Chapter 18

It was gradual, like raindrops softly soaking her face and hair. The rainmarks on her body weren’t easy to fade away.

Whether in the script or in love, as long as she appeared enough times, she would always leave a mark in Qin Xiaoyi’s heart. He liked to get involved in the drama, and he couldn’t easily forget her.

Such ambition, which could only arise at night, might disappear by the next day. When she saw Qin Xiaoyi again, her heart would still race and her mind would short-circuit.

But at least tonight, she needed to remember to be cautious with the person she wanted to cherish.

The plot had expanded a bit more for Hu Xiu. The main task of this scene was to intercept intelligence and report it to Qin Xiaoyi. Each envelope opened revealed secrets about Rongcheng.

Before the general passed away, he had done many bad things. Before becoming the Minister of Finance, Qin Xiaoyi had once called Ning Zechen his brother, sharing a mutual admiration. Young Feng Youjin had once received kindness from the Qin family before joining the military. He had planned to repay Qin Xiaoyi when he grew up, but due to the general’s intentional orders to go to Rongcheng to suppress bandits, he mistakenly killed the entire Qin family during a banquet.

Qin Xiaoyi had been studying in the United States at the time. When he returned home and discovered the Qin family had been wiped out, he developed a blood feud with Feng Youjin. Once he gained power, his first act of revenge was to imprison Feng Youjin’s wife and children in the Qin family’s hidden room.

She could either clear up the misunderstanding and save Feng Youjin’s wife and children, allowing Qin Xiaoyi and Feng Youjin to reconcile;

Or she could take this opportunity to threaten Qin Xiaoyi, using this intelligence to blackmail him for a large sum of money, then help him win.

This was what made Snowpiercer superior to other murder mystery games. Many games with tickets costing two to three hundred yuan have similar scene and costume quality.

But the script was several pages long, with only one NPC responsible for observing the plot’s progress and reviewing it at the end. Players act throughout, and the script’s few pages are difficult to memorize and deceive others. If players aren’t good at lying, it becomes very boring.

In contrast, Snowpiercer has only one task card, with the rest of the items in the bag being props. The plot’s progression relies on completing tasks with NPCs.

With more than a dozen possible endings based on player interactions, each scene is driven forward by the changes players make in the script.

Hu Xiu, holding the secret information in her hands, once again found herself in a dilemma. Her kind-hearted intuition told her to clear up the misunderstanding and save Feng Youjin’s wife and children. But solving the misunderstanding wouldn’t bring out any extras to play the roles of the wife and children; it would simply lead to one conclusion. On the other hand, using the opportunity to trick Qin Xiaoyi could offer a lot more interactive chances.

No matter if it’s scamming money or scamming people, it always requires eye contact and subtle glances with Qin Xiaoyi. Anyway, the money she receives will still help Qin Xiaoyi rise to power, a win-win situation.

She finally understood the essence of the interactive theater — doing whatever task changes the plot.

Since she came here to fall in love, all the plots should serve her romance story!

She ran to Qin Xiaoyi, carrying her role bag, and mustered up the courage to ask, “Minister Qin, do you want to win?”

Qin Xiaoyi raised an eyebrow and leaned back slightly. “What do you mean?”

That damn voice was too magnetic. Hu Xiu couldn’t accept defeat in just one round: “I mean, do you want to win? I have some information that’s both bad for you and beneficial to you.”

His expression subtly changed for a moment, but Qin Xiaoyi still smiled. “Follow your heart.”

Taking a deep breath, Hu Xiu finally gathered the courage to speak, but the words that came out were different from what she intended. “Fine, then I’m going to blackmail you, Minister Qin. If you don’t buy this report, I’ll give it to Helzen, a reporter from Fengyoujin’s side, to publish in Rongcheng News.”

After saying this, Hu Xiu slapped herself mentally. That impromptu line was terrible! How could she say “blackmail”?! Unrehearsed lines really don’t work.

Qin Xiaoyi pulled money out of his pocket and sighed. “What kind of unreliable subordinates have I raised? The only trustworthy one has flipped, Rongcheng really is a big cesspool.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, someone as simple and loyal as you have started to blackmail me. Blackmail—how insidious.”

Hu Xiu took the money but was smiling inside. “Minister Qin, although you’re in pain right now, you’ve protected your reputation, and in the end, the money is still adding bricks to your camp. You’re not letting the good stuff fall into someone else’s hands, are you?”

“All the wool comes from the sheep.” Qin Xiaoyi suddenly leaned over. “Let me check if there’s an informant card in your bag.”

Before Hu Xiu could react, Qin Xiaoyi’s hand was already inside her bag. His long fingers rummaged through it, with his warmth and breath just inches away—an intimacy only seen in couples.

The close contact shocked Hu Xiu, and her first reaction was: Damn, this is too close, how can I handle such a surprise? My chest is flat—gotta get out of here!

Her sudden movement embarrassed Qin Xiaoyi, and his face turned red. He straightened his collar. “No informant card? That’s a relief. You’d better remember who you’re working for. Don’t take this opportunity to flip sides.”

Now it was Hu Xiu’s turn to regret. This rare opportunity for close contact slipped away just like that. Didn’t Zhao Xiaorou’s dating manual say to create opportunities for physical contact? How could it end without even getting a chance? Doesn’t Qin Xiaoyi’s scent tempt me?!

“What are you thinking?” Qin Xiaoyi tapped Hu Xiu’s forehead with his finger. “Come with me.”

Hu Xiu mechanically followed, quietly testing her forehead with the back of her hand. Thankfully, her skin was matte and not greasy.

At the department store, Qin Xiaoyi slowly said, “Pick a piece of jewelry. Your taste really isn’t great, good thing you didn’t give it to Lin Qiuyi, or she’d dislike me even more.”

“Is that true?” Doubtful, Hu Xiu stood by the counter. “I think my taste is okay... isn’t green supposed to make you look fairer?”

“You’re not even dark...” Qin Xiaoyi pulled out a pair of pearl earrings from the velvet counter and gently tapped her earlobe as a trial. “This one is good.”

Without Bai Luoyu around, the department store was very quiet. Hu Xiu couldn’t find any words, feeling completely absent.

She glanced at Qin Xiaoyi’s shoulder, too scared to look higher. “Aren’t you going to help me put them on?”

Qin Xiaoyi placed the earrings in Hu Xiu’s palm. “Dream on.”

Ever since Hu Xiu developed a true ambition for Qin Xiaoyi, she felt her courage growing.

If Qin Xiaoyi didn’t reject her, she could push a little more, and then a little more. Qin Xiaoyi’s limits were definitely lower than hers.

After all, whenever she looked at him, her intelligence dropped, her speech failed, and physical contact made her heart skip a beat.

But Qin Xiaoyi always accepted it openly, professionally playing along. While Hu Xiu felt dizzy from the ambiguity, she meticulously remembered every detail, ready to distinguish between acting and sincerity when she got home.

This shift ended around two in the morning. In order to see the real Qin Xiaoyi after work, Hu Xiu lingered on the streets, yawning repeatedly, waiting for Qin Xiaoyi to come out from the emergency exit.

Although the department store was in the city center, the small street where the emergency exit was located was narrow. The property car flow was light, and the sidewalk was wide. After work, actors often gathered by the roadside chatting.

As actors came out laughing and joking, Qin Xiaoyi appeared in good spirits and held the door open for Lin Qiuyi.

Lin Qiuyi blocked the door, giggling with a crisp voice. Someone inside was knocking, and when the door opened, it was Feng Youjin who came out grumbling.

Qin Xiaoyi smiled faintly, and because his cheeks were thin, the corners of his mouth curved, forming a pair of parentheses. His eyes glanced at Hu Xiu beside him, and his expression didn’t change. That smile translated to “we’re all friends.”

“What are you still doing here?”

“I... waiting for a cab.”

“She’s here to see you, can’t you tell?” Ning Zechen whistled. “Could it be that someone’s actually here to see all the endings of the Snowpiercer? Isn’t there someone special?”

“Stop talking nonsense...” Qin Xiaoyi laughed, pointing at Ning Zechen. “She’s here to see your ending.”

“She’s seen my ending at least twice. Besides, how do you know she’s here to see my ending? You two talked privately, right?”

Ning Zechen made a gesture with two fingers, tapping three times. “Where did you talk? In the car? At home? In bed?”

Qin Xiaoyi pushed him. “Don’t go too far. I don’t need my paycheck this month, do I? I’m not in contact with her.”

“Such a girl is worth keeping in contact with. It’s just a two-thousand-yuan fine,” Feng Youjin lit a cigarette.

Hu Xiu understood. For Snowpiercer actors, privately contacting players would result in a salary deduction.

And Qin Xiaoyi made an effort to distance himself from her, probably not wanting her to feel awkward amid the group’s teasing.

If it were Zhao Xiaorou, she would have loved it if everyone joked about the two of them.

After all, during their school years, ambiguity often started with jokes and rumors among classmates.

But adults can’t rely on this—emotions spun from gossip are too vague. She would have to rely on her own charm.

Thinking about this, Hu Xiu was surprised by herself. Under the night wind, her mind was clearer than it ever was on the Snowpiercer.

And now, what attraction did she have to offer... She was wearing the same white shirt and black skirt from work, with mismatched brown leather boots.

She had also swapped her contact lenses for black-framed glasses. That’s right, she was dressed just like the “boring female teacher” Zhao Xiaorou had described.

She swore it was for safety—after all, walking back to her old neighborhood at 2 AM in an exposed dress felt a bit dangerous. But on second thought, she must seem very safe to Qin Xiaoyi. Where would a counselor come from?

She shouldn’t have been waiting for him to finish work. She had prepared her costume for the show but forgot about what she needed outside of it.

Those pure and alluring dresses Zhao Xiaorou had recommended to her, the ones she had discarded, were now flashing through Hu Xiu’s mind. Each one could easily attract a man’s attention. Especially since Qin Xiaoyi liked women with large chests. Why hadn’t she mustered the courage to wear them!

Several people were standing beside Hu Xiu, waiting for the car, completely ignoring the fact that they were blocking Qin Xiaoyi and her from having a private moment.

Trying not to keep staring at Qin Xiaoyi, who was wearing a white T-shirt and a Lakers No. 23 jersey, Hu Xiu, with an irregular heartbeat, tried to change the subject and asked Ning Zechen, “How are you guys getting home? There’s no subway at this time.”

“We all live nearby. We’re going to drink later.”

“Drink?”

“Yeah, we drink every time after work.” Ning Zechen glanced at her attire: “What do you do? Dressed so formally. Teacher? Civil servant? Bank clerk?”

“Translator…”

“Ah? Do translators dress so formally?”

“I’m an interpreter, I attend those big conferences. I just came from the venue today.”

The group of people standing around made a few awkward jokes. Ning Zechen nudged Qin Xiaoyi: “Did you hear that? She’s a conference interpreter. Your fans are all so high-class.”

“The women who like me are more like mature, wealthy housewives, not educated but with money,” Qin Xiaoyi said, laughing.

“What are you saying…”

“Birds of a feather flock together,” Lin Qiumei, still hanging on Ning Zechen II, said, “It proves you have a lot of charm. You’re fit, and mature women like your type. Every time they come to see you, they’re all ‘sisters.’”

Ning Zechen struck a muscle pose, his chest muscles visible under the T-shirt. “Same name, same body—Qin Xiaoyi’s boyfriend is just the taller version. As for personalities, though, my bloodthirsty, gangster background wins.”

Ning Zechen II, tightening his arm around Lin Qiumei, seemed to be enjoying himself. If Hu Xiu’s jealousy from earlier was just a mistaken feeling, seeing Qin Xiaoyi take a step back and turn away to ask, “Are we drinking or not?” showed Hu Xiu’s unacknowledged envy and coldness in his eyes. The air was thick with disappointment, which was more than just a passing feeling.

After saying goodbye, the group slowly walked off in another direction. Only then did Hu Xiu remember she hadn’t called a cab.

Walking home for three kilometers would only take about 40 minutes. The road home was straight, and with her plain clothes, she shouldn’t encounter any danger.

The main reason, though, was that Qin Xiaoyi had already left and didn’t care about her. He ended their conversation feeling defeated, having failed to win over Lin Qiumei. Whether or not she was safe in the late-night streets didn’t matter to him.

The straight road was under the light rail, and the streetlights cast long, shifting shadows. The night was so quiet that she could hear her own disillusionment and heartbreak.

She was just a player trying to get more playtime, and after ten tries, she foolishly thought she could barge into his life.

Even if they met every week, Qin Xiaoyi was always with Lin Qiumei in the show, and that world was completely sealed off from her. There was no need for jealousy.

Outside of the show, they barely had any opportunities to meet, let alone date.

Passing by a store, Hu Xiu glanced at her reflection in the glass door and smiled—dating a young man was nothing but a foolish dream.

“Hu Xiu…”

The wind rushed into her ears, and Hu Xiu heard someone call her name. It was almost 3 AM—what a joke. Could she really be stalked?

He even knew her name... she was doomed! Wait, that voice...

When she turned around, she almost thought her eyes were deceiving her.

Qin Xiaoyi was riding a bike with a rear seat. As he rode up from behind, she seemed to catch a whiff of the scent of wooden floors.

He stopped next to her, raised his finger to his ear, signaling for her to get on the back of the bike.

When she sat on, the force was a bit much. Hu Xiu nervously checked the back wheel. Thankfully, it wasn’t flat—it still had air. She wasn’t heavy.

Qin Xiaoyi said nothing, just silently pedaled. After a long time, he spoke: “I originally wanted to go drink, but when I turned the corner, I saw you hadn’t gotten a cab. I thought about the direction of your home and figured you must be walking back.”

“Yeah, I forgot to call a cab.”

“If you can’t bear it, don’t keep coming. Once a week is already several hundred bucks a month. Can your wallet handle it?”

“It’s fine. I just... want to see you.”

“In that case, there’s even less reason to come—what’s so special about me?” After a few seconds of silence, Qin Xiaoyi spoke again, “Being thought of like this is an honor, but I can’t do much. I can only give you a ride. Too bad it’s a two-wheeled bike.”

“It’s much better than four wheels! It’s eco-friendly! Plus, it’s... romantic, like a high school senior in a shoujo manga.”

Hu Xiu’s words were all over the place as she desperately searched for the right phrases in her mind. Damn, why couldn’t she remember anything?

Qin Xiaoyi dodged her flirtation. “I used to ride shared bikes. Convenient, but it never felt like my own. There was no sense of belonging.”

“I don’t know why, but I care a little about whether something belongs to me or not. Maybe it’s because Qin Xiaoyi has acted for so long, and after a while, he can’t even distinguish between his role and real life.”

“That just shows he’s professional. Not being able to tell the difference between the role and real life is a sign of being a true acting enthusiast.”

“Stop flattering me.”

In the shadows, the figure of Hu Xiu and Qin Xiaoyi appeared. The bicycle wheels didn’t turn fast, as it seemed Qin Xiaoyi wasn’t trying to ride quickly—although he wouldn’t admit it, it was quite romantic. A professional actor like Qin Xiaoyi would know that in a love story, the leads don’t race bicycles in the middle of the night. That’s something a silly character in a Japanese drama might do.

The bicycle turned into a small path, the half-moon turning into a spotlight, casting its light on Hu Xiu and Qin Xiaoyi.

In the autumn night breeze, Hu Xiu quickly thought of Zhao Xiaorou’s dating guide. Keywords like name, contact information, and entering the house circled in her mind, but she eventually gave up.

The basketball jersey with the number 23, “JAMES,” printed on the back—at least she now knew Qin Xiaoyi liked to play basketball.

Unlike Zhao Xiaorou, who was straightforward and decisive, pushing forward aggressively, Hu Xiu, after going through bad experiences in love, wasn’t in a hurry with Qin Xiaoyi.

That slow and gentle approach, like the light rain that gradually dampens your face and hair, wasn’t easy to shake off.

Whether it was the script or love, as long as she appeared enough on screen, she would always leave some ripple in Qin Xiaoyi’s heart. He, Qin Xiaoyi, liked to immerse himself in his roles. He wouldn’t easily forget her.

The ambition that only came out at night might disappear by the next day, and when she saw Qin Xiaoyi again, her heart would still race and her mind would go blank.

But at least tonight, she had to remember that for someone she cared about, she needed to be cautious and cherish them carefully.

“What floor do you live on? I’ll wait until you turn on the lights before I leave.”

“Top floor... Actually, it’s not necessary. It’s safe once I get downstairs.”

“Good deeds to the end.” Qin Xiaoyi looked cool with a slightly hunched posture on the bike, like a self-loving little boy after the show. “If you don’t need it, I’ll leave.”

“No...” Hu Xiu greedily called out, then her mind went blank again.

“Hurry up and go up. I have to work tomorrow, I’m tired.” On Qin Xiaoyi’s basketball jersey, there was a gold “Lakers” print.

“Can I know your name?” Hu Xiu leaned out of the apartment door, secretly promising this would be her last greedy request tonight.

The bicycle was parked in the middle of the road, the front wheel tilted, and Qin Xiaoyi’s hand still in his pocket. “Diao Zhiyu. Zhiyu as in childish.”