The doors closed, and the battered Eerie Bus rattled away amid a chugging engine noise...
Bai Yu slumped there, looking half-dead despite still being alive.
Ji Yan stood before him with his hands in his pockets, smiling. "Congratulations. You survived another night."
"Thankfully, we both made it through tonight in one piece."
Bai Yu shot Ji Yan a sidelong glare. "Do I look like I made it through in one piece...?"
Ji Yan turned to watch the [Eerie Bus] vanish down the end of the road. "The game panel announced that Players had cleared four side quests."
"One of them was your [Eerie Bus]. I thought..."
"You thought I cleared the main quest?"
Before Ji Yan could finish, Bai Yu cut him off. Wearing an expression more miserable than a man doomed by fate, he said, "I fucking emptied out every piece of equipment I owned just to survive that bus ride. Your underwear buddy of over ten years nearly ended up separated from you by life and death!"
Ji Yan held out a hand. "Stop whining. It's windy outside. Come rest at my place first."
Bai Yu got up, his gaze landing on Bai Ling, who stood some distance away and looked over coldly.
He lowered his voice. "Your little girlfriend?"
"Come on, man, even if your standards are low, you wouldn't go for someone this sickly, would you?"
"Neighbor."
Ji Yan replied flatly, "Her parents just died. She's staying at my place for now. Watch what you say. That girl... has a bad temper."
Ten minutes later.
Inside the rented apartment, Bai Yu sat on the couch, wolfing down wheat bread while guzzling yogurt.
Ji Yan leaned off to one side and casually remarked, "The way you eat, I'm starting to wonder if you played [Starvation