The meal quickly passed with casual conversation on trivial topics.

Cheng Song, seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, spoke up, “Has everyone finished their meal?”

They all responded in agreement, “Yes, we have.”

Cheng Song was the first to rise from his chair, suggesting, “Let’s head back to the living room; it’s getting a bit chilly out here due to the temperature difference by the seaside.”

The temperature difference was indeed noticeable.

Everyone got up and walked back to the cozy cottage.

Inside the cottage, the temperature was just right, and the inviting living room was prepared with tea and snacks.

They gathered around the sofa and sat down.

Just as they settled in, Cheng Song approached with a pair of headphones, a mischievous smile on his face, “Did you all find the meal delicious?”

Yao Tong sensed trouble and replied first, “It was okay, nothing special.”

Cheng Song shrugged, “Alright then, if that’s the case, Brother Yao will have to take care of his own meals after tonight.”

Yao Tong: ??

Chi Xingwen quickly chimed in, “I thought it was delicious! I love the sour and spicy flavors!”

Cheng Song smiled again, “If you love it so much, Little Chi, you’ll have to work even harder to secure good food tomorrow.”

Chi Xingwen: ??

The barrage of comments burst into laughter.

Ye Fei asked directly, “So what’s the next step in the plan?”

Cheng Song looked at everyone, “It’s simple. Next, we’ll play a post-dinner game, where the outcome will directly impact whether you all have breakfast tomorrow.”

Ye Fei: ??

Ji Chengyi inquired, “What game is it?”

“Considering everyone’s tired from the journey today, we’ll just play a simple game.” Cheng Song glanced at the script, “The game is called ‘The Lip Reading Challenge.'”

【To the production team, I advise against introducing such games! They are legally married! Shouldn’t kisses and hugs be more appropriate?! What’s with this Lip Reading Challenge?】

【The Lip Reading Challenge! I think this is even more teasing than just kissing directly!】

【Yes, I remember in the last season, a guest couldn’t resist and instead of guessing the lip-reading challenge, ended up kissing his spouse several times! It was so sweet!】

【Get on with it quickly! I want to see Mr. Lin kissing Mr. Ji until his lips swell!!!】

Lin Jindu hadn’t played this game before and asked, “How do we play?”

Cheng Song briefly explained the rules.

The rules were simple.

The husbands paired up, with one wearing noise-canceling headphones while the other would relay phrases from the prompt board provided by the director. During this time, only a few words could be gestured with hands, and the rest had to be guessed based on the lip movements shown by their partners.

At the end of the game, the couple with the most correct answers within the set time would receive a red heart.

The rankings would be based on the number of red hearts, with a higher rank resulting in a more lavish breakfast. The last-place couple would have to fend for themselves for breakfast.

          After explaining the rules, Cheng Song looked at everyone and asked, “So, which couple will be the first to take on the challenge?”

With the game’s outcome directly affecting breakfast the next day, none of the guest couples dared to rush in, curious to see how others would play.

The living room fell silent.

Cheng Song’s gaze swept over the guests, finally settling on Ji Chengyi and Lin Jindu.

Ji Chengyi: …

Lin Jindu: …

Lin Jindu glanced at Ji Chengyi, “Mr. Ji, do you understand the rules?”

Ji Chengyi nodded, “Yes, I do.”

Politely, Lin Jindu inquired, “Shall we start first?”

Ji Chengyi pursed his lips, “Sure.”

Cheng Song smiled and gestured, “Let the two CEOs come over here.”

Ji Chengyi and Lin Jindu rose from the sofa and walked over to the designated spot indicated by Cheng Song.

The distance between the two small sofas facing each other was quite close, and both of their legs were quite long. As Lin Jindu sat down, he accidentally touched Ji Chengyi’s knee. Lin Jindu lowered his eyelashes, subtly glancing at Ji Chengyi’s knee before moving his own leg away.

Noticing this detail, Ji Chengyi adjusted his position, keeping his legs together and hands resting on his knees, trying not to touch Lin Jindu.

【So obedient! Mr. Ji’s contrasting cute moments are too much! Despite his cold demeanor!】

【No kidding, Mr. Ji is like an XP character! Every frame is stunning! Nosebleed.jpg】

【Wow, seriously! I can’t even imagine how good Mr. Lin has it! I want to possess Mr. Lin! Fist clenching.jpg】

【What’s with this? Does Mr. Lin disdain our Mr. Ji!?】

Lin Jindu didn’t have any disdain, he just remembered that Ji Chengyi didn’t like intimate contact with others.

And now.

He observed Ji Chengyi sitting like a well-behaved schoolchild, finding it somewhat amusing. However, he didn’t show it, just subtly quirked his lips and then looked away towards Cheng Song, asking, “Can we start now?”

“Of course,” Cheng Song approached and handed the headphones to Lin Jindu, “Mr. Lin, you can put on the headphones now when you’re ready.”

Lin Jindu took the headphones from Cheng Song. Cheng Song intended to create some small talk but noticed Lin Jindu had already put on the headphones without consulting Ji Chengyi on how to effectively convey the content.

Ji Chengyi didn’t see anything wrong with this action and asked Cheng Song, “Where are the prompts?”

Cheng Song: …

Cheng Song’s attempt to lighten the mood got stuck in his throat for a moment. However, he quickly raised his hand and said, “Mr. Lin, you can look at the staff for the prompts.”

With that said, the staff behind Lin Jindu started displaying the prompt board, and a two-minute countdown began.

Ji Chengyi, without checking the time, quickly signaled four fingers to Lin Jindu after reading the words on the board.

Seeing Ji Chengyi’s slender and fair hand, Lin Jindu nodded, “Yes, four words.”

Once he understood, Ji Chengyi withdrew his hand and then pronounced slowly and clearly, “Fu – Ru – Dong – Hai.”

The cameramen didn’t miss any aesthetically pleasing shots. They had already focused the camera on Ji Chengyi’s face, not daring to just capture certain parts for fear of overwhelming the viewers or facing repercussions from Lin Jindu later.

Even so, the deliberate slow pace of Ji Chengyi’s speech was incredibly captivating.

【Oh my gosh! The production team knows how to make the prompts interesting – all with pouting sounds! Laugh out loud.jpg】

【Ah, Mr. Ji’s lips! Seriously, I could kiss him until he’s all worn out!!!】

【The commenter above… Can I also give him a kiss? Pitiful.jpg】

【Oh my goodness! Mr. Lin can endure this; he must be a ninja turtle!】

On the live stream, Lin Jindu had maintained a composed posture since sitting down, with no change in his facial expression. However, from the moment Ji Chengyi began speaking, Lin Jindu had actually started feeling uncomfortable.

He wasn’t accustomed to staring at people’s lips continuously, but due to the rules of this game requiring him to guess the content based on Ji Chengyi’s lip movements, Lin Jindu’s gaze remained fixed on Ji Chengyi’s lips throughout.

Under the spotlight, Ji Chengyi’s lips slowly moved, opening and closing. From Lin Jindu’s perspective, he could vaguely see the pearly white teeth between Ji Chengyi’s lip petals, and…

The subtle wetness and hue of his lips changing with the pronunciation, some parts smooth and flat, others slightly curled.

Lin Jindu: …

Unconsciously clearing his throat, Lin Jindu interrupted before Ji Chengyi could repeat the phrase, “Fu – Ru – Dong – Hai.”

【Hahaha, Mr. Lin, why did you clear your throat just now!】

【Ah, where’s my adhesive squad! Quickly glue their mouths shut!】

Initially, seeing Lin Jindu look puzzled, Ji Chengyi thought he hadn’t understood, but to his surprise, Lin Jindu guessed correctly. This unexpected turn delighted Ji Chengyi, realizing that this game presented no challenge for Lin Jindu.

With this in mind, Ji Chengyi hurriedly glanced at the next prompt. It was also a four-word phrase.

As he gestured and slowly conveyed the phrase to Lin Jindu, Ji Chengyi pronounced each word carefully, “Spring – light – bright – charming.”

The lip shapes for this phrase were quite similar.

Lin Jindu, not catching on, softly requested, “Mr. Ji, can you slow down a bit more?”

Understanding the difficulty in lip-reading this idiom, Ji Chengyi leaned forward slightly, raised his chin a bit, and slowed down his pronunciation for better clarity, “Spring is bright and beautiful.”

Lin Jindu: …

Lin Jindu didn’t know how Ji Chengyi appeared to others at that moment. From his angle, Ji Chengyi, tilting his head and occasionally pouting his lips, seemed like a loving cat seeking kisses from its owner.

Lin Jindu dared not make a move, even subconsciously lightening his breath, as if afraid of startling the affectionate cat.

【Ah, is it charming or not? I don’t know! Mr. Ji, are you trying to charm someone to death?!】

【Oh my goodness! Eunuch Su, come quickly! Lift Mr. Ji and put me in his place!】

【No way, Mr. Lin, you can handle this? Why not try carrying cement instead? Clumsy.jpg】

【Seriously, Mr. Lin, if you can’t handle it, let me do it! I’m great at showing affection! Going crazy.jpg】

Lin Jindu was unaware of the barrage of comments. However, he did feel a bit at a loss.

With a light cough, Lin Jindu leaned back slightly, dodging the sudden warmth of Ji Chengyi’s breath approaching. He then softly said, “Pass, next one.”

He felt that if Ji Chengyi repeated it again, Ji Chengyi would get too close for comfort.

Upon hearing this, the exasperated production team collectively went wild.

And in unison, they all thought:

— Mr. Lin, are you really unable to handle this?!

Cheng Song sighed with disappointment, gestured for the staff to change the prompt board. The following prompts varied in difficulty.

Since Lin Jindu and Ji Chengyi were able to quickly guess the answers they could see, they saved a lot of time during the challenge. As a result, they achieved a commendable result of guessing six idioms correctly.

After the challenge, Ji Chengyi and Lin Jindu returned to the sofa in the living room. Lin Jindu, subtly, maintained some distance from Ji Chengyi and took a big sip of the cold drink on the coffee table.

Noticing Lin Jindu’s actions, Ji Chengyi didn’t think much of it. His gaze followed Yao Tong and Shao Wenlun as they returned to the small sofa.

Similar to Ji Chengyi and Lin Jindu, Shao Wenlun guessed while Yao Tong relayed the prompt using lip movements.

Ji Chengyi had thought that lip reading would be somewhat challenging, but as a bystander, he realized it was not just somewhat difficult but extremely challenging. They could only repeat the prompt using standard lip shapes without any additional hints.

This meant that the guesser had to observe minutely and quickly associate key words.

Ji Chengyi wasn’t sure how well he would have done if he had guessed, but observing Shao Wenlun, whose accuracy was extremely low, he understood the difficulty.

In just two minutes, Shao Wenlun only guessed correctly on three prompts, leading to Yao Tong scolding him for being dense. Shao Wenlun explained nonchalantly, “Your lips look so sexy; I couldn’t help but want to kiss you. I completely ignored what you were saying.”

Yao Tong blushed furiously and jokingly grabbed Shao Wenlun’s throat from behind as if to silence him. Shao Wenlun didn’t mind the playful scolding and returned to the sofa, wrapping his arm around Yao Tong’s waist.

Viewers in the barrage commented on how sweet the couple was. Amidst their playful bickering, Ji Chengyi belatedly realized the true meaning of the game – creating a high-sugar moment by using the ambiguous act of lip reading for the audience.

As Ji Chengyi turned to explain to Lin Jindu, he realized Lin Jindu was momentarily lost in thought. When Ji Chengyi called out to him, Lin Jindu snapped back, “Huh?”

Without questioning his absent-mindedness, Ji Chengyi simply said, “We’ll have a sumptuous breakfast tomorrow.”

His tone was gentle, his certainty evident, his hazel eyes bright and slightly joyous.

He looked like a victorious little cat, adorable and tempting to be petted on the head…

However, as soon as that thought crossed his mind, Lin Jindu suddenly tightened his grip on the cup in his hand, his brows furrowing slightly. It seemed like he couldn’t understand why he had such a thought. Without dwelling on it further, Lin Jindu quickly cleared his mind of that impolite and meaningless idea.

Maintaining his composure, Lin Jindu calmly remarked, “The other two groups haven’t started yet, Mr. Ji. Are you so sure we’ll win?”

Ji Chengyi looked at him and calmly analyzed, “Dong Shen and Ye Fei are the most affectionate couple here. Shao Wenlun can’t resist Yao Tong’s lip shape lure, especially Dong Shen.”

With this comment, Lin Jindu also understood the significance of the game. Recalling his discomfort during the game, Lin Jindu fell silent for a moment before asking, “Did you forget about the interns, Mr. Ji?”

Ji Chengyi’s tone remained the same, “Mr. Lin’s observation skills and reaction speed are superior to most people. The interns may not be able to match Mr. Lin.”

While this statement wasn’t exactly praise in Lin Jindu’s eyes, it was a fact. Regardless, Lin Jindu couldn’t help but feel a sense of inexplicable pleasure.

“Mr. Ji knows how to praise people,” Lin Jindu’s lips curved slightly.

Ji Chengyi responded with a faint smile, “Just stating the facts.”

With a soft acknowledgment, Lin Jindu shifted his gaze to Dong Shen and Ye Fei, who were about to start on the small sofa.

Ye Fei’s first phrase was simple: “flowers bloom and wilt”. When Dong Shen quickly guessed it, Ye Fei moved on to the next phrase, and they continued joyously.

The next phrase had a difficult lip shape, and Dong Shen couldn’t guess it quickly, so Ye Fei had to repeat it for him. But before he could finish repeating, Dong Shen leaned in and kissed his lips.

Surprised by Dong Shen’s sudden action, Ye Fei blushed and kicked his toe, saying, “Stop fooling around!”

Unable to hear him, Dong Shen could probably guess what he was saying and innocently replied, “Sorry, baby, I couldn’t resist. Please continue.”

【Mr. Lin, did you see that?! This is the essence of the Lip Reading Challenge!!!】

【Ah, why didn’t they place Mr. Lin behind Dong Shen and Ye Fei?! Why!!!】

【So sweet, so sweet! Since we can’t get the sweetness of the CEO couple, I’ll have to indulge in the exhilarating antics!!!】

After that, Dong Shen vividly demonstrated what it meant to act on impulse. Essentially, he would kiss Ye Fei each time when he guessed a word. Yao Tong and Chi Xingwen, enjoying the spectacle, added to the atmosphere, causing Ye Fei to blush deeply.

Dong Shen seemed to enjoy teasing Ye Fei’s shy expression, playfully kissing him without really focusing on guessing what Ye Fei was saying.

As the final two minutes counted down, Dong Shen only answered two prompts correctly.

Ye Fei gently scolded him as he removed Dong Shen’s headphones, “It’s all your fault, you got all the answers wrong.”

Dong Shen comforted him, “It’s okay, baby. They won’t actually let us go hungry. There will definitely be new tasks tomorrow, and we can win them then.”

Ye Fei huffed at him.

Watching the two intimate partners return to their seats, Ji Chengyi turned to Lin Jindu and asked, “What do you think, Mr. Lin? Was I right earlier?”

Lin Jindu turned his gaze back to him, briefly scanning his full lips before quickly looking away.

In a deep tone, he affirmed, “Yes, Mr. Lin, you were right. The allure of a lover’s lips is indeed powerful.”

At that moment, Lin Jindu reaffirmed that emotions not only held no real value but could also become a stumbling block on the path to victory. He felt fortunate that he didn’t need such things.

Ji Chengyi summarized, “So, this game was a small win for us.”

Without looking at him, Lin Jindu simply agreed, “Yes, we were lucky.”

【Mr. Ji, don’t say that you got a small win! It’s just that Mr. Lin really couldn’t do it!!!】

【Mr. Lin, if you have the guts, look into Mr. Ji’s eyes!】

【I can’t stand it! Why did this variety show just start?! I want to fast forward to the day when Mr. Lin gets embarrassed! Pulling my hair.jpg】