Chapter 60 Online Dating 27
As dawn broke, Lu Xuejin, rarely leaving the mountain villa, was driven to the hospital by her driver. Although she had undergone a physical examination upon arriving in City C and found nothing seriously wrong, Gu Zeyu was very concerned about his younger brother's health and strictly followed the doctor's orders. The doctor said to have her heart and lungs checked again every month, and he timed it perfectly, putting aside his many affairs the day after the month was up, and took Lu Xuejin to the hospital again.
Lu Xuejin lingered in the car for a while before getting off.
Seeing him typing intently with his eyes down, Gu Zeyu frowned and said, "Baby, stop playing on your phone and get out of the car first."
Lu Xuejin didn't even look up: "Wait a minute."
He quickly sent the account and password to Yuan Ying, and explained today's tasks: help him complete daily and weekly tasks, and also do the homestead tasks to collect materials...
There was also the rare animal egg he bought for Yuan Ying a few days ago, which hatched into a little fox. It must be fed rare and precious things every day, otherwise the rare animal will fall into a serious negative state, affecting its growth.
Luoying: Mm-hmm.
Luo Ying: Please rest assured, sir, I will get things done!
Fallen petals: [Puppy saluting.jpg]
"Who were you chatting with just now?" After getting out of the car, Gu Zeyu walked side by side with him, turned his head to look at Lu Xuejin, and asked in a seemingly indifferent manner.
“Hmm…” Lu Xuejin was looking at the vegetation in the hospital’s open-air corridor when she replied absentmindedly, “I’ll have a friend help me clear the game.”
Gu Zeyu thought to himself, "It must be Yuan Ying."
Ever since his younger brother got married in the game, his impression of Yuan Ying has gotten worse and worse. If Lu Xuejin hadn't been there, just thinking about that name would make Gu Zeyu's face turn cold, making his subordinates uneasy.
...
Lai Si's account and password were surprisingly simple; Yuan Ying remembered them clearly after just one glance.
The dormitory was empty, and Du Chengfeng moved out early. It was said that he was coordinating with the counselor to change dormitories. The forum incident broke out quickly, but in the end, it disappeared without a trace. Du Chengfeng felt guilty and deleted the post. He was severely beaten by Yuan Ying and was also called to the counselor's office for criticism. He was too ashamed and too scared to stay any longer. Li Wen went to another city to attend an academic conference with the lab boss.
He vaguely realized that after his true colors were exposed, his relationship with Lu Xuejin not only did not break down, but instead entered a period of intimacy—she even handed over her priceless account to him to show her trust in him.
Upon entering the game, the couple's home, half-finished, came into view. During this time, Lu Xuejin had become engrossed in building, drastically reducing the time she spent playing games with him. Before her physical examination, she earnestly reminded him not to forget to collect the necessary materials.
Yuan Ying logged into her account again and had Luo Ying follow Lai Si to quickly finish the daily tasks.
Since the game only opened at noon, Yuan Ying calmly opened Lu Xuejin's friend list and checked his conversations with each player.
Lu Xuejin mostly contacts people in the sky, mainly for things like dungeon runs and sparring.
Switching to a conversation with Zhulin, the slightly intimate content caused Yuan Ying's gaze to grow cold. Zhulin's identity meant that every word he uttered seemed to Yuan Ying to carry an element of deliberate seduction.
It's just a few pictures, what's so special about them? Is it worth showing off over and over again?
Fortunately, Yuan Ying was able to maintain her composure and calmly close the chat window because she could sense a hint of nonchalance in Lu Xuejin's reply.
Things didn't go so well from there.
Lu Xuejin's list of enemies was empty, but her blacklist was long. Yuan Ying curiously clicked to look and found that almost everyone was harassing Lu Xuejin—the most active one, who, even though she knew she had been blocked, still sent stupid messages like "cpdd" and "Come see me, 19119, add me on WeChat to see my abs" every day, and never tired of it.
He had only left the Lai Si character by the Yaochi Pond for less than three minutes when someone started secretly messaging him.
[Private Chat] Chacha: Wow, you're so handsome! Can you help me out? The quest is so hard, I can't progress! [crying emoji]
Mingming and Luoying were standing right next to each other, and every now and then, heart-shaped special effects would appear above their heads. Their titles were also very conspicuous! What a shameless bunch of trash.
He dared not imagine how much harassment Lu Xuejin had suffered in places he was unaware of.
Yuan Ying lowered his brows, his sharp gaze sweeping across the screen like a hawk's. After a moment, the ferocity in his eyes receded like a tide. He teleported back to the guild headquarters and lazily typed.
[World] Lai Si: @lailaiququ @chacha @sanshishu Don't take advantage of my baby's good temper and not getting angry to bother him, okay?
[World] Lai Si: If I remember correctly, my baby has a boyfriend, so please stop trying to interfere [smile]. What's so great about being a mistress?
[World] Snow King Darling: Is the person who posted this a British dog? What's wrong with them?
[World] Health Brother: Awesome, they even gave me a number, this is true love from a big shot.
[World] Tea Tea: ?
[World] Chacha: My relationship with Lai Si is normal. I don't know what some people are thinking. Instead of wasting time fighting off mistresses, spend more time improving yourself. With your looks, even if no one steals your boyfriend, you'll break up sooner or later. You don't really think you'll meet in real life, do you? [eye roll]
[World] Health Brother: Holy crap, that's tough, Tea Bro is awesome!
[World] Snow King Darling: Watching two dogs bite each other with a smile.
[World] Chacha: @Luoying Sometimes the less there is, the more you want to emphasize it, am I right? Such an eager young man to log in and show off! [smile]
[World] Lai Si: I don't understand, but my fate is with @Luoying
[World] Fallen Petals: My Love Affair @Laisi
[World] Snow King Darling: ...I can't do it anymore.
I didn't hear from Chacha after that, and I don't know if she broke down or what.
Yuan Ying felt refreshed and invigorated, experiencing immense satisfaction from the activity. The marital relationship in the game naturally gave him the right to act superior and authoritative when facing outsiders, and no one could deny his relationship with Lu Xuejin.
This relationship is too shallow. It has no fertile ground to take root in the fake online world, and it is easy to fall apart in reality. Yuan Ying only heard Lu Xuejin say that she had parents and a brother, but she had never met these people who raised Lu Xuejin, nor had she received their approval.
In human nature, the blessings of relatives and friends seem to be indispensable for forming a close marriage.
Yuan Ying suspected that Lu Xuejin's family would not acknowledge him, and that he also had a fiancé.
Just then, a grayed-out avatar in Lu Xuejin's contact list lit up silently, and a level 23 alt account suddenly appeared on the screen.
Yuan Ying paused, and the sense of pride she had just felt vanished instantly.
This alt account, with its very basic character creation and beginner outfit, looked completely out of place in the glamorous guild headquarters.
[Private Chat] Yaguchi: Is that you?
Yuan Ying typed, her face expressionless, as she cracked her knuckles.
[Private Chat] Lai Si: No. Who are you?
[Private Chat] Yaguchi: I've seen the world. Sorry.
The two messages were sent almost simultaneously.
[Private Chat] Yaguchi: So you were his love interest all along.
Shen Fangzhi stared at the Empress's speech on the world channel, then shook his head with a wry smile.
Thinking about it casually, Yuan Ying's behavior was really childish. Did he know that Lu Xuejin was engaged?
His smile vanished in an instant.
He had nothing to be proud of.
Ultimately, this marriage was meant to appease the Gu and Lu families. Those two elders had been strong-willed their entire lives, but in their middle age, desperate to keep their youngest son, they even believed the ravings of a monk. From the beginning, Lu Xuejin had told him that the marriage would be dissolved when the time was right.
Lu Xuejin rarely contacted him proactively, clearly indicating that he was the only one indulging in the false marriage agreement.
...
“Yuan Ying, you must remember to feed the little fox the Star Grass. You forgot yesterday.”
It was another morning, and Lu Xuejin gave instructions over the phone. He spoke slowly and deliberately, with a unique rhythm, and even his commands and complaints were like a gentle breeze, making people want to obey his orders.
There's a real difference between speaking through a microphone and speaking through a phone. Holding her phone, Yuan Ying nervously promised, "I promise I won't forget today."
After his unexpected encounter with Lu Xuejin's fiancé yesterday, he became somewhat distracted and skimped on feeding the little fox. As a result, Lu Xuejin discovered the little fox was in a depressed state when she logged in that afternoon. If it continues to show a depressed status for several days, the rare animal will become sick.
"You absolutely mustn't forget!" Lu Xuejin emphasized again, "If you keep making the child feel down, they'll get sick."
"Okay, okay," Yuan Ying replied with a smile, then asked about yesterday's test results, and then asked, "Do you need to have another test today?"
“I feel much better, no other problems. No, I have to pick up a friend today,” Lu Xuejin said softly. “He’s my brother’s junior from school, and we’ve known each other since we were little. He was studying abroad before, and we haven’t seen each other for several years.”
A light knock sounded at the door, and Gu Zeyu's voice, slightly muffled, came through the door: "Baby, are you all packed? We're leaving."
"Okay," Lu Xuejin replied, "I'm going out now."
After saying that, the call was abruptly ended. Yuan Ying stared at the darkened screen, her smile gradually fading, leaving only a restless gloom.
Gu Zeyu made a point of bringing Lu Xuejin along when he picked her up from the airport. His younger brother stayed in the villa all day and never went out. Although he would go downstairs for a walk regularly, Gu Zeyu always felt that staying indoors wasn't healthy. He also wanted to help Lu Xuejin shift her focus, stop being so addicted to games, and experience the real world more.
Just then, Shen Fangzhi returned to China. He and Shen Fangzhi had been colleagues in a club for a while and had also done business together, so they had a good relationship. In his opinion, his junior was much better than the man surnamed Yuan. Moreover, Shen Fangzhi was engaged to Xiao Jin, so picking him up at the airport was a perfectly acceptable excuse to go out.
Before going out, Gu Zeyi paid special attention to the weather forecast. Sure enough, the temperature was comfortable and the breeze was gentle. If it were too hot, Gu Zeyi would not let Lu Xuejin come out to sunbathe.
The car smoothly drove out of the garage; the drive from the villa to the airport would take about half an hour. Along the way, Gu Zeyu kept replying to emails, while Lu Xuejin chatted with Yuan Ying.
Lai Si: Have you been eating on time lately?
While Du Chengfeng's revelations were mostly fabricated, there was some solid evidence. He mentioned that Yuan Ying was gloomy and withdrawn, rarely went out, and ate only one fast food meal a day. Lu Xuejin guessed that most of the food screenshots sent earlier were fabricated, and when she asked, Yuan Ying immediately confessed.
Luoying: I'm eating on time now. Yesterday I had chicken cutlet rice for lunch, wontons for dinner, and two eggs this morning.
Luo Ying: I'm sorry, baby, I made you worry TT I didn't want you to think I was a homebody, so I lied.
Lu Xuejin typed absentmindedly.
Lai Si: You need to eat well, otherwise I'll worry.
Lai Si: [Pat.gif]
The next moment, a broadcast was received.
[Dedication Points +2]
I'm over 90.
So easy, no challenge at all.
Feeling dizzy from looking at her phone for too long in the car, Lu Xuejin turned her head to look at the scenery outside the window.
As the capital's airport, it handles a massive volume of passengers every day. Even outside of peak travel periods like holidays, the airport is still bustling with people, with crowded areas practically shoulder to shoulder. Gu Zeyi told Lu Xuejin to wait in the coffee shop and then hurriedly left.
The latte was served quickly, its bitter, rich aroma of coffee beans mingling with the fragrance of milk—it smelled incredibly tempting. Lu Xuejin took a small sip and then pushed it away in disgust. He didn't like bitter things; he could barely stomach a latte, let alone black coffee.
However, the accompanying towel rolls were refreshingly sweet without being cloying, melted in the mouth, and had a perfectly balanced slight fruity acidity, making them above average.
Amidst the quiet, soft instrumental music, almost all the guests were in the same position—earphones hanging from one ear, fingers flying across the thin keyboards of their laptops. Lu Xuejin's casual stirring of her coffee seemed somewhat out of place.
The last note faded into the air, and in the brief pause between song transitions, the airport's noise reached her ears. Lu Xuejin, still immersed in the lingering melody, stirred her coffee with a spoon when, out of the corner of her eye, a soft, off-white hue entered her field of vision. Lu Xuejin looked up, following the crisp crease of the trousers upwards…
He stood up and gave a faint smile: "Long time no see."
Shen Fangzhi reached out and hugged him: "It's been almost ten years since we last met."
As they drew closer, the thin trench coat, carrying the cool dampness of the outdoors, gently covered Lu Xuejin's skin. The exchange of breaths and the soft warmth soothed the weariness in Chen Fangzhi's eyes.
He released his grip at the opportune moment, gracefully stepping back. The short, thin boy who had left was now a tall, upright figure, attracting attention without making a sound. Shen Fangzhi recalled his pale face when he used to look out the window from the small building, and suddenly felt a sense of melancholy as if time had been quietly stolen away.
"Jinzai...you've grown up."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xuejin nodded slightly, her attitude rather distant, causing Chen Fangzhi's hand, hanging by his side, to tremble.
The two were engaged and had grown up together since childhood. When Lu Xuejin was confined to the old house due to her bird-like body and could only chirp and gaze out the window, Shen Fangzhi visited her every day, bringing her game cartridges, sweet soups, and any other novel things he could find. Logically, even after years apart, they should have smiled knowingly upon reuniting, the awkwardness should have quickly faded, and their hearts should have warmly embraced each other.
In fact, there were very few conversations in the chat box; their last exchange was when Lu Xuejin had just returned to City C.
When they reunited, Lu Xuejin smiled warmly and kindly, but her smile was hazy and indistinct, as if veiled by a thin layer of gauze, and not genuine.
Shen Fangzhi's preconceived notions of encounters and numerous topics he had racked his brains for before boarding the plane were now stuck in his chest, unable to be uttered. He was usually eloquent and had a very strong personality, so it was rare for him to feel helpless. Fortunately, Gu Zeyu's greeting relieved him of his predicament.
"Let's go eat."
"How long are you going to stay in China this time? I remember your company is in the process of raising its second round of investment, why did you suddenly go back to China?"
Shen Fangzhi said without changing his expression, "There are some things I need to take care of back in China. It may take a month or two."
Gu Zeyu smiled and said, "Great! I'll have to give you a proper welcome. You've been abroad for so many years, and the country has changed so much. Besides, you probably didn't eat well abroad, so I've booked Qingfang Pavilion. Let's take this opportunity to make up for it."
The conversation quickly turned to company matters, without mentioning Shen Fangzhi's family at all, and Shen Fangzhi did not express any intention to return to the Shen family to visit his elders.
His relationship with the Shen family had long since reached a freezing point. Seven years ago, his trip abroad was rushed and messy. He had just promised Lu Xuejin the day before that he would buy the new game console the next day, but the next day he was nowhere to be heard from—he was thrown onto a plane by the Shen family and left almost in exile.
Lu Xuejin still remembers Gu Zeyu returning home that night and talking with his mother. He said with a cold expression, "They plan to let Fang Zhi study abroad and return to China on his own when he comes of age."
The mother said with disdain, "Shen En is a coward! He's already devastated after losing his wife, and now he's taking his anger out on the child. If I were Fang Mei, I'd be so angry I'd slap him a few times."
He sighed again, "Poor child..."
He glanced up and saw Lu Xuejin eavesdropping behind the screen. His sorrow and pity vanished, and he bent down to hug the child who couldn't hide in time. He gently weighed the child in his arms and kissed the soft top of Lu Xuejin's head with boundless affection: "I can't bear to send the baby abroad."
It is said that in the past ten years, Shen En has never mentioned his son and has shown no concern for him. On the contrary, other families with whom he has a good relationship have taken care of him many times. Lu Xuejin's family is the most concerned. Therefore, when Shen Fangzhi returned to the country, they were the ones who held a welcome banquet for him.
The scenery outside the window felt utterly unfamiliar, with almost no trace of the past. However, since Shen Fangzhi had only left Hong Kong Island during holidays in his youth, his memories of City C were faint and vague, so he didn't feel any sense of loss or regret.
A carefree smile graced his face. As he twirled the ring, his smiling eyes moved upwards, catching Lu Xuejin's gaze in the rearview mirror. Her lips curved naturally upwards, smiling even without a word. Bathed in the morning light, her eyelashes seemed to shimmer with golden light, contrasting beautifully with her smooth, golden hair. Her lake-blue eyes were calm and clear, seemingly capable of soothing all anxieties.
However, his gaze remained fixed on the same spot for a long time. This refined and elegant young man, who resembled a noble gentleman, was clearly lost in thought.
They should have been the closest of friends, but now they are as strangers as if they were meeting for the first time.
Shen Fangzhi took a deep breath, suppressing the fierce look between his brows, and looked away.
He couldn't help but reminisce about the past.
From the moment they first met when he was six years old, Shen Fangzhi felt an endless tenderness and affection for Lu Xue.
He was a cold-hearted and ruthless person, devoid of any childlike innocence and rich emotions. Perhaps he was nurtured by the perpetually gloomy and sullen atmosphere of the Shen family. Even when he forced himself to smile, he felt that the person in the mirror had a sinister gaze, just as his incompetent father had said, "a wolf with a rebellious heart."
The elders of the Shen, Gu, and Lu families, who are based on powerful clans on Hong Kong Island, help and support each other. As the younger generation grows up, they are also introduced to each other. As the eldest of this generation, Shen Fangzhi naturally takes on the role of looking after his younger siblings at gatherings. However, he dislikes children. Their foolish and innocent smiles, sudden screams, and vague and stupid questions all make him impatient, even though he is one of them himself.
Lu Xuejin, however, is different.
He was so frail, his pale, thin face like a handful of snow about to melt. He lived a secluded life in the old house, avoiding direct sunlight, gazing at the world outside the glass window with a mixture of fear and longing. To avoid worrying his family, he always wore a faint smile. He lived so diligently yet so weakly, like a delicate flower bud on a branch, about to be attacked by the cold wind before it could bloom, teetering on the brink of collapse, a pitiful sight.
Shen Fangzhi's always restless and depressed heart suddenly found solace when she saw him.
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