It’s just that whenever he senses the other person truly falling for him, he wants to run away.

He only enjoys the thrill of chasing others, his obsession with tackling challenges borders on pathological. Once the challenge is conquered, the previous raging passion is doused with cold water, extinguished cleanly and decisively.

With an expression so sincere that even a professional actor would struggle to tell if it was real, he looked into James Turner’s eyes, completely unafraid of any scrutiny. “I really, really like you. I’ve drawn a lot of pictures.”

Seeing James Turner’s brows relax a little, the suspicion in his eyes lessened. Only then did William Carter reach out his hand. “Our first meeting was so awkward, and it caused a misunderstanding. I’m really sorry. Let’s get to know each other again.”

James Turner crossed his arms over his chest, not very willing to shake hands. His gaze swept over William Carter, hesitating for a long time before finally compromising.

He thought of the painting William Carter had drawn.

The warmth of their hands overlapped, creating a strange sense of fusion.

“My name is William Carter.”

James Turner gave a slight nod, his well-defined jawline pulling at the muscles of his neck. Even though this “fan” in front of him surely knew his name, out of politeness, he still introduced himself succinctly. “James Turner.” After speaking, he prepared to withdraw his hand, but felt the other person gripping it tightly. Somewhat puzzled, he looked up at him, only to see William Carter smiling. “Hey, aren’t you going to ask which characters are in my name?”

This person is really strange.

James Turner lifted his chin slightly, a trace of impatience appearing in his expression. This look made him seem especially attractive, but he still maintained his last bit of patience. “Which characters?”

“‘Xi’ as in ‘study’, and ‘Qing’…”

Before he could finish, the slender, fair hand holding James Turner’s palm suddenly tightened, mechanically pulling him forward. The carefully maintained distance shrank rapidly under his tug. James Turner’s deep brown pupils widened slightly, almost colliding face-to-face with that seemingly innocent face, their noses separated by only the tiniest sliver of space.

The scent of William Carter’s perfume became the most cunning invader, surging in, spreading, occupying the high ground.

The brief closeness felt like a slow-motion shot, turning into frame after frame of light and shadow. The distance was so close that even their breaths grew ambiguous, the spicy pepper, thick tobacco, and sweet musk all swirling together, making James Turner frown. Yet just as his tolerance reached its limit, he caught a subtle hint of sweetness, slipping perfectly into his breath, seeping into his lungs.

Amid the complex fragrance, an equally ambiguous breathy voice spread from the corner of his smiling lips.

“It’s the ‘qing’ that means neither clear nor pure.”

William Carter let go of his hand, the left corner of his mouth lifting, his eyes full of mischief.

Just a moment ago he was defending his own morals, and now, in the next second, he maliciously reveals his true colors.

Absolutely, absolutely cannot trust this face again.

Author’s note:  James Turner: Next time, I absolutely can’t let him get away with it. Learn from my mistakes. [clenched fist]

William Carter: So, do you think I’m tasty? [grinning]

James Turner: …Goodbye.

The perfume prototype is Juliette Has a Gun’s “Dirty Talk”

Chapter 6: Escape Alive

William Carter originally thought that so-called escape room reality shows just meant setting up a semi-open studio, tossing the guests inside, having a bunch of VJs follow them, and everyone just acting out the escape room scenario step by step according to the script.

Who would have thought things were nothing like he imagined? They weren’t even told what kind of escape room it was. Someone blindfolded them with a black cloth and took them somewhere. Before leaving, the director specifically reminded them, “Please don’t speak before the cameras start rolling.”

He felt like he was being escorted by two people for a long time, then was seated in a chair. He thought that was the end of it, but unexpectedly, they tied him up tightly with a rope, making it impossible to move. He vaguely heard the sound of metal clinking, and felt a chill on his wrist.

His hands were handcuffed in front of his chest.

If he didn’t know he was filming a show, William Carter would have seriously suspected he’d been kidnapped.

Now he finally understood what the director had meant earlier: “This show is all about authenticity. The staff will absolutely not intervene, so we have no idea what will happen here.”

James Turner vaguely heard the footsteps of several people. His hands were tied with rope, resting above his knees, and his ankles were also tightly bound, unable to move. Just as he was feeling confused, the black cloth over his eyes was removed by a staff member.

The sudden clarity of vision was intensely disorienting. James Turner squinted slightly. In front of him was a sealed room, but unlike many escape rooms with a scary atmosphere, this one was fairly well-lit. Dim yellow light shone from the ceiling, and aside from two large bookshelves against the wall, most of the furniture was covered with white sheets, making it look a bit strange.

But none of that was enough to surprise him.

Because the scene before his eyes was even more unexpected than the escape room itself.