Chapter 504

"Characters."

When Xu Youyu said this word, she picked up a small square figure from the coffee table, with a base underneath to serve as the player's controlled piece.

Then she picked up a 【Scene Card】 and an 【Event Card】, and added, "Scene, event."

"These three elements form the core gameplay of our Monopoly."

"I deleted all the land-buying and rent-collecting mechanics, replacing them with real-world scenario simulations."

"Let me give an example."

Saying this, Xu Youyu smiled broadly and placed one of her square figures onto an 【Event Card】 space on the map, then said, "Besides the thirteen locations in our house, all other spaces on the map are 【Event Cards】, 【Character Cards】, 【Scene Cards】, or 【Skill Cards】 with special abilities."

"Set the 【Skill Cards】 aside for now—the other three types are simple: when you land on one, you draw a card from the corresponding deck."

"Suppose I now land on this 【Event Card】 space—I can draw an Event Card."

"Like this one."

Xu Youyu spread out the 【Event Card】 in her hand for the other three to see.

Ying Chanxi, closest to her, leaned over and read: "【Event Card】: You opened a bag of chips, but halfway through, you couldn't eat any more—and yet you couldn't waste them, so you began searching for someone to feed them to. (Unlimited)"

"After drawing this card, I have to place it here." As Xu Youyu spoke, she laid the Event Card beside the map, then moved her square figure onto a 【Character Card】 space, "Suppose my next move lands me here—I draw another Character Card."

She then randomly drew a Character Card and spread it open again for the three of them.

Ying Chanxi continued reading: "【Character Card】: The person you last had skin contact with."

Seeing the words "skin contact," Ying Chanxi blushed slightly, an image involuntarily flashing through her mind.

But Xu Youyu remained immersed in the joy of explaining the rules, immediately placing this Character Card beside the previous Event Card.

Then she moved her piece again, landing on a 【Scene Card】 space, and drew another card.

"【Scene Card】: A room where you've spent the night." Ying Chanxi continued reading earnestly.

"Perfect." Xu Youyu nodded happily, lined up the three cards side by side, then clapped her hands and said, "Once any player collects all three elements, a real event is immediately triggered."

"And then~" Xu Youyu grinned mischievously and pinched Ying Chanxi's cheek, "You're the person I last had skin contact with, so this event must be completed by you and me."

Saying this, Xu Youyu immediately stood up, pulled Ying Chanxi along, took a bag of chips from the snack bag they'd bought that afternoon, and headed toward the hallway.

Ying Chanxi had assumed Xu Youyu was heading to her own bedroom, since the 【Scene Card】 specified a place the player had slept in.

But Xu Youyu walked straight into Li Luo's bedroom, leaving Ying Chanxi bewildered.

"I've slept over at Li Luo's too," Xu Youyu winked with a sly smile, "So it's perfectly valid to trigger the event here."

Saying this, she immediately tore open a bag of chips and fed one into Ying Chanxi's mouth.

Remembering the content of the 【Event Card】, Ying Chanxi ate it with a hint of jealousy, thinking that if she ever drew that Scene Card, she'd choose Li Luo's bedroom too!

With slightly puffed cheeks, Ying Chanxi followed Xu Youyu out of the hallway and returned to sit on the sofa.

Then Xu Youyu added, "Suppose you previously drew an 【Event Card】 and a 【Character Card】, and then your next move lands you here."

As she spoke, Xu Youyu moved her piece to the 【Living Room Sofa】 space and continued, "At this point, the scene automatically adds the 【Scene Card】 effect—collecting all three elements triggers the event."

"Of course, if your previously drawn 【Event Card】 specifies a restricted scene, it won't trigger."

"Then there's this: when two players land on the same space…"

Xu Youyu picked up another figure and placed it on the 【Living Room Sofa】 space: "When this happens, the two players mutually fulfill each other's 【Character Card】 effects—if either of them has already collected all three elements, the event triggers."

"Got it." Li Luo nodded, summarizing simply, "In short, the map's locations are also 【Scene Cards】, and our own pieces are essentially 【Character Cards】."

"Exactly!" Xu Youyu snapped her fingers happily, "But there's one more rule to add."

She picked up two Event Cards and placed them stacked vertically on the coffee table.

"If I haven't yet collected all three elements, two cards of the same type are stacked in the order they were drawn."

"If I then draw a Scene Card, it automatically goes beneath the first Event Card—unless the Event Card itself has restrictions, the order cannot be changed."

"This is mandatory—you cannot rearrange these cards arbitrarily."

"I understand the logic." Li Luo nodded after listening, then asked curiously, "But normal Monopoly has winning conditions. Your game is just about triggering events? How do we win?"

Xu Youyu gave him a look, thinking: You really intend to play this game to win?

She didn't know how to respond.

But Xu Youyu had already prepared for this. She pulled out her phone and said, "Everyone open your phone's Notes app—record every event that occurs."

"Whoever is the first to trigger events in ten out of the thirteen map locations wins the game."

"Each event involves two people—both count. So when considering 【Character Cards】, be careful not to send someone close to winning into a location where no event has occurred yet."

The other three were all quick learners with solid logic; after Xu Youyu's explanation, they grasped how to play the game.

Yan Zhusheng had remained silent beside them, listening quietly. Now that the game was about to begin, he couldn't wait to ask, "So are we playing now?"

"Some locations have special effects," Xu Youyu said, then waved her hand dismissively, "But we'll deal with those as we play—I won't explain them now."

The four began selecting their pieces.

But there was really no choice.

Xu Youyu had made only four character figures, each with a chibi-style square cutout that clearly resembled the person it represented.

Li Luo, needless to say, was the only male figure.

Xu Youyu's chest contours were perfectly replicated in chibi form; Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng both consciously avoided touching it.

Yan Zhusheng's long legs and hair were also unmistakable—even in chibi form—and so Ying Chanxi chose the cutest of the four figures.

"Okay, let's begin." Xu Youyu placed her piece on the 【Entrance】 starting space, picked up two dice with excitement, and shook them, "Today I'm the Birthday Person—I go first. No objections?"

As Li Luo placed his character on the 【Entrance】, he noticed Xu Youyu had already arranged all four card decks—and realized they weren't just thick, they were absurdly thick.

Each deck had at least forty or fifty cards.

"It's because you all kept refusing to play Monopoly with me," Xu Youyu huffed, tossing the dice onto the table with a pout, "From my birthday last year until now, I've written one card every time I was bored—of course there are so many."

As she spoke, the dice rolled out—she rolled a "7," moved seven spaces forward, and landed on an 【Event Card】 space, drawing an event.

【Event Card】: As dinner time approaches, you're hungry and want to eat something—find someone to share a snack with. (Unlimited)

"There are actually many more cards, but I only picked some that seemed suitable." After drawing an Event Card, Xu Youyu said, "Now it's your turn, Xixi."

The four of them sat in a row on the sofa tonight; as the Birthday Person, Xu Youyu naturally sat in the center.

To her right was Li Luo; to her left was Ying Chanxi.

On Li Luo's other side was Yan Zhusheng.

Ying Chanxi rarely got to sit beside Li Luo, but thinking of the game's mechanics, she felt it didn't matter.

After all, there would be plenty of chances for interaction soon.

So she eagerly rolled a die—nine points.

Ying Chanxi moved her token with serious focus, counting from one to nine, then directly traveled from the 【Entrance】 in the top-left corner of the map to the 【Living Room Desk】 in the top-right.

"Perfect!" Xu Youyu clapped her hands and grinned. "Let me explain—the 【Living Room Desk】 in the top-right is our study zone. Whether you arrive here via an Event Card, Scene Card, or by moving there yourself, you must stop for one round and study seriously here."

As she spoke, Xu Youyu patted Ying Chanxi's shoulder and grinned mischievously: "And it's not just a simple one-round pause—Xixi, you have to sit at the desk and wait there until your turn comes again before you can return."

Ying Chanxi: "…?"

"You didn't just make this up on the spot, did you?" Li Luo asked suddenly from the other side.

"Are you questioning my professional ethics?" Xu Youyu puffed out her chest indignantly and pulled a sheet of paper from the Monopoly box. "All the rules are written right here—I made them perfectly clear."

Li Luo was just teasing; Ying Chanxi naturally wouldn't bother checking the rules, so she pouted obediently and left her seat, walking over to sit at the desk.

At that moment, Yan Zhusheng suddenly stood up, sprinted to Xu Youyu's bedroom, then rushed back and shoved a book into Ying Chanxi's hands: "If you're going to study seriously, you need to read a book, right?"

Ying Chanxi froze for a moment, thinking Yan Zhusheng was teasing her—but when she looked down and saw what the book was, she burst out laughing.

Seeing this, Xu Youyu felt a sudden unease and couldn't help asking: "Zhusheng, what book did you take?"

Before Yan Zhusheng could answer,

Ying Chanxi, at the desk, had already opened the book and, suppressing her laughter, read solemnly: "Chu Qing had still wanted to rest, but her feet teasing him stirred his burning desire. Turning his head, he saw the flirtatious, suggestive smile on her face—he could no longer hold back, rising to head toward the bed…"

"Stop!" Xu Youyu's cheeks flushed crimson at once. She lunged wildly toward the desk, trying to cover Ying Chanxi's mouth.

Ying Chanxi dodged merrily, leaning her upper body away.

Li Luo, meanwhile, sighed and covered his face with a wry smile.

Because that passage gave him a strange sense of déjà vu.

After tormenting Ying Chanxi, Xu Youyu turned to scold Yan Zhusheng, huffing: "Zhusheng, you're too naughty!"

Yan Zhusheng looked innocent, kicked off her slippers, and darted behind Li Luo.

Li Luo sat on the sofa, with Yan Zhusheng squeezed tightly against his back, and Xu Youyu charging toward him from the front. He watched the two bicker with a wry smile, savoring the accidental benefits of their close contact.

When the chaos finally ended, everyone returned to their seats, and Yan Zhusheng picked up the die to continue the game.

—Eleven points.

Yan Zhusheng picked up her token, passed Ying Chanxi, and landed on the 【Scene Card】 space, drawing a card.

【Scene Card】: You've just returned home from outside and bought a small gift to give someone. Upon entering, you head straight for their bedroom to find them.

Seeing this Scene Card, Yan Zhusheng's eyes lit up with anticipation.

Ying Chanxi, hearing Yan Zhusheng read the 【Scene Card】 aloud with perfect seriousness, felt a twinge of envy—and then a burst of irritation. Thinking she'd miss a turn and likely lose a card draw, she compared herself to Yan Zhusheng and immediately felt a sour pang of jealousy.

Now it was Li Luo's turn. He rolled two "1s," totaling two points, landing on the 【Skill Card】 space.

"You didn't mention this one before, did you?" Li Luo reached toward the 【Skill Card】 deck and turned to Xu Youyu.

"It's simple—these are just special skills," Xu Youyu waved her hand. "You'll know how to use it once you draw it."

"Really?" Li Luo nodded and casually drew a card. The next second, his expression froze.

"What did you draw?" Ying Chanxi asked curiously, noticing his strange look.

Li Luo tugged at his lips.

But beside him, Yan Zhusheng had already leaned over, pressing her head against his chest, and read aloud:

"【Caught in the Act Card】: When a real event occurs on the board, activate this card to interrupt the event—the event will not be recorded."

Li Luo: "…Your card name is a bit extreme."

"How's it extreme? The name fits perfectly," Xu Youyu chuckled wickedly, then added, "You can only interrupt during the actual event."

"You've got a real sadistic streak," Li Luo couldn't help but complain.

Xu Youyu ignored him, cheerfully picking up the die and rolling again.

(End of Chapter)