Chapter 55

Chapter 55

On Monday, Jing Huan had just woken up when he noticed someone in the dorm chat group had been @-ing him constantly.

He squinted and began to lazily scroll through the message history.

Lu Wenhao: Holy shit! Anyone there!!

Lu Wenhao: @Xiaojing @Gao Zixiang

Lu Wenhao: Urgent urgent urgent, get out here @Xiaojing

Gao Zixiang: Are you fucking kidding me? Can you attend class properly and stop disturbing your roommate’s sleep? You woke me up with that noise.

Lu Wenhao: Finally someone came, damn I was about to burst.

Gao Zixiang: If you’ve got farts, let them rip.

Lu Wenhao: [Share Link – Campus BBS – “Ahhh I caught Xiang Huaizhi and Jing Huan! They’re doing that thing!!!”]

Seeing his name, Jing Huan frowned and, puzzled, clicked in.

The photo was posted in the main building.

Under the streetlight, he stood shoulder to shoulder with Xiang Huaizhi, holding Xiang Huaizhi’s left hand, smiling very happily.

It was the night he warmed Xiang Huaizhi.

So? What about this photo?

Jing Huan slid down in confusion.

3L: They’re real! Really!!

7L: Damn, is there anyone in the know? Tell us the details.

10L: I knew something was off about them!! So handsome! If he were straight, how could he possibly not have a girlfriend?!

Wait a minute…

Jing Huan seemed to understand something, and slowly sat up.

20L: Thanks OP. My roommate confessed to Jing Huan twice and was rejected both times—she cried for a long time, but now she’s okay, and she sincerely wishes him and Senior Xiang a long and happy life together, growing old hand in hand.

37L: I want to ask OP, are you from the photography club? These photos are so beautiful, they’re so sweet…

79L: Our school actually has a male-male couple now! And they’re both so handsome! I’m freaking out! I’m going to send this to my high school roommate to show off!!

Line 155: I also heard Xiang Huaizhi was helping Jing Huan blow off steam on the basketball court—so they’re dating, huh?

No…

He was helping Xiang Huaizhi blow off steam, alright!

Realizing she’d been focusing on the wrong thing, Jing Huan trembled as she scrolled down.

173L: Haha, good thing I’m smart. The moment I saw Jing Huan I knew he must be gay, and even a sunny, cute little top! So no matter how much I liked him, I never pursued him! But his partner is actually Xiang Huaizhi… I didn’t expect that.

Sunny, cute little top — he understood each of those words, but put together what the hell did they mean.

After reading that thread, Jing Huan didn’t know whether to be angry or amused. He exited and returned to the chat group.

Xiao Jing ya: Can the BBS check IPs?

Gao Zixiang: Calm down, don’t immediately start trying to dox someone.

Xiao Jingya: What the hell… what’s going on? I only warmed Xiang Huaizhi’s hands.

Looking at these replies, anyone who didn’t know better would think he and Xiang Huaizhi were caught in bed together.

Lu Wenhao: I don’t get it either, just holding hands… Last winter I held your hand every day, why did no one say we were dating?

Xiao Jing: ?

Gao Zixiang: Obviously—no one here is stupid.

Lu Wenhao: ???

Lu Wenhao: What do you mean? I didn’t understand, but you must be teasing me.

Gao Zixiang: It mainly comes down to looks, got it?

Lu Wenhao: I don’t understand.

Gao Zixiang: Two good-looking people holding hands—that’s called a match. Anyone who sees them would think they’re a couple.

Lu Wenhao: Don’t say any more.

Gao Zixiang: A handsome one holding a ugly one—that’s called poverty alleviation, called brotherly love, called long live friendship, long live and ten thousand times long live.

Lu Wenhao: …Today I absolutely have to settle this with you. Just wait, I’ll go back with a knife in hand.

Jing Huan had been pretty down, but watching those two idiots chat eased his mood considerably.

He opened the chat window with Xiang Huaizhi.

He typed: Bro, that night when I was warming your hands I got photographed, and it was even posted on the school’s BBS QAQ.

Just as he was about to send it, Jing Huan froze—only then did he realize he’d added an emoji.

What a terrible habit…

He hit delete, removed those characters, and clicked send.

Xiang Huaizhi: I saw it. Do you mind?

Jing Huan was momentarily stunned.

He was the one who reached out and took someone else’s hand first — what was there to be bothered about?

Little Jing: Not bothered… it’s just that it’ll make you look misunderstood.

Little Jing: Shall I go explain it on the forum for you?

Xiang Huaizhi: I don’t mind either.

Xiang Huaizhi: I’m busy right now, let’s talk next time.

The chat ended abruptly. Jing Huan held his phone, feeling a bit dazed—so is he going to explain or not?

Before he could think it over further, the phone suddenly vibrated.

Xiang: Are you awake?

Xiaojing: Awake,哥哥^0^/／

Xiang: Log into the game.

Jinghuan glanced at the time; it wasn’t even ten o’clock yet.

Already starting the next chapter so early?

That post had chased away his drowsiness, so after replying “okay” he obediently threw back the covers and got up.

After washing up, he logged into the game and hung around the main city, planning to order some breakfast to fill his stomach. Before he could even open the delivery app, a dialog box popped up first.

[Heart’s Desire invites you to join his party. Yes, No.]

“……”

Jing Huan clicked “Yes,” thinking he should ask him to turn off the location display in his friends’ info—otherwise he’d be revealing his whereabouts all the time with no privacy at all.

With that thought, he moved his mouse over Xin Xiang Wang Zhi’s profile and, sure enough, couldn’t see the coordinates.

“Brother, morning.” Jing Huan saw the friends list was all gray; Ai Shi Fen Ni Chi and Lu Tiao Tiao were offline. “Looks like it’s just the two of us online?”

“Morning.” Xiang Huaizhi replied, then led him out of the city.

Jing Huan had just woken up, feeling sluggish all over. She neither spoke nor typed, wanting to see where he would take her.

After a few scene changes, they arrived at Falling Flower Valley.

Jing Huan finally couldn’t help but ask, “Brother, are we on a date…”

“No,” Xiang Huaizhi said, “fill up your status.”

Jing Huan was momentarily stunned, raised her hand to refill her health bar, and a vague suspicion stirred in her heart.

They had just arrived at the most beautiful waterfall in Falling-Flower Valley, and before Jing Huan could see anyone, a message popped up in the chat channel—

[Current] Ji Xiaonian: I love you too, in this life and the next, never leaving nor abandoning. [heart]

Ji Xiaonian was standing under the cherry tree, beside him a scholarly-looking young man; they seemed to be on a date. They wore matching couple outfits, their characters tightly embracing, utterly lovey-dovey.

The scholar’s name, Jing Huan, seemed familiar from the district’s leaderboard, but the memory was vague.

Of course, that didn’t matter.

Jing Huan didn’t think she had specially brought herself here out of longing for him; it was to make him eat dog food.

As expected, before he could speak, a line of yellow text popped up first.

[Attention! Team leader Xinxiangwangzhi has initiated a forced PK against player Ji Xiaonian!]

Jing Huan: “…”

Ji Xiaonian had clearly noticed them too, but unfortunately Xinxiangwangzhi’s hand was too quick; she didn’t have time to escape.

[Current] Ji Xiaonian: ???

[current] Ji Xiaonian: Are you sick? Ambushing me??

Xiang Huaizhi didn’t respond, directly throwing out the Binding Immortal Rope, giving Ji Xiaonian no chance to escape.

[current] Ji Xiaonian: What does that have to do with me? You stalk me every day? Always bullying women, truly shameless. [vomit]

[current] Ji Xiaonian: Scumbag [disdain] disgusting [vomit] slut and scumbag [spit]

Ji Xiaonian was best at being sarcastic and snide; before long she had filled the entire chat channel.

Jing Huan watched, feeling a pain in her liver, and furiously tapped out a bunch of messages to strike back.

Xiang Huaizhi said: “Don’t argue with her.”

Jing Huan froze mid-movement. “How do you know…”

“The keyboard is loud.” Xiang Huaizhi’s voice was flat, completely unaffected by Ji Xiaonian’s words.

“……”

Jing Huan came back to herself and quietly deleted the message in the chat box.

No, was he out of his mind?!

He actually just tried to speak up for her?!

[Current] Ji Xiaonian: Well, did I hit the mark? Afraid to make a sound now?

At that moment, the scholar who had just been on a date with Ji Xiaonian finally spoke.

[Current] Moonlight and You: Longing for it, the two of you ganging up to kill one woman—doesn’t that seem a bit like bullying?

[Current] Longing for It: You can form a team.

Those words said, Yuè Sè and Ni immediately shut up.

Forced PK allows temporary team-ups. If Yuè Sè and Ni really feel they’re being outnumbered, they can team up with Jì Xiǎonián to fight back.

That remark reminded Jì Xiǎonián; she immediately opened a private chat.

[Friend] Jì Xiǎonián: Babe, join my team! We’ll take Xiǎo Tiánjǐng away and grind her gear!

[Friend] Moonlight with You: …That’s not very good, right.

[Friend] Ji Xiaonian: ??? She already brought people to kill me, what else could be not very good?!

[Friend] Moonlight with You: What if they can’t kill you?

[Friend] Ji Xiaonian: How will we know they can’t unless we try?

[Friend] Moonlight and You: …

[Friend] Moonlight and You: No, darling… I put a lot of game coins on my character to climb the rich list. If I die, I’ll drop a lot of money…

[Friend] Ji Xiaonian: ?

[Friend] Moonlight and You: Nian Nian, look at Xiaotianjing’s gear—any single piece on them isn’t worth as much as what I have. Why bother competing with them.

[Friend] Ji Xiaonian: You mean you’re abandoning me?

[Friend] Moonlight and You: No, how could I ever abandon you? I’ll wait for you at the respawn point and take you to buy outfits in a bit, okay?

Seeing Ji Xiaonian fall silent, Jing Huan couldn’t help but ask, “Will they team up?”

Xiang Huaizhi said, “It shouldn’t be.”

Jing Huan was momentarily taken aback. “Why?”

“Today is the day the rich list updates, so you and Moonlight should have received a lot of gold coins.”

“Just because of that?” Jing Huan frowned. “You wouldn’t even care that your wife was murdered over a bit of money?”

Xiang Huaizhizhen: “If it were you, would you care?”

“Of course,” Jing Huan said without hesitation. “If one day my brother is killed, I’ll go back to the rebirth point with him. We’ll sleep in the same bed and be buried in the same tomb! Not even death can tear us apart!”

“You don’t need to go to the rebirth point with me,” Xiang Huaizhizhen said leisurely. “I won’t die.”

Jing Huan: “…”

This person was not romantic at all.

At that moment, the person who had been silent for most of the time suddenly spoke.

[Current] Ji Xiaonian: If you want to kill or quarter me, hurry up.

Only then did Jing Huan realize that Yue Guang and Yu had somehow disappeared; this area now held only the three of them.

After that, Ji Xiaonian didn’t speak again. When she was knocked to the ground, Jing Huan even felt she looked somewhat pitiable.

The battle ended; only him and Xin Xiangwangzhi remained in the scene.

“Zui’ai Maimai went out of the safe zone,” Xiang Huaizhi said suddenly. “Did you get your revenge last time?”

“Ah… never mind, he didn’t bother me again after that.” Jing Huan suddenly remembered something. “Brother, how did you know Ji Xiaonian left the safe zone?”

“I saw it while doing daily quests.”

“Like this,” Jing Huan sighed, “she’s kind of pitiful too—being hunted, and her husband doesn’t even care.”

“Mm.”

“Forget it, why should I feel sorry for anyone,” Jing Huan calmed down, “when I was being hunted I didn’t even have a husband!”

“……”

“I still don’t!!!”

Xiang Huaizhi took him by the arm and walked him back, trying to end the subject.

Jing Huan had no intention of letting it go; she opened her mouth and declared, “Brother, marry me!!”

“I won’t.”

“Why?!”

Because you’re a man.

The thought had barely surfaced when Xiang Huaizhi froze for a moment.

Although he couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong, he knew that this idea of his… was a little strange.

Too strange.

He glanced reflexively at the back of his hand; the warmth of that young man’s palm from that night still seemed to linger there.

“Because,” Xiang Huaizhi paused, “I consider you a friend.”