After Falling in Love with a 2D Character as a Socially Anxious Person - Chapter 9

Coming out of the clothing store, An Jing put his mask back on.

Yan Qili stared at his exposed eyes. “Are you alright?”

An Jing nodded. “Don’t worry, I’m really fine now.”

Yan Qili’s bed and clothes were settled. The remaining daily necessities could all be handled at the supermarket on the first floor. Since they were already out, An Jing followed the rule of finishing everything in one trip to avoid going out twice.

By the time the two of them left the mall again, Yan Qili was refreshed from head to toe, and his long hair had been cut into a sharp, short style. Looking at his outfit, the “Living Yama” could now perfectly blend into modern society.

However, his hands were busy, carrying many large and small bags. Meanwhile, An Jing was idly holding his phone to call a car, carrying nothing at all.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help, but when he reached for a bag after paying, Yan Qili didn’t say a word. He simply looked at him as if he were a fragile little chick.

An Jing: “…?”

Feeling slighted, An Jing puffed his cheeks. Fine, carry them all yourself then. They’re your things anyway; let’s see how much endless strength you have.

As it turned out, Yan Qili’s stamina was truly excellent. He looked completely relaxed while carrying so many things and didn’t even put the bags on the ground to rest while waiting for the car. He looked as if he could run another thirty kilometers with that load without any problem.

An Jing, feeling extremely unbalanced, then had a second thought. “Bu Po” was a heavy sword made of special materials; he had set its total weight at over thirty kilograms. To use a heavy sword as a daily weapon and swing it with such power, Yan Qili’s strength couldn’t possibly be small.

How could a man who was essentially lifting weights every second of the day not have great stamina?

Outside vehicles without registration cannot enter the neighborhood, so An Jing and Yan Qili got out at the main gate. Yan Qili wouldn’t let him help with the bags, so An Jing, eager to get home, walked in front.

“Welcome home, owner.”

After a successful facial scan, a distorted electronic female voice sounded, and the gate opened. Reminded by the sound, An Jing turned back to see Yan Qili blocked outside the gate.

Under the gaze of the security guard, An Jing turned back halfway and took Yan Qili to the property management office to record his facial recognition data. This way, he could enter and leave the neighborhood freely in the future.

After hearing their request and carefully checking the building and unit number, the staff member dutifully asked An Jing:

“This gentleman is your…?”

“I am his brother,” Yan Qili spoke before An Jing could.

An Jing glanced at him, closed his mouth that had just opened, and simply nodded when the staff member looked over. Yan Qili claiming to be An Jing’s older brother was the explanation they had agreed upon earlier.

Staff: “Biological brother?”

Yan Qili: “No.”

Before coming here, An Jing had actually practiced in his head the questions the staff might ask and how he should answer. That’s how it is for someone with social anxiety—even a simple, unremarkable conversation can feel like a huge deal in their mind.

However, standing next to Yan Qili, An Jing found that he wasn’t needed at all—Yan Qili could handle it all by himself.

This was great! Since he didn’t have to talk to anyone, An Jing was happy to act like an inconspicuous mushroom by the wall.

The annual property management fee for this neighborhood was not low, and the rules were relatively strict. Maintaining a responsible attitude toward all residents, the staff member asked Yan Qili many detailed questions.

An Jing listened from the side, feeling terrified. He was afraid that Yan Qili would lose patience and just walk away. Fortunately, the “Living Yama” was unusually patient today and answered almost every question. Though his expression was a bit cold.

“Alright.” After confirming Yan Qili’s identity was fine, the staff member worked quickly. “Sir, please step back a bit; we just need one photo.”

Yan Qili stepped back as told.

Staff: “Please look at the camera.”

Camera? The unfamiliar word circled in Yan Qili’s mind. He was certain this was something An Jing hadn’t mentioned yet.

An Jing also realized this. Afraid Yan Qili might blow his cover, he stepped forward and gently tugged on his hem. Out of the staff’s sight, he pointed toward the camera. Receiving the signal, Yan Qili looked over calmly.

“All set.” The staff member clicked the mouse. “You can scan your face to enter and leave from now on.”

The screen for the facial recognition system was tilted on the desk, facing An Jing’s direction. He could see the computer screen clearly:

Owner: An Jing, face and fingerprints recorded.

And in the family member section below the owner, which had been blank for a long time, there was finally a new line:

Name: Yan Qili, Relationship to Owner: Brother.

An Jing stared at the words “Family Member,” and a very strange feeling welled up in his heart. Only now did the reality of living with Yan Qili truly sink in. Yan Qili was now a member of his household…

Leaving the office, An Jing walked in front while Yan Qili followed behind with the bags, observing the layout of the neighborhood. An Jing reached the elevator first, where a man in glasses carrying a briefcase was also waiting.

An Jing’s footsteps faltered, and his smile flattened. He stopped a few meters away from the man and looked back. Why wasn’t Yan Qili here yet? Should he wait for the next trip?

“Just finished work?”

In the quiet hallway, the man spoke suddenly. At first, An Jing didn’t react, but when he realized the man was talking to him, he looked around. There was no one else; the man was indeed asking him.

Realizing this, An Jing felt nervous and confused. “…Huh?”

Do we know each other?

As if reading the doubt in An Jing’s eyes, the man pushed up his glasses and laughed softly. “I live on the fifth floor, right below you.”

The man’s name was Xingyi Hou. He was a lawyer and had moved into the neighborhood around the same time as An Jing. An Jing rarely went out and didn’t even know if someone lived below him, let alone remembered a neighbor.

Regarding An Jing’s confusion, Xingyi Hou smiled kindly. “You don’t seem to go out much; it’s normal that you don’t remember me.” He looked refined and polite, fitting the initial impression of a lawyer.

An Jing didn’t know how to respond and could only give a stiff smile. “I really don’t go out much.” When talking to strangers, An Jing spoke slowly; he tended to stutter if he spoke too fast when nervous.

Xingyi Hou: “The greenery in our neighborhood is quite nice. The weather has been warming up lately; you should come out and walk around more.”

Xingyi Hou was a bit of a “natural friend” type, and An Jing struggled to respond—Oh, really? It’s okay, I guess. The little person in his heart was running and screaming: Help! Where is Yan Qili? Why isn’t he here yet?

Xingyi Hou saw that An Jing wasn’t very interested in chatting, so he smiled gently and stopped talking.

With a “ding,” the elevator arrived. Xingyi Hou stepped in first, and seeing An Jing not moving, he reminded him softly, “Aren’t you coming up?”

You go ahead, I’ll wait for the next one. These nine words circled in An Jing’s mouth. He opened and closed his lips, but in the end, he couldn’t say them. Would it be weird to say that?

An Jing didn’t move, and Xingyi Hou held the door open, clearly waiting for him. Caught in a dilemma, An Jing had a sudden flash of inspiration. “You go ahead, I’m waiting for someone.”

“Waiting for someone?” Xingyi Hou didn’t let go as An Jing hoped. “Don’t you live alone? Do you have a guest?”

No guest, a literal ancestor. An Jing answered in his mind instantly, but couldn’t say it aloud. He could only nod vaguely. Don’t ask anymore, please just go.

Xingyi Hou stared at An Jing for a few seconds, then smiled. “Alright, then I’ll head up first.”

Upon hearing this, An Jing gave his first genuine smile since meeting Xingyi Hou. “Okay.”

The elevator doors closed, and An Jing breathed a sudden sigh of relief. His heart was beating out of control after less than a minute of conversation. When the elevator reached the fourth floor, Yan Qili finally arrived.

With one look, Yan Qili noticed An Jing’s expression was different than before. Looking around, Yan Qili asked, “Who did you run into?”

“A neighbor.” An Jing found it amazing. “How did you know?” He looked down the hallway. “Did you see him just now?”

Yan Qili looked at the side of his face and spoke calmly. “Your ears are red.”

Back at the clothing store, An Jing’s ears had been very red too.

“Are they?” An Jing reached up to touch his ears. They did feel a bit hot.

…

Running into a neighbor was normal and didn’t even count as a minor event. After getting home, An Jing first taught Yan Qili how to use a phone.

They sat side by side on the sofa. An Jing took out a SIM card. “You don’t have an ID card yet, so you can’t get your own number. You’ll have to use my secondary card for now.”

He unboxed the new phone he bought for Yan Qili, explaining things as he set it up. “If the phone runs out of power, it needs to be charged. This is the charger…”

Modern smartphones have many functions. For an ancient person like Yan Qili who had never touched high technology, understanding and operating one was a bit difficult. To help the beginner, An Jing explained very carefully.

“The phone has a touchscreen. No matter what you want to do, just give it a light tap.”

When he heard An Jing say that with such a phone, people thousands of miles away could chat in real-time or even see each other, a flash of surprise crossed Yan Qili’s eyes.

If his world had such a thing, military campaigns would be much easier. Plans and decisions could be delivered instantly, preventing delays in military matters. They also wouldn’t have to work so many messengers and warhorses to death…

The phone screen wasn’t large. To make sure Yan Qili could see clearly during the demonstration, An Jing looked serious and leaned in very close. So close that Yan Qili could see the tiny fuzz on his face.

Among the millions of soldiers in the army, Yan Qili had never seen anyone with skin whiter thAn Jing An’s. It was likely no different from the noble ladies raised in the inner chambers of the capital.

Noticing Yan Qili was spacing out, An Jing instinctively tapped his arm and complained, “Yan Qili, are you even listening?”

Yan Qili: “…”

Having finished the tap, An Jing—whose hand was faster than his brain—realized what he had done and wished he could chop his own hand off right then and there. What did he just do?! He, with heaven-defying courage, had just hit the “Living Yama”!

Instantly feeling guilty, An Jing withdrew his hand, looking at Yan Qili with caution. Yan Qili glanced at him, his tone unreadable. “An Jing, I’ve noticed you’re getting bolder and bolder.”

An Jing felt even more guilty and apologetically rubbed the spot he had just hit, apologizing timidly. “Sorry, did I hurt you?” He really didn’t mean to. He just got caught up in the moment.

Hearing An Jing’s words, Yan Qili scoffed. “With your strength?”

That bit of power was less than a cat’s scratch. Yan Qili thought this, and he said it too.

“???” An Jing was furious, thinking, Who are you looking down on? However, as soon as the huffy An Jing met Yan Qili’s half-smiling eyes, his newfound courage… instantly shriveled.

Forget it, so what if it’s like a cat’s scratch? An Jing timidly comforted himself.

Support