Chapter 8: Hailing a Cab

Zhang Xibai stayed silent the whole way, only speaking when necessary.

Gu Liuguang felt bored sitting in the car. She pulled out her phone and logged into Weibo. Lin Shixia still hadn’t replied to her private message.

The System seemed afraid she would fall for Lin Shixia: 【See? I told you—if it weren’t for the plot, Lin Shixia would never fall for an utterly ordinary person like you.】

Gu Liuguang wasn’t happy: 【You talk too much.】

Zhang Xibai: “Replying to your partner?”

Gu Liuguang let out a cold huff and gripped her phone tightly: “Yeah, she’s giving me the cold shoulder!”

Zhang Xibai’s face darkened. Soon, she perked up again and glanced at Gu Liuguang: “Why keep someone like that around? You should just break up.”

Gu Liuguang calmed down. She nodded in agreement, her tone carrying a hint of smugness: “I’ll break up with her in a bit.”

Zhang Xibai asked casually: “Why wait a bit?”

Gu Liuguang snapped back to attention. She observed Zhang Xibai through the rearview mirror and suddenly remembered that Zhang Xibai and Lin Shixia were friends. According to the Original Plot, Gu Liuguang had a single persona before dating Lin Shixia, and her broadcast debut was coming up soon.

She let out two awkward laughs: “You’re right. I’ll break up with her right now.”

She pretended to scroll through her QQ group for a bit and replied to Lin Zhenshuang’s message along the way.

【Gu Liuguang: I’m gonna slaughter her, fleece her for a good sum.】

【Lin Zhenshuang: ……】

【Lin Zhenshuang: Why does Baby want to reward her?】

【Gu Liuguang: ? Lin Zhenshuang, did you send that to the wrong chat?】

【Gu Liuguang: How many Babies do you even have?】

【Lin Zhenshuang: Only one—you. Your colleague must like you, that’s why she’s treating you to dinner.】

【Lin Zhenshuang: Baby, don’t go eat with her.】

Was that for real?

Gu Liuguang eyed Zhang Xibai suspiciously, but all she saw was a toxic vibe. She figured Lin Zhenshuang was overthinking it.

Zhang Xibai: “Did you break up?”

Gu Liuguang nodded dazedly: “Yeah.”

Zhang Xibai: “Was your ex male or female?”

Lin Zhenshuang’s words flashed through Gu Liuguang’s mind again. She hesitated slightly: “Female.”

Zhang Xibai let out a breath: “We’re here.”

Gu Liuguang followed behind Zhang Xibai. The club manager treated Teacher Zhang with utmost respect and led them all the way to the VVIP private room.

Compared to her last visit, the service attitude was downright fawning.

Gu Liuguang asked Zhang Xibai in confusion: “Do you own this place?”

She’d only meant to ask why the staff treated Zhang Xibai so specially.

Zhang Xibai: “Mm.”

Gu Liuguang: ……

……

After dinner, Zhang Xibai wanted to invite her shopping, but Gu Liuguang felt too tired and turned her down. Zhang Xibai offered to drive her home instead, so Gu Liuguang agreed.

Zhang Xibai: “Do you live alone?”

Gu Liuguang grew alert: “What’s it to you?”

Zhang Xibai’s tone stayed normal: “I thought you were living with your ex.”

Gu Liuguang didn’t answer. She mulled over Zhang Xibai’s words and pinged the System: 【Does Zhang Xibai actually like me?】

The System shot back without thinking: 【Impossible. She likes Lin Shixia.】

Gu Liuguang dimly felt the System was right: 【Then why is she treating me like this?】

System: 【Maybe because of those toxic things you said to her during dance practice. She’s apologizing after the fact?】

The more they talked, the more it made sense. The System continued: 【The Original Plot doesn’t detail your dancing skills, but since it caught Lin Shixia’s eye, they must’ve been outstanding. The host just isn’t good at it, which is why Zhang Xibai targeted you.】

That explanation made a lot more sense.

Gu Liuguang: 【And since I haven’t started targeting her yet, she’s being nice to apologize?】

System: 【Probably.】

Having sorted out the logic behind Zhang Xibai’s behavior, both host and System let out a long breath.

Zhang Xibai’s tone turned cold: “So that’s a yes?”

Gu Liuguang was almost home by now, and she didn’t need to practice dancing anymore. With Zhang Xibai’s tone turning sour, her own followed suit: “None of your business.”

Zhang Xibai slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the side of the road. The streetlights were dim, and the look she shot over was like a beast in the night, inexplicably frightening Gu Liuguang.

Zhang Xibai was very beautiful—beautiful enough that plenty of people at the company thought she was a signed streamer. Even without makeup, her stunning looks shone through. But her beauty was distant and aloof. She spoke in a cold tone, didn’t chat much with others, and only discussed work-related matters.

She only ever talked more when it involved Gu Liuguang.

Gu Liuguang wasn’t great at dancing, so she felt a bit intimidated being alone with Zhang Xibai. But after a few hours together, she realized that aside from being quiet and sharp-tongued, Zhang Xibai wasn’t that scary.

That was why, when Zhang Xibai suddenly leaned in close, it startled her—especially since Gu Liuguang vividly recalled what the System had said: Zhang Xibai had trained in martial arts since childhood and would later get involved in violent competitions. Clearly, she had some obsessive tendencies.

Gu Liuguang shrank back toward the car door. She tugged at it but couldn’t open it, so she turned around and gazed pitifully at Zhang Xibai, answering her earlier question in a nervous stammer: “I’ve never lived with anyone.”

Zhang Xibai paused. She noticed the fear in Gu Liuguang’s eyes, sat back down, and drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. “Are you that scared of me?”

Gu Liuguang didn’t dare speak.

Zhang Xibai’s expression remained neutral, her beauty like a distant snow peak blanketed in ice—cold and piercing even from afar. Her skin was fair, and most of her figure melted into the shadows, making her seem even more mysterious and noble.

Zhang Xibai smiled faintly, like a crack opening in an ancient glacier, letting in a breath of spring breeze that turned it tender and lingering.

She reached out to Gu Liuguang, stroking her cheek affectionately with the back of her hand in a somewhat indecent way before flipping her grip to pinch Gu Liuguang’s face.

“I wouldn’t do anything to you.”

Gu Liuguang clutched her seatbelt tightly and wailed to the System: 【She knows martial arts—if she snaps, she’ll beat me up. Broken bones would be the least of it! I never want to be alone with her again! I want a new teacher!】

The System comforted her: 【It’s fine, it’s fine. Just hold on a little longer—once the broadcast starts and Lin Shixia shows up, it’ll be good.】

【Worst case, we skip Zhang Xibai’s side quest and forfeit the points.】

Gu Liuguang felt a bit better.

Luckily, Zhang Xibai only said that much in the end and still drove her home.

The moment Gu Liuguang got out of the car, she bolted home, her heart still pounding. She told the System: 【I swear, Zhang Xibai really wanted to kill me just now!】

System: 【This world has laws.】

Gu Liuguang kicked off her shoes and rushed to the bathroom. She turned on the hot water and scrubbed at the cheek Zhang Xibai had touched. It felt numb and tingly, like the sensation still lingered.

【They lock you up after the killing’s done. Can I respawn?】

System: 【She’s not that far gone.】

Gu Liuguang scrubbed her cheek bright red. If not for the System talking her down, it would’ve swollen up. In the end, she borrowed some repair items from the System on credit and finally crawled back into bed.

She couldn’t sleep right away. The System noticed her bad mood and suggested she take a bath first.

Sure enough, after soaking in the tub, Gu Liuguang felt much better. Plus, Lin Zhenshuang said she’d have someone deliver ice cream over.

Lin Zhenshuang asked if she wanted to play games. Gu Liuguang remembered she’d already hit fifty stars and gotten the emblem, leaving her feeling a bit empty and unmotivated, so she declined.

The System mentioned that Tian Dao had updated another episode today since the hype had broken twenty thousand.

Gu Liuguang perked up and started bingeing. She logged into Weibo on the side to check if Lin Shixia had replied—nothing, so she set her phone aside.

The ice cream arrived quickly. Gu Liuguang ate it while watching the show.

The newly updated episodes had major developments. Lin Shixia’s character came alive even more due to the plot progression. She was incredibly likable—even Gu Liuguang, who knew Yao Xia’s future arc, couldn’t help feeling a bit of maternal affection for her.

After the two episodes, Gu Liuguang spent points to restore twenty photos. She posted ten to the Super Topic first, saving the rest for tomorrow.

After posting, she messaged Lin Shixia again. It wasn’t as heartfelt as last time, but it didn’t show.

【Little Light: Sis hitting new beauty heights~ [spin]】

With a straight face, Gu Liuguang sent the message and logged off at light speed.

Probably because Zhang Xibai had scared her that day, Gu Liuguang went to bed early.

……

Over the next few days, Gu Liuguang stayed highly focused and worked hard to keep up with the group’s dance practice.

Truth be told, once she got the hang of it, the moves weren’t that hard. Even if Gu Liuguang wasn’t skilled, she could manage a rough version. She was terrified of being left alone with Zhang Xibai again, so she put in maximum effort every time—though the results were meh.

Whenever Zhang Xibai called her out, Gu Liuguang begged other colleagues to stay with her.

No one could resist her beauty bomb, especially since she brought little gifts the next day.

With the broadcast not started yet and everyone having quit their day jobs after onboarding, they had nothing better to do at home anyway.

Gu Liuguang was super popular in the work team group chat. She didn’t reply much, but being pretty came with perks—no one could say no when she asked.

Zhang Xibai saw Gu Liuguang roping others into staying but said nothing. Once the moves were solid, she let everyone off. But no matter how she tried to invite her to dinner afterward, Gu Liuguang always found excuses to decline.

That day, Gu Liuguang finally got off work. Her colleague who went to the bathroom with her chatted by the sinks as they wiped their faces in the mirror.

The colleague said: “I feel like Teacher Zhang likes you.”

Gu Liuguang was immune to that line by now. She pulled out a tissue to wipe her face, replying absentmindedly: “No way.”

The colleague glanced at Gu Liuguang’s face in the mirror and smiled: “You don’t believe it?”

Before Gu Liuguang could respond, the colleague nudged her shoulder: “Has she chatted you up privately or given you stuff?”

They had chatted privately, but Gu Liuguang had zero desire to talk to Zhang Xibai: “Yeah, but just treated me to dinner… She’s the one who’s been messing with me.”

The colleague looked enlightened: “Haven’t you noticed? You’re already dancing about as well as Xiao Mei, but Teacher Zhang still keeps you behind every time. Why do you think that is?”

Gu Liuguang second-guessed herself at those words. She racked her brain, then hesitated: “If you liked someone, would you make them stay late for overtime?”

The colleague burst out laughing: “Can’t put it that way… But you’re right. I wouldn’t fall for someone who makes me work overtime every day anyway.”

Gu Liuguang parted ways with her colleague.

Over the past few days, she’d learned to hail her own cab. She called one on her phone and took the elevator down leisurely.

She stood at the company entrance for a bit. A car pulled up slowly in front of Gu Liuguang and stopped. She checked the license plate, opened the door, plopped into the back seat, and gave her phone’s last digits as the address.

Once done, she instinctively glanced forward—then froze, yanking her gaze away and pretending she hadn’t seen a thing.

“What’s wrong? Weird for a dance teacher to drive a cab?” Zhang Xibai said, her ice queen beauty face on full display.