Chapter 39: “I am Teacher Xie’s Puppy…”
The short script condensed most of the plot, focusing more on the push and pull between the two parties.
Neither of the protagonists from the two movies was a good person—one a serial killer, the other a schizophrenic. The modified script actually managed to pair these two up.
Their interaction wasn’t a healthy romance, but rather an intertwining of pure desire. No love, just pure hate.
Even the annotated kiss scenes expressed more of a battle for dominance.
Xie Shibai even suspected that if it were allowed, scenes that couldn’t be broadcast in a certain sense would appear in this script.
He opened his mouth, then closed it, hesitating to speak.
It felt like watching a magical modification, but a modification that was surprisingly good.
The arc of Lu Ciheng’s lips couldn’t be suppressed. He even wanted to study the new script and rehearse with Xie Shibai immediately. “This script is great, don’t you think, Teacher Xie?”
Xie Shibai: “…”
He read the plot from beginning to end and marked the key points.
The short script was indeed good. Compared to forcefully piecing two personas together, the interplay between the characters here was more ingenious. Leaving aside the kiss scenes, it was indeed a good script.
He glanced at Lu Ciheng and discovered that familiar excitement. He raised his brow. “You really want to act?”
Lu Ciheng couldn’t hide his anticipation, his eyes shining like a puppy’s. Seemingly sensing Xie Shibai’s intention to refuse, he spoke first. “A good script shouldn’t be given up, right? This looks really interesting.”
Lu Ciheng leaned forward slightly, shoulder pressing against Xie Shibai’s shoulder, his palm covering the last few chapters. To prevent the livestream from hearing, he approached Xie Shibai’s earlobe and lowered his voice. “Teacher Xie, what are you worried about? Kiss scenes come in many types.”
Like boiling a frog in warm water, the whisper swept past Xie Shibai’s ear, curling with heat.
Xie Shibai’s tolerance for good scripts had always been high. Besides, kiss scenes did come in many types; plenty were done with camera angles (fake kissing). Speaking of which, the impact wasn’t huge.
Acting with Lu Ciheng was indeed satisfying.
This point felt like ants crawling, tickling his heart finely and densely.
Xie Shibai hadn’t acted for a long time since his illness onset.
He used the script to press against Lu Ciheng’s chest, pushing the man outward. “Since you want to act so much, I’ll reluctantly try it.”
Lu Ciheng laughed muffledly, his mood joyful from this generosity. “Thank you, Teacher Xie, for giving me this opportunity.”
The script continued from Qin Shang obtaining the clue. The screenwriter modified the schizophrenic dark side into Rong Zhou, but didn’t whitewash Qin Shang. Instead, the story became complicated and confusing. Was the killer Qin Shang’s dark side or Rong Zhou? Was it real illness or a madman’s induction?
In the original plot, Rong Zhou was an instigating murderer, a patient and a psychologist. The identities brought natural conflict.
The subsequent plot was leaving the villa. The two met again at a private party hosted by a client.
Qin Shang had just shed his wanted status. At the same time, he investigated Rong Zhou and knew his identity.
The client invited more than one detective. Qin Shang was the brightest existence among them. Because of the murder case, he had an added layer of mystery, the limelight at its peak amidst flattery and praise.
Exquisite refreshments were placed on the long table. Opposite Qin Shang sat Rong Zhou.
Qin Shang ignored Rong Zhou’s greeting, smiling as he discussed new cases with the person next to him.
Rong Zhou, ignored for a long time, had long changed his expression to blankness, coldly staring at Qin Shang who was laughing happily with others.
This should have been a bridge to show Rong Zhou’s dark psychology, but after modification, it became hard to fathom the human heart.
After a brief pause in the rehearsal, Xie Shibai sat on a chair and re-marked the psychological changes in the script.
In the next second, Xie Shibai felt a touch on his leg.
Xie Shibai looked down and found it was Lu Ciheng’s shoe tip, pushing aside his pant leg and slowly grinding upwards. Lu Ciheng hooked the corner of his lips, lightly hooking unscrupulously.
Clearly, the rehearsal was over, but Lu Ciheng continued acting. This segment was Rong Zhou seducing Qin Shang under the dinner table.
Xie Shibai gave him a lukewarm glare and stepped unceremoniously on Lu Ciheng’s foot.
“Mr. Rong, if you don’t want your foot, I can help chop it off.”
Lu Ciheng’s eyes curved. He dragged out his tone, sounding like it hurt a lot. “Teacher Xie, my leg is broken. Industrial injury.”
Xie Shibai leaned back in his chair, looking at him leisurely. “Do the movement just now again.”
Lu Ciheng was stunned, not expecting such a good thing from playing the victim. Just as his other foot moved, it was stomped on fiercely by the prepared Xie Shibai.
“Hss…”
Looking up, he met the slight arc of Xie Shibai’s lips. Not a big curve.
Lu Ciheng’s eyes curved. He reached over to hook his hand. “Teacher Xie, you stepped on me twice. Don’t I get compensation?”
Xie Shibai: “Compensation is stepping on you two more times?”
Lu Ciheng’s eyes lit up. “Stepping is so tiring. My face is right here; you can reach it just by extending your hand.”
Xie Shibai: …
In the evening, the program team added a new mini-game to ease the atmosphere.
Everyone would receive a card with a “Taboo Action/Word” written on it. They wouldn’t know their own, but others could see it. Each round, everyone had to induce others to say their keyword or perform their key action while inducing others and avoiding being trapped themselves.
The winner would get an exemption right, while the loser had to drink the director team’s freshly squeezed bitter melon juice.
Instantly, everyone’s sense of crisis was mobilized. Looking at the green-glowing bitter melon juice, chills ran down their spines.
Xie Shibai clipped the word card to his hair. He observed the circle, then his gaze landed on the word atop Lu Ciheng’s head.
[The word on LCH’s head feels so fitting for his image.]
[But this is a kill-shot for him, isn’t it? In normal chat, no one would say they are a puppy, right?]
[Not necessarily. Isn’t he a licking dog?]
[Even a licking dog wouldn’t go around telling the world they are a dog, right?]
[Correction! Brother Lu isn’t a licking dog! He and Brother Xie are a two-way rush. The young couple is sweet!]
Li You spoke first. His target was Xie Shibai. Eager to try, as if wanting to use this opportunity to make him drink two more cups of bitter melon juice, he was exceptionally confident in himself.
He looked at Xie Shibai’s keyword, hiding his thoughts as if simply chatting, and picked the question most likely to be answered. “Teacher Xie, when did you and Teacher Lu get together?”
Xie Shibai leaned against the sofa, sweeping a cool glance at Li You, and said faintly, “Guess.”
Two ambiguous words blocked Li You’s words back.
Li You bit his lip. Just as he opened his mouth to continue asking, he heard Xie Shibai’s cold voice.
“You’re blocking me from seeing the time.”
Li You thought Xie Shibai was about to say the keyword and hurriedly turned back to look, trying to make him say the number. Turning his head, he realized there was no clock behind him at all. He thought, it’s over.
In the next second, the elimination bell rang.
Li You gritted his teeth. Taking off the card, he found it said “Cannot look behind.”
Director Tan smilingly promoted his first cup of freshly squeezed bitter melon juice.
Li You: “…”
The bitter melon smell in the cup was overwhelming. Just smelling it caused nausea. He couldn’t refuse to drink it in front of the livestream camera.
[So fast, this is an instant kill.]
[This bitter melon juice feels emmm.]
[Dying of laughter, LY feels kind of dumb.]
One cup of bitter melon juice down, and Li You’s face turned green. As the first victim, he served as a strong warning to the others. Su Xingran, who had finished gloating, quietly sat up straight. His goal was to make Lu Ciheng drink the juice.
The subsequent questions came quickly, compressing reaction time. Everyone’s competitive spirit seemed strong.
Xie Shibai sent Mu Zhenzhen and Mi Qiran away successively.
Amidst wails, two more cups of bitter melon juice were gone.
Su Xingran glanced at Lu Ciheng’s keyword, brewed for a moment, and asked, “During the previous livestream, Teacher Xie said there’s a dog at home. Did you raise it together?”
Lu Ciheng: “Sort of.”
Seeing Lu Ciheng take the bait, Su Xingran hurriedly pursued, “I’ve always wanted to raise a dog too. Is yours a big dog or a small dog?”
Lu Ciheng raised his brow slightly. Without answering directly, he looked smilingly at Xie Shibai beside him. “Teacher Xie, what do you say?”
Xie Shibai glanced at Lu Ciheng, swept over the word card on his head, and said faintly, “He’s asking you.”
Lu Ciheng hooked his lips, answering ambiguously, “You’ll know when you see it.”
[So vigilant, absolutely won’t answer directly, eh.]
[Must have guessed what his card is.]
Su Xingran didn’t give up. After a few rounds asking Lu Ciheng, only the three of them remained.
Lu Ciheng asked casually, “Whose turn is it to ask?”
Su Xingran replied, “It’s your turn.”
He reacted abruptly, but in the next second, he heard the elimination notification sound as expected.
Another cup of bitter melon juice was consumed with tears. Su Xingran nearly didn’t catch his breath after drinking.
The other groups were tortured by the bitter melon juice, frantically drinking water, running to the toilet, or finding things in the kitchen to suppress the taste. It looked exceptionally lively.
Only Xie Shibai and Lu Ciheng were left on the field.
[It’s here! Peak duel!]
[Why does it feel like neither of them will hold back?]
[XSB definitely won’t hold back. As for LCH, it’s hard to say.]
[Why does it feel like a confrontation lane couple?]
[But both of them have basically guessed what their cards are, right? Feels like there’s no winner.]
[Definitely. They guessed it early on. No matter how others guided them, they wouldn’t say it. Now with this confrontational energy between the two, there’s no suspense. This round has to be restarted.]
Xie Shibai glanced at the last cup of bitter melon juice on the table. He could smell it without touching it. The miserable state of the others was obvious to all, firming his resolve not to drink it.
He stared at Lu Ciheng, thought for a few seconds. Drinking was impossible. He raised his hand and crooked his finger at Lu Ciheng.
Lu Ciheng immediately leaned in, his black eyes shining. “Teacher Xie.”
Xie Shibai asked in a low voice, “Lu Ciheng, what are you to me?”
Surprise flashed across the bottom of Lu Ciheng’s eyes. A low laugh spilled from his throat. It was as if he had finally let everyone know about this matter, answering without hesitation.
“I am Teacher Xie’s puppy.”
[XSB crooked his finger and you just went over so smoothly?!]
[Ahhhhh you two play so big in private!]
[Trained to this extent? One crook of a finger and he leans over.]
[I suspect LCH was waiting for this moment. He guessed what his card was earlier.]
[Definitely. Su Xingran wanted to be one but couldn’t. He must be dying of joy to be stamped and certified.]
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