My Online Friend Can't Be This Cute

Human-Dragon Unity: What the hell do you know? This is called taking care of the DM's campaign-running experience.

Baibai: True.

A Seductress: Then what are you playing?

Human-Dragon Unity: Same as I said before, a rogue.

Flaked Out: Hehe.

A Seductress: Hehe.

Don't Play Holy Slash: Hehe.

Human-Dragon Unity: ? What are you doing? Paladins aren't allowed to play rogues either now?

Flaked Out: I just think you're up to no good, but I have no proof.

Don't Play Holy Slash: I think it's pretty good. Go with rogue.

Baibai: I remember there not being many towns at the start.

Human-Dragon Unity: ? Then I'll play a fighter instead.

A Seductress: See? You really were up to no good.

Human-Dragon Unity: Don't slander my innocence out of thin air when you have no proof.

Don't Play Holy Slash: Baibai, why did you go look through the campaign module and remind him?

Baibai: I didn't look through the detailed module. I just happened to see an introduction online before.

Don't Play Holy Slash: Forget it, forget it. Play whatever you want. Just remember to submit your character sheets early.

There had actually been no need to hurry. There was still nearly a week before school started.

But from another perspective, he had already been at home for at least two and a half months.

And as everyone knew, staying at home too long easily invited parental annoyance.

It didn't matter whether you were a good student or a bad one, or whether you helped with chores. After enough time passed, they just found you unpleasant to look at.

At home, they either complained that you never went out to socialize or asked why you still didn't have a girlfriend.

And when you really did go out, even if you reported it beforehand, they still easily said something like, "You're having so much fun outside that you don't even know to come home."

Especially since his mother had been promoted to supervisor, she spent more time at home. With little workload, she had plenty of energy.

Perhaps managing several people had also made her desire to manage others even stronger.

The result was that he couldn't even write in peace at home.

Though the pressure of debt was gone, he still wanted to save up some money as soon as possible so he could get things done.

For example, opening a small shop for his parents.

The scholarship and the private bonus from his superior alone were nowhere near enough.

So, he decided...

"Mom, I'm getting ready to go back to school."

"Huh? When?"

"Tomorrow."

"So early? Isn't there still a week left?" Zhou Xiuqin froze, sounding a little reluctant.

Sigh, that was just how it was.

When you were at home, they found you annoying. But when you really said you were leaving, they couldn't bear to let you go.

"I'll take the chance to travel around, relax, and see the world." Suppressing the urge to complain, Mo Xiangwen smiled as he answered.

Zhou Xiuqin looked a little disappointed, but quickly pulled herself together and took out her phone. "Oh, then Mom will transfer you the tuition and travel expenses."

"Didn't I tell you before? I made a little money writing promotional articles online, and I have a scholarship too. It's enough."

"You should keep it and buy something nice for yourself and Dad." Mo Xiangwen shook his head. "And let Dad stop going to so many construction sites."

"Oh, you child. If he doesn't work, where will the money come from to get you a wife?"

"I don't have one for now..."

Seeing his mother's expression turn cold, Mo Xiangwen hurriedly changed his tune. "I can earn money myself. Look, I make money writing promotional articles pretty quickly too."

"Sigh, that kind of work isn't stable. Who knows when it might disappear? You still need to study hard and find a good job after graduation."

Even though the internet had reached every corner of the country and everyone used it, the older generation ultimately still knew relatively little about it.

So there was no need for him to explain too much.

Some things were enough for him to know himself. Explaining so much to his parents was useless and would only make it easier to argue.

"Yes, yes, I know." Mo Xiangwen nodded. "Then I'll go back and pack."

"Go on, go on."

Only after he closed his bedroom door did he let out a sigh of relief.

Just like Dad and Mom, they found you annoying when you were at home, but worried about you and wanted you to come back once you went out.

And weren't children the same?

After drifting outside for a long time, they naturally missed the comforts of home. But when they really returned home, they might enjoy their parents' nagging at first, yet eventually grow impatient all the same.

No matter what, he had stayed home long enough. It was time to keep moving forward.

Mo Xiangwen looked around the room and made sure he had packed everything he needed except for his computer.

There was no need to bring the computer. A desktop was inconvenient to carry, and he could just buy another laptop later.

The next day, after saying goodbye to his parents, he boarded the high-speed rail and sped toward the distance.

P.S.: I actually had to spend 520 being dragged into a writing room by the group chat members. So sad, so I posted two chapters together.

An Encounter During the Journey

Among the Four Great Classical Novels, the best known were probably Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West.

Especially among boys, there were many who loved Three Kingdoms culture.

And when it came to the Three Kingdoms, the most famous figure was not one of the three emperors of Wei, Shu, and Wu, but a scholar with a feather fan and silk headdress—Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang, courtesy name Kongming and sobriquet Sleeping Dragon, was the chancellor of Shu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms and one of the most famous figures in ancient history.

He had wanted to come here for a long time. The only reason he hadn't was that when he had money, he had no time, and when he had time, he had no money.

It was midsummer. Though the trees within Marquis Wu Shrine grew lush and green, the massive crowds—including quite a few foreigners—made the already scorching weather feel even hotter.

Mo Xiangwen twisted open his blueberry juice and took a sip, then turned to look at the Memorial on Sending Out the Army in the stele corridor. It was one of his favorite texts from Chinese class.

The Memorial on Sending Out the Army was divided into two parts. The former was in the west, and the latter in the east.

It was said that Yue Fei had written the Memorial on Sending Out the Army here when passing through Marquis Wu Shrine, borrowing Zhuge Liang's memorial to express his own grand ambition of resisting the Jin. Beneath the signature was Yue Fei's personal seal.

"Draw close to worthy ministers, keep petty men at a distance..."

He had recited the passage countless times; it was etched into his heart. Yet upon seeing it, he still couldn't help reading it aloud.

"Draw close to worthy ministers, keep petty men at a distance..."

Like an echo, he seemed to hear the same words reverberate beside him.

No, it was a crisper, more pleasant voice, carrying a hint of intelligence that scratched strangely at his heart.

Instinctively, he looked toward the source of the voice. About a step away, a pair of bright, captivating violet eyes happened to be looking at him too.

"Sorry."

"Sorry."

Even he didn't know why he was apologizing, but the words slipped out instinctively. Then they each took a step to the side.

Only then did he get a clear look at her.

A girl with hair as white as snow—no, rather, long silver-white hair—was looking at him curiously as well.

She wore a wide-brimmed straw hat, her silver-white hair tied into a low ponytail that hung behind her. A light gray-blue knee-length dress wrapped around her delicate, curvaceous figure, rippling in the summer breeze.

It was midsummer, and she was a girl after all. Perhaps for both sun protection and privacy, she also wore a creamy-white sun jacket over it.

There really were girls with white hair? And it looked so flowing, smooth, and glossy that it didn't seem dyed at all.

It was the first time in his life he had seen a young person with white hair, and he was somewhat surprised. But he quickly recovered.

Mo Xiangwen calmly nodded at her. The girl returned the gesture with a faint smile.

The sweat-soaked back of his shirt and his inexplicably quickened heartbeat irritated him. Mo Xiangwen, who had always prided himself on having excellent self-control around real-life girls, sighed inwardly and looked away.

He no longer looked at the girl and instead quickly completed his tour of the entire attraction along the designated route.

Real-life girls weren't as easy to talk to as 2D girls. If he abruptly struck up a conversation and got hit with a lawsuit, becoming a defendant would be a real experience.

Don't say he was being extreme. This was the experience and bloody lesson of countless predecessors!

Fine, he admitted it.

Because of her exquisite, beautiful features, Nano Boost inevitably made his heart flutter a little—but probably not much.

Her figure? What figure? He had never judged people by their figure.

Though her figure really was quite good, that didn't stop him from thinking petite girls were cute too.

Ahem—

That's illegal, you know? Don't let your thoughts run wild. He silently warned himself.

He drained the juice in one gulp and forcefully tossed the bottle into the trash can, but it bounced out and fell to the ground because he hadn't been paying attention.

He suddenly remembered that, as the saying went, if you kept thinking about something, it was because you were bottling it up inside.

If he found somewhere to vent, he would feel better, right?

After thinking it over, he took out his phone.

Just one complaint. He hadn't secretly photographed her or anything, so it shouldn't be illegal, right?

Human-Dragon Unity: Holy shit, I just ran into a white-haired girl at Marquis Wu Shrine.

Not far behind him, the girl heard the group chat notification, took her phone from her bag, and froze when she opened it.

Don't Play Holy Slash: Huh? There are really white-haired girls? Did you stay up too late watching anime last night and start hallucinating?

Baibai: Huh? White hair?

Flaked Out: I just want to know if she's pretty.

A Seductress: I just want to know if she's pretty.

Human-Dragon Unity: She really was pretty cute.

Flaked Out: Where's the picture? What's the point of saying that without a picture?

Human-Dragon Unity: Why would I secretly photograph her? That's illegal, okay?

A Seductress: Then did you ask for her Weixin... Forget it. Why am I even saying this to a shut-in?

Human-Dragon Unity: This has nothing to do with whether I'm a shut-in! Who asks for someone's contact information the first time they meet them? Don't you think that's weird?

Human-Dragon Unity: Besides, aren't all of you here shut-ins too? Apologize to the other group members for me!

Flaked Out: Sigh, shut-in.

Don't Play Holy Slash: Sigh, shut-in.

A Seductress: Sigh, shut-in.

Baibai: Sigh, shut-in.

They were obviously all shut-ins, so why did it feel like he was the only shut-in?

Meanwhile, the girl looked at the identical blueberry juice bottle in her hand and on the ground, then at the boy's back.

Smiling, she crouched down, picked it up, and threw it into the bin together with her own empty bottle.

Human-Dragon Unity: I'm so angry, shaking, and cold. Can this group still be saved?