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The program entered its opening interactive segment. As the guests’ answers were announced one by one, barrage comments scrolled by:

— I’m dying of laughter. When will Teacher Su’s “older age” jokes finally end?

— This girl is quite fierce…

— Is Teacher Wen seriously doing a traditional comedic act?? [confused]

— Xi Lin: I’m struggling here.

— Once again, Rong’e is echoing Jie Ge’s words, hahaha.

— Wen Rong is really cute, super cute~

— Qi Man is so shy, he even stammered a bit. [star eyes]

…

The opening Q&A concluded with viewers’ playful comments, and the five guests transitioned into the formal game recording.

Below the camera, Rong Yuheng hid behind Wen Zhecheng, peeking out sneakily, giving off a mischievous vibe. In contrast, Wen Zhecheng remained exceptionally calm.

Rong Yuheng in front of his computer, “…”

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The barrage comments were flooded with laughter:

— What’s Rong Rong up to, hahaha!

— Oh my god!! Rong’e peeking out from behind Cheng Ge is just too adorable! Can’t stop laughing!

However, before the laughter could fade, the screen suddenly plunged into darkness! The guests’ surprised exclamations mixed with the sound of hurried footsteps.

— !!? What’s happening?

— Damn, got a bit scared all of a sudden…

Just at that moment, a night vision camera on the screen “clicked” open. In the scene, Qi Man shrank into a corner within seconds, hugging his small self. He Yuan, although physically capable, lacked bravery. She quickly pulled the still-confused Su Yunyin, firmly wrapping her arm around him, resembling someone carrying a basket of vegetables!

Rong Yuheng stood frozen for a few seconds, then suddenly grabbed the back of Wen Zhecheng’s shirt and jumped left and right, attempting to evade the unknown danger and using sound wave attacks to counter fear, shouting, “Don’t come any closer, ahh, ahh, ahh!!”

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Wen Zhecheng, caught off guard, spun around with his back foot, almost as if he were a shot put being flung out!

“…”

The online viewers heartlessly burst into laughter again:

— Hahaha, hahaha, Teacher Wen ended up doing an impromptu tap dance.

— Mentioning tap dance is killing me… Rong Rong is truly a genius, managing to make Teacher Wen’s style match his own!

— It reminds me of an expression pack someone made for Rong’e a while ago [I’m flying!]. Hoping that after this episode, Cheng Ge can have a similar one. /doge

— Hahaha, the devil from earlier!

Rong Yuheng stared at the barrage comments on his computer, his gaze deep… No, you bunch of gods’ perspective little rascals, you truly don’t understand the terror and helplessness we’re feeling in the darkness!!

Right at that moment, a white figure suddenly dropped into the frame, its long hair trailing as it danced in the dark and empty room. Online viewers were initially startled but then realized it was a prop.

— Damn it! I almost shut down my computer in fright…

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— Even if it’s a prop, it’s still pretty scary.

— Barrage shield, barrage shield, barrage shield, barrage shield!!

The white figure began moving under the pull of nylon strings from the ceiling, the sound of “thumping” footsteps drew nearer in the room, then suddenly stopped.

The entry of the “new member” was quickly noticed by the guests, sparking a fresh round of panic in the small room.

In order to avoid the “new member,” Rong Yuheng almost pressed Wen Zhecheng against the wall—Wen Zhecheng, still relatively composed, stretched his arm around him and whispered reassuringly, “Don’t be afraid, there’s no one else in the room except us.”

Rong Yuheng became even more terrified, his eyes wide, “So, that must mean there’s a ghost!”

Wen Zhecheng, “…”

The spectators on the internet laughed uproariously while capturing emojis.

Just as the group in the video collided into a mess, the white figure suddenly ceased its movement, and a female voice resounded in the scene,

“Zhulang has finally returned.”

No one answered; only the sound of footsteps started again.

The female voice continued, “Knowing you were coming back, I specially prepared food and warmed the wine for you. I’ve brought it over for you.”

After that, sounds of arranging bowls and chopsticks, pouring wine, and moving tables and chairs began to emerge one after another.

Upon hearing the sounds of eating, Rong Yuheng’s fear dissipated in an instant. He detached from Wen Zhecheng’s embrace and looked around, “Is there food?”

The online viewers collectively commented:

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— Rong’e always looks like he hasn’t eaten enough, hahaha.

— Why does it feel like Cheng Ge’s expression is a bit resentful…

— You’re not alone in front, damn it. Cheng Ge’s hand on Rong’e’s waist pulled him back!

— It’s dark, and I can’t see clearly. Cheng Ge probably just happened to touch Rong Rong’s waist.

— I don’t care, they touched, they touched! [lying flat]

In front of the computer, Rong Yuheng was so shocked that he had a double chin—how did they end up touching??

…

In the video, the first clue had already been revealed.

A faint female voice recited, “One candle, two points of light; shadow pairs with shadow. Three cups, four liang of wine; the cup empties, burning the throat.”

As her words fell, several lines of poetry appeared on the wall. The faint light from the electronic screen reflected in the room, allowing the guests to barely see their surroundings.

The lines of poetry contained numbers. Following the earlier pattern of “one, two, three, four,” they quickly identified the two lines with “five, six”:

At the fifth watch, the drip of time sounds, facing the sun, the window opens; after six years of study, gone, yet Zhulang hadn’t been seen.

The guests pondered for a while before finally seeing a small north indicator on the electronic screen.

Su Yunyin said, “We only have this much information for now. We need to find a way into the next room.”

Qi Man added, “But we didn’t see any doors just now.”

Rong Yuheng remarked, “There must be a hidden door. We’ve singled out this line of poetry, so it must have a purpose.”

Comments from the viewers:

— Rong Rong looks like he’s being serious as he speaks, as if he’s possessed by Teacher Wen, hahaha.

— Possessed…

— What are you thinking, person in front??

However, Rong Yuheng’s deduction was indeed correct. The clue was in the phrase “facing the sun, the window opens”

The fifth watch refers to the early morning; “facing the sun” indicates facing the east, where the sun rises. While there was a difference between doors and windows, the word “opens” implies the idea of “opening.” Comparing this with the north indicator on the electronic screen, it was obvious where the exit was.

All five people pressed against the eastern wall and pushed hard. It triggered a mechanism somewhere, causing the entire wall to rumble and recede a few meters, then disappearing into the gap in the floor.

Inside the second room, it was still pitch-black. However, under the night vision camera, the set inside appeared to be a ferry crossing.

The live audience couldn’t see and had to rely on the sounds of the ferryman rowing and the wind rustling through the reeds to deduce the current situation.

A conversation between the woman and the ferryman slowly started, interspersed with the resounding beat of drums and the sound of horse hooves approaching from a distance. Then, suddenly, it stopped, leaving only the sound of the river flowing.

Viewer comments:

— Did you notice? The previous footsteps disappeared, and now the horse hooves are gone…

— Why does it feel a bit creepy?

— I know the answer. To traverse this land, you can only go through drifting.

— Or maybe it’s through the waves?

— Hahaha, are you guys feeling a bit ill ahead? 

In the scene, the five guests also discovered this issue.

Qi Man had been trembling since the room plunged into darkness, “Could it be a supernatural theme…”

Su Yunyin responded, “That possibility isn’t ruled out, but it’s unlikely. Let’s think in a non-supernatural direction for now.”

Rong Yuheng chimed in with a wise tone, “Could it be intermittent deafness…”

Wen Zhecheng, who was closely connected to him, playfully ruffled his hair, “A very innovative idea.”

Rong Yuheng, “…”

Wen Zhecheng didn’t sense any sarcasm in the praise he just received. He tried to attach the brilliance of his cleverness to his hamster, “Inspired by you, I’ve come up with a hypothesis.”

Rong Yuheng asked, “What hypothesis?”

Wen Zhecheng replied, “It might be auditory hallucinations.”

This statement immediately woke up the barrage comments:

— Makes sense and has a basis!

— That’s really possible! The story is quite clear now, just like Zhang Sheng and Cui Yingying. The former, after achieving success, turned fickle and abandoned her in the end.

— There’s a slight difference though. Mentioning “six years,” they were either childhood sweethearts or sworn siblings.

— So, the woman suffered a big blow, leading to the recurring auditory hallucination of Zhulang’s return?

— This is a ferry crossing. Returning home definitely involves taking a boat. Hearing the galloping hooves makes sense only if it’s an “auditory hallucination.”

…

Once the group in front of the camera grasped the clue, they felt their way to the entrance of the next room in the darkness.

In the third room, finally, there was light—

The center of the room was hollowed out, revealing a square pool below. Two suspension bridges hung above, and only dim light shone from above onto the bridges. The wooden planks swayed as they connected to two different rooms on the left and right sides.

A middle-aged man’s voice resonated in the room, “If you marry the daughter of the Shangshu, your future will undoubtedly be bright. You’ve also managed to make a good connection, so don’t fail to recognize what’s good for you, otherwise, the road ahead will be difficult.”

On the doors on the opposite side, one read “Forward Path” and the other read “Return Path.”

Qi Man scratched his head, “Two doors, do we go through them one by one?”

Rong Yuheng shook his head, “I’m just a kid, I can only handle multiple-choice questions.”

Su Yunyin humbly sought advice, “Then what should an old man like me do?”

Rong Yuheng similarly praised, “Su-ge is truly an example of lifelong learning, even at this age, still solving problems.”

“…”

The barrage comments were instantly drowned in laughter.

In the program, the discussion quickly returned to the right track. They debated which path to take—the “Return Path” was morally acceptable, but the clues pointed toward the “Forward Path.”

The barrage comments were also filled with heated discussions:

— Following the precedent of the previous episodes, we should use the clue solved in the previous room to pass through the next stage, so we should choose “Forward Path.”

— But this option is hard to accept. If we follow ethics, we should definitely choose the “Return Path.”

— The clues before are quite clear; Zhulang didn’t return.

The five guests on the program fell into silence together.

After a while, Su Yunyin asked Rong Yuheng, “Which path do you want to choose?”

Rong Yuheng didn’t hesitate at all, “Return Path.”

Su Yunyin smiled, “Me too.”

He Yuan was still conflicted, “But the clues all point to the forward path…”

Su Yunyin said, “But I feel like I can’t take that step.”

In the midst of their contemplation, Wen Zhecheng suddenly spoke up,

“Then let’s choose the return path. Even if we’re all wrong in the end, it’s just a failure in this episode’s challenge. The outcome of the game is far less significant than our inner choices.”

—

The door labeled “Return Path” was pushed open. In the last room, it was brightly lit.

Under the warm orange light was a cozy little room. The window faced east and a desk beneath it held paper and a brush.

A white screen in front of the side wall projected a shadow puppet show—a leafy boat crossing the river. There were no drumbeats or loud firecrackers, only a figure standing confidently at the bow.

At the ferry crossing, the woman’s silhouette suddenly trembled, then she dashed toward the direction of the boat…

At the end of the play, the room once again echoed with those words:

“Zhulang has finally returned.”

“I knew you were coming back, so I specially warmed up the food and wine. I’ve brought them for you.”

Afterwards, a gentle male voice replied:

“Thank you, Madam.”

…

The barrage comments scrolled slowly across the screen:

— This ending is really wonderful.

— So heartwarming… I love the path the guests chose.

— From now on, ask the gentleman if his porridge is warm, from now on, accompany each other into old age.

— Wen Lao’s words are really touching. This might not be the correct answer, but it’s the best answer. [Tearful]

— Wait, is Rong Yuheng crying again…?

— Wow, I was really moved, but I burst out laughing unexpectedly!

In the program, the guests were facing the shadow puppet show that was coming to an end, looking at each other in bewilderment… Why didn’t the final room have a decisive clue? Could it be that they made the wrong choice and that’s why the clues stopped?

Just at that moment, the director Yang Wen’s voice came through the speakers:

“Oh, sorry about that. I suddenly got too emotional. I forgot to tell you—everyone has successfully cleared the game!”

“Huh?” The group paused for a moment, then cheered and clapped in disbelief, “Yeah—!”

At the end of the show, the guests returned to the stage. Xi Lin revealed the mystery of this episode: the choice between the two paths was the ultimate “treasure hunt” decision. From the moment they chose the “Return Path,” they had successfully cleared the game.

The closing segment was still filled with remarks from the guests.

Su Yunyin said, “After this episode airs, some might say that in stories set in ancient times, very few people give up their future for love. But I want to say that precisely because it’s rare, it’s precious. Some stories can’t be measured by ‘real’ or ‘realistic’ standards. They are created to offer us such a kind of yearning.”

After Su Yunyin finished speaking, the microphone was passed to He Yuan. Although He Yuan appeared tough like a tomboy, her thoughts were delicate. Her eyes were still slightly red at this moment.

“I’m glad that we followed our inner choices, giving this story a satisfying ending. The character Zhulang, initially thought of as fickle, had a twist in the end. He gave up fame and chose loyalty and love.”

Xi Lin added, “Exactly, just now, when I watched your recording, Teacher Wen seemed to have said this—whether you win or lose in the game is far less important than the choices you make in your heart. Teacher Wen, could you share your thoughts at that time?”

The microphone was handed to Wen Zhecheng, and he said, “I didn’t have any special thoughts. That’s just how I view emotions.”

Wen Zhecheng had been in the industry for over a decade, but this was the first time he had talked about emotional matters in a public setting.

The barrage comments went wild in an instant:

— Whoa, is Zhecheng-ge talking about emotions?

— Ah ah ah, luckily I didn’t miss this episode!

— I’m anxious, I’m anxious, I’m anxious. What is Zhecheng-ge’s view on emotions?

— My goodness… I feel like I’ve found the reason for Zhecheng-ge’s unusual behavior.

With the entire internet barrage flooding in, Wen Zhecheng continued, “One unique emotion, eternal companionship. Just like the saying goes—choose a city to spend your whole life in.”

On the screen, the barrage comments had completely covered it, almost obscuring the entire view.

Amidst the dense barrage, Wen Zhecheng suddenly turned towards Rong Yuheng, handing the microphone to his lips.

Rong Yuheng hesitated for a second, then blurted out, “Encounter one person, grow old together.”

Wen Zhecheng looked at him, a hint of gentle smile in his eyes, “That’s right.”

…

The full-screen barrage went silent for as long as five seconds.

Then, the entire barrage area exploded:

Holy moly, what are these two people doing, discussing views on emotions together!!!

…

Almost as soon as the program finished airing, Weibo was instantly flooded with a trending topic:

#TreasureHuntContest##ZechengYiYu# [Images][Images] Choose a city to spend your whole life in, encounter one person to grow old together.

The accompanying image showed Wen Zhecheng looking down with a smile at Rong Yuheng, and Rong Yuheng slightly tilting his head while taking the microphone from Wen Zhecheng. The images on both sides showed the two looking at each other, conveying a deep affection through the words.

Within half an hour, this topic shot up to the seventh place in all CP fandoms, and the fans of the two directly created a new fandom: “Ze Cheng Yi Yu.”

The pinned post reads:

“Ze Cheng Yi Yu, an ageless journey.” [Heart emoji]

The author has something to say:

Wen Zhecheng: Little one, we successfully changed our names!

Rong Yuheng: No, I don’t dare take credit.