Chapter 43 The Cannon Fodder Assistant 8 The Cabinet Door Opened

Li Qingran: "..."

Could this plot be any more lewd?

He'd rather experience the cheating plot from the previous world a hundred times over!

No wonder people always say that we should cherish the present moment, because the future may be a hundred times worse than the present.

Li Qingran had already begun to miss the previous world, even the time before he gained his freedom.

Li Qingran gently rubbed her temples with her fingertips, closed her eyes, and rested for a while before taking a deep breath and, as if making a firm decision, rushing towards 888:

Tell me the specific plot details.

888, who was worried that Li Qingran would refuse to follow the plot, immediately brought up the upcoming plot after hearing this. The speed was so fast that it was as if she was afraid that Li Qingran would change her mind and flip the table at any moment.

In fact, her worry was completely unnecessary, because whether it was to end this world quickly or to gain the right to move freely in this world as soon as possible, Li Qingran would not be passive or give up on the mission.

Because it does him no good at all.

Not only will it attract the attention of the world's rules, but in more serious cases, it may even incur punishment from the main system.

Li Qingran had already learned her lesson about exploiting plot bugs once and didn't want to make the same mistake a second time.

So, after patiently giving herself a pep talk, Li Qingran forced herself to calm down, looked up at the plot summary given by 888, and the task he needed to complete next.

Li Qingran skimmed through the text and got a general understanding of the plot.

In short, the perverted cannon fodder wanted to further observe Chu Yu's private life, so while everyone was filming outside, he secretly sneaked into Chu Yu's room and hid in the bedroom closet, planning to wait for Chu Yu to return, then secretly open a crack to spy on him changing clothes, taking a shower, and other private activities.

However, the cannon fodder's plan was indeed very good, and he did hide in Chu Yu's closet. However, what he did not expect was that Chu Yu was very sensitive to his living environment. The moment he entered the room, he felt that something was wrong. This feeling became more and more obvious when he entered the bedroom and prepared to change out of his filming clothes.

The intense feeling, as if someone were secretly watching him from the shadows, made Chu Yu stop unbuttoning his clothes. His gaze swept around the bedroom and finally settled on the large wardrobe embedded in the wall. The wooden sliding door was slightly ajar, dark and gloomy, much like how it had been when he had casually closed and reopened it when he left that morning.

But Chu Yu felt that the crack was different from when he left in the morning.

Could it be that someone is hiding inside?

The thought grew stronger in Chu Yu's mind, and he couldn't help but get up from the sofa and slowly walk towards the wardrobe.

The cannon fodder in the wardrobe also held his breath. In the quiet environment, he could even hear his own heart beating more and more violently.

But it wasn't out of fear, it was out of excitement.

He was thrilled that he was about to meet his idol face-to-face.

For normal people, tearing off the last layer of fig leaves might be a source of panic, helplessness, and intense shame, making them wish they could hide themselves away in the ground under the gaze of others.

However, for some perverts, breaking through the last layer of secrecy will only completely unleash the evil within them, making them even more unscrupulous and escalating their crimes.

Therefore, the cannon fodder waited and hoped that Chu Yu would discover their true colors.

However, just a second before Chu Yu's hand was about to touch the sliding door, the handsome young man standing in front of the wardrobe suddenly withdrew his hand, and then, before the cannon fodder could react, he rushed out of the room.

Chu Yu's keen sixth sense led him to abandon the idea of ​​opening the wardrobe and instead choose to escape the room to seek outside help.

His first choice was actually his assistant, but unexpectedly, he ran into Qin Yanyun as soon as he stepped out. Qin Yanyun had a series of abnormal reactions to Chu Yu because of the daytime filming. Seeing his panicked expression, Qin Yanyun naturally went up to ask him why.

When people are panicked, they will always look for the people they are most familiar with first.

Chu Yu was no exception.

Therefore, even though he and Qin Yanyun didn't get along, they had been together for so many years, and he knew Qin Yanyun's character to some extent. He knew that Qin Yanyun wasn't the type to gloat or kick someone when they were down; on the contrary, Qin Yanyun was very righteous.

So, after being stopped by Qin Yanyun, Chu Yu, who was in a state of confusion, told Qin Yanyun about the strange phenomena that had occurred in his room.

As he expected, the latter immediately called the security guards to go back and check with him, but by then, the cannon fodder had already escaped.

The room was empty, and the security of the past had been restored, but Chu Yu still couldn't put his mind at ease.

It was at this moment that Qin Yanyun, who had already developed some indescribable feelings for him, took the initiative to offer to stay and keep him company.

While the night can indeed breed darkness and evil, it can also easily alter normal feelings, allowing them to ferment into something ambiguous.

This can be considered a major turning point in the relationship between the main characters.

An ambiguous relationship that starts with mutual dislike and then progresses to feelings of unease and anxiety when you start to like each other.

Clearly, this turning point was mainly driven by cannon fodder, namely, Li Qingran.

After watching the entire story, Li Qingran was less resistant to the mission.

Since no one has actually been discovered, even if the mission is carried out in a somewhat sneaky manner, as long as it is not discovered, the mission can continue!

Li Qingran now only has one question: [How do I get in?]

In the original storyline, the cannon fodder sneaked in during the day, avoiding cameras and crowds while everyone else was out.

But it was already dark, and Li Qingran was still in her room.

This wasn't because he was slacking off; rather, Qin Yanyun didn't distrust him like in the original storyline. During the filming of the variety show, in addition to the cannon fodder, she brought three more assistants, which gave the cannon fodder the opportunity to sneak out.

But now, Qin Yanyun only has one assistant by his side. Not to mention during the daytime filming, even when they have dinner, Li Qingran has to stay by Qin Yanyun's side the whole time.

Otherwise, he wouldn't only have time to check the plot and missions now.

In addition, this is the time when the hotel is busiest and most likely to encounter people. Chu Yu may have already gone back to his room to rest. How can he avoid the people in the corridor and Chu Yu in the room and successfully hide in the closet of the other party's bedroom?

This world is the most traditional modern world, with no magical tricks.

Li Qingran spread her hands outwards, indicating that she had no solution.

888, however, had other plans. It rubbed its non-existent hands together and grinned at Li Qingran, saying:

[Host, you still have a few items you haven't used yet. I remember there should be an invisibility item among them, right? Now's the perfect time to put them to use!]

Li Qingran: [...]

He initially planned to use those items to avoid the plot, but now, the first time he used them, he's using them to follow the plot...

Li Qingran was speechless, but for the sake of his future freedom, he still held his nose and made 888 take out the props.

Fortunately, this invisibility item wasn't a one-time use item; after using it this time, there were two more chances to use it, so Li Qingran wasn't particularly heartbroken.

"Let's open it later, let's go buy some ice cream first." 888 suggested to Li Qingran while fiddling with the invisibility item.

The latter did not object.

After all, the storyline still requires ice cream to cosplay as some kind of unidentified liquid.

[He really has boundless energy! Isn't he afraid of ruining himself?]

So far, Li Qingran has completed three tasks, and each time she has needed the help of the Ice Cream Master.

This cannon fodder is really something; if he can't take it anymore, he should go drink some traditional Chinese medicine!

Having too much energy isn't a good thing either!

With a dark expression, Li Qingran stood at the door of Chu Yu's room, holding an ice cream cone.

He was already invisible, so he didn't have to worry about being seen. He simply reached out and pressed the doorbell, planning to slip into the room and hide in the closet when Chu Yu opened the door to check the situation.

The plan itself looked pretty good, but the problem was that when Chu Yu heard the doorbell, although he came to open the door, he only opened it a crack.

Looking at Chu Yu through that small crack, Li Qingran couldn't tell for a moment which of the two of them was the one who needed to hide in the closet.

How do I get in?

The slit looked even narrower than the gap between his fingertips. If Li Qingran wanted to get in, he would have to iron himself until he was as thin as paper.

888 never expected that the protagonist would be such a cautious person.

But thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. After all, if he hadn't been careful, he wouldn't have given up on opening the door in the original story and instead chose to run outside.

"This isn't the time for you to justify the protagonist's submissive behavior, is it?" Li Qingran looked at the door that had been briefly opened a crack before closing again, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes.

How can I get in if he does this?

You can't exactly climb in through the window, can you?

Putting aside the fact that the windows of this hotel are all equipped with burglar bars, the fact that Chu Yu's room is on a certain floor means that Li Qingran is destined not to be able to climb out of his window in the middle of the night.

【Then… how about we go back and use Qin Yanyun's phone to send a message to Chu Yu, and trick him into coming out of the room?】

Do you know Qin Yanyun's lock screen password? Are you sure Qin Yanyun has saved Chu Yu's number and added him as a friend? Are you sure that if I send Chu Yu a message, he will definitely go out, assuming both of the above questions are true?

Li Qingran kept asking one question after another, until 888, who had come up with the bad idea, was completely speechless.

[…So what do we do now, host? We can't just stand at the door waiting for the protagonist to open it and leave on his own, can we?]

It's so late at night, that's not really realistic.

Moreover, the current conditions do not allow them to stand at the door and wait indefinitely.

Li Qingran glanced down at the melting ice cream in her hand, pursed her thin lips, pondered for a moment, and then raised her hand to knock on the door.

"Who is it?!" Chu Yu's voice came from inside again, accompanied by the sound of cautious footsteps.

“It’s me,” Li Qingran suddenly said.

A clear male voice suddenly rang out in the empty corridor. If someone happened to be passing by at that moment, seeing the empty space around them, they would probably scream "There's a ghost!" and scramble away from this eerie place.

888 also felt that Li Qingran's sudden response to Chu Yu's question was inappropriate. Its concern was not that Li Qingran's actions might lead others to believe that the hotel was haunted, but rather that Li Qingran's answer was too casual.

When the protagonist is asked who is outside the door, he replies, "It's me."

Then who knows who this "I" is?

If you encounter someone with a bad temper, they might just call you crazy, and then they probably won't even open the door, let alone let him sneak in.

However, just as 888 was about to helplessly tell Li Qingran that his "it's me" game was completely ineffective in front of such a cautious person, before it could utter a single word, it saw Li Qingran suddenly take a step back. Then, the next second, the door that 888 thought would never be opened was suddenly flung open from the inside.

Even when the wide-open door tried to be closed a little after being rotated to its limit, it was stopped by Chu Yu, who looked puzzled, at the doorway.

"No, where is he?" Chu Yu leaned against the door, peeked out and looked around, but did not see the expected figure.

Was it just his imagination?

Chu Yu frowned, then thought it unlikely.

After all, he had just clearly heard someone say, "It was me."

When the sound entered his ears through the crack in the door, it became somewhat muffled due to the door panel, but Chu Yu still immediately recognized the owner of the voice.

It was the owner of that hand that he dreamed about for several nights in a row after returning from the pre-party.

This is also the assistant Qin Yanyun brought with him this time... Li Qingran.

These three short words have been swirling on Chu Yu's tongue countless times during this period.

So even though he knew that the other person and he had no contact since that accidental collision, Chu Yu still couldn't help but open the door after hearing that familiar voice.

just in case……

just in case!

He really came looking for me!

Chu Yu convinced himself.

But the result after opening the door still disappointed him.

The corridor was completely empty; there wasn't a soul in sight, not even a ghost.

So, was it really because he wanted to be in contact with boys so much that he was hallucinating?

But that voice just felt so real...

Chu Yu hesitated before closing the door, then walked into the room while frowning and pondering the strange events that had just occurred.

Slow footsteps echoed in the living room, approaching gradually until they stopped at the bedroom door.

Chu Yu placed his fingers on the doorknob, preparing to press down hard, but his gaze fell on a certain spot on the ground, and he suddenly stopped.

The surroundings were deathly silent, and in a daze, Chu Yu could even hear his own heartbeat getting faster and faster.

He lowered his eyes to the ground, unconsciously holding his breath, his fingers gripping the doorknob tightly, but he didn't press it down.

At this moment, he was using the doorknob as a support, allowing his body to fall slowly without him falling over.

Chu Yu slowly squatted down, his gaze fixed on the obvious drop of white liquid that had suddenly appeared on the smooth marble floor.

It was obvious that the liquid had just been dripped onto the floor; the cream hadn't even solidified yet. Chu Yu lightly touched some with his fingertip, brought it to his nose, and inhaled the faint milky aroma that instantly filled his nasal cavity.

It's ice cream...

Chu Yu recognized almost instantly what the drop of liquid had come from.

At the same time, a tall, slender figure unconsciously appeared in his mind.

If he remembered correctly, when he and Li Qingran accidentally bumped into each other, the other person was also holding an ice cream.

It was a very basic cream flavor, without any fancy colors. The pure white solid melted and flowed down from the top, wetting the cone below, dripping onto your fingers, and then, with the help of body heat, it became thick and sticky.

In this way, no matter where your fingers land, they will leave an indelible mark on that spot.

For example, this floorboard, and for example... his coat.

Chu Yu's Adam's apple bobbed.

The taste before him was almost exactly the same as the taste on his coat in his memory, and it was also Chu Yu's favorite ice cream flavor recently.

However, Chu Yu was certain that he had not eaten ice cream today, let alone in his room.

So... whose hand did this drop of cream come from?

Chu Yu lowered his eyes slightly, his long and thick eyelashes trembling twice as his gaze fell on the white liquid on his fingertips.

Why is it so quiet outside?

In the cramped and stuffy closet, 888 whispered to Li Qingran, who was bending down and dripping ice cream onto Chu Yu's clothes.

This is actually a skill-based task.

They needed to find a piece of clothing that Chu Yu was unlikely to wear, and they also needed to control the amount of ice cream they applied.

After all, too much talk would make it seem too fake.

Li Qingran and 888 weren't worried that Chu Yu would discover that the marks they made were from ice cream. After all, when a normal person finds dried liquid on their clothes, their first reaction would be to throw the clothes away in disgust, rather than sniffing at what the liquid was.

Especially considering the incident where someone had secretly broken into his room, Chu Yu was even less likely to carefully examine what had caused the marks.

Li Qingran ate the extra ice cream, then carefully smeared the remaining ice cream on her hands onto a black shirt. Upon hearing this, she immediately looked up and listened carefully to the sounds outside.

There wasn't a sound at all.

Li Qingran pursed his lips, his gaze falling on the crack in the door he had opened earlier, and blinked as he said:

Could it be that he has already run away?

【No! 】

888's authority in this world has been further weakened, and it can no longer act as Li Qingran's broadcast camera. However, it has been observing the protagonist's movements since just now, and it clearly heard that the other party suddenly stopped when he walked to the door, and then there was no movement at all.

"Did he already discover that someone had entered the house?" Li Qingran guessed.

That's possible...

"Isn't that great?" Upon hearing this, Li Qingran lowered her head again, smearing ice cream on her shirt as she spoke in a nonchalant tone:

If he really finds out, he can just leave through the door, saving me the time I spend in the closet.

[That's true...] 888 hesitated, [But I always feel like the protagonist is a bit off...]

Li Qingran asked curiously, "Something seems off."

【At once--】

"Squeak—"

Before 888 could figure out what was wrong with the protagonist standing at the door, the door, which had been completely still for half an hour since Li Qingran entered, was suddenly pushed open from the outside without warning.

Li Qingran abruptly stopped spreading ice cream, her wary gaze shooting like a sharp arrow towards the small crack in the cabinet door.

A footstep sounded in the bedroom, but unlike the tense and cautious sound in the original story, this footstep sounded slow and leisurely, not only without any sense of urgency, but also somewhat casual.

Li Qingran unconsciously held her breath, and at the same time became highly tense, paying attention to the footsteps outside.

Inside the room, it seemed as if the two people's identities had been switched without them realizing it.

The nervous person became Li Qingran, who was hiding in the closet, while Chu Yu, who was pacing outside, became the one in charge of this game of hide-and-seek.

After the footsteps echoed around the room, they finally approached the wardrobe, just as described in the original story.

Li Qingran pressed herself against the wooden cabinet behind her, her dark eyes fixed on the light shining through the crack in the door.

In his mind, 888 was still babbling on, whether it was trying to convince itself, comfort him, or brainwash Chu Yu in the void.

Anyway, Li Qingran kept hearing it repeat: "Don't worry, don't be afraid, this is all part of the original plot, so the protagonist will definitely run away before opening the closet door, just like in the original plot!"

[Yeah! The main character should be the one who's scared, after all, we're the weirdos hiding in the closet in the story! We'll scare you to death! So, hurry up and run!!!]

The sound of 888 echoed in Li Qingran's ears like a demonic chant, but unfortunately, its babbling had no effect whatsoever.

Not only did it fail to comfort Li Qingran, but it also failed to convince itself, making it even less likely to forcibly brainwash the protagonist who couldn't hear its voice at all.

Li Qingran listened intently as the footsteps drew closer and closer to her...

Then, a second before he hit the cabinet door, he heard Chu Yu stop.

In the quiet space, the sound of rapid breathing reached Li Qingran's ears through the crack in the door.

The voice constantly reminded him that Chu Yu was standing right in front of him, separated by a door, staring at him...

[It's alright, it's alright. Staying a little longer is fine. As long as the cabinet door hasn't been opened, there's still room for the plot to unfold!]

In Li Qingran's mind, 888 was still praying.

Li Qingran's Adam's apple bobbed.

The black shirt that she had been clutching tightly in her hand slipped off her fingertips little by little. Li Qingran lowered her eyes, and in her black pupils, which were mostly hidden by her eyelashes, a shadow suddenly appeared in the crack in the door that had been brightly lit.

Slender, fair fingers slipped between the cabinet doors along the crack.

Then, under Li Qingran's gaze, amidst 888's screams—

With a "whoosh".

The cold, white light rushed into the narrow, dark wardrobe.

The cabinet door opened...

-----------------------

Author's Note: After praying for most of the day, 888, who wasn't blessed by God, exclaims: God! You have no heart!!! [Angry][Crying][Crying]

God: Sorry, our prayer services do not include high-tech mechanical products. [heart emoji]