Everyone in the private room was drinking.
Alcohol indeed helped to relax the mind. For players, whose physiques were far from ordinary people, many could drink endlessly without getting drunk. However, Boundless City also offered plenty of drinks that could knock players out instantly—though, naturally, those came with a hefty price tag.
Chai Yingying handed a specially crafted cocktail to Gu Jiu with a bold smile. “Young Miss, let’s toast!” Without waiting for Gu Jiu’s response, she picked up another glass and downed it in one gulp.
Gu Jiu sipped her cocktail. It had a soft, slightly sweet taste, but its aftereffects were potent.
Meanwhile, the others were discussing the Reincarnation School.
“The dean isn’t even a regular teacher at the school. Other than being a ghost tied to Reincarnation School, what else could she be?”
“Just her alone is more fearsome than all the ghosts in the school combined. No wonder the students and staff don’t dare to oppose her.”
“Let’s hope we don’t encounter such invincible ghosts again next time. It’s terrifying.”
“It’s not that she’s invincible. It’s just that our items are too low-level. If we had an A-grade item—or even an S-grade one—we could have dealt with her early on. Maybe we’d have cleared the stage by now.”
“Where are we supposed to get A-grade items? Unless someone here has connections to a second-gen player with resources for such high-level gear.”
“Even if someone did, they wouldn’t bring A- or S-grade items into a B-level scenario. If the item level exceeds the game’s world level, it can’t even be used.”
…
The mention of items brought a pained look to the players’ faces.
“This time, the game world generated an impressive variety of items—over thirty kinds! But I could only afford four.”
“I managed to buy five.”
“Where did you get all those points?”
“I’d been saving up for a house.”
“I only bought two items. I need to save the rest for a house. The property prices in Boundless City have gone up again. A 100-square-meter apartment now costs 720,000 points! Renting is still cheaper—just 2,000 points a month.”
“Yeah, just rent. We’re too broke to afford a house.”
“But renting makes it easy for the landlord to kick you out.”
…
The conversation drifted from game items to real estate, and soon devolved into random chatter, spiraling completely off-topic.
After graciously finishing two drinks, Gu Jiu stood up to leave.
The others tried to persuade her to stay. “It’s still early. Why not hang out a bit longer?”
“Exactly! We’re not stopping until we’re drunk tonight,” Pei Yongyong chimed in. Gu Jiu’s remarkable performance in the game world had left a deep impression on her. She was curious about this young miss and hoped to establish a good rapport—perhaps even collaborate in the future.
Of course, another reason was that both Gu Jiu and Lu Ji were newly promoted B-level players. This meant they likely hadn’t joined any major faction in Boundless City yet. Pei Yongyong was already considering recruiting them into the Jiuhua Group.
“No, we still have something to do,” Gu Jiu replied.
“What is it?” Chai Yingying instinctively asked.
“We’re going to check out some properties and prepare to buy a house.”
“…”
In an instant, everyone in the room turned to stare at her, wondering if they had misheard.
They had just been lamenting the high housing prices in Boundless City, saying B-level players couldn’t afford to buy a home. And now, a B-level player claimed they were going house-hunting to buy one. The irony hit hard and fast.
Everyone’s gaze fell on Lu Ji.
The one talking about buying a house was Lu Ji. Who was this mysterious big-shot?
Gu Jiu was momentarily stunned, then smiled sweetly at Lu Ji. Although his decision was sudden, she wouldn’t undermine her boyfriend in public.
Under the crowd’s curious and admiring stares, Lu Ji gave them a faint nod, maintaining his aloof demeanor, and led Gu Jiu out of the room.
He didn’t bother explaining anything to them. To him, they were all irrelevant people. Even Chai Yingying was just a slightly more familiar bystander in his love story with Gu Jiu.
It wasn’t until the two had disappeared beyond the door that Pei Yongyong turned to Chai Yingying and asked, “Chai Beauty, are they really players who’ve just been promoted to the B-level?”
“Of course. There’s no need to lie about something like that,” Chai Yingying replied. “But don’t get too jealous. Our dear Sister Ji is a boss-level player. She just prefers to keep a low profile and let her young miss shine. When the young miss isn’t around, Sister Ji will show her true dominance. If she wanted to save up points for a house, it’s probably not that hard for her.”
“That’s not easy at all!” Ji Linfan’s partner rolled his eyes. “We’ve been saving forever and still haven’t scraped together a down payment.”
He muttered inwardly, This Lu Ji guy barely makes his presence known, yet suddenly comes out of nowhere with such an impressive feat. If Chai Yingying’s words are true, then he’s not simple at all.
“This only proves Sister Ji’s capability.” Chai Yingying waved dismissively. “Sister Ji would do anything for her beloved young miss. Saving points to buy a house is nothing. Who knows, she might pull off something even crazier in the future…”
Pei Yongyong took a sip of her drink, her thoughts swirling again.
This Lu Ji, despite her aloofness, was indeed fascinating. But unfortunately… she was a woman.
Sigh… definitely not the person the team leader is looking for.
—
After leaving the club, Lu Ji led Gu Jiu toward the Player Services Center in the Star Zone 98.
Each star district had a similar player service center. Here, players could buy or rent properties, open shops, find part-time jobs—basically, anything they needed could be handled here.
As they neared the towering service center, Gu Jiu smiled and asked, “Are we really going to buy a house?”
Lu Ji hummed an affirmative response, a bit shy as he said, “I’ve saved enough points to buy a small 150-square-meter duplex for now…” He hesitated, then added nervously, “When I accumulate more points in the future, I’ll buy a big villa. For now, you’ll have to put up with living in this smaller place…”
His unfinished words were silenced by a pair of soft, fragrant lips.
Gu Jiu kissed him for a long while. Her clear, gentle eyes gazed into his as she smiled and said, “I don’t feel wronged at all!”
Lu Ji believed her, but he still couldn’t bear it.
He had seen Gu Jiu’s home in the real world—a luxurious villa, the finest room in the Gu family estate. She had never been wronged in her entire life.
His own lair in the Dark Hall was spacious, but he didn’t dare take her there just yet. For now, the house in the Star Zone 98 would have to do.
Although he wasn’t technically a player, disguising himself as one allowed him to enter the game world and earn points like the others. The only difference was that his points couldn’t be used to purchase items from the game’s store.
He didn’t care much at first and barely paid attention to how many points he had. But once he realized the points could be used for his girlfriend—to buy a house and live together—he suddenly found them quite valuable.
The two of them walked into the service center and headed to the property section.
Lu Ji approached the service desk and said to the staff member, “We’d like to buy a house. What good listings do you have?”
The staff member perked up with excitement, warmly welcoming them. After clarifying their requirements, they displayed a range of properties currently for sale on a holographic projection for them to choose from.
The two sat together, browsing through the projected images of various houses.
The staff member explained enthusiastically, “Do you prefer a fully furnished home or a bare shell? Fully furnished homes come pre-designed by our architects with all facilities included—just bring your belongings and move in. Bare shell homes, on the other hand, allow for complete customization. Plus, with Boundless City’s unique features, renovations can be completed in just one day.”
Some players preferred designing their homes themselves. Given the special properties of Boundless City, renovations weren’t a hassle. Most players opted for bare shells so they could personalize their space.
However, for those who didn’t enjoy designing, the center also provided dozens of ready-made design options for players to choose from.
Gu Jiu turned to Lu Ji with a smile. “Ah Ji, do you want a fully furnished house or a bare shell?”
“A bare shell,” Lu Ji said decisively. Inwardly, he thought, if this was going to be their shared home, it had to be something he designed and built together with Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu smiled warmly. “Then let’s go with a bare shell.”
The two spent the next half-hour carefully selecting a property. Finally, they settled on a 170-square-meter duplex.
The staff member beamed and said, “This one is in the Moonview Bay community. The properties there are excellent—peaceful and serene, perfect for players to rest and live. Plus, there’s a training center and shopping mall nearby.”
Lu Ji made the decision. “We’ll take it.”
The staff’s smile grew even wider as they eagerly helped with the paperwork. Selling a property earned them a generous commission.
Unlike the complex process in the real world, buying a house in Boundless City was simple. Once the paperwork was complete, payment was made, and the owner’s information was recorded, the house officially belonged to the buyer.
The two left the service center and headed straight to their new home.
Their new property was in Building 18, Unit 6 of the Moonview Bay community.
Each floor had only two units, with doors directly facing each other. When they arrived via elevator, the opposite unit’s door was closed. It was unclear whether it was unoccupied or the owners simply weren’t home.
The door to their unit was secured with a smart lock—or rather, a kind of artifact lock. Their information had already been registered, ensuring that no other player could enter without permission from the owners.
As the two approached the door, it automatically unlocked and opened.
Inside was an empty, bare shell. Thanks to thoughtful planning, the space felt spacious and well-proportioned.
Upstairs featured the master bedroom, complete with a walk-in closet and en-suite bathroom. Downstairs housed two guest bedrooms, a living room, and two additional bathrooms.
The two explored the entire home, checking out each floor. When they reached the spacious master bedroom, Lu Ji stole a glance at Gu Jiu. Feeling a bit nervous, he asked, “Ah Jiu, how should we decorate?”
Having seen the space, Gu Jiu already had a rough design in mind. “Ah Ji, give me some paper and a pen.”
Lu Ji quickly prepared the requested materials and watched as she sat by the bay window, sketching away. His gaze slowly drifted from the design on the paper to her face, and he found himself mesmerized, staring at her in a daze.
Noticing his stare, Gu Jiu looked up and met his eyes with a smile.
Lu Ji’s ears flushed a soft red.
Perhaps it was the thought of them soon living together, but his imagination started running wild. Even the simplest smile from her sent his heart into overdrive with happiness.
So this was what it felt like to love someone—blissful and overwhelming.
An hour later, Gu Jiu handed the completed design to Lu Ji. “Ah Ji, let’s start renovating tomorrow.”
Lu Ji replied, “Alright.” He carefully studied the design, his eyes lighting up as he looked at her. “Ah Jiu, you’re amazing—you can even draw design plans.”
Gu Jiu smiled gently. “It’s just a casual sketch. If something doesn’t work during the renovation tomorrow, we’ll need to adjust it.”
By the time they were done, it was already late at night.
Gu Jiu yawned, kissed the corner of her boyfriend’s lips, and said, “I’ll head back to rest first and come by again tomorrow. You should rest too—don’t overwork yourself.”
Lu Ji nodded in agreement.
However, after she left, he didn’t return to the Dark Hall to rest. Instead, he held onto the design and began working on the renovation.
He wanted Gu Jiu to see their fully decorated new home when she arrived in Boundless City the next day.