The young man with the sword on his back tilted his head slightly and cast the burly man a cursory glance. His gaze lingered for less than a second before he looked away indifferently, apparently having no intention of answering that excited shout.
"Sir, is that Mr. Pei... very famous?" the young woman beside him asked next. She wore a long white chiffon dress beneath a light-colored jacket, and looked fresh-faced and gentle, as approachable as the girl next door.
The burly man paused and took another couple of looks at her face before turning his attention back to Pei Zhan. His voice grew especially excited. "His name is Pei Zhan. He's one of the Candlelight Society's top players, ranked seventy-eighth on the forum leaderboard! He's a true Veteran!"
"The Candlelight Society? The Player Forum?" The girl looked confused, her eyes betraying obvious bewilderment. She pursed her lips and lowered her head a little self-consciously, her voice growing quieter. "Sorry, I've only been through one game. There's still a lot I don't know."
As she spoke, she took two more steps toward Pei Zhan. Her long dress swayed with her movements, its slit inadvertently revealing a stretch of pale thigh. Lu Jinyan instinctively turned his head away, but still caught a glimpse of the white lace garter on her leg out of the corner of his eye.
He immediately averted his gaze and lowered his eyes, not looking that way again. Whatever the case, it was simply her personal preference.
"Mr. Pei, my name is Bai Qi." She raised her head slightly and gave the young man a perfectly measured smile, her clear eyes holding a trace of admiration. "You're a very strong player, aren't you? If we run into trouble later, could we ask you for advice?"
Pei Zhan