Chapter 028: Second Watch

The audience erupted in boos at the sight of the words, a sound that was enough to unsettle anyone’s nerves.

Chen Yi was truly furious now. “Zhao Meng, just how difficult are these words that you won’t even try to gesture before giving up?”

Zhao Meng took a deep breath and offered no explanation. “Next.”

Seeing her stubbornness, Xi Yao and Lou Yao couldn’t help but stand up.

Song Wan rose as well, but Zhou Fan grabbed her arm. “Don’t get involved in their mess. You’ll only get yourself into trouble.”

Song Wan understood Zhou Fan’s reasoning, but since they were recording a show, she didn’t want Zhao Meng’s dispute with the team to sour things.

She shook her head at Zhou Fan, gently freeing herself, walked up to Zhao Meng, and grasped her left hand, guiding her toward a chair. “Sister Zhao hasn’t rested well lately and was ill yesterday. Just look at her complexion—it’s alarming. Let her rest for a bit. I’ll fill in for her…”

“No, Zhao Meng and I are partners. How can you answer for us?”

Before Zhao Meng could object, Chen Yi cut in, firmly rejecting the suggestion.

Song Wan glanced at Lou Yao, her eyes pleading for help.

Lou Yao met Song Wan’s gaze. Song Wan lowered her eyes and looked at the hand she held, shifting it just out of the camera’s view to reveal a small gap.

Lou Yao was momentarily stunned, her eyes wide with shock.

Xi Yao shot her a glare, prompting Lou Yao to compose herself and quickly move to stand in front of Zhao Meng and Song Wan, cleverly shielding their clasped hands.

Xi Yao didn’t know what was happening, but his tacit understanding with Lou Yao led him to step to the center of the stage, regaining control of the situation.

The audience was easy enough to calm, but Chen Yi remained unyielding. “I had no idea Zhao Meng was sick yesterday.”

Originally, Song Wan’s intervention could have been brushed off as “sisterly affection,” concealing the earlier accident—even if it meant giving Zhao Meng a chance to clear her name. In urgent times, even Director Zhou wouldn’t mind such a minor issue.

But Chen Yi’s blunt remark stripped Zhao Meng of her last shred of dignity. If she didn’t explain her behavior, her reputation would be ruined.

And it might implicate Song Wan as well—a truly messy situation.

Even a clay figurine can be angered. How could Zhao Meng endure this?

She shoved Song Wan and Lou Yao aside, sneering at Chen Yi. “I was going to save you some face, but since you don’t want it, why should I? You wanted to guess the words? Watch me.”

She boldly extended her right hand, waving it in front of Chen Yi.

Chen Yi squinted, displeased by Zhao Meng’s brazen attitude. In the past, she would flatter him at the studio.

There was nothing unusual, Lou Yao thought, confused—she had seen…

Then Zhao Meng extended her left hand and pointed to her right. “What do you call this?”

Because of the angle, the deep, reddish-purple bruise on Zhao Meng’s left wrist was now clearly visible to all the audience.

The words “right hand” were already on Chen Yi’s lips, but now they stuck in his throat, his face flushed. Whether his reaction was because he had to swallow his words, or because he saw the bruise, was unclear.

Zhao Meng, seeing her fate was sealed, challenged him. “This word is simple. Can’t you guess it?”

Chen Yi glared at Zhao Meng, but she was fearless. “You won’t even try to guess before moving on?”

Chen Yi was stifled.

Zhao Meng looked troubled. “But all the words are the same. You must understand, there’s no word that allows me to gesture without using my left hand.”

As long as Zhao Meng was the one gesturing, she couldn’t hide her hand.

She couldn’t afford to offend Chen Yi, now at the peak of his career. Even though Chen Yi, for the sake of his image, decided on his own to be the guesser without consulting her, Zhao Meng would rather sabotage herself than reveal her left hand to the audience.

Song Wan saw through it, but wanting to protect the show’s reputation, she was willing to sacrifice her own interests to seat Zhao Meng.

But all careful planning was destroyed by Chen Yi’s egotism, leaving no way to resolve the scene.

Not only Xi Yao and Lou Yao, even the director was so angry he stood up. If he weren’t forbidden from going on stage, he would have rushed up.

Zhou Qi was so furious he couldn’t speak. “Those two troublemakers! I knew something weird would happen!”

The show was stopped urgently; staff rushed to appease agitated fans. The director, after shutting off all cameras, came out from behind the monitors and went straight to the stage.

A group of people deliberated for a long time; Chen Yi, under his agent’s direction, promised Zhao Meng many benefits before she finally agreed not to escalate the matter.

Although Song Wan’s attempt to pull Zhao Meng aside hadn’t worked, everyone was grateful for her effort.

Chen Yi’s agent, biting his lip, offered Song Wan a permanent spot as a guest on a reality show.

This was much more practical than the benefits promised to Zhao Meng—and a rare opportunity.

Many present had heard of the show; though it was still in preparation, with a Cannes Best Actor and a Grammy-winning singer among the permanent guests, its ratings were sure to be high.

Moreover, the production company was the renowned Sharp Edge Productions, which had previously created two blockbuster reality shows.

Quality was assured.

Chen Yi looked back at his agent in disbelief, only to be met with a cold, murderous glare that chilled him to the bone.

Having caused such a disaster, Chen Yi knew he was at fault. Remembering his agent’s methods, he quickly lowered his head, not daring to make trouble.

Others were surprised by the generosity, but said little.

Even Zhao Meng just stood to the side.

Song Wan, however, frowned and declined the offer. “No need. I didn’t do anything.”

Chen Yi’s agent waved his hands repeatedly. “Consider it our thanks for your forgiveness and help.”

He recalled Chen Yi’s earlier attempt at casting couch tactics with Song Wan and inwardly cursed, his enthusiastic manner almost making the reality show opportunity seem like a hot potato.

And, in fact, it was.

Before accepting this invitation, Chen Yi’s agent didn’t know that among the other permanent guests, besides a Cannes Best Actor and a Grammy-winning singer, both were men.

For a pretty-boy like Chen Yi, his looks might fool young girls, but standing next to those two? Their appearance was just as good, and they carried a unique charisma forged from decades in the industry. Standing together, Chen Yi would look like a mere passerby.

Oh, a handsome passerby.

He didn’t want to imagine it. Since learning those two would join the show, all he could picture was Chen Yi being utterly outshined.

Pitiful and tragic.

He could have used this opportunity to swap for something else, but… his gaze lingered on Song Wan, appraising her from head to toe, and he silently nodded.

Song Wan had no idea about the reality show, only suspicious of Chen Yi’s agent’s attitude, and decided to refuse.

But Zhou Qi tugged her sleeve. She looked over, and Zhou Qi shook his head, mouthing: “Say yes.”

Though puzzled, she trusted Zhou Qi would never harm her at such a moment, so she smiled and accepted.

Chen Yi’s agent was even happier than Song Wan, nodding repeatedly and asking for her contact information, promising to keep in touch.

After the arrangements, the interrupted recording resumed.

The “guess-the-word” game was no longer playable; everyone now had a psychological shadow.

Instead, they switched to the classic “Murder Game.” In the first round, Song Wan was a civilian. Though she lasted to the end, the police died before the killers, so she lost. In the second round, she drew the killer card, but thanks to civilian Lou Yao’s meddling, she was exposed in the second round.

In the third round, she became the police. For the sake of the show’s comedic effect, she pointed to Lou Yao in the first round—and Lou Yao was actually the killer, making Song Wan the winner.

Lou Yao thus became the most wronged killer in history.

When Lou Yao looked at Song Wan, bewildered, the whole room erupted in laughter.