In a dimly lit rental room, the flickering light of the computer screen cast a pale glow over a face drained of color. Her long bangs almost completely covered her eyes. The girl, dressed in thin sleepwear and wrapped in a blanket, curled into a ball, hugging her knees tightly.
Qiluo Yi glanced down at the neckline she had propped up, then at the game ID she had set a year ago. It really didn’t match reality anymore. Maybe it was time to change the “d” to an “e.”
But then that fool would definitely become even more suspicious. Even though she’d always told the truth, why didn’t he ever believe her?
She still remembered the first time she met Bai Shinan. During that match, she had already prepared herself to be scolded, but Bai Shinan was the first one who didn’t look down on her, the first one who used Flash to block a fatal skill for her.
Even if it was just in a virtual game, for someone like her, that tiny bit of kindness was enough to bring light into her dark and shadowy life.
From that moment, she had her first friend online—probably also the first in real life.
Unfortunately, Bai Shinan had school and could only log in on weekends. So she cherished every minute and second they could chat.
Only when talking to Bai Shinan did she feel like she was truly alive—a person who hadn’t been completely forgotten by the world.
“Lao Luo, under what circumstances would you buy me all the skins in League of Legends?”
Suddenly, Bai Shinan asked her a strange question. Even stranger than when he asked what color panties she was wearing—it made even less sense.
Qiluo Yi stared blankly at the game interface, unsure why Bai Shinan brought that up out of nowhere. But because she trusted him, she seriously thought about it.
Meanwhile, Bai Shinan sat silently, waiting for her answer. His heart was in conflict—he wanted to know, but also didn’t want to know. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
After a long pause, that distinctive loli voice came through the headphones again.
“Even if you’re my favorite big brother, there’s no way you’re getting a full set of skins for free… unless…” Qiluo Yi’s voice trailed off.
Bai Shinan perked up, hanging onto every word. But then she deliberately paused, making him anxious enough to demand, “Unless what?”
“Unless you call me sweetheart and darling. Then I might consider buying you skins, Big Brother Bai~” After saying such a shameless thing, Qiluo Yi’s face turned red with embarrassment—thank goodness they were separated by the internet.
“Get lost! Pretend I never asked!” Bai Shinan’s face darkened. Still, this confirmed one thing—Lao Luo wouldn’t have bought him all those skins for no reason. After all, in his past life, he had never called her sweetheart or darling.
“Aiya, don’t be mad~ I mean, not a full set, but if there’s a skin you really like, I can still buy it for you.” Qiluo Yi grew worried he’d actually be angry.
“No need. I was just asking. Don’t go wasting money on stuff like that. Come on, let’s just play.” Bai Shinan wasn’t in a rush. There was still more than a year before Lao Luo would vanish—plenty of time to dig out the truth.
“Okay~ Then give me the account for your client. But I’m telling you now—don’t give me anything higher than diamond.” Qiluo Yi knew her limits. She could manage diamond and below. Anything above that wasn’t joyful duo queue—it was pressure.
“Forget that. I’m not taking boosting jobs anymore. I’ll switch to a smurf and carry you myself. Free, of course.” Bai Shinan had only started boosting to fund his simp lifestyle. Now that he wasn’t doing that anymore, there was no need to keep boosting.
Even though playing games and boosting were technically the same, the experience was worlds apart. One was about efficiency, the other about enjoyment.
Sometimes, with bad luck and strange teammates, he’d lose streaks and be forced to grind all night just to meet deadlines. It wasn’t worth sacrificing sleep over some measly profit.
If Bai Shinan stopped taking orders, would he even keep playing? And even if he did, their ranks would be too far apart. They wouldn’t be able to queue together anymore. Surely he wouldn’t keep smurfing just to play with her?
“Wh-Why not take orders anymore? Didn’t you say you were saving up for a birthday surprise for the girl you liked?” Qiluo Yi also knew the original reason he started boosting.
“What else could it be? I don’t like her anymore,” Bai Shinan said in an utterly calm tone.
When she heard that, Qiluo Yi’s first reaction was a burst of unexplained happiness. No—no! This wasn’t the time to think about that. The real issue was that Bai Shinan might not play with her anymore.
“Then… can we still duo queue together in the future?” Her voice was laced with disappointment. She couldn’t bring herself to selfishly ask him to waste time on her.
“Why not? I said I’m not boosting anymore—I didn’t say I’m quitting the game. At most, I just won’t be playing like a maniac anymore,” Bai Shinan replied. Of course he wouldn’t quit. If he did, how else would he keep talking to Lao Luo?
“B-But I’ll drag you down…” Qiluo Yi murmured, a bit self-conscious. She didn’t want to become a burden.
“Lao Luo, do you know what’s the rarest thing in this game?” Bai Shinan didn’t rush to comfort her. Instead, he asked a question.
“Godlike streak? Pentakill? Rank one server?” Qiluo Yi tried to guess the game’s most glorious achievements.
“Wrong. It’s a friend who’ll queue up and play with you,” Bai Shinan said, smiling faintly.
Lao Luo had only him as a friend online. And truthfully, he was no different. In his past life, Mu Yuwei would’ve never accompanied him in a game she saw as ‘a waste of time.’
In that gloomy rental room, Qiluo Yi sat stunned, quietly repeating the word [friend] to herself. It was the first time Bai Shinan had openly defined their relationship. For someone used to hiding in the shadows, it caught her completely off guard.
[Friend]—such a strange and distant word.