My Online Date is My Roommate - Chapter 11

Guild: Fish: [Welcome, newcomer.]

When Xiao Yuer first joined the guild, a few lively members had already given him a warm welcome. However, Jiang Mingbo had been too busy hunting for materials to build his “coffin” to notice the messages. By the time he looked, the conversation had long since moved on to his eccentric choice of using Phoebe zhennan wood for a casket.

Under these circumstances, Fei Wenxu’s sudden, late-coming welcome felt a bit deliberate, causing a stir among the members.

Guild: Xiao Paomo: [Ooh~ We already welcomed them ages ago. What is the Guild Leader doing? Trying to make his presence felt?]

Guild: Guanshan Nanyue: [Paomo, I think you’re really itching to be kicked out, aren’t you?]

Guild: Xiao Paomo: [I’m just telling the truth! Besides, look at the newcomer’s name, “Xiao Yuer” (Little Fish). That’s… very suspicious…]

Guild: Guanshan Nanyue: [Now that you mention it, it is very suspicious…]

Guild: Zhumi Needs to Lose Weight: [Very suspicious…]

Guild: I Hate 8 AM Classes: [Very suspicious…]

Guild: Xiao Yuer: [It’s very alright (Keyi)…]

Note: In Chinese, “Suspicious” (Keyi) and “Alright/Can do” (Keyi) sound similar but use different characters.

There was a brief silence in the guild chat.

Guild: Xiao Paomo: [What kind of private agenda are you trying to slip in there?!]

Guild: Xiao Yuer: [I didn’t! It was a typo from my input method, okay!]

The group was lively, and since Jiang Mingbo was naturally skilled at chatting, the atmosphere remained upbeat. After Fei Wenxu sent his message, he found himself unable to get a word in, left on the sidelines watching them chat away enthusiastically.

By now, most of the dungeon raid times had ended. Since it was Sunday night, people began logging off one by one. Jiang Mingbo exited the chat, planning to run a few more main storyline quests; he genuinely found the game quite fun.

Xiao Yuer: [Alright, I’m going back to the main quest. Bye-bye.]

Fei Wenxu checked the time, it was nearly midnight, yet the other person was still planning to quest.

Fish: [No classes tomorrow? You’re still questing?]

Xiao Yuer: [Give me a break. Don’t act like you don’t stay up late! I bet you haven’t even crawled into bed yet!]

Whether or not Fei Wenxu had climbed into bed was something Jiang Mingbo would obviously know. His seemingly casual remark hit the nail right on the head.

Fei Wenxu sighed, glanced at his computer, then logged out and shut it down. He surveyed his roommates. Tan Rui was still gaming, and Yu Xuan was lying in bed, likely reading a novel. Meanwhile, his “neighbor” Jiang Mingbo had crawled into bed early without a sound.

Fei Wenxu wondered if it was just his imagination, but Jiang Mingbo had been much quieter in the dorm lately. The usual snide remarks and sarcasm had vanished; as soon as he returned to the dorm, he would dive straight into bed. His behavior was… suspicious!

“Turning off the lights?” Fei Wenxu asked.

Tan Rui waved him off. “I’m almost done with today’s quests. Fish-ge, I’ll turn them off in a bit.”

Fei Wenxu didn’t say anything more and climbed into his bunk. As he passed the gap in Jiang Mingbo’s curtains, he subconsciously glanced inside. Catching a glimpse of the phone screen’s glow through the fabric, Fei Wenxu felt amused at himself. What does it matter to me if he’s on his phone?

He settled into bed and adjusted his quilt. His phone vibrated. Fei Wenxu didn’t check it immediately; he positioned his pillow, found a comfortable position, and then picked up the device.

Xiao Yuer: [I definitely called it. You didn’t reply for so long, you must have been busy crawling into bed!]

Fei Wenxu stared at the message, blinking in surprise.

Fish: […]

Xiao Yuer: [Why are you quiet? Did I hit the mark?]

Fish: [Yes.]

Xiao Yuer: [As expected of me! I’m practically the roundworm in your stomach!]

Jiang Mingbo raised an eyebrow at his own text, silently complimenting himself on being a master flirt humorous, witty, and just the right amount of teasing. He was sure he was leading Fei Wenxu in circles.

On the other side, Fei Wenxu let out a soft laugh. He found that he actually liked this girl’s personality. Why did Jiang Mingbo think they were incompatible?

As expected, Fei Wenxu thought, a hypocrite like Jiang Mingbo wouldn’t appreciate someone with such an honest personality.

Fish: [Is that really something to be proud of?]

Jiang Mingbo rolled his eyes. What a buzzkill! Where’s the sense of humor?

Xiao Yuer: [Forget it, it’s like playing a lute to a cow! I’m going to play the game, no more chatting!]

Fei Wenxu frowned slightly. The person was like a little firecracker—one spark and they went off. He didn’t reply, but about two minutes later, another WeChat message popped up.

Xiao Yuer: [Fine, forget the ‘Goodnight,’ but you won’t even say ‘Goodbye’?]

This time, Fei Wenxu laughed out loud.

Fish: [Goodbye.]

Xiao Yuer: [Are you a toad?]

Fei Wenxu raised an eyebrow and replied.

Fish: [Are you trying to say I’m a toad who shouldn’t dream of eating swan meat?]

Xiao Yuer: [Despise.jpg]

Xiao Yuer: [In your dreams. I mean you’re like what my mom used to scold me with: A toad you only move when someone pokes you!]

Fish: [What can I even say? .jpg]

Jiang Mingbo knew when to stop. After piquing the other’s interest, he abruptly ended the conversation, refusing to send another reply. He bet that by stopping the topic right there, that idiot Fei Wenxu would be feeling restless!

Indeed, Fei Wenxu found the interaction interesting. When no reply came after his last message, he felt a slight sense of regret. He exited WeChat, stared at his home screen, and then entered the App Store to search for the mobile version of Looking East.

He hadn’t been particularly invested in the game before, usually playing on his PC. If he didn’t have a block of free time, he wouldn’t bother turning on the computer. But now, on a sudden whim, he tapped the download button.

Jiang Mingbo focused on his quests until he reached Level 60. He noticed the leveling speed dropped significantly. Checking the time, he saw it was past midnight. He abruptly shut off his phone. I have classes tomorrow!

At times like this, Jiang Mingbo knew his priorities. He couldn’t let a game distract him from reality. Studies came first; messing with Fei Wenxu came second!

Because he felt his plan to “fix” Fei Wenxu was progressing well, Jiang Mingbo was in a great mood the next day. He was high-energy in class, answering every question the teacher asked. He was on a roll.

What surprised him more was that even when he missed the mark on one answer, he didn’t hear Fei Wenxu’s usual mocking rebuttal. Did the guy change his nature overnight?

He couldn’t help but peek toward the back. Fei Wenxu liked having people save him a seat in the back row. It wasn’t that he didn’t study; he just didn’t like being hyper-focused every second of the lecture and preferred some freedom.

To Jiang Mingbo’s shock, the usually popular and surrounded Fei Wenxu was actually slumped over his desk, sleeping. Is the sun rising from the west? Did this guy not sleep last night?

A thought struck Jiang Mingbo: Could it be that he was so flustered by my flirting that he couldn’t sleep?

He fantasized about it for a second but didn’t hold much hope. Fei Wenxu had dealt with all kinds of pursuit; he wouldn’t lose sleep over a netizen he’d never met.

Jiang Mingbo was right, but only half-right. Fei Wenxu wasn’t flustered, but he had stayed up because of “Xiao Yuer.” Downloading and installing the mobile game had taken half an hour, and by the time he got online, Xiao Yuer had already been logged off for an hour.

So much for staying up to play games, Fei Wenxu thought. He brushed off a strange flicker of emotion, tucked his phone away, and smirked. Liar.

Missing his usual sleep schedule made Fei Wenxu drowsy the next day. Seeing him out of it made Jiang Mingbo happy, even if he didn’t know the reason. Seeing Fei Wenxu miserable was always a win.

Sometimes Jiang Mingbo felt he was being a bit malicious, but that nameless spark of jealousy usually smothered his reflection. All that remained was the desire to play tricks. Anyway, the guy isn’t a saint either. If I can mess with him, he deserves it!

That night, upon returning to the dorm, he didn’t see Fei Wenxu. Humming a tune, he reviewed his notes and then climbed into bed with his phone.

Tan Rui, who was eating snacks below, asked curiously, “Bo-er, I feel like you’ve been going to bed especially early lately.”

“Have I?” Jiang Mingbo asked.

“Yeah. You aren’t doing something ‘shady’ behind our backs, are you?” Tan Rui grinned suggestively.

Jiang Mingbo cursed at him playfully and pulled his curtains shut. In a way, what he was doing was a bit shady.

He logged into the game to do his dailies. Noticing activity in the guild chat, he joined in.

Guild: Zhumi Needs to Lose Weight: [Is nobody here right now?]

Guild: Xiao Yuer: [Hey now, am I not a person?]

Guild: My Sword is Very Sharp: [Yo, this sister looks new. How about it, want me to carry you through some dungeons?]

Guild: Xiao Yuer: [Sure! Let’s go!]

The two hit it off. Jiang Mingbo didn’t feel like running the dailies himself anyway, so he hopped on the ride. The other guy gathered a few more members. Since it was still early, the guild wasn’t very crowded.

My Sword is Very Sharp talked in a bit of a sleazy, “keyboard-pro” way. A real girl might have been annoyed, but Jiang Mingbo was a guy; he was numb to male nonsense. He even slipped back into his natural “guy talk” a few times. This led “My Sword” to believe he’d finally found a “flower” who appreciated him, making the run easy and pleasant. He was almost ready to ask for Jiang Mingbo’s WeChat.

As the twenty-minute dungeon was ending, Jiang Mingbo suddenly realized: Wait, I’m supposed to be a girl! I’m supposed to be flirting with Fei Wenxu! I need to keep my distance from other guys! Panicked, he scrambled to hit the buttons and left the party immediately.

Guild: My Sword is Very Sharp: [Xiao Yuer? Did you disconnect?]

Guild: Xiao Yuer: [Accident, accident! Something suddenly came up on my end. You guys go ahead.]

Guild: My Sword is Very Sharp: [It’s fine, we’ve got time. I said I’d carry you, and I keep my word.]

Guild: Xiao Paomo: [Wow, you’re usually so stingy about carrying us, but you’re so eager for the newcomer. Careful, or the Guild Leader will deal with you.]

Guild: My Sword is Very Sharp: [What’s it to the Leader? I’m just fostering deep friendship between our members. What do you know?]

Fei Wenxu logged in exactly at that moment. After downloading the mobile version, loading the data had taken a long time. He hadn’t logged in the previous night, but now he was greeted by the fiery guild chat.

Guild: Fish: [What’s going on?]

Guild: Xiao Paomo: [Leader! ‘My Sword’ is trying to steal your girl!]

Jiang Mingbo narrowed his eyes. Time to strike while the iron was hot.

Guild: Xiao Yuer: [Oh my, nothing’s even official yet~]

My Sword is Very Sharp was stunned. Xiao Yuer changed faces faster than flipping a page in a book. One second, she was praising his skills, the next she was acting coy with the Leader. What was the deal?

Guild: My Sword is Very Sharp: [Wow! Just a moment ago you were all sweet and tender with me, and now you’re turning a cold shoulder? Where’s the justice?!]

Guild: Guanshan Nanyue: [Oh? Is this some juicy drama?]

Guild: Zhumi Needs to Lose Weight: [Oh~ juicy drama indeed!]

As everyone started joking around, Jiang Mingbo switched to a private message with Fei Wenxu.

Xiao Yuer: [Are you angry?]

Fei Wenxu frowned. What do I have to be angry about?

Fish: [No.]

Jiang Mingbo didn’t actually think Fei Wenxu would be jealous over a few jokes. Even if he were actually “courting” him, a player like Fei Wenxu wouldn’t take it to heart so soon. But that didn’t matter; he just needed an excuse to be clingy.

Xiao Yuer: [I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. I won’t go to dungeons with other people.]

Fish: [I’m really not angry.]

Xiao Yuer: [Then how about you take me to a dungeon? I have some stuff to do and want to hitch a ride.]

Fei Wenxu found it bizarre. This person sure knew how to delegate. When did I ever say I was angry? And why are we suddenly doing dungeons?

Xiao Yuer: [Are you still there?]

Fish: [I’m here.]

Xiao Yuer: [Pleading-face.jpg]

Xiao Yuer: [If you aren’t angry, take me on a run. Are you still mad?]

Fei Wenxu blinked. How did I get dragged into this trap? Am I supposed to be angry or not?

Fish: [Not angry.]

Jiang Mingbo chuckled.

Xiao Yuer: [Dungeon run?]

Fish: [At this point, do I even have the right to refuse?]

Xiao Yuer: [Nope! Let’s go!]

Triumphant, Jiang Mingbo accepted the party invite and tossed his phone onto his bed. He hopped down to grab a glass of water. Peeking through his curtains, he realized Fei Wenxu wasn’t in the room.

“Hey, where’s Fish?” Jiang Mingbo asked.

Tan Rui didn’t look up. “He hasn’t come back yet.”

Jiang Mingbo froze, turning back in confusion. If he’s not back, how is he logged into the game? He glanced at Fei Wenxu’s desk; the PC monitor was dark.

He remembered Fei Wenxu saying he only had the game on his desktop, and that his laptop and tablet were game-free…

That’s strange, Jiang Mingbo thought. Who is carrying me through this dungeon?

Could it be…

His account got hacked!