Chapter 29

The corners of her lips curved upwards almost imperceptibly, her cool voice carrying a soothing power: "Scared?"

"Who's afraid!"

Lu Xiao immediately straightened his back, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, then deflated a little, his voice lowering with a hint of coquetry, "It's just... this is my first time on such a big variety show, and it's an outdoor competition, I'm really not good at games. I heard there are a lot of twists and turns in it, and even undercover agents and stuff..."

He moved closer, his shoulder almost touching Zhuohua's, and whispered, "Huahua, what if we draw opposite sides? I definitely wouldn't lie to you, and I can't lie to you anyway, but what if you lie to me..." He imagined the scene and felt a little miserable, his brows furrowing.

Zhuohua picked up the iced Americano her assistant had just brought her, the coolness seeping from the glass brushing against her slightly warm fingertips. She lowered her gaze to the dark brown liquid, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath her eyes, concealing the fleeting, almost mischievous smile that crossed her eyes.

Deceive him? Hmm, that sounds... kind of interesting. Her expression remained calm, only offering a faint "hmm": "That's the rule, it's all about skill."

These four seemingly insignificant words were like a pebble thrown into Lu Xiao's heart, stirring up ripples of "ominous premonition." He always felt that there was something he couldn't see through hidden deep within his girlfriend's calm and composed eyes.

Three days later, at the recording site of the first episode of "Mysterious Realm".

The location was chosen at a lavishly constructed, antique-style film and television base nestled against the mountains and beside a river in the suburbs. The palaces with their flying eaves and bracketed brackets, the winding and secluded corridors, the rugged artificial rocks dotting the landscape, and the gently flowing man-made streams all created a truly "secret" atmosphere. The production team clearly spared no expense in striving for authenticity.

When Zhuohua and Lu Xiao arrived, dressed in the traditional Chinese attire provided by the production team, the scene was already bustling with noise. The cameras, like silent behemoths, pointed their dark lenses at the guest area from various tricky angles.

Several regular MCs and other guest stars had already arrived and were exchanging pleasantries and jokes, creating an exaggerated yet lively atmosphere unique to variety shows.

"Oh my! Look who's here!"

A regular MC known for his humor and comedic timing, nicknamed "Monkey King," spotted them with sharp eyes and immediately spread his arms wide in an exaggerated gesture, pointing directly at Lu Xiao, "Our rising star of Star Glory, the 'Elevator God of War'! Lu Xiao! I heard that your kick in the elevator went viral! Amazing!"

This joke immediately drew a burst of laughter. The other guests also turned their attention to it, their eyes filled with curiosity and scrutiny.

Lu Xiao blushed instantly, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet. He instinctively shrank back half a step behind Zhuo Hua and whispered in protest, "No...nothing like that, Brother Monkey, don't talk nonsense..." He looked at Zhuo Hua for help, like a large dog seeking protection.

Zhuohua remained calm, subtly shifting her body slightly to block most of Lu Xiao's view. She gave a slight nod to Monkey King and the other guests who looked over, as if to say hello.

Her aloof and detached demeanor seemed to form an invisible barrier, instantly isolating the overly enthusiastic atmosphere around her. The boisterous laughter strangely subsided under her calm gaze.

Monkey King, being perceptive, chuckled and patted Lu Xiao on the shoulder, changing the subject: "Just kidding, just kidding! Come, come, welcome the newcomer! This must be Zhuohua, right? She's even more ethereal in person than in photos!"

The other guests laughed and echoed, and the atmosphere became lively again, but the gazes they cast at Zhuohua were filled with a stronger sense of inquiry.

Just then, the director shouted through a megaphone, "Alright, alright! Everyone, quiet down! We're about to start drawing your identity cards! This will determine your initial faction and mission in this episode of 'Gods and Demons Ruins'! It's crucial!"

A huge wooden box inlaid with ancient runes was pushed up by the staff. The top of the box had only a small round hole, just big enough for one hand to fit through, giving it an air of mystery.

"Ladies first! Guest stars will draw first!" the director instructed.

Zhuohua, the only female guest, was the first to step forward. She walked with composure, the hem of her ancient costume swaying gently with her movements.

The camera immediately zoomed in, focusing on her right hand reaching for the wooden box. That hand, with its well-proportioned knuckles and fair skin, was stunningly beautiful under the lens.

Her fingertips reached into the box, touching a pile of cold, hard cards. Without lingering, as if casually reaching in, she precisely grasped the edge of one card and deftly pulled it out. The card flipped over, facing the camera.

The crimson background resembled congealed blood. At the center was a grotesque, silently roaring black demon head relief. Below, two large characters stood out like a branding iron—【Fallen God - Undercover】!

"Wow--!!!"

A huge gasp and gasp erupted from the audience! Even the regular MCs, who were used to big scenes, showed exaggerated expressions of shock.

It's not surprising to draw the undercover card; what's surprising is that after this newcomer drew such a "villain" core card, her excessively beautiful face didn't even show a ripple of emotion! She was as calm as if she had only drawn a piece of paper that said "Passerby A"!

"Holy crap! That's incredible luck!" Monkey King exclaimed, slapping his thigh.

"Teacher Zhuohua's composure... I admire it!" another veteran MC exclaimed.

Lu Xiao stood behind Zhuo Hua and saw everything clearly. His mouth was slightly open, and his eyes were wide open. His expression was ten times more shocked than Zhuo Hua himself, who had drawn the undercover agent card! Hua Hua was... an undercover agent? Or the most evil "fallen god"?

His mind went blank for a moment, and he instinctively reached out to touch the glaring red card, as if to confirm that he was seeing things.

Zhuohua, however, had already nonchalantly tucked the ID card into her wide sleeve, turned her head, and met Lu Xiao's bewildered expression.

Her clear, cool eyes curved slightly, like a faint, warm spring flowing beneath the melting ice of early spring. Her voice was soft, yet clear enough to reach his ears: "Don't be afraid."

Lu Xiao's heart felt like it had been lightly squeezed by those two words, a mix of soreness and tenderness, and a strange sense of panic. "Don't be afraid?" He was both afraid and bewildered! Afraid he couldn't outmaneuver her, even more afraid that he... would hold her back? He quickly shook his head, trying to banish this bizarre thought.

It was Lu Xiao's turn to draw a card. He took a deep breath, and with an almost reverent solemnity, reached into the wooden box, fumbled around for a while, and finally carefully pulled out a card. The card flipped over—

The background is made of warm white jade, with a cross sword pattern radiating a soft holy light in the center, and two righteous characters below: 【Holy Knight - Good Person】!

"Yay!" Lu Xiao almost jumped up, his face instantly brightening from gloomy to sunny.

He excitedly waved the card in his hand, like a child who had finally won his favorite toy. He rushed to Zhuohua, completely forgetting that the camera was still rolling, and shouted in a loud voice with a silly, heroic air: "Huahua! Look! I'm a Holy Knight! A partner of justice! The kind who punishes fallen gods! You... uh..."

He suddenly realized what he had said, and when he met Zhuohua's eyes, which seemed to be smiling but not smiling and seemed to know everything, the words stuck in his throat, and his face turned red again.

"Pfft!"

Monkey King next to him couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Oh my silly brother! You revealed your true colors way too quickly! It hasn't even started yet, and you're already thinking about punishing your partner?"

The other guests also burst into good-natured laughter.

"Lu Xiao, you're such a 'good guy,' you've already exposed your weakness to the 'enemy' before the battle even starts!"

"Teacher Zhuohua, how can you tolerate this? Punish him immediately!"

"Oh no, oh no, I have a feeling that Lu Xiao is going to be completely messed up this time..."

Lu Xiao was so embarrassed by the laughter that he wished he could disappear into the ground. He could only look pitifully at Zhuo Hua, pleading for help with his eyes.

Zhuohua watched his smug yet instantly embarrassed foolish expression, and her mischievous amusement was amplified. She tilted her head slightly, a strand of long hair slipping from her shoulder, and her cool voice carried a hint of barely perceptible teasing: "Hmm, Holy Knight, you're quite impressive."

The tone of his voice sounded exactly like someone teasing their own pet.

Lu Xiao's face turned even redder, and the tips of his ears looked like they were on fire.

The game officially begins.

The massive replica of an ancient site is divided into several areas, with intricate clues hidden among pavilions, towers, artificial hills, and secret passages.

Mission Objectives: The good guys must find and purify three energy nodes contaminated by "demonic energy" within the time limit; the undercover agent (fallen god) must secretly sabotage the nodes or mislead the good guys to fail, and protect their own identity from being exposed by the vote.

As a "fallen god," Zhuohua's movements are as elusive as those of a true ghost.

She rarely participates in group discussions and spends most of her time alone, seemingly wandering aimlessly among the corridors and rockeries.

High-definition cameras captured her occasionally pausing, her fingertips subtly brushing across an inconspicuous crack in a stone brick or the carvings on a pillar, the movements so swift they were almost blurry. Unbeknownst to anyone, those places emanated extremely faint fluctuations of "demonic energy," imperceptible to mortals—for this former deity, finding the nodes was as easy as returning home.

She wasn't looking for clues; she was... taking a walk to supervise.

Lu Xiao, the newly appointed "Holy Knight," perfectly embodied the qualities of a passionate and kind-hearted person. Like a wound-up top, he energetically spun between various mission locations. Wherever there were crowds and activity, wherever puzzles and locks needed solving, he was there, actively participating.

His logical reasoning ability is actually not bad, but his lack of experience, coupled with his eagerness to prove himself in front of Zhuohua, makes him more susceptible to being distracted by the smokescreens thrown out by other guests, and he almost led the team astray several times.