A group of seven people indulged in acting at the Colonna Palace, reenacting a famous scene from the classic movie "Roman Holiday" in front of many foreign friends, and showcasing their country's cultural heritage.
The staff there found it quite entertaining and specially extended their stay. By the time they left the palace, it was already 2:15 PM, and it was time to head to the next destination.
That was a place called the Mouth of Truth. It is a statue with a wide-open mouth, and legend has it that if a person puts their hand inside the statue's mouth, others can ask them any question. If they are found to be lying, their hand will be immediately bitten off. It is actually a manhole cover. (Picture in comments)
There is no time limit for visiting the Mouth of Truth; you can arrive anytime. However, there is a distance limit; their current location is still several kilometers away from the destination.
During their run to the Colonna Palace earlier, the older sisters had already expended a lot of energy. Now, they almost walk for a bit, then stop to rest by the roadside for a while, taking water from their bags to rehydrate. Each of them is now more prepared, so there won't be a scene of several people sharing one bottle of water anymore.
Director Liao, who had been following them, still felt a bit regretful. The Hua Shao Group sharing hardships was one of the highlights of the show. Although he missed out on some excellent editing material, he did not step forward to interfere with their decisions. He was only responsible for providing the theme; the final direction of the plot was decided by the guests.
Resting and walking greatly delayed the team's progress, but it also had one advantage: it gave Zhang Han ample time to ask others for directions. Yi Xing originally wanted to take the map, but Brother Han refused him.
"Brother Han, give me the map. I'll go ask for directions to the Mouth of Truth."
"No need, I'll go ask. Let me practice my spoken English. I can't always rely on you. What if you're not with the team one day because of something?"
Indeed, Zhang Han's reason was very sufficient. Yi Xing had nothing else to say and let him do what he wanted. No one would really think asking for directions is easy, right?
First, one must summon the courage and think about what to ask. Second, find someone who seems approachable and start asking. Before asking, be prepared for failure; you might encounter people who don't want to talk to you, or people who genuinely don't know how to get there.
Sure enough, after several failed attempts, Zhang Han finally found someone who knew the way. From their mouth, he learned that he just needed to follow the bus in front of them, and it would lead them to their destination.
How could a person's walking speed compare to a car's driving speed? After following for a while, the bus disappeared from everyone's sight, and he had no choice but to embark on the path of asking for directions once again.
After wandering the streets for over an hour, they finally arrived at the Mouth of Truth. A long queue of people, all preparing to visit, stretched out at the entrance. He stood at the very end, slowly moving forward with the crowd.
Waiting idly was too boring, so Zhang Han gathered everyone and proposed his idea: "I have a game called Truth or Dare. We'll use rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets punished."
"I have a question, what is Truth? What is Dare?" Zhang Kaili asked, raising her hand like a good student. There was nothing she could do; she was older and couldn't keep up with the younger generation's entertainment.
"Sister Kaili."
"Call me Mama Kaili."
"Mama Kaili." Yi Xing helplessly changed his address. He had wanted to call her something younger, but it seemed unnecessary now.
Because Zhang Kaili herself had a daughter, born in '97, who was only one year younger than Yi Xing, it was quite reasonable for him to call her 'Mama'. As for whether there were other thoughts, who knew?
"That's more like it."
"Let me explain. Truth means you have to answer any question someone asks you honestly. Dare means pretty much the same; you have to do whatever you're told to do." Yi Xing explained the rules of the punishment in easy-to-understand language.
After the older sisters understood, the first round officially began.
"Palms up or palms down!"
Only the two boys had their palms up. Yi Xing and Zhang Han looked at each other, not expecting to be "trapped" in the first round. The former said with a bitter smile, "Brother Han, shall we play rock-paper-scissors to decide the winner?"
"Okay."
Both of them simultaneously shouted "rock, paper, scissors." Yi Xing's scissors still won. Zhang Kaili, who was watching from the side, had long been impatient. As soon as a winner was decided, she immediately threw out a question.
"Question: How many girlfriends have you had in total?"
"Hiss~" The surrounding crowd, including the cameraman, gasped. To ask such a juicy question right at the start, wouldn't the later questions be even more daring? Whether it could be broadcast became a big question.
Zhang Han carefully counted on his fingers, one by one, then gave his answer: "Six."
Then the second round began. Yi Xing still planned to show his palm. In the previous round, the older sisters had shown their backs of hands, so now it should be the turn for palms up, right? Surprises always arrive unexpectedly. What was thought to be a sure win turned into a complete loss; he was the only one whose palm was facing up.
"Anything you want to know, ask."
What he got was not a question, but several people forming a circle, discussing what to ask. Zheng Peipei, leading the affirmative side, argued that Yi Xing was too young, so they shouldn't ask such explosive questions; normal ones would suffice.
Zhang Han and others held the opposing view. He was the first loser, so naturally, he didn't want to see the later punished people answer too easily. He wanted to see embarrassed expressions on others' faces; who would complain about too much excitement when watching a show?
The two sides were at a stalemate and chose a compromise. Liu Tao would ask the question: "Xiao Xing, have you ever been in a relationship?"
Yi Xing, instead, looked puzzled. They discussed for so long, and that was the result? He had thought it would be a much harder question to answer. He chuckled softly and said, "I've never known what it feels like to be in love in all my life."
"Do you want an older sister to introduce someone to you?"
"No, no, I'm fine as I am now, and besides..."
"Besides what?" Liu Tao pressed, and the remaining older sisters also cast curious glances, wanting to know what he would say next.
"Nothing. Look, it's our turn." Yi Xing's topic change was unusually clumsy, but it was very effective. The people behind them were still waiting, and they couldn't delay any longer.
After playing Truth or Dare, the Mouth of Truth held little interest for the group. They treated it as a photo opportunity, took a group photo, and left.
They had walked so much that Xu Qing and Li Feier could barely feel their feet. Zhang Han decided that for all subsequent attractions, they would just take a taxi. It seemed that their heart-to-heart talk last night had played a crucial role.