Chapter 87

Two fragile people had once tightly held hands. I am grateful for having loved you.

Guan Xingxin had locked herself in her room for days, drawing expressions on dolls and then staring blankly at the computer screen, absentmindedly scrolling through comments on Weibo. The comments weren’t the most hurtful part; the real pain came from her parents’ phone calls. After watching the latest episode of the show, they bombarded her with calls, questioning why she didn’t choose any of the men from the program. In their minds, Guan Xingxin had been serious about participating in the matchmaking event, with her parents diligently picking a suitable husband. They couldn’t fathom that she had staged her own act. Her parents’ voices grew angry over the phone: “Xinxin, are you trying to kill us with worry? All these men have such good conditions. Where are you going to find someone like that? You can’t even look at anyone in People’s Park or the ones in the show, are you still thinking about Yu Dule? Now that your status has changed, he’s not good enough for you! Sigh, I still can’t bring myself to tell Chen Ma. She’d say you’re foolish if she knew...”

She was exhausted, turned off her phone, and lay in bed without eating or drinking. Her mind was slow. She thought about accepting advertisements, signing with an agency to become an internet influencer, while still having some popularity. But then she also thought she should settle down—after all, her goal was to get Yu Dule to acknowledge her. But since he said he would never forgive her, everything seemed meaningless. She curled up under her blanket, waiting for the hunger to pass. Eventually, Huang Wendà kicked the door. Her brain seemed to have rusted, unable to comprehend how he knew she was staying there.

“You think if you lock yourself in here, no one can find you? You’re cursing people out on Weibo, but here you are, wasting away at home. No one will feel sorry for you. I see it now; your tenderness is nothing more than a disguise of not wanting to face reality and being too afraid to fight back. Is this protective shell so cute? Of course not, it just makes people feel exhausted. You think everyone likes to see angels? No, pretending to be perfect is disgusting. Where’s the rage from when you were cursing in my car? I’m counting down, come out now or I’ll get someone to unlock the door. I can even force it open if needed...”

Guan Xingxin struggled to get up. When she opened the door, her eyes were lifeless, and her face was ashen. Huang Wendà didn’t show any sympathy. “Get up. Jacqueline and the others have an event. You should go and catch some of their energy. But you look too much like someone who’s heartbroken. Clearly, no one in the show was good enough for you. Is playing the suicide game really fun?”

He still held a grudge over the glass of wine she had thrown at him. Guan Xingxin just returned to bed. “How do you know I’m here?”

“Isn’t this Gu Yi’s place? Don’t worry about how I found out. My task is to get you out of this broken house, or you’ll rot like trash. You really are strange—are you going to starve yourself to death because of a man?”

“I’m just thinking about life. I’m not trying to kill myself.”

Huang Wendà stood in the open space, looking around at the strange arrangement in the house. The living room and bedroom were separated by a bed, and Guan Xingxin lay there like a quiet tomb. Guan Xingxin leaned against the headboard. “If someone were willing to listen to me, I’d tell them that I hate marriage because it was never a true home for me. I have never been treated with pure sincerity. I’ve already accepted that love is tainted, and I treat others the same way. But in the end, it’s my fault.”

She laughed. “Even Yu Dule, when he used a pseudonym to send me rockets while I was doing my part in the industry, he was too cautious to get close to me because of those videos. That’s why I envy Gu Yi and Liang Daiwen. One is emotionally rich, and the other has zero emotion, yet they can be open with each other.”

He was a little irritated. “What love and no love—can’t you live without love? You went on the show for fame, and now you’ve got it. But because of a breakup, you can’t do anything? Isn’t it just a small thing? You’ve let down the director who had high hopes for you. They thought you’d really contribute to the program, giving the audience a fresh perspective. Now, you’re just at home wallowing in despair. It’s laughable.”

Guan Xingxin didn’t cry but said, “I don’t have a lover now, and I don’t have friends either. Please just give me some time to accept all of this.”

“Stay in this shack if you want. You can’t handle such a little storm. I overestimated you. Don’t even think about getting back with your boyfriend. Let him go. The director is still single, and if you work with Yu Dule on a few more shows, you might get back together.”

Guan Xingxin slowly sat up. “I understand. But not for anything else. Just so you can’t look down on me.”

Huang Wendà knew that this was effective. He then extended an olive branch. “I have a friend who wants to create a virtual idol. He’s looking for a modeling prototype. Would you be interested in talking to him? Don’t waste your good looks. After all, you’re getting old.”

“Stop talking nonsense. I’ll work hard from now on, not for anyone else, just for myself.”

After being splashed with wine, the alcohol likely seeped into his pores and veins, creating a new sensation. He observed the sorrowful woman with long, curly hair in the dark, the ambiguous veil of the hotel obscuring his vision, making him restless. When he realized what this feeling was, he cursed himself inwardly—turns out, he wasn’t the type to love just one person in his life.

But he wouldn’t say it out loud. Watching Guan Xingxin struggle to move, he sighed. “Do you want some junk food?”

Guan Xingxin smiled. “You really are different from other men. You have a sharp tongue but a soft heart. You’re not as persistent as others. You’re cold, but your boundaries are unexpectedly high.”

“Because they don’t understand women—women will do a lot of foolish things for love.”

“Why don’t you show it to others too? Always acting like a typical straight guy.”

“No need.”

A pile of French fries lay on the opened wrapper. Guan Xingxin had completely lost her image, eating more and more, wolfing down hamburgers and stuffing fries into her mouth. She even started to hiccup. Huang Wendà never thought junk food was tasty; it ruined the food’s natural flavor. After those years in Shanghai, he had eaten plenty of it. But now, he also picked up a hamburger and bit into it, mimicking Guan Xingxin’s actions, stuffing a few fries into his mouth, and successfully choking on them. They both pointed at each other, laughing like fools. Huang Wendà felt guilty but happy, thinking, “I never imagined I’d fall for fries one day.”

Gu Yi had undergone a significant change in her feelings toward the stethoscope. At first, she just wanted to prank Liang Daiwen, but she didn’t expect that the man would turn the tables and use the stethoscope in such an inventive way. Now, every time Gu Yi saw Liang Daiwen’s fingers or heard the sound of metal lightly clinking, she felt discomfort in her body, accompanied by a strange warmth. The day for playing the escape room with Yu Dule came quickly. Unable to form a team, Gu Yi called up Lu Ming and Guan Xingxin, bringing the original group together again.

The people who once laughed together now stood with an undercurrent of tension. Guan Xingxin’s eyes were on Yu Dule, while Lu Ming looked at Guan Xingxin with a strange expression. Only Yu Dule occasionally shot a glance at Gu Yi. Gu Yi didn’t think she had done anything wrong; after all, they had to keep being friends. Could they really just cut off all contact? But she definitely felt that today, the NPCs in the escape room would have no involvement.

Liang Daiwen, noticing the awkwardness, quietly asked Gu Yi, “Is it normal to feel awkward after a breakup?”

“Who knows.”

As they were about to enter, they happened to see two police officers dragging a man out of the neighboring room in handcuffs, cursing. When the police officer looked up, it was the young officer Pan Tao. He raised his eyebrows and said, “Hey, what are you guys doing here?”

“We’re here for the escape room. What about you?”

“Catching perverts.”

“Oh?” Gu Yi took a closer look at the man in handcuffs. Pan Tao snapped his fingers, “I’ll be applying for an open mic soon. I’m going to talk about safety education. Are there any strangers in your room? Be careful, there are repeat offenders. But I’m not going to tell you the details—don’t try to steal my material.”

...So petty.

This escape room was themed around a haunted Qing Dynasty mansion, famous for its scenes. It was said that the difficulty level changed based on the players’ courage, with the scariest feature being the shifting of walls—changing the layout and separating the players into different rooms. Each person had a solo mission, but because of the story setup, there would be NPCs chasing them and switching off lights, so they often found themselves stuck in the same room. When the event started, the staff asked if they wanted to change clothes. Yu Dule and Guan Xingxin waved it off, but Gu Yi understood this wasn’t just a game for them—it was time to settle some scores.

As soon as they entered the first room, Yu Dule jumped ahead to do his solo task. The man who was once terrified now, in complete darkness, was holding a candle to deliver offerings. He was scared half to death by an NPC, causing everyone in the room to panic. But when Yu Dule returned, he seemed rather exhilarated. “That was so relieving. Just when the NPC scared me, I was in the perfect position to grab the door key.”

Liang Daiwen whispered in Gu Yi’s ear, “I understand now—he’s gone crazy.”

The second solo task was Liang Daiwen’s turn. He stepped out with a calm expression. Gu Yi was full of anticipation, thinking that since he had already acknowledged his feelings, he should be the one to scream, right? A loud thud was heard from far away. Gu Yi shrunk back—did he fall? Less than a minute later, Liang Daiwen returned, holding another key, completely unharmed. Gu Yi asked, “Are you okay?”

“I knew you were waiting for something to happen. A zombie with a talisman jumped at me, but it tripped over the doorframe. I’m a pro at dealing with clay soldiers, so I just grabbed it. But my candle was still burning, so it might have burned a hole in its clothes.”

Gu Yi gave him a thumbs-up. “You’re amazing!”

They picked up their keys and headed out, but the candle had to be left behind in the room. They fumbled forward in the darkness. Yu Dule stayed at the back, not near Guan Xingxin, while Lu Ming stayed close to her. Just like before, he was tall and strong, but Guan Xingxin smiled and said, “Uncle Lu, you don’t need to be so close. I’m more comfortable with the dark than you are.”

“I’m just worried you’ll get scared.”

“It’s fine,” Guan Xingxin’s voice was indifferent, “I’m not that fragile. It’s all just an act. By the way, have you reconciled with your wife?”

Lu Ming just gave a wry smile. “Not yet. I’m still hesitating. She wants me to close down the Rongmao Theater and stop doing stand-up comedy, to stay away from all kinds of shady businesses... but I can’t bear to.”

In the eerie music, Guan Xingxin showed no fear. Instead, she laughed. “Don’t you think real life is scarier than this escape room?”

After hearing this, Gu Yi realized that Guan Xingxin had never been afraid of the escape room. Everything up to now was just acting. She clung to Liang Daiwen’s arm, truly scared. The robot remained calm as ever, perceptive enough to sense the change: “This wall’s been moved. The hallway used to turn left, but now it’s straight ahead.”

“A haunted escape room, and you’re still keeping track of the route?”

“Well, if we get separated, I’ll need to find you guys somehow.”

Suddenly, someone screamed and rushed out behind them. The plot was exactly what Liang Daiwen had predicted. As Gu Yi ran and screamed, she yelled, “Liang Daiwen, did you check the攻略 in advance?! How do you always guess everything right?”

“This is Shanghai’s scariest escape room for a reason.” The NPCs grabbed Gu Yi, yelling in her ear. The ghostly fire lit up shadows, the ghost even had fangs. The mechanisms rumbled, and just then, the walls shifted again. Liang Daiwen rushed back to save Gu Yi but was pushed by the ghost and shoved into another space. There was the sound of a gong being struck—then, the ghosts retreated.

In the room, there were only two people left. Gu Yi didn’t see who it was but immediately hid in a large box-like space, too scared to show herself.

But by listening, she realized it was Yu Dule and Guan Xingxin. When the lights flickered on, Gu Yi peeked through a gap and saw that neither of them seemed to be looking for anything. For Guan Xingxin, this was a rare opportunity.

“Dule.”

“Hm?”

“The show is over, and the program has aired. If you edited the finale, you’d know I didn’t choose anyone.”

“I know. Let’s play the game first, we’ll talk after.”

“The escape room will end, and you’ll leave. I won’t get another chance to see you, right? After getting the thrill of the scare, I’ll wash away the memories of us playing this game together, and you’ll really leave me.”

Yu Dule didn’t speak.

In the dim room, Guan Xingxin held back her tears. “It’s fine if you don’t look back, but I want you to know, even if I’m selfish, I really did love you. I knew from the moment you were streaming live, you’d wait for the right time to get close to me. You got me when you sent flowers at the antique shop. You’re so interesting, it made me avoid the boredom I felt; when I was at home, I could tell you were afraid of thunder, and I could smell the dampness in your sweater. I knew you were lonely but had a purpose. You wouldn’t choose someone like me, who had no direction. But thank you for staying by my side for so long.”

“Stop talking,” Yu Dule refused to turn around, already breaking down.

“In your heart, I’ve always been wavering, right? I’ve long seen through that you wouldn’t be firm enough to stay with me. You change channels when watching variety shows, and your career ambitions have yet to be realized. With my terrible family, the sooner you find out, the sooner you’ll give up on me. I’m sorry, I’m not good enough, not decisive enough, not devoted enough. But if doing this variety show can help you return to editing and go further, I’m not completely useless. You’ve done so much for me, enduring the pain to edit my variety shows—if you can’t forgive me, I accept it, but I need you to know that I loved you. Even if I’ve never loved anyone else, I made an exception for you. On the day of the typhoon, you went out to chase after the signed fortune cookie note, wishing me happiness forever—you already knew we wouldn’t have a future, didn’t you?”

Yu Dule didn’t respond, but Gu Yi knew he was crying. Guan Xingxin wiped her tears, forcing a lonely smile: “Getting back together is meaningless. My parents and I, we’ll only hurt you again. I’m grateful to have the memories with you. The cornflower you gave me, no one else will ever give me that in this life. The flower with the legend of a blind person seeing the light again, its language means hoping to see the person I like every day, and I will remember it for a lifetime. I still love you now, but I won’t beg for us to get back together. Let’s stop at this moment; I respect you.”

Guan Xingxin didn’t hug Yu Dule or hold his hand; she only took the key from his hand, opened the door, and walked out. Gu Yi watched through the crack in the door as Yu Dule, with his lips pressed tight, looked up at the red light, his tears shining in his eyes, but they didn’t fall. The sound of the sound effects grew louder, and it seemed like he had no intention of continuing to play.

A secret door opened beside her, and Liang Daiwen crawled out. He turned his head and was startled when he saw Gu Yi. There was light in the secret passage, and Gu Yi realized where she had hidden herself—a coffin.

So she had been eavesdropping on someone else’s love drama from inside a coffin? Frightened out of her wits, she quietly asked Liang Daiwen, “How did you come out from here?”

“I was looking for you. They haven’t fixed this wall, so I opened the NPC’s secret passage. There’s always a way. What are you doing here?”

Gu Yi quietly put her hand over Liang Daiwen’s mouth, signaling him not to speak further. The eerie sound effects still echoed in the dark space, and Yu Dule was covering his face, sobbing uncontrollably. The monitor might have seen this, and the plot hadn’t moved forward yet.

After all, this was the end of the story.