Chapter 42 Online Dating 9

The next day, when Lu Xuejin went online, Nv Tianyi was already waiting for him in his home.

Leaning against her gaming chair, Lu Xuejin felt her drowsiness fading as the bright morning light rushed into the room, flowing from the large, smooth computer desktop onto her soft, flowing pajama bottoms. With her eyes half-closed, she felt the heat around her eyes gradually rising, and only after the last trace of sleepiness vanished did she slowly open her eyes.

With traces of moisture at the corners of her eyes, Lu Xuejin rested her chin on her hand and casually glanced at the news.

[Team] Luoying: Good morning, Master! [Excited]

They had just confirmed their relationship in the early hours of the morning, and she couldn't wait to call him. Lu Xuejin smiled and typed back: Mm.

[Team] Lai Si: Let's go to Xuan Tian Jian.

The master-disciple system of Endless Return is quite special. He and Yuan Ying are both in the Celestial Court camp. Whether it is getting married or taking on a master and disciple, they must leave a trace in the Xuan Tian Mirror that monitors all realms, which is equivalent to the system keeping records.

There are no prerequisite tasks for becoming an apprentice, but both the master and the apprentice need to give the guardian immortal of the Xuan Tian Mirror a precious jade stone as a gift. Lu Xuejin likes to take on apprentices, and her backpack is full of precious jade stones, so there is no need to collect them separately from the market.

[Team] Lai Si: You follow me.

Tianyi immediately followed Feixing obediently.

The Xuantian Pavilion was bustling with players coming and going, and they all expressed their opinions when they saw the dazzling 200,000-value fashion item.

[Nearby] How many floors does it take to carry a bag of rice? Young master, this old servant is late!

[Nearby] Do you remember: Young master, are you getting married or taking on a disciple today? This old servant has taken care of it for you!

[Nearby] Thai Milk Green: Foggy Grass, Thoughts!

[Nearby] Thai Milk's Red: Fog Grass, Ying!

As the top influencer on the first server, Lai Si's recent public relations saga with Luo Ying has garnered significant attention. There's been a flurry of criticism against Luo Ying, analyses of her background attempting to unlock her weapon, and even snuck into conversations with her amidst the chaos... Gossip and arguments are rampant. Now that the two involved have arrived at Xuan Tian Ge, it's obvious something big is about to happen. Entertainers are immediately calling on their friends and, with nothing better to do, are leaking information to the world chat, vividly describing the scene.

[World] Baby: What good news? What good news? @Laisi, if you're getting married or taking on apprentices, invite me! I'm not afraid of receiving red envelopes!

[World] Thai Milk Green: The forum is in chaos, but people don't care at all. The clowns are stepping forward!

[World] Thai Milk's Red: Who has that red nose? [Sunglasses] It's me! [Crying]

Fearing that it would attract more onlookers, Lu Xuejin acted quickly and immediately found the NPC to submit the precious jade.

NPC: Fate is truly wondrous. Young friend, accepting a disciple establishes a karmic bond. From this day forward, imparting knowledge, teaching skills, and resolving doubts will all be your responsibility. This matter concerns your entire life; I urge you to consider it very carefully. Are you still willing to uphold this master-disciple relationship?

Having gone through eight or nine apprentices in her lifetime, Lu Xuejin couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, choosing "Our fate is sealed here, and I am willing to bear this responsibility."

[World]: Congratulations to players Lai Si and Luo Ying for becoming master and apprentice!

The next second, Luo Ying's title changed to "Lai Si's disciple".

Lu Xuejin had just finished sending out the master-disciple ceremony when she saw this scene. After thinking for a moment, she skipped over the already faded titles such as "Master Who Chases the Wind" and "Master Who Doesn't Eat Honey Like a Little Bear" and replaced them with the newly baked "Master of Fallen Petals".

This brand-new title immediately attracted the attention of countless people.

[Dedication Points +5]

Almost instantly, there was a response on WeChat.

Several people he had blocked went crazy, and in the blink of an eye, the number of messages jumped to 20.

Knowing that Lu Xuejin doesn't check messages, a transfer notification popped up.

First 190cm irritable, foul-mouthed male archer: ?

First 190cm tall, grumpy, foul-mouthed male archer: Your taste is getting worse and worse. What kind of trash is this new apprentice? A voice changer scammer. We're breaking up!

The man quickly typed and sent a message, only to find that he had been blocked.

Lu Xuejin then unblocked the people she had previously blocked.

The third 185cm tall, crying, and neurotic guy: Master, you gave me so much money because you like me, right? Why did you block me!

The third 185cm tall, crybaby lunatic: I'm saving all this money for my wedding. That Luo Ying is different from me; he's obviously trying to scam you. Master, don't believe him!

The accompanying picture is a freshly taken photo of abs.

The angle is tricky, and it's clear that it was carefully designed.

"That's a bit pretentious." Lu Xuejin scrutinized and criticized for a moment, then blocked the person again.

Return to the game and bring Luoying back into the guild.

[Guild] Lai Si: Let me introduce my apprentice @Luoying

[Guild] Fallen Blossom: Hello, Master! [shy]

The guild chat went silent for a moment before congratulations and well wishes flooded the screen.

[Guild] Fox: You've taken on another apprentice?

[Guild] Fox: Congratulations! [Sprinkling flowers]

[Guild] The Will of Seven: [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers]

Everyone was stunned, exclaiming in their private chats, "Huh???" and "He's become an apprentice already?"

After screaming in surprise, they discovered that Lai Sihao was very powerful, swiping several large red envelopes. Ignoring their shock and confusion, they lowered their heads and remained silent, focusing solely on grabbing the red envelopes.

[Guild] Very Fine Leg Hair: Amazing! Boss and all the underlings bow down to you!

[Guild] Hook Silk Side Slide: Wishing Boss Lai Si and his apprentice a long and happy life together.

After bringing Yuan Ying back to the gang's headquarters, Gou Si had already tagged all members in the senior management group, and most of the senior management were online. Lu Xuejin then introduced her new apprentice to them.

Heaven Above isn't a professionally-run guild with capital backing, but the guild leader and several vice-leaders are themselves a form of capital. The guild leader, Fox, is ranked number one on the cultivation leaderboard and is the server's top assassin; the third-in-command, with very fine leg hair, is Senior Sister Tianyi, but her account is a demonic one; the fourth-in-command, Gou Si Si Lu, is Heaven Above's god of public relations, a PvP maniac, and a youthful college student…

Regardless of what these people thought, their attitude towards Luo Ying and the gifts they gave her were impeccable.

[Nearby] Fox: You forgot one, our Fifth Leader who's never online. But he's not important, just a registered account, he usually doesn't log in.

Yuan Ying's gaze lingered for a moment on the grayed-out level 23 alt account in the guild, and when she looked up again, Fox had already moved on to another topic.

[Nearby] Fox: By the way, a few people at the meeting last night wanted to get to know you. Could you give me your contact information?

[Nearby] Lai Si: No need.

Yuan Ying then remembered that the leader of the gang in the sky was a relative or friend of Lai Si in real life.

Last night, when he sent a message to explain, Lai Si and the fox were actually together?

Is Lai Si like this in real life too? He pretends to be gentle and tolerant, but in reality, he is unpredictable in his moods.

In other words, did the fox know Lai Si's true nature?

With a subtle sense of resistance, Yuan Ying kept recalling. These past few days, he had been playing intense games with Lai Si, and he hadn't seen his master get particularly close to the fox.

Perhaps they are just people I know in real life, but not people I'm familiar with.

He said this to himself.

In the game, Tianyi suddenly invited Feixing to hug him, interrupting their casual conversation. Fox watched as the master and apprentice embraced; Tianyi's character design was a generic, pitiful look, and due to her position, she was directly facing the screen. Fox raised an eyebrow, inexplicably feeling like she was being secretly targeted.

Without uttering a word, he subtly interrupted his conversation with Lai Si through subtle interactions. He's already got so many little schemes after just becoming an apprentice.

However, none of Lai Si's successive apprentices were easy to deal with. As Lai Si's only "real-life friend and relative," Fox had long been used to being targeted by these scheming apprentices. Even Little Bear, who had always had a good reputation, was very resistant to him. The man couldn't help but chuckle. His relationship with Lu Xuejin wasn't as deep as they thought. They had completely misunderstood their imagined enemy—the real enemy wouldn't bother entangled with Lu Xuejin in the game.

[Nearby] Hooked Silk Side Slide: Boss, boss, are you feeling a bit sour? My greatsword is itching for a fight.

[Nearby] Lai Si: I'll take Xiao Ying to play 22, you should find someone else.

[Nearby] Slipping on the side: Okay.

Luo Ying's equipment is relatively outdated, so Lu Xuejin plans to take him to the arena for 2v2 battles. The equipment rewards after reaching the Qingyun rank will perfectly match Luo Ying's level and cultivation. Lu Xuejin hasn't played 2v2 much; she used to spend most of her time in 3v3 with the battle maniacs in her guild. Therefore, her 2v2 level is as low as Luo Ying's, so they can team up.

Call Yuan Ying to YY.

Lu Xue asked, "Have the skill button settings been completed?"

He had just sent Tianyi's PvP summary document to Yuan Ying, unsure of Yuan Ying's gaming skills, but Lu Xuejin didn't want to go to jail. She thought to herself, if Yuan Ying was bad at the game, she might as well just buy a set of equipment at a high price.

Luo Ying: Master, don't worry, I'm ready!

Fallen petals: [A puppy dancing]

Dong Yao: [...quite lively.]

The first few matches were against bots; it wasn't until I ranked up that I was matched with real players. After a few matches, it was clear that Yuan Ying's timing for healing was precise, her skill usage was planned, and she had good control over the timing, unlike ordinary beginners who just tap wherever the skill lights up, resulting in cooldowns not being completed and healing being excessive.

With him leading the way, that's enough. Besides, Fei Xing and Tian Yi, one a damage dealer and the other a healer, are the most common combination in 2v2, making it efficient and fast to climb the ranks with a winning streak.

In the new round, Lu Xuejin easily defeated the opponent, Taoshan, and said to Dongyao, "Did you see that?"

Dong Yao asked, puzzled: "What?"

“In a few rounds, Yuan Ying was trying to sabotage me.” Lu Xuejin had a keen sense of smell and could interpret even a few subtle movements as a change in Yuan Ying’s mindset. “When I was being focused down, he pretended to be trying to protect himself and distance himself, not wanting to heal me. There were also a few times when he paused very fakely, delaying for a few seconds before applying continuous healing to me.”

Dong Yao felt that Lu Xuejin was biased towards the male lead: "Maybe he's just a bit incompetent, it's only a matter of a second or two. If he really wanted to play the host, he could just pretend to be clumsy and die every time, wouldn't that be better?"

While Lu Xuejin was doing quests, it was immersed in the game forums learning. Now it speaks game terminology all the time, even more so than Lu Xuejin, a player who started playing the game at launch.

“Hmm…” During the break, Lu Xuejin poked Tianyi’s head with the mouse. Lai Si followed the guidance and tapped Luo Ying’s shoulder with the hilt of his sword, showing the sternness of a master. “Maybe he’s lost his mind and had a change of heart? I don’t know what he’s thinking.”

If it were him, he would definitely make the other person experience the unbearable pain of being imprisoned. He couldn't find the source of Yuan Ying's subtle and complicated change.

“I’m starting to miss Xiao Yao,” Lu Xuejin said suddenly.

Dongyao: [? 】

"You're my system, why are you always taking my husband's side?" The young man released the mouse, leaned back, and was steadily supported by the ergonomic chair. He said with dissatisfaction, "If it were Xiao Yao, it would definitely be criticizing Yuan Ying with me right now."

Dong Yao replied seriously: [The system's reply is merely a reasonable guess, to avoid the interaction within the small world affecting the host's relationship with their partner in reality.]

"[Host baby,]" it said in a tone similar to Xiao Yao's, "[Your husband might really be incompetent.]"

As his score increased, several times when the opposing team came in and saw Lai Si's ID, they immediately surrendered and left.

[World] Baby: What? Lai Si took me to play 2v2, Zun Du is fake Du? @Lai Si I'm waiting for you in the hollow desert

[World] Healthy Brother: It's Monday, Endless Battle starts! (22 Your dad's back!) (Hey hey hey, forgot to switch internal skills, dying fast!) (What kind of teammates are these?) (What kind of opponents are these?) (First episode, reincarnated as a pig!) (Slaughter! Slaughter! Slaughter!) (Hey, after ten rounds, why did I round down to ten points?) (Red as warm, end the broadcast!)

[World] Encountering an abstract player: Turns out ranking up in 2v2 is so easy, @Master Lai Si, don't forget to take me with you!

[World] Big Head Son: @Master Lai Si, I am your dear Big Head disciple by Daming Lake! Look at my big head, I don't believe your eyes are empty [shy] You carried your senior sister to rank up and forgot about me! 22 is not as good as 33, as everyone knows, Peach Star Genius is your ultimate team composition!

[World] Hooked Silk Side Slide: My little minions, your PvP emperor is back! [Smug]

[World] Trojan Horse: Just got stabbed to death by Little Nice's sword, ouch, that feels so good~ [shy]

The chaos and confusion on the world channel had nothing to do with Team 22. After advancing to the Canghai rank, Yuan Ying gradually felt the pressure. After all, he had only been involved in PvP for a short time, and even if he had a talent for it, he couldn't fully utilize it in such a short period. From having the energy to agonize over whether to feign defeat against Lai Si, to barely keeping up with Lai Si's pace while concentrating fully, Yuan Ying couldn't help but feel somewhat frustrated.

"This is the last game, I should be able to advance to the next rank."

The air conditioner was on in the dormitory, but the computer was still burning hot, and the fan was making a loud hissing noise. Yuan Ying counted on her fingers, straightened her back, and followed Lai Si back into the arena.

Lu Xuejin quickly checked the opponent's setup and reminded Yuan Ying: "Play it safe this round, pay attention to protecting yourself, the opponent should try to kill the healer first."

As expected, Taoshan immediately targeted Yuan Ying. He skillfully dodged with Luoying, and in a short time, a third of his health bar was whittled away. Yuan Ying quickly kited away, seized the opportunity to use a small potion to bring his health back to a safe level, and avoided being killed by Taoshan's arrow.

It seemed that Si was about to defeat the opposing Tan Zhang. As long as he lost a member, he could snowball the advantage.

At the critical moment, the computer suddenly emitted a piercing roar, the screen flickered a few times, and froze into a single PowerPoint presentation.

Yuan Ying: ...

At that moment, her heart raced and her blood pressure rose rapidly. Relying on her memory and intuition, Yuan Ying frantically typed on the keyboard.

A few seconds later, the screen returned to normal, displaying a grayed-out display. During the resurrection countdown, Lai Si managed to hold off two opponents with her skill. However, the death of the healer was still too much of a blow. After Yuan Ying was resurrected, the computer lagged, causing the healing output to be insufficient, and the game ended in failure.

The time limit of 22 seconds has ended, and the final rank remains at the Ocean level.

Yuan Ying's throat was dry and itchy. After a long while, she finally said, "...I'm sorry, I'm stuck. I'm really stuck."

He emphasized this repeatedly.

"My computer has been working perfectly for many years, I never expected such a coincidence..."

The other side was quiet, with only a faint rubbing sound. Yuan Ying's tense face twitched, and an inexplicable tension lingered in her heart.

bite.

The phone screen lights up.

The text message that appeared in the notification bar was a red envelope sent to him by Lai Si.

Upon clicking, the amount was 20,000.

Lai Si's voice was gentle and soothing: "There's a national subsidy coming up recently, Xiao Ying, why don't you buy a new computer? It'll be more convenient for 2v2 matches, dungeons, and faction battlegrounds later on."

Yuan Ying held her breath and said, "Master, you are too good to me."

"You're my apprentice."

In the headphones, the rising, lingering tone was like a hook.

Yuan Ying's mood suddenly plummeted.

He should be happy that he could coax Lai Si into caring about him. However, he couldn't help but wonder—do you treat all your disciples this well?

...

Five Elements and Three Realms Alliance / Talking Confessions

"Getting promoted by saving someone's life, I'm emotionally devastated."

Mi Chun: What kind of drug did Luo Ying give Lai Si?! Lai Si actually took on a disciple! I hate it! I painstakingly honed my skills and crafted equipment, all so that one day I could join the Heavenly Realm, get close to Lai Si, and become his beloved closed-door disciple. Now, everything is ruined! Nothing is left! (Where is my master?!) (Pacing back and forth) (Where did my master go?!) (Grabbing his collar angrily) (Did you steal him?!)

Oh no, the ninth one beat us to it. OP, you should prepare for the tenth one.

Mi Chun: That stinky British dog's voice clearly uses a voice changer! How could my darling wife be fooled by that online scammer?! That damned scoundrel, don't you dare steal my wife! [Crying][Crying]

: ? ? ? Wasn't he supposed to be preparing for his apprentice's battle? How come he's talking about his wife again?

I glanced at the homepage and saw that the poster was also a man.

OP, you should feel better! Even if it weren't for the fallen petals, it wouldn't have been your turn anyway.

The person upstairs has a mouth colder than a flying star's sword.

Mi Chun: What do you know about being both Master and Wife! Also, only people of the same sex truly know what kind of person the other is. And don't you dare curse me!! I believe that one day, after searching high and low, you'll finally find me [crying]

: Hot knowledge, nice is also a man.

Okay, okay, Green River Master Literature, right?

I suspect Nice's apprentices are all from Green River wholesale; why are they all trying to fire their master? [Disdain]

Ask yourself honestly, who doesn't want to rise to the top?

: .

Rain and Snow: ...I also want to ask why. With the previous ones, I felt Lai Si's feelings for them were purely those of a master and disciple, but with Luo Ying, I can't see it clearly...

The ID upstairs has something to say.

As we all know, there are many female players who come to the first server.

Please, he's rich, generous, and has a great temper. Taking him out would make you look good. Who wouldn't love someone like that? If I were a woman, I'd go for it too.

Bro, guys are fine too, isn't the poster a dream guy?

Actually, is it possible that Lai Si came to stop the wind?

The wind has already gone mad; let's take it away.

Seriously, I'm devastated. Besides Feng Lai Jie, who else thinks Lai Si still has feelings for Feng Ting? Even Feng Ting avoids Lai Si; you're self-aware enough to not try and act like a drugged chicken. Now it's Luo Si's turn to shine; do you even understand how to act like this? [eye roll]

Being the US for a few months isn't a lifetime; stop dreaming about the US being overthrown. [Disdain]

If we're talking about the sweetest master-disciple couple, it has to be Xiong Nai.

Get lost, you old man with no sexual tension at all, don't try to scam me.

Punishment: I thought this was some big scandal because the building was so tall, but it turns out the person just took on a new apprentice. I don't understand what's going on.

Punishment: ??? I know Lai Si, he's a top player on the first server, very skilled, he has a really impressive video of him getting a 1v5 kill. He's not a man? Why is everyone calling him "wife"?

Punishment: Illness.

Mi Chun: How can I explain it to you? Lai Si is... very special...

He played an audio recording of a faction battle, in which Lai Si gave clean and precise commands over the microphone, occasionally reprimanding small groups for mistakes in a stern tone. But this kind of reprimand did not annoy people; instead, it made people subconsciously examine their own performance.

As the faction war drew to a close, Celestial Court secured the victory as expected. The person who had been coldly rebuking them just a moment ago now smiled gently, his tone warm and tender: "Thank you for your hard work, everyone. Good night."

She posted another photo, with countless layers of watermark. The photo was bathed in a deliberately created, out-of-focus soft light, and the main subject of the blurred image was a translucent white hand with slender fingers slightly outstretched, holding a withered flower branch between its fingertips. The wrinkled petals hung lifelessly, making the hand glow.

Mi Chun: These photos are treasured for years. I'm posting them here; they'll dazzle your eyes! [smug]

It is indeed quite bright...

Listen and watch.

Punishment: ... Ah, this.

Punishment: Hmm, anything else?

Wow, so fair-skinned! After hearing about the punishment, won't it accumulate good karma? [laughs]

Listening to Naisi audio for one day will not accumulate good karma, and listening to it for two days will not accumulate good karma.

Holy crap, that's so tacky! [Green frog emoji]

Help! Please leave Nice alone [laughing and crying emoji]. He's just an ordinary guide player. He's a bit rich, has a nice personality, a nice voice, and nice hands. There's nothing special about him.

You're finished. As soon as you hear Lai Si's voice or see Lai Si's hand, flesh and blood start growing like crazy.

Author's Note:

You shouldn't receive messages during the blocking period on WeChat. These are all plot devices for the sake of the story. The same applies to other places; anything that differs from reality is a plot device. [kissing emoji]