"And then?" Shi Jing asked for the third time.

Zhu Jinzhao: "Then, this kind of life followed her for six years, until she was admitted to university and left the home where she had lived for eighteen years."

"She still didn't have any friends in college, but luckily, no one bullied her anymore. Everyone was busy with their own things, and she focused on her own as well. Although she was lonely, she was at peace."

"Shi Jing, where does someone like her get the courage to fight against all this overwhelming malice? Just living peacefully is difficult enough, how can she dare to go against those people?"

...

After hearing her finish speaking, the anger on Shi Jing's face was completely dispelled by the sea breeze. He frowned, looking at Zhu Jinzhao quietly with a puzzled yet heartbroken gaze, wanting to say something but not knowing where to begin.

In the distance, the cameraman, wielding a bulky camera, secretly filmed Shi Jing and Zhu Jinzhao's backs from various angles. After finishing filming, he returned to the villa and took several close-ups of the five guests in the somber atmosphere of the living room on the first floor.

After filming the PR materials, the publicity team immediately turned them into a video and hurriedly posted it on Weibo.

"My little darling, your friends will always be there for you."

"Let's Make Friends is a harmonious and loving family. The seven friends in the family are all very good and kind people. I hope that everyone can stay calm when watching the live broadcast and not hurt innocent guests because of personal emotions."

"Less hostility, more respect. Goodnight, my friends."

The video was accompanied by three lines of text, which not only comforted Zhu Jinzhao and maintained the relationship between the guests, but also advised the emotionally charged fans, which can be considered as taking a comprehensive approach.

In the comments section, many rational netizens were helping the program team to guide the public's opinion.

Some fans shouldn't cause trouble for their idols. Your online rants and insults will only embarrass and embarrass your idol in the end.

First of all, this is a variety show about making friends. Secondly, this is a variety show about making friends, not a dating show. If you want to ship couples, please keep it to yourselves or at least be discreet. The celebrities themselves have already clarified this, and you're still being so resentful in the comments section. Don't you think that's cheap?

Everyone starts as a newcomer. Have you ever thought about what your idols were like when they first debuted, given how harsh you are towards Zhu Jinzhao?

[To be honest, being a fake heiress hasn't offended anyone. Being switched at birth isn't something Zhu Jinzhao could control, so why are you all attacking her? Zhu Mingyue even spoke up for her, so who are you all standing up for? Are you just jealous that she's able to stay in a wealthy family?]

"You... what is your relationship with this little girl?" Shi Jing hesitated for a long time before finally asking out of curiosity.

Zhu Jinzhao took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled: "It's okay. She and I have nothing to do with each other."

"Hmm?" Shi Jing frowned, not believing her. But after thinking about it carefully, he couldn't figure out the connection between Zhu Jinzhao and this story.

Zhu Jinzhao is the daughter of the Zhu family, even if it's a lie, but for the first twenty years she lived the life of a true heiress. She was the only daughter in the Zhu family, so she would never lack love, attention, or material support.

Then this little girl definitely can't be her, but her temperament is so similar to this little girl's...

The more Shi Jing thought about it, the more conflicted she felt. When she looked at Zhu Jinzhao again, it was as if a layer of fog had been shrouded in her eyes.

"Sizzle—"

Just as he was wondering what was going on, suddenly, the necklace around his neck burned him.

"Hiss—" he cried out in pain, pulled open his collar and looked down, only to see the number "9" pendant at the end of the necklace flashing a red light very quickly.

The red light flashed briefly and then vanished instantly, so fast it was almost an illusion.

Shi Jing blinked, took the pendant out of her collar, but found nothing unusual.

"What's wrong?" Zhu Jinzhao asked, puzzled, noticing his strange reaction.

"...No, it's nothing." Shi Jing shook his head, looked at the pendant over and over several times, and then casually put it down.

He must have misread it, he thought to himself, trying to comfort himself.

"Oh..." Zhu Jinzhao didn't interfere further and didn't say anything more.

The same applies to the Time Mirror.

The small corner suddenly fell silent, with only the "whoosh" of the rolling waves and the indistinct human voices that came and went.

In the distance, a warm yellow ship's light drifted slowly across the sea. Zhu Jinzhao stared at it, somewhat lost in thought, wondering whether it was a fishing boat or a work vessel.

On the other hand, Shi Jing's mood was not so relaxed.

The pain in his chest had not yet subsided, and Shi Jing's thoughts were shrouded in two complex clouds of doubt. His mind was in chaos, and his earlier attempts at self-comfort had been overturned by anxiety and unease.

He could convince himself that he had seen the red light wrong, but how could he explain the pain in his chest? The pain was so direct and real that he couldn't deceive himself.

The necklace around my neck came out of nowhere, I wore it for no reason, and now it hurts for no reason at all.

Could it be that he encountered a ghost? Or was he cursed?

As his thoughts drifted further and further away, Shi Jing shivered and forced himself to come to his senses.

Forget it, if I can't figure it out, I'll stop thinking about it. There's no need to waste time torturing myself.

"Jinzhao." He refocused his attention on Zhu Jinzhao, putting aside all the confusion from before.

"Hmm?" Zhu Jinzhao responded after a two-second pause.

He braced himself with his hands behind his back, leaning back comfortably, his gaze toward Zhu Jinzhao appearing somewhat profound in the darkness.

"The little girl's story is in the past. You don't need to reminisce or feel sad anymore. You have to look forward. You're only twenty years old. You have a long life ahead of you, and there are many wonderful things waiting for you to unlock in the future."

"If you feel that the malice from the outside world is too great, then hide behind me, I'll protect you."

"You're protecting me again?" Zhu Jinzhao laughed at his words, her watery eyes shining brightly even in the dark.

Shi Jing looked at her, and his heart started beating faster than expected.

“Yes, I’ll protect you again.” He raised an eyebrow, looking unreliable, but his words were incredibly firm. “I don’t have many other hobbies, I just like to punish evil and promote good, and take care of poor little people like you.”

"Someone as pitiful as me?" Zhu Jinchao sensed something was off in his words. "Shi Jing, are you protecting someone else outside?"

"Not at the moment." Shi Jing smiled gently, a rare occurrence. "I probably won't have one in the future either. I'll probably only be looking after little Jinzhao."

"Really?" Zhu Jinzhao stared at him expectantly, her bright eyes filled with undisguised joy.

Shi Jing was still somewhat hesitant, but seeing Zhu Jinzhao's burning gaze, his hesitation immediately turned into certainty: "Really. I'll remove the 'should' from before. From now on, Shi Jing will only protect you, Zhu Jinzhao."

"Don't be afraid, I'm here to support you. You can boldly confront any malice."