"A face-to-face proposal?"
"This young fellow has good taste. Liu Siting is much prettier outside the screen than she is in the game."
"But he can't see her from inside the game, can he?"
A few young researchers chuckled, their relaxed laughter breaking the tense atmosphere.
Liu Siting stared at the screen in disgust. Who did he think he was? How did this ugly creep even have the nerve to propose to me?
Liu Siting was about to curse him out when the operator secretly monitoring the scene promptly disabled her microphone, then spoke over the intercom:
"What are you trying to do? Don't swear at him. The situation is very tense right now. One wrong move and you'll be driven out of the village. Stay calm."
Hearing the operator's words, Liu Siting quickly reined in her anger.
Right. I can't lose my temper.
"Then how should I respond?" Liu Siting asked, fighting back her disgust.
"Pretend to agree, then ask why he can't stay here, and what the villagers think of you," the operator instructed.
Liu Siting did not want to give that answer at all, but she held herself back.
She switched on the microphone and recited the operator's lines with a hint of resentment.
The NPC on the screen was overjoyed. He spread his burly arms and stepped forward to sweep her into a hug.
Liu Siting's expression changed dramatically. Her fingers clicked in rapid succession, maneuvering her character out of his embrace. "Keep your hands to yourself. We're not at that stage yet."
The burly villager thought that made sense and abandoned the idea of hugging her.
Then, with the think tank supplying her dialogue, Liu Siting asked what the villagers thought of her.
The mastermind behind the murders. The weirdo who stood around motionless.
The