Chapter 81: I Accepted on His Behalf

Within the small courtyard of the Li family, trouble seemed to arrive one after another without pause. The atmosphere in the dining room, which had just begun to ease, suddenly shifted—resentment, shame, helplessness, and other tangled emotions swirled together, stifling and oppressive.

“Hmph, and who might this little sweetheart be?” Wang Xiaoqian shot a cold, furious glare at Li Xin.

“Mind your own business. What does it have to do with you?” Li Yao refused to back down, speaking up on Li Xin’s behalf.

The others gasped in unison. Was Li Xin not adding fuel to the fire? Though no one could confirm the exact relationship between Li Xin and the elegant beauty, one called him husband, the other didn’t deny it, and they had embraced through the night—everything pointed to the obvious.

Dr. Chu and the others exchanged astonished glances. Gentle, demure Li Yao was never like this—could it be?

Zhang He wore a bitter expression, somewhere between a smile and a grimace, lost in his thoughts.

As everyone expected, Wang Xiaoqian exploded in anger, leaping to her feet with murderous intent, glaring daggers at Li Yao.

“If you interrupt me again, I’ll rip your tongue out.”

“Just you try…” Li Yao tried to retort, but her voice faltered. She was a well-behaved girl from an ordinary family, but in all respects, she was no match for Wang Xiaoqian.

After all, Wang Xiaoqian was a notorious thief, one the police themselves couldn’t catch.

Li Yao was like a radiant blossom, while Wang Xiaoqian was ruthless, caring little for her reputation.

Everyone understood that if it weren’t for Li Xin’s sake, Wang Xiaoqian would have taught Li Yao a harsh lesson already.

“Yao Yao, sit down,” Wang Huiyan tugged at her, jolting Li Yao back to her senses. Her palms were already beaded with cold sweat.

“Hui… Sister Hui, I…”

“Enough, sit,” Wang Huiyan shook her head gently once more.

Li Yao, no fool, took the opportunity to sit, her gaze darting away from Wang Xiaoqian’s. All morning, she’d thought Wang Xiaoqian was just a spoiled heiress who could be dealt with by standing firm. Only now did Li Yao realize the chasm between them, wide and unbridgeable.

Wang Xiaoqian’s glare and overwhelming presence filled her with dread.

The tension thickened. Dr. Chu and the others hastily set down their chopsticks and left on the pretense of being full. On the way back to Nantang Pharmacy, Zhang He even made a point of opening the small east gate.

The visitor was Jiang Ke’er, the young waitress from the restaurant across the street.

With a brief greeting, Jiang Ke’er cheerfully ran towards the dining room, completely oblivious to Zhang He’s urgent, warning glances.

“Brother Li Xin, I—” Jiang Ke’er burst in, looking towards the left side of the dining table, but stopped short.

She was delicate and lovely, not at all like a waitress, more like a young lady from a prominent family.

Her bright, doe-like eyes blinked rapidly, reflecting her bewilderment, confusion, and shock.

“Sister Hui… who is she?” Jiang Ke’er pointed at Wang Xiaoqian, her voice trembling. This beauty clearly came from wealth; she’d never heard Li Xin mention her before.

“Ke’er, this is Wang Xiaoqian.”

“Xiaoqian, this is Jiang Ke’er, the waitress from the restaurant across the way.”

Wang Huiyan made a brief introduction, then pulled the reluctant Li Yao away.

Only three remained in the room, and the air grew even heavier.

“H-hello.”

“Hello. What business do you have with my husband?”

“Husband?” Jiang Ke’er was startled. She was referring to Li Xin.

“You’re Li Xin’s girlfriend? I never heard about this before.”

“We just started dating. Is that a problem?” Wang Xiaoqian rolled her eyes; this little girl was simply being affectionate, not a real “rival.”

With that, Jiang Ke’er’s anxiety melted away, and she happily joined Wang Xiaoqian, striking up a conversation as if they were old friends.

For a while, Li Xin was left on his own, quietly eating.

“So, what did you come for?” Wang Xiaoqian suddenly asked.

“Well…” Jiang Ke’er’s brows arched thoughtfully before she replied, “My cousin is the leader of a gaming club. Their team just made it to the regional finals, but their skills are mediocre. I heard you’re really good at gaming, so she asked me to invite you to join.”

“A gaming club? Which game?”

“CrossFire.”

“Uh…” Wang Xiaoqian was speechless. By coincidence, Jiang Ke’er had found the right person, but Li Xin had already decided to keep a low profile; he surely wouldn’t agree.

As expected, Jiang Ke’er continued, “Brother Li Xin already refused, but my cousin insisted I try again.”

“Brother Li Xin, will you reconsider?”

“No, my answer is the same—my health doesn’t allow it,” Li Xin rejected her outright, not sparing Jiang Ke’er’s feelings.

Tears welled up in Jiang Ke’er’s eyes, her nose tingling; she was about to cry.

Wang Xiaoqian rather liked Jiang Ke’er, and she herself was eager for Li Xin to move past his shadows. After a moment’s thought, she smiled, “Ke’er, what Li Xin says doesn’t count. I’ll agree on his behalf.”

“Really?” Jiang Ke’er was skeptical.

“Really.” Wang Xiaoqian hummed triumphantly. Li Xin was left helpless, unable to protest.

He truly did not wish to provoke this domineering little imp.

Jiang Ke’er broke into a bright smile, thanked them repeatedly, and left.

“If anyone’s playing, it’ll be you, not me. I’m not going,” Li Xin called out, then headed back to his room.

“Hmph, not going? That’s not for you to decide,” Wang Xiaoqian huffed, a cunning glint in her almond-shaped eyes, and began to eat contentedly.

“If you’re not eating, I will.”

…

On the “Odyssey” forum.

The adventurer branch instance had, without a doubt, become the hottest topic, with players offering countless perspectives and arguments.

A post titled “Who Will Become the Second Adventurer?” was pinned firmly at the top.

Author ID: Christina.

Views: 850,000; Replies: 53,415.

“In a world of technological warfare, why does an adventurer guild exist? What does it mean to be an adventurer? What dangers do they face? At first glance, the two seem utterly incompatible, yet both undeniably exist.

After two hours of meticulous observation—48 hours of in-game time—I have come to the following conclusions regarding adventurers.

1: …

2: …

3: …

In summary: I believe adventurers are the incarnations of the creator gods of the Jialin continent. Their existence has purpose, and perhaps the future of adventurers is intricately linked to the power we strive for as marshals.

War is cruel, and the world of adventurers is equally serious and severe.

The success of the first player has opened a brand new chapter for us. Let us see who will become the second adventurer.”

Christina’s lengthy analysis, as Li Xin discovered, stretched over 2,300 words in Chinese translation. That aside, her conclusions and reasoning were remarkably sound. Especially her assertions regarding adventurers closely matched the information Li Xin had obtained so far.

She was truly a talent.

So thought Li Xin, as he closed the forum and entered the game.