When truly busy, time flies by like a joke. By the time Hu Xiu lifted her head from the stacks of files, the desk calendar should have been flipped to March.
Sitting at her desk, she pondered—shouldn’t the days without Diao Zhiyu by her side feel like years?
Yet the reality was this: right after returning on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, she was kicked out by her landlord. Within three days, she found a top-floor apartment in the same complex and moved in again, though the rent was two hundred yuan more per month—exhausting and costly. She dashed up and down the administrative building, spent four weekends cooped up in the simultaneous interpretation booth, and earned eighty thousand yuan in a month between her salary and side income. The notifications of deposits were more frequent than the messages from Diao Zhiyu.
Who has time to think about love when there’s money to be made? Staring at her bank balance, Hu Xiu decided she no longer wanted to date on weekends—no more aimless walks, meals, movies, or Live Action Role Playing Games. Nothing felt more tangible than cold, hard cash!
The sudden surge in monthly income came from her newfound eloquence. Previously, Hu Xiu had been the quiet, diligent worker in the office, obediently following the vice dean’s every instruction. But at the post-holiday dinner, she played the sympathy card, lamenting that she had just turned twenty-eight in nominal age.
Yet she felt particularly lost in her career and hoped to seize more opportunities to leverage her strengths on weekends...
That dinner wasn’t just attended by the vice dean but also by the leadership of the School of Life Sciences at Dan University. While discussing the new year’s academic exchange plans, they unexpectedly pushed Hu Xiu into the spotlight.
Struggling with the specialized terminology, Hu Xiu felt overwhelmed but gritted her teeth, memorizing materials and impressing even herself with her professional competence.
Occasionally, her senior colleague would complain about work during meetings, but the leaders seemed to turn a deaf ear. Over time, they came to see Hu Xiu as genuinely capable—and genuinely pitiable—with her greatest virtue being her reluctance to express emotions.
So, showing a little vulnerability occasionally yielded remarkable results—timing truly was everything.
She hadn’t updated any Bilibili videos for a month, yet her follower count had grown to four thousand.
Aside from the praise directed at her, there were also compliments on the editing—though the editor had vanished into remote mountains and small towns, not turning on his phone for ten days or half a month, leaving not even a photo to protect his privacy.
Out of respect for this actor, Hu Xiu refrained from messaging him, allowing him to fully immerse himself in playing the role of a young lover.
In March, Shanghai was shrouded in misty rain. With money to burn but no idea how to spend it, Hu Xiu spent her lunch break seriously browsing a fashion blogger’s weekly outfits, vaguely realizing she was a fashion disaster and resolving to catch up.
Pacing around a fast-fashion store, she recoiled at the cheap fabrics and shoddy stitching. After wandering aimlessly, she returned to her usual haunt, Yangfu Qingshan, where she often bought suits. But when she tried one on, she felt like a mocked governess and rushed back into the fitting room to change into her own clothes.
Maybe she was just in the wrong mall? Without an umbrella, she emerged from the subway station and headed to REGARD, where Zhao Xiaorou had been waiting for a long time. They hadn’t seen each other since the New Year. Zhao Xiaorou was seated at the innermost table, lit beautifully, idly filming herself with a Super Junior variety show playing in the background.
At her feet was a makeup bag from the selection team—a gift she had tested and passed on to Hu Xiu.
Almost brand new, having been used only once, Hu Xiu inherited it but remained indifferent to makeup, inevitably earning herself some teasing from Zhao Xiaorou."You're here..." Zhao Xiaorou pointed at Lee Donghae on her iPad: "I'm catching up on their 'Weekly Idol' episodes. Haven't watched in ages, but Lee Donghae hasn't changed at all - not even a receding hairline. What kind of ageless immortal is he? Though Choi Siwon's face does seem to be getting longer."
So her stolen moment of leisure was still spent watching Korean variety shows. Hu Xiu leaned in for a look: "He really is the only one among them who hasn't aged."
"Right. Jeon Jungkook's gotten puffy and Kim Taehyung's developed jowls, but this fifteen-year veteran idol still lives like a red ginseng root."
Li Ai stood behind the counter: "The way you two talk, you sound like his ex-wives."
"What's the difference? Back then we'd buy underwear and wait at the airport, hoping he'd wear it someday and show just a hint of the waistband above his jeans."
"With so many fans waiting for recognition, how would he know it was from you?"
"We'd embroider our names. I stitched my Korean name on his, but he never wore it. I used to think he'd be happy when he received it, but looking back now, he probably thought I was a pervert."
Zhao Xiaorou took a bite of black forest cake: "When is Diao Zhiyu coming back? My escape room is short-staffed and desperately needs him to save the day. Can't hire any handsome guys - maybe good-looking men don't like playing ghosts?"
"He won't be back for at least two weeks. He said he wants to act in plays or immersive theater when he returns, not just be a regular NPC."
"He's still too young. If he helps me manage the escape room, I'll pay him well. He's popular anyway - what's wrong with being an NPC? It's all acting. You can't make money with lofty ideals."
"Every actor has their ambitions. As for money, I can earn enough to support him. No need to do things he dislikes just to make a living."
"Oh my god, Hu Xiu, how much money are you making that you dare support a man?"
"Not that much, but I made eighty thousand this month..."
"Did you commit murder or arson?"
"I'm an interpreter! Ten thousand per session on weekends, and I did eight sessions."
Loud clapping followed as Zhao Xiaorou said: "Impressive. Your wings have truly hardened now."
"Senior interpreters charge even more - sometimes thirty thousand for a six-hour conference... I'm probably just cost-effective."
"But eight consecutive sessions nearly buried me in documents, plus my regular job. This month has been an extreme sport."
"Don't complain about good fortune. You should see how many people are still struggling below the poverty line."
"Ma Liang works tirelessly in my escape room, keeps all the props spotlessly clean, and doesn't even ask for wages - just sleeps on my couch at night. Many times I've felt so bad I wanted to take him home to sleep in the guest room."
"When I asked him to bring a contract to the escape room during the day, he came to my place that very night. I was doing makeup in my bedroom, and when I came out, he'd cleaned every visible surface - even washed the dishes. His diligence is almost frightening."
"His main disadvantage is probably his education - he might not achieve great things, but hard work compensates for shortcomings. There's no shame in having a technical secondary school diploma."
"Technical secondary school?"
"Yes, I heard he started working before finishing junior college. Not sure if he dropped out or what."
"But his effort gives me rose-tinted glasses. At first I found him a bit slick, but now I just think he's less educated, simple-minded, and very sincere. Doesn't Diao Zhiyu think this friend is worth keeping?"
"Previously he only mentioned sleeping on couches and at various women's places - seems to have good luck in romance. Didn't say much else about him.""What kind of Korean drama plot is this? Did you think you were a little puppy picked up in the rain?" Zhao Xiaorou chuckled unconsciously.
Hu Xiu glanced at Li Ai: "You're not falling for him, are you?"
"What nonsense. I just feel sorry for him. And can we not measure everything through the lens of romance? I'm just being a righteous older sister helping out - don't you understand chivalry and compassion?"
Zhao Xiaorou frowned while looking at her phone: "Which brand just transferred me 600,000? I've never even seen the contract. Who signed this?" She looked up in surprise: "Li Ai, what's going on?"
"I reached a settlement. The compensation came through, so I'm returning the rent you paid for the coffee shop before."
After a few seconds of stunned silence, Zhao Xiaorou regained her composure: "But we agreed I was becoming a partner."
"Different matters should be treated separately. Even if you want to become a partner, we need to calculate everything clearly and sign a contract." Li Ai explained with a smile: "Don't you hate unclear boundaries and responsibilities the most?"
But Zhao Xiaorou interpreted his words differently: "Keeping me at arm's length. Fine."
After saying this, she refused to speak to Li Ai further, seriously putting on her headphones to watch variety shows. Li Ai went into the back kitchen to cook noodles, with Hu Xiu awkwardly following behind: "Whenever you draw boundaries with her, she gets angry."
"If it were just a meal or one month's rent, I could find other ways to return the favor. But 600,000 isn't a small amount. As friends, I should pay back what I owe."
Li Ai banged the iron pot loudly on the induction cooker while boiling water, clearly upset too.
After the noodles were cooked, Hu Xiu brought them to the table. Li Ai hugged his basketball and went out, without even taking his crutches, pulling down the metal security gate behind him.
Zhao Xiaorou didn't eat the noodles, pointing angrily at the security gate: "After the surgery, his leg healed enough to play basketball without crutches. It seems returning my money means he can start a new life. He never took me seriously from beginning to end."
"Why are you so angry with Li Ai? 600,000 yuan - he has his male pride too."
"I don't care about the money. How many Internet celebrities can't come up with 600,000?" Only the two of them remained in the coffee shop, with the variety show playing loudly: "I originally wanted to record shows here, but since I don't have shares anymore, I'm going home."
Hu Xiu, having a rare night off, followed him to the basketball court. Besides Li Ai, there were two men wearing baseball caps - probably the clothing store owner next door and Li Ai's old friend. With no customers in the shop, Li Ai occasionally gathered friends to play.
He wore compression socks and a short sleeve shirt, breathing heavily with sweat on his forehead. He never mentioned how hard his rehabilitation was, still lacking the stamina to keep up with regular basketball players. His movements clearly showed he was playing with emotion.
Hu Xiu sat nearby playing on her phone, using the rare relaxation time to browse overseas shopping sites. She knew Li Ai would come sit beside her and offer water - when it came to thoughtfulness, no one could compare to Li Ai.
"I thought you would pick an auspicious day to invite Zhao Xiaorou for dinner and then tell her about the settlement. Instead, you revealed it while jealous during the conversation about Ma Liang - what a waste. You should use your energy where it matters most."
"I transferred the money long ago, she just noticed it now. On the day of the settlement, I posted about going to court on my social media. She saw it and liked it, so it's not like she was completely unaware. She was just playing dumb."
"This layer of window paper between you two is really hard to pierce through.""She's competing with me, trying to make me owe her, to always be under her thumb. Using this superiority over liking me to make me angry—well done, I am indeed angry."
It was rare to see such obvious emotional fluctuations from Li Ai. He drained his water in one gulp and crumpled the bottle: "In her eyes, everyone else has endearing qualities and shining points, but no matter what I do, it's always wrong."
Not exactly... Hu Xiu thought to herself. It's just because of the awkwardness over Xu Meng, but it's hard to say it outright.
After beating around the bush for a while, she said: "Find an opportunity to talk it out with her. The previous encounters were just bad timing, it doesn't mean there's no feelings between you two."
"Given this situation, who do you think would back down first? Even if I kneel, she'd just grind me into the ground."
Li Ai tossed the bottle into the trash can with the accuracy of a dart champion: "I'm not an unfeeling man."
Shaking her head inwardly, Hu Xiu decided it wasn't right to assist either side this time—she would buy a ticket and sit in the audience seats, watching how this play would unfold.
One wants feelings, the other wants pride—their timing never aligns. It was time for these two to taste the bitterness of love.
Wanting to play one last game at Zhao Xiaorou's escape room, Hu Xiu was sitting by the entrance waiting to join a session when she spotted Ma Liang on the couch waiting for closing time.
Ma Liang had a buzz cut and was wearing a gray GAP hoodie, indeed not looking like someone who graduated from technical secondary school.
When customers entered, he proactively went to pour water and greet them. His phone was left on the couch, showing his Douyin liked videos page—the screen filled with large breasts and plastic surgery faces. Hu Xiu felt dizzy from the overwhelming display. She meant to turn off his screen but accidentally tapped one of the videos—a woman with at least an F-cup, wearing black stockings, dancing and smiling at the camera. The background music was "Say Goodbye," vulgarly excessive.
Hu Xiu stood up and went to the entrance for some air. Every liked video showed remarkably consistent taste—apparently he really wasn't pursuing Zhao Xiaorou anymore.
This statement carried no derogatory meaning toward Zhao Xiaorou.
During the NPC's break to drink water, players from the previous session came out to chat and take photos with the actors.
The one who emerged was a thoroughly masculine man. After politely smiling for photos with every player, his eyes lit up when he saw Hu Xiu: "It's you? Do you remember me?"
Hu Xiu studied him for a long moment: "Weren't you the actor who played Qin Xiaoyi before?"
"Yes! You actually remember." His excitement was palpable: "I left that job later, but I asked my colleagues about you. Wang Wei told me you often play Snowpiercer, but he didn't have your contact information. Meeting you here is such a coincidence."
"How come you're working here?"
"A former colleague referred me. He also played Qin Xiaoyi, said his friend's escape room needed an actor to push the plot, so I came over.
It's indeed much easier here. Snowpiercer runs six sessions a day—playing the lead role practically skins you alive after a few months. That colleague of mine persisted for nearly a year before recently leaving to film a movie."
He was clearly talking about Diao Zhiyu. Hu Xiu pretended not to know: "So you've been moving between escape rooms and Live Action Role Playing Games?"
"Yes, 404, Gonjiam, Hong Mansion Horror, 007... None require much acting. 007 is relatively better, though still somewhat demanding.
But compared to the instability of filming, these full-time jobs offer better security with social insurance and housing fund. Being an actor is too rootless and uncertain."A few words conveyed all the bitterness. Hu Xiu realized she had no grounds to judge him as shallow—his mixed-race features were strikingly sculpted, with a perfect jawline somewhat resembling Rhydian Vaughan. Yet even with such looks, he never dreamed of becoming an actor.
She’d heard Diao Zhiyu say that every year, dozens of students enter the acting department of the Shanghai Theatre Academy brimming with starry-eyed dreams, only to have them worn down by graduation. Making a living—such a stark reality.
"I really want to get to know you," said the Rhydian Vaughan lookalike, pulling out his phone. "I’m Fang Qingxian."
"Hu Xiu…"
"I know. I asked Wang Wei about your name, but that’s all I knew. Running into you here feels like fate."
Fang Qingxian held his phone, voice trembling, all composure from their earlier group photo gone. "So… will you be at the final evening session?"
"Maybe, if we can form a full group." Hu Xiu checked the app. "Seems unlikely right now."
"If you came alone… does that mean you’re single?"
His handsome face held a naive transparency. Watching his tentative gaze, Hu Xiu recalled their three hours together playing Snowpiercer—his dashing looks, overwhelming masculinity, and tender care she still remembered vividly.
Live Action Role Playing Games were fleeting encounters. With private contact forbidden, chances of meeting again were slim. The bond between players and actors was always fragile.
Before she could answer, Diao Zhiyu texted: "Wrapping up…" His telepathic timing rivaled a security check.
Smiling, she told Fang Qingxian, "Diao Zhiyu, who recommended this place to you, is my boyfriend."
The disappointment in his eyes mirrored fireworks vanishing into the night sky. "What a… shame."
"I replayed Snowpiercer seventeen times for him." Hu Xiu tried to lighten the mood, though the remark sounded even more provocative.
"So he upgraded from player to boyfriend. That lucky bastard."Just as she thought the night would end perfectly with coupledom bragging and an Escape Room session, Zhao Xiaorou’s message exploded in the group chat: 'Announcement: new boyfriend, Ma Liang.'"
Ten aggressively punctuated words. Zhao Xiaorou added: "We’ve been chatting nonstop through the holidays. Don’t think I have no standards—I just genuinely admire Ma Liang’s relentless drive and want to give it a shot."
So the audience seats came with rollercoaster tickets. The group chat fell silent. Hu Xiu steadied herself, mentally fastening her seatbelt. She was ready to sit tight and watch this drama unfold.
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