The Last Guest Arrives
“Welcome to the first episode of Heart-Knot Silk Robe!” The livestream began, and the camera cut to the director first.
Just thirty seconds after the broadcast began, the livestream had already surpassed one million viewers, with a flood of new traffic still pouring in.
The show aired live first and would then be edited and uploaded to a video platform. They were clearly aiming to maximize their reach, making sure to capture every kind of audience.
“For our first episode, we’ve come to a seaside island to revisit the clearest, most heart-fluttering feeling of first love.” The camera swung around. In the distance, waves rolled across a deep blue sea; nearby, the sand was soft. You could almost smell the faint salt in the air.
The camera followed the director toward a rest area set up outside a wooden cottage by the shore. A tall parasol cast a broad patch of shade.
“This is our gathering spot,” the director said with a smile. “Let’s see which group arrives first. The first guests here get a reward.”
[Why does Director Luo’s smile seem so devious?]
[He’s so good at stirring things up. Hurry up, hurry up! Ahhhhh!]
[It’s finally started! Ahhhhh, I’ve been waiting forever! Quick question, is Film Emperor Fu really coming? I’ve been a fan for ten years!]
And this was only the opening. The livestream’s viewership shot past five million in an instant!
As soon as the director finished speaking, the camera turned toward a couple approaching from farther down the beach. A man and a woman each pulled a suitcase as they headed for the cottage.
They were the long-married couple netizens joked were sharing a bed while dreaming separate dreams.
[Whoa, they’re so far apart. You’d think there was someone standing between them.]
[Hehe, the person above has a dark sense of humor. What if there really is someone between them? (teasing)]
[Can you do math? They each have someone on the side, so there are two people between them, okay? (wicked laughter)]
As the livestream’s bullet comments filled with laughter, the married couple reached the camera. The woman, Zhu Lin, removed her sunglasses with an air of indifference and gave the camera a slight nod. She was around thirty-five, with several well-known works to her name, and still full of mature charm.
The man, Qiang Gao, was much more casual. A former TV host, he greeted everyone, then sat beside the director. “Got any water? I’m dying of thirst after that walk.”
The director smiled warmly, and an assistant from the production team promptly brought over a glass beaded with cold condensation.
But although two people had arrived, there was only one cold drink.
Without a second thought, Qiang Gao took it and gulped down most of the glass. Only then did he seem to remember his wife. “Want some?”
The woman’s expression darkened. She gave a soft scoff. “Go ahead and finish it.”
Her tone was dripping with sarcasm.
Apparently used to hearing that kind of thing, Qiang Gao didn’t care. He tipped back his head and drank the rest.
The bullet comments raced across the livestream:
[Holy crap, he doesn’t even pretend? This is just…]
[This guy, seriously. He leaves her that tiny sip and then asks if she wants it… I’m speechless.]
The second couple to arrive were a middle-aged actor and a young singer. The singer had already said he wasn’t thirsty, so the actor drank the beverage himself.
The third pair were the two non-celebrity friends. They came to the camera with a little boy between them. Their whole angle was pure, innocent first love, so among all the glamorous guests and their simmering undercurrents of rivalry, they seemed so youthful and uncomplicated. When they saw the drink, both of them immediately tried to hand it to the other. For a moment, even the bullet comments grew gentler.
[Wow, these two non-celebrity guys are really good-looking~]
[I’m not here for the messy entertainment-industry drama, I’m here for these two. They’re so sweet, hehe! This atmosphere is so full of romantic tension, hehe…]
[The tall one is so handsome, and the shorter one has such round eyes, he’s adorable too. I’m firmly on board with this couple!]
In the end, they gave the drink to the little boy they’d brought along. The comments filled with cries of “so sweet” and “my heart’s melting.”
The first three couples had arrived. Everyone was gathered beneath the little shelter outside the cottage when the last pair finally showed up, fashionably late.
* * *
Ji Ziyi hadn’t expected the sun to be so harsh. He’d brought a little hat for Fu Yanchi, whose skin was especially delicate, but for himself, he’d only worn a T-shirt and shorts.
The sun blazed overhead. Ji Ziyi pulled his suitcase with one hand and held the other over his forehead to shield his eyes as he made his way toward the gathering spot. Behind him, Fu Yanchi pulled a miniature little-panda suitcase, keeping some distance from the adult ahead.
Ji Ziyi knew the boy was a little afraid of him, so he stopped now and then to wait, without deliberately moving closer.
When they were almost at the gathering spot, Ji Ziyi stopped and crouched down. Pointing ahead, he said to Fu Yanchi, “There’s another little boy over there. Why don’t you go play with him? I’ll pull your suitcase for you, okay?”
The moment Ji Ziyi came closer, Fu Yanchi’s whole body tensed instinctively. But the tall adult suddenly crouched down to his level, and that helped him relax just a little.
The original Ji Ziyi had often spoken to him coldly, mocking and looking down on him. Fu Yanchi was afraid of him and didn’t want to get close.
“Okay? I’m stronger than you,” Ji Ziyi said with a gentle smile.
Fu Yanchi blinked his big eyes, as if he suddenly didn’t recognize the person in front of him. Normally, he would have kept his distance, but this time, he handed over the little-panda suitcase he was pulling.
“Mm. Go play.”
Ji Ziyi took the suitcase. Fu Yanchi was only five, after all. He glanced back at Ji Ziyi once, then ran toward the child his own age.
Pulling both suitcases, Ji Ziyi walked beneath the shade. Everyone stared at him, their expressions frozen for a moment.
The camera zoomed in close, showing the audience Ji Ziyi’s face, pink from the heat.
The bullet comments stopped for a full five seconds. Then they erupted, covering the livestream screen in a dense blur.
[Holy crap, the moment the camera zoomed in, I have to admit, my heart shamefully skipped a beat.]
[What the hell, he’s gorgeous. I can’t even describe it. How can he be so pale and so pink at once…]
[From far away, all I could see were his legs. Now that I’ve seen his face, damn, it’s even more breathtaking… All I can say is that his figure and face are objectively stunning.]
[Who understands? When he looked at the camera just now, he even gave a little smile… Guys, he really seems so polite…]
The guest the director had bet on had finally arrived, and he beamed as he told Ji Ziyi, “The last one to arrive gets a punishment.”
Ji Ziyi wiped the sweat from his face and looked at the camera. “Sorry I’m late.”
The director said, “Your punishment is to make a cup of coffee for the other guests inside the cottage.”
“Okay.” Ji Ziyi agreed without hesitation, stood up, and headed into the wooden cottage.
[What did he just say? Guys, I was too busy looking at his face…]
[Already came.]
[???]