Players, Please Board the Train

Guests who received invitations would have their entry positions arranged in advance. Stellar Corporation Hotel was hosting this banquet, with flight devices entering from different floors and being automatically directed to designated management areas, so even with vehicles shuttling around the building, it wasn’t particularly crowded.

After Xu Huo and Yan Jiayu entered, they first went to greet the Duchess.

The Duchess hadn’t met Yan Jiayu before, but she knew Xu Huo would be bringing a female companion. She gave her a subtle once-over and praised, ”What a lovely young lady.”

Yan Jiayu was young to begin with and looked even younger than her age. Even dressed up, she still carried a hint of childishness.

”She’s also a player.” Xu Huo smiled.

The Duchess dropped her dismissive air. ”So she’s your friend. This is your first time in District 011, isn’t it, dear? Let me introduce you to some people your age, so the banquet won’t be too boring.”

The two followed behind the Duchess and met several of her acquaintances, nobles and noble wives alike.

This was all standard procedure. Before long, Xu Huo spotted Bai Kou entering amidst a crowd of admirers.

Unlike at the ancient castle, her brows and eyes now radiated brilliance. She looked especially dazzling, yet reserved and gentle, attracting quite a few young noble sons.

Even though everything she said was the usual New Wheel Church nonsense, plenty of people were willing to play along.She’d changed her face again.

Watching her approach, Xu Huo felt a bit of annoyance. He said a quick word to Yan Jiayu and used the bathroom as an excuse to leave the banquet hall.

Seeing him leave, Bai Kou smiled and sat down in the rest area in the corner, half-heartedly promoting the New Wheel Church.

The Duchess introduced Yan Jiayu to several young nobles. Upon learning she’d come with a baron, two or three of them showed some interest.

”What would Miss Yan like to drink? Let me get it for you.” A young man with curly hair walked over, and the others backed away.

”This is Count Cag Hellert.” The Duchess introduced them. ”One of the outstanding figures of the younger generation.”

”Lady Lily flatters me.” Cag took the initiative to fetch a glass of fruit wine for Yan Jiayu.

Yan Jiayu took it, and their fingers brushed. When she looked up and fixed her eyes on him, Cag Hellert politely apologized, adding that he would definitely make amends after the banquet ended, then was called away by someone else.

”Cag is a noble with a bright future.” Lady Lily fiddled with the fan Xu Huo had gifted her. ”With him, you’d never have to worry about items or potions.”

Yan Jiayu took a sip of her wine. ”Thank you for your kindness, but I have no plans to get married for now.”

Lady Lily paused. ”Are you really that dense, or are you pretending to be?”

Yan Jiayu looked at her in confusion. ”Weren’t you trying to set me up with someone? Do people here have to get married just because they’re set up on a date?”

Feeling insulted, Lady Lily left her behind and walked away.

Yan Jiayu went to the food area on her own, picking up a plate and choosing dishes she liked. Just then, a blonde woman stormed up to her. ”I’m Cag’s fiancée!”

Yan Jiayu stuffed a meat pie into her mouth. ”Oh.”

The blonde woman glared at her furiously. ”Why were you talking to him just now?!”

”I don’t know him. He came to talk to me.” Yan Jiayu defended herself, then added, ”And I don’t know you either. Why don’t you go ask him?”

”You dare to provoke me?! I’m his fiancée!” The blonde woman trembled all over, then took two quick steps forward to shove her.

She wasn’t a player, so Yan Jiayu just stood there and let her push. But feeling she’d lost face, the blonde woman suddenly grabbed a fistful of her hair!

Yan Jiayu hastily set down her plate and leaned back with the momentum, but her wig was still yanked off, revealing messy short hair underneath. The blonde woman was stunned speechless.

With pity in her eyes, she returned the wig. ”I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know you were like this...”

Yan Jiayu gave a bright, easygoing laugh. She was about to say something when Cag Hellert walked over, scolded the blonde woman with a look of impatience, and then apologized to Yan Jiayu warmly.

Yan Jiayu didn’t care at all. She deftly put the wig back on and told them they could go do whatever they needed to do.

Quite a few gazes in the banquet hall were fixed on them. Cag Hellert’s expression darkened as he led his fiancée away.

Seeing more people heading her way, Yan Jiayu decided to take her plate and leave first. As she turned, she brushed past a man with long hair. Staring at those locks, she muttered, ”Looks so slippery. No way you could get a grip on that in a fight...”

Xu Huo walked over and heard her muttering to herself. He said, ”Let’s go sit in the rest area. The medal ceremony is about to start.”

Yan Jiayu cast one more glance at the long-haired man before leaving.

The main characters of this banquet had moved to the front. Nobles like Xu Huo, government personnel like Ran Ying, and outsiders like Bai Kou were all standing at the periphery.

The victors of the faction struggle, Ahsis Vilner and the others, had already had their noble ranks elevated long ago. What was being handed out now were medals and rewards. The reward contents were publicly announced, mostly coveted high-grade items that made people’s eyes turn red, along with two arranged marriages.

Next came everyone’s favorite segment, the socializing. The music had just started when Cag Hellert, whose marriage had just been publicly announced, came over to invite Yan Jiayu to dance.

Yan Jiayu touched her hair. ”Find someone else.”

Cag Hellert’s tone turned suggestive. ”No one will disturb us.”

The implication was practically explicit, but Yan Jiayu simply didn’t take the bait. Instead, she said something completely unrelated. ”I want to touch your hair.”

Long hair was beautiful. Everyone preferred flowing, sweeping locks, men included. Cag Hellert withdrew his hand. ”Are you humiliating me?”

Yan Jiayu was genuinely surprised. ”I didn’t expect people from District 011 to be so direct... Actually, I was thinking earlier, you already have a fiancée and still came to ask me to dance. Isn’t that you humiliating me?”

Cag Hellert let out a cold laugh. Instead of saying anything to her, he glanced at Xu Huo.

Before Xu Huo could speak, Yan Jiayu said, ”What are you looking at him for? Want to fight? If you want to fight, I’m game!”

She was brimming with fighting spirit, but Cag Hellert ignored her and turned away.

Lady Lily hurried over, urging them to leave quickly. But unexpectedly, at that moment, someone in the center of the dance floor suddenly burst out laughing. First one, then two, then three. Within a few short seconds, at least a quarter of the banquet guests were convulsed with uncontrollable laughter.

Players retreated to the edge of the venue at the first moment. The security players in charge of safety rushed forward with instruments, but no sooner had they activated their devices than they exploded one after another. After the smoke and dust scattered, the laughing guests were already half-collapsed on the ground, tears and snot streaming down their faces. In the middle of them, a blonde man in a black suit had appeared out of nowhere. His eyes were closed, a white flower pinned to his chest, his expression one of profound grief.