my hand,” Lu Zhou joked, lightly mocking himself and steering the topic away.

Chu Yao laughed. “Nonsense! What tourist group has such a handsome guide?”

“The ‘Swap? Exes’ group, guide Lu Zhou,” he extended the joke.

Chu Yao chuckled, “You’re ridiculous.”

Ye Fangfei, in the front row, pushed her sunglasses up her nose and glanced back. She said leisurely, “I thought you said ‘Director Lu Zhou’—I was thinking, your ambition is huge, daring to usurp the director’s position.”

Lu Zhou grinned and replied, “Spare me, I’m just a small-time actor in the entertainment industry trying to get more screen time. Don’t pin the ‘usurper’ label on me.”

Ye Fangfei smiled but didn’t respond further.

Zhang Chen glanced at her, then back at Lu Zhou. For some reason, their interaction made him uneasy.

Yet hearing Lu Zhou admit being a small-time actor made him inexplicably pleased.

Yes, a small-time actor should have some self-awareness! Don’t overreach for things beyond your grasp!

Meanwhile, Li Jiayan, sitting in the front left, furrowed her brow at the lively chatter and laughter from Lu Zhou and Chu Yao.

“What do you think? Where is the production team taking us?” she turned and asked loudly, trying to join the conversation.

Since boarding, Qi Jiajia and Wen Yiming had only exchanged glances, remaining silent, seemingly at odds.

Wen Yiming quickly responded, “They haven’t said, but judging by the scenery, we’re heading into the city—the streets are getting busier.”

Qi Jiajia silently glanced at him before looking away.

“I wonder how much longer until we arrive,” Li Jiayan replied, her gaze slipping toward Lu Zhou again.

He didn’t look back nor respond, staring out the window instead.

Xu Junze sensed from her tone that she wished to reach their destination soon—probably uneasy about motion sickness.

“You don’t know how long the journey is, but you can nap. Maybe you’ll wake up when we arrive,” he said kindly.

Li Jiayan nodded twice and straightened up, no longer leaning back.

In the back, Qi Jiajia quietly studied Li Jiayan, easily guessing that all these small gestures were attempts to catch Lu Zhou’s attention, including the deliberately matching couple outfits.

Li Jiayan must be thinking about reconciliation; this was her way of staking her claim, Qi Jiajia concluded.

The bus had been driving for over half an hour when the cabin gradually fell silent. Some guests had fallen asleep; others were drowsy.

Ye Fangfei had long since fallen asleep behind her sunglasses. The air conditioning was rather cold, and Zhang Chen glanced at her several times, watching for signs that she was chilly in her sleeveless top.

As the bus turned, his body leaned slightly right, and his hand accidentally brushed Ye Fangfei’s arm, which felt surprisingly cold.

Zhang Chen sensed an opportunity!

She had complained last night about his lack of thoughtfulness. He wanted to erase that image from her mind.

So, Zhang Chen took off his thin short-sleeved shirt jacket—which he had put on deliberately today—and gently draped it over Ye Fangfei.

Lu Zhou, sitting behind, noticed this and raised his handsome eyebrows slightly in surprise.

Meanwhile, the livestream chat exploded:

“Whoa! Never thought I’d see Zhang Chen being so considerate!”

“He changed overnight! Scary!”

“Ahhh! Could this couple have a chance again?”

“LOL, sudden tenderness from a straight guy melts everyone’s hearts.”

...

Ye Fangfei didn’t wake up.

Zhang Chen smiled, waiting to see her reaction when she noticed his jacket.

The bus drove a few more minutes before stopping on a street rich with ancient charm.

“This is your first stop. All guests, please disembark,” announced a staff member.

Those asleep were roused, rubbing their sleepy eyes, looking around dazed.

“We’ve arrived?” Ye Fangfei pushed her sunglasses up and asked softly.

“Yes!” Zhang Chen said excitedly.

Ye Fangfei looked outside, stretched lazily, and noticed the jacket had slipped down to her legs.

“???” She picked it up and looked at Zhang Chen curiously. “Is this your jacket?”

Zhang Chen smiled, showing his teeth. “Yes, the bus was cold earlier. I saw you sleeping and was afraid you’d get cold, so I covered you.”

He explained carefully.

“Oh, thank you. That’s thoughtful,” Ye Fangfei paused, then handed the jacket back.

“If you’re still cold, you can keep it on,” Zhang Chen said.

Ye Fangfei stood, preparing to get off. “It’s okay, not cold.”

Zhang Chen draped the jacket over his arm, feeling inexplicably pleased.

That was considerate enough, wasn’t it?

All the guests stepped off and saw a white building nearby, its exterior adorned with numerous sculptures of human figures—exquisitely designed with strong artistic flair.

Everyone’s eyes were drawn to it.

“Where are we?” Chu Yao asked curiously.

A staff member appeared, pointing to the building behind them. “This is the Bale Opera House. It’s a historic venue full of stories. Many famous large-scale concerts and operas are performed here.”

“Today, we’re here to experience the atmosphere of Western musical arts.”

Hearing this, Ye Fangfei raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I like today’s event.”

Lu Zhou and Li Jiayan, also involved in music-related work, showed keen interest.

“Is there a performance today?” Lu Zhou asked.

Staff: “No.”

...

Ye Fangfei’s face showed disappointment. “No performance? How do we experience the musical art atmosphere then?”

Staff: “By touring.”

...

Lu Zhou smiled. “Looks like today’s itinerary is really relaxed.”

Pure sightseeing, no fixed programs scheduled—everyone laughed.

No harm in that, at least no rush.

After receiving tickets from the staff, the guests entered the Bale Opera House.

Inside, the foyer was beautifully elegant, with an artistic ceiling full of sculptures exhibiting strong Western characteristics.

Further inside was a large auditorium with nearly 1,500 seats. The walls were divided into many sections, all decorated with intricate wooden relief carvings—quite interesting.

The hall was circular, with the stage surrounded by audience seats dispersed in small blocks both above and below. The distance between the stage and the seats was no more than 18 meters, allowing the audience to experience the performance up close.

What surprised everyone even more was that the stage was neatly arranged with seats and instruments for the symphony orchestra—grand piano, violins, cellos, various drums, trumpets, and more.

Ye Fangfei looked at the staff, surprised. “You said no performance earlier. Are you kidding?”

Staff: “There’s one tonight, but you can’t watch it.”

Everyone was silent.

“So beautiful,” Chu Yao said as she wandered around the auditorium, still overwhelmed by the visual impact.

She had never attended an opera or concert before, but this hall instantly conveyed a high-class artistic vibe.

Though she didn’t understand music well, she could vaguely sense the symphony orchestra’s atmosphere.

Not only she but also Li Jiayan felt this artistic excitement.

Li Jiayan studied piano and had played in an orchestra during university, serving as the pianist. But she had never performed in such a grand hall. Being here now moved her to tears—it was her dream stage.

Emotion surging, Li Jiayan’s feet moved involuntarily toward the stage’s prominent grand piano.

To her delight, several scores lay on the piano. She eagerly picked them up and, after looking through, became even more excited.

She slowly bent down and sat before the piano.

Raising her right hand, she began playing the keys according to the sheet music.

The melody suddenly filled the entire hall, resonating with pure clarity due to the professional acoustics.

Everyone turned toward the sound.

After playing a short piece, tears welled in Li Jiayan’s eyes as she looked toward Lu Zhou.

“Do you remember this?” she asked.

They locked eyes briefly.

“Of course. Game of Thrones,” Lu Zhou replied.

It was the theme song of the show they had once stayed up late watching together.

Recalling the past, Li Jiayan smiled through moist eyes and said, “There’s the sheet music here. Want to accompany me on violin?”

Lu Zhou studied her quietly, sensing her emotional shift.

Before he could answer, another voice spoke up: “Wouldn’t the cello’s tone suit Game of Thrones better?”

It was Ye Fangfei.

Li Jiayan snapped out of her reverie and looked at her, nodding after considering her professional opinion. “True, but do we have a cellist here?”

Ye Fangfei smiled and said, “I am.”

Lu Zhou turned to her. “And me.”

Ye Fangfei looked surprised. “You? I thought you were a violin expert.”

“I have a wide range of interests, from big to small,” Lu Zhou said with a smile.

Li Jiayan was stunned. Really?

He was already impressively skilled at the violin; he also played the cello?

“I’m looking forward to seeing your skills,” Ye Fangfei raised an eyebrow, stepping onto the stage, gently caressing one of the cellos. Smiling, she looked at Lu Zhou. “Come on, a trio. Let’s do this.”

Lu Zhou: “I’m in.”

He stood and walked over.