Talia frowned when she saw the new question.
While it was indeed quite simple, just as the host had said, she truly hated being left behind—abandoned without a word, all on her own.
It had been that way back in the Demon Realm: her royal father, her mother, her great demon friends, and even her younger sister had suddenly vanished.
Back then, it felt as though everything she possessed had been snatched away in the blink of an eye.
Earlier, when she and Lanqi had visited the Card Makers Association's rental workshop for the first time in their hometown within the South Vantina frontier territory, the fellow had run off on his own after his card blew up, which had left her thoroughly displeased.
Fortunately, he had returned to the workshop before long.
Upon reflection, Lanqi was genuinely the type to throw his heart and soul into his work.
As for a female colleague with whom Lanqi might have work-related business, that would likely be Hyperion.
If he suddenly abandoned her because Hyperion contacted him, Talia wouldn't find it surprising.
She understood the logic, yet the more she dwelled on it, the more annoyed she became.
Just as a knot formed in her chest, Lanqi's little chalkboard already had an answer written on it.
[I would not.]
Lanqi held the chalkboard in both hands. Sensing Talia's gaze, he looked over to find her staring intently at his cheek.
"What is it?" Lanqi asked, puzzled.
"Nothing," Talia replied curtly, turning her head away to avoid his eyes.
Outside the Shadow World, Boss Cat's eyelid twitched violently.
It knew Lanqi inside and out.
Lanqi would simply do both, shifting straight into dual-thread mode. That was the bold, hyper-competent Headmaster Lanqi.
All of the world's regrets and dilemmas usually stemmed from a lack of capability, whereas Lanqi, possessing formidable professional competence, was confident in tackling any problem using the most extreme measures.
At that moment, the camera cut back to Loren for a close-up.
Loren gripped Juliana's wrist and shifted slightly to the left, but the camera followed his face.
Loren looked up slightly at the lens.
Then, with an almost imperceptible movement, he shook his head.
Yet the camera remained firmly trained on him.
Only after a moment, when the host's voice echoed through the doodle classroom in the Shadow World, did the broadcast switch back inside.
"Question Twelve! You're almost at the finish line! Very few couples ever make it this far while maintaining their calm!"
The golden bee host fluttered around the classroom. Swiping across midair as if wiping an invisible glass wall, she made the text of the new question materialize—
[Question Twelve (Male): Do you feel that hanging out with your good buddy brings you more happiness than being with the woman beside you?]
"While this question may seem harmless on the surface, answering honestly might leave the person beside you furious! It's precisely these little things that hurt the most!"
"Is that so?" the players watching in the central courtyard murmured among themselves.
"Think about it. If your girlfriend found out you genuinely felt happier hanging out with your male friend, what would she think?"
"That does sound a bit terrifying..."
Talia, however, was not at all surprised by the expected answer to this question.
She had heard Hyperion mention Frey from the Ikerite Academy student council, Lanqi's best friend. Whenever the three of them were on duty, Hyperion was usually in charge of diplomacy first, while Lanqi and Frey handled the heavy-handed force afterward. To this day, the student council boasted a one hundred percent approval rating.
Whenever Lanqi was with Frey, the smile never left his face.
And yet.
To Talia's utter disbelief...
[No.]
That was what was written on Lanqi's chalkboard.
The answer was obvious.
Lanqi felt happier being around Talia than being with Frey.
Talia stared at him.
She never imagined that in his eyes, being with her could bring him so much joy.
Before long, however, she realized why this guy was so happy.
"You..."
Talia glared at Lanqi with murderous intent, an ominous aura seeming to billow off her.
The hands holding Lanqi's chalkboard began to tremble. His pressed lips squiggled into a nervous wavy line, and he squirmed in his seat, utterly unsettled.
"..."
Outside the Shadow World, Boss Cat was at a loss for words.
It shook its head and looked up, only to see the broadcast switch once more to the audience seats in the real world.
The camera was still shoved right in Loren's face.
Loren was sweating profusely.
By now, he had already switched seats twice with Juliana.
Yet the camera found him every single time.
Truth be told, being around Florence genuinely felt more relaxed and carefree. He didn't have to worry about a thing.
If possible, he would love to chat with Florence every day; living together with Florence would bring him nothing but happiness.
Then again, the drillmaster had said that sort of thing was completely normal!
Back in the Shadow World's doodle classroom.
"You two have practically cleared the challenge before we even realized it! Question Thirteen!"
The golden bee host spoke with boundless energy. She glanced at the question, refrained from revealing it right away, and paused in thought.
"Mmm, before this question, I'd like to ask the two of you first: in your future schedules, aside from the one beside you, do you have plans for an intimate date with anyone else?"
Both Lanqi and Talia shook their heads.
The only confirmed plan they currently had was traveling together to the Bosen Kingdom to invigilate the Platinum-rank card maker exam and purchase materials for crafting new cards.
Even so, they already guessed that this inquiry was likely connected to the upcoming question.
Meanwhile, the camera cut once again to a certain section of the audience.
"..."
This time, even without the camera zooming in, all the surrounding spectators turned their heads toward Loren.
At the center of the screen, spectators from in front, behind, left, and right were all staring straight at Loren.
Loren looked ready to rain sweat.
"Loren, are you really that hot?"
Juliana glanced up at the sky, genuinely worried that a cloud had formed directly over Loren's head and started raining on him.
"I—I'm actually fine," Loren said, gazing at the screen with his hands resting stiffly on his knees, entirely frozen.
Juliana had no choice but to dab the cold sweat from his forehead with her handkerchief once more.
Suddenly, she noticed on the giant screen that she was practically glued against Loren. Clearing her throat softly, her cheeks flushed slightly pink as she sat up straight and pulled back her handkerchief.
"All right, please look at the board!"
The host's voice rang out again, and the broadcast returned to the doodle classroom. The golden bee slammed the new question onto the screen, accompanied by a game sound effect as the text slapped into place.
[Question Thirteen (Male & Female): In your future schedules, what is the private date plan you look forward to the most?]
[Traveling with him to the Bosen Kingdom to enjoy good food.]
[Traveling with her to the Bosen Kingdom and taking her to enjoy good food.]
Thanks to the preparatory question, their answers appeared at lightning speed.
Their tacit understanding stunned the audience once again.
"Oh, let me ask: will your next date involve... a feeding session? You two seem awfully eager to do that with each other!"
The golden bee host wiggled her eyebrows with a teasing grin.
"..."
Neither of them could answer that. They turned their heads away in opposite directions, feeling ready to die of mortification.
"Fufu, I'm really looking forward to your trip! I sincerely hope you have a wonderful time together! But do remember, when you do that sort of thing, try not to do it in broad daylight in front of a crowd!"
The golden bee chuckled behind her hand.
"We won't!"
Both snapped their heads up indignantly, shouting in unison.
Instantly, the uproarious cheers from beneath the stage in the real world grew even louder.
"..."
They felt as though they could never wash their names clean again.
They had sacrificed far too much for work today.
"Now then, do you plan to take your one hundred and sixty-nine golden bee coins plus the Animal Forest chocolate gift box and leave, or do you intend to challenge the final question?"
The golden bee host looked at them with great intrigue.
According to the rules, before posing the final question, she had to ask for the contestants' consent.
"This last question is both the hardest and the easiest! It is also the staple question for this season's Love-Hurdle Corridors Academy event! If you can provide an affirmative answer, you will receive our limited-edition reward: the Skywood Golden Bee commemorative bracelet!" the host added.
As a fixed question, Question Fourteen defaulted to unattempted and had actually been displayed since the beginning; couples simply had to choose whether to proceed after enduring the first thirteen questions.
[Question Fourteen (Male & Female): Up to this very moment, do you feel happy by each other's side?]
Many couples broke up right at this hurdle.
Even if they had forced themselves to accept each other's answers through the previous questions, their genuine feelings would be laid bare before their partner here!
"After surviving thirteen rounds of trials, round fourteen is where the true damage settles."
"If your girlfriend learns from your true feelings that you're no longer happy by her side, there's basically no way to coax her back, no matter how much you explain."
"That's why ever since the Golden Bee Amusement Park central courtyard special event opened, not a single couple has claimed the grand prize."
The spectators gossiped among themselves.
"Do you dare?" Talia muttered under her breath without looking at him.
"I'm playing to the end with you today," Lanqi answered, feeling that things had probably gone to his head as well.
"Splendid! Then let us reveal the answers!"
The golden bee host spun with delight. As if under the influence of stage magic, the classroom abruptly went dark. When the lights came back on, two spotlights shone down separately upon them.
[Yes.]
[Yes.]
"WHOAAAAA!"
In that instant, every single visitor in the entire central courtyard of Golden Bee Amusement Park rose from their seats, cheering and leaping with joy as if celebrating a grand festival.
Chapter 636