The surrounding air fell silent upon seeing this blank name card.

The icy, hoarse mechanical male voice descended like a suspended sword abruptly dropping.

"Gao Chaoyang, pairing failed."

Gao Chaoyang's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the blank name card, shrieking sharply, "Yu Li!! Why didn't you write my name!!?"

The woman merely adjusted the blanket on her lap leisurely before countering calmly,

"Why should I write your name?"

Propping her chin, she gazed at him with playful amusement. "You're not who I want to team up with."

"You—!" Gao Chaoyang pointed angrily, about to curse at her, but upon meeting the referee's cold gaze, he swallowed his words abruptly, replaced by overwhelming fear.

'If pairing fails, punishment will be enforced.'

The rule announced thirty minutes ago replayed in his mind like film footage. His breath hitched as he turned to Yu Jiao pleadingly, suddenly dropping to his knees with a thud.

"Sister Yu Jiao... save me... please save me..."

Yu Jiao looked down at his face silently before speaking slowly, "Didn't you say you'd be willing to die?"

Gao Chaoyang froze momentarily, his expression twisting. "Yu Jiao, I'm supposed to be your teammate! Why would you—"

"Thud—"

A vine pierced through his chest from behind. Gao Chaoyang's pupils contracted as he collapsed stiffly at Yu Jiao's feet.

The emotionless mechanical voice announced the final outcome:

"Gao Chaoyang, eliminated from recording."

Gao Chaoyang's death intensified the tense atmosphere.

All eyes then turned to Yu Li.

Jiang Xi frowned, sensing the woman must have an alternative plan.

There was no way Yu Li would deliberately endanger herself just to mess with Gao Chaoyang.

Yet the evidence suggested otherwise—Yu Li had written nothing. How could she pair up?

Glancing at the referee, Jiang Xi suddenly stiffened before her eyes widened slightly.

No way...

Meanwhile, on the sofa, Yu Li picked up her name card unhurriedly. After a casual glance, she tilted her head up with a curved-eye smile.

"Referee, why aren't you announcing my pairing result?"

The man looked at the name card in her hand and spoke slowly:

"Yu Li, pairing successful."

"What!?"

Hao Lan exclaimed from the opposite sofa. "She succeeded? With whom? She didn't write any name!"

"Who said I had to write a name?" Yu Li chuckled lightly, lazily propping her chin. "A blank naturally pairs with another blank."

The only person holding a blank name card in the room...

Instantly, all gazes focused on the man standing beside Yu Li's sofa.

The man stood straight, his mask emitting a cold gleam, his demeanor aloof.

Most importantly—he held spare name cards.

Under everyone's scrutiny, he removed his mask calmly, revealing strikingly handsome features. Bending down, he placed his name card atop Yu Li's.

His dark lashes lowered slightly as he spoke in a deep, clear voice:

"Bo Jingmo, pairing successful."

[As this show's referee, maintaining fairness and proper proceedings is your duty.]

[You eliminate rule-breakers without hesitation.]

[Yet you despise these superficial displays of love—putrid as rotting food.]

[Thus, your true mission is—to kill all participants.]

......

The mastermind likely never anticipated a referee pairing with a participant.

They couldn't fathom Yu Li exploiting this loophole.

After prolonged silence, the cold female mechanical voice finally spoke:

"Congratulations on successful pairings. As the referee's role has changed, Bo Jingmo will continue refereeing until the next arrives."

Pausing briefly, the voice emphasized:

"Note: The referee must ensure absolute fairness."

"Now please return to your rooms. Livestream paused for ten minutes. Dinner in one hour."

Silence reclaimed the living room as everyone studied Bo Jingmo.

Hao Lan and Huang Ya—unfamiliar with Bo Jingmo—simply admired Yu Li's ingenious exploit, casting impressed looks her way.

Seeing others remain still, they stood up awkwardly. "We'll... head back first."

The remaining four participants appeared distracted.

Noticing Yu Li's unsurprised expression, Yu Jiao's eyes gleamed meaningfully. "You knew beforehand?"

Yu Li merely smiled. "Guess?"

The answer was obvious from her expression.

Jiang Xi observed Bo Jingmo warily, sensing something amiss.

If Bo Jingmo was originally the referee... what was his objective?

With pairings concluded, Tian Jianmu extended his hand toward Yu Li sincerely. "Thank you."

He referred to her not deceiving him—had she lied, Tian Jianmu would've been eliminated.

Yu Li glanced briefly without reciprocating the handshake, instead taking Bo Jingmo's hand to stand.

"Nothing to thank."

She simply wanted to see Yu Jiao's choice.

......

Assigned rooms awaited them. Yu Li barely stepped inside when the door locked behind her. A strong arm encircled her waist as warm breath tickled her ear, accompanied by a low chuckle:

"Couldn't wait longer? As referee, I could've favored you."

Yu Li turned with a raised brow, adjusting his tie teasingly. "Oh? Wasn't it someone who couldn't resist first?"

She'd been contemplating whether to pair up when the man unexpectedly draped a blanket over her, startling everyone—herself included.

Bo Jingmo laughed without denial, lifting her up to kiss along her collarbone, trailing upward slowly.

"Wife wore too-short clothes today."

"Not pretty?"

"Very."

Yu Li looped arms around his neck, glancing down. "You'll leave marks kissing like this."

Bo Jingmo laid her on the bed, her dark hair fanning across white sheets. Kneeling beside her, he leaned down, murmuring between kisses:

"My fault. Later I'll pick clothes that cover them, okay?"

As Yu Li prepared to respond, Bo Jingmo suddenly stilled, his gaze darkening.

Simultaneously, the icy announcement echoed:

"Ten-minute warning. Livestream resuming shortly."