Slacking off in the Game of Survival

Chapter 53 Above the Wasteland(13)

Day two night of the game, 01:45:00

Dawn was approaching, just concealed in the darkness.

In a narrow alley amidst the ruins, a tall man dressed in a gray tactical vest leaned against the wall, legs crossed, arms folded, silently observing a man and a woman before him.

Beside him rested a massive backpack, while three or four players stood in front of him, gesturing at the transparent shopping interface in the air.

Though they seemed engrossed, their gazes met at an inopportune moment.

In reality, their encounter during the matchmaking banquet surprised both of them, especially Qian Yue.

In an instant, the image of her awkwardly pulling off her cloak, adjusting her hair, and tilting her hat flashed through her mind, causing the usually confident Qian Yue to inexplicably shrink in front of others.

However, in the presence of their parents, they tactfully avoided discussing matters related to the game and merely exchanged courteous introductions. Before they could engage in meaningful conversation, Qi Feng was urgently called back to work due to a phone call.

Thus, nothing substantial transpired between them, and there was no special relationship.

But now, as Qian Yue met the gaze of those profound eyes, she felt an inexplicable sense of guilt, as if she had been caught red-handed.

Qian Yue cleared her throat, “I can explain…”

Originally, Yuan Dongqi thought she was speaking to him and made a couple of “umm” sounds as he reached to tug on her arm.

Yuan Dongqi, “It’s fine to explain, but could you let go of me first?”

Qi Feng— as if nothing had happened— redirected his gaze as if he hadn’t seen anything. On the other hand, a few players nearby turned their heads and glanced curiously.

Qian Yue, “…”

Interrupted by Yuan Dongqi, Qian Yue suddenly realized that they were inside the game.

In the understanding of most people, Qi Feng was merely a special NPC, so she couldn’t openly discuss real-world matters in front of others.

Thus, Qian Yue turned to Yuan Dongqi, her momentary guilt turning into blazing anger.

She gritted her teeth, “Explain yourself! What do you mean by saying it wasn’t like this last night when I tied you up?”

She had only tied him up this morning, and she hadn’t said anything—mostly because Yuan Dongqi had been knocked unconscious by her at that time.

Yuan Dongqi, struggling for breath under her hand, quickly pointed to her hand, “Mmm, mmm, mmm.”

Qian Yue shot him a warning look with her eyes before releasing him.

Taking a deep breath, Yuan Dongqi continued, “Well, yeah. I asked you when you were planning to let me go, and you said you didn’t have immediate plans to do so—ouch!”

Qian Yue calmly retrieved her foot, “Think before you speak. Saying ‘not having immediate plans’ is not the same as saying ‘I haven’t thought about it’!”

Yuan Dongqi, “…Isn’t that basically the same thing?”

How could that be the same thing?!

It sounded like some kind of captive roleplay! The more he tried to explain, the darker it got!

Onlookers: Perked up ears.jpg

Even Qi Feng couldn’t help but glance their way again.

Qian Yue’s expression turned somewhat unpleasant. She said, “… Sorry, I’ll come back to shop later.”

The shopping interface disappeared from before her eyes, and Qian Yue grabbed Yuan Dongqi’s collar, pulling him outward.

“Hey, why are you getting physical again…” The tall young man of around six feet was forced to bend down as he was tugged along, looking rather comical.

After turning the corner, Qian Yue directly pushed him out, and Yuan Dongqi crashed solidly into a broken wall, knocking a few bricks loose. Passersby glanced over, then hurriedly increased their pace to leave.

Qian Yue stared at Yuan Dongqi with a composed expression and a sense of indifference, “Those two backpacks you saw were taken from your two teammates. I have a bad temper, but for the sake of my little brother, I won’t lay a hand on you this time.”

“But don’t assume you can do whatever you want. My patience has limits.”

Yuan Dongqi, seeing her seriousness, also turned serious and said, “I didn’t mean that. I want to cooperate with you. I won’t be a burden; I’m a doctor, and I can help with healing.”

Qian Yue looked at him as if he were a fool.

She asked, “You’ve been staying in the Cat Ear Hole for a day. Do you think I need your help?”

“Ah, well…”

Yuan Dongqi faltered for a moment, realizing that the hole was as solid as a tortoise shell; it seemed he wasn’t needed after all.

“But there might be unexpected situations…”

Yuan Dongqi wanted to explain further, but Qian Yue cut him off with an ultimatum, her voice cold, “I’ll say this one last time: don’t follow me.”

Yuan Dongqi, “…”

Being rejected multiple times, Yuan Dongqi’s pride took a hit. In the real world, many people would flatter him endlessly; it was rare for him to face such a rejection.

However, Yuan Dongqi didn’t start developing any thoughts of her being “special.”

He simply thought Qian Yue had good skills and they could cooperate.
Since her stance was so clear, he didn’t have much more to say.

Yuan Dongqi, feeling his previous actions had angered Qian Yue, smiled helplessly, “Since you’re not willing, forget about it. Sorry for bothering you.”

Seeing him so tactful, Qian Yue’s expression improved significantly.
Yuan Dongqi’s tone shifted, “But if there’s a chance in the future, I’d still look forward to working with you.”

Qian Yue nodded absentmindedly, but in her heart, she thought, “I’m used to working alone; there probably won’t be a chance to cooperate.”

Qian Yue casually reminded him, “You should leave quickly. This market only operates at night; it’ll be troublesome if you wait until daylight.”

Having said that, she turned and walked toward the alley where Qi Feng was.

Yuan Dongqi thanked her and also turned around. He had initially planned to explore the market, but after hearing Qian Yue’s words, he hesitated for a moment, then left the night market directly.

Although he hadn’t asked Qian Yue how she got the information, Yuan Dongqi instinctively chose to believe her. Since they were parting ways, he had to find a new base before the next bombing occurred.

However, as he walked, he suddenly realized he might have overlooked something.

Yuan Dongqi recalled, “Wait a second, she just said something about sparing me for the sake of her little brother?”

Who is her little brother? Do I know him? Do we have a close relationship or a mere superficial one?

Thinking carefully about Qian Yue’s face, Yuan Dongqi once again felt a sense of familiarity rise within him.

—
The moment he had seen her clearly earlier, Yuan Dongqi had that feeling. Back then, he thought it was because they had met in the second instance before, so he didn’t think much of it.

But now, it seemed like he and Qian Yue had met in real life as well—
except “The Ten-Day Plan” didn’t involve character creation, and everyone used their real appearances.

If they had really met outside the game, Yuan Dongqi wouldn’t be able to forget what Qian Yue looked like.

“Who does she resemble…?”

Thinking as he walked, Yuan Dongqi became more and more convinced of the familiarity, yet he couldn’t quite put a name to it. Wait a minute—another realization hit him:

He seemed to have forgotten to ask for the other person’s name.

On the other side, an unburdened Qian Yue returned to the alley. The sky was getting brighter now, and the few players who had been gathered around Qi Feng had all left at some point.

Amidst the thin morning mist, the man hoisted a backpack onto his shoulder with one hand, as if he had heard footsteps. He straightened slightly, raising his head to look at the approaching figure. His handsome face remained calm, as though he had been waiting for quite some time.

Their gazes briefly met in the air, and suddenly, Qian Yue’s steps faltered.

… Why was she starting to feel guilty again?

Pull yourself together!