There was a piano and a guitar in the villa.
So on their last night in H Province, after the ten of them finished dinner, they held an impromptu “concert” right there in the living room.
In the lead-up, they all sat together hashing out the details.
“Should we start with Zhou Yan?”
“Leave the pros for the grand finale. For the opener… I remember Jing Li won a piano competition award, and Teacher Shen’s been playing since she was a kid. Ladies first, so Teacher Shen to kick things off, Jing Li second?”
“Sure.”
“Then Teacher Chen, Lang Yan, and Mi Yue?”
“No problem.”
“Who’s closing it out?”
“Teacher Ji?”
“Sounds good.”
With the lineup settled, those who needed instruments went to test the sound. The quality was surprisingly decent—no tuning required.
Everything was set. Yu Jiayuan stepped in as emcee, smoothly linking the acts. He kicked off with Shen Ru, showering her with over-the-top affection in his intro. He lavished praise on her until she was positively glowing, drawing laughter from everyone in the audience.
Shen Ru blushed a little, playfully swatting him before taking her seat at the piano. She flashed a smile at the camera. “I haven’t played in ages, so I might be a bit rusty.”
Yu Jiayuan, viewing his wife through the rosiest of lenses, beamed. “Doesn’t matter—you always sound amazing.”
She shot him a coquettish glare.
He just grinned wider and gave her a big thumbs-up.
Shen Ru launched into Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu. Her claim of rustiness was pure modesty; she nailed the challenging piece with impressive precision.
She stepped offstage amid enthusiastic applause, and Jing Li caught the spark of excitement in her eyes.
Next up: Jing Li.
He settled at the piano, paused for a few seconds of thought, then set his pale, elegant fingers dancing across the black and white keys. Out poured a cascade of cheerful notes—a lively children’s tune.
It was a medley of nursery rhymes: “Thick Earth High Sky,” “Don’t Look at Me, I’m Just a Sheep,” and “Childhood.” He played them with buoyant energy and infectious joy. Everyone froze for a moment in surprise, then burst into laughter once they recognized the songs.
Ji Yunzhang was smiling too, his gaze on Jing Li growing even softer.
Once Jing Li finished and returned to his seat, Zhou Yan leaned in and whispered, “Why go with kids’ songs?”
A three-song children’s medley didn’t showcase much skill. Most people with any piano experience could handle something that basic—the difficulty was just too low.
He’d figured Jing Li would put on a more serious display, especially with such a rare stage.
“It fits the mood perfectly,” Jing Li replied with a grin, nodding toward the crowd. “Look—everyone’s loving it.”
Zhou Yan glanced around and saw he was right.
Jing Li, in high spirits, propped his chin on his hand to watch Chen Xiaohan’s performance. She was playing and singing an old classic when a warm breath ghosted over his ear. Ji Yunzhang murmured softly, “Did you hold back so you wouldn’t steal Teacher Shen’s spotlight?”
Shen Ru’s opener had been stellar. She’d been away from this world for so long that many had forgotten her talent, but that flashy, virtuoso performance was sure to draw all eyes back to her. By not competing, Jing Li ensured the audience would remember her skill and poise. With the right framing, the segment would spark plenty of buzz once it aired.
Jing Li turned to meet Ji Yunzhang’s eyes, pressing a finger to his lips in a silent “shh,” then winked. His eyes crinkled into happy crescents.
“Teacher Ji, no need to say it out loud. It’s our little secret.”
Ji Yunzhang chuckled softly and took Jing Li’s hand in his. “All right.”
They stayed linked like that until it was Ji Yunzhang’s turn onstage. Only then did he gently let go.
The moment their hands parted, a flicker of loss washed over Jing Li. He shoved his hand into his pocket and clenched it into a fist, trying to trap Ji Yunzhang’s lingering warmth, to keep it from fading too soon.
Up on the stage, Ji Yunzhang’s gaze skipped over the others and landed squarely on Jing Li. As the accompaniment swelled, he began to sing: “My whole world changed, from the moment I met you…”
Jing Li recognized it instantly—”I DO,” a timeless love ballad.
Throughout the song, Ji Yunzhang never took his eyes off Jing Li. His low, velvety voice wove through the lyrics, laced with tenderness and deep affection.
Those eyes held Jing Li fast, like a finely spun net drawing ever tighter. His heartbeat quickened, thrown off balance. The rest of the world melted away until there was only Ji Yunzhang on stage and himself below it.
The air between them grew sweeter by the second, practically bubbling over with pink hearts. Everyone watched in hushed silence, exchanging knowing smiles but making no sound.
When the song finally ended, someone couldn’t hold back. “Dog food again!”
Everyone else nodded in agreement, even the camera bobbing a few times.
Yu Jiayuan cleared his throat and continued emceeing, pulling everyone’s attention back. After some playful teasing of the pair, he returned to the main topic. “…And now, let’s welcome our final headliner to the stage—Zhou Yan!”
“He’s performing his new single here, debuting online for the very first time! The track will go on official sale soon, so make sure to show it plenty of love!”
Ji Yunzhang returned to Jing Li’s side. Jing Li was too embarrassed to meet his eyes and clapped enthusiastically without stopping, then fixed his gaze on the stage. But if you looked closely, he wasn’t focused in the slightest.
The corners of his mouth curved up in a brilliant smile.
Ji Yunzhang picked up his tea and sipped it leisurely, watching him quietly. A distinct smile played at his lips, his eyes brimming with tenderness.
~~~
This episode wrapped up quickly. The next one would be filmed in Europe, with the program team giving everyone five days off in between to rest.
Once recording ended, they all headed home to prepare for the upcoming trip.
Ji Yunzhang and Jing Li didn’t go back to A City. Instead, they switched to another city—the hometown of Yu Feng, the character Ji Yunzhang was about to portray—and stayed there for five days and four nights.
Over those few days, the two of them disguised themselves and headed out early each morning, returning late at night. It was part vacation, part research as they immersed themselves in the local customs and culture. Jing Li even tried his hand at planting seeds and transplanting rice seedlings.
Only when he got his hands dirty did he realize just how grueling farm work truly was. After bending over to plant seedlings for a single morning, his back was killing him. He spent the afternoon sprawled out in the hotel, finally understanding the old saying that every grain of rice is earned through toil.
He shared his thoughts with Ji Yunzhang. Ji Yunzhang smiled, ruffled his hair, and praised him like a child. “Good job.” Then he asked, “Want me to rub your back?”
Jing Li had already showered. With the weather so hot, he was wearing only a thin short-sleeved T-shirt. Just the thought of Ji Yunzhang’s hands on his waist made his head feel like it was about to overheat.
The last time they’d played Truth or Dare, he’d told Ji Yunzhang that his sensitive spot was his waist—but truthfully, it was his own weakness. There was no way he could let Ji Yunzhang touch him there.
“No, no need.” He refused repeatedly.
Ji Yunzhang didn’t press. “Then just lie there and relax a bit longer.”
With that, he picked up the script and went back to reading, occasionally making notes with his pen.
Jing Li shifted positions, curling his legs up and lying on his side on the sofa, his face pillowed on his arm as he watched Ji Yunzhang openly. The more he looked, the more handsome he seemed.
His stare was impossible to miss, and Ji Yunzhang sensed it right away. Without looking up, he asked with amusement, “Why do you keep staring at me?”
Jing Li had his excuse ready. “Because you’re sitting right in front of me.”
He said it with perfect confidence, his tone unconsciously turning coquettish. “Lying like this, of course I’d see you.”
Ji Yunzhang let out a helpless chuckle, his voice full of indulgence. “Mm, my mistake.”
Jing Li’s ears burned. He quickly changed the subject. “What time are we leaving tomorrow?”
“Nine in the morning. We’ll get to the airport around ten-thirty for the noon flight. We’ll meet up with everyone at the hotel after we land.”
Ji Yunzhang finished explaining and set the script aside to look at him.
Jing Li held his gaze for a few seconds, nearly losing himself in those eyes. Unable to take it, he looked away in a panic, burying his face in his arm. His voice came out muffled. “Why are you staring at me?”
Ji Yunzhang laughed softly, turning Jing Li’s own excuse back on him. “Because you’re right in front of me.”
“Where? There’s a wall right in front of you.” Jing Li pointed out. “You’re not sitting straight.”
Ji Yunzhang remained utterly composed. “No one says you have to sit facing forward.”
Jing Li: “…”
He was stumped for a comeback.
Even with his face buried in his arm, he could still feel Ji Yunzhang’s gaze lingering on him!
His heart skipped a beat as a sudden thought struck him—the suspicion he’d harbored a few days earlier while watching the sunrise. His pulse raced. He lightly pursed his lips and spoke up softly. “Teacher Ji.”
He wanted to test the waters.
Ji Yunzhang heard him and responded mildly, waiting for what came next.
Jing Li touched his ear, glanced at him, then quickly looked away. “On second thought, you should give me that massage. The flight tomorrow’s going to be a long one.”
“Alright.”
Ji Yunzhang stood. “Let’s do it on the bed.”
Jing Li nearly choked on his own spit. Those words—”on the bed”—doubled the intimacy of the moment. His ears grew even hotter, a flush creeping into his cheeks.
He scrambled up, headed into the bedroom, grabbed a pillow to prop under his chest, and lay face-down on the bed.
Ji Yunzhang sat on the edge of the mattress. In his downcast eyes lingered a shadow of something darker.
Jing Li’s thin white T-shirt clung softly to his body in this position, tracing the lines of his figure: a slender waist, and below it, the firm curve of his buttocks hugged by his sweatpants.
Ji Yunzhang’s Adam’s apple bobbed faintly as he fought back the insistent itch rising from deep within.
Ji Yunzhang remained motionless for a long time, so Jing Li puzzledly called out, “Teacher Ji?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Yunzhang’s hand rested on his waist. Those hands were scorching hot, and Jing Li trembled all over as if he’d been burned, his entire body tensing up right after.
The muscles beneath his palm were drawn tight, impossible to massage. Ji Yunzhang suppressed the itch rising in his throat and softly said, “Jing Li, relax.”
Jing Li… Jing Li just couldn’t relax.
He felt this approach was all wrong—what kind of testing was this? It was pure self-torture.
With no time to worry whether his hot-and-cold behavior would make Ji Yunzhang think he was toying with him, Jing Li rolled to the side, dodging Ji Yunzhang’s hand, and quickly explained, “I’m ticklish.”
He yanked the blanket over himself again, feigning composure with a smile as he said, “Forget it, I’ll just sleep it off. If it’s still sore when I wake up, I’ll trouble Teacher Ji then.”
With that, he promptly shut his eyes. “I’m going to sleep.”
His heart pounded wildly, so Jing Li held his breath, ears perked high in hopes of hearing Ji Yunzhang’s footsteps as he left. But Ji Yunzhang didn’t budge; he stayed seated, still watching him.
…He couldn’t hold out any longer, so Jing Li parted his lips to breathe, and his eyes fluttered open.
The moment his vision cleared, Ji Yunzhang suddenly leaned in close, bracing one hand beside Jing Li’s face. The space between them shrank in an instant, their breaths intertwining.
Daylight streamed brightly through the window—the curtains weren’t drawn—so Ji Yunzhang could see everything clearly. Jing Li’s eyes held panic and shyness, along with threads of affection that poured out uncontrollably.
His face was flushed deep red, the color trailing downward along his neck to his collarbone before vanishing beneath his clothes.
“Jing Li, your face is so red,” Ji Yunzhang said, his voice already laced with a husky rasp as he gazed deeply at him.
With a boom, Jing Li’s mind went completely blank, and even his toes under the blanket curled up tightly.
He turned his head away, trying to avoid Ji Yunzhang, but Ji Yunzhang pinched his chin and turned it back, leaving him unable to escape that intense gaze.
“Ji—Teacher Ji…” Jing Li licked his lips, his heart pounding so fiercely it felt like it would leap out of his chest. With nowhere to hide, he could only stare into Ji Yunzhang’s eyes, where endless affection flowed unbound.
“Jing Li.” Ji Yunzhang called his name again, his tone low and gentle. “Do you still remember that promise you made to me?”
Jing Li remembered.
“Mm.” He nodded.
He was so obedient.
Ji Yunzhang sighed inwardly, his fingers lightly caressing Jing Li’s cheek. No longer holding back the desire surging in his heart, he lowered his head and kissed Jing Li’s lips.
