Chapter 17
#MonkeysPlayingInWater#
#RomanceShowTurnsIntoCrazyShow#
Director Niu never expected that his carefully planned romantic pool date would end up trending with such abstract hashtags.
He finally realized the seriousness of the situation.
At this rate, Xie Mi really would single-handedly turn this romance variety show into a crazy variety show.
It was time to do something.
So, the production team urgently adjusted the schedule, moving up the 1V1 date day that was originally planned for two weeks later.
“Today is 1V1 date day!”
The next morning, Director Niu stood proudly in the living room to announce:
“Six guests will be divided into three groups. Each group will go to one of the three date venues arranged by the program and spend the day on a date!”
“How are the groups decided?” Liu Woxing asked.
“Good question.”
Director Niu pulled out his phone, tapped a few times, and then all six guests’ phones rang at the same time.
They each took out their phones and saw that Director Niu had created a group chat and added them all in.
The group chat name was…
“Location-Sharing Hide-and-Seek?” Xu Shuangrong asked.
“Yes, location-sharing hide-and-seek. That’s today’s game.”
“All six of you will go hide at the same time. After ten minutes, I will randomly pick one person to be the [Seeker]. The [Seeker] must catch everyone within the set time in order to win.”
“While hiding, everyone must turn on location-sharing in the group chat. This means the [Seeker] can see everyone’s position in real time and use that to find you.”
“The winner of the game can choose who they want to date first, and the chosen person cannot refuse.”
“That’s the grouping rule.”
[This is fun!]
[But if you can see the location, then you know exactly where everyone is, how can anyone hide?]
[That’s why there’s a time limit. If you keep hiding until time’s up, you’re safe.]
[The Seeker can see your location, but you can also see theirs. While they chase you, you can also dodge based on their location. It’s mutual.]
[So people who are athletic have an advantage—if you can run fast, even if they see you, they can’t catch up. Right?]
[Exactly.]
[Trust Director Niu to come up with this stuff.]
“What’s the hiding range?” Xiao Jingxi asked the key question.
Director Niu: “Inside the estate.”
The LoveDetective villa was located in a manor, with lush lawns, a serene lake, and dense woods.
“What’s the time limit?” Qiu Chengye asked.
“One hour.”
Director Niu held up a timer. “From the moment you all step out that door, I’ll count ten minutes. After ten minutes, I’ll assign the [Seeker], then start a one-hour countdown.”
“Does ‘caught’ mean just seen, or must they touch you?” Shen Yongqing asked.
“Touch.”
In other words, as long as you can run fast enough—you’re invincible.
Once all the rules were clear, the production team gave ten minutes for strategy and prep, also providing a map of the entire manor.
“Who is Teacher Xie planning to pick?”
Xie Mi was busy studying the map when Shen Yongqing’s voice sounded in her ear.
She turned her head.
Today, he wore a relaxed pale-blue hoodie, resting one arm on the table, propping up his sharp jawline, smiling with utmost gentleness.
Well, well, the gentle “white moonlight.”
Too bad Xie Mi wasn’t buying it. “Don’t bother guessing, sis has no answer.”
Brushed off, Shen Yongqing wasn’t annoyed at all. “If Teacher Xie doesn’t know who to pick, how about choosing me?”
“Give me one reason.”
“Because I want to team up with Teacher Xie.”
The moment the words landed, several gazes snapped toward them.
Shocked.JPG
Was that… a date invitation?
[Damn, is this a confession?]
[Does Mr. Shen really not just find her a novel species, but actually like her?]
[Xie Mi: With all due respect, what the hell?]
[Don’t overthink. There are only three female guests. Xu Shuangrong already has a CP, Shen and Liu Woxing have zero interaction, so Xie Mi’s the only option left.]
[Why’s it so hard to admit Mr. Shen likes Xie Mi? Even I, a bystander, can tell his gaze isn’t simple. Y’all would argue even if the sky fell.]
Xie Mi narrowed her eyes, her mind racing.
After a moment, she revealed a meaningful smile. “Alright, if I win, I’ll pick you first.”
Xiao Jingxi’s head immediately snapped toward her.
“Then it’s settled. Teacher Xie, don’t ditch me.”
“Rest assured, not a chance.”
…
Preparation time ended. The game officially began.
All six guests grabbed their phones, turned on location sharing, and went out to find hiding spots.
Ten minutes later, hiding time was up. Director Niu announced the Seeker in the group chat.
[Director Niu]: Let’s see who the lucky one is.
[Director Niu]: It’s decided, you! @XiaoJingxi
[Xiao Jingxi]: Okay.
[Director Niu]: The one-hour countdown begins now! Please immediately start finding the others!
Xiao Jingxi started moving.
Everyone could see his avatar moving on the map.
[Qiu Chengye]: Hahahaha I’m pretty far away. But @XuShuangrong you better watch out, you’re the closest to him now.
[Xu Shuangrong]: Hmm… if Jingxi catches me, I’ll just accept it.
[Xie Mi]: You could at least try running, maybe change spots now.
[Xu Shuangrong]: I don’t think I can outrun him.
It had to be said, the production team thought this through.
They picked Xiao Jingxi, who works out regularly, as Seeker, so he wouldn’t be too slow to catch people.
Just when everyone thought Xu Shuangrong would be the first victim, Xiao Jingxi made a surprising move.
He ignored the nearest Xu Shuangrong and instead ran in the opposite direction.
[Qiu Chengye]: Where’s he going? Someone over there?
[Liu Woxing]: Zoom the map out. Yeah, there is.
The farthest avatar from him, almost blending into the edge of the map—Xie Mi.
Was this guy targeting her? Skipping the closest one just to go after the farthest?
[I’m dying, this is hilarious]
[Didn’t even hesitate to spare Shuangrong. If that’s not love, what is?]
[Hahahaha such clear favoritism]
[Clearly the Movie King’s fed up—finally a chance to get back at Xie Mi]
[Shen Yongqing]: Teacher Xie, go in peace.
[Xie Mi]: Excuse me, what?
[Shen Yongqing]: Don’t be afraid. If you lose, I’ll pick you.
But the moment Shen Yongqing sent that, Xiao Jingxi’s avatar on the map started darting forward like a wild horse—straight-up a 100-meter sprint.
[Xie Mi]: Damn, this kid’s got horsepower.
[Xie Mi]: I’m not feeling well, logging off now.
On the map, Xiao Jingxi’s avatar drew closer and closer to Xie Mi’s, until the two finally overlapped.
Everyone thought they knew what was coming—waiting for Director Niu to announce Xie Mi’s elimination.
Instead, they saw Xiao Jingxi’s question.
[Xiao Jingxi]: @XieMi Did you vanish into thin air?
