Xie Jialin rushed out of the escape room exit, carrying Gao Xueqing in his arms. The game was over.
Yi Fan cleared his throat and greeted them cheerfully, "So glad to see you two again! Did you enjoy this session? If so, don't forget to give us a five-star review…"
Xie Jialin's gaze was empty, his mind too overwhelmed to process Yi Fan's chatter, which sounded like nothing more than an annoying mosquito buzzing around.
Gao Xueqing, on the other hand, crouched against a corner wall and dry-heaved while clutching a skull prop.
Noticing their reactions, Yi Fan frowned slightly.
The players were clearly frightened out of their wits. Overdoing it might lead to less-than-stellar feedback.
He poured two cups of warm water and gently offered them. "Have some water and take a moment to rest."
Xie Jialin silently took the cup.
Gao Xueqing, after catching her breath, hesitated for a moment before also accepting the drink.
But after just one sip, Gao Xueqing suddenly seemed to snap out of it. She sprang to her feet, opened a storage locker, grabbed her bag and phone, and bolted toward the exit without a backward glance.
"Hey, miss…" Yi Fan called out, but she only ran faster, skipping the elevator entirely and rushing down the stairs.
"…"
Yi Fan rubbed his forehead. Well, this wasn't the ideal outcome.
Downstairs, Gao Xueqing burst outside and gulped in fresh air.
She leaned over, hands on her knees, catching her breath, then abruptly covered her face, one thought cycling through her mind:
So embarrassing. So embarrassing. So embarrassing!
The boss must've been laughing at my antics on the surveillance feed.
And that guy—he's probably mocking me too. This is mortifying!
Wriggling awkwardly in place, Gao Xueqing tilted her head back with a long sigh.
Maybe this is it. Maybe I should just move to another city.
But…
As an ordinary worker struggling alone in a big city, life was stressful.
It had been so long since I let loose like that.
And honestly… it felt amazing.
The charm of escape rooms lies in knowing it's all fake—the ghosts, the scares—just actors doing their job.
Reliving the scenes in her mind, Gao Xueqing murmured to herself, "That actress, with just one line and a change in expression, completely broke me. She's incredible."
"And the lighting, sound effects, and stage design—how did they make that chair float? Was it a lift or wires? So impressive."
Ding-ding.
Her phone buzzed with a notification prompting her to leave a review.
Without hesitation, Gao Xueqing gave a five-star rating and began typing an elaborate review.
The opening line read:
"Absolutely worth every penny! You've got to experience this for yourself!"
Writing the review wasn't just about expressing her emotions; she had another goal—tricking more people into coming!
Why should she be the only one scared out of her wits?
Grinning mischievously, she called her friend Lu Hanshan.
"Let me tell you, this was AMAZING! Absolutely incredible! I've never seen anything this good!"
"?" Lu Hanshan sounded skeptical. "You're lying, aren't you?"
"I swear I'm not! Trust me, on my honor! It's so good, I'd pay five thousand yuan, not just five hundred! You have to experience it yourself. That's all I'll say—gotta go recover from the emotional rollercoaster."
Hanging up, Gao Xueqing couldn't help but chuckle.
She couldn't wait to see Lu Hanshan scared out of her mind. Maybe she'd ask the boss for the surveillance footage afterward.
Ding-ding.
A new message arrived.
Reading it, Gao Xueqing's smile froze momentarily before curving back into a carefree smirk.
Life's too short to let someone like that ruin her mood.
Better to earn more money, revisit this escape room whenever she needed to blow off steam, and call it self-care.
Though next time, she'd wear a mask to avoid being recognized by the staff—too embarrassing otherwise.
Inside the escape room control room.
[You've received a five-star review.]
The mechanical voice of the notification soothed Yi Fan's earlier unease.
Sitting across from Xie Jialin, he poured some tea.
"I know what you're thinking. That actress is my distant cousin. She came to work for me, and even I didn't expect her to have such talent. As for the special effects, you guessed it—we borrowed some ideas from UMEPLAY."
"…" Xie Jialin was stunned. "UMEPLAY? You really spared no expense."
"Money's spent. What about the results?"
"Incredible." Xie Jialin sniffed his palms. "By the way, do you have her contact info? I think I've found my true love."
"…"
Yi Fan waved him off. "Get lost."
"No, seriously, this time I mean it." Xie Jialin's sincerity shone through. "I'm genuinely in love with her."
"…"
"I swear, if I can be with her, I'll turn over a new leaf—completely devoted!"
"You said the same thing last time."
"This time's different—it's the last time I'll say it."
"…"
After some thought, Yi Fan said, "I can give you her WeChat, but you've got to help me with something."
"Of course! Anything!"
Clearing his throat, Yi Fan scratched his head. "A friend of mine has been in a… complicated situation recently and wanted me to ask you something."
Xie Jialin rubbed his forehead, clearly suppressing a grin.
"What are you laughing at?" Yi Fan asked irritably.
"Who's laughing? Trained professionals here. Go on."
"…"
Annoyed, Yi Fan continued, "My friend wants to know… how can you tell if a girl likes you?"
"Just confess and see if she agrees," Xie Jialin replied casually.
Yi Fan shot him a cold glare.
Straightening up, Xie Jialin quickly amended, "Of course, not so directly. You could start by inviting her out, maybe increase some physical contact during the outing, see if she resists. If she doesn't, take her for drinks to create more opportunities for closeness."
"…"
Yi Fan realized asking Xie Jialin was pointless.
This guy's advice was only good for causing trouble, not worth learning.
After sending Gao Xueqing's contact information to Xie Jialin, Yi Fan propped his chin on his hand and glanced toward the escape room.
Li Yin was changing out of her costume.
Even a few minutes felt like a long time without seeing her.
Finally, she floated out gracefully.
Yi Fan's lips twitched into a smile before he quickly masked it.
He introduced them, "My cousin, Li Yin. Just call her that. And this is my good friend, Xie Jialin."
Xie Jialin stood up and bowed. "Cousin! Your acting was phenomenal! I bow to your skill!"
Momentarily startled by the stranger's praise, Li Yin quickly recovered, flashing a bright smile as she clasped her hands behind her back. "You're too kind!"
The three chatted briefly before Xie Jialin yawned, hugged his phone, and left.
Judging by his excited expression, he had successfully contacted Gao Xueqing.
Now, only Yi Fan and Li Yin remained.
Li Yin's eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Brother, how did I do?"
"You were amazing," Yi Fan replied sincerely. "Two hundred sixty-eight yuan. How would you like payment?"
"Just put it on the tab!" Li Yin whipped out a notebook, jotting down, "Debt: 13,969.5 yuan. The first two digits just went down from 14 to 13!"
Beaming with joy, she snapped the notebook shut and twirled mid-air.
Ding-ding—
Another notification came through.
Yi Fan checked his phone and grinned.
Someone had just placed an order at full price on the platform!
"Li Yin, look! They must've shared it with their friends on social media!"
Ding-ding—
Another order!
Li Yin laughed gleefully, spinning in the air. "We're going to strike it rich!"
"Exactly!" Yi Fan was equally thrilled. "Once we make enough, I'll take you out on a date next Monday!"
"Deal!"
As she floated happily, Li Yin closed her eyes and reveled in the moment.
Being acknowledged… felt so good.
Taking a deep breath, she descended and called out, "Xiao Fan!"
Yi Fan was full of energy. "Xiao Yin! At your service!"
"As your girlfriend, I want to give you a big hug. Any objections?"
Yi Fan froze for a second before mumbling, "It's for work, after all. I don't particularly mind."
"Then, hug!"
Before he could respond, Li Yin launched herself into his arms, grinning ear to ear.
She whispered by his ear, "Xiao Fan, thank you so much."