Chapter Twenty-Two: Falling in Love with the Feeling of Love

I no longer felt the mood to joke with her as I used to; at this moment, Xin Yu seemed like a completely different person.

“Lin Fan, your girlfriend must be very beautiful, right?” Xin Yu spoke softly, and my thoughts drifted back to memories from years ago. Maybe Chen Yu could be considered a pretty girl; she was smart too. But now, all I had left were pangs of pain. For her, I dropped out of school, and Ye Qiu stood up for me as a good brother, only to be injured by others.

It’s hard to say who was right or wrong. I never blamed her; everyone has the right to choose. She was just a girl, someone who needed to be loved. What I couldn't give her, someone else could.

I curled my lips in a self-deprecating smile and said, “She’s pretty, I suppose, but not quite as pretty as you.”

Xin Yu laughed and pushed me away, tidying her hair as she said, “You’re adorable when you lie!”

“Oh, please, we’re all adults here. Don’t insult my intelligence with words like ‘adorable,’ okay?”

“Come on. If I said Xue Han was adorable, you wouldn’t object, would you?”

“That’s a different matter. By the way, you must be level 10 now, right? When we get back, equip that bow—it’s got high attack power, eighteen to thirty-two. Once you’ve got it, you’ll be able to solo monsters three levels above you.”

Xin Yu gave a teasing smile. “Is this a gift for me? Should I give you something in return? My first night is gone, so I’ll give you my first kiss from the past six months instead!”

“Oh, come on, your first kiss of six months? Spare me, will you? I don’t want Lin Sister accusing me of seducing female comrades.”

“Ha ha, look at your blushing face!” Xin Yu laughed like a happy little girl. If only she weren’t a prostitute… how wonderful that would be.

“Lin Fan, what do you think I’d be doing now if I hadn’t chosen this path?” Xin Yu’s face was radiant under the moonlight. I thought for a moment and replied, “Maybe you’d still be acting spoiled with your parents, or busy with your graduation project and job hunting. But knowing your personality, you’d probably find a rich husband first—after all, marrying well beats working hard.”

“You’re so vulgar!”

“Perhaps. Should we head back now?”

Checking my watch, unknowingly, I’d stood outside with Xin Yu for two hours already. The server maintenance was in two hours; perfect timing for a good sleep.

Xin Yu nodded, letting go of my arm, and we walked side by side in silence, like a couple in the midst of a cold war.

Back at the apartment, Sister Xu was still playing her game; the others had already gone to bed. I rubbed my eyes and lay down. Xin Yu had been so gentle just now; I’d never seen her so fragile. Some wounds aren’t forgotten just because you fall from grace.

Sleepiness overtook me, and soon I was asleep. In my dreams, I saw my parents, Chen Yu sobbing, and the brothers of the TOT squad. It felt as if I’d returned to that night I struggled to forget—Ye Qiu’s blood soaked half his body, but his gaze was still stubborn and passionate. No matter what he faced, he didn’t want to lose me as a brother, yet I retreated, abandoning a group of companions who trusted me...

No blame, no complaints, but my heart ached. I’d called myself a coward countless times, but it was useless. My longing for her gnawed at me like poison.

Sleep was uneasy; when I woke, my whole body was drenched in sweat. A white towel lay beside my pillow, still damp—someone had clearly wiped my sweat.

At that moment, Xin Yu, clad in pajamas, walked in holding a thermometer. “Well, the room temperature is only twelve degrees. How could you be so hot, sweating all over in your sleep?”

I wanted to say “thank you,” but seeing Xin Yu’s provocative attire, the words died in my throat.

“Thirty-four D cup means you have to wear a bra, or else you’ll sag, sister!”

Xin Yu blushed for once and shot me a glare. “Mind your own business. I like it this way!”

I didn’t bother arguing. Checking my watch, it was already six in the morning. I hadn’t expected to sleep eight hours straight, wasting two hours of leveling time.

“Xin Yu, why aren’t you grinding levels?”

Xin Yu smiled sweetly. “I was waiting for you. I just made you a fried egg—hurry and try it!”

I was stunned—had she changed? When did she become so diligent...

Quickly, I brushed my teeth and washed up. Sure enough, a fried egg sat on the table. Some parts were burnt, but it didn’t hurt the flavor overall.

“How is it? Is it good?” Xin Yu’s eyes were wide with anticipation.

“Not bad! You have promise.” I praised without hesitation.

“Heh, that’s good. I’m off to play my game now. Remember to message me!”

Watching Xin Yu’s graceful figure leave the room, I muttered “weird” and entered the game.

I appeared at the foot of Halfhill Mountain. Nearby, several level eighteen One-Clawed Werewolves paced back and forth. Behind me was Golden Needle Grass, guarded by the Orc Shaman Nikolai. With my current strength, I couldn’t challenge this boss—his level was so high, even as a level fifteen expert, I couldn’t see it!

I contacted Xu Lin and Xin Yu; they were both online. We arranged to meet at the East Gate of Gale City. I used a Return Scroll, costing ten silver coins.

First, I went to the armor shop. The blacksmith, Hughes, was busy. I took out the twenty pieces of rare copper ore. Hughes was unusually excited. “Wonderful! With these materials, we can finally wipe out the Plague Spreaders. Thank you so much, young man! Here’s your reward!”

“Ding~!”

System prompt: You have completed the quest ‘Blacksmith’s Troubles.’ Reward: 5,000 experience, 50 gold coins, 2 reputation points, item: Miner’s Shovel. Skill learned: Mining!

Huh? Is this the miner’s job quest? Looks like I’ve been forced to become a miner!

Leaving the armor shop, I headed straight for Gale City’s East Gate. From afar, I saw Xu Lin and Xin Yu waiting. They must have been confident in their looks; neither had adjusted their appearance. Xin Yu sized me up, then teased, “Hey? Our Lin Fan seems to have lost some masculinity.”

I ignored this tomboy and traded the equipment to her:

[Wolf Tail Longbow] (Green Equipment)

Attack: 18-32

Stamina: +6

Agility: +4

Required Level: 10

Xin Yu took the item without ceremony, her face beaming with a smile as she hurried off to repair her gear.