Just two minutes ago, Chen Junnan had passed by this room labeled “Si.”
After entering and confirming that no one was around, he was just thinking about how to charge into the opponent’s “preparation zone” when something utterly unexpected happened.
The “door” in the room opened on its own.
A person wearing a tattered snake-head mask peeked out, and within seconds, his gaze locked with Chen Junnan’s.
Chen Junnan only remembered Qi Xia telling him to cross the river and then inspect the contents of the room by opening the door in violation of the rules—but he never imagined the “door” would open by itself.
On second thought, maybe he had misunderstood. The other side of the “door” was also occupied by living people—why couldn’t they open it from inside?
Still, it seemed like his life had always been tangled up with “snakes.” He wondered what kind of temperament this snake in front of him had.
The Snake stared at Chen Junnan for a moment before blinking.
“Looks familiar, huh?” Chen Junnan asked.
“Familiar.”
“Is it possible we’ve met before?”
“Possible.”
The Snake nodded, then glanced around. “This setup looks oddly official—what are we playing?”
Chen Junnan was momentarily speechless.
The referee of the game was asking a participant, *”What are we playing?”* Should he know the answer or not?
Did this game even require explaining the rules to the referee?
“Probably some word game made up by an illiterate brat,” Chen Junnan said.
“Word game?” The Snake looked around the empty room, confused.
“Something like that. Or maybe he *can* read but pretends he can’t.”
“That sounds fun,” the Snake remarked.
“Wait—” Chen Junnan was getting lost in the conversation. “Snake Bro, fun aside, did you just wake up from hibernation and come out looking for food? Why’d you open the door?”
“Food? Nah, ate a guy before coming here—pretty full.” The Snake tilted his head. “What about you? Just you?”
“Me? Nah, got like ten thousand people behind me,” Chen Junnan replied.
After a brief exchange, it became clear neither of them was telling the truth.
The Snake wasn’t in a hurry, but Chen Junnan was.
The Snake could stick his head out and chat all day, but if Chen Junnan kept talking, he was done for.
Xu Liunian had already lost her “character,” so she must be rushing back to the “preparation zone.” He had to intercept her before that, or this “Heart Piercer” plan would fail.
He needed to impersonate Xu Liunian immediately.
Appearance and personality weren’t the main issue—but with a “bag” and “cloth” on him, he looked like a street vendor selling women’s clothes. How could he fool anyone?
Should he really put the “character” in his mouth? But it looked filthy…
Then, inspiration struck.
If he couldn’t put it in *his* mouth, why not someone else’s?
“Snake Bro, mind doing me a favor?” Chen Junnan asked.
“Not a good idea,” the Snake replied. “I was planning to eat you. If we make a deal, how’s that gonna work?”
“Come on, don’t push it,” Chen Junnan said. “Help me out, and I’ll hear your demands.”
The Snake’s eyes flickered slightly behind the mask—Chen Junnan couldn’t read his expression.
“I have a demand now,” the Snake said.
“Wow, you’re a haggling expert too.” Chen Junnan kept his composure, though sweat was already forming on his palms. “What’s your demand?”
“Is that Qi Xia guy with you?” the Snake asked.
“Your memory’s slipping, old-timer,” Chen Junnan said. “Weren’t you the one who opened the door for us back then?”
“I need to see him.” The Snake’s voice was firm. “I’ll wait for him inside this ‘door.’ Tell him to come find me.”
Chen Junnan blinked, momentarily stunned. “Uh… I’m kinda pressed for time right now, so I can’t explain the game rules in detail, but Qi Xia entering your room is… tricky. How about another condition? Or after the game, you pick a spot, and I’ll bring Old Qi to you. The three of us can catch up over drinks.”
“Just this one condition. I have my reasons—I’m not lying to you.” The Snake’s tone was unyielding. “Now, what’s *your* request?”
“I… need you to hold onto my ‘character’ for a bit.”
“‘Character’?”
Chen Junnan nodded. “It’s the ‘chip’ for this game. Due to special circumstances, I need to transfer it out temporarily.”
“Give it to me,” the Snake said without hesitation.
“Snake Bro, don’t mess around—I’m in a hurry!” Chen Junnan protested.
“So am I.” The Snake’s voice was calm but urgent. “I don’t have a game venue. Once this round ends, I won’t see him again—this is my only chance.”
“No venue?” Chen Junnan paused, then remembered—this guy was probably the “Zodiac” in charge of opening doors.
“Your ‘character’ is useless to me, but I need your help,” the Snake said, his gaze intense. “There’s something *critical* I must confirm with Qi Xia.”
Chen Junnan hesitated. “Don’t you see Old Qi every cycle…?”
“Things have changed. I might not last until the next cycle.” The Snake extended a hand. “Give me the ‘character.'”
As Chen Junnan wavered, the doorknob suddenly twisted. Without another thought, he yanked the two “characters” from his pocket and shoved them at the Snake.
“Snake Bro, I’ll trust you this once. If I’m not back in five minutes, destroy these ‘characters.’ Pretend we never met.”
The Snake nodded. “Got it.”
The door closed, leaving Chen Junnan standing there—now without his “characters.” He knew this was risky, but when had he *not* taken risks?
The door behind him creaked open. After a silent prayer, he turned to see Zhao Yisheng and Kim Wonshik walking in.
If *either* of them had come alone, his plan would’ve failed—but fate had them arrive together.
Before he could speak, the door on the left swung open, and another Chen Junnan stepped in.
*What’s this called?* He smirked. *Destiny arrives when it must. The boat straightens itself at the bridge.*
Everything was a mess—yet somehow, it all fit.
“Just my style.”
Then, Chen Junnan started yelling at *Chen Junnan.*
He accused *Chen Junnan* of impersonating *Chen Junnan,* calling him bold for daring to pretend to be *Chen Junnan.* He challenged him to drop the act and prove who the *real* Chen Junnan was.
The other Chen Junnan looked baffled, insisting he *wasn’t* Chen Junnan.
Chen Junnan stifled a laugh, insisting he *was.*
It was like the tongue-twister: *From the south came Chen Junnan, from the north came Xu Liunian.*
The Chen Junnan disguised as Xu Liunian claimed he *wasn’t* Chen Junnan, while the Xu Liunian disguised as Chen Jannan insisted he *was.*
Who could tell if Chen Junnan had become Xu Liunian or Xu Liunian had become Chen Junnan?
Chen Junnan mentally recited the nonsense he’d just concocted, accidentally slipping in a few *”damn its”* and *”this master’s”* along the way. Luckily, everyone was too confused to notice, so he quickly muddled through, blaming the other guy.
The situation deadlocked—until the real Xu Liunian proposed a solution.
Chen Junnan didn’t care either way. If they couldn’t figure it out, he’d stall Xu Liunian to death. If they did, he’d grab a “character.”
*One way or another, the road appears when you reach the mountain.*
Too bad Xu Liunian was so dull—no one appreciated his freshly invented tongue-twister.
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