Chapter 294
At seven in the evening, the masquerade ball began right on time.
On the deck, lights and shadows interlaced. Mysterious men and women, dressed in splendid gowns and wearing masks, mingled and conversed at the ball.
The night at sea was quiet yet romantic. Moonlight fell like a thin veil of mist, adding a dreamlike touch to the ball.
[They’re here!]
[Whoa, what a grand setup]
[Where did the production team find so many handsome and beautiful NPCs]
[How can I sign up to be an NPC for Love Observation, this is seriously important to me]
[Tonight isn’t just about dancing, there are also one-on-one heart-to-hearts—so exciting, I feel like the trending charts are about to explode]
[Where are the guests, where are my precious guests?!]
As the audience called out, the guests also made their entrances one by one, quietly blending into the crowd of the ball.
Liu Woxing wore a mysterious purple mermaid dress. A black mesh-dotted hat sat askew on her head, her eyes half-hidden under a mask.
In high spirits, she wandered around, her gaze sweeping over anything she found novel.
Whether it was the ball on the deck or the masquerade different from traditional banquets, she found it all very fresh.
On the other side was a figure in red.
Lai Bingxuan was clad in a red velvet gown. Her seaweed-like long hair cascaded down, and on her face was a black mask embroidered with dark red patterns.
She lounged on a cushioned chair, idly sipping red wine, as if long accustomed to such occasions.
Standing in the center of the dance floor was Xu Shuangrong. She hadn’t done anything, yet passersby couldn’t help but glance at her again.
Her outfit tonight was undoubtedly the most contrasting.
Usually she played the role of a sweet, innocent “little flower.” Even her gowns were mostly white, pink, or blue—fresh and harmless colors.
But tonight, she wore a golden gown. Smooth silk outlined her graceful figure, and the hem glittered with crushed diamonds. Her long hair was braided together with golden threads, luxurious and dazzling.
Xu Shuangrong stood smiling amidst the crowd. Yet, in contrast to her glittering attire, the aura she gave off was gentle and harmless—a striking dissonance.
[As expected, the theme really is contrast—everyone’s wearing styles they’ve never tried before]
[Sister Liu is stunning, who can resist the charm of a mature woman? I swear I can already smell violet perfume on her]
[After red comes purple… sisters, you’re killing me!]
[Sister Lai really looks like some spoiled heiress (well, she is one), I wish she’d look at me with that scornful gaze—even just once]
[Keep dreaming]
[Never thought Xu Shuangrong would wear gold—and surprisingly, it doesn’t look tacky at all]
[But this choice of color is… tricky. After all the recent exposés, it’s hard to see her as “pure and harmless.” She’s been secretly scheming, framing others, and using CP hype to climb up… Feels like she’s way more ambitious than she lets on]
[Stop with the conspiracy theories, okay? That whole “framing” thing was clarified ages ago—she was threatened by a bully. As for the CP hype, that was Xiao Jingxi’s idea! Back then Shuang-shuang was just a newbie, she had no say in it. She’s suffered plenty and still gets saddled with all the blame. Haters, give it a rest]
[Shuang-fans, stop muzzling the casual viewers. We’re not allowed to say what we actually think now?]
After those last two exposés, Xu Shuangrong’s reputation plummeted. But discussion about her didn’t die down—in fact, she was heading toward that black-and-red notoriety.
Her fans fought daily battles with haters across platforms, red-eyed and merciless, lashing out even at bystanders who dared say a word against her.
Naturally, this rubbed many onlookers the wrong way.
After all, people weren’t blind. With so many incidents stacked up, could she really be completely innocent?
[Ugh, isn’t this supposed to be Old Xie’s livestream room? Why are Shuang-fans here picking fights—just focus on your own idol]
[Speaking of which, where’s my Sister Xie, I’m dying to see her entrance]
To preserve the mystery of her debut, after finishing her makeup Xie Mi went to the dressing room and didn’t show herself again.
Even her own livestream viewers had only seen her makeup so far—not the full look with outfit.
The director teased the audience mercilessly, spinning the cameras around the ball for a panoramic sweep before slowly turning in one direction.
There stood a black figure before the long table, elegantly picking up a cherry and bringing it to her lips.
She wore a black gown. The strapless bodice accentuated the lines of her neck, like a regal black swan.
The skirt was a voluminous cascade, layers of black gauze folded like ruffles—imbued with Gothic beauty.
Her curls were gathered up with black veils, her pale skin and blood-red lips shining even through the mask.
Just standing there, she looked like a vampiric countess from a mysterious castle.
[I declare this one the winner]
[I love both Sister Liu’s and Sister Xie’s looks—purple and black are both so evocative]
[Gothic gowns are perfect for a masquerade. Gotta admit, Diao Mao’s aesthetic sense is top-tier]
[And with Old Xie’s fair skin, the black makes her look even paler—like a vampire countess come to life]
As if sensing the camera, Xie Mi turned her head slightly.
It was just a casual glance, yet it was so breathtaking that the livestream chat went wild.
[Ahhhhhhh sis bite me!]
[Yes, that exact “looking down on trash” gaze—I love it]
[My icy, aloof Old Xie… I’m fainting]
[Talkative Xie and silent Xie are literally two different species]
[Sister Xie really is a living doll—each new outfit shows a different kind of beauty. Suddenly I’m so jealous of Diao Mao, he gets to dress her up in gorgeous gowns every time, like a real-life Nikki Up2U]
[Sister Xie suddenly taking this seriously is throwing me off lol]
After glancing at the camera, Xie Mi frowned slightly, her gaze dropping to the cherry in her hand.
She hesitated for a moment, then suddenly turned her back, opened her mouth wide in one second, and shoved the cherry inside faster than lightning.
Chomp chomp chomp chomp.
She closed her lips elegantly, chewing as if nothing had happened, still looking every bit the noble, cold beauty.
There was only one reason for all this. First, the production team required everyone to stay “in character” until after the first dance. Second, Diao Mao had warned her not to smudge her lipstick—or he’d dock her pay.
But she also had her own principle: everything at the ball must be eaten.
So, to satisfy all three conditions, she could only stand in a corner with her back to the cameras, open her mouth to its limit, and swallow the cherry in one bite—without smudging the lipstick!
The audience was dumbfounded.
[Was I hallucinating just now?]
[Sis, if you keep this up you’re scaring me a little]
[Somebody, quick, gag this beauty!]
