208 The Mouth of Truth
âIâm not picky.â Pei Zhi had no right to be picky. âYou can wear whatever you want.â
His compromise could always make her heart soften.
Lin Jiao wrapped her arms around his waist. She did not tell him which one she would wear. âIâll show you when the time comes.â
âGood girl.â
!!
âDonât say that.â
Pei Zhi chuckled. âCanât I even praise you?â He caressed her cheek, his calloused fingers brushing past her skin.
âTry another way.â
âAwesome?â
She chose to remain silent.
Lin Jiao rested her head on his shoulder and took a nap for more than twenty minutes.
At twelve oâclock, Chu Yuzhouâs voice came from outside the door. He called everyone to go out.
After having lunch nearby, they headed to the filming location of the Roman Holiday, Plaza de Espana.
Plaza de Espana is located at the foot of the hill of Trinity Church and is known for the Spanish Staircase that leads to the church.
No matter what season it was, there was a lively scene in front of the stairs. Tourists were standing in front of the fountain to take photos. One could vaguely hear the melodious singing from the church.
âJiang Ye, help us take two photos.â Pei Yilan pulled Lin Jiao and Qian Yue up the stairs.
âOkay.â Jiang Ye squatted down to find an angle.
He got the three of them to pose and included the church behind them in the camera.
Pei Zhi walked back and forth on the stairs with Jiang Ye and Zhou Yanshen. Apart from admiring the scenery, he also took many photos of them.
The remaining three bachelors followed Ven Olle around the church and competed over long jumps on the stairs.
âI won,â Shen Yi shouted, not caring about the opinion of the tourists.
âWill the winner treat us to coffee?â
âWhere is the coffee shop?â
Qu Shao looked around. âOver there on the right.â
Shen Yi called Pei Zhi to ask what they wanted before ordering ten cups.
Just as he handed Chu Yuzhouâs cup over, he saw him throw a wink at him.
âBrother Yi.â He exclaimed, attracting the attention of the other tourists. âWill your girlfriend be angry if you buy me coffee?â
Shen Yi found it embarrassing to be with this fool and walked out of the coffee shop with two paper bags.
He met Pei Zhi and the others by the fountain and handed them coffee cups. Just as they were about to head to the next attraction, Chu Yuzhou pestered Zhou Yanshen and put on a good show in public with him.
He took a sip of Zhou Yanshenâs coffee and said, âBrother Yanshen, if I drink your coffee, will your girlfriend be jealous?â
Qian Yue, who was amused, laughed so hard that she almost spat out the coffee in her mouth.
When she laughed, the others were affected and couldnât help but laugh.
Lin Jiao was also in the mood to play.
âBrother.â She shook Pei Zhiâs arm and called out to him in a soft voice, but before she could say her lines, she laughed out loud.
Pei Zhiâs eyes darkened. âDo it again?â
âNo, I canât help but laugh.â
âThen weâll do it tonight.â He suppressed the darkness in his eyes, determined to get her to call him âBrotherâ more.
After having enough fun, Chu Yuzhou hummed a tune and got on the bus under Zhou Yanshenâs disdainful gaze.
They shuttled through the ancient streets, admiring the grand buildings.
Ven Olle brought everyone to Cosmedin Church for a tour. On the way, he picked up the identity of the tour guide and introduced the scene to them in detail.
After listening to him talk about the history of churches, Pei Yilan asked curiously, âHow many churches are there in Rome?â
âMore than seven hundred.â He walked around the fountain. âWeâll only watch this one. We wonât go to the others.â
âWhatâs so special about this place?â Qu Shao looked around and did not find anything novel.
âThereâs a Bocca della verità .â
âWhat did you say?â
âThe Mouth of Truth.â Pei Zhi summarized Ven Olleâs introduction in one sentence. âA lie detector.â
They approached the round object carved from marble and sized up the slightly strange face.
It was said that as long as a liar put their hand into the stone statueâs mouth, they would be bitten.
âDoes anyone believe it?â Shen Yi, the atheist, thought that this was a place for couples to show off their love.
âPeople used to believe it.â
âWhich one of you wants to try?â
âLet me do it.â Chu Yuzhou rolled up his sleeves and reached his hand into the mouth of the stone statue first. âItâs a little cold here.â
âAre you afraid?â
âIâm not afraid. I just feel strange.â
âIt looks strange.â Jiang Ye looked at Chu Yuzhou, waiting for him to lie.
...
Chu Yuzhou thought for a moment and said, âIâm the ugliest.â
Five seconds later, he frowned and pretended to be frightened. âIt bit my thumb!â
âReally! Help me.â
Qu Shao could not stand it anymore.
He grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side before showing him what acting was.
âOh, my God!â He looked at the ceiling, his right arm trembling. âIt hurts.â
Everyone watched as he acted like he was suffering from epilepsy. The moment he rolled his eyes, they laughed.
Laughter that echoed in the wind floated out of the church, but it could not take away the joy that belonged to them.
âOhâââ
Night fell quietly, and the temperature dropped again.
At night, there were fewer people on the streets. Only the restaurants by the river that enjoyed the night scenery were still filled with laughter.
...
The soothing music lingered in their ears, as if it could help them relax.
The neon lights outside the window shone in and landed on everyone, adding a touch of light to their eyes.
âThis ham is not bad.â Zhou Yanshen forked a piece to Qian Yueâs plate and let her try it.
His considerateness along the way made Qian Yueâs heart melt.
She swallowed the ham and clinked glasses with him. She looked at him and smiled. âEat. Donât worry about me.â