Jiang Yue’s proposed trip was actually a reality show. After Lin Zixi received the proposal, she discovered it was a project planned by Guangcan, with Jiang Yue’s studio also contributing.
The show’s name was Let’s Go Travel Together, and just from the title, anyone could tell it was a travel-themed reality program.
Lin Zixi reviewed the plan and called Jiang Yue. “How long is the filming schedule? When does it start? Who are the confirmed guests so far?”
Jiang Yue knew full well that whether Ye Can could be invited depended entirely on Lin Zixi’s say-so. Hearing her ask such detailed questions, Jiang Yue quickly replied, “Filming will last about three months, starting after the New Year. Confirmed guests right now include you, Meng Zhiqiu, director Gu Yiyi, Xia Fanxing, and others.”
“They’re all familiar faces from the industry—just think of it as a group trip for fun. What do you say?”
Lin Zixi considered the lineup. Aside from the rising singer Xia Fanxing, everyone else was someone she knew well from the circle.
But she was all too aware of the shady tricks reality TV crews pulled, bound to include plenty of contrived drama. She frowned, pondering, then decided to turn it down. “Ye Can doesn’t have any schedules lately anyway, and she prefers staying home. We…”
Jiang Yue jumped in right away. “Please, please—just treat it like a friends’ getaway! It’s only three months, and the backer is Ye Shen. You know her; she absolutely won’t let Ye Can suffer!”
Lin Zixi shot back, “Ye Shen won’t let Ye Can suffer, but you directors? That’s another story.”
Jiang Yue was dead set on getting Ye Can on board. Seeing Lin Zixi’s reluctance, she swore to the heavens, “I guarantee on my reputation—it’ll be an unforgettable, fun-filled trip!”
Lin Zixi hesitated for a moment. “Let me think about it some more.”
That “some more” turned into a full week. Over that time, Jiang Yue wheedled and cajoled until she finally convinced Lin Zixi to join the show.
Once her resolve wavered, Lin Zixi’s first move was to ask Ye Can’s opinion. “Staying home doing nothing is boring anyway. You haven’t wanted to take any dramas lately, so let’s do this reality show.”
Ye Can pondered for a bit. “Three months of filming? Starting after New Year means we’d wrap up around May.” May—early summer. Not sure if that’s enough time to finish.
But ending it that way wouldn’t be so bad.
Ye Can gazed at Lin Zixi, whose eyes sparkled with excitement, and said, “Sure. If you want to do it, then we’ll do it.”
And just like that, the two locked in their plan to film the reality show together.
Since Jiang Yue had mentioned shooting the departure from home, Ye Can—who had been living with Lin Zixi—had no choice but to move her things back to her original villa.
Ye Shen was thrilled when she heard Ye Can was back. That very evening, she returned to the villa for dinner with her.
With Ye Can staying there again and New Year approaching, Ye Shen suggested Lin Zixi move in too, so the three of them could spend a cozy family New Year together in the villa.
On the eighth day of the first lunar month, filming officially began.
To avoid exposing her relationship with Lin Zixi, Ye Can stayed at the villa this time, methodically packing her luggage with meticulous care.
The cameraman trailing her watched as she neatly folded and organized everything, teasing, “I figured you were the type of young miss who doesn’t bother with packing. You can’t judge a book by its cover, huh?”
Ye Can finished folding a shirt and said, “I’m not used to people following me around, so I always pack myself.”
A staffer nearby chimed in, “What about Teacher Lin? It seems like you’ve never had an assistant—it’s always Teacher Lin tagging along wherever you go.”
Ye Can looked up at the camera, drawled lazily, “She’s an exception. Looking at her face calms me down. Anyone else’s? Not so much.”
“Like yours. It just rubs me the wrong way.”
The cameraman’s face stiffened. A staffer nearby burst out laughing. “Aw, it’s our fault for showing up so early—you’ve been packing bare-faced the whole time.”
Ye Can brushed her long hair back from her face. “Whatever. This is fine.”
Once she’d packed, Ye Can hauled her luggage out, still bare-faced, and got into Tong Lin’s car headed for Lin Zixi’s place. The photographer tried to hop in too, but Ye Can shot him such a fierce glare with one foot barely in that he backed off.
Fine. Boss said not to provoke this little ancestor.
Tong Lin pulled up downstairs from Lin Zixi’s building. Ye Can got out and headed up the stairs. This time, the quick-footed cameraman dashed into the elevator just before the doors closed, camera in tow.
Ye Can’s expression didn’t change; she just gave him a cool glance and let out a soft humph.
A chill ran down the cameraman’s spine. He chuckled awkwardly. “Didn’t realize you and Teacher Lin live so close. Must be fate, huh?”
Ye Can nodded, paused, then said, “It is fate. The first time we met, she gave me a ride home because it was on her way.”
Ye Can had never shared this in public before. Sensing a juicy scoop, the cameraman pressed, “First meeting? You and Teacher Lin’s fateful first encounter was over a ride?”
Ye Can nodded. “Yeah, my car broke down, and I ran into Lin Zixi halfway. She gave me a lift.”
She paused again. “She saved me.”
That word “saved” left plenty of room for wild speculation. The cameraman wanted to dig deeper, but the elevator dinged at the floor. Ye Can said no more and stepped out.
Ye Can reached Lin Zixi’s door and knocked. Moments later, Lin Zixi opened it in house slippers, looking surprised. “Ye Can? What are you doing here?”
Ye Can breezed inside, kicking off her shoes with practiced ease. “The auntie who cooks for me went home to visit family. I skipped breakfast, so I came to mooch some food.”
This wasn’t in the script the directors gave, Lin Zixi thought. Sure enough, she couldn’t stand the loneliness—just went back last night and now she’s here.
At this rate, our closet door hanging by a thread is gonna get kicked wide open someday!
Lin Zixi rubbed her forehead and walked inside, telling Ye Can—who’d followed her in—”I haven’t even finished packing. How am I supposed to cook for you?”
Ye Can trailed behind, muttering, “You knew we were leaving today. Why didn’t you pack yesterday?”
Yesterday I wanted to pack, Lin Zixi thought, but you clung to me all night—how was I supposed to?
She sighed again. “Had a deadline yesterday, no time. Besides, the flight’s this evening—not that urgent.”
Ye Can nodded in agreement. “You’re right.” She made a beeline for the fridge. “Anything edible left in here?”
Lin Zixi inwardly groaned: Do you have to act so at home? Someone’s gonna figure out we live together sooner or later!
She answered helplessly, “We’re heading out today, so I didn’t stock up. There’s eggs, noodles, some veggies, that sort of thing.”
Ye Can opened the fridge, pulled out the ingredients, and said, “That should be enough for the two of us.” Yes, just us two. No one else gets any.
Clutching the ingredients, Ye Can headed to the kitchen without looking back. “I’ll make breakfast then. You hurry up and pack.”
She didn’t shy away at all—said she’d cook and immediately got busy in the kitchen. Her unpredictable, doesn’t-play-by-the-rules vibe lit up the staff’s eyes. The crews filming both of them huddled together, starting to whisper about their relationship with some pretty suggestive vibes.
Ye Can was like a fish in water at Lin Zixi’s place, yet the two acted so aboveboard, with nothing seemingly hidden—just like the “best friends and work partners” image they’d always projected to the world.
After capturing the rare footage of Ye Can cooking, Lin Zixi finished packing.
When Ye Can set the steaming noodles on the table, Lin Zixi turned to the bustling staff. “It’s lunchtime now anyway. Why don’t you all head downstairs for a meal? I’ve booked a spot.”
With Lin Zixi being so considerate, the staff knew better than to linger. They packed up their gear, leaving the two alone.
Once they were gone, Lin Zixi sat across from Ye Can, picked up her chopsticks, and started eating. Between bites, she said helplessly, “Ye Can, at least tone it down on camera. What if we get exposed? You still wanna act?”
Ye Can was red-hot right now. A confirmed same-sex scandal wouldn’t be good for either of them.
Ye Can knew her worry but brushed it off casually. “Got it, got it. Won’t get exposed.”
She twirled a chopstick of noodles, blew on it, and took a bite. After swallowing, she told Lin Zixi, “It’s been three years. Everyone thinks you’re my manager—being close is normal.”
“Besides, two girls being close is totally fine, right? Unless they catch us rolling in bed, let ’em gossip.”
Ye Can looked up at Lin Zixi, dead serious. “Anyway, the one I’ve had the most intense rumors with these past two years isn’t you—it’s Meng Zhiqiu.”
True enough, Meng Zhiqiu—their “rival”—had become the perfect shield for Ye Can and Lin Zixi’s relationship over the past year.
Gossip accounts and paparazzi lit up like cats smelling fish whenever they snapped Ye Can and Meng Zhiqiu together, spinning elaborate tales as if they’d personally witnessed the two tumbling into bed.
Come to think of it, Meng Zhiqiu had it rough.
Lin Zixi sighed helplessly, reached out, patted Ye Can’s head, and said softly, “Alright, just be careful anyway. And don’t bully Miss Meng on the show. She’s had enough bad luck from the rumors you’ve dragged her into.”
