Provoking Fire [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 45

The scene erupted into chaos. Some contestants tripped and writhed on the ground, while others sprinted frantically forward. Still others realized they’d been tricked and scrambled to catch up, but they were already several steps behind.

Chu Xiyue, with her natural height and long legs, had a clear advantage. Combined with her impressive speed, she was confident she could win this time. But then a lithe figure surged ahead, reaching the 700-meter finish line first.

All Chu Xiyue saw were those stunningly long legs, moving with such grace that even walking seemed to carry a breeze. When Su Yan ran, she was a breathtaking sight, utterly captivating.

Slightly breathless, Chu Xiyue instinctively stopped behind her. Su Yan turned, flashed her a smile, and playfully gestured to show Chu Xiyue had fallen behind.

Chu Xiyue, the willing loser, couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration.

As all the guests arrived at the destination, a brief animated video played before they were informed that their rankings would be determined by electronic timing devices, ensuring fairness and impartiality. Due to the comedian’s antics, the contestant who should have finished first was blocked, leaving both of them groaning on the ground as background music to Su Yan’s victory. Of course, Su Yan had already been just a step away from the finish line, so her effortless win couldn’t be considered a fluke.

Afterward, they were led to prepared dressing rooms to change into their designated outfits for the day. Seeing the neatly arranged stack of ancient costumes, with their refreshing blend of pale blue and white, Chu Xiyue immediately realized this episode would have an ancient theme.

Her previous roles had always featured flamboyant, fiery characters, so she never expected her usual style to actually suit this game.

Suddenly struck by an idea, Chu Xiyue quickly changed and hurried outside. Sure enough, she spotted Su Yan in a vibrant red gown that accentuated her bewitching allure and indescribable charm.

Chu Xiyue and Su Yan were slightly faster than the others. When they emerged, only the two of them were present. Su Yan beckoned Chu Xiyue over, and as soon as she approached, Su Yan pulled her into the dressing room they had just left.

“Why aren’t you wearing perfume today?” Su Yan’s voice was slightly deep, reminiscent of the agarwood notes in her usual fragrance. Chu Xiyue startled at the sudden closeness.

“I woke up too late and forgot when I was getting ready.”

In truth, Chu Xiyue usually enjoyed wearing perfume, especially for a program like this, where fragrance was essential to mask the scent of sweat after physical activity. She tilted her head slightly, looking up at Su Yan, unsure of her intentions and surprised by the question. Half-jokingly, she asked, “Want to spray some on me?”

Before the words had even left her lips, Su Yan swiftly retrieved a small, travel-sized perfume bottle from her dumpling-shaped handbag. She sprayed it directly behind Chu Xiyue’s ears and onto her collarbones, leaving a crisp, cool sensation.

Immediately afterward, a localized heat flared up.

Chu Xiyue had previously used the perfume Su Yan left at her house, hoping to deduce its ingredients through scent analysis. In truth, she was still haunted by Su Yan’s natural body fragrance from their time on the reality show. The bottle she had given Su Yan couldn’t be brought on the plane for this trip, and Chu Xiyue hadn’t even remembered to use the existing one when she woke up.

Yet Su Yan always seemed to maintain this calm composure, no matter the situation. Even without moving, simply allowing the air to circulate in their cramped space, she exuded an indescribable sense of intimacy.

The fresh blend of elderflower and citrus, tempered by the crisp, wintry notes of pine and cypress, softened the sweetness, creating a lingering, memorable fragrance. The perfumer must have been a master, crafting scents that perfectly aligned with Su Yan’s aesthetic.

A little too much perfume had been sprayed behind her ears and on her collarbones. Su Yan gently rubbed it in with her fingertips, the soft pads of her fingers creating a tingling, ticklish sensation against her skin.

Chu Xiyue’s gaze drifted to Su Yan’s refined profile, forcing herself to stay focused.

“Yes…”

“Shh—” Su Yan interrupted Chu Xiyue, pressing a finger to her lips. The gesture accidentally smeared the freshly applied lip gloss, a warm, autumnal orange-brown shade that left a faint chocolate scent on her fingertip. “Just let it dry. It’ll be fine soon.”

Chu Xiyue couldn’t quite recall how she left the dressing room. When she emerged, the other guests had already arrived and were searching for them.

“Wow, you two took forever! Were you on some kind of special mission?” Huang Lige teased with a grin.

“Holy crap, were you two doing a wardrobe change roleplay?” Bei Yaoyao blurted out, her bluntness and peculiar focus leaving the male actor beside her utterly bewildered.

“I saw the trailer for In Character earlier,” the muscular actor remarked, his voice surprisingly gentle. “Xiao Chu’s character wears all red, while Teacher Su seems to always wear shades of blue and white.” He chuckled, his gaze filled with genuine admiration for the two female guests. “Who says Teacher Su isn’t suited for a heroic style? Look at her—the vibrant clothes and spirited energy instantly bring out that youthful, dashing vibe!”

Su Yan’s role for the day was perfectly suited to her: a female martial artist. Each participant received a brief introduction to their character’s backstory, and as the scenes shifted, they were handed maps. Their next task was to trigger random missions in various locations.

“Let’s hurry and find the clues,” Chi Yao suddenly interrupted their chatter. “I saw a Western-style clock on the reward list. We need to find it quickly, or we won’t know how much time we have left.”

Chi Yao’s suggestion was unanimously approved, and the group shifted their focus from joking around to dividing tasks and working together. However, Zheng Zihong, standing at the entrance to the town, couldn’t help but rub his arms and look up.

“Why is this place so… eerie? Do you think there might actually be something here?”

Shi Yan, the team’s powerhouse, quickly slapped him on the back, worried about scaring the female guests. “Cut it out with the nonsense! Ghosts don’t exist! This is clearly just the production team sparing no expense!”

Their second location was a sprawling, artificial ancient town nestled between mountains and a river. Located in the south, the water remained unfrozen even in early winter, with boats ferrying passengers between the black-tiled roofs and whitewashed walls.

As dusk settled over the ancient town, a tranquil stillness prevailed. Even the few modern streetlights remained unlit, replaced by festive red lanterns that cast a vibrant crimson glow across the landscape. The scene, rendered in stark black and white, exuded both rustic charm and an unsettling eeriness. Above the town gate hung a plaque, its gilded characters inscribed in flowing calligraphy:

Clear Breeze Town

Clear Breeze Town served as a key setting in the drama  In Character . Though the actual filming locations varied, the cast and crew immediately recognized this meticulously recreated and modified version of the town from the original script. In the story, Clear Breeze Town had fallen under the spiritual control of malevolent entities, its inhabitants drained of their souls and reduced to listless shells.

Each night, when an eerie wind swept through the town, the soulless corpses would shuffle forward, drawn by the ringing of bells.

Today’s chase would unfold here, with the guests given no specific start time. Their only clue was a prop “Western clock” that would display a countdown, indicating how much time remained in the pursuit.

Given the vastness of the area, it was clear that the group couldn’t simply scatter like headless chickens. The map provided some cryptic clues, and after a brief discussion, they split into two teams of four. If they were lucky, they might find communication devices, allowing them to regroup later.

Chu Xiyue, Su Yan, and Bei Yaoyao, all from the same drama crew, naturally stuck together. Chi Yao initially wanted to join Chu Xiyue, but such a division would create an imbalance between the experienced and newer guests. After all, this was still an individual competition, and while they might cooperate initially, the time would come when they’d have to carve out their own shares of the prize.

“Yao, I want to hang out with Chuchu today,” Huang Lige said, throwing her arm casually around Chi Yao’s shoulder. “You’ve been hogging her for ages. Surely you can let someone else have a turn, right?” She delivered the line with a playful tone, as if trying to lighten the mood with a joke. Su Yan, listening nearby, knew it was just a joke, yet an inexplicable unease stirred in her chest.

“Maybe you should try to ‘steal’ Teacher Su instead,” Chi Yao retorted, refusing to take the bait. She smiled sweetly at Huang Lige, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “Didn’t you say you hadn’t met Teacher Su before? Now’s your chance to get to know her.”

For some reason, Huang Lige sensed an unspoken tension, like the faint scent of gunpowder in the air.

Su Yan raised an eyebrow.

Sometimes, their goals aligned perfectly. How could she possibly miss Chi Yao’s subtle intentions? Though she often chose not to call her out, that didn’t mean she’d let things continue unchecked. Before she could speak, however, her wrist was suddenly caught from the side. Su Yan turned her head and saw Chu Xiyue’s radiant smile, as bright and dazzling as a summer bloom.

“Excuse me,” Chu Xiyue declared, her voice ringing with confidence. “Teacher Su is mine for the entire day. None of you are allowed to entertain any further delusions.”

Her smile was bold and dazzling, almost impossible to look away from. It drew people in willingly, yet without being overbearing, creating a comfortable, spring-like warmth.

As if sensing Su Yan’s thoughts, Chu Xiyue hooked her arm through Su Yan’s, their fingertips brushing. Su Yan could feel a delicate warmth passing between them, gentle and soothing, capable of calming all her unease and restlessness.

Considering the physical differences between men and women, Chu Xiyue had already made her spirited decision when she selected the comedian like a general choosing her troops:

“Just the two of us.”