When Hu Xiu and Diao Zhiyu walked into REGARD together, Li Ai's face showed a dazed confusion as if he had been through a lifetime.
He was still conducting an interview with two influencers—a home renovation app with tens of millions of users had invited him to join their platform and collaborated with several lifestyle and art public accounts for a joint feature.
Just after seeing off the influencers, he stood outside to take a call. Hu Xiu told Diao Zhiyu, "In the two months you were gone, he was still helping Zhao Xiaorou with a small part of her business."
But his own work had gotten busier, and he was still sticking to his fitness routine—completely swamped.
Li Ai had indeed tightened up his muscles compared to before, sporting a buzz cut and looking spirited, a far cry from the leisurely man who used to wipe cups and grind coffee beans in the café.
Diao Zhiyu swirled an ice cube from his iced Americano in his mouth: "Just two months apart, and it’s like everyone’s a different person."
"Two months in Shanghai, when you’re busy, can feel like a year in any other city."
"He’s also suddenly become so busy lately that he’s practically invisible. Seems like he signed a contract in Gubei, a five-year long-term lease, and he’s designing and renovating it himself."
"Finally decided to upgrade to a bigger place."
When Li Ai entered and saw Diao Zhiyu, he first landed a solid punch: "You brat, how long has it been? Did you vanish off the face of the earth after breaking up with Hu Xiu?"
That must have hurt. Diao Zhiyu grinned through a pained expression: "If I showed up after a breakup, you’d chase me out with a cane. We’re not close enough to surpass the sibling bond between you and Hu Xiu."
When Diao Zhiyu got cheeky, he had no shortage of nonsense to spout. Li Ai didn’t have time to brew coffee for them either: "I have to head out soon. Feel free to hang out in the shop."
Before leaving, he couldn’t resist adding: "If you break up with Hu Xiu again, I’ll break your legs."
After Li Ai left, Diao Zhiyu asked Hu Xiu, "Do he and Zhao Xiaorou both have a thing for breaking people’s legs?"
Their catchphrases were identical. Hu Xiu watched Li Ai, who wasn’t using a cane, walking with a slight limp and a slower pace—by rough estimate, he was already a spirited Youth on Yuyuan Road.
Diao Zhiyu pulled out his laptop: "The hidden storyline you mentioned last time only has one session left this week. I haven’t followed Chen Qiaonian’s plotline, and it’s unlikely they’ll assign me to it now."
"Not only do we need to rehearse in advance, but there’s also no one who can match Du Mingquan in scenes now."
"Everyone says you and Right and Wrong are locked in for good."
"You—" Diao Zhiyu’s brow furrowed tightly. "You’ve been reading that serial too?"
"Of course, it moved me to tears. Especially when Han Yiqiu revealed his pale skin, and Du Mingquan kissed every inch of it, leaving it flushed pink—"
Diao Zhiyu hissed and covered Hu Xiu’s mouth: "How many times have you read it?"
"I was bored while reviewing, so I read it a few more times... That chapter had particularly high views. What do you and Du Mingquan think about this novel...?"
"I’m straight, what could I possibly feel? It’s just some girl’s nonsense."
"The author is twenty-five, and her writing is exceptional."
Not wanting to engage further, Diao Zhiyu set up his computer: "Matching players like Zhao Xiaorou and Li Ai in Shanghai Bund is too difficult. Just getting them in the same faction is hard enough, let alone having them spark during missions."
"Their situation is different from ours. I’m a Non-Player Character myself, and you came because of me. They play Live Action Role Playing Games for fun, and Zhao Xiaorou even likes interacting with handsome guys in the game—it’s completely counterproductive.""Then why not go to Zhao Xiaorou's escape room? Oh wait, that won't work—Ma Liang slept on her sofa once, and she gets furious whenever his name comes up..."
"How about sending them into a horror escape room and making them do solo tasks?"
"That's not ideal either. Who knows if there might be handsome Non-Player Characters inside? Zhao Xiaorou would definitely flirt with them.
Actually, she's all talk and probably wouldn't actually pursue anything. It seems like Ma Liang really shattered her confidence."
"So many exceptional men let her walk all over them, yet it's Ma Liang who made her retreat. The wheel of fate turns in mysterious ways. We haven't heard from Ma Liang in ages. Has he contacted you?"
"Don't even mention it. He keeps asking me to translate documents for him every now and then, calling me his 'heartbreak alliance.'
My former colleague Cuixi, who's also Ma Liang's ex-girlfriend, found out I know him and keeps feeding me juicy gossip. I haven't told Zhao Xiaorou yet.
He hooked up with a girlfriend with F-cup breasts at Ogilvy. He originally claimed he'd stay single for two years because of Zhao Xiaorou, but couldn't resist this woman who lives on Huaihai Road, wearing lululemon to work out every day, parading in front of him. He even occasionally brags to me about his back pain—I don't know why he'd boast about that to his ex's friend..."
"He wants you to tell me he's doing well." Zhao Xiaorou shifted positions, clearly having been sitting in the shop for a long time: "Ma Liang will definitely marry into wealth. When that happens, I hope he won't be scared of steel wool and that his squat form keeps up with expectations."
It took Hu Xiu a moment to grasp the implication, feeling slightly awkward: "When did you get here..."
"I've been sitting here all along. You two just became blind to everything else after getting together."
Zhao Xiaorou rested her chin in her hands: "So, how are you planning to set us up? Go on, I'm curious too."
"Haven't figured it out yet." Hu Xiu thought, so Zhao Xiaorou had been nearby when Li Ai was discussing business earlier? She left without even saying goodbye—are these two completely estranged or so close they can ignore each other's presence...
"The Shanghai Bund situation is easy to handle. There's a way to get Li Ai and me into the same faction.
But I don't know what kind of interaction we could have there. When we go to escape rooms together, he avoids me like a lightning rod, hardly ever coming near me.
I haven't made any moves on him for a long time. Every time I tried hinting before, it failed. I can't figure out his patterns."
"So we can get assigned to the same faction, right? Then I have a plan. You two find a way to join the police station faction this weekend. The police chief will go to the morgue, which has a hidden room that's pretty scary.
The rest is up to you, Hu Xiu. Come find me for cards in the second half—I have a way to make Li Ai play truth or dare with you."
Hearing this, Hu Xiu got excited. Playing matchmaker for friends during a Live Action Role Playing Game? What a perfect opportunity.
But then she sensed something off: "Wait, you just had a romantic drama with me at the venue last week, and now I have to go back this week... to be a central figure?"
"What are you afraid of? It's a normal relationship."
"Your female fans will be heartbroken."
"They can enjoy my performances, but they have no right to interfere with my personal life—I'm not someone who submits to idol culture.
You should be more confident too. If you're my girlfriend, then you're my girlfriend. When you're doing simultaneous interpretation, you don't even bat an eye at professors from around the world, so why get sensitive about small-time players once you step out of the booth?"Hu Xiu thought to herself, being the most popular really was different—even with such arrogance, people still adored him.
The three of them had devised a battle plan: 1. Find a way to free up Li Ai’s schedule after 2 p.m. on Saturday; 2. Draw into the police station; 3. Zhao Xiaorou should prepare what she wanted to say to Li Ai, forcing him to comply in the game so he couldn’t deny it afterward.
Hu Xiu made a call to complete the first task: "Are you free on Saturday? Let’s go to Diao Zhiyu’s new theater."
"Pei Zhen’s house has started the hard decoration phase. I need to supervise the work."
Hu Xiu felt a bit awkward. Diao Zhiyu pretended not to notice: "How about Sunday..."
After finally securing a time on Sunday, Zhao Xiaorou brought thirty employees from her company, grandly booking over half the venue.
This indeed increased their chances of drawing into the police station. As the boss, Zhao Xiaorou forcefully swapped identities and sent the extra third wheels to other groups, leaving only unfamiliar first-time players.
Hu Xiu had already prepared to beg and plead at the ticket exchange to get into the police station, but Zhao Xiaorou had already changed clothes with her token in hand.
As long as it wasn’t for Hu Xiu’s sake, Zhao Xiaorou rarely dropped the ball. When Li Ai emerged in his police uniform, his basketball-built physique filled out the stiff fabric with gentle curves, and Zhao Xiaorou’s eyes had already climaxed three times.
This was also Hu Xiu’s first time playing on the police station side. Remembering the previous mention that the police chief was gay, she took a careful look.
With thick eyebrows and expressive eyes, his gaze at Li Ai was quite similar to Zhao Xiaorou’s earlier one—confirmed.
The police station’s mission was to investigate the origin of five bullets, stabilize the Japanese forces’ emotions, and secretly deliver intelligence to the Communists—a red storyline.
In 1941, the Japanese held overwhelming power in the concessions, and the patrolling Japanese soldiers were extremely arrogant.
Hu Xiu, Zhao Xiaorou, and Li Ai were assigned tasks: one was to distract the lecherous Japanese soldier, while the other two retrieved the hidden compartment in the wall.
Zhao Xiaorou grew excited at the sight of the patrolling Japanese soldier: "I’ll go seduce Fujita. It’s just sacrificing a little charm."
She had barely taken a step when Hu Xiu pulled her back: "You two go solve the puzzle. I’ll handle the seduction." Rushing into a scene that required sacrificing charm, with Li Ai right there!
Hu Xiu thought, for your sake, I’m sacrificing my charm too.
Retrieving the note and heading back, she spotted Han Yiqiu from afar on the second floor, leading his team to confront the underworld, stirring up trouble with the Military Department and the Japanese up and down the building.
Han Yiqiu saw her from a distance, his face expressionless—staying in character was his basic principle.
Hu Xiu followed the chief into the Escape Room. The Morgue was pitch black, but unlocking it revealed a hidden world.
A severed red palm, a lock of cut hair, a bloodstained garment... and various code-locked boxes, all requiring brains to unlock the next steps.
Over a dozen people crowded into a small Escape Room, trying to unlock grids. Within seconds, Zhao Xiaorou was losing her patience.
Li Ai leaned close to the code lock: "The numbers are too blurry. It’s way too dark here."
Zhao Xiaorou crouched down, and in the darkness, the distance became unusually close. Hu Xiu thought, as long as they’re this close, if they can hear each other’s breathing, there’s hope!
This silent exchange of breath was a tool for building momentum. Just as things seemed to be getting intimate, Zhao Xiaorou opened a box and didn’t dodge in time, getting splashed with water and having her dress stepped on. Her temper flared instantly: "What kind of bizarre Escape Room is this, with traps that spray water?"At such close proximity, if it were any other guy she didn't like as much, Zhao Xiaorou could perform a hundred ways of seduction on the spot. But the more she faced someone she truly liked, the more she either panicked or concealed her feelings, stumbling over her words in her fluster.
The generator required flipping switches in the correct color sequence. After several failed attempts, Zhao Xiaorou wanted to reach out but didn't dare, only circling around it anxiously.
Hu Xiu observed clearly from a distance: Zhao Xiaorou's affection for Li Ai had reached its peak, causing her to fumble every move, not even knowing where to place her hands and feet.
As they were about to leave, she accidentally tripped. Before Li Ai could extend a hand, other young players steadied her. After thanking them and exiting, Zhao Xiaorou overheard one boy muttering to himself: "She looks so much like IU..."
Li Ai had grown accustomed to this feeling of being excluded from romance, unable to even offer help when needed.
During the first half, their interaction was nearly zero. Hu Xiu sent Diao Zhiyu an "X," to which Diao Zhiyu replied, "Leave it to me." Hu Xiu couldn't imagine what tricks could break through these two friends at their bottleneck stage.
In the second half, Hu Xiu suggested first: "I've never gone to get Diao Zhiyu's Red Card before. How about we go to his place today?"
Li Ai expressed indifference—he was always casual in games. When they knocked on the Intelligence Division's door, Han Yiqiu was sitting at the desk, his glasses practically speaking volumes: "Last time you were here, you kept me at arm's length."
After the three of them stood still, Han Yiqiu got into character: "If you wish to join the Party, you must pass a test. Answer three questions for me. You two must be honest with each other—look into each other's eyes."
Hu Xiu snickered to the side. Diao Zhiyu was notorious in the Intelligence Division for loving to make things difficult—obtaining his card was harder than reaching the sky. Unaware he was being set up, Li Ai pointed at Hu Xiu: "What about her?"
"She has a special mission—later she'll help me chase Shen Ling. You two begin."
Chase Shen Ling? Hu Xiu glanced at Diao Zhiyu's smug expression. Whenever this guy was in character, he always found a way to annoy her. Zhao Xiaorou finally seized the opportunity: "Then let's begin..."
"Why do you want to join the Party?"
"I just followed others here."
"With no opinions of your own, you still want to join the Party? Our Party doesn't welcome those who drift with the tide."
Li Ai narrowed his eyes, as if understanding the situation. Diao Zhiyu remained in character, improvising while maintaining a coherent plot and trying to matchmake Li Ai and Zhao Xiaorou—if he gave her a task, it would definitely be a tough one.
Zhao Xiaorou waited eagerly to be set up, which Diao Zhiyu keenly noticed: "Second question: Do you have a lover? At critical moments, you must sacrifice your partner for the greater good of the nation."
"Both single..." Zhao Xiaorou looked at Li Ai: "I once met someone I wanted to love, but due to various twists of fate, we missed our chance. It was my fault."
Unless you were a drama enthusiast like Hu Xiu, unexpected situations rarely arose. Han Yiqiu stayed in character: "Third question. For security reasons, the organization might arrange a fake marriage for you. Are you willing?"
Both of them froze. Hu Xiu realized that although Diao Zhiyu's acting had improved, his specialty was still romantic schemes.
He'd even resorted to using an underground Party marriage plot—if they just said "I do," wouldn't that settle everything!
But Li Ai said calmly, "I'm not willing..."
Zhao Xiaorou looked as if struck by lightning. Not willing meant they couldn't get the card. Li Ai pulled the door open and walked out, while Zhao Xiaorou slowly stood up, her pride already shattered.The door to the Intelligence Division remained open. Passing players spotted the rumored couple and began jeering at the doorway, completely missing Zhao Xiaorou's dejected silhouette inside the room. She asked Hu Xiu, "Am I truly so unforgivable?"
Time was running out. Diao Zhiyu checked his watch—it was the scheduled moment to confess his feelings to Shen Ling.
The corridor buzzed with players coming and going. In the distance, Li Ai could be seen staring at the ceiling while distractedly working on the newspaper's Black Card mission, his mind wandering.
Zhao Xiaorou dashed forward. Hu Xiu hastily reached out to stop her, but failed. Good heavens, everyone said the Shanghai Bund was full of dramatic scenes, but Hu Xiu never expected to witness her friend adding an unscripted act. She could only pray the two wouldn't end up estranged.
Han Yiqiu held out a rose: "Shen Ling, I like you!"
Simultaneously, Zhao Xiaorou declared: "Li Ai, let's settle this today. If you no longer want to be friends, walk out that door and we'll never see each other again."
Hu Xiu stood utterly stunned—this was completely different from what she had planned.
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