Chapter 70, Day 2: "Hehe... I used to pretend to be mute."
Only Anna and Yu Jintang went downstairs for lunch; the others were either in a bad mood or controlling their diet. The two looked at each other, their silence excessive.
Seeing that the two of them had almost finished eating without saying a word, Lin Shu kindly reminded them that they could talk during breakfast and lunch.
Yu Jintang: "I'm tired of talking."
Anna: "Please let me go. We've been analyzing ourselves all morning."
After finishing their meal, the two of them went upstairs in perfect unison and went to their respective rooms to sleep.
With nothing to do, Qin Lan went to the gym to work out and ran into Liu Lü and Feng Manhong. She immediately felt ashamed; the two oldest teachers were so disciplined. She quickly threw herself into her intense workout...
Looking out the window directly at the main entrance, Jiang Yan and Xiahou Cheng, having changed their clothes, got into the sports car on either side. Jiang Yan floored the gas pedal with a wild thud, and the two went off on their romantic date...
Qin Lan turned her head away dejectedly and began to vent her excess energy on the treadmill.
After finishing her morning tasks, Song Man's mood worsened, and she locked herself in and practiced dancing like a madwoman.
Just like yesterday, Yun Chui stayed in his room and didn't go anywhere.
Yu Jintang used the office and was holding a laptop, doing something that was unclear.
Yang Xingji discovered that everyone else had a hidden official partner, while she was all alone.
Oh, and there's also Anna.
Having run out of options, she awkwardly extended an invitation the next time she saw Anna: "Have you eaten?"
Fortunately, Anna had the same idea: "I've learned how to make afternoon tea, it should be pretty good, would you like to try some, Teacher Yang?"
"That's great, let's go."
Yang Xingji breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed she would have someone to keep her company for the next eight days.
＊
The dating group started talking as soon as they got in the car, continued talking after leaving the dock, and even went on to the amusement park arranged by the production team.
They tried the roller coaster, the pendulum ride, and the drop tower, but found them all rather uninteresting, so they simply sat down and started talking about the characters' emotional issues.
The staff member carrying the camera watched the two of them speechlessly.
Xiahou Cheng talked all day long, his voice hoarse, but he kept going: "Let me tell you, with your character, she just has to keep fawning over you. Whether you actually succeed or not doesn't matter, the key is your attitude. The fact that she allows you to jump around in front of her means she doesn't dislike you. You're already one of the special ones among thousands, so you have to strike while the iron is hot..."
Jiang Yan nodded firmly: "Teacher Chengcheng, you need to be confident too. Actually, it's not like you have no chance at all for that role. The person she likes just isn't ready to start over yet."
"Teacher Yan, your analysis is so insightful." Xiahou Cheng nodded wildly.
"Teachers, shouldn't we go have dinner?" Seeing that the streetlights were already on, the staff member had to remind them.
"Yeah, I'm a little hungry."
Jiang Yan stood up, and suddenly everything went black before her eyes. She stood there for a while to catch her breath.
Seeing this, Xiahou Cheng carefully moved his limbs and slowly stretched his waist.
He didn't stand up.
She pounded her legs and tried again, but still couldn't stand up.
Jiang Yan held out her hand: "Teacher Chengcheng, you're not good enough."
"It's better than Teacher Yan's screen going black as soon as it starts up."
Xiahou Cheng was finally able to stand up after being pulled by her. The cameraman quickly zoomed in to capture the two holding hands from all angles.
Unsurprisingly, this was the sweetest moment of their dating reality show today.
The two got into the car affectionately, entered the restaurant, sat down, and were about to continue chatting when they were told it was dinner time and they couldn't talk.
Jiang Yan remained silent, exchanging glances with Xiahou Cheng with lingering interest: "My throat hurts a little."
Xiahou Cheng gulped down the tea: "My throat is killing me."
The waiter came over, smiling, and placed two menus on the table: "What would you two like to eat?"
She first saw Xiahou Cheng, paused for a moment, then her eyes lit up with surprise. Turning her head, she saw Jiang Yan. This time, she only managed not to rush up for an autograph thanks to her professionalism. But because she was so excited, her hands were shaking, and she almost broke the cup and died when she poured tea for the two of them.
Jiang Yan flipped through it once, her fingertip pointing deeply at the six words "French Nice Salad".
The waiter trembled as he wrote it down.
Xiahou Cheng flipped to the last page and pointed to the "Honey Pomelo Ginger Tea" menu. The waiter smiled and noted it down: "You would like a cup of Honey Pomelo Ginger Tea, right?"
Xiahou Cheng shook his head and made a three-pointer.
She wants three cups.
"Three cups?" The waiter's tone changed slightly as he quickly suppressed his surprise.
Xiahou Cheng nodded deeply.
They ordered their food in silence, and the waiter continued, "Do you two have any dietary restrictions?"
The two shook their heads in unison.
Candles flickered on the table, romantic and elegant music played, and the two people eating... were already learning sign language.
Xiahou Cheng had almost finished eating, so he went up on stage, patted the violinist on the shoulder, and pointed to her violin.
Would you like to play?
Xiahou Cheng nodded, pointed to himself, and gave a thumbs-up.
The other person handed the instrument to her.
Xiahou Cheng sat down and played a very beautiful piece called "One Step Away".
The strings vibrated, producing a breathtaking echo. The melody flowed on, carrying Jiang Yan back to every word they had spoken that day, pausing, chasing, entwining, forever within reach, forever just a step away.
She used to always chase after Qin Lan, watching her from afar. She never thought she could ever catch up, so when she finally got her, she was overjoyed and felt so satisfied that she would die happy.
But as time gradually cooled, she could still feel that elusive, fleeting sensation.
Qin Lan treated her very well, but not in the way she wanted.
Qin Lan is a fiery person when she gets passionate; right now, she's just turned on her spray gun.
The bow trembled as it was slowly lowered. Xiahou Cheng was lost in thought, head bowed, when a round of applause from the surrounding crowd snapped him back to reality.
The violinist clapped his hands, his eyes shining: "Madam, your skill is excellent. How many years have you been practicing?"
Xiahou Cheng made a 20 gesture.
The violinist paused for a moment, then stammered, "You...are...uh...language...function..."
Fortunately, Jiang Yan arrived to save the day. She pointed very skillfully to her own and Xiahou Cheng's mouths, then waved her hand with a melancholy expression and bowed slightly.
The violinist looked ashamed, quickly took the violin, and watched the two leave with respect.
Xiahou Cheng gave an awkward laugh, nodded, and left.
Halfway there, she touched her pockets and found they were empty, so she turned back to look for them. Just as she entered the restaurant, she overheard a violinist excitedly chatting with a waiter: "My teacher said that mute people can perceive the sounds and music of the world more easily than normal people, and today I've seen it for myself! That lady just played so beautifully! I've practiced for over twenty years, but I can't capture the emotion in her music! Although God didn't give her the ability to speak, He allowed her to produce even more beautiful sounds with her violin!"
Xiahou Cheng was still immersed in her grief when she heard this and suddenly became socially awkward. Just as she was wondering what to do, someone said, "Hey, there's a wallet lying here. I wonder whose it is."
Another voice said, "Open it and see if there's an ID card. Take it to the front desk to register it as lost."
Xiahou Cheng thought to herself, "Oh no!" and quickly ran over there. The next second, the violinist opened his wallet and said strangely, "Hey, there seems to be a switch here..."
"Agh!!! How did it suddenly catch fire!!"
Xiahou Cheng awkwardly appeared, picked up the lighter, and turned it off.
The violinist stared in horror at the "wallet" in her hand.
"Is this a lighter?"
Xiahou Cheng gave an awkward laugh, nodded, and quickly left.
After walking a short distance, I heard whispers behind me: "Can a mute person still smoke?"
Xiahou Cheng raised the lighter with a melancholy look; in truth, she simply loved brightness.
She didn't dare speak until she was fifty meters away from the restaurant: "I laughed. I've become mute after going out for a while. Luckily, Teacher Yan reacted quickly. Teacher Yan is quite skilled."
Jiang Yan touched her nose: "Hehe... I used to pretend to be mute."
Xiahou Cheng: "Does Teacher Yan also like abstract art?"
Jiang Yan: "I don't actually have that hobby; it's just that I was forced to become mute due to life's pressures..."
Xiahou Cheng was filled with respect: "Teacher Yan is truly a conscientious and dedicated person!"
＊
Although the dinner at Villa No. 5 was silent, everyone's expressions were quite varied.
Liu Lü took the initiative again, sending out a love letter first. Feng Manhong accepted it with a smile and returned her own card.
Liu Lü was overjoyed; she felt like she could see right through Yun Chui's brain. She silently leaned back, giving up the best viewing spot.
Liu Lu blushed and nodded shyly at her.
In return, Yun Chui's meal was a lively affair, with everyone at the dining table.
The row of people opposite seemed unusually quiet.
Twenty minutes passed, and no one had sent a single love letter.
Qin Lan stared at the disgusting card on the table, completely at a loss as to who to give this cloyingly sweet thing to.
Xiahou Cheng wasn't here today, so Yu Jintang gave his card to Qin Lan.
Qin Lan naturally gave away hers.
The remaining people visibly grew anxious, because Yun Chui had already started signing autographs.
The people at the table were secretly watching her movements. Yun Chui closed the pen cap and handed the card to Anna.
As Song Man was muttering to himself, his elbow was poked twice more.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she turned her head with great hesitation, only to find Yu Jintang staring at her with a mischievous grin.
Song Man took the card with mixed feelings, and when he turned it over, his feelings became even more mixed.
If I were to see you again after all these years, how would I greet you? With tears? With silence?
She looked at the others suspiciously, feeling that Yun Chui's card was like a personalized gift.
Anna was the next to act. She glanced at her "partner" Yang Xingji and passed her card out.
Song Man finished telling the story and realized that he was the only one left.
She looked up expectantly and found that everyone was waiting for her.
Song Man sighed heavily, signed his name, and handed it to Yang Xingji across from him.
Yang Xingji misunderstood, passed the card to Feng Manhong, and forcefully raised his chin towards Yun Chui.
Feng Manhong felt rather conflicted. She had spent half the night gossiping and was also trying to help them match up Song Man and Yun Chui.
She looked up at Song Man and saw that the other woman looked like something was seriously wrong, and wished she could reach out and shake Yang Xingji's head.
Yang Xingji stared with his mouth agape, his face showing the panic of someone who had caused trouble.
Song Manren was completely numb and quickly went to look at Feng Manhong. The movie queen Feng stared at her for a moment, then surprisingly pressed down on the card and stopped passing it on.
Yun lowered her eyes, her expression unchanged.
Song Man felt as if he had been granted a pardon and sincerely bowed to Feng Manhong.
No one broke the rules today, so there was no need to wash the dishes. We went upstairs after dinner.
Qin Lan, Anna, Feng Manhong, and Yu Jintang sat in their usual spot playing cards, while Yang Xingji pulled Yun Chui to help her beat the game. She thought Yun Chui, who seemed very skilled, must be a hidden master, but unexpectedly, the room was filled with only the dying wails and the agonizing screams of Yun Chui's avatar.
Liu Lü was asking Song Man for Latin lessons, and the two of them occupied the last bit of open space.
At nine o'clock in the evening, the roar of a sports car engine finally came from downstairs. Ten minutes later, Jiang Yan and Xiahou Cheng walked in, chatting and laughing.
The two of them talked and laughed with all their might, but all the people could hear were two barely audible voices greeting each other.
"Weren't you two going for a candlelight dinner? How come you were poisoned and rendered mute??"
"No." Jiang Yan sat cross-legged on the sofa, put a throat lozenge in her mouth, and poured one for Xiahou Cheng. "I had a lot of fun with Teacher Xiahou today."
Xiahou Cheng collapsed to the ground, rolling herself little by little to Yu Jintang's feet: "Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..."
Yu Jintang was counting cards when he glanced at her and asked, "What are you doing?"
Xiahou Cheng pitifully pointed to his throat.
"What did you do? Your voice is so hoarse."
Xiahou Cheng hummed at her feet, "I had a pleasant evening with Teacher Yan."
"..."
Qin Lan glared at her while holding the cards.
Xiahou Cheng blinked: "Teacher Yan, can you be my witness? Did I say something wrong?"
Jiang Yan: "The literal meaning is indeed correct."
Xiahou Cheng stretched and yawned: "Hey, Teacher Yan, this is no fun. You're so wild outside, but you turn into a little lamb as soon as you come inside..."
Jiang Yan: "I'm a little more afraid of death than Teacher Xiahou."
Xiahou Cheng looked innocent: "What do you mean by being afraid of death? What is Teacher Yan saying? I don't understand."
Yu Jintang stood up promptly: "You guys continue playing."
Qin Lan asked her, "Where are you going?"
Yu Jintang: "Let's make some white fungus soup to shut some people up."
Xiahou Cheng followed closely behind her.
Jiang Yan craned her neck: "Teacher Yu, could you give me a bowl too?"
Yu Jintang turned around and shrugged: "What? Nobody's making it for you?"
“Yes,” Jiang Yan sighed, “After all, I’m not like Teacher Xiahou, who has someone to make soup for me when my voice is hoarse…”
Qin Lan couldn't hold back any longer: "Do you really want to play the green tea bitch?"
Jiang Yan glanced at her: "Teacher Qin, why are you in such a hurry? I didn't order Teacher Qin."
In a fit of anger, Qin Lan stormed off.
Jiang Yan sighed and was about to get up and leave when Yun Chui called out to her, "I'm not playing anymore, you play for me for a while."
"Hey, Hammer, why are you backing down?" Yang Xingji almost reached out to pull her back, but stopped himself in time: "Practice some more, you can definitely do it!"
"No, it's tiring to watch for too long." Yun Chui's gaze swept over Song Man's profile. "You guys have fun."
Having experienced being woken up at 6:30 in the morning, everyone consciously returned to their rooms before 10 pm.
Qin Lan returned to her room and put on a face mask: [Feeling better?]
Jiang Yan sent a sad-looking emoji.
Qin Lan: [What's wrong?]
Jiang Yan: [Others get to drink white fungus soup before they even start dating, and I only get a greeting after I've been officially hired...]
Qin Lan: [No more green tea, I don't know how to make soup.]
Jiang Yan sighed and stared at her phone with a gloomy expression.
After starting a relationship with Qin Lan, life didn't seem to change much.
But Jiang Yan wanted more special treatment.
She's been feeling uneasy lately, and tonight Qin Lan's words will keep her thinking wildly throughout this sleepless night.
She wasn't sure what she really wanted. Maybe it was passionate love, wholehearted love. Xiahou Cheng said it was a sign of insecurity in love, but she didn't know how to tell Qin Lan.
Xiahou Cheng encouraged her to speak up directly and not be afraid of arguing. Jiang Yan felt that she couldn't do it yet. She was never lacking in courage, but she was always indecisive when it came to Qin Lan.
＊
At three o'clock in the morning, Jiang Yan, who was suffering from insomnia, heard strange noises outside.
She put on her clothes and went to the balcony, where the production crew's car was parked.
Lin Shu was followed by several people who walked hurriedly toward the door.
Jiang Yan suddenly had a bad feeling and hurriedly went downstairs. The door to Yun Chui's room was ajar, and whispers could be heard from inside.
Jiang Yan gently knocked on the door and pushed it open to enter.
Anna knelt on the ground, holding the oxygen tube: "You've come at the right time. Quickly help her put two cushions under her back."
Yun Chui collapsed to the ground, supported only by Anna's arm.
Jiang Yan grabbed all the cushions and hurriedly placed them on her. Anna carefully helped Yun Chui lean back and looked down to check the pulse oximeter: "93%."
"Is this dangerous or not?" Jiang Yan's lips started to tremble.
Yun Chui's face was deathly pale, and he appeared to be having difficulty breathing.
"Over 95% are normal people, below 90% must be sent to the hospital. Just now it was 91%, which scared me so much that I quickly called the director."
Anna pointed to Yun Chui's mouth: "Don't talk to her yet, she's holding nitroglycerin in her mouth."
Lin Shu rushed in: "How is she? Should we take her to the hospital?"
"I'm feeling a bit better," Anna said.
Lin Shu frowned: "How was it discovered? What were the symptoms?"
Anna, still shaken, rummaged through the first-aid kit: "She got up to go to the bathroom, fainted for a few seconds, and my watch had a warning... Don't assign her any physically demanding tasks today; she's not safe right now."
Lin Shu raised her voice: "What? Even in this situation, you still haven't asked for leave?"
Anna rolled her eyes. "She changed her mind after four years. Ask her if she'd agree to let her lie in the house today."
Yun Chui's breathing gradually calmed down. Anna stood up and waved her hand: "Alright, those who need to sleep, go back to sleep. I can keep an eye on things here. Leave two people in the villa, just in case something happens and we can carry her out."
“I can carry her on my back,” Jiang Yan quickly said. “I’ll stay here.”
“That’s fine,” Anna said. “Director Lin, you can stay. Everyone else, go back and rest.”
Jiang Yan squatted down, looking at Yun Chui with concern: "Are you really alright?"
Yun Chui shook his head and gave her a smile.
"Give me a hand, I feel so restricted lifting her by myself," Anna said.
Jiang Yan and Lin Shu helped Yun Chui up on either side and helped her sit on a recliner.
Lin Shu found a guest room on the first floor to stay in, while Jiang Yan and Anna stayed until morning.
At six o'clock, the two planned to go back to their respective rooms to wash up and change, and then come out of their rooms again at six-thirty. Lin Shu would not broadcast the surveillance footage from late at night, but there was no reason to cut it out once the guests came downstairs in the morning.
Anna put on a coat and accompanied Jiang Yan to the elevator.
Jiang Yan couldn't help but say, "Is she really suited to continue participating in today's activities like this? Shouldn't she at least rest for a while first?"
“I’ve already rested for two hours.” Anna shrugged. “Don’t worry, this is a common occurrence. Just be prepared for emergency care.”
"..."
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