Beauty

The two of them were lying on the oversized linen bed when Li Lan suddenly yanked Zhu Qing over, pressed a hand to the back of her neck, and shoved her down onto the mattress.

Zhu Qing slapped the bed hard. Her voice came out muffled as she protested furiously, “You can’t play dirty like that.”

Li Lan let her go and said coolly, “Then stop running. Come back and keep watching.”

Zhu Qing rolled over several times, then turned onto her side and flopped as far away from Li Lan as she could get. “That move you just used on me—why can’t you use it at other times?”

“When exactly? When you’re in the bathroom with your thighs bare, wearing only one of my bodysuit shirts?” Li Lan lifted a brow, teasing her. “Dream on.”

“You’re so vulgar,” Zhu Qing said, genuinely scandalized. “Fine, fitted is one thing, but why is it... so much!”

Li Lan said carelessly, her tone perfectly composed, “I’m terribly sorry. I’m eight years older than you, so my word choice just isn’t refined enough.”

“Old—” Zhu Qing managed one syllable before snapping her mouth shut. She glanced at Li Lan several times, wary of a sneak attack.

“...fossil,” Zhu Qing said, pointing at Li Lan in disbelief. “You really are rotten through and through!”

Li Lan said, “Come here.”

She held Zhu Qing down and watched the entire variety show with her, picking up gossip along the way.

[Don’t you think this is weird? Yu Ling feels like the show’s biological daughter. Treasure boxes appear whenever she wants, and she knows all the game answers too.]

[Whether she’s the biological daughter or not, can Yu Ling stop trying to mooch off other people’s CPs all the time?]

[Yu Ling and Zhu Qing even started a “One Ling, Qing Joy” supertopic; Yu Ling and Li Lan also have a “Ling Lan Reflecting Moonlight” supertopic. Who exactly is she leeching off of?]

[She must look down on Qi Yao. She’s just a “regular person” who debuted without any works; being paired with Qi Yao is already reaching up the ladder, and yet she still has a heart bigger than the sky, hanging onto other people.]

[She’s really fake. She leeches off everything.]

Zhu Qing was stunned by the internet’s one-hundred-eighty-degree turn in public opinion.

“Yesterday they were still saying Qi Yao wasn’t good enough for Yu Ling. How did they start switching targets and cursing someone else today?”

Li Lan said as if she’d seen it all before, “That’s normal. Maybe by tomorrow I’ll be the one getting cursed.”

“Pah, pah, pah. Spit that out right now,” Zhu Qing said, smacking Li Lan on the back. “Don’t talk nonsense!”

Li Lan coughed for a long time from the blow. “You, you’re trying to...”

“Murder your own wife,” Zhu Qing said. “If I get buried under a tidal wave of online abuse, I’m jumping off this place!”

Li Lan followed the direction of Zhu Qing’s pointing finger, and the corner of her eye twitched.

On the first floor below them, there was only soft grass; a little farther out, there was a river.

“What, the grass has snakes and the river has crocodiles,” Zhu Qing said. “You’d better watch your words.”

Li Lan could only nod. “Okay.”

They bickered back and forth until even Li Lan no longer knew where the conversation had gone. In the end, she didn’t even remember what she’d originally wanted to say; she only remembered that Zhu Qing had been noisy and excited, looking very happy, and that somehow made her happy too.

After a while, the production team came to hurry them along, and the two of them officially began the first African episode of recording.

—

The off-road vehicle’s wheels ground over the red dirt road of Kenya, kicking dust into the air. Zhu Qing rested her forehead against the window and felt the faint vibration through the glass. This was her first time in Africa, and also her first time taking part in this kind of immersive variety show—no script, no preset plot; just a group of people and an unknown wilderness.

“We’re almost there,” the director said, turning back from the passenger seat. “Maasai Mara National Reserve, one of the last wild animal paradises in the world.”

Zhu Qing withdrew her gaze and looked at the others in the car. Sun Qi and Xu Yuzhi, the female powerhouse who refused to yield to men and the film emperor famous for his tough-guy image, both had their eyes closed, seemingly unbothered by the coming adventure; Yu Ling and Qi Yao, the new-generation young stars, were excitedly tapping at the trees flashing by outside the window; while Hu Xu and Liu Yini, both veteran artists, were calmly talking in low voices, commenting on the scenery and everything they’d seen along the way.

“Are the two Teacher Lis nervous?” The director suddenly turned the camera toward them.

Zhu Qing reflexively put on her standard smile. Li Lan’s lips curved slightly too; a vivid expression flickered across that cool, distant face. “Rather than nervous, I’d say I’m looking forward to it. This stop was arranged really well. We’re busy working every day, so it’s been a long time since we’ve gotten to be this close to nature. Xiaoqing and I are both especially looking forward to it.”

Zhu Qing echoed her, “This is my first time seeing grasslands. The sky is high and the land is vast; it’s beautiful.”

The director then turned to the other guests, gathering everyone’s first impressions.

Zhu Qing twisted the hem of her clothes. In truth, she hadn’t slept very well the night before; all the news online about the dangers of Africa had given her nightmares of being chased by beasts all night long. If not for those dreams, Zhu Qing would have thought she wasn’t afraid at all.

In fact, when she woke up, she still felt unafraid. It was only in her dreams that the fear came; that was pretty amazing too.

The off-road vehicle took a turn, and the view suddenly opened up. The boundless golden grassland shimmered in the afternoon sunlight; in the distance, the snow-capped peak of Kilimanjaro flickered in and out beneath the blue sky. A few giraffes were strolling gracefully along the edge of the plains, their long necks swaying slightly in the heat haze as they brushed affectionately against one another.

“Wow—” Yu Ling let out a gasp, practically pressing herself against the window. She had been full of enthusiasm the whole way, seemingly completely unaffected by the online public opinion.

Li Lan and Zhu Qing also held their breath. The scene was completely different from what they had imagined—not the tense, thrilling hunting grounds from documentaries, but a kind of near-sacred stillness and grandeur. The wind swept over the grassland, lifting wave after wave of grass like a golden sea.

The car drove through the reserve gate, where a troop of baboons swaggered right down the middle of the road, utterly unconcerned by the humans’ arrival. One baby baboon curiously approached the window, its black eyes meeting Zhu Qing’s for a second before its mother dragged it away by the ear.

The camp was built on a small rise. Several canvas tents formed a semicircle, with a fire pit in the center. The staff had already set up the equipment; several cameras waited quietly for the stars to arrive.

“Everyone, welcome to Africa.” The director clapped his hands. “Over the next few days, you’ll experience the most primitive form of wildlife observation. No script, no acting; only real reactions and interactions.”

Zhu Qing took the binoculars handed to her by the staff. The metal casing was faintly warm in the sunlight. She looked around and suddenly realized this was the first time she had stood in a place where nothing man-made blocked her view at all; the sky was so vast, the horizon so far away, that she felt a strange mix of smallness and freedom.

“Look over there!” Li Lan suddenly pointed east.

About two hundred meters away, a group of zebras was walking in a line toward a waterhole. Their black-and-white stripes had been bleached into sharp patterns by the sun, making them especially striking on the golden grassland. A few antelopes followed warily behind them, occasionally lifting their heads to look around.

“Are they migrating?” Li Lan asked.

The local guide laughed. “No, this is just their daily watering. The great migration won’t be until August, when more than a million animals cross the Mara River.”

Zhu Qing glanced at the production team’s professional cameras and felt a little itchy-handed. This kind of natural scenery was exactly what drew photographers in the first place; right now, she really wanted to pick up a camera and aim it at the animals and everything around them.

But there was no helping it. She wasn’t a photographer now; she was the guest being photographed. Zhu Qing reluctantly withdrew her gaze.

Li Lan followed her line of sight and looked twice, but said nothing.

The production team announced the upcoming filming plan.

[According to our planned safety route, you can find many animal traces. Each group may draw a study card and search along the route for traces based on the content on it. The group that finishes first and finds the most traces wins.]

Because of limited funding and manpower, the production team had only cleared two routes, so the guests would need to split into pairs for the next task.

Hu Xu and Liu Yini were the first to draw lots; once they were done, the pairings could be assigned.

Hu Xu opened the paper slip, glanced at it, folded it back up, and walked back with her hands behind her back.

The other three groups were all watching her, waiting for the result of the pairings.

Hu Xu looked at Xu Yuzhi, then at Li Lan, and smiled. “Which one of you wants to be with whom?”

Everyone looked at one another. “Either is fine, Teacher Hu. Don’t keep us in suspense.”

They said either was fine, but in truth none of the other three groups wanted to get involved with the young-star pair right now.

The matter between Yu Ling and Qi Yao was unclear to viewers and had them arguing furiously, but everyone here was sharp. What those two represented was the tug-of-war between the companies behind them; nobody wanted to get caught in the crossfire and end up with a mess on their hands.

Yu Ling wore an expectant expression, her gaze landing on Li Lan from time to time. Anyone could see that she very much wanted to be grouped with Li Lan.

Li Lan smiled without revealing any preference. Zhu Qing rubbed her face, then turned away, not wanting the camera to capture her stiff expression—she didn’t want Yu Ling coming over!

Yu Ling’s habit of digging into other people’s CPs really wasn’t good anywhere!

But then again, she had just given Zhu Qing a bottle of mosquito repellent, and it was that very famous local kind. Zhu Qing was torn again.

Yu Ling liked to tug at Li Lan, but Li Lan would reject her; Yu Ling wasn’t popular with viewers, but Zhu Qing herself had also been cursed out by mindless bandwagon-hoppers... thinking it over, Yu Ling had actually been pretty good to them both. Sometimes Zhu Qing even felt that Li Lan’s replies were too stiff, and yet Yu Ling had never seemed angry about it. If that was the case, then if they really drew Yu Ling, Zhu Qing should probably accept it happily too...

Zhu Qing was still struggling to convince herself when Hu Xu finally said slowly, “Little Li Lan, this is the first time we’ve worked together since the variety show started.”

Yu Ling’s smile stiffened slightly, and her gaze shifted toward the production team.

Work together!?

Zhu Qing’s face was no longer stiff; she wasn’t conflicted anymore either. She turned around involuntarily and beamed. “Teacher Hu and we are on the same team!”

Li Lan’s smile didn’t change. She glanced faintly at the staff distributing the paper slips and said with a smile, “That’s right. We finally get to work with Teacher Hu and Teacher Liu again.”

Zhu Qing jogged over and hugged them both, then flashed a V sign at the camera.

When Xu Yuzhi and Sun Qi learned they’d be grouped with the young stars, they also laughed. “Looks like we’re the ones getting a dose of youthful energy this time.”

Yu Ling and Qi Yao hurriedly said, “Not at all. We’ll still need plenty of guidance from the seniors.”

The pairings were thus settled. The rest of the time was free, left to each team to explore this lush stretch of grass.

Li Lan walked over to Hu Xu with a folding fan, fanning them both as she talked. “Teachers, why don’t you two go back to the car? Come out again when the sun isn’t quite so harsh.”

Hu Xu gave her a sidelong look. “What, so people can say we’re old and shameless, sneaky old foxes slacking off?”

“What do you mean? Why don’t you go take a look by the river? There are sure to be animal tracks around the camp too,” Li Lan said, lowering her head a little. Her tone was respectful yet friendly. “The temperature here is high and the conditions are pretty harsh. I remember both you and Teacher Liu have a bit of high blood pressure; you really can’t faint halfway through the walk.”

Liu Yini thought about it, then looked at Hu Xu. “You don’t just have high blood pressure; you also have otolith issues. If you move around too much, you’ll get dizzy.”

“Exactly,” Zhu Qing chimed in, trying hard to persuade them. “You two teachers can just stay near the entrance. Wander around when you have the energy. Li Lan and I can take the whole route no matter what; it won’t be a problem.”

This time Hu Xu didn’t refuse again. Compared with outdoor exercise, the two of them still preferred indoor activities, after all. In this kind of weather, out on this wide-open plain, with medical conditions also poor, it really wasn’t suitable for people their age.

After arranging Hu Xu and Liu Yini, Li Lan and Zhu Qing set off on today’s route.

They took their bags, trekking poles, and other essentials. Before leaving, Li Lan looked down the other road.

There was a staff member beside Qi Yao, apparently from his company, probably his assistant or manager, speaking to him in a low voice while Qi Yao listened with a hesitant expression and nodded.

Once they set off, the medics and guide followed behind. Li Lan turned her head and asked, “Is this route safe?”

The guide nodded, his dark skin browned by the sun and his face full of smiles. “It’s a man-made route specifically planned by the reserve. There won’t be any large predators; we’re mainly observing the traces and habitats of herbivores.”

Li Lan relaxed.

Zhu Qing excitedly quickened her pace. Li Lan followed for a while, then suddenly turned around and beckoned to the filming staff behind them, who were driving the off-road vehicle and tricycle.

When Zhu Qing saw that no one had followed, she stopped and looked back.

Li Lan was bent over, talking to the people in the car. Very soon, she came out carrying a camera bag and ran toward Zhu Qing.

“For you.”

Zhu Qing’s eyes lit up. “A camera!?”

“Since we’re out to play, then let’s enjoy ourselves properly,” Li Lan said, lightly pinching the tense muscles in Zhu Qing’s arms as she lifted the camera. Her gaze was gentle, though her tone was a little serious. “But be careful and don’t let your guard down. Don’t get so focused on framing shots that you forget to watch the road.”

Zhu Qing naturally agreed a hundred times over. She hung the camera around her neck and was just about to throw her arms around Li Lan when she remembered the cameras were there; feeling a little shy, she drew her hands back and blew a kiss at her from afar. “Thank you, darling Teacher Li.”

Li Lan lowered her eyes, her expression growing even more relaxed.

“Oh right, Teacher Li,” Zhu Qing said, raising the camera to look around. “Don’t walk too fast. I want to look at these trees.”

The trees here weren’t very tall; their umbrella-shaped crowns cast irregular shadows under the sunlight, their trunks covered in vertical cracks, and all kinds of oddly shaped leaves were everywhere. Everything about them looked new and strange.

Zhu Qing used the lens to capture those tiny details, walking and shooting all the way until, without realizing it, she had gone very far.

Li Lan’s hiking boots crushed a few dried seeds, making crisp popping sounds in the quiet afternoon.

Zhu Qing was bent over photographing small purple-red flowers that had pushed up between the rocks when a flash of bronze-gold suddenly entered her frame.

She looked toward it and said happily, “Li Lan! Look at this rock—”

Her voice cut off abruptly.

About thirty centimeters from Li Lan’s right boot, the “rock” suddenly unfolded itself; it was a savanna monitor lizard nearly half a meter long. Its gilded scales shimmered metallically in the sunlight, and the black tongue it flicked out trembled fiercely in the air. Its amber vertical pupils were fixed on the turning Li Lan.

“Don’t move.” Zhu Qing’s voice came from beneath a tree two meters away, but it was already too late.

The lizard suddenly sprang.

Li Lan saw it, and her body reacted before her brain did; she stumbled backward in fright.

“Mm—!”

Li Lan didn’t fall. Her back hit something warm. Zhu Qing’s arms slid under her armpits, pulling her hard into an embrace and turning to shield her.

The lizard leaped onto another tree, flicked its tongue, and scurried away at speed.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. Zhu Qing’s camera nearly flew out of her hands; their breaths, suddenly quickened, turned rough, rising and falling in the humid, stifling shade of the trees.

“It’s just a lizard; it doesn’t bite,” Zhu Qing said softly, sensing that Li Lan’s temples were damp with sweat. “It was more scared than you were.”

Only then did Li Lan realize her left hand was gripping Zhu Qing’s shirt in a death grip, the fabric bunched tightly in her palm. Zhu Qing’s heartbeat was thudding beneath her hand, and that realization suddenly made her feel embarrassed. She hurriedly let go, leaving a shallow red mark from her fingernail at the other woman’s collarbone.

Li Lan stared blankly at the mark.

Zhu Qing smiled and said casually, “Scared you? It’s fine. The bite force of this kind of lizard is very weak; there’s no need to be afraid...”

Li Lan hadn’t seen the lizard clearly. In her peripheral vision, it had just been some half-meter-long, ugly, bizarre creature shooting its long tongue toward them. Anyone would have been startled by that.

Zhu Qing kept reassuring her while rinsing her hands with mineral water. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Savanna monitor lizards are very gentle.”

Li Lan gradually came back to herself and raised a hand. “I’m fine.”

Zhu Qing studied her expression. “Really fine now?”

Li Lan nodded. “Mm.”

Zhu Qing nodded too, but two seconds later she suddenly lowered her head.

Li Lan frowned. “What is it?”

Zhu Qing burst out laughing.

Li Lan: ...

Knew. It.

Zhu Qing knew it wasn’t really appropriate to laugh at her, but she just couldn’t help it.

It was rare to see Li Lan so flustered, and she had even stumbled straight into her arms; the sense of accomplishment and the weird, gloating pleasure of watching someone else’s joke kept colliding in Zhu Qing’s chest, and she really couldn’t stop herself.

But very soon, she couldn’t laugh anymore.

Zhu Qing was laughing so hard she bent backward, and in the movement her elbow accidentally brushed the hanging vines.

In an instant, a rain of silver threads and a black spider with fluorescent yellow markings, about half the size of a palm, dropped straight down from above.

————————

Some spiders are actually quite pretty; their colors are bright and they don’t bite, and some can even eat cockroaches [rabbit head with upright ears][rabbit head with upright ears][rabbit head with upright ears]