The stage lights illuminated once again, revealing the same theater as before.
At the center, two chairs were placed side by side near a table. Jiang Lin and Li Qianxing, still in their costumes and makeup, huddled together, examining the information sheets they had received earlier.
Li Qianxing nodded, saying, “So this is the background setting. Now the logic of this scene makes sense.”
Jiang Lin smiled and replied, “When I saw you draw your knife, I understood too. The information you uncovered must have been intentionally spread by me to lure someone into trying to kill me. So naturally, upon hearing rumors of activity that would attract my attention at the theater, I would eagerly come to investigate.”
The host walked onto the stage. “Thank you both for that thrilling performance! The sequence with the toast, the knife draw, and the knife push was so intense—I gasped while watching from below!”
She sat down across the table from them and first addressed Li Qianxing, “Teacher Li, did you figure out Teacher Jiang’s identity?”
Li Qianxing responded, “More or less. Since I had a dual identity, and he was playing my counterpart, his role was likely more complex than the information provided. Just from that short performance, judging by the contrast created, there’s a high possibility he’s on my side.”
The host smiled at the camera. “Director, Teacher Li’s experience shines through—he saw through your setup from the start!”
She then turned to Jiang Lin. “What about you, Teacher Jiang? Did you anticipate Teacher Li’s planned storyline? That knife push at the end was truly unexpected!”
Jiang Lin replied, “Not at all. Initially, I was just improvising based on the NPC’s information and following Li-ge’s lead. However, Li-ge gave me a hint, so I paid extra attention to his hands. That’s why I was able to react to his knife draw later.”
The host exclaimed in surprise, “A hint?!”
Jiang Lin and Li Qianxing exchanged glances, their smiles widening. Jiang Lin explained, “When Li-ge made his entrance and bowed, there was a small mistake that shouldn’t have occurred—he hid his face behind his hands. In that part of the scene, he was supposed to be enticing me from the moment he appeared, so he should have kept his face visible at all times.”
“But at that moment, he emphasized his hands. Then I noticed his left arm seemed a bit unnatural, including during the later scene where he offered the toast to seduce me. It turns out he had a dagger strapped to his arm, which slightly restricted his movement, right?”
Li Qianxing nodded in agreement.
The host covered her mouth in astonishment. “Such attention to detail! Was it really that noticeable? Director, can we replay that segment?”
The large screen in front and the livestream began to replay the scene.
The host followed Li Qianxing’s movements on the screen. “I really can’t see anything unnatural…”
After the replay, she turned to Jiang Lin curiously. “If you hadn’t caught Teacher Li’s knife draw, how would you have continued the scene?”
Jiang Lin replied, “Then it would have ended badly. After being stabbed, I would have desperately revealed the intelligence to him and then covered his escape. It’s just a play, after all—a longer struggle before death wouldn’t be out of place.”
His comment elicited laughter from both the host and the viewers leaving comments.
The host said, “It’s clear you two have great chemistry from your recent collaboration. You understand each other so well! I’m even more excited for tomorrow’s two scenes. So, dear audience, remember to tune in to our livestream tomorrow to continue… your wonderful weekend!”
Saturday’s livestream concluded there. Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin changed out of their costumes and removed their makeup before leaving the filming location.
It was already dinnertime. Jiang Lin asked Xiao Ding to drive Li Qianxing’s car back while he drove Li Qianxing to find a place for dinner.
By the time they finished eating, the edited version of the variety show had been uploaded. Jiang Lin connected his phone to the private room’s television and set it to screen mirror.
Li Qianxing remarked, “They edited it so quickly.”
Jiang Lin replied, “This show always works against the clock. The post-production team is quite powerful.”
As they enjoyed some after-dinner fruit, they watched the performances of the other guest groups from the afternoon.
Li Qianxing critiqued, “The production team is fairly conscientious. The scripts with less preparation time are simpler. However, the three newcomers still lack depth. Their performances could use more nuance.”
Jiang Lin smiled, “It’s just a variety show. We shouldn’t set the bar too high. If they can convey the right emotions and deliver their lines without mistakes, that’s already a success. It seems the production team arranged scenarios within everyone’s comfort zone, focusing on showcasing talents rather than stirring up drama.”
Li Qianxing looked surprised, “That Li what’s-his-name, in his solo segment—that was his comfort zone? He just recited his lines and went through the motions, with no depth in his eyes. His sword dance was lackluster, his delivery lacked conviction, and his emotional range was even flatter than the three newcomers.”
Jiang Lin responded, “Li Mingsi’s acting has regressed significantly since I first met him. He simply lacks self-awareness and is eager to make a fool of himself.”
Changing the subject, he asked, “Enough about him. Did you enjoy yourself today?”
Seeing Jiang Lin’s gentle gaze, Li Qianxing couldn’t help but smile, “It was quite interesting.”
Jiang Lin continued, “I suspect they’ll switch it up for the second act, having you respond to my performance. And…”
Noticing Jiang Lin’s apologetic expression, Li Qianxing asked curiously, “And what?”
Jiang Lin explained, “For the sake of viewership, the directors will likely steer us towards a CP direction, possibly with a romantic scene.”
Li Qianxing raised an eyebrow and chuckled, “As long as it’s not an action scene, that’s fine. Those are impossible to perform well without prior coordination.”
◇◆
Jiang Lin’s prediction was spot on. The next morning, they indeed received a romantic scene to perform.
Once again, they each received a sheet marked “Forbidden for the other to see.” Li Qianxing’s sheet read: You’ve lost your memory in an accident. For the past six months, you’ve been receiving comprehensive care from your husband, Mr. Jiang Lin. Feeling like a burden, you’ve been contemplating how to bring up divorce for the past month.
Jiang Lin’s sheet read: Your husband, Mr. Li Qianxing, has lost his memory in an accident. You can sense his constant guilt, and recently, he seems to want to leave you. Seeing him unhappy every day, you’ve been struggling painfully for a month. Today, you’ve finally decided to present divorce papers to set him free.
Before Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin could react, the comment section exploded.
[Holy crap! The director’s so bold! Using their real names!]
[Well done! 99’s marriage confirmed! I’m ordering incense right now to use at the director’s grave.]
[Wait… they… didn’t object…]
[Looks like we won’t need the incense. Let’s switch to chicken legs instead.]
The following process was similar to yesterday’s. They each took a scene diagram to separate practice rooms, wrote character backgrounds, and practiced expressions in front of mirrors.
As the 99 CP fans watched them practice, they discussed the plot in the comments.
[The production team is really heartless, another sad ending. Right off the bat, they’re making 99 divorce.]
[It might not end in divorce. It depends on how Qianxing plays it. If they strictly follow the character cards, there won’t be a twist, which lacks dramatic flair.]
[Then maybe seeing Lin-ge so upset will move him, and he’ll stay to start their romance anew.]
[With the amnesia setup, shouldn’t we expect some melodramatic plot? Like, Qianxing seems happy about the divorce, so Lin-ge turns dark and keeps him locked up at home for some hanky-panky.]
[Raising my hand, I want to see the hanky-panky +1.]
[Give up on that idea. This is a live broadcast, not a movie.]
Finally, it was time for Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin to take the stage.
◆
The stage lights illuminated, revealing not the originally planned living room scene, but a dining room.
Li Qianxing sat somewhat stiffly as Jiang Lin brought dishes from the counter and fetched two bowls of rice. Li Qianxing quickly stood up to help.
Jiang Lin said, “Let’s eat.”
They sat down facing each other and ate in silence.
Li Qianxing kept his head down, eating two bites of rice, then picking at the dish in front of him.
After a few repetitions of this, Jiang Lin pressed his lips together slightly and put down his chopsticks. While Li Qianxing was eating, he swapped the tomato and egg dish in front of him for some pork ribs.
When Li Qianxing reached with his chopsticks again, he noticed the change in dishes. He paused briefly before selecting a piece and putting it in his mouth.
They finished the entire meal this way, without any eye contact, let alone conversation.
Li Qianxing put down his bowl and, for the first time, looked up at Jiang Lin. He said softly, “Thank you. The food was delicious today too.”
Jiang Lin nodded slightly.
Li Qianxing began clearing the table and went to the sink to “wash dishes.”
Jiang Lin gazed deeply at his back, his eyes churning with pain and struggle. His hand on the table slowly clenched into a fist.
His lips trembled as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent, only opening his mouth to take a deep breath.
Jiang Lin stood up, the chair making a noise as it moved.
At the sink, Li Qianxing’s movements paused for a beat.
As the sound of departing footsteps arose, Li Qianxing’s back visibly relaxed.
He “finished washing the dishes” and turned to look at where Jiang Lin had been sitting, letting out a soft sigh.
Li Qianxing dried his hands and walked slowly out of the dining room, only to bump into Jiang Lin at the doorway, who had returned.
Jiang Lin’s face had regained its composure. He said softly, “Qianxing, I have something to tell you.”
Li Qianxing looked up at him, then slowly lowered his gaze, glancing around as if anxious or hesitant. He replied quietly, “Oh, alright…”
They walked back to the dining table. Li Qianxing sat in his previous seat, but Jiang Lin pulled his chair next to him before sitting down.
Jiang Lin placed the folder he was holding on the table and pushed it in front of Li Qianxing. “Please take a look at this… divorce agreement.”
Li Qianxing suddenly looked up, his face full of surprise.
Jiang Lin gazed into his eyes, his lips trembling slightly. “When we got married, I promised to make you happy for a lifetime. Now, since you’re unhappy by my side…”
At this point, Jiang Lin had to take a deep breath before continuing, “If separating would make your life better… then let’s… separate.”
Li Qianxing was stunned for a moment.
He closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again, looking into Jiang Lin’s deep, dark eyes.
Those eyes were clearly saying – “Don’t leave me.”
Jiang Lin waited for a moment. Seeing no response from Li Qianxing, he slowly lowered his gaze to the divorce agreement.
He reached out, slowly turning the pages as he spoke, “Although you’ve recovered enough to work, don’t rush things. Take your time to adjust. Don’t worry too much about money. This house and our savings will go to you, I’ll take the stocks and funds. I’ve already signed. If you have no objections, we can go to the Civil Affairs Bureau this afternoon…”
Just then, a drop of water fell onto the paper.
Followed by another.
Jiang Lin looked up and realized – Li Qianxing was crying silently.
His heart clenched, and he suddenly panicked.
“What… what’s wrong… Don’t… don’t cry…”
Jiang Lin reflexively reached out to wipe Li Qianxing’s tears. After wiping once, he came to his senses and quickly withdrew his hand.
“I’m… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to… I…”
He stammered for a while, finally biting his lip hard and closing his mouth. He pulled out two tissues and tried to put them in Li Qianxing’s hand.
But as soon as Jiang Lin’s hand left, the tissues fluttered from Li Qianxing’s hand.
Li Qianxing’s eyes seemed to lose focus, with tears continuously flowing.
Jiang Lin had no choice but to pull out another tissue, intending to wipe for him.
The moment the tissue touched him, Li Qianxing suddenly lowered his head, both hands clutching his hair, gripping his head tightly, and letting out a muffled groan.
Jiang Lin’s expression changed instantly, asking nervously, “Headache?”
Li Qianxing nodded, then shook his head.
Jiang Lin stood up abruptly. “I’ll take you to the hospital!”
Without waiting for Li Qianxing’s response, he bent down and lifted him up.
Li Qianxing kept his head down but suddenly raised his hand, gripping Jiang Lin’s sleeve tightly. His voice trembled, “Jiang Lin…”
Jiang Lin held him closer. “I’m here. It’s alright. You’ll be fine after we go to the hospital. Just hang on…”
Li Qianxing lifted his head, his tear-filled eyes extraordinarily bright. “Ah Lin.”
Jiang Lin, who had just turned around, froze. His eyes widened instantly.
A moment later, he carefully lowered his head, his eyes mixed with hope and fear. His gaze wavered for a second before settling on Li Qianxing’s face.
Li Qianxing smiled, his eyes brimming with tenderness.
◆
The two gazed at each other on stage for quite a while, motionless.
Finally, Li Qianxing spoke, “Director, this is the end. Please turn off the lights.”
The next second, the stage lights went out one by one, plunging the two into darkness.
The comment section was already flooded with rows of [Hahaha].
[Director: It’s over, I couldn’t grasp the white space Teacher Li wanted!]
[Is the director questioning his artistic sensibilities right now?]
[When Qianxing said that, I felt like all those tears were wasted. Now I’m laughing so hard I can’t catch my breath.]
[Am I the only one thinking, since he’s regained his memory, shouldn’t they be celebrating passionately with some hanky-panky?]
[Director: That’s why I turned off the lights, right?]
[What the hell kind of lights off is that!]
Click, the stage lights came on again. Jiang Lin had already put Li Qianxing down, and Li Qianxing was wiping the tear stains from his face with a tissue.
The host walked up. “Thank you both for that wonderful performance!”
She first asked Li Qianxing, “Teacher Li, I feel like you might have guessed the plot again? Earlier in the practice room, although you weren’t crying, you were constantly immersed in a sad mood.”
Li Qianxing nodded. “Given the setup, since he was taking such good care of me, it’s impossible he wouldn’t have noticed my emotions. And then it said I was hesitating about how to bring up divorce, so his plot would obviously be this.”
The host turned to the camera, mercilessly teasing, “Director, your tricks are completely useless against Teacher Li.”
The host then asked Jiang Lin, “Teacher Jiang, I’d like to ask, why did you change the living room scene to a dining room?”
Jiang Lin replied, “Because when two people are in an awkward stage, they don’t really use the living room much. Li-ge would try to avoid running into me, and I’d try to avoid making him uncomfortable by seeing me, so we’d both mostly stay in our rooms.”
“Therefore, the place with the highest shared usage should be the dining room. Also, through the earlier dining scene, we could first showcase the current state of their relationship and set up the emotional foundation. This makes the transition to discussing divorce later more natural.”
The host nodded in understanding, then asked Li Qianxing, “Teacher Li, did you plan from the start to regain your memory later?”
Li Qianxing: “For a wonderful weekend, a happy ending might make everyone a bit happier.”
The host smiled. “Indeed, happy endings are the best. I’m curious, if it were really you two… encountering this situation of memory loss after marriage, would it be like this?”
Without hesitation, Li Qianxing responded, “No. If we’re married, it means we’ve decided to share joys and sorrows for the rest of our lives. Being cared for by my partner after losing my memory wouldn’t feel like a burden to me. I believe the person I chose wouldn’t mind this, just as I wouldn’t mind caring for them.”
Jiang Lin glanced at him, then answered, “I wouldn’t either. It’s just memory loss, not a big deal. If I managed to win them over and get married before, it’s just a matter of courting them again.”
Instantly, the comment section exploded.
[Wait, Lin-ge, why are you looking at Qianxing while answering!]
[Hey, I didn’t think there was anything between them before. But that look Jiang Lin just gave, it seems like there might really be something!]
[I can’t take it anymore! When is their romance film coming out? Why did it only wrap up a month ago! This is torture!]
On stage, the host looked at the camera again. “Director, see? I told you this plot doesn’t match these two teachers’ personalities… What? I should come up with the afternoon’s plot? Alright, I’ll do it.”
And so, the morning’s live broadcast ended.
Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin returned to the break room, waiting for Xiao Zhu and Xiao Ding to bring back boxed meals. Although they had eaten a bit on stage earlier, they felt even hungrier than before.
Jiang Lin looked at Li Qianxing with some concern. “Li-ge, how’s your heartbeat?”
Li Qianxing glanced at the break room door, then took Jiang Lin’s wrist, just like last time, and pulled it to his chest.
Jiang Lin couldn’t help feeling secretly delighted, though he felt he shouldn’t. His emotions were quite mixed, but his face remained neutral. He placed his palm flat against Li Qianxing’s chest, feeling carefully.
“It seems… a bit slower than before?”
Li Qianxing let go of him, chuckling lightly. “It is slower. You’ve fattened me up a bit lately, so I’m a bit healthier.”
Jiang Lin withdrew his hand, his gaze unconsciously scanning Li Qianxing’s body, lingering for a moment on his slender waist before looking away. “Where have you gotten fat? For your height, 150 pounds would be a normal weight. When I carried you just now, I didn’t feel you were much heavier than before. Are you even 135 pounds now?”
Li Qianxing: “130. Keep up your efforts.”
Jiang Lin’s eyes curved in a smile. “Will do.”
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