Garden date
I slept well all night.
Time flew by and it was the next day, DAY 14, when the guests checked into the Heartbeat House.
The production team will send cars to take the guests to different date locations at different times.
When Ding Xuefei came downstairs, she ran into Yu Songlin.
During the previous two weeks of recording, Yu Songlin dressed very casually or at home, giving people the illusion of being non-threatening. But today, he changed into a champagne-colored suit that showed off his figure, combed his hair back, and revealed his sharp facial features. Perhaps because of the contrast, he was actually quite handsome.
Ding Xuefei realized she had been staring blankly for a few seconds, which Yu Songlin noticed, and he gave a harsh "humph".
He could say that Yu Songlin's love life was a complete mess and his character was really not good, but he couldn't deny that he was really good-looking, perfectly hitting his aesthetic point.
"Well, she's gotten a bit older now, not as innocent and cute as before." Ding Xuefei thought to herself, "She's about the same level as Ke Ran, I guess."
Xiaotian: [Really?]
Ding Xuefei was startled: "Shut up! This is none of your business! Stop causing trouble!"
【。】
This time, the system actually listened to him and left without issuing any strange tasks, which made Ding Xuefei feel flattered.
Yu Songlin noticed Ding Xuefei's change in mood, deliberately straightened his sleeves, and said with a smile, "Brother Xuefei, who did you choose for your date today?"
"Mind your own business!" Ding Xuefei realized she had lost her composure and felt even more embarrassed, like a fierce little kitten. "Anyway, I wasn't choosing you!"
The date partners were chosen first by the winning team of the last beach volleyball game. Because Ding Xuefei was injured at the end, the program team awarded the victory to Ding Xuefei's red team. The four members had the right to choose their date partners first, while the remaining unselected partners were randomly assigned by the program team.
As someone with the right to choose, Ding Xuefei had discussed it with Ke Ran. As Ke Ran's best friend on the show, he would accompany her on her last date!
He didn't know who Yu Songlin was dating, nor did he care much!
Yu Songlin watched Ding Xuefei walk out the door with her head held high and her chest out. He felt a little anxious, but his face remained calm.
He wasn't looking forward to today's date because he knew his date couldn't be the person he was hoping for.
Twenty minutes later, the car stopped at the entrance of the rose garden. Yu Songlin, holding a rose, entered the maze.
*
"Wow, we've arrived so quickly."
The car was parked on the side of the road. Ding Xuefei had just been admiring the scenery when a rose was stuffed into his hand. He didn't even realize what was happening.
"Go find another date who is holding the same rose."
Ding Xuefei was left on the street without any staff members by his side. He held his GoPro and could only blink helplessly at the camera.
"Ah... I'm really the worst at this kind of thing."
Upon entering the rose garden, one is greeted by lush greenery and blooming roses of various colors: white, red, pink, and yellow, in all shapes and sizes. Some roses are even beyond Ding Xuefei's description. They are pruned into different shapes, varying in height and displaying a vibrant array of colors. The garden is quiet, with only a few gardeners present.
Even if you're not here for a date, just strolling around the park is romantic enough.
The gardener pointed to the maze entrance, indicating that Ding Xue should fly over there.
Ding Xuefei readily agreed. He hadn't had any expectations for the date before, but now he couldn't help but start fantasizing about it.
The garden maze doesn't look very big, but the paths inside are really complicated. There are walls made of plants in the middle that are about two meters high, but there are gaps, and you can even hear some footsteps.
What's the production team doing? Haven't the date partners already been decided? Why are they doing all this unnecessary stuff?
Ding Xuefei was extremely anxious, and the thought of the unreliable production team made her even more uncertain.
The footsteps drew closer, and Ding Xuefei saw a shadow of a tree flash by beside her.
Ding Xuefei almost doubted his eyes—he vaguely saw a champagne color peeking through the gaps in the tree shadows.
No way, no way, no way!
Didn't the show's rules already state them? They wouldn't be deliberately messing with him like this, would they?
...He was fully prepared to spend the whole day with Ke Ran today, and hadn't thought about what he would do if his date turned out to be Yu Songlin.
After a moment of stunned silence, Ding Xuefei quickened his pace, holding the rose as if he were about to run, unsure whether he was searching for something or fleeing.
However, the footsteps seemed to disappear after that, and he could only hear his own voice. The green wall in front of him seemed endless, with every corner being exactly the same, enclosing narrow paths, and he had no way out.
Suddenly, her vision opened up, and Ding Xuefei took two steps forward before realizing that she had already left the maze.
"Brother Xuefei! You're here!"
Ke Ran, standing at the maze exit, saw Ding Xuefei, smiled, and waved vigorously.
He held a red rose in his hand, just like the one Ding Xuefei had.
Ding Xuefei ran over: "Have you been waiting long?"
Ke Ran smiled and said, "No, just a little while."
The two walked along a path lined with roses, and the atmosphere should have been very romantic. However, Ding Xuefei thought it was just a casual date between friends, so she didn't slow down. She kept talking and asked Ke Ran what she wanted to eat and what she wanted to do.
“Brother Xuefei.” Ke Ran suddenly interrupted Ding Xuefei, touching his hair, “I have an idea, do you want to hear it?”
"you say."
"I feel that today is my last date, and I want to do my best to bring Xuefei care and happiness like a real couple!"
"Ah, that's not necessary..." Ding Xuefei was a little scared at first thought.
Why can't we just be friends? What's so great about being a real couple? Real couples show their true selves, have no boundaries, argue, have cold wars, and then break up.
But seeing Ke Ran's disappointed puppy eyes, Ding Xuefei couldn't bear it.
If someone else had made this suggestion, Ding Xuefei would have been very wary, but because it was Ke Ran, he was willing to believe that Ke Ran just genuinely wanted to do it, or that it was for the sake of the show, or even if it was just to create some buzz about their on-screen couple relationship.
"Alright! It's just playing a couple! I'll play along!" she said, putting her arm around Ke Ran's shoulder.
Although the height difference made Ding Xuefei's move look a bit awkward, his domineering aura made up for it somewhat.
"Yay! Xuefei is the best!"
Bullet comments:
"It's roommates' group today! Delicious!"
"Aloof cats and happy puppies! All cat and dog lovers, stand up!"
"Watching them interact is really therapeutic, doesn't anyone understand?"
"These two together have a subtle, 'straight man' vibe...it's even more intense, isn't it?"
The two walked a few steps in an awkward posture. Ke Ran couldn't stand it anymore, broke free from Ding Xuefei's embrace, and took Ding Xuefei's hand.
Ding Xuefei almost flung his hand away.
He was still not used to interacting with other people and felt uncomfortable all over.
Ke Ran noticed it, took the initiative to let go of his hand, and asked, "Haha, Xuefei, you're obviously straight!"
"Is that so?" How could he not know?
When was the last time Xuefei and I held hands?
Ding Xuefei frowned and thought for a while. It should be with Yu Songlin, right? No... not five years ago, but last week, because of that damn handcuffs...
However, his reaction that day didn't seem that strong.
Ding Xuefei denied the above incident: "Ahem, it's a secret."
Ke Ran laughed heartily: "When we get back, we'll tell them to ask this question next time we play Truth or Dare!"
Perhaps to better prepare for today's "role-playing," Ke Ran asked, "By the way, what kind of lover does Brother Xuefei like?"
Ding Xuefei hadn't really thought about this, since he had only been in one relationship and had no basis for comparison.
Even if you asked him to say what he liked about Yu Songlin, he couldn't come up with anything special. Was it because he was a good cook? Or because he was easy to get along with? It's probably just because he's good-looking, isn't it?
Ding Xuefei shook her head, thinking to herself that she couldn't possibly be that shallow.
He threw the question back at him: "What do you think?"
Ke Ran actually started thinking about it. After a while, he said, "I feel like Xuefei would like that kind of passionate, fiery little sun! Someone who knows how to provide emotional support, who knows how to be submissive and affectionate, and who says 'I love you' a hundred times a day!"
Thinking about it, that type doesn't seem bad either. Ding Xuefei chuckled. She didn't expect that Ke Ran, who didn't seem very smart, would be so good at dating.
She's... the complete opposite of Yu Songlin.
He deliberately took a step closer and gently poked Ke Ran's arm with his fingertip. "You know so much? You're not talking about yourself, are you?"
"No, no! I figured it out from observation!" Ke Ran was taken aback by his question, then spread her arms and made a big circle: "Xue Fei looks like he needs a lot of love!"
Ding Xuefei chuckled, realizing that Ke Ran was right, but he didn't want to admit it. Just as he was about to tease her a bit more, Ke Ran's expression suddenly changed, and she grabbed his arm, pulling him behind a Roman column.
Shh! Look over there!
Ding Xuefei looked in the direction he pointed—
At the end of the rose-lined aisle, the two strolled slowly. The man wore a champagne-colored suit, and the woman wore a light pink dress. The handsome man and beautiful woman were a perfect match in terms of both figure and temperament, and at first glance, it looked like a wedding scene.
Yu Songlin tilted his head slightly, a gentle and polite smile playing on his lips—the kind Ding Xuefei was familiar with when facing the camera or strangers. The female guest looked up and spoke, her smile bright and radiating a natural sense of closeness.
Yu Songlin gently brushed aside a wisp of flower that had fallen onto the female guest's shoulder. The female guest did not flinch, but looked up at him and smiled.
The sunlight shone on her face, so bright it was almost blinding.
Ke Ran tugged at Ding Xuefei's wrist and said, "Brother Xuefei, look over there, is that a new female guest?"
Ding Xuefei then realized that the girl in the pink dress was not any of the three female guests. Her temperament was different from theirs. She was sweeter than Shang Rou, less lively than Xu Yimeng, yet just as beautiful as Stella, and gentle without any aggression.
The face looked somewhat familiar, and Ding Xuefei frowned, unable to recall who it was for a moment.
"What a perfect match!" Ke Ran exclaimed upon seeing the female guest's face. "Lin-ge is so lucky to have been matched with a new guest. Hey, didn't she act in a drama with Lin-ge before? What was her name again..."
It seems that no one chose Yu Songlin for a date, so the production team randomly matched him with a new guest. Of course, it cannot be ruled out that the production team did it on purpose.
Ding Xuefei unconsciously clenched her fist and then relaxed it.
Seeing that the two were about to reach an open area, Ke Ran quickly pulled Ding Xuefei and hid behind a Roman column. He leaned on Ding Xuefei's shoulder, only peeking out with half of his head sticking out.
"Ning Yusheng!" Ke Ran finally retrieved the name from the depths of her memory, her voice lowered, tinged with excitement, "Yes, it's her! Last year's drama 'When Apples Ripen,' she and Lin Ge played a campus couple! I watched it twice! I heard they have a good relationship in private... Wow, the production team really knows how to stir things up, they invited her here!"
"Oh," Ding Xuefei responded, her voice flat and devoid of emotion.
*
Under the rose-lined arcade.
Ning Yusheng keenly noticed the change in the man beside her.
Yu Songlin, who had been gentle and polite just moments before, seemed to be somewhat distracted at this moment. He didn't hear her previous question, and his gaze turned towards the Roman columns not far away. His eyes darkened, and the smile on his lips gradually disappeared.
She followed his gaze and caught Ding Xuefei and Ke Ran's heads huddled together, whispering intimately like two little animals.
"Oh," Ning Yusheng withdrew her gaze, looking at Yu Songlin's profile, which had regained its composure, with interest. Her voice carried a hint of mischievous amusement. "Run into acquaintances? Those two... are they also guests?"
Yu Songlin maintained his perfect smile in front of the camera: "Yes, Ke Ran, and Ding Xuefei." He introduced them calmly, then resolutely turned his head, gesturing for Ning Yusheng to walk to the other side.
Hello! How are you all?
Yu Songlin hadn't planned to meet the two directly, but when he turned around, he saw Ning Yusheng waving enthusiastically, signaling them to come over.
Yu Songlin only saw Ning Yusheng's true colors after knowing her for more than a year: she seemed gentle and virtuous, but was actually quite perceptive, quirky, and often said surprising things.
Yu Songlin looked at the two people walking hand in hand, and then at Ning Yusheng, who was smiling politely beside him, and felt his head starting to ache.
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