Chapter 48: Class Game (14)

That person was stunned for a moment. “A match seller?”

Yun Xueqing nodded. “Would this customer like to buy some matches?”

Once he sold them all, he could go home.

The noble across from him not only failed to calm his anger but grew even more furious. “How dare you toy with me!”

Enraged, he shoved Yun Xueqing, sending the basket in his hand flying to the ground and spilling matchboxes everywhere.

“What are you doing?”

The noble who had shoved him turned pale with shock. “Miss Jiang!”

Yun Xueqing looked over and saw Jiang Yiyue dressed in an elaborate gown. She pointed at the noble who had pushed him. “He’s my friend. It’s not your place to bully him.”

The noble was astonished. “A match seller is Miss Jiang’s friend?”

Jiang Yiyue ignored him, took Yun Xueqing’s sleeve with her hand gloved in white lace, and led him into the Estate.

Yun Xueqing didn’t understand what was happening and allowed her to pull him inside.

Once inside the Estate, away from the nobles’ scrutinizing gazes and probes, Jiang Yiyue let out a sigh of relief. “I don’t know where we are, but it seems we have to role-play… Your random identity is a match seller?”

Yun Xueqing nodded. “Thank you for helping me.”

“It was nothing,” Jiang Yiyue explained. “My identity seems to be a noble invited to the banquet hosted by the rumored Miss Tiffany.”

Yun Xueqing thought for a moment. “This banquet might be the key to getting out.”

Jiang Yiyue, in this unfamiliar environment with no one she knew, naturally wanted to stick with someone nearby. “Then let’s go in together.”

The two passed through the garden and entered the brightly lit grand hall, where elegant violin music echoed. Nobles in formal attire and ladies danced graceful waltzes.

At the center of the banquet stood a massive tower of red wine. The butler poured expensive wine from the top, eliciting excited screams from those around it.

Noble youths folded paper money into small squares and tossed them into the wine tower, interrupting the butler’s pouring. Seeing the butler’s angry expression only excited the troublemakers, who clapped delightedly.

The vast banquet hall was a scene of extravagance, decadence, and indulgence.

Even though the two entered low-key, Yun Xueqing’s ragged clothes inevitably drew the nobles’ attention and whispers.

Amid the murmurs, Yun Xueqing paid them no mind. He wandered the inner hall as more people arrived. He even spotted several familiar faces—the remaining challengers who had randomly drawn noble roles.

Ji Tongsheng, who had been a match seller like him, had somehow found a way to sneak into the banquet as well.

Of the thirteen in total, twelve had gathered at this banquet. Only Fu Wuxuan was missing.

Yun Xueqing had a vague idea, but before he could confirm it, someone nearby exclaimed, “Miss Tiffany has arrived!”

The doorway instantly became the center of attention. Everyone turned to look and saw an elderly butler in a tailcoat pushing a wheelchair into the room.

Seated in the wheelchair was a person dressed in a snow-white gauze gown, wearing a flower hat. She had curly blue hair, blue eyes, and skin so pale it was unnatural. Her deep-set eyes and straight nose complemented each other strikingly.

Though clearly a woman, her features carried an aggressive edge.

Yun Xueqing was taken aback. Though her appearance had changed, he still recognized that this so-called Miss Tiffany was the missing Fu Wuxuan!

Yun Xueqing didn’t know what was going on and could only watch and wait.

As it turned out, not just in rumors but even at the banquet itself, “Miss” Tiffany was extremely popular. A crowd of men swarmed around him, eager to win his favor.

Yun Xueqing rubbed his fingertips. “What’s so special about Miss Tiffany?”

Jiang Yiyue let out an “ah.” “In my backstory… my family told me that whoever marries Tiffany inherits the entire Tiffany Family fortune—a massive sum that could last a lifetime of extravagance.”

Yun Xueqing raised an eyebrow. “So that’s why he’s being pursued?”

Jiang Yiyue nodded. “Mostly, yeah. But Tiffany really is quite beautiful.”

Rich, powerful, and beautiful—plenty of nobles wanted to marry him.

Jiang Yiyue added, “I wonder what the exit condition is. Maybe winning Miss Tiffany’s favor?”

No one in the room except Yun Xueqing recognized Miss Tiffany as Fu Wuxuan.

Yun Xueqing shook his head. “Not necessarily.”

If the goal was to win a specific person’s favor, how was that person supposed to escape?

The condition wasn’t fair.

Jiang Yiyue looked worried. “We don’t know what to do now. The only thing we can try is winning Miss Tiffany’s heart. It might help us get out.”

With that, she headed toward Tiffany.

Even if it wasn’t the case, it was better than doing nothing.

Yun Xueqing stayed put, watching Fu Wuxuan from afar. Seated in the wheelchair, he was much shorter than those around him, surrounded by fawning nobles.

The usually suave and carefree Fu Wuxuan, encircled by so many people, rarely showed a troubled expression.

He smiled and brushed off the noble youths. “There are guest rooms on the second floor. If you’re tired, you can rest there.”

The youths, dazzled by “Miss” Tiffany’s beauty, sighed in admiration. “What a beautiful and kind-hearted lady. May you have sweet dreams tonight.”

Fu Wuxuan forced his stiff lips into a smile.

If he weren’t mobility-impaired and weakened by this damned environment, he would’ve punched at least a couple of these guys.

He managed to send some away, but a few wouldn’t take the hint—or pretended not to—and buzzed around him like flies.

Growing increasingly irritated and about to snap, he heard someone nearby say, “The night is deep, miss. You need rest. Please understand, gentlemen.”

Yun Xueqing approached from the side, breaking through the crowd.

Fu Wuxuan recognized the familiar voice and curved his lips. He chimed in, “That’s right. I want to sleep. Go away, all of you.”

The surrounding youths finally dispersed reluctantly.

The noble who had shoved Yun Xueqing at the door was among them. He glared at Yun Xueqing resentfully and left gnashing his teeth.

With the crowd gone, Yun Xueqing looked down at Fu Wuxuan, who sat calmly in the wheelchair dressed as a woman. For once, he felt like teasing him. “You’re quite comfortable.”

He hadn’t expected the rumored Miss Tiffany to be this guy.

“I’m surprised too,” Fu Wuxuan smiled, his face playful, though his tone turned serious. “The King released us into this illusion without a single clue. He clearly wants us to die here.”

His own noble identity was manageable, but Yun Xueqing as a slum match-selling boy was in trouble.

Without entering this banquet, he might have frozen to death on the street.

Yun Xueqing looked up. “I have some ideas.”

His identity was a poor match seller from the slums, while Fu Wuxuan’s was a wealthy, powerful noble who could host banquets at will.

The gap between them was vast.

Yun Xueqing continued, “It’s a Class World outside, and no different here.”

The Goatmen said they were experiencing the First Layer of Hell. For challengers drawing poor identities, it truly was hellish cruelty.

But for those drawing noble Experience Cards? Was that even hell?

No, it was more like paradise.

Yet challenges were fair, and game mechanics balanced. Perhaps hidden dangers lurked around nobles.

Fu Wuxuan nodded at his analysis. “I don’t know the entry point. It’s tricky.”

He rested his hand casually on the wheelchair armrest. “Since we can’t read the question, let’s guess the questioner’s intent.”

“That King loves playing mind games. He was reading Dante’s book, and the Goatmen’s Nine Layers of Hell match The Divine Comedy.”

He twirled a strand of hair from his cheek around his finger. “I skimmed The Divine Comedy once, not thoroughly… Who reads that besides artsy types?”

He’d paid the price for being uncultured.

He tapped his temple with a fingertip. “I vaguely remember the first layer of hell in The Divine Comedy relates to religion and faith.”

Yun Xueqing blinked. “I haven’t seen any religious elements or clues today.”

Fu Wuxuan tapped his temple again. “That’s why it’s weird… Maybe I misremembered.”

It was a book from years ago, barely glanced at. He couldn’t recall details.

Fu Wuxuan tapped his chin. “Maybe it’s not about religious faith. I could be wrong.”

The other pondered. “Perhaps we’ll know tomorrow.”

Fu Wuxuan shook his head. “We can’t wait for tomorrow.”

Yun Xueqing looked up. “Why?”

“…This identity has a nominal father who demands I pick the richest noble at this banquet tonight and get engaged.”

It was an obvious, time-sensitive task.

Yun Xueqing’s match-selling task was the same. Without the banquet, failing to sell out tonight would’ve meant freezing to death.

Both tasks had to be completed tonight.

They needed to crack the First Layer of Hell tonight, or they might be trapped forever.

Yun Xueqing glanced at the helpless Fu Wuxuan. “Did your father give any clues about who the richest noble is?”

The other shook his head. “No. I asked around the banquet, but got nothing.”

Everyone here wanted him—or rather, his wealth.

When he inquired about specific names, they all kept quiet for their own interests.

Fu Wuxuan added, “But even if I found out, it might be useless. I have a feeling that following the old man’s words—finding that person and getting engaged—might be the real trap preventing escape.”

Yet skipping the tasks left them clueless, stuck in place.

Fu Wuxuan irritably twirled his hair, trying to recall the Divine Comedy from high school. Maybe its content held clues.

But when he needed it, he hated that he couldn’t remember.

The silent Yun Xueqing suddenly spoke up. “Can we find that book called The Divine Comedy in this First Layer of Hell?”