Why did the system take my request to take photos with a cosplayer seriously?

She had already decided to go, but only to confront the other party and make things clear; there was no need for her to dress up deliberately.

6:40 PM, hotel garage.

Long He sat in the passenger seat, not in a hurry to get out of the car, and kept adjusting his breathing.

"nervous?"

Ding Heng asked softly.

"nonsense."

Long He glanced at him and turned her gaze back to the window.

"Try being invited to 'eat alone' and see how that feels?"

"It's not like I haven't been called that before."

"How can that be the same? You're a man."

"Men also face risks."

"What risk do you have? Your rich woman would love to keep you locked up in her house."

The playful banter eased the tension, and Long He's mood calmed down as well.

Ding Heng picked up a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed it, and handed it to Long He.

"Drink some water to moisten your throat, so you don't have to tremble when you speak."

Longhe took it, took a sip, and handed it back.

"Ding Heng".

"Ok?"

"What if... he really is a difficult person to deal with? What should I do?"

"So what if they're difficult? It's not like you haven't dealt with difficult people before."

"I'm serious."

"I'm serious."

Ding Heng remained nonchalant.

"You make it sound so easy..."

Long He turned back to look ahead and continued to adjust his breathing.

Don't be too pessimistic.

Ding Heng tried to persuade him again, "What if the other person is a good person?"

"Come on! If it were before, I might have held onto a sliver of hope, but..."

Upon hearing this, Long He frowned deeply: "Look at him now, he doesn't seem like a good person at all! He's throwing so much money at me without offering any conditions, just waiting for today, isn't he? This is called playing the long game to catch a big fish!"

"They haven't caught anything yet..."

Ding Heng felt quite aggrieved.

"Is it too late to fish?"

"Okay, okay, you're right."

Ding Heng raised his hands in surrender, still acting nonchalantly.

Seeing his perfunctory attitude, Longhe became even angrier.

"Whose side are you on anyway?"

"I'm on your side."

"So you always speak up for him?"

"I do not have."

"You have it."

"Okay, okay, I was wrong, I won't say it anymore."

Long He snorted and turned his head away.

After a few seconds of silence, she turned back, her tone much gentler.

"Ding Heng".

"Ok?"

"In case... I really fall out with him, you'll have to cover for me in all the trouble that follows."

"rest assured."

Ding Heng didn't say anything more.

Those two simple words eased the weight off Long He's mind.

She opened the car door.

"I'm going up."

"Ah."

Longhe closed the car door, took two steps, and then stopped.

She turned around, bent down, and looked at the open driver's side window: "Aren't you coming up with me?"

"They invited you, what would I be doing going?"

"So you're just going to wait here?"

"Ah."

"What if something happens to me?"

"I promise to arrive at the scene as soon as possible."

Longhe puffed out his cheeks, seemed about to say something but then swallowed it back, quickly turned around and walked into the garage elevator.

Just before the elevator doors closed, she squeezed out again, opened the passenger door again, and got in.

"how?"

"I forgot something."

Long He took a third deep breath, trying to compose himself.

"Ding Heng, before we go up, there are a few things I want to say to you."

"Ok?"

Ding Heng turned to face her.

Long He lowered his eyes and adjusted his tone.

"We've known each other for so many years... do you really consider me a brother?"

Having already said so much, Long He decided to make his point even clearer.

"Why not?"

I don't think so.

Long He raised his head and met Ding Heng's gaze.

She lacked her usual flamboyant and carefree demeanor, and was neither as bewildered and vulnerable as when she was a crybaby.

Very calm, and very serious.

"Sometimes I...have those thoughts."

She tried her best to express herself clearly.

"For example, the time in Changsha when you waited for me until the early hours of the morning to record a show. And the time you accompanied me to karaoke. And last night... when you helped me take a bath."

Her voice trailed off as she finished speaking.

“I would think, 'I wish you weren’t my brother.'”

The carriage fell silent for a few seconds before Longhe mustered his courage again.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you this yesterday... why don't we try making do?"

These were the questions Ding Heng asked her in her dream, and today Long He finally took the initiative to ask Ding Heng the same question.

After she said it, she wasn't as nervous or shy as she had imagined. Instead, she felt much more at ease, but then regret came with it.

So it turns out that saying these things isn't so hard after all?

Why did I struggle with this for so long in the past?

Ding Heng countered, "Are you sure?"

Long He didn't answer again. He opened the car door again, and left a sentence before bending down to get out.

"Think it over carefully."

……

Longhe stepped back into the elevator, his back ramrod straight.

She didn't look back, because she didn't dare.

She was afraid that if she looked at it, she wouldn't have the courage to go any further.

As the elevator ascended, the numbers ticked up one by one, and she silently counted the floors in her mind.

Twenty-first floor.

The corridor was carpeted in dark colors, welcoming Longhe all the way to the suite.

She raised her hand and knocked on the door, which was quickly opened.

The hotel staff member in uniform stepped aside and bowed slightly in politeness.

"Miss Long, please come in."

"Thank you."