Ji Fuyao

The next day, it was still "Youjian Tea House".

As noon approached, many people came to eat, including Guo Li, who, as usual, sat in a corner of the hall.

The food at the teahouse changes daily, but you can't order à la carte. In short, you can only eat what the teahouse offers. However, the food is fresh, varied, and tastes quite good, and the prices are reasonable. This model is convenient and attracts many young people who have trouble making choices.

Guo Li is a rigid person who values ​​efficiency in everything. He has maintained the habit of having lunch at the teahouse for a long time because he feels that this not only solves his basic needs but also saves him the time of choosing a meal. Plus, he doesn't repeat the same meal every day, making it the best dining option.

But today is a little different from usual.

Just as Guo Li was about to eat after the meal was served, a hand suddenly landed on the table. Startled, he looked up and saw a smiling face. The boy had bright eyes and a cheerful voice: "Brother, can I sit here? Let's share a table."

Guo Li paused, glancing around behind him. The hall was almost full; there were absolutely no empty seats, and everyone would have to share a table. The reason he chose this corner seat was precisely because he didn't want to share a table with others, and few people would notice this spot.

But by then, the man had already come up and asked questions. As the saying goes, one cannot hit a smiling face, so Guo Li had no way to refuse. However, before he could even nod, the overly friendly boy pulled out a chair and sat down in one smooth motion.

Guo Li was taken aback. He thought it was normal for a child of that age to be a bit impulsive, but the other person had a composure beyond his years. The child from the remote mountain village wasn't so much more naturally reserved, but rather perhaps a little insecure due to his family environment. He'd always felt that the other person was very similar to him.

Perhaps thinking of that person, Guo Li's heart stirred slightly, his expression grew increasingly cold, and he buried his head in his food, ignoring the boy beside him.

This boy didn't even eat properly, playing games while eating. Guo Li had eaten more than half of his meal, while the boy had only taken two bites. He was indifferent and only wanted to finish eating quickly so he could go back to the office for a lunch break.

However, the boy suddenly handed him his phone, saying hurriedly, "Brother, please make this call for me, my stomach hurts, I can't take it anymore!"

Guo Li was bewildered and shocked by this sudden action, but the boy didn't care whether he liked it or not, and simply shoved the phone into his hand before rushing to the bathroom.

Guo Li looked at the famous mobile game on the boy's phone and was speechless for a moment. This kid was too outgoing.

*

Si Mucheng came out of the bathroom counting the time. When he saw the man in the corner still sitting there holding his phone and pressing the time button, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Looks like there's a chance.

He composed himself, walked over, and craned his neck to watch Guo Li play with curiosity: "Wow, you're pretty good, bro! I didn't know you were such a pro!"

When Guo Li saw him return, he was about to return the phone to him when Si Mucheng hurriedly said, "Hey, hey, hey, team fight! Big brother, hurry up and attack! It'll be terrible if the whole team gets wiped out."

Guo Li was startled by his shout and subconsciously started operating the game again, so Si Mucheng ended up watching him play the whole game from the side.

When the winner's scoreboard appeared on the phone screen, Si Mucheng patted Guo Li on the shoulder: "Brother, you're amazing! That move you made just now was so cool! Do you play often?"

Guo Li pursed his lips, handed the phone back to him, picked up his chopsticks again, and replied, "...I don't play much, but if I were to enter this industry, I would look into it."

Si Mucheng's eyes lit up: "Big brother, you work in the game industry? Which game company do you work for?"

Guo Li continued eating his meal: "It's a small company, and we haven't made a name for ourselves yet."

Si Mucheng didn't mind. His gains today had already exceeded his expectations. Guo Li looked serious and unapproachable, but he didn't expect him to talk to him. Si Mucheng's specialty was to take advantage of others' opportunities.

"That's fine. Just let me know if any games are going to be released in the future, and I'll give them a try."

"I've played tons of games. If you need to do any research, you can come to me. I'll share all my years of gaming experience with you!"

"Hey bro, what do you guys usually do when you're making games? Do you code? I'm really curious, have you ever worked at a big company before? What are big companies like?"

...

Si Mucheng kept rambling on and on, while Guo Li only occasionally uttered a few words in response. Actually, he only had two bites of rice left on his plate, and his mealtime had exceeded his planned time. Normally, he would have finished eating and returned to his office long ago, but today this overly lively young man had inexplicably disrupted his plans.

Even though the boy in front of him looked exactly like that person, he couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia.

Si Mucheng could talk and eat at the same time without any problems, and he finished his food very quickly. He was actually a little unsure of himself, afraid that Guo Li would get impatient and leave before he finished his meal. But luckily, he was a fast eater and caught up with Guo Li in no time. He almost choked to death while eating.

He pretended to get along very well with Guo Li, and even after leaving the teahouse, he didn't leave, just followed him. Guo Li didn't object, and although he didn't say much, he would respond to Si Mucheng.

The two walked together to the building where Guo Li works. Guo Li stopped and pondered for a moment before saying to Si Mucheng in a deep voice, "I work here."

Si Mucheng pretended to look up at the sign, his eyes clear: "Wow, is this the place? So you're going to work, bro? Then hurry up and go!"

Guo Li nodded, didn't say goodbye, and went straight into the building.

Si Mucheng stood there watching his retreating figure. Suddenly, he sensed a gaze, turned his head slightly, and saw the girl he had been pulling to inquire about information earlier looking at him with a terrified expression. He immediately flashed her an innocent smile, which startled the girl, who took a step back. Realizing what had happened, she quickly lowered her head and ran into the building. When she passed Guo Li, she shrugged and ran away like a quail.

Guo Li was completely unaware. He only felt a slight stirring in his heart and couldn't help but turn around to look outside, only to see the boy still standing there. Seeing him turn around, the boy waved to him cheerfully. Guo Li paused for a moment, nodded slightly, and then strode away, this time without looking back.

As Si Mucheng watched Guo Li's figure disappear into the building, he suddenly turned to the person beside him and asked, "How was it?"

Zhang Wei had been staring at the building entrance, and when he heard Si Mucheng ask, he hesitated and shook his head: "...I don't remember anything."

Si Mucheng sighed. Although he had never seen an evil spirit, he was now certain that Zhang Wei hadn't become one. After all, this ghost had been bullied and humiliated to death, and instead of seeking out the culprit, he was fixated on his own game. Even if he was about to forget what happened when he was human, he wouldn't remember why he was killed.

Rather than calling it kindness, it's more accurate to say, "What a pushover!"

Si Mucheng persisted: "You have absolutely no recollection of this?"

Zhang Wei glanced at him guiltily, then lowered his head and remained silent.

Seeing his expression, Si Mucheng knew the answer. He sighed dejectedly, then suddenly caught sight of a figure appearing across the street. He perked up and quickly walked over.

Wen Ya's eyes held an ambiguous meaning. She had always disapproved of getting too involved in the karma of a ghost's past life; she didn't want to form too many entanglements. Therefore, when Si Mu Cheng proposed the plan to get close to Guo Li, she opposed it. It was just a ghost's obsession; even with a purification spell, she could dispel it.

But Si Mucheng insisted, saying he also wanted to know the truth and see what kind of feelings the person who did such a thing would have. Could someone who killed someone really live a good life without any remorse? If possible, he also wanted to use Zhang Wei's ghost to scare Guo Li.

He had already said those words, and Wen Ya knew that a bond had been formed. Sometimes she didn't know whether to praise Si Mu Cheng for his enthusiasm or scold him for meddling, but even she felt that excessive empathy was actually a form of punishment.

Wen Ya looked at him questioningly, and Si Mucheng gave her an "OK" sign, saying smugly, "Of course there's no problem when I take action!"

Hearing this, Wen Ya didn't react, but Wen Xiaofeng, who was perched on her shoulder, rolled her eyes. Si Mucheng happened to see this and was speechless. Damn it, he'd been looked down upon by a chicken again! This chicken was really unpleasant!

Wen Ya looked disapproving: "I still think this is too risky." What if this person is really a bad guy? Si Mucheng is still a student. He's putting himself in a dangerous situation. If something happens, it's really unnecessary.

Si Mucheng curled his lips: "Don't worry, that Guo Li is just intimidating. I can take you down on your empty stomach. I can take on two of you with one punch."

Wen Ya: "..."

*

The sky had darkened, and the streetlights were just coming on.

Most of the office buildings in the tech park were still brightly lit. The computer industry doesn't have a concept of leaving work on time, including veteran programmer Guo Li. Besides, their team's game is about to launch, and they've been working overtime for many days in a row. Fortunately, the project is finally finished, and tomorrow is a long-awaited day off, so they don't have to stay up too late tonight.

Even so, it was already past nine o'clock in the evening when Guo Li left the office.

Exhausted, he finished swiping his card and came out of the building. He stretched his stiff neck and looked up, only to see a boy leaning against the railing by the roadside. He raised his arm, which was about to pinch the back of the neck, and suddenly stopped.

The moonlight was very bright tonight, shining on the boy. He had been playing a game on his phone, but his character must have died. He paused for a moment, looked up at the building, and saw Guo Li. His eyebrows relaxed, and he smiled happily: "Big brother, you're off work!"

Guo Li seemed to see that person superimposed on the boy in front of him. He used to smile at him like that, and would respectfully hand him the coffee in his hand: "Team leader, this is an Americano without sugar. Did you buy the wrong one this time?"