Chapter 115: A Day for Demonic Revelry

A spontaneous performance at the Ballet Opera House shifted the moods of many guests.

Some looked on with newfound respect;

Some grew even more fond;

Some felt a sense of crisis;

Some reaffirmed their own desires;

Some received unexpected delights;

Some discovered a subtle flutter within their hearts…

No tasks today, no rush against time—today was for carefree enjoyment.

It was simply blissful, to leisurely love what you love and to love yourself.

In other words, today was perfect for letting your heart stir.

After leaving the Ballet Opera House, the guests followed the guides arranged by the production team to the next destination.

It wasn’t far—just a short walk down the next classical street—to a place called the Handicraft Art City.

Here, one could find a dazzling array of handmade crafts from all over the world.

The ladies especially adored such places, strolling along the street, often lingering in shops as if reluctant to leave.

“Yao Yao, let’s go,” Xu Junze called back, unable to resist urging Chu Yao, who was lagging behind.

Wen Yiming glanced back with a smile, “What’s caught her eye this time?”

“She just really likes these handmade items—either she likes them or she’s studying how they were made,” Xu Junze replied instinctively, revealing his familiarity with Chu Yao’s character.

“Studying how they’re made…” Wen Yiming raised his eyebrows, a look of admiration flashing across his face. “As expected of Chu Yao.”

Behind them, Chu Yao took one last, reluctant look at the handcrafted items displayed on the counter before hastening to catch up with the group.

Ahead, Li Jiayan had fallen in love with a small night lamp, clutching it lovingly, coquettishly pleading with the staff, “Could I have my wallet back? I want to buy this.”

The staff shook their head, “Sorry, no.”

“Just give it to me first! It won’t cause any trouble—I won’t hide it. Once I buy it, you can collect everything again. It’s just so beautiful, I love it! Can I take it home to decorate? Please, please…” Li Jiayan batted her lovely big eyes, softly deploying her adorable girl charm.

Zhang Chen watched nearby, feeling a thrill run through him, secretly wishing he could be the staff member before her. Oh my, Li Jiayan was actually quite something. Imagine if she acted this sweetly in real life…

The image formed instantly, and a smile tugged at Zhang Chen’s lips.

Ah, what a pity…

His expression was caught by Ye Fangfei, who had just set down the small night lamp. She looked with interest along Zhang Chen’s gaze and saw Li Jiayan still pleading with the staff.

That staff member was remarkably composed, showing no reaction to Li Jiayan’s soft and adorable approach.

“We can’t do that. We can’t carry your wallets with us,” the staff explained again.

“Then can you lend me some money? I’ll pay you back later,” Li Jiayan begged, blinking innocently.

“Sorry, I don’t have any,” the staff answered.

Li Jiayan puffed out her cheeks, disappointed, and quietly placed the night lamp back on the counter.

Wen Yiming, who had just caught up, noticed her downcast expression and asked, “What happened?”

“She wanted to buy that night lamp but had no money,” Ye Fangfei replied.

Wen Yiming raised his eyebrows and walked over to Li Jiayan.

“Do you really want it?” he asked earnestly.

Li Jiayan looked up at him, nodded, “Don’t you think it’s beautiful? I really like it, but it’s a pity… I have no money.”

She pressed her lips together, glanced once more at the night lamp, and turned to find Lu Zhou.

Suddenly, Wen Yiming grabbed her wrist. “Wait.”

Li Jiayan, confused, looked back at him and, realizing what he was doing, reflexively tried to pull away.

But Wen Yiming let go just in time, then lifted his wrist, took off his watch, and handed it to the shop owner.

“Boss, can I trade this watch for that night lamp?” he asked.

Li Jiayan’s eyes widened in astonishment.

At that moment, the live-stream chat exploded:

[Damn!]

[Wen Yiming’s got skills!]

[Aaaah, heart racing, hands shaking!]

[Even through the screen, I’m swooning, thank you!]

[Trading a watch for a night lamp? Are you serious? Crazy!]

[But he’s willing! That’s love!]

…

By then, Chu Yao, Xu Junze, Qi Jiajia, and others had caught up and, watching this sudden scene unfold, could guess what had happened.

Qi Jiajia’s face darkened. She didn’t want to make things awkward for herself and turned to wander elsewhere—not keen on watching her ex flirt.

Chu Yao raised an eyebrow, instinctively searching for Lu Zhou.

Xu Junze narrowed his eyes slightly. “Well played, Wen Yiming.”

The shop owner carefully examined Wen Yiming’s watch, then checked on his phone. With a puzzled look, he asked, “Are you sure you want to trade this watch?”

Wen Yiming smiled confidently. “Absolutely.”

The owner nodded and said, “Alright, pick any lamp you want, you can take it.”

Wen Yiming picked up the night lamp Li Jiayan had admired, beaming as he presented it to her. “It’s for you.”

Li Jiayan was still in a daze, staring at the lamp.

What was going on???

“Hey, aren’t you leaving? There’s lots more fun ahead,” Lu Zhou’s voice came as he rejoined the group after realizing he had left them behind.

Suddenly brought back to reality, Li Jiayan looked at the lamp in Wen Yiming’s hand but did not accept it. “Thank you, Yiming, but trading your watch for this is too much. It’s unnecessary.”

“No problem. I was planning to replace this watch anyway. Getting a meaningful gift for it first seems worthwhile. Take it, don’t you really like it?” Wen Yiming said warmly.

In the end, Li Jiayan refused the gift. She placed the lamp back on the counter.

“Sorry, boss, we won’t trade after all.”

The owner returned the watch with a look that seemed to say, “Are you guys messing with me?”

Wen Yiming gave an awkward smile.

Li Jiayan turned and hurried to find Lu Zhou, noticing he was walking ahead with Ye Fangfei and Qi Jiajia.

She wondered if Lu Zhou had seen Wen Yiming’s attempt to trade the watch for the lamp. Was he jealous?

Next, the staff led everyone to a handcrafted pottery shop.

They said a master craftsman worked there, creating all the pottery by himself. Today, the master would demonstrate the pottery-making process and let the guests try it themselves.

The word “pottery” excited some immediately.

“Does it have to be done in pairs?” Li Jiayan’s eyes sparkled.

On other dating shows, couples would sit face to face, the girl holding clay with both hands, the guy guiding hers, shaping a ceramic piece together—romantic and heartwarming.

The production team likely intended the same.

Li Jiayan’s comment sparked awareness among the group about pairing up.

“Fangfei, want to do it together?” Zhang Chen was the first to seek a partner.

“Lu Zhou, want to join me?” Li Jiayan whispered a smile at Lu Zhou.

At that moment, a staff member interrupted, “There’s no rule that it must be done in pairs. It can be completed solo. Of course, if anyone wants to do it together, that’s your choice.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Fangfei immediately declined Zhang Chen’s offer. “I prefer to work alone.”

Zhang Chen was speechless.

Lu Zhou also declined Li Jiayan, “It’s easier solo.”

Li Jiayan’s face showed slight disappointment but nodded. “True.”

Was he still mad? She thought she’d have to find a chance to explain the previous matter.

In the end, everyone chose to experience the pottery individually.

An elderly master with an Eastern face demonstrated the process, from a lump of clay to the finished piece.

Kneading, throwing, glazing, carving…

The master spoke little, focused on his craft.

The guests busied themselves with their clay. At first, it was fun, laughter filling the room. Each person had their own design in mind and molded their pieces accordingly.

But none were professionals; initially, their efforts resembled the real thing, but gradually the shapes diverged from their visions. The process grew tedious.

Zhang Chen felt sleepy. He tried making a cup but made the opening too large. Tinkering didn’t help, so he gave up and settled for what he had.

Qi Jiajia also aimed to make a cup, initially wanting an artistic shape, but it turned out messy. She started over, making a straight cylinder cup, which came together quickly.

She laughed at Zhang Chen’s cup, proudly showing off hers.

Zhang Chen retorted, “Yours is too plain, mine’s unique.”

The live-stream audience laughed at this exchange.

Li Jiayan and Wen Yiming both planned to make vases. Li Jiayan’s vase was fairly well-shaped, thanks to her dexterity, but Wen Yiming’s was uneven and crooked—ugly enough that he gave up and slacked off.

Lu Zhou simply made a plate, thinking he could decorate it with colors later.

He glanced around at others’ work.

Ye Fangfei had seemingly molded a human head, but it looked distorted and creepy—odd enough to amuse Lu Zhou.

“Making a horror flick?” he joked.

Ye Fangfei chuckled softly, immersed in her creation. “You don’t get it. This is high art.”

Lu Zhou was speechless.

Zhang Chen looked at Ye Fangfei’s piece and smirked. “Fangfei, what on earth is this?”

Ye Fangfei grinned mischievously, “I’m molding you.”

Zhang Chen: “Thanks a lot.”

“It's just a finger I lost, no need to be so vindictive. We can get back together,” he teased.

Ye Fangfei ignored him.

Qi Jiajia, overhearing, chuckled.

Li Jiayan joined in, “Fangfei’s got skills.”

Ye Fangfei winked at her. “You have good taste.”

Wen Yiming looked at Ye Fangfei’s work, laughing, “By that standard, my piece is master level.”

Zhang Chen glanced at Wen Yiming’s crooked vase. “You’ve got some nerve.”

Xu Junze showed off his large bowl. “Look at mine, pretty good, right?”

Zhang Chen nodded, “Yours is good, but the best has to be Yao Yao.”

He looked toward Chu Yao with admiration.

Others followed their gaze, amazed. Were they really trained by the same master?

Looking at their own works compared to Chu Yao’s was humbling; hers was true artistry.

They all felt like struggling students worshipping a top scholar.

“Yao Yao’s amazing!” Wen Yiming praised.

“This craftsmanship could open a shop,” Lu Zhou said.

“Compared to that, my art suddenly feels less refined,” Ye Fangfei joked.

Chu Yao skillfully molded a beauty vase, the curves nearly perfect, yet she continued to adjust every detail meticulously.

In her concentration, she seemed to glow, drawing everyone’s attention.

Indeed, when one pursues their strength, the confidence and ease they radiate is most beautiful.

Xu Junze felt nostalgic and melancholy seeing Chu Yao so engrossed in her craft—this was the charm that had drawn him to her.

Live chat comments:

[I almost thought I opened the wrong video—this close-up looks like Chu Yao’s own channel.]

[As expected of Chu Yao, so skilled! More highlights, please! I love it.]

[Honestly, if marrying, I’d prefer someone like Chu Yao—suitable for everyday life.]

[Good at home crafts, virtuous and capable, caring, decent looks, career-driven—who wouldn’t want that?]

[None of the male guests here want that.]

[Xu Junze does, but he lost her and will regret it forever.]

[Virtuous? I doubt it. Chu Yao’s personality is strong-willed; strong people rarely soften. A man who can provide doesn’t care if she’s capable.]

[Different strokes for different folks; I like strong-willed women—I like to be supported.]

…

The master stood beside Chu Yao alone, observing her make the beauty vase, occasionally offering a tip here or there.

One could see in his eyes a genuine urge to take her as an apprentice.

After finishing, Chu Yao shared her design ideas for painting the vase with the master, hoping he could help complete it.

The master praised her repeatedly and eagerly invited her to come back in a week to paint it.

Chu Yao regretted she might not be able to come then.

The group left the pottery studio and headed to their next activity.

This time, they went to a massive arcade.

Today was purely for fun. The guests happily picked different games to play.

They first focused on the dance machines, having seen others enjoy them and deciding to join in.

Considering stamina, they avoided the racing mode.

Zhang Chen had a sudden idea. “How about a gender battle? Couples versus couples in two-player mode—exes compete to see if men or women win more.”

Ye Fangfei raised an eyebrow. “Are you trying to stir up gender rivalry?”

Zhang Chen lifted his chin. “You dare?”

Ye Fangfei scoffed. “No point in crushing you. Not coming.”

Zhang Chen was puzzled.

“Don’t be so confident. You might not beat me,” Zhang Chen smiled with assurance. “Play a round—I promise you’ll find it fun.”

Ye Fangfei: “I just don’t want to get crushed. Not fun.”

It was Zhang Chen’s specialty; she wasn’t foolish.

Zhang Chen twitched. “No, this is a dance machine. You have the advantage. I can’t dance, so I’m at a disadvantage.”

Li Jiayan laughed and chimed in, “I think Zhang Chen’s idea is fun. Shall we try?”

Whether Ye Fangfei wanted to play with Zhang Chen didn’t concern Li Jiayan, but she wanted to play with Lu Zhou, so she stood with Zhang Chen’s side.

Wen Yiming, seeing Li Jiayan’s enthusiasm, joined in. “Let’s play! Coming to an arcade and not playing games is boring. Right, Jiajia?”

He casually called on his ex-girlfriend.

Qi Jiajia, interested in trying, was never one to back down from a challenge.

“No problem. And you’ll lose,” she shot back.

The competition atmosphere ignited instantly. Soon, Xu Junze and Chu Yao agreed to join the battle.

Following the trend, everyone joined and agreed to have exes face off in teams.

Zhang Chen hatched a plan, selecting a fancy couple mode on the dance machine and picking the song “Troublemaker.”

Lu Zhou raised his brow, noting Zhang Chen’s cunning.

Zhang Chen and Ye Fangfei went first; the others watched.

As the music played, they moved to the screen’s prompts.

Though Ye Fangfei had dance experience, she’d never played this game. Focused on stepping on the correct arrows, she lost rhythm, making her dance funnier than Zhang Chen’s.

Zhang Chen couldn’t dance but followed the screen’s large, exaggerated moves. Accustomed to gaming, his accuracy was high even if his dance was comical.

“Just dance, don’t worry about the arrows,” Zhang Chen laughed at Ye Fangfei’s chaotic moves.

“You want me to lose, don’t you?” Ye Fangfei ignored him.

When the duo interaction part came, Ye Fangfei didn’t follow the routine. Zhang Chen panicked, thinking his scheme might fail, and reminded her.

“Here, you need to lean on my shoulder.”

Ye Fangfei didn’t comply, focusing on the arrows.

“Come on, we have to hold hands,” Zhang Chen offered his hand.

Ye Fangfei declined, merely stretching her arm out, noticing it still scored points. She realized Zhang Chen was teasing her.

“You have to twist against me. How can we score if you don’t interact?”

“I don’t want those points.”

Zhang Chen was speechless.

The final score: Zhang Chen won.

Ye Fangfei shrugged at the other female guests. “Not my forte. I did my best. Now it’s your turn.”

The next pair was Wen Yiming and Qi Jiajia.

Neither danced well; on the machine, they barely managed their feet, pure freestyle.

Wen Yiming, likely due to his muscular build, moved stiffly and jerky, almost like having a fit, with poor accuracy.

The audience below was nearly in tears from laughter.

Qi Jiajia’s laughter made it impossible to perform, but she narrowly won.

Then Xu Junze and Chu Yao took the stage.

They’d enjoyed dance machines when they dated, so both played well.

Though not graceful, they hit the scoring moves and interacted naturally, ending with high scores. Chu Yao’s accuracy was even better, earning her the win.

The last pair was Lu Zhou and Li Jiayan.

Lu Zhou treated it as a game. Having lost twice, he wanted to win this time.

He had silently watched the dances for three rounds, mentally breaking down the steps.

Now on the machine, he could nearly replicate the male part, focusing on footwork accuracy and mimicking moves.

Li Jiayan, however, was a different story.

She couldn’t keep up with the screen’s dance, randomly stepping while trying to follow moves, growing more chaotic and missing points, amusing herself.

Glancing at Lu Zhou’s accuracy, she was amazed. “Lu Zhou, you’re amazing.”

As she danced, she even stopped to watch him alone—so handsome, impressive moves, stylish gestures…

He danced so charmingly—what could she do?

If only she could dance too, they could get close.

With that thought, she suddenly had an idea.

After a brief rest, Li Jiayan resumed dancing wildly.

When the screen signaled the couple interaction, she edged toward Lu Zhou and, mimicking the girl’s move, placed her hand on his shoulder.

Her heart thumped wildly.

Lu Zhou was caught off guard, halting mid-step when her hand landed on his shoulder.

Then, imitating the screen’s girl, she swayed her waist, holding his right shoulder.

Her face flushed fiercely; she didn’t know what she was doing—but she was brave.

She couldn’t dance, but at that moment, she gave it her all.

The live chat exploded:

[Aaaah! Prairie dog screams!!!]

[Though clumsy, her figure moves beautifully.]

[So unexpectedly charming!]

[I’m crying—finally, an exes’ interaction moment!]

[I bet a hundred bucks Lu Zhou will go back to her.]

[Li Jiayan’s face is red as a monkey’s butt, haha.]

[Interesting—she said she was indifferent to Lu Zhou, now she’s flirting hard.]

[It’s just a game, don’t take it seriously.]

[Are you sure it’s just a game?]

…

Among the onlookers:

Zhang Chen: “??? Why doesn’t Ye Fangfei get this?”

Qi Jiajia: “Though it’s just a game, this scene really stings.”

If Li Jiayan had been eager from the start, this move wouldn’t seem awkward; but she was about to give up, then suddenly got involved in something she wasn’t good at.

Li Jiayan’s desire to get close to Lu Zhou made Qi Jiajia uncomfortable.

Wen Yiming frowned slightly but shrugged it off, knowing it was only a game.

…

The brief physical contact lasted only a moment. Lu Zhou glanced down at Li Jiayan, feeling a strange unfamiliarity.

He immediately stepped back and refocused on the screen’s arrow prompts.

The game ended.

Li Jiayan fanned her face, looked at the screen, and smiled at Lu Zhou. “I lost.”

Lu Zhou watched her a moment. “It’s just a game, don’t take it seriously.”

Li Jiayan blinked, unsure if he was comforting her about the game or hinting at something else.

After a short round on the dance machine, the group moved on to other games.

At the basketball and archery games, Wen Yiming finally reclaimed his dominance.

Later, at the 3D off-road racing game, Zhang Chen challenged the other seven alone, never leaving the seat.

After several rounds, he singlehandedly outlasted everyone else, no one able to beat him.

He laughed triumphantly.

After leaving the arcade, they visited a nearby film shooting base, strolling through a wax museum filled with famous actors' figures and entering a dubbing studio.

They watched movies and tried voice acting, which was quite fun.

Some had poor English accents, turning their dubbing into a joke that made everyone laugh heartily.

Only Qi Jiajia shocked everyone with her impeccable accent and emotional delivery.

She could even handle extremely fast lines, full of feeling and without mistakes.

Others felt like amateurs just playing around and were dumbfounded.

Lu Zhou laughed. “Jiajia, have you thought about a side job?”

Ye Fangfei nodded in agreement. “Voice acting could work. You have real potential.”

Qi Jiajia laughed, “No way. I’m just good at English and use these movies to practice, so I’m familiar.”

Ye Fangfei waved her finger. “You have a great voice—versatile and distinctive. You can mimic different characters’ tones and styles. That’s beyond just familiarity.”

“I have a friend in the dubbing industry. If you’re interested, I can introduce you when we get back,” she said.

The live chat buzzed:

[???]

[Can I do this? I’m interested.]

[Ye Fangfei’s promoting someone again.]

[Ye Fangfei: This girl can enter showbiz, arrange it.]

[No way, going on a dating show and getting job offers?]

[Got it—smart people cling to Ye Fangfei.]

…

Qi Jiajia was surprised and excited. “Really?”

Ye Fangfei: “Of course.”

Qi Jiajia hugged her tightly. If not afraid of being embarrassed, she might have kissed her on the cheek.

Li Jiayan and Chu Yao were stunned. Hm? Why wasn’t a good opportunity like this given to them?

Zhang Chen muttered, “Alright, someone can’t help but play the benefactor again.”

Xu Junze observed Qi Jiajia, realizing today had more unexpected gains than he thought. He saw potential for Qi Jiajia as an influencer, possibly more suitable than Li Jiayan.

…

Today, the eight guests toured Black Island together, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Compared to the remote sightseeing of prior days, today’s outing was shorter but packed with fun, leisurely, and interesting activities. It was a fuller experience of everyday life.

The sun had set; dinner time arrived.

Everyone was hungry. The production team arranged their return.

They took a vehicle back to a luxurious seaside villa. Entering under the night sky and the sound of waves, they were surprised to find the outdoor dining area already set with a sumptuous Western feast.

A long rectangular table with eight seats all in a row stood before a large LCD screen.

“???” Everyone was puzzled.

Was the production team planning for them to watch something while dining?