Chapter 25 [VIP]
When Xie Nanyi returned to the dormitory with a bunch of random gifts, Pei Xingzhi was hanging upside down on the sofa in an extremely contorted position.
His head was pressed against the ground, his legs were stretched straight out on the back of the sofa, his hands were raised in the air and waving about as if performing a ritual, and his lips were moving as if he were muttering something under his breath.
Xie Nanyi's opening of the door and the sound of her footsteps did not attract the attention of this young master. Xie Nanyi coughed lightly, stood at the door for a few more seconds, and finally sighed resignedly, changed her shoes and walked closer to him. She casually put the pile of things she was carrying on the ground, squatted down and looked at Pei Xingzhi.
Pei Xingzhi was immersed in his own world when a face suddenly appeared upside down in front of him. Even though the face still looked superior from this unfortunate angle, it still startled Pei Xingzhi so much that he instinctively sat up and bumped right into Xie Nanyi, who was looking down.
"Ouch! Are you crazy? Why did you suddenly appear in front of me? It's scary, you know!" Pei Xingzhi covered his head and took the initiative. Xie Nanyi's chin was like a weapon, and Pei Xingzhi felt like his head was about to be poked through by Xie Nanyi's chin.
"Can you please stop appearing around me like a ghost? Do you know how annoying it is?" His anger in the game had nowhere to go, and even if it wasn't intentional, he couldn't help but take it out on Xie Nanyi.
Pei Xingzhi's impact was so strong that Xie Nanyi went from squatting to sitting on the ground. He rubbed his sore chin, feeling somewhat relieved that he hadn't had plastic surgery, otherwise his chin would have been crooked.
"Who has upset our Xiao Zhi again? Why is he so angry today?" Xie Nanyi was already used to Pei Xingzhi's unpredictable moods and assumed that he was just nervous about the upcoming quiz. Not only did she not take his words to heart, she also said something that Pei Xingzhi found provocative in a teasing tone.
He stood up, supporting himself with one hand, and leaned close to Pei Xingzhi, pressing his head into his chest.
"Did I bump into Xiaozhi and hurt her? Let me blow on it for you, okay? It won't hurt anymore if I blow on it."
"Do you think I'm a child? Who needs you to coax me like this?"
Xie Nanyi's voice came from above his head, and Pei Xingzhi felt the pain from his laughter return, his head feeling numb as if it had short-circuited.
He pushed Xie Nanyi away, snorted softly, and slumped back onto the sofa.
"Xiao Zhi, how do you want me to coax him? Xiao Zhi, please teach me, okay?"
Xie Nanyi sat down next to him and secretly kicked the bag she had just put down to the side.
It would have been better if he hadn't moved; his kick actually made Pei Xingzhi see the thing he had placed in the corner.
What are you hiding?
"What's hidden?"
How would I know what you're hiding?
"Xiao Zhi doesn't even know what I'm hiding, so how would I know what I'm hiding?"
This tongue-twisting dialogue successfully transferred Pei Xingzhi's anger towards Pumpkin Party and 7851 onto Xie Nanyi. He took a deep breath, narrowed his eyes, and used all his strength to leap—pressing Xie Nanyi, who had just stood up, back to the ground.
Pei Xingzhi braced one arm against Xie Nanyi's neck and the other hand on Xie Nanyi's chin, straddling him arrogantly. His legs rubbed against Xie Nanyi's waist, and Xie Nanyi turned his head to the side, biting his tongue, barely managing to resist the urge to hug Pei Xingzhi.
"Xie Nanyi, do I look like someone who's easy to fool? What kind of shameful things are you hiding from me that you're afraid to show me? I'm going to see them today!"
"Does Xiaozhi like this position?"
"..."
"Xie Nanyi! You perverted bastard!"
"But judging from this position, Xiaozhi is more like a pervert."
"Forget it, we can't see eye to eye."
Pei Xingzhi gave up trying to communicate with Xie Nanyi. Since Xie Nanyi wouldn't answer, he would just look at it himself. He turned around, pressed down on Xie Nanyi's leg, and went to get the bag he had placed in the corner.
As soon as Pei Xingzhi turned around, a pair of hands suddenly climbed up his calves and slowly moved upwards. Before Pei Xingzhi could react, Xie Nanyi placed her hand on his waist and face, applying slight pressure, instantly reversing their positions. Xie Nanyi's hand was now under the back of Pei Xingzhi's head, and their faces were almost touching.
"You really want to see that?"
"I want to see it."
Pei Xingzhi nodded repeatedly. Xie Nanyi had piqued his curiosity, and he absolutely had to know the result.
Xie Nanyi had no choice but to admit defeat and take out the bag she had hidden, fearing that she might accidentally hurt him if the argument continued.
"What? They're just a few plush toys. What's wrong with showing them to me?"
Pei Xingzhi turned the bag inside out, and found nothing strange except for a few familiar dolls. However... the appearance of these dolls made Pei Xingzhi's anger, which had just subsided, seem to rekindle.
He remembered that the level had released more than a hundred different dolls this time. Among so many types, Xie Nanyi just happened to pick the elf and skeleton undead types. In addition, there was also the slime from the slime dungeon, which he hated the most.
This person's taste is truly beyond redemption.
Why couldn't Xie Nanyi show him these few dolls? Was it because the game's eccentric art style didn't suit his aloof and handsome image?
"But you play the levels too. If you do, fine, I won't laugh at you."
"Hmm." Xie Nanyi nodded, picked up the elf seed and pushed it in front of Pei Xingzhi, pretending that she had just discovered that Pei Xingzhi was a fellow enthusiast.
"Xiao Zhi plays this game too? What a coincidence! I thought Xiao Zhi would hate this kind of childish game. Here, these plush toys are for you. I accidentally bought too many."
"..."
Looking at the elves and skeletons in front of him, Pei Xingzhi felt that he and Xie Nanyi were probably incompatible according to their birth charts.
Of the more than one hundred plush toys, Xie Nanyi deliberately chose a few of his least favorites to give him. If no one in real life knew his account, he would have suspected that Xie Nanyi did it on purpose.
"Doesn't Xiaozhi like it?"
Xie Nanyi handed the bag to Pei Xingzhi. Pei Xingzhi felt that the doll in front of him was not an ordinary doll, but more like a death warrant placed on him by Pumpkin Party and Seven Eight Fifty-One.
"Actually... I just quit the game."
"What a coincidence, I just quit the game too."
——————
Two hours ago.
The routine check-up ended early, leaving Xie Nanyi with an hour left before his imprisonment. Bored, Xie Nanyi knew he couldn't bother Pei Xingzhi in his current state, so he decided to just light up the card to kill some time.
He had gone to great lengths to obtain permission to modify the character model, only to discover the friend icon on the main page when he was about to make changes. Once the friend icon is set, it cannot be changed, meaning that even if he modifies the character model, others can still identify him based on that icon.
While it's not impossible to use some tricks, there might still be some flaws that he can't think of if you keep changing the number. It would be better to just change the number directly.
Buying an account isn't difficult; as long as you have the money, you can buy any top-tier account. The problem is that he doesn't know which kind Pei Xingzhi would like.
He was too lazy to bother with it, so he handed the matter over to Assistant Qin. Assistant Qin was very efficient and resolved the issue in just a few days.
The new account wasn't as easy to play as the original one. Xie Nanyi had only logged in a few times since buying it. The last time he logged in, he saw the swordsman who always followed Peipei swaggering around in the square. Xie Nanyi couldn't help but attack. Fortunately, his account was clean enough that everyone just thought he didn't like Kuro. No one thought that "7851" and "Pumpkin Party" were the same person.
The matter should have ended there, but the problem was that he took what Peipei wanted, and Kuro brought Peipei back to him.
The dispute between Pumpkin Party and Peipei had nothing to do with Seven Eight Fifty-One. Xie Nanyi originally wanted to pretend that she did not know Peipei and quickly get rid of the matter, but when she saw Peipei, she couldn't help but say a few sarcastic remarks. As a result, she accidentally gave away the props that she had recently bought to give to Pei Xingzhi.
No one expected the same thing to happen twice.
The first time he was angry, but now he's just silent. He was the one who gave away the items both times; it seems like a coincidence, but that doesn't quite hold up.
Peipei's homepage now features two friendly icons: one with Pumpkin Party, and the other with 7851, where three characters—a skeleton, a wizard, and an elf—stand hand in hand, looking extremely harmonious.
But no one except him knew that these three people were actually two people.
Peipei logged off immediately, and Xie Nanyi turned off the screen, completely abandoning the idea of using the game to get closer to Pei Xingzhi.
If things continue like this, he might be ruined before he even gets close to Pei Xingzhi.
Of course, Xie Nanyi was already utterly disgraced in Pei Xingzhi's eyes at this moment.
＊
Both harboring their own ulterior motives, they tacitly ended the topic of games.
Since moving into Xie Nanyi's dormitory, Pei Xingzhi has automatically been provided with three meals a day by Xie Nanyi. At first, Pei Xingzhi refused, but later he was trained to accept everything Xie Nanyi gave him without any qualms.
Anyway, Xie Nanyi doesn't lack this money, so he can just consider it compensation for the mental distress caused by Xie Nanyi harassing him every day.
After a hearty meal, Pei Xingzhi slumped back onto the sofa, which had now become his private domain. The sofa was stuffed full of his various plush toys, leaving only a small gap for him to lie down in.
Chu Ling was still working part-time, and their chat was still about Pei Xingzhi's message from that afternoon. Her former roommate was busy with the upcoming quiz and either read Pei Xingzhi's message but didn't reply or gave a few nonsensical replies.
Pei Xingzhi harassed many people, but apart from his older brother, no one gave him a proper reply.
But he didn't really want to answer his brother.
He sent the video he took that night to his brother and asked him to help investigate. Although his brother promised to help, he also learned about his hospitalization.
Pei Xingzhi himself didn't think anything of it, but his brother, like Xie Nanyi, liked to make a mountain out of a molehill. Before he had even finished sending his message, his brother had already booked a ticket to come back. Pei Xingzhi had to go to great lengths to dissuade his brother from coming back to visit him in person, and instead asked him to send him a message every hour to confirm that he was safe.
Pei Xingzhi couldn't do that since Xie Nanyi had confiscated his equipment, but if he didn't agree, his brother would definitely interrogate him about the reason. Pei Xingzhi had no choice but to set up an automatic reply to deal with his interrogation.
His plan started off smoothly, but a program is a program after all, and a program cannot answer human questions. Pei Xingzhi's automatic reply was still spotted by his older brother, who ended up lecturing him for more than two hours before it was over.
There was a reason for this, and he didn't suffer any real harm, which is why his brother let him off so easily.
If his brother found out that he was being threatened by an Alpha to live under the same roof as him...
Pei Xingzhi dared not imagine what the consequences would be.
In short, he has absolutely no desire to provoke his brother right now.
But apart from his older brother, it seems like he has no one else to bother.
Pei Xingzhi rolled over, grabbed a cushion and hugged it to his chest, then opened the calendar and glanced at the date.
There are five days left until the quiz.
A classmate had just messaged him asking if he needed an exam outline. Pei Xingzhi thought he had been saved. The next second, the classmate sent him a past first aid case analysis and thoughtfully included the teacher's words: "The exam will be in here."
Pei Xingzhi opened the virtual screen with a grateful heart, and closed it ten minutes later.
His classmate must have dug up some hospital's medical records. If those are the exam's scope, then he might as well prepare to get out of here.
"Why are you so down all day? Are you worried about the quiz?" Xie Nanyi came over at some point and hit the nail on the head regarding what Pei Xingzhi was thinking.
"The quiz was alright. Why would I care about something so simple? Why would I be bothered by a quiz?" Pei Xingzhi felt a little awkward after his thoughts were exposed, but he still stubbornly denied it.
Pei Xingzhi didn't know why he answered that way. He wasn't the type of person to care about such things, but he always found it difficult to swallow his pride in front of Xie Nanyi. He didn't want Xie Nanyi to know his less-than-ideal side, no matter the reason.
“The quiz results are also linked to scholarships. It’s normal for Xiaozhi to be worried since he hasn’t been to class for so long. But I happen to know one of Xiaozhi’s teachers.” Pei Xingzhi pretended not to care, but his face clearly showed he wanted to get to the point, which was quite amusing. Xie Nanyi covered her mouth and chuckled, then continued, “Although he’s not part of the question-setting team, he can still help if he’s just outlining the exam scope.”
“Define the scope of the exam! Xie Nanyi, are you serious?!” Upon hearing this, Pei Xingzhi’s eyes immediately lit up.
Defining the scope of the exam is different from simply telling him the exam content!
"Does Xiaozhi really want it?" Xie Nanyi curled her lips, clearly harboring ill intentions.
"Yes!" Pei Xingzhi was completely absorbed in the exam content and didn't pay any attention to Xie Nanyi's expression. He shook Xie Nanyi's arm, his bright eyes fixed on Xie Nanyi, intently awaiting his answer.
"Then give me a kiss and I'll tell you." Xie Nanyi delivered her prepared response, unsurprisingly earning a glare from Pei Xingzhi.
"Sigh, as expected. Even if Xiaozhi needs my help, it will only put me in a difficult position." Xie Nanyi sighed dramatically, then continued with feigned reluctance, "Then I'll indulge Xiaozhi this once. How about Xiaozhi calls me 'brother'?"
Pei Xingzhi looked at him suspiciously. Calling someone "brother" was not much harder than kissing them, but he always felt that Xie Nanyi had ill intentions, and that calling him that would definitely bring some bad consequences.
“No.” Pei Xingzhi shook his head in refusal.
"Okay, well, I'm the one who spoils Xiaozhi the most." Xie Nanyi shook her head and pointed to the projector next to her. "How about Xiaozhi watches a movie with me? I can't refuse this time, can I?"
Xie Nanyi chose a classic ghost movie that had won numerous awards. Pei Xingzhi had heard before about how amazing the film's plot was. However, some scenes were too thrilling, and Pei Xingzhi wasn't brave enough to handle them. He had only heard a rough outline of the plot from others and had never seen the entire movie.
The entire film was in a somber, gray tone, with a foggy, damp, and chilly atmosphere. From the very beginning, it created an eerie sense of oppression, making Pei Xingzhi feel breathless. He instinctively grabbed Xie Nanyi's arm and pressed himself against him.
The eerie background music combined with the dark environment gives viewers a strange sense of being drawn into the story.
Pei Xingzhi hated ghost movies, especially those with a highly immersive feel. A cool breeze blew across his neck, and Pei Xingzhi was practically clinging to Xie Nanyi.
"Is Xiaozhi scared?" Xie Nanyi noticed his movement and asked softly, looking down.
It was only by chance that he discovered Pei Xingzhi was afraid of ghosts. He was usually a loud and boisterous person, but he would immediately shut up at the slightest sound that resembled a ghost.
Although this move is old-fashioned, Pei Xingzhi seems to only be susceptible to these old-fashioned moves.
"I'm not scared at all." Pei Xingzhi shrank closer to Xie Nanyi, but still refused to back down. It would be too embarrassing to admit to being scared by something virtual.
Xie Nanyi glanced down at the hem of her clothes that Pei Xingzhi was holding, and nodded in agreement, saying, "Xiao Zhi is indeed not afraid, but if Xiao Zhi is not afraid, why is he so close to me?"
Pei Xingzhi followed his gaze and looked down. His hands were still holding Xie Nanyi's arms, and their bodies were almost pressed together.
"I...I was afraid you'd be scared. If you're scared, just grab my arm."
"I'm scared, can I get a little closer to Xiaozhi?"
"What are you afraid of with me here?" When the first ghost appeared on screen, Pei Xingzhi's voice trembled with fear, but he still insisted on protecting Xie Nanyi.
"It's really reassuring to have Xiaozhi around." Xie Nanyi suppressed a smile and reached out to encircle Pei Xingzhi's hand. "Xiaozhi, can you come a little closer to me? I'm a little scared."
Pei Xingzhi's body stiffened for a moment when he suddenly felt heat on the back of his hand, and then he grasped Xie Nanyi's hand in return.
"I really can't do anything with you. If you're scared, just come closer."
Films that win awards are all of high quality. This film not only has top-notch visuals and plot, but also outstanding background music. The eerie background music paired with the horrifying visuals made Pei Xingzhi so scared that he almost hid in Xie Nanyi's arms.
Before the movie started, there was enough space between them for another person to sit, but by the end, they were completely pressed together. Pei Xingzhi was held tightly in Xie Nanyi's arms, their hands clasped together, and they didn't come to their senses until the movie ended.
Pei Xingzhi jumped out of Xie Nanyi's arms with unprecedented speed, and coughed twice in an attempt to cover up his mistake.
"Um, I just saw you were so scared, so I was just trying to comfort you. Don't think too much about it. I... I'm going to sleep now. You, you should go to sleep too. Goodnight—" His skin was fair, and even the slightest blush on his face was extremely noticeable. Combined with his red hair, Pei Xingzhi almost turned completely red.
Xie Nanyi felt his arms suddenly go empty. Before he could say anything, Pei Xingzhi ran back to his room with a flushed face.
She could still feel his warmth in her arms, and her fingertips gently brushed her lips, as if kissing the lingering touch of Pei Xingzhi.
Pei Xingzhi doesn't usually watch horror movies, but once he started watching one, he couldn't help but have nightmares.
The realistic special effects in the movie were amplified infinitely in the dream. The 2D creatures that originally existed in the virtual screen suddenly appeared in three-dimensional form around him and took on various forms to entangle him in the dream.
Pei Xingzhi ran and ran, and somehow ended up in the alley from that day. The ghost and the few Alphas from that day stood together, slowly twisting into a ball and lunging at Pei Xingzhi.
Pei Xingzhi suddenly woke up and sat up. His body was weak and limp, and his whole body was soaked in cold sweat. It felt icy to the touch, and Pei Xingzhi even had the illusion that he was no longer alive.
Pei Xingzhi shook his head, trying to dispel this fantasy, and lay back down, pulling the blanket tighter around himself.
The blanket's protective effect was clearly not enough; Pei Xingzhi tossed and turned for a long time but still couldn't fall asleep.
He glanced at the time; it was only 1:37 AM. All around was quiet; all living things were asleep. Pei Xingzhi took a deep breath and forced himself to sleep.
But the more he tried to fall asleep, the more awake he became. Half an hour passed, and he still couldn't find any way to fall asleep.
Whether it was psychological or not, Pei Xingzhi inexplicably felt that the temperature in the dormitory was much lower than in the afternoon. Combined with the movie he had watched that night, it was as if a ghost was blowing a cold wind behind him.
The window suddenly started rattling, and even though there was no wind outside, it began to shake violently.
Pei Xingzhi wrapped himself tightly in the blanket and curled up into a ball. In the darkness, the fear in his heart grew stronger and stronger.
Xie Nanyi's scheming paid off; Pei Xingxing couldn't hold on any longer and ran away.
He ran out of his room and knocked on Xie Nanyi's door, saying in a flattering tone that he didn't realize was intimidating, "Xie Nanyi, are you asleep? I think you seem a little scared tonight, I'll keep you company."
No one answered him from inside the door; Xie Nanyi was probably already asleep.
Pei Xingzhi refused to go back just like that. He already had no reputation with Xie Nanyi, so what did it matter if he became even more shameless?
Thinking of this, Pei Xingzhi immediately increased the force of his knocking on Xie Nanyi's door.
The door was quickly opened, and Xie Nanyi, wearing pajamas with her hair sticking up messily in front of her forehead, looked like she had just been woken up.
"Xiao Zhi, is there something you need that you called me so late?" His voice was slightly hoarse and sounded sexy. Normally, Pei Xingzhi would have been interested in listening, but at this moment, he was only thinking about finding someone to rely on and had no interest in acknowledging Xie Nanyi's peacock-like display.
“Didn’t you say you were scared? I’ll come and keep you company. I’ll sleep with you tonight,” Pei Xingzhi said, grabbing his blanket and pillow and trying to squeeze into Xie Nanyi’s room.
"Sleep with me? Why do you want to sleep with me? Actually, I'm not that scared." Xie Nanyi stopped Pei Xingzhi from entering the room, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
“But you clearly look scared. I’m just worried about you.” Pei Xingzhi made excuses for himself. No matter what Xie Nanyi said, he would never sleep alone tonight.
"Xiao Zhi, are you going into my room?"
"How can I keep you company if I don't come into your room? If you don't want to, you can come to my room."
"But didn't Xiaozhi say before that I couldn't come into your room? I dare not disobey Xiaozhi's words. What if Xiaozhi ignores me because of this?"
"Since this is my rule, I'm abolishing it now. You can come and go as you please in my room, okay? Stop talking nonsense and let me in, or you can come to my room with me!"
Xie Nanyi's repeated rejections had driven Pei Xingzhi to the brink of despair. Rules were utterly meaningless in the face of fear, and he no longer cared about agreements. He felt that he really needed to find a place to exorcise evil spirits.
"But……"
"No buts! Brother, can I call you brother? Please, good brother, sleep with me!"
Pei Xingzhi's voice trembled slightly, but this did not affect the intense psychological fluctuations Xie Nanyi experienced upon hearing those two words.
A strange feeling rushed to his heart. He could clearly feel the glands on his neck getting slightly warm. The person in front of him was clearly just a Beta, yet he could make this top Alpha feel like he was in heat with such a simple sentence.
"Come in." Xie Nanyi put her right hand on her neck and made way for him to come in. Pei Xingzhi received an affirmative answer and almost couldn't wait to squeeze in.
There was only one bed in Xie Nanyi's room, so the two of them had no choice but to sleep together. Xie Nanyi naturally had no objections, and Pei Xingzhi had even less to say. They each slept on one side, with enough space between them for another person to lie down.
Xie Nanyi turned over, closing the distance between herself and Pei Xingzhi, and whispered in his ear.
"Xiao Zhi, I remember you called me 'brother' just now, right? Can you call me that again now?"
"Stop making noise and go to sleep."
"Call me brother, and I'll let you go."
"Brother, brother, brother! Is that enough now? Stop bothering me!"
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