Mu Yanxi scrolled through the trending topics on Weibo for a while longer. Seeing that the situation had been more or less clarified, she stopped paying attention.
Recently, for some unknown reason, her group of anti-fans had toned down their insults. Instead, they were all clamoring about buying a copy of the Civil Code to study.
After a few hours of fermentation, the originally simple hashtag #Mu Yanxi, Not Afraid of Ghosts# had been clicked on so many times that it had morphed into a product endorsement tag, leaving many passersby scratching their heads:
【What to choose for the holidays this year? For gifts, give the Civil Code.】
【Just for the fact that even zombies are afraid of the Civil Code, I’m buying this book!】
【With the Civil Code, my mom will never have to worry about me being bullied again.】
【Why does this Mu Yanxi’s name sound so familiar? Wasn’t she the same female celebrity who acted heroically to save someone last time? Hahahahahaha.】
【Whoa, now that you mention it, I finally remember who she is. Why are her trending topics always so unexpected? Is she really in the entertainment industry?】
In this cheerful atmosphere, Mu Yanxi’s anti-fans finally arrived, fashionably late. Since no one was nitpicking for once, they resorted to sarcastic mockery:
【Recommending the little vase to the whole world. After two years since her debut, she’s still an obscure 18th-tier celebrity.】
【Don’t be her fan, it’s pointless. You’ll turn into an anti-fan sooner or later anyway.】
【Mu Yanxi, come out! You finally got on the trending list, can’t you put some effort in and post on Weibo? I swear, you deserve to be like this for the rest of your life.】
【Passersby who clicked in from the trending list, look here. Let me clarify: Mu Yanxi isn’t afraid of ghosts because she herself is more terrifying than any ghost!】
Mu Yanxi couldn’t be bothered to argue with this group of people. She really wasn’t afraid of ghosts, because she was a reincarnated ghost herself.
She wondered if those anti-fans were afraid of that.
There was nothing to say to them. It was better to spend more time looking at Yi Wulan.
So she put down her phone, her gaze falling on Yi Wulan on the sofa.
Perhaps because she had stayed up all night, coupled with two days without an infusion of her ability, Mu Yanxi felt that Yi Wulan’s complexion was much worse than when they were in Yuncheng. Under the dim lighting of the bedroom, her lips even had a faint, sickly purplish hue.
Yi Wulan was leaving again tonight, and the earliest Mu Yanxi could return to Yuncheng was after finishing the variety show recording tomorrow night. The necessary ability transfer still had to be done. Mu Yanxi sighed inwardly, walked over to the sofa, and deliberately squeezed in beside Yi Wulan.
Yi Wulan glanced at her before her eyes returned to the computer screen.
Perhaps Mu Yanxi’s gaze from the side was too intense. Two minutes later, Yi Wulan finally couldn’t help but ask, “Is something wrong?”
Mu Yanxi shook her head, propping her head on her hand as she leaned against the sofa and watched her. “You go on with your work.”
Yi Wulan turned her head back and continued to work in front of Mu Yanxi.
Mu Yanxi’s gaze fell on Yi Wulan’s now-dry shoulders. She gently placed her hands on them, her fingertips releasing a few wisps of her newly upgraded ability. Even if it could only make Yi Wulan a little more comfortable, it was better than nothing.
Yi Wulan felt the hands on her shoulders and tensed slightly.
Mu Yanxi, behind her, maintained a distance that was neither too far nor too close. Although it wasn’t as intimate as usual, and the hands on her shoulders made no extra movements, Yi Wulan’s fingertips on the trackpad could no longer work.
Mu Yanxi used her ability to check Yi Wulan’s physical condition. As expected, the barrier that had finally started to thin and become transparent due to the daily ability infusions was now like an insatiable living creature. After two days without absorbing her ability, it had begun to subtly backlash.
Mu Yanxi hadn’t formally used her ability since it was upgraded, so she tried to keep the amount she was transferring through her fingertips to a minimum.
A few minutes later, Yi Wulan reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose, her body looking somewhat weak.
Mu Yanxi gently probed, “Your flight isn’t for a while. You didn’t sleep at all last night. Do you want to rest for a bit?”
The grogginess in Yi Wulan’s head grew heavier, but she still refused. “You go rest.”
Mu Yanxi looked at Yi Wulan’s hesitant expression, remembering that they had been living apart for over half a month and had only slept together again the night before coming to Fengcheng. She asked, “Then, can you accompany me?”
Yi Wulan sized her up for a moment, a flash of impatience in her eyes. “You need someone to accompany you even for a nap. Why are you getting more and more delicate?”
Despite her words, her hand closed the lid of her laptop. She walked two steps toward the bed, then turned her head back to look. “I’ll just sleep with you for a little while. Aren’t you coming?”
Mu Yanxi suppressed a laugh and caught up in a few steps, remarking, “I can’t help it. You know I have a lot of fans. Being liked and doted on by so many people, a person changes.”
Yi Wulan’s hand, which was pulling back the covers, paused. She turned and shot her a cold glance. “Then why don’t you ask them to accompany you?”
Mu Yanxi climbed onto the bed as well, spreading her hands helplessly. “I’d love to, but there’s a term in the entertainment industry called ‘sleeping with fans.’ If I slept with them, wouldn’t that be it? If people found out, my reputation would be ruined.”
Her face was filled with the regret of ‘I really want to, but circumstances prevent me’.
Yi Wulan: …
Yi Wulan rolled herself into the covers and lay down. “If you’re going to sleep, then sleep. Stop talking so much.”
Mu Yanxi glanced at Yi Wulan, who had hastily closed her eyes after lying down. She chuckled, shook out the stray hairs stirred up by static electricity, and decisively took off her thin knit sweater before slowly dimming all the lights.
The bedroom was instantly plunged into darkness. Mu Yanxi leaned against the headboard, her gaze lowered to Yi Wulan’s side profile. With a flick of her hair, she lay down with a languid posture.
She reached out a hand, hooking a lock of hair from the nape of Yi Wulan’s neck. Her fingertips lightly brushed against the fabric of Yi Wulan’s collar, and the curl of hair followed her hand, tumbling down into the neckline not covered by clothing.
Yi Wulan flinched slightly and shifted toward the head of the bed.
When she stopped again, there was a fist’s width of distance between her and Mu Yanxi.
Mu Yanxi still propped her head up lazily, placing her other hand on Yi Wulan’s shoulder and gently transferring her ability, trying to help Yi Wulan fall asleep faster.
The ability upgrade had been overwhelming when it happened, but it hadn’t had any negative effects on her afterward. Despite having had a high fever just last night, she now even had the leisure to discover a tiny red mole on the back of Yi Wulan’s neck.
Perhaps the ability was taking effect, or perhaps Yi Wulan’s body could finally no longer withstand the prolonged lack of sleep. Her breathing gradually evened out. Even when Mu Yanxi started to play with her hair, Yi Wulan no longer responded.
Light filtered in through the gap in the curtains, falling quietly on the head of the bed. Mu Yanxi propped herself up to look at Yi Wulan, whose brow seemed to be furrowed with a few traces of lingering fatigue.
It was only at this moment that Mu Yanxi clearly perceived that Yi Wulan was a terminally ill patient. Yi Wulan’s illness wasn’t the vague, cold description from that novel, nor was it the effortless ease that Yi Wulan was so adept at feigning in her daily life.
It was crystal clear that just one all-nighter seemed to drain all her energy, completely depleting the little bit of vitality she had painstakingly built up.
Several pots of cut osmanthus branches were placed in the room. Now that it was quiet, their fragrance grew stronger.
Mu Yanxi slowly propped herself up, placing one hand on the other side of Yi Wulan. She leaned forward gently and called out softly, “Yi Wulan?”
In truth, Yi Wulan had sensed it the moment Mu Yanxi moved. But her body was too exhausted. Having fallen into a light sleep, she found it difficult to wake up, though she could still perceive the movements in the outside world.
Mu Yanxi supported most of her weight above Yi Wulan and called again, “President Yi?”
Mu Yanxi originally had a faint smell of disinfectant on her. To cover it up, she had uncharacteristically given up her usual favorite floral scents at the mall and chosen a cold, icy perfume.
It smelled faint, but it was surprisingly effective at masking the smell of disinfectant.
At this moment, the cold, icy fragrance mingled with the scent of osmanthus in the room, creating a surprisingly harmonious blend, like a long-brewed, aged incense that had the wondrous effect of captivating one’s soul with just a whiff.
Mu Yanxi was too close, so close that their breaths were almost indistinguishably intertwined.
Her tongue lightly touched the roof of her mouth as she called out in an incredibly soft tone, “Elder Sister Yi?”
The end of her tone lifted slightly, her voice seemingly filled with infinite tenderness.
It caused Yi Wulan’s breathing, even in her sleep, to falter for a moment.
Of course, Mu Yanxi didn’t notice this. Her body, having just recovered from a fever, seemed impervious to the cold. Dressed in only a thin layer of clothing and without any covers, she tilted her head and studied Yi Wulan. “Looks like you’re really asleep, huh?”
Her voice was drawn out, as if the next sentence would be, ‘Then I’m going to take liberties with you.’
And that was indeed what Mu Yanxi was thinking.
Mu Yanxi usually enjoyed teasing and provoking Yi Wulan, but now, seeing Yi Wulan in a state where she could do as she pleased, she no longer felt the need to win a battle of wits.
She lazily lowered her upper body, resting her head on Yi Wulan’s chest and complaining in a small voice, “That medical team of Xiusina’s must be quacks.”
Yi Wulan: …
Yi Wulan, who still had a sliver of consciousness in her deep sleep, could probably guess what Mu Yanxi was about to do.
Sure enough, the next moment, even through a layer of covers, Yi Wulan could feel the warmth radiating from Mu Yanxi’s body.
Mu Yanxi’s waist was extremely flexible. What started as just her head resting on Yi Wulan’s chest now became her entire upper body pressing against Yi Wulan. Her hands climbed onto the other’s shoulders, her fingers toying with Yi Wulan’s soft hair, practically burying her entire body in Yi Wulan’s embrace.
A sly smile played on her face, and her warm breath finally lingered over Yi Wulan’s lips. Her enchanting face drew close to Yi Wulan’s as she murmured with a hint of coquettishness, “Elder Sister Yi, come on and push me away.”
Mu Yanxi’s upgraded ability was already close to the peak of the healing ability she possessed in the other world. After just a short while of transferring it through her fingertips, Yi Wulan was already unable to wake up and stop Mu Yanxi’s actions.
Mu Yanxi’s hair was messy, her clothes disheveled from her own movements. She giggled as she leaned in and kissed the corner of Yi Wulan’s lips, like a bewitching fox spirit, and asked again in a soft voice, “Aren’t we not supposed to do intimate things? Hurry up and push me away.”
After who knows how long of this playful torment, Mu Yanxi had finally had her fill and was satisfied. Only then did she press her lips against the ones that had been lecturing her just before she fell asleep.
The healing ability flowed like a gentle stream into Yi Wulan’s meridians, gradually surging toward the injury in her brain.
More and more of the ability enveloped the injured area, seeping through that formless barrier.
The frown on Yi Wulan’s brow gradually smoothed out, and her consciousness, already in a light sleep, sank deeper. Her entire body was immobile, making the sensation on her lips particularly clear, as if everything had been magnified.
She knew that doing this might worsen her condition, just as Doctor Xiusina had warned. But Yi Wulan still didn’t force herself to wake up. Or perhaps, from the moment she sensed Mu Yanxi’s intentions, she never planned to wake up and stop her.
When Mu Yanxi had first wrapped herself around her, Yi Wulan thought, if she had really wanted to wake up then, it wouldn’t have been impossible.
But, Mu Yanxi had already compromised so much because of her body. She really couldn’t bear to make Mu Yanxi give way again.
Just let her be.
As Yi Wulan’s last shred of consciousness faded, and a soft, wet warmth licked her lips, Yi Wulan’s heart completely softened.
Fainting after an intimate act, perhaps, couldn’t be blamed on Mu Yanxi.
Perhaps, it was just that her own willpower wasn’t strong enough.
She had been too excited.
Yi Wulan slept very deeply this time. The abundant ability diligently repaired her body, as if trying to make up for all of last night’s exhaustion.
So much so that when the sky darkened, Mu Yanxi couldn’t wake her up.
Mu Yanxi had no choice but to call Gu Yan and ask if the meeting Yi Wulan had to rush back for could be postponed.
But the news from Gu Yan was: there was no particularly urgent meeting that required Yi Wulan to rush back to handle.
Mu Yanxi was stunned for two seconds, then quickly heard Gu Yan say on the other end of the line, “She probably didn’t want to trouble you. The last time I went to Yancheng to see my boyfriend, I saw that he had to take a day off just to see me, and then had to go to his advisor’s place early the next day. It was too hard on him, so I never bothered him in Yancheng when he was busy again.”
Mu Yanxi asked again, “Then can she go back to Yuncheng tomorrow morning? Please adjust her work schedule.”
Gu Yan was extremely efficient. He glanced at the schedule and replied, “Yes, Miss Mu.”
Mu Yanxi hung up the phone and looked at Yi Wulan on the bed, a helpless look in her eyes.
After her ability was upgraded, the storage space of her ability core had expanded. As her ability strengthened, Mu Yanxi no longer felt as tired as before after transferring it to Yi Wulan. She was still full of energy.
Just then, her manager’s urgent call came through, regarding the program’s arrangements.
After the crew of Secret Room Rush Rush Rush posted those two clarifying Weibo posts in the morning, they posted another one at noon about holding people accountable. Following the standard template of the entertainment industry, they tagged a few marketing accounts and said they would pursue legal action.
Jiang Tong and Mu Yanxi, the two guests, were temporarily cleared, but there was still a lot of doubt about the show Secret Room Rush Rush Rush on Weibo.
Under the pressure of public opinion, the production team decided to start recording the second half as soon as possible. To give the audience an explanation, the second half would also be broadcast live.
This type of escape room game also has safe passages for players to rest mid-game in real life. Therefore, it didn’t matter if the show resumed recording from a middle stage.
In fact, whether the show was live or pre-recorded didn’t make much of a difference to Mu Yanxi. Although the director had leaked the script to Jiang Tong during the third episode’s recording, he was still very fair in other aspects.
For example, the editing of the previous two episodes didn’t deliberately delete her highlight moments, nor did they rewind and re-record after a guest made a mistake. It was a relatively conscientious variety show.
The one time they did go easy on someone, it was so obvious that the entire internet saw it. The production team was probably not feeling very relaxed at the moment.
But the production team had already established a persona for Jiang Tong as someone who had played this escape room before. Mu Yanxi didn’t need to think to imagine Jiang Tong painstakingly memorizing the escape room script all afternoon.
She had to admit, it was somewhat satisfying.
Jiang Tong could have clearly relied on his status as a rich second-generation to create a cool and authentic persona. Yet, he insisted on creating a lofty persona that he wasn’t good at and that was easy to expose, just like those celebrities without a background. She really didn’t know what he was thinking.
It was a thankless effort.
Her manager was still waiting for her reply on the other end of the line. Mu Yanxi used the bit of ability that had recovered in her core to check on Yi Wulan’s body. After confirming that everything was normal and that she was just in a deep sleep due to the ability’s repair, she felt relieved.
She replied to her manager, “I’ll be there for the recording in a bit.”
After locking the door for Yi Wulan and giving instructions to the few bodyguards and the assistant Yi Wulan had brought, Mu Yanxi headed to the recording location with Chen Xu.
Mu Yanxi arrived early. There was still half an hour before the official recording began. Just as she had thought, Jiang Tong was cramming from a thick, illustrated guide to the escape room.
The director’s team was even more exaggerated. The group of menacing zombies from last night were all lined up, standing obediently in front of the director like a group of elementary school students being lectured.
Nowadays, fans have increasingly high expectations for the variety shows their idols participate in. The production team naturally didn’t dare to use the original staff from the escape room. If any accident were to happen, the production team would probably be flamed to death by the audience.
Therefore, the NPCs used by the production team were always their own people. The moment the director saw Mu Yanxi, he seemed to get a burst of energy and pulled her over, then said to the group of zombies:
“Can you all have some dignity as zombies? Didn’t I tell you during training that as long as your actions don’t cross the line, the audience won’t find fault?
Hey! I’m talking to you! You just blocked Mu Yanxi’s hand yesterday, how could you be so scared by the Civil Code? Did you sexually harass her? Does that even count as sexual harassment?”
The staff member hesitated and asked, “It doesn’t count?”
“Strictly speaking, it does,” the director sighed, then glared at him again. “But we’re in a game, it’s for the show’s effect. Does that mean Mu Yanxi can’t even have her wrist grabbed by the male lead when she’s filming a drama?”
Seeing the director look over, Mu Yanxi said innocently, “I was just trying it out at the time. I didn’t expect him to let go of me.”
The director was half-dead with anger and waved his hand. “Alright, alright, go get ready. All of you, wear gloves later. And if you can avoid touching people, then don’t. Just put on a show and create an effect.”
Due to the Weibo incident that had been ongoing since last night, the number of viewers in the live stream skyrocketed when this episode began. It wasn’t that they were really here to watch the show, but rather that they were all holding magnifying glasses, looking for faults in the live stream.
Even the initial bullet comments scrolled by at lightning speed:
【I’m here to see how an unscripted escape room is played (smirk)】
【Brothers, shall we find faults together?】
【I’ll make a prediction first, I think Jiang Tong’s acting skills should have improved since last night.】
【The clever me has already taken out my magnifying glass, ready to start flaming at any moment.】
The other guests also arrived one after another. As soon as the show’s cameras turned on, they were back in yesterday’s maze. In fact, it wasn’t just Mu Yanxi who got a jade stone yesterday; Yu Jin had also obtained one.
Yu Jin’s piece was obtained in cooperation with the other two male guests, so the difficulty was much lower than Mu Yanxi’s, and thus it didn’t cause much discussion online.
The production team was very fair. One piece for each female guest, not one more.
Yesterday, Mu Yanxi’s head was groggy, and she didn’t dare to take the jade stone when she heard it could ward off evil. Today, with her spirits back, she weighed the fake, shoddy jade stone that was as light as plastic in her hand and reluctantly accepted it.
She considered it a rare instance of her trying to be a decent person, giving those zombies a reason not to approach her.
Otherwise, she was afraid they would all be warned by the Civil Code.
The live broadcast had just begun. To attract viewers, there had to be a warm-up session. So, apart from the two female guests holding the evil-warding jade stones, the other three male guests were chased all over the maze by zombies. The task of finding the exit naturally fell to the female guests.
The maze had numerous exits, but every time a wrong door was opened, new zombies would appear. The director’s team didn’t leak this part to Jiang Tong for the sake of the show’s effect. After all, he was responsible for being chased, not for finding the exit.
In the end, Mu Yanxi and Yu Jin had tried almost every wrong exit before finally finding the correct door. By the time they saw the three male guests, the men were so tired they were panting and couldn’t even speak a complete sentence.
The bullet comments were filled with laughter, with “hahahaha” scrolling non-stop:
【I’m sorry, I seriously suspect Mu Yanxi and Yu Jin did that on purpose, hahahaha.】
【Am I the only one who feels sorry for the zombies who were chasing them from the beginning? Haha.】
【I can’t, I’m dying of laughter. Shen Yi has lost all his image on this show. How is he going to play the cool campus heartthrob in the future? I’ll crack up just seeing his face.】
【Fanfan’s voice just cracked from being chased by the zombies. He needs to protect his throat!】
After this stage, they entered a new secret room. This time, it was an antique-style study, but the portrait on the wall was of a woman in a Western-style dress.
Based on the clues from other items in the room, one could vaguely deduce that this was the daughter of an ancient official, and a woman who had studied abroad.
Jiang Tong, standing to the side, shared his “past experience”: “This young lady returned from studying in the West, but because of an arranged marriage in ancient times, she was forced to marry the second son of the Marquis of Zhennan. As someone who had received a modern education, she naturally advocated for free love. Therefore, this young lady would rather die than submit, and she committed suicide on her wedding day.
Her greatest wish in life was to receive her family’s understanding. Therefore, whoever can find the question cards she left in the room and answer the questions correctly on the monitor over there can leave this room.”
The singer Hang Yunfan shivered beside him. “Don’t tell me we have to open the door by summoning her spirit?”
Yu Jin immediately shrank back as well. “Oh, don’t say that. Let’s just hurry up and find them. We can leave once we’re done.”
However, just as they were about to search for the cards, they saw Jiang Tong leaning against the door with his arms crossed, striking a pose and watching the others search for the cards. He didn’t forget to say to the camera, “Since I’ve experienced this before, for the sake of the show’s effect, I won’t participate in this round for now.”
Jiang Tong’s fans in the bullet comments were very cooperative, flooding the screen with comments like “Jiang Jiang is so considerate” and “Jiang Jiang is really thinking of others.”
By the time the other four had rummaged through chests and cabinets to find several treasure boxes containing question cards, and then painstakingly found the keys, their faces were even worse than before when they saw the questions on the cards.
The questions on the cards were deliberately difficult, set at a high level. The escape room was designed to make the participants give up and return to the initial maze to find another exit.
Moreover, celebrities often come from arts-focused exams. Regardless of their cultural studies before university, the basic courses they take in university are different from those in other majors. Therefore, Yu Jin and the others exchanged glances while holding the cards, and finally turned to Jiang Tong for help.
When the camera zoomed in, the audience in the bullet comments was also stunned for a moment, then burst into screen-filling laughter:
【Is the production team crazy or are my eyes playing tricks on me??? Who can answer this kind of question on the spot?】
【Hahahaha, just go back to the maze. You’ll find new excitement in another room. The zombie babies are waiting for you.】
【Damn, I just blinked. How did my good escape room variety show turn into a university lecture?】
“If it were multiple choice, I could still guess, but I really can’t do these fill-in-the-blank questions.” Yu Jin had a first-love face with round eyes. When she asked for help, she could easily arouse the other person’s pity. Even the bullet comments were urging Jiang Tong to hurry up and agree.
Jiang Tong finally walked over, feigning reluctance, but in his mind, he was desperately trying to recall the answers on the question cards.
To maximize the show’s effect, every time Yu Jin tapped the corresponding number of the card in her hand on the display, she would read the question aloud.
“‘My dream is worth fighting for myself. My life today is by no means a cold copy of my life yesterday.’ This sentence is from the world-famous novel—”
As soon as her voice fell, Jiang Tong recited the answers as if from a textbook: “The Red and the Black…”
…
“The Hunchback of Notre-Dame…”
“The Human Comedy.”
After the literature questions came fun English questions, famous geography questions, and questions about cosmic planets.
As Jiang Tong answered one question after another, and Yu Jin wrote down the correct answers on the display time and time again, the group breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, Jiang Tong was their only hope. If he couldn’t answer these questions, they would have to go back and face the horde of zombies again.
At the same time, the live bullet comments were also very lively:
【So boring. Jiang Tong obviously just memorized a cheat sheet before the exam. Is this what I’m watching an escape room show for?】
【This escape room has been open for over half a year. How could Jiang Jiang still remember the answers after so long? The people above are so sour.】
【Recommending the best Jiang Jiang to the whole world. He’s not like those art students. Jiang Jiang is a proper overseas master’s degree holder!】
【Oh my god, what kind of person have I become a fan of? Jiang Jiang is amazing!】
However, just as Jiang Tong’s fans were wildly praising him in the bullet comments, Mu Yanxi, who had been zoning out and worrying about whether Yi Wulan would have any problems after receiving her ability, suddenly spoke up: “Wait.”
This time, Jiang Tong was answering a calculus problem: f(x) = (x^2021 – 1)^2022, what is the 2022nd derivative of f(1)? As soon as the fans outside the screen saw the question, they started hyping up how difficult it was. But Jiang Tong picked up the pen, pretended to think deeply in front of the display for a moment, and then wrote: 2021^2022 * 2022.
Hearing Mu Yanxi’s voice, Jiang Tong frowned and looked over. Relying on the fact that he had seen the answer this time, his eyes held a hint of pride and disdain. “What is it?”
Mu Yanxi walked forward, took another stylus from the side, and wrote an exclamation mark next to Jiang Tong’s answer.
“This is a calculus problem, not an essay. Why are you writing punctuation?” Jiang Tong sneered, thinking he was being clever. “Some people really just add unnecessary things.”
Without waiting for Mu Yanxi’s reaction, he presumptuously erased the exclamation mark and quickly tapped the confirm button.
Instantly, a bomb appeared on the screen, displaying: 【Answer failed】【You have two chances left】
Jiang Tong’s face turned shades of black and white. In disbelief, he wrote his answer again, only to receive another message: 【Answer failed】【You have one chance left】
One more wrong answer, and they would have to return to the maze to face the zombies. This time, even if Jiang Tong wanted to write, the other guests wouldn’t let him.
Yu Jin took a stylus, stuffed it into Mu Yanxi’s hand, and asked, “Did you really know the answer just now?”
Mu Yanxi wasn’t sure at first. She had just done a quick mental calculation and found that it should be a continuous factorial term. She thought Jiang Tong might have missed it while memorizing the answer, so she kindly reminded him.
But in the time it took Jiang Tong to answer twice, Mu Yanxi had enough time to verify the answer to the question and found that it was indeed missing the exclamation mark representing the factorial.
So she took the pen. “Should I try?”
Seeing that she was about to write so quickly, Yu Jin hurriedly grabbed her hand. “This is the last chance, the very last one. Are you really sure?”
Mu Yanxi gave Yu Jin a strange look, but then quickly realized that Yu Jin was an art student and patiently replied, “Really, I really know.”
Jiang Tong, at the side, started speaking sarcastically, “Mu Yanxi, do you even understand that this is calculus? Have you even studied it?”
Mu Yanxi nodded. “I have.”
Jiang Tong was at a loss for words. “Art students in China have to study calculus too?”
This time, Mu Yanxi didn’t say anything more. She just went forward and wrote the answer again.
Jiang Tong, seeing an answer identical to his own, became even more sarcastic. “Mu Yanxi, what’s the difference between what you wrote and what I wrote? Even if you want to show off, you don’t have to copy…”
But the next second, the word ‘plagiarize’ was choked back before he could say it.
After Mu Yanxi tapped confirm, the screen actually displayed: 【Correct Answer】!
At the same time, a new door to the side slowly opened.
The bullet comments in the live stream exploded:
【Hahahahahahaha sisters, I feel so satisfied. Hahahaha, was it really just missing an exclamation mark?】
【This move from the little vase is so cathartic. I couldn’t stand those Jiang Tong fans who were blindly hyping him up.】
【Jiang Tong obviously saw the script but didn’t memorize it properly, right? I’m dying of laughter, what a moron.】
【Is the little vase actually this smart? By the way, the difficulty of this question is high enough for a graduate school entrance exam. Do art students learn this too?】
【Could it be that Mu Yanxi bribed the production team and got the questions in advance?】
【Does being an art student affect the little vase’s intelligence? Why can’t art students know calculus?】
【Hilarious. How could an 18th-tier nobody like the little vase get the questions? Didn’t you see how pissed off the production team’s golden boy Jiang Tong is? I’m not saying any more, this is so satisfying, hahahaha.】
【Is it that hard to admit that Mu Yanxi is smart? Oh no, does this mean I can’t call her a vase anymore? (smirk)】
Jiang Tong’s fans, who had wanted to attack Mu Yanxi by claiming she couldn’t possibly be that smart, were directly countered by the entire live stream audience and couldn’t say a word.
Seeing that even the passersby were unanimously praising Mu Yanxi, they became so angry that they couldn’t hold it in anymore and left the live stream, cursing.
Equally furious was Jiang Tong’s team. They had been laying the groundwork for a long time to market Jiang Tong’s genius and academic persona. They had previously hired many paid commenters to praise Jiang Tong’s master’s degree, and this time, they had even arranged for major marketing accounts to start praising him before the show was even over.
But who knew something like this would happen mid-broadcast? They were caught in a dilemma.
The entire management team was running around in a panic.
When the live broadcast ended, it was already past midnight. By the time Mu Yanxi returned to the hotel, Yi Wulan was still not awake.
She simply took a shower, changed into a new set of pajamas she had bought that afternoon, and decided to wait a bit before going to sleep to see if Yi Wulan would wake up.
Yi Wulan woke up at one-thirty. At that moment, Mu Yanxi was lying on her chest, her bright fox-like eyes blinking at Yi Wulan, like a dragon that had finally repaired its treasure.
When Yi Wulan opened her eyes, her gaze first met the ceiling before she felt the warmth on her chest. The hazy memories from after she fell asleep gradually surfaced in her mind.
Yi Wulan hesitated for several seconds before daring to lower her head to meet Mu Yanxi’s gaze.
Mu Yanxi smiled at her, looking like a succubus who had succeeded in her hunt, her entire being radiating an aura of satisfaction.
Yi Wulan: …
Yi Wulan forced her gaze away from Mu Yanxi’s enchanting face, coughed lightly, and asked, “What time is it?”
“It’s already past one. I saw you were still sleeping just now, so I didn’t wake you.”
Yi Wulan was surprised. “Past one?”
Mu Yanxi explained, “You must have been exhausted from not sleeping last night. I couldn’t wake you up just now, so I asked Gu Yan to postpone your schedule.”
To avoid revealing that she already knew Yi Wulan was planning to leave early so as not to disturb her work, Mu Yanxi added, “I had to pester Gu Yan for a long time before he agreed. I just finished recording the variety show too. Why don’t we go back to Yuncheng together tomorrow morning?”
“Okay.” Yi Wulan nodded and was about to get up, but Mu Yanxi showed no intention of moving. In fact, when she looked up, Mu Yanxi even leaned closer.
It was very much like she was lying in wait, for her to come closer on her own.
Fortunately, Yi Wulan had noticed Mu Yanxi’s intention early on. After rubbing Mu Yanxi’s head a couple of times, she pressed her down.
Mu Yanxi let out a small “ow” and looked accusingly at the unromantic Yi Wulan.
She looked quite aggrieved, as if she had been used and then heartlessly cast aside by the other party.
After reading this from Mu Yanxi’s face, Yi Wulan finally had a new understanding of the little ancestor’s thick skin.
But she was helpless.
After all, when she could have pushed her away earlier, she was the one who didn’t.
Now that she was awake, she could only pretend not to know.
So she had no choice but to accept this label of being unromantic that had been forcibly placed on her.
On the way to the airport the next day, Yi Wulan was in the back seat looking at her computer. After one failed attempt to persuade her, Mu Yanxi stopped bothering her. She had woken up early, so she simply took a nap in the car.
When the car arrived at the airport, Mu Yanxi woke up leaning on Yi Wulan’s shoulder. Remembering that Yi Wulan had just been handling business, she felt a little embarrassed. “Why didn’t you push me away just now?”
“You were the one who leaned over.”
Mu Yanxi: …Oh, is it that hard to just say you wanted me to lean on you?
Did you have to use such a disdainful tone?
Mu Yanxi ignored Yi Wulan and pushed the door open to get out of the car.
Seeing this, Yi Wulan hurriedly chased after her, putting a mask on Mu Yanxi’s face. “Aren’t you afraid of being recognized?”
Yi Wulan’s movement was rather rushed, and the mask was pressed on forcefully. Mu Yanxi was caught off guard and choked on her own saliva, half her body hanging onto Yi Wulan as she coughed incessantly.
“Yi… cough cough cough… are you trying to cough cough murder… your wife… cough cough oof…”
Yi Wulan patted her back, saying irritably, “Didn’t you say you have a lot of fans? You don’t even cover your face when you get out of the car.”
“Cough cough, but this is the VIP channel, cough cough. You did that on purpose.”
“So there are no fans of yours in first class?”
Mu Yanxi didn’t want to lose ground in front of Yi Wulan, so she could only glare fiercely at her before coughing wretchedly again.
Half a minute later, Mu Yanxi finally recovered. She adjusted the mask on her face using her phone as a mirror, and after composing herself, she complained in a slightly hoarse voice, “Yi Wulan, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
So what if she was discovered by fans? Was it necessary to react so strongly?
Besides, they had gone out so many times, when had they ever encountered a large group of enthusiastic fans?
Don’t think she didn’t know that Yi Wulan had deliberately pressed the mask on so hard just now. Was there any justice in the world!
Mu Yanxi asked a few more times, but no matter how much she chattered, Yi Wulan didn’t respond.
It was as if she was treating her like thin air.
Mu Yanxi was instantly annoyed and threatened, “Yi Wulan, if you ignore me again, believe it or not, I’ll kiss you right here!”
Yi Wulan’s footsteps stopped, and she suddenly reached a hand toward her.
Mu Yanxi was so scared she backed away repeatedly, afraid of being choked by some other action of Yi Wulan’s.
But just as she moved, Yi Wulan grabbed her arm, and her other outstretched hand pinched her cheek. “What nonsense are you spouting in public?”
Her fingertips were a little cool. She pinched once and then withdrew her hand. But through the mask, Mu Yanxi’s face felt as if heat had been transferred to it, getting hotter and hotter.
Mu Yanxi defiantly kept up with Yi Wulan’s pace. “Why are you so fierce? What if you damage my face by pulling it?”
“If you know you’re delicate, then pay more attention to your health. Don’t get sick again.”
Mu Yanxi smiled. “I know, I’m going to live to be a hundred.”
She paused, then couldn’t help but remind her, poking Yi Wulan’s hand. “Yi Wulan, don’t you forget, you’re accompanying me.”
Yi Wulan was silent for two seconds, looking at the withered trees along the road, and said calmly, “But, winter is coming soon.”
She didn’t know if Mu Yanxi understood what she meant, and a hint of anxiety appeared between her brows.
Mu Yanxi was stunned for several seconds before she realized the deeper meaning in Yi Wulan’s words.
Ever since Yi Wulan had given her the cold shoulder in the study last time, she hadn’t heard Yi Wulan get emo for a long time.
Yi Wulan was still staring at the trees in a daze. The bodyguards and Chen Xu stood behind them like a wall, blocking the view of others.
Her gaze lingered on the fallen leaves for a long time, so long that the assistant who had gone inside had already finished the pre-boarding procedures and sent a message. Only then did Yi Wulan retract her gaze.
It was as if looking at this tree made her think of her own fate of premature decline.
Suddenly, a cool hand reached out from the side and took Yi Wulan’s.
Yi Wulan was taken aback and looked up in a daze.
Mu Yanxi had used a disposable curling iron to create a beautiful hairstyle for herself before leaving. Now, blown by the wind, it was a complete mess. A few fallen leaves had even gotten caught in her hair, making the beautiful little peacock look disheveled.
She should have been very irritable and dissatisfied, but for some reason, her mood was surprisingly calm, and her gaze toward Yi Wulan looked extremely gentle.
If that group of anti-fans on Weibo saw Mu Yanxi like this, their jaws would probably drop in shock. The arrogant and haughty attitude she usually showed them seemed like a mask.
Mu Yanxi held Yi Wulan’s hand and led her toward another flower bed, where clumps of small white daisies were planted. Even in this late autumn when all things were withering, they were still blooming with vitality.
Yi Wulan was a little confused, but Mu Yanxi just pulled her along forcefully without a word, guiding her fingertips forward bit by bit. “Look.”
Yi Wulan tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling on Mu Yanxi. “What?”
But before she could look for long, a moist, cool sensation came from her fingertips.
Yi Wulan followed her fingertips with her eyes.
Mu Yanxi had led her hand to touch one of the small daisies and said softly, “Yi Wulan, the flower has bloomed.”
In late autumn, let alone delicate flowers, even tall trees were left bare by the wind. But the small daisy under her hand only moved slightly against Yi Wulan’s fingertip when the wind blew.
The autumn wind was bleak, but this bed of small daisies was striving to take root, using its fragile life to face the sun and bloom with its own beauty.
The law of blooming in spring and withering in autumn seemed to be broken by this clump of flowers.
Flowers can break through winter, and so can people.
Some things didn’t need to be said explicitly.
Mu Yanxi finally let go of her hand, shrinking her fingertips a little from the cold, then openly stuffed her own hand inside Yi Wulan’s unbuttoned trench coat, warming it against Yi Wulan’s waist.
After a few seconds of warming, Mu Yanxi seemed to sense something and looked up slightly.
Yi Wulan was looking at her.
In those eyes that were usually calm and indifferent, life seemed to have been rekindled, and there was even a hint of a deeply hidden smile.
“What are you looking at? If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be out here in the cold wind. What’s wrong with letting me warm up a bit?” Mu Yanxi said listlessly, but didn’t forget to bare her claws. “Alright, let’s go inside. If this wind makes you sick and delays Rongjia’s business, I can’t afford to compensate you.”
Yi Wulan acknowledged with a sound, but was still looking at her.
“Hey, don’t you know the way?” Mu Yanxi pulled Yi Wulan toward the airport. “Yi Wulan, your brain injury didn’t affect your hearing, did it? Let me tell you, I don’t like being with a deaf person.”
Yi Wulan paused and looked straight at Mu Yanxi. “Then if I go deaf, will you divorce me?”
Mu Yanxi froze, then pinched Yi Wulan’s side hard. “Yi Wulan, don’t even think about it.”
She seemed to be extremely angry, directly shaking off Yi Wulan and walking forward on her own.
After a few steps, she didn’t forget to turn back and add fiercely, “Unless you compensate me with the Rongjia Group, otherwise, no deal.”
The corners of Yi Wulan’s lips curled up slightly as she walked forward and took Mu Yanxi’s hand.
“What, if you want to transfer shares, please contact my lawyer.”
Yi Wulan raised an eyebrow. “You have a lawyer?”
Mu Yanxi stammered in rebuttal, “My… my sister’s is mine. Can’t you just find her?”
Yi Wulan took Mu Yanxi’s hand and gently placed something in her palm. “That won’t do. Your Xinyu’s lawyers deal with money all day. I can’t afford to provoke them.”
“If you can’t afford to provoke them, then be less fierce with me. Be careful, or I might run away with your money one day.” Mu Yanxi looked down at her hand. “What the hell is this…”
Her words trailed off as she saw the object clearly.
A small daisy was lying quietly in her palm.
It was dotted with a few drops of morning dew and still carried a trace of residual warmth from Yi Wulan’s hand.
Mu Yanxi was stunned. Her hand, which had been about to throw it away, was now unable to move.
By the time she came back to her senses, a light laugh sounded in her ear. “You like it that much?”
Mu Yanxi looked up. Yi Wulan was already holding her other hand and walking toward the security checkpoint.
If it weren’t for the mask, Mu Yanxi really felt the urge to rush up and bite Yi Wulan.
But she was mindful of her pride after all, and fiercely stuffed the small daisy into Yi Wulan’s trench coat pocket. “Who cares about your stupid flower.”
Only, the small daisy in her palm was not placed in Yi Wulan’s pocket, but was quietly stuffed into her own clothes instead.
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