The studio was packed with staff. Aside from the set designer under the lights who hadn't noticed, everyone else had heard the commotion over here to some extent.
Two young clothing assistants were passing by; hearing the sound, their footsteps faltered, and they quite obviously pricked up their ears.
Having a race car driver on this type of reality show was unprecedented.
As for whether Ling Ye would be willing to come, no one in the entire program group dared to guarantee it. Previously, not only had they listed him as a substitute guest, but they had also left empty slots for him in every time slot for today's promotional photo shoot.
Regarding this morning's combination, everyone had originally assumed it was a simple accidental encounter. They hadn't expected that these two, who seemed to have absolutely nothing to do with each other, would actually have this kind of connection.
Wen Wanning didn't notice the people around her frantically exchanging glances, because in these few seconds of silence, she was already racking her brain for an explanation.
"You can tell a person's character at three," this saying is sometimes really true.
The aloof young man who didn't like to talk in his youth had grown a mouth after not seeing him for several years, but once he spoke, he completely disregarded others' feelings; it would have been better if he hadn't spoken at all.
"Zhou Fu didn't mention this to me," Teacher Zhong looked back and forth between the two, asking with great interest, "What kind of brother and sister are Wanning and Ling Ye? Are they relatives on the father's or mother's side?"
As someone brought in by Zhou Fu, she had also watched Wen Wanning grow up and knew her inside and out.
A native girl from Shen Cheng, from a well-off family with loving parents, she had never heard any rumors about a blended family or anything of the sort. Even if they were cousins, logically, it should have been dug up by the media long ago.
Looking at their appearances, the two didn't resemble each other in the slightest.
Wen Wanning choked slightly and glanced at the person beside Teacher Zhong.
Ling Ye met her gaze very candidly. His dark eyes were pressed by his eyelashes, and that sense of aggression had faded significantly, replaced by a clean, youthful air.
Wen Wanning closed her eyes in resignation, "We aren't relatives; we were neighbors before."
She slept in the master bedroom, and Ling Ye lived in the guest room next to her; how could they not be considered neighbors?
Teacher Zhong said "oh" and summarized it on her own, "Childhood sweethearts, then. That's quite close too."
Ling Ye leaned back against the chair the whole time, his Adam's apple visible through the slightly open collar of his hoodie. Hearing this, the corners of his lips curled up, as if he had let out a very faint laugh.
Wen Wanning was inexplicably irritated by his smile and was about to say something when Teacher Zhong continued.
"I just finished talking to the photographer. For this season's posters, we'll do group photos in pairs. For the first set, I'll have you and Ling Ye pair up."
"Since you two are brother and sister and already familiar with each other, it saves the effort of breaking the ice."
Changing the plan on the spot is a major taboo, unless the chief producer is present in person.
Teacher Zhong had much more authority in the studio than the photographer; what she said was final.
Wen Wanning agreed, and the staff members who had been silently gossiping nearby all sprang into action.
The set under the lights was still that Nanyang style restaurant, but compared to just a moment ago, some nostalgic street furnishings had been added—old shophouses with mottled walls, tropical trees with dark green leaves covering the windowsills, and a bus stop sign under the shade that had rusted in a few places, giving it an exceptionally realistic texture.
The subsequent shoot began quickly. A clothing assistant ran over, suppressing her burning curiosity, and helped Wen Wanning tidy up her makeup and hair one more time.
Ling Ye's side was much simpler than hers. He deftly flipped up the hem of his hoodie and took it off in a few quick motions, revealing a school uniform shirt underneath, and naturally straddled the small motorcycle on the set.
The light reflectors and fans were in position. Wen Wanning took a deep breath and walked onto the constructed street, the sound of her high heels crisp and clear.
She had accumulated quite a bit of experience with magazines and hard photos over the years; once she faced the camera lens, her relaxed body movements were almost muscle memory.
But this time, meeting the gaze Ling Ye cast over inadvertently, she felt inexplicably nervous and reached out to press down on her skirt, which had been lifted by the wind.
The flash and the sound of the shutter went off repeatedly.
The photographer didn't say anything, but Teacher Zhong rested her chin on her hand, leaning over to watch the monitor for a moment.
"Wanning, don't feel so formal. It's not too late to be his sister after work."
"Right now, you can treat Ling Ye as your ex-boyfriend, or as a long-desired crush; just give me some emotion."
As soon as she finished speaking, the photography assistants on the side didn't have any particular reaction, but Wen Wanning was secretly shocked in her heart.
Spontaneous Travel. In previous seasons, although it was called a fake travel show and a real dating show, it was mainly because the CP fans were too enthusiastic, leading to this impression being too deeply rooted in people's hearts; the program group had never officially confirmed it.
Coming to this year's season, perhaps because the opponent's ratings were too eye-catching, the program started pairing people up from the promotional photos. She really hadn't expected that.
What she hadn't expected even more was that she would be able to... pair with Ling Ye.
After all, it was work. Wen Wanning leaned lightly against the railing of the bus stop, two steps away from Ling Ye, trying hard to find the feeling Teacher Zhong wanted.
"I'll try one more time."
Since that accidental encounter on a rainy night, this was the first time she had seen Ling Ye in such a brightly lit place.
Looking closer, the clothes the program group prepared for him were very clever.
A Thai-style school uniform; the short-sleeved shirt was loose, and under the indigo shorts, a pair of sturdy, long legs were casually supporting him on the ground. His hands weren't on the handlebars, and his broad shoulders were leaning slightly back.
The strap of his uniform bag was slung across his chest, and his lazy vibe was very summery, like a breeze brushing across the sea.
The young race car driver's dark, messy hair rose and fell with the wind. His bone structure was extremely superior, even more dazzling than the simulated island sunlight; it was a natural impact different from the male artists in the industry.
For no reason, Wen Wanning remembered a Weibo post she had casually scrolled past before going to sleep last night:
The joy of dealing with top-tier athletes is that behind the brother's beauty is not technology or money, but the self-disciplined hard work of avoiding sugar and fried foods and training eight hours a day.
Organic handsomeness, healthy handsomeness, steady and reassuring, peace.
Wen Wanning found enough excuses in her heart for her rapid immersion into the role—
It is said that when a person gazes at a handsome guy for more than three seconds, they automatically secrete dopamine.
Increased heart rate and faster breathing frequency are purely physiological reactions and have nothing to do with what one is thinking in their heart.
A girl who has loved pretty clothes and skirts since she was a child can have a hot head over a good-looking face in her early twenties; six years later, she can still be dazed once more by an upgraded version of the same face.
This is too normal.
After taking a few more shots, Teacher Zhong's tone became excited, and she picked up the walkie-talkie, "Okay, okay, Wanning, get closer, sit in the back seat of his bike."
The photographer moved at the sound, directing the assistants to readjust the position of the light reflectors.
Gaze from all directions converged. Wen Wanning avoided those eyes that were watching with amusement and walked over against the wind.
It was quite a small, old motorcycle, the kind commonly seen in island films. Wen Wanning's skirt was cinched at the waist, but the skirt was wide, so it was difficult to move once she sat down a little.
Fortunately, camera lenses are not like human eyes, and there are many tricks for forced perspective. She was just about to pull back a little when the motorcycle suddenly moved while still in place.
Ling Ye steadied it with one hand, and the rear wheel swayed slightly. It was perfectly balanced, causing her tense lower body to relax, and she tilted completely to the side.
Unexpected.
Wen Wanning bumped directly into his back, reflexively sitting firmly in the back seat and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.
The water-colored school uniform shirt was even thinner than it looked.
Her hands tightened subconsciously, and she was scalded by the other person's warm body temperature, realizing almost immediately—
In order to get closer to the realism Teacher Zhong wanted,
Ling Ye was wearing nothing under this shirt.
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