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The director of the program panicked instantly. They were still live streaming, and if anything happened to the guests, he would be held accountable. He immediately instructed the medical staff on standby to check on Wen Shijin’s condition.
After a chaotic scramble, the medical personnel conducted a quick but professional examination with their equipment. They assured Wen Shijin, who wore a serious expression, that he was in excellent health, with no issues expected to prevent him from living a long life of 80–100 years if no accidents occurred.
Wen Shijin: “…”
“It’s likely due to excessive nervousness, excitement, or emotional stimulation causing an increased heart rate. This is within the normal range for a healthy person. Relax and stay calm—just follow this young lady’s example.”
The “young lady,” Ning Qingyan: “…o_O O_o?”
The others burst into laughter, and Gu Si joined in, laughing heartily.
The three male leads had strong self-control and composure. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be destined to dominate their respective fields in the future.
After the initial surprise at Ning Qingyan’s transformation and her stunning appearance, the three men quickly regained their calm. However, prolonged eye contact still caused a hint of nervousness.
With the medical staff’s instructions complete, they left with the unused stretcher and equipment.
The game resumed.
The director’s clear voice came through the earpieces of all the guests:
“The queen, fearing that the princess and princes would find the antidote and survive, has sent knights to search the forest! You must avoid the knights, find the antidote, and locate your CP partner.”
As the director’s prompt ended, everyone realized that finding the antidote was only half the challenge. The knights were another obstacle, requiring cooperation first and competition later, much like the previous mission.
Each with their thoughts, they headed into the dense forest. A massive green screen covered the area, indicating that future missions would likely take place here. The program wouldn’t invest so much in the forest set otherwise.
The moment the four entered the forest, faint whistling and subtle vibrations reached their ears.
Wen Shijin crouched and placed his ear to the ground, listening intently before rising and calmly brushing off the dirt on his hands. “I hear many hoofbeats coming from the southwest, around the 8 o’clock direction. They must be the knights sent by the queen. We should run deeper into the forest.”
Ning Qingyan trusted Wen Shijin completely and ran toward a wooden hut not far ahead. “Let’s hide in the hut first. Apart from the hut, there’s nowhere else to hide—they’re on horseback, and they’ll have a clear view of everything around.”
Her rational analysis convinced everyone to follow, and soon they were inside the hut. With the door closed, the windowless room was plunged into darkness.
The four sat against the wooden door in a line, bracing it with their weight.
Gu Si raised an eyebrow and clicked his tongue. “This program is really something. Knights? They even got real horses?”
Ning Qingyan frowned. “Given the current situation, we can’t confront the knights directly. They’re on horseback, so we can’t outrun them.”
Wen Shijin, as calm as ever, analyzed, “Since the program made the knights so formidable, they must have significant weaknesses we can exploit. Otherwise, this task would be impossible to complete.”
Just as he finished speaking, the whistling grew louder. Soon, the sound of hooves passed by the hut, followed by the whistle fading into the distance. Silence returned.
Huo Qi’s cool voice broke the silence: “Their weakness is the whistle that reveals their position wherever they go. We can use that to hide in advance.”
The others nodded in agreement.
“Let’s see if there’s anything in the hut. The program must have placed some clues here since this is the only hut near our starting point,” Wen Shijin said, standing and moving cautiously in the dark.
Ning Qingyan stood up as well but stumbled as if tripping over a body. She let out a small cry and fell forward. Huo Qi instinctively caught her, his arm wrapping around her slender waist, pulling her into his chest.
In the darkness, heightened senses amplified touch and scent. The soft and fragrant sensation brought back memories of the previous night’s truth-or-dare game, where a blushing Ning Qingyan lay beneath him, her nose and cheeks pink. Huo Qi stiffened completely.
Green Tea System: “Huo Qi’s favorability +1.”
While Huo Qi’s embrace was spacious and cool, Ning Qingyan, who thought she had stepped on a corpse, reflexively grabbed Huo Qi’s chest.
The firm, round, and slightly protruding sensation fit perfectly in her hand. She instinctively squeezed it with a puzzled expression.
Ning Qingyan: “??? What… is this?”
Huo Qi’s earlobes turned red, and his usually cold voice carried a hint of embarrassment. “Don’t… don’t touch there.”
When told not to touch, Ning Qingyan became more curious. She slid her hand along the buttons of Huo Qi’s shirt and pulled out… an apple.
Ning Qingyan: “…”
Huo Qi’s voice dropped even lower, filled with tension: “The makeup artist told me to stuff apples in my chest. Otherwise, the gown wouldn’t fit properly… Ahem, are you okay?”
Blushing, Ning Qingyan awkwardly stuffed the apple back into his shirt and stepped away. “I’m fine, fine. I think I stepped on something that felt like a corpse.”
At that moment, the lights in the hut turned on. Wen Shijin stood by the switch, looking at the spot beside Ning Qingyan’s feet. “Is this an NPC extra?”
Everyone turned to look and saw a dwarf dressed in a skirt lying on the floor. His face was pale, lips purple, and blood trickled from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. He was half the size of an average person.
“!”
Facing the grim sight, Ning Qingyan jumped back in fright. Huo Qi instinctively steadied her and shielded her behind him. “Don’t worry; it’s fake,” he said in an unusually soft voice.
Gu Si watched Ning Qingyan cling to Huo Qi before walking over to pull her aside. “Ning Qingyan, can you have some backbone? You’re clinging like a scared little sister—shameful.”
Relieved to see the familiar, teasing Gu Si, Ning Qingyan latched onto his arm and laughed. “Little bro has to be scared to highlight how mighty Big Bro is.”
Gu Si smirked lazily, not bothering to push her away. “At least you’re self-aware.”
In the live broadcast chat:
As the live chat filled with laughter, the group in the hut examined the dwarf’s body for clues…