Chapter 83
“3! 2! 1!”
With the final countdown falling, the hunters who were just within reach of Xie Mi and Shen Yanqing suddenly stopped chasing.
A huge celebratory sound boomed across the amusement park, and ribbons rained down from the sky.
Xie Mi and Shen Yanqing stood at the very center of the plaza, becoming the focus of everyone’s attention.
“We… won?”
Xie Mi—who was a gaming enthusiast, extremely competitive, and prone to “mental collapse” when losing—instantly burst into joy. She spun around and slapped Shen Yanqing excitedly.
“Old Shen! We won!”
“Hiss.”
Shen Yanqing winced from the sting of her slap, one hand holding his shoulder, but a beautiful smile still spread across his lips. “Looks like Teacher Xie doesn’t have to break down after all.”
“What do you mean by that? What do you mean? I’m famous for having a good mentality.”
“Mm-hmm, yes yes yes, very good, very good.”
“If you keep that up—”
“…”
[Just a passerby here, curious—are they dating?]
[No one’s answering? Then I’m gonna start spreading rumors.]
[Who would’ve thought watching a competitive variety show I’d end up shipping a CP? The strong-duo combo is too sweet.]
[Wait, is this what it’s always like in Love Observation? You guys are eating this well??]
[No, no, no?? Clearly it’s random passersby accusing our show of being chaotic, and now we CP fans get something good, but I’m the one being wronged here!]
[Sweetness is the only word! I’ll say it just once!!]
The game ended, and the director awarded the two winners their prize.
“The reward for victory is… a special privilege! You can either cancel the punishment for the eliminated guests, or you can double the punishment!”
As soon as he said this, all the eliminated guests in the waiting area grew wildly excited.
So they could actually cancel the punishment? That meant they wouldn’t have to ride that giant swing that shakes your brain into mush?!
And so, the flattery began:
“Teacher Xie! I’m your fan!!”
“Mr. Shen! You’re my idol!”
“In my entire life I’ve never seen anyone more outstanding than the two of you!”
Amid the chorus of voices, one stood out clearly to Shen Yanqing’s ears.
“The two of you are simply a perfect match—talented man and beautiful woman, born to be together!!”
Shen Yanqing raised his brows slightly, eyes landing on the actress named Peng Lingdang. The corner of his lips curved. “You really know how to compliment people.”
Peng Lingdang instantly got excited.
But Shen Yanqing followed with, “Unfortunately, I’m cowardly, and I don’t have much say.”
As his words fell, his gaze lazily shifted toward Xie Mi.
Xie Mi, meanwhile, was lost in thought, struck by an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.
Why did this feel so familiar?
Wasn’t this exactly like that scene in the original story?
In the original text, Xiao Jingxi held Xu Shuangrong’s hand and ran to the center of the plaza, but in the very last second, the hunters caught up.
To protect Xu Shuangrong, Xiao Jingxi chose to sacrifice himself, leaving Xu Shuangrong as the final victor.
So, with ribbons flying across the sky, Xu Shuangrong became the center of attention. When faced with the director’s options, she chose to cancel everyone’s punishment.
Everyone cheered for her, and she shared a meaningful smile with Xiao Jingxi in the crowd.
That CP went viral, and Xu Shuangrong gained huge attention as “the only surviving female guest in a competitive program.” She ended up swimming in endorsement deals from sports brands.
…
Now, the plot had changed—she and Shen Yanqing had survived to the end—but the scene still perfectly matched the original.
Was it just coincidence?
[Ding!]
A cold mechanical female voice suddenly sounded somewhere.
[Heroine awakening progress: 20%.]
Xie Mi froze, glancing in the direction of the sound.
And locked eyes with Xu Shuangrong.
The shadows in Xu Shuangrong’s eyes instantly shifted into sincere blessing and a smile full of joy.
“Teacher Xie! That was amazing!”
Xie Mi scratched her head sheepishly.
Don’t tell her this novel world really had some kind of system in it too…
“Teacher Xie, have you made your decision?” The director’s voice cut off her thoughts.
Xie Mi pulled back her gaze and grinned.
“I have!”
The director also smiled.
Although the show thrived on thrills and excitement, he really didn’t dare make these pampered celebrities ride the giant swing ten times.
This part was pre-arranged—to give the production team an out and prevent the celebrities from complaining.
On camera, nobody would pass up the chance to look good. Naturally they would choose to cancel the punishment, making everyone happy.
“Then double the punishment for everyone!”
The director’s smile vanished: “?”
Excuse me?
The celebrities who had just been cheering froze in shock.
Only Shen Yanqing laughed freely, patting the director on the shoulder. “Well? Isn’t she interesting?”
[Satan woke up and found himself only second place on the rankings]
[The two of you are literal grim reapers!!]
Viewers, who moments ago were accusing the show of being too soft, now laughed so hard their heads nearly fell off.
[I almost thought it would be the same old happy-ending routine, but the plot suddenly flipped around]
[Even though I think her choice made the show way more exciting, I’m kinda worried about her getting flamed by other fans]
[Sister Xie, I like your answer, but don’t forget to turn off your DMs]
[Hahaha no way, even though my idol has to take the punishment too, we won’t flame this sister! She’s hilarious!]
[Neither will we! Our idol can take it!!]
But the production team couldn’t take it.
The director forced a steady smile, his pupils trembling madly. “Teacher Xie, are you sure?”
“I’m sure!” Xie Mi beamed.
“Ahaha…” The director turned his head robotically, shooting a murderous glare at Producer Niu and the assistant director offstage.
Those two bastards were covering their mouths, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
Director: Motherf—
Luckily, Xie Mi finally relented.
“How about this? To keep them from turning into idiots, instead of riding the giant swing twenty times, the punishment is to play every single ride in the amusement park once. How about that?”
Shen Yanqing arched a brow, instantly seeing through Xie Mi’s little scheme—that she just wanted to play for herself.
The director still hesitated.
After all, there were over thirty rides in the park, meaning over thirty turns. Compared to that, the giant swing was only twenty.
But the eliminated guests shouted eagerly at once:
“That one, that one!”
“Yes, I’ll take it! I accept!”
“As long as it’s not twenty rides on the giant swing, I’ll do anything!!”
Xie Mi only gave a sly smile.
This was called increasing acceptance.
First you throw out an outrageous option, then when you lower the difficulty a bit, people will happily accept it.
She waved her hand grandly, looking like a martyr heading to her doom.
“I’m willing to accept the punishment with them!”
The words moved everyone to tears.
And Xie Mi, in the process, fulfilled her own wish—getting to play every single ride in the amusement park without waiting in line.
