Campus Belle's Home Turf

When Bai Zhi woke up, it was already dusk.

The setting sun hung in the sky, its pale golden sunlight bathing the entire world in a golden hue.

"A day passes in the blink of an eye, and I have absolutely no recollection of what happened... So that drug really should be called the Crimson King, right?"

After staring at the horizon for a while, Bai Zhi reached out and rubbed his neck before sitting up from the recliner.

"You're awake?"

At that moment, accompanied by the sound of pages being turned, Mu Qiansè's voice came from the side.

"The deceased... was it He Zhiqiū?"

Turning his head, Bai Zhi raised an eyebrow slightly as he looked at Mu Qiansè, who was closing a copy of Romance of the Three Kingdoms in her hand.

What did you talk about with her before that?

"What do you mean by 'dead' or 'not dead'... She sat here all afternoon and you still hadn't woken up. She went home after receiving a phone call about half an hour ago."

Looking up, Mu Qiansè seemed slightly speechless.

"We didn't talk about much, just some very common things... yeah, really common."

So what exactly did they talk about?

Bai Zhi glanced at the Romance of the Three Kingdoms that Mu Qiansè had placed on her lap, and asked with some interest.

"The Three Kingdoms, we're discussing the Three Kingdoms."

After coughing slightly, Mu Qiansè raised the Romance of the Three Kingdoms from her lap.

"Besides that, we also discussed some detailed reasons why you broke up before, and about her father. Actually, the main reason she left without saying goodbye and went on so many dates back then was..."

"The Three Kingdoms? I know that very well!!"

He interrupted the other person, his face beaming Bai Zhi delight.

Do you know who is the most underrated person in the Three Kingdoms period?

"Uh... what I'm going to talk about now is..."

"Let me tell you, it's Liu Shan. Liu Shan was actually the number one warrior in the Three Kingdoms period!!"

"The number one military commander... why?"

After a slight pause, the Night Owl was successfully swayed by Bai Zhi.

"It's very simple. Although everyone says he's an incompetent ruler, do you know what he did? He has a feat and achievement that is unprecedented and unparalleled."

Bai Zhi held up a finger in front of him, his face serious.

"When he was young, he fought alongside Zhao Zilong, charging in and out of the Cao Army seven times. I ask you, which Hero in the world today could have done that?"

Mu Qiansè: "..."

"It's a pity that Liu Bei later smashed his head, and he never regained his former bravery. However, his magnanimity remained, which is truly admirable."

With a slight sigh, Bai Zhi stood up from the recliner and walked into the living room.

"A true hero doesn't dwell on past glories. The past is the past, and we must learn to look forward. Have you ever seen Liu Shan boast about his victories? As the saying goes, 'He who is happy here will never miss Shu.'"

"No... this is different, isn't it?"

With a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth, Mu Qiansè couldn't help but speak.

"Aren't you really interested in what happened back then? You're not Liu Shan, those things..."

"Yes, I am not Liu Shan."

Shrugging, Bai Zhi took a can of Herbal Tea from the refrigerator.

"Alright, let's not talk about those things anymore. Where's the others? Why are you the only one home? Haven't Xia Wen and the others come back yet?"

"... Qingyi and Anna went to the Shadow World together, saying they were making preparations for something. Lin Xiaoyi returned from the Inner World, but Xia Wen is still in the Dungeon."

She seemed to sigh Mu Qiansè she answered.

"Then, it seems she went out to find a new place to live because of Xia Wen's request. I originally wanted to go with her, but considering it's not safe for you to be here alone, I stayed here."

"Hmm? You've finally decided to move out?"

Leaning against the kitchen doorway, Bai Zhi picked up his glass of Herbal Tea, took a sip, and looked wary.

"Let me make it clear beforehand: I'm fine with moving out, but I won't be refunding the rent they've already paid me."

"... We don't seem to be short of money, do we?"

Looking at the wary person in front of her, Mu Qiansè's lips twitched slightly.

"Also, don't you think this house is a bit too small? The Campus Belle's original intention in looking for a house was to have us move in together. I heard she was planning to look for a villa by the sea or something..."

"A villa... wait, why do I have to move there too?"

Suddenly realizing what was happening, Bai Zhi looked completely bewildered.

"If you want to move out, then move out. But I'm living here just fine, why should I move out too? I paid a year's rent in advance for this room, and I've only been here for a few months, okay?"

"The rent we paid before included protection money. You're not trying to renege on that, are you?"

Before Mu Qiansè could reply, the sound of Key being inserted into the lock and the door opening came from behind Bai Zhi, accompanied by Lin Xiaoyi's slightly teasing voice.

"Don't you think it's inconvenient to live here? This building is so tall, and there's not even an elevator."

"To be honest, you don't need my protection at all, do you?"

Turning his head to look behind him, Bai Zhi squinted at the Campus Belle who seemed to have just returned and gave his answer.

"I think this house is fine, why move to a place like Seaside Villa?"

There are three reasons.

After closing the door, Lin Xiaoyi solemnly held up three fingers in front of her.

"First of all, we are all Player, and according to the rule that Player attract Anomaly, we are actually not suitable to live in such a densely populated community."

The Campus Belle looked very serious.

"In Residential Complex like this, most of the residents are common. If some Anomaly are attracted to this area by our Player, those common will be the first to suffer."

"But by staying here, we can also protect them."

Looking at the serious-looking Campus Belle in front of him, Bai Zhi suddenly became interested and retorted.

"Are Player guaranteed to be able to handle all the Anomaly? Not necessarily. There have been instances where Player have died in Anomaly common have survived. In fact, there are many such examples... I can send you more detailed information in a moment."

Lin Xiaoyi shook her head slightly.

"Compared to the risks that Player themselves pose to common, staying away from them is the best way to protect them. There might not be any immediate impact, but if they spend a long time with common, something bad will definitely happen."

"Hmm... you make a good point. So, what's the second reason?"

After thinking for a moment, Bai Zhi nodded.

It's likely that the reason the Dead Zero wanted to move to her Dojo was partly due to this consideration.

"Secondly, we know and Trust each other well. As Player, we need a few Trust Teammate. If we're together, we can look out for each other."

The Campus Belle held up a second finger, her face serious.

"I think you agree with that, right? Isn't this a better choice than finding other familiar strangers to be your Teammate?"