Chapter 22 Education "Maze is a fierce fighter!"

Chapter 22 Education "Maze is a fierce fighter!"

Ye Hantao was unusually quiet.

The medical staff quickly checked her over, reassuring her, "It's okay, don't be afraid, relax."

Director Wan, who had been closely following the live stream, slowly relaxed his stiff back after hearing the medical staff's initial assessment that Ye Hantao was having an allergic reaction.

He was terrified; he almost thought there was going to be a live broadcast mishap.

We are grateful to our generous benefactor for providing them with strong medical support.

The phone on the table had been ringing for about a minute. Director Wan took a deep breath, picked up the phone, and answered the call. Before he could even speak, he laughed, "Secretary Zhu, this is Wan Qishan, our planner for the second phase—ah?"

"Not... not watching anymore?" Director Wan stood up abruptly. "If you have any objections to the variety show content, we can discuss it further."

This is a major sponsor; even if we have to abandon all other sponsors, we still have to keep this big spender on our side.

Secretary, please remember your boss's instructions. It's just a small investment; there's no need to devote any more energy to it.

“Our boss has great confidence in Director Wan’s abilities. You can take full responsibility for the content of the next few episodes of the variety show.” He replied with a smile, “We will also provide additional funding.”

Director Wan tentatively inquired about accommodations, transportation, and organic fruits and vegetables directly supplied from the farm—all things that the big spender had improved the treatment for in this episode.

Secretary Zhu: "Use whichever you think will be better for the variety show's entertainment value."

“I still recommend that everyone ride in a bus together, which can add extra steps to the process,” Director Wan said, adding, “Of course, being able to ride in a Bentley would also be a blessing for our entire production team.”

Director Wan had just finished a phone call with Secretary Zhu when he hurriedly replied to a message from another major investor.

[Mr. Cheng, please rest assured.] He typed, [Our program's emergency medical team comes from Yuncheng Central Hospital, and is officially certified.]

[Cheng Zhao: I've already dispatched two medical teams; add them to the team as well.]

Director Wan: "?!?!"

After much hesitation, he finally asked, "[Is this unique to Ye Hantao, or does someone else have it too?]"

[Cheng Zhao: . ]

Director Wan: ...He replied but then didn't.

[Cheng Zhao: I'll arrive in Yuncheng in the middle of the night, give me a spare room.]

Director Wan immediately made the arrangements, while also keeping an eye on Ye Hantao's situation in the live broadcast room.

The big spender believes in equality for all, but this CEO Cheng is only here for Ye Hantao.

"Tao Tao! Are you feeling unwell?!"

In the live broadcast room, Su Yi'ang's loud voice and the sound of running footsteps rang out first.

He and Wu Xia ran to the door, craning their necks to peer inside, panting heavily. "Sister Shi Yue said in the group chat that you had an allergic reaction."

He had just finished showering and came out when he saw the ambulance in the yard through the window. He immediately asked everyone in the group chat what was going on.

Upon hearing that it was a peach allergy, they quickly dragged Wu Xia along to check on the situation.

Ye Hantao moved her stiff fingers and sluggishly raised her eyes.

Su Yi'ang's hair was still wet from being dried, hanging down in a sticky mess.

Besides him and Wu Xia, Liao Jiayue, He Qiang, Yuan Kai, and Ji Changtu also came.

"you……"

Ye Hantao only realized how hoarse her voice was after she spoke.

She swallowed a few times to clear her throat, then forced a smile, "Why are you all here?"

Ye Hantao tried to stand up, but the medical staff pressed her arm down and made her sit back on the sofa.

The medical staff turned around and said, "Don't worry, her rash has almost subsided."

Ye Hantao repeated blankly, "Yes, the rash has almost disappeared."

The disease progression has stopped, the small rash has disappeared, and it seems she won't die anytime soon.

With this realization, Ye Hantao's heavy sense of panic subsided considerably.

He Qiang entered the room, her gaze lingering on Ye Hantao's face and arms for a moment.

Smelling the faint scents of roses and sandalwood in the room, she turned her head to observe Jin Shiyue's expression.

He Qiang: "Tao Tao, are you allergic to the scent of roses?"

Jin Shiyue: "???"

The rose scent was a lingering fragrance she secretly sprayed on her pillow while Ye Hantao was taking a shower.

In terms of presence, the sandalwood incense on Ye Hantao's bedside table and the mosquito repellent sachet on the window smell much stronger.

He Qiang insisted on the rose scent!

Jin Shiyue exploded in anger, "There are so many fragrances in the room, and all you can smell is roses?!"

He Qiang calmly said, "The rose scent is obviously yours, but aren't all the other fragrances peach scents?" How could she be allergic to the fragrances she's used to?

Jin Shiyue was speechless. "What...why do you assume the rose scent is mine?"

"It smells just like your hair."

"..."

Jin Shiyue turned her face away; this person has always had a keen sense of smell.

She was too lazy to argue with He Qiang anymore; it was pointless and a waste of time.

The medical staff in charge of the examination placed the allergy medication on the coffee table and said with a puzzled look, "Your allergy is quite unusual. At first glance, it looks very serious, but in less than half an hour of examination, it has shown signs of subsiding on its own."

Ye Hantao touched her cheek. Although there were still a few small rashes, they were no longer as dense as when she had just come out of the bathroom.

Watching the electronic announcement again brought me back to the state before I took a shower.

[Illness progression 90% (critical threshold), current character profile maintained at 9/10.]

The last vestiges of panic in my heart vanished completely.

Reason returned to Ye Hantao's mind, and she realized that her back was drenched in sweat, as if she had just taken a bath.

She took the opportunity to say, "It's probably because the water in the villa isn't soft enough; my skin isn't used to it."

【？？？？？？】

[Your soap! It's unregulated and highly toxic!]

[How stubborn! They'd rather claim the water isn't soft than admit there's something wrong with the soap!]

It's not like you were crying from fear just now!

Her nose is still red.

[Damn, I just felt sorry for Ye Hantao, and now I feel like an idiot.]

Liao Jiayue's eyes flashed, and she walked into the house, jokingly saying, "It's been years since I last saw you, Tao Tao, I didn't expect your skin to have become so delicate."

[Illness progression 90% (critical threshold), current character profile maintained at 10/10.]

[Currently, the character setting is maintained at 10/10 (completed), and the disease progression has been updated.]

Ye Hantao's eyes lit up; she could try to survive again!

[Tsk tsk tsk, Ye Hantao just wants to be complimented on her smooth skin, doesn't she?]

[It's not fashionable for girls to be delicate and soft anymore!]

[Another case of sweat allergy and delicate skin; let's not call her Ye Hantao anymore, let's call her Ye Wandou instead.]

The rash symptoms have lessened, and a normal person would smile.

What I hate most are those pretentious people who think they're the only sober one in a world of drunks.

[Ye Hantao, after you finish recording the show and go home, remember to burn some mugwort to ward off bad luck.]

The viewers, who considered themselves clear-headed: "???"

"Her skin is in very good condition; it's not the sensitive or delicate type."

A clear, calm voice rang out in the bedroom, clean and steady, through the sound of rain outside the window.

Jin Shiyue looked in the direction of the voice, unable to hide her surprise, "Wu Xia, when did you come in?"

The room was lit, and the dim yellow light fell on Wu Xia's linen shirt, making his profile look fair.

He had somehow appeared near the doctor, his eyelashes lowered, his gaze fixed intently on Ye Hantao.

Raindrops pattered against the glass, leaving winding streaks of water.

Ye Hantao tilted her head back and let the medical staff examine her, then helped answer, "He entered the room after Jiayue."

At that time, the updates on the disease's progression stopped, and she had the time to focus on other people.

Wu Xia said, "My sister said that your rash came on and went quickly, which is most likely because you encountered a strong allergen. If you're not careful, it could easily trigger shock."

This time, he wasn't carrying his ever-present thermos; instead, he clasped his hands together in front of him. "She suggested you take some time to go to the hospital for an allergy test and be careful to avoid them in the future."

Ye Hantao didn't mention that this might not be an allergy issue, but nodded in agreement and then asked, "Wu Xia, your sister has been watching your live stream."

After entering the room, Wu Xia simply looked at his phone without typing anything.

I guess Sister Wu Xia watched the live stream and sent me the message.

Wu Xia's lips curled up slightly, then quickly closed again.

Yes, it has always been.

"Thank you for your concern, sister," Ye Hantao said with emotion. "You two siblings have such a good relationship."

Upon hearing this, Wu Xia's ear tips subtly turned red. "...Mm!"

Ye Hantao's phone, which was lying next to her, lit up briefly. She unlocked it and saw her older brother had messaged her in the family group chat: "[Supplier Brother: Your brother's been livestreaming all day too.]"

[Supplier: It's good that the rash is nothing to worry about. Don't be afraid. Call me if you need anything; I'm always here.]

After sending the message, Zhou Mingsheng helped his sweating parents back from the entrance to the living room, still holding their umbrellas.

The family of three panicked the moment they saw the red rash on Tao Tao's face and rushed to the door without even changing their clothes.

When the three of them returned to the living room, they helped each other up, as they were all a little unsteady on their feet.

[Investor Dad: Dad's here all day too!]

[Sponsor Mom: Your dad made a video call in the middle and missed you drying tree bark at the Xuan paper base.]

[Investor Daddy: ???]

[Investor Daddy: Doesn't your conscience hurt?!]

In addition to messages in the family group chat, messages also came from the maternal grandparents, uncles, and aunts.

The inquiries from friends and classmates were endless.

Ye Hantao was surprised that so many people were watching her live stream, including Mingyi, who was preparing for next year's Olympics.

Although it was embarrassing to have them witness my lying, I was still very happy to have them with me.

Under the light, Ye Hantao's slightly lowered eyelashes trembled, casting a small, light shadow.

Immediately afterwards, a smile spread across her eyes and brows, like peach blossoms blooming in the spring rain, gentle and bright.

"Tao Tao, who sent you this message?" Liao Jiayue bent down, pretending to peek at the messages on Ye Hantao's phone. "Take a quick look in the mirror, your smile is too sweet."

[Judging from this, it was sent by your boyfriend?]

[The two were classmates, after all; it seems Liao Jiayue knows something about the situation.]

Ye Hantao generously held out her phone in front of Liao Jiayue, a smile spreading across her face. "My family and friends say they're all watching my live stream."

The phone screen flashed before his eyes, but Su Yi'ang didn't pay attention to the chat content; he just stared at the chat background and muttered, "Tao Tao, I think I saw murder, manslaughter, accidental killing..."

It seems there are also crimes of assault and murder, a whole string of killings.

The rain poured down from the dark clouds like broken beads.

A bolt of lightning flashed, followed by a loud boom that shook the entire room.

"..." Liao Jiayue couldn't help but take a half step back. Looking at Ye Hantao's smiling face, a chill ran through her.

In detective novels, rainy nights are a hotbed for murders!

As Jin Shiyue smelled the rose fragrance lingering around her nose, her legs suddenly felt weak.

I never realized this perfume lasted so long! Ye Hantao likes woody scents but doesn't like roses!

Ye Hantao put her phone away. "I had my final exams at the beginning of the month, so I made some key points into background images so I could memorize them all the time."

Su Yi'ang was surprised, "You're a law student?"

As he said this, his dog-like eyes widened slightly.

In his mind, lawyers were all swift and dashing; he had thought Tao Tao was an art student studying painting.

Ye Hantao nodded, "Yes."

[Given Ye Hantao's current state, I find it hard to believe she can win a lawsuit.]

Not all law students have to go to court.

Has anyone found out which university Ye Hantao attended?

[Someone broke the news around noon: Yuncheng University of Political Science and Law, one of the top five law schools in China.]

[Is this true or false? Wasn't it said before that Liao Jiayue was a poor student?]

[If you don't believe me, go check the school's official website for their recruitment videos. Ye Hantao appeared as a representative of the college.]

[This is my junior from my direct department! She's probably unlucky enough to have gotten a script for a variety show; Han Tao isn't usually like this at school!]

[Ye Hantao is at a disadvantage because she's an ordinary person; if she were a celebrity, her academic achievements would be the talk of the town.]

In the bathroom, Liao Jiayue gripped her phone, listening to her manager's incessant complaints, her fingers clenching the freshly damp washcloth tightly. "Don't you guys know how to send someone to investigate?! What use are you?!"

During the semester when they were in the same class in junior high, Ye Hantao frequently took leave. For a while, rumors circulated throughout the school that Ye Hantao was having an early romance with a troublemaker from the neighboring junior high, and her midterm grades were a complete mess.

Ye Hantao got into Yuncheng University of Political Science and Law by sheer luck in the college entrance examination.

Before coming to the show, she had called Ye Hantao twice. Ye Hantao was able to refrain from showing off her academic qualifications, which suggests that she had already planned to "accidentally" steal the spotlight from the background image on the show.

Liao Jiayue was filled with rage at the thought of Ye Hantao's impressive display of her expertise and university status just two hours earlier.

She glanced quickly at the closed bathroom door, then, remembering He Qiang was outside, lowered her voice and said, "I don't want to see any press releases online that compare academic qualifications."

In terms of academic qualifications, she attended a reputable performing arts school and was not inferior to other artists in the industry. However, her academic performance was mediocre, and she almost failed the required level back then.

During her first year of school, she frequently visited film sets to shoot "Frost Flower Romance," resulting in her not accumulating enough credits. If it weren't for her father's intervention, the school might have made her repeat the year.

"Don't worry, I've had the public relations department keep a close eye on things, including those teams that don't get along with us. They can respond promptly to any suspicious activity."

No sooner had the agent finished speaking than Liao Jiayue gave another instruction:

"Find someone to dig up Ye Hantao's dirty secrets from university, and expose them in the next episode."

The agent hesitated, "I checked before I called. Ye Hantao had the highest GPA in her freshman year, received the national scholarship, and was also in the school's publicity department—"

Liao Jiayue felt a rush of blood to her head, slammed her fist on the sink, and gritted her teeth, saying, "Do I need you to explain her glorious achievements in college?!"

Agent: "...I understand."

It's fabricated dirt, I guess. A few classmates I know will smear me, no, expose me.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the closed door from the outside. Ye Hantao heard no running water inside and called out, "Jiayue, Angang asked us if we want to play games. Teacher He Qiang said she wants to rest first. Are you coming?"

Liao Jiayue gripped her phone tightly, unsure if Ye Hantao had heard anything.

She turned on the tap, rinsed her hands, and steadied her voice, "I'm coming. What time is it?"

"Let's meet at ten o'clock in the room of Ang'ang and Wu Xia."

"good."

Upon hearing Liao Jiayue's reply, Ye Hantao turned around, waved to He Qiang, said goodnight, and then left their bedroom to go back to her own room to make a video call with her family.

"Ring ring ring".

The alarm clock rang at 9:55.

Ye Hantao didn't expect half an hour to pass so quickly. "Mom and Dad, brother, I promised them I'd play games at ten o'clock."

"Go ahead and have some fun," Zhou Ti said. "If you feel unwell tonight, call home immediately."

Ye Weizheng squeezed into the screen, "Call Dad, Dad is a light sleeper."

“Just call me,” Zhou Mingsheng said calmly. “I’m on the night shift, I don’t sleep.”

Ye Weizheng took off his slippers and pretended to hit him, "You brat!"

Although the viewers in the live stream couldn't see the three people on their phone screens, they could hear their voices through the internet.

In their brief half-hour chat, all they expressed was their concern for Ye Hantao.

Ye Hantao's family seems to have a very warm and loving atmosphere.

[I have to say, Ye Hantao's voice is so beautiful! It's so cool and aloof—a complete treat for voice lovers!]

[Many male gods have chubby voices, so don't get too carried away.]

[With Ye Hantao looking like this, how could her older brother be ugly? You black people should at least have some basic principles!]

[The fact that her family is so concerned only makes Ye Hantao seem ungrateful! Don't forget, Ye Hantao didn't want Liao Jiayue to greet her father!]

[Yes, yes, some people who didn't watch the morning live stream don't know that Ye Hantao felt ashamed that her father drove an electric tricycle.]

Ye Hantao had already hung up the video call. Before getting up, she picked up a cup and took a few sips of warm tangerine peel tea.

"Ye Hantao!" Jin Shiyue resisted the urge to snatch it away, frowning deeply. "What kind of random drink did you drink again? Aren't you afraid of getting another rash on your face?"

She had also used the villa's shower before dinner, and the water quality was excellent, so it wouldn't irritate her skin at all. Therefore, it was obvious that Ye Hantao's allergen was that homemade soap.

Ye Hantao touched her cheek; it felt smooth and delicate. "I made the tea with dried tangerine peel."

"I ate too much for dinner," she explained. "I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep tonight."

The production team asked them to use the points they earned during the day to exchange for ingredients. Since they would also need to use points for their rooms the next night, none of the four groups wanted to use up all their points for dinner.

Ye Hantao and Jin Shiyue, relying on their high points, spent 20 points to redeem a pan-fried steak, braised lamb, spaghetti bolognese, and chicken salad made by Chef Jinwan.

Liao Jiayue, He Qiang, Yuan Kai, and Ji Changtu each spent 10 points to redeem ingredients and cook for themselves.

Su Yi'ang and Wu Xia, being very frugal, spent 6 points to exchange for two buckets of instant noodles.

The other three groups were thinking of sharing a meal, but the production team told them to take their food back to their own rooms and eat, strictly forbidding them from helping each other.

After the dishes were placed on the coffee table in the bedroom, Sister Shiyue said that she was not used to eating much at night and only ate a small half bowl of chicken salad and a few small pieces of cut steak.

She ate the rest of the food.

Ye Hantao finished her cup of tangerine peel tea in one gulp. "Sister Shiyue, let's exchange less tomorrow night." However, the groups will be reshuffled tomorrow, so she and Sister Shiyue might not be in the same group again.

Jin Shiyue glanced at Ye Hantao's stomach but didn't say anything.

Her belly didn't look like a problem, but she had actually eaten a huge bowl of rice at noon. She added so much because she was afraid Ye Hantao wouldn't have enough to eat at night and might pull out her knife in the middle of the night.

"This mushroom and chicken flavored instant noodles is awful!" Su Yi'ang complained with a bitter face as Ye Hantao walked into their room. "You absolutely mustn't try it!"

During their dinner, Ye Hantao mentioned that she had never eaten instant noodles before, which Su Yi'ang remembered.

Sure enough, after taking just one bite of the mushroom and chicken flavored instant noodles, he immediately advised Ye Hantao not to try it.

Ye Hantao pointed to Wu Xia, who was also sitting on the sofa eating mushroom and chicken flavored instant noodles, and said with a surprised look, "I think Wu Xia is enjoying his meal."

“He was really hungry,” Su Yi’ang was absolutely certain.

Wu Xia remained silent, slowly finished his noodles, and even tilted his head back to drink most of the soup in the bucket.

Ye Hantao studied him for a few seconds, sensing that he still had something to say.

How could anyone not like the flavor of braised chicken with shiitake mushrooms!

【？？？？】

This is the worst-tasting product from this brand!

Su Yi'ang really couldn't get used to the food, but he couldn't waste it in front of the camera, so he could only close his eyes and stuff the noodles into his mouth. It was better than being unable to sleep in the middle of the night and being so hungry that he scratched his bed.

A little while later, Liao Jiayue also arrived.

"I'm sorry." She walked over to Su Yi'ang's bed and sat down. "I just finished putting on a face mask, so I'm late."

Su Yi'ang was on her phone calling for people to team up with, without even looking up. "It's okay, it's still two minutes until ten o'clock."

Their game has PC and mobile versions. Players log in to the PC version to play matches. The PC version has a deeper hero pool, more skills, and tests players' skill limits more.

When I'm out and about with friends, using my mobile phone is more convenient.

Liao Jiayue waited for about ten seconds but Su Yi'ang didn't look up at her, and she felt extremely frustrated.

She even put on a barely noticeable bare-faced makeup before coming, it was practically a makeup look for a blind person!

"Is it just the four of us?" Liao Jiayue asked. "Aren't Teacher Yuankai and Boss Ji coming?"

Su Yi'ang: "They said they'd come over later to watch, but they wouldn't participate."

"Aren't the four of us enough for a team?"

“I called a friend over.” Su Yi’ang pulled the person into the group, “but he has a practice match at 10:30, so he can only play two games.”

Ye Hantao said eagerly, "My brother is pretty good at games too. Let's call him over later. He's on the night shift, so he should be able to slack off!"

Upon hearing this, Su Yi'ang said, "Okay, I'll call your brother over."

"Didn't I say on the way back that I'd take you guys to level the canyon? We'll do it tonight!" He patted his chest, quite confidently. "I'll take the three of you to level the canyon first, and then you and your brother a couple more times!"

A few minutes later, the game started, and the five IDs of the opposing team appeared.

Su Yi'ang slid off the bed and fell to the floor with a thud, his voice trembling slightly, "Tao Tao, let's not sweep through the canyon this time."

Ye Hantao: "?"

"That Maze on the other side is our team's big boss!" Su Yi'ang was on the verge of tears. "He's incredibly fierce in fights!"

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Author's Note: Thankfully I have some drafts saved up. Migraines are my lifelong nemesis! [crying emoji] [crying emoji] [crying emoji]