This sudden turn of events made the smile that had always been on Bai Jin’s face disappear instantly. She had completely forgotten that Gu Qingtong still had this privilege, and even when Gu Qingtong later mentioned using the privilege to unbind their CP1Couple Pairing, Bai Jin thought Gu Qingtong would consider the cameras and the audience and wouldn’t refuse her like that.
However, Bai Jin clearly didn’t understand Gu Qingtong’s stubborn nature. When faced with a difficult person, Gu Qingtong would never back down and would always stand her ground. She was not afraid of anyone or anything. If Gu Qingtong had shown any consideration for Bai Jin before, it was all gone after Bai Jin’s inappropriate remarks and constant targeting of Yan Chi.
Gu Qingtong had no patience or politeness left for Bai Jin, so why would she care about anything? The production team was also surprised and asked Gu Qingtong, “This opportunity is only available once. Are you sure you want to use it here?”
Gu Qingtong replied: “You don’t have to overthink it. I don’t mean that I find you unpleasant. It’s just that you always cling to me and chant scriptures, which makes me feel very awkward and unable to handle it. Besides, given your strong abilities shown in the secret room; you can sweep everyone no matter which group you go to, right?”
Gu Qingtong was essentially explaining to the public. After all, she knew that her actions would inevitably provoke controversy. People might say that Bai Jin was just acting like a child, seeking attention from her. But Gu Qingtong also knew that she had established the “iron straight girl” image from the moment she entered the show, with no intention of developing any romantic relationships with any of the guests. She didn’t need to be subtle; she could be straightforward. Many annoyed viewers would feel the same way.
She didn’t buy into that act at all!
“Gu Qingtong used her privilege to adjust the groups, and Bai Jin was moved from the third group to the first group,” announced Bu Dao again.
Bai Jin, who had been arrogant earlier, couldn’t smile now. The slap in the face came too fast. Just a moment ago, she was mocking Yan Chi, and who could have thought that the next second she would be kicked out of the group by Gu Qingtong.
This sudden reversal left Bai Jin gritting her teeth, and she could hardly say a word. The camera did not let Gu Qingtong hide her choice; instead, it became a restriction on her venting. No matter how angry she was, this privilege was the highest level of the rules, giving her the right to kick anyone out. That was the game’s rules.
Gu Qingtong was straightforward and open about her decision, so if Bai Jin continued to make a scene, she would only look more like a clown. In the end, she could only glare at Gu Qingtong, turn her head, and walk away.
On the other hand, although Wen Ziyao didn’t get his official partner, Chu Yu, he thought again and realized that perhaps the reason their initial CP marketing didn’t work well was that Chu Yu was not popular enough.
How about trying Bai Jin instead? Who knows, it might bring new heat. So, he accepted this arrangement. When Bai Jin left, the most terrified person was Chu Yu. If it had been the previous gossip-filled triangle of infighting, she could have lowered her presence in the group and remained unnoticed. But now that Bai Jin was gone, she was essentially placed directly between Gu Qingtong and Yan Chi!
Others might not know, but she was the only one who was aware of the intimate relationship between the two. Her identity as the third wheel was like sitting in a VIP seat watching a drama unfold. In the past, Chu Yu would have definitely eavesdropped on their conversations.
However, after experiencing the stimulating sounds that night, Chu Yu no longer wanted to be involved in any gossip. She just wanted to go back to being her innocent self, who didn’t know what a women’s contact list was.
Unfortunately, this gossip was pushed right to her face, forcing her to deal with it.
Chu Yu shed tears in her heart for the first time because of her “third-wheel” disposition.
After Gu Qingtong decisively kicked Bai Jin out of her group, she breathed a sigh of relief and finally had the courage to steal a glance at Yan Chi behind her. She wanted to see if the inexplicable grievance that Yan Chi had shown earlier had dissipated because of her actions.
Yan Chi had been looking at her too, and their eyes met. For a moment, a glistening sparkle appeared in her eyes, and she smiled warmly, as if waiting for Yan Chi to praise her.
However, to her surprise, Yan Chi’s gaze shifted silently to Chu Yu, and her lips tightened into a line.
The familiar taste of possessiveness overwhelmed Gu Qingtong. With the previous experience, she instantly understood what Yan Chi meant. Was she getting jealous of Chu Yu again?
Apparently, Yan Chi joined the variety show just to spend time alone with her little friend from her family, showing obvious double standards.
‘Don’t look at me like that! My privileges are all used up!’ Gu Qingtong tried to defend herself.
Gu Qingtong stood in place, pretending to be innocent, and quickly withdrew her gaze as if she hadn’t seen anything. However, the exchange of glances between Yan Chi and her didn’t escape Chu Yu’s anxious eyes.
Yan Chi’s current level of disdain towards Chu Yu was evident, and Chu Yu couldn’t pretend not to see it. She felt desperate, thinking, ‘I don’t want to be with you guys either. Can’t you just let me go?!’
Meanwhile, Director Bu began announcing the afternoon’s live mission: “As you all know, Wushan is a hot spring resort. However, due to our limited budget, we can’t afford to book hot spring hotels for everyone. So, this afternoon’s mission is for each team to earn money on their own to pay for a stay in a hot spring hotel. You can use any legal means to make a profit, but the source of the income must be within Wushan.”
“There are three price levels for the hot springs:
– One hundred for the budget public pool, where many people bathe together in an open-air hot spring, and the rooms are relatively simple.
– Three hundred for the semi-private pool with curtains for two people, and the rooms are standard double rooms.
– Five hundred for a private room with a private hot spring, featuring a custom-made hot spring and a luxurious room.”
The contestants were well aware of the program’s routine, as every time they had to complete tasks to earn money for food and accommodation.
“Each team’s earnings this afternoon will determine which level of hot spring they can stay in tonight. Of course, if any team fails to earn even one hundred, they might have to spend the night on the program team’s shuttle.
In addition, if anyone is unhappy with the grouping results, they can try to find the three hidden challenge points arranged by the program team on Wushan. The first to complete the challenges among the two groups will receive the same privilege as Gu Qingtong, which is the power to freely dissolve a CP.”
Director Bu’s last sentence seemed insignificant, but it immediately put everyone on alert. All the contestants were very dissatisfied with the program team’s grouping. Apart from the chaotic situation caused by Gu Qingtong’s departure, even the seemingly peaceful group of Deng Dongjun and Yu Xi was in a tense situation, constantly arguing since they were put in the same group without any apparent reason from the beginning of the show.
Originally, they were set up as love rivals with quirky personalities, and they were constantly sabotaging each other. The script for the three-person battleground turned into a daily routine of two not-so-bright rookies pecking at each other. Deng Dongjun and Yu Xi urgently needed to dissolve their CP, and they would rather be alone than be in the same group with each other again.
As a result, almost everyone treated finding the three hidden challenge points as the real task for the day, and they disregarded the seemingly simple main task of earning money.
After explaining the task rules, the program team provided each group with a phone, and when they opened it, it showed the live streaming interface. This was the previously agreed-upon live streaming segment. Although the live broadcast was still a few minutes away from the scheduled start time, as soon as they opened the phone, they entered the pre-broadcast phase.
Seeing her own face occupying half of the screen, Gu Qingtong immediately felt the pressure of being an idol. She connected her phone to a selfie stick and adjusted the angle of the camera to show more of the surroundings.
Because the program team did not label the guests in the three live rooms, the fans had to guess and buy a spot blindly. At this moment, when they saw Gu Qingtong appear on the screen, both the “Silent Gaze” fans and the “Yan Chi” fans were delighted because they had chosen the correct live room.
At the same time, the number of online viewers and the barrage of comments rapidly increased.
[Guessed it right! Kisses for Tong Mei!]
[You’re dressed so thick, praising our good girl goose~]
[Waiting for Teacher Yan to appear!]
Seeing the barrage of comments starting to interact, Gu Qingtong knew that these were the viewers who had entered early. She quickly extended her selfie stick to include Yan Chi and Chu Yu in the frame, letting them appear on camera too.
Yan Chi looked up and smiled, becoming the trigger for an explosion of comments in the barrage.
[Teacher Yan looks so gentle today, I’m dying from this smile!!]
[It’s my first time seeing Teacher Yan in a live stream like this. She’s always stunning in any camera angle…]
[Silent Gaze is still in the same group! Thank you, program team, for continuing to tie them together.]
When Silent Gaze appeared together on the screen, the CP fans immediately became lively, engaging in a heated half-and-half war with Yan Chi’s fans in the barrage.
Upon seeing the barrage, Gu Qingtong realized that everyone had misunderstood and quickly explained: “Today, Teacher Yan, Senior Chu Yu, and I are a team doing the task, not just the two of us like before.”
Chu Yu, extremely unwilling, forced a smile in front of the camera and said: “The program team tricked me into this. I have no intention of breaking up your CP!”
The barrage, which was previously confused, burst into laughter:
[Chu Yu is amazing at playing CP! She has already danced her way to Silent Gaze’s side!]
[Haha, please, Chu Yu, you must help us with the assist!]
This statement startled Gu Qingtong, making her jump a little. How did the discussion turn out this way?! She looked at her “melon friend2A playful way to refer to someone who has a crush on you or someone you have a crush on. Term used among friends to tease each other about their romantic interests.” and blinked wildly at her: “What? Teacher Yan and I are just pure teammates!” It was as if she wanted to say, ‘Did you forget about that little pretty boy by the Daming Lake?3Idiom that is used as a playful reminder to someone, usually to tease or flirt with them about a past infatuation or crush they might have had. Don’t joke around’
Yes, it’s merely a pure sleeping relationship!
In her heart, Chu Yu angrily thought, ‘Acting again? If I hadn’t heard that gossip, I might have actually believed it!’ Just thinking about how Gu Qingtong pretended to be innocent while knowing everything made Chu Yu once again marvel at her acting ability.
Seeing that Chu Yu ignored her, Gu Qingtong had no choice but to pretend not to notice the barrage’s excitement and briefly explain the rules of today’s task to the audience. After finishing, she turned to her two teammates and asked: “So, Teacher Yan, Senior Chu Yu, should we go earn money first or…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Chu Yu couldn’t wait and said: “Of course, we should do the challenge first! I can’t wait a moment longer, let’s get going!”
[BIg sister Chu’s survival instinct of not wanting to be a third wheel is overflowing the screen!]
[By the way, isn’t anyone curious about how this CP was formed and why Chu Wen got separated and added to the Silent Gaze group? Can someone tell me?]
“The grouping rules are brand new, so I can’t spoil it. If you’re curious, you can watch the episode after it’s aired,” Gu Qingtong explained.
While speaking, she noticed that Yan Chi had been silent the whole time, so she politely asked her: “What do you think, Teacher Yan?”
As it was a live broadcast, Gu Qingtong intentionally kept a distance from Yan Chi in front of the camera.
In addition, this is not a duo, but with Chu Yu, an outsider, the interaction between the two became even less. Yan Chi instantly returned to her previous icy and distant demeanor towards strangers, remaining silent and only casting a shallow gaze at Gu Qingtong’s back.
At this moment, Gu Qingtong finally remembered something.
Yan Chi was naturally resentful in her heart, but on the surface, she didn’t show any emotions. She just stared at Gu Qingtong’s eyes and said: “No need to ask me.”
Seeing Yan Chi’s demeanor, Gu Qingtong felt a slight tightening in her heart. She didn’t want malicious people to use selective clips to portray Yan Chi as arrogant or unfriendly on the variety show. She quickly explained to the camera: “It seems we don’t need to ask, as the two seniors are on the same page.”
After the explanation, she noticed Yan Chi’s face turning even colder. Gu Qingtong realized that she couldn’t keep ignoring her, so she deliberately walked to Yan Chi’s side and handed her the map of Wushan that the program team had given her.
“Teacher Yan, you have the best sense of direction. Can you help us plan our task route?” Gu Qingtong said, trying to sound soothing.
Afraid that Yan Chi wouldn’t respond again, Gu Qingtong acted a bit coy and finally whispered: “Is, Is this okay?”
Her soft and gentle voice fell on Yan Chi’s ears like warm sunshine, melting the icy feeling and coldness in her heart, like the warmth that soothes frozen fingertips.
When Yan Chi took the map, she finally came back to her senses, realizing that she was easily coaxed. The live chat could only hear Gu Qingtong seemingly say something to Yan Chi, but it was not clear, leaving them frustrated:
[What did you say just now in such a low voice? Let us hear it!]
[Don’t treat us as outsiders! I guess Gu Qingtong asked Yan Chi for a favor and whispered to her!]
Although Chu Yu didn’t hear that sentence either, she could tell that they were whispering sweet nothings to each other. Standing by and watching the two, she felt that if she didn’t take some action, Yan Chi might assassinate her sooner or later.
So she took the initiative and said to Gu Qingtong: “I can see that you’re struggling to carry the water. Why don’t you and Yan Chi look at the map together to find the route, and I’ll take care of hosting the live broadcast?”
Her intention to assist was quite obvious, and the live chat immediately became active:
[Quick, say thank you to big sister Chu!]
[This is so touching. The whole program team is helping, but only the clueless Silent Gaze is still acting stubborn and unhappy.]
Indeed, this suggestion was a good choice for Gu Qingtong.
But under the teasing of the live chat, she felt especially embarrassed and caught in a dilemma. Just then, Yan Chi’s light and clear voice, as refreshing as a cold spring, came through: “Let’s do it together.”
Hearing Yan Chi calling her over in front of the live audience, even though it wasn’t a flirtatious move, Gu Qingtong inexplicably blushed at the tips of her ears and replied in a dazed manner: “Oh… okay.”
[Although it’s a bit awkward….why does it feel quite sweet? Have I been brainwashed by the way Silent Gaze interacts?]
Chu Yu knew that the audience in the live chat only wanted to see the two of them, so she played the role of a human tripod and aimed the camera at the two of them standing side by side while drawing the map.
Although they said they were looking at the map together, Yan Chi was actually marking the spots where the program team might have hidden challenges with a pen. Gu Qingtong couldn’t understand where they were, so she pretended to understand, nodding frequently. However, her attention was inexplicably drawn to Yan Chi’s fingers holding the pen.
Yan Chi’s fingers were fair, slender, and well-defined at the joints. Her originally jade-like hands seemed to have a hidden sharpness because of a few raised veins on the back of her hand. Her nails were also meticulously trimmed.
One of Yan Chi’s hands supported the map from below, holding the pen between three fingers, with only her pinky resting against the paper. As she pressed the map slightly downwards, a small groove appeared on the paper.
Gu Qingtong wasn’t initially someone who had a particular fascination with hands, but by chance, she came across a video montage of Yan Chi’s fingers. As she watched the video, she inexplicably blushed and her heart raced.
At this moment, staring at those fingers from such a close distance, even Gu Qingtong herself was amazed by how much longer and more elegant they looked than in the video. They were indeed fair, but not dry, and even the fingertips emitted a hint of nobility, like a perfect work of art.
As if sensing Gu Qingtong’s gaze, Yan Chi’s pinky finger moved slightly. Then, her writing hand paused, and the knuckles of her index and middle fingers moved subtly, causing the pen to change direction.
Gu Qingtong was startled by the after image created by the pen’s movement and looked up, coincidentally meeting Yan Chi’s slightly narrowed eyes.
“Have you finished looking at it?” Yan Chi casually asked as she uncapped the pen and placed the cap back on the other end, the lines of her fingers clearly visible during this action.
“Ah…?” Gu Qingtong reflexively made a questioning sound, but then quickly realized that Yan Chi was asking if she had finished looking at the map! She hurriedly clarified: “Yes, I-I have finished.”
Yan Chi gazed into Gu Qingtong’s eyes for a long time, and then left with a mysterious remark: “No rush, take your time to look later.”
After putting the pen back into her pocket, Yan Chi started to move.
The viewers in the live chat, witnessing their conversation, felt inexplicably stirred:
[Wait, weren’t they talking about the map? Why does it feel a bit strange and even a little subtle?]
[Yeah, it’s the first time I’ve seen a CP with such an atmosphere by just standing there without saying much!]
[Our restrained mature beauty, Teacher Yan, is truly amazing…]
Indeed, Misty Mountain was vast. The reason there were no other tourists in the area where they were filming the show was that that small section had been reserved exclusively for the program.
As they walked out, more and more people started to appear, and the atmosphere became more like a tourist area. Almost all the tourists recognized Yan Chi and were looking in her direction, quietly discussing among themselves.
She’s really famous! I’ve never been recognized by anyone before. If I were her, I’d feel the burden of being an idol!
Curious, Gu Qingtong glanced at Yan Chi to see her reaction. However, Yan Chi seemed completely accustomed to being the center of attention wherever she went, not even bothering to look at the crowd.
Although it was a hidden challenge point, it wouldn’t be in some obscure corner. Since they were given a map, they must be searching for suitable scenic spots.
Yan Chi’s first choice was the “Fate Tree,” a popular attraction for couples in Misty Mountain. It consisted of two trees growing twisted and intertwined together. According to the legend, writing the names of two people on a wooden plaque and hanging it on the Fate Tree would bring good luck to their relationship.
Many young couples strongly believed in such traditions, seeking peace and harmony through rituals like hanging wooden plaques on the Fate Tree. However, Gu Qingtong was not one to put much faith in such things.
Since it was related to couples, there was a high possibility that this location would be the challenge point. Following the signs along the mountain path, they walked downhill. The snow on the outer roads had been cleared to the sides for pedestrians, but a thin layer of ice had formed, making it slightly slippery.
Walking on flat ground or climbing stairs was manageable for Gu Qingtong, but when she faced a somewhat steep downhill slope, she hesitated and couldn’t bring herself to go down.
Overcome by fear and dependence, she reflexively used her usual soft, coquettish voice to speak to the figure in front of her who had already started descending: “Yan Chi, I’m scared…”
At that moment, she realized they were live-streaming! She had just called Yan Chi’s name in the same manner as when they were alone together, using such a tone!
She immediately regretted it and tried to silence herself, but it was too late. Chu Yu turned around, holding her phone, and there was a hint of exasperation in her eyes as she pointed to a barrage of messages on the screen.
[As expected, Gu Qingtong only forgets about forced flirting when she’s scared.]
[She even forgot to call teacher Yan, it seems she’s really frightened…]
[Teacher Yan, hurry up! Go hold her, cuddle her! Look, Tong Mei is scared and starting to act coquettish!]
Gu Qingtong stood alone at the top, flustered and said: “I, I…I didn’t mean it like that.”
But before she could finish her sentence, Yan Chi had already reached out her hand. Yan Chi’s eyes were fixed on the steep slope ahead, as if she was simply offering assistance. “You can’t manage to come down by yourself, right?”
Clamping her lips tightly, Gu Qingtong’s face turned crimson, but she remembered the rule of not flirting in front of the camera and the boundary she had inadvertently crossed just now.
No, she couldn’t do it! If she held Yan Chi’s hand now, there would be no way to deny it later!
She had to pour cold water on these shipper fans and make them realize that there was nothing going on between her and Yan Chi.
It’s just a small slope, right? Both of them ran down a few steps earlier. She could do it too, as long as she didn’t look at the steepness and focused on rushing down!
With this in mind, her brain heated up, and she tightly closed her eyes, taking a big step and rushing downward.
“Thud!” Instead of landing safely, she directly bumped into Yan Chi.
Gu Qingtong looked flustered and raised her head, suddenly realizing that this scene seemed familiar. It was just like the first time she met Yan Chi in the hospital, rushing into her arms in a similar reckless manner. Unlike the slight coldness Yan Chi showed back then, she now looked at Gu Qingtong helplessly and said: “Why did you have to do that? You ended up crashing into me.”
Gu Qingtong truly thought she was dashing towards Yan Chi, and the embarrassment overwhelmed her.
She could only stand up and stammeringly explain: “I-I’m sorry… I thought closing my eyes would make me less afraid.”
She didn’t know what had happened, but the audience watching the livestream saw everything clearly. It was Yan Chi who noticed Gu Qingtong’s blind dash, and in fear of her tripping, she reached out towards her direction to catch her.
[How clumsy…yet also adorable! It feels like the atmosphere from the amusement park earlier, ah, ah.]
[Teacher Yan, you were clearly worried about her. Lies can deceive people, but your reflex just now couldn’t fool anyone!]
[Please, I beg you guys, stop being reserved and start flirting already!]
In critical moments, “Silent Gaze” would always become sweet. After the little incident, the two of them, one in front of the other, remained silent without any interaction.
After walking for another ten minutes or so, they finally reached the legendary Fate Tree scenic spot.
As expected, it was a must-visit spot for couples, and it was indeed dreamy and beautiful. The Fate Tree was adorned with a silver-white appearance, with frost-covered branches wrapped in red strings and wooden plaques. All the wooden plaques swayed slightly in the wind.
Beside the FateTree, there was a wooden box with a sign indicating that the wooden plaques could be taken from it to write the names of the two people and hang them on the tree.
As expected, the program crew was sitting under the tree, clearly waiting for everyone. It seemed that this place was indeed a challenge point.
The sign on the table clearly displayed the rules:
“Task 1, Fate Tree Telepathy Challenge. Form pairs for the challenge; one person is responsible for writing something on the wooden plaque and hanging it on the tree, while the other person has five minutes to find the wooden plaque. Once successful, both participants are considered to have completed the task once.”
After reading the rules, when she looked at the Fate Tree filled with wooden plaques in front of her, Gu Qingtong was dumbfounded and immediately protested: “Five minutes? Is that even possible for anyone to find it?!”
“Which is why it’s a telepathy challenge. If you can’t find it, it means there’s no telepathy,” replied the program staff matter-of-factly, and then they suddenly chuckled and said mysteriously: “This Fate Tree is quite magical. There’s a legend that says if two people are in love, the wooden plaque hung by one person will eventually be found by the other.”
Gu Qingtong sneered at this claim and clearly didn’t believe it at all. She thought it was something meant to fool three-year-old kids. She didn’t think this challenge could be completed within five minutes.
Since it was Chu Yu who wanted to apply for a team change, she was the first to step forward to take on the challenge. Chu Yu was naturally afraid of Yan Chi and wouldn’t let her be her assistant. She only asked Gu Qingtong to help her write the wooden plaque. When Chu Yu and Yan Chi turned their backs, Gu Qingtong took a wooden plaque.
When she got the wooden plaque, Gu Qingtong obediently wrote her name “瞳瞳4Tongtong” on it. If it were a regular day, she might have also written a few of her online pseudonyms, but now that she was on the show, she knew she should cover up her little secrets. To prevent team members from intentionally going easy on each other, the staff didn’t allow Gu Qingtong to casually hang the wooden plaque on the outside. She had to find a spot inside the tree to hang it.
As the timer started, Chu Yu quickly moved through the branches and wooden plaques, searching for Gu Qingtong’s wooden plaque. Gu Qingtong anxiously watched her on the livestream, holding her phone and helping with the broadcasting.
Unnoticed by anyone, Yan Chi walked to the side of the small box that provided the wooden plaques in the scenic area. She took a wooden plaque tied with a red string from inside the box. Without a word, she used the pen she had used to mark the map earlier and quickly wrote something on the wooden plaque. Then, she held the plaque in her hand, leaving just a bit of the red string visible between her fair fingers.
“Five, four… two, one, time’s up!” With the countdown from the program staff, it was finally announced that Chu Yu had failed.
“I told you it was impossible. All those legends are fake. Why would the program team come up with such a task based on such nonsense?” Gu Qingtong muttered.
Although Chu Yu was somewhat disappointed, she knew from the beginning that the game was challenging, and the hope of success was slim. She said: “It’s okay, we still have two more points to find. Let’s go and look for them.”
However, at this moment, Yan Chi suddenly spoke: “I’ll participate in the challenge as well. If I succeed in both tasks, I can also help Chu Yu leave.” It seemed like a casual offer of help, but only Chu Yu knew that Yan Chi had been planning to kick her out of the team for a long time. She was only acting calm and collected in front of the camera to conceal her romantic relationship with Gu Qingtong.
What a convenient way to use the excuse of helping Chu Yu leave for her own benefit!
Although Chu Yu saw through Yan Chi’s intentions and couldn’t help but mock her inwardly, her ultimate goal was also to leave the group. If Yan Chi could genuinely help her, she would be more than happy to accept it.
Thus, the countdown started again. Yan Chi had to find the wooden plaque within five minutes, but Chu Yu had already gone through it once, and it was evident that it was an almost impossible task to complete.
Gu Qingtong watched as Yan Chi disappeared into the ice crystals and white snow-covered branches. For some reason, her heart skipped a beat, and the words spoken by the production team resurfaced in her mind: “If two people are in love, the wooden plaque hung by one will eventually be found by the other…”
Even though she didn’t believe it, why did a small glimmer of hope suddenly rise within her at this moment?
Yan Chi had her back turned to everyone, reaching out to touch and search through the wooden plaques on the tree. It seemed like she was trying to find something. However, no one noticed that as she lowered her hand, the hint of red string had disappeared between her fingers.
It seemed impossible to find it… As Gu Qingtong watched Yan Chi slightly tilt her head and search through the branches, she felt somewhat relieved.
[The production team is really tricky; with so many plaques, it’s impossible to find anything. They even keep what Tong Mei wrote a secret from the guests; how can they expect them to find it?]
[Is teacher Yan going to fail for the first time?]
[I feel like something is amiss… Maybe we just haven’t noticed yet. Look at teacher Yan’s composure; after all, she is the forever unbeatable goddess.]
“There’s one minute left, pay attention to the time, don’t miss it.”
Just as the production team entered the last-minute countdown phase, it seemed that Yan Chi had finally found what she had been searching for. Her steps came to an abrupt halt, and her gaze fixed on something, suddenly revealing a glimmer of light.
Finally, she reached out and took one of the wooden plaques.
“瞳瞳.” She pronounced the name written on the plaque and turned around, smiling gently at Gu Qingtong: “I found it.”
At the moment she called out “Tongtong,” everyone was momentarily stunned, thinking she was using Gu Qingtong’s nickname, assuming their relationship had become so intimate. But a moment later, they suddenly realized that it was the name Gu Qingtong had written on the wooden plaque.
Gu Qingtong’s breath seemed to stop for a moment, and her heart felt as if it was being blocked by something. Her hand clenched at her side.
How could it be… she really found it?
She stared blankly in Yan Chi’s direction, unable to see anything else around her, focusing only on Yan Chi.
If two people are in love… will they find each other?
“I found it,” Yan Chi said.
The distance between the two was neither too close nor too far, and the snow-white surroundings seemed to weigh down on them. The peach wood and red string swayed gently in the wind.
In Yan Chi’s eyes, there was an unusual sense of persistence. In Gu Qingtong’s eyes, there was hope and yearning.
For each other, it seemed like they could only see each other.
But in the next second, the production team suddenly made a grand announcement, revealing the answer:
“While we said that fate and affinity might exist, finding it within five minutes is almost impossible. Teacher Yan must have discovered the secret!”
Gu Qingtong was completely pulled out of her reverie and the words the production team said earlier echoed clearly in her mind, leaving her completely stunned once again.
A secret? What does that mean?
Faced with the production team’s inquiry, Yan Chi pursed her lips and remained silent, but she tightly held the wooden plaque she had taken down.
Without getting an answer from Yan Chi, the production team felt somewhat awkward and had to explain it themselves: “The plaques here only have red, blue, and yellow backgrounds for the borders, but the ones provided by our production team have green borders. Teacher Yan must have noticed it just now, right? Otherwise, she wouldn’t have found it in just four minutes. Anyway, Yan Chi and Gu Qingtong have completed the task!”
Because even the production team didn’t believe that someone could really find it within five minutes without using the color as a clue.
Gu Qingtong realized that she had been played around with once again, and she had actually naively believed that silly legend. She almost felt foolish for being so gullible.
At that moment, Gu Qingtong was filled with a sense of powerless anger and stomped her foot in frustration. What was she thinking? Yan Chi didn’t say anything, and what did she and Yan Chi have to do with being in love? They were both adults, yet she was still daydreaming like a young girl, indulging in romantic fantasies! It must be the fault of that inexplicably ambiguous atmosphere just now!
However, in her state of annoyance, she didn’t notice the somewhat silent expression on Yan Chi’s face. Yan Chi had been holding onto the wooden plaque with “瞳瞳” written on it, and she didn’t let go of it.
The live chat noticed Gu Qingtong’s expression, and it almost made them burst into laughter again:
[Was Tongtong fooled by the production team just now? She had that super fangirl expression for a moment, I’m dying from laughter]
[And, when the production team exposed the truth, Tong Mei’s daydream seemed to be shattered, hahaha!]
[What a cute little devil Tong Mei is! She didn’t believe it at first, but when she saw it, she believed it. Production team, you’re wicked!]
After hearing the production team’s explanation, Chu Yu suddenly realized and gradually understood the trick. They always liked to create seemingly impossible and absurd rules to intimidate and scare people, but once you figured out the trick, it became quite easy to achieve.
“Let’s go, let’s go to the next task point!” Chu Yu couldn’t wait to complete the two tasks and leave as soon as possible. However, she didn’t notice the sudden silence between Gu Qingtong and Yan Chi.
As the three of them continued walking, they reached a turning point, and Chu Yu walked ahead on her own. When Gu Qingtong was about to pass by, Yan Chi’s footsteps paused, and she suddenly spoke up:
“If I say that I really saw your name and found ‘瞳瞳,’ would you believe me?”
