After finishing breakfast and resting for a little while, the group headed out toward a small amusement park to kick off the first round of the game: Find the Mole.
Game rules: Among the six players, one is a mole. The remaining five players will win by completing designated tasks, while the mole will try to prevent the tasks from being completed and can attack and eliminate players at any time. There is a fifteen-minute time limit; if the five players fail to complete the tasks by then, the mole wins.
Note: Players can ring the gong to call a meeting at any time and vote to eliminate one person.
The first round of the game involves eating cotton candy. The amusement park has set up eight task locations. Players need to find them and finish eating the cotton candy to complete the task, while the mole’s objective is to destroy or hide it.
The game officially begins, and the six players step forward one by one to check their identity cards. Qi Li goes first, sighs after flipping her card over, and then bursts out laughing.
[Huh, why is she giving off such a helpless yet accepting vibe? I bet Li-Li is the mole.]
[I’m going to observe for a bit longer.]
Su Anlin follows right behind, opening his eyes wide in an exaggerated gasp. However, his acting is slightly too dramatic for the audience to buy.
[Great acting, bro, let’s just stick to dancing.]
[First to be ruled out: Su Anlin!]
Next are Shen Qing and Jiang Siyu. Both fall into brief contemplation, offer a slight smile toward the camera, and turn back around, leaving the audience scratching their heads in confusion.
When Jiang Yinyin steps up to flip his card, his expression remains completely blank and indifferent, revealing not a single hint. The audience scratches their heads once more.
Finally, it’s Le Zhiyi’s turn. He flips the card, lets out an “Ah” filled with poorly concealed disappointment, and then, as if a sudden thought crosses his mind, crooks his lips into an evil smile. Naturally, the audience doesn’t buy his act either.
[If Shen Qing, Jiang Siyu, and Jiang Yinyin had me wavering on who the mole is, then Le Zhiyi is the nail in the coffin. Le Zhiyi is definitely not it!]
[Alright, so far Su Anlin and Le Zhiyi are cleared.]
[Hahaha, that meme just popped into my head: the evil little cat’s smile.]
[Out of the six people here, aside from the four actors, we have one idol and one director. Of course they can’t act.]
After viewing their identity cards, the six players discuss and head off in different directions to carry out their tasks. Once everyone has dispersed one by one, Le Zhiyi also picks a direction to walk off, only to turn around and find himself locking gazes with Jiang Yinyin’s cold, detached eyes.
Le Zhiyi: “?”
That’s seriously creepy.
Has he stopped cosplaying an ice cube and started cosplaying the “I will watch over you forever” meme?
Feigning a startle, he clutches his chest and gasps, “A-Nian?! Why are you behind me?”
His deliberately amplified gasp instantly draws the attention of the others who haven’t walked too far. Su Anlin stops in his tracks and stares over at the two of them.
Jiang Yinyin: “…”
“Together,” he says, concise and to the point.
Le Zhiyi raises an eyebrow in surprise. Jiang Yinyin is actually taking the initiative to talk to him? No way; it looks like he suspects him of being the mole and wants to keep tabs on him personally.
Time to test his acting skills.
He shrinks back in mock fear and takes a step back. “I’ll pass, A-Nian. You’re acting all weird. Even though we have some minor grievances between us normally, at least let me live a few more minutes.”
With that, he presses his palms together: “Please, A-Nian.”
The familiar wave of goosebumps surges straight to the top of Jiang Yinyin’s head again. The corners of his mouth twitch as he frantically organizes a rebuttal in his mind.
Being notoriously bad with words, just as he finally finishes putting his thoughts together after a dozen seconds and opens his mouth to speak, Su Anlin comes barreling over at full speed.
He grabs Le Zhiyi and takes off running, shouting as he runs, “Don’t be afraid! Le Zhiyi, I’ve come to save you!”
Le Zhiyi pauses for a moment. Such good fortune? He directly goes with the flow and lets himself be dragged away.
Jiang Yinyin: “…”
His meticulously prepared rebuttal is ultimately overthrown and summarized into a single conclusion:
Su Anlin’s brain really doesn’t work.
[Holy crap, is Jiang Yinyin the mole?? So that’s how it is.]
[As expected, once mortal enemies become the mole, the very first person they want to eliminate is each other.]
[Su Anlin is so sweet, though he’s screaming way too foolishly.]
[Wait, if his identity as the mole was exposed right at the start, shouldn’t the game be over? That was fast.]
Su Anlin drags Le Zhiyi straight toward the gong-ringing spot, and with a loud duang, the loudspeaker instantly blares out: The gong has sounded, all players assemble for a meeting.
Once everyone arrives, Su Anlin points impatiently at Jiang Yinyin. “The mole is Jiang Yinyin! He was just trying to kill Le Zhiyi, and I saw it with my own eyes.”
Jiang Yinyin: “…”
The gazes of the other three snap in unison toward Jiang Yinyin and Le Zhiyi.
Le Zhiyi hurriedly waves his hands. “Wait, wait. Let me explain the details.”
“When everyone split into six different paths and I was getting ready to leave too, the moment I turned around, I saw Jiang Yinyin. He was just standing behind me staring at me without saying a word, which scared the living daylights out of me. I thought he was the mole and wanted to beg him to spare my life, but he didn’t answer me either.”
“And then, right while we were at a stalemate, Su Anlin ran over and pulled me away.”
Su Anlin chimes in, “Right! So Jiang Yinyin is definitely the mole!!”
Le Zhiyi barely manages to hold back his laughter. He keeps his mouth shut to lower his presence, quietly watching this big-brained free-loader pull off a massive play.
Originally, ringing the gong this early gave him zero chance of eliminating Jiang Yinyin, but with Su Anlin messing things up in the middle, the outcome changes completely.
The absolute certainty in Su Anlin’s tone interferes with the judgment of the other three.
They cast hesitant glances toward Jiang Yinyin.
Jiang Yinyin: “…”
He takes back what he said earlier. Su Anlin doesn’t just lack brains; he’s a complete stirrer of trouble.
Shen Qing ponders for a few seconds before saying softly, “A-Nian, why don’t you explain your side.”
“Yeah, given your intelligence, you wouldn’t expose yourself right at the start,” Jiang Siyu adds.
Jiang Yinyin closes his eyes speechlessly for a brief moment. “I’m not the mole. Le Zhiyi is, which is why I was watching him.”
As soon as those words drop, the trio’s gazes shift back to Le Zhiyi.
Le Zhiyi shakes his head innocently. “I know A-Nian and I usually don’t get along, but we should still try to be rational when playing a game, right?”
Jiang Yinyin: “?”
After choking back his frustration for a few seconds, he says coldly, “There isn’t.”
For the first time, he deeply resents his own inability to speak fluently.
Once the gong is sounded, someone must be voted out for elimination, leaving the three who weren’t on the scene swaying back and forth in uncertainty.
At that moment, the troublemaker Su Anlin pops up again: “I feel like Jiang Yinyin has to be it! At the very start of the game, everyone’s thinking about doing tasks, but Jiang Yinyin went straight to track down the mole instead. If Le Zhiyi really were the mole, wouldn’t Jiang Yinyin have gotten himself killed for sure?”
The system, constantly peeking at the screen, lets out a roar of laughter: “What a big idiot.”
Le Zhiyi almost bursts out laughing because of the system. “Stop making noise, zip it.”
The system nods, covering its mouth as it continues laughing silently.
After hearing Su Anlin’s reasoning, Qi Li feels it makes a certain amount of sense and gets successfully brainwashed. “Then let’s vote for Jiang Yinyin.”
Shen Qing nods as well. “Sorry about this, A-Nian.”
Seeing that a unanimous vote is about to happen, Jiang Yinyin looks toward his older brother, only for his brother to offer an apologetic smile in return.
Jiang Yinyin: “…”
I surrender.
Once this recording finishes, he’s signing up for a public speaking class.
In the end, Jiang Yinyin is unanimously voted out and eliminated.
The static scratch of the loudspeaker crackles to life as the director prepares to announce the result. Su Anlin is already standing with his hands proudly on his hips, while the other three also look expectantly toward the director’s direction.
Jiang Yinyin has reached his limit of stupidity; he can’t be bothered to watch anymore, lowering his head to prop his chin in his hand.
Meanwhile, the corners of Le Zhiyi’s lips gently curve upward into a smile.
It feels too good. If the circumstances allowed it, he would definitely be laughing out loud right now.
[The game is over, right? That was so fast.]
[I feel like Le Zhiyi is Jiang Yinyin’s kryptonite. Just like Jiang Siyu said, someone as smart as Jiang Yinyin wouldn’t expose himself at the start, but then he ran into Le Zhiyi.]
[Is this Jiang Yinyin’s first time hitting a wall in life?]
[Wait a minute??]
The director announces with schadenfreude: “First gong ringing, Jiang Yinyin is eliminated. The game continues.”
The group abruptly raises their heads in confusion, Su Anlin’s smile freezes on his face, and question marks flood the live chat.
[?????]
[It’s not Jiang Yinyin? Then who is it?! Su Anlin?]
[Holy crap, could it be Su Anlin? Oh my god, Su Anlin, I’m looking at you in a whole new light.]
Qi Li immediately points an accusing finger at Su Anlin. “Turns out you were the mole?!”
“Hahaha, cackle cackle,” the system lets out its second burst of laughter, and Le Zhiyi can’t help lowering his head to snicker secretly.
Jiang Yinyin, who was just about to leave with the staff: “?”
Ah, the second troublemaker has arrived.
True to form, wherever there’s a Crouching Dragon, a Fledgling Phoenix is never far behind.
Su Anlin starts jumping up and down in a panic. “It’s not me, it’s not me! Qi Li, what are you getting so excited for? You’re probably the mole yourself!”
“It was obviously you!!” Qi Li starts jumping up and down as well.
Shen Qing and Jiang Siyu rush over to pull them apart, while Le Zhiyi joins in on the fun to offer some advice.
After a brief scuffle, the director speaks up: “Half the time is already up, players, please hurry up.”
Su Anlin is frantic. “I said it’s not me! Either we vote right now and pick me—just see if I am the mole or not.”
“Trying reverse psychology, are you? Fine, I’ll grant your wish,” Qi Li retorts fiercely.
Le Zhiyi seizes the opportunity to meddle further. “Then let’s hurry up and vote one more time?”
Shen Qing and Jiang Siyu nod as well, both of them quietly suspecting that Su Anlin might indeed be the mole.
Voting commences once more, and this time Su Anlin receives all the votes.
[Is the game finally over this time?]
[Good little baby Su Anlin, how did you suddenly grow a brain and manage to play Jiang Yinyin right out of the game?]
[To the viewer above, you must be a real fan.]
The director’s laughter spills out of the loudspeaker: “Second round of voting: Su Anlin is eliminated. The game continues. Friendly reminder, there are only five minutes left.”
“Qi Li, you traitor!!” Before the staff can cover his mouth, Su Anlin makes his final struggle.
Qi Li: “…Wuwu.”
[As expected, Su Anlin, you didn’t grow a brain after all. I overestimated you.]
[Who on earth is the mole? This is fun.]
[Mostly because they had a bright spark like Su Anlin stirring up chaos, dying of laughter.]
[Could it be Qi Li? Are they just playing process of elimination here?]
Shen Qing and Jiang Siyu exchange glances, both confident that the other isn’t the mole. Just as they are about to run off together to do tasks, Le Zhiyi calls out to stop them, causing the two of them to turn around in puzzlement.
They watch as Le Zhiyi flashes a smile at them, then reaches out to grab their sleeves.
At that exact moment, the director’s voice rings out: “The mole has triggered the elimination skill. Shen Qing and Jiang Siyu have been eliminated by the mole. Game over, the mole wins.”
The gazes of everyone present snap in unison toward Le Zhiyi, filled with utter disbelief and shock.
Le Zhiyi shrugs at the group and breaks into a smile, the corners of his eyes curved into crescents, looking breathtakingly pretty.
[??????????]
[Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.]
[The mole is Le Zhiyi???? It was him????]
[I’m shook, oh my god. Even so, he is so pretty!]
“Sorry about that, Li-Li, Qing Qing, Siyu, plus our trouble-making Anlin and scapegoat A-Nian,” Le Zhiyi says apologetically, pressing his palms together.
Qi Li’s eyes widen. “Oh my mother.”
Shen Qing gasps in delighted praise: “Zhiyi, you’re amazing!!”
Jiang Siyu is stunned for a second before bursting into laughter. “You played so well, Zhiyi.”
Just as those words finish, Su Anlin breaks free from the staff, staring at Le Zhiyi in absolute shock. “You, you, you!!”
“Me, me, me!” Le Zhiyi replies, taking a step back.
Jiang Yinyin walks out from behind the group and lets out a cold “Hah.”
Watching Jiang Yinyin, Le Zhiyi’s lips curve upward into a pleased smile.
“System, use a rewind. I want to make Jiang Yinyin listen to the announcement of my victory all over again.”
“You got it.”
(Fast-forward converted into one rewind; successfully credited. Three fast-forward charges remaining today.)
Ding-dong.
Jiang Yinyin is rewound back in time, and the director’s voice sounds once more: “The mole has triggered the elimination skill. Shen Qing and Jiang Siyu have been eliminated by the mole. Game over, the mole wins.”
Jiang Yinyin: “…”
Having to listen to the news of Le Zhiyi’s victory two times in a row—he doesn’t even need to guess to know what Le Zhiyi is up to.
Hah, not only is he a liar, but he’s also utterly petty.