"Knock, knock."
At night, in the hotel, Lin Yu stood outside the door of the room next to his own and gently knocked.
Although Shen Bingmiao had often "invaded" Lin Yu's room under various pretexts during this journey, this was the first time Lin Yu had taken the initiative to come to Shen Bingmiao's room.
A moment later, the door opened, and Shen Bingmiao looked at Lin Yu standing outside.
"Oh my—Junior Brother, what brings you here?"
Lin Yu walked straight into the room. Shen Bingmiao had booked a standard twin room, so Lin Yu sat directly on the bed that no one had slept in.
"This 'tour'... You calculated that it would take place before I reached Tier 3, didn't you?"
Lin Yu spoke in a low voice. Shen Bingmiao nodded. "I knew you'd realize it after coming to Jincheng."
"I've reached Tier 3 before as well... For most players, an Exclusive item and advancing to Tier 3 are merely ways to obtain a 'trump card' and a 'finishing move.' But if all you want is more than merely scraping by, then Tier 3 will be a 'starting point.'"
Shen Bingmiao spoke softly. She picked up the unopened bottle of mineral water on the table, twisted off the cap, and took a sip. "My dear 'ace,' I'm not worried about your abilities or your acting. But... just as Old Mr. Zhang said today, your performance—or rather, you, whose life has become bound to your performance—need to reconsider how you understand your own emotions."
Lin Yu looked at Shen Bingmiao without responding. Instead, he asked in return, "How did you convince Old Mr. Zhang to cooperate with you?"
"I didn't convince him. Anyone with profound attainments in acting can see your current state." Shen Bingmiao set the bottle down beside