Chasing You (Arc 8+)

Showstopper (XXXIV)

The two days given passed in a blink of an eye and many changes could be seen in the contestants. Those who had milder reactions were looking more haggard due to their anxiety, but no one really looked their best at the moment. He Xiao was not excluded as he was resembling more and more of the national protected child with his panda eyes becoming more prominent.

It was fortunate that XR Entertainment thought about their contestants' wellbeing and hired enough reputable psychologists and mental health professionals in specialized fields to aid them in this challenge. Otherwise, one could already picture the massive body count that they would have even before this challenge would get halfway through.

It was now the third day's morning and everyone was getting ready in the kitchen; refueling before they went out to war.

He Xiao had been working with a specialist, doing exposure therapy where he would repeatedly come into contact with the pool and a swim instructor who 'taught' him some basic swimming techniques. Because he had to learn how to swim, there was some physical contact with the swim instructor. *cough* Because of that... Someone— No, two people were grumbling at home.

He Xiao certainly had not disclosed details, but his lover had his way of finding things out. So, one was soaking in an ocean of vinegar, brewing up punishment plans as well as wanting to take over the job and help his lover overcome his body's fear, and the other one was just drawing circles in the corner, growing mushrooms.

Their voices aggrieved as if the whole world had done them wrong and it was only when He Xiao agreed to swim with the two whenever they wanted, did they decide to cease the protest.

It made Xiao Rui, who was evidently caught eavesdropping on the call burst out laughing alongside He Xiao. It was really too bad that he fixed his expression quickly and reverted back to the metal slab of a face as soon as they finished laughing; it as if what He Xiao saw was just a passing fart. The only evidence of it happening were his flushed ears and neck.

Once Ms. Stalking-matchmaking-full-of-secrets-fujoshi Bai Taohua heard about this, she was too ecstatic and eager. Her itchy fingers snitched it to someone else. That brought on a face full of smiles as they read the text message and unknowingly, He Xiao acquired another ally through this miniscule incident.

Although it wasn't a fairly long time that all of the idols were given to get accustomed to their situation, nevertheless, it was looking more positive than when they first started out. This was after all a reality TV show and not some sort of documentary on phobias.

A team of idols ready to get this over with and an eccentric photographer who was eager to see their beautiful masterpieces, the photoshoot that would decide whether they were going to stay or not had finally began.

Shots taken after shots were taken. With a blink of an eye, the camera continuously clicked along with it, capturing a different scene of the life on set.

The photographer shouted, "Well done!"

She looked up from the camera and went onto the next set. As soon as she saw what was there, her eyes lit up like searchlights used in prisons. Her eyes were locked onto the target and soon enough all you could hear were her enthusiastic fan-girling shouts of 'beautiful!', 'this is exactly what I have been looking for!, 'so breathtaking!', or 'wonderful!'

Even after the number of shots were completed, the photographer did not want to leave and wished to continue taking photos. She could only sigh and reluctantly go on forth.

Magically, the photographer had another spellbinding moment. Same as before she was hesitant to leave but she wasn't as resistant as there was a possibility that there was even more enchanting beauties waiting in queue.

At the end, the photographer was a little depressed as she couldn't find any more exotic beauties, but she had to admit that there were some who weren't too bad. It seemed like her agreeing to this request of a certain someone wasn't so bad. Satisfied, they all started working on looking over the photos and filing out the series of photos taken.

---

Back in the dormitory, Xiao Rui and the others were all in the lounge with a warm towel over their eyes. The long day was almost finally coming to an end and they needed to get as much rest as they could because time waits for no one and tomorrow there would be another challenge waiting for them.

It wasn't that they were overly confident in themselves that they would automatically think that they would pass without a fail. It was just that there was a level of understanding in their skills and they weren't blinded by their position, which is how they got to their current position. Being the veterans, they were fully aware of their capabilities.

Once it came time to announce, Bai Taohua instructed Xiao Rui to go find his beautiful shou of a roommate so that they can all go together and face judgement.

By chance, Xiao Rui bypassed his arch nemesis and his previous mood plummeted. There were no words to describe just how disgusted and how much hatred he had for this half brother of his. If not that he had long honed himself, he might have just strangled this disgusting beast in a human skin. Xiao Nongzang snorted and walked away arrogantly, he wouldn't find it difficult to get rid of this older half brother with his mother's and father's influence.

Glancing at that back that shouted for a beating until it vanished around the corner, Xiao Rui turned away and made his way back to his room.

He knocked on the door, "I'm coming in."

There was no way he was going to call out He Xiao's name and ask him if they want to go together while he was outside the door. It was simply not his style to do so.

As soon as he came inside, he was stunned. He Xiao was sitting hunched over on the edge of his bed shirtless. There was only a bath towel wrapped around his lower body and his hair was still soaking wet, trails of water cascaded down his svelte body. The genial air that usually emanated from him was nowhere to be seen, only the freezing and unrelenting aura was there. It completely changed his personality even though they had the exact same features.

It also wasn't that He Xiao's beauty astounded him, but rather because of the penetratingly cold gaze in those gray eyes.

Xiao Rui had never seen such a ruthless look that seemed to bring death wherever it went in He Xiao before. There was physical suppression, but the mental pressure was like Mount Tai. Like a cruel hand was wrapped around his neck, devoid of any life and seemingly want to extinguish all life; including his.

The air in his throat was lodged, refusing to come up and his heart skipped a beat. The foreboding feeling of fear welled up in his chest. In both of his lives, he has yet to be made to feel this way by anyone, or anything. Even at the end of his previous life, when facing death, he was not as afraid as he was now.

But he was not the only one who was experiencing this fear.

A certain system was curled up in the corner of the room, afraid to make any noise. He had been here much longer, but he too, did not know what was the trigger to this calamity-like circumstance. What he had just witnessed was even worse than when he first met his host and had truly frightened him this time around.

In Bao Bao's mind, this was the true incarnate of the devil.

Xiao Rui gulped, finally able to find his voice and cautiously probed, "Junior He?"

———

The author has something to say:

Four chapters will be released today to catch up for the four days I was MIA... lol