Chapter 145: Lu Xuehan’s Secret?

Not long after, a message from Lin arrived. I suddenly remembered that last night I had promised Lin and a few others to take them to Silvermoon Mountain to level up. I checked my equipment—my red name had disappeared at some point, and the durability of my gear had dropped to about half. It seemed I needed to restock soon.

I hurried back to the city. A flash of light enveloped me, and I found myself standing in the magnificent Silvermoon City. Nearby was the trade office staff, so I went over and consigned several high-level green items from my inventory. While repairing my gear, Lin informed me that she, Xin Yu, and Xue Han were waiting for me on the East Gate Bridge.

I rushed over. The city square was bustling with activity—three guilds, Sword and Rose, Gallant World, and Scarlet Sky, were recruiting new members. According to guild statistics, Sword and Rose already boasted over fifteen thousand members—meaning we had more than 15,000 elite players under our wing!

As I crossed the square, my Sword and Rose emblem on my shoulder and the bold five characters of “Vegetable and White Jade Soup” hovering above my head drew considerable attention. Many greeted me, and I was unsure how to respond, so I simply smiled. It seemed I had truly become a celebrity.

From a distance, I spotted Xue Han’s pure white priest cloak on the East Gate Bridge, and Xin Yu’s fiery red cloak stood out brilliantly. Lin was smiling brightly, perched on the marble bridge pillar.

Wait—besides a few pretty girls, there were two figures swaying back and forth. Who could they be?

I hurried forward a few steps and realized they were two male players: one named “Burning Chest Hair,” an orc warrior, and the other “Night Breeze,” an elven rogue.

It was my first time carefully observing male players. “Burning Chest Hair” was distinctive—his handsome face was marked by two long tusks stretching his lips wide. His light green skin was thick with hair, justifying his name. I recalled that orc players had innate strength bonuses, making them natural warriors. Most orcs were warriors, some rogues, but none could become knights due to their inability to ride mounts.

Elven players looked more appealing—pale purple skin and sharp features gave me the mistaken impression this player might be a woman. The long, pointed ears reminded me of Murong Shanshan, though hers were cuter.

“Here we are!” Lin said with a smile.

The two male players were momentarily stunned, then forced smiles. “Who are these two?” I heard.

“Burning Chest Hair! Just call me Chest Hair!” the orc said boisterously.

The elf was more reserved, replying politely, “Night Breeze, level 38 elven mage.”

I wanted to know their relationship with Xin Yu and the others but didn’t care for their names.

Xin Yu seemed to read my thoughts and pulled me aside. “These two have been pestering us for two hours. If Lin weren’t so patient, I would’ve turned them into a hornets’ nest by now!”

“Pestering for two hours? What do you mean?” I asked, surprised.

“That Night Breeze seems interested in Xue Han. He won’t leave her alone; wherever we go, he follows. The orc seems to be his friend and has been tagging along in Silvermoon Valley for two hours too. I don’t know if they’re crazy!”

I sighed. This shy-looking elven mage was persistent. No wonder—someone as stunning as Xue Han would make many players drool.

Xue Han looked helpless, and Lin seemed at a loss too.

I understood the situation: Xue Han was being pursued delicately—in other words, lightly harassed.

I stepped up to Night Breeze and spoke seriously: “Brothers, our guild is heading out to level. What are your plans?”

Night Breeze smiled faintly. “Can we come along?”

“No,” I said firmly, then softened my tone. “We don’t want our whereabouts exposed. I’m sure you know I’ve offended the leader of Gallant World more than once. If they catch wind of us, trouble will follow.”

Night Breeze quickly waved his hands. “No, no! We just want to level together. We won’t reveal your location!”

The orc, “Chest Hair,” seemed to catch on and muttered, “Old Three, let’s stop bothering them. You’ve seen women before. Is this necessary?”

Night Breeze looked embarrassed. “But…”

“Damn it!” Night Breeze mustered courage and asked me boldly, “Brother, I know your guild is full of experts and you might look down on a level 38 mage like me, but Qingcai Keke looks just like someone I know. You probably know her in real life. Could you… could you give me her contact info?”

I was hesitant. This guy clearly wouldn’t give up easily. He claimed Xue Han resembled someone he knew, though I doubted that. But it was true he had improper thoughts about her.

I gritted my teeth and refused. “I don’t think that’s appropriate. If you want to know, ask her yourself.”

Night Breeze’s expression flickered—he seemed conflicted inside.

After a moment, Night Breeze said with difficulty, “Alright then, will you tell her this? Since she left, classmates have missed her. Her parents even came to school a few times and withdrew her enrollment.”

I was surprised—some personal information about Xue Han had surfaced.

“Anything else?”

“Yes, my name is Ma Jin...”

…

After the exchange, the shy-looking elf led the orc away. Xin Yu and Lin immediately came over to ask what I had said. Only Xue Han stood motionless.

I walked over and softly asked, “Xue Han, did you recognize him?”

She bit her lip and nodded slightly.

She seemed unwilling to speak further, so I turned to Xin Yu and Lin: “Nothing much. Don’t ask—curiosity killed the ant!”

Xin Yu blinked and fell silent. Lin, more composed, patted Xue Han’s delicate shoulder. “Xue Han, let’s get back to killing monsters!”

Xue Han gave a bitter smile. “Let’s go.”

No one spoke as I led the group, with Xin Yu close beside me and Lin accompanying Xue Han from behind.

By the time we reached Silvermoon Mountain, it was past one in the afternoon. We wasted no time and divided roles:

“As usual, Lin Fan will pull, Xue Han casts fire, and Xin Yu picks up loot.”

I objected immediately: “No, let’s change it today. Xin Yu will pull monsters, and I’ll pick up loot.”

Xue Han asked in surprise, “Why?”

“Because these monsters drop herbs I need. I should collect them.”

Xin Yu frowned. “The monsters are high level. What if I die?”

“No problem. I’ll give you potions!”

I immediately traded two pairs of level 2 health potions to Xin Yu. With these, she would be safe.

Her gear was good, especially after Xue Han blessed her with magic, granting immunity to magic attacks and better evasion. Most importantly, she was fast. If handled correctly, the monsters’ magic wouldn’t touch her.

With roles assigned, leveling began.

Though experience was split among four, slowing level-ups compared to solo play, Xue Han’s powerful area spells made progress rapid. More importantly, the herbs I needed were dropping in abundance!

Previously, I had to kill a monster and pick up loot each time. Now, I was constantly gathering items on the ground, feeling immensely pleased. Xue Han had become our guild’s greatest leveling asset. If Lin also learned sustained area magic, her power would surpass Xue Han’s—likely why Scarlet Sky had suddenly jumped from the top ten to second place.

We leveled until six in the evening. As expected, the modest leveling ground was saturated with four of us. Everyone gained plenty of experience—Xin Yu and Lin jumped from level 41 to 42, and Xue Han neared level 44.

What thrilled me most was that I gathered over a hundred herb bundles that afternoon—enough to advance my alchemy skill to level three. I wondered what surprises level-three potions would bring.

We logged off together near some bushes by the clearing, then ate dinner. Xin Yu and Lin logged back in to repair gear, while Xue Han and I had barely used any durability, so we didn’t rush.

Yet I felt uneasy. Since meeting Night Breeze that afternoon, Xue Han hadn’t truly smiled. After thinking it over, I decided to check on her.

“Xue Han, may I come in?”

I knocked gently. There was no sound inside.