As the drumming stopped, the ball was passed to Gu Nian'an once again.
Gu Nian'an unfolded the slip and scanned it, then froze despite himself. When the camera focused on what was written on it, the camera operator froze too.
"Who do you like more in your family, your dad or your mom?"
Gu Nian'an put the slip down, his expression beginning to look a little unnatural. All he could do was rub his fingers together as though nothing had happened.
[Production team, is there any evil you haven't done?!]
[Help, will this ever end? You're deliberately targeting our baby Nian'an, aren't you?]
[Wow. As if the last question wasn't explosive enough, here's another.]
[Asking a kid with no parents whether he likes his dad or mom more? Amazing. Just amazing.]
[Production team, you really have no conscience!!!!!]
[I'm just a passerby who clicked in, and this blew me away.]
Seeing this, the director hurried out to smooth things over. He retrieved the slip with an awkward laugh, inwardly cursing whoever had put that question in and vowing to settle the score with them.
Gu Nian'an smiled faintly and waved it off, then picked up his teacup and continued drinking.
Next, the slip reached Ji Baiwei. "Who have you wronged the most in your life, and why?" Ji Baiwei unfolded it and paused, a trace of pain flashing through her eyes.
When Ji Yaozhi saw what was written on the slip, his expression gradually stiffened, and he wanted to reach out to stop her.
Ji Baiwei merely gave a laugh and slowly said, "My son." She rubbed her stinging eyes and added, "When my son was taken away by my ex-husband, I shouldn't have been so busy with family affairs that my child... my child..."
Her voice caught slightly, as though she could not go on.
Gu Nian'an put down his teacup and turned toward her, offering Ji Baiwei a tissue as he gently comforted her. "That wasn't your fault."
He knew about what had happened to Ji Baiwei's child. At the time, her family affairs had kept her too busy to get away. When she later went looking for him, she discovered that her child had already died in an accident.
Seeing the situation, the director had no choice but to come out and announce, "I declare all six rounds over. It's so late now, so everyone should get some rest." With that, he turned and fled.
Of course he did. After all these disasters, wouldn't he get torn to shreds if he stayed? He had to hurry and find whoever had slipped those cards in.
[Goddammit, who came up with these idiotic questions?]
[Guys, my native language is speechlessness.]
[So? We're just rubbing salt straight into people's wounds?]
[9999999]
[Production team, is there any evil you haven't done?!]
The game ended amid that strange atmosphere. After washing up, everyone returned to their rooms.
Gu Nian'an and Mu Chen headed to their room together, straightened the quilts on the beds, and lit a mosquito coil. Once everything was in order, they lay down. Nights on the mountain were rather cold.
Gu Nian'an couldn't help wrapping himself up more tightly, but for some reason, he couldn't fall asleep. His body was unusually exhausted, yet his mind remained wide awake, his thoughts drifting ever farther away.
Mu Chen turned slightly and saw that the person beside him was still staring into space. He asked softly, "Can't sleep?"
The voice pulled Gu Nian'an back from his thoughts. Before he could react, he heard Mu Chen continue, "Actually, you could consider me an orphan too. I was adopted."
Gu Nian'an paused and looked up, only to find the man's eyes filled with nostalgia.
"I grew up in an orphanage until I was ten, and then my current adoptive parents took me home. But to me, they're wonderful family."
Thinking of his gentle adoptive parents, who had reminded him before he left to eat properly and take care of himself on the mountain, Mu Chen's eyes filled with happiness.
Seeing the boy stare blankly at him, the man couldn't help chuckling softly. "No one knows about this except my adoptive parents. I've never made it public either, because to me, they are my birth parents."
He raised a hand and rubbed Gu Nian'an's head, comforting him. "So don't worry. You'll find your family again too."
Gu Nian'an's expression went blank for a moment. He reached up to touch his chest, feeling waves of fluttering there.
Could I have a family again too? After coming to this world and learning that the body's original owner was an orphan, he had actually felt somewhat relieved. The pain and love his mother had brought him in his previous life had left him unable to face the bond of family.
Although he had still worried a little about his mother in the final moment before his death, he had also thought that he could finally be free.
But being alone often felt lonely too. Yet...
Suddenly hearing those words from Mu Chen, he somehow found himself thinking of Fu Xiuyuan. Remembering all the thoughts and feelings he had developed toward the man, he felt rather ridiculous.
But I could count as his family now too, couldn't I?
Gu Nian'an lowered his eyes, hiding the complicated emotions constantly churning within them. He murmured his thanks, then closed his eyes and fell asleep.
As the breathing of the person beside him gradually steadied, a trace of complexity flashed through Mu Chen's eyes. After a long while, he sighed softly, closed his eyes, and drifted off too.
With the crowing of roosters at dawn, the guests woke one after another.
Gu Nian'an rubbed his eyes and stepped out of the room. Seeing everyone washing up in the courtyard, he looked around and noticed that Ji Yaozhi was nowhere to be seen.
He walked over and asked, "Where's Yaozhi?"
Lin Xianyu lifted his eyelids at the question and replied flatly, "Still sleeping."
Ever since returning to their room last night, Ji Yaozhi had been holding his phone and looking at something nonstop. Even when Lin Xianyu had gotten up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, he had still been awake, so it was only natural that he couldn't get up at this hour.
Gu Nian'an nodded slightly and left it alone. But even after he and Lin Xianyu had dished the noodles out of the pot, Ji Yaozhi still hadn't gotten up.
Only then did he frown, a little worried. "Why isn't Yaozhi up yet? I'll go check."
Lin Xianyu wanted to say something, but seeing that Gu Nian'an had already gone inside, he silently began eating instead.
"I'll check too." Mu Chen set down his bowl and chopsticks and followed close behind.
They opened the door to find the man lying in bed. The dim light in the room made his expression impossible to see clearly.
"Yaozhi, get up and eat." Gu Nian'an stepped forward, bent down slightly, and patted the man's shoulder.
Feeling a tickle on his shoulder, Ji Yaozhi sleepily opened his eyes. In his groggy state, he saw the face before him and instinctively pulled him into his arms.
Gu Nian'an felt his balance give way and tumbled into Ji Yaozhi's embrace. He tried to struggle up, only to be held tightly. The man's warm breath brushed against his neck, making it tickle.
"Yaozhi!" Gu Nian'an couldn't help crying out in surprise, but the tingling sensation at his neck made his waist go weak, and he pushed feebly against the man's arms.
The cameraman following close behind and Mu Chen both froze at the sight.
[Holy shit, is this something we kids can watch for free?]
[The early kid gets fed. Yaozhi/Nian'an is delicious.]
[I love the size difference! He's so tiny, tucked in his arms and unable to move! Divine!]
[Almighty Best Actor Mu, hurry and save the poor baby hahahahahahahaha.]
[Hahahaha, Best Actor Mu is stunned. He doesn't quite understand you gay guys.]
[Good morning, may I ask what kind of play this is?]
Before you continue