In the living room, where she had been watching a drama, Su Wan's phone suddenly rang. She picked it up, glanced at the caller ID, hung up immediately, and tossed the phone aside.
A Xin turned her head and asked, "It's Ye Xiaoge?"
"Mm." Su Wan shrugged, looking a little helpless. "I've already blocked her."
A Xin let out a small laugh. "It's good you've figured it out. Even if you like Ye Xiaoge, there won't be a result. Even if you two were together, you wouldn't be happy."
"I've figured it out long ago." Su Wan's eyes curved with her smile. "Tomorrow night is Cruise Night. Tomorrow morning we board the ship. Does your company have any arrangements? Are you coming with me, or with your colleagues?"
"I'll go with the company," A Xin said. "The boss seems to have something planned for me."
"Right, you haven't prepared your gown yet, right?" Su Wan asked. "There will be a ball every night on the cruise. Although the gowns upstairs look decent and there are boutique shops, they can't compare to the ones we choose ourselves."
"I contacted a designer earlier. They designed several sets of gowns for us. They should be delivered soon. Want to try them on?"
"You've already prepared them? Then of course I'll try them on."
A Xin answered, her eyes drifting back to the television, fully absorbed in the Mary Sue drama on screen. Su Wan watched her for a moment and realized—A Xin really liked these shows. She felt a bit incredulous.
After living together this long, she had discovered that not only did A Xin enjoy these sweet, melodramatic dramas, she also liked Mary Sue novels, and she especially liked playing all kinds of top-ranked mobile games. She had peeked once; A Xin was ranked number one.
It made no sense to her—someone like Qin Xin didn't seem like the type to enjoy these things.
"Su Wan, do you have some question on your mind?" A Xin could feel Su Wan staring and had to turn and ask.
Su Wan had been holding back this curiosity for a long time. She finally decided to ask. She truly wanted to know why Qin Xin liked these kinds of things. Not because she looked down on them—just that they didn't seem to match her personality.
"So this is what you were curious about?" A Xin glanced at the TV. "Isn't that what TV shows usually play? They're interesting. Don't you think so, Su Wan? Look— the heroine is just an ordinary girl. Why are there so many outstanding men falling for her?"
Resting her chin on her hand, she continued, "And they're all CEOs and industry elites. Every time I watch, I wonder—where do they get the time? They don't discuss business, don't work, aren't busy, and are always flying around the country. Yet they always appear next to the heroine at the same time, competing for her attention. And with just one sentence from the heroine, they give up extremely important projects."
Su Wan froze. So… this was what she had been thinking?
"So did you figure out the reason for all this?" Su Wan asked.
A Xin looked at her seriously. Su Wan even straightened her posture instinctively, expecting some profound answer from this mysterious girl.
A Xin then said, calmly:
"Because… it's a story."
Su Wan: "…"
So she prepared herself mentally for this… and that's the answer???
But after thinking about it—yeah, it is just a story. None of this could happen in real life.
Su Wan let out a helpless smile. "I thought… you had uncovered some deeper meaning."
"In reality, most people are ordinary. Scenes like those only exist in dreams—some people might not even dream of them. So they project their desires onto the dramas, imagining themselves as the heroine to satisfy that small wish inside. I bet the girls who watch these dramas are very happy."
"When I watched them on my computer, the screen was full of comments like: 'Husband! Husband! You're so handsome!' Obviously people long for this."
Su Wan shook her head. "What about you, Qin Xin?"
"Why do you watch them?"
"To pass time," A Xin replied. "I watch from a god's-eye perspective. It's interesting. No matter what story it is, there's always something enjoyable. I want to experience every aspect of human life now that I'm here."
"Why the god's-eye perspective?" Su Wan asked. "Don't people usually imagine themselves as the heroine?"
A Xin thought earnestly. "I can't. The heroine cries too much—I don't like crying. She's also a bit silly—that's probably to help the audience self-insert, but I can't insert myself. I think I'm quite smart."
"And the heroine hesitates between several men who treat her well. I wouldn't. If I like someone, I'll only choose that one person, firmly and unconditionally—no entanglements with anyone else. That way everyone is better off. So I can't be the heroine."
Su Wan nodded. That made sense. No wonder she herself couldn't keep watching these dramas—she couldn't empathize with the heroine's perspective.
"As for the male lead's perspective," A Xin continued, "I can't do that either. If I tried, all I would think is: why give up a billion-dollar business contract just to take care of a girl who only has a fever? Sign the contract first, then go check on her."
"Pfft—!" Su Wan burst into laughter, her shoulders shaking. "Qin Xin, you really have a unique way of thinking."
But she had to admit—Qin Feng loved Ye Xiaoge, yet he wouldn't give up a major contract. Even back then, when she was still stupidly infatuated, even when Ye Xiaoge begged her, she wouldn't have agreed. She also couldn't self-insert.
After A Xin's commentary, Su Wan also began watching this drama she once thought she'd never watch.
Some scenes left her speechless—some supporting male characters behaved exactly like she had before, like flying across the world just to find Ye Xiaoge a unique birthday gift.
The heroine's personality was somewhat similar to Ye Xiaoge too. But in the drama, her flaws weren't shown—only her innocence, sweetness, purity, and a bit of clumsiness. The audience only saw an idealized version.
For the first time, Su Wan found herself immersed in a Mary Sue drama.
She definitely didn't dare tell A Xin that she wasn't watching from a god's perspective—she had accidentally inserted herself as the devoted second male lead. If she said that out loud, Qin Xin would laugh herself to death.
After finishing the drama, she even felt upset on behalf of the male supporting character. Seeing another version of herself in the show was refreshing—and also made her realize how foolish she used to be.
"Interesting, right?" A Xin asked.
Su Wan immediately nodded. "Yeah, it's kind of interesting."
If she hadn't inserted herself into the wrong character, it would've been even more fun.
Her phone rang again—it was from the company. She had to go. Before leaving, she told A Xin:
"The gowns will be delivered later. Try them on. If they fit, bring them tomorrow."