Lu Qiao did not believe him. He felt that Yan Qiu was merely comforting himself.
Yan Qiu must be afraid that he would become even more formidable than him!
Just wait and see! By then, he would scare him half to death!
Lu Qiao’s eyes shone brightly. He could almost already imagine himself with a strong, muscular body, pinning Yan Qiu into a corner and making him tremble in fear!
The two hurriedly finished their meal and returned to their room just before seven, completing the lock-in so that Lu Qiao would not wake up somewhere else again the next morning. After locking in, the two of them took a shower together.
When they came out of the shower, Lu Qiao discovered that Yan Qiu’s parents’ couple’s holographic pod had been moved over again!
Lu Qiao was stunned for a moment. He had not planned to go online to work today, nor had he asked the butler to bring the holographic pod over.
Yan Qiu dried his hair and said, “I asked the butler to bring it over.”
Lu Qiao blinked blankly. “Oh…”
After drying his hair, Yan Qiu walked over and stepped into the holographic pod. Calmly, he said, “I’m going online to deal with some things. You play by yourself for a while.”
Lu Qiao obediently replied, “Okay.”
Since Yan Qiu had said so, Lu Qiao did not bother him. He went online to play by himself.
In fact, there was not much for him to play, so he could only go to the Xiyue Online Comprehensive Center and work as a sparring partner to earn money.
Meanwhile, after Yan Qiu went online, he also immediately went to Xiyue.
When he arrived at the game arcade and did not see the person he wanted to see, he recalled what Luo Ye had once told him. After thinking for a while, he switched to the Xiyue Online Training Grounds.
He scanned through the current list of online sparring partners, and finally his gaze settled on the name “Qiao Qiao.”
Training Ground 2301. Current status: In a sparring match.
The training grounds could be watched by spectators. Yan Qiu calmly switched to Training Ground 2301 and saw two ordinary-looking passersby fighting each other.
One of the slightly shorter young men was incredibly familiar with every move and technique.
The corners of Yan Qiu’s lips lifted.
The Yuxing Tribe’s wings allowed Lu Qiao to expand his battlefield from the ground into the air. The Instant Tribe’s genes made him even faster and more agile. Lu Qiao’s combat power had increased more than tenfold compared to before, and such a gap was enough for him to knock down an ordinary opponent almost within a second.
However, as a sparring partner, he also had to pay attention to the customer’s experience and improvement. Therefore, Lu Qiao had deliberately slowed himself down and only ended the battle after a full five minutes.
The opponent fell to the ground and looked at Lu Qiao in disbelief. He was an old customer, and he said suspiciously, “Y-You’re stronger than before, aren’t you?”
Lu Qiao pulled him up and said somewhat embarrassedly, “I broke through the secondary genetic level.”
The opponent became excited. “No wonder! No wonder! You’re so much stronger than before!”
The old customer excitedly “jabbered away.” Lu Qiao noticed someone standing with his arms folded at the edge of the training grounds.
He took a closer look.
Huh? Wasn’t this that online “Yan Qiu”?
Why had he come over? Could it be that he had been recommended by that online “Luo Ye”?
But if he wanted to practice, he shouldn’t have come directly to the training grounds. He should have signed up outside and waited in line.
Lu Qiao found it strange, but did not think much of it.
After saying a few words to the old customer and seeing him off, Lu Qiao thought that with his current strength, he probably no longer suited the needs of some people online who needed sparring to improve themselves. He therefore did not want to stay any longer and planned to leave.
Yet that online “Yan Qiu” continued standing there.
The two exchanged a subtle glance as the distance between them gradually narrowed.
Lu Qiao was muttering, “What a weirdo,” intending to brush past him, when he heard the other person casually say, “What’s so great about Yan Qiu?”
Lu Qiao abruptly stopped and turned his head toward him.
The other person stared straight at him, seemingly thinking for a moment before saying, “He looks ugly.”
Lu Qiao: “!!!”
Such a blatant provocation?!
He had actually come right in front of him to badmouth Yan Qiu?!
Lu Qiao was stunned by this person’s audacity.
The other person still did not think he had caused enough trouble. He narrowed his eyes and said with a half-smile, “He’s not impressive at all.”
Lu Qiao immediately pointed behind him toward the arena and stared at the man.
“Get in there and have a match!”
This guy was way too punchable!!!
Upon hearing this, the online “Yan Qiu” smiled and turned to leave.
Lu Qiao was stunned, then immediately chased after him, bristling with anger.
“Why are you leaving? Don’t leave! You’re not allowed to leave!”
The two left the training grounds one after another and entered the game arcade.
The game arcade was as crowded as ever. Irritable Rabbit was chatting with two girls in front of him.
He had only just arrived home. The moment he got home, he had been scolded by his parents. If they had not taken into consideration that he was still lying in a hospital bed, the two of them probably would have given him a double-team beating—one from each parent.
Irritable Rabbit was so depressed that he could not help going online to vent.
As they chatted, the two girls noticed a white bird flying in, and the person it was chasing was none other than “Yan Qiu,” the friend of that “Luo Ye.”
Irritable Rabbit did not notice and was still boasting, “Anyway, I really saw Yan Qiu this time. The real person isn’t anything special. He’s just like that!”
The two girls coughed and reminded him, “Um, take a look behind you.”
Hearing that, Irritable Rabbit turned around and saw a man and a bird. He was immediately startled by the furious little bird.
The little bird was panting heavily, glaring at him, its tiny eyes flashing with murderous fury.
Thinking of how this guy had threatened him on San Guang Star, he timidly shut his mouth and shrank his neck, looking rather sheepish.
Lu Qiao panted and said incredulously, “You’re actually this determined to cling to life despite being half-crippled?!”
He had never expected that after chasing one irritating guy here, he would hear another irritating guy badmouthing Yan Qiu!
This guy was already crippled!
And he still remembered to come online?!
Irritable Rabbit was sweating. He was just about to explain himself when the tall man standing before him said fearlessly, “Mm, Yan Qiu really isn’t much.”
Irritable Rabbit: “!!!”
Damn! Absolutely damn!
Lu Qiao: “!!!”
He was about to explode!
Lu Qiao opened his mouth and bit down on “Yan Qiu’s” clothes. He shouted indistinctly, “Duel! Duel with me!”
“Yan Qiu” lowered his head and looked at him. Suddenly, he smiled and asked, “Why did you turn into a little bird?”
Lu Qiao froze for a moment and said, “Can’t I try flying…?”
As he spoke, he desperately flapped his wings.
When he had turned into a little bird online, it had been precisely so that he could get used to the feeling of flying in advance.
The man said in a low voice, “You’re really cute.”
“…” Lu Qiao roared, “Complimenting me for being cute won’t work either. Duel!”
The man teased, “You defend him this much. Do you like him?”
Lu Qiao immediately denied it. “I don’t!”
The man raised an eyebrow. “Yan Qiu is an ugly freak.”
Lu Qiao screamed, “DUEL!!!!”
Lu Qiao was about to go crazy. What was wrong with these people? What was wrong with their eyes?!
Yan Qiu was ugly?!
Where was he ugly?! Where?!
Until he logged off, he still had not managed to drag that online “Yan Qiu” back to the training grounds for a duel.
Lu Qiao woke up angrily, opened his eyes, and met Yan Qiu’s gaze.
The words escaped his mouth before he could think.
“You’re obviously very handsome!”
Yan Qiu looked somewhat astonished, then chuckled softly.
“Mm… Thank you for the compliment?”
“…” Lu Qiao’s face reddened. “I just… I just stated a fact.”
Yan Qiu said meaningfully, “Mm. I like your ‘stating a fact.'”
“…” For some reason, Lu Qiao suddenly felt a little guilty.
That night, he went to sleep carrying this inexplicable sense of guilt.
Perhaps because he had been thinking about what happened online before going to bed, Lu Qiao dreamed about it after falling asleep.
He dreamed that Yan Qiu had been disliked by someone for being ugly and was terribly upset, crying nonstop.
His character seemed to have collapsed a little, but Lu Qiao had never seen Yan Qiu cry before. In the dream, he immediately felt terribly distressed.
Such a big man, yet crying could still be so heartbreaking.
Lu Qiao hurriedly pulled him into his arms and comforted him, repeatedly reassuring him.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. You’re very handsome. I appreciate you. Don’t be sad!”
The next second, Yan Qiu raised his tear-filled eyes and asked him, “Really?”
He looked simply weak, pitiful, and helpless!
An infinite urge to protect him surged within Lu Qiao.
Holding the man in his arms, Lu Qiao said solemnly, “Of course it’s true. In my heart, you’re number one.”
He never expected that immediately afterward, the weak, pitiful, and helpless Yan Qiu slightly narrowed his eyes, reached out and pinched his chin, then leaned close to his ear.
His voice was low and husky.
“I only need you to be the one who appreciates me… Qiao Qiao.”
“Boom—”
Lu Qiao suddenly woke up.
His heart was beating incredibly fast, almost jumping out of his throat.
His entire body felt feverishly hot, and his head was buzzing.
Those two words, “Qiao Qiao,” were still lingering beside his ears. For a moment, he did not even dare turn around to look at the person beside him.
The bedroom was utterly silent. Bright daylight diffused across the curtains.
It was already past six.
Lu Qiao desperately suppressed his voice, panting as he slowly turned his head around in terror—
The man was sleeping peacefully there, completely unaware.
Lu Qiao: “…!!!!!!”
Yan Qiu had called him “Qiao Qiao” in his dream!!!
Why had he dreamed something like that? Why?!
Even Lu Qiao himself did not know what exactly he was getting so excited about. He hugged his own head and silently screamed, so embarrassed that he felt like he was about to explode!
After a long while, he finally calmed down and began regulating his breathing.
It was only a dream. It was only a dream.
Getting embarrassed because of a dream—what kind of nonsense was that?
He swallowed and shakily got out of bed, deciding to do some morning exercise to clear his head.
When Yan Qiu woke up, the space beside him was already empty.
The balcony door had been opened. Gusts of wind blew in, gently lifting the curtains.
Faintly, he heard the sound of wings flapping.
Yan Qiu got up, straightened his loosely worn sleep robe, tied the sash around his waist, climbed out of bed, and pulled open the curtains before walking onto the balcony.
Sunlight pierced into his eyes.
He took two seconds to adjust to the brilliant light outside, and then his gaze caught sight of a flying figure against the blue sky.
A pair of pure-white wings beat powerfully as the person continuously flew through the air, turning and spinning like an excited child.
Below, even the servants in the manor could not help stopping their work and looking up.
The Yuxing Tribe was rarely seen, and one possessing such beautiful wings was even rarer. It was so captivating that people could hardly look away.
Lu Qiao flew freely, then made another turn in the air before noticing the figure standing by the third-floor balcony.
Yan Qiu was awake.
Lu Qiao flapped his wings and flew over, landing on the balcony railing with both feet.
He crouched down and hugged his knees, joking, “Want to try flying? I can carry you in a princess carry and fly with you!”
As he spoke, he even shook his wings proudly to show them off.
He had exercised for quite a while and had long since thrown the dream from earlier out of his mind. At this moment, he was waiting mischievously for Yan Qiu’s answer.
But the man merely raised his head and quietly gazed at him.
Yan Qiu remembered the dream he had just had.
In the dream, this person’s pure-white wings, slightly reddened eye corners, hoarse voice, and trembling body…
It really had been an utterly terrible dream.
So terrible that he could not help becoming distracted, and even his actions began to escape his control.
He slowly lowered his eyes and reached out to cradle Lu Qiao’s left wing.
Lu Qiao was startled.
“You’re really going to have me carry—”
His words abruptly stopped.
Yan Qiu brought his left wing closer, lowered his head, and pressed his lips against it.
Silently, he gave it a kiss.