The seven guests returned to their respective rooms. Xiao Sese finished washing up with practiced efficiency, flopped onto the bed, and opened her game.
Having seen too much of the colorful world, she just wanted something black, white, and gray.
"Ha! Dark mode! How refreshing!"
"There’s a game that makes you feel younger as you play, it’s called Game for Peace..."
Before she could finish humming, a highly discourteous knocking interrupted her.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
"Who is it?!" Xiao Sese’s voice was laced with fury.
"Sister Xiao, it’s me."
"And me!"
The timid voices of Wang Qiang and Li Shuer echoed from outside.
Xiao Sese rose with an expressionless face and opened the door: "No snacks, no toys, no sleepovers, and no chatter!"
Wang Qiang, who had been grinning foolishly with excitement a moment ago, lost his voice as if a chicken had been grabbed by the neck.
"Oh? Is Sister going to sleep? Never mind then, we actually wanted to ask you to play games with us."
Wang Qiang and Li Shuer turned to leave, clutching their bags of snacks, but were startled by a fawning face that suddenly leaned in close.
"Don't say that! If you’d said that earlier, I wouldn't be sleepy at all!"
She then thoughtfully handed them disposable slippers and pulled them onto the balcony to team up for the game.
...One hour later...
Xiao Sese exited the game with a face like ash.
"Wang Qiang, having you around is like being exposed to toxic gas."
Wang Qiang scratched his head in embarrassment: "Sister, I don't really play much. How about we go another round? Maybe I’ll get better with more practice?"
"Don't you dare!" Xiao Sese reached out to stop him. "I've committed many evils in my life; meeting you must be my karmic retribution."
Li Shuer doubled over laughing: "Hahaha, Sister, you’re hilarious!"
"You still have the nerve to sit there laughing! You showed off that gold Maserati the moment you logged in, and I thought you were some kind of pro! Turns out, you just tilted your head, started jamming to the music, and drove that Maserati like a Wuling mini-van! Calculate for yourself how much health you lost just by crashing into trees!"
While Xiao Sese unloaded on the two, the netizens watching the livestream were laughing their heads off.
Because cameras were installed in the guest rooms, the feed from the balcony was switched by the director to a close-up of the trio gaming below.
[I thought it was a battle between masters, turns out it's two idiots pecking at each other.]
[Hahaha! I've seen bad players, but never this bad.]
[Wang Qiang, don't look at the negative comments!]
Xiao Sese shooed the pair away unceremoniously, but no sooner had she lain down than she heard "thump, thump, thump" again.
"What the f*ck!? Is there no end to this?!"
Xiao Sese got up and opened the door to see Director Wang trembling in the doorway. Sure enough, when a man acts like a coward, he inexplicably looks like Lei Jiayin.
"Director Wang, are you here to discuss a 'late-night script' with me?"
Director Wang’s legs went weak; he nearly knelt before her.
"For heaven’s sake, stop saying such things! We’re live!"
Only then did Xiao Sese remember the show was being livestreamed in its entirety. Wait, did that mean when I was showering earlier...
"Teacher Xiao, why is your face red?"
"I’m glowing with vitality."
"Why did it turn pale again?"
"Wax from my anti-freeze cream."
Director Wang’s eyes swept over her pajamas, and realizing what she might be thinking, he hurriedly explained: "There are no cameras in the bathroom!"
"Phew! How annoying~ You scared me to death, I thought I was about to become the star of a scandal~"
Director Wang shivered as he entered the room; he didn't even dare to sit, going straight to the point.
"Teacher Xiao, I came to discuss something with you."
...10 minutes ago...
At the *I Have My Young* production meeting, Director Wang was furiously slamming the table.
"Look at these numbers! We're filming a reality show, and it’s turned into a circus! What the hell are these trending search terms? 'Impotence,' 'kidney deficiency,' 'going crazy,' 'thong'—what are these things?! I was hoping to use the show's popularity to attract investors, and now look! Qiwei Dihuang Pill, Game for Peace, and even underwear brands like City Beauty are all lining up! Does this fit our positioning?!"
The staff kept their heads down, but the assistant director muttered, unafraid of death: "You should just admit we got the traffic and the sponsorships, right?"
"Don't give me that! Have you been infected by Xiao Sese too?"
Director Wang's trembling finger nearly poked the assistant director in the forehead. He took a sip of herbal tea, desperate to dampen his rage.
"Since I can't count on any of you, I'll have to handle this myself!"
...
And that brought us to the scene of Director Wang standing humbly in Xiao Sese's room.
Watching Director Wang, who stood there rubbing his hands together in embarrassment without speaking, Xiao Sese took a cautious step back and shielded her chest.
"A 'late-night script' really won't work!"
"Why do you keep bringing that up! I’m here to ask you to tone down your antics, can you please stop stirring the pot?"
The man who had been so furious at the meeting was now incredibly humble.
"Look, I’m about to retire, and I’ve been working on this show for a long time. I overcame all sorts of difficulties to bring you on, and of course, you’ve brought us a lot of traffic. But while the traffic is there, our reputation has flipped. This… this puts me in a..."
Director Wang couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence, but Xiao Sese looked like she understood perfectly.
"Director Wang, you don't need to say more. I get your point. You're here to criticize me, and by extension, criticize the audience watching the livestream, right?"
Director Wang rubbed his hands in embarrassment and gave a sheepish nod of confirmation.
Xiao Sese nodded solemnly: "I understand. Since the production team chose me, you have to bear the corresponding risks."
Director Wang continued to nod and bow: "Yes, yes... wait, what?"
"Don't worry too much about it. Once you learn to just let it all go and give up on everything, you'll find the world opens up!"
"No, that's not..."
"What’s meant to be will be; if it’s a disaster, we just have to learn to laugh it off."
"No, no..."
"If someone insults you, insult them back! Forget about personal decorum and enjoy a life of laziness."
"That’s not what I meant..."
"That’s all I have to say. Goodbye, Director Wang."
Xiao Sese slammed the door shut right in the face of the shocked director.
"Phew! The world is finally peaceful again~"
Outside, Director Wang was truly broken.
Xiao Sese finally crawled into her blankets, just about to drift off into a daydream about a 185cm tanned athlete, when "bang, bang, bang"—the knocking started again.
"Ugh~" Xiao Sese took a deep breath and ejected herself from the bed without a moment's hesitation.
"Goddamn it! This b*tch of a sleep isn't worth having!"
She opened the door, and without even checking who it was, her mouth started moving faster than her brain.
"Are you all roaming a temple fair? One after another! What is this? Is there some kind of peak-hour schedule for sleeping?"
Song Beichen, standing outside, frowned: "Stop yelling. Let's go outside and talk."
"I have nothing to say to you, f*ck off!"
"Don't be like that." Song Beichen coaxed, his voice carrying an indescribable allure. He knew very well that this used to be Xiao Sese's greatest weakness.
"Like that? Song Beichen, my smiling at you is out of courtesy, and not smiling is a warning. I suggest you stop messing with me, or I’ll knock your head off! Warning: stop bothering me while I’m trying to sleep!"
With that, she slammed the door shut.
Song Beichen, who had intended to force Xiao Sese out, made a fatal mistake—he shouldn't have taken that step forward.
A shrill scream rang out. Xiao Sese had successfully drawn first blood.
(?￣???￣??)
She ignored the screams and the commotion outside.
She climbed back into bed, tapped her wooden fish, and chanted:
"Whatever happens, it’s not my fault! Forgive everything before sleep, conquer the world after waking. Forgive everything before sleep, conquer the world after waking. Forgive..."