"Kid, you look way too pleased—practically drooling," Song Qian said jealously. He’d somehow already settled in front of his computer, watching Churan stare at the screen with a silly grin.
Churan frowned. It wasn’t nearly as exaggerated as Song Qian claimed. Irritably, he waved the note in his hand. "This isn’t that ridiculous. And explain this."
Song Qian snorted. "You’ve got the nerve to ask me? If you died, who’d I play with?"
Churan’s eyelids drooped slightly. They locked eyes, neither backing down—until Churan finally caved. Arguing with Song Qian always left him at a loss.
"Stop obsessing over others," Song Qian said, packing a meal box and handing it to Churan. He grabbed an apple from a nearby fruit basket, wiped it on his shirt, and took a loud bite. "Think about your own impact. Can’t you drop that ‘I don’t care if I die’ attitude?"
Churan turned back to the screen. A new message blinked:
Nightingale: Checked around. Lots joining the boss fight. Know any decent attackers or supports?
He Yucheng: Skill level?
Nightingale: Just needs to dodge normally and lure enemies.
…
Churan realized—he hadn’t even added Song Qian as a game friend after two days of playing.
He turned—and Song Qian’s face was inches from his own.
"Holy crap!" He Yucheng jolted in shock, reflexively slapping Song Qian away.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Damn, you’ve got Lengjiang already—what’s your secret? Even this icy queen’s charmed? Starting a harem? Impressive!" Song Qian winced, clutching his stinging cheek.
"Like hell—" Churan admitted the connection was unexpected, but Song Qian blew it way out of proportion. Always dramatic, like the world was ending… though he knew it was just teasing.
"Add me as a friend?" Churan asked, meeting Song Qian’s wide-eyed stare.
"Nope. You game-addict. Marry your keyboard instead! I’d rather go broke from microtransactions than team up with you again!" Song Qian turned away with a huff.
Churan’s eye twitched. Calmly, he said, "Fine. Pity—I was hoping you’d fight alongside those sisters for the boss raid. Guess I’ll find someone else."
"Wait!" Song Qian darted over, striking a pose with a hand on his head. "This apple’s delicious."
Churan rolled his eyes. Seriously? He’d help anyway—why the flirty act?
"Fine. Meet up day after tomorrow morning. You’re free, right?" Churan kept gaming, ignoring him.
"Knew you’d get me." Song Qian grinned, moving in for a hug. Churan stayed expressionless—he’d expected this—and pulled a fruit knife from under his blanket.
"Stop! Stop! Stop! You kill me, you lose a boss-stealing teammate!" Song Qian threw his hands up.
"Eh, same result with or without you." Churan spun the knife, eyes glued to the screen.
"Tsk. Got a wife, ditched your bro. Heaven help us…"
"Shut up. Keep talking, and I’ll leave you behind on raid day."
…
"Oh, good news," Song Qian said later, still gaming. He didn’t look away from his screen. "Got Shen Junyao’s boyfriend’s ID." He set down his mouse, turning to Churan.
Churan finally tore his gaze from the monitor.
Shen Junyao, his ex, had shown zero empathy—pouring cold water on him at his lowest. Disgusting.
When they were together, Churan gave her his best, keeping only essentials for himself. But when he chose real life over gaming—their shared hobby—she mocked him. Even paraded her new boyfriend to pressure him.
How could he not be furious? Only his decent in-game skills kept him from letting it go.
"Spill it," Churan said, bracing himself. No real-world revenge—but the game could be his outlet. He wouldn’t go too far.
"‘A Song of Farewell for Parting Sorrow.’ He’s joining a major guild’s boss raid day after tomorrow… Wait, your raid’s the same day?!" Song Qian recalled, then stared at Churan in shock.
"Perfect. Saves me hunting him down. You in?" Churan kept playing.
"Sure. Easy cash. Heh heh." Song Qian’s grin turned lecherous—he wasn’t after money. His rich family covered that. He wanted those girl players: Lengjiang and Xiaoye.
"What’s your ID? I’ll report it." Churan wasn’t sightseeing anymore. Lengjiang was with him on quests. She’d said she couldn’t help today, yet here she was.
"Give you a chance to rephrase that." Song Qian drawled lazily.
"…Not taking you." Churan cut in, tired of the act.
"What? Wait—Churan! You can’t go back on your word! You weren’t like this before! After all I just did for you?" Song Qian whined.
Churan smirked. "Who threatened me earlier?"
"Threatened? Oh, right—I meant my ID’s ‘Give you a chance to rephrase that.’ Cool, huh?"
"………………"
…
Private Chat:
Nightingale (Xiaoye): Found anyone?
He Yucheng: Yeah. Real-life friend. Mid-tier skill. ID: Give you a chance to rephrase that…
Nightingale: …
Nightingale: That ID’s…
He Yucheng: Yeah. Kinda asking for it.
He Yucheng: Also, Xiaoye—heard of ‘A Song of Farewell for Parting Sorrow’?
Nightingale: - - Just call me Xiaoye. Hate ‘boss lady,’ even if everyone uses it.
Nightingale: Li Chou? He’s a veteran in the sixth-ranked guild. PvP rank 64. Strong. Why?
He Yucheng: Got a grudge.
Nightingale: Makes sense. He’s trouble in-game too. But he’s tough. He’s leading the raid day after tomorrow—I’ll be on the clearing team. I can set up a fight for you, but only after you grab the Concealment Jade. I’ll use one skill and bail. Can’t risk being seen helping you.
He Yucheng: Got it.
Nightingale: Alright. Details later.
He Yucheng: OK. Thanks, Xiaoye.
…
He Yucheng closed the chat, grinding monsters. After the player rush passed, the path was empty—heading opposite the quest zone.
"٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶ What’s my hubby up to?" With He Yucheng waiting on a timer, they lounged on grass. Lengjiang chased butterflies, then collapsed against him, breathless.
"Heh. Nothing. What’s up?" He shifted, letting her rest more comfortably.
"(*/ω＼*) Nothing~ Baby thinks hubby’s super gentle in real life." Lengjiang beamed, voice sugary-sweet, melting into him.
"Heh heh." He Yucheng poked her cheek, charmed by her lazy smile.
"(*/ω＼*) Mmm…" Lengjiang didn’t budge, slumped against him.
Day after tomorrow, he’d hit level 20. Maxing Mirror Image and minor skills might give him a fighting chance.
He didn’t know how strong ‘A Song of Farewell for Parting Sorrow’ was—but as a veteran of the server’s sixth-ranked guild, he wasn’t some newbie. With hundreds of thousands of PvP players, cracking the top 100 rankings meant standing at the game’s peak.
Stealing bosses from major guilds? This game was getting fun.
