QT: Don't fall in love with the Male Lead

Chapter 153: Don't fit four people into the same bathroom stall

Xi Zirui can't immediately place the voice, but as soon as he walks out the door he sees Han Yu trying to drag a reluctant Cao Fei into the nearest bathroom.

The noise of the heavy studio doors closing behind them alerts Cao Fei, his head snapping up in their direction immediately, like a startled dog standing to attention.

"Shixiong?" he asks, as soon as he sees Jin Ranyu.

"Feifei?" Jin Ranyu asks, relieved to see a familiar a face but no less confused.

Xi Zirui comes to a troublesome realization. 

They haven't necessarily gotten their memories back, they're remembering a specific past life.

And it isn't even the same!

Han Yu tries to hold back Cao Fei as he makes his way towards Jin Ranyu. His eyes are wide as saucers, and he opens his mouth as if to speak.

Xi Zirui silences him with a finger in front of his lips.

Who knows what will happen if they break the stupid 'no talking between teams rule'? He's one hundred percent certain they're being filmed right now, and their behavior is already extremely suspicious as it is.

In their current states, Jin Ranyu and Cao Fei absolutely can't stand up to close scrutiny. What is going to happen to them if someone finds them like this?

Thinking on his feet, Xi Zirui drags Jin Ranyu to the nearby bathroom, gesturing at Han Yu to stay put.

Reluctantly, Jin Ranyu follows after him, all the while shooting Cao Fei anguished looks over his shoulder.

Xi Zirui screams for Ni Ni's help the moment the bathroom door closes behind him.

"There are some options in the system shop that could be help, Host," she says, sounding haggard. "Host was successful in the previous world, but his experience points totals still isn't too high since he entered the last world with a deficit from the previous two."

He'll make the best of whatever is available. Beggars can't be choosers.

"Wait here," he tells Jin Ranyu as he steps into the nearest stall.

"You have to go now?" Jin Ranyu asks, not really making an effort to hide his exasperation.

"Just a second," Xi Zirui yells, slamming the flimsy door shut in his face.

Gingerly, he lowers the toilet seat down with his elbow and sits down on top of it to browse the system shop.

His eyes almost burn after seeing multiple pages of useless items, each of them more improbable and expensive than the last. Until, finally he lands on "Hideout - a pocket realm at your fingertips"

The description sounds promising, "The Hideout is everything a cultivator needs to reach enlightenment without any worldly distractions. Portable, discreet, and available for five uses after purchase."

It sounds just like what they need, if it wasn't for the fact that it costs 3000 experience points, and Xi Zirui only has 2000.

"Ni Ni might have a solution, but Host probably won't like it."

Xi Zirui doesn't like anything about his current situation so Ni Ni might as well go ahead and tell him.

"Host can buy this item on an installment plan, however, he must accomplish at least the world's main goal of getting to the show's finals in order to have enough experience points to finish paying for it."

'What happens if I don't?' Xi Zirui asks.

"It will generate a system error that might make it impossible for Host to return, and be assigned a new world," she says, dismayed. "I'm sorry Host, this is the best Ni Ni can do."

Xi Zirui considers his options and finds that they all suck. 

With a long-suffering sigh, he nods, accepting that he'll just have to stay in this stupid show a while longer.

---

"Get in," he tells Jin Ranyu as soon as he exits the stall. "You'll find a bright glowing portal on the left wall, just go through it, I'm going to call the others."

Jin Ranyu looks at him as if he's insane but Xi Zirui doesn't have the time to assuage his fears.

Han Yu and Cao Fei are still in the hallway, not too far away from the bathroom. Xi Zirui hides behind the door and nods meaningfully to the side so they'll know to follow him.

He waits for them to get inside the bathroom before pointing at the bright portal Jin Ranyu has just gone through. He doesn't want to speak in case the microphones they're all wearing catch them breaking the rules and someone from the production crew comes find them.

Xi Zirui stays back and watches both of them step in and disappear into the wall. He's the last one, closing the door to the bathroom stall behind him.

---

Xi Zirui was too worried about finding a quick fix for their predicament to give too much thought as to what the pocket realm might end up looking like, but he gets the shock of his life once he steps through the portal.

In front of him stretches a meadow of emerald green grass swaying gently on the breeze. A small lake breaks up all the green with a splash of crystal clear water, a perfect mirror of the blue, could-speckled sky. A dainty wooden bridge leads to a small pavilion built on a platform in the middle of the lake. The crying branches of a few weeping willows on the shore stir the calm waters with their tear-shaped leaves.

Jin Ranyu and Cao Fei are both looking out at the tiny bridge in confusion, only Han Yu is looking at Xi Zirui, his eyes brimming with tenderness.

Like Xi Zirui, he recognizes the significance of this impossible landscape.

It's a little bit of their home in the Coiled Dragon palace, a little bit of the Fragrant Spring Winds pavilion back at the Imperial palace.

Before he even notices, Xi Zirui is taking Han Yu's hand and leading him forward in the direction of the bridge.

Whatever allows this place to exist, Xi Zirui is sure it has been created from only his most precious memories of their lives together, and he wants Han Yu to be the first to see it all.

Inside the pavilion on the lake there's a perfect recreation of their little apartment in Chongqing. Down to the ratty old couch, the flat screen tv, too large for the cabinet it is perilously perched on. 

But just by looking around Xi Zirui can spot a few items they never had in their home in the city. A collection of all the fans Xi Zirui has ever used is displayed on the north wall, a beautifully polished guqin is displayed on a stout end table like a prized center piece, and a scaled model of the Unreliable is hanging up from the ceiling like a mobile.

Little mementos of all the lifetimes Xi Zirui still can't believe he has been lucky enough to share with Han Yu.

"What is this place?" Cao Fei asks, looking around the room in confusion.

Han Yu exchanges a smiling look with Xi Zirui, his gaze softening, his eyes humid with an outpouring of love. "Home," he says.

---

It takes the two of them a long time to get Cao Fei and Jin Ranyu settled down enough to explain what's happening.

Cao Fei takes it somewhat in stride, considering his more prevalent memories are from being a cultivator, all the talk of gods and multiple reincarnations doesn't phase him.

It's harder on Jin Ranyu whose most recent memory is of being a 21st century hired assassin, whose partner and sometimes lover now insists they are actually martial siblings from the same demonic cultivation sect.

To say nothing of the information that he's apparently on an idol survival show, that this isn't actually his real world either, and that he might or might not be a god.

"I mean, I assume from what I was told, that that's what we all are," Xi Zirui says, frowning a little when Ni Ni doesn't confirm his words.

But he's soon distracted by Cao Fei saying, "I do have some recollection of the world we are in now, and the events you describe as you say them, but it's faint. Like the memories aren't actually mine, and I'm merely remembering what someone else told me."

"We have to leave, how long have we even been here? Someone must be looking for us by now," Han Yu says, looking at the open door regretfully.

Xi Zirui understands his reluctance, he would much rather stay here than have to go back to Su Xueyi's stupid acting practice.

Ni Ni's chime goes off, unexpectedly. "Informing Host: time in the pocket realm passes differently. Hours inside amount to only minutes outside."

Sighing in relief, Xi Zirui shares that piece of news with the others.

Han Yu shoots him a charged look, the corner of his lips ticking up in mischief. "That's good to know."

Xi Zirui's neck grows hot, and his palms sweaty. He knows what a look like that from Han Yu means.

He's only sorry they aren't alone.