What Happened to Being Aloof?

The light from the phone screen glowed faintly in the dim bedroom, illuminating Jiang Yingxue's slightly flushed ear tips and tightly pursed lips.

The notification for an approved friend request was like a small pebble dropped into a calm lake, sending ripples of "nervousness" across its surface.

"He... agreed."

She flipped the scorching hot phone screen face down, pressing it firmly onto the soft plush blanket, as if the small electronic device were burning her hand.

Her heart pounded uncontrollably in her chest, as if trying to break free from its confines.

Her slender fingers, hidden beneath the warm down comforter, unconsciously mimicked the "send" action in the air, over and over again. It was an awkward yet persistent gesture, like silently reciting a magical incantation that required immense courage to cast.

Cool and aloof? Not a chance.

That was merely a layer of tough armor that Jiang Yingxue clumsily donned when facing an unfamiliar world.

Severe social anxiety was the core issue.

Conversing with people she didn't know well was no less than a mental expedition for her. Every word had to be mulled over and rehearsed countless times in her mind, with only the shortest syllables or complete silence ultimately escaping her lips.

Over time, even her family became convinced that she was naturally cold and distant.

When her sister, Jiang Yingqing, had rushed home today, chattering excitedly about a classmate she'd met who was "comparable to the Top of the Peak" and wanted to add her on QQ to carry her, Jiang Yingxue's instinct was to refuse.

A stranger's friend request? Just the thought made her fingertips tingle. But... the words "Top of the Peak" were like magical little hooks, precisely snagging the deepest desire of her heart as a veteran online gamer. Which Honor of Kings player could resist the allure of a top-tier expert?

Especially when she was stuck at zero stars in the King rank, her win rate was worrying, and she was sarcastically nicknamed the "Scoreboard God of War."

Struggle, hesitation. Her social anxiety instincts clashed fiercely with her desire to climb ranks.

Ultimately, the yearning for the peak of the canyon prevailed over her inner fear by a slim margin.

She almost closed her eyes, using all her strength, before clicking the "Send Friend Request" button. Then, as if completing a major mission, she quickly hid her phone.

The phone vibrated. She took a deep breath, building up her mental fortitude before daring to look.

Ling Yun: Hello sister, my name is Ling Yun, and I'm in the same class as Jiang Yingqing. I heard you like playing Honor of Kings, want to play a couple of games later?

Attached was a match history screenshot—Peak Tournament plus ranked matches, a shocking 27-game win streak! That dazzling green, those glorious MVP badges, silently spoke of absolute skill.

Jiang Yingxue felt her breath catch.

So... so strong! Even more exaggerated than her sister's bragging! The pre-prepared "polite refusal" lines instantly vanished from her mind.

A strong urge to personally experience being carried by a top player surged within her.

The "The other party is typing..." prompt on the input box flickered repeatedly for a full three minutes, like a snail stuck in pause but struggling to move.

Finally, using all the focus she had for typing in her life, Jiang Yingxue carefully typed out a single character:

Jiang Yingxue: Okay.

They logged in almost simultaneously.

Ling Yun clicked on Jiang Yingxue's avatar: ID "Snow Falling Without Trace," King rank 0 stars. He clicked on her match history—this season's games: 1527. Win rate: 41.3%.

"Confirmed Scoreboard God of War... This perseverance, she's truly an addict."

Ling Yun chuckled, understanding her desire to climb ranks.

"Sister, is it okay to use voice chat?"

In the team lobby, Ling Yun opened his microphone first, his voice clear and natural.

Silence from the other end for a few seconds.

Jiang Yingxue stared at the small microphone icon, her finger hovering above the switch, fingertips growing slightly cold.

Voice chat? Real-time voice with a guy she just met? Her social anxiety radar was blaring.

The thought of refusing arose, but it was immediately suppressed by his 27-win streak halo and the promise of being "carried."

Would refusing... seem rude? Would he stop carrying her?

An internal battle raged. Ultimately, the anticipation of "winning effortlessly" and the fear of "being rude" made her reluctantly press the voice chat button. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's, with an almost imperceptible tension:

"It... it's fine, we can open it."

Entering the hero selection screen. Ling Yun unhesitatingly pre-selected Ma Chao and confidently displayed his 27-game, 100% win rate.

The other teammates all praised Ling Yun.

"Sister, play Sun Bin, with me, we'll cooperate well."

Ling Yun suggested.

Jiang Yingxue nodded silently and selected Cai Wenji... no, Sun Bin. In her nervousness, she almost slipped up.

During the loading screen, the enemy top laner Yang Jian's ID was incredibly arrogant: [Unrivaled Top Laner].

As soon as the game started, a line of text popped up in the map channel from that [Unrivaled Top Laner].

Yang Jian: Ma Chao on the enemy team? You dare bring out a trash hero? Just wait, I'll get your first blood in one minute!

Jiang Yingxue's brow furrowed slightly, her fingers unconsciously curling.

This person is so rude!

She thought to herself, but only quietly reminded him over voice chat, "He... he's going to gank you."

Her voice remained tense, devoid of much emotional fluctuation.

Ling Yun hadn't responded yet, but he heard a very faint, breathy hum from his headset.

Immediately after, Jiang Yingxue's voice came through, struggling to maintain calmness but clearly tinged with a hint of indignation: "That Yang Jian on the enemy team... he's so cocky." She paused, gathering a bit of courage, "Should we... kill him a few more times?"

Ling Yun chuckled, "That's exactly what I was thinking! Sister, you go help the marksman stabilize first. Watch me take him down solo and teach him a lesson."

Ling Yun's Ma Chao started with an iron sword, exiting the base and activating Sprint just as the minion waves met.

His Cold Radiance Spear weaved like a silver lightning bolt, precisely finishing off two front-line minions to instantly reach level two.

Yang Jian indeed got overconfident. Relying on his level one strength, he charged forward under the minion wave, intending to force a fight, and his combo took half of Ma Chao's health.

However, Ma Chao, now level two and empowered by Sprint, was a true killing machine!

"See ya!"

Ling Yun let out a light laugh.

His second skill, [Sunset Spear], was cast behind Yang Jian to block his path. He caught the falling Cold Radiance Spear with his first skill, [Desolate Blade], unleashing empowered basic attacks! He retracted the spear! Then attacked again! It was a fluid, seamless assault, every hit landing true! Yang Jian's health bar vanished like an avalanche.

[First Blood!]

The kill notification sounded at 0:45. Fifteen seconds faster than Yang Jian's boast of "First Blood within a minute."

Yang Jian typed in the public chat from his fountain, trying to save face: "My bad! Wait till I'm level four, I'll definitely solo kill you!"

Ling Yun didn't even bother typing a reply. He called out to Jiang Yingxue, "Sister, we've got the tempo now, follow me!"

The next few minutes turned into Yang Jian's personal nightmare broadcast.

The moment he respawned and returned to his lane, clearing minions? Not happening!

A clock domain exuding an aura of death (Sun Bin's ultimate, [Time Flow]) descended upon him, silencing and slowing him!

Immediately after, Ma Chao, activating Sprint and [Ten Thousand Blades Return to Sheath], charged out from the river bush like a silver grim reaper, with the momentum of wind and thunder!

"Swish! Swish! Swish!" Three spears! Yang Jian's screen turned gray once more.

[Unrivaled Top Laner (Yang Jian)]: "F***! Useless b*stard! Call your teammates! No skill! Dare to 1v1?"

"Heh!"

If you find this book good, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you don't lose it next time.

Jiang Yingxue's uncontrollable laughter was clearly audible through the headset, like a taut string suddenly loosening slightly, carrying a sense of cathartic relief.

"He... he's tilted!"

Her voice was noticeably more relaxed than before, even carrying a hint of pride that she herself didn't seem to notice.

Ling Yun also smiled, recognizing the familiar pattern: "Classic lines. If they can't win, they call you weak and ask for backup."

The rest of the game completely fell into Ling Yun's rhythm.

Farming, controlling objectives, invading, ganking. Jiang Yingxue's Sun Bin followed closely, providing speed boosts, healing, and silences, their coordination becoming increasingly seamless.

By eight minutes, Ling Yun's Ma Chao's economy had surpassed ten thousand, dominating the entire match.

As for the [Unrivaled Top Laner] Yang Jian, his record had become a glaring 0-6-0. Amidst his teammates' friendly "greetings," he angrily went AFK.

Just after eight minutes, the enemy's crystal exploded.

"Victory!"

"So satisfying!"

A sigh, filled with clear delight and relief, came clearly through the microphone.

Jiang Yingxue herself was a little taken aback. Was that spontaneous exclamation, tinged with a bit of pride and joy, really her own voice?

She instinctively covered her mouth, her cheeks feeling a little warm, but looking at the bouncing stars on the screen, the joy of ranking up instantly dispelled that slight shyness.

"Another round?" Ling Yun asked with a smile.

"Okay!" This time, Jiang Yingxue's reply was much faster and much crisper.

Over an hour flew by in their battles within the canyon.

Under the absolute carry of a top-tier expert like Ling Yun, Jiang Yingxue experienced an unprecedented thrill of "ranking up as easily as drinking water."

Her rank soared like a rocket, from a few scattered stars in King to King ten stars! The tension had long been replaced by excitement and immersion.

Her gameplay became bolder, and her words... also became more numerous.

After a fierce team fight, Ling Yun's Gongsun Li narrowly escaped with critical health, and Jiang Yingxue's Cai Wenji scurvied desperately to catch up.

"Ling Yun! Wait for me! Let me heal you!"

She controlled Cai Wenji, casting her second skill, [Lyre Melody], to bounce and control the pursuing enemies. Then, the ultimate skill, [Song of Forgetting Worries], enveloped the low-health Gongsun Li, watching his health bar rapidly recover.

"Hehe!" Jiang Yingxue's voice held a hint of playfulness and satisfaction, almost blurting out: "My healing is strong, right? Did it make you feel super good!"

The moment the words left her mouth, she froze.

Oh my god! What was she saying?!

"Healing"... "super good"... She actually said something so suggestive and playful to a guy she had just met?!

The socially anxious soul was screaming, but her fingers still lingered on the hot phone screen. In the game, Cai Wenji was happily circling the low-health Gongsun Li who was attempting a comeback kill.

Ling Yun's suppressed chuckle came through the headset, "Ahem… indeed… very crucial, thank you, sister, for the life-saving heal."

He paused, his tone clearly probing and teasing, "But, Yingqing told me you… are very aloof? That… doesn't match what I imagined?"

He deliberately emphasized the words "very aloof."

Jiang Yingxue's face turned completely red, thankfully hidden by the internet.

She unconsciously fiddled with the hem of her pajamas, her voice lowering, tinged with embarrassment and confusion about her own "unusual" behavior, "I… I'm not aloof. I just… I just don't really like, and I'm not good at talking to… strangers."

She paused, as if organizing her thoughts to explain her "chattiness" tonight, "But… but I don't know why, playing games with you… I just… talk more."

She found it unbelievable herself. Normally, even when duo-queuing with a newly met online friend, she was mostly a silent "utility player."

So that's it! Social anxiety! Ling Yun suddenly understood.

Recalling her hesitation when adding him as a friend, her silence before turning on her mic, and her current relaxation and even freedom after getting familiar, everything made sense.

He suddenly felt a bit speechless towards Jiang Yingqing, that unreliable girl – so her own sister, whom she spent all day with, didn't even realize her older sister was "aloof" and not "cold"!

"I understand."

Ling Yun's voice carried a knowing chuckle. Very considerately, he didn't delve deeper into the social anxiety issue and instead asked, "Shall we continue? Sister."

"Mm…" Jiang Yingxue glanced at the time and then felt the mixed state of mental fatigue and excitement.

Although she wanted to continue, she said, "I'm a bit… a bit sleepy. Tomorrow… I'll play again after you're done with school, okay?" Her tone was a little hesitant as she asked.

"Sure, no problem."

Ling Yun readily agreed.

"Around what time tomorrow? I might need to play the Peak Tournament to rank up tonight."

"How about… after 12 AM?" Jiang Yingxue tentatively asked, knowing when the Peak Tournament closed, "At that time… you should be free?"

"Deal! It's settled then." Ling Yun decided, "Send me a message on QQ then, sister. I'll be there whenever you call."

"En! Okay!" Jiang Yingxue's voice was clearly happy, "Then… goodnight?"

"Goodnight, sister."

After exiting the game and turning off the voice chat, Jiang Yingxue leaned against her headboard, looking at the King-level ten-star icon on the screen, feeling like it was a dream. Her cheeks were still warm, but her heart felt an inexplicable, long-lost sense of ease and joy. Playing games with a stranger for so long, talking so much… it actually… felt pretty good? She touched her still slightly warm ear, a small curve unconsciously forming on her lips.

On the other side, Ling Yun put down his phone and rubbed his slightly sore eyes.

The exhaustion from using his Spiritual Sense last night, combined with the high-intensity boosting session tonight, had indeed overdrawn his mental energy.

He quickly took a shower, the warm water washing away the fatigue.

As soon as his head touched the pillow, a heavy sleepiness rushed in like a tide, pulling him into deep sleep almost instantly.

He barely had time for a fleeting thought about the amusing personality shift in Jiang Yingxue or a quick complaint about Jiang Yingqing.

The next morning.

The sky was faintly lit, with light filtering into the room through the gaps in the curtains.

Ling Yun slowly woke up. Instead of the expected fatigue, his mind felt exceptionally clear, his body light and strong, as if every inch of his muscles was filled with vibrant life, and even his breathing carried a refreshing vitality.

The physical improvements and mental nourishment from the Qi Cultivation Middle Stage were significant.

He got up neatly and washed his face. The cold water splashed on his face, completely dispelling the last trace of grogginess.

He changed into his brand-new military training uniform – the camouflage pattern accentuated his already upright posture, and the silhouette of broad shoulders and a narrow waist was subtly visible.

"Tsk," Ling Yun looked in the mirror, raising an eyebrow unashamedly, a self-satisfied curve on his lips.

"Being handsome really makes anything look good. If I went to military training like this, wouldn't I outshine the instructors?"

After admiring himself, Ling Yun grabbed his schoolbag, got on his slightly worn mountain bike, and rode towards school, facing the cool morning breeze.

Passing by the familiar old Jianbing stall at the school gate, the rich aroma of eggs and bean paste wafted over, and his stomach honestly rumbled.

"Boss, add egg and sausage, extra spicy sauce!"

Ling Yun stopped his bike. Although with his current physical condition, he wouldn't get hypoglycemia even if he skipped a few meals, his ingrained love for food and pursuit of deliciousness made him unable to bear the "torture" of standing at attention on an empty stomach.

With the hot, fragrant Jianbing Guozi in his stomach, his hunger was satisfied, and he felt more energetic.

Today was the official start of military training. The campus was less noisy than usual, with a more solemn atmosphere.

The new students, dressed in uniform camouflage, gathered towards the sports field like young saplings.

Ling Yun didn't return to the classroom and instead followed the crowd towards the spacious field.

The air was filled with the scent of grass and a unique vitality, a blend of youth and discipline.

If you think this book is good, remember to add it to your bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.