Chapter 49

His Gaze Toward Me Changed

Pei Zhen leaned in and asked Hu Xiu, “Wasn’t he supposed to have a little mustache and be uncultured? He doesn’t seem as wild as I thought.” Hu Xiu kicked the big iron gate of Rongcheng, almost on the verge of tears.

Qin Xiaoyi turned around and smiled, “What’s this, so excited to see me?”

It wasn’t just excitement; it was a flood of memories rushing back. Fresh, thrilling, irresistible—everything began the moment that iron gate opened and he walked out.

Her whole body felt familiar—a racing heart, shallow breaths, feeling as if her functions might collapse, and all she could think of was one thing: “I’ve lost myself.”

To put it in those cheesy lines, this was her original intention—she thought she would never see Qin Xiaoyi again.

A month without the Snowpiercer felt like they’d renovated the streets, and the phone booths had been moved.

The snow on the ground had thickened, and the haunted house had been transformed into a hospital and a school, with new scenes added.

Familiar NPCs smiled at Hu Xiu when they saw her, as if greeting an old friend.

Old players’ feelings for Snowpiercer were unspoken; just entering made her heart soften.

Out of the ten actors in this scene, eight knew Hu Xiu liked Qin Xiaoyi. Suddenly, Qin Xiaoyi had changed shifts—clearly, it was to accommodate her.

The actors were clever, all of them.

Lin Qiumei stood at the entrance of the Rongcheng Hotel, and Ning Zechen, draped in fur, came out. He froze when he saw Zhao Xiaorou.

Li Ai and Pei Zhen stood by, their keen observation skills evident in the way they exchanged glances.

Ning Zechen spoke to Qin Xiaoyi, his eyes on Li Ai’s crutches: “Minister Qin, if he wants to search you, just let him. Could it be that there’s something on you that can’t be seen?”

Such a person, speaking lines and still taking in the situation outside of the play, truly knew the lines by heart.

Hu Xiu, however, was just thinking, “It’s only 9:30 in the morning, and it’s already a battlefield. How many times has this happened recently?”

The role she drew was a new one: Dr. Liang Min in the Feng Youjin group. This was a villainous character with religious overtones. The main tasks were: to steal the ring from Qin Xiaoyi’s hand and send it to Japan without him noticing, as the ring was a religious symbol; to swap medical supplies for weapons and deliver them to the Americans in Qin Xiaoyi’s group; and to frame the dean by reporting him to Feng Youjin and taking over the hospital.

Pei Zhen just so happened to be in Qin Xiaoyi’s group. She had played this role before—her job was to intercept intelligence and report to Qin Xiaoyi, with the option to either blackmail him or clear up the misunderstanding and rescue Feng Youjin’s wife and children.

This character also had a fatal weakness: there was a party membership card in her bag. If Hu Xiu reported Pei Zhen, she would receive 40,000. In Rongcheng, there was nothing one couldn’t do for money.

But doing so would ruin the gentle, shining image Pei Zhen had in her heart.

For money, there was nothing one couldn’t do!

Hu Xiu walked around the hospital first. The dean’s office had locked cabinets with combination locks, which would likely take some time to crack, hindering the progress of future tasks with such limited time.

She planned to buy the ring with Qin Xiaoyi, not sure how Diao Zhiyu would handle this role, but it was likely going to be an over-the-top price.

If she were playing Feng Youjin, he would have a stern face, pretending to be fierce without any authority—constantly looking for trouble to bully him. But he was playing Qin Xiaoyi now, exuding charm from every fiber of his being, fragrant and radiant, with a halo around him that made people love him. Hu Xiu felt like she would faint.

No, she had to trick him first. She knocked on Qin Xiaoyi’s door and ran into Pei Zhen just as he was coming out. It felt like finally meeting an old friend, so she silently signaled him for help.

Hu Xiu, through the fabric of her clothes, grasped his hand. Sliding down his sleeve, she thought, “Why be nervous? What’s so scary about Qin Xiaoyi? He’s just handsome, but you’re the ‘Li Minhao’ of the operating room.”

This action caught Qin Xiaoyi’s eye. He slowly closed his eyes and listened to the Feng group’s players reading love letters. Hu Xiu then realized she hadn’t seen Zhao Xiaorou yet—she must have been assigned to Ning Zechen’s group with Li Ai.

Qin Xiaoyi didn’t even open his eyes. “What do you want now?”

“Minister Qin, don’t you think we read the love letters so passionately? How about giving us a little reward?”

“There’s no passion. It’s all just words without feelings,” Qin Xiaoyi said as he handed them two bundles of money. “I’ll take the love letters. You can leave now.”

The room was left with only Qin Xiaoyi and Hu Xiu. Qin Xiaoyi slowly opened his eyes. “What’s the matter?”

“Look! An airplane!” Hu Xiu pointed at the ceiling and reached for the ring on Qin Xiaoyi’s index finger. The moment she touched his hand, Qin Xiaoyi hissed, “Are you stupid?”

He then stood up and started walking out. Hu Xiu panicked. Damn it! They were so familiar outside of the play, and here, they were just pretending—why did he act like he wanted to make her look bad? Maybe if a beautiful woman with a slim waist and long legs took her place, he would have handed the ring over without hesitation!

She pretended to apologize, “Minister Qin, I’m new here and don’t understand the rules. Please calm down.”

“Really? You seem very familiar to me.” When he reached the door of Room 301, his footsteps stopped. Hu Xiu didn’t react in time and bumped into him. Qin Xiaoyi handed her a piece of folded paper. “I see you’re from the hospital, so I’ll give you something. If you find someone you like in Rongcheng, this will be useful.”

It was a marriage certificate. Hu Xiu held the piece of paper in a daze, while Qin Xiaoyi had already disappeared down the hotel corridor.

He still remembered the marriage certificate, keeping it in his pocket, waiting to give it to her. Her heart raced as she exited the door, only to see Qin Xiaoyi and Lin Qiumei exchange smiles. Lin Qiumei was very straightforward, and Hu Xiu couldn’t see Qin Xiaoyi’s expression. At this time in the play, Pei Zhen should have given Lin Qiumei a love letter and rejected Qin Xiaoyi. Calculating the time, now was the right moment to report Pei Zhen.

Hu Xiu spent 5,000 to buy a search warrant from the sheriff Ning Zechen, and when she searched Pei Zhen’s bag, there was no party membership card.

Where did it go? Hu Xiu sneaked a glance at Pei Zhen from afar. He acted innocent, and when their eyes met, he gave her a gentle smile.

In the blink of an eye, Ning Zechen caught her, “What are you doing, giving her flirty looks? She’s the one who reported you.”

Damn it! Why did you have to say that! Her big mouth hadn’t changed at all. Hu Xiu sucked in a breath—5,000 yuan down the drain!

Pei Zhen had managed to move the party membership card, and he also knew it was her fault. Now, she had lost both money and face.

When she turned around, she happened to see Zhao Xiaorou holding Li Ai, waiting for Ning Zechen to report to her. After not seeing him for so long, Ning Zechen seemed unusually confident and nonchalant, while Zhao Xiaorou kept signaling him to stay quiet.

The three of them were all harboring secret intentions while being in the same group. Hu Xiu couldn’t tell whether this was a hidden operation or a deep-cover mission. She only felt that these people were probably all seasoned liars, both in and out of character.

The key for the hospital cabinet was found at the administration office, and the code was in Lin Qiumei’s room.

Hu Xiu entered Lin Qiumei’s room and once again ran into Pei Zhen. While waiting for the other players, Hu Xiu mentioned that she was going to steal the code. Pei Zhen noticed and walked over, pretending to be lost, claiming he had some intelligence that couldn’t be delivered.

Hu Xiu glanced around. Sure enough, there was a family letter on the wall with a number on it. While she was memorizing the code, she looked at Lin Qiumei, who clearly seemed entranced by Pei Zhen’s face—flirtatious!

Not only did she not like Qin Shaoyi, but her eyes lit up at the sight of Pei Zhen. Hu Xiu understood—Lin Qiumei probably liked the typical handsome guy. Someone with a special aura like Qin Shaoyi was clearly not her type.

Pei Zhen came out and boasted to her, “So, how’s my acting? Not bad, right?”

“It’s even more impressive than I imagined. About... reporting you for the money...”

“Small matter. When I saw the party emblem, I knew, in 1935, having something like that was practically a death sentence.”

Hu Xiu laughed and asked, “So, was it fun?”

“It’s alright, the direction... a bit too money-centered. Is this how script-based murder games usually are?”

“No!” Hu Xiu shook her head vigorously. “Although it’s about tricking people for money, each of these characters has a hidden secret. The script is really well done. It even won a national gold award...”

Pei Zhen laughed and rubbed her head, his hand brushing the top of her head in a manner that seemed to attract opposite-sex attention, “Why are you so nervous? I’ve just never played this before.”

Standing by the phone booth, Hu Xiu thought for a moment. If she framed the director and took his position, the ring was dangerous as long as it stayed with Qin Shaoyi. If Qin Shaoyi got the ring, there would be no reason for him not to realize she was part of the sect, and he’d probably arrest her. When did Snowpiercer become so difficult?

There was a sound from the phone booth. Hu Xiu walked inside and saw a crack in the wall. To her surprise, this led directly to the former general’s hotel room!

Inside, Lin Qiumei and Qin Shaoyi were there. Qin Shaoyi was facing the wall, his expression very calm.

“Did you bring her here to mess with me?”

“They’re friends, came together.”

“There’s no surveillance here, Qin Shaoyi. Be honest with me, are you using her to make me jealous and go back to you?”

“First, I’m not interested in going back to you. Second, our relationship is over. Now it’s work time. Third, she’s never been my tool. I may be deceived by you, but I would never deceive her.”

“Good, Diao Zhiyu, you’ve grown. Graduated from my emotional teachings, feeling good, huh?”

“Miss Lin, what are you talking about?” Qin Shaoyi adjusted his cuff and returned to his role, calm and unruffled, “Came to the general’s room to help sort out his belongings. Could it be you have some unspeakable secrets?”

After quietly exiting the phone booth and returning to the Rongcheng Grand Hotel, Hu Xiu happened to see Qin Shaoyi leaving the general’s room, seemingly unaware of her eavesdropping.

She followed him back into room 301. “I may be deceived by you, but I would never deceive her,” the words kept swirling in Hu Xiu’s mind, like a shot of adrenaline piercing her heart. The mission involved the ring. When she got the ring, she could easily pull out the marriage certificate, killing two birds with one stone, having him personally put the ring on her—this would seal their bond!

The moment she followed him in, Hu Xiu immediately locked the door behind her, “Minister Qin, could I buy the ring on your finger?”

“Buy it? Why?”

“I think it’s beautiful.”

“There’s something off here. I bought this for a high price from someone else. It’s stained with the blood of dozens of people. In short, it’s not a good thing.”

“But I think it’s beautiful. Look at me, fair-skinned and beautiful. Doesn’t this ruby ring look great on me?”

Qin Shaoyi squinted at her, pretending to think but then understanding, “You’re locking the door just to buy a ring—oh, I see. You’re from the Blackwood Sect. Do you think if Feng Youjin comes, he won’t arrest you?”

Hu Xiu, panicked, quickly grabbed Qin Shaoyi’s head, pressing his lips firmly with one hand, her breath hitting the palm of her hand. This violent act pinned him in place, unable to speak or catch his breath. His beautiful eyes blinked rapidly, eventually locking onto hers.

Someone knocked on the door. Hu Xiu, still looking at him, called out, “Minister Qin is unavailable, room 301 isn’t seeing anyone. Please leave.”

When she turned back to look at his eyes, his chiseled nose and thin lips were still pressed against her palm, his gaze fixed on her. The warmth of his skin increased, and his face turned red.

This was the first time Hu Xiu clearly saw the change in Diao Zhiyu—his eyes had changed.

This situation couldn’t be resolved in the game. Hu Xiu spoke first, “Minister Qin, what are you staring at? Are you a camel?”

He muttered a few words against her hand. Hu Xiu quickly silenced him, continuing to scold him, “Lin Qiumei, you’ll never win her over, give up. We’ve already informed Ning Zechen. The two of them are probably having a date on the bench next to the phone booth now.”

“You!”

“What? Not satisfied? Well, it’s your fault for being so proud and aloof. Lin Qiumei is just a spy planted by the Communist Party beside the Qin family. She was too deep in her feelings for the wrong person. In the end, she blames the heavens and the earth, and that’s why she ended up with nothing.”

“You!”

“What? What’s wrong with that? I’m just here to complete my mission. Lin Qiumei is the intelligence director. She was planted next to the Qin family to gather information, and her heart has always been with Ning Zechen. Only you, Qin Shaoyi, can’t see the reality. You don’t understand who you really love. If you don’t turn back now, the people of Rongcheng will go down with you, and you’ll disappoint others who like you.”

“Who? Who else likes me?”

Qin Shaoyi pressed her, his gaze piercing. Hu Xiu paused, “The boss of the department store Bai Luoyu, the daughter of the casino owner Weng Li, the intelligence agent Yamaguchi Fujiko under Lin Qiumei’s command...”

She recited the lines fluently, deliberately avoiding mentioning her own name. Qin Shaoyi grabbed her hand, finally returning to his role, flicking his sleeve, “I only love Lin Qiumei.”

This stubbornness is definitely not his true intention, it’s deliberate. Hu Xiu felt a surge of displeasure in her heart: “Who Minister Qin likes has nothing to do with me, I’m just here to complete the task. I’ve brought up the matter, whether you sell the ring or not, if you don’t, I won’t want it anymore. Worst case, the task won’t be completed.”

“Fifty thousand...”

As expected, such a dangerous item would come with a high price. Hu Xiu was prepared, placing five large bills in front of him.

Just as Qin Xiao Yi was taking off the ring, Hu Xiu was ready to pull out the marriage certificate when Qin Xiao Yi suddenly began reciting lines: “We had a past, this ring I give to you. However, once you leave this room 301, there will no longer be a place for you in my heart.”

The lines from the first time they met in this room had changed with time, every word now carried a different tone and emotion.

Hu Xiu’s eyes reddened as she understood for the first time the feeling of acting without subjective emotion, and the pain of fully immersing herself in a character.

If she hadn’t overheard that conversation in the phone booth earlier, if he hadn’t said these lines...

Next, when she takes out the marriage certificate, she would have him personally put on the ring for her. However, at that moment, she suddenly changed her mind.

“I won’t disturb you any longer, Minister Qin. I’m off to take over Rongcheng Hospital.”

As she left the room, Zhao Xiaorou and Hu Xiu were playing rock-paper-scissors again. The two of them were having fun at the casino, looking like they could drink a thousand cups with a kindred spirit. Li Ai was exchanging information with Pei Zhen, and from the money Li Ai pulled out, it was clear that he had been tricked by Pei Zhen—truly a fool easily duped, just because someone seemed familiar, he’d happily give them his heart. Luckily, REGARD could still make a profit.

Pei Zhen’s intelligence was indeed suited for role-playing games. Upon seeing Hu Xiu, he waved at her.

She walked up to him, rummaged through her bag, and pulled out a sensing pen, which she casually tucked into her pocket, ready for use: “Sign this for me...”

When Pei Zhen saw the marriage certificate, he froze for a moment. Li Ai asked curiously, “Where did this come from?”

“At the department store,” Hu Xiu didn’t mention the origin of the marriage certificate but instead told Pei Zhen, “I heard you’re an excellent doctor. How about we collaborate, with me as the vice director?”

Both inside and outside the game, everything was now intertwined. Pei Zhen stared at her for three seconds, his eyes flashing with an unknown light before signing his character name. Halfway through, he shook his head and smiled: “Can I use my real name?”

“What are you saying? This is 1934, Rongcheng. I’m Dr. Liang Min,” Hu Xiu said as she signed her name and pulled Pei Zhen’s hand, “Come with me...”

Hu Xiu dragged Pei Zhen into room 301, took out the prepared marriage certificate, and turned to Qin Xiao Yi with a formal and sincere expression: “I heard that in Rongcheng, a marriage certificate requires someone with financial or influential power to act as the officiant. I believe, with your status, Minister Qin, you should be qualified to do so.”

This was her trump card.