Chapter 33: Do You Like Me?

Lu Xi paused for a moment, but Ji Chenling simply took her by the hand and walked away.

"What are you doing? Jiang Yanyan is calling us," Lu Xi asked, confused.

"Just because she calls us doesn't mean we have to turn around and respond. Are you two close?" Ji Chenling countered.

Lu Xi was left speechless.

He actually had a point; she didn't know how to argue back.

Ji Chenling, looking at her with a mix of exasperation and affection, pinched her cheek. Leaning close to her ear, he lowered his voice and said, "Stay away from her. She’s a master-level 'green tea' manipulator."

Lu Xi: "..."

This world was truly bizarre.

"Why are you slandering her?" Lu Xi didn't agree with his assessment.

Jiang Yanyan was the heroine of this world. If she could hold the position of the protagonist, there must be a reason for it. Lu Xi was easygoing and didn't feel particularly angry about what had happened before; after all, in her view, the heroine hated the original owner, so what did that have to do with her? After their last conversation, the heroine had seemed so gentle and kind that the grudge should have been fully resolved.

"Besides, if we're talking about 'green tea' behavior, who is more of a 'green tea' than you? Acting all delicate and calling me..."

The word "sister" didn't make it past her lips.

Because the guy beside her was already looking at her with a look of wounded grievance.

Fine, she chose to keep quiet.

Ji Chenling, however, had no intention of letting it go. He stared at her with a pitiful expression. "It’s precisely because I am a 'green tea' myself that I know exactly what she is. When one of our kind meets another, we can see through them at a glance."

"She is very good at pretending," Ji Chenling lowered his eyes, "just like me."

"Oh, just shut up," Lu Xi said, tugging on his sleeve as they walked out.

Watching their retreating backs, Jiang Yanyan clenched her fists. She truly hadn't expected any man to ignore her. This wasn't the first time, either. Whether in the real world or this game world, men had always flocked to her, trying to please her and going to great lengths just to earn a smile.

A complex emotion began to well up inside her.

In the campus at night, the wind was cool and the moon was bright. All the way back, Ji Chenling never let go of Lu Xi's hand. She couldn't help but look up to steal a glance at him, only to find herself caught in a pair of smiling eyes.

Lu Xi froze for a second.

"Want a candy?" As if performing a magic trick, Ji Chenling produced a fruit candy from his palm.

Lu Xi: "Huh? Where did you get that?"

"A reward from the last dungeon. A 'Lucky Candy.' Maybe eating it will make our luck less terrible." Ji Chenling had already unwrapped the paper and offered the candy to her lips.

Perhaps it was the hazy moonlight, or perhaps she still hadn't recovered from the night's fright, but by the time her brain caught up, her lips had already brushed against the youth's clean fingers.

At the touch of her soft, red lips, Ji Chenling’s fingers trembled for a split second.

His gaze darkened.

Such a gesture... it was far too much like she was kissing his fingertips.

"It's cantaloupe-flavored. Very sweet," she said.

"Mm." He leaned down, his gentle, crisp scent unexpectedly aggressive, enveloping the girl from above.

Lu Xi felt the atmosphere shift. She poked his chest with her index finger, leaned back, and whispered, "Ji Chenling, do you... like me?"

"What did you say?" He laughed softly.

"Don't pretend. You heard me clearly."

Ji Chenling stopped hiding it then, his eyes curving into crescents. "I’ve always liked you, sister. What about you?"

"Does sister like me?"

Lu Xi’s heart skipped a beat. She averted her gaze, looking unnatural, and after a couple of dry coughs, she said, "No."

Ji Chenling pondered for a moment. "Then I don't like you either."

This elementary school-level dialogue...

Lu Xi muttered, "You childish brat."

"You stingy brat," he mimicked.

"How am I stingy?" The girl widened her eyes in indignation.

"If you won't like me, that's stingy."

Lu Xi: "..."

"You are really so boring."

Ji Chenling looked at her with a mischievous grin.

"Hey, hey! Make way! Go find somewhere else to flirt, don't block the path," an NPC passing by complained with a look of disgust.

"Go on back." He walked her all the way to the foot of the girls' dormitory building and watched her leave.

This feeling was truly strange for Lu Xi. If she didn't know this was a game world, she would have had the genuine illusion of being in a college romance.

On the way back to the dorm, everything remained peaceful. Lu Xi had braced herself for some sudden accident, but nothing happened on the way.

Once inside the dorm, there was a familiar face: Zhang Qiulan, Meng Yuanyuan’s mother.

"Hello, ma'am," Lu Xi greeted with a smile.

Zhang Qiulan was an honest and reserved person. Though she often appeared a bit slow, she had a kind heart and was a diligent middle-aged woman who loved her daughter, Meng Yuanyuan, with all her being.

"Oh... hello, hello," Zhang Qiulan smiled bashfully.

"My mom's current identity is the dorm warden. We happen to have an empty bed in our room, so I wanted to let her stay here. Is that okay?" Meng Yuanyuan asked for their opinions.

Gu Yun had likely already agreed, as she said nothing. Everyone was a player, and Lu Xi had a decent impression of this woman, so she certainly wouldn't refuse.

"I brought some egg pancakes from the cafeteria; they're still warm." Zhang Qiulan pulled a tightly wrapped bag from her pocket.

Everyone happened to be hungry. Lu Xi took out her phone and snapped a photo to send to Ji Chenling.

"I'm having dinner. Do you have any food over there?"

The reply came almost instantly.

"I have instant noodles. Do you want some? If you like the flavor, I'll bring you some tomorrow."

Lu Xi sent a "no" sticker.

"I'm not short on food here. You keep it for yourself."

Lu Xi: "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sister. Remember to dream of me."

Lu Xi: *Ugh~*

Did this guy know how pretentious he was being?

"Lu Xi, what is your relationship with Ji Chenling?" Gu Yun suddenly asked, curious.

At night, when girls gathered together, gossip was inevitable.

Meng Yuanyuan gave a mischievous smile. "Are you two dating?"

"No," Lu Xi widened her eyes. "Don't talk nonsense. We're just normal... well, friends who get along."

"Oh~"

The two spoke in unison. Their expressions clearly showed they didn't believe her.

Zhang Qiulan smiled, looking at the group of children with maternal affection, and went back to scrubbing rags to clean up. Her daughter had allergies and a bit of a germaphobe streak. Zhang Qiulan was a natural worrier; she knew she couldn't handle the brain-teasing aspects of clearing dungeons, so she could only contribute in other ways.

She had been a housewife for many years and hadn't been highly educated. When she was first dragged into this game world, she had been terrified. But then she saw her daughter was here too, and all her fear vanished. Wherever her daughter was, that was where her heart belonged.

"So, do you like Ji Chenling?" Meng Yuanyuan rolled her eyes and teased her further.

Did she like him?

Lu Xi froze.

In truth, she had never seriously or carefully thought about that question.