Ch. 361..370

Chapter 361: The One-Minute Unmoved Challenge But this was a swimming pool, and to Princess Feifei, the Diving Princess, it felt like returning home, so to win would require a smart strategy.

The on-site director said, “As for which princess gets to go into the water first, that will depend on our four male guests who will take on the one-minute non-heartbeat challenge. The winning male guest will earn the right for the princess to enter the water first.”

Qiao Ruoxin took the initiative to ask the director, “Director, what is the non-heartbeat challenge?”

The on-site director replied, “Let me explain to everyone. The non-heartbeat challenge involves playing a one-minute video with various clips of artists from the entertainment industry. The male guests must keep a poker face to pass successfully, or else it’s a challenge failure.”

Host 1 said, “How could anyone withstand this! A man’s true nature is about to be exposed. I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold back, Princess Feifei.”

Lu Feifei smiled, “Just do your best. I’m very familiar with the swimming pool, so whether I go in early or late won’t affect my performance.”

Host 2 said, “Does this include videos of our little sister Qiao too? I’m afraid Mo Chen won’t be able to hold back, haha…”

A burst of laughter echoed across the set.

Even Mo Chen’s icy handsome face finally showed a touch of indifferent amusement.

The on-site director stated, “We’ll just have to see how much self-control you guys have. Now, the one-minute non-heartbeat challenge begins!”

Lu Xingyu asked, “Who’s going first?”

Qiao Ruoxin looked at Lu Xingyu, “How about you go first? If you win, then there’s no need for the others to compete. You’ll be able to go straight into the water.”

Lu Xingyu shrugged his shoulders, “Okay, I’ll go first then.”

Lu Xingyu sat down on a chair, and the large screen prepared by the program team instantly lit up, displaying videos of thirty high-profile female celebrities from the entertainment industry.

Everyone else started to interfere and cause trouble.

Meanwhile, Mo Chen stood aside, slightly squinting his eyes, gauging how difficult the non-heartbeat challenge would be.

Host 1 said, “Xingyu, don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s normal to have a heartbeat. If you don’t, we’ll have to send you to the hospital, brother.”

Host 3 chimed in, “Exactly, it’s just man’s nature.”

Lu Xingyu said with a wry smile, “Could you guys go away, please? Don’t interfere with me.”

The on-site director announced, “3, 2, 1… and Lu Xingyu’s non-heartbeat challenge begins!”

Then the large screen started playing various videos of the female celebrities, including music videos, advertising spots, and selfie clips…

Lu Xingyu maintained an expressionless face throughout, but his gaze changed when the screen began playing Qiao Ruoxin’s video.

Host 1 exclaimed, “Oh dear, someone’s heart rate is speeding up over there. Xingyu, you’re getting a heartbeat for the student you taught. It’s over now. You’re going to fail!”

Host 1 said, “There it is, a heartbeat! I can even see your lips curling up. Why are you still pretending?”

Lu Xingxing glanced at the large screen showing Qiao Ruoxin’s video—it was just an advertisement for a skincare product, and that caused a heartbeat?

Mo Chen’s handsome features, however, were covered with a layer of frost, his lips tightly pursed, displaying an uncomfortable mood.

Dare to have a heartbeat for his woman?

Qiao Ruoxin stood there, her heart almost leaping out; these people were too much. She wished they would just shut up!

Even from a distance, she could feel Mo Chen’s annoyance.

The on-site director declared, “Lu Xingyu has failed the challenge!”

Lu Xingyu stood up awkwardly, “If it weren’t for you guys messing around, I would’ve won for sure. Ruoxin is my student, so isn’t it normal to have a reaction when I see my student?”

Host 1 agreed, “Right, right, the affection between teacher and student. I guess Mo Chen will have an even harder time with this challenge.”

Lu Xingxing’s expression turned even uglier after hearing this, looking at Mo Chen beside her, “You’re my partner now, you have to help me win!”

The man’s face was cold as he let out a disdainful sneer and turned to walk away, heading towards another place.

After several hosts had failed in their challenges in succession, it was finally Mo Chen’s turn.

Everyone began to look forward to Mo Chen’s “unmoved” challenge. Although they were just a temporary fake couple, Mo Chen and Qiao Ruoxin were a real couple, even though they had now been separated.

But they were even more curious to see if Mo Chen could win, which was also a major highlight of this episode of the variety show. When the time came, the production team would definitely edit it into a promo and play it repeatedly.

“Mo Ye! Mo Ye! Mo Ye!”

“I am actually quite curious to see if Mo Ye can really hold up.”

Mo Chen sat down in the chair, expressionless, cold as ice.

Everyone’s stereotyped perception of Mo Chen was one of indifference, but would he still remain indifferent upon seeing his own girl?

Qiao Ruoxin also grew nervous.

This darn man better not stay indifferent throughout and then let Lu Xingxing win the chance to dive first, right?

Director on site: “3, 2, 1—Mo Chen’s ‘unmoved’ challenge, begin!”

The large screen started playing a video.

The first was a female celebrity drinking water, someone he didn’t recognize, with no reaction from him.

The second video was of a recently popular domestic female celebrity, dubbed as the “girl-next-door”. The video showed a girl acting coquettishly towards the camera, her voice like that of a kitten, bone-meltingly sweet.

But Mo Chen remained expressionless, with no reaction. It was as if he was looking at a wall, unmoved.

Host 1: “Is he going to win this round, just as expected of Mo Ye, stable as Mount Tai.”

Host 2: “Tsk, tsk, tsk, what’s the hurry? It just shows that Mo Ye doesn’t like these types. Wait until we get to Sister Qiao and see.”

Lu Xingyu: “Mo Chen indeed possesses extraordinary self-control.”

Lu Xingxing on the side revealed a smug smile, thinking that Mo Chen seemed indifferent to her on the surface, but in the actual competition, he was still trying to win for her.

Suddenly, the video switched to the next clip—it was Qiao Ruoxin’s video!

There was a burst of screams from the audience!

Host 1: “Wow, wow, wow, here comes the match point! All previous ‘unmoved’ challenges pale in comparison! Mo Ye, if you remain unmoved by this, that would be truly spectacular!”

Host 2: “Directors, I advise you to edit this part into a promo and play it over and over, the ratings for this episode will definitely break 6 points.”

Mo Chen’s dark eyes were fixed on the large screen.

It was playing a cameo segment of Qiao Ruoxin in Director Chen’s big production movie.

He had seen the live shooting, but he hadn’t watched the movie since its premiere.

In the video, Qiao Ruoxin was dressed in an ethereal Hanfu, dancing a classical dance.

Her features were picturesque, her lips bright red. With every frown and smile, she resembled an enchanting empress capable of bringing down nations, beguiling and enthralling.

Just as expected!

Mo Chen watched the movie clip in the video, a hint of indulgence appeared at the corners of his mouth, and a trace of tenderness appeared on his cold, handsome face.

Host 1: “Hahaha! He’s laughing! He’s moved! That’s more like it, how could he not be moved by his own girlfriend? If that’s the case, you really should reconsider this relationship, don’t you think, Sister Qiao?”

Qiao Ruoxin smiled gently: “It’s all because you keep messing around. But now that he has lost, I am relieved.”

 

Chapter 362: Bullying the Trash Host 2: “Mr. Mo, losing is no disgrace, especially when your girl is so beautiful anyone would feel their heart flutter with just one glance.”

Lu Xingyu also laughed, his failure to control his heart rate had resulted from watching that very segment.

Mo Chen let out an unrestrained laugh, filled with indulgence, “You’re right.”

He slowly stood up, glanced back at Qiao Ruoxin, “Your brother has failed the challenge, are you happy now?”

“Of course I’m happy!” she said with lofty pride, tilting her chin up.

Watching this scene, Lu Xingxing was so furious she was practically fuming!

Since no one succeeded in the Keep Still Challenge, the director decided to add an extra round.

Qiao Ruoxin eyed the number of water balls in the pool, thinking it would be difficult to beat Lu Feifei, as she was the world diving champion after all.

She approached Lu Xingyu, “Mr. Lu, you must help me secure the chance to enter the water first, please!”

“You really want to win that badly? Is it to get Mo Chen back?”

She awkwardly smiled and nodded, “Yes, after all, he’s my boyfriend.”

Lu Xingyu chuckled and nodded, “Alright, I’ll help you win this time.”

In the second round of the Keep Still Challenge, Lu Xingyu volunteered to go first once again.

Sitting in the chair, he pinched his thigh hard, striving to remain calm and steady his heart.

“Go Mr. Lu! You can do it!” Qiao Ruoxin cheered for Lu Xingyu from the sidelines.

Standing at the back, Mo Chen watched intensely, a surge of an urge to strangle her—cheering for another man right in front of him?

Lu Xingxing started to stir up trouble, “Look at her, that’s the woman you chose. She’s docile and compliant with you, but she can be just as sweet and obedient to anyone else.”

The man glanced coldly at Lu Xingxing, his voice devoid of emotion as he spat out two words, “Get lost.”

Just two words, yet filled with so much disdain.

With a surge of anger, Lu Xingxing retorted, “Just you wait, you will regret this. I’ve done my homework; she cheated on you two years ago, disappeared for two years, and who knows how many men she’s been with since then. Now that she’s run out of options, she comes back to you.”

The man turned and left, furrowing his brow, thoroughly annoyed.

Lu Xingxing, holding back her fury, watched his indifferent departure.

Then she approached the camera, speaking directly into it, “If you dare to air this, I’ll make sure your show can’t continue!”

The cameramen trembled involuntarily. She truly was rich and powerful—a force not to be reckoned with, that eldest Miss of the Lu family.

On-site director: “3, 2, 1, Lu Xingyu’s Keep Still Challenge begins!”

The video began to play on the big screen, with a new set of clips up for display.

The other hosts kept messing around in front of him, aiming for dramatic results.

Host 1: “Xingyu, your student is about to appear. If you have no reaction to your own student, I’d feel so sorry for Miss Qiao. After all, she was taught by you.”

Host 2: “Exactly, Miss Qiao’s video is coming! Wow, this advertisement campaign video is so beautiful. Smile, Xingyu.”

In the advertisement, Qiao Ruoxin’s smile was charming and attractive. She wore a white sundress, lively in expression—work from a famous advertising company, hard not to cause one’s heart to flutter.

But Lu Xingyu held on, showing no reaction from beginning to end, not even a heartbeat flutter.

On-site director announced: “Lu Xingyu’s Keep Still Challenge is a success! Miss Qiao will receive the privilege to enter the water first!”

Qiao Ruoxin let out a happy laugh, thrilled!

At least she could grab a ball first, significantly increasing her odds of winning.

Thus, the demanding water competition officially began!

On-site director, “Little Sister Qiao can go down into the water first and snatch the first ball.”

Qiao Ruoxin turned and nodded slightly to everyone, “Thank you all for your support!”

Then she entered the pool and put the first ball into her basket.

As soon as the whistle blew, the other three women all plunged into the water, especially the Lu sisters, who were clearly gunning for Qiao Ruoxin.

Mo Chen stood by the poolside, watching the fierce battle in the water, thinking that the wars of women truly were…

Meanwhile—

Qiao Ruoxin had already snatched three balls and placed them in her basket when she reached for another and came head-to-head with Lu Xingxing over the same ball.

“Qiao Ruoxin, let go! I absolutely will not lose! There’s no way I’m going to let you get Mo Chen back!”

Water splashed everywhere, her clothes were all wet, but thankfully, the outfits provided by the show prevented any embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions and there was no see-through.

“You’re really confident! He’s my boyfriend, what right do you have to stop me from getting him back?”

Qiao Ruoxin had been holding back anger for a long time, and now it was time to vent, knowing that the audience loved watching an intense underwater scuffle.

She pushed Lu Xingxing’s head underwater and then snatched the ball, tossing it into her own basket.

Lu Xingxing burst out of the water, her hair completely soaked, and swam straight towards Qiao Ruoxin, “Qiao Ruoxin, you’re dead! How dare you push me under!”

She grabbed Qiao Ruoxin’s shoulder, and Qiao Ruoxin, with no other choice, indulged Lu Xingxing again by pushing her under the water before quickly swimming to another area of the pool.

“Qiao Ruoxin!”

Lu Xingxing burst out of the water again, screaming in frustration, really about to explode!

To be pushed underwater like that twice in a row! Did that look like the behavior of a pregnant woman?

Lu Xingxing felt assured now, a hundred percent certain, that this vixen was definitely not pregnant, that she was deceiving everyone!

Fuming with anger, Lu Xingxing suddenly noticed Qiao Ruoxin’s basket was nearby, so she swam over and threw all the balls from Lu Xingxing’s basket into the pool.

At this moment, the on-site director announced, “There are only ten minutes left in the game, the winner will be the one with the most balls in their basket.”

Lu Xingyu, “Ruoxin! Quick, snatch the balls back! All of your balls have been thrown into the pool by Lu Xingxing!”

She turned back and saw, damn!

All the balls from her basket had been thrown into the water! That was a complete disregard for the rules!

Lu Xingxing was just asking for punishment!

Qiao Ruoxin returned and quickly swam to the basket, then took all the balls from Lu Xingxing’s and Lu Feifei’s baskets and put them into her own.

Lu Feifei, who was still frantically scrambling for balls, didn’t notice a thing; moreover, it was too noisy in the pool to hear any warning even if someone had shouted.

Seeing this, Lu Xingxing was enraged, wanting to stop her, but Qiao Ruoxin grabbed her clothes.

“Qiao Ruoxin, let go of me! That’s against the rules!”

“Lu Xingxing, now you remember the rules? To borrow your words, the directing team didn’t say we couldn’t break the rules, it’s just a game, is it really that serious!”

After she finished speaking, Qiao Ruoxin pushed Lu Xingxing under the water again, and Lu Xingxing swallowed a lot of pool water.

“Sis! Save me! Qiao Ruoxin, you bitch!”

Qiao Ruoxin, “What did you say? It’s so noisy, I can’t hear you even from this close, and your sister definitely can’t hear you.”

“Qiao Ruoxin! I’ll never let this go!”

 

Chapter 363: Why Don’t You Hold a Wedding Tour Having said that, Lu Xingxing also pulled her under the water, and both of them dived down.

The hosts by the poolside were all stunned.

Host 1: “Oh my goodness, little sister Qiao and Xingxing’s fighting power is amazing, both of them staying underwater for such a long time!”

Host 2: “Tsk tsk, these two princesses are really something, haha… I’ve really had my eyes opened, beautiful women fighting is also a sight for sore eyes, little sister Qiao with her wet hair looks so beautiful.”

Lu Xingyu looked on worriedly: “Ruoxin! Come out quickly! Holding your breath for so long can be dangerous!”

Mo Chen, however, appeared calm and finally spoke up: “Her longest record for holding her breath is ten minutes.”

Suddenly!

Lu Xingxing and Qiao Ruoxin burst out of the water, causing a huge splash.

The on-site director formally announced: “The game is over! Little sister Qiao wins!”

Lu Feifei, who was still scrambling for balls in the distance, turned her head and realized that all the balls in her basket were gone! All her efforts were in vain!

Lu Xingxing’s makeup was ruined, her black eyeliner had smudged into panda eyes, and she said with a dismal face: “Sister! Qiao Ruoxin has stolen all of our balls!”

Lu Feifei was angry and looked towards the production team: “Director, isn’t this against the rules? Can she do that?”

The on-site director: “Technically speaking, it’s not against the rules, as Xingxing also threw all of Ruoxin’s balls into her own basket earlier.”

Lu Feifei: “But Qiao Ruoxin stole all of our balls! This is too biased!”

Being an athlete herself, Lu Feifei was accustomed to competition and could not stand cheating, but this was just a game and not any official competition.

The on-site director: “The game rules didn’t state that stealing is not allowed, and this is, after all, a battle for balls.”

Qiao Ruoxin’s lips curled upwards, finally having won and able to swap Mo Chen back.

She swam to the edge of the pool, preparing to climb out when suddenly a hand appeared before her.

Those long, distinct fingers brought a smile to her lips; she knew at once they were Mr. Mo’s.

Looking up, sure enough.

She placed her wet little hand in the man’s palm, then a strong force pulled her up from the water.

The man wrapped her in a bath towel he had prepared in advance and then took another towel to dry her hair.

Qiao Ruoxin looked up at the man’s handsome features and said with a smile, “Brother Mo Chen, I can win you back now, impressive, right?”

“Mhm,” the man’s lips curved into a smile.

After everyone was ashore.

The on-site director began to announce: “Little sister Qiao wins this round, so do you wish to exercise your right to swap partners?”

Qiao Ruoxin did not hesitate: “Yes, I want to swap back Mr. Mo from our house.”

Lu Xingyu standing aside felt a bit disheartened because he was going to be paired with Lu Xingxing again, which he found quite headache-inducing since he really couldn’t stand that young lady’s temper.

…

The next location, a boat ride on the river.

In the car.

Qiao Ruoxin couldn’t stop laughing; she had finally crushed Lu Xingxing fiercely in the pool, and it felt exhilarating!

“Mr. Mo, it’s more comfortable riding in the same car with me, right?” she said, her lips curling into a sweet smile.

Mo Chen let out a pleased chuckle and grabbed her cold little hand, immediately frowning: “Your hand is so cold?”

“Yeah, after soaking in the water for that long, of course it is cold.”

After saying that, she couldn’t help but yawn, then turned into Little Jiaojiao by Mo Chen’s side, like a lazy little kitten, snuggling into the man’s chest: “Brother Mo Chen, I’m sleepy, I want to sleep.”

The man embraced her, feeling that her entire body was cold.

“Sleep now, I’ll call you when we get there.”

“Mmm, what did you and Lu Xingxing talk about when you two were sitting in the car today?”

Lying on Mo Chen’s chest with her eyes closed, she lazily asked.

Mo Chen’s large hand stroked through her smooth long hair: “We didn’t talk.”

“How is that possible, the car ride was forty minutes; I don’t believe there was no communication at all.”

“Does swearing count?”

“…”

Qiao Ruoxin instantly opened her eyes and moved out of the man’s embrace: “You lost your temper again?”

“…”

What did she mean by again? Did he often lose his temper?

She glanced at the cameraman sitting on the passenger seat, then leaned close to the man’s ear, lowering her voice: “Didn’t I tell you? Don’t give them the cold shoulder; if this gets out, you’ll be vilified online, and it’ll end up leaving you distressed.”

The man wrapped his arms around her slender waist and chuckled: “Ask them if they dare to air it?”

Err…

Probably the production team wouldn’t dare to broadcast the footage of Mo Chen losing his temper—fearing that the entire program would be axed.

“Alright, alright, you’re rich and powerful, no one dares to mess with you.”

She lay back in the man’s arms and closed her eyes to sleep.

The man lightly patted her perked up rear: “Only you, Little Ghost, dare to anger me.”

Qiao Ruoxin kept her eyes shut, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly: “Well, I am your girlfriend, right? Of course, I should get some special treatment, is that wrong?”

A touch of indulgent affection curved Mo Chen’s lips, and then he gently patted her back to lull her to sleep.

This was like the way one would coddle a beloved daughter.

…

Late at night, on the pleasure boat.

Entering the third floor, there was a dining table set up, covered with delicious dishes.

Host 1: “No way, no way, are you guys actually being nice and letting us eat? There must be a catch!”

Host 2: “I think so too; they won’t let us finish this meal without any issues.”

Lu Xingyu: “DirectorIAL crew, with Mr. Mo honoring us with his presence, you won’t let him go without dinner, will you?”

Site director: “Please take your seats, everyone. These are local specialties from Modu, prepared by the star hotel chefs; of course, we also have to thank Mr. Mo for his sponsorship, as they were prepared by chefs from the Shenghao Hotel, which is part of the Mo Family’s ventures.”

Everyone clapped their hands together and bowed slightly to Mo Chen as a gesture of thanks.

Mo Chen’s lips curled into a slight smile, but he didn’t speak.

Host 1: “Thank you, Mr. Mo, for your kind sponsorship! We’re really living off Qiao sister’s light here. Qiao sister, you’re so lucky! When’s the wedding? Make sure to invite us.”

Host 2: “I really want to attend the wedding of Mr. Mo and Qiao sister—I bet it’ll be a wedding of the century. Just think about the crowd from the Mo family and all their connections—wow, it sounds magnificent. Why don’t you two have a wedding tour and hold the ceremony in different cities across the country?”

Qiao Ruoxin couldn’t help but laugh: “You guys are too much; who does a wedding tour?”

Mo Chen: “Let’s consider it.”

Qiao Ruoxin gave him a glare: “What are you talking about, you really want a wedding tour?”

Mo Chen: “Sounds like fun.”

Once everyone was seated, all eyes turned to the table full of delicious food, everyone eager to begin eating.

Site director: “Before we have dinner, we’ll play a little game. Guess the song from listening. The couple with the highest score gets to enjoy the final dish—a nourishing soup containing various expensive ingredients and chinese herbs that can alleviate the fatigue of the day.”

 

Chapter 364: Moved Because You Feel I’m Waiting for You? Lu Xingxing made a long face, “What about the person who loses?”

The live director said, “The person who loses can only eat three dishes from the table.”

Suddenly, there were screams of horror.

Host 1 said, “What? If you lose, you can only eat three dishes? How can that be enough to get full? You guys from the program team are too cruel. Are you trying to starve us to death? How are we supposed to record the rest of the content tomorrow?”

Host 2 said, “Exactly, this is torture from the production team; I object! I’m going to win tonight just to show you. But guessing songs is not my forte. Qiao sister and Xingyu are singers; surely they know more.”

Lu Xingyu said, “For dinner, I’ll fight. Bring it on.”

Qiao Ruoxin laughed awkwardly, “Actually, I might not know more than you guys.”

The live director announced, “Alright, we will now start playing the first song. Everyone, get ready to buzz in.”

Then, the intro to the first song began to play, and after just three seconds, Lu Xingyu buzzed in: “‘Tornado!'”

Host 1 remarked, “Tsk tsk, impressive, impressive. I hadn’t even realized it yet, and Xingyu has already guessed it.”

Host 2 said, “That’s right, give us middle-aged men a chance to live. Don’t play all those trendy new songs; play some old ones! Preferably some from the old Shanghai era; those I know.”

Qiao Ruoxin glanced at Mo Chen beside her, “Do you listen to songs often?”

The man answered righteously: “I’ve hardly listened to a few songs.”

Mo Chen often immersed himself in the laboratory, or he was busy with work. The occasions he attended were usually cocktail parties and charity dinners, leaving him little time to listen to songs.

The live director said, “Now we’ll start playing the second song.”

The intro began, and it baffled everyone. The introduction was lengthy and seemed like a piece of Beijing opera? It was completely unknown to everyone what song it could be.

Suddenly, a deep voice rang out: “‘When Love is a Thing of the Past.'”

Everyone looked toward the source of the voice, stunned!

It was Mo Chen!

Qiao Ruoxin was also taken aback, looking at the man beside her. She couldn’t help but smile, “How did you know that?”

Host 1 said, “Mo Chen is awesome. He actually recognized the song just by the intro.”

Lu Xingyu said, “Applause, applause.”

The live director announced, “Congratulations to Mo Chen for the correct answer, it’s ‘When Love is a Thing of the Past.'”

The chorus part then began to play.

…

Why don’t you understand

That where there is love, there is pain

One day you’ll see

Life without me won’t be any different

Forget me, and there won’t be pain

Leave the past to the wind

…

As Qiao Ruoxin listened to this song, she felt an inexplicable stirring and, without knowing why, a bit heartbroken.

She looked at Mo Chen, “Mo Chen, do you really like listening to this song?”

The man took a sip from his teacup and answered in a light tone, “It’s not about liking it or not, just that in the past, when I was alone and couldn’t sleep, I would listen to it.”

And then, the more I listened, the less I could sleep.

Qiao Ruoxin’s eyes flickered.

So that meant during those two years they were apart, Mo Chen often listened to this song, always convincing himself to treat love as a thing of the past. Unfortunately, she came back, disturbing his peace of mind.

Suddenly, she felt like crying.

The live director said, “Now we’ll start playing the third song!”

Three seconds into the intro, Qiao Ruoxin buzzed in: “‘You Better Not Think About Me,’ I sang it during a competition.”

Lu Xingyu: “Yes, Ruoxin’s performance of that song earned her an A-grade appraisal from me. She was incredible.”

Following that, Qiao Ruoxin was proactive and strong, and in the end, she won.

The Lu sisters had a tough time; Lu Feifei had spent years in training and had no time to delve into music, while Lu Xingxing had been overseas since childhood and hardly understood the domestic pop music scene.

Although the losing team was only supposed to have three dishes, after the shooting ended, the directors allowed everyone to enjoy the feast to their hearts’ content.

On-site director: “Now everyone can dine and enjoy the night view of Modu. Have fun.”

Qiao Ruoxin placed a bowl of the forcibly earned soup in front of the man: “Drink it.”

The man raised an eyebrow: “This is for nourishing women. I don’t need it.”

“Just try a sip. I won it by answering the questions,” she coaxed.

She tricked the man into drinking half a bowl and then went up to the deck to catch a breeze as the ship was about to dock.

Standing at the railing, she put on her earphones and searched her phone for the song “When Love is a Thing of the Past,” wanting to experience the emotions Mo Chen felt while listening to this song over the past two years.

The night wind blew, whipping her long hair behind her.

As she listened to the song, her mood suddenly became a bit melancholy.

Suddenly, a men’s jacket was draped over her shoulders.

She looked back, smiling faintly. It was Mo Chen.

She took off one earphone: “I’m just getting some air.”

Mo Chen stood beside her, looking at the night view over the river: “What are you listening to?”

“‘When Love is a Thing of the Past.’ I wanted to understand how you felt back then.”

“…”

The man scoffed: “There was no particular feeling. Just bored and sleepless in the middle of the night, so I listened to it.”

Qiao Ruoxin took the other earphone she had removed, stood on her tiptoes, and gently put it into the man’s ear: “Let’s listen together.”

“Mo Chen, you must have hated me a lot in the past two years, right?”

“Mmm, I hated you to the bone. I kept fantasizing about strangling you the moment I saw you again, giving you no chance to explain.”

Qiao Ruoxin felt a shiver in her heart; this man was truly ruthless.

She turned to gaze at the man’s profile: “So, during those two years, did you want me to show up or not?”

Mo Chen glanced at her bright, sparkling eyes. There was a complex emotion in his gaze: “I wanted you to show up, then I could have the pleasure of giving you a good thrashing.”

“…”

Qiao Ruoxin hugged the man’s arm: “What would you have done if I hadn’t come back after two years?”

The man was silent for a long time before slowly speaking: “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“Mmm.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle, her laugh ringing out: “I think the best decision I made was to rush back to find you.”

Mo Chen looked down at her face: “Do you feel moved because you think I was waiting for you?”

“I’m moved, but it’s not just that.”

The man narrowed his eyes slightly, removing the earphone and resting his hand on the side of her face: “Little Ghost, are you going to forgive me for my misdeed that morning?”

Qiao Ruoxin instantly retracted her tenderness: “No way, you’re not getting off that easily. I need to make sure you remember this mistake forever, or you might develop an abusive habit.”

“…”

The color of the man’s face darkened slightly; this Little Ghost was indeed intractable.

“Tonight I’m sleeping in the bed, and you can’t refuse.”

“How can you be so domineering? I refuse!” she said haughtily, her chin lifted in defiance, the scared little figure from last night in the old house long gone.

Mo Chen chuckled, his long fingers gripped her chin: “Little Ghost, are you going to sleep with me or not?”

“Not going to, just not!” The night wind tousled her hair, lending her delicate face an extra hint of sex appeal.

 

Chapter 365: I Want to Play Hide and Seek in There Tonight Mo Chen’s grip on her jaw tightened even more, “Say it again!”

“I won’t sleep with you! What can you possibly do to me? Let go, it hurts! It really hurts!” She felt her face was almost being pinched out of shape as she kept slapping the man’s hand.

Mo Chen finally let her go. She rubbed her cheek, muttering softly, “It’s so painful, you freak!”

“If you don’t sleep with me tonight, I’ll throw you into that ancient house in the middle of the night.”

Qiao Ruoxin’s face was instantly filled with shock, “What did you say?”

The man laughed out loud, “Scared? I’ll ask you again, will you sleep with me or not?”

“I don’t believe you would really throw me into the ancient house.”

She just couldn’t believe that this jerk would be so trivial, and she also didn’t believe that he would be so cruel to her.

Mo Chen took out his phone, dialed a number, then commanded with a deep voice, “Book the ancient house from last night, I’m going to play hide and seek there tonight.”

She was totally dumbfounded.

Jerk men are jerks, capable of anything indeed!

She snatched the man’s phone in a swift move, spoke through the call, “Xiaowu, Mo Chen is just kidding, take it easy, go on with your work, yeah, yeah, no worries, I’m here.”

Then she hung up directly.

“Mo Chen, are you serious? You really want to throw me into the ancient house? You know I’m scared!”

Mo Chen’s handsome features carried a roguish air as he smiled at her, “Will you sleep with me or not?”

As the man moved closer step by step, she was pressed against the railing, with no way to retreat, she could only yield, “Fine, fine, fine, I’ll sleep with you, okay? Just don’t throw me into the ancient house, I’ll go crazy from fear.”

Mo Chen held her wrist, pulled her into his arms, caressed her head with his large palm and kissed her forehead softly.

“Good girl. Since you agreed to sleep with me, naturally I won’t throw you in.”

Since it wasn’t filming time anyway, she glanced around, not a soul in sight.

She unhesitatingly stood on her toes and bit hard on the man’s shoulder, followed by his muffled grunt.

The man slapped her curvy behind with a hoarse, lazy voice, “Lighten up, it hurts.”

Qiao Ruoxin wouldn’t let go, just biting him. She had wanted to bite him for a long time but never found the chance.

He did not resist, simply letting her bite, and held her body tightly.

After what felt like an eternity, Qiao Ruoxin finally released his shoulder, provocatively saying, “Does it hurt? Want me to bite the other side?”

“You want to bite again?”

“Can’t I?”

“If both shoulders are bitten, I won’t have the strength to hold you.”

Yet she laughed out loud, “Who wants you to hold me? Did you ask for my permission? You just hold me whenever you want.”

Mo Chen’s slender fingers tapped her forehead, “Not allowing me to sleep is one thing, but I can’t even hold you? You’re just pushing your luck.”

“Didn’t you say joining this variety show was like accompanying me on a trip? Then why do you still disobey?”

“…”

“I listen to what I should, and ignore what I shouldn’t.”

She hit the man’s shoulder, “Then tell me, what should I listen to and what shouldn’t I?”

Mo Chen playing with her long hair, sounded casual, “For instance, the matter of you not sleeping with me, I can’t listen to you on that.”

She snorted lightly, “Rationalizing.”

…

The cruise ship docked.

The entire night’s recording was finished, and everyone from the production team headed back to the hotel to rest and prepare for tomorrow’s filming.

Inside the presidential suite.

Lu Xingxing and Lu Feifei had a sleepless night because they had been suppressed by Qiao Ruoxin the whole day.

“Sis! Qiao Ruoxin is so infuriating. What kind of family background does she have? What makes her think she can bully us like this? We are the heiresses of the Lu Group, how can we let this lowly actress walk all over us?”

Lu Feifei scoffed coldly, “I really underestimated this Qiao Ruoxin. She does have some tricks up her sleeve, or she wouldn’t have been able to tame the notorious hothead Mo Chen.”

“So, what do we do now? She has nothing, and she relies on Mo Chen to get to this day, yet she has the nerve to be so arrogant. It’s shameless! But what pisses me off the most is that Mo Chen is bewitched by her, completely ignoring any advice!”

Lu Feifei took a deep breath, “You’ve already planted the bug, so what are you afraid of? As soon as you find evidence that Qiao Ruoxin isn’t pregnant, immediately take it to Mrs. Mo, and naturally, someone will take care of her. We don’t need to lift a finger.”

“But she never brings up that matter, when can I get the evidence?”

“What’s the rush? Go back and continue eavesdropping; you’re bound to hear something useful.”

Lu Xingxing wanted to say more but then held back, “Alright then, Sis, but what about tomorrow? I heard there’s going to be a street competition, and Qiao Ruoxin’s fanbase is very strong. Her fans are everywhere; I’m afraid we’re going to lose again.”

“We’ll talk about tomorrow when it comes, can’t manage that much now.”

“Okay, then I’m going back to my room to sleep, Sis, good night.”

“Hmm.”

After Lu Xingxing left, Lu Feifei finally began to ponder deeply.

She had her sights set on Mo Chen’s fiery temper and his overwhelming power. If Mo Chen got together with her sister, it would be easy to help them both fight for the inheritance later on.

Otherwise, her father might give the entire inheritance to their brother.

But now, it seemed like Mo Chen had no interest in her sister Lu Xingxing at all.

Lu Feifei observed that her naive sister and Qiao Ruoxin were completely different types.

Mo Chen preferred the pampered little princess type like Qiao Ruoxin. Lu Xingxing did not meet his standards at all, neither in substance nor in appearance.

…

Meanwhile.

Qiao Ruoxin had just finished taking a shower, stepping out in her bathrobe with her fair and tender skin looking fresh and rosy.

She dried her hair and placed the towel aside.

Walking into the living room, she saw Mo Chen leaning on the couch, with an ultra-thin laptop on his legs, seemingly working.

Hearing footsteps, the man glanced up at her, “Why didn’t you dry your hair?”

“It’s okay, I want to let it air dry.”

Qiao Ruoxin moved next to the man and sat on the couch, glancing at the laptop screen filled with data she didn’t understand.

“Are you busy?”

The man’s hand grasped the back of her neck while his eyes remained fixed on the screen, “Yeah, looking at some documents.”

She looked to the ashtray on the coffee table; it already contained three or four cigarette butts.

Mo Chen had taken his shower earlier, wearing a set of black pajamas that suited his temperament.

“Did you apply the medicine?”

“No need to apply it anymore, I think I’m almost fully healed.” She was tired of applying the medicine, especially since it was always Mo Chen who did it for her, touching her here and there, which was really embarrassing.

The man closed the laptop and put it on the side of the couch, looking at her, “Feeling sleepy?”

“I am a bit, actually. Today was indeed exhausting, a lot of running around.”

At that moment, the man’s phone began to vibrate.

Mo Chen picked up the phone and glanced at it; it was a call from his mother.

She saw it too and felt a sudden nervousness in her heart.

 

Chapter 366: Ruoxin, is this song written for Uncle Mo? The man swiped the screen and put the phone to his ear, “Mom, what’s up?”

“I heard that you and Ruoxin went to film a reality show?”

“Mhm.”

On the other end of the line, Mrs. Mo burst out in anger, “Aren’t you causing trouble? She’s pregnant, how could you take her to participate in a reality show? Are you out of your mind?”

Mo Chen wrapped his arms around the slender waist beside him, his long fingers caressing back and forth across her waistline.

“Mom, it’s fine, I’m watching over her.”

“What do you know, the first three months of a woman’s pregnancy are very important, she needs to rest in bed. Although it’s true that Ruoxin is young and her body is healthy, she still needs to be cautious and not take it lightly.”

“Mhm, she was bored at home, so I thought I’d take her out for a change of scenery.”

“That’s true, a pregnant woman should stay happy. Just don’t let her play for too long, or do any intense exercise. Make sure she takes good care of the pregnancy. I’ll send you a nutritional meal plan later, have the chefs follow it.”

Mo Chen chuckled, “Got it, It’s getting late, you should go to sleep.”

“Okay, call me immediately if anything seems off. You’re a man, you don’t understand these pregnancy matters. I’ve been through it, I understand.”

“Mhm.”

After hanging up, Qiao Ruoxin looked at him, “What did your mom say?”

“She’s worried you might upset the baby.”

She immediately felt a pang of guilt; she didn’t want to keep deceiving the Mo Family like this. If they found out in the end, it would be incredibly awkward.

“How long do you plan to keep this from your mom? These kind of things cannot be hidden forever.”

Yet, Mo Chen burst into laughter, “That depends on you.”

???

“What do you mean? Do you think I can magically produce a baby for you out of thin air?”

“Mhm, only you can.”

“…”

The man picked her up and sat her on his lap, “Little Ghost, if you cooperate with me, maybe you’ll get pregnant smoothly after this trip.”

Her smile was forced, “Keep dreaming! I’m warning you, don’t touch me until I’ve forgiven you!”

“Let’s sleep.” He sighed softy and then picked up Qiao Ruoxin to head back to the bedroom.

“Your shoulder doesn’t hurt anymore?”

“It hurts, but I still want to carry you.”

His arrogant tone made her involuntarily laugh. This jerk was still pretty cute, even though he hated it when people called him cute.

Mo Chen put her on the bed, turned off all the lights in the room, and then climbed into bed.

The man pulled her into his embrace, “Let’s sleep.”

“Can you even sleep?” She could already feel the desire radiating from him.

After more than a month without a reaction, these past few days he had returned to normal. He must be having a hard time keeping it in, especially since he’s still young, full of vigor.

“Can’t sleep.”

“Then don’t hold me, you’ll sleep even less if you do. I’ve agreed to sleep with you, I’m not going to run away.” She pushed against his body.

Mo Chen held her even tighter, making her feel breathless.

She couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time, “Isn’t it uncomfortable for you to hold me like this? You can’t even touch.”

“Not holding you is even more uncomfortable. Just stay still, otherwise if I lose control, don’t you cry.”

She snorted coldly, “Don’t threaten me.”

“Let’s sleep.”

“Goodnight, Brother Chen.”

“Goodnight.”

…

Meanwhile.

However, Lu Xingxing in the room slept soundly, completely missing Qiao Ruoxin and Mo Chen’s conversation, as well as the most critical part.

The next day, early morning.

The production crew arrived at the busiest pedestrian street, ready to start filming there.

Qiao Ruoxin and Mo Chen once again dressed in white couple’s sportswear sets.

She was youthful and vibrant, full of energy, while Young Master Mo looked as if he’d returned to his university days, the face value of a national heartthrob.

On-site director, “Welcome everyone to Modu’s busiest pedestrian street. We are starting from here. I’ll issue the game task now, everyone is free to find as many fans as possible, collect screams, and whichever pair has the loudest screams wins, then they can go ahead to Shenghao Hotel to complete the next task. Here we also want to thank Young Master Mo, thanks to Hengzhong Group for providing us with the game venue Shenghao Hotel.”

Everyone started to make a commotion and applauded.

Because it was being filmed on the pedestrian street, the onlookers created a scene that was three layers deep both inside and out, extraordinarily lively.

On-site director, “The competition starts now!”

It was early in the morning, and the sunlight was dazzling, so Qiao Ruoxin and Mo Chen both wore couple’s sunglasses, adding a hint of mystery.

Qiao Ruoxin and Mo Chen walked towards another street at the crossroads.

Her fans followed her all the way.

“Ruoxin, you are so beautiful!”

“Baby Ruoxin, what are you doing!”

“Young Master Mo is so handsome, you two are such a perfect match!”

Mo Chen remained silent. After putting on the sunglasses, it was even harder to decipher his expression. Below the shades, was the man looking indifferent or contemptuous? No one could tell.

Qiao Ruoxin was pulled along by the man the whole way.

“Can you help me bring more people over? Because we need to collect screams, the more the merrier,” she said, revealing a shy and cute smile, seeking help from her fans.

Young Master Mo, on the other hand, looked at her doing this and a hint of a cold smile appeared on his lips.

This Little Ghost was best at acting innocent, but in reality, she was the naughtiest one.

The fans screamed wildly.

“Sister Qiao, cheer up! I will go and bring people for you! I’ve already called friends to come over!”

“Princess Qiao, can you sign for me?”

She smiled and said, “We’re recording the show right now, I’m afraid it’s not possible, but is it okay to sign for you all after we finish?”

“Yes, yes, yes! You’re so beautiful, you call the shots!”

In less than ten minutes, Qiao Ruoxin’s side had already gathered a large crowd of fans, enough to hold a small concert.

Numerous phones were pointed at her and Mo Chen.

Seeing the sea of people, she breathed a sigh of relief and took up a megaphone, “Listen to me, everyone. I’ll count to three, and then we’ll all scream like crazy. Are we good to go at once?”

“Yes!” the fans responded in unison, as excited as if they were on adrenaline, it being their first time collaborating with an idol.

Suddenly, a male fan shouted, “Sister Qiao, sing a song for us to cheer us on!”

The scene burst into laughter.

After all, she was a star idol, and there was no question of being shy or not.

“Then what do you want to hear?”

“We want to hear ‘His Obsession’! Is this song written for Young Master Mo, Sister Ruoxin?”

Qiao Ruoxin couldn’t help but laugh out loud, glanced at the man next to her, and his aloof demeanor, one would think someone had offended him.

She responded with a smile, “Yes, it’s written for him.”

The entire crowd joined in the commotion.

Mo Chen, through his sunglasses, looked at the massive crowd and unconsciously curved the corners of his mouth into a smile.

She casually hummed a few lines, and the crowd responded with rave reviews.

Then, everyone screamed at the top of their lungs toward the decibel meter, and sure enough, they surpassed the predetermined number, challenge passed!

On the other side, Lu Xingxing and Lu Feifei watched this scene, feeling extremely disgruntled.

“This is totally unfair! I have hardly any fans since I entered the entertainment industry!” Lu Xingxing felt very wronged.

 

Chapter 367: A real man would never abandon his woman. All the fans who came to her side were Lu Xingyu’s; no one cared who she was.

Lu Feifei did attract quite a few passersby, but in the end, she was not a celebrity from the entertainment industry, and her appeal was not as strong as Qiao Ruoxin’s.

The other three teams could only watch helplessly as Qiao Ruoxin and Mo Chen completed their task early and hurried to Shenghao Hotel.

Mo Chen held her hand, weaved through the crowd, and headed towards the Shenghao Hotel across the street.

Shenghao Hotel is a hotel chain under the umbrella of Hengzhong Group, with locations all over the country.

…

Shenghao Hotel.

Upon arriving at the lobby, the staff of the program were all waiting there.

After receiving the task card, Qiao Ruoxin glanced at it a few times, her face written with surprise, “Director team, aren’t you too harsh? Climbing stairs on foot? Ten floors?”

The man stood by her side, skimmed the task card, and frowned slightly.

It indeed was harsh, first climbing to the tenth floor, then taking the elevator, and if the elevator was too crowded, continuing to climb the stairs.

“Let’s go, no choice but to climb the stairs.”

“It’s okay, if you get tired, I’ll carry you up the stairs.”

These words truly warmed her heart, but…

“Won’t you get tired?”

Mo Chen held her small hand and headed towards the stairwell, speaking in a relaxed tone, “Even if it’s tiring, I have to carry you; a man wouldn’t leave his woman behind.”

She looked at his profile and raised a sweet smile.

Master Mo still had a strong sense of responsibility, of course, only towards his own woman.

In Master Mo’s eyes, all women other than Qiao Ruoxin weren’t truly considered women, just mere humans.

Entering the stairwell, she looked up at the dense stairs and really felt a headache coming on.

“What is the point of your hotel building so high? How many floors are there in total?” she couldn’t help but ask.

“Forty floors, I guess.”

The man held her hand and began to climb the stairs.

After climbing just two floors, her smooth and fair forehead began to glisten with a thin layer of sweat.

Mo Chen turned back to look at her and said in a deep voice, “Tired?”

“No.” She didn’t want to admit that she was tired after just two floors.

Then they reached the fifth floor.

She finally began to pant, her breathing rushed, and her palms grew damp.

Mo Chen, on the other hand, seemed to be unaffected; the man had really good physical endurance.

The man stopped and let go of her hand, stepped in front of her, and bent slightly, “Little Ghost, get on.”

Qiao Ruoxin was stunned.

This was only the fifth floor, and now she had to let Mo Chen carry her for another five floors; she felt a bit guilty.

“I can hold on a little longer.”

But Mo Chen forcefully picked her up, effortlessly, and continued climbing the stairs.

“Stop being stubborn; your physical strength isn’t even enough for stuff in bed,” he said, his tone assertive and domineering, not allowing her the slightest refusal.

Qiao Ruoxin wrapped her arms around his neck and looked at his profile, “Why do you always think about that kind of thing? Can’t you be serious for once?”

The man laughed out loud but said nothing more, simply carrying her quickly up to the seventh floor.

How come carrying her made climbing the stairs faster?

So, climbing stairs with her was a burden for Mo Chen?

Finally, they reached the tenth floor.

Mo Chen set her down on her feet, and he too finally showed signs of breathing hard, but fine beads of sweat appeared on his handsome face, showing he still got tired.

Qiao Ruoxin felt a bit of heartache for him.

She asked the program crew for a tissue and helped him wipe his sweat, “Tired?”

“At least we can take the elevator now.”

“Let’s rest a bit, the other couples haven’t arrived yet anyway.” She pulled Mo Chen over to a chair in the rest area and sat down.

She looked at the man beside her, “Mo Chen, we’ve been so active today, I bet you’ll sleep deeply tonight.”

Mo Chen chuckled, “Do you even need to say it? You’re such an ungrateful little rascal.”

“How am I ungrateful? Didn’t I just wipe your sweat for you?” She felt quite wronged.

“I’ll settle the score with you tonight.”

Just then, they saw Lu Xingyu and Lu Xingxing appear, along with Lu Feifei, it seemed they had caught up.

Mo Chen stood up, “Let’s go, you’ve already wasted the lead you won.”

She looked at the two other couples, surprised at their quick arrival.

So, all three teams dashed for the elevators.

At first she wondered what ‘fighting for the elevator’ meant.

It was only when they reached the elevator that they realized there were many obstacles set up.

First, a group of individuals in black blocked them from pressing the elevator button, surrounding them tightly, not allowing them to get close to the elevator, and then the elevator doors closed.

“What the heck! What’s going on?” Qiao Ruoxin let out a scream of surprise.

Seeing the crowd of people in black closing in, she felt claustrophobic.

Mo Chen turned around and held her in his arms, not allowing any man to touch her, not even a single strand of hair.

She hid in the man’s arms, filled with a sense of security, as she looked up at his handsome features and smiled.

Having a boyfriend is so great!

After the group in black left, Mo Chen quickly pressed the elevator button and then waited for the doors to open.

“The elevator is still on the thirtieth-something floor.”

Qiao Ruoxin had a hunch that more people in black would come to cause trouble, this was the routine of the show, to keep pranking the stars.

Lu Xingxing complained, “Hurry up elevator! Who knows what other tricks the showrunners will pull.”

Lu Feifei said, “I doubt they’ll let us get in the elevator that easily.”

Suddenly!

Another group of people in black rushed over, this time armed with water guns and spraying at them.

“Ah!”

Qiao Ruoxin was indeed startled; she couldn’t handle such sudden attacks.

Mo Chen pulled her into his arms, his large hand wrapping around her head and pressing it against his chest to stop her from getting sprayed even a little bit.

“They’re playing way too rough, the makeup will run.”

“Don’t move around, you won’t get sprayed.”

He used his own back to block all the water coming from the water guns, despite his shirt soaking through completely.

Finally, the water gun battle ended.

Qiao Ruoxin saw that his shirt was completely wet and helped him remove his jacket, “Take it off, it’s soaked through.”

Then, she took a tissue and wiped the water droplets off his face; his hair was completely wet, somehow adding a touch of sexiness.

Lu Xingxing and Lu Feifei, the other two couples, weren’t so lucky; they were drenched from head to toe.

Lu Xingxing sarcastically teased Lu Xingyu, “There really is a difference between real and fake couples.”

Lu Xingyu was indifferent as if he didn’t understand the sarcasm.

“The showrunners clearly want us to continue climbing stairs, so let’s not waste any more time here. Who knows, they might throw paint on us next, let’s go, let’s go.”

Lu Feifei pulled her co-host partner and continued climbing the stairs.

After wiping Mo Chen dry, Qiao Ruoxin said, “Then let’s also climb the stairs, and this time I’ll do it myself, don’t mind me.”

“That’s impossible,” he scoffed.

How could he possibly not care about Little Ghost? It was simply not in him to do so.

 

Chapter 368: Brother Mo Chen, Are You Okay? Arriving at the stairwell, three teams happened to be climbing the stairs together.

Qiao Ruoxin knew very well that Mo Chen’s desire to win was very strong, a dominance that seemed to be etched in his genes; he always wanted to fight for first place, no matter the challenge.

The man pulled her hand and quickened their pace up the stairs.

But Lu Feifei was an athletic champion, and her co-host partner also had good physical fitness, so their climbing speed was exceptionally fast. In no time, they had already surged ahead of them.

Lu Xingxing, who had been behind them, snorted coldly at them, “My sister trains year-round, Qiao Ruoxin. With your speed, you’ll only hold us back. You can forget about winning this round!”

After speaking, Lu Xingxing also rushed ahead of them.

A fine layer of sweat appeared on Qiao Ruoxin’s forehead.

The truth was, she usually wasn’t this fragile. She didn’t know what was wrong these few days, constantly feeling unusually tired, and getting weary with the slightest movement.

“Mo Chen, Brother… Maybe you should go ahead first. I’ll take my time by myself; I’ll go take the elevator.”

Mo Chen tightened his grip on her hand, turned around, and carried her on his back, saying in a deep voice, “It’s okay, losing doesn’t matter. You’ve already won many times.”

Before she could react, she was already lying on the man’s back.

Her arms wrapped around the man’s neck, “I can see the desire to win in your eyes, you really want to win, don’t you.”

“…” The man was silent for a few seconds, “It’s instinctual, but it’s not a must to win.”

Indeed, with Mo Chen carrying her, their speed climbing the stairs increased significantly, scaling three floors in one minute.

The man’s stamina was gradually being depleted. If they kept missing the elevator and had to climb to the rooftop’s forty-story terrace, they might really get exhausted to death.

Qiao Ruoxin wiped the sweat from the side of his face, indeed, a man in earnest is most charming.

When they reached the twentieth floor, it was time to fight for the elevator again.

Mo Chen hesitated for a few seconds. If they fought for the elevator, there would definitely be many men in black to obstruct them, but if they continued climbing stairs, his physical exhaustion might slow them down more and more.

“Let’s go for the elevator!” she suggested.

A staff member nearby offered a gentle reminder, “Just a heads up, the battle for the elevator on this floor may be even more brutal.”

Qiao Ruoxin frowned. More brutal? What could they be facing?

Just then, the broadcast announced, “Lu Feifei’s team has already climbed to the thirtieth floor.”

A flash of surprise crossed Mo Chen’s dark eyes, faster than he had anticipated.

Qiao Ruoxin’s eyes widened, “Let’s go for the elevator. You can’t make it in time carrying me like this up the stairs.”

“Okay,” the man responded with a breath, despite his handsome face being covered in sweat.

With her on his back, Mo Chen made his way to the elevator passage, indeed finding a solid mass of men in black in front of them.

The elevator display showed it was on the 34th floor, continuing to descend, about to open its doors.

Qiao Ruoxin struggled to get down, “Let me go, just charge forward!”

Mo Chen’s dark eyes fixated on the floor indicator of the descending elevator, rapidly calculating in his mind the approximate time the doors would open and how long it would take to break through the crowd to the elevator, roughly twenty seconds.

Carrying this “Little Ghost” would probably shave another five seconds off the time.

“Little Ghost, don’t move around, hold on to me.”

She looked at the man’s alluring profile, dazed, not sure what Mo Chen was planning to do.

But she instinctively held on tightly to his neck.

Mo Chen stared straight ahead, watching the numbers above the elevator. The next second, he charged forward suddenly.

She was taken aback, closing her eyes tightly.

A group of men in black also rushed forward, intentionally blocking them, throwing beach balls at them, and spraying water with water guns, with an enormous amount of water.

Mo Chen took ten seconds to rush out of the crowd and arrived right in front of the elevator door, which then slowly opened.

He quickly entered the elevator and then closed the doors.

The man put down her body, leaned against the elevator wall, took deep breaths, and closed his eyes, clearly exhausted.

This was equivalent to an extreme sport.

Qiao Ruoxin also leaned against the elevator wall to catch her breath; the image of Mo Chen carrying her through the crowd kept replaying in her mind, and she felt a touch of emotion.

She looked at the man beside her, drenched all over, his hair wet and dripping.

“Mo Chen brother, are you okay?”

The man closed his eyes, leaned in the elevator, and kept gasping for air, visibly fatigued.

Mo Chen opened his eyes, his dense eyelashes still holding droplets of water, “I’m okay, just a bit tired.”

As Mo Chen had been carrying her, she hadn’t gotten much water on her, but the man’s upper body was completely soaked.

The man stood upright, his slender fingers running through his hair, pushing it back, creating a slicked-back hairstyle that instantly unleashed his presence, sexy, mature, and commanding.

“This hairstyle suits you well,” she said with a smile on her lips.

She took out a tissue, stood on her tiptoes, and helped wipe the droplets off the man’s face.

Mo Chen watched her small face and said in a deep voice, “Little Ghost, I knew you were lacking in physical strength, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad.”

“…”

Qiao Ruoxin changed the subject, “It’s really difficult without high heels, I have to tip-toe to wipe your face.”

The man grasped her slender waist, lifted her up, and looked down at her, “Can you reach now?”

“Yes,” she laughed.

After wiping the man’s face, she stepped out of his embrace and stood straight.

Qiao Ruoxin suddenly felt a little dizzy, shook her head, trying to keep herself alert.

These days, she didn’t understand why she had become so delicate.

With a ding-dong, the elevator doors slowly opened,—the thirtieth floor had been reached.

She and Mo Chen stepped out of the elevator, only to find that the Lu sisters were still there, seemingly in the midst of completing a task.

A crew member instructed, “This task requires the male guest to do fifty push-ups, but the princess must sit on the man’s back.”

No wonder the Lu sisters hadn’t completed the task yet.

Lu Xingyu had a slender build, and with Lu Xingxing looking to weigh over a hundred pounds, it posed a challenge for him.

As for Lu Feifei, a perennial athlete, she was on the heavier side as well, so both couples were struggling with the task.

Qiao Ruoxin looked at Mo Chen beside her. He had just carried her up so many stairs; did he still have the energy for push-ups, let alone with her weight on his back…

“Mo Chen brother, can you do it?”

“Men can’t stand to hear women say they’re not capable,” he let out a cold chuckle.

Then he walked to the designated area, got into push-up position, and looked up at her, “Little Ghost, come here.”

A faint look of concern was evident in Qiao Ruoxin’s eyes.

After all, Mo Chen had engaged in too much physical activity today, and she was beginning to feel a bit sorry for him. She wasn’t heavy, but she still weighed 95 pounds.

She walked over to him, hesitating about whether or not to sit down.

Mo Chen, focusing on the ground, said firmly, “Sit on it, on the waist.”

At this moment, the other two couples stopped to watch them.

 

Chapter 369: I Want to Hold You Lu Xingxing looked at Lu Xingyu dissatisfiedly, “Are you even a man? Look at others, how can they let a woman sit down? Is all your gym time just for show?”

Lu Xingyu was close to having a black face, utterly unable to stand Lu Xingxing’s princess temperament.

Lu Feifei stood aside with her arms crossed, ready to enjoy the drama.

After just having climbed twenty flights of stairs, now to do fifty push-ups, could he sit down? And on top of that, bearing the weight of another person.

Qiao Ruoxin sat on the man’s waist, trying to avoid putting all her weight on him.

But the onsite staff reminded, “Sister Qiao must lift her feet off the ground~”

“…”

Her attempt at cheating failed.

She looked down at the man’s back; his clothes were soaked again. It was unclear if it was due to sweat or from the water gun earlier.

“Mo Chen brother, just do your best. I don’t care about winning or losing.”

If Mo Chen continued to exhaust himself like this, he might truly collapse from fatigue. This amount of continuous, intense exercise would wear out even a fitness coach.

“Mhm.”

One of the staff members started to announce, “Fifty push-ups, begin!”

Mo Chen supported himself on his arms on the ground, with Qiao Ruoxin still sitting on him, yet he began to do push-ups calmly and steadily.

His pace wasn’t fast; he was proceeding at an even speed.

Gradually, the Lu sisters’ faces turned somewhat ugly.

Because they thought Mo Chen couldn’t do it—after all, he had just carried Qiao Ruoxin up so many flights of stairs, and now to do push-ups, they were worried he would be exhausted to death.

But before they knew it, Mo Chen had already completed thirty push-ups and was quickly approaching the target.

Sweat drops started to fall one after another onto the ground.

Mo Chen’s handsome face was tense, and the veins on his forehead were bulging, straining with his last bit of energy.

Qiao Ruoxin was carefully counting, “40, 41… take it slow, there’s no rush.”

Lu Xingxing became anxious, turned to Lu Xingyu, and pushed him, “Hurry up and move! They’re about to complete it. We arrived so much earlier, yet we’re still going to fall behind them. This won’t do!”

Lu Xingyu, somewhat breathless and speechless, was already exhausted. Miss Lu number two truly had no consideration for others.

“I’m tired, I need to rest, I don’t have the same stamina as young master Mo.”

“You! You’re infuriating me to death, how can you be so useless.” Lu Xingxing couldn’t hold back and blurted out all her true feelings.

The photographer following them silently sweated bullets; if this footage were aired, Lu Xingxing might get torn apart by Lu Xingyu’s fans, for calling their idol useless.

Lu Feifei stopped watching and decided to hurry up and complete the task, otherwise, Qiao Ruoxin would win this round.

“48, 49, 50! All right! Stop!”

When Qiao Ruoxin reached the number 50, she felt more thrilled than if she had won the lottery!

She immediately got up, moved away from the man’s body, and no longer let the weight of her body press on him.

And Mo Chen flipped over and lay directly on the ground, gasping for air. He was too exhausted.

The staff member announced, “Congratulations on completing the task. You may now take the elevator.”

She knelt on the ground, pressing Mo Chen’s arm, “Mo Chen brother, are you okay?”

The freshly wiped sweat had now once again covered his handsome face with beads. She took a tissue and carefully wiped it off for him again.

But Mo Chen lifted his arm and hugged her into his chest, his voice hoarse and weak, “Little Ghost, I’m tired.”

She was slightly stunned, and then noticed the Lu sisters had only just begun to complete their task.

“Then you rest a while, we’re not in a hurry, there’s still time.”

After resting for about a minute, Mo Chen got up and pulled her, heading toward the elevator.

Once inside the elevator, Qiao Ruoxin couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you tired? Rest a little longer. After all, they’ve only just started doing push-ups.”

“It’s fine, let’s go up to the rooftop to rest,”

The elevator doors slowly opened.

Finally, they reached the rooftop terrace of Shenghao Hotel, which was an open-air restaurant with an adjoining sky garden.

Mo Chen and Ruoxin found a resting area to sit down in, finally getting a chance to rest for a while.

The waiter brought over two glasses of iced lemon water.

“Mo Chen, brother, have some water. You were so active just now and lost too much fluid,”

The man responded indifferently, picking up the glass of water and drinking a few sips.

Mo Chen’s complexion gradually returned to normal, his dark eyes filled with disdain: “Little Ghost, what’s the point of being a celebrity?”

To entertain the audience like a clown?

He had made this Little Ghost comfortably live as a wealthy lady, what was there to be dissatisfied with? Instead, she had to venture into the entertainment industry which was both tiresome and dull.

Ruoxin laughed and said, “It might be meaningless for you, a young master, but for ordinary people, being a star is very interesting. They make money quickly and it’s more fun than an ordinary job.”

Mo Chen picked up the glass of ice water in front of her and drank most of it, saying in a deep voice, “You’d make even more money as my woman.”

“That’s different, work is based on one’s own strength,”

The man stared at her for a few seconds before slowly saying, “Little Ghost, I’m tired.”

“Eh… What should we do? Should I give you a massage?”

“Hmm.”

Ruoxin stood up, walked behind the man, placed her hands on his broad shoulders, and began to massage them.

“You’ve worked hard, Mo Chen, brother. I’ll treat you to a meal tonight to reward you for your great performance~”

The man closed his eyes and a smile appeared on his lips: “You’re treating me?”

“Yeah!”

She massaged him for quite a while until suddenly, Mo Chen said again, “I want to hold you.”

This low and domineering voice somehow made her hear a whining undertone???

The irritable Divine Beast was acting spoiled, what a contrastingly cute scene.

“Stop joking, we’re in the middle of filming a show.”

But the man pulled her into his arms, sitting her in his lap: “The whole point of a reality show is to be real, what’s the point of pretending to be reserved.”

“…”

Alright, alright, he’s unbeatable in argument. Despite his volatile temper, when he gets serious, he’s got a whole set of principles.

“I’m sleepy, I’m going to take a nap.”

The man buried his head in the crook of her neck.

The cameraman on the side captured their interaction, feeling as though he was filming a love reality show.

Isn’t this supposed to be a competitive reality show? Why keep dropping all these lovey-dovey moments?

The sunlight was blinding.

They were sitting in the resting area, Ruoxin’s lithe and tender body in the man’s arms, while he slept leaning on her shoulder.

The scene was quite a sight for the eyes.

Ruoxin looked down at the man’s handsome face and couldn’t help but let out a light sigh. He was indeed exhausted.

Usually, Mo Chen would never sleep in a public setting.

Her delicate fingers traced the contours of the man’s face, observing how his thick lashes cast a faint shadow over his eyelids.

Her lips curved slightly upward, the fact proving that choosing Mo Chen was the right decision.

 

Chapter 370: As Long as You Like It When the other couples finally arrived at the rooftop terrace, they were all astonished by the sight before them.

Host 1: “Mo Chen is really impressive, actually arriving so much earlier and even taking a nap here, tsk tsk.”

Host 2: “My stamina really isn’t up to par, I struggled for a long time with push-ups, so tired, I really want to find a bed and sleep for eons.”

Lu Xingyu: “The production team really went hard this time, forty floors of stairs.”

Lu Xingxing scoffed: “It’s only because you’re too useless, how come Mo Chen can do it? He’s busy managing a company every day, how does he find the time to work out? Are you busy running a billion-dollar conglomerate or what?”

Every word of Lu Xingxing was filled with disdain for those male celebrities, and if this episode went on air, Lu Xingxing was definitely going to be blasted by the whole internet.

Lu Feifei tugged at her sister’s hand and signalled her with her eyes to shut up.

…

Night fell.

Evening.

After a whole day of filming, they finally returned to the hotel.

Qiao Ruoxin felt so tired that she didn’t want to say a word, though she seemed to have hardly done any tasks today.

She hardly climbed any stairs; mostly, it was Mo Chen who carried her up the flights.

As for the other tasks, it was just a matter of talking, at most walking a lot, but for some reason, she felt so tired, exhausted in body and soul.

She lay on the bed, burying her little face into the pillow, motionless, just wanting to lie like that.

But Mo Chen seemed to have fully recovered already, walking to the bed: “Little Ghost, go eat.”

She lay weakly on the bed, murmured, “I don’t want to eat, you go… so tired, I want to sleep.”

But she hadn’t even taken a bath yet.

How had she suddenly become so lazy?

The man frowned slightly with displeasure, sat down on the bed, and flipped her over.

Qiao Ruoxin’s face was slightly pale, looking drained, as the man turned her body over.

“Feeling unwell?”

“Not really, just feeling so tired. Aren’t you tired? You exercised so much today.”

She was surprised to find that this jerk seemed to have regained his energy just from taking a shower and changing clothes, as if he had been fully revived.

Mo Chen: “Then I’ll order room service.”

With that, the man picked up the bedside phone and ordered food, then hung up.

“Go take a shower, okay?”

“Okay, I’ll probably feel more refreshed after a shower.”

Qiao Ruoxin got up and walked toward the bathroom.

After about fifteen minutes, she came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a bathrobe with her hair dried.

She went to the living room and saw dinner laid out on the table.

The man sat on a chair, looking up at her: “Come over, eat.”

Qiao Ruoxin sat in the chair opposite and had no appetite looking at the dinner, weirdly wondering, what was wrong with her?

She had never felt like this before, utterly exhausted, spiritless, without any appetite.

“Feeling better?” the man asked in a deep voice.

“Yeah, I feel a bit better after the shower.”

She ate her meal slowly, looking rather unenthusiastic.

Mo Chen chuckled: “This tired? I carried you up the stairs, and I did the push-ups with you on my back, what exactly are you tired from?”

“I don’t know… I feel like I’ve become so weak recently.”

Even she thought she was being oversensitive; she couldn’t quite explain the feeling. She was just tired.

The man’s expression turned somewhat serious, and he said in a deep voice, “The flight is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, and I’ll take you to see a doctor tomorrow morning.”

Qiao Ruoxin didn’t take it very seriously, “It’s not that bad, it might just be a little acclimatization issue.”

“No refusing.”

“Alright… I’ll listen to you.”

After finishing dinner, Qiao Ruoxin went to wash up, applied a face mask, then returned to bed to play with her phone for a while before going to sleep.

Mo Chen returned to bed, took her phone away, and turned off the bedside lamp.

“Time to sleep, it’s late.”

“Oh, okay.”

After she lay down, the man, as usual, pulled her into his arms and then closed his eyes.

The room was steeped in darkness, quiet all around.

Qiao Ruoxin began to reminisce about the way Mo Chen behaved during the television program recording today…

Mo Chen had carried her up so many stairs on his back, charged out of the crowd of men in black with her still on his back, and even did push-ups with her for such a long time.

To say she wasn’t moved would be a lie.

She held the man tighter, touched his mermaid line abs, and laughed, “Mo Chen, you exercised a lot today; are your abs more defined now?”

The man’s low and sexy voice slowly rose, “Feel them and see.”

Qiao Ruoxin’s hands roamed around the man’s waist, “Mhm, they’re firmer and more defined.”

“Do you like them?”

“Of course I do.”

“Mhm, that’s good as long as you like them.” Mo Chen kept his eyes closed while his hands began to wander restlessly over Little Ghost’s body.

Qiao Ruoxin stared at his handsome features for a while, then suddenly leaned in and took the initiative to kiss his thin lips.

The man opened his eyes, his voice husky to the extreme, “Little Ghost, what are you doing?”

In the darkness, she blinked, “Don’t you want this? Aren’t you going to take it when I’m offering myself?”

“… ”

“Have you forgiven me?”

She dodged the man’s intense gaze, her tone feigning nonchalance, “Just… since you performed quite well today, I’ll forgive you for now, but I might take it back at any time!”

Mo Chen straightened her face, looking directly into her eyes, “Little Ghost, did you hate me that morning?”

“Hate! I was crying the whole time, struggling, but you ignored me, just focused on using violence, it was too terrifying, both horrifying and detestable.”

“I won’t do that again.”

“Do you really know it was wrong?” She asked again.

“Mhm, Actually, I regretted it right after it ended that morning.”

Qiao Ruoxin was indeed surprised, “Really?”

“So are you sure you want to give yourself to me now?”

“Forget it, let’s just sleep!” She pushed the man’s body away.

However, Mo Chen pulled her back beneath him, bent his head to kiss her lips, stopping whatever else she was about to say.

“Mmm!”

“Little Ghost, no going back on your word.” He pressed his forehead against Qiao Ruoxin’s and held her soft body tight.

Qiao Ruoxin couldn’t help but laugh, “Aren’t you tired? You’ve been exercising heavily all day.”

The man raised his eyebrows slightly, “Are you thinking that because I’ve been tired all day, I surely wouldn’t be in the mood, so you decided to grace me with a chance, hmm?”

“…” Busted by this cunning man, she really was smart.

The man kissed her again, “Too bad, all your little schemes have gone to waste.”