The autumn wind was bleak, and fallen leaves swirled in the air.
Pei Xi tightened his coat around himself. Today’s temperature was two degrees lower than yesterday’s.
The clock had just struck six in the evening, yet the sky had already darkened.
He stood at the entrance of the hotpot restaurant, head bowed as he stared at the tips of his shoes, unsure how long he had been waiting.
Until a voice saying, “Sorry to keep you waiting,” sounded beside his ear. Pei Xi looked up in a daze, and a familiar face came into view.
Not long ago, they had chatted on Douyin.
Pei Xi glanced at him, then quickly averted his gaze, wearing an unnatural smile as he slowly spoke, “It wasn’t that long.”
The two of them waited at the entrance for a few minutes before Lu Li broke the silence: “Lin Shaojun just texted me saying he’ll be here in ten minutes. Zhai Jiarui should be nearby too—they’re both almost here. Should we go inside and wait?”
Pei Xi was a bit surprised. This was the first time Lu Li had spoken such a long sentence to him—almost as much as the total words they exchanged in a week.
“Sure, let’s go in first.”
Pei Xi followed behind Lu Li, watching his tall back with mixed emotions.
Lu Li seemed to be in a good mood today. Was it because they had been keeping in touch all day?
Ever since he discovered Lu Li’s online persona, Pei Xi had gradually let down his guard toward 【User 10557880】. Recently, they had been chatting quite frequently.
Unfortunately, in real life, he and Lu Li remained distant. Their WeChat chat history was still stuck on the day school started, with only the system-generated message after successfully adding each other as friends:
【You are now friends and can start chatting.】
Thinking of this, Pei Xi couldn’t help but feel a bit defeated.
The hotpot restaurant was bustling, with waitstaff weaving through the dining area.
He and Lu Li managed to secure a table for four.
Sitting here wasn’t much different from standing at the entrance—the atmosphere was still awkward. Perhaps because the two of them rarely interacted in the dorm, they now sat with their heads down, each absorbed in their phones.
Lu Li kept staring at his phone, his expression gentle, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Pei Xi glanced down at his own phone, his mood turning subtle. So, Lu Li had just been messaging him.
He didn’t open the message but instead spread out the menu, pretending to order a few dishes. In truth, his mind was already fixated on Lu Li.
He wanted to say something to Lu Li, but unfortunately, it seemed like they really had nothing to talk about. Pei Xi didn’t play games, had no interest in sports, and shared little common ground with any of his three roommates.
After waiting for about fifteen minutes, Zhai Jiarui and Lin Shaojun finally arrived.
“We’re here. It’s the weekend, and the roads are jammed,” Lin Shaojun said casually as he sat down, panting heavily from exhaustion. “I thought you two would’ve already ordered.”
Pei Xi handed him the menu. “I ordered a few dishes. See if you want to add anything else.”
Lin Shaojun declared grandly, “The imperial court’s disaster relief funds have arrived. This hotpot meal is on me—order whatever you want and eat to your heart’s content.”
“My brother Lin is just so domineering.” Zhai Jiarui didn’t hold back, ordering all his favorite dishes. “What kind of broth should we choose? How about a split pot? Pei Xi and Lu Li don’t like spicy food.”
“A four-section pot would work too.” Lin Shaojun turned to look at Lu Li and Pei Xi, who were sitting nearby playing on their phones. “What else do you two want to eat?”
Lu Li didn’t even look up. “Whatever, I’ll eat whatever you order.”
“I already ordered earlier.” Pei Xi didn’t have a big appetite to begin with, and having eaten a candied hawthorn skewer on the way, she wasn’t hungry yet.
Lin Shaojun: “Alright, you two have bird-sized stomachs, while Zhai Jiarui and I are big eaters.”
The hotpot restaurant was packed with customers, so the food was taking a while. Bored from waiting, Lin Shaojun was about to open a mobile game for a round of chaotic battle when he noticed Lu Li fiddling intently with his phone. He couldn’t help but ask, “Lu, what were you doing that Saturday night?”
Saturday night?
Pei Xi quietly perked up her ears.
That Saturday night, he had been livestreaming, and Lu Li had stayed in his stream the entire time. They had even chatted after the stream ended, talking late into the night before going to sleep.
“Did you need something?” Lu Li spared him a glance before returning to editing his video.
“I had scheduled a five-player team to rank up that day, and I called you several times, but you didn’t answer.” Lin Shaojun complained as he opened Lu Li’s game profile, only to find his rank still stuck at Master. The data even showed he had last logged in seven days ago, meaning it had probably been longer than that. “What have you been up to lately? You don’t even play games anymore. Are you just chatting with your crush every day? Doesn’t she play games? You’re still at Master rank, while I’m already at King. With such a big rank gap, how are we supposed to queue together?”
Lu Li: “I quit the game a long time ago.”
Lin Shaojun grew anxious. “What about our plan to reach the national server together? You have no idea how badly I’ve been bullied in the Summoner’s Rift without you. None of the junglers are normal.”
Without another word, Lu Li transferred 1,000 yuan to him via WeChat.
Lin Shaojun stared at the 1,000 yuan deposited into his WeChat account, utterly confused. “What’s the meaning of suddenly sending me money?”
Lu Li gave him a cold look and said, “It means go find a booster and stop bothering me.”
“Alright, alright.” Lin Shaojun made a zipping motion over his mouth, happily pocketing the 1,000 yuan with a grin. “Doesn’t this cover today’s hotpot?”
Zhai Jiarui was stunned. “That works?”
“Why wouldn’t it? Our brother Lu has money.” Lin Shaojun suddenly thought of something and leaned over to look at Lu Li’s phone, trying to console him. “How’s your dating plan going? Did you really not manage to catch up?”
“Is it really that hard? With your looks and wealth, there’s actually a girl you can’t chase?”
“Huh?”
“Wait!”
Lin Shaojun stared at the video Lu Li was still editing, his eyes widening. “What are you doing? Editing a video? Is your online crush a female streamer?”
Lu Li glanced at him as if to say: Is there a problem?
Lin Shaojun swallowed hard. “Bro, you’re joking, right?”
Seeing that Lu Li had no intention of hiding it, he leaned in for another look at the girl in the video.
“I never expected you’d be into this cute type of girl. I always thought you preferred the mature, sophisticated kind.” Lin Shaojun clicked his tongue, feeling the girl in the video looked oddly familiar, as if he’d seen her somewhere before. “Why does she seem so familiar? Is she from our school?”
Hearing this, Lu Li suddenly remembered that “Xixi” was also in Ningcheng now, just like him. Could it be they had crossed paths before? But Xixi always dressed in men’s clothing, so maybe he hadn’t recognized her.
“Where have you seen her?”
At Lu Li’s question, Pei Xi’s heart leaped into his throat. Instinctively, he adjusted his bangs, using the strands at his temples to cover half his face.
His heart was pounding wildly.
Thump—
Lin Shaojun shouldn’t be able to recognize him, right?
The photos and videos he posted online were all with full makeup and a wig, looking drastically different from his real-life appearance. Even Lu Li hadn’t recognized him, so Lin Shaojun probably wouldn’t either.
When Pei Xi got nervous, he bit his fingernails. A habit he’d never shaken off over the years.
“Where exactly have I seen her?” Lin Shaojun scratched his head, racking his brain. “I can’t remember right now, but she definitely looks familiar.”
“Your food is here.”
A waiter pushed a cart over, beaming with a wide smile.
Zhai Jiarui immediately dumped an entire plate of fresh beef into the hot pot. “Let’s eat first. I’m starving. I skipped lunch and only had two bowls of porridge this morning.”
The waiter’s arrival allowed Pei Xi to breathe a small sigh of relief.
He kept his head down, his heart still hanging in the air.
Lin Shaojun mentally flipped through every girl he could think of but couldn’t find anyone resembling the one in the video. After a long moment of hesitation, he earnestly advised, “Listen to me, buddy. Before you get in too deep, cut it off. If it were just an online fling, I wouldn’t say anything, but if she’s a female streamer, you need to think carefully. What if she’s the type who flirts for gifts and maintains several ‘big brothers’ or ‘big sisters’ behind the scenes? Could you handle that?”
Zhai Jiarui nodded in agreement.
Lu Li replied, “We’re not even together yet. I’d like to date her, but she hasn’t given me the chance.”
Zhai Jiarui: “…”
Why did that sound so familiar?
Had he said something similar a few days ago?
Lin Shaojun glanced at Pei Xi, who was sitting quietly in the corner like a mute gourd, and sighed deeply. “Third Brother, give us your sharp take. Can online dating with a female streamer ever be reliable?”
“Huh…?” Pei Xi had hoped to remain invisible, but he hadn’t expected Lin Shaojun to suddenly call on him. He mumbled vaguely, “It’s not impossible.”
“Third Brother!” Lin Shaojun said with exasperation. “Why are you taking Lu Gou’s side? You should be telling him to turn back before it’s too late!”
Pei Xi tried to defend himself. “If she’s a talent-based streamer, they don’t rely on flirting for gifts. They’re not necessarily against dating. After all, they’re not career-focused streamers like those with ‘career fans’ who demand they stay single. Besides, dating probably affects the streamer more, right?”
Even though the fans in his own stream encouraged him to date his top supporter, if he actually did, who knew how things would turn out?
If he and his top supporter broke up, there would be all sorts of doubts and criticism online.
Some might even unfollow and turn against him.
Lu Li agreed with his words and cast a cool glance at Lin Shaojun sitting beside him, saying, “Did you hear that?”
Lin Shaojun sighed, “Hopeless.”
During the meal, Lu Li kept checking his phone. Pei Xi knew he was waiting for a message from him.
Noticing that the other two roommates were focused on eating, Pei Xi dimmed his phone screen to the lowest brightness. In front of his three roommates, he felt a heavy sense of secrecy, as if he were doing something shady.
[Xixi: Having hotpot with my roommates today.]
[Xixi: Delicious (O﹃O)]
[User10557880: What a coincidence, I’m also having hotpot with my roommates.]
[Xixi: Really?]
[Xixi: Wow. (sparkling eyes.jpg)]
[User10557880: photo.jpg]
Pei Xi opened the photo and took a look. Lu Li had captured a corner of the hotpot.
[Xixi: This weather is perfect for hotpot.]
[User10557880: It’s getting colder. Wear more clothes. The temperature will keep dropping next week.]
[Xixi: I’m looking forward to winter.]
[User10557880: Aren’t you afraid of the cold?]
[Xixi: I am, but I want to see snow. You know, Qiaochuan Island never gets snow.]
[Xixi: I wonder if the snow in Ningcheng is heavy enough for me to build a little snowman.]
[Xixi: excited.jpg]
[User10557880: In Ningcheng, it usually starts snowing around mid-December.]
[User10557880: The snow in Ningcheng is heavy enough for you to build a big snowman.]
[Xixi: That’s great.]
Pei Xi picked up a beef ball and happened to catch the faint smile on Lu Li’s lips. Whenever Lu Li smiled, his entire demeanor softened considerably. It seemed he genuinely liked [Xixi].
Pei Xi remembered he hadn’t sent Lu Li his “meal” yet—the selfie he hadn’t posted. He opened his photo album, which contained hundreds of his selfies. After browsing through them, he couldn’t find one he was satisfied with. Finally, he chose a photo from yesterday when he was testing a product.
In the photo, his fluffy curls cascaded freely, a black slip dress accentuating the smooth curve of his waist and hips. Sheer black stockings wrapped around his slender, long legs, and he stood in a pair of black stilettos. The half-squatting pose blended innocence and sensuality into a uniquely captivating atmosphere, making it impossible to look away.
[Xixi: photo.jpg]
[Xixi: Today’s top fan reward~]
Pei Xi had never sent such a photo to anyone before, so it took him a long time to muster the courage to send it to Lu Li. After sending the photo, he immediately closed the app, flipped his phone face down on the table, his heart pounding wildly.
He didn’t dare to look up at Lu Li, gripping his chopsticks tightly and nervously pursing his lips.
Until he heard a clatter. He abruptly looked up and saw Lu Li’s spoon slip from his hand, falling into the bowl of sweet soup. At that moment, Lu Li was staring intently at his phone screen, his pupils slightly dilated, his fingertips pale.
Lu Li’s unusual behavior caught the attention of the other two roommates. Lin Shaojun was startled and quickly handed him a tissue. “Holy shit, Lu, what’s wrong with you?”
Sweet soup had splashed onto Lu Li’s face, making him look somewhat disheveled. Yet, his gaze remained fixed on the phone screen, refusing to look away.
“It’s nothing.” Lu Li’s Adam’s apple bobbed once, his voice slightly hoarse.
He turned off his phone screen, took the tissue from Lin Shaojun, and mechanically wiped the sugary water from his face.