Ma Liang's thoughtfulness was beyond imagination. He had anticipated the number of players and ordered five milk teas late at night, carefully selecting different flavors and sweetness levels; when changing clothes, he even helped the girls tidy their outfits, folding them neatly into their bags; Li Ai's crutch was leaning against the dressing room wall, and Ma Liang thoughtfully held it waiting by the door: "You're so dedicated to come play even on crutches. I once had leg problems too—back in Fengxian, I insisted on waking up at 4 a.m. every day to run, rain or shine. After two years, my knees swelled with fluid, and I couldn't walk if I kept running."
A genuine Fengxian local, his dark skin and fleshy cheeks with prominent laugh lines gave him an exceptionally honest and straightforward appearance.
He was especially protective of Zhao Xiaorou, stepping in front of her as they entered the escape room, even though it was a mechanical escape room with barely any scary music.
The sci-fi setting was abroad, featuring three professors researching a human brain chip that could resurrect the dead. Two had been implanted with the chips and their bodies preserved in nitrogen chambers in the attic, while the third had escaped with a chip. They had 70 minutes to escape, or they too would be turned into human brain chips.
The five spent fifteen minutes after entering searching boxes and feeling the ceiling for keys, only for Ma Liang to take one step and find a keychain hidden under the doormat.
"I thought something was poking my foot earlier—didn't realize it was this."
When they encountered an English puzzle, Ma Liang picked it up, glanced at it, then set it down, pretending to look around as he circled the study before returning to Zhao Xiaorou's side. Seeing Li Ai solve the puzzle, he spread his hands: "I thought of that too, but didn't say anything in case I was wrong."
Diao Zhiyu watched this unfazed, focused on examining the mural for codes. The four eagles on the wall faced different directions, corresponding to four wooden birds on a music box.
The door opened to a bedroom, where opening the closet revealed a puppet that startled Zhao Xiaorou, nearly making her jump into Ma Liang's arms: "What is that? It looks way too real!"
"Don't be afraid..." Li Ai searched the puppet for clues while a nearby phone could be dialed to contact the story's professor, obtaining a travel watch. The longitude and latitude on the globe matched navigation routes, which he recorded meticulously—
Setting aside research, he seemed to genuinely enjoy escape rooms. Men, compared to Live Action Role Playing Games, appeared to prefer brain-burning puzzles and confined spaces.
Diao Zhiyu was busy filling a fish tank to retrieve a key tied to a ping pong ball.
Hu Xiu compared the globe's coordinates to diary entries on the wall, racing against time, while only Zhao Xiaorou and Ma Liang sat chatting on the bed: "Your Grape Yogurt Tea looks really tasty."
"Zhao Xiaorou, come help me solve this puzzle," Li Ai called, urging her to get up. "We're running out of time—three diary entries still don't match."
"Coming..." Zhao Xiaorou shoved her milk tea into Ma Liang's arms with her usual flirtatious manner.
They opened a ladder, and all five climbed up. Hu Xiu and Zhao Xiaorou went first to the second floor, where Hu Xiu asked, "Hey, you're not hitting on this Ma Liang, are you?"
"Of course not. Even just to prove my charm, I have to play along, right? These flirting games aren't as good as Ning Zechen's. I don't care for brainless younger guys, but... I kind of miss it."
"Why are you ignoring Li Ai?"
"After what happened with Xu Meng, I still haven't gotten over it."Thinking about Li Ai's reconciliation, Hu Xiu almost spilled everything on his behalf. But Li Ai had chosen to hold back at the dinner table, waiting for a formal occasion—he probably didn’t want anyone else to bring it up first.
Watching Ma Liang climb up and immediately greet Zhao Xiaorou, Hu Xiu remarked that Li Ai might be used to giving quietly. Compared to someone who wore their attentiveness so openly, he was at a bit of a disadvantage.
"What do you take me for? This is just Diao Zhiyu’s friend. Li Ai has gone this far for me—I’m not stupid.
It’s just that I’m reminded of a saying: a sincere person will eventually meet a boyfriend in this lifetime; but without a conscience, you can date a lot more. Too bad—I still have a conscience."
She watched Li Ai climb up, walked over to give him a hand, and their fingers intertwined as naturally as anything.
Timing, location, and human harmony always seemed to fall just a little short. Zhao Xiaorou’s luck with Li Ai really wasn’t great.
Before the group could get a clear look at the attic’s layout, a prop corpse dropped from above, landing right in front of them. Ma Liang screamed and was promptly steadied by Li Ai.
Zhao Xiaorou leaped backward, bumping into Diao Zhiyu, who was guarding against other traps, and instinctively wrapped her arms around Hu Xiu. The Escape Room—a hotspot for physical contact—had them all tangled together in an instant.
"Damn it!" Zhao Xiaorou cursed as she regained her footing. "That scared me to death! I’m going to set up something like this in an escape room too!"
A creepy narrative voiceover explained: this was the last researcher of the Human Brain Chip, whose brain information had been seized by a machine and hidden in the lab.
If the players didn’t stop the machine’s operation, humanity would gradually fall into an era of machine control.
The countdown for the scene moved faster than expected. With six mechanisms left and only minutes remaining, Diao Zhiyu stood by with his arms crossed, half-giving up as he watched Hu Xiu busily open a box and two doors.
"A bit surprised, he said, “It’s almost over and you’re still unlocking things.”
"Why give up before the last second? I hate losing…"
"It’s just a game."
"No…"
Diao Zhiyu stared at him blankly, and Li Ai laughed. "That’s just how she is—takes everything seriously."
Time ran out. The iron door behind them opened—another failed escape. Hu Xiu brushed the dust off her clothes. "If it had been like last time’s Huarong Dao, maybe we could’ve solved it faster. What are these four complicated symbols? Each has numbers stacked together—do we need to add, subtract, multiply, or divide?"
"Step back a bit. It’s just simple pictograms—4326."
"Oh my god. If you understood, why didn’t you tell me?"
"Old escape room trick—just wanted to see how serious you’d get."
Hu Xiu punched Diao Zhiyu’s arm in mock anger. "You’re awful!"
After the staff debriefed them, they pointed to a computer. "Everyone, we have a photo capture segment—taken the moment you were startled by the dummy falling from above.
The reactions made for some interesting shots. You can save them via Bluetooth."
Zhao Xiaorou rolled her eyes in disgust. "Is that me? That’s practically Munch’s The Scream—I don’t want it."The other four were busy connecting via Bluetooth. Zhao Xiaorou insisted stubbornly, "Even if you save the photos, you're not allowed to post them! I need to professionally edit all my pictures before sharing—this could affect my sponsorship deals. Young man, could you take another group photo for us with this scene outside the door?" She pointed to the red ancient-style backdrop nearby.
"Good eye—this is the setting for our new Escape Room, 'Imperial Bodyguard.'"
The five of them stood in front of the palace gate with its red glazed tiles, against a navy blue backdrop that heightened the saturation of their faces.
Just as the phone was raised, Hu Xiu felt a tap on the back of her head, like a bird pecking, causing her to miss the shot; Ma Liang, claiming he was too spooked by the Escape Room to stand at the edge, squeezed himself between Li Ai and Zhao Xiaorou—
So, in the photo, there was Diao Zhiyu in black-rimmed glasses, teasing Hu Xiu and watching her with a hidden grin, and Hu Xiu herself, looking back at him with playful reproach; Li Ai, caught off guard but kindly stepping aside, Ma Liang crouching between them with a silly smile, and Zhao Xiaorou, dodging Ma Liang's ambiguous arm while striking her most photogenic angle.
The sci-fi-inspired outfits froze before the Qing dynasty backdrop, yet Zhao Xiaorou was thoroughly pleased—
In the picture, she looked fresh and sweet, while Li Ai wasn't facing the camera, instead gazing at her tenderly from the side.
Nothing was certain yet, but it felt like a good start.
Once outside, Ma Liang checked his watch. "Brother Diao, can I crash at your place? I can sleep on the floor—it's too late to go back to Fengxian now."
Diao Zhiyu seemed used to it. "You'll have to take the floor."
"What's going on?" Zhao Xiaorou asked.
"If he stays out too late, he can't get back. Taxis are too expensive."
"Oh, that's no big deal. How much is the fare? I'll cover it for you."
Ma Liang's eyes lit up, but he held back his excitement. "No need, Sister Rou, I'll just bunk with my buddy. But what do you do for a living to be so carefree about money?"
"You don't know who I am?"
"I don't pay much attention to things around me—I'm the type who just buries myself in work." He scratched the back of his head. "The only friend I usually hang with is Brother Diao. I rely on him a lot."
Diao Zhiyu remained expressionless, while Hu Xiu kindly squeezed his palm, suggesting, "Why don't you stay at my place and let him sleep at yours?"
Diao Zhiyu handed over the keys, and Ma Liang said, "Thanks, Brother Diao. I won't use the bed, don't worry."
After the group dispersed, Diao Zhiyu mentioned, "He's been staying at my place for almost half a year now."
"Huh?"
"He often crashes when he can't get home. Sometimes he disappears for a while, staying with women, and comes back to me after a breakup. It's a bit annoying."
"Then... why not say no?"
"I can't. He's the type who doesn't take no for an answer. Unless I literally kick him out, he'll keep coming.
Or even if I do kick him out, he'll return, as if he's latched onto people's kindness. What's equally baffling is how overly attentive he is. Once, when Geng Zhongliang and I got off work late and hadn't eaten, he heard about it and took a taxi all the way from Fengxian to bring us two bowls of sour and spicy noodles."
"Wow..." That didn't sound like someone who was stingy with money.
"Right? I can't quite figure him out either. I didn't really want to introduce him to you all today, but it was clear he didn't want to go back to Fengxian. With people who are so good at playing the victim, I can't help but soften. But—"
Diao Zhiyu gently tucked her bangs behind her shoulder. "Can you tell me why you're upset?""You've gotten much better at escape rooms."
"Is it because I'm going to film?"
"No..."
"It's nothing really, just a small production. Until the final cut is locked, I'm just their backup option anyway."
"Are you nervous?"
"Why would I be nervous? It's just acting. I'll perform normally and do my best. I'm more worried about your mood. If you're upset, it'll distract me."
Back home, Diao Zhiyu had arrived unexpectedly. Apart from the underwear hanging out to dry, there were no T-shirts for him to wear.
The freshly showered boy sat on the carpet playing games, dying embarrassingly once again as expected - he'd never reach the king level in this lifetime.
Hu Xiu's hair was still damp: "How did you actually pull off that pentakill?"
With two fine scars crossing his neck, Diao Zhiyu sneezed without turning his head: "Just went all in. When you're in a bad mood and take it out in games, of course you win fast; but now romance is too sweet, it's affecting my gaming progress."
"Oh, then we can break up."
Before she could finish speaking, Diao Zhiyu pinned her down by the pillows, his face stormy and voice stern: "Take that back."
"Why..."
"Don't joke about things like that."
"I'm not..." She suddenly felt like teasing him.
Seeing communication was useless, the irritated boy started kissing her. His hot body no longer had a fever, so his energy became surprisingly vigorous, as if he could stay up all night waiting for her to retract her cruel words.
Are men's body temperatures always higher than women's? When Diao Zhiyu gripped her face with his calloused hand, he showed no mercy - it hurt, he was truly angry.
The fragile, aloof manga protagonist she'd first met had now come alive, forcefully breaking into her story to reclaim his presence.
His stubbly chin pricked her skin as he nibbled her earlobe and licked her ear canal. Please, if this continues you'll give me an ear infection...
He didn't even give her time to prepare, his sudden assault feeling like retaliation.
The camel was no longer docile, his eyes full of conquest - he was genuinely angry. Wave after wave of panting left her throat dry, blaming the milk tea for being too sweet, the pleasure for coming too fast, herself for playing with fire.
He'd pause to make her anxious, then suddenly thrust with no warning, drawing broken screams - he was deliberately toying with her too.
Her hair was wet, her body was wet, his kisses were wet. The waves refused to recede easily, and Hu Xiu thought quietly: You...
After tossing and turning until late night, both exhausted and stopped. Hu Xiu's muddled mind cleared - damn, she still had work tomorrow.
Diao Zhiyu whispered in her ear, still sulking: "What worries me most is if we see our relationship differently. I'm so serious, I'm afraid you're insecure, treating our relationship as just acting.
Do you even love me? You can joke, but never joke about leaving me.
I'm not some idle person who can accompany you all day. If you're just playing around with me, I won't stick around."
"I'm not..."
"Do you love me? How much is acting, how much is real?"
Hu Xiu firmly held his angry face before her: "I was wrong, I'll never mention breaking up again."
"Promise me..."
"I swear..."The camel lay atop her in a mix of fury and defeat, his arm still wedged between their chests. Hu Xiu’s hand rested near his brow, her index and middle fingers gently stroking his eyebrows as if trying to smooth out two twisted strands. "The way you resolve conflicts is so... erotic," she murmured.
"Blame yourself for inviting the wolf in," he retorted, still not pulling away from her.
"Honestly, I’m not entirely confident about acting in films. I still enjoy performing in small theaters—the face-to-face connection with the audience feels freeing. But being preserved on screen? It’s like a puppet show constrained by the crew. I find it somewhat off-putting."
After saying this, he fell asleep. Her phone screen lit up with a new message: "How have you been lately?"
It was from Pei Zhen. Nearly a month had passed since their last exchange, which was during the farewell party.
Behind her, his breathing seemed to hitch for a moment. Hu Xiu deleted the message without replying.
She burrowed into his bare embrace, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Her hair was still damp.
Exhausted, she clung to this humid warmth, wanting to sink deeper, unwilling to rise.
At the hospital, Hu Xiu’s workload kept growing. The stacks of documents on her desk thickened, administrative tasks consuming most of her days, leaving little energy for translation.
After becoming the designated coordinator, staff from external departments she’d previously translated for began bypassing her senior colleague to contact her directly. Mindful of the hospital’s intricate interpersonal dynamics, she forwarded all such requests to Director Cai via official hospital emails to avoid blurred responsibilities.
While delivering the shift schedule, she overheard Director Cai chatting with the head nurse in Shanghainese—still comprehensible to her. Xiao Pei would return by mid-March; the project had wrapped up early.
Pretending not to hear, Hu Xiu left the office. After work, she planned to meet Diao Zhiyu for dinner before recording her Bilibili translation lesson.
"I’m at Shanghai Theatre Academy..." the boy panted over the phone, "doing some acting exercises on my own. Not too sure about it though. Want to come?"
"Won’t I be interrupting? I’m fine staying at the office," Hu Xiu replied, fiddling with her hair tie. "Not that desperate to see you anyway."
"Get over here. Now."
He wasn’t tolerating her teasing anymore.
Diao Zhiyu was auditioning with a script in the rehearsal room. Hu Xiu sat in a corner, stretching lazily, the tops of her canvas shoes taut.
He recited lines unabashedly, his voice firm as he knocked against the table, tears falling to the floor at emotional peaks, his delivery trembling.
In the script, a young man falls for a married woman, grappling with unrequited love. One line stood out: "Obsessing over status is pointless. Where there’s interaction, there’s emotional exchange—I can’t grasp the boundaries of morality anymore."
The words struck her deeply. A boy like Diao Zhiyu... even if she were married, she’d build a fortress in her heart for him.
Love transcends right and wrong, beyond gender. What can be confined by rules isn’t love at all.
The rustle of rain against her umbrella echoed like tangled heartbeats. Disturbed by the play’s themes, Hu Xiu felt disoriented around him.
As they turned a corner, Diao Zhiyu instinctively shifted her to the inner side of the sidewalk—a casual gesture, unspoken.
A play unrelated to them both, yet it fermented parallel thoughts.
"Your acting today shone brighter than in Snowpiercer—like you’d been lit up.""The environment there is relatively more commercial. We mainly focus on interactions, and the scenes tend to be quite formulaic."
"But I think... you take it very seriously."
"Well, it's acting..."
"Watching you like that reminded me of the shock I felt when I first saw Qin Xiaoyi scattering roses. Being an actor really is a fascinating profession. I think I understand now why you couldn’t break character with Lin Qiumei—when there’s emotional connection, it’s hard to just treat someone as a stranger."
"Why bring her up all of a sudden?"
"I’m just talking about the scene. Not digging up the past."
"The lines in this script really moved me, so I really want to act in it, even though it’s another story of unrequited love—what a dilemma. I guess I’m stuck in this type of role."
"But it does—stir the heartstrings. If you had played Feng Youjin from the start, I probably wouldn’t have liked you—truthfully."
"There’s something I’ve always wanted to ask you." Even as a couple, Diao Zhiyu still felt shy when mentioning their first meeting: "Why did you, out of all those people, pick me? I mean, there were plenty of handsome guys in Snowpiercer besides me."
"In the scenario, I noticed you’d often be happy for a while and then grow melancholy. Even though I was so inconspicuous, you’d still try to say a few extra caring words to me, trying to cheer me up.
That time when a few wealthy ladies came, you weren’t as annoyed as I’d imagined. You still considered their feelings.
So I thought, perhaps you’re just genuinely sincere to everyone who comes for you.
I originally assumed that an actor with such good looks would treat someone like me approaching as a joke, ignore my existence, or even find it bothersome. But later, I didn’t expect—" Hu Xiu laughed: "I didn’t expect you to care more than I thought."
"I’m not as good as you think."
"But you... are very precious to me."
"You are too. My life has been lit up twice—once when I received the admission letter from the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and once when I met you."
"See, not having enough years under your belt isn’t a good thing."
"Don’t joke, I’m serious." Diao Zhiyu leaned closer to her: "This city is refined in every way, except when it comes to emotions. I ignored the vulgar rules around me, the flattering players, treated everything with courtesy, thinking that not causing harm was a form of love—until you hurt me—
I never thought being a Live Action Role Playing Game actor would really mean suffering in love. Don’t always joke about me being young, saying I have no money, no status, not enough years. I can accept all that, but if I can’t give you a sense of security, then what kind of man am I?"
Under the umbrella, the lovers embraced. The air was thick with the humid, dense night, surrounded by gentle lights silently converging.
Hu Xiu’s heart pounded. The initial fervor she felt upon first seeing Qin Xiaoyi had faded, replaced by a complex, deeply hidden attachment that stirred within her.
Where did Diao Zhiyu get so much courage to insist on forever? She couldn’t understand it.
She only felt that, for now, she could tuck her cowardice away. Even if there was no way out, it didn’t matter—she could dock here for this part of the journey.
Though she didn’t know when fate might switch tracks.
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