Pei, Chop

The director came in from the back wearing pink flip-flops, his face blazing with fury.

He glared resentfully and angrily at Shen Yan and Bai Jing. "The game has now entered the forced-love segment!"

[What the hell is that?]

[Did I hear that wrong?]

[Forced! I love it! How forced? Hurry, hurry, hurry!]

The furious director held up his megaphone in one hand and pointed at Shen Yan, Bai Jing, and Xie Li with the other.

"You, you, and you! You have now been forcibly imprisoned by the Ghost King! No resisting! The three of you have fainted!"

Bai Jing was just about to ask a question.

The director cut her off. "Shut up. No talking, no moving. You've fainted!"

Bai Jing: ...

[HAHAHAHA, so that's what forced means! Got it, got it!]

[Forcing the guests chasing the Ghost King to faint and get locked up—truly forced.]

The staff carried over three large iron cages.

Without another word, the director shoved each of them into a cage. "Get in there!"

He turned to the Ghost King. "Begin!"

The Ghost King, who had nearly been chased breathless, staggered forward while panting and rolling his eyes. "Heh, hehe, hehehe... If, if you want to, to, to save your, your lo-lo-lover, then..."

[HAHAHAHAHA!]

[This really is making things hard for the Ghost King.]

[The Ghost King is about to fall apart. He just wants to lie down and rest. Shen Yan chased him until he was nearly out of breath—I can testify that he ran seventy-two laps around this courtyard.]

Bent over with his back hunched, the Ghost King gasped for breath.

He did not have even a trace of a Ghost King's imposing presence.

Even Rickshaw Boy, after pulling a rickshaw for ten days without a single meal, would have looked more intimidating than him.

Unable to bear it any longer, the director yanked the hood off the Ghost King's head, pulled it over his own, strode forward in two steps, planted his hands on his hips, and burst into wild laughter.

"Hehehehehe!

"To save your lovers, you must exchange your most precious possessions.

"Otherwise, they will all become this king's dinner!

"Hahahahaha!"

The director threw himself into the performance.

Pei Heng raised his axe.

[I'm so ready for this!]

[President Pei, chop!]

[First there was Chenxiang splitting the mountain with his sacred axe to save his mother; now there's President Pei chopping the director with an iron axe to save his darling wife! A legendary tale for the ages!]

Lu Xingchuan was still simmering with rage over Shen Yan saying he could not do it.

He rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward. "What precious possession? How do we exchange it? I'll exchange it right now! I can trade everything!"

After saying that, he shot Shen Yan a vicious look.

I'll show you whether I can do it or not!

Shen Yan: ...

He kept his eyes closed and forcibly remained unconscious.

The director laughed heartily. "What is the most precious thing? Naturally, what each person treasures most differs. On your way here, you must have seen countless corpses.

"They are all this king's dinner!

"Their lovers were unwilling to give up what they valued most, so they gave up on rescuing them.

"And you...

"I'll give you three minutes to think. After three minutes, if you do not bring me your most precious possession, this king will kill them!

"Hahahahahaha!"

[After hearing you speak, I have heard you speak.]

[So what exactly is the most precious thing?]

After the director finished speaking, staff members carried over three treasure chests.

One was placed in front of each of Lu Xingchuan, Pei Heng, and Song Qianshan.

"Inside are the things you value most." The director said, "Hand them over to this king within three minutes."

Lu Xingchuan was the first to crouch down. He tugged at the lock on the treasure chest, then belatedly remembered—had Pei Heng just said he had two keys?

His eyelid twitched.

Lu Xingchuan looked at Pei Heng.

It should have been perfectly reasonable for him to ask Pei Heng for one key, right?

After all, the game arranged by the production crew was supposed to give every guest one key.

It was Pei Heng who had violated the rules first and obtained extra keys through improper means, which was why he did not have one.

The thought flashed through his mind, and Lu Xingchuan calmly said to Pei Heng, "President Pei, give me a key."

[???]

[Where is your shame?]

[Why can't he ask? If Pei Heng hadn't gone crazy, Lu Xingchuan definitely would have found the third key.]

Pei Heng looked at Lu Xingchuan in disbelief. "What do you need a key for?"

Lu Xingchuan froze, nearly thinking he had misheard. He immediately patted the treasure chest beside him. "To unlock it. We have to open it within three minutes, or we can't save anyone."

Pei Heng looked even more incredulous. "Why would you use a key to unlock it?"

[Good question!]

[That's ridiculous. What else would you use if not a key?]

[As everyone knows, President Pei has never used a key to open a single lock on this show.]

Crack!

With one swing of his axe, Pei Heng split the treasure chest open.

After chopping it apart, he still looked at Lu Xingchuan with a puzzled expression. "Why would you need a key to unlock it? Is it because you don't have the strength to use an axe?"

Lu Xingchuan: ...

He stared dumbfounded as Pei Heng bent down and pulled a card and a silver pouch from the chest.

Then he turned to the director. "That works too?"

The director said nothing.

Which meant he tacitly agreed.

The camera zoomed in on the card in Pei Heng's hand.

[Give all your money to the Ghost King to gain a chance at rescue. Stroke your lover three times to wake him.]

[Ahhh, oh my god, this is so exciting!]

[Where will he touch him? How will he touch him? Hurry up, I want to see!]

[Damn it, why isn't President Pei's lover Shen Yan? Wuwuwuwu, my Jury wants to see President Pei touch Shen Yan.]

[Shen Yan fans, get lost. This is a dating show. Every pair of guests has a chance at romance. Stop dancing so ugly in someone else's group.]

[Domineering CEO top x soft, adorable young celebrity—such a perfect ship, they're made for each other!]

The comments erupted. Pei Heng raised the money pouch in his hand and gave it a shake toward the director. "This is all my money?"

The director replied, "Mm-hm."

With a smile, Pei Heng tossed the pouch to the director.

[Damn, that move was insanely cool!]

[That toss made my legs go weak!]

The director staggered half a step back and caught the pouch.

Then he let out a cold chuckle. "You are actually willing to give up your wealth for your lover. It seems you truly are in love? Then this king wants to see whether you have what it takes to take your lover out of the cage!"

Pei Heng turned and asked Song Qianshan, "Do you need my help?"

Song Qianshan now understood that the key in her hand was not for opening the treasure chest, but the cage.

Knowing she did not have Pei Heng's strength, she smiled gratefully. "Very much."

Pei Heng raised his axe and brought it down.

Crack.

Song Qianshan's chest was opened as well.

She swiftly pulled out a small iron box and a card.

[Give all your health to the Ghost King to gain a chance at rescue. Kiss your lover three times to wake her.]

[Ahhh! Why? Why does Song Qianshan have to have an ex-boyfriend? Otherwise, I'd ship them!]

[Why can't you ship them just because she has an ex-boyfriend? Wouldn't it be even more exciting if the niece got turned gay?]

[One sentence woke the dreamer?]

"I am willing to offer up my health." Song Qianshan stepped forward and handed the iron box to the director.

The camera landed on Lu Xingchuan's face.