Yanchuan found himself caught between Keri and his own thoughts, pondering when he had ever encountered someone like him. With no choice but to stand up, he walked alone to a long table filled with drinks and picked up a clean cup. Some beverages were labeled with different types of juices and cocktails, while others were in transparent cups, dark and mysterious, emanating a strong smell of alcohol.
pausing for a moment, Yanchuan delicately pointed his slender fingers on the table, finally selecting a vibrant juice and opening the bottle to pour a little into his glass. The task mentioned preparing a mixed drink, implying he should not use just one type.
Frowning slightly, his long lashes trembled. Should he add a bit more of something else? Yanchuan returned with a glass of deep-colored liquid, resembling overripe orange juice mixed with blood orange, streaked with unblended red, served in a clean, transparent glass, reminiscent of a cocktail hurriedly prepared for a guest.
His soft, pink-tipped fingers rested on the glass, turning slightly white from the pressure. His slender wrist had an elegant curve that made one wish to hold it gently.
“Here…” the fair-skinned, beautiful youth handed the glass to Keri, his gaze lowered, lashes quivering slightly. “Drink up.”
Keri reached out his hand. Whether intentionally or not, his fingertips brushed against Yanchuan’s delicate fingers, a barely perceptible touch.
The beautiful youth pursed his lips, inexplicably hesitant to withdraw his hand immediately. Keri picked up the drink Yanchuan had prepared, nodding as he casually swirled the glass, causing the thick, vibrant liquid inside to shift and deepen in color.
According to the task requirements, Keri needed to finish the drink. He raised an eyebrow, gave it a quick glance, and tilted his head back to down the beverage in one go.
Yanchuan watched Keri nervously. As Keri swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbed. His platinum hair spilled around him, his chin accentuating a striking curve.
Yanchuan blinked, feeling even more anxious than Keri. This drink had only passed through his hands; it was his concoction given to Keri. Yanchuan’s eyes were fixated on every movement Keri made.
To his surprise, Keri drank the entire beverage. Under Yanchuan’s watchful gaze, a crisp sound echoed as Keri placed the empty glass on the table, heightening Yanchuan’s anxiety.
The task was completed, yet he worried if he had unintentionally added something extra into the mix. He had chosen beverages with clear “juice” and “drink” labels, avoiding the dark, unknown liquids.
However, everything on the table was prepared for a program, and Yanchuan couldn’t be sure he hadn’t included something unintended. Keri licked the tip of his tongue, his brows slightly furrowing in contemplation.
It was juice, mixed with an unidentifiable drink that had explosively acidic flavors.
The sourness overwhelmed his palate, spreading through his mouth and invading his taste buds, distinctly strong and aggressively tart. Keri’s tongue tingled with the sharpness.
Initially, he tasted acidity, but after a sip, it intensified—like swallowing several whole lemons, their bitter juice consumed in one go.
Keri’s expression twisted slightly.
Yanchuan nervously asked, “How do you feel…?” This was their first conversation since entering the villa; previously, he hesitated to meet Keri’s gaze, uncertain if he was merely an NPC from the script.
But now he needed to inquire if Keri felt anything unusual. Yanchuan bit his lip, secretly hoping for a certain answer. The beautiful youth gazed earnestly at Keri, his pale cheeks reminiscent of a soft, vulnerable creature, awaiting a response.
Keri’s reply was a bland shake of the head. “It’s sour,” he added. “Very sour.”
【Did I accidentally add some apple cider vinegar?】
【OMG, I’m dying! The e-sports pup has such an amusing expression】
【Hey buddy, your wife added a bit of sourness, just drink it—it’s not poison】
【His face looks terrible! Wife, give him even more bitterness and saltiness!】
【If it were other bad guys, would they have poisoned him already? The program still shows some kindness; our darling is quite gentle!】
Very sour? Yanchuan’s eyes widened slightly as he scrutinized Keri’s expression, which indeed reflected the shock of the sour taste. His lips were tightly pressed, his expression strange, brows knitted together.
Yanchuan felt Keri needed a glass of plain, purified water. Keri still stared at him with a peculiar look.
Yanchuan cleared his throat awkwardly to ease the tension. “I also don’t know what I added…” He strained to remember the labels, recounting every detail to Keri: “Apple juice, orange juice… and maybe a bit of something else?”
“Is that all?” Yanchuan hesitated before voicing the last part. At least there was no poison involved, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He couldn’t really blame the sourness on himself; after all, it wasn’t intentional. Yanchuan returned to his seat, observing the spinning wheel resume its motion.
However, Keri continued to watch him intently, seemingly intent on keeping his gaze fixed until the end, creating a rather awkward situation. Yanchuan pressed his lips together, diverting his attention to the spinning wheel.
It was now the turn of the contestant in seat number three—Jiangqi. Yanchuan’s gaze landed on Jiangqi.