The vehicle came to a safe stop downtown.
As soon as the door opened, everyone scrambled out, grabbed the roadside trash cans, and started throwing up without another word.
The live comments erupted in wails too.
[Xie Mi, you scared me to death! Pay up!]
[Waaah, they're alive, they're alive! My ship is still alive!]
[LMAO, #Xie Mi Turns Evil and Tries to Kill Everyone on Board# was already trending on Weibo. They hurriedly took it down when they realized she was faking.]
[That said, I can't be the only one who believed her, right?]
[My eight-year-old sister cried and knelt in front of the TV, begging Xie Mi to spare them.]
Xie Mi stepped out in high spirits and walked over to the production team, who were already in position.
"Mission accomplished. A little too easy."
The assistant director swallowed hard.
You're amazing. You're amazing, all right?
"Congratulations on completing the mission. You've earned a [Privilege Card]. You can use this card at any time to make a request of the production team, and we'll do our best to fulfill it," the assistant director announced.
"You're too kind, you're too kind." Xie Mi modestly clasped her hands in salute, but she was already plotting what mischief she could get up to with the privilege card.
The assistant director suddenly sighed in admiration beside her.
"Mr. Shen really is impressive, though..."
He looked into the distance. "Even in a situation like that, his heart rate stayed normal. He was the only one whose alarm didn't go off."
Oh?
Xie Mi turned around.
Following the assistant director's gaze, she spotted Shen Yeqing stepping leisurely out of the vehicle behind her.
He was utterly composed, as languid as ever, a stark contrast to the other guests.
The assistant director continued his introduction beside her.
"Mr. Shen is a mysterious man who can supposedly maintain a heart rate of eighty even while bungee jumping."
Eighty while bungee jumping? He really was something else.
Intrigued, Xie Mi went straight over to interview him. "Can you share the secret to your nerves of steel?"
"It's simple."
Shen Yeqing readily played along with her interview. "My life motto has four lines. If you don't like it, fight. Take life and death in stride-"
Xie Mi had an inkling of the next two lines.
"Treat minor illnesses, die from major ones?"
"Huh." Shen Yeqing narrowed his eyes in mild surprise, then ventured, "Among high mountains and flowing streams, I seek a kindred soul?"
"And amid lovely mountains and waters, we happily meet!" Xie Mi excitedly shook his hand. "A pleasure, a pleasure!"
Hey, our worldviews matched!
[Wait, you two?]
[Oh no, the more I look, the more they seem perfect together.]
[Xie Mi never plays by the rules, and Shen Yeqing can handle whatever move she makes. Why am I kind of shipping this?]
After a short break, the production team took the guests to the top floor of a skyscraper.
It housed a luxurious infinity pool overlooking the city's nighttime skyline, the perfect choice for a romantic date.
Today, however, it would be hosting a six-person date.
A date in the water, skin brushing skin, romance mingling, hormones rising.
That was the theme for the evening.
"Let's welcome our guests!"
At the assistant director's exuberant announcement, the guests emerged one by one in their swimwear.
Xiao Jingxi came out first, wearing designer swim trunks and an open white bathrobe that fully displayed his powerful chest and abs.
Qiu Chengye was second. He was even less reserved, striding in with his head held high and his chest out, wearing nothing but bright red swim trunks.
Liu Woxing was third, dressed in an elegant dark green swimsuit whose ruffled hem made her beautiful legs look even longer.
Xu Shuangrong was fourth. Her demure white one-piece showed off her lovely, well-proportioned figure, both innocent and alluring.
This parade of gorgeous men and women in swimwear gave the viewers quite a treat. The comments filled with screams, and Hot Searches exploded one after another.
[Are we really allowed to see Best Actor Xiao's body? Slurp, slurp. Let me lick first, out of respect!]
[The rich boy's surprisingly buff. I thought all that partying would leave him weak.]
[Woxing really is a proper heiress. She has an amazing figure, but she doesn't look raunchy at all. Just classy and sexy.]
[Shuangshuang is the poster girl for innocent sex appeal. She looks so petite, but she's got so much going on.]
Besides discussing the guests who had already appeared, the viewers were eagerly awaiting the remaining two.
[Am I the only one waiting for Mr. Shen? His proportions are incredible. He's already so hot with clothes on. Without them, hehe...]
[Xie Mi won't pass up this chance to grab attention, right? I remember she has a pretty good figure. Any revealing swimsuit could probably get her on the Hot Search.]
That comment had barely floated past when a crisp, loud cry rang out onscreen.
"Hah!"
A figure clad entirely in black bounded nimbly into view, leaped into the pool, and surfaced after several tumbles. "The great Monkey King has arrived!"
[Holy shit, what just shot past?!]
[You're here to get blanched, aren't you!!]
From the somewhat familiar voice and seemingly seizure-like antics, everyone just about managed to recognize her.
"Ms. Xie?" Director Niu called tentatively.
The crew behind him were already poised to rush forward at any moment and capture this monkey that seemed to have wandered in for a blanching.
"That's me."
Xie Mi took off the swimming goggles large enough to cover her whole face and grinned. "Nice big pool. A little shallow, though. I can't dive down."
Was that why she wore a wetsuit?
Everyone else was showing off their figures in sexy swimwear, while she had practically wrapped herself from head to toe in a pitch-black wetsuit!
Unable to dive, Xie Mi remained upbeat. "Fine, fine. I'll just swim."
[Just go home!]
[An infinity pool is for romantic dates, not for you to monkey around in!]
[Excellent, excellent. I knew Consort Xie would always bring her emperor a surprise.]
[Isn't this just attention-seeking?]
[Everyone else wears swimsuits, so she wears a wetsuit. Standing out by doing the opposite. So calculating.]
[She's the only one who doesn't fit in.]
"It is shallow."
Everyone instinctively turned toward the voice.
Shen Yeqing approached slowly in a black bathrobe. The hair over his forehead was slightly damp, and droplets slipped into his collar, setting imaginations running wild.
Hope rekindled in everyone's eyes.
The mysterious tycoon Mr. Shen's swimwear debut would undoubtedly be the highlight of the evening.
Under everyone's expectant gaze, Shen Yeqing slipped off his bathrobe.
Here it came! Here it came!
Wetsuit number two had arrived.
Every smile vanished.
[Mr. Shen, you...?]
[? Putting my pants back on after just taking them off.]
[Okay, okay. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.]
[Aaaah, I can't take it anymore! A madman and a madwoman!]
And just like that, the entire mood changed.
When the production team arranged that evening's pool segment, they had hoped to see gorgeous men and women splashing around, brushing skin against skin in scenes hot enough to cause nosebleeds.
Not monkeys playing in the water!!
The four swimsuit-clad guests soaked in the pool, looking utterly dead inside.
Two pitch-black figures, one tall and one short, raced through the water in a hundred-meter sprint.
Water flew everywhere, drenching Director Niu beside the pool like a drowned rat.
Director Niu wiped the water off his face.
Enough.
He said, enough.
Before you continue