CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 35: CHENG ZHIRANG ELIMINATED

The story hovers over three days, going three days back. If her previous theory about time and space is correct, then no one here should feel like they had a ’yesterday.’

"What yesterday?" Su Yan interjected from the back.

Surrounded by Su Yan and Cheng Zhirang simultaneously... Mu Qiu felt as if happiness was within reach at that moment.

Unfortunately, it was all just a bubble.

She composed herself and replied, "Seeing Brother Zhu Qi’s odd behavior, I think the explosion was arranged by that god on purpose. Brother Zhu Qi appeared where the explosion happened right from the beginning, and when he woke up, he put on a show of not being himself anymore."

The leg-hair-stroking gesture must have been the extramarital partner of Shi Yuhuai’s character possessing him.

"The same changes happened before and after the explosion, making it akin to a time fracture point. I boldly guess the story takes place three days prior. The lawyer asked us to come again three days later, coincidentally when the explosion happened, sending everyone back to three days before. That’s when Sister Guan Yu once again asked the lawyer.

Throughout the process, we only know what happened three days ago, while the god remains fully conscious, knowing events from other times, such as yesterday, because he orchestrated the explosion.

Brother Cheng mentioned ’yesterday’ twice during the act. Also, the information you received is not about your identity but rather mine and Brother Cheng’s. Could it be that the show producers think Brother Cheng is too difficult to trip up, so they gave us additional information?"

Although the explosion causing body swaps and group amnesia sounds like a cliché, one could say the screenplay reflects creative thinking.

Su Yan nodded thoughtfully, "But there’s no one to corroborate what Zhu Qi says, and he might be changing his words each time just to frame Brother Cheng."

Mu Qiu understood his perspective and humbly said, "So I just chose a slightly more suspicious possibility; I can’t be certain."

As they spoke, Li Yang, Zhu Qi, and Shu Ran also came out.

Zhu Qi, full of excitement, ran over and asked everyone, "Who did you vote for? We’re supposed to vote someone out, right?"

Guan Yu: "I voted for Brother Cheng."

Shi Yuhuai: "Brother Cheng."

Lin Banyan: "Brother Cheng."

Mu Qiu followed: "Brother Cheng."

Shu Ran: "I also voted for Brother Cheng."

Li Yang: "What a coincidence, I voted Brother Cheng too."

Cheng Zhirang smiled wryly, "I abstained."

Zhu Qi: "What about Yan Shen? Did you vote for Brother Cheng too?"

Su Yan slightly raised his chin, his posture relaxed: "You, I voted for you."

Zhu Qi was stunned: "...Me?"

Guan Yu: "Hahaha, Zhu Qi, why humiliate yourself?"

Zhu Qi sighed, putting on a tired and defeated expression, "How could I even have one vote... I voted for Brother Cheng."

"Brother Cheng got seven votes, definitely out of the game," Shu Ran said.

Guan Yu eagerly added, "How should we wrap this up? Have Brother Cheng dress as God for a villain makeover photo?"

Mu Qiu’s eyes lit up at the idea, "Maybe it’s about dressing simply in a white shirt and black trousers, with a riding harness on the shirt, then casually playing with a silver lighter while walking out from the shadows, looking up at everyone..."

It was as if you could hear swallowing sounds at the scene.

The springtime for the imagination enthusiasts had arrived.

[Whoa, can’t handle this, quick, give me a napkin, I have a mental image!]

[Begging Brother Cheng to play a role like this!]

[The show, our benefits rely on you! How could you not follow what the author thinks?!]

[No wonder they’re a novelist, completely understands what we fans like]

[Our author is really skilled at writing this type of plot; back then, that’s how I got hooked]

[Author, wipe the drool from your mind]

[Sorry, my bad. I now think having such an amateur in a variety show is highly encouraging]

[Do whatever the author says! Staff, hurry up!!! / Five wolfdogs can’t hold back the frenzied charge and howl]

Cheng Zhirang suddenly let out a light laugh, the curve of his mouth lifting a bit, "But I am not God."

Guan Yu wiped her mouth, "Brother Cheng, once the voting is over, it’s over, there’s no need to explain."

Cheng Zhirang merely smiled without speaking, conveying a sense of helplessness.

The director, standing opposite them with the voting results, was surrounded by photographers, with a dozen cameras pointed at the nine of them.

"The identity settings are pretty much complete. Now, I will announce everyone’s identity information and corresponding character behavior. The one with the highest level of conformity will have their voting result doubled, while the one with the lowest level will have their result count as only half a vote, and so on."

"To have this twist at the last moment, it’s a good thing everyone mostly voted for Brother Cheng." Zhu Qi patted his chest in relief.

The director had already started announcing the identity settings.

"Cheng Zhirang, a man unwilling to give up on marriage, disagrees with his wife’s divorce, used a gas explosion to kill his wife’s extramarital affair partner. In the end, he agreed to the divorce at his wife’s plea, sold all his assets and gave them to his wife, then left. Conformity rate: ninety-five percent."

"Li Yang, a wealthy second generation considered successful only thanks to his father’s fame, ultimately chose to divorce, left the family, and started his own business. Conformity rate: eighty-eight percent."

"......"

"Guan Yu, a middle-aged woman used to asking her husband for money, unable to find a source of livelihood, confronted by her husband’s affair, ignorant of the law, afraid that after the divorce her son wouldn’t be with her, finally accepted staying married silently. Conformity rate: forty percent, the lowest, vote count halved."

Guan Yu couldn’t believe it, "Mine is the lowest?!"

Next to the director, Liu Bing, dressed as a staff member, took the microphone.

"Perhaps you haven’t learned what a real middle-aged rural woman is like; not everyone can muster the courage to say the word ’divorce.’

Guan Yu remained silent, but it was clear from her expression that she felt uncomfortable and disagreed.

The director didn’t address her reaction, announcing the final votes: "Overall, Brother Cheng still has the highest votes, thus gets eliminated."

Pausing for a moment, he added, "Everyone’s task failed."

-------------

The story given to Guan Yu is a real one I’ve encountered.

A woman who was once a treasured daughter of her parents, stayed at home after marriage taking care of the children, became a housewife for twenty years. Now aging and meeting her husband’s affair, attempted to bravely find a job herself and divorce with her son, but their living standard wasn’t low, she had no education or experience and got used to asking her husband for money. Neither her family nor her in-laws allowed her to divorce, others only sympathized or discussed it over meals. Facing high tuition fees for her son’s education, she finally had to accept staying married silently. But such a marriage was too hopeless, eventually, she became paranoid, claiming daily to catch her husband in the act, causing many jokes.

Don’t think she was incompetent.

Too many things tied her up, uttering ’divorce’ required much deliberation, not like someone else’s quick comments saying ’hurry up and divorce, stop torturing yourself, how can you be so unassertive,’ could replace the despair she felt.

No more words, I’m almost scared of marriage myself...