Chapter 35 - Reality (6) (1/2)
After helping his sister Cheng Ling Ling with taking photos for the event, Cheng Zhi Chu changed back to his own clothes and sent her out of his room before breathing a sigh of relief.
He didn’t expect Gu Zhen to actually call Ling Ling. Before that, they had not kept in contact for a long time.
Since that day, Cheng Zhi Chu no longer wanted to have anything to do with Gu Zhen. Because it only gave him unpleasant memoires, he had deleted or blocked all of Gu Zhen’s contact details. When Gu Zhen tried to look for him, he avoided him as much as he could.
Fortunately, Gu Zhen never visited his home. He would only occasionally go to his school to find him and it was only a handful of times because Gu Zhen was usually very busy. This year, after finishing fourth year, he still had to stay behind to work in his family’s company, so he rarely returned to his university let alone look for him.
Some time ago, Cheng Zhi Chu had also heard that Gu Zhen would go to a famous university abroad next year to continue his studies. After graduating, he would stay there for a few years so they would likely not see each other again in the future.
Although it was something that he heard coincidentally, in addition to feeling angry, Cheng Zhi was a little stunned. However, more of him felt relieved when he thought of the fact that they would finally no longer have anything to do with each other.
But what he didn’t expect was that Gu Zhen had been calling his sister……..
Cheng Zhi Chu pursed his mouth and decided that he didn’t want to think about Gu Zhen anymore. They won’t see each other anymore so Gu Zhen can’t do anything.
At this moment, the bear that was hiding behind the curtains poked out its little head and then stumbled out. When Cheng Ling Ling came into the room earlier, it quickly hid itself and it didn’t dare come out until after she left.
The bear asked curiously: “Mummy you don’t like that man now?”
“Actually, it can’t be considered like…….My feelings for him at that time was more admiration. I didn’t dare to consider that thought and, in the end, it was gone before it was even able to sprout.”
Cheng Zhi Chu shrugged. He then cleared his throat and corrected the bear: “Also, Pinecone. I’ve already told you many times. I am a man. You should call me daddy.”
“But you’re my mummy.” The bear blinked a few times, “Mummy, you won’t abandon daddy in the future, right?”
“…………” Cheng Zhi Chu felt a headache coming. There were so many problems with that sentence and he didn’t know where to start, “You are not allowed to say that anymore. Uncle Bai Yi and I are just good friends. If you say something like that again I’ll…..I’ll take away your fried chicken!”
“Wu………”
The bear revealed a very wronged expression that made Cheng Zhi Chu feel a little bad. Why is he bickering about something like this with a teddy bear? He immediately coaxed it with a few words and promised it that he wouldn’t take away his chicken before bringing it over to wash up.
After the shower, Cheng Zhi Chu laid back in bed. He pulled out his Boss Photobook and flipped through it. There was an additional profile that had been lit up. It was Xie Yuan Huai’s.
The Xie Yuan Huai in the photo had his eyes closed. His handsome and cold face looked very peaceful and he seemed to be in a deep sleep.
【ID: 029]
【Name: Xie Yuan Huai]
【Source: Abandoned Hospital]
【Difficulty: Hard]
【Description: A ghost that wanders the hospital. Before his death, he suffered from a congenital heart disease. His body was weak, and he couldn’t experience intense emotional changes. As a result, he developed an indifferent and quiet personality.
After he passed away, his family couldn’t accept his death. They stored his body at the hospital and his soul was similarly left there, unable to venture out of the hospital and unable to be seen by others.
He had long known that he wouldn’t live long. He suppressed his own emotions and didn’t dare to have any attachments to this world. He was used to being alone, so he didn’t feel lonely.
He didn’t have any attachments, and he didn’t know why he was still wandering around as a ghost.
But ever since you appeared, he thought, perhaps his existence was so that he would be able to meet you.
All the desires and greed that he had never felt before when he was alive sprouted uncontrollably in his heart that had stopped beating.
You allowed him to truly live again.
Despite the short encounter, he thanked you, loved you and waited for you all along.]
“Sigh……..”
After reading the details, Cheng Zhi Chu couldn’t help but sigh. Inside, he felt a little torn.
【Did you almost fall in love with Xie Yuan Huai?]
The system chuckled mischievously. Its’ tone was very teasing: 【I knew you’re a gay. Pfft, you even had an ex-boyfriend. To think that you even have the nerve to claim that you’re straight.]
[Scram! I was tricked by Gu Zhen!] Cheng Zhi Chu responded angrily, [Also, he’s not my ex-boyfriend. I didn’t go out with him.]
【Keep arguing.] The system blabbered on, 【Let’s see what you would do when Bai Yi finds out about it.]
Cheng Zhi Chu’s expression changed slightly: [Don’t jinx me!]
【Jinx you? Do you think you need someone else to jinx you? Looks like you’re still not aware of how poor your luck is.]
The system poked at his sore spot. It then said:
【It looks like I should remind you so that you don’t end up dying later. That weapon that you synthesized with those weapon fragments, the “Joker’s Silver Coin”, it’s best if you don’t touch it. That thing is very ominous. How should I put it….It can’t be considered a weapon. It should be considered a cursed item.]
Cheng Zhi Chu was shocked: [Why do you say that?]
【You already know about the properties of a cursed item; they are “unique” and there will only be one of each cursed item with no repeats.]
The system said: 【But weapons are different. It is not unique and more like mass produced items. As far as I know, there is more than one of even the rarest S-class weapon. At least two of them exists.]
【But I have never heard of this silver coin weapon. It seemed to be the only one that exists and that is the one that you have in your hands right now.]
【You have also seen its description. Using it can bring you serious misfortune and there’s even a possibility of the instance collapsing. With your luck, the possibility of that happening isn’t small.]
It spoke very seriously, and it seemed to be certain about its prediction. Cheng Zhi Chu who heard this felt a little wronged.
【I even suspect that it’s a cursed item. There’s something in it that has the terrible ability to deceive and tempt users. It was even able to trick the central system’s classification of props, allowing it to be classified as a weapon instead.]
【You should know that the speed at which weapons are passed around are a lot faster than cursed items. Players would also not think that the weapon can be fatal and would lower their guard thinking that as long as they drank some luck potion, they could use it as they pleased……]
[I won’t touch it anymore.]
Cheng Zhi Chu felt cold sweat form as he listened to the systems words. He vowed solemnly: [In fact, I originally didn’t intend on using it. At that time, I had no other options.]
Fortunately, he was lucky at that time. Otherwise, he and Meng Ke would have definitely died right then and there.
【It’s good that you understand.]
Although the system may have a cheap mouth, at key moments it was still very reliable: 【You have quite a lot of Survival Points now. You can consider buying a few attack-type cards. Until you get your next weapon, you can deal with things using the cards first.]
[I have lots of Survival Points?]
Cheng Zhi Chu was a little surprised. He opened his own property chart and checked how many Survival Points he had.
Although he had just cleared an instance and was rewarded with 1,500 Survival Points, cards are relatively high-end items. The cheapest one starts at 500 Survival Points and attack-type cards would cost at least 1000 points. It wasn’t something that someone like him could afford at this stage.
【Player ID: Cheng Zhi Chu
Game Mode: Reality Mode
Level: 13
Blood: 170
Physical Strength: 65
Survival Point: 6613
Ability: 1 [View Details]
Skills: 2 [View Details]
Cursed Items: 3 [View Details]
Weapons: 1 [Weapon Fragments x0]
Cards: 0
Items: Boss Photobookx1 [Bounded], Flashlight x1, Low level blood tonic x3, Joshua’s Necklace, Blood-stained Ring, Joker’s Silver Ring, Teddy Bear
Bag Space: 9
Rating: C, Not so weak anymore but still weak.
Comment: Little gay, to be able to be bound with such a cute system K29 is the luckiest thing that would ever happen in your life. Remember not to fall in love with it.]
[My rating increased?]
Cheng Zhi Chu was both surprised and confused. He understood why he would suddenly have so many survival points.
When players’ ratings increase, they would be rewarded with a large number of survival points. They would even get discounts at the market place. An increase from D to C would reward them with 3000 survival points and a vast majority of the market places’ skills and props would have a 20% discount.
【Humph. That’s right, so you should hurry and give me your sincere gratitude!]
[Thank you, thank you!]
This time, Cheng Zhi Chu thanked the system very sincerely. After all, he received a lot of benefit with this upgrade. His tone however was too sincere, and it made the system feel a little embarrassed. For a long time, it didn’t say anything. It seemingly had gone into hiding.
Cheng Zhi Chu was very pleased. Like a miser, he counted his survival points and was surprised to find that his points had again increased a little.
This is……?
He was stunned for a moment. He then suddenly remembered that he had posted an instance guide to the forum and had received a reply from Winter Branch. After not appearing for the past two years, many players clicked onto his post to see the great god. Of the 6000+ points that he has, apart from the bonus points that he had received from clearing the instance and upgrading, it was basically all from just this post.
Fuck. That’s right. He was even replied by Winter Branch. After being in the instance for too long, he had completely forgotten about it!
Cheng Zhi Chu quickly sat up from his sprawled position and grabbed the phone on his desk. He checked the post replies.
Because he had received too many notifications from that forum, his phone was constantly vibrating so, with frustration, he muted the phone. During this time, the post had quickly received hundreds of responses and he had even received a dozen of friend requests. The numbers still continued to increase.
He pulled up the friendship application page and saw that the Meng sisters and Ji Yun Xiao had already sent over their friend requests. He immediately accepted their requests and even chatted with the Meng sisters a little.
Ji Yun Xiao however didn’t respond to him. He may have been busy with something else. After all, Cheng Zhi Chu remembered that Ji Yun Xiao was styled up during the instance, so he was probably getting ready to record a show and didn’t have time to check his phone.
As for the requests that he had received from the others, because he didn’t know them and he wasn’t certain whether these people were reliable, Cheng Zhi Chu didn’t accept their requests. One by one he deleted their requests and slowly scrolled through until he suddenly saw an ID that stunned him.
【Winter Branch has requested to add you as a friend.]
Cheng Zhi Chu: “??!!”
Wait. Who? Who wanted to add him as a friend?!
He wiped his phone screen and checked it several times to make sure he didn’t read the name wrong. He then let out an excited scream and rolled around in his bed happily. Without even needing to stop and think, he accepted the friend request.
The great god added him as friend!
The great god actually added him as friend!!
Cheng Zhi Chu smiled so happily, his cheeks were sore. Despite doing his best to tell himself that great god probably added him as a friend because his hand slipped; or it was just because great god wanted to ask more about the instance since he did mention that the instance was interesting, he still couldn’t help but feel happy to the point that he felt like he could fly.
What made him even more excited was that, after accepting his friend request, Winter Branch quickly sent him a message.
[Winter Branch: Hello.]
[Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice: !!]
[Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice: It’s Winter God! It’s really great god!]
[Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice: Hello Winter God!!]
Cheng Zhi Chu typed very fast. He couldn’t wait to say hello to Winter Branch. Afraid that he was being too cold to the god, he even typed out a few lines of praise. He praised how great Winter Branch was and how his guide had helped him a lot.