After Joining the Game, She Came Out as Gay [Infinite] - Chapter 5.1

Nie Siya.

Though her impression had always been one of timidness and fragility, lacking any other distinguishing features, Qi Cheng had felt a sense of dissonance from the very first moment she saw her.

It was as if the impression she currently gave others was merely her protective coloring.

Qi Cheng had no evidence; it was purely intuition.

Intuition was not something that could be referenced as an established fact. However, her past life, experiences, and everything she had learned had honed her senses to be exceptionally sharp.

—Of course, whether Nie Siya had truly draped herself in “protective coloring” would likely remain unknown until she bared her fangs.

Although Xia Lifang’s desire to perform was stupidly excessive, she had done Qi Cheng one favor.

That was asking and finding out that Nie Siya was an academic specializing in psychology.

Since long ago, Qi Cheng had always felt that those who studied psychology were either monsters or deviants.

In any case, they could never be evaluated as ordinary people.

And opponents who could not be immediately evaluated were often potential threats.

If there is a threat, it must be eliminated; if it cannot be eliminated, then one must find a way to win them over.

Among these six people, Qi Cheng believed that Nie Siya would be the most difficult to deal with. Therefore, it was better to eliminate the possibility of opposition from the start and turn her into an ally.

So, she had made a series of preparations, even handily making use of that “diligent” middle-aged noblewoman.

However—

“Yo! … Don’t plan on pretending to be sick anymore?”

“…”

Looking at the star appearing at the door, radiating her own halo, Qi Cheng was somewhat blinded by the brilliance.

Those were the first words Xia Lin said to Qi Cheng .

Still using such a straightforward tone.

Still wearing that gentle and friendly smile.

—It was simply infuriating.

“I’m coming in.”

Regardless of Qi Cheng ’s wishes, this person slithered through the crack in the door quite skillfully, like a snake.

“What do you want?”

After confirming no one outside was monitoring them, Qi Cheng quickly closed the door. She looked at Xia Lin, who was staring at her messy bed, and spoke quite crossly.

“Your aunt said you don’t plan on being resurrected?”

“…Ah.”

“—That’s a lie, isn’t it?”

Xia Lin maintained her elegant smile, arms crossed, staring fixedly into Qi Cheng ‘s eyes.

Those eyes were too clear, too ethereal, causing Qi Cheng to instinctively look away.

“…Believe what you want.”

“Phew~”

Xia Lin let out a helpless sigh.

Then, she raised her head and shouted: “God! Please descend here!”

Qi Cheng : “…!”

At this timing, calling God over, could she be planning to…

Qi Cheng ’s expression turned fierce for a split second, but Xia Lin pretended not to see it.

God appeared quickly, looking impatient: “What?! Do you need toilet paper again!”

When he discovered Xia Lin was also in Qi Cheng ’s room, his expression froze instantly.

Xia Lin looked at God. “God, please say it one more time—the reason why we are participating in this resurrection game.”

God: “Tsk… when you arrived at the Divine Domain, wasn’t everything already explained to you?”

Xia Lin: “But when it was Qi Cheng ’s turn, the explanation was interrupted by Ms. Xia. She hasn’t heard the full explanation yet.”

…Full?

“Really, I can’t do anything with you people. Listen up. The reason you were able to come to this Divine Domain is because you yourselves ‘did not want to die.’ Whether it was an accidental death or a suicide, in the moment approaching death, as long as there is even a sliver of ‘unwillingness’ in your subconscious, you will find your own way to this Divine Domain.”

Qi Cheng ’s face had already turned somewhat pale: “Is… is that how it is…”

Dammit, she had never heard of such a thing!

God roared: “Nonsense! Why would we bother bringing dead people here and even preparing a platform for their resurrection? Do you know how high the daily death toll in the world is!”

Qi Cheng : “Then why don’t you just ignore that part altogether?”

God curled his lip: “It can’t be helped; this was set by the Mother Goddess at the beginning, and no one can change it. However…”

He suddenly smiled wickedly, “Watching you humans scheme against each other, constantly hurting one another, and using all sorts of despicable means just to be resurrected is quite entertaining.”

Qi Cheng : “…”

Xia Lin: “…”

Realizing he had talked too much, God coughed and said irritably: “Anyway! You have nothing else? Honestly, don’t call me for this kind of trivial matter next time, you’re interrupting my anime binge…”

Complaining as he went, he disappeared.

“—That’s how it is.” Xia Lin smiled.

Qi Cheng : “…”

She hadn’t expected there to be such a reason.

From her severe injury until her death, during those long and painful hours, if one were to speak of the emotion of “unwillingness,” it certainly existed.

She was not afraid of death.

So when Qi Cheng arrived at the Divine Domain, she felt that if she was dead, she was dead, it didn’t matter—or rather, not having to return to that painful world was actually better.

Her “unwillingness” stemmed from her anger toward the person who hunted her.

Like a cheetah on the savannah, if it is shot dead by a hunter, so be it. But once it manages to survive with its last breath, it will absolutely harbor a grudge and think of taking revenge even to the ends of the earth.

And this kind of emotion was indeed easily confused with the “will to live.”

Qi Cheng let out a heavy sigh.

“So, did you come to me just to expose me?” Qi Cheng asked coldly.

“How could I.” Xia Lin shrugged. “I came because I want you to be my lover.”

…What did she say?

.. Lover?

“Eeeeeek!”

Qi Cheng was so startled she scrambled backward.

“Are… are you serious saying that to me!”

Xia Lin was amused by such a pure reaction.

“Of course. This is a matter of life and death; how could I be joking?”

Qi Cheng froze. After a moment, she coughed to hide her embarrassment.

Actually, she realized now that the other party was inviting her to form a team.

…But would a normal person use such a term that caused extreme physiological discomfort? Especially after Xia Lifang had already clarified to everyone that this “Love Game” was essentially about teaming up to clear levels?

Shouldn’t she have said, “I hope you’ll be my teammate”???

“Why… why… did you come to me?” Qi Cheng asked weakly.

Although she and Xia Lifang were both of the “cautious” faction that preferred to observe for a while, considering the condition God mentioned—that “clearing the game quickly would benefit the second stage”—there would also be an “efficiency” faction that took immediate action.

Furthermore, the earlier one chose a companion, the more advantageous it was.

If you acted late, you could only pick up what others had left behind—Qi Cheng understood this logic well enough.

The problem was, why did this sunshine girl come to her?

If it were someone like Xia Lifang, it would be understandable.

This Xia Lin and she were from two completely different worlds.

In other words, Qi Cheng subconsciously felt that she should be on a completely different wavelength from this kind of person.

True, if Qi Cheng utilized all the knowledge (and methods) she had learned in the past, she would indeed be a dark horse—this was not self-praise.

But the problem was that since she arrived at the Divine Domain, she hadn’t been particularly high-profile like Xia Lifang. Nor had she tried too hard to turn herself into a “transparent person” like Nie Siya.

She had always stayed between “strong” and “weak,” efficiently maintaining a balance. This was so her impression on others would merely be that of an ordinary college student.

With a little thought, one would know that even if she were a famous celebrity with many connections, it would be impossible for her to obtain Qi Cheng ’s true background.

Therefore, just through these few hours of interaction, Qi Cheng couldn’t figure out for the life of her why she would be the first one sought out.

Qi Cheng scratched her cheek and asked tentatively: “Look… you’re a big star, your status and background are so perfect, while I’m just an ordinary college student. I don’t go to a prestigious school, and I’m not a great student… I can’t figure out… the reason why someone like you would come to me…”

“Phew.”

Xia Lin sighed again.

Although she didn’t say it explicitly, the way she sighed clearly meant “Keep acting, go on,” giving Qi Cheng the feeling of being completely read, which made her very uncomfortable.

Xia Lin stepped closer to her.

Qi Cheng , who was only 1.62 meters tall, had to look up slightly at this 1.7-meter woman.

“Considering the uncertainty of the subsequent levels, among the six of us, I believe that collaborating with one of these three people would reduce the difficulty of clearing the game.”

Xia Lin held up three fingers.

“You, Ms. Xia, and Ms. Nie—they are the ideal three.”

Qi Cheng was secretly startled.

She re-evaluated this sunshine girl.

…It seemed she was not just an empty shell.

Xia Lin continued: “From the surface, Ms. Xia should be the most sought-after. But since she called me a ‘vase,’ I’ll pass.”

“…”

So she did hear Xia Lifang’s indirect insults.

On the surface, it made the men’s situation disadvantageous, but in reality, she had also conveniently taken down the most desirable candidate, Xia Lin.

To the vast majority of citizens, they would have an impression of celebrities—especially popular stars—as having it easy. They believed their brilliance was entirely dependent on their faces, ignoring the effort behind the scenes.

However, it was true that a portion of very famous artists did rely on their faces, unlike the old actors of the past who truly relied on their powerful acting skills to survive.

So after Xia Lifang said those words, it wasn’t hard to imagine what kind of attitude they held toward a “brat” like Xia Lin, who was “brilliant on the outside.”

Especially women; their hostility toward members of the same sex was usually quite intense.

As for the men, they shouldn’t be too affected by such things. But if they considered the prerequisite of “only being able to choose one person to help clear the game,” it was hard to say.

Whether to choose someone like Xia Lifang, who “became an elite through her own abilities,” or someone like Xia Lin, who “became an elite because of her looks,” the result was obvious.

Of course, such prejudice would be very unfair to Xia Lin. After all, people hadn’t even understood everything about her before labeling her like that.

However, the more one was in this kind of game, the more snobbish and cold-hearted one became.

Xia Lin understood this herself.

She continued: “Ms. Nie gives me an uncomfortable feeling, so I won’t consider her. Therefore…”

“Therefore,” Qi Cheng interrupted coldly, “by process of elimination, you had no choice but to pick me?”

Xia Lin smiled. “Did that hurt your pride?”

“…Not at all.”

—Actually, it did hurt a little.

Xia Lin smiled and then said: “You don’t need to be unhappy, because I didn’t consider those two from the start. I chose you right from the beginning. Ideally, it would be one of the three, but for me, the most ideal one is only you.”

She sighed and continued: “I only gave such a detailed explanation because you asked for a reason. But… it does sound like I only chose you through elimination… Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way at all.”

“Why not consider Nie Siya?”

In Qi Cheng ’s view, a psychology student should be very useful; others shouldn’t find that hard to imagine either.

“Could it be you’re jealous that she’s a graduate student?” Qi Cheng said half-jokingly.

“Of course not. Don’t assume all celebrities have low education. Hmm… consider it my ‘experience talking’.”

“Huh?”

Experience? Could she have been dumped by a woman before, leaving her traumatized?

Probably not… she was so beautiful she’d be the one dumping others; who could bear to kick her out…

Qi Cheng ’s current expression was easy to read; her thoughts were fully exposed.

Xia Lin gazed at her for a moment and asked with a smile: “Qi Cheng , what was your first impression of me?”

“…Ah?” Why ask that all of a sudden?

“Tell me straight, it’s fine.”

“You’re very beautiful…”

“Thank you. And?”

“Uh… you seem quite easygoing?”

This was clearly not what Xia Lin wanted to hear.

She urged: “And?”

“And…?”

Xia Lin sighed and revealed the answer directly: “—Essentially still a child. Disregarding my influence in the entertainment industry, anyone who sees me has that exact thought. In fact, it’s true. Although I’m almost twenty, in your eyes, twenty still falls within the category of ‘child,’ right? Not to mention my looks give the impression of being even younger.”

“…” Silence was the only response, as Qi Cheng didn’t understand what this person was trying to convey.

“Qi Cheng , my family is a showbiz family. I’ve been acting since I was two years old. Most people start officially contacting society and accumulating real social (life) experience from twenty-three to twenty-five, right? But I’ve been accumulating those experiences since I was two. You can probably imagine that our circle is a mixed bag, just like the social system, or even more complex. Therefore, my training in the social system is often deeper than that of ordinary people.”

“…”

“That is to say, I already have seventeen or eighteen years of social experience. During dinner, Ms. Xia said she started from scratch at twenty-eight and has seventeen years of life experience until now. Well, I have one more year than her! I’m already a ‘senior’ in life.”

If she hadn’t said it, one really couldn’t tell.

But Qi Cheng believed her.

Because wasn’t she the same?

Ever since she was five years old…

“So, Qi Cheng , as a ‘life senior,’ I’ll give you a piece of advice—never trust a person’s appearance!”

“…Huh?”

She didn’t trust it…

“Especially women.”

Qi Cheng froze.

Xia Lin said: “After realizing this is ‘survival of the fittest,’ I’ve been carefully considering my teammate. People corrupt very quickly, especially in this sin-filled domain full of desire; even a saint would fall, let alone ordinary people in this environment.”

“When a person is placed under the inducement of interest, they will only be most loyal to themselves. In the entertainment industry, I’ve seen too many examples of people kicking away the ladder once they’ve reached the top. You’ve seen the rules of this game too; it allows for one teammate change. Once your teammate feels you no longer provide value, they will betray you at any time.”

Qi Cheng completely agreed on this point.

“It’s not that I have a prejudice against Ms. Nie. But people who study psychology understand how to use this advantage better. And because their mindset is already different from ordinary people, betraying others doesn’t cause them pain. Those who study psychology have such god-tier psychological construction. Because they know better than the average person how to adjust. Otherwise—their minds would have collapsed long ago.”

Qi Cheng sighed softly.

Xia Lin took it as her agreeing with her point, shrugged, and continued: “I don’t want to end up only blaming myself for having poor judgment and wallowing in self-pity. So I won’t choose her; the risk is too high—especially in an environment where the victory conditions are extremely harsh.”

If it weren’t in such an environment, everyone would probably still retain their kind-hearted side, she added.

So, even if someone studying psychology had a great advantage in observing people’s hearts, she wouldn’t consider Nie Siya as a teammate.

Qi Cheng rubbed her chin. “…I see, so that’s why you didn’t consider Nie Siya.”

“Hmm? Could it be you decided on Ms. Nie from the start? Then, after hearing my words, have you changed your mind?”

Xia Lin looked expectant.

Just like a little dog wagging its tail, waiting for Qi Cheng to say yes.

Qi Cheng sighed.

Being called out by the other party made it difficult to answer now.

Xia Lin smiled. To stop making her feel awkward, she took the initiative to start the conversation again: “Actually, that reason just now was only the logical reasoning after hearing everyone’s self-introductions. At the very beginning, I just felt that Ms. Nie was too calm—abnormally calm.”

“…Oh?”

“She always gives people a timid and cowardly impression, right? But for such a girl to not show a shred of panic while in this kind of environment, don’t you think it’s a bit abnormal? She only spoke for the first time when she was forced by Ms. Xia to introduce herself, right? I asked Ms. Ni privately, and she arrived at the Divine Domain quite early. To not say a single word for such a long time—even if a girl is introverted, it’s impossible to keep it bottled up like that, isn’t it?”

I see; a dummy like Ni Qian would indeed tell everything to a star like Xia Lin. And she was the kind of airhead who would absolutely not detect the true purpose behind her making conversation.

“So, you think she’s a deep-scheming girl who deliberately gives people that impression?”

“In any case, she makes me feel uncomfortable…”

Unexpectedly, an ally had appeared so quickly regarding the perception of Nie Siya.

“Fine, I understand your reasons for not choosing Nie Siya and the old lady. So, why did you choose me?”

Still coming to bite her right from the start.

“Because you were the first person among us to see through the essence of this game.” Xia Lin stared at her intently. “And it was while we were still pondering the specific deeper meanings of the game rules that you had already realized how ‘vile’ this game is.”

“…!”

—”…What vile rules…”

When God was explaining the rules for [Divorce] and [Remarriage], she had indeed muttered that.

So she had noticed that mutter?

“That old lady thought she was the first to discover the essence of the game and was even smug about it. In fact, it was you, you just didn’t show off. So you should understand now why I want to partner with you, right?”

“Being with you is no different from holding a cheat code,” Xia Lin smiled.

Talking while standing was too tiring, so Qi Cheng simply sat on the bed and said crossly: “You want to team up with me, yet you start with a provocation as soon as you walk in?”

—”Yo! … Don’t plan on pretending to be sick anymore?”

Who uses that kind of opening line for a visit!

“And what makes you think I was pretending to be sick?”

Xia Lin sat on the sofa opposite her and sighed: “I’m a (senior) actress; I can tell at a glance if someone is acting. But I admit, that way of speaking was very rude. I just wanted to leave a deep impression on you.”

“…Huh?”

“Because I found that even though I’m a famous actress, I couldn’t pique your interest. Ms. Xia, Ms. Ni, Mr. Yu, or even the taciturn Ms. Nie—they all had an ‘interest’ in me—whether it was hostility, admiration, or something else, at least they were paying attention to me. Only you treated me completely like air. My presence in your eyes was even less than that of the insecure Mr. Kuang.”

“…” Should she apologize for that?

“So, to make you notice me, provoking you was, I thought, the best way to give you a strong impression.”

Qi Cheng ’s mouth twitched violently.

She hadn’t expected the day would come when she could be led by the nose by someone else.

“So? Am I qualified to be your teammate?” Xia Lin asked with a smile.

“…True, you need to consider it more before making a decision. It’s okay, I’ll wait for you. To show my sincerity, I won’t talk to anyone else, nor will I accept invitations from others.”

“Hey…”

“And I will also share all the information I have with you.”

“That sounds a bit like moral kidnapping… You don’t really think I’ll agree just based on this, do you?”

“Of course not. The decision is in your hands. If you ultimately choose someone else, it can only mean I was incompetent and couldn’t gain your trust. I won’t complain about it.”

“…”

She was telling the truth.

One could tell just by looking into her eyes.

Having struggled in the dark world for so many years, Qi Cheng could still distinguish whether the other party was wearing a mask or being truly sincere.

To be honest, being stared at so sincerely by Xia Lin made Qi Cheng a bit afraid to look back.

She was too bright, so bright she was completely without a single flaw; Qi Cheng really didn’t know how to respond to her.

She was like the sun; warm, but if one got too close, one would be burned.

If she were someone like Xia Lifang who had an “evil” side, she would be better at handling her.

Qi Cheng ’s silence was more like a painful struggle, an indescribable conflict.

Xia Lin looked at her for a long time before saying softly: “By the way, can I ask you a question? When Ms. Xia informed everyone of the meaning of this game, why did you label her a ‘fool’?”

“…You heard that too?”

“I didn’t hear it; I know through lip-reading.” She smiled. “Didn’t I say? I chose you right after knowing the game rules.”

Qi Cheng ruffled her hair. At this point, a reveal of this level didn’t matter anymore.

“She was too eager to show off. In a survival game, the weaker groups are always more likely to band together.”

Xia Lin clapped her hands. “I see! If you show yourself to be too superior right away, it’s very easy to make enemies.”

Qi Cheng nodded. “Out of human psychology, people will exclude those who are different. So, what is an ‘outsider’? Naturally, it’s someone who is smarter, more excellent, and more likely to threaten one’s own status. The reason Xia Lifang targeted you from the start was for the same reason. Because although she acted like a business powerhouse and a winner in life, she knew in her heart that her little achievements couldn’t even compare to yours.”

“I’m so happy you’re praising me like that,” Xia Lin said with an unpretentious smile.

Instead, it was Qi Cheng who was made a bit embarrassed.

“S-so, even though that person seems to have become the leader of this group, in reality, who knows what those people sucking up to her are really thinking. Especially those whose circumstances are a stark contrast to hers.”

“You mean Mr. Yu and Mr. Kuang? I can feel that Mr. Kuang has obvious hostility toward Ms. Xia. As for Mr. Yu, although he flatters her on the surface, his heart seems to be just as you said; he doesn’t truly respect her.”

Xia Lin rubbed her chin. “Since he’s a salesman who relies on performance, it’s normal to be a bit slippery. But, Qi Cheng .”

…This person addressed even Nie Siya, who was a year younger than her, as “Ms. Nie,” yet she insisted on calling Qi Cheng by her name.

To be honest, every time her name was called, there was always a sensation in her heart, like an electric shock that made her feel quite nonsensical.

Qi Cheng sighed and responded to her somewhat helplessly: “…Yeah.”

“Regarding Mr. Yu, he might already be hooking up with Ms. Xia by now?”

“Eh?”