That gentle progression, like a drizzle gradually moistening cheeks and hair, left rain stains on the body that wouldn't easily fade.
Whether in scripts or in love, as long as she appeared enough on stage, she would inevitably leave ripples in Qin Xiaoyi's heart. He loved immersing himself in roles and wouldn't easily forget her presence.
These ambitions that only emerged at night might vanish by the next day, and she'd still feel her heart race and mind go blank when seeing Qin Xiaoyi again.
But at least tonight she must remember: when dealing with someone you like and want to cherish, you must tread carefully.
Hu Xiu had expanded the plot a bit further. The main task of this scene was to intercept intelligence and report to Qin Xiaoyi, with every opened envelope revealing secrets about Rong City.
Before his death, the General had committed numerous misdeeds. Before becoming the Finance Minister, Qin Xiaoyi and Ning Zechen had been like brothers, appreciating each other's qualities. In his youth, Feng Youjin had received favors from the Qin family and intended to repay Qin Xiaoyi after coming of age, but was deliberately dispatched by the General to suppress bandits in Rong City, where he accidentally killed the entire Qin family attending a banquet.
Qin Xiaoyi was studying in the United States at the time. Returning home to find his family massacred, he developed a deep-seated hatred for Feng Youjin. Upon gaining power, his first act of revenge was to imprison Feng Youjin's wife and children in the Qin family's secret chamber.
She could resolve the misunderstanding to save Feng Youjin's wife and children, helping Qin Xiaoyi and Feng Youjin reconcile;
Or she could use this opportunity to threaten Qin Xiaoyi instead - such confidential intelligence could impact his candidacy, allowing her to extort a large sum of money while still helping Qin Xiaoyi win.
This was probably where Snowpiercer excelled over other Live Action Role Playing Games. Many LARPGs with tickets costing two to three hundred yuan had similar quality in scenes and costumes.
But with scripts spanning several pages, only one Non-Player Character monitored the plot progression, conducting a review afterward while players acted throughout. Lengthy scripts were hard to memorize and deceive with, becoming dull when encountering players poor at lying.
Snowpiercer, however, provided only one Quest card, with the rest of the package containing props. The remaining plot advancement relied on completing tasks with NPCs.
Dozens of endings were all connected to player interactions, with each scene propelled by players modifying the storyline.
Looking at the confidential intelligence in her hands, Hu Xiu found herself in a dilemma again. Out of innate kindness, her intuition was to resolve the misunderstanding and save the wife and children; but the reconciliation ending wouldn't actually feature the extra wife and children - it was just an outcome. Conversely, deceiving Qin Xiaoyi could provide numerous interaction opportunities.
Whether scheming for money or manipulating people, it would require exchanging glances and flirtatious looks with Qin Xiaoyi anyway. The money obtained would still help Qin Xiaoyi gain power, killing two birds with one stone.
She finally understood the true essence of Interactive Theater - no matter what tasks you complete to change the plot.
Since she came here to pursue romance, all plots should serve her love story!
Carrying her Role Package, she approached Qin Xiaoyi and mustered the courage to ask: "Minister Qin, do you want to win?"
Qin Xiaoyi raised an eyebrow, leaning back slightly: "What do you mean?"
That damn voice was too magnetic. Unwilling to fail in just one round, Hu Xiu pressed: "I'm asking, do you want to win? I have some intelligence that's both unfavorable and advantageous to you."His expression shifting subtly for a moment, Qin Xiaoyi maintained his smile: 'Follow your own heart.'"Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Hu Xiu finally mustered her courage, but the words came out twisted at the last moment: "Alright, then I’m going to extort you, Minister Qin. If you don’t buy this report, I’ll hand it over to Herzen, the journalist from Feng Youjin’s side, to publish on the Rong City Report Wall."
As soon as she finished speaking, Hu Xiu mentally slapped herself. That improvised line was terrible—how could she say "extort"? Unrehearsed words really never worked out.
Qin Xiaoyi took out some money from his inner pocket and sighed, "What kind of unreliable followers have I raised? The only one I could trust has also flipped. Rong City is truly a melting pot of corruption."
"Huh?"
"I mean, even someone as simple and loyal as you has started extorting me instead. Extort—how cunning."
Hu Xiu took the money, inwardly overjoyed: "Minister Qin, although it pains you now, you’ve protected your reputation. In the end, the money will still contribute to your faction—keeping the benefits within the family, right?"
"The wool comes from the sheep’s back," Qin Xiaoyi remarked suddenly, leaning closer. "Let me see if there’s a Traitor Card in your bag."
Before Hu Xiu could react, his hand was already inside her bag. His slender fingers rummaged through it, his body warmth and breath so close—the kind of intimacy only lovers shared.
The sudden proximity startled Hu Xiu. Her first thought was, Damn, this is too close! How can he ambush me like this? My chest is too flat—I need to move away!
Her abrupt retreat made Qin Xiaoyi somewhat awkward, and his face flushed. He straightened his collar. "No Traitor Card—that’s a relief. Remember whose side you’re on. Don’t take this chance to switch allegiances."
Now it was Hu Xiu’s turn to regret it. She had let such a close-contact opportunity slip away. What did Zhao Xiaorou’s Dating Guide say? Wasn’t she supposed to create chances for physical contact? How did it end before it even began? And she didn’t even get to smell Qin Xiaoyi’s scent!
"What are you thinking about…?" Qin Xiaoyi tapped Hu Xiu’s forehead with his finger. "Come with me…"
Hu Xiu followed mechanically, discreetly testing her forehead with the back of her hand. Thankfully, it was matte—no greasy feeling.
When they arrived at the department store, Qin Xiaoyi said leisurely, "Pick a piece of jewelry. Your taste really isn’t great. Good thing I didn’t send you to Lin Qiumei—she’d dislike me even more if she saw your choices."
Really? Full of doubt, Hu Xiu stood at the counter. "I think my taste is alright… Doesn’t green make one look fairer?"
"You’re not dark-skinned…" Qin Xiaoyi picked out a pair of pearl earrings from the velvet-lined display and lightly touched her earlobe as if trying them on. "These are perfect."
With Bai Luoyu absent, the department store was unusually quiet. Hu Xiu found herself speechless, her mind completely blank.
She glanced at Qin Xiaoyi’s shoulders, not daring to look higher. "Aren’t… aren’t you going to help me put them on?"
Qin Xiaoyi placed the earrings in her palm. "Wishful thinking…"
Ever since she developed real ambitions toward Qin Xiaoyi, Hu Xiu felt her courage growing.
If Qin Xiaoyi didn’t reject her, she could push a little further, then a little more. His boundaries were definitely lower than hers.
After all, just making eye contact made her lose her intelligence, speaking to him left her brain oxygen-deprived, and physical contact made her heart skip a beat.Qin Xiaoyi always caught these moments with natural grace and performed with professional dedication. Hu Xiu, dizzy with ambiguity, carefully stored each interaction in memory, planning to dissect the acting from genuine feelings once she got home.
This shift ended close to 2 a.m. To catch glimpses of Qin Xiaoyi’s off-duty authenticity, Hu Xiu lingered on midnight streets, yawning repeatedly as she waited for him to emerge from the security exit.
Though the mall stood downtown, the alley housing the security door was narrow—scarce vehicle traffic, wide sidewalks, where actors often gathered post-shift to chat.
Actors spilled out laughing; Qin Xiaoyi exited in good spirits, holding the door open for Lin Qiumei.
Lin Qiumei blocked the doorway with a silvery giggle. Someone knocked from inside—releasing it, Feng Youjin pushed through with a complaint.
Qin Xiaoyi wore a faint smile, parentheses framing his thin cheeks. His eyes skimmed past Hu Xiu beside him, expression unchanged. That smile translated to: We’re all friends here.
“Why are you still here?”
“I... was hailing a cab.”
“She’s here for you, don’t you get it?” Ning Zechen whistled. “Who’d rewatch Snowpiercer just for all endings? Her heart’s set on someone.”
“Stop talking nonsense…” Qin Xiaoyi chuckled, pointing at Ning Zechen. “This time she came for your ending.”
“She’s seen mine at least twice. And how’d you know she came for my ending? Been chatting privately?”
Ning Zechen tapped two fingers together thrice. “Where’d you talk? In the car? Your place? The bed?”
Qin Xiaoyi shoved him. “Don’t go too far. You want me to forfeit this month’s pay? Private contact with her?”
“A girl like that’s worth it—what’s a two-thousand-yuan fine?” Feng Youjin lit a cigarette.
Hu Xiu understood: For Snowpiercer staff, unauthorized player contact meant salary deductions.
Qin Xiaoyi’s efforts to draw boundaries likely aimed to spare her embarrassment from their jokes.
If it were Zhao Xiaorou, she’d relish everyone teasing them as a pair.
After all, schoolyard crushes often sprouted from classmates’ jokes and rumors.
But adults couldn’t rely on that—affection woven from gossip was too vague. She needed to attract him herself.
The thought startled Hu Xiu; the night breeze sharpened her wits far beyond her Snowpiercer haze.
And how could this outfit attract anyone… She wore her work uniform: white blouse, black skirt, mismatched brown leather boots.
Plus, she’d swapped irritating contacts for black-framed glasses. Yes, exactly what Zhao Xiaorou called the “boring schoolteacher” look—
She’d sworn it was for safety; returning to an old neighborhood at 2 a.m. in a revealing dress felt risky. But then, to Qin Xiaoyi, she must seem equally “safe”—where was the charm?
She shouldn’t have waited. She’d never imagined preparing for in-character attire but forgetting the out-of-character reality.
Those Pure desire dresses Zhao Xiaorou recommended—which she’d dismissed—now flashed through her mind. Each could effortlessly draw male attention, especially since Qin Xiaoyi liked busty figures. Why hadn’t she dared?Several people stood beside Hu Xiu waiting for the car, completely disregarding the need to give Qin Xiaoyi and her some privacy.
Realizing she couldn't keep staring at Qin Xiaoyi wearing his white T-shirt under the Lakers' #23 jersey, Hu Xiu nervously changed the subject and asked Ning Zechen, "How are you getting home? The subway isn't running at this hour."
"We all live nearby. We're going for drinks later."
"Drinks?"
"Yeah, we grab drinks after every shift." Ning Zechen glanced at her outfit. "What do you do for work? Dressed so formally. Teacher? Civil servant? Bank employee?"
"I'm a translator..."
"Huh? Translators need to dress that seriously?"
"I'm an interpreter. I work at major conferences. I came straight from one today."
The group standing nearby let out exaggerated exclamations. Ning Zechen nudged Qin Xiaoyi with his shoulder: "Hear that? She's a conference interpreter. How come all your fans are so high-class?"
"The women who like me are all mature, experienced married types - not particularly educated but loaded with money."
"What are you talking about..."
"Birds of a feather flock together," Lin Qiumei chimed in, still clinging to the Ning Zechen lookalike who'd come to pick her up. "It proves you've got attractive looks and good stamina - exactly the type mature women go for. Aren't all the women who come looking for you older sisters anyway?"
Ning Zechen struck an exaggerated bodybuilder pose, his pectoral muscles clearly visible through his T-shirt: "We're both named Ning Zechen, but your boyfriend is basically just a taller version of Qin Xiaoyi. When it comes to character archetypes, Ning Zechen's rough bandit origins - that's totally me."
The Ning Zechen lookalike holding Lin Qiumei tightened his embrace. If Hu Xiu's previous sense of loss had been jealous delusion, this time she clearly saw Qin Xiaoyi take a step back before turning around to ask "Coming for drinks?" The undisguised bitterness and coldness in his eyes made the palpable disappointment in the air undeniable.
After the group said their goodbyes and ambled off in another direction, Hu Xiu realized she hadn't called a car.
Walking three kilometers home would only take forty minutes anyway. The route followed a straight main road, and she was dressed plainly enough that safety shouldn't be an issue.
The main reason was that Qin Xiaoyi had already left, completely unconcerned about her, ending their conversation while still frustrated about not getting Lin Qiumei. Whether she was safe walking home late at night meant nothing to him.
Under the elevated light rail tracks of Lines 3 and 4, streetlights shortened then lengthened her shadow along the straight road. The night was so quiet she could almost hear her disappointment and heartbreak.
She was just a player grinding repetition runs, yet after merely ten encounters she'd deluded herself into thinking she could enter his life.
Even if they saw each other weekly, Qin Xiaoyi spent every day in the game world with Lin Qiumei. That world was impenetrable to her - there wasn't even any point in feeling jealous.
Beyond their three hours together in-game, she had no opportunities to see him, let alone date him.
Passing storefronts, Hu Xiu saw her rigid reflection in the glass door and laughed - dating a young guy? What wishful thinking.
"Hu Xiu..."
The wind whistled in her ears as Hu Xiu heard someone call her name. It was almost 3 AM - was this some kind of joke? Had she actually been targeted by a stalker?
And they knew her name? She was doomed, doomed! Wait, that voice...
When she turned around, Hu Xiu thought her eyes were deceiving her.Qin Xiaoyi rode a bicycle with a rear seat, and as he approached from behind, the tip of his nose seemed to catch the scent of wooden flooring.
He stretched out his foot to stop beside her, gesturing toward the rear seat with a flick of his finger near his ear: "Get on..."
The moment she sat down, the force was a bit strong. Hu Xiu glanced nervously at the rear wheel—thankfully, it wasn't flattened. The tire still had air; she wasn't that heavy.
Qin Xiaoyi didn't speak, just pedaled silently. After a long while, he finally said, "I originally planned to go for a drink, but when I reached the intersection, I looked back and saw you hadn't taken a taxi. Thinking about the direction of your home, I figured you might be walking back."
"Yes, I forgot to take a taxi."
"If it's hard for you to afford, you shouldn't come so often. Coming once a week adds up to thousands a month—your wallet can't handle that, right?"
"It's fine, I just... wanted to see you."
"Then it's even less necessary—what's so great about me?" After a few seconds of silence, Qin Xiaoyi spoke again: "It's an honor to be remembered like this. There's not much I can do, just give you a ride. Too bad it's only two wheels."
"Two wheels are much better than four! Eco-friendly! And it's more... romantic, like the high school senpai in shoujo manga."
Hu Xiu's words never quite hit the mark. She frantically searched her mental dictionary, but damn it, nothing came to mind.
Qin Xiaoyi deftly sidestepped her ambiguity: "I used to ride shared bikes—they're convenient, but they never felt like mine, no sense of belonging. I don't know why, but I care about whether something belongs to me or not. Maybe I've played Qin Xiao too much; after a while, it's hard to tell what's real and what's acting."
"That just proves you're professional. Blurring the lines between acting and reality is a sign of a true artist."
"Don't always praise me like that."
The shadows cast were of her and Qin Xiaoyi. The wheels turned slowly, as if he had no intention of speeding up—though unwilling to admit it was romantic, professional actor Qin Xiaoyi definitely knew that in love stories, the male and female leads never race on bikes at night; that's something only silly boys in Japanese dramas would do.
The bicycle turned into a narrow path, and the crescent moon became like a spotlight, illuminating her and Qin Xiaoyi.
Hu Xiu rapidly sifted through Zhao Xiaorou's dating playbook in the early autumn breeze. Keywords like "name, contact info, address, getting into their home" cycled through her mind repeatedly before she finally gave up.
The basketball jersey on his back was printed with "23 JAMES"—at least she now knew Qin Xiaoyi liked playing basketball.
Unlike Zhao Xiaorou, who preferred swift and direct approaches, charging in alone to get a clear yes or no, Hu Xiu, after experiencing terrible relationships, suddenly felt no rush with Qin Xiaoyi.
That gradual progression, gentle like drizzle slowly dampening cheeks and hair—the rain-soaked traces on the body weren't so easily washed away.
Whether it was a script or love, as long as she appeared enough times, she would inevitably leave ripples in Qin Xiaoyi's heart. He loved immersing himself in roles; he wouldn't easily forget her.
This ambition that only surfaced at night might vanish by the next day, and she'd still get flustered and brain-dead when seeing Qin Xiaoyi again.
But at least tonight, she would remember: with someone you like and want to cherish, you must tread carefully.
"What floor do you live on? I'll wait until your light turns on before leaving.""The penthouse... really, no need to trouble yourself. It's already safe enough downstairs."
"A good deed should be carried through to the end." Qin Xiaoyi's slightly slouched posture in the car looked cool, but off-stage he resembled a narcissistic little boy: "If you don't need me, then I'll be going."
"No..." Hu Xiu called out greedily, then her mind went blank again.
"Hurry up and go inside. I have work tomorrow too, I'm tired." On the front of Qin Xiaoyi's basketball jersey was a gold-printed "Lakers."
"Can I know your name?" Hu Xiu stopped at the unit door and leaned out, secretly promising herself this would be her last greedy request tonight.
His bicycle was parked askew in the middle of the road, the handlebars tilted. Qin Xiaoyi's hands remained in his pockets: "Diao Zhiyu. The 'Zhi' as in childish..."
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