After Joining the Game, She Came Out as Gay [Infinite] - Chapter 16

In the first stage of the game, it seemed as though Qi Cheng had done nothing at all. In reality, every one of her actions had been laying the groundwork to force the remaining participants into three groups as quickly as possible.

Qi Cheng never did anything without purpose.

First, when the God announced the rules for clearing the Love Game, she stood before everyone and posed those three sharp, piercing questions. This signaled to the more astute observers that she was quick-witted and intelligent, drawing the immediate attention of Xia Lin, Nie Siya, and Xia Lifang. These four were the only ones who truly understood the essence of the game from the start.

Then, after making such a high-profile entrance, she abruptly turned low-key. Those watching closely would assume she was “hiding her light under a bushel.” After all, the more talent you expose, the easier it is to become a target for the weak—and the more weaknesses you reveal to others.

Next, she used Xia Lifang’s mouth to voice her supposed desire “not to be resurrected.” This statement seemed meaningless, and few likely believed it—especially after hearing the Panda explain why they were brought to the Divine Realm. However, by saying this, Qi Cheng was able to sow a certain degree of chaos and leave others with the impression that she was “unfathomable.”

The final blow was the public [Vow] she made with Xia Lin. To the others, a person who said “Please eliminate me” yesterday was the very first to clear the stage today. What would they think? This contrast acted as a stimulus that momentarily paralyzed the critical thinking of people like Ni Qian, Yu Feihang, and Kuang Liao.

For Kuang Liao and Yu Feihang specifically, the “live broadcast” of the lower world provided by God was the ultimate catalyst. They absolutely did not want to be eliminated. They would no longer listen to Xia Lifang’s “suggestions” to “get to know each other slowly.” Instead, they would want to form teams and clear the stage as fast as possible.

With one team already cleared, their survival was at stake; no one wanted to fall behind. Furthermore, God repeatedly emphasized that the earlier one cleared the stage, the better. Since the subsequent stages were unknown, doubts began to fester: Would those who cleared early reach the second stage first? Would they set traps? These questions bred anxiety, further clouding their judgment.

Additionally, before leaving, Qi Cheng dismantled Xia Lifang’s status as the “leader” in one fell swoop. By taking Xia Lin with her, she left behind only male-female pairings. The “same-sex” selection barrier was completely removed, ensuring the remaining two groups would form immediately.

• Nie Siya had already chosen Kuang Liao.
• Ni Qian did not want to choose Kuang Liao.
• Everyone hated the idea of working with the arrogant older woman (Xia Lifang).

The groupings were now clear. Kuang Liao was shaken, and Nie Siya could easily step in. After Qi Cheng and Xia Lin left, Xia Lifang would undoubtedly propose that no one be allowed to spend time alone, arguing that it was the only way to prevent being eliminated behind one’s back. At that point, Nie Siya wouldn’t even need to hide her invitation to Kuang Liao to make a [Vow].

Nie Siya already viewed Qi Cheng as an enemy; seeing Qi Cheng make a move would force her to act immediately. With God present, Xia Lifang had no way to stop it. As for the remaining three, Yu Feihang would surely be the first to make a choice.

Rewinding time slightly to the moment Qi Cheng and Xia Lin vanished from the first game venue:

Xia Lin pulled Qi Cheng into a deep, passionate kiss. Immediately, a teleportation array appeared beneath them. As the light intensified, their figures vanished instantly.

The remaining group stood in stunned silence. The Panda pulled a party popper—Bang!—and countless glittery hearts and ribbons danced in the air.

“Congratulations to the first pair of lovers for clearing the stage~!” The Panda’s excited voice snapped everyone back to reality.

“Wh-what was that?!” Ni Qian screamed. “They’re so despicable! How could they just… without a word…”

Nie Siya gritted her teeth. Damn it, I’ve been played! She knew she couldn’t underestimate Qi Cheng, but she hadn’t expected her to act so decisively. It caught her completely off guard.

Xia Lifang’s expression was equally grim. She hadn’t yet decided on a partner for the [Vow]; she wanted to carefully evaluate everyone before making a move. She had planned for at least another week of observation. Now, that brat Qi Cheng had thrown everything into chaos!

Triggered by the Qi-Xia pair, the remaining people would be hyper-vigilant. It would be nearly impossible to get alone time with anyone now. She decided she might as well propose that no one spend time alone. She still had Yu Feihang as a “spare tire.” It wasn’t about how much that useless man could help her anymore; it was about ensuring her own survival while blocking others from teaming up.

As for Yu Feihang, she still had one chance to [Divorce] and [Remarry]. Once she found a better ally later, she could kick the loser to the curb.

Xia Lifang spread her hands. “Miss Ni is right. They were indeed despicable. But this is a survival game; it’s only natural for people to become selfish.”

The group remained silent.

Xia Lifang continued, “The fewer people there are, the more disadvantaged we become. No one wants to be the one eliminated, right? So, I suggest that from now on, we monitor each other.”

“…Monitor each other?”

“Yes. Being alone allows two people to plot. Just like Qi Cheng and Xia Lin—they couldn’t have decided that suddenly without discussing it. They must have planned it last night. Though I hate to admit it, those two were very cunning. We must learn from this. To avoid being eliminated out of the blue, staying together is the safest plan. If anyone objects, it proves they are selfish and only thinking of themselves. In that case, we can just pair up and eliminate that person.”

Ni Qian nodded frantically. “Yes… exactly! I… I definitely don’t want to be eliminated! D-don’t even think about plotting behind my back! I agree with Ms. Xia; from now on, we stay together!”

Nie Siya cocked an eyebrow. Hmph, a two-faced hypocrite. Ni Qian was a fool, following orders without a single original thought. But it wasn’t just Ni Qian. Nie Siya glanced at Kuang Liao. He looked worse than ever.

Everyone present was shrouded in varying degrees of confusion and unease—exactly what Qi Cheng had planned. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for her to make the [Vow] so publicly. Nie Siya had to admit she had miscalculated. She knew Qi Cheng had initially been interested in her. Teaming up with someone of equal “level” would have been highly efficient.

However, Nie Siya wanted absolute security. Qi Cheng was too smart; working with her would require constant vigilance. Kuang Liao was far more convenient—a puppet. She had intentionally shown a preference for Kuang Liao to provoke Qi Cheng’s competitive side, hoping Qi Cheng would try harder to win her over. Instead, that bastard Qi Cheng had simply ditched her and thrown the olive branch to Xia Lin!

Yu Feihang suddenly spoke up. “Staying together constantly won’t work, will it? Everyone goes back to their rooms to sleep at night. We won’t know who visits whom.”

Xia Lifang replied, “We’re dead anyway; it’s not like we actually need sleep. If we must rest, we can just make do in the living room. God, can you provide five beds here?”

God replied, “I can. That doesn’t violate any game rules.”

Ni Qian interjected, “Wait! What about bathing?”

“Bathing and using the toilet can still happen in private rooms,” Xia Lifang said. “But you must go one by one. No two people can go together. And no one is allowed to enter anyone else’s room! We must supervise each other on this!”

Ni Qian nodded. “That… that seems okay.”

Nie Siya scoffed internally. How is that ‘okay’? When one person leaves, the remaining four could easily conspire to eliminate them. Whether they stayed together or apart, the damage was done. Qi Cheng had planted the seeds of doubt. In a closed apartment, every action would now be met with suspicion.

Nie Siya looked at Kuang Liao and suddenly spoke loudly: “You say all this, but from the start, you’ve been planning to eliminate Mr. Kuang, haven’t you?”

Kuang Liao flinched.

Xia Lifang frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Nie Siya sneered. “You have the nerve to call others selfish when you’re the most selfish one here! You’ve been fanning the flames of anxiety. And your suggestion that we go to the toilet one by one? It looks like you’re preventing collusion, but how can you guarantee that while one of us is away, the other four won’t plot to kick them out? You’ll probably just stop drinking water so you don’t have to go, right?”

Xia Lifang stammered, “You…!”

Nie Siya didn’t give her a chance to speak. “And among us, Mr. Kuang is the most likely to need the bathroom frequently. He’s already in a bad state, and your intentional fear-mongering has made him more nervous. Under stress, the body has a physiological reaction—adrenaline and norepinephrine increase, increasing bladder pressure. This is the perfect time for you to incite the group to eliminate him.”

Xia Lifang was left speechless. She didn’t know anything about adrenaline, but she did want to eliminate Kuang Liao. He was the only “useless” person there, a burden to everyone else.

Nie Siya took Kuang Liao’s hands in hers and said softly, “Mr. Kuang, I won’t give up on you. Even if it means making enemies of them, I won’t abandon you…”

Kuang Liao’s eyes grew moist as he stared at her. “Miss Nie…”

Xia Lifang spat, “You ‘White Lotus,’ stop acting so virtuous!”

Nie Siya replied, “I’m not acting. I simply dislike your condescending attitude and the way you look down on Mr. Kuang. If you want to prove me wrong, then fine—you pair up with Mr. Kuang right now, and Miss Ni can pair with Mr. Yu. You can eliminate me right here! Since violence is forbidden, I can’t stop you from making a [Vow] in front of me.”

Xia Lifang choked. She would never team up with a loser like Kuang Liao!

She didn’t realize that, after Qi Cheng, she had fallen right into Nie Siya’s trap. Nie Siya had used the “bathroom” argument to highlight a normal physiological response to stress, simultaneously shaming Xia Lifang and making Kuang Liao feel defended. By declaring she would stand by him even against the group, she fostered a sense of guilt and dependency in him.

The final blow was the ultimatum: “Team up with Kuang Liao.” Xia Lifang couldn’t do it, but she couldn’t say no without looking like a hypocrite. Nie Siya had seized the moral high ground, and in a group where everyone wanted to save face, no one would admit to being a calculating opportunist—especially after Xia Lifang’s earlier grandstanding.

Even if Xia Lifang threw away her pride for survival, the other two wouldn’t want her as a partner. They knew they couldn’t control her; they would just become her tools and be discarded later.

Nie Siya had won this psychological war.

Kuang Liao said, “Miss Nie, I won’t let them eliminate you… I-I am willing to team up with you.”

To make the other person want to be your puppet—that was the ideal way to rule.

The second group was born.

Yet, Nie Siya couldn’t feel happy. This result was undoubtedly exactly what Qi Cheng had predicted. If she met Qi Cheng in the next stage, she would have to find a way to crush the Qi-Xia pair.