Chapter 72
“Jiejie, why bother arguing with a child? You’ve had a long day. You should rest.” Chi Lin genuinely didn’t want trivial matters to affect Lou Mi’s performance.
Lou Mi, however, glared at her. “Did you not hear what she said? She wants to be your wife! Such lofty ambitions for a little kid. And you expect me to just rest? Should I rest while you marry her?”
“…Of course not.”
“Will you make her leave?”
“I’ve tried, nicely and not so nicely. She just cries, and her crying gives me a headache.”
“Exactly. I know these little brats. You can’t fight them head-on. The more you push, the more they resist. Ordinary methods won’t work. You have to crush their confidence at the source.” Lou Mi pointed at the floor. “Show them who’s boss.”
“You sound very experienced,” Chi Lin remarked.
“I am. Years of battling a certain little rascal has taught me a thing or two.” Lou Mi cracked her knuckles. “You go play somewhere. I’ll handle this.”
Despite constantly lecturing Chi Lin about staying calm and not resorting to violence, Lou Mi now resembled a jealous monster ready to devour the child. Usually a reliable leader, when it came to Chi Lin, she turned into an unreasonable, possessive fiend.
The terms of their competition were set by Yan Mingming: if she lost, she would go home.
“And if you lose?” Yan Mingming challenged Lou Mi.
Such arrogance from a little brat…
“Same thing,” Lou Mi said, pointing at the door. “I’ll leave.”
“Deal! No backing out!” Yan Mingming pointed at Lou Mi.
“Fine,” Lou Mi said, folding her arms.
Yan Mingming borrowed Chi Lin’s phone and opened a game. “Let’s have a gaming competition!”
Lou Mi: “…”
Chi Lin, sitting on the sofa, ready to watch, offered Yan Mingming a friendly reminder. “Do you know who this big sister is?”
Yan Mingming shook her head defiantly. “I don’t know, and I don’t care. Just one question: does she dare to compete with me in Zombie Slayer?”
Lou Mi: “I could beat you with my feet.”
“Don’t underestimate me just because you’re older! I’m the city champion of Zombie Slayer!”
“Oh, city champion? Impressive. I guess I shouldn’t take this lightly. I’ll use my hands then.”
Thinking Lou Mi was scared, Yan Mingming smirked. Then she saw Lou Mi raise a single finger. “I’ll use one finger.”
Yan Mingming: “…”
Zombie Slayer was a 4D projection game, also playable on traditional consoles. Yan Mingming chose the 4D projection, assuming the older Lou Mi would be more familiar with traditional controls, giving her an advantage.
Having just won the city championship, Yan Mingming had dreams of becoming a professional esports player. She wasn’t afraid of adults! She would be like her idol, HighTowerMiyuki, conquering all!
Little Yan Mingming didn’t realize her career was about to suffer a major setback before it even began.
The game started.
Yan Mingming scored a perfect score in the first level.
The woman, casually munching on chips while tapping the virtual keyboard with one finger, also got a perfect score.
Yan Mingming: “…” Hmph, the first level is too easy, anyone can do it. It doesn’t prove anything.
But from the second level onwards, burrowing zombies appeared, easily catching unsuspecting players off guard. That idiot is only using one finger, she won’t be able to react in time!
They entered the second level. Yan Mingming, a veteran player, knew the characteristics and movements of every zombie. She wasn’t quite at the level of playing blindfolded, but her skills were honed.
Lou Mi, still eating chips, cleared the level with one finger, another perfect score.
Yan Mingming: “…” Calm down, Yan Mingming. You’ve faced tough opponents before. Even if she could handle the burrowing zombies, the third level’s horde would surely teach her a lesson! Dozens of zombies would swarm the house. Without lightning-fast reflexes, it was impossible to repel them. And reflexes were earned through years of practice, not luck.
Having sacrificed countless hours of watching My Hero Academia and Detective Conan to practice, how could she lose to a random stranger?
Yan Mingming took a deep breath, waiting for the third level.
Lou Mi cleared the third level with one finger, even finding time to open a new bag of chips.
The sound of the crinkling bag distracted Yan Mingming for a split second, letting a zombie through, which took a bite out of her character. Her composure began to crumble.
If Yan Mingming had been born 30 years earlier, she might have heard the stories of the seemingly ordinary monks who turned out to be martial arts masters. And Lou Mi was far from ordinary.
How could Yan Mingming have known she was facing a gaming legend? If her mother had let her watch Lou Mi’s streams, she might have recognized HighTowerMiyuki and wouldn’t have challenged her so readily.
By the sixth level, Yan Mingming’s confidence had completely shattered. Throwing down the virtual keyboard, she burst into tears.
Chi Lin’s eardrums protested, her hair standing on end. She rushed to comfort Yan Mingming, hoping to quiet her down.
Lou Mi, now stuffed with chips, was even more annoyed by Chi Lin’s comforting gesture. She glared at the crying child. “Crying after losing? Pathetic.”
Yan Mingming: “…” The tears stopped instantly.
Chi Lin: “…” When it comes to taunting, Lou Mi is still the champion.
“Alright,” Lou Mi said, standing up and picking up Yan Mingming’s jacket. “A deal’s a deal. Time to go home.”
Yan Mingming, however, shook her head and hid behind Chi Lin, clinging to her pants. “I’m not leaving!”
“Trying to weasel your way out? You said you’d go home if you lost. Did you lose or not?”
“You cheated!” Yan Mingming pointed at Lou Mi.
“How did I cheat?”
“You only used one finger! You can’t beat me with two hands!”
Yan Mingming’s unreasonable stubbornness reminded Lou Mi of Chi Lin. It was infuriating.
“I don’t know if I can beat you with two hands in a game, but I can beat your butt. Come here.” Lou Mi lunged at her.
Yan Mingming used Chi Lin as a shield, dodging frantically. The three of them ended up playing a bizarre game of tag, Yan Mingming almost pulling Chi Lin’s pants down.
Already sleep-deprived and suffering from a headache, Chi Lin, dizzy from all the commotion, grabbed Yan Mingming, peeled her off, and said sternly, “Do you see this big house? Do you know what’s hidden inside?”
Unlike Lou Mi, Chi Lin wasn’t good at scaring children, but she had her methods.
Yan Mingming was drawn to Chi Lin’s gentle demeanor. Seeing her suddenly turn cold, she shivered. “W-What’s hidden inside…?”
Chi Lin slowly looked towards the yard. Yan Mingming followed her gaze.
“Is it…?”
Chi Lin smiled. “What do you think?”
Gulp. Yan Mingming’s hand turned icy.
“I don’t believe you,” she said. “Teacher said there are no ghosts.”
“There might not be ghosts anywhere else, but there are here.”
“Where?!” Yan Mingming yelled, trying to sound brave.
“Come, I’ll show you.”
Chi Lin led her to the yard. Opening the glass door, Yan Mingming saw nothing but trees in the dim light.
After a quick scan, she declared, “You lied! There’s nothing here…”
Chi Lin flicked her wrist, a seemingly casual gesture, but a blast of energy shot out, snapping a tree branch.
Yan Mingming screamed and ran back inside. Even Lou Mi flinched.
…
“If she doesn’t leave, I’m seriously going to hang upside down from a tree and pretend to be a ghost.”
After driving Yan Mingming home and returning, the apartment was finally quiet. Lou Mi’s good mood had been dampened by the little brat, and her exhaustion returned.
Chi Lin corrected her, “I was practicing, not pretending to be a ghost.”
“Tch, it was a figure of speech. Do you have no sense of humor?” Lou Mi wasn’t criticizing Chi Lin, she actually enjoyed her serious demeanor.
But her casual remark made Chi Lin reflect. “Jiejie, how should I improve?” She stepped closer, looking at Lou Mi earnestly.
Lou Mi noticed the moles under Chi Lin’s eyes seemed slightly redder than before, like two embers glowing in the light. That’s how Chi Lin felt to her: a youthful exterior concealing an old soul, a fiery spirit constrained by some unknown force.
Lou Mi stared, mesmerized. A slight frown creased Chi Lin’s brow.
Why isn’t she saying anything?
Chi Lin didn’t know what Lou Mi was thinking, but she knew the moment Lou Mi’s lips touched hers.
Lou Mi cupped her face, kissing her deeply, tasting her.
Feeling Chi Lin tremble, Lou Mi pulled back, studying her.
The kiss ended too quickly for Chi Lin. She had expected it to last longer. Slowly opening her eyes, she blinked, still slightly dazed.
“So you do like me that much,” Lou Mi said, her voice a low murmur, caressing Chi Lin’s face. “That excited by my kisses?”
Chi Lin: “…Jiejie, you haven’t had dinner yet, have you? I’ll make you something.”
“I’ve already had half my meal. Now I’ll finish it. Be a good girl and let me eat my fill.”
The “meal” Lou Mi referred to was Chi Lin.
As Lou Mi leaned in again, Chi Lin’s eyes held a mixture of anticipation and apprehension.
Lou Mi couldn’t resist.
As she approached, Chi Lin closed her eyes.
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