Chapter 135: Speaking from the Heart

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Wen Yiming had already formed a preliminary guess about whom Qi Jiajia would choose to connect with on the channel.

By the time he and Qi Jiajia reached the later part of the show, they had grown to truly dislike each other—they could barely hold a conversation without clashing, either verbally sparring or falling into mutual silence.

If she truly had feelings for someone else, this would be the perfect opportunity to seize it. It seemed unlikely she would pick his channel just to irritate him at such a moment. Probably not.

But since this segment was called “Speak Your Heart,” and it was even possible to pick the same gender... everything was left in silent bewilderment.

Qi Jiajia had already gone to the phone booth.

She picked up the receiver and pressed the button for the chosen channel.

Meanwhile, the other contestants wearing headphones—those who hadn’t completed their task—were silently rehearsing their lines in their minds. The two who had finished, Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei, were spacing out.

While Lu Zhou’s mind was still wandering, a sound came through the headphones, snapping him back to reality.

“Lu Zhou.”

It was Qi Jiajia’s voice.

She paused briefly, seemed to take a deep breath, and then laughed softly:

“The day we traveled together as partners was really enjoyable. That day left a very deep impression on me; the feeling of happiness from that time, I still remember it clearly.

I’ve always wanted another chance to partner with you and go out again. But... it seems such opportunities are becoming fewer.

You give me a really comfortable feeling when we’re together. Actually, I felt this way during our first date on the show.

I don’t know what kind of signal this is, and in this high-pressure show, I’m a little confused about my own feelings. But so far, I’m very clear about who I want to be close to and who I most look forward to playing with—and that’s you, Lu Zhou.

This is the sincere truth I want to confess to you today.”

Lu Zhou listened quietly to Qi Jiajia’s words, beginning to consider how to properly handle this “she might have feelings for me, but I do not reciprocate” situation.

Reflecting on how he handled things in the previous life, he furrowed his brow slightly.

At this moment, Qi Jiajia had already walked back from the phone booth, her cheeks faintly flushed. The moment she sat down, she couldn’t help but instinctively glance at Lu Zhou.

Since Qi Jiajia’s return, Wen Yiming’s gaze had followed every movement of hers. He caught that subtle look, which only strengthened the answer he held in his heart.

Xu Junze was also observing everyone. Judging by the current situation, it was not difficult to guess who would call whose channel to speak their heart.

What was hard to guess was what exactly they said—their true feelings remained unknown.

“Next person,” the staff urged.

Xu Junze scanned the group. Seeing no one moving, he stood up on his own and said, “I’ll go.”

As soon as he spoke, Chu Yao instinctively glanced at him, wondering whom he would choose to speak to.

Would it be Li Jiayan? He had seemed quite interested in her before. But recently, Li Jiayan’s attitude toward Lu Zhou had been very obvious, and Xu Junze had less contact with her.

Later, he partnered with Qi Jiajia for an outing, and they seemed to cooperate well. In the past two days, he had been chatting more with Qi Jiajia.

Putting it all together, it felt like he might pick Qi Jiajia.

After all, Qi Jiajia’s feelings were still not entirely clear. If Xu Junze liked her, there might still be a chance, and he would probably try to pursue it.

Could he possibly pick me? Watching Xu Junze’s retreating figure, Chu Yao suddenly thought this.

She was slightly stunned but quickly dismissed this strange thought in her mind.

Xu Junze had already reached the phone booth. From a distance, one could see him decisively pick up the receiver and press the button for a specific channel.

The others present were curious whose headphone would sound—after all, few truly knew Xu Junze’s intentions.

However, the fact was, none of their headphones sounded just then, because Xu Junze had chosen his own channel.

“I don’t have any heartfelt words to say to others, so I’ll say a few to myself.

Since joining this show, I feel I’ve lost myself a bit.

At first, my feelings were clear, but gradually, after facing reality, the obsession I once had for one person disappeared.

Life is cruel like that.

Meeting new people here brings a strange feeling.

Am I saying I have no feelings for other girls? Maybe not. After all, I’m not a saint—I’m just an ordinary man, and after being hurt, I still hope for a new beginning… I think others probably feel the same.

But after going through some things, I find it hard to distinguish what I truly feel—is it genuine attraction? Or just an illusion caused by the atmosphere of the show?

Maybe I should give myself some space to think calmly. So I became an observer, and suddenly things felt much easier.

I hope that moving forward, everyone can clearly see their own true hearts.”

After Xu Junze finished speaking rapidly, he returned, feeling much lighter after expressing himself.

But the others were a bit confused—what exactly had he said to whom?

There were four guests left. The staff let them decide who would go first.

Li Jiayan took a deep breath and stood up. She glanced sideways at Lu Zhou and said, “I’ll go.”

Hearing this, Ye Fangfei gently looked up at her.

Lu Zhou’s eyes drooped as he pondered.

No one really needed to guess whom Li Jiayan would choose to speak to.

When she stood up, the others secretly glanced at Lu Zhou.

And indeed, their guess was correct.

Li Jiayan chose Lu Zhou’s channel.

Lu Zhou had foreseen this, so when his headphones rang, he was not surprised.

“Lu Zhou, it’s Yanyan.”

She used the nickname he had called her during their relationship years ago.

“You probably guessed I’d pick your channel, right?”

She smiled, paused for a moment, then continued:

“Last night, I was woken up by your beautiful piano playing. Fangfei told me it was your new piece.

Your new composition is really lovely. I’m truly happy for you, from the bottom of my heart!

My boy has struggled for so many years and finally achieved the strength he dreamed of. I want to praise and congratulate you loudly.

I’m happy for you, but at the same time, there’s a subtle sadness inside.

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Lately, I feel like we’ve been too cautious around each other. That kind of atmosphere makes me a bit sad. We used to be so open and carefree with each other. Maybe it’s because our moods changed during the show? As if we’re afraid of something inside? So now, when we’re together, there’s none of that initial carefree spirit.

People are really strange, aren’t they?”

Li Jiayan chuckled softly.

“I rambled on a bit, it’s kind of weird.”

“By the way, could you play that piece for me in person sometime? I really like it.”

Ending with a question, Li Jiayan finished what she wanted to say.

Live broadcast room—

[It feels like she said a lot, but also like she said nothing. Is this what they call eloquence?]

[Where were you when Lu Zhou was failing before, sis?]

[Human nature is quite interesting.]

[Good tea! Is this just my illusion?]

…

After hearing Li Jiayan’s voice, Lu Zhou silently rubbed the headphone wire between his thumb and forefinger, letting out a long, quiet sigh.

Qi Jiajia pursed her lips and glanced at Lu Zhou. It was obvious whom Li Jiayan had chosen, but she couldn’t help but wonder what Lu Zhou was thinking now, and whose heart he truly leaned toward.

Ye Fangfei played with her long wavy hair, her expression calm.

Li Jiayan returned, looking directly at Lu Zhou with a smile.

Seeing this, Zhang Chen raised his eyebrows, feeling Li Jiayan seemed to be slowly following in his footsteps...

Wen Yiming, unable to sit still any longer, got up and went to the phone booth without waiting for the staff’s prompt.

Having completed her part, Li Jiayan felt much lighter, sitting down to review what she had said, replaying it to check if there was anything she could have expressed better.

Since this “Speak Your Heart” segment was one-way communication, she felt it wasn’t appropriate to confess directly—it might put her in a disadvantageous position.

She preferred to subtly hint first, observe his reaction, and wait for a better opportunity to be straightforward. She believed this approach was more fitting.

Just as she was satisfied with her words, suddenly, her headphones crackled to life.

“Jiayan, it’s Yiming.”

“???” Li Jiayan furrowed her brows in confusion.

“There are some words I’ve wanted to say to you but never found the right chance.”

“I think this segment is a good opportunity.”

“About whether a broken mirror can be mended, it seems different people have different views.

Some refuse to give up, trying to repair a broken relationship no matter the outcome, not wanting to regret it.

Others foresee that even if the relationship is restored, unresolved conflicts will resurface, causing repeated torment, so they choose not to waste effort.

Personally, I believe it’s hard to truly mend a broken mirror, so I’m in the latter group. But recently, from what I’ve observed, you seem to be in the former.

Of course, this is just my guess.

Whatever choice you make in the end, I hope you bravely try, and whatever the result, don’t burden or pressure yourself too much. This show isn’t our whole life; it’s just a brief experience. The world outside is still wonderful.

You must believe that there will be other people who love you, standing behind you. Keep going.”

Wen Yiming’s voice came slowly through the headphones, making Li Jiayan momentarily stunned.

A broken mirror is hard to mend...

Usually, a broken mirror can’t be fixed because the couple’s feelings have gone awry. But her relationship with Lu Zhou back then had no emotional problems—it was external factors that caused their breakup. Even if the mirror were mended, those external conflicts wouldn’t flare up again so fiercely.

However, Wen Yiming was right about one thing: her efforts to rekindle the old love were just to avoid future regrets.

She had a strong premonition that if she gave up now and didn’t try, she would likely regret her actions today.

So, no matter the outcome, she would try.

Before, due to preconceived impressions, she hadn’t liked Wen Yiming much, but his words today suddenly warmed her heart, giving her the strength to move forward generously.

Yes, this show isn’t everything in life!

Live broadcast room—

[There are couples who’ve happily reconciled! I know some.]

[Most couples who get back together still end up breaking up.]

[Why did Wen Yiming say that to Li Jiayan?]

[Suddenly I like Wen Yiming a lot.]

…

Wen Yiming returned, a sunny smile on his lips, as charming as when he first entered the pink room.

He smiled because he was pleased with his own words just now, admiring himself. He thought he had crafted a perfect persona on camera!

Wen Yiming, you’re amazing! Well said!

Zhang Chen looked at Wen Yiming with a strange expression. What’s up with this guy?

Qi Jiajia thought Wen Yiming’s smile was inexplicable. Who did he say that to, and why was he so happy?

There were only two guests left who hadn’t gone to the phone booth: Chu Yao and Zhang Chen.

Chu Yao went first. Everyone was curious about her choice—it was a mystery.

No one knew which male guest Chu Yao preferred at this stage.

Chu Yao had been very prominent earlier in the show and quite popular, but as the show went on, for some unknown reason, she gradually became marginalized.

Both guests and viewers were very curious about her choice.

Live broadcast room—

[I think she’ll do like Xu Junze and talk to herself.]

[+1]

[Could she possibly pick a girl at the end, haha?]

…

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To the surprise of the live audience, Chu Yao picked up the receiver and dialed Lu Zhou’s channel.

“Hello, Lu Zhou, this is Chu Yao.

I wasn’t sure who to choose, and suddenly decided to pick the guy I’ve interacted with the least—yes, you.

What should I say? Honestly, I didn’t prepare anything.”

Chu Yao hesitated, seemingly at a loss for what to say next.

“It’s just that the journey is almost over, and it feels like we never really got a chance to get to know each other deeply.

So I wanted to say, if there’s still a chance, how about we go out and play together sometime?”

Her words were few but clearly conveyed her intention.

Lu Zhou rested his chin on one hand, listening quietly. His mind felt like it was about to explode.

Four female guests had all chosen his channel… even though he had anticipated this, how to handle it better was still a matter for careful thought.

Live broadcast room—

[Lu Zhou: Why am I so popular today?]

[Unbelievable, four girls all picked him.]

[At first, Lu Zhou was ignored by everyone; now it’s reversed.]

…

The last guest to enter the phone booth was Zhang Chen.

This was no surprise—everyone knew whom he would pick.

Ye Fangfei leaned back in her chair, lightly scratching her forehead, wondering what this guy would say this time.

Sure enough, shortly after Zhang Chen reached the phone booth, a voice came through Ye Fangfei’s headphones.

“I was jealous last night, you know?”

“You and Lu Zhou... well...”

A heavy sigh echoed through the headphones.

Ye Fangfei: “...”

She instinctively moved the headphones slightly away from her ear to lower the volume.

The voice continued, with Zhang Chen rambling on quite a bit—

“Last night was just a game, that’s what I told myself.

But even though it was just a game, it showed me another side of you.

Turns out you have such a sensitive and tender side too. Listening to a piano piece and crying, trapped in your emotions... I really didn’t expect that.”

Ye Fangfei: “...”

She suddenly felt an urge to roll her eyes, adjusted her posture, and glanced sideways to meet Lu Zhou’s gaze.

She shot him a look that seemed to say: What nonsense did you tell Zhang Chen last night?

The voice in her headphones continued—

“I always thought you were the type who was cool, strong inside, with a tough heart. But now, it seems you’re not that tough after all?

Maybe it’s just that I couldn’t reach your soft side, so I never noticed how sensitive you really are.

*sigh*”

Another sigh.

Ye Fangfei: “...” She couldn’t help herself and looked up to the sky, clearly rolling her eyes on camera.

The live audience burst into laughter.

[Help! Zhang Chen, do you know what you’re saying?]

[Ye Fangfei looks like she wants to hit someone.]

[What kind of lines are these? Hilarious.]

…

Zhang Chen continued rambling, but his tone was much more serious than before.

“I thought a lot last night, really a lot.

I’m not very careful in what I do, and my feelings aren’t very delicate, but this is me—Zhang Chen. No one is perfect, including me and you, right?

I wonder, if I forcibly change myself, would I still be me?

To be honest, there’s one thing about Lu Zhou I admire—he has this mysterious kind of courage that I sometimes lack.

Anyway, I don’t know what nonsense I’m saying. Being so deep isn’t really me. Now that I’ve vented, ah, I feel better.

By the way, you just connected to Lu Zhou’s channel, right?

Speaking of which, some of your recent actions, I’ve thought it over and I don’t understand. Are you using Lu Zhou as a shield, or do you really like him?

If it’s the latter, I kindly advise you to be careful.”

After hearing Zhang Chen’s voice, Ye Fangfei’s expression grew serious as she pondered deeply.

Live broadcast room—

[Is Zhang Chen trying to intimidate?]

[Why should you be careful if you like someone? That’s weird. Is he just bitter because he can’t get her?]

[Does he have some powerful connections behind the scenes to play the blocking game?]

[What connections? Blocking?]

[He’s just warning his ex-girlfriend to think carefully if she really likes Lu Zhou. You guys have wild imaginations.]

…

Thanks to Qin Guanxi for the 500 Qidian coins!

Thanks to Mengmeng Gamiao for the 500 Qidian coins!

(End of Chapter)