Chapter 077: Cross-dressing

Zhou Yao was a devoted fan of "Rise Up, Stars." Though the show had only aired three episodes, each installment delivered laughs that made her forget all her real-world troubles and left her in stitches.

But if it were merely a comedy, she might not have felt such urgency to sit before the television, eagerly awaiting the latest update every week. The first episode wasn't all laughs—the "Name Tag Tearing" competition had her heart racing with tension, making her worry when her favorite guest was about to lose, feel regret when their target escaped, and even get angry when the guest ended up losing to their own target.

Such a range of emotions fostered a powerful sense of immersion; she could truly empathize with the contestants, and this participation made her fall in love with the show for the first time.

Of course, as someone with a doctorate and a high IQ, she sometimes found certain games a bit foolish. Yet in the second episode, the production team surprised her—

The third episode was a rare suspenseful mystery.

Even though she had already watched it the night before, the lingering tension still haunted her, prompting her to replay the episode during her lunch break.

Unlike the taut atmosphere of her viewing last night, watching online with live comments made the originally eerie show unexpectedly funny.

-

Guo Feng had merely asked a question, but before Qin Hui could respond, he broke into a chuckle. "I never realized my courage was smaller than a mouse's. Don't take it seriously, Qin Hui. I was just making an offhand remark."

Qin Hui was a little unnerved himself, but he nodded.

Viewers, watching this scene, were torn between marveling at Guo Feng's sharpness and bursting into laughter—

"This adorably clueless Guo Feng can't possibly be the world champion I know—he must have been replaced by Martians!"

"He clearly guessed it, so why deny it? LOL"

"Look at Qin Hui—he's obviously scared by Guo Feng's words, haha! Suddenly remembered that in an interview, Emperor Qin admitted he fears weird places and atmospheres, tends to imagine things, and could end up scaring himself to death! No hope, LOL"

...

Though the filming had ended, even Guo Feng later felt embarrassed by his own cluelessness after seeing the finished product.

But at the moment, Guo Feng had no idea—

The script had mentioned this episode involved ghosts, but it hadn't said it would be so realistic. The word "ghost" in the script was in quotation marks, so they assumed it was just a gimmick for scares.

Yet after the two managed to find a mirror and recited the "incantation" inscribed upon it, blood-red letters slowly appeared on the glass—

You are not destined lovers.

Guo Feng and Qin Hui exchanged glances. Though a bit disappointed, their hearts remained unexpectedly calm.

The dark, shadowy surroundings paired with the bloody writing in the mirror, however, were a bit unsettling.

As they turned to leave the room, the mirror revealed another line, written in fresh blood—

One of you, upon seeing others holding hands, will disappear...

Guo Feng jumped in fright, his exaggerated movement startling Qin Hui, who staggered backward several steps.

"Guo Feng, what are you doing?" Qin Hui shouted, trying to sound fierce but clearly nervous.

"LOL, never thought Emperor Qin could be so timid."

"The moment Emperor Qin was startled, the tough image I had of him completely shattered... Yet, why am I not disappointed at all? In fact, I find it strangely appealing."

"Agreed, it's oddly charming! LOL"

...

Guo Feng was still shaken, and when Qin Hui scolded him, he felt aggrieved. "I was just scared..."

As if responding to Guo Feng's words, the blood in the mirror faded, only for another line to appear—

You may ask me one question. I will only answer with o or x.

Guo Feng swallowed and looked back at Qin Hui. "Emperor Qin, you're smarter. You go first."

"Are you stupid?" Qin Hui, still rattled, blurted out, but quickly calmed himself. "Didn't it say we can only ask one question?"

"So what should we ask?"

"One of us will disappear if we see others holding hands..." Qin Hui mused, "I think 'we' refers to everyone here, including us. Let's verify whether either of us is the one who disappears upon seeing others hold hands."

Guo Feng, still nervous, couldn't think straight.

"You decide."

Qin Hui nearly laughed in frustration. "You're the strongest among us. In ancient terms, you have the most yang energy. How can you be so timid?"

"Does having strong yang energy mean you can't be timid? What nonsense is that?" Guo Feng's eyes widened. "Besides, yang energy only wards off ghosts, right? It can't stop murderers, can it? If it could, I'd work at the police station and bring peace to the nation!"

Qin Hui shot him a glance. "As if being ghost-proof means you're not afraid of ghosts."

Guo Feng: "..."

"Most yang energy, LOL"

"Go work at the police station, haha. Guo Feng is hilarious. The police should watch this episode and maybe recruit him for his 'strong yang energy.' LOL"

"Emperor Qin is so blunt, he completely shut Guo Feng up, haha!"

...

Zhou Yao covered her mouth, giggling. She'd laughed just as hard the previous night at Guo Feng and Qin Hui's banter, which dispelled much of the tension.

Guo Feng, still sulking, glared at Qin Hui. "You ask."

Qin Hui: "...Childish."

"Are either Guo Feng or I the ones who disappear upon seeing others hold hands?"

The mirror immediately displayed a large "x."

Guo Feng and Qin Hui breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness it's not us."

-

Song Wan gathered all the items she'd found in a room, then selected one and headed into the corridor. "No one here would randomly hold hands, right? If I really saw that, I'd probably go blind before I disappeared..."

She spoke earnestly to the camera, spouting nonsense with a straight face.

Then, item in hand, she began searching for the others.

"Song Wan, where are you?"

A call echoed through the empty building. Song Wan paused, then leaned over the railing and looked up. "Brother Guo, I'm on the third floor."

Guo Feng's deep voice was unmistakably recognizable.

He shouted again, "Wait for me at the elevator on the third floor. I'm coming down." Footsteps soon echoed above.

Song Wan, planning to verify whether she and Guo Feng were a couple, saw no reason to refuse. She quickly ran to the elevator and waited.

"Ding—"

The elevator opened, and Guo Feng appeared before Song Wan. "Song Wan, did you find your personal item?"

Song Wan immediately produced a small wooden comb. "It's a woman's comb. If there's no other 'female' among us, then this must be mine. No mistake."

Guo Feng blinked. "Another female? How could there be?"

Song Wan kindly explained, "Brother Guo, don't you remember? I went with several of you to the mirror to check, and we all got rejected. So I think maybe one of us is playing the role of a 'female.' The production team loves to prank us, so it's not unusual."

After all, she'd seen plenty of reality shows where cross-dressing was normal.

—Unlike her revelation the first time, Zhou Yu, seeing Song Wan deduce the possibility of another female among them, couldn't help but send Song Wan a gift online. She was truly brilliant.

Guo Feng was still confused. "Am I a woman?"

"Pfft—" Song Wan burst out laughing and barely managed to compose herself. "I don't think the production team would be that cruel. You're a world champion, after all."

But in truth, Song Wan thought if the production team really ignored Guo Feng's towering physique and muscular build and made him play a female, then...

Yikes, that's eye-searing!

Guo Feng clearly imagined himself in women's clothing and shivered. "If the production team really does that, I'll teach them a lesson."

Guo Feng and Song Wan were only speculating, but they ruled out the possibility of Guo Feng being female.

Yet all the viewers watching for the second time couldn't help but laugh maliciously. The screen was instantly flooded with live comments—

"Oh my god, the flag he's raised! I'm starting to look forward to it, LOL"

"Agreed! I want to fast-forward, but the others stop me. This episode is addictive, LOL"

"Guo Feng, I'm waiting for you to teach the production team a lesson, LOL"

"Am I the only one who thinks Song Wan is super smart and has amazing intuition? After watching the later plot, I was stunned (⊙?⊙)"

...

Guo Feng was unaware of what was to come. He and Song Wan went to a mirror and recited the "incantation"—

You are not destined lovers.

Song Wan sighed, growing more certain of her earlier deduction. "Brother Guo, it seems you're more likely to be the woman."

Guo Feng: "..."

His face looked as if he'd eaten dirt, nearly sending the audience into fits of laughter.

But soon, the mirror revealed another line—

One of you, upon arguing with someone, will disappear...