Chapter 24

The Rich Lady Clique

Li Rong, the real-life version of the Jing-Hang Grand Canal in Rongcheng, is a key figure in the city’s underground network—handling everything from illegal trades, arms deals, drug trafficking, political assassinations, and more.

He earned the nickname “Li Ma Zi” because of the spots on his face, which marred his image, but his unremarkable appearance made him blend in easily. His knowledge of information was vast, and over time, he became a notable figure in Rongcheng.

Unlike other NPCs, Li Rong not only sells information but also has hidden missions that can lead to special endings, or can be used to assassinate other NPCs.

Hu Xiu had met him ten times before—buying tickets for escape routes from the Republic of China, searching for Communist Party search warrants, selling opium…

His storyline was usually tied to a battle royale-style escape, with a twisted and eccentric personality, often demanding ridiculous prices, and he was lecherous, using tasks as an excuse to scam money.

Once, an actor playing Li Ma Zi had asked for her WeChat, but she had ignored it due to her messy handwriting.

Although they were both actors, Hu Xiu never imagined that Qin Xiaoyi would take on this role.

He entered holding a fan, swept it dramatically, and seeing Hu Xiu, he seemed a bit surprised but knowingly lowered his head, showing a hint of private joy.

Dressed in a cotton and linen long gown, the fabric soft and smooth against his frame, he looked frail. Hu Xiu wasn’t sure if the makeup was his choice, but the spots on his face were lightly transformed into freckles, giving him a more playful, scholarly vibe.

He resembled a younger version of Leonardo DiCaprio. Hu Xiu looked at the new white-suited Qin Xiaoyi and then at Li Rong, who had been joking around before being shooed away, and it seemed that his real name, Diao Zhi Yu, would finally be used.

Thinking of the rich lady clique, Hu Xiu took a quick glance at the blue-haired woman. Her face was expressionless, as the wealthy patrons who had already swiped fifty times probably didn’t find Qin Xiaoyi’s appearance as Li Ma Zi strange at all.

If she had indeed spent quite a bit on tips, this blue-haired lady had probably flirted with every NPC like collecting stamps, paying each time.

The other rich ladies stood beside her, and Hu Xiu noticed the first, a surgically enhanced face with a towering nose and a bust that reached the neck; the second, a tall and powerful woman with the stature of a tank; and the third, a plain-looking woman wearing a green cheongsam with grandmother-green jewelry.

They were dressed in shimmering, extravagant outfits—money truly is remarkable.

Thanks to Ibuprofen, Hu Xiu felt much better after a few steps in Rongcheng during the 3:30 PM session. Aside from the sweat, she was in good spirits.

In this session, Miss Feng, although Chinese, was actually a British spy. In Ning Zechen’s group, her tasks included assassinating German officers, trafficking drugs, and escorting a Russian journalist, Herzen, to England.

Hu Xiu sat on a bench outside the theater, carefully planning her three tasks: to assassinate, she needed to buy a hitman from Li Rong; for the drug trade, she had to use Li Rong to dispose of the goods; to get to England, she needed a ticket, and for that, she would also have to see Li Rong.

This is actually a character closely tied to Li Ma Zi! Perfect timing for Aunt Flow to come play!

Having figured out all the connections, Hu Xiu adjusted her hat and walked toward Li Rong.

Li Rong was pretending to sleep on a rickshaw, with a pipe hanging from his mouth, feigning indifference.

He didn’t open his eyes upon hearing her footsteps. Hu Xiu called his name three times, and finally said, “Li Ma Zi,” before he opened his eyes. “Why call me by my nickname? Don’t you know I don’t like it?”

“I called you Li Xiansheng, and you didn’t hear me…”

“Then speak louder!” Li Rong suddenly raised his voice, and Hu Xiu flinched, her neck shrinking in surprise. This was so different from Qin Xiaoyi, wasn’t it?

Li Rong, wearing a double-breasted jacket, had a cleanliness obsession, sitting up straight and patting his sleeves. He rested his elbow on his knee and asked in a low voice, “What’s the matter?”

“I need to buy and sell something from you.”

Li Rong stared at her chest for a few seconds, then looked at the name tag on her. He already knew the task for her character. “Miss Feng, what do you want to buy, and what do you want to sell?”

“Things that can’t be spoken openly in Rongcheng.” After visiting so many times, she was now a pro at this acting game.

“This kind of thing isn’t easily done,” Li Rong jumped off the rickshaw. “I’m in a bad mood today, don’t feel like helping anyone unless you give me a gift.”

After saying that, he tilted his head and looked at Hu Xiu, his gaze lazy, with a raised eyebrow and a wicked smirk.

This shameless look was completely different from Qin Xiaoyi. Plus… he hadn’t shaved today. His stubble around his pale lips looked so sexy! Hu Xiu felt her breath tighten. “So what do you want?”

“Let’s stand in front of the Yunheng Department Store and see how sincere Miss Feng is.”

Hu Xiu checked her pocket—she only had 4,000 left and bought a watch at the department store.

When Li Rong saw the steel-band watch, he said, “This watch’s hands don’t even move. Miss Feng, are you sincere with me? How much did this cost?”

“Eight thousand...”

“Eight thousand?” Li Rong sneered, “I’ve been in Rongcheng for so long, do you think I’m a fool? Tell me the real price.”

“Four thousand…” Hu Xiu thought she could deceive Qin Xiaoyi, but not Li Rong. Qin Xiaoyi was sincere and devoted to Lin Qiumei, but Li Rong was cunning and greedy, never forgiving those who didn’t comply with him.

Hu Xiu had to pull another trick. “I only have four thousand. I’ve already spent it all on the watch. Isn’t that enough to show my sincerity? My feelings for you are sincere.”

“Too much sincerity always has ulterior motives.” Li Rong leaned closer and began rummaging through Hu Xiu’s bag, making her skin crawl. “I’m not lying to you. I wanted to buy things from you, but now I don’t have enough money. Ma Zi, if you want to take advantage of me, I’ll let you.”

“Anyway, I, Feng Yao, have nothing else to offer you, except a sincere heart and a living body!”

Hu Xiu immediately regretted saying that, but then thought, it was just acting, anyone could do it.

To her surprise, Li Rong blushed. He stepped back a bit. “What do you want to buy?”

“A pass and a ship ticket.”

“Twenty thousand…”

“Eh?” Hu Xiu had bought tickets from Li Ma Zi before, and they only cost 5,000.

Thinking about how hard money was to earn in Rongcheng, Hu Xiu almost cried. “Ma Zi, you can’t overcharge just because you look handsome.”

Li Rong laughed at her words. This laugh quickly turned into Qin Xiaoyi again. When shy, he couldn’t help but laugh, completely unable to hide his emotions. He cleared his throat. “Go make some money quickly, it’s still early.”

As Hu Xiu was leaving, she saw Li Rong still standing by the rickshaw. His white skin and black hair highlighted his bright eyes and white teeth. The silhouette in the warm yellow light was clean, and his gaze lingered on her—she felt completely unbothered.

After earning 20,000 from running around in Rongcheng, Hu Xiu returned to find Li Rong surrounded by people. Strange players were buzzing around him, their high-pitched voices clashing with his deep tone. Every time Li Rong moved, the girls gathered around him.

Everyone seemed to know him well. Realizing that all 16 of them, including her, were veteran players, Hu Xiu finally understood.

Ning Zechen walked past her from behind. “Miss Feng, daydreaming? Is this your first time meeting Li Rong?”

“Have you seen this scene before?”

“Of course, it’s a famous one,” Ning Zechen laughed. “It’s not even the climax yet. Oh, Miss Feng, I heard you have contraband. You’d better deal with it quickly. If you get searched, you’ll be in trouble.”

After saying this, he swaggered off. Soon, other players came to approach him. Although Hu Xiu’s tasks required dealing with Li Rong, other players also needed to buy things from her using codes. If they fought over it, she’d make some extra money.

Sitting on the long bench in the theater, Hu Xiu waited. No one came to find her, but more players crowded around Li Rong, like a human lantern.

Suddenly, Hu Xiu stood up and walked toward Li Rong. “Ma Zi, I want to buy something from you!”

Li Rong poked his head out from the crowd. “Twenty thousand. Are you ready?”

“I only have fifteen thousand.”

“Keep earning...”

As he said this, Li Rong was surrounded by the “human lantern” group. The first face, with cosmetic surgery, had her arm around his, the second one, a tank-like woman, stood in front of the other players, and the third, wearing a green qipao, opened the hands of a young player holding Li Rong’s arm. “Don’t touch Rong Rong, he said he’s marrying me today.”

Marrying?

Li Rong looked a bit awkward. He really was still in character. “I’ve already agreed to marry Miss Mei, but I can back out. After all, I’ve been married and loved. To make you all happy, who’s getting married next?”

Unable to resist, Hu Xiu leaned toward Ning Zechen and asked loudly, “What’s this marriage about?”

“You don’t know? In Rongcheng, you can get married. As long as you get a stamp at the notary office, it’s done. Of course, if one party wants to cancel, the marriage is voided. Why, do you want to marry Li Rong?”

“I was just asking.”

“This scene probably doesn’t involve you.” Ning Zechen whispered into Hu Xiu’s ear. “You haven’t encountered a marriage situation yet, right? The late-night scenes are for the dedicated first-timers, while this time is for the rich ladies to come out and make a scene. Their husbands and children are sent away, and they come out to have fun.”

Feeling a mixture of frustration and indignation, Hu Xiu glanced at her task card. She couldn’t leave empty-handed; at least she needed to finish the task.

Qin Xiao Yi had been framed for poisoning a general and was about to be publicly interrogated. This plot triggered a reaction from the woman with the plastic surgery face (Number 1): “What the hell, I was planning to bribe a soldier to get into the prison and get a close-up of Little Qin getting beaten up, all for some sympathy. Who triggered this? So annoying.”

“Publicly beating up Little Qin is fine too, I’ll enjoy the show regardless of the occasion. I bet Big Sis will sit in the best seat; she’s brought a gift for Little Qin, but I don’t know when she’ll give it to him,” said Green Elf #3, who, though fragile, was a gossip lover.

Hu Xiu glanced at the task card. The person looking to buy something from her would probably be the blue-haired woman.

She needed to earn some money. She walked up to the blue-haired woman, Scarlett, and asked softly, “Are you looking to buy something from me?”

“I don’t need it anymore. Even if I complete the task with those items, it’s not worth much. Wait for someone else,” the blue-haired woman said, never even looking at her.

This was inexplicable...

In the second scene, Qin Xiao Yi was publicly interrogated. The blue-haired noblewoman sat in the closest position, coldly watching the new Qin Xiao Yi get beaten.

The new Qin Xiao Yi improvised a lot, and he was indeed handsome, more so in terms of his noble aura.

But perhaps due to his youth, he seemed to lack depth in his performance. With his chubby cheeks and privileged upbringing, his appearance didn’t make him look pitiable enough when beaten.

Only Ning Zechen and Feng Youjin, along with the battered Qin Xiao Yi, were present. Hu Xiu felt like time was dragging on. Damn, why is this scene taking so long? I need to go see Li Rong and buy a pass from him!

When the door finally opened and the curfew time arrived, Hu Xiu rushed out. No one was near Li Rong, so she bought another gold watch at Rongcheng Hotel’s lobby and approached him: “Time’s tight, Ma Zi. Are you satisfied with the gift this time? I need you to kill someone.”

“Who?”

“The tall and strong woman, the German politician.”

She struggled to open the watch strap. Hu Xiu had been carried out by Qin Xiao Yi in the previous scene but was completely unskilled with intimate contact. Her fingers were cold and her body felt weak. Each time she touched Li Rong’s arm, his body was warm, almost hot.

Her face reddened further: “Killing her is my task. I was going to buy a pass and boat ticket from you, but now I’ve changed my mind. Forty thousand, for a bullet from you. Help me eliminate her before the Battle Royale.”

“So much animosity?”

“Love rival...” Hu Xiu buckled the watch strap and turned to leave. She had no money but felt proud. She spent the remaining time earning some small change, went to the department store to buy herself some jewelry, and stopped by a street vendor for gummy candy. Everyone else was neglecting their tasks, so what else could she do?

She picked three flavors of gummy candy from a vendor, but Hu Xiu started feeling uneasy. She sat quietly in front of the Grand Theater.

The main road of Rongcheng was bustling. Up close, the new Qin Xiao Yi was surrounded by three women, all fighting for his attention. Qin Xiao Yi asked, “Why do I have to marry you?” Two of the women flattered him, and Plastic Surgery Face #1 even started clinging to his arm. At a distance, Li Rong was surrounded by a group of noblewomen. Tank #2 and Green Elf #3 stood closely around him, keeping others at bay. Standing nearby with an indifferent expression was the blue-haired woman, arms crossed, leaning against the bulletin board, as if watching a joke unfold.

Amid the argument of “He’s mine, why do you deserve him?” Li Rong turned to the blue-haired woman and said, “I’ll marry you.”

Sure enough, before the candidates were announced, there was a wedding ceremony. Six out of the sixteen players were on stage, with Li Rong, ever the sycophant, looking more noble than even Tank #2, Qin Xiao Yi, who was more luxurious than the noblewomen around him, and Ning Zechen, who was grinning wildly with his shirt open.

Hu Xiu sat in her seat, counting the money. She still had twelve thousand left. This session was a disaster.

Li Rong stood on stage giving his wedding speech, his seductive voice booming: “Loyal to the country, loyal to my wife!”

Throughout, Hu Xiu didn’t look up, the sound of her chewing gummy candy filling the air.

In the third round of the Battle Royale, Hu Xiu leaned against the door, waiting for the game to end after being killed, her outline glowing in the coating.

Sitting in a corner, she saw the blue-haired woman take a knife from her bag and calmly slit her wrist, then approach Qin Xiao Yi in the darkness and slip something into his palm.

Hu Xiu was nearby, in the shadows, and heard the new Qin Xiao Yi politely thank her.

The Snowpiercer wasn’t just a money sink; it was a brothel too. Ning Zechen’s earlier boast, which Hu Xiu had dismissed, was now proven true.

Hu Xiu took the subway during rush hour, the packed passengers squeezing the moisture out of her body, tears flowing uncontrollably. Li Rong was a master of acting, navigating the social circles effortlessly, and he had chosen the wealthiest-looking woman among the noblewomen, probably for tips. After all, Ning Zechen had said that Qin Xiao Yi could make twenty thousand a month just from tips.

Shallow!

Back home, Hu Xiu collapsed into bed. It seemed like the ibuprofen was losing its effectiveness; the pain began to surge from the smallest fibers in her body, soon bringing on a cold sweat.

Cocooned in her blankets, Hu Xiu felt unusually cold, as the temperature had dropped. The scenes with Qin Xiao Yi on the Snowpiercer flashed before her eyes, still fresh in her memory, but today’s encounter with Li Rong felt distant.

Perhaps she had been trying too hard to suppress the unpleasant feelings, but in the end, it didn’t matter. She should just delete them all together.

The damp, chilly southern climate seemed to be friends with both dysmenorrhea and heartbreak.

The rainy season brought mold stains, and the winter rain left a coldness that sunlight could hardly chase away.

Ironically, most of Hu Xiu’s few heartbreaks happened during the dreary, rainy winters. The wind, creeping along the rain’s threads, penetrated her bones, and the damp cold and sharp pain came at the same time. Every time the season repeated, the memories would return, accompanying the damp chill.

Although cherry blossoms bloomed in late March, and the weather was usually bright and warm, the winter cold had made Hu Xiu feel a deep respect for nature.

She thought, maybe it’s really because I have no taste in men, always failing, with my only fate being that my heartbreaks always happen on rainy days.

Next time I fall in love, I hope a considerate man will appear who won’t make me sad anymore.

One who can understand my feelings, accept them seriously, and is also willing to give his heart to me.

Thinking about this, Hu Xiu buried her face in the pillow, her heart broken. This will definitely be the last time.

She slept in a daze until 3 AM, with the moonlight being too bright. Hu Xiu got out of bed to pull the curtains, knelt on the sofa, and subconsciously glanced at the spot where Qin Xiaoyi had stood outside the window.

As soon as she made the move, she began to laugh at herself, deciding that she would no longer like Qin Xiaoyi. How long would it take to break the habit?

And the position outside the window…

Hu Xiu thought she was mistaken. Qin Xiaoyi—no, Diao Zhiyu—was standing there, not on a bike, but right at the edge of the white light near the building’s door. Half of his shadow was in the light, and the other half was in the darkness, as if hesitating whether to stand at the main character’s spot.

He raised his head and looked toward the upper floor, his expression hard to read, almost as if he was walking over instinctively.

Hu Xiu pressed her face against the window and stared down, her heart racing. She soon noticed her hands were wet—tears were streaming down, meeting her sad fingers as they slid down the glass.

In a typical love story, the plot should develop normally. She should have rushed down to hug him, pulling him into the spotlight, bringing him into her love story, forgiving his frivolity and cunning.

After all, it was all acting, just part of the persona. Outside the scene, if he was standing downstairs, he was her true lover.

But Hu Xiu stood at the window, staring a few more times, and in the midst of it all, she exchanged a fleeting glance with Diao Zhiyu. Unwilling, she glanced a few more times and forcefully pulled the curtain shut, returning to her bed and falling into a deep sleep.