Chapter 502: Should I Give You a Certificate?

The student who had been lying there only wanted to close her eyes and rest, waiting for Bai Liang to return.

At first, she felt a bit shy and nervous, even curling her toes.

But as time passed, listening to the rain outside, she felt her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

After a sweet yawn, she simply fell asleep.

Although Bai Liang hadn't slept in this room yet, it was still "his" room, so sleeping here felt even more pleasant~

She didn't know how long had passed—she woke up from an itch.

Half-asleep, she felt her feet tingling, as if someone was touching her toes~

Of course, Bai Liang wasn't sneaking around doing such things—he didn't have any strange preferences like that.

He was just curious. Who was it?

Just now, the rain had stopped, because Bai Liang no longer needed the sound of rain to mask other noises.

So when he returned to the room, he heard steady breathing inside.

Fortunately, this young lady didn't snore—she just breathed a bit heavier while asleep~

That was normal; if someone was exhausted during the day, they often slept like this at night.

Bai Liang had actually encountered someone like this before—Li Yitong, who snored loudly after a tiring day.

So that show "Chase Me" was truly "damn" for exhausting such a beautiful girl like that~

But the little evil kitten herself always denied that the snoring recording Bai Liang made was hers, vigorously arguing against it.

After all, he'd only recorded audio, not video.

As for this girl lying on his bed now, she slept peacefully—only a faint breath sounded, and Bai Liang touched her foot simply to identify who it was~

Actually, when he saw those white socks, he already guessed it was the student.

Of all the girls today, she was the only one who came to bed wearing socks after bathing—the other two were barefoot.

Of course, adhering to strict principles, Bai Liang still observed a bit more.

But he didn't want to turn on the light and wake her; in the dark, with poor visibility, he could only reach out and feel.

But his movement still startled the "sleeping beauty"—she murmured softly and tried to pull her foot away.

Bai Liang: Ah~ Wearing socks to sleep in this weather causes sweaty feet—it's better to take them off.

Being helpful, he was naturally willing to help with that.

But as he gently tugged at them, he realized—

Oh no! This girl was wearing nothing but socks.

As his eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, some things became clearer~

And now that the rain had stopped, moonlight from outside offered a little visibility.

That soft, pale skin—

At this moment, the student had already woken up; even though she couldn't see Bai Liang in the dark, she didn't need to feel like he did to know who it was.

She whispered softly: "Senior, you're back?"

"Sorry I woke you."

The student shook her head, shifted her body, moved half of the bed over to make space, then buried her head under the covers and mumbled: "Senior, it's late—go to sleep too."

Bai Liang paused slightly. "Should I go take a shower first?"

"You already showered before."

Clearly, this girl had waited for him so long—even napping in between—that she was already impatient.

After Bai Liang lay down, he saw that little head completely disappear under the covers, then begin to shift.

When she found the right spot, she began a maneuver she hadn't done in a while but still remembered well.

But suddenly, she paused mid-action~

This doesn't smell right!

The rain, which had just stopped, suddenly poured down again; the moon, barely visible, was hastily covered by dark clouds~

Under these conditions, even though the cabin's soundproofing was poor, the sound of rain hitting the windows drowned out nearly all other noises.

——

The next morning, when a knock came at the door, Bai Liang, who was washing up, turned to look at Chen Duling still lounging in bed.

She blushed, then slid instantly under the covers.

Then, quietly, she poked half her head out, looking adorable as she observed secretly.

Bai Liang signaled to her, indicating he was about to open the door and see who it was.

Chen Duling hesitated, then nodded.

But for safety, Bai Liang opened the door only a crack—when he saw Xiao Zhao Jie standing outside, he opened it wider. "Good morning~"

"It's not early anymore—you used to be an early riser, why are you still in bed now?"

Xiao Zhao Jie noticed Bai Liang wasn't wearing a shirt and openly admired him.

She looked him up and down.

She wouldn't pretend to blush at seeing this boy bare-chested—she just loved looking.

More invigorating than coffee!

"We're on a ship—I can't go running on deck, so I might as well sleep in."

"Then come on, let's get breakfast."

"You go ahead—I'll brush my teeth first."

Hearing this, Xiao Zhao Jie frowned.

Hmph, lying!

Without any more nonsense, she reached out and wiped at the corner of his mouth, then showed off the toothpaste on her hand. Her gaze was playful~

Being exposed on the spot, Bai Liang wasn't flustered at all. He shamelessly flashed a smile at the older sister, looking like a cheeky rascal begging for a beating.

At this, Sister Xiao Zhao didn't say much more. She reached out and gave him a light pat, then turned and walked away.

Leaving behind one line: "Just you wait!"

After hearing the door close, Chen Duling poked her head out from under the covers. "What did Sister Li Ying mean by that last line?"

"The literal meaning. She'll most likely bring breakfast over to me in a bit." Bai Liang judged based on his own experience.

Although it sounded fierce, the other party actually liked communicating with him this way, so he really only needed to wait, and then breakfast would be delivered right to his door.

"Huh?"

Chen Duling genuinely couldn't figure it out. That line sounded a lot like a threat or something—how did it turn into delivering breakfast?

"Aren't you going to get dressed and run?" Bai Liang reminded her.

If she didn't run now, Chen Duling would most likely get cornered in the room by Sister Xiao Zhao later.

But this girl, after getting what she wanted, seemed to grow bolder still. After tidying her somewhat messy hair a bit, she actually said: "Senior. Can I not be here?"

When she said this, Dulu's eyes were fixed tightly on Bai Liang, as if seeking a very important answer.

Yet Bai Liang didn't hesitate or agonize at all. "It's not like you can't. I'm mainly afraid you'd be embarrassed."

"I don't mind!" Dulu declared righteously, while her heart secretly felt sweet.

This sweetness could even mask the fatigue and soreness in her body.

Her expression management was really quite good—inside she was already setting off fireworks and cheering, but on her face she kept a smile, looking all calm and composed.

A few minutes later, Sister Xiao Zhao really did bring breakfast to Bai Liang.

Can't be helped, he's the young master~

She had always been the type to nag and grumble at Bai Liang with her words, while her actions were full of tolerance and even indulgence.

Only this time, she actually entered the room.

Naturally, she also saw Chen Duling.

Dulu, who had long been prepared, immediately straightened her back the moment Sister Xiao Zhao arrived.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she hadn't put on her own clothes yet—she was wearing one of Bai Liang's t-shirts.

She had even deliberately not put on pants, so the pattern of her underwear could be faintly seen.

Then she locked eyes boldly with Sister Xiao Zhao in a brave staring contest, and her momentum didn't seem to lose out.

At this, Sister Xiao Zhao's body visibly paused for a beat.

Yet a few seconds later, a slight smile actually appeared on her face. Her expression was playful.

The next second, she acted as if she hadn't seen the other girl at all, turned to look at Bai Liang, and urged: "Hurry up and finish breakfast, come out so we can discuss how to film today's program."

After saying this, she turned and left, even considerately closing the door behind Bai Liang.

As for Sister Xiao Zhao's reaction, Bai Liang wasn't surprised, because she had always been like this.

Even if she occasionally felt like running her mouth for fun, she generally just talked big with Big Mi Mi, not even bothering to engage with Reba and Nazha.

As for someone like Chen Duling, she had even less interest.

But for Dulu herself, it felt really strange.

Her act of mustering courage to assert her presence seemed to be nothing in the other woman's eyes—not even a hint of anger.

Actually, she had sensed yesterday that the woman's relationship with her senior was unusual.

The most direct evidence was—the vibe was off.

So the question came: who could it be?

Zhou Ye could be ruled out directly. This little puppy, while clingy, seemed bold, but up until today had only dared to smooch Bai Liang once at the wrap party.

There was also Yang Chaoyue, whom Chen Duling hadn't even noticed anything off about. So the only one left could be Zhao Liying.

Having worked with Bai Liang many times, their relationship was especially close, and all sorts of unconscious little gestures of indulgence toward him kept popping up.

This was also the main reason Dulu had prepared herself for a "confrontation" the moment she heard the other woman's voice.

I literally got up from his bed! We slept together last night! So what?!

Yet facing this little rabbit with reddened eyes wanting to pick a fight, Sister Xiao Zhao was completely unfazed—calm as could be.

So what?

Oh~ not much.

That's it? Should I give you a certificate of merit?

It wasn't her first time seeing a young girl throw herself at Bai Liang—she'd seen plenty, no surprise.

Even back when the two of them weren't on good terms yet, and Sister Xiao Zhao had a poor impression of Bai Liang, she had already noticed this guy was getting up to something shady with Li Xin.

So Chen Duling's behavior, which seemed like a declaration of sovereignty, was just a joke in her eyes.

"Dulu, are you planning to film the show in my clothes?" Bai Liang was actually a bit curious about Chen Duling's nerve.

She immediately chickened out. "Of course not! I'm changing right now—senior, turn around!"

This is the strangest thing about girls.

Even though they've clearly seen everything, when changing clothes or taking a shower, they still get shy and don't dare let anyone watch.

And when the two of them came out of the room, they happened to run into Zhou Ye, who was yawning with her hair not even fully tied up.

The moment she saw Chen Duling, her eyes went wide, so surprised her mouth couldn't quite close.

Chen Duling: Now that's the right reaction!

Zhao Liying's reaction earlier had made her deeply uncomfortable.

"Dulu-jie, you... this..."

"Shut it! If you say anything weird I'll beat you to death!" Chen Duling shook her little fist at Zhou Ye as she spoke.

But after saying it, she regretted it immediately, opened her fists, and turned back into a ladylike demeanor in an instant.

She cautiously glanced at Bai Liang, and only when she saw he showed no strong reaction did she sigh in relief.

Yet when she met up with others and encountered Xiao Zhao Jie again, seeing the same faint smile on the other's face, Du Du suddenly lost the courage she had before.

Because the other's attitude toward Bai Liang now was no different from before.

There was not a trace of the normal emotional fluctuations—anger, jealousy, or anything like that.

Du Du suddenly had a clear realization: he simply didn't take her seriously at all.

A deep sense of defeat surged into her heart.

The ambition that had swelled after last night's events—the determination to boldly stand by her senior's side—was completely shattered.

All her great resolve, all her initiative, and yet she had only managed to affect Zhou Ye, that clingy little puppy? —

"If this rain hasn't stopped by nine o'clock, and keeps getting heavier, we basically won't be able to go to Wuhan."

After speaking with the captain, Huang Jiaozhu brought this bad news.

"It's over—this rain hasn't stopped since yesterday," Yang Chaoyue said helplessly.

"Not quite—yesterday, it stopped for half an hour in the middle," Zhou Ye corrected slightly at this moment.

"Huh? You knew that?"

"I went to bed late~" Zhou Ye quickly added, having accidentally let it slip.

Actually, her room was right next to Bai Liang's, so last night before sleeping, she had used her traditional skill to eavesdrop on the little puppy going online.

But most of the time, the rain noise was too loud; she only faintly heard one or two sounds, which drove her frantic.

Today, seeing Chen Duling come out of Bai Liang's room, her resentment grew even deeper—why hadn't she heard anything~?

Bai Liang: There's nothing to be done—you listening alone is fine, but last night, without the rain to mask it, half the ship would've heard.

Du Du, who usually appeared fresh, natural, and gentle, could be surprisingly loud at times.

It was just quite a contrast.

"I think this rain won't stop—we won't be able to do today's guest-recruiting content. Let's think of something else to film," Huang Jiaozhu said helplessly.

"It should stop soon," Bai Liang said offhandedly.

Upon hearing this, Huang Jiaozhu nearly blurted out his famous line: "I don't care what you think—I think!"

But when he looked up and realized Bai Liang had said it, he paused, then asked: "... Really? Did the weather forecast say that?"

"I just threw the leftover snacks from Chef Lin's cooking yesterday into the Yangtze River—if the Long Wang has any sense, he'll make this rain stop right away," Bai Liang lied casually.

Huang Jiaozhu: Long Wang? Should I twist my mouth and turn into the Long Wang right here for you?

"Brother, you didn't feed the Long Wang—you were muttering 'baiting the spot' as you threw it," Zhou Ye immediately exposed him, grinning.

Bai Liang: Cough cough... yeah, I was baiting the spot~

He figured since the boat had stopped, the conditions were perfect for baiting and fishing.

Although he didn't really need baiting to fish, fishing as a pursuit wasn't just about the result—the process mattered too.

Bai Liang always enjoyed the process.

Just like last night.

No more talking—cast the rod, cast the rod!

Since filming couldn't proceed for now, the crew could only film coffee-making and snack-prepping, so Bai Liang simply took out his rod and started.

Last night he hadn't fished; now it was daytime, and though it still rained, the rod he'd brought specifically for catching giant Yangtze creatures had been aching to be used.

His sudden move gave the crew plenty of new footage—they hurriedly picked up their cameras and followed.

Du Du enthusiastically helped Bai Liang with his chair and umbrella.

In between, she stole glances at Zhao Liying and noticed that besides saying "Be careful," the woman hadn't done anything extra.

She was still sitting there drinking tea.

This made Du Du, who had gone a bit too far, feel sour—why are you so calm?!

No time to overthink—even fishing, Du Du declared, she'd be her senior's best partner!

She had already prepared herself to research and study!

"No little fish under a meter, okay?"

As he cast the rod, Bai Liang muttered to himself.

"One meter?" Zhou Ye, who had trotted over eagerly, held up his hand to show the approximate length, eyes wide, "A fry?!"

Bai Liang explained: "This is the Yangtze River—its widest parts span dozens of kilometers. The big fish here aren't comparable to those in small ponds."

"Brother, can you even catch one?"

"Hey!"

The way he said that—could Bai Liang really take such provocation?

Cast the line!

As the line arced through the air, came the "tense and thrilling" waiting phase.

To be fair, Bai Liang's treatment was indeed excellent—two girls attending him, one on each side.

One held the umbrella, another brought him water.

Meanwhile, the filming crew was considering whether to rig a giant fish onto Bai Liang's hook.

But just then, minutes hadn't passed, when a cargo ship passed by; as its horn pierced the rain curtain, the line went black!

In an instant, the fishing line snapped taut like a straight silver string!

Bai Liang yanked the rod upward with such force that the specially made giant-fish rod groaned in protest.

Fortunately, it held—even though its bend looked alarming.

At the same time, Bai Liang's shoes slipped on the rain-soaked deck, and he was literally dragged, pinned against the railing.

Accompanied by Zhou Ye's scream, the muddy yellow river water exploded into a vortex, and a certain greenish-black dorsal fin sliced through the waves, flashing across the surface before vanishing in an instant.

Bai Liang, who had steadied himself, turned his head to look back and nearly burst out laughing.

"It's fine, it's fine, Dudu, let go."

Because Chen Duling and Zhou Ye, these two Misses, were actually hugging each other, looking as if they wanted to use this method to hold him back.

If this fish could really drag Bai Liang down, adding the two of them probably wouldn't help much either.

And at this moment, Bai Liang suddenly really wanted to make a phone call to Sister Tian Tian.

Mainly to tell her one thing.

This time, he was really going to fish Kyogre up!

(End of this chapter)