It must be said that with He Jinyun's cooperation, the tasks were incredibly easy to accomplish.
Typically, Ye Zexi would distract Wei Bei and You Jia while He Jinyun completed the task. Once finished, He Jinyun would signal to Ye Zexi with a gesture.
Sometimes, just a glance was enough for He Jinyun to understand exactly what Ye Zexi wanted.
Even Ye Zexi couldn't help but marvel at how well he and He Jinyun worked together.
As for hiding the task hints as Ye Zexi had suggested earlier, it wasn't that they didn't want to; it just didn't seem necessary.
After all, the show's logo was placed right in front of Wei Bei and You Jia, yet they would always just walk past it with a smile, completely ignoring the glaringly obvious clues.
The morning flew by, with Ye Zexi and He Jinyun having completed three tasks. Meanwhile, Wei Bei and You Jia hadn't even realized there were hidden tasks at all!
In the afternoon, as they got into the car heading to Dolphin Bay, He Jinyun couldn't help but comment, "It seems Wei Bei fully believed the director's words."
Ye Zexi nodded in agreement. "I can already picture how crushed Brother Bei will be when he realizes there were hidden tasks all along."
He Jinyun looked at Ye Zexi. "You think he'll figure it out this afternoon?"
Ye Zexi glanced at He Jinyun, then blinked and asked, "Do you want the truth?"
"What do you think?" He Jingyun asked with a smile.
Ye Zexi smirked and shook his head gently. "I don't think Brother Bei will figure it out. In the end, the production team will probably have to explicitly tell them for them to realize there were hidden tasks."
"Why do you think so?" He Jinyun asked.
Ye Zexi grinned, "Just a hunch."
He Jingyun chuckled and didn't press further.
As it turned out, things unfolded just as Ye Zexi predicted. It wasn't until the production crew directly informed them that Wei Bei and You Jia realized there were hidden tasks all along.
When Wei Bei heard the news, he stood frozen in place. "What? What did you just say?"
The staff repeated, "We had a hidden task today, but until now, neither you nor Sister Jia have noticed."
You Jia, standing beside him, was equally stunned. "What task?"
After hearing this, You Jia and Wei Bei both turned to look at Ye Zexi and He Jinyun, as if they had suddenly realized something.
Ye Zexi couldn't hold back his laughter.
He Jinyun's eyes were also full of amusement.
It wasn't that they didn't want to explain; it was just so obvious!
The task cards had been right in their hands multiple times, yet Wei Bei, as if blind, had circled around and picked up a bottle of water from the other side.
How could Ye Zexi and He Jinyun even explain that?
Moreover, Ye Zexi was genuinely eager to experience the Poseidon Underwater Suite.
After the staff explained everything to Wei Bei and You Jia, Wei Bei's face scrunched up in frustration.
"What? I asked Director Zhang so many times this morning if there were any tasks, and you kept saying there weren't!" Wei Bei was exasperated. "And this is what you call 'no tasks'!"
You Jia was equally bewildered. Although she had participated in many variety shows, this was the first time she had encountered such a situation.
How could a show not explicitly tell the guests about the tasks and instead make them figure it out on their own?
Wasn't this supposed to be a travel and food show?
Why did it feel like an adventure show?
By the time the staff handed the task cards to Wei Bei and You Jia in the afternoon, it was too late for them to complete the tasks.
Clearly frustrated by the show's tricks, Wei Bei decided to give up. "Fine, since your production team is so unreasonable, we won't do the tasks!"
You Jia echoed his sentiment, "Yes, we won't do them!"
The director cleared his throat and couldn't help but remind them, "But today's tasks are related to tomorrow's. If you don't complete them..."
"Can your production team be any more unfair?!" Wei Bei was on the verge of losing it.
Ye Zexi couldn't help but laugh, thoroughly enjoying the scene.
His laughter was so loud that Wei Bei heard it and marched over, pretending to confront Ye Zexi.
Ye Zexi quickly raised his hands in surrender.
But Wei Bei wouldn't listen.
Ye Zexi, chased by Wei Bei, ran around in circles. Eventually, exhausted, he ran behind He Jinyun, grabbing his shirt with one hand and pressing the other on his shoulder, pleading, "Teacher He, save me!"
The proximity between them suddenly closed. Ye Zexi's warm hand rested on He Jinyun's shoulder, creating a strong presence.
He Jinyun discreetly glanced at the hand on his shoulder and then wrapped his arm around Ye Zexi in a protective manner.
Smiling, He Jinyun addressed Wei Bei, "Alright, stop making a scene."
Wei Bei placed his hands on his hips. "I haven't even complained to you yet! Jinyun, are we still friends? You two knew about the tasks already and didn't even give us a hint!"
He Jinyun's lips curved into a gentle smile as he said, "But there are only two suites, and Zexi wants to stay in one. Plus, we're not on the same team."
The implication was clear.
Wei Bei, frustrated, tugged at his hair. "I knew something was off this morning! It's all Director Zhang's fault! He was so certain there were no traps, and I believed him! And now—"
"Instead of getting angry here, you'd be better off getting on with the tasks," Director Zhang interjected with a hint of amusement.
You Jia felt a pang of disappointment. She had trusted Director Zhang this morning and even helped persuade Wei Bei, only to realize she had unwittingly set a trap for herself and her teammate.
"The production team really knows how to play games!"
Though it was at the expense of the guests.
At this point, Wei Bei and You Jia had no choice but to tackle the tasks.
Perhaps feeling a bit guilty, Director Zhang offered them compensation. If they completed three or more tasks before six o'clock, they would receive a seafood dinner for the evening.
Satisfied by the prospect of a reward, the two agreed to tackle the tasks.
As for Ye Zexi and He Jinyun, they only had one task left. They completed it while strolling through the scenic spots.
The outcome was predictable—Ye Zexi and He Jinyun secured both Poseidon Underwater Suites!
Returning to the hotel first, Ye Zexi was excited to receive the room card.
Previously, Ye Zexi had focused solely on earning money, thinking that once he repaid his parents' debts, he could finally rest. But once he had paid off all his debts, he realized that wasn't enough.
Even after settling the debts, he remained unmoored, lacking a true home.
So Ye Zexi aimed to work harder to provide himself with a home. Once he had a place to call his own, he could slow down a bit, take on only the projects he enjoyed, and travel to explore the vast, beautiful world.
Unfortunately, just as he managed to save enough for a down payment, he was abruptly pulled out of that world.
Before leaving, Ye Zexi's wish had been to travel to a place with the sea, where the azure sky met the blue ocean, and clear, colorful fish swam among the coral.
In this world, due to various reasons, he had never traveled.
Until today—
As the elevator descended, it felt like a submerged glass corridor with schools of fish swimming through the clear blue water. The transparency of the surroundings made it feel as if he was immersed in the scene.
Ye Zexi was momentarily lost in awe, forgetting to move forward.
"Let's go," He Jinyun said softly, giving Ye Zexi's shoulder a light pat to bring him back to reality.
The staff opened the door to the suite, drew back the curtains, and the fish swam by the glass wall. Ye Zexi caught a glimpse of a fleeting bubble.
Once the staff had shown them in, they left, leaving only the filming crew behind.
He Jinyun had been to this suite several times before and was no longer impressed. After taking a quick look around the room, he walked next door and noticed that Ye Zexi's door was slightly ajar.
As he glanced up, He Jinyun saw Ye Zexi standing in front of the glass wall—
It was a look He Jinyun had never seen on Ye Zexi's face before.
In the past, Ye Zexi was always seen with a casual demeanor, whether during the training for 'The Times Idol' or while filming 'The Great General'. He appeared lethargic, as if he could not muster any enthusiasm.
Yet, despite this, Ye Zexi managed to excel, performing each dance and song with exceptional skill. Even the notoriously picky Director Chen praised Ye Zexi, calling him a natural talent for acting.
Ye Zexi always smiled at these compliments, but it was merely a formality. The praise from others didn't matter much to him; in fact, He Jinyun noticed a subtle impatience beneath the surface.
It was only when Ye Zexi faced his favorite snack, dried fish, that his eyes would light up.
He Jinyun found this amusing, which is why he repeatedly indulged Ye Zexi. However, Ye Zexi's eyes had never shone as brightly as they did today.
Now, not only was there a gleam in Ye Zexi's eyes, but also a sense of longing He Jinyun had never seen before—pure joy and ecstatic delight as if a dream had come true.
It was as though Ye Zexi was radiating light.
Never before had He Jinyun felt so fortunate as he did now.
It was fortunate that Ye Zexi had discovered the hidden task first, and they had won. Otherwise, when would He Jinyun ever see this expression on Ye Zexi's face again?
Ye Zexi stood quietly, gazing at the underwater world beyond the glass.
He Jinyun watched Ye Zexi from behind, observing the rare expression.
After a few minutes or perhaps even ten, He Jinyun approached and softly asked, "Are you hungry?"
Ye Zexi came back to reality, noticing He Jinyun, and smiled at him before returning his gaze to the outside. "A little bit," he said with a smile.
He Jinyun nodded.
After a moment, he said, "Sitting here, watching the fish while enjoying some dried fish would be quite pleasant."
Ye Zexi paused, licked his lips at the thought of dried fish, and turned to He Jinyun. "But we don't have any dried fish now."
He Jinyun didn't reply.
Ye Zexi finally left the glass wall, glanced around the suite, and looked puzzled. "And there's no kitchen in our room. According to Director Zhang, it seems the cooking segment for guests is scheduled for tomorrow."
He Jinyun's eyes, filled with amusement, met Ye Zexi's. "I have a way," he said with a smile.