Chapter 76: Reality

Chapter 76: Reality

◎ "Youqing, several people are looking for you." ◎

Bo Huai's right eye exhibited a disease-like whiteness, and the skin adjacent to his right eye had a scar about five centimeters long. However, he seemed unaware of his odd appearance. After Shi Youqing woke up, his face, already twisted with tension, became even more grotesque, so— for a long time, Bo Huai held him tightly.

To any ordinary person, this half of the face would undoubtedly appear to have suffered a horrific attack or cruel treatment.

Shi Youqing tried several times to get up, but the other's embrace was as tight as ropes binding a person. After several attempts, he gave up and lay back, looking up at him.

The morning light outside the window grew brighter, and time seemed to fast-forward like scenes in a film.

Meanwhile, a blue floating frame appeared again, showing one team request after another.

Having just left the last instance, it seemed impossible to enter a new one so soon. Yet Shi Youqing didn’t say anything and simply accepted the requests.

The man finally seemed to find some peace, but his arms remained tightly wrapped around him.

Since the gunshot that pulled Bo Huai out of the instance, he was almost driven to madness, every second before Shi Youqing woke up spent in agony.

The pillow was covered in silver-white hair.

Shi Youqing’s tears were quickly wiped away by the man, as his emotions were not intense; more accurately, he didn’t know how to express them. So, after a long silence, regaining his composure, he turned his head and touched Bo Huai's eye, “Your body... it's in the game, isn’t it?”

Bo Huai didn’t respond, but his eyes revealed his tension.

Shi Youqing understood.

He recalled memories from his childhood when he became an evil deity and knew well about the physical control in the evil deity state.

Removing one of the original eyes meant he could exist in another form but only in the world where the original body was located — implying Bo Huai's real body was not in the real world but in the game's dark world.

As for his current appearance...

Shi Youqing remembered the scales in the last instance’s nest, "So you used your scales…"

The eye could move freely in its alien form, while the scales could mimic humans but lost the monster's abilities once they took on a human form, which explained why the imposter could be held by the players.

Bo Huai’s body stiffened slightly, hurriedly looking away.

“……”

Shi Youqing now truly understood how he had come out.

After finding him in the ancient town, he used his scales to create a body and followed him into reality.

The previous instance involved using his original eye in an alien form to follow him.

Bo Huai's current state was akin to a person affected by the damage to one of their organs; his entire being was impacted.

As Shi Youqing pondered, he received a call from Feng Bin.

Bo Huai answered it for him.

Through their conversation, Shi Youqing realized he had slept for two days straight. During this time, Feng Bin had visited, aware of his solo venture into the instance.

Once the call ended, Shi Youqing got up, and Bo Huai immediately moved in to help him dress. Shi Youqing feigned seriousness and turned his head, "I’ve uncovered your secret."

“……”

"From now on," Shi Youqing said, "you're not allowed to hide anything from me."

After a moment of silence, Bo Huai gazed at him intently, "Then, will you permanently team up with me?"

Shi Youqing paused, having forgotten this form of coercion, maintaining composure, he replied, "Yes."

"Good."

"Why did you turn into that?" Shi Youqing's memories were incomplete.

"I don’t know," Bo Huai answered unflinchingly. "Like you, only my game's original body knows."

“……”

Getting out of bed, Shi Youqing was immediately followed by Bo Huai, who went to open the curtains.

The dim bedroom was filled with sunlight. Standing at the wardrobe arranging his collar, Shi Youqing occasionally gazed at his reflection in the mirror, lost in thought.

Soon, Bo Huai, who had made the bed, approached. Seemingly unfazed by Shi Youqing's hair, he straightened a few disheveled strands and looked directly into the mirror.

Shi Youqing's physique was well-proportioned, with a slender waist and long legs. His bright eyes under long lashes almost ignited his entire face. Now, his silver-white hair perfectly complemented his skin, making the significant change in hairstyle seem as if it was always meant to be.

Before Feng Bin's arrival, Bo Huai had worn a black contact lens in his right eye, making him appear almost normal, save for the scar.

……

Feng Bin was initially very angry, but upon opening the door and seeing Shi Youqing, he was left speechless.

Sitting upright, Shi Youqing seriously fibbed, "The key point of the last instance required a player to become an evil spirit, but the impact was a bit too strong… so I ended up like this."

Feng Bin: "..."

Some instances indeed have real-world physical impacts, like players feeling ill for days after severe in-game injuries. However, it was the first time he saw a player physically transform after leaving the game...

Taking a deep breath, he turned to Bo Huai, "And what about you?"

Bo Huai was carefully snipping Shi Youqing's bangs with scissors and without thinking, answered, "Got burned while cooking."

Feng Bin: "..."

Feng Bin wasn't a fool. He had noticed many oddities about Shi Youqing but didn't care to delve deeper. Holding back his anger, he said, "Aren’t we friends?"

Shi Youqing looked at him, puzzled.

Feng Bin continued, "If you really wanted to go into an instance alone, just tell me. I have no objections. I could even help you find hints and prepare in advance. But doing this, did you ever think you could scare someone to death?"

Shi Youqing replied, "…Don’t worry, I went in after finding a hint."

Feng Bin almost choked, "That’s not my point! You…"

Seeing Feng Bin about to explode, Shi Youqing hastily requested to team up.

"Shi Youqing!" Feng Bin, unable to take it anymore, stood up.

Shi Youqing looked up at him.

Their eyes met, but within a mere two seconds, the anger in Feng Bin deflated like a burst balloon. He sat down, grabbing his hair in frustration.

Shi Youqing looked on, bewildered.

Feng Bin, exhausted, said, "Do you remember what Hao Tianshuo told you? He doesn’t want to team up with teammates because he can’t bear the thought of them dying in front of him..."

Shi Youqing slowly nodded.

"But I don’t think that way," Feng Bin said, looking at him. "If I'm really going to die, I'd rather have someone to see me off! Or to see them one last time… Do you understand, Shi Youqing?"

Shi Youqing pursed his lips and remained silent.

Feng Bin clenched his fists and looked away: "If I were to die because of an increase in difficulty in an instance, then sooner or later, I'd die in one anyway. If you really consider me a friend, you should trust me and not deceive me…"

Shi Youqing blinked, staring at his dark circles, then after a long pause, commented, "Your eyes look like a panda's."

Feng Bin: "..."

Inhale, inhale, and inhale again!

Shi Youqing looked at him with concern.

Feng Bin: "..."

Pacing back and forth, Feng Bin found himself unable to stay angry. Turning his face back, his stern expression twitched uncontrollably, and he finally couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Shi Youqing watched him with eyes as round as a fighting rooster’s.

His eyes were naturally large, and when made rounder, they had a particularly comical, rolly-polly appearance.

Bo Huai stopped his actions, his lips slightly curling.

After Feng Bin laughed, Shi Youqing’s eyes returned to normal. He frowned at the continuous laughter, "Your panda eyes are funnier."

"…You’re right," Feng Bin finally gave up on the heavy topic.

Talking about these things with Shi Youqing was like casting pearls before swine.

Bo Huai finished trimming the bangs and leaned in to blow on Shi Youqing’s forehead.

Shi Youqing was startled, touched his bangs, and suddenly said, looking at Bo Huai, "I want to eat hotpot."

Hearing this, Feng Bin stood up and said generously, "Let’s go, I'll treat today."

Before leaving, as they changed shoes at the entryway, Shi Youqing murmured softly, "I won’t do it again."

Feng Bin paused, realizing a pair of sharp eyes were watching him, almost like an overprotective parent. Somewhat amused, he stood up and said, "I’m not blaming you. How come your smarts disappear at times like this?"

Shi Youqing gave him a puzzled look.

Feng Bin mumbled something about also being afraid for him, then quickly stepped out the door first.

At the entryway, Shi Youqing turned around, only to see Bo Huai with a vigilant expression like a rooster in a cockfight.

"What's wrong?"

Bo Huai stared straight at him, "You know, we don’t actually have to tell him about the next instance."

Shi Youqing: "..."

Stepping out of the house, the trio waited for the elevator.

Coincidentally, their neighbor, an old lady, and her granddaughter were coming out of the elevator.

The old lady, upon seeing him and particularly his long hair, looked shocked, "You..."

"I know, it's cosplay!!!" the little girl exclaimed loudly. "Wow, the cosplay outfit must be in the bag!"

Shi Youqing feigned composure, "…Right."

The old lady then relaxed, "I was wondering... such a sudden change, but young people having some unique tastes is nice. It looks good... Youqing, are these two your friends?"

"Yes," Shi Youqing replied with a slight smile.

The old lady also smiled and left with her granddaughter, who kept looking back and muttering, "I bet he's cosplaying Sesshomaru, hehehe..."

Shi Youqing: "..."

Bo Huai drove to a nearby hotpot restaurant.

As Shi Youqing pondered his hair issue, Feng Bin, browsing his phone in the backseat, gradually changed expressions. He spoke up only after parking, "Youqing, several people are looking for you." Handing over his phone.

Shi Youqing took the phone, eyeing the chat group name – Chess Friends Galore.

At first glance, it seemed like some casual chess group.

Feng Bin said solemnly, "This is a player group I found before you woke up. It's filled with veteran players, with a few wealthy newcomers who joined to find team members... Now, several veterans in this group are looking for you."

On the screen, Shi Youqing saw two messages about himself.

[Offering a substantial reward for Shi Youqing's contact information. I own 30% of XXX Corporation and several properties. All can be transferred to him if he agrees to team up with me permanently!]

[Does anyone know Shi Youqing? Asking on someone's behalf. Any condition can be negotiated just to meet him.]

Shi Youqing: "..."

Feng Bin asked, "Were there many players who survived the last instance?"

Shi Youqing replied, "A dozen or so."

Feng Bin pondered and said, "Some of them might be inside, or perhaps they spread the word about you... You remember Zong Zhouyuan, right? He completed an instance at record speed, and as word spread, countless people wanted to team up with him."

Shi Youqing, however, was only focused on the red envelopes sent by the wealthy members in the group: "I want to join this group too."

Feng Bin: "..."

Thus, during the hotpot meal, Shi Youqing was pulled into the players' group by Feng Bin.

The rich members in the group were still giving away money for good luck, but hardly any player was willing to accept. The limit per red envelope was two hundred, and no one cared about such a small amount of money. Moreover, players tied to the game started to believe in things like fortune. Who would want to give away their luck for such a small amount? Though it sounded superstitious, the idea of sharing one's luck with others, especially when each player faced danger and death, and the very existence of the game was unscientific, made everyone cautious. They would rather believe in it than not. Therefore, not only did they not accept the red envelopes meant for spreading good fortune, but many members even had various koi and good luck emoticons as their profile pictures.

As soon as Shi Youqing joined the group, he claimed all the red envelopes.

Soon, people in the group began to complain.

[This newcomer… isn’t he here to find teammates? Don’t you know what it means when people send red envelopes? I advise you to be smart, don’t foolishly let someone steal your luck.]

[Isn’t every newcomer in this group wealthy? Is he just clueless?]

Shi Youqing replied: [So much money.jpg] ​​​​

After sending those, he casually showed Bo Huai the amount of money he had collected from the red envelopes and said earnestly, "I'll treat everyone to this hotpot meal."

Bo Huai: "…"

Feng Bin: "…"

The group chat was in chaos at this moment.

【……】

[Where did this naive fool come from?]

[Could it be an ordinary person who wandered in by mistake? Kick them out quickly!]

[But I think an experienced player added them…]

[It’s a player, don’t you remember? Ordinary people can’t be added to this group…]

After the hotpot, Shi Youqing wanted to keep picking up money, but upon opening his phone, he discovered the group chat had exploded — all because of one message.

[Shi Youqing?]

[? Author’s Note]

Thanks to the users who donated 'mines': Lin Beibei, Yinguangxing 1 each;

Thanks to the users who irrigated with 'nutrient solutions': Chen Zhi 15 bottles; Yun Qi 10 bottles; Zhang San Li Si 2 bottles; Nanren Bu Zi Ai Jiu Xiang Lan Bai Cai 1 bottle;

"I am immensely grateful for everyone's support and will continue to work hard!"