Chapter 58
Kissing Yuyu was momentarily stunned; recalling the tone the girl had used when speaking to him, she immediately understood.
She and Xiang Huaizhi had played together since childhood. She knew how charming her cousin was, and she also knew how cold his usual demeanor could be, especially toward girls.
For a while she even suspected Xiang Huaizhi was gay. Once, during a meal, she couldn’t help but mention it—and got a severe beating from her parents.
And now, Xiang Huaizhi had left a girl who called him “brother” in the regular team, and the two of them seemed to get along fairly well.
Kissing Yuyu suddenly perked up: “What do you call me?”
Jing Huan was taken aback, and even more fucking embarrassed.
He raised a hand to ruffle his hair and leaned back in his chair.
No — how did he just start arguing with the little girl…
“I… called you the wrong name,” he said awkwardly. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Kissing Fish asked, “are you real-life friends with my brother or just game buddies…”
“The female warrior flanks and uses a combo.” Xiang Huaizhi cut off their conversation. “Give me the health pool.”
Kissy Fish made a small “tsk” sound: “Alright, alright, I know.”
Jing Huan didn’t speak again. He stepped forward to put a vial of blood, waited for the cooldown, then circled behind the boss and healed the female warrior back to full.
Five minutes later, the boss fell, and the group was teleported back to the capital. Xiang Huai Zhi didn’t linger; he headed straight for the dungeon NPC to queue for the next run.
“Ah, another run?” Kissy Fish shrugged. “Go do something fun for once.”
Xiang Huaizhi: “You go yourself.”
“How can you be like this…”
“Cousin, why do you want to go?” Lu Hang spoke up, “Brother will take you.”
Lu Hang had met Kissy Fish before, but only briefly and they hadn’t spoken, so that night he hadn’t realized the voice belonged to her.
“Don’t shout,” Kiss Fish said, “anything except the next chapter. Play the arena, open a Fate Stone… even finding someone for a ten-thousand match works.”
A ten-thousand match, called a death-or-life battle in the game, is a PK between two teams conducted under the system’s oversight, with a wager set.
The game’s official betting cap is very low, so players usually privately raise the stakes, typically starting at ten thousand, which is why everyone calls these fights “ten-thousand matches.” In Jinghuan’s old server the players liked to tear each other apart; there were ten-thousand matches every day. In Mirror Flowers, Water Moon, she hadn’t really seen them much.
People on this server liked ambushing on the open map.
It seems this cousin is also a big spender—her hobbies are nothing but PvP and throwing money around.
“That’s not allowed, we live in a harmonious society, no fighting,” Lu Hang said. “How about this: after we finish this dungeon, I’ll take you to see some sights?”
“What sights would a grown man like you be looking at?” Kissing Fish sniffed. “That’s way too effeminate.”
Lu Hang: “…”
Kissing Fish glanced at the time. “Brother, how about you come with me to the arena in a bit?”
Xiang Huaizhi thought for a moment and said, “No.”
“Why?!”
“I have a teammate now.”
“Who?”
“Huxian Cave.”
The Fox Immortal was suddenly called out and immediately magnanimous, saying, “It’s fine, don’t worry about me, you two go ahead.”
KissFish thought for a moment, said nothing more, and instead opened a private chat with a friend.
[Friend] KissFish: Bro, what’s your relationship with this person called Xiao Tianjing?
[Friend] Yearning: Kid, don’t worry about such things.
[Friend] Kissing Fish: I’m only two years younger than you, okay?!
[Friend] Kissing Fish: Are you married?
[Friend] Kissing Fish: Probably not, they haven’t even set their relationship status as spouses…
[Friend] Kissing Fish: So it’s just the start of an online romance? Getting ready to marry? Or a fling?
The message sank into the void, but Xiang Huaizhi’s game character kept moving.
[Friend] Kissy Fish: If you don’t answer me, I’ll go ask her myself [smiley]
[Friend] Longing Heart: Give me back the gear from just now.
[Friend] Kissy Fish: How could you be like this!
Xiang Huaizhi knew his cousin wasn’t one to sit still; when her curiosity got the better of her she’d certainly go ask Jing Huan.
[Friend] Xin Xiang Wang Zhi: Just ordinary friends.
[Friend] Qinwen Yuyu: Ordinary friends call you brother??
[Friend] Xin Xiang Wang Zhi: Since when did you get so nosy.
[Friend] Kissing Yuyu: I’ve always been very nosy.
[Friend] Yearning: The new year is almost here.
[Friend] Kissing Yuyu: ???
[Friend] Yearning: If you still want to go home and have a proper New Year, don’t bother her.
Kiss Fish was shocked.
They had grown up together, and Xiang Huai had accumulated countless pieces of leverage over her, but he’d never used any of them to threaten her before. This was the first time—and it was over an online friend.
Kiss Fish became even more certain!
There’s definitely something wrong with them!!!
Jing Huan didn’t realize he’d already become the topic between the siblings; whenever he thought back to their earlier conversation he felt embarrassed, and yet he couldn’t stop thinking about it.
In the end it was the WeChat notification that rescued him.
Feeling as if he’d been pardoned, he immediately grabbed his phone, thinking that no matter who was messaging him now, he’d latch on and chat for hours.
Counselor: Are you there?
Forget it.
Jing Huan blankly closed the chat window.
Let him keep being embarrassed.
Counselor: I know you’re here. What’s with your avatar?
Counselor: Come out, I have something to discuss with you.
Xiaojingya: Just saw this, what is it, teacher?
Counselor: Have you been attending classes properly this week?
Xiaojingya: Look at what you say—did I skip class?
Counselor: [smiling]
Xiao Jingya: [smiling]
Counselor: Alright, getting to the point. Our school is having an evening gala at the beginning of next month, you know?
Xiao Jingya: I didn’t know.
Counselor: I drew the short straw; our class has to put on a program, a stage play, and you’re coming along.
Xiao Jing: ?
Do your own things yourself — you drew the lot, you perform. Is that so hard to understand?
Xiaojing: I’ve never acted in a stage play before; you should ask someone else, teacher.
Counselor: You were the first actor I confirmed. You don’t have to know how — you can just stand there and not move. But I heard from Wenhao that you sing pretty well?
Xiaojing: You believe his nonsense? He keeps saying he’s lost weight every day.
Counselor: …
Counselor: Don’t attack your classmates. You’re the face of our class — you have to go up, and with you there, the class’s enthusiasm will be higher. Come to the classroom on Saturday to meet up; we’ll see what role to give you.
They talked about this for more than half an hour, and finally the counselor, unable to bear it any longer, began listing his absenteeism from the past few weeks. Jing Huan had no choice but to give in.
Just the thought of having to perform a stage play in front of his alumni made Jing Huan feel ashamed.
When a stage actor goes on stage it’s called a performance; when he goes on stage it’s called comedy.
Thinking about going to confront Lu Wenhao, as soon as he logged off he tossed out, “Alright, I’m logging off first, 886,” and left the group.
Before he could even log out, a message from a friend flashed up.
[Friend] Xin Xiang Wang Zhi: Not playing the arena tonight?
[Friend] Xiao Tianjing: 0.0 Aren’t you going to take your cousin?
[Friend] Xin Xiang Wang Zhi: Not taking her.
[Friend] Xiao Tianjing: Wouldn’t that be a bit…awkward?
[Friend] Xin Xiangwangzhi: No, come to the arena entrance.
Jing Huan hesitated for a moment, but went anyway.
No choice — a simp is always this humble.
Halfway through the fight, Xiang Huaizhi vaguely noticed he was off: “What’s wrong with you?”
“Mm?” Jing Huan paused. “Did I make a mistake?”
Xiang Huaizhi: “You didn’t say anything.”
Jing Huan sighed. “It’s nothing much, the counselor came to find me just now…”
“Got caught skipping class?”
“How is that possible!” Jing Huan said, “He just asked me to perform on stage at next month’s school anniversary.”
School anniversary?
Xiang Huaizhi thought for a moment; it did seem that was indeed the case.
“What’s there to be upset about?”
“I don’t want to go. I can’t act, and I’m not interested in singing,” Jing Huan said casually. “I only want to sing for my brother.”
“Then sing.”
“I… huh?” Jing Huan was stunned.
Xiang Huaizhi asked, “Wasn’t it that you wanted to sing for me?”
That’s just flattery! Once it’s out, that’s it! No after-sales service, okay?!
Jing Huan forced a laugh: “We’re in a match, brother, it’s not convenient…”
“This round is ending soon, you can AFK.”
“?”
I trapped myself.
Jing Huan wanted to travel back two minutes right now, knock out the version of herself sitting at the computer and haul her away.
Words once spoken are like water spilled; Jing Huan forced herself to open her music app and glanced at the playlist—
“Sailor,” “Ordinary Road,” “Cao Cao”…
No matter how you looked at it, this definitely didn’t seem like a song a girl should be singing, aaaah.
“…What… does brother want to hear?”
Xiang Huaizhi raised an eyebrow: “Is there also a song-request service?”
You bet.
There’s even a “beat them to death and bury them” service—an all-in-one package that won’t charge you a cent. Want it?
He replied politely, “What you’re asking for, I might not be able to sing.”
Jing Huan didn’t know how strained his own tone sounded just then.
Xiang Huaizhi smiled at that; he wasn’t really expecting him to sing through a voice changer, he just felt that this man’s sweet-talking needed to be curbed.
Liking someone doesn’t mean you have to please them at every turn.
It’s one thing with yourself, but if you did that with others, wouldn’t you just get walked all over?
Thinking this, Xiang Huaizhi unconsciously drew in his smile, withdrawing the amusement from his face.
“Forget it,” he said, finishing the medicine on his body, and continued matching opponents. “Next time. The next round is about to start.”
Jing Huan was searching on Baidu for “what songs do boys like to hear girls sing.” Hearing this, she froze and blankly replied, “Oh…”
This man changes his face so fast—he must have been an opera actor in a past life.
——
The next day, in the classroom.
“Dad, Dad, I was wrong, truly wrong.” Lu Wenhao pressed his hands together in a supplicating gesture toward the person beside him; the flesh on his arms trembled. “I really didn’t realize he wanted you to perform in the stage play.”
“You didn’t think of anything,” Jing Huan snapped, giving him an annoyed look. “You’re done for—don’t run after class.”
“I really didn’t know! He asked me how you were at singing and dancing. I said you’re okay at singing, but your dancing is deadly… ”
Jing Huan eyed him suspiciously. “So what position did he assign you?”
“Uh?” Lu Wenhao blinked innocently. “Xiang’er and I are both in the props team.”
Gao Zixiang was reasonably conscientious and nodded: “To be honest, I was right beside them while they were chatting.”
Got it.
Jing Huan had no outlet for her frustration and had to swallow it herself.
Halfway through class, Jing Huan grew drowsy and couldn’t concentrate, so she simply pulled out her phone to play.
Before launching the game, he first sent a message to the one he longed for.
After five rounds of Tetris were over, he still hadn’t received a reply.
Jing Huan switched back to the chat window and jabbed the other person’s avatar a few times with his index finger.
Still not replying to your dad’s messages!
He didn’t notice that the people around him had been frowning and staring at him for a long time.
“Huanhuan,” Lu Wenhao finally couldn’t hold back and leaned in to ask him, “are we good brothers?”
Jing Huan didn’t even turn his head, focused on stacking blocks: “Depends on the situation.”
“…” Lu Wenhao fell silent for a moment, “When I was in an online relationship before, was you the first person I told?”
“I don’t really want to know either.”
“Damn, just say whether you are or not!”
“…You could say that.”
“Then be honest with your brother now,” Lu Wenhao said, his expression serious, asking in a breathy voice, “Are you dating someone? Don’t worry, I’ll keep it a secret!”
Jing Huan was startled; the horizontal tile fell down, blocking the two empty seats he’d carefully arranged.
He turned his head, frowning in confusion. “Are you not awake?”
“I’m awake,” Lu Wenhao said. “No, look at you right now—you totally look like you’re fallen in love.”
“?”
Lu Wenhao held up his fingers and counted them off one by one for him: “One, when you were playing the game just now, you switched to WeChat like ten times.”
“Bull,” Jing Huan interrupted him. “Can’t I wait for a friend’s message?”
“You weren’t even this eager waiting for your mom’s messages. Okay, okay, listen to me,” Lu Wenhao put another finger down. “Two, you rush back to the rental after every class—are you hurrying home to voice-chat with your girlfriend?”
“…” Damn, he actually guessed half of it right.
“Three, you changed your profile picture, and the vibe of your Moments has shifted,” Lu Wenhao said, “Did you change it for that woman?”
“…” Fuck, this time he was ninety percent right.
“Four, your way of speaking has been weird lately, you keep adding particles to your sentences,” Lu Wenhao said, mysteriously tugging at his thick brows, “Learning that from her?”
“Five, just now when she didn’t reply to your message you went completely sullen—black as coal. That has to be your significant other, otherwise you’re into her…”
Jing Huan cut him off with a cold face: “If you keep counting off in my ear, I’ll dig up photos of your ex’s online-boyfriend and hang them in your family shrine.”
Lu Wenhao finally shut up.
After class, they walked out of the classroom together, discussing whether to go into the city over the weekend.
“Lu Wenhao?”
The three of them turned around together and saw Lu Hang and Xiang Huaizhi standing behind them.
Xiang Huaizhi was looking down at his phone; at the sound of his name he glanced up slightly.
Lu Hang smiled. “I could tell it was you from a distance. Where are you headed?”
“Getting ready to eat,” Lu Wenhao asked, “Brother Lu, what are you all doing here?”
“Our class was moved to a classroom in this building, we just got out,” Lu Hang said, still holding a basketball, “So, want to play for a bit?”
“Sure.” Gao Zixiang answered, then added, “But at this hour, there won’t be any space on the court, right?”
Lu Hang winked at him: “I had someone save us a spot. Let’s go.”
Xiang Huaizhi threw his phone into his pocket. “You guys go ahead, I’m not going.”
Jing Huan immediately said, “I’m not going either.”
Lu Wenhao, not afraid of trouble, asked, “Why? Rushing back to do another voice chat…”
Jing Huan raised a fist at him.
Lu Wenhao hurriedly dodged: “My bad, my bad, just joking.”
So after going downstairs, the five of them split into two groups and left again.
Walking together with Xiang Huaizhi, Jing Huan couldn’t help but keep glancing down at his shoes.
“What, want to step on them again?” Xiang Huaizhi asked.
Jing Huan shook his head violently: “I don’t want to.”
Jing Huan had only walked a few steps when he felt something was off and glanced around in all directions.
“What’s wrong?” Xiang Huaizhi asked, noticing his movement.
Jing Huan’s expression was complicated: “Um, bro… do you feel like a lot of people are staring at us?”
Xiang Huaizhi didn’t notice.
He usually received a lot of attention anyway, and couldn’t tell what was different about today.
“I don’t feel anything.”
Jing Huan was puzzled: “Then maybe it’s just my imagination…”
Walking to the boys’ dorm, Jing Huan was just about to say goodbye to the person beside him when he saw the boy’s steps didn’t stop and he came up ahead of him.
He froze for a moment: “Brother?”
Xiang Huaizhi stopped: “Mm.”
“Aren’t you going back to the dorm?”
“We’ve come this far,” Xiang Huaizhi said casually, “let’s go have lunch together.”
The two of them went back to that braised chicken place.
While they were eating, Jing Huan took out his phone and saw that Xin Xiangwangzhi had already replied to him.
He glanced at the time; it was sent right when his class had just ended. He must have been walking then, so he didn’t hear the notification.
After eating, just as Jing Huan was about to pay, Xiang Huaizhi had already scanned the code and paid ahead.
“Let’s go.” Xiang Huaizhi said.
Jing Huan held his phone, blinking: “Oh… oh.”
Stepping out of the restaurant, it was still that same milk tea shop.
Xiang Huaizhi: “Want any milk tea?”
“Sure…” Jing Huan hurried to say, “I’ll go buy it myself!”
Xiang Huaizhi moved to the end of the line: “I’ll get coffee too.”
Ten minutes later, Jing Huan came out of the milk tea shop again, carrying three cups of milk tea.
He stood by the roadside, looking bewildered.
Why did he feel… this scene was somehow familiar?
Xiang Huaizhi, holding a coffee, walked up to him. “I’ll head back first, then.”
“Oh, okay… hey, wait!” Jing Huanteng reached out and grabbed his coat.
Xiang Huaizhi turned his head, looking at him with a questioning expression.
Jing Huan came back to himself and asked, “Can we step aside and talk for a moment?”
The two of them sat at the outdoor seating of the bubble tea shop.
Jing Huan set the drink on the table and got straight to the point: “Brother, is there something you need my help with?”
Xiang Huaizhi didn’t understand: “What?”
“I’m saying,” Jing Huan sat up straight, “if you need something from me, just say it directly. No need to… go through so many formalities.”
“……”
Xiang Huaizhi realized Jing Huan’s train of thought seemed a bit different from ordinary people’s.
He gave a wry smile, just about to reply.
Jing Huan stepped closer and asked softly, “Is there a girl in our class you like?”
“?”
“Bro, don’t be shy. I’ve run into this a few times—I can definitely help you,” Jing Huan said. “Which girl is it? I’m not that close with the girls in class, so I can probably only help you get her contact info.”
“……”
Jing Huan thought for a moment and smiled, “But I didn’t expect someone with your…conditions would worry about chasing after someone.”
The boy smiled and took a sip of his milk tea, frowning at Xiang Huaizhi and staring at him with a subtle expression, as if unsure what he was thinking.
After a long moment, he found his voice: “I have no intention of pursuing anyone.”
Jing Huan uttered an “ah.”
“I don’t need anyone’s contact information either.” Xiang Huaizhi picked up his coffee and rose, lowering his eyes to look at him, his tone flat,
“I just purely wanted to treat you to a meal, nothing more, and no ulterior motives—don’t read into it.”