Chapter 16: The Fifth Player

Mo Qi just looked at her for a moment and then looked away to prevent the “gaze” from taking effect.

Mo Qi considered himself far from a traditional gentleman. If Xiang Wansi was indeed the mastermind or player behind this mission, he wouldn’t hesitate to use his skills. Everything was a part of the game; not using his skills would mean abandoning his greatest weapon.

If Xiang Wansi was just an ordinary person involved in the game, “staring” at her would only complicate things further. Dealing with Liao Ruxue was already enough trouble, and until Mo Qi confirmed Xiang Wansi’s identity, he didn’t want to stir up trouble.

“Why are you wearing sunglasses on a cloudy day?” Xiang Wansi tilted her head, looking at the sunglasses in his hand, innocent and cute.

“I thought it was sunny. That’s what the weather forecast said,” Mo Qi casually hung the sunglasses around his chest, making them look more like a conspicuous accessory.

Without using the “Stare” ability, the Charming Aura still took effect. Even though Xiang Wansi had a high affinity towards Mo Qi, she resisted the Charming Aura to some extent, which was sufficient.

“Indeed, I checked the weather forecast this morning too, it said it would be sunny. I was thinking of airing out my blankets,” Xiang Wansi’s voice was sweet and melodic, befitting her role as the school’s official announcer for major events.

Mo Qi stepped aside, making a gesture of “please,” inviting Xiang Wansi into the reception hall.

“Another announcer is supposed to come today,” Xiang Wansi said. “There are quite a few exhibits to handle, and I can’t manage alone. The school assigned a male announcer, but I’m not very familiar with him.”

“Are there any announcers you haven’t met yet?” Mo Qi asked curiously.

Xiang Wansi and Liao Ruxue were in the same grade. They were juniors this year and would be entering their senior year in the second half of the year, resigning from their announcer positions. Xiang Wansi was currently the leader of the school’s broadcasting team, responsible for all announcers in the school and even across various departments. Even freshmen should have been working under her for a year now. How could Xiang Wansi not know?

“Well, not that I haven’t seen him. I vaguely remember him when he joined the club. I recall his voice being quite pleasant, but afterward, he rarely participated in studio activities and had little interaction,” Xiang Wansi said.

With few impressions, no contact, and only a faint memory, it resembled Xiang Zhuo too much. Mo Qi suspected this male announcer was likely a player. The question remained whether this person was the elusive fifth player who had yet to surface, or one of the two previously seen, a man or a woman.

“I came from the student council, and the president didn’t mention there was another person,” Mo Qi ventured.

“He’s the teacher in charge of the broadcasting studio who was sent to help me,” Xiang Wansi explained.

“I see,” Mo Qi handed Xiang Wansi a stack of documents. “Here are detailed introductions of the exhibits. Thank you for your hard work.”

“I’m just reciting from the script. It’s nothing compared to what you do in the student council—organizing the exhibition hall, compiling all this data, and assigning people to prevent damage to the exhibits. That’s what hard work truly is,” Xiang Wansi said.

She was indeed someone who acted generously and was very pleasant to be around. It’s no wonder she became a campus goddess and had such a high affinity with others.

As Xiang Wansi flipped through each page of the documents, Mo Qi would lead her to the corresponding exhibit, helping her familiarize herself with the items as she reviewed the script.

Casually chatting during this time, Mo Qi remarked, “Thanks for covering for me in class yesterday. I was actually filling in for my roommate, and I didn’t understand anything from that lesson.”

Blushing at the mention of the incident from yesterday’s class, Xiang Wansi quietly lowered her head and replied, “It wasn’t much. I wanted to add you as a friend because I was worried about you falling behind in your studies and wanted to send you some class notes. So you were substituting for a class—no wonder you didn’t need notes.”

She casually turned what could have been an awkward attempt at friendship into a concern for a classmate’s academic performance.

Typically, upon hearing such words, most people might think, “Ah, I misunderstood her.” This slight pang of guilt often leads to a compensatory fondness. However, Mo Qi was different.

He had used this tactic many times while selling goods—first pitching an expensive item that students couldn’t afford, adopting a humble stance and pleading earnestly. When students rejected him at this stage, they would often feel uneasy. That’s when he would present a more affordable option, which most people would buy out of a sense of compensation.

This exchange made Mo Qi realize that he and Xiang Wansi were somewhat alike, both willing to use certain methods to achieve their goals. He sold goods to make money, while Xiang Wansi sought to earn others’ goodwill.

She knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it, driven by strong motives and desires. Mo Qi quickly made his assessment of Xiang Wansi.

“I see,” Mo Qi lowered his voice, infusing his words with an apologetic tone. “It was my misunderstanding, and I feel a bit embarrassed about it.”

Xiang Wansi smiled empathetically, delicately pulling back her long hair to reveal her exquisite profile at just the right moment.

Mo Qi raised an eyebrow, changing the subject abruptly. “At last year’s freshman ceremony in September, why did you suddenly lose your voice?”

This matter must have struck a nerve with Xiang Wansi. Her complexion turned pale instantly, and she struggled to maintain her gentle smile, feeling uneasy as she replied, “At that time, I had a throat condition. After drinking a glass of water, I couldn’t speak. I later went to the hospital and underwent treatment for some time before recovering.”

“Could there have been something wrong with the water?” Mo Qi asked with concern. “Could someone have tried to embarrass you?”

“We’re all classmates, why would anyone do that?” Xiang Wansi hesitated briefly in confusion before regaining her composure. She tapped Mo Qi’s shoulder with the script. “Mo Qi, you have such dark thoughts. Don’t overthink it.”

With that, she pointed seriously at a piece of paper. “Which work is this talking about?”

Mo Qi realized Xiang Wansi was now on guard and couldn’t ask further. As he hesitated whether to use his “gaze” ability, they happened to reach the center of the exhibition hall, right in front of a painting.

“This painting is…”

“I know this painting,” Xiang Wansi interrupted Mo Qi. “It was painted by my good friend. She spent a whole month on it, and I was with her throughout. I watched as she completed it. I know more details about this painting than what’s written in the script.”

Mo Qi furrowed his brow. He had assumed this painting was some item implanted by the system or another mysterious entity, but he hadn’t expected it to be something that already existed, with a complete creation process.

Mo Qi looked up at the figure in the painting, wondering, “Who are you really?” At that moment, the figure in the painting subtly turned its head and raised a hand. Despite the rising mist, Mo Qi could still discern that the figure placed a finger against its lips, as if gesturing for him to keep silent.

“This intricate raster painting technique,” Xiang Wansi remarked with a smile, “after the exhibition ends, we should definitely enter it in a competition. I’m sure it can win a major award.” She seemed to have a close relationship with the painter.

!

Mo Qi glanced at the artist’s biography posted below the painting. The artist was a female student named Min Shihua, majoring in Fine Arts, currently in her junior year.

While Xiang Wansi was distracted, Mo Qi sent this name to Liao Ruxue.

Liao Ruxue didn’t reply promptly, leaving Mo Qi unsure if something had come up on his end.

Through his interactions, Mo Qi determined that if Xiang Wansi was indeed the true owner of the box, she had the ability to silence her enemies without a trace. However, Mo Qi couldn’t find any clear or strong desire in her.

Xiang Wansi was a beautiful girl, and it was normal for her to seek the favor of others. Moreover, she didn’t need to resort to extreme measures like making wishes or harming others; she could achieve her goals through her own cunning.

Unless beneath her calm exterior, there was a deeper and stronger motive hidden, the only way to confirm would be to use the “gaze” ability.

Just as Mo Qi was about to step forward to use his skill, he heard the sound of the main door opening, and someone walked in.

“You’re here?” Xiang Wansi greeted the newcomer warmly and introduced Mo Qi, “This is Shi Wenxuan, the announcer who will be partnering with me tomorrow. Wenxuan, this is Mo Qi from the Student Council.”

Shi Wenxuan was a tall guy, easily over 185 cm tall, towering half a head over Mo Qi’s 180 cm. He looked down at Mo Qi with a somewhat imposing manner and extended his hand, saying, “Hello, senior.”

Mo Qi remained composed and shook his hand in return.

With just this brief encounter, Mo Qi confirmed that Shi Wenxuan was a player, and he wasn’t one of the two individuals Mo Qi had encountered before.

Thus, the first game’s five players were all confirmed: Xiang Wansi and the figure in the painting were not players.