Chapter 3

But Ming Yu was faster and immediately sent her an invite: caught you! You weren't talking in the group chat, so I thought you were asleep.

Lin Yu's character was pulled into the party, with CLL as the leader. She typed back: I was going to get a skin and then go to bed.

Ming Yu laughed: Mengsha's skins are gorgeous, aren't they?

Lin Yu: yes.

Ming Yu: @CLL, then take us to get a few sets tonight.

CLL: let's go.

Lin Yu guided her character behind Chen Lüli. Ming Yu walked beside him, their skins blue and red, and her chat bubbles popped up above her character's head from time to time.

Beauty Ming Yu: the map for getting the skins isn't scary this time, is it? I've got Jack the Ripper playing at home right now.

Chen Lüli replied casually: it's not scary.

Beauty Ming Yu: you say that every time.

Chen Lüli: then what should we do? Not get them?

Beauty Ming Yu: get them!

Ming Yu chatted with him while Lin Yu walked behind them in silence. There weren't many people on the map at this hour, but the dim surroundings made her feel as though she had returned to high school. Lin Yu stood in the shadows beneath a streetlamp, holding her books and watching the two ahead. Ming Yu tilted her head up to talk to him, and the dim streetlight cast a hint of gentleness over his features.

The new map was dotted with starlight, but skulls hung in midair. Ming Yu cried out, "And you said it wasn't scary! There are so many skulls."

Chen Lüli clicked his tongue softly and took Ming Yu off to open chests and collect gold coins.

Lin Yu parted ways with them at a fork in the middle. On the other side, the screen was full of skulls. She was still a little scared, but she didn't show it, keeping her head down as she hammered away at chests.

Ming Yu wasn't playing seriously either, only tapping open a few chests at random, so Chen Lüli had to give her some of his gold coins. Before long, Lin Yu saw that Ming Yu's coin count in the party was level with hers. She lowered her gaze and searched for more chests, but the farther she went, the harder they were to find and open. A single chest had more than ten layers of seals.

She worked up a sweat hammering at them.

Ming Yu already had enough coins. After exchanging them for a skin, she left the skin chest unopened, her character spinning in place with it held aloft.

Chen Lüli had enough coins too. Only Lin Yu was left.

Ming Yu leaned over and asked: Yuyu, how many more do you need?

Lin Yu looked at the lousy chest. She had been hammering at it for ages, and it still had five layers left. She replied: just a few more.

Just then,

the system

displayed: CLL has gifted you 1,005 gold coins. You have enough gold coins. You may go to the top of the tower to exchange them for an ice and snow skin set.

Lin Yu froze for a moment.

Chen Lüli: go exchange them.

Lin Yu: okay.

Chen, why are you being so sneaky? Haha.

There are 100 red envelopes for this chapter. See you tomorrow.

Chapter 3

She tapped jump, flew to the top of the tower, exchanged her coins for a skin set, and came back down. Ming Yu and Chen Lüli were already heading out. Ming Yu had received a fire phoenix skin, a brilliant fiery red. She put it on at once and walked ahead, looking regal and magnificent. Chen Lüli had received the Dark Emperor skin, but he hadn't changed into it yet and was still wearing his blue Heavenly Demon outfit.

The skins on this map were designed and awarded according to each player's attributes.

As soon as they got out, Ming Yu asked: Yuyu, you haven't changed yet?

Lin Yu said: I'll change right now.

She opened the chest and put on an ice and snow outfit, a scepter in her hand. She looked as cold as frost, yet beautiful enough to topple kingdoms. Ming Yu blinked: nice, it looks good.

Lin Yu looked at Ming Yu and smiled: yours looks even better.

Ming Yu laughed: of course.

She turned to Chen Lüli and said: you change too.

Chen Lüli was looking at the quests. He said casually: in a bit.

Lin Yu was looking at the quests too. Seeing that there were more skins to get, she told Ming Yu and left the party to complete her own quests. Since she really didn't know how to play, it took her a long time to read the instructions. By the time she looked up, Ming Yu had logged off. CLL was still there, also doing a quest.

Lin Yu glanced at the time. It was almost two. She didn't know whether he was still working overtime at the office or had already gone home. In any case, the cat had been fed, so he could stay at the office a little longer.

The gold coins from this quest's map had to be combined with fire coins from another competitive map to create a skin. She opened that map and teleported over. At the entrance, she spotted Chen Lüli's character, still in the Heavenly Demon outfit, standing there with a huge hammer in his hand.

Several young girls were gathered around him.

They seemed to want to team up with him.

Lin Yu looked up at the rules. Players had to form teams of three.

Just then, her friend chat window flashed. She opened it.

CLL: still awake?

Lin Yu: mm, are you still working overtime at the office?

CLL: some data on this map is being adjusted.

Lin Yu: oh~

Lin Yu: did Ming Yu log off?

CLL: mm.

CLL: team up with me.

As soon as he said that, he sent her an invitation. Lin Yu needed to clear this stage too, so she accepted. Once inside, she found another person in the party, a guy.

Lin Yu sent Chen Lüli a private message: who's that?

CLL: a random player.

Lin Yu: oh.

The party entered the map and was immediately assigned to an arena. A spear appeared in Lin Yu's hand, and her clothes turned red.

Chen Lüli was dressed in black and gold, holding a fan covered in demonic runes.

The random player in the party was dressed all in white and held a whip. The character assignments for battles on this map were random too, and it was impossible to tell what the three opponents were.

But after twenty seconds, the game officially began.

Lin Yu frantically read the instructions, trying to figure out how to use the spear and its skills. The twenty seconds passed quickly, and all she could do was guide her character forward, spear in hand.

The three opponents were all dressed in red and looked fierce and menacing. They charged straight at Lin Yu, the only girl. Chen Lüli raised his fan and came to her rescue, but he was a step too late. Lin Yu hadn't even used a skill or activated her defense before she was knocked down. The random player held out for a few seconds before falling too.

Chen Lüli fought all three alone.

The opponents cursed him for cheating. Chen Lüli clicked his tongue softly and ignored them, but he might have wanted to look at the data, so he didn't use many moves after that and lost too.

When the system sent them to the next arena,

the random player started berating Lin Yu.

XX: what the hell are you doing? Don't you even know how to use a skill? Activate your defense! What are you doing?

Lin Yu's face turned bright red. She really was terrible, and she hadn't figured the game out either. She typed: sorry

Chen Lüli replied to xx: you think you played well? If you're so good, how did you get taken out in a second?

xx: you fucking...

The two characters for "fucking" were censored and replaced by two boxes. But everyone could tell he was swearing. They arrived at the new arena just then, and after the twenty-second countdown, the opponents charged before Lin Yu had time to type. This time, the opponents were dressed in brown, silver, and white, each carrying a different weapon.

Chen Lüli sent Lin Yu two words: come here.

Lin Yu froze, then instinctively moved behind him. He opened his fan, and not even ten thousand men could stand in his way. This time he didn't read the data, instead using his ultimate move straight away and taking on all three.

The random player: ...

They then entered the third arena. The random player died, and Lin Yu didn't get a skill off. Chen Lüli still took on all three alone, and when it was over, he kicked the random player out of the party.

Lin Yu got the fire coins she needed.

Chen Lüli: got the coins?

Lin Yu: mm.

Lin Yu: you didn't read the data in the later rounds. Don't you need to read it again?

Chen Lüli: I'll read it tomorrow.

Lin Yu: okay.

Lin Yu: then I'm logging off. Good night.

Chen Lüli: good night.

After exiting the game, Lin Yu leaned back in her chair. Thinking of how he had protected her in the game just now reminded her of high school, when a few people from another school had whistled at Ming Yu. He had been walking on the outside, pressing at his phone. He had lifted his eyelids slightly, and with those long, narrow eyes of his and not a word from him, he had looked very cold.

One look from him had scared them off.

Lin Yu rubbed her face to stop her thoughts from running wild. She got off the couch and headed to the bathroom to wash up before bed.

They had been friends for many years.

He had occasionally protected her and stood up for her too, but those moments had all been as fleeting as an epiphyllum bloom. The only person he would truly always protect was Ming Yu.

When she woke up the next day, there was a message on her phone from Li Yin.

Li Yin: the project ends today. Date tonight?

Lin Yu smiled: sure! Congratulations, busy man.

Li Yin was probably still asleep and didn't reply immediately. The sky was just beginning to lighten. Lin Yu yawned, tied up her hair, and got out of bed. The heat was on, so she couldn't feel the cold outside, but a layer of condensation covered the window. She made her way to the bathroom to wash up.

She had just gone downstairs when the store manager called and asked her to buy a few bottles of salad dressing. The order hadn't arrived yet. Lin Yu had no choice but to drive. Her residential complex was only about three kilometers from the store, and she generally didn't drive unless she had a reason to.

After buying the salad dressing, she happened to spot some soup dumplings and bought a few to take to the store.

The moment she pushed open the door, she saw that the store was already busy. Both the bread and coffee sections were full of people. Lin Yu put down the dumplings and went over to help.

The store manager was on the early shift these days. She tore off an order slip, quickly packed the order, and called to Lin Yu, "Yuyu, you drove here, right?"

Lin Yu hadn't even taken off her scarf. She replied, "Yes."

"Please deliver President Chen's order. It looks like his company has expanded and added another office location."

Lin Yu took the order slip.

She knew Chen Lüli's company had recently expanded; she had seen it on Moments. It had expanded to the other side of Genesis Tower, specifically to work on robots.

Chen Lüli had placed the order.

For him, it was a little early, especially since he had worked overtime running game data the night before.

Lin Yu went outside. It was truly cold, and weak sunlight slanted down through the branches.

She arrived at Genesis Tower and went upstairs. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator and saw the name Yousitu, Lin Yu realized that Li Yin's company was in the same building, on the same floor.

She walked toward Star Rise. People were milling about inside, every one of them looking listless. Some were even clutching cups of coffee and gulping it down. One look was enough to tell they had worked through the night.