After Joining the Game, She Came Out as Gay [Infinite] - Chapter 5.2

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?”