The unexpected change came so suddenly that Lin Jinran's pupils constricted in shock, and her heart started pounding wildly.
She lay stiffly beside Su Qinian, not daring to move a muscle for fear of waking him up. The room was dead silent. Lin Jinran's mind was in a complete mess. She gently turned her head to look at Su Qinian.
His sleeping face was serene and peaceful. His breathing was steady. His long eyelashes cast a faint shadow under his eyelids, and there was a faint smile on his lips.
Lin Jinran took a light breath, trying to calm herself down before getting out of bed. Then, as if Su Qinian was having an unsteady sleep, his hand suddenly moved and unconsciously landed on Lin Jinran's waist.
The scalding heat seeped through the thin fabric onto her skin. Lin Jinran's body instantly went rigid, and her heart rate accelerated again. It felt as if her heart was about to jump out of her throat.
She looked at the staff for help like a drowning person. The staff shrugged helplessly, indicating that they were powerless.
Calm down, calm down, she must calm down.
She could wake Su Qinian up, but she couldn't do it in this situation. They had just had an argument last night.
Lin Jinran carefully picked up Su Qinian's hand on her waist and gently placed it on the other side of the bed. Before she could heave a sigh of relief, the man beside her suddenly opened his eyes.
His beautiful almond - shaped eyes reflected the face he had pictured countless times. Suddenly, his pupils trembled. As if in a dream, he asked in an uncertain tone,
"Ran, Ranran?"
Lin Jinran awkwardly twitched the corner of her mouth. "Good morning."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she quickly jumped out of bed and stood properly at the head of the bed. "Well... I'm glad you're awake. I'm going back to my room."
"Wait a minute." Those dark, confused eyes blinked a few times and quickly regained clarity. He called out to Lin Jinran, his tone innocent and pure. "Why did you come to my room so early in the morning and sleep beside me?"
The hidden mission must not be exposed.
Lin Jinran's mind was racing. She came up with a lame excuse and said seriously, "I was still mad about your strange behavior last night. I planned to wake you up early this morning to torture you."
Su Qinian suddenly leaned forward, grabbed Lin Jinran's hand. The confusion in his eyes faded, and his eyes sparkled. His handsome and charming face also came to life.
He let out a muffled laugh, his chest rising and falling slightly. "So, Ranran, have you tortured me enough? Are you happy? If not, you're welcome to come again tomorrow."
"Su Qinian is really so spoiling. His eyes are so beautiful. The love in them is overflowing. How can it be so sweet? I can't stop smiling."
"I'm so jealous of Lin Jinran. She can get so close to my husband. Her hands should be chopped off. She's not worthy of touching my husband. She deserves to die, die, die."
"This hidden mission is really good. I'm very satisfied."
Lin Jinran blushed and pulled her hand back. She glared at him angrily. "I've tortured you enough. I'm very happy to see you get up so early."
She emphasized the word "happy".
Su Qinian lazily lay in bed and smiled. His twinkling eyes stared straight at Lin Jinran.
It seemed easier than usual to be moved. Lin Jinran's heart was pounding. She decided not to pay attention to this man anymore. She snorted and left the room, slamming the door behind her. The staff quickly followed her.
"Why are you so heartless, Ranran?" Su Qinian drooped his eyelids and yawned tiredly. Looking in the direction where she left, the smile on his lips deepened. He said meaningfully, "But the effect seems to be quite good."
...
Lin Jinran went back to catch up on sleep. When she woke up again, it was already noon. The others had left some food for her. She sat in the first - floor dining room and finished it.
In the afternoon, the director announced the activity.
"Hello, guests. This afternoon, we'll mainly be taking romantic photos, which will then be posted online. The couple who gets the most votes from netizens within three hours will get a chance to shoot a double - cover for Aurora Magazine. Unfortunately, the second and third - place couples won't receive any rewards."
"Aurora? Is it the sub - brand Aurora under the emerging Xenon luxury brand in recent years?" Jiang Yaoguang exclaimed, her eyes full of longing.
Aurora, also known as the Northern Lights, had emerged in just a few years with its unique aesthetics. It had broken through many obstacles and gone international. Due to its extremely rich resources and strict selection criteria, only a few people could make it onto the magazine cover each year.
Even so, male and female stars in the entertainment industry were eager to get on the magazine cover to increase their exposure.
The director nodded. "Yes. The shooting clothes and jewelry will also be provided by Aurora. Please take a short rest. We'll officially set off for the shooting location in fifteen minutes."
"Wait a minute. How are we going to choose our shooting partners? This will greatly affect our popularity. Some people have low popularity, while others are very popular. This will also determine the final result." He Jiao asked.
"That makes sense. We'll divide you into three groups according to the real - time popularity of your CP on Weibo. Su Qinian and Lin Jinran will be in one group, He Jiao and Xie Yun in another, and Jiang Yaoguang and Gu Huai in the last one. During the voting, we'll mosaic the faces to ensure fairness and justice."
Among the female guests, He Jiao had the highest popularity, while among the male guests, it was Su Qinian.
"So, during the official shooting, we'll close the live - broadcast room. Dear viewers, you can take a short break and wait for the final product."
"Director, grouping us into CPs according to the Weibo popularity. We've only known each other for a day. Isn't this kind of grouping a bit inappropriate?" Gu Huai complained about his CP.
The director smiled slightly. "This is the decision of the brand."
Gu Huai immediately shut up.
Fifteen minutes later, everyone got on the romantic bus and headed for the shooting location.
When they arrived at the shooting location, all the live - broadcast cameras were turned off. A staff member wheeled over a cardboard box.
"Inside are the themes for the photos that each guest needs to shoot. Draw them in turn." The director paused for a moment and gave an evil smile. "This is a dating variety show for adults. We'll strictly control the scale."
Lin Jinran's heart skipped a beat. A bad feeling welled up in her.
After the director finished the introduction, he asked who would be the first to draw. Gu Huai was the first one. The theme his group drew was "Emotional Suit".
Hmmm? It sounded okay. It should be fine. Lin Jinran tried to comfort herself.
Then, Xie Yun stepped forward and drew the theme "Romantic Kitchen". It sounded a bit strange, but it should be okay. Lin Jinran comforted herself again.
Only their group hadn't drawn yet. A deep and sexy voice gently brushed past her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. "Ranran, do you want to go or should I?"
"I'll go." Lin Jinran walked up to the cardboard box. Looking at the dark opening, she took a deep breath. Her hand slowly reached down and pinched a card.
She quickly picked it up and opened it. When she saw the four words, she almost fainted.
In the middle of the card was written "Chaste and Amorous".