Chapter 46
Early in the morning, Gu Yang went downstairs.
In the dining room, Lin Xiaoran was quietly sitting and having breakfast, slightly lowering his head as he sipped on millet porridge.
Beside him, Bai Tang was perched on a chair, its tail swishing back and forth. It tilted its head up at Lin Xiaoran and meowed persistently. Whenever Lin Xiaoran turned to look at it, Bai Tang would spin around on the chair, as if showing off. But as soon as Lin Xiaoran looked away to continue eating, Bai Tang would sit obediently and meow again, demanding attention.
They say dogs are clingy, but cats can be just as bad?
Gu Yang chuckled and shook his head before walking over to scoop Bai Tang up, scratching its neck and stroking its fur.
The little thing licked his hand half-heartedly before wriggling frantically, trying to escape from his arms. When it couldn’t get away, it stretched out its little paws toward Lin Xiaoran, meowing more pitifully with each cry.
Gu Yang couldn’t help but poke Bai Tang’s little head and grumbled, “Ungrateful little thing, who do you think raised you?”
Lin Xiaoran, who had remained indifferent until now, finally reacted. He looked up at the scene of Gu Yang and Bai Tang, and was about to say, “I feed it just as much as you do,” when his gaze fell on Gu Yang. He took a moment to scan him up and down, and then asked, “You’re not going to school today?”
Gu Yang was dressed in a white T-shirt and casual pants, with a long, casual coat over it, which highlighted his tall and slender figure.
Not bad. Lin Xiaoran silently concluded as he observed Gu Yang.
However, the rules at their school, Seventh High, required students to wear uniforms even on weekends.
Caught off guard by Lin Xiaoran’s question, Gu Yang glanced down at his own outfit. After a brief pause, he repeated the excuse he had prepared earlier, “Yeah, a friend is visiting, so I’m spending the day with him.”
Lin Xiaoran gave him a look and nodded without saying much.
“But… we’re just regular friends,” Gu Yang added hastily, feeling inexplicably guilty under Lin Xiaoran’s gaze. He was afraid Lin Xiaoran might misunderstand, so he couldn’t help but over-explain, “It’s just that we haven’t seen each other in a while, so I’m going out to catch up.”
“Hmm.” Lin Xiaoran had no idea what was going on in Gu Yang’s mind, but he wasn’t the type to pry. Hearing this explanation, he simply acknowledged it.
Yet Gu Yang, feeling like he was sneaking around on a boyfriend despite not being in that kind of relationship with Lin Xiaoran, suddenly felt immense pressure sitting there with him. So, he quickly set Bai Tang back down, muttered, “I’m running late, I should get going,” and then rushed out the door with his bag.
It wasn’t until he had walked quite a distance along the tree-lined path by the East Lake that the guilty feeling started to fade. He couldn’t help but laugh at himself. It was strange—he was going to meet someone he liked, yet it felt like he was sneaking around.
But come to think of it, wasn’t Lin Xiaoran also not wearing his school uniform earlier?
His mind conjured up the image of Lin Xiaoran quietly having breakfast, dressed in a white, casual sweater with a slightly loose neckline that exposed his delicate collarbones.
The corners of Gu Yang’s mouth lifted slightly as he remembered the maple leaf necklace he had given Lin Xiaoran. It would look beautiful on him, wouldn’t it?
As he continued to think about it, he suddenly felt a bit parched and subconsciously licked his lips. Then, all at once, he snapped back to reality, rubbing his temples with a wry smile.
How could he be like this? He was about to meet Wuhuan Xingyi, so why was his mind filled with thoughts of Lin Xiaoran? And those thoughts weren’t exactly innocent, either.
Quickly clearing his mind, Gu Yang pushed away thoughts of why Lin Xiaoran wasn’t wearing his uniform, flagged down a cab, and headed straight to the train station.
Meanwhile, Lin Xiaoran leisurely finished his breakfast, petted Bai Tang for a bit, grabbed his bag, and informed Aunt Wu before having the family driver take him to the train station.
Half an hour later, he arrived at the station, passed through security, and headed to the platform.
The city hosting the offline tournament was quite close, just an hour away by high-speed train, and since both cities were major hubs, trains ran every twenty minutes on average.
However, between nine and ten in the morning, there was only one train, so the crowd was particularly large.
When Lin Xiaoran arrived, boarding had just started. He pulled out his ID and followed the crowd onto the train. After boarding, he realized his carriage, number eleven, was a bit far off, so he quickly made his way over.
Not far behind him, a tall, slender young man was helping an elderly passenger down the stairs. The young man smiled and asked, “Which carriage are you in? I’ll walk you there.”
The elderly passenger was delighted to have someone helping her out, and she pointed to the nearby carriage, “I’m in carriage eight. You don’t have to trouble yourself, young man, just find your own seat.”
“What a coincidence, I’m in the same carriage. Let me help you with your luggage.” Saying this, the young man supported the elderly woman with one hand and carried her canvas bag with the other as they walked into carriage eight together.
By this time, Lin Xiaoran had found his seat in carriage eleven, put on his headphones, and started listening to music to catch up on sleep.
Soon, the train slowly pulled out of the station.
An hour later, the high-speed train arrived at its destination.
Gu Yang ended up sitting close to the elderly lady, and their destination was the same, so he helped her off the train as well.
The elderly lady moved slowly, and by the time they exited the station and found her son waiting to pick her up, most of the other passengers had already left.
Gu Yang wasn’t in a hurry, though. He wasn’t particularly excited about the offline tournament; he was there mainly to meet Wuhuan Xingyi.
But now that he was here, his heart was unexpectedly racing, even though they hadn’t met yet.
He stood at the station’s exit, looking back at the crowd, and couldn’t help but wonder if Wuhuan Xingyi might be here too. He realized he hadn’t asked where the person was coming from or what time their train would arrive.
Could it be that they were both here right now, just missing each other in the crowd?
With this thought, Gu Yang lowered his head and chuckled, inadvertently missing the tall and striking figure in white that passed right by him.
Lin Xiaoran was on the phone, speaking with the driver sent by the event organizers to pick him up. Following the driver’s directions, he quickly found the car, put away his phone, greeted the driver, and got into the car.
The driver didn’t waste any time, starting the engine and driving off immediately.
Just then, the driver’s phone rang, and he answered it on speaker. A young man’s voice came through, “Mr. Liu, are you still at the station? There’s another person who needs a ride…”
“Oh no, Manager Wu, I’m already on my way out. You’ll have to call someone else,” the driver, obviously not wanting to take on more work, replied with a blatant lie.
Lin Xiaoran glanced at the driver but then returned to minding his own business, looking down at his phone. As their car sped past Gu Yang, leaving the station behind, Gu Yang received a call from Manager Wu. The other party was polite, “Sorry for the inconvenience, Master. Please wait just a few more minutes. Our driver Liu just picked someone up and left, but Mr. Zhang will be there shortly.”
“It’s alright,” Gu Yang replied, not in any hurry.
After waiting by the roadside for about five more minutes, the car finally arrived to pick him up.
The high-speed rail station wasn’t too far from the event venue, only about a half-hour drive.
Although the competition wasn’t set to begin until later in the afternoon, the area outside the venue was already crowded with players and fans. Sitting in the car, Gu Yang noticed some fans holding banners with Jidu Qiu and Wuhuan Xingyi’s names on them, along with those of other top players.
This took Gu Yang by surprise. He had never realized that simply playing a game could earn him fans.
The driver bypassed the plaza in front of the venue and parked at the back, telling Gu Yang, “This door leads directly to the lounge. You can rest there for now, and someone will bring you lunch later.”
Gu Yang thanked the driver and got out of the car. As he stepped inside, he hesitated for a moment, his heart starting to race again.
Had Wuhuan Xingyi arrived yet? If so, he would see them as soon as he walked in.
What would they look like?
Gu Yang realized he had never really thought about it before. The only time he had visualized them was in a dream he had a few days ago, where Wuhuan Xingyi appeared as a white-robed swordsman, with a face that looked just like Lin Xiaoran’s.
Even now, when he thought about it, that was the image that came to mind.
Shaking his head to clear away thoughts of Lin Xiaoran, Gu Yang took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and put on his usual smile before stepping inside.
He wasn’t sure if the lounge had been quiet all along or if it went silent the moment he entered, but suddenly, all eyes were on him.
Fortunately, Gu Yang was the type of person who didn’t know the meaning of stage fright, or the scene might have intimidated him.
After a brief pause, he smiled and waved, “Hi, Jidu Qiu.”
Instantly, someone exclaimed, “Wow, the number one player! I thought you weren’t coming!”
“Seriously? These days, game rankings must be based on looks. What about us ordinary folks? Are we not worthy of being on the leaderboard?” someone joked.
“Come on, Momo Chunhan, you’re the only one here who’s ordinary. We won’t accept that.”
The room erupted in laughter.
Gu Yang joined in the laughter, walking over to greet the few who had spoken before sitting down with them.
Though they had never met in person, they often encountered each other in the game. They might not know each other’s real names, but once they called out their in-game IDs, a sense of familiarity set in.
One of them, Momo Chunhan, was in the same guild as Gu Yang, and they often teamed up for dungeon runs or other activities.
But even as Gu Yang chatted with them, he couldn’t help but glance around the room, his heart pounding.
Wuhuan Xingyi hadn’t arrived yet, right? Surely they weren’t already here, were they?
It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the people present—it was just that they didn’t match the image Gu Yang had in his mind.
What if Wuhuan Xingyi turned out to be the guy in the corner with the yellow hair smoking a cigarette, or the short guy with thick glasses whose face you could barely see, or…
Gu Yang looked at each person in turn, trying to imagine them as Wuhuan Xingyi… and couldn’t help but shiver.
He realized he was being incredibly naive, perhaps even deceived by his own expectations. He had always imagined Wuhuan Xingyi as someone about his age, maybe not necessarily good-looking, but definitely clean and fresh, with a cool, youthful vibe.
But what if the reality was completely different?
Suddenly, he felt a surge of anxiety, his hands unconsciously clenching. For a brief moment, he even regretted coming. Perhaps he shouldn’t have come to meet Wuhuan Xingyi in person. That way, he wouldn’t have to face the possibility of disappointment.
“Wow, Jidu Qiu? I didn’t know the number one player was this handsome!” someone suddenly exclaimed.
At that moment, a bright, lively female voice interrupted Gu Yang’s thoughts. He looked up to see a sharply dressed young woman with sparkling eyes walking towards him. Momo Chunhan quickly introduced her, “Master, this is Sister Ling, our event planner.”
Gu Yang smiled and nodded, “Hello, Sister Ling.”
Sister Ling couldn’t stop smiling as she looked at Gu Yang. “Hello! It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I wanted to discuss something—how about making an appearance during the opening performance before the competition?”
“Sister Ling only picks the handsome ones, huh? So, the rest of us ordinary experts don’t get to show our faces?” others teased, joining in on the fun.
Sister Ling laughed it off, “Come on, I wouldn’t invite you all this far just to hide you. You’ll all be on stage during the competition. I just thought it would be nice for the top player to make an early appearance, to warm up the crowd.”
Everyone knew that it was because Gu Yang was particularly good-looking that he was offered this opportunity.
However, Gu Yang wasn’t interested and politely declined, “Thank you for the kind offer, Sister Ling, but I have no special talents and get stage fright. I think it’s better if someone else takes the spotlight.”
Sister Ling looked disappointed and was about to persuade him further when a staff member came over to call her away, seemingly for something urgent.
Gu Yang breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have dodged the request. He continued chatting with the others until lunchtime. The staff arranged for them to eat together, and the conversation flowed easily as they discussed the game and the day’s event.
But Gu Yang couldn’t help wondering—why hadn’t Wuhuan Xingyi shown up yet?
Finally, at the end of lunch, Gu Yang couldn’t resist asking, “Didn’t the announcement say Wuhuan Xingyi would be here? Why haven’t I seen him?”
“He’s here, I saw him. But he just made a brief appearance before being whisked away by his people from Bihai Pavilion,” someone replied.
Gu Yang’s eyes lit up, and he almost blurted out, “What does he look like?” But realizing it might be rude, he held back, trying to think of a more subtle way to ask. Meanwhile, the others had already moved on to chatting about something else.
“I heard each major guild has a performance in the opening act this time. Bihai Pavilion is taking it very seriously.”
“Of course. After being overshadowed by our Xuan Yu Sect for so long, they must be eager to make a strong showing in the opening performance.”
“And it’s not just Bihai Pavilion. Wuhuan Xingyi has been trying to dethrone Jidu Qiu as the top player for ages. He’s probably feeling the pressure too.”
The conversation quickly shifted to in-game rivalries, with little interest in Wuhuan Xingyi as a person. This left Gu Yang feeling awkward about asking any more questions, lest he reveal how much he cared.
But inside, his spirits sank. It seemed Wuhuan Xingyi really wasn’t anything special. Otherwise, why would no one bother to say more about him? It was as if he was just another unremarkable person.
This thought began to nag at Gu Yang, dampening his enthusiasm for everything else. After the meal, he sat around for a while before following the group as they were guided into the venue by the staff.
As VIPs, they had seats in the front row. Looking back, Gu Yang could see the fans and players buzzing with excitement, holding up banners and light sticks, shouting out the names of their favorite characters.
Momo Chunhan kept craning his neck to count his own name on the light sticks, and the others seemed equally excited. But Gu Yang’s heart was racing, and he paid no attention to the voices shouting “Jidu Qiu” behind him.
It seemed that Wuhuan Xingyi would appear during the opening.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and the background music from The Seventh World game started playing.
The event had begun.
The noisy venue fell silent as everyone’s attention turned to the stage.
As the background music played, the big screen showed various characters from the game. Then, a figure in armor, holding a long weapon, appeared on stage. The camera immediately zoomed in on him as he struck a series of impressive poses before finally standing still. The camera focused on his face, and the screen displayed his in-game name—Yelan Wotingfeng.
He was a well-known top player in the game, and his good looks made the audience’s cheers grow louder and louder.
“Tch, if that’s all it takes to get such a reaction, what would happen if the number one player, Jidu Qiu, went up there?” Momo Chunhan grumbled, clearly envious.
Gu Yang let the comment go in one ear and out the other, his attention entirely on the stage.
So the opening act was players cosplaying as their own characters?
When would Wuhuan Xingyi appear?
He wasn’t sure how he felt, both eager to see Wuhuan Xingyi and afraid of being disappointed. He watched, half-distracted, as one after another, over twenty players made their appearances—but Wuhuan Xingyi was nowhere to be seen. Gu Yang started to wonder if Wuhuan Xingyi wasn’t part of the lineup after all.
Just then, the background music on stage changed.
Xiangsi Yin?
Gu Yang knew this melody well—it was a skill associated with the musician class in the game.
He slowly lifted his head to look at the stage. The entire stage was dark, except for a single spotlight that gradually grew brighter. Within that light, a white-clad youth with a sword seemed to fly out of the darkness, gracefully landing at the center of the stage. With a simple yet elegant move, he twirled the long sword and held it behind him, his clear, cold eyes meeting the camera.
The screen displayed his name—Wuhuan Xingyi.
In that instant, the entire venue erupted in deafening screams, almost loud enough to lift the roof.
And no wonder—Wuhuan Xingyi was stunningly handsome.
Even Momo Chunhan, who had been making snarky comments all along, couldn’t help but exclaim, “Holy crap, Wuhuan Xingyi looks like that? I didn’t even get a good look when he came in earlier. Damn… he looks exactly like his in-game model! How can anyone handle that? I’m not even a fan, and I feel like cheering.”
The others had similar reactions, all stunned by Wuhuan Xingyi’s appearance, as if they were seeing the white-clad swordsman from the game come to life.
But none of them were as shocked as Gu Yang.
The moment Wuhuan Xingyi appeared, Gu Yang froze. That figure looked so familiar. And when the camera zoomed in on his face, Gu Yang almost thought he was dreaming, because Wuhuan Xingyi looked exactly like the person in his dreams—dressed in pristine white, with a cold yet extraordinarily beautiful face.
Wuhuan Xingyi?
Lin Xiaoran?
Gu Yang pinched his thigh hard. It hurt!
So, this wasn’t a dream?
Wuhuan Xingyi was Lin Xiaoran? Lin Xiaoran was Wuhuan Xingyi?
As his heart raced uncontrollably, a smile crept up on Gu Yang’s lips.
This was too incredible.
The gaming friend he had known for four years, the person he had secretly loved for three, turned out to be Lin Xiaoran.
So, he wasn’t a scumbag, right?
He had loved the same person all along.
This realization filled him with excitement—he almost wanted to rush onto the stage and confess his feelings right then and there.
But when he looked up, Lin Xiaoran had already disappeared.
The host had taken the stage and was transitioning to the next segment.
Gu Yang took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Rushing onto the stage to confess wasn’t the best idea. However… he was really looking forward to Lin Xiaoran’s reaction when he found out that he was Jidu Qiu.
He had seen the program earlier—Lin Xiaoran was scheduled to perform again during the halftime show.
Unable to contain his smile, Gu Yang got up and ran backstage, directly seeking out Sister Ling. Without beating around the bush, he said, “Sister Ling, I need a favor.”
As a result, during the next two hours of the competition, no one saw Jidu Qiu, the top player, and of course, the recently sensational Wuhuan Xingyi also did not appear.
The organizers weren’t foolish; they knew these stars should be saved for the grand finale.
Meanwhile, Lin Xiaoran, who had been pushed onto the stage earlier, didn’t bother taking off his makeup and decided to nap in the dressing room.
It wasn’t until it was time for the halftime show that someone came to fetch him.
This performance was a solo act for Lin Xiaoran. It was fairly simple—he just needed to perform a few of the swordsman’s skills from the game using wirework, while the stage effects would create a realistic in-game atmosphere.
Lin Xiaoran had trained in dance as a child, so he was very flexible, making these moves easy for him.
The audience, who had been waiting eagerly, erupted in cheers as the white-clad youth landed gracefully on the stage, sword in hand.
But Lin Xiaoran remained focused, just wanting to get through it quickly. Following his rehearsed routine, he swung his sword, and the stage lit up with special effects, as the sword’s light shot towards the darkness ahead.
Suddenly, a melody cut through the darkness, intercepting Lin Xiaoran’s sword light.
Lin Xiaoran hesitated for a second—the tune was Xiangsi Yin.
The scene was eerily reminiscent of his in-game solo battle with Jidu Qiu.
As this thought flashed through his mind, the darkness lifted, revealing a blue-clad musician sitting with his instrument, his robes fluttering in an unseen wind, with his black hair flowing like ink.
The musician looked at him, amber eyes gleaming with a playful, cunning smile.
The host’s voice rang out, “Wuhuan Xingyi and Jidu Qiu, today, they finally meet their destined encounter.”
The fans went wild. Having Wuhuan Xingyi was thrilling enough, but now, a stunning Jidu Qiu had joined the fray.
What to do? What to do? The fans didn’t know who to root for anymore.
At that moment, Lin Xiaoran moved. His slender body was lifted by the wires, and in a flash of white, he launched himself like a sword towards Gu Yang. Gu Yang’s fingers danced over the instrument, playing Xiangsi Yin with a softness that countered Lin Xiaoran’s attack, and they began to duel.
With the vivid special effects, the scene perfectly recreated their in-game solo battles.
It was a breathtaking spectacle.
Even the fans, initially drawn by their good looks, were soon captivated by this live-action duel.
After hundreds of intense exchanges, the sword light and the music halted simultaneously. Two beams of light shone down on the stage, illuminating the two figures—one sitting, one standing, each on opposite sides, just like they were in the game.
The audience fell silent, still recovering from the exhilarating showdown.
Then, a lazy, teasing voice broke the quiet, “I’m done, I’m done, this is exhausting. How about you come with me to Xingluo Lake to watch the stars?”
Lin Xiaoran froze and looked up, only to find Gu Yang had somehow approached him, holding his wrist and looking upwards.
Lin Xiaoran instinctively followed his gaze. The stage had shifted, and the scene from Changfeng Valley had transformed into Xingluo Lake, with fireworks blooming in the night sky.
The sight brought back memories of the night during the Qixi Festival, when Jidu Qiu had taken him to watch fireworks by Xingluo Lake.
Jidu Qiu was Gu Yang?
He couldn’t help but turn his head to look at the person beside him. His thick eyelashes trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with confusion—and an unconscious delight.
Gu Yang also gazed at him, suppressing the urge to kiss him right then and there. He leaned in close, whispering in his ear after removing the earpiece, “Next time, let’s set off fireworks by Donghu Lake. What do you say?”
