Chapter 25: Deep-Fried Locusts

After Bai Yu secured the back seat of the bus, the male director from earlier climbed aboard too and plopped down in the seat next to him.

Bai Yu glanced at the camera—thankfully, it was turned off. He asked, “Director Liao, I didn’t see any segment about drawing a hidden card in the script?”

Director Liao laughed and explained, “We saw fans shipping you two in the livestream comments, so we added it on the fly. All for the sake of the show, you get it.”

Bai Yu frowned, now visibly annoyed. “If it was added last minute, why wasn’t I told?”

Director Liao patted his shoulder. “Don’t be mad, Teacher Bai. We thought it’d be better to catch your genuine surprise on camera. Adds a bit of mystery to the team switch, you know?”

It was too late to change anything now, and Director Liao had already given his reasoning. Bai Yu couldn’t press further.

No point making a fuss in the last episode.

Besides, Liao Wu was a renowned variety show director in the entertainment industry. He might need to work with him again someday.

When the crew arrived at the final filming location, the sun had just set.

The set and game props had already been arranged, and the cameras were ready. They were just waiting for the guests to arrive to start the live broadcast.

The group got off the bus and pretended to chat enthusiastically as they walked toward the set.

The cameras followed them to the designated area for the final round of games.

The last segment was divided into three mini-games.

As soon as the guests saw the rules for the first round, a collective groan rose up.

Because the first game… was eating bugs!

“You’ve got to be kidding—again?!”

“I knew it! Director Liao’s favorite thing is making us eat bugs and filming our painful expressions to get laughs.”

“They’re literally building comedy on our misery! What kind of bug is it this time?”

“When the staff brought the tray earlier, one fell off—I saw it. Looked like a fried locust.”

“Hell no! That’s my worst nightmare!”

Of course, the bugs weren’t alive—they were deep-fried locusts.

Director Liao, unfazed by their complaints, ordered the cameramen to capture their reactions and began loudly reading the rules.

“Team members will be blindfolded. One will feed, the other will eat. The team that eats the most in the allotted time wins.

Note: Any locusts dropped on the ground don’t count.”

While others looked horrified, Bai Yu appeared totally unfazed. He even took the blindfold from a staff member without hesitation.

He hadn’t eaten in a while—he was actually craving it.

Foxes are omnivores with broad dietary preferences.

Locusts were among the acceptable snacks—not a staple food, but more like a human’s potato chips.

So the reason he was so willing was simply because… he was hungry.

But Yin Qing didn’t know that.

Seeing Bai Yu blindfold himself and calmly take the “eating side” position, her eyes lit up.

She hadn’t expected him to be so cooperative—her “mission” was about to become much easier.

She flexed her slightly stiff fingers and put on her own blindfold.

“All teams in position. Countdown: three minutes. Game start!”

At the director’s shout, all teams began the “blind-feeding” challenge.

Bai Yu precisely ate each locust Yin Qing fed him.

And he seemed to genuinely enjoy them.

In stark contrast to the other teams’ twisted expressions of horror, Bai Yu looked like he was having a gourmet meal.

Yin Qing’s fingers, already a bit stiff, almost couldn’t keep up with how quickly he was eating.

In the final two seconds, she fed him the last locust from the tray.

He accurately chomped it down as well.

But after just one bite, he frowned deeply. Still, he chewed and swallowed.

He thought: Did the props team over-fry that one? So damn bitter.

Since he didn’t know that was the last locust, he instinctively opened his mouth again, waiting for the next.

But Yin Qing, aware the tray was empty, stopped feeding.

Director Liao shouted through a megaphone, “Time’s up! Please report your totals…”

As expected, Bai Yu and Yin Qing won the first round.

The second round began shortly after.

By the time it was all over, it was the middle of the night.

Bai Yu returned to the hotel booked by the production team.

There was still a wrap-up interview and farewell ceremony scheduled for the next day. Only then would the variety show be officially finished.

Once inside, he parted ways with his manager and assistants and went straight to his room.

Normally, his first move upon returning to any hotel was to shower—he was a bit of a clean freak.

But today, he rushed into the bathroom not to clean up…

…but to throw up.

On the way back, he’d already felt something was wrong.

His stomach churned like he’d eaten something rotten.

Which confused him.

He didn’t have an ordinary digestive system—he was a fox demon.

Food poisoning? Gastroenteritis? Impossible.

But he didn’t have time to think about it. He was now vomiting so hard he was starting to question life.

And since demons convert food into energy very quickly, he couldn’t even throw up anything solid—just the bottle of water he’d forced down on the ride back to suppress the nausea.

When he finished, he flushed the toilet.

But then he paused.

Floating in the bowl was a small black bug, about the size of a pinky nail.

Bai Yu didn’t think much of it—probably a mosquito or something that had fallen in. Without hesitation, he hit the flush.

Whoosh—the bug vanished with the water.

He stood up straight, ready to rinse his mouth.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

“Teacher Bai! Are you in there?”

It was Yin Qing’s voice.

Bai Yu frowned. He was feeling like death and didn’t want to deal with her.

Besides, the cameras weren’t rolling—there was no need to be polite.

But before he could respond, the knocking intensified.

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

“Teacher Bai, I know you’re inside. Why aren’t you answering?”

“Are you alright? I brought medicine for your stomach. Take it and you won’t throw up anymore.”

Bai Yu’s brows furrowed deeper. How did she know I threw up?

“Bai Yu, open the door.”

The knocking continued.

Irritated, Bai Yu grabbed his phone to call his manager and ask her to kick the woman out.

But before he could dial—

The knocking stopped.

Bai Yu clicked his tongue and tossed his phone onto the bed, ready to change clothes and shower.

Then—

Click.

The sound of the door unlocking echoed through the room.

The door swung open.

Bai Yu’s eyes widened.