Xi Liye walked over, his voice low and haunting: “We continue tomorrow.”
Wen Chu’s mental defenses crumbled instantly. “Xi Liye, you’re a demon.”
Having finally escaped the “Demonic Tutoring Session,” Wen Chu couldn’t wait to open her phone and relax. Just then, a message popped up from Xia Yaoyao.
Yaoyao-Wants-to-Rank-Up: Chu Chu Chu Chu! Are you done tutoring with that darling boyfriend of yours? [Peeking_Emoji.jpg]
Yaoyao-Wants-to-Rank-Up: Wanna come rescue your poor roommate who’s being tilted into oblivion by bad teammates? A couple of games to relax? [Puppy_With_Flower.jpg]
The moment she saw the word “game,” Wen Chu’s eyes sparked. She desperately needed something to wash those cursed English words out of her brain. Her fingers flew across the screen, terrified that Yaoyao might log off if she was a second too slow.
Chu Chu Hide-and-Seek: Yes, yes, yes!
Chu Chu Hide-and-Seek: Wait for me to get on! Right now!
Chu Chu Hide-and-Seek: I need gaming to save my dog-life! [Stormy_Crying.jpg]
Since she was still at Xi Liye’s place, she scurried over to his study.
“Xi Liye,” she cleared her throat, trying to make her voice sound both well-behaved and full of longing. “Is it okay if I play a game in your living room? I promise to wear headphones; I absolutely won’t disturb you!”
She paused. Fearing her cold-hearted temporary teacher might refuse, she decided to add some fuel to the fire. Adopting a softer tone, she pressed her hands together and blinked pleadingly. “Just let me relax for a bit, Teacher Xi… pretty please?”
Xi Liye looked at her. Her face practically screamed “I want to play,” her eyes bright with a cautious, hopeful plea—like a kitten with its paws hooked onto a yarn ball.
He went silent for a moment. “Fine.”
“Yay! Thank you, Teacher Xi!” Wen Chu’s face instantly broke into a grin.
She skipped back to the living room, curled up on the sofa, opened the game, and joined Xia Yaoyao’s lobby.
“Yaoyao! I’m here! Start it up!” Wen Chu said excitedly the second she entered the team.
“Wah! Finally, Chu Chu! Welcome, welcome!” Yaoyao cheered.
An hour later.
When Xi Liye stepped out of the study precisely on schedule, this was the scene that greeted him:
Only the floor lamp was on in the living room, casting a warm, hazy glow. Wen Chu was curled into the corner of the sofa, her entire being absorbed by the screen in her hands. Her lips were pressed thin, her fingers sliding and tapping with rapid precision. Occasionally, she would lean forward in excitement or tension, completely immersed in the digital world. She didn’t even notice him approaching.
On the screen, a fierce team fight was underway, flashing with light and special effects.
Xi Liye didn’t disturb her. He simply sat down in the single-seater sofa nearby and waited quietly.
After a while, he felt that strange “un-rightness” again. Just like when he accompanied her to class, he realized he inexplicably couldn’t stand it when Wen Chu’s attention wasn’t on him. The feeling was bizarre, yet he cared about it deeply.
His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. His fingers, resting on his knee, curled slightly.
This feeling… what is it?
A few minutes later, the giant “VICTORY” sign flashed on the screen. Wen Chu let out a long breath and slumped back against the sofa. Then, she turned her head and locked eyes with Xi Liye’s calm gaze.
Wen Chu: “…”
“Did I disturb you?” she asked guiltily.
“No,” Xi Liye replied flatly.
Wen Chu looked down, intending to start another round with Yaoyao, but she realized Xi Liye was still watching her. She felt a bit at a loss. He had spent half the day tutoring her; would it be a bit rude to “burn the bridge” and ignore him to play games with someone else? Plus, she still had her “Warm Violence Brat” persona to maintain.
“Um… do you want to play with us?” she offered tentatively.
“I can, but I don’t know how to play.”
Wen Chu froze. A surge of inexplicable excitement and a “I finally caught the top student’s weakness” sense of glee bubbled up from her heart like tiny fizzing bubbles.
Hahaha! So the omnipotent Male Lead of the original book actually has something he can’t do—and it’s a mobile game with a massive adoption rate among college students!
Why does this feel… so good?!
“Oh… no worries, no worries!” Wen Chu’s eyes lit up, her awkwardness and guilt vanishing instantly. In its place was an eager spark. “If you don’t know how, I’ll teach you! It’s super simple, I guarantee you’ll learn it in no time!”
She got more excited as she spoke, as if discovering a new continent. “I have an alt account I don’t use much. Not many heroes, but it should be enough. I’ll log you in right now. Look at the interface first; I’ll teach you the controls.”
Wen Chu quickly whispered into her headset: “Yaoyao, play one round on your own! I have something to take care of, be right back!”
Without waiting for Yaoyao’s reply, she left the lobby and started guiding Xi Liye through the basics.
She leaned in close to him, their arms nearly touching. Like a dedicated yet over-excited little teacher, her finger pointed all over the screen. Occasionally, to demonstrate a move, her fingertip would accidentally brush against the back of his hand holding the phone, sending a faint but undeniable wave of warmth through him.
Xi Liye looked down at the screen, but he also looked at her profile, which was inches away. When she explained things, she was radiant; her eyelashes fluttered with every blink, and her cheeks were flushed a healthy pink from the excitement. Her warm breath brushed against his cheek in soft, rhythmic intervals.
He was acutely aware of the tiny distance between them. She smelled faintly of oranges mixed with her own clean, warm scent. It was very pleasant.
Wen Chu, lost in her excitement, noticed none of this. Her entire focus was on making sure Xi Liye learned the game quickly.
Under the glow of the screen, Xi Liye’s eyes appeared even deeper and darker. He listened quietly, barely speaking, only giving a soft “Mhm” whenever she paused to ask “Got it?” to show he was following.
Once he was familiar with the basic controls and layout, Wen Chu logged back into her main account, created a room, and pulled in both Xi Liye and a very confused, question-mark-spamming Xia Yaoyao.
“Yaoyao! Ready up! I pulled in… uh…” Wen Chu shouted excitedly into the voice chat, then suddenly jammed. How should she introduce Xi Liye? Friend? Classmate? None of it felt right, especially since Yaoyao knew she had a boyfriend.
She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. “I pulled in my boyfriend to play with us!”
The voice chat went dead silent. Two seconds later, Xia Yaoyao’s voice exploded, her shock hitting a high note: “Boyfriend? Wait, isn’t that Xi Liye—?!”
“Agh, don’t ask! Just play, just play!” Wen Chu’s cheeks burned. She cut off Yaoyao’s interrogation, her heart pounding against her ribs. “My boyfriend is a newbie! Let’s carry him!”
Yaoyao seemed to lose the power of speech from the shock, letting out only an ambiguous gasp before obediently clicking “Ready.”
Beside her, Xi Liye heard how she introduced him, and the corners of his mouth tilted up slightly.
The game started. Wen Chu picked her best Marksman. Considering it was Xi Liye’s first time, she wanted to lead him through the process.
“Um… Xi Liye, you pick Yao. You can just ‘possess’ me and hang off my head. Just follow me, and I’ll protect you!”
As she said it, a surge of “I’ll carry you to the skies” pride welled up within her. For some reason, Wen Chu felt like a total boss.
Wen Chu: Man, you can stand on my head. I’ll take you out to fly a kite.