Below the stage for the limited-time Love-Hurdle Corridors Academy event...
"They're seriously so full of love."
"You can tell right away they're natural comedians."
The spectators who had gathered in the central courtyard of Golden Bee Amusement Park chattered excitedly.
Only Boss Cat truly knew just how much Lanqi felt like he was sitting on pins and needles right now.
*He really is... It brings tears to my eyes, meow.*
When it came to sheer professionalism, Boss Cat genuinely admired Lanqi.
To see the job through, Lanqi wouldn't hesitate even if it meant sacrificing himself.
A truly ruthless mercenary.
Amidst the clamor filtering in from the outside world, the vivid graffiti space continued its unorthodox shifts of floor and sky, sparking strange light effects and arcade chimes at every turn.
Lanqi and Talia stood inside the classroom like two temporal travelers, facing the cartoon bee host hovering in midair in the distance.
"Since both of you have chosen to continue, let's take a look at the next question!"
The host drew another card, flipped it around, and revealed a new prompt.
[Question 5 (Male): When you are separated from her, roughly how many times a day do you think of her?]
[A. 0 times]
[B. 1–10 times]
[C. 10–100 times]
[D. More than 100 times]
"If the answer is A, it's over—that would mean he doesn't love her at all. B is fine, but C is already a bit extreme; that means he practically can't function without her."
The audience's murmured debate reached their ears.
Talia hadn't originally cared about such a question.
Yet on second thought, she found herself slightly curious whether Lanqi had ever thought of her while he was away in the Northern Continent.
[D]
The slate in Lanqi's hands boldly displayed his answer.
Talia looked at Lanqi's face in astonishment, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks.
However, a second later, the realization dawned on her, and her fists clenched tight.
Because every time Lanqi thought of her, it was undoubtedly about something damned infuriating!
What normal person would think of her more than a hundred times a day?!
Cold sweat beaded on Lanqi's forehead. The louder the crowd's cheers grew, the more each second felt like an eternity.
"I really underestimated you two. You're disgustingly sweet!"
A look of disbelief crept into the host's eyes as he remarked, "Who would've thought that someone who looks so cool on the outside would cling to her so much?"
At this point, only one classic poetic vow came to the host's mind: *Only when mountains crumble and heaven merges with earth shall I ever part from you.*
"..."
Lanqi's eyelid twitched violently.
Caught between the suffocating pressure radiating off Talia beside him and the raucous jeering of the crowd, he felt an urge to die right then and there.
"Well then, congratulations! You have completed five questions so far. You two are remarkably brave! Would you like to continue the challenge, or would you prefer to claim the commemorative gift box plus twenty-five Golden Bee coins and leave?" the little golden bee host asked.
"Continue," Lanqi answered through gritted teeth.
He had already hit rock bottom; any direction from here was up.
Loren most likely still hadn't grasped the sheer danger of this game, and the spectators were only egging them on. He had to hold out a little longer.
A hero could never flee from the battlefield.
"Continue," Talia answered in a remarkably calm voice.
"Excellent! The trust between you two is truly remarkable! Then let's take a look at the next question!"
Grinning, the host drew another card.
A broad smile immediately blossomed on the cartoon bee's face.
This question was notorious for unearthing a woman's deepest, most unspeakable desires.
A couple had broken up on the spot over this very prompt, scaring the boyfriend away entirely.
[Question 6 (Female): If he were to agree to any single request of yours just this once, what would you most want to do with him?]
A brand-new banner materialized in the air of the graffiti space.
Talia froze for a brief instant, and then the answer floated onto her slate.
[Read a script]
In that split second, Talia noticed the vein near Lanqi's temple twitching slightly.
He looked as if he was desperately recalling every tragic event of his entire life just to keep his facial expression from breaking.
Now Talia felt like killing herself.
Truth be told, she had no idea why that was the answer either.
Perhaps deep down, she had genuinely enjoyed that bizarre game with Lanqi last time—both excruciating torture and strangely pleasurable.
"Ta-Tata, maybe we should stop playing," Lanqi gasped, sounding out of breath—or rather, so on the verge of bursting into laughter that he could barely speak.
He felt that even if he died today, it would have been worth every penny.
"..."
Talia's gaze trembled, a light flush brushing her porcelain cheeks while a chilling, imposing aura gradually radiated from her features.
She slowly stepped closer to Lanqi.
"No. We're playing to the bitter end. Let's torment each other to our hearts' content today."
Talia placed her icy hand against the back of Lanqi's neck, breathing the words gently into his ear.
Lanqi turned his head toward her in utter shock. Feeling like a helpless kitten that could be lifted by the scruff at any second, he dared not smile in the slightest.
In that singular moment, he felt as though he had caught a glimpse of an actual queen of the demon race.
As the two stared at each other, before they could turn their attention back to the host, his voice rang out once more.
"All right, let's look at the seventh question—"
[Question 7 (Male & Female): What is the most embarrassing incident that has occurred between the two of you?]
The instant the banner flashed in the corners of their eyes, both snapped back to reality and scrambled to rein in their thoughts.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
[So cute I could eat you up]
[So cute I could eat you up]
The identical answers appeared brazenly upon both of their slates.
"Ooooh—!!"
The moment the answers appeared, the entire venue plunged into dead silence, as though the very air had frozen. Then, the instant the final stroke settled on the slates, a deafening uproar erupted from the central courtyard.
Some spectators covered their mouths in disbelief, while others wore expressions of mixed shock and sheer excitement, their eyes glued to the center of the broadcast.
Although the audience below had no idea what specific embarrassing situation had taken place or how it had unfolded, even through the screen, they could sense just how wildly adventurous these two were behind closed doors!
As if perfectly tailored to the occasion, the broadcasting director switched the background music to a new song that had recently begun trending in Ikerite.
*"Darling, you're so cute today, so cute I could eat you up instead of breakfast~"*
*"Your adorable look leaves me utterly intoxicated; before my memories begin to fade, I want to stay by your side forever like a lucid dream~"*
*"Oh~ I feel like I'm suffocating, yet you are my air; I can't wait even a second longer~"*
When that familiar, alluring, and crystal-clear voice rang out, Lanqi didn't dare turn his head to look at Tata anymore.
Tata remained completely silent, not even immediately demanding an explanation from Lanqi.
Beads of sweat began rolling down Lanqi's forehead. He remained frozen like a statue.
Both of them wanted to die right now.
"Congratulations on answering seven questions! There will now be a brief commercial break. At the same time, we've received word from the director that a shift change is required. If the two of you wish to continue, please wait just a moment," the host announced.
Having heard the gray-haired girl state earlier that they would play to the bitter end, unless either party objected, the game would automatically proceed.
...
Outside the graffiti classroom's Shadow World...
The screen temporarily cut to commercials accompanied by music, but the spectators in the central courtyard didn't disperse in the slightest, growing even more eager for the second half of the show.
"Loren, this program is really fun. No wonder everyone is so excited to watch it," Juliana remarked.
She and Loren had already found seats in the spectator stands across from the stage, leisurely enjoying the reality show.
"Yeah, I think it's pretty good too," Loren chuckled cheerfully.
While going up there to answer questions might be a little embarrassing if it were him and Juliana, he felt they could easily pass the challenge, unlike the poor gentleman on stage who looked ready to jump out of his skin with every question.
Chapter 633