Skott looked at the tile in his hand, then at the mahjong table scattered across the floor.
Silence. A deathly silence.
The next second.
"Ah——!!!!"
A scream so shrill it didn't sound human, but like it came from some kind of animal, echoed throughout the entire room.
He violently twisted his head and glared at the innocent-looking woman standing in the doorway. "You! Why is it you?!"
Acheron had a blank expression. She even subconsciously took half a step to the side, as if trying to prove that the innocent door wasn't kicked by her.
"I'm not lost. I'm just not very familiar with the layout here."
"I'm not asking about that!" Skott's blood pressure was skyrocketing geometrically. He pointed at the mess of mahjong tiles on the floor.
"I'm asking why you destroyed my mahjong table! My pure suit one dragon! Do you know how long I waited for this?!"
Upon hearing this, a trace of apology flashed in Acheron's eyes. She helplessly shook her head. "Sorry. I was running too fast and couldn't brake in time."
"..."
Skott was completely speechless. He pointed at Acheron, clenching and unclenching his fists repeatedly, before finally squeezing out a sentence through gritted teeth:
"If I could beat you, you'd see if I'd rush up and have a go at you!"
Qingque, Fu Xuan, and Jing Yuan beside him exchanged glances, all giving each other the "let's get out of here" look.
Jing Yuan was the first to stand up. He straightened his sleeves, wearing his usual gentle smile, and said slowly into his phone, "Oh? There are still security matters in the Interaction City that need to be handed over? I'll head over right away."
With that, he moved like the wind and was the first to slip away.
Fu Xuan pinched her fingers to calculate, her brows tightly furrowed as she muttered, "I have already foreseen that a great calamity will befall this place. However, the severity of this calamity far exceeds my calculations... Avoiding disaster and seeking fortune is the best strategy."
As she spoke, she moved with an agility that didn't match her height and quickly followed after Jing Yuan.
Qingque was even more heavyweight. She looked regretfully at the mahjong tiles scattered on the floor, let out a long sigh, and said to Skott with deep sincerity:
"Ah, I've said it before — mahjong may be good, but don't get too greedy. It's easy to cause trouble."
With that, she also vanished through the doorway in a flash.
As for the cameraman brother who had gotten lost along with Acheron, he finally snapped out of his philosophical contemplation of "Who am I? Where am I?" His professional DNA kicked in.
He shouldered his camera, took a big step forward, and locked the lens firmly onto the scene.
In the main venue, Director Mr. Reca stared at the footage coming through the monitor. He was stunned for three seconds before excitedly slapping his thigh and shouting at the director's desk:
"Cut to it! Switch the main screen signal to the backstage immediately! Quick! This is god-tier material!"
[Hahahahahaha, so even Skott has days like this! Playing mahjong and slacking off backstage can be this funny?]
[Acheron got lost again? And she even dragged a cameraman along with her? This plot is way too in-character! God-tier screenwriter!]
[Why do I feel like I'm not watching a variety show, but rather behind-the-scenes footage from another Honkai: Star Rail web drama episode? The information density is insane!]
[Wait! Isn't the main point why Jing Yuan, Fu Xuan, and Qingque were here playing mahjong? The Xianzhou slacking-off squad, huh?!]
[Good grief, Qingque's slacking-off soul is already carved into her DNA! The Xianzhou is done for!]
[This variety show has me riding wave after wave of excitement. The climaxes keep coming! Worth every penny!]
Just as the live stream audience was having the time of their lives.
Owlbert's weak and listless voice came through the lounge broadcast, putting an end to this farce.
"I hereby announce that because she failed to arrive at the competition venue on time, Miss Acheron is disqualified from this round. Contestant Feixiao wins and, due to a bye in the lower bracket, advances directly to the finals."
The camera immediately focused on Acheron.
She looked like she wanted to say something, but in the end, she only opened her mouth and said nothing.
Then, under everyone's stunned gazes, she silently took out a plump, pink, juicy peach from her pocket, lowered her head, and took a gentle bite.
"Crunch."
The crisp sound echoed throughout the venue through the microphone.
It was full of juice, crisp and sweet.
[...Since things have come to this, might as well eat a peach first.]
[Has she... completely given up on treatment? I respect this psychological resilience.]
[I'm actually kneeling. This reaction is perfect. Low damage, but extremely insulting.]
[Unexpected, yet reasonable. As expected of you, Acheron.]
— —
Director Mr. Reca watched the footage of Acheron calmly eating a peach on the monitor. He knew the viewership ratings were still climbing.
He leaned back in his chair with satisfaction. His gaze swept across the updated bracket on the big screen and landed on the first match of the lower bracket.
At the same time, in the Phainon Team's rest area.
Phainon slightly crouched down and said to the silver-haired girl sitting on a high stool beside him, swinging her legs: "Your Majesty Cerydra, can Miss Hysilens win the next round?"
The girl referred to as "Your Majesty Cerydra" was none other than Cerydra.
She swung her little legs and, upon hearing this, stood up directly from the stool. Her petite body seemed to contain an authority that didn't match her appearance. She looked down at Phainon from above.
" Duke Samoyed, what are you worried about? Are you still unclear about Sword Banner Duke's strength?"
"But..." There was still some worry in Phainon's eyes. "After all, Huohuo's strength is quite formidable. I heard that she..."
"It was you who brought us into MiHoYo. You should understand our strength better than anyone." Cerydra interrupted him, her tone brooking no argument. "Therefore, I said there is no need to worry."
Soon, the first match of the lower bracket officially began.
The first to take the stage was Hysilens.
The moment she appeared, the live stream comments were instantly flooded with amazement.
She was a woman so beautiful it felt unreal, as if she were a siren who had stepped out of a deep-sea myth.
She wore a flowing, iridescent fishtail gown. With every step she took, the skirt swayed like the rippling surface of the sea.
She simply stood there quietly, and her eyes already carried an aura of charm and danger, as if silently singing a song that lured people into sinking, waiting for those on shore to go mad for her one by one and jump into the deep sea that was her.
[??? Who is this? A new character? MiHoYo, you hid her so well! How did I not know there was someone like this?!]
[Whatever! She's really beautiful! I declare, this is my new wife! Nobody fight me for her!]
[Insider info says she seems to be an important character in next season's Amphoreus chapter! Her name is Hysilens!]
[I'm crying. MiHoYo's casting aesthetic is always on point. They never do any political correctness nonsense. Every single one is designed to hit my XP directly!]
Just as the comments were celebrating the new wife.
From the other side of the ring, a petite figure walked up, trembling.
It was Huohuo.
With every step she took, it was as if she were stepping on cotton, as if she could faint at any moment from the lively atmosphere on site. She kept muttering under her breath, "I really really really really can't do this! Save... save me, please?"
Tail's exasperated voice came from her earpiece. "Look at you being such a coward! Straighten up right now!"
The entire venue's gaze was focused on her, filled with both affection and... amusement.
Then.
Under the watchful eyes of ten thousand people.
The shoelace on her left foot very precisely hooked around the ankle of her right foot.
"Thud——!"
A loud and dull sound.
Time seemed to have been pressed into slow motion. Huohuo, in an extremely standard spread-eagle pose, fell flat on her face in the center of the stage with no suspense whatsoever.
A perfect, impeccable, textbook-level faceplant on flat ground.
[Huohuo, how about we just not compete? I'm afraid you'll hurt yourself.]
[I give up. How does MiHoYo always manage to come up with new tricks? This wrestling posture is way too standard!]
[Hahahaha... How does Huohuo's leg manage to maintain such a high-frequency swing? A physics miracle!]
[Tragic yet admirable!]
— —
At this moment, Hysilens lightly stepped forward with lotus steps and elegantly came to Huohuo's side. She slowly crouched down and carefully helped her up.
She extended her fingers and gently brushed away the dust that had stuck to Huohuo's cheek.
"So cute. Just as cute as Her Majesty!"