Chapter 33

“Is it a robot?” Lu Wei asked.

“Yes, it’s Robot No. 204, which was delivered overnight yesterday. Mr. Lin said it was very cute.”

Lu Wei responded with a simple “Mm,” then hung up the phone and dialed another number to call Zhang Tingxi.

“Have the research department study the code, then replicate a new robot for Bubble as we did before. Retrieve No. 204 for me.”

Zhang Tingxi said, “As long as you’re happy. After all, you wrote the code.”

“Any news from Ye Gaotan?” Lu Wei asked.

Zhang Tingxi: “Still undecided. He auditioned another batch of people recently, still trying out You Yu, but it seems like he hasn’t found the right one yet. As for the rest… Oh, right, the role in Shangqi Jing went to your brother.”

Lu Wei said nothing, his brows shifting almost imperceptibly.

Zhang Tingxi: “Alright, alright, Lu Nan, Lu Nan.” He paused, then added, “I haven’t asked in a while—how’s Lu Shaoming?”

Lu Wei: “Haven’t visited him since after the New Year.”

Zhang Tingxi: “Just let him hang there, then. Anyway, Lu, can we negotiate something? Don’t make me juggle Shengshi Entertainment while keeping an eye on Shangpin for you. If this keeps up, I might end up as your old man’s neighbor…”

Lu Wei: “If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”

He ended the call, picked up the work documents beside him, and processed them at top speed, freeing up a short window of time.

When Duan Yang brought in his dinner, the sound of Lu Wei’s typing filled the room.

Knowing Lu Wei’s habits, Duan Yang wisely refrained from reminding him. He simply set down the food, closed the door, and instructed the secretary’s office not to forward any calls unless absolutely necessary.

To make No. 204 more appealing to Lin Si, Lu Wei redefined the parameters, deleted and modified nearly a third of the pointers, rewrote logic circuits, and continued tweaking—until the ringtone interrupted him. By then, he was only a tenth of the way through the modifications.

[Forget Love invites you to a voice call.]

Lu Wei glanced at the time. 8:15 PM.

He answered, and Lin Si’s cheerful voice came through: “Hello~ Good evening! Still working?”

Lu Wei: “Sorry, I lost track of time.” He saved his files, grabbed his suit from the coat rack, and headed out before his computer screen even went dark. “I’ll need about half an hour. Can you wait?”

Lin Si chuckled lightly. “Of course, I can wait. Drive safely, okay?”

Lu Wei responded with a quiet “Mm” as he stepped into the elevator, leaving the secretarial office in stunned silence.

“Did Mr. Lu just walk out without properly putting on his suit?”

“Yeah… and his shirt wasn’t even tucked in properly.”

“I’ve never seen him like this before… Is something urgent happening at home?”

“What urgent matter could there even be in the Lu family anymore? Unless it’s Old Master Lu—”

“Not a chance,” Duan Yang interrupted, glancing down the empty hallway before suddenly chuckling.

After nearly three years of working beside Lu Wei, today was the first time he truly believed that Lu Wei was only twenty-three.

Lu Wei stood in front of the recognition scanner, adjusting his posture to appear as if he hadn’t rushed home.

The door made a soft sound as it unlocked, but Lin Si, who was inside, didn’t seem to react. As Lu Wei passed by his door, he deliberately slowed his steps and glanced inside.

Unfortunately, within his limited view, Lin Si was nowhere to be seen.

He was probably lingering in some blind spot.

Lu Wei took off his suit and changed into his loungewear. Just as he finished, he heard hurried, stumbling footsteps from the hallway. Turning around, he caught a glimpse of Lin Si’s shoulder before he vanished from sight.

Then—thump. A light sound echoed from the hallway.

Lu Wei picked up a glass from his desk and walked out, pretending to get water. He saw Lin Si standing barefoot by the door, removing a pair of virtual reality goggles and rubbing his forehead.

“—!”

Noticing Lu Wei, Lin Si panicked and quickly hid the VR goggles behind his back.

Lu Wei, seeing his guilty reaction, played along. “What happened?”

“I…” Lin Si hurriedly removed his earphones as well. “I… was going to the bathroom.”

Lu Wei pointed in the opposite direction. “The bathroom is that way.”

“Oh, I was going to grab some fruit first,” Lin Si improvised.

Lu Wei couldn’t resist teasing him. “What’s in your hand?”

Lin Si hid it further behind his back. “My sunglasses.”

Lu Wei raised a brow. “Why are you hiding your sunglasses?”

Lin Si hesitated for half a second before blurting, “…They’re an unreleased brand model. Can’t show them around yet.”

His lying skills were clearly at an elementary-school level.

But Lu Wei didn’t press further. He simply gave a casual “Oh,” lowering his gaze before adding, “Shoes.”

Lin Si instinctively curled his toes.

“…I thought about it, and suddenly, I don’t really need to use the bathroom anymore.”

Lin Si took two steps back, retreating onto the carpet in his room. “I’m going to rest now. Goodnight.”

“Mm.”

Having successfully gotten past Lu Wei, Lin Si clutched the VR goggles, quickly shut the door with a snap, and effectively blocked Lu Wei out.

Lu Wei stood there for a moment, holding his glass, recalling the faint red mark on Lin Si’s forehead. He guessed Lin Si had probably walked into something while wearing the goggles. With a helpless chuckle, he shook his head.

Meanwhile, just behind the door, Lin Si stood frozen, heart still racing.

Thank god Lu Wei didn’t find out what this really is…

He climbed back onto his bed, cross-legged, rubbing his forehead while flipping the VR goggles in his hands.

Earlier, he had just finished the virtual world’s beginner tutorial, completely immersed, to the point that he unknowingly wandered out of his room—and straight into the doorframe.

Y hadn’t logged in yet, but Lin Si was already fired up about the virtual world.

Even though the tutorial had only introduced basic functions like the home system and marketplace, he was beyond excited, eagerly waiting for Y to come online.

Almost as if responding to his thoughts, a message from Y popped up: [I’m here.]

Lin Si: [!!!]

Lin Si: [Hurry, hurry! I already explored a bit of the virtual world—it’s seriously, ridiculously, unbelievably amazing!]

Y: [Alright.]

Lin Si put on his earphones and sensor patches, then sat on the bed and sent an invite.

Once Y accepted, he put on his VR goggles.

Since Lin Si had already completed the tutorial, the system didn’t repeat it. Instead, a pleasant male voice greeted them:

“Welcome, Baby and Y, to the virtual world.”

Y: “You changed your name?”

Lin Si: “Yeah, half an hour ago.”

Eagerly, he raised his hand and tapped a virtual button to move forward. “I already tested this—there are two movement modes. While traveling, you use button controls, but once you reach a fixed location, you can switch to contact mode, where your character mirrors your real-life movements.”

Y: “Mm.”

The gateway to the virtual world was an ordinary-looking door, with a few decorative potted plants neatly placed on a shelf beside it.

Lin Si and Y stood before the entrance.

Lin Si turned slightly to look at Y. “Once we go in, you can customize your avatar. You can choose any appearance you like.”

Y turned his head to face him. “What kind of look do you like?”

It was the first time Lin Si had felt Y’s gaze—even in a virtual setting, it made him a little self-conscious. He averted his eyes slightly and muttered, “I’m fine with anything.”

Y lifted his hand, placing it on the doorknob. “Shall we go in?”

“…Okay.”

Lin Si hesitated, then glanced down at his own hand. Though the virtual world didn’t feel as real as physical touch, at least now… he could grab onto Y’s clothes.

He really wanted to hold Y’s hand, but he was worried Y might mind.

After all, Y had only agreed to join him in the virtual world after much persistence on his part.

He lightly pinched the hem of Y’s shirt, applying barely any pressure—but clearly, the virtual system had no sense of weight calibration.

Y turned his head and looked at him. “You’re holding onto me. I can’t move.”

“….”

Caught red-handed, Lin Si regretfully let go. “Alright… Didn’t expect me to be this strong.”

“This should work.” Y said softly, then gently took Lin Si’s hand.

Lin Si’s heart slammed against his chest.

He froze in place, completely still, as if someone had dropped him into a fizzy, sweet soda, bubbles bursting around him—pop, pop, pop—leaving him lightheaded and tingling all over.

After what felt like forever, his blank mind finally flooded with frantic thoughts—

HE HELD MY HAND.

Y HELD MY HAND FIRST.

AHHHHHHH!!!

AH—AH—AH—THIS IS WORTH EVERYTHING!

Even though he couldn’t feel Y’s warmth or touch his skin, just this simple act was enough to make his heart clench and his breath hitch.

“Don’t get lost,” Y said.

Lin Si let himself be led, still in a daze, as they stepped through the doorway together.

The system’s voice chimed: “Welcome to Queenstown! This is Queen’s Avenue!”

“Each new player arriving in Queenstown receives an initial allowance of 1,000 gold coins. Detection shows you two are a couple—your combined balance is 1,500 gold coins.”

Lin Si: “???”

Lin Si: “Wait, why do couples get less money?”

System: “Because couples save more on food, clothing, and travel expenses~”

Lin Si: “…Why does this feel like a scam?”

Y glanced at the character customization room along Queen’s Avenue and pointed. “Do you want to customize my avatar?”

Lin Si pressed his lips together. “What if I make something you don’t like?”

“It’s fine. Whatever you make will look good,” Y replied.

Lin Si hesitated, then carefully designed a face that bore a slight resemblance to his own. He was a little selfish—if Y got used to seeing a face similar to his in the virtual world, maybe… when they met in real life, it wouldn’t feel so unfamiliar.

Y stepped into the customization room, bringing up the interface and casting a projection in front of Lin Si.

“You decide, I’ll pick.”

Customizing his own face had been easy—he had simply recreated himself and made minor adjustments. But he didn’t know what Y looked like, so he felt completely lost.

It took nearly fifteen minutes, but when he finally finished—

From a distance, Y looked really handsome.

A height of 191 cm, a physique that perfectly matched Lin Si’s ideal type—lean in clothes but muscular underneath. Everything looked great, except…

The face didn’t feel quite right.

It looked a little like Lu Wei.

Maybe about thirty percent similar.

Lin Si reflected on himself for a moment.

It had to be because he hadn’t seen any particularly attractive Alphas lately. The only one around was Lu Wei, and since he had been seeing him every day, his subconscious must have been influenced when shaping the facial features.

“No, no, I need to change it.” Lin Si said.

Y: “Just leave it. I think it looks good.”

Lin Si: “…But I think you look a bit like my boss.”

“The boss you mentioned before?” Y asked.

“Yeah,” Lin Si nodded. “Let me tweak it.”

Y stood inside the customization room, separated from Lin Si by a glass window. His voice, coming through the speaker, suddenly felt distant.

“Do you dislike him?” Y asked.

Lin Si hesitated before answering, “I didn’t like him much before, but lately, he seems… alright. Still, I don’t want you to look like him.”

“Why?” Y asked.

Lin Si wasn’t sure how to explain it. He stared at Y’s face for a long time before finally saying, “Maybe I’m just petty. If I have a choice, I don’t want him to be my Alpha.”

What he really wanted to say was that he didn’t want Lu Wei to be the person with the highest pheromone compatibility with him. But to Y, those two things were probably the same.

“Let’s adjust the eye spacing a bit—wider. And the lips, just slightly fuller,” Lin Si said.

Y didn’t move, so Lin Si asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Y adjusted the settings as Lin Si suggested. “Is this okay?”

Lin Si stepped back to take a look, smiling happily. “You’re so handsome, big guy!”

Y pushed the door open and walked out. However, he didn’t seem as happy as Lin Si had expected. He simply said, “As long as you like it.”

They strolled along Queen’s Avenue, passing by many Bubble players. Lin Si poked Y’s arm and whispered, “That guy’s face looks exactly like Xu Xiangyang!”

Y followed his gaze. “Really?”

“Yes, totally.” Lin Si nodded.

“Do you like Xu Xiangyang?” Y asked.

Lin Si thought for a moment and said, “Yeah, I do. He’s a great actor.”

After that, Y didn’t say anything else and walked toward an NPC-like character.

“Wow~ What a perfect couple you two are!”

Lin Si stopped and said, “Uh… thanks?”

“Wow~ Such a well-matched pair! Don’t you want a cozy home of your own?”

“The latest real estate deals in Queen’s Town! Huge discounts!”

Y pulled Lin Si’s hand. “Let’s go.”

“Wait? We’re not… not buying a house?” Lin Si asked.

“Can’t afford it.” Y replied.

“Huh?” Lin Si was puzzled.

Y stopped, noticing Lin Si’s confused expression. He turned back and led him to the NPC, asking, “How much does your house cost?”

“Hahahaha, since you two are so close, let me recommend a stunning love nest for you!

In the county center, Biluan Tianhai (T/n: Blue Sky and Sea) Community—close to the municipal government and Queen Primary School, with convenient transportation, direct access to the subway and buses.

Most importantly! Unbeatable price—a one-bedroom, one-living room, one-bathroom unit for only 30,000 if paid in full!”

Lin Si: “???”

Rock-bottom price?

Only 30,000?

And it’s just a one-bedroom, one-living room, and one bathroom?

He and Y together only had 1,500, okay! How long would it take to earn that much money?

“Ah, of course, we also accept installment loans…”

This time, Lin Si dragged Y away.

“It’s way too expensive! Thirty thousand! Do we have to spend money like crazy?” Lin Si said.

Y: “You can make money in the virtual world.”

“But I can’t even make 30,000…” Lin Si paused. “Wait, how did you know just now that we couldn’t afford it?”

Y: “I looked into it earlier.”

Lin Si sighed. “According to the rules, wouldn’t we be wandering in the virtual world? If we don’t sleep, we can’t recover stamina. Without enough stamina, we can’t work during the day…”

“We can rent a short-term place first.” Y led him to an agent. “Pick one.”

“There’s this option too?!” Lin Si looked around and liked the one-bedroom with a balcony, but it was too expensive — ten coins a day.

With their money, they wouldn’t last even half a year.

After struggling for a long time, Y made the decision for him: “We’ll take the one-bedroom with the balcony.”

“No way! We don’t have much money to begin with…” Lin Si protested.

“It’s fine. We can earn more.” Y took the rental contract, selected a ten-day lease, and handed it back to the agent. As he did, his hand brushed past Lin Si’s pinky finger and he said, “Baby, pay up.”

---

Author’s Note:
Lu Wei: “I designed this virtual world. Of course, I know it inside out…”

T/n: The virtual world nd their facilities are really getting interesting 🤔😃 Stay tuned!🙂‍↔️ If you want to support me you can buy me a Ko-Fi or go to my paypal page. Happy Reading 🎈😍!!