While Chang Xun had always felt a man as cold and heartless as Jin Si did not deserve love, he would still help Jin Si out of respect.
He thought of it as a way to ensure Qi Wu could see Jin Si's true colors as soon as possible so that she could run away and live a grand life as a beautiful single lady.
Jin Si did not speak.
However, his gaze remained trained on his phone.
What he heard next coming through the phone was a man's voice.
"Many places have a custom of throwing coins into the water as a way to pray for luck. We do not dig too deep into its origins because most of us like to look on the bright side. That's why I'll be giving it a try as well."
The man's voice was crisp and warm in a way that did not irritate those listening to him.
Qi Wu silently stared at Tan Song for a few moments before looking away. In a voice that rang with assurance, she stated, "Your throw will be a success."
His wish would come true.
She looked forward to the day when the caged bird would finally set itself free and fly away.
The sight would be more brilliant than the fires in which she had sought death.
Tan Song chuckled. "Thanks. Yours will too."
Qi Wu did not respond to that.
Instead, she calmly stated, "Going with the flow will not give you what you want. Chances are not easy to come by, get it?"
Tan Song froze.
He was not that oblivious. Hence, he soon understood what Qi Wu really meant by that.
"I-I do."
He could not resist feeling embarrassed.
Tan Song had tried to walk out of the maze he was trapped in, but every time he felt the urge to do it, the awed and expectant stares would force him to withdraw all the way back to the start. It was a strange cycle in which he was trapped.
In the end, he just did not dare to step out of his comfort zone.
"I…'
Tan Song took a deep breath. Qi Wu watched as doubt and hesitation danced in his eyes.
"It's time for you to walk out," she said, interrupting him.
After what happened to the first contestant's throw, a few of the other contestants showed signs of quitting while the contestants ready for the challenge had stepped forward.
Qi Wu watched as Tan Song slowly stood out from the crowd.
His appearance made those around him stop and stare.
Even Song Qi who was watching from the edge of the crowd stared at him with stunned eyes.
"Tan Song… he came forward without prompting."
In Song Qi's eyes, Tan Song was someone who had never fought for what he wanted while also dealing with his problematic personality. If not for how very talented he was, he would have been drowned out by the crowd.
As Tan Song stood in the middle of the crowd with everyone watching him, he felt a familiar tension locking up his limbs.
It felt like he was standing on a narrow bridge over a deep chasm while the bridge swayed and trembled under him.
Cold sweat formed on his brow.
When he did not move and just stood there, the contestants around him started whispering to each other.
When he heard those whispers, he instinctively turned to look at where Qi Wu was standing.
Her eyes were as calm and honest as always.
As long as she was standing there, Tan Song felt a sense of peace and reassurance he had never felt before.
He watched as her lips parted and mouthed out the words "walk out."
This was a prison cell that could not hold him in, yet he never took a step out of it.
Tan Song did not know when it happened. All he knew was that his mind and his body felt temporarily disconnected, allowing his body to decide for him.
The loud thunk echoing through the air snapped his mind back to reality. He stared in shock as the glass bottle that was home to his deepest desires fell straight into the turtle's mouth.
The next thing he knew, he was surrounded by loud cheers.
"It went in! It actually went in!"
At that moment, Tan Song felt like he had traveled back to that night five years ago when he made his debut.
Cheers and screams of joy filled the air as colorful lights danced in encouragement. Everyone was shouting with excitement. All of that was for him.
Hence, he fell in love with the feeling of being the star shining brightly on stage.
The contestants watched with admiration and shock as Tan Song returned to Qi Wu's side. Glee danced in his eyes.
He seemed to be on the brink of tears out of happiness as his eyes had turned red.
"I remember that feeling now."
There was now a healthy, radiant glow on his face. He looked so very different.
He sincerely thanked Qi Wu.
"Thank you, Qi Wu. You inspired me and taught me that…"
Qi Wu tilted her head and gazed back at him. "It all still depends on you, right?"
Warmth filled Tan Song's heart as a bright flush colored his cheeks. "You really are the star of my life!"
Meanwhile, in the control room.
Doot. Doot. Doot.
The abrupt sound of the call ending snapped Chang Xun out of his thoughts.
He glanced down at the phone to see that Jin Si had hung up. Confused, he muttered to himself, "What's wrong now? Has he gone mad again?"
He did not take Jin Si's sudden actions to heart. After all, in his eyes, this was just another day in the life of interacting with a madman like Jin Si.
Just then, Qu Man walked over to him.
"Why are you still here?"
Her disdain and intent to chase him off was evident to all.
However, Chang Xun ignored it.
He pointed at the screen in front of him and asked, "Is that Tan Song? Why is he on Qi Wu's team?"
Qu Man glanced at the screen and honestly told Chang Xun everything.
"Ms. Tang arranged for Tan Song to join the show. You know how upset she is over what happened to her dear student. She's hoping this show will prompt Tan Song to change."
On the screen, Tan Song followed closely behind Qi Wu like an enthralled fan. The lively glow on his face was something they had never seen before on his face. Qu Man could not help but smile.
"Look. A miracle happened."
She then looked down to find Chang Xun frowning at the screen in worry while muttering to himself, "Will this silly girl be in last place?"
Qu Man was rendered speechless.
She rolled her eyes. "The silly girl you're referring to is at the top of the leaderboard."
"For real? Song's being that nice to me?"
Chang Xun was shocked.
"Ha!" Qu Man let out a mocking chuckle. "Who do you think you are? Song doesn't care about you. Qi Wu got there all by herself."
She then pulled up the leaderboard to show Chang Xun the scores.
Chang Xun fell silent in thought as he saw that Qi Wu was in the lead by over twenty points.
"Crap," he muttered with a dazed look in his eyes.
He thought that Qi Wu's situation meant she would have done well just by not being kicked out within the first three episodes. Reality slapped him in the face, however.
Qu Man leaned over with a frown. "What is it?"
Chang Xun was still pondering about how to explain this to Jin Si, so he did not even realize what he was saying before he answered Qu Man, "What am I going to say to Jin Si?"