The Cold Queen is My Exclusive Little Snack - Chapter 13

Chu Shiyin could only see the photos, but the viewers in the solo livestream room heard the entire “conspiracy” through the microphone.

At that moment, a flood of “new viewers” poured into Li Jiaonian’s solo livestream room, while her loyal fans remained completely oblivious.

Zuo Xingning is the Evil Dragon? The production team really knows how to play the game, choosing the youngest one as the mole!

She’s actually pretty smart, getting carried by Jiaonian right away.

Heh, I’m watching on eight devices and just laughing silently.

From Yang Na to Zuo Xingning, and now Li Jiaonian, I’m starting to understand. Everyone needs to be more careful—some people have pitch-black hearts beneath their innocent exteriors. /Heartbroken

As a long-time fan since the first episode, I never expected this kind of twist! I can already foresee how chaotic future episodes will be.

I’m so confused! What are you all talking about? Did I miss something???

To the person asking, it’s too late to catch up now. Just watch the replay later. All I can say is, Li Jiaonian isn’t alone.

Seeing Li Jiaonian’s fans still completely clueless, some viewers couldn’t stand it and pointed them in the right direction.

Someone posted a recording on a certain video platform. Search for “Zuo Xingning Escape to Freedom” to find it.

Curious fans quickly searched for the video. After watching it with mixed emotions, they returned to the livestream and typed their “post-viewing thoughts”:

This woman is terrifyingly formidable.

Zuo Xingning remained unaware that her exploits of deceiving people had been “exposed.” After getting off the roller coaster, she first scanned the crowd for Chu Shiyin before smoothing her hair and running over.

Li Jiaonian followed behind with one hand casually in her pocket, her expression as composed as ever, though her mind raced.

She had already suspected Zuo Xingning was deliberately creating opportunities to be alone with her. But she hadn’t anticipated Zuo Xingning’s audacity in confessing on the roller coaster. The wind’s roar had drowned out her words, making it the perfect way to convey information under Chu Shiyin’s nose.

Still, Li Jiaonian was somewhat surprised by Zuo Xingning’s choice. Like Yang Na, her initial reaction had been that Zuo Xingning, as a newcomer, would be safest sticking with the more familiar Chu Shiyin. But upon reflection, she understood why Zuo Xingning had acted this way:

Precisely because everyone would expect her to choose Chu Shiyin, Zuo Xingning had deliberately gone against the grain.

After eliminating Chu Shiyin and her rival Jiang Shuqing, Zuo Xingning was left with four choices, each equally plausible.

Combining the clues they had gathered so far—”formally trained,” “released a popular single,” and “historical romance drama”—Li Jiaonian became 80% certain of her deduction.

The remaining 20% wasn’t so much doubt as a lingering unease.

After an hour of free exploration, the Producer called everyone back together.

During the exploration, guests could choose whether or not to reveal their clue and skill cards. Zuo Xingning openly shared one clue, the same one she had shared with Li Jiaonian: “released a popular single.”

This clue applied to four guests: Jiang Shuqing, Yang Na, He Yachuan, and Li Jiaonian herself, making it another ambiguous piece of information.

Li Jiaonian reciprocated by revealing the clue “historical romance drama.”

Even more guests fit this criterion, prompting genuine or feigned groans and complaints about the superficial clues.

Li Jiaonian verbally agreed with the others, but inwardly she understood the production team’s strategy. The clues weren’t superficial; rather, the “Evil Dragon” was relatively new to the industry, leaving limited verifiable information. A more specific clue would risk pinpointing the target too easily. To maintain suspense, the team had to release vague, almost irrelevant details.

Following their revelations, He Yachuan and the others also publicly disclosed two clues, but they still couldn’t pinpoint the target. Chen Han’s suspicion, however, continued to diminish, almost as if he had been cleared of all charges.

The voting process reached a stalemate. He Yachuan, usually the most eager to stir up trouble during such moments, was uncharacteristically silent, seemingly resigned to the situation. The only one actively participating was Jiang Shuqing.

“I think Zuo Xingning is the Evil Dragon,” she declared with unwavering conviction.

“Evidence?” He Yachuan asked casually.

“Intuition!”

“Intuition alone won’t convince anyone to vote with you,” He Yachuan said, ruffling her hair and gesturing with her chin. “Zuo Xingning still has Chu Shiyin on her side, and Yang Na is easily swayed. Be careful they don’t turn around and vote against you.”

“…Would they?”

“They might,” He Yachuan replied firmly, conspiratorially raising her voice. “If you’re really suspicious, we can follow them during the chase later and eliminate them directly.”

“…Okay.”

Jiang Shuqing was convinced. He Yachuan draped an arm casually over her shoulder, subtly exchanging a glance with Zuo Xingning.

“No one’s voting?” Chen Han had observed the entire process, feeling somewhat bewildered but ultimately deciding to go with the flow. “Then I’ll abstain too.”

“Seriously… how are we supposed to make this work?” Director Meng Zhi grumbled in the control room, though her eyes sparkled with amusement. She picked up her phone and sent a voice message to Yu Siya: “Look at the people you brought in! They’re about to ruin my show!”

“Director Meng,” a staff member entered, holding a walkie-talkie. “Director Yang wants to know if you’d like him to guide the guests a bit, create some drama or something. The audience usually loves the second-round voting segment.”

“No need. Let them play it out today… Oh, right,” Meng Zhi suddenly remembered. “Tell everyone not to reveal who Zuo Xingning chose before the final cut airs. I have a feeling that’s going to be the real bombshell of this episode.”

“Understood.”

“Alright!” With Meng Zhi’s approval, Producer Yang had the staff tie balloons to all the guests without a shred of guilt. “The chase will begin in ten minutes. The whistle marks the start—attacking beforehand will result in immediate elimination.”

With their balloons secured, the guests dispersed to their chosen locations, some observing, others preparing to “knife” their targets. Ten minutes later, a whistle blared over the loudspeakers, signaling the official start of the chase. Within just five seconds, the first elimination occurred.

As the staff escorted Jiang Shuqing away, she remained in disbelief, her almond-shaped eyes filled with shock at the betrayal. He Yachuan, under her unwavering gaze, felt a rare pang of shame.

She touched her nose, offered a silent apology, and quickly slipped away to find her next target.

Jiang Shuqing still had a resurrection card. If she remembered correctly, the rules stipulated that it could only be used ten minutes after elimination. Once resurrected, Jiang Shuqing would undoubtedly target her relentlessly. He Yachuan needed to make the most of these ten minutes.

Who should I target next…? Chen Han seems to be nearby.

He Yachuan’s luck held. She soon found Chen Han alone, but unlike the naive Jiang Shuqing, he refused to let her approach. As they faced off, the loudspeakers announced two more eliminations in quick succession.

“Chu Shiyin, eliminated.”

“Yang Na, eliminated.”

“What’s going on?!”

Yang Na clutched her shattered balloon, her voice trembling with impotent rage. “Aren’t monsters forbidden from killing each other?! This must be a mistake! How could Xingning eliminate me?!”

“There’s no mistake,” the staff member said, swaying under her grip. “Teacher Yang, you were indeed just an ordinary player.”

Zuo Xingning ignored her completely, showing no intention of explaining herself. She rubbed her own tattered balloon, her expression so pitiful she looked on the verge of tears. “Jiejie, I’m so sorry… It’s all my fault.”

If she hadn’t misled Yang Na, Yang Na wouldn’t have seized the opportunity to attack Chu Shiyin. It was all her negligence.

“It’s okay…”

“You should be apologizing to me!” Yang Na finally realized she’d been tricked, shoving herself between the two women and screaming into Zuo Xingning’s ear, “I finally drew a really useful skill card and didn’t even get to use it! Aaaaaah!!!”

I’m dying of laughter! Yang Na’s priorities are so skewed!

Ah, as a fellow unlucky person, I feel her pain. /wipes tears

Wait, so Zuo Xingning didn’t choose Yang Na as her partner after all? Or is she not even the Evil Dragon?

Viewers focused solely on Zuo Xingning’s livestream were in a frenzy of speculation, while those who had long figured out her tactics smirked knowingly.

Yang Na’s regret came too late. Seething with anger and remorse, she followed the staff away, but her voice seemed to linger, nearly making Zuo Xingning see stars.

“Sorry, just a moment,” Chu Shiyin smiled at the staff before gently stopping Zuo Xingning from further abusing her own ears. “Alright, they’re already red. Why did you lie to her? Yang Na used to sing soprano—she was even holding back.”

“I’m sorry,” Zuo Xingning repeated, gripping Chu Shiyin’s hand, more distraught than the eliminated contestant. “Jiejie…”

“Didn’t you already apologize?” Chu Shiyin tried to pull her hand away but couldn’t. Instead, she used her other hand to smooth the frown lines on Zuo Xingning’s forehead. “You eliminated Yang Na. What are you still apologizing for?”

Chu Shiyin had joined the show primarily to repay a favor to Meng Zhi. Winning or losing didn’t matter to her, and she blamed herself for not clarifying this to Zuo Xingning beforehand, which had made her so anxious.

“Chen Han, eliminated.”

The announcement blared overhead. The sun was blazing, and Chu Shiyin squinted as she looked up. “Your chosen helper seems to be working hard.”

“What helpers?” Zuo Xingning muttered, glancing down at the blue balloon tied to her waist.

Should I just pop this thing? she thought. I only created this whole charade to help Chu Shiyin win. Who knew my cleverness would backfire? What’s the point of keeping the balloon now?

“I really like that Glazed Jade Magnolia,” Chu Shiyin said, her dark eyes piercing through Zuo Xingning as if seeing through her facade.

“Do you think you can win?” Zuo Xingning asked. “It would look beautiful in my study.”

“I will,” Zuo Xingning nodded firmly.

After Chu Shiyin left, Zuo Xingning found a secluded spot to clear her head.

Eliminating Chen Han could only have been done by He Yachuan or Li Jiaonian. She leaned toward the former; taking down Chen Han must have exhausted He Yachuan. If she could find her, she might be able to swoop in and claim victory.

Come to think of it, Chen Han had headed toward the haunted house…

With a plan in mind, Zuo Xingning left the teacup ride. But before she could take more than a few steps, the announcement system blared again, two consecutive announcements:

“Jiang Shuqing, revived.”

“He Yachuan, eliminated.”

Jiang Shuqing… revived?

Zuo Xingning froze, her eyes lighting up.