Chapter 47 Online Dating 14
"Master, have you and the gang leader started working yet?"
"We've all graduated, but I'm a shut-in while the leader is busy with his career."
"No wonder he only logged on every few days before. He must be on vacation recently, which is why he has time to play 3v3 every day."
"He's the company boss, so of course he can slack off whenever he wants."
"...The guild leader is amazing." The strange praise mixed in with the rising tone, the sharpness of the voice carrying a strong electric current, if heard by others, would surely create a new post on the forum about Hammering Ying using a voice changer.
Lu Xuejin typed rapidly on the keyboard, skillfully completing the dungeon. She took off her headphones, rubbed her fingers, and casually said, "You seem to care a lot about the fox."
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then someone said, "I was just curious and asked because I was looking at the world chat and guessing what the guild leader's profession was. Don't worry, Master, I will never reveal the guild leader's privacy to anyone."
Lu Xuejin said, "It's nothing, the older members all know that." Then she added with a smile, "At the end of the year and the New Year, your Fox Boss will give out red envelopes. Grab as many as you can and fleece him as much as you can."
Yuan Ying fell silent and typed a reply: I will definitely live up to Master's expectations [smile]. My roommate just got back, so I can't turn on my mic [crying].
[Team] Luo Ying: We're going to set up the teahouse later, right? I know exactly how to do it now. I'll guide my master this time!
[Team] Fallen Blossom: Master, just hang on me! [Sunglasses][Showing off]
Lu Xuejin: "Okay, then I'll be a hands-off manager. You just need to keep a close eye on things and make sure you don't lose Master."
[Team] Fallen Petals: How could this be!
[Team] Fallen Petals: I've put my master in my pocket, he won't get lost [smug]
Feixing hung on Tianyi like a kite, attracting attention all the way. Lu Xuejin did not take her hands off the keyboard, but instead found the active Gou Si Side Slide in her friends list.
[Private Chat] Lai Si: [Peeking]
[Private Message] Lai Si: I have a question I'd like to ask for your opinion on.
As a veteran member of the Skybound Guild, Gou Si Ce Hua has always followed in the footsteps of the various leaders, gradually growing from a clueless newbie into a battle maniac and the guild's chief steward. Before even graduating from university, he was already registered with Fox and receiving a salary, ensuring a seamless transition upon graduation.
She may seem carefree, but she's incredibly meticulous and excellent at keeping secrets. Lu Xuejin and she are good friends who can talk to each other.
[Private Chat] Slip-on: Hey master, wanna 1v1?
[Private Chat] Lai Si: I hope you can keep the following conversation confidential, as it involves my apprentice's privacy.
[Private Chat] Gou Si Side Slide: What happened?! Did Luo Ying confess to you again?!
[Private Chat] Lai Si: ...I think Xiao Ying might have feelings for Fox. She talks to Fox six out of ten times during our sparring sessions, and lately she keeps asking about him... Although it's all just my guess, and I shouldn't speculate about her feelings, I think Xiao Ying is a good, ambitious, and gentle person, and Fox is also a nice person. They could actually try to get to know each other, don't you think?
[Private Chat] Slip-on: Huh? Huh?
But the leader likes you!
A pure and innocent female college student from a prestigious 985 university in Province B suppressed her scream and frantically typed, creating a chaotic string of symbols in the chat box.
Boss, why did you think of going here?!
Luo Ying and the gang leader have absolutely no connection whatsoever; their only link is you, Boss.
And is he a good person? Ambitious? With a gentle personality?
Is this still a fallen petal?
The reply was deleted and revised repeatedly; in the end, the female student chose the most lenient version.
[Private Chat] Gou Si Side Slide: I didn't see that at all. Luo Ying probably just wanted to find a topic to chat with you, Boss. Isn't the guild leader your friend? Maybe Luo Ying wanted to build a good relationship with the guild leader and ask you privately about your hobbies, birthday, or something. After all, these are questions that are not easy to ask directly.
[Private Chat] Gou Si Side Slide: Come on, stop overthinking it and focus on training your apprentice.
[Private Chat] Hook and Side Slide: DM me for a friendly match. See ya.
After the conversation ended and her daily game tasks were completed, Lu Xuejin said goodbye to Yuan Ying in YY and logged off.
Turning off the game, Lu Xuejin crossed her arms and said with great conviction, as if reciting lines, "I'm going to 'bring them together'."
The only one who could respond, Dongyao, saw through his act and was momentarily speechless: [...]
At first, they criticized the matchmaking task as being too strange, but now they're actively trying to matchmake people.
However, Dongyao has now learned one thing: don't question Lu Xuejin's reasons for doing things, as its host is as unpredictable as a cat.
Lu Xuejin tilted her head, leaning against the armrest of her chair. Her thick, long, golden hair cascaded smoothly and glossily over her collarbone, with some sections curling slightly like lamb's wool. Her gentle, blue eyes were half-closed, letting the sunlight reveal the faint tear-like glint on her irises. Even when she merely furrowed her brow and lowered her head, gazing at the computer desk, she exuded a subtle, profound affection.
“I like him so much, yet I have to endure the torment and push him closer to someone else.” His smile was faint and melancholic. “Even if it’s just a misunderstanding, I still feel sad.”
?
It took Dong Yao almost a minute to realize who the "he" Lu Xuejin was talking about was.
It's really strange that Lu Xuejin doesn't show much special affection or fondness for the male leads in the small world. When dealing with her deceased partner, she'd lie sadly on the sofa, doing nothing but reminiscing about the good times they shared, like a perfect widow still grieving. But with the male leads, she treats them like dogs, leading Dong Yao to suspect that Lu Xuejin doesn't actually consider them husbands.
The extent of her true feelings for her husband is debatable...
The system is no longer the naive one that used to believe the two were deeply in love. All indications suggest that Lu Xuejin and Shen Mo's relationship may not be as it imagined.
Before Dong Yao could speak, Lu Xuejin finished her performance and calmed herself down, saying, "But it's okay, all of this was to save my husband."
Dongyao calmly examined the emotions hidden in his eyes, such genuine hope, longing, and yearning—how much of it was real, and how much was fake?
The phone lit up.
Luoying: Master, have you finished eating? [peeks in]
Fallen petals: [Boiled fish in chili oil.jpg]
Luoying: I had a terrible experience at the second canteen! It was expensive and the food was awful!
Ever since he went to the hospital, Yuan Ying has become very active on WeChat, frequently showing him her life, reporting her activities, and occasionally inquiring about his health, acting like a perfect apprentice.
Lai Si: Not yet.
Lai Si: Actually, it looks alright.
Fallen Petals: Damn it, all looks and no substance!
Luoying: Let's go eat! [Puppy waving]
Lu Xue is doing good things now.
When I got back from dinner, my WeChat was flooded with messages from Yuan Ying. He went to buy milk tea after being attacked by the boiled fish assassin, but it was too sweet for him; his roommate recommended a spicy hot pot place near the school gate, and he planned to check it out sometime; he saw a new photo angle and planned to try it tomorrow…
Lu Xuejin replied to each one patiently.
Lai Si: Okay.
Lai Si: Mala Tang (a type of spicy hot pot) is delicious, but my family won't let me eat it [crying emoji]
Luo Ying: It's best to avoid certain foods, such as spicy and cold foods.
Fallen Petals: [Snoring softly]
Lai Si: Chicken soup and fish soup every day, an endless supply of nourishing foods TT
Lai Si: Since we can't finish it anyway, it would be a waste. Give me your address and I'll send you a portion.
The words "The other party is typing" kept appearing and disappearing. Lu Xuejin waited with a smile and said, "Although I planned to suppress my feelings and fulfill my apprentice and friend's wishes, I couldn't help but be good to my apprentice... Dongyao, your script is quite sentimental."
Dong Yao solemnly clarified: [The novel's content was not generated by the system. Furthermore, this is a script written by you, the host; the system does not require strict adherence to the plot line.]
Lu Xuejin's eyes crinkled with laughter: "I'm praising you."
Your tone doesn't sound like a compliment.
Yuan Ying pondered for nearly five minutes before finally sending a message.
Luoying: Okay, thank you, Master~
Dong Yao: [……]
What are you pretending to be?
...
The same-city delivery arrived the next day, and Yuan Ying went to the courier station early in the morning to pick it up. The box was heavy, and she didn't know how much stuff it contained.
Li Wen and Du Chengfeng had no classes in the morning, and since it was too hot, they didn't plan to play basketball. Instead, they stayed in their dorm room, some watching anime, others reading papers. When the square box slammed open the door and Yuan Ying burst in, bringing with her the sweltering heat, both the absent-minded Du Chengfeng and the focused Li Wen instinctively glanced at her.
What was inside that huge box?
From microphones to high-end gaming laptops, Yuan Ying's life is getting better and better. What did she buy this time? Du Chengfeng couldn't help but speculate—could it be a computer console?
He's shameless. He immediately paused the computer, sat back in his chair, hugged the back of the chair, stared at Yuan Ying, and said frankly, "Dude, what did you buy?"
Clearly having completely forgotten his previous encounter, Li Wen pressed his brow, silently chuckling, but his gaze unconsciously drifted to the tiny shadow reflected on the screen.
Yuan Ying had never taken Du Chengfeng, who bullied the weak and feared the strong, seriously. Without even looking up, she deftly cut through the tape with scissors. Upon closer inspection, besides bottles and jars, there were iPods, iPads, and iPhones—almost an entire Apple product line. In the corners and edges filled with foam, there were also daily necessities such as shampoo and hair oil.
His dark eyes lit up for a moment. He had only casually mentioned "running out of shampoo" and "my hair is inexplicably frizzy" during a chat to enrich his character. He had forgotten about it afterward, but Lai Si remembered it so clearly and thoughtfully put it in the package.
The variety of items was so extensive that it was clear they were bought from Laisi first and then shipped over together.
Imagine Lai Si sitting on the ground, smiling as she slowly fills the box...
An inexplicable electric current surged up her spine, causing her scalp to tingle and her Adam's apple to bob. Despite being exposed to air conditioning for so long, the heat hadn't dissipated at all; instead, it was intensifying, churning in her throat and making Yuan Ying sweat and feel uneasy.
After pausing for a moment, he took a deep breath and took out the items one by one.
Du Chengfeng's gaze shifted from indifference at first, to confusion and surprise, and finally to utter astonishment.
The value of a few Apple products was impressive enough, but that was just the appetizer. The elegantly packaged gift boxes and gold-rimmed jars that followed... Du Chengfeng rubbed his eyes; if he wasn't mistaken, they were all health supplements. It wasn't that health supplements were more expensive than digital products—a single cordyceps could be bought with half a month's living expenses if one gritted their teeth—it's just that without a specific need and the money to cultivate the habit, who would buy so many supplements for no reason?
Du Chengfeng couldn't resist taking out his phone and secretly searching for a few stores. After seeing the prices, he silently turned off his phone.
He made a big fuss, but Yuan Ying remained calm, as if the things on the table were insignificant and commonplace.
Du Chengfeng couldn't hold back any longer: "Hey buddy, struck it rich lately? Got any connections? How about I help you out? Don't forget me when you're rich, give me a hand!"
Yuan Ying slowly unpacked the shampoo, ignoring everything else.
Du Chengfeng: ...
His eyebrows twitched, his expression contorted, and in a fit of immense jealousy and bewilderment, Du Chengfeng blurted out, "What are you pretending for? I was just asking you out of kindness, afraid you'd be fooled or led astray. Do you really think I want to make money?"
She rolled her eyes dramatically: "To put it bluntly, some money is too good to be true. Yuan Ying, think about your parents. It wasn't easy for them to raise you from the countryside. Instead of studying hard, you spend all your time playing games, and now you've done something like this. How can you face your aunt and uncle?"
Noisy.
Yuan Ying tossed aside the cardboard box and looked at him with disgust. When he stared at people, his dark pupils were almost devoid of light, like a black sun swallowing up all the surrounding light, giving people a creepy and fearful feeling of being stared at by something dirty.
Du Chengfeng's cheeks twitched, unwilling to back down, and he stood his ground, arguing back: "Am I wrong? Old Li, be the judge, what part of it wasn't for his own good?"
Li Wen then took off his headphones, turned around, and calmly said, "Yuan Ying, Lao Du's words are harsh, but he doesn't mean any harm. You've been spending money recklessly lately, which is very abnormal. As your roommates, we just want what's best for you and don't want to see you being chased by debt collectors with nowhere to turn one day."
Their act is hilarious.
Yuan Ying laughed, her voice chilling: "I don't have a mother."
"Father, it's better to be dead than to live."
After staring at the two of them for a while, Li Wen couldn't stand it anymore and wanted to turn back, but his cold smile suddenly softened and became sweet. Du Chengfeng looked at him and got goosebumps on his arms.
Is Yuan Ying possessed by an evil spirit?
Yuan Ying said sweetly, "You asked me before if I had a boyfriend—"
Rough fingertips scraped the smooth packaging box repeatedly.
"Yes. These things were bought for me by my boyfriend. Although we met through a game, he cares about me a lot and is happy to treat me well. As for the computer, he heard that my old one was lagging, so he transferred money to me to buy a new one."
“I have no parents, and he’s the only person who’s ever been kind to me. I’ve used up all my luck in this life to meet someone so wonderful.” Yuan Ying blinked. “I’ll introduce you to him sometime.”
"I've already made up my mind. We'll get married after we graduate and find a job."
...It must be a ghost.
Coming to his senses, Du Chengfeng stared blankly at the black screen, growing increasingly resentful.
How could Yuan Ying, this loser, have a girlfriend? And a rich woman at that!
He's clearly not good-looking, and he's eccentric too. He looks like the type who'll spend the rest of his life alone, the kind who would scare a child to tears if he walked down the street. How could anyone be so blind as to fall for him?
Du Chengfeng was utterly perplexed. He took out his phone and saw a message Li Wen had sent a few minutes earlier, a single “…” that said it all.
To put it simply—anyone who knows Yuan Ying doesn't think he'll find a good partner!
Du Chengfeng grimaced, feeling a tightness in his chest and a sense of frustration, as if someone he had looked down on for so long was suddenly stepping on his head.
She couldn't even watch the anime anymore; people kept acting cute in the background, so Yuan Ying stopped pretending altogether.
"Master, come a little closer."
"Master, use that hugging gesture, it looks good."
Damn, it's a master-disciple relationship.
With such a strong grip, are you some kind of clamp spirit?
...
On a college student's day without classes, she usually wakes up groggily, grabs her phone and sees it's already 1:40 PM. Seeing that it's all dark around her, with the curtains and bed curtains drawn tightly, she immediately feels much more at ease. She's still the earliest riser in her dorm.
After sneaking out of bed and washing up, I turned on the small lamp, quickly boiled two eggs, poured a bowl of yogurt, and ate some snacks—that was my brunch.
She had no appetite when she first woke up and couldn't eat anything.
The yogurt moistened my dry mouth, the egg yolk was choking me, and I swallowed it with difficulty, the strands slipping along the sides. My thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Yesterday, right? Lai Si actually secretly told her that she thought Luo Ying liked the gang leader.
It must have been a dream.
The snagging and slipping was hilarious.
How could that be? Anyone with eyes can see the little thing the gang leader is thinking about Lai Si. It's just that our Lai Si is such a straight man, even more clueless than a block of wood, that he didn't notice at all.
It's also possible that the two grew up together and were too familiar with each other, so Lai Si couldn't perceive the fox's feelings.
Gou Si Ce Hua has no interest in dating and dislikes the idea that once she starts dating, someone will take up her time. However, she finds it quite interesting to watch other people date, especially the flirting and ambiguity before they officially become a couple.
Endless restart!
A bright screen appeared before her eyes, and Lai Si's name was at the very top of the message channel. Gou Si's heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't resist clicking in to quickly browse through the chat history.
Slipping and tangling: ...
It wasn't a nightmare after all.
Lai Si really did have that thought. Why was that?
Suddenly, the alluring PvP stopped attracting her. She moved her mouse back and forth between Lai Si and Luo Ying's IDs, and used the side-scrolling tool to check their whereabouts. Sure enough, they were in the same team again.
Open YY, log into the guild channel, and in the executive's small room, a few people are chatting, including Lai Si and Luo Ying. Gou Si swiped in and heard a voice saying, "Please stop hitting me, Master, let me go, please, sob sob sob."
That sticky, sweet tone, and that fake crying that gave me goosebumps.
They're simply not going to act anymore!
"Wow, Master, you're so kind! I want to take a screenshot! To commemorate the first time in my life I've defeated the pro player Lai Si in PvP!"
"Master, let's take a picture together. You can use the flying kiss gesture."
Lai Si then indulgently let the character interact with Luo Ying, and the two of them chatted back and forth in the YY chat, the master and apprentice being extremely affectionate.
The hook slipped and trembled, and when I reached out to touch it, my entire arm was covered in goosebumps.
Aside from using a voice changer, Luo Ying was originally quite normal, expressing her possessiveness in a very restrained manner. At most, she would express her dissatisfaction with the fox's sudden arrival in a joking manner, wondering how she could suddenly change like this after just one day apart, spouting "dear" and "love" so casually.
What happened to this person that she didn't know about? Or did they simply break down and can't keep up the act anymore?
But dude, it's really hard to eat someone like you.
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