Chapter 44

Chapter 44

044

A Little Gift.

Upon returning, Chu Li didn't have time to go back to his dormitory; instead, he was taken to the academic affairs office to report on his internship progress for the week.

While the students were noisily gathered in the academic affairs office, Chu Li suddenly received a message.

"-Distant Mountains and Rivers: Sent you a little gift. Check it when you get back."

Feeling curious, Chu Li quickly replied with a simple "Okay" as his teacher called his name.

It wasn't until late into the night that he finally finished his tasks.

Back in his long-unvisited dormitory, Chu Li froze at the entrance. On the coffee table in the living room sat a large box nearly half a meter in size.

"..."

Is this the "gift" Jing Baiyuan sent him?

What could it be?

Chu Li opened his personal terminal and messaged Jing Baiyuan.

"What gift did you send me?"

As expected, Jing Baiyuan didn't reply.

Chu Li shook his head helplessly and approached the box to examine it himself. The exterior appeared to be made of wood, but it felt like metal when touched. It must be some advanced technological material.

Moreover, the box was seamless, leaving no trace of where it could be opened.

Chu Li was puzzled once again.

What was the purpose of this?

He circled around the box and finally noticed a button on top.

Curious, Chu Li pressed it, and a clicking sound echoed.

Immediately after, the seamless box shifted slightly. Its four walls slowly cracked open, resembling the petals of a flower unfolding with a gentle rustling sound.

"..."

A soft blue glow, imbued with a futuristic vibe, leaked from beneath. Simultaneously, a childlike electronic voice specially designed for the device announced, "Detected presence of the owner. Please bind your iris and DNA data."

Chu Li: "..."

What kind of gadget required DNA binding?

"The device is bound to the user's personal terminal ID, making it unique and non-transferable. If you wish to transfer the device, please promptly clear the ID."

A translucent screen unfurled from the round, blue egg. Following the voice instructions, Chu Li linked his personal terminal and verified his iris. The egg split open right before his eyes.

Inside was a helmet and a chip.

There was also a handwritten note within.

It displayed a website address and a name.

"Infinite Worlds"

Oh, he got it now. It was a full-dive holographic online game set in a new world.

He had never seen such a thing in his previous life, so it piqued his curiosity. He took the helmet upstairs with him.

Inside the helmet was an instruction manual. Following its guidance, he inserted the chip into the helmet, put it on, connected to the power source, then lay down with his eyes closed.

After a brief bout of dizziness, he found himself in a new location surrounded by trees, birdsong, and flowers.

However, something felt off about the edges. He took two steps towards the woods but soon couldn't move any further. It was as if an invisible wall had blocked his path.

Suddenly, the trees before him turned flat, like wallpaper pasted before his eyes. And on that wallpaper, a door appeared.

Chu Li: "…"

He didn't think Jing Baiyuan would be so bored as to drag him into a game. With a thought, the settings interface materialized before him. Chu Li, a quick learner, easily found the friend list and spotted a familiar name.

"Vast Mountains and Distant Rivers."

Surprisingly, Vast Mountains and Distant Rivers was currently online.

Chu Li sent him two words, "Jing Bai?"

"It's me. Come to this room."

Jing Baiyuan sent a room invitation, which Chu Li clicked on. He swiftly vanished from the forest room and reappeared in another location.

The layout of this room was familiar; Chu Li had been there before. It resembled Jing Baiyuan's training facility in his base on Blue Stripe Star.

The moment he saw the training room, he understood what Jing Baiyuan intended to do.

Previously, he had managed to escape Jing Baiyuan's attempts to teach him self-defense techniques, but Jing Baiyuan left soon after, leaving the matter unresolved. Given Jing Baiyuan's character, who always saw things through to the end, he wouldn't let it drop so easily.

This was likely Jing Baiyuan's solution to the situation.

The person standing before him was identical to Jing Baiyuan himself, except for a hint of confusion in Jing Baiyuan's eyes. "You... Why are you like this?"

Chu Li asked, "What's wrong with me?"

Unbeknownst to him, the game would reflect one's self-image in their heart. Normally, when someone entered the game for the first time, their appearance should be the same as in reality.

But Chu Li was using his previous life's appearance at this moment.

The young man was slightly taller and thinner than his Omega body in this lifetime. His features were gentle, and even when he wasn't smiling, his lips formed a subtle curve.

Jing Baiyuan casually summoned a mirror, allowing Chu Li to see his reflection.

Upon seeing himself in the mirror, Chu Li felt a bit nostalgic. He didn't expect that after being here for so long, the image of himself in his heart would still be the original one.

Instead of directly answering the question, Chu Li smiled at Jing Baiyuan and said, "Don't I look good like this?"

"Hmm... You don't look bad." Jing Baiyuan had an extremely limited understanding of aesthetics when it came to people. He could only sense that Chu Li was different from others during certain specific moments. So far, this ability of his hadn't been fully developed, and thus he couldn't really tell if someone looked good or not.

However, the smile on the young man's lips did bring a warm, pleasant feeling... It was just that he was a little too thin, with the bones of his wrist protruding.

Jing Baiyuan didn't dwell on this issue and continued, "I previously mentioned teaching you martial arts, but we didn't finish. Since I'm not currently on Blue Stripe Star and can't meet you in person, I'll have to use this method instead."

As expected, Chu Li replied, "Alright."

Then, the two of them began their teaching and learning session.

Chu Li often felt that Jing Baiyuan was not like a lover.

He was more like a family member, a mentor, or an elder figure than a romantic partner.

This made him occasionally wonder if his initial encounter with Jing Baiyuan had been a dream, as he just couldn't connect that night with the person standing before him...

The lesson ended with Chu Li's wandering mind. As Jing Baiyuan corrected his posture, he suddenly stopped and whispered closely from behind, "You're daydreaming."

Chu Li: "..."

After all, games were just games; they could never replicate the sensation of a person's breath.

But the familiar voice right behind his ear instantly reminded him of certain things.

Quickly covering his neck, Chu Li hastily moved away from Jing Baiyuan, "Uh... I was daydreaming."

Jing Baiyuan gazed at him silently, not commenting on his actions, but said, "Let's end the practice here for today. Prolonged online sessions aren't good for your health. You should exercise regularly."

"Okay, I understand," Chu Li replied, acknowledging Jing Baiyuan's words as if they were a coach's advice. He then summoned the control panel, preparing to log out.

In the last second before logging off, he glanced at Jing Baiyuan and noticed that the other's gaze had never left him.

Chu Li: "..."

With no time to ponder further, darkness enveloped his vision.

After a brief dizziness, Chu Li opened his eyes to see the ceiling of his own room.

He stretched his stiff body and suddenly realized his hunger.

Upon recalling that he had 'tested' the helmet right after returning home without even having dinner, he removed it and went downstairs in search of food.

--

In the following days, Chu Li maintained this manner of online communication with Jing Baiyuan. Jing Baiyuan seemed less occupied during this period, but he usually didn't stay online for more than two hours at a time. Sometimes, after Jing Baiyuan left, Chu Li would wander around the game alone. It was apparently a fighting game where real players battled each other, but Chu Li had no interest in engaging in such combats and had never joined any matchmaking sessions. From their intermittent conversations, Chu Li learned that the Expeditionary Force had its own fortress base, and Jing Baiyuan was currently stationed at a place called Deerport. It was precisely because he had reached the base that he had more leisure time. "Lately, the Empire hasn't issued any new missions, so the Expeditionary Force is on standby. Everyone has quite a bit of free time," Jing Baiyuan explained. Nonetheless, Chu Li still felt that Jing Baiyuan was already quite busy. If that was considered idle, how busy would he be when he was truly occupied? Would they lose contact for several months straight? Throughout their intermittent teaching sessions, apart from showing concern for Chu Li's daily life and answering questions initiated by Chu Li, Jing Baiyuan rarely mentioned anything about their relationship. He seemed like a dedicated coach, wholeheartedly instructing Chu Li in self-defense techniques. Chu Li often wondered if they were really in a relationship.

Their relationship was indeed that of a coach and trainee, right?

But Jing Baiyuan's silence and lack of expression didn't mean he hadn't gathered the courage to make a few timid attempts… After not receiving any response, he simply gave up in resignation.

If he didn't want it, then so be it!

Thus, two months passed in a blink of an eye. Chu Li had grown accustomed to his current lifestyle, shuttling between the laboratory and classes during the day, reviewing or meeting Jing Baiyuan online at night. Occasionally on weekends, he would leave campus to visit the pet store and see Little Key.

Although he hadn't brought the cat home with him, due to his frequent visits, Little Key was no longer unfamiliar with him. It seemed to know that it would live with Chu Li in the future, thus it was particularly affectionate towards him.

However, Little Key's personality was entirely different from that of the little Li Hua Cat. It still maintained a cat's aloofness. When Chu Li arrived, it barely acknowledged him, unless he took out cat treats or a cat toy, which would elicit a slight reaction.

Yet, it was also very concerned about Chu Li. Sometimes when Chu Li stepped out to chat with the boss, Little Key would follow anxiously behind. Once noticed by Chu Li, it would nonchalantly walk away to another spot, pretending nothing had happened.

This adorable yet proud demeanor made Chu Li distinguish the two cats clearly in his heart.

To maintain his fitness, Chu Li persisted in going for a run every day.

Initially, his runs had attracted a few onlookers. Probably because running was deemed too mundane, after a few days, the schoolmates grew accustomed to it and no longer paid it any mind.

Occasionally, when he encountered acquaintances on his route, they would exchange greetings and engage in brief conversations.

However, there was one incident that caught Chu Li's attention. One morning, while out for his jog, he unexpectedly bumped into Chu Heyang outside the Omega Academy.

Chu Heyang was wearing a thick coat, but no collar.

As he passed by Chu Li, Chu Heyang shot him a smug glance, deliberately flexing his shoulders.

Chu Li noticed a white bite mark on the back of Chu Heyang's neck.

Had he been marked by someone?

Without breaking his stride, Chu Li passed Chu Heyang, not allowing himself the time to ponder over it deeply.

If he had been marked, so be it; it wasn't of great concern to Chu Li.

Author's Note:

Chu Heyang's storyline should come to an end here, and some astute readers have likely anticipated it.

What follows is the conclusion of his journey.

How do I put this? I feel that his destiny, to some extent, symbolizes something.

As for what it symbolizes, let your imagination take the lead.

And there's also his former fickle fiancé.

Each character, I believe, will have their own unique destinies.