Chapter Twenty-Seven: Taking the Little Girl Home

There were more than twenty photographs in the online album, each taken from a different angle, each radiating an irresistible allure. Staring at the pictures, Chen Hao could hardly believe he had such a stunningly beautiful and sensual online friend. Tentatively, he sent a message: "You didn’t just grab some random beauty pics from the internet, did you?"

"Pfft, do I look like someone who’d do that? What, are you falling for me now? I meant what I said about hooking up! I'll give you one more chance..."

Chen Hao didn't reply. Instead, he copied the photos from the album and pasted them into a gaming group with over two thousand members. After posting the pictures, he sent a smug emoji: "The wife I have in 'Heavenly Dog Devours the Sun'—pretty, right?"

"Damn, when did Zhang Xinxin, the goddess of otaku, become your girlfriend? Cang Jing Kong is my side chick!"

"Haha! Going crazy while fantasizing over Zhang Xinxin, huh? Keep dreaming! Fantasy isn’t a crime, fantasy isn’t a mistake."

"Hey, dude who posted the pics, do you even know Zhang Xinxin? Did your in-game wife fool you with these photos?"

Chen Hao didn’t really believe the album’s photos were genuine, but he didn’t know any Zhang Xinxin, so he posted them in the gaming group. As expected, the otaku crowd was sharp-eyed and quickly revealed that he was being played with fake pictures.

Chen Hao replied, "Look, if you don't want to share your real photo, you don’t have to use Zhang Xinxin’s to fool me, right?"

"Hmph! I knew you otaku types would be into this. There isn’t a single one who doesn’t know Zhang Xinxin. That woman just dresses a bit provocatively, I’m way prettier than her." The other party felt no shame at all for using fake photos to fool him.

"Boasting much? If you’re prettier than Zhang Xinxin, then I’m Wu Yanzu. Dare to show your real photo?" Chen Hao tried a provocative tactic.

"That won’t work on me. If you want to see my photo, you’ll have to wait until your next life! By the way, I messaged you to say I’m done playing 'Heavenly Dog Devours the Sun.' Now, the 'War' game is all the rage, and I’m switching to it. Want to join me?"

Chen Hao felt a little guilty. He’d never taken the in-game marriage seriously, so when he switched to 'War,' he hadn’t thought to tell her. Yet she still wanted to play together, which touched him a bit. He replied, "I’ve switched to 'War' too."

"Hmph! You switched games and didn’t even tell me? Are you planning to ditch me as your wife and find someone new?" She sent a broken-heart emoji.

"Of course not! Today’s my first time logging into the game, just wanted to try it out and haven’t had a chance to tell you yet." Chen Hao lied.

"I’ll let you off for now. By the way, what’s your in-game name and birthplace?"

"Chen Baxian, birthplace: Penglai County, Qilu Province."

"Pfft! Why didn’t you pick Huanghai like I did? Only Huanghai was bustling in the early 20th century—other places are boring. My in-game name is Du Qianqian. Hehe! I triggered a quest today, and the rewards are amazing. You’ll be so jealous!"

Chen Hao was feeling sleepy. After assuring her repeatedly on QQ that he’d go to Huanghai to find Du Qianqian once he had money in-game, he logged out and prepared to leave. At the cashier’s counter, the internet café owner Zhao Qiang smiled and said, "Brother, I told you your internet fees are on me this week. Here’s the money you paid."

Chen Hao didn’t like owing favors, and though he had a good impression of the owner, he shook his head and refused. "I appreciate your kindness, but if you don’t take my payment, I won’t feel comfortable coming here again."

Seeing Chen Hao’s resolve, Zhao Qiang took back the two hundred yuan and said, "Alright, I guess I was being too formal. So, what do you think of 'War'? I’ve been busy all day with all sorts of stuff and haven’t had time to check the game myself."

"It’s great," Chen Hao replied with a smile. "Much more realistic than the many simulation games I’ve played before."

As the two chatted, the cute little girl who had followed Chen Hao into the café also logged out. She yawned lazily and said, "Boss, are you done chatting? I’m ready to log out."

Since it was opening day, Zhao Qiang was keeping a close eye on the café’s operations, so he let the cashier go home and managed things himself. Hearing the girl was ready to log out, he apologized to Chen Hao with a smile, then processed her logout and refunded sixty yuan.

Chen Hao remembered the girl had paid one hundred yuan for five hours when she arrived, but she was logging out nearly ten hours later, so she must have paid extra. He’d thought girls wouldn’t be interested in a game like 'War,' but the pretty girl before him was just as captivated, gaming until four in the morning.

After slipping the sixty yuan into her wallet, the girl touched her delicate little nose and headed for the door. Zhao Qiang, now finished with his tasks, smiled and asked Chen Hao, "Brother, what’s your in-game name, and what level are you at?"

Chen Hao hesitated, then told him, "I’m Chen Baxian, level seven..."

"Level seven?" Zhao Qiang gave him a thumbs-up. "Impressive, brother! I’ve been following the 'War' forum, and the highest-level player is only at seven. When I get into the game, you’ll have to guide me."

The petite girl, already at the door, stopped suddenly when she heard Chen Hao say 'Chen Baxian.' She turned around and walked back to the counter, fixing her bright, beautiful eyes on him for a long moment before saying, "Hey, you really have no sense of chivalry. It’s the middle of the night, and I’m just a delicate girl walking home alone—it’s not safe! You didn’t even offer to walk me home."

Chen Hao was stunned. In real life, he never dared talk to unfamiliar girls, afraid they’d think he was being overly attentive. But this lovely girl had asked him to escort her home—something he’d never experienced before, leaving him at a loss.

"Haha! Looks like your luck with girls is here, brother. It’s dangerous for a young lady to go home at this hour. Go on, walk her home!" Zhao Qiang laughed heartily.

Chen Hao sized up the pretty girl before him. Her bangs were neat, her skin as smooth as cream. A faint blush colored her cheeks, and her lovely eyes looked at him expectantly. With such a cute girl asking for an escort home, what man could refuse?

Chen Hao was no exception. Though a bit shy, he agreed, "Um... well, let’s go! Where do you live?"

"Just past Huayang University." Seeing Zhao Qiang’s teasing look, the girl blushed and ran toward the door. Chen Hao quickly said goodbye to Zhao Qiang and followed her out.

(The crucial moment for the new book ranking is here. If you’re online, please click and vote to support me. I’ll work hard to add more chapters this week and aim for the homepage new book list.)