She Said She Has Feelings For Someone - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Promise: “Breaking One’s Word.”

The destination for the “Can’t Stay Idle” team was an ancient temple in L-City. It was a popular spot, frequently appearing on “Must-Visit” lists for the area.

Xia Leshuang took the wheel, following the navigation set by the production crew, driving Zhong Wen and Tang Jiahe toward the site.

“Sister Han replied,” Tang Jiahe checked her phone. “They’re heading to a nature park.”

Zhong Wen was curious. “Why split us up like that?”

Xia Leshuang thought for a moment and smiled. “Probably to make the ‘Can’t Stay Idle’ team slow down and the ‘Too Lazy To Move’ team actually get moving.”

As soon as she said it, both Zhong Wen and Tang Jiahe burst out laughing. “That actually makes sense.”

Listening in from the car behind them, Lu Shuyu’s lips curled upward. Chen Qian also smiled. “Leshuang still has a bit of a connection with you, it seems.”

As a friend of three years, Chen Qian understood Xia Leshuang to some extent. Based on the unusual behavior before and after the dinner the other day—the drinking, being taken in—she could sense that the so-called “unfamiliarity” was a facade. There was definitely something between Xia Leshuang and Lu Shuyu.

Lu Shuyu let out a soft laugh, her amber eyes shimmering with tenderness. “I suppose so.”

…

Ten minutes later, the “Can’t Stay Idle” team arrived at the ancient temple.

L-City’s municipal government had been very cooperative, securing a private filming window for them at the temple for the entire morning. As they got out of the car, a female security team systematically surrounded them to ensure their safety.

Lu Shuyu and Chen Qian had already scouted this location. Once they approached the planned filming area, Chen Qian immediately entered work mode. After the guests took their positions, Lu Shuyu began to explain the rules.

“Teachers, today we are at one of L-City’s most popular attractions. This ancient temple was built in the late Northern Song Dynasty and has nearly a thousand years of history…”

As she spoke, a drone soared into the sky, capturing the live recording while showcasing multi-angled views of the temple’s scenery.

“Today’s theme is a ‘Riddle Speed Race’ to obtain treasure clues. Each clue is worth a certain amount of Jin Jin Points. If you successfully find the treasure using the clues, your points for that round are doubled. Additionally, the winning team of the race gets another bonus multiplier.”

“Whoa—” Tang Jiahe looked shocked. “Then we definitely have to win!”

“Go, go, go!” Zhong Wen pumped her fist.

Lu Shuyu smiled and held up a stack of cards. “Then let’s begin the first segment: Rapid Fire Questions.”

“Wait,” Xia Leshuang asked, “what kind of questions?”

“Don’t worry,” Lu Shuyu said mischievously, “these questions are all based on things you three personally experienced this morning. I’m sure you’ll know the answers.”

“Huh?” Zhong Wen gasped. “I’m doomed. My memory is terrible.”

“Do you remember what you ate for breakfast?” Tang Jiahe tested her.

“…” Zhong Wen held her breath, her eyes wide. After a moment, she exhaled: “Egg-filled pancake!”

“Excellent,” Lu Shuyu clapped. “Teacher Zhong Wen, first question: How many eggs were in the pancake you ate this morning?”

…

Three faces froze in shock. Zhong Wen was silent for a while before stammering, “How should I know—”

“Three,” Xia Leshuang suddenly cut in. “Or was it four?”

Lu Shuyu arched an eyebrow, her tone meaningful: “The rule for this segment is only one chance per question. Please decide carefully.”

As time was running out, Xia Leshuang finalized: “Three.”

Lu Shuyu gave a broad sweep of her hand. “Congratulations, that is correct.”

Shocked once again, Zhong Wen cried out, “How did you know?!”

Xia Leshuang gave a wry smile. “Yesterday’s letter balls were lemon-yellow. We played three rounds, plus one bonus round. But the rules PD Lu just explained made me feel like the answer should be based on the original structure.”

“This…” Tang Jiahe was impressed. “How did your brain even connect those two things?”

“Second question. Teacher Tang Jiahe: How many times did Song PD knock on your door today?”

“Ah!” Tang Jiahe had an epiphany. “I thought those knocks were weirdly rhythmic. So that’s why!” She thought back carefully. “Six times!”

“Correct!”

“Third question for Teacher Xia Leshuang: In the Jin Jin Tuan today, how many colors are there in total?”

This question was highly specific. Zhong Wen and Tang Jiahe were lost. “What colors?” They looked at Xia Leshuang, who also looked momentarily blank before guessing, “Seven?”

Lu Shuyu smiled. “This one is a bit tricky. I’ll give Teacher Xia one more chance.”

Suddenly, it clicked for Xia Leshuang. “Nine!”

“Good!” Lu Shuyu clapped. “Correct. You’ve passed the first round and earned one treasure clue.”

“Leshuang,” Zhong Wen asked, “why nine?”

“The captains had a separate challenge this morning,” Xia Leshuang explained. “It was the same black box as yesterday, but the logo was rainbow-colored. Two of the balls I pulled out were rainbow-colored, and one was black-and-white. So I guessed it was the seven colors of the rainbow plus black and white.”

Tang Jiahe marveled, “Wow, but what if you hadn’t pulled a black-and-white one?”

Lu Shuyu smiled as the next props were brought out. “That’s why this question had two chances. Besides, the ratio of rainbow to black-and-white balls was equal; the odds of hitting at least one of each in three draws were quite high. Luck, after all, is a necessary condition for success.”

“Right…” Zhong Wen muttered. “Cold-blooded PD Lu…”

Lu Shuyu laughed brightly, accepting the title. “Thank you for the compliment~ Alright, Second Segment.”

“You are all actors, and Teacher Tang is a host as well, so you must have excellent vocal delivery. This segment tests your ‘lines’ ability. You must read this tongue twister within the time limit and have it recognized by the voice-to-text software without a single error.”

Tang Jiahe went first, showcasing her professional hosting background. She finished perfectly within the thirty seconds. Zhong Wen followed; though nervous, she pushed through with sheer determination, her face flushing red from holding her breath.

“Great work, Teacher Zhong Wen!” Lu Shuyu clapped. “Next, Teacher Xia?”

“Ready!” Xia Leshuang replied, looking quite composed.

“Start!”

The moment Xia Leshuang spoke, Zhong Wen’s eyes widened. By the time she got to the middle, Tang Jiahe was covering her mouth in surprise. In just thirty seconds, it felt as though they were listening to a high-end audio drama.

“Wow…” Zhong Wen gasped. “Leshuang, you could be a voice actor…”

Tang Jiahe nodded. “Your vocal control is incredible. I didn’t expect that even though you haven’t been filming for years, you haven’t let your skills slip at all.”

Xia Leshuang remained humble, but Lu Shuyu noticed something—a sense of habit. It was as if she was used to this level of praise. Lu Shuyu looked at Chen Qian, who seemed just as surprised.

“Congratulations to all three of you!” Lu Shuyu announced. “You’ve earned two clues. Please solve the puzzle to find the treasure!”

Xia Leshuang took the cards. They simply read: “Numbers” and “Blessings.”

“It must be related to the segments we just did,” Tang Jiahe guessed.

Zhong Wen’s eyes lit up. “Numbers! Three, six, nine?”

As the three of them connected the dots, Tang Jiahe asked, “But what about ‘Blessings’?”

Xia Leshuang looked up at the incense burner in the nearby courtyard, where thin trails of blue smoke drifted. Suddenly, a memory floated into her mind.

“Is it offering incense?” She looked at Lu Shuyu. “Three, six, and nine correspond to the common number of incense sticks offered.”

Nine years ago, during the winter break of their second year in high school, they had been at a Muay Thai gym when they overheard people talking about an ancient temple in the neighboring city, Jiangcheng, saying it was very efficacious. They had made a promise: next year, when they were seniors and the spring flowers bloomed, they would go to Jiangcheng together to offer incense.

There was a specific meaning to the numbers: three sticks for oneself, six for one’s parents, and nine to pray for three generations.

“I want to offer nine sticks to pray for my Grandma,” Xia Leshuang had said back then. “I hope she has double the happiness and joy in her next life.”

Unfortunately, she never stayed to see the spring of their senior year. She never saw Lu Shuyu in that final spring.

She had left without a word. She had broken her word.