After realizing that he had mistaken the puppy for Pei Tingsong’s girlfriend, Fang Juexia felt extremely embarrassed all day long. So he tried to avoid Pei Tingsong and stayed in the practice room.
His phone kept vibrating, but he didn’t look at it. When he finally checked it late at night, he found that all the messages were from Pei Tingsong.
[kaleido Pei Tingsong: Share photo]
He sent nine photos at once, all of the dog. It was a snow-white, long-haired small dog with its fur tied into little braids, round eyes, and exceptionally beautiful.
So this was Lily.
Fang Juexia was a bit surprised. He hadn’t expected Pei Tingsong to have such a cute little dog. After all, someone like him, a troublemaker, might even have a Tibetan mastiff.
[Besides being pretty, it’s useless: cute.]
Pei Tingsong waited all night just to get that one sentence, and he was almost furious.
[kaleido Pei Tingsong: You’re being too casual.]
[kaleido Pei Tingsong: Reciprocity, show me the little abacus.]
Another long wait followed. Nearly twenty minutes later, Pei Tingsong’s phone finally vibrated weakly.
[Useless except for being pretty: Share video]
He opened the video, which was about three minutes long. The scene showed a beautifully maintained small garden. Fang Juexia was wearing a white baseball cap, kneeling on the grass, one hand lifting a Husky into his arms, the other applying dog shampoo to its body, while muttering, “Little Abacus is so good. Shall we go out to play after the bath?”
How come even the Husky becomes so obedient and well-behaved in his hands?
At the end of the video, he heard Fang’s mother’s voice, “Juexia, look this way.”
The next second, Fang Juexia turned toward the camera, looking even younger than he does now. Just then, the soaking-wet Little Abacus suddenly shook its fur, splashing Fang Juexia with water. He laughed, looking helpless but beautiful.
It was the down-to-earth Fang Juexia.
Pei Tingsong couldn’t explain why, but he watched that video over and over again for a long time, wearing headphones, with the sound of Fang Juexia coaxing the puppy to take a bath ringing in his ears.
He couldn’t help but think of that night.
The more the window opened, the more curious he became about the scenery inside.
The show “Escape” had a large fan base and was a hot topic. The day after the contract was signed, marketing accounts on the internet suddenly began to leak information one after another, mostly about the lineup of guests on the show, some true and some false. Only one marketing account vaguely mentioned that a popular member of a boy band would be joining the new season.
This revelation quickly caused a stir. Some comments claimed that Qiyao had been in contact with the show’s production team for a long time, but fans refused to believe it, leading to a heated debate. Later, an anonymous forum erupted with speculation that the newly signed guests were Fang Juexia and Pei Tingsong, who had recently been involved in a scandal involving rumors of a romantic relationship.
This sparked another clash between Qiyao and Kaleido’s fans. Fang Juexia was unfairly targeted, being accused of being the one who “stole the spotlight,” with fans going to great lengths to smear her reputation. This prompted Xingtu to issue a cease-and-desist letter that same evening, demanding an end to the defamation of the artist. Initially, this was just a war within the fan circles, with little attention from casual observers, and since nothing was certain yet, show fans were merely spectators.
But the next day, the topic suddenly gained traction. This was because Liang Ruo posted a selfie on a social media platform abroad.
In the selfie, he looked like he had been pranked, with paint smeared across his face, and he made a pouty expression, with tears added under his eyes.
Under normal circumstances, this selfie wouldn’t have been a big deal—just a cute treat for fans. But coincidentally, it came amid the recent guest controversy, and the crying face was immediately interpreted with new meaning.
[@23CHIWE: What is Qiao C暗示ing here?]
[@Little Angel Is Me: From a bystander’s perspective, this selfie was posted at such a convenient time that I don’t believe it wasn’t intentional. If the official announcement turns out to be fjx, then Qiao C really… Why would a big influencer resort to such tactics?]
[@Ruoshui Sanqian: This is hilarious. A top-tier group trying to ride the coattails of a third-rate idol? Do they even know what “riding the coattails” means?]
[@kumakuma replies to @Ruoshui Sanqian: Don’t speak so harshly. Everyone still remembers how your group was completely outclassed at the live event a few days ago. You’re good at nothing but stirring up hatred.]
[@Has the second season of Escape from Heaven started filming yet?: Anyway, I trust the show’s producers’ judgment. They wouldn’t ruin their own reputation. The first season had a rating over 9 on Douban, and the guests were all amazing. The producers will definitely prioritize reputation. P.S. It’s fine to add newcomers, but can you bring back the original cast too?]
[@Absolutely Beautiful Scenery: Others can post selfies and still make people think of fjx. fjx is truly unfortunate. Take my handsome brother home. No big cakes, no slander. The Kaleido group variety show will premiere online on March 17. Welcome everyone to watch!]
[@Flying Legs Little Dummy: The previous leaks were all about popular boy groups. Some obscure, third-rate groups should stop desperately trying to associate themselves with the word “popular.”]
[@Neverllllb: Damn, Liang Ruo is so sassy, hahaha]
[@Kehuan Save My Dog’s Life: I’m not a fan of either group, but based on looks, I’d choose Fang and Pei.]
Online fan feuds are escalating, with “Escape from Heaven” trending all day. It wasn’t until the evening of the next day that the program’s official Weibo account finally released the list of the first guests, confirming that Fang Juexia and Pei Tingsong had joined the new season of Escape, sparking another round of heated discussion.
Cheng Qiang even went out of his way to comfort them, saying, “The more popular you become, the more controversy there will be. That’s normal, so don’t take it to heart.”
Fang Juexia wasn’t concerned about this. He was well aware that the more intense the controversy, the higher the anticipation for the premiere of Escape Season 2. After all, the ultimate goal was assured, and the twists and turns along the way were irrelevant to him.
Unlike his detached attitude, Pei Tingsong was a tough nut who wouldn’t take any losses.
On the night when the criticism was at its peak, he was still updating his Weibo, posting a photo—but it was of his palm, with all five fingers spread out. Interestingly, he used a doodle brush to color all four fingers except the middle finger black. Only the middle finger remained bright and conspicuous.
This Weibo post was naturally recorded in a certain forum’s “Pei Tingsong’s Tiger Incident Log,” which was filled with his numerous victories.
“These poor fans think that by cursing him more, they will gain the upper hand. “ Pei Tingsong sneered, ”They don’t even realize they’re being used as pawns to generate buzz. By tearing into him like this, the whole world now knows that the second season of Escape from Heaven is about to start filming.”
It was precisely because of Pei Tingsong’s photo that the crazed fans were drawn to him, with nearly all the firepower focused on him.
Pei Tingsong wasn’t the least bit intimidated and even wrote a comment.
[You guys wouldn’t really want to compete with a rapper in a verbal battle, would you?]
He was an outlier in this circle. With his background and strength, he used methods that all PR teams would go to great lengths to avoid and clashed head-on with cyberbullying. Crushing an ant colony with a heavy fist perfectly aligns with his unrestrained aesthetic of violence.
Three days later, Fang Juexia and Pei Tingsong headed to the reality show production team. Fortunately, the set for the second season of “Escape to Survival” was built in Beijing this time, so they could go home after filming—couldn’t be more convenient. The two left early in the morning in Cheng Qiang’s car, with the group chat buzzing with excitement along the way.
[@You Huo Ge: @Kaledo’s only boss, can we bring our phones inside? If not, contact me, I’m particularly skilled at picking locks.]
[@Sexy Round Teacher Online: Picking locks, hahaha. There won’t be any terrifying places, right? My goodness, I’m so timid, just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.]
[@Shui Shui Shui: There might be a small dark room or something. What if the two of you can’t get out? By the way, can you bring water in to drink? Will they give you food halfway through the recording?]
[@Dash: Oh my god, no food is too hard. Thank goodness they didn’t ask me (I wouldn’t be able to get out either). Jue Xia, don’t share a room with Xiao Pei. I’m afraid he’ll get impatient and accidentally hurt you while trying to pry open the door.]
Pei Tingsong looked at the chat history and was so angry he couldn’t speak.
[@Caledo Only Boss: I’m going to record an escape room, not a picnic. Besides, I’m definitely going to get out. Everything you say will backfire!]
Just as he sent the message, Pei Tingsong looked up and saw Fang Juexia reaching into his coat pocket.
[@Useless Except for Being Pretty: I packed some milk candies and small cakes.]
[@Dash Official Account: Great! Don’t give any to Xiao Pei—starve that little brat.]
[@Kaledo’s Only Boss: …]
“We’re here. Get out of the car.”
As soon as they arrived at the building where the recording was taking place, they were taken to the makeup and styling room by the staff, one person per room. Fang Juexia couldn’t help but marvel at how different a well-funded production team was.
“Your skin is really good.” The stylist was a young man. “Do you want to cover up this birthmark?”
Fang Juexia looked at himself in the mirror and shook his head. “No, it’s fine.” ”
“Alright.”
His outfit didn’t have any particularly distinctive features—a white shirt and suit pants, with a knitted vest over it. The stylist specifically gave him a pair of frame-less glasses, giving him a scholarly look. As a loyal viewer of Escape from Heaven, Fang Juexia quickly realized that this might be related to his role in this episode.
“My role isn’t going to be a teacher or a student, is it?” Fang Juexia looked up at the stylist.
“You’re too smart.” The stylist sprayed some hairspray on him, “Done. I love styling good-looking kids; it never fails.”
Fang Juexia smiled awkwardly. Before handing over his phone, he received a message.
[kaleido Pei Tingsong: If there’s a little black room later, remember to call me.]
He curved his lips.
[Useless Except for Being Pretty: If you’re the killer, wouldn’t I be like a lamb among wolves?]
Soon, he received a reply.
[kaleido Pei Tingsong: My tiger’s mouth has been bitten to pieces by you. Where is the tiger’s mouth now?]
Fang Juexia’s fingers paused, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to respond. This person was too good at manipulating his emotions, including guilt and sympathy.
However, this sense of guilt didn’t last long, because Pei Tingsong sent another message.
“Hmm.” He could only give in, handing his phone to the staff and following them into the elevator to the designated floor. Before exiting the elevator, the staff blocked his vision.
This time, it wasn’t as simple as covering his eyes with an eye mask; instead, they placed a square hood over his head, instantly plunging him into darkness. He was guided forward by someone.
This procedure could easily increase the guest’s anxiety, but Fang Juexia was familiar with this feeling, so he didn’t think much of it. He just felt a bit disappointed—at this rate, he should have gone straight into the secret room, which meant…
He wasn’t the killer.
This disappointed Fang Juexia greatly. Though he appeared calm and composed, he also wanted to try out the role of the killer, a villainous character requiring high psychological resilience and cunning. It seemed he had missed his chance in the first episode.
Fang Juexia heard the sound of the door opening. He was escorted into the room by staff members and seated on a chair, which felt like a very comfortable leather sofa chair. They tied him up with ropes, securing his legs, but did not remove the hood.
“This is the phone you’ll use to receive messages from the production team.” The staff member slipped the phone into his pants pocket.
“Alright, thank you.”
Once in the darkness, Fang Juexia, deprived of his vision, became exceptionally sensitive. He could judge the movement of the ropes based on the staff’s actions and sketch out a rough diagram of the bindings in his mind.
The clock in his mind had only been ticking for ten minutes when Fang Juexia heard the door open again.
It seemed that he wasn’t the only one in the initial secret room. But he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. Although one more person meant one more chance of getting help, no one could say for sure if the other person was trustworthy.
Listening to the sounds, Fang Juexia was certain that the newcomer was sitting opposite him, no more than 50 centimeters away, because he could clearly hear the sound of clothes rubbing against each other. There was also the sound of metal clinking, likely handcuffs.
Once all the sounds faded away and the door closed for the last time, the escape room finally completed its initialization.
The next moment, a familiar voice with a slight metallic echo filled the room—the narrator of Escape from the Room.
“Welcome to the second season of Escape from Heaven. Now, please forget your original identities. In this game, you are players trapped in a sealed room. Please note that there is not just one sealed room here, but many interconnected ones. This means that once you open the door to your current sealed room, you will enter a new sealed room. There may be others trapped here like you.”
Fang Juexia had a good memory. Just by listening to the beginning, he knew that this narration was a direct copy of the first season.
“Please allow me to introduce the rules of the game. The person who escapes all the rooms and leaves the house in the shortest time will be the winner of this competition and receive the highest score. The scores of the remaining players will be calculated based on their escape time, with one point deducted for every additional ten minutes.”
The voice paused briefly before continuing, “As you all know, what sets Escape from the House apart from other escape room games is that there is a ‘killer’ among the players. Unlike ordinary players, the killer, who hides their identity, has the right to ‘kill’ other players. Players who are killed have their points for that round reset to zero, and in each episode, the killer can only kill one player.”
“Ordinary players can also deduce and identify the ‘killer’ they believe to be the killer. When all players gather together, they can vote to ‘kill’ the killer. Players who successfully vote for the killer will receive 1.5 times the points after the game. However, if the ‘killer’ becomes the final winner, all ordinary players in the game are considered dead, their points for this round are reset to zero, and the killer receives double points.”
It seems the only difference is the point system. Previously, players who voted for the killer did not receive rewards, but this mechanism was added in the second season.
If that’s the case, players will desperately search for the killer to earn rewards, making the killer’s situation even more difficult.
“You have no auxiliary decryption devices on your persons, and we hope you will not use physical means to break through the escape room barriers. Each player will be equipped with a modified phone to receive program staff messages, obtain countdown information, and vote. Please note,” the narrator paused briefly, “the rule allowing players to advance time to obtain clues has been canceled this season. The only things players can rely on are their own intelligence and teamwork.”
“So, good luck to everyone. Countdown.”
Is that it?
“Three…”
“Two…”
He still felt something was off.
“Wait.” The narrator suddenly stopped and laughed, “Just playing a little joke on everyone. There’s one more crucial rule I haven’t mentioned yet. Please pay attention.”
“This season, we’re introducing a new character for all players—the Double-Faced Knight.”
Leave a Reply