Chapter 75: Skynet World (Part 6)

Shen Qingqiu stared at her, then retorted, “But doesn’t the thing inside the apartment interest you?”

Xiao Muyu had no idea what was happening in Shen Qingqiu’s pretty little head. “It does. But tell me, Shen Qingqiu. What woman would ever be interested in getting a ghost for her wedding? Only you could think of giving one as an engagement gift.”

Shen Qingqiu snickered. “But in Skynet, nothing shows more sincerity than catching ghosts. If you’re willing, I’ll stay by your side and catch ghosts for you for the rest of my life.”

Xiao Muyu shot her an unreserved look of disdain. “Can’t you offer me something nice?”

Shen Qingqiu wasn’t a blockhead. She only made the joke because they both were curious about the entity in that apartment. Since Xiao Muyu had explicitly rejected the idea, Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t catch ghosts as a gift. Still, she refused to let it go. “If you don’t like me giving you ghosts, tell me what you want. I’ll do my best to make it happen.”

Shen Qingqiu followed close behind, busy running her mouth. Xiao Muyu suddenly stopped and turned around. Shen Qingqiu unknowingly stepped closer.

When Shen Qingqiu’s stunning face rapidly drew near, Xiao Muyu almost closed her eyes. For some inexplicable reason, her body refused to follow her command. After blinking once, she found herself staring dazedly at the person mere inches away.

In Xiao Muyu’s memory, she had never been this close to someone else. She could feel Shen Qingqiu’s warm breath brushing against her face and hear her heartbeat. The tips of their noses tangibly touched. A clean, fresh scent swept unhampered into her nostrils.

Shen Qingqiu’s usual teasing expression froze on her face. Her red lips parted, and shock filled her gray eyes. With her reflexes, she could’ve instantly avoided this accidental zero-distance closeness. Yet her body failed her. She could only stand there, unmoving.

Eventually, Xiao Muyu snapped out of it first. She quickly stepped back two paces, putting some distance between them.

Her retreat seemed to let the air rush back in. Finally, Shen Qingqiu could breathe freely again. The shameless Shen Qingqiu experienced her cheeks heating up for the first time.

She still couldn’t entirely control herself. Her gaze lingered on Xiao Muyu’s pink lips. They were thin but beautifully shaped, with barely visible lines. Seconds ago, those thin, cool lips had been less than two centimeters away from Shen Qingqiu’s. A slight lean forward would have bridged the gap for a kiss. But they now felt impossibly distant.

Xiao Muyu glanced at Shen Qingqiu, who was still distracted. The corners of her thin lips lifted slightly. However, the words she spoke next had no trace of the earlier intimacy. “I don’t need you to give me anything. If you must, give me some peace.”

Her tone was as cold as her expression. Without sparing Shen Qingqiu another glance, she quickened her pace.

Shen Qingqiu felt a strange ache in her chest. It made her uncomfortable. The same woman who had made her heart race slowed it back down.

Xiao Muyu didn’t look back at Shen Qingqiu. Her thoughts were in turmoil. Just now… she felt possessed. She would’ve kissed her if her rationality hadn’t pulled her away from the urge to lean forward.

Vixen. She was a vixen. Even knowing Shen Qingqiu had laid a trap, she couldn’t stop falling in.

She believed she had spoken firmly enough. As expected, Shen Qingqiu didn’t say another word. But Xiao Muyu didn’t feel any happier about it. While she was lost in her frustration, that woman’s misleading voice rang out behind her again.

“You want to get close? How close do you prefer me to be?”¹

Exasperation replaced Xiao Muyu’s frustration. She should fine her for that terrible pun!

“Did you pass your Mandarin proficiency test?”

“Mm-hm. At Stage 1b (lower elementary).”

Xiao Muyu thought she had successfully brought the atmosphere to freezing point. But she again fell for this insufferable woman’s jest.

The lease signing went smoothly. The landlord had been eager to pass on this problematic apartment, so he didn’t ask for anything. They negotiated the rent to 6,400 gold coins per month.

Zhuo Minghang glanced at the two of them. “I’ve confirmed with the landlord several times,” he said. “The issues started about a year ago. Seven or eight tenants have already come and gone. Be most wary of the wee hours. Stay safe.”

“Got it, thank you,” Xiao Muyu replied politely. She then casually asked, “Which instance are you on now?”

Zhuo Minghang blinked, then smiled. “I’m about to enter Level A. I work part-time during the downtime because other players have told me points can be lifesavers in some Level A instances. You both should also save as much as you can.”

In Skynet, players could earn money and exchange points for gold coins. But they couldn’t convert gold coins back into points. So, everyone had learned how to manage their funds.

“That Zhuo Minghang seems decent,” Shen Qingqiu remarked, watching the small electric scooter disappear from view.

“Seems,” Xiao Muyu emphasized. She didn’t say much more. Shen Qingqiu gave her a sideglance.

“What are you thinking?” Shen Qingqiu sensed there was more behind her words.

“I’m thinking about how to make money. And moving,” Xiao Muyu answered.

She didn’t have much. All her belongings fit into a single backpack. Shen Qingqiu, on the other hand…

After refusing Chen Kaijie and the others’ help, Xiao Muyu wordlessly stared at two enormous woven bags and an overstuffed suitcase in the hotel room.

In this inappropriate timing, she thought of those stereotypes about women in the real world. Now she knew how accurate they were for people like Shen Qingqiu.

“Are you planning to settle down in Skynet?” said Xiao Muyu, flabbergasted. “It’s been how long, and you’ve already bought this much stuff?”

Shen Qingqiu crossed her left arm and waved her right hand dismissively. “I was going to get rid of all this originally. But I figured you might think I’m being wasteful. So I kept them to redeem myself. Shouldn’t you praise me?”

She looked at Xiao Muyu with a seemingly innocent expression, waiting to be complimented.

Xiao Muyu took a deep breath. “Where did you get the money to splurge like this?”

Shen Qingqiu blinked. “Oh, I found someone to keep me.”

Xiao Muyu frowned at Shen Qingqiu. It felt like Shen Qingqiu was dancing on her nerves. Of course, Xiao Muyu knew she was spouting nonsense. However, she didn’t like the words coming out of her mouth.

Shen Qingqiu had the ability to drive people crazy but was even better at observing people. Xiao Muyu looked angry, so she backed off. She cleared her throat and said, “Of course, by someone, I meant you. But speaking of coins—if you thought of finding a job, I had the idea, too.”

“You found a job?” Xiao Muyu looked surprised yet immediately shook her head. “What job could you find in such short breaks between early instances?”

Shen Qingqiu curved her lips and leaned to whisper in Xiao Muyu’s ear.

Xiao Muyu’s eyes widened, but then her brows knitted together. “Illegal fights? There’s a place like that here?”

Shen Qingqiu smiled faintly. “In a world that mysteriously came to be, with natives of unknown origins and players dancing on the edge of a knife, such places would inevitably exist. Violence, gore, and lust seemed inhuman and sociopathic on the surface. But in truth, they’re rooted in the deepest corners of empty, numb hearts, seeking desire and stimulation.”

There were some things she didn’t say outright. Yet, Xiao Muyu understood anyway. A woman like Shen Qingqiu would naturally evoke the deepest desires in people the moment she appeared. Her cold beauty was lethal. Xiao Muyu didn’t need to witness it to imagine the madness Shen Qingqiu could cause.

Shen Qingqiu seemed striking and alluring, with a slender and delicate figure. But when she fought, she displayed such wildness and sheer power. Even Xiao Muyu couldn’t resist watching, let alone those who pursued excitement in that environment.

Xiao Muyu almost blurted out, Don’t go there again. She swallowed those words at the last second. What right did she have?

That certainly explained where Shen Qingqiu got the funds to spend lavishly. Underground fight clubs not only rewarded prize money but also organized bets. Given Shen Qingqiu’s allure and skill, earning money there was all too easy.

They ultimately called a car to move everything over. The two cleaned the apartment thoroughly. Shen Qingqiu consciously settled herself in the north-facing second bedroom. She gave Xiao Muyu no chance to protest.

However, Xiao Muyu couldn’t help but complain inwardly. Shen Qingqiu wasn’t a sloppy person. She dressed impeccably, and the hotel room she’d stayed in was always tidy. But watching her stuff her clothes into the closet all at once gave Xiao Muyu a headache. She didn’t fold them or sort them by category. They might as well be sacks.

“Go mop the floor. I’ll sort this out,” Xiao Muyu said, not wasting any words. She crouched down and started organizing this ancestor’s tops, pants, and outerwear. Xiao Muyu hung up the ones prone to wrinkling, then arranged the rest into proper categories. She cleared one section of closet space for Shen Qingqiu to put her underwear in.

She felt her face warming up upon glancing at the sultry lace and silk undergarments. The semi-transparent fabrics in black and bright red were over-the-top sexy. Shen Qingqiu really lived up to her vixen persona.

Xiao Muyu had wanted to remind her to put away those things herself but felt too embarrassed to do so. Hence, she waited for Shen Qingqiu to get the hint.

Xiao Muyu had underestimated how thick-skinned Shen Qingqiu was.

While washing the newly bought blanket cover, she blankly watched a certain someone holding up her provocative clothes. “Why didn’t you help me put my underwear away?” Shen Qingqiu deliberately came over to ask. “Where should I put these?”

She wore an earnest and innocent face. Unfortunately, the slight quirk of her lips and brow betrayed her intention.

Xiao Muyu put down what she was holding. She looked straight at her, face as frigid as snow. “I’m neither your housekeeper nor your mother.” Her tone was solemn and neutral. “Have you never worn underwear until I came along?”

Shen Qingqiu, leaning against the balcony’s glass door, laughed uncontrollably. “You already know that answer. I just noticed you’re especially good at tidying things, so I wanted to learn from you.”

Xiao Muyu turned her head away. She continued washing the bedsheets without expression. Her hands moved with such force, as if she were scrubbing Shen Qingqiu herself.

The laughter finally stopped, but the amusement hadn’t. The person behind her spoke again. “Xiao Muyu, you should know. I don’t want you to be my housekeeper, but my…”

She trailed off. The teasing and mischief in her tone disappeared. Her final words were left unsaid.

Shen Qingqiu had already left when Xiao Muyu turned around. She lowered her head, her expression hard to describe. Xiao Muyu silently washed the clothes, giving no response.

That night, Xiao Muyu tossed and turned in bed. She couldn’t sleep. The neighborhood was quiet at this time. Lights scattered outside the window, shining for no one in particular. They hung there quietly, like fireflies.

Xiao Muyu gazed outside for a long time. Eventually, the lights switched off in order, one by one, from afar to nearby. Only the streetlights along the distant road still shone soundlessly. It was getting late, almost eleven o’clock.

She got up and closed the curtains. Opening her bedroom door, she found the living room engulfed in darkness. A faint light seeped from the second bedroom. Shen Qingqiu hadn’t gone to sleep yet.

Xiao Muyu didn’t want this person to occupy her thoughts. She closed the door and got back in bed, trying to sleep again.

She hadn’t been sleeping well. It always took her a long time to drift off. So, she often lingered in a half-asleep, half-awake state.

*Knock, knock* sounded softly at the door. Xiao Muyu felt it was right by her ear, yet also far off in the distance. Although faint, it made her furrow her brows uneasily.

Rustling noises followed, disturbing Xiao Muyu’s already light sleep. With struggle, her consciousness gradually slipped out from her dreams. She remembered she was sleeping in the newly rented apartment.

But Xiao Muyu was exhausted. She couldn’t open her eyes or fully wake up. Her mind was clear enough to recognize the noises were real. But her body refused to move, and her eyelids wouldn’t open. She felt incredibly heavy in general.

Amid the anxiety and unease, Xiao Muyu noticed the quilt covering her grew heavier and colder, as though something icy was pressing down on it. The chill seeped through the fabric and into her body.

A smell hit the tip of Xiao Muyu’s nose. It was damp and cool, reminiscent of disinfectant. It wasn’t overpowering but like freshly sanitized tap water.

*Drip.* A drop of water fell onto Xiao Muyu’s face. It felt bone-chilling. The shock finally forced her eyes open. She couldn’t even tell if she had succeeded. She still saw nothing.

She murmured something, struggling once more. In the hazy darkness, she eventually glimpsed a face, contrasting starkly against the black of the night.

The bloated and wrinkled face had drooping eyelids blocking the eyes and a sunken nose. Its pallid skin had a cold sheen. Xiao Muyu could barely distinguish the features, which resembled a huge white bun that had been soaked.

She felt as if her heart had stopped beating, gripped by an invisible hand. Xiao Muyu now knew the source of the heaviness. A woman in a bright red dress was lying on top of her.

The woman’s wet long hair hung down like a mass of seaweed. Water droplets dripped continuously from her body and onto Xiao Muyu.

In Skynet, ghosts weren’t limited to instances. They existed here, too.

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Author had something to say:

Author: Xiao Shen, if you’re this flirty, you will get laid.
Xiao Shen: Heh. Ever heard of “cos 0”?
Author: Hm?
Xiao Shen: If you know it, don’t say.
Xiao Xiao: ……

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Footnotes:

1. 1. 亲近 qinjin (get close), sounds like 亲亲 qinqin (kiss) ↩︎

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TL: I dunno if that cos 0 joke is the same one I’m thinking of. Y’know. Cos 0 = 1. Probably not.