Thank you very much, Salt Rose or Topaz, for the ko-fi! :blobaww:
Zhu Ming finally understood why the NPC modeling in this level was so meticulously detailed.
At first, he thought it was just a simple and brainless mini-game. But as the levels progressed, he gradually sensed that the game kept pushing the players’ bottom line.
From trivial matters in daily life, it escalated to weightier, more difficult life choices.
Among these, of course, were choices that tested physical and emotional boundaries.
The two of them sat in silence, facing the question.
Zhu Ming raised his hand and slowly pushed half of the drinks on the plate toward Xi Xianqing, leaving the other half in front of himself.
“Ten glasses in total, five for you, five for me.”
Zhu Ming lightened his tone. “No matter how realistic it is in the game, there’s no way we can actually get drunk. Let’s finish this quickly.”
Xi Xianqing lowered his eyes, staring at the extinguished flames on the liquor, not saying anything.
“I’ll drink first ha.”
Zhu Ming picked a seemingly harmless clear drink, took a small sip, then immediately covered his mouth, his eyes vacant. “I really don’t get it… Was it necessary to replicate even the burning sensation as it slides down your throat?”
After a moment, Xi Xianqing said blandly, “You have a third option.”
Zhu Ming knew he meant exiting the game.
But having come this far, Zhu Ming genuinely didn’t want to admit defeat.
“I think that in order to make the process less painful,” the tip of the fox’s tail swayed silently. Zhu Ming looked at Xi Xianqing with a calm expression. “Why don’t we play another game inside this game?”
Xi Xianqing’s eyebrows twitched slightly, vaguely sensing that he wasn’t up to anything good.
“The rules of the game are simple.”
After a moment of thought, Zhu Ming said enthusiastically, “We ask each other something we’ve been curious about for a long time but have never dared to ask in real life out of politeness or social courtesy.”
Xi Xianqing silently looked at him.
“If the person being questioned doesn’t want to answer, they must drink a glass of alcohol. Likewise, if the questioner is satisfied with the answer, they must drink a glass of alcohol.”
Zhu Ming explained, his fingers lightly tracing the rim of the glass. “Of course, ‘satisfied’ here means the questioner feels the answer is sincere and not a lie.”
“What do you think of this game?” He asked with a smile.
After a long pause, Xi Xianqing said , “The game mechanics are unreasonable, and the game itself is rather pointless.”
Zhu Ming just blinked and didn’t say anything.
Xi Xianqing looked away, seemingly letting out a silent sigh. “…You ask first.”
Zhu Ming nodded his head.
He thought for a moment before asking frankly, “Previously, you mentioned your sister missed the optimal age for cochlear implantation… Why was that? Didn’t your family notice anything unusual when she was very young?”
Xi Xianqing froze.
He stayed silent for so long that Zhu Ming thought he wouldn’t answer, but then he suddenly spoke—
“Because my sister and I weren’t born in District Six.”
Xi Xianqing said, “The Xi Family only learned about us later and brought us back. By then, the optimal age for implantation had already passed.”
Zhu Ming was stunned..
Given Xi Xianqing’s proud demeanor, most people would assume he had been raised as a cherished young master from a wealthy family.
However, on second thought, while Xi Xianqing had an arrogant temperament, it wasn’t the haughty arrogance of a typical privileged heir. Instead, it was a reserved, hypersensitive heart.
Xi Xianqing said nothing more, simply pushing a glass of alcohol toward Zhu Ming, signaling that he had answered the question and Zhu Ming needed to fulfill his part of the deal.
Zhu Ming gritted his teeth and reluctantly downed the drink.
The bitter taste of the alcohol spread in his mouth. Before he could react, he heard the person beside him ask, “Your leg, how did the accident happen?”
Zhu Ming wasn’t too surprised by this question.
He ran a fingertip over the remnants of the liquor at the corner of his mouth and answered, “Car accident.”
Xi Xianqing’s expression shifted. “Could your answer be any more perfunctory?”
“Why, do you still want to hear some details?”
Zhu Ming sighed and explained, “It was just an ordinary day. I was taking a cab home late at night from the research institute. Half-asleep, the ride-hailing car1Refers to transportation services arranged via online. I just don’t know how to phrase it in English, so I kinda went nearer its literal translation. collided with a large truck.”
“One blink later, when I woke up, the truck driver was dead, and the ride-hailing car driver was in a vegetative state.”
He smiled faintly and gestured toward his leg. “I guess I was the luckiest one—ending up like this.”
“Is that enough detail?” He asked.
Xi Xianqing’s Adam’s apple moved slightly. “You—”
Zhu Ming pushed a glass of alcohol toward Xi Xianqing, smiling as he watched his face.
Xi Xianqing took a deep breath.
He tilted his head back and drank it all in one go. Unlike Zhu Ming, his reaction wasn’t as dramatic, only a slight furrow of his brows.
Propping his chin on his hand, Zhu Ming said, “My turn again.”
“A long time ago, you told me you wanted to fight for the position of District Six representative to protect your sister.”
Piecing together Xi Xianqing’s earlier answer and bits of information he had overheard from Xi Hongming at the previous banquet, Zhu Ming paused briefly and softened his tone. “Is it because, when you were younger… something happened to you and your sister in the Xi Family?”
His beautiful, mischievous black eyes reflected an amber-honey hue under the light.
Xi Xianqing controlled his gaze, shifting it away from Zhu Ming’s face. “Actually, this isn’t my first time in District Four.”
Zhu Ming was stunned.
Xi Xianqing’s eyes fell on the glass. After a long silence, he said, “My sister and I were born in District Four.”
For years, there had been an unspoken taboo in the Xi Family—someone no one would bring up in front of Old Master Xi Jianfeng: his fourth son, Xi Mingsong.
Xi Mingsong had been one of Xi Jianfeng’s most talented children. However, he was overly ambitious and disdained the overly traditional atmosphere of the Xi Family. Not wanting to be bound by the rigid frameworks of classical art, he ran away from home and went to District Four when he was young.
At first, it was just to seek inspiration, but Xi Mingsong quickly became entangled in the forbidden pleasures of the nightlife, eventually having a fleeting romance with a nightclub dancer.
He forgot the greatest taboo of such places—he fell in love with the dancer.
But the dancer only saw him as an ordinary customer in the indulgent world of nightlife. Even after giving birth to Xi Mufei and Xi Xianqing, she left without hesitation when she found a customer she deemed more valuable.
The heartbreak stifled Xi Mingsong’s creative inspiration, and his mental state worsened. Unable to care for his two children, he left them in the care of neighbors for long periods.
Amid excessive use of drugs and alcohol, his mind grew more erratic. He shut himself in his studio, refusing to eat or drink, and eventually starved to death in front of a blank canvas.
It was only then that the Xi Family learned of Xi Mufei and Xi Xianqing’s existence and brought them home.
Xi Xianqing’s expression remained calm. “It’s just that when we first arrived at the Xi Family, life didn’t improve much.”
Zhu Ming, struggling to recover from his shock, sighed. “I suppose not. Considering the level of jealousy your relatives had toward you and your sister…”
“When we first arrived at the Xi Family, we had nothing.”
Xi Xianqing shook his head. “So what they felt toward us wasn’t jealousy, just pure malice.”
The Xi Family was too large, and there were too many outstanding children.
Most of them had the backing of their parents, but at that time, Xi Mufei and Xi Xianqing had no one standing behind them.
Xi Mufei was simple-hearted and firmly believed in the inherent kindness of people. But in truth, it was only because she couldn’t hear the harsh, cutting words.
It happened during a banquet.
So much time had passed that Xi Xianqing could no longer recall whose birthday it was.
He only remembered that the banquet was extravagant. A beautiful cake adorned with delicate glass sugar flowers sat on the table—a gift said to have been custom-ordered by a renowned sculptor from District Two.
The cake wasn’t large. The Xi Family’s children fought over it eagerly. At the time, Xi Mufei and Xi Xianqing, only 14 or 15, could only stand in the corner and watch.
Xi Mufei’s expression was full of longing—but she didn’t tell Xi Xianqing that she wanted a piece because she knew that with such a small cake, it would never reach them.
As the banquet was nearing its end, Xi Xianqing went to the restroom.
When he returned, he happened to see two Xi Family children hiding behind the dining table, whispering with peculiar expressions.
One of them lowered their voice hesitantly, “Keep it down, don’t let her notice. Besides, what we’re doing… isn’t this a bit too much?”
“Don’t worry, my mom told me she’s really a deaf person.”
The other said with a cheeky grin. “And spit is something you can’t see or taste. What kind of noise can she make?”
“That’s right, she should be thanking us instead. Otherwise, where else would she get to eat something this good?”
The first boy recalled something and snickered, covering his mouth. “Did you hear her earlier? She even stuttered while trying to say thank you to us.”
The two of them huddled together, their sharp laughter piercing Xi Xianqing’s eardrums.
He had a very bad feeling in his heart.
When he returned to the banquet hall, as expected—Xi Mufei was holding a piece of cake in her hands.
“At the time, she was even happily gesturing to me that she hadn’t taken a single bite.”
Xi Xianqing said. “Because she wanted to wait for me to come back and eat it together.”
Zhu Ming felt a tightness in his chest, as if an invisible hand was squeezing his heart. He gazed at Xi Xianqing and softly asked, “And what happened after that?”
Recalling something, Xi Xianqing’s lips twitched slightly.
“I smashed that cake right into their faces,” he said.
At the time, Xi Mufei couldn’t hear the confrontation, so she didn’t understand why Xi Xianqing did it and frantically tried to intervene.
But when she saw the shattered cake on the ground, a faint realization dawned on her. She stood frozen, the light in her eyes gradually dimming.
“Thank goodness you returned the favor then.”
Zhu Ming said, patting his chest and exhaling deeply. “Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.”
“But judging from the results at the time, it wasn’t really a great relief.”
Xi Xianqing calmly said, “Because I was beaten up by those two children’s parents.”
The little peac0ck, still in its fledgling stage with underdeveloped feathers, struggled to fight against two fat boys on its own.
Let alone when adults joined in—it became almost a one-sided beating.
In truth, if Xi Xianqing had just said he was wrong, things wouldn’t have escalated so disgracefully at the banquet. At the time, Xi Mufei was crying, using sign language to beg him to apologize.
But Xi Xianqing just didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to.
Xi Xianqing said, “Later, it was Aunt Ye, who was working as an assistant of my grandfather at the time, who happened to pass by and stopped them.”
As if something was choked deep in his throat, Zhu Ming was unable to speak for a long time.
He suddenly understood why Xi Mufei had told him before that she didn’t like attending banquets, and why Xi Xianqing didn’t want her to attend such occasions either.
He also thought back to the first time he met Xi Xianqing, when he had said something absurd about “not liking to eat outside.” It turned out there was a reason behind it.
“At that time, Aunt Ye told me that in a place like the Xi Family, standing out would make people resent you. But hiding your brilliance wouldn’t help you avoid trouble either—it would only make others think you’re weak.”
Xi Xianqing said, “So later, I stopped hiding. I worked hard and eventually earned my grandfather’s attention.”
“Though I know very well that even now, most of the connections I’ve built and the respect I’ve gained are largely due to my grandfather’s regard for me.”
He said, “That’s why I need to rise to the top, for myself and for my sister.”
Perhaps the setting of the game made him feel relaxed, or maybe it was the effects of the virtual alcohol in this coded world, but Xi Xianqing had never spoken so openly about his thoughts before.
However, the person beside him never spoke again.
Xi Xianqing felt uneasy and pushed a glass of alcohol toward Zhu Ming, awkwardly asking, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“I’m just surprised that the Young Master Xiao Xi trusts me so much that he’d be willing to share such things from his past.”
Zhu Ming snapped out of his daze and downed the glass in one go. Though the bitterness made him scrunch his brows, he covered his mouth and laughed. “What, you’re not afraid I’ll turn around and tell someone else?”
Xi Xianqing glanced at him, “I know you won’t say anything.”
Zhu Ming’s heart stirred silently.
In the next second, he saw the person in front of him turn his head away, his jaw arrogantly lifted. “Because if you dare to say anything, I’ll tell your aunt that we’re only in a marriage of convenience.”
“…This vengeful streak of yours clearly started when you were a kid ah.”
Zhu Ming sighed. “Alright, it’s your turn to ask, but we should pick up the pace—there’s still a lot of drinks left.”
Xi Xianqing let out a “hmm”.
His fingertips traced the edge of a lime slice. After a brief pause, he asked, “Are you ever resentful… about the life you have now?”
Zhu Ming clutched his chest in an exaggerated motion as if spitting blood. “Young Master Xi, your question is brutally direct ah.”
Xi Xianqing’s face darkened. “You’re the one who said I could ask anything.”
“Honestly, I’ve always had only two requirements for my life.”
Zhu Ming smiled and held up two fingers. “One, I want to do what I love. Two, I don’t want my existence to burden others.”
“So my answer is, yes, I was bitter at first. But now, I’m content.”
He said briskly, “In the game, we have control over all our choices. But in reality, when you reach the top, some choices aren’t just yours to make anymore.”
“Because when people have expectations of you, it’s not just about what you want—it’s about your team. Like what kind of research has the best chance of being published in top journals, or which projects give you an edge in competing for chief positions… The higher you go, the further you drift from your original goal of ‘just wanting to help others.’”
Zhu Ming paused and then chuckled. “Maybe the car accident was the heavens’ way of forcing me to rethink my life and find my original intention.”
“When I was in the research institute, I barely ever took a day off. But now, after nearly six months of knowing you, I’ve practically toured all of Xi Star. I’ve even seen many rare clinical cases with my own eyes.”
Zhu Ming smiled. “The me before the accident was living the life of ‘a smart person from District Seven.’ But the me now is living a life that belongs to myself.”
“So, Xi Xianqing, even if you really are the most difficult, most uncooperative patient I’ve ever met in my life…” He sighed and then playfully winked. “I still want to say thank you for hiring me as your personal doctor.”
When Xi Xianqing heard the word “difficult,” he seemed ready to retort.
However, after hearing the entire sentence, his Adam’s apple moved slightly.
A game notification appeared.
A cold, mechanical female voice sounded: “You have been in the game for two hours and forty minutes. Anti-addiction system reminder: Please complete your current choice as soon as possible and save your progress.”
“It seems like we don’t have time to continue exchanging life philosophies. Let’s get this over with—half and half, straight up.”
Zhu Ming said, pushing the remaining drinks toward Xi Xianqing. “It just so happens that in reality, my medicine should’ve reacted about now.”
He leisurely picked up a glass and brought it to his lips. “Time to head back to the real world, sit in my wheelchair, and get back to work—”
His wrist was suddenly clasped by a large hand.
“If you truly… want me to cooperate to verify that theory with you,” Xi Xianqing said, not meeting Zhu Ming’s gaze, his jaw seemingly clenched slightly, “then I’ll test it again. It’s not impossible.”
Zhu Ming froze.
He glanced at the NPC smiling faintly beside him, then at Dish Soap standing on the bar. “You’re saying, you now want to…”
Xi Xianqing was silent for a long time and nodded.
Zhu Ming was momentarily stunned, a peculiar feeling stirring in his chest.
From a medical perspective, he should be encouraging Xi Xianqing to try. Yet, in that brief instant, he found himself puzzled at how he felt inexplicably conflicted.
After a pause, he smiled and nodded. “It’s certainly feasible. After all, NPCs are just strings of code. There’s no need to overthink it—”
“The task says to kiss anyone present. That can include NPCs,” Xi Xianqing interrupted him without looking at his face.
He emphasized the word “can.”
Zhu Ming didn’t immediately catch on.
Xi Xianqing turned to face him, his deep green eyes resembling jade with a deep luster, “But it doesn’t say it only includes the NPCs, does it?”
Author’s note:
Little Fox’s brain is down ^_^
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