“Offline meeting?”
Chu Qianze looked at Zong Xinjue in this posture, the progress was faster than he had imagined.
“Yes, if you don’t mind, we can meet in person.”
He really wanted to take things further with Chu Qianze.
Chu Qianze tilted his head, straightened up, and took a few steps to the side.
“Sure, I’m in City Y. How about you?”
Zong Xinjue was surprised, “I am too.”
“Meeting in the same city is convenient.”
Chu Qianze sprawled onto the nearby bed, “Let’s set a time then. I’m available anytime. When are you free?”
“How about tomorrow? Thursday, to avoid the weekend crowd peak,” Zong Xinjue suggested after a moment of consideration.
“There’s no problem. What time tomorrow?” Chu Qianze didn’t bother thinking too much and handed over the decision-making power. He raised his index finger, making a gesture as if emphasizing a point, “Highlight: I don’t do mornings.”
Zong Xinjue: “I don’t accept that either.”
He stays up late playing games at night, and the daytime is reserved for catching up on sleep.
“How about 4 PM in the afternoon, and then we can have dinner together in the evening?”
Chu Qianze: “No problem.”
Zong Xinjue: “Where should we meet?”
Chu Qianze stretched his hand forward, sitting up from the bed, “How about the entrance of the ancient town? There are plenty of things there, and it happens to be near my place. Is it far from your house? If it’s too far, we can choose another location.”
After estimating the route, Zong Xinjue replied, “It’s about a twenty-minute drive, which is fine.”
“Alright, let’s go with that.”
Chu Qianze turned to look at Zong Xinjue, teasing, “Make sure you don’t oversleep tomorrow. I won’t wait for you if you’re late.”
“I’ll give you the same advice,” Zong Xinjue retorted directly.
“Don’t worry, my daily routine is quite regular. By the way, let’s link terminals so we can stay in touch through LightMind,” Chu Qianze opened his LightMind and switched to the response page.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Zong Xinjue.”
“I mean, what’s your real name?” Chu Qianze added a clarification.
“Zong Xinjue. That’s my real name.”
“You use your real name as your in-game name?” Chu Qianze was somewhat surprised.
Suddenly, Chu Qianze recalled that An Jueluo also used his real name as his online handle, and he was Zong Xinjue’s little fan.
“Couldn’t be bothered to come up with a username, and most people wouldn’t think of it anyway,” Zong Xinjue shrugged.
“I’m Chu Qianze, by the way.”
Zong Xinjue nodded and added a note to his contacts.
With the terminal in hand, Zong Xinjue didn’t linger, “It’s getting late; I’ll log off now.”
Chu Qianze nodded, waving his hand, “See you tomorrow.”
Zong Xinjue didn’t reply but kept his gaze on Chu Qianze.
Chu Qianze followed the line of sight, looking down at himself, finding nothing unusual. As he lifted his eyes to inquire about the situation, he was suddenly kissed.
Removing his hand from where it rested on Chu Qianze’s ear, Zong Xinjue’s lips curved slightly, as if savoring the moment. “See you tomorrow.”
With that, he vanished on the spot, logging off directly.
Chu Qianze touched his lips.
[Host, are you done chatting?] the system’s voice rang out.
“You can’t see it?”
[To protect the host’s privacy, I automatically blocked the screen and audio.]
“We’re done chatting. You can unblock it now.”
Chu Qianze sat on the edge of the bed, crossing one leg.
“Where did he go? Seems like he’s in a good mood.”
[That little fellow is exploring game dungeons, trying to create a few offerings for me.] The system’s tone carried a hint of satisfaction.
[I just went to find novels and comics for reading, letting the little fellow simulate based on them.]
Upon recalling what the system had been watching, Chu Qianze’s brow furrowed. “Has it been created already?”
[Yes, it has been successfully created. It’s mainly a Mary Sue Gu Luluju’s mountain villa, featuring an 800-meter-wide master bedroom with a 300-meter tall mirror. The boss is Mary Sue Gu Luluju, who sheds tears that turn into gold, and her hair changes with her mood. There’s also a prince character, Tom Su, with similar attributes. The completion condition is to play as a gray fluffy droopy-eared rabbit and gain the affection of both Mary Sue and Tom Su. The highest reward criteria involve causing enmity between the two for a love duel.]
Two Mary Sues…
Chu Qianze’s expression went through a moment of complexity, then he took a deep breath. “You put it into use?”
[No, because I’m still pondering the trigger conditions for the dungeon.] The system expressed genuine concern.
“It’s a good dungeon. Take your time; no need to rush,” Chu Qianze reassured.
[Understood. I’ll continue then.]
Chu Qianze nodded as he watched the system leave. He wondered which fortunate player would draw such a dungeon. He also thought about asking if it was possible to watch a livestream from the system.
It felt like it would be quite exciting, and he suddenly looked forward to how it would unfold.
On the other side, in a single-person apartment:
The game cabinet in the room opened, and Zong Xinjue sat up from inside. The sensations from the game were still quite vivid. He looked down, took a deep breath, and stood up.
Leaning against the small coffee table under the balcony, Zong Xinjue lowered his eyes, reflecting on the experiences in the game. Unconsciously, he placed his hand on his chest, feeling a lingering tingling sensation.
After a while, with a few breaths and the sound of crumpling tissues, several used tissues were tossed into the trash bin.
Having enjoyed the game for a while and feeling like there was nothing else to do, Chu Qianze logged off as well.
He stood up from the game cabinet and headed to the bathroom for a shower. Wrapped in a towel, he opened the LightMind and began clearing out unnecessary items and equipment from the game, putting them up for sale on the forum with clear price tags, waiting for interested buyers.
Seeing funds deposited into his account on the LightMind, Chu Qianze glanced at the transaction numbers and then didn’t pay further attention.
With things sorted out and it being time for rest, he turned off the lights and went to sleep.
At 5:30 in the morning, the LightMind alarm rang.
Chu Qianze turned off the alarm, ran his fingers through his hair, changed into workout clothes, and headed out for his morning exercise.
After half an hour of exercise, he returned home, took a shower, and then dealt with the breakfast situation.
At 6:30 in the morning, Zong Xinjue got up and went to his wardrobe to find his clothes.
He looked in the mirror for a moment, accurately determining his partner’s type. It seemed that he liked his chest muscles a lot.
After some contemplation, he picked out a low-cut shirt and tried it on, then switched to another one.
At 2:30 in the afternoon, after his nap, Chu Qianze freshened up, changed his clothes, tidied up his room, and went out with a garbage bag.
At 3:00 in the afternoon, Zong Xinjue took out his car keys, left his home, and headed to the parking lot.
Following the LightMind navigation to the entrance of the ancient town, Chu Qianze stood directly by a corner.
The LightMind displayed a message from Zong Xinjue.
[I’m here, where are you?]
Chu Qianze replied: [Next to the vending machine in the ancient town.]
As soon as he sent the message, he felt someone approaching. Looking up, he saw a man.
The man had a neatly trimmed buzz cut, well-defined facial features, prominent cheekbones, and a sharp, linear look on his face. He wore a tight black tank top with a casually draped denim jacket. His feet were clad in Martin boots, giving him an overall style that was cool, handsome, and sexy.
“Zong Xinjue?” Chu Qianze said.
The face was familiar, but changes in clothing style and hairstyle always brought significant transformations.
Zong Xinjue nodded, “Chu Qianze, right?”
Zong Xinjue sized up the person in front of him. Ordinary short hair with some stray strands falling backward, giving off a casual and carefree vibe. He wore a casual hooded top paired with cargo pants, making him unusually tall. The most striking feature was his eyes, deep like a starry sky, both affectionate and emotionless. He possessed a unique temperament, highly recognizable. Standing there casually, he looked like someone from a street photoshoot, so much so that Zong Xinjue noticed him as soon as he arrived. The difference from the in-game appearance was minimal, just the absence of a small braid.
“You’re just as I imagined.” Quite to his liking.
“As handsome as you thought?” Chu Qianze adjusted the cap on his head, striding forward towards Zong Xinjue.
“More or less.” Zong Xinjue’s gaze circled around him. He already liked him a lot in the game, and meeting him in person intensified that feeling.
The other’s gaze carried an unmistakable heat, and as Chu Qianze felt the intensity of the scrutiny, a curve appeared at the corner of his mouth, not sparing any effort to unleash his charm. “Where to next?”
“I’m fine with anything,” Zong Xinjue replied.
“Are you hungry?” Chu Qianze asked.
Having interacted for so long in the game, Zong Xinjue immediately grasped the implied meaning, saying, “Not very hungry.”
“Let’s take a stroll first. In my experience, the best food is always hidden in the alleys, waiting for someone to discover them,” Chu Qianze said with a serious tone.
“Alright, I’ll follow you then,” Zong Xinjue decided promptly.
He was already well aware of the other’s keen sense for good food. Although he was more interested in something else than food.
“Sure.”
Chu Qianze led the way to a nearby direction. “I heard there’s a place here with really delicious fried chicken.”
Arriving at the fried chicken shop, Chu Qianze walked up and skillfully ordered a few items. When he came back, he already had two bags in hand. He handed one of the bags over. “Here’s yours. I bought according to your preferences; they should be good.”
“You’re welcome.” Zong Xinjue took a bite, finding it even more delicious than he had imagined. The chicken was tender, and the crispy skin combined with it, creating a delightful taste sensation.
“Not bad, huh?” Chu Qianze raised an eyebrow.
During the time spent on game missions, he had certainly figured out this person’s preferences.
Zong Xinjue nodded and picked up a bamboo skewer for another bite.
“Now that we’ve eaten, let’s get something to drink,” Chu Qianze planned the next part of their itinerary on his own.
While strolling and indulging in snacks and drinks, from local street eats to traditional pastries, Chu Qianze took Zong Xinjue on a full tour of the entire ancient town.
Arriving at a pavilion, Chu Qianze looked up at the plaque, intending to see what it said, but then he heard the sound of a camera. Turning his head, he saw that Zong Xinjue was taking pictures of him.
“What are you doing?” he walked over and asked.
“Just leaving a memory.” Zong Xinjue turned the LightMind around, showing him the results.
Chu Qianze glanced at it and found that the photos were quite lifelike. “Not bad, but is that enough for you?”
Zong Xinjue’s eyes subtly shifted, lifting his eyelids to gaze at Chu Qianze with a hint of directness. “Merely looking is, of course, not enough.”
It was just a step-by-step approach, slowly beginning.
At this moment, Chu Qianze stood on a slightly elevated platform, leaning forward slightly with a smiling expression. “So, what else do you want?”
As expected, he still wanted to hear it explicitly.
The way the other person was behaving, it seemed like he would agree to anything Chu Qianze suggested. This realization made Zong Xinjue’s heart beat slower. Chu Qianze seemed to hit all the right points, as if he understood everything about him.
“I—”
“Senior!”
Just as Chu Qianze was waiting for the black sheep to willingly enter the trap, he was suddenly interrupted. Chu Qianze looked towards the source of the voice and saw two people coming towards them. One of them he recognized, it was An Jueluo.
An Jueluo was thrilled to see Zong Xinjue. He hurriedly walked over, “Senior, it’s really you guys! What a coincidence, meeting you here. I thought I might be mistaken just now.”
Chu Qianze’s gaze briefly passed over An Jueluo without paying much attention, shifting to the middle-aged man behind him. The man appeared to be in his forties, dressed in sportswear with a logo imprinted on his clothes.
The middle-aged man walked over, and his gaze towards Zong Xinjue held a sense of satisfaction. “Zong Xinjue, you look much better than before.”
Zong Xinjue smiled wryly, “Coach, long time no see.”
“I heard from An Jueluo that you’re participating in this league, still as an amateur. The registration deadline is approaching; I assume you’ve already signed up. I heard you even chose a partner. I really wonder who managed to catch your eye,” the coach said with a cheerful tone.
He still knew Zong Xinjue’s temperament well—strong-willed and not fond of interacting with others. Learning that he had acknowledged having a partner himself was quite surprising.
“Participating in the competition is good, with friendship first and competition second. Just treat it as a game. After all, holographic online games are different from keyboard-based online games, and the areas you need to pay attention to are completely different. Don’t worry too much about the results and such,” the coach advised.
Zong Xinjue looked back at him, “I’m pretty confident.”
“Confidence is a good thing, but you also need to consider the practical aspects. Holographics isn’t just for fun, and excessive confidence isn’t good either. What do you think?” The coach spoke with the air of someone with experience.
Chu Qianze, listening on the side, felt that something was off.
On the surface, the coach’s words seemed fine, but on a closer listen, it sounded as if he was implying that Zong Xinjue didn’t need to put in much effort because getting a ranking was unlikely. While expressing encouragement, it seemed like an undermining of Zong Xinjue’s abilities and confidence.
This uncle, are you a friend or foe?
“Between partners, it’s good to have more interaction to build rapport; mutual understanding is also important. If there are any issues, you can contact us. Later, you can find your partner, and we can have a friendly match to learn from each other,” the coach said.
Chu Qianze chuckled and took a step forward, standing in front of Zong Xinjue. He extended his hand to the coach, saying, “Hello, Coach. I’m his partner. Friendly matches are no problem at any time.”
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