"Okay, then we're done with the first round of the game!" Just as the main MC finished speaking, the backstage staff brought out another turntable, "This turntable has many classic punishment methods from our previous shows. Now we invite the winning team, that is, our red team, to spin the turntable and choose the punishment item for this round of the game!"
The fans in the audience were shouting Xia Xiqing's name, and Yang Bo followed suit, holding the microphone and shouting, "Xiqing, Xiqing, Xiqing..."
Xia Xiqing glanced in the direction of the blue team and saw Zhou Ziheng standing next to the penalty turntable. He nodded very gentlemanly, like a little prince.
"I don't know how my luck is."
"As long as you are stronger than Ziheng."
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha… "
Xia Xiqing smiled and walked to the turntable, grabbed the edge and turned it vigorously. The turntable spun rapidly, and everyone's eyes were focused on the fixed pointer.
The spinning punishment disk gradually slowed down, and the pointer pointed to the orange and pink fan-shaped partitions, swinging up and down. The orange one said [Touch the Horror Box], and the pink one said [Acupressure Board Carrying People On Back]. The voices of the fans in the audience became louder and louder, "Acupressure Board! Acupressure Board! Acupressure Board!"
But the orange area keeps getting closer to the pointer.
“It feels like a horror box!”
"I feel so too!"
Song Nian frowned, "I can't take either of these two punishments."
Just when everyone thought the pointer would point to the orange area, the turntable swung back and finally stopped at the pink fan-shaped area, and the fans immediately began to cheer.
"Ah!! Acupressure mat!"
"Yeah!! That's a great acupressure mat!"
The staff took the turntable away, and the main MC joked, "I feel the best part of this episode is the spinning of the turntable." There was a burst of laughter from the audience, and the staff went on stage again and laid a three-meter-wide and ten-meter-long acupressure board on the stage.
"The punishment for carrying someone on the acupressure board is very simple. Within the one-minute time limit, the loser of the game must carry the winner on his back and walk across the acupressure board. The loser must also follow the winner's instructions throughout the process until the three-minute time is up."
Another host laughed and said, "To put it simply, during this one minute, the winner can ask the loser to do anything on his back, such as spinning in circles, doing horse stance, etc."
The fans in the audience were so excited after listening to the commentary that they could only think of the scene of Zhou Ziheng carrying Xia Xiqing on his back. They screamed one after another. Zhou Ziheng raised his hand and said, "Ask a question."
The main MC immediately spoke up, "Ziheng said."
"Since the punishment has been decided, can I complete the punishment for my partner?" Zhou Ziheng said seriously without much expression on his face, "The two boys on the red team can't carry them, so I'll do it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Ziheng's fans in the audience became even more excited. Xia Xiqing said nothing. He had expected that Zhou Ziheng was an absolutely decent and good person, radiating the holy light of an angel.
"Then how about this," Xia Xiqing also raised his hand, and Yang Bo passed the microphone to his mouth, "We will just punish him once." Xia Xiqing looked at Zhou Ziheng, "Just think of it as Song Nian carrying me on his back, I won't go up."
The girls studying in the audience immediately expressed their dissatisfaction after hearing this.
"Can't!"
"No, no!"
"Zhou Ziheng is carrying Xia Xiqing on his back!"
Public opinion was truly terrifying, overwhelming the guests on the stage like a tide. Even the host began to appease them, "Okay, okay, Xi Qing only made a suggestion. I'm afraid that Ziheng will suffer too much."
Yang Bo was smart. Seeing the high calls from the audience, he immediately gave them a way out. "Why don't you carry Xi Qing? Xi Qing is lighter, and I've twisted my neck recently," he immediately held his neck, "I'm afraid I'll twist it again when I punish you later."
As soon as he finished speaking, before the fans had a chance to shout, Zhou Ziheng directly picked up the microphone and said, "Okay then."
The host laughed and said, "You agreed too quickly, Ziheng."
Another one also joked, "Ziheng might be waiting here."
Zhou Ziheng took off his windbreaker and leather shoes, and squatted in front of the acupressure mat in a white short-sleeved shirt. He raised his chin and looked at Xia Xiqing. Xia Xiqing smiled and walked behind him, "If I had known, I would have eaten two more bowls of rice before the show."
“Is it too late to gain weight now?”
Amid the crazy screams from the audience, Xia Xiqing lay on Zhou Ziheng's back. After the filming was finished, Zhou Ziheng had recovered to his previous state through fitness, and he carried him up effortlessly, and even shook him quite deliberately.
"Ahhh I'm carrying it!"
"Go study hard!!"
"Oh my god, it's the New Year's Day for the self-study girls! Come on, everyone!!"
The host handed the microphone to Xia Xiqing and specifically instructed, "Xiqing now has the command power for these three minutes. Whatever Xiqing says, Ziheng must do it now!"
Zhou Ziheng nodded, and Xia Xiqing passed the microphone to Zhou Ziheng's mouth from behind, "Do you have anything else to say?"
Zhou Ziheng shook his head. Xia Xiqing took the microphone back and was about to speak when he heard Zhou Ziheng whisper, "Hold tighter."
My heart skipped a beat.
Before he could react, Zhou Ziheng had already carried him to the acupressure mat. The host and the guests all started to make jokes.
"Look, Ziheng's face is all twisted together."
"Ziheng is so miserable, hahahaha."
It was painful enough to step on the acupressure mat, not to mention Zhou Ziheng was carrying one on his back. His feet were numb and painful, and he cried out several times when he took the first few steps. Xia Xiqing felt distressed and amused, holding the microphone, "Do I have to walk for a minute?"
"right!"
"Xiqing, let Ziheng carry you on his back to do squats." Yang Bo suggested.
"Or you can just spin in circles!"
"Yes! Spin around!"
Somehow, the fans suddenly became interested in the suggestion of spinning around on the back.
"Then just carry her on your back and spin around." Xia Xiqing felt that he was on the variety show just to satisfy the girl who was studying. He smiled and said to Zhou Ziheng, "Just spin around ten times and then walk past the acupressure mat quickly."
But Zhou Ziheng was tall, and his worst problem since childhood was his sense of balance. He started to wobble after less than three turns on the acupressure mat with Xia Xiqing on his back. Scared, Xia Xiqing hugged his neck and shouted, "No, Zhou Ziheng, why are you dizzy after three turns?"
The fans in the audience were all laughing. The host joked, "It seems that Ziheng needs to appear on more variety shows in the future, otherwise no one will know that Ziheng's Achilles' heel is spinning in circles, hahaha."
"Five laps—"
Zhou Ziheng felt dizzy and instinctively held onto Xia Xiqing's thighs tightly, fearing that he would unconsciously let go of his hands and drop him onto the acupressure mat when he lost his sense of direction.
"Six laps—"
"Seven laps—"
Zhou Ziheng's body was shaking more and more violently. Xia Xiqing became a little anxious and said with the microphone, "How about eight rounds? That's enough." But Zhou Ziheng was very stubborn and didn't stop.
"eight-"
"Nine-"
"Ten!" the host shouted, "Alright, alright, Ziheng, hurry over there!"
As soon as he stopped, Zhou Ziheng's legs began to go weak, his eyes were full of stars and he couldn't tell east from west. He wanted to walk towards the acupressure mat in front, but his legs were out of control and he bumped sideways towards where the host and guests were standing.
"Hey hey hey Ziheng!"
"Hurry up and hold him! Hurry up, hurry up!"
Xia Xiqing broke free from his body directly. Although he also turned with him, he did not feel very dizzy. He was the first to help Zhou Ziheng. As a result, Zhou Ziheng leaned sideways into Xia Xiqing's arms with his head against his chest. Xia Xiqing could not withstand Zhou Ziheng's physique and was knocked to the ground and pinned under him.
At the beginning, I thought it was just an ordinary acupressure punishment, but the ending was so exciting that the CP fans in the audience screamed as if they were watching a sex scene.
"Oh my god! Hengheng is awesome! He fell down!"
“It’s so exciting!”
Xia Xiqing was pinned down by him until several hosts and guests, who were bent over with laughter, came forward and pulled Zhou Ziheng up, and Xia Xiqing was finally freed.
The host held back his laughter and took the microphone to Xia Xiqing, who stood up and supported his waist. "Xiqing, what do you think of this punishment?"
Xia Xiqing smiled bitterly and said, "It's all my fault." He originally thought that this sentence was nothing, but the fans started screaming again. Xia Xiqing then reacted. He could have said something else, but he had to mention the word "suffer". This must have made these CP fans go crazy.
Zhou Ziheng sat on the ground for a long time before he recovered. As soon as he stood up, he quietly stood at the back, moving with everyone little by little without making a sound, until he passed the two guests and four MCs and quietly walked to the side of Xia Xiqing at the edge. Xia Xiqing turned around and saw him, and said with a suppressed smile, "Alright?"
"Yeah." Zhou Ziheng felt a little embarrassed and tried to hold back his laughter.
Neither of them had a microphone in their hands. Xia Xiqing lowered his voice and said, "You did that on purpose just now."
Zhou Ziheng raised the corners of his mouth, his eyes curved into two crescent moons, and he said nothing.
A new round of the game begins, and the four MCs join in the game to reshuffle and form teams.
The show lasted four hours before it was finished, and the fans' enthusiasm did not diminish. At the end of the recording, the big screen played the pilot trailer of "Tracking". There were not many shots in the film, most of which were production footage and shooting scenes.
When the scene in the play showed Jiang Tong being pressed against the wall by Gao Kun, with a knife against his throat, the whole audience was boiling with excitement.
"Ahhhh wall-dong!"
"Oh my god, this tension!"
The host immediately struck while the iron was hot, "Everyone, please pay more attention to "Tracking" and be sure to go to the theater on December 1st!"
Several guests also joined in the promotion. The popularity of the "Zixue" CP was so high that fans controlled the entire scene. Song Nian, who actually had a romantic scene with Zhou Ziheng in the play, was left out. Except for being cueed by the host, she hardly spoke throughout the whole show.
The recording was about to end, and fans in the audience held up a banner that read "Happy 21st Birthday to Zhou Ziheng". The host of this program has been in the circle for many years and is a very smart person. Seeing the fans so enthusiastic, the host immediately took the opportunity to do him a favor, "By the way, the day after tomorrow is our Ziheng's birthday. Let's all sing Happy Birthday to Ziheng to celebrate." The fans sang the song happily, and the recording of the program finally came to an end.
As soon as he got off the stage, Xia Xiqing received a call from Xi Hui. He guessed that it was about the opening of the art museum. He gestured to Zhou Ziheng and left the group, finding a secluded corner of the stairs to make a call. The other guests went into the lounge and prepared to go home. As soon as Zhou Ziheng entered the lounge, he asked Xiao Luo to take out some cakes and milk tea that he had prepared earlier.
"He must be hungry after recording for so long." Zhou Ziheng was sitting on the sofa, about to break the seal of his milk tea when there was a knock on the door. Xiao Luo went to open the door, and was stunned when he saw the person outside, "Ziheng..."
"Sorry to bother you." Song Nian walked in alone. Zhou Ziheng looked at her and stood up from the sofa. The previous incident was very awkward, but Song Nian was a girl after all, so Zhou Ziheng still retained some grace. "What's the matter?"
"Yeah." Song Nian came uninvited, and had nothing to worry about. He sat directly on the sofa opposite, glanced at Xiao Luo who was standing by the door, and turned to Zhou Ziheng and said, "I have something I want to talk to you alone."
"Xiao Luo is not an outsider. Just tell me what you want to say." Zhou Ziheng did not sit down, nor did he intend to talk to her in detail.
Song Nian just lowered her head to glance at the food on the table and smiled, "These are all prepared for him, you are really considerate." She raised her eyes again and smiled at Zhou Ziheng, "It seems that you really like him."
Xiao Luo's expression changed, and he spoke first, "Ziheng, I'll go outside and take a look."
Zhou Ziheng hummed, and when Xiao Luo left, he sat down and asked directly, "What do you want to do?"
Song Nian's smile was a little bitter, and he sighed softly, "The matter between you two will be exposed sooner or later. Someone is watching you from behind."
Zhou Ziheng frowned, "Do you think I'm afraid?"
"I know you're not afraid." Song Nian chuckled. "You're the second son of the Zhou family, and no one dares to touch you, but have you ever thought about Xia Xiqing? In the entertainment industry, being rich is nothing. Only powerful people have a golden shield."
This sentence touched Zhou Ziheng's soft spot. He remained calm and asked, "So that's what you came here to say?"
Song Nian took a deep breath, "I really like you, although you may not believe it, but it is impossible for someone like me to be with you. I am very clear about this. I came here today to give you another compromise option." She took out a contract from her bag and pushed it in front of Zhou Ziheng.
"We can be contract lovers. This is very common in this circle." Song Nian's expression was sincere. "I can be a cover for you two. With me in front, no one will believe what happened between you and Xia Xiqing." She spoke faster. "This path is your best choice now. We are just pretending. The media will get the news soon, and it will be too late by then."
Her expression didn't look like she was acting. Having worked with her more than once, Zhou Ziheng knew very well what Song Nian was like when she was acting. If what Song Nian said was true, then someone must be behind it.
Zhou Ziheng frowned. He was actually not afraid of this matter being exposed at all. He even wanted to expose it himself, but he couldn't let Xia Xiqing get involved in this mess without any preparation. He was different from himself.
"I know you won't believe me. I'm willing to be your cover, not just because I like you." Song Nian took a deep breath and smiled again, "I've been in trouble recently. During this period of time, I have been trying to get rid of someone who has been bothering me. No."
Song Nian paused, his eyes darkened, "You want to support me. But my current agency is forcing me, and I have no choice. This is a way to have the best of both worlds. I don't ask for a play between the two of us. First, release some news about your relationship, make it a hot search, and then find an opportunity to go abroad together, just as a trip, let the reporters take some photos, and everyone will believe it. Then you can continue to be together, and I will never interfere."
She said a lot, and every word was sincere and from the bottom of her heart. Zhou Ziheng listened quietly without saying a word.
The two of them were silent for a long time. Song Nian couldn't wait any longer and broke the awkward silence, "... What do you think?"
Zhou Ziheng raised his head and pushed the contract in front of him back.
"Ms. Song, thank you for your kindness." He showed a faint smile on his face, "But I'm sorry, I really can't act this scene with you."
"You... I really am doing this for your own good."
"I know." Zhou Ziheng looked at Song Nian, "I believe you didn't lie to me. If the media really exposes something tomorrow, I won't regret my decision today." He paused, "The reason why I disagree is, first, I don't want to hide my relationship with Xia Xiqing. It's not that I'm reckless. I think about these things every day. Although unexpected events have disrupted my plan now, if something really happens, I also hope to protect him with my own abilities."
He suddenly laughed as he spoke, "And I know him very well. If I use this method to maintain our relationship, he will definitely end it immediately. I dare not take any risk of losing him."
Song Nian stared at the young man in front of him and couldn't say a word for a moment.
"Besides, after signing this contract couple, the relationship between you and me will be very complicated. I, Zhou Ziheng, can't really do such a thing as letting a girl act as a cover for me." He smiled again, "If you really get into trouble, I can help you. Just consider it as an apology for blocking you before."
Song Nian frowned, afraid that he would misunderstand her, so she had to defend herself, "I'm not asking you to pity me, I really..."
"I know." Zhou Ziheng lowered his eyes. "From the first day I was with him, I knew how difficult the road ahead would be, and I was prepared. I didn't plan to escape. But I thought that if there were any difficulties, the two of us would always be able to overcome them. Even if it means overcoming all obstacles, I just want to fight side by side with him."
Zhou Ziheng smiled openly, and Song Nian would never forget that smile for the rest of her life, because she knew that no matter how hard she tried, she could not have such a smile.
"If I ever make my relationship public, the person I'm with will only be Xia Xiqing."