In the play, she was about to test this acting skill, to see how much he could endure. Qin Xiaoyi stared rigidly at the marriage certificate, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. She intended to push like this—pushing both herself and him—to see if there was any wavering in his eyes.
The figure of Qin Xiaoyi before her overlapped with Diao Zhiyu, the entire person exuding sorrow while straining to maintain composure—an actor's instinct: "Are your feelings for each other genuine?"
"Without a doubt..."
"By signing this marriage certificate, do you pledge to support each other and grow old together?"
Pei Zhen, unfamiliar with Live Action Role Playing Game conventions, responded with unusual sincerity: "I will definitely treat him well, Minister Qin, rest assured."
Qin Xiaoyi picked up the pen, writing with flamboyant strokes that bordered on frantic. The three characters of "Qin Xiaoyi" started vigorous and powerful, while the final stroke resembled a desperate escape.
Throwing the pen on the table, Qin Xiaoyi didn't utter a single blessing—this aligned with his character in the play, possessing minimal tolerance for romance. In previous Snowpiercer sessions, whenever Qin Xiaoyi encountered couples coming to sign marriage certificates, he would directly show them the door.
All of this was for her.
Just as she was pulling Pei Zhen toward the door to leave, Qin Xiaoyi spoke: "Dr. Liang, please stay."
He removed a watch from his wrist and placed it on Hu Xiu's hand: "As Rong City's Finance Minister, I cannot be stingy in congratulating the newlyweds—consider this your wedding gift."
It was the same watch he had worn every previous time she visited. After Qin Xiaoyi became familiar with her, he would always gift it to Hu Xiu during their meetings.
Without even thinking, she knew this was the plot Diao Zhiyu had planned beforehand—the watch would be personally placed on her hand during the marriage witness ceremony following the signing, accompanied by wedding vows.
This was originally his unfulfilled wish from last time, but now she had personally altered this outcome. Here in Rong City, he, Qin Xiaoyi, remained ultimately the man who loved but could not obtain.
Stepping onto the stage for the witness ceremony weren't just her and Pei Zhen—surprisingly, Zhao Xiaorou and Li Rong joined as well.
Li Rong was a handsome young man whose roguish aura couldn't completely overshadow his youthful spirit. He began with wedding vows: "I witnessed this lady's remarkable prowess at the gambling table, finding such a bold woman possessing the quality of jade inlaid in gold, and wished to bring her home as my fortress mistress." This successfully amused the audience.
Zhao Xiaorou stood on tiptoe to snatch the microphone: "Thanks to Sheriff Ning for witnessing our marriage—a truly upright man."
It didn't quite resemble reconciliation, carrying more of a circus performance vibe. Ning Zechen, chewing on a straw, watched Zhao Xiaorou with a roguish smile—in the play, he ultimately had to yield to her to some degree.
Then Zhao Xiaorou shifted her tone: "Also thanks to Mr. Huang Xiao for providing the marriage certificate. Seeing how he wanted to marry me but didn't seem entirely determined, he ended up fulfilling me instead."
The good-natured Huang Xiao sat in the audience leaning on a cane—this was Li Ai. With just a few words, Zhao Xiaorou had delivered a killing blow—he had stayed up all night helping you organize things, and to be this heartless clearly indicated she was still holding a grudge...
Hu Xiu took the microphone, glancing at Qin Xiaoyi leaning against the bar counter gazing into the distance under the lights. She composed her breathing—both in and out of character, what she wanted to say was this: "I am Liang Min, a doctor newly arrived in Rong City. Perhaps I didn't attain my position as dean through entirely proper means, but I hold the highest respect for healing and saving lives.
In these turbulent times of war, people suffer immensely from conflict—there isn't a soul who doesn't yearn for stability, where health becomes a luxury.
Therefore I've chosen to become husband and wife with Mr. Lin. Outside Rong City, he is an exceptional physician."In 1934, becoming a female dean proved that women could accomplish what men could, and they must continue to progress.
The greatness of medicine lies not only in healing but also in giving hope. Through this microphone, I also wish everyone could become someone cherished. Adults may not need romance, but humans certainly need love."
Some in the audience were applauding, while others found it baffling that a Live Action Role Playing Game could be taken so seriously with such lines.
Hu Xiu couldn’t clearly explain her reasons. But at this moment, she desperately wanted to express something through the microphone—her feelings for Snowpiercer, her experiences at the hospital, the growth she’d gained under Pei Zhen’s influence, and proving to Pei Zhen that Snowpiercer wasn’t just a money-driven Live Action Role Playing Game. Under the players’ guidance, it could reach new heights and depths.
Pei Zhen stood nearby saying nothing, his nearly 1.9-meter frame with left hand gripping right wrist, lost in thought; Lin Qiumei and Ning Zechen wore teasing smiles on their faces.
Qin Xiaoyi watched coldly from the stage. With her hair cut short, all her features were exposed, and her intense, burning dark eyes refused to let her go.
In her daze, Hu Xiu thought the black curls had been hiding those eyes and nose precisely to conceal such deep affection—damp and piercing straight to the heart, enough to make anyone’s heart flutter uncontrollably.
Fingers gently turned her face. Pei Zhen cupped her cheeks, his lips landing at the corner of her mouth before shifting to meet hers fully.
The audience erupted into commotion, whistles sounding as someone shouted: "Be together! Be together! Be together..."
The Marriage Certificate was still clutched in her hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Qin Xiaoyi remained motionless. Hu Xiu took deep breaths, her emotions split between sweetness and sorrow—two men vying for supremacy, Qin Xiaoyi trapped within the script, and Pei Zhen’s victory hard-won.
Such an intelligent man, dealing with diseased skin, necrotic cells, and cunning cancers, couldn’t possibly be unaware of the emotional ripples in the air. All he could do was seize any opportunity that presented itself.
None of the three had truly won, including herself.
Next came the announcement of Rong City’s new candidate. When Pei Zhen pulled out 300,000 from his bag, Hu Xiu caught a glimpse—how had he quietly obtained so much money? It was sheer intellectual dominance.
Could it be...
"Let us announce: Qin Xiaoyi, Minister of Finance of Rong City, is elected as the next leader of Rong City!"
Qin Xiaoyi stood up, her face displaying the familiar loneliness and aloofness. He had imprisoned Ning Zechen, executed Feng Youjin and Lin Qiumei by firing squad, and the lights of Paramount dimmed.
A spotlight followed him as he scattered roses. Smiling despondently, his slender fingers drew rose petals from his chest, tearing and tossing them into the air. Without hair obscuring his features, his striking, coldly elegant face was fully visible. The shredded petals fell against his cheeks like crimson teardrops.
Hu Xiu thought to herself: Whether Qin Xiaoyi would ever belong to her or not, he would remain an unforgettable Role in her lifetime.
For veteran players, the Battle Royale segment wasn’t frightening at all. Previously, her fear in the darkness was mostly about finding Qin Xiaoyi. Now, with the layout memorized backwards and forwards, even being terrified in the Haunted House left her bored to the point of drowsiness.
Pei Zhen seemed to be constantly searching for her, still wanting to protect her? Conversely, Qin Xiaoyi was nowhere to be seen, and Hu Xiu had no intention of looking for him.
Yet she thought—in just 500 square meters of movable space, even as the rooms darkened and the area gradually shrank, how could he remain completely invisible?"Are you really trying to marry me in the game, or are you using me to provoke Diao Zhiyu?"
Pei Zhen suddenly appeared behind her, breaking her coating, followed by his words: Kill me.
He seemed to have something to say. In the pitch-black space, two glowing coatings—one orange and one green—stood out. The green one on Pei Zhen's face made Hu Xiu feel particularly... embarrassed.
"I didn’t want to say this, but I understand. I’ve always respected you, carefully testing the waters at every opportunity. I’ve never been this humble before.
I don’t mean to belittle Diao Zhiyu, but I’ve never thought of myself as inferior. It’s just a matter of timing—I arrived a step too late, letting him take the lead in your heart. But if you’re using me to test him, I won’t agree."
"It’s not fair. If you still have feelings for Diao Zhiyu, I’ll definitely lose during the three months I’m abroad."
"So..."
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
"Huh?"
"A fair competition between men—give me a chance to serve first. Consider it returning fairness to me.
During the hundred days I’m away from the country, if he remains unmoved, you’ll have enough time to give up on him and take our relationship seriously. If he proves sincere enough, then he’ll have successfully stolen you away. I, Pei Zhen, may not have the charm to withstand a long-distance relationship, but I’d rather that than be used as a substitute."
Hu Xiu remained silent. The darkness gave her a chance to avoid his gaze, her heart as calm as a lake.
"Your silence means you agree. I’m focused on academics, more interested in medicine than in people. I don’t want to waste time on trivial matters, constantly being weighed on a scale. There’s no need to humiliate my self-respect like this, Hu Xiu. This is the last of my humility."
"Agreeing to you now would truly be an insult to you, Dr. Pei. Snowpiercer is just a game. If I’ve offended you, I apologize.
I also need to work hard in the next three months. Stuck in a mediocre administrative role at the hospital, always led around by rules—the light you see in me was brought by Diao Zhiyu. Hearing you say this, I also feel it’s unfair.
So, three months from now, if you return and recognize my excellence, if you can see the light Hu Xiu emits, then it won’t be too late to repeat that confession.
I don’t want to treat anyone’s feelings as a tool for manipulation. If you’re serious about pursuing me, you have plenty of flaws too—
Too much experience, too little time, overly stable emotions, and the vibe of a seasoned player. If you’re really prepared to chase me, from the day you return from the U.S., bring your A-game."
Pei Zhen laughed: "Fine. You’d better keep your word."
Someone walked by—it was Zhao Xiaorou: "Oh my god, are you two dead here whispering to each other?"
"Just mutual destruction."
"Li Ai gave me a Marriage Certificate and proposed, but there’s no way I’m giving him that chance. Does he think I’d surrender so easily? No one gets played twice."
Zhao Xiaorou pulled out a knife: "Just watch. I’ll be the last one standing today."
She indeed kept her word. Not only that, she was the one who personally broke Li Ai’s coating—the expression on Li Ai’s face seemed almost willing.
Hu Xiu never saw Qin Xiaoyi until the end.
When the game concluded, Qin Xiaoyi escorted the players out and said through the door crack, "I have five more sessions after this. You can head back first."
"You performed well..." Pei Zhen checked his phone. Even on January 1st, doctors don’t get holidays—the hospital was already urging him to attend a consultation.Diao Zhiyu smiled: "You flatter me. Today is my last performance in Snowpiercer—I've resigned."
Hu Xiu stared in astonishment as he closed the gates of Rong City behind him.
Returning to the hospital with Pei Zhen, Hu Xiu spent the entire afternoon writing tutorials for the BEC intermediate-advanced exam guide. Dull, truly dull. Staring at the pile of documents before her, she realized it had been nearly half a month since she last stepped into the simultaneous interpretation booth.
Curled up in bed at home, she tossed and turned restlessly. A lingering unease clung to her heart, and there was only one reason for it: Diao Zhiyu had quit his role as Qin Xiaoyi.
Why did he quit playing Qin Xiaoyi? As a graduate of the Shanghai Theatre Academy’s drama program, he couldn’t possibly be satisfied with a small stage like Live Action Role Playing Games. Moreover, as a young director balancing commercial and artistic visions—full of ideas and drive—Snowpiercer’s long hours and strict constraints must have consumed too much of his time. Or perhaps he was being pursued by some wealthy woman, entangled in unsavory propositions, and had grown weary of such a transactional existence...
Or maybe... because of her?
How could that be? She was just an ordinary player—at best, a casual friend, or if she inflated her importance, something slightly more than a friend...
He was one of Snowpiercer’s most popular actors. If her absence from the show had made him feel defeated, leading him to quit, wouldn’t that make her gravely responsible?
What worried her wasn’t that Diao Zhiyu might lose his direction, but that the two Marriage Certificates had dealt him a blow. She knew how devastating setbacks from those close to you could be.
After midnight, hesitating repeatedly, Hu Xiu finally took out her phone and texted Diao Zhiyu: "I really didn’t expect today to be Qin Xiaoyi’s final performance... You’re probably still off work, but if you see this on your way home, consider it a way to pass the time. Let me share a secret of mine. Before I met you, at twenty-six, I was left at the altar."
Just typing that much brought back those dark, hopeless days. During her period of unemployment, Zhao Xiaorou had forcibly thrown out furniture she’d shared with several ex-boyfriends. In the empty suburban apartment, phrases like "A woman kicked out by her husband after ten years—her daughter can’t be much better" and "If you got left at the altar, you must be as worthless as your mother" echoed in her ears. She had even considered ending it all.
Time didn’t carry her forward. At twenty-six, broke but forcing herself to scrape together rent, her sporadic income made her wonder if she was only meant to live a meager existence. But she couldn’t tell him these things—no pity parties.
"I won’t go into details, but my twenty-sixth year was awful. I thought at twenty-seven, I’d continue down that path of decay.
But I never expected to bounce back so quickly. It felt like my soul was reinfused with life—most of my days spent running wildly, recklessly, becoming that vibrant, resilient person again, even more unbreakable than before... and it was almost entirely because of Qin Xiaoyi.
Hollow passion leaves scars, but because of you, I experienced the feeling of soaring to the heavens and crashing back down with every heartbeat. That sensation of flesh, blood, and a pounding heart—that’s truly being alive. Happier than Lee Donghae, luckier than any lottery ticket. Even if Qin Xiaoyi never appears again, I still want to thank you."
Thank you, for having appeared in my life.
At four in the morning, her phone suddenly vibrated incessantly. Most women living alone would be terrified by a ringing phone in the dead of night—Hu Xiu was no exception.Summoning her courage, she picked up the phone—it was Diao Zhiyu. What was he thinking, calling at four in the morning? Was he having a heart attack? Had robbers attacked his home? Did he have some deep-seated grudge against her?
"Hello?"
"Come downstairs..."
"Huh?"
"I'm outside your place. Come down now."
His tone was exactly like Qin Xiaoyi's when he used to intimidate people in Rong City. Bewildered, Hu Xiu glanced out the window and saw Diao Zhiyu holding his phone, looking up as if glaring at her.
She spat out her mouthwash, wiped her face, threw on a coat, and headed downstairs. She nearly tripped and tumbled down, her head throbbing with pain.
She had pulled an all-nighter the previous night, worked a full day, and now he showed up—young people shouldn’t abuse their energy like this.
Oh, right—he had quit his job, so he could sleep in tomorrow. But what was so urgent it couldn’t wait? Interrupting deep sleep was agony. Couldn’t he have waited to talk at REGARD?
When she reached the bottom, Diao Zhiyu stood there in a black down jacket. The moment Hu Xiu saw him, she sneezed right in his face.
"What do you want?"
"I need to ask you a few questions."
"Seriously? It's four in the morning."
Ignoring her protest, Diao Zhiyu took off his down jacket and wrapped it around her head and shoulders. "Did you do it on purpose? Signing Pei Zhen's name on the Marriage Certificate?"
"Yes..."
"Are you mad because I turned you down before? Or because I kept missing our plans to see a play, disappointing you again and again?"
"Yes..."
"Are you dating Pei Zhen?"
Hu Xiu took a deep breath but didn’t answer. The clouds had parted, and the moon hung overhead. Diao Zhiyu’s face grew tense, the white puffs of breath from his lips quickening—clearly, he was agitated. Finally, his absurdity grated on her nerves. "If there’s nothing else, I’m going back upstairs."
"I have to hand it to you—your tactics are masterful. Making a fan sign to catch my attention, pretending to be pitiful soaked in the rain, repeatedly playing Live Action Role Playing Games to become familiar; waiting outside Snowpiercer to see me after work, yet not adding me on WeChat, leaving it all for me to make the first move;
Then, just as I grew accustomed to having you in my life, you vanished, forcing me to search for you at REGARD, drawing me into your circle, and then overwhelming me with physical contact until I was hooked; and when I hesitated about Lin Qiumei, you promptly revealed Pei Zhen, playing one card after another, giving me hope only to let me down... And today, you marry Pei Zhen.
When we first met, you seemed so vulnerable, always needing protection and care. But looking back now, your calculated steps send chills down my spine.
Did you meticulously script this entire play for me? From Qin Xiaoyi to Diao Zhiyu, every detail planned—how to leave an impression, provoke my nerves, create moments I’d never forget, and when the time was ripe, make me feel guilty, leaving me red-eyed and waiting for me to surrender?"
Stunned inside the oversized down jacket, Hu Xiu’s hat, which had been perched on her head, flopped down and blocked her view.
Maybe it was for the best—she couldn’t see Diao Zhiyu’s face now. He wasn’t just angry; his expression was twisted.
Yet, even in his flustered state, the young man looked oddly endearing—so much so that she felt like laughing.
What script was he even talking about? Unless he meant the "Pure desire" style guide Zhao Xiaorou had crafted for her?
From start to finish, not a single piece of advice was reliable. She had done the exact opposite—wearing the frumpiest outfits, making the most absurd gestures, with unexpected mishaps cropping up all day long.Thinking of this, she also felt stifled: "If you really think so, there's nothing I can do... These are all my true feelings, but you make it sound like I'm some kind of 'rhythm master'."
"Pentakill, I heard it."
"Huh?"
"I said, during these days of giving you the cold shoulder, I went home every day and played games. I thought you were too scheming and didn't want to deal with you, but I also didn't know what tricks you might have played on my computer. Then today I got your inexplicable farewell message, so I could only bury myself in playing League of Legends. Just now, when I got a pentakill, I heard it."
"Oh... heard what?"
"I heard that you like me."
"So I came to ask you - does 'liking me' still count?"
"Is dating Pei Zhen real?"
"None of that matters anymore."
Diao Zhiyu walked over, lifted the down jacket hood, and without moving his hand, cupped the back of Hu Xiu's head and kissed her directly on the lips.
In that second, Hu Xiu felt her blood boiling, her entire body evaporating along with it. She hadn't tasted Diao Zhiyu's lips properly last time, but this kiss was precise and intense - she didn't even have time to close her eyes.
In contrast, he was fully prepared, eyes tightly shut. His lips sucked and released hers, his teeth slightly trembling - he was nervous. His nose bumped against hers and her cheek, cold to the touch. Under the light, she noticed a mole in the corner of his eye that she'd never seen before - no one could have spotted it without being this close.
The taste of mint candy seeped into her mouth, a cloyingly sweet suffocation overwhelming her, burning her until she couldn't move...
When he released her, the redness on Diao Zhiyu's face spread from his ears to his forehead, his neck flushing his cheeks, his entire breathing pattern disrupted.
Before Hu Xiu could process what was happening, Diao Zhiyu said, "If Pei Zhen can kiss you just like that, why can't I?"
"The rules of this game aren't yours alone to set. Pei Zhen overtakes whenever he wants, you call stop whenever you want - I've been spinning around at your whim, expected to play along with your act."
"So starting today, count me in on this script. If it's acting you want, then fine - win or lose, happy ending or bad ending, it's no longer solely your decision."
After saying this, he turned and walked away in his black sweater, not even taking his down jacket. Hu Xiu was burning up inside the jacket, completely bewildered: "What script? I've never been acting with you from start to finish. What's with your random outburst? Did you come at four in the morning just to scold me?"
"Still playing dumb..." Diao Zhiyu turned back, let out a scornful laugh, then his expression shifted as he exhaled through pursed lips, becoming serious enough to qualify as a vow: "Then I'll say it again - I, Diao Zhiyu, am going to pursue you."
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