Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating - Chapter 18
The arena time was from 7:30 to 9:30. When Lu Hang returned to the dorm, he saw Xiang Huaizhi wearing only one earphone, skillfully controlling the game character to swiftly defeat the opponent with a single sword strike, sending them out of the PK scene.
Awesome, awesome. » Lu Hang put his backpack on the bed and complained, « What are these adults thinking nowadays? For a birthday, they have to call the whole family, gather around a big table, like a New Year’s Eve dinner. The problem after problem—first they ask about school, then about relationships, making it impossible for me to enjoy my meal. I quickly ran off while my dad went to the bathroom… Who did you play the arena with tonight? Without me, did you lose points like crazy… Damn it?
After Lu Hang saw who was on Xiang Huaizhi’s team, he swallowed all his complaints back.
At 9:30, the arena ended on time. All the teams that were waiting or in battle were instantly teleported by the system to the arena’s teleportation point, and the city walls quickly filled with people.
Xiang Huaizhi spoke up, addressing the team: « Let’s go. »
After saying that, he gave the team no chance to respond and immediately disbanded the team.
[Current] Little Sweet Jing: Thank you, brother, for helping me fight in the JJC! Bye-bye, brother! *^o^*
The dialogue box suddenly popped up, leaving all the players around stunned. For quite a while, no one flew away; they were still crowding on the city wall.
Xiang Huaizhi didn’t even look back and was the first to leave the scene.
Lu Hang coughed twice, acting cute: « Thank you, brother, for taking me to the arena~ »
Xiang Huaizhi: « Are you a parrot spirit? »
And the tune didn’t sound like it at all. If it were a sweet little scene, the last word would definitely have a long, drawn-out ending.
He listened for two hours and nearly suffered from nervous breakdown.
I’ll just say this once, don’t attack me. » Lu Hang moved a chair and sat beside him. « Old Xiang, something’s up with you! You actually took Xiao Tianjing to the arena?! Is her gear fully equipped? You even gave up points just to carry a girl?
The Fox Fairy Cave doesn’t rely on gear, » Xiang Huaizhi said, « No points lost.
No points lost? » Lu Hang thought for a moment. « Oh, her account points were reset, so you matched with newbies, right? Did you get any game experience?
Calling them newbies isn’t quite accurate. The first three opponents were indeed weak, but after facing Chun Xiao and her team, the subsequent matches were all against opponents with over 2,500 points.
However, ever since Xiao Tianjing gradually became familiar with the PK skills of the Fox Immortal Cave, they haven’t lost a single match. On the contrary, she almost got ambushed and killed several times by people from the Idle Pavilion. Fortunately, having learned from past mistakes, whenever a battle was about to end, Xiao Tianjing would start running all over the map, determined never to appear within the enemy’s casting range.
I have to say, this little fox immortal’s skills are much better than he had imagined.
« It’s no different from a 1v1, » Xiang Huaizhi said.
Lu Hang’s computer was never turned off. Among the Nine Heroes, there was a scene called the Penglai Wonderland, where you could AFK and gain experience once every three minutes. Although it was little, it was better than nothing. He sat down at the computer and glanced at the friend messages received during the AFK time.
How could it not matter? Jingjing’s little sister is so talkative… » Lu Hang frowned as he looked at the newly received message, « Xiangsi Buguo even messaged me… Hey, Lao Xiang, she actually asked me what kind of relationship you have with Xiao Tianjing? How am I supposed to answer that?
Xiang Huaizhi raised an eyebrow: « You even added Xiangsi Buguo? »
Yeah, she wanted to drag me to the Idle People Pavilion before, but I thought that gang was too troublesome, so I didn’t go. Luckily I didn’t, otherwise things between Xiao Jingjing and me would be so awkward now. » Lu Hang looked up and asked him, « Hurry up and tell me, how should I answer her?
Xiang Huaizhi threw his account into the Penglai Wonderland, got up to wash up, and left a word: « Friends. »
[Friend] Lu Tiaotiao: They are friends, so what?
[Friend] Xiangsi Bugu: Impossible.
[Friend] Xiangsi Bugu: Xiao Tianjing just confessed to Xin Xiangwangzhi in the arena.
Damn, there’s this too?!
Lu Hang glanced back at Xiang Huaizhi who was washing up, clicking his tongue and shaking his head.
Young man, you’re not being honest.
[Friend] Lu Tiaotiao: Haven’t you heard a saying?
[Friend] Xiang Si Bugù: What?
[Friend] Lu Tiaotiao: First a friend, then a sister, and finally a little darling.
[Friend] Xiangsi Bugù: …
[Friend] Lu Tiaotiao: Anyway, I’m giving you a heads-up, Xiao Tianjing has been teaming up with us a lot lately. If someone in your group forcefully targets my brother…
[Friend] Lu Tiaotiao: You know, scumbags have bad tempers. To chase girls, who knows what he might do [shut up]
Xiang Huaizhi, who was rinsing his mouth, suddenly sneezed and thought to himself, « Winter is coming soon. »
——
On the weekend, Jing Huan returned to the school dormitory carrying a bag full of food and wine.
As soon as he entered the dorm, he heard Gao Zixiang shouting, « Hurry, hurry! Heal me! Otherwise, I’m going to be focused by the BOSS! Damn, no healing again… Do you even know how to play Fox Fairy Cave?! »
Lu Wenhao: « Damn it, if you can do it, then do it! This crappy sect skill has such a small range, if you can hit even one out of three blood pools, you should be worshiping the Bodhisattva! Besides, doesn’t the skill have a cooldown? Do you think I can just squeeze out 36D anytime I want? »
Gao Zixiang said coldly, « I think those two mounds on your chest are definitely not smaller than 36D. »
Nonsense, have you even touched them?
Jing Huan: « …… »
What the hell is this rated R conversation.
He put down the bag and glanced at the empty makeshift dining table: « Where’s the pot? »
Lu Wenhao quickly glanced at him: « Huanhuan, you’re here? So early? Wait a moment, right away, we’re about to start a 25-player raid. »
Jing Huan: « Why are you playing Nine Heroes again? Didn’t you delete your account? »
You know, I don’t have many classes this semester, so I’m bored to death every day. I just bought an account to accompany this idiot in running dungeons. His team is about to do a server war, but they’re missing a bunch of materials. » Saying this, Lu Wenhao hummed twice, « In the end, he didn’t even thank me, and he keeps complaining about my gameplay every day!
Gao Zixiang: « No, do you know what faction he bought? Fox Fairy Cave! Isn’t this deliberately messing with me? And when I told him to switch factions, he wasn’t happy about it… »
Jing Huan paused for a moment: « What’s wrong with Fox Fairy Cave? Isn’t it pretty strong? »
The strong ones are others, but him? He can’t even place a blood pool… » After another empty blood pool, Gao Zixiang couldn’t take it anymore, « After this dungeon, you better go switch factions for me!
Jing Huan was too lazy to listen to their quarrel: « So you mean I have to pay for the food and drinks, and still wait for you two gentlemen to finish your game before we can eat? »
No, no, no, it’s almost over, just wait ten more minutes… no, five minutes, » Gao Zixiang said, « Our pot was borrowed by dorm 102, we still have to go get it from them.
Jing Huan regretted it; he should have just bought a pot and seasoning himself and cooked at home to finish the meal.
He picked up the bag again and turned to leave.
« Hey Huanhuan, where are you going? » Gao Zixiang quickly called after him.
Going home to eat hotpot.
Don’t go! » Gao Zixiang said, « We’re about to finish the game, bro! Just sit for a bit, it will definitely be done in five minutes!
Jing Huan raised her hand to check the time: « If it’s not finished in five minutes, I’ll unplug your internet cable. »
After speaking, he threw the bag onto the washstand and opened the dormitory door.
Lu Wenhao: « Didn’t you say five minutes? Why are you leaving already… »
« Get the pot. » Jing Huan didn’t even look back.
Jing Huan knocked on room 102, and after a long while, there was a sound from inside. The door was opened, and a strong smell wafted out.
Jing Huan couldn’t help but frown slightly, restraining the urge to cover her nose.
« Oh, Jing Huan, what brings you here? A rare visitor. » The one who opened the door was a classmate from their major, someone they had played basketball with but weren’t very close to.
Jing Huan: « Hmm, came to get the pot from our dorm. »
« Oh right, I’ll get it for you right away, just a moment. » The other person turned and walked into the dorm.
Jing Huan peeked through the door crack to see what was inside. Leaving aside everything else, just the pile of stinky socks thrown outside the bathroom door was enough to ruin most of his appetite.
The man came back quickly and handed the pot to Jing Huan. « Sorry about that, I meant to return it earlier but got caught up playing games and lost track of time. »
« It’s okay. » Jing Huan took it and was about to leave.
Wait a moment, Jing Huan. I happen to have something I want to discuss with you. » The boy asked, « Next weekend is my birthday. I’m just going to have a casual celebration at the bar across the street. Why don’t you come along?
Their relationship really isn’t close enough to the point of inviting each other to birthday parties.
But Jing Huan is handsome; as long as Jing Huan shows up, he’s like a living advertisement, able to invite all the girls in the major.
Jing Huan smiled slightly, his tone polite yet distant: « I have something to do, can’t make it. »
After saying this, he turned and left, not giving the others a second chance to invite him.
Jing Huan looked at the pot in his hand as he went upstairs.
If he wasn’t mistaken, that streak of orange-red on the pot lid… could it be the chili oil from the hotpot that 102 used?
The pot was borrowed before he moved out, and it’s been about two weeks now. How the hell could it still be washable?
Might as well just go buy a new one.
He thought for a moment and decided to first check the situation inside the pot before making any plans. He walked to the window by the stairwell, placed the pot on the windowsill, and casually opened the lid.
Inside, a strange object, black with orange markings, lay quietly in the center of the pot, drawing particular attention. Sensing the movement, it quickly made a circle inside the pot, proving its vitality.
Jing Huan confronted it head-on without any defense, first stunned for a few seconds, then his legs suddenly went weak, almost unable to stand.
He opened his mouth to scream, but found that he was so scared he couldn’t even make a sound.
Using his last bit of strength, he suddenly threw the pot up into the air!
The thing Jing Huan fears most in his life is bugs; even seeing spider models in games makes him feel repulsed, let alone having one alive right on the edge of his finger!
For a moment, he even felt like he was about to go into shock.
The pot was thrown to the ground, producing a sharp, piercing clatter. Cockroaches crawled out of the pot, scurrying around as if lost. Jing Huan was so frightened that she quickly stepped back, only to miss a step, her heart seemingly skipping a beat—
He collided with a wall of flesh.
Jing Huan breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately… it wasn’t enough to cause a fatal fall.
The person behind was also startled, but he reacted very quickly. To prevent Jing Huan from falling further, he swiftly reached out and grabbed her waist, holding her firmly.
« Are you okay? » the person behind asked.
The voice was very familiar. Jing Huan almost instinctively blurted out, « I’m fine, thank you, bro— »
Both of them paused at the same time.
Jing Huan immediately snapped back to reality and cursed silently in his heart.
That damn bastard is obsessed, nagging in his ear every day, making every voice he hears now sound exactly like him.
He turned his head, made eye contact with the boy behind him, and sincerely said, « …Thanks, bro. »
