Fate Trading System – Chapter 176

Plan A

Spirit Alliance 17

Postures

Though Chu Qiu was an extraordinary wolf, and an extraordinary person when transformed into human form, when it came to downloading those kinds of videos, with the country’s current internet restrictions, she really had no idea how to manage it.

After much consideration, Chu Qiu decided to find her capable assistant. Though they were both of the spirit kind, just like how humans differ from one another, some people could get their hands on all kinds of seeds [种子 | zhǒngzi | torrent files], while others could only miserably stare at censored versions, and some couldn’t even get those.

Chu Qiu never fought unprepared battles. Whatever she did, she had to prepare everything in advance, otherwise if something went wrong, it would be embarrassing.

She was indeed technically inexperienced, with no practical knowledge, not even knowing how women should be with women, but it didn’t matter – someone had already summarized what should be done.

Rabbit wandered out in a daze. When she sat in front of the computer, she finally realized an important problem.

Ahhhhh! She had no idea how to get those resources either!

She was just an innocent rabbit.

There was no choice – the task had to be completed, so she needed to seek outside help.

The only person she could ask for help was that tiger. If she asked others for resources, who knows what they would think. It seemed possible to buy them online, but she didn’t know where.

Despair.jpg

Who would have thought she had such a boss.

“Tiger…”

“What is it, baby? Are you finally not mad at me? I didn’t mean to look at your phone. You can look at mine anytime you want.”

“Cut the nonsense, got any seeds?”

“What seeds? Flower seeds or vegetable seeds? Wife, are you planning to garden?”

“…I need resources.”

“Ah…AH! Wife, what resources do you want? Why look at others! Looking at me should be enough!”

Ling Tian joked.

“I need girl-on-girl ones, as many as possible, several gigabytes at least. After you find the resources, let me know, I’ll bring a USB drive to copy them.”

“Wait, don’t hang up, what did you say? You want girl-on-girl? What do you need that for? Wife, you’re not really going to abandon me, are you? If one day you really fall in love with a woman, I’m willing to get gender reassignment surgery for you!”

“F*ck you, your acting is even more dramatic than mine, hurry up.”

“Boss wants it?”

The tiger knew his little wife’s personality – she would never actively look at these things, let alone ask him for them. And Rabbit only unconditionally followed one person’s orders – only Chu Qiu.

“Mm.”

“When you find it, just bring a USB drive to my place. Did the boss give any time limit?”

“She didn’t say, but the sooner the better.”

“Alright.”

All afternoon at work, Chu Qiu was distracted, thinking only about her little hamster at home.

What was she doing? Playing with her phone? Or perhaps reading the script? She must show that sweet smile when seeing something interesting, with those adorable wine dimples that made one want to poke them, like touching soft cotton, filling one’s heart with sweetness.

The little hamster’s lips were so sweet too, just like her entire being – like a large candy that one could never get enough of licking.

Chu Qiu rarely let her mind wander, but unable to resist the longing in her heart, she made a call to Su Xin.

Su Xin was playing with her phone when she received the call, and immediately answered upon seeing the caller ID.

“Hmm? What’s wrong? Aren’t you working right now? Why are you calling me?”

“I realized… I miss you a bit.”

“Only today did I discover that boss is so clingy. We’ve only been apart for what, not even three hours?”

“It’s 5:20 PM now, so I miss you.”

“If you miss me, then come back quickly to see me. I’m still waiting for you to take me out for dinner.”

“Okay.”

Just one phone call could only slightly ease that yearning.

Longing flooded like a disaster. Before, when Chu Qiu saw such literary descriptions, she thought they were exaggerated. But experiencing it herself, she understood how real that desire was – wishing she could sprout wings and fly immediately to her beloved’s side, to touch her face, to feel her warmth.

Like a finely woven net, it had completely enveloped her entire being.

Chu Qiu had never fallen so quickly for anything before. They had just established their relationship status, not even officially, just agreeing to try it out, yet it felt overwhelmingly sweet.

Perhaps it was because their previous interaction mode had been too misleading, as if they had always been together, truly in an old married couple mode.

That little girl probably wouldn’t miss her. Though she looked young and fresh, she was actually quite mature, with grown-up thoughts. In terms of romance, she seemed more like an inexperienced youth compared to Su Xin, restless and anticipating.

The little girl appeared to have low emotional intelligence, but her actions were so touching.

“You wanted to see me, so I came to your side.”

That day when she learned that Su Xin had changed her flight, wanting to fly back to her side overnight, the tenderness in her heart was about to overflow.

Like a tangyuan [湯圓 | tāngyuán | sweet glutinous rice balls], with its skin slightly pierced, the rich sweet filling seeping out, overwhelming the senses.

When getting off work, Chu Qiu didn’t even bother changing clothes, going straight to the meeting spot in her work attire. After all, she wasn’t looking forward to this date at all – she was going just to reject him directly.

“Miss Chu.”

A properly dressed and groomed man held a red rose, seeing her arrive, he showed her a smile.

If it were before, Chu Qiu might have had the patience to sit and chat about other topics with this person, but now with her heart tied to someone else, she had no time for small talk, just wanting to leave immediately.

“Mr. Lin, no need to be seated. Thank you for the invitation today. I understand your intentions, but I’m sorry, let’s keep our interactions strictly business-related from now on.”

“Is Miss Chu really so heartless, not leaving me even a slight chance?”

“I’m sorry, but fate can’t be forced. I already have someone I love. I hope Mr. Lin can quickly find his own destined woman.”

“You… how could you have found someone you love so quickly?”

The man clearly showed disbelief.

“I have no reason to lie to you about this. Honestly, I don’t even need to tell you about my situation, as it’s personal privacy. I think I’ve rejected you several times already. Mr. Lin doesn’t need to waste more effort on me. Please look elsewhere.”

“I still don’t believe it. What kind of excellent man could possibly win you over? You don’t need to weave such lies to avoid me.”

It’s better not to be too full of yourself – I’m telling you the truth and you’re still here blabbering away.

Chu Qiu simply let her face turn cold, no longer speaking kindly.

Why couldn’t these people understand human language? Did she need to howl like a wolf  for them to behave?

“Mr. Lin, this is the last time I’m saying this. You don’t have the qualification to make me fabricate such lies, understand? Since you consider yourself a very dignified gentleman, you shouldn’t harass a lady like this. Can I define this behavior as harassment? Not everyone enjoys being pursued by men, okay? Moreover, as I’ve said, I have a lover now and don’t want others disturbing me. If you continue being so presumptuous, I think we won’t need to meet even in business settings anymore.”

Don’t take yourself too seriously, okay? You’re never as important as you think you are.

This was Chu Qiu’s first time losing face. She thought if there were more people who couldn’t read the situation in the future, this kind of scene might happen many more times.

“Miss Chu… you…”

“Don’t blame me for being impolite. If you faced someone who repeatedly pestered you, always asking you out to eat, a pursuer you’re not interested in, and meanwhile you already have a lover, would you be in a good mood?”

“That’s all I have to say. Hope we can still cooperate in the future. Goodbye.”

After speaking, Chu Qiu left immediately, with no intention of sitting down to rest. Her driver was still waiting outside.

She could go home to see her little hamster now – just thinking about it made her happy, as if all negative emotions could dissipate upon seeing her.

Without wasting much time, Chu Qiu took her driver’s car to the entrance of Su Xin’s residential complex and called Su Xin.

“Come down quickly, I’m waiting at the entrance.”

“Okay, coming now.”

Su Xin specially took a shower before going out and changed clothes, not for any particular reason – just feeling that when going out for a meal, one should make themselves clean and presentable.

“Did you shower?”

Chu Qiu smelled the shower gel fragrance on the person beside her. The scent was elegant and subtle, not overwhelmingly strong, making it easily acceptable. After being washed off, it left an even fainter scent that gave others a comfortable feeling.

“Mm, thinking about going out to eat with you, I decided to take a shower.”

“So formal?”

“How is this formal? It’s our first time going out to eat together after all. I’ll probably be very busy in the future, while you’ll always be here. I don’t know when I’ll have to fly somewhere, so of course I want to cherish every opportunity to go out. If I become famous later, it won’t be easy to go out anymore.”

“Yes, yes, yes. So, does this count as a date?”

Chu Qiu whispered the last sentence in Su Xin’s ear, not letting the driver hear.

Su Xin waved her phone, and Chu Qiu understood immediately.

Communication tools were wonderful things – two people sitting close together, fiddling with different phones, purposefully chatting on the internet, having conversations that no one else could hear or see or know about.

Su Xin: So this dinner wasn’t a spontaneous decision? If it’s a date, I would have dressed up prettier.

Chu Qiu: But you’re already beautiful enough. No need to dress up – just taking a shower and wearing casual clothes is enough to make me fall for you.

Su Xin: Boss, I think you’re acting a bit strange.

Chu Qiu: Hmm?

Su Xin: Your image in my heart has collapsed.

Chu Qiu: What was my original image?

Su Xin: Aloof and cool, awesome.

Chu Qiu: But somehow when I’m with you, I can’t maintain that image. Just seeing you makes me want to smile.

Su Xin: Are you suggesting I could switch careers to become a comedian?

Chu Qiu: Don’t call me boss anymore, it’s so distant.

Su Xin: Then what should I…?

Chu Qiu: How about “darling”?

Su Xin: …Okay… darling.

Su Xin secretly pinched Chu Qiu’s palm, surprised that someone who looked so serious could be so fluttery inside.

Chu Qiu took Su Xin to a Chinese restaurant. She had originally planned to take Su Xin for romantic Western dining, but Su Xin refused.

“You know, I used to wander every street and alley, fortunately my cousin took me in. I don’t particularly like Western food. Of course I think it’s delicious, but if I had to choose, I’d pick Chinese food – that’s the taste that suits me. I don’t need you to rent out an entire restaurant like on TV, where we eat Western food, drink wine, with roses and violins. I don’t need that. Instead, you could make jiaozi with me at home, even though I don’t know how to wrap them.”

Su Xin wasn’t someone who cared about formalities. The warmth of daily life gave her feelings that surpassed formal romance.

The taste of dishes made by five-star hotel chefs was different from Chu Qiu’s cooking. Not that they weren’t delicious or were strange, but the same dish of scrambled eggs with tomatoes could taste different when made by different people. Chu Qiu’s cooking leaned towards home-style, with the saltiness adjusted to her own taste.

The food was equally delicious, though some ingredients were troublesome to prepare at home and difficult to transport, but at hotels, there were no such worries – you could eat whatever you wanted.

Su Xin returned home with a very full stomach, making Chu Qiu helpless.

“Who told you to eat until you’re so stuffed?”

“I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want to waste food, and everything was so delicious, so I ended up overeating.”

Su Xin answered honestly, her obedient appearance making Chu Qiu want to hug and squeeze her.

Chu Qiu had already imagined a scene: herself transformed into her original form lying on the bed, with Su Xin also transformed into her adorably cute original form before her.

She would groom Su Xin’s fur, able to fit the entire little hamster in her mouth.

Then she’d spit the little hamster out, who would be all wet with her saliva, cheeks puffed up, looking at her with an annoyed expression.

Just thinking about it made her heart melt from cuteness.

“Feeling uncomfortable?”

“A little bit.”

“Then let’s not go home yet. Let’s go to the moat and walk around it once, okay? That way your food should digest and you’ll feel better.”

“Okay!”

The driver maintained his stance of seeing nothing, hearing nothing, and knowing nothing, as if the two in the back were just air.

“To the moat. We’ll walk one round and return. No need to follow.”

“Yes.”

Chu Qiu’s drivers weren’t ordinary drivers. Though drivers in title, they also served as bodyguards, each highly skilled – capable of defusing bombs or delivering takeout, extremely versatile, and naturally, not cheap.

The car drove smoothly, but the driver’s heart wasn’t calm.

His codename was 749, chosen by Chu Qiu as her driver and bodyguard.

Security companies dealt with all kinds of clients with different requirements. Some clients preferred chatty, smiling types – bodyguards who didn’t look like bodyguards. Then there were clients like Chu Qiu, who preferred silent, tight-lipped, seemingly blind and mute types.

749 appeared very steady on the surface, like a complete deadpan, but his inner thoughts were quite rich, rivaling the dramatic rabbit sister.

#Today I actually saw a real yuri couple#

#I’m going to stan that young lady#

#I’ll protect their love#

Su Xin didn’t know she was about to gain her first real-life brain-dead fan, nor did she know this driver would become a core member of her fan club, dedicating himself wholeheartedly to her.

“Let’s go.”

Chu Qiu opened her car door, pulling Su Xin out.

“Next time don’t be greedy and eat so much.”

“But it was delicious!”

“You never eat this much of my cooking.”

“Because I know after one meal there will be another one!”

“I’ve discovered you really know how to make me happy.”

“Do I?”

“Yes.”

Su Xin thought volcanic eruptions were terrifying, but a melting iceberg was even more frightening. The woman beside her was emanating an aura of hopelessly falling into the river of love, seeming to want to pull her in to drown in love together.

“I’m leaving in three days. You need to take good care of yourself at home, and don’t stay up late, understand?”

“But without you, I can’t sleep. You know that even when I do sleep, I don’t sleep well.”

“There must be something that can cure this condition.”

“You are my medicine. This is fine just as it is.”

“The weather’s getting colder now. The place where you’re going to film should be okay, but there’s a big temperature difference between day and night. You need to stay warm.”

Chu Qiu changed the topic. She felt good as she was now. She used to think that not being able to sleep every night, or not sleeping well, was a very painful thing, until she met this person and was cured without treatment. But if one day this condition could improve, Chu Qiu wouldn’t be too happy.

Perhaps due to her childhood, she severely lacked security. Chu Qiu even thought that if her condition improved, Su Xin would have no reason to stay by her side, and this made her panic.

“I know. I’ll call you every day, but if sometimes I’m too busy, I might call you very late. If you miss me, just send me a message or call me. Even if I can’t see it right away, I’ll see it later and reply to you.”

“Good, so obedient.”

“Can you not use that tone for coaxing children?”

Su Xin wrinkled her nose.

“Alright, little wife.”

Three days later, Su Xin went to the new drama crew with her two assistants, while Chu Qiu stayed home alone.

At this time, Rabbit brought Chu Qiu what she wanted.

“Boss, a few gigabytes might not be enough – there are twenty to thirty gigabytes of resources here, all uncompressed. You can play them directly when plugged into the computer. We tried our best to find this much, including some anime resources.”

“You all…? You told the tiger?”

“I asked for his help to search together. I probably couldn’t find so much alone.”

Rabbit lowered her head, saying somewhat embarrassedly. In fact, these resources were all found by the tiger; she just went to copy them onto the USB drive.

“Fine, you may go.”

Unusually, Chu Qiu didn’t work that afternoon, instead watching romantic action films [LP: hehe] on her computer. Her gaze became unfocused, her inner restlessness unusual, but her body showed no abnormal reactions, remaining undisturbed.

Things were progressing well on Su Xin’s side. After meeting the director, assistant director, and other actors, everyone seemed to have good chemistry.

Being a low-budget film, it was already quite difficult for the director to secure this much investment. This money represented the entire savings of the director and assistant director, plus contributions from others like the screenwriters and planners.

When Chu Qiu said she’d invest, she even brought in a special effects supervisor for the crew. The director, assistant director, including the screenwriter, planner, and producer’s eyes lit up when Su Xin arrived. They certainly knew who Tianyu Entertainment was investing for, proving Su Xin’s importance to Tianyu’s boss. With funding, production quality could improve significantly.

Being a web drama, others were either less famous stars or newcomers who hadn’t debuted long, or university students still in school – people who charged lower fees and were still somewhat affordable.

Ling Tian sent Su Xin not for the acting fee, but for fame.

The plot synopsis was this: A game protagonist brings a game system when transmigrating to ancient jianghu. The game system includes various skills for leveling up. The female lead starts as a martial arts rookie bird [菜鳥 | càiniǎo | meaning: novice], but her previous experience as a gaming expert makes her handle things easily. The male lead is a young man who levels up together with her through various adventures.

But this web drama isn’t so simple. The male lead is actually the final boss, following the female lead because destiny foretold she could find treasure, so he keeps up his pretense while adventuring with her.

The female lead notices some inconsistencies but says nothing.

The embraces are real, the warmth is real, the feelings are real.

But the purpose is fake.

One wrong step leads to many. With an open ending, Su Xin doesn’t know the final result – happy ending or bad ending?

This web drama incorporates popular elements like selling BL between male lead and second male lead, and selling GL between female lead and third female lead.

Of course, there’s the eternal second female lead silently loving the male lead, dog blood plot twists [狗血 | gǒuxuè | meaning: melodrama], love and hatred – altogether making it a chaotic entertainment circle story.

The female lead’s name is Chen Jiu, friends call her Ah Jiu, followers call her Jiu-jie.

Su Xin first filmed the MV, only needing to recite about ten seconds of dialogue before compositing, with everything else already set up.

“The jianghu’s fortunes are unpredictable and mysterious, with a mystical system and secret treasures. Let’s see who controls the rise and fall of it today.”

This web drama had a brief promotional MV using animation rather than live action, with only Su Xin appearing at the end in costume to recite a line.

The promotional video was completed a few days later and posted online by the official blog, but didn’t receive much attention.

Promotion costs weren’t small – the director planned to buy trending topics, buy shares, and hire water armies [買水軍 | mǎi shuǐjūn | meaning: paid commenters]. But before he could do these things, he discovered something that should make him happy.

When the official blog posted it, there wasn’t much buzz. When Su Xin shared it, it gained a little more attention. When Chu Qiu shared it, it gained a bit more.

But when Tianyu Entertainment’s big stars all shared it, the momentum became magnificent.

“Quick, quick, buy, buy, buy water armies! Get the buzz going up! Choosing this female lead was absolutely f*cking right! Little lucky charm!”

Su Xin didn’t have much influence in the circle, but Chu Qiu did, and her contracted stars had even more.

Many people clicked on this brief promotional video. The opening featured exquisite artwork, fast pacing, and energetic BGM, giving people a blood-pumping feeling, as if suddenly pulled into that fantasy world of glinting swords and sabers and chivalrous liver and righteous gall.

At the end, a woman in dark clothes holding a sword showed an arrogant smile.

“One day, this jianghu will be shaken because of me. I shall turn clouds with my palm up, and rain with my palm down [翻手為雲，覆手為雨 | fānshǒu wéi yún, fùshǒu wéi yǔ | meaning: having complete control]. All in the jianghu will serve me as their master.”

With the star effect plus paid commenters, the drama had anticipating viewers before it even aired.

@kirayamato9: Cool! First priority is to lick [舔 | tiǎn | meaning: internet slang for excessive praising]!

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