Around nine o’clock, the bustling private room was finally dispersed due to a series of phone calls from parents.

A group of people descended to the entrance of the department store, and Mao Silu asked, “Which direction are you all heading home?”

Lin Shiyu replied, “I’m taking the bus towards Friendship Avenue.”

Zhou Qi said, “I’m going in that direction too.”

“Alright, since we’re heading in opposite directions, why don’t you two go together.” Mao Silu waved to them. “I’m going home with Kaikai.”

After Mao Silu left, Lin Shiyu asked, “Kaikai?”

“Ruan Zhikai,” Zhou Qi reminded him. “They’ve known each other since they were kids, and they live in the same neighborhood.”

“Oh, I didn’t know.”

“Mao Silu mentioned it during military training, and you were there at the time.”

Lin Shiyu was left speechless. “What are you getting at?”

Zhou Qi casually replied, “Nothing in particular.”

The evening breeze in the city carried dust and warmth as it brushed against their foreheads and cheeks. The two of them stood at the bus stop, and Zhou Qi continued to explain the game mechanics of Fish Island to Lin Shiyu.

“Each player has their own ‘Storm Center,’ which is like a ‘home.’ The Storm Center won’t unlock until level 5. Once you’ve completed all the newbie tasks and played a few low-level dungeons, you’ll reach level 5,” Zhou Qi explained. “The ‘fish’ are in the Storm Center, and once you unlock it, you can start feeding the fish. There are two ways to obtain fish food: one is by completing dungeons, and the other is by adding friends, increasing your friendship level, and then having them visit your Storm Center to help you feed the fish.”

Lin Shiyu gazed at Zhou Qi with a complex expression.

“It seems like you really like this game.”

“It’s just a way to pass the time.” Zhou Qi turned his head and casually observed the traffic passing by on the street. “It’s not a very challenging game, and the rules are easy to understand.”

“I just didn’t expect someone like you to play this kind of game.”

“What kind of person do I seem like?”

Lin Shiyu suddenly stopped talking. Their eyes met, and the bright white light from an advertising sign behind them illuminated their profiles.

Zhou Qi’s pupils were very dark, darker than most people’s eyes, like the silent night breeze sweeping across the vast sky, easily capturing someone’s attention when he stared at them.

As he asked this question, his jet-black eyes were fixed on Lin Shiyu, and when his gaze dropped, his brows, nose, and the corners of his mouth all took on a slightly distant expression. His voice was low and melodious, naturally possessing a magnetic quality.

“What does it seem like I am?”

Lin Shiyu paused. When Zhou Qi’s intense gaze fell on him, his features took on a slightly colder demeanor. His voice was low and melodious, with a hint of charm.

“You seem like a relatively mature person.” Lin Shiyu said this, but then he remembered the first day of military training when Zhou Qi caught a spider and threw it onto the floor of their dorm, causing chaos. His thoughts diverged, and he muttered, “Well, maybe not that mature.”

Zhou Qi chuckled. “Still better than you.”

“Huh?”

“Someone who gets angry after just a few words doesn’t have the right to call others immature.”

“That’s just my personality.”

“Oh, so you’re naturally immature.”

“I’m not!”

“What’s that?”

“If no one messes with me, I don’t get mad.”

“Others just want to communicate normally with you. Normal communication isn’t provocation. Don’t you understand that?”

“I…” Lin Shiyu was about to explain, but then the bus arrived.

Zhou Qi didn’t say anything more and swiped his card to board the bus.

Lin Shiyu clenched his teeth and followed a step behind.

Zhou Qi walked to the back of the bus near the aisle and took a seat. Since there weren’t many people on the bus, he chose a row of empty seats. Seeing that Lin Shiyu didn’t even look at him, he wore an expressionless face as he walked to the middle of the bus and sat down, keeping a distance of several meters between them.

Zhou Qi leaned against the back of his seat, crossed his arms, and watched Lin Shiyu’s back. After a while, he took out his phone from his pocket.

Lin Shiyu’s phone made a sound, and he looked down to see a message from Zhou Qi.

[Your current behavior is very much like someone I know.]

Lin Shiyu had initially resisted engaging in conversation with him but couldn’t help responding with a single word: [Who?]

[My four-year-old nephew.]

The next message followed: [One time, I told him that his new hairstyle didn’t look good, and he ignored me the entire afternoon.]

Lin Shiyu took a deep breath and typed forcefully.

Zhou Qi propped his chin on his hand and looked out the window at the scenery. When his phone made a sound, he withdrew his gaze and read the new message.

[I wouldn’t get angry because someone comments on my hairstyle.]

“Cough.”

Zhou Qi quickly covered his mouth and resumed his composure before the curious gazes of others. He continued to calmly type: [Yes, your hairstyle looks good, so no one has any objections.]

[That’s not the reason!]

[Yes, because Lin Shiyu has a naturally bad temper, and he doesn’t need a reason to get angry.]

Zhou Qi watched as Lin Shiyu angrily pocketed his phone, showing no intention of replying further.

 

Edited by: Jaisland

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