Oh no! My online romance partner is actually a Miao holy maiden!

Seeing that Xu Yi remained silent, she chuckled softly.

"What's wrong? You're not saying anything now that you've encountered a difficult question?"

Bai Ling'er stood there, her posture elegant.

She was as composed as when she sang her solo earlier, with a faint smile on her lips, looking incredibly gentle.

But Xu Yi felt that this nonchalant attitude was more terrifying than if she had actually thrown the snake out.

When people are at their angrier, they are often not shouting, but rather unusually calm.

Bai Ling'er had probably cursed him countless times in her heart...

Xu Yi's back was soaked with cold sweat.

He maintained his composure, but his mind began frantically calculating various survival strategies.

First, kneel down and apologize? No way! Thousands of people are watching; it's too humiliating... How can he ever work at Jiang University again?

Second, feign amnesia? That won't work either. This isn't a real novel; you can't just suddenly lose your memory... Oh no, the road is completely blocked.

Or, thirdly, should we bite the bullet and make a choice first? Just like before, let's stabilize her first.

Bai Ling'er tilted her head slightly.

"Brother Yi, are you afraid of Ling'er?"

Xu Yi's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively denied it, "No, no, I'm just too surprised."

His voice sounded unsteady, like a primary school student lying, and it was completely unconvincing.

Bai Ling'er did not press the matter further.

Instead, he smiled slightly, a smile that looked quite sweet, but in Xu Yi's eyes, it was like the scythe of death, gleaming with a cold light.

"Brother Yi, did you ever think that Ling'er would come back?"

Xu Yi's face turned even paler instantly.

This question is a trap; no matter how you answer it, you'll be wrong.

Saying you've thought about it is tantamount to admitting that your previous statement "we're not a good match" was insincere and a lie, which is a serious problem with your attitude.

To say that he hadn't thought about it was tantamount to saying that he didn't care about Bai Ling'er at all and wished she would never come back.

Xu Yi's mind raced. The eyes of thousands of people below the stage were focused on him. The pressure was even more terrifying than failing a final exam.

He swallowed hard, trying to answer in the most tactful way possible.

"I've thought about it, but I don't dare to."

He felt a little proud as soon as he said those words.

This is absolutely textbook-level Tai Chi.

She both admitted that she had feelings for him and explained why she had said those words before.

Bai Ling'er blinked. "Why don't you dare to think about it?"

"because......"

Xu Yi took a deep breath.

He unleashed all the smooth-talking skills he had accumulated over the past twenty years.

"Because I am not good enough for Ling'er, I am afraid that if I am happy, I will only end up being disappointed."

The lively crowd below the stage began to whisper among themselves.

The atmosphere gradually became somewhat ambiguous due to the conversation, and some people even started shouting that they should get together.

Bai Ling'er ignored the commotion from the audience and continued to press for answers.

"Does Brother Yi still feel unworthy of Ling'er?"

This problem is more fatal than the previous two.

Xu Yi felt as if he were teetering on the edge of a cliff.

If the answer is no, all previous efforts will be wasted; if the answer is yes, it may seem too far-fetched and frivolous.

He gritted his teeth and decided to go out.

He raised his voice a little.

"I don't feel that way anymore. I was too panicked before, afraid that I wouldn't be able to handle it and that I would be a burden to you. But now I understand that instead of looking back and forth, it's better to face it directly."

This remark caused another stir in the audience, and the host next to him was stunned. He quickly grabbed the microphone, exclaiming, "Wow, guest number 22 is something else! He's flirting with girls right here!"

Bai Ling'er narrowed her eyes slightly.

She said softly, "You're still so quick-witted, but... Brother Yi, Ling'er isn't so easily swayed."

Xu Yi's heart skipped a beat, knowing that she hadn't gotten past this hurdle yet.

He lowered his posture and spoke sincerely, "Ling'er, I know what I did before, and what I said that day really hurt you. I will make it up to you, really."

"Make amends?" Bai Ling'er repeated softly, her tone devoid of emotion.

"So, how does Brother Yi plan to make it up to Ling'er?"

Xu Yi was taken aback. Since she had given him another chance, he immediately followed up.

"You said, as long as I can do it, there's absolutely no problem."

Bai Ling'er did not answer immediately, but raised her hand and gently tapped the edge of her face, as if she was thinking.

The audience fell silent for a few seconds, holding their breath as they awaited the next development in this nationwide tug-of-war over love.

The host, who was stunned, quickly smoothed things over and livened up the atmosphere.

"It seems our guest number 22 and the mystery guest still have some grudges to resolve. How about we move on to the next stage, the second stage of the interactive game, to give each other a chance to get to know each other better?"

Another cheer erupted from the audience, instantly igniting the atmosphere.

Bai Ling'er was then pulled back to her senses, nodded at the host, and reluctantly agreed.

Xu Yi breathed a sigh of relief.

At least I barely passed this round of the deadly questions.

The host on stage was still enthusiastically announcing that the second stage of the game was about to begin.

The staff began busily setting up the props.

The stage lights dimmed slightly, giving both sides a brief respite.

Taking advantage of the break, Xu Yi told the host and quickly walked off the stage.

His face was ashen, and with a clear objective, he headed straight for the seats where Zhang Wei and the other two were.

Zhang Wei, Liu Zheyun, and Chen Yang watched him walk over.

Their expressions were as if they had seen debt collectors, and the group shrank back into their seats, wishing they could disappear on the spot.

Xu Yi walked up to the three of them and stood there.

He looked at the group coldly.

"What's going on?!"

Zhang Wei stammered, his eyes darting around, "Um, um... we were threatened too, you know that."

"Threat? What threat?" Xu Yi looked incredulous. "Didn't the three of you know from the beginning that she was back?"

Zhang Wei sounded aggrieved as he took out his phone, which displayed a long string of messages.

"Yes, Lao Xu, we sent you a message as soon as we found out."

I told you to run faster, look how many messages you've sent! My hands are cramping from typing.

Unfortunately, your stupid phone was dead. By the time you got back, we were already exhausted.

Xu Yi continued to press, "Where were you backstage just now? The three of you were acting like you'd seen a ghost, your eyes darting around. You must know something."

Chen Yang then steeled himself and revealed the truth.

"Sorry, Lao Xu, your wife is just too hardcore."

As we looked over, she made a throat-slitting motion, so professionally that I can still replay it with my eyes closed. She told us not to say anything, that we...we really had no other choice.

Xu Yi's eyes widened. "She threatened you? When did that happen?"

Zhang Wei: "Before the interactive game started, I gave you a wink, and you said I was cross-eyed."

Liu Zheyun raised his hand, "I can testify."

Xu Yi was speechless. Zhang Wei's expression just now was clearly cross-eyed...