Li Yin withdrew her hand and clasped it behind her back. "Pretending to be a couple… but I have no idea where to start. Yifan, do you have any experience?"
Yifan crossed his arms, suppressing the rise and fall of his chest. He turned around to hide the blush creeping onto his face, keeping his tone steady:
"Of course, my dating experience is extensive. I can totally help you. Honestly, I just ended a relationship."
Li Yin was curious. "Why did it end?"
Yifan sighed. "It's complicated. Sometimes, being too excellent is a curse. She felt too much pressure being with me."
Li Yin pulled out a notebook and pen. The front pages were for keeping accounts, but she flipped to the last page and wrote four words: Work Notes. From now on, all her relationship insights would go in reverse order from the back.
She wrote:
(Being with someone excellent, like Yifan, can create a lot of pressure.)
Yifan stole a glance over his shoulder and saw her diligently taking notes. The excitement in his heart began to subside.
Li Yin looked up earnestly. "So, Yifan, what should we do next?"
"Uh…" Yifan thought for a moment. "We should start with how we address each other. We call each other 'siblings' in front of others and 'boss' and 'employee' in private. But when pretending to be a couple, we need a new way to address each other."
"That makes sense!" Li Yin's eyes lit up. "What should I call you? Hubby?"
"..."
"..."
Yifan quickly turned his back to her, gazing out the window as his face burned under the sunlight. If he didn't know Li Yin's personality—simple and straightforward—he might have thought she was teasing him on purpose.
Yifan took a deep breath to calm down before speaking slowly: "That won't work; it's too intimate. The script portrays the ghost and her partner as pure, young lovers, so it has to be something more reserved."
Li Yin lowered her head to jot down notes: (The relationship is pure, so don't be overly intimate.)
She asked seriously, "Then what should I call you?"
Li Yin clearly had no concept of this sort of thing. It was evident she had never been in a relationship.
In truth, Yifan was no expert either. He had only dated Chen Xinyan, and that lasted barely half a month without so much as holding hands. But he had to act as if he knew what he was doing. Images of Xie Jialin, his playboy friend, came to mind.
That guy, a rich heir with shameless behavior, changed girlfriends weekly. What did they call each other? Baby? Darling? Wifey? Daddy?
Ugh… Yifan grimaced and shook his head. Those were far too cheesy. After some thought, he said, "Let's just use full names."
"Yi Yifan?" Li Yin tried it out but frowned. "It feels a little off—too formal, almost harsh."
"Then just call me Little Fan."
"Little Fan?" Li Yin sized him up. He was tall and skinny, almost lanky. It seemed fitting.
Li Yin's dimples appeared as she smiled. "Little Fan!"
"Little Fan! What's next?"
"Getting ready for work."
"Little Fan! Let's go!"
Li Yin was clearly delighted with this new nickname. Yifan, however, felt slightly irked, as if he'd been figuratively stepped on. He decided to retaliate:
"Little Yin, let's go!"
"Huh? Little Fan! Let's go!"
"Little Yin! Let's go!"
"My name's Li Yin; there's no 'Little' in it."
"Couples often address each other like this, Little Yin."
"Ah…" Li Yin pouted. "Little Fan! Fine, I'm off to change clothes."
"Go ahead, Little Yin."
With a creak, the study door closed. Yifan returned to his room and collapsed onto the bed.
Oh my god, this is exhausting. A vague sense of frustration lingered—like he was being outmaneuvered. He made a mental note to treat Xie Jialin to a meal soon and seek his advice on relationships.
After resting for a bit, Yifan unplugged his charging phone and drafted a new social media post:
[Yuguang Real-Life Immersive Theater's new production is now live! Absolutely spectacular. Early bird tickets are 50% off for a limited time. Book now! I personally guarantee it's worth it!]
Yifan had promoted things on social media before, but this was the first time he sounded so confident.
The likes started rolling in quickly.
Among them was a former employee of the escape room, Lu Hanshan, who left a comment:
[Awesome, boss! Can't wait to see it!]
Right after, she handed her phone to Chen Xinyan, who was sitting next to her. "This is hilarious. Sis, look at this! Yifan's post—he's obviously trying to get your attention."
Chen Xinyan, holding a cup of coffee, glanced at the screen indifferently. "Whatever, I don't care."
Lu Hanshan propped her chin on her hands. "Since I left, where's he going to find someone as talented and cheap as me? Forget new productions; even his old ones must've dropped in quality!"
"True." Chen Xinyan replied nonchalantly.
"Wait a second, sis. Even with the discount, it's still 268. Does that mean the original price is close to 500? Has he lost his mind? Or is he trying to scam people?"
Scrolling through her phone, Lu Hanshan frowned in confusion. "But you know what? Now I'm actually curious. Should we send someone to check out what he's up to?"
"500 per person." Chen Xinyan smirked, taking a sip of her coffee. "Sure, send someone. Consider it charity."
"Got it." Lu Hanshan started messaging her friends but couldn't resist asking, "Sis, if Yifan ever makes a big comeback, will you regret breaking up with him?"
"No."
"Guess you never liked him that much, huh?"
"That's not what I mean." Chen Xinyan smiled faintly. "If he ever gets rich, I'll just win him back. Men are easier to reel in than stray dogs."
"Wow, sis, you're ruthless."
Chen Xinyan brushed her hair aside, exposing her fair shoulder. Sipping her coffee, she basked in the attention from nearby onlookers and softly remarked,
"A beautiful woman is born with an advantage. Look at those guys stealing glances but too scared to ask for my number. Aren't they just like leashed dogs?"
…
Lu Hanshan stared at Chen Xinyan in astonishment.
Chen Xinyan continued, "That's why we must aim for the best—those with golden leashes or strong, robust pedigrees. After all, this is a lifelong investment."
Does it have to be a dog? Can't it be a person? Lu Hanshan scratched her head, leaving one last question. "But sis, with such high standards, why did you chase after Yifan back then? He wasn't exactly that outstanding."
"Exactly," Chen Xinyan sighed deeply, as if lamenting her own lapse in judgment. "Even I have moments of impulsive stupidity."
Lu Hanshan grinned mischievously and leaned closer. "So, sis, you had real feelings for him back then, didn't you? You're a romantic at heart too!"
"Stop it. That's ancient history. It's all in the past."
"I get it, sis. He's not bad-looking, has a sense of responsibility, and is easy to manipulate. Just a bit poor. If only he were rich…"
Chen Xinyan chuckled without emotion. "If he ever gets rich, I'll gladly turn into a loyal dog, kneeling at his feet and calling him 'Daddy'."
"…?" Lu Hanshan was at a loss for words. "Sis, you're unbeatable."
Chen Xinyan's expression remained calm. "You should learn what it means to bend and stretch. It's a life skill."
"But… are you really that confident you can win him back? What if you can't?"
"Impossible," Chen Xinyan said flatly. "Haven't I always taught you? When fishing, you should always save the best bait for the first cast. Yifan is the type of guy who feels obligated to take responsibility. If I really wanted him back, I'd just find a chance to sleep with him. He wouldn't dare walk away. You know, forcing a guy isn't illegal."
Lu Hanshan's worldview took yet another hit. She asked hesitantly, "But… what if he doesn't feel responsible? What if he refuses to be with you?"
"Then I'll get pregnant and have the kid call him 'Daddy.'"
"…"
Chen Xinyan softened her tone. "Anyway, I'm just joking. Don't take it so seriously. Honestly, I wouldn't need any of those tricks. Winning Yifan back would be effortless for me. Relax."
"Right…" Lu Hanshan nodded, though a mischievous thought lingered in her mind. If Yifan really does make a comeback one day, what would Chen Xinyan do? Would she actually grovel and beg to reconcile with him?
Picturing the scene, Lu Hanshan couldn't help but laugh.
Chen Xinyan frowned. "What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing! I just thought of something happy!" Lu Hanshan coughed and changed the topic. "By the way, my friend got back to me. She's free this afternoon and can check out Yifan's escape room for us. She's a professional actress, so if his new hires aren't up to par, she'll definitely leave a scathing review."