The Academic God Becomes an Internet Sensation After Joining a Dating Show - Chapter 76 - Escape Room

But Wang Zhan shifted his tone, glancing at the pair and furrowing his brow. “I’ve been meaning to ask… Why are you two sitting so far apart?”

Qing Lin finally lifted his head to glance at Shen Xuzhi, seated at the opposite end of the sofa. He merely gave him a fleeting look before silently turning his head back. “Really?”

Wang Zhan: “…”

They definitely have something going on.

Qing Lin carefully finished reading the synopsis for Escape Room. He’d watched this variety show before with his roommate. The show’s focus on puzzle-solving and horror elements made it wildly popular among thrill-seeking young people today.

But…

Qing Lin said calmly. “I’m not really keen on participating.”

He was still upset.

Wang Zhan felt awkward.

He quickly signaled to Shen Xuzhi. Shen Xuzhi pondered silently for a moment before shrugging.

Wang Zhan had no choice but to say cautiously, “Um… Linlin, your current agent is the same as Xuzhi’s—me. Xuzhi took on this variety show, which means…”

He swallowed hard before continuing, “You have to participate.”

Qing Lin: “…”

Then what was the point of asking him earlier?!

Qing Lin averted his gaze, but the moment his eyes landed on Shen Xuzhi again, embarrassment washed over him. His cheeks flushed a rosy red as he shot a fierce glare at that big mutt, Shen Xuzhi.

Shen Xuzhi, however, only looked back at him with bright, starry eyes, tail practically wagging. Even under Qing Lin’s glare, he seemed utterly pleased with himself—those small, shining eyes were genuinely endearing.

From the sidelines, Wang Zhan watched the scene unfold, fully aware that Shen Xuzhi had no sense of shame.

Qing Lin let out a quiet breath, steadying himself.

Fine, so he’d participate. Who wouldn’t want to play a free escape room that paid?

As for Shen Xuzhi…

Qing Lin shifted slightly, covering half his face with his hands, the flush spreading across his cheeks and the corners of his eyes.

He admitted it felt good. Not bad at all. In fact… quite pleasant.

It was just the mental image that left him undone. Shen Xuzhi’s teasing words, one after another, had left his body weak and his mind in disarray.

Qing Lin closed his eyes.

He’d deal with these emotions later. For now, he needed to focus on his work with the client.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Shen Xuzhi and Qing Lin boarded a flight to the city where the show would be recorded.

Disguised in sunglasses and masks, the two went fully incognito. Yet once word spread that the ShenLin Qijing CP would be appearing on the variety show Escape Room, the airport quickly overflowed with fans, every corner packed to the brim.

Qing Lin, unused to such crowds, was shielded by Shen Xuzhi as they made their way out.

His hand rested on Qing Lin’s shoulder, the touch feeling closer than usual.

Fans filmed them while shouting:

“Shen Xuzhi, did you finally get your man today?!”

“Linlin, is the escape room going to be scary? If you’re scared, hold onto Shen Laoshi tight!”

“Just say yes to this man! Or did you two secretly get together without telling us?!”

“Ah Zhi! Show off your charm in the escape room! The success rate for finding love there is super high!”

Qing Lin felt utterly speechless, then suddenly heard a fan ask, “Hey, what’s that red mark on Lin Lin’s neck?”

At those words, Qing Lin instinctively covered his neck with his hand.

But then he remembered—he had thoroughly checked himself for any marks before leaving.

Shen Xuzhi had also sincerely apologized multiple times, even going so far as to solemnly promise he hadn’t left any marks.

Thinking of this, Qing Lin silently lowered his hand.

But it was too late.

This gesture sparked a fierce reaction from the fans.

“Ooh ooh ooh ooh! What are you hiding?!”

“Ahhhhhhhh! Is that a hickey?”

“Holy crap, Shen Laoshi! What did you do to Linlin?! Aaahhh, I need to see this!”

“Linlin, are you feeling guilty?! Did Ah Zhi do something to you?! Did something happen between you two?! Aaahhh!”

Fans swarmed in instantly. Qing Lin took a deep breath, ignoring his own burning ears, and grabbed Shen Xuzhi’s hand, rushing toward the airport shuttle outside.

The recording hadn’t even started yet, but airport paparazzi photos were already trending.

#ShenLinAirportMoment

#QingLinKissMark

#ShenXuZhiSeemsMoreValuableToday

They changed into the outfits prepared by the production team while still in the car. Once ready, the Follow PD began outlining the rules and process.

Since this was Shen Xuzhi and Qing Lin’s first time on Escape Room, the crew highlighted a few key precautions: manage their time carefully, avoid injuring NPCs, and press the button on their outfits if they reached a dead end or moved too slowly—at which point the staff would provide a hint.

“Alright, do you understand Laoshis?” the Follow PD said, “We’ll head to hair and makeup next, then straight into recording.”

Shen Xuzhi and Qing Lin arrived at the makeup room, where the makeup artist styled them both.

The costumes had a vintage feel, being relatively lightweight and easy to move around in.

Midway through the makeup application, the dressing room door swung open. A head peeked inside, followed by a voice calling out, “Hey, top student! Ah Zhi!”

Both turned to see Su Mingxuan walking in from outside. Dressed in the same style as them, he said, “Well, well, well, we meet again.”

Alongside Su Mingxuan, a man and woman in matching outfits entered. They introduced themselves in turn.

“I’m Chen Xiangchao.”

“Hello, I’m Zheng Qin.”

Shen Xuzhi and Qing Lin greeted them.

“The three of us are regulars on Escape Room! We’re so glad you two could join as guests,” Su Mingxuan said with a grin. “Let me introduce everyone properly—Brother Xiangchao is our resident puzzle expert, Qinqin’s our tank, the bravest one in the group. As for me…”

Zheng Qin chuckled, “Xuanxuan’s basically the group’s little darling. Every time we’re in an escape room, he gets so scared he can’t stop screaming.”

Su Mingxuan scratched his head sheepishly, “Honestly, I can’t help it. This theme today is something like ‘Manor of the Weeping Child,’ and I absolutely hate Chinese-style horror.”

Then he walked over and nudged Shen Xuzhi’s elbow, lowering his voice. “Hey, Ah Zhi, if our top student gets scared later, just step in—hold him, comfort him. I’m telling you, by the time you two make it out of that escape room, you might just end up as a real couple.”

Shen Xuzhi nodded, though he wasn’t entirely sure himself.

What if Qing Lin really got too scared? Emotionally, he’d feel more sorry for him than anything, and he didn’t want to exploit his fear too much.

“Alright, is everyone ready? Once we head out, the official recording begins.”

The five of them stepped out of the makeup room, boarded the bus, and received their mission cards en route.

Su Mingxuan took the card and read aloud, “The year is M Century, 1932. Members of the Private Detective Agency have been commissioned to investigate the ancient Qishan Manor, long shrouded in terrifying rumors.

According to legend, a family once lived in the manor. While preparing for their wedding, the groom suddenly died. Stricken with grief, the bride remained silent for several days before beginning to mutter incoherently, insisting that her husband was still alive. The villagers shunned her, calling her mad and claiming she was carrying a ghost child. On the day of her delivery, however, the bride died in childbirth, and the baby was stillborn.

Yet strangely, villagers often reported hearing the cry of an infant echoing from the manor. Those bold enough to investigate were horrified to witness a bizarre scene: a hundred-man palanquin procession welcoming a bride. Since then, the manor has remained steeped in fear and legend.”

[Holy crap, bride, ghost fetus, infant cries—this episode’s got enough elements to scare me to death, okay?!]

[Xuanxuan, don’t let this scare you to death, hahahaha!]

Su Mingxuan finished reading and didn’t even want to record anymore. “Um… can I skip this episode?”

He’d just confirmed his relationship with Ning Yian. If An-an saw him looking so scared and embarrassed, how could he ever face her again?

“It’s too late, too late!” Chen Xiangchao said. “We’re already here.”

Qing Lin looked up and out the window.

The car had stopped in front of a mountain villa. The sky was gloomy that day. A plaque stood at the entrance, bearing the large characters “Qishan Manor.” Weeds grew wildly all around, making the place feel eerie even at a glance.

The five members got out of the car.

“If only it were sunny, it’d be better. But today it’s cloudy,” Zheng Qin remarked.

“Is this the entrance? This real-life setting is seriously impressive,” Chen Xiangchao said.

Su Mingxuan groaned. “This is killing me. The main gate looks like this already. Hey, top student, aren’t you scared…”

Before he could finish speaking to Qing Lin, an old woman suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She whipped her head around and delivered a close-up shock to Su Mingxuan: “What are you doing here?!”

“Ahhhhh!” Su Mingxuan jumped up, grabbing Chen Xiangchao.

Everyone turned to see a woman in her sixties, hunched over and holding a paper lantern, staring at the five of them.

“Hello,” Qing Lin greeted politely. “May I ask if this is the location of Qishan Manor?”

“Yes,” the grandmother replied, eyeing them suspiciously. “But what brings you here?”

Chen Xiangchao explained, “We’re members of a private detective agency. We’ve been commissioned to investigate the horror rumors surrounding this place.”

“Horror rumors…” The grandmother kept waving the paper lantern in her hands, lowering her head and repeating those words over and over, her hands shaking violently.

Suddenly, she snapped her head up, her eyes hollow and terrified as she stared at them. “Crying! It’s crying! A child’s crying!”

Everyone was startled. The old woman seemed to lose her mind, muttering incoherently before letting out a shriek. She flung the lantern from her hands and ran toward the village.

“Is this how intense it gets right from the start…?” Chen Xiangchao muttered. He wasn’t exactly brave himself—anything even slightly horror-related was enough to scare him.

Shen Xuzhi didn’t hesitate. “Follow her.”

Qing Lin nodded, and the two ran after the old woman.

“What! Follow her?” Su Mingxuan really didn’t want to do this, but seeing everyone else running, he resignedly joined the group.

The five of them raced along the dirt path into the village, but the old woman was nowhere to be seen.

Up ahead stood a solitary old house—a low wooden structure from the Republican era. A few banana trees grew outside the gate, but despite it being summer, their leaves were all withered and yellow.

“Please put on your blindfolds.”

The PD’s voice echoed.

Everyone put on the blindfolds, each person supported by another’s shoulder as they entered.

The moment they stepped inside, a chill enveloped them. The sound of dripping water echoed through the empty space.

Five people were pulled into a room. Staff divided them into two groups. Qing Lin distinctly felt himself being pulled out alone and led to a separate area.

Then he heard a commotion coming from the adjacent room.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa—how did this escalate so fast?” Su Mingxuan felt himself being strapped to a chair, his hands and feet were buckled.

“I’m tied up too!”

“Starting with thrills right off the bat.”

He also heard that familiar voice clearly. Shen Xuzhi’s first words were. “Qing Lin, are you over here?”

“Beep—”

Suddenly, a piercing, ear-splitting sound like tinnitus sliced through the air.

Qing Lin covered his ears. After a momentary blankness, the sound of children’s laughter filled his ears.

It was a rather shrill laughter. Laughing and laughing, then, they began to sing.

“Marry the bride, marry the bride, Death as the dowry.

All living beings, keep your distance.

Lift the wedding palanquin, heave-ho, lift the wedding palanquin.

Blood and tears adorn the bride. A procession of ghosts at night.

Oh, how joyful, oh, how joyful. Parents reunited, Never to part again.”

“Clang———!”

Accompanied by Su Mingxuan’s piercing scream from the next room, a faint glimmer of light flickered through the eye mask.

Immediately, a prompt sounded.

“Please remove your blindfold.”

Qing Lin took it off. The first thing that met his eyes was a red candle, casting a dim glow in the darkness.

Qing Lin picked up the candle, its faint light finally illuminating the adjacent wall.

This wall was plastered with an unknown material—rough cement clinging to uneven red and white stones.

A low wooden table stood before it, bearing a rag doll with severed limbs.

Its head hung limply to one side. Dressed in wedding attire, its eyes were vacant, yet it grinned widely.

Above it hung a black-and-white memorial portrait of a handsome man, with a few blurred words faintly engraved beneath it.

He was smiling just like that doll.

Qing Lin now knew exactly where he was.

This was—

The groom’s memorial hall.