Huo Ting’s gaze lingered on her face for a long time, unmoving.
Gu Jiu appeared oblivious, walking steadily and briskly up the stairs to the second floor. She chose a seat near the window and sat down.
The view outside the window was lovely. It overlooked a tranquil alley lined with flowers, grass, and trees.
It was early spring, and the plants in the alley were just beginning to sprout. They weren’t lush yet, but the winding alley, the wet cobblestones, and the people hurrying through the chill of spring all came together to paint a poetic scene.
Before Gu Jiu’s eyesight deteriorated, she loved sitting here, enjoying her afternoon tea and taking in the picturesque view of the alley.
As soon as she sat down, several cats leaped into her lap, claiming her thighs as their domain.
Gu Jiu stroked an orange cat a few times before casually placing her scarf on the side. Since the bamboo house was warmly heated, she also took off her coat.
Underneath the coat was a turtleneck sweater that fit snugly, accentuating her graceful figure.
Huo Ting sat across from her.
The girl across from him had delicate features and an elegant, gentle aura. Simply sitting there, she resembled a painting, just as she had in the most beautiful moments of his memory.
He broke the silence and said, “It rained in Shanghai this morning. The weather is cold; you should wear more.”
His expression and tone were natural, like an old friend catching up.
Gu Jiu smiled and replied, “Did you forget that I’m already a B-level player? This bit of cold is nothing to me.”
The physique of a B-level player was comparable to that of a superhero. If not for the fear of looking strange wearing too little in public, she felt she could’ve gone out in just a dress and a light windbreaker.
Huo Ting paused for a moment, then said nothing more.
Clearly, he had momentarily forgotten this fact and had merely expressed his habitual concern for her.
Not long after the two sat down, Zhang Jingyi personally brought over coffee and small cakes.
The coffee for Gu Jiu was freshly brewed by Zhang Jingyi herself, with a cat latte art on top. The air was filled with the rich aroma of coffee.
Huo Ting, on the other hand, was served plain water. He disliked coffee, tea, alcohol, or anything else that might impair his mental clarity. His disciplined and meticulous lifestyle often left those who knew his true identity in awe.
Zhang Jingyi didn’t linger to disturb them. She delivered the items and left quietly.
The other cats that hadn’t been stroked by Gu Jiu began meowing softly, as if acting coquettishly. Fluffy and adorable, these small creatures were impossible to resist.
Gu Jiu indulged each of them in turn, a faint smile playing on her lips. She seemed to be in a particularly good mood.
Huo Ting watched her quietly for a while before asking, “Ah Jiu, your eyes…”
When he met Gu Jiu in the game world, although she wore glasses, her vision was normal. Now, while she acted like an ordinary person, her gaze never truly focused. It was like someone on the verge of losing their sight—no matter how normal they appeared, a keen observer could discern the truth.
Gu Jiu replied calmly, “It’s just as you see. In the real world, my eyesight is nearly gone.”
“Then…” His chest tightened.
“Don’t worry. Once I become an S-level player, my vision will recover.” Gu Jiu smiled at him, signaling that he need not feel sad for her.
Huo Ting’s taut nerves eased. He took a sip of plain water from the glass in front of him, silently pondering what to say next.
Before Huo Ting could speak, Gu Jiu said, “Huo Ting, thank you.”
He paused, slightly surprised. “Thank me for what?”
“For everything you’ve done,” Gu Jiu replied, looking directly at him. Although she couldn’t see him, she still made the polite gesture of facing his eyes while speaking. “You’re aware of the grudge between me and Chen Zhiru. If it weren’t for you, the Gu family might have been in trouble long ago.”
Chen Zhiru became a player in the Multiverse Game a year and a half ago.
In that time, she had more than enough opportunity to act. With the means available to players, dealing with ordinary people was a simple matter. If Chen Zhiru had truly wanted to make a move, the Gu family would have been defenseless.
What Gu Jiu cared about most was her family. They were her everything. She couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to them, not even the slightest harm.
Huo Ting didn’t take credit. “It’s nothing. The game world is the proper stage for players, not the real world. A player’s abilities shouldn’t be used against ordinary people in reality.” After a brief pause, he added, “That includes you.”
If Gu Jiu ever used her player abilities against ordinary people, no matter the reason, he would stop her.
Gu Jiu smiled softly, her eyes bright and warm, her beauty gentle and enchanting. The sight made Huo Ting’s heart skip a beat. He quickly took another sip of his water, suppressing the unfamiliar emotions surging within him.
He knew he no longer had a chance, so he couldn’t allow himself to indulge in these feelings.
“How did you find out that Chen Zhiru is a player?” Gu Jiu asked curiously. “I don’t think someone like her would have the ability to arrange a meeting with you in the game world.”
Her tone carried no attempt to hide her disdain for Chen Zhiru.
Huo Ting replied, “She came to Beijing and told me herself.”
In truth, learning that Chen Zhiru was a player had been a straightforward process.
Chen Zhiru wasn’t an exceptional individual. Her intelligence was average, and when she first entered the game world, she was nearly scared out of her mind. Luckily, her first game was simple, and a strong player had guided the group to victory. Like a hanger-on, she had followed the other players to success, passing the initial test and officially becoming a player in the Multiverse Game.
Perhaps because she’d been so terrified in the game world, her first instinct upon returning to reality was to flee Shanghai and head straight to Beijing to find Huo Ting.
Why Huo Ting?
Because he was the object of her unrequited love, and the most capable person she knew.
The crown prince of a prominent Beijing family, a third-generation member of the elite, a leading figure among the younger generation—there were countless accolades to describe him. He was someone most ordinary people could never hope to encounter, let alone approach.
If not for the close ties between the Gu and Huo families, which allowed Huo Ting and Gu Jiu to grow up together as childhood friends, Chen Zhiru would have had no chance of knowing Huo Ting, much less admiring him.
After returning from the game world, Chen Zhiru was on the verge of a mental breakdown and desperately sought an emotional anchor. In her desperation, she rashly went to Beijing to find Huo Ting and revealed her identity as a player, hoping for support. Deep down, she also believed that the existence of players and the Multiverse Game, which defied conventional understanding, would spur someone like Huo Ting into action once he knew.
That was why she sought him out.
Of course, because Huo Ting himself was a player, she was able to confess smoothly. Otherwise, the rules of the game world alone would have silenced her.
Gu Jiu commented, “That does sound like something she would do.”
She stopped just short of bluntly calling Chen Zhiru an idiot.
“I’m guessing she managed to become a B-level player thanks to a lot of help from you?” Gu Jiu asked with a faint smile, though her tone was one of certainty.
Chen Zhiru wasn’t as foolish as Gu Jiu made her out to be. Otherwise, even with Huo Ting’s help, she wouldn’t have survived the game world or risen to B-level. Perhaps, in her own way, she had fought hard for the person she loved.
In the eyes of Miss Gu Jiu, however, Chen Zhiru simply seemed foolish.
Huo Ting nodded and said calmly, “As far as I know, there are only three players in our world.”
Gu Jiu had already guessed as much. Because there were so few players, even if Chen Zhiru was less than ideal, Huo Ting still chose to help her grow and develop.
“You understand, don’t you? A player’s abilities can be catastrophic for ordinary people. I don’t want our world to become dangerous because of players,” Huo Ting said, his tone turning serious. “And it’s not just about local players; I’m also worried about players from other worlds. I don’t want otherworldly players to come to our world someday and wreak havoc.”
Gu Jiu continued stroking the cat in her lap without commenting.
“S-level players can traverse freely between worlds and enter other players’ realms. You’re aware of this, right?”
Gu Jiu murmured her assent.
“That’s why I don’t want to see a day when an S-level player comes to our world, and because we have so few players or our levels are too low, we’re powerless to stop them from doing whatever they want…”
The destructive power of an S-level player wasn’t something to be taken lightly; it could destroy an entire world.
After finishing, Huo Ting silently watched her.
Gu Jiu smiled faintly and said, “I understand what you mean, Huo Ting. You’ve always been the same.”
Huo Ting smiled in return. This was why he liked her—she always understood his intentions.
As the “crown prince” born into one of the most prominent families in Beijing, Huo Ting carried not only a noble status but also the influence of his elders, giving him a broader perspective. To him, the country came first. After becoming a player and understanding the Multiverse Game and its worlds, he added another duty to his heart: protecting the world he was born into.
Gu Jiu truly admired Huo Ting’s character.
His steady nature provided a strong sense of security. Even though she couldn’t reciprocate his feelings, she would never do anything to hurt him emotionally.
Huo Ting said sincerely, “I’m glad you became a player. You’re incredibly capable.” He even thought that Gu Jiu might become an S-level player before him.
Gu Jiu accepted the compliment naturally, replying with ease, “Then you’d better keep working hard. Who knows, I might surpass you soon. Why not just leave Chen Zhiru alone and focus on advancing your own level? Stop holding yourself back for her.”
She didn’t want to see Huo Ting waste his time and effort on someone as foolish as Chen Zhiru—especially someone she didn’t like.
Huo Ting paused before replying tactfully, “What I can do for her is limited to the lower-level arenas. When I advance to the A-level, I really won’t be able to help her anymore.” Even if Gu Jiu weren’t a player, Huo Ting wouldn’t endlessly assist Chen Zhiru. Her future would ultimately depend on her own efforts.
Gu Jiu smiled faintly and dropped the topic.
Although she didn’t bother herself with Chen Zhiru, seeing her struggle did bring her a certain satisfaction.
After chatting for a while, Gu Jiu picked up the small cake on the table and took a bite.
Huo Ting quietly watched her eat. After a moment, he suddenly asked, “Ah Jiu, if I hadn’t lost touch with you for two years because of becoming a player, would you have…?”
When he became a player back then, Gu Jiu hadn’t yet come of age. Naturally, he hadn’t sought her out to express anything.
Huo Ting was three years older than Gu Jiu and had always believed he could wait until she was of age, when it would feel natural for them to be together. But plans couldn’t keep up with changes. At twenty-one, he unexpectedly became a player and entered the dangerous game world, where missions disrupted the course of a normal life. Each time he returned to reality, he felt a sense of disorientation.
Players are different from ordinary people. Over time, they gradually drift further away from the lives of regular individuals. One day, they might find themselves unable to remain in a world full of ordinary people and ultimately choose to detach from reality entirely, residing permanently in Boundless City.
Fortunately, Huo Ting had too many ties to the real world, and he couldn’t bear to leave it behind.
“No!” Gu Jiu answered him firmly.
“Why not?”
“Because your appearance doesn’t align with my aesthetic preferences.”
“…”
Huo Ting pressed his forehead with his hand. “Is it because you like girls? Are girls your type?” He genuinely hadn’t known Gu Jiu might prefer women.
“Of course not!” Gu Jiu refuted immediately. “Before I met Ah Ji, my orientation was perfectly normal. After meeting Ah Ji, I started questioning myself. To be honest, it’s not even that I’ve ‘changed.’ It’s just that if Ah Ji is a man, then I’m straight, and if Ah Ji is a woman, then I’m not.”
Huo Ting: “… That’s a bit complicated.”
Bitterness welled up in his heart. She didn’t need to explain further—it was clear that she loved Lu Ji, simply because he was Lu Ji.
Gu Jiu cleared her throat and said, “Huo Ting, since we grew up together, I’ll share a secret with you.”
“What is it?”
“Ah Ji is a man!”
Huo Ting: “…”
For a long moment, Huo Ting remained silent, processing what he’d just heard. He eventually confirmed he hadn’t misheard, though he still struggled to respond.
With some difficulty, he asked, “Why does he dress like a girl? Wait, he is an adult, right?”
Ah, truly a man with upright principles. The first thing he worried about was whether Gu Jiu had targeted a minor.
“Of course, he likes dressing as a girl. To use internet lingo, he’s a ‘cross-dressing king.’ I actually enjoy seeing him in that style,” Gu Jiu replied. “And yes, he’s an adult—you can rest assured.”
Not only was he an adult, but a certain “big monster” was very much of age.
Huo Ting didn’t know how to respond. The idea of losing in love before even starting did hit him, but it wasn’t to the point where he’d feel devastated, let alone resort to secretly waiting for them to break up or scheming to interfere. Those weren’t things he could bring himself to do.
That said, for the foreseeable future, he doubted he’d ever fall for another girl.
Taking a deep breath, he said, “Ah Jiu, he’s a player from another world. You can only meet in Boundless City. Wouldn’t that…”
“No,” Gu Jiu interrupted with a smile. “Who knows? Maybe the next moment, he’ll show up in the real world.”
Huo Ting: “…”
Could being in love really make someone this blind and prone to unrealistic fantasies?