Chapter 8: Internet Love Unfolds, Every Step a Surprise, She thought she was responsible for the shock…
Rong Yi: …?
Rong Yi tugged at her silk scarf, pushing him away with her hand. “My boyfriend and I have only seen each other half a time till now. He crawled through the internet connection just to abuse me?”
“Holy cow!” Fan Xingze was even more shocked. “How old are you? You’re still having an online romance!”
Rong Yi: … Fan Xingze, a guy who always manages to push her buttons and bring on early menopause within three sentences.
She really wished she could dig him out by hand like she did at the beginning, and then bury him back in by hand!
*
At night, when Rong Yi sent a WeChat message to her younger boyfriend, she typed on the phone’s keyboard as if she wanted to shatter the screen right then.
Rong: … Really want to drag this person into the game and cripple them from the waist down!
X: [HeadPat.JPG] Don’t get upset. Rong Rong, your thinking is so meticulous. Even when it’s about venting emotions, you manage to consider how to avoid legal consequences.
X: [ImpressedThrice.JPG]
X: So how did you explain it later?
Rong: I said I sleepwalked and did it myself. Ha, that big-mouthed fool, even if he tells anyone, no one would believe him.
X: You have injuries on your hands too. Remember to bandage them properly.
Rong: They’ve scabbed over already, not painful. By the way…
Rong Yi’s mood calmed down, and the pile of accumulated questions from before started to line up in her mind.
Rong: Ai Mosheng, answer a few questions for me.
Rong Yi rarely used her younger boyfriend’s full name. Once she did, it meant he had done something wrong.
As expected, her younger boyfriend’s playful expression toned down.
X: Sure, go ahead, ask.
Rong: 1. How do you know so much about games?
Rong: 2. What are you actually studying or doing? Are you really just a student?
3. What’s the real reason you won’t meet me in person? Now that you’ve seen me, I’m asking for a video call with you to see your face. Is that too much to ask?
4. Why did you ‘customize’ the skill of [Meeting the Parents] for me? Am I really that old in your eyes?
X, for once, didn’t reply immediately. The message box displayed “Typing…” several times before finally sending a response.
X: 1. I was pulled into the game two years ago. I’m sorry for keeping it from you.
Just as expected. Rong Yi had also guessed this.
X: 2. I am studying computer science. I didn’t lie about that. But I’ve learned from Noel Otis, so I might be a little bit skilled.
X: [ProudFace.JPG]
This, Rong Yi hadn’t expected. Noel Otis is a remarkable programming genius. He’s like the fully evolved version of Fan Xingze, a visionary leader in today’s trending fields of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and brain-computer interfaces. He excels not only in technology but also stands out in business, becoming a giant in his own right.
Aside from dominating the high-tech market, Noel Otis also serves as a guest professor with numerous renowned computer prodigies under his wing.
Fan Xingze was once his proud disciple.
In that case, could it be said that Rong Yi’s younger boyfriend is a junior to the big-shot?
X: 3. I truly don’t look good. Just being able to date someone like Rong Rong is already a dream come true. I genuinely feel unworthy of you… Rong Rong should deserve an extremely exceptional and perfect man.
Rong: There’s no such thing as a perfect man.
X: But you’re a perfect woman! A perfect woman naturally deserves a perfect man.
Rong Yi chuckled softly. Her younger boyfriend had once again fallen into an inexplicable bout of self-doubt, despite being a computer prodigy. He always seemed so self-deprecating.
Rong: You’re perfect in my eyes.
X: That’s because you haven’t seen me… If you saw me, you might just kick me on the spot out of fright…
X: How about a video call in two weeks? I need to prepare…
X: [PuppyBegging.JPG]
Rong: Alright, as you said, let’s start counting two weeks from today. But if you dare to hang up on my video call —
X: I’ll be out of toilet paper, eat instant noodles without seasoning, drop ice cream on the floor after the first bite, spill freshly cooked sesame balls and shrimp all over, have soup dumpling soup spill all over me, get the middle seat on an airplane, and be stuck behind the slowest checkout line at the supermarket!
Ha, he really knows how to be tough on himself.
Rong: Alright. What about the last question? What was the original intention behind designing the [Meeting the Parents] skill?
Rong Yi was well aware that the final question was a make-or-break one.
Internet romance was a nerve-wracking journey, unable to sense each other’s emotions face-to-face, expressing affection solely through text. A single typo could ruin a relationship.
Aimosheng, after deceiving her so much, if he took one wrong step now—
X: Ah, Rong Rong, how could you think that way? Introducing someone to your parents is the most nerve-wracking step in a relationship. I hope NPCs meeting you will feel a mix of fear, respect, and the urge to flatter just like meeting their partner’s parents.
X: You’re a woman with a powerful presence, capable of handling this kind of skill. Once your status is established, you’ll be more than capable.
X: As for me thinking you’re old, that’s even more absurd.
X: Why do I think that way? You’re only 28, and I’m older than you.
X: [InnocentCat.JPG]
She looked at that adorable [InnocentCat.JPG] image.
Who the hell would believe this? Even after contemplating for three centuries, no one would believe it!
Internet romance was a series of surprises for Rong Yi. She had always thought she was the one responsible for astonishing others.
But unexpectedly, after teasing others for so long, today she found herself teased.
Assuming her younger boyfriend was still a student, she never even asked about his age. Little did she know that he was older than her?
So, is he a “perpetual student” kind of undergrad?
X: Rong Rong? Are you angry? Did I say something wrong?
Rong: … You didn’t say anything wrong.
Rong: I’m the one who’s wrong. I was very wrong.
The image of her cute and soft younger boyfriend vanished from her mind with a snap.
He transformed into a nearly 30-year-old man with a bit of a belly and a receding hairline, sitting in front of his computer, snacking and sending cute emojis.
As if knowing what she was thinking, X messaged right away:
X: But I work out! I’m in great shape! I carried you home like a princess all the way!
X: Rong Rong, what strange images are you imagining?!!
X: [AbsPic.jpg] Look!
The abs weren’t overly exaggerated, but they were well-defined, though a bit pale, bordering on perfection.
Rong Yi choked for a moment.
Ai Mo Sheng’s abs reminded her of someone.
Today, she asked Fan Xingze about the gym he frequented, wanting to improve her physical condition and fitness for the upcoming game. He forwarded her an e-business card for a boxing gym near the company.
So, after work, she went directly to the boxing gym to get a membership.
And there, she indeed saw Fan Xingze.
He was wearing boxing shorts and had his upper body exposed, revealing his pale skin that had been hidden away in an office for years. The face without glasses showed a touch of sharpness. His silent demeanor was quite intimidating, attracting the attention of many girls who were there to practice boxing, sneaking glances at him.
He punched the sandbag relentlessly, each blow powerful and fierce. His abs contracted, clearly defined, and the sweat that soaked his body made it glisten as though oiled.
Fan Xingze seemed to sense Rong Yi’s gaze and looked over. However, due to not wearing glasses, he couldn’t distinguish people from animals from 10 meters away. He didn’t recognize her and continued to vigorously sweat it out.
Thinking back now, her younger boyfriend’s abs were somewhat similar to Fan Xingze’s. Except they weren’t as wet and shiny.
X: Rong Rong, are you finding me old?
X: [SadFrogCrying.jpg]
Rong Yi hurriedly replied: Of course not. I’m just a bit surprised. I always thought of us as an older sister-younger brother relationship…
X cried and complained for a while, and Rong Yi patiently comforted him. Her younger boyfriend was easily pacified with kisses and hugs, even in the virtual world, and it satisfied him.
After soothing him, they exchanged goodnight kisses and Rong Yi found herself back in the feeling of being in love with her adorable younger boyfriend.
What does actual age matter anyway? She contentedly snuggled into her bed. After all, being called “Dad” isn’t solely due to being older (not really).
And she, undoubtedly, was the deserving “Dad” in this relationship.
*
In the following days, while continuing her work, Rong Yi also devoted time to exercise at the boxing gym.
The boxing gym assigned her a somewhat effeminate personal coach, who was reportedly a Muay Thai expert brought in from Thailand to make female students feel more comfortable.
Initially, Rong Yi didn’t believe it until the Muay Thai expert twisted his body and kicked, breaking three wooden boards.
…She almost kneeled down on the spot and shouted “Dongfang Bubai”!
Under the training of the Muay Thai expert, Rong Yi was exhausted daily, her body feeling like it was falling apart. She would come home completely drained, her fingers barely able to move, and wake up the next day with soreness throughout her body, as if she had soaked in a vat of vinegar overnight.
But the soreness in her body brought her a sense of relief.
This sense of relief was different from the assurance her boyfriend’s hacking skills provided; it was something she was giving herself, the most dependable thing in the world.
On the seventh day after entering the game for the first time, Rong Yi hid in the restroom at her workplace to secretly smoke.
“Snap!”
As the lighter went out, the light outside the stall suddenly dimmed. The voltage seemed unstable, flickering on and off, eventually settling into a dim glow.
From the neighboring stall, which had been empty, came two distinct knocks.
“Hello?” The voice of a girl echoed through the spacious restroom, sending a shiver down Rong Yi’s spine.
“Excuse me, is anyone there?” The girl’s voice trembled, asking, “Are you a player too?”
Rong Yi’s cigarette clung to her slightly parted lips: …Damn.
Getting into trouble with just a smoke? Was this game trying to make her quit smoking or something?
Dongfang Bubai, literally “Invincible East”, is a fictional character in the wuxia novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer by Jin Yong. He is the leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult (日月神教), an “unorthodox” martial arts school. In his quest to dominate the wulin (martial artists’ community), he castrated himself to fulfil the prerequisite for learning the skills in a martial arts manual known as the Sunflower Manual (葵花寶典), and became a formidable martial artist after mastering those skills. His castration and supreme prowess in martial arts make him one of the most memorable characters in Jin Yong’s wuxia universe even though he appears in only one chapter of the novel. His name has also become virtually synonymous with homosexuality and LGBT sexual orientations in Chinese popular culture
Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongfang_Bubai#cite_note-1
In the context of gaming, particularly in online multiplayer games, an “instance” refers to a separate copy or version of a game area or environment that is created for a specific group of players. Instances are typically used to provide different groups of players with their own private or isolated spaces within the game world, allowing them to engage in quests, battles, or activities without interference from other players who might be in a different. They help prevent overcrowding in specific areas and ensure that players can experience content without being overwhelmed by the presence of too many others. Each instance can have its own unique conditions, enemies, challenges, and loot, making the experience tailored to the players within that instance.
🤣🤣making me quit smoke