Chapter 96: Who Is Rejoicing

The next morning, before six o’clock, while dawn still lingered beyond the horizon, Zhang Chen was already awake.
The thought of journeying today with Ye Fangfei as his travel companion made every cell in his body stir with excitement.
Lu Zhou woke to the glare of the bedside lamp. He had been roused once in the night, and having fallen asleep again quite late, was now forced awake, utterly exhausted.
Frowning, he squinted toward the light and found Zhang Chen sitting at the vanity, full of energy, his lamp shining directly into Lu Zhou’s eyes as he meticulously dabbed foundation onto a face that could hardly be called remarkable.
Yesterday, before their outing, Zhang Chen hadn’t shown such care for his appearance. Evidently, how much he attended to his image depended entirely on who his companion was for the day...
No comparison, no harm.
Yesterday, paired with Qi Jiajia, Zhang Chen left without a touch of powder.
Today, grouped with Ye Fangfei, he was up before dawn, applying makeup...
For someone intent on rekindling a romance, it was understandable that Zhang Chen would rise early to make himself presentable, hoping to leave a good impression on his former lover.
But... was it really necessary to get up so early for it?
Interrupted in his sleep, Lu Zhou irritably pinched his brow and spoke in a hoarse voice, “You’re up way too early...”
Hearing the voice, Zhang Chen turned around, “You’re awake too?”
“You turned on the lamp—how could I not wake up?”
Lu Zhou yawned widely, tears springing to his eyes. He glanced at the time—almost six. If he went back to sleep, it wouldn’t last long, so he decided to get up as well.
After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he emerged from the bathroom to find Zhang Chen still applying foundation.
Lu Zhou couldn’t resist teasing, “Don’t go too pale—you’ll look unnatural.”
Zhang Chen turned his face for inspection. “This isn’t too white, is it?”
“Barely passable,” Lu Zhou nodded, then added, “But it’s a bit cakey.”
Zhang Chen: “...”
Leaning closer to the mirror, Zhang Chen examined himself. His skin was dry; the foundation had indeed caked in places. But he reasoned that women were used to makeup and would understand such minor flaws, so he left it alone.
He then began styling his hair, first with wax, then gel.
Finished, Zhang Chen turned to Lu Zhou and asked with no embarrassment, “I look much more handsome now, don’t I?”
Lu Zhou was changing clothes. He glanced at Zhang Chen twice and replied honestly, “Definitely.”
Rewarded by the compliment, Zhang Chen smiled, satisfied with his transformation.
He took out his cologne, sprayed his wrists, then dabbed it behind his ears, on his neck, and inside his elbows—after a few seconds’ thought, he even added a spritz to his chest.
Lu Zhou, now dressed, caught the strong scent, turned, and fell silent.
Noticing Lu Zhou’s odd stare, Zhang Chen raised an eyebrow, “What? Never seen someone use cologne?”
Lu Zhou: “...”
Zhang Chen, seeing his continued silence, offered, “If you like this scent, you can borrow it.”
“...No need.” Lu Zhou coughed lightly, then opened the window for some fresh air. “Friendly advice—unless you want to knock Ye Fangfei out with the fumes, you’d better take a shower.”
“Too much?” Zhang Chen sniffed his arm, unsure.
Lu Zhou: “Way too much.”
“I think you’re messing with me.” Zhang Chen couldn’t smell anything excessive.
“Why would I mess with you?” Lu Zhou chuckled.
“You’re interested in my ex-girlfriend. Why wouldn’t you mess with me?” Zhang Chen arched a thick eyebrow, adopting a stance like a bull ready to charge.
Lu Zhou spread his hands, speechless. “I always pursue women openly. I don’t bother with tricks like this.”
Zhang Chen was half convinced, half doubtful. “If that’s the case, would you be willing to share your secret?”
“What?” Lu Zhou didn’t follow the shift.
“Last night you said Fangfei wasn’t at all difficult around you. What’s your secret? How did you get her to show her gentle side?” Zhang Chen shamelessly sought advice.
Today was a rare and important opportunity for him. Since Lu Zhou’s intentions toward Ye Fangfei were unclear, it couldn’t hurt to learn from him.
Lu Zhou hadn’t anticipated this move and was momentarily taken aback.
Then he smiled and replied, “No secret—just be yourself.”
Zhang Chen frowned, displeased.
Be yourself? Just by being himself, Ye Fangfei would show her gentle side to him? Wasn’t Lu Zhou implying that she liked his type?
Nonsense! Impossible!
This guy was definitely trying to get under his skin—smiling on the surface, scheming underneath. His words couldn’t be trusted.
“I knew you wouldn’t tell me. You really do want to steal my girl,” Zhang Chen said.
Lu Zhou was amused. So be it; these days, no one believes the truth.
“She’s not exactly your girl,” he pointed out.
Zhang Chen gritted his teeth. “She will be, sooner or later!”
“Oh? We’ll see,” Lu Zhou smiled lightly and walked out of the bedroom.
Zhang Chen, left alone, stripped off his clothes and headed for the shower, cursing Lu Zhou thoroughly as he went.
...
Actually, Zhang Chen wasn’t the only one who rose early today—Qi Jiajia did as well.
She woke around six, lying in bed and imagining what tasks the program would assign for their journey.
If today’s tasks involved as much physical closeness between male and female partners as yesterday... Scenes began to play in her mind, her lips curving into a smile as she hid beneath the covers, giggling to herself.
Truthfully, she was looking forward to today’s journey.
Yesterday, Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei had been paired together; during their program tasks, Qi Jiajia had the chance to observe some moments from the sidelines. That man was the embodiment of an ideal boyfriend—tall, handsome, in sync with his partner, and brimming with artistic talent!
Qi Jiajia had a feeling Lu Zhou’s future would shine bright.
Analyzing it, she realized he was her ideal idol candidate.
If today they could develop mutual feelings...
The more she thought, the redder her cheeks grew and her heart beat faster with excitement.
She checked the alarm clock—6:10. No, she had to get up and tidy her appearance; today, she must look beautiful!
With that in mind, Qi Jiajia got out of bed.
Ye Fangfei was woken by the rustling of clothes and luggage in the room. She switched on her lamp and looked at Qi Jiajia, who was crouched by her suitcase searching for clothes. “Why not turn on the light?”
“I was afraid of disturbing your sleep,” Qi Jiajia apologized with a smile.
Ye Fangfei rubbed her eyes and sat up. “What time is it?”
“About ten past six,” Qi Jiajia replied.
“So early? I thought it was time to get up.” Ye Fangfei lay back down, pulled the covers over her head, and said, “Call me when it’s time. I’ll sleep a bit more.”
“Okay.” Qi Jiajia glanced at her lamp, still on, and suggested, “Turn it off so you can sleep.”
“No need—I can sleep with the light on,” Ye Fangfei mumbled, and soon drifted off again.
Seeing this, Qi Jiajia left her be, choosing her outfit by the lamp, then carefully applying makeup.
Another early riser was Chu Yao.
She woke with a mind full of worries—not, like Qi Jiajia, to dress up, but to catch Xu Junze for a chat before the livestream began.
But since it was still early, she hesitated to knock on the men’s room and risk waking Xu Junze’s roommate.
So, after washing and dressing, Chu Yao decided to wait in the living room until the time was right to talk with Xu Junze.
She hadn’t expected to find Lu Zhou in the living room, reading.
“Morning!” Chu Yao greeted cheerfully.
Lu Zhou looked up and smiled. “You’re up early, too.”
“I woke suddenly and couldn’t get back to sleep, so I got up,” Chu Yao said, sitting beside him and glancing at his book. “You got up early just to read travelogues?”
“Not exactly. My overexcited roommate woke me,” Lu Zhou replied, closing the travel magazine.
“Ah?” Chu Yao was briefly surprised, then remembered his roommate was Zhang Chen, and laughed. “Ah... I see.”
“How about you? Did you girls get a massage service last night?” Lu Zhou changed the subject.
Chu Yao chuckled. “Didn’t you hear those pig-like screams?”
“I fell asleep as soon as I lay down—slept like a log, didn’t notice a thing.”
“No massage service, but Jia Yan and I gave each other impromptu massages—really went all out. My legs are still sore. If we hadn’t massaged them last night, they’d be useless today.”
“Really? I predict Jia Yan will still be limping when she comes out,” Lu Zhou teased, remembering Li Jia Yan’s aversion to exercise.
Just then, a bedroom door opened and Li Jia Yan emerged, moving slower than a snail. Hearing her name, she looked toward the living room and, seeing Lu Zhou, pouted, “Lu Zhou, you’re so mean, always stabbing me in the back.”
Lu Zhou hadn’t expected his words to reach her ears so precisely. He turned, smiling, “Is that a stab in the back? Walk a few steps and let’s see if I guessed right.”
Li Jia Yan approached them, letting out a soft groan with every step—her muscles clearly aching.
Both Lu Zhou and Chu Yao couldn’t help but laugh.
Li Jia Yan sat beside Lu Zhou, bending over with a pained “ouch,” holding her forehead. “This is a disaster. How can I go out today? Can I cancel the trip?”
“That’s what you get for not exercising—your body is rebelling,” Lu Zhou laughed.
Li Jia Yan pouted, collapsing into the sofa, lamenting, “Who will save me?”
Chu Yao remembered something and said, “Luckily you picked a good partner. Yi Ming is fit—he’ll take care of you. If you really can’t walk halfway, he can carry you.”
Li Jia Yan instinctively glanced at Lu Zhou’s expression, but couldn’t read anything unusual in his face.
A little disappointed, she sighed and replied, “I’d rather hope the program doesn’t assign too much physical activity today.”
After a while, the others got up one by one.
Once Xu Junze came out, Chu Yao found a reason to leave the living room, then quietly called him to a secluded corner, out of sight of the cameras, for a private talk.
“What’s up?” Xu Junze didn’t know why she wanted to talk.
“Nothing much. I just wanted to make sure—today, while we’re out together, whatever difficulties we face, let’s try to put aside our past conflicts and not view each other through the lens of prejudice.”
Chu Yao cleared her throat. Faced with Xu Junze in private, she seemed uneasy.
“This trip tests the partners’ rapport. Since we’re paired up, let’s cooperate well.”
“We never traveled abroad together before—today, we’ll finally make up for that regret, won’t we?”
Her voice was soft, and Xu Junze pressed his lips together, taking a long breath.
“There are no cameras here. No need to be so tactful with me,” Xu Junze said, gazing deeply into her eyes.
“You want to win the ‘Most In-Sync Partners’ prize today, right? Want me to cooperate?” he voiced his suspicion.
Chu Yao looked back at him. He had always been the one who understood her best—he only needed a hint to know her intentions.
She nodded, admitting, “Yes. I think you want it too. So, let’s work together.”
After everything he’d been through on the show, Xu Junze had accepted that Chu Yao would never reconcile with him. After her decisive answer, his heart had ached, but finally died.
Still, today they were partners.
If not for love, at least for the prize—they shared a goal, and that gave the day some promise.
“Agreed,” he said.
And so, the two reached an understanding before the day’s journey began.
...
Ye Fangfei was the last to get up. By the time she did, it was nearly departure time. Despite her usual stamina, yesterday’s exertions had left her tired.
Pressed for time, she didn’t fuss over her appearance—just a quick light makeup, hair thrown into a high ponytail under a baseball cap, a loose white sports outfit, and she was out the door.
Simple, yet beautiful—a fresh look with its own charm, enhanced by her excellent bearing.
Even in such plain attire, she looked stunning, making the other female guests jealous.
Ye Fangfei’s beauty and physique were truly second to none.
By eight o’clock, all had packed their bags at the program staff’s request and assembled in pairs.
Ye Fangfei stood beside Zhang Chen, noticing he seemed different today, and turned to inspect him curiously.
Feeling her gaze, Zhang Chen immediately straightened, waiting silently for her to praise him with a “You look handsome today.”
Instead, Ye Fangfei asked, “With all that foundation, is it waterproof?”
Zhang Chen’s mouth twitched. “...”
She never played by the rules.
“It should be,” Zhang Chen replied, uncertain.
“Should be?” Ye Fangfei glanced at the rising sun and said, “Then prepare for your makeup to melt from sweat. If the camera zooms in on your face during that process, it’ll look terrible.”
Zhang Chen: “...”
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Thanks to Bingpo Fuling for the 600-point reward.