I'll be watching you

The manor stood on the family's privately owned Emontiana Mountain and covered a considerable area.

Following the winding road up the mountain, one passed a large ornamental grove and hot springs beside the northwest gate. In front of the main residence lay another beautifully maintained garden, filled with rockeries and landscaped grounds, where flowers, plants, and unusual trees complemented one another. It was perfect for exploring.

The young female staff member wore her hair in a ponytail. Holding cue cards, she stood in front of the fountain, out of the camera's frame.

She smiled. "One guest will be a little late for personal reasons, and two others are still doing their preliminary interviews. But this game won't decide anything important, so feel free to start exploring."

The rules were simple. The production team had hidden prepared cards throughout the manor, and the guests were to find them while chatting and giving the audience a tour.

Naturally, nobody objected. They had only just met and didn't know what to talk about yet, so the production team's arrangement was just right.

Ten minutes later.

"Ah, why are there penalty cards too?"

Shi Zhou looked at the card cleverly concealed on a rockery. He had happily retrieved it, only to open it and find the words: [Penalty card]

"The guest who finds this card will prepare a lavish dinner for everyone..."

Before he could finish reading, everyone burst out laughing.

-Poor Zhouzhou. He found three cards, and two were "Thanks for playing," while the other was a penalty.

-But everyone left the cards lower down for the girls. Otherwise, his chances of finding a reward would definitely have been better.

-Hahahaha, they were just talking about height. Shi Zhou and Zheng Yu seem about the same height, and our Zhouzhou was the first to charge over when he spotted a card up high. And then, hahahahaha!

Oh well. Those leaps up the rockery must have looked pretty cool. At least I lived up to my 180 centimeters. That was all Shi Zhou could tell himself for comfort.

[179.6]

The system leisurely twisted the knife.

Shi Zhou: "..."

"It's okay, Zhouzhou. At least you proved yourself." Seeing Shi Zhou's pitiful expression, Lin Yuxi struggled to hold back her laughter as she offered her friend some "comfort."

After all that joking, everyone felt closer, and the conversation flowed much more naturally.

Xie Jiali finished his preliminary interview and was brought over by a staff member.

Broad-shouldered and slim-waisted, he came down the steps in the distance, gently brushing aside the flowering branches around him. With a smile on his face and an easy grace to his movements, he looked like a young nobleman from ancient times.

"What are you talking about? You all look so happy." The gentle sunlight fell on his handsome face, making hearts flutter.

The moment he arrived, the two girls became much more reserved, and an indescribable shyness crept into the atmosphere.

Lin Yuxi, who had just been laughing with all her teeth showing, hurriedly closed her mouth. Yu Manman twirled her hair around a finger as well, her voice growing much softer as she and Zheng Yu took turns explaining what had happened.

The live comments were flooded with "So handsome."

Some fans hurried to spam declarations of love when they saw Xie Jiali appear.

Xie Jiali chuckled and looked at Shi Zhou. "Need a hand? I'll go grocery shopping with you. The production team doesn't seem to have stocked much."

Though his tone wasn't particularly questioning, he offered a helpful solution that suited the situation perfectly, so it wasn't unwelcome.

Shi Zhou was smiling too. He made a time-out gesture. "Wait, wait, wait. I haven't finished reading."

"...You may choose two guests to help you prepare this dinner."

He first looked around. Bai Shen was sitting in the nearby pavilion, his suit trousers encasing his long, straight lower legs. He held a black stylus in his right hand, and the cool light reflected from his computer made him seem even more aloof and distant. Shi Zhou had no idea what he was discussing with the person on the other end, but he looked busy.

Of course, Shi Zhou would never dare choose him.

Looking at the remaining guests, he felt a little embarrassed about asking the girls.

Xie Jiali, however, kept watching him with a smile, looking perfectly willing to help.

After their chance encounter when they arrived earlier, he had somehow become the person Shi Zhou was closest to.

Feeling both guilty and close to him, Shi Zhou turned to ask Xie Jiali, "Then would you help me, Jiali?"

Xie Jiali's thin lips curved, and he readily agreed.

Shi Zhou also named Zheng Yu. He looked a little reluctant, but with everyone watching, he still gave a grudging nod.

Yu Manman watched Shi Zhou, curling the fingers of the hand hanging beside her leg.

The live comments were all speculating:

-Who does Zheng Yu like?

-They've only just met. Isn't it too early to call it liking someone? But he clearly wants to get closer to Bai Shen.

Once this segment ended, the directors were very pleased with how things were going and told Shi Zhou to go for his preliminary interview.

Shi Zhou sighed. He hadn't seen even a trace of a room card. His luck was as terrible as ever.

When he saw the person inside the interview room, the ease he had felt during the game gave way to nerves again.

Shi Zhou didn't go in. Standing at the half-open door, he looked inside and could only see the man's straight, imposing back, like a blade snugly enclosed in its sheath.

Why hasn't Su Yue finished his interview yet?

Shi Zhou was puzzled.

The main issue was that the man wouldn't cooperate.

Su Yue ignored every request the directors made, whether it was changing into something appropriate for a variety show or chatting with them about how he felt.

Well, ignored wasn't quite the right word.

He had responded politely to everything, except his answers were, "No, that isn't necessary," "Thank you, you too," and "It's a good show. I feel fine."

Twenty minutes had passed, and he was still wearing his black training clothes and military boots, leaning against the back of his chair with both hands resting on his legs.

He was cooperative yet uncooperative.

If a newly arrived guest hadn't settled in yet, the production team would usually chat with them to help them relax. But faced with Su Yue's behavior, the directors were helpless and could only signal for the staff to begin asking questions.

On camera, Su Yue's features were sharply defined, his thick, long lashes lowered as he looked down at the twenty-odd questions on the cue card. His strong brows drew together, his expression cold and impatient.

"I'll only take three questions."

Many of the questions were repetitive and lacked concision.

There were also pointless questions asking who he might like.

Tch.

He lowered his eyes and said nothing more.

The live commenters practically wanted to roll up their sleeves:

-Holy shit, why is he so arrogant?!

-Can someone put this sour-faced guy in his place? He even looks down on our Heart-Pounding Expedition. I've lost count of how many people ate their words in the first three seasons!

-You can tell from the videos he posts. Forget a partner-there's never even been a friend in them.

-But this type gets super clingy once they fall in love. They become completely different people. Both my exes were like that.

-Then who can crack Su Yue's shell? He's been posting videos for five years, and the person that commenter mentioned still hasn't appeared. I think he's hopeless. He'll be alone forever!

The directors knew who he was. His father's support behind the scenes was part of the reason the fourth season had been able to get underway.

Damn it, they couldn't afford to offend him!

They swallowed their frustration!

The interview director could only select the three most important questions from the cue cards.

"May I ask why you came on Heart-Pounding Expedition?"

Su Yue's ice-blue eyes looked straight into the camera, cold and restrained. "My superior's orders."

-Which superior? Don't tell me he means his own father, the commander of the Third Legion?

The live commenters began speculating.

The director asked again, "What expectations do you have for appearing on Heart-Pounding Expedition..."

Su Yue gave a slight tug at the corner of his mouth. "None."

Wow. So arrogant!

He wouldn't even offer a polite platitude.

Could someone please put him in his place?

Would they really have to bring out the commander if he kept acting like this?

How embarrassing would that be for the production team?

The director didn't dare voice his anger, though he was practically erupting inside. He sighed inwardly.

With no hope left, he went through the motions, his voice seeming much more subdued:

"Then who has made the strongest impression on you since you joined the show?"

Su Yue looked straight into the camera, turning his face ever so slightly toward the door. He had spotted him.

"...Shi Zhou."

The director's mood swung wildly. He sprang to his feet with an "Ah!" and asked, "Why? Why?"

He hadn't believed his colleague earlier when they said the two had met! Finally, there was some juicy gossip to uncover!

Su Yue withdrew his gaze. On the monitor, all that could be seen was a strip of light and shadow falling across his high nose bridge.

He didn't answer. He simply stood up and left.

Clearly, he refused to answer because that was the fourth question.

Su Yue glanced at Shi Zhou, pulled the door open, and walked out at a steady pace, his military boots striking the floor with dull thuds.

Shi Zhou felt that what he wanted to say was-

You'd better behave.

Because I'll be watching you.