After leaving the room, Xiao Yao finally took off her mask and quickly stuck out her tongue.
“So spicy.”
She had not known that her body could not handle alcohol. Even a tiny sip of low-alcohol fruit wine had left her feeling slightly dizzy.
The system watched as the heat in Xiao Yao’s cheeks rose steadily. They slowly changed from pink to red, while her eyes became increasingly moist and unfocused.
It simply…
The system immediately cut off the visual feed.
It was unbearable to watch!
She was even seducing the system. No wonder before…
Xiao Yao had no idea what the system was thinking.
All she wanted was to hurry to the restroom and cool down her face.
Inside the restroom.
Xiao Yao bent over and splashed two handfuls of cold water onto her face. Once she felt her mind clearing, she lifted her head and looked at herself in the mirror.
The moment she did, she froze.
Cool droplets slid down her cheeks.
Her face was still as red as ever.
The corners of her eyes were even redder.
A thin layer of eyelids could not conceal the flush beneath them. Her lips parted unconsciously. The originally cold and gloomy face was now filled with traces of intoxication, revealing an innocent softness she herself was unaware of.
Xiao Yao was so shocked that she could not close her mouth for quite some time.
The system had finally reconnected the visual feed.
The moment it saw this scene, it disconnected again.
Furious, it shouted, “Can you stop seducing people already?!”
Did she not know that a newly matured system had very little self-control?
Xiao Yao blinked.
“When did I…”
“Just now! Right now! You’ve been doing it the whole time!!”
Xiao Yao fell silent for a moment.
Deciding not to argue with the system, she said, “Alright, my mistake. Let’s make up.”
The system snorted.
“Hmph ╭(╯^╰)╮”
…Had some strange emoticon just floated by?
Xiao Yao asked, “Do you know what’s wrong with me? I only drank one sip of alcohol, and I’m sober now. Why is my face still so red?”
The system finally realized that something was unusual about her body.
More accurately, it was Xiao Yao’s body.
The original novel had never mentioned that the original host had a poor alcohol tolerance. Since that was the case, the reason could only lie with Xiao Yao herself.
Apparently, Xiao Yao could not drink alcohol.
No matter how little she consumed, even if she was only one part drunk, her appearance would display ten parts.
After learning about her condition, Xiao Yao fell silent for a moment before heading to the rooftop to enjoy the breeze.
…
Inside the private room.
The departure of the insignificant Xiao Yao had no effect on anyone else.
The King’s Game continued.
Everyone drew cards again.
This time, the King card ended up in Mo Yao’s hands once more.
He lazily spun the playing card between his fingers.
“Then Number One and Number Two…” he said casually. “You two can kiss.”
Everyone revealed their cards one after another.
The moment they saw who had drawn them, the room suddenly fell silent.
A pin drop could have been heard.
“Holy shit…”
Someone was the first to curse.
The previously silent room immediately exploded into chaos.
“Damn, brother, did your mouth get blessed or something?”
“A kiss is boring! Go for a French kiss! Ten minutes minimum!”
“Sis Yuan, Brother Ming, a bet’s a bet!”
Cheers and whistles filled the room.
Ming Jing closed his eyes briefly.
He could barely suppress the irritation gathering between his brows.
Meanwhile, Qin Yuan’s face gradually turned red under everyone’s teasing.
She looked toward the young man beside her.
“Jing…”
The next moment, the person beside her suddenly stood up.
Ming Jing frowned.
His gentle voice carried a hint of restraint as he looked apologetically at Qin Yuan.
“Sorry. I’m not feeling well.”
Although disappointed, Qin Yuan did not think much of it.
She immediately stood and moved aside to make room for him.
Ming Jing nodded politely to everyone.
“Excuse me.”
Then he turned and left.
Silence descended over the room.
…
Xiao Yao had spent more than ten minutes on the rooftop, letting the cold wind blow over her.
Only after her face had become cool to the touch did her complexion finally return to normal.
She let out a small sigh of relief.
After putting her sunglasses and mask back on, she was about to leave when she heard a creaking door opening nearby.
Someone had arrived.
The system spoke.
“It’s the Male Lead.”
Xiao Yao immediately hid behind another door.
A tall, slender figure emerged.
Ming Jing walked to the railing.
No one knew how long he stood there.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a hard cigarette case.
In the darkness, a faint red glow flickered.
Xiao Yao quickly pulled out the camera she carried with her at all times.
She aimed the lens at his back.
After focusing for a long time, however, she still could not bring herself to press the shutter.
No.
She bit her lip irritably.
How was anyone supposed to recognize the Male Lead from a back view alone?
Even a tiny glimpse of his profile would do.
Ming Jing lowered his eyes.
A lit cigarette rested between his fingers.
He quietly watched it burn halfway down before bringing it to his lips and taking a drag.
A ring of smoke escaped his lips.
His smoking posture was practiced and natural, completely different from the polite and gentle model student he usually appeared to be.
Ming Jing smoked.
He simply was not addicted.
Whenever he felt irritated, one cigarette was enough.
He flicked away a bit of ash.
Watching the cigarette burn down to little more than a stub, Xiao Yao knew he would be leaving soon.
Yet she still had not gotten a usable photo.
Anxiety began to build inside her.
At that moment, she stopped worrying about anything else.
“Meow…”
A weak cat’s cry echoed through the darkness.
Ming Jing instinctively turned toward the sound.
What greeted him, however, was not a helpless kitten.
It was a dark camera lens.
Click—
At the same moment, Xiao Yao pressed the shutter.
She captured the exact instant the Male Lead looked over, cigarette still in hand.
Caught red-handed.
Perfect!
She immediately turned and ran.
What she had not expected was for the man behind her to give chase.
And he was fast.
After entering the world, Xiao Yao had inherited all of the original host’s physical attributes except for her appearance.
She was petite and agile.
However, the Male Lead was still a man who exercised regularly.
Neither his speed nor his stamina was something she could match.
Just as she thought she was about to be caught and all her efforts would be wasted, the system suddenly spoke.
“Fourth room on the right!”
Without even thinking, Xiao Yao instinctively changed directions.
Right turn.
Fourth room…
She lunged toward the door, grabbed the handle, opened it, entered, shut it, and locked it in one fluid motion.
Once she confirmed she was safe, she slid down the door and sat on the floor.
While quietly catching her breath, she listened carefully to the sounds outside.
When Ming Jing reached the corner, all he saw were several tightly closed doors.
These were guest rest rooms prepared by Jinzhou.
At the moment, every room appeared occupied.
His instincts told him that the person from earlier was hiding inside one of them.
Thinking about the photograph that had just been taken, the gentle smile on his face gradually disappeared.
His exquisite features were now filled with hostility.
As the eldest son of the Ming Family, and as a flawless heir, Ming Jing had always demanded perfection from himself.
Whether it was academics, work, or anything else.
He refused to allow even the slightest stain on his record.
Even habits that others considered insignificant flaws.
Because he knew that compared to him—a loveless child born from an arranged marriage—his father greatly favored the illegitimate son he had with his first love.
If not for the fact that Ming Jing excelled in every aspect…
If not for the fact that the title “Eldest Son of the Ming Family” had long become tied to the family’s reputation…
Everything would likely have been stripped away from him long ago.
He would have been expelled from the Ming Family.
Everything he had worked for since childhood would have fallen into the hands of his dear younger brother.
To successfully inherit the Ming Family, he had endured for far too long.
So long that even he could barely recognize himself anymore.
Therefore, Ming Jing would never allow any unpredictable factor to affect him.
Nor would he permit one to remain.
…
Hearing the knock outside, a man climbed out of bed and casually pulled a blanket over the woman lying beside him.
Cursing under his breath, he walked toward the door.
He wanted to see which idiot had interrupted such a good moment.
“Who the hell—”
The unfinished sentence lodged in his throat the moment he saw who stood outside.
“Young Master Ming, why are you…”
Ming Jing’s expression remained cold and aloof.
He tugged the corner of his lips perfunctorily.
“Sorry for disturbing you.”
Then he moved on to the next room.
The person who opened that door was another disheveled man.
This time, Ming Jing did not even bother pretending to be polite before turning away.
The next room.
The same situation.
Ming Jing remembered the figure he had glimpsed on the rooftop.
The person had not been very tall.
Their frame had been slender.
Their face had been completely covered.
For some reason, the figure felt vaguely familiar.
Yet he had never been someone who wasted attention on unimportant people.
As a result, he could not immediately recall who it was.
The fourth room.
He raised his hand and knocked.
His irritation had grown so strong that he could no longer maintain his usual gentlemanly demeanor.
No one answered.
Yet the faint light leaking through the crack beneath the door clearly indicated that someone was inside.
A change flashed through Ming Jing’s eyes.
He raised his hand again and knocked three more times.
“Open the door.”
His voice was cold.
The next moment, the door opened.