Hu Xiu was momentarily stunned by this sudden accusation of ignorance: "Then what should I call myself? The Sheriff's Wife? Mrs. Feng? That sounds awful!"
"Someone who can't even get the address right doesn't deserve to be my wife—your history knowledge is so poor for a humanities student."
"I'm a science student... You can't deny it after signing the Marriage Certificate!"
The phone fell silent again. Another habit of Diao Zhiyu's—disappearing mid-conversation without explanation, likely already immersed in his next performance. His replies were always emotionally charged, and he was probably secretly pleased right now. Hu Xiu smiled to herself while gazing out the window. If they were sufficiently in sync today, she would see Diao Zhiyu again at REGARD.
Pushing open the café door, she was greeted by the rich aroma of coffee. REGARD's Christmas tree had already been set up ahead of other shops. The pinecones, bells, and Gingerbread Man ornaments on the tree were familiar from Zhao Xiaorou's Weibo videos—she must have ordered two identical trees and meticulously arranged them for the café. Sure enough, Zhao Xiaorou was seated at the far end, talking on the phone while facing her laptop, her eyes barely open yet still diligently negotiating business with a client. Li Ai was busy attending to customers, greeting Hu Xiu before subtly glancing back at Zhao Xiaorou, pretending not to notice. Besides the laptop, a notepad lay in front of Zhao Xiaorou, filled with circled dates and tasks—evidence of numerous client negotiations. After hanging up, Zhao Xiaorou sighed, "I really need to find a trustworthy partner soon to hand off the business side. Managing clients while overseeing assistants—I only slept at six this morning, got up at ten to post videos, and the client is already asking about next month's public account schedule. I'm going insane."
"Is Weibo and public account management that difficult?"
"I've started a Douyin account too. Recently met a Douyin operator specializing in fashion who promised traffic support, so I rushed to buy followers. Only about ten thousand organic followers came from Weibo—this is the perfect time to buy fans since fake data later would get exposed. I never handled this before and had to use a secondary WeChat account to inquire, not trusting my assistant to purchase them."
Hu Xiu had heard about Internet celebrities faking followers, but it was the first time hearing it from Zhao Xiaorou. She couldn't probe further: "Does this make you miss Wang Guangming's help?"
"What did you say? Is his urn leaking?"
"... Have some decency, Zhao Xiaorou."
"It's too troublesome. I'm just buying a million followers—forty thousand yuan transferred in one go. Now I have to monitor the follower growth myself, and with organic increases, it's impossible to keep track!" Zhao Xiaorou leaned closer, her breath still carrying the scent of Baileys: "Li Ai said he'd help with recruiting a team later."
Her tone clearly hinted at delight. Hu Xiu feigned surprise and deliberately flattered: "Does that mean there's something between you two?"
"Who knows? He offered to take over as soon as he heard I was staying up late, but he has surgery soon—I feel bad about it."
More than friends but not quite lovers. Hu Xiu shook her head: "No wonder Ning Zechen broke up with you."
"Oh, we had a fight, and he moved out the next day. Skilled and unclingy—pretty straightforward."
"Huh?""He's got quite a few ambiguous contacts in his phone, secretly adding many players on WeChat. There's a camera blind spot at the casino entrance corner where they enter. Last time he took me there and wrote his WeChat on my palm—just a few seconds but he was extremely practiced. I glimpsed new players on his phone, calling them 'brother' this and 'brother' that so sweetly. When I said something about it, he immediately accused me of not having him in my heart at all, and we started arguing. I can only say these kinds of bedmate relationships aren't stable enough—the physical part might be good, but spiritual emptiness really can't last. Ning Zechen's all brawn no brains. Many times during post-coital cigarettes I'd think, whatever, at least he's good in bed, I'll tolerate his thoughtless comments. But once when I was urgently coordinating schedules with a client, no time even for makeup, he was eating instant noodles beside me and reached over to grope my chest. What, is his brain only filled with sperm?"
"No need for such detail." Hu Xiu coughed several times, the imagery had come too abruptly.
"When we first started dating I jokingly called myself a groupie, but later you know what he called me? Bak Kut Teh—what the hell kind of comparison is that! Always talking about genitalia, nothing to discuss beyond crude topics, you have no idea how suffocating this feels. It's made me seriously contemplate recently: which is more tragic—someone with a sexy brain who might not satisfy you physically, or a healthy, sexy, virile idiot?"
Hu Xiu was amused: "Can't you have both?"
"Impossible. In this world—vaginal orgasms and cerebral orgasms never come simultaneously."
"That contemplation of yours... can I suspect you're alluding to Li Ai?"
Just as these words were spoken, Li Ai approached leaning on his crutches: "Alluding to me about what?"
"Nothing!" Hu Xiu's cake spoon clattered onto the table: "X-ray—your leg, your leg."
Even she didn't believe her own words. Zhao Xiaorou remained unperturbed: "Your surgery is in a few days, are you nervous?"
"Not really. Worst case scenario is amputation, I'll just come in a wheelchair later."
"Bad luck talk. I don't want a disabled business partner, mobility issues would affect my efficiency."
Li Ai opened his mouth but swallowed his words, glanced at the two making excuses and turned to leave. Zhao Xiaorou pointed toward the bar counter saying this woman had been coming frequently lately.
"A customer? Regular customers are normal."
"More than that. She always only sits at the bar counter. Once when the café was empty except for me, she entered and sat right there—isn't that strange? And she only drinks black coffee, often chats with Li Ai while waiting for his pour-over, laughing with that expression I recognize—she definitely likes him."
Hu Xiu followed her gaze to see a gentle woman with black curly hair, probably over thirty, wearing no makeup, her complexion somewhat pallid but features quite delicate; her pupils were very dark, flashing with fragile, neurotic expressions, making her whole face quite captivating. Occasionally she'd blush faintly while looking at Li Ai, and their exchanged smiles carried a quiet understanding. Anyone observing carefully could tell her feelings for Li Ai were unusual—Hu Xiu couldn't possibly miss this kind of unrequited affection that couldn't be fully concealed.The woman turned her head, and the gazes of three people met—yet it was Hu Xiu who first averted her eyes. Sensing something, the woman exchanged greetings with Li Ai before leaving. Zhao Xiaorou, holding back her frustration, tossed out a remark before stepping out to call a client: "I refuse to believe I can't outdo her." Hu Xiu sighed—what more could she say? Rivalry between love rivals was always a battle where even a single glance refused to concede defeat. The background on the computer screen was a photo Diao Zhiyu had taken for REGARD, while the blurred figure outside the door was Li Ai smoking—anyone with eyes could see it. Hu Xiu sighed again. Despite the many women around Li Ai, he persisted in fighting a lawsuit for his deceased wife, refusing even to treat his limp leg. His devotion was utterly overwhelming.
Li Ai brought over a slice of cake, and Hu Xiu asked, "That woman... has she been coming around often lately?"
"We met in a mutual support group for people involved in lawsuits. She's also fighting a case and has been feeling down, so she drops by here."
"Oh?"
Li Ai leaned down, propping himself on the table, and spoke very softly: "I don't fully understand the details, but it's roughly about a couple who pooled their resources to buy a school-district apartment for their son, only to have the child forcibly assigned to a low-tier elementary school due to the 'Five Categories and Twelve Types' policy. Lately, they've been staging sit-ins at the education bureau and running around to courts to file lawsuits. The couple argues constantly at home, so she comes here to escape."
There was so much story behind it. Hu Xiu glanced at Zhao Xiaorou, who was arguing exaggeratedly outside, and curled her lip: "Li Ai, Zhao Xiaorou broke up with her Live Action Role Playing Game boyfriend."
Li Ai wasn't surprised: "What was the reason?"
"She said... their souls weren't compatible enough."
Li Ai merely smiled: "That sounds like something Zhao Xiaorou would say."
"Breaking up so decisively probably means she still has feelings for you."
Li Ai's hands, busy clearing coffee cups, paused for a moment. He looked up and was promptly saved by a timely intervention: "Your Live Action Role Playing Game boyfriend is here."
No sooner were the words spoken than Diao Zhiyu walked in through the door, carrying a large backpack, just in time to catch the phrase "little boyfriend": "So right after marrying me, you're already going around announcing I'm your boyfriend?"
"Marriage?" Li Ai was stunned upon hearing this.
"This guy had the audacity to marry me in a Live Action Role Playing Game today."
"Oh." Li Ai turned back: "I'm a bit disappointed to hear that."
Hu Xiu seemed already accustomed to Diao Zhiyu's cheekiness: "Is marrying you such an audacious act? Don't think I won't report you to Snowpiercer."
"You wouldn't dare. Where's the Marriage Certificate?"
"I left it at Snowpiercer."
Diao Zhiyu was incredulous: "You didn't even bring it out? Most players would keep it as a private memento."
"It's not real anyway. I was just unwinding after work." The Marriage Certificate was in her bag—on the way over, she had stared at every stroke of Diao Zhiyu's handwriting until it blurred—but she would never let him know. Why feed his ego?
Diao Zhiyu, however, seemed a little disappointed: "So you didn't specifically go to 'marry' me."
If this had been back when she first met Qin Xiaoyi, she would have earnestly confirmed it. But now, seeing Diao Zhiyu's expression of certainty that he would get a positive answer, she suddenly felt like teasing him: "Sorry—no."Diao Zhiyu fell silent. No matter how Hu Xiu hovered around him, he paid no attention, burying himself in his computer while chatting with Zhao Xiaorou about Live Action Role Playing Games. Zhao Xiaorou, who had recently earned some money and was contemplating offline business ventures, immediately perked up at Diao Zhiyu's topic. Hearing about how to select locations, rent spaces, decorate, and hire actors, her eyes lit up: "Diao Zhiyu, I’ll remember this. Come next spring, let’s plan this out properly. I’ve long thought you Non-Player Characters in interactive dramas have huge market potential—good looks, acting skills don’t need to be top-notch, just a service mindset, and female players will flock to spend money in no time."
Diao Zhiyu suddenly turned serious: "We’re all people with dreams and aspirations for theater. Being a Non-Player Character is a profession, but we prefer to be called actors. If we’re seen as dream-makers, we’re happy, but if we’re just treated as objects for amusement, like gigolos, then forget it—I don’t want this industry reduced to a shallow money-grabbing tool."
"Little brother, I understand your theater dreams, but you’re in this line of work instead of performing in plays, which shows you also recognize it’s a hot market. High wages, generous tips—just accept that it’s fast money. Don’t scorn it after making a profit; be straightforward about it." Zhao Xiaorou’s tone grew increasingly pragmatic: "Like me taking ads for money—let’s be honest, truly 'pure' people can’t earn like I do. You have to accept that those who gain benefits are inherently hypocritical. If you can’t let go, you won’t succeed."
"Ideals and reality aren’t so easily separated. You should know, in this world, many people pity what they dislike yet can’t maintain purity toward what they truly love—splitting them apart is irresponsible."
"Then what exactly are you sulking about?" Zhao Xiaorou chuckled. "Did anyone deny your dreams?"
"Nothing, I’m leaving first." Diao Zhiyu picked up his bag without another word. Hu Xiu silently observed from the side, making no sound. Only when the shop was left with three people did Zhao Xiaorou sigh: "If Ning Zechen had half his brains, I wouldn’t look down on him. Though Hu Xiu has bad luck, her judgment is good—the men she picks have something to them. But can someone tell me—what is he angry about?"
Li Ai pointed at Hu Xiu: "Ask her."
Zhao Xiaorou tilted her head to look at Hu Xiu, who spread her hands: "I went to Snowpiercer and 'married' him—that part the wealthy ladies have played—becoming his warlord's wife for a bit. He messaged saying I’m uncultured and wouldn’t acknowledge me as his wife, so I went along and said I threw away the Marriage Certificate."
This made Zhao Xiaorou laugh: "That’s it?"
Hu Xiu felt deeply wronged. Was it only okay for Diao Zhiyu to tease her, but not for her to tease him back? He’d messaged that being uncultured disqualified her from being a "warlord's wife," yet he got angry when she mentioned discarding the Marriage Certificate. This inexplicable push-and-pull possessiveness made her both happy and sad. Diao Zhiyu cared more about players who liked him than she’d imagined, but with so many players "marrying" him, she was just one among many with hidden agendas. Climbing the old, dim staircase, breathing in the damp, dusty air, Hu Xiu thought to herself: Gaining as much love as possible might be Diao Zhiyu’s wish, but she hoped the Marriage Certificate could be his exclusive promise to her.This is simply a paradox.
Turning on the old television—which had been covered with a cloth like a bride whose veil had never been lifted—the channels displayed were barely satisfactory. Switching from financial news to home shopping, she finally found a youth idol drama. Hu Xiu stared at the male lead on the screen, whose eyes and cheeks radiated a youthful innocence. She watched idly for a while; it seemed to be the same old clichéd love story. Then, suddenly, the male lead shouted at the female lead, "Do you love me, or do you love the role I play?"
This caught her off guard.
Diao Zhiyu struggled to step out of his roles, and it seemed she had never truly viewed him outside of those roles. The Qin Xiaoyi, Li Rong, and Feng Youjin she had seen in Snowpiercer were all merely "roles" she adored. Perhaps she had never seriously examined Diao Zhiyu beyond his characters. Her past fondness for Qin Xiaoyi felt like an infatuation with the projection of her own dreams; as part of Snowpiercer, Qin Xiaoyi had given her a magnificent fantasy. Li Rong was cunning and deceitful, lustful and greedy, lacking integrity. Feng Youjin was domineering and crude, overly sensitive about his "lack of culture"... Every time Diao Zhiyu finished a performance, he found it hard to easily detach from his roles. Yet, beneath that mask, Diao Zhiyu was also a man. Even at just twenty-two, the experiences he had gone through from adolescence to now were enough to mature him. In the process of crafting dreams, he wavered, struggling to find his place, his sensitive possessiveness no less than that of other mature men.
Suddenly, the television began chaotically switching channels on its own. The remote control stubbornly refused to cooperate. Anxious, Hu Xiu tried to switch back to the idol drama channel, wanting to see something clearly through that young face. Live Action Role Playing Games, immersive theaters, chasing stars... whether it was distant stars or nearby lights, the things she loved and pursued gave her genuine heart palpitations. And the actors in Live Action Role Playing Games and immersive theaters were so close, already part of her life; she was not meaningless to him.
It wouldn't be unreasonable for her to express some possessiveness.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, Hu Xiu's phone rang. Diao Zhiyu sent an urgent voice call: "Hu Xiu, come downstairs. I'm at your place."
"Huh?"
"There's something I need to clarify with you. If you don't come down, I'll come up to find you."
Hu Xiu's heart pounded with anxiety: "What is it...?"
"Getting married and then denying it—that's not playing by the rules. Anyway, come downstairs now. I'll count to three. If you don't agree, I'm coming up."
PS: Xiao Zhang has dragged things into a new day... definitely a night owl. This chapter marks the start of the VIP section! Thank you for your support, everyone. I'll do my best to update diligently, and I welcome you all to continue interacting with Xiao Zhang in the comments. Looking forward to seeing you there!
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