Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 104

Zhou Qian finished washing up slowly and went downstairs to the dining room. Bai Zhou had already set up breakfast.

The breakfast was a Hong Kong-style meal from a tea restaurant, including light rice noodle rolls, dried scallop congee, crab meat buns, and shrimp dumplings.

During the meal, the two were silent. At one point, Zhou Qian reached for a tissue after drinking some congee, but Bai Zhou beat him to it, handing him two sheets.

With his eyelids lowered, Zhou Qian saw Bai Zhou’s index and middle fingers through the thin, translucent paper. Remembering where those fingers had been last night, his face reddened again.

Taking the tissue, Zhou Qian wiped his mouth and asked Bai Zhou, “About your answer this morning… Zhou Ge, I mean, there are some things I want to ask more clearly.”

“You didn’t treat last night as… like, just mutual assistance between good brothers, did you?”

Bai Zhou took a tissue for himself, wiped his mouth, and then looked up at Zhou Qian. His deep, dark pupils reminded Zhou Qian of the undercurrents of last night.

So many times when he was clinging to Bai Zhou, it seemed Bai Zhou looked at him with that gaze.

Then he heard Bai Zhou counter, “Which good brother do you help like that?”

Zhou Qian: “…”

Bai Zhou: “Hmm?”

“You’re misinterpreting my words,” Zhou Qian said, lowering his head and starting to eat a crab meat bun. “Is this restaurant run by a player or an NPC? It’s really good.”

After finishing the bun, Zhou Qian looked up and asked, “According to you—”

Smiling, he asked, “So, you like me?”

Bai Zhou took a sip of coffee, quietly watched Zhou Qian for a moment, then set the cup down. “I’ve heard He Xiaowei say that to you before.”

“That’s different!” Zhou Qian said.

Bai Zhou nodded slightly. “Qi Liuxing?”

“Also different. Xiao Qi is still a minor!” Zhou Qian said.

Bai Zhou: “Only less than a year younger.”

Zhou Qian laughed, lifting his foot under the table to rub Bai Zhou’s leg. “Are you jealous, saying that on purpose? You know it’s not the same.”

Bai Zhou quietly watched Zhou Qian for a while. “Were you really that out of it yesterday? You don’t remember?”

“Can’t I hear you say it again? Besides—” Zhou Qian said earnestly, “I really don’t remember clearly. Last night, so much happened—some images felt real, some like a dream…”

“And you?” Bai Zhou asked him.

Zhou Qian: “Hmm?”

Bai Zhou: “What are your thoughts about me?”

Zhou Qian, resting his chin on his hand, looked at him. “So, you never noticed in school?”

Bai Zhou was silent for a moment before saying, “Actually, I’m still not sure now.”

Zhou Qian: “Ah—?”

Bai Zhou: “You used to be very close to me. But it seemed like you could also blend in well with other classmates.”

Zhou Qian: ?

Bai Zhou leaned forward slightly. “When you entered ‘Apple Paradise’, did you know Epoh was me at first?”

Zhou Qian quickly became serious, asking with his usual persuasive tone, “Zhou Ge, do you believe in intuition?”

“You, pulling Epoh’s hair, asking him to marry you then?” Bai Zhou said indifferently, “No.”

Zhou Qian: “…………”

“At that time…” Zhou Qian continued seriously, “I was trying to get information! I just wanted to know if it was just an NPC, only understanding things related to the setting, or if it could react differently to what I said. Zhou Ge, you’ve misunderstood me.”

Looking into Bai Zhou’s eyes, Zhou Qian added firmly, “Really.”

Bai Zhou continued drinking his coffee, his expression cool and detached.

Zhou Qian: “Besides, that’s an NPC, all data. Even if you take ten thousand steps back, why are you even jealous of yourself?”

Bai Zhou took a third sip of coffee.

Zhou Qian: “You see, it’s because you didn’t tell me the truth back then.”

“Although there were rules limiting you—”

“Eh? Were you always watching me? So the moment I entered the game, you came?”

Bai Zhou didn’t respond, and Zhou Qian thought he was really angry. He touched Bai Zhou’s leg again under the table, then saw Bai Zhou put down his coffee cup and stand up, walking over.

Zhou Qian: “Hmm?”

Bai Zhou raised his hand to stroke his hair, then leaned down to kiss his hair. “Yes. Zhou Qian, I like you.”

Zhou Qian smiled and immediately grabbed his arm, asking, “Zhou Ge, why don’t you give me a nickname? Calling me by my full name feels so distant.”

Bai Zhou looked deeply at him. “Because these two words are very important to me.”

Zhou Qian: “!”

Bai Zhou turned to clear the dishes. “When I went out this morning, I ran into He Xiaowei and the others. They said they messaged you but got no reply. What are your plans for the afternoon? Do you want to meet them?”

Zhou Qian looked at Bai Zhou for a while and said, “Although you’re asking me, I feel like you already have an idea.”

Bai Zhou smiled faintly. “If you don’t have plans, come with me to a place.”

Zhou Qian: “Actually, I had some things I wanted to do. But since you’ve asked. Okay. I’ll go with you first. What are we going to do?”

Bai Zhou: “A place for formal ceremonies, exclusively for Rank God players and Shepherds.”

Zhou Qian was quite curious. “Will Xiaowei Ge and Hidden Blade also go?”

Bai Zhou nodded. “Yes, we can go together. Although we’ve only experienced one instance, we can already go for a preliminary compatibility test. If we reach 30%, it’s considered successful.”

“I feel that we’re already communicating very well on a spiritual level in the instances,” Zhou Qian said. “We definitely won’t have any problems.”

Bai Zhou nodded. “Yes, 30% should be no problem. But there, we can test the specific compatibility and help analyze where the gaps are, then guide us to play certain instances specifically to increase our compatibility.”

After a pause, Bai Zhou continued, “Actually, the instances in Blue Harbor City are divided into two types, regular and irregular. The Murder Exhibition Hall is obviously an irregular instance, and it’s newly opened. What makes it particularly special is that as soon as you arrived here, you received a flier from them, plus there are unfinished hidden tasks behind it…”

“I tend to think that it’s another hidden instance that the system has intentionally opened just for you.”

Zhou Qian said, “So… the system might assign me other instances, and perhaps we need to test our compatibility first to find out.”

“Mm.” Bai Zhou nodded.

“Alright,” Zhou Qian said. “Then let’s go! But—”

Thinking of something, Zhou Qian subconsciously bit his finger joint.

Noticing his action, Bai Zhou, holding two plates, asked him, “What’s wrong?”

Zhou Qian looked at him meaningfully. “Zhou Ge, I can’t figure you out.”

Bai Zhou: ?

“It’s nothing. Go ahead and clean up.”

Zhou Qian stood up, still feeling a bit uncomfortable in a certain part of his body.

Catching a glimpse of Bai Zhou’s fingers, he quickly turned away. “I’ll rest on the sofa for a while.”

Sitting on the sofa, Zhou Qian thought—originally, he hadn’t even agreed to be Bai Zhou’s Shepherd before coming here. But now, not only had he agreed to that, but also…

Hearing the sound of washing dishes from the kitchen, Zhou Qian turned his head and could see Bai Zhou’s gentle profile as he looked down. A question arose in his heart, one he found quite interesting to ponder—between him and Bai Zhou, who was the hunter and who was the prey?

Thinking about last night, Zhou Qian was actually a bit apprehensive.

The feeling of having all his senses completely dominated by someone else was thrilling and unfamiliar, and it gave him an indescribable feeling.

It was like he could guess anyone’s thoughts and easily control anyone, but Bai Zhou was always the exception.

Even though on the surface, he became a Shepherd who could control Bai Zhou in battle.

But on the other hand… wasn’t he also being controlled by Bai Zhou?

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Bai Zhou’s gentleness, almost obsessive protection, constant vigilance, and even his astonishing self-control… all formed a giant web.

Zhou Qian realized that, from a young age, he had willingly fallen into it with no escape.

This didn’t make him feel fear or discomfort; instead, he found this side of Bai Zhou more enchanting, and it aroused in him an even greater desire to challenge, explore, and conquer.

He wanted to be the smartest hunter, which meant first becoming the prey. His target wasn’t other prey, but another hunter.

……

2 p.m.

Qi Liuxing and Ke Yuxiao went to look for any newly opened irregular instances while also strolling around Blue Harbor City to investigate if anyone else was targeting Zhou Qian. Bai Zhou, Zhou Qian, along with Hidden Blade and He Xiaowei, headed to the Compatibility Testing Center on Qingyun Road.

The name of the center sounded grand, but there was only one person on duty who was fast asleep on the desk, probably due to the lack of regular activity. After all, Rank God players were much rarer compared to ordinary players.

Zhou Qian approached the desk and sharply woke the sleeping employee with a slap on the table. Just as the employee was about to curse, Zhou Qian flashed a stunning smile, which completely dazed the employee. Zhou Qian’s good looks and innocent smile were effective tools in such situations.

The employee coughed and said, “Ah, oh. Here for compatibility testing, please come in. Actually, it’s all automated service here. I’m just a witness. Go in. The machine operation instructions are all there.”

Yawning, the employee went back to sleep.

“You’re neglecting your duty—” Zhou Qian seemed about to tease the employee further but was promptly pulled away by Bai Zhou. “Let’s go.”

“Hey, Zhou Ge?”

“Let’s go inside.”

Following them, He Xiaowei, influenced by the employee, also yawned. “Hmm… I feel like Qian’er is unusually excited today. When I first met him, he often smiled, but I could tell he was usually in a bad mood. But now it seems different. Very different.”

Hidden Blade didn’t respond, only saying, “Hurry up and go in.”

“Yes.” He Xiaowei yawned again. “Qian’er, such a big devil… seems like only a Rank God player like 137 can handle him. Haha, it would be great if he joined our team.”

Hidden Blade’s eyelids twitched with worry.

Really? Will 137 manage him? Or will he just indulge him?

After all, if they both go crazy, we’re the ones who are doomed.

Entering the compatibility center, the first thing they saw was a row of machines, as tall as people, arranged for two users each. Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou approached one machine, while Hidden Blade and He Xiaowei headed to another. The four of them aligned their system panels with a port on the machine, which could then automatically read their data from completed instances.

After waiting for half an hour, the compatibility data was out.

Before the data was revealed, Zhou Qian was confident. “Zhou Ge, I think we must be at 100%.”

But after the data came out, Zhou Qian was stunned—it was only “35%”.

“There must be a bug with this thing,” Zhou Qian said in surprise, glancing at Bai Zhou. “We’re only at 35%, so He Xiaowei and Hidden Blade must be even lower. He Xiaowei, you guys—”

Before he could finish, he saw He Xiaowei happily running towards him. “Qian’er, what’s your score? Master and I got 61%. Hehehe, not bad. At least we passed.”

Zhou Qian: “…………”

Zhou Qian’s competitive spirit flared up. He grabbed Bai Zhou’s wrist, clearly unhappy. “This machine is faulty. Let’s try theirs!”

Bai Zhou, however, held his hand in return. “Look at the detailed data on the panel.”

After waiting 10 seconds, the detailed data analysis indeed appeared.

The analysis report gave a thorough explanation of why their compatibility was low. Zhou Qian found that the root of the problem was the vast difference in their attributes, such as health, defense, skills, movement speed, and so on. They were incomparable.

Zhou Qian fell silent, leaning against a machine, his lips pursed and eyes slightly downturned.

Bai Zhou, sensing something, said, “Zhou Qian, after all, I have been here for many years.”

“Mm. I know. I’m just thinking…” Zhou Qian looked at him. “Is the machine now calculating which instances we should go to?”

“Yes.” Bai Zhou nodded.

Zhou Qian said, “Actually, we don’t need it to calculate. I have an idea. I want to go to a single-player trial instance to grind monsters and improve my basic stats, the kind where you go in and out quickly. Does Blue Harbor City have an entrance to such instances? Can you and He Xiaowei wait for me here? I’ll be back soon.”

Zhou Qian had this idea partly because of the analysis provided by the machine and partly because he realized his shortcomings during the double-world serial killer chase. Although his role was the “brain” of the team, commanding teammates and having a powerful output partner like Bai Zhou, he still needed to reach a basic pass level in attack, defense, and speed for the team’s guaranteed victory.

Moreover, Rank God players like Bai Zhou either couldn’t join regular players in instances or their abilities were significantly restricted. It was hard for Zhou Qian to find suitable instances to match with him, largely due to his low basic stats.

If Zhou Qian could enhance his base levels, he could join Bai Zhou in true side-by-side combat sooner.

Bai Zhou thought for a moment and said, “Yes. Pure grinding instances are quick. Finish the grind and come right out. Quick in and out.”

“Mm.” Zhou Qian asked, “Can you pick one for me? Oh, and I can also ask Hidden Blade for advice. It would be even better if I find one that can enhance my crowd control abilities.”

……

Real world. Whitewater Mental Hospital.

A beautiful, clean-looking girl with tidy makeup was leaving. Her name was Yun Xiangrong, and she had just finished her volunteer work there.

Yun Xiangrong had been working part-time at this place for over a year. Once, after working until midnight, she found a watch and accidentally joined the game. After completing a task, the system gave her another watch, indicating she could invite someone to join. She invited Gao Shan.

Initially, Yun Xiangrong’s purpose in the game was simple: she just wanted a jade ornament that she couldn’t afford. Her desire for the jade wasn’t out of vanity, but because of a kind elder sister she had met in her childhood. Before the sister died, she gave Yun Xiangrong a jade ornament, which she accidentally broke. She had always wanted to make up for that regret.

At first, her obsession wasn’t so strong; she just thought owning the jade would be nice. But later, Yun Xiangrong began to play the game seriously, realizing that it seemed possible to approach divinity through the game. She was curious and wanted to see for herself if deities truly existed.

She hadn’t expected to lose Gao Shan in the process.

At a bus stop on the mountain road, Yun Xiangrong waited for the bus while checking her phone to see if her part-time pay had been deposited. The weekend was approaching, and she planned to return home and re-enter the game in the quiet of the night.

She had been living a tough life recently, unsure if her persistence had any meaning, but she had no choice but to continue.

As the evening approached and the streetlights lit up, a bird suddenly flew into a light pole at high speed, hitting it hard. It fell to the ground, dead. Yun Xiangrong crouched to check and confirmed its death.

Then, a breeze brought a faint scent of flowers, and suddenly, many peach petals appeared before her. A pleasant, lively voice spoke as if a fairy was casting a spell. The bird’s wings fluttered twice, and it came back to life, swiftly flying towards the sky.

Stunned, Yun Xiangrong turned around and saw a girl in a pink dress approaching. She was petite and looked like the most innocent of young girls. No one could imagine that such an appearance hid such immense power.

This isn’t in the game! She can resurrect a bird in real life?!

“Rongrong, or should I call you Rong Mei*? How do you prefer to be addressed?”

*Address referring to specifically younger sister, usually implies a friendly or intimate relationship.

The girl, appearing young but with an ancient look in her eyes, smiled slightly. “Hello, my surname is Xie, Xie Huaying.”

“H-How did you do that?” Yun Xiangrong asked.

“Because I have indeed become a god. Resurrection is my ultimate power,” Xie Huaying said with a hint of compassion in her gaze, which made Yun Xiangrong feel uneasy.

Xie Huaying looked too young, but her eyes were those of an elder—full of loving kindness towards a younger person.

It was as if… a person with a baby’s face had the eyes of an 18-year-old adult.

“Don’t be afraid of me. My appearance is preserved by divine power. You would never guess my real age.”

Xie Huaying smiled and took her hand. “I know what you want to do. I will help you. But resurrecting a person is not as simple as resurrecting a bird. We can take our time.

“By the way… you didn’t cremate Gao Shan, did you? We need the body.”

Yun Xiangrong pursed her lips and shook her head. “No. I managed to persuade his parents.”

“That’s good,” Xie Huaying said, gripping her hand a bit tighter. “Only a woman understands another woman’s helplessness. I will help you.”

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