Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating

Edited by Divetus

Jing Huan glanced at the system announcement. He had lost a few dozen of gold and more than 30 million experience points due to his death.

Money was a small matter, but experience points made him a bit distressed. More than 30 million experience points, he'd have to grind for a week before he could earn it all back.

"How much did you lose?" Xiang Huaizhi asked.

"Didn't lose much money, just 80 gold." Jing Huan said listlessly. "Lost more than 30 million experience points though."

[Yearning For gave you 100 gold.]

Jing Huan was stunned and immediately threw the money back. "What are you doing?"

Xiang Huaizhi threw the money to him again, and this time it had turned into 300 gold. "It's because I disconnected, or else we wouldn't have lost just now."

For a moment, Jing Huan felt a bit guilty.

If it wasn't for him, Lu Wenhao wouldn't have chased after and fought Yearning For.

He quickly waved away this passing thought. Jing Huan thought about it and kept 80 gold for himself, tossing the rest back. "I don't want the extra, Gege."

Xiang Huaizhi didn't pursue the point. "I'll take you to grind back those experience points later."

Jing Huan was silent for a long time before he said, "Okay."

*

After fighting for three days in a row, the battle between Idle Pavillion and Promise still showed no signs of quieting down. The Silk Road was still very lively, and the assassins from both guilds were also lurking and waiting in each wild map.

However, the battle situation wasn't as exaggerated as the first day. After all, everyone had things to do in real life and couldn't be online 24 hours a day.

For this reason, Chunxiao specifically collated the usual online times of the entire guild and arranged different teams according to the times.

Jing Huan and them were in charge of 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

As soon as class was over, Jing Huan was hooked by Lu Wenhao across the neck and pulled into his arms in a headlock position.

"Huanhuan, you're a bit heartless. You can't just forget about your bros now that you have a girlfriend!" He scolded, "How many days has it been since you've come out with us?"

"When have I come out with you guys?" Jing Huan said that but didn't break away from his hold. "And I've said it before, I don't have a girlfriend."

Gao Zixiang put his hands in his pockets. "Then, what are you hurrying back after class to do every day?"

Hurrying back to kill your fellow guild members ah.

"Hurrying back to watch the LoL games. S9 has started, don't you know?" Jing Huan felt like his throat was itchy, coughed, and asked lazily, "Didn't you guys have that server integration? Why are you so idle every day?"

"Our guild arranged a duty roster, we have the shift at noon." Speaking of this, Lu Wenhao smirked. "I heard that, in order to avoid us, Yearning For arranged to go during the evening. I was thinking about letting our guild leader change it around for us."

Not mentioning it was okay, but as soon as he heard that, Jing Huan began to again mourn his lost 30 million experience points.

"There are so many people in your guild, and you think you can change your shift by just asking? Don't mess around." Jing Huan pat his hand. "Let go, I want to go back."

Lu Wenhao didn't move. "Come on ah……"

"Jing Huan."

Hearing someone call him, Jing Huan struggled to turn around. Seeing Xiang Huaizhi standing behind him, he smiled. "Ge?"

Xiang Huaizhi frowned and stared at their position. After a while, he asked, "What are you guys doing?"

Lu Wenhao greeted him cheerfully, "Hello Senior."

Xiang Huaizhi didn't look at him and just let out a cold, "En."

"Nothing, we just got out of class." Jing Huan patted Lu Wenhao's fat hand again, this time using some strength. "You damn it….. Hurry up and let go."

Lu Wenhao released him and pretended to be hurt. "You've changed. You used to even let me casually embrace you."

Jing Huan laughed and cursed at him. "Scram. When have I ever let you embrace me? You two hurry up and leave ba. Any later and the cafeteria won't have any free seats."

"Jing Huan." Xiang Huaizhi called out to him again.

"En?"

Xiang Huaizhi wanted to invite him to eat together, but then he remembered that they still had to go on duty in the Silk Road soon. His words in his mouth turned into, "Head back together?"

The two boys walked towards the back gate side by side. Lu Wenhao rubbed his stomach. "Xiang'er, let's go too. Any later and we really won't be able to eat… What are you looking at?"

Looking at their shadows, Gao Zixiang frowned. “Nothing, it’s just a little strange.”

Lu Wenhao was at a loss. “What’s strange?”

“Senior Xiang seemed to be quite cold towards us?”

Lu Wenhao smiled. “Isn’t he notoriously cold-blooded?”

“But he’s very good to Huanhuan.”

Lu Wenhao choked. “It seems that way&#k2026; However, Huanhuan has always been very likable. Maybe Senior Xiang also likes him and therefore is good to him bei.”

Gao Zixiang looked back with complicated eyes.

Originally, he didn't think there was anything going on. But now, once Lu Wenhao said that, his imagination had been broadened.

"Why are you look at me like that?" Lu Wenhao asked, confused. "Are we still eating?"

Gao Zixiang gave up communicating with him. "Eat, eat until you die, let's go."

When Jing Huan went online, his teammates were already waiting.

[Team] Xiao Tianjing: Wuwuwu I'm sorry, I'm late. QAQ

"It's okay, Xiangxiang also just came back." Lu Hang stretched out. "Why aren't you using the mic?"

[Team] Xiao Tianjing: My throat doesn't feel too good today.

It may be that he had been pitching his voice and talking a lot these days, but there was something wrong with his throat. It was nothing serious, it was just that his throat was itchy, and he coughed occasionally.

He also wasn't turning on the mic because he was too lazy to act cute today. He was closed for business.

Xiang Huaizhi paused. Just now, he hadn't been able to hear any difference in Jing Huan's voice compared to normal.

"Have you taken any medicine?" Xiang Huaizhi asked.

[Team] Xiao Tianjing: Nope Gege, I just have a little seasonal cold. It's nothing serious.

"Then, you have to take care a bit. It's been very cold here recently, I usually have to wrap myself in blankets in the dorm." Lu Hang offhandedly asked, "Where do you live ah Xiao Jingjing?"

Jing Huan replied, "I live…"

"You have everything?" Xiang Huaizhi cut him off without a trace and led them to the Silk Road. "In a moment, pay attention to health levels, and don't think about saving potions. If you're lacking any potions, directly ask me for them."

Lu Hang never let go of any chance to take advantage of his relatives and friends. "Do you have some extra recovery incense over there?"

Xiang Huaizhi threw him five recovery incenses and finally succeeded in getting him to shut up.

Lu Wenhao's team being arranged by Patience to go at noon, was in fact, specifically assigned by Patience's guild leader. He was afraid of Yearning For wanting revenge and specifically targeting Lu Wenhao to kill.

With no scruples now, Xiang Huaizhi killed whoever he encountered, ever victorious, and never returning to the rebirth point again. In just three days, there were ten extra "God Xiang's Amazing Plays Compilation" videos on the forum.

"It's all just God Xiang's Amazing Plays, no God Lu's Amazing Plays!" Lu Hang said angrily. "Why do none of these netizens recognize true beauty?"

Love is For You to Eat sighed, "How many more days do we still have to fight before it's finished ah? I also want to do the All the Lovers event, it's been out for two days already."

Lu Hang asked curiously, "Who are you going to do it with?"

"With my own side account…" Love is For You to Eat said, "I just want to do it to get that limited edition apparel."

To do the All the Lovers quests, you needed to go into wild maps to find the NPCs there. Now, all the wild maps had an endless number of assassins lurking there, and there was no way to happily go about completing the event.

Lu Hang pondered. "I think it should be soon ba. Our guild already has a lot more guild funds than they have."

At 10:00 pm, the five of them got off their shift on time and didn't stick around at all.

Today, they had cleared out seven teams. When their team returned to the main city, Jing Huan couldn't help jerking his neck around. None of his usual remedies seemed to be working, so he really seemed to have a cold. His whole body felt tired.

Xiang Huaizhi originally planned to take him to do dailies but then he saw the small fox fairy be the first one to leave the team.

[Friend] Yearning For: ?

[Friend] Xiao Tianjing: What's the matter la, Gege.

[Friend] Yearning For: Doing dailies or not.

[Friend] Xiao Tianjing: Okay ah.

[Friend] Xiao Tianjing: But can you wait a bit? I want to go downstairs.

[Friend] Yearning For: Going to do what.

[Friend] Xiao Tianjing: Buy some medicine.

Xiang Huaizhi's fingers stopped slightly, then he typed. Go then ba.

"Chunxiao mentioned in the guild group chat," Lu Hang stood up and stretched out. "That Promise over there seems to be on the verge of dying, and they're trying to get other guilds to join them in going against us. Do you think there will be other guilds that cooperate with them?"

After not getting an answer after nearly half a day, Lu Hang turned his head around. "Xiangxiang?"

Xiang Huaizhi replied in a perfunctory way. "Don't know."

Lu Hang looked at the time, picked up his coat, and casually put it on. "It's still early, I'll go play cards next door, don't lock the door."

After Lu Hang left, Xiang Huaizhi was the only one left in their dorm.

His back was completely straight. A few seconds later, he let go of his mouse and leaned back against the chair.

It was completely silent, and his thoughts were especially clear at the moment.

Their school was located on an incline, and there were only two pharmacies around, one at the front gate, and one at the back gate.

He wanted to go downstairs and see him.

Xiang Huaizhi wasn't surprised by this idea, but he just didn't know when he started having it.

His cellphone on the table vibrated slightly.

Xiao Jing ya: Fuck, the pharmacy downstairs is closed… Where exactly is the front gate's pharmacy??

[Xiao Jing ya has withdrawn a message]

Xiang: ?

Xiao Jing ya: I sent the wrong emoticon Gege [cute]

Xiang Huaizhi's eyes lowered, and he opened up the emoticons and scrolled through, but he couldn't find one the he wanted to reply with.

Finally, he put his cellphone directly into his pocket.

*

Jing Huan slowly exited the pharmacy with the medicine. The cold wind blew on his face, and he sneezed at once.

He rubbed his nose and looked up to see Xiang Huaizhi standing by the bus stop.

Xiang Huaizhi had both his hands in his pockets and was quietly looking at him. For a moment, Jing Huan even felt like he was waiting for him.

"Ge," Jing Huan recovered and instinctively walked to Xiang Huaizhi's side. "Why are you here? Waiting for someone?"

Xiang Huaizhi shook his head. "Night jog."

"…."

It was so cold, and he was going out for a night jog?

As soon as winter came, all he wanted to do was set up camp under a quilt and never come out again.

"No wonder you're so well built." Jing Huan said heartily. "Then, I'll go back first, good luck."

"Let's go together." Xiang Huaizhi followed him by his side, looking as he usually did. "I'm finished."

But you don't look like you just finished running ah.

Jing Huan was confused but didn't ask. "Okay."

"You have a cold?" Xiang Huaizhi glanced at the bag from the pharmacy in his hands.

Jing Huan laughed and said, "Yeah, was inadvertently careless."

"It cooled down recently, be sure to keep warm."

"Yes, you as well Ge."

While Jing Huan talked, he was looking around the entire time.

Xiang Huaizhi also noticed and asked him, "What are you looking for?"

"No, I'm checking if there's anyone taking pictures of us." Jing Huan looked away. Although he was ill, his tone was still energetic. "If I catch him, I will beat him."

Xiang Huaizhi inclined his head, glancing down at him with lowered eyes.

From his perspective, he could see the back of Jing Huan's neck. He wasn't even wearing a scarf, and his long white neck was completely exposed.

He thought of the scene where Jing Huan had been seized into someone else's arms and a small wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows.

"Do you really mind?"

Jing Huan was stunned when he heard those words. He turned around and asked, "Hm?"

"The photos," Xiang Huaizhi asked, "You really mind?"

"It's not that…" Jing Huan licked his lips. "I just… don't like being photographed very much. It's strange."

Xiang Huaizhi nodded, and he thought of something. "Right, you and that person you like… How's it going? "

Jing Huan was stunned, and it took him a long time to remember exactly what was going on.

With all the lies he had spilled out, all he could do was continue to spin it. "Nothing really, still haven't caught them."

To some extent, what he said was the truth.

Xiang Huaizhi asked again, "Do you like that person very much?"

Jing Huan turned around and stared at him for a while.

Xiang Huaizhi was a little flustered at being stared at, but his face remained very calm. "What's the matter?"

Jing Huan laughed, his eyes curving into crescents. "No, it just seems like you're really interested in the person I like."

Xiang Huaizhi said, "Just thought of it and wanted to ask, if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine."

"I like them ah." Jing Huan said casually, "If I didn't like them, why would I pursue them."

There were few people in the street and the two boys walked side by side, talking about topics and looking like they were engaging in chitchat between friends.

Only Xiang Huaizhi himself knew that the person next to him was confessing to him.

A secret pleasure and indescribable melancholy rose up in his heart. He even wanted to come clean, saying that he was Yearning For, asking Jing Huan what he really liked about him and then asking him whether he was more moved by his game character or himself in reality.

"However," Jing Huan breathed out a hot breath and complained, "Recently, I've gotten a little tired of pursuing them."

Xiang Huaizhi was startled and turned to look at him. "En?"

"It's kind of annoying that, however I pursue them, I don't get any response." Jing Huan said, mixing in half the truth with a few lies. "Don't really want to pursue them anymore."

It'd be more fun and cleaner to buy five accounts to kill him with.

Xiang Huaizhi's heart sank, and even his footsteps grew a bit heavier, "You're giving up?"

Jing Huan didn't answer the question. "Ge, have you ever pursued anyone?"

The boy's eyes were especially bright in the dim environment. Xiang Huaizhi stared into his eyes for a bit before looking away. "No."

Jing Huan nodded. He probably had been blown into confusion by the wind. How could a guy like Xiang Huaizhi pursue anyone.

Xiang Huaizhi pursed his lips and wanted to continue to question him when he found that they had just arrived at the back gate.

"Ge, the house I rented is right here, so I'll head out first." Jing Huan waved at him. "Good night."

When the boy's back disappeared in the building, only then did Xiang Huaizhi come back to his senses.

In those short few minutes, his mind had just been playing the words "don't really want to pursue them anymore" in a loop.

—

Juurensha: XHZ, go woo your man!

Divi: This is what you get for trying to use your 'Ge' persona to get information XHZ. Time for the chase??

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