I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 107

Chapter 107: Money is Not Everything, but Everything Needs Money

 

Bathed in the brilliant starlight of Shenzhen City, the café witnessed the closing of its transparent door as I hung a “Closed” sign outside. The once brightly lit first floor, now adorned with stylish “candlelight dinner” art lamps, combined with the night view of the Shenzhen River and streetlights outside the windows, exuded an exceptionally beautiful atmosphere.

 

Chef Wang, in charge of the kitchen, skillfully prepared several dishes in one go—boiled large prawns, garlic spinach, preserved vegetable pork, pineapple sweet and sour pork, cola chicken wings, and more. In consideration of a few girls, he also made a serving of Malaysian steamed cake and the traditional delicacy of the grand hotel, red sugar mantou. Paired with white fungus soup and a few servings of watermelon slices, they were placed on the largest table on the first floor, presenting a feast for the senses.

 

The aroma of the prawns even attracted a few picky little cats, meowing incessantly around the dining table.

 

“Young people these days, they won’t eat until it’s bedtime…”

 

As he placed the sliced watermelon and corn juice on the table, Chef Wang sighed, saying, “Unlike our time, get off work at 5:30, buy groceries by 6:00, and by the time we got home, the family of three or five could cook together. We’d finish dinner before 7:00 and still have time to watch the news for thirty minutes.”

 

After these two days of interaction and having eaten Chef Wang’s meals several times, I now realize that Ouyang Xue’s statement, “He is the top chef we poached from the grand hotel,” was not a joke.

 

Although the customers at the Cat Cafe have mostly ordered fast food such as fried chicken, steamed chicken, hamburgers, and egg tarts during this period, the kitchen has gradually expanded its offerings beyond the “fast-cooked fast food” category, and each dish is a delicacy.

 

In the fast food category, the cafe specializes in “group meal packages,” similar to the hotel’s style. While they do have regular dishes like “two meats and two vegetables,” most are pre-coordinated combinations. For example, scrambled egg beef with blanched vegetables, pineapple duck with lemon duck paired with minced eggplant, etc. These are usually ordered by individual customers who don’t like fried or fast food. However, since most visitors to the cafe are couples or families of three, if they don’t fancy fried chicken, the staff recommends ordering according to the hotel’s rules.

 

For instance, a family of three could order yam braised pork and scrambled egg beef as main courses, sweet potato leaf and hollow heart vegetable as vegetables, and for the child, maybe add some cola chicken wings or pancakes. They can also add rice for free, and the total cost won’t exceed one hundred yuan.

 

I’m not very knowledgeable about the culinary arts, but I consider myself a bit of a “foodie.” When it comes to eating, I can discern quite a bit, and Chef Wang’s culinary skills are on a completely different level compared to street-side fast food.

 

“Indeed.”

 

After all the dishes were served, Ouyang Xue, who had just awakened from a nap on the small bed in the staff lounge, sat across from me with slightly disheveled hair, picking up a slice of watermelon. “When I was a child, I used to finish dinner around this time almost every day. After graduating and entering the workforce, being able to eat dinner before 8 o’clock was already a blessing.”

 

“Hahaha, times have changed, haven’t they? In the past, houses in our county were casually built, and you could get a two-story villa for tens of thousands of yuan. Even a unit house was only five or six thousand. Now, you can’t even get a commodity house in a big city for less than a few million. The strangest thing is that even though everyone works harder than before, dinner is later than before, and yet life seems more tiring than before…”

 

Chef Wang pushed the cola chicken wings in front of me, Yin Xiamo, and Ai Luodi. “Girls, have some more.”

 

According to the information Ouyang Xue provided me, this Chef Wang’s full name is Wang Jie (??). After graduating from high school, he directly entered a technical school, chose the culinary profession, and then continued his education, obtaining many certificates related to cooking. He eventually found a job at a large hotel in Shenzhen City.

 

The first few years were fine, but with the rise of food delivery, people became less inclined to go out, leading to a steep decline in the hotel’s revenue. The hotel owner then shifted to focus on food delivery.

 

Nowadays, people’s lives are faster-paced, and no one likes to cook or go out. When hungry, they simply order food delivery. If you don’t keep up with the times, you’ll be eliminated.

 

The new restaurant joined the food delivery app, but with no ratings, no reviews, and being practically invisible in search results, the owner had to resort to hiring people to artificially boost order numbers. Additionally, the restaurant invested in bidding for advertisements after realizing that the hotel’s visibility on the platform led to issues like “slow order processing” and “high prices.”

 

Food delivery platforms typically charge a commission on the restaurant’s income, usually around 20%. This means that if the restaurant sells something worth 100 yuan, it has to give 20 yuan to the food delivery platform. The delivery fees for riders are also borne by the restaurant. If the restaurant chooses to offer “free delivery,” they must either increase the average price of the dishes or reduce the cost of ingredients.

 

That’s not all – if users subscribe to a membership or participate in coupon promotions, the costs are also borne by the restaurant. Some new users might accumulate a pile of coupons and end up paying only 0.1 yuan for a 50 yuan item, leaving the restaurant with no choice but to reluctantly accept the loss on that order. Although they can later apply for subsidies from the platform, it’s usually not a significant amount.

 

Add to this the platform’s recommendation mechanism. Restaurants that have fast order processing, affordable prices, and high user satisfaction ratings are typically promoted. To avoid losses, everyone must find ways to increase order processing speed and prevent customers from giving negative reviews.

 

Chef Wang Jie’s experience is a classic example of a “restaurant transformation.” In order to secure a place on the food delivery platform, his previous hotel started using “meal kits.”

 

Once hailed as a “chef who would never be unemployed,” Chef Wang found himself completely outmatched in the realm of food delivery by the rise of pre-packaged meal kits. These meal kits, produced by factory machinery, are pre-sealed and ready to use at any time. They are cost-effective, fast, and efficient. When customers place an order, restaurants using meal kits simply open the package, heat the contents, arrange them in a plastic bowl for presentation, and can serve the dish in less than five minutes.

 

In the traditional sense, when a customer places an order, the front desk notifies the chef, who then gathers ingredients and begins cooking. After about ten to twenty minutes of preparing and cooking, the dish is plated, packaged, and ready for delivery. However, without realizing it, half an hour has passed, and the delivery rider outside has likely expressed dissatisfaction. If the delivery is delayed, the customer might give a negative review. Caught in the middle, the platform deducts money, and the restaurant incurs additional costs for utilities. Unable to make a profit, some restaurants find it more lucrative to switch to using meal kits, essentially becoming “capitalists in the food delivery business.”

 

As a result, Chef Wang transitioned from being a chef to a “meal kit packager.” Since the owner shifted the restaurant’s focus to the food delivery platform to maximize profits, Chef Wang, who used to spend hours cooking each day, now spends his time mainly checking food delivery orders, retrieving the corresponding meal kits from the refrigerator, heating them up, placing them in bowls, and handing them over to the delivery riders outside.

 

While this job may be easy, for Chef Wang, it is profoundly “meaningless.”

 

“I’ve spent almost my entire life learning to be a chef, only to find myself doing something that anyone can do. Is the world wrong, or am I wrong?”

 

According to Chef Wang, he applied to that hotel in the capacity of a “chef.” While being a chef may not be an exceptionally rare profession, it’s a role that not everyone can handle. Now, with the daily routine of packaging takeout, the middle-aged chef sees a crisis – if anyone can do this job, there’s a looming threat that he might become unemployed one day.

 

Ultimately, Ouyang Xue, who was actively searching for top chefs, found Chef Wang. He made the leap from that large hotel to the Cat Cafe, where he could restart his dream of letting customers taste the skills he had painstakingly honed over the years.

 

“It’s not that exhausting, everyone is tired.”

 

During a meal, Ouyang Xue across the table picked up the resume brought over by Ai Luodi and examined it carefully for quite some time.

 

“This surname ‘Ai,’ it’s the first time I’ve seen it.”

 

Five minutes later, having seemingly finished reading the single-page resume, Ouyang Xue contemplated, “Your resume is quite neat. You started working as an editor right after graduating from college, three years in the same position. Have you ever worked as a waitress or in a similar role?”

 

“I… um…”

 

Ai Luodi, who was nibbling on cola chicken wings beside her, swallowed the meat in her mouth and said, “I can learn.”

 

“I didn’t mean that. We’re not in a formal job interview right now. Let’s just chat casually. You don’t need to answer according to interview rules,” Ouyang Xue reassured.

 

Ouyang Xue displayed an expression reminiscent of looking at a junior and said, “There are two principles for hiring maid-servers at our café. The first is that they should be good-looking with a good figure. Don’t think I’m vulgar, it’s just how the market is nowadays.”

 

“I understand.”

 

Ai Luodi continued nibbling on chicken wings, asking, “So, am I qualified?”

 

Ouyang Xue didn’t hesitate at all, “You’re qualified.”

 

“What’s the second principle?”

 

“The second principle is that the maids in the café should not be too introverted or socially anxious, especially not too socially phobic. In case customers come in, and they don’t speak or take too long to say something due to shyness, it’ll be embarrassing for everyone.”

 

Ouyang Xue assessed Ai Luodi, who treated this place like her own and was unabashedly enjoying the food and drinks.

 

“But I don’t think you have concerns in that regard.”

 

“Editors are like that.”

 

I, peeling shrimp on the side, explained while helping Ai Luodi, “If she were too introverted, she wouldn’t have been able to handle being pursued, questioned, and even cursed by so many authors every day.”

 

“Indeed, the only thing on her resume is the three years of experience as an editor. What I meant earlier is that if she had worked as a waitress before, that would be better. If not, it’s okay. She can adapt slowly,” Ouyang Xue added.

 

Ouyang Xue pondered for a moment, “Your resume can be considered perfect. You’re qualified.”

 

“Perfect?”

 

Now it was Ai Luodi’s turn to be puzzled, “Didn’t you just say… my resume only had ‘editor’ on it?”

 

“Editor at Yae-Do, now the editor for Honeydew. I know about both of these novels. Tongmeng Net has invested in Honeydew,” Ouyang Xue explained, “As I mentioned earlier, the most important things for a maid-server are looks and figure. You qualify on both counts. Next is personality – not too introverted or socially phobic. Lastly, there’s one more thing I didn’t mention. Familiarity with youth culture, such as otaku culture and anime culture. You need to have some understanding, at least. You can’t, for example, wear a maid outfit and then disdainfully make fun of customers who are anime fans, saying weird things. As an editor, you should be well-versed in these aspects, right?”

 

“Yeah, I know all of that.”

 

Ai Luodi thought for a moment, “So, does that mean I can start working here?”

 

Ouyang Xue fell silent for a moment, “Have you resigned from your editing job?”

 

“Not yet.”

 

“If you resign tomorrow, how long does the handover usually take?”

 

“One day.”

 

“So fast?”

 

“Because I fall into the category of temporary employment, not even having signed a labor contract.”

 

Ai Luodi scooped three pieces of braised pork into her bowl and then poured half a bottle of chili sauce into it, saying, “Previously, after the closure of Yae-Do Novel Network for a period, I was technically unemployed. It’s only in the past two days, with Yae-Do being acquired by Honeydew, that I had the opportunity to return to work. However, due to business adjustments and many authors leaving, Honeydew currently has enough editors, and they haven’t assigned me the position of a chief editor for the time being. I’m just assisting with reviewing and such every day, and I can leave at any time.”

 

Seeing Ai Luodi eat so heartily, Chef Wang on the opposite side gave me a look that said, “Is she really an editor? Is she really a girl?”

 

“That’s perfect. Tomorrow, I need to go to Xiamo’s place and discuss resigning with the owner of their grocery store. If everything goes smoothly, Xiamo should be able to start working here the day after tomorrow.”

 

Upon hearing Ai Luodi’s words, Ouyang Xue visibly relaxed. She took a sip of soup and asked, “Do you need help with anything? Like labor arbitration or something?”

 

“No need. I’m quite familiar with the folks in the editing department. I’ll settle the pay for these past few days with the finance department, and I should be able to start working here tomorrow night,” Ai Luodi replied.

 

Ai Luodi picked up several documents on the table, “I’ve read the rules here, and there’s no issue with the salary and commission. However, I’d like to work the night shifts exclusively in the future. Is that okay?”

 

“All night shifts?”

 

Ouyang Xue was curious, “Is that fine? Here, the night shift is from midnight to 8 in the morning. It can be very tiring.”

 

“No problem, in fact, it’s just right. Working at night means I can go home, take a shower, and sleep right away in the morning. When I wake up, it’s evening, and the temperature outside has cooled down. I’ll have several hours to play games every day.”

 

Ai Luodi yawned, “Actually, I really dislike the summer sunlight. I hate sitting in the office during the day. I’d rather sleep at home during the daytime.”

 

“In principle, the schedule each month should be discussed among the maids,” Ouyang Xue suggested.

 

Possibly still recovering from a cold, Ouyang Xue coughed a few times, “Now, most of the key personnel in the store are here. Regarding the shift change, Xiao Mo, Nuo’er, do you have any opinions?”

 

I shook my head, “I’m fine with any shift.”

 

“I have no objections either, as long as I can be with Nuo’er,” Yin Xiamo replied.

 

Following suit, Yin Xiamo shook her head, then dipped a peeled shrimp in soy sauce and handed it to my mouth. I swallowed it in one bite.

 

“Let’s arrange it like this for May. Later, each of you can send me your body measurements—height, weight, and three sizes. Tomorrow morning, I’ll contact our factory connection to rush the work clothes. At noon, I’ll meet with Xiao Mo, and then Ai Luodi, you can go back to hand over your work. The clothes should be ready by the evening. If you both can make it, you can change into your uniforms and start working in the evening. If not, you can come the day after. Our plan is to officially open on May 10th…”

 

As she spoke, a Maine Coon cat, Dingman, appeared seemingly out of nowhere and used its small paws to reach the table. It looked at me with a somewhat pitiful expression.

 

“Here, here,” Ouyang Xue handed over two peeled shrimp from her bowl.

 

Dingman took a bite of one shrimp, jumped off the table, and then another plush cat emerged, grabbing the other shrimp before retracting.

 

“We’re officially opening on May 10th. Once your maid outfits arrive, I’ll take some time in the next few days to take photos of you, do some photo editing for advertisements, and then record some videos. I’ll edit them and schedule them for broadcast on Shenzhen TV.”

 

She fed the shrimp she had peeled for quite a while to the cats that had gathered around. Ouyang Xue cleared her throat and declared with an air of significance, “Then, on May 10th, we officially open! Shenzhen Maid Café in Shenzhen City, grand opening!”

 

“Hooray—”

 

Ai Luodi clapped her hands, producing a voice reminiscent of Poppy and Vayne from League of Legends.

 

I joined Yin Xiamo in applauding vigorously.

 

“I don’t know how the future of this café will turn out. All I can say is, as the café manager, I will do my best to lead you all forward…”

 

Against the backdrop of flickering shore lights and the soft glow of the café, Ouyang Xue’s face turned slightly red. “We won’t engage in the typical capitalist promises. I believe you’ve all seen the job postings. The more people come to the café, the more guests you serve, the higher your monthly salary will be, with no upper limit. I will also make all the money received transparent, revealing what is used for advertising and operations, and everything will be disclosed…”

 

As she spoke, Ouyang Xue used her eyes to signal towards me, “Nuo’er, why don’t you share why you wanted to apply as a maid here?”

 

Without hesitation, I replied, “To earn money.”

 

“You misunderstood.”

 

Ouyang Xue felt a bit awkward. “What I meant was… in the ultimate goal of our lives, fundamentally, what are we striving for?”

 

I blurted out, “To earn more money.”

 

“Pfft…hahahahaha”

 

Ai Luodi, who had already consumed a plate of white-boiled large prawns, three cola chicken wings, one chicken leg, and three pieces of braised pork, laughed out loud.

 

Ai Luodi chimed in, “Speaking of which, Manager, is Ouyang really your surname?”

 

Ouyang Xue found it a bit strange. “Can surnames be fake?”

 

“I’ve never encountered someone with the surname Ouyang in real life. Dealing with so many authors, I’ve come across many unusual surnames, but Ouyang is the one I’ve never seen.”

 

Ai Luodi pondered, “If we include online sources, the only Ouyangs I’ve heard of are in movies.”

 

“In movies?”

 

“Ouyang Kaitai, Ouyang Zhengyi, and there’s also Ouyang…”

 

“Are you referring to the Ouyang Zhengyi from ‘That Movie’ (????)[1]?”

 

Ouyang Xue became a bit unsettled. “Fate, Indescribable?”

 

Ai Luodi nodded. “The second one went to listen to scriptures, stayed in a hotel at night, the third went to a restaurant, and then watched a movie.”

 

“What are they talking about?”

 

The sudden use of a secret code by the two left me confused, and I subconsciously turned to look at Yin Xiamo beside me. Yin Xiamo, however, gave me a look that seemed to say, “I’ve been on Earth for less than ten years, and you’re asking me?”

 

It seemed like they had reached a consensus in some field or discovered a common hobby. Similar to how Ai Luodi often mentioned terms in games like “little yellow chicken,” “Husky,” or “stealing the buff,” leaving me half-understanding.

 

Well… since these two could communicate on the same wavelength, Ai Luodi joining as a maid here should be settled.

 

With this, the plan of recruiting “1 head maid and 3 maids” that the café hoped for was almost complete. Considering the current situation, theoretically, during the day, Yin Xiamo and I could handle the entire shop, and at night, with fewer customers, Ai Luodi alone should be able to manage without any issues. The additional maid was just to prevent chaotic situations, such as a sudden influx of several tour groups.

 

After dinner and filling out the body data, Ai Luodi and Ouyang Xue went to the second floor to discuss the café’s details. They discussed the use of the new ordering system and familiarized Ai Luodi with the cats. Meanwhile, I changed clothes and, along with Yin Xiamo, left the café, walking along the small path towards the slope grassland by the Shenzhen River.

 

Like a few days ago, the Shenzhen River at this time was still tranquil. Several fishing boats and commercial ships were docked along the shore. A few couples sat in front of a barbecue stand, enjoying barbecue and drinks while watching the shimmering river.

 

Through the reflection of the night sky in the Shenzhen River, one could see the towering skyscrapers and tech factories emerging in the Craftsman District on the opposite side. Unlike the gradually sleeping Nanqi District, most of the high-rises in the Craftsman District were still lit. The radiance from those tall buildings even outshone the stars in the Nanqi District.

 

On the right side, the dark expanse of the Shenzhen South Sea stretched infinitely, without a ripple, with only the lonely Nanqi Tower guarding the vast sea.

 

“In the café, it seems like those long-haired cats and British Shorthairs shed the most. Building 3 and the mosquito packs are a bit affected too.”

 

“I wonder what Sister Ouyang has experienced. Why is she working so hard for this café? Isn’t she supposed to relinquish her position as the café manager in the future?”

 

“She probably received some promises from the headquarters. The café is located at the entrance of the commercial street, and that street is a crucial part of the future Nanqi District planning.”

 

“Su Yunjin mentioned it’s a massive 58 billion project, and Tongmeng Net is also involved…”

 

Chatting with Yin Xiamo along the way, we arrived at a slightly aged bench on the grassy slope by the Shenzhen River.

 

“Nuo’er, I want to try that.”

 

“Which one?”

 

“It’s… that one!”

 

At the request of the girl beside me, I sat down on the chair, legs together. Yin Xiamo’s head leaned in, and her body lay directly on the bench.

 

“Mmm, so comfortable. Nuo’er’s thighs are soft, and her body smells so nice…”

 

Seemingly enjoying the moment, Yin Xiamo gazed at the stars above. “So many stars, completely different from another world.”

 

“Next time, don’t spray so much catnip on yourself. I might lose control.”

 

Perhaps due to the lingering scent of catnip on the girl’s body, combined with the full stomach after dinner, I felt a mixture of delight and conflict. “I’m afraid I can’t resist taking a bite.”

 

“Anyway, Nuo’er, the little cat’s bites don’t hurt.”

 

The girl beside me assumed a defiant look. “I want Nuo’er’s massage!”

 

“When did I become a masseuse?”

 

Although I said that, I reached out and cupped Yin Xiamo’s small face, then quickly scratched her chin with my left and right fingers. “Feels good?”

 

“Do you think I’m a cat!”

 

“If possible, I really hope you were a catgirl.” I chuckled. “By the way, can you use magic to summon cat ears and a tail?”

 

“No.”

 

“I want the truth.”

 

“I really can’t! I’m from the magical race, and catgirls… they’re a different kind of race. How could they have the audacity to approach this great person.” Yin Xiamo spoke in a tsundere tone. “If anyone is going to transform, it should be you.”

 

“I don’t want to transform.” I quickly added, “Even dealing with just catnip is enough to give me a headache. If I transform, I’ll lose all my dignity.”

 

“Nuo’er doesn’t need dignity in front of me, just be cute.”

 

“No, please allow me to refuse.”

 

“…Mmm…”

 

After a moment of silence, Yin Xiamo spoke again, “Nuo’er, what you said to the café manager earlier… was it true?”

 

“What were they?”

 

“It’s about the ultimate life goal being making money and all that.”

 

“About half of it is true, because I am really poor right now, and money is a kind of existence that can buy almost anything.”

 

I pondered for a moment. “If I have to be serious… money is just a means to achieve dreams.”

 

How does that saying go? The ideal of life is just for an ideal life.

 

My real dream… is actually to have a home.

 

I didn’t have parents or a childhood, and I never experienced family affection. If possible, I would like to build a warm home of my own.

 

“Besides making money.”

 

Yin Xiamo, who was on my thigh, turned her head. “What is Nuo’er’s dream?”

 

“To tame Miss Grim Reaper, and put her in a Poké Ball.”

 

I said in a joking tone, “That way, I can rule the world.”

 

“How could this great person be tamed by you!”

 

Yin Xiamo sat up. “Hey, you little pet, not behaving again?”

 

“I’m not a pet!”

 

I stood up too. “You don’t even know how to cook! Where does a pet cook for its owner? If anything, I’ll cook for you. I am your owner!”

 

“Impossible! In the other world, after signing the master-servant contract, it’s the servant who feeds the master!”

 

“You’re trying to impose the rules of the other world on the people of this world?!”

 

“Why not?”

 

“No, absolutely not!”

 

“Hey, you two.”

 

As Yin Xiamo and I argued vehemently, Ai Luodi walked down from the slope, carrying our bags.

 

“You two have been chatting here for so long, and there are mosquitoes everywhere.”

 

“Have you finished talking with Miss Ouyang?”

 

I walked up quickly and took my rabbit backpack.

 

“Yeah, we had a pleasant chat and watched the interview video of the outdoor streamer today.”

 

Ai Luodi yawned. “It seems like a good job.”

 

“You, you, you… you watched it…”

 

I suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. “You watched that video?”

 

“I did. The streamer had a live broadcast at around four in the afternoon, and by eight, there were already clips. The video had over 80,000 views by nine-thirty. You’re really something.”

 

Ai Luodi handed another bag to Yin Xiamo. “If you ask me, if you had this awareness earlier, you could have just casually posted a selfie in a skirt as the beginning of your novel, and your book wouldn’t have such low popularity.”

 

This… should I say my past self was an uncle, and back then, there were no cross-dressing outfits at home? Besides, what’s the idea of putting on a skirt for a novel! I’m not an idol!

 

“Well, Xiao Mo.”

 

To ease the awkwardness, I turned around. “Does this count as my views surpassing a hundred thousand?”

 

“No, it doesn’t.”

 

Yin Xiamo laughed and shook her head. “It only counts if you post your own daily life videos.”

 

So, I still have to do it myself…

 

“It’s getting late, let’s go back. I’m going to play games and banter with the Tuzi for a while. It’s hilarious, both of us play male characters and ended up in a romantic relationship, but neither of us is actually male.”

 

Ai Luodi turned around. “Has your novel been updated?”

 

“Not yet.”

 

I followed Ai Luodi’s pace. “But I have enough draft chapters, I’ll post them when I get back.”

 

“……”

 

Back home, I asked Yin Xiamo to go to the bathroom first, and then I logged into my QQ account in her room, intending to check the latest news in various QQ groups today.

 

I found that the members of my readers’ group had already started counting how many people would attend the opening of the café:

 

?[Admin] World of Dreams: Currently confirmed attendees are 3 people – Final Dream, me, and Wakuwaku. What about the rest? So many people were enthusiastic before, and now no one is signing up??

?[Newbie] Final Dream (Lu Xinmeng): Huh? No one is going? Our group owner is a super cute little loli!?

?[Pro] Wakuwaku: The group owner is a loli? Don’t fool me. If the group owner is a loli, then I’m a JK beauty, okay??

?[Newbie] Final Dream: I… I’m serious. We’ve met in person.?

?[Admin] Intelligent Roadblock: What? There’s a loli? Where??

 

Watching the discussion about my identity in the group, not knowing how to respond, I simply closed QQ and opened my writing software.

 

— I guess I’ll just keep pretending to be dead.

 

“……”

 

……

 

---

TL Notes:
[1]?

Ouyang Xue is using the term “????” (n? shén diàny?ng), which is a euphemism for “that movie”, to avoid explicitly saying the name of the movie.

To put it bluntly, it’s a p***. ?