Love between Lines

Hu Xiu stood rooted to the spot, staring intently for a long while as if hoping Diao Zhiyu would notice her too.

The experienced player beside her mistook her for being lovestruck and nudged her arm: "If you want to interact, just go upstairs. He comes here every day to watch Shen Ling."

Live Action Role Playing Game veterans tended to be outgoing. Zhao Xiaorou nudged Hu Xiu: "Go on..."

But Hu Xiu didn't move. Collecting herself, she asked the veteran player: "Does my storyline involve any interaction with him?"

"You're the journalist. He'll come down soon to gather information, and incidentally see Du Mingquan and Shen Ling's marriage announcement in the paper, which will infuriate him. Just hearing Shen Ling's name in this place makes him lose his temper and act recklessly."

"Then he's considered..."

"The male lead. Shen Ling is a selected Miss Shanghai, a movie star. Nearly every notable man in this building is fond of her.

Han Yiqiu and Du Mingquan are actually both former assassins, but Du Mingquan is high-ranking Mafia.

Whereas Han Yiqiu can't reveal his identity, so even if he likes Shen Ling, there's nothing he can do."

"What about the ending?"

"That depends on which factions we trigger and how they battle it out. There are many mini-scenes in the second half, and he has major scenes. We'll see how it unfolds slowly."

However long Hu Xiu watched Diao Zhiyu, Diao Zhiyu watched Shen Ling on the first floor for that same duration.

This gaze lasted so long it made her eyes ache and throat tighten. Even viewed from the first floor looking up, Diao Zhiyu sitting astride the second-floor railing had no bad angles - his jawline was clean, even his nostrils formed attractive teardrop shapes.

His hair had grown longer, curly locks falling smoothly behind his ears. Dressed in a white shirt with arms crossed, his face full of defiance, he drew his legs back and left.

Shifting her gaze to the first floor, the hall featured Du Mingquan in a black long gown holding Shen Ling in his arms - that Han Yiqiu who had run off was clearly jealous.

Han Yiqiu completely failed to notice her - from this angle, with his arms crossed, it was hard for him to see.

Besides, with over a hundred players in the venue, anyone would be face-blind. No reason he'd spot her.

Turning back to the newspaper office, the editor-in-chief looked genuinely puzzled: "Where have you been?"

Before Hu Xiu could answer, Han Yiqiu had already approached with seven or eight intern reporters.

Hu Xiu reminded herself to get into character quickly - she was now an intern journalist, and Diao Zhiyu was the storyline actor wearing Han Yiqiu's name tag.

He stood triumphantly at the newspaper office entrance, picking up a paper to browse: "Editor Zhang, I heard you wrote this report 'Japanese Soldier Shot in Hongkou, Three Bullets to Chest in Critical Condition'?"

"Yes..."

"Any leads on the perpetrator? Nan Yuan's assassination is no small matter."

"You'd have to ask the police about that."

"Your publication is always first with the news. Why would we need to go to the police?"

"Perhaps you could ask my intern reporters? They've just been out gathering information for me."

Han Yiqiu's gaze swept over the intern reporters. Hu Xiu thought, there's no avoiding this now.

Sure enough, the face-blind Han Yiqiu's eyes settled on her, his expression and gaze shifting noticeably.

Her heart pounded as if time had frozen. Both seemed to be searching for the missing two months in each other's eyes, and the emotions on Diao Zhiyu's face - delight, sorrow, surprise - were easily readable to Hu Xiu. She didn't look away, reflecting all these emotions back at him.

The group caught the strange tension in their exchanged glances, even Editor Zhang Wen looking perplexed.Han Yiqiu withdrew his gaze, no different from before, slipping back into character as he pointed at Hu Xiu and asked, "You, have you gathered any information about the arms and firearms?"

"Not yet..." She had been too busy watching him downstairs earlier—how could she have found time to ask around? Besides, she hadn't even figured out the building's layout.

"Editor Zhang, the new reporter you hired this time isn't very capable." He was deliberately provoking her!

Before she could even get angry, Han Yiqiu noticed the unedited and unpublished news about Du Mingquan and Shen Ling's upcoming marriage on the desk. Enraged, he slammed the table: "Back to the Intelligence Division. Let's go."

An actor playing a reporter pointed at his retreating figure: "See that? That's Du Mingquan's love rival, Han Yiqiu. He gave up a stable bank job to work in the Intelligence Division—a real villain."

His figure was elegant, his sleeves fluttering, leaving Hu Xiu stunned in place. Had his acting improved this much in just two months?

A new player beside her sighed, "So handsome, yet he's a villain?"

Editor Zhang remained in character: "In the concessions, where can you clearly distinguish between justice and evil? You all need to keep your eyes open."

Originally hoping to catch another glimpse of Diao Zhiyu while completing her task, Hu Xiu got lost on the third floor and couldn't even find where the "Intelligence Division" was marked.

Dejected, she ended the first half without familiarizing herself with the plot. Hu Xiu had no interest in the debriefing—whatever faction stories they were discussing, she needed to find Diao Zhiyu!

After the first half concluded, there was a voting session. Only after stepping out with her sticker did Hu Xiu notice the real-time cast list posted by the door.

Diao Zhiyu's short, black curly hair—she had never seen him like this before. Gone was Qin Xiaoyi's aloof demeanor; instead, he leaned against a railing she recognized, exuding confidence and cool detachment. As if harboring some profound conviction, his eyes held untold stories. The moment he glanced at the camera, his gaze was no longer the familiar one she knew.

Her heart clenched violently. Numerous fair, delicate hands appeared around her, slapping stickers onto Han Yiqiu's voting column with fervor.

The enthusiastic crowd instead blocked Hu Xiu's path, and a young female player even shoved her aside forcefully: "Ah!" My Qiuqiu!"

Furious, Hu Xiu slapped her sticker right in the center of Diao Zhiyu's photo, covering his face completely—What Qiuqiu! Wherever he goes, he's surrounded by fangirls!

During the meal break, Zhao Xiaorou happily recapped: "I've roughly figured it out—today, 11 storylines were activated, but the hidden Communist line wasn't triggered. Aside from the newspaper editor and the mixed-race actress from the American consulate, the rest are all handsome men. Shanghai Bund really knows how to run a business! Did you understand the first half?"

"Of course not." Hu Xiu glanced upstairs, where actors were looking down and greeting regular players, but she saw no sign of Diao Zhiyu.

Zhao Xiaorou continued her calculations, "I'm completely lost. Each main storyline operates independently, with occasional interactions. I only saw three or four handsome men. When does the second half start?"

Unexpectedly, the second half was free exploration. The concessions began to lock down, and originally neutral players had to seek out factions, find their respective guarantors, or pledge allegiance to survive.

With 50 NPCs in total divided into Nationalist, Communist, Japanese, and American factions (blue, red, yellow, black), choosing one faction locked out the others. Players who found their correct faction and collected five passes of the same color could escape successfully. They could also assassinate NPCs from opposing factions to complete covert missions.

Hu Xiu ran up and down the building, thinking she would first collect three passes before looking for Han Yiqiu.Otherwise, if she chatted with him for too long, she might not even get a card stamped and wouldn't be able to escape. Han Yiqiu was with the Central Statistics Bureau, meaning he was part of the Party-State—so she could get a card from the Party-State!

The guarantor tasks grew increasingly tricky. Through a mix of bluffing and deception, Hu Xiu finally secured the last card and rushed to Han Yiqiu. After two months apart, she felt a bit nervous: "Qiuqiu!"

She wasn’t sure what to call him—she couldn’t very well call him Qin Xiaoyi. Han Yiqiu turned around, his tone distant: "What did you call me?"

"Han... Minister Han?" Thank goodness for the plot; otherwise, she wouldn’t have known how to start the conversation after such a long separation.

"Director..." Han Yiqiu gazed at Shen Ling downstairs, not looking at her: "What do you need?"

"I’ve come to seek refuge with the Party-State..."

Han Yiqiu paused, staying in character: "Let me see the cards you have."

Hu Xiu pulled out four blue cards. Han Yiqiu smiled: "Sorry, I’m not the person you’re looking for."

He took a red card from his pocket and waved it in front of her: "Step aside, I need to go downstairs."

Damn, she’d bet on the wrong side—he was with the Red faction!

"Are you okay?" Hu Xiu blurted out instinctively, looking at him timidly.

Han Yiqiu pursed his lips; everything but his eyes stayed in character. After a second, he replied: "I don’t understand what you’re saying."

He sidestepped her and went downstairs—neither reminiscing with her nor treating her as an ally.

Hu Xiu chased after him for a few steps but saw Han Yiqiu take a rose from his pocket downstairs and confess to Shen Ling.

This confession wasn’t like Qin Xiaoyi’s aloof and eccentric approach toward Lin Qiumei. Instead, he stood solemnly opposite her, utterly sincere, even a little... foolish: "Shen Ling, I like you!"

Players screamed and cheered. Shen Ling snatched the flower and threw it in the trash: "I’m married. Du Mingquan is my husband. Don’t come here again."

Hu Xiu watched the dazed Han Yiqiu. His entire demeanor was no longer just about unrequited love; it had gained layers—sting, heartbreak, turbulent undercurrents...

A rough jade, once polished, began to reveal its sharp edges. Many players looked at him and laughed, saying, "Oh my god, he’s a bit too handsome..."

Perhaps it was something she had brought out in him.

But it didn’t end there. She and a group of veteran players waited at the hospital. Sure enough, Han Yiqiu carried the gunshot-wounded Shen Ling to the emergency room (with blood packs staining his clothes). Du Mingquan, having heard the news, arrived and, seeing the doctor shake his head, punched Han Yiqiu to the ground and pulled out a gun: "Han Yiqiu, I don’t give a damn whose son you are! From now on, for the rest of my life, I’ll only seek revenge from you!"

"I haven’t even asked if you killed her!"

"Don’t think I don’t know—who else is a sharpshooter like you?"

Du Mingquan rushed into the emergency room, while Han Yiqiu, who had no marital ties to Shen Ling, knelt outside the door, tears streaming down his face.

Hu Xiu watched from the side, her heart shattered into pieces. Some players urged Han Yiqiu to pull himself together, but he instead stood up and asked: "Who killed her? Was it you? Can anyone tell me?"

Zhao Xiaorou came over and saw Hu Xiu crying too, looking puzzled: "What’s going on? I just finished a mission, and you’re here crying?"

Hu Xiu knew it was just an act, and she knew Diao Zhiyu was still in character. But she remembered the night they broke up, when Diao Zhiyu had walked out of her house with tears streaming down his face, saying, "Sister, your heart is too cold."The final hour was filled with small scenes everywhere, a feast for the eyes. She searched all over for Han Yiqiu but couldn't find him.

St. Anna Dance Hall, the consulate entrance, the church hall—everywhere was alive with drama, even fights...

The red-line ending was triggered. A spotlight chased up to the rooftop, where Han Yiqiu stood on the terrace and shot five Japanese military police in Hongkou, echoing the gunshot at the beginning of the theater.

He holstered his gun and gazed coldly downward as the narration began: "In 1941, the concession lost its autonomy and came under Japanese jurisdiction. The five gunshots did not signify an end.

The chaotic times remained chaotic, and Shanghai was still an isolated island. What ultimately keeps this world turning is not deceit and intrigue, nor schemes and plots, but sincere hearts and eternal love."

If the keywords for Qin Xiaoyi in Snowpiercer were "passionate" and "unrequited love," then Han Yiqiu in Shanghai Bund carried righteousness and conviction, with a sense of mission that overshadowed romance—his acting had improved remarkably.

After it ended, the actors took their bows on stage. Hu Xiu walked over to Han Yiqiu—

The boy was still immersed in his role, sweat beading on his temples. He smiled and greeted other players, but when his eyes landed on her, his lips tightened unnaturally.

She gently placed a sticker on the voting board and waited by the entrance for the actors to exit the venue.

The Shanghai Bund venue was enormous. Fifty actors emerged in a grand procession. Diao Zhiyu was surrounded by several female players taking photos with him and offering gifts. He politely declined each one, repeatedly expressing thanks. When an enthusiastic female player asked for his WeChat, he pressed his palms together with a calm smile. Throughout the entire process, he maintained earnest eye contact and conversation with the female players, occasionally answering a question or two about the plot. He left empty-handed and, from start to finish, never once glanced at Hu Xiu.

Before heading upstairs, he finally couldn't resist and looked back at Hu Xiu from afar, then quickly disappeared into the actors' rest area—he still cared about her!

Memories flooded her mind: the shift from indifference to burning intensity in his gaze, the touch of their intertwined fingers, the shared breaths of their intimate moments. Hu Xiu stared at the staircase leading to the actors' rest area, her heart racing wildly.

In the dressing room, Hu Xiu overheard female players chatting as they changed: "That actor playing Han Yiqiu is so mysterious. He doesn't accept gifts, and there's no chance to get close to him. A friend of mine wanted to pursue him—she came every week, even asked someone to get his WeChat, but couldn't. Lately, she's been so frustrated she stopped coming."

"Some say he's single, others say he has a girlfriend, but he absolutely won't talk about it. He used to be an NPC in Snowpiercer and was already very popular. When he moved to Shanghai Bund, a bunch of fans followed him.

Only wealthy women can afford to play this—just four sessions a week. Some spend entire weekends here just for him.

But I think he's just okay. Where's the handsomeness? Is he really worth losing your head over?"

Hu Xiu emerged from the dressing room with a green face. Zhao Xiaorou shot her a glare, and she understood the implicit message—"I told you not to break up with him. Regret it now, don't you?"

In the car ride home, Zhao Xiaorou's relentless barrage left her utterly defeated: "Are you stupid? You thought he was going to be an idol or actor, so you broke up with him. And what is he doing now? Still an NPC—the most popular one, completely unapproachable. You let the boyfriend you had slip right through your fingers!

If you knew he'd still be an NPC, why did you break up with him? That bastard Diao Zhiyu! If I see him at REGARD, I'll break his legs!"Staring out the window, Hu Xiu was naturally filled with questions. What did Diao Zhiyu do when he wasn’t working as a Non-Player Character on weekends?

Honing his acting skills? Directing or starring in films? Or did he have other plans? A stream of questions flooded her mind, and she couldn’t resist sending him a message: “I didn’t expect to see you here. Are you doing okay?”

WeChat remained silent, as if determined not to reply. The ride home took an hour and a half, and Hu Xiu didn’t utter a word the entire time. Suddenly, she slapped her thigh and exclaimed, “I get it now…”

Zhao Xiaorou jolted awake. “You scared me! I was almost asleep… What did you figure out?”

“I’ll come back next week to play the Live Action Role Playing Game again. So what if I go broke? I’m not the same Hu Xiu I used to be. If he refuses to talk to me outside the game, I’ll confront him inside it!”

As soon as she got home, Hu Xiu booked her ticket for the following week and dug out the game manual to carefully study the story and the twelve factions. The setting was the occupied Shanghai Concession in 1942, with Japanese troops stationed in the area under strict martial law—historically corresponding to Hongkou District. The story began with the assassination of a Japanese officer. Han Yiqiu was likely the illegitimate son of a gang leader. Originally groomed for academia, he discovered his mafia origins and, in a fit of anger, joined the Central Statistics Bureau before becoming an underground communist agent.

Not stopping there, she dove into the Super Topic on Weibo, meticulously researching the roles Diao Zhiyu had played here: a ruthless Japanese soldier, Dai Li, the deputy director of the Military Department, the “Vanilla King” of the Chamber of Commerce…

He had certainly been busy over the past month and a half.

Over the weekend, with temperatures hovering around 36 degrees, Hu Xiu took the shuttle bus to the venue and queued up to draw her Role. In the first session, she was assigned to the Chamber of Commerce as a bank trader profiting from shady deals. In the second session, she joined the I-Kuan Tao cult, negotiating alongside a cunning, handsome leader.

She couldn’t help but sigh—whenever she played the Live Action Role Playing Game hoping to catch a glimpse of Diao Zhiyu, her luck turned abysmal. Her tasks in the first session had absolutely nothing to do with Han Yiqiu.

Determined to make the most of the second session, she rushed straight to find Han Yiqiu—

“I’m here for you today. Whether you hold a Red Card or a Black Card, you can’t avoid me.”

Han Yiqiu was seated in the Intelligence Division, his white shirt revealing his Adam’s apple. Clearing his throat at the sight of her, he asked, “Looking for me?”

“Joining the Party…”

An earpiece buzzed as the game controller spoke to him. He lifted his head, his striking brow and eyes complementing his pleasant voice: “This week’s perk—the first person to find me gets a ten-second staring contest. That’s you.”

Hu Xiu frowned. “I suspect you’re setting me up.”

Han Yiqiu tapped his earpiece, signaling that he was telling the truth. He stood up and moved closer to her, the familiar scent of mint on his breath making it impossible not to suspect he had anticipated her arrival. “Next, you’ll recite the oath with me, and then answer three questions.”

The oath was nothing more than the standard pledge for joining the Party, but Hu Xiu was more concerned about the three questions. Someone like Diao Zhiyu, accustomed to improvising, was sure to seize the opportunity.

Sure enough, he fixed his gaze on her: “Who did you come here for?”

“You…”

“Are you devoted to me alone?”

“That depends on whether you’re a good person.”

Han Yiqiu raised an eyebrow. “Your attitude is lacking. I can’t give you the card.”

“There’s a surveillance camera right above us—don’t even think about it. What’s the third question?”

“Between Shen Ling and Du Mingquan, who’s a better match for me?”

“Du—Ming—Quan,” Hu Xiu enunciated each syllable deliberately.Han Yiqiu took a step back, his expression solemn. "The pass is gone. You may leave."

Deliberately making things difficult!

As other female players rushed in, she was forcibly pushed out of the intelligence room—the door slammed shut.

Hu Xiu stood frozen in place, staring at the corridor surveillance camera: "Did you see that? Did you all see that? Your great Director Han is deliberately targeting I-Kuan Tao members!"

Fuming with rage, Hu Xiu took five Japanese faction passes and stood at the grand ballroom entrance waiting for Han Yiqiu to come down and confess his feelings.

The moment Shen Ling appeared, Han Yiqiu stood nearby holding roses, shyly waiting for the right moment. Hu Xiu positioned herself beside Shen Ling and cooed in a saccharine voice: "Madam Du, Madam Du, you look so beautiful today! You and Mr. Du make such a perfect couple—"

This drew giggles from surrounding players. Han Yiqiu shot her a fierce glare before proceeding with his scripted confession while holding the roses.

Arms crossed, Hu Xiu watched him fail at his confession, then leisurely strolled to the hospital entrance to witness Shen Ling's murder. She watched Han Yiqiu kneel on the ground weeping, with female players comforting him: "Director Han, don't cry... The dead cannot be brought back to life..."

Han Yiqiu reached out to the other female players: "Help me up! I must find the killer and take revenge!"

The female players eagerly extended their hands. Hu Xiu stood stunned. What's this about? Didn't you, Diao Zhiyu, break up with me? Why are you still playing this jealousy game here?

Near the end, as Hu Xiu watched Han Yiqiu's new storyline unfold, she finally realized: to protect the intelligence officer's identity, Han Yiqiu had personally taken the long-range shot that killed Shen Ling.

Standing before the train station holding an urn, he murmured Shen Ling's childhood name: "Yueyue, I've come to take you home."

She had to admit—even if it was just acting, a handsome face with soulful depth could be an incredibly contagious language.

Moved to tears, Hu Xiu booked the next week's Shanghai Bund session the moment she stepped outside—

Damn it, I'm clearly heartbroken, so why am I still getting immersed in this? I'm such a goddamn fangirl!