Chapter 3: Rose Earl 3

"Ding dong! Red Side plot progress: 10%, survivors remaining: 7."

After the system prompt sounded, Xia Qi couldn't help but be surprised.

The Red Side—Cha Gong's team—had actually completed 10% of the plot progress!

"Ding dong! Blue Side plot progress: 0%, survivors remaining: 6, one death."

After the Blue Side's costume change task ended, their plot progress remained at 0%!

Wait, what is plot progress?

"Is this really a PvP game? Are our opponents the Red Side?" The Yellow-haired man looked very displeased after hearing the announcement.

Since the fat man died, the only remaining young and able-bodied men were now Xia Qi, the Yellow-haired man, and a limping youth.

Xia Qi raised his head, looking at the back of the butler who was walking in front, lost in thought.

Although it seemed like the fat man had fallen to his death, it was definitely related to this butler with his fake smile.

Xia Qi suspected that there were monsters or other special entities in this game that could cause player deaths.

"No, this game is not just a PvP game," Xia Qi said softly.

There were also NPCs with ulterior motives.

By now, they had reached the third floor. As they walked through the corridor connecting the Corner Tower, Xia Qi noticed a row of regular shooting holes on the wall, indicating that this rose mansion was not just for daily life—it could also serve as a fortified battle stronghold.

Xia Qi slowed down, intentionally falling behind the group, and came to the old man at the end, whispering, "Sir, are you really not planning to cooperate with your teammates?"

The old man was the first from the Blue Side to change into women's clothing. Perhaps due to some perverse interest, he had chosen a pink frilly dress and wore a matching bow in his hair.

If one ignored the old man's wrinkled face, the dress did make him look younger.

"I'm just an ordinary old man; I don't understand what you're talking about," the old man chuckled, still looking lecherous.

Seeing that the old man refused to admit he was an experienced player, Xia Qi gave up.

Everyone followed the butler into the dining room.

The long table was covered with a white tablecloth, and each seat had a set of silver cutlery, with a vase containing a rose next to the plates.

After seating, the maids continuously served the guests. The first dish was a small salad, followed by bread and butter, and finally a bowl of red borscht.

Due to the gruesome death of the fat man, everyone had little appetite, especially since the borscht was made with tomatoes, which reminded them of the blood flowing from the fat man's head.

However, the old man beside Xia Qi ate heartily.

When he noticed Xia Qi watching him, he stopped eating and said, "Young man, eat while you can; otherwise, you won't get to eat when you want to."

Before changing clothes, the old man had warned all his teammates, but the fat man didn't listen.

Thinking of the fat man's fate, Xia Qi decided to eat properly.

When dinner ended, the butler glanced at the leftover food on the table, looking quite satisfied, saying, "Ladies, you are indeed ladies of noble birth."

Ladies of noble birth?

Did it mean they ate too little, fitting the image of noble ladies?

Xia Qi didn't think their group of cross-dressers were "ladies of noble birth"; they simply couldn't stomach the food.

"Please follow me to the ballroom," the butler added.

As the butler left the dining room first, the old man quickly grabbed a silver knife from the table and hid it in his puffed sleeve.

After hiding the knife, he also took a silver fork. If the plate wasn't so large, Xia Qi suspected he would have stolen that too.

Watching the old man's skilled movements, Xia Qi had a sudden realization about the concept of "plot progress."

He reached out and picked a rose from the vase.

"Ding dong! Blue Side plot progress +1%!"

Could it really increase plot progress?

Xia Qi examined the ordinary rose in his hand, wondering what kind of clue it could be.

"Check the item description, and you'll know," the old man reminded him, seemingly noticing Xia Qi's confusion.

Xia Qi brought up the system panel to check the rose's attributes.

"Item name: Rose."

"Other information: A beautiful rose. Wearing it on your collar will make you more charming."

Xia Qi couldn't help but frown. He already felt ridiculous in women's clothing; wearing a rose would only make it worse...

"This clue is good."

The old man had also taken a rose and, after reading its description, unhesitatingly pinned it to his collar.

Xia Qi bent the stem of the rose and attached it to his collar.

Regardless, he decided to give it a try.

As the Blue Side members entered the ballroom, a burst of laughter erupted inside.

"Hahaha, the weak and sickly of the Blue Side have all become cross-dressers!"

"Ah! My eyes!"

Laughter erupted from the Red Side, who had always considered the Blue Side's elderly and weak members to be no match. They never expected that the Blue Side would suffer such bad luck—forced to wear women's clothing even before losing the game!

The laughter reached its peak when the old man in a doll costume entered.

"Holy shit, this old man is disgusting!"

"Hahaha... I feel like throwing up."

Xia Qi took a deep breath and steeled himself as he entered the banquet hall.

The moment he stepped inside, the laughter abruptly stopped as if someone had flipped a switch.

A man muttered, "Who is this? Why didn't we see such a beautiful girl on the Blue Side earlier?"

Hearing the murmurs, Cha Gong frowned and looked toward the entrance. When he saw who it was, he couldn't help but gasp.

At the door stood a tall woman in a rose-red, chest-high Rococo dress, carefully walking in while leaning against the wall. She kept her head slightly lowered, her cheeks flushed red, extending to her ears, making the smooth white skin below her collar gleam like pearls.

Cha Gong felt his blood rush to his head.

"How can he wear such a low-cut dress?!" Cha Gong's lips trembled with anger.

The man beside him sighed, "Yeah, such a sexy creature. It would be a shame if she died in the game..."

Listening to the Red Side members commenting on Xia Qi's appearance, Cha Gong finally lost his patience and shouted, "Are you blind? That's a man!"

"Holy shit, a man? Brother Cha, could this man be that Xia guy?"

Cha Gong's face darkened, and he gritted his teeth, "Yes."

As soon as Xia Qi entered, he felt the intense gaze of the Red Side, with two particular sets of eyes standing out.

One came from Cha Gong, whose angry glare seemed ready to devour him. The other came from the young master, whose bright eyes were filled with both jealousy and admiration.

Xia Qi shifted uncomfortably, thinking, what's so enviable about wearing women's clothes?

Once everyone arrived, the butler slowly walked to the center of the hall and announced loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, the dance party is about to begin. Please find your ideal dance partner and enjoy the dance!"

"Congratulations to the Blue Side for accepting the mission: Find the most dazzling person on the dance floor!"

"Mission Description: Search high and low, find an opposite-sex dance partner and dance gracefully together!"

"Mission Countdown: 00:29:59."

After the mission was announced, the chandelier at the top of the banquet hall dimmed, leaving only a row of small candles on the walls glowing red.

"Bum-chacha, bum-chacha..."

Piano and orchestral music gradually filled the air. It was a three-beat minuet, not too fast, creating a gentle and elegant atmosphere under the dim candlelight.

"What kind of mission is this? Are they forcing us to choose a 'opposite-sex' partner from the Blue Side?" The Red Side members discussed heatedly amidst the music.

In the game, sometimes the "opposite sex" wasn't necessarily determined by real gender but by the game's designation.

Clearly, the Blue Side's dressed-up members were deemed "female" by the game.

"The Blue Side is missing one person; we have one more than them... Oh, I'm going first!" The Blue Side had only six people, while the Red Side had seven, meaning one Red Side member would be left out!

Suddenly, the Blue Side's cross-dresser became highly sought after.

"I'd rather dance with someone from the Red Side than that disgusting old man."

"You don't get to choose now!"

No one wanted to be left out, knowing the cruel nature of the game, where failure meant an unknown fate.

Just as Xia Qi hesitated, a familiar figure pushed through the crowd and quickly approached him.

It was Cha Gong!

Xia Qi tensed up and backed away. He didn't want to dance with this scumbag; it was too disgusting.

Because he retreated too quickly, he accidentally stepped on his dress.

"Oh—"

As Xia Qi stumbled backward, a hand suddenly wrapped around his waist, gently lifting him up.

"Thank you!" Xia Qi politely held onto the arm and steadied himself.

Then, a voice whispered in his ear, "Lady, please be careful."

The voice was as elegant as a cello, deep and mesmerizing. Xia Qi's ears tingled momentarily, and he immediately stepped back to examine the man.

The lights in the dance floor dimmed again.

Due to the dim lighting, Xia Qi squinted but could only vaguely make out the man's silhouette.

From the shadow cast, the man appeared very tall, likely over six feet.

Xia Qi remembered there was indeed a tall man on the Red Side, so he relaxed slightly.

"Lady, may I have this dance?" The man bowed slightly and extended an invitation.

Xia Qi glanced in the direction Cha Gong had come from and found him gone.

He had finally escaped that scumbag.

"Madam?" The man gently reminded Xia Qi, who seemed distracted. "May I have this dance with you?"

Xia Qi was surprised by the politeness of the Red Side, leading him to think that there might be good people among them.

He replied, "Y-yes, of course."

"Thank you. It's been a long time since I've danced." The man smiled shyly, carefully lifting Xia Qi's hand. Before Xia Qi could react, the man suddenly pulled him into his embrace.

Their bodies collided instantly, and Xia Qi found himself held tightly in the man's arms.

The man's scent was pleasant—a delicate blend of rose and sandalwood amber that evoked warmth and comfort. As they were so close, Xia Qi looked up and finally saw his face clearly.

The upper half of the man's face was covered by a golden classical Venetian mask, beneath which lay an exquisitely chiseled chin. Noticing Xia Qi's gaze, the man smiled slightly. "Madam, are you ready?"

When entering the ballroom, all the men from the Red Side wore suits and golden masks. This man's appearance confirmed for Xia Qi that he was indeed the tall man from the Red Side.

"I actually... don't know how to dance," Xia Qi said awkwardly.

He glanced around and noticed that everyone had started dancing as per their mission requirements, albeit clumsily.

"Lady, it doesn't matter. You can follow my lead," the man chuckled softly, intertwining his fingers with Xia Qi's and placing his other hand on Xia Qi's waist.

Being held like this, as a lady, made Xia Qi feel uncomfortable, but for some reason, his body did not resist. Under the man's guidance, he awkwardly took a few steps.

Xia Qi never knew he had any talent for dancing. With brief practice, he became increasingly proficient.

As the music switched to a more lively tune, the man spun Xia Qi out and then back in. Xia Qi twirled twice, looking at him from a distance.

At that moment, the crystal chandelier flashed a golden light, illuminating the dance floor. Xia Qi caught a glimpse of the man's eyes beneath the golden mask.

They were a deep blue, filled with warmth and tenderness.

Xia Qi's heart skipped a beat as he gazed into those eyes. Suddenly, the music grew brighter, and the man smiled brightly, pulling him back in.

Xia Qi's dress swirled around him like a blooming rose as he spun across the dance floor.

The song was perfectly chosen, tailored to highlight the man's vibrant yet elegant demeanor.

Xia Qi continued spinning, the lights on the dance floor changing, making the dark floor resemble a starry sky. Everyone else seemed to vanish, leaving only Xia Qi and the man dancing together.

When the lively music ended, he stopped spinning, his back gently touching the man's chest.

Now, Xia Qi was in a tender position, held in the man's embrace.

The man rested his chin on top of Xia Qi's head and asked, "Do you like this 'Will-o'-the-Wisp Minuet'?"

His deep voice sounded exceptionally clear, like feathers tickling Xia Qi's ears.

"It's... not bad." Unable to withstand the low-frequency attack, Xia Qi quickly stepped away from the man.

Surprised by Xia Qi's retreat, the man laughed pleasantly. Soft music resumed, and he continued dancing without asking for consent.

"Lady, you seem a bit distracted," the man remarked as they moved in small steps.

Xia Qi was startled—was he that obvious?

In reality, while seemingly following the man's lead, Xia Qi had been secretly counting the number of people passing by.

10... 11... 12...

Finally, he counted the total number of people.

Including himself and the man before him, there were 14 people on the dance floor, none of whom were alone.

However, after the fat man's mysterious death, the combined number of survivors from both the Red and Blue Sides was 13.

Xia Qi nervously swallowed.

Who was the extra person?

Just as Xia Qi was pondering, a "ding dong" sound signaled the system's notification.

["Find the Hottest Guy on the Dance Floor" task completed!]

"Ding dong! Red Side plot progress +0%"

After the entire dance, the Red Side's plot progress did not increase. Presumably, the Blue Side, who had been dancing with the Red Side, would also have minimal progress...

"Ding dong! Blue Side plot progress +30%"

Unexpectedly, the Blue Side's plot progress surged from 1% to 31%!

Even Xia Qi, trying to maintain steady steps, missed two beats.

Given the sudden spike in plot progress, someone from the Blue Side must have excelled in the "Find the Hottest Guy on the Dance Floor" task, possibly finding key clues.

Looking at the noble, elegant, and enigmatic man before him, Xia Qi's heart raced even faster. Could his luck be that good...

Before anyone could catch their breath, the system announced a new task.

"Congratulations to the Blue Side for accepting the task: True Love's Kiss."

"Task description: Due to legal restrictions, the content is not describable. Please use your imagination!"

"Task countdown: 00:02:59."

Xia Qi: "..."

Hearing the incessant exclamations of "what the hell" and "damn it" nearby, Xia Qi's dance steps instantly faltered, and he stepped on the man's shoe tip.