Night arrived. They finally finished a day of filming at the amusement park, but they couldn’t go back to rest. The production team had also arranged evening filming.

The filming location was by the river – they had reserved an entire cruise ship for dinner. Zhui Ye and the other male guests were called onto the ship first by the production team, doing who knows what. Wu Man and the others waited on the shore. Before long, they attracted a large gathering and crowd of onlookers.

When Weng Shaoyuan appeared on the deck, the watching crowd stirred, and the scale grew even larger.

They whispered to each other: “Oh my god, is that Weng Shaoyuan?!”

“Haven’t seen him in so long!”

“White suit is killing me!”

Weng Shaoyuan had changed his outfit – a white suit with a champagne-colored rose brooch pinned to his chest.

So they went on the ship first to secretly change outfits.

Weng Shaoyuan extended his hand gentlemanly toward the three people on shore: “I wonder if I have the honor of inviting a lady aboard?”

Was the production team doing a one-on-one escort?

The three people below exchanged glances and hadn’t moved yet when a bunch of passersby raised their hands.

Weng Shaoyuan was stunned by the crowd. He hadn’t experienced this feeling of being surrounded and loved for too long, and for a moment he was nearly moved to tears.

Wu Man glanced at the crowd. Under the gaze of so many people, if the three of them didn’t have anyone respond to Weng Shaoyuan, his situation would be awkward.

She pondered and was about to extend her hand when Ji Sijia beside her actually extended hers faster.

It seemed the two had developed a bit of revolutionary friendship from riding the pirate ship together.

After Ji Sijia boarded, the second person came out – it was Jian Qun.

He wore a light blue suit that matched his baby-faced appearance quite well. This time, before he even raised his hand, Qin Fanlei rolled her eyes and said: “Forget it, I’ll go up.”

Jian Qun was furious: “Why won’t you let me look cool? Are you even human?”

Qin Fanlei chuckled: “When you almost fainted from fear of heights on the Ferris wheel, you should have known you have no connection with the word ‘cool,’ okay?”

Jian Qun’s face darkened.

Before boarding, Qin Fanlei quickly whispered to Wu Man: “I’m perceptive, right?”

She winked at her playfully, making Wu Man blush.

Wu Man lowered her head to adjust her expression, thus missing Zhui Ye’s grand finale entrance.

The girls’ screams crazily drilled into her eardrums. Wu Man had a premonition and immediately looked up. Zhui Ye leaning on the railing came into view.

He wore a black tailcoat, tied with a black bow tie, the long coat tails hanging at the sides of his straight legs. The summer night breeze tousled his hair, making those unrestrained eyes even more distinct, overshadowing even the lights of the Bund behind him.

The little prince waved at Wu Man below.

“Sorry to keep my princess waiting.”

Ahhh————

Surrounding sounds of excitement erupted, but the princess herself was so embarrassed she just wanted him to shut up.

Wu Man quickly escaped onto the ship. Getting closer, she discovered his eye corners had shimmering glitter. When his head turned, his cheeks jumped with light like the river surface under moonlight.

“What is this?”

She pointed at the shiny glitter.

“Purple eyeshadow the stylist brought. I thought it was fun so I applied it here.” Zhui Ye bent down and brought his cheek close. “Do I have the feel of an elf prince?”

Taking advantage of everyone not paying attention, he leaned forward another step, his cheek naturally brushing against hers, leaving a bit of glitter on her cheek too.

“Sneak attacking again!”

Wu Man casually complained, but her mouth was smiling, letting him be.

After all three people boarded, the cruise ship finally departed, gradually leaving the shore and heading toward the river’s center, breaking through the shimmering neon ripples.

A long table was set up on the deck with exquisite white porcelain plates and food arranged like decorations. Just as they were about to sit, they discovered a task note placed at each person’s seat.

Jian Qun got a headache just looking at the note: “Do we have to complete tasks before we can eat?”

His expression had reached the level of wanting to fight the director immediately after filming.

Wu Man also had a bit of a headache. They’d been tormented all day – why more mischief?

Variety shows really weren’t meant for humans. After promoting this wave of *Spring Night*, she definitely wouldn’t accept reality shows again in the short term.

Opening the note, it read: If you drew this note, you must perform a talent in front of everyone. If you receive positive reviews from three or more people, you qualify to eat.

“Is everyone’s note different?” Qin Fanlei shouted. “Mine is so weird – I have to spin like an elephant’s trunk ten times then shout ‘Double Bed is the best’ before I can eat…”

Jian Qun clutched his chest in relief: “Thank god I didn’t draw that. I’m already dizzy enough on the ship – if I spun like that, just thinking about it makes me want to vomit.”

When Qin Fanlei mentioned the notes were different, Zhui Ye stretched his neck like lightning to glance at Wu Man’s hand, showing obvious disappointment.

“What’s wrong?”

Wu Man curiously opened her palm, waiting for Zhui Ye to consciously place his note on it.

“If you drew this note, you must recreate a classic scene from *Titanic* with another guest who drew the same task – ‘You jump, I jump!’ If you receive positive reviews from two or more people, you qualify to eat.”

After Wu Man finished reading the note’s content, just imagining the scene made her unable to suppress a laugh.

This was too bootleg – it would definitely look silly performed.

“You can still laugh?” Zhui Ye pouted. “I’m about to pledge life and death with someone else.”

“This ‘someone else’ is quite interesting.” Wu Man indicated for Zhui Ye to look at Weng Shaoyuan, who was holding up his note asking cautiously yet expectantly: “Who drew Titanic?”

Zhui Ye’s eyelids twitched twice as he spoke with difficulty: “…It’s me.”

Hearing his voice, Weng Shaoyuan froze for several seconds.

He quickly adjusted his expression and smiled: “We truly have fate. I’ll be Jack, you be Rose. How about it?”

“Sure, I don’t care.”

Zhui Ye took off his obstructive suit jacket and removed his bow tie, revealing a clean white shirt.

However, he didn’t place his outfit on his own chair. Instead, he turned and handed it to Wu Man, draping the tailcoat over her arm and loosely hanging the bow tie around her neck.

Jian Qun took in this entire scene and inexplicably felt his cheeks burning. Although Zhui Ye left for the bow, the presence of the bow tie he left behind was so strong – the black silk ribbon resting in the hollow of her collarbones. Deep black and pearly white colliding, like some kind of suggestive choker circling Wu Man’s slender neck, incredibly alluring.

He didn’t dare look anymore, secretly cursing his dirty mind – “the lewd see lewdness.” Turning to see the two people ready at the bow, he immediately laughed maniacally again with split personality.

This was too funny!

Because Weng Shaoyuan was shorter than Zhui Ye, standing behind him, his chin couldn’t reach Zhui Ye’s shoulder at all. He had to stretch his neck and stand on tiptoes to barely see his mouth.

So the pose they struck was truly very strange, without any hint of flirtation unto life and death.

If this scene had to be described, it was probably like tall Rose admiring the scenery at the bow, stretching lazily and blocking the view of the tourist Jack behind her. The two tourists ended up grabbing each other’s arms fighting over the best viewing spot, just short of actually brawling.

The onlookers laughed until they had snot bubbles, and naturally, unanimous positive reviews.

Jian Qun and Ji Sijia also had a project requiring mutual cooperation. After they completed it, it was Wu Man’s turn.

She was ushered by everyone onto a raised square platform on the deck to perform.

Walking up, Wu Man had the illusion of really standing on some stage.

She took a deep breath and said: “Since this is a rare opportunity, I’ll sing a song for everyone.”

Everyone couldn’t help but freeze.

They all knew Wu Man was famously unable to sing. In all these years since her debut, she had never sung in front of the public. Now suddenly performing a song – the sun really was rising from the west.

Qin Fanlei joked: “I feel like I need to record this on my phone. This is definitely a precious collector’s edition.”

Weng Shaoyuan seemed afraid she would embarrass herself and couldn’t help saying: “Actually, you could just do a poetry recitation or something. We won’t make things difficult for you.”

Ji Sijia snorted with laughter: “Good for her, not afraid to lose face.”

Jian Qun seized the opportunity to make amends: “Go Sister Man! We won’t laugh at you!”

Only Zhui Ye was silent.

His first reaction was also stunned, but his emotions were completely different from the other four.

This was the first time since their reunion that he’d heard her say she would sing.

Wu Man took in their various expressions but didn’t care at all. She just put her hands in her pockets, closed her eyes, and began singing a cappella.

“Tonight the wind still blows, thinking of you feels so tender. Days with you are especially carefree.”

The woman’s voice was very cool, with a slight huskiness from smoking. Her voice was like the evening breeze in the lyrics, dispersing summer night’s stuffiness.

“Not without a trace, just missing you too intensely. How can I dream of you constantly?”

“With you on love’s path, I won’t be lonely. You’re so good to me, this time is truly different.”

When she sang the first line, they were still a bit dazed. It wasn’t until later that they finally caught on.

Although at the beginning they could feel her obvious nervousness, her voice like a tightly stretched string, not quite relaxed. But gradually as she sang on, the string loosened, entering a better state.

This… was this someone who couldn’t sing? Everyone was astonished.

Such a good voice, such solid technique. Most precious was the emotion contained in the lyrics – not a single note out of place. Even professional Weng Shaoyuan was surprised. Without any personal bias or prejudice, Wu Man was completely excellent raw material for singing.

Compared to these people with surprised faces, Zhui Ye was much calmer.

He straightened his back, gazing at the charismatic woman on stage.

Speaking of which, this was his first time hearing her sing properly. Perhaps over ten years ago, she had stood just like this beside a small county town’s gaudy food stall, holding a standing microphone. The plastic colored lights hanging from the stall canopy flickered with her singing, casting bizarre and colorful traces on her bright nineteen-year-old self.

“Maybe I should properly cherish you. Just like you’ve always waited for me.”

“Dear one, intimate lover…”

When singing this line, Wu Man suddenly opened her eyes.

Straightforward and bold, distinct and fearless, she looked toward a certain person below the stage.

“This is the most exciting moment of my life.”

The neon lights of childhood overlapped with the Bund’s lights today. The evening breeze brought the scent of an approaching thunderstorm.

“Looks like a thunderstorm is coming!”

Someone suddenly shouted. Wu Man’s performance could only be abruptly interrupted. The cameramen quickly rushed down the stairs first to protect their precious equipment, followed by the other guests who rapidly ran to the first-floor cabin to hide from the rain.

On the vast deck, in the blink of an eye, only Wu Man and Zhui Ye remained.

Zhui Ye refused to get up, only saying: “Sister, continue singing to the end.”

This was the nightingale’s first performance after over ten years apart. He was her only and most devoted audience.

**Author’s Note:**

Thank you all, this variety show arc probably has 1-2 more chapters left

The song sung in the text is Sally Yeh’s “Intimate Lover”