“Miss Shuang Shenghua.” Li Guanqi said calmly, “I’ll ask you one last time.”
“If you’re still unwilling to talk, I’ll have no choice but to call someone or report to the police.”
Shuang Shenghua looked dejected, her face downcast, saying nothing.
“Where is Bianyuelong?” Li Guanqi asked.
“Do you have contact info for your companions?”
“Phone number, QQ, WeChat, Master Duel friends, anything works.”
He asked a string of questions, treating her like a lost person in need of help.
But Shuang Shenghua only kept shaking her head, murmuring, “It’s no use…
I can’t reach them…”
“Then there’s nothing more I can do.” Li Guanqi gave up trying to help.
He glanced at the time and said helplessly, “I have to head back to school, you———”
When he looked up, he found Shuang Shenghua staring wide-eyed, lips trembling but unable to utter a sound, her vacant gaze fixed on something behind him.
Li Guanqi’s brows furrowed.
He turned around once more.
Still, there was nothing.
Just an ordinary desk, an ordinary computer, and an ordinary door.
“You okay?” Li Guanqi waved a hand in front of her face, asking instinctively, “Are you feeling unwell?”
“Or…
did you see something?”
His brows tightened.
An indescribable eeriness crept into his heart.
“Y- You can’t see it?” Shuang Shenghua looked at him in shock, her voice trembling.
Li Guanqi scanned the room again and, sure nothing was off, leaned in close and asked in a low voice, “What…
should I be seeing?”
“D——-” Shuang Shenghua opened her mouth slightly, trying to say something, but some unknown force seemed to block it in her throat.
Only the sound of the first syllable came out.
“Death?” Li Guanqi guessed with a frown.
Shuang Shenghua shook her head, then changed the subject, saying, “Duel.
Let’s duel again.”
“Third round!”
“This isn’t the time to duel…” Li Guanqi said, his voice heavy with meaning.
“Duel duel!” Shuang Shenghua insisted like a child.
“Third round!
Third round!”
She placed particular emphasis on the word “third”.
In her vision, a red number floated in midair, it had been 4, and now it had become 3.
But she couldn’t point it out directly.
“…Fine.” Li Guanqi sighed.
“One last round.”
“After this, I’m really leaving.”
Unexpectedly, Shuang Shenghua didn’t try to stop him this time.
She only nodded and hummed softly, “Mm.” The source of this chapter is g.com.
With a faint smile, she said, “Let me go first!”
“You’re the only one who can play going second!”
“Fine, you go first.” Li Guanqi replied, his tone tinged with fondness and care.
“No switching to <Tenpai>!” Shuang Shenghua suddenly remembered, quickly adding.
Li Guanqi chuckled, his chest shaking from laughter.
“No switching.
I’m still using <Labrynth>.”
“Room number’s still 505.”
He won the coin toss but gave her the first turn.
As Shuang Shenghua drew her opening hand, the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curl up.
The sky had cleared.
The rain had stopped.
She felt like she was back in form.
With a confident hum, she said, “I activate the Spell Card, <One for One>!”
“I discard <Tenpai Dragon Chundra> from my hand.
With this card’s effect, I can Special Summon a Level 1 monster from my Deck.”
“The most beautiful flower in the world…”
“Be bo———!”
“Negate.” Li Guanqi said flatly, clicking his mouse.
<Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring> flashed across the screen, and the air turned chillingly silent.
“You used <Ash Blossom>?!” Shuang Shenghua smacked the bed in frustration and shouted, “Fine, then I summon this monster!”
“Appear, <Red Rose Dragon>!”
It was just a tap on the phone screen to summon a monster, but even so, she lifted her head to look at Li Guanqi with a triumphant smile, proud like a child showing off.
She gives off the same vibe as Weevil Underwood from the anime.
After summoning a rare monster and watching the projection rise, she immediately showed it off with that smug face———–
Her entire expression read: “Look at my monster!
Isn’t it beautiful?
Isn’t it strong?”
Did she really get to play actual Yu-Gi-Oh!?
Li Guanqi couldn’t help but let out a chuckle, gently waving a hand.
“Your move, your move.”
“Activating the effect of <White Rose Dragon> in my hand,” Shuang Shenghua hummed proudly.
“If there’s a Dragon Tuner on the field, this card can be Special Summoned!”
With a Level 3 Tuner and a Level 4 non-Tuner now on the field, they were perfect Synchro material.
What was coming next was obvious.
“Pitch-dark flower———–”
Shuang Shenghua couldn’t hold back anymore.
Her smile burst wide as she declared loudly: “I will———–”
<Waiting for opponent’s response>
A cold line of text appeared on the phone screen.
“What are you doing?!” she shouted, glaring furiously.
Last time he’d seen them, they were just used to make <Crystron Halqifibrax>.
After a while, he calmly said, “Activating the effect of <Arias> in my hand.
I’ll send her to the GY and set <Welcome Labrynth>, which I can activate the turn it’s set.”
“Chaining with <Lady Labrynth> in hand, Special Summon her.”
“Why are you playing again!?” Shuang Shenghua looked like she was about to cry.
“Bro, I’m begging you, please calm down.”
Li Guanqi ignored her and replied leisurely, “The highest etiquette in a duel is to go all out!”
“Activating my set card———- <Welcome Labrynth>.
Special Summon a <Labrynth> monster from the Deck.”
“Chain: <Lady Labrynth>’s effect.”
“Set <Destructive Daruma Karma Cannon> from the Deck.”
Hearing that ridiculous card name, Shuang Shenghua flinched.
“Hiss————”
“…No wait, we’re good.”
“<Lady Labrynth> doesn’t have an effect of letting the card it set be activated this turn.”
Li Guanqi smiled slightly.
“Effect of <Welcome>: Special Summon <Arianna>.
Her effect adds <Cooclock> to my hand.”
“Sending <Cooclock> to the GY.”
“You remember what it does, right?”
“B- Brotheeer~~” Shuang Shenghua pleaded, “Please don’t~~”
“Let me Synchro Summon, I’ll do anything!”
“It’s over, kid.” A glint flashed in Li Guanqi’s eyes.
“Activating the set <Destructive Daruma Karma Cannon>!”
“All monsters on the field become face-down Defense Position!”
The carefully assembled <White Rose Dragon> and <Red Rose Dragon> were flipped before they could ever synch.
“AAAHHHHHH———–” Shuang Shenghua screamed, flailing wildly.
“I’m not playing with you anymore!”
“Three straight losses!
Three!
Three times!!”
She flopped back, staring at the ceiling in existential despair.
Three duels: one with a brick hand (she tried cheating), one where she got six cards ripped as the going second player, and one where her going first got hit with <Ash Blossom> and <Daruma>.
After three matches, she was broken.
Dr.
Li’s treatment for Duel Addiction™: 100% effective.
“All done?” Li Guanqi walked to the hospital bed, took his phone, and softly said, “I’ve uninstalled YGO.
Thank goodness no one came.”
“I’ll go contact your attending physician now.”
At that moment, with a sudden swish, Shuang Shenghua suddenly grabbed his sleeve and, with surprising strength from her small frame, yanked him hard onto the bed.