Chapter 78
Rhythm Land Zone.
In the greenery, three people lay flat on the ground, only three pairs of eyes peeking out, secretly observing.
They saw a tenor singer shrieking in dolphin pitch while running, with a hunter in black hot on his heels.
Only after they were far gone did Xie Mi sharply retract her gaze.
“Stay here,” she ordered.
As soon as the words left her mouth, she suddenly darted out of the greenery, sprinted across to a tree opposite, and with both arms and legs launched herself up the trunk in one swift move.
The two tag-alongs in the greenery looked at her with worship in their eyes.
Peng Lingdang: “Teacher Xie is so cool, like a fierce big ox.”
Sangzan: “I think more like a flying cockroach.”
[Nice compliment, but maybe don’t compliment next time.]
[Not a single good word in there.]
[Old Xie Mi’s tree-climbing skills must be at least ten years in the making.]
[Girl, what are you doing with that beautiful body! You’re a star!!]
Starlet Xie Mi crouched on the trunk, shifty-eyed, scanning her surroundings.
The original text mentioned that Rhythm Land had six code cards in total, most hidden in high places.
She swept her gaze in a circle and quickly locked onto a few suspicious spots.
Lamp posts, the roof of a newsstand, a helium balloon floating in the air — all potential hiding places.
Just as she was about to climb down with her goals in mind, she suddenly spotted some familiar figures hiding behind a statue.
“This card is mine, why should I give it to you?” Lai Bingxuan clutched the card tightly behind her back.
Qiu Chengye hissed angrily, “I clearly saw it first! You just rushed out and snatched it!”
Liu Woxing, standing at Qiu Chengye’s side, said nothing — clearly used to this kind of scene.
“Rules say whoever grabs it first keeps it. Anyway, I’ve got this one. Go find another,” Lai Bingxuan refused to back down.
Qiu Chengye pressed forward, “I’m not giving this up either. If you won’t hand it over, I’ll just take it.”
“You dare!”
Meanwhile, the comments in the livestream chat was exploding.
[Aren’t these three from the same dating show? Internal strife?]
[Or maybe… they were never united to begin with.]
[Honestly, the smart move now is to hurry and find the next card. Arguing wastes time and draws hunters’ attention.]
[Still, the guy saw it first, I saw it too!]
[Seeing it first doesn’t mean anything. It’s a competitive game. The girl grabbed it, why should she let go?]
[Honestly, this girl leaves a bad impression.]
[This world is just one big Edinburgh.]
The conflict escalated. Qiu Chengye suddenly reached to snatch it. Quick as lightning, Lai Bingxuan head-butted his chin, then ripped the card in half and shoved it into her mouth.
Liu Woxing, who had been spectating, hurried to stop her. “Miss Lai, you can’t eat that.”
“Don’t mind me. I like it this way!”
“Spit it out!” Qiu Chengye lunged, trying to pry her mouth open.
But Lai Bingxuan wasn’t soft either — she whipped off her shoe and banged it on his head. For a while, they were locked in a messy brawl.
[Huh?? Male and female guests brawling??]
[Didn’t they come from a dating show? Why so savage!!]
[What dating show — this is clearly a madness show.]
[Viewers from “Love Observation” are used to this.]
[Wait till a hunter shows up, then they’ll calm down.]
The chat’s prediction came true. Their racket drew over a hunter.
When the hunter charged, the three panicked and scattered. Qiu Chengye ran especially fast, gone in an instant.
But hunters always go for the closest target first, so Liu Woxing, lagging behind, was inevitably caught.
“Liu Woxing OUT!”
[Didn’t this guy say at the start he’d protect the ponytail girl, keep her by his side? Yet the second a hunter came he ran the fastest!]
[LOL, Qiu Chengye didn’t protect Liu Woxing — he used her as a shield.]
[Wait what? Weren’t they supposed to be a CP? I saw people shipping “Qiu x Liu CP” earlier… and this is what we get??]
[Don’t say it. I was a Qiu x Liu CP fan. My heart is shattered.]
Leaving Liu Woxing behind, Qiu Chengye not only felt no guilt, he even blamed him for being too slow, shaking his head at the camera.
“We could have both escaped. It’d have been fine letting Lai Bingxuan get caught. He just didn’t keep up with my thinking.”
Saying that, he peeked out from under a table to survey the area.
The hunter was gone, but Lai Bingxuan had disappeared too. He’d have to find another card.
Suddenly, his pupils shrank.
There was Lai Bingxuan — sprinting straight toward him, with two hunters hot on her heels.
Qiu Chengye quickly ducked back under the table, clapping a hand over his mouth, gleeful.
With two hunters chasing her, Lai Bingxuan was doomed.
But the next second, the table he was hiding under got shoved aside.
Qiu Chengye: “?”
Lai Bingxuan stood right before him, making no effort to run. The two hunters behind instantly caught them both.
“Lai Bingxuan OUT!”
“Qiu Chengye OUT!”
Realizing what happened, Qiu Chengye roared, “Lai Bingxuan, are you crazy?!”
Lai Bingxuan smirked, “If I can’t live, nobody lives.”
[HAHAHAHA this girl’s mental state is beautifully broken.]
[Why does this feel so satisfying?]
[She literally baited the hunters on purpose. No need for that, right?]
[And yet you still took the bait.]
[She can play however she wants.]
Unnoticed on the roof of the newsstand, Xie Mi had witnessed the whole drama. But she wasn’t idle — the moment the hunters looked away, she jumped down and dove into a bush.
Then, stretching out a hand, she plucked down the balloon tied to a bench.
Her livestream chat was all laughter.
[This girl’s a ninja, popping up here, then there.]
[Earlier in Lai Bingxuan’s feed I kept seeing a shadow bouncing in the background. Came here to check — sure enough, it’s Sister Xie.]
[Better investigate, she’s probably got a side gig.]
Pop!
Xie Mi popped the balloon bare-handed. Sure enough, a card was inside.
Beaming, she stashed it away and prepared to regroup with her tag-alongs — when suddenly, the bush she was hiding in was parted by a hand.
Lai Bingxuan: “……”
Xie Mi: “……”
Big eyes stared into small eyes.
Normally, hunters wouldn’t check inside bushes, so she hadn’t thought twice about popping the balloon.
But Lai Bingxuan, who hadn’t yet gone to the holding room, had noticed.
“Someone’s hiding there?” Qiu Chengye called, looking over.
Still freshly eliminated, he was in full “revenge against humanity” mode, eager for more casualties.
Xie Mi cursed inwardly. Her brain spun furiously, trying to figure a way out. Just then, Lai Bingxuan closed the bush back over.
“No one there.”
As she turned to leave, she muttered quietly, “Under the wisdom tree lies the fruit of wisdom.”
Xie Mi’s eyes widened in an instant.
That was the code written on the card Lai Bingxuan had grabbed!
