TYMRHBDES Chapter 167

A searing pain shot through Fang Yan’s eyes, and tears streamed down his face.

He had long forgotten Zhou Jing’s earlier warning and was now desperate to rinse his eyes, mumbling “Okay, okay” as he stumbled toward the restroom.

Zhou Jing’s gaze lingered briefly on Jiang Luoluo’s worried expression.

He shook his head inwardly with a wry smile.

So innocent, like a little lamb. He doesn’t even realize he’s being manipulated.

What can I do?

I have to coax him and protect him properly.

Zhou Jing gave Jiang Luoluo a reassuring smile, letting him know everything was fine.

His eyes then slid across the faces of Pei Yu and Jiang Wei.

In that fleeting moment, the three men had reached a silent, unspoken agreement.

As Zhou Jing and Fang Yan’s figures disappeared into the distance, the tense atmosphere in the studio eased. The assistant director clapped his hands. “Alright, let’s continue.”

“Now, esteemed food critics, please share your thoughts on these two dishes…”

In the restroom, Fang Yan stumbled frantically to the sink, turned on the faucet, and cupped his hands to splash water into his burning eyes.

The cool water soothed the burning pain. Fang Yan exhaled deeply, but before he could fully relax, Zhou Jing’s voice echoed from behind him.

The smiling voice reverberated through the empty restroom, yet carried an undercurrent of approaching dread.

“A little water won’t be enough, will it?”

Zhou Jing’s smile remained bright as he pressed Fang Yan’s head down into the overflowing sink.

Fang Yan instinctively struggled, his mouth opening soundlessly as countless streams of water rushed into his mouth and nostrils.

Gasping for air, he flailed his hands against the sink, only to have them pinned down by Zhou Jing. His legs kicked wildly, striking Zhou Jing, but the man remained motionless.

The suffocating pressure blanked Fang Yan’s mind. As the threat of death loomed, he forced his mouth wider, letting out a gurgling sound as water filled his throat.

Just as Fang Yan was on the verge of drowning, his struggles slowing, Zhou Jing finally yanked him up by the hair. Looking at him with feigned regret, he murmured softly:

“How could you be so careless? You’ve messed up your hair!”

Fang Yan gasped for breath, his bloodshot eyes glaring fiercely at Zhou Jing. Between ragged breaths, he coughed incessantly.

After a few seconds, he recklessly swung a fist at Zhou Jing, only to have it easily intercepted.

He couldn’t understand how the seemingly slender Zhou Jing possessed such immense strength, pinning him down with an unyielding grip while maintaining that gentle, concerned smile:

“Still not feeling better? Why are your eyes so red?”

With feigned concern, Zhou Jing pressed Fang Yan’s head back into the sink, watching him struggle helplessly underwater.

The echoing voice in the restroom sounded remarkably considerate: “Feeling any better this time?”

He yanked Fang Yan out, looked at him patiently, and said:

“Why won’t you listen to me?”

“I told you to stop scheming.”

“Why can’t you ever learn?”

Another heavy splash echoed as Zhou Jing’s eyes curved into a smile:

“You really made me resort to this method to knock some sense into you…”

***

Zhou Jing and Fang Yan were gone for over half an hour.

By the time they returned, the results had already been announced.

Upon learning that Jiang Luoluo’s seafood dish had received more votes than his own, Zhou Jing accepted the outcome graciously, remarking:

“Luo Luo is a professional food streamer, and I’m completely convinced of his expertise. I’m truly impressed.”

“If I get the chance in the future, I’d love to learn a few more tricks from Teacher Jiang!”

Pei Yu shot him a cold glance.

Learn a few more tricks?

This is just a pathetic attempt to curry favor .

Jiang Wei’s gaze settled on Fang Yan.

Standing so close, he could clearly see the damp strands of hair clinging to Fang Yan’s neck and the bloodshot eyes.

The entertainment industry is truly fascinating.

Pei Yu keeps insisting he’s straight, but he’s so obviously gay it’s almost comical. He clings to Luo Luo throughout the show, reeking of jealousy.

Zhou Jing appears refined and handsome in front of the cameras, but I bet he’s ruthless behind the scenes, showing Fang Yan no mercy whatsoever.

My rivals are truly formidable.

Jiang Wei casually steered the conversation toward Fang Yan, saying:

“Teacher Fang, aren’t you the dance lead for FIX? How come your balance is so poor? You almost fell over earlier.”

Hearing Jiang Wei’s words, Fang Yan nervously swallowed. “It was an accident…”

He suspected he had revealed some weakness.

How did Zhou Jing notice it too? And now Jiang Wei is bringing it up as well.

Even if they know, it doesn’t matter as long as the audience doesn’t find out.

Otherwise, my carefully crafted image might collapse.

Fortunately, Jiang Wei didn’t press the issue further, and Fang Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

They gathered to taste Jiang Luoluo and Zhou Jing’s two dishes, taking the opportunity to promote Qihai’s local seafood. The afternoon’s culinary competition came to an end.

The sun had already begun its descent, painting the sky with vibrant evening hues.

After a full day, Jiang Wei and Jiang Luoluo’s team had secured two victories, their points far surpassing the others.

The production team announced that the team with the highest points would have priority in re-forming the teams.

Jiang Wei was overjoyed. His score was tied with Jiang Luoluo’s, and he would get to choose first.

If the team members for the second half of the show get to share rooms at night…

I want to sleep with Luo Luo.

The production team seemed to be deliberately creating suspense. “After spending a day together, the five teachers must be more familiar with each other now. They might even have more suitable teammates in mind.”

“We’re giving the teachers 30 minutes to discuss among themselves. After that, they should write their desired teammates’ names on the whiteboards.”

“Higher scores take priority, followed by mutual selections.”

“Since we’ll have three teams tomorrow, someone will inevitably have to form a team alone.”

“What does this mean?”

“It’s like stacking buffs. Jiang Luoluo and Jiang Wei’s choices have priority, but if either of them mutually selects one of the other three, the mutual selection takes precedence.”

“Tsk tsk, Pei Yu, Jiang Wei, and Zhou Jing will definitely choose my wife. So whoever my wife picks is who he gets?”

“Not a single one of them isn’t lusting after my wife! How is he supposed to choose?!”

“So these 30 minutes are just a massive competition between powerful men? To see who can win my wife’s heart?”

“Waaah, why can’t he have them all?! Why can’t they all… *ahem*… cherish my precious wife together?”

***

After hearing the director’s explanation, everyone immediately understood his sinister intentions.

Three scorching gazes suddenly fell on Jiang Luoluo. He blinked his watery eyes, his innate Little Fox-like alertness sensing the impending danger.

Before the others could approach, Jiang Luoluo raised his small hand and asked the director sweetly, “Is this free time now?”

Seeing Jiang Luoluo’s popularity soaring, the director grinned like a fool. “Of course!”

Jiang Luoluo nodded, acknowledging the answer.

He quickly glanced at the others nearby, mumbled something about needing to wash his hands, and darted away.

His swift movements drew a chorus of “hahaha” from the live stream chat.

Pei Yu, as always, acted without restraint. He strode off in the direction Jiang Luoluo had taken.

Jiang Wei glanced at Zhou Jing and casually suggested, “Want to go to the restroom together, Teacher Zhou?”

Zhou Jing nodded, and the two followed Pei Yu.

Left standing awkwardly with his card, Fang Yan’s face flushed crimson with embarrassment.

Jiang Luoluo sprinted to the restroom entrance but paused. After a moment’s thought, he bypassed the door and circled around, running toward the back.

He had barely disappeared when Pei Yu arrived.

Pei Yu strode forward, his black silk shirt sleeves rolled up, his face both handsome and cold, radiating an air of arrogant confidence.

He stopped at the restroom door and, turning to the VJ Teacher filming him, asked in a low voice, “You’re going to film me even when I use the restroom?”

His striking, icy features filled the screen, his sword-like eyebrows arching slightly.

The young VJ Teacher flushed slightly and waved his hands frantically in denial.

As Pei Yu entered, he realized he’d been tricked. The Little Fox Spirit hadn’t come in at all.

Just as he was about to leave, two more figures entered the restroom.

Both men were momentarily surprised to find the restroom empty of their intended target. However, with their VJ Teachers squatting outside the door, they couldn’t just turn around and leave—that would seem too deliberate.

Jiang Wei casually walked further into the restroom, stopping beside Pei Yu. “Teacher Pei, just using the restroom?”

The public restroom had no partitions between the urinals, leaving everyone standing side-by-side, their activities in full view.

Jiang Wei, standing over six feet tall, possessed certain anatomical features that grew in proportion to his height. He had even compared sizes with his basketball teammates during restroom breaks—the results were quite impressive.

Though Pei Yu was nearly as tall as him, Jiang Wei’s years of experience in men’s restrooms gave him unwavering confidence.

Isn’t this a crucial aspect of male dignity?

He was eager to see if his two rivals would soon feel ashamed of themselves.

Before Pei Yu could react, Zhou Jing finally understood why Jiang Wei had insisted on them all going to the restroom together.

At 1.80 meters tall, Zhou Jing wasn’t short by entertainment industry standards, but he was naturally dwarfed by Jiang Wei, the basketball-playing giant.

During puberty, without weight gain, height and *that* tend to correlate.

Zhou Jing frowned, unsure whether to be angry or resigned at Jiang Wei’s crude comparison.

Pei Yu, who had been about to leave, paused, a peculiar expression flickering across his handsome face as he regarded Jiang Wei with a half-amused, half-mocking gaze.

“Are you sure you want me to join you?”

Jiang Wei nodded confidently. “Absolutely!”

Half a minute later, Jiang Wei stood between them, brimming with self-assurance, and untied the drawstring of his white casual pants.

Zhou Jing glanced over nonchalantly, his eyes widening slightly in surprise.

So it really is proportional.

Pei Yu stood beside them, his slender fingers unzipping his black dress pants.

Jiang Wei, who had been eagerly waiting to shatter Pei Yu’s confidence, brazenly glanced over.

He immediately exclaimed in shock, “Holy shit!!”