Chapter Fifty-Two: The End of the First Week, and the Secret of the Secret Mission

“How was it? Did you enjoy recording the show?”
“It was fun, but Lin, you really can run.”
In the restaurant, Xiao Wang wore a bitter expression. “I truly didn’t expect you to pull that trick.”
“If you’d watched yesterday’s episode, you should’ve guessed I’d use that move,” Lin Ze laughed heartily.
Su Zitan was chatting animatedly with the girl beside her, discussing skin care and cosmetics.
“I anticipated it a bit, so I had people stationed at certain key intersections, but our class alone still couldn’t monitor the whole county,” Xiao Wang said admiringly, pouring Lin Ze a full glass of drink.
“Thanks,” Lin Ze took a sip. “You’re quite impressive yourself—your plan was thorough.”
“Heh, well, we’re in drama—storytelling is our basic skill,” Xiao Wang replied shyly. “By the way, I have a buddy who recently competed in the county’s cultural delegation, teamed up with Li Xiangyu. That last performance—the song and choreography—he wrote and arranged them. What do you think?”
“That one! It was excellent!” Lin Ze recalled Li Xiangyu’s new program.
“Has your friend thought about which company to join? I’m about to open a studio—he could come work with me.”
Lin Ze was eager for talent. With so many songs and countless plays, he couldn’t possibly perform them all himself.
“I’ll ask him when I get back. We have another year before graduation, and for us at Tongyin, pursuing this career after graduation is incredibly tough,” Xiao Wang said, shaking his head regretfully.
“All right, give me your best scripts when I become a big name in the entertainment industry in a couple of years. If I like them, I’ll invest,” Lin Ze laughed.
Xiao Wang smiled; he’d heard such polite offers many times before.
After lunch with the students, Lin Ze and Su Zitan took Xiao Qian and drove back to Tong County.
It was already three or four in the afternoon when they rushed to Riverside Park, where the two orchestras had already merged as one.
Surprisingly, the electric guitar and bass players were children, barely older than Guoguo.
“Hey! Lin!” the leading child called out, recognizing Lin Ze. “Long live the Village Guardians Band!”
“Huh?” Lin Ze was momentarily stunned. “Wait, how did we become the Village Guardians Band?”
Old Wang chuckled nearby, clutching his thermos.
“The name came from the internet. Since all the able-bodied adults left for work elsewhere, only us elders and kids remain, and you’re the one staying behind to guard the village.”
“That’s quite fitting,” Tian Hui smiled, lips pursed. “When we finish the last two songs, we’ll be famous, and this name can encourage more young people to return home and help build their hometown.”
“Shall we rehearse together?”
“Yes.”
Everything was ready.
Tonight, the first week of ‘Our Love’ comes to an end.

Tomorrow, the Village Guardians Band finals.
Lin Ze gazed at the sky.
Thank you for this second chance; now everything is moving in a good direction.
...
“Tonight is our last night together. Let’s each take turns recounting what happened this week. You can hide some things, but don’t make stuff up.”
Everyone was soaking their feet in the living room, beginning their first week’s summary.
“Afterward, we’ll move to the Q&A session. You can lie during Q&A.”
“It started with us last time, so let’s start with us again!”
No one objected, so Lin Ze and Su Zitan began.
“We played everywhere this week, visited parks, saw pandas. One day we were attacked, so we came home early. Then we went to Qiqu Mountain and Jingtian Mountain, and today we visited Taixian and returned.”
After they finished, silence fell.
“That’s it?” Zhao Funing smacked his lips.
Ji Chen clapped. “That’s not much of a story at all.”
Lin Ze shrugged. “Then you tell us, Ji, what did you do this week?”
“We… worked all week.”
“Hehehe…” Lin Ze chuckled.
“We cooked all week…” Pei Xue slapped her forehead.
“We… also worked all week,” Bai Qiong added.
“See? We told more than anyone,” Su Zitan shrugged, then suddenly shifted focus to Pei Xue.
“Xue, the day Lin Ze rescued the child, what were you doing in that neighborhood?”
Pei Xue was suddenly singled out and thought carefully.
It’s allowed to lie, so…
“I was delivering food…”
“Delivering what food!” Su Zitan narrowed her eyes, a sly smile on her lips. “All your orders are brought by delivery workers. When did you ever deliver yourself?”
Pei Xue kept a straight face, but was startled inside; Su Zitan was indeed a tough opponent.
“Xue, were you in that building for some mission?” Lin Ze asked quietly.
“Excellent! Let’s begin fifteen minutes of Q&A now!” Director Zhang nodded in satisfaction.
Seeing the topic shift, Pei Xue quickly seized the chance. “Now that you mention it, isn’t that house yours? There are photos of you two in the drawer of that house.”

“And Guoguo said it’s her uncle’s house. Wouldn’t that make you Guoguo’s uncle and aunt?”
Pei Xue watched Lin Ze and Su Zitan’s expressions closely.
But when ‘uncle’ was mentioned, the two instinctively looked toward Ji Chen and Lin Chunshui.
“Guoguo’s uncle?”
Lin Ze and Su Zitan exchanged a glance, already having settled the next steps in their eyes.
“Guoguo told us she spent the past two days at her uncle’s house. The two days with secret missions should have been Ji and Lin, right?”
“Ah? Ah!”
Ji Chen was about to speak when Lin Chunshui pinched him at the waist, making him yelp in pain.
Lin Chunshui slapped her own forehead. “Oh…”
Everyone noticed something was off. The secret missions seemed odd, and now everyone was acting.
No matter, as long as the focus didn’t turn to them.
In a short time, any information revealed by others could be used to cover oneself.
“We…” Lin Chunshui scratched her head. “Actually, we didn’t know. Our only task was to take Guoguo home.”
“From where to where?” Lin Ze asked.
“From the school near the commercial plaza.”
“Wait,” Zhao Funing interrupted.
“The school near the commercial plaza is a middle school, but Guoguo’s only elementary age. You picked up a grade schooler from a middle school?”
“Ji Chen, where’s your workplace?” Chen Weiguo asked.
Knowing Lin Chunshui was a tough nut, everyone’s questions aimed at Ji Chen.
“We… near the commercial plaza…”
Oh no, things weren’t looking good!
Ji Chen glanced quickly at Lin Chunshui.
Lin Chunshui took a deep breath, grasping a detail.
“The house you’re talking about—is it the one opposite where Lin Ze caught the human trafficker?”