41: Chapter 41 Why Don't You Go to Bed?
Room 2005, Burj Al Arab.
5:07 AM.
Knocking.
Li Li sat up from the bed, his hair disheveled, and his phone screen lit up with a message from Director Pei Zhao β
"Wake up. The Production Team has a new game."
He stared at it for three seconds. He threw off the quilt, stepped onto the carpet in his slippers, and pulled the door open.
Director Pei Zhao stood outside the door holding a coffee, with three lucky bead bracelets hanging from his wrist.
"Morning. The Company finished reviewing last night's events and thinks you handled it well. The show continues, and we're increasing promotion."
He didn't give Li Li time to react and directly pulled out his phone.
"The first new game β it's called waking up the guests. There are ten waking methods on the wheel: splashing cold water, alarm blasts, pulling off the quilt, singing... whatever you land on, you use."
He paused for a beat.
"You are the first."
"Why me?"
"Highest engagement last night." Director Pei Zhao took a sip of coffee. "Old Zhou has already set up the camera positions. Let's go."
---
Helipad.
5:20 AM.
The sky wasn't fully bright, and the sea breeze of the Persian Gulf was salty.
The wheel stood in the center, 1.5 meters in diameter, with ten fan-shaped areas. Old Zhou was squatting nearby, carrying the camera.
"Brother Li, spin it."
Li Li placed his hand on the edge of the wheel and pushed hard.
"Whirrr," it started spinning.
Three seconds. It stopped.
The pointer β "Splash with cold water."
"Who did I draw?"
Li Li looked down at the name wheel and spun it again.
The pointer stopped at β "Jiang Rumu."
The comments exploded.
[??? Splash Jiang Rumu with cold water???]
[This isn't a game, this is suicide!]
[Queen Jiang's morning temper can kill! Last time a staff member knocked on her door to wake her, she cursed them for ten minutes!]
Old Zhou, carrying the camera, froze for a moment.
"Brother Li... why don't you spin again?"
"No need."
Director Pei Zhao was waiting at the security door, a plastic basin in his hand.
"Ice water. Prepared for you."
It was heavy.
He smiled, his eyes curving.
"Remember to turn on the livestream. Film the whole thing."
---
Room 2003.
Jiang Rumu's room.
Li Li stood at the door carrying the basin. Behind him followed three female staff members β arranged by Director Pei Zhao to prevent inappropriate footage.
He knocked. No one answered.
He knocked again. Still no answer.
The assistant took out a spare room card, unlocked the door, peeked inside, and looked back to nod at Li Li.
"Sister Mu is sleeping very soundly. She is dressed modestly. You can go in."
Li Li walked inside carrying the basin.
The room was very dark. The curtains were drawn tightly, and only a little light leaked in from the door crack.
Jiang Rumu was lying on the bed, the quilt pulled up to her shoulders, her long black hair spread out on the pillow.
She was sleeping very deeply.
He stopped.
He looked down at the basin in his hand.
He rotated his left wrist. Blue text floated up.
[System Prompt: Target "Jiang Rumu" current status β Deep sleep. Stayed up late last night handling negative PR until 3:40 AM, with less than two hours of sleep.]
[Suggestion: Avoid aggressive waking methods.]
He finished reading.
He took a step forward.
His foot slipped.
He lunged forward β the basin slipped from his hands β
"Splash."
The ice water splashed all over the floor.
Li Li sprawled on the carpet, his elbows supporting him on the floor, his knees knocking against the edge of the bed.
The commotion was not small.
Jiang Rumu moved a little. Her eyes opened a slit, and she looked at him on the floor in a daze.
Two seconds.
"Why don't you sleep in the bed?"
Her voice was slurred, carrying a nasal tone from not being fully awake.
After saying that, her head tilted, and she fell back asleep.
Li Li lay on the floor without moving.
The three female staff members behind him were all frozen.
Old Zhou, carrying the camera, followed to the door, his hands shaking so much that the lens wobbled.
The comments went blank for a full three seconds.
Then they exploded from the bottom β
["Why don't you sleep in the bed"??????]
[Jiang Rumu, wake up!!! Do you know what you are saying!!!]
[Screen record! This is a famous scene! I'm shipping this pair for the rest of my life!]
Li Li climbed up from the floor, patted his pants, and turned to walk toward the door.
Passing by Old Zhou, Old Zhou's shoulders kept shaking as he held back laughter.
"Brother Li... did it work?"
He ignored him.
He pushed the door open and went out.
Behind him, a female staff member finally couldn't help it, covered her mouth, and doubled over laughing.
"Teacher Li... you just now..."
Li Li turned his head to look at her.
She immediately shut her mouth.
Her shoulders were still shaking.
---
In the hallway.
Director Pei Zhao leaned against the wall and gave a thumbs up.
"Amazing."
"According to the rules, you failed, so draw a punishment." He handed his phone over. "Punishment wheel. Spin."
Eight options β singing in public, one hundred push-ups, bitter melon juice, being splashed with cold water, cross-dressing, barking like a dog, kissing the cheek of the next person you see, truth or dare.
Li Li swiped.
The pointer stopped at β "Truth or Dare."
"We'll play it during breakfast." Director Pei Zhao took back the phone. "Continue to wake the next one β Shen Jue. The method is singing."
Li Li turned to walk to the elevator.
Director Pei Zhao called out from behind.
"Li Li."
He didn't look back.
"That fall just now β it was intentional, right?"
The elevator door opened. He walked in.
The door closed.
---
Room 2006.
Old Zhou followed behind, carrying the camera.
"Brother Li, what are you singing?"
Li Li turned on the Bluetooth speaker, connected his phone, and clicked on a song.
The intro started playing.
γGood Luck Comesγ.
Old Zhou almost dropped the camera.
Li Li pushed open the bedroom door and turned the volume to the maximum.
"Good luck comes, wishing you good luck β"
Shen Jue sprang up from the bed, stunned for three seconds.
"Li, Brother Li???"
"Wake up." Li Li turned off the speaker.
"What time is it?"
"Five-thirty."
"Five β" Shen Jue's voice went up three octaves, then he looked at the sky outside that hadn't fully brightened yet, and his whole person wilted back onto the bed.
"Arranged by the Production Team." Li Li set the speaker on the nightstand. "Get up, it's your turn to wake the next person."
Shen Jue scratched his head, looking lifeless.
"Brother Li, that song... is quite festive."
Comments: [Waking up with γGood Luck Comesγ! Brother Li, are you serious, hahahaha!]
---
Helipad. Seven o'clock in the morning.
The sky was bright.
All ten guests had been woken up. The last one was Yin Ruoying β who was woken up by Fang Ruowei with an alarm bomb, and her expression when she came out looked like she could kill a fly.
Everyone gathered around the wheel.
Director Pei Zhao clapped his hands.
"Li Li's punishment is 'Truth or Dare' β who wants to ask him a question?"
It was quiet for two seconds.
Shen Jue raised his hand.
"I'll ask."
He cleared his throat, hesitated for a beat, and asked bluntly β
"Brother Li, between you and Su Wantang, who is telling the truth?"
The helipad went quiet.
The comments exploded β
[Little Jue, you dare to ask this??]
[How will Brother Li answer? In front of the whole internet!]
Li Li stood by the wheel.
Two seconds.
"I am telling the truth."
Shen Jue nodded vigorously.
"I believe you."
He turned his head to look at the others.
Cen Ye was leaning on the railing with an unlit cigarette in his mouth, without hesitation β "I believe you too."
Han Xubai adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses β "As a lawyer, I tend to believe the party with a complete chain of evidence."
Yin Ruoying didn't speak.
Wen Zhuotang looked down, her fingers twisting the corner of her skirt.
Jiang Rumu stood at the very back of the crowd, holding a tablet in her hands, her hair still a bit messy.
She looked up.
"I believe you."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear.
Li Li turned to look at her.
She didn't dodge his gaze.
Two seconds.
Jiang Rumu looked away first and lowered her head to scroll on her tablet.
The tips of her ears turned red.
The comments went crazy β
[Jiang Rumu, your ears are red!!]
["Why don't you sleep in the bed" + "I believe you" = I'm dead!]
Director Pei Zhao clapped his hands to interrupt.
"Alright. Let's go eat breakfast."
When passing by Li Li, he lowered his voice β
"This wave, your engagement is going to explode again."
---
Restaurant. Eight o'clock in the morning.
Ten guests sat on the same side of the long table, facing the Production Team.
Jiang Rumu sat to the left of Li Li, the tablet resting on her lap, waiting for the Production Team's arrangement.
She swiped the screen.
It stopped.
"Did you see the trending searches?"
Li Li took out his phone.
The top five trending searches β
First: #Su Wantang Apology#
Second: #Li Li Refuses To Connect#
Third: #Jiang Rumu Negative PR#
Fourth: #Burj Al Arab Wake Up Game#
Fifth: #Why Don't You Sleep in the Bed#
He stared at the fifth one for two seconds. He clicked in.
It was all screenshots and screen recordings. The scene of Jiang Rumu saying that line in a daze had been turned into a meme, with the caption β [Famous scene born! Jiang Rumu, wake up!]
Li Li exited. He locked the screen.
Jiang Rumu glanced at his phone screen.
"Saw it?"
"Yeah."
"Regret it?"
"Regret what?"
"Regret that fall."
Li Li took a sip of coffee and didn't answer.
Jiang Rumu stared at him for two seconds.
"You did it on purpose."
It wasn't a question.
Li Li put down the cup.
"How did you know?"
"You wouldn't mess up at a critical moment."
She paused for a moment, her voice dropping lower.
"And β the spot where you fell was just right, so all the water splashed on the floor. Not a drop splashed on me."
Li Li didn't speak.
Jiang Rumu sat up straight.
"Thanks."
It was very light.
"You're welcome."
She lowered her head and continued scrolling on her tablet.
On the screen, it was Su Wantang's livestream.
Online viewers β 14 million.
Su Wantang sat in front of the camera, tears swirling in her eyes.
"Regarding what Li Li said... I admit, when taking screenshots, some context was indeed cropped. But it wasn't intentional... I was just too sad..."
Jiang Rumu finished reading this part and didn't let Li Li see it.
She exited the livestream and opened her notes.
The line she wrote last night was still there β
"Company? Su Wantang? A trap?"
Her finger hovered above the screen.
She glanced at Li Li, who was drinking coffee beside her.
She opened her mouth.
Then she closed it.
She locked the screen.
It wasn't the right time.
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