[“Who knows, I end up at Auntie’s smiling lips in the sky, let this sentence return to its original form for me.”]
[“I got hit by the Monkey King when I transmigrated to Journey to the West, but I haven’t suffered such heavy injuries.”]
…
“Well, the first question has the same answer, one point to each.” Zhao Jiamo turned over the nearby scorecards, “The warm-up questions were relatively simple, giving us a game experience. But the second question will be difficult, as it’s answered by both sides.”
“The second question is—”
“Write down the foods that the other person doesn’t eat, dislikes, or is allergic to, with two or more items. The more you write, the more additional bonus points you’ll get.”
Zhao Jiamo added, “Write your correct answer on the top line. This question is not timed, you can take your time to write, but make sure it’s correct. Incorrect answers won’t receive points, and random writing won’t work.”
Qiao Huaiyao erased the answer to the previous question and wrote down the foods that Bai Jinyan didn’t like. His brother rarely expressed what he disliked, at most he just avoided them.
However, growing up together, Qiao Huaiyao probably knew some of them. He wrote down what he knew, and when it came to his own food restrictions, he wrote down two items: scallions and cilantro.
After finishing, he put down the pen and glanced over at Bai Jinyan, who was still writing.
There were four lines of writing on the answer board. Qiao Huaiyao was surprised. He looked at his own answer board and then at Bai Jinyan’s. Why were there so many? The game was still ongoing, and he couldn’t ask. He could only hold onto his doubts and wait for Bai Jinyan to finish writing.
When Bai Jinyan stopped writing, there was no more space left on the answer board. Bai Jinyan could only dictate, “Add green onions and cilantro to the list.”
Qiao Huaiyao blinked. Zhao Jiamo looked at the answers they wrote, “Hmm… Xiao Qiao, come take a look, see if your brother’s answer is correct.”
With so many items, only the person themselves could determine their accuracy. Qiao Huaiyao was about to examine them when he realized that Bai Jinyan’s answers were particularly detailed, including details like not eating fatty parts of steak, not liking butter, avoiding overly oily fried chicken, and so on. Many of these were preferences Qiao Huaiyao himself hadn’t even noticed.
“Right, they’re all correct.” Qiao Huaiyao thought for a moment.
These were indeed places he would avoid while eating out.
He didn’t expect Bai Jinyan to remember these so clearly.
He couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Bai Jinyan, who was still focused on writing.
Bai Jinyan was meticulously detailing his answers, covering preferences that Qiao Huaiyao himself hadn’t even noticed.
Qiao Huaiyao tried to withdraw his hand, but it stayed frozen.
He couldn’t make any significant movements due to the cameras.
He could only wiggle his fingertips, attempting to nudge Bai Jinyan, hoping to catch his attention.
However, before his fingers could touch Bai Jinyan, they were held back by a firm grip.
Qiao Huaiyao froze for a moment, his heart skipping a beat.
He instinctively looked towards the director, but they were still busy tallying scores. He sighed in relief.
He glanced at Bai Jinyan beside him and saw that Bai Jinyan was still focused on writing, seemingly oblivious to his actions.
Qiao Huaiyao tried to pull his hand back, but… it remained motionless. He couldn’t make big movements due to the camera angles. He could only move his fingertips, tentatively tapping Bai Jinyan to get his attention, hoping that Bai Jinyan would let go.
The room was heated comfortably. Qiao Huaiyao’s fingertips felt warm from the contact.
The director was still occupied with scoring, and it seemed they wouldn’t be done anytime soon.
Qiao Huaiyao let his right hand hang down, resting on his thigh, and subtly shifted his fingers to the right. He lightly tapped Bai Jinyan’s thigh, attempting to get his attention, and then quickly withdrew his hand.
The raised answer board concealed all of his subtle movements.
Bai Jinyan seemed to remain unaware of what was happening. Qiao Huaiyao attempted to pull his hand back, but… it didn’t move. He couldn’t make significant movements due to the camera angles. He tried to move his fingertips, testingly poking Bai Jinyan, waiting for him to release his grip.
The room’s heating was on strongly. It was warming, and Qiao Huaiyao’s fingertips carried a pleasant sensation. “Hiss…” Zhao Jiamo calculated and nodded, evaluating the points based on the answers they provided. “Hmm, there’s quite a lot based on the points on the paper. This question seems to have the highest extra points so far.”
Bullet comments: [“Oh, my eyes hurt from reading those words. It seems Bai Jinyan memorized them.”]
[“The director wanted to set us up, but ended up falling into his own trap, hahaha!”]
[“I’ve grown up for so long, and my brother didn’t even know I’m allergic to milk. Seeing this, I can’t help but feel sad. I won’t watch anymore! I’ll go duel with my brother!”]
[“Calm down, can a brother treat his younger brother and his wife the same way?”]
…
Zhao Jiamo turned several pages and finally understood the distribution of points. “Alright, let’s tidy up our thoughts and continue with the third question.”
As the director’s voice fell, Qiao Huaiyao felt the hand covering his fingertips loosen slightly. As he took hold of the answer pen again, he noticed his hand felt somewhat stiff. He shifted his fingertips, only to hear the director say, “The question is, what’s the other person’s favorite animal? Please answer within ten seconds.”
Favorite animal…? The answer pen hung above the answer board without descending. This question was indeed difficult, as they hadn’t encountered it before. They had never raised small animals. The countdown continued, ticking away, and everyone listening felt a growing tension.
No matter what, they needed an answer. Qiao Huaiyao hesitated and wrote down “cat.” He didn’t know what Bai Jinyan liked, so he simply wrote “cat.” A guess. He finished writing just as Zhao Jiamo’s countdown ended.
“Okay, let me see your answers.” After flipping over the answer boards, Qiao Huaiyao immediately looked at Bai Jinyan’s answer. It was also “cat.” The answers were the same. Qiao Huaiyao squinted. Regardless of anything else, their answers were quite in sync.
“Huh?” Zhao Jia Mo was somewhat bewildered by this answer. He had some connection with Bai Jinyan’s family, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Since when do you like cats?”
He didn’t remember Bai Jinyan having a preferred animal. He thought this question was likely to deduct points. Unexpectedly, the answers these two provided turned out to be surprisingly aligned.
Bai Jinyan answered casually, “Recently started liking them.”
“Cats?” Zhao Jiamo was holding a bewildered expression, feeling that getting along harmoniously with a cat like Bai Jinyan would be quite difficult, “Since when did you like cats?”
“Like…” Bai Jinyan paused, propping his chin with one hand, thoughtfully saying, “I like touching their heads.”
Zhao Jiamo’s face was filled with utter confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Qiao Huaiyao heard these words and seemed to understand instantly, a fleeting moment of comprehension. He couldn’t help but curl his lips, feeling warmth spread across his face, making his cheeks and ears turn red.
Qiao Huaiyao instinctively leaned in behind the answer board, hiding himself completely, but embarrassment shone in his eyes as he cast a sidelong glance at Bai Jinyan.
Bai Jinyan, noticing this, simply let out a soft laugh. Qiao Huaiyao’s face turned even redder.
The camera angles were obstructed, making it impossible for viewers to see. However, they could see Bai Jinyan’s smile.
[“Ah, ah, ah, what are you two doing behind the answer board?!”]
[“Why is Bai Jinyan laughing?! I won’t allow him to laugh like this! I want to see!”]
[“With just Bai Jinyan’s smile, I could write a five-thousand-word fanfiction.”]
[“Damn, is it necessary to watch others date? It’s so damn sweet.”]
…
Zhao Jiamo might not have understood the answer, but the game had to go on.