In the Gods base conference room, Fatty Wang was enthusiastically introducing the new "couples business"—an endorsement and promotion of "Yuedong," a domestic sportswear brand targeting young couples.
"This is a fantastic opportunity! 'Leap Forward' has taken a liking to your positive image of 'standing together through thick and thin, and moving forward hand in hand,' and specifically requested that you shoot a set of couple-themed print ads and short videos!" Fatty Wang said with a beaming face. "I've already thought of the tagline—'Leap Forward Youth, Fighting Side by Side'! How fitting!"
Su Nian sat next to Xie Chen, maintaining a well-behaved smile on her face, while her mind was already wildly imagining all sorts of incredibly awkward scenes that might happen on set.
Fighting side-by-side? Isn't this going to turn into a 'yandere god-like player and his exclusive accessory' story? Or 'How a support character can completely explode under the god-like player's gaze'? Help, I'm already digging my toes into the ground...
[Buzz... Detected... Host's... brainwaves... abnormally active... energy consumption... increased...]
[Suggestion...stop...meaningless...mental monologue...conserve energy...exchange for...potato chips...]
A faint voice from 088 sounded at just the right moment, carrying a hint of melancholy in its electronic tone.
"Shut up! You gluttonous system! I'm mentally preparing for work! Do you understand what mental preparation is? It takes a lot of energy!" Su Nian retorted in her mind, adding, "And besides, is there nothing else in your database besides potato chips?!"
[Searching... Ding... Detected... Comparable... Buzz... Signal... Interrupted...]
Su Nian: "..." Fine, you win.
The day of the shoot arrived quickly. The studio was brightly lit, and the set was decorated in a vibrant, sporty style. Su Nian and Xie Chen changed into matching sportswear from the "Yue Dong" brand, one blue and one pink. The simple designs accentuated their striking good looks.
The photographer, an artistic young man with a goatee, tried to guide the mood: "Yes! Lin, soften your gaze a bit! Smile at Nianbao! Imagine, you just won the world championship together!"
Xie Chen looked at the camera, trying to force a smile, but it was as stiff as an AI's birthday celebration. His gaze was mostly fixed on Su Nian, with an almost scrutinizing focus, as if checking if the pink dress fit her well and if her makeup was smudged.
Brother, the way you're looking at me doesn't look like you're looking at your girlfriend, it looks like a quality inspector checking the product pass rate! Su Nian sighed inwardly, but on the surface she had no choice but to put on a sweet and slightly shy smile and move closer to Xie Chen.
Sensing her approach, Xie Chen's body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment. Then, he made a move that surprised everyone—he reached out, put his arm around Su Nian's shoulder, and pulled her closer to him.
Her movements were a bit stiff, and she didn't control her strength well, so Su Nian almost bumped headfirst into his arms.
"Yes, yes, yes! That's it! Lin's boyfriend power is amazing! Nianbao is leaning on him, yes! So sweet!" The photographer excitedly pressed the shutter.
Su Nian leaned against Xie Chen's strong chest, able to clearly hear his slightly rapid heartbeat, and felt the clean scent of his body mixed with a faint aftershave lingering around her nose. Her cheeks began to burn uncontrollably.
My inner monologue: Holy crap! His heart's beating so fast? Is he nervous? No, wait, I've never seen him nervous during the World Championship... Could it be... he's figuring out how to properly contain me, his 'cheat code'?! And that hand, holding me so tightly, is he afraid I'll run away?!
She tried to create a little distance, but Xie Chen's arm around her shoulder tightened instinctively. He looked down at her, his eyes filled with unwavering authority: "Don't move."
Su Nian: "..." Fine, you decide.
The next set of photos requires a more intimate interaction—foreheads touching, eye contact.
Upon hearing this request, Su Nian felt her hair stand on end. Foreheads touching?! That's so close I could practically count his eyelashes! Isn't this a bit too much?!
Xie Chen paused noticeably, his ears turning red at a visible speed. But he didn't object; he simply followed the photographer's instructions, leaning forward slightly and gently pressing his forehead against Su Nian's.
The warm touch made Su Nian hold her breath instantly.
Too close!
She could clearly see his long, thick eyelashes, her small reflection in his deep eyes, the straight curve of his nose, and even feel the warm breath of him brushing against her cheek.
Xie Chen's gaze was fixed on her, his eyes complex and unreadable, containing inquiry, confusion, a focus that even he himself could not understand, and a kind of... vortex that seemed to be sucking her into the depths of her soul.
Oh no, we've been staring at each other for more than three seconds! According to the rules of romance novels, this is where things should stop! Su Nian, what are you thinking! This is work! It's acting! Alarm bells were ringing in her mind as she tried to use her strong willpower to control her wildly racing heartbeat and burning cheeks.
[Warning! Warning! Host...physiological indicators...abnormal! Rapid heartbeat...elevated facial temperature...]
[Suspected...suffering...unknown...psychological attack...? *Buzz...analysis...insufficient energy...*]
The intermittent alarm sound of 088 echoed in my mind.
"Attack you my foot! This is shyness! It's a normal physiological reaction! What do you know, you single system who's never been in a relationship!" Su Nian roared inwardly, trying to cover up her panic with her吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for sarcastic or critical comments).
Just then, Xie Chen seemed to notice her discomfort, slightly loosening the pressure on her forehead and asking in a low voice with a barely perceptible hoarseness: "Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, no!" Su Nian quickly denied, forcing herself to concentrate and meet his gaze, trying to create an atmosphere of "deep affectionate eye contact".
The photographer seized the opportunity, snapping away: "Perfect! That's the look in his eyes! Love! I see so much love!"
Su Nian was inwardly weeping: Love? That was a mixture of terror and forced composure!
The day's filming finally came to an end. Su Nian felt like she had fought a high-intensity battle, utterly exhausted both physically and mentally. After removing her makeup and changing back into her own clothes, all she wanted to do was return to the base and lie down immediately.
On the way back, Fatty Wang was still excitedly reviewing today's filming, while Xie Chen remained silent as always, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes to rest.
Su Nian stole a glance at him; the lines of his profile were exceptionally clear in the flowing light and shadow outside the window. Recalling the feeling of their foreheads touching and his complex gaze earlier that day, her heartbeat became uncontrollably erratic again.
No, no, Su Nian, wake up! This is a yandere! This is a mission objective! You can't be fooled by good looks and a little bit of sweet talk! Your goal is to complete the mission, find clues, and then... and then...
And then what? She suddenly felt a little lost. The goals in the previous world were clear: to obtain the Kiss of Trust, prevent the Immortal Lord from falling into demonic possession, and make the Prince regain his affection... But the tasks in this world seemed to have become vague. System 088 was half-dead, only giving a vague instruction to "ensure the status is stable."
Whose condition needs to be kept stable? Xie Chen's? Or her own?
Just as she was lost in thought, the car arrived at the base building.
Just as Su Nian was about to get off the bus, a hand reached out from the side, holding the thermos cup that she had half-finished drinking that morning and had forgotten to take with her.
"Yours." Xie Chen's voice remained calm.
Su Nian paused for a moment, then took the cup: "Thank you."
He glanced at her, said nothing, and got out of the car first.
Su Nian held the cup, which still carried a trace of warmth from his palm, and watched his retreating figure, her feelings complicated.
What's going on here? Are they worried I'm thirsty? Or... a new way to mark ownership? They're even marking my water glass?
She swirled the glass, and the sound of water inside could be heard. It shouldn't have been poisoned, right?
After hesitating for a few seconds, she unscrewed the cap and took a sip. The water temperature was just right.
Inner monologue: Hmm... the water the yandere handed me... seems pretty sweet?
No! This is an illusion! It's just a hallucination caused by being too tired from filming today!
She shook her head vigorously, trying to shake off those messy thoughts.
However, when she wasn't paying attention, Xie Chen, who was walking ahead, seemed to have a barely perceptible upward curve at the corner of his mouth, like the first melting of ice and snow, which was fleeting.
At night, Su Nian lay in bed, tossing and turning, her mind filled with Xie Chen's face and those deep eyes as he approached her during the filming that day.
[Sizzle... Host... Emotional energy... Residual fluctuations... Strong...]
[We suggest...taking a calm approach...or... exchanging your money for... ice cream...to calm yourself down...]
088's voice sounded weakly again.
Su Nian buried her face in the pillow and answered in a muffled voice:
"Shut up... I choose to stay calm."
But why does my heartbeat seem... to be getting more and more unruly?
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