Chapter Seventy-Seven: An Encounter

The hands of time sliced through the hour, and though it was already well past eight, I was still lying in bed, only just shaking off the last remnants of sleep. Leaf Shuang burst into my room, exclaiming, "Stop sleeping! Get up! Aren’t we supposed to check our college entrance exam results today? Why are you still in bed?"

I replied, "You can check those online. Why bother going all the way there?"

Leaf Shuang retorted, "Bro, don’t be such a shut-in. All we do lately is play games. I’ve noticed our social circle has shrunk dramatically—especially you. You’ve practically become immune to girls. I think it’s about time you found yourself a girlfriend."

I had no interest in romance whatsoever; that sort of thing was nothing but trouble, and I didn’t even care to talk about it. Leaf Shuang pressed on, "Looking around, you’re the only one left single. Find a good girl and try to ditch your bachelor status before Singles’ Day..."

I snapped impatiently, "Man, I’m not like you, flirting everywhere you go. None of the girls you date stick around for more than a week." Leaf Shuang shifted from his teasing tone to a more serious look and said, "Joking aside, I’m serious. You really ought to think about your future."

I replied, "My future? My future is just about living each day safely and peacefully. That’s all."

Leaf Shuang said, "You can’t say that. You’ve got more going for you than I do. Plenty of girls would want to chase you."

I sat up and said, "Come on, what do I have? I run faster than most, jump higher, fight better than the average thug. Other than that, I’m nothing special."

Leaf Shuang said, "Bro, what girls want most in a guy is a sense of security. In that, you outshine everyone by miles."

I said irritably, "Fine, I’ll go out and expand that damned social circle—and check my score while I’m at it." With that, I got up, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and prepared to head out. Just as I opened the door, Leaf Shuang called after me, "While you’re at it, check for the rest of us, and bring back some fruit and drinks."

I replied, "Got it," and went downstairs. In my mind, girls had always seemed like the ones waiting to be pursued. There was no reason for me to get excited over someone who would never like me. I walked downstairs to the bus terminal—there was a stop right under my building, but if I wasn’t in a hurry, I always boarded at the terminus. The reason was simple: I’d always get a seat, and could watch the scenery drift by.

After ten minutes, I arrived at the school. There were quite a few people around. I found my name on the list of top scorers and checked my score—it wasn’t as bad as I’d imagined. There wasn’t much to worry about; at least I could get into some miscellaneous university.

After jotting down my score, I left the school and walked along the bustling street, surrounded by creatures known as humans. I came to a small square and spotted a mobile milk tea stand. After a moment’s thought, I walked up to buy a cup. The crowd was sparse, but everyone queued up patiently. I moved forward slowly, but then a silhouette caught my eye. I froze. It was a girl, dressed in a black skirt, a white off-shoulder top, and canvas shoes. Her skirt was short, revealing slender, pale legs. Her smooth hair lay on her shoulders, radiating a powerful allure.

I watched as she bought a cup of milk tea from the saleswoman, but then an awkward problem arose—she didn’t seem to have enough money. She tried discussing the price, but the salesperson wouldn’t budge, and they were stuck in a stalemate.

I walked over and said, "One milk tea, please."

"Certainly," the saleswoman replied, handing me a cup. I paid and was about to turn away when she called after me, "Sir, your change."

I turned back and said, "Just pay for hers as well," gesturing toward the girl. Then I turned again to leave, but suddenly the girl rushed in front of me and shouted, "Wait! Tell me, why did you pay for me? What’s your motive?"

I answered, "My motive? I was just helping out when I saw someone in need." I was about to leave, but she stepped in front of me again and said, "Even so, we’re strangers. Why help me?"

I repeated, "I told you, just helping out. Nothing more. Don’t overthink it."

"Really?" she asked, looking at me with a skeptical gaze.

I sighed, "Really. Miss, could you let me pass? I have things to do."

As soon as I spoke, she was already standing very close, gazing at me with a mysterious look. I stared back, feeling as if I’d never seen a woman before, my face beginning to flush. If it were night, no one would notice, but it was broad daylight. She looked at me for a minute, then grabbed my arm and whisked me away from the crowd at lightning speed, letting go once we reached a quieter spot and keeping a certain distance.

My mind was in chaos. I never believed in love at first sight, but I’d truly never met a girl I liked instantly. She approached again, and as she did, a subtle fragrance wafted from her—not the cheap perfume of overly made-up women, but a natural scent that was impossible not to notice. My heartbeat grew erratic, so I steadied myself, breathing deeply, trying to calm my nerves.

"Is there something you need?" The words came out of my mouth before I realized it. She smiled softly, and as I studied her, I had to admit she was beautiful. Yet she seemed somehow familiar.

She said, "Thank you for earlier."

"It was nothing," I replied. "If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be going now."

She said, "You’re the first guy who’s seen me and stayed calm."

"What do you mean? Aren’t you afraid I might be a bad guy?" I asked.

She replied, "Would a bad guy pay for someone? If you were bad, you’d have made a move already. I’m not unattractive, and your face is flushed—bad guys don’t blush, do they? Haha."

I silently cursed, "You call yourself ‘not unattractive’? If this is ‘not unattractive,’ then other women might as well give up." She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen—beautiful beyond beautiful, prettier even than Little Moon.

She gazed at me with her bright, liquid eyes. "What did you just say?"

I quickly replied, "Nothing. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going."

She said, "Why rush? I really want to thank you for earlier."

"It was nothing, just a small gesture. Helping others is a traditional virtue," I said.

She replied, "By the way, to thank you, I’ll treat you to lunch."

I thought, "Come on, you couldn’t afford a cup of milk tea, how are you going to treat me to lunch?" We arrived at a barbecue restaurant, sat down together, and I found my eyes darting everywhere, unable to look at her directly.

Soon, the barbecue was served, piled on a huge iron tray set atop another iron stand. Between the two plates were seven or eight chunks of smokeless coal. The owner placed the grilled food on the upper plate; the coals glowed red, licking the bottom, warming the food above. Her little face was tinted with a blush from the firelight—she looked adorable. We ate and chatted.

I asked, "So, what’s your name?"

She replied, "Do you want to know?"

"Of course. Eating with someone whose name you don’t know feels strange," I said, feeling my face flush again, not sure why I’d phrased it that way.

She said, "You tell me yours first."

"I’m Long Ling. ‘Dragon’ as in the creature, ‘Ling’ as in soul," I said.

She asked, "Where do you study?"

"Just graduated high school. Don’t plan to go to university. I want to stay home and be a pro gamer," I replied.

"A pro gamer? You play Second World too?" she said.

"Yeah, do you play?" I asked.

She said, "What’s your name in the game? Maybe I can find you online?"

"Sure," I answered, unconcerned.

"So, what’s your name in the game?" she pressed.

"Weiwei Dragon," I said. She stood up to pay, and I doubted how she would, but she pulled out a card and paid by swiping it. That explained why she’d had no cash for the milk tea—the sales stand didn’t take cards.

Outside the restaurant, she said, "Thanks for today."

"No problem," I replied, as she turned to leave. I called out, "You never told me your name. At least leave your game ID!"

She looked back and said, "Weiwei Dragon, we’ve actually met before." With that, she vanished into the sea of people, leaving me utterly stunned.