Chapter 13 Chapter 13: Shall We Video Chat?
Human malice had no clear standard. Generally, if someone felt threatened, they instinctively pushed back, and if they could, they would even try to suppress the other person. Su Yuan found this tiresome. Why did human society have to be so full of self interest.
With no internet in the dorm, Yang Xiaowei suggested they all go to the internet café. Su Yuan raised a hand in agreement. Ji Yehan did not object. Gao Jun, however, was ordered to stay behind and work on the software.
“You cannot treat me like this” Gao Jun protested loudly.
Su Yuan almost felt guilty, maybe they were being too harsh. “How about we bring you something good to eat on the way back”
Gao Jun grumbled but still seemed reluctant. Su Yuan scowled and kicked him lightly on the calf.
“Hey. Why did you kick me”
“I feel like it. What is the internet to you anyway. Better go back and write that software” Su Yuan sniffed, lifting her chin proudly.
“You are impossible” Gao Jun growled, teeth clenched.
Su Yuan turned her big dark eyes on him, staring without blinking. Gao Jun deflated like a fist punching cotton. He threw up his hands. “Fine, fine. I will not go tonight, but you had better bring me a Family Bucket”
“A Family Bucket. Are you trying to bankrupt me” Su Yuan groaned. After spending so much on medical tests, she was tightening her belt. A bucket cost seventy or eighty yuan. If she had spare cash, she would rather save it, to rent a place off campus someday and stop living in constant fear.
“One bucket will not ruin you. And if you do not bring it, I will not budge”
“Ugh, look at you, such ambition” Su Yuan knew he would not budge. But she really did not want to spend the money.
The two stood locked in stalemate, one refusing to give in, the other defeated but unwilling to surrender. Ji Yehan cleared his throat. “Su Yuan, just agree. I will pay for the bucket”
Her eyes lit up instantly. She looked at Ji Yehan like a starving bandit spotting a wealthy merchant, her gaze suddenly warm with brotherly affection. True friend, shows up when it counts.
“Yehan, you are a real pal” she said, nudging him with her elbow once Gao Jun was out of sight. Ji Yehan smiled quietly. Just then, a breeze carried a faint sweet scent, like shampoo and something delicate. He blinked, slightly dazed. “Su Yuan, what body wash do you use. It is still fragrant after a whole day”
“Fragrant” She sniffed herself. “I do not smell anything”
“Maybe I imagined it” Ji Yehan felt a flicker of awkwardness. Talking about a guy’s scent. Ridiculous. The campus osmanthus trees were in bloom, their perfume drifting through the air. That must have been it.
“You two walking so slow back there, making out. Hurry up or we will lose our seats” Yang Xiaowei called over his shoulder.
“Oh. Right” Su Yuan snapped out of it and hurried forward.
As she ran, she thought about the scent. Maybe Ji Yehan was not mistaken. She had denied smelling anything just to brush it off, but now, lifting her arm to sniff again, she caught a faint clean sweetness.
Could this be a woman’s natural fragrance. Her heart pounded. Body scent came partly from sweat glands and diet, but also from pheromones released by estrogen, chemical signals that affected others’ nervous systems, not just their noses.
She was taking estrogen pills. Was the medicine working this fast.
“There are three seats together over there” Yang Xiaowei pointed to a corner spot, tucked against the wall, private and secure.
“Good”
Su Yuan took the seat farthest from the aisle, leaving the middle for Ji Yehan. She quickly typed in her login details. First order of business, sign into QQ. She had two accounts, one male, used in real life, one female, for online friends.
Ding ding ding. Her headphones chimed as soon as she logged in.
A message from Red Leaf popped up, a friend from Zhu Xian 2.
“Are you on. Family raid at six, short on players”
“Why are you not online yet. Coming or not”
“If not, we will find someone else”
“Damn it, Su Yao, you are dead” followed by a bloody knife emoji.
Su Yuan winced. She had decided to quit the game but had not told Red Leaf.
She typed, “Busy in real life. No time for games anymore”
Ding. Another sound, a friend request. Without reading it, she clicked Ignore.
After a pause, she logged into the game to send a proper goodbye. Red Leaf was one of her closest online friends, they had played several games together, which was why they had added each other on QQ. Casual guildmates did not get that privilege.
Instantly, private messages flooded in. Red Leaf was furious.
“Get here now or I swear I will flip”
“Hurry. We are short handed”
“Woman, if you do not show, I will steal your husband”
“Wait, your husband is MIA too”
Sweat dripped from Su Yuan’s brow. She apologized and repeated her plan to go offline.
Soon, Red Leaf replied on QQ. “Go offline. What about your husband”
“Not keeping him” Su Yuan typed.
“Cold hearted. Heartless” came the reply in all caps, followed by, “If Ye Huang finds out you dumped him, he will be devastated”
Ye Huang was the generous player who had showered her little fox character with gear and gold, a rich kid probably. In game, Su Yuan had played the cute wife, calling him husband endlessly. It was just a game, who cared if the person behind the screen was a pretty girl or a sweaty gamer.
Once, she had asked if he minded. His reply stunned her. “I care about the game. In here, you are my wife, does not matter if you are a cutie or a foot stinking dude”
That answer freed her completely. She had stopped feeling shy and happily milked her husband for loot.
“It is just a game” she told Red Leaf. “He knows reality from fantasy. He will not be hurt”
Minutes passed. Then, “Did you two fight. Confused”
“No”
“Then why are you quitting, and why is Ye Huang not online either”
“Maybe he is busy with real life too” Su Yuan replied.
Red Leaf, “Hey, shall we video chat. I still do not know what you look like”
“No”
“Why”
“Because I am a guy”
“”
Silence. Then, “Actually, that is fine, I am a guy too”
“…”
“Shocked. Kidding. I am a gorgeous youthful beauty. Wait, you are lying too, right, Su Yao. You are a girl”
“Yeah”
“Then video call”
“No. I am ugly”
“” Another dramatic pause. “Su Yao, you are doomed”
Clearly furious, Red Leaf raged. Su Yuan chuckled and typed with delicate fingers, “I am at an internet café now. Once I am back in the dorm, I will video chat, but no net there yet. Gotta wait a few days”
“Oh, you are at a café. Fine, I will remember this” As if to prove her magnanimity, Red Leaf let it go with effortless grace.
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