Amateur talent show? Top mentors are my students.

The pace slowed down towards the end of dinner.

He Xu still had a little less than half a bowl of rice left, but he was already too full to eat anymore.

My cold had just gotten a little better, and my appetite hadn't fully recovered yet. I took a couple of bites and then put down my chopsticks, sipping my soup slowly from the bowl.

Wu Jiayuan was the first to notice, tilting her head to ask, "Can't you eat anymore?"

"Hmm, I'm a little full."

"Then don't force it on me." Wu Jiayuan reached out and moved the bowl in front of him closer to her. "I'll take it away for you."

Before He Xu could say "no need," Zhuang Wenmin had already stood up.

I casually put He Xu's bowl, Wu Jiayuan's bowl, and Sun Zhuohang's empty bowl into the kitchen.

Jiang Yining carried the last bowl of soup, drinking it as she walked towards the kitchen. When she reached the kitchen door, she saw that Zhuang Wenmin had already placed the bowls in the sink. She was taken aback and said, "Teacher Zhuang, you're so efficient! I haven't finished drinking yet."

"Drink slowly." Zhuang Wenmin turned on the tap. "Just leave it on the table when you're done."

Jiang Yining leaned against the kitchen door frame, holding a bowl, and watched Zhuang Wenmin rinse the bowl in the sink and start applying dish soap while drinking soup.

"Teacher Zhuang, you're quite efficient at your work."

"I'm used to it. When I used to work in a studio doing makeup and hair, I had to put the tools back in their place after work, otherwise I wouldn't be able to find them the next day."

"So, do you also disapprove of other people leaving their things lying around?"

Zhuang Wenmin turned on the tap and glanced at her sideways: "It depends on the occasion. The tools in the studio can't be messed up, but in the dorm, as long as they don't get in my way, I'll let them do what they want."

After Jiang Yining finished the last sip of soup, she handed the bowl over, her eyes crinkling with a smile: "Then don't scold me if I leave my things lying around in the future."

"It's up to you where you put it." Zhuang Wenmin took the bowl, her tone indifferent. "Just don't pile it on my bed."

"No way." Jiang Yining patted her chest, turned and walked towards the living room, then turned back after a couple of steps. "By the way, do you want to go out together tomorrow morning? I got scolded by the director today for being late twice this week, so I need to find a partner to keep each other in check."

Zhuang Wenmin thought for a moment and said, "I'll leave at seven o'clock tomorrow."

"That's perfect, I'll get up at 6:20." Jiang Yining gave her an OK sign and walked upstairs with light steps.

In the living room, Lin Zhen sat on the sofa with a teacup in his hand, glancing sideways at He Xu.

He Xu was leaning against the sofa armrest, holding a teacup with his eyes closed. His complexion was much better than yesterday, but he still looked a little listless.

Lin Zhen put down his teacup, pulled a small paper bag from under the coffee table, and handed it to He Xu: "This is for you."

He Xu opened one eye: "What?"

"Throat lozenges. I bought them this afternoon when I passed by a pharmacy while I was out buying ingredients. Your voice is still hoarse, so you should suck on one regularly."

He Xu took the paper bag and glanced down at it. The throat lozenges inside were different from the brand he usually ate; the packaging was smaller, and it looked like they were repackaged by the pharmacy itself.

Thanks.

"You're welcome." Lin Zhen adjusted his glasses. "If you're going to class tomorrow, remember to bring it."

He Xu stuffed the paper bag into his coat pocket, but before he could say anything, Sun Zhuohang poked his head over from the other side of the dining table: "Hey He Xu, are you going to class tomorrow?"

"go."

"Are you still going for a run tomorrow morning?"

He Xu thought about his own condition: "I can run, but maybe a little slowly."

"Then I'll run with you!" Sun Zhuohang said quickly, then blushed, "I... I ran by myself twice in the last two days and didn't fall behind."

"Did you run away by yourself?" He Xu turned his head to look at him.

"Yeah, I set my alarm for 6:30 this morning. I could only run half a lap on the first day before I couldn't go on, and I ran more than a lap on the second day." Sun Zhuohang scratched the back of his head. "Without you leading the way, I didn't run very well."

He Xu looked at him for two seconds, then put down his teacup: "Then tomorrow at 6:30, same place."

Sun Zhuohang nodded vigorously.

When Wu Jiayuan came out of the kitchen carrying washed fruit, this was the scene she saw—

He Xu leaned against the sofa armrest, Lin Zhen sat next to him scrolling through his phone, Sun Zhuohang squatted by the coffee table eating an apple, and Jiang Yining leaned half her body out from upstairs and shouted, "Teacher Zhuang, can you hurry up and take a shower?" Zhuang Wenmin's voice came from the direction of the bathroom, "Why are you rushing me?"

She put the fruit plate on the coffee table and clapped her hands: "Alright, alright, stop lounging in the living room, you have to go to work or school tomorrow."

Jiang Yining called from upstairs, "Dr. Wu, aren't you staying cooped up inside yourself too!"

"It's an occupational hazard of mine; I can't stand seeing people idle."

"Didn't you just lounge on the sofa for five minutes too!"

"I was resting, not idle," Wu Jiayuan replied matter-of-factly, pushing the fruit plate towards He Xu, "You eat some fruit to replenish your vitamin C."

He Xu reached out and took a piece of apple, then took a bite.

The next morning, when He Xu opened the door at 6:30, there was more than one person, Sun Zhuohang, standing in the corridor.

Lin Zhen, dressed in a dark gray tracksuit and without his glasses, stood at the top of the stairs, stretching his ankles.

"Didn't you say you'd switch to your own pace?" He Xu leaned against the doorframe, looking at him.

"Yes, I'll run by myself." Lin Zhen pushed up his non-existent glasses. "But if I go out with you, I'll have company on the way."

He Xu didn't say anything, and the three of them went downstairs together.

When they reached the first bend of the lakeside trail, Lin Zhen indeed slowed down. He Xu glanced at him, and Lin Zhen waved his hand at him: "You run your own way, I'll do my own."

He Xu withdrew his gaze and tilted his head slightly towards Sun Zhuohang: "Let's go."

The two continued running forward, with Lin Zhen maintaining his own pace behind them, slow but not stopping.

When He Xu reached the entrance of the breakfast shop, he looked back and saw that Lin Zhen was still about twenty meters behind, bending over and panting, but his legs were still moving and he hadn't stopped walking.

He Xu waited a few seconds until Lin Zhen ran up to him before pushing open the door and entering the breakfast shop.

As the three of them ate breakfast in the shop, Lin Zhen slumped in a chair, panting heavily. Sun Zhuohang ate a steamed bun and laughed at him, "Lin Lu, you're much faster than before. You used to practically walk back."

"You're mistaken." Lin Zhen took a sip of soy milk and it took him a while to catch his breath. "I didn't stop at all today."

"But there was a part where you were moving slower than walking," He Xu added.

Lin Zhen paused for a moment, then said, "...Do you even know what jogging is?"

He Xu didn't reply, but the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

-

In the observation room, host Cao turned a page of the script, her tone warm with emotion: "After watching these past few days together, my biggest feeling is that these six people are becoming more and more like a family."

Fang Yiren leaned back in her chair and nodded: "Yes, it's that 'family' feeling. They wouldn't talk like that with outsiders; only family members can be this casual."

Teacher Wei pushed up his glasses: "And have you noticed that they've started remembering each other's habits? He Xu remembers that Zhuang Wenmin likes to drink porridge, Lin Zhen remembers that He Xu has a sore throat and needs throat lozenges, Sun Zhuohang sets his own alarm to go for a run, and Jiang Yining invites Zhuang Wenmin to go to work together. These things weren't deliberately remembered; they just naturally came to mind after spending so much time together."

Wang Yiren, holding his coffee cup, slowly added, "And He Xu took Lin Zhen and Sun Zhuohang running this morning. He had just recovered from a cold and ran slower than usual, but he still took the two of them with him. After the run, he even brought breakfast for everyone in the house. This kind of 'getting things done quietly' spirit is especially like that of the eldest child in a family, who doesn't talk much but takes care of everything."

Fang Yiren slapped her thigh: "Yes, yes, that's exactly the feeling. He Xu looks cold, but he's actually just like the eldest brother in a family who does everything quietly—even though he's the second youngest here."

Host Cao laughed and said, "So the biggest takeaway from recording this show so far is probably that these six people have really created a 'family' together."