owlsbooks Chapter 218 I Don't Want to Fall in Love with a Man!
Chapter 218 I Don't Want to Fall in Love with a Man!
Jiang Bai did not respond to the system.
He lay motionless on the large bed, his eyes as empty as a dry well.
Five minutes later, two streams of tears silently slid down her temples and into her pillow.
"My life... in the end, I've wasted my time."
Jiang Bai parted her lips slightly and uttered a sentence that made his jaw drop half a second later.
The voice was still his original male voice.
But his tone, his sighs, and that deep-seated sorrow and resolve were exactly like Zhang Yan, who had sat in the North Palace for over a decade.
Holy crap!
Jiang Bai jumped out of bed with a start, the movement so violent that he almost strained his back.
He covered his mouth in horror, his eyes wide.
"Chief! Come out here!"
"What did I just say? 'Your Majesty'?"
"I'm a freshman in college in the 21st century, who the hell have I become?"
[Ding! Due to the simulation spanning decades, your subconscious has automatically adapted to 'Zhang Yan's' behavioral logic. Once you are familiar with it, you will be able to control it freely.]
[By the way, the host's delicate hand gestures when wiping away tears were quite skillful.]
Jiang Bai looked down and saw that his right index and middle fingers were indeed still slightly raised.
The posture was as elegant as it could be, as effeminate as it could be... no, as classical as it could be.
He shook his hand, on the verge of tears:
"Is this simulation toxic?"
"Zhang Yan's life has been so hard. She married her own uncle and lived a life of widowhood."
"I finally met General Zhou, who truly captured my heart, but it all ended in unrequited love until my death... Anyone who lives that kind of life would be depressed!"
"Will I become depressed too???"
[Ding! The system has blocked 90% of your negative emotions, please rest assured! Otherwise, you wouldn't be complaining right now, you should be thinking about which crooked tree to hang from.]
"That's good."
Jiang Bai took a deep breath and calmed his nerves, which were about to go haywire.
He got up and went into the bathroom, hoping to wake himself up with cold water.
However, when he looked up at the mirror, he froze.
Jiang Bai in the mirror was still that handsome, tall boy.
But those eyes...
His eyes, which originally carried a hint of slacker-like arrogance and seemed ready to slip away at any moment, were now shrouded in a faint, unyielding sorrow.
That was the tranquility that came after enduring the trials and tribulations of the inner palace.
It is the loneliness of keeping one's mouth shut, and the desolation of seeing through life and death.
Even without wearing women's clothing or makeup, he exuded a noble and aloof aura, like a plum blossom braving the snow.
"Zhang Yan..."
As Jiang Bai murmured the name, a tall, straight figure suddenly flashed through his mind without warning.
That was General Zhou Yafu.
In the simulation, that was the only light he—Zhang Yan—dared to steal a glance at in the dead of night.
He was also the man for whom he had countless times wanted to grind ink and mend armor...
"General, please wait..."
Jiang Bai subconsciously reached out, wanting to touch the illusory image in the mirror, his tone so gentle it could melt hearts.
next second.
Jiang Bai was struck dumb, and took two steps back, crashing headfirst into the bathroom tiles.
"Help!!!"
Jiang Baifa let out a tenor roar that was loud enough to pierce eardrums.
"System! Hurry!"
"Quickly check my sexual orientation!"
"What was I trying to do? Was I trying to grind ink for Zhou Yafu? Was I trying to sew clothes for him?"
Jiang Bai touched his Adam's apple with trembling hands to confirm that it was hard.
He touched his chest muscles again to confirm that they were flat.
"I'm a total straight man!"
"My stamina is for tearing robbers apart, not for embroidery!"
"Am I gay? Did this damn simulation make me gay?"
[Ding! Host, remain calm.]
This is just 'emotional residue'.
Just like an actor needs to step out of character after finishing a scene, although your mind is currently Jiang Bai's, your cardiovascular system still retains Zhang Yan's rhythm.
[It is suggested that the host immediately engage in a manly activity, such as... crushing a soda can with one hand?]
Without saying a word, Jiang Bai rushed to the small refrigerator, took out an unopened can of Coke, and squeezed it with all five fingers.
"Bang!"
The cola can twisted and exploded instantly under his monstrous strength, spraying brown liquid all over his face.
"Phew... Yes, I'm Jiang Bai, I'm a tough guy, I love big waves... no, I love girls!"
He wiped the cola off his face; the sense of control that came with the violence helped him regain a little of himself.
But when he looked in the mirror again...
Those "Zhang Yan's eyes" were still staring at him, as if silently mocking his struggle.
"Aaaaaah! No!!"
"I don't want to fall in love with a man!!"
"System, quick, quickly block out all emotions! If this continues, I'll really become gay!"
.......
Half an hour later, Jiang Bai put on an extremely low-key tracksuit, a mask, and a baseball cap, and walked out of the hotel.
Throughout the journey, he could feel the strangeness brought about by this "Zhang Yan's soul".
I used to walk with long strides, almost leaving a trail of shadows.
Now, when I walk, I unconsciously start to walk in a straight line, with very small strides, and even my breathing has become long and deep.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the "Beauty's Rival in Palace" film crew at the film and television city, the assistant director was already waiting there.
"Miss Jiang Baizhi?"
The assistant director stared blankly at the girl in front of him, who was wearing a hat and had a somewhat mysterious air about her.
"it's me."
"Oh dear, Director Yu has been talking about you for ages! Please come in, please come in!"
Jiang Bai was led into the film crew.
The morning sun slanted across the red bricks and green tiles. Even though it wasn't officially time to start filming, the set was already bustling with activity, like a hornet's nest that had just been disturbed.
Along the way, many staff members were secretly observing him.
"Is that Zhang Yan, handpicked by Director Yu? How come she looks so stylish even in sportswear?"
"Didn't you see her eyes? She made eye contact with me just now, and I almost thought I owed her fifty taels of gold in my past life. It was so tragic!"
Yu Zheng was holding a thermos when he spotted Jiang Bai walking with his head down, exuding a cold and aloof aura that seemed to say "keep away."
"Hey, Xiaobai, you're here early!"
Yu Zheng strode over, circled Jiang Bai three times, and exclaimed in amazement:
"Amazing... Absolutely amazing!"
"Just two days ago you seemed like a spirited young woman, but today you look like you just stepped out of an ancient painting, not a Han Dynasty tomb... I mean, you look like you just came out of a Han Dynasty painting?"
Yu Zheng stared at Jiang Bai's eyes, which were still not completely out of character, and excitedly slapped his thigh:
"That's the feeling!"
"This feeling of sorrow without despair, of seeing through the illusions of the world yet clinging to that stubborn streak!"
"That's really strange, why do I feel like you're acting even more like Zhang Yan than you did the other day?!"
Jiang Bai tugged at his mask helplessly, thinking to himself:
Nonsense, I just died once in the simulation space, how could I not mention Zhang Yan?