Chapter 75 The Banquet
It was a success. Although it was only a minor change, it proved that Gu Yunqing's approach was feasible.
By using more complex and "human" emotional expressions, and while adhering to the core character setting of the "vicious fake young master" who fears losing his interests, subtly implanting a trait that can evoke different interpretations is permissible under the rules and can even slightly reduce the risk of being out of character (OOC).
Gu Yunqing lowered her eyelids, concealing the glint of shrewdness that flashed in her eyes.
The success of the first step gave him great confidence.
A day later, the Gu family held a grand family reunion banquet at the Gu family villa to welcome the return of their young master, Lin Bufan.
Celebrities gathered, glasses clinked, a scene of extravagance unfolded.
Gu Yunqing, dressed in a well-fitting suit, wore an expression she had practiced countless times—a mixture of disappointment, forced smiles, and barely concealed jealousy—as she moved among the guests.
He plays the role of a qualified but disillusioned "adopted son," needing to both demonstrate Gu Jia's magnanimity and highlight Lin Bufan's "orthodoxy."
The OOC index fluctuates cautiously between 29% and 31%, like walking a tightrope.
The viewers in Gu Yunqing's live stream sent out several lines of comments:
Yun Qing's facial expression control is amazing. I can practically see the bitterness in his heart.
It's exhausting to watch; they have to act all the time.
Just as he was about to toast several difficult family friends and uncles according to his "persona", his gaze inadvertently swept over a relatively quiet corner of the banquet hall.
For a split second, his steps faltered almost imperceptibly.
There stood a figure, completely out of place in the noisy and glamorous surroundings.
The man was tall and straight, dressed in a well-tailored dark suit. His aura was as aloof as a pine tree atop a snow-capped mountain. Just by standing there, he seemed to possess a barrier that kept strangers at bay.
He held a glass of champagne in his hand, but did not drink it. His icy gaze swept over the entire room with a condescending scrutiny.
You are heading north.
He remembered that Jun Xiangbei had not participated in the War of Glory, let alone entered this instance.
But he just happened to appear in front of Gu Yunqing, and Gu Yunqing was certain that this was the player Jun Xiangbei, not an NPC character generated from the instance.
Gu Yunqing immediately pulled someone aside to ask, and discovered that Jun Xiangbei's current identity was actually the eldest young master of the Jun family, one of the four major families in Haicheng.
Upon learning this news, Gu Yunqing did not rush forward to inquire about Jun Xiangbei's intention to cooperate. Instead, he went to Jun Xiangbei and wandered around. He found that Jun Xiangbei's gaze towards him was extremely unfamiliar, just like when they were in the Refining Heart Tower.
Gu Yunqing's heart was instantly stirred, but she maintained the "forced smile" mask on her face, only a sharp glint flashed in the depths of her eyes.
A golden opportunity.
If Jun Xiangbei is not in the same state as when he entered the Heart Refining Tower and lost his memory, then he is his most reliable ally and helper in this unfamiliar world of rules.
If he loses his memory because of the rules of the world...
That is also a huge opportunity, an excellent external force that can help me fundamentally change my "vicious fake young master" cannon fodder status with the help of the Jun family, without easily triggering OOC.
A plan instantly formed in Gu Yunqing's mind—to use Jun Xiangbei and leverage the Jun family's influence.
This is far more efficient and safer than simply trying to carefully change the impression within the Gu family.
After all, the "vicious fake young master" going to great lengths to curry favor with the more powerful Jun family is entirely in line with the character's logic.
He took a deep breath and adjusted his expression.
Gu Yunqing walked up to Jun Xiangbei, a smile on her face that was both flattering and admiring, and spoke softly: "Young Master Jun...? Hello, I am Gu Yunqing."
He deliberately made his voice tremble slightly, as if he had mustered up his courage to approach and speak.
Jun Xiangbei turned his gaze to him, his eyes still holding the familiar coldness that Gu Yunqing knew, but without any additional emotion.
There were no complexities from the Heart Refining Tower, no trust built from fighting side by side, and not even the slightest fluctuation caused by the name "Gu Yunqing".
It's like looking at a completely unfamiliar, insignificant passerby.
Gu Yunqing's heart sank slightly.
Sure enough, my memory was affected.
People in Gu Yunqing's live stream also recognized Jun Xiangbei:
It's Polaris, the great god!
Wow, the eldest son of the Jun family, that's an awesome identity.
Wait, the way Brother Bei is looking at Yun Qing seems so unfamiliar... Doesn't he remember her?
[It's over, allies are gone, is Yun Qing going to fight alone?]
Despite her growing doubts, Gu Yunqing's smile remained unchanged, and she even appeared more "awkward" and "cautious" because of Jun Xiangbei's indifference.
He can't just ask, "Do you remember me?" That would be too out of character.
Just then, a waiter hurriedly walked by with a glass of wine. Gu Yunqing was "accidentally" bumped lightly by the person next to him, and the half-glass of red wine he was holding "accidentally" spilled out, with a few drops of crimson liquid splashing onto Jun Xiangbei's meticulously tailored suit cuff.
"Ah, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Young Master Jun, I didn't mean to!" Gu Yunqing immediately showed a panicked expression, frantically trying to wipe her face, her eyes even slightly reddening, as if she was about to cry, perfectly portraying a "poor little thing" who had accidentally offended a big shot.
Jun Xiangbei frowned slightly, glanced down at the stain on his cuff, and then looked up at the young man in front of him who looked terrified and had tears in his eyes.
He didn't react immediately, nor did he avoid Gu Yunqing's outstretched hand; he simply looked at him quietly with indifferent eyes.
Before he could immediately refuse or rebuke her, Gu Yunqing futilely wiped away the almost indelible wine stains with a tissue while continuing to apologize in a weak, tearful voice, interspersed with seemingly unintentional "confessions":
"I'm so sorry, Young Master Jun... I... I was so careless... There were so many people today, I was a little nervous... Ever since my younger brother Bufan came back, I've always been afraid of doing something wrong and upsetting Mom and Dad..."
He vividly portrays the "difficult situation" within the Gu family, depicting an adopted son who relies on the family but finds himself in an awkward position due to the return of the real young master.
Gu Yunqing secretly raised her eyes to observe Jun Xiangbei's reaction.
Jun Xiangbei's expression remained unchanged, but Gu Yunqing keenly noticed that when he mentioned "Mom and Dad are unhappy," a fleeting emotion similar to "understanding" or "boredom" seemed to flash across Jun Xiangbei's icy eyes.
He had witnessed far too much of this kind of infighting and petty scheming within families.
However, Jun Xiangbei did not push Gu Yunqing away.
With a firm resolve, Gu Yunqing continued his performance.
He slowed his wiping motion, tilted his head back, and looked into Jun Xiangbei's eyes. Those eyes, which had originally held fear, now held a hint of admiration and a barely perceptible flirtation. His voice lowered even further:
“Young Master’s cuff… I will compensate you… but… I am now…”
Jun Xiangbei remained silent, but he neither withdrew his hand nor stopped Gu Yunqing's almost overstepping gesture of intimacy.
He simply looked at Gu Yunqing, and something seemed to be flowing very slowly deep within his cold eyes.
The people in Gu Yunqing's live stream were laughing and joking. They realized that this dungeon didn't seem to be too dangerous, so their conversation became more and more animated.
[Holy crap, Yun Qing's actions—deliberately spilling wine and then feigning helplessness? Isn't this the classic sycophantic script?]
[His words, brimming with the aroma of tea, and his cautious movements, perfectly captured the scheming nature of the villainous male supporting character.]
[The Northern God didn't throw him out? He even let him touch him? This is interesting.]
[Does the Northern God actually fall for this trick? He did the same thing in the Heart Refining Tower last time.]
Just then, someone nearby started shouting loudly, as if a minor conflict had occurred, causing a stir in the crowd.
Gu Yunqing was so startled that she shrank back, as if she tripped over something, lost her balance instantly, cried out in surprise, and fell to the side.
He fell in the direction that Jun Xiangbei was standing.
A steady and strong hand reached out in time, precisely wrapped around his waist, and supported him firmly.
In an instant, the two were extremely close.
Gu Yunqing could almost feel the cold aura emanating from Jun Xiangbei. He looked up, his face still showing lingering panic, his eyes like those of a frightened deer, glancing at Jun Xiangbei who was so close to him.
Jun Xiangbei was also looking at him.
In those calm eyes, Gu Yunqing clearly saw her own small reflection, filled with "panic" and "dependence".
At the same time, he also detected an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible fluctuation beneath the ice.
It was no longer just pure coldness and unfamiliarity; it seemed to have something else in it.
Is it helplessness? Or is it indulgence?
At that moment, Gu Yunqing's heart skipped a beat uncontrollably.
But he quickly regained his composure, a blush rising on his face, as if he were embarrassed by the close contact, or as if he were relieved to have survived a disaster.
He steadied himself with Jun Xiangbei's help, his voice barely audible, filled with gratitude and lingering fear: "...Thank you, Young Master Jun."
Then, as if realizing his lapse in composure, he quickly took a small step back, creating some distance, and lowered his head, his ears still flushed red.
Throughout the entire process, his OOC index remained stable at 27%, and even slightly decreased compared to before due to his consistent performance of being "startled," "rescued," and "ashamed."
He perfectly portrayed a "vicious fake young master" who tried to curry favor with the powerful, accidentally caused trouble, and was then rescued by a hero and became infatuated. All his actions were within the framework of the character, and some of his actions even seemed more "reasonable" because of the intervention of Jun Xiangbei, an "external force".
Jun Xiangbei looked at him like this, remained silent for a moment, then slowly withdrew his hand, straightened his cuffs which did not need straightening, and gave a faint "hmm" in response.
His gaze lingered for a moment on Gu Yunqing's reddened ears before shifting away, reverting to his usual aloof and distant demeanor.
But he did not leave, nor did he let Gu Yunqing leave.
Gu Yunqing chuckled inwardly, knowing that her plan had successfully taken its most crucial first step.
Like the most patient hunter, he enjoyed dancing on the edge of the rules, while probing and teasing the iceberg in front of him step by step.
He picked up a glass of wine again, his face regaining the smile that carried both ingratiation and slight disappointment, but deep in his eyes, an even more intense light ignited.
"Young Master Jun, I'd like to offer you a toast and apologize again for my rudeness earlier." He raised his glass, his smile gentle, but his eyes concealed a calculation and ambition known only to himself.
Jun Xiangbei looked at him, and after a moment, he slowly raised the wine glass in his hand.
Two wine glasses gently clinked together in mid-air.
It makes a crisp sound.
It was as if some silent contract had been quietly reached at this bizarre banquet filled with rules and performances.
The viewers in Gu Yunqing's live stream began a heated discussion:
[Bei Shen hasn't left yet, there's definitely something going on. He must have feelings for Yun Qing, even if he doesn't remember.]
[What's this called? This is called destiny attraction, being drawn to the same person even after amnesia?]
[Admit it, Polaris only eats this one.]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
