Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Although Xie Yin Xue didn't voice his true feelings, Bu Jiu Zhao's mood became complex after hearing his brief words of praise for Pei Qing Rong. Already annoyed by turning into a child in this instance, who would have thought that a few words from Xie Yin Xue would drag his thoughts to an even deeper abyss?

Bu Jiu Zhao frowned deeply, watching the retreating figures of Pei Qing Rong and his few instigated participants heading to the cafeteria. He couldn't fathom what was endearing about that man. Clearly, he was less impressive than Bu Jiu Zhao himself. Just climbing four floors made him pant; how could that be considered impressive?

The sharpness of Xie Yin Xue's perception was unparalleled among mortals. How could he not see through the facade of Pei Qing Rong, a hypocrite?

Bu Jiu Zhao looked at Pei Qing Rong again. Even if the aura emanating from him was what Bu usually favored, he felt no affection at the moment. He turned and tugged at Xie Yin Xue's trouser leg. Once the young man looked at him, he quickly pulled back his hand and stared straight ahead, saying, "He's not like your adopted son."

Hearing this, Xie Yin Xue was genuinely taken aback.

Because Bu Jiu Zhao suddenly mentioned "adopted son", Xie Yin Xue mistakenly thought this man had the ability to read minds, uncovering his inclination to adopt good-looking kids.

However, Bu Jiu Zhao continued, "Liu Bu Hua's aura is repugnant, but his is refreshing and cool."

After saying this, Bu Jiu Zhao closed his mouth, but after a few seconds, he looked at Xie Yin Xue again, staring intently and asked, "You understand what I mean, right?"

Of course, Xie Yin Xue understood.

Bu Jiu Zhao had once said that he found the scent of good people disgusting, while bad people smelled fresh and pleasant. If Pei Qing Rong's aura was refreshing to him, then perhaps Pei Qing Rong was not as genuinely good as he appeared.

Xie Yin Xue sighed softly, "You told me before. How could I forget? Otherwise, why would I be coughing up this blood?"

Hearing the young man acknowledge the true nature of Pei Qing Rong and remember his words, Bu Jiu Zhao felt inexplicably brighter. However, he was soon puzzled by the abrupt change in his mood.

Just as he was lost in thought, he heard Xie Yin Xue muse, "But that doesn't stop me from finding him adorable."

Bu Jiu Zhao: "..."

The previously uplifted mood of Bu Jiu Zhao was instantly engulfed by a mix of rage and indescribable feelings.

As Bu Jiu Zhao was about to scold Xie Yin Xue and ask him to clear his vision from being blinded by beauty, he saw the young man glance over, his almond-shaped eyes, shimmering like autumn waters, scanning him from head to toe. Then, with a smile, he said, "You're pretty cute too."

“……”

Bu Jiu Zhao was left speechless.

Alongside him, the emotional tumult stirred by Xie Yin Xue's every word and gesture began to settle, yet deep within him lingered an indescribable urge, aching to break free.

At that moment, Xie Yin Xue suddenly crouched down, holding up his sleeve next to Bu Jiu Zhao's leg for comparison. "Look, our outfits are of similar colors."

"What's so special about that?"

Bu Jiu Zhao's face remained expressionless, and his tone neutral, yet it was the softest he had spoken since entering this instance.

Xie Yin Xue didn't immediately respond but instead took Bu Jiu Zhao's hand.

Bu Jiu Zhao raised an eyebrow in surprise, said nothing, and made no move to withdraw his hand. The hint of a smile that had started to form on his lips vanished the moment he saw Xie Yin Xue also take Liu Bu Hua's hand, his face darkening once again.

Xie Yin Xue paid no attention to either of them, leading both towards the dormitories behind the academic building.

Along the way, he held no one's hand but merely carried a somber-looking suitcase. He continued to converse with Bu Jiu Zhao in a gentle tone, "You mentioned you didn't like me in white, right? So, I wore this vibrant color specifically, hoping to please you if we met in this instance. Little did I expect, there's no sun here."

He remembered how Bu Jiu Zhao enjoyed basking in the sun.

Bu Jiu Zhao pressed his lips together, suddenly finding the overcast weather in this instance not as irksome. Xie Yin Xue did have some consideration, choosing a bright color to appease him. It was a gesture that repaid the many clues Bu had once given to Xie Yin Xue for clearing other levels.

Standing in front of the dormitory with the two youngsters, Xie Yin Xue paused, contemplating aloud, "What do they call outfits of similar colors in our world?"

Bu Jiu Zhao knew the answer.

Before Xie Yin Xue had entered the "Locking Life" instance, Bu had seen a couple wearing similar-colored clothes in another scenario — a man and a woman, clearly a couple.

It was then that he realized that in the modern world, such outfits were called "couple's matching clothes."

As Xie Yin Xue posed the question, Bu Jiu Zhao was about to reply, "Coupl—"

But he was abruptly interrupted by Liu Bu Hua, who excitedly exclaimed, "Parent-child matching!"

Bu Jiu Zhao: "?"

"Yes, parent-child matching." To Bu Jiu Zhao's astonishment, Xie Yin Xue nodded in agreement. He then cast a sidelong glance at Bu Jiu Zhao and chuckled, "Right, Bu Jiu Zai? Oops, I meant Bu Jiu Zhao."

Bu Jiu Zhao: "???"

What on earth is "Bu Jiu Zai"?

He didn't believe for a second that Xie Yin Xue could mispronounce his name. It must have been intentional!

For his part, Xie Yin Xue merely wanted to share a playful jest with Bu Jiu Zhao. He was being entirely sincere with his words, genuinely finding the miniaturized Bu Jiu Zhao adorable. Regretting that he couldn't adopt him as a 'godson', he settled for teasing him a bit.

However, not wishing to truly anger Bu Jiu Zhao and noticing his mood darkening, Xie Yin Xue quickly changed the topic to appease him, "Come on, let's first find out where our rooms are. Once we do, I have something nice for you."

Saying this, he looked up at the dormitory building in front of them — its design was peculiar, resembling a hollow tube that was broader at the base than at the top. Spread across four floors, each floor had four rooms, somewhat mirroring the academic building.

Identifying their respective rooms was straightforward; nameplates on each door clearly marked the occupant.

After a quick survey of the ground floor, Xie Yin Xue realized that all those who drew the “teacher” role cards were accommodated here.

"Godfather, I'm going to check which floor I'm on."

Liu Bu Hua informed Xie Yin Xue before sprinting to the stairs. He started with the second floor, but his name wasn’t on any of the doorplates. The occupants were Bu Jiu Zhao, Jin Xi, Lei Cheng Lei, and Jiang Mo.

From the banister, Liu Bu Hua called down to Bu Jiu Zhao, "Bu Jiu Zhao, you're on the second floor!"

Bu Jiu Zhao showed no reaction and displayed no inclination to go and inspect his room.

Liu Bu Hua, unbothered, proceeded to the third floor.

Having already climbed two floors, Liu Bu Hua was slightly winded. Fortunately, he found his name on this floor, alongside Sun Ling Xi, Wei Xiao, and Zhang Cai Xia. He was relieved he didn't have to ascend any further.

Reflecting on it, he felt a twinge of sympathy for those on the fourth floor: Liu Yi, Pei Qing Rong, Ji Shan Shan, and Yun Mei Zhen. Besides daily classroom climbs, they also had the additional task of returning to their top-floor dormitory.

After a cursory check of his room, Liu Bu Hua, finding everything in order, called down to Xie Yin Xue, "Godfather, I'm tired. I'll rest in my room. Call me if you need anything."

Xie Yin Xue nodded gently, replying warmly, "Go ahead."

Still, his gaze lingered on the dormitory building. To Xie Yin Xue, the building's design hinted at deeper significance, akin to the seemingly purposeless, empty classrooms in the academic block that were mysteriously tied to inviolable school rules.

Was there a similar unwritten code related to the dormitory?

Xie Yin Xue was unfamiliar with any conventional dormitory rules since... he had never attended school or stayed in a dormitory before.

Consequently, Xie Yin Xue's gaze settled on Bu Jiu Zhao.

"Bu Jiu Zhao," Xie Yin Xue inquired, "Do you know of any specific rules associated with staying in dormitories?"

"I don't."

Bu Jiu Zhao responded swiftly, but his answer wasn't what Xie Yin Xue had hoped for.

Thus, Xie Yin Xue pressed softly, "How could you not know? Didn't you attend school? Or have you never stayed in a dormitory?"

Xie Yin Xue was confident that among all the participants in this instance, even if someone hadn't stayed in a dormitory, they would have attended a school — all except him.

His queries weren't genuinely about the dormitory rules. Instead, he wondered if Bu Jiu Zhao, this ferryman NPC, was like that red-clothed headteacher.

Once a person in the real world.

Perhaps sensing the underlying meaning, Bu Jiu Zhao met his gaze, staring intently at Xie Yin Xue. After a moment, he quirked an eyebrow, not only responding to Xie Yin Xue's inquiries but also reflecting them, "I have attended school, but no teacher dared to manage me, so I'm unaware of such rules. Why do you ask? Don't you know? Haven't you attended school?"

That last question hit the nail on the head.

Xie Yin Xue let out a sigh, confessing, "I did attend, but not within a school's walls. My family's wealth meant that tutors came to my home for private lessons."

Bu Jiu Zhao: "..."

Realizing he wasn't going to gain any advantage on this topic, Bu Jiu Zhao decided to shift focus, opening his palm towards Xie Yin Xue, "What about that 'special thing' you promised?"

"Here it is." Xie Yin Xue opened his suitcase, taking out a cup of pearl milk tea, its ice cubes still intact, and handed it to Bu Jiu Zhao.

Holding the drink, Bu Jiu Zhao glanced at the neatly stacked cups of pearl milk tea inside the suitcase, then looked back at Xie Yin Xue, stating deadpan, "Is this the 'life-saving medicine' Liu Bu Hua mentioned?"

Without even looking up, Xie Yin Xue sipped his drink through a straw, nonchalantly replying, "Yes, a cure-all."

Bu Jiu Zhao: "..."

Though unfamiliar with the beverage, its sweet scent was unmistakable to him. Considering it also contained ice cubes, it was likely some sweetened drink. Liu Bu Hua had claimed that Xie Yin Xue relied on this 'medicine' to sustain his health and move about. Truly a unique health regimen!

After taking several sips, noticing Bu Jiu Zhao hadn't touched his drink, Xie Yin Xue coaxed, "Give it a try. It's sweet."

His tone was akin to that used with children.

Bu Jiu Zhao frowned, "I'm not a child. I don't have a sweet tooth."

Xie Yin Xue merely looked at him with a smile, saying nothing.

Because the present Bu Jiu Zhao was incredibly young.

Any emotion exhibited would have been dominating on his older visage, embodying the authority and caprice of his spoken tone. Unfortunately, with his current youthful appearance, no matter how stern or composed Bu Jiu Zhao attempted to be, he resembled nothing more than a cub trying to act mature.

Bu Jiuzhao felt a bit uneasy under his intense gaze. She shifted her eyes away and punctured the seal of her milk tea with a straw, then casually inquired, with eyes lowered as if making idle chat, "What drink is this? Why did you bring so many?"

Could it be... specifically for him? Bu Jiuzhao wondered internally.

But Xie Yinxue was oblivious to what was going on in Bu Jiuzhao's mind at that moment. He just stared, a bit dazed, at the young person with deep eyes in front of him. A hint of surprise flickered in his eyes—Bu Jiuzhao didn't know about bubble tea?

"It's bubble tea," Xie Yinxue responded, suppressing his bewilderment. "I love it, so I brought some."

"Oh."

Bu Jiuzhao responded indifferently, took a sip from her straw, and then made a face of distaste, "What flavor is this? It's not as tasty as what I make."

"It's the taste of non-dairy creamer," Xie Yinxue teased with a smile and a raised eyebrow, "Your dishes are delicious, but ever since the Feast of Gluttony and the Helios Dream raid, I haven't tasted your cooking. Didn't you promise to cook for me at my house?"

After saying this, Xie Yinxue let out a long sigh, "I remember what you promised, but you might not remember our shared memories."

"I, of course..."

Before Bu Jiuzhao could finish, she saw Xie Yinxue suddenly get up, store his half-finished bubble tea and luggage inside the room. Seconds later, Pei Qingrong and his group, who had just returned from dining at the cafeteria, arrived.

They too paused at the sight of Bu Jiuzhao's bubble tea.

Lei Chenglei asked, "Bu Jiuzhao, where did you get that bubble tea?"

Bu Jiuzhao looked at Xie Yinxue.

But the young man didn't meet her gaze, leaning against the wall, pressing his lips together, and coughing uncomfortably, appearing quite distressed.

Noticing this, Bu Jiuzhao furrowed her brows, contemplating whether to cover for him with a white lie or ignore Lei Chenglei's question. However, Xie Yinxue admitted, "I gave it to her."

"Do, do you have more? Could you share some with me?" Ji Shanshan asked him in a soft voice, "There's nothing to eat in the cafeteria, and I'm so hungry right now."

In fact, not only was Ji Shanshan hungry, everyone was—those who weren't feeling it before now felt it acutely.

Their hunger grew at an abnormal rate.

Especially the injured ones, like Liu Yi, who was the first to voice his hunger.

The old participants usually brought some dry food into the game. Both Pei Qingrong and Wei Xiao did bring some, but their luggage had gone missing. As Chen Yun, who still had his luggage, had earlier entered the dormitory and saw no one except for Xie Yinxue, Ji Shanshan had no choice but to seek help from him.

However, Xie Yinxue didn't immediately respond to Ji Shanshan.

Ji Shanshan quickly added, "I'll vote in your favor tomorrow."

Hearing this, Xie Yinxue chuckled softly, saying warmly, "It's alright. I have plenty. I'll share them with all of you."

After speaking, Xie Yinxue turned and went inside, fetching more than a dozen cups of bubble tea to distribute amongst the group.

Everyone expressed their gratitude upon receiving their drinks, promising to vote for him the next day. Only Bu Jiuzhao, holding her milk tea with a sullen expression, felt a contrary impulse and didn't want to vote in Xie Yinxue's favor.

However, once everyone had taken their bubble teas and headed to their respective rooms, Bu Jiuzhao remained by Xie Yinxue's side. She "concernedly" inquired, "You coughed again earlier. Are you feeling okay? You didn't get much done in the last instance."

Hm? Such caring words seemed uncharacteristic of Bu Jiuzhao.

As Xie Yinxue glanced down at her, Bu Jiuzhao sarcastically remarked, "Oh, you must be feeling great, having played escape room games with Liu Buhua."

Why did her mood change so abruptly?

Unable to comprehend Bu Jiuzhao's fickleness, Xie Yinxue said resignedly, "Look, I even wore the color you like to see you. Why are you always so sarcastic with me?"

"Who said I liked this color?"

With a cold chuckle, Bu Jiuzhao turned to head upstairs.

"Wait."

Although Xie Yinxue called out to Bu Jiuzhao, he hadn't expected her to actually stop and turn around, irritatedly asking, "What is it?"

"I'm worried Buhua might be hungry, and I'm unsure if teachers can casually go upstairs to find students." Xie Yinxue handed another cup of bubble tea to Bu Jiuzhao, smiling charmingly, "So, could you please deliver this to Buhua for me?"

Without a word in response, Bu Jiuzhao's expression seemed even more sour.

Just from his look, Xie Yinxue felt like Bu Jiuzhao might throw the bubble tea in his face any second.

Yet, he was proven wrong again—Bu Jiuzhao took the drink and, with a dark expression, headed upstairs. She first went to the third floor to hand the bubble tea to Liu Buhua, then returned to her own room on the second floor, slamming the door behind her.

The loud bang made Xie Yinxue's ears ring slightly.

Massaging his temples, he mused to himself in bemusement, "She's so obedient?"

Xie Yinxue wasn't oblivious to Bu Jiuzhao's special treatment of him. That's why he had been testing the waters, trying to find out just how far he could push Bu Jiuzhao. He was curious as to why this man had been giving him leeway and dropping hints since the first instance, and why he indulged him to such an extent.

Yet, in Xie Yinxue's view, Bu Jiuzhao seemed to have no boundaries, allowing him to act recklessly.

"Bu Jiuzhao..."

Xie Yinxue murmured the name, and after reflecting on certain events, a realization struck him, "Could it be... you truly have feelings for me?"

As of now, aside from this reason, Xie Yinxue couldn't think of any other explanation for Bu Jiuzhao's excessive indulgence.

He once called Bu Jiuzhao his 'lapdog' and even teased in Fengnian Village that Jiuzhao must've had feelings for him since he insisted on sharing a bed. Even though Xie Yinxue had made those remarks, he never took them seriously. Only today did he consider that this might indeed be the truth.

No matter, he shouldn't jump to conclusions. He'll continue to observe.

Setting aside this puzzle for now, Xie Yinxue returned to his room and continued sipping his bubble tea.

His suitcase was actually a solar-powered portable mini fridge with excellent preservation capabilities, ensuring the ice in his bubble tea hadn't melted. Solar-powered devices are convenient; their only drawback is their cost. Unfortunately, it was overcast in this instance, and if the sun doesn't shine tomorrow, he won't be able to use the fridge.

Recalling this made him think of Ji Shanshan's words: the cafeteria had no food.

Author's note:

NPC (holding bubble tea): Is this just for me, or do the other brats have it too?

Mr. Xie: Only you are a brat.

npc：？