Showbiz Scandal: The Official Announcement of My Ex and Myself-Chapter 326: Escaping the Film Studio

Xie Qingci and Song Xi immediately let go of each other’s hands.

There was basically no camaraderie between them, but the tension as rivals was palpable. If not for the cameras, they wouldn’t even want to look at each other.

Song Xi adjusted his glasses, a glint flashing in his eyes behind the lenses, and politely said, "Yu Xia, long time no see."

Yu Xia smiled back, "Indeed, it’s been a while. You look better than last time, but this show is quite exhausting. Think you can stick it out?"

Song Xi twitched the corner of his mouth awkwardly, "I can handle it. I may look thin, but I’m still a man at the end of the day."

"That’s good."

She finished with a smile and turned her gaze to the other girl.

The two girls exchanged greetings, leaving Xie Qingci and Song Xi facing each other.

They both wore smiles, exchanging a few words from time to time. When Song Xi spoke, Xie Qingci inclined his head slightly to listen, looking quite like old friends reunited in front of the camera.

In actuality—

Song Xi: "Are you unhappy to see me?"

Xie Qingci: "No need to ask about things we both know."

Song Xi: "Actually, I’m quite happy."

Xie Qingci: "No need to tell me, but I hope you’re smart. This opportunity wasn’t easy to come by, was it?"

Song Xi: "Don’t use that lecturing tone with me. I know better than you how hard it was to get this opportunity."

Xie Qingci: "Then let’s hope we don’t have to run into each other when it starts."

With sharp smiles the conversation ended, and Song Xi and the cute girl Lan Hui stood next to Yu Xia and the others, listening to the director announce the rules for this episode.

It was just then that the barrage of comments started getting lively.

[Our group’s leader and deputy leader are on screen together!!! Tears of joy!]

[Even with glasses on, Song Xi looks like he gazes lovingly at everyone he sees. His eyes were so gentle when he looked at Yu Xia, even though I know it was just out of respect.]

[LOL, maybe Song Xi knows his buddy likes Yu Xia and is sending his blessings.]

[That couple’s finally offscreen, congrats!]

[Yu Xia truly has that playboy aura. She and Song Xi standing together look so well-matched. Refined reprobate and bright young actress—this is pure serotonin for my brain.]

[Xie Qingci: Do you think I’m dead or what?] 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

[Can you stop shipping them randomly? Do you really think Yu Xia has that much appeal to pair with two trending idols?]

[So is Xie Qingci really too deep into his role or not? I don’t care about the ships; I just want to know the truth behind this gossip.]

[It’s definitely true! This young man wouldn’t ruin his future for nothing so soon after debuting. Waiting for an official statement.]

[I think if there’s an official statement, it’ll be something like "I’m not too into the role; I actually like her." Not sure if the fans could handle that though.]

[...]

The rules for this episode aren’t much different from before, except that the first station won’t provide clues until fifteen minutes after the game starts.

This episode’s theme is escaping from a film set, located at the base where Yu Xia and the others filmed "Burning Spring." It’s a large area with five task stations within.

Though it’s not small, it’s nothing like the endless mountains and leg-breaking asphalt roads of the previous two episodes. Everyone exaggeratedly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking they wouldn’t have it so bad this time.

The director, seeing their pre-celebration expressions, dropped a bombshell.

"Due to the limited area, the pursuers will track your locations by ’locating by sound.’

Yu Xia casually said, "Did you invite the mysterious Sharp-Hearing Ear family as the pursuers for this episode?"

The director: "..."

The others stifled their laughter, and Lan Hui, teamed with Song Xi, chuckled so her dimples and tiger teeth showed, cutely inviting a head pat.

Seeing the director’s speechless expression, Yu Xia coughed, "Please continue."

The director then raised his megaphone, "By ’locating by sound,’ I don’t mean some supernatural ability from TV dramas. It means you’ll each wear a small sound-emitting device, which will emit sounds at intervals for the pursuers to hear."

This sounded interesting, and the staff showed the small device to everyone. Yu Xia went over for a closer inspection.

Though painted in sophisticated tones, it was unmistakably similar to the mini-players given away with senior wellness products, with two-thirds of its surface occupied by a speaker.

She showed a perplexed expression, "Director, did you purchase wellness products to get this as a freebie?"

The director put his megaphone to her ear and retorted, "We all funded this purchase, so don’t question any money-spent items."

"Alright, alright." She backed away, covering her ear.

The staff helped everyone put on the devices, strapping them around the waist. The rather hefty player hung down, making everyone look like coal bosses from the ’90s, weighed down by a large cell phone dragging their suit pants down.

The director continued emphasizing, "This player must stay on at all times. Maliciously removing or discarding it will pause your team until it’s properly worn again."

The athlete brothers next to them raised a hand to ask, "How long does the sound play? This place is small, and after a few rounds, the pursuers will find us without even trying to track the sound. There’s nowhere to hide."

Director: "We’ve considered that, so once the game starts, the film set will be filled with extras of all kinds and characters from various eras roaming around as cover, keeping capture from being too easy."

With the rules explained, it was time for the regular part of the show—searching members and selecting items to carry during the escape.

Given Yu Xia’s history of hiding a facecloth in a bun in the last show, this time’s search was stringent.

Any bun-wearers had their heads squeezed a bit, and even the guys’ hair wasn’t exempt; it was like they were about to peel their scalps to see what’s underneath.

Yu Xia opened her arms openly for the staff’s check, and when they were still suspicious afterward, she turned the tables.

"Looking at me like that really hurts my feelings. Though I’ve erred, people can change, and someone who learned their lesson will play it straight because I understood—there’s no second chance at luck in this world."

Staff: "...I’ll reluctantly believe you."

By this third episode, it was expected that nothing would be found, but it turned out no one had stopped trying to improve their situation.

Silver chains hidden in hair bands, dry-fit clothes concealing snacks like whole grain pancakes; the creativity was eye-opening.

After the search concluded, it was time to choose items. Given the crowds and stores at the film base, nothing could starve the wealthy. This time, each team could select only three items, with picking order determined by rock-paper-scissors, and five seconds per turn.

As everyone deliberated, new arrivals like Song Xi’s group weren’t familiar with the process. Lan Hui attempted to glean tips from Yu Xia and Xie Qingci, hopeful eyes turned their way.

But Yu Xia was all about action, and after Xie Qingci won a round of rock-paper-scissors, she lunged forward with ravenous speed to grab a pack of instant noodles.

She moved so fast, Xie Qingci didn’t even have time to react.