Chapter 111
Time rewinds to half an hour earlier.
In fact, even before waking the female guests, the production team had already given the four male guests their mission.
The men’s task was to find the car keys hidden in the hotel and then hand them over to the female guest they wanted to team up with.
As long as the female guest accepted the key, the pairing would be successful.
But Xiao Jingxi played a dirty trick.
During the key-searching phase, he pretended to be careless and locked Shen Yanqing in the hotel’s linen closet.
Then he came looking for Xie Mi, deliberately tossing the key to her—knowing she didn’t understand the rules. As long as she caught it, they would become a team.
He just hadn’t expected Shen Yanqing to be ruthless.
Using the tools available in the linen closet, he dismantled the door lock on the spot, then sprinted all the way from the 5th floor to the 12th floor.
To save time, he didn’t even take the elevator.
It only took him 1 minute and 39 seconds.
The abandoned cameraman only caught up now, panting heavily, the camera trembling with the effort.
[Holy crap, Old Shen is handsome]
[Just joined and I’m confused—why is this guy running so fast first thing in the morning?]
[His wife’s about to be stolen, how could he not run?]
[Whew, thank god he made it! I was dying of anxiety. Xiao Jingxi, you sly dog—knew Old Xie wouldn’t choose you so you tried to cheat]
[Good thing Mr. Shen has those long legs. An ordinary guy would never have caught up]
[Hahahahaha look at Xiao Jingxi’s face—like he just ate shit. So satisfying]
Xiao Jingxi’s face was ashen.
Seeing this scene, Xie Mi understood everything instantly.
“Xiao Jingxi, you trying to trick me?”
Xiao Jingxi quickly came up with a “reasonable” excuse.
“Didn’t you want to set out early? I was only giving you the key according to your wishes.”
“That’s your reason for locking me in the linen closet?”
Shen Yanqing lazily picked up the thread, lips curving into an oh-so-innocent smile, “Teacher Xie, he locked me up.”
“I didn’t know you were inside!”
Xiao Jingxi rushed to defend himself, “I just happened to lock the door. I didn’t know anyone was in there.”
“Oh really? So what you’re saying is you’ve got this great habit—most people just close doors casually, but you like to casually lock them?”
“Yeah, what’s wrong with that?”
“Even when it’s someone else’s door?”
“…Yeah.”
[Xiao Jingxi, are you serious right now?]
[Shameless much?]
The viewers began to scold Xiao Jingxi’s shamelessness, saying he was obviously guilty yet still trying to find excuses.
Meanwhile, his fans were scrambling to defend him. Some even tried moral blackmail: “Our Brother Xiao just has a habit of locking doors, please respect people’s habits.”
At times like this, someone needs to cut through the nonsense.
Shen Yanqing glanced at him with interest, then slowly let his eyes fall on Xie Mi.
“Teacher Xie, what do you think?”
Without hesitation, Xie Mi pointed at Shen Yanqing.
“You’re better-looking than him. Your face is your logic.”
Xiao Jingxi’s expression instantly soured.
[HAHAHAHA “face is logic”!]
[How does she come up with this stuff—does she have a death wish?]
[Old Xie, aren’t you worried Xiao Jingxi will just jump off the building now?]
[Xiao Jingxi: goes downstairs—without the elevator, without the stairs]
Shen Yanqing let out a low chuckle, “Plain-broth Boss, huh?”
[Hot-broth Boss!]
[Spicy-broth Boss!]
[Yin-Yang-broth Boss!]
[Seaweed-soup Boss!]
Xiao Jingxi’s fans completely lost it, turning their anger on Xie Mi, but were soon beaten back by the sheer combat power of Xie-bro’s fans.
Xie Mi weighed the car key in her hand, then looked at Shen Yanqing, “So we’re a team now?”
He raised a brow, neither confirming nor denying.
“So we can set off first then?” She turned to the PD.
The PD finally no longer looked guilty, “Yes. Whoever finds the key first and successfully pairs up gets to leave first.”
“So today’s game is about speed, and the ones who leave late will be at a disadvantage?” Xie Mi pressed.
The PD nodded. “That’s right.”
“I see…”
Xie Mi’s lips slowly curled into a wicked grin. She exchanged a meaningful look with Shen Yanqing.
Then, in perfect sync, the two turned to look at Xiao Jingxi.
Their gaze made him uneasy; he instinctively stepped back two paces.
But Xie Mi had already picked up the car key from the ground and walked over to him, “This is yours, right?”
“Yes, it’s mine.”
His expression softened slightly as he reached out to take it, “I knew you wouldn’t really be cruel to me…”
“Off you go!”
Xie Mi suddenly swung her arm like a wrecking ball, spun ten times, and flung the car key a hundred thousand miles away.
Xiao Jingxi’s eyes went wide, his hand shooting out instinctively.
But the key had already landed at the end of the hallway.
Right then, the elevator doors opened. Out stepped Yu Jinzhe, who spotted the key on the floor and smiled sweetly.
“I found a key.”
[Aaaahhh baby is amazing!]
[The elevator opens and—bam!—a key. Heaven itself favors little Jinzhe!]
Xiao Jingxi: “??”
Before he could react, Xu Shuangrong also stepped out of the elevator, “It really is a car key. You’re so lucky.”
Yu Jinzhe nodded obediently but didn’t mention teaming up.
He had wanted to team up with Xie Mi, but when he looked up, he saw her already paired with Shen Yanqing at the far end of the hallway.
The boy’s eyes darkened. Petulantly, he handed the key to Xu Shuangrong.
“Team up?”
“The rules allow teaming?”
Though puzzled, Xu Shuangrong still smiled, “Sure.”
Xiao Jingxi: “???”
Not only had his key been stolen, even his backup partner had been snatched away?
While he was breaking down, the viewers were busy discussing this new pair.
[Xu Shuangrong and Yu Jinzhe? Interesting combo]
[The Rong-Yu CP actually kinda works]
[Wait, Yu Jinzhe invited Shuangrong to team up? What’s going on—I thought he liked Xie Mi?? Hahahahaha]
[See, I told you it was scripted! No way three people would like Xie Mi when she has zero feminine charm. Must’ve been the producers forcing Yu Jinzhe to like her. Now he’s realized his true feelings are for Shuangrong.]
[Damn, sis upstairs makes sense!]
[Of course. I’m a veteran variety-show watcher. I can spot a script instantly.]
[I’m so hyped, I need to go check Xie Mi’s livestream. Her face must be priceless right now.]
But when the Shuang-fans gleefully hopped into Xie Mi’s stream…
What they saw was—
A messy-haired figure in an Ultraman pajama set, dragging Shen Yanqing by the arm, sprinting full-tilt toward the parking lot.
The comments section exploded in laughter.
[HAHAHAHA Sister Xie’s running like the devil’s on her heels]
[I thought being the first team meant she could sit back and watch the drama—nope, the second another team formed, she bolted faster than a ghost]
[Play all you want, but don’t ever joke about winning or losing with Sister Xie]
