No? Can I read the mind of my mortal enemy?

Shi Qiao refused to believe it and studied the map again in a slightly brighter area.

During this time, Pei Jingnian offered to help, but she firmly waved her hand.

This is her area of ​​expertise; if Pei Jingnian were to take it out, where would she put her old face?

"I know which way to go."

Shi Qiao picked up a dead branch, forcefully scratched a mark on the tree stump, and clapped his hands.

"Make a mark first."

Half an hour later, after seeing the scratched tree stump for who knows how many times, she gave in.

We're really lost.

Frustrated, she leaned against a tree trunk, one hand clenched into a fist and pressed against her forehead, mimicking the Thinker.

That's so embarrassing.

Before participating in the test of courage, they all had to hand in their cell phones. Each team was only given a signal distress device that was no different from a brick, in case any team wanted to withdraw early.

Fortunately, the entire hillside was monitored by professionals, and there are no dangerous areas.

Are they just going to surrender and withdraw from this test of courage?

Where would she put her old face then?

The warmth in her palms intensified as Pei Jingnian's distinct finger bones gripped her tightly, his thumb occasionally stroking the back of her hand.

Hiss, Pei Jingnian seems even more frightened now.

"Are we completely lost?" Pei Jingnian's voice suddenly interrupted Shi Qiao's thoughts.

She turned her head away guiltily, "I'm probably... a little dizzy."

Suddenly, a strange wind blew by, rustling through the woods and carrying a salty, damp smell. The branches swayed like spasmodic, withered fingers, which was quite terrifying.

She could clearly see the turbulent, unfathomable emotions swirling in Pei Jingnian's eyes.

Her pitiful appearance pierced Shi Qiao's heart.

Almost reflexively, she pulled Pei Jingnian into her arms, patting his back lightly with her palm.

"It's okay, if it really doesn't work out, we can just quit."

"I'll contact that staff member right now."

Just as she was about to let go of Pei Jingnian, a large hand pressed down even harder on her lower back. His tall body leaned down, and his furry head drooped in the crook of his neck, constantly rubbing against her ear.

"I'll be fine after a short rest."

This man looks like he's about to break.

She's probably just putting on a brave face; she needs to hurry...

She tried to loosen her grip on Pei Jingnian, but the heavens seemed to be on the verge of blowing a gust of wind, which Pei Jingnian used to his advantage to hold her even tighter.

"I'm scared." His voice was slightly hoarse.

Shi Qiao was unable to move.

"Are you really alright, Pei Jingnian?"

Pei Jingnian didn't look up, but leaned on her small shoulder and gently shook her, "Mmm."

Shi Qiao responded, "There's a tree stump nearby; you can sit here for a while."

"Let's set off after you've rested enough."

"it is good."

Then, Shi Qiao's feet suddenly floated lightly into the air.

Pei Jingnian sat down with his legs slightly apart, and the empty space between his legs became Shi Qiao's sitting spot. He gently pinched her soft waist through her skirt with his palm.

She was wearing a tank top, a backless style, which clung to the chest of the person behind her without any reservation, creating a subtly strange effect.

Not to mention that Pei Jingnian's limbs were still tightly locked around her, making her practically an octopus.

Is that right?!

Is she Abebe?

Her face flushed, a sight clearly visible even in the dim light. "Pei Jingnian, what kind of lewd behavior are you engaging in!"

Pei Jingnian wasn't annoyed at all, and shamelessly said, "That makes me feel safer."

Her body was still trembling slightly.

Shi Qiao didn't know what else to say, so she gripped the edge of the pager.

Indeed, it should be...

【Very good.】

Shi Qiao: ?

Being able to spend time alone with my wife is fine anywhere.

[Back on the main road, you'll be scared by the ghosts that are arranged for you; here, you can act crazy and silly with your wife, hugging her all the time.]

If this is the reward for coming to a awful place, then I'm not leaving tonight.

As he buried his face in Shi Qiao's neck, he took a deep breath. If Shi Qiao hadn't heard those inner thoughts, she would probably have thought it was Pei Jingnian's soft sobbing before he shed tears.

"Honey, you smell so good."

Shi Qiao: ...

Dumbledore once said, "Love is the greatest magic in the world."

Now, she, Chobrido, has to add another line.

Color is also one.

I wasted my time worrying about that lecherous guy!

However, she doesn't want it to end anytime soon.

She found Pei Jingnian's behavior quite novel.

A man who has been an iceberg for over a decade or two suddenly shows weakness in front of you, with this expression that looks like he's about to cry.

This is practically a stimulant for women.

That's a million times more satisfying than her verbal sparring!!

Shi Qiao admitted it; she was indeed a worthless woman.

She tilted her head back and rested it on his broad, flat shoulders. "Just this once, and don't let it happen again."

During the next hugging session, Pei Jingnian behaved himself, simply sniffing and rubbing against things like a cat.

They just kept holding on, showing no intention of letting go.

Then she has to keep accepting the ramblings in Pei Jingnian's head.

After an unknown amount of time, Shi Qiao noticed that the man behind her had stopped moving, and took advantage of his momentary lapse in attention to slip away unnoticed.

"Let's go, let's start anew."

In the latter half, perhaps the clever technique really worked, or perhaps Pei Jingnian had already achieved his goal, their progress in finding the box increased rapidly.

With Pei Jingnian, the strategist, on the job, solving the problem is a piece of cake.

Once out of the woods, they could see Su Yurou and the others standing under the trees, chatting about something.

They waved to Shi Qiao when they saw her, "Xiao Qiao, we've finally waited for you! We thought you two wouldn't be able to get out."

"Oh, right." Su Yurou handed Shi Qiao and Pei Jingnian's phones to them, "Your phones have been ringing non-stop since just now, it seems like someone is looking for you."

As soon as Pei Jingnian took the phone, several messages came in a row, all from Lu Zhou.

[Lu Zhou: I've found out Xia Heng's identity, but you'd never guess what he does.]

[Lu Zhou: He's a male model! One of Jin Ye's top models! The one I invested in before.]

[Lu Zhou: I was wondering why he looked so familiar when I saw him before.]

[Lu Zhou: But why is your wife ordering male models? Is she really disappointed with your...thing?]

[Lu Zhou: I told you, this greenhorn, wasn't up to par.]

Normally, Pei Jingnian would definitely have retorted to Lu Zhou's few sarcastic remarks.

But now, his mind is filled with the news he glimpsed at Sushi Omakase that night, and the scene of Shi Qiao and Xia Heng meeting alone at the restaurant that day.

The store called Jinye is an extension of the beverage businesses in Central. It operates on a high-end membership system, and 99% of its customers are referred by others.

Shi Qiao doesn't drink alcohol, and his mind is full of novels and anime characters. He's the kind of person who's easily influenced by such things, so it's impossible for him to get involved willingly.

Pei Jingnian: Aren't you the largest shareholder of Jinye?

Pei Jingnian: Go ask Wu Hao which idiot pushed Jin Ye into Shi Qiao's arms.

He's going to chop that idiot into mincemeat.