Spending money was indeed a joy, but Jiang Xule was about to go out and earn some.
She had originally promised to pick up and drop off Fang Yize, but because of the issues with her class that afternoon, she made up an excuse to back out. She claimed her driver’s license had been obtained a long time ago and she hadn’t driven in a while, so it wouldn’t be very safe.
Since she didn’t want to do it, Fang Yize wasn’t going to force her.
Jiang Xule arrived at the escape room in the afternoon with Yang Huan. When the proprietress saw Jiang Xule, her eyes lit up, admiring her appearance from every possible angle.
With her looks, she could easily put on some special effects makeup and stand at the entrance as a “ghost beauty” to attract customers.
However, the position at the entrance was already filled, so she could only work as an NPC inside.
The proprietress was a young woman in her twenties named Jiang Na, but she possessed a masterful skill in makeup. The special effects makeup she applied was incredibly realistic, and the costumes were prepared at great expense. Unlike some NPCs in other haunted houses, you could tell at a glance they were just people in costumes.
But being too realistic wasn’t always a good thing—what if a real one managed to slip in…?
“I’m Jiang Na. You can call me Xiao Jiang or Nana,” Jiang Na smiled generously. “We’re all around the same age, so there’s no need to be so formal.”
“Now, let’s have our Gold Medal NPC give you a demonstration of what you need to do once you’re inside.”
The Gold Medal NPC, Wu Meng, was dressed in a red robe. Her hair was parted down the middle and hung loose, covering most of both sides of her face. Judging by her mental state alone, she looked like the type who lived year-round in a damp room where sunlight never reached.
Moreover, her waist-length hair was real.
This was also Yang Huan’s first time there. Seeing this, she whispered into Jiang Xule’s ear, “The threshold for NPCs these days is so high…”
As soon as she finished speaking, Wu Meng struck a pose. With a few swift movements, she climbed to the top of a cabinet. The gap between the cabinet and the ceiling was very narrow; she pressed her body extremely low, and the whites of her eyes, visible even in the daylight, looked eerie.
“For an NPC, there’s a certain requirement for flexibility, though there are roles that don’t require as much. That’s why Wu Meng is our Gold Medal NPC; many players specifically ask for her when they come.”
Just as Jiang Na finished speaking and they thought the demonstration was over, Wu Meng, perched on the cabinet, suddenly let out a sharp, explosive shriek: “Yee-oww!!!!!!”
Jiang Na was used to it, but Jiang Xule and Yang Huan were nearly frightened out of their wits by the sudden outburst.
She even produced the “cracking” sounds of her joints vocally.
You deserve the number one spot; we aren’t jealous at all. Jiang Xule’s expression was a bit stiff. It was hard to imagine what kind of “ghostly” state she would be in when she performed these movements and made these sounds…
Ghostly state? Well, wasn’t that the point? That’s exactly what was needed.
“Come on, you guys give it a try,” Jiang Na said.
Step one: climb the cabinet. Imagine yourself as a monkey.
There were fixed routes for them to climb the cabinets; the placement of tables and chairs was designed to make it easier for the NPCs to scramble up.
These movements looked difficult, and in truth, they weren’t easy.
When it was Jiang Xule’s turn, Yang Huan gleefully held up her phone to film her. To her surprise, she found that Jiang Xule’s learning ability was quite strong, and she performed reasonably well.
It made sense; she had been a top student since childhood and learned everything quickly.
Jiang Na and Wu Meng immediately burst into applause. For a newcomer to do this well on their first try was very good; she just needed to let her screams out a bit more.
They were practicing now, so there wasn’t that sense of urgency from a chase. Perhaps once they were in a real scenario and immersed in the environment, it would come naturally.
However, after that one howl, Jiang Xule felt an itch in her throat that a few gulps of water couldn’t soothe.
Jiang Xule’s work wouldn’t end until eleven o’clock at night. Precisely because they were afraid a “real one” might actually slip in during the early hours of the morning, they capped the time before midnight.
Fang Yize was always the last one to leave the office. The task of closing the doors and windows fell to her every time, becoming a matter of muscle memory. Even if she had already closed a window, she would still walk over just to check it again.
After the last class, she had called Jiang Xule. She originally wanted to go out for dinner together, but Jiang Xule said she had an appointment with a friend and might be out very late.
So, she ordered takeout in the office and ate while grading assignments.
It wasn’t until past eight o’clock that she began to leave.
“Teacher Fang, so late today? Have you eaten?” Old Man Chen, the security guard, said as he opened the gate for Fang Yize. “I’ve got some peanuts here, want some?”
Fang Yize shook her head. “I’m driving, so I won’t have any.”
“Alright, drive safe!”
Fang Yize took her car keys and went upstairs. When she opened her front door and saw total darkness, she checked the time in confusion: nine o’clock.
It was only nine; it was normal for Jiang Xule not to be back yet.
When she turned on the light, she could see the five suitcases sitting in the living room. Once this last batch was packed, they could move into the new home.
After washing up, she wandered around the living room alone for over an hour, uncovering a pile of forgotten trinkets… Even though she had only lived there for a year, she had as much stuff as if she’d been there for ten.
Then there was the large box of plastic water bottles in the corner. She stood with her hands on her hips, looking at them for a while, before finally deciding to drag them out now.
The building had two units per floor. Fang Yize dragged the box of water bottles and knocked on her neighbor’s door.
An elderly couple lived next door. The grandmother enjoyed collecting bottles to sell. Fang Yize often saw her picking up bottles downstairs after work, so over the past year, she had frequently saved her bottles to give to her.
The grandmother was always very happy.
“Little girl, you have so many bottles this month?”
“Yes.” Fang Yize smiled, though she was also curious. There were indeed more than in previous months, but she didn’t know why. Could it be that Jiang Xule was so bored at home that she did nothing but drink water?
But even in two days, she wouldn’t have drunk that many…
“Grandma, I might be moving out in a couple of days, so I won’t be able to save bottles for you after that.”
The smile on the grandmother’s face faded instantly. She frowned and asked with concern, “Why are you moving so suddenly? Is it uncomfortable living here?”
“No, Grandma. I’ve found someone, and this apartment might be a bit too small now.” Of course, that wasn’t the real reason.
The grandmother chuckled again. “Found someone, have you? How is he? Is he handsome? Should Grandma help you check him out?”
The smile on Fang Yize’s face was irrepressible. “He can’t exactly be described just as ‘handsome’.”
“Oh~ It’s mainly because your heart likes him, right?”
“Yes.”
After leaving the neighbor’s house, Fang Yize returned home. Looking at the clock hanging over the TV, it was ten-thirty.
Still not back.
Exactly what kind of friend was she out with? Why was she out for so long?
Doesn’t that friend have a life of their own? Don’t they have a partner or a romance to attend to? But Jiang Xule does! There’s someone waiting for her at home!
Fang Yize lay on the sofa brooding. She wanted to call her, but she had already called today and knew the reason. Would calling again be intrusive?
The white light from the ceiling was truly dazzling. As she thought, her mind drifted further and further away until sleepiness completely took over.
Fang Yize wasn’t sleeping deeply. In her dreams, she dreamt that Jiang Xule had returned. Remembering something, her body suddenly jerked, and she almost leaped off the sofa, fully awake.
She heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom.
Fang Yize sat up quickly and looked toward the bathroom.
The light was on, and she could vaguely see a dark silhouette inside.
At the end of the sofa lay the sun-protection shirt Jiang Xule had worn out. It had some dust on the side; it needed to be washed.
For some reason, Fang Yize picked it up and sniffed it. Sure enough, she smelled a strong scent of cigarette smoke, as if it had been in a closed space, but there was no smell of alcohol or perfume.
Out playing with a friend and didn’t drink, just smoked?
A moment later, the bathroom door opened. Fang Yize quickly put the shirt down and sat back in the spot where she had just woken up.
“Jiang Xule, you’re back.” Fearing she wouldn’t hear, Fang Yize raised her voice and asked, “Why didn’t you wake me when you came back?”
Jiang Xule’s hair was soaking wet, and she was drying it with a towel. Hearing this, she replied, “I saw you were sleeping soundly and didn’t have the heart to wake you. I was planning to shower and then carry you to the bedroom.”
Because she had been out all day and was dirty, she had to get clean before she could hold her.
Fang Yize’s inner monologue: If I had known, I would have kept pretending to sleep…
“How was it? Your voice is a bit raspy. Were you that excited?” As Fang Yize spoke, she stood up and walked toward Jiang Xule.
For a moment, Jiang Xule didn’t realize what she meant. She had forgotten the excuse she’d casually made up that afternoon.
She hesitated for a moment, not daring to look Fang Yize in the eye. “It was… it was alright. I haven’t seen that friend in many years, so I came back a bit late.”
Fang Yize tilted her head and looked at her for a while, then reached out to wrap her arms around her waist, leaning her head against her chest.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Xule asked softly.
“Smoke less.” Fang Yize nuzzled against her chest and added, “It’s not good for your body.”
Fang Yize’s gaze focused on a water droplet on a strand of hair by her ear, and she reflexively reached out to touch it.
She really couldn’t imagine what kind of pressure Jiang Xule was under that required tobacco to release.
Fang Yize looked up again and pressed, “Okay?”
Jiang Xule didn’t hesitate too long. Thinking it was best to agree and get past the topic first, she nodded. “Okay.”
Fang Yize smiled contentedly. She tilted her head up and asked for a kiss: “Kiss me.”
Jiang Xule lowered her head to press a kiss on her lips, then said, “Let me blow-dry my hair first, okay?”
“I’ll do it for you.” Fang Yize let go of Jiang Xule’s waist, went into the bathroom, and picked up the hair dryer.
But because of her height, it was difficult to dry Jiang Xule’s hair. Jiang Xule simply sat down on the toilet lid, obediently surrendering her head to her.
Being an NPC was quite exhausting. Now that she didn’t have to move, she didn’t want to move at all. Fang Yize’s touch was very light, and the warmth of the dryer made Jiang Xule feel like falling asleep.
She didn’t know why she was hiding the truth of her work from Fang Yize, but she just didn’t dare tell her. She had a feeling that if she knew, she would be very angry.
Today she said she was seeing a friend. What about tomorrow? What excuse would she have to find then?