Chapter 10

[Private Chat] What Are You: Got it.

[Private Chat] What Are You: When you log in, I’ll help you clear things up.

When Yu Mi logged in again, he received these two messages. He stared at the messages from the other person. Clear things up? How?

He pondered, if he went out of his way to clear things up, wouldn’t that just remind everyone of the incident? It might be better to say nothing and let everyone forget about it.

Yu Mi quickly checked in, did some random daily tasks at his home, and logged off. It was only after logging off that he remembered he forgot to reply to the message. But he was too lazy to log back in, so he just left it.

With the deadline approaching, he was busy drawing drafts these days and really didn’t have time to play games. Every day, he would log in quickly to check in, do one or two daily tasks, and then log off at lightning speed.

On the third day, which was Wednesday, he received another message from Shen Gun.

[Private Chat] What Are You: ?

[Private Chat] What Are You: Did you quit?

Yu Mi: What does “quit” mean??

He asked Chen Ziming, who said it meant quitting the game.

Chen Ziming turned around, “What happened?”

Yu Mi moved aside to show him his screen, “It’s from Shen Gun. Did he send it to the wrong person?”

Chen Ziming got up, came over to look at his computer, and then burst into a fit of laughter.

“This guy probably thinks he scared you, a newbie, into quitting. Hahaha! He’s panicking!”

Yu Mi was confused, “Huh? How could that scare me? I didn’t quit.”

Chen Ziming: “Wow, I didn’t expect it. He actually has a bit of a conscience, caring whether you log in or not!”

He glanced at his friend list, “He’s not online now. He probably doesn’t know you’ve logged in.”

Yu Mi scratched his head, “So what should I do? How should I reply?”

“Reply however you want, or you can just not reply,” Chen Ziming suggested, “Hey, don’t reply. Let him feel guilty, let him blame himself! Make him think you quit, so he won’t dare to attack you again.”

“Okay, okay.”

Yu Mi completely agreed with this idea. He quickly checked in, didn’t do any daily tasks, and logged off, pretending he hadn’t logged in. Then he continued drawing and doing his homework.

While drawing, he thought, I can’t take on so many commissions in the future. I want to play Sword Roar in the Jianghu.

On Thursday and Friday, before logging in, he would always have Chen Ziming scout the situation first. Only after confirming that Shen Gun wasn’t online would he log in to check in.

Time flew by, and soon it was Saturday. Yu Mi hadn’t finished his drawings yet and planned to finish them over the weekend. He put on his headphones, listening to music while drawing, while Chen Ziming was behind him, leading a team to make money in the game.

Yu Mi’s master, Jinjiang Zai Tao Shizun, was also in the team with them. Not long after, Chen Ziming suddenly called out to him, “Hey, Xiao Ba, why did Shen Gun add me as a friend?”

“Huh?” Yu Mi pulled his headphones aside to listen.

Chen Ziming turned his head, “He added me as a friend. What’s he up to?”

He looked back at his screen and told his teammates, “I’m talking to my roommate. The BOSS is entering phase two, everyone pay attention… Jump!”

Yu Mi was equally puzzled, “I don’t know, maybe he wants to join your team for the dungeon.”

He got up to get some water. Chen Ziming focused on the BOSS, skillfully commanding his teammates. Two beeps sounded as someone sent him a message.

“Oh my god, Xiao Ba!” Chen Ziming suddenly exclaimed, “I can’t take it! He’s asking if you quit? If he scared you off? He really cares about you! Oh my god…”

“What?” Yu Mi came over, bending down to look at the chat box in the lower left corner of his screen.

[Private Chat] What Are You: Hello, sorry to bother you. Are you a friend of Tian Nuo Nuo?

[Private Chat] What Are You: He hasn’t logged in for a long time. Did I scare him off? Did he quit? #Awkward

“What the heck?” Yu Mi almost spat out his water. This guy, why did he even add my friend to ask?!

“Hahahaha!” Chen Ziming laughed, “I’m telling you, this happens. There are often newbies posting about quitting after being killed in a faction, quite a lot actually. There’s even a confession room. This guy really thinks he scared you off, hahaha! Oh my god, he really cares!”

The team chat exploded.

[Team] Chun Zhi Zhi: What’s the gossip? (Ears perked up) (Frantically typing)

[Team] Team Leader Crying: What’s the gossip? (Ears perked up) (Frantically typing)

[Team] Xiao Song Xu: I smell something sweet!!

“No gossip,” Chen Ziming said, “Hurry up and deal damage! Hey, hey, get out of the fire circle, everyone dodge, quick, quick, quick!”

He turned to look at Yu Mi, “You not logging in has made him worry so much that he even added me to ask about you. I’ve got goosebumps… Is he gay?”

“What do you mean worry?” Yu Mi’s face heated up at his words, and he couldn’t help but pat him on the shoulder.

“Hey!” Chen Ziming quickly steadied his hand on the keyboard, “He’s asking me about you, what kind of behavior is this?”

By this time, the team had caught on.

[Team] Ba La La Little Magic Fairy: Got it, someone killed the team leader’s newbie roommate, and the roommate hasn’t logged in for days. Shen Gun (presumably a Star Picking Tower player) thinks he scared the newbie off, so he added the team leader to check on the newbie.

[Team] Orange Candy: Thanks, got it… He really cares.

[Team] Sha Sha: #PickingNose, I wouldn’t remember who I killed, nor would I care if they quit.

[Team] Sister Message Me: When I was a newbie and got killed, why didn’t anyone care about me like this? #Crying

“Me too,” Chen Ziming said while operating, “I wouldn’t remember who I killed, nor would I care if they logged in. Hey—”

He glanced at his roommate, “How should I reply to him?”

“How would I know?” Yu Mi held his cup, “Just say I didn’t quit.”

At this point, someone in the team gave a suggestion.

[Team] Little White Rabbit Be Good: Team leader, reply with ‘Not the person,’ and make him lose sleep. #EvilSmile

The team got excited, all saying, “That’s good, that’s good!”

“That’s good!” Chen Ziming got excited and immediately typed a reply to What Are You.

[Private Chat] Strawberry Bobo: Not the person, I’m a DL.

Yu Mi asked, “What’s DL? Big shot?”

Chen Ziming said, “Power leveler.”

He couldn’t help but laugh, “You guys are so bad, how can you be so bad?! Too bad.”

Everyone was giggling and laughing. Yu Mi, standing aside, couldn’t help but find it amusing too.

He watched for a while, watching Chen Ziming and the others do the dungeon while keeping an eye on his chat box. Shen Gun didn’t respond after receiving the reply.

The team members kept asking Chen Ziming what the other side said while fighting the BOSS.

“No reply yet,” Chen Ziming reported to them, “Hurry up and take down the BOSS, quick, quick!”

Yu Mi returned to his seat and continued drawing. But his mind couldn’t help but wander to Shen Gun. He didn’t expect the other person to go out of their way to add his friend to ask about him…

Maybe that guy isn’t so bad after all?

After a while, Chen Ziming called out again.

“Xiao Ba, your master is calling you.”

“Huh?” Yu Mi turned his head.

The other two roommates had gone out, leaving just the two of them in the dorm. Chen Ziming simply unplugged his headphones and turned on the speakers.

Then, Jinjiang Zai Tao Shizun’s voice came through the team chat.

She laughed as she spoke, “Disciple, that Shen Gun guy added me as a friend too. Hahaha, he’s asking about you. Oh my, how should I reply? You’ve got him all flustered.”

“Oh my,” Yu Mi was dumbfounded, “I… this… he, how…”

He was at a loss for words.

“Is he in love with you?” Chen Ziming turned to look at his roommate, “I’ve never seen anything like this. He must be gay.”

The team was already buzzing, everyone was excited, urging Yu Mi’s master to also reply with “Not the person.”

Yu Mi chimed in, “Then just reply ‘Not the person.'”

“Alright,” Jinjiang Zai Tao Shizun said, “I’ll reply.”

“I can’t hold it in, what if he goes and adds my partner next?” Chen Ziming was both amused and exasperated, “It was just the three of us with you that day. He actually remembered our IDs. I need to message Xiao Ya on QQ and tell her to say ‘Not the person’ too!”

Jinjiang Zai Tao Shizun said, “I’ve never seen anything like this either. He definitely has a thing for you, disciple! Don’t let him sweet-talk you away with his smooth little tricks.”

“No way,” Yu Mi said, “It’s definitely because I helped him… I did him a favor, you know, so he’s just casually asking.”

It must be that!

Yu Mi turned back to continue drawing.

After a while, Chen Ziming’s side finished the dungeon, and the team was about to disband. The teammates, however, were reluctant to leave, still waiting for more developments, not wanting to disband.

But disband they must.

Chen Ziming left the team and went to team up with his partner, Haitang Si Ai Nüdi.

For the rest of the time, he played games with his partner, occasionally asking if Shen Gun had added her.

Haitang Nüdi was also nervously waiting, “No, not yet. Maybe he didn’t remember my ID, just yours and Jinjiang Shizun’s.”

Yu Mi continued drawing while listening to their conversation.

After a while, Haitang Nüdi’s voice came from Chen Ziming’s computer, “But when will Tian Nuo Nuo log in to play with us? You can’t keep hiding from Shen Gun, can you? Are you stringing him along?”

“No way!” Yu Mi’s face turned red instantly, quickly denying, “I’m just too busy lately to log in much, I’m not intentionally stringing him along.”

Haitang Nüdi laughed, “Oh my, you’re fishing without realizing it.”

“No, no.” Yu Mi denied repeatedly, but then he paused.

What have I been doing this past week?

Yeah, why am I avoiding that guy?

No, he quickly found the reason.

“It’s Strawberry Bobo who told me to avoid him,” Yu Mi found the culprit, patting Chen Ziming, “You’re the one who told me not to reply!”

“How is this my fault?” Chen Ziming quickly distanced himself, “I did suggest it, but you made the decision. You’re the one stringing him along, making him anxious, it’s got nothing to do with me…”

Yu Mi said helplessly, “I’m really not stringing him along, I’m just too busy. You know that, right?”

Chen Ziming laughed and nodded, “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

But his expression was one of deep meaning.

Yu Mi didn’t argue with him anymore and continued drawing.

He stayed up drawing until three in the morning, and by then, Chen Ziming was still playing games. Until he went to bed, Shen Gun hadn’t added Haitang Nüdi.

The next day, Yu Mi slept until past noon. As soon as he woke up, he received a message from his master, asking if he wanted to join the attack and defense. She told him to team up with her when he logged in.

Yu Mi quickly got up, turned on his computer, and logged in. He immediately teamed up with his master, flew to her location at the Chiyan Valley Base Camp without even figuring out how to play, joined her team, and then went AFK to wash up and buy food.

When he hurriedly returned with his food, a few minutes later, two beeps sounded in his headphones.

[Private Chat] What Are You: Avoiding me?? What does that mean?

Yu Mi almost choked before he even started eating.

Who’s avoiding you? Stop flattering yourself!

He quickly typed a reply, but before he could send it, the other person sent a second message.

[Private Chat] What Are You: Is it fun?

Yu Mi looked at the message, feeling a bit complicated, and then replied.

[Private Chat] Tian Nuo Nuo: It’s alright.

Seeing the other person care about him… it was kind of fun.

Shen Gun replied with one word.

[Private Chat] What Are You: Heh.

What does “heh” mean?!

Yu Mi prepared to counterattack.

At this moment, the team leader spoke up, “Everyone, copy the ad and post it in the map channel to recruit some healers.”

So he obediently copied the team’s recruitment ad and posted it in the map channel.

Then Yu Mi looked at Shen Gun’s “heh,” thinking about how to reply with something impactful.

After some thought, he typed a line and hit enter.

[Map] Tian Nuo Nuo: So concerned about whether I log in or not, do you have a crush on me?? #RollingEyes