The book is also known as The Eternal Prison of Universal Smiles
Su Huai is a graduate student in criminal psychology, and his specialty is acting.
He has played obedient, docile, harmless little flowers for twenty-two years without ever slipping up.
Until he was pulled into an instance where everyone had to smile. The System judged that he was "acting too convincingly, with no genuine emotions," slapped him with the label [Permanent Mask], and blocked his view of the way to clear the level.
In other words: act well, and you don't deserve to see the exit.
Su Huai refused to accept that.
He came up with an unconventional method: deliberately let his mask slip. Not a real slip, but a carefully calculated, partial one, giving the System the false impression of "Oops, I have flaws too" to trick it into unlocking his view.
The plan was perfect. The only variable was the expressionless man beside him.
That man's mouth was tougher than his life, his face colder than a wall. As he passed, he glanced at Su Huai and tossed out, "Your smile isn't necessary."
Su Huai: "..."
What was even more infuriating was that the man could figure out where the way out was, but couldn't see the crack in the entrance. Su Huai could trick the System into opening the door, but had no idea where it was.
They couldn't make it alone. They had to team up to survive.
But they couldn't stand each other, and neither was willing to speak first.
One acted, one ruined the act.
One hid a blade behind his smile, while the other watched him hide a blade behind his smile without so much as changing expression.
The instances were terrifying, but sometimes it really wasn't the instances' fault. It was these two.
Reading guide: both have only ever been with each other, one-on-one, happy ending, 75% sweetness, 10% angst, 15% unknown
Additional tags: #BoysLove #Comedy #PlotTwists #MindGames
Theme: I don't have to change myself for you, and you don't have to force yourself for me. We can stand together, imperfect as we are, and refuse to let the world tame us into a single mold.
