My Dating Sim Just Got an Update - Chapter 71

Hearing Ren Chenxi’s sigh, Mu Ning assumed the other girl was no longer angry. She thought about temporarily skipping the questions that had thrown her heart into such a mess, but to her surprise, Ren Chenxi spoke again.

“I really am not Ren Muhui,” Ren Chenxi said.

Mu Ning noted that despite the mountain of evidence, Ren Chenxi still refused to admit it. She contemplated whether she should give Ren Chenxi some face and just play along for now, but Ren Chenxi continued: “You helped me apply medicine and bandaged my shoulder before. You’ve already confirmed that I am a woman, right?”

Mu Ning was absolutely certain that Ren Chenxi was a woman. At the sound of Ren Chenxi’s soft voice, Mu Ning’s mind drifted back to that night—to the sight she had accidentally glimpsed while bandaging the wound, and the lingering sensation in her palm from when she had impulsively confirmed Ren Chenxi’s gender.

Inexplicably, Mu Ning felt her palms grow itchy and tingle, a sensation that slowly gnawed at her heart. Before that feeling could pass, Ren Chenxi’s voice reached her ears again.

“And you know that Ren Muhui was a man, right?”

This time, Mu Ning didn’t have the luxury of worrying about her tingling palms. She hesitated, wondering how to answer without making Ren Chenxi angry.

Mu Ning’s brief silence annoyed Ren Chenxi. Why had she nodded so quickly when confirming her as a woman, yet acted so conflicted when asked about Ren Muhui being a man? That was a gender set by the system a male recognized by the system! What on earth was there to doubt?

Sensing Ren Chenxi’s growing displeasure, Mu Ning hurried to reply: “Actually, I used to think Ren Muhui looked quite… quite like a girl…”

Ren Chenxi was stunned. How did I look like a girl? I spent all my time trying to act exactly like a guy!

“And, well, some classmates used to say Ren Muhui was a bit of a sissy…” That’s what the classmates said, not me!

Calling me a sissy! Ren Chenxi fumed. Which bastard said that? Back then, plenty of girls praised me for being handsome and cool! That was just jealousy! Pure jealousy from some ugly guys who weren’t as handsome as me!

Ren Chenxi’s expression darkened further. For a moment, she didn’t even know how to proceed with the conversation. Not wanting to look at Mu Ning, she lowered her head and let her gaze wander. Her eyes landed on Mu Ning’s fingers, which were twitching incessantly, and then on the deep, dark red gashes across her porcelain-white palms. Ren Chenxi let out a frustrated breath and asked awkwardly, “What’s wrong with your fingers?”

“My… my palms are a bit itchy…” Mu Ning’s face flushed. It was incredibly improper that her palms would start itching just because she had recalled the sensation of touching Ren Chenxi’s chest!

Ren Chenxi didn’t notice Mu Ning’s internal turmoil. She only saw that Mu Ning’s upturned palms were covered in sand that had stuck to the wounds because of the sea wind. She sighed yet again. Honestly, why did she think a single Recovery card was enough? The internal injuries from the octopus tentacle would heal with the card and Mu Ning’s own power, but these lacerations on her palms still needed attention.

Feeling a bit guilty, Ren Chenxi moved closer to Mu Ning and carefully grasped her wrist. While Mu Ning was still dazed by the sudden contact, Ren Chenxi pulled a bottle of clean mineral water from her bag, unscrewed the cap, and began meticulously washing the sand from Mu Ning’s palms. Some grains were stuck to the dried blood and wouldn’t wash away easily, so Ren Chenxi cradled Mu Ning’s hand, lowered her head, and gently blew on the sand. For the stubborn bits, she pulled out a clean bandage, tore off a small piece, and carefully wiped them away.

As Ren Chenxi’s warm breath brushed against her palm, Mu Ning’s heart began to beat uncontrollably. The faint blush on her cheeks deepened into a feverish heat that she could feel radiating from her skin.

Mu Ning watched Ren Chenxi hungrily—watching her blow away the sand, watching her carefully sprinkle medicinal powder on the wounds, and finally, watching her wrap the bandage gently around her hand, layer by layer.

Once she was finished, Ren Chenxi looked up, but when she met Mu Ning’s burning gaze, she froze for a second. She quickly let go of Mu Ning’s hand and asked casually, “How does it feel now?”

“It feels…” It feels like it’s not enough; I want more. Mu Ning’s voice was raspy, but seeing Ren Chenxi turn away to avoid her eyes, she suppressed her emotions and whispered, “Much better, thank you.”

Her voice sounded more normal, but Ren Chenxi hadn’t forgotten the look in her eyes. It was all too familiar exactly the same look Mu Ning had given her when they first reunited after the game update.

Ultimately, this woman still saw her as Ren Muhui!

Ren Chenxi took a deep breath. She felt she had to make it clear today: she and Ren Muhui were not the same person!

“You’re welcome,” Ren Chenxi said, steadying her emotions. She brought the topic back to where they were before the bandaging. “You said you felt that Ren Muhui felt like a girl sometimes…”

“No, it’s just that I thought Ren Muhui was very good-looking, so I…” Thinking Ren Chenxi was still upset about the “sissy” comment, Mu Ning quickly shook her head to explain. “I mean… you and Ren Muhui look exactly the same, maybe…”

“There is no ‘maybe.’ Even if the appearance is the same, the gender is different. That is a fact!” Ren Chenxi interrupted decisively, even though Mu Ning’s suspicion was actually correct.

Hearing Ren Chenxi’s denial again, Mu Ning pursed her lips unhappily and countered with a hint of stubbornness, “How do you know the gender is different? I never… I never touched Ren Muhui back then…”

You actually wanted to feel Ren Muhui’s chest?! Ren Chenxi was appalled. You’re supposed to be a dignified ice goddess; is your head really full of such improper thoughts? Ren Chenxi rolled her eyes and said crossly, “You don’t need to touch him! Just go ask anyone who ever showered with Ren Muhui…”

“Ren Muhui showered with other people?!” Mu Ning’s weak voice suddenly turned sharp and agitated.

“…” Sister, what on earth is going on in your brain? Ren Chenxi exhaled slowly, telling herself not to get angry. Treating Mu Ning as if her “wooden” brain was just faulty, she continued: “In the public bathhouse! Don’t even ask others, just ask Liao Lan. He was Ren Muhui’s roommate. He saw Ren Muhui walking around shirtless all the time. Before they had a falling out, he even went to the bathhouse with Ren Muhui.”

S-University was a typical northern university where students used communal bathhouses. There were stalls, but in the summer, many boys were used to walking to the bathhouse shirtless while carrying their washbasins. Ren Muhui had a bad habit of walking around the house shirtless as well, so in the game, he likely did the same in the dorms and at the bathhouse.

“But Ren Muhui never walked around shirtless in front of me…” Mu Ning muttered, sounding quite resentful.

“Ren Muhui wasn’t a pervert!!!” Ren Chenxi was reaching her breaking point. Originally, Mu Ning had a terrible first impression of Ren Muhui; if he had run around shirtless in front of her to show off, he would have been beaten up! Definitely! Even if Mu Ning didn’t do it, her fan club would have! “Ren Muhui was a normal person! He only went shirtless at the bathhouse or in the dorm!”

Seeing Ren Chenxi so adamant, Mu Ning glanced at Ren Chenxi’s chest several times, her mind becoming clouded with confusion. “When we get back, I’ll ask Liao Lan!”

Mu Ning’s intuition told her Ren Chenxi was lying, but… could a person’s physical gender really be faked like that? Besides, she had seen a little bit with her own eyes…

Forget it. She would get the truth out of Liao Lan when they returned.

Once Mu Ning agreed to ask Liao Lan, Ren Chenxi finally breathed a sigh of relief. No matter how Mu Ning asked, she would only get one answer: Ren Muhui was definitely a man. Hah! Didn’t you think he was like a girl? Didn’t you say he was a sissy? Let’s see what you think after you talk to Liao Lan!

With the tension eased, Ren Chenxi’s mood improved. She looked out at the ocean—the blue water meeting the sky, vast and magnificent. Although hidden dangers lurked beneath the surface, she had to admit that even after the apocalypse, the sea was still the sea. She had been so busy harvesting seafood and fighting the octopus that she hadn’t had time to sit and appreciate the view.

The only reason she wanted to come to H-City in the first place was to see the ocean.

Now that the danger had passed, even the sea breeze felt gentler. As a soft gust brushed against her face, Ren Chenxi closed her eyes in comfort. When she opened them again, a familiar black plastic bag tumbled past her in the wind.

That bag…

That was the bag she had filled with seafood!

Protecting the ocean was everyone’s responsibility—she had to retrieve her two abandoned iron buckets and the bag that the octopus had swatted away! Most importantly, that bag contained so much seafood!

The ocean wasn’t going anywhere; she could look at it anytime. It had been a while since the octopus died, and red dots were slowly starting to reappear on the edge of her mini-map. She hadn’t come all this way just for one Level 8 crystal! She couldn’t let all that other seafood go to waste!

Ren Chenxi scrambled to her feet, told Mu Ning to rest well, and went sprinting after her floating black bag.

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