Zhao Menghua, Irrelevant

"Zhao Menghua has gone missing. My mind is such a mess right now. I... you were the only person I could think of. Can you help me?"

"You're the only one who can help me."

Lu Mingfei: "???"

Zhao Menghua had gone missing... Did Young Master Zhao still have a role in this instance?

Confusion, contemplation, bewilderment, surprise, incomprehension... One by one, those emotions crossed Lu Mingfei's face as he frowned and pondered under Chen Wenwen's gaze.

In this instance's timeline, were he and Zhao Menghua actually close?

What the hell did Zhao Menghua going missing have to do with him? They had never even been friends. At most, they were acquainted like Nutritional Express and Original Recipe Finger Lickin' Chicken—the latter hadn't even been mooched off yet; he had only smelled the aroma.

And he had paid for that Nutritional Express by enthusiastically showing up to support the cause. It was earned through honest labor, so his conscience was clear.

Could it be—

Lu Mingfei's wildly imaginative brain began spinning at high speed.

It was a namesake. Perhaps the "him" in this world had been on good terms with Chen Wenwen... In any case, they had jointly adopted a pet dog and, out of friendship between classmates, bestowed Zhao Menghua's name upon this lucky canine gentleman.

As for why they would raise a pet together, that was easy to understand. If a girl you had once genuinely liked wanted to rekindle an old flame with you—assuming there had been an old flame in this instance—who could possibly refuse?

Someone certainly could, but Lu Mingfei did not think that his former, hopelessly tangled-up self would have been among them.

From the instance game's name and Chu Zihang's reactions, Lu Mingfei had long guessed that the growth path of this "protagonist Lu Mingfei" in the instance was likely the path he himself would have taken without ever encountering the dreamscape.

The personality of that "protagonist Lu Mingfei," who should have been a sophomore in Tokyo, was more or less the same as his original self. He had grown somewhat in personal relationships, but not by much.

Given how much he used to overthink and tie himself in knots, a life without the dreamscape had probably gone up, down, down, down, down, down, down... Slow growth did seem understandable... my ass.

Lu Mingfei had the slightest doubt about Chen Wenwen's charm, but he had not the slightest doubt about his former self's lack of willpower.

At that thought, Lu Mingfei's heart skipped twice. Imagining Chen Wenwen weeping pitifully, he thought, This is probably going to go badly.

Damn it, after wandering in circles for years, had he come back still hanging from that crooked-necked tree he had secretly loved back then—a tree that had wasted all his effort and never given him a response?

That would be way too embarrassing for the Lu family.

This possibility did explain why the Chen Wenwen of this instance had come to him for help after losing a pet. After all, they had raised it together. Man was not made of grass or wood—if even a tree could feel this way, how much more so could a man named Lu?

It made perfect sense...

Lu Mingfei, who had once sworn never to return to an old flame, grew more terrified the longer he thought about it. If that was really the case, then things were going to be troublesome.

But on further thought, it was not entirely reasonable either. Naming a pet after a person was a little too much. It was only slightly more reasonable than "After graduating high school, Mr. Lu and Mr. Zhao laughed away their old grudges. Mr. Zhao said he had been young and foolish back then; Mr. Lu said that gaining Menghua was like a fish taking to water. They regretted not meeting sooner and became sworn brothers."

In any case, he could not imagine himself slinging an arm around Zhao Menghua's shoulders and becoming his best friend. He was getting goosebumps just thinking about it.

Still no closer to understanding, Lu Mingfei fell silent for a while before cautiously asking, "Help? What can I help with?"

"Um, let me think. I'm too much of a mess right now. I'm making a fool of myself in front of you, aren't I? Are your eyes uncomfortable? Why are they closed?"

In a confused jumble, Chen Wenwen laid out everything about Zhao Menghua's disappearance and every detail she had learned. Without realizing it, she also said a little more about Zhao Menghua.

"So, he's your ex-boyfriend? And you came to me? I'm not your ex-ex-boyfriend, am I?" Lu Mingfei tried to sort out even a shred of logic. Blurting out, "You should be hospitalized," would have been rather inhumane.

Chen Wenwen sniffled softly twice, then choked up, wrinkling her white dress in her clenched hands.

The atmosphere froze somewhat.

Lu Mingfei unconsciously frowned. "Even if that were the case, you still shouldn't have come to me. And besides, it isn't. I sympathize with you, but I really am not someone who can truly relate to your situation."

"I'm sorry. I... I don't know what to do. You're the only one who can help me now—" Chen Wenwen's eyes reddened even further as she helplessly waved her hands.

"It's not about whether I can help. Chen Wenwen, you should go to the police."

Lu Mingfei let out a breath, feeling somewhat wistful. Thankfully, the worst-case scenario had not happened. As long as he had not gone back to an old flame, it was fine.

That was what he thought. Logically speaking, Zhao Menghua going missing had absolutely nothing to do with him. They were completely unrelated.

Missing... Unless he himself was a kidnapping suspect. The moment he considered it, he rejected the possibility.

He knew himself well enough. Those old petty grudges from middle and high school would never have pushed him that far.

"What year is it now... Forget it, I'll check myself. I hope you find the person you're looking for soon."

"July 23, 2010. I'm in the summer vacation after my freshman year. If my calculations are right, I've been at Cassell University for almost a year. There are still six months until Genji Heavy Industries. The worlds of different instances should be the same, like different events along the same timeline."

With his back to Chen Wenwen, Lu Mingfei opened his eyes. Several new messages had popped up on the computer. They were from a Cassell College classmate and seemed to concern some "College SS-rank dragon-slaying mission." The contact was labeled Fen Dog—a strangely festive name—while his actual QQ name was "Dragon-Slaying Hero."

As he watched the messages arrive one after another, Lu Mingfei had the odd feeling that he was conspiring over some grand affair with an animal friend. Did Finland have some highly intelligent canine friend capable of going online and typing?

Fen Dog: "Wuwuwu, junior brother, if I tip you off like this, won't I end up getting stabbed three times and cut six ways someday?"

Fen Dog: "We've found a way into the dragon's lair. You need a local transit card. On the day itself, enter every subway station on both the Line One and Loop Line once, swiping that card each time. Then you'll see the card turn gold. Swipe that golden subway card, and you can reach the hidden station. Your Senior Brother Chu discovered this."

Fen Dog: "Chu Zihang, Vanguard Chu, is on our team, so there's no need to worry. He's a friend to us canines. But that bastard Caesar has gotten a transit card too. He's rich, powerful, and has plenty of people under him. Plus, his group has the fierce beauty Xia Mi holding down the fort. Your Majesty, you have to watch out for him."

Fen Dog: "I'm not trying to stir up trouble. Trust me, brother. Next I'll send you classified core intel with pictures and text. Though I'm in the Student Union's upper ranks and nominally Caesar's underling, my whole tender heart is pounding only for you, junior brother!"

Lu Mingfei pondered. It seemed that he had done rather well for himself at Cassell University. He even had such a capable agent and lackey working under him.

"You don't have some ulterior motive, do you?" he sent back.

If his intuition was right, this Fen Dog was probably the sort who played both sides, someone who sold every piece of information twice. The shared-lackey vibe was far too strong. Maybe he was the NPC meant to guide him into the official storyline?