Chapter 57: Playing Games with the Roommate

Huan Xiao's roommates recently found out that she didn't have a part-time job.

Today, her good roommate Bei Bei decided to invite her out to play escape rooms.

Responding to the invitation, Huan Xiao arrived at an escape room parlor decorated in a terrifyingly dark theme. Bei Bei, dressed in a refreshing outfit, was already there.

How strange. This girl is always late for dates, yet she arrived so early today. There must be a catch!

Huan Xiao went straight to the point and asked:

"Bei Bei, why are you here so early today? This doesn't seem like you at all."

"Oh, you saw right through me. Actually, I just didn't want to sit at home and fume in anger by myself."

Bei Bei smiled sweetly, wearing the endearing look of a sweet next-door neighbor.

As she spoke, she handed her phone directly to Huan Xiao and said indignantly:

"Look at this yourself. That dead girl Bai He went wild on my Moments feed, making my comment section an absolute mess. Her stealing my lipstick last time is still not settled, and now she's pulling this stunt again. It's making me furious!"

Seeing her anger, Huan Xiao curiously took the phone and scrolled through that specific Moments post.

Given how furious it made Bei Bei, she wondered what heinous thing Bai He could possibly have done to provoke the wrath of both gods and men.

What came into view was a Moments post Bai He had made yesterday, showing off a few pretty clothes she was trying on without revealing her face. Huan Xiao had simply given it a like last night and didn't pay much attention.

Most of the early comments were asking for clothing links and praising Bei Bei for her great taste—until Huan Xiao spotted Bai He's usual profile picture and username.

[Yo, why are you suddenly starting to show off your figure today? Is Bei Bei planning to engage in female competition too?]

Following this comment, a string of malicious remarks appeared one after another.

[No wonder I felt something was off, turns out someone is trying to compete against other women (doge head).]

[Her figure is just alright, pretty average.]

[Doesn't Bei Bei have a boyfriend? Won't her boyfriend get mad if she posts photos like this?]

[Pretty, love to see it.]

[Bei Bei's boyfriend is so pitiful. Plus, posting this on Moments means the boys in our class will see it. This gives off a bit of a green tea vibe.]

Huan Xiao: ......

Poor Bei Bei, she was being targeted by Bai He.

Several classmates who were close to Bai He were leading others in the comment section to condemn Bei Bei, while Bei Bei's friends were trading insults with them in the replies. It truly looked like an absolute mess.

"Bai He is going a bit too far. Didn't she apologize to you for what happened last time?"

Huan Xiao handed the phone back to Bei Bei.

Bei Bei, who had been hounded relentlessly by Bai He over the lipstick incident, shook her head with a melancholic sigh and said:

"I genuinely never expected her to be so shameless. She does something wrong and yet acts as if she's suffered the greatest grievance in the world. Just the thought of having to share a dorm with her in the future gives me chest pains... That's why I wanted to ask you to come play an escape room with me to blow off some steam."

Remembering what happened yesterday, Bei Bei pouted and continued:

"You're the only friend I have left who isn't afraid of ghosts. The moment I mentioned escape rooms, that bunch of ungrateful cowards all vanished into thin air."

She put on a theatrical act of wiping non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes, saying with frail helplessness:

"I only have you left. Xiao Xiao, you mustn't abandon me!"

"No problem, I'll keep you company today."

Since she was already here, Huan Xiao planned to spend the whole day accompanying Bei Bei for some proper fun.

Seeing Huan Xiao agree, Bei Bei's face instantly blossomed into a smile as she said:

"Xiao Xiao, you really are my best treasure! Come on, let's go right now. Bai He was mocking me on my Moments last night for having no one to accompany me to this place. I'm going to take a photo and post it on Moments later just to piss her off!"

To prepare for today, Bei Bei had specifically posted at 11:30 last night saying she wanted to visit this escape room parlor, but her friends in the comment section all said they didn't dare to go.

Within minutes, Bai He had left passive-aggressive remarks on Bei Bei's post, claiming that Bei Bei's friends were all fake, superficial friends. She even bragged that she was planning to visit this exact place with her friends the next day, and would take pictures to show their classmates.

Huan Xiao was left speechless. How could such intense, microscopic attention not be considered a form of love?

"But what if they happen to come to this place today and we run into them?" Huan Xiao asked with concern.

Bei Bei and Bai He would definitely start fighting if they got together, especially since Bai He loved to go against Bei Bei at every turn. She hoped a good holiday wouldn't be ruined by arguments.

Bei Bei waved her hand dismissively, not caring in the least:

"Relax, they won't show up early in the morning. Right now, they're probably still sleeping in bed."

"True, then I can rest easy."

Huan Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. Bai He was indeed fond of sleeping in.

As soon as they stepped into the escape room parlor, Huan Xiao felt a pleasant, chilling coolness wash over her.

She asked Bei Bei in puzzlement:

"Is the air conditioning in this place set a bit too cold?"

"It does feel a bit chilly. If I'd known they kept the AC set this low, I would've brought a jacket."

Shivering slightly upon entering, Bei Bei rubbed her arms and instinctively moved closer to Huan Xiao out of fear.

The shop was furnished with numerous mirrors, their multiple surfaces reflecting countless iterations of Huan Xiao and Bei Bei.

It felt as though someone was staring right at them from the side, yet when they turned to look, they only found their own reflections in the mirrors. The sensation was exceedingly subtle; staring at it for too long made one feel that the person in the mirror was no longer oneself, but a familiar stranger.

The name of the shop was: The Person in the Mirror.

Huan Xiao found the parlor's decor quite intriguing, guessing that this must be a mirror-themed escape room.

This newly opened shop was the first visit for both her and Bei Bei.

"Welcome, guests. The game requires at least three players. Do the two of you mind sharing a group with others?"

Greeting them was a young staff member in a work uniform. A smile hung on her face, but her eyes were vacant, as if her mind was wandering elsewhere.

"We don't mind, we actually prefer having more people."

Bei Bei grabbed Huan Xiao's arm, seemingly intimidated by the sheer number of mirrors.

Hearing this, the staff member smiled and said:

"That's great. We already have two other players waiting. If there are no issues, we can start the game right now."

To everyone's surprise, the moment the staff member finished speaking, a shrill, haughty voice rang out from ahead.

"What bad luck, running into Bei Bei of all people."

Huan Xiao looked closely and saw Bai He along with her friends.

What a coincidence—how did they end up here? Bai He was the type of person on holidays who wouldn't get out of bed before ten o'clock. Did the sun rise from the west today?

"We don't want to play games with them, how about..."

Before Huan Xiao could finish her sentence, her words were abruptly cut off.