Amateur talent show? Top mentors are my students.

On Thursday evening, all six of them returned home early, which was unusual.

Jiang Yining entered the house at 5:40, put her bag on the floor in the entryway, and collapsed on the sofa, complaining of being tired.

Lin Zhen arrived a little after six o'clock. He put down his briefcase in the manner befitting a law firm employee, but he noticeably relaxed a bit when he sat down in the chair.

Wu Jiayuan left work on time today. When she came in, she was carrying a bag of fruit, saying that it was a discounted fruit shop that had just opened near the hospital.

He Xu and Zhuang Wenmin returned one after the other; one had just finished a class at Banxing, and the other had just finished work at the makeup and styling studio.

Sun Zhuohang was the last to arrive; when he entered at 6:40, he was holding a script in his hand and still reciting his lines.

"Everyone's here, everyone's here!" Wu Jiayuan clapped her hands in the kitchen. "What are we having for dinner tonight?"

"There are some leftover ribs in the fridge from yesterday, I'll heat them up." Jiang Yining jumped up from the sofa. "And stir-fry some vegetables too, is that enough?"

"I'll make another cold dish." Lin Zhen had already walked towards the kitchen.

He Xu leaned against the sofa armrest and glanced at them, showing no intention of getting up.

Zhuang Wenmin sat down next to him, glancing at him sideways: "Aren't you going to help?"

"I'll wash the dishes after they're done."

"You're quite self-aware."

The six of them sat around the long table and enjoyed a lively dinner.

The ribs were from yesterday, but Jiang Yining reheated them, adding some sugar and vinegar to thicken the sauce again, making them taste even better than yesterday.

Wu Jiayuan stir-fried a plate of garlic-flavored lettuce, Lin Zhen mixed seaweed and dried bean curd, and Sun Zhuohang was assigned to cook a pot of rice—the only task that didn't go wrong.

After finishing their meal, He Xu and Sun Zhuohang followed the usual custom and cleared away the bowls and chopsticks before heading to the kitchen.

He Xu washed the dishes, and Sun Zhuohang wiped the table. The two worked together much more efficiently than on the first day.

Wu Jiayuan and Jiang Yining put the leftovers into a food storage container and put it in the refrigerator. Lin Zhen tied up the garbage bag and placed it at the door. Zhuang Wenmin wiped the water stains off the table.

The six people each did their own thing, and the kitchen and dining room were cleaned up in less than fifteen minutes.

Just as everyone was about to collapse onto the sofa, a notification sound rang from the fixed camera in the corner of the living room.

Sun Zhuohang, who was closest, glanced at the card, then walked over, bent down, and picked it up from the ground.

"Left by the production team." He glanced down at it, then looked up and read aloud, "Tonight's event: Truth or Dare for Those Destined. Six guests, please gather to draw a question card."

Wu Jiayuan had just sat down on the sofa when she heard this, she stood up again: "Truth or dare? Like a game of truth or dare?"

"Let's go take a look," Jiang Yining said.

Six people sat in a circle on the sofa. On the coffee table was a black box left behind by the production team, with a line of cursive text printed on the lid—

The box contains two rounds of question cards: the first round is light-hearted, and the second round is more in-depth. Each person draws one card per round and can choose one person to ask a question, which the other person must answer.

"Two rounds?" Lin Zhen picked up the box and examined it from all angles. "And there are easy and deep sections?"

"The production team really knows how to have fun." Wu Jiayuan had already taken out the first card from the box, flipped it over, glanced at the back, her expression subtly changed, and then quickly tucked the card onto her knee. "I'll draw first, you guys hurry up."

The six people took turns drawing cards for the first round, each glancing at them with different expressions.

Jiang Yining covered her mouth and laughed, Wu Jiayuan opened her mouth and then closed it again, Lin Zhen pushed up his glasses and then started looking at others, Sun Zhuohang looked a little confused and didn't know who to choose, Zhuang Wenmin expressionlessly flipped the card over and placed it on her knee, He Xu glanced at his card and then looked around at the others.

"Who wants to go first?" Wu Jiayuan asked.

"You go first," Jiang Yining nudged her. "Your expression just now was the most normal."

Wu Jiayuan nodded, flipped the card over to check the contents, then looked up and scanned the five people's faces before finally stopping on Sun Zhuohang: "Zhuohang, I have a question for you."

Sun Zhuohang straightened his back a bit: "Ah? Okay."

Wu Jiayuan looked down and read aloud the words on the card: "What's your phone's screen saver?"

Sun Zhuohang paused for a moment, then took out his phone, flipped it over, and showed it to everyone.

On the screen was a group photo of the film crew, seven or eight people crammed onto a sofa, with the green screen of the film set in the background. Everyone was dressed casually, but their faces all wore that tired yet happy expression that only comes when filming wraps up.

"This was taken on the day our last film wrapped up," Sun Zhuohang said. "The director treated the whole crew to hot pot, and after we finished eating, someone suggested taking a picture, so we did."

"Why did you choose this as your screensaver?" Wu Jiayuan pressed.

"Because that day was the happiest day I've had in recent years." Sun Zhuohang's voice wasn't loud, but it was full of joy. "I hadn't had any acting work for several years, and suddenly a production team was willing to take me. After filming, we even had hot pot together. It felt... kind of unreal. Every time I turn on my phone and see this photo, it reminds me that I can still continue in this industry."

There was a moment of silence on the sofa.

Wu Jiayuan nodded, asked no further questions, and put the card down.

Lin Zhen adjusted his glasses and flipped the card over: "He Xu, I have a question for you."

He Xu turned his head to look at him: "Mm."

Lin Zhen read aloud the words on the card: "What's your most frequently ordered takeout dish?"

He Xu thought for a moment: "The preserved egg and lean pork congee at the congee shop at the entrance of the community."

"Why this one?"

"It's easy to digest," He Xu said. "I have a sensitive stomach, and the food at the porridge shop is bland, so I'm used to it and don't bother changing it."

How many times have you ordered it?

"Last month's bills came out about ten times."

Wu Jiayuan clicked her tongue from the side: "More than ten times? You must be a true fan."

"It's not true love," He Xu said calmly. "I'm just too lazy to change."

Jiang Yining flipped the card over, glanced at it, and then turned her head to ask him a question: "Teacher Zhuang, I have a question for you."

Zhuang Wenmin sat up a little straighter: "Mm."

Your question is: "What are the three things you always bring when you go out?"

Zhuang Wenmin lowered her head and thought for a moment: "Throat lozenges, earphones, wet wipes."

"No cell phone?"

"Mobile phones don't count. Mobile phones are necessities, but they're not 'must-haves.' You can't leave the house without a mobile phone."

"Then why did you bring these three items?"

"Throat lozenges are a habit; I feel uncomfortable if I don't chew something. Headphones are for when I need quiet at work; I wear them when clients are noisy. Wet wipes are... I can't stand having sticky things on my hands." Zhuang Wenmin paused here, "When I'm doing my makeup, if I get foundation or hairspray on my hands, I can't continue working until they're completely clean."

Jiang Yining nodded and put the card down.

Sun Zhuohang flipped the card over and looked at it once, then again, before hesitatingly glancing at everyone.

"Zhuohang, it's your turn," Wu Jiayuan encouraged him.

Sun Zhuohang cleared his throat, looked up at Jiang Yining, and said, "Teacher Jiang, I have a question for you."

Jiang Yining blinked: "Okay."

Your question is: "What was the last time you stayed up all night?"

Jiang Yining thought for a moment: "Last Wednesday. I graded exam papers until 1 a.m.

"It took so long to approve?"

"I graded nearly a hundred math tests for two classes. After that, I had to compile a list of the wrong answers to go over in class the next day. I originally planned to finish at 11 o'clock, but while I was grading, I found that one student's problem-solving approach was particularly interesting. So I took a picture of his test and sent it to other math teachers. Then we started discussing it in the group chat, and we got more and more excited, so it was already 1 o'clock."

"So you stayed up all night talking about work?" Wu Jiayuan asked.

"Yes, but that chat was voluntary, not forced. I just found a promising talent, thought he was interesting, and wanted to chat a bit more."

"You really love your job," Wu Jiayuan remarked.

Jiang Yining smiled and said, "It's not that I love my job, it's that I love my students."

Zhuang Wenmin turned the card over, glanced at He Xu, and said, "He Xu."

He Xu put down his water glass: "Mm."

Your question is—'Do you have any strange habits?'

He Xu leaned back on the sofa and thought for a moment: "I don't know if this is strange. Every time I enter a new place, I check all the exits and passages first."

"All exits?"

"Hmm. Where are the doors and windows? How do I walk down the corridor? Is there a back door? Where does the fire escape lead? When you arrive at a new place, you should check these things first. You'll get used to it."

Why?

"Maybe it's... a sense of security? When I used to lead students in rehearsals, we were often in unfamiliar venues. You have to know where to run the fastest if something happens, and it just became a habit."

Jiang Yining stared wide-eyed at her: "So when you first arrived at the villa, you walked around the entire building—"

"I guess so," He Xu said. "I also took a look at the room."

Wu Jiayuan chuckled: "I thought you were a leader on an inspection tour."

"I thought so too." Lin Zhen pushed up his glasses. "That day you went from the first floor to the third floor without saying a word. I was so nervous sitting on the sofa."

He Xu glanced at him: "What are you so nervous about?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's their aura."

Everyone on the sofa laughed.

He Xu flipped his card over, glanced at it, and then looked up: "The last one, I asked Lin Zhen."

Lin Zhen sat up a little straighter: "Okay."

Your question is: "What's the one photo on your phone that you'd never want to delete?"

Lin Zhen took out his phone, scrolled through it for a while, and then showed the screen to everyone.

The photo shows an old-fashioned balcony with a cement floor and several potted plants on the railing. Sunlight shines in from the side, making the whole scene warm and inviting.

An orange cat sat in the corner of the balcony, yawning with its eyes half-closed.

"This is my balcony," Lin Zhen said. "The cat belongs to my mother; its name is Jianguo. My mother has had it for seven or eight years; it was there when I went to college."

"Jianguo?" Jiang Yining chuckled. "That's too formal a name."

"My mom named it that. She said cats should have ambition too, and shouldn't be named things like 'Mimi'."

"Then why can't you bear to delete this one?" He Xu pressed.

"I took this photo last year when I went home for Chinese New Year. My mom was cooking in the kitchen, my dad was watching TV in the living room, and Jianguo was sunbathing on the balcony. I was standing on the balcony with nothing to do, so I took this picture." Lin Zhen's voice was very calm.

"Looking back, that afternoon was quite precious. The three of us, plus our cat, did nothing but stay at home. Later, my mother's health deteriorated, and my father was busy with work, so I could only go home a few times a year. That afternoon became quite valuable."

There was a moment of silence on the sofa.

Wu Jiayuan nodded, lowering her voice slightly: "I understand."