My Online Friend Can't Be This Cute

"Mm, no problem." Bai Shishi shook her head and smiled.

After hesitating for a moment, she continued, "I just... well, wasn't paying attention earlier."

"You should rest for a while first. If something feels wrong, we'll go to the campus clinic."

Looking at the hand holding Bai Shishi's, he hesitated slightly before deciding to take her somewhere to rest first.

Bai Shishi looked at him without saying anything, but she didn't seem to intend to struggle either.

Mo Xiangwen took that as consent and led her to a stone bench beneath the shade of a nearby tree.

Although the stone bench could only seat two people, neither he nor Yan Nuoya intended to sit. They simply stood nearby and watched Bai Shishi.

After resting for a while, Bai Shishi's ragged breathing gradually returned to normal, and she seemed to be slowly regaining her energy.

Mo Xiangwen asked worriedly, "Are you sure you're okay? If you're really uncomfortable, we can go rest at the campus clinic."

He truly had no experience getting along with frail girls and didn't know much about Bai Shishi's health.

She didn't seem seriously unwell, but it was better to ask what she wanted just to be safe.

"Mm, sorry, Xiao Yi." Bai Shishi nodded firmly, her little face full of seriousness. "But it's okay. I've been paying attention to my condition."

"This only happened because I don't have experience going out in weather like this. I'll be more careful next time."

"And Sister Yan Nuoya, I'm sorry for making you worry too."

Yan Nuoya gently shook her head, indicating that she didn't need to mind it.

"That's good, then rest a little longer. I'll contact the president and the others to see where they are."

Mo Xiangwen couldn't be bothered to correct the way she addressed him. It was normal that she couldn't change it right away.

Just as he was about to take out his phone, he saw Bai Shishi pat the spot beside her and look at him expectantly.

He shook his head, declining Bai Shishi's invitation, then opened the group chat. There hadn't been any messages today.

That made sense. Bai Shishi and Yan Nuoya were both beside him right now, so none of the three had much time to chat in the group.

As for Su Mengyao and Su Mengli, they were practically inseparable. Whatever they wanted to say, they could just say it face-to-face.

After saying a few things in the group and getting no response, they naturally wouldn't keep talking.

It was a shame, though. He'd originally wanted to see their reactions when he suddenly showed up.

Then, after they relaxed, he could bring Bai Shishi out and tell them that she was Baibai.

That should be pretty amusing. Besides, it probably wouldn't count as a particularly mean prank, right?

Human-Dragon Unity: @Don't Play Holy Slash @A Seductress Where are you guys? Why couldn't I find you?

He waited quite a while before finally receiving a reply.

Don't Play Holy Slash: I'm tutoring Xiaohuo in the library. What's up?

Human-Dragon Unity: Didn't Xiaohuo say she was going to help out at the Anime Club? Why are you at the library?

Inside the library, Su Mengli patted her silly little sister, who was lying on the table pretending to sleep.

After Su Mengyao glared at her with a grief-stricken look, Su Mengli showed her the phone screen.

Su Mengyao's eyes immediately lit up, and she took out her phone.

A Seductress: Because I thought what you said made a lot of sense, I submitted my application to leave the club yesterday.

A Seductress: In weather this hot, I'd rather study with the president in the library. At least there's air conditioning.

The library? The library was a pretty good place. There were plenty of seats and air conditioning.

But people needed to stay quiet in the library. If he took Bai Shishi there now, they wouldn't be able to chat.

Besides, the library was a little far away, and he was somewhat worried about Bai Shishi's health.

The commercial street was much closer, and there were plenty of air-conditioned shops there too.

Unfortunately, aside from First-Grade Tea, he really didn't know any place suitable for a group gathering.

Human-Dragon Unity: @Don't Play Holy Slash Are you free? Would it be convenient to give Xiaohuo the day off?

As soon as Su Mengyao saw the message, she put on a pitiful expression and looked at Su Mengli.

Su Mengli glanced at her pathetic-looking silly sister and could only nod.

Don't Play Saint Slash: Mm.

Having received permission, Su Mengyao hurriedly sent a message to the group.

A Seductress: Yay! Where are we going?

Human-Dragon Unity: I was just about to ask you guys.

Human-Dragon Unity: Is there anywhere suitable for sitting down and chatting?

A Seductress: Hmm... there are quite a few places.

A Seductress: But are we just sitting around and chatting? Do you want to play some board games or something?

Mo Xiangwen asked, "Bai Shishi, do you want to play board games?"

"Didn't we agree you'd call me Shishi?" Bai Shishi didn't answer his question. Instead, she asked, "Why are you still calling me Bai Shishi after all this time, Xiao Yi?"

"Is there a difference between Bai Shishi and Shishi?" he asked curiously. "It's not like anime, where that kind of thing matters. They're the same to us, aren't they?"

"There is. Calling me by only two characters makes us seem closer."

Bai Shishi stood up from the stone bench and walked over to him. "If you don't want to, you can keep calling me Baibai."

"I just haven't gotten used to it yet. We've met in real life now, so it'd be too strange to keep calling you by your online name."

"Then it's settled. Call me Shishi, or Baibai."

Mo Xiangwen nodded. "Alright. I'll try to call you Shishi."

Bai Shishi pursed her lips unhappily. She was still more used to being called Baibai.

"Then do you want to play board games with the president and the others? Or do you just want to meet up and chat for a while?"

"I want to play board games." Bai Shishi nodded decisively. "I want to play board games with Xiao Yi and everyone."

"So stop calling me by my online name already." Mo Xiangwen sighed helplessly.

PS: This makes up for yesterday's chapter. As for today's two chapters, let me sleep for a bit first.

Let's go, it's time for the group chat friends to meet.

Should she find a way to reveal her identity when they got together later?

Yan Nuoya silently sighed to herself.

In truth, she hadn't deliberately meant to hide things from the president and Xiaohuo, nor had she ever intended to conceal her identity from Baibai.

...Of course, that was based on the premise that she'd already known they were girls and had spent some time observing them.

After all, those three weren't like Mo Xiangwen, nor were they like her.

So whether it was meeting the three of them at First-Grade Tea after gaming with Xiangwen that day, or discovering today that the teacher's daughter was Baibai, both had come as considerable surprises to her.

If it had only been the former, it would've been fine. As long as she wanted to explain, she could eventually find a way. And after going home, she'd inferred from his reaction that her identity had been exposed.

But after he'd casually said in front of Baibai that they were "just classmates" and that he "didn't know the president and Xiaohuo at all," she realized she couldn't proactively tell Baibai that she was Pigeon now.

Still, it was perfectly normal for Baibai to tell Mo Xiangwen in advance before coming to H University.

Mo Xiangwen secretly glanced at Yan Nuoya. Although she looked much the same as usual when expressionless, he could still sense her distress from her slightly furrowed brows.

Was this a case of giving someone a taste of their own medicine? He chuckled inwardly.

Still, Yan Nuoya was probably already thinking of how to come clean. She wasn't the type to let things keep getting worse.

...He just hoped she'd realize it a little later. That way, he'd still have room to maneuver.

Bai Shishi watched the two people in front of her silently scroll through their phones, feeling a little strange as well.

She couldn't tell anything from Yan Nuoya, but she felt that Xiao Yi was acting a little oddly.

"Aren't we going to First-Grade Tea yet?" Bai Shishi asked. "The president and the others should be arriving soon, right?"

The result of their discussion in the group was, naturally, First-Grade Tea without any doubt.

If they only wanted to have drinks and chat, there were other options.

But if they wanted to play board games, they needed a relatively large table that could fit all five of them.

Besides, the president and the others hadn't bought any board games yet, so they would need to borrow a set from a First-Grade Tea employee.

"Wait just a little longer." Mo Xiangwen shook his head and smiled. "That way, it'll be easier to give them a surprise later."

"A surprise?" Bai Shishi nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah. Like I told you before—when they have no mental preparation at all, you'll come out and greet them."

So he'd prepared this in advance.

Yan Nuoya's expression darkened slightly before quickly returning to normal.

No, if he'd known from the beginning that Baibai was the counselor's daughter, he never would've refused no matter what.

Yan Nuoya frowned and dismissed the thought.

A little while later, a new message finally popped up in the group.

A Seductress: We're here. Where are you, Xiao Yi? Don't tell me you're standing us up like that stinking Pigeon?

Mo Xiangwen instinctively looked at Yan Nuoya, but she'd already put her phone into her pocket and didn't seem to intend to take it out again.

Human-Dragon Unity: We'll be there soon. Something held us up.

A Seductress: Okay, we'll go upstairs and wait for you first. We ordered your juice for you too.

Mo Xiangwen put away his phone, looked at the two girls, and smiled. "Alright, we can set off now."

"Yay." Bai Shishi came to his side and smiled. "Then let's go."

The small plaza was already very close to the commercial street, and the second floor of First-Grade Tea could even directly overlook the plaza—so he deliberately avoided spots that could be seen from the second floor.

After the three arrived at First-Grade Tea, he first ordered two milk teas for Yan Nuoya and Bai Shishi, then borrowed a set of UNO from an employee—after all, UNO and Werewolf were the most common games here.

"Nuoya." Mo Xiangwen smiled at her. "Could I trouble you to stay with Bai Shishi and wait on the first floor for a moment?"

"Okay."

Yan Nuoya hadn't figured out what she should do yet. Hearing him say that, she agreed without thinking.

"Then, Shishi, stay here with Student Yan Nuoya for a little while." Mo Xiangwen turned to Bai Shishi. "Just a little while. I'll come down and take you upstairs soon."

"Mm, I understand. I'll wait here for Xiao Yi." Bai Shishi nodded obediently.

Then he took the UNO deck upstairs.

As soon as he went upstairs, he scanned the room and spotted Su Mengyao waving at him from a corner.

They had chosen a table suitable for four people, with three different cups of juice placed on it.

He sat across from Su Mengyao and Su Mengli and noticed the playing cards in Su Mengyao's hand.

But Su Mengyao reacted faster than he did, since the UNO deck in his hand was obvious too.

Su Mengyao asked curiously, "Why did you bring a deck of UNO too?"

Mo Xiangwen shrugged. "Isn't it obvious? It's for playing."

"With three people, Fight the Landlord is more suitable." Su Mengyao shook her head. "If there were one more person, we could play UNO."

Su Mengli nodded. "We can play it with you if you want, but it won't be as fun."

"Then we'll just call one more person over." Mo Xiangwen spoke as though it were only natural.

Su Mengli and Su Mengyao exchanged awkward glances. After a brief silence, Su Mengli said, "We don't know many people. Our roommates aren't free to come today either."

"Is that so? Then I'll go call someone over."

Mo Xiangwen nodded. Without giving them time to react, he immediately stood up and walked away.

"Huh?"

Su Mengli opened her mouth, wanting to say something else, but Mo Xiangwen had already gotten up and left, so she could only swallow her words.