Chapter 15: Wen Lingyue Appears — Secret Escape Edition of the Dating Show?!

The live chat exploded with discussion.

【Wen Lingyue would never appear on a dating show】
【Go to sleep, stop dreaming】
【If Wen Lingyue shows up, I’ll literally eat my keyboard】

The director’s voice sounded at just the right moment: “Let’s welcome this season’s mysterious guest—”

Everyone turned their eyes to follow.

The camera cut to the castle gates opening.

Wen Lingyue appeared.

She wore a simple T-shirt and jeans, casual and youthful like a college student who had accidentally wandered onto a filming set, yet the sight stunned everyone into standing.

Wen Lingyue?!

Millions of viewers in front of their screens were dumbfounded.

Wen Lingyue waved at the camera: “Surprised? Shocked?”

Countless viewers clutched their chests, letting out squeaks of excitement.

So unexpected!

The mysterious guest was none other than Wen Lingyue!

【Wen Lingyue really came!!】
【I’m kneeling, production team, you’re amazing!】
【The production team is ruthless—they kept this from us so long】

Lin Rui stepped forward, eager and blinking: “Sister Lingyue, please sit here.”

His skin was creamy, a small red mole on the tip of his nose, and when he looked at someone with his glistening eyes, he resembled a little puppy.

The audience, still recovering from their excitement, screamed again at this sight:

【The little puppy is making the first move!】
【Lin Rui and Wen Lingyue make a great match!】

Wen Lingyue nodded, then gestured to the others: “Everyone, please sit.”

Her casual, natural manner resembled a leader on an inspection.

The production team’s director twitched the corner of his mouth.

The vibe was… unusual.

Wen Lingyue sat down and surveyed the surroundings: “This house is quite strange.”

Strange? How so?

The other guests looked around curiously.

The director interjected, breaking their curiosity: “All the guests for this season are present. Next, we’ll have a small game to let everyone get to know each other.”

“Ladies, please stand.”

Wen Lingyue, Yu Yan, Jiang Yurou, and Qiong Qingqing rose.

The director handed them four pink badges.

Wen Lingyue read the badge aloud: “The Distressed Princess of the Castle.”

“Yes, please wear your identity badges.”

Once said, staff came on stage and led the four away.

The director then handed four blue badges to the male guests.

After they wore them, he said: “Your identities are knights who will rescue the princess. Now, each of you, choose a princess to save.”

Actor He Ran shrugged: “Easy, watch me.”

“Good luck.”

The director gave a cryptic smile and waved; all staff exited the castle.

The castle gates slammed shut.

All power was cut off, plunging the castle into complete darkness.

The four male guests: ??
All viewers: ??

【Is this a dating-show version of an escape room?!】
【Of course, it’s a ‘Heart-Throbbing’ castle—thrills and tension guaranteed】
【Does anyone care about Lin Rui? He’s terrified of the dark】

Meanwhile, the live stream split into eight screens, each showing a guest’s perspective.

A subtitle appeared:

【Night vision mode activated. Choose a guest’s stream to watch】

Most viewers clicked on Wen Lingyue’s stream.

Inside her stream:

Ghostly green light illuminated an iron cage suspended in the air.

Wen Lingyue sat inside the rusty cage and removed her black blindfold.
Silence surrounded her. She squinted at the cage’s security lock. After a moment of thought, she closed her eyes and rested—

Already here, might as well nap first.

Viewers who had just entered Wen Lingyue’s stream froze.

【Wait, she’s going to sleep already?!】
【Wen Lingyue is so effortlessly relaxed!】
【The cage swings at this height, yet she chooses to nap! I’m impressed!】

In the castle’s dark hall:

Lin Rui tried to push open the castle gates, but they didn’t budge.

He muttered: “Am I on a dating show? The production team really thought this through.”

Pei Jingli remained calm: “We need to rescue the princess. Let’s go upstairs first.”

The four ascended, but not far before seeing the stairs blocked.

Zhou Huailang pulled the lock: “Let’s look for clues and solve the puzzle.”

“Let’s go!”

Lin Rui, too scared to back down, puffed out his chest: “I’m saving Sister Lingyue!”

Zhou Huailang glanced at him, saying nothing.

Suddenly, a doll’s head flew toward them.

“Ah—!”

Lin Rui leapt in the dark, grabbing Zhou Huailang: “What the hell?!”

Audience: …

【With your courage, you should just watch yourself first】
【I’m rooting for Pei Shili! This male guest is calm. Lin Rui is half-dead from fear and can’t react at all】

Together, they searched for clues to unlock the door. The four then split up, beginning the solo missions to rescue the princess.

Various terrifying and brain-teasing events unfolded, and the castle echoed with the guests’ screams.

Viewers watching laughed out loud—

Only the production team could do this!

With an opening like this, who wouldn’t have their heart racing!

At the castle’s top floor:

Wen Lingyue yawned lazily during a short rest: “Still no one? These guests are slow.”

【If you can save yourself, don’t complain】
【The production team is ruthless, Lin Rui is already trying his best】
【No one who hasn’t done anything has the right to mock】

Better rely on myself.

Stretching, Wen Lingyue took a black hairpin from above her head. She threaded her fingers through the cage bars, grasped the rusty European-style padlock, and inserted the straightened hairpin into the keyhole.

With a few casual twists, the lock clicked open.

Wait, what just happened?

Wen Lingyue’s movements were so smooth and effortless that viewers hadn’t reacted in time.

Only when she pushed open the cage did everyone realize—

The lock actually opened!!

【A single hairpin unlocked it—did a human really do this?】
【Is this a professional locksmith with 20 years of experience?】
【Opening the lock while suspended in midair is extremely dangerous!】

Crew members panicked and asked Director Fu Xin: “Should we activate safety measures?”

The plan was for the male guests to lower the cage and rescue Wen Lingyue.

But now the cage was open midair; if she slipped, it would be extremely dangerous.

Fu Xin watched Wen Lingyue’s calm demeanor, suppressing his anxiety: “Notify the props team to be ready to lower the cage at any moment.”

The cage door opened. Wen Lingyue moved to the edge. The suspended cage swayed with her movements, the chains at its four corners clinking crisply.

Everyone’s hearts leapt.

Fans were going crazy.

【Why isn’t the production team doing anything?!】
【Wen Lingyue is risking her life! And the directors are just watching?!】
【Safety first! Rescue her now!】

Fu Xin took a deep breath and was about to speak when Wen Lingyue crouched, grabbed one corner’s chain with her right hand, and leapt down.

Oh no!

Fu Xin’s blood ran cold.

The cage shook violently. Wen Lingyue held the chain with one hand, sliding down gracefully. When she reached the chain’s end, she was less than half a meter from the ground.

She let go—landing safely.

Every move was light and elegant, like a classical dance performed midair.