Witnessing this scene, Yu Li raised her eyebrows in surprise, resting her knuckles against the corner of her lips as she spoke softly.
"Bo Jingmo, seems you guessed wrong."
The man stared in Hao Lan's direction for several seconds, unpleasant memories flooding back.
After a long pause, he finally lowered his gaze and murmured a quiet "Mm."
Yu Li didn't respond, merely holding her younger boyfriend's hand while observing Huang Ya and Hao Lan.
These two were unexpected discoveries.
Meanwhile, this marked the first time Jiang Xi encountered disbelief, leaving her momentarily stunned.
Seeing her reaction, Tian Jianmu lowered his hand. "Jiang Xi."
Jiang Xi's pupils constricted slightly when someone gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Don't be afraid, Xi Xi. I believe you."
The male's voice acted like a tranquilizer, instantly calming her panicked expression.
Right—Yu Li hadn't made her move yet. Nothing was truly settled!
At that moment, the yao ghost in the tree could no longer restrain itself, slithering down the trunk.
"You're all unbelievably stupid."
It circled behind Jiang Xi, draping itself over her shoulders.
Jiang Xi's face paled, taking on a faint greenish hue.
Oblivious, the yao ghost fixed its gaze on Yu Li.
"Yu Li could never complete the mission—how could you possibly believe—"
Before it could finish, the woman clicked her tongue impatiently.
Suddenly grabbing the man's tie, she pulled him into a kiss without warning.
Silence instantly blanketed the scene.
Releasing him, Yu Li lazily swept her gaze across the group.
The next second, a dark green scarf materialized on the ground.
Bo Jingmo bent to pick it up, dusted it off, and handed it to Yu Li.
The yao ghost froze for a second before howling incredulously, "Impossible!! How could you and Bo Jingmo possibly be dating?!"
"Why not?" Yu Li glanced sideways at it. "I joined this show for my boyfriend. Why else would I choose him as my first teammate?"
Sighing suddenly, she added,
"I wondered why he wasn't coming home—turns out some filthy thing trapped him here."
Though clearly insulting the yao ghost, the small system trembled violently.
Why did it feel like Sister was making indirect criticisms?
Surely... that couldn't be right.
The yao ghost immediately retorted, "Impossible! Bo Jingmo hates couples! Someone like him would never date!"
The woman's gaze remained indifferent as she drawled,
"Oh? Maybe because we were fighting those days—I complained he never spent time with me."
At this, Bo Jingmo cooperatively lowered his head to kiss her cheek, sincerity dripping from his voice.
"Sorry, baby. Won't happen again."
Bo Jingmo, you've become unrecognizable.
[I'm dying, is this identity real? They actually seem convincing.]
[Probably real—the scarf appeared, so it counts.]
[Only two possibilities: either it's real or it's fake.]
[Listening to your words is like listening to words.]
[No, I mean either their persona is genuinely , or they're cooperating to deceive even the system.]
[Got it... like those imaginary girlfriends from previous rounds.]
[Who'd have guessed they were actually dating?!]
Finally collecting itself, the yao ghost sneered.
"Even so, with just one scarf, let's see how you'll divide it."
Yu Li calmly pocketed the item. "How we divide it is none of your concern."
Furious, the creature turned to the others, attempting to brainwash them.
"Now she's got the scarf—the rest of you will just become her stepping stones."
Tian Jianmu frowned. "Yu Li, you could try cutting the scarf so everyone gets a portion."
The woman blinked, tilting her head. "Did you think I was only talking to the yao ghost earlier?"
How the scarf got divided had nothing to do with Tian Jianmu either.
Or with the entire Peace organization.
Tian Jianmu stiffened before pursing his lips and turning away. "I don't need the scarf—just offering a suggestion."
The yao ghost shot the talkative man a hostile look—whose side was he on, actually giving Yu Li advice?
"Save your breath. I anticipated this—the scarf can't be cut."
Knowing Yu Li's tendency to exploit loopholes, it had sealed every conceivable workaround.
Turning to those behind Yu Li, it added,
"You'd better beg me nicely—maybe I'll spare your lives. Bo Jingmo makes the rules—if you break them, he won't show mercy."
The group exchanged glances but remained rooted in place.
Yu Li checked the time and sighed.
"Alright, I'm bored now—same old threats."
Smiling at everyone, she concluded,
Black mist instantly erupted from behind her, shooting toward the yao ghost.
Despite their bulk, the thick vines moved clumsily—even dodging quickly couldn't prevent the dark energy from grazing them.
Jiang Xi, standing nearby, got caught in the crossfire. Had Hou Liang not steadied her, she'd have fallen.
Gritting her teeth, she protested, "You're all just watching? If Bo Jingmo wins, I—"
"Enough." Yu Li interrupted, withdrawing the scarf from her pocket and handing it to Yu Jiao.
"Each hold a corner and stay put quietly."
If it couldn't be cut, everyone could simply hold part of it.
Yu Jiao accepted without hesitation, passing sections to Huang Ya and Hao Lan.
The group obediently grasped their portions.
Meanwhile, Yu Li advanced toward Jiang Xi step by step.
Alarmed, Tian Jianmu shouted, "Yu Li! What are you doing?!"
He unleashed lightning to intercept her—only for black energy to abruptly materialize and consume it whole.
From the dissipating darkness emerged a tall, immaculate figure—his cold eyes fixed unwaveringly on Tian Jianmu.
Tian Jianmu's heart lurched.
How could he still monitor this situation? What about the yao ghost?
Following a sudden realization, Tian Jianmu's gaze darted sideways—his pulse spiked violently.
The massive vine lay defeated in a pool of foul green sludge, utterly lifeless.
He instinctively retreated before recognizing the inconsistency—if Bo Jingmo possessed such power, why use them to eliminate the yao ghost?
Then Yu Li's icy voice reached him.
"Tian Jianmu, I told you—I never asked for your help."
Arriving before Jiang Xi, she propped her chin on one hand—eyes gleaming with amused pity.
"Now you're the only ones who failed the mission."