"That was all Xia Qingtian's acting."
"She's incredibly skilled and good at hiding herself; so many people have been fooled by her."
"Song Tao, I have very high hopes for you. You must not fall for her tricks, understand?"
That's what Vice President Song said on the phone.
Lu Songtao didn't say much at the time, after all, Vice President Song had been kind to him. An enemy of a benefactor should be his enemy.
But from last night until now, Lu Songtao felt something was a bit off.
So, when it came to making a choice, he didn't choose Qiu Xinxue but Xia Qingtian.
Lu Songtao believed that three days would be enough to figure out what kind of person Xia Qingtian truly was.
Xia Qingtian, unaware of Lu Songtao's inner thoughts, was still focused on the diving instructor.
Someone vengeful wouldn't just let it go. If something happened again in the future, it would be Meina and Tong Shao who would get hurt.
Thinking of this, Xia Qingtian felt she should give Ji Meina and Tong Nianze a heads-up.
When Xia Qingtian mentioned the diving instructor, Ji Meina shivered, seemingly still recovering from her previous fear.
She never wanted to experience that near-death feeling of suffocation again.
"I've already spoken to my manager about this," Tong Nianze said after thanking Xia Qingtian for the reminder. "My team also believes we need to be wary of such people. We're currently gathering evidence of his other illegal activities and have already warned him."
"That's good," Xia Qingtian said, then gently ruffled Ji Meina's hair. "There's an update tonight for 'First Step to Love.' Shall we watch it together tonight? I'll prepare some snacks, how about those cookies we had last time?"
"Sure, I'll prepare some drinks," Ji Meina replied, returning to her usual self, the one Xia Qingtian was most familiar with.
Seeing Ji Meina relax, Tong Nianze also seemed much more at ease.
After the four pairs of guests split up to do their tasks, Xia Qingtian and Lu Songtao specifically changed into camouflage outfits and farm rain boots before entering the strawberry field.
Picking strawberries wasn't difficult, and the program team had provided picking tools. With normal picking, it wouldn't take long to fill a basket.
As Lu Songtao picked, he stole glances at Xia Qingtian from the corner of his eye.
Xia Qingtian appeared to be in good spirits, humming a little tune from time to time.
It was no wonder she was chosen to do the voice bank for a virtual idol; even her simple humming sounded like a treat to the ears.
But why was Xia Qingtian only humming Ling Fenghan's songs?
"Do you like Ling Fenghan a lot?" Lu Songtao asked casually.
"I really like Ling Fenghan's songs, and he's also super nice as a person," Xia Qingtian said, giving him a thumbs-up. "He's my idol, a role model for me to learn from~"
"Is that so? I don't think we've chatted much before," Lu Songtao said. He turned his head, and in a spot where Xia Qingtian and the camera couldn't see, his lips turned downwards.
Such a flawless answer proved that Xia Qingtian was indeed a smart person, or at least someone with a hidden agenda.
"Yeah, we haven't," Xia Qingtian replied casually. Her gaze swept down to Lu Songtao's feet, and her expression immediately tensed, her voice turning serious. "Lu Songtao! Don't move!"
"Huh?" Before Lu Songtao could react, he felt the surface of his rain boots suddenly sink. He looked down, and in an instant, his entire body became rigid, his face turning ashen.
A dark snake, about two fingers wide, was slithering up his rain boots. It was now raising its head, clinging to his boots and trying to climb higher. The next step, it seemed, would be to crawl inside.
Almost without thinking, Lu Songtao violently lifted his leg, flicking the snake off his boot.
The snake, its mouth gaping, was flung towards Xia Qingtian.
Xia Qingtian had been about to reach out and grab the snake by its vital spot when Lu Songtao made his move. Before she could react, she felt a sharp pain in her arm.
The snake had bitten Xia Qingtian directly. The program crew was stunned.
Filming was immediately halted, and the accompanying doctor rushed forward to examine Xia Qingtian's arm.
"Fortunately, the snake is not venomous," the doctor said, cleaning the wound with hydrogen peroxide and applying a simple bandage. "If you experience any pain or swelling later, please inform me immediately."
"Okay," Xia Qingtian, who had been startled, was now feeling the aftermath.
Lu Songtao, standing at the outer edge of the crowd, was filled with guilt. If Xia Qingtian hadn't warned him, he might have been the one bitten.
If he hadn't panicked, or if he hadn't kicked the snake towards Xia Qingtian, she wouldn't have been bitten.
Lu Songtao felt truly terrible at that moment.
After the doctor finished treating Xia Qingtian's wound and everyone else had dispersed, Lu Songtao stepped forward to apologize profusely. "Qingtian, I'm so sorry..."
"It's okay, you didn't bite me. Don't dwell on it," Xia Qingtian said, understanding the panic of suddenly seeing a snake. Lu Songtao hadn't meant for it to happen, and the snake wasn't venomous. "It's just that you might have to work a bit harder for the subsequent strawberry picking."
"Alright," Lu Songtao nodded. "You should rest this afternoon, I'll do the picking."
"Then do your best," Xia Qingtian gave him a thumbs-up. "I just heard the director say they'll be clearing snakes from the strawberry field this afternoon. You should be able to pick tomorrow. I'll help when it's time to make strawberry jam."
"Okay," Lu Songtao replied. He wanted to say more, but at that moment, other guests, upon hearing that Xia Qingtian had been bitten by a snake, all came to check on her.
Lu Songtao wisely withdrew from the crowd. Seeing Xia Qingtian surrounded by everyone, Lu Songtao's feelings became even more complicated.
He had known for a long time that the entertainment industry was never a place where sincerity was met with sincerity.
But now, looking at Xia Qingtian and the people around her, Lu Songtao felt his understanding might need to be revised.
"You did well," Qiu Xinxue's voice came from beside Lu Songtao.
Lu Songtao shifted his gaze and looked at Qiu Xinxue beside him.
Qiu Xinxue couldn't be happier at that moment, thinking that the hateful Xia Qingtian was getting her just deserts. "What a shame, why wasn't it a venomous snake..."
Hearing Qiu Xinxue's words, Lu Songtao felt a wave of disgust, his lips pursing as he remained silent.
"I was originally wondering why you chose Xia Qingtian, but it seems you've been listening to Vice President Song after all," Qiu Xinxue said, looking at Lu Songtao and nodding with satisfaction. "Vice President Song has given you a new task."
"What is it?" Lu Songtao was somewhat incredulous. "You're actually asking me to steal something?"