Chapter 24: She Actually Tore Off the Water Pipe with Her Bare Hands

Many viewers only watch one livestream and have no idea what is happening, but there are those who wander between streams and have caught wind of the inside story.

【Xiao Nuo is incredible! Everyone underestimated her and had no defenses against her!】
【What on earth happened? Is Xiao Nuo a minion?】
【No, how was Film Emperor Lu eliminated? He was the backbone of the team!】
【Sister’s intelligence and martial arts are invincible! I’m actually starting to worry about whether the family members with normal roles can even win!】
【What is going on?! Can anyone explain what happened?】
【It’s a bit complicated and hard to explain in a short time. Everyone should just wait for the production team to release the edited version!】

When Jiang Yunyao heard the announcement that Lu Mucheng had been eliminated, her first reaction was disbelief. The prestigious male and female leads—one with mind-reading abilities and the other with a stroke of good luck—being eliminated meant their opponents were even more formidable than they had imagined!

Xie Yixing, due to his intense nerves, remained in a daze upon hearing the announcement. Jiang Yunyao was the first to regain her composure; she remembered her phone vibrating a few times while she was solving puzzles earlier. She quickly opened the group chat and saw a message from over twenty minutes ago.

The Castle Owner’s Son (Lu Mucheng): "I found a diary that records the minions' criminal process, but it’s unsigned."
The Castle Owner’s Son (Lu Mucheng): [Image.jpg]
The Castle Owner’s Son (Lu Mucheng): "Wanwan and I have come to the second floor."
The Castle Owner’s Son (Lu Mucheng): "Temporary group swap: Sister Xiao and Wanwan are going to the Chess Room; Uncle Liu, Xiao Nuo, and I are in the Piano Room."

Below that was the message Xie Yixing had sent. Jiang Yunyao took a deep breath and began a rational analysis.

"There are three people left in our faction, while the minions still have two. Besides you and me, there is one other person on our side, but based on the information we have, we cannot determine who that person is!"

"Under these circumstances, the most advantageous approach is to remain vigilant against all three of the others!"

Xie Yixing gathered his wits. "This room hasn't been fully searched yet. You stay here and keep watch; I'll go look for clues!"

Jiang Yunyao walked toward the door and reminded him, "We must pick up the pace!"

A few minutes later, Xie Yixing found a calligraphy practice book in the nightstand with Uncle Liu's name written on it. Unsure if it was a clue, he was about to set it aside when Jiang Yunyao suddenly called out to him.

"Wait! Give that practice book to me!"

Xie Yixing didn't understand why, but he handed it over. Jiang Yunyao opened the image sent by Lu Mucheng, scanned the handwriting, carefully compared it to the calligraphy book, and finally concluded:

"Uncle Liu is a minion."

Xie Yixing was stunned. "Then when he accused me at the beginning..."

Jiang Yunyao pointed out the opponent's motive directly: "To confuse the situation and make everyone lower their guard!"

An veteran actor who had clawed his way up from the bottom for years and still maintained a public profile even after his mentors fell—how could he be so impulsive as to make random accusations just because it was his first variety show appearance?

They had been too relaxed! They thought this was just a game, unaware that for their opponents, it was a battlefield that required their absolute best!

Jiang Yunyao’s fighting spirit ignited. "Since the opponents are taking this so seriously, if we don't show our true capabilities, it would look like we’re looking down on them!"

Xie Yixing put his mind to work and suggested the next step. "They went to the Piano Room and the Chess Room; the gym hasn't been searched yet. Let's head to the gym!"

Jiang Yunyao agreed. Given the current situation, a direct confrontation was unwise. Playing dumb while knowing the truth might be the only way to protect herself and Xie Yixing.

【Ahhh! Yao and Xie, their coordination is so in sync! They’ve made it this far because they trust each other!】
【Damn! Why am I suddenly so moved? I really can't help but ship Jiang and Xie now!】
【@Ahhh, is there a fan group for Jiang and Xie? I want to join!】
【Wait for me, I want to join too!】
【Hahaha, Ahhh has finally made it; she’s no longer fighting alone!】

The two arrived at the gym. It was a spacious area equipped with treadmills, barbells, and various other fitness gear, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows with excellent light. On the east side, a small space had been partitioned off for a restroom.

Seeing the restroom, Xie Yixing stopped Jiang Yunyao from entering. "Jiang Yunyao, wait a second. Let me go wash my hands!" His palms were sweaty; he hadn't noticed while his nerves were on edge, but now his hands felt sticky and uncomfortable.

Jiang Yunyao didn't ask why; she turned back and stood at the door, scanning the gym for any red buttons.

"Clink!"

A faint, crisp sound rang out from the restroom. A second later, Xie Yixing’s hurried footsteps followed.

"Jiang Yunyao!" Xie Yixing rushed out of the restroom, his handsome face filled with joy. "I saw a key! It’s inside the faucet!"

He had intended to wash his hands, but when he turned the handle, no water came out—instead, a key appeared! However, the head of the key was too large and was stuck in the pipe.

Xie Yixing was anxious. "I tried to twist the pipe, but it wouldn't budge. We need to find a toolbox first..."

"Let me try!" Before he could finish, Jiang Yunyao pulled him to the door and swept into the restroom like a gust of wind.

Half a minute later, she removed the faucet and retrieved the key from inside. Xie Yixing stared at the faucet in her hand, his mind gone blank. Once he confirmed he hadn't misread the situation, his heart jumped into his throat. He turned around and looked at the staff nervously. "Doing this... it doesn't count as a violation, right?"

They only had half a life left; if they were penalized for a violation, they would be eliminated!

The staff couldn't speak, but mouthed the word "No." Xie Yixing read the lip-sync and was instantly relieved.

【Holy crap! Is Jiang Yunyao even human? She just dismantled a water pipe with her bare hands!】
【I didn't believe Xie when he said his back was bruised, but now... Xie, I know you were really in pain!】
【I can only say, Jiang Yunyao and Xiao Nuo are sisters indeed!】
【The other room is too intense! I need to come back here to catch my breath! Wait, what are they doing?】
【Hahaha, look at how scared little Xie is, terrified of committing another violation!】
【Xie: I feel like I'm on a roller coaster!】

After obtaining the key, the duo noticed a new message in the group chat.

The Castle Owner’s Younger Sister (Wen Xiao): "Wanwan got the gold key in the Chess Room. I unlocked the golden lock."
The Castle Owner’s Younger Sister (Wen Xiao): [Image.jpg]

Jiang Yunyao felt a shadow of doubt. She turned to Xie Yixing and asked, "What do you think?"

Xie Yixing thought for a moment and said, "Could she be on our side?"

"It's possible," Jiang Yunyao mused, rubbing her chin. "But we can't rule out that she's tricking us into trusting her so she can eliminate us at the first chance!"

With insufficient information regarding roles, she couldn't fully trust Sister Xiao and had to assume the worst about her actions. Xie Yixing didn't really care; as long as he and Jiang Yunyao were on the same side, that was enough!

"Should we keep searching the gym for clues, or go downstairs to open the door?"

Jiang Yunyao replied, "The original agreement was to unlock the door as soon as we found a key to prevent the minions from sabotaging us, but time is tight, and running back and forth is too inefficient!"

Xie Yixing agreed, "Then let's finish searching the gym for clues first!"