Lang Xi shrugged. "So, isn't Chang Jingxue incredibly gentle? I was completely captivated by her back then."
"And what about Yu Nan? Is it also because of her gentleness?"
Lang Xi put her hand on Zhu Yao's shoulder again and lowered her voice, "I like you because you're gentle."
Zhu Yao was speechless. "Do you know why Yu Nan told me she couldn't stand you? It's because you're too humorous. She can't tell if you're telling the truth or joking."
"Truth and falsehood intertwine, falsehood and truth become intertwined; when truth becomes falsehood, even truth itself seems false, and when falsehood becomes truth, even falsehood seems true. Guess how much of what I'm saying is true?"
"I bet the only thing you really love is money."
Lang Xi snapped her fingers. "Bingo! Miss Zhu understands me perfectly."
Zhu Yao silently rolled her eyes in her mind, "Boss Lang, how many of the words you just said were true?"
Lang Xi smiled without saying a word and changed the subject, "What do you think of Chang Jingxue's script?"
"The script is quite good and is suitable for a novel or a film or television production, but the gameplay may not be very strong."
What Chang Jingxue gave to Zhu Yao was just the plot; there were no details related to the game.
Zhu Yao was also a bit stumped, not quite sure how to modify the game in this way.
"You can play a few visual novels with Yu Nan these next few days, and also play Florence."
Florence is an interactive story-driven work presented in the form of hand-drawn comics, telling the story of the female protagonist Florence Yeoh and the male protagonist Krish from falling in love to breaking up.
Besides its emotionally resonant storyline and heartwarming art style, the way this game interacts with players is also worth learning from. At the 2018 TGA, Florence was nominated alongside popular games such as Fortnite Mobile, Cyclops, PUBG Mobile, and Reigns: Game of Thrones Mobile, and ultimately won the "Best Mobile Game" award.
"This game also combines color and emotion, and there are many highlights in the gameplay. Although visual novels can be made as long as the script and branches are well written... I hope you can make a breakthrough in gameplay design."
Lang Xi patted Zhu Yao on the shoulder, "After all, our goal in the future isn't to make visual novels."
Zhu Yao gave a wry smile; the task ahead was arduous and the road ahead long.
After motivating his employees, Boss Lang was about to leave when Zhu Yao called him back.
"Miss Lang, how exactly was the matter at my home handled?"
Zhu Yao remained uneasy, constantly thinking about the vandalized flower shop and the tearful shop manager.
She didn't want to involve Yu Nan and Lang Xi because of herself.
Lang Xi gave an "OK" sign and leaned closer mysteriously, "What do you think of Ning Chen?"
Zhu Yao was a little taken aback by Lang Xi's sudden question. "Miss Ning is very nice, but she's been staying with Teacher Chang the whole time, so we haven't had much interaction..."
"She was the one who mainly handled your family's issues."
Chapter 56 Breakthrough
Zhu Yao was somewhat surprised. In her limited memory, Ning Chen was Chang Jingxue's wife, a female celebrity with stunning beauty and sharp eyes.
Besides, Ning Chen seems to be extremely wealthy. She and Chang Jingxue are inseparable, and she really dislikes Lang Dao'er.
Unexpectedly, such a stunningly beautiful woman who keeps everyone at arm's length would help him.
Lang Xi sighed, "It's really not that I hate her. I feel like her feelings for me are quite complicated. It's like she's wary of me, but she always asks about my situation and cares about me. You know, besides Chang Jingxue and my family, I'm the only person she cares about extra..."
Zhu Yao: "You're not going to say that you two have feelings for each other, are you?"
Lang Xi immediately deflated, a chill running down her spine. "That's not quite right. She gave all her feelings to Chang Jingxue, and wouldn't even spare a glance for anyone else."
Zhu Yao nodded in agreement, "I feel like she's looking at me like I'm invisible."
"Then watch me?" Wolf Blade asked, being a bit too talkative.
"Like looking at garbage," Zhu Yao replied without hesitation.
Lang Xi looked injured, clutching her chest in heartbroken grief.
"How could you... treat your boss like this..."
Lang Xi hugged herself and sobbed, muttering to herself, "I must be the most pathetic boss in the world... My employees look at me like I'm trash... They criticize me every day and call me a comedian... They mock me, ridicule me, tease me about being single, and psychologically manipulate me..."
"Hey, that's enough. At least she has eyes for you."
Lang Xi instantly went from being emo to being excited, grinning and saying, "That's right, at least female celebrities know me. If I can't have her love, then I'll use hatred to make her remember me!"
"And—Miss Zhu actually joked with me?"
Lang Xi, who was just immersed in the tragic heroine's drama, suddenly changed the subject to Zhu Yao.
"Ah...is there?"
Zhu Yao thought about it for a moment, and it seemed to be true.
Subconsciously, she had come to regard Lang Xi as a friend.
We can make jokes that aren't too outrageous, we can tease each other, and we can talk about things that are best left unsaid.
Zhu Yao knew very well what Lang Xi and the others had done while she and Yu Nan were in town.
First, they reversed public opinion—homosexuality is not a crime.
Many LGBTQ bloggers also spoke up for Zhu Yao, which temporarily alleviated the pressure from public opinion.
Following this, many people pointed out that Zhu Yao's doxxing was inexplicable. She was just a regular game streamer, but she was quickly doxxed because of her "name" and the fact that she was confessed to by a woman.
Let the bullets fly for a while.
[I knew it! How did this person suddenly become so popular? She must have offended someone, and someone is deliberately trying to smear her.]
[It's also possible that it was staged by himself.]
[Is the person upstairs an idiot? Who would stage a self-inflicted smear campaign and even release their own ID number? Isn't this obviously being doxxed?]
[Sparrow food, those high school classmates never criticized her before or after, but suddenly they started criticizing her now that she's 27.]
[Everyone's watching Yao Ling get attacked online, but I'm the only one who noticed how sweet-looking she is! And she's from Peking University!]
[Upstairs! I noticed too! She looks so young! I really want to get close to her!]
[Waaaaah, a sweet and academically gifted 27-year-old gaming prodigy, I'm following her everywhere!]
I was there when she was confessed to. At the time, only Yao Ling didn't know about the confession; everyone else in the competition knew. It was hilarious. I wonder if Xiao Tu has successfully won Yao Ling's heart yet?
Immediately afterwards, Lang Xi took the stage, announcing during her live stream the establishment of a game studio and stating that Zhu Yao would join the studio as the lead planner.
[Isn't Yu Miao the lead planner?]
Lang Xi: "If Yao Ling were the lead planner, Yu Miao would be very happy~"
[Both Teacher Lang Dao'er and Yao Ling are beautiful women, didn't anything happen between them?]
Lang Xi: "Do you guys have to bring up the most sensitive topics? I'm going to end the broadcast now in tears! I'm quitting the internet!"
Everyone's attention was quickly drawn to Yu Miao's independent game studio. Lang Xi directly labeled those who were criticizing Zhu Yao as someone who did not want the development of domestic independent games and was trying to harass game developers.
Recalling how these people had sprung up like mushrooms after rain, and combining this with their previous suspicions, the crowd directed their anger at some large corporations, even uniting to resist pay-to-win games…
"Uh... those companies that make pay-to-win reskins got caught in the crossfire. But they're not entirely innocent, after all, they've been making garbage for so long... Yu Hua's studio went bankrupt because of this, so I brought him over here."
Zhu Yao: ...Won't I become the target of everyone's criticism?
He single-handedly offended countless game developers…
Lang Xi felt a little guilty. "This isn't what we wanted to see... but it's a good thing!! We're competitors anyway, so this open competition is actually a form of protection for you!"
Zhu Yao: ...Thank you, but I'm not happy at all.
"However, the fact that these things were released so smoothly is all thanks to Ning Chen."
"Zhu Guorong is your biological father, isn't he?"
Zhu Yao nodded, but her eyes were filled with endless hatred.
Lang Xi sighed, "Zhu Guorong even invested in my competitors and tried to block all games from obtaining licenses. He really wanted to drive people to their doom. He not only wanted to destroy you, but also wanted to ruin the entertainment industry."
"However... Ning Chen's side has a bigger background."
Lang Xi pointed upwards, "Her family has founding fathers and higher-ups... Anyway, one phone call and Zhu Guorong behaved himself... With that person's influence, I guess Zhu Guorong won't dare to touch you anymore."
Zhu Yao was stunned.
"Congratulations, you're free."
The shackles that had weighed on Zhu Yao for 27 years were suddenly removed, and Zhu Yao had never felt so light and the world so clear.
She covered her face with her hands, slowly squatted down, and tears welled up between her fingers.
No one will ever destroy everything she has again, no one will ever control her just because of blood ties, no one will ever…
Zhu Yao had never felt so relaxed; she had never broken down emotionally even when she was in pain.
But at this moment, the tension that had been building up finally eased, and someone told her not to worry. All the pent-up grievances of the past 27 years poured out at once, and she could no longer contain her overwhelming emotions…
Lang Xi quietly left and then called Yu Nan to accompany Zhu Yao.
"Sister, let's go to the room."
Zhu Yao leaned against Yu Nan, and she followed every step Yu Nan took... The two slowly entered the bedroom.
Lang Xi just told Yu Nan everything, and Yu Nan felt both angry and amused.
She was angry at Zhu Guorong's actions, and angry that her sister only told her half of the story—about her childhood family background but not about the pressure she was under.
Zhu Yao broke down the painful events into smaller parts, avoiding the most difficult aspects and only discussing the most superficial parts.
"Sister, you've really worked hard all these years. A student at Northridge University, yet facing setbacks everywhere..."
Zhu Yao, who was still immersed in grief, suddenly looked up and glared at Yu Nan through gritted teeth, "So you can't get into Beiling University, huh?"
Yu Nan started to feel wronged, "I'm just as serious about writing code now as I was about studying in high school."
"My high school years were all about studying day and night, but no matter how hard I tried, there were some questions I just couldn't answer, and no matter how many practice problems I did, I just couldn't understand them."
"Although I got into Toyo University, which is considered a good university by others, I am well aware of my dullness. I just can't understand things that others can understand at a glance. I have no talent, so I can only exchange it for hard work."
"I know very well that Toyo University is the limit I have reached with all my might, and Kitakaya University is a height I yearn for but cannot reach. Even if I study until I'm sick, do practice problems until midnight, and feel like vomiting when I see textbooks, I still can't get in... I just look up to you and admire you!"
"I just want to say it out loud: my girlfriend is amazing, she's so smart! I love her so much!"
Zhu Yao sighed and patted Yu Miao, who was all fuming. "What good is high intelligence... Zhu Guorong's intelligence is no less than mine, yet he lives such a twisted life, and my life is a mess... On the contrary, you are young and promising."