Chapter 59: Wish Card, Bell
Not long after finishing makeup and styling, staff came to notify Xuan Xia to do a pre-interview first.
Xuan Xia followed the staff to a separate interview shed.
This was fixed content for every episode’s recording: do a pre-interview before recording, add a backup interview if time allows, and do a post-interview after recording ends.
The interview questions were all based on each episode’s theme. Like now, the pre-interview questions asked what expectations she had for their first one-on-one meeting, and her impression of Zhou Shiqing.
If these two questions didn’t have answers, Xuan Xia would probably only be able to stay silent.
No expectations, impression of a rebellious son.
……
After completing the pre-interview, Xuan Xia sat in the book cafe as required and posed for a few camera shots as material.
Then it was waiting for Zhou Shiqing’s arrival.
At this time, Zhou Shiqing was on his way. According to the script, recording had already started on his side, with content about rushing to a date.
Xuan Xia had nothing to do, so she simply started looking around the book cafe.
The book cafe overall had a warm yellow tone as the base. Retro-style bookshelves were filled with various kinds of books. Because they were often flipped through, many books’ corners were heavily worn. But it had a unique feel.
In addition, there were real old books on two rows of wall-mounted bookshelves. Then between the bookshelves, a special area was cleared to make a wish wall.
Xuan Xia glanced over and could only see a colorful blur. The entire wall had been taken over by various wish cards, with no original color visible.
The camera young man was also carrying equipment to film that wish wall. The book cafe boss saw this and stood next to the camera young man, introducing to him how efficacious his wish wall was, that the most effective was for wishing on emotions—as long as they were true soulmates, after wishing, they would definitely be sweeter when they returned home.
Xuan Xia couldn’t help but want to laugh upon hearing this, thinking what a “true soulmate.”
If they were already “true soulmates,” did they still need to come here to wish? Even wishing at a roadside trash can would work.
“Oh, in a good mood now?” Yang Wanxiu was afraid Xuan Xia would be bored sitting alone, so she came over to keep her company. As soon as she got close, she saw her trying not to laugh and couldn’t help but smile and ask.
Xuan Xia thought of her earlier emotions and rarely felt a bit embarrassed.
Yang Wanxiu grinned at her and asked again: “Are you looking at that wish wall?”
Xuan Xia said: “Yeah. Just happened to hear the boss say it’s very efficacious.”
Yang Wanxiu said: “Mm, there are lots of posts online saying it’s efficacious too, so it could become an internet celebrity shop.”
Xuan Xia waved her hand and lowered her voice to tell her her thoughts.
Yang Wanxiu was stunned after hearing it, reacted for a bit, then suddenly said: “Right!” She actually hadn’t thought of it at all.
Seeing Yang Wanxiu’s expression, Xuan Xia couldn’t help but want to laugh again. Just then she glanced and saw the camera young man had finished filming the wish wall. She stood up and said: “Come on, let’s go take a look.”
Yang Wanxiu agreed and followed her to the wish wall.
From afar, the wish wall was already completely covered by wish cards. Up close, it was even more exaggerated—wish cards layered on top of each other, at least seven or eight layers thick.
It was only when they got close that Xuan Xia saw clearly that all the wish cards were tied to red strings.
From top to bottom, a total of seven layers.
Looking even closer, the red strings that divided the wish wall into seven layers were actually one complete string. The red string wound around the wall until the very end, where it was tied to a bell the size of a walnut.
That bell had red string tied above and red tassels hanging below. It was probably moved during the camera young man’s filming earlier, exposing half of it outside. Otherwise, it would be completely hidden behind the wish cards and undiscoverable.
Xuan Xia couldn’t move her eyes away after seeing that bell.
Although the bell in front of her was brand new, the patterns on it were exactly the same as the one she had seen that had sunk into the lotus pond!
Thinking of that bell, she inevitably thought again of the woman inside the bell……
“Would you two beauties like to write a wish card? My wish wall is very efficacious.” The book cafe boss came over again to promote his wish wall.
Xuan Xia was still staring at the bell, seriously examining it. Yang Wanxiu smiled and declined the boss.
The boss looked disappointed and tried to persuade again: “Really not going to try? It’s not just wishing for love that’s efficacious, other wishes are too.”
Yang Wanxiu smiled without saying anything.
The boss kept chattering: “Wishing here isn’t expensive, a pair of wish cards is fifty-eight.”
……And this is called not expensive???
Yang Wanxiu glanced again at the layered wish cards on the wall, as if seeing a wall full of money.
“Boss.” Xuan Xia called: “Your bell is very unique.”
The boss looked over and chuckled: “This is an old thing.”
“Old? It looks pretty new.”
The boss laughed it off, not wanting to engage.
Xuan Xia turned to look at him: “Boss, where did you buy this bell?”
The boss stared at Xuan Xia in a daze, probably the first time someone asked him this.
Yang Wanxiu quickly also figured out the red strings on the wish wall, ending at the bell, and curiously asked: “Is there any special meaning to this design?”
The boss skipped Xuan Xia’s question and directly replied to Yang Wanxiu: “Nah, no special meaning. Purely when tying the strings back then, used it as a weight to make it taut.”
Xuan Xia stared at him with a half-smile, her expression saying “Really? I don’t believe it.”
The boss seemed to just realize he hadn’t answered Xuan Xia’s question, smiled at her, and said: “This one, I picked it up at a small stall when I was traveling in Miao Village.”
“I really like these little things. Boss, could you part with it?” Xuan Xia suddenly asked.
“Ah?” The boss was stunned.
“This bell is indeed quite special. Haven’t seen one like it.”
As Yang Wanxiu spoke, she reached out to touch the bell, but her hand was pressed down halfway by Xuan Xia.
Xuan Xia said: “Be careful, don’t pull the string loose.”
“Oh oh.” Yang Wanxiu felt she made sense and didn’t dare raise her hand again.
After stopping Yang Wanxiu, Xuan Xia turned back to the boss, her tone soft as she negotiated: “Boss, name a price.”
The boss hemmed and hawed a few times, then shook his head like a rattle: “No can do, beauty. This was hard for me to find too. I opened the shop and hung it here. It’s been so long, I’m used to it. If it’s gone, I won’t be used to it.”
He added: “Beauty, if you really like it, next time go travel in Miao Village yourself. Maybe you can find something you like even more.”
“Ah.” Xuan Xia looked disappointed, silent for a few seconds, then said: “Then I’ll take a couple photos. I’ll ask around later where I can get one replicated.”
Of course, taking photos couldn’t be stopped, especially since there had been filming earlier.
Yang Wanxiu didn’t wait for Xuan Xia’s instruction and automatically took on the photo-taking task.
The boss stared at the two of them for a good while, of course, more at Xuan Xia.
Almost as soon as Yang Wanxiu finished taking photos, the program group called out that Zhou Shiqing’s group had arrived at the door. Everyone prepare for work.
Went to get a dental filling again today. Every time after going, I don’t want to write. Crying. But it’s not done yet, have to go again next month.
