Wu Man slept even later than usual.

She only fell asleep after Zhui Ye had fallen asleep, constantly on edge, afraid he would casually pull her over and nestle her in his embrace. Therefore, every time he moved, she hurriedly shifted to the side.

Later, exhausted from shifting, she finally fell asleep from sheer tiredness.

As a result, when CP fans later watched the first episode of Double Bed, this scene was like riding a roller coaster.

Originally having no expectations, thinking they would each sleep with other people, suddenly the two met in the living room. Although they had two separate blankets and slept separately, rounding up, they were still sleeping together! And they created this themselves! This was so much better to ship than being forced by the production team!

At that time, CP fans were so excited they slapped their thighs raw.

However, the scene changed. The two people who had originally been quite close together gradually slept further and further apart, further and further… Wu Man was like a wriggling caterpillar – as long as Zhui Ye moved, she would twist away to the side in a horrifying manner.

With every twist she made, it was like a knife being inserted an inch into the CP fans’ hearts.

Just in the first episode, they tasted the flavor of extreme joy followed by sorrow. Two words: bittersweet.

On the second day of filming, the production team very clichély chose an amusement park, inviting all six to go play together.

Originally, the director wanted to choose Disneyland, but the crowd would be too large – they could imagine it would be impossible to move. So they chose an outdated amusement park in the distant suburbs. Few people, good for filming.

Wu Man still couldn’t take the car and could only take the subway. She strongly hinted with her eyes for Zhui Ye not to accompany her, but he simply played blind and said seriously that he hadn’t slept well on the sofa last night and was afraid of getting car sick, proposing that he also wanted to take the subway.

The production team had no other choice. To avoid attracting attention, they only sent Chen Qian alone to help guide them.

When Chen Qian heard that Wu Man and Zhui Ye were going to break away from the main group to take the subway alone, the CP radar in her heart started frantically sounding.

Something’s wrong, this is definitely wrong!

Along the way, she completely couldn’t restrain her eyes from glancing toward those two people. However, the more she looked, the more disappointed she became.

The two of them only had a few simple communications and exchanges. Other than that, they didn’t converse again. They didn’t even stand together, keeping some distance.

Chen Qian dejectedly lowered her head, silently sighing that she was still unwilling to give up, unwilling to face the reality that the CP had already reached a bad ending.

The subway car on a weekday, past rush hour, wasn’t that crowded but was still fully seated. Not until the train passed through a transfer station did a seat finally open up.

Chen Qian was clever. She stepped forward wanting to claim the seat to give to them, but she was a step too late.

Zhui Ye was self-reliant. With his long legs, he instantly claimed the seat.

He waved toward the distance, and in that direction… Chen Qian’s heart rose to her throat. Following his gaze, she saw Wu Man covering her mask and shaking her head slightly.

However, Zhui Ye persistently signaled for Wu Man to come over. She dawdled in place for a few seconds, looked left and right, and before attracting more attention, lowered her head and sat in the empty seat.

Chen Qian pinched her own thigh hard, holding back the desire to scream.

My god, my CP is helping the other grab seats! It’s New Year’s, it’s New Year’s!

Zhui Ye seemed to only then remember there was a pitiful female staff member beside him. Seeing her distorted expression, he was startled.

“…Are you okay?”

Chen Qian unexpectedly met Zhui Ye’s focused gaze looking at her, and her body and mind grew dizzy with the speeding underground train. Living to this age, this was the first time she experienced what the feeling of heartbeat was.

She rapidly shook her head, inwardly frantically shouting: Get a grip! You’re a CP fan! Not a girlfriend fan!

“I’m fine, I’m fine!”

He blinked lightly: “Just now I only got one seat, gave it to Sister first. Next time I’ll help you grab one?”

She was like a stuck robot, stuttering and shaking her head vigorously: “Ah… okay… no… no need… it’s fine! Absolutely don’t!”

MY GOD, I’m begging you not to help me grab seats! I just started shipping your protectiveness toward Wu Man – if you help me grab one, wouldn’t that become standard service for everyone like central air conditioning! Then what’s there to ship!

The essence of shipping CPs lies in double standards, in the uniqueness I have for you!

She absolutely wouldn’t allow this sugar she’d finally scraped to her lips to be destroyed by herself.

Zhui Ye hadn’t expected Chen Qian’s reaction to be so strong. He said confusedly: “Oh… okay.”

Chen Qian silently shrank to the side to prove her determination, but her eyes secretly sneaked glances at those two people. Because of her departure, the two of them seemed somewhat more relaxed. Zhui Ye bent his arm halfway, grabbing the rail above the hanging strap. Whether intentional or not, he happened to stand in front of Wu Man’s seat, surrounding her.

Both wore masks. From far away, Chen Qian couldn’t see their expressions clearly.

Only occasionally would Wu Man look up and glance at Zhui Ye. And Zhui Ye kept looking at the reflection in the car window, except he lowered his head slightly – that line of sight’s focal point clearly wasn’t himself.

Just observing from afar, Chen Qian felt a kind of quiet peace of mind.

Clearly they hadn’t made any intimate gestures, clearly it was just their gazes intersecting a few times, yet she felt she was superfluous, the entire subway car was superfluous, even the entire world.

It seemed they only had eyes for each other.

The three of them arrived by subway faster than the production team. There was no line at all at the entrance – cold and deserted. After twenty minutes, that carload of people finally arrived belatedly.

Everyone smoothly entered the park. On a weekday, most were children with parents passing time inside. Seeing them, they only excitedly took out their phones to snap a few casual photos, without much fanatical interest in surrounding them. Therefore, they only encountered some difficulties when first entering the park, then things became smooth afterward.

Qin Fanlei held today’s task card in her hand. She almost served the role of MC, cueing the process: “The production team wants us to go play the haunted house together first.”

Jian Qun collapsed, covering his forehead: “I knew it. Can’t the production team come up with something from the world of the living?”

Wu Man didn’t believe in gods or spirits, so she wasn’t afraid of haunted houses at all. After hearing, her heart had no ripples. However, Weng Shaoyuan seemed to think she would be scared. He walked to her side and said: “Don’t worry, if you’re scared, just grab my hand directly.”

Wu Man’s face twitched awkwardly. Before she could answer, Zhui Ye squeezed between the two of them and draped his arm over Weng Shaoyuan’s shoulder, saying: “I’m scared too. Can I hold your hand?”

Now it was Weng Shaoyuan’s turn for his face to twitch.

He forced out a smile and pointed at Ji Sijia walking at the very front: “I think she’s quite brave too. How about…”

Zhui Ye raised his eyebrows: “How can we let a girl charge ahead and take the lead, right? So I can only hide behind a big man like you.”

He precisely hit Weng Shaoyuan’s principles of conduct, leaving him speechless.

He was forced to nod: “Alright then. In a moment, if you’re… scared, just… grab my sleeve.”

“That won’t work.” Qin Fanlei suddenly interjected. “The production team stipulated that we must walk alternating one man and one woman.”

Zhui Ye’s face immediately fell.

“What?!”

Weng Shaoyuan smiled heartily: “I think the production team’s arrangement is very reasonable.”

Wu Man suddenly spoke up: “I’m not afraid of these things. I’ll walk first.” She turned to look at Zhui Ye’s aggrieved expression. “You just walk behind me.”

Zhui Ye was stunned, then his lips curved up slightly, the expression on his face vividly about to take flight.

He straightened his chest and looked at Weng Shaoyuan arrogantly: “I also think the production team’s arrangement is very reasonable!”

Weng Shaoyuan was once again speechless.

So the six people lined up in a queue, led by Wu Man, walking into the pitch-black corridor in order.

She didn’t know if Zhui Ye had said that out of genuine fear or deliberately causing trouble, but she knew he believed in deities and might truly be somewhat afraid. Not long after entering, she quietly turned her head to tell him: “They’re all played by staff members. Don’t be afraid.”

However, when she turned her head, she met his slightly silly smiling face – where was there even half a trace of fear?

“?”

“I’m still savoring what you just said.” Zhui Ye pressed down his mic and bent down to whisper in her ear, “As expected of Sister. No matter how many times, I’ll always be moved by you.”

Thump thump—thump thump—

Before fully entering the haunted house, before encountering any ghost shadows, Wu Man felt her heart had been struck down.

The front section of the haunted house was calm the whole way. When the light behind them completely disappeared, they saw an open space, surrounded by eerie blue cold light, as if sinking to the ocean floor. The door to the forward path was closed.

“What’s going on? Does this haunted house come with puzzle-solving?”

In the queue, Qin Fanlei’s voice trembled as she asked, but no one answered her. Everyone’s gaze focused on the center of the clearing, where an old-fashioned television with only a few buttons was placed. The screen flickered with black and white static. After flashing twice, a tattered doll with only the whites of its eyes appeared.

“Ahhh—”

Qin Fanlei immediately screamed, and together with Jian Qun, their screams sang a duet.

The doll’s mouth, moved by strings, opened and closed as a childish voice sang:

“London bridge is falling down

Falling down, falling down

London bridge is falling down

My fair lady…”

With each line sung, the doll’s eye whites disappeared a bit, and the black of its eyes returned a little.

That voice was intermittent, stuttering with the static, coordinating with Qin Fanlei and Jian Qun’s high and low pitched duet screams quite flavorfully. Jian Qun directly cursed: “Stop singing about London bridge falling! If you keep singing, my mental state will collapse first!”

Wu Man suppressed her laughter. Laughing out loud at this moment would be too unkind.

Her arm was suddenly pressed by a burning hot palm. Turning her head to look, Zhui Ye gripped her tightly as if facing a great enemy, saying: “Sister, I’m scared.”

…For someone saying they’re scared, the voice was quite vigorous.

Wu Man secretly rolled her eyes, having already figured out Zhui Ye’s routine. His acclaimed acting skills never applied in front of her – she could always see through him at a glance.

She patted his arm perfunctorily: “No need to be afraid. Sister is here.”

Zhui Ye took the opportunity to openly pull the person into his embrace more tightly.

In the television, the doll sang to the end. Its pupils turned pitch black, the song came to an abrupt halt, and the door behind them opened accordingly.

The moment the door opened, a doll with makeup similar to the one on TV stood right behind it, with no eye whites, only black eyes.

Without giving them a chance to react, it charged straight at this group of people. First to bear the brunt was Wu Man at the front.

Although she wasn’t afraid, this kind of physical contact would still make one instinctively feel resistant. She was just about to dodge when Zhui Ye wrapped his arm around her waist and swept her to his side, instantly exchanging positions. The person who had just been trembling and pretending to say he was so scared didn’t hesitate to reach out and block the doll.

It was just that the visibility was too dark. He didn’t grasp it quite accurately and only felt he had grabbed something down.

Slippery, making his hand itch.

The eerie blue spotlight happened to flash by, illuminating the doll in front of them. Originally meant to create atmosphere for his entrance, letting tourists see his appearance clearly and thus feel afraid.

This time, everyone borrowed that light and indeed saw clearly – including his shiny, gleaming forehead after Zhui Ye pulled off his wig.

The entire group traveling together fell silent. The doll uncle also fell silent.

Zhui Ye laughed awkwardly and respectfully placed the wig back on top of his head.

“I know Shuran brand shampoo is pretty good. Do you want to try it?”

…Why does this brand sound a bit familiar?

The doll uncle thought blankly.

Two months later in the comment section, seeing this scene, apart from a uniform sea of “hahahaha,” several comments flew by—

Isn’t this the damn shampoo Wu Man endorses?

This brother, you have a shampoo endorsement yourself too? Not mentioning it at all and instead promoting a competitor’s product – didn’t your sponsor tear you apart?

**Author’s Note:**

Question on a forum: What’s it like having a spokesperson who helps promote the competition?

Sponsor: Thanks for asking. Currently sharpening my knife.