Chapter 52

Zhai Xingchen and the others also thought the Production Team really knew how to play.

Last season of The Red and Blue Signal didn't have nearly this many twists.

'Red and Blue pairings?' Hu Ying asked.

Yan Zhi and the others looked at Guo Bing.

Guo Bing said, 'All eight of you are treated equally—we'll mix you up and assign randomly. So it could be Red and Blue, Blue and Blue, Red and Red—any combination is possible.'

Yan Zhi and Huo Cheng's expressions relaxed considerably.

The Production Team really knew how to adapt to the situation.

'Wasn't it always Red and Blue pairings before?' Zhai Xingchen asked.

'Who do you want to pair with?' Huo Cheng asked.

Zhai Xingchen was taken aback, then laughed. 'I want them all.'

'I thought I was the only fickle one, wanting every handsome guy,' Hu Ying said, seizing the chance to self-deprecate.

He'd switched affections too fast; the best strategy now was to lean into it. Label himself 'fickle' in a joking tone, and over time it'd become a running gag—then he'd be safe.

He just couldn't bear to give up any of the handsome guys as a looks-obsessed fan—surely everyone could understand that, right?

The aloof and handsome Pei Xu, the tall and dashing Huo Cheng, the gentlemanly and Asceticism Yan Zhi, and so on—ask yourself, which one would you be willing to give up?!

The vast internet audience would definitely understand him!

Liking them all was way better than being devoted to one and then changing your heart.

Hu Ying couldn't help but give himself a mental thumbs-up for his cleverness.

'The Room Assignment only affects sleeping; most of the time you'll still be doing activities together, so don't worry,' Guo Bing said.

'We're still together during the day, right?' Hu Ying asked.

'Right, mostly group activities, not much different from in South City. Cooking later will be up to you to sort out yourselves.'

'How are we assigning the houses?' Huo Cheng asked.

The Production Team definitely wouldn't just group them carelessly—this was probably a major game segment.

Sure enough, several staff members holding cardboard signs lined up in two rows.

'We've prepared four houses for you, but the conditions vary a lot. You can take a look first.'

On the four signs were photos of the four houses.

The first house looked the best.

It was a wooden house with white walls, blue windows, and a little farmyard fenced in outside. It looked both rustic and clean.

'This house is located inside a 5A-Level Scenic Area, billed as the country's Northernmost Inn—a must-visit tourist spot. The guests staying in this cottage can also soak in a hot spring.'

The moment Guo Bing said it, Hu Ying immediately declared, 'That's the one. I want it!'

A hot spring, huh? For two!

Huo Cheng beside him asked, 'What about the second one?'

The second house had a nostalgic vibe—red clay walls, a wooden roof, a red clay chimney with a wisp of cooking smoke curling up.

It looked like an ordinary farmhouse, but it had a great location, facing a huge frozen lake with breathtaking scenery.

'The second house is billed as the most beautiful farmhouse, situated just outside the Xiaobeiji scenic area, on the shore of White Jade Lake, with a view of ten thousand acres of frozen lake.'

'Can you take a bath there?' Hu Ying asked.

He'd already decided to commit to the flirtatious persona.

Sure enough, Zhai Xingchen laughed and glanced at him.

'No,' Guo Bing said.

'Then I still like number one.'

Zhai Xingchen said, 'You have a special fondness for that number, right?'

Obsessed with bathing?

This gorgeous, stunning beauty didn't disappoint—still full of fighting spirit at this stop!

'I want to take a bath with you,' Hu Ying said, half-serious, half-joking.

Zhai Xingchen of course thought he was just talking big. Hu Ying was always like that.

But Yan Zhi and the others clearly didn't see it that way.

They thought this was Hu Ying's true feelings!

Guo Bing went on to introduce the remaining two houses.

The third house was worlds apart from the first two. It looked like an abandoned yard—the bamboo fence had collapsed over half of it, and inside was only a dilapidated-looking house, the yard full of weeds.

'I knew there'd be a worst one. Does this third one have heating?' Hu Ying asked. 'Can you heat the kang bed, or have a stove? It looks cold just staring at it.'

Guo Bing smiled. 'Can't say. You can go check it out after you've chosen.'

As for the fourth, it was a luxury hotel, with opulent, gilded decor that looked no worse than a five-star hotel.

Everyone liked the first two.

No one liked the third, mainly because the conditions were too poor—it looked drafty.

The fourth was too ordinary. Who'd come all this way just to stay in a Hotel? You'd definitely want to experience the local specialty lodging.

After introducing the houses, it was time for the Room Assignment.

'How do we decide?' Hu Ying asked.

'PK,' Huo Cheng said, full of confidence.

'If it's a physical competition, that's a bit unfair,' Hu Ying said.

Zhai Xingchen immediately said, 'Then a brain game wouldn't be fair either.'

Hu Ying laughed.

'Our first grouping method is very fair and very simple: blind selection.'

'Blind selection?'

Guo Bing smiled mysteriously. 'Yes, blind selection. We've prepared eight slips of paper. Four are blank, with nothing on them. Four have pictures, corresponding to the four houses we just showed you. The guest who draws a slip with a picture will go alone to their assigned house. The remaining four who draw blanks will stay here and, after discussion, decide their own destinations.'

Guo Bing looked at everyone. 'How's that? Fair?'

Everyone was surprised the Production Team hadn't taken the chance to stir up drama.

A staff member stepped forward holding a cardboard box. 'Who wants to draw first?'

Hu Ying raised his hand first. 'I'll go.'

He rubbed his hands together and made a praying gesture, making everyone laugh.

This kind of performative guest was the Production Team's favorite—with him around, you never had to worry about the atmosphere.

Zhai Xingchen accidentally got dazzled by Hu Ying's beauty again.

Hu Ying reached in and drew a slip.

'Everyone draw first, then open them one by one,' Guo Bing said.

So the rest took turns drawing.

Zhai Xingchen's hands were almost frozen stiff. He unfolded his slip and took a look.

His luck was just too good.

He'd actually drawn the best one!

That house was wasted on him—it had a hot spring!

What a perfect chance for the guests to build some romantic tension! Icy snow outside, a warm hot spring — in a place this cold, to hold in the heat, it'd have to be a completely enclosed space. Wow, even if you didn't strip naked, just went in wearing shorts, that'd still be plenty charged, right?

He immediately asked Guo Bing, 'Director, can we freely swap what we draw?'

The moment the others heard that, they all looked at him.

'What do you mean? Did you draw one with a picture?' Hu Ying asked.

Guo Bing waved him over. 'Let me see which one you got.'

Zhai Xingchen went over and showed the Director his slip.

Guo Bing leaned in to look.

Heaven was helping him!!!

Suppressing his inner excitement, Guo Bing said, 'It's fate—no swapping. Besides, you'll switch to another house after two days anyway. Why bother?'

'What do you mean? Which house did you draw?' Hu Ying asked.

Once they knew Zhai Xingchen had drawn a picture slip, everyone except Lin Qingning grew serious.

[They should all be praying they got a blank right now, hahahaha.]

The barrage was soon flooded with prayers. Fans of every CP hoped their pairing could room together.

[Meteor CP fan here praying—this believer is willing to lose ten pounds of flesh.]

[Mars CP fan here praying—this believer is willing to go vegetarian for a day!]

[Promise CP fans just pray heaven takes pity on our little Wen Nu.]

Actually, there were CP fans for other guest pairings too, including among the Blues and Reds, but they weren't influential enough and quickly got buried in the barrage.

No helping it—netizens loved watching the Asura field, so Zhai Xingchen's CP fans had long become the dominant force. Casual viewers liked to join in the fun too.

A flood of prayer memes swept past, almost covering the screen, and then everyone heard Hu Ying let out a 'fuck me.'

Hu Ying was pissed.

His luck was just too fucking bad!

He'd actually drawn the third, shittiest house!

He held his slip up to the camera, but for the show's sake, he smiled and said, 'Damn, what a great house. I'm satisfied! It has a picture.'

[Oh ho, still pulling that coy little act.]

[The Star Lake CP dream of two beauties bathing together is shattered, boo hoo.]

Pei Xu, Yan Zhi, and Huo Cheng, who had been too nervous to open their slips for so long, saw that Hu Ying had also drawn a picture slip, and half the mountain of pressure in their hearts immediately lifted.

Huo Cheng's mouth curved into a slight smile.

Yan Zhi adjusted his glasses.

Pei Xu raised an eyebrow slightly.

What all three were thinking could be summed up in one phrase:

Heaven has eyes.