Chapter 43 Wedding Banquet
No matter how many twists and turns the players have in their minds about the dungeon, the most urgent thing is to find him/her and pass the dungeon.
At this moment, everyone started to think about the plot of the movie.
"So, do you think he will leave us in the final stage and not be among the eleven people?" Mei Ziqing also spoke at this time.
For this generation of players who were born in the 2000s, this movie was released even before they were born. If they hadn’t been poisoned by the short video commentary on the Internet, they really wouldn’t understand the jokes in it.
"If that's the case, then there's another problem. If he/she leaves us, we won't have eleven people for the "A Lifetime" segment. Where can the emcee and others find people to make up the number?" Li Xiang shook his head.
"This part can only be similar to the movie, but it can't be copied exactly. Besides, we don't have any Tathagata Palm or Ghost Wave Qigong here." Xia Tian said.
Cui Xiangwan watched as these things were discussed in front of them, and eleven people started speaking one after another.
"Brother Cen Jin, I think your name is a perfect match for Miss Qin Yinuo."
Suddenly, Xiang Tiange looked at Cen Jin and spoke.
"Oh, yes. If you read it quickly, it becomes 曾成, and if you put them together, it becomes 曾成音诺." Li Xiang's eyes lit up.
"Oh? Really?" Cen Jin had a faint smile on his face. "I think Miss Xiang, you are very similar to the legendary TA."
"I heard that Miss Qin Yinuo likes outdoor sports, such as camping, climbing, diving and hiking. You seem very similar to her. Isn't it said that people who are truly in love will have endless things to talk about?"
"Simply putting two people's names together to make a match is nonsense."
Xiang Tiange raised an eyebrow and said, "No, Mr. Cen, the reason why I think you are Miss Qin's fiancé is because from a personal point of view, you meet my aesthetic standards."
"Miss Qin and I look a lot like each other, so you should also fit her aesthetic standards."
Xiang Tiange's words were rather forced, which made Cen Jin choke for a moment, and then he thanked him without changing his expression.
"I should thank you for your appreciation and affirmation, Miss Xiang."
Xiang Tiange stood up and walked forward. She was about the same height as Cen Jin, but now she was extremely imposing.
"You're welcome, Mr. Cen. If you're not that person, would you mind leaving me your number?"
Cui Xiangwan was stunned and cheered for Xiang Tiange crazily in his heart.
Sister, you are so awesome!
She got closer and closer, and Cen Jin subconsciously took two steps back, "I'm sorry, Miss Xiang, you're not my type."
Xiang Tiange said "Oh", "So Mr. Cen, you have a favorite type."
"Mr. Cen, since Miss Xiang is not your type, what about me and Miss Xia?"
Wang Lele, with his delicate baby face, pulled Xia Tian over and said with a smile.
"There are ten of us, both men and women, fat and thin. There must be a type you like."
"Yes, Brother Cen, what do you think of me?" Mei Ziqing also walked over at this moment and put a hand on Cen Jin's shoulder.
He subconsciously wanted to avoid it, but he held back and said calmly: "Is it fun for you to make fun of me?"
"Well, we are all young people, and we must have fun at a wedding. Brother Cen, you don't look like a fun-loving guy who comes to a wedding to be a fake groom." The guy with the pigtail spoke.
Cen Jin was neither angry nor frustrated. Cui Xiangwan observed his expression and exchanged glances with Lanmao beside him.
Lanmao sat on the sofa and changed the subject casually: "Okay, okay, everyone come and sit for a while."
"I'm really here for fun. Hey, you guys think Miss Qin is so beautiful and charming that she makes him so worried."
The princess-haired girl immediately chimed in, "Personally, I don't quite understand this ceremony. Look, if I were Miss Qin, and my boyfriend said, 'I don't think you love me the most, and you have to find me out of the crowd to prove I'm your true love,' I'd want to kick him out of the room right away. We'd have to prove it at the wedding, and who knows how much trouble I'd have to cause in the future."
Mei Ziqing shook his head. "It's obvious that you've been in need of someone to pursue you since you were little. Let me analyze why he or she held this ceremony."
"Give me an example. Take me for example." Mei Ziqing pointed at himself.
"I've been taking medication for illness since I was a kid, and I was quite overweight throughout my adolescence. I eventually stopped taking the medication, recovered, and slowly lost weight. I wasn't exactly a handsome guy growing up, and even though I know how to dress now, I still feel a strong sense of crisis standing next to my beloved lover, who has always been admired by everyone. With so many people eyeing me, the promises a lover makes now may not last forever."
Cen Jin looked at him and said, "So, you blew yourself up?"
Mei Ziqing laughed, "No, brother, let me give you an example. Would the real TA dare to self-destruct like this? You can't wait to push it onto me now, which makes it even more suspicious."
"I understand." Sister Li Xiang suddenly stood up.
"In the novel, Miss Qin and this unknown person are set up as a romantic, alluring, and popular man, with a humble, infatuated, undeserving, and loyal dog who worries about losing."
"Sit down—" Cui Xiangwan pointed at her.
"If he/she has this idea, it's okay to prove it once, but if he/she continues to do so again and again, Miss Qin will get tired." Yue Ye spoke thoughtfully.
"That's right, emotional investment has always been a two-way process. Although we don't emphasize equality because it can't be quantified, it would be fine if this kind of 'choosing you for life' activity was like the difficulties set by elders in movies, but if you do this to the person you are getting married with in real life, you always feel that old issues will be brought up later." Xia Tian said.
"Mr. Cen, what do you think?" Wang Lele named again with a smile.
It doesn't matter if you can't find any useful information in the village. You can just defeat him from within. Anyway, the spearhead is aimed at him. Players don't need morality. The best way is to win over his heart. It depends on whether he can endure it.
"Me? Your analysis is very reasonable. But I remember that the emcee said that this segment was agreed upon by both Miss Qin and TA. Perhaps we don't need to look at it too utilitarianly. It is the fun that the newlyweds are willing to create for each other." There was no emotion on Cen Jin's face.
"Nonono!" Princess stretched out a finger and shook it.
"Mr. Cen, you don't understand women. A woman's heart is as hard as a needle in the sea, let alone the heart of a woman who has experienced many hardships."
"As a little fun, of course it's fine. But doing this at a wedding, from my point of view, is a bit aggressive, forcing Miss Qin to swear in front of everyone."
Several ladies spoke up one after another. Except for Xiang Tiange, Cui Xiangwan was stunned by the mentality analyses given by the others.
The search for "TA" at this moment turned into a small classroom for emotional exchange. The discussion came to an end only when the villagers brought over dinner.
The wedding banquet food is very impressive even if it is held the day before the wedding. The first floor of the villa only has a living room, a dining room and a kitchen. The dishes are served on a rotating round table. Before the wedding even starts, the players already feel like they are at a banquet.
"What a sumptuous meal!" Cui Xiangwan sighed as he looked at the food on the table.
It was dinner for eleven people, but the lunch box that was delivered by someone contained a total of twenty dishes.
It is difficult for players to eat such sumptuous meals in the dungeon. On the one hand, they will worry about the food in the dungeon. They would rather eat the food they brought with them and try to eat less in the dungeon.
However, according to the reviews of most players, when people are in the weird dungeon, there is actually no danger of eating, and they can often come across delicious food. If they go to a dungeon such as a hotel or resort, it can definitely be regarded as an improvement in life.
Since he is among the current eleven players, players can eat this dinner with peace of mind.
At this point, there are a full 24 hours left before the person's name must be submitted to the dungeon.
After dinner, the eleven people went their separate ways, but several players still gathered in Cui Xiangwan's room.
"It must be Cen Jin." Xiang Tiange crossed his arms.
"I'm quite curious. We talked so much, how much did he listen to? Will the NPC's attitude change?" Princess Hair sat on the small sofa with her face in her hands.
This afternoon's discussion was so intense that everyone felt hesitant and confused for a long time, not knowing whether everyone's tactics of winning over people's minds were effective.
"I haven't asked yet, how did you lock on to him?" Wang Lele spoke at this time.
Cui Xiangwan scratched his head, a little embarrassed to speak: "Is it an unconventional trick? We asked the NPC."
"But aren't the NPCs in this dungeon clueless?" Xia Tian was stunned.
"I guessed the NPC, but she is a good friend of Qin Yinuo. Most importantly, this NPC is the famous Luo Qing in the forum."
As they were talking, new prompts from the dungeon appeared in front of the gathered players.
[Non-technical fluctuations detected in the current instance... The instance is being adjusted.]
[Dear players, after adjustments, this dungeon has been renamed from Who is My Bridegroom/Bride to - Wedding Banquet]
[Hello, everyone! Welcome to the wedding of Ms. Qin Yinuo and Mr. Cen Jin.]
To express our sincerest gratitude, we sincerely invite you to observe the wedding ceremony, enjoy the banquet, and send your blessings to the newlyweds at 6 PM tomorrow in our village.
There's nothing much to say about attending a wedding banquet, but please remember, guests, don't look sad. Express your sincere blessings and respect other guests. That's all.
There was a knock on Cui Xiangwan's door again.
Now, the ten players are finally together, and it's hard to tell what everyone is thinking or looking at their expressions at this moment.
At this time, a notice was also sent in the wedding company's group chat, expressing regret for the cancellation of the process and asking ten people to attend the wedding as guests and then leave by car.
"I￥%...*&This copy can mutate." Xiaobianzi couldn't help but complain in his heart at this moment.
"Really? I don't know what to say except 'I'm impressed'. Copy preview, copy adjustment, how come our group has caught up with everything?" Li Xiang sat down on the ground.
"The good news is that at least this proves that we have found her, and now the wedding process has changed."
"This proves that the special copy we participated in this time is centered on the indigenous NPCs in the core plot and can be transferred according to the will of the indigenous people." Yue Ye said.
"At the moment, it seems that with the adjusted copy, we will have no problem as long as we attend the wedding banquet." Xiang Tiange said.
"At least we're still ten people now."
Ten people entered the dungeon, and all of them are still alive. Cui Xiangwan sincerely hopes that this survival rate can be maintained until the end.
"What I'm more concerned about is the newly adjusted copy prompt. Do you feel that it sounds like a person speaking, or even has a sense of complaint?" Cui Xiangwan said tentatively.
"The colloquial expression 'crying face' seems to carry personal emotion." Xia Tian nodded in agreement.
"Aren't all our dungeon prompts like this? It always sounds like someone is talking to the players. Sometimes the tone is cheerful, and sometimes it's more formal." Lanmao asked.
"No, no, no, what I mean is, oh, how do I put it." Cui Xiangwan scratched his head.
"What he meant was that the copy prompt just now was more personal, even like a worker being forced back to fix a bug and patch it, and the announcement was full of personal emotions." Xiang Tiange glanced at him and spoke.
"Yes, yes, that's what I meant, sister."
Now that they were both confirmed to be players, some previously hidden information was shared without reservation, such as the villagers digging graves and the appearance of other dungeon NPCs.
"I met them too." Yue Ye said.
"I can recognize two of those dungeon NPCs. One is the math teacher from No. 7 Middle School, and the other is a psychiatrist from Qingshan Hospital."
After he said these two sentences, the other nine players all looked at Yue Ye.
"Brother, you are my brother, please accept my greeting." Mei Ziqing immediately pulled Yue and was about to bow.
Those who can pass these two copies are ruthless, absolutely ruthless, and the ones who do it quietly are the ruthless ones.
"No, I'm just an ordinary person." Yue also shook his head.
"So, if these NPCs leave their designated dungeons, will the difficulty of those dungeons be reduced? Or will other NPCs take over?"
Because Cui Xiangwan shared the "grave digging" incident, and the wedding and banquet are tomorrow, the group of ten decided to sleep in two rooms tonight to avoid any accidents.
The second day.
The content of the dungeon was changed, and players no longer needed to pretend to be the "bride/groom", and the wedding banquet would not start until the evening, so the ten players had been in a state of doing nothing since they woke up in the morning.
"Are we going to sit here forever?"
"Since we're attending a wedding banquet, we should be safe before the banquet, right? How about going out for a walk?"
Cen Jin disappeared from the villa last night. Now only players live in the entire villa. In the living room, Lanmao couldn't sit still and kept walking back and forth, making the other players tired of watching him.
"That being said, do you want to meet the HR of Anxi Technology or the math teacher of the Seventh Middle School?" Xia Tianliangliang asked.
For the ten players, this was probably the first time they felt "doing nothing" in the dungeon and didn't know what to do.
Doing more is more likely to make mistakes, so it is better not to do it.
"I have an idea." Cui Xiangwan spoke, and everyone else looked at him.
"Let me make it clear first, this is my personal opinion. Don't interrupt me. I want to go find Luo Qing."
"The strange dungeon is changing. Perhaps the dungeon we are in now is not the first one. I prefer to call the NPCs that everyone knows as natives. Yesterday, I got information about the bride Qin Yinuo from Luo Qing. She is not our guiding NPC, but it is undeniable that she played a significant role for us."
"Perhaps there will be more and more changes in the dungeon in the future. It might not be a bad idea to interact with the natives and build relationships with them."
After saying this, Cui Xiangwan emphasized that this was his own idea.
"But Brother Xiang Wan, how do you plan to make friends with us?" Li Xiang asked.
"Currently, the dungeons related to this Luo Qing that we know of, which have been publicly disclosed on the forum, include Liangxin Performing Arts, 404 Convenience Store, Yinhuai Village, and the Wonderful Museum. In the eyes of the natives, we all seem to be outsiders. Fellow villagers bring fellow villagers, and news spreads widely. It's only natural for us to go to her and ask about tour groups or renting an apartment."
In theory, there is nothing wrong with the operation proposed by Cui Xiangwan, but not all players want to take the initiative to deal with the indigenous people.
In another villa, Luo Qing was playing cards with friends in the living room.
"Hey, hey, hey, believe it or not, I will blast you to death."
"Qing'er, blow him up, blow him up, don't be afraid, just do it."
"Shang Weiyan, we are in the same group. Why are you hitting me?"
"Can you leave if I leave?"
The coffee table in the living room was also a card table. Eight people were divided into two teams and were playing cards very excitedly, while not forgetting to discuss gossip about the wedding host.
"The wedding process has changed again. Will the wedding company charge you another round of money?"
"What about the ten people we invited?"
"Just pay the money and attend the wedding. It's fine if you change it." Shang Wei Yan sighed and glanced at Yan Fufeng. Both of them had helplessness in their eyes.
"Knock, knock, knock--" There was a clear knock on the door in the living room.
"Who is it? Qin Yinuo is coming?"
"She can come and knock on the door? Nonsense."
Just as this round of cards was over, Luo Qing quickly threw away the bad cards in his hand and went to open the door. Looking at the row of "newcomers" standing at the door and peeking their heads around, his brows furrowed slightly.
"Hey, it's you guys, what's going on?"
Seeing that it was Luo Qing who opened the door, Cui Xiangwan breathed a sigh of relief. He rubbed his hands and said, "Sister, a few of us friends want to consult you about tour groups and renting houses."
"Oh, then welcome, welcome, come in." Luo Qing smiled.
Oh my, come to think of it, I didn’t expect that attending Sister Yinuo’s wedding could also attract some customers for myself. This is double happiness.
As Luo Qing led the seven people in, he unceremoniously called out to his friends on the sofa, "Go, go, get out of here, pack up and go upstairs to play. I have guests."
The players who entered the villa were almost dumbfounded, damn it!
The awful teacher at [No. 7 Middle School], the indifferent doctor at [Qingshan Hospital], the difficult manager at [Bubble Hot Spring Hotel], the strict HR at [Anxi Technology], and the crazy captain at [Sea Cruise]!
They were all here! And at this moment, these dungeon NPCs who had once cast a huge shadow on the players actually listened to Luo Qing and went upstairs!
Cui Xiangwan and other players who witnessed this scene: OVO
Sister, Sister Qing, this is their only sister!
"Honey, can you help me get the business cards from my bag?" Luo Qing ordered her lover. She specially packed a small box of business cards when she went out this time, and she didn't expect to use it now.
"Come on, come on, sit down first, let's have a brief chat. After all, the conditions are limited." Luo Qing greeted the guests.
Yan Fufeng quickly took down his business cards and handed one to each of the seven people who had arrived. Cui Xiangwan raised her hand again, "Well, can you give me a few more?"
No matter whether it is useful or not, he has done his best to bring it back to the three people who didn't come.
"We only heard from a friend that there is a house for rent in your place, but we are not sure about the details." Xiang Tiange held the business card in his hand and repeatedly memorized the address on it.
"My business of renting houses here is mainly in old residential areas in the old city. Places like Ping'an Home and Harmonious Community are all owned exclusively by my real estate family. Recently, many outsiders have come to rent houses, and the large apartments in our unit have been fully rented." Luo Qing introduced.
There really are players, and more than one player renting a house?!
Could it be the original poster? But Luo Qing mentioned more than one tenant, so it seems that there are players who took action earlier, and they all rented houses near Luo Qing.
The seven players were a little dazed by the news. They had originally planned to use renting a house as an excuse to get close to the other party, but it turned out that they could really rent one!
Luo Qing chatted with them for a while about different apartment types, buildings, and prices for one- and two-bedroom apartments, and how she might not bring tour groups due to the recent increase in her clientele. The seven players then politely took their business cards and left.
"Do you think the person renting the room at Luo Qing's place is the poster of the museum replica, Fang?"
"I'm not sure. If that Fang Jie rented a house, she would have posted something, right? Or does it mean that players can't leave the dungeon world after renting a house? That doesn't make sense why they would rent a house."
"There must be some benefits to renting a house. Secrecy is key to success. Who would advertise something beneficial? Rich people just keep quiet about how they make their fortunes."
After receiving unexpected information from Luo Qing, the seven players were no longer so nervous about the wedding banquet in the afternoon, but the mysteries in their hearts increased one by one.
The night arrived as scheduled, and the ten players obediently came to watch the wedding at the time and place given by the host.
However, without the original "wedding dress" props, they were wearing the clothes they originally wore when entering the dungeon.
They were standing opposite Luo Qing and his group, and were also given red [Guest] boutonnieres to pin on their bodies, which made the ten players a little nervous.
"Here they come." The villagers nearby became excited.
"Hey, aren't there any best men and bridesmaids?" Looking at the bride and groom walking hand in hand in their wedding attire, Li Xiang, who was clapping his hands, suddenly thought of this question.
"This is a Chinese-style wedding, so there shouldn't be any such thing," said Wang Lele.
At this moment, all the players finally saw the true face of Miss Qin Yinuo. She walked out of the car holding Cen Jin's hand. Li Xiang couldn't help but continue to complain.
"Normally, shouldn't this be a carriage?"
"A car is still a car. Don't make a fuss about the copy." Lanmao comforted her, fearing that Li Xiang's shocking words would cause dissatisfaction among the NPCs.
The bride and groom walked hand in hand towards the wedding courtyard, but... all the players' eyes were fixed on their backs.
One, two, three... There were nine coffins in total following behind the two newlyweds, carried by the villagers. Red and white silk flowers were hung on the coffins, and some were even tied with big bows!
"I now hope that the coffin contains things like dowry and betrothal gifts." Li Xiang's eyes were dull.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the protagonists of our wedding today, Miss Qin Yinuo and Mr. Cen Jin, are already walking towards us. Behind them, the elders, who are sincerely looking after the two newlyweds, are entering the venue with their blessings."
"Nine elders, carrying deepest blessings, have returned from the depths of the earth to the heavens, just to witness this moment!"
“Let us extend a warm welcome to the elders who have come to witness this moment today!”
The host Xu Xu's voice was passionate and Luo Qing and his friends applauded excitedly.
"Great! That's great! Weddings should be so ceremonial! Welcome, welcome!"
When the two newlyweds and the nine elders in the coffins walked along the red carpet at the entrance and entered the second gate of the wedding courtyard, the players tried hard to keep smiling and followed Luo Qing and the others in.
After entering the second gate, you will see the actual wedding venue. A small stage is set up in front of the main room in the shape of a T. Banquet tables have been set up in the open space in the courtyard. Guests can watch the wedding while enjoying the wedding banquet.
There were ten players at a round table with 8-10 people at each table. Their guest table happened to be near the T-shaped main stage, separated by a red carpet. On the other side was the guest and friend seats for Luo Qing and his group.
This is the main table closest to the wedding stage. In reality, this is the seat for the parents and relatives of the bride and groom.
At this time, night had fallen, the red lanterns in the classical courtyard were lit, and electric lights in the style of palace lanterns were placed on each table. The dishes had been served, but no one dared to touch them.
There is additional lighting near the wedding stage, allowing players to see the nine coffins standing upright very clearly.
The emcee Xu Xu's tone was still passionate and high-spirited. Under her guidance, the bride and groom had already entered the ceremony of worshipping in the hall.
"Bow to Heaven and Earth——"
The two newlyweds bowed to heaven and earth, and then to the guests.
"Two bows to the parents—"
Nine dark coffins stood quietly, like tombstones or memorial tablets. The players were tense and stared at the coffins in front of the stage.
As the two newlyweds bowed, the red silks on the nine coffins slid down one by one, and there seemed to be a real response from inside the coffin lids!
"The couple bows to each other—the ceremony is complete!"
"The auspicious time has arrived. Congratulations to Miss Qin Yinuo and Mr. Cen Jin for signing their marriage contract today. This promise is worth a fortune. They will live together forever and grow old together."
"Dear guests, you may start eating. Oh, wait a moment, because the wedding was held on such a short notice and there were many unexpected events, we apologize for this. We will now present some small performances for you. You can watch them while you eat."
"The first one was the 'Happiness Clapping Song' performed by me and Miss Qin Yinuo's elders group."
The emcee Xu Xu was wearing a champagne-colored suit, and her body was swaying to the erhu, suona, sheng, and sound accompaniment on the scene.
"If you feel happy, clap your hands--" the emcee sang.
During the pause in applause, the nine coffins on the stage suddenly moved, and the coffin lids creaked.
“Bang, bang—”
"If you feel happy, just stamp your feet—"
"Bang bang--" the coffin lids slammed even harder.
The emcee sang happily one sentence after another, but every bang of the coffin lid was like a beating in the players' hearts, challenging the limits of their psychological endurance.
"If you feel happy, just pat your shoulders—"
“Bang—bang!”
A coffin lid was slammed too hard and fell down. A round, bone-colored head inside rushed out and flew directly towards the players' table!
“Oh my god!”
"Fuck!" The guy with the pigtail cursed instinctively.
"Don't look so sad!" Cui Xiangwan gritted her teeth and urged everyone to keep a straight face.
Luo Qing watched this scene from across the red carpet with shining eyes and a look of envy: "Wow! Is this the modified bouquet throwing segment? They are so lucky."
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