The Cold Queen is My Exclusive Little Snack - Chapter 12

Ahhh, Jiejie, do you have no sense of occasion? Just reaching out like that to wipe her tears! KSWL!

Yes, just stand like that, don’t separate. The doctor said it’s good for my eyes.

Send 200, charge it to Yang Na’s account.

What’s this newbie’s backing? Chu Shiyin is even carrying her sedan chair. It’s all scripted, I’m done.

To the commenter above: Director Meng’s shows are famous for having no script. Besides, Zuo Xingning is Chu Shiyin’s signed artist. It’s normal for her to take care of her.

Heh, just capitalist tactics.

Don’t like it? Don’t watch. Mad dogs just open their mouths to bite randomly.

A bullet comment war erupted instantly. Off-screen, Yu Siya had her team trace the IP addresses of the accounts spreading the rumors, a cold smile twisting her lips.

She had anticipated someone would try to smear Zuo Xingning.

Chu Shiyin’s comeback announcement had unsettled many. Those perched atop their pedestals couldn’t be easily toppled, so their only recourse was to hurl mud at those around her, hoping to tarnish her reputation by association.

A crude tactic, yet its simplicity made it effective.

For the past two years, rumors had swirled incessantly, leaving fans perpetually on edge. Any slight disturbance sent them scattering like startled birds, making them easy pawns in others’ schemes.

Yu Siya had long assigned staff to guide and reassure them, but she expected the situation to improve significantly after Chu Shiyin’s return.

Patience was key.

She contacted the PR team to steer the bullet comments away from the controversy, then focused her attention on the two figures who had inexplicably drawn close.

Coming out of the same room in the morning was one thing, but to be so intimate on camera?

If Zuo Xingning had known what Yu Siya was thinking, she would have vehemently protested her innocence.

She had simply wanted to ask Chu Shiyin if she liked the Glazed Jade Magnolia statue. Who could have predicted such a misunderstanding? She hastily explained, “The sun was just too bright.”

Chu Shiyin said nothing, merely nodded and withdrew her hand. Yang Na, who had been watching nearby, perked up, her face alight with mischievous glee.

She raised a hand to shield her eyes, dramatically feigning an escape, though she barely moved. “Oh my, is it really just the sun?” she teased. “I feel like I’m blindingly bright too!”

“Enough, she’s easily embarrassed,” Chu Shiyin said mildly, her hand behind her back unconsciously clenching. Realizing this, she relaxed her fingers, letting the breeze carry away the lingering warmth.

After the prize display segment concluded, the black blackout curtains descended once more, and the main livestream camera switched back to the guest area. The NPC had been replaced, but the new one wore the same blue dress, a light-colored scarf around her waist, and held a tray containing ten cards.

This design truly seemed unafraid of attracting the attention of the Legal Department.

Zuo Xingning muttered under her breath as the NPC announced, “Heroes, please come forward to receive the Fairy Godmother’s blessing.”

“Blessing? Do you mean the cards on the tray?” Jiang Shuqing asked.

“Mm, they’re probably skill and utility cards,” He Yachuan whispered, having grown close to Jiang Shuqing. “The production team is notoriously stingy. They won’t give us anything special in the first round. Just pick one at random.”

“I see…” Jiang Shuqing murmured, her gaze drifting unconsciously toward a spot diagonally across from her.

She hadn’t expected to encounter Zuo Xingning here. Six months ago, she could occasionally glean news of her from Zuo Xingning’s classmates. But as graduation drew further away, the information dried up completely.

Zuo Xingning had likely faded into obscurity. This should have been good news for Jiang Shuqing, yet she couldn’t find any joy in it. She felt like she had won, but it was a hollow, self-deceiving victory.

Now that Zuo Xingning had returned to the stage, Jiang Shuqing vowed to defeat her fair and square!

A fierce competitive spirit blazed in Jiang Shuqing’s eyes, making her almost forget to maintain her composure. He Yachuan had to nudge her to bring her back to reality.

“We’re filming a show, why are you daydreaming?” He Yachuan subtly reminded her, explaining, “We’re drawing cards in the order of rock-paper-scissors. Teacher Chu has already drawn, now it’s your turn.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Shuqing approached the Fairy Godmother and selected a card, flipping it over—a Copy Card.

Soon, all seven guests had drawn their cards. The unluckiest were undoubtedly Zuo Xingning and Yang Na.

Zuo Xingning drew a Swap Card, allowing her to exchange one card with any other guest. However, good cards were rarely traded, and there was no point in swapping for bad ones, making it a rather useless card.

Yang Na fared even worse, drawing one of the two Blank Cards.

The others had grown accustomed to such misfortunes, casually teasing her before moving on to the game segment.

The first round required teamwork and consisted of four mini-games. First, three guests would challenge the Tipping Forest. Success earned them drumsticks, which two other guests would then pass through a three-legged race over obstacles.

After the drumsticks were passed, NPCs would appear to interfere. One guest had to shoot them to “eliminate the monsters,” while the other used this time to hop in a sack like a kangaroo to the finish line, where they would strike a red drum.

If the entire challenge was completed within five minutes, it was considered a success, earning them a clue about the Evil Dragon Faction.

After a brief discussion, the seven quickly divided into groups: Zuo Xingning, Yang Na, and Chu Shiyin formed the “Never-Falling Forest” team; He Yachuan and Li Jiaonian paired up for the three-legged race; Jiang Shuqing handled the shooting; and retired athlete Chen Han took on the most physically demanding final leg, the kangaroo hop.

After a practice run, they signaled the Director to start the timer. The first leg went smoothly, but during the three-legged race, Li Jiaonian tripped, causing them to exceed the time limit.

The second and third attempts were marred by various mistakes. On the fourth try, Zuo Xingning’s “accidental slip” caused them to fail again. By this point, the most physically taxed members—Chen Han, He Yachuan, and Li Jiaonian—were nearing exhaustion. Zuo Xingning and Yang Na swapped He Yachuan and Li Jiaonian out, and after one more attempt, they finally completed the challenge successfully.

Chen Han collapsed on the ground, utterly drained. Li Jiaonian and He Yachuan were in no better shape, so Jiang Shuqing went to retrieve the Evil Dragon Faction’s clue.

Almost unnoticed amidst the chaos, Zuo Xingning, who had been “diligently” participating throughout the game, leaned close to Yang Na’s ear.

“Sister Yang Na, I drew the Evil Dragon Card and chose you as my partner.”

Yang Na froze, her hands stilling mid-motion as she untied the rope. “You? Me? You didn’t pick Shiyin?”

“See? Your first reaction proves my point,” Zuo Xingning said, winking. “If I’d chosen my sister, we’d have been eliminated in one fell swoop.”

“You’re right,” Yang Na nodded, accepting the shift in roles without hesitation.

After untying their restraints, the two stretched their ankles before rejoining the other guests. Jiang Shuqing had obtained the first clue:

Trained professional.

Chen Han, still sprawled on the ground, leaned back on his hands, his muscular arms supporting him on the grass. Hearing the clue, he grinned brightly. “‘Trained professional’? That’s definitely not me. Did I just get ‘golden water’ right off the bat?”

 Golden water  was a term from the werewolf game, indicating that the recipient was a trustworthy ally.

“Teacher Chu isn’t a trained professional either,” Li Jiaonian pointed out. “Don’t forget, there are two Evil Dragons. We can’t draw conclusions from just one clue.”

The others agreed, opting to wait and see. No one voted in the first round, so no one was eliminated. After a brief break for touch-ups, filming resumed.

The second round was a free exploration phase. Guests could discover Mission NPCs and accept quests or challenges. Completing these tasks would earn them skill cards, utility cards, Evil Dragon clues, and opportunities to familiarize themselves with the terrain, preparing them for the upcoming chase battle.

After watching the guests explore the amusement park, someone in the bullet comments finally couldn’t resist asking:

“Just asking, are we watching an amusement park commercial?”

“It’s hard not to suspect Director Meng got paid off.”

“The park’s making a killing this episode.”

“We shouldn’t have believed Director Meng’s nonsense about ‘massive investment’ in the venue,” He Yachuan said, stepping off the now-stationary pirate ship and reaching out to steady the pale-faced Jiang Shuqing. “Are you alright?”

Jiang Shuqing shook her head. “I’m fine, just a little dizzy. I’ll be fine after a rest.”

“Why push yourself so hard?” He Yachuan helped her sit down. “You’re afraid of heights, so why ride the pirate ship? It’s just a game, and besides, you have a resurrection card. With that, why risk anything?”

Jiang Shuqing tugged at the corner of her mouth but remained silent. After resting for a while, the two went to the ticket booth to claim their challenge prizes. While He Yachuan wasn’t looking, Jiang Shuqing tugged at the microphone on her collar and whispered, “Activate Copy Card. Copy Nirvana Card.”

Meanwhile, Zuo Xingning was preparing to challenge the roller coaster, accompanied by Chu Shiyin and Li Jiaonian. They had met Li Jiaonian along the way, and after discovering their shared destination, they naturally decided to team up.

The roller coaster before them was a launch-style coaster with a 360° looping track, second only to the nearly 70-meter drop tower in terms of thrill.

Facing this terrifying behemoth, Li Jiaonian rubbed her hands together, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “Did the staff say the rewards differ between the front and back rows? Is the front row the most thrilling? I want to sit in the first row!”

Hearing this, Zuo Xingning walked straight to the back row. “The back row is the most thrilling,” she said. “When we plunge down, there’s no buffer time at all. It’s a real challenge. Want to join me, Sister Jiaonian?”

“Really?” Li Jiaonian followed her skeptically. “Shiyin, are you coming?”

“No thanks. You two have fun. I’ll find something less heart-pounding.”

Chu Shiyin watched them settle into the back row. A staff member secured the safety restraints, the machine whirred to life, and the roller coaster roared into motion.

This was undoubtedly the quietest roller coaster ride ever. Apart from Li Jiaonian’s initial excited shout as they launched, not another sound escaped their lips.

Li Jiaonian loved extreme sports, and Zuo Xingning wasn’t afraid of heights. With cameras around, it made sense they might suppress screams to maintain their image, but this was still too strange.

Chu Shiyin stared at them for a few seconds before turning to a nearby staff member. “Are the cameras on the track taking photos?”

After receiving confirmation, she followed the staff member to review the pictures.

In the two snapshots, Zuo Xingning was leaning her head, as if whispering something to Li Jiaonian.