All that could be said was that, apart from Wang Chengran and Fu Yunyi, nobody slept well that night.
Even Xue Ranran, who was the farthest away and should have been the least affected geographically-but what could she do when she was a light sleeper with sharp hearing?
Early the next morning, when Fu Yunyi got up, Xia Zhiyi was already practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard.
He had not brought his sword, though. Instead, he had found a branch and was swinging it on the platform outside the door. The prop was rather makeshift, but every move carried a distinctive rhythm that made it quite beautiful to watch.
It drew quite a few early-rising crew members to watch from the corners.
"Xia Zhiyi? You're up early."
At his voice, Xia Zhiyi finished his move and turned to Fu Yunyi with a smile. "Mm, it was light out, so I thought I'd get up and practice a little. Good morning, Fu Yunyi."
Fu Yunyi said, "Morning."
He clearly wanted to say more to Xia Zhiyi, but just then, a crew member waved to him from off camera, apparently needing to speak to him.
Fu Yunyi hesitated, then walked over to the crew member.
Xia Zhiyi saw this but paid it little mind and continued practicing.
His hearing was good, however. Even though they lowered their voices, their conversation still reached his ears in the relatively quiet morning.
"Teacher Fu, please find a chance to step away from the cameras this morning. President Fu is already on his way. He should arrive sometime this morning."
There was unmistakable surprise in Fu Yunyi's voice. "President Fu? My youngest uncle?"
"Yes."
Fu Yunyi said, "Wait, why's he coming here out of the blue? He's usually so busy that he has to check his schedule and set aside time just to go back to the family home. Why would he come all the way out to this backwater?"
"Well... perhaps President Fu saw what things were like here during yesterday's livestream and was worried the production team was treating you poorly, so he's coming to inspect the place in person."
The crew member paused before continuing cautiously, "Well, Teacher Fu, our production team isn't deliberately trying to make things difficult for you or the other guests. We scouted this location beforehand, too. The conditions might be a little rough, but the scenery is beautiful..."
Fu Yunyi said, "All right, I understand. Don't worry. Although I don't think my youngest uncle is really coming here for me, if he asks what I think of this place, I'll tell him it's pretty good."
"Oh, that's wonderful. Thank you, Teacher Fu."
Fu Yunyi said, "No need to thank me. I wouldn't be lying."
"Although I'm not used to the environment here either, as an actor, I need to experience different lives and different environments. As long as the production team isn't deliberately stirring up trouble, I won't have any complaints."
"You can rest assured about that."
The crew member said, "Of course, of course. Rest assured, Teacher Fu."
Fu Yunyi said, "Nothing else, right?"
"Not for now. I'll leave you to it, then. The livestream is still running-don't forget."
Fu Yunyi said, "All right, got it."
Then Xia Zhiyi heard footsteps approaching him again.
This time, however, Fu Yunyi did not call out to Xia Zhiyi. He simply stopped nearby, watched quietly for a while, then turned and went inside.
Xia Zhiyi never paused, acting as though he knew nothing.
By the time Fu Yunyi got up, Xia Zhiyi had already gone for a run nearby, getting a better sense of the surroundings before finally returning to the platform to practice his swordsmanship.
By the time Xia Zhiyi finished practicing, Wang Chengran and Qin Yue were awake too, each holding a cup and a toothbrush as they brushed their teeth beside the drainage ditch by the back door.
"Mm, mm-mm-mm." Wang Chengran turned and saw Xia Zhiyi. His eyes curved as he raised a hand in greeting.
Xia Zhiyi said, "Good morning. Good morning to you too, Sister Yueyue."
Qin Yue was clearly less energetic than Wang Chengran and a beat slower in her movements. At his voice, she turned and nodded to him, though her face did not show much fatigue.
Although Qin Yue's complexion looked fine on camera, Xia Zhiyi could tell that it was because she had already applied a layer of makeup. She was probably still somewhat concerned about maintaining her image.
Wang Chengran had no such concerns. He quickly brushed his teeth and washed his face before coming over to Xia Zhiyi. "Wow, Teacher Xia, when did you wake up? When I woke up, I was still a little confused about what day it was. When I didn't see you, I almost thought yesterday had been a dream."
Xia Zhiyi said, "I didn't pay attention. Around five or six, probably. I didn't check the time."
Wang Chengran said, "So early!"
Xia Zhiyi said, "Not really."
Seeing Wang Chengran start scratching his arm as he spoke, Xia Zhiyi glanced at it and said, "I picked some mosquito-repelling herbs nearby during my morning run. If you need them, find a little cloth pouch later and carry some with you. They should help a little."
Wang Chengran said, "Huh? Mosquito-repelling herbs?"
Xia Zhiyi nodded.
Just then, Xue Ranran popped up behind them. "Morning!"
Both turned and smiled in response.
Now Zhou Kai was the only one who had not appeared.
Just as he was thinking this, Xia Zhiyi and the others heard a scream, leaving them all briefly stunned.
Xue Ranran said, "What's going on? Wait, that sounded like it came from Teacher Fu's room."
Wang Chengran said, "Let's take a look."
The two were quick to act, already jogging over to investigate as they spoke.
Xia Zhiyi, however, slowed his steps. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Qin Yue, who had just finished washing up, stand where she was for a moment. Although she said nothing, her body language showed a hint of helplessness.
Xia Zhiyi: *?*
At the same time, Xia Zhiyi heard Xue Ranran's voice carry over. "What's wrong? What happened... Oh my god, Zhou Kai, what happened to your face?"
Xia Zhiyi's steps faltered slightly.
Just then, Fu Yunyi emerged from the woodshed. Seeing Xia Zhiyi, he naturally fell into step with him and asked, "I think I heard someone screaming just now. What happened?"
Xia Zhiyi looked at Fu Yunyi with a smile and shook his head slightly. "I'm not sure. Sister Ranran and Brother Chengran went to see what happened. I was just heading over."
Fu Yunyi thought nothing more of it and nodded. "Then I'll go take a look too."
Soon, Xia Zhiyi and Fu Yunyi found out what had happened.
Zhou Kai had been disfigured.
Of course, it was not permanent, but the effect was much the same.
They had only gone one night without seeing him, yet when Xia Zhiyi saw Zhou Kai again, his face was covered in a red rash. His exposed neck and arms had it too, and against Zhou Kai's rather pale skin, the contrast was somewhat alarming.
His neck and arms in particular had apparently been scratched while he was still half asleep, leaving marks from his fingernails.
He looked pretty miserable.
When Xia Zhiyi arrived, Zhou Kai was clearly furious but forced to suppress it because of the cameras. He was also trying to hide the state he was in, but...
He was not very successful.
Xue Ranran said, "Oh my god, what happened to you?"
Xia Zhiyi could not help silently glancing at the equally surprised Fu Yunyi.
Yep, instant karma.