Chapter 50
Shu Xiao immediately downloaded the game and registered an account with great focus, her demeanor reminiscent of when she was in high school doing homework. Her slender fingers skillfully controlled the character, and she quickly grasped the game’s core mechanics. Despite the game’s violence and the blood splatter on the screen during fights, Shu Xiao remained unfazed, which was completely different from Meng Jia, who had found the game too violent.
When Ji Ting first played, she had even avoided it a bit. At that time, Tan Yucheng was beside her, and as she moved away, the back of her head bumped into his shoulder, causing him to chuckle lightly. He told her if she was scared, she shouldn’t play.
Ji Ting had considered playing something like Candy Crush, but curiosity led her to continue with the game. Over time, she found it very enjoyable and a great way to relieve stress. This is why the game became so popular in China in just a few years, surpassing Honor of Kings and PUBG.
For Shu Xiao, the game seemed to be effortlessly easy.
After seeing Shu Xiao off, Ji Ting returned to her seat behind the bookshelf and sipped her now-cold coffee. Xiao Zhou came over to clean the table, holding a cloth. She sat down and asked Ji Ting, “Sister Ting, was that beautiful lady just now trying to win Tan Yucheng back?”
Ji Ting came back to her senses and looked at Xiao Zhou. “How did you figure that out?”
Xiao Zhou coughed and pointed to the bookshelf behind them. “I was tidying up back there and overheard your conversation.”
Ji Ting glanced at Xiao Zhou.
Xiao Zhou grinned and, guided by her intuition, said, “Sister Ting, if she gets back together with Tan Yucheng, wouldn’t that make your relationship with him more distant?”
Ji Ting met Xiao Zhou’s gaze and replied in a calm tone, “Some things are unavoidable, you know?”
Xiao Zhou was taken aback for a moment.
A few seconds later, she understood.
Indeed.
Sister Ting seemed to be quite open-minded about it.
“Alright, I want some mousse. Could you check if there’s any extra and bring me some?” Ji Ting gestured, suddenly craving something sweet. Xiao Zhou immediately got up, saying, “Sure, there’s a new piece. The store manager just brought it out.”
Xiao Zhou quickly brought it over and placed it on the table.
Ji Ting smiled at her haste, took a spoonful of the mousse, and found her mood significantly brightened with the sweet taste.
Her phone rang at that moment.
In the high school group chat, someone remembered Long Kong’s birthday and inquired in the group. Additionally, a classmate who was on a business trip to Li City planned to help celebrate Long Kong’s birthday.
Long Kong replied with a laugh: Thanks, everyone. This year, I’ll book a bigger bar.
The classmate responded with a smile: Absolutely, we’ll all be there. Asang took his vacation early, and since I’m on a business trip, it’s just right.
Long Kong immediately replied: I’m really looking forward to it. It’s been a long time since we all met.
The classmate named Jiang Li replied: Indeed, it’s been a long time.
Another classmate named Lu Sheng added: Class monitor, your birthday is right before the New Year, so it’s really easy to remember.
The rest of the group chimed in, laughing and discussing New Year’s holiday plans. The chat, which had been quiet for a while, became lively again.
Later in the evening.
Ji Ting, having finished her shower, was sitting on the sofa drying her hair when she received a private message from Long Kong.
Long Kong: Tingting, Shu Xiao just sent me a message wishing me a happy birthday. She also asked if she could come to my birthday party.
Ji Ting was taken aback.
Long Kong, feeling a bit helpless, didn’t wait for a response and sent another message: What does Brother Cheng think about it?
Long Kong: I was thinking about asking yesterday when we were climbing the mountain. Since Shu Xiao is now in Li City, what’s the situation? Has she met Brother Cheng?
Ji Ting was still editing her response when another message from Long Kong arrived. She could only reply to the latest message: They’ve met.
Long Kong was somewhat shocked: !!!
Long Kong: What does Brother Cheng think? Is he angry? Didn’t you say he’s still keeping that bracelet?
Long Kong: Tingting, should I let her come to the birthday party or not?
Long Kong: But my main concern is Brother Cheng. Asang and the others do want to meet Shu Xiao.
Long Kong: If she doesn’t ask me, I’d rather not fuss over it and just pretend she didn’t exist.
Long Kong: But who would have thought she would actually come to my party this time.
Long Kong seemed frustrated, sending several messages in quick succession. He had once joined a few male classmates in making trouble, but after their dramatic split, he gradually sided with Tan Yucheng. When Shu Xiao started dating, he worried that Tan Yucheng might still be upset, so he had Ji Ting help to investigate. Now, with Shu Xiao asking to come to his birthday party, he felt truly conflicted.
Ji Ting hadn’t replied yet when the messages kept coming in, reflecting his frustration. Ji Ting felt a bit helpless and, after some thought, replied:
Ji Ting: Maybe things aren’t as complicated as you think.
Ji Ting: When he met Shu Xiao, he didn’t show much reaction.
Just like when Fu Yan saw Wen Nanxi again, he didn’t show any particular reaction or do anything inappropriate.
Long Kong was slightly taken aback: Didn’t show much reaction?
Ji Ting: Yes.
Long Kong: Alright.
Late at night.
Tan Yucheng finished his shower and came out, wiping his hair. Noting the time was 1:30 AM, he saw that his computer was still on at the high table. He sat down on the sofa and picked up his phone to check.
The notifications were overwhelming, especially in the group chat.
He glanced through them and then opened Punk Thug, entering the game.
He hadn’t been online for a few days and his task was stuck on the previous level. He controlled his character to continue the main quest. In the quest hall, a female character with a knife at her leg kept walking back and forth around him, blocking his sight.
Tan Yucheng accepted the new task and controlled his character to exit the task hall. The game was rarely sunny, and as he looked at the task bar, he saw the hovering vehicle approaching. His character grabbed the vehicle’s door and jumped in, followed by the female character with a knife at her leg. At this moment, the vehicle was empty, with only his character and hers inside.
Tan Yucheng glanced around.
The name “Shu Xiao” was displayed above the female character’s head. Tan Yucheng briefly looked at his friend list and saw that Shu Xiao was online on WeChat. He glanced at it and then ignored it, focusing on wiping his knife against the vehicle’s window. The new task was in the high altitude, and the hovering vehicle was moving very slowly. Shu Xiao’s character stayed still inside the vehicle for a while.
After a moment, Shu Xiao’s character mustered the courage to turn towards Tan Yucheng’s character.
His character had a crew cut, was dressed in black, with a hood and short boots, making it quite noticeable in the game.
After Shu Xiao’s character turned towards Tan Yucheng, it took a while before she sent a message: The next task might require two people to cooperate. Can I team up with you?
This message was clearly the only one on the screen.
Tan Yucheng saw it but did not respond. He continued to scroll through the task levels.
Seeing no response, Shu Xiao thought he might not have heard her and sent another message, but Tan Yucheng’s character moved, taking a seat in the back and assembling a firearm on the spot.
Shu Xiao had no choice but to move her character forward and tried a different message.
Shu Xiao: Can we form a temporary team? I’ve tried that task alone, and it really doesn’t work.
Tan Yucheng finished assembling the firearm and, seeing her persistent efforts, became a bit impatient. He typed on the public screen:
Tan: No.
Shu Xiao was taken aback. The hovering vehicle arrived at the high-rise task window just as Tan Yucheng’s character leapt through the window, triggering the task and entering a restricted mode.
Shu Xiao’s character was still on the hovering vehicle, while Tan Yucheng, with his long fingers, scrolled through the screen, focusing on dealing with the monster clinging to the ceiling. The monster’s level didn’t seem very high, but its hidden abilities were quite troublesome.
Tan Yucheng didn’t complete the task and lost a life in the process.
He returned to the task hall.
Shu Xiao’s character also returned to the task hall. Tan Yucheng took on the task again and headed to the task entrance, not once looking back or inviting her to team up.
After several rounds of attempts, always falling just short, Tan Yucheng, exhausted of patience, quit the game. He picked up his water cup and took a sip, his fine hair falling over his eyes.
He flipped through his phone, found Ji Ting’s number, and dialed it.
Even though he knew she might be asleep, he still wanted to call.
Music played in the background.
After a while, Ji Ting picked up the phone, her voice groggy and soft.
Her voice, muffled by the pillow, was gentle and slightly hoarse. Tan Yucheng swallowed, listening to her.
Ji Ting, still groggy, glanced at her phone and, recognizing the caller, asked, “Still working late?”
Tan Yucheng let out a light laugh.
“Mm.”
Ji Ting replied softly, “It’s already 2 a.m.”
“Get some sleep.”
She added softly.
Tan Yucheng leaned back in his chair, dressed in loose black pajamas, holding his phone. “What if you can’t fall asleep?”
Ji Ting was almost asleep on the other end.
She mumbled in response, “Melatonin.”
“I don’t have that.”
Ji Ting, half-asleep, thought for a moment. “Milk?”
“Not drinking it.”
Ji Ting: “…..”
With her face buried in the pillow, she considered, “Try counting sheep. One, two…”
Tan Yucheng’s lips curled slightly.
In the darkness, his Adam’s apple was very prominent, and his laptop behind him had dimmed. Everything was silent in the deep night, and the chaotic counting of sheep carried a deeper sense of desire.
She slept through the night.
When Ji Ting woke up, her phone was by her pillow. She picked it up and saw that there was a call from Tan Yucheng from around 2 a.m. last night. She paused, then remembered his mention of not being able to sleep.
Did she count the sheep?
Or did Tan Yucheng do it himself?
Would he really count sheep?
It must have been her who counted them.
With a helpless sigh, Ji Ting set her phone back by the bed and lay down again.
At that moment, her phone rang again, and she picked it up to check.
Yu Xi sent her a private message: Tingting, what gift are you preparing for Long Kong’s birthday? I’m so dizzy. I’ve been out of town these days and won’t be back until tomorrow. Last year I gave him a razor. What can I give this year?
Ji Ting: …I don’t know either.
She was also troubled by it.
Yu Xi: Ugh, gifts for men are really hard to choose.
Ji Ting: Mm.
Yu Xi: I’ll ask Meng Jia for advice.
Yu Xi: Have you gotten up yet?
Ji Ting: Not yet.
Yu Xi: Wow, that’s great. Sleep a bit more, boss Tingting.
Ji Ting: Go ahead.
On Long Kong’s birthday, the weather was a bit cold, with cold air sweeping in. Fortunately, there was still some sunshine during the day. With the New Year approaching, many companies were beginning to go on holiday, but the offices at Zhuoyue were still holding firm, with large-scale holidays starting the day after tomorrow. Long Kong had booked the Starry Night Bar for the evening, and Yu Xi had returned from out of town and taken a day off.
She arrived early at Ji Ting’s store and, linking arms with Ji Ting, said, “I heard some old classmates are coming tonight. We should dress up nicely.”
Ji Ting glanced at her and asked, “What do you plan to wear?”
Yu Xi chuckled and said, “Go check your wardrobe. I brought some things with me too.”
Ji Ting looked at the suitcase at Yu Xi’s feet and said, “Alright.”
Yu Xi, who hadn’t seen Ji Ting for a while, clung to her and said, “I saw Shu Xiao’s WeChat Moments last time. She came to your store?”
Ji Ting paused and replied, “She has been here a few times.”
“I knew it. She must have come to find you. Zhong Yu isn’t in Li City, so you’re the only one she could look for.”
Yu Xi’s impression of Shu Xiao was neutral, she neither particularly liked nor disliked her. However, it was true that Shu Xiao only hung out with Ji Ting. During high school, they lived next door to each other, and Yu Xi used to think Shu Xiao was very beautiful and a prominent figure. However, there were one or two occasions when Yu Xi found her annoying, feeling that Shu Xiao might be trying to take Ji Ting away from her.
Yu Xi tightly linked her arm with Ji Ting’s and asked, “Has Tan Yucheng shown any signs of anything? Do you think they might get back together?”
Ji Ting brought over some desserts for Yu Xi and looked at her, saying, “How would I know?”
“Oh, fine.”
Yu Xi took the desserts, shrugged, and began eating.
Around 6 PM, Ji Ting took Yu Xi upstairs. Yu Xi opened her suitcase and pulled out two dresses. One was a silver-gray spaghetti strap, fitted with a long dress with a slight gradient. The other was a pink, strapless long dress with some sparkle, also fitted, which accentuated the figure.
Yu Xi blinked and handed the silver-gray dress to Ji Ting, saying, “You should wear this one!”
Ji Ting fetched the two dresses she had not yet put away and paused, asking, “Aren’t you going to try on the two dresses I have?”
Yu Xi peeked at them and nodded, saying, “I want the apricot one, but I think this silver-gray one looks perfect on you. You have to wear it.”
Ji Ting glanced at the dress Yu Xi was holding and said, “I’ll give it a try.”
The two of them went to change.
Yu Xi was ready first. As she adjusted her dress, she looked up and saw Ji Ting coming out in the silver-gray dress. Her eyes lit up, and she said, “I told you this dress is perfect for you!”
Ji Ting’s shoulders looked beautiful, the spaghetti straps were very thin and rested on her collarbones. The dress resembled a mermaid style but was slightly looser, with a flowing skirt. The whole look was striking.
Additionally, her fair skin made the color of the dress stand out even more.
Ji Ting looked at herself in the mirror and said, “Then I’ll wear this one.”
“Great, then I’ll wear yours,” Yu Xi said, wearing the apricot-colored dress, which also looked stunning and gave a lively and beautiful impression.
They both finished up, did their makeup, and put on long coats.
The two of them went downstairs, Ji Ting changed into flats, and they drove to the Starry Night Bar. They were both familiar with the place. Last year, for Ji Ting’s birthday, Tan Yucheng had rented out this bar. The bar is known for its long staircase that, when lit up at night, looks like a starry sky.
After parking the car, Ji Ting and Yu Xi carried their dresses up the stairs. At the entrance, they saw Shu Xiao in a white dress, holding an expensive bag. When she turned and saw Ji Ting, she immediately called out, “Ji Ting!”
Ji Ting was surprised, “Why aren’t you going in?”
Shu Xiao held her bag and said, “I’m a bit nervous.”
Ji Ting replied, “Oh, come on in with us. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Shu Xiao nodded.
She also nodded to Yu Xi.
Yu Xi smiled and gave Shu Xiao a quick, slightly curious look. Ji Ting pushed the door open. Inside, by the bar and some booths, a group of people, including Long Kong and others, turned to look as soon as Ji Ting entered. Even though she was still wearing her coat, her fair, slender legs and high heels made her stand out. Her clear and beautiful features were striking, and her tall, elegant figure caught everyone’s attention.
All eyes were on her.
One of the male classmates, still processing, asked, “Who is that?”
“Who?”
“Are you stupid? That’s Ji Ting.”
“Wow, Ji Ting is so beautiful!” They couldn’t believe it.
Long Kong, snapping out of his astonishment, smiled and called out, “Ji Ting, over here.”
Ji Ting looked over, smiling as she walked toward them. She handed the gift she was holding to Long Kong. The men around were all focused on Ji Ting. Ji Ting smiled and said, “Happy birthday! This year, Yu Xi and I got you the same gift. I really didn’t know what else to get you. I hope you like it.”
Long Kong took the gift with great pleasure, saying, “I’m sure I’ll love whatever you give.”
The rest of the people greeted Ji Ting as well, and Ji Ting responded with grace. At this point, Shu Xiao handed her gift to Long Kong, and everyone realized that Shu Xiao had been following behind, so they greeted her too.
Shu Xiao then took a step forward. She was still very delicate and beautiful, but compared to Ji Ting standing next to her, she seemed to lack something.
Yu Xi leaned closer to Ji Ting and said, “Take off your coat. It’s quite warm inside.”
Ji Ting responded with a “Mm” and, while chatting with Yu Xi, removed her coat. She took both of their coats and hung them on a nearby rack, then returned. The classmates who had been chatting with Shu Xiao instinctively shifted their gaze to Ji Ting. Ji Ting was slightly taller than Shu Xiao, with very straight, white, and attractive legs.
She was very eye-catching.
Seeing the looks of admiration from the others, Yu Xi clicked her tongue in her mind. However, her phone rang, and Meng Jia asked, “Where are you?”
Yu Xi, feeling helpless, said to Ji Ting, “She actually doesn’t know where we are?”
Ji Ting glanced at Yu Xi’s phone and replied, “Send her another location.”
“Alright.”
Yu Xi sent the location again.
At that moment, the door was pushed open, and everyone instinctively looked toward it. Ji Ting turned her head to see Tan Yucheng entering, dressed in a black shirt, trousers, and a tie. He loosened the tie as he walked in, and his eyes immediately found Ji Ting’s outfit in the crowd.