Chapter 80, Day 10: What kind of scene could make my heart rate jump to 170?
Qin Lan kicked her in the butt.
Yu Jintang jumped up with a yell: "Old Qin! You're wearing high heels! High heels!"
Qin Lan glared at her: "I think you didn't kick me hard enough."
Jiang Yan kept laughing and pulled her back into her arms: "It seems that my aunt likes me dressed like this."
Qin Lan glared at her equally: "You think you can take advantage of me just because I've given you a little taste? Concubine, huh? I think you can't tell the difference between a prince and a princess."
She just wanted to dig.
"Then who is the king and who is the prince?"
Qin Lan raised his head as if it were the most natural thing in the world: "Of course I am the king. As for you... you are the rebellious crown prince who always thinks about usurping the throne."
"Oh." Jiang Yan couldn't help but laugh: "Teacher Qin—you're so domineering. So, Your Majesty isn't allowed to dance with anyone else today, only with me, okay?"
"Granted." Qin Lan deliberately stepped on her foot: "You too, you can't seduce other people."
The masks and gowns brought a sense of novelty. The masks concealed everyone's faces, adding a hazy mystery to each other. The dim lighting obscured vision, yet brought hearts closer. Everyone was talking to their partners, apologizing with smiling eyes, "Sorry, I stepped on your foot." "Your makeup is very different today; I never knew you could be so sweet."
Lin Shu and her staff changed into formal attire and donned masks, then surged onto the dance floor. The deafening disco music and the frantically flashing spotlights created a feverish atmosphere, and everyone let loose. They began dancing the simplest dances, stretching their limbs to the music, laughing loudly, and bumping into each other intimately.
As the music reached its climax, the rhythm became increasingly rapid. Yu Jintang pulled Xiahou Cheng away and sat down, fanning herself as she exclaimed, "I'm so suffocated! I feel like I can't breathe!"
Anna also left the crowd and came over here, pouring herself a glass of juice: "Want some?"
"Give me some, thanks."
Yu Jintang took the cup, her gaze following Yun Chui. Yun Chui indeed came out quickly and sat down beside them.
Anna poured her a glass of juice: "How is it?"
Yun Chui slowly finished his juice: "I can't take it anymore."
Lin Shu received the signal, so she turned off the music and urged everyone to go back and rest, citing the need to remove their makeup. Most people weren't quite done yet, but since the director had spoken, they all went back to change their clothes.
Everyone felt a little reluctant to leave that night, since tomorrow would be the last day.
Day 10, no activities are scheduled for the morning.
Jiang Yan carried coffee into the living room on the second floor, where the fireplace was burning brightly.
Qin Lan beckoned to her: "Want to play cards?"
"Just the two of us?" Jiang Yan looked around and saw Yu Jintang and Xiahou Cheng: "Are you two going to join us?"
The atmosphere was wonderful, so wonderful that Jiang Yan was completely satisfied. The room was bright, and the fireplace was warm and cozy. She was surrounded by her closest friends, and the floor was covered with soft cushions…
She leaned forward, her eyes half-closed in comfort.
"Playing cards again? That's boring," Yu Jintang said. "Can't we play something else?"
Qin Lan: "Werewolf game, who is the undercover agent? I have one you don't, choose."
"The first two are more fun with a lot of people, and you're likely to lose out if you play the last one, so let's switch."
Qin Lan: "Why am I so easily taken advantage of?"
Yu Jintang raised an eyebrow and pointed at Xiahou Cheng: "Are you sure? Neither of us has any bottom line."
Jiang Yan quickly restrained Qin Lan, who was getting excited: "We can play a word-adding game, it's simple and not tiring."
"Great, great!" Xiahou Cheng threw down her iPad and ran over: "What's the punishment for those who didn't answer?"
Yu Jintang grinned maliciously: "If you can't keep up, tell me something on your mind."
Qin Lan scoffed: "If I tell you my secrets, what kind of secrets are they?"
"Just tell me if you dare to say it or not," Yu Jintang provoked her.
"Come on, who wants to start?"
Yu Jintang: "Let's start by turning counterclockwise. I'll go first: Me."
Xiahou Cheng: "I love it."
Qin Lan: "...I love my country."
Jiang Yan: "...I love my motherland."
Yu Jintang: "I love my motherland."
Xiahou Cheng: "I truly love my motherland."
Qin Lan: "You and I truly love our motherland."
Jiang Yan: "You and I truly love our motherland."
...
Wow, you two girls are so lovely! You and your mother and daughter truly love this great motherland!
Jiang Yan was next, but she simply couldn't continue.
Yu Jintang: "That's enough, this is not what I initially thought."
When it came to Qin Lan, things went astray; she had originally planned to change the sentence to "I love her."
Jiang Yan gave each of them a resentful look.
Qin Lan, in high spirits, called out, "Come on, who wants to go first this time?"
Xiahou Cheng looked at Jiang Yan sympathetically: "I suggest that Teacher Tangtang go first."
Yu Jintang immediately replied, "I love her."
Xiahou Cheng: "I truly love her."
Qin Lan: "?"
Qin Lan: "I really love her."
Jiang Yan smiled: "I really love her too."
Yu Jintang: "I really love her mother too."
Xiahou Cheng: "I really love her stepmother too."
Qin Lan: "??"
Jiang Yan: "Can this be broadcast?"
Yu Jintang: "Don't worry, I'll review it later."
So, our two little dogs genuinely love and pamper their little moms, don't they?
Xiahou Cheng wasted his time answering the questions because of his wild laughter, so he was forced to answer them by being pinned against the wall.
"My secrets, hahaha, my godmother knows all my secrets. You should ask her, she'll tell you whatever you want to hear, sob sob sob..."
Yu Jintang raised her hand and pressed her back down: "Tell me the truth, and tell me why your godmother knows all your secrets."
Xiahou Cheng burst into tears, her eyes crying while her mouth laughed: "Of course it's because I have a very good relationship with my godmother, waaaaah!"
“I told you before that I grew up abroad. For a while, my godmother was working abroad and took pity on me, so she lived with me and took care of me. The nannies my parents hired were all foreigners, and I didn’t like them, so I was especially close to my godmother.”
“When I was a child, I wasn’t as carefree as I am now, but it was enough for others to look at me differently. I remember once I got into a fight with some blond-haired, blue-eyed kids. They said I was a bad kid who didn’t have a mother or a hairdresser, that my hair and skin color were different from theirs, and that my behavior was very rude. In the end, we got into a fight.”
She continued her cheerful narration while tears streamed down her face, leaving Qin Lan and Jiang Yan speechless. Only Yu Jintang sat opposite her, handing her tissues and listening attentively, making Xiahou Cheng feel understood once again.
“That night, my godmother took me home, applied medicine to my face and washed it. She told me that people have infinite possibilities. I can go crazy. I don’t need anyone to understand me. As long as I don’t hurt others, I can quietly be myself.”
“I grew up in the West, and after returning to China, I realized that some cultures do not accept different orientations, so I moved out of my family home again soon. I had a place to live, but my godmother invited me to live with her. My godmother is a very gentle person.”
Xiahou Cheng recalled, "If I hadn't always thought of her as my mother, I definitely would have fallen in love with her. She was so gentle and gave me all the support she could. My godmother taught me how to accept being alone, and she also taught me what respect and tolerance are like. So I think she's the best, just as good as Teacher Tangtang."
Qin Lanjiang was caught off guard and was suddenly fed a mouthful of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection).
Yu Jintang teased her, "Really? I could be as lucky as Teacher Feng?"
"Of course. My godmother showed me respect the first time, but she didn't understand me. Teacher Tangtang is different; she can be unconventional with me."
Yu Jintang slowly stroked her thick, curly hair: "There are too many mainstream people in the world. I'm willing to be non-mainstream with Chengcheng."
"You called me Chengcheng again." Xiahou Cheng did a somersault and looked at her with bright eyes.
Qin Lan couldn't take it anymore. She felt like she was superfluous in every way. When she turned her head, Jiang Yan stared straight at her, making her heart tremble.
"Is there something on my face?" Qin Lan subconsciously took out a small mirror and looked at herself. "No, I look absolutely gorgeous."
Jiang Yan was completely speechless.
＊
Because of Xiahou Cheng's emotional narration, Feng Manhong received the unanimous attention of the other three that evening.
Seeing this, Feng Manhong also started touching her face: "Is there... something on my face?"
“Yes,” Qin Lan said.
"What is it?" Feng Manhong was taken aback.
Jiang Yan: "The great holy light."
Feng Manhong: "?"
Liu Lü felt a sudden sense of crisis: "What's wrong? Everyone's acting strangely today."
Yang Xingji looked bewildered: "What's strange?"
Feng Manhong asked Xiahou Cheng, "Did you speak well of me to them?"
Xiahou Cheng said with a grin, "What's wrong? I know you do good deeds without seeking recognition, so I didn't mention your name at all."
Feng Manhong sighed and rubbed her forehead.
"Judging from the current situation, Teacher Liu will probably be moving soon," Xiahou Cheng whispered to Yu Jintang. "I don't mind being shameless enough to be a third wheel, but my godmother is still single. How can I be a mosquito on her road to happiness? It seems I should also prepare to move."
Yu Jintang glanced at her sideways: "Looking for someone to live with, Chengcheng?"
Xiahou Cheng smiled shamelessly: "No way, Teacher Tangtang, I can stay at a hotel too. Anyway, the hotel belongs to your family, so it's convenient for you to come and find me..."
"Tsk, my sister works at the hotel. If I look for you, she'll gossip about me."
Yu Jintang really wanted to touch her face, but the rules didn't allow it, so he said, "Raise your hand and touch your face."
Xiahou Cheng instinctively raised his hand: "What? I have something on my face too?"
Yu Jintang also touched his own face at the same time: "This is me touching you, sweetie, the recording will be over tomorrow."
Xiahou Cheng's eyes lit up: "Hehe...Teacher Tangtang, I felt it!"
Everyone: "…………"
Liu Lü asked Feng Manhong with surprise and uncertainty, "Have Teacher Xiahou and Teacher Yu... always had these symptoms?"
Feng Manhong nodded helplessly.
＊
After the dinner music started, everyone went to the restaurant and sat down. Lin Shu and the directing team were all there, smiling at everyone.
Everyone felt uneasy at her laughter, but they couldn't say anything, and just stared at her with wide eyes.
Lin Shu: "We can talk tonight."
No one spoke, fearing a trap.
Lin Shu: "Really, tonight is the last night, and we allow everyone to freely converse at the dinner table."
Xiahou Cheng opened his mouth: "Uh... ah..."
Yu Jintang also moved her lips: "So... during dinner... humans can... open their mouths and talk..."
Xiahou Cheng: "Abochi...detnele..."
Yu Jintang: "abcdefg, hijklmn".
Everyone started trying to learn how to talk during dinner.
Yang Xingji: "One times one equals one, one times two equals two..."
Anna: "I'm a little duck, quack quack..."
Liu Lü: "The basic qualities of an actor include fundamental acting skills and professional ethics..."
Song Man: "The basic principles of Rumba are stability within movement, flexibility within resilience, and speed combined with slowness..."
Yun Chui: "Autumn in Ontario is beautiful, with maple leaves blooming all over Canada. While boating on the lake, we accidentally wandered into a winding river and saw the most beautiful autumn foliage there."
Yang Xingji and Anna gazed at each other from afar, speechless and choked with emotion.
Anna: "Why does it suddenly sound so high-class? It's just a simple sound check..."
The pressure was on Feng Manyong: "...Teacher Liu has already talked about the qualities of an actor, so I can only talk about Teacher Liu. As we've been filming the show, I've increasingly realized that Teacher Liu is a very strong, brave, and principled person. There are many people in the entertainment industry who persevere, but Teacher Liu has persisted for ten years without wavering, and even when suppressed, his ideals remain. Only the one sitting here has done so. On this path, Teacher Liu has never forgotten his principles as a person."
Liu Lü covered her mouth halfway through hearing this.
Everyone: "???!!"
After the initial shock, everyone turned to Jiang Yan and Qin Lan, who were now the only ones who remained silent.
Jiang Yan blurted out: "132AAA2AA11, 11A23AAA".
Everyone: ?
Feng Manhong: "Is it because there's a generation gap between me and young people?"
Yun Chui shook his head: "No, because I didn't understand either."
Only Qin Lan, Yu Jintang, Xiahou Cheng, and Yang Xingji suddenly realized what was happening and burst into laughter.
Yang Xingji: "Which hero's combo is this?"
Yu Jintang replied smoothly, "Lan's."
Yang Xingji responded with an "oh".
Two seconds later, she sat bolt upright: "Which Lan? Is it the Lan from Qin Lan???"
Xiahou Cheng was shocked: "So, Teacher Yan, is this why you're playing with Lan?"
Qin Lan's face flushed red, and she casually started scooping out pudding, pretending to be very busy. Yu Jintang was already teasing her: "Of course, I also know that Teacher Jiang's game ID is [Lan], I wonder how much money he spent to get it. My favorite CP also gave us some sweet moments today."
Jiang Yan spoke up "at the opportune moment": "Alright, stop talking. Teacher Qin's face is already red. She'll be embarrassed in a bit."
Qin Lan was filled with shame and indignation: "...Dead Jiangyan! She's spreading her fins again!"
Liu Lü: "What are you talking about??"
Yun Chui comforted her, "It's okay if you don't understand. They're probably talking about things online."
Everyone looked at Qin Lan, the only one who hadn't spoken.
Qin Lan: "Are you all crazy? Don't look at me, I have nothing to say."
Yu Jintang: "No, everyone has already said something, so you have to say something too, otherwise all the content we shared will be wasted."
Qin Lan glared at her: "What did you share? A famous director who only knows how to babble? You still have the nerve to criticize me."
Yu Jintang: "It's alright. Although what I said wasn't very good, Teacher Jiang's content was full of valuable information. Hey everyone, listen up! Teacher Jiang just talked about Lan's combo moves. This Lan is—"
Qin Lan quickly said, "Shut up! I'll talk, I'll talk, okay?"
Yu Jintang kept her mouth shut and readily agreed: "Then you speak."
Qin Lan subconsciously glanced at Jiang Yan first, and the latter's gaze made her feel a little expectant.
She held her breath for a long time, unable to say anything romantic, so she just picked a random sentence and said: "When Jialuo is being chased and is about to die, she can quickly tap her ultimate skill twice."
Yang Xingji asked curiously, "What's it for?"
Qin Lan: "Turning on and off the ultimate skill has a brief speed boost effect, allowing you to run one more step before you die."
Yu Jintang clicked his tongue for a long time: "Old Qin, you really are... sigh, I wouldn't be surprised if you died a lonely man."
Qin Lan: "Let's eat, you chattering idiot."
Lin Shu, who had been listening with great interest, finally spoke:
"Alright... the audition is over. Next, we will announce the final sentiment value trend chart."
"Feelings shouldn't be measured by numbers, so the images only show the trends in the guests' feelings for each other, allowing everyone to intuitively feel on which day their feelings for each other subtly changed."
In general, everyone's images fall into three categories. The first category consists of images that remain high from beginning to end, such as Jiang Yan, Xiahou Cheng, Liu Lü, and Yun Chui. The second category consists of images that start moderately but gradually increase over time, such as Qin Lan, Yu Jintang, Feng Manhong, and Song Man, with Qin Lan having the highest initial value. The third category consists of Yang Xingji and Anna, whose images remain a straight line from beginning to end.
Day 1, their first encounter in the mist, Qin Lan and Jiang Yan's attraction levels were ridiculously high during the few minutes they shook hands.
However, it was later interpreted by die-hard fans as enemies meeting each other with intense hatred.
After Feng Manhong arrived, Liu Lü's stats instantly surpassed those of Qin Lan and Jiang Yan. Lin Shu had already prepared a stretcher; when she watched the monitor, she felt that Liu Lü might faint at any moment.
On Day 2, the guests used the phone booth in the fog for the first time. The only couple whose scores fluctuated was Yu Jintang and Xiahou Cheng. The production team noticed that Yu Jintang's score gradually increased with each of Xiahou Cheng's whimsical remarks and never dropped back down.
On Day 3, all the guests' images reached their peak, with Qin Lan and Jiang Yan's "heartbeat value" surpassing Liu Lü and leaving her far behind, thus firmly holding the top spot.
Yun Chui and Song Man's images jumped to second place, but were later overtaken by Yu Jintang alone.
Liu Lü's graph remained relatively stable on this day, while Feng Manhong's curve showed a significant increase.
After the script reading ended, Yu Jintang and Xiahou Cheng caught up again. Lin Shu pointed to the peak and said that at this moment, the two missing directors were doing something illegal under the table.
Another strange phenomenon occurred that evening. When Yu Jintang led Xiahou Cheng back to her room with the leather belt, they bumped into Song Man, Liu Lü, and Qin Lan. At that moment, all three of them showed a significant increase in their level of attraction.
Qin Lan, in particular, lasted for an exceptionally long time.
Day 4 saw the second peak in the guests' "heartbeat" ratings. On this day, each couple took on the challenge of "blindfolded cooking," and Qin Lan and Jiang Yan's "heartbeat" ratings were ridiculously high.
Feng Manhong's curve showed an exponential upward trend, and the experiment showed that the values of all blindfolded guests increased relatively quickly. Except for Yang Xingji, whose heart rate was only high when she was about to die while playing a game.
The readings during Qin Lan and Jiang Yan's afternoon date continued to rise, even surpassing the level reached yesterday when they were performing the script.
Everyone looked at the two of them with strange eyes: "Did Teacher Jiang and Teacher Qin have a date on the roller coaster?"
Lin Shu: "The date we arranged for Teacher Jiang and Teacher Qin was to watch a movie."
Xiahou Cheng smiled mischievously: "Watching a movie? Or did you get scared by a horror movie?"
Lin Shu continued to leak information: "Professor Jiang chose the film 'Watershed: 1938,' which was the first collaboration between the two teachers."
Feng Manhong asked in surprise, "Is it the movie that was nominated for the Golden Flower Award in 2017? I remember it was a spy drama."
Liu Lü nodded, recounting the nominations with familiarity: "That year, a total of six actresses were nominated for Best Actress. 'Watershed: 1938,' starring Qin, and 'The Icebreaker,' starring Feng, were fierce competitors. In the end, Feng prevailed, winning her third Golden Flower Award. But Qin, as a young actress making her film debut, proved her talent through this work and that year's Golden Flower Award nomination. It's a pity that Jiang's role was too short; otherwise, she would have at least received a Best Supporting Actress nomination."
“Yes, I completely agree with Professor Liu’s point of view.” Feng Manhong nodded: “I first learned about Professor Jiang’s name through this movie.”
Song Man: "So, you two can get your heart rate to 170 when watching your own movies??"
The more guilty he felt, the more arrogant Qin Lan became.
She raised her head and looked around disdainfully: "Is that not allowed? I just love admiring my own masterpieces."
Yu Jintang chuckled mischievously: "So, what kind of scene did Teacher Jiang see in the movie when he only appeared for five minutes... that made his heart rate spike to 170?"
Jiang Yan was even calmer than Qin Lan: "I'm just excited to see such a good work. Besides, Teacher Qin's acting was really good."
Everyone's face was filled with disbelief.
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