Zhou Che really wanted to send another message to Yi Liuyue.
He wanted to know if it had been received on the other end.
After all, messages from strangers don't have a 'read' receipt function.
Just then, a message from Yaochuan popped up.
"Come on, guild battle!"
"Okay."
Zhou Che replied dejectedly.
He thought maybe Yi Liuyue wasn't streaming today, so she hadn't logged into her Douyin account. Perhaps she'd see the message tomorrow.
...
Feng Xiaoman sat in her gaming chair, her door open, clicking her mouse continuously to cast healing spells.
A pink gaming headset was perched on her head,
and she muttered into the mic:
"Hurry, hurry, gather on me."
"I'll drop a group buff ultimate."
"Weimianye, you're at a sliver of health! Run over here, quick!"
Zhou Che's frantic, yelping voice came through the voice channel.
"Sister Wanwan, save me, save me!"
Yaochuan snickered gleefully beside him, his usual sarcastic self.
"Don't heal him. Let him die."
"Getting distracted during a guild battle, and he hasn't done his guild dailies lately. I'll kick him out tomorrow."
Zhou Che yelped again.
"Don't! Bro, we're such close buddies, you wouldn't dare!"
Yaochuan snorted coldly. "Why wouldn't I?"
Zhou Che could only whimper pitifully, "Sister Wanwan, put in a good word for me, please?"
Feng Xiaoman couldn't help but let out a soft laugh hearing their banter through the headset.
Then, covering her lips, she whispered,
"I listen to Yaochuan. Whatever Yaochuan says, goes."
Zhou Che wailed, "Ah! No way!"
Amidst the cheerful atmosphere, they still won the guild battle.
Everyone was still on voice chat.
Feng Xiaoman took off her headset and placed it on the desk.
She turned her head and called out to Jiang Liuyue, who was sitting on the sofa binge-watching a drama:
"I'm so thirsty, could you pour me a glass of water?"
Back in their dorm, Feng Xiaoman had slept on the bunk above Jiang Liuyue and often asked her to fetch water, using the excuse that it was inconvenient to climb down.
Now her excuse was that she was in the middle of a game and couldn't get up.
And Jiang Liuyue was always kind enough to help.
Now, as Feng Xiaoman called out as usual, Jiang Liuyue paused the drama on her laptop.
She got up, poured some water, and walked into Feng Xiaoman's room.
Her eyes subtly glanced at the large-scale MMORPG "Jianghu Tianxia 3" on the screen, then she placed the cup on the desk.
Her voice was clear and sweet.
"Here, your water."
After saying that, she turned and left.
Feng Xiaoman picked up the cup contentedly, took a sip, and only then put her headset back on.
Immediately, she heard the curious voices of others on the channel.
"Who was that girl who just spoke?"
"Her voice is really nice."
Hearing this, Feng Xiaoman felt a complex mix of emotions.
She replied dismissively, "Oh, that was just my roommate bringing me water."
Zhou Che chimed in, "Sister Wanwan, your roommate is really nice. And her voice sounds a bit like that streamer I've been following lately."
Yaochuan mocked, "Seems like you fall for every girl you hear."
Zhou Che grunted.
"I am utterly loyal to my streamer now! I'm not interested in any other women!"
Feng Xiaoman gave a light laugh.
Not wanting to continue this topic, she proactively said,
"Yaochuan, didn't you say after the guild battle you'd take me somewhere?"
Yaochuan: "Mhm, let's go."
Zhou Che watched as the two left the party, presumably to go 'sightseeing' in the game.
So-called sightseeing meant visiting scenic spots on the game map to stroll and chat, a common daily activity for many in-game couples.
He never used to feel anything about it before.
But now, having been force-fed a mouthful of 'dog food',
he suddenly missed his beloved streamer.
Sigh!
Why wasn't she streaming tonight?
...
Zhou Che tossed and turned, unable to sleep well.
Jiang Liuyue, however, slept soundly.
Waking up early, she changed into her sportswear and the newly bought sports shoes, her lips curling up slightly in a smile.
She gently knocked on Feng Xiaoman's door.
"Time to get up."
A struggling sound came from inside.
Just as Jiang Liuyue knocked a second time, Feng Xiaoman, with a hint of morning grumpiness, said somewhat impatiently:
"Liuyue, I really can't get up!"
"Go for your run by yourself today, don't worry about me. I need to sleep a bit more."
Jiang Liuyue didn't insist.
"Alright, I'll head out then."
After finishing her morning run and having breakfast downstairs, she returned upstairs to find Feng Xiaoman, hair a bird's nest, just emerging from her room.
Looking at her own disheveled appearance, then at Jiang Liuyue's vibrant, youthful, and attractive figure post-run,
a secret sense of envy and jealousy stirred in her heart again.
Even her words carried a trace of complaint.
"My willpower isn't strong enough. Liuyue, you must call me to get up for our morning run tomorrow."
Jiang Liuyue smiled helplessly.
"I'll try."
"But if you really don't want to get up, I can't exactly barge in and drag you out of bed."
Hearing this, Feng Xiaoman pouted and fell silent.
An awkward atmosphere settled in the room.
But not long after,
Feng Xiaoman came out of the bathroom, freshly washed, full of energy again.
"Liuyue! What should I do?"
"Yaochuan said he's coming to S City on a business trip this weekend, and he asked if we could meet..."
"But I haven't lost weight yet, I'm not slim!"
Jiang Liuyue listened, appearing rather nonchalant about it.
Her tone was light as she said,
"Then just keep putting it off."
Feng Xiaoman hesitated.
"But I've already made excuses several times."
"I'm worried if I reject him, he might be upset."
Jiang Liuyue propped her chin on her hand, looking up.
"Then go meet him."
Hearing this, Feng Xiaoman stamped her foot, exclaimed "Aiyo!", and pointed at herself.
Then she hung her head, somewhat deflated.
"...But I'm not perfect right now. I'm afraid if we meet, Yaochuan will be disappointed."
Seeing her so torn,
Jiang Liuyue jokingly offered a bad idea.
"Why don't you hire an actor online to pretend to be you and meet Yaochuan?"
"They can wear a mask and not talk, just someone with a similar build to you."
At first, Feng Xiaoman thought it sounded unreliable.
But upon careful consideration, it actually made some sense.
After pondering for a while, she felt it was still improper.
"No! Yaochuan is so good... what if, just what if, the actor hired online actually hit it off with Yaochuan? What would I do then?"
Feng Xiaoman felt uneasy.
She paced back and forth in the living room several times.
Jiang Liuyue watched her conflicted state and shook her head.
"Forget it then! You should just refuse to meet him."
Yet these words,
somehow solidified Feng Xiaoman's desire to meet.
She tentatively suggested,
"...What do you think if I meet Yaochuan myself, wearing a mask and a hat?"
"If I wear a fitted trench coat, he probably wouldn't be able to tell I'm slightly chubby, right?"
Jiang Liuyue nodded.
"You could give it a try."
Excited by this, Feng Xiaoman immediately rushed into her room and began rummaging through her closet.
She started changing clothes, putting on makeup, a mask, and a hat.
After fussing for a long time, she looked at herself in the mirror, turning left and right, completely dissatisfied!
