After the other three entered the haunted house, the three from the younger group stood outside and did not even hear their screams. It was so quiet outside the haunted house that it was awkward.
Ling Yi scratched his head in confusion. "Isn't it scary? They didn't enter the same haunted house as us, did they? "
He Ziyan, Lu Yuan, and Jiang Miao came out much faster than them. The three of them jogged out. One of them was holding two dolls in his hand and was still a little out of breath.
Pei Tingsong immediately pulled Ling Yi over to take a look. "Aren't they panting as well? It's still a little scary. "
Lu Yuan waved her arms. "No, we just danced in there."
"Are you guys crazy?" Ling Yi looked incredulous.
"Yes." Pei Tingsong looked disdainful. He was still upset about the raised hand before entering. "Then why did you raise your hand when I asked if anyone was afraid of ghosts?"
Fang Juexia, who had been silent, could not help but laugh when he heard this. He copied what he said in the haunted house. "No one has been in there before. How would they know if they were afraid or not? Only after going in will they know if they're not afraid. "
"Hahaha, that's right."
Ling Yi was still very proud. "I'm the only one who is honest and has a very accurate understanding of myself. Ling Yi, Ling Yi, you're the same on the outside and on the inside. "
Pei Tingsong did not continue to dwell on the raised hand issue. His attention went to Fang Juexia, staring at his face that was trying hard to hold back his laughter.
This guy is actually starting to make fun of me now?
He reached out his hands to hold Fang Juexia's face and pinched it hard. "You've become a good talker, Fang Juexia."
Usually, Pei Tingsong would tease him and touch him. Fang Juexia should have gotten used to it. But for some reason, when Pei Tingsong touched him, Fang Juexia felt that something was wrong. His heart was beating so fast that his fingertips were numb.
"Let me go." He pushed Pei Tingsong away as if he had been electrocuted and took half a step back.
Fang Juexia's skin was too thin, and it turned red and hot when he rubbed it. Seeing him like this, Pei Tingsong was stunned for a second. He suddenly realized that his senses had their own freedom of choice. It turned out that not every sense would disappear at the same time. Just like the smooth and soft feeling of her skin when his fingers rubbed against hers, it still lingered for a long time.
His senses stopped for Fang Juexia.
Pei Tingsong held his hand that was hanging down and coughed a few times. He took a bottle of water from a staff member and twisted the cap open. His palms were red from the friction. But the feeling of her touch on his cheek still stubbornly refused to leave.
The tip of his tongue would still hurt when it came into contact with water, and he would still think about that drunken kiss from time to time.
Thinking of this, he suddenly wanted to make a joke and tease Fang Juexia. Probably because he had lost face at the Haunted House and wanted to make up for it in some way. Therefore, Pei Tingsong walked over with the bottle of water and called his name. Fang Juexia raised his head, and the red on his cheeks faded. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know what's wrong." Pei Tingsong's acting was quite good. Confusion was written all over his face. "My tongue has been hurting for the past two days. Previously, I thought it was an inflammation from the flu, but now that I've recovered, the pain on the tip of my tongue is getting worse."
Even though Fang Juexia did not have much of an expression, he was not a person who knew how to pretend. When he heard Pei Tingsong's words, his expression changed.
"Help me take a look. Is it broken? It hurts even when I drink water. "Then he placed the bottle of water on the ground, opened his mouth, and stuck his tongue out slightly. Fang Juexia stared at the tip of his tongue. There was indeed a very obvious wound on it. Pei Tingsong saw him shrink back subconsciously and reached out to pull him back. "You can see it from so far away? Are your eyes that good?"
Fang Juexia blinked quickly and licked his dry lips. "I think … I think there's a small wound. It's ulcerated. I think it'll take a few more days for it to heal."
"Ulcerated?" Pei Tingsong purposely emphasized these few words to make someone feel guilty. He even frowned. "What should I do? It's so painful. I can't even eat. Why did I bite my own tongue? "
Fang Juexia's eyes drifted away. Guilt was written all over his face. "You should drink more water and eat more fruits and vegetables. It'll heal soon. It's not that serious. "
"Is that so?" Pei Tingsong stared at him. He could not imagine how Fang Juexia had bitten and hit him. He was especially curious about Fang Juexia's expression and mood at that time. "Don't you have a small medicine box? Is there any medicine for ulceration in it? "
"Yes," Fang Juexia finally took the initiative to speak. "I'll spray some on you when we get back. It'll stop the pain."
Pei Tingsong smiled innocently. "Thank you, brother."
Fang Juexia said softly that it was nothing. He hurriedly picked up the water bottle on the ground and twisted it open to take a sip.
"That's my bottle."
He almost spat it out, but he held it back. His cheeks were round and puffy.
"Go ahead and drink it. It's nothing." Pei Tingsong felt that he had found the most interesting thing in the world, and that was to tease Fang Juexia. When he saw him swallow the water awkwardly, he added.
"You still care about this with me?"
After the haunted house special was finished, the director announced the results. "The overage group …"
He Ziyan and Lu Yuan said in unison, "What overage group!"
Jiang Miao smiled. "It's just me who's overage."
The other two were still unconvinced. "Director, we're still young men, okay?"
"Okay, okay, okay. It's not the overage group, it's not the overage group." The director immediately corrected himself. "The overage group took 18 minutes and 23 seconds, and they even sang a song in it."
Ling Yi laughed. "Hahahaha, the overage group!"
"What's so funny? You lost, okay?" Pei Tingsong pressed his head, which was shaking with laughter. He turned and saw Fang Juexia, who was also laughing. His head was half-lowered, and the corners of his mouth were upturned.
He looked good when he smiled, but he didn't smile often.
"So, are we going to punish the underage group now?"
"Yes, we're waiting."
The director brought up a lottery box with many rolled up paper sticks. Pei Tingsong had a headache when he saw it. "No way, we're going to draw lots again? Can't you think of something new? "
A staff member who didn't appear on screen said, "Next time, let's do a lucky wheel, okay? Let Xiao Pei spin it by himself. "Everyone else laughed. Pei Tingsong had always been unlucky. This time, he didn't even stretch out his hand. He just raised his chin at Ling Yi. "You, go and draw."
"Why should I?" Ling Yi swung his two sleeves. "If I smoke something bad, wouldn't you be pushing the blame to me? I'm not going to do such a stupid thing. "
In the end, only Fang Juexia was willing to take the blame for the underage group that lost. He hugged the paper box and shook it without saying a word. He even shook it very seriously. This action looked a little silly. Pei Tingsong couldn't help but complain. "What are you doing? You're really making it look like you're drawing lots. "
Fang Juexia glanced at him. His light brown eyes were bright under the sunlight. He turned back and shook the lottery box. With a calm face, he imitated Pei Tingsong's famous scene in the haunted house. "The great atheist in history, please bless me with a good draw."
Everyone present laughed. The director even added fuel to the fire. "Remember to add a subtitle in the post-production. This sentence will be called the haunted house paradox in the future."
"Hahahahaha."
Unfortunately, Fang Juexia, who was busy making fun of others, didn't expect that he would get himself into trouble again. As soon as he unfolded the paper, his eyes went dark.
Could he really have been infected by Pei Tingsong's unlucky aura?
"Juexia, read out the punishment," the director reminded him.
Fang Juexia's voice became a little weak. "Bungee jumping …"
He Ziyan said meaningfully, "A game of warriors."
Lu Yuan was also excited. "Hurry up, I want to see your leap of faith!"
"Juexia really knows how to draw lots. The high-altitude bungee jumping in the park is also a major feature, second only to the haunted house," the director said. "The total height of the bungee jumping here is only 25 meters. It's actually not very high."
25 meters is not high … Fang Juexia converted the specific figure to the actual height in his heart. Just thinking about it made his legs go weak. He had been a little afraid of heights since he was young. Although it wasn't to the extent of being seriously afraid of heights, he basically avoided high-altitude activities. He didn't expect that he wouldn't be able to escape this time. And the first thing he did was bungee jumping, a death instance.
Noticing that Fang Juexia had become silent again, Pei Tingsong bumped his shoulder. "Are you afraid?"
He thought that he would struggle for a while. Unexpectedly, Fang Juexia raised his head and nodded twice with a serious face. He was surprisingly honest.
Pei Tingsong was amused by his look. "Didn't you laugh very happily at me just now? I thought you had never been afraid of anything in your life. " Although he was teasing, he could see that Fang Juexia was very nervous now, so he put on a comforting look. "It's okay, it's much faster than the haunted house. Go up and then jump down with a whoosh. It'll be over very quickly. Look, even Ling Yi isn't afraid. "
"What do you mean I'm not afraid?" Ling Yi glared at him and then rubbed her hands together excitedly. "I love high-altitude activities the most."
God. Fang Juexia couldn't understand this kind of pursuit of excitement. He hoped that he was willing to admit defeat. There was also a group recording, so it wasn't good to run away. The large group moved from the haunted house to the bungee jumping area. The number of visitors in the park increased, and many people began to follow and film. In order to save time and distribution, the production team split into two groups. The three people who won would film their content, and the other group would follow the three who jumped.
They took the elevator to the top. As soon as the door opened, the strong wind blew his jacket up. Fang Juexia zipped up his jacket. He glanced at it and felt the strong excitement brought by the height. It was too high, so high that he could see the entire view of the amusement park. The bungee jumping platform was built with tempered glass and was wiped clean. Every step he took was frightening.
Ling Yi excitedly chatted with the coach as soon as she stepped out. Fang Juexia only dared to take small steps out.
Seeing the hesitation in his footsteps, Pei Tingsong confirmed the extent of his fear. Therefore, he put his arm around Fang Juexia's shoulder and leaned against him.
Fang Juexia didn't push him away. He didn't dare to move from such a high place. Moreover, Pei Tingsong's actions were very effective. Being close to him in the air calmed Fang Juexia down a little. At least he felt like he had someone to rely on.
"You're really not afraid at all," he said with his eyes lowered.
Pei Tingsong nodded. "I've done bungee jumping for one or two hundred meters. Compared to that, it's just child's play. There's also extreme skiing, downhill skiing, low-altitude parachuting, and surfing. I know all these extreme sports, and I like them very much. "He was very familiar with them and smiled." Oh right, I also know how to fly a plane. The kind with a license. "
"That's amazing."
How could such a person be afraid of ghosts? How strange. Fang Juexia's attention shifted slightly, but his heart still palpitated when he saw the emptiness below his feet.
"Don't look down." Pei Tingsong pinched his face and made him look at him. "You know you're afraid, but you still look."
Fang Juexia's Adam's apple bobbed nervously. "Aren't you the same in the haunted house … You're obviously afraid, but you still have to continue the mission."
Pei Tingsong couldn't help but laugh. He really had the nerve to say that. He didn't even think about who he was doing it for.
He realized that people really did change after interacting with each other, and they would influence each other. The guy in front of him had learned all the bad things. He had stolen all of Pei Tingsong's temperament. Other things aside, he was getting better at talking back.
The staff stepped forward to help Pei Tingsong put on the protective suit. Only then did he let go of Fang Juexia's hand. "Then you can learn from me. Anyway, I know you'll jump no matter how scared you are. "After saying that, he turned around and asked the staff to help him secure the belt and rope.
"You know it again." Fang Juexia said that, but his tone wasn't rhetorical. It was very light and calm, even lighter than the wind on the stage. Somehow, it drifted into Pei Tingsong's ears.
Pei Tingsong, who was one step away from jumping, suddenly turned around and smiled at him. "Yes, I just know it. Because you're Fang Juexia. "
Pei Tingsong didn't know how this sentence pierced his heart. It felt sour and numb, but he seemed to be a little happy. However, he didn't want to think too much about the meaning behind this. He realized that he spent too much time and energy every day to study every word Pei Tingsong said to him. This was very strange, and it didn't conform to the straightforward logic of his life.
Maybe it had nothing to do with him at all. It was just the neurotransmitters stimulated by high altitude causing trouble.
The staff put on a helmet with a gopro on Pei Tingsong's head and started the camera. Fang Juexia didn't dare to watch the scene of him jumping down. It was too scary. He could only grab the pole and turn around, listening to Ling Yi and the other staff counting down in unison.
His heart thumped heavily three times. He heard Ling Yi's cheers.
His shoulders gradually relaxed. Fang Juexia took a deep breath and exhaled. His nervousness didn't decrease at all. Soon, it was Ling Yi's turn. He rushed over and hugged Fang Juexia tightly, then stood at the edge of the platform. "Juexia, look at me! I'm going to jump! "
Fang Juexia's face was a little pale, but he still turned around and smiled at Ling Yi. "Good luck."
Ling Yi happily blew him a kiss, then counted down loudly. "Three! Two! One! " The moment he jumped, he was still shouting, "The younger group is the most handsome. Long live Kaledo and Domino —"
He was the only one left on the high platform. Fang Juexia could barely feel his legs. He wanted to squat down, but it was transparent again. He only felt numb all over, and his palms were soaked in cold sweat.
"Juexia, can you do it? Do you want to try? " The staff member held his arm and comforted him. "It's not necessary to punish you. You've already jumped two times."
Another staff member nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's really uncomfortable to be afraid of heights."
In fact, he was already on the platform. Fang Juexia wanted to give it a try. He always felt that if he tried bungee jumping, his threshold might be a little higher.
"I can give it a try." He took off his hat and handed it to the staff member, then called the coach. "Please help me put on the armor. Thank you."
"You're very brave, handsome." The coach was a straightforward middle-aged man. "Don't worry, our safety measures are in place. Just take a deep breath, close your eyes, and fall back. It's over. It's very simple."
Fang Juexia couldn't hear a word. He was pulled to the edge of the platform. His legs were so weak that he could barely stand. He could only hold on to the coach's arm. He closed his eyes tightly and didn't dare to open them, let alone look down.
The coach pulled his belt and patted Fang Juexia's shoulder twice. "Good luck, handsome. Jump once and you'll be famous. Jump twice and you'll be rich."
Just once and it'll be over soon.
He even imagined the feeling of weightlessness in his mind, just to make himself feel better later.
He wasn't afraid. He wasn't afraid at all.
Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, don't be afraid …
"Get ready, I'm going to start the countdown. Three — — "
The countdown was suddenly interrupted. "Hey? Why is he back?"
Back? What back?
He heard the coach laugh and pat his arm. "See, I was right. Someone is really coming back for a second jump."
The wind blew Fang Juexia's soft hair, making him look like a little animal. He hesitated, frowned, and slowly opened his eyes. In his shaky vision, Pei Tingsong stepped on the transparent glass platform step by step. The spring sun shone on his lazy smile.
"You're really going to jump." He looked at Fang Juexia, who was already dressed, with a smile in his eyes.
Fang Juexia was speechless. He nodded his head slightly, looking even more pitiful. He didn't know what Pei Tingsong wanted to do. Was he going to witness his first bungee jumping experience? Or did he simply think that it would be more intuitive to watch him make a fool of himself? He thought about a lot of things in his mind, and his pupils swayed.
The more Pei Tingsong looked at him, the cuter he found him. He saw him quietly holding the coach's arm and raised his eyebrows unconsciously.
"He's afraid of heights." Pei Tingsong walked over and said to the coach and the staff, "I'll jump with him. We'll jump as a pair."
This sentence came so suddenly that no one expected it. Fang Juexia also looked at him blankly and didn't say a word. Pei Tingsong directly reached out and pulled him back. He joked, "Why are you looking at me? Are you touched? Cry if you're touched."
"Why did you come back?" Fang Juexia still spoke in a cold tone, but his hand had already moved from the coach's arm to Pei Tingsong's wrist. He held it tightly, subconsciously looking for a more familiar and comfortable sense of security.
"I had a lot of fun jumping. I want to do it again." The coach put on two-person protective gear for them. Pei Tingsong raised his hand and brushed Fang Juexia's hair, which had been messed up by the wind. His tone was much gentler. "I'll help you with your tribulation while I'm at it."
"Tribulation." Fang Juexia repeated the word in a low voice. He was surprised. How did this kid who grew up abroad learn all kinds of strange knowledge? However, this word was quite appropriate. This seemed to be a pretty big tribulation in his twenty-odd years of life. His danger index was in the top three.
With this thought in mind, he glanced at Pei Tingsong again.
This guy's danger index was also very high. He really didn't know what to do in a panic. In order to solve one danger, he had to rely on another.
The staff was about to put on their helmets when they found that the last Gopro was broken and could not be recorded. "Why don't we wait? Let's wait for them to send the previous one up."
"Juexia is finally mentally prepared. I don't know if he'll dare to do it later. Why don't we just not record his perspective? " Another staff member used the walkie-talkie to contact the camera below. They only recorded the perspective of the jump from the top and the bottom.
The coach fixed the rope and confirmed that there were no mistakes. "Okay, you're ready. You two handsome guys, you can jump in pairs. Do you need me to give you a countdown?"
Pei Tingsong shook his head and said thank you. Then, he pulled Fang Juexia's arm and moved forward little by little. The wind on the diving platform was getting stronger and stronger. It hovered in the air, and the cold air embraced them. The clear blue sky seemed to be within reach. In the whistling wind, Fang Juexia heard Pei Tingsong's voice. He said to close his eyes, so he really did.
He had never done anything crazy in his life. Even Chasing Dream followed the rules and steps he had set, making steady progress step by step. Stability gave him a sense of security. Derailment, revelry, and loss of control were all dangerous factors that Fang Juexia had tried his best to avoid for more than 20 years.
"Let me tell you a story."
"A story?" Fang Juexia heard his voice and raised his head.
"Yes." Pei Tingsong stood on the diving platform and turned his back to the falling sky. He faced Fang Juexia, who had closed his eyes, and stretched out his arms to pull him into his arms. "Did you know? It is said that bungee jumping originated from a country called Vanuatu in the South Pacific Islands. The people there believe that only by experiencing the test of high altitude can one be considered to have truly grown up. So hundreds of years ago, the men in the tribe would tie their legs with rattan and then jump from a wooden tower more than 30 meters high. They would stop about 10 centimeters from the ground."
As he spoke, he gently pulled Fang Juexia to him. Perhaps because he was really afraid, he could feel Fang Juexia taking the initiative to approach him.
"And then?" Fang Juexia asked with his eyes closed.
"And then …" Pei Tingsong looked down to confirm that he was already on the edge, half of his foot hanging in the air. He continued, "The villagers would hold a grand bonfire party for him to celebrate his determination and courage. They regarded this kind of high altitude fall as a great rite of passage."
At the end of the story, he opened his arms and hugged Fang Juexia, falling backward. There was no countdown to create a tense atmosphere. Everything happened quickly, without any warning. Fang Juexia's heart almost stopped. He was hugged and fell into a storm, a whirlpool of weightlessness.
So this was what a real fall looked like. Every gap in the body was penetrated by the galloping wind, and the soul was smashed into the empty sky. Fear, hesitation, and timidity were all swept away by the wind. The one-way embrace became a tight embrace under the instigation of instinct. Their body temperature was hot, and their heartbeats collided and crashed into each other's chests. These senses told Fang Juexia that he was not alone.
He was falling in an embrace, safe and free.
"Do you want to open your eyes and see?"
The whistling wind was like a long siren, but it could not block his voice. Fang Juexia tried to open his eyes. The inverted vision was amazing. He saw the whole world spinning and flying into the sky, and he saw Pei Tingsong close at hand. Their eyes met in the wind. Pei Tingsong's eyes were smiling. His dark pupils reflected the transparent sky and his face. It was indeed very fast. Just like the story, they fell with courage and determination, hanging in the air.
When the siren was lifted, he leaned close to Fang Juexia's ear.
"You're an adult, brother."