Chapter 110: Love Game (11)

Chapter 110: Love Game (11)

◎ [Two in One] Passed another one! ◎

Soon, the elevator arrived.

One elevator was filled with neatly packed boxes, while the other contained a few loose boxes and several people.

Huo Xu was among them.

"Isn't one freight elevator enough?" Yanchuan, already in a bad mood, seized the opportunity to vent, "Hurry up and clear out!"

Huo Xu's attention had been entirely on Shi Youqing since he saw him. Coming out, he ignored Yanchuan, leaving it to the moving men who apologized, "We thought it wouldn't be busy at this hour and that it would just take a few minutes... We're really sorry, sorry, we'll move them right away!"

Shi Youqing, observing the boxes, asked Huo Xu, "Are you moving?"

Huo Xu shook his head, "Just some old collectibles. I don’t have enough space here, so I'm moving them to my villa in the suburbs."

The boxes varied in size, and the movers cautioned each other, "Be careful with that one, it’s porcelain, make sure not to bump it."

Shi Youqing quickly changed the topic, asking, "Which moving company is this? They seem really responsible."

Huo Xu remained silent, but the man in charge of directing the moving process hurried over with a business card, introducing his company. Then, wiping his sweat, he spoke rapidly, "We handle everything from packing to moving. If you need our services, feel free to contact us anytime."

Shi Youqing pointed to the boxes, "Did you guys do all the sorting and packing? Wow, I’m getting dizzy just looking at all this…"

The mover smiled heartily, "Yes, Mr. Huo is busy with his work and can't afford to waste time on this. Besides, I can do it much quicker. We pack everything on the spot and leave... But don’t worry, we have an inventory list. Everything is checked and labeled before packing, so not even a piece of paper gets lost!"

Shi Youqing made an acknowledging sound.

It would be quite difficult to hide a body in this situation.

Huo Xu glanced at his watch and left first.

The movers quickly followed.

Once in the elevator, Shi Youqing noticed Yanchuan joining them, puzzled, "Why take the elevator if you were eager to exert some energy?"

Yanchuan responded, "...Is this going to be remembered until next year?"

Shi Youqing shook his head, "By next year, I might not even remember who you are."

Yanchuan: "..."

Reaching the third floor, the elevator doors slowly opened.

"Shi Youqing?" A familiar laugh greeted him.

"Bai Mingliang?" Shi Youqing stepped out quickly, "Heading out?"

"Yeah, going back to school for a bit," Bai Mingliang said, glancing at Yanchuan behind Shi Youqing, his expression subtly changing, showing a mix of wariness and dislike.

Shi Youqing observed all this and nodded, watching Bai Mingliang enter the elevator.

As the elevator doors closed, he then turned to leave.

Yanchuan followed behind, scoffing, "You seem quite friendly with Bai Mingliang."

Shi Youqing replied, "I’m pretty nice to everyone."

Yanchuan: "..."

As they reached the door, Yanchuan spoke up, "You know who lived in this apartment before, right?"

"You’ve already mentioned the haunting," Shi Youqing replied, opening the door but not entering. He turned to scrutinize Yanchuan, "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

“……”

Silence ensued.

Yanchuan met his gaze, the sarcasm on his face gradually fading. He stared at Shi Youqing tensely and then bit out, "Why should I be eager to tell you? Do I have 'fool' written on my face?"

Shi Youqing responded, "I didn’t see that," and turned to enter the apartment.

"The previous tenant, Wang Fan, was scared of Bai Mingliang," Yanchuan said bluntly.

"Oh," Shi Youqing glanced back at him, "Weren’t they friends?"

Yanchuan seemed to find this amusing, his tone laced with disdain, "Who said friendships are always equal?"

After a moment of thought, Shi Youqing closed the door firmly.

A sound of a fist hitting the wall came from outside, followed by receding footsteps.

Shi Youqing poured himself a glass of water, drinking half of it as he gazed out the window.

The setting sun tinted the glass red, with high-rise buildings in the distance.

The surrounding was utterly quiet, as if time had stopped.

For Wang Fan, who had already passed away, time indeed had stopped.

After resting for half an hour, Shi Youqing stood up and left the apartment again.

The door across was locked, Bai Mingliang had gone to school; Lu Yuzhe's door next door was also shut tight, probably still dealing with the aftermath inside... Shi Youqing walked to the end of the hallway, stopping at Yanchuan's door.

Shi Youqing had previously thought that Yanchuan, being an NPC played by a player, was unlikely to be the murderer, as it would be too easy to slip up, and poor acting could easily betray him as the culprit. Thus, his suspicion of Yanchuan had been the lowest... But a recent contemplation led him to a new thought.

What if the game was intentionally leading him in circles?

Zongzhu Yuan, a veteran in the game with consistently good performance, could very well have been assigned the role of the murderer by the system.

Realizing this, Shi Youqing decided to shed his biased views of Yanchuan. In fact, he resolved to stop pondering whether other NPCs were played by players; such considerations were ultimately irrelevant.

Regardless of whether NPCs are natives or played by gamers, their behavior follows a consistent logic.

Everything depends on evidence.

Whoever inhabits a body is irrelevant to their mission.

Shi Youqing approached the door and paused in surprise.

Yanchuan’s door was open.

Inside, it was dimly lit with the curtains drawn and no lights on, but he could barely make out a figure lying on the living room carpet.

His footsteps were light, yet the person inside still heard him and sat up to look.

Shi Youqing thought he saw the man smiling, unsure of his intentions, and frowned, "What are you doing?"

Yanchuan didn’t respond, half-leaning in the shadows, staring at him with eyes that flickered between light and dark, then suddenly said, "Shi Youqing, no matter what you do this time, you can’t win."

His words were devoid of emotion.

Shi Youqing observed him for a moment, then turned and left.

This statement about winning or losing seemed entirely unrelated to their roles in the game.

This indicated that the rules here were different from the 'Red Shoes' scenario, where players acting as NPCs could reveal their identities.

However, players would likely avoid revealing themselves due to certain factors, or even if they did, it wouldn’t change some outcomes in the system’s view.

This aligned with his initial assessment: the current scenario had two opposing factions.

For regular players, winning meant not revealing their identities too quickly, but even if they did, regardless of who won or lost, a group of players was destined to die in this scenario.

That was the essence of Zongzhu Yuan’s words.

Shi Youqing had already sensed this and remained emotionally unaffected. His current task was simply to identify the murderer; dealing with the game mechanics would come later.

……

At eight o’clock in the evening,

Hao Tianshuo began his battle, focused on his phone.

The old security guard in the security room was Hao Tianshuo's colleague. The old man kept a phonebook on the desk, which Hao Tianshuo had secretly looked through.

After finding Huo Xu’s number in it, he memorized it. Today, after lunch, he added Huo Xu on WeChat, pretending to be the son of a director from Harbor City XX.

He deliberately ignored the message for half a day before finally sending a message:

[Are you Huo Xu?]

The other party responded with several question marks.

After throwing a few punches in the air, Hao Tianshuo typed his message:

[Shi Youqing is my fiancé, and we're already engaged. He ran away to your place to escape our marriage, having been deceived emotionally by a bodyguard on the way... but he'll come back eventually. I’m waiting for him to come to his senses. You old fart better stay away from my fiancé. I have people watching over there; you can fool others but not me! If you dare bully him, I swear I won’t let you off!]

There was no reply for a while.

Just as Hao Tianshuo was feeling smug, a message arrived.

[Old fart, aren’t you mistaking someone?]

[No mistake! Anyone over thirty is an old fart! My Youqing is only in his twenties. Don’t think about robbing the cradle, you’re not worthy!]

【……】

Elsewhere.

Huo Xu glanced lazily at the messages, feeling disdainful.

No wonder Shi Youqing ran away from the marriage, such a fool; it’s normal that someone like him wouldn’t be appealing.

In fact, after encountering Shi Youqing in the park yesterday, Huo Xu suspected that Shi Youqing might have approached him deliberately, as he often encountered such people at parties... He had his secretary investigate, and just today he received the file.

Unexpectedly, Shi Youqing was a young master from a wealthy family in Harbor City, who had run away from home recently due to disagreement over an arranged marriage, and his family, infuriated, had decided to let him be.

Considering their social standing, Shi Youqing wouldn’t necessarily seek to get close to him deliberately, which put Huo Xu at ease.

However, his interest in Shi Youqing, especially after reading this series of texts, intensified his desire to possess him.

If even a bodyguard attracted Shi Youqing's interest, wouldn’t he stand a chance if he genuinely pursued him?

As for Shi Youqing’s information, it was now all in Huo Xu’s hands.

……

After dinner, Shi Youqing found a new friend request on his phone: I am Huo Xu.

Without hesitation, he clicked to join, and at the same time glanced at his character panel, his eyelid twitching—Hu Xu's favorability rating had already risen to sixty!

Another one passed!

Who did this good deed? Deserves a reward!

A message came from the other side:

[It seems I had some misunderstanding with your ex-boyfriend today and acted impulsively. But for your sake, I won’t hold a grudge... However, since he misunderstood my intention, I still want to explain things to you properly.]

Shi Youqing knew he was referring to Bo Huai as the ex-boyfriend and didn't argue, asking:

[What exactly happened?]

[It’s hard to explain over the phone. How about we meet tomorrow morning at the café near your apartment?]

The café being a public place was quite safe. Besides stabilizing the favorability, he might even glean some information. Shi Youqing didn't hesitate much before agreeing.

Bo Huai was still making snow fungus soup, and Shi Youqing went over to tell him about this.

As he expected, Bo Huai reacted strongly, but the focus wasn’t on the meeting itself.

This is a game instance, where everything should be task-oriented. Even if Hu Xu is a dangerous character, as a player, one must create opportunities for interaction. Every person could potentially be the murderer. Even if not, they could provide useful information. There's no reason to refuse interacting with an NPC at a safe location.

However, Bo Huai had to continue his project maintenance work tomorrow morning. He urged, "Ask that jerk... to reschedule for the afternoon."

"It's okay, Feng Bin is free tomorrow morning," Shi Youqing patted his arm, then smiled with his hands behind his back, "Feng Bin can handle him easily, and in broad daylight, he definitely won't dare to do anything."

Seeing that Shi Youqing had made up his mind, Bo Huai's lips tightened. Finally, clenching his jaw, he said, "If he dares to touch you... I won't let him off easily."

Shi Youqing knew that by 'touch,' he meant literally touching, and nodded, "Don't worry."

Although Shi Youqing wasn’t a germaphobe, he was a person who valued cleanliness.

The next day, Bo Huai got up before seven, arranged Shi Youqing's clothes in advance, especially the "hidden weapons" inside them, and even made a loving breakfast with heart-shaped fried eggs before leaving reluctantly.

When Shi Youqing got up, he found his clothes already prepared. Knowing that he sometimes liked to stay in bed, Bo Huai had dressed him in advance to save time.

Sometimes, Shi Youqing wondered if it weren't for hygiene concerns, Bo Huai might even hang breakfast on a string by his bed so that he could eat as soon as he woke up...

After enjoying a delicious and lovingly prepared breakfast, Shi Youqing felt energized and called Feng Bin.

Feng Bin was already ready: “I’m just outside the apartment. Don’t worry, as soon as you come out, I’ll follow behind.”

Shi Youqing was about to call Huo Xu, but a message had already arrived: [I’m outside your door.]

...You don’t think this is romantic, do you?

Shi Youqing went to open the door. Huo Xu stood straight, glancing into his apartment, and asked, “Have you had breakfast?”

There was a faint smell of food in the air.

“Yes, I have a sensitive stomach and need breakfast,” Shi Youqing replied as he bent down to change shoes. “Are we heading out now?”

Huo Xu, with a half-smile, affirmed: “Yes.”

The two walked side by side out of the apartment. Shi Youqing glanced around and quickly spotted Feng Bin not far away, wearing a black cap and pretending to smoke.

Shi Youqing walked straight into the café.

Once seated, Huo Xu sat opposite him, chuckled seeing his breathlessness, and teased, “We’ve only walked a few steps?” The picture of a pampered young master.

Shi Youqing responded, “I’m not in great health. I get winded easily.”

Huo Xu just smiled, not commenting.

After ordering coffee, the two fell silent. Huo Xu watched him for a while before suddenly asking, “Is your ex-boyfriend bothering you?”

Shi Youqing was silent.

Huo Xu began his performance: “I don’t mean anything by it, but when I dropped you off at your apartment, I noticed that man following you behind the car. Later, when the plumbing was being fixed, I saw him again, and he’s not among the property staff I’ve met before… I sensed something off… Yesterday, I tried a little test, and it turns out he’s indeed after you.”

Shi Youqing feigned innocence: “Ah? A test?”

Huo Xu raised an eyebrow: “I said I was interested in you, and then he attacked me.”

Shi Youqing remained silent.

Huo Xu continued, “It's good you broke up with that kind of man, who knows what he might do one day…”

Shi Youqing sighed, “What happened between him and me is in the past. Please don’t bring this up again.”

The other party paused, glancing at him with lifted eyelids: "Really? I feel like you two are still entangled..."

Shi Youqing bit his lip, showing displeasure: "That’s my private matter."

The details of his contact with Bo Lai could be discovered upon close investigation. Now that they were labeled as ex-lovers, Shi Youqing saw no need to contradict the assumption. After all, there were many stories of former lovers who entangled, argued, and even slept together post-breakup.

Huo Xu appeared to understand, and his approval rating rose from 60 to 65.

Shi Youqing remained silent.

He subconsciously pinched his nose.

"What I'm trying to say is just this," Huo Xu said, "What happened between you and your ex is your business. I just don’t want you to misunderstand; I truly have no other intentions towards you."

"Of course, I know. I'm not that self-absorbed," Shi Youqing leaned back, his eyes half-closed, almost as if he was about to fall asleep. "I tried to thank you earlier, but you were quite cold to me, even keeping your secretary away from me."

His reaction seemed to be one of dissatisfaction with Huo Xu's aloofness.

Huo Xu thought to himself that he was right, but maintained his composure. "Like I said, my secretary is unwell... And you don't look too healthy yourself; he doesn't have the energy to take care of you."

Shi Youqing frowned, took a sip of his coffee, and fell silent.

Huo Xu smiled: "What kind of reaction is this?"

Shi Youqing: "I don't need anyone to take care of me. Once I get a job, I'll be the one taking care of others. Just you watch."

Something seemed to dawn on Huo Xu, his expression shifting slightly: "You've been unemployed this whole time?"

Shi Youqing repeated his rationale for running away from home in search of freedom: "It's fine, I'll find a job sooner or later. My education is decent; at least I can earn enough for a living."

"It's not about your education," Huo Xu observed him, "You're short of breath just walking a few steps. What if you encounter a job that requires overtime or is a bit more strenuous? Can you handle it?"

"That's nothing. I carry medicine with me, and I'm not looking for physical labor, so I should be fine."

Huo Xu couldn't help but laugh at his response, saying, "In that case, come work at my company. I'll find you a relaxed position."

Shi Youqing: "Relaxed? How relaxed?"

Huo Xu: "You'd only actually work about half an hour each day. As for the salary... it will certainly be enough for you."

Shi Youqing's eyes twinkled as he asked, "Are you suggesting being a sugar daddy?"

Huo Xu was taken aback by this sudden remark.

Shi Youqing shook his head, refusing emphatically: "I would never agree to that."

The man's expression changed back and forth: "I was talking about a relaxed job in the company. What were you thinking of..."

Shi Youqing finally relaxed and said, "I was wondering, at your age, working only half an hour each day is quite unusual, isn't it? A week, maybe, but not a day."

The air grew tense.

Huo Xu's face turned cold almost instantly, yet his fondness didn't seem to decrease.

Shi Youqing continued, "Why aren't you happy?"

Huo Xu, not wanting to prolong this topic, said, "I genuinely want to help you. If you don’t want to go, then let it be."

Shi Youqing: "Thank you, but I'll try to find something on my own. There's no rush."

Huo Xu fell silent, gazing out of the window, his eyes cold and distant, lost in thought.

Breaking the silence, Shi Youqing asked, "Why do you want to help me?"

Huo Xu then turned his gaze to Shi Youqing's face: "I find you interesting, and since you live nearby, I thought I'd lend a hand when I saw you in trouble."

Shi Youqing said, "You're really a good person, helping me time and again. I'm almost embarrassed."

Huo Xu stared at him: Really? That's hard to tell. But he explained, "Actually, you remind me of my brother. He passed away early. Whenever I see someone like him, I can’t help but lend a hand."

Shi Youqing seemed to hear about his brother for the first time: "A brother? About my age?"

Huo Xu shook his head, his voice somber: "If he were still alive, he'd be my age. We were twins."

Shi Youqing fell silent.

Huo Xu's eyes dimmed, as if lost in memories: "Twelve years ago, during my freshman year, he died in a car accident due to personal issues. Since then, whenever I see young men resembling him, it reminds me of my brother. We used to live with relatives, and he ran away from home because of their harsh words... I spent days looking for him and brought him back. So, when I learned about your leaving home, it made me think of him."

Shi Youqing saw the inadvertent sorrow in his eyes, took a small sip of coffee, and remained silent.

Then, a choice appeared before him:

[Huo Xu rarely shows his true feelings in front of others. You decide to say something to him at this moment.]

1# It's okay, it's all in the past. 2# Then treat me as your brother. I don’t mind having another older brother.

Shi Youqing pondered for a moment. If Huo Xu really wanted to let the past go, he wouldn't have named his company after his brother. Regardless, this gesture showed he didn’t want to erase his past.

So, he chose option 2.

"Well then... consider me your brother. I don't mind having another older brother!"

Huo Xu looked at him intently, his gaze slightly different from before.

The favorable impression meter above his head rose to 70 at this moment.

Shi Youqing fell silent, content with the number. Any higher, and he would be afraid.

Suddenly, Huo Xu stood up and said, "I have to go. I have other matters to attend to."

Shi Youqing also stood up, gesturing politely for Huo Xu to leave.

Instead of leaving, Huo Xu stared at him and then suddenly smiled, "By the way, it's my birthday the day after tomorrow."

Shi Youqing: "..."

Huo Xu: "I'm planning a party at my villa in the suburbs. Since you're considering yourself my brother now, you should come and join the fun."

Shi Youqing blinked and asked, "Can I bring someone?"

Huo Xu's smile deepened, amused by his wariness: "Of course, the more the merrier. I've also invited a few people."

Shi Youqing: "Great, I'll definitely be there!"

Huo Xu initially intended to escort him back to his apartment, but Shi Youqing, not wanting to stay any longer, anxiously said, "Go ahead with your work. Don’t delay on my account. It's just a short walk; I can manage on my own..."

Huo Xu then drove away.

After walking a few steps back, Shi Youqing was met by Feng Bin.

Feng Bin arrived in his delivery tricycle. Shi Youqing unceremoniously hopped on: "I feel like something sweet," he said, still tasting the bitterness of the coffee.

Feng Bin, having guessed as much since he saw Shi Youqing enter the café, had already bought fruit tea from the milk tea shop across the street. He handed it to Shi Youqing: "Just bought it a while ago."

Shi Youqing took a sip through the straw: "Delicious, thank you."

Feng Bin grinned, staying silent.

He had been watching from outside the whole time. Although he couldn't hear the conversation, he saw everything clearly. Huo Xu hadn’t even touched Shi Youqing once, so there were no safety concerns.

After the young man took a few big sips and calmed his breath, he began, "There's some progress regarding Bai Minglang."

Shi Youqing immediately turned his attention to him.

Feng Bin said, "Your guess was right. There's indeed something going on between Bai Minglang and Lu Yuzhe's father. I managed to get some information from a dorm mate last night. Since moving here, Bai Minglang has been sending letters every month to the same address... I tracked it down, and it's Lu Yuzhe's home."

Shi Youqing, with a curious look in his eyes, asked, "Who are the letters addressed to?"

"A woman's name. I checked, and it's the name of Lu Yuzhe's current stepmother. As for Bai Minglang, my dorm mate remembers him well. He's a junior now but has lived in the apartment since freshman year, never going home for holidays, claiming he has no family," explained Feng Bin. "You can probably guess the rest, right?"

Shi Youqing thought about Bai Minglang's interview, mentioning stealing things…

"Lu Yuzhe's stepmother... is Bai Minglang's biological mother?"

"Exactly."

[Author's Note]

Thanks to the little angel who sent a rocket launcher: --Waiting for the Aurora-- 1;

Thanks to the little angels who sent landmines: The cat who goes home when it's cute enough 2;

Thanks to the little angels who watered with nutrient solution: Yanさh, Ran Shi Jiao 5 bottles;

Thank you very much for everyone's support, I will continue to work hard!