After getting home, Yexing flopped onto the bed and rolled around several times.

Ling Miao kept Ye Lan tied up for ages, so Ye Lan could only come back now. She should be home soon.

Every night, what she looked forward to most was having both bodies play games together, then cuddle up and hug each other to sleep. She’d never get tired of it, no matter what.

Of course, that was assuming she ate her fill first.

Yexing suddenly realized she didn’t need to order takeout.

She could just have Ye Lan bring some food back. That’d be a little safer.

But right now, she was starving. She wished Ye Lan could teleport home in an instant so she could pounce on her like a ravenous tiger and devour the late-night snacks she’d brought back.

“How much longer...”

Just then, her doorbell suddenly rang.

Yexing tilted her head, puzzled. “Huh? That’s weird. The other me isn’t back yet, so who could it be?”

Yexing hopped lightly off the bed, then crept carefully to the door. She dragged over a little stool, stood on it, and peered outside through the peephole.

“Mmm...”

She could see him: an unfamiliar black-haired man.

“Suspicious... Is he some legendary home-invading serial killer?”

While Yexing’s imagination ran wild, the person outside spoke.

“Hello. I’m your neighbor next door. I heard someone opening the door next to mine just now, so I knew you were back. Would you mind getting to know each other? I think it’d help us be good neighbors, so we can lend each other a hand in the future.”

Hearing that, Yexing remembered that someone had moved in next door today. It seemed to be the black-haired young man standing outside her door.

So Yexing cautiously opened the door a crack and watched the black-haired man through the gap.

“Um... hello. My name’s Yexing. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Mo Tu. Yexing, right? That’s a lovely name.”

“Thanks. Was there anything else?”

To be honest, Yexing had no interest in becoming friendly neighbors. Socializing felt like such a hassle. As long as they didn’t interfere with each other’s lives, that was enough.

She was already a little socially awkward, and that had been her plan from the start.

Mo Tu didn’t seem to mind Yexing’s wariness. He kept smiling warmly, like a spring breeze.

“I made some snacks and ended up with a little more than I needed, so I thought I’d share some with you, my neighbor. If you don’t mind, please take them.”

Then Mo Tu took out a small bag and held it out to Yexing.

Yexing accepted it without thinking.

Feeling a little warmth lingering in the bag, Yexing hesitated, but accepted it anyway.

“Thank you...”

Mo Tu nodded and smiled. “You’re welcome. Think of it as a welcome gift. Well, I’ll be going now.”

With that, Mo Tu turned and left, neat and straightforward. He did nothing else to make Yexing wary.

“Mmm...”

Yexing closed the door again and muttered, “He seems like a pretty nice neighbor. I hope he can keep it down while I’m sleeping in.”

Yexing went back to her room and set the snacks from her neighbor on the table. Then she got ready to play games while she waited for Ye Lan to come home.

But as soon as she sat on the bed, her stomach protested again.

Grrr... grrr...

“I’m so hungry...”

Yexing pulled a face and rubbed her stomach, then looked at the sweets on the table.

“It should be fine to have a little something to tide me over, right?”

Her neighbor seemed like a really good person. He probably wouldn’t poison the food or anything.

So Yexing opened the bag and found some cookies inside. They looked pretty tasty.

A faint, sweet aroma tickled her nose, almost making her drool.

“Those look delicious...”

Yexing picked up a cookie and took a bite. Her eyes lit up at once.

“...It’s delicious! Maybe getting along with the neighbors isn’t so bad. His name was Mo Tu, right? I’ll remember that.”

There weren’t many cookies, and they weren’t very filling, but they were more than enough to tide her over for now.

At least Yexing felt much more energized now.

“Time to play some games.”

As soon as she logged in, Yexing spotted a gaming friend who was still online, so she clicked on them.

“Want to play together?”

“Sure.”

Once they joined up, their usual chatter began.

Yexing even made a point of disguising her voice with the voice changer, just in case it led to some weird misunderstanding.

“Do you play games all day? I see you online every time. Don’t you have a job?”

“Um... not all day. I can only kill time online most of the time. I don’t really have anything else to do, though. I’m a little frail, so I have to lie in bed for long stretches.”

“So, basically, you’re sick, right?”

“...I guess you could say that.”

“Then why aren’t you getting proper rest?”

“Because it’s boring. And playing games helps me relax. I’ve been really happy playing with you.”

“Hehe~ You’re making me feel a little embarrassed. I feel the same way, though. I’m really happy playing games with you, too.”

Now that was a connection going both ways.

Yexing felt a little happy.

By rights, this gaming friend should’ve been her first friend.

They’d never met in person, but they’d known each other online for so long. That still counted as being friends, right?

Now they’d even said such embarrassing things to each other. It felt like all that was left was to meet in person.

But that went a little against Yexing’s principles.

She trusted them, but traveling far from home still felt a little unsafe.

Yexing thought for a moment, then asked, “What city do you live in? I don’t mean anything by it. I’m just curious.”

“Yunchang City.”

“Wait, wait, wait! You live in Yunchang City too? So do I.”

Yexing really hadn’t expected that. It felt like a wonderful surprise.

The person on the other end seemed a little surprised, too.

“You live in Yunchang City too? What a coincidence. Maybe it’s fate bringing us together.”

“Mm-hmm!”

Suddenly, Yexing felt an urge to meet this gaming friend.

If they lived in the same city, there shouldn’t be a problem, right?

It’d be much easier to meet in person, too.

But the other person had said they were a little frail, so maybe going out wasn’t easy for them. It seemed like Yexing would have to make the trip herself.

Yexing tried to work up the courage, but still couldn’t bring herself to say it.

“Is your illness serious?”

“Um... how should I put it? I don’t know how serious it is, but it seems hard to treat. We still haven’t found anything that works. If this keeps dragging on, I don’t know what’ll happen to me.”

“Huh?! Isn’t that really serious? Is it terminal?”

“Terminal? I guess you could say that. But my older sister says we’ve found hope, so maybe she’s found some kind of treatment.”

“Um... I really admire you. If I had a terminal illness, I’d be depressed for ages.” Just imagining being sick with no one to look after her made Yexing feel a little sad.

“I’m not as amazing as you think. Honestly, I just don’t want the people around me to worry, so it’s better to stay cheerful.”

“Mm... I really admire you.”

“You’re making me a little embarrassed. Anyway, thanks so much for keeping me company.”

“You’re welcome. I’m grateful to you, too.”