Chapter 29 Part 2

“Got it,” Lin Xu replied immediately, brimming with excitement. “I know! This is to make sure the killer among us can’t sneak off and destroy evidence, right?”

“Mm.” Shen Li grunted in agreement. He couldn’t be bothered pretending anymore. He’d just run through it in his head—the evidence in a variety show game like this wouldn’t be too tricky or hidden. It would all be pretty obvious. So he’d tweaked the standard search procedures accordingly.

He got straight to assigning tasks. “Follow the search order I wrote down. Every time you enter a site, log the start time. And whenever you pick up an item, put it back exactly where you found it. If something looks like evidence, snap a photo with the iPad.”

As soon as Shen Li finished speaking, Jiang Nan finally chimed in with his thoughts. “It’s a solid plan, but I think there are still some flaws. For instance, shouldn’t we search the first floor of the cabin too?”

Yang Zhiqi nodded. “Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. Why did you just outright exclude it? Don’t you think it’s important?”

Shen Li glanced at the Program Group’s cameras, his face expressionless as he addressed their questions. “This morning, the Program Group brought us to the living room area and spent about two hours setting things up, mainly in the basement and our rooms on the second floor. They even added new cameras, so they must have planted fresh clues during that time.

“As for the living room and the Xitulan Ya Restaurant, we were free to wander and poke around freely. There’s basically no chance of evidence there.”

【Holy crap! Shen Li is way too professional?? He’s insanely good! Dude’s brain is on another level!】

【Nüwa, that clay you flicked away is coming back as mud soup to drown you [big cry] How many days did you spend molding Shen Maomao? You tell me [big cry] Are you molding me now? [big cry]】

【Upstairs, quit crying… Analyzing this clearly in such a short time, with such a logical breakdown? Even a genius couldn’t pull that off.】

【You saying it’s scripted?】

【Very possible. Isn’t Shen Li a total script actor from start to finish? No normal person is this perfect. That first-day segment was tailor-made for him…】

【Can we not be so cynical? Admitting someone’s excellent that hard? Qian Xingzhi already posted on Weibo denying any scripting.】

【Shen Li looks like a murder mystery game pro!!! Like a god-tier player who instantly grasps the plot! Super invincible hot!】

【Maybe. Folks good at murder mystery games are perfect for this show.】

【Whoa, what if Shen Li’s a cop?】

【Overthinking it. Cut back on those cheesy webnovels. No on-duty public servant’s hitting up an entertainment variety show.】

“Looks like our viewers are already speculating about the guests’ jobs in the comments,” Qin Zhao said. As the Live Observation Room host for the day, he handled questions, kept things flowing, and tossed in the occasional viewer comment to bridge the on-site and off-site vibes. “Qian Xingzhi, what’s your take?”

The man in question, just singled out, didn’t tear his eyes away from the screen for a second.

His lips pressed into a thin line, his cool features sharpened with a piercing chill—regal and icy.

But that spotlighted left hand of his hadn’t left the table since the broadcast started.

Zero times dangling at his side. Zero arm crosses. Zero pocket dips.

N times nose-rubbing. N+1 cheek-propping. N+2 ring-twiddling.

Even now, called out by his buddy, he blinked back to reality, pondered for a beat, and answered: “Mm. It’ll be revealed later in the show. No rush.”

Straight-up businesslike, like he was walking someone through protocols.

The others in the Live Observation Room exchanged awkward glances and sweatdropped. Qian Xingzhi had been distracted since the broadcast kicked off.

From his thoughts on the search phase, to ratings of the guests, even takes on the ex-couples’ dynamics—he’d spaced out worse than day one, mumbling perfunctory replies before his gaze drifted uncontrollably back to that real-time vote tally box.

The least professional day of his career.

But even if his vote count was neck-and-neck with Su Xilan’s, did he need to stress this hard?

If it was that bad, just buy some votes. Every show did it these days.

Was he seriously this hung up on it?

Qin Zhao didn’t get it. He coughed awkwardly to save face, then lobbed another question at the tight-lipped Qian Xingzhi—who’d barely spoken, prompting fan backlash in the comments already.

“—Oh, and there’s this fun topic in the comments. Old Qian, who do you think gets along best with the kids in our Re-Marriage Cabin—like a total preschool teacher?”

“Shen Li.”

…Fine.

Your ex is the preschool teacher type, huh?

You got it.

“Ahem, ahem,” Qin Zhao chuckled mischievously and pressed on. “Alright, next up—who’s got the strongest leadership vibe in the cabin, best suited for management?”

“Shen Li.”

…Game over. Every answer’s Shen Li.

Qin Zhao looked a bit glum, about to fire off the next one, when Liu Jinci—back on duty today—smartly jumped in. “Brother Zhao, why not ask about the search phase instead? Brother Qian seems super into it. He’s glued to that search screen.”

Qin Zhao’s face darkened further.

Was that the search he was watching?

No, it was Shen Li’s hands.

Still, the topic shifted—better to chat with the talkers. “Jinci, how tough does this daytime game look to you?”

Liu Jinci smiled warmly. “Me? I think it’s pretty challenging. They’ve been searching for over two hours and racked up a ton of suspicious items—there must be red herrings mixed in. I really envy folks with sharp logic. If it were me, my brain would grind to a halt.”

Wang Zixin grinned playfully. “Whoa, sis, don’t be modest! You memorize lines at lightspeed! Your brain’s a beast!”

Liu Jinci waved it off humbly. “No, no—this logic puzzle stuff is nothing like lines. I’m the type who skips plot chapters in novels, haha. I only care about the romance.”

“No way! You’re my soulmate, sis!” Wang Zixin slapped her thigh and thrust her hand over—skipping past host Qin Zhao and Qian Xingzhi—to shake with her kindred spirit. “Same here! Plot twists, mysteries? My brain just crashes and burns!”

Liu Jinci burst into full laughter, stretching her arm past the statue-still Qian Xingzhi—unwittingly blocking his left hand—and gripped Wang Zixin’s firmly. “Oh man, we’re twins then. But I love digging romance out of the plot and plot out of the romance. Pure anything? Feels kinda flat.”

!

Wang Zixin’s face fell, her expression slipping as half her thought blurted out. “Wow, that sounds familiar… I think I’ve heard something similar…”

“—Ahem!” Qin Zhao coughed sharply three times, yanking them back on track and pivoting to Qian Xingzhi. “Great Film Emperor, why don’t you stand up? Let the ladies sit together and chat? You’re just sitting there mute anyway.”

They were old pals, sure, but seats were set by the show—suggesting a swap wasn’t ideal.

Qian Xingzhi didn’t seem to mind. If anything, he looked like he’d been waiting for it. He rose from his seat in a flash.

The two young actresses blinked, neither daring to scoot over—or maybe they just wouldn’t.

Qian Xingzhi stood, first lifting his left hand from behind Liu Jinci’s outstretched arm, planting his four fingers forward on his hip—

Who knows what itched. Anyway, he dug those fingers in lightly, scratching his waist twice.

His shirt pulled taut with the motion, tracing a faint waistline.

As his fingers pressed harder, the tips sank into the muscle, dimpling the fabric and hinting at the tight, fluid contours beneath.

【Whoa whoa whoa! So whoa!】

【Tell me this guy’s 35? Body maintenance on point!】

【Waist waist waist aaaah [drool] Oh man [drool] Eyes on the waist, sisters! [drool]】

【Tch, still on the waist? Haven’t you learned? It’s the ring you’re supposed to watch [shrug]】

The barrage scrolled with chatter. Qian Xingzhi stepped back, ignoring it.

Face cold as ever, his usually crisp voice came out husky. “You two sit. I’ve been parked too long. Need to stretch.”

Of the other three, only Qin Zhao—who knew the full story—watched Qian Xingzhi, fighting a smirk.

Su Xilan must’ve pulled ahead with those eight rings from the work photo. He hadn’t relinquished the lead in five minutes flat.

No wonder Qian Xingzhi was fidgety. He looked calm, but picturing Su Xilan as butler in the cabin—maybe even crossing paths with Shen Li, stirring something up—had to be eating at him.

Sure enough.

Qian Xingzhi paced behind his seat, face stern, brows furrowed. His usual sharp gaze softened with fatigue. He stopped, half-turned, and rasped out:

His voice sounded rough indeed—like cotton stuffed his throat, or sandpaper-scraped, gritty and dry, with a faint nasal twang. Clear signs of a cold—

Worse than earlier, even. “Sorry, I’m not feeling great. I need to step out for a few hours and grab some meds.”

Without waiting for approval, the investor exited the observation room.

The barrage filled with sympathy:

【Rest up if you’ve got a cold.】

【No wonder he’s been off all afternoon.】

Qian Xingzhi strode quickly, Wang Zixin’s voice fading behind him. He fished his phone from his pocket.

Dialed Assistant Xu.

It picked up fast. “Hello? Boss, what do you need?”

“Where’s Su Xilan right now?”

“Uh, Su Xilan was supposed to be in the cabin, but he finished his task, so it’s like he’s clocked out already. Do you want to go look for him?”

Qian Xingzhi’s voice came out low and hoarse. “He’s always willing to use any means to get what he wants. I’m a little worried he’ll stir up more trouble—let’s find him anyway. If we still can’t track him down in a bit, contact Lou Wuchen.”

“Got it, boss.”

Qian Xingzhi fell silent for a moment before asking, “…What’s going on with this vote? Why is it so neck-and-neck?”

“Uh,” Assistant Xu said, sounding a bit hesitant. “You can check out Su Xilan’s work photo. You brought one, but he brought eight… And, well, most of the viewers are just here for the entertainment, you know? Not many are seriously analyzing the vote.”

Qian Xingzhi: …

Assistant Xu ventured, “Uh, boss, I don’t know if I should say this.”

“Then don’t.”

“Uh… But this is that kind of advice that’s hard to hear but good for you…”

“Then go ahead and say it.”

Assistant Xu sucked in a breath. “Oof, I think your real personality is actually pretty… uh, pretty cute… Why do you stick yourself with this whole aloof ice-king persona? Aren’t you tired of keeping it up? Mr. Shen might even find it awkward.”

A scoff escaped Qian Xingzhi. “You don’t understand Shen Li.”

The chill in Qian Xingzhi’s voice was unmistakable as he continued. “Shen Li admires mature, steady men who know their boundaries the most—just like me right now.”