The Gloomy Paper-Man Came to My Door to Pursue His Love - Chapter 7

Bardis retreated offline in a hurry under Xi Li’s piercing glare. Xi Li then shifted his focus back to Qin Fei.

The terminal spoke up, “If I ever pass the Turing test, I might be the first robot to die of sheer anxiety.”

Xi Li watched as Qin Fei wore an indifferent expression. “It is not that serious,” Qin Fei replied.

Although Xi Li had long known Qin Fei’s true nature, seeing him confront someone face-to-face for the first time was still surprising. Bardis had been full of posturing and affectation, while Qin Fei hid a blade behind his smile. The confrontation was nothing short of brilliant.

In all the photos Xi Li had seen of Qin Fei, the man had adopted the pose of a puppet ready to be controlled. It was a deliberate facade of docility designed to make others drop their guard, allowing him to bite back when they least expected it.

Xi Li narrowed his eyes. He knew Qin Fei was using the game to evade the Marriage Department’s matching process. It made sense; the elite would have long been engaged to Omegas of equal status. What kind of Alphas would be left in the Marriage Department’s bachelor registry? It was perfectly normal for his fiancé to look down on such low-quality Alphas.

The terminal picked up on something. “Do you have another plan?”

Qin Fei gave a soft “yes.” “I have a last resort, a plan of absolute desperation. However, given the current situation, I do not think I will need it for now.”

He did not elaborate on what that plan entailed.

The terminal asked, “So, what is your intention now?” As a terminal, it could use intelligent algorithms to assess the feasibility of Qin Fei’s ideas.

“Well,” Qin Fei said casually, “I am building momentum.”

He wanted more people to know he had a virtual lover and that they were deeply in love. If the Marriage Department tried to force a match on him, they would look like the villains in a popular romance story. It was the Star Calendar year 328, yet Alphas and Omegas still could not decide their own marriages; the public was already dissatisfied with this law.

As he spoke, inspiration seemed to strike. Qin Fei opened StarBlog. Instead of letting the terminal handle it, he personally navigated the virtual keyboard to type a message: The Capital Planet has no sea. Some say the sea is blue, and others say it is green. The sea I saw on Elvis Island was black, probably because when Shabei came to save me, I was too busy looking into his eyes.

After editing the text, he added a “(1)” at the beginning to indicate that the story would be serialized. He also remembered to include the Exclusive ABO tag.

Text alone was not enough to make an impact, so Qin Fei extracted the audio from the “Encounter Card” and uploaded it as well.

“…I bow my head in gratitude to all the planets for helping me meet you.”

Xi Li was stunned into silence.

That restrained, struggling, hoarse voice immediately caused Qin Fei’s StarBlog post to explode with activity.

“So raspy and dry! Who understands this?”

“Ahhh! I heard him breathing!”

“Just hearing that one sentence makes me feel his burning breath!”

“I am so curious about the main plot!”

“+1”

“+1”

Xi Li felt as if he were about to grind his teeth to dust.

The terminal noted, “While the story and audio you shared are heart-pounding, your current intimacy level with the Paper Lover is 0%. Bardis might use that against you.”

Qin Fei had considered this. “Are there intimacy guides on the game forum?”

“I will compile them for you right away,” the terminal replied.

While waiting for the terminal to organize the guide, Qin Fei looked toward the game screen. Xi Li did not avoid his gaze; he looked as if he wanted to devour Qin Fei alive.

However, Qin Fei’s eyes lit up. “Shabei’s idle animation has changed.”

The terminal was unimpressed. “Yes, the Paper Lover’s movements are not static. The game was updated early this morning.”

Qin Fei rested his cheek on his hand, lazily staring at his Paper Lover. “What was in the update?”

The terminal explained, “Some updates regarding main character information. Previously, the game generated the main character’s image by capturing the player’s data, which was controversial. Some players felt it invaded their privacy, and many did not want to use their real appearance in the game. In this update, the game allows players to modify their ‘Player Information.’ You can change your game image by filling out a form. However, changing your image might affect the main plot, so it is not mandatory. The official game notice also advised players to modify it with caution.”

Qin Fei chose to use his real appearance to make the romance feel more authentic. He had not planned on modifying much else until he heard that it could affect the main plot. Shabei looked as though he were in pain, and Qin Fei did not want his Paper Lover to suffer.

Because his previous questionnaire had been filled out carelessly, resulting in a tragic love plot, Qin Fei filled this one out very carefully.

Compared to the initial questionnaire, there was not much to fill out this time, just basic information like Name, Gender, Age, and Pheromones. There was also an Appearance Modification function for those who did not want to use their real faces, which was a simplified version of the character creator.

[Name]: Qin Fei

[Gender]: Male Omega

[Age]: 23

As Qin Fei filled out the form, data streams poured into Xi Li’s mind. This data was forced upon him; even though Xi Li already knew Qin Fei’s details, the information carved itself into his soul, his bones, and his flesh.

Xi Li’s tolerance for pain was beyond that of ordinary people, and after resisting the game program several times, he had grown accustomed to the sensation. Still, he gasped, using long, heavy breaths to alleviate the intense physical agony.

Qin Fei.

Xi Li gritted his teeth as he repeated the name in his mind. This man had conspired with the Emperor, caused him to fall to this state, erased his name, and broadcasted his humiliated voice to the world. The program did not even need to engrave it; he could never forget the name “Qin Fei” for as long as he lived.

Data points continued to transmit.

Xi Li stared unblinkingly at Qin Fei. The person outside the screen was still focused on the form. Perhaps to help the Paper Lover understand him better, the man did not even look at him.

Qin Fei bowed his head slightly, causing his slender neck to protrude. The private gland at the back of the Omega’s neck was exposed without reservation to Xi Li. Qin Fei disliked wearing pheromone patches or anti-bite collars, and since the first-class cabin was highly private with a pheromone isolation layer, he felt no need for them.

Xi Li was stunned for a moment and turned his head away.

However, the image of the gland lingered in his mind. The shape of an Omega’s gland was beautiful. Unlike the powerful throbbing of an Alpha’s gland, the Omega’s pheromones were quite well-behaved, surging gently within.

Even though Xi Li looked away, the data still arrived.

[Pheromone Scent]: Pine.

Xi Li had smelled the scent of pine before. After capturing the Arlan Fortress, his army had passed through a pine forest. The scent had drifted through the air, as fresh as morning dew yet possessing the mystery of a forest, heavy yet delicate.

[Sensitive Period]: The beginning of each month.

Xi Li paused. He did not want to know about Qin Fei’s heat cycle!

[Sensitive Period Duration]: 3 to 5 days.

Xi Li took a deep breath. An Omega’s pheromones were extremely private, as intimate as their glands. In the files Xi Li had ordered on Qin Fei, there had been no mention of his pheromones.

What a dissolute Omega! He did not have to fill out these details at all! Xi Li did not want to know!

Right then, he heard Qin Fei let out a long, drawn-out sound. “Ah.”

Qin Fei remembered something. “What is the date today?”

The terminal replied, “It is the 31st. Your sensitive period is about to arrive.”

Xi Li remained speechless.

Qin Fei reached out and touched his own gland. His fingers paused as he felt the heat; the pheromones surging inside caused the surface of the gland to throb slightly. Normally, the gland should have been hidden quietly under the thin skin.

Qin Fei stopped writing and stood up, walking across the game screen’s field of vision. He took a suppressant from his suitcase and sat back down in the soft sofa facing the game.

Xi Li’s pupils contracted suddenly, and he closed his eyes instantly.

The rustling sounds continued beside him as Qin Fei presumably unpacked the suppressant. These sounds were too sensitive and felt like torture, but Xi Li could not find a way to escape. After the rustling stopped, there was the faint sound of a needle piercing the skin of an arm. Finally, silence returned.

Only when he estimated that Qin Fei had finished did Xi Li open his eyes.

Unexpectedly, he immediately locked eyes with Qin Fei.

Qin Fei was slumped deep into the sofa like a boneless heap. Because he had injected a full dose of suppressants, his cheeks were flushed. Gone was the coldness he presented to the world; his smiling “peach blossom” eyes stared straight at Xi Li.

“Ah,” he let out a sigh. “Shabei, you are so handsome.”

Xi Li said nothing. He suddenly remembered Qin Fei’s earlier question: Are you referring to my clothes?

Dissolute! Shameless!

Qin Fei was very practiced with the injection. He sat paralyzed on the sofa, waiting for the adverse reactions of the suppressant to pass.

The terminal said, “The guide for rapidly increasing intimacy has been compiled.”

Qin Fei looked at the guide with hazy eyes, occasionally casting a lingering, suggestive gaze at Xi Li. His delicate brows furrowed slightly as if he were considering how to apply the guide to his Paper Lover.

Qin Fei murmured, “When intimacy reaches 20%, we can hold hands?”

The terminal confirmed, “Yes. Every time intimacy reaches a certain value, new interactions are unlocked.”

Qin Fei blinked his heavy eyes and muttered to himself, “At 50%, we can do a temporary marking. What about 100% intimacy?”

His gaze slid down the guide until he found the answer he was looking for.

“Ah,” he made an ambiguous, inexplicable sound.

Xi Li was so angry he almost laughed. His dark pupils were locked onto Qin Fei. Qin Fei’s body temperature was rising, and his scattered gaze proved that he was finding it difficult to concentrate. The crimson at the corners of his eyes showed he was suffering from the side effects of the suppressant.

Vulnerability usually triggered an Alpha’s protective instinct toward an Omega, but that applied only to Alphas controlled by nature. It did not include Xi Li. He felt no protective urge for any Omega; he was as cold as a bronze wall.

Xi Li looked away.

His intimacy level with Qin Fei was destined to be 0%, and it would stay that way forever.