Lin Jinran wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in the crook of his neck. Maybe because she thought he couldn't see her, all her emotions flooded out like a breaking dam. Her tears plopped onto the back of the man's shirt, soaking a large area.
"It's okay, it's okay. Just let it out..." Su Qinian gently stroked the top of her head and comforted her patiently.
The brilliant sunlight filtered through the overlapping leaves and fell on the embracing couple.
The park was bustling with tourists. A mother and daughter passed by. The little girl curiously tugged at her mother's sleeve and asked, "Mom, what's wrong with them? Why is that sister crying?"
The mother looked over, smiling gently as she explained, "They might have just had an argument. But it's okay. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, they'll make up soon."
The little girl let out an "oh" as if she understood but also didn't quite understand.
After crying her heart out, Lin Jinran heard the conversation between the mother and daughter. She tightened her embrace around Su Qinian and said in a muffled voice, "Su Qinian, I heard that people look ugly after crying. Am I ugly now?"
Su Qinian found it both funny and helpless. He patted her on the back and comforted her softly, "Of course not. Jinran is the prettiest."
"Don't look at me later. I need to tidy up and touch up my makeup!" Lin Jinran shouted fiercely.
Su Qinian smiled and made a gesture of invitation, then turned around with his back to her. "I promise I won't look. If I do, I'm a little piggy."
Lin Jinran let out a puff of laughter. She wiped away her tears haphazardly with a tissue and stood behind him to touch up her makeup.
Ten minutes later, Lin Jinran finished touching up her makeup. Except for her swollen and red eyes, there was no trace of her having cried.
The photographer hiding under the shade of a tree saw Su Qinian waving at him and immediately scurried over to take pictures.
Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the evening breeze was cool. The two walked side by side, their shadows stretched infinitely long, looking like intimate lovers.
After that, everyone gathered and took the "Heartbeat Bus" back to the "Heartbeat Cottage".
The director held a megaphone and shouted in the living room, "Dear guests, the seven - day 'Heartbeat' experience is coming to an end. In this romantic spring, do you have anything you want to say to your crush? Has your relationship with your crush developed smoothly?"
"Each guest needs to get a 'Heartbeat Envelope' from the staff and write down what you want to say the most. The hidden love will finally see the light of day."
"To relieve the guests' travel fatigue, the program team has specially arranged a couple's hot spring."
The underlying meaning was that the program was about to end, and this was a good opportunity to create some buzz.
[Hot spring! I love seeing beautiful people getting close! Isn't this a treat for us viewers, Director? Drool drool.]
[Wow, the director is still causing a stir even when the program is almost over. Two people soaking in the hot spring together. With the steam billowing and their skin touching, just imagining it makes it so sexy and exciting.]
[I love it. A dating show for adults should be like this. Otherwise, it's just plain and boring.]
"Jinran, may I invite you to soak in the hot spring with me tonight?" Su Qinian coughed lightly, and an unnatural blush crept up his ears.
Lin Jinran's heart was pounding wildly. Her face couldn't help but turn red. She lowered her head slightly and softly agreed.
He Jiao was the first to invite Xie Yun. Under the pressure from the program team, Jiang Yaoguang summoned up the courage to invite Gu Huai.
The three hot - spring couples were decided.
The director smiled contentedly. "The hot spring the program team booked isn't far away. Everyone can have dinner, write your 'Heartbeat Envelopes', and then set off."
Everyone got their "Heartbeat Envelopes" one by one and went back to their rooms to get a pen and write.
To Su Qinian:
Greetings in this letter. May you smile upon reading it.
The moonlight is beautiful tonight, and the gentle breeze is cool. Maybe it's because I opened my heart to you this afternoon and told you about an old incident ten years ago. I've relaxed, and I'm lazily writing this letter.
Jorge Luis Borges once wrote, "What can I offer you to keep you? I offer you the desperate twilight, the moon over the wasteland. I offer you the sorrow of a man who has long gazed at the solitary moon."
In your freshman year, I traveled across the north - south divide to Tsinghua University. Watching your flamboyance and your promising future, one year is enough to change a lot. I thought I shouldn't be selfish and try to keep you with my vulnerability. You are free, and you can become whoever you want to be.
I was timid and afraid, so I chose to give up. You have your vast world, and I have my bright future. Two parallel lines that were once irrelevant drifted further and further apart. Maybe we once intersected, but later the mistake was corrected.
Maybe our three accidental encounters a day back then were a predestined fate, and our fate shouldn't have ended. At the film festival, I saw you again. You've become more mature, reserved, and calm and capable.
I know that the encounter was deliberately arranged by you. It was both predestined and intentional. After I was hospitalized, you accompanied me whole - heartedly. I saw it and remembered it in my heart.
But back then, I was just a coward and left without saying goodbye again. A week later, I met you on this dating show. Seven days is neither long nor short, but it's enough to fade the nearly ten - year - long coldness between us.
You are undoubtedly passionate and brave, gradually opening my heart. I'm so lucky to have met you, and falling in love with you for a lifetime would be my greatest happiness and joy.
The flowers planted this spring are the dreams of the coming winter. The past is over. I'll learn to be brave and run towards you again.
Thank you for not forgetting me.
Large paragraphs of text were written on the soft paper, and the signature was "Jinran".
Lin Jinran laid the letter out to dry, then folded it and put it into the envelope, handing it to the staff.
Taking advantage of the remaining time, she recorded a "Heartbeat Message".
The director's urging voice came from downstairs. Lin Jinran casually took out her swimsuit and cosmetics from the wardrobe, stuffed them into her handbag, and went to the hot - spring area with everyone.
When they arrived at the destination, the director emphasized the relevant precautions for soaking in the hot spring, especially reminding the filming staff to avoid shooting inappropriate areas.
The male and female guests went to the changing area. Lin Jinran first put on her swimsuit. It was a pure - black one - piece short dress that outlined the girl's perfect curves. A large part of her back was bare, making her skin look even fairer.
"Wow, Jinran, you've got quite a figure. I couldn't tell from your usual clothes." He Jiao, who had just changed her clothes, came out, looked up, and saw Lin Jinran putting on makeup in front of the mirror. She joked with a smile.
"Hasn't Su Qinian seen this yet? I bet he'll have a nosebleed when he sees you later. Enjoy yourselves tonight."
Lin Jinran had been blushing easily recently. When He Jiao joked, her face immediately turned red. She pushed He Jiao aside and said, "Don't look, okay? Otherwise, I won't even dare to go out."
He Jiao was both amused and helpless. Seeing how shy she was, she stopped joking.
Lin Jinran finished her makeup first. She said hello to He Jiao and Jiang Yaoguang, put on her bathrobe, and followed the staff to the hot - spring area.
The camera only filmed the upper body.
When she reached the couple's hot - spring cubicle, Lin Jinran took a deep breath and slowly pushed open the door.
Amid the billowing steam, a figure loomed hazily.