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墨書 Inktalez
Monkey Water Play
Dating Show
Director Niu never expected that his carefully arranged romantic pool date would trend with such an abstract term. He finally realized the seriousness of the situation. If this continued, Xie Mi would really turn the Dating Show into a chaotic mess all by herself. It was time to take action.
Thus, the production team urgently adjusted the schedule, moving the 1v1 date day, originally set for two weeks later, to today.
"Today is the 1v1 date day!"
The next morning, Director Niu stood in the living room, full of energy, announcing, "The six guests will be divided into three groups and will head to three designated date locations arranged by the production team for a day-long date!"
"How will we be grouped?" Liu Woxing asked.
"Good question."
Director Niu took out his phone and made a quick operation. Suddenly, the phones of all six guests rang at the same time. They all pulled out their phones and saw that Director Niu had created a group chat and added them all.
The group chat was named...
"Location Sharing Hide and Seek?" Xu Shuangrong asked.
"Yes, Location Sharing Hide and Seek; this is the game we will play today."
"All six will start hiding at the same time. After ten minutes, I will randomly designate one person as 'It.' 'It' is responsible for catching everyone, and if they catch everyone within the time limit, they win."
"While playing hide and seek, each of you must initiate location sharing in the group chat. This means 'It' can see each player's location in real-time and can use that information to find you."
"The winner of the game gets to choose their desired date partner first, and that person cannot refuse."
"That's the grouping rule."
【This sounds fun!】
【I have a question: if we can see each other's locations, how can we hide?】
【That's why there's a time limit; as long as you keep hiding until time runs out, you're good.】
【'It' can see your location, and you can see 'It's' location too. While 'It' is looking for you based on your location, you can also avoid 'It' based on their location; it's mutual.】
【So those who are good at sports have an advantage; as long as they run fast, even if the other person can see their location, they won't be able to catch up, right?】
【Exactly.】
"What's the hiding range?" Xiao Jingxi asked the crucial question.
"Within the manor," Director Niu replied.
The villa where they were located was part of a manor, featuring lush green lawns, a tranquil lake, and dense woods.
"What about the time limit?" Qiu Chengye inquired.
"One hour."
Director Niu took out a timer. "From the moment you all exit this door, I will start the countdown for ten minutes. After ten minutes, I will designate the person to be 'it,' and then the one-hour countdown will begin."
"Is being found defined as being seen, or must you be touched?" Shen Zhaoqing asked.
"Touched."
In other words, as long as you run fast enough, you're invincible.
With all the rules clear, the production team provided ten minutes for strategizing and preparing while also handing out a map of the entire manor for reference.
"Who is Teacher Xie planning to choose?"
Xie Mi was observing the terrain when Shen Zhaoqing's voice reached his ears.
Turning to look, he saw Shen Zhaoqing wearing a casual light blue sweatshirt, resting one arm on the table and propping up his chin with a relaxed smile that radiated warmth.
Oh, gentle white moonlight.
Unfortunately, Xie Mi wasn't swayed. "Don't think too much about it; there’s no answer."
Feeling brushed off, Shen Zhaoqing remained unfazed. "If Teacher Xie doesn't know who to choose, how about picking me?"
"Give me a reason."
"Because I want to be on the same team as Teacher Xie."
As soon as he finished speaking, several gazes shot over.
Shocked.jpg
Is this… an invitation for a date?
[Wow, is this a confession?]
[Mr. Shen isn’t just curious about Xie Mi as a new species, right?]
[Xie Mi: What about politeness?]
"Don't overthink it, okay? There are only three female guests on the show. Xu Shuangrong has a CP, and Mr. Shen has zero interaction with Liu Woxing. That leaves only Xie Mi as an option."
"Is it really that hard to admit that Mr. Shen is interested in Xie Mi? Anyone can see that Mr. Shen has a special look in his eyes. You all would defend him even if the sky were falling."
Xie Mi couldn't help but narrow her eyes, her mind racing.
After a moment, she revealed a meaningful smile. "Alright, if I win, I'll choose you first."
Xiao Jingxi suddenly looked over.
"Then it's settled. Teacher Xie, you can't back out on me."
"You can rest assured."
...
The preparation time ended, and the game officially began.
The six guests picked up their phones, opened the location app, and headed out to find hiding spots.
Ten minutes later, the hiding time was over, and Director Niu randomly selected someone to be the [ghost].
[Director Niu]: Let's see who this lucky person is.
[Director Niu]: It's decided! @Xiao Jingxi
[Xiao Jingxi]: Okay.
[Director Niu]: The one-hour capture time starts now! Please head out immediately to find the other guests!
Xiao Jingxi began to move.
Everyone could see Xiao Jingxi's icon moving on the map.
[Qiu Chengye]: Hahaha, I'm quite far away, so you better be careful, @Xu Shuangrong. You're closest to him now.
[Xu Shuangrong]: Hmm... if I get caught by Jingxi, I’ll accept it.
[Xie Mi]: Maybe you can still struggle a bit, like relocating right now.
[Xu Shuangrong]: I don't think I can outrun Jingxi.
I have to say, the production team was quite thoughtful in their planning.
They chose Xiao Jingxi, who has a regular fitness routine, to avoid the situation where the [ghost] runs too slowly to catch up with the hiders.
Just when everyone thought Xu Shuangrong would be the first victim, Xiao Jingxi made a surprising move.
He completely abandoned Xu Shuangrong, moving in another direction instead.
[Qiu Chengye]: Where is he going? Is there someone over there?
[Liu Woxing]: Zoom out the map a bit; the furthest avatar from Xiao Jingxi is almost merged with the edge of the map—Xie Mi.
[Xie Mi]: ?
This old guy is targeting me; he ignores the closest one and goes for the farthest instead?
【I'm dying from this】
【He didn't even think twice before letting Shuangrong go; what else could this be but love?】
【Hahaha, what a clear distinction between love and hate】
【It's obvious that Best Actor Xiao is feeling frustrated; he finally has a chance to take revenge on Xie Mi】
[Shen Zhaoqing]: Teacher Xie, you can go with peace of mind.
[Xie Mi]: What do people say?
[Shen Zhaoqing]: Don't worry, if you lose, I'll choose you.
Little did Shen Zhaoqing know that right after sending this message, Xiao Jingxi's avatar on the map began to move rapidly, like a wild horse breaking free, sprinting a full hundred meters.
[Xie Mi]: Good kid, full of energy.
[Xie Mi]: I'm feeling a bit unwell, so I'm logging off for now.
As Xiao Jingxi's avatar got closer and closer to Xie Mi on the map, their avatars finally overlapped.
Everyone understood and was waiting for Director Niu to announce Xie Mi's elimination in the group chat. Instead, they only received a question from Xiao Jingxi.
[Xiao Jingxi]: @Xie Mi, have you vanished into thin air?
Xiao Jingxi stood in a small grove, staring intently at Xie Mi's avatar on his phone, his brows furrowed tightly enough to crush a fly.
At this moment, his avatar perfectly overlapped with Xie Mi's, yet he was in an empty place, not even seeing Xie Mi's phone anywhere.
Even if she had thrown her phone on the ground and run away, there should at least be some trace of it, right?
[Xiao Jingxi]: @Director Niu, is there an issue with the location?
[Director Niu]: The location is accurate; if there are any problems, I will notify you immediately.
[Xiao Jingxi]: Then Xie Mi must have violated the rules; I haven't seen her.
[Director Niu]: She hasn't violated any rules.
[Xiao Jingxi]: ?
[Qiu Chengye]: What's going on? Did you not look carefully? Send me a video to check.
Xiao Jingxi quickly uploads a video. He films the entire area, even capturing above his head, but the whole scene is filled with nothing but trees and leaves—there's no sign of Xie Mi anywhere.
[Liu Woxing]: What about in the trees?
[Xiao Jingxi]: I checked, there's nothing.
[Liu Woxing]: That's strange.
The audience in the Live Stream is equally puzzled.
【Where is he?】
【This whole area has been thoroughly scanned; there’s no trace of Xie Mi at all.】
【He must have hidden his phone and run away. Not bringing the phone with him is against the rules, right?】
【I said it before, Xie Mi is really elusive...】
Xiao Jingxi is stubborn; even though he can't find anything, he insists on searching and thoroughly checks the surroundings, almost wanting to lift every leaf to see what's underneath.
Until Director Niu can’t help but chime in the group chat.
[Director Niu]: Half the time has passed, and you still haven't found anyone. You might want to try changing your target; otherwise, you'll end up last.@Xiao Jingxi
Xiao Jingxi is frustrated but has no choice but to change his target. This time he sets his sights on Shen Zhaoqing.
Interestingly, Shen Zhaoqing is also positioned at the farthest point from him.
【With so little time left, why go for the farthest one?】
【I can understand him going after Xie Mi, as he seems to dislike him, but what's with going after Mr. Shen?】
【Don't try to guess a handsome guy's thoughts; he can choose whoever he wants without needing a reason.】
【I think there’s a reason; Mr. Shen and Xie Mi agreed to choose each other earlier. Could it be that Xiao Jingxi doesn’t want to give them a chance to choose, so he wants them to lose?】
【This is hilarious; why would Best Actor Xiao do that? He’d prefer if Xie Mi chose someone else!】
To save time, Xiao Jingxi sprints again. By the time he reaches Shen Zhaoqing, he’s visibly exhausted.
But another problem arises.
[Xiao Jingxi]: @Shen Zhaoqing Mr. Shen, I don’t see you.
[Shen Zhaoqing]: That’s because you’re not supposed to see me.
[Xiao Jingxi]: …?
Xiao Jingxi put down his phone and stared at the tranquil lake in front of him, falling silent.
Xu Shuangrong: If I'm not mistaken... Mr. Shen's location seems to be showing on the lake?
Qiu Chengye: Do we have any boats on this lake? I would have gotten on one if I had known.
Xiao Jingxi: No.
Xiao Jingxi: There are no boats.
Liu Woxing: Huh?
This time, everyone fell silent.
[It's a bit eerie during the day; it's one thing for Xie Mi to disappear, but now Mr. Shen has vanished too?]
[Wow, this is like a horror show.]
[Best Actor Xiao isn't going to encounter ghosts, is he?]
Just as the comments began to speculate in a supernatural direction, Director Niu once again reminded everyone of the time in the group chat.
Director Niu: Friendly reminder, there are only ten minutes left. If we still can't find anyone, we'll be at the bottom! @Xiao Jingxi
With no other choice, Xiao Jingxi gritted his teeth and shifted his focus again. This time, he didn't have the luxury of choosing the farthest target; he headed straight for the nearest one, Liu Woxing. He successfully found Liu Woxing at a pavilion on the lake.
Director Niu: Ding! Liu Woxing has been found and is now joining the [Ghost] camp to help Best Actor Xiao search for others.
The two divided their tasks: Liu Woxing was responsible for finding the closer Xu Shuangrong, while Xiao Jingxi would search for the farthest Qiu Chengye. Soon, Liu Woxing found Xu Shuangrong behind some bushes.
Director Niu: Ding! Xu Shuangrong has been found and is now joining the [Ghost] camp to help Best Actor Xiao search for others.
At this point, Xiao Jingxi was getting closer and closer to Qiu Chengye. After running hard for a while, Xiao Jingxi was starting to feel exhausted, but as a true man who never gives up, he could only grit his teeth and keep running. Little did he know that Qiu Chengye's avatar suddenly started moving.
[Here it comes, here comes the chase!]
[Qiu Chengye spends all day partying but runs pretty fast.]
[Best Actor Xiao looks pale; can he still keep running?]
In the footage, Qiu Chengye was sprinting with all his might while Xiao Jingxi chased him closely behind, resembling two wild men frolicking in the jungle.
As they were about to be caught, Qiu Chengye turned and ran onto the bridge, with Xiao Jingxi closely following behind.
The voice of Director Niu echoed from the drone above.
"Countdown, 10, 9, 8..."
Xiao Jingxi's heart sank as she looked at Qiu Chengye, who was only an arm's length away. Gritting her teeth, she lunged forward.
Qiu Chengye seemed to sense something and turned back in fear.
Bang—!
A wild boar charged and knocked Qiu Chengye down, but in the process, they both forgot that the bridge was too narrow and fell into the water with a splash.
Underwater, their eyes met.
Yes, six eyes.
They saw Shen Zhaoqing calmly lurking at the bottom, only a single reed sticking out of the water for air.
Shen Zhaoqing noticed them, looked surprised, smiled, and waved hello.
Xiao Jingxi and Qiu Chengye shuddered; unable to hold their breath any longer, they sank down with bubbles rising around them.
The production team quickly fished all three of them out of the water.
To answer everyone's confusion, they returned to the location where Xie Mi was last tracked.
"There really isn't anywhere to hide here," Liu Woxing said as he looked around.
"This is really strange," Xu Shuangrong also expressed her puzzlement.
Suddenly—!
A hand shot up from the ground, its fingertips caked in dark mud, contrasting sharply with its pale skin, resembling a zombie emerging from the earth.
The group froze in shock.
Then a deafening scream erupted.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
【It's a ghost!!!!】
【Damn it, I was so scared I punched through my bed board; even my 3-year-old brother cried!】
【What the hell!!!】
The atmosphere in the live stream and the barrage of comments were surprisingly consistent.
A warm hand grasped that dirty hand and pulled her out of the ground.
Shen Zhaoqing tilted his head and smiled, "Teacher Xie, you are really dedicated."
"Likewise."
Xie Mi finally revealed her true appearance, covered in dirt and carrying an oxygen tank on her back. This was the reason she could breathe while working in the field.
"I swear, you scared me to death."
Qiu Chengye was still a bit shaken. Upon seeing Xie Mi's oxygen tank, he felt a sudden imbalance but didn't dare to directly address her. Instead, he turned his frustration towards the production team, saying, "Why didn’t you tell us we could use props in this game?"
"According to the rules, props are not allowed. However, Teacher Xie won a hidden task yesterday and received a privilege card, which is what she is using," Director Niu explained.
In the end, Xie Mi and Shen Zhaoqing won the game by hiding until the last moment. Their remarkable feat of one being buried alive and the other submerged successfully trended online.
The Most Insane Hide and Seek in History
Netizens commented: One was sea-buried and the other land-buried.
【Sexy Mother Cockroach】: I couldn't mine such pure divine gold even after ten years as a gold miner.
【Cuihua from Bear Mountain on the Run】: Made me laugh for no reason.
【Miss Qianjin】: Big Fool Chun! What are you guys doing!
【Brother I'm Scared】: Why is Mr. Shen so crazy? Hahahaha!
【Beating Up Elementary Students】: Crazy old man and old woman!
During the show, Director Niu said, "Since Mr. Shen and Teacher Xie are tied for first place, you can discuss who gets to choose first."
This process felt somewhat redundant. After all, they had agreed beforehand to choose each other; it didn't matter who went first.
Xie Mi intended to quickly choose Shen Zhaoqing but heard him cheerfully say, "Let's have the lady go first; let Teacher Xie choose first."
She turned her head in suspicion and met his beautiful peach blossom eyes, which sparkled with anticipation as if saying: Choose me, choose me.
The cunning side of Xie Mi immediately surfaced. She turned her head and pointed directly at Qiu Chengye, "Then it's Qiu—"
"Hey."
Shen Zhaoqing suddenly pressed down on her hand, a faint smile still lingering on his lips. "Let's not prioritize the ladies; after all, I'm not exactly a gentleman. I choose Teacher Xie." He rushed to finish his sentence, as if afraid of being too slow.
Xie Mi raised an eyebrow.
Look at that, he's got it all figured out.
"Then Mr. Shen and Teacher Xie are successfully teamed up! Next..."
Director Niu hadn't finished speaking when Xiao Jingxi suddenly interjected, "Xie Mi hasn't said anything yet; is this settled?"
Director Niu was caught off guard by Xiao Jingxi's sudden comment. "Well... according to the rules, the chosen one cannot refuse."
"But isn't she also first? Since it's a tie, shouldn't she have the right to choose as well?" Xiao Jingxi said with a smile. "I'm just respecting the rules of the game."
He had found himself a rather grandiose reason.
Seeing this, Director Niu had no choice but to follow protocol and asked Xie Mi, "So Teacher Xie, do you want to team up with Mr. Shen?"
Before Xie Mi could respond, she felt a piercing gaze fixed on her.
Looking up, she saw Xiao Jingxi sitting across from her.
His eyes were filled with threats and warnings.
She couldn't help but chuckle.
Why do some people enjoy humiliating themselves so much?
"Of course! I would love to! If I can't team up with Old Shen, my life would be meaningless!" Not only did she agree, but she also emphasized it.
Xiao Jingxi's face immediately fell.
Meanwhile, Shen Zhaoqing raised the corners of his mouth, looking excited and charming as he laughed. "Why do you call me Old Shen? Am I that old?"
"Whether you're old or not doesn't matter; what matters is that calling you that makes me seem very young."
"Hmm... that's quite reasonable."
"Right? Old Shen."
"Indeed, Old Xie."
[What the heck! When did they become so sweet?]
[Ever since hide-and-seek, I've felt their minds are strangely in sync; the more I see them together, the more they match.]
Mr. Shen was just worried that Xie Mi would choose someone else, and he even said something like "I'm not a gentleman." Who understands that?
I am really shipping this!
Am I the only one who thinks Best Actor Xiao's expression is a bit strange?
Xiao Jingxi had a displeased look throughout, while Xu Shuangrong next to him tried to sell him on something but couldn't manage it, so he could only feign concern to create the illusion that Xiao Jingxi was simply feeling unwell.
The final groupings are as follows: Xie Mi and Shen Zhaoqing in one group, Xiao Jingxi and Xu Shuangrong in another, and Liu Woxing and Qiu Chengye in the last.
After the groupings were done, it was time to choose the date venue.
The production team didn't reveal it directly but mysteriously presented a whiteboard with three keywords written on it:
[Romantic] [Exciting] [Health-focused]
"Without revealing the content of the date, you will choose based solely on these keywords. Which type of date do you prefer: a romantic date, an exciting date, or a health-focused date?"
When it comes to creating show effects, Director Niu never spares any effort.
The comments section was already buzzing with discussion.
"This is an easy choice; they might as well stick the correct answer on your face."
"I get it, exciting is the bad option. You can't go bungee jumping on a first date; what about the girl's makeup? Would she just go with messy hair?"
"Is it possible that the production team is flipping expectations? What seems like the worst option might actually be the best?"
"Only a fool would choose exciting; the most important thing between men and women is the atmosphere. When the atmosphere is right, feelings soar!"
"Based on my experience watching dating shows, the first date is crucial for determining future couples. If a date goes well, they usually lock in as a couple, so you have to be careful."
Just as the word "careful" floated by in the comments, Xie Mi raised her hand and said loudly and cheerfully, "I choose exciting!"
As the winning group from the game, they had priority in choosing.
No one expected her to be so decisive; Director Niu was taken aback. "Are you sure? Have you thought it over?"
"A date needs passion; how can there be passion without excitement?" Xie Mi stated firmly.
Director Niu then looked at Shen Zhaoqing beside him with a questioning gaze.
Shen Zhaoqing chuckled softly and leisurely replied, "I agree."
And so it was decided.
Xie Mo Sha Lu Group: Exciting.
Xiao Rong Group: Romantic.
Xing Cheng Group: Health-focused.
The three pairs of CPs boarded the production team's vehicle and headed to the date location.
The first activity for the thrill-seeking group was an escape room. They arrived at the hottest escape room venue, which had been booked exclusively for the show, leaving the spacious hall completely empty of other guests.
"The production team is really keeping up with trends."
"I thought it would be something like bungee jumping or roller coasters, but I didn't expect this."
"There have been escape room variety shows before, where the guests screamed collectively; even a 185 cm male model got so scared he almost fainted. I've never seen anyone calm in there."
"Get ready to screenshot; I have a feeling Mr. Shen and Teacher Xie are going to provide a lot of meme-worthy expressions."
“To help you two immerse yourselves more, there will be no filming inside; we will rely entirely on surveillance footage for the live stream,” said the staff member.
“Please take a look at this agreement first. If you confirm that you don’t have any heart conditions or high blood pressure, you can sign it.”
“Wow, a death waiver,” Xie Mi remarked, already familiar with the process as an experienced escape room player. She quickly signed her name.
Across from her, Shen Zhaoqing also took his time reading the agreement before signing it leisurely.
The nearby Assistant Director sensed trouble.
How come they both seem so calm?!
Is this show going to work out…?
Without hesitation, the production team decided to set them up with a high-difficulty escape room.
“The theme of this escape room is an ancient mansion adventure. You two will play as Spirit Seekers, launching a night raid on a mysterious old house to uncover its haunting secrets.”
“Please take your props; we are about to enter the escape room.”
The staff handed them a flashlight and two pieces of talisman paper with strange patterns on them.
Then they blindfolded them and guided them into the escape room.
The temperature in the room was very low, with a chilling wind blowing, and the background noise was filled with the eerie sounds of unknown creatures howling.
"Both teachers can remove their blindfolds now," a staff member's voice echoed from above, accompanied by a crackling sound of electricity.
Xie Mi took off the blindfold, revealing a dimly lit space.
Through the faint green light, it was vaguely visible that they were in an abandoned restroom.
The tiles were stained with blood, and thick black water seeped from the toilet, creating an unsettling atmosphere.
"You are Spirit Seekers, commissioned to investigate this ancient mansion. Since the mansion's front door has been locked for years, you had no choice but to climb through the window into the restroom."
"Now, please find the key to unlock the restroom door and enter the mansion."
The staff member's voice intermittently came through the broadcast.
[My back is chilling in broad daylight.]
[Bullet screen shield!!!]
[They both look so calm, sob sob sob.]
[Mr. Shen is the legendary man who can maintain an 80 heart rate even while bungee jumping; Xie Mi looks like a tough guy. I guess they’re not scared at all.]
"We're going to find the key now..." Xie Mi turned around and unexpectedly came face-to-face with a pale face.
"Ahhhhhhh! What the hell?!"
The female celebrity swore on the spot.
The owner of the pale face—Shen Zhaoqing, who was shining a flashlight under his chin—was startled by Xie Mi's scream, causing him to drop the flashlight.
Splash—
The only flashlight fell into the toilet and disappeared into the black water.
Xie Mi: "..."
Shen Zhaoqing: "..."
[......]
The silence was deafening.
[Thought it was a big shot entering a beginner's village, but it turns out it's a newbie entering a high-end match??]
[No way? You guys?]
[Alright, alright, just now one was calmer than the other, and now one is more cowardly than the other.]
"So you're really scared?" Xie Mi asked through gritted teeth.
Shen Zhaoqing nodded sincerely, "Are you scared?"
"I'm scared to death!!" Xie Mi said the most cowardly words in the strongest tone.
[So why didn't you two just choose a mildly scary option earlier?]
[Two of the most timid people chose the scariest map, okay, okay, okay.]
In the monitoring room, the Assistant Director and others were overjoyed.
This is exactly what they needed for the show!
"Anyway, let's find the key first!"
Xie Mi stormed over to the sink, ready to search, when suddenly a ghostly face appeared in the mirror in front of her.
"Hiss—"
Xie Mi gasped and rolled her eyes as she fell backward.
Shen Zhaoqing caught her.
His long fingers supported her waist, and her head rested against his firm yet slightly elastic chest; the warmth of his breath made her stiff body feel a bit warmer.
It really is about those pectoral muscles.
"Arigato Fei Yang Yang Sang, I feel much better."
He seemed to lower his head as well, his warm breath brushing against her neck and shoulders. "You're welcome, Meiyangyang-san."
The tingling sensation on her neck sent shivers down her spine, and she quickly bounced away from him.
Was it just her imagination, or did his face seem to carry a smile in the dim light?
"We still need to get the flashlight back; otherwise, it's too dark to see anything," Xie Mi said as she rolled up her sleeves and walked over to the toilet.
[What are you doing, you big fool?]
[Wait, could it be what I think it is?]
Before anyone could react, Xie Mi plunged her hand straight into the toilet.
It happened so fast that even Shen Zhaoqing couldn't stop her in time.
[A female celebrity digging into a toilet with her bare hands!!!]
[Xie Jie, you—are my goddess!]
"I got it! Wait, there seems to be something else?"
Xie Mi looked serious as she rummaged around inside and then excitedly pulled out, "It's a key!"
"Wow, this is possible?"
"I thought pulling a toilet was already outrageous, but it turns out the key really is inside!"
Next came two scaredy-cats bravely venturing into a terrifying escape room.
After leaving the restroom, they found themselves in a long corridor that seemed to have no end.
Suddenly, they heard the sound of footsteps echoing in the silent air.
As the footsteps grew closer, their speed increased.
"It seems like there's something ahead," Xie Mi said as she shone her flashlight forward.
To their shock, a ghostly woman in white was rushing towards them.
"Ahhh! Oh my gosh!"
Xie Mi scrambled behind Shen Zhaoqing, accidentally grabbing his abs in the process.
In the chaos, a talisman fell out of Shen Zhaoqing's pocket.
The ghost immediately appeared startled and quickly turned to flee.
Xie Mi exclaimed with delight, "So this talisman is used to ward off ghosts; that makes things easier!"
Upon entering the next room, a Hanged Ghost dropped from the ceiling, and Xie Mi confidently pulled out her talisman.
Then she was grabbed by the ghost.
A voice came over the intercom, "Congratulations to both players for uncovering the secret of the talismans; one is for warding off ghosts, and the other is for summoning them."
Xie Mi replied, "Six."
"Hahaha, this is killing me!"
"Poor Lao Xie, first pulling a toilet and now getting grabbed by a ghost—hahaha!"
"I'm dying of laughter; this sister is truly a variety show goddess!"
With Xie Mi taken away, it was now Shen Zhaoqing's turn for a solo mission.
He searched the room with his flashlight for clues when suddenly a wardrobe burst open, and a ghost in red rushed at him with a shriek.
He took out the warding talisman, but the Red-Clothed Ghost remained unfazed and bound him tightly to a chair with rope.
"Is this bondage play? This escape room is wild!"
"Wait? Where's the sound? Why can't I hear anything?"
It turned out that the microphone clipped to Shen Zhaoqing's collar had fallen to the ground.
The Red-Clothed Ghost took a step forward, whether intentionally or not, kicking the microphone far away.
"Little handsome guy, are you scared?" Her pale fingertips lifted the man's chin, accompanied by an evil low laugh that was utterly chilling.
Shen Zhaoqing lowered his head, his hair covering his brows and eyes, his lips glistening and slightly red, resembling a bullied young lord.
"...I am scared."
"If you're scared, answer me a few questions. If you can't, I'll eat you!"
"I'll tell you whatever you want to know." He still kept his head down, trembling in fear.
"Good. So the first question: why did you come to participate in the show?"
"For love."
"You're lying!"
The Red-Clothed Ghost suddenly cracked her whip against the ground with a piercing sound. "If you don't tell the truth, I'll eat you right now!"
In extreme fear, there are no secrets.
The moment fear occupies the mind, any secret will spill out.
"Speak! Tell me—"
The Red-Clothed Ghost approached him menacingly, her voice becoming sharper and more piercing.
Shen Zhaoqing suddenly looked up to meet her gaze, a hint of interest flashing in his beautiful peach blossom eyes.
The Red-Clothed Ghost was taken aback for a moment.
In the next second, his wrist was grasped, and with a dizzying spin, he pulled her into his embrace.
His warm palm was locked around her waist, and she could feel his hot breath near her ear. "It's the truth."
"Teacher Xie, I'm here to fall in love with you."
The audience didn't expect such a twist while watching a variety show.
They thought it was just two timid souls bravely entering an ancient house; little did they know that after Xie Mi was just grabbed by a ghost, she completely transformed from her earlier timid demeanor and stripped off the ghost's clothes to wear them herself.
Not only did she swagger through the ancient house, but when the ghost rushed at her to scare her, she went into a frenzy and scared the ghost into rolling its eyes back.
It was a complete reversal of expectations.
[Wait, is this sister scared or not?]
[Twists upon twists! Thought it was a big shot but turned out to be a rookie; thought it was a rookie but turned out to be a champion!]
"Was all that fear just an act? Impressive."
"What is she trying to do?"
I saw Xie Mi smoothly navigating through the ancient house, casually exploring all the secret passages, and directly making her way to the room where Shen Zhaoqing was.
Next, she started pretending to be a ghost to scare Shen Zhaoqing and even tied him to a chair.
At that moment, the viewers in Shen Zhaoqing's live stream were terrified, while the viewers in Xie Mi's live stream were laughing hysterically.
"Hahaha, you're hilarious!"
"I seriously suspect that even being 'kidnapped by a ghost' was part of the plan, just so she could turn around and scare Mr. Shen."
"Old Shen looks genuinely scared; come on, Xie Mi, be a decent person."
"Hey, hey, hey, why is it silent now?"
"It seems like they're saying something? Ahhh, I can't hear anything!"
"Huh??? Why are they hugging?!!"
"Oh my gosh!! Turns out Old Shen was acting too!!!"
The audience finally realized.
It turns out these two weren't scared at all; they had been pretending to be scared from start to finish!
The first batch of viewers who were played by the guests appeared.
…
"Aren't you afraid?" Xie Mi was shocked.
If he were truly terrified, there was no way he could have guessed it was her; therefore, there was only one possibility—he wasn't afraid at all.
Shen Zhaoqing lifted the wig that covered his face and met her gaze. "Teacher Xie doesn't seem afraid either."
Xie Mi immediately felt deflated.
Alright, alright, she had been outsmarted.
But such a good opportunity couldn't be wasted.
"Now that we're here, I'll get straight to the point."
Xie Mi got up from his arms and said directly, "On the first day of recording, during the finger-breaking game, you said you came for someone. At that time, I didn't think it was about me at all, but considering what happened later, it seems you were referring to me."
"The initial bumping into each other, the subsequent covert observations, and all the active approaches clearly show that you are very interested in me."
"So here's the question: we don't know each other at all; why would you come on this show for a stranger?"
The mysterious billionaire, who had never shown his face before, was now exposed, and the cost seemed a bit too high.
Facing her series of questions, Shen Zhaoqing maintained a faint smile and waited until she finished speaking before responding. "Teacher Xie is a public figure. I've seen Teacher Xie online and admired her. Is that so strange?"
Of course, it was strange! This character did not exist in the original story, meaning that the plot where Shen Zhaoqing admired her after seeing her online was entirely fictional. If one were to argue that it was a butterfly effect caused by her arrival... she did not believe that a billionaire would fall in love at first sight with a female celebrity simply because she had been acting out online for two days. She never believed in such cliché plots.
"That's true," Xie Mi said, raising her chin proudly. "I have quite the personal charm. It's normal for someone like me—a captivating star who can make flowers bloom and hearts flutter—to attract your attention."
Since he didn't want to tell the truth, she decided to pretend to believe him for now and would investigate further later.
Meanwhile, the other two pairs had also arrived at their respective date locations. Liu Woxing and Qiu Chengye arrived at a luxurious spa cinema, enjoying a top-tier spa experience complete with massages, foot therapy, and steam baths—truly a wellness group. The romantic duo Xu Shuangrong and Xiao Jingxi visited a love-themed art museum and checked out the couple's café upstairs. They engaged in pleasant conversation, their gazes lingering on each other with an ambiguous tension that added sweetness to their outing.
When it came time to settle the bill, Xiao Jingxi took out his phone but was distracted by trending topics popping up on Weibo.
"What is Xie Mo Sha Lu? What kind of celestial product is that?"
"Xie Mi and Shen Zhaoqing's bondage play."
"The contemporary Mr. and Mrs. Smith—both have eight hundred eyes watching."
Xiao Jingxi's smile vanished instantly.
"What's wrong?" Noticing his change in expression, Xu Shuangrong instinctively glanced at his screen in surprise. "Is this Mr. Shen and Teacher Xie?"
"Nothing," Xiao Jingxi said, forcing himself to remain calm as he swiped away the Weibo notifications and settled the bill.
The filming crew began to whisper among themselves. "Mr. Shen and Teacher Xie are trending; did you see that?"
"I remember their group's schedule was something like an escape room, right? It's normal for that to trend; fans love seeing artists scared in an escape room."
"No, no, no! It's their ship that trended!"
"Ah?"
Unable to contain their curiosity, the staff member clicked on the trending topic and saw fans going wild in the comments.
There were countless fan-made videos.
The most popular video had already reached 300,000 shares, titled "[Shen Zhaoqing×Xie Mi] High Sweet Mashup | Ambiguous Bond | Plot Driven."
In the video, Xie Mi and Shen Zhaoqing were in a dimly lit escape room.
She fell back in fright, and he caught her in his arms, leaning down to whisper. She shyly turned away, her eyes downcast and cheeks flushed.
A budding romance.
While being chased by Chainsaw Man, he took her hand and they ran through the darkness, hiding behind a narrow door, their bodies pressed together, breaths mingling.
Emotions intensified.
She was unexpectedly grabbed by a ghost and instinctively called for him; their tightly held hands were forcibly separated, leaving them apart.
The torment officially began.
She transformed from a timid little rabbit into a stunning figure in red, turning back to take revenge by binding him and whipping him with a lash.
A vengeful return.
He pretended to submit but suddenly pulled her into his embrace; the true face of the big bad wolf was revealed—everything was just a ploy to win her back.
A sweet ending.
"Ahhhhhhh!" The staff member couldn't help but let out a sharp squeal. "What an exciting setup!"
Xiao Jingxi frowned and cast a glance over, while Xu Shuangrong also looked over.
"Shh, shh, shh!"
Another staff member quickly covered his mouth. "Keep it down! The most popular ship, Xiao Rong CP, isn't even mentioned on the trending list; instead, the bizarre Xie Mo Sha Lu is blowing up! If the two teachers find out about this..."
Xiao Jingxi and Xu Shuangrong: "..."
Thanks for the invite; they already knew.
Xiao Jingxi's expression darkened further as he clenched his fists secretly.
In the next moment, he looked at Xu Shuangrong with deep affection that couldn't be hidden. "Shuang, can I hold your hand?"
Xu Shuangrong instantly understood; after a moment of surprise, she shyly lowered her head as a blush crept onto her cheeks.
"Don't ask such shy questions."
Xiao Jingxi smiled even more, wrapping his large hand around her small one, gently stroking it with restraint and patience.
"Then I'll take that as your agreement."
As expected, Xiao Jingxi's action of holding Xu Shuangrong's hand excited the fans in the comments.
"Ahhh, they finally held hands!!"
"Leaving a footprint to record Xiao Rong CP's first hand-holding off-screen!"
"And Best Actor Xiao called her Shuang! Did anyone notice? He used to call her Shuangrong, but this time it's Shuang!"
After the CP fans posted the material on Weibo, the trending topic quickly featured the hashtag Xiao Rong CP.
Xiao Jingxi holds hands with Xu Shuangrong
Xiao Rong CP is so sweet
Real CP is the best ship
The Xiao Rong CP fans frantically posted updates under the trending topic to gain traction, but awkwardly, the entry for Xie Mo Sha Lu remained in the top three.
The entry for Xiao Rong only ranked fifth on the trending list.
Unwilling to back down, Xiao Rong CP fans edited today's date content of Xiao Jingxi and Xu Shuangrong into fan-made videos.
"[Xiao Jingxi × Xu Shuangrong] Full of sweetness | Eye contact | Restraint and patience are true love"
"[Xiao Rong CP] Shuang, can I hold your hand?"
"[Dating Show Cut] Xiao Rong CP is truly a gem"
After the videos were released, with collective support from Xiao Rong CP fans sharing and retweeting, their popularity rose quickly.
However, looking back at the viral video of Xie Mo Sha Lu's CP, its shares had already surpassed 500k, a height that was hard to surpass.
Some extreme CP fans were triggered and directly started attacking.
"Celestial Smile": I say, do Xie Mo Sha Lu's bots ever stop? The CP Super Topic can only rank third; I've never seen so many fans before this moment. Do they really think others are fools?
"Pale Blue": At first trying to bind Best Actor Xiao, now realizing he ignores her and trying to bind Mr. Shen instead. Can Da Jie just behave? Will she die if she doesn't market herself?
"Snow in Xiaoshan": You guys are really desperate; you'll ship anything.
This wave of fire attacks immediately slaughtered Xie Mo Sha Lu's trending topic.
However, unexpectedly, the counterattack came quickly and fiercely as well.
【Little Brat】: 6, I was thinking that Xie Mo Sha Lu never mentioned those two names from beginning to end, so what are some fans getting defensive about?
【Is a Fool】: What's wrong with bystanders shipping CPs? If I come across a CP-themed video and then look for materials on Weibo, does that make me a paid commenter? Are you paying me?
【Diga】: Thanks for the reminder, I'm going to follow Xie Mo Sha Lu's super topic now.
【Don't Cut Hair Here】: Laughing to death, imitating others' editing videos, and when no one is as popular as them, they get defensive.
【Creative Yin-Yang Person】: I saw a video of Xiao Rong CP on the subway, and someone behind me reached out and swiped it away.
...
The fans of Xiao Rong CP not only didn't attack Xie Mo Sha Lu, but also provoked bystanders to follow Xie Mo Sha Lu's super topic.
The super topic for Xie Mo Sha Lu quickly surpassed Xing Cheng CP to become second place, closely chasing the first place held by Xiao Rong.
Meanwhile, the official super topic for Human Love Observation Room also started to see a lot of materials appearing one after another.
Today, many fans encountered the show guests in Haishi and eagerly took candid photos to upload.
It was at this moment that an incident occurred.
Xie Mi was in the production team's vehicle and arrived at the next date location with Shen Zhaoqing. As soon as they got out of the car, an egg flew towards her.
Xie Mi quickly reacted by crouching down to tie her shoelaces.
Smack!
The egg hit the unsuspecting Assistant Director right in the face.
And it was rotten.
The Assistant Director was overwhelmed by the smell, rolling his eyes back and vomiting loudly.
"Get that bitch Xie out of the show!"
"Only knows how to climb high branches, worthless trash!"
"Slut! Stay away from our Mr. Shen!”
Their vehicle had long been surrounded by a large group of Haters.
The Haters all wore black masks and held various rotten eggs and spoiled cabbages, clearly prepared and waiting here in advance.
"Yoho!"
Xie Mi was not flustered at all; instead, she casually joked with Shen Zhaoqing, "I didn't expect you to have so many fans!"
Shen Zhaoqing smiled ambiguously, hinting, "Could it be that they are my fans?"
Xie Mi looked up at him, and he happened to look over as well. Unsurprisingly, they were thinking the same thing.
"Bodyguard! Where's the bodyguard? Hurry and stop them!" the Assistant Director shouted angrily.
Before the bodyguards could step in, a group of Haters suddenly rushed forward, snatching the filming equipment and smashing it to the ground without a word. The expensive equipment worth hundreds of thousands was destroyed in an instant. After they finished vandalizing, they ran off, leaving behind a threatening remark.
"If you don't make Xie Mi leave, don't expect to film!"
The Assistant Director was stunned for a few seconds before bursting into tears, "Damn it! This is outrageous! Wah—" He had said he didn't want to work with this crew anymore, but Niu Bi insisted he stay! Stupid Niu Bi, damn it!
As he cried, a pack of tissues suddenly appeared in front of him. It was offered by Xie Mi.
"Why are you crying? Are you so happy that you're in tears?"
The Assistant Director was confused. "What are you talking about?"
The equipment was smashed, his clothes were dirty, everything was a mess, and they couldn't film the show anymore!
"Clean up and get ready for your promotion," Xie Mi tossed the tissues into his arms and turned to get into the car.
The Assistant Director was still bewildered when Shen Zhaoqing approached him.
"Teacher Xie's meaning is..."
Shen Zhaoqing placed a hand on his shoulder, a subtle yet strange smile on his lips. "You are about to reach your peak in viewership."
...
Xie Mo Sha Lu be
Shen Ruoqing's Fans Attack Xie Mi
Xie Mo Sha Lu Live Stream Interrupted
With the sudden interruption of the live stream, the incident where Xie Mi was attacked by Haters quickly trended on social media, pushing down previous trending topics related to their pairing.
"I must be tired": Mr. Shen's fans are too crazy; they smashed the equipment! This means they can't even film the show anymore!
"I didn't provoke anyone": I was watching the live stream the whole time; who understands? I was really scared! At first, I thought it was part of the show, but it got more and more real as I watched.
"Hehe, blame me then": Shen Zhaoqing's fans hate Xie Mi so much; can you still ship this pairing? Because I can't anymore.
"Can't argue back": Enough said; the irrational fans from both sides have already started fighting; it's a mess—this pairing is done for.
"I hate stupid dogs": Is the show still going to film? If it doesn't resume soon, I'm going to watch Xiao Rong instead.
"You just have a mouth": Family, they've resumed broadcasting! Go watch now!
The audience quickly returned to the Live Stream upon seeing the news, only to find that the video quality had significantly degraded. The audio was also much more distorted, clearly not filmed with professional equipment.
"Did you really film this with a phone?"
"It's too shaky; the camera got damaged, so they used a phone instead. Very dedicated, but the quality is really poor."
"Sigh, I was already struggling to get into it, and with such bad quality, I'm tempted to switch to something else."
"Don't rush," Xie Mi suddenly spoke to the camera. She leaned back lazily in her chair, while Shen Zhaoqing, sitting next to her, wore a relaxed smile. The quality of the phone footage was a bit blurry, and without proper lighting, it looked quite dim. Yet, this very imperfection gave them an air of mischievous charm.
"Are you tired of the Sweet Pet Idol Drama? How about switching genres?" Xie Mi propped her chin on one hand, her crescent-shaped eyes sparkling with a smile. "What do you think about a Revenge Drama?"
With this turn of events, Xie Mo Sha Lu completely exploded in popularity. The cP Super Topic surpassed Xiao Rong by five thousand followers to become the top trending topic! The Assistant Director was grinning from ear to ear when they returned to the villa, turning to Director Niu and saying, "Yesterday you ignored me; today I've made it so you can't reach me!"
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