My Online Friend Can't Be This Cute Chapter 16

You Can't Play Saint Slash: I was going to ask around for you, but since Baibai knows her, just ask her.

Human-Dragon Unity: Sure. Baibai, I've messaged you privately.

Mo Xiangwen clicked on Baibai's Sora avatar in the group chat, which took him straight to their private chat.

Human-Dragon Unity: Baibai, could you introduce me to that artist?

It was rather funny. Aside from the guild leader and Xiaohuo, he had joined the group earlier than anyone else, while Baibai had only joined belatedly when the guild was nearly falling apart.

Yet Baibai had been the first to add him as a friend.

There had still been over a dozen people in the group then, and the chat moved fairly quickly. As a newcomer, Baibai's questions were often ignored.

With nothing better to do, he'd paid attention and answered every one of her questions.

Later, after they added each other as friends, Baibai simply asked him everything through private messages.

Baibai: Uh... she's a little introverted and isn't very willing to add other people.

Baibai: But if Xiao Yi needs anything, I can pass it along for you!

Human-Dragon Unity: No... besides the requirements, we'd need to discuss the price too. It'd be too much trouble to make you forward everything.

Baibai: Discount price! An absolutely industry-low price! I'll have her give Xiao Yi the best possible discount!

Human-Dragon Unity: Baibai, do you know a lot about the art community?

Baibai: Mm... just a tiny, tiny bit?

Human-Dragon Unity: I see. Then I'd feel at ease letting Baibai negotiate the price for me. I just don't know what this artist's style is like.

Baibai: I think... it should be okay?

Baibai: Sent a file.

Baibai: Take a look at these pictures. She drew all of them.

Mo Xiangwen downloaded the file and opened it. They really were quite good.

The white-stockinged girl in the pictures was petite, with clear and captivating eyes.

There was just one problem. Why were they all white-stockinged girls?

Well, his current requirement happened to be a white-stockinged girl, so it didn't matter.

He could ask again if he needed something else later. No artist could possibly only know how to draw one type of character.

Human-Dragon Unity: I think they're drawn very well. So well that I feel like I probably can't afford to commission this artist for a character illustration.

Baibai: ! I'll talk to her for Xiao Yi. It'll definitely work out.

Baibai: But I also want to make one request on her behalf.

How strange. Were there artists these days who took the initiative to make requests?

Human-Dragon Unity: Oh? If I can get a discount, I can agree to any request.

Baibai: If Xiao Yi wants anything drawn in the future, ask my friend first whether she's taking commissions.

Human-Dragon Unity: ? What a strange request. Is she really short on commissions? With that skill level, she shouldn't be.

Baibai: Uh, it's not easy for her to take art commissions.

Not easy? Right, Baibai had said earlier that her friend was rather introverted.

Still, she was Baibai's friend and had even offered him the best discount. If he could help, he should.

Human-Dragon Unity: Sure. If there's a discount, I'd be happy to keep commissioning your friend.

Human-Dragon Unity: Sent a file.

Human-Dragon Unity: The requirements are in here. Sorry to trouble you, Baibai. Let me know how much it'll cost when the time comes.

Baibai: Okay, I'll send it to her right away.

Baibai: Even though I can't watch, Xiao Yi can't break his promise, okay?

Human-Dragon Unity: You mean being a long-term customer? No problem.

P.S.: The drawings? Of course there weren't any. I made them up.

What are you doing? Why's a grown man doing this?

Although the homeroom teacher had said that students could come collect their own admission notices from him during work hours—yes, the delivery address was usually the school, to prevent the notices from getting lost.

After all, aside from the courier company, no one could afford to take responsibility for a lost admission notice.

Still, Mo Xiangwen dawdled until nearly six in the evening before finally arriving at the school gates.

For no other reason than to avoid the peak time when his classmates came to collect their admission notices.

He didn't like places that were too lively, nor did he like being squeezed among crowds.

The school was quiet during the holiday. There was neither music blasting from the loudspeakers nor any sign of students or teachers.

The security guard seemed to remember him and greeted him warmly.

Mo Xiangwen wrote his name in the entry and exit log on the desk, then copied the others by writing [Collecting Admission Notice] in the reason column.

He crossed the silent campus and arrived at the office building he'd visited countless times during his senior year to ask questions.

Through the window outside the office, he could see several teachers chatting and laughing inside.

Though he wondered why they were all gathered around Xiang Ming, he decided to knock first.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Reporting—"

The moment Mo Xiangwen spoke, every pair of eyes in the office turned toward him.

"It's Xiangwen. You finally came. I thought you weren't planning to collect your admission notice today." Xiang Ming nudged aside the teachers around him and beckoned. "Come over. We've been waiting for you all day."

Mo Xiangwen entered the office, expecting the teachers to disperse for now and continue chatting later.

Who knew that not only did they remain completely still, their eyes followed him the entire time as though they were looking at some rare animal. It gave him goosebumps.

Was that really necessary? Hadn't we gotten along perfectly well during this last month?

Even if he wasn't an outstanding student, he definitely had nothing to do with being a bad one, right?

"Uh, may I ask if the teachers need something?" Mo Xiangwen finally couldn't stand their stares anymore and took the initiative to ask.

To his surprise, a male teacher from the advanced class merely walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"You kid, you've really done well."

The homeroom teachers from the other classes nodded in heartfelt agreement and gave him a thumbs-up.

As though they had rehearsed for a long time and been waiting for him to arrive, once the performance was complete, every homeroom teacher returned to their own desk to work.

Though they still occasionally glanced over, their gazes were mainly directed at his homeroom teacher, Xiang Ming, and carried a hint of envy.

Mo Xiangwen walked over to his homeroom teacher and happened to see the last remaining admission notice on his desk, along with a stack of envelopes beside the computer tower.

His homeroom teacher pulled a chair out from beneath the desk. "Sit."

"Uh, can't I leave after collecting my admission notice?" Mo Xiangwen asked uncertainly. "I've already graduated. Do I still have to listen to your teachings?"

"Sit when I tell you to sit. I have something to talk to you about." His homeroom teacher looked at him, both amused and exasperated. "Why are you so guarded?"

Mo Xiangwen could only obediently sit down, staring eagerly at the red admission notice on the desk.

His homeroom teacher sighed and had no choice but to pick up the admission notice from the desk and hand it to him first.

Mo Xiangwen took the admission notice and finally saw what it looked like in full.

The large bright-red envelope looked extremely festive. Beneath the courier company's logo was H University's full name written in gilded lettering.

After H University's full name were the words Admission Notice.

The rest consisted of blank space and the school's emblem.

Unconsciously, he placed his hand over the envelope and carefully felt the texture of the school's name again and again.

He suddenly felt that all the hardship, exhaustion, and even desperate effort of this period had been worth it.

Seeing this, his homeroom teacher asked with a smile, "How is it? Happy?"

"Honestly, it feels amazing. I'm really happy." Mo Xiangwen gently let out a breath, reluctantly shifted his gaze from the admission notice, and looked at his homeroom teacher. "Thank you for teaching me."

"Amazing, huh? I feel amazing too." His homeroom teacher waved a hand. "This was all your own hard work. It doesn't have much to do with me. Want to guess what rank you are among this year's students?"

"Uh... top three?" Mo Xiangwen hesitated before boldly answering.

"First." Unable to hold back, his homeroom teacher pulled out a cigarette from his breast pocket and lit it. He took a deep drag, exhaled out the window, then turned back with a smile. "And first in the school's history."

First in history? He could believe first in this year's class, but first in history? Wasn't that a bit exaggerated?

Mo Xiangwen looked at his homeroom teacher uncertainly. "Isn't that a little exaggerated?"

"No matter how exaggerated it is, it's not as exaggerated as your grades." His homeroom teacher laughed and scolded. "Do you think this is a top city high school, where several students can get into key universities?"

"If the school produces a few first-tier university students each year, that's already remarkable."

"Even the numbers of second-tier and third-tier university students are carefully counted and recorded on the school's promotional displays."

Mo Xiangwen nodded thoughtfully. He did remember the promotional banner near the school entrance.

"So, the principal told me he wants you to say a few words later, for the school's publicity."

"No, thanks." Mo Xiangwen had always been afraid of trouble, so he hurriedly waved his hand in refusal. "I think the school is full of talent. Next year, there'll be model students even better than me. You can ask them in the future."

"There's a scholarship. The principal said that aside from the scholarship for getting into H University, he can personally add another sum for you."

"But then again, I've spent three years of high school here and have extremely deep feelings for the school. Being able to achieve what I have today is inseparable from the careful cultivation of all the teachers and school leaders."

After finally delivering that long speech in one breath, Mo Xiangwen paused to catch his breath, then continued, "It's only saying a few words, right? Leave it to me."

After saying that, he patted his chest, putting on an expression that said he had it handled.

His homeroom teacher shook his head with a laugh, glanced around to make sure no one was looking their way, then handed him a red envelope.

Mo Xiangwen froze. "What's this?"

His homeroom teacher lowered his voice like a guilty thief. "Don't ask. Take it. This is what you deserve as the matchmaker."

The matchmaker? Him?

Mo Xiangwen was stunned for a long while. His brain ran in overload mode for ages, yet he still couldn't figure out what was going on.

"I don't know what's happening, so I can't accept it." Mo Xiangwen shook his head and refused.

A gentleman loved wealth but acquired it properly. He didn't dare take such an inexplicable red envelope.

His homeroom teacher sighed, took out another invitation, and placed it in his hand.

Mo Xiangwen opened it and found his own name written openly in the guest section. Of the two people getting married, one was the familiar name Xiang Ming.

What the hell? His homeroom teacher was inviting his own student to his own wedding banquet?

Mo Xiangwen was dumbfounded for a long time, but after hesitating, he accepted it.

"I'll be there when the time comes. Homeroom teacher, is there anything else?"

"Yes, one last thing."

His homeroom teacher picked up the stack of ten or twenty envelopes from the desk and handed them to him.

"Do you want me to take these to the courier station and mail them?" Mo Xiangwen looked down and noticed there were neither addresses nor stamps on them. "But there aren't any sender or recipient details written on them, and no stamps either?"

"Of course not, because those are from your classmates." His homeroom teacher shook his head. "Instead of asking so many questions, why don't you open them and see?"

Mo Xiangwen opened an envelope and pulled out a neatly folded sheet of paper.

Several clearly written words were on it: Thank you, Mo Xiangwen.

Then, in the lower-right corner, it was signed in letter format with the name Liao Feiyang.

He opened several more, and they all followed the same format: words of thanks followed by their signatures.

Some even had two signatures—those damn couples even had to show off their affection here.

"They said they were very grateful to you for helping them persevere through this final stretch." His homeroom teacher smiled. "As for the ones with two signatures, those are the couples. They feel that being admitted to the same university was partly thanks to you."

"As for why they didn't give them to you in person, they said they were honestly a little embarrassed."