Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating - Chapter 12

Xiang Huaizhi had just completed some daily tasks when he received a system notification.

【Your friend Xiao Tianjing has gifted you 1200 gold, which has been deposited into your special treasury. Please check it promptly.】

He went to the treasury and directly transferred the money, including the portion he spent himself, all to Lu Hang.

In the end, he reconsidered and transferred five hundred gold back to Xiao Tianjing.

Although there was no item reward for killing the demon king, the experience reward was very generous, plus a seven-day double experience and demon king bonus buff. With Xiao Tianjing’s blood pool providing good support, he barely had to use any medicine, so the five hundred was basically just the fare.

After finishing his daily grind, he was about to log off when a private message suddenly popped up.

Xian Mengmeng sent a 60-second voice message, frowning at Huai Zhi, without even the desire to open it.

[Private Chat] Xin Xiang Wang Zhi: Just say what you want.

[Private Chat] Xian Mengmeng: You don’t even want to listen to my voice message anymore.

[Private Chat] Xian Mengmeng: You used to only go to sleep if I was voice chatting with you.

Xiang Huaizhi felt that there was no way to have a conversation with this person and decided not to reply.

[Private Chat] Xian Mengmeng: You’re tired of me and planning to go after that little sweet Jing, right?

[Private Chat] Xin Xiangwangzhi: ?

[Private chat] Xian Mengmeng: She’s throwing herself at you like this, and you’re interested?

[Private message] Xin Xiang Wang Zhi: I’ll tell you one last time, the account from a few months ago wasn’t me, the person you had an online romance with and planned to meet in real life wasn’t me. Don’t involve me, and don’t involve others either.

After sending this message, Xiang Huaizhi immediately logged out of the game.

Just as he shut down the computer, his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and took the phone to the balcony.

It’s the rainy season in the city lately. Xiang Huaizhi looked at the rain outside and answered, « Mom. »

Hmm. » The sound of mahjong tiles clacking came from the other side. « Have you eaten yet?

Not yet, how about you?

Yes, I have eaten. I’m chatting with a few of your aunts. » Xiang Mu said, « Since it’s raining outside, I thought I’d call to ask if your leg isn’t hurting?

A few months ago, Xiang Huai accidentally fell while playing basketball and injured a bone. It wasn’t very serious; even the doctor said that a plaster cast and half a month of rest would be enough to heal. But his mother didn’t think so and insisted on keeping him at home for over two months. He was so tired of drinking bone broth that he almost threw up before she finally let him return to school.

It doesn’t hurt. I just fell, it’s not rheumatism. » Xiang Huai leaned against the windowsill. « You should be more worried about Dad.

What’s there to worry about? » A muffled sound came from the other end, « Sigh, sorry, it went to a draw again… Xiang Xiang, Mom has to hang up first, take good care of yourself at school.

Xiang Huaizhi smiled helplessly, « Got it. »

The next day, Xiang Huaizhi had classes all day.

Lu Hang was sleepy early in the morning, sitting next to him and sleeping soundly, soon starting to snore.

Before Professor Xiang Huai lost his temper, he snapped the person awake.

Lu Hang rubbed his eyes: « What’s wrong… class is over? »

Xiang Huaizhi said calmly, « Not really, but if you keep sleeping, don’t expect to get any credits. »

Lu Hang was startled awake and immediately straightened his back.

Damn, it’s all that movie’s fault, almost three hours long, I finished watching it last night close to four o’clock. » Lu Hang yawned, « Now I’m still super tired… whatever, I’ll find something to do.

After saying that, he took out his phone and started browsing the Jiuxia forum.

Hey, someone uploaded the video of you and Xiao Tianjing watching the demon king battle. Over ten thousand views in one night, impressive, brother.

Xiang Huaizhi: « Only ten thousand? »

Hey, listen to your tone, no one else’s full-server PK video views grow as fast as yours. » Lu Hang swiped the screen, suddenly saw something, his finger paused, then he shouted in shock, « …fuck!

The professor lost patience: « Lu Hang, if you don’t want to listen, then leave, don’t disturb the other students in class! »

Lu Hang: « …I was wrong, Professor. »

As the professor just looked away, Lu Hang quickly grabbed the corner of Xiang Huaizhi’s clothes and handed over his phone: « Look at this quickly! »

Xiang Huaizhi glanced down: « What is it? »

Lu Hang: « Little Sweet Jing’s big love confession! »

Lu Hang: « The one I’m confessing to is you! »

Xiang Huai said: « …… »

He finally focused his gaze on the phone.

It was a live broadcast recording of Xian Mengmeng, showing a private chat between Xian Mengmeng and Xiao Tianjing.

When he saw the words « Men who aren’t bad, women don’t love, » the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, unsure of what expression to make.

Lu Hang held back laughter until his face turned red: « Xiang Gege, are you there? »

« Your mom. » Xiang Huaizhi threw the phone back.

What, Sweet Jing can call me that, but I can’t call her? » Lu Hang said, « And I even slept with you for two years!

Xiang Huaizhi corrected him: « We were roommates for two years. Besides, she never called me that. »

Lu Hang: « Then how does she usually call you? »

Brother.

War God Brother.

…It doesn’t seem much better than calling him Brother Xiang.

Xiang Huaizhi pursed his lips: « Anyway, if you don’t call me that, are you going to class or not? If you don’t want to listen, then go out. Don’t affect my studying. »

Lu Hang nodded, saved a screenshot of this chat record: « Alright, you study, I’ll check the comments. »

After a moment, Xiang Huaizhi put down his pen: « What does the review say? »

Lu Hang: « Yo, study hard, don’t get distracted. »

Xiang Huaizhi glanced at him, and Lu Hang quickly said, « Alright, alright, I didn’t say much, just said that Xiao Tianjing shamelessly clings on. Oh… and someone is making up stories about you and Xian Mengmeng. Honestly, the stories are pretty convincing, way better than the TV dramas my mom watches. Xian Mengmeng is portrayed so pitifully… If I didn’t know the truth, I’d be sharpening my knife to go after the scumbag. »

Xiang Huaizhi: « You can’t beat me. »

Lu Hang: « …OK. »

After class, the two of them had dinner and then headed back to the dormitory.

After Xiang Huaizhi finished showering and came out, he heard Lu Hang shouting, « Are you done messing around? Hurry up and log in, the dungeon progress resets at midnight, and we still have three dungeons left to clear! »

Xiang Huaizhi brushed his hair and said coolly, « Without three healers, it can be finished in two hours. »

No more, no more. This time I only called two. The other healer was eliminated by me because her voice wasn’t sweet enough. » Lu Hang opened the friends list and flipped through it, « Let me call someone else… sigh, at this hour, almost everyone in my friends list has already run the dungeon.

Xiang Huaizhi turned on the computer and logged into Jiuxia.

As soon as I logged in, I received a message from Xiao Tianjing.

[Friend] Little Sweet Scene: 0.0 Brother, why did you refund me five hundred gold?

[Friend] Heart Yearning: Demon King’s boarding fee.

[Friend] Little Sweet Scene: No, no! You were the one who took me to kill, if anyone should pay, it should be me paying you.

[Friend] Little Sweet Scene: I’ll transfer it back to you after I finish gathering the herbs [patting head]

Xiang Huaizhi moved the mouse cursor over Little Sweet Scene’s game avatar.

The other party’s coordinates are in the Herb Valley.

He flew to Luoxia Mountain, planning to take advantage of the time while looking for someone in Luhang to complete two tasks. Just then, a team of five people approached from the right. What caught his attention was that all the players in this team had the title « Idle Pavilion Elite » above their names.

Whether it was his imagination or not, he felt that after the team leader saw him, he seemed to deliberately or unintentionally take a detour out of his line of sight.

In just a few seconds, Xiang Huaizhi understood what was going on.

In the Nine Heroes world, every map is interconnected. Some scenes can be flown to directly, while others cannot and require entering a designated teleportation portal to reach the scene.

Herbal Valley is one of those scenes that cannot be flown to directly; you must enter through the teleportation portal at Luoxia Mountain.

These five people are going to hunt down Xiao Tianjing.

Hurry up and leave. » At this moment, someone in that group, using a full-screen microphone, quietly urged, « Don’t let Xin Xiang Wangzhi see this. If he intervenes, then there’s no point in us killing anyone.

Who says it’s impossible? Do you really think Xiao Tianjing is throwing herself at him? Didn’t Xin Xiang Wangzhi help her kill the demon king just yesterday?

« On that day, I actually turned on the full-screen mic… » The voice abruptly stopped.

Xiang Huaizhi was controlling the game character, starting to help the NPC copy the scroll painting.

The Idle People Pavilion was making a big fuss chasing after Xiao Tianjing. If she really wanted to hide, staying in the safe zone for a week would have cooled their enthusiasm for the chase.

But she was stubborn, insisting on wandering outside the safe zone every few days. If she got killed, she could only accept it and not be pitied.

Just as I was thinking that, the stubborn player sent a message.

[Friend] Little Sweet Scene: [Restoring Spirit Herb]

[Friend] Little Sweet Jing: Brother, I dug this up!

[Friend] Little Sweet Scene: The War God probably needs this material too, right? I’ll send it to you after I finish digging it up [Blowing a kiss]

Xiang Huaizhi: « …… »

What on earth is this person thinking?

He calculated that it would take about two minutes to walk from here to her coordinates; those five people should be arriving soon.

Forget it, being killed once is fine, a long lesson. They themselves don’t even care about being killed, so why should he worry?

Ten seconds later.

[Friend] Longing for it: Have you cleared the three dungeons of the water demon?

[Friend] Xin Xiang Wang Zhi: Flying to the main city NPC, if not here within 10 seconds, we’ll start.

Jing Huan was happily gathering herbs when she was stunned upon seeing the news.

Ten seconds? Are you trying to kill me?

After complaining, he quickly stopped picking herbs, chanted on the spot for three seconds, and with a whoosh, returned to the main city.

The five members of the Idle Pavilion who had just arrived at the scene stood dumbfounded, watching Xiao Tianjing fly away, unable to recover for a long time.

…

Damn! I told you! Xin Xiangwangzhi definitely tipped off Xiao Tianjing! Look, she gave up halfway through gathering herbs!

On the other side, Lu Hang searched through his friends but still couldn’t find anyone: « Forget it, I’ll just randomly grab a passerby from the world channel. Tsk, as a water demon, I hate bringing strangers the most; it’s easy to mess up. »

No need, I’ve found someone, » Xiang Huaizhi said, « Meet at the main city.

I’m here! » Lu Hang flew to the main city with two healers in the car, « Arrived, just apply to join my team directly. Who did you call? A warlock? A mage? Or a physical damage dealer?

Fox Fairy Cave, give me the captain.

Lu Hang handed over the captain position to him: « What?! You called this sect over? To cheer us on? It would be better to call a healer… wait. »

He paused: « …Which Fox Fairy Cave did you call? »

Just as he finished speaking, a new person suddenly appeared in the team interface.

Familiar fashion, familiar game characters, familiar fox tails.

[Team] Little Sweet Scene: [Surprised][Cheering][Throwing Flowers]

[Team] Little Sweet Scene: Good evening, everyone [Blowing a Kiss]