With the four Hunters having visited the small room, only ten seconds remained. From the break room not far away, everyone shouted, "Ten, nine, eight... three, two, one!"
The moment the countdown reached zero, Yi Yang Qianxi and Ju Jingyi both let out a sigh of relief, their tensed nerves instantly relaxing. Their bodies seemed to lose all support.
They slumped slightly, leaning against the wall behind them, their hearts gradually filled with the joy of victory. They emerged from their respective hiding places, ready to meet their teammates in the break room.
Of course, Yi Xing was also waiting inside for the two victors to return. Looking closely, one could even notice his face was slightly flushed, seemingly from shyness.
Rewind to three minutes ago. After he was caught, he walked over with a somewhat tired body and received praise from everyone, which made him a little embarrassed, making him feel light-headed.
"Xiao Xing Ge, you're too amazing! You managed to survive for so long under the siege of so many Hunters!" Wang Junkai was the first to approach, expressing his admiration.
"Uh, actually..."
"Yeah, yeah, do you have any tips for escaping? Share them with us!"
Next was Jia Nailiang. He was preparing for the future because his contract stated he was a regular guest, and he would encounter Hunters in subsequent recordings, so he naturally wanted to learn from the "master."
"Actually, I..."
Yi Xing tried to speak several times but was interrupted by the chatter around him, not given a chance to speak. He silently listened to their praise, his cheeks slightly flushed.
"The sight of you actively attracting the Hunters at the end was so cool!"
The elder brother, Huang Xiaoming, gave a thumbs-up, his expression full of admiration for Yi Xing. As if remembering something, he continued, "Oh, right, what were you trying to say earlier when you spoke up a few times?"
"Nothing, what I wanted to say isn't important."
He waved his hand, deciding to let everyone continue to think he was amazing. He had no intention of clarifying. Who would complain about too much praise?
He certainly wouldn't. If he could, he would even want these words to come more intensely, whether he could handle them or not.
"You still haven't said how you escaped the Hunters' pursuit. I feel like I was caught not long after I started running. Are there any tricks?" Jia Nailiang pressed on, seemingly genuinely eager to improve.
Yi Xing originally didn't intend to say anything. In his opinion, what he did didn't count as tricks. But seeing the expectant eyes of the others, he knew that if he didn't say something, they probably wouldn't let him go.
"Xiao Liang Ge, I don't know if this counts as experience, but when I run, I always turn at every corner. If there's a path, that's great; if there isn't, I can only be at their mercy."
"That's it?"
"That's it." He picked up a bottle of milk and drank it. If he had known the treatment here was so good, he wouldn't have tried so hard. With milk to drink and snacks to eat, it was simply too comfortable.
"Alright!"
-------
Time returned to the present. Yi Yang Qianxi and Ju Jingyi came over with smiles, especially the former, who jogged all the way to Yi Xing and excitedly said,
"Xiao Xing Ge, look, I survived until the end!" He looked just like a child showing off a precious item to his family.
"Very impressive!"
"What about me, what about me?" Jingyi also wanted to receive praise from Yi Xing.
"You're also very impressive!"
"Yes, both of you are very impressive!"
When someone uttered the first word of praise, countless more good words followed, allowing the two of them to experience what Yi Xing had just felt.
Amidst a chorus of praise, they gradually lost their bearings, feeling dizzy and almost forgetting who they were.
This continued for a while until everyone's vocabulary for praise ran out. Huang Xiaoming cleared his throat twice, cueing the final segment of the show. There was still a slogan to be shouted.
"China Speeding Up! Charge forward together!"
After shouting this vibrant slogan, the staff on-site gathered around, beginning to pack up their equipment and collect any unopened items, intending to consume them internally so they wouldn't go to waste.
Back in the lounge, Yi Xing retrieved his phone from the production team and stood before the others, adding their contact information one by one, thinking they might connect someday in the future. After adding Jingyi's, he quietly asked her,
"When are you and Zhao Jiamin returning to Modu? Is it in a while or tomorrow?"
"I don't know. I'll have to ask our staff. If nothing unexpected happens, we should be leaving soon. Why, are you planning to take the same flight back to Modu with us?"
"Yes, there's something I need to go back and take care of." Yi Xing said with a helpless shrug. He had to go home and organize the review materials he would need for the college entrance exam.
Only he knew where all those things were. Once organized, he would send them to Qian Xi as soon as possible.
He didn't know why, but he never delayed on things he promised others, yet when it came to his own matters, he would procrastinate until the day of the deadline, when he would suddenly be filled with infinite motivation.
"Okay, once I find out, I'll send you the flight information." Jingyi nodded in agreement. It was nice to have another friend to go back with, and she could also gossip a bit about why the young master in front of her came to participate in this show.
"OK."
Yi Xing received an affirmative reply and then moved on to the next person to exchange contact information. Liu Xuhui watched him finish adding everyone present before walking up to him and asking,
"Xiao Ming Ge is having a gathering later. What do you say, do you want to come?"
"Uh, I have to go back to Modu. There's something at home. Maybe next time. I'll definitely go next time."
"Alright, then I'll decline for you."
"Hey, hey, hey, Ge, please be subtle!" Yi Xing quickly grabbed the person who was about to turn and leave, repeatedly cautioning him. He didn't want to be called unsociable.
"Got it, got it, don't worry." Liu Xuhui patted him on the shoulder.
Just as Yi Xing stepped one foot out of the lounge door, a voice came from behind him. He recognized it as his cousin's: "Xiao Xing Ge, are you leaving now? Aren't you coming to the gathering later?"
"No, I have to hurry back and organize your review materials, and also buy some test papers that I think are very useful to pack and send to you."
"Uh, Ge, actually I'm not in a big hurry. It's perfectly fine if you send them a bit later."
Yi Yang Qianxi quickly said. He was still just a child, why did he have to hear such cruel words? Not only materials but also test papers! If he had known this would be the outcome, he definitely wouldn't have asked Yi Xing for them.
"That won't do. The college entrance exam is a big life event; it can't be delayed."
"Alright. Oh, by the way, Xiao Xing Ge, can I share these things of yours with others?"
"You can. Since I've given them to you, they're all yours. You can give them to whoever you want."
"Great!" Yi Yang Qianxi's face brightened instantly. What could he do when one of his good brothers was also in high school with him? Of course, they had to share the blessings. He wouldn't enjoy such useful materials all by himself.
After that, Yi Xing's journey home was smooth. He packed his luggage, took off the key, and placed it under the mat outside the door. Liu Xuhui's luggage was still inside, and if he didn't leave the key, Liu Xuhui wouldn't even be able to open the door.
He received the flight information from Jingyi, booked the same flight as her, and bought a jianbing guozi by the roadside for dinner.
It's well known that England has no delicious food. A small jianbing guozi by the roadside in his home country was already delicious to him. Why would he reject it? He ate it with great relish.