Chapter 74 The Aftermath of the Runaway: The Fourteenth Day - Who are you?

The live stream fell into a brief silence.

Initially, some people in the live stream speculated that Xie Ruan's disappearance might have been a script written by the production team at the last minute.

Until Yuan Yuan's helpless eyes appeared in the live broadcast room.

Only then did everyone gradually realize that something was wrong.

Because everyone knows that.

Yuan Yuan did not actually put on such an act of bewilderment and helplessness.

What was Yuan Yuan doing that caused Xie Ruan to be lost?

[Let alone my brother, nobody expected to lose Xie Ruan. And even if something happened to Xie Ruan, the production team is responsible. It was because they didn't have enough cameramen that this happened.]

[How could the production team possibly lack cameramen? I bet this is all scripted!]

[How could it be scripted? Yuan Yuan is just a pretty face; he couldn't possibly act this well. You all remember that new drama he filmed last time? How awkward he was when he was acting lost and helpless; I could only hear his voice. Now he acts so naturally. If he could act like this, I wouldn't say his acting is bad.]

What's all the commotion about? Didn't you see Xie Ruan is missing?

The comments section was filled with doubts, speculations, and anxieties.

Only Yuan Yuan was the most emotional.

Yuan Yuan couldn't think about anything at all; she just instinctively ran to the side.

Meanwhile, the production team also fell into a brief silence regarding Xie Ruan's sudden disappearance.

Director Li thought: The manor is big, but surely it shouldn't be so big that two people can get lost inside?

Director Li specifically rented a manor that is regularly maintained.

Moreover, this manor was lent to him by a guest on this episode of the dating reality show.

How did Xie Ruan suddenly disappear?

Director Li was extremely anxious about the current situation.

Director Li watched the ever-increasing viewership numbers, clenched his fists for a moment, and then, prioritizing the safety of the guests, urgently suspended the live stream and filming.

Director Li's instructions came quickly.

The photographers took off their equipment to help find the person.

The other guests also learned about Xie Ruan's disappearance from the staff.

Together with the staff, they began searching for the missing Xie Ruan.

Where exactly did Xie Ruan go?

No one could solve it.

Yu Yin was also lost in thought about Xie Ruan's matter.

It wasn't until Yu Yin saw Pei Zhi, who was using the identity of "Jiang Zhi," stand up from his wheelchair that she suddenly came to her senses and took a few steps back.

Yu Yin: Xie Ruan is lost. Would that make even a cripple stand up in a panic?

Yu Yin's mind went completely blank.

This is completely unreasonable.

The moment Yu Yin and Pei Zhi's eyes met.

Yu Yin felt a chill run down her spine.

Yu Yin always felt that the "Jiang Zhi" in front of her was a difficult person to get along with.

Over the course of so many days, Yu Yin offended quite a few people while fighting with others for Xie Ruan.

For example, He Shu, Zhou Jingchi, Ji Ye, Yuan Yuan, and other new guests.

Jiang Zhi was the only one Yu Yin dared not move or speak to.

Yu Yin always felt that Jiang Zhi's background was mysterious and that he was not someone to be trifled with.

It wasn't just the expensive jewelry he wore, but the natural aura he exuded that made people subconsciously want to back away.

Yu Yin was simply not as Xie Ruan had hoped.

He and Jiang develop a romantic relationship.

and.

Yu Yin could tell that Jiang Zhi wasn't interested in him.

Jiang Zhi kept his eyes on Xie Ruan from beginning to end.

Yu Yin was already ahead of the group.

But Jiang Zhi, who suddenly grew legs, seemed to be even faster than him.

In the blink of an eye, Yu Yin could no longer see "Jiang Zhi".

Yu Yin: No.

Looking at the vanished "Jiang Zhi," Yu Yin was momentarily at a loss, unsure whether to assume that "Jiang Zhi" had outrun the rest of the group in their search for Xie Ruan, or that "Jiang Zhi" had also been lost.

Seeing everyone's solemn expressions, Yu Yin still didn't mention "Jiang Zhi".

After all, a grown man shouldn't lose his dignity, right?

Xie Ruan was different.

Yu Yin didn't say anything, she just followed the crowd forward.

*

Xie Ruan was completely unaware that the show had been suspended from recording.

Xie Ruan was originally attracted by the fresh fruit along the way.

Xie Ruan and Yuan Yuan's task was to pick fruit. Xie Ruan didn't expect that in the short time she squatted down to check if it was fruit, Yuan Yuan had already run to a place where Xie Ruan couldn't see her.

At that moment, Xie Ruan was afraid of getting separated from Yuan Yuan and causing trouble, so she hurriedly ran in the direction Yuan Yuan remembered walking in.

Unexpectedly, a quick jog triggered some mechanism.

It plummeted straight down.

Xie Ruan never expected that there would be a huge pit in this manor.

This appears to be a reservoir being built, or perhaps it was dug specifically to capture something.

But the project seems to have been shelved for some reason, which is why such a large pit is being covered up.

Xie Ruan carefully examined the large pit.

Don't say you were in such a rush that you didn't notice.

Even if someone is careful, no one else would notice that there is a big pit hidden here.

Xie Ruan sincerely admired the person who set the trap; their abilities were truly superb.

With a single, skillful step, Xie Ruan fell to the ground, without any chance of recovery.

Xie Ruan's legs are completely immobile.

Xie Ruan tried to shout a few times.

No one answered.

Xie Ruan's manor is so large that it's unlikely he'll be found by anyone else now that they've suddenly become separated.

Xie Ruan's legs were throbbing with pain. He tried to stand up and climb up several times, but failed each time.

The pit is so deep.

Why is there a hole here?

Xie Ruan felt a little awkward.

His fingers twitched slightly.

The estate is too big.

After careful consideration, Xie Ruan decided that the best course of action was to conserve her energy and wait until someone came to her rescue before calling out.

Xie Ruan stared sullenly at the ground.

The weather is getting cooler.

There is very little light in the woods.

As the sky gradually darkened, Xie Ruan suddenly felt a chill.

Logically speaking, Yuan Yuan should have been able to find him by simply returning the way he came, but why couldn't he find him from dawn till dusk?

Could it be that Yuan Yuan didn't take a straight path, but rather a winding one? So it's completely different from the straight path he took, and they've diverged?

This is a huge problem.

Xie Ruan felt she would have to spend the night there.

Xie Ruan was more worried about causing trouble for everyone.

Xie Ruan hugged her knees somewhat awkwardly, as gusts of cold wind swept across her thin back, making her feel rather chilly.

Xie Ruan was already dressed in very thin clothes.

He could only try his best to hug himself to maintain his body temperature.

Xie Ruan is still thinking of a solution.

At this moment, Weibo was already in an uproar—

#Xie Ruan Missing from Heartbeat House#

#HeartwarmingHouseShowEnds#

The news of Xie Ruan's disappearance gradually climbed to the top of the trending searches.

Following closely behind was the trending topic of the Heartbeat House being discontinued.

This has caused great anxiety among netizens.

【Xie Ruan, take care】: #Xie Ruan Missing in Heartbeat House# No, they still haven't found Xie Ruan? It's been from afternoon to dusk. The production team is so inefficient. Could something have happened to her?

【If you see me, please tell me to go to sleep】: #XieRuanMissingFromHeartbeatHouse# If you find Xie Ruan, please send us an announcement as soon as possible.

【I Hear Your Heartbeat】: #HeartbeatHouseXieRuanMissing# #HeartbeatHouseSuspended#: But it's really normal for someone to go missing in a manor. I checked, and this manor was built hundreds of years ago. So there must be some problems, such as reptiles, insufficient security, unfilled holes, or secret rooms with mechanisms. If you're not careful, it could lead to big trouble.

【The Cat on the Piano】: #XieRuanMissingFromHeartbeatHouse# #HeartbeatHouseSuspended# Yuan Yuan is almost crying, I really hope nothing happened to Xie Ruan.

Netizens are very uneasy.

The netizens who had been helping with the search also started to come forward.

[Winter is Coming]: #XieRuanMissingFromHeartbeatHouse# It has been found out that this property seems to belong to a guest. The production team posted on Weibo before, saying that they borrowed the guest's property.

[Er'er]: I also saw it. This manor belongs to Zhou Jingchi, but it seems that he only took over it through auction this year, so he probably doesn't know much about the manor's issues.

【Sweet Island】: #Xie Ruan from Heartbeat House is Missing# Zhou Jingchi is probably about to cry.

*

Zhou Jingchi was indeed in a terrible predicament.

The production team said they wanted a manor, and Zhou Jingchi generously auctioned one off on the spot.

Zhou Jingchi never expected that this manor would harbor hidden dangers he was unaware of, and that it would cause him to lose Xie Ruan.

He would never forgive himself if anything happened to Xie Ruan.

With that thought in mind, Zhou Jingchi had already distanced himself from the main group and was searching the manor alone with a flashlight.

But the manor was too big; it was difficult to find during the day, and even more so at night.

Zhou Jingchi chose a completely different path from the main group. He kept calling Xie Ruan's name, but he didn't hear a response.

Zhou Jingchi continued to walk deeper into the area.

Xie Ruan didn't stay idle in the pit either. After injuring his leg, cold sweat kept dripping from his forehead.

Xie Ruan's fingers tried to turn on the phone distributed by the program team.

This was the only useful thing he had at that moment.

Xie Ruan has read it.

There is absolutely no function on the phone to contact the production team.

Xie Ruan had no idea that Pei Zhi had indifferently run to the production team to ask them to return his phone.

Pei Zhi's expression was frighteningly cold: "Give me your phone, and send me the program development files for your dating reality show as well."

The production team had no choice but to comply and quickly prepared the document and sent it to Pei Zhi's team.

Director Li had to admit that Pei Zhi's brain was truly useful.

Director Li was so anxious that even he didn't think of asking the programming team to develop a new function to contact guests and get in touch with Xie Ruan in the face of this unexpected situation.

Fortunately, Pei Zhi had an idea.

Director Li was somewhat relieved to know that Pei Zhi also had a top-notch team.

After watching Pei Zhi hurriedly give his instructions, Director Li grabbed his phone and quickly ran off to a secluded spot.

*

Pei Zhi ignored Director Li.

Pei Zhi was not familiar with this manor.

However, inquiries made in such a frantic and aimless manner, like headless flies, about Xie Ruan's Yuan Garden, were of no value.

Pei Zhi thought that if he asked Yuan Yuan now, Yuan Yuan probably wouldn't even know which road he had just walked on.

Pei Zhi squatted down, holding a flashlight, and didn't just keep calling Xie Ruan's name like the others.

Instead, he crouched down and, taking the most convenient angle from the villa, began to examine the details on the ground.

Wild cranberries.

Pei Zhi examined the cranberries on the ground, which seemed to have just rolled down.

He paused for a moment.

Xie Ruan probably wanted to pick cranberries.

I only got separated from Yuanyuan after observing her more closely.

Pei Zhi's gaze swept indifferently across the ground.

There were no footprints.

But logically speaking...

Xie Ruan will probably walk in front.

Pei Zhi thought of this.

Take a step forward.

*

Xie Ruan was completely unaware that everyone was looking for their own things.

Xie Ruan was unable to contact anyone.

Sitting idly by and waiting for death is not his style.

However, Xie Ruan's leg injury meant there was really nothing that could be done.

Xie Ruan began to observe her surroundings.

Xie Ruan felt that the pit was probably left by the manor owner to capture something, which is why he laid it out so well.

They were so well hidden that they had no intention of letting anything that fell in come to life.

Xie Ruan sighed.

It looked like a height that could break a leg.

A long-forgotten memory subconsciously surfaced in my mind...

Xie Ruan suddenly thought of many things.

Xie Ruan thought back to when he was a very young child, a helpless orphan.

Xie Ruan was born in the apocalypse, where people not only lacked resources but also had very little affection.

This is especially true for people like Xie Ruan, who were born without family.

Xie Ruan's opportunity to work in the homes of the upper class was purely by chance.

He was so pitiful on the road that he was taken in.

At that time, little Xie Ruan was utterly useless. Not only was he pale, but he was also skin and bones from hunger, and he was even looked down upon when he tried to do manual labor.

Xie Ruan once thought she would die before she turned ten.

Unexpectedly, he was taken in by the upper class and became their nanny and playmate.

Xie Ruan knew nothing at first.

He was too weak to work, couldn't move things, and couldn't cook. Fortunately, the servants in his master's house were very kind and taught him little by little, so he gradually mastered the survival skills to continue living.

In addition, the young master also told him stories he had never heard before, and taught him to write, recognize characters, and read.

She would even appear when he was troubled.

For the first time, Xie Ruancai felt like someone cared about her.

Xie Ruan recalled that when he was a child, he had once fallen into a trap in his house.

He lost track of time for a day and a night and nearly fainted.

The little master, however, appeared before him in a panic, his forehead covered in sweat, clearly having not slept for several days, and took him back.

besides……

And then...

The young master's family had an accident.

The story of the little master dying to protect him.

Xie Ruan remembers it all.

Xie Ruan's fingers curled up.

Her eyes were red-rimmed.

But this applies to both the world of the past and the world of today.

His little master is gone.

My memories of it are gradually fading.

Xie Ruan's mood became increasingly depressed.

He felt down and picked up his phone again.

But to my surprise, this phone was completely different from the one I had just seen.

Xie Ruan discovered that the feature had been updated.

Before Xie Ruan could react, her phone vibrated.

It even has a call function!

Has it been updated?

Xie Ruan has not yet responded.

Then I saw the familiar name "Jiang Zhi" light up.

Xie Ruan kept having images of his young master suddenly appearing and saving him flashing through his mind.

Xie Ruan was lost in thought and only answered the phone after a moment: "Hello..."

Xie Ruan never expected that when she was at her most desperate and helpless, she would see the name "Jiang Zhi" and Jiang Zhi's phone number.

Xie Ruan's voice had a slightly nasal quality.

The night was so cold that he was shivering all over.

Jiang Zhi's voice was not as cold as I had imagined.

Instead, it rarely carried even a hint of urgent human warmth: "Are you alright?"

Xie Ruan was stunned for a moment.

Xie Ruan thought he was going to ask where she was, or scold her for wandering around.

There was no result.

In the original book, Jiang Zhi seems to be the kind of person who is impatient and never knows how to comfort others.

But the Jiang Zhi he encountered seemed to be completely different from the one in the original book.

It doesn't seem so scary.

Did he change the plot, causing Jiang Zhi to change? Xie Ruan wasn't sure.

On the other end of the line, Jiang Zhi's voice continued: "Did you disappear while picking cranberries?"

Xie Ruan nodded, then suddenly remembered she was on the phone and said, "Mm."

How did Jiang Zhi find out?

Xie Ruan was stunned for a moment.

Jiang Zhi: "I saw that the cranberries were so small that only one person could crush them, rather than naturally rotting, so I guessed that you were the one who did it."

Xie Ruan was somewhat embarrassed.

Jiang Zhi: "Where did you go after that?"

Xie Ruan pursed her lips: "At first it was south, then I thought I could find Yuanyuan if I went straight, but I walked for a long time and called for a long time but I couldn't find him. So I guessed that he didn't go south, but probably east or west, and changed direction at the last minute."

Xie Ruan: "I ran for about five minutes, then headed west, and suddenly stepped into a large, abandoned pit."

Xie Ruan: "Did I cause the production team a lot of trouble?"

Xie Ruan felt a little sad, as she felt she was going to lose money.

He didn't know if he could afford to pay for it, and didn't even notice the slightly coquettish tone in his voice; he just subconsciously kept asking.

Jiang Zhi didn't need to answer, but upon hearing Xie Ruan's voice, he paused briefly and then explained, "No need to compensate."

In this situation, the production team should be the ones to compensate.

Jiang Zhi didn't say it aloud: "Can't you move now?"

Xie Ruan felt that Jiang Zhi was truly prescient: "Hmm."

Jiang Zhi: "You can keep talking, and I will keep calling your name until you hear me and respond."

Xie Ruan gave a soft "hmm," and for some reason, she felt inexplicably relieved after hearing the man's words of advice.

The man turned off his microphone and kept calling out Xie Ruan's name.

Xie Ruan still didn't hear the man's voice.

Xie Ruan thought that the man must be still far away from her.

Xie Ruan subconsciously turned his head, but unexpectedly, he saw something slowly moving in the bright light.

Xie Ruan subconsciously turned her head and just happened to see something crawling on the ground...

snake.

"Ah!" Xie Ruan was most afraid of these reptiles.

What's even more terrifying is that he has no way of knowing whether the snakes that appeared on the manor are venomous or not.

After all, Xie Ruan was a person from the apocalypse.

In a post-apocalyptic world where the environment has been completely destroyed and even human survival is difficult.

There are no snakes left.

Therefore, Xie Ruan's understanding of snakes consisted only of primal fear and the fear created by the consequences recorded in books.

Xie Ruan had just saved up some money, and he didn't want it to die before he could even enjoy it!

Xie Ruan tried desperately to climb, but the weakness in his legs made it impossible for him to escape.

Xie Ruan almost cried.

But unexpectedly.

A stone came down.

Xie Ruan saw the snake being accurately knocked unconscious.

Then, Xie Ruan looked up.

I could vaguely make out Jiang Zhi's face through the haze.

...

Xie Ruan's heart skipped a beat.

This scene seems somewhat familiar.

Xie Ruan recalled the memories in her mind.

The little master always appears in front of him in times of crisis.

Jiang Zhi seemed to have prepared for everything, even though he was lightly dressed.

But somehow he pulled out a hemp rope and tied it to a thick tree nearby.

Then, Jiang Zhi jumped down the rope without hesitation.

Xie Ruan did not expect Jiang Zhi to come down.

Xie Ruan had assumed that Jiang Zhi would let him climb up.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Zhi seemed to have anticipated his words and explained, "Your leg is injured, you can't move right now."

Xie Ruan did not expect Jiang Zhi to take the risk and come down with her.

After all, no one knows whether the trees can bear the weight.

Xie Ruan's eyes were a little red. When the man suddenly picked her up, a faint minty scent lingered on the tip of her nose, which made her feel at ease.

Xie Ruan watched as the man carried him uphill for quite a while before finally climbing out.

Xie Ruan looked at the man, somewhat taken aback.

He was in such a hurry that he didn't even notice that Jiang Zhi's legs could move.

Wait.

According to the original story, Jiang Zhi saved up a sum of money before he met a top doctor who cured his leg.

And these plot points are at least those that take place after Pei Zhi's death.

But now, Pei Zhi isn't dead at all?

Xie Ruan: "..."

How come Jiang Zhi's leg has suddenly gotten better?

And there was the incident where he suddenly stood up before.

Xie Ruan was too stressed about social anxiety at the time, so she never thought about this.

At that time, Xie Ruan only thought that Jiang Zhi could stand up for a few minutes occasionally.

But when Xie Ruan climbed up, she found that there was no wheelchair around at all.

Therefore, there is only one possibility for Jiang Zhi standing up at this moment, and that is...

Jiang Zhi didn't come up in a wheelchair at all; he walked up on his legs.

That's why Jiang Zhi avoided the main group and came to find him alone.

After Xie Ruan looked around and found no one else, he came to this conclusion.

So, when did Jiang Zhi's leg heal?

Xie Ruan had noticed that Jiang Zhi was acting strangely all this time.

According to the plot, Ji Ye, Wen Hezhou, and Zhou Jingchi should have fallen in love with Yu Yin after Jiang Zhi and Yu Yin fell in love at first sight.

Yu Yin, on the other hand, fell in love with Jiang Zhi at first sight from beginning to end, and their relationship blossomed.

Therefore, Xie Ruan thought that the reason why Ji Ye and the others did not show any romantic interest in Yu Yin in the romance show was probably because they had not yet discovered Yu Yin's charm.

Jiang Zhi is different. Jiang Zhi's feelings for Yu Yin are not like Ji Ye and the others' conditional care and discovery of her charm. Instead, it is love at first sight, and he likes her more and more.

Therefore, Jiang Zhi should have liked Yu Yin from the beginning of the romance variety show.

Despite Xie Ruan's frantic efforts to bring the two together, they haven't seen any sparks fly between them.

so.

Xie Ruan's gaze swept over Jiang Zhi, she pursed her thin lips, and after a long pause, she slowly spoke: "Um, Jiang Zhi?"

The man responded indifferently, "Hmm."

The man sent a message to his staff, then carried Xie Ruan back to the manor.

Xie Ruan turned her head and stared at the man with a puzzled look. After a long while, she slowly asked, "When did your leg get better?"

The man seemed uninterested in explaining the topic and simply continued walking forward while holding him.

Xie Ruan even forgot about being nervous.

Only now did she seem to keenly notice the minty scent on the man.

Wait.

Mint flavor?

Xie Ruan suddenly realized that he had been too stressed lately and had forgotten about it.

The first time I met Pei Zhi, he smelled of mint.

Jiang Zhi dislikes Pei Zhi so much, would she use the same perfume as Pei Zhi?

Xie Ruan couldn't quite recall whether Jiang Zhi used perfume in the original book.

However, Xie Ruan's sense of smell was quite sharp.

Even if they are both mint perfumes, it's impossible for the concentrations of the top, middle, and base notes to be the same, right?

Xie Ruan took a careful sniff.

He suddenly realized that Jiang Zhi's mint perfume was exactly the same as Pei Zhi's.

With the help of Jiangzhi's resources.

It's absolutely impossible to get Pei Zhi's one-of-a-kind custom perfume.

Furthermore, Pei Zhi didn't have the habit of sharing the same perfume with anyone he got along with.

so……

Xie Ruan's gaze shifted to the man once again.

His heart suddenly skipped a beat.

He looked at the man's faint expression in the dim light.

And it has less of the hostility found in the book.

A thought that Xie Ruan had never imagined before suddenly popped into her mind.

A long time has passed.

Xie Ruan pursed her lips slightly, looked at the man in a very tentative tone, and slowly spoke.

"You...aren't Jiang Zhi?"

"Who are you?"