Rewinding to daytime.

For her second promotional photoshoot, Ning Xiaoyu had already grown quite familiar with the process. Upon arriving at the shooting location, she went straight to the makeup room and once again let the stylist have full control. This time, the stylist was not as talkative as the last one, but her skill was just as good.

The styling process was completed much faster than before.

Although the previous look appeared bare-faced, it had actually been meticulously crafted, with careful effort put into every detail. Just fixing her hairstyle had taken the stylist one to two hours. However, this time, the styling was truly simple.

For the promotional shoot of a casual single-player game, there was no need for anything flashy or over-the-top as it was all about returning to simplicity.

The goal was to create a relaxed vibe, letting viewers know at a glance that this game was completely stress-free! A genuine game that every laid-back player deserves!

During the shoot, Ning Xiaoyu’s long hair was left tousled, as if she had just woken up. She wore a pair of glasses, her eyes still carrying a hint of drowsiness, making her appear both lazy and carefree.

She was dressed in a fluffy pink cartoon pajama set with a salted fish headband on her head. In her arms, she hugged a trendy oversized green cabbage pillow while casually sitting on the bed, exuding an air of leisure and comfort.

Outside the window, the golden morning sunlight streamed in, bathing the entire room in warmth.

The bed looked incredibly cozy, piled with an assortment of vegetables and fruits that could be harvested in the game, along with adorable little animals like cats, raccoons, and puppies. These small animals were also NPCs in the game, helping players collect their crops on a schedule.

The room was scattered with plush toys, and the entire setting radiated a cozy, winter warmth.

The photoshoot was completed quickly. For photos like these, Ning Xiaoyu didn’t need to adjust her state of mind or deliberately pose— she simply played herself.

The photographer snapped a few shots, quickly capturing images that satisfied him.

Once the post-production team received the photos, they made some minor edits, adding the game’s title and a slogan: ‘Truly relaxing and casual— no grinding, no pay-to-win. Don’t believe it? Try it yourself!’

The game company was a small one, but its owner was a true second-generation rich kid who wasn’t short on money. Currently, the company is in its growth phase.

They chose Ning Xiaoyu as their brand ambassador not because she was cheap to hire, but because they saw her potential to become a future sensation. It was an early investment in her rising fame.

The company had anticipated possible reactions from netizens once the promotional photo was released.

Perhaps there would be little response. Maybe it would gain a small but dedicated following, attracting casual players. Or, more likely, it could be completely ignored.

In any case, their expectations weren’t high. Each new player was a win.

But what they never expected was that this promotional photo would go viral, completely breaking out of its intended audience.

This became the company’s biggest surprise of the year.

【This is too chill. Seriously, too chill. A game this laid-back? I’m in! （Shouting loudly）】

【They really nailed the choice of spokesperson. I stopped to check out the ad just because of this picture.】

【No pay-to-win? No grinding? I don’t believe it. Which means I have to try it! Doge.jpg】

【I don’t know why, but this promotional photo really hits different. The fluffy pajamas, the stuffed toys, and the salted fish headband— absolute perfection!】

【Brothers and sisters, let’s go! If it’s not fun, we just uninstall it. We’re not giving them a single cent!】

When it came to games, downloading first and deciding later was always an option. If it wasn’t fun, uninstalling was simple enough.

So, viewers who came across the promotional photo on trending searches and found themselves drawn in immediately headed to the official website to download the game.

At this moment, Ning Xiaoyu, who had just received a notification from the game company’s representative, reposted the official promotional post with a simple caption, 【Fun.】

Despite playing casually, Ning Xiaoyu had already reached level five and unlocked furniture crafting.

The game offered a variety of activities beyond farming, including raising livestock and town-building.

Players could play however they wanted.

With diverse gameplay and daily free diamonds, the required time investment was minimal— less than three minutes a day. It truly saved both time and effort.

Netizens swarmed Ning Xiaoyu’s social media post, flooding the comments section.

Then, someone keenly noticed that a certain individual had instantly reposted Ning Xiaoyu’s post.

When they discovered who it was, they were all stunned.

【Lu Jingdu v: Downloaded. Good game.】

【???】

【!!! Something’s off.】

【Was his account hacked?】

【Free promotion?】

【Brother is playing too?】

【If even the movie king is saying the game is good, then it must be good. I’m in!】

Thanks to Lu Jingdu’s unexpected endorsement, this casual farming game saw an explosive increase in downloads in a short period of time.

【Does he know the game’s owner?】

【Probably not.】

【Then…… he reposted it just for Ning Xiaoyu?】

【Tsk tsk tsk…… For some reason, this is getting interesting.】

【Ahhh, Xiao Yu’s promotional photos are out! When will Qingxin’s promotional photos be released?】

Netizens were itching with curiosity, but unfortunately, neither of the two involved gave any response.

At that moment, Ning Xiaoyu was lying on her bed, busy playing the game.

After sharing the post, she stopped paying attention to what was happening on Weibo. However, even if she didn’t check, she would still find out everything right away.

〖Love System: Wuuwuuwuu, Girl, today’s sugar content is off the charts! The movie king actually shared your Weibo post to promote the game as a friendly gesture! What kind of divine luck does this game company have? They shamelessly basked in your glory!〗

Ning Xiaoyu was engrossed in farming in her game and responded absentmindedly with two hums.

The love system’s voice was dreamy, 〖This is the first time I’ve tasted pure, genuine sweetness. AWLS^[1]à wǒ sǐ le – Ah, I’m dead! My life as a system is complete.〗

────ρя


The next morning, when Ning Xiaoyu went downstairs for breakfast, the other guests looked at her with increasingly strange expressions.

She knew exactly what they were thinking. Nothing more than the fact that Lu Jingdu had shared her Weibo post last night and gave the game free publicity, making them suspect there was something going on between the two of them.

But in reality, aside from that one time when she saved his life, she and Lu Jingdu truly had no special connection.

The love system counted on its fingers. The first time was the life-saving incident, the second time was when she helped block the spiked drink. Its beloved CP was growing deeper ties!

After breakfast, the director announced the next itinerary.

“This time, we’ll be heading to Jiangnan to experience the local culture and immerse ourselves in the soft Wu dialect. The trip is planned for three days. Please prepare your essentials. The flight is at 3:00 pm, and everyone must gather in the lounge by 1:00 pm.”

When heading back to her room to pack, Ning Xiaoyu ran into Ning Yuwei, who was deliberately waiting for her at the door.

Since there were no cameras there and she didn’t have to worry about maintaining her image in front of fans, Ning Yuwei dropped her polite smile and sneered sarcastically. “Making him forward your post right away— Sis, you act all indifferent on the surface, but who knew you were this skilled behind the scenes.”

She made it sound as if Ning Xiaoyu had used some underhanded trick.

Ning Xiaoyu couldn’t be bothered with Ning Yuwei. In her eyes, Ning Yuwei was just throwing a fit because she was powerless.

To put it simply, Ning Yuwei was jealous but couldn’t do anything about it, so she was venting through words.

But while Ning Xiaoyu could endure it, the love system couldn’t.

〖Girl, you and the movie king are a perfect match— who needs tricks? And what does she mean by saying you ‘act indifferent’? You truly are indifferent! You’re such a lazy salted fish that it drives me crazy! She’s being passive-aggressive towards you, and you can tolerate it? Of course not! Right now, you can:

A. Serve her some tea. （Girl, weren’t you good at this before? Go on, little green tea!）

B. Play innocent with a white lotus^[2]someone who is pure in appearance but opposite inside tone.

C. Tell her outright that the movie king acted on his own, and it had nothing to do with you.〗

To Ning Xiaoyu, all three options seemed pretty ‘tea-like.’

As an emotionally dense salted fish queen, she sincerely asked, “So, what’s the difference between a green tea and a white lotus?”

The love system pondered for a moment before answering, 〖Both are universally despised by women. But green tea leans more towards passive-aggressiveness, while a white lotus pretends to be weak and innocent. It depends on which one you prefer. Of course, if you want, I can turn all future love tasks into multiple-choice selections.〗

Multiple-choice?

Like being able to pick options a, b, and c together, or any combination of the two?

No, no, no. A single choice was already troublesome enough. Multiple choices?

She might as well just lie down and rot.

Ning Xiaoyu instantly rejected the multiple-choice suggestion and immediately picked option c.

Both green tea and white lotus required effort. No thanks.

So, with a blank face and a flat tone, she said, “Lu Jingdu did it on his own. It has nothing to do with me.”

Even though Ning Xiaoyu spoke with the most lifeless, salted-fish-like tone possible, her words still made Ning Yuwei’s face change instantly.

Ning Yuwei turned pale with anger. “Are you showing off to me?”

Ning Xiaoyu remained expressionless, too lazy to show any emotion. Instead, she pulled out the ultimate playboy phrase, “Think whatever you want.”

She just wanted this conversation to end as soon as possible.

Wouldn’t it be much better to just go back and lie down?

Why waste time standing in the freezing cold, chatting with Ning Yuwei?

She had zero interest in this.

Just as she was about to swipe her keycard and enter her room, she accidentally caught sight of a familiar figure standing near the hallway.

Perhaps because he saw the two of them talking, the person didn’t come any closer and instead seemed ready to avoid them.

But given the distance, he had probably heard everything she just said.

Ning Xiaoyu didn’t feel the slightest bit awkward though. After all, she had only spoken the truth.

The love system, on the other hand, was extremely excited. 〖Ahhh! Girl, the movie king heard everything you just said! How will he react?!〗

Seeing that he had been noticed, Lu Jingdu didn’t turn to walk away. Instead, he nodded in agreement and said, “That’s right. I shared the post on my own. It had nothing to do with Xiaoyu.”

If Lu Jingdu hadn’t said anything, it would have been fine. But as soon as he did, Ning Yuwei looked like she was about to collapse.

Was this really the same man from her memory, the one who had never gone out of his way for any woman?

So even someone like Lu Jingdu— if he wanted to treat someone well— would take the initiative? And others just had to wait for him to approach?

Before Ning Yuwei could even process this revelation, Ning Xiaoyu had already gestured goodbye to Lu Jingdu, swiped her card, and entered her room.

The door shut behind her in one smooth motion, the whole process taking less than three seconds.

Warm, cozy bed, here I come!