I'm in Wuha, and the whole internet is shipping me and Song Yuqi as a couple.

The elevator doors closed.

The only sound in the corridor was their footsteps, one in front of the other.

Song Yuqi walked ahead, her steps so fast it looked like a ghost was chasing her.

Jiang Che's words still lingered in her ears, their heat undiminished.

"Song Yuqi, when have I ever joked with you?"

She gripped the room key tightly, her nails digging into her palms, her mind racing like a blender.

He was serious.

He pulled her up by the campfire in front of everyone, and he was serious.

That sentence in the elevator was also serious.

Song Yuqi stopped at the door of the room, her hand trembling twice before she aligned the card with the sensor area.

The door opened, and she slipped inside, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jiang Che standing two steps away, hands in his pockets, leaning against the opposite wall, watching her.

"...What are you looking at?"

"Watch you run."

"I didn't run away!"

"From the campfire to the elevator, to the corridor, you walked briskly without looking back."

Jiang Che tilted his head. "Teacher Song, this is called running."

Song Yuqi, holding onto the door frame, turned around to face him.

"You..." Song Yuqi began, her voice much softer than she had expected, "Can't you give me some time to process this?"

"Digest what?"

"Go and process what you just did!"

Song Yuqi panicked, "You dragged me up from the chair and said 'The selection is over' to the camera, do you know what that means?"

"What does that mean?"

"mean……"

She got stuck.

This means that the entire internet saw it.

This means that at least five of the top ten trending topics tomorrow will be related to them.

This means that from today onwards, she has no way out.

Seeing her conflicted expression, Jiang Che straightened up from the wall and took a step toward her.

Song Yuqi reflexively took half a step back, her back hitting the door frame.

"I'm not coming over."

Jiang Che stopped, raised his hand to rub the back of his neck, and said, "You should go to sleep first."

Song Yuqi blinked.

He didn't pressure her.

She thought he would, like before, come close and say something that would leave her nowhere to escape.

But he didn't.

"You have a schedule to attend tomorrow, so don't stay up too late."

Jiang Che turned and walked towards his room, his back relaxed, his steps neither fast nor slow.

Song Yuqi stood at the door, her gaze lingering on his back for several seconds.

Jiang Che.

He stopped.

"……Good night."

Jiang Che didn't turn around, but raised one hand and waved it behind him as a response.

The moment the door closed behind her, Song Yuqi buried her face in the door and muttered a curse to herself.

Good night?

They voted for you in front of the whole nation, and all you reply with is "goodnight"?

Song Yuqi, are you stupid?

She squatted in the entryway, holding her head, for a full three minutes before getting up to take a shower.

The phone was thrown on the bed, and it vibrated like it was having an epileptic seizure.

She didn't dare to look.

……

The next morning at eight o'clock, at the hotel's buffet restaurant.

When Song Yuqi came downstairs with dark circles under her eyes, she found that everyone was already seated.

Deng Chao and Chen He occupied a four-person table, with six plates piled up like a small mountain in front of them.

Lu Han sat beside him, drinking porridge with a calm expression, like an old Zen master who had seen through the ways of the world.

Upon seeing Song Yuqi appear, all three of them turned their gazes toward her.

That look in his eyes practically screamed "I understand!"

"Good morning." Song Yuqi forced herself to walk over and grab a plate.

Good morning, Yuqi.

Chen He's voice was so sweet it could smack. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"……good."

"Really?" Deng Chao poked at the fried egg with his fork. "I heard that someone next door was tossing and turning until three in the morning."

Song Yuqi almost splashed the soy milk on his face.

"Brother Chao, did you plant a listening device?"

Deng Chao pointed towards his room, "The soundproofing is terrible; I can hear you turning over in bed perfectly clearly."

Chen He leaned closer, lowered his voice, and asked with a gossipy look, "Seriously, after we got back last night, did Lao Jiang say anything else?"

"no."

"So... there's nothing there?"

He told me to go to bed early.

Chen He and Deng Chao exchanged a glance, their expressions filled with disappointment.

"That's it?" Deng Chao put down his fork. "All you did when you got back was tell me to go to bed early?"

"Jiang Che, this person."

Lu Han finally spoke, slowly taking a sip of porridge, "What's the rush? They're taking things one step at a time."

Song Yuqi didn't reply, but picked up her plate and sat down in a corner.

She had just taken a bite of her bread when Jiang Che walked in.

Wearing a black T-shirt and sweatpants, her hair was unkempt, casually swept back.

He glanced around the restaurant, his gaze lingering on Song Yuqi for less than a second, before heading towards the food pick-up area.

Song Yuqi was having some difficulty swallowing her bread.

She watched Jiang Che's back as he picked up two slices of toast, a plate of boiled eggs, and a cup of black coffee, his actions exactly the same as always.

He came over carrying a tray.

He walked past Deng Chao's table, past Lu Han, and went straight to Song Yuqi's table. He put down the plate, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

I didn't ask her if I could sit down, nor did I greet her.

It's as if this position was born for him.

Deng Chao whispered from behind, "See that? This is called declaring sovereignty."

Chen He: "Brother Chao, keep your voice down, he has good hearing."

Jiang Che took a bite of toast and looked up at Song Yuqi.

"What time did you go to sleep?"

"I don't remember."

Jiang Che didn't press the matter.

He pushed the hot soy milk on the table in front of Song Yuqi and took the iced Americano from her hand.

"Don't drink anything cold if you have a cold stomach."

Song Yuqi opened her mouth as if to say that it was what she wanted, but after glancing at his expressionless face as he drank his iced Americano, she swallowed her words.

Dilraba walked in from the other side of the restaurant at that moment.

She wore a beige knitted cardigan today, her hair was tied in a low ponytail, and her makeup was very light, almost invisible.

She was a completely different person from the woman who exuded confidence by the campfire last night.

She glanced around with her plate and saw Jiang Che sitting opposite Song Yuqi.

There was a pause of about two seconds.

Then she walked over to Deng Chao's table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

"morning."

Dilraba greeted Deng Chao and Chen He.

"Good morning."

Deng Chao's voice sounded noticeably unnatural.

Dilraba did not look in the direction of Jiang Che and Song Yuqi.

She lowered her head, peeled an egg, and ate it quietly.

The atmosphere in the restaurant became subtle.

Song Yuqi stirred the soy milk with a spoon, feeling a sudden tightness in her chest.

She couldn't describe what it felt like.

"Stop stirring."

Jiang Che's voice interrupted her.

Song Yuqi looked up.

"Soy milk didn't offend you."

"...I'm cooling down."

"?"

Song Yuqi put down her spoon and stopped stirring.

At this moment, Wu Zheng jogged into the restaurant, holding a walkie-talkie in his hand, his face full of excitement.

"Everyone! Eat faster! This morning's task has been brought forward!"

Deng Chao wailed, "Old Wu, can't we just have a peaceful meal?"

"cannot."

Wu Zheng walked to the center of the table and clapped his hands.

"I just received news that the sponsors have added a last-minute segment for today, which will take place on the hotel's private beach."