Chapter 18 So that's where you wanted to... stay.
Zong Linhan continued to introduce the identities of the other people. Li Xu's cousin is named Li Wan, who is an international runway model. His cousin Zong Yue is her number one fan. She flies to Paris to support her every time she goes to a show, and when she comes back, she floods her friends' social media with photos and videos, screaming, "Sister, marry me!"
Zong Linhan was about to turn to the next page when Wen Zhiling inquired at the opportune moment, "So your two families must have a pretty good relationship? Why don't you and Li Xu get along?"
Just as the medicine was finished, Zong Linhan sat up, helped close the cotton swab box, and tightened the cap of the special medicine bottle, as if he was thinking about how to say it.
Wen Zhiling was a little anxious. She picked up the medicine box she had just put away and put it back on the shelf. She turned her back to hide her expression so that she wouldn't be unable to resist asking more questions.
Zong Linhan: "He's a really annoying person."
Wen Zhiling seemed unconcerned, "Is his character bad?"
Zong Linhan: "About six years ago, his family initially wanted him to join a film crew to become more well-known before officially entering the entertainment industry."
Wen Zhiling: "In the same group as you?"
Zong Linhan: "Yeah, back then everyone in the group was an adult, so I was quite happy to have someone my age join us. Plus, we'd met a few times when we were kids, and we even took piano lessons together. He's really talented in music, even though he has a bit of a temper."
Wen Zhiling: "His songs are quite popular. I think that besides you, he's the most popular guest announced for the new season."
While buttoning his shirt, Zong Linhan said, "Well, I had a better temper when I was a child. I felt sorry for him because he was always alone. I felt a sense of duty and responsibility as an older brother. I tried to help him integrate into the piano class and the film crew. Then some things happened, and my opinion of him changed."
Wen Zhiling waited for Zong Linhan to continue, but Zong Linhan put on his shirt and showed no intention of continuing. The whole story was condensed into the three words "some things".
She couldn't help but ask, "So you're falling out like this?"
Zong Linhan didn't speak. He wiped the table with a wet wipe, threw it into the trash can, and then his tone suddenly softened, with a hint of teasing, "You're very interested in him?"
Wen Zhiling's heart was churning, but she shrugged nonchalantly: "Just watch the drama unfold. If he's hard to get along with, I'll just stay away from him."
Zong Linhan: "Yeah, don't play with him. His sister is a nice person, you can spend more time with her."
Zong Linhan took the script to the table to read it. Seeing that he had put his white shirt back on, Wen Zhiling asked, "It's not cold at home, why don't you let it air out a little longer? It's hard to wash the medicine off your clothes."
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating Zong Linhan. He raised his hand, his voice resigned: "Alright."
Her fingertips moved slowly and deliberately, starting from the neckline and working downwards, unbuttoning each button one by one, revealing a small patch of fair skin that shone brightly in the sunlight.
Wen Zhiling became alert: "What's so good about it?"
Zong Linhan pressed his forehead, his fingertips lightly tapping the last button, and shook his head helplessly. "So Zhiling likes to see me without clothes."
Wen Zhiling choked, "Put it on for me."
As he buttoned the shirt back up, Zong Linhan couldn't help but laugh, his shoulders shrugging. "This medicine dries very quickly. If I wasn't worried about making you uncomfortable, I definitely wouldn't have worn it."
Wen Zhiling twitched the corner of her mouth. "Sorry, I kept you from running around naked at home."
"How could that be?" Zong Linhan lowered his voice, feigning a flirtatious and ambiguous tone, "If..." If you want to see...
"..."
Wen Zhiling looked at his face and said, "I'll politely decline."
Zong Linhan wasn't embarrassed at all; he just smiled brightly. Wen Zhiling secretly vowed that next time she would apply the medicine, she would shove it in hard until it hurt him to death.
Seeing that Zong Linhan was focused on reading the script, Wen Zhiling tactfully prepared to leave, picking up her bag. Zong Linhan spoke up.
Zong Linhan: "You stayed at my place before the show started."
Wen Zhiling frowned. "No, I want to go back to my place."
Zong Linhan turned a page of the script. "The three restaurants downstairs from your house were booked by the Bureau of Surveillance two days ago. The third, fourth and fifth floors of the building across from your house were occupied by an emergency. Your neighbor across the street, that eighty-year-old lady, was sent to her daughter's house overnight to stay temporarily. It's empty now, but there are ten surveillance cameras inside, monitoring your every move."
Wen Zhiling clutched her bag tightly, "Then at my home..."
Zong Linhan didn't look up. "You left this morning, and someone will be going in to eavesdrop this afternoon."
The other side had also submitted a report and gone through the proper approval process, so all he could do was take her out and let them work for nothing.
Wen Zhiling was a little annoyed, thinking, "Is it really necessary? Even if she is a dangerous person, apart from biting Zong Linhan, she has never done anything outrageous."
Zong Linhan patted the seat next to him: "Come and look at the script. Have you memorized all the character settings? Don't worry, I've arranged your clothes, bags, and change of clothes in advance. They're in a room upstairs. You can stay here for now. After the show ends, your danger level will be lowered, and I'll have someone check your place again. I've already made arrangements so that even if someone goes in to eavesdrop, they won't touch your things."
Wen Zhiling had no choice but to reluctantly sit down next to Zong Linhan, spread out an A4 sheet of paper, and begin to read.
Zong Linhan was reading a suspense script, adapted from a popular literary work from two years ago. The plot was full of twists and turns. Zong Linhan was the type of person who easily got absorbed in his reading, and he only occasionally took a sip of coffee while engrossed in the book.
Wen Zhiling is naturally active and can read quickly, but she gets sleepy easily.
The variety show guide is over seventy pages long, half of which is about variety shows and the other half is about the main family and its characters. It uses sophisticated and difficult-to-pronounce vocabulary and covers a wide range of topics, including the main family's organization, industry distribution, and introductory-level information on business, real estate, and luxury goods.
Wen Zhiling couldn't sit still after flipping through only a couple of pages.
She wanted to talk to Zong Linhan, but he was engrossed in reading the script. She moved her face close to his, so close that she could see his long eyelashes and keep track of his blinking frequency. However, he maintained steady breathing, immersed in the world of the story.
Wen Zhiling, bored, shifted her attention and diligently resumed reading.
Suspense stories can easily draw you in, making you want to watch until the very end. Finally, the murderer is brought to justice, and the story ends with a sigh. Zong Linhan pulls himself out of the story and finds that his home has changed.
The glass tabletop was cluttered with various items: sliced lemons, a juicer, washed tomatoes, and half-cut tomatoes. Different colored liquids were arranged in glasses of varying heights. Zong Linhan deduced that the tomato juice mixed with lemon didn't taste good, so he made separate tomato and lemon juices.
Wen Zhiling opened the refrigerator and was still looking for fruit. She took out kiwis and bananas and muttered to herself, "The new product I was working on at the store last time was pretty good, so why don't they like it? I have to try it again."
Wen Zhiling huffed and puffed as she carried the fruit, placed it on the table, and began a new round of experimentation with dark drinks.
Zong Linhan said slowly, "Is the little hamster moving house?"
Wen Zhiling: "..."
She was having so much fun, so engrossed in the game, that she was completely oblivious to the world around her, and now she felt a little embarrassed.
Zong Linhan looked at her with a half-smile.
Wen Zhiling asked, embarrassed and annoyed, "Do you want tomato and lemon juice or not?"
Zong Linhan said no, but Wen Zhiling forcibly made him a cup and placed it next to him. She made herself a cup of bitter melon juice, which reflected her bitter mood, and sat back down at the table.
I flipped through two pages of the popular science book, realized something was wrong, glanced at it again, and flipped back to the second page.
Wen Zhiling took a sip of bitter melon juice and continued reading from the first line.
Seeing her pained expression, Zong Linhan could guess how boring it would be for someone who had no concept of variety shows or the Zong family to read these things. He thought for a moment, then pulled out a popular science book. "They're probably written in complicated and convoluted language. I'll go through it and explain it to you tonight. You don't have to remember everything. It's normal if you don't remember everything. Just have an impression."
Wen Zhiling breathed a sigh of relief, lay down on the sofa and refused to move, adhering to the idea that she still needed to study, and made up for her knowledge by watching variety show clips.
As dusk approached, Zong Linhan walked to the refrigerator, rolled up his sleeves, and asked, "What do you want to eat tonight?"
"Anything is fine." Wen Zhiling sat up and looked at Zong Linhan from behind the sofa. "By the way, which room do I stay in?"
Zong Linhan: "You can choose any room upstairs."
Wen Zhiling ran upstairs, her slippers making a clattering sound as she walked. "It's so nice to have a big house!"
There were many rooms on the second floor. She started choosing from one end of the corridor, looking at each room one by one, her slippers clicking away, honestly conveying the path to the people downstairs.
Zong Linhan opened the refrigerator, took out fruits and vegetables, and rinsed them under the tap.
The overhead light cast a white glow, illuminating his fair and handsome profile, with a faint smile playing on his lips, as if he were waiting for something.
After a while, Wen Zhiling's voice came from upstairs: "Zong Linhan!"
Zong Linhan leisurely placed the fruits and vegetables into the draining tray, his voice languid, "Hmm?"
The sound of footsteps echoed as Wen Zhiling leaned out from the middle of the stairs, gripping the railing, and looked down at him. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Zong Linhan looked up at her, his voice innocent: "What?"
Wen Zhiling was furious: "Only one room wasn't locked!"
Such a big house! So many rooms! But only one room was unlocked!
"Hmm?" Zong Linhan seemed surprised, drawing out his words, "What a coincidence?"
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Author's note: I was originally planning to write about meeting the other guests and then quickly moving on to the variety show today~
But I'm a little conflicted. I still want them to spend more time together and interact, please take it slow. [Please!]
I used to write too fast, and this time I wanted to try adding more detail, but I'm a little nervous. Do you guys prefer a fast pace or a slower, more deliberate feel? [Let me see!]
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