After Marrying the Cold Omega in Secret - Chapter 27

Chu Jin placed the little wooden cat sculpture back into her bedroom bag, then returned to the living room without showing any emotion. Strangely, she felt calm inside. The only thing she was glad about was that she had not given the little cat away, and she had not said anything too revealing.

At least it had not become a complete joke.

When Qiao Man saw her come in, she quickly shifted to the side and made room for her.

“Jin-jie, sit here with me.”

Qiao Man patted the empty spot on the sofa beside her.

Since the invitation was warm and friendly, Chu Jin had no reason to refuse. After she sat down, Qiao Man poured her a glass of water and handed it to her.

“Did you just go for a walk?”

Everyone turned to look at Chu Jin.

Even the cameras turned toward her.

As soon as the lens pointed her way, Chu Jin quickly adjusted her expression. She smiled gently and replied, “I ate a little too much earlier, so I took a walk by the river.”

“Were you by yourself?” Zhou Meng put down her playing cards and looked around the room. Not seeing anyone else missing, she looked back at Chu Jin. “Chi Ye and Yan Sisi are both gone too. I thought maybe the three of you went out together.”

Chu Jin stayed calm. “No, I went alone.”

“Are they upstairs?”

Qiao Man voiced her own curiosity. Her eyes glanced subtly at Chu Jin. “I saw you go upstairs just now. Did you see them?”

Chu Jin answered quickly and shook her head. “No, I didn’t see them.”

In truth, not only had she seen them, but she had walked in on them whispering sweet things to each other. They were probably cuddling and kissing by now.

Chu Jin tried her best not to think about it, but the images formed by their romantic words kept flashing in her mind. Like a virus, they refused to go away. The more she tried to stop them, the stronger they became, nearly overwhelming her.

“The first date is the day after tomorrow,” Bai Xuqing brought up a new topic. “But tonight, we need to hand out invitations. Has anyone decided who to invite?”

Everyone smiled subtly, as if they already had someone in mind. The cameras zoomed in on each person’s expression. Chu Jin, on the other hand, decided to let things happen naturally. If someone invited her, she would accept. It could be a good chance to get some fresh air and clear her head.

She had not come to this show to actually fall in love anyway.

“But there are seven of us,” Wen Zhixue suddenly said. “Doesn’t that mean one person will be left out?”

The room fell silent.

Zhou Meng was the first to respond. “That’s true. The one who gets left out would be so pitiful.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure the production team will have everything planned,” Xin Ning said with a cheerful smile, trying to ease the mood.

Even so, everyone still looked a little tense.

They talked about other topics for a while. Once the atmosphere lightened, Chi Ye and Yan Sisi finally came downstairs.

“Were you two upstairs the whole time?” Zhou Meng asked with interest.

The cameraman smoothly turned the camera toward them.

Chu Jin also glanced at the two of them. Their clothes looked perfectly tidy, as if nothing had happened.

She could not help thinking how fast they had been. That short amount of time, and they were already done with their little moment?

It seemed like Chi Ye was not very impressive in bed.

Faced with everyone’s curiosity, Yan Sisi calmly explained, “We were just talking.”

Zhou Meng smiled without saying much, letting out a drawn-out “Oh” with a playful tone.

Qiao Man smirked and leaned closer to Chu Jin. She whispered in her ear, “Jin-jie, don’t you think there’s something going on between them?”

After dinner, everyone except Chu Jin had stayed in the living room. She had gone out for a walk, and the cameras had remained focused on the living room the whole time.

Yet Chi Ye and Yan Sisi, who clearly gave off the vibe of a dominant and submissive pairing, had secretly gone upstairs together. They were not roommates, yet they stayed up there for quite a while. Now they were telling everyone they had only talked?

It did not sound very believable.

When Chu Jin heard Qiao Man’s words, she could not help thinking back to what she had overheard. She nodded in agreement. “It is a bit strange.”

In fact, Qiao Man had already noticed that Chu Jin was not quite herself. Although she had been trying to act naturally and responded politely to everyone, her voice carried a heavy weariness. The smile on her lips was polite but lacked true warmth.

“Jin-jie, are you feeling unwell?” Qiao Man looked at her with concern and reached out to touch the back of her hand. “Your hand is so cold.”

This small gesture was completely caught by Chi Ye, who was watching closely. Her gaze darkened with coldness.

But Chu Jin showed no discomfort. She smiled at Qiao Man and replied, “I’m fine.”

In truth, Chu Jin had already noticed Chi Ye’s stare.

Perhaps she wanted to seem composed, or maybe she was a little annoyed. Chu Jin casually added, “The back of my hand is cold, but my palm is warm.”

As she spoke, she turned her hand over, showing her palm.

Qiao Man understood her meaning. She reached out and placed her fingertips against Chu Jin’s palm, then boldly pressed her entire hand against it.

“Jin-jie, it really is warm.”

This moment was broadcast live, and the comment section exploded.

【Why? My JinChi couple!】

【Weren’t they sweet this morning? How did things change so fast?】

【Chu Jin totally seems like a heartbreaker.】

【Poor Chi Ye】

【No need to pity her. She was upstairs with Yan Sisi forever. Who knows what they were doing?】

【Exactly. Chi started it】

【Keep arguing if you want. I’m just waiting for the dramatic redemption arc. Can’t wait】

Watching them touch so openly, Chi Ye felt like she might explode from anger. But since she always kept her composure, she showed no emotion.

She sat down beside Yan Sisi on the other couch.

Then the production team arrived and announced the afternoon activity. The game was called “Seeking Heartbeat.”

The name sounded simple, but the rules were more intense than expected.

One person would be randomly chosen and blindfolded. They had to search around the room in the dark and find someone. It sounded like a game of tag, but with a twist. Once they caught someone, they had to identify the person by touch alone. There was only one chance to guess.

If they guessed wrong, they would lose the right to invite anyone to the date and would have to wait for someone else to invite them. But if they guessed right, the person they chose would have to go on the date.

Chu Jin did not care much about winning or losing, but the rules still made her nervous. It all felt a bit too much.

And it was all happening live.

Compared to the last truth-or-dare game, this felt even crazier. At least last time, she had some control. Now, it was all blind touch and chance.

What comforted Chu Jin was that she had not drawn the blindfolded role this time.

“I got picked!”

Qiao Man lifted the slip she had drawn. Her expression was full of delight, and she seemed genuinely eager to begin.

Her gaze even drifted subtly in Chu Jin’s direction.

The production crew handed her the blindfold. It was a long strip of black silk. They reminded everyone once again, “You are only allowed to move within the designated area on the first floor. Do not go beyond it.”

The first floor of the villa included the living room, the open-concept kitchen, and the dining area beside it. Since that space had too many obstacles, for safety reasons, they were only allowed to move within the living room.

This rule also helped reduce the difficulty of the game.

After taking the blindfold, Qiao Man walked over to Chu Jin.

“Jin-jie, can you help me tie this?”

Chu Jin nodded and reached out to take it, but another hand quickly intercepted it.

Long, slender fingers gently hooked the silk ribbon and pulled it away from Qiao Man.

“I’ll do it.”

Chi Ye had stepped out without anyone noticing.

Chu Jin did not understand why she was doing this.

She instinctively took a half step to the side, keeping some distance between them.

Qiao Man looked slightly displeased, but with the camera pointed at her, she chose not to say anything.

The livestream chat lit up instantly.

【This seems off】
【Is Chi Ye jealous?】
【She is definitely protecting her girl, this is too funny】
【I am getting confused but also intrigued】
【These relationships are so complicated, I need to watch closely to understand everything】

Chi Ye moved quickly and smoothly. Without even touching Qiao Man, she tied a tight and secure knot.

The blindfold was wrapped perfectly, leaving no chance for anyone to peek.

Qiao Man’s smile froze. Her expression became stiff and uncomfortable.

Once she was finished, Chi Ye led Qiao Man directly to the starting point of the game, leaving her no chance to turn back to Chu Jin for help.

The bright expression Qiao Man had earlier was completely gone. Now, all she felt was quiet frustration and annoyance.

【This is too funny】
【This is how you treat a love rival】
【There was definitely a bit of resentment in that knot】

At that moment, the extra cameras placed in the living room were fully adjusted. Once the production team confirmed the livestream could capture everything, the game officially began.

Chu Jin walked behind the sofa. Chi Ye, who had been standing near her, turned and walked in the opposite direction the moment the director called out “Start.” Their time in the same frame came to an end.

As Chu Jin watched Chi Ye walk away, a small wave of disappointment rose in her chest.

Chi Ye stopped not far from where Yan Sisi was standing. Even during a game, it was natural to want to stay close to someone you liked.

Xin Ning was also standing near Chen Mo.

During the game, the production team would shout “Move” every minute. Everyone then had ten seconds to change positions. During this time, the blindfolded person was allowed to say “Freeze” up to three times. Each “Freeze” would last for ten seconds.

Once “Freeze” was called, everyone had to stop moving immediately.

When “Move” was called, everyone had to start moving again. Even if they stayed in the same spot, they were required to shuffle or pace in place, creating footsteps and movement sounds.

These sounds gave the blindfolded player clues about where others might be.

The game officially started.

Everyone remained quiet at their chosen spots. Wen Zhixue even covered her mouth and nose, afraid that her breathing would give her away.

Qiao Man slowly raised her arms and took small, cautious steps forward. When everyone had picked their spots earlier, she had listened closely and remembered where some of the sounds had come from. Now she relied on that memory to move toward the areas where she believed someone was hiding.

The first place she went to was the sofa.

Luckily, she moved slowly and only reached out to touch the sofa.

Wen Zhixue, who was sitting near the edge of the sofa, was incredibly tense. She held her breath as Qiao Man’s fingers came close. But just before she could be touched, Qiao Man pulled her hand back and began searching in another direction.

Chu Jin was standing behind the sofa, closer to the large window.

Her spot was well chosen.

The sofa acted as a shield, so it would take Qiao Man a while to reach her.

At that moment, the director called out, “Move.”

Wen Zhixue felt relieved. She quickly stood up, glanced in Chu Jin’s direction, and hurried over toward her.

Wen Zhixue’s steps were not exactly quiet. Her slippers dragged against the floor, making a squeaky sound.

Qiao Man remained still, listening closely. She clearly noticed the sound that came from the direction of the sofa.

After the director shouted “Freeze” and the ten-second countdown ended, Qiao Man used her memory and began walking toward the sound she had heard.

Wen Zhixue had been smart. Although she walked toward Chu Jin, she positioned herself slightly deeper into the corner, using Chu Jin as a shield.

If Qiao Man kept going in that direction, she would run into Chu Jin first.

Qiao Man was not completely sure, so she walked slowly toward what she thought was the right place.

By chance, she was actually moving quite accurately. Within just thirty seconds, she was already within three meters of Chu Jin.

And the distance was shrinking with each step.

Chu Jin began to feel nervous. She silently hoped the director would call out “Move,” but each second passed painfully slowly.

Just as Qiao Man’s hand was about to touch Chu Jin’s arm, a loud snapping sound came from across the room.

The sound was crisp and sudden.

Everyone immediately turned toward the source.

Support After Marrying the Cold Omega in Secret