Chapter 20: Transfer

【System, why is the photo still there?】

Gu Liuguang felt very ashamed. Her eyelashes trembled, her stunning face flushed red as if dripping blood, and her slender fingers shook so much they could barely hold the tablet.

The WeChat messages on her phone and tablet were synced. She had deleted the chat content on her phone, but it remained on the tablet. When she tapped into WeChat and saw the mistakenly sent photo still there, she nearly fainted.

System: 【I wanted to tell you earlier, you tapped “delete”…】

Her fox-like eyes blinked. She tapped the screen with her finger, then quickly pulled back, utterly helpless: 【What do I do now?】

【Zhang Xibai: Declining the call. Are you video chatting with someone else?】

【Zhang Xibai: Pick up voice chat. I have something to tell you.】

Messages poured in one after another. Gu Liuguang could hardly keep up. When Zhang Xibai sent a voice message, Gu Liuguang rejected it without thinking.

The heat on her face refused to fade, spreading until her whole body burned. Strands of hair clung to her sweaty neck and shoulders. Annoyed and embarrassed, she yelled at the System: 【Help me think of something!】

System: 【Host, don’t panic. Just stay in character. Tell the truth—she’s not even anyone to you.】

Gu Liuguang truly lacked experience. Getting caught doing something so outrageous made her feel guilty. Only after the System spoke did she snap out of it. She pressed the back of her hand to her cheek to cool down, then gradually calmed. Her soft lips curved up slightly, her damp eyes glimmered with a hint of amusement, and she spoke softly, almost coquettishly:

【You’re amazing. You really know your stuff.】

System: ……

The host’s indiscriminate charm was truly troubling the System. Even now, it felt its data streams overheating.

Gu Liuguang prepared to message Zhang Xibai as the System suggested. She typed a few words in the input box, then suddenly thought of something and deleted them to revise.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xibai kept sending messages and voice prompts. But when she saw Gu Liuguang “typing…”, she stopped and waited.

【Little Light: Take me to meet Lin Shixia, and I’ll tell you what’s up with the photo.】

Gu Liuguang thought she was a genius. Lin Shixia was the child of destiny and would eventually explode in popularity across the internet. Her ending was supposed to be covered in awards. With two protagonists—one a film empress, the other a trending little flower—Lin Shixia would complete her “being hurt” plot before they even met.

The System couldn’t provide an exact timeline, and Gu Liuguang couldn’t rely entirely on the plot. She had to come up with her own plan. Just like Zhang Xibai’s sudden character shift, it was better to take fate into her own hands.

Even the System couldn’t help praising her: 【Host, you’re brilliant. This guarantees you’ll meet Lin Shixia.】

【Zhang Xibai: I don’t know Lin Shixia.】

Gu Liuguang’s eyes widened. The tablet synced WeChat messages continuously. She scrolled up and quoted: 【Isn’t this a photo of you and Lin Shixia?】

At the same time, she couldn’t help complaining to the System: 【She clearly knows Lin Shixia. Why is she suddenly denying it?】

Good thing she thought to ask Zhang Xibai first. Otherwise, waiting for her to invite Lin Shixia to the livestream room could take forever—the plot might fail without her even noticing.

The System reassured her: 【Deviations in the plot would trigger a warning. No messages yet means it’s still on track. Plus, the Main System says the Zhang Xibai side quest can be dropped.】

【Zhang Xibai: Photoshopped.】

Gu Liuguang stared at Zhang Xibai’s reply for a moment. Her coworkers often mentioned photoshopping, so she assumed it meant their faces had been edited together.

【Zhang Xibai: If you like it, I can photoshop you with me.】

【Zhang Xibai: [photo.jpg][photo.jpg]】

Zhang Xibai sent messages so quickly that by the time Gu Liuguang made out the photos, she froze. Then her fair face flushed red again. She couldn’t hold back and cried out: “Is Zhang Xibai a pervert?!”

Still unsatisfied, she grabbed her phone and sent Zhang Xibai a voice message.

“Zhang Xibai, are you a pervert?”

“Aren’t you ashamed?”

“Shameless! Disgusting!”

Even after cursing, she wasn’t relieved and couldn’t think of more to say. Gu Liuguang’s fingers flew across the screen as she deleted and blocked her. Only then did she finally catch her breath.

Those two photos lingered even when she closed her eyes. Photoshopping could be done like that?

Zhang Xibai had photoshopped her with herself. In one, they lay on the same bed, Zhang Xibai’s hand seemingly reaching toward her chest. The sofa one was even worse—she’d been edited sitting in Zhang Xibai’s lap!

Gu Liuguang: 【Can I call the cops and have her arrested?】

Strictly speaking, the two photos were crudely photoshopped, with visible cutout edges—clearly just to tease Gu Liuguang. Now furious, she didn’t want more involvement with Zhang Xibai, so the System stayed silent instead of pointing it out.

Once her anger subsided, Gu Liuguang lost interest in drama-chasing. Just then, the fan group admin messaged her: Lin Shixia was heading to C City for a brand event and asked if she wanted to go.

Fans usually made support items like banners and hand signs. Gu Liuguang needed to prepare some too. The admin had discussed it before—non-profit materials to distribute at the event.

Gu Liuguang: 【I’ll go offline to meet Lin Shixia. Will that advance the plot?】

The System wasn’t sure: 【As long as you meet and then split up, it should be fine.】

Gu Liuguang took a deep breath. Two birds with one stone was safer. Lin Shixia wasn’t coming to the livestream, so she’d connect offline. Plus, the admin had scored her an inner-field ticket for a close-up view. Scalper prices were already at eight hundred.

She replied to the admin that she’d go. The admin said okay and sent a bill detailing expenses.

【Liangkuai Yixia: The money you transferred last time is gone. This includes the ticket—I’m short two thousand, so I covered it. Just transfer it to me.】

Gu Liuguang replied okay, pulled up Liangkuai Yixia’s WeChat, tapped transfer, entered her password—and got “insufficient balance.”

Unsure, she tried again. Still insufficient.

“Where’s my money?”

With the System’s guidance, she checked the bill and realized Lin Zhenshuang’s transfer had been spent without her noticing.

Gu Liuguang grew anxious, tears welling up. What now? Payday was next month, she owed money, and the admin had already bought the ticket…

【fox: Transferring 5200 (note: voluntary gift)】

【fox: Missed your message earlier ’cause I was busy. Is Little Light mad? Get some food with this [little fox tilting head.jpg]】

【fox: The photos look great. One for wallpaper, one for lock screen.】

【fox: [screenshot.jpg][screenshot.jpg]】