Chapter 18: The Romance Show’s Heart-Throbbing Segment Turns into a Big Boss Recruiting His Minions Live

Yu Yan and Lin Rui held Wen Lingyue tightly. The three of them squeezed together, eyes closed, charging forward.

Only after dodging the wave of arm attacks did the startled Lin Rui and Yu Yan stop screaming.

“…Can you, like, let go of me first?”

Wen Lingyue was almost being choked to breathlessness and forced out, “They’re just the arms of the escape room staff—nothing to be scared of.”

“Aren’t they simulated arms?” Lin Rui froze.

“Real human arms.”

Wen Lingyue exhaled, “I just touched them—they’re still warm.”

Yu Yan: ?
Lin Rui: ?
Audience: ??

What kind of weirdo are you, Wen Lingyue?!

The three turned along a twisted path. This time, Yu Yan and Lin Rui exchanged a glance and, without prior agreement, each grabbed one of Wen Lingyue’s arms.

Wen Lingyue: “…”

Having you two is my good fortune.

The audience couldn’t stop laughing, clutching their stomachs in amusement.

[Yu Yan and Lin Rui—a perfect hidden dragon and crouching phoenix pair]
[The way they hold Wen Lingyue is just like bodyguards]
[To Wen Lingyue, these two are scarier than the escape room NPCs]

Wen Lingyue dragged her two “bodyguards” into a room. The lights came on, and Lin Rui and Yu Yan simultaneously released her.

Wen Lingyue twitched her mouth—sunshine at last, the rain has stopped, and I feel capable again.

Lin Rui, brave in the presence of light, looked around: “Let’s find the clues.”

Yu Yan searched and found a card, reading aloud:
“The fourth digit is the square of the second digit; the third digit plus the first digit equals 13; all digits together equal 31; the first digit is one more than the second; one digit is 0; the last digit is smaller than the first.

What is the final number?”

After reading the puzzle, Yu Yan’s head hurt—what the heck?

Lin Rui held his head, exchanging a glance with Yu Yan. They saw pure confusion in each other’s eyes.

Wen Lingyue rubbed her forehead: “436990. Press it.”

“Ah?” Yu Yan was still out of it.

Lin Rui quickly bent down: “Got it!”

He went to the door and entered the code.

The escape room door swung open.

Yu Yan’s pupils dilated as she took a step back, staring at Wen Lingyue: “What kind of brain do you have?”

Wen Lingyue: “…I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Lin Rui puffed out his chest silently: “Wen Lingyue is a genius!”

Yu Yan looked at him: “Why are you so proud?”

Lin Rui lifted his chin: “She’s my idol!”

Then, Lin Rui dropped to one knee in front of Wen Lingyue, one hand on his chest, slowly spreading the other toward the air: “Wen Lingyue, you are my god.”

“…”

Wen Lingyue wanted to call the police.

She turned her face away, her toes already dug into the floor, gritting her teeth: “Let’s go.”

The audience in front of the cameras shook with laughter.

[This is the first time I’ve seen Wen Lingyue look this miserable]
[The escape room didn’t hurt her, Lin Rui did]
[Lin Rui, let me tell you, a comic guy doesn’t get love!]

In the director’s room, all the staff were holding back laughter. Help!

How can an escape room be this funny!

Fu Xin painfully covered his face, both frustrated and amused: “This isn’t why I designed the escape room!”

Such a terrifying room!
Such difficult puzzles!

It’s meant to let the male guest showcase intelligence and physical strength, but the outcome?

Wen Lingyue single-handedly turned the heart-throbbing segment of the romance show into a live scene of the big boss recruiting minions!

And this is the premiere—can there still be any romantic sparks in the following segment?!

Fu Xin deeply doubted it.

Inside the castle.

The three crossed a stone bridge one by one. The surroundings were dim. Yu Yan and Lin Rui quietly moved forward, holding Wen Lingyue, acting as her bodyguards.

Click.

An eerie red light lit up around them.

Wen Lingyue narrowed her eyes, seeing a thin figure approaching.

“Pei Jingli?” Lin Rui peeked through his fingers.

“It’s me.”

Pei Jingli walked over. Tall, wearing a white shirt, his hair neatly framing his forehead, exuding youthful charm.

Seeing Wen Lingyue and Yu Yan, he asked Lin Rui in surprise, “Have you already rescued two princesses?”

Lin Rui: “……”
Bro, you really know how to sting.

Yu Yan pursed her lips: “Wen Lingyue rescued them.”

Pei Jingli, surprised, saw Lin Rui holding Wen Lingyue’s sleeve and said to him, “Follow me.”

“Cough, cough.”

Lin Rui didn’t want to appear weak in front of a rival, so he released her hand: “Okay, let’s go.”

Sharp-eyed viewers sensed something unusual.

[Pei Jingli is being deliberate—he doesn’t want Lin Rui holding Wen Lingyue]
[Pretty obvious, I bet Pei Jingli likes Wen Lingyue]

Crossing the bridge, a sacrificial altar appeared before them, surrounded by water. The circular altar had iron cages along its edges.

Li Qingqing sat on the cold stone, resting her chin on her hand, bored. Hearing footsteps, she jumped up: “Someone’s coming?”

“Princess, we’ve come to rescue you!”

Lin Rui waved.

The doll-faced Li Qingqing excitedly bounced: “Hurry!”

Wen Lingyue scanned around the altar, seeing the retracted drawbridge and standing arrow targets, pondering.

“There’s writing on the stone tablet.”

Pei Jingli crouched beside her, motioning Wen Lingyue to look down.

She leaned in, reading the text: “The demon king has imprisoned the beautiful princess and sealed her. Only by breaking the seal can the princess be rescued.”

“The seal is here.”

Lin Rui dashed over, pointing to the four circular targets at the corners of the altar. The targets corresponded to each other, forming a seal.

Pei Jingli said, “It seems hitting the targets can break the seal.”

Lin Rui looked at the water around the altar, estimating the distance to the targets: “About five meters.”

Pei Jingli had already taken down a bow and arrows and handed them to Lin Rui: “You go ahead.”

The person he wanted to rescue had already come out.

The task of rescuing the other princesses would be Lin Rui’s.

Lin Rui instinctively looked at Wen Lingyue.

She nodded at him.

Lin Rui’s spirits soared: “Alright, I’ll do it.”

He chose a position, bent the bow, and shot an arrow—

The arrow grazed the edge of the target and flew past.

Missed.

Lin Rui: “……”

Yu Yan chuckled.

“Come on.”

Lin Rui took a deep breath, focused, and shot again.

The arrow skimmed the target, landing in the water.

“……”

Another miss.

Embarrassed, Lin Rui looked at Pei Jingli: “Want to try?”

Pei Jingli was silent for a moment: “Okay.”

He stood tall, drew the bow sideways, his posture straight, arms strong and smooth.

Bang!

The arrow shot out.

Hit the bullseye.

Yu Yan’s eyes brightened.

Pretty impressive.

Pei Jingli turned sideways, drew again, and shot a second arrow.

Bang!

Bullseye again.

He shot a third arrow.

Bang!

Once more, right in the center.

Pei Jingli turned, ready to shoot the fourth, when Lin Rui said: “You’re amazing.”

Yu Yan raised her brows: “He’s hot.”

The audience was even more enchanted—

[He’s not hitting the bullseye, he’s hitting my heart!]
[I declare, no one can resist Pei Jingli’s archery!]
[This must be exactly what the show wanted!]

Indeed.

Springtime for the romance show had arrived!

Fu Xin was grinning from ear to ear, mentally urging: “Yes, yes, one more arrow!”

He refused to believe he couldn’t capture the female guest’s heart!

At this moment, Pei Jingli put down his bow, smiling helplessly at Wen Lingyue: “My arm hurts a bit. There’s still one arrow left—how about you take it?”