I was criticized on a dating reality show, but I retaliated and became an internet sensation.

Su Yanhuan knocked on the door from the outside, her voice soft and sweet: "Sister Zizi~ Time to get up~"

Shu Zi buried her head under the covers, her voice muffled as if it were coming from a cellar: "Five minutes... just five more minutes of sleep..."

Su Yanhuan sighed outside the door, her face showing an expression of "I knew it".

"You said the same thing yesterday."

"Yesterday is yesterday," came a voice from under the covers, both unreasonable and assertive. "Today is today."

Su Yanhuan: "..."

[Hahaha, the ultimate bed-sleeping champion, Shu!]

The Five-Minute Rule may be late, but it has arrived.

[Su Yanhuan: I believed your lies.]

By breakfast time, almost everyone had arrived.

I'd only taken two sips of porridge when Director Liu came in holding up his task card, stood in front of the table, and cleared his throat:

"Today's mission is—Heart Animation Studio."

"The rules are simple: two people per group, taking turns entering the studio. One person is the model, and the other is blindfolded while being painted, with a ten-minute time limit."

"After the painting is finished, the model and the painting are displayed together, and the guests vote for each other. The painting with the most votes wins."

Jiang Yunyou, with a piece of toast dangling from his mouth, raised his hand indistinctly: "Blindfolded? Director Liu, are you trying to create a contemporary abstract master? Will the painting even be readable?"

Director Liu remained unfazed: "Whether it's watchable or not doesn't matter. The important thing is the atmosphere, the feeling, understand?"

[Where's the text message?! The text message I've been waiting for all night, the one that made my heart flutter?!]

[Director Liu, did you get stuck on the tape? Why aren't you releasing last night's news?]

[The production team should be punished! Where's my candy?! Where's my huge piece of candy?!]

[Am I really going to have to wait until tomorrow? I'm crying.]

Director Liu seemed to have a built-in bullet screen blocker, completely ignoring the screen full of question marks, and continued reading: "The group assignments will remain the same as yesterday."

"Ah—?" Jiang Yunyou groaned, slumping back in his chair. "Why is it yesterday's group assignments again...?"

Su Yanhuan, holding a glass of milk, accurately kicked him under the table.

Jiang Yunyou sat up straight with a "whoosh," turned his head, and his face was full of grievance.

Su Yanhuan silently mouthed two words: "Shut up."

Jiang Yunyou pouted, obediently lowered his head, and continued to gnaw on his innocent slice of toast.

[Jiang Yunyou: I feel wronged, but I won't say it.jpg]

Su Yanhuan's kick resonated with my feelings that I've had for years.

[Huanhuan: This teammate is impossible to carry, really impossible to carry]

Across from her, Fang Yutong was slowly stirring her coffee.

When she heard "the grouping remains unchanged," her stirring spoon paused almost imperceptibly, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and the corners of her mouth curved upwards briefly before being flattened again—so fast it was almost an illusion.

When she looked up again, her face still held that impeccable gentle smile. Her gaze swept lightly over Yu Shize beside her, then casually looked away.

Wait! Did Fang Yutong just laugh?

【I saw it too! Just a flash, incredibly fast!】

What is she laughing at? Why is she so happy being in a group with Yu Shize?

[It doesn't seem like a happy smile... that smile is a bit strange, I can't quite put my finger on it]

[And the way she looked at Yu Shize...it felt very complicated.]

Shu Zi rested her chin on her hand, squinted at Fang Yutong for two seconds, and muttered to herself.

What is this woman laughing at?

Yesterday, I was in a group with Yu Shize. She was polite and distant the whole time, but that smile just now... didn't seem like she was happy.

It's more like... the plan succeeded?

What plan?

Before she could figure it out, the plate in front of her was switched.

Gu Yan pushed his untouched plate of fried eggs in front of her, and casually took away her plate, which had already gone cold, as if he had done it eight hundred times before.

Shu Zi stared at the steaming fried egg in front of her, paused for a second, then looked up at him and said, "I didn't say I wanted to change it."

Gu Yan picked up his coffee, took a sip, and without even lifting his eyelids, said, "It's cold."

"I can still eat it even when it's cold."

"Hmm," he finally turned his head to the side, a half-smile playing on his lips, "then you can switch back."

Shu Zi pressed down on the edge of the plate: "...We've already changed it, it's too much trouble to change it back."

Gu Yan smiled almost imperceptibly, then turned back to drink his coffee without saying anything more.

Shu Zi lowered her head, poked the fried egg fiercely, and muttered softly, "...like a dog chasing a mouse."

Then, with a gulp, I bit off half of it.

[Gu Yan: I was just teasing you. Shu Zi: I took it seriously, but I'll never admit defeat!]

[“It’s Already Changed” and “So Troublesome” Shu Zi, your mouth is harder than a fried egg.]

[Gu Yan's smile! He definitely did it on purpose! He's so good at it!]

[Elementary school students arguing, but the sweetness level is off the charts]

To hide her inexplicable guilt, Shu Zi quickly raised her hand, trying to draw everyone's attention back: "Director Liu! Can I vote for myself?"

Director Liu: "No."

"Can we shoot two sets?"

"cannot."

"How can we abandon it—"

"Why do you ask so many questions?" Gu Yan interjected casually from the side.

Shu Zi suddenly turned her head, her eyes wide: "I was asking a question, what's it to you?"

Gu Yan didn't look at her. He picked up his water glass and took another sip. The barely suppressed smile on his lips was particularly irritating to Shu Zi.

Shu Zi glared at him for a full three seconds, silently chanting in her mind, "The world is so wonderful, yet I am so irritable. This is not good, not good."

After reading it, I realized I still wanted to punch him.

[Let's fight! Let's fight! (Just kidding)]

[Gu Yan: I love the way you can't stand me but can't do anything about it]

[I could laugh for a year at Shu Zi's death stare]

Director Liu ignored the infighting among the children and continued announcing, "The winner's prize will be announced tomorrow."

Shu Zi's eyes lit up, but then dimmed again in an instant.

She took a deep breath, turned to the camera, and said expressionlessly, "Director Liu, I really will thank you."

[It's a traditional talent show for "Tomorrow's Announcement"]

[Shu Zi: I have a few words of 'MMP' that I don't know whether I should say or not]

Director Liu, you truly live up to your reputation!

Han Jingxue remained silent.

She sat at the far end of the long table, the coffee in front of her long since gone cold, untouched.

Her fingertips unconsciously rested on her left wrist, gently stroking that small patch of smooth skin, where there was nothing there.

Shen Yihuai sat diagonally opposite her, his gaze sweeping over her wrist, pausing for half a second, then lowering his eyes, picking up his coffee and taking a sip.

His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

bitter.

Director Liu clapped his hands: "Now we'll draw lots to determine the order of appearance."

Staff members brought over the lottery box.

Shu Zi rolled up her sleeves, reached inside with an air of authority, rummaged around for a while, pulled out a slip of paper, unfolded it, and read—

"Group Four."

She slammed the note on the table, slumped back, utterly dejected: "...Is my hand blessed? Does it always pick the last one?"

Gu Yan, standing to the side, casually added, "When have you ever had a good run of luck?"

Shu Zi whirled her head, glaring angrily: "Gu Yan, did you come here specifically to bring me bad luck today?"

Gu Yan didn't reply, but simply turned his face away.

But Shu Zi noticed that the corner of his mouth curved upwards again.

She was so angry that her fists hardened.

[Shu Zi, the ultimate non-European, who only picks the last ones]

[Gu Yan: I'm just stating the facts. Shu Zi: Shut up!]

[Screenshot taken! Gu Yan is secretly smiling again! He's in a great mood today!]

[Laughing even after being glared at—what kind of elementary school boy behavior is this?!]

The staff continued drawing lots.

Group 1: Su Yanhuan, Jiang Yunyou.

Jiang Yunyou patted his pants, stood up, and gestured with his chin towards Su Yanhuan: "Let's go."

Su Yanhuan put down her milk cup, got up and followed, but after taking two steps she turned back, winked at Shuzi, and mouthed "Go for it!"

Shu Zi waved to her, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

In the art studio.

Jiang Yunyou casually sat down on the mannequin chair, crossed his legs, rested his hand on the armrest, and raised his chin:

"How so, Teacher Su? Are you going to draw me, or am I going to draw you?"

Su Yanhuan stood in front of the easel and thought for a moment: "Just sit still and don't move."

The staff handed over blindfolds and paintbrushes.

Su Yanhuan put on her blindfold, picked up her pen, took a deep breath, and the pen tip fell.

shhhhh--

The pen tip glided across the drawing paper with a fast and urgent sound, almost without hesitation.