The Gloomy Paper-Man Came to My Door to Pursue His Love - Chapter 8

It took nearly an hour for the adverse effects of the suppressant to fade before Qin Fei regained his energy. Because he had injected the suppressant ahead of his sensitive period, the reaction was much milder. However, since the period was still approaching, Qin Fei found a pheromone blocking patch and applied it to the back of his neck, despite the first-class cabin’s isolation layer.

When he looked back at the game screen, he saw the 2D character turning his head away, his sharp jawline slightly tense.

Qin Fei did not dwell on it. Instead, he continued reading the intimacy guide. He was currently on a starship, so the Marriage Ministry had no way to force him into a wedding. However, things would be different once he landed; Obsidian Star had its own local Marriage Ministry that followed Bardis’s orders.

What he needed to do during the remaining twenty days of the flight was to increase his intimacy with the 2D character and show the public that they were truly in love. Even if the game could not help him achieve his goal, he intended to cause some trouble for the Marriage Ministry.

After reading the entire intimacy guide, Qin Fei felt immensely prepared. He continued the main story because, according to the guide, the main plot was the easiest way to increase intimacy.

Prologue: Encounter

Node 1-1

Since the main story offered high playability and the plot shifted with every action Qin Fei took, the nodes were not named until he entered them. As Qin Fei operated the terminal, the game screen changed. Light and shadow shifted from shallow to deep, and a bright crescent moon was eventually dotted against the dark background.

The plot for Node 1-1 took place at night.

Qin Fei was in his previously assigned room, where there was significant activity. The other prospective brides were busy unpacking their luggage and taking out pre-prepared formal wear. Tonight was the first banquet for the hundred brides on Avis Island.

Qin Fei pieced together the timeline. The plot followed the first day the hundred brides arrived on the island. The teacher had mentioned that the afternoon was for resting and that a banquet would be held that night.

Although Qin Fei’s main mission was to assassinate the Viscount of Avis, he still searched through his luggage for formal wear. Three sets of outfits appeared on the panel like a dress-up game for him to choose from.

One was a classic black tuxedo with a tailored fit and smooth lines. The second was a deep blue evening gown made of fine velvet with a shimmering luster. The third was a white satin outfit.

Of course, these three outfits were not his only options. He could also ask the butler to provide more varieties and colors. However, choosing the right attire for a banquet was a mandatory part of Qin Fei’s training.

He chose the second outfit from his luggage without hesitation: the deep blue velvet gown. This was the first meeting between the hundred brides and the host family, so it required a certain level of gravity. Given the nature of the banquet, a tuxedo was not suitable for such an occasion. The white satin outfit was relatively simple and would be at a disadvantage at a competitive evening banquet.

Qin Fei did not ask the butler for more clothes. Formal wear was a very personal matter; even the most brilliant outfit needed to fit the wearer perfectly, or the effect would be greatly diminished. Today was their first day on Avis Island, so any clothes the butler provided would not be custom-made and would likely not fit well. Furthermore, judging by the time of day, it was likely too late for alterations.

Since he was using a terminal to play the game, Qin Fei only needed to click on the outfit for it to appear on his character. Next was the selection of accessories. There were many options in his luggage. While Qin Fei was choosing, he heard a sound from the audio.

“Sorry to disturb you.”

The person who entered was the butler who had appeared in the prologue. He held an enamel tray covered in soft silk, upon which sat a fan-shaped brooch. Its surface was inlaid with several small, exquisite rubies, with smooth white textures flowing between the gems. It looked like a dark red shell.

Because other brides had asked the butler for accessories, the others in the room did not pay him much attention. However, Qin Fei had not requested anything. Before Qin Fei could ask, the butler lowered his voice and explained, “Someone asked me to bring you this brooch. If you are willing, you can wear it to the banquet.”

As he finished speaking, the Tasks icon in the upper right corner of the screen flickered.

Qin Fei checked the task: Under the light, this shell-shaped brooch shines with a dazzling brilliance. Its design blends luxury and elegance, with every detail showcasing the craftsman’s superb skill. Who sent it?

Qin Fei picked up the brooch and examined it closely. Every ruby seemed to tell a story, and the smooth white textures added a touch of mystery.

Qin Fei raised his eyebrows and mused, “Who could have sent it?”

The terminal mimicked his tone. “Who could have sent it? Do you even need to ask?”

“The banquet is about to begin, so I will not disturb you further.” The butler intentionally hid the sender’s identity and placed the enamel tray behind his back. “I wish you a pleasant evening.”

The butler bowed and left.

Qin Fei gently turned the brooch. The colors shifted at his fingertips, making his fingers look as beautiful as gems.

Qin Fei frowned in thought and guessed, “Could it be a gift from Earl Avis?”

The terminal: “…”

Qin Fei guessed again, “Could it be from the Viscount of Avis?”

Qin Fei tried one more time. “Could it be the guard captain!?”

The terminal could barely contain itself. “You are so boring.”

Qin Fei had a sudden realization. “You mean the brooch could only have been sent by the teacher.”

The terminal hesitated. “…”

Ding, ding, dong…

The bell rang slowly, signaling the start of the banquet. The plot continued. Qin Fei opened the Tasks and found that the task remained in the sidebar. It had not disappeared. He had not completed the node task for 1-1.

“Was the brooch not sent by your 2D character?” The terminal asked in disbelief. Although it was a ten-year-old product, its high original price was the reason it could still run Exclusive ABO. Its built-in algorithms were even more advanced than many economy terminals on the market, and it rarely made mistakes in its deductions.

“It was him,” Qin Fei said.

He traced the outline of the brooch, then lowered his head to straighten his collar. He deliberately pinned the brooch to the left side of his chest. This position perfectly highlighted the brooch, and although it might be seen as trying to steal the spotlight, Qin Fei did not care.

The terminal offered a new theory. “Perhaps the task is to find the person who sent the brooch. Focus on the verb to find.”

The prospective brides in the room had begun heading to the banquet venue. Qin Fei checked himself in the mirror, letting the game screen show his full figure. Otherwise, with the first-person view, he would not be able to see the effect of the brooch. The full-length mirror reflected Qin Fei’s figure. He had not filled in any false data or changed his image, so the mirror showed exactly who he was.

The brooch was pinned tightly to his left chest, shining in harmony with his gown. Qin Fei placed his hand over his heart, and in the mirror, his character did the same. The game was realistic, but due to hardware limitations, he could not yet experience the game immersively or feel the texture of the brooch.

After checking the mirror, Qin Fei slowly left the room. In the long, ancient corridor, other prospective brides walked in groups or alone toward the banquet hall. Tonight’s banquet was held in a hall in the southeast corner of the castle.

It was different from the banquets Qin Fei had attended before. There were no mountains of champagne glasses, no self-service desserts, and no waiters moving through the crowd. Instead, several long tables stretched across the hall. The tables were finely decorated with white carved cloths and tassels hanging from the corners. Elaborate candelabras were placed at intervals, their candlelight illuminating the prepared delicacies and freshly picked flowers.

Rather than a banquet, it felt more like a large gathering for a meal, and a self-service one at that. No one was there to arrange their seating. The only sound in the hall was a cello playing in a high corner. The musician was not under a spotlight, playing deep and lingering melodies in the dim light.

Qin Fei was not a music enthusiast, but he recognized the tune as Kol Nidrei. If a noble Alpha were present and he were required to approach them, the song would be an excellent conversation starter. But there were none here; only Omegas and Betas attended the banquet, and the master of the castle was nowhere to be found.

This made the hundred prospective brides very uneasy. They did not know if they should crowd around the tables in their formal attire to taste the glistening roasted chicken. There were clearly not enough seats, perhaps only half as many as there were guests. These were individual chairs, and it was impossible for multiple people to squeeze into one. Doing so would only make the banquet and its participants look ridiculous.

Standing around awkwardly was even worse, so some brides tried to claim a seat first. When someone sat down, the cello music stopped. The hall doors opened, and uniformed guards entered in single file. They approached the seated guests and took some of them away.

The banquet hall was large and crowded, yet it was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. It stayed that way until the heavy doors were closed and the cello music resumed. Everyone looked at each other, confused by the situation.

Realizing the guests had been standing for too long, the musician paused and said gently, “Please, everyone, take a seat.”

Another group of people sat down, and the heavy doors opened again. The guards picked another set of people to take away. Their movements were not gentle; they were somewhat rough, with two guards grabbing a bride by the arms and dragging them out.

The hall fell silent again. The musician said, “Please, everyone, take a seat,” and continued his piece.

The terminal remarked, “There is a problem.”

This was an understatement. Qin Fei had noticed the problem from the moment he entered the hall. At first, he thought it was Earl Avis’s way of asserting dominance, but now it seemed otherwise. Dominance would have been easy to handle; Qin Fei was skilled at resolving awkwardness.

Qin Fei scanned the hall but did not see his 2D character. Connecting this to the task, Qin Fei guessed that the current situation was meant to increase the difficulty of finding the person who sent the brooch.

He could not leave to find the person right now. Some brides tried to leave the hall to ask the guards outside for information, but they were pushed back inside. Those who were dragged away had likely been sent off Avis Island; otherwise, the guards would not be so rude to a future Viscountess.

To complete the node task, he had to stay at the banquet. Qin Fei observed those who had successfully taken seats. These people also looked confused, having no idea why they were allowed to stay. Their formal wear varied in style, as did their height and weight. Their first and second genders were also different. There seemed to be no commonality among them, nor among those who were taken away.

However, since some were left and others taken, there had to be a standard beyond the guards’ whims.

The terminal asked, “Do you need me to scan and find a commonality among these NPCs?”

Instead, Qin Fei sat down in a single chair with a soft, dark red velvet seat.

The terminal was surprised. “You found it?”

Qin Fei did not care. He had saved his progress, so if he was wrong, he could just start over. After he sat down, a dozen more people tentatively took seats. Qin Fei noticed the cufflinks of the person sitting across from him.

After they sat, the heavy, ancient doors opened for the third time. The guards entered and walked purposefully toward the seated guests. Two guards approached Qin Fei, passed him, and took the person sitting next to him.

“Do not touch me! How dare you treat me like this!” The person screamed but was still roughly taken away. In the struggle, a glass of wine on the table was knocked over, staining their elaborate outfit.

Of the dozen people who had sat down in the third group, only a few remained: Qin Fei and the person across from him.

The terminal was curious. “What was the standard for staying?”

Qin Fei’s gaze fixed on the whale-tail cufflink of the person opposite him. The flat end of the whale tail was dark red.

With Qin Fei’s permission, the terminal scanned the remaining NPCs. Without exception, everyone had a touch of dark red on them: a dark red whale-tail cufflink, a dark red agate bracelet, a dark red lining, or a dark red gown.

Or a dark red fan-shaped brooch.

The terminal said, “Oh.”

It was Qin Fei’s 2D character who had helped him stay.

But then, the terminal added, “While I do not know the meaning of the dark red color, I am curious about what your 2D character was thinking when he helped you stay.”

Qin Fei spread a napkin for himself. He wanted to know too.

After using the utensils briefly, Qin Fei wiped his lips. As the guards began taking more people away, he turned to the guard captain and asked, “I have finished my meal. May I leave?”

The guard captain nodded. “Thank you for attending the banquet. You are free to go.”

Qin Fei left the banquet hall smoothly. He was going to find the person who sent the brooch.

The terminal asked, “Are you not going to ask them where your 2D character is?”

Qin Fei was confident. “No need.”

He knew exactly where Sha Bei was.

Leaving the castle and following the path lined with marigolds, Qin Fei reached the beach he had visited during the day. He looked toward the shore, but other than the whistling wind, no one was there. He searched carefully and confirmed that he was the only person on the beach.

Qin Fei: “…”

The terminal: “…”

Qin Fei was not embarrassed. “I will just ask the butler.”