After leaving the world, Chu Qianze tapped the screen with indifference, directly dismissing the mission results without even bothering to look. “Come on, onto the next world.”
[Host, don’t you want to take a break here?]
Watch a movie or something.
“A few hours ago, didn’t we just watch one? Let’s move on,” Chu Qianze waved his hand.
[Alright, loading in progress.]
The screen emitted a gentle glow, and once the progress was complete, both disappeared from their original location.
When Chu Qianze successfully arrived in the world, he looked around and realized he was standing next to a coffee shop.
A light rail passed by in front of him, and street signs appeared in the air.
[Host, it says it’s time to fulfill a promise.]
Chu Qianze’s eyes paused for a moment.
[What does that mean?]
‘Who knows,’ he chuckled, a hint of bewilderment in his gaze, but he quickly snapped out of it.
‘Send me the information.’
[Loading information…]
[Protagonist Gong Shen Hezhi, a stage actor at the Central Theatre. Due to his outstanding appearance and strong empathy, he has gained many fans. Recently, he reconnected with a childhood friend who confessed to him. After rejecting the confession multiple times without success, following a friend’s suggestion, he hired someone to pretend to be his lover. Your mission is simple: create a disturbance and express disbelief during their fake lover act.]
[Mission: Express disbelief.]
This mission sounds interesting. The overwhelming scent of melodrama is hard to resist; one can’t help but want to see how it unfolds.
Footsteps approached, and the owner seemed a bit hurried.
Chu Qianze casually looked in that direction, and then his wrist was grabbed.
In the eyes of the other person, he saw shock, joy, and some complex emotions.
Shen Hezhi turned around and said to the man in a hooded sweatshirt who had followed, “I’ve liked someone for a long time, and it’s him!”
Chu Qianze blinked, his gaze falling on Shen Hezhi’s face.
Feeling the gaze from the people around, Shen Hezhi’s body stiffened for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.
“Don’t joke around. I’ve met all your friends, and I’ve never seen him before,” the man in the hooded sweatshirt clearly didn’t believe it.
Shen Hezhi said, “You don’t need to know about this.”
“I heard before that you were still single,” the man in the hooded sweatshirt remarked.
“It’s just not public,” Shen Hezhi tightened his grip on Chu Qianze’s hand, as if afraid that he might run away.
“Why didn’t you tell me then?” The man in the hooded sweatshirt questioned.
Shen Hezhi frowned, seemingly annoyed by the man’s persistence. “It’s none of your business. Anyway, I hope you keep your distance from now on.”
“Don’t say that. As long as you’re not married, there’s a chance, right?” The man laughed playfully, adding, “Besides, marriage can always end in divorce. There’s no rush for such matters.”
Shen Hezhi ignored him and said directly, “I’m not interested in you, and there’s no other possibility.”
“Don’t be like that. Is this guy your boyfriend? You should at least introduce him. Anyway, I can still give you some advice,” the man persisted.
The man in the hooded sweatshirt shifted his gaze to Chu Qianze and said, “I’m Zhu Bing, a good friend of his since childhood.”
The tone became more assertive, almost emphasizing.
“Brother, what’s your name?”
“When did you guys meet?”
“How did you manage to pursue our Hezhi? Share your experiences with me.”
“At what stage are you guys at?”
The questions became more explicit, almost as if deliberately trying to make things uncomfortable.
Shen Hezhi clenched his fist, ready to speak, but his arm was held back.
Chu Qianze put his hand on Shen Hezhi’s shoulder, looking at the man in front of them. “Did you brush your teeth this morning?”
Not expecting such a question, Zhu Bing instinctively responded, “What’s it to you?”
“Oh, if you haven’t, I suggest you go back and brush right now because it’s really bad,” Chu Qianze smirked, “If you already have, then I recommend a few more times. It’s okay not to care about yourself, but we’re outside now, and it wouldn’t be good to affect others, right?”
Upon hearing this, Zhu Bing’s face instantly darkened. “This is my own business; you don’t need to worry about it.”
“Yeah, just like your earlier questions are our business. Why are you concerned about that?” Chu Qianze chimed in.
“With the time you have, you might as well go freshen up your breath and improve your bad breath problem,” he added.
“But there’s one thing I can’t believe—I actually ended up spending time with him.”
[Mission Complete]
Chu Qianze tilted his head, smiled at Shen Hezhi, and then turned to Zhu Bing. “Any other questions?”
Seeing that the man wanted to speak, Chu Qianze continued, “Forget it, even if you ask, I won’t answer.”
Zhu Bing was momentarily speechless, then turned to Shen Hezhi. “How can you like someone like this? No manners at all!”
“Well, well, I can’t compare to you by a long shot,” Chu Qianze interjected.
Shen Hezhi added, “I like him just the way he is.”
Glancing at Shen Hezhi and then at Chu Qianze, Zhu Bing found himself surrounded. He opened his mouth but couldn’t find the right words. Suddenly, unable to hold back, he blurted out, “Damn it, I pursued you because I thought highly of you!”
Shen Hezhi’s expression turned cold, a hint of irritation showing. “One more word?”
Sensing the drop in atmospheric pressure, Zhu Bing wisely kept quiet.
“I heard you were gay, so I thought I’d check it out. I didn’t mean anything else. If you don’t like it, forget it. I’m leaving,” Zhu Bing said, turning around and quickly walking away.
As he left, Shen Hezhi’s expression tightened. He then turned to Chu Qianze and said, “Sorry for making you witness that. Thank you for just now.”
“This time, I’ll give you a five-star rating and double the pay as compensation for any mental distress,” Shen Hezhi said.
“Wait, are you serious…” Chu Qianze’s mouth twitched.
Shen Hezhi paused, about to say something, when suddenly his phone rang.
Checking the message, it read:
[Mr. Shen, have you arrived?]
Feeling something amiss, Shen Hezhi looked at Chu Qianze and asked, “Um, what’s your name?”
“Are you trying to pick me up now?” Chu Qianze touched his pocket, not giving a direct answer.
“I’m sorry, is your name Mo Jian?” Shen Hezhi asked.
“No.”
Hearing this, Shen Hezhi lowered his head to look at his phone again, seemingly understanding what was going on.
“Sorry, this seems to be a misunderstanding,” he apologized.
Raising an eyebrow, Chu Qianze remained silent, waiting for the other party’s explanation.
“The guy just now, Zhu Bing, is someone I knew from childhood. We had an average relationship, but recently, for some reason, he decided to pursue me. He wouldn’t listen to rejection, so a friend hired someone online to pretend to be my boyfriend. They described him as wearing a purple hoodie with a black and white striped shirt underneath… I mistook you for him,” Shen Hezhi explained.
Chu Qianze nodded, “No problem. It’s quite an unusual situation. Judging by his attitude, he probably won’t give up easily.”
Shen Hezhi added, “Yeah, it’s a bit tricky. But don’t worry; I’ll handle these things myself.”
Acknowledging with a nod, Chu Qianze was about to leave when Shen Hezhi spoke up.
“Can I get your contact information? I’m really sorry about this time. Let me treat you to a meal next time,” Shen Hezhi’s expression was somewhat apologetic.
“No need, these are just small matters,” Chu Qianze casually waved his hand and turned to walk towards the nearby alley.
As he left the street, he glanced at the sky. Although it was an unfamiliar style, if he observed carefully, those were miniature cameras.
Turning the corner, Chu Qianze looked back. He saw Shen Hezhi still standing in the same spot, adjusting his shoulders, showing a significant change in demeanor compared to earlier.
Next to him, the childhood friend who had left in a huff had returned, and the two of them were engaged in a conversation.
‘Shouldn’t you provide an explanation?’
[What?]
‘Show me the plot again.’
The screen flashed, displaying the plot.
After carefully reviewing it again, Chu Qianze couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
Stage actors, and the melodramatic and overwhelming plot…
“Even though I was with that person, my heart belongs to you!” The loud voice entered Chu Qianze’s ears, snapping him back to reality.
“No, I love you! Please give me another chance!”
What kind of nonsense is this? It’s toxic.
His gaze shifted to a nearby store. From the outside, he couldn’t see the interior clearly; it seemed to be made of privacy-type materials to prevent peeping. However, the words “Sweet Shop” were written on top, something Chu Qianze could still understand.
So, he decided to buy something to calm his nerves.
“Welcome~”
His steps came to a sudden halt. Chu Qianze’s eyebrows twitched, finding himself unable to move forward.
In front of him were two rows of smiling attendants, their smiles sweet, their postures elegant. The catch was that all of them were dressed in identical bunny girl costumes.
Seeing Chu Qianze’s arrival, the attendants’ eyes brightened, and they approached in unison, asking, “Sir, may we assist you with anything?”
“Sorry, wrong place,” Chu Qianze decisively took a couple of steps back, closed the door, and turned to leave.
Walking down the street, he witnessed fish flying in the sky, people undergoing drastic transformations, and a series of plots such as a domineering CEO falling in love with Cinderella, a cute wife running with a ball, and more. It was enough to give anyone a shock.
As flames suddenly appeared in front of him, Chu Qianze maintained a calm exterior, extended his fingers forward, and didn’t feel any heat.
The flames menacingly burned and gradually transformed into a face, directly appearing in front of Chu Qianze.
Ignoring these illusions, Chu Qianze walked right through.
During this time, he learned a few things. For instance, these unnatural phenomena were actually fake, created using holographic projection technology.
The screen displayed Chu Qianze next to him, showing images and related text descriptions. This was the online information about this street.
The Virtual Film City, the largest filming base in the entire galaxy, boasted the most sophisticated projection equipment, a complete architectural system, and a unique culture of role-playing. Any bizarre plot imaginable could happen here. When you step into the city, you implicitly agree to participate in filming without the need for explanation.
Many internet celebrities and livestreamers would choose to visit when lacking material. Actors looking to get into character could also come here for role simulations to find the right emotions.
In plain terms, this place was a gathering ground for drama queens.
Given this logical speculation, it’s highly likely that the plot on the screen was also fake, part of Shen Hezhi’s acting.
‘So, is there an explanation?’ Chu Qianze asked in his mind.
[?]
[I don’t quite understand either. I’m just responsible for receiving tasks and making announcements.]
Sighing lightly, Chu Qianze said, ‘Got it.’
Unreliable situations were nothing new, and he had grown accustomed to them.
[New Task: Participate in the historical biography series “Extraterrestrial Invasion.”]
“The scope is too broad. Are they really not messing with me…”
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