Stress and Deception

People often experience symptoms of autonomic dysfunction when they are under stress, such as palpitations, trembling hands, rapid heartbeat, sweating, blushing, rapid breathing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. In severe cases, the body may shake, with symptoms like head tremors, hand tremors, and leg tremors. There may also be signs of unsteady walking, muscle tension, and stiffness or discomfort in the neck and upper back. The upper abdomen may feel uncomfortable, and there may be a general feeling of unease throughout the body. Severe stress can even lead to a sense of impending death, where one feels as if they are about to die. This feeling usually lasts only a few minutes but can be so frightening that some patients require emergency medical attention.

The above text was temporarily copied and pasted, sourced from Baidu.

Xiang Qi had always been skeptical of such extreme stress reactions, wondering if anyone could really become that stressed.

However, Baidu wasn’t entirely full of false information. There was a significant amount of truth in it, and Xiang Qi’s doubts were proven wrong by the very real reaction she was currently witnessing.

At the moment, Xiang Qi was facing off against the two people across from her, feeling quite helpless. This was her first time encountering such a situation, and she wasn’t sure how to handle it.

“Um… Did I scare you?”

The girl pushed her disheveled bangs back, revealing a very beautiful face.

At this late hour, wearing a white dress and running around with her hair all over the place, Xiang Qi hadn’t considered the impact this might have, especially on the teenage boy before her. It had clearly given him a significant psychological shock.

“It’s you?”

Uncle Li’s expression flickered with a hint of discomfort but quickly recovered. Honestly, this girl, who had been sitting on a rock watching the sea before they even woke up, was quite distinctive. Her beauty was so striking that she left a deep impression. This impression was now even stronger. It wasn’t often that one saw a girl with her hair disheveled looking like a ghost suddenly appear out of nowhere. Even Uncle Li had been startled.

The initial shock was doubled by the fear she now inspired.

The boy named Du Nan was still a bit afraid, but the girl’s beauty had somewhat eased his earlier terror. At least now he dared to peek out and look at Xiang Qi a few times.

His face was still a bit pale. Xiang Qi glanced at him before falling silent. She walked slowly to the middle-aged man’s side, hesitated as if she wanted to say something, but then brushed past him.

‘3… 2… 1…’

“Wait…”

The middle-aged man couldn’t let go of his concern and called out to the girl who was about to leave.

‘Mission accomplished!’

Unfortunately, he didn’t see the sly smile on the girl’s face as she turned away, resembling a fox that had just caught its prey.

“What is it, Uncle?”

By the time she turned around, the girl had composed herself, her face showing a harmless expression with a hint of anxiety and fear.

Her voice trembled slightly, as if she were trying to stay calm.

“Um… You should come with us.” The middle-aged man patted the boy’s head. “It’s safer if we stay together. A young girl like you shouldn’t be wandering around at night, even if you’re a ‘veteran’. It’s better to stick together in this situation…”

People tend to judge by appearances, and Xiang Qi’s current look easily won their sympathy, unintentionally causing them to underestimate her abilities. This created a sense of protectiveness towards her. Underneath her appearance, her temperament was truly excellent, and her natural beauty was almost unreal. No wonder she had hesitated when planning to act against Xiang Ran earlier, unable to be as decisive as she could have been.

“Well… Okay… Thanks…”

The girl seemed torn, her voice getting softer until she reluctantly walked over to the two of them.

“I can take care of myself… It’s not like I’m afraid or anything. It’s just that it’s better to travel together…”

She seemed to be explaining something, but also as if she wasn’t explaining anything at all.

To be honest, this just made her seem a bit pretentious. But beautiful girls always have advantages, and Xiang Qi knew this, intentionally trying to make her actions seem reasonable and normal.

New players rarely encounter actual veterans, and older players’ understanding is limited. Xiang Qi herself was part of this group, so she knew what could and couldn’t be done. From any angle, new players tend to handle things based on real-world norms, struggling to break free from reality’s framework. Only after experiencing the harsh realities of the game can one truly adapt and change their mindset.

This strategy would easily reveal flaws to real veterans, but it was perfect for dealing with new players.

So, there was no such thing as a better or worse method; it was just about using the right tactic in the right situation.

Anyway, Xiang Qi was the only presumed ‘veteran’ in this game, so if anyone didn’t like it, they could just deal with it.

This was how Xiang Qi smoothly joined their group, and the three of them continued to circle around the forest. The situation wasn’t much different from before, except now there was a beautiful girl with them.

“Uncle Li, have you been circling around like this the whole time?”

Xiang Qi also noticed something was off. When she looked out from the cabin earlier, she hadn’t realized how big the forest was. Because the cabin was on higher ground, she had even seen what looked like an open area beyond the forest, though she wasn’t sure if it was where everyone had started the game.

It wasn’t until she walked around a few times that she realized the forest was much larger than it had seemed from the outside. Xiang Qi felt her feet starting to ache again.

Her poor physical condition was a serious issue. After getting out, she would need to find a chance to exercise properly. She didn’t need to become incredibly strong, just enough to avoid leg pain after a few steps.

She regretted not prioritizing comfort over style and wearing running shoes instead. Xiang Qi felt a twinge of regret.

She was still wearing the same outfit she had when she first entered the game, just with the addition of a pair of jean shorts and a tank top underneath her dress to protect herself.

Who knows, maybe this one-click outfit change was actually a powerful item left by her dad…

Although this thought was a bit unrealistic, the possibility wasn’t low, so Xiang Qi had specially changed into this outfit before entering the game.