Episode Summary
Hu Xiu suffers a humiliating public breakup at her own engagement party. To cheer her up, her best friend takes her to an immersive role-playing game set in the Republican era. Hu Xiu plays a chemistry student trying to escape the city, but she trusts the wrong character, Qin Xiaoyi, and gets shot. Back in the real world, she discovers Qin's character stole her work in the game's plot, prompting her to re-enter the game for revenge.
Spoiler Alert
The Engagement From Hell
Hu Xiu is supposed to be having the best day of her life. It is her engagement party. But the vibe is off from the start. She is still working. She actually brought her laptop to the venue. Her dad wants everything to be perfect. He even paid extra to upgrade the room. Her mom is frantic about the seating arrangements because too many relatives showed up.
Then, absolute disaster strikes.
Hu Xiu’s little nephew starts messing around with her laptop. He accidentally hits play on a voice message. It broadcasts over the speakers for the entire room to hear. It’s her boyfriend. He isn't wishing her well. He is dumping her. He cancels the wedding right then and there. Every guest hears the rejection. Hu Xiu just stands there. She is completely frozen.
The Best Friend Steps In
Public humiliation is a tough pill to swallow. Hu Xiu's mom is terrified her daughter might do something drastic. She calls for backup. She sends Hu Xiu’s best friend, Zhao Xiaorou, to check on her. Zhao rushes to Hu Xiu’s dorm. Thankfully, Hu Xiu is safe. Zhao reports back to the mom and then drags Hu Xiu out of the room. She needs a distraction.
An Expensive Distraction
Zhao has a specific plan to cheer her friend up. She booked tickets for a high-end, immersive "script murder mystery" game. It’s basically a live-action roleplay (LARP). Hu Xiu isn't interested. She just wants to wallow in her misery. But the tickets were expensive. She feels guilty about wasting Zhao's money. She grits her teeth and agrees to play.
New Identity, Old Regrets
Hu Xiu steps into the game world. The setting is Republican-era Rongcheng. Her new identity is Sun Jiaying. She is a chemistry PhD student holding dangerous contraband. Assassins are chasing her.
Hu Xiu struggles to get into character. The game asks her about her dreams. This hits a nerve. She starts thinking about her real life. She once wanted to be an architect. Her parents didn't believe in her. Then family issues popped up. She missed her chance to study abroad. Now she is just a corporate drone. The dream is dead.
The Setup
Hu Xiu decides to stop moping. She won't let her friend's money go to waste. She commits to the game. Her mission is simple. She needs to trade her contraband for intel. She needs to find a contact who can help her escape the city.
She sits on a street bench to wait. A man named Qin Xiaoyi sits next to her. He is handsome and quiet. He wears a blue scarf. He matches the description of her contact perfectly.
A Fatal Mistake
Hu Xiu almost hands over her secret intel. Then she spots another man approaching. He is also wearing a blue scarf. She hesitates. She pulls the letter back.
Qin Xiaoyi smiles. He tells her she made the right choice. She passed the test. He hands her a train ticket. Hu Xiu thinks she won. She takes the ticket and runs to escape. She doesn't get far. Two gunshots ring out. She looks down at her chest. She is shot. The game ends abruptly. Mission failed.
Round Two
Hu Xiu returns to reality. She is annoyed about losing. But then she learns a dirty detail about the game's plot. That character, Qin Xiaoyi, didn't just trick her. In the story, he stole her character's chemical formula and took credit for it.
This triggers her. It reminds her of all the hypocrites she deals with in real life. She hates that face. She can't always win in the real world, but she refuses to lose in a game. She decides to log back in. She wants revenge.
