Li Yin raised her head in surprise.
Yi Fan met her gaze without looking away this time.
She clasped her hands behind her back, gripping them a bit tightly.
Her mind raced. In that moment, the subtle cold wind gently lifted her hair, and a single strand stood upright.
"Um…" Li Yin tapped her wrist with her fingers. "The script says it's a pure and innocent relationship between boyfriend and girlfriend."
"Yeah, and hugging is part of that innocence."
"Is it?"
"It is."
"…"
The wind eased, and Li Yin's hair settled down:
"Fine, let's hug then."
Yi Fan nodded, stepped forward slowly, and gently embraced her.
To say he wasn't nervous would be a lie.
The cold, soft sensation, the fragrance near her temples, and the sound of her heartbeat.
It was an entirely new experience.
But today's hug wasn't about taking advantage of her. Holding Li Yin close, Yi Fan whispered softly in her ear:
"Silence will eventually be heard, burdens will be rewarded, and suffering will illuminate your path. That day is coming."
"As your boyfriend, boss, brother, and important partner, I promise to truly hear you, see you, and stay by your side without any excuse."
When he finished, Yi Fan released her and took two steps back.
Li Yin hadn't expected to hear such words; she froze, clearly astonished.
They just stood there, staring at each other.
After a while:
"Yi Fan!"
"Yes."
"Let's rehearse it one more time!"
"No problem."
…
That evening…
Gao Xueqing walked out of a noodle shop, belched, and glanced at her phone's GPS. She impatiently pressed her headset:
"I won't be late, I won't. Relax."
Lu Hanshan: "Sis~ You're in a bad mood today. Who ticked you off?"
"That casting director you introduced me to… Forget it. Not worth mentioning."
"Alright then, but later, let's watch Yi Fan's new work together and unwind, okay?"
Gao Xueqing snorted coldly, then chuckled. "Aren't I supposed to be the one leaving bad reviews tonight?"
"Not necessarily. Let's aim for objectivity, okay? Call me after you watch it—I'm excited! Love you~"
"Fine."
After hanging up, Gao Xueqing rubbed her temples.
She'd heard of Yi Fan before. First, people said he was a rich second generation; then, a pretty boy; and later, just another cliché guy who loves lame jokes…
She hadn't wanted to come today after a busy day, but she owed someone a favor.
More accurately, she didn't want to owe that group of friends anything—better to settle it quickly.
She glanced at online reviews of the show. They were mixed—some said it was a basic escape room with a unique "performance element," though not particularly scary.
Now that the price had doubled, she wondered how much innovation they could bring.
In any case, Gao Xueqing remained pessimistic.
"The sooner I watch, the sooner I leave."
She pressed the elevator button and went up to the eighth floor.
At a glance, she saw "Yuguang Immersive Theater." The venue was quite large—an impressive first impression.
No random ads or posters cluttering the place; the black curtains completely blocked the glass windows. Only a hand-drawn signboard stood at the entrance.
Clearly, the boss had a unique sense of aesthetics.
Gao Xueqing stopped by the restroom to smoke a cigarette before heading in.
With a creak, the door opened. Inside, it was dimly lit, with soft jazz playing. As the door closed behind her, it felt like stepping into another world.
This sensation, Gao Xueqing thought, was what she called immersion.
Another point in their favor.
"Hello." The boss smiled from behind the counter. "Are you the lady who reserved a spot via WeChat today?"
"That's me."
"Great. We'll need you to store your phone and bag in a locker—no recording or photography is allowed."
"I know, I know." Gao Xueqing handed over her bag. She'd played escape rooms before—they were all the same.
"This will be your teammate for today. You'll need to work together to solve the puzzles," the boss said, gesturing toward a guy.
She'd noticed the guy when she walked in.
Initially, he'd been chatting cheerfully with the boss, but the moment she entered, he stopped and struck a cool pose on the sofa.
Guys like this… Gao Xueqing had seen plenty.
The man stood up and approached her, speaking in a deep, airy voice: "Hello, Xie Jialin."
"…Nice to meet you." Gao Xueqing took a deep breath, maintaining a polite expression. "Gao Xueqing."
"Before we begin, let me go over the rules…" The boss started explaining some guidelines.
Beep-beep—
Her phone vibrated inside the locker.
"Sorry." Gao Xueqing opened the locker, checked the message, then silently turned off her phone, tossed it back, and locked it. She leaned over the counter to sign the waiver and said impatiently:
"Boss, let's get started already."
"Sure." Yi Fan handed each of them a flashlight and led them to the entrance.
"Good luck."
Click.
The entrance door locked.
From the dim hallway ahead, a young woman suddenly ran out, looking anxious. "Can you two help me with something?"
The game had officially begun.
Yi Fan sat in the control room, watching the trio's every move on the monitor.
Today's players were both challenging in their own way.
Xie Jialin was experienced and familiar with escape room setups.
Meanwhile, the girl seemed to be in a foul mood.
He hoped Li Yin wouldn't get nervous.
On the screen, Li Yin asked her question, but neither player responded immediately.
Xie Jialin was stunned. Where had Yi Fan found such a stunning, captivating actress?
Gao Xueqing, however, remained frowning, clearly unwilling to cooperate.
This wasn't how they had rehearsed it.
Li Yin stood still.
The flustered, anxious look on her face faded, replaced by a blank stare.
The next moment, her expression turned icy.
A faint chill emanated from her, spreading outward like blooming roses.
Thorned roses that pierced straight into Xie Jialin's and Gao Xueqing's hearts.
Their pupils contracted simultaneously as a nameless fear surged from deep within.
It was as if a dark abyss threatened to swallow their very consciousness.
Li Yin slowly lifted her gaze and repeated:
"I asked, can you two help me with something?"
Crackle—
The surveillance feed cut out, and Yi Fan jumped to his feet.
What the hell? This wasn't in the script!
He'd always assumed Li Yin was the sweet, gentle type of ghost—he'd never imagined her showing this kind of expression!
If this continued, something might go wrong.
Yi Fan prepared to turn on the house lights and declare the game over.
Just then—crackle—
The feed returned.
Yi Fan quickly checked the monitor. Both Xie Jialin and Gao Xueqing were unharmed.
But Gao Xueqing was in tears, clinging tightly to Xie Jialin's arm. "I'll help you! Just don't come any closer!"
Li Yin tilted her head. The cold aura instantly vanished, and she reverted to a sweet, innocent girl. She smiled and said:
"See? As long as everything follows the script, I won't get mad."