Gu Jiu instinctively turned her gaze toward the door.
With just one look, her calm expression softened, and a radiant smile blossomed on her fair face. It was like a sudden bloom of a luxurious flower, turning a serene ink painting into a vivid, vibrant oil painting.
The corners of her eyes and brows were suddenly filled with boundless joy.
Huo Ting and Chen Zhiru, who had been watching her closely, were momentarily stunned.
They had known Gu Jiu for a long time and were familiar with her temperament. It was rare to see such an expressive and joyful smile on her face.
When dealing with people she disliked or didn’t want to engage with, she always maintained a detached demeanor. Even when she smiled, it often felt perfunctory. Yet, because of her elegant and exquisite appearance, even those indifferent smiles were pleasing to the eye, making it hard for anyone to criticize her.
Even someone as exceptional as Huo Ting rarely witnessed her display such visible happiness.
Instinctively, their gazes shifted toward the door.
Entering the room was a tall, slender girl. Her jet-black hair cascaded like raven feathers, her brows and eyes darker than the night itself. Long lashes framed her pale, doll-like face, creating an almost unreal, ethereal beauty—like an exquisitely crafted puppet, too perfect to seem human.
“Ah Ji, you’re finally here.”
Gu Jiu smiled at the girl entering the room. Although she remained seated, maintaining her aristocratic demeanor, the slight forward lean of her body betrayed how much she cared about this new arrival.
Chai Yingying waved enthusiastically. “Lu Ji! We’ve been waiting for you forever!” Internally, she was cheering: Oh my, the great Lu Ji is back. Could we be about to witness a showdown? How thrilling would that be!
Jiang Ze also greeted Lu Ji politely.
Lu Ji entered the room.
His gaze locked onto Gu Jiu the moment he stepped in and never wavered. When he reached Gu Jiu, he spoke softly, “Ah Jiu, I’m here.”
Chai Yingying tactfully stood and squeezed herself next to Jiang Ze, leaving the seat open for Lu Ji.
Lu Ji naturally took the seat beside Gu Jiu and immediately clasped her hand tightly, interlocking their fingers in an intimate gesture.
It was unmistakably close.
Gu Jiu gently touched his face and asked with a smile, “You didn’t get hurt, did you?”
Lu Ji shook his head, his voice a little low. “No. What about you?”
“Of course, I’m fine,” Gu Jiu replied brightly, her gaze lingering on Lu Ji’s face as if every part of him was worthy of admiration.
Lu Ji blushed under her gaze but couldn’t hide the happiness on his face.
“Lu Ji, why did you take so long to get here?” Chai Yingying asked, sneaking a glance at the pair opposite her. Given how blatant Gu Jiu and Lu Ji were, surely everyone could tell they were a couple now, right?
Lu Ji explained, “When I entered Ella Town, I appeared near the outskirts. It took me some time to find my way here.”
“Oh, so that’s what happened.” Chai Yingying gave her a sympathetic look and asked, “Did you encounter a lot of monsters? You know, those shadowy creatures that appear in the fog.”
“I ran into several.”
Jiang Ze also looked at her with admiration. “It must not have been easy for you to find your way here safely.”
No wonder the players in Game Hunter liked to call him “Lu the Boss” or “Sister Ji.” Turns out, she really was a hidden powerhouse. But this hidden powerhouse transformed into a clingy and obedient person in front of Gu Jiu. Combined with her sickly yet stunning appearance, her dark, brooding gaze gave off a slightly yandere vibe.
Whether she was truly a yandere was still up for debate.
“Gu Jiu, is this your teammate?” Huo Ting suddenly asked.
He reluctantly shifted his gaze from Gu Jiu to Lu Ji, feeling a vague and indescribable discomfort, as if something wasn’t quite right.
Chen Zhiru didn’t notice anything amiss. Seeing Gu Jiu casually touching and interacting with the girl, she assumed it was just the kind of closeness shared between girls. After all, Gu Jiu was well-known in the real world for her tolerance and affection toward women. If the girl was particularly pretty, Gu Jiu would often keep her close, pamper her, and spare no expense to help her dress up.
As a result, many women were drawn to Gu Jiu.
Chen Zhiru had suffered from this growing up. She wanted to be part of those girls’ circle, but they excluded her because of Gu Jiu. They looked down on her for being the illegitimate daughter of a mistress, for being unpresentable, and, most of all, for failing to win Gu Jiu’s favor.
Seriously, was that even fair?
As the daughter of a mistress who finally got legitimized, why should she try to please the daughter of the first wife?
Lu Ji, despite being entirely focused on Gu Jiu, still possessed a keen male instinct of territoriality. He quickly noticed that the man sitting opposite Gu Jiu was looking at her strangely.
Without making a fuss, Lu Ji edged closer to Gu Jiu, to the point where he almost leaned weakly into her arms.
Seeing this, Chai Yingying and Jiang Ze exchanged a silent look: Um, okay then…
Gu Jiu smiled faintly and introduced, “This is Lu Ji, someone I like. Ah Ji, the two across from us are Huo Ting and Chen Zhiru. They’re players from the same world as me. Huo Ting is an old family friend of the Gu family. As for the other one—she’s not important.”
The now “unimportant” Chen Zhiru: “…”
Huo Ting, doubtful of his own hearing, hesitated and asked, “Gu Jiu, is this your friend?”
“She’s someone I like. We’re dating,” Gu Jiu replied with a soft smile. Lu Ji was technically her boyfriend, but since he was cross-dressing, it didn’t seem right to call him her girlfriend. So she simply said they were “dating.”
Anyone with half a brain understood the implications of “dating.”
Chen Zhiru’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with shock, her disbelief written all over her face.
Chai Yingying glanced at her and thought her eyes were practically bulging out, making her look particularly ridiculous.
By contrast, Huo Ting sat motionless, his expression blank. His mind was entirely empty, unable to process what Gu Jiu had just said.
“You two are dating? But she’s a girl!” Chen Zhiru’s voice rose sharply.
Gu Jiu replied calmly, “Anyone with eyes can see that.”
Lu Ji lowered her gaze shyly, a soft smile tugging at her lips. She was thrilled that Gu Jiu introduced her so openly to people from the real world. Although she knew Gu Jiu had fully accepted her, introducing her to the players of Boundless City and introducing her to people from the real world were entirely different matters.
Chen Zhiru finally processed the fact that Gu Jiu was in a relationship with a girl. After her initial shock came an unexpected wave of glee.
She hadn’t anticipated that Gu Jiu would turn out to be a lesbian.
No wonder Huo Ting had been chasing after her, doing so much for her, only to be met with complete indifference. It was initially assumed that it was due to her youth and the pride and aloofness of the Gu family’s eldest daughter. Even the most eligible young masters from the capital’s elite couldn’t capture her attention. Who would have thought it was because she turned out to be a lesbian?
They said being gay was innate, so she would never like men. That meant…
Chen Zhiru glanced at Huo Ting. However, seeing the look on his face, her fleeting optimism quickly dissipated.
Gu Jiu took Lu Ji’s hand and stood up. “We’re heading upstairs to rest. Please, make yourselves at home.”
Lu Ji obediently followed her out. After taking a few steps, he glanced back at Huo Ting, catching his gaze fixed on them. For some reason, it made him feel uncomfortable.
Love had a possessive nature. It tolerated no third party—not even a potential rival.
Chai Yingying watched as Gu Jiu led Lu Ji upstairs, then pursed her lips.
A showdown? Not happening. The eldest daughter is too domineering; she has everything under control. A love triangle can’t even start.
—
On the third floor, Gu Jiu opened the door to a guest room.
As soon as the door closed, she was embraced. Lu Ji pressed his head softly against Gu Jiu’s neck, his voice carrying a hint of inexplicable grievance. “Ah Jiu, what’s your relationship with that man?”
“You mean Huo Ting? His family and mine have been friends for generations.”
“So, you grew up together?”
“More or less.”
“…”
The person holding her fell silent, but their grip tightened.
Gu Jiu found it amusing. She cupped the head nestled against her neck, kissed Lu Ji on the forehead, and said with a smile, “Don’t worry. I only like you, Ah Ji.”
Lu Ji blushed deeply, his heart blossoming with joy. In a small voice, he murmured, “Then you have to always like me.”
“That depends on your performance.”
Lu Ji sat down on the room’s single bed, pulling Gu Jiu onto his lap. Resting his head on Gu Jiu’s shoulder, his voice turned soft and sweet. “I’ll always like Ah Jiu. Ah Jiu must always like me too…”
His eyes lowered slightly, hiding the flicker of darkness within them.
Gu Jiu’s boyfriend had become clingy again, but she didn’t mind. She pulled him down onto the clean sheets of the bed, using actions rather than words to assure him of how much she liked him right now.
—
The inn’s guest rooms weren’t soundproof, so the noises of other players in adjacent rooms and the chatter in the hallway could be faintly heard.
Lu Ji’s pale cheeks flushed pink, his slightly narrowed eyes taking on a watery glimmer, making him look particularly enticing. He held his beloved close as if wanting to melt into him.
“Ah Ji, did you notice anything while coming from the outskirts?” Gu Jiu gently stroked his long hair as she asked.
Lu Ji replied, “The town’s outskirts are surrounded by a barrier. As long as it remains intact, Ella Town will stay isolated from the outside world. Nothing within the town can leave. The town itself isn’t very large—it’s shaped like a grid with six main streets and numerous alleys. The Witch’s Tavern is located right at the center…”
Gu Jiu slowly began piecing together a mental map of Ella Town.
“As I walked here, apart from encountering monsters, I didn’t discover much else,” Lu Ji added apologetically.
Gu Jiu kissed him lightly and smiled, “It seems the safe period every day between noon and 3 PM is probably meant for players to search for the Witch Ella. Outside of that, players can either stay in the tavern or go out adventuring—whatever they prefer.”
Lu Ji murmured an agreement. “It’s still early. Do you want to go out?”
“No,” Gu Jiu replied. “It’s almost 5 PM, which means dinnertime is near. What’s the point of going out now?”
Mentioning dinner suddenly brought a question to Gu Jiu’s mind.
“Ella Town has been sealed off for over a year since the disaster, allowing people to enter but not leave. By now, the town’s food supply should be nearly depleted, right?”
A closed-off town, terrifying monsters, and a dwindling food supply…
Lu Ji didn’t respond, quietly observing her as she pondered.
—
At 6 PM, Chai Yingying gathered her courage and knocked on their door.
“Miss Gu, it’s dinnertime. Are you coming down to eat?”
The door opened moments later, and both Gu Jiu and Lu Ji appeared, neatly dressed. For some reason, seeing them like this made Chai Yingying feel a little disappointed.
“What’s for dinner?” Gu Jiu asked. “Is the tavern providing food for adventurers?”
Food in the town must be getting scarcer, and outsiders like them weren’t town residents. It didn’t make sense for them to receive food.
Chai Yingying grinned. “They do, but there’s a catch.”
“The town issues quests to adventurers, and food is the reward,” Jiang Ze explained from the side. “For example, one task is to gather Mistgrass from the forest east of the town.”