Chapter 9: I Won't Let You Eat

Before entering the game world, the original character’s daily routine was to eagerly follow him around, offering various gifts to Jiang Chen in an attempt to win his favor.

Jiang Chen was a financially struggling student from a poor family.

Before meeting the original character, he relied solely on part-time work and campus scholarships to cover his living expenses.

His clothes were faded and worn, yet he never dared to discard them.

It wasn’t until the original character appeared that his impoverished and desperate life saw a significant turning point.

Whenever the original character slipped him money or provided various subsidies, Jiang Chen responded with cold stares and sarcasm.

In Jiang Chen’s eyes, these acts were nothing but insults disguised as charity.

He accepted the kindness from this wealthy girl while simultaneously despising her for the smell of money that seemed to cling to her every pore; a sliver of pride deep within him only deepened his aversion.

In plain terms, he wanted it all but resented it too.

Jiang Chen convinced himself that she was preparing dinner for him, which eased some of his frustration.

Meanwhile, not far away, Ji Yunxuan was also secretly watching the scene.

Like Jiang Chen, Ji Yunxuan believed the self-heating hot pot in her hands was meant for him.

After all, in previous game worlds, Lu Xi had, despite knowing perfectly well that Ji Yunxuan and Jiang Yanyan were a couple, often shown off her little schemes to attract his attention, wearing the look of a lovestruck girl desperate for approval.

Whenever Lu Xi got her hands on something good, she would promptly present it to Ji Yunxuan as a treasure.

Each of them harbored their own intentions.

Only Lu Xi sat cross-legged, her face brimming with anticipation as she waited for the hot pot to stop steaming.

“I still have some cookies and bread here, let’s share,” Jiang Yanyan smiled as she passed around the food.

“Thank you, Yanyan.”

“Thanks, beautiful.”

“Yanyan, you’re so kind-hearted. If it weren’t for your constant feeding, I’d have starved long ago.”

Hearing these flowery compliments, Jiang Yanyan’s mood lifted considerably, her lips curling into a brighter smile.

At that moment, an irresistible aroma wafted gently through the air.

“It smells so good! Is that the scent of hot pot?” Meng Yuanyuan exclaimed.

Jiang Yanyan’s smile froze abruptly; her fingers instinctively clenched, causing the French roll in her palm to crumple.

The steam ceased, and Lu Xi rubbed her hands together eagerly before lifting the lid from the self-heating hot pot.

Jiang Chen stood in front of her, waiting; the faint aroma had already stirred his appetite.

Now that the lid was off and the fragrance hit him full force, his mouth watered, and his stomach grumbled uncontrollably.

“Alright, I’ll handle the rest myself. Give me—” Jiang Chen’s unfinished words caught in his throat.

Lu Xi slurped a mouthful of vermicelli, chewing leisurely.

“Hm? What did you say?” She spoke only after swallowing.

Jiang Chen’s face had darkened to the deepest shade, resembling the bottom of a pot.

Lu Xi, always a beat slow on trivial matters, only now realized the truth and found it somewhat amusing.

She looked at Jiang Chen and said, “You don’t actually think this is specially prepared for you, do you?”

Jiang Chen choked.

Lu Xi: Ha, where does he get the nerve, thinking something so grand is just for him?

“Lu Xi, I’ll say it again! The ‘playing hard to get’ trick doesn’t work on me.” Jiang Chen’s face flushed deeply.

Lu Xi: “I just won’t let you eat.”

“Lu Xi!” Jiang Chen’s expression turned cold.

The girl continued slurping her noodles, completely ignoring him.

Jiang Chen clenched his fists in frustration, turned away, and walked off without a single glance back.

On the other side, Ji Yunxuan exuded supreme confidence, estimating the time was just right for Lu Xi to personally bring the fully cooked self-heating hot pot to him.

He maintained an aloof, cold demeanor, like an iceberg, unmoving, waiting for Lu Xi to shamelessly flatter him.

One minute passed…

Two minutes passed…

Still no sign of Lu Xi.

Ji Yunxuan then pretended to casually turn and adjust his sitting position, his gaze lingering on Lu Xi.

She was happily clutching the self-heating hot pot, enjoying her meal.

Ji Yunxuan: “…”

Wasn’t this supposed to be for me? How come she’s eating it herself first?

Such gluttony.

After Jiang Chen, he was another with a blackened expression.

With the hot pot’s enticing aroma filling the air, the others munching on their cookies and bread found their food tasteless in comparison.

“Hmph, showing off,” Chen Yiyi bit her bread fiercely, clearly disgruntled.

***

Jiang Chen was angry.

He was determined to teach Lu Xi a lesson—he wanted her to understand that women shouldn’t act so difficult.

Suddenly, Chen Yiyi noticed that the new companion seemed especially attentive and gentlemanly toward her, his care noticeably increased.

Jiang Chen was handsome, and Chen Yiyi’s face quickly flushed as he teased her this way.

He deliberately maintained close contact with Chen Yiyi while stealing glances at Lu Xi from the corner of his eye.

But instead of calming him, what he saw only infuriated him even more.

Having eaten her fill, Lu Xi was curled up soundly asleep in a pile of grass.

He had been putting on a show for most of the time, hoping to deliberately provoke her, stir jealousy, and make her more alert. Yet she clearly didn’t care and hadn’t even glanced his way once.

There had to be limits to playing hard to get!

“What’s wrong, Jiang Chen?” Chen Yiyi, noticing his sudden stillness, followed his gaze and saw Lu Xi sleeping.

She sneered, “Is she a pig? How can she sleep in an environment like this?”

When night falls, it’s easy to encounter danger; players’ lives hang by a thread, yet Lu Xi could sleep so soundly in such peril.

One didn’t know whether to call her carefree or simply foolish.

Chen Yiyi rolled her eyes.

***

Ha, definitely an idiot!

In the latter half of the night, a piercing scream shattered the silence.

Another player had died.

The axe used to chop wood was split cleanly in two.

Wrapped in a black robe, Lu Xi remained completely unaware of the chaos around her, still deeply asleep.

No one noticed that just before the scream, the silver brooch on the black robe flickered briefly.

As if fate itself was shielding her from everything.

Disordered footsteps, crying, desperate calls for help, and screams of terror blended into a noisy cacophony.

Even such loud commotion failed to rouse Lu Xi.

Chen Yiyi, panicked, ran forward while glancing toward the grassy mound where Lu Xi slept.

“Damn, is Lu Xi dead to the world?” she exclaimed.

Not waking up? She must be a pig, sleeping that deeply.

Villagers wielded sickles, shovels, and other sharp farming tools, relentlessly chasing the players on the scene.

Those caught were slashed, bleeding profusely.

Meng Yuanyuan was running too, but she was slowed by the need to care for her lame mother.

“Mom, run faster!” Meng Yuanyuan urged, sweat pouring down her face as she tried to drag Zhang Qiulan along.

The middle-aged woman’s body was bulky, her legs already weak. Now, enduring the pain, she fled desperately, soon gasping for breath, her face pale.

“Yuanyuan, don’t worry about me. You go on… please, just go!” Panic made her clumsy and desperate.

Zhang Qiulan suddenly tripped, falling heavily onto the grass mound where Lu Xi was sleeping, jolting her awake.

The fall was hard; Zhang Qiulan lay motionless on the grass.

As the villagers with axes closed in, Zhang Qiulan shut her eyes in despair.

“My dear, Mom can’t stay with you any longer…”

The imagined pain never came.

The villager raised his axe but passed over them without striking, continuing to chase the fleeing players.

Lu Xi opened her eyes to witness this scene.

She remained motionless.

A few snowflakes drifted slowly from the sky, melting upon touching the ground.

Several icy flakes landed on Lu Xi’s eyelids, bringing a touch of clarity.

This body of the original character was truly remarkable—once asleep, it was as if struck by lightning, utterly immovable.

If not for Zhang Qiulan’s fall jolting her awake, Lu Xi might have died in her sleep unnoticed.

“Don’t move!” Lu Xi suddenly shouted. “They only chase those who are moving!”