He Lindi’s work trip this time was to prepare for a fashion event in early September. This event was initiated by a major domestic magazine. The celebrity guest list had been gradually announced over the past few days.
Chi Shuo knew about this event. She had previously checked the schedule registration; many celebrities in the entertainment industry would attend this fashion event that day. Whether they were top-tier stars or lesser-known celebrities, Chi Shuo glanced at the numbers—around forty people in total were expected.
This scale wasn’t particularly large, but definitely not small either. Chi Shuo looked at the list; basically, all the popular actors and actresses from the past two years were going, such as Qi Siqiao, Song Qin, and Shen Qu, whom Chi Shuo least wanted to see.
But because Shen Qu currently had a drama airing, her popularity had reached a new high. Even this magazine’s precious September cover featured her. It was impossible for her not to attend this event. Chi Shuo had nothing to say about this, just wanted to exclaim, “Shen Qu is awesome.”
Right now, the main hall for the event was still being set up. Chi Shuo, having some work experience in this area, could tell at a glance that many details still needed adjustment; otherwise, the whole scene would look disharmonious and unattractive during the live broadcast.
The items Yue Ke brought for He Lindi were her other lens and a tripod. Apparently, He Lindi initially thought her current lens was sufficient, but after a few shoots, she realized the lens she left at home produced much better results.
At this moment, Chi Shuo sat in her seat, watching He Lindi ahead, busy with her DSLR.
Xia Zhou and Yue Ke were wandering around the hall. Chi Shuo had no interest in doing so, mainly because she had been essentially threatened by He Lindi to come here. If not for He Lindi’s question, she wouldn’t have come.
He Lindi’s tone back then made the weather seem to instantly drop thirty degrees, plunging straight into winter. Chi Shuo felt inexplicably scared and still came, holding her umbrella.
Zeng Guai listened to Chi Shuo’s description and couldn’t stop laughing beside her. “Shuo Shuo, really, you’re such a coward in front of Didi? If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t have come.”
Chi Shuo scratched her head, looking helpless. “Easy for you to say. If you were asked like that, I don’t believe you wouldn’t come.”
There were many people in the hall now. Because the event was only about ten days away, some studios had already started scouting the venue to give their artists some presence on the day, wanting to figure out how to get slightly more exposure.
The seating below wasn’t arranged in rows but table by table, like a large banquet. Chi Shuo and the others were resting at a table closest to the stage.
Later, many photographers would be set up below the stage. Chi Shuo didn’t know how many studios had invited He Lindi this time, but it wouldn’t be fewer than three.
“He Lindi is really busy,” Chi Shuo couldn’t help remarking. “Being a photographer is also really good, lots of money and can be friends with celebrities.”
Zeng Guai laughed again. “You sound so sour.”
Chi Shuo raised an eyebrow, said nothing more, and saw Zeng Guai wave at He Lindi. “Didi, want to come over for some water?”
Hearing this, He Lindi put down her DSLR, walked over while nodding. Chi Shuo watched her approaching figure and couldn’t help but cough lightly again.
When He Lindi reached the seat beside her and sat down, Chi Shuo calmly asked her, “What was the reason you insisted I come over?”
There was Nongfu Spring water on the table. He Lindi put her camera down and opened a bottle herself. She moistened her throat and lips before answering Chi Shuo’s question, “Isn’t it boring staying alone in the car?”
Zeng Guai beside her complained mercilessly, “Shuo Shuo has been a complete pig these past two days. Slept the whole morning in the car, then kept sleeping back at the hotel.”
Chi Shuo snorted lightly. “Work was too hard, what’s wrong with sleeping more on the weekend?” She looked at He Lindi. “Look at Teacher He, clearly hasn’t been sleeping well lately, the dark circles are so heavy.”
He Lindi denied this claim and exposed her. “No, I slept quite well. I never have dark circles.”
After speaking, she smiled slightly at Chi Shuo, even blinking her eyes once. Chi Shuo’s heart skipped a beat with that blink.
Chi Shuo opened the water bottle in front of her herself and said nothing more.
Zeng Guai gossipily asked He Lindi, “Didi, how many celebrities are you shooting this time?”
Generally, studios and photographers cooperate on a one-to-one basis for such events. But popular photographers like He Lindi were different. Plus, each celebrity’s appearance time varied, and high-definition styling photos didn’t need to be taken before the live broadcast. Some celebrities would have their styling done hours in advance. Photographers just needed to shuttle between hotels during this period; the difficulty wasn’t high.
“Three.” Anyway, the collaborating studios would tag He Lindi’s Weibo on the day, so she had no need to hide anything. “Qi Siqiao, Shen Qu, and Bai Bo.”
Zeng Guai: “I’m quite looking forward to seeing their looks that day.”
Chi Shuo remained silent beside them, offering no opinion. Just thinking about Shen Qu made her feel speechless, or rather, she simply didn’t want to talk, didn’t want any further connection with Shen Qu.
He Lindi smiled faintly and asked Zeng Guai, “I saw on your Moments you’ve been chasing Urban Love Chronicle recently. Been busy lately, forgot to ask. Do you want Shen Qu’s autograph? She gave me several before, I can give you one.”
Zeng Guai’s eyes immediately lit up. She was sitting on He Lindi’s other side. Excited, she couldn’t help grabbing He Lindi’s wrist and thanking her, “Yes, yes! Want it! Thanks, Didi!”
He Lindi subtly pulled her wrist away and reopened the water bottle to drink. While drinking, she glanced sideways at Chi Shuo. Chi Shuo caught this fleeting look.
She seemed to guess what He Lindi’s glance meant. If she wasn’t mistaken, it probably meant she didn’t cherish it, even though she kept Shen Qu’s autograph photo. Her attitude back then was completely different from Zeng Guai’s.
Thinking back carefully, did she even say “thank you” to He Lindi back then? Chi Shuo couldn’t remember clearly for a moment, but she knew herself. Given her personality, she likely focused entirely on the fact that the person in the autograph photo was Shen Qu.
Considering these things made Chi Shuo feel somewhat awkward. She pretended to naturally open her phone and seriously look at her Weibo homepage.
He Lindi glanced at her phone screen and asked curiously, “Looking at Weibo?”
Chi Shuo didn’t lift her eyes, still looking at the jokes posted by the bloggers she followed, answering He Lindi’s question, “Mm.”
“Followed me yet?” He Lindi’s voice held a hidden smile. After this sentence, without waiting for Chi Shuo’s reply, she asked again, “Want me to follow you?”
Chi Shuo slowly turned her head to look at her. “I’ll uninstall Weibo right now.”
“Tsk.”
The atmosphere fell silent again. Everywhere else in the hall was quieter than here. After a few minutes, someone wearing glasses, looking scholarly, walked over holding his own DSLR.
He walked straight up to He Lindi, looked at her earnestly and sincerely, and said, “Teacher He, I have a question I’d like to ask for advice on. Is now convenient for you?”
He Lindi stood up and said to Chi Shuo and the others, “I’ll go attend to this first.”
Zeng Guai watched their departing backs and remarked with emotion, “Really quite busy. Seems like being a photographer isn’t an easy job.”
Chi Shuo glanced at her. “If I had such a high salary, I’d be willing no matter how tiring it was.”
For the next twenty minutes, He Lindi didn’t return. Yue Ke and Xia Zhou walked over and said to Chi Shuo and the others, “Let’s go, we’ll go play on our own first.”
The four walked out together again. As they reached the entrance, Chi Shuo quietly turned her head and glanced again in He Lindi’s direction, then averted her gaze and left.
Yue Ke and Xia Zhou were a couple, meaning the four of them would definitely split up, just like the hotel room arrangement. Chi Shuo and Zeng Guai were together again; Yue Ke and Xia Zhou were going off to enjoy their sweet weekend.
The four split into two teams. Chi Shuo and Zeng Guai first watched a movie, then ate something, and returned to the hotel to rest.
She hadn’t exercised much, but Chi Shuo felt drained all over. Lying on the bed, she had absolutely no desire to move, until a phone call came in.
It was Tong Jinjin calling. Seeing this contact name, Chi Shuo remembered Tong Jinjin had mentioned coming to Liucheng with friends.
Chi Shuo rolled over, looked at the ceiling, and answered, “Hello? Xiao Tong.”
“Shuo Shuo Jie, you really don’t want any gifts? I’m heading back to Yuncheng tomorrow.”
Chi Shuo chuckled. “I’m also in Liucheng.”
“When did you arrive!”
“Why didn’t you tell me!”
“This morning, came with friends to relax.”
“Are you heading back tomorrow then?”
“Yes.”
Half an hour later, Chi Shuo began to regret why she had blurted out that she was also in Liucheng. Because Tong Jinjin very enthusiastically called her out, asking her to come out and play.
Before leaving the hotel, Zeng Guai’s eyes held ambiguity, her gossipy nature hard to hide. “Watched a movie, had dinner, now going out with whom… for a date?”
Zeng Guai emphasized the word “date” heavily. Chi Shuo initially didn’t want to answer but still clarified for herself, “Just the neighbor’s younger brother. He’s also in Liucheng, came here to play after finishing the college entrance exam.”
But the effect seemed counterproductive; Zeng Guai’s gaze looked even more different. “Oh~”
Chi Shuo couldn’t stand it anymore and cursed, “Get lost! What are you thinking!”
“Nothing.”
“Just feel your claim of not being parched has a reason.”
“…” Chi Shuo gave up talking to her further, grabbed her bag, and left the hotel.
Tong Jinjin had come to Liucheng with three friends this time, but he also came out alone. The young man carried a crossbody bag, wore a t-shirt and shorts, smiled brightly. Even though it was already night, his eyes were still the brightest star.
They had already eaten dinner. Chi Shuo wasn’t digested yet. Tong Jinjin suggested going out for a walk, and he had many questions about university he wanted to ask her.
If not for the latter reason, Chi Shuo likely wouldn’t have come out. But Tong Jinjin’s tone was very serious, as if genuinely curious about university and wanting her advice. Chi Shuo still came out.
And more crucially, if she didn’t go out, Tong Jinjin might sense something, suspect something. Chi Shuo didn’t want to see that result.
“Shuo Shuo Jie, my admission letter arrived. Did I even tell you?”
The two walked side-by-side down a lively street, people coming and going, neon lights flashing. Night was when the prosperity began.
Chi Shuo replied, “Right, you didn’t even tell me which school you applied to.”
Tong Jinjin’s steps faltered slightly, the pause short enough to be negligible. Chi Shuo didn’t notice this, just heard the voice beside her ear, “You didn’t ask me.”
Tong Jinjin’s tone wasn’t that cheerful, even laced with a hint of grievance. Chi Shuo heard it. Because she knew Tong Jinjin liked her and her mother pressured her to interact with him, these two things made her somewhat exhausted, so she hadn’t actively contacted Tong Jinjin much, and even their chat content was dry.
Chi Shuo showed some guilt. She rubbed her forehead and explained, “Work content was too much, been busy with work lately, just forgot.”
Tong Jinjin’s gaze instantly seemed to brighten. He turned to look at Chi Shuo and asked immediately, “Really?”
Chi Shuo nodded numbly, then immediately regretted it. She always felt her current behavior was like constantly walking further down a crooked path.
“There’s a roller skating rink over there.”
“Want to go check it out?”
After walking for a few more minutes, Tong Jinjin pointed somewhere and asked Chi Shuo.
Chi Shuo followed the direction he pointed. Before she could answer, Tong Jinjin grabbed her wrist and pulled her along. “Let’s go, let’s go. Haven’t skated in so long. High school really suffocated me. Don’t even know if I still can.”
Chi Shuo: “…Okay then.”
Not ice skating, but roller skating. Chi Shuo knew how to do this. When she was young, she owned her own roller skates and was the best skater among the kids in her neighborhood back then. She could not only go forward, backward, and brake normally but also do fancy footwork, even having a wave of “fans” at the time.
Tong Jinjin was one of the fans. Their families lived closest, so Chi Shuo later took responsibility for teaching him, also turning Tong Jinjin into a roller skating expert in the neighborhood.
And it had been a long time since the last time she roller skated. If Chi Shuo remembered correctly, it was after her parents divorced that she stopped skating.
Time passed too quickly. Back then, going to the roller skating rink required paying cash on the spot. Now, you just choose the size, scan a QR code for payment, and get the skates.
The skates at the rink weren’t very hygienic. They put on disposable sock covers before wearing the skates. After storing their belongings in lockers, the two entered the large rink.
This roller skating rink was quite large. It wasn’t very late yet. Inside, several large speakers played rhythmic music. A group of veterans in the rink were having a blast, while novices clung to the walls, walking tremblingly, occasionally falling. Without protective gear, it was easy to get bruised.
Chi Shuo hadn’t found her groove yet. Having not participated in this sport for so long, she inevitably felt a bit rusty.
Tong Jinjin pointed to a novice who had just fallen not far ahead and said with a smile, “Shuo Shuo Jie, when you taught me before, wasn’t I quite smart? Hardly ever fell.”
Chi Shuo steadied herself and recalled, “Mm, yes.”
Tong Jinjin slowly clenched his fists, made a charging motion, and said to Chi Shuo, “I’ll find my groove, let’s PK later.” After speaking, he reached out and pushed Chi Shuo’s back. Under this force, Chi Shuo rushed forward several meters.
Chi Shuo braked, turned around, looked at Tong Jinjin behind her. “Dare to push me? You’re done for.”
Tong Jinjin immediately grinned and skated away.
Facts proved that muscles truly have memory. Even though it had been so long, Chi Shuo and Tong Jinjin quickly became the coolest kids in this roller skating rink.
Chi Shuo knew she was a very stubborn person; otherwise, she wouldn’t have researched Landlord like that, nor practiced roller skating day and night before.
Body balance and the skates under her feet cooperated extremely well. The two kept doing fancy footwork in the rink. Others saw them and followed behind, striking up conversations without hesitation. Thus, a fancy roller skating competition inexplicably unfolded.
By the time it ended, Chi Shuo had a thin layer of sweat on her forehead and nose bridge. She unscrewed a bottle of water Tong Jinjin bought, first caught her breath, then panted slightly and remarked, “I really have to admit I’m old. Too tired. The next time I skate will be ten years later.”
Tong Jinjin chuckled lightly. “Too exaggerated, right?”
Chi Shuo shook her head and accepted the tissue he handed over. “No, not exaggerated at all. Too tired. I have no energy left to play anymore.”
What was supposed to be a stroll turned into a trip to the roller skating rink. Chi Shuo initially felt somewhat confused but now felt quite good.
It could release stress, allow her to leave early, and moreover, she had genuinely liked this sport before. Therefore, she felt quite happy, happy enough to forget some things.
Tong Jinjin’s hair was relatively short. The strenuous exercise made him sweat even more than Chi Shuo. His hair looked like it had been rained on, and a large patch on the back of his t-shirt was soaked.
Hearing Chi Shuo say this, he lowered the hand wiping sweat, smiled slightly, and didn’t disagree. “Okay.” He said, “Need to hurry back and shower, otherwise might catch a cold from the wind.”
Chi Shuo was about to agree with him when she heard Tong Jinjin say again with concern, “Shuo Shuo Jie, I don’t feel comfortable letting you go back alone. I’ll walk you to the hotel entrance first.”
Chi Shuo somewhat wanted to refuse, but the young man before her looked sincere and determined, as if he would cry if she refused the next second. So Chi Shuo could only say somewhat helplessly, “Okay then.”
Getting into a taxi and giving the address, the scenery outside flashed past the window. The air conditioning in the car was strong, making them feel much better.
The taxi drove on the road for about ten minutes. Chi Shuo felt drowsy again, but she still rested her palm against her face, looking out the window.
After a while, in the quiet space, Tong Jinjin turned his head from the phone screen, looked at her, and said, “Shuo Shuo Jie, you still haven’t asked me which university I’m going to.”
Chi Shuo: “Right, forgot again.” She put on an apologetic expression. “So Xiao Tong, where did you apply?”
“Yunnan Normal University.”
Chi Shuo paused, asking curiously, “So you came to Liucheng, actually just to check out the school first?”
Yunnan Normal University was right here in Liucheng, in the city they were currently in.
Tong Jinjin curved the corners of his lips. “Yeah, came to take a look first.”
Chi Shuo remarked with emotion, “Pretty good.”
Just as she finished speaking, she felt her phone vibrate. She had set it to vibrate mode on the way and hadn’t changed it back.
This time, Zeng Guai was calling. Chi Shuo glanced at the time; only then did she realize she had stayed at the roller skating rink for quite some time. It was already past ten.
After answering, Zeng Guai asked immediately, “Are you coming back tonight?”
“In the car now.”
“That’s good then. I was saying if you weren’t coming back, I’d let Didi sleep in your bed.”
“…She’s there?”
“Yeah, her hotel isn’t far from here. Came over to play Landlord, but never waited for you to come back, so we haven’t started yet.”
“Xia Zhou and Yue Ke disappeared long ago, and best not to disturb their private time.”
After about ten minutes, the taxi steadily stopped outside the hotel. But the driver didn’t drive away immediately, because Tong Jinjin needed to return to his own hotel.
Chi Shuo got out of the car and waved at Tong Jinjin. “Message me when you arrive.”
Tong Jinjin’s eyes remained bright. His hair was already soft and limp, lying flat on his head. “Will do.” He said, “Goodnight.”
Chi Shuo turned around, entered the hotel. After a few seconds, the sound of the engine starting came from behind.
Chi Shuo exhaled. Ever since knowing Tong Jinjin liked her, being alone with him always brought her immense pressure.
She tried hard to act like she didn’t know, because Tong Jinjin grew up beside her since childhood. She didn’t have a biological younger brother, nor cousins like He Lindi had Yue Ke. Tong Jinjin was undoubtedly her younger brother.
Neighbor’s younger brother, companion, friend, but absolutely could not become a boyfriend.
Thinking of these things made Chi Shuo’s mood somewhat heavy again. The hotel corridor only had a window open at the end for ventilation; other areas were somewhat stuffy. Chi Shuo walked quickly, panting slightly, to her room door, then entered the passcode.
The air conditioning was on in the room. Entering the door immediately felt much cooler.
This room was an audio-visual room, equipped with a projector, also supporting phone screen casting. What Chi Shuo saw now was Zeng Guai and He Lindi sitting on the sofa, seriously watching a movie.
The sound of the door opening wasn’t small; both heard it. Chi Shuo felt their gazes land on her, but only briefly, because the movie plot had reached its most thrilling moment.
Chi Shuo unconsciously slowed her steps, afraid of disturbing them. Even when hanging her bag, her movements were very light.
The lights in the room were all off. Besides the light from the movie, nowhere else was illuminated. Chi Shuo’s ears were sharp; hearing the movie’s sound effects, she guessed they were watching a horror movie.
She changed her shoes, slowly walked over, and sat down beside Zeng Guai. She didn’t speak, just quietly watched with them.
It looked like an Indian movie. Chi Shuo couldn’t guess the specific plot just from this bit but still subconsciously covered her eyes with both hands, watching the movie through the gaps between her fingers.
Less than two seconds later, she heard He Lindi ask, “You’re not even watching, yet you’re this scared?”
He Lindi asked softly. Chi Shuo’s reply wasn’t heavy either, “Yeah, can’t I?”
Zeng Guai raised her index finger to her lips, signaling them to watch seriously. “Shh.”
Unexpectedly, just after she said that, a very scary ghost face jumped out in the movie, very suddenly.
Zeng Guai’s pitch immediately soared. “Ahhh!” She was genuinely scared. “Fuck fuck, scared me to death!”
Chi Shuo was initially scared too, her heart skipping a beat. But Zeng Guai screaming beside her made her decide not to do the same, lest their combined volume potentially required everyone within ten miles to rely on hearing aids afterward.
She casually glanced sideways and found He Lindi had silently covered her ears, her lips pressed tightly together, clearly also scared just now.
Chi Shuo coughed lightly, the corners of her lips lifting slightly. By now, Zeng Guai had sat up straight. Chi Shuo thought for a moment, shifted her body slightly towards He Lindi, behind Zeng Guai’s back, and teased He Lindi, “So timid?”
He Lindi slowly turned her head, gave her a small eye roll, and replied with the same words, “Yeah, can’t I?”
Chi Shuo couldn’t stop laughing. “Can, can, can.”
Forget it, this movie is too scary. Oh, perfect timing, Shuo Shuo, you’re back. Let’s play Landlord instead.
Zeng Guai finished speaking, stood up herself, turned on the lights, and was about to turn off the iPad screen casting when He Lindi spoke up, “Just leave this as background noise.”
Zeng Guai looked incredulous. “What kind of fetish? Horror movie as background noise.”
He Lindi widened her eyes slightly. “Perfectly matches the stimulating atmosphere of Landlord.”
Chi Shuo interjected, “That… you guys continue watching first. I need to shower, covered in sweat, too uncomfortable.”
Hearing this, Zeng Guai immediately turned her head, looking at Chi Shuo with suspicion. “What were you doing out there, getting covered in sweat?” Her mouth was fast, continuing, “Having so much fun with that neighbor younger brother of yours?”
Chi Shuo waved her hand. “Stop messing around, I just went to the roller skating rink with him.” After speaking, she sighed and stood up. “Haven’t skated in so long, too tiring.”
In the slightly dim space, He Lindi blinked her eyes, looked up slightly at Chi Shuo, and naturally asked, “Xiao Tong?” She said, “He’s also in Liucheng now?”
During the Song Qin fan meet & greet rehearsal last time, they had a brief encounter. Chi Shuo wasn’t surprised she knew Tong Jinjin.
Chi Shuo walked towards her bed; she needed to get her pajamas. Walking while replying, “Yeah, he applied to school here, came to check it out.”
He Lindi replied with an “Oh,” looked at the movie screen in front of her, and fell silent.
Zeng Guai yawned and continued watching the movie. She said to Chi Shuo, “Then you shower first, we’ll watch ours.”
“Okay,” Chi Shuo readily agreed, taking her things into the bathroom.
She hadn’t sweated this much in a long time. Chi Shuo stayed in the bathroom slightly longer than usual.
When she came out, a towel was wrapped around her hair, another draped over her neck absorbing the water dripping down her skin from her hair.
The temporary cinema outside was no longer operating. A glance revealed Zeng Guai wearing headphones, operating a game, and He Lindi lying on the sofa, covered with a blanket, asleep.
Chi Shuo lightened her steps again, slowly walking over to the sofa.
She hadn’t said anything yet when Zeng Guai whispered to her, “Asleep.”
Chi Shuo replied with a soft “Mm,” then shifted her gaze to He Lindi, who seemed to be sleeping somewhat restlessly.
The air conditioner was running. Chi Shuo touched her arm, looked over, the number displayed was “20”.
Very cold.
Chi Shuo pressed her lips together, bent down to pick up the remote control from the coffee table, and adjusted it to 26 degrees Celsius.
Zeng Guai watched her actions, paused, and asked softly, “Shuo Shuo, are you cold?”
Chi Shuo rubbed her hair and shook her head. “I’m not cold.” She stopped her action, gestured towards He Lindi with her chin. “She’s cold.”
Zeng Guai looked towards He Lindi and only then noticed He Lindi was clutching the blanket tightly. And under the warm yellow lamplight, she could see a thin layer of sweat had already formed on her forehead.
She swallowed and looked towards Chi Shuo. “Shuo Shuo, is Didi sick…”
Chi Shuo paused, quickly walked over to stand beside He Lindi. Not blocking the light, she bent down slightly to look. Sure enough, He Lindi had some sweat on her forehead.
Besides that, her lips were somewhat pale. Chi Shuo’s heart skipped a beat: Could He Lindi have heatstroke again?
She didn’t think further, first telling Zeng Guai to boil hot water, and instructing, “Boil this kettle of water and pour it out first, afraid the kettle isn’t clean.”
The hygiene quality of hotel kettles wasn’t guaranteed. There had been news before about people using kettles to boil underwear. Even if she didn’t know if it had happened to her, there was still a psychological shadow.
Then Chi Shuo patted He Lindi’s shoulder, wanting to wake her up.
Her movements were gentle and light. Just two pats, and He Lindi slowly opened her slightly squinted eyes.
Chi Shuo tried hard to calm her tone and asked, “Get up, drink some hot water later.”
He Lindi seemed still somewhat dazed, but she called Chi Shuo’s name, “Chi Shuo.”
Chi Shuo replied with an “Mm?”, crouched in front of her, and asked carefully, “Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”
Just after she asked, she noticed tears sliding down from the corners of He Lindi’s eyes, melting into her hair until invisible.
“I had a dream.”
“Dreamt my grandfather made me kneel in the winter night again.”
After speaking, she rolled over slightly and leaned forward to hug Chi Shuo.
Chi Shuo completely dared not move. She remained stiffly crouched there, making no comforting movements.
After a few seconds, she said, “It’s okay now.” She softened her voice. “It’s already passed.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Zeng Guai’s shocked tone, “You guys…?!”
