After swapping contact info, Jiang Mo's phone rang.
He hung up shortly after, stood, and bid his farewells. Lin Shuang made her way back to her current living space. Her parents were abroad; having never received much care from them since childhood, she held a grudge and had no intention of returning to their home for the summer. This young lady was closer to her aunt, which was the only reason she had tested into a university in this city. However, since her aunt had two children of her own, Lin Shuang didn't want to overstay her welcome, opting to rent a place outside instead.
As soon as she pushed the door open, a stack of cardboard boxes caught her eye. Right—this "young mistress" had just finished renovating her new house and hadn't yet moved her things from the old one.
"Ms. Lin, did you ask me out just to have me help you move?" Jiang Mo asked, leaning against the doorframe.
"Don't be like that! I'm really just looking for company—I've already booked a moving company," Lin Shuang replied, showing him the booking interface on her phone. "I saw those news reports about moving drivers acting out recently. I mean, look at me—I'm low-key a total catch1. What would I do if I ran into some weirdo?"
Lin Shuang swore she wasn't a narcissist, but after seeing the reflection in the mirror yesterday, she suddenly understood why this young mistress was so pampered and willful. Wealthy and stunning, she had been spoiled by everyone she knew; no wonder she couldn't accept the result of being rejected by the male protagonist.
Jiang Mo had heard those reports, too. Ride-sharing, moving companies—while most people were just working honestly, it's better to be safe than sorry. He looked at Lin Shuang, who was a head shorter than him. She looked like she'd never known a day of hardship; those slender arms and legs—if she really met some bad guy, she'd probably trip over her own feet just trying to run away.
"Vigilance is a good thing. For a girl, you can never be too careful," Jiang Mo said, reaching up to pat her head. "When are they getting here?"
"In... oh, it looks like they're at the apartment gate," Lin Shuang said, checking her phone just as a call from the movers came in.
Jiang Mo took her phone, exchanged a few words with the caller, and then handed it back, frowning. "This complex is a bust. They don't even have security at the gate."
"Tell me about it. The elevators don't need a key card, either. Some creep actually broke in once," Lin Shuang grumbled. "That's why I'm planning to move to the new place."
The moving crew soon arrived, carrying the boxes out to the truck.
Jiang Mo had his own car. Though it was a cheap model, it was fairly new and looked well-maintained. In reality, he wasn't short on cash; after his parents passed, he saw the cold reality of human relationships, and after being chosen by the "Main God" to become a player, he cared even less about anything in the real world.
"Put on your seatbelt," he reminded her.
"Oh, right," Lin Shuang said, buckling up immediately. She gripped the strap with both hands as her eyes drifted to the car's ornaments—an air freshener and a good-luck charm swaying from the rearview mirror. Tucked into the charm was a small, slightly faded family photo. Before the blind date, her aunt had briefed her on Jiang Mo's situation, specifically warning her not to poke at his trauma.
"What do you do for a living, Mr. Jiang?" She broke the silence while waiting at a red light.
"Nothing. I live off my parents' insurance payout," Jiang Mo replied.
"Then what do you do with your time?"
"Taking training classes."
"Classes? Are you trying to test for the civil service?"
"No—training. Combat, rock climbing, archery, wilderness survival, swimming, that kind of thing."
"All that?" Lin Shuang's face showed her surprise. She knew the male lead's life consisted of nothing but dungeon-diving and training, occasionally acting as a buffer in his daily life by dealing with uninvited troublemakers and rejecting persistent admirers.
Was this going to be her future, too? No way. Getting a total slacker2 like her to turn over a new leaf was impossible! She wanted to be a hanger-on to the Big Boss; she wanted to live the easy life3! She absolutely did not want to learn all those terrifying skills. An 800-meter run for a fitness test was enough to end her, let alone dangerous training that could break her bones!
"It's alright. Just a bit of everything," Jiang Mo said.
The light turned green, and the car moved forward.
Lin Shuang wanted to ask more, but just then, her phone rang—it was her aunt. Her aunt knew she was moving today; after a bit of small talk, she whispered mysteriously:
"Shuang-Shuang, you didn't throw a tantrum at the date yesterday, did you? I ran into Xiao Jiang last night and asked him about it. He told me... well, that you invited him to the cafeteria. You didn't bully him, did you? Xiao Jiang is such a good kid."
(Damn it. Was the "student ID card" bit never going to die?) Recalling her embarrassing "CEO-like" behavior from yesterday, Lin Shuang shifted to the side. "Auntie, please don't ask. I'm busy moving, I'll talk to you later."
She hung up quickly, sat back, and watched Jiang Mo's reaction out of the corner of her eye. Disappointingly, his expression was his usual gentle, faint smile. Maybe her skills were just too low—she couldn't read the emotions he kept so well hidden at all.
Since she couldn't read him, she'd just ask.
"I've been the one asking questions the whole time, Mr. Jiang. Don't you have anything you want to ask me?"
Jiang Mo thought for a moment. "I heard from Aunt Lin that you study art. What's your major?"
"Fashion design. I'm not very good at it, though."
"You must have had a lot of admirers at school."
"It's okay. I'm not exactly stunning," Lin Shuang mused. "People have a lot of prejudices about art students. They think we're always dressed... 'revealingly,' or that we're wild. Once people find out I'm an art student, they act like they're just trying to mess around with me."
"There are certainly some people like that in society, but other majors have their share of them, too. Because we're art students, though, people just jump to the conclusion that we're frivolous."
"We're here," Jiang Mo said. He parked the car and walked around to open the door for her. "I don't have that bias. And besides... being better at art than others is something to be proud of. Ms. Lin, you're already doing great."
He patted her head again.
"Mr. Jiang, you're very good at comforting people. Have you had a girlfriend before?"
"I've been on one blind date."
Lin Shuang blinked. (Huh? That wasn't in the plot. Wasn't the male protagonist supposed to be a total novice to dating?)
"Yesterday."
Lin Shuang processed this for a moment, and suddenly, she felt a spark of joy. "...So, other than yesterday, there hasn't been anyone? Like in college—no one chased after you?"
"Nobody at the police academy could keep up with me," Jiang Mo laughed. "I was always first in physical fitness tests."
Summary:
Lin Shuang moves house while Jiang Mo provides transport and minor assistance. They discuss their backgrounds and expectations, with Lin Shuang desperately trying to maintain her "parasite" aspirations while being interrogated about her life. The chapter ends with a surprising revelation about Jiang Mo's romantic history, casting doubt on the established "plot" Lin Shuang thinks she knows.
Trivia:
Lin Shuang specifically tested into the city's university because of her aunt.
Jiang Mo's car is a cheap, relatively new model.
Jiang Mo's background includes police academy training.
Lin Shuang views her "young mistress" persona as a survival mechanism against the "cannon fodder" plot.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ The source "长得这么好看" refers to her being beautiful, localized here to capture the modern conversational tone of someone acknowledging their own attractiveness.
2 ↩ The term "咸鱼" (salted fish) is a Chinese internet slang for a person with no ambition, a "couch potato" or a "do-nothing."
3 ↩ The term "吃软饭" refers to a man being supported by a woman, here inverted by the female protagonist wanting to be supported by the male lead.
Notes:
• Jiang Mo - A cold, calculating man who hides a predatory nature beneath a mask of playful indifference. A player in the Infinite Stream, detached and highly trained. The male lead of the survival game novel, who masks his cold, aloof nature with a polite and gentle persona in the real world. The male protagonist of the infinite stream story. He is calm, methodical, and surprisingly tidy, currently living alone.
• Jiang - A cynical, survival-hardened former student and game player who has become detached from life. He is suspicious of social interactions and blind dates.
• Lin Shuang - A college student who wants to live a life of comfort as a "parasite" to the male lead. A young woman and minor character in an infinite stream game, struggling with anxiety and a desperate need to survive. A young woman who has transmigrated into a character within a survival game novel, struggling to adapt and survive. An outsider who has transmigrated into a cannon fodder supporting role within an infinite stream world. She is trying to navigate her new reality while dealing with the original owner's social ties.
• Lin - A third-year university student who has transmigrated into a cannon fodder role within a survival game novel. She is panicked but uses a facade of bravado and wealth to survive.