The storm in Queenstown gradually subsided, and the snow had stopped at some point. It was still freezing outside—the outdoor hot spring pool had frozen over, yet many customers still came to the resort to soak in the springs.
Pei Yubai also arrived at the hot spring resort.
He walked with a slight limp, an injury sustained during the recent rescue mission. He had spent half a day searching in the bitter cold, his teeth chattering so hard he could barely speak. Finally, he found Yan Xi and Zhou Yanci in a cave. Though the cave was chilly, it shielded them from the wind, making it far better than the open air. Pei Yubai glanced at the icicles clinging to his eyelashes and hair, then at Yan Xi curled up in Zhou Yanci’s arms. He couldn’t decide who looked worse—himself or her.
He had hoped that finding Yan Xi would earn him Zhou Qingyu’s approval, but when they returned to the villa, Zhou Qingyu only had eyes for Yan Xi, barely sparing him a glance.
Pei Yubai felt like his efforts had been for nothing!
Still, upon learning that Zhou Qingyu and Yan Xi were at the hot spring resort, Pei Yubai eagerly followed. He brought along a travel guide meticulously prepared by his assistant and presented it to Zhou Qingyu.
"Qingyu, tomorrow is a free day. Where would you like to go? Here are some of Queenstown’s most famous attractions—see if any interest you."
His assistant had done an excellent job, compiling all the local sights into a neat booklet for Zhou Qingyu’s convenience.
"Pei Yubai, you’re quite thoughtful!" Zhou Qingyu praised.
Pei Yubai beamed. "As long as you like it!"
After soaking in the springs for a while, Zhou Qingyu felt lightheaded from the heat and stepped out, leisurely settling onto a nearby lounge chair. Her fair skin glowed like polished jade, her figure perfectly accentuated by the skimpy bikini she wore—enough to make anyone’s pulse race.
Pei Yubai felt blood rush to his head and quickly averted his gaze.
Unaware, Zhou Qingyu called out to Yan Xi, "Xi’er, come take a look!"
Yan Xi draped a towel over herself and joined Zhou Qingyu, casually tossing another towel over Zhou Qingyu’s shoulders.
The booklet listed a dizzying array of attractions, leaving Zhou Qingyu indecisive.
Pei Yubai shot Yan Xi a sidelong glance and remarked sarcastically, "Seems like Yan Xi’s doing just fine if she can enjoy the hot springs."
Unlike her, Pei Yubai couldn’t soak—his frostbitten skin had cracked, and the water stung painfully.
Yan Xi responded with a double meaning, "All thanks to you, Second Young Master Pei."
Pei Yubai choked, his expression turning complicated as he avoided her gaze.
Yan Xi’s eyes darkened slightly. While Zhou Qingyu was still mulling over their plans for the next day, Yan Xi reached out to her system.
"System, contact Lin Zhi. Have her send Pei Yubai a message from an untraceable number."
[What should it say?]
"Tell him, ‘I know it was you who answered Assistant Liu’s walkie-talkie in the bathroom. The logs don’t lie.’"
The system’s round eyes sparkled with realization. [Wow! Host, you’re bluffing Pei Yubai!]
[But Director Yu’s walkie-talkies aren’t the latest model—they don’t keep logs!]
Yan Xi shrugged. "Exactly. If they did, Pei Yubai wouldn’t still be walking around scot-free, would he?"
The live broadcast of The Journey had ended, but back in Haicheng, it was evening. Upon receiving Yan Xi’s instructions, Lin Zhi immediately asked Wu Liao to procure an untraceable number and sent the message to Pei Yubai.
Meanwhile, across the ocean, Pei Yubai was enthusiastically discussing the next day’s itinerary with Zhou Qingyu when his phone screen lit up. He glanced at it absentmindedly—and his face instantly paled. He hurriedly locked the screen.
Zhou Qingyu looked up at him, casually asking, "What’s wrong?"
Pei Yubai’s eyes flickered with panic. "Nothing."
Zhou Qingyu didn’t press further, leaning toward Yan Xi instead. "What do you think about skydiving? Sounds thrilling, doesn’t it?"
Yan Xi hesitated. "That’s way too extreme!"
Zhou Qingyu teased, "Scared?"
Yan Xi shrank back. "Terrified! Bungee jumping is already high enough—skydiving is just insane!"
"Fine then!" Zhou Qingyu didn’t push it. "Nevis Canyon has bungee jumping. We can go there tomorrow~"
.
The next day, Yan Xi and Zhou Qingyu slept in.
Nevis Bungee was open until 2:40 PM, so there was no rush.
Today was a free day for the guests. Ye Luoyi and Su Lingling had already left to explore, while Lu Beiyu took Yaozu out for a walk. Only Yan Xi and Zhou Yanci’s group remained at the villa—Yan Xi’s team had simply overslept, but Zhou Yanci and Pei Hanli were busy with work.
The two bosses were occupied—one in a remote meeting in the conference room, the other inspecting operations at Queenstown’s Royal Hotel. Director Yu decided to film their workday routines under the title A Day in the Life of a CEO, and surprisingly, the livestream drew a sizable audience.
Zhou Qingyu crunched on a piece of broccoli and scoffed, "Look at Zhou Yanci’s schedule—how boring! Being with someone like that must be even worse!"
Yan Xi nodded silently before adding, "Pei Hanli doesn’t seem much better..."
Zhou Qingyu stiffened and fell silent.
Pei Yubai had already arranged their itinerary—or rather, his assistant had pulled an all-nighter to prepare it. Their first stop was Nevis Canyon.
Before setting off, PD instructed the crew to pack the filming equipment. Due to the blizzard, yesterday’s footage was sparse, so they needed to capture more exciting content today.
Director Yu tossed a pile of ruined walkie-talkies onto the ground, cursing. "All waterlogged? Little Zhang, how did you manage the equipment last night?"
Earlier, when Ye Luoyi’s and Lu Beiyu’s groups left, Director Yu had noticed something was off. Now, upon closer inspection, he realized all the walkie-talkies were broken.
Little Zhang looked pitiful. "Director Yu, I don’t know! I packed everything properly yesterday. Maybe the villa leaked during the storm?"
Director Yu sighed. "Probably."
Fortunately, the guests were staying within the city today, and with the snowstorm over, their phones had signal again.
Yan Xi sat in the off-road vehicle, watching the discarded walkie-talkies and letting out a quiet scoff.
.
Nevis Canyon was about twenty kilometers from the Royal Hotel. After half an hour’s drive, they arrived.
The weather was perfect, and aside from their group, many other tourists had come for the bungee jumping—including Ye Luoyi and Su Lingling.
When the two groups crossed paths, both were surprised.
Su Lingling planted her hands on her hips. "Zhou Qingyu, what are you doing here? Did you copy our itinerary?"
Zhou Qingyu raised an eyebrow. "As if I’d bother copying you. Please."
Ye Luoyi gently held Su Lingling back. "Queenstown isn’t that big, and there are only so many fun spots. It’s normal to run into each other. Since we’re all part of the same show, why not enjoy it together?"
Yan Xi sized up Ye Luoyi carefully. Compared to the previous two stops of their trip where Ye Luoyi had seemed impatient and eager to prove herself, she now appeared unnervingly calm—more in line with her "serene as a chrysanthemum" persona. This image resonated with audiences, and her livestream viewership had noticeably increased.
As Yan Xi observed her, Ye Luoyi met her gaze with gentle eyes.
At that moment, the staff of the canyon bungee jumping attraction brought over a life-sized cutout, an exact replica of Ye Luoyi.
One of the staff members addressed Ye Luoyi in English, "Miss Ye, your cutout is ready. Thank you for endorsing our canyon bungee jump—we’re all big fans of your work!"
Ye Luoyi smiled warmly. "Thank you for your support."
[Wow, Luoyi’s popularity overseas is no joke!]
[Remember that urban drama she starred in? It’s been in the overseas top 10 for ages!]
[Luoyi’s just focusing on her work and the show—ignore the drama, queen! You’re the best!]
Su Lingling seemed even more pleased than Ye Luoyi herself. The negative rumors circulating domestically hadn’t reached international audiences, and Ye Luoyi’s overseas fanbase remained strong.
With a haughty smirk, Su Lingling boasted, "The owner of this bungee jump site is a huge fan of Luoyi’s—they specially made this cutout for her! Zhou Qingyu, could you ever dream of this kind of treatment?"
Honestly, Zhou Qingyu felt a pang of envy.
But she scoffed at the cutout. "Ugly. I wouldn’t want it even if it were free."
Meanwhile, Pei Yubai returned from handling the bungee jump arrangements, tickets in hand. When he spotted Ye Luoyi in the waiting area, he froze momentarily.
However, he quickly composed himself, deliberately ignoring her as he handed the tickets to Zhou Qingyu. "Qingyu, everything’s set. You’ll take the VIP lane—no waiting, you can jump whenever you’re ready."
Yan Xi teased, "Efficient as always, Second Young Master Pei. Not even going to greet Teacher Ye? You’re from the same company, after all."
Pei Yubai straightened, his tone formal. "Right now, I’m Qingyu’s travel consultant. Her needs come first."
Then, he turned to Ye Luoyi, his tone strictly professional. "Do your best."
Ye Luoyi gave a slight nod. "Understood, Vice President Pei."
Their icy exchange extinguished even the faintest hint of romantic tension in the livestream.
[Okay, they really do seem like nothing’s going on.]
[Pei Yubai’s attitude is way too cold—no way there’s history there.]
[Told you it was just PR! They’re clearly just colleagues.]
[RIP my beloved ‘White Dress’ CP… they used to be so sweet!]
Seeing her earlier provocation fail, Yan Xi tried again, this time more pointedly. "So, Qingyu and Teacher Ye are both actresses—one’s your love interest, the other’s your artist. Second Young Master Pei, whose success would you prefer?"
Pei Yubai didn’t hesitate. "Qingyu, of course. A girlfriend will always matter more than work. I want Luoyi to succeed, but Qingyu’s happiness comes first."
Ye Luoyi remained unruffled. "Yan Xi, I know Qingyu’s your best friend, but there’s no need to stir the pot. There’s nothing between us."
[Yan Xi’s totally instigating drama!]
[Too bad it didn’t work…]
[The way Pei Yubai and Ye Luoyi interact really does seem purely professional.]
[If they were exes, there’s no way they’d be this calm. Unless they’re both Oscar-worthy actors!]
Zhou Qingyu had stayed silent, her eyes flickering between them.
In the past, Pei Yubai’s answer would’ve thrilled her. Now, though, she was just waiting for the fireworks—except the show fizzled out before it even began, like a deflated balloon.
Annoyed, Zhou Qingyu turned off her mic and pulled Yan Xi aside, whispering, "Your tactics are weak. If you’re going to strike, aim for the kill. What’s the point of these half-hearted jabs?"
Yan Xi shrugged. "What else can I do?"
Pei Yubai was a master at navigating between two women, and Ye Luoyi’s acting was so convincing even the system praised it. By the novel’s end, Ye Luoyi would sweep all three major film awards, reaching the pinnacle of her career.
Zhou Qingyu smirked. "Watch and learn."
She reactivated her mic and turned to Pei Yubai. "Pei Yubai, you once said you’d do anything to win me back. Does that still hold?"
Pei Yubai perked up. He’d spouted countless sweet nothings to reconcile with her—who knew if he’d actually said this? But if it worked, he’d seize the opportunity.
"Absolutely!"
"Great!" Zhou Qingyu’s smile turned razor-sharp, her eyes glinting with challenge. "Then slap Ye Luoyi."
Pei Yubai paled.
The entire group fell into stunned silence. Even the livestream chat froze for a heartbeat.
Then, the floodgates burst open:
[Damn, Miss Zhou doesn’t hold back!]
[Now THIS is drama! Yan Xi’s antics look like child’s play in comparison!]
[Isn’t this going too far, though?]
[Hot take: Pei Yubai can always say no.]
[Hotter take: If he actually hits her, Ye Luoyi can press charges.]
[I just wanna see what he’ll choose!]
Pei Yubai stood frozen for two seconds before regaining his voice, his tone firm. "Qingyu, that’s unacceptable."
Zhou Qingyu leaned lazily against the railing, arms crossed, her smile bright and merciless. "Pei Yubai, this is your last chance. Slap her, and our engagement is back on. Refuse, and we’re done forever. You can fly home right now."
This was the final ultimatum.
Her words shoved Pei Yubai into the flames. Despite the winter chill, sweat beaded on his forehead.
Everyone’s pulse raced, the tension thick enough to choke on.
Even Ye Luoyi’s composure cracked. No amount of acting could maintain her serene facade now. Her nails dug into her palms hard enough to draw blood.
Zhou Qingyu held up a hand. "I’m not patient. You have five seconds."
"Five…"
Pei Yubai’s face drained of color.
"Four…"
His breathing grew ragged.
"Three…"
His eyes flickered to Ye Luoyi, pained.
"Two…"
His fingers trembled.
"One…"
In that final second, all eyes locked onto Pei Yubai. Both livestream cameras zoomed in, waiting to capture his choice.
Su Lingling suddenly lunged forward, shoving Zhou Qingyu. "Zhou Qingyu! How dare you?! What do you take Luoyi for?!"
Zhou Qingyu staggered, nearly falling before Yan Xi caught her.
Zhou Qingyu turned her head to glare at Su Lingling. "Su Lingling! You're so annoying!"
"You're the annoying one!" Su Lingling shot back, shielding Ye Luoyi behind her.
Ye Luoyi's eyes were red-rimmed, on the verge of tears from sheer frustration.
Su Lingling raised her voice sharply, "Luoyi is a living, breathing person! Why should she be dragged into your little game? Zhou Qingyu, do you even have a conscience?"
Zhou Qingyu scoffed and brushed off nonexistent dust from her clothes. "Su Lingling, are you stupid? Did I tie Ye Luoyi up? Did I restrict her freedom? If I told Pei Yubai to hit her, would she just stand there and take it? Was she drugged into compliance? Can’t she just dodge?"
The rapid-fire questions left Su Lingling momentarily speechless. After a brief pause, she smacked her own forehead. "Oh right… Luoyi, you could just ignore them…"
Zhou Qingyu smirked. "Idiot."
What a perfect scene it could have been—ruined by Su Lingling’s interference. Now they’d never see how it ended.
Truthfully, Zhou Qingyu wasn’t even that curious about Pei Yubai’s choice. She just wanted to watch him squirm.
But someone else had been genuinely terrified of the outcome. No matter how well they acted, the smallest hesitation would always betray their true feelings.
"Tch," Zhou Qingyu sighed. "None of you can handle a little fun."
She turned to Yan Xi. "Well? My question was way more intense than yours, wasn’t it?"
Yan Xi nodded like a woodpecker. More than intense—the live stream had exploded. The audience was probably dying to know what Pei Yubai would choose. Too bad they’d never find out.
"Do you think Pei Yubai would have hit Ye Luoyi?" Zhou Qingyu suddenly asked.
"Definitely not," Yan Xi said. This was a romance novel—no male lead would ever strike the female lead.
But then she hesitated. "Then again… who knows?"
Maybe it was an angsty drama. Maybe the male lead would hurt the female lead for the sake of his career, only to chase her desperately later in a grand redemption arc. Stranger things had happened.
Zhou Qingyu laughed. "Exactly. No one knows the answer—that’s what makes it thrilling!"
The confrontation had been derailed by Su Lingling’s meddling, leaving the choice unresolved.
Cold sweat soaked through Pei Yubai’s shirt. For once, he was grateful for Su Lingling’s interference—her sudden outburst had shattered the tension. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have known what to do.
After wasting too much time in the rest area, Zhou Qingyu headed off for her bungee jump, while Yan Xi excused herself to the bathroom, telling Zhou Qingyu to go ahead to the bungee platform.
The Nevis Canyon allowed tandem jumps. Zhou Qingyu suited up in professional bungee gear and strapped on a GoPro to capture the plunge. For maximum cinematic effect, the production crew had even rented a helicopter to film the jump from above.
—With two sets of guests taking the leap, the helicopter rental was worth it.
Standing atop the bungee platform, Zhou Qingyu looked down at the seemingly bottomless canyon. The wind howled past her ears, the distant mountains stretched endlessly under the blue sky, and the canyon below gaped like a massive scar in the earth, its rushing waters both mesmerizing and deadly.
She had gone skydiving before—higher than this.
But after so many years, standing at such a height again, suspended a hundred meters in the air, even she couldn’t escape the primal fear kicking in.
Pei Yubai stood beside her, helping set up the filming equipment.
He knew his earlier hesitation hadn’t won him any favor with Zhou Qingyu, so now he poured on the charm.
"Qingyu, don’t be scared. I’m right here with you! If you’re afraid, I can jump with you."
Zhou Qingyu leaned slightly over the edge. Somewhere below, a tourist accidentally dropped a plastic water bottle. It plummeted, vanishing into the rapids within seconds, shattered beyond recognition.
She sucked in a sharp breath.
Even Pei Yubai flinched.
After all, Zhou Qingyu was strapped into full bungee gear—but he, in his desperate bid to impress her, had climbed up without any safety measures.
Pei Yubai pressed on. "Qingyu, let me jump with you?"
—Yan Xi’s bungee gear was right there. If she didn’t make it back in time, he could easily take her place.
Zhou Qingyu refused flatly. "No need. Where’s Yan Xi?"
An assistant answered, "Miss Yan went to the restroom. She seemed to have a stomachache—might take a while."
"Then we’ll wait," Zhou Qingyu said, unfazed.
The helicopter hovered at the same height as the platform. To kill time, Zhou Qingyu waved at the live-stream audience.
"Just to be clear—I’m not scared. My legs are just… shaking on their own."
[LOL the young miss isn’t afraid of heights at all!]
[It’s all the legs’ fault—they’re the ones trembling!]
[A hundred meters up… that’s insane. Just glancing at the camera angle gave me vertigo!]
[If she fell from here, it’d be game over, right?]
[The canyon’s over 150 meters deep. Imagine a 50-story drop. Let that sink in.]
[Nope. I’ll stick to watching from the safety of my screen.]
After another two minutes, Zhou Qingyu had mostly adjusted to the height when she spotted Yan Xi jogging back from the rest area, her hair whipping wildly in the canyon winds.
Just as Zhou Qingyu raised a hand to greet her—
A scream erupted from the rest area.
Then came the panicked shouts of tourists and staff.
"Ah—!"
"Miss Ye!"
"Miss Ye fell off the cliff!"
The rest area was only a few meters from the bungee platform. Zhou Qingyu craned her neck to see the crowd below scrambling to the railing in horror—
Ye Luoyi’s figure was plummeting straight down into the canyon.
Everyone froze.
The live chat exploded in panic.
This was a 150-meter drop. No one could survive that.
Before Zhou Qingyu could process it, a dark figure flashed past her—
Pei Yubai leaped off the platform without hesitation.
With no time to strap into safety gear, he grabbed Yan Xi’s bungee harness and hurled himself after Ye Luoyi.
The wind roared in his ears, stinging his eyes and choking his breath. His vision blurred, his hearing drowned out—his entire world narrowed to Ye Luoyi’s falling form.
He willed himself to fall faster, faster—
But gravity was merciless.
Ye Luoyi hit the river first.
Pei Yubai’s outstretched hand closed on empty air as her body shattered against the icy rapids.
A guttural scream tore from his throat, echoing through Nevis Canyon.
The bungee cord snapped taut—
Pei Yubai recoiled mid-air, his grip on the rope drawing blood.
When his vision cleared, he saw the fragments floating in the river.
No blood. No flesh.
The thing that had fallen wasn’t Ye Luoyi.
It was her cardboard cutout.
Pei Yubai’s mind went blank with a deafening buzz.
Just then, the helicopter filming the variety show descended, hovering beside him, capturing the entire scene in full view.
...
Atop the bungee jumping tower, Yan Xi calmly gazed down at Pei Yubai in the canyon below.
A small glowing orb appeared beside her: [Host, you’re really playing with fire this time!]
"I just accidentally lost Ye Luoyi’s cardboard cutout—but the key here is Pei Yubai himself."
"Besides, what’s the point of showering affection on a woman he doesn’t love? People should face their true feelings, don’t you think?"
