Chapter 98 p1
After just one day away from school, seeing the explosion of messages on her phone, Chi Lin felt like she had been gone for a year.
The class group chat had been frantically tagging her since yesterday morning, asking why she was absent again, the messages exceeding two thousand before finally subsiding.
Wei Zhuoning sent five or six private messages, asking if she was alright and if she could visit.
Even Lin Xiaozhi, usually only focused on Wei Zhuoning, sent a message, albeit with a hidden agenda:
“Are you home? Are you okay? Zhuoning and I want to visit you.”
Having been in this world for over half a year, Chi Lin was still not used to instant messaging.
She knew everyone meant well, but the constant barrage of messages felt a bit overwhelming.
When she first arrived, she had tried her best to adapt to this era, to blend in and avoid being noticed.
But now, having found the person she was looking for, she wanted to slow down, to maintain her own pace, not to be swept away by the fast-paced modern world.
As soon as she arrived at school, Wei Zhuoning grabbed her, examining her from head to toe, finally sighing in relief:
“It’s you, you’re really you.”
Chi Lin: “?”
Lin Xiaozhi, watching Wei Zhuoning’s antics, chuckled:
“Our Lin took a day off and disappeared from the internet, Zhuoning was worried sick, convinced you had been possessed, otherwise you wouldn’t have ignored her. See, she’s perfectly fine, are you relieved now?”
“Who, who was worried sick?” Her private concern exposed, Wei Zhuoning blushed, her words stumbling. “I was just worried about a classmate! Unlike you, heartless!”
Chi Lin was surprised that people in this era also knew about “possession,” she had thought such superstitions only existed in Dayuan.
But having experienced soul transmigration herself, the concept no longer held any fear for her.
“Oh, I didn’t say anything else, if not a classmate, then what? Do you dare to think otherwise? Do you think I can’t control you, or that Sister Lou can’t swing a sword?”
Facing Wei Zhuoning, Lin Xiaozhi was completely unfazed, her teasing sounding almost like sweet nothings.
Wei Zhuoning hadn’t expected her simple concern for Chi Lin to trigger Lin Xiaozhi’s jealousy. Defeated, she returned to her seat.
Chi Lin, who hadn’t even had a chance to speak: “…”
Seeing Chi Lin’s return, the Class 6 group chat came alive again before class started.
“Lin Lin, are you sick! You look thinner! Here, Sister Lou’s GIF from three years ago, the one where she pokes her own cheek! My exclusive collection! To replenish your HP!”
“Holy shit, I’ve been looking for this GIF! I’m dead, I’m dead!”
“Seriously, when will Lin and Sister Lou stream together? A friend of mine wants to see a duo stream!”
“Duo stream +1!”
“Lin, what do you want for lunch today? My treat, I just want you to create a Weibo account! And follow Sister Lou!”
“A month of lunches for a Weibo account!”
***
The messages flooded the chat, making Chi Lin’s eyes hurt.
Why were they so obsessed with Weibo and live streams? Chi Lin still felt uncomfortable in front of a camera.
If she really streamed, she would probably have a poker face the entire time.
Since she was back in class, not responding would be rude, so Chi Lin patiently answered everyone’s questions.
Only when Mr. Xia entered and class started did the commotion subside. Chi Lin wiped the sweat from her forehead—being a celebrity in this era was truly exhausting.
A major exam and two quizzes in the morning, after just one day away, she felt like she had missed a lot.
Going over yesterday’s test paper, Chi Lin struggled to keep up, her brow furrowing.
Lin Xiaozhi taught her to record the teacher’s explanations on her tablet, so she could review them later.
***
Chi Lin was surprised. Such technology existed, why hadn’t she known about it before?
“You didn’t know?”
“No one told me…”
Lin Xiaozhi leaned closer and whispered, “Did you not even have computers in your time?”
Chi Lin smiled and shook her head.
“No industrial revolution?”
Having studied modern history, Chi Lin smiled faintly: “Not even close, it was the era of cold weapons.”
Lin Xiaozhi’s eyes widened: “So, were you a soldier? Did you fight in battles?”
“Yes.”
“Killed people?”
Chi Lin hesitated, not wanting to scare her.
Even without her saying it, Lin Xiaozhi already knew the answer from her eyes.
Not scared at all, Lin Xiaozhi was even more intrigued and spent the entire morning asking about Chi Lin’s battlefield experiences.
“Lin, are you actually a man?”
“…Women could also fight in battles in my time.”
“How heavy was your sword? Could you decapitate someone with one swing?”
“I didn’t use a sword…”
“Then what? A hammer?”
“I used a sword.”
“A sword? But everyone wore armor, how could you injure anyone?”
“Swords are more agile, and it depends on how they’re forged.”
“How long did your battles last? What did you do when you were bored? Did you have a girlfriend? Did she fight with you? What will she do now that you’re here? Lin, Lin?”
Help!
Chi Lin was bombarded with questions, turning to Wei Zhuoning with a pleading look.
Wei Zhuoning wished she could teleport her ears over there. What were they talking about? That Lin Xiaozhi was monopolizing Chi Lin!
Finally, lunchtime arrived. Chi Lin, not daring to stay near Lin Xiaozhi any longer, grabbed her bag and disappeared in a blink of an eye.
“Hey, where’s Lin?” Lin Xiaozhi looked around. “We haven’t finished discussing the killing people part, and she’s already gone?”
Chi Lin practically ran out of the school gates as soon as the bell rang, afraid of being caught.
She ordered takeout from her car, giving the delivery driver a very specific location: “Guanghua Road, Parking Lot 12, Section D, East Side, third row, third car.”
The delivery driver: “??”
Chi Lin ate her lunch in the car while reviewing her study materials.
Just as she was finishing, Lou Mi’s video call arrived.
Chi Lin quickly put away her lunch, wiped her mouth, checked her reflection in the car’s mirror, making sure her hair was neat and presentable, then answered the call.
“Hey, why are you in the car?”
Lou Mi was eating while video chatting, leaning back in her chair, her cheeks puffed out.
Seeing Chi Lin sitting upright, looking serious and formal, it felt more like a business negotiation than a chat between lovers.
Lou Mi quickly swallowed her food and sat up straight.
Chi Lin told her about her morning at school, and Lou Mi burst out laughing.
“Why are you gloating…”
“It’s hard not to be interested in your past life. I also have a lot of questions. But your deskmate, that Lin Xiaozhi, actually guessed your identity… Most people, even if they find something strange, wouldn’t actually believe in soul transmigration.”
Chi Lin said seriously: “If Lin Xiaozhi were in Dayuan, she would either be a renowned child prodigy or a dangerous deviant.”
“Can she keep a secret?”
“She’s been quite friendly towards me, helping me both openly and secretly.”
Chi Lin said this to reassure Lou Mi, but it only made her more uneasy.
That Lin Xiaozhi was alluring and mysterious, and she and the righteous Chi Lin seemed to have a natural chemistry.
And they were deskmates, spending all day together…
Lou Mi: “Is her relationship with her former deskmate stable?”
Chi Lin, who rarely pried into other people’s private lives, didn’t answer immediately.
“How serious are they? When are they getting married?”
“That…”
“How much should we give as a wedding gift?”
Chi Lin: “…”
Lin Xiaozhi, who was force-feeding Wei Zhuoning, suddenly sneezed.
Lou Mi had anticipated Chi Lin’s popularity at school after those two matches.
She had prepared herself mentally and even declared her ownership; those kids should know better than to have designs on someone else’s treasure.
But high school students these days were different, the situation was more complicated than she had anticipated.
Zhuo Jinglan’s insistence on them doing some PR suddenly seemed less ridiculous.
Fine, if they wanted some sweet moments, she would give them enough to make them sick!
Lou Mi chatted with Chi Lin until the last second, reluctant to let her go, but Chi Lin had to leave for class.
“I’ll pick you up after school,” Lou Mi said.
“Huh? You’re coming all the way here? There’s no need, I can go home myself. And if you come, we’ll have two cars, we’ll have to drive separately.”
Lou Mi’s affectionate intentions were met with Chi Lin’s practical concerns, and she almost rolled her eyes.
Who said she was driving? Of course she would take a taxi and go home with Chi Lin, like conjoined twins!
Lou Mi recalled Chi Lin saying she wasn’t good at relationships. She had thought Chi Lin was being modest, but now it seemed she was being honest…
“I! Want to see you! Wait for me after school!”
Chi Lin: “Okay…”
As Lou Mi ended the call, her fierce expression still lingered. Two trainees, standing outside her office, had been trembling for a while.
“Huh?” Lou Mi’s sudden question almost made them jump out of their skins.
“S-Sister Lan said there’s a meeting.”
“Coming.”
The trainees scurried away. Remembering Chi Lin’s stunned expression earlier, Lou Mi looked at herself in the mirror, wondering—
Was she really that scary?
Her features, individually, seemed gentle, but combined, especially when she wasn’t smiling, she looked like she was about to kill someone.
Why?
People like Xie Buyu, always smiling, seemed to be liked by everyone in the club.
That Lin Xiaozhi also had a sweet smile…
Everyone liked approachable and gentle people, right?
Lou Mi tried smiling at the mirror and almost gagged.
It wasn’t sweet at all. If her usual expression looked like she was about to kill someone, her smile looked like she had just buried the body.
It was all Jin Yi’s fault.
She had been too immersed in her role as Emperor in her past life, bringing that stern expression to this life!
With two months until the new season, Zhuo Jinglan wanted to select two substitute players from the newly formed Nine Heavens second team, to avoid a repeat of the recent player shortage.
Player selection for Nine Heavens was always Lou Mi’s decision. She chose five candidates for further observation, planning to have them participate in more simulation matches and finalize the selection in two weeks, then start intensive training in mid-June.
After the meeting, Lou Mi asked Zhuo Jinglan to stay behind; she had something to discuss.
Zhuo Jinglan was already dreading it: “What does Guaren have to say today?”
“Seriously, weren’t you clamoring for a live stream? Let’s do it this weekend.”
“Oh?” Zhuo Jinglan was surprised. “Finally decided to do some PR?”
“You were the one who suggested it, why are you acting like it was my idea?”
“Fine, fine, it was me. Every industry needs fan support these days, more fans mean more attention. The new season is approaching, it’s good for pre-season hype. By the way, I’ve registered a Weibo account for Little Sister, I’ve sent her the login details. Have her announce the live stream, and then the official Weibo can repost it, so her fans won’t think we’re mistreating her.”
“People actually think that?”
“Of course! You used to be so lazy, barely streaming, and our official Weibo was bombarded with complaints, saying Nine Heavens was sidelining HighTowerMiyuki, using her and then discarding her. If it weren’t for the stories about your antics at the club going viral, people would still be complaining. We can’t repeat that. Manage your account properly, okay? Saturday at 8 pm, play a dungeon with Little Sister? Just show your faces, that’s all. I’ve already contacted the platform, you don’t have to prepare anything, just show up.”
Lou Mi had initially planned on showering everyone with a year’s worth of sweet moments, but Zhuo Jinglan’s words made her feel self-conscious, as if countless eyes were on her.
Fine, playing a dungeon together was good enough, fighting side-by-side was exciting enough, no need to be overly affectionate.
After the meeting, Lou Mi returned to her office, took out the stack of letters, and continued tracing the faded words, one stroke at a time.
She had asked Fu Tu if there was any way to restore them.
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