“I didn't receive any script today saying a glutton would be coming to the shop.”
The owner looked at Yue Shi as if he were an alien. He had eaten so much, yet his stomach didn't look bloated at all.
Fortunately, Yue Shi paid his bill, and the owner was happy to cook for him; at the very least, his culinary skills had been validated.
Living in this world, even encountering a glutton wasn't enough to surprise the owner anymore.
Xia Xuanfeng kept his head down, using his chopsticks to stir his noodles, but he didn't eat.
Yue Shi finished his last wonton, set down the bowl, and critiqued, “I saw your performance at school. Your acting isn't great—it's a bit forced and slightly over the top.”
Xia Xuanfeng's chopsticks paused. He didn't ask how Yue Shi had seen it, only lowering his voice to say:
“I can't put any genuine emotion into it at all. In fact, I absolutely loathe the simp persona, so of course I can't act it well. Fortunately, I'm still a minor; it doesn't matter if I act poorly.”
Yue Shi immediately caught the keyword 'minor.' Just as he was about to ask more, the Snow Leopard jumped onto his lap and found a comfortable position to lie down.
Just then, in the crowd of students leaving school, one student suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He was a bright, handsome athlete with short hair, exuding youthful energy.
He stood by the stone pillar at the school gate, and a book suddenly appeared in his hand out of thin air. It had a deep blue cover with a line of gilded letters: 《Locker Room of the Degenerate Athlete》.
People nearby glanced at it and then looked away.
No one was surprised. In this world, a script appearing out of thin air was as natural as opening an umbrella on a rainy day.
The boy looked down at the script in his hand, his fingers trembling.
That title did not look wholesome at all!
He flipped open the first page with immense trepidation, and his expression shifted instantly. It went from trepidation to shock, from shock to terror, and finally from terror to despair.
“No, this can't be real!”
He flipped the pages faster and faster, his fingers shaking more violently until the script slipped from his hand. He collapsed onto the ground as if his bones had been removed. Tears and snot streamed down his face, his handsome features contorted. He grabbed the script from the ground, wanting to tear it but not daring to.
“I don't want to act in this kind of plot! I've only just turned eighteen! Why are you making me film this? I don't want to!!!”
His screams caused passersby to turn their heads.
Those close to him stole a glance at his script, their faces showing expressions of sympathy.
Another boy crouched down and patted his shoulder. “I told you a long time ago to keep a low profile. But look at you, dressed so provocatively every day. It's no wonder you received this kind of film the moment you became an adult. Don't worry, once you're done filming, I'll definitely help boost your view count.”
“I never dressed like that on purpose! I cut my hair as short as possible, and I wear layers every day...” the athlete retorted.
The boy sneered. “Then blame your own face.”
The athlete's tears flowed even more fiercely. His expression turned from despair to rage. He looked down at the script in his hand, his fingers tightening as veins popped on the back of his hand.
Rip!
He tore the script in half down the middle, the sound of paper tearing sounding exceptionally clear.
Seeing this, Yue Shi turned to Xia Xuanfeng and asked, “What are the consequences of tearing a script and refusing a role?”
Xia Xuanfeng's tone was calm. “See for yourself.”
The moment the words left his mouth...
Bang.
The athlete's body exploded instantly, turning into a pile of body parts.
Miraculously, the flesh and blood did not splash everywhere; they simply piled up right where he had been standing.
The people around him had varying reactions—some felt regret, some felt pity, and others gloated. However, no one felt fear, ran away, or screamed.
A cleaner quickly walked over and swept away the pile of remains.
The crowd resumed its flow as if nothing had happened.
Xia Xuanfeng withdrew his gaze and looked at the noodles in his bowl, which had already gone cold. His voice was very soft. “Now you know the consequences of tearing a script and refusing to act.”
“Truly cruel,” Yue Shi said, picking up the Snow Leopard as he stood.
Seeing this, Xia Xuanfeng stood up as well.
The two left the snack stall and began walking back.
High schoolers stayed late, so the streetlights were already lit. There were many pedestrians on the road, but they were all quiet. No one spoke loudly, and no one laughed or played around.
When crossing the road, a group of people stood at the intersection waiting for the green light. No one jumped the light, and no one crossed the line.
The ground was clean and tidy, without a single piece of trash in sight. It wasn't because cleaners had swept it away, but because no one littered at all.
Most pedestrians dressed conservatively, their clothing styles extremely ordinary—so much so that Yue Shi stood out conspicuously in the crowd.
On the way, Yue Shi asked Xia Xuanfeng, “Are the scripts received by minors different from those received by adults?”
Xia Xuanfeng spoke frankly. “This world has a Law on the Protection of Minors. Restricted-level scripts involving gore, violence, darkness, or smut are not given to minors. But once you're an adult, that protection is gone.”
Yue Shi raised an eyebrow. “I see.”
The streetlights stretched their shadows long, one in front and one behind.
“My birthday is less than a month away. I'll be an adult after that. I wonder what kind of script I'll receive then,” Xia Xuanfeng said softly.
Recalling the scenes he had just witnessed and the strange behavior of the passersby, Yue Shi asked tentatively, “Is the kind of script you receive closely related to your usual behavior?”
Xia Xuanfeng was surprised. “Your observation is quite sharp.”
“In this world, most people are just extras or background props. Only a few receive scripts.”
“But not everyone is willing to take them. In most plots, only the male and female leads are happy. It's not easy being a supporting character or cannon fodder. Getting injured is considered light; being crippled or killed is common.”
“So, many people try their best to 'fade into the crowd.' They are neither excellent nor incompetent. Neither high nor low. They stay just like everyone else, at an unremarkable average.”
“As long as you aren't noticed by the Audience, you won't receive a script. If you don't receive a script, you can live a normal life.”
“Everyone keeps a low profile. They don't do anything out of the ordinary, they don't wear beautiful clothes, they don't express personal opinions, and they don't do anything eye-catching in public. Because no one knows who the Audience is watching at this very moment.”
Hearing this, Yue Shi finally understood why the pedestrians he met were so strange.
Conservative dress, no outward expressions, total law-abiding behavior, and soft-spoken voices. Everyone hid themselves in the crowd, like a drop of water falling into the ocean.
The two turned into a narrow alley lined with old residential buildings. The wall plaster was peeling, and the sound-activated lights were sluggish, only lighting up every few steps to illuminate the small advertisements in the stairwell.
Xia Xuanfeng stopped in front of a door on the sixth floor, inserted the key into the lock, and opened it.
Yue Shi treated the place as his own home and walked in leisurely.
Xia Xuanfeng poured two glasses of water. Yue Shi sat on the sofa and asked him, “Actually, you knew I was a transmigrator from the very beginning, didn't you?”
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