"Classmate Qin..."
When they met at the university gate, Qiao Ziruo was somewhat at a loss.
Qin Manjiang looked at her and offered her one of the steamed buns in his hand. "Want one?"
Qiao Ziruo shook her head and looked at him nervously. "Classmate Qin, did you ask to see me because of that game?"
Qin Manjiang ate the bun in one bite, then turned around. "Come with me."
Qiao Ziruo was visibly nervous. Presumably, she had already guessed something.
Qin Manjiang also intended to explain things to her first. This was only a beginner level. With some mental preparation, courage, and attention to detail, it probably would not be too difficult.
Finding a bench beside a nearby sidewalk, Qin Manjiang and Qiao Ziruo sat down.
"I know everything I'm about to say will sound hard to believe, but I can guarantee it's all true."
Qin Manjiang looked at her and said seriously, "There are ghosts in this world."
"We don't currently know where the ghosts come from, or what's special about the people who get chosen. In short... we're the same. We're both people chosen by ghost stories."
Qiao Ziruo's eyes slowly widened. "Ghost... stories?"
"This is a game, but it's closely connected to the real world. Once a game starts, that entire area is sealed off. It won't reopen until the player dies or clears the level."
"You..." Qin Manjiang had meant to say that being chosen was not her fault, that she had simply been unlucky. But then he suddenly remembered that Qiao Ziruo had been dragged into this entirely because of him.
Instead, he said, "You don't need to worry. I'll help you."
Qiao Ziruo listened in a daze, seemingly unable to digest so much information all at once.
By then, Qin Manjiang had already