The appearance of this mattress was really bizarre, making Mu Qiu feel like this season’s Changtong Papa product to promote must be this mattress.
Has Changtong expanded their business again, or does this mattress actually hide some remote control mechanism?
She couldn’t make sense of it, so she kept feeling the mattress, trying to find anything different from a regular one.
Guan Yu stood behind her, watching her sneakily reach out to feel around the mattress, and said eerily, "Mu Qiu, you’re such a pervert."
Mu Qiu: "???"
"It’s just a printed pattern, and there you are trying to touch it like you’re undressing it. Such a pervert."
"... No, let me explain, I just felt there might be some unusual mechanism here."
Guan Yu: "A mechanism on the thigh? What kind of mechanism? The kind that shoots at your heart?"
Mu Qiu: "..." Forget it, there’s no explaining this.
Twelve people with large mattresses stood in two rows, facing each other for a round of Rock-paper-scissors.
The representatives for Rock-paper-scissors were Li Yang, Shu Ran, Lin Lian, Zhang Li, Jiang Zhufeng, Bai Shu.
They competed in pairs, and the final three winners would compete again, ultimately determining the one who loses completely.
Unfortunately, Bai Shu lost completely. Cheng Zhirang’s team became the first round of chasers.
Being the chaser isn’t great for Cheng Zhirang, but it’s even worse for everyone else.
Their group’s combat strength is strong; they might even eliminate someone in this first round.
The camps of chasers and those to be chased were set, and a digital voice began the countdown.
"First round chasers: Cheng Zhirang, Xu Cheng, Bai Shu. Game starts in countdown ten, nine, eight, seven..."
Everyone else scattered like bees, running to other places with their big mattresses.
This wasn’t an ordinary countdown; it was their last chance for a free escape.
Mu Qiu struggled to run towards the little bridge and flowing water she found earlier, thinking perhaps this thatched round-top little shop could hide her.
But this mattress was really "a big bed inviting wind," simply adding to her drag, making it hard to run.
Several large mattress carriers were frantically running without clear paths as the countdown neared its end. She glanced around and ran into the shop, gesturing "shh" to the store clerk’s frightened eyes.
"...Three, two, one! Game start!"
She immediately lay on the ground and rolled to the side under the wooden bar counter.
With the mattress facing out, only a few strands of hair were visible, and a muffled voice came out: "Camera guy, squat down, squat down! Don’t get discovered!"
Two strong men and a young lady had no choice but to hide under the shop’s counter too, trying their best to squeeze themselves into unseen corners.
After the store clerk’s initial fright, they moved a bit closer to them, using their apron length to help conceal them a bit.
Mu Qiu held her breath, quietly waiting.
They had never played such a game before.
In previous shows, even if there was chasing, it was about balancing to grab something, like before when they grabbed stickers, which wasn’t compulsory.
In those games, even if someone targeted her, she had some confidence to persuade them not to make a move, or even counterattack.
But this game defined chasers and those to be chased, and she could only wait to be caught and lose points, or hide and wait, naturally very afraid of being caught.
Now hiding under the bar counter, she focused intently on the sounds outside, feeling so anxious that she could clearly hear the sound of her heart racing.
Cheng Zhirang and the others set off when the countdown ended.
Three people, three different directions. Bai Shu was left near Kite Road, Cheng Zhirang headed towards the little bridge and flowing water, and Xu Cheng went in the direction Li Yang and the others left.
He saw Mu Qiu running this way. Walking unhurriedly over the wooden bridge, he headed towards the little shop deeper in the bamboo forest, looking at the only person there:
"Hello."
He spoke politely, his gentle voice asking the clerk, "Have you seen any strange people running this way?"
Strange people...
There were plenty.
The store clerk looked up blankly, and upon seeing him, excitement and enthusiasm sparked in their eyes:
"Brother, Brother Cheng, hello, Brother Cheng, I did see them; they ran down that path."
Lying by the store clerk’s feet, Mu Qiu thought:... Goodness, is this a tourist spot or an actor training base?
Whether Cheng Zhirang believed or not, she could only hear him reply "Mm" and politely say "Thank you."
Then came the sound of footsteps going down the little path.
Mu Qiu let out a breath of relief.
But unexpectedly, just when the footsteps were about to leave, they suddenly turned back.
"Qiuqiu."
Mu Qiu: "......"
She gritted her teeth, refusing to answer, thinking he might be bluffing.
But the next second, the footsteps reached her back, followed by a light laugh.
"Camera guy, could you please make way? Qiuqiu, the picture on your mattress is too obvious, a glance could easily tell it’s you."
Alright, game over, caught right at the opening.
When his hand grabbed her mattress, she rolled outward from lying on her side to lying flat on her back, locking gazes with Cheng Zhirang somewhat lifelessly.
"I surrender." Three words, ready to hibernate now.
Then she lay stiffly on the mattress pretending to be dead.
Cheng Zhirang held back a laugh, asking her, "So, are you preparing to hibernate? Or really surrendering?"
She nodded lifelessly, "Hibernate."
"Please let me stay here; if possible, inform Lin Lian to rescue me. Goodbye."
"What do you mean goodbye," his eyes were gentle, but his actions weren’t at all. He dragged her out with the mattress and all,
"Sorry I can’t hold you, but I checked; there are an extra two layers of cowhide under the mattress, it’s abrasion-resistant."
"...... What are you doing?!"
He pulled a rubber strap on the mattress, dragging her out: "Taking you to Kite Road to rest properly."
She attempted to get up and speak nicely, but the strap on the mattress was still tied to her, so she couldn’t get up, and she could only extend her hands upward toward his hand.
Cheng Zhirang freed a hand to grasp hers.
She seized the moment to speak nicely: "Brother Cheng, hold on, listen to me, maybe there’s still a way out of this?
I think this place is quite suitable for a rest, how about you just leave me here to my fate! There’s no need to inform Lin Lian, I’ll just wait here for a good Samaritan."
Cheng Zhirang turned back smiling at her: "Not, at, all."
"......" Boohoo, my boyfriend’s changed, all he cares about is winning.
Thus, she was dragged all the way back to Kite Road, laying stiffly and glaring at Bai Shu waiting there.
Bai Shu: "Ah, um, Sister Mu Qiu, Brother Cheng sure has a knack for finding you spot on."
She mustered a demeanor of despair without losing her manners, took out her stashed turtle pig toy, and squeezed it hard, glaring sinisterly at Cheng Zhirang.
"Turtle turtle turtle turtle turtle turtle turtle turtle!"
"Did you hear that, Brother Cheng? Even this pig’s cursing you."
Cheng Zhirang paused, looking at her: "Could it be there’s another pig cursing me too?"