The hunting trip concluded as the guests gathered at the helicopter landing site.
Zhou Qingyu was exhilarated—she had successfully hunted a wild boar, while the two men, Zhou Yanci and Pei Hanli, had only managed to bag a wild goat between them. This filled her with immense satisfaction.
However, the hunting club staff informed her that the game still needed to undergo professional inspection before being deemed safe for consumption, dashing Zhou Qingyu’s hopes of a celebratory barbecue.
Exhausted, she slumped into a chair. Her military boots were caked with melted snow and thick mud, making her extremely uncomfortable.
Pei Yubai had already arrived at the primeval forest and was flipping through a travel guide, deciding where they should dine later.
"Pei Yubai," Zhou Qingyu called out, "my boots are dirty. Clean them for me."
Pei Yubai stiffened.
The moment Zhou Qingyu spoke, all eyes turned toward him—Zhou Yanci, Pei Hanli, the production crew, and even the hunting guides.
He felt the weight of their gazes like needles against his back. His arm was still in a cast, making even simple movements difficult. For Zhou Qingyu to make such a demand now felt nothing short of humiliating.
He could practically hear the muffled snickers around him.
"Qingyu," Pei Yubai lowered his voice, "my arm hasn’t healed yet. It’s not convenient—"
Zhou Qingyu shot him an irritated glare. "Useless!"
At that moment, Pei Hanli knelt before her. His camouflage pants brushed against the muddy ground, but he didn’t seem to mind. Instead, he produced a brand-new pair of sneakers.
"Miss, your boots are dirty. How about changing into these? They’re the latest M-brand camouflage sneakers. Will these do?"
Since they wouldn’t need military boots for the return trip, and the sneakers perfectly matched her camouflage outfit, Zhou Qingyu had no reason to refuse—especially since they were from her own family’s brand.
"Help me put them on," she said, extending her leg.
After firing so many shots during the hunt, her shoulders ached from the recoil. Though she appeared energetic, her body felt like it was falling apart. She didn’t even have the strength to bend over and wipe the mud off her soles.
But the young mistress had a cleanliness obsession—walking around with filthy shoes was unbearable.
Pei Hanli’s lips curled into a smirk. Despite performing what seemed like the most servile task, his eyes burned with excitement. He carefully removed her boots, his fingers trembling as they brushed against her fair, delicate feet. His breathing grew heavy.
Aware of the onlookers, he didn’t linger too long before meticulously helping her into the new sneakers.
Nearby, Yan Xi sucked in a sharp breath.
Was it just her, or did Pei Hanli’s smiling eyes betray a hint of… enjoyment?
"System," she thought, "is Pei Hanli a foot fetishist or a masochist?"
The system remained silent for a beat before responding:
[...Unlikely. He’s the main antagonist, after all.]
After changing shoes, the group boarded the helicopter back to the royal hotel’s hot spring villa. Zhou Qingyu and Yan Xi freshened up with a relaxing bath before heading to a lakeside restaurant by Lake Wakatipu for dinner.
Pei Hanli had chosen a Western-style restaurant.
The table was laden with an array of dishes—charcoal-grilled lamb chops, roasted pork ribs, vegetable salads, seafood platters…
Since they couldn’t eat the game they’d hunted, these substitutes would have to do.
After a long day, Zhou Qingyu was ravenous. Yan Xi, despite slacking off most of the time, was equally famished from the trek.
The two ate heartily before finally feeling satisfied.
Suddenly, Pei Hanli chuckled beside them.
He was scrolling through his phone. "What’s so funny?" Zhou Qingyu asked.
"There’s an online poll ranking the most and least popular guests on the travel show. Initially, Ye Luoyi was the favorite, while you were the least liked."
Zhou Qingyu’s brows furrowed.
Pei Hanli continued, "But now, as the show nears its finale, a new poll shows you as the most popular, and Ye Luoyi at the bottom."
Instantly, Zhou Qingyu beamed. "Well, the audience finally has taste!"
Pei Hanli smirked. "I wonder how my dear younger brother will react to this."
His gaze flicked toward Pei Yubai, who stood silently beside the PD, already pulling out his phone to contact Sun Qi about removing the poll.
Pei Hanli turned back, pouring Zhou Qingyu a glass of wine. "Ye Luoyi’s current predicament stems from both her own actions and the company’s mismanagement. It’s no surprise she wants to leave Tianhui."
Zhou Qingyu and Yan Xi both stiffened.
They knew Ye Luoyi’s fans were demanding her release from Tianhui, but they’d assumed it was just fan outrage—something Tianhui could smooth over with an apology.
Was Ye Luoyi seriously considering leaving?
Impossible, Yan Xi thought. In Ye Luoyi’s eyes, Pei Yubai adored her, and Tianhui, backed by the Pei family, would recover from its stock slump eventually.
Pei Hanli… was deliberately sowing discord!
By stoking Pei Yubai’s fears, he’d distract him from Zhou Qingyu, giving himself more opportunities to get closer to her.
What a scheming villain!
Yan Xi scowled.
Zhou Yanci seemed to have caught on too, shooting Pei Hanli a cold glare.
Only Zhou Qingyu remained oblivious, still puzzled. "If Ye Luoyi leaves Tianhui, where would she go? At her current popularity, securing an A-tier contract would be tough."
"She could join Xingyao," Yan Xi chimed in, surprisingly siding with Pei Hanli for once.
Zhou Qingyu gaped. "You’d sign Ye Luoyi?"
Yan Xi blinked innocently. "She’s got the fanbase and the acting chops. Why not?"
Zhou Qingyu: ???
Yan Xi pressed on, "Think about it—many of Ye Luoyi’s past endorsements were Zhou family products. We’ve essentially used our resources to build her up. If she breaks free from Tianhui and we take her in, it’s a win for us. What’s not to like?"
Zhou Qingyu’s head spun with questions, but Yan Xi’s confident expression made her nod hesitantly.
Meanwhile, the live chat exploded—
[Holy shit! Holy shit!]
[Ye Luoyi joining Xingyao?!]
[No way! I don’t like her… Miss Zhou, don’t team up with her!]
[Something big’s brewing. Xingyao’s about to make a power move!]
Pei Yubai, standing beside the PD, overheard everything. He was already aware of Ye Luoyi’s fans pushing for her departure.
But would she really leave him?
Pei Yubai suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. He didn’t care whether Zhou Qingyu loved him or not, nor did he care about her closeness with others. But if Ye Luoyi were to leave him too… No! He couldn’t accept that outcome!
That evening, Zhou Qingyu and Yan Xi headed to Gibbston Valley.
Queenstown was known for its auroras, and Director Yu had mentioned there was a high chance of seeing them tonight. The two decided to try their luck.
Upon arriving at Gibbston Valley, they found Lu Beiyu and Ye Luoyi’s groups already there. They had arrived an hour earlier, set up their tents, and prepared sleeping bags, waiting for the auroras.
Pei Yubai had also prepared a tent and sleeping bag for Zhou Qingyu, but as he set them up, his mind was elsewhere, his gaze repeatedly drifting toward Ye Luoyi.
This quickly dampened Zhou Qingyu’s mood. Before long, Pei Hanli and Zhou Yanci arrived. Unlike the others, they hadn’t bought tents—instead, they rented an RV. Without a second thought, Zhou Qingyu abandoned Pei Yubai’s tent and pulled Yan Xi into Pei Hanli’s RV to wait for the auroras.
Outside, the cold was biting, the sky dark, and the tents offered little warmth. Even Su Lingling was struggling to endure it.
Lu Beiyu suggested, “Should we head back to the car too?”
In Queenstown, driving was far more convenient. They had rented two off-road vehicles, which now provided a warm refuge.
Ye Luoyi glanced reluctantly at Pei Yubai in the nearby tent but nodded in agreement.
As the three packed up to return to the car, Yan Xi approached Ye Luoyi with a document in hand.
“Ms. Ye, could we talk?”
[Wow! Is Yan Xi really going to discuss terminating Ye Luoyi’s contract?]
[I thought Yan Xi was just joking, but she’s actually planning to sign Ye Luoyi?]
[Honestly, isn’t this awkward?]
[It feels weird to me too!]
Yan Xi turned off her microphone. “This is private.”
Ye Luoyi followed suit and accompanied Yan Xi to a secluded spot.
To her surprise, Yan Xi discreetly opened the document—revealing Ye Luoyi’s own glamour photos.
“Ms. Ye, could I get your autograph?”
Ye Luoyi: ???
She froze, her guard instantly up.
What was their relationship? Why would Yan Xi ask for her autograph? But to maintain her image, Ye Luoyi signed it.
As she did, she leaned closer and whispered, “I’ve seen your livestream. Xingyao wants to sign me? Yan Xi, what kind of joke is this?”
Su Lingling had indeed reached out to several agencies for her, but Xingyao? Impossible.
“So, Ms. Ye, are you willing to join Xingyao?” Yan Xi asked with a hollow smile.
Ye Luoyi hesitated. Xingyao had been rising fast lately, backed by the Zhou family, with no shortage of resources and investments in promising projects.
But she and Zhou Qingyu were sworn rivals, clashing since their debut. If she joined Xingyao, she’d be beneath Zhou Qingyu, forced to call her “boss.” How could she stomach that? The entertainment industry was full of agencies, and she wasn’t desperate enough to choose Xingyao.
“I’m fine staying at Tianhui.”
Yan Xi had expected this answer. Once Ye Luoyi finished signing, she took the document back.
“Then I won’t keep you, Ms. Ye. Hope we both get to see the auroras tonight!”
With that, Yan Xi walked away.
Ye Luoyi still didn’t understand Yan Xi’s motive, but since it was just an autograph, it couldn’t be a big deal.
What she didn’t notice was Pei Yubai standing behind a tree nearby, his face darkening as he witnessed the scene.
He knew exactly what that document was.
At the restaurant earlier, Yan Xi had asked the production team to print a contract for her—an artist agreement between Xingyao and Ye Luoyi!
And just now, Yan Xi had deliberately turned off her mic, led Ye Luoyi away, and had her sign it. What else could it be but that contract?
Ye Luoyi… was really leaving him.
Pei Yubai was furious.
The moment Yan Xi left, he stormed forward and seized Ye Luoyi’s wrist.
“Yiyi! Why are you leaving me?”
Ye Luoyi was stunned. “Pei Yubai, what are you talking about?”
“What did you sign with Yan Xi? Do you think I don’t know? It’s your contract with Xingyao, isn’t it? Yiyi, haven’t I treated you well? Why would you leave Tianhui?”
In a flash, Ye Luoyi understood.
So that’s why Yan Xi asked for her autograph—to make Pei Yubai misunderstand!
She forced herself to stay calm. “Pei Yubai, think clearly. My contract with Tianhui isn’t even up yet. How could I sign with another company?”
“Don’t play dumb! Su Lingling’s already reached out to other agencies for you—Huyu, Wuxian… I never thought Xingyao would be one of them! Ye Luoyi, are you that eager to get away from me?”
“I told you I didn’t!”
Pei Yubai tightened his grip, turning her fair skin red.
“Yiyi, stop lying to me!”
Ye Luoyi couldn’t take it anymore. She glared at him. “Pei Yubai, have you never lied to me? You claim to love me, yet you grovel after Zhou Qingyu. What do you take me for?”
Pei Yubai flinched, panic flickering in his eyes. “I only got close to Zhou Qingyu for the Zhou family’s resources. You said you understood!”
“Understood? I don’t!” Ye Luoyi wrenched her hand free, her voice breaking. “You’re the second son of the Pei family—you’re not poor! Why obsess over the Zhou family’s resources? Even without them, you’d succeed! It might take longer, but so what? I don’t mind waiting!”
“But I can’t stand this anymore! Pei Yubai, let’s end this. Choose—her or me. You can’t have both!”
Pei Yubai stared at her, dazed. He was frustrated, anxious. Why was everyone forcing him to choose? If he were the legitimate Pei heir, he wouldn’t care about any of this. But he wasn’t! He had to fight, he needed Zhou Qingyu—time wasn’t on his side!
Why couldn’t Ye Luoyi understand?
Pei Yubai closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his gaze was lifeless, his voice hollow. “Yiyi, didn’t you waver between me and Qin Li before? I never said a word. Why are you pushing me now?”
Ye Luoyi’s eyes widened. “There was nothing between Qin Li and me!”
Pei Yubai stepped forward, trapping her hands. His eyes burned with possessiveness, desire swallowing reason.
“Do you think I didn’t notice? The way Qin Li looked at you was the same way I did! But you never rejected him! And your first drama role—you auditioned for the supporting role, so why did you become the lead? What were you doing at the director’s house the night before filming started? Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”
"Not to mention your first variety show—a third-tier female celebrity landing an S-tier slow-paced reality show? Those flirtatious glances between you and the producer, did you think I didn’t notice?"
"Yiyi, you can have so many men in your life, why can’t you be a little more forgiving toward me? All the women in my life are just for show, but my feelings for you are real!"
Ye Luoyi’s pupils trembled, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
She had assumed Pei Yubai was oblivious, but it turned out he knew everything.
And despite knowing, he had never said a word.
But was she really in the wrong?
She had leveraged her looks and femininity, yes, but she had never sold her body. She merely provided emotional validation, and those men had willingly showered her with resources—just like Pei Yubai had done for her. What was so wrong about that?
At least she wasn’t as shameless as Pei Yubai, groveling at Zhou Qingyu’s feet like a lovesick fool.
Ye Luoyi gritted her teeth and struggled against Pei Yubai’s grip. "Let go of me! I’m nothing like you, Pei Yubai. You disgust me—stay away!"
"Yiyi, don’t leave me… please don’t leave me…"
Pei Yubai was losing control. He crushed his lips against hers in a desperate kiss.
The struggle stripped away any tenderness, yet it only fueled his desperation. He held her tighter, as if trying to meld her into his very flesh. Even in the freezing wilderness, he wanted to consume her, to claim her completely.
Ye Luoyi’s mind was blank.
He’s insane. Pei Yubai has truly lost it!
Was this what Yan Xi had wanted all along—to drive Pei Yubai to madness?
If this had been her first encounter with Yan Xi, Ye Luoyi might have believed it. But now, with Yan Xi as Star Glory’s VP and Zhou Qingyu as M Group’s chairwoman, she knew better than to underestimate her.
Suddenly, Ye Luoyi caught a glint of reflected light.
Her nerves snapped taut. She fought harder against Pei Yubai, but his grip was unrelenting. In desperation, she bit down hard on his tongue.
The metallic tang of blood flooded her mouth. Pei Yubai gasped in pain, finally releasing her as clarity returned.
Ye Luoyi scrambled free and rushed toward the source of the reflection. The darkness obscured details, but as she drew closer, the outline of a camera mounted on a bare poplar branch became unmistakable.
At the same time, the live broadcast captured everything unfolding in the clearing—
[No wonder the crew suddenly activated this camera angle—this is wild!]
[Ye Luoyi has that many men? She looks so innocent, but she’s actually a player!]
[Pei Yubai exposed her, and she didn’t even deny it! Guess it’s true—Ye Luoyi’s been playing the field, even Qin Li was one of her catches!]
[Pei Yubai’s no saint either, climbing his way up using women. These two deserve each other!]
[And they’re clearly into each other—that kiss just confirmed all the rumors!]
[This show should be renamed from Let’s Travel Together to Let’s Spill the Tea!]
The internet moves fast.
And with the show’s high-definition cameras, every word, every action between Ye Luoyi and Pei Yubai was broadcast in real time.
Ye Luoyi’s legs gave out. She collapsed to the ground.
It’s over. Everything’s ruined.
In that moment, image and pride forgotten, she grabbed a jagged rock from the ground and hurled it at the camera lens.
Viewers saw only a massive stone hurtling toward the screen before the feed cut to black.
The rock clattered to the ground. Ye Luoyi released it, her strength utterly drained.
Pei Yubai staggered over, spotting the destroyed equipment. His face paled. "Yiyi, I—I didn’t know… I thought this area wasn’t monitored. I never meant to say those things on camera…"
The forced kiss could be blamed on him.
Switching agencies could be explained away.
Even Ye Luoyi pressuring Pei Yubai to choose sides would only confirm the love triangle rumors.
But Pei Yubai’s revelation about her using men to climb the ladder? That was the killing blow.
……
Before long, Zhou Qingyu and the others arrived.
Clearly, they—like the entire internet—had witnessed everything.
Zhou Qingyu clapped slowly. "No northern lights, but what a performance. Pei Yubai, so I was just a business arrangement to you? Yet you’re so brutally honest with other women."
Pei Yubai’s expression darkened. "Zhou Qingyu, you stopped caring about me long ago. You only brought me on this show to humiliate me, didn’t you?"
Zhou Qingyu tilted her head slightly, studying his defeated form. "Not at all. I was giving you a chance."
"Liar!" Pei Yubai roared. "You treated me like a dog! How is that giving me a chance?"
Zhou Qingyu’s smile was icy—mocking him, or perhaps herself.
On the flight back from H Country, she’d dreamed of her past self, pitifully begging her to treat Pei Yubai better.
So upon waking, she hadn’t immediately rejected him. She’d wanted to give him—and herself—one last opportunity to recapture what they’d had two years ago.
But what had Pei Yubai done with that chance?
"Pei Yubai, you say I never gave you an opportunity, but were you ever sincere with me?"
He froze.
Zhou Qingyu continued, "The crab roe dumplings you bought—were they from the famous shop near Haida University? When I asked you to massage my calves, was that humiliation? Or when I brought you to Queenstown as my travel consultant—did any of your arrangements actually consider my preferences?"
"You think these were acts of degradation? Am I so poor I can’t hire someone to fetch dumplings or plan an itinerary? These were opportunities to prove yourself. But you saw them as burdens because your heart was never in it."
"If Ye Luoyi had asked these things of you, would you have felt humiliated?"
The night wind howled through Gibson Valley, its chill seeping into bones and souls alike.
Zhou Qingyu’s final question forced Pei Yubai to confront the truth: No, he would’ve gladly bought crab roe dumplings for Ye Luoyi, just to see her smile. Massaging her legs would’ve been intimacy, not servitude. And planning trips? He’d done it meticulously when they traveled together.
It was the absence of love that made everything feel like an insult.
Pei Yubai closed his eyes in despair. Perhaps Zhou Qingyu had indeed offered him chances, but their story was over.
Staying on the show was pointless now. This was the definitive end.
Without another word, he turned and climbed into the rented SUV, driving back to the villa alone.
Ye Luoyi wasn’t recording anymore. The production crew around her had withdrawn, and she sat inside the off-road vehicle while Su Lingling tried to comfort her.
But what good did comfort do now?
Ye Luoyi didn’t dare go online—she could already imagine how the netizens were tearing her apart. Pei Yubai’s words had been ambiguous, yet they were enough to fuel misunderstandings. Two years of hard work had been reduced to nothing after this one variety show.
Her body trembled uncontrollably as tears streamed down her face.
A knock came from outside the vehicle. Yan Xi stood there.
Su Lingling pointed at her angrily. "How dare you show your face here! You were the one behind the cameras, weren’t you? Yan Xi, you’ve gone too far!"
"I only set up the cameras. Did I say any of those words?" Yan Xi shot back.
Su Lingli choked on her retort. "You’re still the mastermind behind this!"
"I want to talk to Ye Luoyi."
"Over my dead—"
"Lingling, let her in," Ye Luoyi suddenly said.
She was planning to quit the show anyway, but right now, she wanted to hear what Yan Xi had to say.
Su Lingling got out of the vehicle and squeezed in with Lu Beiyu and Yaozu. Inside, only Ye Luoyi and Yan Xi remained.
"You’re not here to apologize, are you?" Ye Luoyi asked.
Yan Xi replied coolly, "I don’t feel I owe you anything."
Ye Luoyi clenched her fists. "I admit I wasn’t friendly toward you in the first episode, but didn’t you retaliate? This time, I didn’t do anything—why are you targeting me like this?"
Yan Xi looked at her with amusement. "Back then, when Qin Li spread rumors about my academic credentials being fake—that was your doing, wasn’t it?"
Ye Luoyi retorted, "I never told him to do that!"
"But you definitely guided him. You acted pitiful in front of him, dropping hints that Zhou Qingyu had wronged you."
Ye Luoyi fell silent. She had complained, yes—but she’d only vented. What did that matter? Qin Li was the one who’d acted, not her!
Yan Xi laughed, the sound dripping with mockery. "Ye Luoyi, you never dirty your own hands. You play the victim—helpless, innocent—letting men fight for you, sacrifice for you. Your hands stay clean, without a single drop of blood…"
"They did it willingly! How is that my fault?"
"Exactly," Yan Xi spread her own hands. "My hands are clean too. The one who ruined you was Pei Yubai, not me."
Ye Luoyi was speechless.
"Ye Luoyi, I deliberately dropped the cardboard cutout into the canyon. I wanted to prove that Pei Yubai is two-faced—claiming to love Zhou Qingyu while still being hung up on you. You got dragged into this because he couldn’t let you go."
"And today? All I did was ask for your autograph and set up a camera. Did I force Pei Yubai to expose you? Did I make your popularity plummet?"
"Haven’t you realized yet?" Yan Xi gripped Ye Luoyi’s shoulders, her tone grave. "The moment you found out Pei Yubai was engaged to Zhou Qingyu, you should’ve walked away. But you didn’t. You refused to draw the line, so your reputation keeps sinking."
"Think about it—every time your popularity crashes, isn’t it because of Pei Yubai? And yet, you still cling to hope for a man who keeps hurting you?"
Ye Luoyi’s heart wavered.
She understood every word Yan Xi said. But staying in her comfort zone was easier than facing the ugly truth.
And in front of Yan Xi, she refused to admit she was wrong.
"Don’t try to drive a wedge between us. As if I’d believe you—"
Yan Xi cut her off. "Have you ever wondered why Pei Yubai, the second son of the Pei family, needs the Zhou family’s resources?"
Ye Luoyi’s gaze snapped to her.
At the same time, a system warning flashed:
[Host! The information about the illegitimate child is knowledge you gained after awakening to the plot. There’s no evidence to support this yet—you can’t tell Ye Luoyi!]
[Leaking plot details will result in character deletion!]
Ye Luoyi stared intently. "Why?"
Yan Xi smiled. "I don’t know why. But I heard Pei Hanli say that when he came of age, he received 3% of the Pei shares, while Pei Yubai only got 1%. They’re brothers, same father and mother—why the disparity? How strange!"
She hadn’t revealed anything concrete.
But Ye Luoyi’s eyes widened. A seed of doubt had been planted in her heart.
