Chapter 34: Unexpected Dip and a Modest Proposal

Unable to swim, she was like a sailboat adrift in a storm, completely at Qin Yu’s mercy. She could only let Qin Yu guide her through the water.

Just as she felt her breath giving out, unable to hold it any longer, a gulp of air escaped her lips.

With a gulp, the two finally resurfaced.

“Huuu… huu… huu!”

Lin Ziyao broke the surface, gasping deeply for fresh air. If they had stayed underwater for even a moment longer, she would have completely run out of breath.

As she continued to gulp down air, she slowly regained her senses. She realized she was in a swimming pool and instinctively wanted to cling to Qin Yu beside her.

“I… I can’t swim!”

Lin Ziyao thrashed wildly, sending splashes across the water. She instinctively gravitated towards Qin Yu, her sole lifeline in this situation, terrified that if she stopped moving, she would immediately sink.

“This is the shallow end,” Qin Yu said softly beside her. “You’re tall enough to stand here!”

Qin Yu’s gentle words brought Lin Ziyao back to her senses, momentarily suppressing her fear. She stopped thrashing her arms.

Qin Yu extended a hand and pulled Lin Ziyao closer.

“Really?” Lin Ziyao asked cautiously.

“Just stand up first.”

At that moment, Lin Ziyao’s hands were wrapped around Qin Yu’s neck like vines, her body curled tightly. Her legs were still only about half an arm’s length from the bottom of the pool.

“Oh!”

She obediently acknowledged, following Qin Yu’s instruction. Extending her legs, she felt her feet touch the pool floor, finally realizing she could indeed stand in the water.

“Are you two alright? Not hurt, are you?”

Dai Wen stood by the edge of the pool. She had been on the other side moments ago when a loud splash drew her immediately to Qin Yu’s location. She arrived just in time to see them both sliding into the pool.

“We’re fine, but could you please get us two large towels?” Qin Yu requested. She glanced at her own and Lin Ziyao’s soaked appearances before asking Dai Wen for help.

Lin Ziyao, standing motionless in the water, couldn’t understand Qin Yu’s request for towels. “We can just walk up the ladder right here. Why bother Dai Wen to get towels?”

Faced with Lin Ziyao’s seemingly naive question, Qin Yu could only sigh openly before her.

“Pink ones!”

“???”

Qin Yu’s words left Lin Ziyao utterly bewildered. Hadn’t they just been discussing towels? Why had the conversation suddenly shifted to colors?

Following Qin Yu’s gaze, she slowly lowered her eyes to her own shoulders.

“You!”

Instantly, Lin Ziyao’s eyes filled with embarrassment. She quickly crossed her arms over her chest, sinking her body a little deeper into the water. She darted a glance around, relieved to see no cameramen had yet arrived.

Only then did she find the moment to complain to Qin Yu: “Your priorities are always so odd.”

Before the game began, Director Chen had instructed them to wear comfortable clothing for movement. Lin Ziyao’s outfit for the day was primarily loose and casual. Her white top, now thoroughly soaked, had become quite transparent, revealing the undergarments beneath.

“You’re simply too oblivious,” Qin Yu retorted, also partially concealed beneath the water’s surface.

Due to the sunlight reflecting off the pool tiles, it wasn’t easy for onlookers to discern the exact color of their clothes. Qin Yu casually swept her wet hair, letting it fall forward over her chest.

Lin Ziyao found herself speechless, unable to retort. After all, she had only been a “girl” for less than a week, and certainly lacked the self-awareness that came with it.

They waited in the pool for Dai Wen to return with the towels.

Just then, the cameraman arrived with his equipment from the top of the tower, coincidentally meeting Dai Wen, who was rushing back with the towels, and Feng Qiqi, who had come to assist.

“Turn off the cameras first, this part can’t be filmed,” Dai Wen commanded decisively, gesturing for the cameraman to lower his equipment. “Qiqi, go keep an eye on them!”

She then ushered all the crew members several meters away, assigning Feng Qiqi to supervise them.

Only after these preparations were made did she turn to reassure the two women in the pool.

“Come out quickly now,” she urged. “I’ve got Qiqi watching outside.”

After receiving a nod of confirmation from Qin Yu, Lin Ziyao slowly ascended the ladder. As she neared the top, Dai Wen quickly wrapped a large towel around her.

Soon after, Qin Yu also climbed out of the pool, similarly enveloping herself entirely in a large towel.

“You two were far too careless,” Dai Wen chided them gently.

Having seen them emerge from the pool from a distance, Feng Qiqi also walked over to inquire. “What happened? How did you two end up in the pool?”

She had been comfortably lounging in the pool herself, until she suddenly heard a loud splash. Not long after, Dai Wen rushed back, frantic, to grab two towels, then hastily called for Feng Qiqi to follow.

“When Qin Yu finally caught me, my foot slipped, and we both tumbled into the pool,” Lin Ziyao explained.

Before Qin Yu could speak, Lin Ziyao quickly recounted the events to Feng Qiqi.

“I was so scared!” Feng Qiqi exclaimed. “When I heard the splash from the next lane, I thought something serious had happened.”

Now that both women were safely out of the water, Dai Wen could finally let out a long breath, her entire body relaxing.

“Are you two alright?”

Director Chen, along with the other male guests, arrived a step behind Feng Qiqi. Now, they too offered words of concern to the two women.

Only after Feng Qiqi gently ushered them away did Lin Ziyao truly feel a sense of relief. Sometimes, being surrounded by too many people could create an inexplicable pressure.

“What should we do now?” she asked. “We can’t possibly film the show in soaking wet clothes, can we?”

She wanted to consult Qin Yu. The show still had one final punishment segment to film, and the sun was already beginning to set. It was impossible to make the entire crew miss the optimal shooting time for their sake.

However, if they didn’t go back to change and instead filmed in their wet clothes, both of them would undoubtedly catch a cold.

“Actually, I have an idea,” Feng Qiqi interjected. “Didn’t the production crew prepare swimsuits? You two could just pick one and change into it, couldn’t you?”

“That’s certainly feasible,” Qin Yu agreed.

Feng Qiqi’s suggestion made Qin Yu’s eyes light up, earning her approval. It was the most suitable solution for their current predicament.

After hearing Feng Qiqi’s advice, Qin Yu took Lin Ziyao’s hand and led her towards the changing rooms prepared by the production crew, ready to switch into swimsuits.

“Huh?”

However, Lin Ziyao hadn’t even processed the shock. Wrapped in her towel, she was completely unprepared when Qin Yu took her hand and led her towards the changing rooms.

“Wait!” she protested, a strong sense of dissatisfaction in her voice. “Aren’t you going to ask for my opinion? Deciding on a solution without consulting me first isn’t fair!”

“Objection overruled!”

Qin Yu’s single sentence instantly silenced her. Lin Ziyao shrugged her shoulders, weighing the pros and cons in her mind. Ultimately, she obediently allowed Qin Yu to lead her by the hand towards the changing rooms prepared by the production crew.

‘I hope the swimsuits the production crew prepared aren’t too outlandish.’