Meanwhile, Xiao Yao had just finished changing clothes in the fitting room.
The young woman let her black hair fall loose over her shoulders. Her delicate snow-white face was tilted slightly upward, revealing a slender and elegant neck. The pearl-white swimsuit wrapped around her exquisite, slender figure. Every inch of her skin and every curve of her bones seemed like a masterpiece painstakingly sculpted by the Main God.
When Xiao Yao had bonded with the Cannon Fodder System 666, she had lost all memories of her previous mission worlds. However, the system had told her that she had been a famous beautiful good-for-nothing at the Space Station. Because her mission completion rate had been too low, she had been thrown together with the equally useless 666 as partners.
Xiao Yao did not think there was anything wrong with that.
After all, she really was beautiful.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she imitated the original host’s usual expression. She lowered the corners of her eyes and pressed her lips together. Beneath her long eyelashes, her eyes appeared cold and gloomy.
Yet no matter who looked at her, it was impossible to associate her with words like timid or sinister.
Her phone chimed.
Xiao Yao unlocked it and saw a message from Snowy Duck. She hesitated for a moment before raising her hand and typing a reply.
As a mere cannon fodder, her chances of running into the Male Lead on her own were practically nonexistent. Only by staying with the Female Supporting Character and the others would she have an opportunity to come into contact with him.
However, she definitely could not appear in front of the Female Supporting Character dressed like this.
Silently, Xiao Yao put her clothes back on over the swimsuit and once again donned her sunglasses and face mask.
The door opened.
The smiling attendant outside had just been about to help store the customer’s changed clothes when he saw that the customer emerged looking exactly the same as when she had gone in.
Attendant: “?”
…
Following the location Liang Xue’er had sent her, Xiao Yao went downstairs and immediately spotted a group of people not far away.
Among them, one tall young man stood out the most.
He was exceptionally handsome, with a gentle smile hanging at the corners of his lips. His temperament was elegant and noble.
The girl Xiao Yao had seen earlier was standing beside him, gazing at him with admiration as she tilted her head up and said something to him.
It had to be said that someone capable of being a vicious Female Supporting Character definitely had the qualifications. Qin Yuan’s figure was curvy in all the right places, and her seductive appearance was extremely alluring.
Unfortunately, the person beside her only appeared to be listening attentively. In reality, his gaze remained fixed on the ground the entire time.
Someone so oblivious to romance had to be the Male Lead.
Before entering the mission world, Xiao Yao had carefully read the handbook that all mission takers were required to follow:
In a qualified dual-pure romance novel, not only did the Male Lead’s first kiss belong to the Female Lead, and his first night belong to the Female Lead, but even if he reached forty years old before meeting her, he still had to remain untouched. He could not have any physical contact with anyone other than the Female Lead, and even his gaze could only linger for the Female Lead.
The next second, the man raised his head.
His gaze landed squarely on Xiao Yao.
Xiao Yao met a pair of eyes that appeared gentle but contained very little warmth.
Their gazes collided for only a brief moment before both of them looked away simultaneously.
Ming Jing resumed staring indifferently at the ground.
Xiao Yao resumed staring gloomily ahead.
The distance was not far. After walking slowly for a while, Xiao Yao arrived beside them.
She stood there for some time and discovered that not a single person had noticed her.
“Hello.”
A female voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz sounded.
Liang Xue’er almost thought she had misheard it until the voice came from behind her once again.
Turning around, she saw a face covered almost entirely and finally reacted.
“You’re Xiao Yao? Why are you dressed like this too?”
Upon hearing the word too, Xiao Yao slowly shifted her dark eyes toward the man dressed entirely in black across from her.
Without attracting attention, she swallowed nervously.
Just as she was about to speak, another female voice interrupted.
“Why are you dressed like that? Didn’t I have someone prepare clothes for you?”
With her arms crossed, Qin Yuan spoke bluntly.
Xiao Yao lowered her head, looking somewhat at a loss.
“…I’m wearing them underneath.”
A mocking laugh sounded from across the group.
Qin Yuan’s critical gaze swept over Xiao Yao. Clearly, she did not think Xiao Yao possessed anything worth hiding.
To her, coming to a place like this and still being unable to let loose was ridiculous. What exactly was she acting reserved for? Did she actually think someone would be interested in her?
“Enough.”
Ming Jing interrupted gently.
“Aren’t you hungry? Since your friend is here, let’s go eat.”
With that, he stepped forward.
“Who’s friends with her…”
Though she muttered that under her breath, Qin Yuan ultimately said nothing more and followed after him.
Suddenly, Xiao Yao felt her eyes itch.
She removed her sunglasses and rubbed them.
Walking behind the others, Liang Xue’er saw Xiao Yao lowering her head and wiping her eyes. She looked so dejected that Liang Xue’er could not help feeling sorry for her.
She moved closer.
“Um… don’t take what she said to heart. She’s just very straightforward. She’s not a bad person.”
Xiao Yao shook her head gently.
“It’s okay.”
Seeing Xiao Yao act this way only made Liang Xue’er feel even more protective of her.
Her tone softened further.
“I thought you were a really cold and aloof girl. I didn’t expect you to be so… so…”
She struggled for a long time, unable to think of the right word.
At that moment, Xiao Yao suddenly raised her head and looked at her quietly.
Those black eyes were cool and distant, their emotions impossible to discern, as though a thin layer of ice covered them.
Liang Xue’er could not describe it.
But they were very beautiful eyes.
She froze for a moment, her heartbeat inexplicably accelerating.
Yet Xiao Yao had already put her sunglasses back on, returning to her gloomy and withdrawn appearance, as though what Liang Xue’er had seen just now had been nothing more than an illusion.
…
“Sit wherever you like.”
Qin Yuan pushed open the private room door and greeted everyone naturally.
She seemed especially fond of red today.
She had changed into a red strapless evening gown. With exquisite makeup on her face and chestnut-colored wavy hair cascading over her shoulders, she appeared even more dazzling and beautiful.
Her gaze swept subtly across the room.
She secretly felt that no one present could outshine her today.
Other than Xiao Yao, everyone behind her had grown up with Ming Jing and Qin Yuan. They were childhood friends who all knew one another well.
Among these wealthy young heirs from prominent local families, some were constantly surrounded by romantic scandals, some were known as serial collectors of internet celebrities, and some proudly called themselves the most devoted men in A City.
At this moment, almost everyone had brought a female companion.
Xiao Yao spotted several moderately famous influencers, as well as a small-time actress.
The actress seemed to market herself as a cold and innocent little white flower. Yet now, with her pale legs fully exposed, she was sitting in the embrace of a carefree young man, blushing as she allowed him to do whatever he pleased.
Xiao Yao withdrew her gaze.
When no one moved, Ming Jing took the initiative and walked to a corner of the sofa before sitting down.
The next second, Qin Yuan eagerly sat beside him.
Only then did everyone else file into the room one after another.
Xiao Yao sat beside Liang Xue’er.
Looking up, she discovered that, by pure coincidence, the Male Lead in black was seated directly across from her.
A faint smile rested on his lips as he listened warmly to others speak. Under the dim lighting of the private room, his features appeared even more picturesque and stunningly beautiful.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Qin Yuan clapped her hands.
A group of handsome service staff entered in an orderly line.
Soon, the table was covered with an impressive assortment of drinks and food.
The atmosphere in the room quickly became lively.
Qin Yuan and Ming Jing naturally became the center of attention.
Throughout the gathering, Xiao Yao did not touch a single drop of alcohol.
Hidden behind her sunglasses, her gaze openly roamed around the room, satisfying her voyeuristic tendencies.
Among a room full of exquisitely attractive men and women, her appearance was the least noticeable.
No one paid attention to her.
After several rounds of drinking, many of the people who had brought companions could no longer restrain themselves and began embracing and kissing their partners.
Xiao Yao even saw the small actress sitting face-to-face on the young man’s lap, her clothes half-slipping off her shoulders.
The others seemed completely accustomed to such scenes.
Even Ming Jing’s expression remained perfectly natural.
At some point, someone suggested playing King’s Game.
With alcohol clouding their judgment, everyone enthusiastically agreed.
Xiao Yao quietly asked the system in her mind,
“What is King’s Game?”
The system did not answer.
Instead, it tossed her an explanatory video.
After quickly absorbing all the information, Xiao Yao found it laughably simple.
“Isn’t this just Truth or Dare for children?”
The system chuckled.
Its tone was strangely meaningful.
“Is it?”
After saying that, it logged off.
No matter how Xiao Yao called for it afterward, it refused to respond.
Foolish mission taker.
Did she not know that throughout the history of romance novels, countless iconic scenes had been born from this very game of Kings?