After leaving the instance, Su Yan returned to the phone space.
Xiaoya had been waiting for a long time.
“Master, congratulations on another victory! How was this episode? Was it dangerous?”
Su Yan pursed her lips, unable to speak as she met Xiaoya’s slightly expectant gaze.
How was she supposed to gently tell Xiaoya that not only was this instance not dangerous, but it was actually… kind of… funny?
“Ahem!”
She coughed twice to cover her guilty conscience.
“Let’s withdraw the money. I should have earned quite a lot in this instance.”
Xiaoya nodded and turned to collect the money.
Su Yan heard her mutter under her breath.
“Isn’t it all a hundred thousand? How much more could it be?”
A few seconds later, Xiaoya’s scream echoed.
“Ah! Master, why did so much money come through from over there? In total… tens, hundreds, thousands… two hundred and sixty thousand! My god!”
That number was beautiful.
Su Yan smiled with satisfaction.
At least all her scheming to extort the production team and the guests had paid off.
Xiaoya walked over with a complicated expression, her hands trembling, eyes filled with struggle.
“Master…”
Seeing her face, Su Yan immediately knew Xiaoya had misunderstood something.
But she didn’t explain right away. Instead, she crossed her arms and watched Xiaoya, wanting to see what shocking words she’d say next.
As expected, Xiaoya did not disappoint.
“Master, did you rob the other guests?”
“No…”
Soon, Xiaoya denied herself.
“The production team wouldn’t allow that. It would ruin the game balance and take away the fun.”
Suddenly, Xiaoya’s eyes widened further, her expression turning solemn and filled with sympathy and caution as she looked at Su Yan.
The more she thought about it, the more reasonable her guess seemed, and she found it hard to believe.
Xiaoya tried to make her tone gentle, to avoid hurting Su Yan a second time.
“Master… did you make some unspeakable deal with the production team?”
Now it was Su Yan’s turn to be surprised.
She did make a deal with the production team to get some of the money.
Xiaoya actually guessed right?
She nodded.
“That’s right. I made a deal with the production team. Mutual benefit.”
Hearing Su Yan admit it so calmly, Xiaoya looked devastated.
“Master, I know our show is tough and you might need money in real life, but… but we can’t let ourselves go like this!”
Seeing Su Yan still looking unrepentant, Xiaoya’s pain deepened.
“I remember when I first met you, you were just a pure university student. After just two rounds, you’ve fallen this far?”
Su Yan: ?
She had just extorted the production team a bit and made a deal.
Did it really have to sound so serious?
Su Yan tried to calm Xiaoya down.
“Actually, I don’t think it’s a big deal. All in all, it was voluntary and mutually beneficial.”
—Though she got more out of it.
“You… you!”
Xiaoya seemed tongue-tied.
“You’re not even the same species!”
Su Yan: ?
“Different species… can’t make deals?”
By now, Su Yan realized something was off.
Maybe Xiaoya had misunderstood.
Xiaoya, frustrated by her stubbornness, had no choice but to be more direct.
“How much can you exchange for? It can only be short-term. Sooner or later, you’ll regret what you’ve done today!”
Su Yan suddenly understood.
This was a huge misunderstanding!
She hurried to explain.
“What nonsense are you talking about? I got this money with my intelligence and skill.”
Her explanation was clear, but Xiaoya’s misunderstanding was already deep-rooted.
She puffed up her little face.
“Intelligence and skill? You’re smart, I’ll give you that. Otherwise, how else could you… have this kind of relationship with the production team?”
It was clear Xiaoya still wanted to give Su Yan some face and didn’t use harsher words.
Su Yan sighed, knowing nothing she said now would help.
Only the truth would clear things up.
She said irritably.
“You’ll understand after you watch the episode.”
Xiaoya froze.
Su Yan sounded so righteous that she wondered if she’d misunderstood after all.
She asked tentatively.
“You… you really earned this money completely on your own?”
Su Yan nodded.
“Of course. You said it yourself—different species. Besides, those weird Nikesing shapes don’t fit my aesthetics anyway.”
…The two stared at each other…
Xiaoya’s face suddenly flushed red.
“I… that… I… I didn’t mean…”
She stammered, then covered her face and crouched down, her voice barely louder than a mosquito.
“Sorry…”
“Ah?”
Su Yan looked at her with a smile.
“Oh? What’s wrong? Don’t think I’ll regret it in the future now?”
Xiaoya suddenly lifted her head.
An Ultraman mask was already on her face.
Su Yan burst out laughing.
“You still have that thing?”
She nodded, looking lifeless.
But because she wore the Ultraman mask, she looked even more ridiculous.
“Whatever. From now on, I’ll wear this mask when I see you. That way it’s not my face losing dignity.”
Su Yan: …Ultraman, how tragic.
She shook her head, smiling, and decided not to bother Xiaoya anymore.
“I’ll head out first. I’ll come back after the episode airs.”
Xiaoya couldn’t wait for Su Yan to leave, nodding rapidly like a pecking chick.
Exiting the phone space, Su Yan stretched with satisfaction, then checked her phone bank balance and smiled contentedly.
Half a year ago, she had only thirty thousand yuan in savings.
After just two games, she now had over three hundred thousand.
How lucky!
***
That night, as soon as Su Yan returned to the dorm, she sensed something was off.
Feng Di was standing alone by the bed.
He Yuxin and Wu Xiaoxiao sat neatly on the bed.
As soon as they saw Su Yan, they shifted to make room.
He Yuxin greeted her.
“Yanyan, come over! Let’s punish her together!”
Su Yan paused at the scene, then looked at Feng Di.
Feng Di’s gaze darted away, but she looked at Su Yan pleadingly, hoping she’d say something nice for her.
“Tsk…”
Su Yan sat down, guessing.
“Feng Di started dating?”
The moment she spoke, all three looked at her in shock.
He Yuxin looked back and forth between Su Yan and Feng Di, then demanded, grief-stricken.
“Did Xiaodi tell you in advance? And you kept it from us?”
Feng Di immediately waved her hands.
“Hey! Don’t frame me! I didn’t!”
“I guessed!”
Su Yan explained quickly.
“With you three acting like a tribunal, what else could it be except Xiaodi dating?”
Wu Xiaoxiao nodded.
“Makes sense. So, do you think she deserves to be punished? We agreed to stay single, but now she pulls this?”
Feng Di muttered quietly on the side.
“I’m still single, aren’t I? Do you have two bodies or something?”
He Yuxin’s sharp ears caught the words, and she laughed angrily.
“Good grief! Still playing word games with me? Didn’t we agree after freshman year to stay single until graduation?”
This was true.
At the start of freshman year, the four dorm mates were all obsessed with romance, thinking they’d definitely find sweet love in the first year.
But by the end of the year, not one of them had dated.
There was just no way for four shut-ins to meet male peers.
During the year-end dorm summary, the four were disgusted at having spent a whole year without romance, and decided not to date for all four years of college.
The blind eyes of those boys cost them four fairy-like girlfriend candidates! (bushi)
“Ah, this…”
Feng Di lowered her head guiltily.
This was exactly why she hadn’t dared tell her roommates about dating.
He Yuxin looked at her coolly.
“Isn’t what you’re doing now called betrayal?”
Feng Di couldn’t accept such a crime and immediately protested.
“This is called partial prosperity! Once I get close with my boyfriend’s group, I can introduce you to high-quality guys, achieving universal prosperity.”
Su Yan laughed.
“Nice, good political science, but it doesn’t change the fact that you abandoned your political stance. Reflect. Got it?”
As she said this, she winked at Feng Di, signaling her to hurry up and comfort He Yuxin.
She understood that the one who cared most about this was He Yuxin.
Wu Xiaoxiao just wanted to join in.
As long as He Yuxin was appeased, the matter would be over.
Though treating everyone later would be essential, that was her boyfriend’s problem to solve.
Feng Di nodded repeatedly, scooting next to He Yuxin and speaking softly.
“Xinxin~ Xinxinzi~ I was wrong, okay?”
“Tsk!”
Su Yan shuddered at her over-the-top tone.
Looking over, Wu Xiaoxiao’s face was equally horrified.
Su Yan stood up to escape, helping Wu Xiaoxiao as well.
“I’m going to the bathroom. Anyone want to come? It’s lonely going alone.”
Wu Xiaoxiao wasn’t stupid.
She immediately caught on and replied.
“Me! Me! Me! I really need to go. Let’s go together!”
Once outside, Wu Xiaoxiao looked shaken.
“Feng Di’s cutesy act is terrifying. Like a nuclear bomb. Even if Su Xun could face a collapsing mountain without blinking, I doubt he could stay calm in front of her acting cute.”
Su Yan shook her head.
“Insulting.”
“Insulting Su Xun?”
“Insulting acting cute.”
By the time the two returned from the bathroom, the other two were back to being lovey-dovey.
Feng Di had produced a plate of grapes from who-knows-where and was feeding them one by one to He Yuxin.
The scene was confusing.
“Baby, come on, ah—”
“Ah—”
“Baby, you’re amazing! One more!”
Wu Xiaoxiao:
Su Yan turned to Wu Xiaoxiao.
“Did we come back too early? I feel like I could carve a Longmen Grottoes with my toes to liven things up.”
Wu Xiaoxiao nodded in agreement.
“We shouldn’t be in this room. We should be underground.”