My Online Date is My Roommate - Chapter 17

While everyone was still clamoring, the Flying Flower Order was about to begin. Guilds were randomly paired for three rounds, with the final rankings determined by total points.

[Chitang] (The Pond) was the top guild on the server. Since Looking East was a period-style game, most other guilds chose pretentious names like “Flowing Water, Falling Petals, Spring is Gone.” Their clean, straightforward name, “Chitang,” was quite memorable.

When members of the opposing guild saw they were matched against [Chitang], they rolled up their sleeves, eager for the challenge. They might not be able to compete in mechanics or gear, but surely they wouldn’t be outdone in reciting ancient poetry?

Match [The Flowery World Blinds the Eye]: Is our luck really this bad? Match [Believe It or Not I’ll CPU You]: Let’s take down Chitang in one fell swoop today! Match [Guanshan is Hard to Cross]: I am but a man of modest talent; I know a bit of martial arts, and I am also quite well-versed in poetry and prose.

Guild [Small Foam]: Is it too late for me to quit? Why are you acting like a refined period-drama scholar? I’m too embarrassed to even acknowledge you in the match chat! Guild [A Cup of Mango Pomelo Sago]: Forget it, sister. He’s one of our own after all. Just bear with it.

Despite her trash-talking in the guild, Small Foam still intended to give Guanshan some face in front of outsiders.

Match [Small Foam]: Supporting our resident period scholar!

System: Attention, young heroes. The Flying Flower Order match has officially begun.

Everyone held their breath, ready to snatch the answers.

The questions weren’t too difficult. Jiang Mingbo realized he actually knew some of them. His brain lit up, but just as he was about to answer, the question switched instantly. Someone else had already snatched it.

He didn’t even have time to feel regret before seeing the second question—he knew that one too! He tapped the button furiously, but the question changed again.

Eventually, Jiang Mingbo understood the essence of the Flying Flower Order: it was a game of hand speed. He stopped even looking at the questions and just mashed the button. In three minutes, he only managed to answer one correctly, and that was only because his input method auto-predicted the entire line of poetry. The event only lasted five minutes; at this rate, getting two questions right would be considered lucky.

Below him, Tan Rui was screaming about missed opportunities. “Brother Fish! What happened to your usual hand speed for killing people? Why is it so useless now?”

Fei Wenxu chuckled. “Every profession has its specialty.”

Jiang Mingbo was speechless. While he was tapping until his fingers smoked, this bastard was casually making sarcastic remarks next to him. Since he couldn’t quit to message Fish, he could only keep cursing and tapping.

Match [The Flowery World Blinds the Eye]: Brothers and sisters on the other side, it’s the last minute. Can you let us have one question? My kid hasn’t made the leaderboard once since the game launched!

Someone was actually acting pitiful in the public chat at such a critical moment, trying to evoke sympathy.

Match [Small Foam]: No can do. Let the strength speak for itself, okay? Match [The Flowery World Blinds the Eye]: Great Master Fish, have mercy~ Match [Small Foam]: Suspected launch of a sugar-coated bullet… Match [The Flowery World Blinds the Eye]: Brother Fish, Great Master Fish, it’s not easy for a small guild like ours~

After being @-ed repeatedly, Fei Wenxu didn’t want to play blind anymore. He frowned and opened the chat channel.

Match [Fish]: Taking the competition seriously is a sign of respect for the game.

Fei Wenxu rejected the request with objective coolness.

Match [The Flowery World Blinds the Eye]: Brother Fish (Fish Gege), you must be bored of occupying the top spot. Let us breathe the air up there for a bit~ Match [My Sword is Very Sharp]: Suspected ‘trans’. Match [RR]: My god, you’d throw away your dignity just to make the leaderboard? Match [The Flowery World Blinds the Eye]: Aiyo~ if it’s for a Great Master like Fish, I’m willing.

Jiang Mingbo hadn’t noticed the public chat at all. The questions were changing too fast; his eyes were blurring. He finally scrambled to snatch the second-to-last question, intending to keep the momentum going, but he couldn’t recall a single poem for the character in the final question and had to give up.

Still, having snatched two questions, Jiang Mingbo planned to show off to Fei Wenxu to boost their “online relationship.” He triumphantly opened the chat box, only to find the public chat had already scrolled past several screens.

Match [The Flowery World Blinds the Eye]: Great Master Fish, you have such a cruel heart.

System: Match ended. Congratulations to the young heroes of the [Chitang] guild for their victory. Please take a short rest; the next round of the Flying Flower Order will begin shortly.

Guild [Piggy Needs to Lose Weight]: Fine! While I was working my tail off at the front lines, you lot actually had the leisure to flirt in the public chat? Guild [Small Foam]: Heaven as my witness, Piggy, I only spoke in the chat because I couldn’t answer the questions. Besides, I wasn’t the one flirting it was the President! Guild [My Sword is Very Sharp]: I report! It was the President! He was talking to that ‘Flowery World’ person from the other guild.

Fei Wenxu was used to their liveliness. These harmless jokes didn’t bother him; gaming was about having fun. However, he frowned at the next message.

Guild [Piggy Needs to Lose Weight]: Hah! Where’s Little Fishy? Do you all think our Little Fishy is dead?

Fei Wenxu’s brow furrowed deeper. He didn’t care about these insignificant dialogues, but would Little Fishy care?

Members who loved drama started @-ing her.

Guild [A Cup of Mango Pomelo Sago]: @Little Fishy, come out and see this!

Jiang Mingbo raised an eyebrow. What dialogue? I didn’t see it.

He scrolled up several pages until he finally found the start of the records. Seeing those mushy “Gege” (Big Brother) comments made his skin crawl. Definitely a ‘trans’, he thought. Then, inspiration struck. A perfect opportunity!

He could use this to throw a tantrum and cause a “relationship setback.” That might lead to a formal “online confession,” making his future flirting legitimate. Ideally, he’d get Fish’s account password, squander his wealth, and dismantle all his gear…

He maliciously fantasized about standing on Fei Wenxu’s head while he typed his response.

Guild [Little Fishy]: I am indeed dead~ Guild [Piggy Needs to Lose Weight]: Oho! Does the Trade Union sell washboards? [For kneeling on as an apology] Guild [A Cup of Mango Pomelo Sago]: The guild doesn’t, but we have big durians for sale. Guild [Small Foam]: Let’s crowdfund two durians for the President—one for each knee. Guild [My Sword is Very Sharp]: Great idea!

Fei Wenxu didn’t reply immediately. To be precise, he didn’t know how. In the past, people made jokes, but they never had a follow-up; they’d just pass. This was the first time he felt he needed to respond.

Then, a new private message notification popped up. Thinking it was Little Fishy, he felt a strange sense of relief. It turned out to be Guanshan is Hard to Cross.

Guanshan is Hard to Cross: You’re not saying anything? Fish: What should I say? Everyone is just joking.

Guanshan was practically pleading with him. “How many fights start from a joke? Do you even know how to date? In this situation, a girl is guaranteed to be jealous.”

Fei Wenxu’s brow remained locked. He had high standards and looked down on everyone; he had never been interested in the men and women who threw themselves at him. He had never had a “corny” romance, let alone tried to coax someone.

Fish: But I’m not dating her. Guanshan is Hard to Cross: Holy crap, man, you’re one thin layer of window paper away from making it official. You’re inseparable like conjoined twins and now you tell me you aren’t dating? You scumbag, I despise you!

Fei Wenxu froze. Had he and Little Fishy already reached this point?

Fish: You all think we’re dating? Guanshan is Hard to Cross: If not yet, then soon. Look at us ‘platonic’ friends who acts like you two?

Fei Wenxu opened his phone and began reviewing his chat logs with Little Fishy. He thought they just chatted occasionally in their spare time, but the log seemed endless. The topics were mostly trivial, nothing special. Then, remembering something, he clicked into her “Moments.”

She still posted every two or three days, but there were no more selfies. Instead, it was all game screenshots many of which included his character.

Staring at her cute avatar, Fei Wenxu couldn’t quite define his feelings.

Jiang Mingbo waited for ages without seeing Fei Wenxu speak in the guild. He twitched his lips. Total scumbag! One moment he’s being ambiguous with me, the next he’s ‘Gege’ and ‘Meimei’ with others.

Wait… “Gege” and “Trans.” He suspected that “Flowery World” was a “trans” just like him. Clearly, his own “trans” skills were superior, as even a veteran like Lazy couldn’t tell.

It was 10:30 PM. Jiang Mingbo turned off his screen and climbed down from his bed. He wanted to see what Fei Wenxu was doing that kept him from replying.

Fei Wenxu’s monitor was huge. Jiang Mingbo caught a glimpse of a chat background, but before he could see the content, Fei Wenxu moved. He exited the chat and returned to the game screen.

Jiang Mingbo instantly became alert. What is this idiot doing? Why is he so guarded? Did he find something out?

Was that why he was silent?

The thought made Jiang Mingbo restless. Being a “thief” for too long made everyone look like a cop. Because he was catfishing Fei Wenxu, he felt guilty at every slight movement. He walked past as if nothing was wrong, forcing down his suspicions. What’s he hiding?

Only after Jiang Mingbo left did Fei Wenxu reopen the chat interface. He didn’t think Jiang Mingbo was strange; he just instinctively didn’t want the person to catch a glimpse of his continued contact with Little Fishy especially since Jiang Mingbo had been rejected by her before.

The guild channel was still refreshing, but the topic had moved on. Little Fishy hadn’t participated since her one message. He didn’t know if she was lurking or had logged off. Usually, she wouldn’t log off silently, especially while he was still online.

Could she… really be angry?

By the time Jiang Mingbo climbed back into bed, there were two new messages from Fish.

Fish: Are you still there? Fish: We haven’t finished the daily quests. Continuing?

Jiang Mingbo felt a weight lift. The messages didn’t sound suspicious; he had probably overthought it. Once he calmed down, his “persona” took over. He snorted and began his output.

Little Fishy: It’s fine, I’m leaving soon. Fish: ? Little Fishy: I wouldn’t want to interrupt your chatting. Isn’t that right, Fish Gege~~? Little Fishy: [Sarcastic-Passive-Aggressive.jpg]

Fei Wenxu laughed out loud at the words “Fish Gege.” He’d been flirted with in games before, and people calling him “Gege” wasn’t rare. Some were mushy, some were shy. But Little Fishy was the first to make “Gege” sound so… extraordinary.

Fei Wenxu felt quite wronged.

Fish: I didn’t even reply to her. Little Fishy: What else did you want to reply?! Little Fishy: [Furious.jpg] Little Fishy: [Flip-Table.jpg] Little Fishy: [Hack-You-To-Death.jpg]

Fei Wenxu found the emojis more amusing the more he looked at them. He clicked “Add to Favorites.”

Fish: Alright, it’s nothing. I really didn’t intend to reply.

Knowing that overdoing it would backfire, Jiang Mingbo followed the “Flirting Bible” and stopped while he was ahead, acting somewhat magnanimous.

Little Fishy: Humph, since you’re being so sincere, I’ll forgive you.

The reply didn’t come immediately.

Little Fishy: Dammit, you’d better thank me quickly for sparing your life!

Fei Wenxu sent an emoji he had saved from Jiang Mingbo.

Fish: [Take-Your-Leave-Kneeling.jpg]

Jiang Mingbo snorted. At least you know your place.

While running dailies on auto-play, Jiang Mingbo opened a pop-up window to read a novel. Suddenly, his class QQ group pinged. The final project for their major required groups of five for a presentation at the end of the month.

Tan Rui called out, “Bo-er, let’s form a group for our dorm?”

If he could refuse, Jiang Mingbo really didn’t want to be in a group with Fei Wenxu. But since they hadn’t officially had a falling out, he just rolled his eyes and agreed. “I have no objection.”

The others agreed naturally. Fei Wenxu didn’t care; any team was fine.

Tan Rui: “Invite your old schoolmate too. That makes five, and we’re all familiar with each other.” Jiang Mingbo: “Mhm.”

He went to message Wu Shuang. Because he spent too long out of the game, the background process auto-closed. Fei Wenxu, waiting for a reply in-game, noticed Little Fishy had gone offline.

He frowned. Didn’t she say she wasn’t angry anymore?

He switched to WeChat.

Fish: Why did you go offline?

There was no reply on WeChat either, as if she were intentionally ignoring him.

At that moment, Jiang Mingbo was on his alt account, venting to Wu Shuang about the class assignment.

Rarely having to wait for someone to reply to him, Fei Wenxu couldn’t help but recall Guanshan’s words. Are he and Little Fishy really like they’re dating?

Does she think so too?