Chapter Seventy-One: Avoid Skirting the Line

“Being a celebrity is exhausting,” Lin Ze sighed.

Xiao Qian was in the car as well, though the cameras weren't rolling yet.

“Xiao Qian, who’s here already? Are we the earliest?” Lin Ze asked.

“Teacher Zhao and Teacher Pei arrived first, they’ve already settled in at the inn,” Xiao Qian replied, a bit excited. “The location this time is really beautiful. Lin, your edits are definitely going to be even better than last week’s.”

“Hmm? What edits?”

“You haven’t seen? There are fan-made romance edits online, even MV edits—they’re all so good.”

As she spoke, Xiao Qian pulled up a few she’d saved, splicing together many shots from the previous week.

The music was the song “Like You” Lin Ze had sung before.

In the clips, Su Zitan was like a young girl—every frown and smile radiated sweetness.

“There’s also the strong version of Su, and a tragic love edit with ‘Later’ as the soundtrack...” Xiao Qian scrolled through them one by one for the pair, and truth be told, the edits were impressive.

As they watched, the car drew up to Erhai, the vast lake stretching endlessly, resembling the sea.

Driving along the lakeshore, there weren’t as many people as during the holidays, but the crowd was still sizeable. Young couples rode bicycles side-by-side along the water’s edge.

Some paid ten yuan to take photos on roadside setups.

Further along, newlyweds were shooting their wedding photos.

By Erhai, romance and freedom permeated every corner.

The inn rented for this stay was called Red Maple Lodge.

Inside, there was a spacious courtyard, a restaurant-bar, and a three-story, ring-shaped accommodation building.

Taking in Erhai’s scenery, the car stopped at the lodge’s entrance, and Lin Ze and Su Zitan got out with their luggage.

Pei Xue was already seated at the reception desk.

Filming started as soon as they entered Red Maple Lodge; like last time, today was a pre-shoot.

There weren’t many people checking in, Pei Xue sat there holding a small blackboard, scribbling something on it.

Lin Ze and Su Zitan walked in, and Pei Xue didn’t look up in time.

“How many in your party? Not many rooms left today, do you have a reservation... Oh! Zitan, Lin, you’re here!”

Pei Xue stood up and hugged Su Zitan.

[Long time no see!]

[Congratulations on discovering a hidden gem.]

[Welcome to Red Maple Lodge~]

Zhao Funing appeared from around the corner, holding a small cake and a cup of coffee.

“Ah, you’ve arrived, perfect timing.”

He placed the treats on a small table in the courtyard. “Go upstairs and settle in first.”

Pei Xue handed a room card to Lin Ze and Su Zitan.

“Alright, alright,” Lin Ze and Su Zitan carried their luggage up a glass staircase at the side entrance.

Standing on the stairs, they could see Erhai just across the road.

“So beautiful…” Su Zitan murmured, her gaze dreamy.

After about ten seconds, she snapped out of it, grabbed her little bag, and ran up.

“Hurry, hurry, the sun’s so hot,” Lin Ze could feel the sun’s intensity, following close behind.

Once inside, the room looked newly renovated, with a large balcony furnished with two chairs and a small table.

Definitely a sea-view room.

After placing their bags, Lin Ze and Su Zitan headed downstairs, where four cups of coffee and four plates of small cakes were already laid out.

“Freshly made, come try it,” Zhao Funing called to them.

The exquisite cakes sat on plates, surrounded by decorative flower petals.

They looked every bit like something from a high-end restaurant, easily costing nearly two hundred.

[Teacher Zhao is such a gentleman, Aunt Xue is so lucky.]

[I could never afford this.]

“You’re amazing, Zhao,” Lin Ze scooped up some cake with his spoon and tasted it—it was just as good as those sold in dessert shops.

“Not bad, not bad,” Zhao Funing chuckled warmly.

“So, what’s the arrangement here?” Lin Ze asked.

“Other than the daily cleaning staff, all other workers have left,” Pei Xue explained.

“We handle check-ins, meals, and performances at the courtyard bar.”

“We can take care of meals, I’ll handle drinks and coffee, and Zhao will cook,” Pei Xue assured them. “Originally, this week’s shoot wasn’t supposed to be here, so last week’s points may roll over to week three. This week, based on the points, we get to choose our own tasks.”

“What should we do?” Su Zitan looked at Lin Ze.

“We… how about the front desk?” Lin Ze stroked his chin. “Let’s leave the performances to Ji and the others.”

“Then you’ll handle check-ins and what I just did,” Pei Xue gestured around the courtyard.

“The rooms are nearly full. This inn is popular because it has a daily theme. Yesterday’s theme was…”

Lin Ze and Su Zitan followed Pei Xue’s pointing finger.

On a transparent glass board in the courtyard, fluorescent marker spelled out:

“No refusing the first three drinks.”

Su Zitan was taken aback. “What does that mean?”

“It means that once a guest enters the bar, they can’t refuse the first three drinks offered by others.”

“If they leave for the restroom or to fetch something from their room, upon returning, the drink count resets—three new drinks.”

[Wait, this…]

[Relax, everyone—this is fun for those who want to play, and for someone like me, it’s actually pretty safe.]

[The comment above is right, but if you go with unreliable friends, be careful.]

Hearing this, Lin Ze and Su Zitan both wore surprised expressions.

“If everyone offers hard liquor, wouldn’t that knock people out?”

“Exactly,” Pei Xue nodded. “But it’s not just upon entering the lodge—it’s when you enter the courtyard.”

“For those wanting to mingle and make friends, it’s normal.”

Zhao Funing nodded as well. “If you just want a drink by yourself, there’s the restaurant behind us—the atmosphere is great, too.”

Lin Ze peeked inside; the restaurant was bright and tastefully decorated.

“Don’t judge the sign too harshly,” Pei Xue tapped the table, bringing Lin Ze and Su Zitan’s focus back.

Lin Ze shook his head.

“No, I just think…”

“The pure Erhai and the street full of bars are separated only by a road. We have so many ways to express freedom and love—why force them to intertwine?”

“Hmm?”

Everyone looked at Lin Ze, puzzled.

“I mean, let’s keep things clean—avoid pushing boundaries.”