The idea of a morning kiss made Shen Xingsui's heart sink.

Not for any other reason, but because he was genuinely terrified of how offensive his presumptuous action might be. Having finally formed a slight rapport with Fu Jinxiao, who might have seen him as a tolerable junior, he couldn't believe he was assigned such a task.

If disliked for this, he'd probably feel heartbroken enough to cry.

The director remarked nonchalantly, "Suisui, don't waste time. Go on, the sooner the better."

That sounded awfully like "the sooner you die, the sooner you'll be reborn."

With no other choice and realizing it wasn’t the moment for him to be finicky, Shen Xingsui dressed up, freshened up a bit, and finally stepped out.

Dawn had just broken.

Outside, the world was bathed in soft, early light. The town was nestled by the mountains, their green slopes stretching into the horizon, wreathed in mist. The mansion was serene, occasionally punctuated by the song of a bird, painting a scene of peace.

The director whispered, "Hurry up."

Only then did Shen Xingsui's gaze shift to the nearby door. In the soft morning light, he took a deep breath and slowly approached Fu Jinxiao's room.

The online viewers in the live room were on tenterhooks:

"I can see a resolve to meet his doom on Suisui's face."

"I'm a fan of Brother Fu. I was initially a bit jealous, but seeing his expression now, I can't help but laugh!"

"Sorry, it's a bit sad, but so funny!"

"Suisui is truly adorable."

Normally, someone like Shen Xingsui, who isn't pushy or eager for the spotlight, wouldn't garner much attention. But this young man was sincere, dedicated, and had been working hard behind the scenes. As viewers got to know him better, they grew fonder of him.

"Creak."

The door slowly opened.

Shen Xingsui seemed to enter a heightened state of alert. His breathing slowed, and he even signaled the camera crew behind him to be silent with a "shush" gesture.

Fu Jinxiao's room layout was similar to theirs. With the low hum of the air conditioning setting a calm ambience, Shen Xingsui tiptoed inside. In the dim morning light, he finally spotted the bed where the renowned actor Fu Jinxiao lay.

Meanwhile, the online viewers were far more unrestrained:

"Ah! I see him!"

"Even asleep, Brother Fu looks so handsome."

"Husband, husband, let's do it together!"

For Shen Xingsui, the excitement wasn't there. Seeing the man on the bed, with hints of fatigue under his closed eyes, a pang of sympathy struck him.

The cameraman behind him signaled for him to hurry.

Shen Xingsui took a deep breath, hesitated by the bedside, unable to muster the courage to lean down for a kiss. The man's hair draped over his handsome, sharp face. Normally warm and unthreatening, his sleeping expression revealed a distant aloofness, making him seem as unreachable as a distant peak.

Should he really kiss him?

But... he really wanted to.

Shen Xingsui had to admit, despite his fear, a selfish desire grew uncontrollably within him.

The cameraman nudged him again, silently mouthing, "Hurry up."

The online viewers were anxious and agitated.

"Come on!"

"I'm dying here, should I do it for you?!"

"I'd gladly volunteer!"

"Come on, Xingsui!"

Just as everyone's patience was wearing thin, the nervous Shen Xingsui finally made his move.

Leaning over the bed, he looked at Fu Jinxiao with a calm and focused gaze. Slowly drawing closer, their faces were almost touching, their lips mere inches apart.

For some reason, even the cameraman started sweating.

Shen Xingsui could have just leaned in and taken that kiss, with a perfect reason, a golden opportunity.

...

The room was silent.

quite a while

Instead, Shen Xingsui gently leaned forward, with reverence, as if worshiping a deity, and pressed a tender kiss onto Fu Jinxiao's forehead. It was fleeting, yet full of meaning.

But as Shen Xingsui tried to pull away, Fu Jinxiao's eyes snapped open, devoid of any sleepiness. With a swift motion, he caught Shen Xingsui, leaving him dumbstruck and wide-eyed.

Fu Jinxiao looked down at him, his voice, deep and husky from sleep, murmured, "Good morning."

...

Shen Xingsui's face flushed a deep red.

Though he was the one who had stolen a kiss, he blushed as if he'd been caught red-handed, stammering, "Go-good morning."

"Mr. Shen, quite the early bird today," Fu Jinxiao's handsome face was close, his dark eyes magnetic. He smirked, "Up so early, what brings you here?"

Shen Xingsui felt cornered, thinking, don't you already know?

But with Fu Jinxiao waiting expectantly, Shen Xingsui had no choice but to admit, "I was completing a task assigned by the production team."

Fu Jinxiao: "Hmm?"

Shen Xingsui quickly explained, "The production team tasked me with waking you up with a morning kiss."

Fu Jinxiao raised an eyebrow, his expression enigmatic.

Mistaking it for anger, Shen Xingsui hastily said, "I apologize, Professor Fu. I didn’t mean any harm!"

Fu Jinxiao remarked, "So, you took advantage of my slumber and genuinely kissed me?"

Shen Xingsui nodded earnestly, then quickly added when he saw Fu Jinxiao still gazing at him, "I assure you, I didn’t do anything inappropriate, I only pecked your forehead. Please don’t be upset!"

Fu Jinxiao looked down at him, his eyes profound and unreadable, making Shen Xingsui feel inexplicably anxious, his throat tight.

"Tsk."

With a sigh, Fu Jinxiao, using his slender pale finger, tapped Shen Xingsui's head affectionately and chided, "Timid soul."

Shen Xingsui blinked, "Huh?"

But Fu Jinxiao, appearing to have given up on teasing him, got up and said, "Don’t you have others to wake up?"

That jolted Shen Xingsui back to reality. "Right, yes, I do."

The mere thought of waking others with a morning kiss felt like a real torment to Shen Xingsui, a true moment of social embarrassment.

He sighed heavily.

Fu Jinxiao sat nearby, sipping water from a glass on the table. Despite having just awakened, there was a certain dangerous aura about him, especially in his loosely-worn robe. He shot Shen Xingsui a sidelong glance, "Not up for it?"

Shen Xingsui grimaced, "It’s a penalty task because we took a shortcut yesterday. I must wake everyone up."

Fu Jinxiao raised an eyebrow, glancing at the cameraman nearby. His smile seemed gentle, yet it instilled an inexplicable tension, "Is that so?"

Feeling the piercing gaze, the cameraman had no choice but to nod.

Fu Jinxiao, ever the voice of reason, remarked kindly, "It’s only reasonable to follow the director's instructions."

The director, not too far off, felt a chill down his spine.

Fu Jinxiao's smile became even more amicable, advising Shen Xingsui, "In that case, you should hurry. Don't waste time."

Knowing he couldn’t delay, Shen Xingsui headed to the room of Shen Xingchen, his biological brother. But waking this young master was no small feat. As the two wrestled, suddenly—

The air conditioner shut off.

The lights in the room went out.

The temperature began to rise noticeably, making the room progressively hotter.

Just as Shen Xingsui was about to approach the others, preparing for his moment of utter embarrassment, he noticed that the doors and windows of the other rooms were already open. Surprisingly, everyone seemed to have woken up early without needing a wake-up call.

Ning Ze was perplexed, "What happened? Is there a power outage?"

Li Xuan, who had also emerged from his room, commented, "I was sleeping soundly, but the heat woke me up. Where’s the circuit breaker? Did something go wrong?"

Shen Xingsui was equally stunned.

As everyone looked around curiously, Fu Jinxiao leisurely emerged from the hallway. Dressed impeccably, he leaned against the corridor wall and greeted everyone cheerfully, "Good morning."

The others greeted him in return.

Oblivious to the situation, Shen Xingchen remarked, "When will the power return? I'm so sleepy, I just want to get back to bed."

Several nodded in agreement.

The director had initially planned a 'morning kiss' segment, but he hadn't anticipated the power outage in the guest rooms. As to who might have caused it, he neither dared to ask nor speak.

However, the situation had already garnered attention, so he moved on to the next agenda, "Good morning everyone. We were supposed to start early today. I believe you all received your task cards last night?"

His words sharpened the attention of the slightly groggy group.

Suspicious glances were exchanged; distrust evident in everyone's eyes.

Shen Xingchen was the first to speak, "I'm one of the good guys, a guard assigned to protect the prince. Whoever is the assassin, just step forward. Perhaps, in light of your confession, I might spare your life."

Laughter echoed from the others:

"We’re good too."

"Exactly, I’m on the side of good as well."

An Ran posed a question, "Who's the prince? We should focus on protecting him."

Before Shen Xingsui could respond, Fu Jinxiao coolly glanced at An Ran, retorting, "So, you’d make it easier for the assassin to target the prince?"

It was unclear how the person with the assassin card would eliminate others. They might not only target the prince but other 'good guys' as well.

Choking on his words, An Ran chuckled awkwardly, "With so many of us, surely we can protect the prince?"

Fu Jinxiao, with his razor-sharp wit, countered, "Who said there’s only one assassin? Did the card specify a number?"

The room fell silent.

The narrative on yesterday's card had introduced an 'assassin,' leading everyone to subconsciously assume there was only one. But they hadn't considered the possibility of multiple assassins.

Online viewers watching the live broadcast commented:

"Fu Jinxiao is terrifyingly astute."

"Now I understand why he wasn't given the assassin card."

"Hahaha, that would truly be a massacre."

"The director has such foresight!"

The director smiled, saying, "In reality, we have more good guys than bad. For our next challenge, winners will receive a clue card. Each card provides a hint about the identity of the assassin. If you can decode it and identify the killer, you've succeeded."

then

The director presented the day's task, "We owe the locals for our stay at the manor last night. Thus, you all need to find work in the town today, earn your keep, and manage to pay 1000 in lodging fees by dusk. The one who earns the most today will win and receive a clue."

Earning money right on the first day, huh.

Everyone was taken aback, but the prospect of obtaining clues reignited their spirit and determination.

After briefing them on the task, the director announced, "Alright, let's get to it!"

Tuya pinpointed a crucial detail, "Director, what about our breakfast?"

As if only remembering then, the director replied, "You'll need to sort that out yourselves. You're all adults capable of fending for yourselves. But if you're truly famished, we have a few flatbreads on hand that you can use to stave off your hunger."

Everyone: ...

How very generous of you.

The online viewers were having a blast:

"The director is so sly!"

"Hahaha, working on an empty stomach!"

"Whose idea was this? Hilarious!"

The flatbreads provided by the show were tasteless and a bit hard. Shen Xingsui was fine with it, having faced hardships before, but some guests weren't used to such fare.

At that moment, An Ran emerged from his room, smiling, "Are you all hungry? I've got some cookies and pastries I made earlier. Please, have some if you'd like!"

He's a lifesaver.

Naturally, everyone ditched the flatbread in favor of the pastries.

Shen Xingsui, however, stayed put, munching on his bread. An Ran approached, offering him a pastry, "Xingsui, have some, will you?"

Polite as ever, Shen Xingsui responded, "I'm good with this bread."

An Ran's expression fell, looking almost hurt, he whispered, "Xingsui, I spent a lot of time on these pastries. Look, even Teacher Tuya is enjoying them. I just want to share them with you."

Shen Xingsui really didn't want any, having been unnerved by An Ran previously.

An Ran, seemingly oblivious to Shen's reluctance, remained by his side, persistently offering the pastry, as if ready for a long-haul.

The netizens commented:

"It's just a pastry, why be so hesitant?"

"An Ran is genuinely trying to be nice."

"Shen Xingsui is somewhat hard to get along with."

An Ran's persistence forced Shen Xingsui to relent. Picking up a piece, he said, "Thank you."

Shen Xingchen, standing nearby, also received a piece. The pastry was incredibly soft and delicious to the average person. Yet, Shen Xingchen was no ordinary man. Raised on delicacies, he had developed an astute palate, capable of discerning even the subtlest of ingredients.

After taking a bite, Shen Xingchen frowned, "Why is there a hint of seaweed?"

An Ran stiffened, forcing a laugh, "How could that be?"

"There truly is," Shen Xingchen retorted, glaring at him, "Would I falsely accuse you?"

An Ran hadn't expected to encounter such a discerning palate. He quickly defended himself, "No, no, I didn't mean it that way. I truly didn't add any seaweed. It's a cream cupcake, perfectly fine."

Only then did Shen Xingchen let it go, "Alright then."

Shen Xingsui tensed upon hearing this.

He was allergic to seaweed. Consuming it would cause pimples and discomfort.

An Ran was aware of this. So, was there seaweed in the pastry? If so, why did An Ran do it? Shen Xingsui felt a chill.

Soon after, everyone departed the courtyard after finishing their meal.

Everyone split up to earn their lodging fee. Outside the mansion's gate, a stray golden-colored dog looked as if it hadn't eaten in a long time, its fur dirty from wandering.

With his ever-angelic demeanor, An Ran pointed and exclaimed, "Oh, a dog!"

Li Xu'an remarked, "Looks like a stray."

"How pitiful," An Ran said, a look of compassion on his fair face, "It seems like it hasn't eaten in ages."

The dog, stained with dirt, was unafraid of the gathering crowd. As it happily approached, An Ran, who had just been fawning over the dog, took two steps back, fearing the dog might dirty his clothes.

Shen Xingchen teased, "If you genuinely pity it, earn more and buy it some food."

An Ran wore a troubled expression, "I don't have money now, and I didn't bring any food either. I'm also worried I won't find it again in the evening."

Netizens commented:

"An Ran is so kind-hearted."

"Truly an angel."

"Were you seriously taking that half-step back?"

At that moment, Shen Xingsui behind them said, "It's alright; you don't need to be troubled. I was full from the pancake earlier and haven't touched the pastry you gave me. Since the dog is in such a pitiable state, let's give it the pastry. How does that sound?"

That pastry was initially meant by An Ran to discomfort Shen Xingsui.

After all, if Shen didn’t eat it, online viewers would surely criticize him. If he ate it and had an allergic reaction, it wouldn't be An Ran's fault since he supposedly didn't know.

An Ran never anticipated Shen Xingsui would offer the pastry at that moment, especially after he had just expressed sympathy for the stray dog. If he refused now, wouldn't that tarnish his image?

Reluctantly, An Ran forced a smile, "Well... alright."

Shen Xingsui squatted down and called out to the dog, "Woof-woof, come here."

The golden retriever, as if understanding human language, wagged its tail and bounded over.

Shen Xingsui carefully tore apart the pastry and handed it to the dog.

Yet, after the pastry was placed on the ground, the dog sniffed it, licked it twice, and then, shockingly, turned away with disdain! Even more outrageous, it headed straight for a nearby trash bin, preferring to forage there!

"..."

A moment of awkward silence pervaded the air.

The live stream viewers erupted in laughter:

"Is this the legendary snubbing by a dog?"

"Hahaha, how bad does it have to taste for this reaction?"

"I'm dying of laughter."

"Look at An Ran's expression, hahaha..."