Forced to Act out a Strange Script with a Rival - Chapter 20

[You, in this world, need to play the role of…]

Waves crashed against the rocks, the wind howled, thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed. In the distance on the shore, scattered groups of people were gathering.

Fear enveloped Si Xiaoxiao’s heart. Subconsciously, she placed her trust in Li Ting: “What should we do?”

“It’s fine. The production team will figure something out.” Li Ting’s voice was as calm and soothing as ever. She looked up at the panic-stricken crowd in the distance, her eyes sharp as a hawk.

Her phone’s waterproof capabilities were decent. She pressed the power button, and the screen surprisingly lit up.

Li Ting quickly dialed the director’s number.

The waves had swept them away from their original position, so they couldn’t clearly describe their exact location, only that they were roughly on a rock.

The director said they had already contacted rescue personnel and a boat would be there soon, asking them to hold on a little longer.

Whether it was lucky or unlucky, after completing this distress call, Li Ting’s phone lost its final charge, and the screen went dark.

The sea wind roared, and the ice-cold rain poured down. Two soaking wet, bruised women huddled together on the small patch of rock.

The terrifying life-or-death speed run just moments ago had temporarily washed away all their pretense, awkwardness, even the “morally bankrupt netizens'” teasing, and the embarrassment brought by the system binding.

All that remained between them was the gasping breath of survival and an indescribable closeness born of being forced into intimate dependence on an isolated rock.

This could probably be attributed to the Suspension Bridge Effect.

“Are you cold?”

Li Ting turned to look at Si Xiaoxiao, who was curled up hugging her knees, her gaze falling on Si Xiaoxiao’s tightly pressed lips and slightly trembling eyelashes.

“I should have worn the mascot costume,” Si Xiaoxiao sighed. Who could have thought the weather on this island would be so bizarre, sunny one moment and pouring rain the next? If she had the mascot costume, she certainly wouldn’t be complaining about the cold.

Li Ting spoke quietly, giving her a sidelong glance: “My fault. I brought an extra set of clothes, which kept you from escaping the rising tide in a clumsy panda suit.”

Si Xiaoxiao seized the opportunity to joke back: “Oh, don’t be too hard on yourself.”

However, if Si Xiaoxiao hadn’t changed clothes, the water-absorbing capacity of the fluffy panda suit would have made the situation much more dire.

A flash of lightning split the sky, followed by deafening thunder. Si Xiaoxiao felt as if the entire sky was about to be torn apart. She quietly edged closer to Li Ting and rested her head on her shoulder.

The warmth of the other person’s body, though weak but real, transferred through the equally damp and cold clothes, giving Si Xiaoxiao a sense of unexpected peace.

Huddling together not only provided psychological comfort, but their bodies also seemed to warm up a little.

The rain gradually lessened.

Li Ting felt the weight on her shoulder and the subtle trembling from the other’s body. She thoughtfully and gently adjusted her posture to make Si Xiaoxiao more comfortable.

She straightened her back, her eyes vigilantly scanning the surging sea around them and the direction from which rescue might arrive.

The cold sea wind swept past, blowing their wet hair and intertwining the strands.

Shouts were heard in the distance, and a spotlight shone towards them. As the rain subsided, a rescue boat appeared.

This made both of them perk up simultaneously.

The rescue workers methodically wrapped them in clean blankets and moved them one by one from the narrow rock onto the small boat.

“Achoo—”

After her tense nerves relaxed, the first to sneeze was the outstanding Li Ting.

Si Xiaoxiao sat on the boat, holding a cup of hot tea, and let out a comfortable sigh: “Are you catching a cold?”

Li Ting sniffled, feeling that she might indeed be unwell.

“I’m totally fine, but you’re getting a cold already?” Si Xiaoxiao stood up to stretch. Besides an ankle ache, she was essentially fine, so lively that she felt she could fight a bull. She was the type who instantly recovered as soon as she was comfortable.

Li Ting disdainfully gave her a look: “Oh? Idiots don’t catch colds.”

“???” Si Xiaoxiao was unconvinced: “I’m just healthy! What about you! You trained yourself into a muscle-bound Barbie, but your constitution is still so weak!”

Li Ting was very keen on fitness, which was well-known in the industry. She often shared her fitness tips on social media, but her body was never exceptionally strong.

In Si Xiaoxiao’s memory, Sister Li Ting got sick easily. She often persisted in filming while ill, and her red nose drew pity from a large number of people.

“Sister, pass your sickness to me. My body is very healthy. If you pass it to me, you’ll be fine!” Back then, Si Xiaoxiao always said this to Li Ting.

Innocent and pure.

“Although my body fat percentage is low, my actual muscle mass is not much.” Li Ting still regretted this. She wished she could have become a muscle-bound Barbie, but unfortunately, she was naturally weak, and no matter how much she ate, she didn’t gain much weight, and her muscle conversion efficiency was very low.

She yearned for a vibrant and healthy life, precisely because she did not possess it.

Si Xiaoxiao suddenly reached out her hand towards Li Ting. Li Ting, puzzled, also placed her hand on Si Xiaoxiao’s palm. Si Xiaoxiao quickly pulled her hand back, flipped her palm, and slapped the back of Li Ting’s hand, revealing a sly, foxy smile.

“There, I’ll temporarily share some health with you. You have to get better quickly!”

Li Ting laughed despite herself: “You scoundrel—”

And just at that moment, the bell that hadn’t been heard for a long time suddenly rang again in the distance, and the entire world once more fell silent.

It was that all-too-familiar mechanical voice.

[The script about to be activated is—The Warden’s Interrogation Time.]

[Keywords: Warden / Interrogation / Criminal]

No way! Why is the system here??

Si Xiaoxiao was completely stunned. Didn’t this system only appear when she and Li Ting were arguing?

Does this count as arguing??

Before she could figure it out, she suddenly found that she had been moved.

Even her clothes had been instantly replaced, which was likely due to the system’s strange, technology beyond human comprehension.

This outfit was a classic, old-style military uniform design, featuring a double-breasted stand collar. The material of the uniform felt like matte leather.

The cuffs were tightened, with matte metal cuffs fitting snugly around the wrists, leaving no gaps. The jacket length was cleverly positioned at the very top of the hip bone, firmly locking the visual focus onto the waist.

Beneath the serious military jacket, the ensemble consisted of a corset, belt, short skirt, and over-the-knee boots.

The corset was interwoven and tightened by several tough leather straps at precise angles, lifting the curve of the chest, making the full curve more prominent and proud.

The short skirt was seamlessly integrated with the corset, its length just slightly covering the base of the thighs. Black patent leather high boots reaching the mid-thigh perfectly encased the long, straight legs, outlining a sharp and powerful silhouette. Beneath the skirt hem were black leg harnesses, loudly declaring a sensation of le-rou-gan (tightly fitted and cinching the flesh).

Si Xiaoxiao, who had a keen eye for makeup and styling, immediately loved this outfit. It had a domineering, S-type look, and all the accessories were of exceptional quality.

Especially!

The one wearing this outfit had such a great face, such a generous body—a perfect score!

Si Xiaoxiao, self-absorbed and cocky, touched herself here and there, failing to notice that this world seemed different from the previous ones.

A knock sounded at the door. Si Xiaoxiao guessed that, based on the previous system logic, the person entering should be Li Ting.

So, Si Xiaoxiao sat down in the office swivel chair, struck a very cool pose, crossed her legs, and pretended to be profound: “Come in.”

“Warden-sama.” A hoarse voice, utterly devoid of inflection and impossible to discern in gender or age, sounded from outside the door.

Si Xiaoxiao looked up and was so startled that she nearly fell off the chair.

It was a “person” wearing a dark gray uniform, with a blurred mist obscuring their face, making their features completely indistinguishable. He (or it?) resembled an intangible ghost. Although the tone and posture were very respectful, it emitted a non-human coldness.

“Li Ting, did you turn into a faceless woman?? I have to say, your look is quite unique!” Si Xiaoxiao’s eyes widened as she circled the figure.

“Warden-sama, what are you saying?” The person (?) seemed confused.

The system’s deadpan voice rang in Si Xiaoxiao’s mind: [Warning! Warning!!! Host, please strictly adhere to your character setting!]

A strange sensation began to spread. Si Xiaoxiao watched as she lost control of her own body.

She was made to sit back down in the chair, maintaining the crossed-leg posture. The eerie “person” stiffly retreated to the doorway, and the wooden door automatically closed. It was as if the whole world had started to rewind!

“Warden-sama.” The hoarse voice, utterly devoid of inflection and impossible to discern in gender or age, sounded again from outside the door.

The system explained what had just happened: [Please strictly adhere to the character setting, or there will be terrifying punishments.]

“Huh?” Si Xiaoxiao’s mind was slow. She asked with difficulty, “Did you upgrade? What’s going on? That’s not Li Ting? Did you hire another NPC?”

She recalled that in the first world, violating the character setting only resulted in an electric shock, but now it had become time reversal and a reload.

The system explained the setting in a serious tone: [From the hosts’ loving interaction, this system has gained energy and can therefore significantly upgrade system functions.]

“Haha, I never thought mutual harassment could generate energy…” Si Xiaoxiao was astonished. She really didn’t know how many more “surprises” this completely illogical little thing had in store for them.

Given the alarming speed of this peculiar contraption’s evolution, Si Xiaoxiao decided to give up and let Li Ting handle the thinking.

So, she asked, “So, what exactly is my character setting?”

[You, in this world, need to play the role of—the Oni-chiku (Sadistic/Demon/Brutal) Perverted Warden.]

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